ENSEÑANZA DE APRENDIZAJE

Cats or dogs: which makes a better pet?

Many families in the United States have pets. People who prefer cats are called “cat people” and people who prefer dogs are called “dog people.” There is a lot of discussion about whether cats or dogs make the best pets!

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Cat people say that cats make the best pets for a variety of reasons. Cats are very quiet and will not disturb the neighbors when they are left at home alone. Cats go to the bathroom in litter boxes and do not have to be walked. Cats are very affectionate, but they do not demand attention from their owners. Cats are independent.

Dog people feel that dogs are the best pets because dogs are much more interactive than cats. A dog will meet you at the door wagging his tail and showing that he is very happy to see you. Dogs often stay right by their owner’s sides, so dogs are good companions. Dogs will happily go everywhere with their owner.

Vocabulary:

• Pets: an animal kept at home

• Wag: move something from side to side

• Tail: rear part of an animal’s body

• Neighbors: someone who lives next to another

Discussion:

Which do you think is best, dogs or cats?

Before listening

Vocabulary

• Tardiness: to happen later than expected

• Polite: showing good manners

• Apology: when you say you are sorry

• Go off: 1. Stop functioning – The electricity goes off every day

• Go off: 2. Make a sound – The alarm didn’t go off yesterday

Most common excuses for being late to work

If you are late getting to work, it is polite to apologize for your tardiness and explain to your manager why you were late. Here are some examples of common apologies and explanations.

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1. I am so sorry I am late to work today. The traffic was very bad today and it took me longer than I expected.

2. Please forgive me for being late today. I had to take my child to school this morning and it took longer than I expected.

3. I apologize for being late to work. The electricity went off sometime last night, and my alarm did not go off.

4. I am sorry to be late. I had to stop and get gas on the way to work, and it took me longer than I expected.

You do not need to take a lot of time apologizing and explaining your tardiness. It is better to apologize and explain quickly and start working as soon as possible.

DISCUSSION:

What other explanations do people give for being late to work?

• Well-lit: luminous or bright

• Wooden: made of wood; wood is the material comes from trees (Example: wooden chair)

• Furnished: equipped with furniture

• Couch: sofa

• Leather: the skin of an animal

• My dream house

• My dream house is two floors and is located on a beautiful beach next to the Caribbean. It has 5 big well-lit rooms. The master bedroom is 60 square meters and is on the second floor. The kitchen is

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• modern; it has wooden cabinets and is fully furnished. The living room has 3 black leather couches and 2 60-inch TV screens.

• The dining room is separated from the kitchen and is decorated with paintings from famous painters. The house has 4 bathrooms, 2 on each floor. Outside, there is a pool and there are 4 big garages. The exterior is modern with excellent finishing touches. I’d love to live in my dream house really soon!

• What is your dream house like?

Vocabulary and context

• Serene: calm or peaceful

• Expert: a person who knows a lot about a topic

• Risky person: a person who likes unsafe or dangerous situations

• Furniture: ornaments for houses or offices such as sofas, chairs, tables, etc.

• Meaning: the significance of something; example, “what is the meaning of live?”

Colors and personality

Colors are an essential part of human life. Experts say that they define our personality. Here are some examples of the relationship between colors and personality:

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The color blue represents tranquility; if your favorite color is blue, you are possibly a serene and a peaceful person. On the other hand, the color red is related to passion; people that are risky in their lives usually wear red clothes. Yellow is associated with energy; people who like this color are, in general, happy and friendly. More serious and formal people love the color black; their cars, their clothes, and their furniture are almost always black.

It’s not possible to generalize about these relationships since every culture gives different meanings to the colors.

What’s your favorite color?

Discussion

• People who like the color green are ________________

• People who like the color white are ________________

• People who like the color brown are _______________

• Adjectives are words that are used to describe (what kind of?) nouns and pronouns and to quantify (how much of?) and identify (which one?) them. In a nutshell, Adjectives are what define nouns and give them characteristics to differentiate them from other nouns. For example:

• He was wearing a blue shirt.

• Here

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