Yearbook
Senior
2012
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Senior Yearbook 2012
Dear Students and Parents,
From everyone at the Teaching Centre,
Well here it is - the Year Book and what a great Year Book it is thanks to all your hard work and creativity over the past year.
Have a great summer and we’ll see you next year!
This is not only a record of some of the great pieces of work that you have produced in 2011-2012, but also of the things we have all shared as British Council family and friends. It is more than a record of your learning and achievements - it is a record of people and relationships and of course the place - the British Council. Many thanks to all of you who produced so much excellent writing and such beautiful art work. This is your work – enjoy it! Cliff Parry Academic Manager
Leisure Activities....3, 12, 13, 28, 29, 44, 45 Investigating Sherlock Holmes....4, 5, 10, 11, 22, 23, 36, 37 Books....6 Snapshots....7, Celebrities....8, 9, 26, 27 Jokes....8, 13, 15, 18, 2, 27, 29, 44, 47 Reviews....14, 15, 38, 39 Banksy Rules....16, 17, 34, 35, 42, 43 Articles....18, 19, 30, 31, 40, 41, 47 Television....20, 21 Interview with Tim Moore....24, 25 Proverbs....28, 45 Books and Films....32 Silly Stories....33 SP2 Break Time Activities...46 Art...47 Graffiti Walls....48,49,50,51
Contents
Leisure Activities A Great Way to Spend your Free Time
Swimming, An Interesting Sport
Nikolas Konstantinidis, SF6
Elina Bougougari, SF6
My daily programme doesn’t include so much free time, which I have only at weekends. In my leisure time I like going out and playing basketball, mostly with my friends. My best friend and I used to play basketball at school. In every break, we tried to find an empty basketball court in order to play without anyone disturbing us. We also wanted to play basketball when we had gym. Then we decided that when we all had free time, we could go and exercise in a basketball court, so we might have the chance to play if the court was empty. In my opinion, playing basketball after school was a very good decision because we could have some time without homework and other school stuff. I enjoy playing basketball
so much because it is a team sport. I have a lot of good times and fun with my friends. Plus it is a great and healthy way to exercise and keep fit at the same time, without working very hard. To sum up, basketball, I think, is a great way to spend your free time, rather than sitting in front of a computer or a television. Would you like to take up basketball? If you’re not very good, don’t worry – with time you’ll get better and better.
A leisure time activity I’m really enjoying is swimming. I first got interested in it when I was nine years old. Most of my friends told me what fun and how relaxing it is. However, I didn’t want to try but my friends were so irritated by me that I decided to join them. Although in the beginning I didn’t like it much, then I found I really enjoyed it. Because of that, I started going to a swimming pool twice a week. Neither my sister nor my mum understand my passion for swimming. My sister was always asking me why I liked it and my mum was always complaining about me coming home too late and not having enough time to do my homework, although I think she really liked seeing me happy. Soon I was becoming better and better at butterfly and backstroke, although everyone thinks it is an impossible stroke. As a result, my coach put me in the team. I won numerous medals and everyone was very proud of me. To sum up, now I can understand why my friends enjoy the sport so much. I agree it is a great hobby but for me it is one of the most fantastic free time activities. In my opinion, everyone must try it and I’m sure that everyone will love it. So, why haven’t you tried it yet?
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Investigating Sherlock Holmes The Fictional Character of Sherlock Holmes Metaxia Pilioura, Marilena Kokkini, Konstantina Mirtzana, SF4
What he’s like
How he Behaves and What he Believes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character, he never existed. He appeared in 1887. He is cynical, clever and observant, but he is also a loner. He only made one friend when he was at university. The ability to take any disguise helps him solve difficult cases. When he makes a mistake, he usually blames himself. He is also very fussy about being clean. In ‘The Hound of the Baskevilles’, he is described as ‘cat-like’ because of this. However, Holmes is not afraid to touch something dirty if it helps him to solve a case. In the first Holmes story, ‘A Study in Scarlet’, his hands are discoloured with acid stains and Holmes uses drops of his own blood to conduct experiments in chemistry and forensics.
Sherlock Holmes has very good knowledge of chemistry but just a limited knowledge of geology and botany, because he only studies the things he is interested in. He knows only a little about astronomy, philosophy and politics. For example, in ‘A Study in Scarlet’, Holmes claims that he didn’t know that the Earth revolves around the Sun and didn’t need to know, because this information isn’t important for his job. He also believes that the mind should remember only useful information and that it isn’t important to learn useless things, because he believes that the memory will fill up and won’t be able to hold more information.
A Famous Saying
His Own Filing System
Many of his stories begin with Holmes showing his talent for ‘deductive reasoning’. He often says, ‘When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’
Holmes doesn’t believe in learning useless information but he never destroys documents. Every corner of his room is filled with pieces of paper. It looks like chaos but he can find any document he is looking for immediately. The piles of paper are his ‘useful’ information ‘store’ - nobody is allowed to touch them.
Who Says ‘Elementary, My Dear Watson’?
Holmes says that his logical conclusions are ‘elementary’ because they are simple and obvious. But he never actually says ‘Elementary, my dear Watson’.
Keep Fit Fanatic
The Way he Looks
Sherlock Holmes is tall, over 1.80 metres and very thin. His fingers are thin and his hands are scarred by the experiments he makes. He has got sharp, grey, piercing eyes. He has got a thin, hawklike nose that gives him an air of alertness. He dresses very carefully and he always attracts attention. He usually wears a brown tweed jacket and brown trousers. At home, he likes wearing his robe.
Strange Habits
It is mentioned in ‘Gloria Scott’ that Holmes trained as a boxer, and in ‘The Yellow Face’ Watson comments that ‘he was undoubtedly one of the finest boxers of his weight that I have ever seen.’
Although he is fussy and tidy, he keeps the tobacco for his pipe in an old slipper. All the letters he hasn’t answered yet are kept in a pile. He sticks a knife through them to hold them to his mantelpiece.
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Books Murder Market
The Legend of Mora
Maria Varela-Athanassatou, SA1
Myrto Pagoropoulou, SA1 When God created the world, He made Adam and Eve (also known as Lilith), the first humans. As the Old Testament says, Lilith was banished from Paradise after God blamed her for having an affair with Satan and trying to push Adam into sin. When Lilith left, Adam regretted her exit and begged God to bring her back, so He sent three angels. They found Lilith in a village in Mesopotamia and they asked her several times to come back, but she turned all of them down. The angry angels went back to heaven and Lilith started drowning babies in their sleep, to get revenge on God and the angels, and as a sign of appreciation to the Devil. It was said that she married him, became the first vampire and was renamed Black Mora. If you have ever experienced a strange feeling of oppression on your chest or a shadow upon you, they say it's her.
It's a revenge story with Clara as the main character. Clara is a single woman who, after her boyfriend leaves her, decides to participate in a special course for people who have experienced a broken relationship. There, she meets three women, Diane, Gemma and Cathy, who will be her best friends after a while. All three of them have been abandoned by their boyfriends and all four of them want revenge. Clara decides to practise her revenge on the three ex-husbands of her friends before she does the same to her ex-husband. That's when everything begins. Murder wasn't the type of revenge she had in mind in the first place. But she hated these men so much for making her friends miserable that she finally murdered them, although she didn't actually kill her ex-husband. This book is really worth reading because it has suspense and action. Clara does things that surprise the reader and may frighten them a little. The book doesn't give a really good message: revenge is not something to imitate. You just need to leave things behind you and move on. However, it is a fascinating book that everyone will enjoy and love.
She comes as an old lady wearing a cape or as a little girl. Then she sits right on your chest so you feel you can't breathe easily and you see black shadows in your room. They say you mustn't open your eyes or else you'll die of fear at her sight. If you feel her presence, you must not look. They also say it's just an urban legend. Prove them wrong!
Byzantine Walk Snapshots
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Celebrities Penelope Cruz
Valentino Rossi
Katerina Vasileiou, SF4
Nondas Vagias, SF4 Penelope Cruz is a
famous actress from Spain.
She was born on 28 April, 1974. She has played in many films. The first time she appeared on TV was in 1991, when she was 16 years old. A year after that, Penelope played in her first film, 'Jamon'. In 2001 she played the lead role in two films: 'Vanilla Sky' and 'Blow'. Her most important films are 'Volver' (2006) for which she won the Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations and 'Vicky Christina Barcelona' (2008), for which she received an Academy Award. She was the first Spanish actress in history to receive an Academy Award and the first Spanish actress to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Rowan Atkinson Ilias Barsakis, SF4 My favourite actor is Rowan Atkinson. He was born on 6 January 1955, so he's now 57. He's the youngest of three brothers: Paul, Rodney and Rupert Atkinson. He’s one of the most famous comedians in the world. Some of his roles are: 'Not the 9 o'clock News', 'Black Adder', 'Mr. Bean’ and 'Johnny English'. Rowan Atkinson also starred in a series of comedy shows for BBC Radio 3 in 1978, called 'The Atkinson People'. My opinion about this incredible comedian is that he's the funniest actor I have ever seen!
My favourite celebrity is Valentino Rossi. He is 33 years old and was born on 16th February 1979. Valentino was an only child but he has got a half brother because his parents divorced and his mother got married to another man. Valentino has been a Moto GP driver for 16 years. He has won 105 races, 74 pole positions and 9 World Championships. He is the driver with the most world championships and the most pole positions and the second driver with the most wins. He was chosen to be a Moto GP driver because his father, Graziano Rossi, was a moto GP driver, too. In his career, Valentino has driven for many teams, more specifically for Aprilia (1996-1999), Honda (2000-2003), Yamaha (20042010) and now, since last year, he's been driving for Ducati. He won 2 World Championships with Aprilia, 3 with Honda and 4 with Yamaha.
Joke After 30 years of marriage, a wife asked her husband to describe her. Husband: You're A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H.. ..I,J,K. Wife: What does that mean? Husband: Adorable, Beautiful, Caring, Delightful, Elegant, Fun, Gorgeous, Helpful. Wife: What about, I, J and K? Husband: I'm Just Kidding!
Nicole Kidman
Ozzy Osbourne
Teresa Peleki, SF4
Titos Dellis, SF4
My favourite actress is a very talented woman – Nicole Kidman. Born in 1967, Kidman is an Australian actress, singer, film producer, model and humanitarian. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, because her parents were studying and teaching in the USA. They had education visas, so Nicole could claim both US and Australian citizenship. Her father was a biochemist and her mother a nursing instructor. Her ancestry includes Scottish and Irish roots. In 1992, aged 16, Nicole Kidman made her first appearance in the Australian holiday series 'Bush Xmas'. After playing in many small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman moved on and succeeded in the movie industry. In 2003, she received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and also won an Academy Award for best actress – in other words, the Oscar for best actress. Since then, she
John Michael ‘Ozzy’ Osbourne, also known as the 'Godfather of Heavy Metal', is an English heavy metal vocalist who began his career in a band named 'Black Sabbath'. Then he became a star on his own when he wrote songs with Randy Roads (a guitarist) and began a solo career. One of his best songs is 'Crazy Train' and another one is 'Bark at the Moon'. Two of his best albums are 'Speak of the Devil' and 'Bark at the Moon'. I like his music because it's pure, wild heavy metal.
Johnny Depp Odysseas Sotiropoulos, SF4 My favourite actor is Johnny Depp, who was born on 9 June, 1963. He is an American actor, producer and musician, and has won an award for almost all the movies she has acted in. My favourite movies are 'Moulin Rouge' and ‘The Golden Compass'. Kidman has been married twice, first to actor Tom Cruise and, after their divorce in 2007, to singer Keith Urban. She has adopted two children with Tom Cruise and given birth to two more, a boy and a girl, with Keith Urban. So, that's all about my favourite actress, Nicole Kidman.
he has won the Golden Globe award for best actor. Depp's first major role was in 1984, in a horror film called 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'. The 2003 Walt Disney Pictures film 'Pirates of the Caribbean' was a big success, and Depp's performance was highly praised. He is also a guitar player. In 1994, Depp was arrested for allegedly causing damage in a hotel suite in New York city.
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Investigating Sherlock Holmes The Author of Sherlock Holmes Stories Ersi Stratopoulou, Theano Stefanakou, Martha Tsepeti, SF4
Origin and Family
Starting his Medical Career Conan Doyle
studied medicine at
the University of Edinburgh. While he was studying, he wrote short stories. Some of them were published in magazines before he was 20. When he left university, he worked as a Ships Surgeon on a voyage to West Africa. After that, he started a medical practice with a classmate. Unfortunately, he did not have a good relationship with his classmate and he left the practice. The name of the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories is Ignatius Conan Doyle. Conan Doyle was born on 22 May 1859 and he died on 7 July 1930. He was born in Edinburgh. His surname was Doyle, but he used the surname Conan Doyle. His parents’ ancestors were from Ireland, but his family lived in Scotland and he was brought up in Scotland. He had nine brothers and sisters. He was sent to a preparatory school when he was 9 years old.
Politics and Knighthood After he had become very famous for his writing, he became interested in politics. Doyle ran for Parliament twice, but he wasn’t elected. He was knighted in 1902 for his political writing to support the government in the Boer War.
Medicine or Writing - which is best? Next, Conan Doyle opened his own medical practice in Portsmouth with only 10 pounds. At that time he wasn’t very successful so, while
he was waiting for patients, he wrote stories. At the same time he was a
football player (a goalkeeper) for Portsmouth Football Club. He decided to become a specialist, so he studied ophthalmology in Vienna and then he started a practice in London, but he didn’t have even one patient. Fortunately, he did not worry because he had more time for writing stories. While he had his practice, he also played cricket for Marylebone Cricket Club.
The Scales of Justice
He always had a great interest in justice and he worked to help people who he believed were innocent, even when they had been found guilty by the courts. In one case, a man called Oscar Slater was found guilty, in 1908. Doyle worked to prove that he was innocent and paid all the expenses. In the end, Doyle was very successful and Slater was freed in 1928, after twenty
years in prison.
Do Ghosts Exist?
Just an Illusion
Conan Doyle became friends with ‘The Great Houdini’. Houdini told Doyle that he had no special powers. He told him that all his escapes were just illusions. Doyle didn’t believe him, and they didn’t stay friends.
Fooled in the End
Doyle became
interested in the paranormal. His wife died in 1906 and later five men in his family died in World War I. After that, he became depressed. He joined The Ghost Club because he wanted to find if there was any proof of life after death. The club did scientific studies to prove or to disprove any reports of the paranormal.
Dole wanted to believe in the paranormal. When he saw photographs of fairies, in 1917, he investigated and he decided that the photographs were real. In his ‘Holmes’ stories, Doyle never used forensic photography.
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Leisure Activities Drawing: An Activity I Really Enjoy
A Great Way to Spend My Free Time
Kyriakos Psallidas, SF6
Christina-Maria Asimotou, SF6 I’m Maritina Asimotou, I’m a student in the first class of junior high school and I’m 13 years old. When I was nine, I started playing tennis and I still play because I love it. Before I began, my parents wanted me to go swimming but I didn’t, so we started negotiating about what I was going to do and if they would let me play tennis. Luckily they
A leisure time activity I really enjoy is drawing. I started drawing at school two years ago because I was inspired by a friend who sat next to me and drew awesome things all the time. He gave me some tips and I started drawing. The first of my sketches were human faces and bodies which had poor quality, without much detail. However, at the end of the school year, after watching some drawing lessons on You Tube and observing my friend drawing, I was able to draw some more complex things. I could draw dragons, ancient warriors, detailed eyes, comic characters and much more. Plus I could do the shading and put light reflections on my drawings. The main source of my inspiration was and still is video games, movies, television series and comics. Now I’m competent and I enjoy drawing very much. I still haven’t reached the artistic level of my friend. However, I think I’m good at drawing. It’s a fascinating activity that improves your imagination and creativity. Also, when you finish a sketch and paint it, you feel like it’s real. In conclusion, my opinion is that drawing is one of the best ways to spend your leisure time. So, would you like to try it?
let me and as a result, I had to tidy my room for a month. It wasn’t so bad! I love playing tennis because I love running and in tennis I have to run a lot and hit the balls with lots of power to get them over the net. At the end of the year we always play matches. My opponents, children at the same level as me, are as good as I am but I beat them and last year I got the second medal. I was very proud of myself because after three months of hard, challenging games I won second place. The sweat that had gone out of me was my price. What do you think? I feel confident and free playing tennis! I adore it, I’m passionate about it!
Water and Me
A Great Way to Spend My Free Time
Nicky Katsara, SF6
Savvas Papaevangelou, SF6
When I was asked to write about a leisure time activity which I really enjoy, swimming was the obvious choice for me. I can’t think of anything more enjoyable and relaxing than swimming. It all started at the age of five. My parents saw me when I was swimming in the sea. I was really good and fast for my age. At the time, I really wanted to take up a new activity, so that was the solution. I’m really the kind of person who wants to do everything perfectly and put my heart in it, and that happened with swimming, too. I really enjoy swimming, whether in the sea or in a pool. But the best thing about swimming is that you have many opportunities and advantages. Swimming keeps you fit. Although ‘butterfly’ can be very difficult, it is my favourite stroke. Last year I took part in a competition and guess what: I came first and I won a prize! Although I’m very busy this year, I don’t let myself stop swimming because swimming is pretty relaxing, interesting and a great way to stay fit. To sum up, I adore swimming and I think it’s the best way to enjoy your free time!
Chuck Norris Jokes - What did Graham Bell find when he discovered the telephone? - Two missed calls from Chuck Norris!
The leisure activity that I enjoy the most is playing with 1/8 scale nitro r/c cars. These cars have an engine which works with fuel. It is a real engine of a car, only smaller, and it has one cylinder. It all started when I was six years old. My dad saw a really nice Tamiya FS-12 glow engine car and decided to buy it. When I saw it, I was amazed. When it was time for break-in, my dad told me to put fuel inside the tank and start the engine. I pulled the pull start many times but the engine just didn’t want to start. Of course, new engines don’t start easily, but I was disappointed and I started yelling and shouting at my father. At last, the engine started and I was really thrilled. I played with my car for three years and it was later
stored inside its box for three more years. Last year I started the engine and, although it had been stored for three years, it worked perfectly. Now my school work is an obstacle between me and my car. But I will love my car forever. You should really try this hobby, it’s fantastic! Why don’t you try? SA1 Class - Chuck Norris is the only person who can square the circle! - Chuck Norris is the only person who has a silver goldfish! - Chuck Norris can still watch Alter Channel!
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Reviews Game: Pro-Evolution Soccer
Film: Twilight
Dimitris Apostolakis, SF6
Nicky Katsara, SF6
I started to play PES at the age of six. Since then, I have been a great fan of this computer game. I should say that the positives outweigh the negatives. Firstly, the high-definition and the graphics are so fabulous that they make the game play extremely realistic, which makes me feel that I’m taking part in a veritable match! As well as this, the statistics and the abilities of the players are definitely realistic, too, so it’s very close to reality, which appeals to me. However, the online game play isn’t as good, since my Internet connection isn’t good enough to complete a match, which makes me very irritated and disappointed. Plus, it’s a bit difficult to start plying this game, as it’s difficult to synchronise your actions with your mind and to make the
Have you been watching films for years but still haven’t got a favourite one? I had the same problem until I saw ‘Twilight’. ‘Twilight’ is a love
story between a human being and a vampire. The main character is called Bella.
appropriate combinations to score a goal, which makes it very special! However, if anyone is interested in football and is keen on action and strategy, I’d highly recommend this game to people of any age. You could try it, too and, who knows? It might become your favourite!
Bella is a normal girl with a lot of interests. She falls in love with Edward. Edward and his family are vampires, although they are very polite, goodlooking and intelligent. Here I must say that there is another main character in the movie, too, called Jacob. Jacob is Bella’s best friend, although in the end he falls in love with her. Well, it was so sweet that a vampire could have a normal relationship with a human and that’s what I liked the most. In my opinion, the film is a very good family film, since it combines a little science fiction with a wonderful, although unusual, love story. I think everyone will enjoy this film, because Edward’s problem causes situations which are funny, often frightening and usually strange. At the same time, you see how the characters and their relationships change during their lives, but how their love grows stronger!
Restaurant: The Seven Goats
Game: Call of Duty MW3
Kyriakos Psallidas, SF6
Aris Gikapeppas, SF6
‘The Seven Goats’ is a restaurant that offers the best meat dishes I have ever eaten, and I can highly recommend it. The interior is unusual when you first see it, because it has painting referring to the fairy tale. The drawing that caught my attention was a large one which showed the bad wolf preferring a souvlaki rather than eating the goats, which, in my opinion, is very interesting. It is also very cosy, firstly because the waiters are very friendly and make you feel that you’re eating at home. Secondly, the design is traditional, without luxurious details. The food is very tasty and the ingredients are fresh, plus the menu has a wide variety. Some of the tastiest
dishes you should try are: pork steak with lemon and potatoes, ribs and, of course, souvlaki. ‘The Seven Goats’ is located at 96, Karea Avenue. If you want to go by bus, lines 203 and 212 suit best.
Joke An old lady is driving very fast, and she is knitting. A police officer sees this and drives alongside her car. ‘Pull over!’, he says. ‘No,’ the old lady replies. ‘They’re mittens!’
‘Call of Duty MW3’ promises lots of cool new features to its new and old players. A completely new game experience arises when you play this game. You are likely to learn easily how to survive in difficult war situations in real life. In the game, people fight to keep themselves alive all the time. Fortunately, the game graphics and special effects have been improved since the first game was released. The game is compatible with lots of electronic devices such as computers, play stations and so on. It’s quite easy to learn how to play because you can switch the level of difficulty of the game to 1 if you are an amateur or to 6 if you are a professional and your gaming level is fairly good. Plus, another good point of the game is that you feel as if you’re actually in the war field, although, if you look at something else except the screen, you might lose your life in seconds! Owing to the inappropriate scenes, the player must be over the age of 13 to be able to play the game properly and not to be frightened by some of the violent scenes.
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Banksy Rules! This picture shows a young girl who has been abandoned by her parents. What I feel when I look at this picture is sadness and pity. It makes you realise what happens to many kids all around the world. You also feel uncomfortable because you think that these things happen and we don’t do anything about it. But it also makes you feel the need to do something. I think this picture symbolises the disappointment of isolated children and it makes me feel sad. This is an extremely emotional picture. It makes me feel depressed, disappointed, sad and lonely and it makes me think about how boring life can be when you are 0% interested in it. On the one hand, it shows the innocence of a girl with no debts, who doesn’t owe any money and she is free to make her own choices. She is able to change her life, to improve it, to keep it beautiful and interesting. Life is unique, it is perfect. Life is what you get when you look into a child’s eyes. And you’re supposed to make an effort to lighten these children’s lives.
It makes me feel annoyed, because the kid is sad. Maybe she's poor of homeless and nobody's interested in her. This particular photo made me feel inspired, and a bit worried. I think that’s the purpose of photos like that, actually. The meaning is that some parents don’t care very much about their children. They may use the TV as a baby sitter for their children... The look on this child’s face, in combination with the words ‘0% INTEREST’ make me feel not only sad for the child, but also angry with the people who have abandoned the child. Plus, I feel disappointed that so few people are interested in those children. It makes me feel sad and angry, lucky for what I have and angry with people who neglect their children. I’m annoyed and sad about the young girl because it seems that no-one is interested in her and she’s alone. That makes me very emotional and bitter.
The picture makes me feel sad because the girl seems to be lonely and about to cry. It also makes me feel upset because no-one is interested in her.
My heart bleeds for this little girl who appears to have no interest in life. It’s like she doesn’t live at all.
Modern day society has made people emotionally damaged and has made them ignore the young, the old and the poor that are around them. They think only about themselves. Humans are selfish and I feel sad and disillusioned about this because I know we’re not going to change a lot!
An extremely emotional picture! It probably shows the lack of interest of young children. It makes me feel disappointed and depressed and gives me a chance to think about how I can encourage this child.
This makes me feel so despondent. So many children, especially teenagers, find life boring and waste the best years of their lives!
I feel sorry for this little girl because she probably feels lonely and sad because she seems so alone and nobody cares about her. It makes me feel sad and depressed about our world, but also a desire to change the situation.
Peace: the most valuable thing you'll ever have. Without it, you are a dead man, without it you are nothing. So, stop underestimating it and protect it! Protect it from your foolish self, protect it with your life! Banksy's graffiti is clever, funny, and totally reflects some real situations. Like when we want to make peace and we start a war...he's got the right idea! It expresses the real feelings of any soldier! Awesome! It is not only ordinary people but soldiers who want peace, too! There’s a huge difference between fighting for peace and killing for peace... Irony! The soldiers are tired of fighting wars and all they want is peace. It makes me feel proud of them, I guess. It’s sad and angry. It conveys the message of peace, while people fight away from their families. It’s ironic, because they’re soldiers. Looking at this picture makes me want to join the soldier who is painting, to help him to complete the picture and pass on the message of keeping the peace between people. It makes me feel hate for wars, but also hope and a desire to change the world. It’s a sad, moving picture which passes on a message. Soldiers hate war. Also it shows us that we can’t judge people by their appearance. For instance, the soldiers in the picture might have killed many people in the war but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they want to kill their enemies. They care about peace. If I were one of them, I would be proud of myself.
Soldiers that don't agree with a war that is happening have the need to do something to show to the rest of the people what they want and need to have in their lives. Peace is not something that everybody has, but it is something that everybody wants to have. Banksy wants to show how people – especially soldiers – feel when a war has broken out. This is ironic because soldiers don't create peace, they create battles. Peace that is forged with blood and death is peace that can never exist. The picture shows that soldiers want peace. It's not fair to make people kill each other for something they aren't even involved in! This graffiti shows in an ironic way the contrast between war and peace. It can also be understood as an answer to those who support wars that have been declared in the name of freedom, when they have been declared for profit. If you look at this picture for a while, you'll see a whole world. When I observe it, I feel disappointed and confused about humanity. However, I believe that there is hope that humanity finds peace! Look at the future, not the past! I feel moved when I see this picture because I realise that so many people who fight in wars don’t really want to. I see the injustice of it all. Looking at this picture makes me feel so sorry that in some countries war is taking place and most of the people must fight even if they don’t want to and even die because they have been told to and all they want is peace. I’m also glad to be in a country where there’s no war.
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Articles Mobile Intrusion Melina Nikolakea, SC2
Mobile phones are probably the most representative example of how modern technology intrudes in our everyday life. They were originally introduced in the late 80s as bulky, awkward and expensive devices. Their only use was telephone communication outside the home. In the years to come, they became cheaper, accessible to more people and their weight and size were amazingly reduced. Furthermore, the range of their applications expanded to reach today’s amazing potential such as social networking, TV, travel navigation, radio, even
e-banking, so they can be used by all ages. Young people tend to prefer the Internet and social networking, while adults use their mobile phones mainly for business and communication with colleagues. Apart from the uses mentioned above, mobile phones also offer a sense of security to older people and people who travel to remote areas. On the other hand, the overuse of these devices could lead to perilous situations. Have you ever had a narrow escape from a car accident because of a reckless driver who was talking on his mobile phone? This was the case for me recently. It has happened to a lot of people and that’s why the traffic police have prohibited talking on the mobile phone while driving. Another issue is the security aspect of mobile phone communication. Conversations can be easily monitored and recorded for illegal purposes. This has recently become a major issue in the UK and other countries. Moreover, you may be precisely located. Additionally, mobile phone radiation has been accused of causing
severe damage to the human brain and other organs. However, results of various studies range from confirming the harm done by mobile phones to their total innocence. An increasing phenomenon these days is that many people are addicted to their mobile phone, which could have certain financial, social and psychological repercussions. Mobile phones are still a controversial issue. They have made our lives easier, but they have also caused various problems. Their use or overuse will define how useful or harmful they might be.
Joke A young brunette goes into the doctor’s office and says that her body hurts wherever she touches it. “That’s strange,” says the doctor. “Can you show me?” She takes her finger and pushes her elbow and screams in agony. She pushes her knee and screams, pushes her ankle and screams and so on. The doctor says, “You’re not really a brunette are you?” She says, “No, I’m really a blonde.” “I thought so,” he says. “Your finger is broken.”
Mobile Phones: Necessity, Nuisance or Luxury?
Young Children Shouldn’t be Allowed to Own Mobile Phones
Bill Tolis, SC2
Jason Giotis, SC2
Nowadays, the cell phone is the most common device which gives you the ability to communicate with anyone, from anywhere and at any time you want. Do you think that the mobile phone deserves its popularity? Or do you think that cell phones are overestimated? In the following article, I’m going to present my opinion on the topic, which I think will help you, too. Generally, I feel that the cell phone in modern society has two different ways of use: a personal and a business one. But what really annoys me is the fact that almost every adult has two or more portable devices. One they say is for their work and one for their personal life, and when they show you their two phones, there is a possibility that they have two devices that are exactly the same. And tell me, isn’t that a huge waste of money, since you could have one phone on which you could combine the business and personal use? Additionally, mobile phones also have some advantages and some disadvantages. For example, cell phones make your contact with other people easier today than 30 years ago when, if you wanted to speak to a friend, you had to call from the house phone. What is more, you also have the opportunity to change your mobile phone into a gaming console whenever you want. However, portable phones emit radiation which is likely to cause brain cancer, which may lead to death. So, will you buy a machine which gives you a ratio of possibilities of dying young but amuses you and helps you at work? Be reasonable!
Some people agree that young people ( from 8 to 12) should possess mobile phones, while others think that we should grow up a bit before we take one in our hands. Which is the right thing? There are many factors why this is controversial. It is often said that mobile phones could come in handy, when children are in emergency situations. Moreover, parents say that they can stay in touch with their kids regardless of the distance. On the other hand, it is said that children could get addicted to the phones, while overusing them could harm their eyes and brain because they are very young. Furthermore, what I find interesting is the unawareness of the parents. Misinformed, they don’t know the positives and negatives of mobile phones and, without taking precautions, they unwittingly give phones to their children. There are even some cases where kids end up possessing two or more mobile phones.
Equally, in some cases, being overprotective and anxious, parents tend to force their children to have a mobile phone with them, so that they can constantly check what they are doing or where they are. Frankly, I partly agree with the statement above; that said, not fully. As mentioned above, only to the extent that mobile phones should be given to children in certain situations only. Hardly ever would I recommend a parent to give a phone to their child at the age of under twelve.
19
Television The Simpsons
Blackout
Alkmini Gousiari, SF4
Elli Fragki, SF4
I really love the Simpsons. It is on Nova and because I haven’t got Nova, I watch it on the internet. I don’t know what time you can see it but certainly you can watch it on YouTube. I think the Simpsons is the best programme because
My favourite TV programme is ‘Black Out’, which is something like a game show. In ‘Black Out’ there are some people who go into a room without any lights. There are some things which they have to try and identify or they have to put some objects somewhere else in the room or they have to move around the room without touching certain
it’s funny and stupid and it’s for all
ages. My favourite character is Marge Simpson because she’s got those incredible ears and smokey voice and she always solves all the problems.
Goals Without Limits Titos Dellis, SF4
things. This game show is on Antenna, a Greek channel, between eight and midnight on Fridays. Sometimes my parents don’t let me watch it all because it’s too late. But I like this programme very much because it’s very funny to see people moving about in a dark room without being able to see a thing! It’s perfect!
TV Watching and other Pastimes Lefteris Gousis, SF4
Now I’ll tell you about my favourite TV programme. It’s called ‘Goals without Limits’. It’s on Skai channel on Saturdays. I don’t remember much about the time it’s on but I do remember that it ends about twelve or one o’clock in the afternoon. It’s a sports programme that describes football and basketball all over the world. I like it because it’s informative and it has a lot of guest stars, so I can hear different opinions.
I think watching TV for too many hours isn’t good for your eyes. The best time of day to watch is at night because it is so relaxing that it can make you sleepy. You fall asleep very quickly because your eyes are tired and so you feel tired! If I want to relax, I listen to music. When I listen to music, I relax and I close my eyes and sleep for an hour!
The Mentalist
Dancing on Ice
Melissa Ottaviani, SF4
Katerina Vasileiou, SF4
I want to tell you something about the TV programmes in Greece but I don’t know a lot about them because I watch more Italian programmes. So let me comment on both! Well, in Italy there are lots of kinds of interesting TV programmes but there are also some boring and silly ones. There are many American series, like ‘CSI Miami’ etc., but there are Italian and German ones too. I actually don’t have a favourite programme but I do like an American series called ‘The Mentalist’ which is on TV every Wednesday at ten p.m. on RETE 4 (that’s the name of the channel). Sometimes it’s a bit scary but it’s very funny, too.
Goals Without Limits Elias Barsakis, SF4 My favourite TV programme is called ‘Goals without Limits’. It’s a sports programme on the Greek channel called ‘Skai’. It starts at midnight and finishes at 3 a.m. every Saturday! This programme describes all the matches of the championships from all over the world. The
presenters sometimes can be very funny and that’s why I like ‘Goals without Limits’.
My favourite TV programme is very popular on Greek TV. The title of it is ‘Dancing on Ice’. It’s on Antenna channel on Sundays and last for about three hours, starting at 9 p.m. and finishing at midnight. Famous people skate with professional ice skaters on this show and they get points from three judges who say if they’ve danced well or not. Finally viewers decide who should leave the competition and who should stay. I like this programme because it’s interesting and enjoyable. I like to dance so I’m interested in their choreography. In my opinion, it is a very successful programme because dancing makes people
relax.
Chuck Norris Joke SA1 Class - How does Chuck Norris fish? - 'You, you and you, out of the water!'
21
Investigating Sherlock Holmes Famous Sherlock Holmes Stories Dimitris Vazelakis, Prokopis Gavathas, Nick Stefanakos, SF4
Who are we going to call?
Sherlock Holmes is a detective who is more successful than the police because of the methods he uses. Clients pay him to solve murders, mysteries or robberies because they think that the police won’t succeed in solving the cases. He has a helper, Dr. Watson. When Watson narrates Holmes’ adventures, Holmes thinks that he is too sensational. Sherlock Holmes believes that detection is a science, so he should be unemotional.
An Eye for Detail
Holmes uses analysis of physical evidence. For example, he males copies of footprints, hoof prints or bicycle tracks that he finds at a crime scene. He also compares letters of different typewriters, handwriting or bullets from different guns.
Ahead of his Time
Everything is Important Holmes is a good actor. He wears a disguise when he is undercover. He often pretends he is ill or wounded so he can trick a suspect into making a mistake. What is he wearing? What is his state of mind? What is his physical condition? He tries to make educated guesses about people.
Holmes is careful and he
does not disturb anything at the crime scene. He complains about the police because he thinks that the police contaminate the crime scene. Holmes’ methods are now standard in crime scene examination, but when the stories were written, these methods were not used very much.
Spy Work
Old Movies
In some stories Holmes is a patriot and he works for the government in cases involving national security. For example, he does dangerous counter-intelligence work in his last book, which is set in World War I.
1916, The Valley of Fear, starring Harry Arthur 1922, Sherlock Holmes, starring John Barrymore 1931, The Speckled Band, starring Reymond Massey 1976, The Lost Manuscript, starring Nicol Williamson 2010, Sherlock Holmes, starring Ben Syder
The Greek Interpreter
Guiness World Records
In this story Mr. Melas is an interpreter. He is employed by Mr. Latimer to translate for a Greek man in his house. The man seems to be a prisoner and he looks beaten up. He is not allowed to speak but only allowed to write his answers to Latimer’s questions. The man has a sister in the house, whose name is Sophia. Melas knows he must get help, so he contacts Sherlock Holmes. Holmes must find out how the man’s sister is involved. He must work fast to prevent a murder.
Made in the USSR Soviet television made
TV adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Sherlock Holmes is ‘the most portrayed movie character’ – 75 actors have played this part in
211 films!
Many Adventures There were 56 Sherlock Holmes stories and 4 novels. Many of the stories were published in magazines and the title usually began with ‘The
Adventures of…’
23
Interview with Tim Moore SA1 Class What is the most interesting country you have visited? Burma. It’s not a country many people go to. They have a strict government and the people have no freedom. It’s not easy to get a visa to go there. It’s a hard place for people to live but it has beautiful architecture and very old buildings. I didn’t like Romania – the capital was cold and grey and I stayed in a dirty hotel. It was terrible. Where do your friends live? All over the world. I have a lot of friends and with Facebook and Skype it’s very easy to keep in touch with people. My mum sends me text messages every day! From left to right: Evripides Avramoglou, Tim Moore, Dimos Mellos, Anastasia Vasiliera, Maria Athanassatou-Varela , Antigoni Kostea Where are you from? South-east England, near Hastings. What job did you dream of doing when you were young? I wanted to be a physiotherapist because I was interested in sport and football. I wasn’t good at football but I thought it was a way to be part of the team. How did your career begin? I’ve always been interested in working with people. After university I was offered a job on finance and I thought it was a good career option but it was the opposite of what I wanted to do. I worked in investment for a year. Money is
important but it’s not the most important thing so I became a teacher and I’ve worked in Poland, the Czech Republic and Vietnam. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Sports – tennis, swimming, TV, reading... but here in Greece I’ve become lazy. Do you enjoy travelling? Yes, I’ve been to 34 countries and Greece is the 4th country I’ve lived in.
What made you decide to come to Greece? After living in Asia I wanted to go to a new country. When I lived in Poland and the Czech Republic I travelled to Romania and Turkey, but I had never been to Greece. In England, Greece is very popular and people say it’s beautiful. That’s why I came here. Do you enjoy living here? Yes. It’s an easy place to get around. People speak English, which is good for me. The weather is great – not much rain. What do you see as the biggest differences between lifestyles in Greece and Britain? Difficult question. Greek people like to go out more to restaurants and coffee shops and be more sociable. What has been your biggest lifestyle change since moving to Greece? I used to spend time going out with friends but here I spend more time at home, relaxing. I don’t go out so much so I guess I must be getting older. What does your job involve and what part of it do you enjoy? It involves many things – managing the teachers and courses. I’m the link between the UK and the staff in Greece. I still enjoy working with teachers
and helping students to learn. But I don’t like working with numbers. In Asia I would go into the jungle and teach people English and then they would go and teach. It’s important to learn English as all business is done in English and if you don’t have the language now, you can’t find all the information you need to be successful.
But I don’t think people should just speak English – they should keep and maintain their own language. Where would you like to live after you leave Greece? I enjoyed living in Asia, so maybe another Asian country – or even South America. I’ve never been there and I’m quite interested in countries, you know like Brazil or Mexico. But I don’t want to go to the Middle East. Those countries don’t interest me.
the importance of working hard. The Vietnamese are quiet, focused, studious and well-behaved, but that’s not always good because you want
the students to have fun.
Do you have any advice for Greek teenagers about how they should see their future? Although things are difficult now, they will improve. Students should continue to study and focus on a career. If you work hard, you will have opportunities. Can you define yourself in three words? Hard- working, optimistic, sociable.
Why do you think parents send their children to the British Council? I think it’s because we offer not just the best teaching but we offer other things to parents – seminars and workshops. We look after the children carefully and are interested in their education. I think we have the best qualified teachers in Greece and parents can trust the British Council. What do you consider the most challenging part of being a teacher? Many aspects. For those overseas, it’s about getting to understand the culture and finding out what the students do. Students in different countries have different expectations. They want different things and learn in different ways so being able to change style is fun and educational at the same time. How do Greek teenagers compare to those in other countries? I taught Spanish students in the UK and they were always late to class and they didn’t want to come because they were hanging out with their friends. I think the Greeks are better than the Spanish. The Poles are similar to the Greeks – they understand
The class with their class teacher Alison Foster.
25
Celebrities Adele
Johnny Depp
Myrto Mitletton, SF4
Melissa Ottaviani, SF4
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born on 5 May 1988 and is a famous singer and songwriter. She started recording in 2006, when she was offered a recording
contract from XL Records at the age of 19 – isn't that amazing? She made her first album,
called '19', which was a great success, in 2008 and her second album called '21' in early 2008. Adele's most popular songs from '21' are 'Rolling in the Deep' and 'Someone Like You', which have become the top hits of almost every chart. With the success of her first two albums, she has earned almost 15 awards and she has also been added to the Guinness Book of World Records.
John Christopher 'Johnny' Depp II was born on June 9, 1963. He dropped out of school at age 15, with the dream
of becoming a rocker. He started
with garage bands like 'The Kids' and now he's an actor, screenwriter, director, producer and musician. He is now married to Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has a daughter, Lily-Rose Melody Depp, and a son, John Christopher 'Jack' Depp III. He has been the main character in many films. Some of these are: 'Pirates of the Caribbean' (as Jack Sparrow), 'Alice in Wonderland' (as the Mad Hatter) and 'The Rum Diary' (as Paul Kemp).
Gerard Depardieu
Guillaume Canet
Lefteris Gousis, SF4
Alkmini Giousari, SF4
An actor I really admire is Gerard Depardieu. He was born in France on 27 November 1948. I first heard about him when he played Obelix in the three Asterix movies, where he was great. After that, I saw the film 'Cyrano de Bergerac'. For which he won the Caesar Award and was nominated for an Oscar in 1990. He began acting at the age of 16, when he left his home city, Chateauroux, for Paris and he also studied dancing. He is one of the most important French actors, with 15 Caesar Awards for Best Actor in a lead role. He has acted in a lot of films in French and English.
Guillaume Canet is a top actor in France but he also acts in international films. I think he's a great actor, and he has acted in a lot of well -known movies. He's very handsome and well-built. He's also a film director. He spent his childhood in the countryside near Paris and, when he was younger, he wanted to be a horse-rider and he managed to fulfil his ambition. A bad fall shattered his dreams, but led to the start of his acting career and success. He now lives in France with his wife, Diane Kruger, who's also an actress, and their two children.
Marilyn Monroe
Katy Perry
Elisabeth Gousia, SA1
Foivos Manoloudis, SF4
Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. For millions of her fans, she was ‘the blonde bombshell’, but her original name was Norma Jean Motrensen. She had a rough life with her mother, who was a widow, and she spent half of her childhood in foster homes.
She also had lots of accidents at a young age. She had a short-lived marriage with a man till 1946. When they divorced, she started her career, joining acting classes at Hollywood’s Actors’ Lab. This led to a film contract with Twentieth Century Fox the same year. She played a small role in ‘The Asphalt Jungle’ in 1950 and also in ‘All About Eve’. The studio liked her performance and it was then that her
career sky-rocketed to new heights, with ‘Niagara’ and ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’. In 1955 she married one of the greatest baseball players, Joe Dimaggio. The final years of Monroe’s life were marked by illness from alcohol and pills. She wasn’t able to complete the movie ‘The Misfits’, as her life came to a tragic end on August 5, 1962, due to drug overdose at the young age of 36.
Katherine Elizabeth Hudson was born in 1984, in October, in Santa Barbara, California. She started to sing gospel songs and, as Katy Hudson, recorded a selftitled album. Then, when she signed a contract with Capitol Music Group in 2007, she took on her known stage name, Katy Perry. In 2009, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 51st artist of the 2000s. Katy Perry is known for her unusual style of dress. Her style contains very bright colours and she frequently uses fruit-shaped accessories like watermelons in her outfits. I think her best songs are 'E.T.', 'Firework', 'Hot 'n Cold', 'Part of Me' and 'Teenage Dream'.
Joke A man with his car full of penguins drives past a policeman, and the policeman stops him. He says. ‘Sir, you must take those penguins to the zoo!’ The man does that. The next day once again he drives past the policeman. He still has the penguins. ‘Excuse me, I thought I told you to take those penguins to the zoo!’, the policeman says. ‘I did,’ replies the man. ‘We had so much fun that we’re going to the beach today!’
27
Leisure Activities My Favourite Leisure Time Activity
Playing the Guitar
Thanos Nikolaou, SF6
Konstantinos Nikolopoulos, SF6
My favourite leisure time activity is basketball. I’ve been playing basketball since 2003 at Panathinaikos. I’ve been playing for Panathinaikos for so many years that I don’t want to change teams now. I want to plαy in this team for ever. I’m passionate about basketball. It is my life and
One of the things I really like doing in my free time is plαying the guitar. I’ve always loved music, so when my parents told me that I could choose between taking piano or guitar lessons, I was quite excited. It wasn’t difficult to choose. I was always crazy about the guitar. I’ve
even broken my father’s guitar a couple of times in a
I can’t be without it for longer than one or two days. When I was injured, I still went to training to see the team and I was like a fish out of water because I just sat on the bench and didn’t do anything. When I started to play, I wasn’t brilliant but over time I gradually improved and I now am a very competent player, and because I’ve improved so much, I’ve taken the decision to be a professional player. This is one reason why I adore this sport, however, I also like basketball as it’s a very fast sport with a lot of rules: I think there are 145, and until the last minute or second, the score might change. In conclusion, my opinion is that basketball is one of the best sports because of the many rules and because not anyone can play. Do you want to try it?
Happiness Proverbs Happiness does not come from happiness itself, but from the journey towards achieving it. (Finnish)
desperate attempt to make music! Anyway, when my parents bought me my first small scale guitar, it was almost bigger than I was. Everyone said that it was too early for a seven-year-old to start guitar lessons, but I didn’t care. Six years have passed, but it seems like yesterday when I first got a guitar in my hands. Until now, I’ve changed three guitars. I’m currently using my dad’s old one and I recently bought an amazing electric guitar. I can spend hours playing the guitar, but now that I’m in high school, I can’t find much time, but I still play in my free time. In conclusion, I don’t intend to stop it. It’s a pity when you forget to play a musical instrument. Of course, you’ll ask me, can you take guitar lessons for the rest of your life? The answer is no, but I don’t want to make the same mistake as my father, who is slowly forgetting. Lastly, I think the guitar is the best instrument to take up and I recommend it to everyone.
Happy is the one who forgets that which cannot be changed. (German) You can never be happy at the expense of the happiness of others. (Chinese)
One Activity at a Time
You might be the Next Mozart!
Damon Dedemadis-Petrakis, SF6
Mariza Giannouli, SF6
When I’ve got plenty of time to kill, I usually spend it on computer games, but when I can’t be bothered to play them at all, my dad takes me to the tennis court to play against my older brother or my father and sometimes, if I’m
lucky, someone worse than me
(so I can beat him). I started this adrenaline-filled activity when I was ten years old. I was sitting in my house doing nothing and my father asked me if I wanted to join him on the tennis court. Although I didn’t feel in the mood to go, I didn’t have anything to do so I accepted. When I hit that tennis ball for the first time, I knew I wouldn’t regret the choice that I had made. We played non-stop for 5 hours. It was the most tiring and challenging day of my life. I loved it. I don’t enjoy only tennis, I enjoy every sport and that’s because I’m an adrenaline junkie. However, my favourite sport is tennis, plus it’s probably the least violent and aggressive sport. Do you like tennis? If you don’t …oh, well, maybe I haven’t managed to persuade you!
Chuck Norris Jokes
My favourite way to spend my free time is playing the piano. I believe it is such an exciting and enjoyable way to relax! I started playing the piano at the age of five. I had already started music lessons (called ‘ORFF” classes) from the age of three. I first learned the music notes and after that, the alphabet. From the first lesson, I absolutely loved the piano. I was so astonished that after the first lesson, I played the piano for the rest of the day. Later on, after the age of ten, when I started to take piano exams, I performed in concerts at my conservatory, which is a pretty amazing experience. I took part as ‘the musician’ in school celebrations, too. Anyway, besides that, I play
the piano for my own pleasure. Well, now, obviously with school homework, I find it difficult to get around to practising it enough, although I’m still trying hard to fix this. If you believe that playing the piano is a boring activity, you’re totally wrong! For me, the piano and generally music is a part and parcel of my life! I’ve grown up with it and I love it so much. Plus I sometimes compose my own melodies, which is actually rather funny as most of them are just irrelevant notes!
SA1 Class - Did you know that Chuck Norris is dead? - No way! - Yes, he died yesterday, but today...he feels much better!
Chuck Norris never calls the wrong number: YOU answer the wrong phone! The only time Chuck Norris was wrong was when he thought he had made a mistake!
29
Articles Oh, you needn’t have bought me this present!
Reason for gift-giving
Theodora Katoulia, SC2
Artemis Marinaki, SC2
Weddings, birthdays, births, thanksgivings…you always have to or must buy a present. What really annoys me is that some people see the buying of a present as something boring and something that you must do. I can’t understand their attitude. I have always liked buying presents, especially for my friends and parents. In my opinion, a good present is a present that
Most of us are so busy buying or making presents that we don’t have time to question why we are really giving them. Is it just something we do and our goal is to get the job done or is there a deeper reason for gift giving? There are a number of reasons behind gift giving. Tradition is one of them, especially at Christmas and on birthdays. We may give presents as a reward. Sometimes we give presents simply to give joy to someone. Another reason might be social and commercial pressure, particularly with increasing advertisements. Lastly, we can’t overlook the reality that giving someone something usually makes us feel worthy. Although we tend to associate giving presents with material things,
comes from inside your heart and not inside your pocket. You don’t have to buy
expensive, splendid or excessive presents. You can just think about the taste of the person who will receive your present and what needs he has. Actually, you have to estimate what you buy – nothing less, nothing more. Plus, sometimes the idea of buying a present makes people anxious and they feel pressed, and here comes a wonder: do we really want to buy presents or do we just buy them because we have to? I think that most people buy presents because they have to. I can’t hide that I too am in this situation sometimes. Lastly, the fact is that we will still be exchanging presents and no one could know if we really want to buy a gift because we love or have respect for the person that we are giving it to or if we are just giving it because of social pressures. In conclusion, no one can deny that the best present is the present that comes from your heart and, when you receive a present like this, you can feel it.
the most valuable gift we can give to others is ourselves. Because giving a part of yourself to help someone is a ‘present’ that he will never forget. We do that on an everyday basis: through school, work, within family moments. It doesn’t matter whether our gift is small, such as a word or large, such as caring for someone who is sick. The value of love cannot be measured. On the whole, I believe that both our will to make others and ourselves feel happy and social and commercial pressure we get from people and the media around us combine with the reasons I mentioned above, to make us give presents.
Hi! Here’s a present!
Chat on presents: What about them?
Mike Psallidas, SC2
George Papaspyrou, SC2
Hi! Here is a present! Really? Oh, thank you so much! It’s OK, don’t mention it! Well, that normally doesn’t happen. The main response when someone says ‘Hi, here is a present’ is to ask ‘Why?’ Again, there are particular answers to your question. It might be your birthday, your name day or you might be attractive to the present giver. Other reasons to receive a present might be an apology or something like ‘You did well’. People tend to give more presents nowadays than in any other period. Personally, I believe that giving presents is just a way to make us feel good, by making someone else feel good. It sounds strange but that’s what it is. There are some other situations when a present might be a substitute for someone being there next to you. That’s likely to happen between parents and children. When parents are too busy to stand beside their children, they just replace their absence with a present. You could ask ‘What makes a good present?’ Well, it really depends on who you give it to and for which reason. Generally speaking, a good present is a present that has a meaning for the recipient. Something that reminds him/her of a good time or something you did together. It also ‘promises’ something, like a situation that will arrive in the near future. Finally, dear reader, a good present can be anything, to anyone, for any reason! So, hi! Here is a present!
Nowadays, it is thought that buying presents is a necessity and not a luxury. But can it be both? In order to come to a conclusion, we need to explain a few things. Firstly, we give presents because we have the need to feel that
we are giving something and not just receiving. It is more of a psychological need
than just buying or giving a present because you have the money. In addition, presents help people to bond with each other. For example, if I were to become closer to a friend or relative of mine, I would definitely buy him/her a gift. We could also give a gift in order to mark milestones, such as birthdays, anniversaries or special occasions. Believe me, I can talk for hours and hours about the subject, but what it comes down to is the fact that presents have become a part of our lives and that we have now accepted
living with them, whether we like it or not. So, the bottom line is that we give presents not only to satisfy the ones we give them to but also ourselves. What makes a good present is a mix of what we like and what the one who gets the present likes. If both feel satisfied with the choice, the objective has been accomplished. Generally, my opinion is that presents may not be necessary, but people just feel the need to buy and give them. All that said, I don’t think that giving presents has ever hurt anyone, has it?
31
Books and Films The Hunger Games
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Athina M., SA1
Mirella Dermoussi, SA1
The Hunger Games is an extraordinary new film and a definite must-see. There's a rumour that it's the new Twilight, but they have nothing in common. The Hunger Games is set in a postapocalyptic world, in a nation known as Panem. As punishment for a rebellion against the Capitol, one boy and one girl of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. This is a televised battle until one person remains. First of all, I have to say that the
Nature is a strange thing. There's always the prey and the predator. These two can never coexist as something more than the roles they have been given. I never thought the world's most dangerous predator, a vampire, could fall in love with his own prey, a human, or fight his instincts for a woman. 'Eclipse', the third book of 'The Twilight Saga', comes to captivate the readers with action and teenage romance. Bella, the main character of the book, is clumsy, sensitive and kind. She doesn’t care about boys or fashion, she is always herself and likes that. She is tall, thin and fragile, with long black hair and brown eyes. Bella falls in love with Edward, who is a vampire. Even though he doesn't feed on human blood but with animal blood, he still considers himself a monster. He is tall and muscular and has got short brassy hair. He is also pale and cold and has got golden eyes. He always talks like he's from another time and he believes that the only reason for his existence is Bella. He is overprotective, kind, educated, and loves music. He would undergo anything to be with Bella. The writer, Stephanie Meyer, has a difference from others in writing dialogues: they're always formal, like from another time. Edward keeps talking with poetic words such as 'You are my life now, Bella. I cannot live without my soul.' The book has had a big influence on the way teenage girls imagine the ideal romance. All of the 'Twilight Saga' books but especially 'Eclipse' evokes many emotions: love, jealousy, hate, companionship, friendship. Besides this, pure love is created, something unlike what we see on TV or at the cinema. But it's not only a romantic novel. It provides the readers with limitless fun and companionship for countless hours. You will enjoy it from cover to cover and you'll find it extremely hard to put down. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially if you are looking for love or have ever been disappointed by one.
plot is innovative and gripping. Also, the choice of actors was really good and they suited the roles perfectly. Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence, gives the impression of a sensitive but at the same time a strong girl. You think that she will break down, but it's more likely that she will break you. The way that she acts is so natural and convincing that, as a result, she creates a powerful and lively role. Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) has a mix of charm and naivety that makes him something more than just a simple candidate of love for Katniss. It is an excellent film and I highly recommend it to everyone. You will definitely enjoy it!
Silly Stories A Very Silly Story from...
Another Very Silly Story from...
...SP2 Class
...SP2 Class
We wrote one sentence each to make up this silly story. Try to work out who wrote what – the class can tell you if you ask them! Do you think the last person passed their exam???
Where do you think we get our ideas from???
Once upon a time in Kolonaki, lived a very rich person who was named Titos Goulatos. One day late in April he found a letter. When the clock struck midnight, he opened the letter. Inside the envelope was a hamburger-shaped piece of paper which immediately changed into a green mobile phone when he took it out. As he was extremely bored, he decided to go to Monastiraki to buy a leather jacket. He was about to buy a very nice one when he realised he didn’t feel very well because of his infected piercing. He wasn’t sure whether his piercing had become infected the day before when he had touched a dead cat. At that moment, he saw a dinosaur proudly carrying a Cuban flag. He noticed an empty bottle of water and gave it to the dinosaur. He started to think about all the times he had watched ‘Dancing with the stars’! But finally it turned out that he had a mental health problem and the police arrived to arrest him for a previously committed crime. (I hope I pass my exam!!)
Who would have thought that he could have done a thing like that … After spending some time in the tattoo parlour, he emerged with a very large ‘piece of art’ across his chest. Strangely, he was now carrying a dead dog under his arm … He hailed a taxi and demanded that he be taken to the cemetery. (It was Christmas when I last saw my grandmother.) The postman continued to murder little children without a second thought. The police couldn’t catch him so he continued his awful actions until that night – at midnight. He had murdered everybody in his neighbourhood in cold blood, butchering them to pieces. However, the thing that nobody knew about him was that he had adored the little dog – the one that Emma, his worst enemy, had killed the previous night before using the animal’s blood to write ‘I’m after you!’ He discovered that Emma had escaped from the ‘mad house’ just a few months before and was capable of anything. So the only thing left for him to do was to find her and kill her … But on the way to carry out this deed, he got hit by a car. So – everyone was saved and the story had a happy ending!!
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Banksy Rules! I think it means that what protects us may also turn out to be what 'kills' us. Or that when people have many sources of happiness around them, they focus only on the negative points and get depressed. Don’t let sadness rule your life! Life is difficult, but if you ask for help, there will always be someone to hold your hand! I think this picture wants to show that we aren't protected by our family and we should get away from it, start our own life and be responsible for it.
Why do some people find misery in places where you have 14,000 reasons to smile, and only one to be sad about? Why do they choose that one? I suppose the girl can see only the disadvantages, although things are already OK. Well, what can I see in this picture? A girl in a black dress is holding a black umbrella (actually, the picture is all in black colours but it doesn’t matter at the moment. The main idea of this graffiti is the rain that falls from her umbrella. It's about us, isn't it? I mean, everyone 'has their own rain on their street', as we sometimes say in Russia. That means that we all have problems. Our daily life is not always enjoyable. And some people get too worried about this. Why not stop and check, like this girl, who is holding her hand outside the umbrella? Is it rainy over there?
This picture makes me think that everything is only in our minds and that you really can do anything if you want to but if you are pessimistic, you will stay trapped in the situation that you’ve made in your mind all your life. Looking at this scene makes me understand the problems that lots of people have without realising them. The girl is under an umbrella but is also under the rain and is unaware of it. That makes me feel sad but at the same time relieved that I can share my rain of problems with other people that can help me. I feel sad and angry because some people don’t even have the basics, while some others live luxuriously. Don't lose hope! Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass it’s about learning to dance in the rain! The girl obviously has many problems but she seems to be trying to find more! I feel disappointed and upset because I know that so many people in today’s world are like the girl in this picture. Because life is short, you have to live every second and not be disappointed by any situation! Graffiti expresses adolescents' feelings!
This picture probably represents the strict surveillance cameras, put by governments to control people. So, the question 'What are you looking at?' might mean 'What's so interesting about my private life?' Surveillance cameras show that violence has increased and no-one is safe because everyone cares only about himself and some people will steal money from others. Society has become unfriendly and dangerous. Privacy is the right of all people! Authority tries to keep a secret eye on people, which is sometimes concealed and not visible. A matter of controlling movements, words, phrases, thoughts... The only thing that they see from you is your appearance, not who you really are. This graffiti symbolises the absence of private life and proper freedom in modern society. ‘Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break and every step you take, I’ll be watching you.’ In today’s world, everyone can interfere with everyone’s private life.
'What are you looking at?' is a common question, especially for teenagers of our generation, who live under real pressure. Every day of your life you feel like everybody is watching every step you take. They don't let you be free or express your real feelings about a subject. Actually, noone lives his own life according to his plan, but according to the authorities' plan. Otherwise, if you don't, the camera could be there to put you on 'the black list'. The pink colour of the walls refer to the rebirth of our city. This picture represents privacy, a right that all people have and nobody can say otherwise. Some people steal the privacy of people, and that's not right at all! For me, this graffiti means that every person needs to have privacy, without someone looking over them and their actions. A very sad picture. It reminds me of several things in our society, of people who intrude on other people’s privacy with no respect for human life or freedom. Omnipresent cameras that watch your every step and you try to escape, but are not able to, since they control your life and may even determine your future - who knows? A perfect idea, extremely real.
This picture shows the development of technology and it makes me feel scared, as I feel that, with the breakthroughs of technology, we can’t be really free: we are watched, and all our movements, too.
This picture makes us feel we are prisoners who have to spend our whole life in prison, under control, doing the same things again and again, every day. The camera looking at you interferes with your privacy and makes you forget who you really are.
This picture might express people's feelings of disappointment because they don't have a private life and all the moments of their life are recorded by a camera.
The artist might want to tell the government and to all the people who want to spy on us that we don't want them to spy on our life and watch every move we make.
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Investigating Sherlock Holmes Life in London at the Time of Sherlock Holmes Konstantinos Giannopoulos, Ioannis Savvidis, Vassileios Kontis, SF4
Getting Away from it All
The early Police Force In 1829, Robert Peel started a police force. The police worked on the streets to prevent crimes and to catch thieves. The police didn’t do so much detective work at first and they
didn’t keep good records. They often
At the start of the 19th century, the rich lived in the centre of London not very far from the poor, so the rich worried about crime. Sometimes they called the very poor ‘the criminal class’. There were only gas lights in the biggest streets, so it was really dark. When the steam engine was invented, the rich went away from the centre and built suburbs. Poor people were still in the centre of London. Then, factories started using steam engines, so they got bigger and bigger and the owners became richer.
wrote that robberies and burglaries were ‘missing property’ cases. The policemen were working class and the rich and middle classes thought they weren’t very good. In the end, we don’t know how much crime fell, because their records weren’t accurate.
A Breath of Fresh Air
Signs of Wealth London grew wealthy during the 19th century. It became the centre of world trade. One of the most famous events was the Great Exhibition of 1851. The
Crystal Palace was built for the exhibition. Some famous
landmarks, like Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament were built in the 19th century.
Engineers made life better for everyone in London. They built a good sewage system for all of London. They put in 2,000 km of tunnels and the sewage was treated and it wasn’t dumped straight into the Thames. There were no more ‘big stinks’ and cholera epidemics stopped.
Deeper Under London
The Original Underground
In 1890, the electric train was invented and new tunnels were built deeper in the ground. All the digging was done underground. People called the new part of the Underground ‘the Tube’. The Tube went to more areas, so people could find more places to work. The worst and oldest streets were knocked down during the digging. Thanks to the Tube, many poor people had the chance to move to better areas to live.
Engineers built the Underground, and then poor people could travel quickly and cheaply. The poor could travel out of the centre, away from the docks to places where they could find work. They were able to travel to new factories to have more work. When engineers built the Underground in 1863, they dug up streets to put in tunnels. There were steam trains in the tunnels, so they had a ventilation problem. For that, they built very big ventilation shafts to the surface, which they disguised as houses if they were in expensive areas.
Hard Times Poor people lived in inner cities near the centre and near the dock areas. Many people did seasonal work and others didn’t have any work. Children worked, too, like in “Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens. Poor people lived in dirty streets. London grew from 1 million inhabitants at the start of the century to nearly 7 million by the end of it. Drains were bad and raw sewage went straight into the Thames. In 1858 the smell was so bad that it was called ‘the big stink’. There was a lot of crime and there weren’t any police at the beginning of the century.
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Reviews Film: Home Alone
Game: Skyrim
Maritina Asimotou, SF6
Kyriakos Psallidas, SF6
A cold Saturday evening, my parents and I decided to go to the video club and get a movie to watch. We lay on the sofa eating popcorn and the film started. It was called ‘Home Alone’. It is a lovely Christmas comedy. The main character of the story is Kevin McAlister. His parents with his brothers, his sisters and his relatives all go on holiday and they leave him at home. At first he’s really scared, however he simultaneously realises that he can do whatever he wants without his parents’ permission. He watches TV until late at night, he eats ice cream and sleeps in his parents’ bed. But unexpectedly, two thieves try to get into the house! The visual effects of the film are great, especially when the boy sets traps for the thieves and they fall into them! Does he make the thieves run away from the house? If you
want to find out, watch the film! There are famous actors in it and the film is magnificent! It’s a great family film because it makes you laugh and has got a lot of jokes. I really loved it and it has very smart scenes. I would suggest that you watch it, it is very good!
Skyrim is a fantasy open world RPG, which means a role-playing game. The main story is that, after the death of the king, the dragon Alduin exploits the chaos to destroy the world of Skyrim. In the beginning, after having a close encounter with Alduin and escaping, you discover that you are dragon-born, which means that when you kill a dragon, you can absorb his knowledge and power. Because of this power, you are the only one who can defeat Alduin and save Skyrim. The good points of the game are 90% of it. Firstly, there is a vast world to explore, with astonishing dungeons and caves. I have to admit that I stopped many times for a moment to appreciate the view. Secondly, the character creation system has thousands of details to customise. Plus, the player can fight with over 135 different creatures, even dragons! And something even more important: after finishing the main story quests, there are thousands of side quests waiting for you. The game is nearly perfect but, like every game, there are some minor bad points. The menus are bad and there are some glitches that happen, although rarely. However, to play the game you must be older than 15 years old. If you are 15, then I can highly recommend this game.
Film: The Twilight Saga, New Moon Marilena Koraki, SF6
Australia: An Ideal Holiday Destination Damon Dedemakis-Petrakis, SF6
‘New Moon’ is the second film of the tetralogy ‘The Twilight Saga’ by Stephanie Meyer. It’s an absolutely amazing film with an interesting plot and visual effects. It is a love story with some touches of adventure and horror. There are two main characters: Edward and Bella. Edward is a vampire who has the ability to run fast. Edward loves Bella very much. He’s very shy, romantic and handsome. Plus, Bella is a young girl who is in the 3rd grade of Senior High School. She’s in love with Edward, too. She’s sweet and friendly as well. Edward breaks up with Bella as he wants to protect her from the evil vampires who eat
Every year I go to Australia and every year I
can’t wait to see all the beautiful sights of Australia. However, if you ever went to
humans like Bella. Her childhood friend, Jacob, tries to protect her from Edward. He falls in love with Bella and he is Edward’s enemy. Then, when Bella is in danger, Edward appears and protects her. However, suddenly, in the fight against the evil vampires, Jacob and his team, who are werewolves, come and fight Edward. The difference between this and other films, which makes it the best of all, is that it combines adventure, love, horror and science fiction, so all the members of a family would like at least one part. It has lots of suspense and really thrilling scenes. After the film, I was excited and I discussed it for the rest of the night. Of course, I would highly recommend you see this marvellous film.
Australia, you wouldn’t be interested in all that stuff – believe me! You’d probably be interested in cheap clothes and cheap video games… Anyway, back to the point! I always go to Melbourne because half of my family (on my mother’s side) live there, plus it’s got ‘Boxing Day’. I always go to Australia at Christmas and they always have a sale of 80%. Anyway, I always get treated very well and so does everybody else. I personally like it for Boxing Day and for my family. Melbourne is filled with one-storey houses, parks and nature. There’s almost no pollution, but that’s the countryside. Inside the city there are countless skyscrapers, a fair amount of pollution and it’s very crowded, although it does have a city centre which is useful. When I get out of the airport, I shout ‘Yayky!!!’ and when I leave I shout ‘Why!!!’ but I’m going to go more often, so that’s OK. Why don’t you go there? It’s awesome… trust me!
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Articles International Ban on Animal Testing?
International Ban on Zoos?
Alexandros Koutsiomytis, SA1
George Korakis, SA1
Every year, millions of animals undergo painful suffering or die as a result of scientific research into the effects of drugs, food additives, cosmetics and other chemical products. While most people think animal testing is necessary, others are upset by what they see as needless suffering. This article looks at some of the positive and negative aspects of animal testing. Many medical treatments have been developed from experiments on animals, since animals share many features with humans. Scientists use animals to test the safety and effectiveness of newly developed drugs before testing on small groups of patients. Without animal testing, many procedures or new drugs would be very unsafe. On the other hand, many people are concerned that animals are suffering unnecessarily and cruelly. They do not believe that every new drug needs to be tested on animals, especially with the existence of modern computer models. They are also worried that many animal tests are ineffective, pointing out that many drugs have had to be withdrawn from the market, despite extensive testing. They particularly feel that animal testing should not be used for non-essential products such as cosmetics, shampoos, soap and cleaning products. Furthermore, some campaigners would like to see certain tests replaced and more humane methods used. This issue is undoubtedly one of the most controversial of our times. Although some animal testing may be unavoidable at present, we need to make sure that the millions of animals used for testing suffer as little as possible. Treating our fellow creatures as mercifully as possible will demonstrate our humanity.
Imagine that a rare species suddenly disappears from its natural habitat and only exists in zoos. Would you still support the closure of zoos? This is a controversial issue because many people believe that zoos are educational, while others argue that animals should not live in cages, and support the closure of zoos. It is probably true to say that zoos play an important educational role. For example, many people can visit them and learn about animals from all over the world. Furthermore, scientists can do research on them and discover which animals are 'closer' to human beings. They can also discover valuable things about the animal kingdom and the evolution of mankind. Moreover, zoos protect endangered species facing extinction by providing them with food, health checks and a safe environment similar to their natural habitat. Their purpose is to make the animal feel calmer and be able to breed, to sustain their existence. In addition, zoos provide jobs to people. That is definitely a good thing for the regional economies because zoos attract many people, too. On the other hand, there are those who argue that animals should not live in cages, big or small, but in their natural environment. They say that many zoos treat animals inhumanely and the living conditions are inappropriate and unacceptable. The cages are dirty and the food portions are tiny. Furthermore, many animals are exploited because they are trained in barbaric ways to do tricks to entertain people. In conclusion, I think that zoos should have a place in today's world, because they are beneficial to our education and have many advantages. Yet, they should only exist if they treat animals well and health standards are applied.
Will our Environment Change Dramatically in the Next 50 years?? Dimosthenis Vasileiou, SF6 There is no doubt that we have had a drastic effect on the natural world we live in. Our planet is in serious trouble. Therefore, it is urgent for solutions to be found if we want to keep our planet alive and stop the change. There are many problems that have to be dealt with. First of all, the air is being polluted by the smoke from factories, since there are often no filters on their chimneys. The exhaust fumes from cars, buses and planes also contribute to the damage of the ozone layer, and as a result, we have the serious problem of global warming. So, if we don't find a solution soon, the planet will be covered by the rising sea. In addition, the fertilisers that agriculture uses to improve the crop productions, go in to the sea and, as a result, seeweeds spread and take the oxygen from the fish, which then die. Besides, we overuse fossil fuels, which causes serious problems to the ozone layer, and we don't use friendly energy, like solar or wind energy. Despite all the current problems, I feel optimistic that we can slow down the damage that is being done to our environment with public education, anti-pollution laws by politicians and, of course, with our desire to keep the planet alive for many years. So, I absolutely don't agree with the question in the title.
Psyche and Eros: A Greek Myth Vasiliki Zafeiropoulou, SA1 The myth of Psyche and Eros from ancient Greece is about gods and mortals. There was a mighty king who had three daughters. The youngest one was Psyche. She was so beautiful, that the goddess Aphrodite was jealous of her beauty and cursed her: nobody would ever marry her. Not knowing what to do, her father consulted the Oracle of Delphi, which told him that, if his daughter wanted to be happy, she had to go to the top of a rock, so she did. When she was alone, the wind carried her to a magnificent palace, where she was attended by many servants. At night, the king, her new husband, slept with her but she never saw his face. He told her that she must never try to see him. Everything was fine until her sisters came to the palace. They were jealous and said that her husband could be a monster or something worse, persuading her to break her promise. So, the same night she silently lit a candle and she saw that he was...Eros, the god of love and the son of Aphrodite. But she accidentally woke up Eros, who, seeing her holding a candle, was filled with sadness and left her. Psyche tried to find him but she couldn't because his mother Aphrodite, angry with him, had imprisoned him in a cage. Psyche found Aphrodite and asked to see Eros but she gave her different tasks to accomplish. These tasks would have continued forever if Eros hadn't managed to escape and ask the other gods to calm Aphrodite down. When she did calm down, they married on Olympus and lived happily ever after. The story shows us that Psyche's passion for love helped her overcome all the barriers. Psyche, which is Greek means 'soul', and Eros, which means 'love', have always accompanied each other from the beginning of time. So, if you see someone and feel butterflies in your stomach or a tingling in your gut, watch out, because Eros is around and one of his invisible but powerful arrows might have hit you.
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Banksy Rules! Reality and lack of free will lead the artist to express his feelings in this way. The picture is stunning to look at and makes viewers rethink their opinion about modern society. In other words, it's very effective. The picture wants to give us a message about our society, which doesn't let us follow and accomplish our dreams. It means that, as you are trying to follow your dreams, someone will block you and try not to allow you to continue. Dreams, a word, a smile, a moment, a life, a whole world to me. I can't live a life without dreams and goals. All feelings of sadness and happiness put together. It makes me think of a life of opportunities, of chances. Fight for your dreams: challenge accepted! Because of the Greek crisis, many people have lost their jobs, and therefore they can no longer follow their dreams... Dreams and ideas are cancelled and sold, because of financial problems. I think that he wants to show that the world's dreams fly away because of the financial crisis. Teenagers, especially, are forced to let their dreams fly away. But no-one can live without having dreams, because a world without dreams has no meaning, life has no meaning! I think this graffiti represents the thought some people have when they are feeling stressed or hurt about their dreams because someone told them 'You can't do this' or 'You aren't good enough'. But it doesn't matter what other people say: as long as someone believes in himself/ herself, he/she can do anything! I feel sad because a lot of people don't follow their dreams.
I feel sad because we must follow our dreams, and they don't let us. I feel disappointed by the meaning of this picture. The person who drew that must be really pessimistic. Dreams are full of hope and we can't just cancel them. Dreams make us feel happy. We have to follow them and never give up! Why can't we care enough to be interested? Keep fighting against poverty! Never give up, always keep trying! This picture is really disappointing. It makes me feel pessimistic! It makes you feel like the poor man who has written that on the wall! Even if you take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere, don’t forget that you can start again from the beginning. Don’t give up! Be determined to follow your heart! No-one can stop you following your dreams, you can do whatever you want if you really want it! Sometimes things don’t go well, but you know that there’s always a bright path to follow. You have to follow your dreams and not be affected by anyone. If you believe in yourself, you can make your dreams come true! The message is that, if you want to follow your dreams, you must forget about it because some 'stronger' forces have decided to cancel our dreams. Because they have power in their hands, these forces believe that they can take control of people's lives. They want to take advantage of them, to sacrifice their dreams and take all the decisions without asking the opinion of the people. This image creates a lot of emotions such as sadness, and a very bad feeling for people who want to follow their dreams.
Park your worries...forget about them Park your interests...extend them Park your childhood...write down your thoughts, like in a diary Park your dreams...to be kept safe Park your car...means NOTHING! I think what he wants to show is that today all the parks have become places where people can park their cars, so there are no more parks for the kids. That's why he has painted a sad kid on the swing... Banksy has crossed out the '-ing' in 'Parking' and painted a little girl to show child freedom. Children need free space! In a world where hide-and-seek is played in parks, people add a simple suffix and destroy children’s childhood! This graffiti painting expresses in a direct way the replacement of parks and green spaces with parking spaces. It makes me feel angry and happy at the same time. We need more parks, and there is hope. It makes me feel joy, hope, happiness - and love for Banksy’s creativity.
When I look at this picture, I feel sad and disappointed. The picture shows a little girl who is having fun on a sign at a parking area, where maybe there used to be a park for kids. It reminds me of my neighbourhood, where there are more blocks of flats than trees. It also reminds me of some graffiti in my school: 'Destroy the buildings. Let's enjoy the sunrise!' Give children a place to stay. Give them a place of joy... Cause they, like cars,Have a soul to enjoy. Destroy the unnecessary buildings to make ‘room’ for children to play! Be there for them. Care about their future. Help them feel free, help them be free! In our society, there aren’t any green spaces, but only buildings. This has to change! I think this is a picture that makes you understand that you have to change the way you think and start thinking about doing things not only for your own good but for the people that are around you. Maybe they don’t really need a car park but a park full of life and young people!
In this picture we can understand that there are people who care about the environment and that makes me happy and optimistic.
This makes me understand all the problems that humanity has caused our natural environment just for its own advantages. That makes me sad and frustrated about our actions because future generations will live almost without any form of nature.
I feel let down by society when I look at this picture because it reminds us that there are more car parks than parks for children to play in. On the other hand, I feel happy about the fact that someone is stressing the need to make more children’s parks!
The message of this picture is to pay attention to children and parks, because every day people reduce playgrounds more and more and build new parking lots, so let's change this situation and exchange PARKING for cars with PARKS for children!
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Leisure Activities Reading in our Lives
A Pleasant Activity
Aris Ghikapeppas, SF6
Dimitris Apostolakis, SF6 When I was a young boy, I got interested in basketball and it has become an activity I really enjoy in my leisure time. I got started playing basketball when I was six years old. Then, I was watching the grown-up men in my home village playing this sport and I really wanted to be part of it. So I started playing with my friends every time we were together and now we have dramatically improved! One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is that I feel part of a team and it is a great way to keep fit. Plus, the adrenaline, inspiration and strategy are some of the advantages of the sport that are really elating. I’d
My arm was broken. From that day on, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to practise my painting skills any more. If you imagine that for me drawing a circle was exhausting, you should easily understand the seriousness of the situation. Since I could no longer paint, I decided to take up another leisure activity that I could easily do. I told myself to be happy the way I was and not to try to be something else. On the cleaning day in my house, an elderly cleaner accidentally dropped a book whose title was concealed with a waterproof label. When I quickly pulled it off, the title was revealed: ‘Lost’. According to my mum, the book was inappropriate for children under the age of 13. I knew that I’d be in great danger if I read it, but after reading it, I had to confront my mum and explain to her why I had read it. That was the time that I started thinking that reading offers you a very relaxing time and it can also transport you to another era. Reading is often misunderstood by lots of people, who think it’s boring. I disagree. What about you?
recommend it as a hobby, as it is one of the most energetic and satisfying activities I can imagine. Why don’t you try it? You might like it!
Jokes - Why did the mororcycle take a break? - Because it was two tyred.
- What do you call a monkey on a mine field? - A baboom!
Volleyball: My Passion
My Own Camera
Marilena Koraki, SF6
Dimosthenis Vasileiou, SF6
I first got interested in volleyball when I was in the 5th year at Primary School. That year we had a really great P.E. teacher, who wanted to teach us not only gym, but also volleyball. At first I wasn’t as good as the older girls who were in the school team and I found it a little difficult, although after some months I thought it was the perfect sport for me. It
combines team work, intelligence and power. I found I really liked
it and soon I started volleyball lessons twice a week. I got better and better. Now, after three years of training, I think I’m quite a competent volleyball player. Nowadays, when my friends and I play volleyball, it’s more enjoyable and this is what encourages us to get better. I’m absolutely passionate about it and I want to continue doing it for many years. Of course I would highly recommend doing this sport to anyone who’s clever, a little bit strong and who likes working with others, because it’s absolutely the best team sport – I love it!
My dream was to have a camera and it became real. It was the end of the school year and my father went to the school to get my report. When he came back home, he said to me ‘Well done, Dimosthenis! This is the reward for your high marks. I believe that you’ll love it because you‘ve been asking me for a present like this for months. Here you are. This
is your reward for all your hard work.’ It was a Nikon professional camera, which has 24 mega pixels. I was thrilled and I thanked my father several times. On every journey abroad, I carry it with me and I take photos of scenes of nature, museums, castles and buildings which have strange architectural
styles. In my free time, I also take thousands of photos of family occasions. I’m absolutely delighted because at last I have my own camera and I’m sure I will never give up this hobby. If you haven’t tried it, why don’t you try it, too?
Friendship Proverbs Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends whom we choose. (Chinese) He who looks for a friend without a fault will never find one. (Armenian)
A small house will hold a hundred friends. (African) You can hardly make a friend in a year, but you can easily offend one in an hour. (Chinese) A friend in need is a friend indeed. (English)
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SP2 Break Time Activities
Seated: Dimitris Papadomichelakis (left) and Odysseas Papadopoulos (right); Standing (left to right): Chloe Pare-Anastasiadou, Christina KaskaneaEfthymiou, Eva Iliopoulou & Melina Balla
Seated (left to right): Natasa Vlachonikolou, Michael Loukeris and Christos Faliakos; Standing (left to right): Angeliki Tsimplostefanaki, Fani Potamiti and Mary Tsampazi. SP2 paper ‘creations’
A visitor from SC2 (left) chatting with Chloe PareAnastasiadou, Christina Kaskanea-Efthymiou and Eva Iliopoulou.
Fani Potamiti and Angeliki Tsimplostefanaki visiting Dimitra Christopoulou, ELT Coordinator.
SP2 2011-2012
Odysseas Papadopoulos and Dimitris Papadomichelakis chatting with another student at break-time.
Christos Faliakos ‘recharging his batteries’ during a break.
Paper 3: Chloe PareAnastasiadou (left) and Christina Kaskanea-Efthymiou (right) ‘creating’ during a break.’
Article & Art The Worst Feeling & the Best Feeling
Michael Loukeris, SP2
Maro Gavatha, SC2 Do you think that you have felt bad when your heart starts pounding just because of embarrassment? Well, I don't really think so. Here’s the countdown of the worst feelings:
Number 10: when you feel hopeless, in a world of injustice. Number 9: when your mouth dries up and you can't express your real feelings because you think that nobody will understand you. Number 8: when you lose your best friend. Number 7: when a person you have trusted your life secrets with betrays you. Number 6: when you can't protest about your beliefs and ideas because everyone is against you. Number 5: when you are lonely and you don't have a friend to rely on. Number 4: when you lose a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Number 3: when you are not accepted because of your social background. Number 2: when someone that you really love breaks your heart. Number 1: when you are blamed for someone else's mistake. And the best feeling in the world is when you have tried a lot and you have finally achieved
your goal because you never stopped trying, even though your family and friends were totally against you.
Joke Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson go on a camping trip. After a good dinner they go to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend. ‘Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.’ ‘I see millions and millions of stars, Holmes.’ replies Watson. ‘And what do you deduce from that?’ Watson thinks for a minute. ‘Well, astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful, and that we are a small and insignificant part of the universe.But what does it tell you, Holmes?’ Holmes is silent for a moment. ‘Watson, you idiot!’ he says. ‘Someone has stolen our tent!’
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Yearbooks 2008-2011
Senior Yearbook 2012 Š British Council Teaching Centre, Athens Photos: Think Stock Photos Clip art: Sierra Print Artist Designed and created by Litsa Andreou Proof reading by Alison Foster