There are between 6000 and 7000 languages in the world - spoken by six billion people divided into 189 independent states. Cuneiform is the first form of written languages and it was used for over 3000 years.
The sign languages were invented by Abbé Charles-Michel de l'Épée, the first person who recognized the importance for the instruction of deaf children. Sign languages aren't universal because there are more than one sign language in a country, just as for oral languages. There are two sign languages in Belgium or in Spain.
Russia has by far the highest number of languages spoken on its territory: from 130 to 200 depending on the criteria.
The active vocabulary of a person can reach some 50,000 words; the words they know but do not use - their passive vocabulary - is somewhat larger.
The families in Europe with the most speakers are the Germanic, Romance and Slavic.
Germanic: Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Swedish
Romance: Romanian, Occitan, French, Sardinian
martedì 6 ottobre 2015
The Celts
From around 750 BC to 12 BC, the Celts were the most powerful people in central and northern Europe.
People said that they were tall, with muscles, with blond hair and they had mustaches that covered their mouth. The Celts believed in many gods and goddesses, in fact they were over 400. Many gods had no names and their lived in springs and woods. This population believed also that the human soul had an afterlife, so when a person died they were buried with many things. Warriors were often buried with a hamlet, a sword.
They lived in scattered villages. The walls of their houses were made from local material and the houses had no windows, but there was a hole in the roof for escaping the smoke.
People said that they were tall, with muscles, with blond hair and they had mustaches that covered their mouth. The Celts believed in many gods and goddesses, in fact they were over 400. Many gods had no names and their lived in springs and woods. This population believed also that the human soul had an afterlife, so when a person died they were buried with many things. Warriors were often buried with a hamlet, a sword.
They lived in scattered villages. The walls of their houses were made from local material and the houses had no windows, but there was a hole in the roof for escaping the smoke.
The Lion and The Mouse

-"I'm the King of Beasts! You'll pay with your life for showing me such disrespect!"

-"Please, please don't eat me, Mr King of Beats, Sir." squeaked the Mouse "if you forgive me this time and let me go I'll never, never forget it."
-"I may be able to do you a good turn in the future to repay your kindness" it squeaked.
-"You, do me a favor!" roared the Lion with laughter "that is the funniest thing I've ever heard."
Still laughing, the Lion put the Mouse down on the ground and said:
-"You've made me laugh so much I can't eat you now. Go on, off you go before I change my mind."
The little Mouse scurried away as fast as its little legs could go.
Not long after this the Lion was caught in a trap by some hunters. They tied him to a tree with a rope while they went to get their wagon. The little Mouse was nearby and came when he heard the mighty Lion's roar for help. The Mouse gnawed the rope with his sharp teeth and set the Lion free, and after that said:
-"I know you didn't believe me, but I told you I could help you one day" squeaked the little Mouse "even a little mouse like me can help someone as big and strong as you"
-"Thank you my little friend. I won't forget that lesson" said the Lion as he ran away before the hunters returned.
martedì 29 settembre 2015
The Story of Gelert

Many years ago, in the county of Gwynedd, lived a brave and well respected prince called Llewelyn. This prince loved to hunt and his favourite hunting dog was called Gelert. Gelert accompanied him everywhere and was always to be found at the head of the pack. This prince had a son, a babe whose mother had died in childbirth. Llewelyn had loved his wife dearly and been broken hearted by her death. His only consolation had been his son. On her death-bed, Llewelyn had promised his wife that he would cherish the boy and this he did.
One day, Llewelyn went out hunting. The baby lay fast asleep in his cradle and the day was cold and damp but the fire was lit in the chimney. The prince decided to leave his loyal hound, Gelert to protect the homestead. As he left he gently stroked the dog’s huge and said to him to take care of the baby. But as he entered the room he beheld a terrible sight. The baby’s cradle was lay empty on the floor. Gelert, and everything else in the room, was covered by blood. The dog looked exhausted but wagged his tail weakly. Next, Llywelyn thought that Gelert killed his son so he plunged his dagger into dog's side. After that, he found a died wolf on the floor and picked the baby who was safe thanks to Gelert. Filled with remorse, Llelwelyn knelt and gently stroked his faithful friend and Gelert’s tail thumped the ground slowly for the last time. Gelert’s body was buried outside the castle walls, close to the river.
lunedì 8 giugno 2015
lunedì 1 giugno 2015
David Letterman's retirement from the Late Show
David Letterman is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and actor. He hosted a late night television talk show for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC, and ending with the May 20, 2015 broadcast of the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS. Here you can see the video of his retirement:
My favorite TV series☺
My favorite TV series is 'Skins', a British teen drama that followed the lives of a group of teenagers in Bristol. They are trying to grow up and find love and happiness, despite questionable parenting and teachers who more want to be friends rather than authority figures. This series is divided in three generations.
Seasons 1 and 2
This seasons are about the first generation.
My favorite characters are Tony Stonem, an attractive, intelligent and popular boy that manipulate everyone who's around him, and Cassie Ainsworth, an eccentric girl who suffers from an eating disorder.
Seasons 3 and 4
This seasons are about the second generation.
My favorite characters are Effy Stonem, Tony's sister, she's pretty and popular but also quiet and distant, and James Cook, charismatic and sociable, also boisterous and not afraid of authority.
Seasons 5 and 6
This seasons are about the third generation.
My favorite characters are Franky Fitzgerald, an intelligent and creative girl, seen by other as strange, largely due to her androgynous dress sense, and Rich Hardbeck, he immerses himself in heavy metal subculture and uses musical elitism as a means to cover up his own shyness when, among other things, interacting with girls.
Seasons 1 and 2
This seasons are about the first generation.
My favorite characters are Tony Stonem, an attractive, intelligent and popular boy that manipulate everyone who's around him, and Cassie Ainsworth, an eccentric girl who suffers from an eating disorder.
Seasons 3 and 4
This seasons are about the second generation.
My favorite characters are Effy Stonem, Tony's sister, she's pretty and popular but also quiet and distant, and James Cook, charismatic and sociable, also boisterous and not afraid of authority.
Seasons 5 and 6
This seasons are about the third generation.
My favorite characters are Franky Fitzgerald, an intelligent and creative girl, seen by other as strange, largely due to her androgynous dress sense, and Rich Hardbeck, he immerses himself in heavy metal subculture and uses musical elitism as a means to cover up his own shyness when, among other things, interacting with girls.
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