Smoking Bans

  In 2011 the government decided to ban smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants.  This law has been put in affect to protect non-smokers from second-hand-smoke.  This has led to some controversy between smokers and non-smokers.

  On one side, the smokers feel entitled to smoke where and when they want.  They spend a lot of money on cigarettes every week and they want to smoke them comfortably inside a bar, not outside.  Another argument is that some establishments are suffering because they now have less clients because they rather smoke than go inside and eat.

  On the other hand non-smokers don't want to have to breathe in the toxic fumes from the cigarette of someone else.  They made a conscious decision to not smoke and if they're breathing in the smoke from others, what's the point?

  In my opinion this law should have been passed a long time ago, other countries have had them for years and it's led to healthier work environments.  Smoking inside forces non-smokers to inhale smoke they don't want and can lead to diseases like lung cancer.  Smoking is a personal choice that shouldn't be forced onto others.

Alejandro Carbajal 2º A

Smoking ban

In January 2011 the government implanted a new law which bans smoking in public places like restaurants, schools, playgrounds, high schools, bars… and says that publicity or movies mustn’t show any scenes in which people are smoking. This law was implanted in order to reduce the number of diseases caused by smoking.

People who are in favor have lots of arguments to support the law. Firstly all the people, who before this law were affected by the smokers and consequently were passive smokers, can go to public places like restaurants or other places, without worrying to be passive smokers, as a result, not only people who go to the restaurants or other places but also the employers who work in public places, will decrease the risk of diseases produced by the smoke of tobacco. Secondly, everybody who smokes wants to stop smoking, because nobody in this planet likes to die, and this law helps people to stop smoking. Thirdly, the government will save money because of the decrease of diseases caused by the smoke, and maybe they will invest in other things like education, but now a day, this money would go to a secret count in Switzerland, but this is another topic. 


But some people are opposed to this law, because they think that this law restricts their freedom. Along with these people, are the industries which export, prepare and sell the tobacco. These industries are the real losers, because they will reduce a lot their profits, and consequently they  will be  angry and say to the smoker that “this law is banning their freedom”. 


Personally, I think that this law is good for everybody, because tobacco is a drug which kills you; and, smoking can’t be banned because people spend a lot of money on tobacco, the people who don’t smoke don’t have to suffer because of the smokers, because if you are a passive smoker, you have a lot of possibilities to have cancer or breathing problems.

EBOOKS (final version)

EBooks are a new technology,with which we can read books and documents if we download them on the tablet. Nowadays eBooks are used more often  but they have both advantages and disadvantages.

EBooks allow you to store a wide range of books in one place, also computer documents. In addition, it makes it easier to take loads of books at once, because it is very light. Another advantatge would be that it's more eco-friendly because as we cut down less trees we save paper.

On the other hand, eBooks have made book shops go out of business. Also it doesn't feel the same reading from an eBook than reading a normal book, although eBooks have a special light to read,  I think that it's better to read an ordinary book.

In conclusion, eBooks are the future books, and I believe that  books will disappear.

Paula Cardona 2A

Gay adoption C1

Nowadays, mental evolution in developed countries ___ made possible that a lot of homosexual couples can be doing a normal live, but in our society always can find cavemen that thing that think a father and mother are better than a homosexual couples to be parents. I’m positioned, but I try to explain these two points of view. 

The reasons to defend that two men or two women can be adopt a children have to do about the belief the child will lack about one of paternal figure. ?? Moreover, this option defender think the boy (or girl) who homosexual parents up will be homosexual too and a lot of people think that be gay or lesbian is like a virus and goes of one in another, and this reason gives them fear. Basically, people who are against gay adoption not know homosexuals and leaves to take away for the fare ?? of that unknown.

On the other hand there are people who think that gay adoption is as good as “traditional couple” adoption. Really, beyond normal problems than a parent can be when have a child of a day for the other one nobody must no have any problem?? that can’t be solved  if you have the determination and the love to do it possible. 

ANIMAL TESTING

Death penalty FINAL VERSION

Death penalty is actually a topic that nowadays generates a lot of controversy in our society, most of the people around the world have a formal opinion for or against the legalization of the death penalty and  morality. Now I will give some arguments for and against this popular topic.

In some countries it is legal to kill someone if they have commited a terrible crime and it is legal because if someone murders someone else he has given up human rights, including the right to stay alive themselves, also they think that if someone murders someone he deserves to die too, futhermore with killing the worst criminals the society is more safe because they know this person won't do it again, a lot of people are in favour  of this because they think a criminal doesn't deserve the right to life.

On the other hand, the basic argument for people who are not in favour of death penalty is that this penalty goes against the most basic human right, the right to life, also sometimes the death penalty is good for the criminals because they don't suffer dying by a letal injection for example and they don't pay their crime, they just die. Finally another basic argument to be against this penalty is that the law sometimes is wrong and the question is: what if someone  who is actually innocent is killed?

In conclusion, the death penalty generate a lot of opinions in our society and they are all so convicing but, in my opinion, death penalty shouldn't be legal in any country because I believe that criminals must pay for the crimes on/ in prison with penal servitude for life not with the death penalty because the right to life is not vulnerable in any situation.

Iván Bermúez 2n batx C

SHOULD MOBILE PHONES BE BANNED AT SCHOOL? C3

The debate about banning the use of mobile phones is being highly discussed nowadays and there have been many problems at schools based on this issue. Teachers and parents think they're a big distraction for students and it has an adverse effect on their marks. They waste a lot of time using applications like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc., while they're in class or in the playground. So, should they be forbidden at school?

On the one hand, mobile phones are always useful for students to chat with their friends or with their family if there is any type of urgency while they're at school or in class, also if you want to see the time, take notes if you think that you can write faster or that you can organize it better or use it like a homework diary because it’s a more comfortable way to write it.

On the other hand, it’s evident that not all are advantages to the use of mobile phones at school, because students waste a lot of time connected and distracted during school hours, chatting or playing games and therefore, they never listen to the teacher's lessons. For that reason, students don't understand what they are reading when they're studying, so then it’ll be worst / worse for them, and they can be punished if teachers see them.

To sum up, I agree with forbidding the use of mobile phones at high schools, but they should be able to use it/ them in any / ___ case of emergency or for an important thing they need to. The best solution is to forbid the use of mobiles during the classes, and don't take it /not to use them until the class has finished or during the break. On the contrary, teachers would take it away from them or finally, make / issue a warning for their parents.

Joan Cañellas Ruesga, 2n A

EBOOKS (final version)

Nowadays electronic books are replacing books little by little. Every day it is more frequent to see people with an ebook in their hands instead of a paper book. Ebooks, like all the new tecnologies, are creating a lot of debates.

On the one hand, ebooks are positive because to buy an ebook costs, more or less, the same as buying five or six paper books and then, you can have all the books you want and if you don't like a book the only thing you have to do is delete it, without worring about how much it cost you. Another reason for ebooks is that they are smaller and lighter than traditional ones and they can also store more than a thousand books. In addition, they are enviromentally friendly because paper isn't use to produce it.

On the other hand, with ebooks, you don't feel the sensation of having a real book in your hands and you cannot feel the smell or  the touch of  the paper. Another reason against ebooks is that you have to check or charge the battery every time you want to go with it somewhere. In addition, because of ebooks a lot of libraries, book shops and editorials can be affected or even get closed.

To conclude, I think that ebooks are a very useful invention, especially for those who really like reading. Personally, I think that nothing can be compared to the sensation of feeling the book in your hands but I'm not against ebooks, I even have one, especially because I can't afford to buy as many books as I would like.

Laura Bonmatí 2n batx A

E-BOOKS C2

The e-books or ebooks are publications that support the role but not a computer file. An e-book can be a novel, a newspaper article, a technical text ... Its uniqueness is that it has the form of electronic saving and storage occurs, therefore, in a computer: floppy disc, CD-Rom and especially on the Internet.

The most remarkable advantage of these kinds of books is that they are ecologically economic. This means that in their making process, they help to save natural resources like trees, paper or energy. At the same time that they are environmentally friendly, they are light, more comfortable and, at last, cheaper that the traditional books, once you purchase the electronic device.

Talking about the disadvantages, we can say that the most important problem you can find when you get one of these books is that there is a big lack of titles in this electronic format. The reason of this is just the problems that some printing companies are finding when they try to manage the publishing rights of their texts. 

In my opinion, we can conclude that these kind of new reading books are the evolution of the paper ones. The two faces of the coin are, in one way that the e-books are lightly, more comfortable and, the most important issue, they help to keep the environment saving trees. The other face of the coin is that the evolution in the offer of books in an electronically way is working in a dangerous path for the printing industry which trends to disappear.

 

Elsa Salom Pons

2n batx. B

Gay adoption C2 (corrected)

Nowadays the number of gay couples who want to adopt a child is increasing. Should they adopt a child if they want though? These would be the different reasons for and against for this controversy.

They argue that they have a relationship which are more stable than many heterosexual marriages, thus giving adopted children a secure emotional home. Moreover this in an era when many children are raised by single parents. There is a shortage of adoptive parents; many children wait to be adopted because they need the affection that they never had. Gay couples only want to form a happy family like whoever. Furthermore the idea of gay adoption is a discrimination, based on sexual orientation, which would not be acceptable in other contexts such as employment.

People who  don't agree with this issue argue that schoolmates of the child would make fun of him. Many people are 'Christian' and they follow the 'Christian' teaching which don't agree with the homosexual relationships. Moreover, children raised by gay parents are offered only one partnership model and are therefore (some argue) more likely to be gay. A sufficiently large minority simply find gay parenting 'wrong', maybe because lesbians and gays have other ideas or manners which aren't well regarded for the children education.

To sum up, although maybe there are lots of children who want to be adopted, gays and lesbians adopting wouldn't be the same as a heterosexual family. I don't say it because they are different from the others, but because actually the child would have many troubles with the society in which we live. 

Ana Claudia Chupillón A

2n C Batx.

EBOOK C2

In the last five years the sales of digital books have tripled. Ebooks are becoming very popular among the population that likes to read. There are more and more buyers, but like any gadget, there are for and against reasons for buying one. 

One the one hand, ebooks are easy to manage, you are able to highlight and add notes to certain sections in the book. One of the arguments for is the price, because even if when you buy it it looks expensive,  over time_ is profitable because it contains several books that can be expensive each one of them. They're easily portable. You can carry lots books on one device. Easy to get content, when you finish a book you feel an urge to know more about this book almost instantly, and have another book in your possession.

The arguments against buying ebooks are that ebooks are not more eco-friendly than paper books, they're easily obtainable in bookstores or anywhere,  they're easily portable, they don't normally cause significant eye-strain and they don't need batteries.

In conclusion,  having an ebook is cheaper than having lots of books and also easier to manage, but I can understand people who want to have their own books in their library to make their home a better place.
                                                                                                                    Ophelie Petel 2B

EBooks VS traditional books. C2

Nowadays EBooks are a new method of reading. With this instrument you can read,  without a traditional book, on an electronic table. Furthermore,  you can do other things, like connecting on the Internet or have photos on it, in some cases. But, this new articles has some advantages and disadvantages.  

On the one hand, I think that this is a great invention that facility our lives and it’s more practical because you can have many books on it, instead of having more than fifty real books on your personal library. For that reason people buy it.

On the other hand, this has some disadvantages because people buy the digital version of books, but ___it isn’t the same feeling than reading a paper book (WO). In addition, many people prefer to have real books in their house library and not only one object.

To conclude, this is a great invention, but I don’t like reading so much but I think ___that_ is better for me to have an EBook because _it___ is easier to take anywhere.

Núria Riudavets Pons

2n Batxillerat- B

Smoking ban

The Smoking ban has generated a lot of discussion. It's true that smoking is unhealthy and can create a big range of health promblems like lung cancer, breathing problems, reduce your life expectancy... But some people consider smoking as a right.

People who agree with this ban say that smoking is unhealthy, that people who smoke spend a lot of money uselessly on  addictions that may kill you. Another argument they use is that people who don't smoke and are near people who smoke make nonsmoking people into passive smokers  that is in risk of suffering smoke related problems like lung cancer, breathing problems...

People who are against the smoking ban argue that smoking is a right, they say that they can spend the money they earn on what they want and the smoking ban reduces their rights. Another argument is that the tobacco industry  creates a lot of workplaces and forbidding tobacco, lots of workplaces will be destroyed.

In my opinion, I agree with the smoking ban because I think that tobacco creates a big addiction  is unhealthy and makes people who smoke waste their money in som_thing that probably may kill them.

                                                                                                                              Pau Vidal Gomila  2n A

Gay adoption C2

Nowadays homosexuality is a reality accepted only by a few countries, in spite of having a lot of homosexuals around the world who are politicians, doctors, etc. Even so in some of the countries which accept homosexuality, gay adoption is not accepted. Although the kid adopted could have the best parents of the world, it isn’t accepted because they’re gays. In this topic we can find some arguments for and against.

On the one hand, people who are against gay adoption argue that a kid needs a mother and a father, and this kid will not be able to be a normal person. Also, they say the gay relationship doesn’t last very long, and if gays adopt a kid, this kid will be gay as well. Finally, they say if a kid is adopted in an area where gays are not accepted, the kid will be outcast.

On the other hand, people who think that gay adoptions would be legal say that a kid can get a personality development totally normal having two fathers or two mothers. Also, who is adopted by two parents is going to learn a higher diversity of options. Although the kid who grows up with two parents of the same sex, he will be able to decide to be heterosexual or homosexual, the parents don’t force him to be gay, when the kid develops he decides to be gay or not. The influence that the kid receives from his parents is less high that the influence from the society, so have got gay parents is not an inconvenient for his development.

In conclusion I think that gays can adopt kids. It’s easy to explain: gays are humans, all the humans have got  the right of having sons or adopt one, ergo they can adopt a kid. If Catholics say that gay adoption is against the word of God, it doesn’t matter. The bible doesn’t say anything about gay adoption. I believe that if two persons of the same sex love each other they can have a kid.

Joel Pampillón Florit 2batx B

GAY ADOPTION C2

For a long time, homosexuals have been discriminated and excluded from society, but over time and with the modernization of society, they have managed in a lot of countries to have the same rights as any other citizens, including the right to adopt a baby.

But not everyone is in favour of gay adoption and this has caused big debates between citizens in favour and against.

On the one hand, whose are in favour of gay adoption think that gay couples as any heterosexual couple, deserve to form a family and be happy, and because of this, they should be allowed to adopt a baby without problems. They also say  that there is nothing wrong having parents of the same sex because the most important thing is that parents are good people and love their child.

On the other hand, whose are against of gay adoption state that  the society in which we live, sexual discrimination is still an important matter, so a child with homosexual parents could be marginalized and discriminated, therefore this might affect his life and his development too, making this totally unnecessary, hence they consider to be much better to avoid this situation.

On balance, my opinion is that a lot of children are marginalized by their classmates during their childhood and not only the child with homosexual parents. Therefore, I think it is more important to have good parents with high values capable to educate children and reinforce their character, so when they grow up they can defend themselves.

Maria Carrasco 2batx B

E-BOOK FINAL VERSION

Nowadays, you can see many people with the so-called e-book. The e-book has become as fashionable as tablets, smartphones, etc.. But does this mean it's better than the paper book?

On the one hand, one of the advantages the e-book  has is that it is like a tablet, small and easy to carry. You can take several books in one. Another positive reason is that books are much cheaper and you can buy more, and authors receive much higher benefits. Also, to manufacture e-books, people don't cut the trees and this is very positive for the environment.

On the other hand, some disadvantages of e-books, are for example, that they  depend on the battery and on the electric power they need. Another disadvantage of the e-book is that  they  are  expensive. And also, the ebook can break more easily and have glitches.

In conclusion, e-books have been a good invention, like other electronic devices . I think that both the paper book and the e-book are good choices, and each with its advantages and disadvantages. For me, depending on the situation the paper book is better than the e-book.


                                                                                    ROCÍO ALONSO 2º Batx. A

Mobile Phones should be banned C2

Nowadays, mobile phones are very useful because they make us the life easier, but, are they useful in class?

On the one hand, mobile phone facilitate our lives because we can comunicate with our friends and we can get more information due to _the_ new smartphones_, which have acces to_the_ Internet. Moreover, you can take photos or videos and your mobile can be your personal agenda, because you can have configurated your e-mail, an important dates, birthdays...

On the other hand, they are addictive. People spend too much time with them when they would be talking or being with their friends. Nowadays, it's common to see a group of friends which everyone are with__their_ own mobile and they don't talk unless they are speaking online with another friends. For this reason, personal relationships are being lost. In class, mobile phones should be banned because students have to pay attention all_the__ time. Students use mobiles in class to talk _to_other friends or with some classmate about the class.

In conclusion, mobile phones are harmful to the behavior which a student has to have in class, because it gets that students don't pay attention to the teacher. Teachers have to get a reduction of the addiction of the technology in the students.

Gonzalo Lázaro 2 B

EBOOKS C2

Nowadays, there are a lot of people who have ebooks, which are devices that have books in digital form. This is an electronic device that has become very fashionable, but like everything, there are reasons for and against buying one.

First, one of the arguments in favour of people buying an ebook is that they can carry a lot of books. Moreover, it’s much cheaper because while each traditional book is worth about twenty euros, while ebooks costs a hundred euros, so when one person buys five books, another buys an eBook, as well as all the books he or she wants, for the same price.

By contrast, we find arguments against eBooks. Firstly, it’s not the same to see the book on a screen as it’s to read a traditional book made of paper. In addition, many people prefer to have paper books and keep them in their libraries, as they can make a house look more homely.

In conclusion, I think it's not only much more convenient to use an eBook but it’s also a fact that they are much cheaper than traditional books. However, I also understand those people who prefer to have their libraries full of real books. 

               

Mónica Tadeo Carreras – 2 Batx. B

Animal testing. C2

Nowadays it's normal to use animals for scientific experiments, which are slaughtered after being used in some ___  experiment. This type of experimentation is legal in most of the countries in the world. But, there are a lot of debates on this is ethical or not.

On the one hand, experiments with animals is good because is possible to find new drugs to cure some diseases, such as cancer or VIH. And it's logical that this can't be done with humans, because I don't believe that any human be submitted volunteer to experiment with them. Therefore, it's good to find new drugs.

On the other hand, I said before that any human will be submitted volunteer to experiment with them, but, if we experiment with animals, do we asked them if we can experiment with them? No. Therefore, the animals can't express their opinion. In addition, they can't tell us if the experiment is causing pain or not, and any animal has is right to live and live free and wild, not enclosed in a laboratory.

In conclusion, there are many views in this topic, and it's a topic that will always be in discussion. In my opinion, animal testing isn't ethical, but on the other hand, I think that if we don't experiment with animals, perhaps we can't find a cure to some diseases. But, perhaps, life is made so that there is a balance between humans and animals, and perhaps we are breaking this balance, using animals to save human lives.

Gemma Febrer Van walre.

2n batx - C.

Gay adoption (final version)

Nowadays, there are more gay couples who want to be a family. But for biological reasons they can’t have children, so they ask for help in adoption. But, does everybody accept it?

On the one hand, some people say that children with homosexual parents may suffer when they are older: depression, drugaddiction, suicide and gay bullying, which are caused by the lack of a paternal or maternal model. Also, they explain that these children can become gay when they are older.

On the other hand, some people and the scientific community explain that these children grow up as other children with heterosexual parents and there isn’t a connection between the sexual orientation of parents and children.

In my opinion, children have to grow up with love, compassion and tolerance. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if   they do it with gay or a heterosexual couples.

MOBILE PHONES IN OUR LIFE (final version)

Mobile phones have turned into an indispensable part of the adults' life and increasingly among the children. However, there are pros and cons related to their use, and this depends on us.

The principal advantages are that mobile phones are not only a way to receive and to answer calls, but they also allow us to carry out multiple activities as navigate on the Internet, interact in social networks, chat, take photos, record videos, etc.

On the other hand, mobiles cause problems.  They have created a disconnection with reality and have made people isolate themselves from their surroundings. Moreover, they cause lack of interest in physical activities and open air games. And finally and the most important, these devices can create problems to "small children" since their health might be affected negatively in the short or long term.

In conclusion, we are in a world where technology is an essential part of our lives. Nevertheless, we must pay attention and be very careful in order not to use it excessively, both for our benefit and that of our children.

GLORIA MARTÍ AINSA

2nd C

EBOOKS (final version)

Nowadays there are a lot of people who use electronic books, which are known as ebooks, because since their appearance they have become very popular among  readers. There are arguments both for and against this kind of book.

On the one hand, ebooks are a very positive invention because they are cheaper for those readers who like reading a lot in their free time. Therefore, ebooks allow keen readers to have more books at their disposal and not have to spend so much money on buying books, because e-books have the capacity to store many books.  In addition, e-books are more ecological as they aren’t made of paper and therefore no trees have to be cut down . Furthermore, ebooks allow you not to take so much weight when you want to take a book somewhere, as you have all the books together. 

On the other hand, there are people who think that E-books have disadvantages. For example, the battery needs to be charged, and if you go on a trip and you forget to take the charger you will not able to read you if the battery is flat.  Furthermore, some books are very difficult to find in digital version and it is possible that you spend a long time finding it, while paper books are normally always in the book shops. Another disadvantage is that book shops are losing customers, because every day there are more and more people who use ebooks.

To conclude, I think that e-books allow people to have many books at the same time. However I think that paper books shouldn’t disappear.

                                                                                                                               Aina Isbert 2n Batx-B

E-Books (final version)

A few years ago nobody knew about e-books, but actually this new way of reading is becoming more popular.

On the one hand, e-books are more comfortable to read, because you can have many books in your e-book and they don't occupy space (point against paper books). Paper books are heavier than e-books and you can carry your e-book wherever you want because they are portable. E-books are environmentally friendly, since they are not made of paper and therefore no trees have to be cut down. . Virtual books are  cheaper than paper books because editorials don't need to manufacture them, they only have to copy them in their computers and sell them. A lot of people think that ebook screens hurt your eyes but actually it's false, because most of the new e-books use a special screen with ink which doesn't hurt your eyes and you have the feeling that you are reading a paper book.

On the other hand, a lot of people prefer to use a paper book because they prefer the sensation of touching paper rather than  an ebook screen. Virtual books hurt the editorials which sell their books, because a lot of people upload the books illegally without selling them and you can download them from the Internet to your ebook without paying and it is bad for the editorials which earn money selling books.

To sump it, a few years ago I used to read paper books because I like feeling the paper, but actually  paper books are too expensive and you can find the same book for free. If the cost of the paper books went down, maybe I would buy them again.

                                                                                                                         Jordi Olives Cegarra 2ºA