What were you doing when...?

"I was driving back home. I was going down the bridge when, suddenly, the car in front of me disappeared. I braked and, luckily, the car stopped." That's what a witness told CNN reporters after a bridge over the Mississipi river collapsed in Minneapolis (MN) on Wednesday.
You may not remember what you were doing at 9 o'clock this morning, but we usually remember what we were doing when very important events happened. Look at the photos (click to enlarge) and tell us: Do you remember what you were doing when...

... Brazil won the World Cup in 2002?

... two planes crashed into the World Trade Center?

... John Lennon was killed in New York City?

... Princess Diana died in a car crash?

... the Berlin Wall fell?

Would you like more practice in retelling events? Click here for a matching activity and here to complete some texts about how famous couples met.

How to irritate people!

That was the title of a 1969 mock TV documentary made by John Cleese and his (later) Monty Python friends, which gave practical lessons on how to drive others mad. What makes you lose your temper? Watch the short video below; do things like these drive you up the wall too? How do you react when irritated? What do you do to try and keep calm when something - or someone - is irritating you? Write your ideas in the 'comments' area. And here is a short text (advanced level) to practise the use of prepositions.

What are you reading?

What are you reading at the moment? Are you reading (or have you just read) any interesting book in English or in your own language? What is it about? Are you enjoying it? Tell us a little bit about it in our 'comments' area! Then we can make a list with our readers' suggestions. If you prefer, you can send us your post/message (platypusmail@gmail.com) to be published on the blog!

Art - stay in the country or abroad?

by Mariana M.
Many times people don't like that important paintings and objects of art stay in museums in other countries. They think that if the art represent the culture of the country and is important, then it shouldn't go to other place. For example, it happened when the painting 'Abaporu' went to Argentina, and when many beautiful things from Greece and Egypt went to the museus in France and England.

But I don't think it is so important where is the art, here or in other country. It is more important that many people can see it and that the museum is careful with it. Do you agree?

Are you superstitious?

Today is Friday 13th! Some people think that 13 is a very unlucky number; that walking under a ladder will bring you bad luck; that if you break a mirror, you will have 7 years of bad luck.

Click here and listen to what people from different countries say about superstitions. Which ones do we have in Brazil? How superstitious are you? What do you do to attract good fortune or keep bad luck away? Leave us your comments, or record your voice message here (you will need to sign up first, but it's a very simple process).