The first meeting between Obama and Pope Francis

The first meeting between Obama and Pope Francis

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The meeting between the American president and the Pope,  began in Vatican at 10:28, lasted 50 minutes. "Thank you, thank you." These are the first words of Barack Obama to Pope Francis. And then: "Meet you is wonderful." During the interview, the prefect of the Pontifical Household, Georg Gaenswein, he met outside the studio chatting with U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry. After the meeting, the number one in the White House has presented to Bergoglio his delegation. "Pray for me and my family. They're with me on this journey, "Obama said to Bergoglio. And then: "Probably i'll read this book in the Oval Room, when I will be really frustrated and I'm sure that will give me strength," commenting on the copy of the Evangelii Gaudium, a document that represents a kind of manifesto of the papacy, which the Pope donated to Obama. There were moments of hilarity and awkwardness during the exchange of gifts. The box of medals donated by Obama to Francis, who was supposed to stay open, it was broken and the coins are fallen into the earth. Monsignor Gaenswein was quick to pick up the coins and put everything back in place. But the balance reconstituted lasted a moment, and again the coins fell into the earth. Francis laughed. President Obama gave to Francis also the seeds of the garden of the White House. 

"Why not?" It 'was the response of the Pope to Obama, who invited him to Washington. "This looks like a carrot, - said the president - each one has a seed, if you have the chance to come to the White House, you can see the garden."

Vocabulary

• embroil = coinvolgere

example:

That man is embroiled in the investigation

• eradicate = sradicare

This verb indicates when you remove the roots from where they are planted

example:

The tree was eradicated by a violent storm

• gasp = sussulto      

This term refers to an extreme action that takes place in order to get something

example:

 

With a last gasp of the warrior came to the fortress

• blockade = blocco

This term refers to when a certain thing is stopped

example:

The blockade has caused enormous consequences

• stem = arginare

This verb indicates when trying to limit a problem

example:

To stem the problem has been drawn up a plan

• gatherings = incontri

This term refers to when most people meet

example:

The gatherings have had their effects

Turkey blocks Twitter

Turkey blocks Twitter

After the allegations of the corruption scandal that has involved the Prime Minister, the Authority for Information Technology and Communication in Turkey has "closed" the social network.

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Turkey woke up Friday morning without a tweet: giving immediate response to threats from Islamist prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, embroiled in corruption scandals by phone calls intercepted incriminating releases in recent weeks on Twitter, the microblogging site has been blocked overnight in all the country. The Social netwark was blocked a few hours from a meeting of the moderate Islamist Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Bursa, in the northwest, where he said that Twitter would be "eradicated." 

A cold shower for the country, which for months was pervaded by internal tensions that had not been seen for years. For many analysts, this was the last gasp of a prime minister near to the end of his political career. Of course, it must be said that the blockade has had a major impact inside and outside the country, and from a purely technical point of view, has not had the result that the prime minister had hoped. An hour and a half after the Twitter site was no longer accessible in Turkey, however, the tweets sent by Turks users on the network  exceeded one million. Sites like Cnnturk and online newspapers provided some explanations to users on how to change from their pc connection settings and stem so the ban. 

The harder reaction came  by the President of the Republic, Abdullah Gul, through Twitter, hoping for a short duration of the ban and pointed out that the total block of the social network is unacceptable. 

The Erdogan's image is that of a leader surrounded, that you play through and through and he does not want to give up. This is demonstrated by the pictures of the huge gatherings during his rallies in the southeast just posted on Twitter in recent days by his collaborators. According to analysts , to speak of a positive result , Erdogan would take a percentage from 35 to 38%, but in any case represent a historic low of his party. Gul seems increasingly ready to confrontation for the presidency of the Republic, in a fight between the two wings of the Islamic Right , where , for the moment, the opposition is still an appearance.

Among the days will come the verdict of the polls, but it is said that it is enough to calm the situation. The climate is even more exacerbated than the riots Gezi Parki and many analysts fear the gang war, especially if Erdogan were to decide to run for the presidency of the Republic. All things that Turkey has already seen. But it was 1970 , the country was far from Europe and brought an end to the climate of  military confrontation.

My favorite song: She will be loved

Maroon 5 - She will be loved

Lyrics:

"Beauty queen of only eighteen
She had some trouble with herself

He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else

I drove for miles and miles
And wound up at your door
I've had you so many times
But somehow I want more

I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pourin' rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay a while

And she will be loved, and she will be loved

Tap on my window, knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know, I tend to get so insecure
It doesn't matter anymore

It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along, yeah
My heart is full and my door's always open
You come anytime you want

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pourin' rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile

And she will be loved, and she will be loved
And she will be loved, and she will be loved

I know where you hide alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are

I know that goodbye means nothin' at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls

Yeah, tap on my window, knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pourin' rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile

And she will be loved, and she will be loved
And she will be loved, and she will be loved
(Please don't try so hard to say goodbye)

Yeah, I don't mind spending everyday
(Please don't try so hard to say goodbye)
Out on your corner in the pourin' rain
(Please don't try so hard to say goodbye)"

My comment:

This is my favorite song, performed by the now famous band Maroon 5, taken from their album Songs About Jane, four-time winner of the platinum disc. She will be loved is one of the group's songs with sound more melodic. It's about a boy who falls in love with an eighteen year old. In some versions of the song, including the UK release, the age of the girl in the text is  seventeen. But this is a mere detail. The meaning is, however, a sweet thought. He falls in love with this girl who is very beautiful, but also very weak: passes from one man to another, probably without knowing what she really wants. A inevitable reflection is on the fact that sometimes be too admired can confuse a girl, making  think that the important is fun, neglecting, however, in this way, what it means to truly love. But he knows what is true love and having understood this fragility wants to help her. He is willing to wait her, even if he is not certain to make it, but he will try, because she will be loved.

Vocabulary

• path = sentiero 

This term refers to the way that you follow to go somewhere

example:

The path that we must travel to get to the top is tortuous.

• cockpit = cabina di pilotaggio 

This term refers to the place where the pilot guides the plane

example:

The cockpit of this aircraft is very spacious.

• scour = perlustrare 

This verb means to try something carefully

example:

The investigator scour the area for clues.

• fuel = carburante

This term refers to the gasoline with which it is supplied a car

example:

The jet's fuel is over.

• Disappear = sparire

example:

My friend's cat has disappeared.

• hijack = dirottare

This verb indicates a change of course

example:

The terrorist hijacked the plane.

• shroud(verb) = avvolgere

example:

The city is shrouded in fog. 

Malaysian Airlines plane mystery

Malaysian Airlines plane mystery

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"All right, good night." These are the last words exchanged by air traffic controllers and pilots in Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared last Saturday, as it was revealed today at a meeting between the officials and relatives of the Chinese passengers who were on board. According to the newspaper The Star Malaysia online. The airline has also defended the pilots, saying that there is no reason to believe that the disappearance of the aircraft is their responsibility or any member of the crew. On board were 239 people, among them 153 crew. The big problem is that Authorities don't know where the plane is or what happened to it.  There are many questions about what might have been the cause of this disappearance but don't seem comprehensive and appropriate responses. The Administration for National Science and Defense, says the agency New China, has released three photos of the "objects", taken last Sunday in the area where it is believed he was when the plane disappeared from the radar, but the Malaysian  transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein has clearly refuted these claims. From the United States, The Wall Street Journal reports instead a reconstruction which further fuels the mystery of a plane that suddenly disappears. According to the specialists in charge of investigating aviation,  the Malaysian airplane, once disappeared from the airport screens, it traveled for at least four hours. 

American experts, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the USA suspect this was a criminal act, without elaborating upon any theory on the motive and those responsible. According to specialists, the data collected so far do not support the thesis of a crash in the vicinity of the Malay Peninsula. The survey reveals that the American aircraft continued as a mirror to reflect the radar signal launched from the ground even after the transponder on board the flight MH370 has stopped sending his pulse. As long as the transponder worked, had indicated that the flight headed north toward Vietnam. From the moment the transponder silent, the radar signal launched from land records with a turn of the plane route to the west. According to anonymous sources cited by the WSJ, even the ACARS, the system automatically sends data on the state of the engines manufactured by Rolls- Royce, has continued to transmit, showing how the plane was intentionally manipulated. That is, has been hijacked, it was made ​​invisible and continued to fly. 

Unfortunately, as already said, this case remains shrouded in mystery. We hope to find soon something.

Vocabulary

inherited = ereditato

I inherited a bunch of money.

earned = guadagnato

I have always earned the respect of the people.

fulfill = adempiere

I always fulfill my duties

bench = panchina

the player has passed the game on the bench

The great challenge of Louis Corbett

The great challenge of Louis Corbett: <<Before becoming blind I have so many things to do>>

Louis Corbett, age 12, is suffering from a degenerative disease: in a few weeks will lose his sight. But meanwhile, has drawn up ''wishlist to be realized "

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He wants to be able to tick all the wishes on his "bucket list" - literally, things to do before to die - before the light around him to go out completely, due to a degenerative disease. On the Internet, his story has touched so many. With the strength of those who want to know, but most still see a lot, and the enthusiasm of adolescence, the twelve year old Louis Corbett in Auckland, New Zealand, from day to day, he found himself in front of the greatest challenge in few weeks will lose his sight. 

Louis lives his life fully, and with his family travels around the world. His parents want to fill his head with the largest number of possible images. "There's not much time, remained a few weeks", says his mother Catherine. Last year, doctors had informed her that the youngest of her five children suffers from an inherited disease of the retina that causes progressive loss of vision up to, in severe cases, total blindness. After the initial shock it was followed by another: the degenerative process of the boy is progressing faster than expected, and there is no curative therapy. So his mother encouraged him to create a list of places to see, people to meet. Louis has clear ideas : he wants to see the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the Empire State Building, the Google headquarters in California and a game of his favorite basketball team, the Boston Celtics. 

Catherine and her husband Tim have decided to launch on the social media an appeal for donations. The first to come forward was the neighbor, Warren Casey. The head of a computer company, which is constantly shuttling between Auckland and Boston Corbett has given the miles earned in the many indoor air travel and the cost of the ticket for all seven members of the family. In four weeks came to $ 25,000 donations from friends but also from complete strangers on the other side of the globe. The story of the little Louis also came to the ears of Corinne Grousbeck. Her husband is the owner of the Boston Celtics basketball team. It is not the only coincidence. As fate would have it, in fact, the woman's 21 year old son had just gone blind due to the same disease. Corinne Grousbeck today administers one of the oldest institutions for blind in the country. And so Louis Corbett was able to travel with his family on the other side of the globe to fulfill one of his greatest desires: to see the game of his NBA team. Wednesday night he sat with the players on the bench at the TD Garden in Boston and was able to embrace his idols. A reminder that even the blind can never erase.

My personal opinion:

I chose this story because can be a source of learning for me and for others: sometimes fate is cruel, but the tenacity and the strength with which Louis has achieved his desires teaches us that a winner is just a dreamer who he never stopped dreaming, and that, for a day, a hero can be also a simple child.

Russia approves military action in Crimea

Russia approves military action in Crimea

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Russia may send a military contingent into the Crimea to ensure the safety of the Black Sea Fleet and Russian citizens in the peninsula: it declared the president of the Senate Russian, Valentina Matvienko, assuming for the first time at an official level a possible direct intervention in the autonomous Republic at the heart of growing tensions with Kiev. In fact, the new prime minister of Crimea, Sergii Aksyonov, confirmed that Russian troops are already operating in the peninsula and has asked for help from Vladimir Putin "to preserve the peace and quiet." According to various sources, for now would be 2,000 Russian soldiers active in the Crimea. Kiev raises, saying that Moscow has sent 6 thousand men and 30 armored vehicles in the Crimea. Yesterday the Ukrainian authorities have denounced "armed aggression of Russia" in the Crimea. And today the Ukrainian president ad interim, Oleksandr Turchynov, issued a decree that puts on paper the decision not to recognize the new Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, in the belief that his "appointment has taken place in violation of the laws of Ukraine". Aksyonov was elected Thursday behind closed doors, the Crimean parliament, controlled by an armed pro-Russian. He had also authorized the holding of a referendum to grant greater autonomy to the peninsula in the throes of pro-Russian separatist tensions.

My film lesson

My film lesson 

For this interesting exercise I chose to watch some clips from the recent film "The Wolf of Wall Street". I learned that if i see a movie without subtitles, I have some difficulty understanding the dialogue in which there are words that are part of a slang or which are used exclusively in a particular context. So I think the best solution to solve my problem in understanding the particular type of dialogue is to see more movies in this way with the help of subtitles. 

(In particular, I saw the scene where Jordan Belfort talks with the federal agent who wants to arrest him.)

Listening: R.E.M. - Leaving New York

Listening: R.E.M - Leaving New York 

Result clauses:

1. You might have laughed if I told you;
2. You might have hidden a frown;
3. You might have succeeded in changing me;
4. I might have been turned around.    

I think that the singer in this song expresses her disappointment and sadness in leaving his New York and especially the woman of his life. In reference to this case is emblematic the final sentence of the song:

"Leaving New York never easy (it's pulling me apart)
I saw the life fading out (change)"