This Is What Dreams Are Made Of

One of the best experiences of my life was traveling abroad to Europe. As my graduation present, my best friend and I visited Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome. Since I was young I have always dreamed of going to Italy. Coming from a very Italian family, I was always told about Italy but never had the chance to experience it.  I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to take on the culture and language of Italy.

Our first stop was Paris. Most of my time in Paris I was jetlagged, but I still had a superb time. We visited the Eiffel Tower, Garden on Versailles, the Louve and many more! We had a nice dinner right near Notre Dame; it was really quite beautiful.

Next we traveled to Venice, I fell in love from the moment I got off the plane.  The city was just so breathtaking. It was very interesting how you can only travel by boat to get from place to place. We got a tour of the city seeing the Saint Mark’s Square and went on a gondola ride. 

Our next stop was Florence. In Florence, we took a cooking class and made pizza and gelato. We spent hours at the leather markets outside and a huge cheese and meat market called Mercato Centrale Firenze.

While in Rome, we visited the Trevi fountain. It is said that if you stand with you back to the fountain and throw a coin over your shoulder while making a wish, your wish will come true.

The food in Italy was so amazing and I had gelato once sometimes even twice a day! I have nothing negative to say about Italy, I sincerely loved it. It was truly an amazing experience. I am so fortunate to have had the experience to travel abroad and can not wait to visit again.

Where is your favorite place to travel?

Vocabulary

Abroad (averb)- to a foreign country

Thrilled (verb)- sudden feeling of excitement

Opportunity (noun)- make it possible to do something

Jetlagged (noun)- tired – occurs when you travel long flights during several time zones

Superb (adjective)- excellent

Breathtaking (adjective) – astonishing- take someone’s breathe away

Gondola (noun)- boat used on Venetian Canals

Gelato (noun)- Italian style ice cream

Negative (adjective)- not desirable

Sincerely (adverb)- genuine way/ honest

Vocabulary Activity:

Match the words with the correct definition.

Negative                                                                      Tired

Superb                                                                         Italian- Style ice cream

Jetlagged                                                                      Boat used on Venetian Canals

Breathtaking                                                                Make it possible to do something

Opportunity                                                               Sudden feeling of excitement

Gondola                                                                      To a foreign country

Sincerely                                                                     Astonishing

Gelato                                                                         Excellent  

Abroad                                                                        Genuine/ honest

Thrilled                                                                       Not desirable

Grammar Point:

Exclamation point:

An exclamation point is a type of punctuation mark that goes at the end of a sentence. They are mostly used to express excitement. They are also used to express surprise, astonishment, or any other such strong emotion.

Grammar Activity:

State if the sentence should have an exclamation point.

I just got a brand new T.V. in my room

I finished my dinner, so now I have to do my homework

My battery on my phone is low, so now I have to charge it

I just found out I am going to Disney World

Can you find the exclamation point in the paragraph above?

GAME DAY!

Are you ready for the Super Bowl? The Super Bowl is a championship game for the National Football League. Super Bowl Sunday is not just an ordinary day in America. Each year, millions of fans celebrate with family and friends by gathering around a television and rooting for their team. Even if you are not into football, you may still have an interest in the parties, food, and commercials that revolve around the game. A large segment of the audience tunes into the game just to see the commercials. Companies pay an average of 3 million dollars for a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl. The halftime show consists of a performance by an artist or musical group. The halftime show is like a mini concert that entertains the viewers. 

Vocabulary

Championship (noun)- a contest for the position of a winner in a sport 

Ordinary (adjective)- normal  

Rooting (verb)- cheering on a team

Revolve (verb)- treat something as the most important

Segment (noun) – part of something

Average (noun)- a number expressing a typical value in a set of data  

Consists (verb)- made up of

Mini (adjective)- very small

Vocabulary Exercise

Grammar Point:

Rhetorical questions are questions asked in order to create a dramatic effect/point to draw the audience’s attention. Rhetorical questions are those questions that do not expect an answer.

Examples:

What is the meaning of life?

Did you ever wonder what’s it like to be invisible?

How many times do I have to tell you not to run in the house?

Can you find the rhetorical question in the paragraph above?

Don’t Walk… Dance

Everyone has something they are deeply passionate for, mine just happens to be dance. My dance teachers and friends have helped me become the person I am. My highest and lowest points were channeled into dance. Even though I struggled through late night practices and a sore body, the feeling you get after post-recitals is well worth it. Luckily, I have found something I am passionate for at such a young age and now I get to pursue teaching dance to younger children. I want to teach them the culture and lifestyle of a dancer. With time, I have realized that my dance family is truly one of a kind and I can call my studio a second home.

What is something you are passionate about? Why?

Vocabulary

Passionate (adjective)- showing strong feelings

Channeled (Verb)- direct toward a certain end or object

Struggled (verb)- dealing with something that is difficult

Sore(adjective) -painful or aching (usually part of a body)

Post (Prefix) - after

Pursue (Verb) - to chase after something

Culture (noun) - attitudes, customs, and beliefs that describes a group of people

Vocabulary Exercise

When I went to Europe I learned a new ______________.

I moved to Los Angeles to ___________ my acting career.

Afterward, we gathered for snacks and a _________game chat.

After wearing uncomfortable shoes my feet were____________.

She________ up the hill in the snow.

She ___________ all her energy into studying for the math test.

Sally loved cooking, she was ______________ about it.

Grammar Point:

What is a prefix?

A prefix is added to the front of a word to change its meaning.

Here are some examples of prefixes:

•    microscope

(The prefix is micro-.)

•    tripod

(The prefix is tri-.)

The prefix used in the paragraph was post- recital, which means after the recital.

Another example is post-game or post-season.

Can you come up with your own example of a prefix?

Grammar Activity: