Tales from Alcaraz ( TAFA

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Tales from Alcaraz Issue 2 ( April 2020 )

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In our Advanced English classes in Alcaraz, we reviewed the life
of Mr. Overton, World War Veteran who had became the oldest
living American citizen. Our students grabbed their pens and
wrote their thoughts about health and mind in the following
essays.

SOME ADVICE TO LIVE ALRIGHT
An experienced man tells you
✍✍ Jose Julián González Gaitano
"I've seen lots and lots of living"
- said Mr Overton in 2016, a couple of
years before he passed away - "I ́m
giving you some of my secrets to
a long life. If you don't use it
that ́s your bad luck". What can
an old man from Austin, Texas tell you
? These are some tips: 'I drink about
4 cups of coffee in the morning... I
love soup, milk, fish, ice cream makes
me happy and also butter pecan.It's
just...Overton's diet'. Listen to this: 'I
smoke sometimes 12 cigars a day.

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Just go ahead and blow it, but you
have to do it in the healthy way: don
́t swallow it, cause it makes you
cough; just taste it'. Fitness? Pills? A
personal trainer? Find your diet, enjoy
your little pleasures while you can.
This is what Mr Overton told you from
his 112 years of life. It makes you feel
better'- concluded.'I would buy one
thing, I would use that one thing. I've
got a truck out here and it runs just
like I want it. So I just keep it'. Oh, by
the way, he renewed his car license
until his last year in this world. 'Every
time I pass all the tests they give me'-
he said. One more: 'I built me a house
in 1945 and that's where I've been
ever since'.
'It makes you feel better to have a
person around you like Mrs Love'-
this is the name of his wife- We go
shopping sometimes, I take her to
church and to different places... We
get along real nice. She's just a nice
person'. It seems to me that they just
lived and took care of each other.
Well, Mrs Love was younger than Mr
Overton: she survived him; she's now
only 96 years old. 'Yeah!, we have fun
together!'. I will not add another
comment here. Mr Overton hadn't got
any children. No problem. Listen to
this: 'I wanna see my cats every
morning. I help those cats and they
keep me happy'. You could put
children instead of cats, couldn't you?.
Help your children, spend time with
them. One more important thing
about this subject: 'You don't feed the
cat too much because he won't hunt a
rat'. Easy translation: Don´t spoil
your children giving them everything.
They will become useless, incapable
people.Sometimes you find yourself in
life with a very real problem. How to
face it?
Did you know Mr Overton was a
veteran from World War II? He joined
the Army when he was 30, in 1945. He
served at the Pacific front. 'It wasn't
good, but we had to go'. 'A soldier ...
he may go sideways but he ain't
gonna turn around and go back. Dońt
care how hot them bullets is, he ain't
gonna go back'. I think there is
nothing to add here either. Mr.
Overton was a person of faith. If you
are so, surely you share some of his
believings: 'I think that helps me push
myself along going to church. And
you learn something at church, you
learn how to live better, how to treat
people'. He was quite sure about why
he could survive at War: 'If it's your
time to go that bullet gonna get you.
If it ain't your time to go, that bullet's
going over your head. It ain't gonna
hit you. So, man will kill you but God
is the one keep you alive' But the main
questions remain, just like every
human being: ¡I don't know when I
come here and I don't know when I
am going'... 'I don ́t know why God
kept me here. I ain't talked to Him

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and He ain't talked to me'. So, What
can we do while we are here? I think
everyone can share this last Mr.
Overton's thought: 'Still walk, still
talk, still drive... still living alright... I
may give out but I never give up. If
you give up you're through'.
So, thank you Mr. Overton. For your
service, your simple wisdom, your
common sense. Oh! And this cigar I'm
smoking while I'm writing is for you,
everywhere you are.

'Still walk, still talk, still drive... still living alright... I
may give out but I never give up. If you give up you're
through'.


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DO WE DO ENOUGH FOR THE ELDERLY IN OUR SOCIETY?
In memory of R.Overton
✍Julián García Losa
One of the common stereotypes of
growing old is that older people
don't contribute to society. We
need to give more recognition and
pride to the contributions that
older generations have already
made. Their skills and knowledge
are not appreciated in a society
infatuated by the cult of youth.
Richard Overton, America's oldest
World War II veteran and the
oldest man in the United States,
died at the age of 112 years old, in
December 27, 2018. He was
honored by president Barack
Obama. Overton was invited in
2013 to the White House where he
met with the President and to the
veterans day ceremony at
Arlington National Cemetery. This
is an example of respect, solidarity
and commitment to the elderly.
Our society needs to recover the
presence and wisdom of the
elderly in public life and in the
mass media.
The elderly want to live in their
homes, in their family
environments, and therefore we
must intensify home care services.
Now, they are fighting in the
streets for fair pensions, which is
necessary, among other things, to
pay the high prices of
socio-sanitary residences.
Ingmar Bergman, Swedish
filmmaker said: "getting older is
like climbing a great mountain.
While climbing the forces decrease
but the look is freer, the view is
wider and more serene". Our
society needs this freedom and
serenity of the elderly and offer
them all our love and
consideration.

Ingmar Bergman, Swedish filmmaker said:
"getting older is like climbing a great mountain.
While climbing the forces decrease but the look is
freer, the view is wider and more serene". Our
society needs this freedom and serenity of the

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elderly and offer them all our love and
consideration.✍

At Christmas we decided to write some funny Santa ́s
Christmas letters and here are our students ́
contributions…


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Pepe Gonzalez, one of our most veteran students of English in Alcaraz, wrote this beautiful
travel diary about his trip to the italian coast of Amalfi

Gorgeous Amalfi
✍Jose Julián González Gaitano
I've returned from a trip to Italy a
few days ago, with some friends of
mine. I've been to Italy before; my
brother has been living in Rome
for quite a long time. This time he
wanted us to visit the Amalfi
Coast. 'Amalfi? Where is Amalfi?
What is special about Amalfi?'- I
asked. 'Well ... Better come and
you'll see" - he answered. So,
firstly, we checked the location of
the place on a map. It is a city in
the south of Naples. Italy looks
like a great boot, doesn't it?
Imagine the instep of the boot.
Well, Amalfi is out there. Weather

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forecasts were good, and the flight
to Rome was fast and comfortable.
My brother picked us up at the
airport and drove to the south.
'Perhaps it would be interesting to
make a good atmosphere'- he said,
and turned the cd player on - I've
selected a few songs'. And so,
Luciano Pavarotti was our
companion throughout the trip.
He didn't sing opera however. He
sang for us O Sole Mio, Torna a
Surriento, Carusso and other
tunes related to the country that
we were going to visit. Salerno was
our first stop. There, at a
restaurant with a splendid sight of
its wide Gulf, a tasty meal was
waiting for us: a sailor soup, pasta
with seafood and a delicious white
local wine. In the afternoon, going
along a winding road with
dangerous curves, we discovered
the Amalfi Coast. There aren't
flatlands; only a few narrow and
stony beaches; everything else is
mountain ... that submerge into
the sea. There Apennines
mountain range meets Tyrrhenian
Sea and plunges into it. The
landscape consists in countless
towns and villages set on the coast
slopes; they seem just to be
climbing the cliffs. Amalfi itself is
arranged that way.
There, at a restaurant with a splendid
sight of its wide Gulf, a tasty meal was
waiting for us: a sailor soup, pasta with
seafood and a delicious white local wine.

Amalfi is an old city. It was an
independent republic of traders
in the Middle Ages. It is a very
tourist place: It has got a great
cathedral in Romanesque Italian
style that claims to preserve the
remains of the apostle Saint
Andrew in his crypt; it also has
got a splendid Marina, visited by
rich people on their expensive
big yachts. The beach is small
however, but you can take a bath
anyway. We did. Walking the
narrow streets that went up and
down we found a hidden place, a
little museum dedicated to a
strange and old Amalfi industry:

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paper made with rags. Nice. It
was late in the evening when we
reached our final destination,
our home for the next few days,
a rural house in a town called
Conca Dei Marini. The house
was clean and bright, with a
small garden and modern
facilities. However, it was the
next morning when we
discovered the main house's
worth, while we watched the
sunrise from its large terrace.
The sight was spectacular,
Terrific!. Pompeii was an
inexcusable target on our trip,
since it was only about 40
kilometers away. It was a long
ride. It took us an hour and a
half to get there since we had to
cross the mountains. While
travelling I had to change my
mind about the country. I
expected a dry, arid landscape.
Instead of that, it was very leafy,
with green woods of pine, beech
trees and, especially, chestnuts.
Pompeii was a holiday place,
actually a populous city, for rich
Roman people at Imperial age in
the first century. The year 70 BC
was buried by the eruption of
Vesuvius, the great volcano near
Naples Gulf. A thick layer of
ashes covered it completely in a
few hours. So it has been well
preserved to this day. You can
see there many temples, a wide
square, the forum, a big
amphitheater, where gladiators
and wild beasts would had been
fighting, two theaters, well
paved streets with solid stone
slabs, several public baths and
numerous private properties;
some of them, that were owned
by important Roman people,
still retain beautiful paintings on
their walls. It is a big place; you
can walk for 7 hours and you
might not see all the wonders it
holds in. On the way back to our
accommodation, I was in a sad
mood; I think we all were. At
night, we were lying on the
terrace, watching the moon
rising from the sea, enjoying the
moist, salty air, rushing the last
moments of our beautiful but
short holiday. My brother got us
out of our melancholic mood. He
said: 'Well, now in a year we
could go to visit Apulia. It's as
beautiful as this country! ... And

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now: Our landlady told us about
that nice place to eat, Nino's,
Didn't she? So ... How about a
real Italian pizza?'. So, after a
small stop with a pizza at Nino's
... The trip to Italy will
continue!.


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CEPA Alonso Quijano´s teaching zone includes the schools of adults in different
villages and small towns such as El Bonillo, Tiriez, Munera, Ossa de Montiel and
Alcaraz. These, along with the students in Villarrobledo, joined forces and wrote
down their menus and thoughts about eating healthy.
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EL BONILLO ́S SCHOOL OF ADULTS
Teacher: Ana María Hernández

We have got an unhealthy diet
because we don't have time to
cook. This is my diet for this
week.On Monday, I had a glass of
milk with a buttered toast and
peach jam for breakfast .I had
roasted sardines and potato
omelet for dinner andI had

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mounted sausage and cheese for
dinner.On Tuesday, I had
breakfast Glass of milk with cereal,
I had fried Chicken Wings and
Soup for lunch and aTuna and
tomato sandwich.On Wednesday, I
had a glass of milk with cookies for
breakfast, I had fried eggs and
grilled pork for lunch and I had
Russian salad for dinner.On
Thursday, I had a glass of milk
with cereal for breakfast,I had
stew for lunch and a Mackerel and
tomato sandwich for dinner.On
Friday, I had a glass of milk with
cookies for breakfast, rice with ribs
for lunch and I had a salmon and
tomato sandwich for dinner.On
Saturday, I had a glass of milk
with cookies for breakfast,
manchego gazpachos with rabbit
for lunch and grilled lamb chops
for dinner.On Sunday,
We have got a very stressed
life, therefore, our food isn't
healthy.
I had a Glass of milk with a butter
toast and peach jam for breakfast.,
French omelet and a bacon
sandwich for lunch and a a Salad
and a tuna sandwich for dinner.
Jesús Mora Sierra✍
We have got a very stressed life,
therefore, our food isn't healthy.
For example, I work at night, then,
have something to eat and sleep
so my timetable is altered.
In one week my food could be the
following:
This week, I had the same menu
for breakfast every day : a glass of
milk with muffins. On Monday, I
had lunch lentil stew and I had a
pizza for dinner.On Tuesday, I had
pasta with tomato sauce for lunch
and a tuna sándwich for dinner.
On Wednesday, I had seafood rice
for lunch and a mackerel and
tomato sandwich for dinner. On
Thursday, I had fried chicken for
lunch. I had fried eggs with
potatoes for dinner. On Friday, I
had lNoodle Soup for lunch and
pizza for dinner. On Saturday, I
had lunch of braised beans and
tuna sándwich for dinner. On
Sunday, I had fish for lunch and a
mackerel sandwich with tomato
sandwich for dinner
The meal schedule may be the
usual one, but by inverting the
hours of sleep, the body can
metabolize it differently.
✍ Juan Ramón Sierra Herrera

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I try to have a healthy life. I work
out every day and I usually eat
fruit and vegetables. This week my
diet was:
On Monday I had milk with coffee
and a cupcake for breakfast .For
lunch, I had some fish and créme
caramel. For dinner I had milk
with a cup of coffee.On Tuesday I
had milk with coffee for breakfast.
I had soup noodles, some meat
and a piece of pineapple. For
dinner I had a bit of ensaimada
and some pears. On Wednesday, I
had milk with some coffee for
breakfast. I also had some lentils
and créme caramel for lunch. For
dinner I had a salad and a few
pears. On Thursday I had some
milk with coffee for breakfast.I
also had some pasta , some tuna
and pears for lunch.I had a salad,
a cupcake and some pineapple for
dinner. On Friday I had milk with
coffee for breakfast. I had beans
and pears for lunch, some jam and
cheese . On Saturday I had milk
with coffee for breakfast, some
mushroom, some sausages and a
piece of pineapple for lunch.I also
had some croquettes for dinner.
Finally, on Sunday I had some
milk with coffee for breakfast, for
lunch, I had some fish and créme
caramel. My dinner was some milk
with coffee. ✍Emilia Sanz
Sánchez
I try to have a healthy
life. I work out every
day and I usually eat
fruit and vegetables.

I have got a healthy diet. My
meals are varied. I work out
every day . My diet this week was:
On Monday I had coffee with milk
and, also, a toast with tomato and

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olive oil . Then I had a salad, beet
steak and a pear for lunch .
Finally I had boiled potatoes for
dinner. On Tuesday I had coffee
with milk, a toast with tomato with
olive oil for breakfast. Then I had
lentil stew for lunch and some
fruit. I had pizza On Wednesday I
had the usual breakfast every day.
Then I had fish sauce and some
fruit for lunch and, finally, I had a
sandwich for dinner. On Thursday
I had breakfast: like every day
then I have lunch paella and
orange, next I had diner yogurt
and cheese.On Friday I had the
same breakfast as usual then I
have pasta with tuna and a pear
for lunch. Next I had egg salad. for
dinner. On Saturday I had the
usual breakfast then I had grilled
chicken for lunch and, next I had
ham and cheese pizza for dinner..
On Sunday I had my usual
breakfast then I had baked fish
with potatoes for lunch and,
finally, fruit and yogurt for dinner.
✍María Jesús Ramos Herrera
I have got an unhealthy life.
Surely, I have to change my habits
.I have to eat healthier. This week I
have been taking notes of my
meals. My diet this week was:
This week I had every day the
same breakfast: milk with cookies
or a cupcake. On Monday: I had
chicken rice, a banana and coffee
for lunch. I had an egg
mayonnaise sándwich, and a
tangerine for lunch.
On Tuesday I had a tuna salad
,beacon a fruit salad for lunch. I
also had a ham and cheese
sandwich plus an orange for lunch.
On Wednesday, I had noodle soup,
chicken pudding for lunch and
green peas, some squid and a
banana for dinner. On Thursday, I
had lentil stew, chicken breast
and an Apple. I had an omelette
and a pear for dinner. On Friday, I
had macaroni, bacon and an apple
for lunch. I had a tuna snack and
a banana for dinner. On Saturday,
I had lunch chips, chicken breast
and a pear. I had a burger and an
orange for dinner. On Sunday I
had an omelette, chicken breast
and an orange for lunch. I had a
pizza, dumplings and a pear.

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LEZUZA ́S AND TIRIEZ´S SCHOOL OF ADULTS
Teacher: Marta Guerrero Mateo


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Maria Angeles Padilla: “I have white beans with sausages and for
dessert two tangerines.”
Mª Angeles Fuentes: “I usually eat seafood paella and yoghurt “
Ana Isabel: “I eat potatoes with some pieces of rabbit and for dessert I
have an apple”
Noelia Jiménez:” I have a hamburger and chips. For dessert, I have two
mandarins.”
Joaquina Sáez:” I have some garlic with potatoes, some flour,
and mushrooms for lunch”
Arancha Montoro: “Today I had a plate of pasta with tomato and
sausages. It is my favorite food. I wanted to eat omelet but I burnt it. I
drank a glass of water and for dessert, I ate yoghurt “
Milagros: “On Monday I have fish soup and I drink pineapple juice “
Carmen Parras:” For lunch I eat a bowl of noodles soup, some chicken
roasted and a kiwi, I drink water”
Candelaria Rodriguez:” On Monday I have a soup with garlic, oil and
vegetables and a bit of chicken with boiled potatoes.


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MUNERA ́S SCHOOL OF ADULTS
Teacher: María Ruíz Soler

Hello! I`m Mari Fuentes
from Munera. On Monday… I
had coffee with milk and
toast with tomato, oil and salt
for breakfast.I had rice with
pork ribs and mushrooms for
lunch.I had melon and coffee

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for dessert.I had some nuts
and a yogurt for dinner.✍

Hello! I`m María From
Munera.On Monday I had milk,
coffee and some biscuits for
breakfast.I had fried potatoes,
tomatoes, pork fat beicon and an
apple for lunch. And flan for
dessert.I had cauliflower with
salt, virgin olive oil and a
hamburger for dinner. I had a
pomegranate for dessert.✍
Hello!
I`m Mari Carmen From Munera.
On Monda I had hot water, a
chocolate milkshake and an
orange for breakfast.I had meat
with tomato, an egg and bread
for lunch. I had a pear for dessert.
I had ham ,cheese and bread for
diner ,and some grapes for
dessert✍
Hello! I`m Jose Antonio from
Munera.On Monday…I had milk
with coffee, and a cupcake for
breakfast.I had lentils with rice
for lunch. And an orange for
dessert.I had a beef steak with
potatoes for dinner. And a yogurt
for dessert.✍

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Hello! I`m Miguel form
Munera.On Monday…I had milk
with cocoa, and some cookies for
breakfast.
I had noodle soup , some lamb
chops and an orange for lunch. I
had a kaki for dessert.I had
cauliflower and ham for dinner.
And a yogurt for dessert.✍
Hello!I`m Lourdes from Munera. On
Monday…I had milk with cocoa, a
toast of bread with oil and tomato, for
breakfast.I had a salad, rice with
chicken and vegetables, for
lunch. And two tangerines for
dessert. had a salad with tomato,
lettuce, tuna and cheese for
diner. And an apple for
dessert.✍
Hello, I`m Inma from Munera.
On Monday I had coffee with
milk and toast for breakfast.I had
spaghetti with bacon and cream
for lunch.I had an avocado and
nuts salad, and grilled bass fish
for dinner. I had an apple for
dessert.✍

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Hello. I`m Agustin from
Munera.On Monday I had coffee
with milk, toast with oil and
tomato for breakfast. I had baked
rice, a salad with tomatoes and
lettuce for lunch. And an orange
for dessert. I had russian salad
and sirloin medallions for
dinner. And a pear for dessert.✍
Hello! I´m Leonor from Munera. On
Monday I had coffee with milk, a toast
with oil and tomato for breakfast.I had
a dish of lentils with spinach, and a
salad with tomatoes, onions and
lettuce, for lunch. And grapes for
dessert.I had a salad with
tomato, onion, lettuce, for lunch.
And a pear for dessert.✍
Hello! I´m Mari Fuentes from
Munera.On Monday II had milk
and toast with butter for
breakfast.I had chicken with
potatoes and carrots for lunch,
and a banana for dessert.I had
boiled egg, fried cheese and
tomato for dinner. I had an
orange for dessert.


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OSSA DE MONTIEL ́S SCHOOL OF ADULTS
Teacher: Estefanía Cañizares Algaba
This is a recipe adapted by myself, based in a dinner that I made in a
Maresme’s restaurant.I found this meal very interesting to share with
friends, because it is fun and easy to prepare.The recipe has three basic
elaborations that they are very easy to find in a supermarket, but I prefer
to prepare my own ingredients, because I love cooking
INGREDIENTS for four people
Bolognese sauce - 250 gr.
Caramelized onion - 100 gr.
Nachos - 400 gr.
Variated cheeses – 150 gr.
Guacamole – 200 gr.
Hot chili (for decoration and for
whoever wants to eat it).
PREPARATION
1.- Make the Bolognese sauce (1)
and put it in an oven bowl.
2.- Make a caramelized onion (2)
and put over the Bolognese
sauce.
3.- Cover with Nachos, and put
the cheeses over them and bake
it during 10 minutes at 200º.
4.- Take out of the oven and add
the Guacamole (3).
5.- Finally chop the chilis and put
on the top to decorate and it is
ready to eat!

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(1) Bolognese sauce
Ingredients:
150 gr. minced meat (pork and
veal mix)
150 gr. Natural tomatoes
1 carrot
1 garlic
1 onion
1 glass of red wine
Salt and pepper
Oregano
Preparation:
We start by popping the garlic
and then add the onion and
carrot.
When it is poached, add the meat
and brown it. Add salt and
pepper to taste.
With the meat half done, add a
glass of red wine and
evaporate the alcohol. Then
add the well peeled tomatoes
without seeds and let cook for
about 15 minutes. In this step
we add the spices and I
usually put oregano too.
(2) Caramelized onion
Ingredients:
1 Kg. Onion
10 ml. Olive oil
1 teaspoon of baking soda
Preparation:
We cut the onion into julienne
strips.
We put a large pan with olive oil
and add the whole onion,
adding a pinch of salt and stir
well, so that all the strands are
lightly impregnated with oil.
With the fire to a minimum,
the onion will take
approximately 5 minutes to
start poaching. Add a
teaspoon of baking soda
sprinkle on the onion.
We continue to reduce the onion
slowly, stirring occasionally
until the onion darkens when
its sugars turn into caramel
and while the water
evaporates. After 30 minutes
the onion is perfectly
caramelized and ready for use.
(3) Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 Avocados
1 Tomato
1 Spring onion
Lima juice (If It is not possible
then you can use lemon)
Salt
Spicy paprika
Preparation:
We put the pulp of avocados, we
peel the tomato and we chop
up it in very small pieces, we
add the onion into very small
pieces too within a bowl.

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We put the lime juice and we stir
all until you get a homogenous
paste.
We add salt and spicy paprika to
the taste. It is ready to eat!✍

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WHAT DO I EAT TODAY?
One of the most habitual questions asked in many houses is: What do
we eat today? For many people the idea of thinking about what to
prepare for lunch is an odyssey, for that reason I offer you different
menus to solve this problem during a week. These are some delicious
dishes what I eat the last week:
BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
SUNDAY Hazelnut
pancakes with
tomato and
cottage.
Grilled chicken
with avocado
salad.
Two pizza
slices.
MONDAY Vegetable
sandwich
Grilled fish
with brown
rice.
Pasta salad
TUESDAY Fruit salad Spaghetti with
broccoli.
French
omelette with
tuna.
WEDNESDAY
Toast with
chocolate
Mushroom
burger
Light vegetable
lasagna.
THURSDAY Toast with ham
and figs.
Squid in ink. Green bean
cream with
prawns.
FRIDAY Banana yogurt
with mango
and
pomegranate.
Salmon with
avocado salad.
Carrot cream.
SATURDAY Ham omelette Macaroni
carbonara
Country salad.
̈ ̈For many people the idea of thinking about what to
prepare for lunch is an odyssey ̈

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rOn Sunday: For breakfast:
“hazelnut pancakes with tomato
and cottage” and sprinkle a few
tablespoons of honey or agave
syrup. For lunch: “grilled chicken
with avocado salad” marinated
breasts in a mixture of orange or
lemon juice. For dinner: “two
pizza slices” and then some
candly like chocolates.
On Monday: For breakfast:
“vegetable sandwich” white
cereal bread or whole wheat, to
taste. For lunch: “grilled fish with
brown rice to serve in a deep
plate and on top of the fish. For
dinner: “pasta salad”, it is ideal
during the summer season for a
picnic in the countryside or a
meal on the beach.
On Tuesday: For breakfast:
“fruit salad”. The fruit should be
varied depending on what we
have in the fridge. For lunch:
“spaghetti with broccoli” it is the
star dish, delicious and very easy
to make. For dinner: “French
omelette with tuna”, it is an
excellent choice for a light
dinner.
On Wednesday: For breakfast:
“toast with chocolate” we can
bake the bread and it will be a
delicious breakfast. For lunch:
“mushroom burger” healthy and
very nutritious dish. For dinner:
“light vegetable lasagna” is
delicious and easy to do, even if it
takes work, it is worth it.
On Thursday”: For breakfast:
“toast with ham and figs”, this is
the ideal recipe when you have
too many figs and you want to
prepare a delicious breakfast. For
lunch: “squid in ink” we can
combine with rice or pasta. For
dinner “green bean cream with
prawns”, it is a healthy, economic
and tasty recipe that comforts
the body and palate.
On Friday: For breakfast:
“banana yoghurt with mango and
pomegranate”, it has a creamy
and intense flavor. For lunch:
“salmon with avocado salad” it is
an alternative and balanced
meal. For the dinner “carrot
cream” it is very soft and with a
fine texture that everyone will
like.

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On Saturday: For breakfast:
“ham omelette”, it is easy to
prepare and healthy. For lunch:
“carbonara macaroni” it is a
traditional Italian recipe. For
dinner: “Country salad” which is
ideal for summer time.✍
̈For dinner “carrot
cream” it is very soft
and with a fine texture
that everyone will like ̈.

CEPA ALONSO QUIJANO
(Villarrobledo ́s School of Adults)
Teacher: María Felipe Martinez


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REME ́S MENU

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CEPA ALONSO QUIJANO
(Villarrobledo ́s School of Adults)
Teacher: María Belén Menéndez Campo


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ALCARAZ ́S SCHOOL OF ADULTS
Teacher: Sergio Moya García

In the morning. I get up around
7:00 . I have breakfast around or
7:30 I start walking around
10:00, I finish at 11:30 ,I take a
shower after walking or I have
lunch around 14:00. I ate
textured soy with homemade
ratatouille and rice. I leave home
around 18:00 to go English
classes, around 19:00 and
finish classes and go home . I get
home around 19:15, I have
dinner around 21.00 grilled
vegetable and fish dinner. before
going to bed I spend some of my
time listening to music while I
draw and I go to sleep around
00:30. ✍Sonia Sanjuán
Fernández
I think my diet is varied, but I eat
a lot of sweets.During the week I
usually have a cup of cappuccino
and a cup cake, or bread roll lard,
for breakfast and at the weekend
I have a cup of coffee with milk
and toast with tomato or
marmalade. These are some
examples for my meal plan.
On Monday I had chicken with
potatoes baked for lunch, and
tuna with tomato sandwich for
dinner. On Tuesday I had
vegetable soup and an orange for
lunch and a mixed sandwich for
dinner. On wednesday I had
pumpkin cream and a banana for
lunch and pork loin with apple
for dinner. On Thursday I had
fried potatoes with egg for lunch
and tomato toast with ham for
dinner. On Friday I ate at my
sister's house for lunch, we had a
delicious fideua, she's a good
cook. I had whiting and
vegetables for dinner. Some
nights I had milk before going to
bed. ✍ Adela García

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A HEALTHY DIET FOR BACHELORS
All people should take a healthy diet, but it is not so
easy for many of them, single men especially.
Sometimes a man who lives alone doesn’t have the
correct and balanced amount of carbohydrates,
proteins, vitamins and fats. Generally, the latter is the
one that we struggle with the most. To solve this
problem I suggest taking a diet that we can call ́A
Well Compensated Diet For Bachelors’. Our
system will refer only to the main meal of your day. For
the rest, breakfast, supper, snacks... do what you usually
do. It doesn’t matter. So let’s focus on it: your main
diary meal. Well, the central idea is: you can eat
anything you want, without exceptions. However, two
conditions must be accomplished. First: have a cat. -
Second: a kind old lady is needed. A cat in your life If
you are able to prepare a heavy stew with sausage,
bacon and so ... Chew it! and chew on this: the taste is
just in the sauce, isn’t it? If you have a cat, it will be
exciting to help you to finish the bacon and sausage. Do
you want a dozen lamb chops? Go ahead! But remove
the pieces of fat and... Yes! You have understood:
The fat for the cat!. A kind old lady in your
neighborhood There always are, near you, some elderly
ladies who love cooking. Seek for one!.
Let your nose guide you. One day, you should come across her on the
stair landing ... by chance. Good morning, ma’am. Oh! That delicious
smell is coming from your kitchen, isn’t it?. I can’t remember smelling
such an appetizing fragrance!. - Oh! I’ve just cooked beef stew with
roasted potatoes. Nothing special!. But you should taste it. - Oh my,
ma’am! I didn’t mean ... I‘m very sorry; I have been rude. -

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Nonsenses! Also, lately you seem to be quite thinner than usual. You
must have it! He will soon knock on your door. ‘Hello, Mr P..., I’ve just
made this raspberry cake. Could you take a piece and tell me if it is
well baked (...) I’ve prepared too many meals today: Would you be so
kind as to help me with this Cocido Madrileño? (...) I was
practicing a recipe I saw in a TV show, Pork trotters in honey
sauce. Would you mind checking if it is tasty enough?’. Don’t be
afraid about what your old neighbour offers you. It will always be
perfectly healthy. Think for a moment: Has this lady reached her age
eating badly?. I assure you her meals will always be delicacies. By the
way, there won’t be leftovers for the cat.
Well, this is ‘The Healthy Bachelors’ diet’. This diet will
bring not only health but bliss to your life, a great happiness.
Remember, two conditions: cat and lady, altogether. If one of the
premises doesn’t exist, bad thing. Well, if you had to choose (life is
hard and unpredictable) ... Do you really need an ungrateful beast
next to you? If you can’t do without it there are other pets: a lizard,
a goldfish ... But ... never, never give the cold shoulder to an
old lady who loves cooking.
̈ Never give the cold shoulder
to an old lady who loves
cooking ̈


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The following are essays written by our students
about a wide range of topics that we have read or
spoken about in class.
A postcard from Las Vegas
✍Adela García
Hi María! How are you?
I had a horrible flight, you know. I hate flying, but it was worthy.
Las Vegas is a wonderful city. Yesterday I walked around The Strip.
It´ s a famous street full of restaurants, hotels, churches and casinos,
of course. You can book a reservation at Eiffel Tower or The Egyptian
pyramid of the Luxor. Both are hotels and casinos there. I saw "The
Flamingo" the city's first major resort & casino built by a gangster.
Tonight I am going to wear my nice red dress and going to gamble at
the casino. I hope to be very lucky. Tomorrow I want to enjoy Tom
Jones´ show . He´ s one of my favorite singers.
P.D. You can suggest Mario get married there. Here he would be a
fantastic Elvis!!

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WHAT FORM OF TRANSPORT WILL WE BE USING IN 50
YEARS’ TIME?
WHERE WILL WE BE TAKING OUR HOLIDAYS?
✍ Jose Julián González Gaitano
I was a teenager when I first watched a remarkable released film, ‘2001.
A Space Odyssey’, by Stanley Kubrick. I figured then I was watching the
near future. There was a human colony on the Moon’s surface; there
was also a gigantic space station, a huge double wheel orbiting Earth.
From there, to our planet and Moon, a fleet of aircrafts regularly
travelled carrying goods and people. A reasonable and feasible
prediction, I thought.
It is 2020 now. There isn't almost anything about that.
The Man landed on the Moon, many years ago, and left it alone. And
there is also an International Space Station, a rather humble one
however; in fact, it can keep only a quite scarce crew of astronauts and
scientists. They use a small space shuttle as a means of transport and
work. It is said also that a manned ship to Mars could be taking off … in
10 or 15 years from now.
It seems to me that we won’t be taking our holidays to another planet in
a faraway galaxy in 50 years’ time.
Our holidays will be in our old Earth, as now. A faster and more
comfortable journey to our favorite tourist destinations is credible, by
high speed trains, ships or airplanes, although.
If you are very rich, perhaps you could get a place in a spaceship:

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Destination Mars!. An uneasy trip, uncomfortable, boring… six months
or so, no gravity, bad meals, sickness … Your target: magnificent,
impressive views of a great desert without any kind of life. You will
admire that from your space suit’s scuba. Oh! I forgot the best: back
home is not assured.
Anyway, don’t dream about interstellar voyages using star gates, paths
across wormholes in space, hyperspace velocity, teleportation or so.
Or … yes!. You could enjoy these futuristic marvels … staying at home:
playing a video game or watching a movie. Virtual reality is just now
astounding. Imagine it in the future!.
But, if you want my advice, the best reality is which is built in your mind:
nothing will ever be as good as a good book.


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Do you have a stressful life as a student or as a worker in a
company? It is clear you need some rest.
All of us think about it in terms of sleeping more, enjoy watching a movie
or reading a book, perhaps going out with friends. But, do you really
need to exercise?I will try to explain myself.
Regular exercise means you have spare time to spend. Do you have it for
sure? Furthermore, some costs might be involved, because sportive
cloths as well as specific equipment are sometimes quite expensive. Also,
you have to pay for the gym, the tennis court, the swimming pool …

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On the other hand, everyone knows there are important health benefits
if you do regular exercise: your heart will be stronger, it is excellent to
clear one’s head and you will also sleep better. Plus, you will lose that
antiesthetic fat.
Therefore, it is your election. But, if you want my advice … If you have
the time, go ahead!.
Are you still in doubt?. Is money the problem? Oh, dear! Do you really
need to practice sailing, climbing, scuba diving or so? Go for a walk,
simply! Walking is the cheapest exercise in the world.
But, of course, taking regular exercise doesn’t mean an exhausting
activity anyway. Do you remember? You wanted less stress in your life.

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OUR OLIVE GROVES
ALFONSO SÁNCHEZ POTENCIANO
Teacher of History & Geography
From remote times people have grown with effort and passion in our
olive groves with the aim to achieve the best olive oil of the region and be
happy. Alcaraz as many other cities of Castilla –La Mancha is very
important due to their olive oil and their olive groves.
Castilla –La Mancha is considered one of the most important olive oil
producers of the world. It said that our region produced, last year, above
150 000 tons and Albacete 11000 tons which Alcaraz contributed
appreciabily with their great olive oil.
There are different varieties of olives in Spain, for example, the most
common is Picual from Jaen, then Cornicabra from Montes de Toledo,
among other varieties our beloved Gordal typical from Albacete and
Sevilla.

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As well as there are different varieties of olives, also there are some
different varieties of olive oil. For instance: the extra virgin olive oil,
virgin olive oil, lampante olive oil. The difference between them are the
quality of the olive and the process of setting it up. The best is the extra
virgin olive oil; this variety is usual in our city and in our country.
Our olive groves are special and different for several reasons, the first,
the rough terrain does not enable work suitable generating more effort
and more expenses; the second the climate make some different
landscapes with different grows in our country, maybe it could be better
for the olive because the dry climate is very good for it; the third, the
Pernales resided in our olive groves, this is the main difference between
other spanish olive groves.
Finally, It's very important to highlight the role of our traditions because

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if we lose it, we will lose our identity since our olive groves are an
identifying feature of our culture. The best way to finish this article is
with this verses of a famous poem of Machado:
Olive groves galore
Hanging from the ridges
Like stitched trimmings!
Olive groves painted
The orange evening hue;
Olive groves burnished
Under a silvery moon!
Sparking olive groves
In the ashen evenings,
Under tempest-laden
skies!
(Olive trees, A. Machado)

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Mood and health go hand in hand.
By Angel Carretero
Does mood influence our health?
That is a very expansive question, and before I try and answer it, we have
to clarify what is commonly meant by both mood and health.
Mood is the emotional state that prevails in an individual at any given
time. On many an occasion, it is confused with emotions and it is
therefore necessary to establish the differences between the two
concepts.
Emotion is defined as an intense reaction of the organism to the
assessment of certain external stimuli that produces certain
physiological changes (in our voices, in our facial expressions) and
psychological changes (for example, in attention).

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The main differences between emotion and mood are that the latter lasts
longer, is less intense and specific and does not necessarily need a
stimulus to appear. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to identify what
causes it. Furthermore, mood does not have facial expressions of its own,
while the basic emotions do have them, being universal and following a
unique pattern in all human beings.
For instance, one person may infer that another is in a happy mood by
noticing different facial expressions of joy (smile, raised cheeks, wrinkles
around the eyes, etc.), but there is no distinctive facial expression of joy.
Moods have a certain value, they are located on a scale between a good
mood (elevated) and a bad mood (depressed). In psychology, when a
state of mind lasts for a long time, generates significant discomfort and
interferes in different areas of a person's life (family, social, work, etc.) is
called affective or mood disorder.
Now, what is meant by health?
This concept is currently understood as "the highest possible level of
physical, psychological and social well-being, and functional capacity,
determined by the social factors in which the individual and the
community live in."
What is relevant about this concept of health is the acceptance that
personal, group, social and cultural factors are involved in the state of
health. Consequently, there is no doubt that different states of mind can
influence people's health and can facilitate or hinder the way in which
people develop in their daily lives.
Being angry is not disorder. Sometimes people may feel sad, angry, or
irritable and may say they are in a bad mood, but that does not mean

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they have a mood disorder. We should not mistake one for the other. As
I have previously indicated, for it to be considered a disorder it is
necessary that it lasts over time and hinders people's day-to-day,
interfering in personal, social or work relationships.
Traditionally, the influence of negative mood states or affective disorders
on health has been given greater importance in the scientific literature
than the influence of positive mood states.
The WHO[1]
states that affective disorders (depressive disorders and
bipolar disorders) negatively affect health in all its areas: mental,
physical and social. That is, people with depressive disorders often have
no interest in daily activities, they are sad, they have low self-esteem,
they have a hard time concentrating and making decisions, they are
irritable, they feel tired, they have trouble sleeping, they usually
experience a lot stress and do not think they are capable of handling
those stressful situations.
What happens, then, when we are joyful, happy and in a good mood?
How does that influence our health?
In recent years, in psychology there is a tendency to investigate not only
the negative and pathological aspects, but also the positive variables
related to health. Thus, at the beginning of the 21st century, Positive
Psychology emerged, which is the scientific study of human strengths
and virtues and of positive experiences that help improve the quality of
people’s lives.
One of the primary topics of study of positive psychology has been
positive moods and emotions (example: happiness, laughter, good
humour, joy and tranquility, among others). Scientific research indicates
that these positive mood states enhance health and well-being and

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promote feelings of satisfaction with life itself.
So, the answer to the above question is ‘yes’—mood does influence our
health. Although it may seem hard to believe, our state of mind is closely
related to our physical well-being and, with certain diseases, it can be
decisive in improving the quality of life.
Being optimistic, hopeful, and feeling happier helps people be able to
properly manage stress and adverse situations. Additionally, people who
experience high levels of positive emotions tend to experience less pain
and disability related to chronic illness.
[1] World Health Organization

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