Showing posts with label Presentation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Presentation. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Shakespeare Extracts:

clip_image001


Faculty of Teacher Training - English Department

Course Title: Advanced English Language IV

Instructor: Dr. Rod

E-mail: sjrod55@gmail.com

Merchant of Venice – Act IV

ACT IV
SCENE I. Venice. A court of justice.
Enter the DUKE, the Magnificoes, ANTONIO, BASSANIO, GRATIANO, SALERIO, and others 
DUKE 
What, is Antonio here?
ANTONIO 
Ready, so please your grace.
DUKE 
I am sorry for thee: thou art come to answer
A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch
uncapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy.
ANTONIO 
I have heard
Your grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify
His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate
And that no lawful means can carry me
Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose
My patience to his fury, and am arm'd
To suffer, with a quietness of spirit,
The very tyranny and rage of his.
DUKE 
Go one, and call the Jew into the court.
SALERIO 
He is ready at the door: he comes, my lord.
Enter SHYLOCK
DUKE 
Make room, and let him stand before our face.
Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too,
That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice
To the last hour of act; and then 'tis thought
Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange
Than is thy strange apparent cruelty;
And where thou now exact'st the penalty,
Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh,
Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture,
But, touch'd with human gentleness and love,
Forgive a moiety of the principal;
Glancing an eye of pity on his losses,
That have of late so huddled on his back,
Enow to press a royal merchant down
And pluck commiseration of his state
From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint,
From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd
To offices of tender courtesy.
We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.
SHYLOCK 
I have possess'd your grace of what I purpose;
And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn
To have the due and forfeit of my bond:
If you deny it, let the danger light
Upon your charter and your city's freedom.
You'll ask me, why I rather choose to have
A weight of carrion flesh than to receive
Three thousand ducats: I'll not answer that:
But, say, it is my humour: is it answer'd?
What if my house be troubled with a rat
And I be pleased to give ten thousand ducats
To have it baned? What, are you answer'd yet?
Some men there are love not a gaping pig;
Some, that are mad if they behold a cat;
And others, when the bagpipe sings i' the nose,
Cannot contain their urine: for affection,
Mistress of passion, sways it to the mood
Of what it likes or loathes. Now, for your answer:
As there is no firm reason to be render'd,
Why he cannot abide a gaping pig;
Why he, a harmless necessary cat;
Why he, a woollen bagpipe; but of force
Must yield to such inevitable shame
As to offend, himself being offended;
So can I give no reason, nor I will not,
More than a lodged hate and a certain loathing
I bear Antonio, that I follow thus
A losing suit against him. Are you answer'd?
BASSANIO 
This is no answer, thou unfeeling man,
To excuse the current of thy cruelty.
SHYLOCK 
I am not bound to please thee with my answers.
BASSANIO 
Do all men kill the things they do not love?
SHYLOCK 
Hates any man the thing he would not kill?
BASSANIO 
Every offence is not a hate at first.
SHYLOCK 
What, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?
ANTONIO 
I pray you, think you question with the Jew:
You may as well go stand upon the beach
And bid the main flood bate his usual height;
You may as well use question with the wolf
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb;
You may as well forbid the mountain pines
To wag their high tops and to make no noise,
When they are fretten with the gusts of heaven;
You may as well do anything most hard,
As seek to soften that--than which what's harder?--
His Jewish heart: therefore, I do beseech you,
Make no more offers, use no farther means,
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment and the Jew his will.
BASSANIO 
For thy three thousand ducats here is six.
SHYLOCK 
What judgment shall I dread, doing
Were in six parts and every part a ducat,
I would not draw them; I would have my bond.
DUKE 
How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none?
SHYLOCK 
What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?
You have among you many a purchased slave,
Which, like your asses and your dogs and mules,
You use in abject and in slavish parts,
Because you bought them: shall I say to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?
Why sweat they under burthens? let their beds
Be made as soft as yours and let their palates
Be season'd with such viands? You will answer
'The slaves are ours:' so do I answer you:
The pound of flesh, which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought; 'tis mine and I will have it.
If you deny me, fie upon your law!
There is no force in the decrees of Venice.
I stand for judgment: answer; shall I have it?
BASSANIO 
Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?
SHYLOCK 
To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt there.
GRATIANO 
Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew,
Thou makest thy knife keen; but no metal can,
No, not the hangman's axe, bear half the keenness
Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee?
SHYLOCK 
No, none that thou hast wit enough to make.
GRATIANO 
O, be thou damn'd, inexecrable dog!
And for thy life let justice be accused.
Thou almost makest me waver in my faith
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,
That souls of animals infuse themselves
Into the trunks of men: thy currish spirit
Govern'd a wolf, who, hang'd for human slaughter,
Even from the gallows did his fell soul fleet,
And, whilst thou lay'st in thy unhallow'd dam,
Infused itself in thee; for thy desires
Are wolvish, bloody, starved and ravenous.
SHYLOCK 
Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond,
Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak so loud:
Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall
To cureless ruin. I stand here for law.
=====================================================================

Soft!
The Jew shall have all justice; soft! no haste:
He shall have nothing but the penalty.
GRATIANO 
O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge!
PORTIA 
Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou less nor more
But just a pound of flesh: if thou cut'st more
Or less than a just pound, be it but so much
As makes it light or heavy in the substance,
Or the division of the twentieth part
Of one poor scruple, nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,
Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate.
GRATIANO 
A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew!
Now, infidel, I have you on the hip.
PORTIA 
Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture.
SHYLOCK 
Give me my principal, and let me go.
BASSANIO 
I have it ready for thee; here it is.
PORTIA 
He hath refused it in the open court:
He shall have merely justice and his bond.
GRATIANO 
A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel!
I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word.
SHYLOCK 
Shall I not have barely my principal?
PORTIA 
Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture,
To be so taken at thy peril, Jew.
SHYLOCK 
Why, then the devil give him good of it!
I'll stay no longer question.


Romeo and Juliet Act II

SCENE II. Capulet's orchard.
Enter ROMEO 
ROMEO 
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
JULIET appears above at a window
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
JULIET 
Ay me!
ROMEO 
She speaks:
O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.
JULIET 
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
ROMEO 
[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET 
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.
ROMEO 
I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
JULIET 
What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night
So stumblest on my counsel?
ROMEO 
By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
JULIET 
My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound:
Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?
ROMEO 
Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.
JULIET 
How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
ROMEO 
With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls;
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do that dares love attempt;
Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me.
JULIET 
If they do see thee, they will murder thee.
ROMEO 
Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
Than twenty of their swords: look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their enmity.
JULIET 
I would not for the world they saw thee here.
ROMEO 
I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight;
And but thou love me, let them find me here:
My life were better ended by their hate,
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
JULIET 
By whose direction found'st thou out this place?
ROMEO 
By love, who first did prompt me to inquire;
He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes.
I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far
As that vast shore wash'd with the farthest sea,
I would adventure for such merchandise.
JULIET 
Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face,
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night
Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
What I have spoke: but farewell compliment!
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say 'Ay,'
And I will take thy word: yet if thou swear'st,
Thou mayst prove false; at lovers' perjuries
Then say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully:
Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won,
I'll frown and be perverse an say thee nay,
So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
And therefore thou mayst think my 'havior light:
But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
Than those that have more cunning to be strange.
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
But that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware,
My true love's passion: therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night hath so discovered.
ROMEO 
Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops--
JULIET 
O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
ROMEO 
What shall I swear by?
JULIET 
Do not swear at all;
Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I'll believe thee.
ROMEO 
If my heart's dear love--
JULIET 
Well, do not swear: although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract to-night:
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night!
This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Good night, good night! as sweet repose and rest
Come to thy heart as that within my breast!
ROMEO 
O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
JULIET 
What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?
ROMEO 
The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine.
JULIET 
I gave thee mine before thou didst request it:
And yet I would it were to give again.
ROMEO 
Wouldst thou withdraw it? for what purpose, love?
JULIET 
But to be frank, and give it thee again.
And yet I wish but for the thing I have:
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.
Nurse calls within
I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu!
Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true.
Stay but a little, I will come again.
Exit, above


Macbeth Act I


ACT I
SCENE I. A desert place.
Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches 
First Witch 
When shall we three meet again
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Second Witch 
When the hurlyburly's done,
When the battle's lost and won.
Third Witch 
That will be ere the set of sun.
First Witch 
Where the place?
Second Witch 
Upon the heath.
Third Witch 
There to meet with Macbeth.
First Witch 
I come, Graymalkin!
Second Witch 
Paddock calls.
Third Witch 
Anon.
ALL 
Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
Exeunt
SCENE II. A camp near Forres.
Alarum within. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENNOX, with Attendants, meeting a bleeding Sergeant 
DUNCAN 
What bloody man is that? He can report,
As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt
The newest state.
MALCOLM 
This is the sergeant
Who like a good and hardy soldier fought
'Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend!
Say to the king the knowledge of the broil
As thou didst leave it.
Sergeant 
Doubtful it stood;
As two spent swimmers, that do cling together
And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald--
Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
The multiplying villanies of nature
Do swarm upon him--from the western isles
Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied;
And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,
Show'd like a rebel's whore: but all's too weak:
For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name--
Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,
Like valour's minion carved out his passage
Till he faced the slave;
Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps,
And fix'd his head upon our battlements.
DUNCAN 
O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!
Sergeant 
As whence the sun 'gins his reflection
Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break,
So from that spring whence comfort seem'd to come
Discomfort swells. Mark, king of Scotland, mark:
No sooner justice had with valour arm'd
Compell'd these skipping kerns to trust their heels,
But the Norweyan lord surveying vantage,
With furbish'd arms and new supplies of men
Began a fresh assault.
DUNCAN 
Dismay'd not this
Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?
Sergeant 
Yes;
As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.
If I say sooth, I must report they were
As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they
Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe:
Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,
Or memorise another Golgotha,
I cannot tell.
But I am faint, my gashes cry for help.
DUNCAN 
So well thy words become thee as thy wounds;
They smack of honour both. Go get him surgeons.
Exit Sergeant, attended
Who comes here?
Enter ROSS
MALCOLM 
The worthy thane of Ross.
LENNOX 
What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look
That seems to speak things strange.
ROSS 
God save the king!
DUNCAN 
Whence camest thou, worthy thane?
ROSS 
From Fife, great king;
Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky
And fan our people cold. Norway himself,
With terrible numbers,
Assisted by that most disloyal traitor
The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict;
Till that Bellona's bridegroom, lapp'd in proof,
Confronted him with self-comparisons,
Point against point rebellious, arm 'gainst arm.
Curbing his lavish spirit: and, to conclude,
The victory fell on us.
DUNCAN 
Great happiness!
ROSS 
That now
Sweno, the Norways' king, craves composition:
Nor would we deign him burial of his men
Till he disbursed at Saint Colme's inch
Ten thousand dollars to our general use.
DUNCAN 
No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive
Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death,
And with his former title greet Macbeth.
ROSS 
I'll see it done.
DUNCAN 
What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won.
Exeunt
SCENE III. A heath near Forres.
Thunder. Enter the three Witches 
First Witch 
Where hast thou been, sister?
Second Witch 
Killing swine.
Third Witch 
Sister, where thou?
First Witch 
A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap,
And munch'd, and munch'd, and munch'd:--
'Give me,' quoth I:
'Aroint thee, witch!' the rump-fed ronyon cries.
Her husband's to Aleppo gone, master o' the Tiger:
But in a sieve I'll thither sail,
And, like a rat without a tail,
I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do.
Second Witch 
I'll give thee a wind.
First Witch 
Thou'rt kind.
Third Witch 
And I another.
First Witch 
I myself have all the other,
And the very ports they blow,
All the quarters that they know
I' the shipman's card.
I will drain him dry as hay:
Sleep shall neither night nor day
Hang upon his pent-house lid;
He shall live a man forbid:
Weary se'nnights nine times nine
Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:
Though his bark cannot be lost,
Yet it shall be tempest-tost.
Look what I have.
Second Witch 
Show me, show me.
First Witch 
Here I have a pilot's thumb,
Wreck'd as homeward he did come.
Drum within
Third Witch 
A drum, a drum!
Macbeth doth come.
ALL 
The weird sisters, hand in hand,
Posters of the sea and land,
Thus do go about, about:
Thrice to thine and thrice to mine
And thrice again, to make up nine.
Peace! the charm's wound up.
Enter MACBETH and BANQUO
MACBETH 
So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
BANQUO 
How far is't call'd to Forres? What are these
So wither'd and so wild in their attire,
That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth,
And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught
That man may question? You seem to understand me,
By each at once her chappy finger laying
Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so.
MACBETH 
Speak, if you can: what are you?
First Witch 
All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!
Second Witch 
All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!
Third Witch 
All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!
BANQUO 
Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear
Things that do sound so fair? I' the name of truth,
Are ye fantastical, or that indeed
Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner
You greet with present grace and great prediction
Of noble having and of royal hope,
That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not.
If you can look into the seeds of time,
And say which grain will grow and which will not,
Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear
Your favours nor your hate.
First Witch 
Hail!
Second Witch 
Hail!
Third Witch 
Hail!
First Witch 
Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.
Second Witch 
Not so happy, yet much happier.
Third Witch 
Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:
So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!
First Witch 
Banquo and Macbeth, all hail!
MACBETH 
Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:
By Sinel's death I know I am thane of Glamis;
But how of Cawdor? the thane of Cawdor lives,
A prosperous gentleman; and to be king
Stands not within the prospect of belief,
No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence
You owe this strange intelligence? or why
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.
Witches vanish

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Listening Skills Week 2

Faculty of Teacher Training - English Department

Course Title: Advanced English Language IV

Instructor: Dr. Rod

E-mail: sjrod55@gmail.com

clip_image002I have a Dream – Martin Luther King Jnr.

Delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

                Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!3

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Second Semester English - Watching TV - Ledio 9B

Ledio chose to write about watching too much television and the effects of TV on young minds and imaginations. Ledio looked into both the positive and negative aspects of watching TV. He reviewed many different studies and read some research reports to base the content of his report on. In his presentation Ledio shares his ideas regarding the effects of television as well as his personal habits with regard watching TV.

Well researched and compiled.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Second Semester English Project - Arlinda Y 10

Arlinda has chosen to write about those things that keep us awake at night; those thoughts that haunt us in the middle of the night and give us those cold sweats. What worries us - is the tile of her second semester project. It covers a variety of things that every teenager thinks about and loses sleep over.

A creative, well constructed presentation both interesting and intriguing. Discover what is on the mind of your teenager today!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Second Semester English Project: Gera and Kristi D # 2 Y-10

As a back up in case the first did not work out Kristi and Gera made this second project. Actually more a matter that each started one project and they could not agree which to 'drop' in favour of the other. So instead we get two offerings from Kristi D and Gera.

This lists the 'Ten most important things in life' as seen by Gera and Kristi. The relationship these things have in making our quality of life something worth while and something to enjoy. Let us explore their ten most important things..

The PowerPoint slides have a somewhat 1960's feel to them. The psychedelic colours as well as the choice of fonts reminds - those of us old enough to remember - the Golden age of the 1960's

(Project Grade: 4.5)

Second Semester English Project: Kristi D and Gera Y 10

For their project Kristi and Gera looked into the Internet and how it has changed our lives at work as well as in the office. The way the Internet has changed our social patterns and habits and how it is quite common to have more 'friends' whom we have never actually met - scattered across the world, than those in our own neighbourhood. The girls looked at the history and development of the Internet as well as our individual perceptions of it. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly all factor into our relationship with the Information Highway.

Join Kristi and Gera on this revealing journey.

(Project Grade: 4.5)

Second Semester English Project - Rea Y 10

For her project Rea chose to tell us about the city where she lives and we attend school - Tirana, Albania. Tirana is home to more than 1.3 million Albanians, perhaps more than 50% of the countries population live in this growing city which resounds with a plethora of sites and visions and a cacophony of sounds 24 / 7. Come and let Rea being your guide as we explore her world.

(Project Grade: 4.5)

Second Semester English Project: Amarildo Y 11

Amarildo takes us to his home town of Shkoder in Northern Albania. Shkoder has a rich historic past and continues to thrive as one of Albania's largest cities. Located near to the Montenegro Border and sitting on the shores of the Shkoder Lake, Amarildo takes us through the rich history that has left its indelible mark on his birthplace.

Amarildo needs to refine his English considerably, however he has made a solid attempt at creating an interesting multi-media project to share with his class. Amarildo brings to his presentation a passion for his family and history. These are difficult emotions to transfer into a second language, yet Amarildo has managed to share with us his feelings. Well done.

(Project Grade: 4)

Monday, May 5, 2008

Second Semester English Project - Marshela 9A

Here is created a presentation on our psychology - what makes us tick? Who are we really inside? The person the world does not see. In her voyage of discovery Marshela has looked into the inner working of the human mind and tried to determine what makes us individual. A good project, well constructed, compiled. Resources listed clearly and defended well in oral argument.

Marshela has advanced a great deal this year. Her knowledge and use of English has risen above expectation and I am very pleased with the way she is able to manipulate the mechanics of English as well as exhibit her understanding and knowledge of the language. Well done. (Project grade 5)

Second Semester English Project - Senka 9A

Here is Senka's project from 9A. Senka looked into stereotypes and names given to different types and groups of students across the school. Her project examines the demographics of the school in the 'students terms' rather than those more formal. A lively and interesting project. Bibliography well compiled and submitted in .doc format. Oral defence execulted well. Well done!

Senka has worked hard this year in English and will be attending school in the USA next year. She is an excellent student and has excelled in every aspect of her academic and extra curricular work. I have enjoyed teaching Senka as well as being able to share a short part of her life with her. Best wishes for 2008 / 2009 in the USA. (Project grade 5+)

Saturday, May 3, 2008

English Project - Second Semester - Mario and Dario 9B

For their main English project for the second semester. Mario and Dario of class 9B looked into the current state of electronics and technology. Together they have researched what is in the front end of todays 'must have' toys for the 'grown ups'. Mostly based on communications and phones the boys have covered the 'toys for the boys' well.

They used the PowerPoint to support their oral presentation rather than the other way around - well done. The information was well presented and interesting to follow.

But gentlemen... where is my Nokia E90? Surely it should be in with the front runners?

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Semester English Project - Beaches of the World Xhoia and Jola Y9B

For their semester English presentation project Xhoia and Jola of 9B chose the 'Worlds Top Ten Beaches' as their topic. This involved a lot of research for the information as well as the photographs. As far as I know neither Xhoia nor Jola have actually managed to visit any of the top ten but they are all on their 'hit list' for the coming years!



Well researched and complied. Oral presentation excellent. (Grade 5)

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Robotics - English PPT Project (Year 9)

The following PowerPoint is from Arber and James for their end of semester English project. They chose Robotics as their theme and created this powerful and well constructed PowerPoint to support their presentation.



An interesting and well researched project which enables us to understand the impact of Robotics on our day to day life as well as a glimpse of the possibilities for the future. Good teamwork was observed throughout the project time period. Well done to both boys. (Grade 5+)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Macbeth, Scene by Scene - Marco and Lorenzo

The following presentation is from Lorenzo and Marco in Year 10. It covers Macbeth scene by scene and illustrates the main events throughout the play.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

'Merchant of Venice' by Silvester

The following presentation is based on the 'Anti-Semitism' within Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice'. Silvester took a number of resources to put together his powerpoint presentation.

Well Done Silvester

Saturday, April 5, 2008

How do I make a presentation?

PowerPoint Tutorials
Follow one of the links listed below to access tutorials for PowerPoint. Make note on the versions of software you will be using as there may be slight variations in the location of particular options you are looking for when the software is up and running on your own machine.

Basic Tutorials


  • Interactive Tutorials - these tutorials are completely online and activity based. They were created by OLC staff specifically for the teacher or student new to the use of PowerPoint. Please be patient. These files may take a few seconds to load.

    • Starting a new slideshow - steps to starting a new show including choosing its look and feel.

    • Inserting Content - this activity takes you through the steps to adding text and graphics.

    • Animating the Content - once you have placed text and graphics into the show, it's time to give it a visual impact. This lesson walks you through the steps to animating the content.

    • Quick Tips - 5 handy tips to completing common tasks including changing the background image and using sound

    PowerPoint in the Classroom - This fun, eight-unit tutorial shows K-12 teachers how to use PowerPoint to present many different forms of information. You'll learn the basics on using PowerPoint's toolbars, laying out your information, saving, moving your information to the place you'll be presenting it - and much more. - You can also print the units out so that you can work through your first PowerPoint Presentation with a mini-guide nearby. Thorough but slower paced. Best suited for someone unfamiliar with using products such as Word.



  • Learn Some Basics about Designing Your First Show - This PowerPoint presentation contains useful information about several design considerations.

  • PowerPoint Tutorials - This site, designed for a class in Educational Technology, contains very useful tutorials (complete with screen shots to show you what to do) for several different options you may wish to use in your PowerPoint presentations (inserting images, applying design, using templates and so forth).

  • Electric Teacher - This site provides step by step directions in using this program. It also contain a list of project ideas where you can view examples of PowerPoint presentations that were created by teachers in the Oswego City School District. Some of these examples were linked above as well.

  • Creating Online Presentations
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=PPTTutorial
    An excellent step by step guide

Writing a speech

It is important to remember that speeches are intended to be spoken aloud to an audience. There are many features that the most successful speeches share. Some of them are listed below. After you have read and understood these points, go through the printed speech with a partner and find examples of each of these techniques:

· Sense of audience. The speaker must show an awareness of the audience by speaking to them directly, trying to engage their interest, and drawing them into the subject. Look for use of the word ‘you’, as well as indications of the type of people in the audience e.g. school children, retired people, parents.
· Clear introduction. How does the opening paragraph introduce the speaker and the subject? How does it capture the audience’s attention?
· Enumeration of points. The listener’s brain copes best with information that is presented in clear ‘parcels’. Stating the number of points that you will explain alerts the brain to respond to them.
· Rhetorical questions. The speaker asks the audience a question that does not need to be answered. This introduces some variety, and stimulates the listener to respond to the argument. This is a technique that should not be over-used; too many questions without answers will not convince your audience – they simply make you look uncertain.
· Statistics. Statistics used for support can add weight to an argument, but again it is important not to over-use them. A long list of numbers is boring and can be confusing.
· Memorable phrases or slogans. The audience will forget much of what you say, so you should provide them with some easy to remember phrases that summarise your points. Politicians do this so that short extracts from their speeches will fit impressively into brief news bulletins. Some speeches have become famous for only one or two sentences.
· Humour. Making the audience laugh will wake them up and perhaps make them like and support you. The audience is also likely to remember something entertaining.
· Language features. As in other forms of writing, devices such as alliteration, metaphor and simile can be used to create a more powerful effect, and especially to create a visual image in the minds of the audience.
· Strong conclusion. End your speech with a summary that will fix your ideas firmly in the audience’s mind.

The most important thing is to have something interesting to say. Work out your ideas in a plan before you write the speech.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Research Project Guidelines

Since we are all undertaking a major English Project for the academic fair here are some simple guidelines and rules to follow. Watch the PowerPoint carefully and make sure you meet the requirements.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

"It's All About Me..." ~ Gera, Year 10

Autobiographical PowerPoint®

Well actually that is not what Gera said... but her presentation really was 'All about me' in which she showed us the autobiography of Gera, Year 10.

Well done ~ interesting work Gera! (Only slightly edited... to protect the innocent!)

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Atena and Erba Presentation - Romeo and Juliet

Atena and Erba completed their Romeo and Juliet powerpoint by adding their own slides and making a deeper account:



Congratulations Atena and Erba!