2NB & 2NI Halloween

It's one of America's favourite holidays, but what's the real story behind the tricks and treats of Halloween?

http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween/videos/bet-you-didnt-know-halloween

2NB Top 10 London Attractions

Yes, London. You know: fish, chips, cup ‘o tea, bad food, worse weather, Mary Poppins… London!  Noisy, vibrant and multicultural, London is one of the largest cities in the world with a population of 8 million people. It is a leading global city of culture, fashion, finance, politics and trade and remains one of the most visited cities by international tourists in the world. The city contains many famous landmarks and getting around is easy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0r0VTos_wU

2NB Classroom language

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fqfW8fVbKE

2NI Families are changing - so must politics

Today, the mosaic that is family life has never been richer or more diverse. It includes, for instance, mothers who have never lived with the father of their child; septuagenarians newly divorced after 40 years of marriage; gay parents; teenage dads shamefully ignored by services; cohabiting stepfamilies born of love but mourning loss, and sixtysomethings with teenage children and the demands of their own parents, potential centenarians.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/27/observer-editorial-osborne-family-policy

2NB Numbers

http://www.real-english.com/reo/8/unit8.asp

2NI Sweet Britain

The nutritional debate over sugar doesn't seem to be putting off a new generation of stweet makers in this country. Sweets sales seem stable, and new treats are being created and exported all over the world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05nsb49

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatpicturegalleries/9158591/Favourite-British-sweets-in-pictures.html?frame=2173981

2NI Will we really improve our bag habits?

From last week shoppers in England will have to pay 5p for all single use carrier bags. The charge has already been introduced in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which are now using far fewer carrier bags. Will England follow suit?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p034jlyp

2NB Countries and nationalities

What nationality are you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtpKmC1y8WE 

2NI Hungry shoppers 'buy more calories'

Avoid going to the supermarket when you're very hungry, as you're more likely to buy unhealthy food like crisps and sweets.

That's the health message of US researchers, who have looked at whether fasting has an impact on food choices.

In an experiment, people who fasted for five hours before shopping tended to buy higher-calorie food than when full.

The study has health implications, given the rise in extreme dieting, says a Cornell University team.

Past research has suggested, perhaps not surprisingly, that people buy and eat more food when they have been fasting or dieting.

However, the Cornell scientists wanted to find out whether fasting affected what people buy, as well as how much.

They devised an experiment in which 68 paid participants were asked to avoid eating for five hours, then shop online in a simulated grocery store for high calorie and low calorie foods, including dairy products, snacks and meat.

Each high calorie item (including sweets, crisps and red meat) was displayed alongside a similar low calorie item (such as fruit, vegetables and chicken breasts), but prices were not included.

In half of the sessions, participants were first given a plate of crackers to eat until they no longer felt hungry.

Shift in choices

In a second study, people were tracked while they shopped in a supermarket, either after lunch, when they were full, or before supper, when they were hungry.

The results showed that hungry people chose a higher number of high calorie foods but there was little difference in the total number of food products selected.

In other words, people who shop when they are hungry buy fewer low calorie foods as a proportion of their food purchases but they don't buy more overall.

The study has public health connotations, because fasting, for religious reasons, to lose weight or due to busy lifestyles, is common, say Prof Brian Wansink and Dr Aner Tal.

"Even short-term food deprivation can lead to a shift in choices such that people choose less low-calorie, and relatively more high-calorie, food options," they report in the Journal of American Medicine Internal Medicine.

"Given the prevalence of short-term food deprivation, this has important health implications."

Prof Walsink says one of the key messages for consumers is that doing your weekly food shop on an empty stomach - perhaps late afternoon rather than early afternoon - can have a big impact on healthy eating.

"One decision to shop hungry pretty much messes you up for the rest of the week," he told BBC News.

"Any time you go shopping, make sure you grab an apple to eat on the way

2NB & 2 NI National Poetry Day

http://www.forwardartsfoundation.org/national-poetry-day/what-is-national-poetry-day/

Top poetry writing tips: 

Tip 1: Poetry is a balance between truth and lies

Poetry is about telling the truth as you see it. A poem has to convince the reader of its honesty.  You need to feel strongly about what you are writing. A poem needs to be       believed even if it has some lies in it.

Tip 2: Poetry involves work, rest and play

Writing a good poem rarely comes easily. It involves hard work.It often helps to leave a first draft to rest for an hour, a day or even a week, so you can re visit it with fresh eyes and ears.

But writing poetry should be a playful activity, too. You need to be enjoying yourself. Have fun playing around with the language, the ideas and the music inside the poem.

Tip 3: Poetry requires both words and silence

Poetry has been defined as "the best words in their best order". The language you use does not have to be complex , but  choose your words carefully for their sounds and meaning.

 But poetry is also about silence. Just as the white space on the page is needed to shape the pattern of words, so the thoughts that are left unsaid, the pauses  will add to something extra to your poem.

Tip 4: Poetry needs an emotion - and the control of that emotion

Writing poetry is a very personal activity. Reading poetry can also give comfort or a sense that you are not alone in how you are feeling.

Try to show emotions  by using descriptions that involve the senses and by choosing interesting images that reflect your mood.

Tip 5: Writing poetry can be difficult to start and hard to let go

It is often difficult to know how to start a poem, but the trick is to recognise the beginnings of them, in everyday life.  Poems can start from remembering a funny conversation; yesterday's nightmare; a secret you've been told; or an interesting postcard that you notice in a shop. 

2NI Bakeries at odds over 'duffins' and 'cronuts'

What are cronuts, duffins, townies and muffits ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO4pOKe71i4