Punctuation

1.The men in question - Harold Keene, Jim Peterson, and Gerald Greene - deserve awards.

2.Several countries participated in the airlift: Italy, Belgium, France and Luxemburg.

3."Only one course was open to us surrender-said the ex-major-and we did."

4.Judge Carswell, later to be nominated for the Supreme Court, ad ruled against civil rights.

5.In last week´s New Yorker, one of my favourite magazines, I enjoyed reading Leland´s article “How Not to Go Camping”.

6.Yes -Jim said- I´ll be home by ten.

7.There was only one thing to do: study till dawn.

8.Montaigne wrote the following: "A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself."

9.The following are the primary colours: red, blue, and yellow.

10.Arriving on the 8:10 plane were: Liz Brooks, my old roommate, her husband and Tim, their son.

11. When the teacher commented that her spelling was poor, Lynn replied: "All the members of my family are poor spellers. Why not me?"

12. He used the phrase "you know" so often that I finally said "No, I don´t know."

13.The automobile dealer handled three makes of cars: Volkswagens, Porches, and Mercedes Benz.

14.Though Phil said he would arrive on the 9:19 flight, he came instead on the 10:36 flight.

15. Whoever thought -said Helen - that Jack would be elected class president?

16.In baseball, a “show boat” is a man who shows off.

17.The minister quoted Isaiah 5:21 in last Sunday´s sermon.

18.There was a very interesting article entitled "The New Rage for Folk Singing” in last Sunday´s New York Times newspaper.

19."Whoever is elected secretary of the club (Ashley, Chandra or Aisha) must be prepared to do a great deal of work" - said Jumita, the previous secretary.

20.Darwin´s On the Origin of Species (1859) caused a great controversy when it appeared.

21.We had a great time in France; the kids really enjoyed it.

22.Some people work best in the mornings; others do better in the evenings.

23.What are you doing next weekend?

24.Mother had to go into hospital. She had heart problems.

25.Did you understand why I was upset?

26.It is a fine idea, let us hope that it is going to work.

27.We will be arriving on Monday morning. At least, I think so.

28.A textbook can be a wall between teacher and class.

29.The girls’ father sat in a corner.

30.In the words of Murphy´s Law: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

Elections Campaign 2015

Today the political campaign for the 20D elections begins. Some people are calling these elections "the new transition" of our country, and I certainly agree with that. Spain has changed a lot during the last two years: new parties came to the scene, with a refreshed view of our world. People are looking forward to seeing changes and democratic regeneration. This economic crisis plus the insane amount of corruption cases in government both local and general have pushed people to have this desire.

One thing that is almost certain is that the two-party game is over and no party will get an overall majority in the Spanish parliament. Rajoy will tell voters that their money is safe in his hands: that his party takes the credit for Spain's economic recovery and that there is more to do. Some are looking for something new, to take away the politics of the past, but others might opt for more of the same. It is possibly modern Spain's most unpredictable election to date.

Some thoughts about work and future

As I see it, it is early to know what I will like the most at the last years of the degree, as we will be studying both linguistics and literature and I suppose I will be inclined for one of those fields. However, my goal by now is to work on something related to international relations and diplomacy, for instance in the EU. Another option would be working as a university teacher, I really like teaching at this level because students are actually willing to learn, because it is a voluntary choice and it is not only about passing exams, like most of students do in high school. Of course the job market will be key, because we do not know what the future may bring on these matters.

The ideal scenario would be working on what you like from the beginning, but let’s be real, this is not the case in the harsh reality, so I think it is very important to be able to adapt and to learn from the first jobs and then, with that background experience, maybe take some risks and follow your vocational route.

From my point of view, being a good professional requires willingness to learn and the capacity of adapt to the job needs in every situation, that is to say, being open minded. I think the mentality is the strongest skill we can take advantage of to turn professional: trying to learn something every day and above all, be responsible while enjoying what you are doing.

Nowadays most jobs are very specialised, so a point to work on would be to gain experience and make progress in a specific field in order to be competitive. Trying to master everything could lead to “know a bit of here and there” and, let’s be honest, nobody would hire a candidate like that.

Are social networks really helping young people?

In my opinion, there is actually more cons that pros about social networks when it comes to teenagers. The biggest problem is that young people do not know how to use them properly or, at least, in a balanced way. As I see it, in general, they are addicted to their smartphone, constantly checking it to see if they have new messages or likes in social networks. There are moments that we live through the device, and we do not enjoy things “in real life”. You can see people watching some kind of show or performance and instead of watching it directly to keep a memory of it they are continuously recording, or people hanging out in a café and actually not talking to each other, but completely absorbed in their devices. This cause people to spend less time interacting face-to-face and can lead to stress and offline relationship problems. Social networking sites also entice people to waste time and because of that, students who are heavy social media users tend to have lower grades. They also facilitate bullying, which is already a big problem “offline”.

On the other hand, the spread of internet and new gadgets has provided us easy access to lots of information. We can check whenever we want any doubt we could have on google or the Wikipedia, we are constantly informed of news, and of course we are also in permanent touch with our friends or family. For instance, on Friday, when the terrible attacks of Paris happened, you could check in Facebook if your friends that lived near the zone were safe. Easy access of information means culture, and well used can mean a big academic benefit. Social networking sites and internet in general also offer teachers a platform to upload content that students can benefit from, as in the case of sakai in our university.

To sum up, being techno-lover of the social media and new generation gadgets can mean an advantage in culture and awareness of what is happening in the world if used correctly, but using them in a bad way can lead to addiction and make people to lose interest on school and important matters and, in some way, “disconnect” from the real world.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November, but many Americans take a day of vacation on the following Friday to make a four-day weekend, during which they may travel long distances to visit family and friends.

The holiday dates back to 1621, the year after the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts, determined to practice their dissenting religion without interference. After a rough winter, in which about half of them died, they turned for help to neighboring Indians, who taught them how to plant corn and other crops. The next fall's bountiful harvest inspired the Pilgrims to give thanks by holding a feast.

The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition — not only because so many other Americans have found prosperity but also because the Pilgrims' sacrifices for their freedom still captivate the imagination.

To this day, Thanksgiving dinner almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, pumpkin pie. Before the meal begins, families or friends usually pause to give thanks for their blessings, including the joy of being united for the occasion.

Me and sports

The sports I like the most to practise are football and table tennis. I started to play football in my hometown team when I was eight years old, and I played there until I was fourteen years old. Besides practising it I have always watch and support Real Madrid football team, because my father was a fan and transmitted the passion of football to me. We both were also member of Real Murcia, and went every two weekends to support our local team during three years. Table tennis is the other sport I have practised the most, because one of my cousin has a table and we spent the whole summer playing there. Furthermore, my uncle is semi-pro so I also went to some training sessions where I learned a lot.

I also practised a branch of kung fu called wing chun while I was living in Barcelona, but only for three months, because I had to take a train and the metro and I spent like one hour and a half only to get to the gym and I eventually got fed up. I would like to take the classes up in the future as I have always wanted to know more about martial arts.

Now I am a member of a gym here in Murcia but I hardly ever go, because I am not a big fan of the exercises you can practise there, I find it quite boring to be honest.

I have never tried any kind of dangerous sport, mainly because I have fear of heights and most of extreme sports are related to high places. I have some friends that have tried them though, one of them skydived and recorded it, it seems an amazing experience. Another friend of mine got bungee jumping as a birthday present, he was scared at first but after doing it he said he would have jumped more times because of the adrenaline rush.

As I see it, there is no negative aspects about sports, as they are a fun way of staying healthy or get a better physical fitness, and they also put some excitement in everyone’s life. Moreover, practising sports can improve your focus in other aspects of your life like studying. The only negative part I could add is the fanaticism around some football teams, where some of their supporters are violent groups that use football as an excuse to cause trouble. But aside from that, sports provide nothing but benefits to the society from my point of view.

Do young people rely on drinking alcohol and smoking to have a good time?

I would answer yes to that question in general, although it is not my case. I don’t smoke and when I hang out with my friends, alcohol is not a must. As I see it, it is true that most of young people tend to associate an enjoyable time with their friends with alcohol, and that is a pity, because getting used to those habits may lead you to future problems of addiction. However, as you grow up, you usually get rid of them and you give more value to a nice conversation or trip with your friends rather than just getting drunk.

Apart from this kind of “soft drugs”, another problem that I see in modern teenagers is the high dependence they have on social networks. I have seen 4 or 5 people around a table having a drink and every one of them hooked on the phone without even talking to each other. Furthermore, kids are eventually going less to the park or other outdoor locations and are more stuck at home playing videogames or spending time with a tablet.

In order to stay healthy, young people should try to get away from bad influences that may come from, for example, some groups of friends, where one can unconsciously copy bad behaviours. Another good idea is to try to focus on good habits such as practising sports like football, running, going to the gym, etc. Getting into a sport team can substantially improve not only your fitness but your mind-set and your attitude towards new challenges.

Anyhow, sometimes young people just have to make their own mistakes and learn from them, no matter how many times they are given advices or warnings about anything, because that is how we grew up and get experience in life. 

Letter to my parents

Hello mum and dad!

I’m writing this letter to thank you for all the love that you have given me since I was born. I had a fantastic childhood, and as I see it, being happy in your early years is the key to become a nice person in every aspect of your life.

Sometimes I find myself smiling when I remember many special moments of my childhood. Playing outdoors with my neighbourhood friends is such a sweet memory to recall. We spent hours and hours riding the bike and talking and moaning about our Maths homework. I also enjoyed my football trainings as a child. I met so many friends there! Getting into a sport team is something that everyone should do. Having fun while doing healthy activities is such a perfect combination.

The sad point is that nowadays I see many kids hooked on their tablets playing videogames instead of enjoying nature while spending their spare time with some friends. They are strongly influenced by advertisements and are on social networks. From my point of view, they are wasting the best part of their childhood, which is playing outdoors with your friends!

Anyhow, what I stated above makes me appreciate even more the education that you gave me, not demanding high standards but at the same time teaching me to share responsibilities at home and in life in general. I feel that that balance made a difference, and I just wanted to share my thoughts with you to say thank you for all these years. You made of me who I am nowadays.

One big hug, your son, Alejandro.

Space Debris. Outline + Introduction + Conclusion

Outline + Introduction + Conclusion

I. The amount of space debris has increased greatly in the recent years due to the numerous launches of satellites that many space companies have made. In the mid and late twentieth century the number of launches was much lower than now, so this was not a great issue. With the spread of GPS, Internet, and mobile communications in general, this has become a major problem that governments are ignoring. Space debris is now a problem with bad consequences for our planet.

II. Risks of accidents

A.      In the space

B.      On the Earth surface

III. Contamination.

A.      Radioactive piece fall in the ocean

B.      Impacts could cause fire on forests

IV. Prevention and Solutions

                A.Research on disposable materials

                B.Space “cleaning” programmes

V. Due to the potential dangers that space debris can cause, both to the environment and people, governments must create prevention and solution plans to solve this problem and to avoid future issues related to this matter. We cannot keep ignoring space trash and its consequences.

Environment protection in Spain

As I see it, in Spain people are not really committed to the protection of the environment in general, but from my point of view this is getting better over time. From some years to now, several improvements have been done, for example the installation of recycle containers instead of the unique bin from the past. Now there is also a coastal area protection law that forbids the construction of buildings to protect animal species. But there is a lot of work to do though. The air pollution is a serious concern nowadays. Cities like Madrid or Barcelona are often covered with a layer of contaminated air which is a danger to health, more specially to the elderly and children. Building more bike lanes would be a good solution for these matters, and also encouraging people to use more the public transport by lowering prices.

In my family there is not much concern about natural environment. We do not usually recycle, only glass and paper, but not plastic for example. I always try to recycle some dangerous items like batteries or used oil. Some friends of mine do recycle at home and some others just do not care and even throw trash while walking around the street. I think that we Spanish people have to learn from countries like Japan, where the protection of the environment is a must and many laws enforce that commitment.

Thesis Outline: "Murcia needs a bike lane"

Thesis Outline – Murcia Bike Lane

I.  Murcia, because of the great number of inhabitants urgently needs a proper bike lane.

II. Bike renting is available but there is no safe place to drive them

     A. Accidents due to bikes and cars sharing roads

     B. Lack of use of this service because of the danger

III. Would solve chaotic traffic downtown

     A. Punctuality at work

     B. Relief on stress on the morning

IV. Reduction of contamination

     A. Bikes do not throw any toxic gas whatsoever

     B. Using public transport would be more suitable due to less cars

V. Because of the amount of benefits related to both environmental matters and safety, Murcia needs a bike lane in order to stay free of pollution and accidents downtown.

Origin of some customs of Halloween

Jack ‘O Lanterns

The traditions of carving jack 'o lanterns originates with the Celts. A miserable man named Jack, tricked the devil. Unable to enter heaven or hell after his death, he was destined to roam the earth listlessly. Jack placed a piece of coal into a carved-out turnip and used it as a lantern to keep the evil spirits away. Today, pumpkins (which are easier to cut) are carved into jack-o-lanterns, lit and placed outside of doorways for the same purpose.

Trick or Treating

The custom of trick or treating evolved in Ireland, centuries ago. In preparation for All Hollow's Eve, the poor would call upon the rich folks and request money, gifts and food. The food was gathered for a huge feast and celebration.

Bonfires

In Northern Ireland, it was a custom of Druids to perform ritualistic ceremonies and make sacrifices to pacify their gods. The Celts would bring wood and start their Samhain bonfire or, fire festival, on the hilltop. They would often throw the bones of slaughtered cattle into the flames. The word "bonfire" is said to be derived from such "bone fires". Bonfires and sacrifices guaranteed that the sun would burn brightly after a long winter. It's common to see hundreds of traditional bonfires in Ireland every year on Halloween Night.

Man of the edge ending

The man does not give up in his intent of jumping off the edge, and people keep crowding at the street. The police psychologist tries to divert the man attention by asking him some questions about several topics. The conversation keeps going for about three hours, and the psychologist’s personal problems start to flourish. He did not have a better life than the jumper. His wife had cheated on him with his best friend and he had a big debt with the bank because of an unlucky investment that turned out to be a scam. Both men on the edge start to empathize with each other to the point that they both decide to jump holding hands to escape together of such a miserable life. As they are falling and feeling the air on their faces, they realize that it is not the concrete what will stop their fall. Poetically maybe, a garbage truck is passing by, and both men, who tried to leave their problems behind, find themselves surrounded by rotten fish and smelly food. They were now truly sunk in the shit. 

Problem and solution by Mario Costa

Global warming (Problem)

One of the most important global issues nowadays is the climate change and consequently, global warming. Due to the use of oil-derived carburant, an insane amount of toxic gases from factories and cars are thrown to the atmosphere every day. That contamination is causing a hole in the ozone layer, letting the most dangerous radiation from the sun hit the Earth surface, and so rising the temperature of the whole world, which leads into problems like ice melting at the poles and danger to some animal species.

Response from Mario Costa (Solution)

To start with, people should begin doing things like using less CFC’s sprays, taking more public transports or recycling everything they throw to the bin. Cars should be changed for bicycles, and governments should encourage young people to investigate about renewable energy sources, apart from investing in this issue.

Comparison paragraph (Block organisation) - Punk vs Classical music

We could say that punk and classical music are near antagonistic styles. Punk has its origins in the seventies in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. It has some aggressive styles like hardcore, and that is why you will not listen to it if you want to relax. In addition, the visual aspect related to punk is also provocative, with combat boots and spiked hair. Punk music is usually listened by young people. However, classical music has its origins 500 years from now. You normally listen to classical music when you want to chill or study. Classical music is usually listened by people of any age, from children to elderly people, and doesn’t have any special clothing style or fashion. In short, they are both music styles that have many differences, but at the same time anyone can like both of them, it only depends on your mood or what you are doing at a specific moment.

My favourite movie scenes

In this post I will show you the film scenes I like the most and why:

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

In my opinion, one of the greatest speeches of cinema history, because of the topic and the date.

The Great Dictator (1940)

Another speech. Charlie Chaplin very ahead of its time here.

The Godfather

The illumination, the face expressions of Brando… just a lesson of how to film.

The Sting

I really like this scene: the acting, expressions, but mainly the fact that Newman is cheating the cheater.

Taxi Driver - You Talkin' to Me? scene (1976)

I like this scene because is unscripted. De Niro proving that is one of the greatest.

A place I'd like to go

I have always wanted to visit Japan for so many reasons. It is an Asian country so the cultural difference attracts me so much, and so does the language.

I would like to go sightseeing and visit the beautiful mountain areas where most of the temples are found. I have seen many pictures on the Internet and there are plenty breath-taking sceneries. I want to visit the major cities too, and go to the commercial areas to see all the neon flashing lights from advertisements everywhere. I would also like to get on the Shinkansen, the famous high speed train.

I am in love with Japanese food, sushi, ramen, etc. so it would be amazing to taste it from their original creators. Japan is also the birthplace of the manga and anime culture, and I am looking forward to seeing how it has influenced people there, because we only know some stereotypes and don’t really know if they are as it seems from outside. 

The only problem is the price to get there, because of the high cost of the flight, and the fact that it wouldn’t be a day trip, so it is time to do my best saving money to afford it!

Opinion paragraph: Zoos

I am totally against the existence of zoos. The zoo owners take advantage of the lack of knowledge of the general public of how animals are treated for economic benefits. Animals are kept in small cages almost all day, deprived of their freedom, basic hygiene and solar light. They are brutally separated from their family, missing the freedom they would have enjoyed, and changing their behaviour because of this trauma.When people go to a zoo, they see animals in a large place, but they don’t know that this is only for a few hours to make money, then they are returned to their small cold wet cages. Animals go through significant stress due to people taking photos and hitting the glass where they are kept. They end with severe psychological problems that lead to weird behaviours. And not only psychological problems, you can sometimes see some painfully thin lions or tigers that are not being well fed. A zoo has nothing to do with an animal reserve or protection centre, where owners only look for donations to treat animals in the best way and give them all the cares they need, trying to actually conserve endangered species and protect them. A zoo is only for making money out of animal abuse, and I hope people change their mind about this. If zoos did what was best for animals, they would be quite different places.

Description paragraph: My younger brother. Peer response by Mario Costa

(That's actually me and my brother :D)

My description paragraph (modified after reading the peer response)

When I was eight years old I thought that I would never have a brother, but after some months he was born. My little brother. He was as tiny as a peanut, in fact, he was born prematurely. He was always smiling and dancing, and we both played and laughed a lot together, as we do now. He is fourteen years old and almost as tall as me, these new generation kids will all be basketball players with that height. His name is Moisés, and even though he sometimes gets angry when he loses to me playing FIFA at the computer (what can I do, I am so good at that game), he is a very optimistic and happy person I enjoy being with. I am very grateful for having a younger brother because of every good moment we had and will have, and because I know I will never be alone and will always have not only a brother but a friend to rely on.

Peer response by Mario Costa Gálvez for Alejandro Maximiliano Cano:

Dear Alejandro, I found your paragraph inspiriting and very interesting. Apart from that, it is written properly. It has its topic sentence very defined, and that is something that makes the paragraph more attractive to read. I can’t really find any mistakes, because you used the example giving and the description to define physically and mentally your brother, and your relationship with him. If I were you, I would try to connect the information to make longer phrases, as you do at the final part of your paragraph. That allows the reader to make a clearer image of the described person, what is not very important, but can make a difference. I would make the concluding sentence a bit longer, because you have the perfect space to write a final sentence that explains how your brother has changed you, for example: “and he has made my life more exciting and now I feel I have a supporting person near me” more or less.

Guernica feelings

The Guernica mural shows the anguish and despair that people suffered during the Civil War of Spain and more specifically during the bombing of Guernica. It makes me feel sad and angry at the same time, because you realize what the human being is capable to do to reach the power. There is no reason to cause this horror and death among innocent people, and what this amazing picture makes me feel is nothing but a deep sense of powerlessness and frustration. Picasso’s work is a claim against war, and the worst thing is that nowadays there are plenty of “Guernica scenes” all around the world because we have not learnt anything from the past. I would show this mural to every single leader of a country immersed on a war and make them reflect on the causes and impact on the population that they are supposed to protect. 

"Fear" by Raymond Carver modified by me

Fear of failing hard.

Fear of staring up at night and see no stars.

Fear of not waking up.

Fear of finding nothing but darkness.

Fear of becoming blind.

Fear of loneliness.

Fear of an endless flight.

Fear of madness.

Fear of being trapped.

Fear of the world splitting up.

Fear of the lack of common sense.

Fear of losing my head.

Fear of being worse than everyone else.

Fear of having no bed.

Fear of losing faith in people.

Fear of wars and hate.

Fear that they will solve their problems just too late.

Fear of false freedom.

Fear of intolerance.

Fear this day will end without learning anything new.

Fear of waking up to find the truth.

Fear of not loving and fear of not being loved back.

Fear that what I believe is a farce.

Fear of fear.

Fear of love.

Fear of fear.

I’ve said that.

Interesting facts about Stonehenge

The Stonehenge monument may not be an icon that immediately come across your mind when talking about the United Kingdom, but it is, for sure, a real gem from our ancestors located in Wiltshire, England.

There are many theories about its function but remain subject to debate. Some experts suggest that Stonehenge was used for ancestor worship, while others think that it was a place of healing or had multiple functions. There is also the thought that it represented peace or unity between Britain’s Neolithic people.

On September 7, some researchers found the one that could be the largest Neolithic site of the world only three kilometres away from Stonehenge. This place is buried and they discovered it by mapping the earth beneath the famous monument.

There is also something very funny about Stonehenge, and it has nothing to do with its function or with archaeological matters, but with its “owner”. By the early twentieth century a man called Cecil Chubb bought the whole place at an auction in Salisbury. His wife wanted him to buy a set of curtains, but he maybe thought that paying about 6.600 £ for the place was a better present for his wife. The thing is that he gave Stonehenge away only three years later, becoming of public ownership. He only wanted that people could visit it without paying too much. As a result of his generosity, the Prime Minister gave him the title of First Baronet of Stonehenge.

The history and the mystery that surround this ancient place make of Stonehenge a point that everyone should visit once in a lifetime. I am looking forward to go there when I have the chance to travel to the United Kingdom. 

Class Activity. Describing a picture

The picture shows the Giant's Cuseway, a beautiful area in Northern Ireland. As you can see, it is made of basalt columns that were created as a result of the volcanic activity sixty millions years ago. Because of that, it has a reddish colour. It is an isolated place, so the weather is cold a unstable, as we can notice from the big waves hitting the columns in the picture. I would personally like to go, as it seems a unique place.

Some thoughts about dubbing in Spain

Some days ago I watched Django Unchained for the second time. The first time was at the cinema when the movie was released. This second time was on TV and at first I was a bit reluctant because of the endless ads interrupting the film. But the thing is that it got better, obviously not because of the ads but of the option I had of watching it in O.V. It also got better because I had already watched it and I could focus on little details.

The first time I really liked the film despite the dubbing. It is not bad on some of the characters of the film, but I think it is awful on the African-American slaves. It is awful enough to notice it, and when you do that it means that there is something wrong about it.

So the second time I was curious about how the American southern sounded, and wanted to hear the quite different accents of the characters. This made me enjoy even more the film: listening the German accent of the co-protagonist in contrast to the African-American accent of his colleague was the icing on the cake that I needed on the first watch.

It is not only about diversity, it is about acting. I think that the way actors talk is like fifty percent of their performance, maybe even more, and we just ignore that whole part by dubbing every film arriving in Spain.

Furthermore, dubbing has also had a huge impact in the English learning of this country. I know some friends from the centre and north of Europe that speak an almost perfect English just because they watched animated cartoons in English when they were children. I am not saying that dubbing should not exist, I think Spanish dubbing is maybe the best of the world in terms of quality, and I can also understand that many people are not interested in watching a film in O.V or subbed, but from my point of view the television and cinema industry should focus on gradually showing more content in English so that Spanish people approach at least the average English level of Europe.

Now that we are aware of the importance of English language around the world we have to invest in updating and improving our media system to make people be in touch with this beautiful language.

My favourite brainstorming way

Last Friday we learnt how to get ready to write. Firstly, we chose some topics from a list and narrowed them into several more specific topics, trying to make them not too limited or general. Then we gathered some ideas by using three types of brainstorming: making a list, freewriting and mapping.

   · Making a list consists on writing ideas in the form of words or phrases that are linked to the topic.

  · By freewriting, we wrote about the topic almost without thinking: just whatever came into our head.

   · Mapping is about writing the topic in the middle of a map, then connecting ideas to it, and so on, until making some kind of concept map.

From these three ways of brainstorming, the one that helped me the most to approach the topic and gather ideas was making a list, and maybe the reason is because it is the one that allowed me to actually brainstorm, that is to say, gathering a bunch of ideas related to the topic without even thinking how to connect them like in mapping, or developing a text that makes at least some sense like in freewriting.