Sunday 20 December 2009

JOSHUA BELL: STOP AND HEAR THE MUSIC

This post is dedicated to all the students who love classical music and to those who can appreciate beauty. Please read the following story and enjoy the videos:

'A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people would be going through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work. The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the finest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.
The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the finest musicians in the world playing the finest music ever written........How many other things are we missing?'

Watch the experiment at the metro station in Washington:



Simply enjoy the music:



Listen to the video and make a comment with the answers to the questions below:



1. Why is home so special for Joshua Bell?
2. What was his main priority when designing his current house?
3. What are the main differences between playing at a concert hall and playing at home?
4. Name some of the musicians he has worked with in his "At Home With Friends" album and his opinion about them.

Saturday 19 December 2009

THE YEAR IN RAP

Now that 2009 is coming to its end, it's time to remember important events that took place along the year and since loads of you love rap we are going to do it in rap. Watch the video but don't forget to read the lyrics or you won't understand much.
Add a comment with at least two of the most important events mentioned in the song.



2009: The Year in Rap

Blake “Escher”:

When the ball dropped on 2009,
The economy was bad, I ain’t gonna be lying,
Unemployment was high and it started to climb,
Bush was our President for short of time,
On January 20th, the first black President,
Obama, stepped in like a veteran,
Beyonce sang “At Last” –
Then Etta James said that she would whup her fast,
So Obama got a stimulus passed,
Hundreds of billion in cash,
Some thought the spending wasn’t okay,
So the threw more tea parties than Earl Grey,
It’s sorta major that Sotomayor,
Is the first Latino on the Supreme Court,
Health reform? Wait for the medicine,
Didn’t happen, we’ll check in again in 2010.

Devon “TeeDome”:

Iran chose their president for tomorrow,
People thought he cheated, and protests followed,
We saw Iceland’s money declined,
So bleak, they even had to close Mickey D’s,
The world seemed troubled at times,
Packed with conflicts in 2 double-0 9,
North Korea held two US journalists captive,
Until Bill Clinton got active ,
Ukraine and Russia had a fight,
Over gas when Russia cut off the supply,
Leaving Europeans in need of petroleum,
Other wars show no signs of folding in,
In Afghanistan we’re at war too,
The prez is about to send over more troops,
Promote peace, that’s the best way
We can improve for the next decade.

Dillon:

2009 saw plenty of action,
Let’s start with a shout out to Michael Jackson,
The King of Pop had us all wishing he was living,
And when he died, he nearly took the internet with him,
But it won’t stop the party,
And celebration for the discovery of “Ardi”
The oldest known human ancestor remains,
And if ya look at us today man it ain’t much changed,
Its strange – knowing that there’s water on the moon,
And with Global Warming dude, we could be moving there soon,
And the net is ridiculous,
A year ago, nobody could tell you what “Twitter” is,
09 was great, but for some, hit or miss,
Like Kanye West when he dissed Taylor Swift,
Flocab brought you the Year in Rap,
2009 was fine, in 2010 we’ll be back!

Wednesday 16 December 2009

VOICETHREAD

 VoiceThread is an online media album that can hold any type of media (images, documents or videos) and allows people to make comments using their voice. A VoiceThread allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place, from anywhere in the world. In short, VoiceThread is digital storytelling at its best.
This is a resource we will be working with more than once during the second term. In order to get familiar with it, I invite you to watch the following video, listen to some of the comments and then make your own contribution.
This is a project set off by a teacher in Florida, USA in which she prompted students to make a VoiceThread about the place they live in. The main aim was to foster global communication and we are going to contribute!!! This will be your homework for Chirstmas.


Instructions for using VoiceThread:

When you click on "Comment" you will be asked to sign in. Once you have signed in, you will be able to make your contribution. To comment click on the "comment" link. There you will have the choice of either recording your voice (microphone icon), typing your words (letter "A" icon), or using a web camera (camera icon). This time you will be using the mic. There are tree pages in this VoiceThread and you can comment on any or all three pages accessed by the bottom right hand arrow. If you are happy with your recording, be sure to save. If not, hit cancel and you may re-record as many times as you wish. Please no inappropriate commenting.

You may also watch the following video on What's a VoiceThread?




Please answer the following questions:


What is the best thing about where you live? What is the worst thing about where you live? Of all the places where you have travelled to outside of where you live, which one is your favourite? Where would you like to go that you haven't been yet? Of course, you need to to explain all your answers thoroughly and with details and don't forget to identify yourselves.




Below you have a new voicethread screen where you can upload your commentaries. You should listen to the previous examples of people commenting.




Below you can read the feeback on your commentaries. Make sure you listen to them again at the same time you read my corrections.

Monday 14 December 2009

WELCOME TO LONDON


There are some conversations you are sure to have if you ever go to London or any other English speaking city in the world.
There's a site where you can listen and practise those conversations and spare the embarrassment of feeling out of place, not knowing what to say or how to ask.
In "Welcome to London" you can follow John and Fiona through a series of situations as they arrive and settle down in London, which will be really useful if you are lucky enough to go abroad. Give it a go!!

Sunday 13 December 2009

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS?

Exams are about to end and Christmas is getting nearer and nearer. We can already see Chistmas decorations all around: Christmas trees full of baubles and tinsel, Nativity Scenes, the bright red poisenttias, mistletoe, holly, fairy lights...
But, how much do we really know about all these symbols and traditions?


Do all the activities in this interactive book to learn a bit more about Christmas in English speaking countries.




Read about all this in this page and then try the following quiz. Write a comment with your score and we will know who did best!

Thursday 10 December 2009

CHRISTMAS SONGS

Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. Geldof put together a group called Band Aid, consisting of leading Irish and British musicians who were among the most popular of the era. The 1984 original became the biggest selling single in UK singles chart history. It stayed at Number 1 for five weeks. It remained the largest selling single in UK history until 1997 when Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" was re-released in tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales.




Here you are some more typical Xristmas songs for you to sing and learn. Check the lyrics.

1.- ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU. Mariah Carey. LYRICS HERE


2.- HEAL THE WORLD. A tribute to Michel Jackson. LYRICS HERE


3.- THIS IS CHRISTMAS. John Lennon. LYRICS HERE

Wednesday 9 December 2009

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past and, more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. The beginning of a new year is a great time to begin something new. You have the momentum and excitement of the fresh new year to help you carry out new plans to improve your life or to make it more enjoyable.
Listen to these kids making some New Year's Resolutions and try to fill in the blanks below the video.

Then write a comment with your answers and add two New Year's Resolutions of your own. Notice some expressions you can use to express resolutions:  I plan on (-ing)/ I plan to…/ I aim to…/ It’s my goal to…/ I've promised myself that…/ I'm going to.../ I intend to...



1- This year I’m gonna (1) ……………….more time with my kids.
2- I’m gonna (2)……………… gossiping; Did you see what she (3)………………….?;I know!
3- This year I’m gonna (4)……………….a bikers’ gang.
4- This year I’m gonna (5)…………….. my shopping.
5- This year I’m gonna (6) ……………..spending six dollars on a (7)………………
6- I’m going to (8)……………… my anger. What (9)……………………? Can’t you see I’m trying to work here?
7-I’m going to (10)……………… that special girl. How are you doing?
8- Pick it up!
9- This year I’m going to (11)……………………………… more.
10-This year I’m gonna get rid of this pot belly.
11-I’m gonna (12) ……………….. more about the (13)……………………
12- I’m gonna be a (14)……………… handyman.
13- This year I’m gonna (15)…………… my own (16)……………….
14- I’m gonna tithe (17)……………….. of my gross pay.
15- This year I’ll (18)……………… off all my debts.
16- I’m gonna (19) ………………….to school and get my (20)……………..
17- I’m gonna (21)………………… a marathon.
18- I’m gonna quit (22)…………………..
19- This year I’ll (23)……………….my road rage.
20- I’m gonna (24)……………..a daily (25)………….. time. OK maybe a monthly (26)…………….. time.

Sunday 29 November 2009

PRESENTATIONS ON TENSES

Here you have a few presentations about basic verbal tenses in English. I hope they will help you understand their formation and use better.






Try these games: Snakes & Ladders , The Hangman , Adverbs of Frequency

Try the following quiz to test yourself on these tenses and get ready for the grammar test



Game on Past Simple and Past Continuous



----------


Present Perfect & Participles Hangman Game

Present Perfect vs Simple Past Game

Present Perfect or Past Simple
Present Perfect vs Past Simple Game


How Long + Present Perfect Continuous



Try this challenging game about the Present Perfect

Mastering the Present Perfect






Be going to/ Will Test

In the link below you'll find lots of exercises to practise the different verb tenses and their uses:
Practice on English Verb Tenses
Quiz1 on tenses 
Grammar Aquarium

Friday 27 November 2009

APLE: LESSON OUTLINE

This is what you will be doing in today's lesson:



1. WHAT DID HE WRITE? WHY?
2. WHAT KIND OF RESTAURANT IS IT?
3. WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE WINE?
4. DID HE LIKE THE FOOD?
5. WHAT DID HE DO WITH THE FOOD?
6. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END?

Sunday 22 November 2009

The Twilight Saga: NEW MOON

It has received really bad reviews from the critics (4,5/10 in imdb) but since you girls seem so thrilled about the release of the film "New Moon" here you have the official video trailer with some simple questions for you to answer. Don't miss it!

BOOK REVIEWS


Those of you who decided to read a voluntary book during this first term have to present a paper job. The due dates can be checked in the calendar. I'm going to make things easier for you and you will have to fill in the following worksheet for your paper job.

When you complete all the sections, save your work and upload it to the correspondent course of the workingwithenglish wiki together with a picture of the cover of your book before the due date. Ask me if you need a user name and a password to upload your worksheet.

3º ESO: GUESS WHO?

 


At the end of this term students in 3ºESO will be practising questions and short answers with a traditional game you all know: "Guess Who?"  Only that this time the students themselves will be the characters in the pictures. Will you find your classmate? How long will it take you? In order to do so, before playing the game you need to think of possible questions you could ask. That's why I am inviting you to write at least two questions as comments to this post. Make sure you read your partners questions before making your own because you can't repeat!! You can look at your pictures to make the right questions! And don't forget to sign your post!

Saturday 21 November 2009

APLE: 1st TERM SPEAKING EXAM


Time goes really fast and we're about to finish the first term and, as you all know, this involves exams!!! You can check the dates for the speaking exams in the calendar. I will upload the list with your names later on, but I can tell you that you will be taking the exam in pairs. By now you can have a look at the topics for the oral exam. Notice that this guideline may be updated according to the themes we work on during these last days till the exams.
I encourage you to read through the marking criteria so that you know what is expected from you.
Check your name in the list below to know the exact day for your exam:
Thursday 10th: F. Anta, Guilherme, Diana, Alvaro, V. Sanchez, Marta.
Friday 11th: Ivo, F. Galisteo, Mario, Javier, Eduardo, V. Diaz, Laura, Rocio.

Good luck everyone and don't let me down!

Thursday 19 November 2009

Galileo Galilei 08-09 magazine

Last year some students volunteered together with some teachers and especially Feli, a Spanish language teacher, to work on a magazine which was published at the end of the year. Now you can watch it here.

1st part





2nd part




3rd part

Wednesday 18 November 2009

READERS FOR ESO & BTO

As you all know, during the second term you will have to read a book in English. Your teachers will tell you the title of your book and the date for the exam. Look at your course and level in the list below to know a little more about it.

"Lost in the Jungle" Ed. Burlington. 1º ESO. ALL COURSES.


The Miller family is on holiday in Thailand. Linda and Sam decide to go walking in the jungle with their father. However, their day out does not go according to plan and they quickly discover the dangers of the jungle. Can Linda and Sam save their father and find their way to safety?


 



EXAM DATE FOR 1A, 1B, 1C: 16th February
EXAM DATE FOR 1D: 15th February


 "Oliver Twist" Ed. Vicens Vives (Green Apple). Charles Dickens. 2ºESO. HIGHER LEVELS


 Set in 19th-century London, this timeless classic narrates the incredible adventures of Oliver, a young, penniless orphan who, in spite of his encounters with criminals and his adverse circumstances, finds happiness in the end.











"Vampire Killer" Ed. Oxford (Starter Level) 2ºESO. LOWER LEVELS



'I am a vampire killer . . . and now I need help,' says Professor Fletcher to Colin. Colin needs a job and he needs money - but do vampires exist or is the professor crazy?


 







EXAM DATE FOR ALL LEVELS: 16th February


"K's First Case" Ed. Longman. 3ºESO. HIGHER LEVELS 
                            
                                                                                                                                                                                    Sir Michael Gray is the victim of a murder and he was very rich. Katrina Kirby - or K as she is called - is a detective and she wants to find out who the murderer is. But there are lots of suspects.This is K’s first case. Can you help her find the murderer?
"Girl on a Motorcycle"  Ed. Oxford (Starter Level) 3º ESO. LOWER LEVELS

 'Give me the money,' says the robber to the Los Angeles security guard. The guard looks at the gun and hands over the money. The robber has long blond hair and rides a motorcycle - and a girl with long blond hair arrives at Kenny's motel - on a motorcycle. Is she the robber?










EXAM DATE FOR ALL LEVELS: 19th February


"Used in Evidence" Ed. Macmillan (Intermediate Level) F. Forsyth.  4º ESO. HIGHER LEVELS

Short Stories, Crime/Detection & Adventure/Thriller/Spy. Three short stories with unexpected endings from this internationally popular thriller writer.










"The Short Cut" Ed. Stanley. (Level 1) 4º ESO. LOWER LEVELS


In this thrilling story set in an African country devastated by war, a youn girl fights for her father's life taking a [shortcut = atajo] to maturity. Topics for reflection and discussion: family arguments, generational gap, therealization of what really matters in life.











EXAM DATE FOR ALL LEVELS: 22nd February
 


"The Turn of the Screw" Henry James. Ed. Vicens Vives. Black Cat. 1ºBTO.



In the 1840s, a young woman is employed as a governess to two children in an English country house. The children are beautiful and charming and, for a while, the young woman thinks her position is both easy and pleasant. Then she begins to see the ghost of the former governess Miss Jesel and the manservant Peter Quint.









EXAM DATE: 19th February


HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR READING!!!

Monday 16 November 2009

BRITISH PANTOMIME


THE MADRID PLAYERS' CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME IS BACK THIS YEAR!!!!
Pantomime is a peculiarly British tradition and goes back at least 100 years. Pantomimes always take place at Christmas and nearly always have stories based around well known children's stories such as Peter Pan, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty etc.
They are very audience interactive. You certainly boo the villian, etc., but you should also have several arguments between characters and the audience:
Wicked queen in Snow White - "I am the fairest of them all"
Audience - "Oh no you're not!"
Queen - "Oh yes I am!"
Audience - "Oh no you're not!"

The Panto takes these children's stories and and injects a bit of music hall (British Vaudeville) sensibility, contemporary references and audience participation to create a raucous, noisy entertainment  that is fun for everyone in the family.

If you really want to know what a panto is like, you shouldn't miss The Madrid Players' Robin Hood Pantomime. Click on the link if you want to know more details.

3º ESO: IRREGULAR VERBS

Now that we are studying irregular verbs in the classroom, here you have some ideas for extra practice. Get ready for the exam!
First of all, watch this video and learn their meaning and pronunciation




















Who said that studying the irregular verbs had to be boring! Click on the following links and you'll find it isn't.




And now for the final challenge:
                                                                                                 
Irregular Verb Challenge

3ºESO: -ING/-ED ADJECTIVES

How are you feeling today? Are you having an exciting day or are you really annoyed? Watch the next video and you will soon find out if you are borED or borING.



Now take the following challenges:
Challenge 1Challenge 2 and  Challenge 3

And now it is your chance to use these adjectives. Describe an experience you've had using a mixture of -ing/-ed adjectives. The best five will be published on the workingwithenglish wiki.

3º ESO: THE WEATHER

Revise words on the weather with these interactive crosswords and be ready to learn new expressions related to it.

The Weather  and   The Sky

Now watch the following video and you will always know how to anwer if somebody asks you: "What's the weather like?"





I'm sure you all know about global warming and I would like to invite you to watch this funny video about something which is not funny at all.


4º ESO: SUBJECT/OBJECT QUESTIONS

Check out this SlideShare Presentation about subject/object questions:


Revise subject/object questions / Subject/Object questions II

and download the following pdf for further practice.

Now play the space game on Questions.

WEB 2.0

Congratulations! We are all working under Web 2.0, in case you didn't know.
Watch the following presentation and you'll find out.

Curso Web 2.0 2009-2010 on PhotoPeach

3º ESO: WHAT DID YOU DO YESTERDAY?

Past Tense Revision: Watch the following video and answer the questions.




Now here you have a song to practise verbs in past. See if you can complete the lyrics of the song:

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Students at Ampliacion de Ingles are watching "Desperate Housewives" once a week and in this post you will find a short summary of each episode in case you miss one. You can also click on the links below the titles if you want to revise the vocabulary and expressions learnt in each chapter. Enjoy the series!!!

Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot (Original Air Date—3 October 2004)
In the pilot we meet all of the characters, at Mary Alice young's funeral. Lynette's sons get in trouble by jumping into the pool, Susan tries to make something to bring to the funeral, but burns her macaroni and cheese.


Season 1, Episode 2: Ah, But Underneath (Original Air Date—10 October 2004)

The ladies find an anonymous letter in Mary Alice's belongings which suggest that Mary Alice was hiding some terrible secret. Susan and Edie continue to fight for Mike's affections. But Mike's dog pays the price when Edie crashes his dinner date with Susan. Meanwhile, Gabrielle realizes that her lawn boy, John, is taking their fling to heart, and that Carlos may actually be catching on. Bree goads Rex into couples therapy, where the neurotic doctor may be the one who needs the most help. Lynette resorts to drastic measures to keep her kids in line, but it blows up in her face. Mary Alice's past resurfaces despite Paul and Zach's efforts to keep it buried... literally. Also, Susan's secret of accidentally burning down Edie's house may come back to haunt her as the measuring cup she left in Edie's house is found, by the nosy and bossy Mrs. Huber.
 
Season 1, Episode 3: Pretty Little Picture (Original Air Date—17 October 2004)

The four ladies decides to organize the dinner the late Mary Alice was organizing. Gabrielle is blackmailed by a 9 year old girl, Bree tries to hide his broken marriage and Karl returns to Wisteria Lane to discuss terms with Susan.
 
Season 1, Episode 4: Who's That Woman? (Original Air Date—24 October 2004)

Cash-strapped Mrs. Huber figures out that Susan had something to do with Edie's house fire and tries to blackmail her, in which Susan is forced to recruit her daughter Julie to find Mrs. Huber's incriminating evidence. Carlos becomes suspicious that Gabrielle is seeing another man, but targets the wrong suspect: the cable guy instead of gardener John. Lynette balks when the twins' teacher insists the boys have A.D.D. but tries to salvage the matter by separating the boys. Bree struggles with her rebellious son Andrew after Rex moves out. Both Susan and Edie continue to vie for Mike Delfino's affections, both of whom are unaware he has an agenda when he's revealed to have a map and personal files on all Wisteria Lane residents, including Susan. The ladies show Paul the anonymous blackmail/death threat letter sent to Mary Alice, unaware that he already knows about Mary Alice's troubled life and he secretly hires a mysterious "associate" named Mr. Shaw, to find out who sent Mary Alice the letter.
 
Season 1, Episode 5: Come in, Stranger (Original Air Date—31 October 2004)

A break-in on Wisteria Lane leaves the neighbors feeling vulnerable, especially Susan, who reluctantly accepts a date with persistent police officer Rick Thompson, after Mike Delfino appears indifferent to her. Unknown to everyone, Mike Delfino is revealed to be the burglar as he accidentally left a screwdriver behind. After Rex takes the kids away for the weekend, a lonely Bree finds herself bonding with Mary Alice's troubled son, Zach. Meanwhile, Lynette and Tom pull out all the stops to get their uncontrollable twins, Porter and Preston, accepted at a prestigious private school. The unexpected arrival of Carlos's overbearing and controlling mother, Juanita, puts a crimp in Gabrielle's covert love life with gardener John. Things get worse when the two go shopping and Gabrielle takes drastic measures to keep Juanita oblivious to her secret.
 
Season 1, Episode 6: Running to Stand Still (Original Air Date—7 November 2004)

Lynette locks horns at the twins' school with officious mom Maisy Gibbons, who is trying to produce a "politically correct" play about "Little Red Riding Hood." Susan continues to investigate the mystery of Zach's sudden disappearance. When Susan finds out that Paul put Zach in a mental institution, she and Julie go to investigate till Zach lets out a long-suppressed family secreting involving the name 'Dana'. Juanita Solis comes closer to discovering Gabrielle's dirty little secret affair with gardener John but Gabrielle learns and takes advantage of Juanita's gambling habit to give her the slip. Bree comes undone when Rex suggests they hire a sex surrogate, but ...


Season 1, Episode 7: Anything You Can Do (Original Air Date—21 November 2004)

Susan is miffed when Mike gets an unexpected (and very sexy) house guest, named Kendra, which forces him to postpone their first official "date." However, unknown to Susan, Kendra has been sent by her father who has hired Mike to search for her long-missing sister. Lynette becomes steadily more dependent on the twins' A.D.D. medication. Gabrielle becomes jealous of the "other" woman, Bree's daughter Danielle, in John's life. Meanwhile, Bree's kids mutiny when they learn that their father is divorcing their mother. A man has a heart attack while jogging and lands on Mrs. Huber's lawn. But the crafty and malicious old lady dumps the body on Bree's lawn so that she'll call the paramedics and they will ruin her lawn instead of hers. Andrew gets into a serious car accident that puts Mama Solis in the hospital, right after she finally busts Gabrielle and John having sex in Carlos' house. Also, the enigmatic Mr. Shaw comes closer to solving who was blackmailing the late Mary Alice, and he focus on Edie as the prime suspect.

Season 1, Episode 8: Guilty (Original Air Date—28 November 2004)

After their son Andrew accidentally ran over Carlos' mother Juanita Solis, Bree and Rex help Andrew cover the incident up by disposing of the car and the evidence. Susan grows suspicious of Mike Delfino's real reason for moving to the street when she discovers a load of cash and a gun hidden in his kitchen drawer, but ends up stuck in his bathroom floor. Lynette reaches the breaking point in her addiction to the twins' A.D.D. medication as she tries other measures like acupuncture to release her stress. The mysterious Mr. Shaw gets down to business as he develops a relationship with Edie whom he suspects was Mary Alice's blackmailer, but learns that the real culprit is Mrs. Huber. Mr. Shaw also has a connection to Mary Alice Young as he talks to Paul Young. Meanwhile Carlos stays with his comatose mother Juanita in hospital.

Season 1, Episode 9: Suspicious Minds (Original Air Date—12 December 2004)

Looking to give her life a purpose, Gabrielle decides to organize a glamorous Halston fashion show for charity highlighting the ladies of Wisteria Lane. But Susan is less than charitable when she discovers Gabrielle's adulterous secret. With Carlos' mother now out of the picture, Gabrielle and John consider getting back together. But John's mother, Helen, thinks that her son is sleeping with Susan and not with Gabrielle. Before Carlos can find out about all of this, he is arrested. Bree and Rex are now at odds with each other on how to punish Andrew for putting Mrs. Solis in the hospital and finding drugs in his room. But Bree decides to take Andrew's egotistical and out-of-control behavior into her own hands by leaving some pot in his locker to get him kicked off swim team. Elsewhere, the police investigate the skeletal body in a toy chest that Paul Young dumped in the river, and begin to close in on his secret. Also, Lynette uses her business acumen to poach a nanny, named Claire to look after her four kids, but ends up getting involved between Claire's current and hostile employer, Alexis.


Season 1, Episode 10: Come Back to Me (Original Air Date—19 December 2004)

Uber-mom and control freak Maisy Gibbons returns, and her secret life of being a call-girl intersects with Bree's when she finds out that Rex is cheating on her after he has a heart attack, and Bree unleashes her inner "woman scorned". Meanwhile, Gabrielle's financial predicament worsens as she gets a taste of her own medicine, courtesy of Carlos's jail house confession. Susan plans to take her relationship with Mike to the next level, and Lynette, suspicious (and a little jealous) of her new nanny Claire, decides to secretly videotape her of her interaction with the kids. Also, Susan betrays Julie when she learns that Julie is hiding Zach after he escapes from a clinic hospital, and she has Mike send Zach Young back home to his father, who makes a startling admission of his own.

Season 1, Episode 11: Move On (Original Air Date—9 January 2005)

Edie organizes a neighborhood search for the missing Mrs. Huber, just as the absent annoying and busybody's sister, Felicia Tilman, arrives on Wisteria Lane to investigate her disappearance. Meanwhile, Bree resigns herself to her marital state and asks an attractive pharmacist, named George Williams, on a date. Susan's ex-husband, Karl, suddenly returns for a visit in which Mike gets a little jealous over her attention to her ex-husband, while Edie plots to score with Karl. Paul Young, fearing the police will discover his murderous secret, plants Mrs. Huber's stolen jewelery in Mike Delfino's garage. Lynette fears that Tom is attracted to their nanny Claire. Also, Gabrielle sinks to new depths when she's forced to get a job as a spokes model for a sports car.

Season 1, Episode 12: Every Day a Little Death (Original Air Date—16 January 2005)

The residents of Wisteria Lane finally learn Martha Huber's fate when her body is discovered, and the truth has unexpected consequences for Susan. After learning that Mrs. Huber left behind a journal, Susan is forced to confess to Edie about her role in the fire that burned down her house. Meanwhile, Bree finds her new beau, George, getting a little too close for comfort, leading him to shoot himself in the foot. While taking yoga classes, Lynnette takes advantage of Parker's shaved head. Carlos returns after making bail, but his homecoming isn't quite what Gabrielle had in mind for he is under house arrest, making it difficult for either of them to make money. Also, Mike's employer, the shady Noah Taylor, terminates Mike's services at Wisteria Lane. But Mike refuses to give up for it's revealed that both are searching for a certain 'Deidre', Mike's ex-wife and Mr. Taylor's daughter, who disappeared over 10 years ago and Mr. Taylor suspects someone on Wisteria Lane is responsible.

Season 1, Episode 13: Your Fault  (Original Air Date—23 January 2005)

When Lynette's father-in-law, Rodney Scavo, visits Tom's family, she unwittingly learns a family secret: he's been consistently cheating on his wife, and Tom has known about it. Susan is disturbed by Julie's growing romance with Zach and decides to chaperon the Spring Dance at Julie and Zach's school to keep an eye on them. Paul does the same to keep an eye on Susan when she suspects that she may know their family secret. Rex attempts to reconcile with Bree as she tries to play hard-to-get, while the pharmacist, George, maliciously plots his own agenda. Gabrielle is shocked when John's parents, Bob and Helen, demand her help in convincing John to move back home and go to college as he officially turned 18, and no longer wants to live at home hoping to pursue a relationship with Gabrielle as her new provider with a gardening business.

Season 1, Episode 14: Love Is in the Air  (Original Air Date—13 February 2005)

Susan looks forward to a romantic Valentine's Day date with Mike. But breaking into a neighbor's house in his continuing search for clues, Mike gets shot by the jittery owner, and tries to hide it from Susan during their dinner out. Susan knows he's lying when he claims to have accidentally shot himself, but she still does not know why. After reconciling their relationship, Bree discovers something new about Rex when it comes to his sexual needs. Lynette'scranky and lonely old neighbor accuses the Scavo twins of thievery as Lynette tries her best to handle the situation. Gabrielle's work adventures continue as she gets a gig as a mattress model for the "Siesta King" Charles Skouras. She soon gets fired and ends up working as a cosmetics girl and had a meeting with her hostile ex-maid, Yao Lin. The annoying Felicia Tilman stumbles upon a clue in the Young family past when she recognizes a photo of Mary Alice as a Utah hospital worker named Angela who worked with Mrs. Huber in Utah.

Season 1, Episode 15: Impossible  (Original Air Date—20 February 2005)

Mike is arrested for questioning about Mrs. Huber's murder by police after Lynnette shares her suspicious about him. Susan, refusing to believe the accusations, gets Mike freed by claiming that they were together the night of Mrs. Huber's disappearance, but later feels betrayed when she learns about Mike's criminal record. John's roommate Justin attempts to blackmail Gabrielle with his knowledge of their affair by becoming her new gardener. Tom has a shot at the VP promotion the Scavos wanted, but Lynette fears that with the more responsibility and longer hours, she'd be home alone with their four wild and out-of-control kids more than ever and tries to discourage him in taking the job, or else... Bree is shocked to find a condom, and even more so when she learns it belongs to Rex nor Andrew, but Danielle, so she turns to John. Zach's pool party for the teens on Wisteria Lane gets out of hand when Julie attends and sees another side to Zach while John has a talk with Danielle about his reluctance to have a relationship with her. Unexpected persons are "outed" in their sexuality when Susan catches not Danielle with Zach but Andrew and Justin naked in the pool.

Season 1, Episode 16: The Ladies Who Lunch (Original Air Date—27 March 2005)

Maisy Gibbons' series of unfortunate events shock the residents of Wisteria Lane when she is finally arrested for solicitation right out of her own house. This leaves unexpected consequences for Bree and Rex when Maisy's little black book becomes public of all her clients, including Rex... Gabrielle and Carlos also face a crisis when their sewer system goes out at their house and they don't have the money to fix it. Lynette braves a scandal herself when it's rumored that the twins, Porter and Preston, may have started their school's head lice epidemic. But Lynnette figures out that fellow housewife and home mother Tammy Bremmer started the rumors to divert attention away from her own trouble-making son Topher and save his birthday party. As Susan sinks into depression over her breakup with Mike, she finds a surprising ally: Edie whom she confides in her problems and suggests they sneak into Paul Young's house to look for any evidence of his involvement in Mrs. Huber's murder.

Season 1, Episode 17: There Won't Be Trumpets (Original Air Date—3 April 2005)

Mama Solis finally awakens from her coma, but she dies in a freak accident before she can tell anyone her knowledge of Gabrielle's affair with John. The residents of Wisteria Lane all attend the funeral of Juanita Solis as Carlos and Gabrielle fret over their financial, court issues, and funeral costs. Gabrielle also finds out that the hospital was negligent in Juanita's death, and offers her a generous settlement offer. Lynette befriends a deaf woman, named Alisa Stevens, whose daughter also attends Barcliff Academy with her rambunctious twins, Porter and Preston. But her newfound friendship is tested when she interferes into Alisa's marital problems after overhearing Alica's husband saying bad things behind Alica's back. Bree encounters more trouble when it comes to disciplining her son Andrew and arranges to convince Rex to get serious help. Susan finds herself attracted to Edie's hunky new contractor who's sticking around the neighborhood, but Edie doesn't want her to go on a date with him as a favor to their fragile friendship. Susan also rejects Mike and refuses to listen to him or even read a confession letter given to her about his past.

Season 1, Episode 18: Children Will Listen (Original Air Date—10 April 2005)

Susan's neurotic and obnoxious mother, Sophie Bremmer, pays an unannounced visit after she and her boyfriend, Morty, call it quits. Meanwhile, Gabrielle faces Carlos' wrath after he learns about the hospital settlement and tries to change their prenuptial agreement in order to keep Gabrielle in check while he plans to serve his jail sentence. As a result, Carlos's anger and possessiveness drives Gabrielle back to John. Lynette and Bree experience a chill in their friendship after Bree babysits for Lynette's wild kids and dares to discipline Porter over the knee. Bree and Rex visit Andrew's teen rehab camp and she's shocked their son comes out them about his homosexuality. Zach covers for his father when the police come knocking about the mysterious dead body in the toy chest, while Felicia gets closer to Zach where he reveals to her more disturbing details about his family in the past.

Season 1, Episode 19: Live Alone and Like It  (Original Air Date—17 April 2005)

Lynette learns that no good deed goes unpunished when she momentarily befriends the elderly, mean-spirited Mrs. Karen McClusky after saving her life, and Lynette regrets it when Mrs. McClusky will not leave her alone. Sophia decides to try and jump start hers and Susan's love lives. Susan later finds the man-hungry Sophia in her kitchen with a man she picked up, and asks her mother to get rid of him. Bree forces Andrew to talk to the family priest about his conflicted sexuality; later Andrew tells Reverend Sikes about his feelings, and of his shocking plans to emotionally destroy his mother Bree. Gabrielle has her credit card declined in an upscale restaurant forcing her to improvise to pay the bill, and Carlos sends Gabrielle a big message/warring about what will happen if she leaves him. Gabrielle tells John that she still cares for him and restarts their sordid affair. Noah Taylor informs Mike that the skeletal remains found in the toy chest are Deirde's, which makes Mike get back on the case where he gets ends up getting beat up by a corrupt detective who apparently still harbors a grudge against him for Mike's long-ago crime.

Season 1, Episode 20: Fear No More (Original Air Date—1 May 2005)

Gabrielle plans a big party to bid farewell to Carlos, who is about to head off to jail for eight months. Meanwhile, George Williams returns, much to Rex's displeasure as he knows George wants to steal Bree away from him, while Bree continues to be unaware about the two-faced George's obsession with her. Lynette is shocked to learn that Tom's old girlfriend, Annabel Foster who he dumped for Lynette, has been hired at his firm again. A desperate Lynette turns to Edie for advice on how to deal with the situation. Susan and Julie encounter less-than-neighborly behavior from the Young family as Zach continues to stalk Julie. Paul interrogates Edie about breaking into his house, and she ends up telling him that Susan was behind it. Paul decides to lie to Susan again in order to cover up his murderous secret. Mike continues to investigate Paul Young and tries to convince the still-paranoid Susan to stay away from Paul. Gabrielle begins to suspect that she's pregnant while shopping for a new car. After finding out that Carlos tampered with her birth control pills, Gabrielle retaliates in rage.

Season 1, Episode 21: Sunday in the Park with George (Original Air Date—8 May 2005)

The psycho pharmacist George Williams continues to worm his way into Bree's life by asking her out to dinner and hanging out with her. After Edie spies on Bree with George at a restaurant, Bree begins to feel guilty about sharing intimate feelings with George. Rex's health continues to depreciate thanks to George. Lynette tries to spice up her sex wife with Tom who, she fears, is losing interest due to his busy work schedule. Susan hires Mr. Shaw to investigate the Young family, unaware that his loyalties lye with Paul Young, so he ends up lying to her that Paul does not have any secrets. However, Mr. Shaw shows Susan Mike's arrest record, yet Susan is not convinced that Mike is a bad guy and tracks down Noah Taylor and his other daughter Kendra (who Susan recognizes from a picture in the file she received on Mike): Susan learns that Mike killed a cop in self-defense and forgives him. Carlos lies to Gabrielle that his mother tampered with her birth control pills. Gabrielle tells John that she is pregnant, and he doesn't take the news well. Morty proposes marriage to Sophia who accepts and Susan is relieved that her mother is moving out for good. Felicia takes action to help Zach by planning to drive Paul from the neighborhood for good.

Season 1, Episode 22: Goodbye for Now (Original Air Date—15 May 2005)

Susan and Mike decide to move in together, much to Edie's displeasure, who schemes against them using Susan's friends. Meanwhile, Lynette takes steps to make sure Annabel doesn't come between her and Tom, and the consequences make Tom lose his job. Bree comes to a realization about George who continues to interfere in her and Rex's lives. Rex has another heart attack, though prior to it, George has permanently put in a wrench in Bree and Rex's relationship. Carlos' legal problems take a turn for the worse, and Gabrielle decides to leave him after discovering that he lied to her about tampering with her birth control pills. Carlos' subsequent actions when he beats up John's roommate, Justin, after thinking he's the guy Gabrielle is cheating on, increases his jail time to eight years. Mike goes after Paul thanks to Felicia who gives him Martha Huber's journal detailing Mary Alice's past. Susan goes after Mike, though she doesn't find him. Felicia takes the troubled Zach into her home and Mrs. Huber's journal lands in the hands of Susan and Julie.

Season 1, Episode 23: One Wonderful Day  (Original Air Date --22 May 2005)

Tensions and conflicts endure between the different characters as the season comes to an end but leaves you hanging for what is to come.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SEASON AND THE SERIES!

PLEASE WRITE A COMMENT ABOUT THE SERIES: THE CHARACTER YOU LIKE THE MOST, THE ENDING, ANY NEW WORDS YOU HAVE LEARNT, A FUNNY SITUATION YOU REMEMBER, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WATCHING THE SECOND SEASON NEXT YEAR ....