ESSAY : Intermediate Spanish

Discussion board topics will deal with the theme of the lesson and/or information and research related to the culture being highlighted. It is important to answer all questions in the prompt. As you read through the discussion board prompts, you will see that you are sometimes asked to research a topic and to provide a summary of your research. A summary is just that, a summary. Summary does not mean copying a pasting from a website. That could be considered plagiarism. All sources must be documented. In the prompt, you are also asked to share your own thoughts or experiences relating to the topic.
JUST TYPE ANSWERS

1
Prompt: Page 497 of your textbook states that Chile has almost all types of climates except tropical and that it extends from the Atacama Desert (the driest place in the world) to the Antarctic. Page 496 has a picture of a grape harvester and on pages 507 and 510 you see photos of Easter Island. Do some preliminary research on the geography of Chile. Then choose one region that intrigues you to investigate further. You may choose to do additional research (facts not already mentioned in the textbook or power point) on one of the areas mentioned above (the Atacama Desert, the wine-growing region, Easter Island) or you may research any other region of your choosing (for example, Patagonia). Post the URL of the website you found to be most useful and briefly summarize your findings. Then tell us why you chose that region, what you found most interesting about it, and what surprised you. Is the area you chose inhabited and if so, what is the main industry or how do most of the people earn their living? Is the region you chose similar geographically to any place you have been in the US or abroad?

2
Prompt: As mentioned in the introduction to Chapter 18, Spain has been home to many different cultures. One of these was the Islamic culture initially brought by the Moors in 711 AD, which exerted considerable influence for eight centuries. Search the Internet to find out more about their influence on Spanish life. Choose one area, such as architecture, language, philosophy, sciences, art, agriculture, or trade, to find out more about the Arabic influence in that field. Post the URL of the website(s) you consulted. What did you learn that you did not already know from your studies to date? What impressed you? What surprised you?

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Intermediate Spanish

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile, South America, is one of the world’s driest and probably also the oldest desert. The desert occupies a 1000 km stretch of land, from the Andes Mountains to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. It spreads out over an area of 363,000 square kilometers. The dry conditions are as a result of three factors, the South Pacific high-pressure cell, the little amount of rainfall as well as the stabilizing cold Peru currents.

The region receives less than 12 mm of rainfall annually, which means that it can barely support life. During the night, the temperatures may fall to the freezing point, while during the day they may rise moderately. The daytime temperatures vary depending on the sun’s direct heat. There are reports that the Atacama Desert’s interior has experienced the highest levels of solar radiation compared to any other place in the world. However, even with such harsh conditions, a population of over one million people…