El mundo a tráves del Inglés

Tipo de texto: Narrativo, Patrón retórico predominante: Descripción 16/01/2010

Análisis:

 El presente texto es tipo biográfico. La mayoría de los verbos están en tiempo pasado: But Jobs was as excited about innovation as Bill Gates was interested in making money (L.7)

 Tiene presencia de fechas que señalan en qué tiempo ocurrieron los hechos: In 1972 (L.10)

 Utiliza conectores que indican secuencia temporal como: “Later” y “After”.

 Se encontraron los siguientes patrones retóricos:

 Descripción:

 “They sold items like a scientific calculator to raise the seed capital. There is controversy as to where did the name Apple originate. According to one belief Apple originates from a pleasant summer Jobs had spent as an orchard worker in Oregon” (P.5)

 El Texto:

Steve Jobs Biography

Steve Jobs has revolutionized the computer, hardware, software, animation and music industries. Steve Jobs’ insistence of innovating always has cost him millions of dollars but has created a cult like following for his products. Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.» -Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs regularly makes most rosters of the rich and powerful. It is surprising for a guy who takes home an annual salary of U.S. $1. The reasons why he is on all power lists are; Apple, Next, iPod and Pixar. Jobs is also known as the one man who could have upstaged Bill Gates. But Jobs was as excited about innovation as Bill Gates was interested in making money.

Steve Jobs was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin to Joanne Simpson and an Egyptian Arab father. Paul and Clara Jobs of Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California then adopted him. The writer Mona Simpson is Jobs’ biological sister. In 1972, Jobs graduated from Homestead High School in Cupertino, California and enrolled in Reed College in Portland, Oregon. One semester later he had dropped out. But instead of going back home he hung around college and took up the study of philosophy and foreign cultures. 

Steve Jobs had a deep-seated interest in technology so he took up a job at Atari Inc. which was a leading manufacturer of video games. He struck a friendship with fellow designer Steve Wozniak and attended meetings of the «Homebrew Computer Club» with him. Wozniak and Jobs developed a system with a toy whistle available in the Cap’n Crunch cereal box to make it possible to make free long distance telephone calls. They called off the amateur venture after someone told them of the possible legal consequences. 

After saving up some money Steve Jobs took of for India in the search of enlightenment with his friend Dan Kottke. Once he returned he convinced Wozniak to quit his job at Hewlett Packard and join him in his venture that concerned personal computers. They sold items like a scientific calculator to raise the seed capital. There is controversy as to where did the name Apple originate. According to one belief Apple originates from a pleasant summer Jobs had spent as an orchard worker in Oregon. There is another school of thought that says that the symbol of rainbow colored apple that has been bitten into is a tribute to Alan Turing who was a homosexual and had died after biting a cyanide laced apple. 

In 1976, Jobs, then 21, and Wozniak, 26, founded Apple Computer Co. in the Jobs family garage. The first personal computer was sold for $666.66. By 1980, Apple had already released three improved versions of the personal computer. It had a wildly successful IPO, which made both founders millionaires many times over. Steve Jobs had managed to rope in John Scully of Pepsi to head the marketing function in Apple. 

A tiff with the Apple board and John Scully led to the resignation of Steve Jobs. As soon as he resigned he immersed himself in his brand new venture. Steve Jobs decided that he wanted to change the hardware industry. The company was called NeXTStep and the new machine was called NeXT Computer. He ploughed in more than U.S. $250 million into the company. The machine was a commercial washout but it did help in object-oriented programming, PostScript, and magneto-optical devices. Tim Berners-Lee developed the original World Wide Web system at CERN on a NeXT machine. Bitterly disappointed with NeXTStep, Jobs accepted the offer that Apple made him. 

Steve Jobs also started Pixar Inc., which has gone on to produce animated movies such as Toy Story (1995); A Bug’s Life (1998); Toy Story 2 (1999); Monsters, Inc. (2001); Finding Nemo (2003); and The Incredibles (2004). This venture has made him one of the most sought after men in Hollywood. 

Post Pixar, Steve Jobs wanted another round of revolutionizing to do. This time it was the music industry. He introduced the iPod in 2003. Later he came up with iTunes, which was a digital jukebox. A million and a half iPods later, the music industry still does not know whether this invention will save it or destroy it. Apple has a great advertising track record and its ‘Rip, Mix, Burn’ campaign was another feather in its cap. Now the industry uses a Mac to make the music and an iPod to store it. 

Steve Jobs lives with his wife, Laurene Powell and their three children in Silicon Valley. He also has a daughter, Lisa Jobs from a previous relationship. In 2004, there was a cancerous tumor in his pancreas, which was successfully operated upon. 

disponible en : http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/4-26-2005-69111.asp /

Tipo de texto: Expositivo ,Patrón retórico predominante: Causa-efecto 16/01/2010

Análisis:

El presente texto es tipo expositivo porque expone un problema y sus consecuencias. La mayoría de los verbos están en tiempo presente perfecto.

 Utiliza conectores que indican contraposición: “However”

 Se encontraron los siguientes patrones retóricos:

 Problema-Soluciones:

“Children who have chronic medical problems are much more likely to get depression. Severe asthma, severe head injury, diabetes, epilepsy, and many of the less common chronic childhood diseases can result in depression” 

Causa – efecto:

“Children with certain disorders of the brain often get depression because the same chemicals and the same nerve pathways are involved in both.”

El texto:

What Causes Depression in Children?

Depression in children is caused by a combination of three things: genetics, what is happening in a person’s life, and what is going on in their body. Usually, more than one is present in a child. 

For a child to get depressed, there must either be major things wrong with their lives, something major wrong with their body and or mind, or a strong family history of depression. Often more than one is present. 

Medical problems – children who have chronic medical problems are much more likely to get depression. Severe asthma, severe head injury, diabetes, epilepsy, and many of the less common chronic childhood diseases can result in depression.  Neuropsychiatric – Children with certain disorders of the brain often get depression because the same chemicals and the same nerve pathways are involved in both. Children with the following neuropsychiatric illness are more likely to get depression: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Learning disabilities,tourettes, Anxiety disoder, Eating disorder Obsessive compulsive disorder, and austim and related conditions. 

Environment – Some children, but not all, react to problems in their environment with depressive signs and symptoms. Common causes are abuse of all kind, families that are in chaos, neglect, poverty, no consistent parent, school, or home, and horrible things like witnessing deaths, finding bodies, losing parents, etc. Although children who get depressed are more likely to have a stressful life event happen to them in the year before they get ill, the more important relationship is for children who have multiple stressful events. In a recent study, 50% of depressed children and adolescents had two or more major stressors in the year before getting depressed. In children without depression, no child had two or more major stressors in the past year. There is an interaction between environment and genes. If bad things happen to a child and there is a family history of depression, a depressed child is a very likely outcome. 

Television – Children who are watching a lot of TV are more likely to have a host of different psychiatric symptoms. Recent studies have shown kids who are watching over 6 hours a day have more problems with depression, anxiety, and aggression. 

Drugs and Alcohol – Substance abuse is very common, especially alcohol and marijuana. About 14% of teenagers test positive for street drugs on a urine drug screen when they come to their family doctor. Almost all of this is marijuana. Just as with adults, a child can develop all the signs of depression due to drugs and alcohol use. However, recent research has found that it is more common that a child will become depressed and then start using drugs or alcohol rather than the other way around. In adults, when people stop drinking or using drugs, their depression usually clears over the next two to four weeks. In children and adolescents, this rarely happens. Even after they are clean, most depressed children and adolescents are still depressed. 

Genetics – If one of the parents has depression, about 40% of the children will get depressed at sometime before their 20th birthday. The younger the parent was when he or she got depressed, the more likely the children are to become depressed. When mothers have been seriously depressed (an episode every year or so and hospitalized at least once for depression) their children are even more likely to become depressed, and when they do it is more severe, last longer, and is accompanied by other psychiatric problems, too. These children also are more likely to commit suicide.

Why Does Depression Run in Families? 

1. Genetics – Even if a child never has contact with a parent, if that parent was depressed, it means that the children are also more likely to get depressed, too. 

2. Marital Difficulities – Depression in adults goes hand-in-hand with marital problems. The combination of divorce plus depression in parents makes it much more likely that the children will get depressed. 

3. Parenting Problems – It is darn hard to be a good parent when you are depressed, and it can be pretty depressing trying to parent a depressed child. Parenting problems, whether they come from the parent or the child, can make everyone’s depression worse. 

disponible en:

 http://www.healthyplace.net/Communities/Depression/children_5.asp

Tipo de texto: Exhortativo, Patrón retórico predominante: Causa – efecto 16/01/2010

Análisis:

 El presente texto es tipo descriptivo porque describe cómo es el nuevo crucero.  La mayoría de los verbos están en tiempo presente. 

 Utiliza conectores que indican secuencia temporal: “Before”

 Se encontraron los siguientes patrones retóricos: 

 Causa – efecto:

 “As soon as we receive your payment, you will receive your EditPad Pro license details and download instructions via email”(P.2)

  El texto:

Buy EditPad™ Pro Now!

Buy EditPad Pro Directly from Just Great Software

The easiest and quickest way to buy your own copy of EditPad Pro is online with your credit card. Our online purchase formhas been fully secured with strong 128-bit encryption. Your order will be processed immediately. You will be able to download and start using EditPad Pro in only a minute or two. You will also be able to print a detailed invoice for tax and accounting purposes in your web browser.

Buy EditPad Pro via PayPal. If you use funds from your PayPal account or credit card (but not from a bank account), you will be able to download and start using EditPad Pro immediately after the PayPal transaction. If you do not have a credit card, you can send us payment via Western Union money transfer. Before you do, please fill out our online purchase form, and select the Western Union option at the bottom. You will then receive an invoice, and a reference number that you should mention when sending the money. As soon as we receive your payment, you will receive your EditPad Pro license details and download instructions via email. 

100% Satisfied or Money Back … Your purchase is covered by Jan Goyvaerts’s personal three-month risk-free unconditional money-back guarantee. When you buy EditPad Pro, you can try the full software risk free for three months.

Pricing

All prices include free technical support via email, and free minor updates and bug fixes. If more than one person will be using EditPad Pro, read our multi-user license policy to find out how many licenses you need. Our terms are far more flexible than the typical per-CPU licensing.

All prices exclude any sales tax or value added tax (VAT) that may apply. Whether tax is added to the sale price depends on your location, as well as the reseller you purchase EditPad Pro from. No taxes are due when you order via PayPal. 

More Information

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at sales@editpadpro.com. We are happy to assist you with your purchase.

disponible en: http://www.editpadpro.com/buynow.html

Tipo de texto: Argumentativo ,Patrón retórico predominante: Causa-Efecto 16/01/2010

Análisis:

El presente texto es tipo argumentativo porque defiende un punto de vista.  La mayoría de los verbos están en tiempo presente. 

 Utiliza conectores que indican contraste

 Se encontraron los siguientes patrones retóricos

 Problemas – solución:

“Education rights have ceased to be a race issue but have become a class issue. It is not only Africans who are need of finance to educate their children…”(P.1)

 Causa – efecto:

“there will be no sleepless nights for their children in the future because the children of the poor will not leave them alone”. (P.6)

El texto:

Give the children of the poors access to education / By Faith ka-Manzi 16 January 2007

Education rights have ceased to be a race issue but have become a class issue. It is not only Africans who are need of finance to educate their children, poor Indians, Coloureds and whites also go through the same despair experienced by Black people as the new school year approaches. People have been retrenched mainly due to the accessing of our economy by foreign investors. Factories which were main organs of employment have been shut down and the working class find them selves unemployed and unable to fund their children’s education. The privatization of basic necessities have meant the scaling down of jobs also increasing the number of the unemployed.

Innitiatives like Black Business Empowerment have ensured that a new class of Blacks emerge. A class which is not concerned with the economic needs of the rest of their communities except to fatten their own pockets. The overriding of our country’s sovereignities by economic agreements with rich countries who haul in their own industries in this country and in fact the rest of Africa is worsening the poverty of the people of the third world.

The inaccessibility of land to the poor is also fast tracking their inability to use the land as means of survival and also for food sovereignty. So why can’t the powers that be, if the countries of the third world still have some powers at least give one thing to the poors, free access to education. Education does not necessarily lead to riches but it does become a means to an end. It gives the children of the poor alternatives in life.

Rampant crime in this country is a sign of frustration by the masses who are unemployed and also illiterate as well as landless. When people are unemployed, landless and illiterate, they become restless and destruction follows suit. I don’t also believe that a lot of people in prisons are illiterate, some of them were frustrated by the lack of job opportunities. Globalisation of third world natural resources and the privitazation of basic necessities are some of the causes of the lack of equal economic opportunities.

Section 29. (1) of the Constitution Act puts it clearly that everyone has a right to basic education including adult basic education and also further education and that the state through reasonable measures must make it progressively available and accessible. Section 10 also of the Constitution also provides everyone with inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected.

If the state does not adhere to these rights and does not threat the children of the poor with dignity, they must not cry wolf when these children take the law into their hands and turn the country into a jungle. The dignity and the future of these young people is not respected and protected if access to education is not ensured. It seems as if the only education that is dignified and ensured and protected is those of the children of the elitists to esnure that their children become the heirs of the country instead of having the country belong to all those who live in it. After all what benefit is it for the poor children to live in the country where they go to bed hungry, have no land and no basic necessities. If the powers that be ensures the dignity and protect the education of the children of the poor, there will be no sleepless nights for their children in the future because the children of the poor will not leave them alone. They will also want to drive BMW’s, live in Umhlanga and shop at expensive malls. This is an alert which the powers that be should take heed of because a hungry, landless person is very angry and lessons from the past should also be taken seriously because if not they always repeat themselves.

Independent Media Centre  http://www.ukzn.ac.za/ccs/default.asp?2,40,5,1211  

Give the children of the poors access to education

By Faith ka-Manzi 16 January 2007

Education rights have ceased to be a race issue but have become a class issue. It is not only Africans who are need of finance to educate their children, poor Indians, Coloureds and whites also go through the same despair experienced by Black people as the new school year approaches. People have been retrenched mainly due to the accessing of our economy by foreign investors. Factories which were main organs of employment have been shut down and the working class find them selves unemployed and unable to fund their children’s education. The privatization of basic necessities have meant the scaling down of jobs also increasing the number of the unemployed.

Innitiatives like Black Business Empowerment have ensured that a new class of Blacks emerge. A class which is not concerned with the economic needs of the rest of their communities except to fatten their own pockets. The overriding of our country’s sovereignities by economic agreements with rich countries who haul in their own industries in this country and in fact the rest of Africa is worsening the poverty of the people of the third world.

The inaccessibility of land to the poor is also fast tracking their inability to use the land as means of survival and also for food sovereignty. So why can’t the powers that be, if the countries of the third world still have some powers at least give one thing to the poors, free access to education. Education does not necessarily lead to riches but it does become a means to an end. It gives the children of the poor alternatives in life.

Rampant crime in this country is a sign of frustration by the masses who are unemployed and also illiterate as well as landless. When people are unemployed, landless and illiterate, they become restless and destruction follows suit. I don’t also believe that a lot of people in prisons are illiterate, some of them were frustrated by the lack of job opportunities. Globalisation of third world natural resources and the privitazation of basic necessities are some of the causes of the lack of equal economic opportunities.

Section 29. (1) of the Constitution Act puts it clearly that everyone has a right to basic education including adult basic education and also further education and that the state through reasonable measures must make it progressively available and accessible. Section 10 also of the Constitution also provides everyone with inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected.

If the state does not adhere to these rights and does not threat the children of the poor with dignity, they must not cry wolf when these children take the law into their hands and turn the country into a jungle. The dignity and the future of these young people is not respected and protected if access to education is not ensured. It seems as if the only education that is dignified and ensured and protected is those of the children of the elitists to esnure that their children become the heirs of the country instead of having the country belong to all those who live in it. After all what benefit is it for the poor children to live in the country where they go to bed hungry, have no land and no basic necessities. If the powers that be ensures the dignity and protect the education of the children of the poor, there will be no sleepless nights for their children in the future because the children of the poor will not leave them alone. They will also want to drive BMW’s, live in Umhlanga and shop at expensive malls. This is an alert which the powers that be should take heed of because a hungry, landless person is very angry and lessons from the past should also be taken seriously because if not they always repeat themselves.

Independent Media Centre

disponible en  http://www.ukzn.ac.za/ccs/default.asp?2,40,5,1211 

Tipo de texto: Dialogal, Patrón retórico predominante: Descripción 16/01/2010

Análisis:

El presente texto es tipo dialogal porque establece una conversación .  La mayoría de los verbos están en tiempo pasado.

 Utiliza conectores que indican contraste:  «Like”

 Se encontraron los siguientes patrones retóricos

 Agrupación:

“At the same time, it’s never hard to find quiet, private nooks — we loved Cafe Promenade, Vintages wine bar and even the Solarium pool for getting-away-from-it-all moments” (P.5)

 Causa – efecto:

“We got off to a rough start: Embarkation took nearly two hours from the curb to our stateroom, and because so many people were late coming on.” (P.4)

El texto:

 FATHER’S DAY

«Good morning Billy,» said Dianne Troll, watching her friend sitting on his front porch, playing his guitar.

«Oh its a beautiful day to be loved,» sang Billy. «As a son loves his father.»

«Oh Billy,» said Dianne. «What a beautiful song that is!»

«It’s for Father’s Day,» said Billy. «I’m going to surprise my Dad with it on Father’s Day.»

«I’m sure he’ll love it,» said Dianne. «Speaking of Father’s Day, Troll Town is having a Father’s Day celebration down at the beach. I am one of the organizers of this years event. Billy, would you play for us this year?»

«What’s the matter Dianne?» asked Billy, laughing. «Can’t get the Jagged Trolls to play this year?»

The Jagged Trolls are a rough and tough rock ‘n roll band, who are also from Troll Town.

«Very funny, Billy,» said Dianne. «This would be a great opportunity for you to sing your new song to your Father.»

«Okay,» said Billy. «I’ll do it.»

«Oh Billy!» exclaimed Dianne, happily. «Thank you.»

That evening, just as Billy was putting the finishing touches on his new song, he got a phone call from his mother. As soon as Billy heard her voice, he knew something was wrong.

«Mom,» said Billy. «What’s wrong?»

«It’s your father,» cried Mrs. Troll. «He is in the hospital.»

«Why?» asked Billy. «What happened?»

«He became very sick so I took him to the hospital,» said Mrs. Troll. «He’s very sick, Billy.»

«Okay Mother,» said Billy. »Dianne and I will be there in an hour.»

»The funny thing about this is that I just finished writing my song to him, when Mother called,» said Billy, on their way to the hospital.

»I’m sure that he will be alright,» said Dianne. »Your father is strong.»

»I sure hope he will be alright,» said Billy.

Once Billy got to the hospital, he found his Mother in the waiting room. She was talking to the doctor.

«I believe he has a bout of the flu,» said Dr. Troll. «Give him a couple of days of rest and he will be back to normal. We will keep him overnight for observations.»

«Oh Billy,» cried Mrs. Troll, once the doctor had left. «Did you hear that? Your father is going to be just fine.»

«That’s great!» exclaimed Billy, hugging his mother.

Billy and Dianne both went into see Mr. Troll. Mr. Troll was very happy to see his son.

«So Dad,» said Billy. «Looks like you are going to be just fine.»

«Of course I will,» said Mr. Troll. «You don’t think that I am going to miss my sons concert on Father’s Day, now do you?»

«I guess not,» said Billy.

Billy’s Father’s Day concert was his best ever, with his Mother and Father both sitting in the front row.

«Oh its a beautiful day to be loved,» sang Billy, bringing his Father to tears. «As a son loves his father. Dad, I love you.»

disponible en: http://www.bedtymetales.com/documents/story_471.htm

Tipo de texto: Procedimental, Patrón retórico predominante: Definición 16/01/2010

Análisis:

El presente texto es tipo procedimental porque indica cómo preparar una receta.  La mayoría de los verbos están en tiempo presente.

 Utiliza conectores que indican adición: “Add”

 Se encontraron los siguientes patrones retóricos

 Definición:

“Capsaicin is what gives peppers like jalapenos their spice and heat”

Clasificación:

“Ingredients can be your first line of defense this year.”

 El texto:

 Kitchen Prescriptions

Monday, December 15, 2008

Healthline

Each winter ushers in another cold and flu season and now is the perfect time to begin prepping yourself to strengthen your immune system and try to avoid getting sick altogether. To get started, you don’t have to look any further than you own kitchen cupboard.

Hot and hearty soups packed with ginger, garlic and other bacteria-busting ingredients can be your first line of defense this year. Warm broths have been proven to help reduce congestion and stews full of vegetables and beans can provide needed vitamins, nutrients and fiber. Plus liquids help you stay hydrated.

Most soups have some benefits, but look for those starring these special flavor favorites:

Garlic
Garlic gets its unique flavor and odor from the compound allicin—a natural antibiotic that helps fight bacterial infections. Additional studies indicate garlic can help prevent and lessen the effects of the common cold.

Peppers
Capsaicin is what gives peppers like jalapenos their spice and heat. It can also help loosen congestion and help you breath better. A runny nose can be an unwanted side-effect of spicy foods, but keep in mind the end result is that you will breathe better.

Ginger
A natural anti-inflammatory, fresh ginger is packed with antioxidants. In fact the Chinese have been using it to ease sinus pain and sore throats for over 2,500 years.

For easy ways to work cold-preventing ingredients into your diet, try these great recipes.

Carrot and Ginger Soup 
Ingredients
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups diced carrot (5 or 6 large carrots)
3 cups cubed peeled potato (3 large potatoes)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (15.75-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth

Preparation
1. Cook onion in oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Add carrot and potato and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat.

2. Simmer for 50 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Place in batches in a food processor and process until smooth. Return soup to pan and stir well.

Spicy Chicken Soup with Barley 
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper
1 (12-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
1. Combine barley and chicken broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes.

2. Cook onion in oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper and sauté 3 minutes. Stir in frozen mixed vegetables and sauté 3 minutes. Combine cooked vegetable mixture, cooked chicken, salt, thyme, and pepper with barley and broth. Simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Vegetarian Four-Bean Chili
Ingredients
2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups canned chicken broth
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (16-ounce) can small white beans, drained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation
1. Cook onion and garlic in oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients except cheddar cheese.

2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into individual bowls and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

disponible en

 http://www.healthline.com/blogs/healthline_connects/2008/12/kitchen-prescriptions.html

Tipo de texto: Descriptivo, Patrón retórico predominante: Agrupación 16/01/2010

Análisis:

El presente texto es tipo descriptivo porque describe cómo es el nuevo crucero.  La mayoría de los verbos están en tiempo presente.

 Utiliza conectores que indican contraste: “Like”

 Se encontraron los siguientes patrones retóricos:

 Agrupación:

“At the same time, it’s never hard to find quiet, private nooks — we loved Cafe Promenade, Vintages wine bar and even the Solarium pool for getting-away-from-it-all moments” (P.5)

 Causa – efecto:

“We got off to a rough start: Embarkation took nearly two hours from the curb to our stateroom, and because so many people were late coming on.” (P.4)

El Texto:

  Freedom of the seas. «Does size really matter?» I considered this age-old question upon boarding Freedom of the Seas, currently the world’s largest cruise vessel. Freedom, which launched in May 2006, represents a new class of ship for Royal Caribbean, measuring just shy of 155,000 tons with a double occupancy capacity of 3,634 passengers (a sibling, Liberty of the Seas, will debut in May of 2007). It surpasses Cunard’s gargantuan Queen Mary 2 by 7,000 tons and carries 1,014 more passengers.

Freedom of the Seas has also made waves in other ways. It is the first ship to feature a surf park, a regulation-sized boxing ring, an interactive water park for kids and even a barbershop. Yet in many ways, Freedom is merely an evolution, not a revolution, of the Voyager class that made its own headlines when it launched with biggest-at-sea status back in 1999. The layout is nearly identical and the promenade is back, as is the rock-climbing wall, the ice-skating rink, Johnny Rockets, the Promenade Cafe, Ben & Jerry’s, etc. It is almost as if Voyager of the Seas was simply super-sized, and beefed up with innovative spaces and concepts.

Which brings us back to our original quandary: Would the extra space, extra people, extra «everything» live up to the hype … or leave us feeling claustrophobic?

We got off to a rough start: Embarkation took nearly two hours from the curb to our stateroom, and because so many people were late coming on, the lido buffet was kept open an extra half hour and the time for the muster drill was pushed back; dinner was also delayed 15 minutes so everyone could settle in and get ready.

Surprisingly, in terms of lines and congestion, this was the first and last time we felt truly frustrated. Crowds elsewhere — at the pool, waiting for elevators — were equal to if not less than what we’ve experienced on Voyager-class ships. That’s not to say that the ship (as well as Voyager and its siblings) wouldn’t benefit from another bank of elevators. It’s still a mass-market, big-ship experience, and there will almost always be a half hour or so wait to eat at Johnny Rockets on a sea day. You’ll wait in a line (a short line, but a line nonetheless) to disembark at tender ports, and dinnertime can be a bit noisy with hundreds of others chowing down around you. At the same time, it’s never hard to find quiet, private nooks — we loved Cafe Promenade, Vintages wine bar and even the Solarium pool for getting-away-from-it-all moments.

We were also amazed by how personal the service was in general, despite the number of passengers. The two bartenders who worked every night at Boleros, Royal Caribbean’s Latin-themed bar, remembered our names and our poisons, and on the last night swapped heartfelt goodbyes and hugs with numerous passengers who had imbibed there throughout the week. When our cabin steward noticed us coming down the hallway, he’d pop his key in the door and hold it open for us — a nice gesture, particularly when we were coming back from shore with tote bags and purchases.

Size does matter, and in Freedom’s case it is a plus, not a negative — especially for families, first-timers and fans of Voyager-class ships that are ready for the next «big» thing.

disponible en:  http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=358