These are interesting extracts from some of the CAE essays on the theme of "Men and women":

"We choose our partners by ourselves. We have more options, more chances and more freedom, but have we got more success?" RG

"But there is still too much work to do to achieve the equality between women and men" GG

"Over the last thirty years many aspects of life have changed but one of the most important changes is marriage...Now almost everybody thinks it is better to live at home more time or move in with their partner before getting married" PL

"I strongly believe that womn are as capable as men in all areas. We can!" SR

"Nowadays you can dump your boyfriend or husband whenever you want." AM

"As a consequence of the fact that many women started working in the decade of the sixties, men were progressively forced to do some domestic routines traditonally assigned to women: care of children, cooking....." JH

*Any comments??

The Pope visited Barcelona to consecrate the landmark cathedral of the Sagrada Familia. There have been protests for and against the visit, especially the way it has been financed. However, it seem to have been a great success, judging by the flag-waving crowds which lined the streets to greet the acclaimed visitor.

Personally, I was thrilled to see the magnificent interior of the basilica, filled to the seams with its illustrious visitors. Gaudi would have been overjoyed to see his creation so near fulfillment.

Will the cathedral now get the funding it requires to finish it? Will we see it completed in our lifetime?

• BBC WORLD NEWS. PAPAL VISIT IN IMAGES.Great photos with captions in English.

Halloween.

Halloween is the one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. It's one of the most popular, second only to Christmas. Millions of people celebrate Halloween without knowing its origins and myths.Most people view Halloween as a time for fun, putting on costumes, trick-or-treating, and having theme parties. Others view it as a time of superstitions, ghosts, goblins and evil spirits, an event to be avoided at all costs.

Origin of Halloween.

Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honour the dead.

Samhain signifies "summers end". Samhain was a harvest festival with huge sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and beginning of a new one. Many of the practices involved in this celebration were fed on superstition.

The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.

• How are you going to celebrate Hallowe'en?

Queen Elizabeth II will be receiving a special gift from President Piñero of Chile on his tour of Europe. He iwill give her some rocks from the depths of the San José mine, where 33 fortunate miners managed to survive the demanding conditions for a record-breaking number of days. He's also taking her a facsimile copy of the first note that emerged from the mine, proclaiming the good news that all were alive.

Naughty question: Any suggestions about WHERE the Queen is likely to put such a gift?? Or for what PURPOSE she will use it??