Friday, February 20, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Writing an Essay
Essay
Model answer
You have been doing a class project on technology. Your teacher has asked you to write a composition giving your opinion on the following statement:
People in the modern world depend too much on computers.
(1)In today 's world, nearly every aspect of life is affected by computer technology. Computers are used for business, public services, education and entertainment.
(2) Some people are concerned by this development. They fear that vital skills are being lost as computer technology replaces traditional ways of working in a wide variety of areas, from art and design to banking and commerce.
(3) They point out the chaos that can occur when computer systems fail, leading to the breakdown of essential services such as transport, law and order.
(4) However, people could not continue to enjoy their present standard of living without computer technology. There are now far more people in the world than there were a generation ago. The fact that there is enough food for them, that they can travel safely from one place to another, and that they can be provided with medical care, is largely due to computer technology.
(5) In my opinion, therefore, we have to accept our dependence on computers, but at the same time we should work to find ways of making this dependence less dangerous.
(1) Do restate the question in your first sentence.
(2) DON'T start by saying I agree with this - your essay should present your own argument.
(3) Do include supporting detail for the points in each paragraph.
(4) Do use linking expressions to introduce points.
(5) Don’t forget to express your opinion in the conclusion.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
You have been doing a class project on technology. Your teacher has asked you to write a composition giving your opinion on the following statement:
People in the modern world depend too much on computers.
(1)In today 's world, nearly every aspect of life is affected by computer technology. Computers are used for business, public services, education and entertainment.
(2) Some people are concerned by this development. They fear that vital skills are being lost as computer technology replaces traditional ways of working in a wide variety of areas, from art and design to banking and commerce.
(3) They point out the chaos that can occur when computer systems fail, leading to the breakdown of essential services such as transport, law and order.
(4) However, people could not continue to enjoy their present standard of living without computer technology. There are now far more people in the world than there were a generation ago. The fact that there is enough food for them, that they can travel safely from one place to another, and that they can be provided with medical care, is largely due to computer technology.
(5) In my opinion, therefore, we have to accept our dependence on computers, but at the same time we should work to find ways of making this dependence less dangerous.
(1) Do restate the question in your first sentence.
(2) DON'T start by saying I agree with this - your essay should present your own argument.
(3) Do include supporting detail for the points in each paragraph.
(4) Do use linking expressions to introduce points.
(5) Don’t forget to express your opinion in the conclusion.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
I think/believe that ...
Some people claim that (your teenage years are the best years oj your life).
It is often said that (TV is a bad influence on young people).
However, in my view/opinion, .
Firstly it is clear that (money cannot buy happiness).
While it is true that (computer games are stimulating, they may not be good for you in the long term).
From my point oj view, job satisfaction is more important than a large salary).
Finally, it is important to remember that ... On balance then, I feel that ...
To sum up/In conclusion, it seems to me that ...
Some people claim that (your teenage years are the best years oj your life).
It is often said that (TV is a bad influence on young people).
However, in my view/opinion, .
Firstly it is clear that (money cannot buy happiness).
While it is true that (computer games are stimulating, they may not be good for you in the long term).
From my point oj view, job satisfaction is more important than a large salary).
Finally, it is important to remember that ... On balance then, I feel that ...
To sum up/In conclusion, it seems to me that ...
Friday, January 30, 2009
Article or no article?
We don't use an article:
1. to talk about plural and uncountable nouns or when talking about things in general:
I'm terrified of heightsI'm into drum and bass. I hate cheese.
Article or no article?
This is a complex area and correct use of articles is one of the most difficult things to get right in English. However, there are a few basic ground rules which we can try to follow:
This is a complex area and correct use of articles is one of the most difficult things to get right in English. However, there are a few basic ground rules which we can try to follow:
referring to particular 'definite' things or people: we use the
When it is clear to both people in the interaction which things or people are being referred to, we use the:
The children (= our children) must be awake. I can hear John playing the piano in the sitting room (i.e. in our house)
The book you gave me last weekend was so exciting. I couldn't put it down.
When you next go to the supermarket, could you get me some pizza bases?
second or subsequent mention: the
When we refer to something for the first time, we use an indefinite article (a/an) because the person we are talking to knows nothing about it. But when it is recognized or known, we use the:
I saw a squirrel in the garden (= our garden) this morning ~ Was it a red squirrel or a grey squirrel? ~ It was a grey squirrel. I think the squirrel was looking for a nut it had buried under the apple tree (i.e. the apple tree in our garden).
unique objects: the
When we refer to unique aspects of our environment that everybody is familiar with, we use the:
I love listening to the wind and the rain beating on the window panes when I am inside my cottage.
One day I would like to fly to the moon and visit the nearest planets.
categories or groups of people: the
If we are referring to groups of people the is required. Here are some examples:
The homeless are well looked after at Christmas, but not at other times of the year.
The poor may benefit more from the tax change than the better-off.
When we refer to unique aspects of our environment that everybody is familiar with, we use the:
I love listening to the wind and the rain beating on the window panes when I am inside my cottage.
One day I would like to fly to the moon and visit the nearest planets.
categories or groups of people: the
If we are referring to groups of people the is required. Here are some examples:
The homeless are well looked after at Christmas, but not at other times of the year.
The poor may benefit more from the tax change than the better-off.
with superlatives: the
It is normal to insert the before the adjective + noun in superlative sentences as there is only one of its kind in this category:
Jane is quite a good swimmer.
Rachel is a better swimmer.
But Jacky is undoubtedly the best swimmer in the class
seas / rivers / mountain ranges / island groups / deserts : the
I would never swim in the English Channel. It's far too polluted.
Did you see the fireworks on the Thames on the Eve of the New Millenium?
Have you ever been skiing in the Alps?
Would you choose the Leeward Islands or the Windward Islands if you were thinking of a holiday in the Caribbean?
The Gobi Desert is one of the most inhospitable places in the world.
continents / most countries / counties / states / towns / buildings / most streets / lakes / most single mountains : zero article
'Most' in the above listing indicates that there are occasional exceptions to the general rule of no article before examples in these categories. See below:
Cairo is a good example of a city in Egypt where Asia and Africa meet.
The UK, Ireland, the US and Canada are all popular destinations for students of English who want to study overseas.
Buckingham Palace, the main residence of the Queen is located at the end of the Mall in central London
Lake Como has always been popular as a holiday retreat for the English.
Kent and Essex are to the Thames what Lousiana and Mississippi are to the Mississippi river.
Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn are two well-known mountains in the French and Swiss Alps.
It is normal to insert the before the adjective + noun in superlative sentences as there is only one of its kind in this category:
Jane is quite a good swimmer.
Rachel is a better swimmer.
But Jacky is undoubtedly the best swimmer in the class
seas / rivers / mountain ranges / island groups / deserts : the
I would never swim in the English Channel. It's far too polluted.
Did you see the fireworks on the Thames on the Eve of the New Millenium?
Have you ever been skiing in the Alps?
Would you choose the Leeward Islands or the Windward Islands if you were thinking of a holiday in the Caribbean?
The Gobi Desert is one of the most inhospitable places in the world.
continents / most countries / counties / states / towns / buildings / most streets / lakes / most single mountains : zero article
'Most' in the above listing indicates that there are occasional exceptions to the general rule of no article before examples in these categories. See below:
Cairo is a good example of a city in Egypt where Asia and Africa meet.
The UK, Ireland, the US and Canada are all popular destinations for students of English who want to study overseas.
Buckingham Palace, the main residence of the Queen is located at the end of the Mall in central London
Lake Como has always been popular as a holiday retreat for the English.
Kent and Essex are to the Thames what Lousiana and Mississippi are to the Mississippi river.
Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn are two well-known mountains in the French and Swiss Alps.
things in general: zero article
When we are discussing things in general, we normally use zero article with plural and uncountable nouns:
Formal education in Britain begins when children reach the age of five.
Basketball is more popular in China than football.
Patience and gratitude are qualities which are rarely observed in the youth of today.
But note, when we want to be specific:
The education I received was substandard.
The football played by Liverpool in their last match was awesome.
common expressions: zero article
There are a number of common fixed expressions used with certain prepositions involving everyday time and place nouns where zero article is required:
At university I never bother with lunch, but always eat breakfast and supper. At school I always ate lunch and dinner, but never breakfast.
In Newcastle, you can always get into town late at night and home again by tube, bus or taxi.
Note that the prepositions listed above are often not the only prepositions possible. We can also say e.g. to/at/into/from church and to/in/into/out of bed/prison.
When we are discussing things in general, we normally use zero article with plural and uncountable nouns:
Formal education in Britain begins when children reach the age of five.
Basketball is more popular in China than football.
Patience and gratitude are qualities which are rarely observed in the youth of today.
But note, when we want to be specific:
The education I received was substandard.
The football played by Liverpool in their last match was awesome.
common expressions: zero article
There are a number of common fixed expressions used with certain prepositions involving everyday time and place nouns where zero article is required:
At university I never bother with lunch, but always eat breakfast and supper. At school I always ate lunch and dinner, but never breakfast.
In Newcastle, you can always get into town late at night and home again by tube, bus or taxi.
Note that the prepositions listed above are often not the only prepositions possible. We can also say e.g. to/at/into/from church and to/in/into/out of bed/prison.
Report: Fund-raising day
From Advanced Expert CAE
Suggested answer
JULY FUND-RAISING DAY
Introduction
This report is intended to:
1 give an overview of our recent fund-raising day for your charity;
2 indicate who raised the money and how:
Introduction
This report is intended to:
1 give an overview of our recent fund-raising day for your charity;
2 indicate who raised the money and how:
3 make recommendations for next year.
Overview
On 22 July this year, a substantial sum of money was raised for the charity. The total raised for disadvantaged children exceeded the sum achieved last year. In the main, the day was very successful.
Participation
Most of the 50 volunteers were students from the university.
How the money was raised
The largest part of the total raised (40%) came from visiting houses and knocking on doors. Collections were also carried out in the street, accounting for 3010, and we raised a further 20% from a jumble sale. The remainder came from a variety of sources.
Recommendations
In the light of this year's experience, I would make the following recommendations:
1 that we organize a wider variety of activities, including street parties (if we could make them work successfully);
2 since some members of the public thought our street collectors were not legitimate fund raisers, we should, in future, issue them with special badges to avoid misunderstanding.
Conclusion
To sum up, I would say that this year's fundraising day was a great success and that we could make it even more successful next year. (220 words)
Overview
On 22 July this year, a substantial sum of money was raised for the charity. The total raised for disadvantaged children exceeded the sum achieved last year. In the main, the day was very successful.
Participation
Most of the 50 volunteers were students from the university.
How the money was raised
The largest part of the total raised (40%) came from visiting houses and knocking on doors. Collections were also carried out in the street, accounting for 3010, and we raised a further 20% from a jumble sale. The remainder came from a variety of sources.
Recommendations
In the light of this year's experience, I would make the following recommendations:
1 that we organize a wider variety of activities, including street parties (if we could make them work successfully);
2 since some members of the public thought our street collectors were not legitimate fund raisers, we should, in future, issue them with special badges to avoid misunderstanding.
Conclusion
To sum up, I would say that this year's fundraising day was a great success and that we could make it even more successful next year. (220 words)
Westfield shopping centre
It’s a bright new future for London shoppers; the Westfield Mall is finally open, 20 years the making at a cost of about 3 billion dollars
Well, it’s opening day here at the Westfield but as you can see it’s packed in fact they expect more than 20 million people a year to walk at these doors. The question is in the middle of a financial crisis will people be buying. It’s got all the big names and a few luxury ones too, but are our customers shopping or just window shopping.
The Westfield is not the only shopping centre hoping for such optimism. The Dubai mall is due to open next week after several delays. The developers say it will be one of the world‘s largest, with an ice-skating rink and aquarium. But behind the glids there’s genuine concern. Retail sales in the UK has slumped for six out of the last seven months and the story is the same across Europe and the US.
Managing Director Michael Gutman insists that Westfield can weather the storm.
“These building are built for the long term and lastly we prefer building in a different environment and retailers is a cyclical business and I think retailers understand that we are investing for the long term. To build up a business in a new location and there’s a huge level of confidence”.
How long will it be before window shopping becomes actual sales.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Writing an essay
In about 200 words write an essay, giving your opinion on the following statement.Plastic surgery is worth the health risks and the money. Do you agree?
Introduce the topic in the first paragraph, giving "the whole picture" and an introduction to both sides of the argument.
Explain the topic giving specific examples.
Use linking words to show the sequence of your ideas and when you are making an extra point.
First ........................... Besides, ...............In my opinion, there are many advantages to ..............
Have a separate paragraph for the other side of the argument. On the other hand, there are some drawbacks .......
Summarise your view in the conclusion, using different words from the introduction. You might want to add some further comment.
In my view ...................... However, ....................... , I think
More useful language:
I think/believe that/ It is often said that/ People claim However, in my view,/opinion
Firstlly it is clear that ..........While it is true that ..............From my point of view .........Finally it is important to remember that ...............On balance then, I feel that ..........To sum up/ In conclusion, it seems to me that ........................
Linkers of contrast: however, nevertheless, alhough, is spite of , whereas, on the other hand
Hypnosis Giving up smoking
www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/articles/2007/06/28/smoking_hypnosis_video_feature.shtml
script
His role essentially is to help a client to bypass the conscious thinking mind in a clinical context; a client will be guided into very deep relaxation, their conscious thinking mind rather like a screen saver switches off and their unconscious mind becomes more receptive to suggestion. It’s not something that the therapist does to their client so it’s not like it’s portrayed on television where you have a hypnotherapist saying things like: look into my eyes, you won’t go will go under, that’s very authoritarian. That doesn’t tend to work.
In order to give up smoking one condition is necessary which is that the clients need to be motivated, they’ve got to want to give up in the sense that if a client rings up and says I really want to give up smoking because it’s bad for my health and it costs me a lot of money bla, bla , bla , that’s really good but if they round it off with “but I really enjoy my cigarette after a meal” or “my wife sent me here” or “I really enjoy that cigarette with the boys, you know, I can’t smoke at work” then they don’t really have the motivation, they are doing it for somebody else.
They’re more likely to relax, they’re more likely to go back to smoking and after for a slight trauma or incident like for example having an argument at work, they might go back smoking or if they find they had a particularly stressful day, they go back smoking but if the client comes in and says “I really don’t want to smoke any more, it’s really affecting my health, I’ve got two young children, it’s costing me a lot of money, I really want to stop but I don’t know how to do it”.
Then I can help them and any good therapist can then help. GPs, surgeons, the medical profession as a whole is beginning to recognize that hypnotherapy and self-induced relaxation is a very powerful therapeutic tool and often is used for where medicine can’t be used or when drug therapy is not a viable option. In fact a lot of my clients have actually come having been recommended to go and find a hypnotherapist by the GP. Hypnotherapy has grown a lot in the last few years.
Smoking is a good success rate because I do paradoxically; I do try to put my clients off, because I really want to test whether they want to give up. It is a one non-stop session but it is full on, in the sense, you know, there’s a lot of information that I give clients and it’s for two and a half hours, that’s the bad part, but after the two and a half hours they will no longer smoke. From the feedback that I’ve got we are looking at between about eighty-ninety per cent so it ¡s quite high Hypnotherapy is according some research the most effective technique to give up smoking simply because it by-passes your conscious mind and it gets to the root cause of why people smoke which is the stress.
In order to give up smoking one condition is necessary which is that the clients need to be motivated, they’ve got to want to give up in the sense that if a client rings up and says I really want to give up smoking because it’s bad for my health and it costs me a lot of money bla, bla , bla , that’s really good but if they round it off with “but I really enjoy my cigarette after a meal” or “my wife sent me here” or “I really enjoy that cigarette with the boys, you know, I can’t smoke at work” then they don’t really have the motivation, they are doing it for somebody else.
They’re more likely to relax, they’re more likely to go back to smoking and after for a slight trauma or incident like for example having an argument at work, they might go back smoking or if they find they had a particularly stressful day, they go back smoking but if the client comes in and says “I really don’t want to smoke any more, it’s really affecting my health, I’ve got two young children, it’s costing me a lot of money, I really want to stop but I don’t know how to do it”.
Then I can help them and any good therapist can then help. GPs, surgeons, the medical profession as a whole is beginning to recognize that hypnotherapy and self-induced relaxation is a very powerful therapeutic tool and often is used for where medicine can’t be used or when drug therapy is not a viable option. In fact a lot of my clients have actually come having been recommended to go and find a hypnotherapist by the GP. Hypnotherapy has grown a lot in the last few years.
Smoking is a good success rate because I do paradoxically; I do try to put my clients off, because I really want to test whether they want to give up. It is a one non-stop session but it is full on, in the sense, you know, there’s a lot of information that I give clients and it’s for two and a half hours, that’s the bad part, but after the two and a half hours they will no longer smoke. From the feedback that I’ve got we are looking at between about eighty-ninety per cent so it ¡s quite high Hypnotherapy is according some research the most effective technique to give up smoking simply because it by-passes your conscious mind and it gets to the root cause of why people smoke which is the stress.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Keep to your resolutions
American Morning “ Keep to your resolutions”
Jeff Gardere, Clinical Psychologist
You need to be specific, realistic and you need to make a plan. If you say you’ve gonna lose weight whatever you do be specific as to how much weight you wanna lose. Be realistic as whether you can actually lose it by a certain amount of time and of course make that plan written down and follow it.
Interviewer : Any plan I make I’m prone to change it immediately.
So see how you can improve it and see how you can follow through. The other thing you have to do is to write down your goal, put them on the fridge so you can remind yourself and chart your progress.
Smoking for instance:
Even if you don’t quit completely the fact that you quit for maybe 20 days is more days. It’s ok to slip.
What about family and friends?
Your mother haranguing
Family and friends are there for you and that’s great. That’s reinforcement. Maybe you can find family and friends who have made the same kind of resolution and you can do it together and be an informal support for one another. It’s the important thing that you have the tenacity, move forward and follow through. (pursue)
What should you do when you fail?
Don’t look at it as a failure. Look at it as a temporary setback because if you see it as a failure our chances are we gonna give it up, we’re not perfect and that’s part of the picture.
Understanding odds. Winning the lottery
6,399,818 dollars.
Late one evening in 1993 Judy purchased 20 dollars for a ticket at 7.11 in Richmond. That night when the number came in Judy and her husband Frank were the only winners.
To win Judy had to match 6 out of 6 numbers between 1 and 44. That may sound easy enough but when you consider all the possible sets of numbers changing just one number at a time. You find 7 million 59 thousand and 52 different combinations.
The odds against winning them are 7 million 59 thousand and 51 to one.
Frank and Judy beat the odds. Over 5 years before they won they purchased maybe 2 or 3 thousand dollars worth of tickets wherever they could afford to lose that wig.
I’ve been telling her you never win the lottery unless you have a ticket in your pocket.
Ron Howard.
Someone might buy a lottery ticket which has a very poor chance of paying off and he might win. Well, that would be a bad decision with a good outcome.
Ron Howard is a professional decision theorist. He helps people and corporations learn how to make better decisions.
The fundamental distinction that you have to make is between the quality of the decision and the quality of the outcome and the consequences that follow from it.
By buying 20 tickets Judy try to improve her odds of winning even though she won, buying a lot of tickets didn’t help much.
Buy one ticket in seven million chances and you have a 99. 99999 % chance of losing.
Buy 20 your chance of losing is 99.99972% at a dollar each you would have to buy 3 and a half million different tickets to have almost a 5050 chance of winning.
The numbers are just too big to carry them in your mind. So instead of figuring the odds people trust in luck.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Shopping Online
Have you ever bought anything on the internet?
Online shopping is becoming more and more common in the UK and in Weekender, we hear BBC business reporter Russell Padmore explain where else internet shopping is popular and what kinds of things people like to buy on the internet. And people in the UK tell us what they really think about buying online. Before you listen to the programme, read these comprehension questions. Try to answer them as you listen.
1: Can you name one of the 'developed' countries mentioned in the programme?
2: Can you give an example of something people prefer not to buy on the internet?
3: What worries people about internet shopping?
Christmas shops
If you walk into many London shops at the moment, you might find it difficult to believe that Christmas is still many weeks away. In this programme, with the help of a market researcher, we find out why Christmas seems to be getting earlier and earlier.
Listen to London Life October 2005
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1128_london_life/page56.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1128_london_life/page56.shtml
Vocabulary from the programme
Christmas has become too commercialized it's too concerned with making money
to hold out to wait for as long as possible to get what you want
consumers people who buy things
retailers people/firms who sell things
a buyers' market a situation where consumers have more power than retailers
to rail against something to protest against something
to be rushed off your feet to be very busy
nerve-wracking difficult and stressful
it's convenient it doesn't cause too many problems, it's simple
Christmas has become too commercialized it's too concerned with making money
to hold out to wait for as long as possible to get what you want
consumers people who buy things
retailers people/firms who sell things
a buyers' market a situation where consumers have more power than retailers
to rail against something to protest against something
to be rushed off your feet to be very busy
nerve-wracking difficult and stressful
it's convenient it doesn't cause too many problems, it's simple
Thursday, December 18, 2008
How to buy on EBay
How to buy on EBay: VideoJug presents a simple guide to buying items on EBay. From registering on the website itself, to completing the sale, this video helps you through it all when buying on EBay.
Step 1:
Register
Before you can begin bidding in eBay auctions, you have to choose a user name and register your contact details and e-mail address. If you use an internet based e-mail address such as Hotmail, you will have to verify your identity using a credit or debit card. Your personal information will be kept confidential by eBay, as stated in their user agreement, which you must agree to register. Use the instructions in the e-mail eBay sends you after you agree to complete your registration.
Step 2:
Searching eBay
Items for sale on eBay are put into categories, listed down the left-hand side of the site. Clicking on one of these categories brings up a series of sub-categories. If you see the sub-category that you are looking for, clicking on it will bring up all the items currently for sale within it. Alternatively, if you know exactly the name of the item you are looking for, you can use the search box at the top of the page. Enter your search and eBay will bring up every item listed that includes your keywords.
Step 3:
Advanced searches
The sheer volume of items for sale at any one time means that you may have to narrow down your initial search results. Clicking onto the advanced search page gives many more search options, including searching by time left on sale, price, location of the item and type of payment accepted. These options also appear on the left-hand side of the screen when searching within a sub-category.
Step 4:
Researching an item
Clicking on an item will bring you to its individual auction page. All the information about the item is contained on this page. Check carefully details such as current price, the description the seller has written about the item's condition and features, postage costs and payment options the seller accepts. There is also an option to e-mail the seller if you have a question about the item not answered on the auction page.
Step 5:
Researching the seller
The number next to a seller's username is the percentage of feedback he has received that is positive. Clicking on the number will show you the total feedback received, and the comments left about the seller by his buyers. This will help you to get an idea of how trustworthy a particular seller is before buying.
Step 6:
Placing a bid
Clicking on the 'place bid' button will take you to the bidding screen. This screen will tell you the current item price and the next bid price. Enter the maximum price you would be willing to pay, and eBay will automatically bid up to that price, if another buyer bids against you. eBay will e-mail you if you have been outbid. Remember that when you bid for an item, you are entering into a contract with the seller to buy if you win the auction.
Step 7:
Buy it now
Some items will be being sold using eBay's 'buy it now' option. This means a seller is willing to accept a fixed price for an item, and first come, first served. You can pay for a buy it now item instantly through Paypal, or use any other payment option accepted by the seller.
Step 8:
Paying
If you are paying via Paypal, click the 'pay now' button located on the item listing page or on the confirmation e-mail sent to your e-mail address. If you are paying another way, the e-mail will include contact details for the seller.
Step 9:
Completing the sale
When you receive the item, make sure it fits the item description. If you are pleased with the item, leave positive feedback about your seller through your my eBay page. The seller will also leave feedback about you as a buyer. Leaving feedback is an important part of the sales process, as you will be helping other buyers make decisions, just like their feedback helped you. If you have a complaint about the item, try and contact the seller to reach a solution. If this fails, you can report the seller to eBay, who will consider what action, if any, to take.
To find out how to sell on eBay, please check out our other eBay films.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
An interview to Tracy Chapman
On how her early success has shaped her long career.
Tracy Chapman was just 24 when she became a worldwide star after performing at Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday concert in London in 1988. Her eponymous debut album earned three Grammy Awards, and became the most successful album by a female artist in UK chart history. Hits such as 'Fast Car', 'Talkin' Bout A Revolution' and 'Baby Can I Hold You' became firmly lodged in our collective memory. But despite releasing seven more well-received albums she never regained the same level of success. But all this could be about to change with a new album, Our Bright Future, and a European tour. She talks to Jane about her life, music and politics, and performs some tracks for Woman’s Hour.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/01/2008_46_mon.shtml
Saturday, December 13, 2008
A review of a film
Paragraph 1: Introduction/Title/ of film/overall impression
Paragraph 2: Plot summary
Paragraph 3: Opinion in detail: acting, direction, music
Paragraph 4: Conclusion/recommendation
Sample review: (from CAE Result . Oxford)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a highly enjoyable action/adventure film. It is a gripping action movie that contains adventure, horror and comedy.
Pirate captain Barbosa and his crew of skeletons are in search of the gold coin that will release them from a curse. When they kidnap the local governor’s daughter (Keira knightly), courageous Will, played by the gorgeous Ornaldo Bloom , sets out to rescue her, assisted by Jack Sparrow, whose ship has been stolen by Barbosa.
The acting in Pirates is superb throughout, with all the actors turning in enthusiastic performances, but Johny Depp is outstanding as the sly, rather crazy Sparrow.
The film would make for a great evening’s entertainment. Pirates is a superb family film with something for everyone.
Paragraph 2: Plot summary
Paragraph 3: Opinion in detail: acting, direction, music
Paragraph 4: Conclusion/recommendation
Sample review: (from CAE Result . Oxford)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a highly enjoyable action/adventure film. It is a gripping action movie that contains adventure, horror and comedy.
Pirate captain Barbosa and his crew of skeletons are in search of the gold coin that will release them from a curse. When they kidnap the local governor’s daughter (Keira knightly), courageous Will, played by the gorgeous Ornaldo Bloom , sets out to rescue her, assisted by Jack Sparrow, whose ship has been stolen by Barbosa.
The acting in Pirates is superb throughout, with all the actors turning in enthusiastic performances, but Johny Depp is outstanding as the sly, rather crazy Sparrow.
The film would make for a great evening’s entertainment. Pirates is a superb family film with something for everyone.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Cosmetic/plastic surgery
How acceptable is it?
The number of cosmetic surgery procedures in Britain has risen by at least 50 per cent in the past year.
Around 75,000 of these procedures are carried out annually, many by surgeons who lack specialist qualifications, and at an estimated cost of £225 million.
The Government is today launching plans to regulate the industry. But does the wider and open use of 'nips and tucks' for women and men, make it acceptable, or should we be concerned about this worship of youth and glamour?
Martha talks to psychotherapist, Susie Orbach, and Zoe Williams
nip and tuck: plastic surgery to remove wrinkles and other signs of aging from your face; an incision is made near the hair line and skin is pulled back and excess tissue is excised; "some actresses have more than one face lift" [syn: face lift]
Listening exercise:
Listen to the six first minutes, note down the main ideas mention in the conversation and later ckeck with the summary-script if you were right.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2005_04_fri_03.shtml
A report by the Health Care commission, which regulates private medicine, estimates that fewer than half of the surgeons working in the field have the relevant specialist qualifications.
Earlier I spoke to Lord W. the Health Minister
We are concerned about:
a. Are all the facilities where this is done appropriately licensed?
b. Are all the people who are carrying out the procedure s appropriately qualified?
c. Is the public well informed enough about whether the places and the people who are undertaking work on their bodies are faithful purpose?
Are there at the moment doctors carrying out procedures who aren’t properly qualified in cosmetic surgery?
The great majority of people who are carrying out cosmetic surgery are on the specialist register or have a specialist qualification in this area
We have not evidence that unqualified in the sense that they are not registered doctors are doing this work
But there’s a small proportion 60/70 out of nearly 800 who are practising in this area who are not in the specialist register………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
They are dealing with the situation. They want to make this more secure given that it’s a rapidly expanding area of activity.
There’s particular concern about non-surgical procedures, we read in newspapers gruesome stories about botox parties.
I agree with you that there are rather gruesome stories that certainly wouldn’t be my cup of tea as a way to spend my time
And we want to ensure that these people only have these procedures with competent people and on licensed premises which are licensed by the Independent Health Care commission.
What seems to be happening is that the government and the regulation are unable to keep pace with the speed which this industry is growing.
…………………………………………………………. Not the same level of supervition……………..
I admit that there’s been a bit of free-lancing here and there and less supervision.
(Martha talks to psychotherapist, Susie Orbach, and journalist, Zoe Williams.)
Sisie, this huge rise in cosmetic surgery seem to become more and more socially acceptable is that something that concerns you?
Why is the number of women drawn into cosmetic surgery increasing?
Susie Orbach : absolutely I think we are fascinated with the programmes we first imported from the United States and we almost look at them like an anthropologist trying to discover another culture another country but they work on us at a certain level, but in a big global study of beauty I participated in:
Women are saying they are affected by the visual images in the world around them and are undermining their own sense of their own physical attractiveness and that they are drawn to plastic surgery because they don’t quite fit in with what they see, so there is a direct relationship between what we see on the billboards or on TV.
Is there a crisis of self-esteem?
People should be a bit tougher with themselves really, I mean we’ve got part of maturity is understanding that there is physical perfection just as there is kind of intellectual magnificence and you might not actually reach it. It’s accepting that some exists and just because you don’t fi t into it doesn’t mean that the whole world is undone.
I think female beauty and male beauty actually have been praise and loaded and depicted and iconographiesed ............................................
It goes on for another 7 minutes…………………………………
Note: Nip/Tuck is an American television medical drama series created by Ryan Murphy for FX Networks. The show follows the lives of two plastic surgeons, Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon).
The number of cosmetic surgery procedures in Britain has risen by at least 50 per cent in the past year.
Around 75,000 of these procedures are carried out annually, many by surgeons who lack specialist qualifications, and at an estimated cost of £225 million.
The Government is today launching plans to regulate the industry. But does the wider and open use of 'nips and tucks' for women and men, make it acceptable, or should we be concerned about this worship of youth and glamour?
Martha talks to psychotherapist, Susie Orbach, and Zoe Williams
nip and tuck: plastic surgery to remove wrinkles and other signs of aging from your face; an incision is made near the hair line and skin is pulled back and excess tissue is excised; "some actresses have more than one face lift" [syn: face lift]
Listening exercise:
Listen to the six first minutes, note down the main ideas mention in the conversation and later ckeck with the summary-script if you were right.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2005_04_fri_03.shtml
One of my Christmas presents this year was a box-set of nip/ tuck, the American Drama about plastic surgery, perhaps it was not such a subtle hint , but I found every all sort of entertainment watching grues and bits of operations behind my fingers generally. But I guess it’s reflexion of the current obsession with cosmetic surgery.
The number of procedures in Britain has risen by 50o% in the last year and there are growing concerns about the standard of care. Today the government is announcing tough new controls over the industry.
A report by the Health Care commission, which regulates private medicine, estimates that fewer than half of the surgeons working in the field have the relevant specialist qualifications.
Earlier I spoke to Lord W. the Health Minister
We are concerned about:
a. Are all the facilities where this is done appropriately licensed?
b. Are all the people who are carrying out the procedure s appropriately qualified?
c. Is the public well informed enough about whether the places and the people who are undertaking work on their bodies are faithful purpose?
Are there at the moment doctors carrying out procedures who aren’t properly qualified in cosmetic surgery?
The great majority of people who are carrying out cosmetic surgery are on the specialist register or have a specialist qualification in this area
We have not evidence that unqualified in the sense that they are not registered doctors are doing this work
But there’s a small proportion 60/70 out of nearly 800 who are practising in this area who are not in the specialist register………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
They are dealing with the situation. They want to make this more secure given that it’s a rapidly expanding area of activity.
There’s particular concern about non-surgical procedures, we read in newspapers gruesome stories about botox parties.
I agree with you that there are rather gruesome stories that certainly wouldn’t be my cup of tea as a way to spend my time
And we want to ensure that these people only have these procedures with competent people and on licensed premises which are licensed by the Independent Health Care commission.
What seems to be happening is that the government and the regulation are unable to keep pace with the speed which this industry is growing.
…………………………………………………………. Not the same level of supervition……………..
I admit that there’s been a bit of free-lancing here and there and less supervision.
(Martha talks to psychotherapist, Susie Orbach, and journalist, Zoe Williams.)
Sisie, this huge rise in cosmetic surgery seem to become more and more socially acceptable is that something that concerns you?
Why is the number of women drawn into cosmetic surgery increasing?
Susie Orbach : absolutely I think we are fascinated with the programmes we first imported from the United States and we almost look at them like an anthropologist trying to discover another culture another country but they work on us at a certain level, but in a big global study of beauty I participated in:
Women are saying they are affected by the visual images in the world around them and are undermining their own sense of their own physical attractiveness and that they are drawn to plastic surgery because they don’t quite fit in with what they see, so there is a direct relationship between what we see on the billboards or on TV.
Is there a crisis of self-esteem?
People should be a bit tougher with themselves really, I mean we’ve got part of maturity is understanding that there is physical perfection just as there is kind of intellectual magnificence and you might not actually reach it. It’s accepting that some exists and just because you don’t fi t into it doesn’t mean that the whole world is undone.
I think female beauty and male beauty actually have been praise and loaded and depicted and iconographiesed ............................................
It goes on for another 7 minutes…………………………………
Note: Nip/Tuck is an American television medical drama series created by Ryan Murphy for FX Networks. The show follows the lives of two plastic surgeons, Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon).
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Obama pledges urgent and sweeping measures to prop up US economy
Barack Obama has promised urgent action to tackle the US job crisis through the biggest infrastructure spending programme since the 1950s.
Speaking in his weekly internet address, and after figures showed the US economy shed 533,000 jobs last month, the US president-elect promised "action now" to get Americans back into work.
"We will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s," he said.
Obama gave more details of a recovery plan to save or create at least 2.5m jobs, and said that states that did not spend the money fast would be penalised. "We'll set a simple rule - use it or lose it," he said. But he claimed he would not simply throw money at the problem.
"We'll measure progress by the reforms we make and the results we achieve - by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world."
His jobs promise came as new figures showed that more than 300,000 people have already applied for posts in his White House team.
The vast majority of applicants will be disappointed – there are likely to be only around 3,300 jobs in the incoming administration when Obama takes over from George Bush on January 20.
In his address, Obama promised "the most sweeping effort to modernise and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen".
Obama, who was urged by Democratic members of Congress to "be more assertive than he has been" over plans to help America's beleaguered car industry yesterday, said the nation felt "rising unease and frustration" as the total number of jobs lost in the recession reached almost 2m.
"We need to act with the urgency this moment demands to save or create at least two- and-a-half million jobs so that the nearly two million Americans who've lost them know that they have a future," he said.
Obama also set out plans to increase access to broadband internet connections in schools, libraries and hospitals.
"It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption," he said.
He added: "Every child should have the chance to get online."
Speaking in his weekly internet address, and after figures showed the US economy shed 533,000 jobs last month, the US president-elect promised "action now" to get Americans back into work.
"We will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s," he said.
Obama gave more details of a recovery plan to save or create at least 2.5m jobs, and said that states that did not spend the money fast would be penalised. "We'll set a simple rule - use it or lose it," he said. But he claimed he would not simply throw money at the problem.
"We'll measure progress by the reforms we make and the results we achieve - by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world."
His jobs promise came as new figures showed that more than 300,000 people have already applied for posts in his White House team.
The vast majority of applicants will be disappointed – there are likely to be only around 3,300 jobs in the incoming administration when Obama takes over from George Bush on January 20.
In his address, Obama promised "the most sweeping effort to modernise and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen".
Obama, who was urged by Democratic members of Congress to "be more assertive than he has been" over plans to help America's beleaguered car industry yesterday, said the nation felt "rising unease and frustration" as the total number of jobs lost in the recession reached almost 2m.
"We need to act with the urgency this moment demands to save or create at least two- and-a-half million jobs so that the nearly two million Americans who've lost them know that they have a future," he said.
Obama also set out plans to increase access to broadband internet connections in schools, libraries and hospitals.
"It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption," he said.
He added: "Every child should have the chance to get online."
Talking about learning a foreign language
Discussion 1:
Compare and contrast these photographs, saying which you think is a better way of learning English.
Discussion 2: What might help you to improve your English? Talk to other students and decide which of the following activities are the most important, why, and in what order.
Reading books
Reading newspapers and magazines
Using dictionaries
Practising writing
Speaking to other students
Watching TV programmes and films without being dubbed.
Having a good teacher
Doing homework (grammar, vocabulary etc..)
Listening to songs
Using Internet
Using the language at work
Going to the country where the language is spoken
Useful language:
Giving opinions
I just think the best way ..........................
In my opinion, ...................................
I have my doubts whether/about ................
I just don't think that .........................
I've always thought that.......................
................. is an important factor for me
Personally, I haven't the faintest idea about/whether .....
I'd just like to say ........
Asking for the opinion of others
What/ How about you?
What's your opinion?
what do you think?
don't you think..........?
Agreement
So do I
Neither do I
That's true
I agree .............
I couldn't agree more
I think so
Saying you aren't sure
Hmm.. I'd have to think about it.
Well, I'm in two minds about it really.
I can't make up my mind.
Disagreement
Yes, but what about?
but, don't you agree that....?
Actually, I think ..................
I see what you mean but I'm not at all sure/convinced that ...........
Yes, but i don't think that......
True, but I'm afraid I disagree (with) .....
Perhaps, but I can't help thinking that......
I see your point but that's not the way I see it.
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