LETTER

You are reading an English language magazine and you see details of a language school that you are interested in.

LEARN ENGLISH AT YOUR OWN PACE!

If you would like to study English on a course that has been specially designed to meet your needs and interests, then contact the Principal of the Effective

Learning School giving details of your:
-.Motivation for studying English; length of time studying English; strengths and weaknesses in the language
-.Preferred start date and length of course
-.Hobbies and interests

We will contact you once we have received your details in order to arrange a programme of study for you.

Dear Sir,

I have read you article in the London magazine, I found it so interesting, because I was looking for something similar, of what you do. I am not a native speaker, but I want to be one, that’s why I’m living in London, away from my family, trying to improve my English. I have made several improvements, and I keep learning a lot of things, but as I know I can continue learning things, I know that there are some parts of the English language that cannot be learned in the street or while you work.

Although I work, I have enough time to learn English in an Academy, and if it is necessary, I will leave work for the lessons, because if I work, it is to improve my English level, as I have said. So the date and length of course it is not a problem, I have plenty of time, and I could have more.
Actually, I am just interest in English, even though I like reading in my free time.

I hope this would be useful for you,

Ariadna

REPORT

The director of the language school you attend is considering making improvements to the general appearance of the school. He / she has asked you to write a report making your recommendations on how this might be achieved. Write your report.

Dear Sir,

I am pleased to present this report, especially because it is a good way to rebuild or to change the school. Although you will receive plenty of suggestions, I would like to show mines.
First of all:

1. I think the school distribution it is not the best. Reception should be the first thing you see when you enter at a place, where plenty of people go. Just to share security and professionalism.

2. I also think that keeping the main entrance in order, helps. Because, nowadays it is full of dust and papers.

3. Being more specific, some classrooms need several furniture, like new blackboards, which work better than the actual ones, clocks, cassettes and a good heating system, but maybe this it is need all over the school.

Secondly:

4. Floors are so antique, and can cause a bad impression, apart that children can be hurt in them if accidentally they fall.

5. And finally the school organisation, which is a kaos. Nobody waits until the last class, and they leave their responsibility to the teacher that is working in this hour.

Finally, I am not going to give you the answer, or a choice to do in each case, because I think, that some points should be treat with calm. Apart that the director is adult enough to see what is not working, why, and what should he do.

I hope that my recommendations will be helpful.


Ariadna Ramon
Student

DOING OTHER SUBJECTS IN ENGLISH

Nowadays some universities and schools are introducing classes in English; it means that all the subjects or almost all of them are done in English. It’s called “Pla Bologna”. It can sound weird for lots of people, since we are not used to this system yet.

Doing other subject in English is not easy for most of people, but we must point out that this proposal could be favourable for all the students, since it would make that the English level would increase in our society.
The main reason to study in English could be that governments want that all students have an intermediate level and consequently we would belong to Europe more.
A further advantage of study in English is that we will probably learn more English or get some more skills with the language without dedicating too much hours of this task, and finally we will get used to this new system.

It’s obvious that there are some disadvantages doing other subjects in English, and there are also a lot of groups against.
The most serious disadvantage is the people who does not have enough abilities or does not know much the language. These people could get some more difficulties to understand what the professor is explaining, or to understand exactly the meaning of the concepts.
One more drawback of this would be with the teachers, because of their possible low level in English. I mean that the majority of them should do an intensive course to study the language or review, and it requires lots of time.

One of the most convincing points to study in English could be that the students would get lots of skills to compete on the work-market, and it would help them to find a job, in the majority of the cases.
The worst one would be the difficulty for some teachers to study a new language.
As far as I am concerned, I think that it is a good chance for us, the students, in order to increase our English level, and it would be useful for us, but I also think that at first, it sounds like a difficult way, and maybe it will be a little difficult to get used.

Women are just as good as men at most sports.

Anybody has never said that sport is only for men and not for women in all the humanity history. Therefore, nowadays as men as women are playing in almost all the sports, in spite of there are still many sports which only men are playing these, for instance: motorcycling, Formula one, boxing, etc.
In my point of view, I think that women should start playing or taking part in all over the sports events.

It strikes me that people still think that only men can play professionally and do it in order to earn a living. I think that it’s absolutely not true, because women are capable as well as men to play all the sports and also to be fans of all kinds of sports. Although women haven’t got the same stamina that men, they have to have the chance to take up playing any sport and do it in order to be professionals and recognisable in the huge sport world.
As I have said it before, motorcycling, Formula one, boxing, climbing, diving, etc, are the typical sports which women are not very common, and not because of her less strength, stamina,… but because they are still far away from these adventure sports. Therefore, more facilities and women teams should be created.

I think that it is clear that women should enter to take part in all the sport without any exception, because if men are capable and they have always been playing all kind of sports, women must do absolutely the same now. It’s known that women have got the same skills or almost the same to become professional and famous players.

A FAMOUS

A description of a famous person

A person that I admire very much is a middle-aged Catalan actor, Joel Joan. He used to play in my favorite soap opera called “Porca Misèria”. I really like the way he looks. He’s very tall, in addition to being very thin. He has short, curly, dark hair and piercing brown eyes. His nose is straight and he has a friendly smile. He’s not clean-shaven, because he’s stubbly. In my way of view he’s one of the best Catalan actors and he’s also so handsome!

His personality is very attractive, too. Although he’s quite famous, he still seems extrovert, cheerful and a social man and as a result has got lots of friends. He isn’t two-faced or selfish. He’s very intellectual because he supports a lot the Catalan language and tries to extend this language. He’s also honest because he helps you with whatever he can. Even though, in occasions, he’s a bit narrow-minded with people around him, he’s a heart of gold and he never flies off the handle. He’s also very interested in fashion, and always dresses very nicely.

Joel Joan tries to do how much he can, and is a good friend. What I admire of him is that when he acts, he becomes great in his roles. Despite his positive and negative things I think that he’s a man with clear ideas and an example to follow for the young people.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ?

“Cars should be banned from city centres.” What do you think?

Personally, I disagree with the statement because I think that cars give activity to the city and when it rains, they let you go without umbrella to the city centres. However, to my way of thinking I should be banned the noisiest cars and I think that the policemen should make to pay a fine to people who just want their car to go on high speed.

In my opinion, I think that the city centres without cars are boring. However, it also helps you to don’t be stress. In addition, the parking cars around the city are so expensive and people don’t have a lot of money to spend in parking cars. So, it is my view that cars are necessary to our society and they are also useful in the city centres. However it is clear that we have to reduce the consumption in cars to help simultaneously our nature.

To sum up, I feel that the best solution is not banning cars from city centres because they are not as bad for the environment as the environmentalists want to show us. But, we can try to use our car less and all the society will be satisfied.

A NARRATIVE ESSAY

Jack’s exciting adventure

I was walking down the street when suddenly I heard a strong noise behind me. I turned back and I didn’t see anything, so I supposed that the nerves had done me a wrong play. Then, I tried to repeat myself: I’m Jack and all it’s gonna be alright.

It would be my first trip to a foreign country and I had decided to go unaccompanied. I caught the night train because I wanted to sleep the entire trip to get recharged batteries for the following days. I was sleeping in the train when I opened my eyes and I saw a strange person in front of me. Then, I saw that it was a train employer and he was asking me my ticket. Suddenly the train stopped and all the people started to cry and to scream. While we were an hour in the dark, I had thought about my situation and with the stupid thing that I had done.

I had had a strange situation during a day and I wanted to apologize with my family. I lowered of the train and I waited for a train to return to my fantastic town. I only want to add that it was an exciting adventure, but I was glad to get back home.

DIALOGUE

Yesterday Poppy walked over to Rave and started talking to him in the school corridor.
Rave is a new student who arrived to Poppy’s school a few days ago. So, it was the first time that they spoke each. Initially, they didn’t find the right words to say but then the problem was solved and they became good friends.

POOPY: Hi Rave. What are you doing?
RAVE: Hello Poppy. Not much. I’m just a little bit tired of my football match.
POOPY: Really? I love football! Someday I’m going to try on to see you!
RAVE: That’s nice and I hope so (She blushed) Hey, what’s wrong?
POOPY: Er…Nothing important I’m just confused.
RAVE: Oh. OK! Guess what? I’m having a good time.
POOPY: Yeah. I was thinking the same.
RAVE: (He smiled) did you hear about the new scientific discovery?
POOPY: No, but I’m very interested in Science! What have they discovered?
RAVE: Wow! I didn’t remember very well. I’m going to look for information and I’m going to tell you in the cafe tonight. Well … if you want to meet with me (He was trembling) so … what do you think about my proposal?
POOPY: (She was shocked) Hmm…Why not? We can gather in the cafe at eight o’clock.
RAVE: OK! I’m going to be there. I’m sorry, I gotta go now.
POOPY: Oh. See you later then. Bye!
RAVE: Bye darling!

The world breaks, Haiti falls down

On the 12th of January the catastrophe began. A 7.0 M earthquake destroyed mostly all the west part of Port-au-Prince, causing massive destructions and deaths.

Haiti, which is one of the poorest city in the American continent, has become famous, for the debasing situation that the habitants are living. First of all they though it was just a common earthquake, but with the successive little earthquakes around 5.6 and 6 M in the Richter line, they change their point of view, and they started to got nervous. No one was able to found any help, and the trapped people each second increased. The country asked for help, but it wasn’t until the third day that the humanitarian aid arrived.

The situation has been infuriating, but although the late arrivals, people has been working hard to help this hide people over the dust to continue with their antique live.

Haitian guy around 8 years old