ADVERTISING OR PROPAGANDA?

ADVERTISING OR PROPAGANDA If the difference between thse two powerful tools to influence public opinion and trends is not too clear to you, we d suggest reading http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advertising-vs-propaganda-24409.html

THE CASE FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING

What makes a language attractive – its sound, national identity or familiarity? The allure of a language may have more to do with perceptions of that country's status and social values than its actual sound Share 2063 Matthew Jenkin theguardian.com, Thursday 17 July 2014 08.00 BST Je t'aime, ti amo, te quiero mucho! Sounds nice doesn't it? If you swoon over sweet nothings whispered in French, Italian or Spanish, you're not alone. But while learning to speak a language famed for its romance may increase your sex appeal, the reason for your preference of one vernacular over another may have little to do with how the sounds roll off the tip of your tongue. Polyglot Roman emperor Charles V declared: "I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse." While the 16th century ruler's views may still hold true to some today, his unflattering opinion of the latter language is more likely to be influenced not by the power and status of the country at the time than the tone of its speakers. Sociolinguists believe the attractiveness of a language is determined by how positively we view a particular group of people who share a cultural outlook. According to Dr Vineeta Chand of the University of Essex, if we have a positive perception of a particular community then we tend to have equally positive views of the language they speak. Language value and attractiveness is, she explains, linked to the prestige of the speaker. In other words, the socioeconomic and mobility advantages the language affords. Chinese, for example, is gaining in popularity because it is seen as an area of economic growth and speaking that particular tonal tongue means better job prospects. Languages spoken by a community that are less economically powerful may not be seen in the same positive light. Similarly, we value languages that allow us to speak to a wider audience. English, therefore, is seen as more valuable because it gives us the ability to communicate outside of a small regionally defined context, whereas a language that is spoken by a much smaller community, such as Hawaiian, is not seen as important or appealing. "There is nothing in the sound of the language that makes it less or more attractive," insists Chand. "Some sounds are more common across the world but that doesn't link to the specific perceptions we have about French and Italian. The idea that a language is more melodic, romantic, poetic and musical are derived from those communities and regions." There is, the linguist explains, a very tight coupling between how we see a community and region, and how we perceive their language. So no matter how hard a speaker tries to woo a listener with delicate prose, if they don't have the social kudos to back it up, the response is unlikely to be favourable. There are, however, specific sounds in many foreign languages that a native English speaker may find alien and therefore harder on the ear. Languages that have different linguistic structures, such as using tones or sounds that are not found in a listener's native tongue, are probably going to sound less enticing. "English speakers are drawn to the melody of a language such as French or Italian," explains Dr Patti Adank, a lecturer on speech, hearing and phonetic sciences at University College London (UCL). "In comparison, languages such as Thai or Mandarin can sound harsh because they are using tonal distinctions. It sounds very unnatural and unexpected." In his book Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages Israeli linguist Guy Deutscher agrees that if a language includes rarer sounds, it is more likely to be perceived as less alluring to those unfamiliar with it. The same, he writes, applies to unusual sound combinations such as consonant clusters. He cites the combination "lbstv" in "selbstverständlich" – the German word for "obvious" – as an example of how strange phonetics can grate on a foreign ear. Deutscher explains: "Italian, for example, has very few, if any, sounds that are not shared by other European languages, and few consonant clusters, and it is widely considered a beautiful language. This may not be a coincidence." Attempts to understand this phenomenon have spawned various YouTube videos of amateur linguists speaking gibberish with perfect accents to give us a clue how one might sound to someone who doesn't speak the same language. Comedian Sid Cesar was well known for his nonsensical "double talk" routines, which had a similar aim. But despite many people's fascination with the subject, there has been surprisingly little research conducted to explore it further. Chand says the biggest hurdle to understanding why some languages sound more inviting than others is separating subjective opinion from scientific fact. Labelling certain languages as ugly or beautiful is also a dangerous game many linguists are keen not to play. She says: "We spend a lot of time in linguistics dispelling myths and the notion of hierarchical languages in terms of attractiveness, grammar and rules. There is less research on this because it is opening a can of worms you don't really want to encourage. "There hasn't been any research that I know of that has directly exploited the attractiveness of a language and didn't eventually tie it back to the social evaluation of the speaking community." Print this Article history Education Languages Science Language Series The case for language learning More from The case for language learning on Education Languages Science Language More features Who is this year's public language champion? Last year it was Wenger, who will it be this year? The Guardian is asking the public to nominate candidates for a public figure who champions language education Click here to make your nomination

Consumption and Consumerism

An insight to the issue of compulsive buying disorder or better known as "shopaholic" from a global point of view: http://www.globalissues.org/print/issue/235

Pros and Cons of Merit Pay for Teachers (Debate) (CPE - CAE)

Here you are a brief article that deals with the issue of paying teachers according to their result in class: http://k6educators.about.com/od/assessmentandtesting/a/meritypay.htm

LORD OF THE FLIES SUMMARY

Lord of the Flies explores the dark side of humanity, the savagery that underlies even the most civilized human beings. William Golding intended this novel as a tragic parody of children's adventure tales, illustrating humankind's intrinsic evil nature. He presents the reader with a chronology of events leading a group of young boys from hope to disaster as they attempt to survive their uncivilized, unsupervised, isolated environment until rescued. In the midst of a nuclear war, a group of British boys find themselves stranded without adult supervision on a tropical island. The group is roughly divided into the "littluns," boys around the age of six, and the "biguns," who are between the ages of ten and twelve. Initially, the boys attempt to form a culture similar to the one they left behind. They elect a leader, Ralph, who, with the advice and support of Piggy (the intellectual of the group), strives to establish rules for housing and sanitation. Ralph also makes a signal fire the group's first priority, hoping that a passing ship will see the smoke signal and rescue them. A major challenge to Ralph's leadership is Jack, who also wants to lead. Jack commands a group of choirboys-turned-hunters who sacrifice the duty of tending the fire so that they can participate in the hunts. Jack draws the other boys slowly away from Ralph's influence because of their natural attraction to and inclination toward the adventurous hunting activities symbolizing violence and evil. The conflict between Jack and Ralph — and the forces of savagery and civilization that they represent — is exacerbated by the boys' literal fear of a mythical beast roaming the island. One night, an aerial battle occurs above the island, and a casualty of the battle floats down with his opened parachute, ultimately coming to rest on the mountaintop. Breezes occasionally inflate the parachute, making the body appear to sit up and then sink forward again. This sight panics the boys as they mistake the dead body for the beast they fear. In a reaction to this panic, Jack forms a splinter group that is eventually joined by all but a few of the boys. The boys who join Jack are enticed by the protection Jack's ferocity seems to provide, as well as by the prospect of playing the role of savages: putting on camouflaging face paint, hunting, and performing ritualistic tribal dances. Eventually, Jack's group actually slaughters a sow and, as an offering to the beast, puts the sow's head on a stick. Of all the boys, only the mystic Simon has the courage to discover the true identity of the beast sighted on the mountain. After witnessing the death of the sow and the gift made of her head to the beast, Simon begins to hallucinate, and the staked sow's head becomes the Lord of the Flies, imparting to Simon what he has already suspected: The beast is not an animal on the loose but is hidden in each boy's psyche. Weakened by his horrific vision, Simon loses consciousness. Recovering later that evening, he struggles to the mountaintop and finds that the beast is only a dead pilot/soldier. Attempting to bring the news to the other boys, he stumbles into the tribal frenzy of their dance. Perceiving him as the beast, the boys beat him to death. Soon only three of the older boys, including Piggy, are still in Ralph's camp. Jack's group steals Piggy's glasses to start its cooking fires, leaving Ralph unable to maintain his signal fire. When Ralph and his small group approach Jack's tribe to request the return of the glasses, one of Jack's hunters releases a huge boulder on Piggy, killing him. The tribe captures the other two biguns prisoners, leaving Ralph on his own. The tribe undertakes a manhunt to track down and kill Ralph, and they start a fire to smoke him out of one of his hiding places, creating an island-wide forest fire. A passing ship sees the smoke from the fire, and a British naval officer arrives on the beach just in time to save Ralph from certain death at the hands of the schoolboys turned savages. As all authors use their life and times as reference points in their works, William Golding drew heavily on the social-religious-cultural-military ethos of his times. Lord of the Flies is an allegorical microcosm of the world Golding knew and participated in. The island and the boys and many other objects and events in the work represent Golding's view of the world and humankind in general and some characteristics or values found in British culture specifically. Significant personal life experiences shaped the author and therefore his work. Golding spent two years as a science student at Oxford University before he aborted his pursuit of science for a degree in English literature, his first step toward a rejection of the scientific rationalism espoused by his father. Having joined the British Royal Navy when World War II began, Golding was involved in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. After his military experience, Golding was a schoolteacher and, for 15 years, immersed himself in reading the Greek classics because, according to him, "this is where the meat is." He felt that Greek drama had a great influence on his work; many scholars agree. As a synthesis of Golding's life experiences, Lord of the Flies investigates three key aspects of the human experience that form the basis of the the author wants to convey: (1) The desire for social and political order through parliaments, governments, and legislatures (represented by the platform and the conch). (2) The natural inclination toward evil and violence, manifested in every country's need for a military (represented by the choir-boys-turned-hunters-turned-murderers and in the war going on in the world beyond the island); and (3) The belief in supernatural or divine intervention in human destiny (represented by the ceremonial dances and sacrifices intended to appease the "beast"). By juxtaposing the evil, aggressive nature of the degenerating boys with the proper reserve and civility of the British persona that their cultural background implies, Golding places the boys in a series of life experiences that lead some (like Jack) deeper into their depraved psyche, and some (like Ralph), who recognize the inclination toward evil in themselves, to an epiphany of self-discovery. Such an epiphany is the only hope for humankind to escape from itself. History of Lord of the Flies Golding wrote Lord of the Flies in 1954, less than a decade after World War II, when the world was in the midst of the Cold War. The atrocities of the Holocaust, the horrific effects of the atomic bomb, and the ominous threat of the Communist demon behind the Iron Curtain were all present in the minds of the western public and the author. This environment of fear combined with technology's rapid advances act as a backdrop to the island experiences: the shot-down plane, for example, and the boys' concern that the "Reds" might find them before the British do. Historically, in times of widespread socio-economic distress, the general public feels itself vulnerable and turns to the leader who exhibits the most strength or seems to offer the most protection. In Lord of the Flies, Jack and the hunters, who offer the luxury of meat and the comforts of a dictatorship, fill that role. In exchange for his protection, the other boys sacrifice any moral reservations they may have about his policies and enthusiastically persecute the boys who resist joining their tribe. These circumstances somewhat mirror Germany's economic suffering, which paved the way for the radical politics of Adolph Hitler's Nazism in the aftermath of World War I and in the worldwide depression of the 1930s

WATER CYCLE VOCABULARY

HERE ARE SOME USEFUL WORDS CONNECTED WITH THE TOPIC OF WATER http://quizlet.com/2433072/water-cycle-vocabulary-flash-cards/

The Classroom Experiment (Ep.2)

The Classroom Experiment (Ep.1)

Very interesting video about the differents points of view that are involved in new strategies to improve classroom engagement, motivation and outcomes.

school start time

This is a very nice topic to debate in class: Should school start times suit students or viceversa? This issue is being dealt with in the U.S.A. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/08/28/education-school-start-times-your-say/14757747/.

student engagement and motivation

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND MOTIVIATION STRATEGIES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9yOOwGYYfU

OBSERVING TEACHERS

Dilemmas in Observing, Supervising and Assessing Teachers Rod Bolitho, Norwich Institute for Language Education, UK Readers who are in any way concerned with the observation, supervision and assessment of teachers and teaching will recognise that these processes involve a complex web of issues and dilemmas for both observers and observees. This paper looks at some of these issues, largely from an observer/supervisor/assessor perspective, under four main headings and also includes some recommendations for improvements in our practices in this important area of our profession. A fair amount has been written on supervision cycles (Gaies and Bowers 1990, Randall with Thornton 2001), and on models of the supervision process (Freeman 1982, Gebhard 1990), stressing the need to differentiate between degrees of directiveness in feedback, but there is relatively little on attitudes, affect and on the psychological factors at play in the observation encounter. This article sets out to redress that balance. Introduction Very few teachers can put hand on heart and say that they enjoy being observed. But why is this? There may be several reasons, but one of the most likely ones is that it is perceived by an observee as an extremely high stakes event. The decision to become a teacher is an existentially significant one, and the thought that one’s professional judgement and skills are under scrutiny by an ‘outsider’ to the class community one has striven to mould and develop is usually seen as scary, perhaps even more so because a single observation can never be more than just a ‘snapshot’ of the longer term endeavours which are crucial in teaching and learning. The potential for misunderstandings seems, in the mind of the observee, to be immense. Yet it is the observer who is the ‘senior partner’ in this process and I will now look at ways in which observers can be more self-aware and better prepared for the task they are charged with, whether they are observing for assessment, for training, for research or for professional development (cf. Maingay 1988). I see four main categories of dilemma, each of which needs to be explored and understood at a deeper level. Dilemma 1: Observer ‘Baggage’ When we go into a classroom to observe a teacher we are very seldom able to do this in a completely non-judgemental way. Let’s look at what we take in with us: i Our own view of what constitutes good teaching. Most observers are experienced teachers with their own ideas about how to teach and how to behave as a teacher; 8 Assessing and Evaluating English Language Teacher Education ii Our own view of what a classroom should look like, and of the ‘proper’ relationship between teachers and learners. These assumptions are often culturally rooted and they are of particular importance in crosscultural observation encounters, for example, when a British teacher educator observes a class in a developing world context; iii i & ii above mean that we are in constant danger of thinking, “I wouldn’t do it like that” or something similar; iv In many contexts, the observer may know the teacher, the class or both, with the result that he/she takes preconceptions into the classroom. “I know she isn’t up to teaching at advanced level”; “I don’t expect to see a brilliant lesson from X” etc; and v We may go into an observation stressed by our last private or professional encounters, with our mind on other priorities, maybe feeling unwell or tired, or just in a bad mood after a terrible journey to work or a disagreement with a family member or colleague. None of this ‘baggage’ is easy to deal with, but awareness of it is half the battle. Here are some of the things I tell myself before any and every observation: • “I am going in to observe this teacher and her class on her terms and not on mine. I need to clear my head of my own preferences and practices and try to see what this teacher is trying to do and why. What I would do in her situation is simply not relevant.” • “In order to be fair to this teacher, I have to understand what she is aiming to do before I go in. I need to have a chat with her and allow her to tell me all about the class from her point of view. Any advice I give, directly or indirectly, needs to be based on this understanding.” • “I need to go into this class with an open and curious mind, and learn from what I see and hear. I need to remember that there are many ways of being a good teacher.” • “I need to clear my head of all the preconditioned noise it contains before I enter the classroom so that I can be fully ‘present’ and attentive during the lesson.” Dilemma 2: The Perception Gap Any detective investigating a crime will tell you that there are usually as many versions of events as there are witnesses, and that these all have to be sifted and sorted in order to arrive at the common ground that is needed to move the investigation forward. So it is with classroom observation. A teacher, managing the class and engaging with his/her learners through spoken interaction and Assessing and Evaluating English Language Teacher Education 9 eye contact, often from a standing position and from the front of the classroom, is likely to perceive classroom incidents differently from an observer sitting at the back or the side of the classroom, remaining passive and avoiding eye contact with learners. The teacher will notice things that the observer fails to see, and vice versa. And there is a third perspective which in certain situations will also need to be taken into account: that of the learners themselves. Left unexplored and unarticulated, these differences in perception may lead to misunderstanding and resentment. Properly broached, for example, through questions in a postlesson feedback session, they become learning opportunities and also a chance for the teacher to explain the rationale of a particular course of action. An experienced observer or assessor will be aware of the potential for learning and understanding if the perception gap becomes the focus of dialogue between him/her and the observee. Productive exchanges such as these may then ensue: Observer: “I noticed that most of your questions were directed at stronger learners, and that some of the others seemed bored.” Teacher: “Was I really doing that? It definitely wasn’t deliberate.” Observer: “Did you know that some of the kids at the back were texting on their mobile phones?” Teacher: “To be honest, I didn’t. It’s quite difficult for me to see what the pupils at the back are doing in such a crowded classroom.” Observer: “Any ideas on how to deal with that in your next class?” Teacher: “Not at the moment, but I’ll give it some thought.” Teacher: “I was a bit concerned that I was too hard on students when they made mistakes. I think I jump in too quickly with corrections.” Observer: “I thought you handled the mistakes pretty effectively when they were giving their summaries. Sometimes you need to intervene briefly and supportively, and I thought you got that about right, to be honest.” Teacher: “Thanks. Maybe I’ll also ask them how they felt about that when I see them next time. I don’t want to discourage them.” Observer: “Good idea!” Focussing selectively, from different perspectives, on three or four incidents in a lesson can lead to concrete action and improvement in a teacher. We need to remember that this is often more helpful to a teacher than to be confronted with ‘big picture’ comments on the lesson as a whole, which may leave her wondering where to start when planning the next lesson. It also encourages dialogue on an equal footing between teacher and observer, and in the context of an assessed lesson, may help the observer-assessor to understand the reasons behind a teaching decision and find out if the teacher has acted in a principled way – or not. 10 Assessing and Evaluating English Language Teacher Education One consequence of the existence of the ‘perception gap’ as a potentially fruitful area to explore through dialogue is that observers may need training in supervision procedures and may need to be observed giving feedback in order to become more aware of the value and impact of the different options available to both parties in the post-lesson discussion (cf Freeman 1982, Gebhard 1990). Dilemma 3: The Impact of an Observer’s Presence Whatever their purpose, an observer is, at best, an invited guest and, at worst, an intimidating presence in a classroom. A teacher has to find a way of explaining the appearance of the observer to his/her students and this may be a delicate matter, especially if the lesson is to be assessed. No observed lesson is ever completely normal, and the visible presence of a ‘foreign body’ is all too often a distraction for both teacher and learners. As an invited observer, but also as an assessor, I have frequently realised that I was witnessing a ‘staged’, one-off lesson, sometimes even pre-rehearsed, that bore little or no resemblance to what happens between teacher and class on a day-to-day basis. In some training and professional development contexts, a code of practice has been established to provide a basis for classroom observation, supervision and assessment. This might include the following guidelines, for example: • The observer should keep a low profile, sitting where she can get a good view of the lesson with the least possible distraction to teacher and learners; • The observer may be introduced to the class as a guest who is interested in the teaching and learning that goes on in the classroom. (These first two guidelines will help the learners’ curiosity to be satisfied and may also lead to a quicker resumption of ‘normal’ classroom behaviour.); • The observer should let the teacher know if she wishes to take notes, stressing that the teacher should not jump to any conclusions when she notices the observer writing – this is merely a way of capturing data which may be helpful to the teacher in the feedback session; • The teacher should make the lesson as ‘normal’ as possible, and explain to the observer where it fits into a longer sequence of teaching; and • The observer should not play any active part, or intervene in any way, in a lesson unless invited to do so by the teacher. (In one observation in an Eastern European country, I was accompanied by a head of department whose patience snapped half way through the lesson, resulting in her standing up and taking the class over from the poor teacher, causing what I can only imagine was a painful blow to her selfesteem.) Assessing and Evaluating English Language Teacher Education 11 In a procedure based on good practice in person-centred counselling, Quirke (1996) suggests that it is sometimes better for an ‘observer’ not to be present during a lesson but to give feedback based on a teacher’s account of the event. Though this at least deals with the whole issue of the impact of an observer’s presence, it is more likely to be effective in an atmosphere of trust within an institution, possibly between peers working together on a reciprocal basis, rather than in a more power-based relationship such as between a teacher and a manager or a trainee and a supervisor-assessor. Dilemma 4: The Delicate Matter of Assessment The difficulty in attaining even a modest level of objectivity in assessing teachers was alluded to in the discussion of the first dilemma above. This is compounded by the stresses and strains involved for all parties when a teacher is assessed. For a pre-service trainee it can be a ‘make or break’, life-changing moment; for an experienced teacher self-esteem and self-worth are at stake. Here are just some of the conundrums an assessor faces: • On pre-service training courses, observers are often saddled with the dual role of trainer and assessor. After a series of developmental observations followed by formative feedback sessions, they are suddenly required to carry out a summative assessment which may ultimately decide whether a trainee is a suitable entrant to the teaching profession. It can be difficult to reconcile these two roles; • Is it better to use a checklist and to look for discrete points of competence in a lesson or should assessment be conducted on a more holistic basis, encompassing a view of a lesson as a complete event? • Are the criteria the assessor will use clear and transparent to the teacher being assessed? Are the criteria ‘global’ in nature or do they take account of the teacher’s individual characteristics and the context in which he/ she operates? In short, does the teacher know what the assessor is looking for? • How can an assessor know that his/her assessment practices are in line with those of others charged with the same responsibility? • Is the teacher capable of self-assessment? If so, to what extent can an ‘external’ assessor take account of this when coming to a verdict on a lesson? The question of fairness and principled objectivity in assessing teachers and teaching comes up again and again and is the cause of upset and grievances when the views of the assessor and the assessed teachers cannot be reconciled. Here are some examples of good practice in this vexed area of assessment: • Criteria need to be clear, accessible and transparent. No teacher should be surprised by the criteria used in their assessment; 12 Assessing and Evaluating English Language Teacher Education • Box-ticking on a checklist of competences can distract an assessor from the ‘big picture’ of a lesson. Checklists can be useful to refer to as evidence for a grade allocated initially on the basis of a holistic impression, but attempts to use them as criteria during an observation can result in a skewed focus on micro-issues at the expense of a more complete view of the lesson; and • Assessors need regular training and updating, using video-recorded lessons for benchmarking. These often involve useful discussions about the meaning of criteria and the balance of factors contributing to a decision about a grade. Exercises like this help assessors to be more aware of their own preconceived ideas about ‘good teaching’. Conclusion In recent years there has been a welcome increase in attention to the training of teacher trainers and educators. The practicum in pre-service training and developmental observation for serving teachers are acknowledged as crucial planks in maintaining and improving standards of teaching, and yet the trainer’s or educator’s role as an observer, supervisor or assessor remains largely underexplored, susceptible to subjectivity in its practices and cloaked in silence and handed-down traditions rather than opened up in public debate. In this article I have tried to open up some of the issues that need to be talked about and resolved if this situation is to be improved. References Duff, T. (Ed) (1988): Explorations in Teacher Training. Harlow: Longman Freeman, D. (1982): ‘Observing teachers: three approaches to in-service training and development’ in TESOL Quarterly 16/1 Gaies, S. & Bowers, R. (1990): ‘Clinical supervision of language teaching: the supervisor as trainer and educator’ in Richards, J.C. & D. Nunan (Eds) (1990): Second Language Teacher Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Gebhard, J (1990): ‘Models of supervision: choices’ in Richards, J.C. & Nunan, D. (Eds) (1990): Second Language Teacher Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Maingay, P.

connective devices f.c. - c.a.e.

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=2163

basic exercises on conjunctions 2 elementary and intermediate levels

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=1791

basic exercises on conjunctions for elementary and intermediate levels

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=232

CAN CHIMPS TALK ?

ARE WE THE ONLY SPECIES THAT CAN DEVELOP LANGUAGE AND USE IT EFFECTIVELY ? YOU LL BE SURPRISED TO READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE : http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/ling002.html

idioms related to money and finance

If you want to read more about MONEY issues, here s there is a long list of idioms that the ENGLISH use a lot http://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idiom-categories/money/money1.html

THE FUTURE OF UNIVERSITY TRADITIONAL OR ONLINE

THE FUTURE OF UNIVERSITY TRADITIONAL OR ONLINE http://www.gradquiz.com/studentvine/2013/10/the-future-of-university-traditional-vs-online/

MENTORING

ON UPDATING EDUCATION TECHNIQUES Mentoring is an ongoing one-to-one relationship between an adult and a student who needs support to achieve academic, career, social and/or personal goals. Mentoring programs are operated by schools, community organizations, businesses, religious organizations, professional groups, colleges and various levels of government. They provide students avenues for exploring education and career paths, stronger incentives for staying in school and increased confidence to succeed. Although no two mentoring programs are exactly alike, many experts agree that they need a common set of strong elements: (1) carefully screened volunteers, (2) training for mentors, (3) procedures for matching mentors to students and (4) case-managed support and supervision. In the United States, parents are the central source of emotional, financial and social support for their children. Many young people also are fortunate to be part of larger networks, including grandparents, other relatives, neighbors, and community and religious organizations. Adults in these networks can offer youth extra attention, affection, guidance and a sense of direction — all of which are increasingly important given the wide array of outside influences, not all of them positive, that face our youth today. Family, community and civic life in this country, however, are changing. Fewer people know their neighbors. More households are headed by a single parent or both parents are working. Many young people live in families that are under tremendous pressure because of poverty, divorce, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, violence or stress. These families are often isolated from the larger community and, as a result, the youth in the greatest need of help from outside the family may be the least able to get it. Mentoring programs are one of the best means of bringing a person who can represent the concern and support of the larger community into the lives of young people. In many ways, mentoring represents a return to tradition, calling upon the community to provide our youth with care and guidance, and to nurture and challenge them. Research shows that providing young people with consistent adult support through a well-supervised, frequently occurring, long-term mentoring relationship improves grades and family relationships, and helps prevent initiation of drug and alcohol use. While mentoring programs cannot remove all of the obstacles facing youth, they can have a large, positive impact on young lives. By offering youth friendship, guidance and a positive perspective on life over a sustained period of time, mentoring programs can show that someone is interested in their well-being and success. YOU TUBE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LVgHqB7tiU

FOR INTERPRETERS :SECTARIAN WAR IN IRAK AFFECTS SYRIA

STUDENTS OF INTERPRETING 2ND YEAR PLEASE READ AND TRANSLATE http://www.nbcnews.com/id/55433736/

allergies

IF YOU WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT ALLERGIES YOU CAN GO TO http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/allergies/basics/definition/con-20034030

benefits of travelling

THE BENEFITS OF TRAVELLING Many people ponder what they should do for a vacation and I realized a lot of people don’t seem to share my views about traveling. I believe it’s very important to see the world and different cultures. It lets us open our minds to new things and we get to experience life in exiting different ways. Traveling gives us the opportunity to disconnect from our regular life. You get to forget your problems/issues for a few weeks, it can also help you figure things out that you would not have understood without the distance traveling can give you. We all have crazy schedules, work and a family to take care of, going away alone or with some friends can give you distance and perhaps even make you realize how important these people are for you. Like the saying says: we never know what we have until we lose it. Another great benefit is the relaxation you get to do. It’s nice to live life to its fullest and enjoy a stress free time with yourself. Going on vacation lets us recharge our “batteries” by disconnecting us from our regular life. When we come back we feel invigorated and we are happy to be back in our day to day routine. It’s a very good stress remover that has a lot more to give than most people are willing to accept. Traveling increases our knowledge and widens our perspective. To view new customs, different ways of living is fantastic for the mind. It gives us a new perspective about life and especially our life, it can help us change some of our habits or even create new ones. When I travel I usually make it a point to try new food, some cultures don’t have fries in their diet and they are all skinny, others use spices to give taste and not oils or fats. Discovering different values and ways to get by in life is really interesting. You also need to visit exotic new places and discover what this wonderful world has to offer. New experiences increase our resourcefulness by living situations you would never encounter at home, this is great experience for you when you come back to your routine. I have noticed that people who traveled a lot in life were ready to embrace change and have a natural ability of overcoming problems that others would frown upon. When traveling with friends or family it creates memories for a lifetime. These memories will create a bond that nothing can erase no matter what happens with the friendship/relationship. It can also give a new perspective on the relationship and cement the bond forever. It also gives nice stories to tell people afterwards, you can create photo albums about your trips and when you feel nostalgic you can take an hour of your life and experience the trips again by looking at your pictures. It’s never been this cheap to travel. With soaring oil prices the cheap travel era might be coming to an end. However there are still many budget airlines fighting for your dollar right now. With the internet and all the new technology, you can plan your trip exactly the way you want it. You can choose your budget, the duration of the trip and what you want to do. I suggest to read travel blogs and see what others are experiencing, you can save yourself a few hurdles by reading about their trip. If you have some time off I suggest to take that trip and experience what life has to offer. Don’t wait or tell yourself there will be a better time to go. Take the risk, the opportunity and buy your plane ticket right now and leave. When you come back you won’t be sorry that you left, on the contrary you will be thinking of your next trip the second you come back from the airport. Feel free to let me know how traveling helped you out, what new experiences you lived and how they helped you in your life.

ANIMAL COMMUNICATION PROF ANA LOVATO

ANIMAL COMMUNICATION From Dr. Doolittle to Jane Goodall, human-animal communication has occupied our thoughts both in fiction and in reality. Dogs recognize their names when they are called; researchers have successfully taught primates to communicate in sign language; and the famed African gray parrot, Alex, built a vocabulary of over 100 English words out of which he learned to form cogent sentences. All of these examples show humans reaching out to communicate with animals, but what happens when animals try to speak with us? For the first time researchers have released a recording of the spontaneous impersonation of human speech out of the mouth. . . or spout of a beluga whale. The unexpected speaker was a cetacean (the scientific name for beluga whales) named NOC, residing in San Diego, California at the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program. After seven years under the care of researchers in the program, NOC began to produce vocalizations that sounded remarkably similar to human speech, but unlike dolphins or marine mammals in similar programs, NOC was never trained to do so. Sam Ridgway, president of the National Marine Mammal Foundation, released a paper in Current Biology Magazine describing the odd mechanics NOC had to master in order to produce such human-like sounds. By applying pressure sensors to detect vibrations in NOC’s nasal passages, Ridgway concluded that NOC was using a structure that appears in dolphins and some whales known as “phonic lips.” The cetacean controlled this unlikely organ to mitigate the flow of sound out of his nasal cavity (the blowhole on top of his head) in the same way humans control their vocal chords. Though NOC sadly passed away in 1999, his voice lives on in the recordings that have inspired this exciting new development in human-animal communication. Give it a listen. What do you think NOC is saying? Leave your Comment 1. Dali Pea - May 19, 2014 - 5:34 pm When the Armed Forces run these kinds of “programs” under the label of “research”, it makes me both suspicious and sad. Keeping advanced marine mammals such as dolphins and whales in captivity for any reason is in my opinion cruel and unnecessary – especially when it is for human entertainment… under the guise of wanting to be seen as caretakers and guardians of nature. These animals are far too intelligent to be performing parlour tricks for snacks. Free them all I say. Better to die wild than live out their days as slaves.

FIRST CERTIFICATE REVIEWS USEFUL LANGUAGE

We sometimes must write the review of a movie or a theatre play Here is some useful language Try to write out the collocations ex a gripping story and then use them in your compos http://www.usingenglish.com/files/pdf/fce-first-certificate-in-english-writing-reviews.pdf

HUMAN ENCROACHMENT - ENDANGERED SPECIES

wHAT HAPPENS WHEN HUMANS INVADE ANIMALS HABITATS? YOU CAN READ http://www.voanews.com/content/fao-diseases-16dec13/1811451.html http://endangeredspecies.about.com/od/endangeredspecies101/a/What-Causes-Species-To-Become-Endangered.htm wE ALL SEEM TO LOVE ANIMALS BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING TO SAVE SOME SPECIES FROM EXTINCTION ? LEARN WHAT THSE KIDS HAVE DONE AND ARE DOING .... http://endangeredspecies.about.com/od/endangeredspeciesconservation/a/Omg-Kids-Helping-Endangered-Species.htm

REAL ENGLISH FOR ELEMENTARY STS

Dear Students This is a very interesting link for those who are learning the basics http://www.real-english.com/new-lessons.asp hope you enjoy it yamila and pat

BARACK OBAMA ON EDUCATION YOU TUBE

listen to barack at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ5kqTcXfTk

ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS

SEVERE ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS READ THIS LINK http://inhabitat.com/7-biggest-threats-to-the-environment-why-we-still-need-earth-day/earth-lake-michigan/?extend=1

UKRAINE THE DISAPPEARING COUNTRY

The disappearing country Apr 13th 2014, 20:27 by T.J. | SLOVIANSK, UKRAINE (for now) CloseSave this articleClick this to add articles to your Timekeeper reading list. Learn more » .. THE KIEV authorities' hold on Donbas and much of the wider region of eastern Ukraine has disappeared. President Oleksandr Turchynov had said that a military operation was imminent and that anyone who left the seized buildings by 6am on April 14th would not be prosecuted. But by nightfall, as fog covered the Donbas, it was clear that no concerted government action to take back the region was under way. The region’s police appear to have defected en masse to the pro-Russian side. Police buildings in the town of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk fell to armed men on April 12th and there were reports of other municipal buildings being taken elsewhere. A Ukrainian security services operation to restore authority in Sloviansk failed. Military or police helicopters flew over the town and unconfirmed sources said crowds prevented them from landing. Along the highway leading from the regional capital, Donetsk, barricades have gone up, manned by men wielding clubs and metal batons. Some are armed with guns. At the entrance to Sloviansk, bigger barricades have been erected. In nearby Kramatorsk, small groups of men stood by the police station and nearby barricades. On the morning of April 13th Arsen Avakov, the Ukrainian interior minister, announced that a fight-back for the east of the country was beginning. A few hours later a film was circulating of stalled armoured personal-carriers, a slumped man who appeared dead and another one on the ground apparently wounded. Mr Avakov said that one had died and five had been wounded in the shootout. Another film showed a group of well-organised men in military uniform storming the police station in Kramatorsk. They are seen to be followed by men in civilian clothes. On April 13th a few dozen unarmed men were manning new barricades by the police station. The military unit seen in the film was no longer in evidence, having possibly moved elsewhere. Ukrainian officials say they are troops from Russia. Earlier in the day, at the barricade leading into Sloviansk, the first line of defence was a group of old ladies holding icons and saying they wanted nothing but peace. Behind them was a tyre barricade. On the side Molotov cocktails were being prepared. Behind this were men with clubs, who appeared to listen to orders being given by two uniformed armed men. Russian flags and those of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic were flying at all the barricades and seized buildings. But what people want is unclear. Some say they want more autonomy, some want a federal Ukraine and some want to be incorporated by Russia. In Sloviansk small groups in front of the barricades by the seized police station chanted: “Donbas rise up!” Many people railed against their low quality of life. They shouted that they worked hard while western Ukrainians were lazy and had to be subsidised by them. No one who supported the Ukrainian government was in evidence. On the outskirts of Kramatorsk, Dimitry Padushkin was quarreling with a small group of men sent to stand at the entrance of a decrepit and non-functioning municipal airport that he said he owned. Away from the group of men, who said they had been posted there to see that no Ukrainian forces landed, Mr Padushkin said that local pro-Ukrainians were frightened. “Of course there will be conflict,” he said. And for Russia, “this region will not be enough. They want everything. They will take all Ukraine.” (Photo credit: Tim Judah)

wind energy

WIND POWER GO TO THIS LINK http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/climatechange/10923windfacts.pdf

STATUS OF THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES AND THE WEST

INTERPRETING STUDIES SUBJECT ASPECTOS DE LA REALIDAD SOCIAL CONTEMPORANEA THE MUSLIM WORLD TODAY If you prefer, you can read the original at http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_251_300/status_of_muslim_societies_aroun.htm STATUS OF MOSLEM SOCIETIES AROUND THE WORLD Dr. M. I. H. Farooqi, Gen. Secretary, Urdu Scientific Society, (Retd. Scientist (Deputy Director), National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow) Address: C / 3-2 Shahid Apartments, Golaganj, Lucknow - 226 018 Tel. : 0522-2610683 Email: mihfarooqi@satyam.net.in There was a time when Islamic Civilization was considered to be the most advanced, tolerant and progressive Civilization in the world. This was mainly because of their accomplishments in practically all the disciplines of knowledge. After 16th century AD, the situation changed drastically. Learning and inquiry was no more the motto of the Muslims with the result that today they occupy the lowest position in the ladder of the world. They are educationally backward, scientifically marginal, politically insignificant and economically poor. This is the present status of the entire Ummah amongst the comity of nations. Some years back, a well-known economist, Dr Kenneth David, presented World Bank Survey of 1980, on the educational and economic status of religious societies of the world in his book entitled “The Cultural Environment of International Business”. UNDP in 1996 also presented an exhaustive status report of UN Member counties. Since then Human Development Index reports are being issued every year for about one hundred and seventy countries. These important documents are highly revealing since they describe living conditions of all the religious societies i.e. Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, tribal religions and Muslims as well as non-religious communist society. According to these studies, Christian society is the most advanced society of the world with regard to education, health and economic wealth whereas Muslim society is the most backward on these counts. Based on the reports by David and UNDP, disparities of the status of Muslim and Christian societies are being given in the present paper. According to Kenneth David, literacy of Christian world in 1980 was on an average 90% and about 15 countries had a literacy of 100%. On the other hand, average literacy in the Muslim countries was less than 40% and none had 100% literacy. More or less the same situation continued afterwards and in 2001 UNDP reported an average of 60 percent literacy in Islamic countries and between 95 to 100% in the Western nations of Christians. Among the literates of the Christian world, hardly 2% of the population did not complete school education whereas 50% of the so-called literates of the Muslim societies never attended modern schools. In the Christian society literacy implies education of at least primary level whereas in Muslim society a person who could read and write is considered to be literate. If the criterion of the Christian world is taken into account then hardly 10% population of the Muslim countries can claim to be literate. The importance of education in the Christian countries can be judged by the fact that around 40% get higher education including specialization in various disciplines of science. This is less than 2% in Muslim countries. Even the standard of higher education of the meagre 2% is lower in Muslim countries when compared with the Christian world. As a matter of fact, many of the highly educated Muslims get specialized knowledge of science, engineering and medicine in the Christian West. This is in contrast with the situation prevailing during Middle Ages when Christians used to travel to Muslim Spain for getting higher education in medicine, mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy etc. Education is directly related with the economy of any society; higher the education, better the economic growth. According to Kenneth half of the Muslim population (about 1.3billion), had the per capita GDP of $ 200, whereas very few Muslim countries including oil-producing nations had the per capita income of $1000 or more. As compared to this, more than half of the Christian population had an income (per capita GDP) of $7000, and the average was around $3000.This was all about the status of the Muslim and the Christian world in 80’s. After 1980, world’s economic order was raised to great heights. According to UNDP report of 1999, economy of European countries advanced to the extent that their per capita income was raised to about $ 25,000 and the rest of the Christian countries saw a rise up to $10,000. In comparison with this rise of economic status of the western countries, Muslim countries lagged far behind and their average per capita GDP advanced to hardly a thousand dollars. Only few oil producing countries could manage an average per capita GNP of $5000 or more. But they constitute hardly ten per cent of the entire Muslim population. It may be stated here that as per the report in OIL AND GAS GENERAL (1998), out of 18 oil-producing countries, 10 are Muslim nations, producing 40% of the world’s total petrol production. In spite of this God’s gift, Muslim society is economically much weaker than the Christian society The reports suggest that after 1980 Muslim countries could not compete with the western world in the field of economic growth. The main reason for this unfortunate situation was their rivalries amongst themselves resulting in very high expenditure on their respective defence budgets. For instance, Saudi Arabia’s per capita income in 1980 was $ 7,690, which dropped to $ 7,040 in 1996 mainly because of the Iraq-Kuwait conflict. Likewise, income of Iran, Iraq and Libya (all oil producing countries) also dropped considerably. As against this dismal position, per capita income of Germany advanced from $9,580 in 1980 to $ 28,870 in 1996. Per capita incomes of Britain, France and Australia etc similarly improved tremendously. After the Second World War, almost all the countries of the world have been busy in increasing their military capabilities. Muslim nations, inspite of the poverty of their people are also involved in this mad race for military might. They have large trained armies, which are estimated to be 100million. This is one third of the total world armed forces. After the Second World War, there has not been any major Christian-Muslim armed conflict, except the recent Iraq and Afghanistan crises but there have been several bloody wars amongst Muslim nations themselves in which millions have lost their lives. Muslim nations spend 10-30% of their GDP towards purchasing sophisticated and deadly arms and ammunitions from the West. On the other hand, western nations spend about 10% of their wealth on their arms procurement, which is carried out within the Christian world. According to Kenneth, there are several factors for the backwardness of the Muslim society. First and foremost is their illiteracy in general and women illiteracy in particular. Another major reason of Muslim fall is the fact that hardly 16% of population is involved in industrial production. It is important to note that 60% of Christian population is engaged in industry. High population growth is another major factor for Muslim backwardness because this rapid population rise neutralizes whatever economic development takes place in Muslim Societies. Human Development Index prepared by UNDP gives a very dismal picture of the status of literacy, health and economy of Muslim nations. In the first 25 best countries listed under HDI (2002), no Muslim country figured in the list. Barring few small oil producing Muslim nations, majority of the Islamic world lies in the middle and low categories of human development, a clear indication that the Islamic nations needs to increase their focus on human development. Latest data (2002) about the Human Development Index (HDI) and Per capita GDP of some of the important and large populated Muslim countries are as follows; HDI Income (Per Capita) Indonesia: 112 850$ (Population 210 M) Bangladesh: 139 350$ (150 M) Pakistan, 144 500$ (1300 M) India 127 500$ (I Billion, Muslims, 140 M) Egypt: 120 1200$ (70 M) Turkey 96 2700$ (65 M) Iran 106 $1,600 (70 M) S. Arabia 73 $9,000 (22 M) Malaysia 58 $4,000 (25 M) Sudan 138 $450 (30 M) Nigeria 152 $350 (120 M) Libya 61 $7,000 (6 M) Morocco 126 $1,300 (30 M) Afghanistan 145 $300 (24 M) Iraq 74 $5,500 (2.5 M) Tunisia 91 $2,000 (10 M) Syria 110 $1,300 (15 M) Algeria 73 $1,700 (30 M) It may be stated that the few Muslim countries, which do figure between 25 to 50 HDI, are Brunei, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar. Their per capita GDP is also comparatively higher i.e. between 10,000 to 15,000 dollars but combined population of all these Muslim countries is hardly 30 millions. One must bear in mind that total GDP of all the Arab oil producing counties (12 in numbers) is less than the GDP of Spain alone. Ironically Muslim Spain during Middle Ages had higher revenue (because of the industrial products like Textile, Paper, mineral etc) than the whole of the Christian Europe (eleventh Century AD). Today Germany alone has a GDP of 3 thousand Billion Dollars that is almost twice of the entire Muslim World. Per capita GDP of major Christian countries is also staggering. A few examples with higher Human Development Index (HDI) and per capita incomes are as below: HDI Income (Per Capita) USA 7 37,000$ (270M) Germany 18 25,000$ (90M) UK 13 $25,000 (60M) France, 17 $25,000 (60M) Canada 8 $26,000 (30M) Italy 21 $20,000 (60M) Spain 19 $17,000 (40M) Netherlands 5 $26,000 (15M) Denmark 11 $31,000 (5M) Austria 16 $25,000 (6M) Sweden, 3 $26,000 (10M) Switzerland 10 $41,000 (7M) Norway 1 $40,000 (5M) Belgium 6 $24,000 (10M) Russia 63 $2,400 (150M) Scientific achievement of the Muslim society cannot be considered to be of any consequence. Out of the total of 2,60,000 articles published every year on scientific research, hardly 2,500 i.e. about 1% are published in Muslim countries. One can be reminded that during Middle Ages the situation was entirely different. According to European authors of History of Science almost ninety percent of scientific literature during Middle Ages was published (in Arabic) by Muslims of Spain, Egypt, Iraq, Iran etc. There are many other parameters, which show the backwardness of Muslim Societies in scientific field. For instance, total number of Science Ph.D.’s produced by about 450 Universities of Muslim Countries every year is less than 500, whereas in UK alone this number is 3000. According to one estimate total strength of Engineers and Scientist in Muslim world (1.30billion) is less than the scientists and engineers working in France alone (population 60million). Well known Islamic thinker Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, once said while addressing Muslims at a Seminar, “ “You have spent several nights of indifference (Urdu-ghaflat) and complacency (Urdu-sarshari). For God’s sake, get up now and see how much the sun has risen and how far your co-travelers (non-Muslims) have gone ahead of you”.In the same seminar Maulana also said, ‘”after 16th Century, the situation of knowledge (Scientific) in Muslim and Christian societies changed completely. Now Christians started following Muslims way of progressive thinking and enquiry whereas Muslims copied Christian’s way of life of Middle Ages that was full of superstition, bigotry and retrograde thoughts”. Maulana Rabey Hasan Nadvi, Rector of Nadva Islamic University, Lucknow, also once wrote, “Europe (West) became the leader of the world by working hard and following the path of scientific pursuit. On the other hand we (the Muslims) became indifferent towards knowledge and lost leadership of the nations”. According to Kenneth, practically every society of the world put hindrances (in the name of religion) in scientific development during 19th and 20th Century. Buddhists Priests opposed fast changing social order. Conflicts between Catholics and Protestants were the causes for slowing development in Europe. Caste differences among Hindus were reflected in the slow growth of their society. Sectarian hatred and too much interference of religious leaders (clerics) put difficulties in proper development of Muslims nations. In this regards David Kenneth says ‘the way of life (standard of living) in Muslim countries cannot be altered unless the priests (Ulema) are favourable to proposed changes.” Kenneth further elaborates that Muslim Ulema , generally ignorant of the rapid development of Science and technology in Western Nations and their high standard of living, consider the poor economic condition of the Ummah (Muslim society) to be the Divine Will. This is definitely unIslamic way of thinking. It was in this context that prominent Islamic scholars, like Afghani and Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, remarked, “Ulema ignorant of modern knowledge can not serve the Ummah”. Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, Founder Member of Rabita al-alam al-Islami (Muslim World League), also expressed his anguish over Muslim’s indifference towards modern knowledge by saying, “Muslims forgot their own scientific way of thinking and followed only traditional knowledge. They therefore lagged behind in Science and Technology and thus became slaves of the scientifically advanced West”. Mahathir Mohammad, Prime Minister of Malaysia also declared during the Islamic Conference in Kuala Lumpur recently that, “ it is necessary for Muslims to give up their illogical beliefs and regressing thoughts and be prepared to face the challenges of the fast changing social order.” He also cautioned, (at a meeting in London) “.our present predicament is not pre-ordained by Allah.It is entirely due to our own doing. We rely merely on praying to Allah for help when Allah has said in the Quran that we have to help ourselves before He will help us. To ward off attacks on us, we must learn science and technology and consider acquiring modern knowledge as the part of ibadah” If the Muslim Societies around the world do not heed the advice of Mahathir, they are then doomed. Long back Philosopher- Poet Iqbal had rightly said ‘ “Teri barbadiyon ke mashware hain aasmanon mein” (There are clear indications (planning) in the sky of your fall from grace’. (If you do not realize the importance of necessary change) Please report any broken links to Webmaster Copyright © 1988-2012 irfi.org. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer

FIRST CERTIFICATE CLOZE- ADVERBS AS COHESION

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate phrasal verb or noun

 The late fashion designer Jorge Ibañez was born into a traditional Argentine family. His father was a doctor, so, naturally, he expected his son to …………. ….. his footsteps. Little Jorge, however, was more into fabrics and colors but after finishing high school he did his level best to ………… …… …… his father´s expectations and began studying Medicine. A year later, though, he had already ……………. ………..from University. Jorge used to recall how bitterly his father had reacted at the time, by ……………. him …………., and saying things like ¨ You will never ………….. ……. …….anything son! I can´t be anymore disappointed in you, you´re an utter ………………….. to me! Ever since he was a child, his mother´s ……………………….., in contrast, had been much more laid-back, as she would encourage him to pursue his true calling, fashion design. Indeed, she was the only one who really ………………… ….. ……… his creativity and glamour. Jorge always admitted that he …………. ………………… much better with his mom than with his dad or sister, both of which he used to …………… …………..a lot over trifles. Jorge´ little sister, on the other hand, ……………. ………….. her father, both physically and in terms of personality. Predictably, she became a doctor when she ………….. ………. Not surprisingly, she was the apple of his eyes!
After Jorge´s death, ..............................., his father and sister acknowledged him as perhaps the best designer ever to have dressed Argentine women.

 Julia Roberts and her half sister 

Notice how adverbs are used in this text to add cohesiveness 

 There is some truth about the proverb that says ¨Every family has a skeleton in their cupboard. So, it seems is the case of Julia Roberts family¨.According to a close friend of the late Nancy Mote, Julia´s half sister, Nancy was driven to commit suicide due to her family´s ostracizing attitude ................................ her. Indeed, during the last 6 months previous to her suicide, .................... her own mother had cut her off completely.
Naturally, says her best friend, now every one in her family is crying crocodile tears, but they didn´t give a damn if she was dead or alive.Nancy spent the last X-mas by herself, even though she was dating someone whom she was supposed to ..................... on May 17. What this family did to her is unforgivable, says her friend. Nancy left a 5-page suicide note blaming all of them for her misery and despair. Seemingly, she couldn´t cope ....................... it any longer .Before taking this desperate decision, Nancy made sure she dissed her own mom and half sis, in particular, by tweeting against her. She accused Julia of ............................ bullied her f................... being fat when they were teens.

at a hotel

HOTEL DIALOGUE

ORDERING

Some ELEMENTARY practice

 http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/reading/1r3-hotel-dialogue.php

Wh-words for elementary

Hi people! This is practice for the class on 8th April. http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=1898

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TEACH LANGUAGES ?

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TEACH AND LEARN LANGUAGES ? If you want to read about this go to http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/may/14/best-way-teach-language-schools

BARACK OBAMA ON EDUCATION

BARACK OBAMA ON EDUCATION If you want to read about This click at : http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Barack_Obama/

England divided into readers and watchers

ENGLAND DIVIDED BETWEEN READERS AND WATCHERS yOU CAN READ THE WHOLE RTICLE AT : http://www.bbc.com/news/education-26515836

THE FUGITIVE SUMMARY

IF YOU MUST SIT FOR YOUR PET LEVEL AT THE CEI C-65 YOU MUST READ THE FUGITIVE THE FUGITIVE SUMMARY Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) is a successful , University of Chicago-trained, Chicago based vascular surgeon who returns home from an operation after a party one evening to find his wife (Sela Ward) dying following a brutal attack and a mysterious one-armed man with a prosthetic arm escaping. Despite his attempts to save her and his testimony about the one-armed man, Kimble is convicted of first-degree murder, due to evidence such as a misunderstood 9-1-1 call, his fingerprints found "on the lamp, the gun, and the bullets," and no signs of forced entry by the one-armed man. Kimble is sentenced to life in prison. During the bus ride to the prison, one of the prisoners fakes a seizure and begins to foam at the mouth as if poisoned. A guard unlocks the cage separating him from the prisoner to assist him. The prisoner stabs him with a shank made from a concealed sharpened toothbrush, and chaos ensues. Another guard shoots the prisoner with a shotgun. A second prisoner tries to grab the gun from the guard, but in the struggle, the gun goes off and kills the driver. The bus crashes through a guardrail, rolls down a hill, and lands on a railroad track. The light from an approaching freight train appears, and Kimble manages to pull himself and one of the guards to safety just as the train rams into the bus at speed. The bus is dragged on the front of the first locomotive for several hundred feet, but upon crossing a trestle, the first locomotive's coupler breaks, and every car from the second engine on back derails. Kimble manages to outrun the derailing locomotive as it buries itself nose-first in the ditch. Kimble is freed from his chains by another survivor, Copeland, and both escape from the scene on foot. A car arrives at the crash site, containing Deputy United States Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), who leads a team of men from the US Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, including Marshals Cosmo Renfro (Joe Pantoliano), Bobby Biggs (Daniel Roebuck), Erin Poole (L. Scott Caldwell), and Noah Newman (Tom Wood). They observe the debris, and Gerard finds the local sheriff, Rollins, interviewing the old guard who survived the wreck with minor injuries. The guard, given the suddenness of the wreck, is under the impression that all of the prisoners were killed in the wreck, and takes credit for Kimble's actions (getting the other guard out of the bus). Gerard requests for Rollins to establish police checkpoints, which Rollins is skeptical of doing until Gerard requests to have jurisdiction passed over to him. Just then, Cosmo recovers a pair of unshackled leg irons, and a manhunt begins for Kimble. The next morning, as the Marshals watch the cleanup work, the younger guard (the one who was wounded in the revolt), after being trapped for more than twelve hours underneath debris from one of the locomotives, is extricated, alive. There are many close calls where Kimble almost gets captured, mostly brought on by Kimble's compassionate instincts as a doctor. The first instance is at a hospital after Kimble shaves off his beard, and changes into a doctor's uniform. He very easily avoids being detected by a state trooper at the hospital on the lookout for him. He also happens to be present when the ambulance containing the wounded guard arrives. He helps the paramedics unfold the wheels on the gurney. The guard recognizes Kimble, but Kimble quietly puts the guard's breathing mask down to keep him quiet, and gives the paramedics a detailed description of the guard's likely injuries, which astonishes the paramedics. As soon as they leave, Kimble steals their ambulance. Kimble is first discovered when he uses his lights and siren going through a grade crossing. He is pursued by the Illinois State Police on land and by Gerard in a helicopter running alongside the highway. Kimble is forced to a halt by a police road block in a tunnel near a dam. He exits the ambulance and is pursued by Gerard through the dam's drainage system. At one point, Kimble confronts Gerard and insists on his innocence. Gerard, whose mission is simply to capture Kimble and not to solve the crime, tells him "I don't care!" Kimble tries to continue running but Gerard eventually traps him near the end of a spillway. Kimble escapes by doing a Peter Pan (backflip) off the dam into the water below. The encounter with Gerard at the dam makes Kimble realize that the authorities will always accept his guilt as a matter of fact, and that the only way to ever recover his freedom is by finding the real killer. The fact that Kimble pointed a gun at Gerard during this encounter gives Gerard a strong motive to pursue his fugitive vigorously. Kimble makes his way through the woods, and eventually dyes his hair to conceal himself more easily on his way to a truck stop. As he walks down the road, a woman picks him up and offers him a ride. Kimble accepts. We next cut back to the Marshals office in Chicago, where Gerard is told by Cosmo that they've found "him" shacked up with some babe in the suburb of Whiting. Poole notes that "she" left work that night and took him home, and Biggs reports that "her" car has been spotted outside her house. Gerard asks Cosmo if they can borrow his cousin's truck. The scene changes to a suburban neighborhood the next morning. We notice a homeless woman, walking across the street with a shopping cart while trying to keep warm. A garbage truck is seen making trash pickups, and a plumber is seen climbing out of his van, preparing for a job, and two dishevelled drunks are walking across the lawn, heading towards a small brick house. However, on closer look, we realize that the "homeless woman" is Poole, the "drunks" are Gerard and Newman, the "plumber" is Cosmo, and the "garbagemen" are Deputies Biggs and Henry. As they advance on the house, flanking it from all sides, the men quietly check their pistols. Gerard and Newman lead the raid on the house, arousing the residents. As the deputies clear out each room in the house, Newman is suddenly grabbed by Copeland, the other escapee who survived the train crash - the hideout is in fact his girlfriend's house. Copeland takes Newman hostage with his own weapon, and threatens to kill him unless he is given a car. Gerard follows Copeland's voice, and as Copeland is making his demands, Gerard suddenly pops his head out through a doorway and shoots Copeland twice, killing him. He then quickly has to get Biggs and Henry, who burst in at the sound of gunshots, to stand down. Later, as the police mop up, when Newman (who has temporarily lost hearing in one of his ears) asks Gerard why he didn't try to reason with Copeland, Gerard whispers to him, "I don't bargain." After being reprimanded by his boss for killing Copeland (who was wanted for interrogation), Gerard and his men listen in on a wiretapped conversation between Kimble and his lawyer, in which Kimble's lawyer tells him to turn himself in. They can make out the sounds of an elevated train rumbling by overhead. Further enhancement reveals bells from a drawbridge and a P.A. announcer on board an 'L' train saying, "Next Stop: Merchandise Mart," which tells Gerard that Kimble is back in Chicago. Kimble returns to Chicago to search for the one-armed man who shot Helen, believing that the guy might still be in Chicago. Kimble also makes contact with many of his former medical friends and associates, virtually all of whom have never believed Kimble to be guilty and are more than willing to help him. He also meets his close friend Dr. Charles Nichols (Jeroen Krabbé), who gives Kimble money, becomes a contact for him, and offers to help in any way. Later, when confronted by Gerard, Dr. Nichols boldly tells him to give up because Kimble is too smart to ever be captured. Kimble rents a basement apartment and makes fake ID cards to pose as a janitor to get access to Cook County Hospital, where he searches the computers in the prosthetic limb area for patient information matching the description of the one-armed man. Unfortunately, one of the people Kimble has chosen to stay with include a drug dealer. He only finds out this when he wakes up one morning after having a nightmare about Helen's murder. As he wakes up, he hears a series of car doors slamming out front. He looks out.... and sees the police running towards the house! A few of the officers break down the front door of the house while tactical assault officers circle the house, looking to cut off escape routes. Curiously, none of them head for the basement. Kimble then hears footsteps above, as the dealer and his accomplice upstairs try to break for it. They burst out a back door, run down the steps to the yard, where the police arrest them, handcuff them, and lead them away. The drug dealer informs police that Kimble is living with them. While Gerard arrives at the apartment, Kimble is confronted at the hospital by a doctor (Julianne Moore) who had seen him change a recently admitted boy's medical orders so that he could have a life-saving heart operation, but Kimble manages to escape. Gerard, always in hot pursuit, arrives with the police and wonders why someone as smart as Kimble would risk capture by going to such a high-profile place as a hospital. At that moment, Gerard sees a one-armed man walk by and realizes what Kimble was probably up to. Going through the list of men with prosthetic limbs, Kimble discovers that one is in jail for armed robbery. He visits this man but sees that it is not his wife's murderer. Trying to understand Kimble's movements, Gerard also found that same man on a list of one-armed men with criminal records. Gerard arrives shortly after Kimble, giving him a close call when they pass on the stairs, but he manages to escape into the Saint Patrick's Day parade, donning a hat to disguise himself. Kimble next checks on another name on the list: Frederick Sykes. When he is unable to reach Sykes by phone, Kimble breaks into Sykes' residence. In the apartment, Kimble finds a prosthetic arm similar to the one he remembered on the killer. He also finds some photos, one of which shows Sykes with another doctor who he met at the fundraiser, Dr. Alec Lentz, who was a key doctor behind the push for the drug Provasic. Then Kimble finds a timecard showing that Sykes works at a pharmaceutical company called Devlin-McGregor. He remembers that Devlin-McGregor sponsored the fundraiser he was attending on the night Helen was killed, which causes Kimble to realize that he was the intended target of the killer. Kimble then places a call to the Marshal's office, but leaves the phone off the hook after conversing with Gerard. Gerard and his men trace the call to Sykes' apartment, and conduct a search of the place. Eventually, Sykes returns home, and Gerard questions him. Gerard learns that Sykes is a security guard for Devlin-McGregor, handling security for their top executives. Sykes professes his innocence, stating that 15 others can vouch for his presence out of town, as he had told the police when they first questioned him about Helen's murder. Gerard, however, is skeptical of Sykes, and sets up surveillance outside his residence. Gerard also is aware of the photo that Kimble was looking at, due to fingerprinting of the apartment, and assigns Newman and Biggs to check out the identity of Lentz in the photo. After he leaves Syke's apartment, Kimble calls Nichols, claiming that he now knows who was behind his wife's murder. Kimble is sure that the murder was planned by Lentz as a way to keep him quiet: Kimble had been seeing an increase in the number of patients in the research program for Provasic, a new wonder drug, being admitted to him with damaged livers (including the patient Kimble had been called to operate on the night of the murder). Nichols explains to Kimble that this might not hold up, as Lentz is dead: he died in a car accident the previous year. Kimble is still wanting to double-check his findings, and asks Nichols to call a hospital associate of theirs to look over the samples. Shortly after this, Gerard and several of his men meet with Nichols, questioning him about Sykes and the photo. Nichols claims he doesn't recognize Sykes or one of the men in the picture that Gerard is keen to know about. Returning to their headquarters, Newman explains that in digging deeper, he found that on a blowup of the picture of Sykes and Lentz, Lentz is wearing a shirt that mentions 'Chicago Memorial Hospital,' and goes there to investigate. Newman and another marshal go to the hospital, also learning Dr. Lentz's identity. One person whom they are referred to is a man in the hospital named Bones Roosevelt (John M. Watson Sr). When they mention Dr. Kimble, Roosevelt grows uneasy, before finally admitting that he had seen Kimble previously, when Kimble came by to pick up some samples. Upon further investigation, they find out that Kimble had just been to see Bones about some tissue samples. Bonesalso answers some questions regarding Lentz. It actually turns out that Lentz was Dr. Nichol's boss! This revelation is relayed to Gerard, who wants to now bring Nichols in, on the basis that he lied regarding their investigation, and also intends to bring Sykes in as well. Meanwhile, Kimble has taken the tissue samples to former associate, Dr. Kathy Wahlund (Jane Lynch). Checking the samples, they see that they have been tampered with, and they all came from the same healthy liver. Kimble asserts his theory that it was Lentz, but Dr. Wahlund notes that half of the samples that he approved were done so on the day he died, thinking someone with access to Lentz may have been behind this. Kimble immediately suspects Dr. Nichols, and goes to confront him. Kimble takes an elevated train to a hotel where Nichols is giving a speech that night as keynote speaker at a medical conference. On the train, he encounters Sykes (who had been trailing him from the hospital, on Nichols' orders, and had escaped from the cops by calling the fire department and walking away in the chaos). Their confrontation is interrupted by an officer who pulls his gun on Kimble. Sykes shoots and kills the cop. Kimble uses the distraction, and manages to subdue Sykes, and handcuffs him to a pole on the train. Pulling the emergency brake as the train comes into the Clark/Lake station, Kimble breaks a window, and escapes from the train on foot. Several witnesses notice Kimble heading towards a hotel, and this is radioed to the CPD and to Gerard. Of concern to Gerard is that word of an 'officer down' has made Kimble a dangerous suspect in the eyes of the Chicago Police, who will most likely take him down as soon as they can. Kimble manages to get to the conference room in the hotel, where Nichols is giving a speech in regards to the pending approval of the Provasic drug. Nichols attempts to usher Kimble quietly into a small suite off to the side of the conference room, but Kimble vocally accuses Nichols regarding his motive: Dr. Nichols falsified his research, and most likely killed Lentz. Once in the suite, Nichols attacks Kimble, and the two scuffle in the room, before it eventually spills out onto the hotel's rooftop. Gerard arrives but is told to stay out of the situation by the CPD. Gerard storms past the CPD and his Marshals eventually find where Kimble went. Gerard makes his way to the rooftop. Gerard watches as Kimble and Nichols fight, before plummeting through a skylight, and fall atop an elevator that then descends. The chase eventually leads them to the hotel's laundry. Nichols recovers from the fall first, but Kimble is soon behind him. Gerard eventually makes it to the floor, yelling out to Kimble, claiming he knows of the Doctor's innocence, as well as what really happened: on the night of his wife's murder, Nichols had the keys to Kimble's house, which was how Sykes got in without forced entry. Nichols also telephoned Sykes from Kimble's car. Nichols manages to knock out Renfro and takes his gun, and is about to shoot Gerard when Kimble disarms him. In the aftermath, Sykes and Nichols are taken into custody, and Gerard escorts Kimble out of the hotel in handcuffs. In the back of their car, Gerard removes the handcuffs, and gives Kimball a small bag of ice for his bruised hands. "I thought you didn't care," says Kimble. "I don't," jokes Gerard. With that last exchange, the car pulls away, and the audience is confident that Kimble's name is now cleared. Page last updated by dmcreif, 1 month ago Top Contributors: Roboclerk, dmcreif, uruseiranma, briant-6 (View full history)

ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION WHEN YOU ARE STUDYING

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ON CAMPUS Depression and anxiety on college campuses have risen to epidemic proportions. There are a variety of suspected causes for the alarming trend, which is supported by numerous studies, including a February 2010 Healthy Minds Study finding that 20 percent of BU students surveyed fit the criteria for anxiety or depression. Today we begin a three-part series examining depression and anxiety among BU students. Part one offers an overview and a look at what’s behind the increase and who is most at risk. In part two, we show the faces of depression and anxiety through a series of candid interviews with students. The series concludes with information on how to get help, what that help involves, and how some students suffering from depression and anxiety—treatable conditions—have found hope, and a way out. Carrie Landa scans her weekly schedule and shakes her head. The computer screen is a mélange of colors, each with a meaning. Light green signals an open spot for new patient intakes at Student Health Services Behavioral Medicine, where she works as a staff psychologist. Turquoise is for emergency appointments. Gray floats as lunch (or more space to cram in work). And cream reveals open slots for patient counseling. There is no cream; the inn is full. This is why: one of every three college students nationally, according to recent surveys, has sought mental health counseling. At BU, one of five undergraduate and graduate students surveyed screened positive for depression or anxiety. About a quarter of that group report that they have seriously contemplated suicide. “I started here in 2009 and before that everybody had said this time of year, after spring break, is the worst,” Landa says. “This year we’re all saying this is the worst it’s ever been.” In just 10 years, the number of students receiving services at Behavioral Medicine has more than doubled, to 10,523 last year. Landa estimates that figure will jump again this year, by 2,000 students, with the overwhelming majority treated for depression and anxiety. There is also unsurprising evidence that far more students need mental health services than have sought care. The 2010 Healthy Minds Study, an annual national online survey of college students about mental health issues by the University of Michigan, reveals that 36 percent of the 1,400 BU student respondents thought they needed mental health help during the previous year. Yet less than two thirds of those said they sought help. During this year’s National Depression Screening Day, 30 percent of the 216 BU students who came to the free screening offered by Behavioral Medicine staff were referred to treatment. Last year, 64 students showed up for the screening, and the referral rate was also 30 percent. College years have long been a time of psychological stresses. As academic pressures rise and fall, so do anxiety levels. Roommate and relationship problems, homesickness, and adjustment to college life plague students now as before. And the college years are when most people question and explore who they are—which can be both exciting and unsettling. But those situations don’t explain the sudden surge of students seeking help for depression and anxiety. Why is this generation, now more than ever, in need of help? The answer, according to mental health professionals, reflects what is ailing society in general. Margaret Ross, the director of Behavioral Medicine at BU, says American culture has changed dramatically since she started counseling students decades ago. “All the technology has made it different growing up,” Ross says. “Parents have micromanaged the lives of their children. They do everything on computer. They don’t have the common sense that people in the past may have had in knowing when they need help.” The global economic slump has taken its toll as well, Ross says. Students worry that there won’t be jobs when they graduate. Parents have had to dig deeper into their pockets to finance a college education, some taking out a second mortgage, and that knowledge wears on students, who feel pressure to enter a field that is hiring instead of one they like. Dori Hutchinson, director of services at BU’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, speaks often with students struggling with the choice of passion versus profession. “Somewhere along the line as they mature,” she says, “they’re recognizing that this is not who I am but this is what I’m supposed to be. And so that discordance can be really painful for kids.” Hutchinson sees how students feel pressure to succeed even before they enter college. They come to BU with “this headset that Bs are not good enough,” she says. “It’s driven by this collective anxiety that we have in our world these days that you have to be good at everything you do.” Parents also hover over their children too closely, she says. “We parent differently and we protect our kids from a lot of normal disappointments in the name of getting a leg up. They get to college and their parents aren’t here to do that anymore. There are kids who can’t decide what to choose to eat. That creates anxiety.” Landa sees another culprit in the mix: Facebook. The social media website is a tool students use constantly to interact with friends, all the while comparing how their virtual lives measure up (or don’t) to those of others. “There is a very big need for immediacy in our culture and almost an intolerance of things that are uncomfortable or bad,” she says. She also says that in recent years more students arrive at college already in treatment for depression, anxiety, or personality disorders. “We do have students here ill enough that 20 to 30 years ago they wouldn’t have been coming to college,” Landa says. “They are showing up here and succeeding here, but still needing the support that we offer.” That is where Hutchinson and her colleagues can step in. At the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, staff members help students learn how to manage the responsibilities and pressures of schoolwork and social life. “We do whatever it takes to help them stay here at the University,” Hutchinson says. At BU, a broad cross-section of students makes use of mental health services—from freshmen to U.S. military veterans—but some groups are more at risk for developing depression or anxiety. Among them are minority and international students, those who identify as LGBTQ, athletes, and students involved in Greek life, according to University mental health professionals. “Any time you feel ostracized, not in the mainstream, or discriminated against, I think that can create some depression,” says David Seeman, a senior staff psychologist at Behavioral Medicine. International students can have a tough time adjusting simultaneously to college life and to a new culture. Their support network of friends and family is thousands of miles away, and their home culture may frown on seeking help for mental health problems.

READING COMPREHENSION LINK

if you want to find the asnwers to the text on dirty britain as well as other texts for listening comp here is the link http://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/29.html gOOD LUck ALEX AND YAMILA

READING COMPREHENSION FOR C.A.E.

READING COMPREHENSION FOR C.A.E. 

 Dirty Britain 

 Instructions: Read through the text, answer the questions that follow, then click on 'Grade Me!' to view your score. 

Before the grass has thickened on the roadside verges and leaves have started growing on the trees is a perfect time to look around and see just how dirty Britain has become. The pavements are stained with chewing gum that has been spat out and the gutters are full of discarded fast food cartons. Years ago I remember travelling abroad and being saddened by the plastic bags, discarded bottles and soiled nappies at the edge of every road. Nowadays, Britain seems to look at least as bad. What has gone wrong? The problem is that the rubbish created by our increasingly mobile lives lasts a lot longer than before. If it is not cleared up and properly thrown away, it stays in the undergrowth for years; a semi-permanent reminder of what a tatty little country we have now. Firstly, it is estimated that 10 billion plastic bags have been given to shoppers. These will take anything from 100 to 1,000 years to rot. However, it is not as if there is no solution to this. A few years ago, the Irish government introduced a tax on non-recyclable carrier bags and in three months reduced their use by 90%. When he was a minister, Michael Meacher attempted to introduce a similar arrangement in Britain. The plastics industry protested, of course. However, they need not have bothered; the idea was killed before it could draw breath, leaving supermarkets free to give away plastic bags. What is clearly necessary right now is some sort of combined initiative, both individual and collective, before it is too late. The alternative is to continue sliding downhill until we have a country that looks like a vast municipal rubbish tip. We may well be at the tipping point. Yet we know that people respond to their environment. If things around them are clean and tidy, people behave cleanly and tidily. If they are surrounded by squalor, they behave squalidly. Now, much of Britain looks pretty squalid. What will it look like in five years? 

 Questions 

Q1 - The writer says that it is a good time to see Britain before the trees have leaves because 

Britain looks perfect. 

you can see Britain at its dirtiest. 

you can see how dirty Britain is now. 

the grass has thickened on the verges. 

 Q2 - According to the writer, things used to be 

 worse abroad.

 the same abroad. 

 better abroad. 

 worse, but now things are better abroad.

 Q3 - For the writer, the problem is that 

rubbish is not cleared up. 

rubbish lasts longer than it used to. 

our society is increasingly mobile. 

Britain is a tatty country.

 Q4 - Michael Meacher followed the Irish example 

with a tax on plastic bags. 

tried to follow the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags. 

made no attempt to follow the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags. 

had problems with the plastics industry who weren't bothered about the tax. 

 Q5 - The writer thinks 

it is too late to do anything. 

we are at the tipping point. 

there is no alternative. 

we need to work together to solve the problem. 

 Q6 - The writer thinks that 

people are squalid. 

people behave according to what they see around them. 

people are clean and tidy. 

people are like a vast municipal rubbish tip.

READING COMPREHENSION FOR F.C.

The Man Booker PrizeInstructions: Read through the text, answer the questions that follow, then click on 'Grade Me!' to view your score The Man Booker Prize The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded every year for a novel written by a writer from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and it aims to represent the very best in contemporary fiction. The prize was originally called the Booker-McConnell Prize, which was the name of the company that sponsored it, though it was better-known as simply the ‘Booker Prize’. In 2002, the Man Group became the sponsor and they chose the new name, keeping ‘Booker’. Publishers can submit books for consideration for the prize, but the judges can also ask for books to be submitted they think should be included. Firstly, the Advisory Committee give advice if there have been any changes to the rules for the prize and selects the people who will judge the books. The judging panel changes every year and usually a person is only a judge once. Great efforts are made to ensure that the judging panel is balanced in terms of gender and professions within the industry, so that a writer, a critic, an editor and an academic are chosen along with a well-known person from wider society. However, when the panel of judges has been finalized, they are left to make their own decisions without any further involvement or interference from the prize sponsor. The Man Booker judges include critics, writers and academics to maintain the consistent quality of the prize and its influence is such that the winner will almost certainly see the sales increase considerably , in addition to the £50,000 that comes with the prize. Questions Q1 - The Republic of Ireland is in the Commonwealth. is not in the Commonwealth. can't enter the Man Booker Prize. joined the Booker prize in 2002. Q2 - The Man group was forced to keep the name 'Booker'. decided to include the name 'Booker'. decided to keep the name 'Booker-McConnell'. decided to use only the name 'Booker'. Q3 - Books can be submitted by publishers. by writers. by judges. by the sponsors. Q4 - Who advises on changes to the rules? The sponsors The judging panel The advisory panel Publishers Q5 - The judging panel doesn't include women. includes only women. is only chosen from representatives of the industry. includes someone from outside the industry. Q6 - The sponsors of the prize are involved in choosing the winner. are involved in choosing the judges. are not involved at all. choose the academic for the panel of judges. Q7 - The consistent quality of the prize is guaranteed by the prize money. is guaranteed by the gender of the judges. is guaranteed by the make-up of the panel of judges. is guaranteed by the increase in sales of the winner.

POLAR VORTEX

Polar vortex: temperatures drop below freezing in all 50 US states• Rare nationwide chill will persist for at least another day • Cutting winds and blizzards posing the most danger Share 1058 inShare.9Email Joanna Walters in New York The Guardian, Tuesday 7 January 2014 23.15 GMT Jump to comments (…) At least six deaths have been reported across the country due to the polar air mass sweeping over North America, producing the coldest temperatures in two decades Temperatures in all 50 US states dipped below freezing on Tuesday in a rare nationwide chill that will keep a grip on much of the country for at least another day, with cutting winds and blizzards posing the most danger. Florida, a state that normally basks in its reputation as a warm winter escape, experienced unusually low temperatures. In the midwest, northeast and eastern Canada, it was dangerous to venture outside. At some point on Tuesday, at least one location in each of the 50 US states recorded temperatures below freezing, with the highest point on Hawaii, Mauna Kea, recording a temperature of 21F (-6C). The so-called polar vortex that funnelled an Arctic low pressure system into the upper US this week swung south and east on Tuesday. Polar conditions settled over two-thirds of the US. It was colder in the southern state of Georgia than Alaska as Atlanta plunged to 6F (-14C) – the lowest temperature since 1966 – while Anchorage, Alaska, recorded 27F (-3C) . Wind chills were recorded around -60F in parts of Michigan, Minnesota, Montana and New Hampshire. In northern Illinois, 500 Amtrak passengers spent the night on board three trains stranded in snow. The trains – the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles, the Illinois Zephyr from Quincy and the California Zephyr from the San Francisco Bay area – got stuck after 3pm Monday in blowing, drifting snow and ice that made the tracks impassable. The passengers were being bussed to their destinations on Tuesday. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for Western New York state, particularly along a line from Buffalo to Batavia. Accumulations of up to two feet were predicted. “Dangerously cold wind chills will pose a risk for frost bite and hypothermia for anyone outside for even very short periods of time. This is a life- threatening cold for those not in shelter,” the NWS said. A “weather whiplash” sent temperatures in New York plunging 50 degrees fahrenheit. At lunchtime on Monday, it was 55F (13C) in Central Park; 24 hours later it was 5F (-15C). Authorities around the country have so far reported at least 14 weather-related deaths since last Friday, mostly resulting from traffic accidents. It was so cold in Kentucky on Monday that an escaped prisoner turned himself in. Robert Vick, 42, escaped from a minimum-security prison on Sunday, the Associated Press reported, but as temperatures dropped through the floor on Monday he walked into a motel and asked the clerk to call the police so he could escape the freezing air. Lexington police said Vick was checked by paramedics and returned to Blackburn correctional complex. Authorities at Toronto airport halted flights at Pearson international airport on Tuesday morning because the extreme cold was causing equipment to freeze. In all, more than 3,700 flights were canceled by late Monday afternoon, following a weekend of travel disruption across the US and southern Canada. Across the region, airline officials said de-icing fluid was freezing, fuel was pumping sluggishly, and ramp workers were having difficulty loading and unloading luggage. JetBlue Airways stopped all scheduled flights to and from New York and Boston on Monday. Southwest ground to a halt in Chicago earlier in the day, but by the evening, flights resumed in "a trickle", a spokesman said. Residents of south-east states were shocked to find the temperatures so low. “This is severely cold for these parts, a rare event,” said Brian Lynn, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Georgia. Farther south in Pensacola, Florida – a Gulf Coast city better known for its white sand beaches than frost – streets normally filled with joggers, bikers and people walking dogs were deserted on Tuesday. Monica Anderson and Tommy Howard jumped up and down and blew on their hands while they waited for a bus, struggling to stay warm. Anderson said she couldn't recall it ever being so cold. "I'm not used to it. It is best just to stay inside until it gets better," said Anderson, who had to get out for an early morning appointment with her doctor. Citrus growers in Florida reported that so far the low temperatures had not lasted long enough to spoil their fruit crops – and a sharp drop followed by a rise on the thermometer could even make the current orange crop sweeter. The Tennessee Valley Authority, the biggest public utility in the South, said preliminary figures showed demand for electricity Tuesday morning reached the second-highest winter peak in the history of the Depression-era TVA. PJM Interconnection, which operates the power grid that supplies more than 61 million people in the mid-Atlantic states, the midwest and south, asked users to conserve electricity because of the cold.