Hello, dear freshers!       

I would like to make a generalization and write a brief summary about Vocabulary of Modern English. You, guys, are starting for a journey that we just have completed.  

     To begin with, studying is not as easy as ABC because preparing for each class you have to cover a lot of ground, often burn the midnight oil and be an eager beaver. As the matter of fact, Vocabulary of Modern English is not the exception. Bear in mind that you will have to memorize loads of new words and collocations, write blogposts using different online tools, make a short video for a vocabulary item on a wordlist you will be given and also do some other kinds of activities for each class. Other words, if you want to make the grade you should put as many efforts as possible. I take the view that Success = Work + Practice + Efforts or doing right things at the right time and in the right way. It sounds like you will be inundated with interminable stacks of different tasks but don’t blow it out of all proportions because it’s pretty interesting and useful.   

         The motto of our course: “The more the merrier.”  It is a high priority for the students who study foreign languages to know as many new words, idioms and phrasal verbs as possible. Take it into consideration and don’t put your feet up.

         It is also important to point out that our professor is expert on her profession because she knows how to combine studying with entertainment. Thanks to her now we can use different up to date programs and cutting-edge technologies during the learning process. Each offered task was really interesting and not similar to previous.

         I subscribe the theory that true education is the training of both your head and heart. This course will definitely expand your horizons as well as develop your imagination.

         PIECES OF ADVICE:

     
· There are tons of knowledge you have to learn. Take it seriously! Professors are eager to give the most they can but it depends on you how much you can take of it.

     
· Never procrastinate! Don’t think that you can do it during one evening, you can’t;

     
· If you don’t want to fall behind with a great deal of tasks never miss the deadlines;

     
· For the first time it will be considerably difficult to use new words and collocations in sentences but practice makes perfect;

     
·Try to post your blogposts on time or still better in advance. In such a way you will have the opportunity to improve it or correct some mistakes.  

     
· Don’t cram a great amount of words during the last night you will never pass module tests with flying colours in such a way.

     
· Never play truant and try to attend all classes. Otherwise, you will constantly need to catch up with others.

     
· Don’t think that you will get A for effort, you will get full mark only for a well-done task;

     
· Keep the notebook and brush up on new words on a regular basis;

     
·  If you are a straight A student and have mental agility don’t think than you are better than others. Everybody has room for improvement;

     
· Try to grasp the importance of this course and do your best to achieve the goal.

     
·  Don’t lose your nerve if something goes wrong. Keep calm and sort out this problem. You can learn many things from a pencil but I point out one for you – the pencil went through painful process of sharpening but it got his sharp point.

          As for me, it’s my firm conviction that this course made a significant impact on me. I’m over the moon realizing that loads of new words and phrases accumulated in my notebook as well as in my memory. To be honest, I see a dramatic improvement in my knowledge and wish you the same feelings. 

     Make sure you follow these pieces of advice and you will certainly have a great time studying this course and soon enjoy the fruit of your hard work. Don’t fear to fail. Just shot the moon even if you miss you will be there among the stars. So fasten up your shoes laces and buckle up your belts for the journey ahead!

        GREEN UKRAINE 2030

Our civilization has gone so far in its development and polluted the environment to such an extent that it is impossible to reverse it to the primordial state. Any action of people is harmful to the environment. Due to this the topic of environmental protection is absolutely vital today. Deforestation, polluted water/soil/air, desertification, habit is under threat, a wide range of animals are on the verge of extinction, destruction of ozone layer, global warming, acid rains are the main problems in the world as well as in Ukraine. People discuss these issues on a regular basis but they are not willing to change something. In order to improve the whole situation we have to begin from our country.

I would like to make some suggestions which will provide sustainable development to Ukraine. The title of the project is “Green Ukraine 2030”.  

             

·         VEHICLE: A great deal of people has their own cars and drives them even to the grocery store. They should keep in mind that their vehicles emit exhaust fumes which substantially pollute air. We found a solution! Hybrid cars or new electrical cars which are completely free of toxic emissions as well as conserve energy.  In fact, replacing gas-guzzling car with a fuel-efficient one is by far sensible decision.      
Drive less! Usage of bicycle or is better still walking on foot is useful for our health as well as for our planet.

·         RECYCLE: This is the easiest thing we can do for the environment. Most cities in Ukraine provide separate containers for different kinds of garbage. So it is not the problem to dispose of waste. There are a lot of large landfill sites in our country which are extremely harmful to the environment. That’s why, it is quite important to develop plants which recycle waste and try to reduce the quantity of dumps.

·         WATER: A third of the world’s population does not have access to clean water. We definitely don’t want to have a similar situation. The best way is to minimize usage of toxic chemicals and use them with caution as they tend to penetrate into the groundwater. Government also should take the initiative and clean seas, rivers, lakes and ponds and also forbid large industrial centres to pour into the sea all kinds of chemicals. Those who will throw away garbage into water will be highly fined.

·         ENERGY: Everyone should conserve energy!  It’s my firm conviction that people have to use alternative energy sources especially renewable ones, for example, solar or geothermal energy.  We can start from the smallest things: never leave appliance on standby, because in such a way they connected to the power supply even not being in use; use energy saving eco light bulbs; purchase appliances and equipment with the Energy Star labels; switch to solar heating.

·         DEFORESTATION: We should stop cutting down trees! Despite the fact that territories which are covered with trees are growing, Ukraine is still the biggest exporter of wood in Europe. The problem is these actions are being done illegally. We should take into consideration that majority of forests are nature reserves where live endangered species of animals. Wiping forests out, we deprive them of homes.
Those who will continue to deforest will be highly fined!

·         WILDLIFE: A great deal of animals is in danger of extinction but nobody takes care of it. People used to speak about it but do nothing. We should stop it! Those species which are in danger of dying out must be bred in safe conditions. People should create these conditions. Animals which live in captivity, for example, in zoos must be always full up. We have to stop hunting! People should forget about such type of “hobby” and their wishes to earn money selling valuable fur of animals.

·         NATIONAL PARKS: National parks protect the best of our natural heritage: stunning landscapes, extraordinary wildlife and majestic forests. If we create a lot of National Parks they will help to protect our wildlife by acting as a refuge for threatened species. They will form the basis of our economic and social well-being, attract millions of visitors annually, although their primary purpose will be the protection of biodiversity.

As you see our country has many ecological problems and if our generation doesn’t do our best to solve them we will have a global environmental catastrophe. Actually, to help our planet is a daunting task for us, but if we don’t take these suggestions into consideration, soon we will use up natural resources which will lead to dire consequences. 

A Sound mind in a sound body

Student'Healthy Lifestyle Guide

Where there is love there is life

It is said that the eyes are the window of the soul. When you are thrilled they glow and when you are upset they are filled with pain and tears. A slim seventy-five-year-old woman, despite her age has such eyes. They still amazing as many years ago when she had a slender waist, lovely complexion and straight auburn hair. Needless to say, due to her striking appearance she was one of the most beautiful girls in the village. When old woman has a little spare time, she always recalls good old days. Rosy was not only pretty girl, but also bright, determined and self-assured. Obviously, she was always in the centre of attention and all the boys fancied her. One of them was Jem a well-built, smart and handsome boy. He has a heart of gold and a lot of girls were crazy about him, but Jem was desperately in love with Rosy.  He asked her out a lot of times but she always turned it down. Jem definitely wasn’t her type.     

The next one was a tall, blonde-haired with droopy moustache Nickolas. He also had fallen madly in love with Rosy and always chatted up her. Nickolas was a real pain in the neck, pretty cunning and notorious for swindle. He has never got on well with people and looked down on them. So, Nickolas also could only dream about returned love.          

Rosy was also the object of Peter’s love. He was an immaculately groomed, optimistic, even-tempered and charismatic boy, other words a real character. He had a lot of traits a person could be proud of. Peter knew that Rosy had a tendency to refuse all boys but one day he plucked up the courage and let her know about his feelings. That time the girl also didn’t accept his proposal to go out with him. 

Actually, Rosy was as good as gold, trustworthy, conscientious and always put others first, but it was really hard to win her respect. A lot of people, especially young boys thought that Rosy was just full of herself and because of it all their attempts to attract her attention had gone wrong. 

One day on the wedding party of her friend Rosy saw an attractive, muscular, and considerate boy with blue eyes, namely Frank. It was certainly love at first sight. She knew at once he was the love of her life. Fortunately, the girl also turned the boy on. A couple of months later, they realised that they wanted to make a commitment to each other. They loved each other unconditionally all their life and neither of them had an affair with someone else.   

Having recalled everything, the eyes of old woman filled with tears because ten years have passed since her lovely husband passed away. She misses him very much! Now the meaning of her life is her children, fruits of their love and also her grandson with painfully familiar blue eyes and striking resemblance to his grandfather. 

Joan of Arc

‘History is formed by the people, those who have power and those without power. Each one of us makes history.’ It’s true that there were a vast number of people who won the respect, made a breakthrough, who were peace activists or fought a running battle with enemies, who were at war or lived in peace with each other. All of them were absolutely diverse with special thoughts and wishes, those who stood up for their rights and those who lost their nerve, but all that people have created one history. As a matter of fact, it is important to remember that we are not passive pawns but people who have the ability to shape and direct history.

One of the most famous women of the history is Joan of Arc. She was the girl who led French folk which was at war with England. Joan was born in 1412 when the Hundred Years’ War had broken out many years before. She never knew what such words as ‘make peace’, ‘the peace process’ or ‘period of peace’ mean because she observed the horrors of war from the early childhood. At the age of twelve she had visions in which Saint Archangel Michael, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret appeared before her and said that she was a woman who had to save France. In 1429 she decided to take it seriously and go to war as a volunteer. Joan visited Karl VII who was the heir to the throne of her country. The girl told him about her visions and managed to convince Karl give her permission to assist the French army in the war. She served in the army like many others men and turned out the best soldier. Thanks to her the French won a lot of combats. Joan of Arc put up a heroic fight against English army and raised a siege of Orleans. That event caused a sensation and attracted a lot of interest to her personality. To be honest, it was a crowning achievement of France as well as Joan. In August 1429 the French began to release Paris which was occupied by the English but they lost the battle. During the next year Joan of Arc took part in some other military operations but they were not highly effective. 

The same year she was taken prisoner by the Burgundians and accused of doing magic. Such a terrible fact caused an uproar in France and the girl was sentenced to life imprisonment. She refused to admit her guilt and was strongly convinced in her beliefs. Two days later Joan was burned at the stake by the residents of Rouen. Twenty five years after her execution she was vindicated and pronounced innocent. Joan of Arc was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920 by the Roman Catholic Church.

Being a young girl she managed to fight a lot of decisive battles and save France. Nobody could repeat the heroic feat of abnegation. Joan of Arc proved that even plain people can change the course of history.

Postcard

Hi, Victoria!          

   How are you? Remember me? I am Rosalia Pellegrino from Italy. I have been living in America for half a year. Two days ago I had an intense nostalgia for my native country. Do you want to know why my family and I came to America six months ago? 

   To begin with, we were refugees and sought asylum.  My father worked in the local government and I thought that nothing can change our life but one day he came home and said that we should flee the country. As it happens, I had no desire to leave my homeland but what could I do? In fact, we were uprooted.

   Emigration was really popular at that time and a lot of people left their homes seeking better life in other vibrant countries. Thank God, I got accustomed to living in America. It’s stunning country and there is no hostility towards foreigners.    
      
   In order to immigrate to America I had to have a valid passport but I already had. I was abroad with my family once or twice. To be honest, my photo in the passport was not very charming and I didn’t want to show it.L When my father bought tickets it turned out that we would travel by ocean liner. I was not allowed to pack many things, so I took clothes, shoes and bedding. Needless to say that the first two things were necessary, because one day my blouse and shoes will wear out and I will need to change them. My mom didn’t have any idea why I took bedding but it was my firm conviction that I needed it.  It took us ages to get to America. Just imagine three weeks by sea! Actually, the crew on the ship wasn’t pleasant, our cabin and bunks were not comfortable but I liked spending time on deck. Before we could go to New York we had to pass through health and legal inspections at Ellis Island in order to convinced American officials that we were healthy enough to earn a living. Inspectors examined our eyes, heads and the rest of our bodies. We were healthy. I didn’t even dream about luxury hotel because all immigrants lived in tenement apartment buildings. We are living on the most crowded street in the Lower East Side. At first, it was a bit of a culture shock but now I got used to living here.      

   

I would like to tell you about my job in America. My father brings work home to earn extra money every day. I don’t have any time to laze around because all of us do their bit. We can do everything: sew clothes, make artificial flowers, launder and many other things. To tell the truth, I have a great desire to study but it might be a financial sacrifice for our family. Once a week I have an opportunity to go for a wander or spent time with children playing stickball for fun.  In such a way I kill two birds with one stone spending my free time interesting and economizing family budget. A lot of my friends have Victrola and can listen to the records of music and stories. I also would like to have one but my father says that we should put aside money.
   I get up early in the morning in order to help my mother cook different meals. Sometimes, it can be a lot of labor and I have to work at a hot stove but people are happy when they eat my dishes.        
 

The most wonderful news! Yesterday my parents bought me a bed and mattress for my saved pocket money. Sleeping on the chair was the biggest pet hate. Finally, I can use bedding which I brought with me from Italy. Victoria, sorry, my mother is calling me. She bought Bumuelos for me J I have to hurry.

Tell me about your brothers and mother. How are they? I’m looking forward to your answer.       
   
Best wishes,        
Rosalia Pellegrino

News travels fast

http://www.classtools.net/FB/1470-fB9dzP

Konstantin Meladze

There are a lot of different discussions about education nowadays. Some people think that acquiring knowledge is not as easy as ABC because this process requires burning the midnight oil, being a bookworm or an eager beaver, cramming or brushing up on something. The other ones find it better to play truant, be a copycat and never have their nose in a book. At any rate, speaking about all these facts we mean school.

It’s common knowledge that modern technologies which help students always to keep up with the latest methods of studying are developing extremely fast. Nowadays it is possible to pass a test with flying colours without even cracking a book, only surfing in the Internet. If you missed a lot of classes for some reason, it’s not difficult to catch up and get full marks because you can always stay in contact with your teacher over the Internet and find there all necessary information.

Listening to the speeches of Sugata Mitra and Sir Ken Robinson I found some ideas which are impossible to agree with. They inspired me to express my own point of view.  

To begin with, opinions are divided as to whether it is important to attend school or not, but it’s my firm conviction that students should do this. A lot of people take the view that schools as we know them are obsolete but they haven’t yet grasp the importance of studying in schools among children, not in front of the computer screens. I honestly think that teachers are always ready to help gifted children develop their mental agility, explain set of material, give feedbacks and learn through practice along with students. They stimulate, provoke and engage. It is also important to mention that studying at school children find friends and combine education with communication. They have practice in making conversations with people developing their speaking skills. Those who do on-line course will have some problems in communication in their future. On the whole, I don’t think that learning happens by itself, because in any case children need a teacher. Even a lot of on-line sites offer the help of teachers giving their phone numbers or e-mails. Self-organized learning is a good thing but it’s a foregone conclusion that students achieve the highest results only when someone guides them and give the perfect example.        

Secondly, I totally agree with Ken Robinson who says that teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools. They have to do their best in order to encourage children to receive education and not goof off or drop out of school. It is also their responsibility to create new interesting tasks for students who have a thirst for knowledge in order to improve their skills. They always should bear in mind that those who are quick learners mustn’t be teacher’s pets but have the same rights as others. It is said that curiosity is the engine of achievement. Children have a lot of questions and need to receive answers. Teachers are the people who should give these answers.

Finally, I think that the process of studying should be creative. It is important to recognize the individuality of each student and make their studying more useful and stimulating. Teachers should allow children to take the initiative more often and don’t forbid them to think in their own way or express their own ideas. In fact, if the student really wants to get to know something he or she will do it in any case. Just give them the opportunity!

By and large, a good education is the greatest gift you can give yourself or anyone else. I mean if you want to make the grade you should put as many efforts as possible and teachers will help you.