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What Candidates Should Be Aware of Concerning Developments in Some Law Schools

Determined law school prospects are trying their very best to know every little thing possible concerning their preferred law schools. This inside scoop could help them to be in a position to offer each law school what it calls for and it wants from its applicants.

Developments and fresh appointments

It appears that many law schools are rather busy lately, with regard to deans moving to different positions and new deans getting assigned. Law school prospects, who got information regarding law school deans that are part of the recent adjustments, may perhaps be interested in getting information about the recently appointed school officials. Michael M. Martin, a long standing faculty member at Fordham Law School, was designated as the interim dean, as William Treanor, the earlier dean, was appointed the dean and vice president of Georgetown University Law Center. Fordham is still looking for a permanent replacement. At the Colorado School of Law, David Getches leaves the dean post and resumes teaching. During his time as dean of the law school, Getches presided over an impressive administration. He had enhanced the school’s endowment, raising an amount of $28.5 million. In the University of Wisconsin Law School, the former dean is going to retire. Dean Kenneth Davis Jr., the second longest-serving dean of the law school, had done so much to further the school’s standing. Meanwhile, David E. Van Zandt is relinquishing the dean post from Northwestern Law School but will be serving as the next president of the law school instead. He had served Northwestern since 1995.

Other deans changing posts

Though there are still no details whether the following deans have their appointed replacements, here are the deans that are stepping down: John Douglass of the University of Richmond School of Law, Cynthia Nance of the University of Arkansas School of Law, and John Hutson of the University of New Hampshire School of Law.

The New School to Hold a Grand Expo and Open House

The New School in New York City, a progressive academic institution with increasing number of adult learners, is organizing and hosting a grand expo and open house.

Purpose of the grand expo/open house

The grand expo/open house organized by The New School aims to guide prospective students to the complete admissions process. It will also tackle the issue of financial aid, so early on, prospective students who are planning to avail of financial aid will know what they have to do and where they have to go. Faculty, admissions officers, and The New School graduate students are available to answer the prospective students’ questions. The New School is composed of eight schools and has about 6,400 adult learners. While younger prospective students may still be looking for a career, adult learners may be seeking a means to change their career path. Both set of prospective students will be enlightened during the grand expo/open house.

Details of the event

The New School’s Grand Expo/Open House will be held on November 20, 2010, a Saturday, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, New York time. Admission to the event is free but it is still best to register beforehand. For inquiries, the contact email address is gradexpo@newschool.edu.

Getting Accepted into Your Chosen School through an MBA Workshop

For those planning to get into their dream MBA school, there is another way to improve their chances. Most students aspiring to earn an MBA know that the GMAT is an important factor in getting into the business school they prefer. Even though the economic crisis has created a damper on the status of some of the top business schools, causing a lowering of admissions standards, as reported lately, it is always safe to aim for high GMAT scores.

Webinar briefing on workshop and MBA preparation

MBA Prep School is hosting an MBA webinar on October 27 at 10 am, Pacific Standard Time. This way, anyone from all over the world can attend this event to get to know more about what MBA Prep School can offer in terms of MBA admissions and GMAT preparation. The prep school advises that the prospective student should take months or even years of preparation before finally applying into an MBA school.

The coverage of the webinar

The webinar will give the prospective student the overview of the strategies that are taught by the MBA Prep School. Because it is a seminar, although web-based, the guests can ask a few questions. Guests who RSVP immediately will be getting $100 off their MBA Prep School fees.

Giving People with Disabilities the Opportunity to Pursue Med School Education

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, the law recognizes the capabilities of disabled persons and forbids any form of discrimination, which may occur when the disabled are denied access to the a particular field of study due to their handicap or disability. Of course, the applicant must first meet the basic qualifications to be granted an admissions slot after going through the process, along with other applicants. In response to this, however, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), in 1993, came out with guidelines saying that students must have “intellectual, physical and emotional capabilities necessary to undertake the required curriculum in a reasonable independent manner, without having to rely on intermediaries, and that all students must be able to achieve the levels of competence required by the faculty.” Based on these, it can be said that the main concern in accepting disabled students to med school comes from their questioned ability to function as physicians, which can be affected by their disability. Another concern is the resources and personnel needed to assist with the training. Some, however, think that the AAMC guidelines are quite high and that the admissions criteria should go past the stereotypes and consider what people with disabilities can actually contribute to the profession.

Successful med students with disabilities

Years ago, doors to medical school admission are almost closed for people with disabilities. There were instances when the applicant would even talk to the admissions directors, submit all the application requirements, and even secure letters of recommendation from previous professors. But to no avail, most would come home deprived of their chance to pursue a degree in their chosen field. Fortunately, nowadays, people with disabilities are now given better opportunities to enter into med school.

Even the differently-abled deserves an equal chance to pursue higher education in the medical sciences field, and one good proof that even with a handicap a determined student can accomplish just as much is Timothy Cordes. Being a blind man didn’t stop Cordes from pursuing his dreams as he later became the University of Notre Dame’s class valedictorian and M.D. and Ph.D. degree holder in biomolecular chemistry at the University of Wisconsin. He is now a resident physician in a pscyhiatry department. There are other stories like Tim’s, and like him, they proved that their handicap is not an obstacle to their accomplishments.

St Johns Graduate School of Education to Hold an Open House

St. Johns University’s Graduate School will be holding an open house this fall in preparation for the next school year. The open house will be held to assist students with university application and more.

About the open house

This open house is just like any other academic open house. The agenda is mostly to introduce some choice programs, reveal some information and details about the admissions process, share some tips on scholarship grants, and entertain other concerns and questions coming from prospective students. Here are the programs that will be tackled during the open house:

- Continuing and Field Change (changing content area within education),

- Teachers in Adolescent, Early Childhood and Childhood Education, Gifted Extension

Interested guests may also be ready with their questions about their chosen courses. They may also conduct their research before proceeding to the open house to find out if the said event can still offer additional information.

Details about the open house

The St. Johns University Graduate School of Education open house will be held on November 9, 2010 starting from 7 pm. The exact location will be the Sullivan Hall, Dean’s Lounge, Garden Level Queens Campus. For more information, interested guests can contact the school through the landline (718) 990-2304 or through the email address graded@stjohns.edu. Online registration may also be done through http://www.stjohns.edu/admission/graduate/events/form.stj. It would help to contact the school for registration or inquiry purposes before the event itself to secure admission into the open house.

Source: St. John’s University News

All about the University of California at Berkeley Haas School of Business

The Haas School of Business is a graduate school of the University of California at Berkeley. Having been established in 1898, Haas School of Business is the country’s oldest business school at a public institution and it is the country’s second oldest business school. Read on to learn more about Haas and how to get your application accepted.

Degrees offered

Haas School of Business offers a lot of different programs, including those for full-time MBA, evening and weekend MBA, executive MBA, PhD, undergraduate, joint-degree, and dual-degree. Among the concurrent degree programs are the JD/MBA Program, the MBA/MPH Program in Health Management, and the MBA/MA Program in International Area Studies.

Alumni

Among some of the well-known alumni to come from Haas are the following members:
- Arun Sarin – ex-CEO of Vodafone
- Scott Adams – creator of Dilbert comic strip
- Rick Cronk – former chairman and president of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream
- Donald Fisher – chairman and founder of Gap Inc.
- John Hanke – Founder and CEO of Keyhole Inc., Co-creator and Product Director of Google Earth
- Norman Mineta – US Secretary of Transportation
- Paul Otellini – President and CEO of Intel
- Rudolph A. Peterson – President and CEO of Bank of America
- Rodrigo Rato – IMF Managing Director, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Spain

Rankings and reviews

Some of the rankings that the University of California at Berkeley Haas School of Business include the following:
- US News & World Report Best Graduate Schools 2011: 7th nationally
- Economist Intelligence Unit, full-time MBA rankings 2009: 1st internationally
- US News & World Report, full-time MBA rankings 2010: 7th nationally
- BusinessWeek, full-time MBA rankings 2008: 8th nationally
- Financial Times, full-time MBA rankings 2006: 16th internationally

Admission tips

If application time is nearing, then there isn’t much that you can do to improve your resume and basic application information. For this reason, you may want to try and focus on coming up with an application essay that will knock the socks off the admissions committee. Reflect and inject a lot of personality and character into your essay. Remember to edit and rewrite it multiple times until you get the perfect copy come submission time.

Admission facts

Student Enrollment:
- 2,264 students in six degree programs

Class of 2010
- Applicants: 4064
- Enrolled: 239
- International: 31%
- Women: 28%
- Ethnic minority: 30%
- Median Age: 28
- Median years work experience: 5 years
- HS GPA of 3.75 or higher: 83%
- HS GPA of 3.5 to 3.74: 16%

SAT scores for full-time entering business students on 1600 scale:
- Mean: 1,400
- Median: 1,420
- SAT middle 50% range on 1600 scale: 1,330 – 1,500

Contact info

Haas School of Business
545 Student Services #1900 (mail address)
2220 Piedmont Avenue (delivery address)
University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-1900

Full-time MBA Program Admissions
1-510-642-1405

http://mba.haas.berkeley.edu/contact.html

St Johns Workshop on Writing Law Essays

St. Johns University had just finished organizing and hosting a workshop on how to write a proper law school personal statement. The workshop was held last November 2, 2010 in the Queens Campus, specifically in the St. Augustine Hall/Library, located in the Writing Center Conference Room. The workshop started at 5:00 pm, an ideal time for prospective law students who were currently employed.

The workshop is an important part of admissions preparation. This is because the law school personal statement should be able to help the admissions committee to get to know each of the applicants much better. Serious applicants should make sure that they are armed with all the knowledge possible on how to write a good essay. The essay is a way to introduce themselves on a more personal level to the admissions committee. The grades and the LSAT scores matter, of course. However, when the competition is quite stiff, the admissions committee members turn to personal statements. From there, the members of the committee will know which applicants have the potential to do well in law school and later on in the legal profession.

For those who have missed the November 2 workshop at St. Johns University, there are many other opportunities, either offered by other law schools or by private tutorial and training centers.

Source: St.John’s University News

SUNY Cortland to Host Another Open House

SUNY Cortland will be hosting another open house for prospective students on November 12, the second admissions event this fall. Up to 700 college applicants are expected to join the said admissions event. They will be on a campus tour and will get a chance to meet students and members of the faculty, as well as visit different academic departments.

For this open house, which will take place on a Friday, the participants will be toured on the campus during regular classes. This is a great opportunity for applicants who weren’t able to attend the first open house last October 11, which has a good turnout of 825 students.

The open house will start at 9:30 am in Park Center, followed by an academic fair and student services fair, which will take place in Park Center Corey Gymnasium, starting from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. The fair will be attended by faculty members and representatives from the student services department. After the fair, by 12:30 pm, guests can visit different academic departments and go on a tour. Guided campus and residence hall tours will take place from 11 am to 2:30 pm. Guests will be meeting in the Corey Union Function Room before the start of the tour. Theresa Curtis, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, will also be giving talks on pre-medical advisement, scheduled at the Bowers Hall (Room 245) at 1 pm. Check out the school website (cortland.edu/admissions) for more details.

Source: ReadMedia

Davidson County Community College to Host a University and College Fair on November 9

Davidson County Community College has organized a university and college fair, which is open to all DCCC students who have plans of moving to area universities and colleges. Scheduled on November 9, the fair will include representatives from 18 higher learning institutions who will be discussing the details of transferring, admissions, and the different academic programs students can enroll in.

Representatives from different universities will come visit DCCC and attend the fair to speak with prospective students who might want to transfer and pursue a four-year undergraduate degree in their universities. The event will be held from 8:30 to 10:00 am at Gee Building’s South Wing (at the first floor). The fair does not require prospective students to set an appointment. All DCCC students are welcome to attend and see which university offers a good academic program, should they decide to pursue a four-year undergraduate degree.

Participating universities and colleges include the following: Winston-Salem State University, Appalachian State University, Western Carolina University, Campbell University, UNC-Wilmington, Catawba College, UNC-Greensboro, DeVry University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, East Carolina University, Pfeiffer University; Salem College, Fayetteville State University, N.C. State University, Fort Hays State University, John Wesley College, Greensboro College, and Guilford College. More information are available from the school’s official website.

Source: The Dispatch

University of St. Thomas to Host an MBA Open House

The University of St. Thomas (UST) will be hosting an open house for its MBA program this month. Prospective MBA students can come in anytime during the set date to get a chance to have a one-on-one with an admissions director.

The meeting can shed light on what the full-time MBA program is like and what is required from the prospective students during the admissions process and throughout the duration of the program. This free admission open house is just like any other academic open house in the sense that it provides information on a particular program and on the admissions process. However, it is also different in a way given that the information dissemination is mostly given through a one-on-one meeting.

Details of the open house

The event will be held on November 12, 2010 from 11 am at the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business, downtown Minneapolis campus. The address of this campus is 1000 LaSalle Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403. Admission is free and there is no specified range in which the guests’ ages should fall in. Interested individuals can contact this landline number: (651) 962-8800.

The UST MBA open house is a great opportunity for prospective students to voice out their queries and concerns directly to an admissions director. Though the one-on-one approach may be uncomfortable for some, it would actually be preferable for many others.

The Three Africas

        When many people hear the word Africa, they picture steaming jungles and gorillas. Hollywood films have shrunk the public image of this immense, varied continent into a small segment of its actual diversity. To have a more accurate picture of the whole continent, however, one should remember that there are, roughly, three Africas, each with its distinct climate and terrain and with a style of life suited to the environment. The continent can be divided into the northern desert areas, the southeastern grasslands, and the tropical jungles to the southwest.         The northern regions have the environment and living patterns of the desert. Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco have hot, dry climates with very little land suited to farming. Therefore, the population tends to be clustered into cities along rivers or the seacoast or into smaller settlements near oases. For thousands of years, people have lived in this vast region, subsisting partly on what crops and animals they could raise and partly on trade with Europe.
        The southeastern grasslands provide a better environment for animal life and for some kinds of crops. Many wild animals inhabit the plains in this region--elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros, antelopes, zebras, and lions. The people in this area have long been expert cattle raisers and hunters. Tea, coffee, cotton, cashew nuts, and tobacco are some of the main products grown in this region. Fishing also provides some food and income for people along the coast. The population here is less concentrated in cities and towns than in the north, but tends to be denser in areas where adequate rainfall and fertile soil make farming possible.
        West Africa is the region closest to the Hollywood image of mysterious jungles. As in the other two regions, the way people subsist depends upon their environment. This does not mean that most of the people live in grass huts in the jungle. Such nations as Nigeria have become highly modernized by income from oil, timber, and minerals. Most of the western countries have some farming that provides food and income; sugar cane, coffee, and tobacco are the important cash crops, while bananas, rice, and corn are raised for food. Fishing in the rivers and along the coast also accounts for food and income, and precious stones, especially diamonds, enhance the economy of Angola and the Ivory Coast.
        Even a superficial look at the major regions of Africa shows that it is a varied continent with several environments. Although most of the continent is tropical in its range of temperature, the climate ranges from deserts to rain forests. Similarly, human life-styles vary from the simplest rural villages to industrial cities, both new and ancient. Contrary to the myth, however, jungle life makes up only a very small portion of the whole of Africa.

The change in employment opportunities for English language teachers

Since the early 1970s, there has been significant growth in the number of students studying in the English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sector in Australia. However, despite this growth, by the late nineties, it was becoming more difficult to obtain employment as a teacher of general English as the ELICOS sector experienced difficulties. This essay will consider some of the causes of the change in employment opportunities for English language teachers, and some of the effects.

The first cause of the change in employment opportunities was the dramatic downturn in the economies of several Asian countries in the late nineties. The downturn resulted in a sudden devaluation of currencies in Indonesia, Japan and Thailand, for example. This led to a fewer number of people being able to afford study overseas, including preparatory English language classes in Australia, because of the lower value of currencies. Fewer students meant fewer classes resulting in decreased employment opportunities for teachers of English.

Secondly, in the late nineties Australian visa requirements for overseas students were changed. A new conservative Liberal government was elected and replaced the less restrictive Labour Party government. The new government introduced visa policy changes that led to a decrease in the number of overseas students planning to study in Australia which also led to reduced employment opportunities for English teachers.

These two factors led to a decrease in the numbers of students and opportunities for employment for teachers of English in Australia, and these, in turn, led to some clear effects for the ELICOS industry.

The first effect of the changes in student numbers led to colleges becoming more active in marketing their own programs. Up until then most colleges had offered similar programs. Reduced numbers of students meant that institutions had to become more competitive. As a result, university language centres, for example, formed an association to promote their courses, and took a stronger language training approach. This ensured that overseas students studying in university language centres were assured of a quality language program.

Anther effect was a change in the type of courses offered in many centres. As competition increased, centres began to promote specific courses to attract particular student groups. There was an increase in English for specific purposes (ESP) courses especially academic English and courses for professions. This led to changes in the requirements of what types of course teachers had to take. Previously, general English courses were clearly the most common type of course, however, this changed to academic and specific purposes courses for which needed particular types of experience and qualifications. This meant that teachers now needed to have a greater variety of academic and professional backgrounds.

To sum up, there have been changes to employment opportunities in Australian language centres since the nineties as a result of visa requirements, and the economic crisis of 1997. The changes have led preference for employment of teachers with experience in teaching particular types of courses. It appears this trend will continue as most students plan to enter, or continue, higher education after their ELICOS programs.

English is the first choice of second language studens

Increasingly, over the past fifteen to twenty years, greater numbers of people have been studying English. What causes people to study English? Why does it continue to be the first-choice of most second language students around the world? The reasons, of course, vary from person to person, and it is important to note that a reason why a person studies is no more important or valid than a different reason that motivates another person to study English. This essay will examine some of these causes along with some of the effects of English study.

Firstly, the fact that greater numbers of students are electing to study English will inevitably lead to a better educated generation of learners. More and more of the current generation of students are choosing to go outside of only learning their own language and ‘traditional’ subjects in their home countries by studying abroad, firstly in English language courses, then in tertiary courses conducted in English. The number of international students in Australia, for example, has risen from around 90,000 in 1994 to over 300,000 only ten years later. And this is not just happening in English-speaking countries. Places like Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai, for example, have all experienced increases in students coming to study English language courses and tertiary programs in English.

Another cause of why people study English is for extrinsic reasons. A person who has an extrinsic motivation, wants to achieve something else other than language improvement. Students who are extrinsically motivated believe that study will lead to positive results in other parts of their lives, such as a better salary, a better job or a place at university, for example. Extrinsically motivated students may also have been told to study by someone else, for instance, their parents or the company they work for. Some students are told they must study English in order to progress in a company, or in order to gain promotion. Study, then, does not become a choice, it becomes a necessity, something they feel they have to do.

Finally, some students choose to study English for another reason; it is the international language. This reason may be either intrinsic or extrinsic, and it is perhaps the most fundamental cause of why students choose to study English. Students are not necessarily choosing English; they are choosing the international language which, right now, happens to be English. Fifty years ago it would have been French, and in fifty years time it may be Mandarin. However, as more students choose to study English because it is the international language, it further strengthens the position of English as the international language. People make this choice because it is the language of business, the Internet, of sports and entertainment, of travel and of global politics. It makes sense to become proficient in a language you may use in so many ways.

These causes have led to ever-increasing numbers of students deciding to take English language courses. Let us now look at some of the effects of this choice to study English.

Firstly, the fact that greater numbers of students are electing to study English will inevitably lead to a better educated generation of learners. More and more of the current generation of students are choosing to go outside of only learning their own language and ‘traditional’ subjects in their home countries by studying abroad, firstly in English language courses, then in tertiary courses conducted in English. The number of international students in Australia, for example, has risen from around 90,000 in 1994 to over 300,000 only ten years later. And this is not just happening in English-speaking countries. Places like Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai, for example, have all experienced increases in students coming to study English language courses and tertiary programs in English.

Secondly, there is the value in the increased communication potential that learners acquire. The ability of people from non-English speaking backgrounds to communicate more clearly with other people in English is clearly improved by the number of people now learning the language. In other words, the more people who learn English, the better we will be able to communicate around the world. This can lead to increased cultural understanding which can only be positive.

Finally, another effect of the increasing numbers of students choosing English can be seen in the industry of English itself. As more and more students study both at home and abroad, the whole education industry has continued to grow. Both English language centres and tertiary courses accepting international enrolments have seen a huge growth in numbers in the last fifteen years. In Australia, the growth in international student numbers has resulted in a billion-dollar industry. It is one of the country's most important exports.

In conclusion, it is clear that there are a range of reasons why people choose to study English. The effects of this are still being felt around the world as English continues to grow in importance and the number of speakers continues to rise.

Parents Are The Best Teachers


Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Obviously, the first teachers we have in our lives in most cases are our parents. They teach us to speak, walk, ride a bike, behave ourselves etc. From my everyday experience and observation I can totally agree with the statement that parents are the best teachers. In the following paragraphs I will try to support my answer with some reasons and examples.



First of all, I would say that parents are our very first teachers. They with great patience pass down the essential knowledge that we need in order to join "the real world". Children often copy their parents' habits and traits because children are sure that parents do only right things. Often children's first wish is to be like their mother of father. Parents are the best teachers because they wish their children a success and they do not teach them bad things.

However in order to succeed in today’s world children need more than just to know good manners and be able to read and write. They need real teachers who would teach them logic, mathematics, literature, foreign language, management etc. Moreover, they need to communicate with the children of the same age. Adolescence is a period when children learn more from their friends then from their parents. At this age many young people reject their parents' advices and warnings. They begin to learn from their own experience, make conclusions and analyze their first mistakes. It is very important for parents in this period to be supportive and patient. Children may slam door and refuse to do some things because they want to feel independence. 

Another important aspect of this is that parents are the first people who must worn their children about the danger of drugs and cigarettes and how to avoid and say "No" when they need to. In the modern world parents must talk with their children about everything because it can save their life and make them happier. So, the role of parents is really important because it gives the strength and understanding the real world.

In conclusion, I think that parents are the best teachers because they give their knowledge that can not be taken from books when it needs to be known by children.
 
More essays here 
 


Large And Small Companies


Some people prefer to work for a large company. Others prefer to work for a small company. Which would you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.


The issue whether working for a large company is better than working for a small company is a controversial one. From my everyday experience and observation I think that every option has its advantages and disadvantages. I base my opinion on the following points.

From the one side working for a large company brings many benefits. First of all, one has better medical insurance, higher salary. Often employees of a large company has less responsibilities. Moreover, they feel more secure because their company has more clients and this means better chance to survive on the modern market.  However, one working for a large company has less chance to be promoted because one's manager does not want to lose his or her job unless she or he is promoted too. Also, from my observation, managers of a large company do not pay much attention to one's solutions and suggestions.

From the other side working for a small company has many advantages too. Firstly, one has better chance to be promoted. Secondly, one can talk to the owner of the company about any improvements that can be done in order to get more profit. Another important aspect of working for a small company is the opportunities to find out more about how company works. As a result of this one can gain more experience and get better recommendations. However, this also has some disadvantages. For instance, one can get less salary, worse medical benefits, etc.

To sum up, I think that every person chooses for himself what he or she wants. If one wants better career and more responsibilities then a small company is better choice. Otherwise, working for a large company may be a good option too.

Planing Or Not Your Activities


Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans. Which do you prefer - planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.

Nowadays people have so many things to do that they almost always do not have enough time for it. When we go to bed we carefully think and plan our next day and it continues day in and day out. We wake up, recollect our checklist with things to do and in a few minutes we are already in a car on our way to the office. Often people do not have time for themselves. So, when people have some spare time  they want to use it wisely. Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. However, others prefer not to make any plans. In this essay I will analyze both cases and present my view in favor of planning free-time activities.

From the one side, not making any plans and just letting the time pass by for some time have some benefits. First of all, a person can just relax, enjoy the beautiful moments, spend his or her time with loved ones, watch a movie, listen to relaxing music, observe the flowers in bloom from the window, contemplate about his or her life and just slow down the pace of life. I think it is a very good way to eliminate one's stress and tension and just leave all troubles and worries behind.

From the other side, careful planning can bring many benefits too. First of all, one can travel. However, traveling requires some planning to be made. For example, one most likely will need a hotel room. So, the reservation should be made beforehand. Also, it is wise to check one's car to avoid breakdowns and have an uninterrupted worry-free trip. Second of all, planning one's activities allows to spend one's free time the way he/she likes. For instance, if I want to play tennis on incoming week-end I will certainly make a reservation for a court because in this case I will not be disappointed with the waste of my time.  Personally, I prefer to make plans for my free time because it allows me to spend my vacation or week-ends the way I want it.

To sum up, I think careful planning allows people to derive maximum benefits from their free time. However, I must confess sometimes I allow my self just to stay at home with my friends and family and not make any plans.


Transportation Vehicle


Choose one of the following transportation vehicles and explain why you think it has changed people’s lives. Automobiles, bicycles, airplanes. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

The invention of the automobile is undoubtedly one of the humankind's greatest inventions. It had a great impact on people's lives. For several reasons that will be mentioned bellow I think that the invention of the automobile dramatically changed the way people lived before.

First of all, automobile allowed people to move faster from one place to another. This in one's turn dramatically increased people's life pace. Distance was no longer of that importance. It was a new means of communication.

Second of all, nowadays it is rather difficult to imagine life without a car. People can not do virtually anything without a car. Just imagine for a moment that one does not have a car. One needs to go an office, get a haircut, buy some food, watch a movie, meet one's friend, etc. To get all these done he uses a car to move fast from one place to another.

In addition, people can travel using their own vehicle. It is great because one can travel independently, without any train schedules.

Finally, I think that the invention of the automobile was inescapable. People could not continue using trains and horses to meet their life requirements. Moreover, just imagine for a moment how many horses people would need nowadays. I think we would talk about horse overpopulation as well as human overpopulation.

Unfortunately, the invention of the automobile has some negative aspects. The most obvious aspect of this is road accident. Many people every day suffer from different injuries. Also, with the  invention of the automobile humankind came across with a problem of air pollution. A huge amount of cars every day throw out many poisonous matters in the air. I believe that soon we all will be able to exchange our cars for those, which use sun energy instead of fuel.




Smokers


In some countries, people are no longer allowed to smoke in many public places and office buildings. Do you think this is a good rule or a bad rule? Use specific reasons and details to support your position.

The question about whether people should be allowed to smoke in public places is the one that is open for debate. All people can be devided on two groups: smokers and not smokers. Smokers agree that they do not benefit the society by smoking, but think that they should have some special places in office buildings or public places where they can smoke. However, others believe that smokers should not be allowed to smoke in any places except their own apartments. Personally, I completely agree with the last opinion. For the following reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that smokers should not contaminate the air other people breathe.

The first reason for this is that smokers not only damage their own health but actually cause damage to the health of others. Scientists say that people who do not smoke, but regulary breathe in the smoke of cigarettes, so-called "passive smokers", poison their health more then smokers themselves. For example, when I was a student I lived with the roommate who was a chain smoker. First I did not know what to do, I smelled that smoke everywhere and I could not breathe freely, but in a few weeks I got used to it. Now I think that I was a real smoker because of the fact that I regulary breathed in so much smoke.

Second of all, I think that people should not be allowed to smoke in public places and in office buildings because this rule will force them to quit. Smokers will have to quit smoking or at least will do it less often and this benefits all people smokers as well as not smokers.

Finally, smoking in public places contributes to the growth of number of smokers because many people seeing smokers  may feel a desire to take a cigarette and join them. The advertisement of cigarettes is already prohibited by the law and I think it is a good sign because many people become smokers only because they see other people do it.

In conclusion, I think that this rule will benefit the society of every country and our world on the whole.

People Learn In Different Ways


People learn in different ways. Some people learn by doing things; other people learn by reading about things; others learn by listening to people talk about things. Which of these methods of learning is best for you? Use specific examples to support your choice.

People learn through their entire lives. Some people prefer to read many books and gain knowledge from them. Others prefer to learn from their own experience. Also, there are people who prefer to learn from others by listening to their advice and analyzing their mistakes. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that each of these ways to learn new things has  many advantages. Personally, I think that the combination of these ways is the best way to learn and gain more knowledge and experience.

Undoubtedly, learning by doing things is the best way to learn. First of all, one can gain his own experience, which is priceless and valuable. Moreover, some things are impossible to learn without practicing. For example, when children learn how to read they can not perfect in it without everyday practice. Or when a student learn how to type on a computer. He can not just listen to someone or read books about it and then type very quickly. Many things in our life require practice and own experience. Personally, I think that mostly I learn how to do  things by doing them not by reading about them.

However, there are some things that are impossible to be learnt by doing them. For example, students learn many things from the books and other different recourses like Internet, magazines, newspapers and even through conversations. Take for example our history or space exploration. People learn about them from books and TV programs. We can not get back in time and experience different historical events except that we do it in our imagination.

In conclusion, I think that the combination of these ways will give the best results. However, there is no doubt that personal experience is priceless and irreplaceable, because it gives the great opportunity to analyze one's mistakes, make conclusions and avoid them next time. So, in my case I try to learn thing by doing them if it is possible and if it is not then I use other ways to lean them.

Long Or Short Vacations


Some people believe that students should be given one long vacation each year. Others believe that students should have several short vacations throughout the year. Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

The issue whether students should be given one long vacation each year or they should have several vacations throughout the year is the one that is open for debate. Some people believe that students should have a few short vacations. However, others believe that one long vacation each year have more benefits for students. Personally, I think that every position has advantages as well as disadvantages. In the following paragraphs I will analyze these opinions and present my view which is that students should have one short vacation and one long vacation every year.

From the one side, one long vacation every year can bring many benefits to the students. First of all, students will have the opportunity to work full time during this vacation. They will be able to earn some pocket money or even money to cover the cost of their education. I think it is a great experience. Moreover, students will be able to be more independent, they will learn how to earn money and how to spend them more carefully. I am from Russia. Unfortunately, I do not have any experience in the USA in this field, but in my country students can barely combine their education with their jobs. So, basically, students in Russia have the opportunity to earn some money only during long vacation. Second of all, one long vocation gives students a great opportunity to travel, to learn more about other countries, their traditions and customs, gain more knowledge and experience.

From the other side, several short vocations bring a few benefits too. First of all, students have the opportunity to have a rest throughout the year. They can spend more time exercising, muster their strength for another term and then get higher grades. Second of all, during short vocations students usually have better opportunity to prepare for the incoming exams. Finally, usually a long vocation has a negative aspect: from my own experience students tend to forget many subjects they studied earlier. So, a couple of first weeks is usually spent on reviewing an old material.

To sum up, I think that in this case an intermediate position can be taken. Students should have one long vocation in summer and one short vocation in winter.

Building Factory


A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.

I am from Saint-Petersburg, Russia. I believe that building a large factory near my community has advantages as well as disadvantages. In the following paragraphs I will list basic benefits and losses that will be brought by a new factory.

For several reasons, I think that a new factory will not be a good addition to my neighborhood. First of all, factories often bring pollution. They are prone to contaminating the local air and water. Second of all, factories make noise. Another important aspect of building a new factory near by is that it will make the local traffic heavy. As a result of this, the amount of traffic congestions will increase, as well as contamination of the air. So, all these obviously will not make one's life happier and healthier in my community.

From the other side, I believe that a new factory will bring some advantages to my community. First of all, it will bring new job opportunities. Many specialists will be required to work there. Second of all, I think many local community facilities will have to be renovated to obtain reliable supply of water and electricity. So, some old pipes may be changed. Another important benefit of this is that the local roads in order to manage the increasing traffic will be rebuilt and widened.

However, I do not think that listed above benefits are worth all these troubles including water contamination and the constant pollution of air. From my point of view all factories must be built far from the people communities because they can be really harmful for people's health. 

Business And Profit


Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Businesses should do anything they can to make a profit. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
I do not agree with the statement that businesses should do anything they can to make a profit. I state my opinion on the following points.

First of all, every company must have its moral code. It means that a company should treat its clients properly and respect their rights. Of cause a company may lose a part of its profit but security of its clients must be on the first place. Otherwise, clients will switch to another company and never be back. For instance, a few years ago "Jonson&Jonson" produced a new type of painkillers. Unfortunately, this product was not tested properly. As a result of this many people died and received injures. The president of the company made a crucial decision to call back all painkillers from all distributors and pay to all injured customers for their treatment. It cost a lot of money for the company but it saved its image and clients. It was a very difficult decision, but the president of the company understood that it would cost him even more in the future because he would not be able to return clients' respect. Loosing customers means for a company loosing its profit.

Second of all, in order to succeed in the modern world companies have to compete with each other. Many companies lose  their profit decreasing prices on their products. They do not aspire for extra profit but for clients' satisfaction. Companies do it because they want their products sold and their customers satisfied. They offer discounts, free delivery, free service, free Internet access, good return service, etc. All these are done to make their old customers happy and attract new clients.

To sum up, I think a company, which the only goal is profit will not succeed nowadays. Otherwise, companies that respect their clients and want to see them satisfied will make a fortune.

Complain In Person Or In Writing


When people need to complain about a product or poor service, some prefer to complain in writing and others prefer to complain in person. Which way do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

It is rather difficult for me to answer the question how I prefer to complain: in writing or in person because sometimes I just do not have a choice. For example, if I order a product using the Internet from another state or even country I will more likely have the opportunity to speak to a representative of a company in person. So, in some cases I choose to speak in person and in others I prefer to complain in writing. However, I believe that every option has its advantages.

From the one side, complaining in writing brings many benefits. First of all, one does not have to spend his precious time driving, waiting for his turn and talking with a representative. He can just send mail or e-mail and get all explanation he needs.  Second of all, I think it is the best way to avoid an unpleasant conversation. Personally, I do not like to complain about anything especially, in person. Finally, sometimes it is impossible to have a face-to-face conversation because a company which provided a poor product or service is too far away.

From the other side, complaining in person has some benefits too. First, this type of complaining provides an immediate feedback. So, if I have some complains about company's products I will receive all information and explanation right away. However, sending a company a letter and getting a feedback can take more then a month. Second, face-to-face conversation is often more effective. People talk to each other, see each other facial gestures and body movements, which can tell a lot about a person. In addition to these practical benefits, in the case if one can not receive creditable explanation from one representative he always can require to talk to another person. For instance, my husband recently had some extra withdraws from his account by his bank and he was not aware of it. So, he went to the bank and explained to the bank's representative the situation and they together found the solution and those money was given back to my husband's account. I think, in this case face-to-face conversation is the best way to complain and get feedback fast.

In conclusion, I think that if I have to complain about a product or poor service I will do it in person. However, if face-to-face conversation is impossible I think I have nothing left but to send a letter or write an e-mail there.

Internet


Some people say that the Internet provides people with a lot of valuable information. Others think access to so much information creates problems. Which view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

There is no doubt that the Internet is one of the greatest humankind's inventions of the last century. It is fast and easy way to get a lot of valuable information. However, some people believe that the Internet creates many problems. From my point of view I think that the Internet brings us advantages as well as disadvantages.

First of all, I think that the Internet brings us many benefits. People can have access to the latest news, weather, traffic, bid-and-asked quotations, etc. Another important benefit is that the Internet is a great means of communication. A few years ago it was rather difficult to imagine that it would be possible to communicate with people from all around the world. Students have the opportunity to speak to the professors from prestigious universities, ask their opinions and extend their range of interests. People have the opportunity to communicate with the people from other countries, find out their customs, traditions and even visit each other. I think that the Internet makes our world smaller and friendlier. We' ve got the chance to learn more about the world's history, our forefathers and gain more knowledge.

From the other hand, many questions and difficulties arose with the appearance of the Internet. For example, children got the easy access to  the information they are not supposed to read. Also, people's security and privacy are often violated through steeling and gathering information about people and then selling it. Many banks had to increase their Internet security because of hacking.

However, I believe that Internet gave us more advantages and opportunities than disadvantages and problems.

Students And Jobs


No In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details.

Some people think that teenagers need to work while they are students. However, Other people believe that young people should not combine their education with a job. These two options are controversial ones. In my opinion, they both have disadvantages and advantages. I base my opinion on the following points.

From one side, a working student has many benefits. First of all, a person learns how to arrange time to be able to combine his studding and earning money. Personally, I think it is a very important benefit a person can get from this. Second of all, a student learns how to save money and keep his budget. A person gains new experience and knowledge working with the new people. He feels more independently and spends his or her money more careful.

From the other side, a person can have not enough time to meet his or her course requirements. Sometimes it may result in a failure on an exam and a waste of money and time. From my everyday experience and observation some people require more time to study new materials and prepare for an exam. Others, at the same, can easy understand new materials. So, my point is that a person should decide for himself whether he will be able to combine his studding and his working.

Another important aspect of getting a job is that a student most likely will have no time for parties, movies and his friends. I think that he or she should understand this fact.

To summarize, I believe that a working experience will give a student more benefits in the future than it takes from him or her in the present.