Watch the video by the British Council: http://youtu.be/LQQE2hWrl98
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Friday, September 2, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Good luck video!
The very best of luck to you, Thanasi, for tomorrow! May all your efforts pay off! Here is a video illustrating the very... unexpected way you can say good luck using sign language!
___________
On the day the exam results were announced:
A huuuuge bravo to you Thanasi! I am so excited today! You managed to get the desired score in just 1.5 months- that is a very important accomplishment if you ask me! Well done once again! As I wrote on Facebook, hard work and BLOGGING always pay off, right? :-)
___________
On the day the exam results were announced:
A huuuuge bravo to you Thanasi! I am so excited today! You managed to get the desired score in just 1.5 months- that is a very important accomplishment if you ask me! Well done once again! As I wrote on Facebook, hard work and BLOGGING always pay off, right? :-)
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Life is easier today than it was 500 years ago.
In the twenty-first century, alot of things have changed, compared to five hundred years ago. Nowadays, development in every field, but especially technological development, render our life more convenient and easier.I am inclined to believe that people have better living standarts and higher quality of life the last five hundred years.
First of all, the development of medicine has improved our life.In previous centuries, medical procedures were very dependent on nature. Additionally, doctors were not as specialized and knowledgable as today. In our days, techniques, medicines, drugs and biological methods have been discovered in order to treat diseases and illnesses. Medicine is more effective and faster in its treatment today. This is clearly illustrated by many operations which have become routine processes.
Another argument in favour of the current way of living is the technological development and innovations which have made our life advantageous by turning it into a simple and easy series of function. For example, kitchen appliances and generally house appliances, advanced tools and gadgets. Furthermore, inventions like cars, ships and aircrafts ameliorated the transportation in time. Computers, mobile phones and the Internet annihilated the distance between people in terms of communication. Moreover, our life and work became more auspicious and productive respectively by advanced technological equipment.
To sum up, our life has improved dramatically during the last century. Our average quality of our life increased substantially due to technology and medicine.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve traffic ans pollution problems.To what extend do you agree or disagree?Other measures.
Nowadays,both the price of petrol and pollution increase rapidly. Towns also suffered from traffic jams due to the excessive use of cars.I am inclined to believe that high prices in petrol are not the best solution available,but help to reduce pollution and traffic.
First of all,extra costs will definately discourage people to use cars,thus urge them to resort to other means of transport. For example, people could use buses, bikes even walking in order to circulate.This means that they reduce their expenses ,as well as the city pollution and traffic to a great extend and also improve their health.Additionally,pollution and traffic are not just caused by the burning of petrol; to these problems chemical wastes,industries,wrong mentality,narrow streets and lack of traffic lights in most of situations contribute significantly.
Consequently, we must introduce more effective measures to achieve radical changes.For instance cheaper tickets for public means of transportation.Moreover, bikes can be free at the citizens' disposal which means the citizens will gradually using alternative means to get transported.Furthermore,car-pooling is another measure.Only one car can be used when we want to circulate if a lot of people go to the same destination.What is more, wider streets and more traffic lights will result in reducing traffic jams.In my opinion, these are some measures, which will give an effective solution to the aforementioned problems.
In conclusion, if we apply all the above in combination with changing our mentality, we will live in a better place,away from polluting traffic jams.
First of all,extra costs will definately discourage people to use cars,thus urge them to resort to other means of transport. For example, people could use buses, bikes even walking in order to circulate.This means that they reduce their expenses ,as well as the city pollution and traffic to a great extend and also improve their health.Additionally,pollution and traffic are not just caused by the burning of petrol; to these problems chemical wastes,industries,wrong mentality,narrow streets and lack of traffic lights in most of situations contribute significantly.
Consequently, we must introduce more effective measures to achieve radical changes.For instance cheaper tickets for public means of transportation.Moreover, bikes can be free at the citizens' disposal which means the citizens will gradually using alternative means to get transported.Furthermore,car-pooling is another measure.Only one car can be used when we want to circulate if a lot of people go to the same destination.What is more, wider streets and more traffic lights will result in reducing traffic jams.In my opinion, these are some measures, which will give an effective solution to the aforementioned problems.
In conclusion, if we apply all the above in combination with changing our mentality, we will live in a better place,away from polluting traffic jams.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
PIE CHARTS 2
The pie charts refer to the cost of a particular UK school,the years 1981,1991 and 2001.
Teachers' salaries were the most considerable expenses of the scool from 1981 till 20010, amounting to 40% of the expences in 1981 to 45% in 2001 with a small fluctuation in 1991.The second higher cost was other workers' salaries which corresponded to a 28% in 1981 and a 22% in 1991,but in 2001 saw the decrease of 7%.
As for the resources,they reached 15% in 1981 and then rose to 20% in 1991.On the other hand,furniture and equipment had a downward trend from 15% in 1981 to 5% in 1991.In 2001,there was a steep increase to 23% in furniture and equipment.A 9% of total spending in the same year was due to resources.
Finally, in all three years insurance was the lowest cost the scool faced;in 1981 and 1991 it was slightly steady,but in 2001 it climbed to 8%.
Overall,the teachers' salaries and the money spent on insurance were the major and minor source of expenditure for that particular school respectively.
Teachers' salaries were the most considerable expenses of the scool from 1981 till 20010, amounting to 40% of the expences in 1981 to 45% in 2001 with a small fluctuation in 1991.The second higher cost was other workers' salaries which corresponded to a 28% in 1981 and a 22% in 1991,but in 2001 saw the decrease of 7%.
As for the resources,they reached 15% in 1981 and then rose to 20% in 1991.On the other hand,furniture and equipment had a downward trend from 15% in 1981 to 5% in 1991.In 2001,there was a steep increase to 23% in furniture and equipment.A 9% of total spending in the same year was due to resources.
Finally, in all three years insurance was the lowest cost the scool faced;in 1981 and 1991 it was slightly steady,but in 2001 it climbed to 8%.
Overall,the teachers' salaries and the money spent on insurance were the major and minor source of expenditure for that particular school respectively.
Monday, July 25, 2011
PIE CHARTS
The pie chart introduces the main cause of world wide land degradation in a percentage scale. Over-grazing is tha main reason of land degradation and accounts for 35% of it. A 30% and a 28% of degradation is due to deforestation and over-cultivation respectively. A final 7% corresponds to other reasons of degradation.
The causes of land degradation by region are represented on the table.Europe has the biggest percentage of total land degradation, which amounts to a 9.8% of it is because of deforestation, a 7.7% is owing to over-cultivation and a 5.5% is because of over-grazing.North America suffers the least from degraded land (about 5%).On the other hand, Oceania exhibits 13% of less productive total land. Deforestation affected the 1.7% of Oceania's land unlike the 0.2% of North America's. North America's over-cultivation impact was 3.3%.Finally over-grazing was the most important reason (11.3%) concerning Oceania,but in North America only 1.5% of the land wa degradated.
The region which has mostly suffered was Europe and the most decisive reasons were deforestation and over-cultivation.
The causes of land degradation by region are represented on the table.Europe has the biggest percentage of total land degradation, which amounts to a 9.8% of it is because of deforestation, a 7.7% is owing to over-cultivation and a 5.5% is because of over-grazing.North America suffers the least from degraded land (about 5%).On the other hand, Oceania exhibits 13% of less productive total land. Deforestation affected the 1.7% of Oceania's land unlike the 0.2% of North America's. North America's over-cultivation impact was 3.3%.Finally over-grazing was the most important reason (11.3%) concerning Oceania,but in North America only 1.5% of the land wa degradated.
Useful information for candidates
http://www.ielts.org/PDF/Information_for_Candidates_booklet.pdf
Pay attention to page 7 where the way to fill in the formal answer sheet is illustrated.
Pay attention to page 7 where the way to fill in the formal answer sheet is illustrated.
A successful life is a happy life
Nowadays,society lays a great deal of emphasis on professional,and ,thus, financial success. Everybody appears to aim at surpassing others to climb the social ladder. However,as far as I am concerned,happiness does not necessarily lie in the aforementioned ways of living for a number of reasons.
It is obvious that the things offered by success make people more distant and promote materialistic values and trends. For instance, somebody can gain recognition, respect, money, material goods, expensive possessions (like cars and mansions) and convenience through success. Nevertheless, things not offered by success are more crucial for a happy life. Success demands hard work,which is why many people neglect personal relationships in order to be more productive , thus, they lose love from family, relatives and friends.
Additionally,success becomes an obsession. People want to succeed again and again,achive more and more. That is the reason they are not satisfied and do not experience an emotional well-being. In other words, they are being rewarded financially but not emotionally; therefore they do not have emotional stability. This is clearly illustrated by actors and businessmen who are unhappy even though they have reached the top. More specifically, they take drugs, commit crimes and suicide because they cannot bear the thought of failure.
Overall, as I see it, happiness comes from success in personal relationships and the love of your relatives. Success does not guarantee love and happiness.
It is obvious that the things offered by success make people more distant and promote materialistic values and trends. For instance, somebody can gain recognition, respect, money, material goods, expensive possessions (like cars and mansions) and convenience through success. Nevertheless, things not offered by success are more crucial for a happy life. Success demands hard work,which is why many people neglect personal relationships in order to be more productive , thus, they lose love from family, relatives and friends.
Additionally,success becomes an obsession. People want to succeed again and again,achive more and more. That is the reason they are not satisfied and do not experience an emotional well-being. In other words, they are being rewarded financially but not emotionally; therefore they do not have emotional stability. This is clearly illustrated by actors and businessmen who are unhappy even though they have reached the top. More specifically, they take drugs, commit crimes and suicide because they cannot bear the thought of failure.
Overall, as I see it, happiness comes from success in personal relationships and the love of your relatives. Success does not guarantee love and happiness.
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