A Near Mess

This post is for my certificate III students at AMES.

This is a news article that I read on the internet today about a near mess. This means that a big accident was very likely to happen but it didin't.

The co-pilot didn't mean to make a mistake and paniked while he tried to correct the mistake because he thought he, and everyone on the plane, was going to die. The main pilot was in the toilet at the time when the near mess took place.

The plane was saved by the main pilot who used a secret code to open the door and take charge of the plane. It's a good idea to read the vocabulary first before you click the link.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/8416532/panicky-pilot-caused-jet-plunge/

Here is some help with the vocabulary in the text:

nosedive = the plane was heading down very fast (almost vertical)

terrifying = an experience when everyone felt frightened and very scared.

the control column = the main thing that controls how fast or slow that plane travels. It also controls if the plane goes up or down. It looks like the thing that you use in your car to change the gear.

accidently = he didn't mean to do so

reveal = say = indicate

inquiry = investigation (trying to find answers to a problem)

clumsy = someone who doesn't have skills to do a job

panicked = felt very scared and thought he was going to die

captain = the person in charge of flying a plane

co-pilot = the second in command on an airplane

cockpit = the place where the captain and the co-captain stay to control the plane. It is not allowed for passengers to enter the cockpit. The door is always closed and protected

plung = go down very fast like a person who dives into the water

shout = speak very loudly

liquor = alcohol

aisle = the part of the plane where passengers walk to reach their seats

commotion = noisy disturbance

according to the report = the report says ............

near-disaster = near mess

due to = because of

adjust = change the position of something to make it better

struggle = do something with great difficultry

opposit force = one person pushing forward and another person pushing backward

panicking = feeling very disturbed = feeling very worried = feeling he or she is going to die

probably = maybe

appropriate = suitable

crew = the people who work on the airplane to look after passengers

flight attendants = crew

conclude something = end something

calm = quiet

air pocket = a place where a plane loses balance

leaked report = a report that was made known in a secret way

Notice to Vacate a Property

I got some information about renting from the Consumer's Affairs web site in Victoria about vacating a property (asking someone to leave the house they live in) and thought it may be useful to you.

When you rent a house or a unit in Australia, you have to look after it and make sure you don't cause any damage.

Unfortunately, some people who rent properties in Australia sometimes cause problems to the owner and to the real estate agent. They can also cause problems to neighbours. The neighbours sometimes have to call the police because the people who rent the house near them are too noisy or cause trouble.

Sometimes they don't look after their gardens and their houses look dirty. They don't cut the grass and put a lot of rubbish in their gardens.

The local council can give you a fine if the grass in your garden is too long. My friend paid $1400 because he was too busy to cut the grass in his garden. That is a lot of money.

The landlord can send you a notice and ask you to vacate the property immediately if you have caused damage to it. He or she can ask you to leave if you or your visitors have endangered the safety of the neighbours.

The landlord can also ask you to vacate the property if it is not safe for human habitation or is unsafe for people to live in. Perhaps the roof has been damaged and it can fall at any time. You don't want to stay on and get killed inside the house, do you?

The landlord can ask you to leave the property if you haven't paid the bond. Paying the bond is part of your lease agreement.

Landlords in Australia can ask tenants to vacate properties if they can prove that the tenants use them for illegal purposes like growing plants in the garden to make drugs.

The landlord can ask you to vacate the property if you give misleading information in the lease agreement (contract).

The landlord can ask you to vacate the property if you stop paying rent for some time. The landlord normally has to pay money to the bank and if you stop paying him or her, they will be in trouble with their banks. You don't want this to happen to them, do you? They will ask you to leave the house so they can rent it out to someone who can pay rent.

Renting a House

 This post is for my certificate III students at Box Hill AMES. Here is a web page that has a lot of information about renting a property in Australia. You can read it as a PDF file and you can also listen to the audio files. This is really good for your English learning.

http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/CA256EB5000644CE/page/Renting?OpenDocument&1=910-Renting~&2=~&3=~

510 Hours of English at AMES

Good morning. Welcome to AMES Box Hill. Can I help you?

Yes, please. My name is Li. I am a new immigrant and I would like to study English here.

That’s fine. Do you have your passport with you so I can have a look at your visa?

Sure. I have it in my bag. Just give me one moment, please.

Not a problem.

Here you are. This is my passport from China. It has got my picture and my visa on it.

I see. Give me one moment, please. I need to check your visa number first to see if you are eligible to get English classes. Oh, yes. You are.

I paid three thousand dollars in China to have English classes in Australia as part of my visa application.

I see. Now we need to arrange for you to have an interview first.

Why do I need to go through an interview? I am not applying for a job.

Well, the interview will decide which class you will go to. It will also give you some information about the course you will study.

Oh, I see. When can I have my interview then?

Well, give me one moment, please. You can have your interview tomorrow. How does this sound?

This sounds good. What time do you want me to come for my interview?

Can you come at 9.45 in the morning, please?

Sure thing. Will I have my interview with you?

No, I only work in the office. You will have your interview with one of the teachers here.

What will happen after the interview?

After the interview you will be asked to attend an orientation session.

Why do I need to attend an orientation session?

All new students need to attend an orientation session before starting their courses. This is how things are done here.

Oh, I see. And what will they tell me in the orientation session?

They will provide you with information about the course. There will be some interpreters to help students who don’t speak English well understand what the course is all about. You will get some sheets that have some information about the course in your own language as well.

What do I need to do when I get these sheets?

You will need to read the sheets and if you have any questions, you can ask the teacher to explain things for you.

Can I stop my course at any time if I need to travel back to China?

Well, this is a very good question. You can stop your class if you need to but you will need to wait some time until we arrange for you to come back to study. You can't stop your class and come after one week to study again. You also need to give us a two-week notice before you stop your class because we have to inform the childcare centre if you have a child that goes there. It used to be easy before but not any more.

Do I need to ring my teacher if I skip class for one day?

If you don't come to class for one day, it's nice to ring the office and let us know that you're not coming. We will inform the teacher then.

How many hours will I be studying here?

You will be studying 510 hours. If you decide to study full time, you will come to class four hours five times a week. This is about six months of English study at our school.

What countries do the students come from?

We have students from all over the world. We also have a big number of Chinese students here in Box Hill. I am sure you will not feel homesick.

And what will happen after I finish my 510 hours of English study?

Well, depending on some students’ visas, they can get extra hours if their English is not good enough or they can go and study at TAFE or university. Most of our students look for work after they finish their English courses here.

Will you teach me how to write a resume and a cover letter to help me find work?

Resume and cover letter writing is always done in certificate III. Students get a lot of training to help them find work. This is what we try to help our students with.

Oh, I see. And what can I do if I have a problem in my class?

Well, you can speak to the teacher first.

Can’t I go to the manager directly?

No, it’s better to speak to the teacher first if you have any problem. If you are not happy with what the teacher says, you can go and see the manager. Please don’t go to see the manager before talking to your teacher first.

I see. Are there any books that I need to buy to do my course?

Well, the teacher will photocopy worksheets for you every time you come here. There are some books he or she can recommend to buy but you don’t need to. It is not like studying in your country.

Will my teacher be a native speaker?

It depends what class you will go to. We have teachers who are native speakers and we also have teachers who were not born in Australia but they speak English very well. I am sorry I can't give you an definit answer now.

Oh, I see. Do you arrange for childcare?

Yes, if you have children under 5 years of age, we can arrange for them to be sent to a childcare centre while you come to study. We can arrange that for you if you want. You will only need to fill in a form and we can ring the childcare centre to book a place for your child or children. You don’t pay any money for this but we do. AMES pays a lot of money to arrange childcare for our students. It is important that you come to class when your child goes to childcare. How many children do you have?

I’ve got only one child. Can I have the form to arrange for her to go to a childcare centre?

Sure thing. Here you are. You will also need to come to class every day. This will help you learn English fast. You also need to do some work on your own at home. The teacher will give you some web sites to go to in order to improve your English.   Anything else that I can help you with?
  
No, that’s all. You’ve been very helpful. Thanks very much.

What would you do if....?

What would you do if...........................

you were in the city and found out that you didn't have any money to take a train or a bus back home?

your best friend loved the girl that you were going to ask to marry?

you didn't do your English homework and the teacher always got very angry with students who did so?

you had a car accident in Melbourne while going to the shopping centre?

your boss chose you to go and work in Sydney instead of Melbourne?

you loved a girl but her mother gave you a hard time every time she saw you?

you won one million dollars but you found out that the money was forged (fake)?

you found out that the bank you invested your money in went bankrupt (the bank lost all the money)?

a girl came to you and told you she loved you very much and wanted to marry you?

you were fired from your job because the boss wanted to give it to his son?

you were working at a petrol station and someone came with a gun asking for money?

Barak Obama was coming to visit you on your birthday?


your bike was stolen and it was the third time that happened to you?

you came to the airport five minutes late and your plane had taken off to America?

your jeans got ripped off from the back in the street?

someone knocked at your door and asked to use your bathroom to have a shower?

you rang 000 and found out that the person who answered you was your friend from primary school?

you were asked to give a lecture on modern French literature but you didn't know anything about the topic?

you were chosen for a boxing match against Mike Tyson?

the boss offered to give you a higher job if you give him/her a kiss?

your wife found a love letter in your pocket while doing the washing?

you planned a wedding on a rainy day?

your best friend was taken to hospital on your wedding day?

you found out that you had an uncle you had never heard of before that will give you ten millions dollars when he dies?

you found out that the food that you had just eaten was donkey's meat?

the local council will demolish your house to build a memorial statue for the unknown soldier?

everybody found out that the invasion of Iraq was your own idea?

your wife found out that you were not a doctor as you had told her and you were unemployed?

you worked for an international company that sent you to Africa and a government official there asked you to pay him a big bribe to let you work in that country?

the police took a breath test of you and it was positive but you never drank alcohol?

you were chosen to be a star a film working with Tom Cruise and Madonna but you would have to sing in it?

someone heard you singing in the shower and offered to produce an album as soon as you walked out of the hotel bathroom?

your teacher said he/she would make you pass an important test if you paid him/her 2000 dollars?

you made a magic drink that would make you invisible?

you were the only one in the world who could speak cats language?

your girlfriend/boyfriend left you to marry someone who had a lot of money?

you found a wallet full of money in the street and the address and phone number of the person were inside?

you were arrested in a foreign country because you were looking at the president's daughter?

your son got 100% at his VCE exams and a chance to study medicine but you knew that could never be right?

you were chosen to sing an opera song at the opening ceremony at the coming Olympic Games?

you loved someone but found out that he/she had a very big gambling problem?

the police told you at the airport that they were looking for you for a very long time because you were an international criminal?

you had a very smart child but couldn't afford to send him/her to a private school?

the company you worked for wanted to send you to work in Iraq?

Listen a Minute

Today I will tell you about a web site that I use a lot in my teaching. It is called Listen a Minute and it is by a British teacher. It has a lot of reading and listening. It also has a lot of exercises that you can do on a computer. You can also print the exercises and do them in writing if you like.

Click the link to go to the web site.
http://www.listenaminute.com/

Sample Writing

This task was done in class by my certificate II students from AMES. It is a recount (story) about someone's life. Remember that I will ask you to write a recount of 100 words to pass one test.

I got married in China when I was 25 years old. I met my husband at a restaurant. My friend introduced my husband to me when we were at the restaurant. I was wearing a beautiful red dress. I felt a little shy when I met my husband for the first time.


He was wearing a new pair of jeans. His pants were so tight. I thought he could take care of me and I trusted him. He looked very handsome and gentle.

He couldn’t speak good Chinese because he was Korean. He recommended some delicious food to me. First of all, we ate some delicious beef. After that, we went to the cinema. I lost my purse at the cinema and started to cry because there were very important cards inside my purse.
He was worried too. He looked under the seat and found my purse. I felt so happy and gave him a very long kiss and we fell in love.

He asked me to marry him and I asked for one week to think about it. I also needed to ask my parents’ permission.

One week later, my parents met him when he went to my home. He bought me some flowers and a diamond ring. The ring was so beautiful and expensive. He knelt down and asked me to marry him. I said “Yes”.

We married at a 5 star hotel in Shanghai called Four Seasons. I invited 300 guests to attend my wedding. He invited three people. His parents and young sister.
After the wedding, we travelled on our honeymoon to visit Bali, America and France. I felt very happy and we took many beautiful photos.

I put many photos on my Facebook page for my friends to see.

I fell pregnant after a few months. I stopped working and read some books on how to look after the new baby. I bought many baby toys and clothes.

We moved to live in Korea and I lived with my husband’s parents. His mother was very kind to me. She cooked delicious Korean food for me every day but sometimes I felt unhappy because I missed my family in China and my husband and I went out to a nearby pub. I got used to living in Korea after some time and I liked it a lot. Korean people are very friendly and nice.

My husband got a chance to work in Australia. He got a better job at work. We moved to Melbourne and bought a new house and a new car. I also gave birth to my first twin baby daughters.

I went to AMES to learn English at Box Hill. My teacher’s name is Ibrahim and he is very friendly and helpful. I worked hard on improving my English.

I started making new friends from different countries but most of the students came from China. One of my friends is Korean and they are kind.

Two of my close friends are from China. They are very beautiful and clever.

After a few months, I went to university to study accounting. I finished my course after three years and worked hard to set up my own business. I made a lot of money after a short time and employed 20 people to work for me. I bought two petrol stations and a hotel in the city. Every year, we take my children to visit their grandparents in China and Korea. I feel very happy and enjoy my life.

A Good Rich Man

 How would you feel if you have enough money to spend for the rest of your life? Will that make you happy? OK, now think about this: How about if you have three million dollars to spend every day for the next 100 years. How will this make you feel? 


This is the money that Bill Gates (The co-founder of Microsoft) has right now. He gets even richer by the day. He is one of the richest people on earth but he really doesn't care that much about money. Perhaps because he has been extremely rich for a very long time that it doesn't mean much to him now. 


His father worked as a lawyer and he got very good education when he was young. He went to a private secondary school and fell in love with programming. At school he learned how to develop programs to control what computers can do and make them do new things. He dropped out of university to start a business in making software. Software is a computer word that we use to mean computer programs. 


The truth is that Bill Gates feels that with wealth comes responsibility. When he started his company from the family's garage at home, he couldn't have imagined how successful it would become. At the age of 24 he made the first million dollar. One year later, he made 100 million dollars but it was all because of his hard work and business sense. 


He is a charitable man who spends a lot of money fighting poverty and disease in poor countries. He spends billions of dollars every year giving education to those who need it most. He has spent tens of billions of dollars fighting malaria in poor countries and looking after people's health. Malaria is a deadly disease that is common in many poor countries in Africa and Asia. A lot of pharmaceutical companies stopped developing new drugs to fight malaria because there is not much money they can make if they do. This is how greedy most big companies are nowadays. Everyone is after money but not Bill Gates. 
 Because Bill Gates has spent a lot of his personal money on charitable projects, he is not the richest man on earth. Does he care much about being number one? Of course not. He feels more satisfied working on his one charitable organization. To do his charitable work, he gets help from his wife and his father as well.

 Take a Test

Advantages and Disadvantages of Travelling

When you travel away you get a chance to see new places and meet new people. There are many positive things about travelling but there are some negative ones as well.


When you travel to visit a new country or city, you feel amazed by what the place has to offer. You get to meet local people who live in the place you visit and taste the local food if you are adventurous. You take videos and pictures to remind you of your visit later on and to show them to your friends and family when you get back.


Sometimes you are lucky because you live in a rich country and the currency that you use has a high value. You can spend a few dollars and enjoy many things. If you come from a poor country, you will not have the same chances because in most cases people from poor countries work really hard and they don't get the chance to travel to see other countries.


Planning your trip before you leave is very important. First of all, you will need to get a visa to enter the country. After that you need to find out some information that will help you in your travel. Go on the internet and try to find pictures of the places that you want to visit and read about the culture of the people there. See exactly how much it will cost you so you don't get surprised when you get there.


There are some government web sites that give people advice before they travel. They provide travellers with information about safety in the country they want to visit and other important pieces of information.


Sometimes when you visit a new country, you appreciate the country you live in more and you know how lucky you are.


Many people in Australia travel to see Europe after they finish their university studies or after they get married. Some people prefer to go to New Zealand or Fiji because they are close to Australia. Immigrants who live in Australia go to visit their own countries to see their families and friends or to attend a wedding of a close relative there. Everyone has a different taste when it comes to travel.


There are people who travel to visit a country but decide to stay on to learn the language. Learning a new language takes a long time and they stay there until they speak the language well. Some of them marry from the country they visit.


There are some disadvantages about travelling. First of all, airline travel costs a lot of money these days. If you are travelling with your spouse and children, think about the high costs of air fares, transport and hotel bookings. Sometimes the country someone travels to is not safe. He or she gets their money or possessions stolen. Sometimes people get sick and catch serious diseases when they visit a different country because health standards in that country are not very high. The water can be polluted or the air may not be good enough to breathe because there are many factories in the place they visit. The country that a tourist visits can be totally different from what he or she imagined before going there and they feel disappointed after making a poor choice. 


Visiting a new country can sometimes be costly. Food can be expensive. In countries like France, you can pay up to 9 dollars to have a cup of coffee in some places. There are hotels that cost a few thousand dollars for a person per night. For example, there is one hotel in Dubai that costs 10,000 dollars per night. There are rooms in the hotel for poor people that cost only 2,000 per night.

Improve Your Reading and Listening

This post is for my students at Box Hill AMES

You are really doing a wonderful job with your language learning. I am very happy I am your teacher.

Here is a link to a web site from America that has a lot of reading and listening. I hope you like it. Remember to read the text out loud with the speaker as you listen. This will really improve your English language a lot but you need to spend some time using it every day. All the best.

http://www.rong-chang.com/qa2/

Money Transfer Scam

I came across a web page on the internet from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to warn people about money transfer scams.

Money transfer scams asks people to transfer money from their bank accounts to a nominated account on the promise that they will end up getting heaps of money in a short time. The person who sends the money falls victim to these scams and normally ends up losing some money.

Have a look on the web page and if you receive one of these emails, don't be fooled by it. There are links on the web page to report money transfer scams. It is really a good piece of reading to improve your English. If you are not sure about any of the vocabulary in the text, ask me in class.


http://www.accc.gov.au/content/item.phtml?itemId=846801&nodeId=5e4f3636be3ea76f9609fe50f2d399b3&fn=Money%20transfer%20scams,%20fact%20sheet.pdf

Giving a Reason

In English your can use different words to give a reason or to explain something.


Because = Since = As
He didn't go to school today because he was sick.
He didn't go to school today as he was sick.
He didn't go to school today since he was sick.


Because of 
He didn't buy a new car because of money problems.
He didn't travel overseas because of work commitments.


because of + ing
The boss sacked the lazy worker because of causing the company to lose a lot of money.
The young boy was not allowed to watch a late movie on TV because of containing bad scenes.


The cause of ........... was
The cause of the fire was a cigarette end.
The cause of the damage to the carpet was the heavy rain that fell on the city last night.




The reason why .............. was 
The reason why they didn't get married was that he was a problem gambler.
The reason why he didn't learn to speak English well was that he didn't practise enough.
The reason why I didn't come on time was that there had been a big traffic jam and I couldn't move my car for half an hour.


Due to
Due to the high price that he asked for, he couldn't sell his house at the auction.
The match was cancelled due to bad weather.
The manager refused to renew my friend's contract due to her bad performance on the job.


Due to the fact that ..........
The doctor couldn't perform on the patient due to the fact that the dangers were too high.
The manager refused to raise the prices of our products due to the fact that competition from overseas was very high.
He used a bike to go to work every day due to the fact that public transport in his area was not reliable.


as a consequence ........... = as a result
She went out without taking her umbrella. As a consequence, she got wet.
He refused to listen to his bank manager's advice. As a consequence, he lost a lot of money.
Two trucks had a head on collision early this morning. As a consequence, the road was closed for four hours.

AMES Excursion to Healesville Sanctuary

This post is for students at AMES Box Hill

Read the text and take the test after you finish.

The students and teachers from AMES Box Hill will go to Healesville Sanctuary on 9th December 2010. If you haven't been there, it is such a lovely place to visit with your family and friends. It is outside Melbourne and the views there are wonderful.

At Healesville Sanctuary you will be able to see different kinds of birds and animals. Young children often go there on excursions when they study at primary school.

You will be able to see different kinds of birds (One of them is 35 years old) and enjoy two shows. We will go there early in the morning. Your teacher will tell you what time you have to be at AMES in Box Hill. There will be buses to take us there. We expect to have different groups. We will leave at 9 in the morning and come back at 3 in the afternoon.

The cost is 24 dollars per student. We are sorry that you can't bring your little children with you or your family members. AMES will pay money to organize transport for the students and the teachers only but not for students' family members.

There is a small food outlet there so visitors can buy their own tea, coffee or snacks. You can bring your own food from home to eat there. It's nice to bring extra food so you can share it with other students but you don't have to do that if you don't want to.

You need to check the weather forecast early in the morning before you leave home. It is a good idea to bring a jacket in case you need to wear it there. You can also bring an umbrella to protect yourself from the rain or direct sunlight. Remember that the bird shows will be in the open air. There will not be an umbrella to cover the whole place there.

You will need to write your name, sing the form and give money to your teacher so he or she can pass it to the office.

If you have childcare, please tell your teacher or the office if you are going. This is really important so they can arrange for your child to stay at the childcare longer.

If you have a digital camera or a video camera, bring them with you so you can take some pictures and upload them on your Facebook page for the whole world to see.

There are different animals that live at Healesville Sanctuary such as wombats, reptiles, birds of prey, koalas, pelicans and parrots.

You will have some time to walk around the place with your group and take pictures of the birds and animals you will see.

All buses will leave there at 1.45 pm. Make sure you are not late because we will move according to a timetable.

If you would like to go there with your family members, you can go there using your own car. You will have to pay for your own entry tickets. One ticket for an adult costs 24 dollars. I am not sure how much it will cost for a child but you can check their web site for more information. Please tell your teacher if you intend to do so.

It is very easy to go there by car. Drive your car along Whitehorse Road for about 40 minutes and turn right when you see the sign that says "Healsville Sanctuary". It normally takes about one hour to go there depending on traffic conditions.

There is a lot of information on their web site and this can be really good to improve your computer and English skills.

I hope you will have a lot of fun spending time outside class with your friends and teachers.

Take a Test

If you need to see a map of the place we will visit, please click on the link below.
http://www.zoo.org.au/adx/aspx/adxgetmedia.aspx?DocID=&MediaID=1291&Filename=map_hs_print.pdf

Visiting the Doctor

This lesson is for my Certificate II students at AMES in Box Hill

Sometimes you don't feel well and you need to be seen by a doctor. If you think that your life is in danger, you need to go immediately to hospital and see a doctor at the emergency department there.

If your life is not in danger, you can go and see your family doctor. In Australia people go to see a GP. A GP is a doctor who will examine you and prescribe some medicine if you need to have any. He may give you medical advice and not ask you to take medicine. He may give your body some time to fight an infection for example.

Before you go to see a GP, you need to book an appointment. Most people ring the doctor's surgery to book an appointment a day or two before they actually see the GP. They go to the surgery about ten minutes before their appointment and may have to wait for some time before the doctor sees them. GPs in Australia are very busy because they have to see a lot of patients every day.

Some people don't like to see a GP, especially young children because he or she sometimes gives them an injection. They scream and cry after getting an injection and feel happy to leave the surgery.

Sometimes people need to take a family member with them when they go and see the doctor because their English is not good enough.

People need to tell their doctor if they are allergic to any medicine when they speak to him or her. They also need to tell the doctor how they feel and what they suffer from. They need to tell the doctor if they have had any operations in the past.

The doctor normally asks the patient many questions to try to find out exactly what he or she suffers from. Sometimes the GP asks the patient to do a blood or a urine test before he or she writes a prescription. In some cases, the doctor may refer a patient to a specialist. A specialist is a doctor who knows more about what the patient suffers from. In most cases, patients need to wait for some time before they can see a specialist and they may need to go to hospital to see them.

Many doctors don't charge their patients any money because these doctors "bulk bill". You need to show your medicare card to the receptionist before you see the doctor and sign a little piece of paper when the doctor finishes examining you.

If the doctor doesn't bulk bill, this means that he or she is a private doctor. People need to pay money to see a private doctor.

If you have a problem with your teeth, you need to go and see a dentist. A dentist looks after your teeth. Dentists in Australia don't bulk bill. They charge money for their services.

If you live in Melbourne, it is normally easy to book an appointment to see a doctor. If you live in the country, you may have to wait for a few weeks before you see one. There are not many doctors who work in the country and sometimes people need to travel to be able to see a GP.

A GP normally spends about 20 minutes examining a patient. The patient can ask the GP many questions about what to do in order to get well soon. He or she can ask the GP questions about the medicine or any thing that comes to their minds.

Your GP will normally explain how many time you need to take a medicine each day. He or she may ask you to come and see them again after a few days to see if your health has improved or not.

Writing Academic Summaries

This is an important announcement to my students at VU.

You don't have to send me a summary every day. It is good to do so but you don't have to if you don't want to.

From now on, I will stop posting links to summaries and you can concentrate on your book and the presentation that you will give.

Good luck with your study and thanks to the people who have sent their summaries to me. They have done a good job.

Ibrahim Mohamed

Academic Summary 11

Please click on the link provided and email me your summary. If you are not sure how to write a summary, please refer to Academic Summary 1. It has all the details if you have missed out any classes.

http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/health/WHO-Says-Health-Debts-Push-100-Million-People-a-Year-Into-Poverty-110276349.html

You can also read this one but you don't need to write a summary for it.

http://www.21voa.com/VOA_Special_English_2008/Education_Report_5325.html

If you think you still need to work on improving your English, here is a very good web site to help you read and listen to English. Choose from hundreds of lessons that are fee online. Give it to your friends if you like.

http://www.listen-to-english.com/index.php?atp=archive_atp

When Giving a Presentation

Giving a good presentation requires a lot of research on the topic and practice. You may work on preparing a good presentation for a long time and at the final moment, change your mind and do something different because it will be much better to do it this way.

Remember that the first few minutes of your presentation are the most important ones. You need to greet your audience and introduce yourself. You will need to tell them what topic you will discuss. You need to use your body language and eye contact all the time during your presentation.

You need to develop a good slide show for your presentation. If you don't have Microsoft PowerPoint, you can use any open source software that will do the same job. I am not sure if you have heard of openoffice.org. It is free and does the same job as the very expensive programs from big companies.

Your slide show must not have a lot of details on each slide. People will be distracted between what they see and what you are trying to tell them. They will not be looking at you. You can use the powerfull animations that your software program has to make your slides more interesting.

A picture tells a thousand words. Use pictures to enhance your slide show and make the delivery of the presentation smooth moving from one point to another.

Giving an academic presentation is different from giving a presentation in a company or to sell a product to potential buyers. You have to argue strogly for your point and not make your audience feel bored at the same time.

When you finish your part, invite your colleague to deliver the second part and stand next to him/her until they finish. Your turn will come to answer any questions your audience may have.

You can use humour to sell your point of view. Don't end your presentaion all of a sudden.

At the end of your presentation, thank your audience and invite questions. If you don't know the answer to a question, you can try to find out how many people in the room can give you a good answer and take it from there.

Don't read the information on your slides.
Don't read from a piece of paper in your hand.
Don't keep looking at your slides and ignore the audience.
Don't go too fast so your audience will find it difficult to catch up with you.
Don't speak softly so your audience will find it difficult to hear you.
Don't talk too loud. This is not the Opera House here.
Don't treat your audience as if they know nothing about your topic.
Don't get angry if someone says a silly comment. Take control of the situation and keep focused.
Don't make spelling or grammatical mistakes in your slides.
Don't use only three slides in your slide show. It will be too short.
Don't leave your preparation till the last minute. The quality of your work will tell if you have spent time working on your preparation or not.

Good Luck!

Plainclothes Police in China

This is an explanation for a newspaper article about the attempts that the police in China made to make the streets of Bejing safer for its citizens. Read carefully and learn the new vocabulary.

Plainclothes – not wearing police uniform - Cops – policemen and policwomen -Promise Safer Streets = streets that are crime free
(Xinhua) – The Chinese news agency


Updated: 18/10/2006


The long arm of the law = the police -is going undercover = will not use uniforms - in Beijing = the capital of China- , to ensure = to make sure - residents = citizens - feel secure = safe - in public places.


A 1,200-man strong plainclothes team was officially established by the city's public security bureau – a police body - Tuesday, to combat = fight - street crimes such as theft, robbery = stealing by force - , fraud and drug dealing = selling drugs-.


The officers, who will wear everyday clothes = plain clothes - instead of uniform, will be deployed = sent to work- across the city, especially in public places such as railway and bus stations, hotels, restaurants and busy business districts = business areas. Their deployment could be adjusted =changes will happen in the future -later in response to reports to the 110 = the emergency number -emergency hotline.


Ma Xichu, deputy director = the second in command - of the bureau's criminal police unit, said Beijing had comparatively = fairly - low crime rate = a small number of crimes -, but it still witnessed a large number of street crimes.


"This special team will be an essential = important - supplement to the city's existing police force," he said. "It'll help reduce street crime as offenders = people who commit crimes - won't be able to identify = know -plainclothes officers."


Ma said the team would help keep order during the China-Africa Co-operation Forum = very big meeting- next month.


He said more than 4,000 foreign guests would gather = meet = get together - in Beijing during the forum = big meeting-, and ensuring their safety was the bureau's responsibility.


Beijing currently = now - only has about 600 plainclothes officers. Setting up the new team marked the establishment of a systematic working mechanism =method = way - of plainclothes police in Beijing, said Ma.


All plainclothes officers are required = are asked = to have at least three years' police experience in the city, they also undergo = get - special training before joining the team.


Ma said plainclothes officers would be allowed to carry weapons = guns -, including guns, if necessary.


The team has also received positive = good - response from residents = citizens. Seven of out 10 people surveyed = asked about the idea - by China Daily said it would make them feel safer.


However = but -, one resident surnamed Zhou, questioned whether – if - the officers might be tempted to abuse = misuse - their power. "The bureau should issue detailed supervision regulations for plainclothes officers," he said. "And only 1,200 plainclothes is far from enough = not enough - for a city with over 10 million inhabitants."

Academic Summary 10

http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/stress-stalks-uni-students-20101122-18467.html

Getting a Car Licence in Victoria

To get a car licence in Victoria you have to pass more than one test. First of all, you need to get an “L” licence (Learner Permit). This is very easy because all you have to do is to read a book called “The Road to Solo Driving”. This book will teach you about traffic laws in Australia. You can buy this book at any VicRoads office or most newsagents’. The book is available in 20 major languages. There are 25 questions in the test and you need to get 78% to pass.


When you get your “P” licence (Probationary Licence), you will be allowed to drive a car alone on the road. After getting a “P” licence, it will be easy for you to get your full licence in 3 to 4 years. You must be 18 years of age or over to be able to apply for a “P” licence but you need to pass two tests before you get it. One test is done on a computer and it is called a Hazard Perception Test. The other test is a driving test where you drive a car on the road and someone from VicRoads will be in the car with you to see how well you can drive.


You can book an appointment for the computer test by visiting VicRoads’ web site on the internet if you know how to use a computer. Book an appointment by phone on 13 11 71. You have to call during business hours (Mon-Fri 8.30 – 5 pm) or on Saturday from 8.30 to 2 pm. You can also visit any VicRoads office and book your appointment there. You can pay in cash or use your bank card to book your appointment.


The computer test will cost you $30.50 and the driving test will cost $52.10. You can also book both appointments on the same day and pay only $67.30. You cannot use your concession card to pay less money for the tests.


You need to show your ID card. If you have a passport, a Medicare card, a student card or a bank statement, you can use them. One of these documents must have your signature. If you don’t show any of these documents, you will not be allowed to take the test and you will lose your appointment.


When you take the Hazard Perception Test on the computer, you will watch 28 videos. Each video runs for 30 seconds. This test will show if you understand what to do on the road. There are sample tests on VicRoads’ web site for people to have a look at before taking the actual test. You will need to get a score of 54% to pass the Hazard Perception Test on the computer. If you don’t, you will have to pay the money again and book another test.


The driving test is the final step before you get your “P” licence. It will show that you can control the car you are driving and obey traffic rules. It will show that you don’t put your life or other people’s lives at risk.


When you get your “P” licence, you will be able to drive a car alone. You must display red “P” plates so other drivers know that you are fairly new to driving. You must not have any alcohol in your blood when you drive a car. You must not use a mobile phone in your hand while you drive. You must carry your licence card at all times while driving.

My First Day in Australia

This is a sample recount done in class with my certificate II students. It was a lot of fun.

I arrived at Melbourne Airport at 11.30 at night. First of all, I felt very tired because I had travelled for about ten hours. I didn’t sleep on the plane because there was a baby crying nearby my seat.
After I arrived, I was very excited because I met my husband. I carried my luggage to the car and we drove off. I saw many beautiful houses. The streets were quiet and clean. I felt very comfortable and happy.
We arrived home after 40 minutes. First of all, I took a shower. Then, I had a meal with my husband. I ate a lot of Chinese food because I was hungry. My husband was happy too because he missed me very much. He cooked delicious seafood and pasta.
We had one glass of wine and my husband got drunk and he fell asleep. I turned on my TV and fell asleep too because I was very tired.
In the morning, I prepared breakfast for us. I put on some romantic music. My husband didn’t go to work because he wanted to stay with me.
We went out to do some shopping at Westfield shopping centre in Doncaster. He boguth me some red roses. He also bought me a beautiful diamond ring and a gold watch. He said “I will love you forever.” I felt very happy and he felt happy too.
We had some chocolate drinks at a coffee shop and did some shopping together. One of our friends invited us to have dinner at his place. We left our home at 6 o’clock in the evening and went to his lovely house.
We met other friends there and I had a welcome-home party. The main food was seafood again. We drank Chinese white wine and my husband drank too much. He became drunk again and started singing out loud.
One neighbour knocked at the door and told us to keep it quiet. We didn’t care about the neighbour so he called the police.
A policman came and arrested my husband. I was very upset but my husband was still singing.
In the morning, when he woke up, he apologized to the policeman and they let him go home.
In the end, my husband said he would never drink too much again. We went out to celebrate his freedom. He bought me a nice dress and a new BMW and a new house.
I was very happy to come back to Australia.

Getting an Australian Passport

After you get your citizenship in Australia, you have the right to apply for an Australian passport. People who are still on their permanent resident (PR) or temporary visas cannot apply for one. You can apply to get an Australian passport online if you know how to use the internet or you can get an application form from most Australian Post outlets. Allow yourself some time to get a passport. It normally takes about two weeks to get a passport after you submit your application and you’ll be asked to provide some documents.


You can apply to get an Australian passport if you are overseas too. You can go to an Australian Embassy or Consulate to apply for one. You must provide two recent colour photos of yourself with your application. The photos must not be older than six months. These photos must be signed at the back by your guarantor. The guarantor must write at the back of the photo that it is a true photo of you.


When you download the passport form from the internet, you need to sign it. You need to ring Australia Post office to book an interview where you submit your application during the interview. You need to take all the documents that support your claim with you. Remember to take your original documents with you. Photocopies of documents are not accepted. Documents you can take to the interview include your citizenship certificate, your birth certificate, your marriage certificate and certificates related to your education if you have any. If you are 18 years of age or over, you can use the Adult application form.


Prices for Australian passports vary from one person to another. If you want a normal passport, you pay $208. A child pays only $104 to get his or her passport. Senior citizens (people aged 75 or over) pay $104 to get their passports. If you are a frequent traveler (you travel quite often), you can get a passport that contains more visa pages for $312. If your passport is lost or stolen, you can get a new one for $69.


When you get your passport, it is to be used only by you. It is illegal to use a passport that doesn’t belong to you and you can be arrested for doing that. Always remember to keep your passport in a secure place at home. If you lose your passport, you have to report it immediately to the Australian embassy in the country you are visiting because it can be misused by another person.

It is illegal not to report a lost or stolen passport. You can report a missing passport by phoning 131232 or online at www.dfat.gov.au. Once you report that your passport is missing, it will be cancelled. Make sure before you report that your passport is missing that you have had a really good look for it.

Academic Summary 9

This post is for my students at VU only. Please click the link and email me your summary. You can copy the article and use www.ivona.com to listen to the text. I showed you how to do this in class. It is really good for your listening and language learning as well. If you are not sure, please talk to me in class. Some students in the class have never sent me any summaries at all. This is a must to be able to pass this course. You'll only have yourself to blame if you don't send ALL the summaries.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/long-wait-for-mentally-ill-amid-crisis-warning-20101120-181zd.html

Buying a Business

Good morning. Perfect Cuppa Coffee Shop. John speaking.

Oh, good morning, John. My name is Lee and I am a Chinese businessman. I read on the internet that your coffee shop is for sale.

Yes, that’s right. How can I help you?

Well I would like to get some information about the business. I want to set up a business in Australia. I am sorry I don't speak English very well.

Oh, I can understand you perfectly. Your English is quite good. What would you like to know?

Where is your coffee shop?

It is in the city in Collins Street. Do you know where Collins Street is?

Oh, yes. I’ve been to the city many times. I know Collins Street quite well. How many seats are there in your coffee shop?

We have 40 seats. Our coffee shop is quite big and we are very busy during lunch time.

In what condition is the coffee shop?

It is in perfect condition. We only started the business two years ago. You won’t need to spend a dollar.

What about the lease? How long is it for?

Oh, we have a lease contract for five years.

Can you tell me how much the rent is?

It is $1700 per week. You know rent is expensive for prime locations in the city.

Oh, I see. What is your asking price?

Our asking price is $500,000. You need to come for a visit to see the coffee shop for yourself.

Oh, I will do that but I still need to get more information first.

What would you like to know?

Can you tell me about the taking?

The taking is $9000 per week.

And how many workers do you employ?

We have six people working at the moment doing morning and afternoon shifts.

And can I keep the workers after I buy the business?

I am sure they will be happy to stay on. I am selling the coffee shop because I am moving to Sydney. I will work with my brother. He has got a restaurant there and he needs me to work with him. His business is rapidly growing.

I see. When can I come to have a look?

You can come early in the morning or after lunch time. We are extremely busy during lunch time and I am afraid I can’t help you then.

Oh, I see. How about ten o’clock tomorrow?

Sounds OK to me. I will get some paperwork with me for you to have a look at then I can answer any question you have in mind. It will be a good chance for you to taste our coffee.

Thanks very much. Can you give me the address, please?

It’s 456 Collins Street. Are you coming by car or using public transport?

I’ve got a car. My wife will come with me to have a look too.

Just be careful when you park your car because it is such a busy area and people can easily get booked for leaving their cars longer than the allowed time.

Oh, I will park at one of the car parks in Flinders Street then I will come on foot.

Sounds perfect. OK. I will see you tomorrow at ten o’clock.

I am really looking forward to meeting you. Thanks for your time.

Any time. Bye.

Writing a Recount

This post is for my Certificate II students at AMES in Box Hill


You will be asked to write a recount as part of your English course at AMES. A recount is a story that happened to you. You need to tell us where, when and how it happened. You need to tell us how you felt and give additional details. Your writing should be coherent. Make sure that your grammar is correct and that your sentences are connected.


You can write about many things such as:


Your first day in Australia


An excursion that you went on


A happy day in your life


A bad experience that happened to you

I expect you to use some of the following: 
First of all................... – after that ................ – soon after that  ............... – later on .................. because  - In addition to that, .............. – moreover, ................. – lastly, ............. – In the end ................
You will also need to use adjectives.
Examples are:
a sunny day – nice weather – a loud noise – quiet streets – a clean city – some delicious food – a tall person – happy day – late night – a nearby restaurant
Now try to write a recount about a story that happened to you. You don't have to use facts. I am only interested to see that you write correct English. Use as many of the words above as you can. If you have any questions, talk to me in class.

Listening Activities

Check out this web site for listening activities you can do online. There are lessons recorded at a normal speed and others that are very slow. See which ones you like.

http://englishlistening.com/startListeningNow.do

The Sun

The weather in Melbourne keeps changing all the time. In one day, you can experience the four seasons of the year. The sun is sometimes too hot and people head to the beaches in big numbers but there are certain things they have to be aware of before they fall sick because of the sun.

The sun is both good and bad. We need it to be able to see but it can cause different medical problems and some of them can be fatal (they can cause death).


Our bodies need vitamin D and the sun seems to be the best source for us to get it. Just walking in the sun for a few minutes every day is good enough for us to get plenty of vitamin D. Walking in the sun for a long time can cause skin problems for us and that is why many people use sunscreen and sunglasses to protect their bodies and eyes. They also use big hats for extra protection.

Vitamin D deficiency (not having enough vitamin D in your body)  can cause many diseases. Some very old people don't leave their homes and their skin starts to disintegrate. They can easily get skin cuts even when they change their clothes because their skin is not healthy any more.


Some women dress in a way that covers most of their bodies for cultural and religious reasons and they don't get enough vitamin D.


People with a disability don't leave their homes for very long times and don't get exposed to the sunlight.


There are people who are scared of the dangers of direct sunlight and always try to cover their bodies when they get dressed because they don't want to end up getting skin cancer.


The sun can be really dangerous to us especially when UV (Ultraviolet) levels are high. This normally takes place between 12 and 2 o'clock in the afternoon. It is advisable that you take care if you expose your body to the sunlight during this time.

Children at school wear a uniform and a hat to protect themselves from direct sunlight and the heat on hot days from September to April. They are advised to apply sunscreen at home to give themselves extra protection.

People who have fair skin suffer more from the harms of the sun than those who have tanned or dark skin.

Academic Summary 8

Please click the link to read and listen to the text.
http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/In-the-Garden-Growing-Your-Own-Lettuce-104730774.html

Academic Summary 7

Please read the article and email me your summary.
http://www.sunsmart.com.au/downloads/Vitamin_D/vitamin_d_and_uv_radiation.pdf

You can use the following in your writing:
According to the report, .....................
According to the author,......................
The author states that .................
The author claimes that .........................
It has been proven that .........................
Based on scientific research, ............................
In addition to that, ..........................
Moreover, ...............................
It has been widely argued that ............................

If you feel that your English is not yet good enough, you can use these web sites to do some work on your own.
http://www.dailyesl.com/
http://www.eslyes.com/
http://www.cdlponline.org/
http://www.elllo.org/
http://www.esl-lab.com/

And of course remember to check this blog to get updates on what needs to be done in this intake.

Best Wishes

Cyber Fraud

Nowadays there are many people who fall victims after using their bank cards online to buy goods. This can happen in different ways. The most common way of cyber fraud is done via email. An unsuspecting person receives an email from a company he has never heard of offering to sell him goods at very cheap prices. The person ends up logging on their "secure" web site and use his or her bank detail only to find out a few days later that they have lost a lot of money.

Inheritance
People inherit money after their parents or grandparents die. However, some people get an email telling them that a distant relative has died and that they are the only people who have the right to control the money. For them to get the money, they have to pay a fee or give their credit card number as a start. So many people easily fall victims to this trick and end up losing a lot of money to people who live overseas.

Phishing
Some people get an email from a reputable company asking them for money. The email looks authentic and has the logo for the company but in fact the real company doesn't know any thing about the sender or the receiver of the email. The person ends up sending money and losing it. Phishing is a common method of getting money from people unlawfully.

Very Cheap Prices
Sometimes people send you an email trying to sell you a product for a very cheap price. You feel happy and send your card details to them. You end up not getting the item and discover that a lot of money has been withdrawn from your bank account. You believe that the email came from a trusted company but you don't know that it was a scam to drain your bank account.

Online Auctions
Some people use auction web sites to sell stuff that doesn't exist. The highest bidder pays a lot of money for an item that never gets delivered to his or her address. Some web sites try to prevent this from happening by providing insurance but thieves always invent new ways of stealing money from others.

Con Artists
A con artist is a smooth talker. He or she is very well dressed and can convince you that he is a very important professional. Those people use very expensive hotels and cars to trick their victims. They can set up a web site and tell people about their investments all over the world using pictures that they copied from the internet. They tell their targets very convincing stories of how easy they will enable them to make heaps of money. At the end of the day, people lose money and the con artists disappear.

The Nigerian Scam
The Nigerian Scam started more than 30 years ago before the internet became available for millions of users. It depended on the mail service. People used to get a letter from Nigeria in the mail asking them to provide their bank details to transfer money to them in their bank accounts. After a few days, the sender of the letter asks the receiver to send a few thousand dollars to make sure the money gets transferred immediately. Of course no money gets sent and the person ends up losing a lot of money.

Stealing Credit Cards Pin Numbers
Thousands of bank customers find out that they have lost thousands of dollars when their bank statements are sent in the mail or when they check their bank accounts online. It happens when they go to an ATM machine to withdraw money but fail to realize that there is a hidden camera recording their pin numbers when they use the machine. Some professional hackers use this method to get people's PIN numbers and then use this information to drain their bank accounts. People sometimes get very surprised to know that their credit card has been used in a country they have never been to.

Congratulations! You Have Won a Prize
You get an email or a window opens on your computer screen while you are working telling you that you are the lucky visitor number one million to the web site and are entitled to a brand new car or a dream holiday overseas. They will ask for your credit card number to pay for admin fees or to ship the item to your address. Most people ignore such advertisements but very few believe them and log on a web site and enter the details of their credit card and end up losing a lot of money. Always remember that if the offer is too good to be true, it can be a scam.

You can watch these videos to learn more about scams. They are really good for your English.
http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/CA256EB5000644CE/page/Teacher+resources?OpenDocument&1=970-Teacher+resources~&2=~&3=~

 Now I want you to read the text on pages 18 and 19 in your book. I will put a link to a test that you can do online from home very soon. You will need to use your dictionary to understand the text. Good luck.

If you would like to read more, you can click the link provided here.

http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud

Academic Summary 6

Please click on the link here and email me your summary.

http://www.go4funding.com/Articles/Business-Funding/Common-Foreign-Scams.aspx

Academic Summary 5

Please read the article and email me your summary.

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/chinese-want-quality-not-cheap-education-20101105-17gl1.html

Giving a Presentation

I had a look at this web page and it looks great. It will help you learn how to give a good presentation.

http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/splane_m/presentationtips.htm

Academic Summary 4

Please listen to and read the report by clicking the link provided. Email me your summaries as soon as you can.

http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/Prison-Program-Aims-to-Get-Teens-to-Avoid-a-Life-of-Crime-107086978.html

Academic Summary 3

Please follow the link and email me your summary as soon as you can.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/indian-websites-do-your-homework-for-2/story-e6frf7l6-1225953223266

Academic Writing

Here is a link that will help you learn to use academic writing. Feel free to visit the site and use it in your main course.

http://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/assets/resources/study-support/study-skills/essay-success.pdf

Academic Summary 2

This post is for my students at VU. Please click on the link and listen to the report written by Caty Weaver. You can listen as many times as you like. It is a good idea to read the text out loud with the speaker to work on improving your speaking skill. Let your friends in class that the links are online now. Sorry for the delay.

http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/Haitis-Cholera-Outbreak-Puts-Pressure-on-Capital-107006788.html

Thanks for the people who sent their emails for the first task.

Ibrahim Mohamed

Academic Summary 1 (12/11/2010)

This post is for my students at VU. Sorry I haven't uploaded the links earlier. Before you start typing your summary, please look at this post:

http://imohamed.blogspot.com/2010/05/academic-summary.html

I am sure it has all the relevant information that you'll need to write a good summary. Remember that writing an academic summary may not be the same as in your own country but it is always good to try and learn something new.

After you finish reading the post, please read the article carefully and write a summary of about 10 to 15 lines. Do not copy and paste from the text. I want you to use your language as much as you can.

Before you go to the link, can you please ask yourself the following question; "Is my English good Enough?" If you are not 100% sure that your English is of very high standard, you can go to one of the web sites I gave you in class and do a couple of listening tasks to work on improving your English. If you are in a hurry and have no time, it is time to think about spending a few hours everyday online doing more and more lessons daily.

Anyhow, enough talking and let's go to the article.

http://www.theage.com.au/world/desperate-afghan-women-seek-fiery-end-20101108-17kgs.html

If you have any questions, email me.

Nuclear Protest

Here is some new vocabulary for a newspaper article that you can read online. I will put the link to the article at the end. Please read the vocabulary first.

Large = big

I bought a house that has a large garden.

At large = free = not inside a cage

A lion is at large. He ran away from the zoo. All the city’s residents stayed at home.

Protest = demonstration

There was a protest in the city this morning demanding that the government not to go to war.

Protest = say that you are not happy with something

Protest against the government

Many people took to the streets to protest against the government's plan to make people work until they are 66 years old.

Tell the government that you are not happy with what they are doing

Take place = happen

An accident took place in our street this morning.

Waste = rubbish

Waste-paper basket = rubbish bin

Chain

Gold chain

I bought my wife a gold chain on her birthday.

Chain smoker = someone who smokes too much and can’t stop

Chain saw = a saw used to cut trees

supermarket chain = a supermarket that has many branches in different cities

anti = against

anti-America

authorities = government

nuclear = atomic

nuclear bombs

prevent from = stop from happening

The bodyguard prevented the young man from entering the night club.

secretly = in a secret way

disruption = nothing is happening according to the timetable

traffic disruption = the cars are not moving as they shoud and every thing is a mess.

Eventually = finally = in the end

Provide with = give

I need you to provide me with the answers.

Ton = 1000 kilograms

Germany = a big industrial country in Europe

German = a person who was born in Germany

German = the language spoken in Germany

Controversial = people have different opinions about it and they will never change their point or view

The Iraq war is a controversial matter. Some people support it and say it is 100% correct while others say it is 100% wrong.

Decade = period of ten years

Extra = more

My boss at work asked me to do extra hours on the weekend.

Chancellor = A position in government in Germany like the Prime Minister in Australia

Power plants = powre station = a place to generate electricity

Fear = feeling afraid = feel very worried about something

I fear that my friend may have a car accident. He doesn’t know how to drive well.

Activist = a person who goes public against the government and has some followers

Huge = very big

Huge building – huge wealth = a lot of money

Extend = make something last longer

I exteded my party by two hours.

I extended my holiday by two days.

Opposition = acting against something

Lifespan = lifetime

Ignore = pretend not to see something

I saw her in the street but she didn’t talk to me. She ignored me. She gave me the cold shoulder.

Horrified = feel shocked

I was horrified to hear the news of the war on the radio and watch the news on TV.

Shipment = something sent by a ship or a truck

We expect a shipment from the factory this afternoon. They will send us 200 machines to sell to customers.

Increase = make more

I asked the boss to increase my sallary.

Decrease = make less

The boss didn’t like me. He decreased my overtime hours from 6 to 4.

Rally = a very big number of people who walk in the street as one group for one cause

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1011/101107-nuclear_waste.html

Young Offenders

Please read this article and write an academic summary to it.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/child-crims-the-real-risk/story-e6frfhqf-1225865727160

Job Search Tips

I came across this web site when I was doing a search online for new lesson ideas. It is about many things you can do to get a job in Australia. The web site is for a company that helps people get jobs but I am not sure if they charge people for their services.
Anyhow, have a look for yourself because the tips on that web site are really good.

http://www.russo.qld.edu.au/site/SRJA/GetThatJob/index.aspx