Sunday, June 13, 2010

Report on office working conditions

The company has recently ordered a survey on office working conditions. The following report outlines the main issues discussed in the survey. Its aim is to represent as objectively as possible employees’ feelings and to encourage recommendations in order to improve everyone’s working condition.

Office furniture

People are generally satisfied with their office furniture. However, some employees have suggested extending the relaxation space and making it more comfortable by adding furniture such as sofas. They have expressed their wish to have a place where informal conversations could take place. Moreover, this would allow people to meet in a less stressful environment and thus enhance their creativity.

excellent sentences here

Temperature regulation

A significant number of people have noticed that the temperature regulation system could be improved overall. Indeed, employees have complained about the heater in the winter and, similarly, the AIR conditioner in the summer. As a result, they would be grateful if the company would make an effort to enhance the quality of the temperature regulation system which would ultimately contribute to better working conditions in addition to protecting the environment.

Lighting

Some people within the department suffer from eye strain. We assume that the lighting could be responsible for this predicament. It has been suggested to the company to hire an expert to investigate whether the eye strain is due to the lighting system or not.

In conclusion, I recommend the company study the feasibility of the above suggestions. The whole department and I are convinced that this could help to improve the staff’s satisfaction and productivity.

Very clear and well written overall. The necessary points are covered and appropriated detail given. However, note many spelling errors.

Monday, May 24, 2010

A contribution to a longer piece (NY)

Murals in San Francisco
Would you like to enjoy art in San Francisco? Why don’t you take a walk to find and see murals? A mural is an art on the wall, and you can find many murals in the public spaces here in San Francisco, especially in the Mission District. A walk down San Francisco streets and alleys offers more than just linear pathways to local destinations. Along the walls of buildings and residential houses, more than 600 murals filled with colorful beauty and social political narratives should attract you. You should definitely visit murals in the daytime and don’t forget your camera. The walls are kept repainted with new murals, so if you find your favorite once, it’s better to take a picture to keep your record.

Academy of Science
If you would like to be a real San Franciscan, Academy of Science is one of the best places to visit. It is a museum, but not a normal one. It is an only one place on the planet with an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum, and a four-story rainforest under one roof. There is good news for over 21 years old. Every Thursday night, it offers a special night for adults, providing cocktails and DJs with dance music. There is no dress code for this night, but it would be more fun if you are dressed up and go out with your friends. If you are under 21, don’t worry. You will still find many interesting exhibitions.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Hi! Here's a brief joke that is about a particular word that we have talked about!

Two sisters, one blonde and one brunette, inherit the family ranch. Unfortunately, after just a few years, they are in financial trouble. In order to keep the bank from re-possessing the ranch they need to purchase a bull from*a stockyard in a far-away town so that they can breed their own stock. They only have $600 left.


Upon leaving, the brunette tells her sister, "When I get there, if I decide to buy the bull, I'll contact you to drive out after me and haul it home."

The brunette arrives at the stockyard, inspects the bull, and decides she wants to buy it. The man tells her that he will sell it for $599, no less. After paying him, she drives to the nearest town to send her sister a telegram to tell her the news.

She walks into the telegraph office, and says, "I want to send a telegram to my sister telling her that I've bought a bull for our ranch. I need her to hitch the trailer to our pickup truck and drive out here so we can haul it home."

The telegraph operator explains that he'll be glad to help her, then adds, "It's just 99 cents a word." Well, after paying for the bull, the brunette only has $1 left. She realizes that she'll only be able to send her sister one word. After a few minutes of thinking, she nods and says, "I want you to send her the word "comfortable."
The operator shakes his head. "How is she ever going to know that you want her to hitch the trailer to your pickup truck and drive out here to haul that bull back to your ranch if you send her just the word "comfortable?"

The brunette explains, "My sister's blonde. The word's big. She'll read it very slowly...com-for-da-bull."

Greetings (Mh)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Hi! I thought about posting a new list of vocabulary. However, the list's length is definitely too long for the blog. Therefore, I tried to figure out how to contract it and came finally to a solution - HTML:

Collocations

Semi-fixed expressions

Fixed expressions

Friday, May 14, 2010

Proposal for a national TV channel (NY)

Hi I’m Nami. I'm writing this proposal because I know the best people who have unusual hobbies for a new series of documentaries. I strongly recommend the following four unusual hobbies and people who involve those activities.

Tango Dancing
For the first program, the candidate is actually me. I am an amateur tango dancer. Since I go to a national competition this year, my practice is actually very serious and intense. Hence, please focus me, practicing tango dancing for a competition. I will be a representative of my tango school.

Collecting fossils
Second, I recommend my friend, Josi, whose hobby is collecting fossils. Since it is also my hobby, I met her when I attended a study group for fossils, which was hosted by her. She holds a session once a month as her personal research. She knows about fossils like a professor.

Mushroom growing
As a third program, my english teacher, Peter, would be a great candidate, who grows mushrooms in his garden. His garden is always full of mushrooms, and he gives delicious ones to our neighbors. So, his nickname is “mushroom guy” and he is kind of famous in his town.

Photography
Finally, I suggest photography as a topic. I know an interesting photographer, Marc, whos is a friend of mine. While he studies at a university, he travels around for his pictures and has a show at many places every once in a while. His pictures are always amazing.

If you feature those people, I believe that your new program would be welcomed by the national audience.

////
I hope my writing actually answers well to the questions.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Proposal for national TV program

Your idea of reporting about unusual hobbies sounds great! Extraordinary things have always inspired people. Therefore, I'm certain, it will be popular through all generations.

Tango dancing

As your opening program, I suggest you to present something really visually interesting. Tango dancing, for example, is something like this. Everyone knows it, but no one knows how to dance it correctly. I'm certain, a couple of very good, but non professional, tango dancers will arrest the attention of your viewers!

Collecting fossils

In order to illustrate the wide range of hobbies, I propound to a hobbies that deals with nature: Collecting fossils. It's more interesting than it first sounds. Seeking fossils is like searching ___ Easter eggs - but extraordinary! Going back in earth's history thousands of years, it's definitely exciting. Viewers would not only be informed about the hobby itself, but also about archeology.

Photography

Everyone can take pictures but no one would describe it as a hobby. That's why it's time to show why photography is more than pressing a shutter button!

Mushroom Growing

I, for myself, love eating and especially growing mushroom. It might seem to be very draggy, but when you start harvesting them with all their different colors, it can be very satisfying. Further, it's incredible what sorts and kinds of mushroom exist and it's even more exciting for how many completely different dished you can use them.

I'm certain these programs cover a vast range of different hobbies and will be warmly welcomed by your viewers!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Proposal for national TV channel

If you ask me, the plan to show unusual hobbies on TV will be warmly welcomed by people of all types. It's indeed a great idea.
It's ideal for people, who are bored with their everyday lives. It animates them to try something extraordinary.

Tango dancing
In the first programme it could be fabulous to broadcast tango classes. The tango dance is pretty unknown nowadays, which is very sad. People are not aware of how exciting tango dancing can be and this should definitely change. Since I attend tango classes, I know what I am talking about.
<---Furthermore it is such a aesthetic dance, which is very important to make a good programme. I suggest all your programmes should be visual exciting, otherwise it will be boring.

Fossil collection
As a second programme I propose to show a hobby, which is related with going outdoors. People spend too much time indoors, which is very unhealty.
I would love to present my fossil collection and to show how wonderful and satisfied it is to seek and collect fossils. This passion is very extraordinary and may give people new inspirations.

Mushroom growing
My friend spends most of his free time in his garden, taking care of his mushrooms.
Hearing that, you migh think he is kind of crazy. But as soon as you see the huge plantation in its diffrent shapes and colours, you understand his passion. I highly suggest you to film his garden and document the process of planting mushrooms.
Furthermore you could show some photographs, which he took. He takes wonderful pictures of his vegetables, which is also a very unusual hobby.

I believe that these programmes above would be perfect to show diffrent kind of extraordinary hobbies. They provide new inspiration, ideas and challenges for the peolple.

Dear class of CAE

Hi Peter, Marc, and Josi,
how are you doing?

I just got back from my trip to Stockton now. It's 4:45 am....
I'm sorry that I don't think I can come to the class today (Wed), but I'm coming on Thu.
See you soon.

Nami

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Dear James
Lovely to hear from you. Hope everything is going well in Australia?
You said you are going to attend a language course in my hometown. Well, that’s awesome. It will be so much fun to talk to you in my own language even though it might be weird in the beginning. I would love to be your personal language teacher though.
Which language course are you going to attend?

You made definitely a good choice to study German in this town, because you will meet a lot of young people here. The town has 9000 of inhabitants and most of them are students. You can socialise very easily.
Furthermore you can find everything in one place and you don’t have to spend too much time to find all the stuff you need.
Don’t worry about getting bored, because there are many things to do. Since you are free in the afternoon and weekends, I suggest some leisure activities, in which you can participate. The weather is going to be warm at that time, so make sure you don't forget your bikini. There is a nice lake, where you can go swimming or just sunbathing in the grass. If it’s too hot in the sun, we have a nice forest where you can take a walk. But don’t worry, the streets are not hilly. I know that you don’t like to get exercise.
Anyway, there are also some relaxing indoor activities; I highly recommend visiting the modern art museum in the centre. There are also some nice nightclubs and bars in the same area. I will take you there.


Anyway we should definitely meet as much as possible and hang out together.
I am exited about your upcoming visit to my town. See you very soon.
All the best
Josiane

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

RE: Language school + activities

Hi!

I'm very glad to hear that you'll be attending a language school in my hometown! What kind of course are you going to  take? (standard, business, advanced, etc. ?)

You must be very happy to have plenty of leisure time, since Koblenz offers you a lot of attractions and activities. The city is already worth visiting it, since it's very old and historical. But if you'd like to experience the German culture in general, I suggest you to visit some of our beer gardens or go shopping at Aldi! When you feel like eating or drinking something, there are many cafés and restaurants, so check them out!

If you like shopping, we also have Germany's biggest mall here with more than 300 stores and businesses!
On the weekends, it's very common to see and make some friends in the bars or clubs. Koblenz has great nightlife, so don't miss out! And if it doesn’t offer you enough, then not so far from here there is Frankfurt and Cologne. So, if you'd like to visit those two famous cities you can have the opportunity to visit them! <--Repititious

Feel free to ask me for help. If want to, let me be your city guide for the first couple of days.

I'm really looking forward seeing you here!
Best Greetings (MH)

I am sorry for the Layout of my letter.
I wrote the letter with my word program and I wasn't able to copy it directly.
Hope you enjoy reading it anyway.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

In addition to the vocabulary, which Nami posted, I've learned following new words:

-evidence
gives clue to sth.

-dividends
positive side effects

-to launch sth
to introduce or start sth.

-spouse
wife or husband

-loop
when sth. is in a circle, there is no end

-the plot
the action of a book, movie or theatre

The new vocabrary (N.Y.)

Here are the new vocabrary that I learned today;

New words;
-sprawling
spreading out/covering the large area
-marital row
an argument of a married couple
-overtly
obvious
-racial slurs
an offensive remark
-immersive
being in the deep water
-fluctuating exchange rate
unstable/not constant exchange rate
-sorcery
magic cf) a fantasy of swords and socery
-broadband killer application
a great online application

collocations;
-to generate publicity
-family feuds
-to lose out to s.t.
-mass apeal
-gatecrashing
-the silver lining

idioms;
-to pay for itself
-to pay through the nose
-to pay may way for
-to pay dividends
-to pay the price

Monday, May 3, 2010

Gulf Coast oil spill may take months to contain, officials say

Have you all seen this story? What do you think about it? What can be done?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/03/AR2010050301669.html?hpid=topnews

Read the link (only the first page) and post a response in 'comments'

Hello Josiane!!

Welcome to our CAE class!!!
http://www.klove.com/BLOG/SCOTTANDKELLI/image.axd?picture=2010%2F2%2Fsanfrancisco3.jpg

Greetings
Marc, Nami and Peter

Friday, April 30, 2010

A book review (Marc)

Triple by Ken Follett

Triple takes place during the cold war in the late sixties and is based on a true story. Israel has just gotten off (has just finished) the Six-Day war, when one of its double agents found out that Egypt is doing nuclear research, possibly to build an atomic bomb. Additionally, (not only were there rumors... but that france was going to cut off his support for Israel) there were rumors that Russia was going to support Egypt and finally France cut off its support. Israel definitely had its back to the wall. In order to get out of this (apparently) no-win situation, the aim (plan) was to build an (their) own nuclear bomb, before the Arabs finish theirs. For this reason the protagonist Nat Dickstein, working for the Israeli intelligence, was tasked to steal a sizable amount uranium without anyone noticing. (Constatly) Always followed by Yassif Hassan, an Egyptian intelligence officer, and David Rostov, working for the KGB and both want to derail his plan.

What drew me most into the novel are (was) the deftly handled relationships between the well-developed and multilayer characters. Ken Follett gave (gives) each of them its (their) own personality and brilliantly describes their point of view. While following this cat and mouse story, the acts of each individual seemed very clear to me. Further, I was gripped by Follett's writing style, which includes a rather vivid telling of the story, peppered with a lot of partly ironic jokes made by the characters. Finally, I was spellbound by the fact that the book made me think about the history of Middle East, since it's based on a true story.

The plot contains several completely different characters: The story is centered around the protagonist Nat Dickstein, who was a soldier in his former life and is now working for the Israeli Intelligence. He was given a daunting task of supplying his country with uranium, but where and how he'd get the material was completely up to him. Though Dickstein is clever and experienced enough to figure a plan and he has the aptitude to shake off his tails again and again.

Triple is a real page-turner, since it offers a muiltlayer story including very interesting characters. You will learn something about the Middle East conflict and the importance of nuclear weapons for the involved countries. It's definitely not a typical spy story with a lot of affairs and exaggerated events, like James Bond, but it tells a realistic as well as humorous and convincing story about an event that really took place. Absolutely worth reading it!

A book review (Nami)

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Any novel couldn’t be better to make readers sympathized with the main character, the thirty two year-old New Yorker, Elizabeth Gilbert, whose name is same as one of the author. No one doubts she is successful and happy because she has a career as a writer and owns a house in New York with her husband. However, she is unhappy and depressed with her marriage and lost in her life. Getting divorced, she decides to take a year vacation and travel in the world to change her life. The destinations are Italy, India, and Indonesia. She enjoys eating in Italy, learns spirituality in India, and looks for a balanced life and love in Bali.

What drew me into the novel is an essay-style description about her travel. The story is divided into three parts, Italy, India, and Bali, and each chapter contains many factors; beautiful scenery, people who Elizabeth make friends with while traveling, and the cultural and historical background about the destinations. As I followed her record of travelling, I felt as if I was travelling in those countries. In addition, it is fascinating to know how she changes since meeting new people and encountering the new cultures.

Here are the important characters whom Elizabeth meets in her trip. David, her ex-boy friend during and after Elizabeth’s marriage, is her obsession which she has to overcome. Richard is her good American friend who talks with her about love and friendship. Ketut, a Balinese medicine man, helps her search a balanced life. Especially with Richard and Ketut, there are a lot of valuable conversations for Elizabeth to open her eyes. Moreover, these conversations are very personal and emotional, but they seem like to talk to you directly.

This novel, based on her own experience, must fascinate you because Elizabeth’s anxiety is nothing special, but happens to anyone in this modern society. The novel is very personal, serious, but humorous. You will find interesting and valuable ideas and perceptions through the story about life, love and friendship. After reading the book, I bet you want to read her another book, “Committed” which is about her new life after the travel.

//collection//
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

No novel could be better to sympathize readeres with the main character, the thirty two year-old New Yorker, Elizabeth Gilbert, whose name is the same as the author. No one doubts she is successful and happy because she has a career as a writer and owns a house in New York with her husband. However, she is unhappy and depressed with her marriage and lost in her life. After getting divorced, she decides to take a year vacation and traveled in the world to change her life. The destinations are Italy, India, and Indonesia. She enjoys eating in Italy, learns spirituality in India, and looks for a balanced life and love in Bali.

What drew me into the novel is her essay-style description about her travels/trip. The story is divided into three parts, Italy, India, and Bali. Each chapter contains many stories such as beautiful scenery, people who Elizabeth make friends with while traveling, and the cultural and historical background about the destinations. As I followed her account of travelling, I felt as if I was travelling in those countries. In addition, it is fascinating to know how she changes when meeting new people and encountering new cultures.

Here are the important characters whom Elizabeth meets in her trip. David, her ex-boy friend during and after Elizabeth’s marriage, is her obsession which she has to overcome. Richard is her good American friend who talks with her about love and friendship. Ketut, a Balinese medicine man, helps her search for a balanced ife. Especially with Richard and Ketut, there are a lot of valuable conversations for Elizabeth to open her eyes. Moreover, these conversations are very personal and emotional, but they seem like to talk to you directly.

This novel, based on her own experience, will fascinate you because Elizabeth's anxiety is nothing special, but can happens to anyone in the modern society. The novel is very personal, serious, but also humorous. You will find interesting and valuable ideas and perceptions through the story about life, love and friendship. After reading the book, I bet you will want to read her other book, “Committed” which is about her new life after her journey.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

New Law In Arizona

Hi Marc and Nami,

here is an article that is on a current topic in the US. Read it (quickly skim) and tell me what you think about the situation in 3 or 4 sentences on the blog.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0428-arizona-boycott-20100428,0,3848260.story


Immigration activists

A competition entry (MH)

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed people's help most, but your cry for help died away? Turning a blind eye in this case is very typical behavior, but Maria S. knows how to do it better. That's why I nominate her for the award Heroes - like you and me!

The situation is could happen to any on of us:
It was late evening when a young man headed home from the pub, but soon bumped into a crowd of young people his age. At this point the evening turned into a nightmare for the guy, since the angry mob was only searching for trouble. Eventually, he decided to get out of the situation by running away, but the villains were faster. They started attacking the man, who screamed for his life - but no one came.

Maria S. was in her kitchen when she heard the yelling and reacted immediately in a way, most people would not have a heart to. She went between the group and their victim, not caring for her own security, just in order to defend the person lying on the ground. Indeed she persuaded the mob to release their victim, which prevented him from severe injury.

By herself she successfully saved a young man's life who was hunted by a large group of angry, brutal and violent adolescents. Hence she acted like a role model and should definitely be nominated!


This is a good start Marc. You have the makings of a good story and topic for a paper. It needs to be finished of course, but you are on the right track. Remember to give it a title and summary at the end.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

A competition entry (Nami)

To whom it may concern

I hereby nominate Chiune Sugihara, who was the Japanese diplomat in Lithuania during World War II. He saved more than 6,000 Jews by serving visas, so that they could escaped from the country to either Japan or other countries via Japan. I truly believe him a real hero because of the following two reasons.

Firstly, he is considered to be a hero because of his self-sacrifice attitude. What he did was against Japanese diplomatic policy at that time, and so there was a possibility that he could have been assassinated or accused of disloyalty. However, he believed that his decision was right and kept serving visas for Jews while it was not what the Japanese government and also the Germany government expected him to do. Even though he was lucky not to have been killed for the political reason, in fact, the Japanese government fired him after he repatriated to Japan. Given these ______, I believe that he deserves to receive a prize of “Heroes like you and me.”

Secondly, his humanitarian activity was obviously significant because it was more than 6,000 people whose lives he actually saved. He made his own decision_ regardless nationality, which is an ultimate and perfect model of humanitarianism. It should have been a difficult decision for him to serve visas to Jews as a Japanese diplomat at that time. Nevertheless, he never forgot that he was a human before the Japanese and a diplomat, and worked for humanity. Without his decision, more than 6,000 people were killed. Hence, his humanitarianism should receive more attention in the world history and I believe that the prize will give him an opportunity to get attention as a very important historic person.

Chiune Sugihara is not a famous person in the world history, but what he achieved deserves to be appraised more on the global stage, which could be the one of the best examples of self-sacrifice and humanitarianism. Hence, I strongly recommend him as a nominee of the prize of the competition, “Heroes like you and d me.”

Very nicely written overall Nami. There are a number of grammar conventions that need a bit of attention which I've highlighted in yellow. However, your writing is persuasive and you tell a very good story which enhances the strength of the paper. Good Job!

//Collection//
To whom it may concern

I hereby nominate Chiune Sugihara, who was a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania during World War II. He saved more than 6,000 Jews by issuing visas, so that they could escape from the country to either Japan or other countries via Japan. I truly believe that he is a real hero for the following two reasons.

Firstly, he is considered to be a hero because of his self-sacrificing attitude. What he did was against Japanese diplomatic policy at that time, and so there was a possibility that he would have been excuted or accused of disloyalty. However, he believed that his decision was right and kept issuing visas to Jews, even though it was against what the Japanese government as well as the Germany government expected him to do. Even though he was lucky not to have been killed for political reasons, in fact, the Japanese government dismissed him after he went back to Japan. Given these reasons, I believe that he deserves to receive the prize of “Heroes like you and me.”

Secondly, his humanitarian activity was significant because more than 6,000 people's lives were saved. He made his own decisions regardless of nationality, which is an ultimate and perfect model of humanitarianism. It must have been a difficult decision for him to issue visas to Jews as a Japanese diplomat at that time. Nevertheless, he never forgot that he was a human before being Japanese and a diplomat, and worked for humanity. Without his decision, more than 6,000 people would have been killed. Hence, his humanitarianism should receive more attention in world history and I believe that the prize will give him an opportunity to be recognized as a very important historic person.

Chiune Sugihara is not a famous person in world history, but what he achieved deserves to be appraised more on the global stage, which could be the one of the best examples of self-sacrifice and humanitarianism. Hence, I strongly recommend him as a nominee for the prize of the competition, “Heroes like you and d me.”

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Hi! Since you recommended me a lot of activies I could do here in San Francisco, I'd like to give a veeeeery short overview of what I did on the weekend.


I ended up that I went to Baker Beach on Saturday evening and that's one of the pictures I took there. I hope you enjoy it!


Last but not least, I saw Avater 3D today, but I'd prefer to talk about it in class tomorrow on Monday.

Good night! (Mh)

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Report on office working conditions (GB)

The company has recently ordered a survey on office working conditions. The following report outlines the main issues picked out in the survey. It aims at reflecting as objectively as possible employees’ feelings and exposing recommendations in order to improve everyone’s working condition.

Office furniture
People are globally satisfied by the office furniture. However, some employees has suggested to extend the relaxation space and to make it more comfortable by adding furniture such as sofas. They expressed their wish to have a place where informal conversations could take place. Moreover, this would allow people to meet in a less stressful environment and thus enhance their creativity.

excellent sentences here

Temperature regulation
An important number of people noticed that the temperature regulation system could be generaly improved. Indeed, employees complain about too hot temperatures in the winter and, on the contrary, too cold air conditionning in the summer. As a result, they would be grateful if the company would make an effort to enhance the quality of the temperature regulation system and thus contribute to better working conditions and protecting the environment.

Lighting
Some people within the department suffer from eye strain. We assume that the lighting could be responsible for this embarrassment. It is suggested to the company to mandate an expert to investigate whethter the eye strain in due to the lighting system or not.

In conlusion, I recommend the company studay the feasability of the above suggestions. The whole department and I are convinced that this could help to improve the staff’s stafisfaction and productivity.

Very clear and well written overall. The necessary points are covered and appropriated detail given. However, note many spelling errors.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Report on office working conditions (MH)

A survey was done to (was conducted among) employees regarding their working conditions in their environment. According to the employees that answered the questionnaire, we came to the conclusion that we should make some changes in the working area.

Air conditioning

Some employees mentioned that the room temperature indeed rises extremely high during the summer time, while the heating warms barely in the winter. On this account (for this reason), they support installing an air conditioning system in all offices.

In addition, not all windows can be opened, so that the air can circulate. Consequently the rooms become stuffy very quickly. It should be considered to replace the windows (we should consider replacing the windows) or to set up (setting up) a ventilation system.

The illumination (the lighting)

(In fact,) poor lighting can result in(to an) eye strain and hence to a decreased concentration level. Since some people said that they suffer for this reason, the way of illumination (illumination of specific rooms) should be reconsidered.

A place for relaxation

In contrast to a highly challeging work (because of a highly challenging work environment/situation), some employees asked for a recreation room where they can distract thereself (disconnect) from their tasks and also exchange ideas. Thit (For instance this) place should (for instance) offer some seating accommodations (arrangement), with a table or desk space (and a water cooler).
Furthermore a tabletop soccer(foosball) is indeed desired by most of the employees.

Conclusion

Summing up (In summery), there is a high potential to (for) improve (improving) working conditions and to make (making) employees feel more comfortable and therefore, more productive. In brief (For these reasons / therefore), I absolutely recommend to implement (implementing) all the suggestions that were mentioned on the report.

Good job overall, many good points made and you covered the required areas clearly.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Hi! I moved as a guest in a new house on Sunday evening where I indeed have a working internet connection! :)

Here is a part of the vocabulary we learned or mentioned in class. Neither did I sort them nor did I add an explanation to all of them. Please excuse.

So, here we go:

  1. to keep your fingers crossed = to hope for good luck
  2. I was sure we had it
  3. What's the damage?
  4. collapse - falling over
  5. until the cows come home
  6. to ponder (on sth.) - think about a solution
  7. to dwell (on sth.)
  8. dwelling house - for example: slum dwellers
  9. a hundred of people
  10. fulfill responbilities
  11. turn a blind eye - they know it's there but they don't react
  12. your odds are best - 10/1
  13. loophole - ~gray area
  14. a couple of close calls - you escaped twice
  15. vocational skills - job skills
  16. shift changes
  17. mutilate - damage sth.
  18. b-movie flop
  19. disfigure
  20. a disgrace - shame
  21. derision - people critise so.; diss so.
  22. cock of the walk - center of attention
  23. glittering
  24. prosperous
  25. that was then, this is now
  26. everlasting - eternal
  27. on the tip of my tongue
  28. sth. for sth.'s sake - for example: violence for violence's sake
  29. don't do it for my sake - don't do it for me
  30. sheer - for example: sheer mass of info
  31. come to terms with sth. - to accept / adopt sth. (often difficulty)
  32. chart a course - to make a plan
  33. losing battle
  34. attention span
  35. "One always thought that Malcolm was trying to cheat them"
  36. I have bone to pick with you
  37. attenuate - to soften sth.
  38. obituary - Article about a person who recently died
  39. to debunk (a myth) - basically shoot down a theory
  40. to make a proposal - suggestions to a company (mostly in a written form)
  41. the shit hit the fan
  42. all the hell broke loose
  43. pandemonium
  44. a cubefarm - like silicon valley
  45. take so. for granted - you think the person will do whatever you want him to do
  46. take sth. for granted
  47. classified ads - classified into several sections: services wanted, etc.
  48. craigslist.org - that's why newspaper die
  49. every now and (again) then - sometimes, once in a while
  50. In hindsight... - talk about what you do differently in the future; to explain an alternative in a new situation
  51. hindsight is 20/20 - I see the past perfectly but not what's in the future
  52. stop busting my chops - stop kidding me
  53. what it all comes down to (is) - the most important thing here is
  54. misleading - intentionally try to deceive you
  55. deceitful ~ little lying
  56. legend has it
  57. have your say - express your opinion; "you can have your say"
  58. to flinch - to react fast
  59. unflinching - want to show you are brave
  60. to steal the show
  61. overarching
  62. starring role != supporting role
  63. outsider - underdog; he can steal the show; not the person you expect to
  64. in retrospect - in hindsight
  65. (to be) off the mark != to hit the mark / target / bullseye
  66. budget is very tight
  67. alleviate - taking aspirin will alleviate your pain
  68. crammed - for example: the table is crammed with books
  69. bashed-up sofa - damaged sofa
  70. cramped space - no space to move
  71. stifling (ventilation) - you cannot breath
  72. spot on - right on the target; his idea is spot on
  73. that is spartan - very basic, nothing elaborate
  74. threadbare - poor condition; thread of your clothes have become bare
  75. appropriate (to sth.) - to be adequate (to sth.)
  76. "or anything like that"
  77. view of/over the city
  78. pragmatics - the ability to infer / guess. for example: "is the pope catholic?"
  79. the weather is lousy - very very bad
  80. I'm soaking wet! - I'm completely wet
  81. to soak your whole body in the bath
  82. easteregg hunt
  83. congrats - congratulation
  84. What you've been up to?
  85. nieces and nephews (always mention both)
  86. action packed weekend
  87. to take pleasure in someone's mischief / misfortune - gloating, schadenfreude
  88. op-ed - opposite the editorial page; opinion-editorial
  89. abbreviated - shortened
  90. to abbreviate / shorten sth.
  91. unaffiliated - freelance, independent
  92. price is going through the roof
  93. I will let it be - I won't change it
  94. contrarierty - antagonism
  95. nose dive
  96. to nose-dive - to crash
  97. indication - clue, hint
  98. scope - area, field or spectrum of activity
  99. tyre / tire - hoop
  100. submit - hand in
  101. affluent - middle/upper-middle class (?)
  102. take sth. with a grain of salt - don't take it too seriously
  103. pick up the phone / answer the phone
  104. hang up the phone
  105. be on the phone
  106. bemused
  107. amused
  108. amid
  109. swarming
  110. clattering
  111. shrug
  112. tilt of chin
  113. resembling - to resemble sth.
  114. wide berth
  115. diverting one's path
  116. overlook a text - to skip through it
  117. supposedly
  118. mischief - shenanigans
  119. pick up on sth. - to discover sth. (for example a ruse)
  120. ruse - trick
  121. examine so.
  122. play a prank on sb.
  123. April Fool's day
  124. simple != elaborate
  125. cows / sheep -> herd
  126. birds -> flock
  127. bees -> swarm
  128. fish -> school of fish; "Why are fish smart? Because they swim in schools!"
  129. every now and then
  130. Nobel laureate
  131. struck so. as off the mark
  132. by deepening our understanding
  133. misleading guide
  134. to one extent or another
  135. overarching lesson
  136. remain as convinced
  137. long-term project
  138. to top the list of
  139. cutting-edge research
  140. most daunting challenge and sought-after prize
  141. interweave the fabric
  142. unflinching eye
  143. have your say
  144. to be on display for
  145. quieted the critics
  146. to take account of
  147. to be chiseled in stone
  148. hammered a final nail in the Newtonian coffin
  149. to topple a conception
  150. by the time the fires subsided and the smoke cleared
  151. core feature
  152. a particular moment
  153. to be etched into
  154. counterpart
  155. resolve a host of puzzles
  156. settle on a specific outcome
  157. reality that remains ambiguous until perceived
  158. at least as astounding is
  159. ensuing twists of
  160. the implications of these features are
  161. subject of ongoing research
  162. spatial separation
  163. at the very least
  164. clever and truly wondrous experiments
  165. mind-stretching experience
  166. "the reality we experience is but a glimmer of the reality that is"
  167. comes to the every day
  168. taps into on of the deepest unresolved mysteries
  169. take for granted that
  170. govern our lives
  171. distinction between
  172. prevailing element
  173. to witness between left and right
  174. it turns out that
  175. "and that's the origin of a huge puzzle"
  176. "that is totally at odds with everything we experience"
  177. has it's roots in the work of
  178. shift the puzzle to
  179. to try one's hand at sth.
  180. mark the birth of
  181. invisible to the naked eye
  182. theory secured it's place as the leading...
  183. "its successes notwithstanding, the theory suffered significant shot-comings"
  184. inspire a major breakthrough

To be continued!


Report on office working conditions (Nami)

Introduction
This is a (the) survey report about our (the) current working conditions (where?). According to the (some) employees who have participated in my survey, we should consider changing (what we might have to make a change is about) the relaxation space, the office temperature, and the lighting.

The relaxation space
As of now, there are only two hard chairs by the water cooler. Some employees have mentioned that this is not enough to relax and that it would be great if some sofas were (are) installed. Some also suggested that the new relaxation space could help employees to discuss (talk over) ideas.

The office temperature
Some people complained about the office temperature because they feel too hot in the winter and too cold in summer. This uncomfortable situation could result in not only workers’ productivity decreasing (describe what would happen to productivity), but also having a (the) negative effect on global warming.

The lighting
Finally, some employees suffer from eye strain, probably because of the lighting. In order to releave (get rid of) their stress, it is also important to think of changing the lighting in the office space.

Conclusion
Considering the results of the survey, I would recommend making (to make) a comfortable space with some furniture for relaxing (relax) and casual meetings, to keep the temperature comfortable (appropriately) (noun), and to use bright (blight) and eye-friendly lighting.


Very well written over all with all points covered. Good job!

The ship and me

This picture was taken in Singapore about 3 years ago. At that /this time I was living /lived in Singapore for three months as a trainee of the company. I was on the launch boat to visit the company's vessel, anchoring off the harbor and waiting for immigration. Also, this is the uniform that I wear whenever I visit the ship, and I pretended /became a sailor zombie nil/for the last Halloween here in San Francisco, wearing /using this uniform.





Elvis Presley married me



Will you marry me? Please! Don't be cruel...

A little more conversation a little action please! Everybody take a mystery train or a long black limousine to Vegas cause tonight I'm marrying the girl I love tender! It's now or never. It will be a beautiful wedding in a small chapel under a blue moon.


So, if it's raining in Kentucky and you're lonesome tonight, put on your blue suede shoes and come to my wedding in Vegas!

Welcome Nami!!!

Our CAE class has a new member/participant/student. Her name is Nami and she is from Japan. Marc and Guillaume join me in welcoming you to our class blog 'Awesome CAE San Francisco'.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Don’t let stress ruin your chances of exam success

Don’t let stress ruin your chances of exam success

Each student has his own method to review the most effective way possible (of doing what?). Our reporters went on a mission in the halls and libraries to discover what are their secrets for success. Each considers his recipe as the best. While some prefer to work in the library and choose to take possession of a place they never leave throughout the period of revision, others like to stay quietly at home to study. One thing is certain, there is not only one way that leads to success, but we will give you some advice to cope with stress during the revision period.

Good! However, the first sentence is too abrupt, use a more general, leading sentence.

Begin by planning 


The preparation of your upcoming deadlines must be done week by week, day by day. You've got about 5 weeks left? You haven’t lost yet, prepare your battle plan! Make yourself a schedule for every class.

For each day, set the subjects you will study and the number of hours you want to spend on it. Then, for each subject, set up the daily goals keeping in mind the course program. These goals must be realistic. Late in the afternoon, take a moment to take a look at your schedule and see if you respect your goals.

If you revise as planned, allow yourself a break. Think that your moments of relaxation and recreation can also be a way to enrich your general knowledge: games, movies, TV shows, some reading magazines, novels, comics ...(complete the sentence, this is a fragment). Finally, alone or in groups, conduct mock examinations, both orally and in writing.

Excellent. Very clear and personable.

Physical Activities and Sleep

Physical activity predisposes the body and the mind to ____ intellectual work. It is also an important factor in stress management that will allow you to evacuate the tensions and frustrations of the day. Moreover, planning a weekly physical activity is also learning to manage working time. Besides physical activity, sleep is another factor that influence the quality of concentration. The average duration of sleep is eight hours, but every individual is different. The best way to know how much sleep you need is to evaluate your shape in the morning! Moreover, the quality of sleep is as important as its duration. It is therefore important to take the time to create __ healthy work environment with regular physical activity, work, free time and optimal sleep quality.

Conclusion? Please include.