PET: Session 2 

Reading:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading3.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading4.html

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading_part5.htm

Listening:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part3.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part3.htm

Vocabulary:

http://www.examenglish.com/vocabulary/B1_vocabulary_topics.htm

Post 10: English Language Challenges

Post 10: English Language Challenges

> What comments can you make about your experience learning English at university? What about the use of blogs?
> What aspects of your English need to be improved and how do you plan to do this?
> Outside the English class, how much are you using English these days? What for?

- Wordcount: 260
- Make comments on 3 of your partners' posts.


 

Let’s talk about learning English. Learning this language has been a plus in my life. Many doors have opened in my professional life. I did not learn English in the university. I learned it in an institute in New York. So it is difficult to talk about an experience that I did not have.

However, I believe that this opportunity that is given to students today of learning English as part of their curriculum is very good. I wish I had it.  I have to say that I learned to write by practicing and editing my papers at the university. If I had had a blog like this, it would have been much easy to practice my writing. I learned that this language has different ways of writing like Spanish. The most difficult is the academic writing. The blog is a good experience if one takes seriously. It helps a lot to improve the writing skills.

In my case I learn many different things about English every day. I enjoy learning about the different rules and ways to talk and write. I try to expose myself to English every day at least 20 to 30 minutes. I listen to the news in English on cable; I listen to music and talk to my colleagues in English as much as I can.

I believe that one always have to be opened minded in order to improve and learn more about this language that it will be a necessary tool for my career and for any one’s who wants to become a better professional. I say this because English has become the universal language, and most important papers are written in English.

Post 9 2014: Good and Bad Points (so far..)

Post 9  2014: Good and Bad Points (so far..)

2014>> Have you had a good year??

Write about:
> Good things that have happened in your life
> Situations that did not go so well
> Your achievements in 2014
> Things you did not do / have not done yet / still have to do this year
> Important news / events you would like to highlight
> Any other comments

Wordcount: 250 + 3 comments

It is hard to summarize the year 2014, I think is because it has not ended yet. However, this year has been in many ways a good year. I have been able to do many things that I always wanted to. For instance, I took a wonderful vacation. I visited several cities in Peru.  I learned a lot about its culture and the Incas.

In this trip, I visited Machu Picchu. This is a wonderful place. The architecture, the landscape and surroundings where is located are like a paradise. The houses and temples are built by cutting rocks from the mountains. One can feel the mystic of this place in every step around this city. For this and other reason, Machu Picchu has been nominated one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Another good point of this year was my older child graduation from the university. Today, he has become a biotechnologist. This made me very proud of his achievements. I believe he will be able to become a very good professional.

The things that they did not go well this year are the illnesses among some of my family members. Hopefully everyone has gotten well and today they are back on their feet.

One thing that I have not done yet this year is to finish an e-class that I began few weeks ago. This class is about bonsai, a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. The Japanese tradition dates back over a thousand years.

Well I hope this year continues its course and ends as a good year for everyone.

 

PET (Preliminary English Test) Practice

Session 1

Reading:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/reading1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading2.htm

Listening:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part2.htm

Vocabulary:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_vocab.htm

POST 8: 

WHAT IS MY FAVORITE MUSIC OR BOOR OR SPORT?

• Describe your favorite music, book or sport. And maybe your favorite food.
• Why do you like this kind of music or this specific sport?
• Or why did you like that book so much?

    240 words minimum

    Write at least 3 comments in your classmates posts.

 

I like all kind of music. I really enjoy classical music when I am working or I need to relax. I love to listen to opera, it makes me feel part of the plot and the lyrics are beautiful. My favorite opera is Carmen, I think of this opera like an opera of all times. On the other hand, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Vivaldi, and so many other classical musicians are genius, the way their musical notes sound is amazing, the chords flow like clear water in a river, and this is an incredible sound to anybodies ears.

Also, when I need some cheer up I listen to 1970’s or 1980’s rock or Latin rock as well. This music makes sing and sometimes dance too. It is very difficult to choose my favorite band or singer from this era. There are so many good ones.  So I usually choose the groups or singers that bring good memories to me from those years.

Another kind of music that I also enjoy is folklore music. I prefer the Latin American singers or groups. One of them is Silvio Rodriguez. I love his songs and the lyrics. My parents used to listen to this singer and grew up with his music. Country music is another kind of music that sometimes I listen to. Kenny Rogers and John Cash are my favorite.

In reality, I love music, all kind of music. It depends on my mood what kind of music I listen to. Today, I think I going to listen to Elton John, I feel somehow listening some romantic music.

POST 7 HOW GREEN ARE YOU?

• Where do people learn about environmentally friendly practices?
• Have you incorporated recycling into your habits? Describe
• Do you use a bike or your legs instead of a car?
• Have you joined or supported any eco-organizations? Why/ Why not?
• What else have you done /would like to do?
• What have you done to reduce your carbon footprint?
• What's missing in our society/ Santiago regarding this issue?

     Number of words: 230

     Don't forget to make comments on at least 3 of your classmates posts.

Sometimes we think that environmentally-friendly practices are very difficult, but when you learn about them you realize that very easy practices help the environment immensely. I believe that most people are learning about environmentally-friendly practices throughout their families, TV advertisements, schools, and friends in general. People, today, are aware of the need to take care of our planet.

I can say that I somehow green in many of my daily practices such as separating my trash, using public transportation as much as I can, reusing many containers and transforming them into useful utensils in my kitchen, etc.

In my case, I have not joined any eco-friendly organizations mainly because I need to rearrange my schedule to make time to do it. However, I am planning in the future to become a volunteer at Greenpeace.  I believe this organization is one of the most important one in the world. They have been fighting for the environment for many years, for example, the forest, the climate, the oceans, etc. Also, I would like to help to develop more campaigns to protect our city, commune or just the neighborhoods.

In order to reduce carbon footprint, I have been using less spray products in my house, more public transportation, as I said before, and try to eat more raw food so I do not need to use my stove often.

In Santiago, we need more campaigns to raise a higher awareness about the necessity of having a cleaner city. We need a city where the pollution level can be lowered, for instance, by having a better public transport system.  We need many actions to have a better environment in our city.

 

POST 6

My experience in the field

• Describe your experience
• Talk about some difficulties or problems you faced
• What did you like and what you didn't like about it? Why?
• Make 3 comments on your classmates posts

Minimum 220 words



I remember when I first had to go into the field; I was nervous and not sure how people would receive me. I went to  a NOG in the Bronx called Citizens Advice Bureau. This NGO offered difference type of services to people in the neighborhood and community, from helping them to find a job, immigration processes, talk to landlords  about their rent or finding a place to live to problems with guns.

Citizens Advice Bureau is an organization which began in England many years ago. It was founded to help neighbors with different types of problems that they did not know how to resolve or need to get some legal or advice from professionals. In this place worked people who at one point have been community leaders to professional social workers and psychologists.

At the beginning I had to learn about all the services provide to the community. I think it took me two weeks to learn them all. Then I began to assist people who came in with all sorts of issues and without appointment. My other duty was to develop a job bank for young adults. I had to visit many stores and industries in the area to find out the type of jobs that they were offering for this population. Once this part of the project ended, I conducted workshops with some of the young adults who were invited. This invitation was done by word of mouth,  flyer posted on the street, and sent to different schools as well.

One of the things I did not like about this project was that the young adults ended up not being responsible with the different assignments given to them, and I was in charge of them for their probationary period.  But I did like my professional role of social worker in the field.