A change in my life (used to do / be used to doing)

My life completely changed when I came to the United Kingdom. For example, before I came to Bristol I was not used to learning English, but now I'm getting used to it.

Also, I didn't used to wear jeans, but now I'm used to wearing them. In addition, I used to have a car, however, now I use the bus for transport.

Moreover, I'm not used to calling my family, because I used to live with them in the same house. However, I'm used to calling them every week to ask if they are fine or not.

Finally, I was not used to eating English food, but now I'm getting used to it.

by Ebrahim

A change in society (used to do / be used to doing)

In 1997, the mobile phone market increased rapidly in Korea. Mobiles were very expensive and were used by the rich.

Since 1997, the Korean government has supported the mobile phone business. When mobiles were popular, I used to have a pager, I didn't used to want to have a mobile, because I had to take calls from my parents.

However, my father gave a mobile phone to me when I entered the university, and said, "If you don't take my calls, I'll kill you."

Nowadays, I'm used to using my mobile everyday. It is the most important weapon in my job.

by Kay

A change in my life (used to do / be used to doing)

I come from a small village with only 500 inhabitants and I went to Paris for my studies, so I was not used to living in a big city.

I used to eat with my family and my mother used to prepare meals for me. After I moved, I had to get used to preparing my lunch. Now, I'm used to cooking by myself.

Moreover, Paris is a noisy place, even at night and I was used to sleeping in a quiet area.

I used to go to school by bus when I was young but now I am used to taking the subway.

I think that Paris is not a good place for me because people are used to running for everything. I used to feel better at my parents' house.


by Pierre-Henri

You cannot measure success by money

Nowadays, everyone has his own style. Many people, when they see others who wear new clothes, they think that they are rich. Of course they need money to buy new clothes. But I disagree that people measure success by money.

It is true that rich people always wear new suits and they have nice style. Also they have big houses and beautiful cars. For instance, in the UK when my friends see sports cars they told me the person driving this car must have a lot of money.

In my opinion, we cannot measure success by money because there are many people whose salary is not more than £1000 monthly. But they wear new clothes, because they like to change their style every season. On the other hand there are a lot of rich people who do not care about their appearance. A good example is, in the UK when we sit in the Arabic cafe we always see a man who wears a normal suit and he sits with anyone, and jokes with anyone. But we were surprised when the waiter told us this man is lawyer and his salary was more than hundred thousand pounds per year.

In conclusion, I don't believe that the style of people reflects their position. Everyone has his own style, whether they are rich or poor.


by: Ebrahim Alhebsi

You can measure success by money.

This is a complex issue, because people have different views about success.

I can see both sides of the argument about success. It is often said that many rich people are not happy, so we can not measure success by money. I agree that there is some common ground between success and happiness. However they are not equal, just similar.

In my opinion, if you have enough money you can care for your family well. However, if you do not have enough money, maybe you can have some arguments with your family, because it is not easy to get what you need.

In conclusion, it is difficult to decide on this issue. I believe, money will help your success and happiness.

by Kay

Governments have a duty to look after people who are sick or unemployed

Usually governments have a duty to look after their citizens especially in the field of health and unemployment. Actually this is complex issue because you cannot satisfy everyone but we are talking here about basic needs.

However, we need jobs and medical insurance to cover health needs. I think the government should work on this more than other things and provide the citizens medical insurance and jobs because these are very important for them and they can affect how the government looks after them.

So, some people will maybe disagree with me because the responsibility for unemployment lies not only with the government but also the private sector and I agree with this. In my opinion, the government should work on forcing the private sector to create jobs and ensuring everyone with a job in the private sector has medical insurance.

In conclusion, I believe that health and jobs are the number one priority in life for everyone and keeps society stable.


by Ahmed

More Spelling Practice - Tricky Words

Do you need more spelling practice?

Click on the picture below.

Boni's team Campervan Trip to the UK

In the last week the project was to discuss in the meeting how to organise a trip to the UK in a campervan. We had to include lots of outdoor activities and sports.

Our route starts from Bristol towards the north through Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England.

Abeer – Cardiff

In Cardiff, we managed to participate in lots of different unique activities like sand-boarding, rowing and treasure hunting. Also we thought of playing valley ball in Cardiff bay.

Bob - Liverpool

I suggested that we should spend two or three days in Liverpool.

Liverpool is famous for music which called The Beatles, so we can go to the music zone to enjoy that. Also we can go to watch the football match, maybe we can join them.

Another time we can buy some interesting gifts for our teachers.

Abeer – Belfast

Moving on to Belfast, as it is part of the UK but in a different country! We thought of visiting museums and historical places so that we not only enjoy some outdoor activities, but also we could widen our knowledge about the UK.

Boni – Glasgow and Edinburgh

We are going to visit two cities in Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh, for a week.

In Glasgow, Scotland, we have exciting outdoor activities. There are many tall mountains in Scotland and especially in Glasgow, we can enjoy skiing in the mountains. We don't need to worry about the weather because it is able for everyone for every day! We can also experience Scotland's country sports such as hunting, and shooting.

Then, we go to Edinburgh. It is the capital of Scotland and has a wonderful cycling route through the city. When we go to Scotland, we should play golf. In Edinburgh, there is a nice golfing centre which can provide us a beautiful golfing trip around Scotland's golfing course. Also, there is a national park near the city and it has a great camp site. We can spend nights under the star in our campervan.

Justin – Newcastle

I had to talk about what we could do in one day in Newcastle

On the way to Newcastle we can see the Angel of the North.

In Newcastle, there is a river Tyne and walk along the river. We can go to the Metrocentre which is Britain's best and Europe's largest shopping mall and leisure centres. We can buy some special gifts for our family and friends. We will rest there.

Nawaf – Manchester

Next we go for two or three days to Manchester. A big city in north-west England. We can take a bus Manchester Open Top Bus Tour and see Central Library, Beetham Tower, Albert Square, Piccadilly Gardens, Wheel of Manchester, Express Building and more.

We can see The Haçienda famous music club with groups including The Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays.

We can see Manchester United club Old Trafford the largest club football ground in the UK, with a capacity of 76,000 and watch football game.

There are free places to visit. The John Ryland's Library, or the Whitworth Art Gallery, or we can have a picnic in Heaton Park.

 

Bejad -London

London the big city in England also it is the capital of England . When we want go to London we must visit museums like museum Madame Tussauds. And do not forget a big mall in London through Oxford street and Piccadilly street .there are many beautiful park that . We can play football. There are many great stadiums in London should we visit such as Chelsea and Arsenal. I think 1 week enough for London.

Ma - Plymouth

Finally, we decided to go to Plymouth for five days. We are going to do sunbathing, swimming and beach valley ball but the others who don't want to play outdoor activities. So they can stay in the camper-van or tent that they are doing board games or card games for example monopoly, poker and chess. Also, we can see the good sightseeing but weather is bad then everybody stay there.

We have done very well. Each member had his or her responsibility to research before the meeting. I think everybody contributed to the meeting and made a great trip plan!

One Stone!! Two Birds!!

TRIP 1 : You can feel the real premier clubs!

You can experience the real football in this trip.
You'll visit 4 cities and 15 major clubs stadiums in a month.

 

CITIES	CAMP SITE	CLUBS
London	Camp In London Olympics 2012	Arsenal
	0208 1233 917	Chelsea
	Low Hall Sports Ground, Walthamstow,	Queens Park Rangers
	London, E17 8AX	Tottenham
	http://www.campinlondon.com/	Fulham
NewCastle	Dolbryn Caravan & Camping	Newcastle Utd
Sunderland	01239 710683	Sunderland
	Capel Iwan Road, Newcastle Emlyn
	Carmarthenshire, SA38 9LP
	http://dolbryn.co.uk/
Manchester	Liverpool Sun And Air Naturist Club	Manchester Utd
Liverpool	07967 884448	Manchester City
	Sunnyside, Foxes Bank Lane, Whiston	Liverpool
	Prescot, Merseyside, L35 3ST	Bolton
	http://www.lsas.org.uk/	Blackburn
Birmingham	Chapel Lane Caravan Club Site	Aston
	01564 826483	West Bromwich
	Wythall, Birmingham
	Warwickshire, B47 6JX

TRIP 2 : trip with language course

1.language course in oxford(2 weeks)

1. how to get there

• Oxford is about 60 miles (90 kms) northwest of London and has excellent road and national rail links. Regular coach services connect Oxford with the capital and also with Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports.
• By car(campervan)

Birmingham-Oxford: M40-A34

Bristol-Oxford: M32-M4-A34

Cardiff-Oxford: M4-A420

Edinburgh-Oxford: A74(M)-A74-M6-M42-M40-A34

Glasgow-Oxford: M74-A74(M)-M6-M42-M40-A34

London-Oxford: A40-M40-A40

Manchester-Oxford: M56-M6-M42-M40-A34

Newcastle-Oxford: A1-A1(M)-M1-A43-M40-A34

Nottingham-Oxford: M1-A43-M40-A34

If you want more detail, further details are available on the

http://www.ox.ac.uk/visitors_friends/maps_and_directions/index.html

1. where to stay

we recommended you to stay in Oxford Camping And Caravanning Club

this is close to the university and Oxford is best explored without the car. Catch a bus from opposite the site, or walk or cycle the mile or so into the city centre. It also has facilities about

• It opens all year
• electronic hookups
• gas refills available
• shower
• toilet block
• laundry
• public transport on site
• internet access
• Address, Contact Details and Map

Oxford

Oxford Camping and Caravanning Club Site

426 Abingdon Road

Oxford

Oxfordshire

OX1 4XG

01865 244088

No calls after 8pm please.

Site Managers

Graham Bland, Tina Bland

• Seasons and Fees

standard fee is £7.00 but you would be better if you check in the websites

• further details about maps and fees

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/siteseekerlite/aspx/details.aspx?id=7240

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/siteseekerlite/aspx/details.aspx?id=7240

2. about the language course

Dates

Course A: start in Monday 23 July 2012 (4 weeks)

Course B: start in Monday 23 July 2012 (2 weeks)

Course C: start in Monday 20 August 2012 (2 weeks)

Who are the courses for?

The courses are designed to prepare international students and academic visitors for study at the University of Oxford. Students going on to another institution of higher education where English is the medium of instruction may also be accepted if places are available.

Purpose and content of the course

Students coming to study at the University of Oxford or elsewhere will be much better equipped to meet the demands of their academic life and do well in their studies if they attend a pre-sessional course. They will also be able to integrate into the social life of a university more easily.

During the courses, students will develop their skills in

- understanding lectures

- reading academic texts effectively

- taking notes from lectures and written texts

- writing academic essays

- participating in seminars and discussions

- giving presentations

- interacting in social situations

The courses will also include general study skills and cultural orientation.

The organisation of the courses

- 20 hours of tuition each week

- Students are taught in small groups of around 12 people

- Classes take place in the Language Centre

- Students have access to all of the facilities of the Language Centre, including the library, audio- and video-rooms and multi-media computers

- There is a programme of visits to places of interest

Admission requirements

Students with a conditional or unconditional offer from Oxford University are given priority. Prospective students should note that the minimum English language requirement for postgraduate students at Oxford University is IELTS 7.0/TOEFL 600 or ibTOEFL 100. For complete details, click here.

Students who have IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 575/ibT 88 or below are recommended to attend the eight-week course (Course A). Students without a score need to show their level of competence in English in order to be accepted on the course.

Accommodation

Students who are coming to study at Oxford may be housed by their own colleges, which they should contact as soon as possible to make appropriate arrangements. Students who are not intending to study at Oxford will need to make their own arrangements for accommodation. The Language Centre can provide some information about accommodation in Oxford.

Fees 2012

Course A (4 weeks): £2,300

Course B (2 weeks): £1,175

Course C (2 weeks): £1,175

For all courses, a deposit of £200 is payable at the time of application. The balance is to be paid before the start of the course and the deposit is non-refundable.

Registration

The registration form can be downloaded in web sites(http://www.lang.ox.ac.uk/courses/pre-ses.html) and sent by e-mail to: admin@lang.ox.ac.uk

It can also be sent by fax: +44 1865 283 366

Or by post to:

The Assistant Director (EPS 2012)

University of Oxford

Language Centre

12 Woodstock Rd

Oxford OX2 6HT

Great Britain

furthur details are available on http://www.lang.ox.ac.uk/courses/pre-ses.html

3. other recommended place if you got a spare time

Carfax Tower
Corner of St. Aldate's, Cornmarket Street, Queen Street, High Street

Open from April to October 10am to 5.30pm (4.30pm in October). Open Daily November to March, 10am to 3pm (4pm in March). Adults £2.20 - Seniors £2.20 - Students £2.20 - Children £1.10
Carfax is located at the junction of St Aldate's (south), Cornmarket Street (north), Queen Street (west) and the High Street (east) in Oxford, England. It is considered to be the centre of the city. The name "Carfax" derives from the French "carrefour", or "crossroads".

University Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Entrances on High Street and Radcliffe Square

Church open daily 9am -5pm (6am-6pm in July & August), Sundays the Tower opens at 12:15pm October - May, 11:15am June - September.
The Tower: .

Martyrs' Memorial
Intersection of St. Giles', Magdalen Street, and Beaumont Street

Saxon Tower of St Michael at the North Gate
Cornmarket Street.

Open 10am - 5pm Mon-Fri, 12 noon - 5pm Sunday. Admission £1.50.

Bodleian Library
Broad Street, 277216

Opening hours: Monday – Sunday all year round. Our opening hours are: Monday – Friday 9.00 – 17.00; Saturday 9.00 – 16.30; Sunday 11.00-17.00. With the exception of the Shop and the Exhibition Room, admission to the interior of the buildings is charged for.

There are a lot of diffent places for visiting. If you want more information, please explore at this website http://www.oxfordcityguide.com/ee2/index.php?/TouristInfo/SightSeeing/

2.language course in cambridge

N worship Cambridge London by train for about an hour and two hours by car is about 70 Malmn London
- Overlooking the River Cam Kamarj the large cities
- Tattabrkambrdj Muscat University of Cambridge
- A population of about 130,000 people
- There Fitzoliam Museum in Cambridge and the finest Alsmomat
- There is a park in Cambridge and there are Butaytkal Séa bridge based on the model of the sixteenth century
- There are many, among the most important fe international languog and bell cambridge school

Where to stay

Royal Cambridge Hotel

Georgian-fronted hotel conveniently situated, within easy walking distance of King's College and the famous 'Backs' of the River Cam.

About the language

cambridge(3week or 2week)

Further details are available on the

http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/courses/summer-schools

International Summer School English courses

The Language Centre is running two English courses as part of the University's International Summer School

- a three-week IELTS Preparation Course

and a two-week EAP course.

We are now accepting applications for the 2012 Summer Schools which will run in Cambridge from 8 July ?

1 September.

Applicants can apply online

steps of details are available on the

http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/courses/summer-schools

famous land mark

The bridge was built in 1749 by James Essex the Younger (1722-1784) to the design of William Etheridge (1709-1776). It has subsequently been rebuilt to the same design in 1866 and 1905.

If you need more information, please contact us on our blog.

Khalif's tower

If you go to the United Arab Emirates you must visit the Khalif's tower. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the country, it is a wonderful building and it is the tallest tower in the world.


The height of the tower is about 830m, and it is in the centre of Dubai. The first parts were built on 21 of September in 2004, and it was finished in first of October in 2009. Shaikh Mohamed Bin Rashed AL-Maktoom was opened the tower in fourth of January in 2010, and they spent about US$21.5 billions to build this tower and developed Downtown. The Khalif's tower has 160 floors.

Nowadays, the United Arab Emirates has rain and it also has lightning, so the tower is very safe because it lightning-proof. Also it has a beautiful fountain in the sea, and you can also see all Dubai from the top of the tower. In addition, visitors can buy a ticket to go around the tower for an hours;100AED for adults, 75AED for children and free for infants. The best time to visit is in the winter, so that you can enjoy mild weather and fantastic views.

by: Ebrahim Alhebsi

Justin's love story

It's really worth reading!!!!


Long, long ago, in Bristol, there was a beautiful girl called Alice. When she was 18 years old, she had already become lots of men's dream lover, but nobody was her style. Until she was 28.


One day, when she was chatting on-line with her friend, suddenly a person requested to became her friend, and wrote in a sentence "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." Then she consented to his request. The man's name is Danny. They chatted on-line for one year, they thought they were each other's soul mate. They made a decision to meet in three days.


Next day, her father told her that a rich person called Tom wanted to marry her, though she did not like him, but she had to meet Tom, because his father was very powerful. Alice told Tom she had a boyfriend, but Tom did not believe her. He said "You can put forward any requests, I can do it." She said "OK, tomorrow let's meet in the supermarket at 5 am."


Next day, they met in the supermarket. Alice told them to travel around the world, and whoever came back first, she will marry. Tom went first, but Danny did not move. When Tom left the supermarket. Danny walked around Alice in a circle, and said "I finished my trip. I have already told you, you are my world."


Finally, Alice got married to Danny. They lived happily ever after.


By Justin                                   

Short Story

The family who were living here had two children, a boy and a girl. The couple explained to them that they wanted to travelled to a foreign country, but they hadn't checked their car. The farmer told "You can stay here until your car is repaired". He called the mechanic to see what the problem was. After that they sat with the family, but they had a problem with the language as they know only a few words. So they talked with them by signs.

When they were eating together the mechanic came and knocked on the door. They lifted the dinner and they went to the car with the mechanic to see the car and prepare it. the mechanic told them they hadn't changed the oil for along time. mechanic said"I can't finish it today, because i don't have any oil now and now it is evening all the shops are closed". Then the farmer told them "You can sleep in our house", but the couple told him, "We can't sleep with you because you have a small house, we can sleep in our car". The farmer said "I have one room free you can sleep here today, because the weather is absolutely freezing". After that they slept with the farmer and next day morning they went to toke their car from the mechanic shop.

The mechanic told him "You should hare checked the car before you travelled" .They said "I'm certain that is the last time we will have this problem, we will check it every single month. At the end they took their car and they completed their trip.

by: Ebrahim Alhebsi

"Russian Versailles"

If you are going to Russia, don't forget to visit Saint-Petersburg with its wonderful palaces, parks and gardens, Peterhof is one of those places. Peterhof is also known as Petrodvorets and it's the most famous and popular tourist attraction in the country, often called the "Russian Versailles", Many visitors conclude that the comparison does a disservice to the grandeur and scope of this majestic estate.

The parks of Peterhof, created in the 19th century, represents a brilliant example of an interesting stage in development of Russian architecture and landscape art. The ensemble erected in the early 18th century on the bank of the Gulf of Finland is an original monument in the honour of the victory in the North War and coming of Russia to the Baltic Sea. The idea of creating of the ensemble, the basic planning design, the projects of art decoration belonged to Peter the Great.

This magnificent European palace-and-park complex comprising the Grand Palace is not particularly large, but it has an imposing façade and some stunning state rooms inside, One of these Palaces is Marly Palace a French-style building, inspired by the French royal hunting lodge at Marly le Roi, Peterhof Hermitage in the English style, Other examples are Monplaisir palace, Cottage Palace and Alexandria Park. Peterhof Park and Gardens was laid out over several generations, and covers a huge range of garden styles. The fountains of Peterhof are most famous for their remarkable array of decorative fountains, including the unmistakable and incredibly impressive ensemble of the Grand Cascade.

This complex was reconstructed after the Second World War. In 2003 Saint Peterburg celebrated its 300th anniversary. As a result, much of the building and statuary in Peterhof has been restored and new giftwork abounds. Nowadays the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve is subordinated to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

The best time for visiting Petrodvorets is from May till the end of October, when the gardens are green and beautiful. All the fountains are open. So you can enjoy one of the greatest achievements of Russian national culture, a brilliant example of organic synthesis of architecture and sculpture, park and engineering art.