Uruguayan Carnival (Part One) I bet you have already heard about the vibrant and colorful Brazilian Carnival, but have you ever heard about its Uruguayan counterpart? If you haven't, I would like to introduce it to you and explain what makes Uruguay's carnival so unique. 1.140 miles south of Rio lies Uruguay's capital and biggest city (big by Uruguayan standards because of its population of about 1.3 million, in China that would be a small city). Montevideo began its life as a walled outpost in 1724, due to the threat that belligerent Native Americans tribes and Portuguese "Bandeirantes" (they were organized militias whose duty was to explore and claim territory for Portugal) posed to it. At that time Spain and Portugal had ardent disputes over who should rule over the territory of modern day Uruguay, which was known as "Banda Oriental" (Eastern Bank) at that time. Hence why we call each other "Orientales" among ourselves rather than Uruguayans. The Spanish Empire, like many other colonial powers around the world at that time, was no stranger to slavery and slave trade. Spaniards brought slaves to places where they could not enslave the natives, that was the case with Uruguay. Besides their few numbers and scattered settlements, the Charrúas (the name of the major Native American tribe in Uruguay, now extinct) where deemed too agressive to enslave, so at some point in history the colonial government of Montevideo decided to bring in slaves to do domestic labor. This were the humble origns of Uruguayan carnival.

Letter of recommendation Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing in response to the announcement made by the Planning Committee of the library which encouraged neighbours to submit ideas on how the current facilities could be improved and therefore suggest some new services the library could provide. First of all, the library of our city is a cultural reference for all the neighbours since its foundation a hundred years ago. Throughout its rich life the library accomplished satisfactorily its main purpose for who it was conceived; to serve the entire community. However, in recent years, many neighbours and who is writing included have been sad witnesses of the decline of our beloved library. For this reason, I would like to share my views on the many lacks the library has and how to improve them effectively. One of the main issues that concerns me most is the lack of maintenance of the whole building itself. There are numerous leakages in the ceiling of the main lecture room which is not only unaesthetic (the whole room is filled with buckets) but also dangerous for the integrity of the books, especially for those old texts which are more susceptible to get mouldy. Another major issue is the lack of proper heating and insulation, during winter times many readers including myself struggle to focus in whatever we are reading due to the lack of proper heating which make us feel sleepy. My recommendation is to hire the services of a heating company and start working on this issue without more delay. Another major problem is the lack of maintenance of the façade, after many years of negligence it looks rusty and run-down. I would recommend the creation of a found especially intended for painting. The final issue I would like to highlight is the lack of diversity among book titles, the vast majority of them are novels or poetry with a few ones about science fiction or history. Personally I believe that the introduction of new titles could attract more people and boost up the popularity of the library. In conclusion, despite the many lacks the library has I think it would be fruitful to work on the more urgent issues I stated before rather than focusing on minor details. I have no doubt that the recommendations I made before will definitely transform the library into a pleasanter place where you can spend the whole afternoon reading. Yours faithfully, Felipe

Future Perfect in the Past I thought you would've traveled to Europe before travelling to South America; but you didn't.

Future Perfect Continuous in the Past When I left the inn I thought they would have been skiing for thirty minutes by the time I returned; but they weren't.

How well international news are reported? Introduction The aim of this report is to analyse how the media covers international news. The report will comment on the coverage of international news and evaluate the main points when covering an event. Sources of information When reporting an event, reporters should pick up information from trustful sources only. Sources are the backbone of the new, reporters should check the information twice in order to give legitimacy to their report. A doubtful source not only could spoil your article but your career as well. Remember, your boss would not be happy to see its newspaper turned into a news rag. Coverage of the event The coverage of an event should be meticulously planned. If the coverage fails the audience would not receive the message adequately. First of all, journalists should know what type of event they will cover and the location where the event will eventually happen. International coverage demands more expertise and time to cover especially when news occur in a remote place where communications are not so fluid. Security Some events like demonstrations, war and shootings should be covered only by trained reporters that are able to cope with those scenarios. If you are not trained to do so you should not put your life in danger. Many reporters were badly wounded or kidnapped during riots or other violent events. Conclusion In conclusion reporting an international event to a vast and diverse audience is not an easy task. The points I have mentioned before are extremely relevant to inform the audience appropriately, if they are omitted the new will be not transmitted correctly. All in all I would not do any changes on the items I mentioned.

Opinion letter Dear Editor, I am writing in response to the article about the young people of today and would like to share my views. Whilst some of the opinions expressed in the article may fit some youth stereotypes, it is a gross understatement to do such a sweeping generalization on this subject. First of all, although my generation, the millennials, are regarded as superficial and materialistic, the columnist should be aware that this statement does not englobe all the youth. Most of us are highly concerned about our duties in our everyday life, and therefore work hard to fulfill our goals. Having said that, it is true that young people often spend more time watching television and surfing on the web; albeit this does not mean we do not enjoy reading books or getting out to exercise and stay fit. In fact, young people are more concerned about their physical appearance than elder people do. That is the reason why some illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia are more widespread among young people. With regard to the internet, it is a double-edged sword. Information nowadays is more reachable than ever before in history. You can read whatever book you want and take it everywhere in your e-book reader. Furthermore, I strongly disagree with the writer's opinion about fashion and materialism. Fashion tendencies change every year and it is not constrained to young people, meanwhile materialism permeates all age brackets and it has a social background rather than being a youth-only issue. To sum up, columnists ought to be aware about the risks of generalizations on this matter. Not only is a trivialization to do such broad judgments about young people but also denotes blissful ignorance and lack of tact from the writer. Yours faithfully, Felipe.

Factors to consider when going to university Introduction The purpose of this report is to provide some useful recommendations for future university students. The transition between high school and tertiary education is often tough, specially for students who have to move in order to keep up with their studies. Planning will save you some headaches Not making a proper plan before starting university is one of the main reasons why students fail at their first year. Being organised and planning in detail could save you not only time, but some distressful moments too. You should include a space in your agenda devoted to your plans for next year. Search for a comfortable place to live The first year without your parents is always harsh. Searching for an adequate place would make your transition far more bearable. My per-sonal experience tells me you should seek advice from your parents. If you move to a big city, search for a place that makes you feel at home, you will miss your family less. Making the right decision Many students enroll in a tertiary career to discover it does not fulfill their expectations and quit, loosing valuable time, money and frustrating themselves. My advice is for you to search in a student's guide for the topics of your career. What is expected from a graduate in that field. For example, if you like helping people but you cannot stand blood, obviously you would not enroll in a medical career. On the other hand, teaching might seem as a more appropriate option. University The university is the alma mater of a graduate. There are scores of universities worldwide, each one with its own reputation. You should decide wisely which university is more suitable for your career. Some universities are focused on science and technology while others on humanities and law. Conclusion In conclusion, selecting your career is not an easy task. More than a half of your entire life will be devoted to your job. As Confucius once said: "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life".

Perceptions of Crime Nowadays, the fear of rising crime and violence in our society is high among many people's concerns. Am I going to be the next victim? This is a very common question floating in people's minds after reading the crime headlines in the newspaper. Why does its seems that government's policies tend to fail when dealing with crime? Why authorities can't tackle this issue efficiently? Both extracts show people's perceptions about official data on criminal activity handled by the government and how do people perceive crime in their daily life. The first extract argues about how little impact does official bulletins on crime have in public opinion. Instead of creating an atmosphere of security among the citizenry, it provokes the opposite effect, most people view governmental statistics as untrustworthy. I personally feel that authorities should not ignore the many threats that our peaceful and tolerant society faces when many of its citizens fall under the yoke of savage criminality and gang warfare. People are tired of hearing about official reports and demand more action from the government, specially on education which is one of several causes why petty crime is on the rise. Less educated persons are more likely to have less oportunities in life and more prone to fall into youth gangs, there is no doubt about that. The second text proposes that people are more concerned about the direct effect that criminality has in their lives. I strongly agree with this statement, the government must divert more of its budget to capacitate law enforcement forces in order to combat criminal activity. Lastly, another aspect of crime that should not be disregarded is the alarming increase of homicides, domestic violence and illegal drug trade. If this issues are not handled properly the situation is likely to worsen for honest and hard-working people in the street.