Helping a local environmental project. I would appreciate any feedback on the following letter. Please ignore any possible mistakes in the prompt. *** Your local newspaper published an advertisement asking people to help with environmental projects in your area Write a letter to the project manager to offer your help - Describe a local environmental issue that affects you - Explain what would like to do to help - And suggest how problem could be avoided in the future *** Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing with regard to your advertisement on Tehran Times on November 21st requesting volunteers for local environmental projects. The issue about which I am most concerned is the increasing amount of litter in public parks. Litter is both an eyesore for people like myself who visit the park and a potential threat to birds and other wildlife in the area. I would like to suggest launching a publicity campaign by which we could raise public awareness about the negative impact of dropping litter in the public parks. I would be happy to help running this campaign either by designing a website for it or by handing out flyers in the town centre. In my opinion, in order to find a long-term solution for the litter problem, our city council needs to make more effort to educate young people on the importance of protecting the natural environment. Also, placing some extra bins around the parks would also be a good idea. I look forward to receiving your response. Yours faithfully, Mr Adib Yz

A burial ceremony. I would appreciate any feedback on the following description of the photo. How can I describe it better and with more details? This black-and-white photo taken in Bangladesh depicts a heart-breaking burial ceremony. On the left of the picture, a thin covered-face woman is holding the body of her infant baby. Looking at the only feature of woman’s face that is visible, her eyes, I feel she is in shock and it seems that she is gazing at something in the distance. On the right, a man wearing traditional clothing is moving toward the woman to take the baby’s body from her. There are around 11 bodies covered in shroud ready to be buried lying on the floor behind the woman. The caption of this photo explains these people lost their lives after their boat was capsized while they were trying to flee Myanmar in the middle of the night. A group of people who seems like friends and relatives of the deceased are standing around the bodies preparing themselves for some sort of prayer or ceremony. I wish I could live in a world in which people were not forced to abandon their homes for their beliefs and in which innocent babies were not killed for being born at the wrong time and place on this planet.

Single-sex or coeducational schools? I would appreciate your valuable feedback on the following essay. *** Some people think that it is better to educate boys and girls in separate schools. Others, however, believe that boys and girls benefit more from attending mixed schools. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. *** People have different attitudes as to whether boys and girls should be educated in single-sex or co-educational schools. While some advocate for the separate schooling of students according to their gender, I believe students would benefit more from attending mixed schools. There are several reasons why some parents contend that single-sex schools are more beneficial for their children's education. Firstly, some cultures and religions recommend separating children according to their sex after a certain age. One such religion is Islam which promotes the separation of boys and girls in both society and schools. Secondly, some people argue that boys and girls learn in different ways and have different needs; therefore, by separating them, educators could focus on the particular needs of each gender. Finally, it is sometimes asserted that students at single-sex schools often get better exam grades. This is sometimes linked to the idea that separating boys and girls avoid discipline problems that are considered more common in coeducational institutions. Despite the above-mentioned arguments, I would still argue that separating boys and girls in schools is not only unnecessary but also unhealthy in terms of children’s social development. As children become adults, they come across situations in life in which they need to socialise and communicate with the opposite gender. Students who attend single-sex schools tend to lack social skills necessary to properly interact and collaborate with opposite-sex individuals. Therefore, it can be argued that a mixed-sex environment is more representative of real life and that such environments provide students with better social skills for the adult lives. In conclusion, while I understand why some people support single-sex education, it is my view that students would gain more from attending co-educational schools.

The man with prosthetic hand. Today, I decided to add some variety to my writing exercises and I thought I could choose a photo from the news and write a description of it as a writing exercise. Giving a detailed description of images could be a challenging task since I have to learn new adjectives and phrases that are necessary for describing the scenes that photos depict. This first photo is a black-and-white photograph taken by Federico Borella. It depicts a naked young man standing in front of a mirror in a bathroom while shaving his face. The man has lost his limbs (both hands and forearms) and now he is using a prosthetic hand on his left arm to help him shave his beard. The prosthesis looks state of the art and it seems that it is made of metal and probably plastic. One end of the prosthetic hand is attached to the man’s elbow and the other end holds a razor. Considering the man’s hairstyle and the tattoos on his chest and arms, it seems to me that he is probably a war veteran. The man has an oval shaped face with a crew cut hairstyle. He is quite thin with several tattoos of stars and paisley shapes on his shoulders and back. When looking at this picture, I see a man who has lost his limbs but not his pride. Although he might be able to ask someone to help him shave his face, he still prefers to do it on his own. I have a great respect for his independence. Only after I read the description of this photo, did I realize that he is actually a quadruple amputee and he uses prostheses for all of his limbs.

Why do people learn foreign languages? I would appreciate any corrections and suggestions for improvement. *** Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is to travel or work in a foreign country. Others say that these are not the only reasons why someone should learn a foreign language. Discuss both these views and give your opinion. *** When it comes to reasons behind learning a second language, diverse opinions exist. While some argue that people learn other languages only to be able to work or travel to other countries, I believe there are far more reasons behind learning a foreign language. It is obvious that being literate in a second language such as English, opens doors to employment opportunities in English speaking countries. A case in point is the countless number of high demand jobs in countries like Australia and Canada where immigrants can only apply for these positions if they can prove their English language proficiency. Apart from this, travelling to other countries could be very challenging if a traveller does not know a second widely spoken language. Having travelled to various parts of the world, I have seen the various problems that travellers could face if they fail to communicate in a second language. Despite the above-mentioned reasons behind learning a second language, I believe that there are other reasons why some take part in language courses. Nowadays, the English language has become a global second language. This has meant that most important textbooks and academic journals are now published in English meaning that researchers and students need to know this language if they wish to succeed in their area of study. Furthermore, the internet has enabled people to have access to forums and social network sites that have members from all around the world. Therefore, in order to be able to share opinions, ask questions and take part in a discussion, members should be able to communicate in a language that everyone understands it which is another reason why knowing is a second language is useful. In conclusion, although a foreign language is beneficial for finding jobs and visiting other countries, in my opinion, knowing a second language offer other benefits that are just as advantageous.

Writing to a newspaper... I would appreciate your valuable feedback. *** You have read an article in a newspaper about someone you know. Write a letter to the editor as follows: – describe the article, – explain what details were wrong in the article and what the correct ones are, – suggest what he/she should do about the article. *** Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing regarding the article that you published yesterday about environmental activist, Dr Sara Kent. I was surprised to read the portrayal that you published on the Editorial page of your newspaper because I believe the article was full of inaccurate information about Dr Kent. In the article, you accused Dr Kent of having little regard for the environment in her personal life. Having known her for more than 25 years, I can assure you that she is very concerned about the natural environment even in her own house. She has been one of the very few people in our community to operate off of green energy by installing solar panels on the roof of her house. Also, she has been running several publicity campaigns to encourage people in our neighbourhood to recycle their household waste. I would, therefore, like to request that you reprint the article with all inaccuracies corrected and that you publish a public apology for defaming her in your article. Should you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours faithfully, Mr Adib Yz

I need to ask for some time off next month. I would appreciate any feedback. *** You are working for a company. You need to take some time off work and want to ask your manager about this. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter - Explain why you want to take time off work - Give details of the amount of time you need - Suggest how your work could be covered while you are away. *** Dear Mr. Smith, I am writing to ask for some time off work next month. The reason for this request is that my best friend is getting married next month. His future wife is from Cyprus and their wedding ceremony will take place in Nicosia. My friend has asked me to be his best man on his wedding night and I do not want to miss such a special occasion. To attend the ceremony and make the round trip from Tehran to Nicosia, I would need at least four days off work. However, I would like to take this opportunity and do some sight-seeing in Cyprus. Therefore, I was hoping that you will give me a two-weeks leave from the 1st to the 14th of January. I have told my co-workers about my possible leave and it seems that Sara Kent is best placed to cover my project commitments while I am away. I will place a detailed instruction on her desk before I go on leave. I hope that this request will not cause you any inconvenience. Yours sincerely, Adib Yz

A friend of mine is going to stay at my place. Any feedback would be appreciated. Please ignore the possible mistakes in the prompt. *** You are about to go on vacation for a month, A friend from another town will come and stay in your apartment Write a letter to this friend. In your letter ● explain where your friend can get the key to the apartment ● give your friend some instructions about using your apartment ● recommend some places to go *** Dear Tom, I hope you’re well and looking forward to your stay at my place. I’m just writing to let you know a few things that you’ll need to know. Once you reach my flat, the first thing you’ll need to do is to pick up the keys from one my neighbours. Just pop round to flat number 2A any time after 5 pm, and ask for Fariba. She’ll be expecting you, and she’ll tell you which key is which. If it’s hot in the flat, you might want to use the air conditioner. Please first open the water valve in the balcony and then turn on the conditioner. You can also open the windows at nights using one of the keys, but please shut them if you go out. The only other thing to tell you is that there will be a traditional food festival in the town centre during the second week of your visit. It would definitely be worth checking out. Also, don’t forget to visit the bird park that I told you before. The park is called Birdworld and it is located near a picturesque village just 10 kilometres out of Tehran. Take care and enjoy your stay. Adib