| Last month | Last 3 months | All time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completed lessons | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Attendance rate | 100% | 100% | 100% |
- To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities. -Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. => Human societies can be studied from diverse points of view; they are a matter of research for archaeologists, sociologists and politicians, among others. In very general terms, a society may be regarded as a voluntarily organized association of people with a common economic system, social structure, territory or purpose. Therefore, societies may range from the American Society of Physics (with a common purpose) to a whole nation (sharing territory and a socio-political system) or even the whole humanity. It is clear that within this spectrum of possibilities, the statement refers to those societies that occupy a considerable extension in territory. In this way, how deep can we know such a group of people by studying only its foremost cities? That possibility depends on one particular factor: how polarized is such a society. Consider as an example Colombia. As every third-world country, Colombia posses high indices of poorness, but also, a critical situation of violence since the 1960's, which some consider a civil war and others regard as terrorism. In opposition to the common beliefs of the first-world, nowadays the main cities of Colombia are considerably safe, while the regions suffering the consequences of this conflict lie in located small towns. In contrast, consider Brazil. Even though Brazil also presents severe problems of violence, this feature has different origins and distribution in its territory. The inequalities among different sectors of this society can be observed within a single city, with rich neighborhoods lying right next to the favelas. Both countries are shaped culturally, politically and economically by the hardships of violence and poverty, however, if you decide to analyze them by their main cities, you can notice those fundamental features easier on one than in the other. In that sense, a knowledge of any random society, totally unknown beforehand, can be developed in the statement's proposed way only with informal intentions. The seek of knowledge with academic purposes requires the consideration of the complexity of its structure and hence, the marginal groups of it.November 18, 201200
- "Two heads are better than one", TOEFL practice, writing section. Do you agree or disagree with the expression "Two heads are better than one"? Answer: Even though working with a partner could bring difficulties due to incompatibility of characters or deep differences in people's opinions, I have to say that I definitely agree with the expression "Two heads are better than one", because my experience has thought me that this is a very rare situation which committed workers can easily overcome. There are several reasons why two people can perform far better than a single person in any kind of job, as this is usually the case. The first reason is that two people have never the same strengths and weaknesses, as this was the case of my friend Jota and me; while solving a physics problem, we realized that I was very good at identifying the physical principles governing the system and he was better at performing complex calculations. From that moment on, we were able to distribute tasks effectively and we got the best grade in the class, including three top students who decided to work alone. This way, you don't only learn how to contribute to a group: you also discover your weak points and can work on them to be better at that job. That was what I did after discovering that my partner was better with certain calculations: the next semester I took an additional course in complex integration. That was a very good choice, I felt very good with myself after overcoming that weakness. Another reason for working with another person is that this way you can meet new people. In my five years of career, about half of the friends I've made, at the beginning, were just partners of mine in a laboratory, presentation or problem session. A final reason is that, as well as with skills, two partners always have different background. A different background will always mean a different way of thinking, different ideas and different ways of approaching a problem. You can do better with a partner, because as a group you bring more solutions than you would do by yourself. Working with a partner is always better than working alone because it is more effective, you can learn from your partner a new way to do things and you can also learn about your strong and weak points, and when you know your partner, you have a stronger organization and methodology. (some of the examples are not true, but that doesn't matter at the TOEFL test)November 13, 201210
- Home schooling, integrated taks. TOEFL practice, writing section. What does the professor thinks about the text? Answer: The author of the passage presents several points why home schooling may be a very good option today for parents in The United States, while the professor points out reasons for which the information presented in that reading may be incomplete. The passage states that studies have demonstrated that children schooled at home perform better on standardized tests than regular students. However, the professor considers that there are many other factors that can explain better those results than can only do the fact that they are home-schooled children: First, parents teaching their kids at home are very motivated and according to the professor, students with motivated parents perform better regardless of their educational system (regular schooling or home schooling). Second, those kinds of tests generally evaluate the children's performance in math and language, therefore; it is an incomplete evaluation because children of regular schools may be better at other disciplines, like science and third, the home-schooling kids watch less TV than other kids do. The author of the reading says that home-school students take part of several activities outside class. On the other hand, the professor considers that it doesn't mean that their interaction with people is normal, because it has been seen that home-schooled children relate better with adults than with kids of their same age. The professor also points out that children in schools can meet a lot of people, including their own teachers, from a broader range of ethnical and economical backgrounds in a daily basis. In conclusion, the professor considers that home schooling can be a good option for certain cases, but that the information provided doesn't show the reality.October 18, 201231
- Why should you learn Spanish?, TOEFL PRACTICE, writing section #3 I think that learning Spanish is a great idea for any kind of person. In general, learning a new language is a fun experience with lots of rewards and in particular, I consider Spanish is one of the best choices. First of all, by learning a language you develop the same side of the brain which is related to creativity. Consider that the brain is a muscle that needs exercise. Most of us are used to perform repetitive work, so learning a language can help you indirectly to perform better, in a creative way, at work. A second reason is that learning a language is fun. I'm not lying when I say that learning languages is my favorite hobby; it is easy and very enjoyable. It was a cold afternoon just after a hard day of work, I was sitting in front of my computer with a lot of homework to complete, when I realized that all the procrastination I was doing was actually helping me to improve my foreign languages. It is true, everything you do to relax during breaks, like reading jokes, chatting, watching videos, listening to music, etc. actually helps you to hear, write, read and speak better. Therefore, all you have to do is to procrastinate in another language, as I do. Even if you are the kind of person who loves working so much that never procrastinates, I have some great news for you: you can do similar tasks to those you do at work by learning a language; you can register for Spanish classes at an institute, which will also speed up your learning process. There you will have daily homework, partners, competition, etc. Spanish will develop your memory, because the conjugation of verbs doesn't follow specific rules, but on the other hand it will be very easy for you to speak, because there is a specific relation between the way you write words and the way you pronounce them. Another good reason for learning a language is all the rewards it brings. By the late stages of your process, you will be able to communicate your ideas to native speakers, write texts and read amazing books in Spanish. The possibility of sharing ideas with other cultures is an opportunity to enrich your knowledge about the world. Furthermore, considering that Spanish is one of the most popular languages today, such amount of people means lots of opportunities; new friends, a new market for your company, exchanging programs, etc. There are lots of good reasons for learning Spanish, but in conclusion, it will improve several of your skills, it will open many doors for you and theOctober 17, 201211
- Eco-tourism, TOEFL PRACTICE, integrated writting task #3 Generally speaking, the professor says that the positive points about green tourism stated in the reading are true, but they don't tell the whole story. She says that every development has good characteristics as well as drawbacks. For her, it is true that green tourism, also called eco-tourism, has a small impact in the environment when compared to other developments, but the impact it has is not negligible at all; it requires the construction of several buildings and roads to access them. This process generates pollution and can hardly hurt delicate environments. The author of the reading assumes that governments will choose to help this kind of tourism and invest in conservation, on the contrary; the professor affirms that it is not necessarily true. She argues that there are several real problems involved, like illegal hunting and corruption. She says that even though it is true that new jobs are created in hotels and tourism companies, and also, that this helps a little bit the locals, the truth is that they usually get a very low pay. She points out that this new job opportunities attract people from the outside and this generates a lot of changes in the local community, they start using telephones, Internet and losing their cultural authenticity. In conclusion, the professor thinks that the author's statements about eco-tourism are partially true, but that it is far from being a perfect development.October 17, 201210
- Fiction or non-fiction books? TOEFL PRACTICE, writing section. Even though non-fiction books bring learning experiences with real, useful facts about our world and humanity, I have to say that I definitely enjoy more the fiction books. I have nothing against non-fiction books, furthermore, I enjoy them very much, but there are several reasons why I always look for fantasy in my readings: the most important reason is that I appreciate human creativity more than any other human skill. That's why, for me, a fictional book is a piece of art reflecting how unlimited is the imagination of the author. One of the best examples of this is my favorite writer; J. R. R. Tolkien, who created a whole world inhabited with lots of human-like species fighting in amazing epic wars. He didn't only create the stories; he also inspired with them the creation of movies and board games. A second reason for me to prefer fictional books is that I look for variety in my routine when reading. Sometimes you just want to relax and forget about the issues of your daily work, which for me is easier to accomplish with fantasy than with biographies or historical books. A final reason to mention is that most of my favorite fictional books belong to a series of books. So, when you finish reading your wonderful story you don't get the feeling of emptiness because the fun has ended; on the contrary, you can go for the next book in the series, maybe with the surprise that this could become your new favorite one. All in all, reading is an amazing and healthy way of entertainment no matter what kind of books you like. But for me, books are like ships that help you to travel with imagination and I want to travel a lot farther than what we already can do in reality.October 16, 201270
Por favor CORRIJA si es necesario, gracias de antemano por darme su valioso tiempo ;)
Siempre después de la escuela primero hagacen los deberes, ellos son muy empollones/ñoños (yo no conocía la palabra "empollón", usaría "ñoño" mejor) (en mi clase de lenguas (no estoy segura a qué clase te refieres, asumí que era una clase sobre lenguas en general, si te referías a una lengua en particular, mejor dila específicamente "clase de Español") hay una persona que es similar a ellos, no la puedo soportar! :D). Después de hacerlos ésto, ellos van a la deriva en bicicletas por el parque. por supuesto no pueden salir de casa durante un tiempo largo, es que ahora es el otoño y en otoño los dias son cortos y tienen que regresar a sus casas antes de la llegada de la noche.
Más tarde llega el dia de cumpleaños de Alejo, entonces sale de la escuela mas pronto y regresa rapido a su casa, porque el quiere prepararse cuanto antes. Por la tarde, los invitados van ahi "van allá" o "vienen aquí", pero es mejor especificar el lugar porque no me queda claro si te refieres a "ahí=a la casa de Alejo"?. Cada uno de ellos le trae un regalo. En efecto Fernando y su hermana Maria vienen mas tarde que los otros. Maria le dar el eregalo y un beso en cada mejilla.
Muy bien!! solo un par de frases que no te las entendí, si eres más familiar con el inglés, puedes decirme también en inglés a qué te refieres para hacer una mejor corrección de esas frases.0 votedOctober 14, 20122
