Interactive iBooks demonstration

http://youtu.be/PPCOuZvUD6Y

Some (visual) food for thought relevant to the Books vs Ebooks discussion we have recently had.

 

WRITING AND SPEAKING CRITERIA

Writing criteria and corrected essays:

http://www.cambridgemichigan.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ECPE-Writing-Benchmarks.pdf

Writing criteria:

http://www.cambridgemichigan.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ECPE-Rating-Scale-Writing.pdf

Speaking criteria:

http://www.cambridgemichigan.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ECPE-Rating-Scale-Speaking.pdf

 

Vocabulary notes and games!

 

 

 

 

Notes on television and globalisation; taken from your amazing phrasebooks!

 

 

 

 

 

E-books VS Traditional books

The advent of e-books has already made its appearance. However, the question that arises is:
Will books on paper be supplanted by electronic texts?


Advantages of  e-books:

1. Travel. E-books allow us to carry a whole library with us whenever we hit the road.
2. Storage. Tradinional books can take up much space, whereas e-books are backed up in a small device (which looks like a tablet), which can be up anywhere; either in our houses, or in our backpacks.
3. Price. E-books are usually more affordable in the long term, on the grounds that there are no printing or translating fees associated with them. Apart from that, some e-books are free to download.
4. Night reading. Some devices offer us the opportunity to read at night, since they emit an unharmful light. On the contrary, it is imposible to read a traditional book without the assistance of a lamp, especially when we have a craving for reading on our beds.
5. Interactive e-books. We are now provided with the chance to play games, open new tabs, or explore the Internet while we are reading books on devices which are called readers. This advance is very significant, because not only are we able to assimilate the material we read by playing pertinent games, pr by doing exercises and by solving quizes, but we can also obtain new and useful knowledge.
6. They are actually more environmentally friendly than books on paper.

Advantages of traditional books:

1. No devices needed. So, no money has to be squandered on expensive  readers, on which books can be downloaded and backed up in an electronic form. 
2. No batteries. Although most of the readers have an adequate battery life, there will definitely be some times when they will not have been charged and we won't be able to read at all. 
3. Tradiion. The exquisite scent of traditinal books is a a chacteristic that cannot be superseded by e-books. Furthermore, book lovers are able to flich through the pages of a book and enjoy its amazing smell, while preserving the tradition of the written word. 

My opinion:
On balance, it is an undisputed fact that e-books constitute far and  away an asset, but as far as I am concerned, not only do they contribute to the demise of written word, but they will also never be able to replace the value of raditional books. 

Television

We are quickly moving towards a society where both work and leisure consist of staring at a screen!

Advantages of  TV: 

• Television can be educational. A striking example are documentaries, from which we obtain useful information and we broaden our horizons.
• Television constitutes a window on the world, on the grounds that if we watch the international news, we are provided with the opportunity to be informed and to keep pace with the rest of the world.
• It is an accessible, affordable (by almost everyone) and convenient means of entertainment, since there is a wide variety of programs and shows, which arouse viewers' interest.
• Television can also help people who feel lonely and alienated, that is, it can supplant the absence of friends.

Disadvantages of  TV:

• Crime and violence are frequently depicted on TV, which may lead to the psychological deviance of children, since they are more likely to display aggressive or violent behavior when they see violent acts. That happens due to the fact that sensational journalism, that is when the media opt to report heavily on attention-grabbing events, rather than on more pressing issues, dominates the world of television.
• Watching too much TV poses a threat to our health. More specifically, many health problems may arise ranging from eye problems to obesity and the couch potato syndrome.
• The lure of televised image persuades people that words count for less. Of course, TV is not just pictures, but the commentary which accompanies them is so concise that it barely scatches the surface of the issues or helps anyone to understand them. 
• TV preaches a different gospel: seeing is believing. A case in point is that television portrays idealized lives, body shapes, role models and stereotypes, so people's perception of the world is corrupted. That is, globalization becomes more intense.
• It is a fact that advertisers target women and children, who are more susceptible to buying on a whim. Therefore, consumerism is aggravated.
• Watching TV may also contribute to diverting students from studying.
• Individualism supersedes rationalism. 

My opinion:

Taking all this into consideration, there is no doubt in my mind that the advantages of television are outweighed by the disadvantages. Hence, only if we utilize TV in moderation, will we be able to reap its benefits, without undermining the power of written word. 

Useful info on ECPE speaking and writing

http://www.hau.gr/resources/orfeas/ecpe/ecpe_teachers_guide-winter-2009.pdf 

"Overpopulation"

 Comparing the statistics of the Earth's population numbers in 1800 with those in 2008, we can easily notice the immense rise of people inhabiting the Earth. This fact has resulted in overpopoulation: the state in which the average number of humans living on our planet is no longer sustainable. With regard to the repercussions of overpopulation, they can only be adverse for humanity. However, how could something be done, so as to control the increase of population, but simultaneously not violating human rights?
 To begin with, many of us would wonder why such a large population should be considered to constitute a problem since it has provided humanity eith a suitably large workforce. Nevertheless, the ratio of people residing on Earth to those that can be sustained by our planet, is disproportionate. Were this problem to worsen, there would be a huge crisis of food deficiency. Concerning the need to satisfy the vital necessityof nourishment, food supplies will not be enough to meet the needs of such a huge number of people. As a result, there may be a war on food and many people might die of starvation, Moreover, another unfavourable aspect of overpopulation is that life standards are going to be downgraded, due to the thickly populated areas, in which people will be crowded, dropping litter and dispose sewage. Rarely will we pass through clean streets and roads. To make matters worse, what is distressing is that people not having a shelter, will live even in landfills, owing to the fact that there might not be any space to build a house. Maybe overpopulation does constitute a huge problem for humanity, but would the effort of limiting this be sensible?
 To alleviate the situation, the goverment should create a benefit especially for families with only one child, or make electricity less expensive for them. In this way, financial incentives are going to be given and many people will be motivated to bring up one child. Furthermore, it is vitally signifcant that a campaign is launched to raise awareness of the crisis. For instance, people can be informed about contraceptionand how disastrous overpopulation can be for their lives. Under no circumstances should we let people be unaware of this serious situation. Taking these steps means that we make an effort to overcome the problem, without infringing upon human rights.
 All in all, I am inclined to believe that with the proper steps, solutions can be fond. It would be wiser to inform the public and to take action for solving this global issue, so long as human rights are not violated.

Interesting links

Education diagram:

http://markaki-literature.blogspot.gr/2015/02/education-vocabulary.html

CPE sample activities and written texts:

http://markaki-literature.blogspot.gr/search/label/CPE

CPE exam format and sample papers:

http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/proficiency/exam-format/

Descriptive/Narrative Essay About Fear

Everyone is endowed with experiences that induce fear and the daunting time I had while I was enjoying the ebb and flow of the tranquil sea in conjunction with the entrancing full moon, last August, proves I am no exception. Since sitting under sky illuminated by the light of both twinkling star and the moon, and listening to my favorite kind of music are to my liking, I ventured out to the closest beach to my village, in order to relax.

However, that all changed when I realised that I was not alone with my very thoughts, since an uncomfortable premonition of someone staring at me pervaded my senses. Therefore, I turned around and I saw a tall, well-built, almost thirty-five-year-old  man standing a few meters behinds me. At first, I did not react, but as soon as I heard him getting closer, I could hear my heart thump; so, I moved briskly. After a few minutes, he commenced mumbling and I trembled with apprehension when I thought about what might happen next. So, I stood up and I ran as fast s my legs could carry me, especially when I understood that he was following me.

All of a sudden, not only did my phone ring, but I also stumbled over the rugged terrain and I hit the ground. I immediately rose up, answered the phone and put my father into the picture. Petrified as he was, he assured that he was soon going to put an end to everything. Just then, the intimidating man reached me, managed to stop me and I found myself pleading with him not to hurt me. To my sheer amazement, though, he laughed and explained to me that the only thing he wanted to do was return a ring, which my absentminded mother had lost in this tavern earlier that evening. I thanked God and only after he clarified everything to my horrified parents, did we derive much pleasure from the breath-taking scenery. 

In a nutshell, although I have had no desire whatsoever to worship nature all alone since then, I perceived that F.E.A.R. only stands for either Forgetting Everything And Running, or Facing Everything And Rising. So, for the foreseeable future, I intend to pursue the latter.