A Message for the Freshers

Hello our dear freshers! This is my last but not least blog post in which I would like to give my feedback on this six fulfilling months of  the course of Vocabulary of Modern English and give you some tips how to make the grade. Anyway, actions speak louder than words. So, let me encroach upon a few minutes of your attention.

To tell you the truth, your expectations will not be undermined. During this productive period of time you will learn how to write blog posts, use online tools and web-sites, etc. Needless to say, that you will improve with practice and enrich your active vocabulary. For example: I didn’t stifle creativity while accomplishing a great diversity of tasks because our instructor fostered initiative. Now I have an excellent grasp of editing a first-page headline of the quality newspaper, creating a speaking avatar, a mindmap, a fake facebook profile of a celeb, etc. I also had an opportunity to imagine myself an immigrant who sought refuge in the USA around a century ago, create a timeline of a historic figure who was a distinguished scholar and made a breakthrough in one of the science fields. Mind you, we also made videos for different vocabulary items, created comics about the love at first sight,  brochures about the importance of eating home-cooked food and avoiding sedentary lifestyle, and even designed posters in which we tried to find solutions how to protect our environment and switch to renewable energy resources.

It is my firm conviction that this course is not as easy as ABC and you should be ready that it’ll be crash and demanding. However, don’t make a snap decision because it seems to be a bit difficult only on the surface. I take the view that you’ll definitely grasp the importance of this course, show your considerable initiative and mental agility. You will cover a lot of ground in these vocabulary classes but in order to get through this course and get full marks you don’t need to burn the midnight oil, cram boring set texts, or always have your nose in a book. Just don’t skip the classes, jot down new words and expressions, learn them by heart, keep your notebook, don’t let your concentration wander, accomplish all the tasks on time, and then you’ll be a straight A student and will pass all your modules with flying colours.  

All in all, don’t put your feet up and you will notice a marked improvement in your language skills. It is said, “Practice makes perfect” and there is always room for improvement. By and large, I wish you always have thirst for knowledge, be a quick learner, and simply enjoy your study!

Green Ukraine 2030

It is common known that Ukraine is one of the most marvelous countries in the world. There are picturesque meadows and valleys with blossoming flowers, copses of oak and pine trees, thriving forests, beautiful lakes and rivers, the Carpathian and Crimean ridges with their summits, etc. It is also famous for its fertile soil which is called black humus earth. However, could you imagine that one day all of these can disappear?

In the process of constructing new high-rise buildings and factories we have already started to move towards environmental catastrophe. Such issues as climate change, changing weather patterns, global warming, and greenhouse effect are our main concerns now. We have already faced the problem of searing heat, droughts, suffering widespread flooding, and even earthquakes which were not typical for Ukraine 20 years ago. Moreover, a lot of animal species are on the verge of extinction. That’s why it is absolutely vital to change our ways in order to prevent us and our country from the dire consequences.

First of all, factories should stop dumping toxic waste, chemicals, and other substances into the ponds, rivers, and lakes because it causes water pollution and extinction of fishes and shellfish. It’s my firm conviction that government should introduce green taxes for those factories which don’t recycle waste. People should also collect garbage separately and dispose of it. They should minimize using of plastic and glass products because they are neither biodegradable nor eco-friendly. It’s better to use paper products which are disposable.

We should reduce our carbon footprint. For example: people can switch to hybrid cars, or better still to bicycles. It may help to minimize harmful vehicle emissions and will have positive effect on public health. People should also stop deforestation because when they cut down trees they also wipe out natural habitat of animals in the wild. Furthermore, just bear in mind that forests are also the lungs of Earth.

What is more, we should think about energy conservation. It is common known that our consumption of natural recourses sometimes is irrational. That’s why we should use it sparingly and switch to renewable energy resources. For instance: although it might sound like a daunting task, we could use solar and wind energy by using solar heating and offshore wind farms. If it seems to be a long-term solution for you, I can offer you to start using energy-saving eco light bulbs or rechargeable batteries. It will also help to conserve energy.

Besides, we can involve in this project our Ukrainian schools and universities. For example: we can adopt practices of Canadian Earth Rangers and create an analogue of this organization in Ukraine but both for pupils and students. I take the view that they may also help to find solutions how to protect environment and will make useful contributions to our enterprise.

By and large, take up the initiative and don’t put your feet up. Try to become eco-friendly even today and keep in mind that changes begin with you! 

Students' Healthy Lifestyle Guide

Students’ life is really highly-charged because these young people should manage to do a lot of tasks simultaneously. However, among attending the lectures, preparing their homework, getting full marks, passing exams, and maintaining a social life, it can be difficult for students to find time to maintain a healthy lifestyle. As a result, they are at risk of fatigue, losing their appetite, eating disorder, obesity, and even can be diagnosed with heart diseases. I read diverse feature articles, observed the behaviour of my peers, watched chat shows, and arrived at a decision that there are Top 4 causes which may affect drastically and lead to health problems.

Number one is unhealthy diet. It’s common knowledge that students always run out of time. That’s why they often prefer junk imperishable food to organic food. However, it’s not a sensible decision. The fact is that the ready meals or processed food are overfill of a great diversity of food additives and actually are GM food. That’s why it’s better to avoid eating greasy chips, hamburgers, and stodgy food even if you are starving. Students should also try not to drink soft drinks because they are high in sugar and fructose corn syrup. If a person consumes these products regularly, he/ she may face the prospect of food poisoning, obesity, and even heart attack. Moreover, students should also bear in mind to have a hearty breakfast but not a quick snack. The entire meal should be done to a turn and it would be perfect if it’ll be home-cooked food. Just be smart and eat smart!

The second problem is connected with pernicious habits. Students should avoid excessive smoking and alcohol intake. Girls also shouldn’t go on liquid diets, take diet pills, and other diet supplements because it may cause eating disorder. Keep in mind that ONLY doctors could prescribe you some tablets.

The third one is sedentary lifestyle. Unfortunately, a lot of students don’t have even a rough idea of fitness and work-out. After a busy day at university they don’t have a burning desire to do some exercises. However, they should have second thoughts. Students may take up simple exercises such as calf-rise, crunch, flutter, sit-up, jogging, etc. Doing exercises and following a fitness program is an excellent way not only to keep fit and burn the calories up but also to improve their endurance, fill themselves with positive emotions, and unwind after a hectic day.

The last but not least is lack of adequate sleep. A vast majority of students burn the midnight oil in order to pass exams with flying colours. However, they shouldn’t make a tough choice and go without sleep. Sleeping at least eight hours a night will help promote regular glucose metabolism and limit weight gain.

By and large, students should take to these pieces of advice in order to be given a chance to increase their longevity.

Connections

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

I know Rosy from early childhood when she was a dumpy girl and had chubby cheeks with freckles, a slightly upturned nose, and sleek ginger hair. I always admired her because she was as good as gold, a real know-all and the top of class. Moreover, she was trustworthy and never turned down my requests for help. Unfortunately, I don’t keep in mind a day when I struck up a friendship with her but 11 years of studying together at school only cemented it. Nowadays, we both are the second-year students and, as you may guess, we are close friends. Nothing has changed in Rosy over the years except for her appearance but she became even better. She is tall now, has curly auburn hair and a slender waist.

One day I invited Rosy round for a dinner. I knew that Jim, our mutual acquaintance, had asked her out. That’s why I couldn’t wait to know the details of their date. However, when she came to me and couldn’t keep her temper I understood that something went wrong.

However, it was a life lesson not only for Rosy. This story also made useful contributions to my life. All in all, you should be very sensible in order not to suffer the consequences later because love at first sight can sometimes fall short of expectation.