How to Find a Date: by Maria

Today there are so many single women in New York who are beautiful, interesting and funny. But, unfortunately , all of them spend lonely evenings at home. So, I would like so share some information and establish steps that will help to find a good date.

The first step is searching  for the right place to meet a guy. And, according to Cosmo magazine, there are several specific places to find a perfect match. It can be a gym or, what is much better, a boxing class. Seeing a person exercising will help to get to know his personality and , of course, to see his body. Also, you can go to the pharmacy or supermarket on Sunday afternoon - these places are filled with single guys. Finally, you can visit  a nice lounge, preferably near the financial district, so you end up with rich guy. 

After deciding on a place , the next step is to prepare yourself for the meeting. Your clothes should be trendy, stylish, and appropriate for the occasion: do not wear a gown to the pharmacy or gym clothes to the lounge. But your hair and make-up must be  perfect; and don’t forget about friendly-charming smile. 

The last thing to remember is to start a small talk first. Choose a guy you like and improvise: it can be anything, even advice on the best dog food.

In conclusion, if you follow this step , you won’t spend this evening alone. And don’t forget to tell me about your experience. Good luck, ladies:)

My favorite holiday in Kazakhstan

by Yevgeniya Khatskevich

There are many holidays in my country; among them are Easter, Trinity, New Year's Day, Christmas, Nauryz, the Feast of Unity of the Peoples of Kazakhstan, Victory Day, Day of the Capital, Constitution Day, Independence Day of Kazakhstan, International Women's Day, and Days of the Defenders of the Fatherland (on February 23 and May 7). These are formal holidays. Informal ones consist of Halloween, Valentine's Day, the Old New Year and others.

Each holiday has special meaning and reasons for celebrating. Actually, I like all holidays in my country because most of them are days off, which means that you don't have to go to work, and you can do whatever you want for fun. You can celebrate in traditional or non traditional ways. Holidays are rare times of the year when you can just enjoy life. They are times to stop and take a deep breath before work begins to drive you crazy again.

The holiday which I like more than the others is International Women's Day or the 8th of March. Of course, my first reason for loving this day is that I’m a woman. It's very pleasant to receive presents, flowers, and hear wonderful words addressed to you. In addition, you get a lot of attention from men. But hello, they do it because they have to do it, so it's no big deal.

Actually, the main reason why I like this day is my mom because it's another chance to tell her about my love and respect for her and to say thanks for having me and for raising me to become who I am today. When I was a child I made presents for my mother by myself. We did it in preschool and in kindergarten. We drew cards and made albums; we learned short poetry and read it for our mothers. All the words that we wrote in the cards or read were about love and words of thanks. It was a very beautiful time. I haven't made presents since I was a child. Instead, I buy them. But the point of my presents is still like it was in childhood: to say “I love you, mom, and thank you."

We all grow up, and our lives become very busy with all our very important to-do lists; we forget to say very important words to very important people in our lives. I think this is the point of many holidays: just to stop, take a deep breath and remember the people in our lives. The 8th of March is one of these special days.

Telling a story with new vocabulary!

When I talked on the phone with my friend, my sister often interrupted me, so I blamed her because I couldn't concentrate on what my friend and I were talking about. My sister and I talked about resolving the issue by not going to each other's room when one of us was talking on the phone with someone. This would benefit us because then we won't have to argue. I want to avoid being interrupted when I talk on the phone.

submitted by Hye Han Lee
class: Contemporary Topics 1

More vocabulary practice!

1. I don't want to give my doggy snacks more than three per day, but I always give in to my dog when he looks up at me with eager eyes.
2. If I don't get enough sleep, I can't concentrate in class.
3. He blames God for destroying his house during the tsunami.
4. The Libyan militia resolved the Libyan civil war by killing Gadhafi.

submitted by Sky Hanseul Lee
class: Contemporary Topics 1

Practicing English with more vocabulary

1. I'm trying to avoid smoking.
2. My boss has a positive approach for my career. I think I’ll move up in the company.
3. If I like the circumstances, I will accept that job.
4. My brother and I are having a conflict because he doesn’t agree with my ideas.
5. This year two major companies made an agreement. They are first-class manufacturers of carpet fabric.
6. I should concentrate more because I made a lot of mistakes in the last exam.
7. If you often interrupt your brother, he will get angry.
8. I don’t want to live with you. I have resolved to move to a different home.
9. I like your studying technique; I think I will apply it, myself.
10. I don’t want to confer with you; you broke my heart.

submitted by Deniz Atasever
class: Contemporary Topics 1

Using vocabulary to practice English

1. I couldn't concentrate during the lesson because I was sleepy.
2. I was giving my opinion when he interrupted the conversation.
3. We kept our minds calm when there were dangerous circumstances.
4. Even if everyone blamed me, my family was always on my side.
5. I wished to confer with you about my future.

submitted by Ji Hye Park
class: Contemporary Topics 1

Practicing more vocabulary!

1. Many people don't believe the theory.
2. He has been learning Chinese but I don't think he has acquired it yet.
3. I have a good motivation to learn English.
4. The evidence is critical in finding out what happened during the accident.
5. She didn't tell me the source of the fire.
6. It is obvious that she lied to me.
7. He is always the ideal person to go shopping with.
8. I'll make the dinner reservation for you.
9. Don't you think her sister is lively?
10. I don't remember that aspect of elementary school.
11. Her every word had an impact on me.
12. She lost weight because she suffered from sleep deprivation.
13. That computer function isn't needed by anyone here.
14. That's not a sensible answer.
15. Sometimes, she seems pessimistic but usually, she is optimistic.
16. Her style isn't normal, and it is rather conspicuous.
17. Inventions come from innovative thinking.
18. You should get a refund; the camera is not functioning properly.
19. The policeman is notorious for instigating violence.

submitted by Hyun Sil Lee

class: Contemporary Topics 1