Smoke Alarms

Look at the man in the picture. He is standing on a ladder. He has a smoke alarm in his hand. He is installing the smoke alarm now. The smoke alarm will make his house safer. It is very important for your house to have a smoke alarm installed. If you don’t have a smoke alarm installed in your house, go to the shops and buy one. Smoke alarms don’t cost a lot of money. For under $10, you can buy a smoke alarm. More expensive ones can cost more money. It doesn’t matter if you buy a cheap or an expensive smoke alarm. Both of them will do the job.

A smoke alarm is very easy to istall. You don’t need to hire a handyman to come to your house to install the smoke alarm for you. You can do the job yourself.

When you buy a smoke alarm, you will get instructions on how to istall it. The instructions are written on a piece of paper. You can use your dictionary to understand the instructions on the piece of paper. You can look up new words to make sure you understand the instructions.

If you have a big house, you may need to buy more than one smoke alarm. If you have a double-storey house, you will need two or three smoke alarms. You will need to install smoke alarms in different rooms in the house. This will make you feel safe. If there is a fire in the house, the fire alarm will make a loud noise. If you hear this noise, you need to act quickly. You need to check if there is smoke inside your house. Smoke can be very dangerous. Too much smoke in the house can kill people. It is very dangerous if a fire starts when people are sleeping. A fire alarm in the house will wake you up if there is a fire during the night.

If there is a small fire in the house, try to put it out. If you can NOT control the fire, leave the house at once. Do not walk slowly if there is a fire inside the house. You need to walk quickly or run. You need to make sure you alert everyone inside the house about the fire. You can shout or bang the wall so others will notice that they need to go out. When you go outside your house, make sure everyone is safe. You need to count the people to see if there is anyone missing.

If there is a fire inside the house that you can’t control, make sure you call 000 immediately. The fire brigade will come as soon as they can to put out the fire. The fire brigade always come in two big trucks. You will see more than ten firemen outside your house and they will start working quickly. They will use water from the trucks to put out the fire. If there is anyone who needs medical attention, the firemen will help in that too. They are trained to give first aid.

Sometimes big fires break out in houses or businesses. Big fire trucks come quickly. An ambulance may come too if there is anyone in danger. People who work for the ambulance service are called paramedics. They are trained to save lives. If there is anyone in danger, paramedics will try to save this person’s life. They may need to take that person away to hospital to get medical attention.

Listen to your classmate and fill in the gaps:

Look at the man in the picture. He is standing ……………. a ladder. He has a smoke alarm in his hand. He is installing the smoke alarm now. The smoke ………………. will make his house safer. It is very ……………. for your house to have a smoke alarm installed. If you don’t have a smoke alarm installed in ………………. house, go to the shops and buy one. Smoke alarms don’t cost a lot …………… money. For under $10, you can buy a smoke alarm. More expensive ones can cost more money. It doesn’t ……………. if you buy a cheap or an expensive smoke alarm. Both of ………………. will do the job.

A smoke alarm is very …………… to istall. You don’t need to hire a handyman to ………………. to your house to install the smoke alarm for you. You can do the ………………… yourself.

When you buy a smoke alarm, you will ……………….. instructions on how to istall it. The instructions are written on a piece of paper. You can use your dictionary to understand the instructions on the ……………. of paper. You can look up new words to make sure you understand ………………. instructions.

If you have a big house, you may need to buy …………….. than one smoke alarm. If you have a double-storey house, you will need two or three smoke alarms. You will need to install …………. alarms in different rooms in the house. This will make you feel safe. If there is a fire in …………. house, the fire alarm will make a loud noise. If you hear this noise, you need to act quickly. You need to check if there is smoke …………….. your house. Smoke can be very dangerous. Too much smoke in the house can kill people. It is very dangerous if a fire starts …………….. people are sleeping. A fire alarm in the house will wake you up if there is a ……………….. during the night.

If there is a small fire in the house, try to …………. it out. If you can NOT control the fire, leave the house at once. Do not walk slowly if there is a fire inside the house. You need to walk quickly or run. You ……………. to make sure you alert everyone inside the house about the fire. You can ……………. or bang the wall so others will notice that they need to go out. When you go outside your house, make sure everyone is safe. You need to count the …………….. to see if there is anyone missing.

If there is a fire inside the house that you can’t control, make sure ………….. call 000 immediately. The fire brigade will come as soon as they can to put out the fire. The fire …………….. always come in two big trucks. You will see more than ten firemen outside your house and they will start working quickly. They …………… use water from the trucks to put out the fire. If there is anyone who needs medical attention, the firemen will …………. in that too. They are trained to give first aid.

Sometimes big fires break out in houses ……………… businesses. Big fire trucks come quickly. An ambulance may come too if there is anyone in danger. People who work for ………….. ambulance service are called paramedics. They are trained …………. save lives. If there is anyone in danger, paramedics will try to save ………….. person’s life. They may need to take that person away to hospital to ……………….. medical attention.

Your classmate will ask you thest questions:

1. Do you have a smoke alarm in your home in Melbourne?
2. Did you install it yourself?
3. Did you get someone else to install it for you?
4. Do you think installing a smoke alarm is a big job?
5. Were the instructions easy for you to read?
6. Do you think expensive smoke alarms are better than the cheap ones?
7. If you are renting a house, do you need to buy a smoke alarm or do you need to get the owner of the house to buy it for you?
8. Do you need to get an electrician to install a new smoke alarm for you?
9. Do you think homes that don't have smoke alarms installed are safe to live in?
10. Is it safe to sleep in a house that does not have any smoke alarms?
11. Did you use to have a smoke alarm at home in your country?
12. Where can you buy smoke alarms from in Melbourne?
13. Are the instructions that come with the smoke alarm easy to understand?
14. What can you do if you don't have a ladder at home and you want to install a new smoke alarm?

Link

Click here to learn how to speak to others in English.

http://dialogueworkout.blogspot.com.au/

Winning Money

Why does everyone wish to win a lot of money? Why do millions of people buy Lotto tickets each week? The answer is simple. Because everyone hopes to win a lot of money. After answering this simple question, there is another question that needs to be answered. What might happen to you if you won a lot of money all of a sudden? There are many answers to this question. Of course this will make you very happy. You will be able to buy anything you want. You will be able to pay off your debts in one go.

Even your boss at work will stop shouting at you and praise the work you do. You will be able to buy a very nice house and leave the one you currently live in because it is not suitable enough. You will be able to go on holiday and spend a lot of money staying in the best hotels. The list can go on and on for the things you will be able to do. At the same time, winning a lot of money can open the door for many people to make your life miserable.

You will have ALL your family members lining up outside your door expecting you to help them with their money problems. If you don’t do so, they will be angry with you and may never want to talk to you or see you again. If you go to a party or a family gathering in the future, they will look at you angrily. You will be public enemy number one.

You may get phone calls from your primary school old friends. Some of whom you have not seen for a very long time. They will ask to reunite with you because later on they are planning to ask you to give them money.

You will get phone calls from companies that will offer to invest your money for you. Because you don’t have any business background, you may end up losing ALL the money you won. When you lose a lot of money, you will feel sad. In other words, your money will make you sad and you will wish you haven’t won a cent.

On the other hand, there are things that can make you happy and they don’t cost money. You are healthy. You can walk and talk. You can use your skills to do things others can’t. You are better than others in so many ways. You are a smart person. Being rich does not mean that you are smart. You have goals for your future. If you don’t have work to go to in the morning and people to talk to during the day, life will become boring. Life will have no meaning.

Listen to your classmate and fill in the gaps: 

Why does everyone wish to ................a lot of money? Why ..............millions of people buy Lotto tickets each week? The answer is simple. Because everyone ................ to win a lot of money. After answering this ................question, there is another question that needs to be answered. What might happen ...............you if you won a lot of money all of a sudden? There are ................answers to this question. Of course this will make you very happy. You .................be able to buy anything you want. You will be able to pay off ..................debts in one go.

Even your boss at work will stop shouting at you and praise the ..................you do. You will be able to buy a very nice house and leave the one you currently .................in because it is not suitable enough. You will be able to go on holiday and spend a .....................of money staying in the best hotels. The ................can go on and on for the things you will be able to do. At the ..................time, winning a lot of money can open the door for many people to make your .................miserable.

You will have ALL your ...................members lining up outside your door expecting you to help them with their ..................problems. If you don’t do so, they will be angry with you .................may never want to talk to you or see you again. If you go to a party or a family gathering in the future, they will .................at you angrily. You will be public enemy number one.

You may ...................phone calls from your primary school old friends. Some of whom you ................not seen for a very long time. They ...............ask to reunite with you because later on they are planning to ask you to give ......................money.

You will ...................phone calls from companies that will offer to invest ...............money for you. Because you don’t have any ...............background, you may end up losing ALL the money you won. When you .....................a lot of money, you will ...................sad. In other words, your money will make you sad and you will ............you haven’t won a cent.

On the ...................hand, there are things that can make you happy and they don’t ................money. You are healthy. You can walk and talk. You can ....................your skills to do things others can’t. You are better than others in so many ways. You are a smart person. Being ................does not mean that you are smart. You have goals for your future. If you don’t .................work to go to in the morning and people to talk to during the day, life will become boring. Life will have .................meaning.

Answer these questions: 

1. How important do you think money is in our lives? 
2. How much money would you like to win one day? 
3. Do you have realistic goals for your future? 
4. How hard do you work at the moment to achieve your goals? 
5. How much money would you give away if you won 20 million dollars? 
6. Who will you give this money to? 
7. Do you think people would use you if you had a lot of money? 
8. What are some of the things you might buy if you won a lot of money? 
9. What are some of the crimes that have been committed because of money? 
10. Do you think rich people are happy? 

Myanmar

Myanmar is a small country in Asia. The country is located in southeast Asia. My home town is located in the west of the country.The name of the town is Thantlang. The populations is approximately seven-thousand. There are about one thousand and five hundred houses inside the town. The town is in the Chin state in Myanmar. So, most of the people who live there are Chin people and they are Christians. The town has very nice views that can bee seen from a distance. It is interesting to know how the people who live there work and spend their holidays.

People in the Chin state live with each other in big families. This may be the one difference between Myanmar and Australia. Most peoples don't have cars to transport into the town, most of peoples use motorcycles, because the town is small and they don't need to use a car to travel inside the town. If you have a car you can use it, wherever you want to go. But people need to use a car or a bus when they want to visit another town and if they want to travel to other states. Mostly, peoples who visit or travel to other states and towns use an express bus.

The town doesn't have any universities, so peoples who want to study at university have to move to other states depending on their majors. During holidays, most university students came back in the town from their universities. Most of the town youth spend their holiday and leisure time socializing and some help their parents at work.

Sometimes some people, especially the youth, go to the rivers that are nearby the town and they catch fish. The town has a pretty big town-hall and there are two government hospitals, two public high schools and three government primary schools. There are great mountains and good environment that people enjoy there.

Because conditions of a roads are bad, people who lives in the town are very kind and friendly with one another.

Text by student David Mang from Mynmar

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city in China.Today shanghai is an important centre of commerce and finance.

It is located on china's central easten coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River.The streets in shanghai are clean.The new Bund street is famous in shanghai. There are many people come from different cities in China who live in Shanghai.They live in shanghai because they want to work and get better education for themselves and for their children.

There are some universities in shanghai like Fudan university, Jiaotong university and Tongji university.

Most peope like drinking tea. People usually go to "tea culture",the art fo making and drinking tea and some customs about tea. Some of them drink coffee.

Wedding in shanghai cost a lot of money. House prices in shanghai are the most expensive in China.Some young people usually rent an apartment.

During public holidays ,people usually travel to different cities in their cars. Some of them usually go to parks or visit relatives and friends.

New Australians

Guilin

Guilin is a small city in south China. There are 5 million people in the city. People who live there speak a local language.

                                        

Guilin is tourist city. It is very famous in China. There is a famous river called LIJIANG. When you travel along the river by boat, you can see many green mountains that link together. You can travel from Guilin to Yangsuo in about  3 hours by boat. Yangsuo is also a famous town and many foreigners live there. They open many coffee shops in Westerner street. Of course they can speak Chinese very well. There are many places in Guilin that you can visit. 

Guilin weather is not very hot, but in winter it is very cold. Sometimes there is snow. The air is fresh because there are not  many factories. On the street two side,there are osmanthus fragrans. Everywhere you can smell osmanthus’s flower in August .

Guilin has many parks and many people like going there to do excises like taiji. Many old people dance together in the morning. living and work in Guilin is not busy. The average income also not too high but the city offers good living conditions.

In Guilin, food is very cheap and delicious. The most famous foods are rice flour and Lijiang fish. You can buy rice flour everywhere in the morning ,afternoon or at night .If you travel to Guilin, you should buy three things to give your friends as presents - fermented bean curd ,rice wine and chilli sauce.

Guilin has 4 universities, and a number of small TAFE collages. Students from other cities in China and also many oversea students study there. In Guilin there is an airport, two train stations and a big bus station. On public holidays, buses and trains are very crowd.

Text by student Huimei zhou

Shanghai

My name is Jiayun Ni. I come from Shanghai. Shanghai is a very famous city in China. Many people who are from different countries come to Shanghai for business and even to live there. So if you live in Shanghai and want to find a decent job, you must study another language such as English, Japanese or French.

Shanghai is a very busy city. Everyone walks fast. People don't say "Hello" or smile at each other because they have no time. In Shanghai, time is money for some people.  

In Shanghai I think the most famous and beautiful place is the Bund, especially when you go there at night. You can see old buildings along the west coast from the east coast and you can also see modern buildings along the east coast from the west coast. The best way of sightseeing is to take a ferry so you can see both sides of the HuangPu River.

Finally, I want to talk about the delicious snacks. No matter which flavour you like, sweet, salty, spicy, bitter or sour, you can always find what you want in the city of Shanghai. Shanghai is a beautiful fantastic place. Hope to see you there!

Text by studentNi Jia Yun

Shanghai

My Home town Shanghai is the most modern and biggest city in China. Lots of Asia's headquarters of multinational corporations such as GM,3M,Volkswagen are located in Shanghai. Shanghai has one of the two China stock exchanges and there are around 1000 companies that are listen in Shanghai Stock Exchange Centre. So Shanghai is an indisputable economic centre of China.

Shanghai is also a fashion city. There are thousands of fashion shows lunched in Shanghai and thousands of fashion famous celebrities who come to Shanghai every year. HuaiHai Road and Xujiahui are two famous fashion places in Shanghai. Lots of ladies and young people always go to that two places on the weekends and holidays.

Shanghai is still developing. More and more people come from other places in China to live in Shanghai and more and more modern buildings are being built there. Lujiazui is the center of the whole city. There are hundreds of high rise buildings including 3 of the highest buildings in China. They are more than400 metres high and are located in Lujiazui.

Shanghai has not only modern elements but also a long history. Shanghai started as a small town around 223 BC in Qing Dynasty. We can easily find some small historical towns around the city center, such as Longhua town, Qibao town and Zhujiajiao town. There are lots of Chinese traditional foods; traditional buildings and traditional culture that can be found in these towns. They also attract millions of travellers from all parts of China and around the  world visit these towns.

Text by student Qing,Wang

Facebook Party Turns Ugly

http://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/latest/a/-/newshome/13235104/facebook-house-party-gets-out-of-control/

First Day in Australia

My first day in Australia was a very special day for me. It was a cold rainy day and I was sleepy and tired after travelling by plane for 12 hours.
At the airport I met my husband and we went home by car. The temperature was 15 degrees and I was very cold but happy to be with my husband.

After driving for one hour, we went to a large clean restaurant and had a meal. I felt full after eating a whole chicken and some sandwiches by myself.

I felt happy because my husband bought me a nice gold ring as a present.

Beijing

I come from Beijing. Beijing is the capital of China. I liked it very much when I was young. But I think Beijing is going to the dogs. It is getting worse and worse every day. 

Beijing is an old city. There are a lot of historic sites in Beijing. The most famous sight is the Forbidden City. It is located in the city centre. It is the palace of the Qing and Ming dynasty. I like standing in front of its gate at midnight. I used to imagine I was a general, and I felt I could speak to the old palace. There is a part of the Great Wall in the north of Beijing’s mountainous area. It is really magnificent. Some people like walking on the Great Wall. Autumn is the best season in Beijing - the blue sky, white clouds, golden leaves and of course the Great Wall which is over one thousand years old. I believe that you will enjoy yourself once you go there.

Beijing is a modern city also. There is a big number of new buildings in Beijing. The Olympic stadium, National theatre, New TV station building……. But I don’t like it. It is not suitable for Beijing. Beijing should be old-fashioned and light grey. Now there are too many steels and glasses.

Beijing is a city for a lazy person. When I was young，People flew kites in the square in Spring, swam in Summer, walked in the park in Autumn, had a snowball fight beside the river in Winter. My favourite thing to do was wandering through the Hutong (narrow street) on my bicycle. Although I didn't have a lot of money, I enjoyed the cheap snacks, funny Xiangshen (a talk show), classical Beijing Opera and I was happy in Beijing.

Beijing is a busy city now. There are over 4 millions cars in Beijing. The roads likes a big car park in rush hours. Crowds of people are everywhere. More and more people move to live in Beijing. They find jobs and make money, but most of them are not happy. Beautiful Beijing is gone. I just can see her in my dreams.

Beijing is worth visiting, especially for foreigner. If you decide to visit Beijing one day, I will be your best tour guide. I have plenty of time. All you need to do is buy a return ticket from Melbourne to Beijing for me.

Text by student Liu Tao

Wuhan

Wuhan Wu han is a famous city in the china, because it has long history and culture. There is a famous university called THE UNIERSITY OF WUHAN. Lots of successful businessman and government officials graduated from this university.

Wuhan is the central of Chinese middle part transport. If you take a train or a ship from eastern to western china, you must cross theYangtze River, which is the most famous river in china. It is even famous all over the world. There are two airports in Wuhan. You can take a flight from any of them and fly to anywhere you want to go to.

There are many kinds of fast food in Wuhan, such as Chinese doughnuts, steamed meat buns, hot-and-dry noodles, steamed dumplings, wonton, soybean juice, spring rolls, and fried dough sticks. People in Wuhan like  these foods very much. They have these food for their meals every day. They also buy these foods as treats for visitors and foreigners. People in Wuhan people are always proud for their food culture.

Wuhan is a beautiful city. In spring, you will see lots of cherry blossoms in the Wu han university. In summer, you will see lots of lotus flowers in the East lake. Every April, there is a cherry blossom festival for everyone who wants to enjoy the beauty of cherry blossoms. People in Wuhan have picnics with their families under the cherry blossom trees. Visitors bring their cameras and take lots of photos with flowers and people.

Wuhan is famous for its state-of-the-art universities, cherry blossom and the beautiful weather. Wuhan is one of the top three hottest cities in China. In summer, the temperature goes as high as 42, which means, if you cracked a egg on the hood of a car, you will find the egg was well cooked. Wuhan people like self mockery about the weather, “look! We can save some gas on cooking eggs!”

Text by student Cong Li Wang

Hangzhou

Hangzhou is the capital city of Zhejiang province and is the political, economical and cultural centre of the province. Hangzhou is also one of the most important tourism cities in China. There is the Qianjiang river in south east China. There are 6.8 million people who live there.

There are lots of nice places to visit in Hangzhou. The west lake is the most of famous tourist attraction. The lake covers an area of 566 kilometres and is about 15 km wide. There are four small islands in the lake.

The famous poet Su Dongpo, who lived during the Northern Song Dynasty described the charming scenery of the Xihu in many of his poems.

There are many delicious types of food in Hangzhou. The most famous restaurant there is named Lou wai lou. Visitors will enjoy themselves when they travel to Hangzhou.

The public transport is convenient and fast. Now there is building metro in Hangzhou. The street is clean and there is many Sweet Osmanthus Trees planted in the city. It’s a tree city . During Autumn, there is a lot of Osmanthus fragrance that fills the city.

The house prices in Hangzhou is also expensive. The city is approximately  in the top ten.

There are many famous universities in Hangzhou. One of them that is called Zhejiang University.

People like to go to the tea houses or coffe bars around the west lake on the weekend. People who live in Hangzhou are relaxed and laid back.

Text by student Lu Ting

Xia Men City in China

My home town Xia Men is in the south eastern part of China. There are more them two million people who live in this beautiful city. Also XIA MEN is second most beautiful city for live in china.

Xia Men's weather is a bit like Melbourne but the seasons are different. It’s hot in June, July and August. Winter starts in December. It continues through January and February. There is a lot of rain and humidity in Spring.  

    

The most place for tourists to visit is Gulangyu Island. Tourists call it the piano island. If you want to go there, you need to take a ship. Ships come every ten minutes or so and this makes it easy for lot of tourist to visit it.

More than fifty percent of the population in XIA MEN are the Buddhists and vegetarian dishes and seafood are famous dishes that people eat there.

Text by student Chao Xia Nian

New Courses at AMES

You have been working hard to improve your English for some time and can’t wait to get your first job in Australia. AMES can help you get your first job. There are some courses that you can do at AMES to give you the skills you need before you start looking for work. There is a new course that will start at AMES next term. It is called Workplace Skills for Community Services. The students who will do this course come from different countries. This means that English is not their first language.

The course will start on 16th April and will end on 29th June 2012. You will have a chance to improve your English and at the same time get ready to study a level III course in children services or aged care. If you love working with young children and choose to do the children services course after you finish the community services one, you will be able to work in a childcare centre. On the other hand, you may choose to do a certificate III course in aged care and work with elderly people.

The course will also teach you about how to communicate with other workers in a workplace. Having the skills to do a job may be not enough to get a job in Australia. You will also need to show that you can talk nicely to others and be part of a team. The course will teach you good communication skills. You will learn about occupational health and safety in the workplace. You will learn how to keep yourself and others safe when you are working.

Not everyone can get into the new courses we have at AMES. You will need to have finished at least 380 AMEP hours. You also need to be studying in a certificate III class. You need to be a permanent resident of Australia. Temporary residents will not be able to do the new courses. You also need to be registered with Centrelink as a jobseeker.

Getting your first job will mean a lot to you. You will be able to make money and at the same time use the skills you have learned. You will also make friends from different cultures. It is also good to make yourself busy doing something that you really like.

Listen to your classmate and fill in the gaps:
You have been working hard to improve your ........................for some time and can’t wait to get your first job in Australia. AMES can help ............................get your first job. There are some courses ...........................you can do at AMES to give you the skills you need before you start looking for work. There ...........................a new course that will start at AMES .............................term. It is called Workplace Skills for Community Services. The students who will .....................this course come from different countries. This ..............................that English is not their first language.


The course will start on 16th April and will .....................on 29th June 2012. You will have a chance to ......................your English and at the same time get ready to study a level III course in children services or aged care. If you love ........................with young children and choose to do the children services .............................after you finish the community services one, you will be able to work in a ............................centre. On the other hand, you may ............................to do a certificate III course in aged care and work with elderly people.

The course will also ..............................you about how to communicate with other workers in a workplace. Having the skills to ............................a job may be not enough to get a job in Australia. You will also need to show that you can talk ...........................to others and be part of a team. The course will teach you ........................communication skills. You will learn about occupational health and safety in the workplace. You will ..........................how to keep yourself and others safe when you are working.

Not everyone can get into the .......................courses we have at AMES. You will need to have finished at least ........................AMEP hours. You also need to be studying in a certificate III class. You need to ....................a permanent resident of Australia. Temporary residents will not be able to do the new courses. You also .......................to be registered with Centrelink as a jobseeker.

Getting your first job will .......................a lot to you. You will be able to make money ........................at the same time use the skills you .......................... learned. You will also make friends from different cultures. It is also good to make .........................busy doing something that you really ...............................

How to Say Sorry

I am sorry because I was late.

I am sorry because I am busy now. I can’t talk to you now.

I am sorry because I let you down. I didn’t help you when you needed help.

I am sorry because I made a mistake.

I am sorry because I fell in love with you. It was a mistake. You took all my money.

I am sorry because I cooked dinner for you. I got my PR now.


I am sorry for + ing

I am sorry for coming late to class today.

I am sorry for not helping you last night.

I am sorry for talking about you badly.

I am sorry for making you angry last night.



I am sorry (I feel sad) to hear that you are not well. You are sick.

I am sorry to hear that you have lost your job.

I am sorry to know your grandfather has passed away.


apologise for + ing

I apologise for coming late to class today.

I apologise for not coming to your party last week.

I apologise for not doing my homework for the whole term.

I apologise for not having dinner with you last night.

I apologise for interrupting your class.

Learning English

In my English class, there are students who come from different countries. Most of the students come from China. Most of them find it difficult to study a new language because they think they are too old to learn. It is interesting to know that students learn new languages in different ways.

Most students like to listen to a teacher who explains things to them. They believe that teachers know everything. They do not interrupt the teacher when he or she explains things in class. They sometimes look at their books when the teacher is talking and they take notes of important things.

Other students like to learn a new language by taking part in discussions. They talk to other students in class. They don’t like to keep quiet. They like to ask questions, read for a little while and take notes or underline important sentences in their books.

There are other students who learn a new language by watching TV at home and listening to the radio when they drive their cars. They go on the internet and read pages in the new language.

Some students learn a language by doing a lot of listening. They use their MP3 players to listen to audio files they download from the internet. They sometimes like to look at the text while they listen. They think it is a good idea to learn a new language.

In Australia, learning English is an enjoyable experience. In class, students make friends with others who come from different cultures. They learn from other students in class too. Teachers don’t talk all the time. Teachers give the students a chance to talk to one another. They give them reading texts and help them learn new vocabulary.

The students keep working inside the class and do one activity after another. Teachers normally give their students photocopies of the lessons they want them to learn. Some teachers give their students their email address and ask them to send them emails in English. Students find it difficult to type an email in English and send it to the teacher. After sending some emails, the students find that their English has improved because they learn from their mistakes. If they don’t study at home, they improve their language just a little bit.  

Listen to your classmate and fill in the gaps:

In my English class, there are students ……………… come from different countries. Most of the students come from China. Most of ………………………… find it difficult to study a new language because they think they are too old to learn. It is interesting to know that …………………… learn new languages …………………….. different ways.

Most students like to ………………….. to a teacher who explains things to them. They believe that teachers ……………….. everything. They do not interrupt the teacher when ……………….. or she explains things in class. They sometimes look at their …………………. when the teacher is talking and they take notes of important things.

Other students like to learn a new …………………….. by taking part in discussions. They talk to other students in class. They …………………… like to keep quiet. They like to ask questions, read for a little while and take notes or underline ………………………. sentences in their books.

There are other students who learn a ………………….. language by watching TV at home and listening to the radio when they drive their cars. They go on the …………………… and read pages in the new language.

Some students ……………………. a language by doing a lot of listening. They use their MP3 players to listen to audio files they download ……………………… the internet. They sometimes like to look at the text while they listen. They think it is a good idea to ……………………. a new language.

In Australia, learning ………………………. is an enjoyable experience. In class, students make friends with others who come from different cultures. They learn …………………….. other students in class too. Teachers don’t talk all the time. Teachers ………………………… the students a chance to talk to one another. They give them reading texts and ………………………. them learn new vocabulary.

The students keep working …………………… the class and do one activity after another. Teachers normally give their students photocopies of the lessons …………………… want them to learn. Some teachers give their students their email address and ask …………………… to send them emails in English. Students find it difficult to type ………………….. email in English and send it to the teacher. After sending some emails, the students …………………. that their English has improved because they learn from their mistakes. If they don’t study at …………………….., they improve their language just a little bit.  

Ahmed from Afghanistan

Ahmed is an old man who lives in a poor country called Afghanistan. Ahmed is 75 years old and he used to be a farmer. Now he is old and not strong enough to work anymore. His wife died ten years ago and his children and grandchildren look after him. In Ahmed’s village, there are about two thousand people who live there. There is a small school for young children to learn how to read and write. There is no high school for those students to study in. After finishing primary school, the students go to work in the fields or in the small shops in the village.

Near Ahmed’s village there are hundreds of American soldiers who fight in Afghanistan. They come to the village from time to time to search houses. Sometimes they arrest people from the village and take them away. There are a lot of tanks and big trucks in the camp where the American soldiers stay. No one can go near the camp because they will get shot in the head. Parents tell their children not to play near the camp because they don’t want the American soldiers to kill them.

A few weeks ago, some American soldiers came to the village in big trucks. They smashed the doors of a few houses. They started killing women and children in the village. People in the small village quickly left their homes and run away. They didn’t want the American soldiers to kill them. In a few minutes, the American soldiers killed 16 people before they drove back to their camp.

The people in the village are helpless. They cannot fight the American soldiers because they don’t have guns. Ahmed says that the Russians came to Afghanistan many years ago and killed thousands of people there. The Russians stayed in Afghanistan for 15 years. They left the country after they destroyed it. Now the Americans are doing the same thing to his country. They kill people and destroy houses. They don’t build any schools or hospitals. They come with big guns, tanks and airplanes.

Ahmed wants his children and grandchildren to live in peace. He does not think this is possible because there is a war in his country. He knows he is an old man and can do very little. When people start a new day, they don’t know how many civilians the Americans are going to kill or arrest.

Listen to your classmate and fill in the gaps:
Ahmed is an old man who lives in a ………………. country called Afghanistan. Ahmed is 75 years old and he ………………….. to be a farmer. Now he is old and not ……………. enough to work anymore. His wife died ten years ago and his children and grandchildren …………….. after him. In Ahmed’s village, there are about ……………… thousand people who live there. There is a small school …………….. young children to learn how to read and write. There is no ……………….. school for those students to study in. After finishing .................... school, the students go to work in the fields or in the small shops …………………. the village.

Near Ahmed’s village ……………….. are hundreds of American soldiers who fight in Afghanistan. They come to the village from time to ………………. to search houses. Sometimes they arrest people from the village and take them away. There are a lot of tanks and big ………………… in the camp where the American soldiers stay. No one can go ……………….. the camp because they will get shot in the head. Parents tell their children not to play near the camp because they don’t …………………. the American soldiers to kill them.

A few weeks ago, some American soldiers came to ………………. village in big trucks. They smashed the doors of a few houses. They ……………………… killing women and children in the village. People in the small quickly left their homes and run away. They didn’t …………………… the American soldiers to kill them. In a ………………… minutes, the American soldiers killed 16 people …………………. they drove back to their camp.

The people in the village ……………….. helpless. They cannot ……………….. the American soldiers because they don’t have guns. Ahmed ………………. that the Russians came to Afghanistan many years ago and killed thousands of people there. The Russians …………………. in Afghanistan for 15 years. They left the country …………………… they destroyed it. Now the Americans are doing the same thing to his country. They ………………….. people and destroy houses. They don’t build ………………….. schools or hospitals. They come with big guns, tanks …………………… airplanes.

Ahmed wants ………………… children and grandchildren to live in peace. He does not think this is possible because there is a war in his country. He knows ………………. is an old man and can do very little. When people start a new day, they don’t ………………….. how many civilians the Americans are going to kill ………………… arrest.

GuangZhou

Today I am going to present some information about my city GuangZhou in China, I was born in a beautiful city called Jiangsu in China. It is in the Eastern part of China. About fifteen years ago my family moved to GuangZhou city, which is in Southern China. GuangZhou is the Capital city of Canton, It takes two hours to travel from GuangZhou to Hongkong by bus. It has nearly 2200 years of history and culture. It is very old city. There are about 12.7 million people who live there. The local language is Cantonese, but almost every person who lives there can speak Cantonese and Mandarin.

GuangZhou's weather is almost warm and sometimes hot, even during the winter. Winter is not cold, and it is very short, just about two and three months. Pearl River is a very famous river, It flows through GuangZhou city. Next to the river there is a new television tower. The name is Canton Tower. It is very famous too. You can go up to the top of the television tower overlooking the GuangZhou city, that is very fantastic. The 2010 Asian Games were held in Guangzhou. There are many famous universities in GuangZhou like Sun Yat-sen University, the univeristy name comes from a very famous person who is a very important person in the New China. He is one of the founders of New China. His name is Sun ZhongShan, Sun Yat-sen is his English name.

GuangZhou is also a commercial city. Many of the world famous companies have branches in GuangZhou. China Import and Export Fair is held in GuangZhou two times a year. Many products from different parts of the world come to China via this exhibition, and Chinese goods are exported to the world. People who visit this exhibition need to bring enough money, because there are so many goods they can buy.

GuangZhou's public transport is very convenient, Bus and subway services are frequent, every five minutes once on average, but it is still very crowded. GuangZhou's roads are crowded too because there are too many cars on the roads. It is a good idea to take the subway during rush hours, because subway service does not have traffic jam usually. And you can visit many tourist attractions and modern theme parks in GuangZhou.

GuangZhou's foods are every famous around the world too. A lot of foreigners like Yuncha and Dinsim from GuangZhou. Food City is GuangZhou’s other name in China. There are different kinds of food, and a lot of Cantonese snacks are very delicious. You can eat all day without feeling that you’ve had enough.

I am really happy you now know a little about GuangZhou. Are you interested in GuangZhou? I would like to welcome you to GuangZhou in China. I am sure you will have a fantastic trip if you decide to visit it one day.

Text by student Joyce from China