Harry Potter - My Favourite Book

 It is hard to overestimate the role of books in our life. It educates a person, enriches and enhances his personality. Books help to mould a person's character, form his moral values. Besides, books bring pleasure and delight. Moreover, It's a wonderful way of spending spare time. Thanks to books we learn to express our thoughts and feelings more exactly. The book is a faithful and understanding friend. People are fond of reading different kinds of books. Some people enjoy reading detective stories, adventure stories, novels, biographies, other prefer classics. Fairy tales are read by children, books about adventures and journeys are enjoyed by those who are keen on travelling. Legends and myths are read by those who are interested in history. 

One of my favourite books is " Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” by J.K.Rowling. It’s a fantasy story set in Hogwarts School., England. This is an adventure story with a deep message.

  It’s the story of a boy called Harry Potter who becomes an orphan very early. He goes through wonderful adventures together with his friends. Harry is a model of a character who is full of courage and always ready to cope with all the difficulties.

  The plot has a number of interesting twists and the ending of every chapter is very exciting. When Harry Potter is 11 years old, he is admitted to Hogwarts School of magicians. At school he gets acquainted with Hermione and Ron. They become close friends and support each other in troubles. Harry becomes involved in the story connected with the philosopher’s stone and he has to fight with evil. It takes him too much effort to become a winner in the battle with Voldemort. The story reaches a breathtaking climax as Harry does his best and achieves success in the battle.  

     Harry Potter is a story about relationships, friendship, bravery and hope. The book teaches us to respect our teachers and the older generation.  That’s why it is a remarkable display of the power of literature.

The book is well written and the language is vivid, the interesting and gripping adventures will hold you in suspense to the very last page. The book offers a wealth of thought- provoking reading.

 I thoroughly recommend Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and all other books in the series to both children and adults as it is a masterpiece of its kind.

Travelling

It goes without saying that modern life is impossible without travelling. We often get tired of the same surroundings, daily routine, hustle and bustle of the city life . Hence, some relaxation is essential to restore our mental and physical resources.  It is hard to overestimate the role of travelling, it is not only the perfect source of inspiration but also gives us knowledge, unforgettable experiene and lifelong memories. Besides, travelling broadens our mind, develops outlook and enriches our personality. 

There are different reasons and means of travelling. Some people travel on business, or go abroad to get good education, other seek fun, edventures, love and happiness. Some people prefer fast and convenient planes, other like to admire the beauty of nature sitting in a car. Tastes differ. Let's explore various means of transport from every angle.

Travelling by train is slower than by plane, but it has its advantages. You can see the country you are travelling through and enjoy the beautiful nature. It may be an express train or a passenger one. There is no doubt it’s much more convenient to travel by an express train, because it does not stop at small stations and it takes you less time to get to your destination.

But if you are in a hurry and want to save your time you’d better travel by plane, because it is the fastest way of travelling. After the procedure of registration you board the plane at last. You sit down in comfortable armchair and in a few minutes you are already above the clouds. The land can be seen below between the clouds and it looks like a geographical map. After the plane gained its regular height the stewardess brings in some mineral water. You can sit and read a book or a magazine, look through the window to watch the passing clouds change their color from white to black.

Some people prefer to travel by ship when possible. A sea voyage is very enjoyable, indeed. But to my mind the best way of travelling is by car. The advantages of this way of spending your holiday are that you don’t have to buy a ticket, you can stop wherever you wish, where there is something interesting to see. And for this reason travelling by car is popular for pleasure trips while people usually take a train or a plane when they are travelling on business.

When you get tired of relaxation, you become home-sick and feel like returning home. You realize that “East or West – home is best”, as the saying goes.

24th of February- Steve Job's Birthday!!! Inspiration Speech " If Today were the Last Day....."

Steve Jobs, the American businessman and technology visionary who is best known as the co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc, was born on February 24, 1955. His parents were two University of Wisconsin graduate students, Joanne Carole Schieble and Syrian-born Abdulfattah Jandali. They were both unmarried at the time. Jandali, who was teaching in Wisconsin when Steve was born, said he had no choice but to put the baby up for adoption because his girlfriend's family objected to their relationship.

The baby was adopted at birth by Paul Reinhold Jobs (1922–1993) and Clara Jobs (1924–1986). Later, when asked about his "adoptive parents," Jobs replied emphatically that Paul and Clara Jobs "were my parents." He stated in his authorized biography that they "were my parents 1,000%." Unknown to him, his biological parents would subsequently marry (December 1955), have a second child, novelist Mona Simpson, in 1957, and divorce in 1962.

The Jobs family moved from San Francisco to Mountain View, California when Steve was five years old. The parents later adopted a daughter, Patti. Paul was a machinist for a company that made lasers, and taught his son rudimentary electronics and how to work with his hands. The father showed Steve how to work on electronics in the family garage, demonstrating to his son how to take apart and rebuild electronics such as radios and televisions. As a result, Steve became interested in and developed a hobby of technical tinkering. Clara was an accountant who taught him to read before he went to school.

Jobs's youth was riddled with frustrations over formal schooling. At Monta Loma Elementary school in Mountain View, he was a prankster whose fourth-grade teacher needed to bribe him to study. Jobs tested so well, however, that administrators wanted to skip him ahead to high school—a proposal his parents declined. Jobs then attended Cupertino Junior High and Homestead High School in Cupertino, California. During the following years Jobs met Bill Fernandez and Steve Wozniak, a computer whiz kid.

Following high school graduation in 1972, Jobs enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Reed was an expensive college which Paul and Clara could ill afford. They were spending much of their life savings on their son's higher education. Jobs dropped out of college after six months and spent the next 18 months dropping in on creative classes, including a course on calligraphy. He continued auditing classes at Reed while sleeping on the floor in friends' dorm rooms, returning Coke bottles for food money, and getting weekly free meals at the local Hare Krishna temple

In 1976, Wozniak invented the Apple I computer. Jobs, Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, an electronics industry worker, founded Apple computer in the garage of Jobs's parents in order to sell it. They received funding from a then-semi-retired Intel product-marketing manager and engineer Mike Markkula.

Through Apple, Jobs was widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution and for his influential career in the computer and consumer electronics fields. Jobs also co-founded and served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios; he became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company in 2006, when Disney acquired Pixar.

Jobs died at his California home around 3 p.m. on October 5, 2011, due to complications from a relapse of his previously treated pancreatic cancer.http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/reading-steve-jobs-biography.php

…If today were the last day of my life, would i want to do what i am about to do today. Whenever the answer is no for too many days in a row, i know i need to change something.Remembering that I’ll be dead soon, is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.Because, almost everything, all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.You are already naked.There is no reason not to follow your heart.

What would you do if today were the last day of your life?

The Importaance of Charity Organizations

From hunger to disaster relief, international charity organizations exist to address the many causes that affect those around the world. There are several types of international charities that are dedicated to promoting peace, defending human rights, providing disaster relief and more. Each of these organizations has a specific mission that it is devoted to and strives to make a difference in the lives of those who need assistance the most.

International charities serve an important purpose by reaching out to those who are in need of assistance in areas where there are little or no resources available. These charities provide aid either by educating, setting up programs or providing necessary supplies.

Some international charities focus on one nation, while others may have a presence in numerous countries. Some organizations have a sole purpose such as to deliver medical supplies or to educate an underserved population, while others have a wider purpose of simply improving the lives of people living in the areas with the greatest need for assistance.

Most international organizations rely on donations to help fund their various programs. If there is an international cause that you hold dear, consider helping by donating either your time or money. Be cautious that in addition to the many worthy charities that there are ones set up as scams as well. Always check that a charity is legitimate before making a donation. 

http://charity.lovetoknow.com/charitable-organizations/international-charity-organizations

Charity Vocabulary ( 8th Graders)

Vocabulary items	Meaning
associations	An association (also sometimes called a voluntary group, union, voluntary organization, unincorporated association, common-interest association) is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body (or organization) to accomplish a purpose.
altruism	Altruism or selflessness is the principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others. The adjective is altruistic.
care	To care means to feel concern or interest; attach importance to something. The noun iscare.
cooperation	It is a joint operation or action. The process of working together to the same end. The verb is to cooperate.
contributions	To contribute means to give something such as money or time so as to help a person, a cause or an organization. The noun is contribution.
dig deep	This is an idiom. One its meanings is to make a lot of effort with all one's resources.
donation	To donate is to give something for charitable purposes, to help a cause. The noun is adonation.
generosity	The adjective generous refers to a person who is willing to give and share unsparingly, showing a readiness to give. The noun is generosity.
help	As a noun help means an action given to provide assistance. Synonyms of help include aid and support.
homeless	This refers to someone without a home, and therefore typically living on the streets.
organization	An organized body of people with a particular purpose.
orphan	This refers to a child whose parents are dead. An orphanage is a residential institution for the care and education of orphans.
philanthropy	The desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.
raise money	To raise money means to work to earn money or encourage donations for the benefit of someone, something, or doing something. Fund raising is an expression that means to raise funds or money.
rescue	To rescue means to save someone from a dangerous or distressing situation.
social work	This refers to work carried out by trained personnel with the aim of alleviating the conditions of those in need of help or welfare.
street children	Street children is a term for children experiencing homelessness who live on the streets of a city.
sponsor	A sponsor is a person or organization that provides funds for a project or activity carried out by another. Sponsorship refers to the position of being a sponsor.
support	To provide for or maintain by supplying with money or necessities. Synonyms of support include aid and help.

 http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/vocabulary-lesson-charity.php

An Interpreter - my Future Profession

Choosing a profession is a really important step in the life of every grown-up person. The choice will influence every single day of your future life, so you should pay it enough attention and make it right. Some students know what they are going to do to make a living after leaving school but for others it’s difficult to give a definite answer about their future profession. We get to know about a wide range of professions from magazines and advertisements and then we make either our own choice or follow our parents’ advice as they are also concerned about our future.

When choosing a career one should take into consideration all the possibilities that it might provide, explore the job market from every angle, evaluate our own abilities and talents.

As for me, since my childhood I’ve known I want to be an interpreter. My choice is closely connected with the importance of foreign languages and cultures which is growing nowadays.  It’s an official language in a vast number of countries. Besides, it’s the language of international aviation, sports, medicine, the language of science and technology, trade, cultural and business relations. Nowadays, knowledge of a foreign language without doubt guarantees higher salary and faster promotion track.  Translator's occupation has been believed to be one of the most prestigious and needed professions since ancient times. 

But, every coin has two sides and translator's job has its own weak points which, unfortunately, become more important every day. So, let's take a look at pros and cons of this respectable and rewarding profession. Of course, let's start with positive aspects.

First and foremost, It broadens prospects. Interpreters can travel around the world almost free of charge. Moreover, they discover a lot of new information for themselves concerning cultural aspects and obtaining a huge communication experience that provides the opportunities for the better understanding of the world. Furthermore, It allows to learn new and interesting things from different spheres of life because an interpreter deals with different science branches such as nuclear physics or molecular biology. In addition, It brings a lot of new acquaintances and provides the opportunities to be well-connected with the whole world. 

On the other hand, I’m quite aware that the job of an interpreter isn’t an easy one. It is a great challenge to be an interpreter. You have to be very communicative and responsible, experienced and well-qualified. Moreover, be prepared to work long hours and move around a lot. Unfortunately, sometimes interpreters are treated as service staff. It is connected with the limited mind of some people that are not able to understand that to translate from one language into another is a hard work.

Taking everything into deep consideration, I’d like to point that, regardless the negative sides of the profession of an interpreter, the positive moments outweight here.  One more important fact is worth mentioning, this profession proves the famous proverb "as many languages you know as many times you are a person".

21.02 - International Day of Native Language

On the 21st of February all the nations and nationalities celebrate International Day of native language. Let’s respect our language – an important element of cultural consciousness of each person, we should multiply its riches and cleanness.
Scholars hold the opinion that the language spoken by a person defines his or her way of thinking and impacts his or her behavior! So which interesting facts about Ukrainian language are known to you?

1. The Ukrainian language is one of the most widespread languages in the world and takes the 26th place according to the number of its speakers. It is also the second most widespread among the Slavic languages after the Russian language.

2. The most widely used letter in the Ukrainian alphabet is the letter "п". It is also with this letter that most of the words start. But the most rarely used letter of the Ukrainian alphabet is the letter “ф”. In the Ukrainian language the words starting with this letter are in most cases borrowed from other languages.

3. The longest word in the Ukrainian language is one of the names of a pesticide:“dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-methyl-methane”.

4. The biggest number of synonyms. According to the "Brief Synonym Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language" offering 4,279 synonymic orders, the word "бити" (to beat) has the biggest number of synonyms, totaling 45.

5. Another interesting fact about Ukrainian language is its being among the top three most beautiful languages in the world. In the linguistic contests in Italy and France it was acknowledged as the second most melodious language in the world after the Italian language. Other sources say that the bronze should be given for the Ukrainian language in this contest, the second place appointed for the French, and the fourth place given to the Persian language.

6. The highest usage among the nouns is had for the word "рука" (arm/hand), among the verbs — "бути" (to be), among the adjectives — "великий" (big), and among the pronouns — "він" (he).

7. The most number of meanings is in the abbreviation "ПК" (PC). It stands for "персональний комп’ютер" (personal computer), "палац культури" (palace of culture), "паровий кран" (steam crane), "передній край" (front side), "перфокарта" (punched card), "Петербурзький комітет" (Petersburg Committee), "Петроградський комітет" (Petrograd Committee), "пістолет-кулемет" (submachine gun), "предметний каталог" (subject catalog), "Повітряний кодекс" (air code), "пожежний кран" (fire hydrant), "польовий караул" (field guard), "постійний комітет" (standing committee), "проміжний конденсатор" (intercondenser), "прохідницький комбайн" (heading combine), "парсек"(parsec) and others.

8. The most translated literary work is "Testament" by Taras Shevchenko: it is translated into 147 languages among the peoples of the world. http://dyvensvit.org/articles/104830.html

The Family is One of Nature's Masterpieces

A vocabulary defines a family as "people who are closely related." Psychologists usually refer to a family consisting of mother, father and their children, who are either twins or siblings, as a nuclear family. Some of them are one-parent or single parent families. They usually call all the family including aunts, uncles, nephews, cousins, nieces, grandparents, daughters- and sons-in law as an extended family. 

To my mind there is no exact definition, what a family is. It is definitely a fabulous phenomenon, cemented by blood, which is thicker than water. It is really a masterpiece and as every genius creation of humanity it is immortal. 

In my opinion family is one of the most important things in one's life. Almost all our life we live within a family.

There are four of us in the family: My father - Ilya Nikolaevich, my mother Vera Pavlovna and my elder brother Michael.

I think it would be right if I begin with my parents. Most of families start with marriages, which are said to be made in heaven. My parents have been married for 20 years now.

My father is a chief sales-manager in a firm which sells various computer equipment. Many years ago after he had graduated from the institute he became an electronic engineer in one of the Chernihiv companies. My father is an only wager in our family but as he is very good at his job his firm pays him a good salary. However his Saturdays and Sundays are wholly devoted to his family. In youth he went in for sport so we often play either football or volleyball which are his favourite games.

My mother is a housewife. A year after she graduated from the institute my elder brother was born and she had to stay at home. Later it was decided that she would run the house and look after the family.

My mother is a nice looking woman. She is of medium heigth. Her hair is dark and she usually wears a bun. So most of her time is devoted to housework. Except for the time when soaps are shown on TV. She adores them though my father thinks they are silly.

My elder brother is now in his third year at the Chernihiv Pedagogical University. He studies at the History department. He was keen on History at school and wanted to travel to places yet unknown. I personally think that it was the spirit of adventures that made him go to this faculty.

Every masterpiece is born in pain, so it would be a mistake to think that a happy family doesn't face any problems. However, clever and understanding parents are always ready to experiment and find the way out. 

 Our family is very united and we like to spend our free time together. At weekends, we usually visit our grandparents and have a nice chat over a cup of tea. If the weather is good, we spend our leisure time outdoors admiring the beauty of nature. I can admit that we are theatregoers and we try to grasp every opportunity to enjoy a nice play.

To finish with, I'd like to say that there are times in our lives, when everything seems to be going badly. We all have problems we can't cope with. We feel depressed and dispirited and suffer from  anxiety and despair. A fatherly manly hug or a mother's loving embrace can really restore us from the ashes. Then I hear my Mom's favourite words: "You are a Fallible Human Being "and understand that even if the whole world turns its cold shoulder on me, there'll still be a family to turn to for love, compassion and understanding. And as every great masterpiece the family will remain in my soul forever.

About Myself (9th graders)

From the very start I should say that it is not an easy thing to speak about myself as it is hard to have a look at yourself from aside, but at the same time who knows you better than you yourself do?

I am a girl of sixteen. When I look at myself in the mirror I see a blond girl with short straight hair, dark eyes and a slender figure. As to my appearance I'm rather tall and slim. I have never thought I'm a beauty, I wish I were more beautiful. I think that I'm even tempered, rather reserved, calm and modest. But sometimes I can lose my temper and become either angry or sad. I like staying alone and sometimes I retreat into my shell. But at the same time I like my friends, I like to laugh and joke. I have got a sense of humour. It means I understand humour and appreciate it.

I was born on the 25th of April 1998 in the picturesque city Chernihiv where I live now together with my lovely family. My early years, which I remember badly, were typical of a child living in a city. I was born into a family of a teacher and a doctor. I was sent to a kindergarten at the age of three as both my parents were working. At the age of six I became a student of English Magnet School number 1. It turned out to be the best school in our town. Here I am getting proper knowledge in foreign languages, literature and world culture. I usually do a lot of home preparation for my lessons and do my best to be good at studying. But despite my efforts I have difficulties with Math.

School for me is not only lessons and learning, I have a lot of friends there. We organize extra class activities such as parties and other social activities. I actively participate in most of them.

I am sociable, so I have got a lot of friends among my schoolmates. As for me, I appreciate people's honesty, kindness, sense of justice and intelligence. I don't like when people are rude and aggressive.

I am stubborn at times. But to my mind being persistent is not always a bad thing. That means if I have an aim I never leave things half done. At times I feel dissatisfied with myself, especially when I fail to do something or can't do things the way they should be done. At the same time I think I am hard-working and diligent. My greatest problem at school is talking in front of the class as I always blush. I try to cope with this problem.

And now a few words about my inclinations. I haven't got any special hobby, like collecting something, but I'm fond of reading books. They give me more knowledge of their people's lives and feelings and broaden my outlook. In my opinion, books are a source of emotional inspiration and romantic feeling. Besides, books help me to continue my own education. The time spent on a good book is never wasted. Reading is a rewarding pastime.

And of course I like music! I'm fond of music of the 60-s, like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Prestly. The songs of the Beatles give me a lot of delight and pleasure. Besides, I am a great theatregoer. Whenever I have some time to spare, I go to the theatre. I'm not keen on television.

Sometimes I play different sport games for health and pleasure. I usually play such games as volleyball, basketball, tennis, and sometimes football.

And finally, the things I hope to achieve in my life are: to have a very successful career, so this year after finishing school I will try to enter the University, to build the house of my dreams and to find someone in my life to share all that with.

Holistic Medicine ( 8-form)

Holistic medicine ( alternative) - approach to medicine which emphasizes treating the person as a wholeand and stressing the patient's role in health care through positive attitude proper diet and exercise.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Holistic Methods

People throughout the world use holistic methods to improve their health naturally due to their unique features. These methods are used as an alternative to the medical methods or medicines. There are a number of benefits that can be achieved through holistic methods but it does not mean these methods don’t have drawbacks. Nothing in this world exists without any drawbacks. However, the benefits of these methods heavily outweigh these drawbacks. Every person who wants to use holistic methods must have the knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages. It will help them to avoid the disadvantages and to get advantages with more value.

Advantages of Holistic Methods for Overall body

• Cost-Effective: Several people want to get rid of diseases with low cost due to their limited budget. These methods are best for all those people who belong to lower and middle class families. Holistic methods cost is very low as compared to medical treatments or medicines. It is considered their biggest advantage.
• Natural Approach: These methods treat the human body of diseases or other issues with a natural approach. Products which are used in these methods contain only natural ingredients. For example essential oil or aromatherapy essential oils which are used in holistic methods are extracted from leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant. No chemicals are used for their creation. That’s why these methods can resolve your health issues with a more natural approach.
• No side Effects: It is the major advantage of these methods. When you take holistic methods to treat your common health issues like stress, tension, headaches, muscle pain, body pain, injury recover, etc. then you don’t need to worry about the chemical side effects. As holistic methods don’t use harmful chemicals that can later be dangerous for your immune system or have addictive properties.
• Spiritual benefits: You can get spiritual benefits from these methods, as well. This benefit can be achieved only with holistic methods. It is one of its most unique features. These methods can calm your mind and body within a few seconds and you can use these methods in different ways like message, spa, bath and spray.
• Skin care and hair care: With the help of these methods you can get skin care and hair care benefits which cannot be acquired by medical chemicals. Contrary, medical chemicals can give several side effects to your skin and hair.

Disadvantages of Holistic Methods

• Formulation and Dosage: There are different types and categories of essential or aromatherapy essential oils. You must have the knowledge about this classification before using any type of essential oils. Otherwise you will face health issues. It is considered holistic methods first disadvantage. Proper dosage is also necessary to avoid harm and get full benefits from these methods. Too much of anything can be a bad thing, so learn the correct amount for you and you are golden.
• Doctor consultation: It is suggested by health experts that you should take a consultation with doctor or health expert before starting any type of holistic method. If you start them without consultation you may choose the wrong type of essential oil that can cause harm to your body.
• Not used in Critical Situation: There are several critical health situations where you cannot use these methods like pregnancy. Although there are great alternatives for pain, they won’t be as potent as medical offerings.

Джерело: http://olympicascension.com/2015/04/15/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-holistic-methods/

The Teacher of the Year 2016

 

“You can't stop a teacher when they want to do something. They just do it.” J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater. ~Gail Godwin

To teach is to learn twice. ~Joseph Joubert, Pensйes, 1842