English Recordings

We have been talking about a photograph and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic.

COMPARE whether it is better to take photographs or buy postcards when on holiday
Photographs would be my preferred option, as you can choose what you would like to take a photograph of rather than having to buy what is on offer. Also photographs are much more personal and you can include people in your photos, which makes them more meaningful and creates memories for the future. Admittedly the quality of postcards may be better, I mean the quality of the photography as they are taken by professional photographers, however nowadays with digital cameras it is possible to take lots of photos and delete them until you get one that you are happy with.

EXPLAIN why photographs are used in advertising
I think that photographs are used in advertising primarily to make the product appear more attractive. This could be done in several different ways such as using celebrities or photographing the product in an exotic location. For example, when David Beckham was advertising razors it made the product appear sexy and more people wanted to buy it. Photographs are visual and create an immediate impact which is hard to do with just words.

EXPLAIN why some families choose to have a professional photographer take a photo of them
Personally this is something that I would never choose to do, as I think that posed photos are tasteless. I think the reason that a lot of families choose to do this is that they want to have a memory of the time the family was all together and I suppose when you are talking a photo yourself somebody is usually taking the photo and therefore not in it. However, these days cameras are so sophisticated and have self-timers so this shouldn’t be a problem. I also believe that there is a misconception that posed photos taken by a photographer are better than photographs that you take yourself, however I strongly dispute this, as I feel that natural photographs where you have captured a moment are more special.

CONSIDER whether shocking photographs should be used in TV news reports Student: Recently there has been a proliferation of shocking photos which have appeared in TV news reports, for example a young woman was murdered in Iran and this was captured on a mobile phone. This image has been transmitted around the world. I find it appalling, but the net result of it is that we become immune to such images. A further example of this is the shocking number of young people who have been murdered in London and images frequently appear in the paper or on the internet. We have seen so many of them and now they fail to shock us.

SPECULATE on whether people will take photographs in fifty years’ time
I cannot imagine a world where photographs are not taken. Digital cameras are becoming more sophisticated and nearly everyone owns one nowadays. What could replace them? I suppose there are video recordings but these have so far not been as popular as photographs, as you need a piece of equipment to display them on whereas you can carry a photo in your wallet. I think it is fair to say that there won’t be as many actual photographs in albums, as most photographs are stored on computers and are not printed out. This is a shame because future generations will not be able to see them.

Describe a photograph you like
What is the photograph of?
When and where was it taken?
How does it make you feel?

For as long as I can remember I have had an intense dislike of having my photograph taken. I used to believe that photographs steal your soul and that was my reason for avoiding cameras at all costs. Maybe I was just using that as an excuse and the truth is it is because I consider myself so ugly on photos. As far as I am concerned I am the most unphotogenic person on the planet. Therefore, the photo I would like to talk about is not a self-portrait, but is one of my cat Malcolm. Malcolm, named after my hero the cyclist Malcolm Elliott, sadly died several years ago, but when I look at the picture of him it makes me smile. The photo encapsulated Malcolm’s personality beautifully. He was sitting on my mum’s knee and I was sitting next to her just playing with my camera. My mum was eating a banana and all of a sudden Malcolm took a bite of the banana. I managed to capture this moment on camera and Malcolm looks like he is winking at the camera as he takes a huge bite of the banana. It must have been taken during the 1990s. I can’t remember exactly. I know it was in the living room at my mum’s house. This photo makes me feel so many emotions. On the one hand it makes me smile because it is such a wonderful photo and quite funny to look at, but on the other I have a tinge of sadness because Malcolm is no longer with us and he was the most amazing cat. He had the most unique personality. Nobody messed with him and I loved his arrogance. I love taking photographs, but I love pictures that are not posed or rehearsed. I love an image that is captured and isn’t planned. I find pictures of people smiling at the camera quite ridiculous.

"How long are you here for" is suggesting that you are already at a location
and a person is asking for how much longer will you be in that location.
"How long are you here for?" "I'll be here until 3:30"
"Josh, how long are you here for?"
A person is asking "How long is Josh going to stay at a place?"
"I'm here for 10 more minutes"
I arrived at some point in the past
(it doesn't imply anything about how long ago that was),
I am here now, and I will depart 10 minutes from now.
How long are you here for? = How long will you be staying here?
I'm here for a week. =I'll be staying here for a week.

Maria hasn't wanted to go swimming since she fell in the river.
Since he rescued the girl from a house fire, he has been on TV almost everyday.
A lot has happened since I last spoke to you.
Remember that after you have signed the contract you won't be able to change your mind.
As soon as I have finished college I want to travel around Australia.
I'll probably have finished breakfast by the time the children have got up.
I'll tell you what time we're coming the moment I have heard from Emil.

“You can’t prepare for natural disasters as nobody knows when or where they are going to
happen. It’s nature’s way of reminding us that she is in charge and we should respect her a lot more than we do.“

’The hurricanes and earthquakes that have happened in the past month just prove how
unprepared we are for natural disasters. It’s crazy that with all the technology and information available to us nowadays natural disasters still kill so many people. They should spend more money on research to develop warning systems for hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tsunamis.”

We so many natural disasters on the news these days that you become immune to them. I don’t mean that in a horrible way, but it always seems so far away and there’s absolutely nothing you can do to help the poor people who are there.

“I think it’s really scary that there are so many natural disasters these days. There are far more than in the past. Every time you switch on the news you see places that are flooded or countries in drought. I’m sure it’s all connected to climate change and global warming.’’

Grandpa, are you ready to help me for my presentation on the Civil Rights Movement?
Of course, David! Let’s start this way.
What is it? It makes me think of gospel music!
Well, this is “We Shall Not Be Moved” and yes, it does sound like gospel, but it reminds me of many more things, you know. I heard it for the first time in August 1963. It was during the Washington March for Freedom and Jobs. I had never taken part in a demonstration before. It was the first time for me. Your first demonstration? Wow! Was it big?
Well, to give you an idea, I had never seen so many people brought together for a cause. Wherever I looked there were people, black and white, young and old, walking together and singing in unison.
And they were singing “We Shall Not Be Moved”?
No, they were singing “We Shall Overcome”. But the Freedom Singers were on stage, and they sang “We Shall Not Be Moved”. Whenever I listen to these songs, I remember that wonderful day, all those people singing and dreaming of a better world. These songs mean a lot to me.
Why “Freedom Singers”, Grandpa?
Simple, David. Their music represented the Civil Rights Movement and it helped black people to defend their rights. Their songs allowed them to become true American citizens, to get equal rights.
And you, Grandpa, what did it do for you?
A lot, and it still does. Whatever problem I may have, these songs remind me that there’s no crisis we can’t overcome. They make me feel as joyful and optimistic as we all felt that day.

Grandpa, are you ready to help me for my presentation on the Civil Rights Movement?
Of course, David! Let’s start this way.
What is it? It makes me think of gospel music!
Well, this is “We Shall Not Be Moved” and yes, it does sound like gospel, but it reminds me of many more things, you know. I heard it for the first time in August 1963. It was during the Washington March for Freedom and Jobs. I had never taken part in a demonstration before. It was the first time for me. Your first demonstration? Wow! Was it big?
Well, to give you an idea, I had never seen so many people brought together for a cause. Wherever I looked there were people, black and white, young and old, walking together and singing in unison.
And they were singing “We Shall Not Be Moved”?
No, they were singing “We Shall Overcome”. But the Freedom Singers were on stage, and they sang “We Shall Not Be Moved”. Whenever I listen to these songs, I remember that wonderful day, all those people singing and dreaming of a better world. These songs mean a lot to me.
Why “Freedom Singers”, Grandpa?
Simple, David. Their music represented the Civil Rights Movement and it helped black people to defend their rights. Their songs allowed them to become true American citizens, to get equal rights.
And you, Grandpa, what did it do for you?
A lot, and it still does. Whatever problem I may have, these songs remind me that there’s no crisis we can’t overcome. They make me feel as joyful and optimistic as we all felt that day.