English Recordings

Learning through listening

Listening is one of the most important skills to have in English, but is often ignored. Describe the strategies that you can use to improve your listening skills.

A few months ago, I realised that learning English through listening is very important. I hadn't understood anything before and it was annoying to study through some grammar rules and memorizing of new words. I decided to look for a new approach to study. I started learning through real English materials, such as post cards, stories, audio books or songs. We should listen to English materials for several hours a day. Our brain must get used to listening to English. We should be patient and still keep listening. I really like listening to audio books. I can read a book while I listen to it. Some audio books are divided according to levels and I can listen to easier English. I also listen to my favorite songs. When I know the song, I sing it loudly. I enjoy listening and learning English at the same time.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Internet

The Internet has both advantages and disadvantages to modern society.
The Internet provides a lot of information via websites. There is live news, research, information about companies, various kinds of education. The disadvantages are that children can join in pornography websites, read anything about murders and drugs and so on. It influences their thinking, behaviour and life. Via the Internet people can connect to the whole world. People can communicate with everyone and easily talk to family members overseas. Another disadvantage is that children can communicate with strange people - murderers and perverts and the like.
The Internet provides a lot of entertainment as well. It helps people to relax by listening to music, watching TV shows, watching online series. The disadvantage is that people waste their time with this kind of entertainment. The Internet for me is very important because of school and communication with my family members just now, when I am living in the United Kingdom.
Generally, the Internet has both advantages and disadvantages to people, it is neither good nor bad.

The best invention of all time!

Do you thing technology has had a positive impact on our lives? What do you thing is the most important invention ever made? Tell your teacher why you think so.

In my opinion, technology influences our lives a lot. I think, nobody could have imagined life with all the technology in modern society. According to me, one of the most important inventions in history, was invented by Johann Gutenberg in 1450. Up to this time, people had been writing everything just by hand. But since 1450, people have been writing books using this "mysterious" thing. It has influenced people's knowledge. What is the mysterious invention? It is the printing press. With this invention, everything became much easier. It has influenced all kinds of science. Many scientists have shared their research materials ever since. People became more and more educated because they could buy books that they were interested in. Sure, a lot of inventions have influenced our lives, but this invention certainly changed history around the world.

Hello and welcome to Caught Red-handed!

Easter in Czech Republic is known by the traditional name of 'Velikonoce'. Easter celebration in the country is a mélange of colorful traditions and folk customs, dating back to pre-Christian times. Most of the traditions indigenous to the country are largely observed in villages and small towns. With the passing time, they have lost the inherent symbolism and are now performed mainly for fun. Nonetheless, Easter is one of the prominent festivals in Czech Republic and calls for full fledged celebrations. Go through the article and explore all about the celebrations of Easter in Canada and the various traditions associated with the festival, in the European nation.

Celebrations On Whipping Monday:
In Czech Republic, the traditional name for Easter Monday is 'Whipping Monday', because on this day, the village boys symbolically 'whip' girls on the legs. Young, live 'pussy willow' twigs are thought to bring health and youth to anyone who is thrashed with them. The braided whip made from pussy willow twigs is called the 'Easter pomlázka'. While whipping the girl, the boy would recite an Easter carol, usually asking for an egg or two. The girl would reward the boy with a painted egg or candy and tie a ribbon around his pomlázka. This tradition is still followed in many parts of Czech Republic.

Decoration Of Easter Eggs:
Decoration of Easter eggs is one of the popular traditions associated with the celebration of the festival in Czech Republic. Hand-painted or decorated eggs (kraslice) are the most recognizable symbol of Easter in the European nation. Different materials including bee's wax, straw, watercolors, onion peels, stickers are used to decorate the eggs. As a part of the traditions, young girls decorate Easter eggs to give them as presents to boys, on Easter Monday. Easter Sunday (Nedele velikonocní) is a day of preparations for Easter Monday. While the girls are occupied with painting, coloring and decorating eggs, boys prepare their pomlázkas. A nationwide Easter egg contest is held in Prague and other Czech cities around Easter time.

Traditional Feast:
On Easter, people in Czech Republic eat lip smacking delicacies that are prepared especially for the festival. Usually, traditional Czech Republic recipes are made for the ceremonious occasion. Czechs eat a type of coffee bread called 'Babovka'. 'Mazanec' is another special Easter food, which is a yeast-raised cake filled with almonds, raisins and citron. A cross is cut into the top of the cake, just before it goes into the oven. Easter gingerbread, Easter Ram Cake, Judas Cake, 'God’s Mercy' (a type of doughnut sprinkled with sugar) are some of the traditional recipes, which should not be missed, when you are celebrating Easter in Czech Republic.

Comparison of Performance of Austrian made Si3N4 - Nitride Ceramic Tools Used to Machine Grey Cast Iron Work-piece Materials

Abstract:
This article presents comparisons of cutting performance of Austrian made – Si3N4 nitride ceramic – inserts used in machining a Type 422425 grey cast iron work-piece materials. Three commercial ceramic inserts Type FMG121C, FMG122C, and FMG134C were tested. Experiments were focused on tool life tests. A comparison approach involved exponents of Taylor’s type equations over an optimized cutting tool interval i.e. one constant depth of cut of 1mm, one constant feed rate of 0.2mm/rev and the three cutting speeds 250, 320 and 380m/min. Results were obtained from linear regression. Also conducted was an evaluation of intervals of reliability as well as corresponding standard deviations for each regression coefficient in experimental Taylor’s equations. The experiments allowed to compare, from statistical perspectives, at a 95 and greater confidence level, the trends and quantities of experimental cutting inserts. The results showed that a Type FMG122C ceramic insert had the most superior performance compared to other two types of experimental ceramic inserts investigated in this study. It is believed that this information can be useful for both tool manufactures and end users involved in machining cast iron work-piece materials and interested in improved cutting performance.

Introduction:
Generally, ceramic cutting tool inserts (CTI) are acknowledged especially for good machining performance where the exceptionally high speeds and high temperatures are of major concerns (Audy 1996). Good wear resistance due to durability of such tools improves tool life and allows for using cutting speeds up to 1000 m/min. Other advantages of the ceramic materials are their improved resistance to high temperatures up to 1750°C. According to literature source (Humar 2008) the cutting ceramics can be divided to an oxide group or a nitride group based on Al2O3 or Si3N4 components, respectively. The nitride cutting ceramics (NCC) have been found, when compared to the oxide cutting ceramics, better in terms of improved heath shock resistance. However they exhibited lower chemical stability when machining steel work piece materials.
At a department of Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic) in machining / metrology laboratories, several graduation theses’ topics were set up to investigate and compare the cutting performance of three nitride ceramic cutting inserts of a square shape. The commercial names of the inserts were FMG121C, FMG122C and FMG134C, and they were from an Austrian Research Institute.
Consequently, the prime concern of this study was to carry out the comprehensive tool life tests. It was decided to run long-term tests to examine the life span of the cutting tool inserts. It was noted that that such tests are expensive ad time consuming (Audy 1996, 2002), however, on other hand they provide much accurate results (Audy et al 2002, and Audy 2003, Humar 2008, Beno 1999) than the short-term tests.

Imagine you are going to spend a year in a country. Where would you go and why? What work would you like to do? What would you visit? What is it about this country that attracts you?

If I chose the country I could visit and spend a year , I would probably choose an English speaking country due to improvement of my English skills which I need for my future job. If I thought about it, I've already been to England, so I might pick the United States. I have never been there, but I've been watching American movies and series since my childhood, because American movies are really well-known around the world. I would like to see the life-style of the local public in reality as well, not just in movies. I would likely visit New York, to see the Statue of Liberty. First of all, I would go to some language course for a couple of months and get used to speaking to native American English speakers, and also get an English certificate which could me help to find a good job. Then I would look for a job. I am not sure, if my English skills would be so great that they would help me find a job which I'd like to do - programs developer. However, I could try it. I'm sure that I could work as a shop assistant for some time, until my English skills improved and I could then be able to do some better job which I'd enjoy . In my free time, I would like to acquire some knowledge of New York city's sights. I would like to travel around the United States and see California or Hollywood, for example.

You are planning to visit your friend Robin in Canada. Robin has written to you. Read Robin's letter and then write a letter to Robin.

My friends and I are going to a sports camp in the mountains in July. We'd love you to join us there. We can play tennis, hockey, football, basketball and other sports. We can stay in rooms or sleep in tents. Which would you prefer? We'll look together in the evenings. Is there something special from your country that you could look?
You could fly over to Canada a few days efore the sports camp and stay with me here in the city. What would you like to do before we go to the camp?
Write soon.
Robin

Dear Robin,
It would be great to join you and to spend some time with you guys at the sports camp. I really love sports camps because the activities are fun, not only while doing sports, but also the barbecues, competitions and chatting together. In general, I like all the activities that you mentioned. However, I'm not sporty, I play sports just for fun.
If I could choose, I would prefer to stay in a tent. I always sleep in a room and would enjoy something else for a change.
Sure, I could cook some typical Czech food like a roast sirloin with cream sauce and dumplings. It is very delicious and I think you would all love it.
I'd love to come before that sports camp and see your city - clubs, discos, etc. I really enjoy clubbing in my country with my friends, and I'd like to experience how young people have fun in your country as well.
Kind regards,
Johny

how to bargain in the supermarket

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