Technology, science and us 5.

Technology, science and us 5.

Many children and people start using drugs as a way to be accepted by a group of mates, or as a way of coping with stress and problems or just out of curiosity for “kicks”. Drug taking is addictive and once children get hooked, it is very difficult to withdraw.
Drug abuse both your body and mind, ruin families and destroy all relationships. Unfortunately not only that. Drug addicts need more and more money and get it by committing crimes – first they steal from their family, then they rob people and shops. When they are in despair, they can even kill to get money for their drug.

In conclusion, I would like to express my admiration for every invention in the
20 th century. In my opinion, the last century was very prolific and I hope that also our
21 st century is going to be as progressive as it is possible. I can imagine easily how our offspring is going to live and work in 200 years time. Probably they would only smile when they hear about our transports or school system. I can´t predict the future and I don´t know how it will look like but I think that we can be proud that we lived in the 20 th century even if we lived there only a couple of years.

Technology, science and us 4.

Technology, science and us 4.

In our country, a lot of people are unemployed. The percentage varies from region to region – it is between 2 and 20 %. The most affected regions are those in the north of Bohemia and Moravia with the heavy industry. There is no demand for coal and steel on the world markets, so thousands of workers have been made redundant.

Another reason for unemployment is hundreds of companies that go bankrupt. School leavers cannot often find a job and have to be on the dole and later claim social benefits. For most people being out of work for a long time is humiliating and depressing, and may lead to mental disorders or even suicide.

Charities are non-profit organizations that collect money or goods to help needy people. They raise money in many ways. They hold charity concerts, parties, sales and address a lot of wealthy people and companies and ask for donations.
The money goes to the poor, the sick, to children´s homes, unmarried mothers, abused women and children, the Third World countries, countries hit by a disaster / drought, floods, earthquake / and many other good causes.

Drugs – this topic is very hot nowadays. Before 1989 our authorities wanted us to believe that the treat of drug abuse existed only in the capitalist countries. But it existed here too, we were not just informed. Since the opening of the borders drugs have spread dramatically. They are smuggled into the country and are easily available in the streets, at discos, and even in schools.

Technology, science and us 3.

Technology, science and us 3.

Scientists have cloned a sheep, a pig and a monkey, and hope to use this method to clone and replace sick organs in humans. People who are unable to have children can have
a tube baby.

Transport has changed completely. At the beginning of the 20 th century most people travelled on foot or by horse-drawn vehicals. Nowadays there is public transport in most towns, high-speed trains and supersonic planes to travel long distances and cars to get to work, to shops or to go for a weekend break.

Then, for example, man has overcome the power of gravity and can launch satellites, rockets, space shuttles, spaceships, space probes, telescopes that either serve communication on Earth or explore the Solar System. A couple of them have already left it. Man has set foot on the Moon and has brought back some moon rocks.

The first man in the space was Jurij Gagarin from Russia in 12.4. 1961 but the first man on the Moon was the American Neal Armstrong in 1969.And now I would like to say something about problems in society. I will start with unemployment that is an economic danger for every country.

Technology, science and us 2.

Technology, science and us 2.

In business, computers are used to store, process and retrieve data at a speed that is thousand times faster than formerly. Computers have enabled home-working to women with children or people living in distant places, who would have to commute to work every day. The general public use personal computers mainly as word processors and to run the family budget.

The Internet / the information highway / enables people to get information that is normally unavailable – from world libraries, museums and other institutions including business and finance offices. You can also send and receive e-mail letters that reach their destinations in a few seconds or minutes irrespective of the distance.

Owing to unprecedented progress in medicine, modern man lives much longer. Public sanitation has eliminated many of the lethal-diseases such as plague, dysentery, tuberculosis and diabetes. Many cures have been found for infectious diseases, flu, diabetes, etc. Penicillin / an antibiotic that kills bacteria / was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, insulin by F.Sanger in 1958.

Many people survive serious injuries thanks to blood transfusions and sophisticated operations with the use of the latest apparatuses / laser /. Quite a few people live longer owing to transplanted organs, such as heart, kidneys, lungs or liver.

Technology, science and us 1.

Technology, science and us 1.

Science and technology are moving so fast that it is difficult to keep up, let alone understand, to all new developments. Mechanization, automation and robots make people´s work easier in many branches of industry, and have become a common occurrence.

Progress in the 20 th century is based on new discoveries and developments in sciences. In physics / it is particularly the relativity theory – Albert Einstein or the quantum theory – Max Planck /, mathematics / computers /, chemistry / new materials /, engineering
/ power-driven machines, numerically-operated machines /, biology / public sanitation /, biotechnology, medicine, etc.

I will start with computers that have found their way in various jobs and control
a number of processes. Since the 1960s, when the first electronic computer was developed, computers have undergone dramatic changes in size, speed, software and prize. Extensive research is being carried out to develop a computer that could communicate with people by means of a human language, or even by reading human thoughts.

My school and education 3.

My school and education 3.

I attend the Integrated Secondary School – Center of Vocational Education at 61 Olomoucká Street in Brno. It is one of the largest secondary schools in the Brno region – the number of students is about 1,500. It offers vocational education and training in many studies (studijní obory).

The school teaches mechanical engineering, electronics, information technology, machine engineering admini- stration, locksmith and gunsmith studies and electrician studies. The school was founded (založena) in 1931 as the first apprenticeship school in the Czech Republic.

Later it was transformed into the integrated vocational school. Nowadays, the school provides secondary vocational education in a three year apprenticeship or in four year study courses. The school also offers re-training programmes in CNC, in automated CNC programming, PLC control and robotics. All these courses are offered to both young people (aged 15 to 19) and adults.

Subjects taught at our school are as follows: Czech, foreign language (English or German), geography,civics, mathematics, physics, electronics, automation, information technology, chemistry, labs, workshop, physical education (= physical training) etc.

Education is of crucial importance to business. It has a major impact on the skills and knowledge ofemployees. It also influences their attitudes to work.

My school and education 2.

My school and education 2.

Education in this country includes the following stages:
pre-school, primary, secondary and terciary.

Small children can go to kindergartens, at 6 they start going to primary school and they stay there until 15. At the age of 15 the pupils transfer from primary to secondary school. Some pupils can transfer to grammar school (gymnázium) at the age of 11 after they have passed an entrance examination.

There are several types of secondary schools in this country:

1) grammar schools (gymnázia) which provide general and more academic education and prepare
students for university study,
2) special schools which include technical colleges (průmyslové a odborné školy), specialized in building, chemistry, engineering, business academies, agricultural schools, nursing schools, music and art schools etc,
3) vocational schools (odborné školy pro přípravu k povolání) which train students for practical jobs.

Secondary education usually lasts for 4 years and it is finished with a school leaving examination. This examination is taken in four subjects (3 are compulsory, one is optional).
The examination is held in May or June and is mostly oral.

My school and education 1.

My school and education 1.

School attendance in the Czech Republic is compulsory from the age of 6 to 15. Most children attend state schools, but some children go to private and church schools as well. Education at state schools up to 18 years is free of charge but students at secondary schools must pay for their textbooks. Private and church schools charge school fees. All schools are co-educational. Children in our school system do not wear uniforms.

The school year starts on 1st September and ends on 30th June of the following year. The school year is divided into two terms. A school day is different at different types of schools. The average number of lessons at a secondary school is around thirty a week. Classes begin at about 8 a.m. and there are from 4 to 6 lessons in a row, followed by a lunch or dinner break. Breaks between lessons last from 5 to 20 minutes.

Pupils and students are evaluated by marks from 1 to 5, 1 is the best, 5 is the worst. Each term, students get their school report with marks from both compulsory (povinné) and optional subjects (volitelné předměty).

New York - Culture and Entertainment, The Melting Pot

New York

Culture and Entertainment

Numerous theaters and concert halls are placed around Broadway, the centre of cultural life.
Other major cultural institutions are:

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Museum of Modern Art
Lincoln Center
Guggenheim Museum (G. was a copper magnate and patron of arts)
Columbia University (one of the oldest universities in the USA)
New York University (the largest private university in the USA)


The Melting Pot

New York is also called the “Melting Pot” because of its cosmopolitan society (including many nationalities and languages). More than 80 languages are spoken in New York. Spanish is the second most common language, after English, reflecting the high number of people coming from Puerto Rico, the Carribbean, Central and South America.

In New York many of the most influential newspapers and magazines are centered, such as
The New York Times, The New York Post, The New York Daily News and the magazine Time.
Manhattan is also home to three major private broadcasting networks – ABS, CBS and NBS
(American Broadcasting System, Columbia Broadcasting System, National Broadcasting Service).

New York - Transport

New York

Transport

Ferries had been the main method of transportation to and from Manhattan until the bridges were built at the end of 19th century. Besides, there are four underwater tunnels.
It was not until 1883 that the first bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, was constructed to join Manhat-tan and Brooklyn. Then in the first decade of the 20th century, three other bridges were built over the East River.

The George Washington Bridge (from 1931) is the city’s only bridge over the Hudson River – it is a suspension bridge with span over 1000 metres. The Verrazano Bridge (1964 – almost 1,300 m) is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world and it spans the strait between Brooklyn and Staten Island.

New York’s harbor has become the second busiest harbor in the world (after Rotterdam).
New York City has three main airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport (south-east of Manhattan), Newark [nju:wə:k] International Airport (south-west of Manhattan) and La Guardia [lə ˡgwa:diə] Airport (east of Manhattan).

The transport connection to the center of New York is also provided by trains and buses. The New York subway system includes over 1,100 kilometres of track and is the largest urban transportation system in the world. In addition, there are 12,000 licensed yellow taxis in New York which are called cabs.

New York - Central Park and Liberty Island

Central Park and Liberty Island

The only quiet place on Manhattan Island, where however it is dangerous to go after dark, is Central Park (originally a rocky and swampy land) where also famous rock concerts take place.

People can walk, run, boat here and skate and ski in winter, free from the noise of the busy city.
From Battery Park in the south of Manhattan you can take a ferry to Liberty Island with a Statue of Liberty.

The statue was a gift from the people of France on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of American Independence. The statue of a woman holding a torch – symbol of freedom – was welcom- ing many immigrants to America.

New York - Town plan

New York

Town plan

The city was built on a modern plan of streets and avenues. Streets run east-west and avenues north-south (e.g. Fifth Avenue is the shopping centre). Only a few of them – the oldest – have got their names, e.g. Wall Street or Broadway (original Indian path) which runs north-south nearly the whole length of the island. Broadway is the centre of cultural life (most theaters are here).

In southern Manhattan we can find the liveliest boroughs (volební okresy, městské části) such as Little Italy, Chinatown, Soho (South of Houston) – the centre of contemporary art. East Village is a multi-cultural area with many ethnic restaurants, boutiques, rock and jazz clubs. Many musical groups started their career here. Greenwich Village is the home of artists, writers and N.Y.U. students.

The city is notorious for its crime. There are drug battles, gang wars and homeless people living in the streets. Many believe New York is no longer a safe and healthy place to live and lots of people, especially with small children, are moving away.

New York - History

History

Manhattan Island is the oldest part of New York and its original inhabitants were Indians (Manhattan is an Indian name). In 1626 Indians sold it to the Dutch for goods worth 24 dollars. The Dutch called their new home New Amsterdam. In 1644 it became an English colony and was renamed New York (after the Duke of York, brother of Charles II, the King of England).

In southern part of Manhattan there used to be a wall against Indians, now there is Wall Street – the centre of financial life with the most important stock-exchange in the world.
In 1886 the Statue of Liberty was built on Liberty Island and welcomed immigrants as they entered the harbour.

At the turn of the 20th century the first skyscrapers began to appear. They were built because of the lack of space and the high price of the land in the city centres. In 1930 the Chrysler Building (306 m), the seat of Chrysler automobile company, was built. In 1931 the Empire State Building (381 m) was completed (now after the crash of The Twins of the World Trade Center in 2001 it is again the highest building in N.Y.). There is also the UN building by the East River.

Skyscrapers as the buildings are like small cities: they offer residential quarters, office spaces, parking lots, restaurants, shopping facilities, fitness centres, swimming pools but living in a skyscraper is expensive.

New York

New York

New York is the largest city in the USA and an industrial port (printing, publishing, clothing). It lies on the east coast at the mouth of the Hudson and East Rivers and covers an area of 780 square kilometres. The number of inhabitants varies and depends whether the whole metropolitan area is counted (about 18 million people) or only the central area (about 7.3 million). It is sometimes called “The Big Apple”.

New York has five major parts: Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island and Brooklyn. (The black quarter – Harlem – is in northern part of Manhattan.) New York is one of the most important financial, commercial and cultural centres in the world.

London - The Houses of Parliament, symbol of London, parks..

London

The Houses of Parliament are situated on the left bank of the Thames river. The oldest part is Westminster Hall (it was built in 1097). The English Parliament is a very old institution. It consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The symbol of London is Big Ben. It is the name given to the clock and bell of the clock of the Houses of Parliament. Big Ben was named after one minister who was very tall and stout and so people called him Big Ben. When the clock was made in 1858 the question of its name was discussed in the Parliament. One member suggested to call it after the minister – Big Ben.
The most famous shopping centres in London are Piccadilly Circus (the centre of London’s theatres, cinemas, restaurants and night clubs), Regent Street and Oxford Street.

There are many parks in London, e.g. St. James’s Park, Green Park, Regent’s Park. The largest of them is Hyde Park. It is also known for its Speaker’s Corner where anybody can have a speech. You can sit on the grass, relax or admire the flowers and old trees, you can do many sports activities such as rowing, tennis, swimming and horseriding.
Baker Street – there is Madame Tussaud’s Museum with figures in wax.

There is much to see in London and still is true, what an English writer Samuel Johnson said two hundred years ago: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.”

London - The British Museum, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall

London

The British Museum is the largest museum in the world. It houses the biggest collections of all kinds of animals and minerals and rocks.

Buckingham Palace is the official home of British Kings and Queens. It was built by the Duke of Buckingham in the 18th century as a country house. The Changing of the Guards takes place in front of it every day at 11.30 am.

Westminster Abbey was founded in the 11th century. The Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey is an old church in the middle of London and is nearly 700 years old. The coronations of British Kings and Queens take place there. The first coronation took place in 1066.

The street running from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament is Whitehall. The Horse Guards is one of the most famous and popular sights in London during the Changing of the Guards.

London 2.

London 2.

The oldest historical building in London is the Tower. It was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. First it was a royal palace, then a prison, then for a short time a royal ZOO and a fortress. At present it is a museum. The Crown Jewels guarded by the Beefeaters in their traditional Tudor uniforms are kept here.

From the Tower there is a nice view of Tower Bridge which comes from the 19th century. It is one of the most famous symbols of London. It can open in the middle and let large ships go through.

Another interesting and well-known place in London is Trafalgar Square. It was named after Admiral Nelson’s victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson’s statue is situated on a high column. The square with its fountains is very popular place for various meetings and demonstrations. At Christmas time a big Christmas tree stands here and on New Year’s Eve people gather here at midnight, sing and dance.

In Trafalgar Square we can find the National Gallery. It houses paintings by nearly all the great European artists of the past and a large collection of British paintings and sculptures. The admission is still free.

London 1.

London

London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the biggest port of England, it is situated on the Thames river. The great fire in 1666 destroyed almost all the city. London has about 8,000,000 inhabitants. LThere are many places of interest.

We can see them by walking or by various means of transport. London’s famous double-deckers go almost everywhere. For fast means of transport we can go by the Underground. It is the oldest underground in the world. Now it operates 11 lines. In Britain only 3 cities have the underground: London, Glasgow and Newcastle. There are also 3 airports in London. The most important are Heathrow and Gatwick.
The oldest part of London is the City of London.

It was founded as the Roman settlement. The Romans built a new city with a bridge and a city wall. It became an important port with many industries. Today the City is an international financial centre full of offices and banks.

Here we can find St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was built by Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century and it is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. The Cathedral is known for its Whispering Gallery. Standing on this Gallery you can clearly hear what is whispered on the opposite side 107 feet /37,5 m/ far from you. During the World War II it was badly damaged by bombs. In 1981 Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) and Lady Diana were married here.

Australia - Population, Flag, Economy

Population – Australia was discovered by the Dutch in the 17th century. In 1770 the Captain James Cook explored the coasts and landed in Botany Bay near Sydney. The settlement of Australia began here on January 26, 1788 with the arrival of about 1,000 colonists from Britain, 750 of them were convicts (trestanci). The day is now a public holiday. When the first white people from Europe came to Australia Aborigines were living there. Now there are 17 million inhabitants.

Australia is a federal state conˡsisting of six states and two territories: Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania /tæz ˡmeinjə/, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory. Each state has its own government and its own capital city. The official name is the Commonwealth of Australia, it was established in 1901. The capital city is Canberra. Sydney is the oldest, largest, the most beautiful and the most modern city. It is the main port and the capital of New South Wales. Its population is 3.7 million people.

Flag – is a blue field with the British Union Jack in the upper left corner, a white federal star, and the stars of the southern Cross.

Economy – Australia is a rich country: iron ore, oil, natural gas and coal are found there. It is also rich in gold, silver and other precious metals /prešəs metlz/ (vzácné kovy). It is the greatest producer of wool in the world. The second biggest export is wheat, other exports are beef, mutton and minerals.

Australia

Australia

Australia is the smallest continent and the biggest island in the world. It is situated between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. There are two great deserts /dezəts/ in Australia: the Great Sandy Desert and the Great Victoria Desert. Australia has two big rivers, the Murray /mari/ and the Darling, and three great lakes: Lake Eyre /eə/, Lake Torrens, and Lake Gairdner /geədnə/. The highest mountain is Mount Kosciusko (2,228 m) discovered by a Polish scientist.

Australia has many different kinds of climate: tropical in the north, continental in the interior /in ˡtiəriə/, subtropical or temperate /tempərit/ in the rest of the continent. The south-east coast has warm summers and mild winters. The Australian Alps have snow for almost half the year. The Great Dividing Range divides the wet coast of eastern Australia from the dry lands in the centre.

Australia is famous for its animals – the kangaroo, the koala /kou ˡa:lə/ and the platypus /plætipəs/ (ptakopysk).

Travelling 2.

Travelling 2.

1. Which types of travelling do you know?
- I know travel especially during holiday and travel for scientific purposes.

2. Give various reasons for traveling, why people travel so much?
- People travel so much because it is exciting, they can see new place and meet new people and friends.

3. What are the advatages and disadvantages of travelling?
- The travelling may be dangerous: we can meet bad people, we can get lost, be murdured or our money may be stolen.

4. Which means of transport do you know?
- Young people like hitchhiking, some prefer going by car, by train, by bus and on a motorcycle. They can fly by air or they can use a ship.

5. What must you arrange when going aboard?
- I must arrange a valid passport and a visa. When going by train I must buy tickets and when I fly I must get air tickets. I must change money to hard currency in a bank.

6. Why is it so important to know foreign language when going abroad?
- Because I want to understand what the other say me.

7. Why are the travel agencies and what can they arrange for us?
- They can reserved us trips, tickets and accommodation.

8. Why do so many foreign come to our country?
- Because they want to see beautiful natur, chultural and historic monumetns and first of all see to Prague.

9. Which types of luggage do you know?
- We use a knapsack for a longer sports journey, we use a rucksack when going for a walk or to school and we use a suitcase when we by a coach.

Travelling 1.

Travelling

Travelling is very popular in the 20th century and that is why it is so common. People all around the world travel for various reasons: One of them is tourism - especially during holidays. Others travel for scientific purposes. Many people like travelling because it is exciting.

On the other hand travelling has some disadvantages - it may be dangerous: we can meet bad people, we can get lost, be murdured or our money may be stolen.
There are many means of transport to choose from. Young people like hitchhiking or just hiking. Some people prefer going by car, by air, by train, by bus on a motorcycle or riding a motorbike. In London we can travel by a double-decker.

When going abroad we must get necessary documents. First of all a valid possport and a visa. We must change money to hard currency in a bank or at an exchange office. When we fly, we must get air tickets.

Most people all around the world speak English and in Europe german. Travelling does not mean only going abroad but also seeing interesting places in our country or commuting to work or to school.

Through travel agencies people have their trips, tickets and accommodation reserved. We can arrange varous kinds of trips e.g.: Cultural trips, recreation stays. Many foreign tourists travel to our country, mainly because of beautiful nature, cultrual and historic monuments.

For travelling we can use many kinds of luggage according to the kind of trip. We use knapsack for a longer sports journey. We use a rucksack when going for a walk or to school. We use a suitcase when we go by a coach. I prefer riding my bicycle because it is the cheapest and it does not spoil nature.

USA - Washington D.C., Detroit, Chicago, Southeast, Florida, The West, Hollywood, Las Vegas

USA

Washington D.C. is the capital of the USA. It has a little industry and no skyscrapers. There are some famous buildings such as the Capitol, the seat of the government, the White House, official home of the President.

Detroit lies on the bank of the Lake Erie. There is a car industry there.

Chicago is the second biggest town in the USA. It is known for its agricultural machinery, steel making factories, shipping.

Southeast is an agricultural region. People grow cotton, tobacco and sugar cane there.

Florida is the peninsula. There are beautiful beaches. The best known is Miami Beach. It is a popular holiday area. In Florida people grow fruit and vegetable Cape Canaveral is famous for JFK Space Center.

The West includes eleven states with large industrial and agricultural production. California, third largest state in the Union, is an important producer of petroleum, vegetables and citrus fruits.

Hollywood is a centre of film making industry.

Las Vegas is a centre of gamblings. There are many casinos.

USA - National economy, NY, Boston, Philadelphia

National economy:

The USA is the most economically and industrially developed country in the world. The main industrial items are manufacturing steel, car industry, electronics, machinery and clothing. The main agricultural products are corn , soybeans, wheat, cotton, tobacco, cattle breeding, fruit and vegetable. The USA is rich in the mineral resources as coal, copper, lead, uranium, gold, iron and oil.

The US can be divided into several economic regions e.g. the Northeast – it is highly developed region, there are many big towns and important sea-ports.

New York is situated on the Manhattan Island. The first inhabitants of New York were the Dutch. They bought the Manhattan from the Indians only for 24 dollars. There are many skyscrapers in New York. One of the most famous skyscrapers is called the Empire State Building, other two famous towers of The World Trade Center called Twins were totally destroyed after terrorist attack on the 11 September 2001. Manhattan is famous for Broadway – it is the centre of theatres. The centre of finance is Wall Street. The Statue of Liberty stands on the Liberty Island . NYC is nicknamed “ The Big Apple”.

Boston is one of the first settlements of the British emigrants.

Philadelphia was for some time a capital of the USA. It is a town where the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution were signed and proclaimed. Now it is the centre of machinery and chemical industry.

USA - President, Parliament, Flag

USA

The head of the States is the President who is elected for four years. His powers are wide. His official residence is the White House in Washington. The President must be a natural-born U.S. citizen and must be at least 35 years old.

The parliament is called Congress – its seat is in the Capitol. It consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are two major political parties in the USA, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is more liberal.

Flag – the Stars and Stripes – this is what the Americans call their national flag. There are 50 white stars and 13 stripes on it. The number of the stripes symbolizes the 13 colonies that signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 and established the United States. The stars represent the 50 states that form the USA today.

USA - Climate, Political division

Climate

is extremely varied. The weather ranges from the warm, wet conditions to the desert conditions. In Arizona and Florida there is a winterless climate, long and very cold winters are in Montana and the Dacotas.

Political division

The USA consists of 50 states, the Federal District of Columbia, outlying US territories (Puerto Rico, the Panama Canal Zone, Virgin Islands and several islands in the South Pacific).
The District of Columbia is the seat of the federal government with Washington, D.C. as the national capital city. The largest state is Alaska, the second largest is Texas. The smallest state is Rhode Island. Alaska is the largest state with a very small population. Hawaii the volcanic island group. There is sunny weather all year round. Tourism has become a major industry. Its capital is Honolulu.
The total population of the USA is more than 240 million

The United States of America - the USA , Geography

The United States of America - the USA

Geography :
The USA is situated in southern part of North America. Its neighbours are Canada in the north, Mexico in the south, in the west it is washed by the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the Atlantic Ocean and in the south by the Gulf of Mexico. Central plains are bounded by the Rocky Mountains in the west and the Appalachian Mountains on the east coast.

The longest rivers are the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. It is the third longest river system in the world after the Amazon and the Nile. A part of the border with Canada is made by the Great Lakes Region. The names of lakes are: Superior, Michigan (the only lake wholly in the US), Huron, Erie and Ontario. Lake Superior is the second largest lake in the world. The Great Lakes Region has fertile lands and coal and iron mining areas.

The USA is rich in natural resources. One-third of the land is covered with forests. There are many national parks in the USA, especially in the Rocky Mountains Region, with beautiful and preserved nature e.g. Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Mount McKinley- the highest peak of the USA. The lowest point is Death Valley in California.

Shopping 3.

Shopping 3.

Shopping in foreign cities is for us very interesting. After the breakdown of Soviet block, people from eastern Europe loved to travel abroad and do shopping there. It is was like a fever. In these days it is better but people still like buying things which are atypical for their country and typical for the country they visited.

Americans like shopping in malls. They are large shopping centres where everything you can buy under one roof. Malls aren´t usually built in the centre of a city, but on the outskirts ( na okraji), where they can have large car parks. Americans don´t like going shopping with a shopping bag.

In a typical American mall you can also find banks, cafés, restaurants, you can play video games or go to the pictures here. In many large malls there are even many multi-cinemas and you can choose the film you prefer. If you want, you can relax in indoor gardens. For American boys and girls malls are places where they can meet friends after school.

Shopping 2.

Shopping 2.

I like small shops with ceramics, India shops with scented (vonící) sticks, they are usually family shop, and the shop assistant tries to sell you something. When they have time, they talk to you about weather, politics, family, or an old recipe (recept) how to cook a fish..
When you would like to buy some food, you can go either to the supermarket, department store or grocer´s. But the supermarket is bigger and you can buy also goods from the chemist and ironmonger here. A hypermarket is very large and sells all possible kinds of food and other goods.

Big stores, hypermarkets and shopping centres usually operate on the serve-yourself system – you go in, pick up a basket or a troley, walk around the shop and choose what you want.

At the exit there is a cash-desk or a cashier where you pay for all goods together either cash or with your credit card. At present paying with cards is the best, the most comfortable and maybe the safest way . Credit cards are widely accepted and we need not have cash on us.

As for Czech shopping habits, an average Czech family goes shopping every day to a local supermarket for necessary food. Once a week they usually do one bigger purchase for the weekend and from time to time they have to buy clothes, shoes, household utensils and equipment. A real shopping rush happens before Christmas season when people try to buy nice Christmas presents.

Shopping 1.

Shopping

It is not easy to do shopping in Brno, because there are many people everywhere. Everything is very expensive and it is difficult to choose a good thing in good quality. Moreover some shop assistants are not polite but lazy to advise (radit) you. It is usually better to do shopping in small shops because there they have better choice and sometimes lower prices. Special things like electronics is better to buy in a special shop.

In expensive shops you can buy especially brand goods (značkové), these shops are good, because they usually have your size and the shop assistant must be polite. But there is a problem with the price. These things are usually very expensive. If you are not rich, you cannot buy anything in shops like Giga sport, United colours of Beneton, Nike, Adidas, or Russell athletic.

If you don’t like these shops with brand goods, you can go to a department store like Tesco, or to the second hand shops, there you can buy everything very cheap. Second hand shops are very advantageous for young people, especially for students. If you have a lucky day, you can buy there good things in good quality which will fit (padnout) you. Cheap goods are also available on street markets, especially at Vietnamese stands and stalls.

Some people don’t have problems with buying clothes, because they have a lot of money or time to choose them, but shopping is not only shopping clothes. There are other shops like grocer’s, baker’s, greengrocer’s, stationary, butcher’s, drug store, bookstore, chemist´s, and the shops like small street shops full of trash and rubbish. (brak)

Business correspondence 3.

Business correspondence 3.

Complaints ( reklamace)

The letter of complaint contains

1) the number of the order, date of dispatch (odeslání) or other important data concerning the goods.
2) a statement (prohlášení) of what is wrong
We thank you for your goods but we are sorry to say that it has not given us satisfaction.
3) a request ( žádost) to the supplier to settle (vyřídit) the matter.
( The buyer often suggests = navrhuje reduction in price, replacement=náhrada of damaged articles etc.)
4) a request for positive results (výsledky).
In view (vzhledem) of these facts we claim (žádáme) from your compensation to the amount ( ve výši) of $ 150.

Business correspondence 2.

Business correspondence 2.

Offers ( nabídky) – are replies to inquiries and contain the following points:

1) Thanks for or a reference (odkaz) to the inquiry
2) Precise ( přesný) description of the goods
3)Selling terms : price, terms of payment and delivery
4) Validity of the offer e.g. :
This offer is made without engagement and is held open until 6 July only.
5) Enclosures ( price-lists, catalogues, samples, etc. )
6) Closing phrase expressing hope for order :
We hope that our offer will give you full satisfaction.

Replies to Offers ( odpovědi na nabídky)
The offer either meets the requirements of the buyer and then he orders the goods or he refuses it. If only some conditions of the offer are not acceptable, the buyer writes a letter that may contain:

1) Thanks for the offer
2) Request for lower prices, shorter delivery time, better terms of payment etc., e.g.: We could accept your offer if you would reduce your prices ( can shorten your delivery time).
3) Expression of hope that the revision of the offer will be possible :
We believe that you will reduce your prices as suggested above ( e.g. by 5 per cent).

Business correspondence 1.

Business correspondence

Inquiries ( poptávky) – are a very important part of a business correspondence. They most contain:

1) an opening phrase giving the reason for making an inquiry, if the inquiry is sent to a „new“ supplier, it should begin by telling how the buyer got the supplier´s address and some details of his own business e.g.:

a) Your firm has been recommended to us by …
b) We have seen your advertisement in … and we would be pleased to have your catalogue.
c) We learnt from the firm … that you are exporters of …

2) a request for what is wanted, a full description of the goods that are needed – quantity, quality, price and a request for a catalogue or samples e.g. :
a) Please let us have your latest catalogue and indicate your delivery and payment terms.
b) We would require the goods by the end of June.

3) a closing phrase expressing hope for a good reaction:
If your prices are acceptable, we can promise regular orders or we may become regular customers.

Business and private letters 3.

Business and private letters 3.

The date – It can be written in one of the following ways:

March 13 2002
13 March 2002
March 13th 2002
Some firms insists on a comma before the year, but it is not necessary. In Britain the name of the town is not repeated before the date as is usual in Europe.

The salutation – The usual salutation in British business letters is Dear Sirs. In the USA the most common salutation is Gentlemen with a colon. The difference from the Czech writing is that in English we start the text of the message with a capital letter. When you write to an individual within the firm addressed, the salutation is Dear Sir – Dear Madam, Dear Mr…,Dear Mrs…, Dear Miss…In the USA the use of the form Ms is common, because it doesn’t indicate whether the person is married or unmarried.

The complimentary close – If the salutation is Dear Sirs or Dear Sir, the complimentary close will be Yours faithfully or Yours truly. If the salutation is Dear Mr… / and a name / , the complimentary close will be Yours sincerely.

The signature – The signature is made by hand and is usually followed with the typed name and the position in the firm.

Enclosure – If any enclosures are sent under the same cover, the fact is indicated at the bottom of the letter by the word Enclosure / often reduced to Enc. or Encl. /

Business and private letters 2.

Business and private letters 2.

The main kinds of business letters are:

- inquiries, first inquiries and requests for offers
– replies to offers,
– orders, order confirmations
- advice of dispatch,
– complaints, replies to complaints


The business letter should contain these parts:

The head of letter – It includes the company’ s name, its address, telephone and fax numbers and E-mail. It may also include the company’s emblem or trademark.

The address of the receiver – address writing is quite different in the United Kingdom / the USA / and in the Czech republic. The number of the house comes before the name of the street in Great Britain.

If the letter is to be delivered to a certain person or department in the firm, we write Attention Mr…, Attention Sales Department under the address. The address on the envelope is written in the same way .

Business and private letters 1.

Business and private letters

Letter writing has lost some of its importance due to other more modern and faster forms of communication, say the telephone, telefax, picture phones. Nevertheless it is widely used in business life.
Private letters and business letters are different in their form, language, general tone.
In personal /private/ letters you can be conversational, you can use conversational abbreviations such as don´t, can´t, it´s etc. The tone of private letters is informal, personal and friendly.

Business letters must be written in special business English – in a simple direct style. They are usually sent to unknown persons and are therefore more formal. Nothing in a business letter should sound too personal. A good business letter must be accurate. The facts, figures and dates must be correct. Most business letters are written in block-forms, because this is the most time-saving method. Block-style - it means that everything is written on the left. Each paragraph is intended. / There are spaces between paragraphs. /

Computers 2.

Computers 2.

More sophisticated tasks like writing letters or plotting graphs are provided by applications (programs) running under the operating system. There have been many operating systems in the short history of computers. The idea of Graphical User Interface (GUI – grafické uživatelské rozhraní – ikony, okna na ploše) was implemented in the 1970s. Although Microsoft Windows is the best-known GUI operating system, it is not the best. Some users prefer to work with LINUX – a freeware version of the UNIX operating system.

In the future, the operating systems will have new tasks. The keyboard will not be only device for entering texts – you will just speak into a microphone and the text will appear on the screen. Computers will have to be more flexible, more stable and easy to use even for the man in the street.

The Microsoft story – Microsoft was founded in 1975 by two young men from Seattle, Paul Allen and Bill Gates. Their first business was their BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800 computer. During the following years Microsoft BASIC became quite a popular programming language on 8-bit personal computers. In the late seventies Microsoft was successful but still quite a small company of only a few people.

The breakthrough year was 1981 when Microsoft introduced their MS-DOS operating system on the IBM Personal Computer. The launch of Window 3.0 in 1990 represented a completely new software approach on MS-DOS based computers. Since 1995 Windows has been a stand-alone operating system independent of MS-DOS. Bill Gates is without doubt a visionary who can perfectly foresee what users will need.

Computers 1.

Computers

Computers have become part of our everyday lives – we visit shops and offices which have been designed with the help of computers, we pay bills prepared by computers, we read magazines which have processed on a computer. Even phone calls use a sophisticated computer system.
Computers are electronic machines which can accept data in a certain form, process the data and give results of the processing in a specific format as information.

The electronic and mechanical parts that make up a computer are called hardware while the information in the form of data and programs is known as software.

A standart computer system consists of three main sections:
- the central processing unit (CPU)
- the main memory
- the peripherals

Any computer has to perform a lot of basic tasks – work with disks, respond to mouse movements, display something on the screen or communicate with the printer. These fundamental tasks are performed by the operating system. It is probably the most important part. The user can operate a computer and use its programs only after the operation system has been recorded into it.

Food and meals 3.

Food and meals 3.

Around four o´clock it is teatime. In Britain the traditional tea consists of sandwiches, cakes, fruit pies, biscuits and tea or coffee. In this country an afternoon snack is not common.

An evening meal which is served around 7 o´clock is called dinner in Great Britain. It is the main meal of the day. It consists of soup or some other starter, then the main course (meat and fish and vegetables), a dessert and finally perhaps cheese and biscuits. Beef and mutton or lamb are much more favoured than pork. Later in the evening some people have another meal called supper. It consists of sandwiches, cold meat, vegetables, some milk, tea or coffee.

The Czech evening meal is not so nutritious if people have a hot meal at midday. It may be some cold meat, salami, ham cheese, eggs, bread or rolls and some vegetables. Some people prefer a hot meal too. They may have pancakes, potato pancakes, pizza, pasta etc.

On some special occasions such as Christmas, traditional food is served both in Britain and in this country. Fish soup, fried carp and potato salad are typical for Christmas Eve dinner.
Traditional Czech cuisine is a big unhealthy, but at present people start changing their eating habits. They start cooking more vegetable meals, they become vegetarians or try some kind of foreign (Chinese) cuisine.

Food and meals 2.

Food and meals 2.

In this country daily meals usually start with breakfast as well, but the food is not so rich. We usually have something to drink- tea, coffee, cocoa or hot milk – and something to eat e.g. one or two slices of bread and butter and cheese or eggs, ham, salami, jam etc. Instead of bread we can eat rolls or buns or we can have something sweet – cakes, doughnuts or gingerbread. At present quite a lot of people eat cereals with various ingredients.

The midday British meal is called lunch and is usually fairly light. It often consists of a salad, ham and cheese sandwiches, pizza or hamburgers.

The Czech midday meal is the main meal of the day (the English would call it dinner ). It is usually a three-course meal which consists of soup, the main course and a dessert. As for soup we can choose from bouillon, clear ( beef, chicken, vegetable, with liver balls) soups and thick soups (potato, tomato, mushroom..) The Czech menu often offers the favourite dish – roast pork, dumplings and cabbage or sauerkraut. Another typical main dish is a fried pork chop with boiled potatoes and a vegetable salad, Vienna steak with potato salad or goulash with dumplings.

Sometimes another speciality is prepared – fruit dumplings with cottage cheese. After the main dish we may drink tea, lemonade, juice, coke, mineral water, men prefer drinking beer or wine.

Food and meals 1.

Food and meals

For many people in this country food, eating, sometimes also cooking is a pleasure. On the whole we eat more than the British or Americans do and our food is less healthy. The Czechs are used to eating many floury, sweet and fatty meals, such as dumplings, pastry (cakes, sweets), fat pork and sausages. Our food should consist of more vegetables, fruit, lean meat, poultry and fish which supply our bodies with more vitamins and minerals.

The British have five or six meals a day: breakfast, elevenses (a morning snack), lunch, tea, dinner and later perhaps supper. They like to begin the day with a cup of tea in bed early morning. Then they have breakfast. The British don´t like to hurry. The English breakfast starts with a glass of juice, cereals, usually cornflakes with milk, muesli, or porridge.

Traditional English breakfast is quite rich and hot. Except cereals ham or bacon and eggs , sausages, grilled tomatoes, beans in tomato sauce are very popular. This will be followed by toasts and butter and jam or marmalade( which is made from oranges)and tea or coffee.
Sundays are reserved for their big breakfast which is called “brunch” – breakfast and lunch together.

Curriculum vitae

Curriculum vitae

My personal data:

Name: Zdeněk Nejezchleba
Date of birth: 22.9. 1985
Address: Žeravice 177 zip:593 01
Telephone number: +420777950309
Sex: Male
Marital status: Single
Nationality: Czech

Education:
1992-2001 – Elementary School
2001-2005- Electrotechnical secondary school in Brno –
Olomoucká 61

Employment:
I have had no employment yet.


Languages:
English- medium level.

Skills:
I can work on PC – I know: Microsoft Windows 98,ME
Microsoft Excel,Word,
Internet.

My interests:
I like to play football , chess.

5.10. 2003 NEJEZCHLEBA ZD.

Circular flow

Circular flow

2-sector ecomy model

1. sector – firms – producers of goods and services
2. sector - households – buyers of goods and services

Households demand goods and services and firms supply them.In a money economy firms exchange goods and services for money – money flows from households to firms in forms of sustomers expenditures, while goods flow in opposite direction – this happends in product market.

Socond firms and households come together in the resource market. Firms demand for production factors is satysfied by households. Labour and other production factors flow from households to firms, in exchange firms pay households money in form of wages, sallaries, rent, dividends and intrests

Therefor there is circulation of money, goods and services. This model is very simplyfied, it does not count with either hoshold's savings or governmental expenditures incomes or export.

Production, Government

Production

- a process of creating goods and services for which are people ready to pay
The pourpouse of producton is to satisfy human desires.

Production is classified into three categories:
1) Primary production: includes industries producing raw meterials either by extracting them from ground or growing them.
2) Secondary production: includes industries producing finished or semi-finished goods
3) Tertiary production provide services of all kinds to both firms and individuals. In market economies tertiary production generates major part of the GNP and also majority of work force is emloyed in tertiary production.

Government

- provides legal framework: „rules of the game“ – private ownership, rules of business...
- helps redistribute income: helps chidren, aged, disabled, unemployed, etc. Government provides transfer payments (no goods or services are required in return)
- provides public goods and services: they benefit society as whole: roads, dams, education, defence, healthcare, etc., for these and other activities goverment gets money taxation – tax revenue
- compensates for market failures: handles with negative externalities (side effects of human activities like pollution or noise, cause market would not force firms and individuals to deal with them
o persuation: activities used to stop people to behave in ways that harm others
o taxation: government can levy taxes on firms that cause pollution
o subsidies: paid to individuals or firms as reward for using methods that are not harming environment
o legislation (regulation): some methods or materials are concerned to be illegal, or there are standards to protect employees or environment
-

Types of economies

Types of economies

1) Centrally planed (command) economy: typical for socialistic countries, government makes all decisions about production and compsumption. It decides what, how and for whom it will be produced. Government makes a plan in which it sets target levels of output for all firms in economy. The state is major owner of factories and land.

2) Free market economy: an economic systém without any government intervention, all resources are ownred by private individuals, economic decisions are made acording to the forces of supply and demand

3) Mixed economy: an economic systém where both the goverment and private sector interact in solving economic problems. The government provides institucional and legal environment, regulates economic life with help of directives, restrictions, transfer payments and taxation.

4) Transition economy: new type of economy, including all economies which are being transformated from centrally planned to free market economy. Goverment tries to decrease it's interventions on economy.

Studies at university

Studies at university

There are three levels of study at UEP, they all are credit based.

1) The Bachelor's grade takes forom 3 to 5 years, depending on individual's choice. Having completed required number of credits and Bachelor's exams and defended the Bachelor's thesis, the student is awarded Bachelor's degree.

2) Master's programme follows the Bachelor's. This level can be completed in two or three years. After complete the required number of credits, pass Master Examination and defend their diploma thesis, they are awarded an Engeneer's degree

3) The doctoral program is for Master's degree holders. Doctorate usually requires three years of study.

Competition

Competition

Markets for different goods and services differ greatly in terms how competitive each market is.There are several basi market models:

Pure competition: many buyers and sellers, the products are homogenous, there is free entry and exit in and out of the market. There is also perfect information about prices. This model does not actually fit many markets in real world.

Monopoly: opposite of pure competition, there is only one seller producing unique product. This seller controls the price. There are barriers which keep other firms from entering the market.

Oligopoly: imperfect competition, between pure competition and monopoly, closer to monopoly, market is dominated by few large firms, they are protected by barriers to entry, products are very simmilar

Monopolistic competition: imperfect competition, between pure competition and monopoly, closer to pure competition, many small sellers and buyers, entry and exit are relatively free, products are differentiated. Brand names and advertising is very important. It is also the most common market type.

Market

Market

There are many definitions of a market. For example market means a setting in which buyers and sellers agree on engage in exchange, or a market is a set of arrangements through which prices influence the allocation of scarce rosources.

Markets provide enormous amounts of informations used by both sellers and buyers. Sellers let you know, what they have to offer. Buyers provide information about what they want either by buying or not buing the goods.

Goods and services are exchanged primarily on the basis of price information. Prices are determinated by interaction of many buyers and sellers in markets and reflect relative values of goods, resources. Prices also ration goods and resources among competing producers and competing consumers.

A market works without no one being in charge, without anyone giving commands. Market is directed by “Invisible hand” of self-interest, which guides individuals to use resources efficiently through changes in prices, wages, profits and other rewards.

Economics

Economics

-is a science which studies how do people alocate limited (scarce) resouces in order to satisfy their unlimited wants

scarcity – lack of available rosources to satisfy all desired uses of those resourcess
oportunity cost – the cost of a choice stated in terms of the value of othe goods and services that must be given up
We can devide economics in more ways, for example:

Positive economics: It seeks objective explanations of the working of an economy
Normative economics: it is based on personal value judgements, it tells what should economy look like
Macroeconomics: studies and explains economy as whole
Microeconomics: examines individual decisions and particular markets