PRECIS 4

10 Signs It's Time To Quit Your Job

Link:http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20110328/ts_usnews/10signsitstimetoquityourjob;_ylt=AoM.ZA1YZ40S8qX43zLGtWes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTQzNXE5a2YyBGFzc2V0A3VzbmV3cy8yMDExMDMyOC8xMHNpZ25zaXRzdGltZXRvcXVpdHlvdXJqb2IEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM4BHBvcwM1BHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDMTBzaWduc2l0c3Rp

diminish- to become less; to make something become less; to deliberately make someone or something seem less important than they really are

The intensity of the sound diminished gradually.

Federalism is intended to diminish the power of central state.

I did not intend to diminish the importance of her work.

dread-  (v) if you dread somothing which may happen, you feel very anxious and unhappy about it because you think it will be unpleasant or upsetting; (n) feeling of great anxiety and fear about something that may happen; (adj) terrible and greatly feared
I dread the day when she finds out.
She thought with dread of the cold winters to come.
...a more effective national policy to combat this dread disease...
co-worker- someone who works with you, especially someone with a similar position or status in an organization, colleague, fellow worker
J:Cool, she's hot! But you said you don't date co-workers.
P: She's in a different depertment, so that doesn't make her a co-worker, just a workplace acquaintance.
mesh- a piece of material like a net, made from a lot of closely connected wires, strings etc.
The ground-floor windows are obscured by wire mesh.
...a wire mesh fence...
recession- a period when trade and industry are not successful and there is a lot of unemployment
...the recession in the building industry
The economy was in recession.
jeopardy- if someone or something is in jeopardy, they are in dangerous situation where they might fail, be lost, or be destroyed
His political career was in jeopardy.
The crisis put thousands of jobs in jeopardy.
tell-tale signs- signs that clearly show something has happened or exist, often something that is a secret
They examined the child carefully, looking for tell-tale signs  of abuse.
Especially when it was impossible to hide the sheen on her hair, the colour in her cheeks, the swing in her step- all the tell-tale signs of happiness.

 Here is  a list of signs which suggests that it's a high time to look for another job:

• You do not increase your knowledge

If you don't have any chance to broaden your mind and get new skills, you should definitely start looking for another job, where you would be able to develop your knowledge.

• You never have a morning when you feel happy that you go to work

It's a really bad situation if you always get up miserable that you have to go to work. It would be much better if you took pleasure in your job.

• You surf the Internet instead of doing doing your job

Be careful! You lose your time and your employer money.

• You don't cooperate well with your work fellows

There are always a few coworkers that are impolite and uncooperative. But if you can't stand all your colleagues you should really think about changing a company.

• You earn to little money and are not able to pay the bills

Try to find a job where they appreciate your qualifications and efforts and pay you more.

• You spend time looking over job offers

If you do it, it's visible that you feel not comfortable in your job and want some change.

• You haven't received a rise for two years

If you are hardworking and provide your company with benefits, you should be rewarded for it. Ask for higher salary! If they refuse, just leave.

• Your boss is terrible

Do you hate your boss and think he/she is a stupid idiot who only takes advantage of your time and work? Start looking for a more understanding and friendly employer, with whom you'll have a good relationship.

• The company is in bad condition

If your company is sinking, with no development perspectives it would be a good idea to think about a new job.

• Your job is connected with constant stress

Being stressed all the time influences you in a negative way. Remember that you should think positive and enjoy your life. 

 

Helping my friend with a move.

I got up very early today. I needed to submit a motion for a new passport, so I went to the office at 7 o'clock to avoid queues. Luckiliy everything was OK and I'll have na new document in two or three weeks time:)
Now I'm sitting in my kitchen and drinking a sweet coffee to get stronger:p I promised my best friend to help her with a move to a new flat. She said that I will regret it when I see how much stuff she has:p But I can imagine how difficult is to pack everything and decide what is necessary and what can be thrown out. She has lived in this flat for 4 years so I'm sure she collected many things. In fact, I've changed my flat 3 times during my studies and every time I had to ask my dad to help me. But I hope we'll manage to do it today and drink next coffee after all:)

we don't have a car:p

" NICE PRACTICE"

I had a training today. I have been waiting for it for a few days so I felt very exciting in the morning. It was a kind of legal training to help us broaden our knowledge about writing legal documents. It seemed very interesting. When I arrived at the university I saw a huge crowd which gathered in front of the door. Everybody wanted to take part in this training, however the class was to small to contain such mass of people. In addition to this, they started to fight about seats, pushing one another:/ So, we had to find another, bigger, free class. It took nearly an hour. Then the training finally started. The teacher discussed two articles from a code and and said he had to finish because we used our time. Then he left the class. "It was very helpful and exciting training". 

Do you know that a tomato is a fruit?

Technically speaking a tomato is a fruit. If you want to find out what makes a fruit a fruit and a vegetable a vegetable you need to answer the question: does it have seeds or not? If the answer is: yes,it does -you have a fruit. If it doesn't have seeds, it's a vegetable. 

Now I know that I was lying to my mother when she asked me if I ate some vegetables when I was away from home:D

In fact, I usually eat tomatoes and cucumbers which are also fruits according to this botanical definition. 

PRECIS 3

Atlantic oil spill threatens endangered penguins

Link:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110322/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_penguins_in_peril;_ylt=AoOX_NmTZaJEy8DZRdaoR7kDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTMxbzE5a3QwBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMzIyL2V1X2JyaXRhaW5fcGVuZ3VpbnNfaW5fcGVyaWwEcG9zAzUEc2VjA3luX2FydGljbGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNhdGxhbnRpY29pbHM-

coated with/in- if you coat something with a substance or in a substance, you cover it with a thin layer of the substance

Coat the fish with seasoned flour.

TV pictures showed a dying bird coated with oil.

remote- far away from other cities, towns, or people; far away in distance or space

My grandparents were from a remote village in China.

She had never imagined being able to visit such remote countries.

livelihood- your livelihood is the job or other source of income that gives you the money to buy things you need to live

...fishermen who depend on the seas for their livelihood...

As a result of this conflict he lost both his home and his means of livelihood.

impact- an effect, or an influence

Her paper discusses the likely impact on global warming or climate change.

Tougher environmental laws could have negative impact on economic growth. 

salvage- if something is salvaged, someone manages to save it, for example from a ship that has sunk, or from a building that has been damaged; salve is the act of saving things from somewhere such as damaged ship or building

The team's first task was to decide what equipment could be salvaged.

The investigators studied recorders salvaged from the wreckage.

...the cost of salvage...

rodent- rodents are small mammals which have sharp front teeth; rats, mice, and squirrels are rodents

Rat is a small, prolific and extremely intelligent member of the rodent family. 

She knows a lot about rodents.

vessel- a large boat or ship 

New Zealand has banned  vessels carrying nuclear weapons.

...a fishing/navy vessel

A huge numbers of penguins have been in danger of extinction after a cargo ship crash which happened last week on a distant British South Atlanic area. The Malta- registered MS Olivia which was carrying 1,650 tons of crude oil and 66,000 tons of soya beans stranded on Nightingale Island in the Tristan da Cunha group and then divided into two parts.The crew was luckily salvaged but this accident caused big harm to the environment.

Tristan da Cunha is homeland to 200,000 penguins. This number includes nearly 50% the world's sum of northern rockhopper penguins, which are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The oil from the ship covered the bodies of thousands of the birds,what was very dangerous to their life.

What's more, this accident is perilous for people living in the Tristan da Cunha chain. This area is home for about  275 people who depend on lobster fishery to provide the things they need to live.This is one of the most separated society in the world, visited only by boats from Cape Town nine times a year. People are worried that this catastrophe may have a negative imapact on a spawning grounds.   

There is also one more risk. People are concerned about rats, which may come from the wreck and eat the chick and eggs of native seabirds. 

To make the situattion better, the specialists from South Africa  arrived to measure the environmental devastation. In addition to this,penguins need to be taken to the central island for cleaning because the Nightingale Island has no access to fresh water. British government is very alarmed about the case but said that it is too early to estimate material and environmental damages.

This picture shows the Malta- registered MS Olivia grounded on the Nightingale Island

This picture shows three oiled rock hopper penguins

I chose this topic for precis because a few days ago I experienced a situation which looked like the one described in the article. I was going through the park and saw a group of small kids (4-5 years) playing together and singing Shakira hit "Waka Waka":p

By the way, I like this song too:p

Here in a bit modified version:p

PRECIS 2

Children still play the old schoolyard favorites

Link:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110315/lf_nm_life/us_britain_children;_ylt=Ati51ZgimgNjZSnAAffql0_VJRIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJvY3Bza2xkBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMTEwMzE1L3VzX2JyaXRhaW5fY2hpbGRyZW4EcG9zAzMEc2VjA3luX2FydGljbGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNjaGlsZHJlbnN0aWw-

coexist- to live or exist at the same time or in the same place

These communities have peacefully coexisted for centuries.

It is possible for local widlife to coexist with industry.

repertoire- all the songs, pieces of music etc., that a performer knows and is able to perform; the full range of things that someone or something can do

She has thousands of songs in her repertoire.

We teach the full repertoire of programming techniques.

subvert- to subvert something means to destroy its power and influence; to attack or harm government or estabilished system of law, politics etc., to destroy someone's beliefs or loyalty

They conspired to subvert the government.

They made an attempt to subvert the democratic process.

enrich- to enrich something means to improve its quality, usually by adding something to it, to make something better or more enjoyable; to enrich someone means to increase the amount of money that they have

Doing volunteer work has enriched my life .

It is important to enrich soil prior to planting.

garner- to collect or obtain a large amount of something useful or important 

His lawyer has garnered considerable evidence in his defence.

He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.

enact- when a government or authority enact a proposal, they make it into a law ( to make proposal into a law); if people enact a story or play, they perform it by acting; if a particular event or situation is enacted, it happens, used especially to talk about something that has happened before

The authorities have failed so far to enact a law allowing unrestricted emigration.

She often enacted stories told to her by her father. 

It was a scene which was enacted month after month for eight years.

multitude- a large crowd of people; the multitude or the multitudes- the ordinary people who have no power or influence; a multitude of- a very large number of people or things; cover/hide a multitude of sins- to hide a lot of faults or problems

A cheering multitude  greeted the Queen.

Can you imagine what effect that will have on the multitude?

The city's museums offer a multitude of cultural possibilities.

' Strong, centralized government ' is a term that can hide a multitude of sins.

According to a report published in Reuters, contemporary beliefs that children are completely dominated by computer games, mobile phones and television are untrue. Researchers at the Universities of East London, Sheffield and the Institute of Education spent a great deal of time observing the children's behaviour during the breaktimes at schools. They found out that children are still interested in old, common games like skipping, rhymes or hula-hoop. 

The researchers claim that playground activities still exist and what's more, cooperate greatly with modern kinds of entertainment connected with media. Kids take advantage of media and use it cleverly to their own goals. They imitate the action, the characters from television, computer games or pop music scene and then combine them with playground games. However, they do not simply copy it. They take basic elements and then create new stories and games. The new media stimulates children to be more creative and broaden their imagination.

For example, dancing and singing have been children's activities for ages but nowadays kids modernize them by refering to pop stars hits and Disney's films. 

Life

I'm trying to relax...from time to time I have some worrying thoughts..about my future...that it'll be difficult to make this legal training and than find a job..but I've to stop because it makes me very stressed:/

Keeping fingers for Robert Kubica!!!

I have just read that our famous Formula One driver who was a victim of a serious car accident that occured during the Ronde di Andora Rally last month is slowly recovering and has started rehabilitation. The doctors are quite optimistic about the future and say that Robert is very strong and determined. I wish you all the best Robert! I believe in you!

;)

After the wedding...it's high time to come back to reality..I mean to the psychology mainly. It's so strange and difficult for me, I can't understand it... especially I have a problem with question number 8... is the answer on pages from 100 to 110 in the book ( czynniki sytuacyjne, motywacyjne itd.)? Could somebody help? Because I am not sure...

PS.
I caught the bridge's bouquet :p do You believe in this superstition  that I should expect to be a new bridge  soon? Because all my friends( I mean girls of course:p) congratulated me on this occasion and I am a little bit confused:pp

Making preparations for a wedding....

Tomorrow is a day of massive shopping !!! I have to to buy a new dress, new high-heeled shoes, new handbag, new earrings and necklace. I need them for my cousin's wedding on Sunday. God help me!!! I hate such big shopping! It always makes me nervous because I have to waste a lot of time and money:(

PRECIS 1

No Smoking Day is a perfect time to stop smoking

Link:http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/02/28/no-smoking-day-is-the-perfect-time-to-stop-smoking-91466-28246251/

think ahead- to make plans about things that will or may happen in the future, so that you will be prepared for them
We're thinking ahead to the next meeting.
You must learn to think ahead if you want to get ahead. 
pledge- to promise seriously and publicly to do something
France, Germany and Britain were among the countries pledging their support. 
He has pledged to fight for a fairer system.
transition- the process of changing from one situation, form, or state to another
The author gives an interesting description of a society in tranistion.
It's not always a smooth transition from school to university.
ultimate- happening at the end of a process or activity
The incident affected the ultimate outcome of the war.
Independence remains their ultimate political goal.
discourage- to try to prevent something from happening ,especially because you do not approve of it or think it is harmful; to make someone feel less confident or hopeful
We hope the bad weather won't discourage people from coming along.
What she said didn't discourage me.
initiate- to make something start
The company initiated a management training programme for small businesses.
We shall initiate urgent discussions with our European partners.
eradicate- to get rid of something completely, especially something bad
Inflation will never be competely eradicated from the economy. 
They are already battling to eradicate ilnesses such as malaria and tetanus.


It's well known that many people who are addicted to smoking wish to give up. Smokers are afraid that their bad habit can influence their health badly. They are conscious of the danger however, they are not able to stop smoking.

Occasions like No Smoking Day in Wales, on March 9, are organised in order to support those who want to make an attempt to give up smoking. This year topic is "Time to quit" and it direct people's attention to the advantages of overcoming their addiction.

According to the research, the efforts to fight smoking are usually connected with significant changes in life, like marriage or setting up home. They may also be effects of illnesses. On the other hand, No Smoking Day organizers claim that any time is a perfect time to stop smoking. They inspire people to start thinking about positive sides of giving up. The profits are clear. After 10 years people become 50 % less probable  

to suffer from lug cancer than the smokers and after 15 years the chance of having a hearth attack is the same as for someone who has never smoked.

Desingers of Non Smoking Day believe that they manage to minimize smoking level in society. They also aim at protecting children from other people's smoke and decrasing subjection to second-hand smoking. Parents must remember that children imitate their behaviour and are more likely to begin smoking if they see that their parents smoke. In addition to this, the organizers adress the National Health Service and all health workers to encourage and help smokers to give up.

For more information about Non Smoking Day people can visit their official website: www.nosmokingday.org.uk