IELTS 학습(writing, voca) provided by other Blog

ROLE -MODELS FOR OUR GENERATION

Dreams do come true!!! For some like Sachin Tendulkar, it takes all of 22 years to become a reality but eventually, the long and seemingly endless wait, bore fruit. For others, the wait might not seem like one at all, as in the case of Virat Kohli, who played his first ever World Cup and reaped rich dividends almost instantaneously. Over the last weekend, when the enthusiasm of almost every Indian rose to a fever pitch as India won that elusive World Cup after 28 long years, I joined in the revelry as well in my own small way. I was overjoyed too. The excitement was thoroughly contagious and it managed to rub off even on the most confirmed cynic of the game of cricket.

I've always loved the game though and am proud to say that I've stood by the Men in Blue even at times when they were down in the dumps and ridiculed by the world at large, for not performing well-enough. So, this win was a truly stupendous moment and one that I will cherish forever in my memory. Although I was around way back in 1983, I was only about 4 years old then and so I don't even have a faint recollection of that momentous occasion. So, for me this World Cup win is the first one that I will be able to remember for a long time to come. It's a story I will be able to tell my grand-children some day, cause I was here when it happened.

There were a number of special moments in this World Cup and a number of people who made this event something to remember for a long, long time but I'd like to write about two special people that I'm really, really happy for and proud of. When I think of this World Cup win some years down the road, the faces of these two individuals is what will stay with me.

The first one of course, is Sachin Tendulkar. While it was his dream to hold that Cup one day and his entire team worked so hard in order to make that dream of his a reality, it was also a desire in my heart to see Sachin conquer that one final summit in the game of cricket, that had eluded him even after 6 World Cups. Like scores of others, I too have always admired the 'Little Master' for his dedication and perseverance. He has a steely resolve and an undying spirit in him that just refuses to give way. I admire the way he just gets better and better as the years go by, maturing like wine into the best you've ever tasted. It's been 22 years and he still seems to possess the energy and the determination to keep going for a few years more. Already into my 30's, I sometimes feel the strain of life catching up with me but Sachin somehow manages to overcome every hurdle along his path. He truly is an inspiration to the world at large and I'm proud to say, I was born in the same generation as him and lived when he walked the face of the earth. Men like him are born just once in a lifetime and I'm glad I've been around to witness his various achievements.

Without doubt, the second person I was really proud of was our 'Captain Cool', Mahendra Singh Dhoni or 'Mahi' as he is often lovingly referred to as. His composure on the field has been spoken of by many. His tactical decisions and his straightforward approach have also been applauded by one and all. Over and above all of these qualities though, what stood out for me about MSD was his humility. His ability and willingness to take a back seat is what had been most commendable. Right through the tournament, he led from the front but when it was time to bask and revel in the glory, he didn't hog the limelight all by himself. Instead, one had to struggle to find Dhoni in the images in the newspaper the day after the historic win. He just blended into the background so effortlessly; and so, what we saw was 'Team India' and not just the Captain who led the team. I think that was the most outstanding mark of his leadership. I admire a leader like him who can be humble even in the face of adulation of this proportion. To be able to stand his ground and not get carried away in the moment is something that I am so proud of him for. I hope that MSD will continue to be as humble as he was in those winning moments always, because it is that one quality of his that has made him rise up even higher in people's estimation.

The World Cup is now over but those proud and joyous moments will live on. I may never meet Sachin or Dhoni in my life-time. My acquaintance with them may just be restricted to the images I see of them on the T.V. screen every time they step onto the field, but these two men have left an indelible mark on my heart. More than their ability and mastery of the Sport itself, it is their human qualities that have touched me and appealed to me. I pray that they may always be blest in all that they do.

IELTS 학습(Listening, voca) provided by BBC Learn English New English

India 'telecoms scam' goes to court

Summary

13 April 2011

India's former telecoms minister has appeared in court over allegations of an almost $40 billion fraud. He is charged with accepting bribes in return for selling mobile phone licences for much less than they were actually worth.

Reporter
Sanjoy Majumder

Andimuthu Raja was forced to resign from the Indian government

Listen

Click to hear the report:

Report

Andimuthu Raja and seven others, including two former bureaucrats, will be produced in a special court, which is expected to hold daily hearings, in one of the most high-profile trials in India. He's been charged with conspiracy, forgery and abuse of power. If convicted, he faces seven years in prison.

Mr Raja is accused of selling second-generation mobile phone licenses in 2008, at a fraction of their real value, an action estimated to have cost the government nearly $40 billion in lost revenue. He was forced to resign from the government and was arrested in February and has been in prison since.

The telecom scam has badly damaged the reputation of the government, which has been hit by a series of corruption scandals. Last week, wide public protests, led by an anti-corruption crusader, forced it to begin proceedings to strengthen India's anti-graft laws.

Sanjoy Majumder, BBC News, Delhi

Listen

Click to hear the vocabulary:

Vocabulary

SHOW ALL | HIDE ALL

bureaucrats

officials who work for governments or other large organisations and follow rules very strictly

conspiracy

planning to carry out illegal activities

forgery

production of false or fake copies of something valuable (e.g. money or documents)

abuse of power

taking advantage of a position of authority in a selfish way

a fraction of

a small amount of

lost revenue

money which could have been earned

scam

illegal or dishonest scheme for making money

hit by

badly affected by

proceedings

an organised series of events or actions

anti-graft laws

regulations preventing powerful people from obtaining money dishonestly

IELTS 학습(Listening, voca) provided by Koreatimes

Physically challenged Korean tops Oricon chart

One day, a 15-year-old boy going through puberty was suddenly hit with an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). If something popped into his head, he had to obsessively think about it and he turned nervous when he did not act in a certain way. The cause for this sudden OCD was unknown. He was unable to concentrate in his studies and it was hard to make friends. Soon he was called the “odd boy” and was shunned. Teachers did not seem to care about him as well. For this lonely and bullied child, music was his only friend. When conscripted, he joined the marching band. Although there were many limitations with his life in the Army, he was happy for he had music. However, when he returned to the society, another misfortune affected him. Long exposure to loud sounds all day long caused his ears to become supersensitive. He had hyperacusia — a health condition characterized by an over-sensitivity to certain frequency ranges of a sound. The pain was too much to handle. After spending six months in bed and as soon as his symptoms started to show signs of improvement, he started to make music.  Just two years later, a song he had composed ranked first in the Japanese Oricon daily chart. The hero of this story is Shin Young-seop, 29, who is currently enrolled at the Pusan University of Foreign Studies in the business Japanese language department. He wrote “Love me,” the title song of a popular Japanese female group SDN48, which soon reached number one on the Oricon chart. The Japanese music industry was pleasantly surprised and has called Shin the “unknown South Korean who shook the Japanese pop music scene.” “I didn’t think about the emotions portrayed in Japanese pop music. I just wanted to express my longing of a bright life filled with meeting new people and learning to love someone,” said Shin. “That’s why the music is so upbeat. The simple melody is repeated throughout the song so it’s easy to sing-along to.” “I had depression when I was just lying around the house, suffering from auditory hypersensitivity. It still makes me cry when I think of that time. But the pain of the past has helped me mature. I’m even thankful to those who bullied me. Because of them, I found music.” In 2009, he made a one-man band called “AM Secret” but the reaction of the agencies was not good. Then late last year, Magic One Corporation, a Japanese record producing company announced that they were recruiting a Korean composer. Shin, who had applied out of curiosity, later went on to reach number one. It is significant that an amateur Korean successfully entered the Japanese music industry. After learning of his story, netizens started calling Shin the “Korean Beethoven” who overcame his disability and cheering him on.  It’s unknown if he will ever fully recover his hearing. “Even now, I can’t listen to music all day long because it hurts my ears. It’s fatal for a composer but I will never stop making music. It has helped me get through the hard times and has made me stronger. I intend to do music for the rest of my life.”

AP News from ybmsisa (Bernanke Confident On Recovery; Warns on Deficit)

The economic recovery will have staying power, but it won't be strong enough to quickly put Americans back to work.

That's the message from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Ben Bernanke/Federal Reserve Chairman:

If the pace of recovery is moderate as I expect,

a significant amount of time will be required to restore the 8.5 million jobs that were lost during the past two years.

But new government reports show that consumers are showing their resiliency in the face of tough economic challenges.

Shoppers boosted retail sales by 1.6 percent last month, spending on everything from cars and furniture, to clothing and household necessities.

Businesses are also increasing their spending. Many benefiting from stronger demand for US exports.

While the reports show the economy is growing, Bernanke cautions that record high budget deficits need to be scaled back.

Ben Bernanke:

Although sizeable deficits are unavoidable in the near term,

maintaining the confidence of the public and financial markets requires that policymakers move decisively to set the federal budget on a trajectory towards stable fiscal balance.

 Another government report shows that inflation remains tame, rising just one tenth of one percent last month.

That reinforced the Fed's policy of keeping interest rates at record-low levels for an extended period.

Some economists worry that policy will fuel another speculative bubble,

but the Fed says it doesn't see any forming and is closely monitoring the situation.

Mark Hamrick, The Associated Press.




Keywords & Expressions

ㆍconfident
ㆍdeficit
ㆍstaying power
ㆍFederal Reserve 미국 연방 준비 제도 (이사회)
ㆍmoderate
ㆍrestore 
ㆍresiliency
ㆍin the face of
ㆍboost 
ㆍhousehold
ㆍnecessities
ㆍbenefit ~에게 도움이 되다[이롭다]
ㆍdemand
ㆍcaution ~에게 경고하다[주의를 주다], ~하도록 충고하다[타이르다]
ㆍscale 단계로 되어 있다, 점점 높아지다.
ㆍsizeable
ㆍunavoidable
ㆍconfidence 신뢰, 신용, 신임
ㆍpolicymaker 정책 입안[수립]자
ㆍdecisively 결정적으로, 단호하게
ㆍtrajectory 곡선, 궤도, 궤적
ㆍstable
ㆍfiscal 국가 재정[세제]의, 재정(상)의, 재무의, 회계의
ㆍtame
ㆍreinforce
ㆍextended
ㆍfuel ~에 활기를 불어넣다[부채질하다, 자극하다]
ㆍspeculative 투기의, 투기 매매의, 투기적인
ㆍbubble 물거품 같은 계획, 사기, 협잡, 거품 사업, 거품 투기.

IELTS Speaking study about Polution

 What measures should we take to fight against pollution?

As you know nature and technology have brought so many changes in environment. 

I think  the world’s greatest environmental dangers are dung smoke and dirty water. 

In order to protect the world’s remaining habitats, we must stop and pay attention to 

what we are doing.

First, we must focus on what we have done to alter environment so drastically. 

Look at all of the changes that we have brought about. Some of them are changes 

in the atmosphere like sunlight, rain, and weather. Hazardous levels of toxic air and polluted waters 

have taken a turn for the worst too, causing fear-inspiring problems all over the world. 

Among many of points of professionals ,  air and water pollution seems to have be taken measures urgently. 

P. S  from 알츠스쿨 

For the world community, governmental bodies, they need to let

people know what the real situation of pollution is.  The public

should figure out what small things we can do in our daily life to

protect the environment. For example, quitting smoking is good for

our health and the air too.

The world community and governmental bodies should be 
a good example to the rest. If they just say words without action, 
no one will listen to them. They need to let others know 
they are fighting against pollutions in many ways. 
Meanwhile the public should follow their leadership 
to apply more in their own lives.