Report on the Annual Student Games in London

Introduction

The aim of this report is to describe my experience of attending the Annual Student Games in London, which took place in August of this year. This report will also give some recommendations for the organisation of next year´s event in Lima, Perú.

Accommodation, food and transport

Finding cheap accommodation in London was firmly easy. There were plenty of youth hostels and bed and breakfasts available, which offered incredible discounts to Latin American students. And, as breakfasts and dinners were included, I only had to worry about paying for lunch (8-10 dollars a day).

Travelling through London was not difficult. There were special buses which could take you for free to the venues of the sporting events.

The social programme

The event lasted a week and was packed with enthusiastic young people. Universities from all over the world sent their "champion Olympians" to participate in track and field, football, basketball and swimming competitions.

The highlight of the event was, of course, the closing ceremony, in which the winners were presented with a medal and a posy by no other than the Queen herself.

Communication

The organisers of the event had the innovative idea of announcing the schedule for the games via e-mail, as 99% of students use smart phones and iphones. However, there was a problem with the wifi signal in some parts of the city, which made internet connectivity slow and in some cases impossible.

Recommendations for next year´s games

I strongly recommend we follow in the London´s organising committee footsteps and offer accommodation, food and transport facilities to foreign students. I also believe we can adopt their communication-via-mobile-phone idea, but we have to make sure we will have a good wifi signal available in all the youth hostels and b&bs.

Finally I suggest we invite a huge celebrity or very important political figure to be present in the closing ceremony.

Gustavo Albarracín


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CPE Article: Life and the city

In some of the University of Cambrige ESOL Examinations (FCE, CAE, CPE) you are asked to write an Article. This is an example of a CPE Article. Click here for more on how to write an article. 

Life and the city

It is said that love is blind and it must be so. 
I have got a soft spot for cities, polluted or heavily congested as they might be. 
I would not like to live in the country at all !

There is something soothing about cobblestone roads and the reek of exhausted fumes. I can´t explain it, it just makes me feel at home. It may have something to do with having been born and raised in a city. One gets used to the odours and the noise, and the sight of the hoardings advertising beer and the queues at the bus stop.

It is not true what some anti-city people say, that they are difficult places to live in. On the contrary, more  and more people are choosing to live in them, as they have so much to offer, both socially and culturally.  There is the theatre, the malls, the 24/7 multiplex cinemas, the workshops, the concerts, and so on. In the city there is always somewhere to go, someone to meet and something to think of.

That is not the case of the country. I recently travelled to the hills, in the outskirts, to visit some friends of mine. What a nightmarish experience I had ! All that quiet and peace was nerve-racking. I was constantly, secretly, expecting something seriously bad to happen, just to escape from that silence and hear some noise!

Needless to say, I did not like it at all. I got bored to the bones and arrived at the conclusion I never want to return. So never mind how heavily country dwellers criticise cities, don´t believe them. It is true that in the cities we have  muggers and hooligans, but... we also have music, and people, and cosmopolitan bars and  ginger ale! and God, don´t we love ginger ale?

Gustavo Albarracín
words: 311

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CPE Essay: Alternative Energy

Alternative energy (title)

(intro/ state an argument)
It is a fact universally acknowledged that our coal and oil resources are not unlimited, reason for which it is vitally important to look for other alternatives to generate energy. It has recently been suggested by Dr Symonds that nuclear power is the best way to produce such desired energy, however, this is a highly dubious proposition.

(P1 -support your argument -idea1)

Firstly, the cost of producing nuclear energy is ridiculously expensive and in fact, totally unaffordable for developing countries. It would be infinitely preferable for scientists like Dr Symonds to take the economic factor into consideration and to suggest more realistic ideas on how to solve the lack of fuel problem.

(P2 -support your argument -idea2)

Secondly, the statement that nuclear energy is environmentally friendly, which was propose by Dr Symonds in a seminar n 12th June, is not entirely true. There is plenty of evidence that the radioactive waste produced y nuclear plants is actually a much worse polluter than CFCs and exhaust fumes.

(P3 -support your argument -idea3)

In addition to what has already been mentioned, I would like to point out that nuclear energy and radioactive waste are not completly safe. There is no need to recall the tragic incidents in Japan in which after an accident in a nuclear plant, a whole town was to suffer the lethal consequences of radioactivity, such as infertility, malformations and even death by poisoning. To make things even worse, the pollutants produced by nuclear plants are thrown into the ocean and this, far from being "environmentally friendly", will have cataclysmic effects on the planet in the not so distant future.

(conclusion)

To sum up, it is clear that the use of nuclear power has more than a few drawbacks, not only is it highly expensive but it is also dangerous both for people and the planet. Therefore, other forms of safer and more affordable energy must be pursued by the government and the scientific community. 

Gustavo Albarracín

#words: 350

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- Essay sample 1

CPE ARTICLE A NOSTALGIC TRIP TO BA

I arrived in the nick of time and managed not to miss my flight connection to Buenos Aires, the city of tango. I got my usual seat on the plane between the crying toddler and the overweight man, but I did not care, nothing was going to spoil my trip. There I was on my way to my favourite destination in the whole world. I could already smell the welcoming lunch with spit-roasted-pig and a bottle of fernet- the Argentinian´s national drink.

But no sooner had I landed that I started to feel nostalgic. Ezeiza airport had not changed a bit, everything was as I remembered. I changed some dollars into pesos, the local currency, and headed for the bus stop to catch the "colectivo", which is a kind of minivan that you can share with other travellers to save some money and enjoy a light-hearted conversation in Spanish.

On the way to my 5-star rented flat in Recoleta, one of the most beckoning areas in town, I went through the city centre, where the sight of the traditional buildings made me travel back in time. I was caught in a memory of me as a teenager visiting BA for the first time, registering in a derelict old youth hostel, but eager to go out and enjoy the city life.

As I got out of the van I was greeted by the friends I had not seen in years. I´m not the type of person who says that men don´t cry, so I did shed a tear, maybe two. I hugged and was hugged by my missed ones. I had just arrived but I was missing them already, and I promised not to leave for such a long time again.

Gustavo Albarracín 

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CPE Letter to the editor

(start with a polite greeting)
Dear editor  

(P1- state clearly why you write/ give your point of view)

I am writing in reply to the article about dangerous sports which was published in your newspaper on Sunday 8th July. I would definitely agree with the idea that such sports put people at risk and that it would be infinitely preferable for the government to ban them. 

(P2- support your point of view with arguments)

Having said that, it is also true that taking regular exercise is vitally important. For example, yoga, tai-chi and other forms of gentle exercise can do wonders for our health. As for more strenuous exercise, such as weight lifting and athletism, I believe they can be practised at gyms and other special places where people can be supervised by trainers and experts.

(P3- support your point of view with more arguments)

The main problem with dangerous sports -yatch races, for instance- is that they happen outdoor in remote areas where no control or supervision can be provided. Tragedies like what happened to that yatch in Hobart not only put the participants´ lives at risk, but also the ones of the people in the rescue teams. It is also important to mention that the operation to save the injured cost the state a fortune, which might as well have been used to do some social work in favour of  Hobart´s community. If we banned extreme sports we would avoid both of these problems.

(P4- same as 3)

Of course there will be sportmen who will complain when the ban is established. They will probably claim that their freedom to choose their leisure activities is being restricted, but surely you must understand that we would be doing it for their own safety. Others will probably state that we need not to worry about the cost of rescues as they can be assumed by insurance companies, but this is not necessarily true. As far as I am concerned such companies will only take responsibility of fifty per cent of the cost of rescue operations.

(P5- conclude/ state your opinion clearly -same as P1)

To sum up, I think that it is urgent for the government to take action and ban extreme sports now and for all. There is plenty of evidence that they are not only dangerous, but they cost us taxpayers a big amount of money, which could be better used to improve the quality of life of people in our city.

(polite closing)

Yours faithfully

Gustavo Albarracín

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Proposal sample

Proposal on how to attract more members

to theEnglish-language society

Introduction

The aim of this proposal is to give recommendations on what new events to organise in order to attract more people to join our society. It also suggests varied ways in which we can make our current activities more appealing.

The current situation

There are a number of cultural activities that we offer in our society such as the book club, which meets on Saturday afternoons to discuss a classic book, and the cinema group, in which a black and white film is projected once a month. While both events have proved to be popular among older people, mainly middle-aged women, there are very few young people showing interest in participating. As a result of this, the society has failed to grow and in fact our statistics show that we are actually losing members little by little.

How to attract new members

I suggest that we create events aimed at people in their early and mid-twenties. For example we can organize pop concerts, inviting the local bands who perform English covers, or fan clubs, where members can meet to talk about their favourite British actors or actresses.

We should also try to attract more males to our society and one way to do this is through sport. I recommend forming a football or tennis club. We can get together to watch the EuroCup matches or the Wimbledon games and then talk about them.

Regarding our current events, the book club and the cinema group, I think we should keep them but I suggest discussing modern books and passing premier films from time to time to wider our range of participants.

Conclusion

There should be no delay in creating appealing activities to attract new members, such as the suggested pop concerts, fan clubs and sport groups. We should also maintain the book club and the cinema group, which have proved to be successful in the past, but including the discussion and projection of some modern books and films which may be interesting to young people. 

Gustavo Albarracín
#words: 350 

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CPE Summary writing: A men´s club

The text illustrates how male prejudice has made it really difficult for women to participate in modern science. Whether accused of being evil o regarded as too weak to grasp the arcana of real knowledge, females have had to struggle to write their names in the history of science.

Nevertheless there are women whose talent we must not forget, such as Caroline Herschel and mathematician Ada Lovelace.

CPE Film Review: Practical Magic

Practical Magic is a Warner Bros film which was released in 1998 and was based on a book by Alice Hoffman. This supernatural comedy-drama is the story of a long distinguished line of female witches who are the victims of a curse as “any man who dares love an Owen woman is doomed to die”.

Sandra Bullock (Sally Owen) plays a young botanist who tries desperately to live a magic-free life only to find herself victim of the curse when her beloved husband dies. Nicole Kidman, her sister (Gilly Owen), has her own share of suffering when her love spell backfires and her delinquent boyfriend tries to kill her. This is actually the climax of the story when Sandra Bullock is forced to embrace her long-denied wiccan legacy to tap into the magic she urgently needs to save her sibling.

Even though Practical Magic has been severely criticised by Hollywood reviews, allegedly because of its light-hearted plot, there are a couple of strong points which  I like about the film and I believe are worth mentioning: The setting, for a start. The story develops in a lovely village which is a kind of New England and you can actually see what a wonderful job they did with the scenography. Then, there is the soundtrack, which includes one of my favourite songs of all times “This Kiss” by Faith Hill.

I would no doubt recommend Practical Magic to anyone who is fond of fantasy films like me, or who is interested in witch stories or magic.

Gustavo Albarracín 


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CPE Essay: Computers, friends or enemies?

CPE Writing task: After a class discussion on computers and the future, your English teacher has asked you to write an essay entitled "Computers: friends or enemies?" for her and your classmates to read.

Computers: Friends or enemies? (title)

 (introduction)

There has come a time in which we have become too dependent on computers. We rely on them to do very delicate tasks like controlling space vessels and under-water fast trains, but we also need them to perform ridiculous others such as calculating a two-digit equation. It is yet to be known whether computers will prove to be our best friends who will make our lives easier or an enemy who will take over our places as we become useless and lazy.

Picture from the film
"A Hitchhiker´s guide to the galaxy."

(P1 Arguments pro computers)

On one hand these machines do wonders when it comes to saving up time; take travelling or printing for instance. In ancient times people would have to walk for days to go from one village to another and books had to be handwritten. Furthermore computers are used for medical reseach and was it not for them the cure for many deadly diseases would not have been discovered. They have also proved themselves invaluable in physics, chemistry and biology, where numerous experiments on DNA and even cloning are currently being carried out.

(P2 Arguments against computers)

On the other hand we have grown so fond of technology and gadgets that we do not even use our memories to store basic information such as our telephone numbers any more. What for, if we can record them in our pocket-size laptops. but even more worryingly is the fact that the development of artificial intelligence and the creating of superintelligent robots could result in a world which is controlled by computers.

(conclusion)

Even when these arguments may seem exaggerated and we may not think we are at a real risk of ending up living in a world which is entirely dominated by computers - the way it happens in science fiction B movies-, I do fear we might become so dependent on them that our abilities would be diminished. So as I see it perhaps it would be a good idea to go back to counting with fingers.

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How to write an essay  

CPE sample writing: Proposal on how to improve the students´ diet

Introduction

The aim of this proposal is to provide recommendations for helping students improve their diet. The ideas presented in this document have been taken from the students´ suggestion box, which is in the entrance of the school restaurant.

Current situation

There is an urgent need for information among the students, who know very little about nutrition. furthermore most of them have never developed their cookery skills, which results in them having greasy snacks and fattening sodas for lunch. While the students´restaurant and coffee bars are popular, they do not have a wide selection of healthy meals or snacks.

Providing information

It would be a good idea to organise a talk by a dietician on what food young people should eat to keep fit and healthy. I also suggest starting a poster campaign at the school promoting the intake of fruit and vegetables. The posters can be displayed in the gym as well as on the boards of the library and the classrooms. It would be advisable to run a free course aimed at improving the students´ cookery skills. This could be done after classes as most students are free between three and five in the afternoon.

The school´s restaurant and the menu

The meals offered in the on-site food facilities are either unhealthy, normally chips and burgers, or nutritional but tasteless. It would be advisable to improve the selection of dishes to provide more attractive healthy options. This would result in more students having lunch in teh school restaurant and fewer students suffering from health problems and eating disorders.

Conclusion

There should be no delay in organising the provision of information to students. Plans for improvements in the school restaurant and coffee bars should be set in motion as soon as possible.

Gustavo Albarracín

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Proposal sample #2. Click here.

CPE Sample Writings: Summary writing: A leg to stand on

In the CPE exam by Cambridge, you will be asked to demonstrate your Writing and Use of English skills by summarising a text. This is an example of how to do that.

"Firstly the text illustrates two different perspectives of how communication in a hospital should be, the one from the hectic junior surgeons and the one from the fussy patients. Secondly it uses metaphors to describe how these two parties see each other: while doctors are the indifferent vessels of a passing Spanish Armada, patients are wild animals who are always complaining and waiting for the real pro to arrive."

Original text: "A leg to stand on" by Oliver Sacks
Summary by Gustavo Albarracín