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 


Are you planning to take the CPE exam soon? Take a look at some other CPE Sample Writings:

Film Review "Vertigo". Click here.

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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.

Need more help?  Try these link: http://cpesamplewritings.blogspot.com/2013/07/useful-phrases-for-cpe-cae-fce-and.html

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

Are you planning to take the CPE exam soon? Take a look at some other CPE Sample Writings:

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