Capital of Russian Federation

I am going to tell you about Moscow. Moscow, the capital of Russia, is one of the largest cities in the world. The total area of the city is about 900 square kilometers. It is political, commercial and cultural center of the country. About 10 million people live in the city. Moscow was founded in 1147 by prince Yuri Dolgoruky. Moscow stands on the bank of the Moskva river. Moscow is also one of the most beautiful city in the world. The heart of Moscow is Red Square, the central and most beautiful place in Moscow. Here one can see the Cathedral of St. Basil, the monument to Minin and Pozharsky, the Kremlin, the History museums and other interesting things. Some skyscrapers decorate Moscow including Moscow State University, the oldest university in Russia. It was founded in 18th century by Lomonosov. Moscow is a city of students. There are over 82 higher educational institutes in it. The are more then 80 museums in Moscow. The largest one is Pushkin museums. The world famous art gallery, the State Tretyakov art Gallery, is in Moscow too. Moscow is famous for it’s theaters. The best-known of them is the Bolsoi Opera House. Drama theaters and studios are very popular too. There are many parks and gardens in Moscow, that’s why its citizen like to spend their free time out home. The most beautiful one is Park of Culture. Moscow is also the seat of the Russian Federation Parliament ( the Duma ) and the Official Resident of the Russian President. I do not live in Moscow, but I think that it’s beautiful and worth seeing and in the future it will be better. i have been there in the year of 2002.

Russian Federation

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the earth’s surface. It’s total area is about 17 million square kilometers. The country is washed by 12 seas of 3 oceans : the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Arctic. Russia borders with many country. They are : Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Norway, Finland, the Baltic states, Belorussia and the Ukraine. It also has a sea border with the USA. The population of the Russian Federation is nearly 250 million people. The capital of the country is Moscow. It’s its largest political, scientific, cultural and economical center. Russia is very rich in mineral resources. There is gold, platinum, diamonds, coal, peat, oil, gas and wood. There are over two million rivers in Russia. The Europe’s biggest river , the Volga , flows into the Caspian sea. Others main rivers are : the Ob, the Yenisei, the Lena and the Amur. Russia is also rich in beautiful lakes. The world biggest lake - the Caspian sea and the world deepest lake - Lake Baikal are in it. Russia has one-six of the world’s forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in Far East. On the vast territory of the country there are different types of climate, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is continental. Russia has four beautiful seasons : winter , spring , summer and autumn. They are very different. The Russian Federation is a parliamentary republic. The Head of State is the President. He is elected for 4 years and his powers are limited by the Duma. At present Russia has some political and economical problems. (The price are rising, the rate of inflation is very high, people are losing their jobs and many factories are stopped). But I believe that in the future the young generation of your country will solve all these problems and they shall make “Great” Russia as strong and powerful as it used to be.

Visit to a sick friend

Everybody can fall ill with any disease. Fortunately, only cold and flu are quite frequent in our city among infectious illnesses. They are rather easy for the modern medicine and various pills can help you a lot in overcoming this trouble. But, of course, being sick isn’t a pleasant way of spending your time. In such situation friend’s participation in this trouble can encourage you, give you moral support and even can make yourself feel better. That’s why you always should visit your sick friends. You must remember that tomorrow this illness may happen with you.
I always try to follow this rule. Fortunately, my friends don’t fall ill frequent. But I remember such case that happened about 12 months ago. One of my best school friends had fallen ill with hard form of flu. Soon I went to his place to see him. I took some things that, as I was expecting, were interesting for him. Among them I brought a videocassette with best game moments of National Basketball Association. He was very glad for this present and soon we both were enjoying the outstanding games of the strongest basketball league in the world. Then I told him all last school news and everything about the material we had passed when he was absent. Then we tried to entertain ourselves and started to solve crosswords in the newspapers, to watch TV set, so we began to do all that everybody makes when he doesn’t know what to do. To my surprise, I lost the feeling of time and there was deep evening, when I understood, that it was a time to go to the home. When I was leaving for the home, my friend promised that he would be all right soon and he kept his word. In a two days he came to school and started to study various subjects with new energy. Sometimes a little interval is useful for a person. Modern medicine helps us a lot in a illness treatment. It also gives us many advises of how not to fall ill. Please follow these recommendations, and don’t be sick.

Books

Books can fit almost every need, temper, or interest. Books can be read when you are in the mood; you don't need to do it all the time. Books are both more personal and more impersonal than professors. Books have an inner confidence which individuals seldom show; they rarely have to be on the defensive. Books can afford to be bold, and courageous, and explanatory; they don't have to be so careful of boards of trustees, colleagues, and community opinion. Books are infinitely diverse; they run the gamut of all human activities. Books can express every point of view; if you need a different point of view, you can read a different book. Reading is probably the most important skill you need for successful studies. You will have to read lengthy assignments in different subjects with varying degrees of detail and difficulty. If you read inaccurately, you will fail to understand some of the information and ideas you read. If you read slowly, you will have to spent too much time reading your assignments and the rest of your work may suffer. Poor reading may be a problem for you, but it can be solved. Like other skills, your ability to read English fast and accurately demands careful instruction and purposeful practice. You must keep practicing on your own to improve your reading skills.

Sports in United States

Baseball is the most popular game in the US. It is played throughout the spring and summer by schools, colleges and professional teams. Football is the most popular game in the autumn. There are professional football teams in all the main cities of the United States. In American football there are eleven players in each team, as in the original football, but the rules are different. Players are often hurt in American football. So the teams wear special clothing and helmets as in hockey. Basketball is a very popular game in the United States too. It is especially popular in high schools, both among boys and girls. The game of golf is very popular with businessmen and professional people. It is played by both men and women. There are now more golfers than tennis players. Swimming, water skiing and skin diving are popular summer sports. In winter many people go in for ice-skating, skiing and hockey if they live in the Northern and Central states. Other sports include wrestling, boxing and horse racing.

Art in Moscow

Hello everybody today I want to talk about galleries in the capital of Russia city Moscow. The State Tretyakov Gallery is one of the best-known picture galleries in Russia. It takes its name from its founder Pavel Tretyakov, a Moscow merchant. In the 19th century Tretyakov began to collect Russian paintings. He visited all the exhibitions and art studios and bought the best pictures. Little by little Tretyakov extended his interests and began to collect earlier Russian paintings. In 1881 Tretyakov opened his collection in St. Peterburg to the public, 11 years later he donated it to the city of Moscow. Since then the gallery has received hundreds of paintings from other museums and private collections. The Tretyakov Gallery reflects the whole history of Russian paintings from the 11th century to the present day.Also I'd like to tell you about the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. The building was built in Greek style by Roman Klein in 1898 - 1912 to house the Museum of Fine Art, founded by the initiative of professor Ivan Tsvetaev. Since 1937 it has been known as the Puskin Museum of Fine Art. It has one of the world's largest ancient collections of European art. At present the picture gallerey has over 2 thousand works of various schools of painting which helps us to understand and appreciate the variaty of painting styles from over the centuries.The Pushkin Museum pereodically holds exhibitions of the art of various countries and of individual outstanding artists of the past and present.

My family

My family is not very big, just a typical family: Dad, Mom, me, and my sister. My mom is fifty-seven, she is a student at Tacoma Community College. She is a good student. She has studying abilities. My Dad is sixty, he is a professional contractor he works for a construction company. My parents are separate, which is really hurtful. My elder sister Ludmila is thirty-five years old, she lives in Russia, she wants to be a teacher of history. She likes to read books on history and fiction. She is married and has four wonderful kids, Tatiana, Anatolie, Michail and Ania. Her husband Pavel is a supervisor at construction company in Russia. He is forty-six years old. I want them to come here, so we would live all together, but it is hard today to get here.

Summer Trip

In August 2009, my mom and I decided to go and visit my sister and our relatives because we did not see them for four years. We took a month vacation from work. First we went to Ukraine in city called SEVASTOPOL, where my aunt lives. Sevastopol is a big city, it has many beautiful parks, many beaches, and other attractive things. My sister came there two. We were excited to see each other, she is my only one and older sister. Then my mom, my sister, my aunt and I went to my home country Moldova. We went there to visit my other aunt and my cousins. It was the best summer I ever had, but I cannot express everything that I feel in my writing because I do not know how to say all those words. I had so much fun that summer when I was visiting my relatives.

Summer Job

Last summer year of two thousand nine, I was looking for a job. I could not find any jobs, I spent the whole June looking for a job. One day, I get a letter from Tacoma Community College which says that I am eligible for work study. I got excited, and the next I went to Tacoma Community College Financial Aid Building which is bldg. 18, to fill out applications. I wanted to work on the campus, so they gave a job in Tacoma Community College Children's Center as helper in the kitchen. I had to wash dishes and prepare food for children that went there. Then I got transferred to different position, which was children supervisor and teacher helper. I was supervising children ages 3-6. I like children,so I loved working there. It was an easy and awesome job for me. I worked there three months, it was a good practice and experience for me. Now when I see children from my group they always tell me that they missed me because I was playing with them, and they liked it. Also, the teacher that I was helping, told me that I am really good with them. I hope that this summer I will get work study too, so I would work in that Children Center again.

My first Car

It was two years ago in the summer. I was working in McDonald's and I was thinking about buying a car, but I did not the whole amount of money for the car. I wanted to buy Honda Civic or Acura Integra. One day I told my dad about that, to see what he will advise me. Next day he came up to me and told me that he will help to buy a car, and also he said that he already found a car for me. I was really excited when he told me that. Three days after on Saturday we went to Federal Way to take a look at the car that he was talking about. I thought that it would be Honda or Acura, but it was not any of those cars. It was a car of my dreams for that time Mercedes-Benz. I was eighteen years and I had a Mercedes. I did not even think about that my dad would find, and will help me to buy that car. I was really excited to have it as my first car. It was really nice inside and out.

What I have learned from EAP 98 CLASS? What I still want to learn?

It is almost the end of the quarter, one week left. This quarter I have learned a lot of things. I have learned how to write essays, which was really hard for me before. I have learned how to find a main idea, significant details, new vocabulary words, and how to understand organization, all of these I have learned from reading lab. The next things that I have learned were: what is thesis and how find a thesis, what is topic sentence and how to find a topic sentence, what is hook and how to find a hook, what is an outline and how to write an outline, what is organization of an essay and how to organize an essay, all of these I have learned in EAP 98 class which was really helpful for me. Also, I have learned how to avoid run-on sentences and how to fix them, where we should put comma, what is dependent and independent clause, where we should use quotations, semicolons, hyphens, dashes and other. I learned what is peer review and how to do it. The things I still want to learn are: how to correct the essays, and how to write an argumentative essay. In conclusion I would like to say that EAP 98 class was really helpful for me, and I want to say thank you to Monica Monk(our teacher) because she taught us all of these things, she explained everything clearly, she is the best teacher I ever had.

My country

The name of my country is Moldova. It is a small and really beautiful country that is located between Russia and Ukraine. Moldova has many lakes, forests and other things. There are many villages and cities. People that live in the village have fields with grapes. That is why Moldova is popular; from grapes people that live in the village make good quality and tasty wines. The capital of Moldova is Kishinev. It is a big and tourists- attractive city. Kishinev has many attractions, parks and it also has my favorite candy factory called “BUCURIA” which means happiness. Candies and chocolates from that factory taste yummy; I missed that a lot. People that moved here, in the United States, always ask their relatives from Moldova to send those chocolates and candies because it is the best for them. I wish that sometime people would open this factory here in Tacoma.

What is most difficult for you about reading in English?

I am not a Native speaker. English writing is different from reading. Writers use difficult words when they write a book. Sometimes I do not even know how to pronounce those words. At first I would just give up on reading, I hated reading, but when I came to English For Academic Purposes 98 class I started to like it, and now I try to read every day. I read newspapers, magazines and some articles and news on the internet. I started reading a book called " Rich dad Poor dad". The most difficult thing for me is reading books for English classes. Because when I read I do not understand everything, but I try to use dictionary and find out the meaning of the words. Also, lately I try to watch movies in English and watch television. So I would know how to pronounce or say some words that I do not know.

Week 8 summary SPEED READING

This week I read couple of blogs. First I read Anatolie's blog. He said that he is not a Native Speaker and his reading is slow because some words are hard to pronounce. He does not understand some words when he is reading. Also he wrote that we should read every day to improve our reading. Second blog that I read was Khoa's blog he said that his reading is slow because when he reads he tries to remember what he read. He said that when he came to senate room he was a poor reader. Then he wrote the important steps of how to improve your speed reading, and rules that you should not follow when we read, which are vocalizing, word-by-word reading ,finger and pencil pointing, word blocking, moving your head( he said that when we read nothing needs to move except our eyes), numbers, one rate reading, regressing and lack of concentration. The last blog that I read was Tuugii's. He wrote that his speed reading is fast about 500 words in a minute. He also said that after speed reading class he came home and practiced it many times. He said that it was fun, and it can help him to become a good reader.

How to improve speed reading?

Yesterday, in building 11 senate room we had a speed reading class. I am not a native speaker, so my reading in English is slow, but yesterday I found out how to improve my speed when I am reading. The man that talked about speed reading was an English teacher his last name is Sandin. First he told us to do time reading for one minute and then count how many lines and approximately how many words in each line, and then multiply number of lines to number of words my result was twenty four lines and eleven words in each line, so my reading was two hundred sixty four words per minute. Then he told taught how to do a push drill. It means that you have to push your reading and try to read as fast as you can. He showed us how to read a page in ten seconds and then tell your partner what you remembered from reading. I thought it was crazy, but then I realized that it really works and helps you a lot. After push drill my score was three hundred seventy four words per minute. Thanks to him for showing us how to improve our speed when we read. I think that was helpful for all that came there.

Advising day and Future life

We had an advising day this Tuesday May 11, 2010. I went to my advisor and she helped to choose classes that I will take next quarter. She gave me recommendations and advises for my future education. I am taking EAP classes this quarter. I am trying to get good grades in those two classes. I really like those classes they help me a lot, especially my reading class. I did not like to read, before I took this class. The only thing that I don’t like about this class is, that we have to write essays. I know that teacher wants to teach us how to write essays, but it is really hard for me. I am trying my best to learn how to write a good essay. The classes that I will take next quarter are EAP classes, but higher level. In future I want to finish all my English classes and prerequisites for Radiology program. I want to be a Radiologist, but it is going to take so much time, energy and money before I become one. Another field that I would like to study is computer programmer. I always wanted to be a computer programmer. After I finish TCC, I want to go to University to get my Bachelor’s degree. After University I am going to be working as a Radiologist or Computer Programmer.

Important Event that changed my life

Victor Moraru
EAP 98
Monica Monk

It was almost five years ago. My family and I got an invitation to go to Embassy of the United States in my country, to take an interview for immigration to United States. In June, 2005 we went there, we were worried about it. We were sitting there and one of the workers called our last name we went there. Everything turned out better than I thought. We passed the interview and we got free tickets for flight. I was so happy that I am going to a new country that I never been to.
August 16, 2005 we are going to airport. My family and I were waiting for our flight. Our relatives were there too because they drove us and helped us to carry our baggage. Then the dispatcher called our flight. We started to say good bye to them my mom was crying because she was leaving her daughter and sister there.
The flight was really long and boring. It was my first time flying and was excited at first, but later I got so tired of flying for such a long time. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t because I wanted to lie down. We were flying for sixteen hours. We came to SEA-TAC airport and there my aunt her children and their husbands and wives, and also my grandma were waiting for us. I was so excited that we came and I finally saw all of them. Then we went to take our baggage and exit the airport.
When we went outside I was surprised and shocked for a moment because it is totally different from my country, the air is clean, the roads are not broken, so many cars, everybody is talking another language. The next day when I woke up I couldn’t figure out where I am, and what I am doing here. I thought that was a dream, but after a second I realized that it is not a dream. It is time to change life.
This event really changed my life a lot. I moved to another country, I learned another language and new culture. I started working, went to school, and started to drive. I found new friends, I grew up. Right now I don’t want to move back to my country, I like it here in United States, this is my home now. Life in the United States is easier and funnier than life in my country.

Victor Moraru
EAP-98
April 13,2010
Monica Monk
Descriptive Essay Draft 1

Life challenging issue

Everybody in the world has a challenge these days. My life is challenging too because I need to finish my education, get a well payable job and then get married. These days I am trying to get at least a part- time job, but I can’t find it because of the economic issue. I was trying to get a job since September. Today finally I got a call from one of the supervisors and he told me that I can come to interview tomorrow.

I think that life is a challenge because everybody wants to achieve something, but before they achieve it they should take a challenge. That could be a job, education or something else. These days the most common challenge for people is education because students are trying to get good grades in college, and they are trying to finish college and then transfer to university. When they transfer to university they are trying to get a financial aid because education in university is really expensive.

My life is challenging too because I am trying to get good grades and finish college too. I want to transfer to university, but it is matter of time. I want to get a job to collect money for wedding. These days everything is expensive, so if I want to get something I have to work hard for that. I wish that if I want to achieve something it would be easy for me, but that’s not going to happen.

In conclusion I would like to say that my life is really challenging. I try my best to get over these challenges. I hope that I will get what I want. Achieve my life goals. I wish this to everybody.