Conversation & Dialogue [ 15 ]

15- ] Conversation & Dialogue .

Buying Things & Shopping .

Salesgirl : Good morning , sir .Can I help you ?

Mr. Sadek : Yes , I’m looking for a present for my wife .

Salesgirl : This handbag is very nice , sir .

Mr. Sadek : Is it expensive ?

Salesgirl : Oh no , sir ! It’s quite cheap. It costs four hundred pounds .

Mr. Sadek : Four hundred pounds ! That’s too expensive , I’m afraid .

Salesgirl : Look at this vase , sir .

Mr. Sadek : No , that one’s too big . What about the one next to it ?

Salesgirl : Ah yes , sir . This one is smaller . And it’s cheaper .

Mr. Sadek : How much does it cost ?

Salesgirl : Two hundred pounds .

Mr. Sadek : Two hundred pounds ! It’s too expensive . And it’s too heavy .

==============

Mrs. Huda : How much is this bag ?

Salesman : Three hundred pounds .

Mrs. Huda : That’s expensive . What’s made of ?

Salesman : It’s made of real leather. It’s a very good bag .

Mrs. Huda : Hm !

Salesman : Those bags are cheaper . That one there is two hundred pounds . Who’s it for ?

Mrs. Huda : It’s for my husband .

Salesman : It’s probably too small for your husband . Um . It isn’t big enough .Now , this     one’s bigger .

Mrs. Huda : What size is it ?

Salesman : It’s size is big enough . It’s size seven .

Mrs. Huda : Yes . It’s the right size .

===============

Woman : I prefer that lamp . What do you think of it ?

Man : Oh , no !

Woman : Why don’t you like that one ?

Man : Because it’s too big and too expensive . We can’t buy a lamp which costs three       hundred pounds .

Assistant : Can I help you ?

Man : Yes . Would you show us a lamp ? One which is not too big , and which is not too expensive , and looks nice .

Assistant : This one looks nice . Here’s a lamp which looks nice . And here’s one which           isn’t expensive .

==================

 

Assistant : Can I help you ?

Boy : Yes , please . I want some coffee , some milk , and some sugar .

Assistant : Here’s half a kilo .

Boy : Oh , that’s too much . Have you got a smaller jar ?

Assistant : Is this big enough ?

Boy : Yes , thank you . May I have some milk ?

Assistant : A bottle of milk . And you’d like some sugar ? A small packet ?

Boy : Yes , that’s enough . And I need some tissues . A big box of tissues . No . Would you         get me two boxes , please ?

===================

Young Man : Excuse me .

Receptionist : Yes , sir ?

Young Man : Where can I get some flowers , please ?

Receptionist : There’s a flower shop on the corner of the street , sir . Turn right outside the   hotel . The flowers there are usually very fresh .

Young Man : Thanks .

===============

Mr. Hazem : Can you help me ? Where can I get some theatre tickets , please ?

Receptionist : At Fadel’s Ticket Agency . It’s across the road . It’s very good one .

Mr. Hazem : Thank you . Oh , and can you recommend a good show ? Is there a show that you want to see , for example ?

Receptionist : Excuse me . Ask that gentleman . I’m sure he can recommend something.

================

 

Assistant : Good morning , sir .

Customer : I want a suit , please .

Assistant : Yes , sir . What kind of suit do you want , sir ?

Customer : I’d like a dark grey suit .

Assistant : Dark grey ---- yes , sir . Size ?

Customer Size 48 .

Assistant : Very good , sir . Ah , here’s a nice dark grey suit in a hundred per cent wool.

 Customer : Yea , I like that .

Assistant : A very good suit , sir and only a hundred and seventy pounds , sir .

Customer : How much ?

Assistant : A hundred and seventy pounds , sir .

Customer : I don’t want to pay more than a hundred pounds .

Assistant : A hundred pound for a suit ?

Customer : Yes . No more then a hundred pounds ! Have you got something cheaper ?

Assistant : No .

===============

Assistant : Good morning [ sir / madam ] . Can I help you ?

Customer : Yes , please . I’m looking for a suit / a dress .

Assistant : Certainly . What size are you ?

Customer : Size 37 .

Assistant : Size 37 is over here . Now , would you prefer something plain or with a pattern ?

Customer : I’d prefer something plain .

Assistant : Here’s a very nice suit / dress . Very popular with our customers .

Customer : What’s made of ?

Assistant : It’s made of pure wool .

Customer : How much is it ?

Assistant : It’s three hundred pounds . Would you like to try it on ? [After 5 minutes ]

It suits you perfectly .

Customer : I think it is a little bit long .

Assistant : We can shorten it for you .

Customer : When will it be ready ?

Assistant : It’ll be ready by this afternoon .

Customer : Thank you .

=================

 

 

Customer : I’d like a present for my brother , please .

Assistant : What kind of thing are you looking for ?

Customer : I’m not sure .

Assistant : Something for him to wear ?

Customer ; No. I don’t think so .

Assistant : Well , what about a watch ? This is a very nice watch . Look .

Customer : Yes , very nice . That’s a good idea . How much is it ?

Assistant : One hundred pounds .

Customer : I’ll take it .

=================

Assistant : Can I help you ?

Customer : Yes . I’d like a present for my brother , please . And I know what I want .

Assistant : Oh , good .

Customer : I want a record .

Assistant : Oh , that’s a very good idea , sir . Something classical or modern ?

Customer : Something classical , please .

Assistant : Well , what about some Chopin ? This is a very nice record .

Customer : All right . I’ll take that .

Assistant : Thirty pounds , sir , please .

Shop Assistant : Can I help you , sir ?

Customer : Yes . I bought this record for my father last week . But I’m afraid he’s already       got it. Could I change it for something different ?

Shop Assistant : Certainly , sir . Have you got your receipt ?

Customer : Yes . Here you are .

Shop Assistant : Thank you , sir . Would you like to choose something now ? Or would            you prefer a credit note ?                                                                                                                                 

 ==================

   Samia : Oh , look at those earrings , Noura . They’re perfect for you .

Noura : These ones ? I’m not sure .

Samia : No , the yellow ones .

Noura : Oh , these ? Hmm . Yellow isn’t a good color for me .

Samia : Well , that necklace isn’t bad .

Noura : Which one ?

Samia : That blue one right there . How much is it ?

Noura : It’s $ 42 ! That’s expensive !

Samia : Hey , let me get it for you . It’s your birthday present .

=================

Sonia : Look ! These jackets are nice . Which one do you like ?

Radwa : I like the wool one better .

Sonia : Really ? Why ?

Radwa : It looks warmer .

Sonia : Well , I prefer the leather one . It’s more attractive than the wool one .

Radwa : Hmm . There’s no price tag .

Sonia : Excuse me . How much is this jacket ?

Assistant : It’s $ 499 . Would you like to try it on ?

Sonia : Oh , no . That’s OK ! But thank you anyway .

Assistant : You’re welcome .

==================

 

Customer : I want some apples .

Fruitseller : Apples ?

Customer : Yes , they’re fresh . They’re nice too .

Fruitseller : Oh yes , they are nice .

Customer : Excuse me ! Those apples , how much are they ?

Fruitseller : They’re cheap . Thirty pence for six .

Customer : Can I have three apples , please ?

Fruitseller : Certainly . Here you are . Three apples .

Customer : Thank you . How much ?

Fruitseller : Fifteen pence for three .

================

Customer : Good morning .

Assistant : Good morning .

Customer : I want a watch .

Assistant : A watch ?

Customer : Yes . A good one . About twenty pounds .

Assistant : Twenty pounds . Here’s a nice one .

Customer : Yes , I see . How much is it ?

Assistant : Sixteen pounds .

Customer : Hm . Can I see another one ?

Assistant : Certainly . Here’s a nice one . It tells the time and the date .

Customer : The time and the date ? How much is it ?

Assistant : Eighteen pounds .

Customer : Hmmm . Thank you .

===============

Simple Narrative -Art of Writing [ 1 ]

1- ] Art of Writing .

Writing Simple Narrative .

                 A narrative is a story that relates a sequence of events . The story may be true [ nonfiction ] or imagined [ fiction ] . A successful narrative involves realistic characters and situations brought to life with specific details .

The Basics of Narrative .

All narratives contain characters , setting and plot . Characters are the individuals in a story . Setting establishes a story’s time and place . The events that occur in a story make up its plot . Narratives may contain a conflict , or a struggle that triggers the action . In a narrative as in a movie , it is often the conflict or struggle that keeps the audience interested . The conflict in a story is what sets events in motion and makes the audience want to find out what happens . In the movie ( Jaws ) for example, the uncertain outcome in the conflict or struggle between people and shark creates a gripping story .

A conflict plays the same role in a narrative that a main idea plays in other types of writing . Just as all supporting details help develop a main idea , all events in a narrative help develop its conflict .

 As a character grapples with the conflict the plot builds to a climax , the high point of the story . The resolution in which the aftermath of the climax is revealed brings the narrative to an end. 

The Progression of Conflict in a Narrative .

Plot

              The Progression of Conflict in a Narrative .

                                          Plot                                   climax                          

                              ^                                         ^                                  

                                       ^

      ^                      ^                                                                             ^                conflict builds                                                

                                                                   ^                              resolution of conflict        ^      

^   

Tension   Introduction to conflict

Time -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A narrative plot might look like this .

3-]Climax .

 [ The “ high point “ when you know how conflict will be resolved ]

                                         ^                                                                   

                                         ^                  

                                                                                                                    

2-]Complication .  

 [ Development of characters and setting ]

^

    ^     

1-]Exposition .

[ Introduction of characters and setting ]

                                                                             4-] Denouement

                                                                             [ Resolution of conflict ]             The Types Of Conflict .

Conflict can be internal or external . External conflicts involve one or more characters and an outside force .Internal conflicts occur within a character .

To write an effective narrative you should .

1-] Include events that develop the conflict 2-] Build your plot to a climax. 3-] Create a resolution to the conflict . It is also called denouement [ the very end of the story ] . The short story ranges from 500 [ in the short-short story] to 15.000 words . It is very tightly structured with a formal development .                                                                              

   The Definitions of The Common Elements of a Story.

1-] Setting = The place and time n which the action of the story occurs . The location can be real or imaginary . In a myth , the time is usually the past .

2-] Characters = The people , animals or gods [ myths ] that participate in the action of the story .

3-] Conflict  = The struggle that is central to the story . It can be external [ a struggle between characters or forces] . The external conflict can be 1-] Person against person . 2-] Person against nature . 3-] Person against society . 4-] Person against fate . The internal struggle within a character or characters . It is a mental struggle between opposing thoughts or feelings.

4-] Plot  = The story’s sequence of events . A plot revolves around a conflict and builds to a climax that is later resolved .

5-] Theme = The message or main idea of the story . The theme may or not be stated directly . 

Composition & Essay Writing , Garbage , Beauty Contests [ 43 ]

43- ] Composition & Essay Writing .

53-] Garbage .

                  Garbage means any worthless , unnecessary or offensive matter or spoiled or waste food that is thrown away or animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling , storage , sale , preparation , cooking and serving of foods . Garbage may refer to waste also known as rubbish , trash or junk undesired material .

The Litter Problem .

                  The amount of litter that ends up spoiling the beauty of the natural environment is not surprising , considering the amount of waste we produce . Glass bottles , plastic packaging , tin cans , newspapers , cardboard and other types of garbage litter urban and rural landscapes everywhere . Egypt for example produces about 25.000 tons worth of what is known as municipal solid waste [MSW ] or more than 9.12 million tons of trash each year , besides a mountain of missed opportunities in recycling jobs and revenues . Naturally litter can last for a long time depending on the disintegration of the garbage . For example , aluminum cans do not disintegrate and some plastics take decades to break down . Discarded food can also become contaminated with microorganisms that cause food poisoning .

 Some major threats of trash – or home garbage .

 1-] Bacteria . Spoiled food can harbour millions pf bacteria which in some cases could lead to food poisoning or many diseases .

2-] Toxin-producing molds . Certain rotting foods such as cheese , grains and pasta are ripe environments for a variety of molds which produce toxins that affect the nervous system .

3-] Poisonous household items such as medications , chemicals such as household cleaners , batteries or insecticides .

Birds , mammals and reptiles can be injured or killed by the trash we throw away . The magnitude of the problem is growing every day , especially because some types of litter do not readily disintegrate and therefore remain in the environment as a threat for decades . To help protect wildlife and natural habitats , local cleanup campaign and recycling plants must be implemented .

                    For over two decades , recycling has been the rage in Western societies as people came to realize that the world cannot afford to go on producing paper and plastic products from globally finite supplies of raw materials . A United States Recycling Economic Information Study for 2000 showed that the recycling and reuse industry employed over 1.1 million people in the US and grossed more than $ 236 billion in annual revenues . While employment in the US grew only 2.1 % annually between 1967 and 2000 , the recycling industry saw 8.3 % increase in employment during that same period and a 12 % increase in annual sales . Figures from the US Environmental Protection Agency estimate that in 2005 Americans generated 238 million tons of MSW each year , approximately one-third of that or m79 million tons was recycled .

                In Egypt recycling programme could improve the nation’s economy .  Garbage is being collected by workers who are called Zabaleen . By comparison , Egypt’s recycling efforts are still primitive , inadequate and incomprehensible . Of the 25.000 tons of MSW Egypt produces every day , just under 70% of it is managed by public or private sector garbage collection operations . The remainder accumulates on city streets and at illegal dumping sites , most of them outside city limits . Only 21 % of the country’s total waste is MSW. Mishandling of waste threatens Egypt’s natural resources , heritage , health and welfare . The wind helps lighter items such as plastic bags escape to roam free , but much of the refuse i.e. eventually burned , adding toxic smoke to Cairo’s already catastrophic air pollution . According to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency             [ EEAA ], the breakdown of municipal waste is 10-25 % paper , 3 – 12 % plastic , 1 – 5 % glass , 2 – 7 % metal , 2 – 7 % fabric and 11 – 30 % miscellaneous items . 52 % of all MSW is produced by Cairo’s population of more than 17 million – that is about 13.000 tons of trash every day . The city’s garbage is handled by one of three organizations : the Cabaleen [ the community of garbage collectors ] , one of the five private-sector cleaning companies contracted by the city [ disposed of by dumping in governmental designated land fills ] , or collected by the Cairo Cleaning and Beautification Authority [ CCBA ] . Until recently , Cairo relied almost entirely on the inexpensive door-to-door garbage collecting service offered by the Zabaleen who transport the teetering piles of refuse in the back of small pick-up trucks or donkey carts .In Manshiet Naser , a community of 40.000 people , they spend hours manually sorting glass , plastic and cardboard , paper , tin and clothes , all of which is resold to local factories that wash compress and resell the materials as either raw materials or end products . According to the EEAA statistics between 390 and 1560 tons of plastic are collected every day . If every gram of that was recycled into beads , local producers could save LE 273 million to LE 10.92 per day – just from one day’s haul of trash. Glass is collected and sold to glass factories , while aluminum and copper are melted and sold to dealers in Gamaleya . Fabrics are shredded to produce stuffing for cheap mattresses and cushions . Even the organic waste is reused as it is fed to the pigs , most of the area’s residents raise .

                        There is a number of suggestions for recycling as the whole system of solid waste management needs to be revamped . At the individual level , citizens must be encouraged to separate their trash at home , while manufacturers should increase their use of recyclable materials in their product packaging and reduce unnecessary packaging to cut waste . Public awareness campaigns can also promote information available on recycling its environmental side effects and potential benefits as well . Recycling benefits all levels of the production chain . It preserves the environment , provide new products for consumers and offers producers substantial savings on the import of raw materials . Many Egyptians practice their own form of recycling at home .It is usual for many people to reuse newspapers to wrap packages , refill glass and plastic bottles with water in the refrigerator , and save plastic shopping bags for reuse . Some food and detergent packaging make useful storage containers . Still it is a long way from blue-box-style recycling in which consumers separate paper from plastic , from glass , then leave the goods at curbside for paper collection .

How to benefit from garbage ? [ An experience from Canada ].

There is an example from Canada of how to deal with garbage . Klean Industries – a Vancouver-based company is one of the first companies worldwide to focus exclusively on clean technologies [ clean-tech ]and renewable energies . It is an environmentally conscious , low-carbon industrial solutions company focused on methods that involve renewable energy resource recovery and recycling . Its primary applications consist of converting waste streams into valuable commodities such as pipeline syn-gases , diesel fuel , various fuels , methanol , ethanol , carbon blacks , advanced materials , steel , fiber , animal feed , fertilizers , composts , dried organics , water , thermal energy and electricity . The clean systems are designed to handle almost any commonly generated waste stream , whether liquid , solid , mixed or unmixed ( including whole tires , all types of plastics , shredder residues , sewage sluge , animal wastes , biomass , ligneous and infectious biohazard medical waste ) and represent an environmentally friendly and commercially viable alternative to traditional methods of processing waste . Klean Industries sees waste as a resource that offers opportunities for the recovery of value-added materials and valuable energy.  It strives to create value from each and every kind of waste stream .

 

54-] Beauty Contests .

                           A beauty contest is a competition based mainly on the physical beauty of its contestants , although such contests often incorporate personality , talent and answers to judges’ questions as judged criteria . Winners of beauty contests are often called beauty queens .

                       The ancient European custom of choosing symbolic kings and queens for May Day and other festivities , wherein attractive young men and women , symbolizing their nations’ virtues and other abstract ideas , were picked out laid the foundation for the modern beauty contest . P.T. Bartum was the man behind the first American pageant staged in 1854 , but public protest forced him to give up the idea . As early as 1880 , the first Bathing Beauty Pageant of Rehoboth B each Delaware took on the challenge as a means of promoting business and these beauty contests have now become a regular feature of summer beach life as well as great advertising platforms for beauty and products related to the good life often associated with it .

                        A beauty contest or pageant is essentially a competition based mainly , but not entirely on the physical beauty of its contestants . Most beauty contests for men and women are separate events and for the former , these competitions are not referred to as beauty contests but rather as physical appearance and display of strength pageants . Women winning a beauty contest are given the title of a beauty queen , runner’s up regarded as princesses or equivalent while contests for men are judged as body building competitions . Till about 15 years ago , the main focus of contests for men was on the unnatural muscle mass of the  contestants and their physical attributes but now the judges’ look towards other attributes like emotional and intellectual responses as well as awareness on current issues of the male contestants . Some of these include Mr. Universe , Mr. International and Mr. America for men while Miss Universe , Miss World , Miss International , Miss Earth and Mrs. World [ for married women ] are some famous beauty pageants .

                       Major international contests for women include the yearly Miss World competition [ founded by Eric Morley in 1951 ] , Miss Universe [ founded in 1952 ] , Miss International [ founded in 1960 ] and Miss Earth           

[ founded in 2001  with environmental awareness as its concern  ] . These are considered the four largest and most famous international beauty contests . Minor contests such as the Miss Bondi contest in Australia are common throughout the world , especially in summer months . Women from around the world participate each year in local competitions for the chance to represent their country’s international title .

                   Child Beauty Pageant is for contestants from 9 to 18 years old . Divisions include talent , interview , sports wear , casual wear , swim wear , Western wear , theme wear , outfit of choice decade wear and evening wear , typically wearing make up as well as elaborate hairstyles . The contestants wear custom fitted and designed outfits to present their routines on stage . The Little Miss America pageant began in the 1960s at Palsades Amusement Park in New Jersey . Originally , it was for teenagers from 13 to 17 years old , but by 1964 there were over 35.000 participants which promoted an age division . The modern child beauty pageant emerged in the late 1960s held in Miami , Florida . Since then , the industry has grown to include nearly 25.000 pageants . It is an increasingly lucrative business , bringing in about a billion dollars a year .

                      There are certain rules for beauty pageants or contests . If you are new to beauty pageants , you might not realize all the different types of pageants . There are glitzy pageants , natural pageants , semi-glitz pageants , face pageants , online pageants , online photo contests , scholarship pageants and coed pageants . Each type of pageant has its own rules and guidelines .

                     As for glitz , glitzy or full glitz pageants , they are the everything goes  pageants . Contestants – even young ones wear hair pieces , wigs or wiglets , full make-up and flippers . Flippers are fake teeth that make the contestant appear to have perfect , dazzling white teeth . These contestants don pageant dresses that are super expressive and embellished with hundreds of Swarovski stones . You will need a color that looks good on the girl and one to catch the judges’ attention . The contestants in the older categories wear dresses that do not have so many stones . Almost all the girls in the pageant will have a perfect spray tan . The dresses in a glitz pageant make up a large percentage of the total score , as do stage presence , personality and poise . The way the girl walks and acts on stage is important.   You will also need some glitz photos , along with some natural photos .

                       Concerning the natural pageants , the girls usually wear simple flower girl dresses or Sunday school dresses . Some even require the girls to wear jeans and a tee shirt . Make up is usually not allowed on girls under 6 , and even older contestants should wear minimal make up . Hair pieces , wigs , wiglets and flippers are generally not allowed . Natural pageants are more concerned with natural beauty and some score personality , poise and stage presence . The outfit will not be judged .

                     The semi-glitz pageants ae basically just a toned-down version of a glitz pageant . The dresses won’t be quite as fancy and the hairdos won’t be as big or elaborate .

                     In a face pageant , the judges are interested only in the contestant’s face , usually without make up or with light make up . Personality is sometimes judged too . Generally speaking the contestant is usually called in front of the judges and asked a few simple questions . The stage walk is not usually judged . Model scouting agencies often have scouts at natural pageants and contracts are sometimes offered to contestants .

                    The scholarship pageants can be glitz , semi-glitz or natural . With most scholarship pageants , the older contestants must have a platform – a cause they believe in . They must go through an interview and sometimes have to give an onstage speech . They are also usually asked a question on stage .

                     The co-ed pageants are for both males and females . Girls and young ladies of all ages may usually enter m but only little boys under 6 are usually allowed .

                       Critics of beauty contests argue that such contests reinforce the idea that [ usually young ] women should be valued primarily for their physical appearance , and that puts tremendous pressure on women to be beautiful by spending time and money on fashion , cosmetics , hair styling and even cosmetic surgery . This pursuit of physical beauty even encourages some women to diet to the point of harming themselves . Although some competitions have components that are not based purely on physical appearance , “ unattractive “ contestants are unlikely to win , no matter how talented , poised , intelligent , educated , resourceful or socially conscious they are . Rather than providing women with opportunities , it can be argued that beauty contest hurt the prospects of women who do not fit current cultural idea of beauty because these contests promote the idea that those who fit this idea are “ better “ than those who do not . Some contests or pageants require a swim suit for a portion of the competition which emphasizes the physical bodies of women , some claim in undressed state .

                       Some critics of beauty contests think they are demeaning to women . Mainly , the argument is that these contests demean women because they focus only on what women look like . So these contests portray women as sex objects whose main value is in their looks [ and their ability to, attract men ] .

                        The way in which the contests are demeaning is that they flaunt a woman’s external beauty , cause over a female’s sexuality [ even young children in beauty contests are made up to look like sexually older females ] , women are only valued as a decoration , the girls and women are subject to horrid comments by bystanders and other participants’ families who make negative remarks about them and they represent a certain stereo—type that is not a national or universal standard for the normal female .

                        In so far as a beauty contest is highly marketable commodity , it is demeaning to women . Although in a beauty contest , it is nit merely the physical charms alone which matter , but it is undeniable that the sexual erotic aspect plays a major role in the contest . Else , the swimsuit competition would not have been included in the contest , a competition which surely commodifies the female body by putting it under public gaze and assessment of the woman’s vital statistics . These contests are highly sponsored global events and heavily controlled by the market .

                      In a study published in 2005 , a small control group of eleven women who had competed in beauty pageants as children were compared to eleven women who had not competed . They were compared in different areas , such as BMI , age and overall body satisfaction . In general , this limited study found that those who competed in beauty pageants as children were more dissatisfied with their bodies and had greater impulse disregulation and trust issues than those who did not participate but showed no significant differences in measures of bulimia body perception , depression or self-esteem .

                      Parents can also contribute to the sexualization of their daughters in very direct and concrete ways – for example , by entering their 5-year-old daughter in a beauty pageant in which she and the other contestants engage in behaviours and practices that are socially associated with sexiness : wearing heavy make up to emphasize full lip , long eyelashes  and flushed cheeks , high heels to emulate adult women and revealing evening gowns .