How much money should we save if we teach cleaning as a course in schools and Universities?
We must design a good course about teaching all th people how to be clean and how to keep th invironement clean. i think that billions and billions will be saved and can be spent on developing poor areas through all over the world. So please teach people a course of cleaning.
Why in the story of Hemingway; The Old Man and the Sea, the old man did not cut the big fish into pieces and gave the sharks some of them?
There is no suffering in this life equals living as a stranger in one's own country. Such a life is another kind of death. Those who live in their own country deprived of the simple rights of life are dead people. The feelings of strangeness create sorrows and finally depression. The strange person in his own country feels completely isolated from real life. Such isolation makes him/her live alone. In fact, feeling loneliness might lead the individual to madness or hatred of his own life. The problem is that the consequences of feeling loneliness are unknown. So enjoy your life as it is and participate in your society even if your morals and values are different. If the conflict takes place do not panic, just continue without making concessions and try to be independent in your own thinking, that might bring you some rest. Please put your comments, and thank you.
A lot of people do not know how to enjoy peace of mind. They look for peace of mind everywhere, but they cannot get it. Only few people know that peace of mind lurks in reading and writing. Therefore, the one who reads enjoys peace of mind because he/she finds great things in reading that can relieve the brain and the body. In addition, if one writes he/she feels great relief because writing down things evacuates the brain and the body of tension that exhaustes them. please put your comment.
Civilisation is a big word. It contains all kinds of culture and heritage. In short, we can civilize the uncivilised through spread of culture and education. Of course this task is not easy, because through the process we'll face objections by ignorant people. However, we'll continue civilising them through education if we find good and smart brains to understand and respond. In case, of facing great troubles it is better to leave the uncivilised and migrate to a civilised world. please put your comment.
We always sin;
we always forget;
but His forgiveness is so great.
He is the merciful in heaven and earth;
and the compassionate in life and death.
Allah is so great.
Allah is so great.
Written by Dr. Kamal Arkan.
I always sing this song when I feel sad. Please sing it, you ll be happy after that.
please put your comment.
This is an old story from tradition my grandma used to tell us when we were kids. She said, once upon a time an old woman wanted to see how the devil works. One day the devil appeared to her and she asked him about his work. He took her to a ruined house and opened an old cupboard. In the cupboard she saw a stone, a stick, and a sweeper. Then he said to her these are my tools and I use them 24 hours. The old woman asked him about how he used the tools? He replied that he uses the stick to beat the kids to make noise to irritate the parents, and the stone to make rich people sick not able to eat, and the sweeper to clean the stomach of the kids of poor people to make them hungry all the time. The old woman was terrified and ran away and never asked again about the jobs of the devil. God protect us. please put your comment.
Let us be more civilized
When I drive my car anywhere in the world I try my best to stick strictly to the rules of safety and good driving. Such sticking to rules will create the good and safe habits of driving. Before you get in the car please check everything outside like the tires, mirrors, and check under the car, its front, and behind it. If it is safe get in the car and start it. Before moving your car, heat it a little bit, and check everything inside. When you drive pay attention to the surroundings, fasten your seat belt, and use the signals. In addition to that abide to the rules of speed, and try to be liberal with other drivers, even if some of them, are rude, savages, and uncivilized. Finally, to avoid tickets always check your documents in particular the insurance policy. These are some tips of good and safe driving, but what about bad habits and driving?
If you travel and observe drivers you find that some of them have bad habits. In this realm, the bad habits are so many. For example, driving and talking with passengers, friends, or family members is a deadly habit that might lead to death. High speed, unfasten seat belt, and talking in the mobile phone are dangerous bad habits and they will lead to fatal accidents and may be death. If you want to talk in your mobile phone just pull over the road, stop and talk. In addition, carelessness, showing off, and breaking the rules of traffic are also bad and deadly habits.
In fact, the most important thing in driving is the proper use of signals that direct other drivers and warning them. The proper use of signals is a priority like fastening the seat belt and the law must be enforced against those who do not use the signals. For instance, if you want to go to right or left use the signals to show others where you are going, also if you want to stop or to reduce your speed for emergency use the flashers (flash light). This will lead to safety and it will reduce accidents by 90%.
In addition to that, when you drive your car do not throw your trash on others, instead keep a sack or a trash bag in your car to throw things in it, and try to be sensible, civilized, and polite by keeping the environment clean. Not only that, but try also to be more polite with others and do not scratch yourself like a monkey while you are driving your car, or clean your nose and teeth, just stop and do your things outside the road. Moreover, do not jump over the curbs or hit the walkers by your car. Let us not forget the priority of those who are in the round about to pass first, and school children near schools or in the inner roads of the town. Also old people, ladies, and kids must be respected and must be given the right to cross particularly in pedestrians areas.
When you drive do not block the way of others by crawling in fast lanes on the highways. If you want to crawl go to the far right lane and crawl there. The police must observe the fast lanes and if they find a crawler in fast lane they must fine him and send him to the right one. It is impossible that all the lanes on the highway must go on one speed. Lanes must be divided according to the lawful speed limit of each lane. You can be civilized by parking your car in the proper way in the proper place. If you are under age do not drive and use public transportation. The hospitals are full of young people who suffer from car accidents due to ignorance and negligence. If you are tired or sleepy just stop your car take a rest then continue your way or sleep and restart your journey in another time "do not race with time".
For the truth, what makes us angry in many countries is that most of the drivers do not pay attention to safety rules and driving rules. Please, try to be civilized, polite, and liberal when you drive your car and remember that your soul is dear and other's souls are also dear. If you cannot abide to the rules of safety and good driving, then go back to the camel and do not drive at all, otherwise, the others will say that you are a savage, impolite, and ignorant. When you drive do not disturb people by the horn or by the light give them the chance to change the lanes to let you pass. You must always remember that the road is for all the people it is not only for you. So, please be civilized when you drive your car, because the rules are put to be followed by all for safety and happy life.
Finally, signs of civilization can also be seen in the good roads and the good guiding boards of instructions, and the enforcement of law on all people without any discrimination. One cannot forget the saying that: "good laws make good drivers". Civilization can also be seen in the good treatment of people by the traffic police officers. From my own point of view, to be more civilized, I see that the so called" Third world", must send its Officers to the West to study there and learn from them the meaning of civilization and the human application of rules, regulations of traffic, passport, investigation, and immigration.
Dear Moderators at the EC,
Hi to all of you. We all know that the EC is a great place for learning and teaching English, therefore, to get rid of the troubles of the learners in the chat room, I hereby suggest another chatting room for teachers only. In such a room teachers can discuss matters and issues of teaching, problems of learning, and the best ways to solve such problems. I also suggest to create a forum for teachers of English, in addition to a page of creative writing and short stories. Please put your comment and thank you very much for your kind cooperation.
"To Ali
Baba and his forty thieves"
Oh Ali Baba, take thy chairs and leave.
Oh great thieves, take the money and leave,
For fifty years, thou have stolen our
Ragheefs, (loaves of bread).
For fifty years we have not seen happiness
or relief.
Please, leave us without sadness or grief.
Please, leave, and let us enjoy our
Ragheefs.
Oh Ali Baba go, go, go and thy forty
thieves.
We do not want thee, just take your bag and leave.
By Dr. Kamal Arkan. 20-7-2011.
"Ode on
Solitude" by Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
Analyzed by Dr. Kamal
Arkan 7-8-2011
How we analyze a poem?
The elements of analysis of a
poem are genre, the speaker, the subject, the structure, setting, imagery, key
statements, and the sound of poetry, language use, and intertextuality. In
addition to the way the reader is formed by the poem, the poem's historical
placement, and ideology or 'world view'. (See Critical Reading: A
Guide). These elements will help us in understanding and analyzing the
poem.
First we read the poem. After
reading the poem we look at the difficult words and find the meaning from the
dictionary. Then we read the poem again trying to understand it. The third step
is to attempt to read the poem in context if possible. Such reading will
facilitate the process of understanding and analyzing the poem. If you find
difficulty try to read other people's interpretations of the poem or other
poems to learn from them the steps of analysis (See Practical Criticism,
by I. A. Richards).
Before you start the analysis,
try to assign the genre of the poem. For example, this poem; "Ode on
Solitude", is an ode which is a song or a sonnet. The speaker or the
narrator is the poet himself. The subject is the happiness of living in
solitude. The structure in this poem is well-built. The setting is a farm in a
country side. The images are very clear, they are not so complicated. The
similes, the metaphors, and the tone, all are simple and help us to see the
poem as nostalgia or a wish. Finally, one must look at the point of view of the
poet, if it is not there; try to form your own point of view with the help of
steps of analysis like looking at the title, the theme, the tone, the movement
in the poem, and the figurative language, but in this poem the point of view is
very clear. Here, Pope is appreciating the life in the farm and considers the
owner of few acres as a happy man. In fact, after knowing all these elements
one can proceed to analyze the poem.
Here is an example of analyzing a
poem so please read the poem and read the analysis and write down your
comments.
In "Ode on Solitude",
Alexander Pope presents to us the blessing of solitude in the form of a
beautiful song. He directed his speech to us to show us the happiness of living
in a country side. If we look at the title and attempt to connect it to the
main theme we find that the whole poem talks about the happiness of solitude in
a beautiful productive farm in the middle of a green area.
In the first stanza, Pope says:
"happy is the man whose wish" is to get a small farm or "a few
paternal acres" and willing to take care of them after the death of his
parents. Here, the poet depicts that if a man inherits "a few acres in his
own country and breathes his native air" he will be happy, contented, and
blessed. This stanza implies the happiness of owning a small productive
property in one's own country. From an economic point of view here the poet
encourages us to take care of the land of the parents instead of leaving it
looking for a job in the city or abroad. In other words, the owner of a
productive farm is the master of himself.
In the second stanza, the poet
portrays the products of the farm and how such products nurture the man by
saying that the herds provide him with milk, and the land with bread. In
addition, the flocks in the farm supply the farmer with garments; even the
trees give him shade in summer and warm in winter. This stanza implies that
self-contained economy and happiness can be achieved through keeping and preserving
a small productive farm. On another level of meaning, the poet in this poem is
calling for preserving nature and the farms instead of neglecting them or
selling them to contractors who devastate the land and nature.
In the third and fourth stanzas,
the poet talks about how time passes happily and swiftly in the farm. At day
time, not only the "hours, but also days, and years", pass in good
health of body and with peace of mind during the quiet day time, while at night
the farmer enjoys good sleep and he can study at ease if he wants and practices
recreation. Furthermore, the living in the farm leads to that great feeling of
innocence and the pleasure of meditation.
In the last stanza, the poet
wishes to live "unseen, unknown" enjoying the happiness of quiet life
not caring about fame and wealth. He also wishes to die unlamented as if he is
quietly stolen from this world wishing nobody to cry over his death. Finally,
for his love of such a quiet and blissful life, the poet or the narrator
recommends that his grave must be left without "a stone", a sign, or
a mark to tell where he dies.
Comments:
In this poem the language is
simple, musical, and photographic. Here there is no great action, and the
poem's movement is dreamy and sweet, just like a sweet dream. The point of view
is romantic and at the same time it is universal because at the age of
capitalism everyone wishes to live a quiet peaceful life in the country side
far away from the noisy cities. It is also possible that the poet is calling
for conserving nature and farms as sources of happiness, health, peace, and
self-contained economy. The theme of the poem makes it universal, despite that
the conclusion is not open.
#When we use the Passive Voice and what are the advantages?
We use the Passive voice in writing or speaking when we want to say something without showing the subject or the pronoun. The advantages of the Passive voice are great in writing and speaking. It lets us build the sentences to the unknown subject or hidden subject. For example, "He opens the window this morning", when I change it to Passive it becomes "The window is opened this morning by someone". If we change the Tense of the verb into past or present perfect then we have to change it in the passive voice, also if we change the pronoun or the subject into plural we must change the verb and the subject into object according to its situation before we change it. In case that the subject is known like "Robert opened the window last night", we change it to, "The window was opened by Robert last night". In the case of plural like , "They opened the windows last night", we change it to be like this: "The windows were opened last night by them if necessary. And so on with other sentences.
