energy boosters

55 Ways to Get More Energy

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Greg Go, co-author of Wise Bread‘s new book, 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget. Buy the book today (by Monday 11:59pm PDT) and get a $15 Ebates bonus and a chance to win a brand new Flip Cam.

If you’re tired all the time, a change in what you eat (diet) or what you do all day (activity pattern) may be all you need to turn things around 180°.

You won’t be able to do everything on this list all the time — you’d tire yourself out trying to get more energy — but do try them all to see which ones work for you and your schedule. Add a few of these tips to your regular routine. Or mix them up to keep things interesting.

1. Change your socks for refreshment.

It’s an amazing trick. Bring a change of socks to work, and change your socks midway through the day (say, after lunch). You’ll be amazed at how much fresher you’ll feel. This trick is especially handy on days with lots of walking — like during a hike or family outing to the amusement park.

2. Rock out loud.

Whether you work alone or in a room with coworkers, a quick one-song rock out loud session is an effective way to beat back exhaustion.

In a cube farm? Get everyone to sing along! The key is to choose a song that everyone can sing along with. (I like Kokomo.) The energy boosting effect comes from bobbing your head and singing out loud. One song, 3 minutes. That’s a quick boost of adrenaline that lasts for a bit. You’ll be singing to yourself the rest of the never ending project delivery night.

3. Get rid of the stuffy nose.

If allergies have your sinuses blocked, you may be feeling more tired and cranky. An over-the-counter allergy medication should clear up your sinuses (and your mind).

4. Work with your body’s clock.

There is a natural ebb and flow of energy throughout the day. We start off sluggish after waking up, even after a solid 8 hours of sleep. Our energy peaks mid-morning, and it’s natural to want a siesta in the afternoon. We get a second spike of energy in the early evening, followed by our lowest energy point just before bedtime. Once you understand this natural rhythm of energy throughout the day, you can work on the important tasks during your peak hours and avoid early afternoon snoozefests (meetings).

5. Have a piece of chocolate.

Not too much, but if you’re going to have some candy, it might as well be chocolate. We get an endorphin buzz from chocolate (not to mention the energy boost from the slight bit of caffeine chocolate contains). Dark chocolate has more caffeine than milk chocolate.

An afternoon snack of yogurt, berries, and nuts will provide the boost of energy to carry you through the day. Photo by lepiaf.geo / Flickr

6. Have an afternoon power snack.

A small healthy snack that is low in sugar and has protein and/or fiber a couple hours after lunch helps you finish off the day strong. Some suggestions:

• mixed nuts
• nonfat yogurt
• apple and peanut butter
• frozen berrie smoothie
• trail mix
• granola bar

ادامه نوشته

There are many British words which are different to American words.
For example:

• A lorry is a slimmer truck.
• A lift is an elevator.
• A fortnight is two weeks.
• A chemist is a person who works in a drugstore.
• A dual carriageway is a freeway.

Lisa and Sofia Efthymiou, an American mum and daughter, have listed below a few of the differences between British and American words.

Visit also our Glossary of British Words

We have arranged the words in categories to make viewing easier for school work.

British and American Vocabulary
Clothes	Parts of a Car
At School	In and around the House
On the Road	People
Buildings / Shops	Sport
Let's Eat!	Other Words
British and American Spellings	Test Yourself

Clothes

In the UK, we would be embarrassed if people saw our pants. why?

British English	American English
Trousers	Pants
Pants / Underwear / Knickers	Underwear / panties
Jumper / Pullover / Sweater / Jersey	Sweater
Pinafore Dress	Jumper
Vest	Undershirt
Waistcoat	Vest
Wellington Boots / Wellies	Galoshes
Mac (slang for Macintosh)	Rain Coat
Plimsolls	Gym Shoes
Trainers	Sneakers
Braces	Suspenders
Suspenders	Holds up stockings
Dressing Gown	Robe
Nappy	Diaper
Pinny / Apron	Apron
Polo Neck	Turtle Neck
Dressing Gown	Bath Robe
Swimming costume / Cozzy	Bathing Suit

Back to the Top

TOEFL IBT

The last component in TOEFL iBT is the Writing section. It measures you ability to write in standard academic English. There are two tasks in TOEFL iBT Writing section - Independent Writing task and Integrated Writing task.

Within the Independent Writing task students are asked to write an essay on a given general question. The purpose of this Writing task is to measure the students' ability to state their opinions or express their comments on topics which are based on their personal knowledge and experience. The students should also support their ideas and opinions with examples or details. Students are given 30 minutes to write their essays. The essay should be approximately 300 words.

Within the Integrated Writing task the students are asked to demonstrate that they have understood material coming from different sources (reading and listening), that they can combine the information from those sources in a coherent, well organized, summarized written form, and that they may compare the information from those sources and draw conclusions from them. The time in the integrated task is as follows: You will have 3 minutes to read a passage of 230-300 words. The reading passage is hidden then and you will listen to a 2-minute lecture that is related to the reading passage. The listening may add new information or present a different point of view. You may take notes during both reading and listening part. Then the reading passage is shown again on the screen and you are given 20 minutes to write a response to a question. The response should be between 150-225 words.

Writing Preparation Strategies

Practice writing in English on a computer keyboard. There is no other way in TOEFL iBT than typing your response. So, practicing on keyboard will help you a lot.

Build your vocabulary systematically. Develop a wordlist with new words and devote time to learning these words, try to include them in your speaking and writing practice systematically.

When you practice writing try to use a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures. Do not fear to use new words and grammar patterns. That is a way to learn them and use them appropriately. Using rich vocabulary and variety of grammar is looked upon favorably by the raters.

Learn the essay structure very well and follow this structure closely in your practice and in your real exam. The essay is comprised of three components: Introduction, body and conclusion. Each component has its important features. Thorough review of the essay structure you may find in the paper TOEFL iBT Essay Structure on www.i-Courses.org.

Practice organizing your writing. Before starting your written response allow 2-5 minutes to make an outline of your essay. Do not worry that the time is running, a good outline will save you lots of troubles and time while writing. The essay outline should include the major ideas for the paragraphs in 2-3 main phrases per paragraph, as well as some examples and supporting details. Do not write complete sentences, but some words and phrases that may help you follow that outline and add additional information to develop a well-organized and coherent essay.

Learn to use transition (linking) words to switch between different ideas, add information, provide examples, compare points, etc. Such words are: furthermore, in addition, for example, for instance, on the other hand, to sum up, first, second, etc. A detailed list of such signal words, along with an explanation where to use them, is provided on www.i-Courses.org.

Be time effective. At the beginning of your practice you may not comply with the time for the particular writing task. However, each other time you write, try to get closer to the time requirement for this task.

Monitor your own progress. Ask your tutor to evaluate your writings in accordance with the appropriate TOEFL iBT Writing Rubrics. For best accuracy, take some of www.i-Courses.org writing components which are scored by professional TOEFL iBT Teachers. You will be provided with accurate and constructive feedback with guidelines on how to improve your writing and how to continue your TOEFL iBT preparation.

For the independent writing task you will have to write on familiar topics. Make a list with familiar topics and practice writing on each of them. Do not forget the essay structure. Make an outline and follow it closely. State your opinion or preference and support it with examples and details.

An important skill to help you on the integrated writing task is the Paraphrasing. Paraphrasing involves connecting the ideas from the source material in your own words. Practice paraphrasing purposefully. Do not just rewrite what is stated but write selectively (only the important points) in your own words. To help you with paraphrasing, we have created TOEFL iBT Paraphrasing Strategies that you may find on www.i-Courses.org.

At the exam strategies

Do not forget to allot some time before you start your response to organize your writing - the outline. It will save you time and trouble. Follow it closely.

Pay attention to the time. Do not forget that you have limited time for both tasks. If you have a minute left, do not move to the next section. Make a quick review on what you have done. You may find errors and correct them.

Do not extend you writing well above 300 words for the independent task. For the integrated task it is important that you write between 150 and 225 words.

Use appropriate signal and linking words to switch between ideas, to add information, etc. That helps the reader to follow your writing easily.

Practice you writing skills with i-Courses Writing Components. You will benefit from the professional scoring that gives you feedback on all the weak points in your papers and ways to overcome those weaknesses.

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 ‘Be picky’ and 24 other great tips for teachers on how to manage a classroom

RULES & BEHAVIOR

BE PICKY

Tip: Pick your rules wisely. More rules doesn’t always equate to better behavior.

“

TAKE IT OUTSIDE

Tip: Avoid confronting misbehaving students in front of their classmates.

CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES

Tip: Don’t waste your energy reprimanding every small misbehavior.

STAY COOL

Tip: Keep calm and carry on.

PLAN AHEAD

Tip: Always have a plan in mind for handling misbehavior.

 

Discipline

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Techniques For Better Discipline in Class

1.  Focusing

Be sure you have the attention of everyone in your classroom before you start your lesson. Don’t attempt to teach over the chatter of students who are not paying attention.

Inexperienced teachers sometimes think that by beginning their lesson, the class will settle down. The children will see that things are underway now and it is time to go to work. Sometimes this works, but the children are also going to think that you are willing to compete with them, that you don’t mind talking while they talk, or that you are willing to speak louder so that they can finish their conversation even after you have started the lesson. They get the idea that you accept their inattention and that it is permissible to talk while you are presenting a lesson.

The focusing technique means that you will demand their attention before you begin. It means that you will wait and not start until everyone has settled down. Experienced teachers know that silence on their part is very effective. They will punctuate their waiting by extending it 3 to 5 seconds after the classroom is completely quiet. Then they begin their lesson using a quieter voice than normal.

A soft spoken teacher often has a calmer, quieter classroom than one with a stronger voice. Her students sit still in order to hear what she says.

First day of class

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What can we do on the first day of class? What should we do?

One common answer is simply to start lecturing: "This is day one, here is lecture one, away we go." Another possibility is: "Here is the syllabus, go buy your books and we will see you at the next scheduled class period." Neither of these two options seems desirable. But what are some other possibilities?

Several years ago a group of professors at the University of Oklahoma visited each other on the first day of class and then discussed what they saw each other doing. But the discussion quickly went from what they observed, to "What might be done?" They eventually identified nine attractive possibilities, as described below. A teacher should not feel obliged to do all of these, but doing even one or several of them on the first day (or during the first week) would seem to accomplish a number of important tasks for getting a class started in the right way.

1.  Involve students quickly.

This can be done in a variety of ways:

o   having them introduce themselves

TOEFL IBT

The Paragraph

The Outline

1. A paragraph is a series of sentences developing one topic.

The paragraph deals with one subject according to a definite plan with sentences that follow one another clearly and smoothly.

2. A paragraph contains a topic sentence.

The main idea of the paragraph is expressed in the topic sentence. Place the topic sentence at or near the beginning of the paragraph.

3. Develop the topic sentence.

Develop the paragraph by giving additional detailed information in support of the idea expressed in the topic sentence.

A. Facts

B. Examples

C. Incident

D. Arguments

E. Compare & Contrast

F. Definition

G. Combination of methods

ادامه نوشته

TOEFL IBT

40 New Practice Topics for iBT TOEFL Speaking Part 1

Here is a list of 40 new topics that you might find useful if you are preparing for Part 1 of the iBT TOEFL Speaking section. These are all Independent topics of the "open choice" / personal experience or opinion type.

1. Who is your best friend? Describe this person and say why he/she is your best friend.

2. What is your favorite place to visit on weekends? Describe it and explain why it is your favorite place to go.

 

ادامه نوشته

TOEFL IBT

Next Generation iBT TOEFL® Test: FAQs

Click on a link to jump to that section:

1. Just how different is the Next Generation iBT version of the TOEFL® Test?
2. When and where will the iBT be given?
3. What does it take to prepare for the iBT?
4. How should preparation time for the iBT be divided between the book and the CD-ROM?
5. Can responses be written on paper?
6. Can paper be used during the iBT?
7. How does the Speaking section function on the iBT?
8. How does the Speaking section function on the Longman iBT CD-ROM?
9. How are the Writing and Speaking sections graded?
10. How is the iBT scored?
11. Can iBT scores be compared to paper and CBT scores?

1. Just how different is the Next Generation iBT version of the TOEFL® Test?
The Next Generation iBT is quite different from the paper and CBT versions of the TOEFL® Test. Some things are quite similar, but there are quite a few major differences. First of all, there is no longer a Structure section on the test, and a new Speaking section has been added in its place. Then, there are integrated tasks, tasks that test several language skills together; a test-taker may need to, for example, read a passage and take notes on it, listen to a passage and take notes on it, and then write or speak about the ideas in the two passages. Finally, there are new kinds of passages and questions on the iBT; the passages are longer and more difficult, and the new questions test higher-level skills. Overall, the iBT is quite a change from earlier versions of the TOEFL® Test. See the article "The Next Generation iBT: A Really New TOEFL® Test!" in this website for further information on the test.

2. When and where will the iBT be given?
ETS (Educational Testing Service) has announced that the Next Generation iBT will be introduced at different times in various parts of the world. The iBT is scheduled to start in September 2005 throughout the United States and in October 2005 throughout Canada and in parts of Europe (Germany, Italy, and France). It is scheduled to begin in the rest of the world sometime in 2006. See the ETS website at www.TOEFL.org for information on when the iBT will be introduced in specific areas of the world.

3. What does it take to prepare for the iBT?
Preparation for the Next Generation iBT requires a lot of different components. It requires lots of language skills, some academic skills, test-taking strategies, realistic test practice on the computer, and good basic computer skills.

4. How should preparation time for the iBT be divided between the book and the CD-ROM?
Even though the Next Generation iBT is given on a computer, much of the preparation time for the test should be spent in the classroom using the book rather than in the computer lab using the CD-ROM; it is certainly not necessary to have students at computer terminals for all of their TOEFL® Test prep classtime.

In the classroom, the teacher can use the book to introduce and practice the language and academic skills tested on the iBT, introduce and practice the new question-types, familiarize students with appropriate test-taking strategies, and familiarize students with scoring and evaluation prior to their sessions on the computer.

Then, when students are on computers, they can review the language and academic skills studied in class, work with each of the question-types they already know how to answer, try out the suggested strategies, work with computer clicking sequences and timing, practice writing essays and speaking on the computer, and evaluate their writing and speaking tasks.

5. Can responses be written on paper?
The short answer to this question is "no." Written responses must be typed on the computer. On the CBT, it is possible to choose whether to write responses on paper or on the computer. On the iBT, however, there is no choice. Responses must be written on the computer.

It is important to note that the word processing program that is used on the iBT is very basic; it is most likely much simpler than any word processing program that test-takers are accustomed to using. The iBT word processing program uses only three buttons (Cut, Paste, and Undo), and keyboard commands do not function in the program. It is important to practice inputting written responses into a program that functions like the iBT (such as the Longman CD-ROM) so that the very basic iBT word processing program will be familiar on the day of the test.

6. Can paper be used during the iBT?
The answer to this quesion is "yes." This is a very big difference from the paper and CBT versions of the TOEFL® Test, where no paper was allowed during the test. On the iBT, the test-taker can use paper during the test to take notes, and this is something that is very important to do. It is important to take notes on the key points of the passages in the Listening section and in the integrated tasks in the Speaking and Writing sections.

Even though test-takers may use paper during the test, they may not bring any paper into the test center and may not take any paper out of the test center. Paper will be given to test-takers at the beginning of the test and will be collected from them at the end of the test. (Any notes taken during the test will NOT be seen by graders and will NOT be part of the TOEFL® Test score.)

7. How does the Speaking section function on the iBT?
During the Next Generation iBT, test-takers will wear headphones with microphones that allow the test-takers to hear the listening material and to record their spoken responses; these headphones are also supposed to block out any noise as other test-takers are speaking during the test. In the Speaking section, test-takers will read material on their computer screens and listen to recorded material through their headphones and then speak into their microphones to record their reponses. Their responses will then be e-mailed to graders working at computers throughout the world.

8. How does the Speaking section function on the Longman iBT CD-ROM?
On the Longman iBT CD-ROM the speaking tasks function as closely as possible to the speaking tasks on the actual test. Students can record thir spoken responses on the computer and play them back to evaluate them; students can also save their responses on floppy disks to turn in to the teacher. It is also possible to use cassette recorders to record responses; the cassettes can then be brought to class for peer or group evaluation or turned in to the teacher.

9. How are the Writing and Speaking sections graded?
Writing and Speaking are graded by people rather than by computer. Spoken and written responses on the test are saved electronically and then e-mailed to graders around the world.

Each spoken and written response is evaluated by two different graders. This means that one test-taker's written responses will be evaluated by four different graders (two different graders for each of the two writing tasks) and his or her spoken responses will be evaluated by twelve different graders (two different graders for each of the six speaking tasks).

Spoken and written responses are evaluated based on different criteria. Written responses are given scores ranging from 0 to 5, while spoken responses are given scores ranging from 0 to 4.

10. How is the iBT scored?
The top score on the Next Generation iBT is 120. Each section (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing) is given a scaled score from 0 to 30, and the four section scores are added together to determine the overall score on the iBT.

11. Can iBT scores be compared to paper and CBT scores?
The skills tested on the Next Generation iBT are very different from those tested on the paper or CBT versions of the TOEFL® Test, so comparisons between scores on the different versions of the TOEFL® Test are not really valid. However, ETS has released some information on how the scores on the different versions of the TOEFL® test can be compared.

Paper		CBT		iBT
350		63		20
400		97		32
450		133		45
500		173		61
550		213		80
600		250		100
650		280		115

Toefl Listening

Strategies for TOEFL iBT Listening Section

 

TOEFL iBT Listening section is delivered immediately after the Reading section. The Listening section of TOEFL iBT measures your ability to understand spoken English in academic settings. In TOEFL iBT the listening is done for 3 major purposes:

1. Listening for basic comprehension.
2. Listening for pragmatic understanding.
3. To connect and combine ideas presented in multiple information sources.

Each part of the Listening section (2 or 3 parts) consists of 1 long conversation and two lectures. The test takers hear each lecture or conversation only once. Lectures and conversations are 3-5 minutes long. During the listening the time is not running. The allotted time of 10 minutes for each part is only for answering the questions.

Preparation Strategies

Listen to spoken English from multiple sources as much as possible. Listen to English spoken movies and English spoken TV channels, listen to the radio and as many other listening sources as you may find. It would be better if your passages are academic or close to what is in TOEFL iBT. The more you practice listening, the better listener you will become.

Listen for the main idea. It is usually found at the beginning of the listening passages, while the details are dispersed throughout the lecture. The main idea will give you understanding of what the conversation/lecture is about. Then you may listen for details.

Learn to find how the ideas are presented in the listening passage. Some of the main relations between ideas include cause/effect, compare/contrast, and steps in a process.

Learn to listen for signal words that indicate different part of the passage - introduction, major steps, examples, conclusions, etc.

Build your vocabulary. While listening, try to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from context. It is very important since there is a big chance to come across words you don't know at the real test. Then, you should guess their meaning. Write down every word you don't know and include it in your wordlist. Try to memorize it and use it in your speaking and writing. Flashcards could be a great way to improve your vocabulary.

Listen to conversations or lectures with variety of accents. In TOEFL iBT Listening section there is a variety of accents and pronunciations. For this reason, you should practice listening to a people with different accents and pronunciation patterns.

Practice note-taking. Note-taking is allowed during all sections of TOEFL iBT. Effective note-taking may highly improve your performance. It is almost impossible to memorize all clues and details provided in the Listening section. Moreover, you can hear the passages ONLY ONCE. Therefore, to answer the questions you have to rely on what you remember from the passage and your notes. See also our Effective Note-Taking Strategies.

Summarize in writing what you have heard, using your notes. Thus, you will learn to find the purpose and main idea of the listening, and also the most important details. You will also learn to take and use notes. It also helps in improving your writing skills.

Familiarize yourself with the type of questions in TOEFL iBT. Make sure that during the preparation you learn what answers are required by the different types of question. Some questions may ask you to provide two answers, others to click in a chart box. If you are familiar with the question types, you may save important time.

At the exam strategies

Forget about the Reading section. Now it is time to fully concentrate on the Listening section.

The clock is ticking only when you are answering the questions and not when you are listening to the passages. So, when you listen, forget about the clock.

Prepare for note-taking. Before the section starts, write down the words 'main idea', 'major points', and 'important details'. Under which word you will place your notes from the listening passage.

Do not be distracted by the speaker's accent, speaking style and delivery. Focus on the content and flow of information the speaker(s) deliver.

Listen to find clues that will help you understand what the speaker's purpose, attitude and degree of certainty is. Listen for words that show relationship between ideas.

Pay attention to the visual materials. Some of the visual materials in the Listening section bring important information. Blackboards show important words or phrases that are discussed during the lecture. Illustrations and graphics support the information presented in the lecture. They are available only when the lecturer refers to them.

Answering is different. In the Listening section you may not return to the previous questions to correct your answers. Nevertheless, you have to confirm twice that you want to move to the next question. First, when you provide your answer you have to press the NEXT button. After pressing the NEXT button you may alter you answer. To move to the next question you have to press OK button. Sometimes test takers forget this and lose important time. Please, set your mind that you have to press two buttons.

Take a guess. There is no penalty for an incorrect answer in TOEFL iBT. It doesn't bring any points. If you see you are running out of time, just take a guess and mark answers for all remaining questions. There is 25 % chance to guess the right answer.

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