Overrated place

It’s a very beautiful resort overlooking a magnificent valley. Luxury, calm and voluptuousness in the middle of the mountains, a stone’s throw from the capital.

My wife had booked a room on an all-inclusive basis, but we were charged for lunch, dinner was not included and, at breakfast, , if you want a hot drink that isn’t tea or espresso, it’s on you. And be careful, if you have the nerve to bring any beverage, for example an energy drink, into the refectory, they will not go so far as to confiscate it, nor to charge you for it, but they will kindly ask you not to consume it on site.

Kindly, because the staff, who reflect all the admirable variety of this country, are helpful and friendly, despite the dilapidated premises reserved for their activity, those which the public can only see if they get lost, the third class of the liner. The medal of the luxury complex has, as too often, for reverse, unenviable working conditions and, one imagines it, unenviable salary conditions.

Kindly is not the word that comes to mind when addressing the management. After an afternoon in the pool (the water was cool, the sky blue and the view splendid), back in our room, we found that the telephone used to contact the reception was out of order. So I went to report it, also getting ready to mention the impossibility of turning on the light in the bathroom independently of that of the bedroom itself, the paddling pool that this bathroom became as soon as we started to take a simple shower there, the lack of replacement toilet paper rolls, etc. The manager who received my request started by telling me that I had given him the wrong room number, and I had to repeat the correct number several times for him to understand. He then offered me absolutely no solution, so I dropped the case about the other problems. What’s the point ?

Instead, I concentrated on the issue with my Visa bank card, a payment having been declined when we arrived by the terminal of the resort, which additionally does not have any bankomat (the nearest must be in the city of G’azalkent, several kilometres away). I asked to try again on this terminal, explaining that there was no reason for my card to be declined (card loaded, limits far from being reached, Visa logo clearly visible). Another failure. There was another terminal, I had to convince the gentleman to try with this one. Failed, again : « unable to read your balance. » Normal, it’s a foreign card, but that should not prevent payments, especially in a place claiming to attract a high-end and international clientele. I was probably in a high-end and international mood. Second try, without looking for the balance : it worked, finally.

At Heaven’s Garden, the prices are as high as the altitude (1212 m), but the management is not up to par and the finitions seem to have been neglected, which places the quality of the service at a lower level than the one that prices and advertising (unfortunately misleading) lead you to hope for.

Bitter icing on an already indigestible cake, the QR code that allows you to earn a few pennies each time you make a payment is printed too imprecisely to be read. My wife was therefore unable to benefit from this little extra offered by the local banks, and it was not, sorry to insist, following a small payment.

It’s all the more unfortunate that the setting is superb and that the entertainment (the resort hosted a local wedding the evening of our stay, and it’s an experience that would reconcile any Westerner with the idea of wedding – of the wedding party) was beyond our expectations. My wife and I spent one of our very best evenings in a very overrated place – and I owe it infinitely less to the magic of Heaven’s Garden than to the magic of my wife. Thank you, S.

While over 20 Uzbek candidates have achieved an IELTS 9.0, this accomplishment pales in comparison to the results produced by Vietnamese IELTS instructors.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/education/another-vietnamese-achieves-band-9-in-all-ielts-skills-4636604.html

Preparing for IELTS in a non-IELTS way has always been integral to my teaching philosophy.

As we all know, listening is one of the easiest areas to improve significantly on your own.

How should you go about it?

The best tip is simple: LISTEN a lot! It’s the most effective advice you can get.

Anyone who suggests otherwise is likely trying to sell you something that doesn’t work.

How many IELTS LISTENING practice tests do you need to do if you already have C1/C2 level listening skills?

The answer is just 3 or 4, which you can do once a week with detailed analysis a month before your IELTS exam. Until then, actively improve your listening skills through natural means!

By the way, “Up First” from NPR is my favorite podcast to get daily news around the world!

You can listen to your favorite podcasts on various apps. These two are my favorites, but I also use Spotify occasionally. In the past, I heavily used “Podcast Republic” until it became overloaded with ads.

What podcast streaming services do you guys use?

Tomorrow, I will share a more complete list of my favorite podcasts, each catering to my various interests.

Ok, so I completely forgot Google Podcasts is going away. It is a shame, really. I will do a little bit of research to find some alternative apps. If you are an iPhone user, Apple Podcasts is your best bet. For Android users, let’s try to find a decent app.

#FunFact

Did you know that the word “podcast” is a combination of the words “iPod” and “broadcast” and apparently it was coined only in 2004 by some journalist?

We’ve uploaded my talk from MEGA IELTS SHOW that took place on June 5th, 2024.

Feel free to ask your questions in the comments section under the video on YouTube, and I will be more than happy to reply!

https://youtu.be/wvxexduGaPc?si=M6DbVTsjYHgDxWaF

Looking for Assistant Tutors for the upcoming Writing Marathon!

Are you a strong writer with an IELTS writing score of 7+? Would you like to earn some extra money while enhancing your writing skills? If so, we want to hear from you!

To apply, please reply to this message and include your IELTS writing score. We will contact shortlisted candidates with further details.

If selected, specific expectations and responsibilities will be discussed privately.

Those who want to join the marathon as a learner can join this channel (https://www.tg-me.com/+3xtBU6mAjhcxYWQy) to get some pre-marathon treats and further information about pricing and other details.

#Writing #TaskOne

What is an overview?

An overview is a brief summary of the key information presented in a visual. Imagine you're working for a large company, and your boss asks you to describe the most important details from a graph. As an employee, it's crucial to report only the essential information to your busy boss, focusing on the main trends, significant changes, or notable patterns without including unnecessary details.

Let's examine the set of graphs at hand. What would you tell your boss is happening here, especially with older people working full-time?

I was a personal fan of Barack Obama back when he was running for office in 2007-08. I even attended one of his events in New Mexico. While his presidency is a topic for another day, today I finally bought his latest book “A promised land” and this review from Quora confirms my latest purchase.

#BookReview

Is Barack Obama’s memoir A Promised Land a must read?

I’m a lifelong, voracious reader, and I would resent anybody telling me that any book is a “must read”; it would actually make me less likely to read it. I feel like any discerning reader would feel the same. So, dear discerning reader, know that I acknowledge the same tendency in you when I tell you …
It is undoubtedly at this point the best political memoir by an ex-president, bar none. I saw a clip of Jimmy Kimmel talking to Barack Obama about it, making fun of its 700 page length (and a second volume to come!). I for one love nothing more than a good, thick book—has to be both, of course. And A Promised Land fits the bill. For a reader like me, it’s like a feast.
Although I’m a liberal Democrat, I was never an Obamaniac. And to be fair, up front, I was less than happy with some of what he wrote about his White House days. I particularly objected to aspects of his handling of the financial crisis at the beginning of his administration. I think he paid far too much attention and devoted far too much effort to “calming the markets”, as though it was some god that was all powerful but also easily frightened—neat trick, that—and because of that needed to be propitiated with kid glove handling of Wall Street.
And when he repeatedly justified one political compromise or climb-down after another, it’s hard to escape the impression after a while that in his determination to hoard ever-diminishing political capital, he either missed or neglected opportunities to expand his political capital. He admits at one point he was no FDR, who was a master at doing that.
With all that, Obama is a graceful, eloquent, and often funny writer. He is self-deprecating to a fault, almost nakedly honest at times about things he wishes he had or hadn’t done. He is also mercilessly frank at times not only about the shortcomings of the American political system, but even the American people themselves (refreshing talk from an American politician, who is never supposed to admit that the American people can ever be screwed up about anything).
What I think the reviewers have missed about the book is what seems to me a deliberate effort to let the reader see the experience of being the American president through his eyes, doubtless one reason the book is so long. In other words, in writing this book he not only has an eye to history, but also to future presidents. Short of the experience itself, there’s probably no better guide than this book to what being the president is actually like (that is, a president who actually does his or her job).
Is this book a must read? If you’re at all interested in national politics, or the history of the Obama years, a resounding yes. And even if you’re not, it’s an engaging and interesting read. Plenty of interesting and often amusing (yes, laugh out loud) anecdotes, and incisive capsule portrayals of major players both foreign and domestic. I particularly remember his depiction of Lindsey Graham. If you read it, you’ll see what I mean.

My son sent this email to his mother. He is 12 years old and has never had any formal English grammar lessons. He learns primarily by watching a wide range of YouTube videos.

P.S. He is autistic and his spoken Uzbek isn't well developed, but he excels in Math and Computer Science. English seems to come naturally to him.

This is a list of vocabulary aimed for a high-level candidate (e.g., someone who is trying to improve their speaking or writing from 7.0 -7.5 to 8.0 or even 9.0)

Idiomatic Expressions and Nuances

1. To a fault
• Meaning: To an excessive degree, often implying that the trait becomes a disadvantage.
• Example: “He is self-deprecating to a fault, almost nakedly honest at times about things he wishes he had or hadn’t done.”
• Explanation: His self-deprecating nature is so extreme that it might be seen as a flaw.

2. Bar none
• Meaning: Without exception.
• Example: “It is undoubtedly at this point the best political memoir by an ex-president, bar none.”
• Explanation: This means that the memoir is the best without any exceptions.

3. Fits the bill
• Meaning: To be suitable or appropriate for a particular purpose.
• Example: “And A Promised Land fits the bill. For a reader like me, it’s like a feast.”
• Explanation: The book is exactly what the reader wants or needs.

4. Kid glove handling
• Meaning: Treating something or someone very carefully and gently.
• Example: “He paid far too much attention and devoted far too much effort to ‘calming the markets’, as though it was some god that was all powerful but also easily frightened—neat trick, that—and because of that needed to be propitiated with kid glove handling of Wall Street.”
• Explanation: Handling Wall Street very delicately and cautiously.

5. Propitiate
• Meaning: To win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.
• Example: “And because of that needed to be propitiated with kid glove handling of Wall Street.”
• Explanation: This implies that Wall Street needed to be appeased or calmed in a very careful manner.

6. Climb-down
• Meaning: An act of retreating from or scaling back a previously held position or opinion.
• Example: “And when he repeatedly justified one political compromise or climb-down after another…”
• Explanation: Scaling back or retreating from previous political positions or decisions.

7. Hoards ever-diminishing political capital
• Meaning: To accumulate and save political influence or power, even as it decreases.
• Example: “It’s hard to escape the impression after a while that in his determination to hoard ever-diminishing political capital…”
• Explanation: Trying to save and protect political influence, even as it becomes less and less.

8. Eloquent
• Meaning: Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.
• Example: “Obama is a graceful, eloquent, and often funny writer.”
• Explanation: Describes Obama’s writing as fluent and persuasive.

9. Nakedly honest
• Meaning: Extremely open and truthful, without any attempt to hide or cover up.
• Example: “Almost nakedly honest at times about things he wishes he had or hadn’t done.”
• Explanation: Being extremely open and truthful about his actions and regrets.

10. Mercilessly frank
• Meaning: Very open, honest, and direct, often in a way that may be considered harsh or blunt.
• Example: “He is also mercilessly frank at times not only about the shortcomings of the American political system…”
• Explanation: Being very honest and direct about the flaws in the political system, without sparing any feelings.

11. Engaging read
• Meaning: A book or piece of writing that is very interesting and holds the reader’s attention.
• Example: “And even if you’re not, it’s an engaging and interesting read.”
• Explanation: The book is very interesting and keeps the reader’s attention.

12. Incisive capsule portrayals
• Meaning: Sharp, clear, and concise descriptions of people or events.
• Example: “Plenty of interesting and often amusing (yes, laugh out loud) anecdotes, and incisive capsule portrayals of major players both foreign and domestic.”
• Explanation: Clear and concise descriptions of important figures.

How many of you are familiar with Academic Word List (AWL) developed by Averil Coxhead?

The Academic Word List (AWL) was developed by Averil Coxhead as her MA thesis at the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The list contains 570 word families which were selected according to principles. The list does not include words that are in the most frequent 2000 words of English. The AWL was primarily made so that it could be used by teachers as part of a programme preparing learners for tertiary level study or used by students working alone to learn the words most needed to study at tertiary institutions. The Academic Word List replaces the University Word List.

https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist/information

How important is it to be familiar with the Academic Word List (AWL)?

A typical IELTS reading passage contains the following proportions of vocabulary:

• Most frequent 2000 words in English: roughly 80-85%
• Academic Word List (AWL) words: roughly 10-15%
• Subject-specific or other less common words: roughly 5-10%

Mastering the first two lists—the most frequent 2000 words and the AWL—greatly increases your chances of achieving a high score (8.0 or 9.0) in the reading section, especially when combined with a solid understanding of English grammar structures.

Most students are usually quite familiar with the most common 2000 words, but less so with the AWL. Therefore, learning the words from the AWL to the point where you can use them flexibly and accurately can significantly improve your reading comprehension and overall performance on the IELTS exam.

Here is the complete list along with an excellent guide on how to use and learn the words.
To learn these words in context, I highly recommend the 'Inside Reading' series. This book not only teaches key reading skills but also presents the words from the AWL in the appropriate context.

#WritingQuestions
Aug 3 exam (Uzb)

Those who took the test today, report your exam questions here.

#ExamTalk

Whatever questions you are given, the new Writing Marathon 2024 will help you prepare for your writing test!

#WritingQuestions
Aug 3 exam (South Korea)

Task 1
The chart below gives the number of people employed in five types of work in a certain region in Australia in 2001 and 2008.

Task 2
Despite better access to education, many adults today still cannot read or write.
In what ways are they disadvantaged? What can governments do to help them?

P.S. These questions were reported from the exam taken in South Korea. There is a good chance they will be used in Uzbekistan as well, if they haven’t been already.

#WritingQuestions (CDI, Tashkent, IDP)

Task 1
The chart below shows the amount of money given to developing countries from five organisation from 2008 to 2011.

Task 2
Countries should produce the food that their population eats, and import as little as possible.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?