آموزگار

بهترین آموزگار استاد، شاگرد اوست.

قوانيني براي انسان بودن

Rules For Being Human

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for your entire lifetime.

2. You will learn lessons all your life. You are enrolled in a full time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid. Nevertheless, they are lessons and they shape your life.

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error: experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works."

4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end – ever! There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive there are lessons to be learned.

6. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself. Learn to forgive yourself and to forgive others.

7. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

8. Your answers lie inside you. The answer to all of life's questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust – in God and yourself.

 

A Joke

BOY: Are you free tonight?

GIRL: Of course. Have I ever charged you?

وقتي به تكامل ميرسي كه تو:

Maturity. It is achieved when you:

Ø Know yourself.

Ø Ask for help when you need it and act on your own when you don't.

Ø Admit when you’re wrong and make amends.

Ø Accept love from others, even if you’re having a tough time loving yourself.

Ø Recognize that you always have choices, and take responsibility for the ones you make.

Ø See that life is a blessing.

Ø Have an opinion without insisting that others share it.

Ø Forgive others and yourself.

Ø Recognize your shortcomings and your strengths.

Ø Have the courage to live one day at a time.

Ø Acknowledge that your needs are your responsibility – not other people’s.

Ø Care for people without having to take care of them.

Ø Accept that you’ll never be finished learning – you’ll always be a work-in-progress.

Ø Set goals for yourself and work hard to achieve those goals. Never lose sight of your goal

روشهايي براي تقويت مهارت شنيداري

Listening Tips

Does this situation seem familiar to you? Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, you are communicating quite fluently, but: Listening is STILL a problem!

First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening comprehension is probably the most difficult task for almost all learners of English as a foreign language. So, now you know you are not alone....! OK. The most important thing is to listen, and that means as often as possible. The next step is to find listening resources. This is where the Internet really comes in handy as a tool for English students. First you need to:

• Download The RealPlayerfrom RealMedia.com

The RealPlayer allows you to listen to RealAudio and use the Internet like a radio station. Many sites now also provide listening using the Windows Media Player - or even have their own players on the site. Once you have the RealPlayer you can begin to listen to English as it is used in everyday life. The possibilities are almost unlimited. You can:

• Listen to All Things Considered news stories on NPR
• Listen to the BBC.

Strategies

Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated by limited understanding. What should you do?

Here is some of the advice I give my students:

• Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything.
• Keep cool when you do not understand - even if you continue to not understand for a long time.
• Do not translate into your native language
• Listen for the gist of the conversation. Don't concentrate on detail until you have understood the main ideas.

Translating creates a barrier between yourself and the person who is speaking

While you are listening to another person speaking a foreign language, the temptation is to immediately translate into your native language. This temptation becomes much stronger when you hear a word you don't understand. This is only natural as we want to understand everything that is said. However, when you translate into your native language, you are taking the focus of your attention away from the speaker and concentrating on the translation process taking place in your brain. This would be fine if you could put the speaker on hold. In real life however, the person continues talking while you translate. This situation obviously leads to less -not more- understanding. I have discovered that translation leads to a kind of block  in the brain which sometimes doesn't allow one to understand anything at all!

Most people repeat themselves

Think for a moment about your friends, family and colleagues. When they speak in your native tongue, do they repeat themselves? I don't mean literally, I mean the general idea. If they are like most people I have met, they probably do. That means that whenever you listen to someone speaking, it is very likely that he/she will repeat the information, giving you a second, third or even fourth chance to understand what has been said.

By remaining calm, allowing yourself to not understand, and not translating while listening, your brain is free to concentrate on the most important thing: Understanding English in English.

Tips

• Listen to something you enjoy

Probably the greatest advantage about using the Internet to improve your listening skills is that you can choose what you would like to listen to and how many and times you would like to listen to it. By listening to something you enjoy, you are also likely to know a lot more of the vocabulary required!

• Listen for Keywords

Use keywords (noun=principal words) or key phrases to help you understand the general ideas. If you understand "New York", "business trip", "last year" you can assume (verb=to take for granted, suppose) that the person is speaking about a business trip to New York last year. This may seem obvious to you, but remember that understanding the main idea will help you to understand the detail as the person continues to speak.

• Listen for Context

Let's imagine that your English speaking friend says "...I bought this great tunerat JR's. It was really cheap and now I can finally listen to National Public Radio broadcasts." You don't understand what a tuner is. If you focus on the word tuner you might become frustrated. However, if you think in context (noun=the situation explained during the conversation) you probably will understand. For example; bought is the past of buy, listen is no problem and radio is obvious. Now you understand: He bought something - the tuner- to listen to the radio. A tuner must be a kind of radio! This is a simple example but it demonstrates what you need to focus on: Not the word that you don't understand, but the words you do understand.

Summary

It might seem to you that my ideas on how to listen encourage you to not understand everything. This is absolutely correct. One hundred percent understanding is something to work towards(phrasal verb=to have as a goal, a plan for the future) and not to expect of yourself now. Listening needs a great amount of practice and patience. Allow yourself the luxury of not becoming nervous when you do not understand, and you will be surprised by how quickly you do begin to understand.

Listening often is the most important way to improve your listening skills. Enjoy the listening possibilities offered by the Internet and remember relax......

IDIOMS - LESSON 1

about to - ready to; on the verge of

example 1: It's a good thing Bob left the furniture store when he did. Peter was so angry, he was about to throw a dining room chair at him.

example 2: I'm glad you're finally home. I was just about to have dinner without you.

after all - despite everything; when everything has been con­sidered; the fact is

example 1: You'd better invite Ed to your party. After all, he's a good friend.

example 2: It doesn't matter what your boss thinks of you. After all, you're going to quit your job anyway.

at least - anyway; the good thing is that...

EXAMPLE 1: We've run out of coffee, but at least we still have tea.

EXAMPLE 2: Tracy can't afford to buy a car, but at least she has a good bicycle.

NOTE: The second definition of this phrase is "no less than": There were at least 300 people waiting in line to buy concert tickets.

(to) break the news - to make something known

example 1:  Samantha and Michael are getting married, but they haven't yet broken the news to their parents.

example 2: You'd better break the news to your father carefully. After all, you don't want him to have a heart attack!

(to) cost an arm and a leg - to be very expensive

example 1: A college education in America costs an arm and a leg.

example 2: All of the furniture at Honest Abe's costs an arm and a leg!

dead-end job - a job that won't lead to anything else

example 1: Diane realized that working as a cashier was a dead-end job.

example 2: Jim worked many dead-end jobs before finally deciding to start his own business.

(let's) face it - accept a difficult reality

example 1: Let's face it, if Ted spent more time studying, he wouldn't be failing so many of his classes!

example 2: Let's face it, if you don't have a college degree, it can be difficult to find a high-paying job.

(to) give one the creeps - to create a feeling of disgust or horror

example 1:  Ted's friend Matt has seven earrings in each ear and an "I Love Mom" tattoo on his arm. He really gives Nicole the creeps.

example 2:  There was a strange man following me around the grocery store. He was giving me the creeps!

(to) go back to the drawing board - to start a task over because the last try failed; to start again from the beginning

example 1: Frank's new business failed, so he had to go back to the drawing board.

example 2: The president didn't agree with our new ideas for the com­pany, so we had to go back to the drawing board.

(to) go belly-up - to go bankrupt

example 1: Many people lost their jobs when Enron went belly-up.

example 2: My company lost $3 million last year. We might go belly-up.

(to) give someone the ax - to fire someone

example 1: Mary used to talk to her friends on the phone all day at work, until one day her boss finally gave her the ax.

example 2: Poor Paul! He was given the ax two days before Christmas.

(to) lose one's temper - to become very angry

example 1: Bob always loses his temper when his kids start talking on the telephone during dinner.

example 2: When Ted handed in his essay two weeks late, his teacher really lost her temper.

(to) make up one's mind - to reach a decision; to decide

example 1:  Stephanie couldn't make up her mind whether to attend Harvard or Stanford. Finally, she chose Stanford.

example 2: Do you want an omelet or fried eggs? You'll need to make up your mind quickly because the waitress is coming.

no point in - no reason to; it's not worth (doing something)

example 1:  There's no point in worrying about things you can't change.

example 2: There's no point in going on a picnic if it's going to rain.

(to) put up with - to endure without complaint

example 1: For many years, Barbara put up with her husband's an­noying behavior. Finally, she decided to leave him.

example 2: I don't know how Len puts up with his mean boss every day.

real flop or flop - a failure

example 1: The Broadway play closed after just 4 days - it was a real flop!

example 2: The company was in trouble after its new product flopped.

(to) save the day - to prevent a disaster or misfortune

example 1: The Christmas tree was on fire, but Ted threw water on it and saved the day.

example 2:  We forgot to buy champagne for our New Year's party, but Sonia brought some and really saved the day!

(as) sharp as a tack - very intelligent

example 1: Jay scored 100% on his science test. He's as sharp as a tack.

example 2: Anna got a scholarship to Yale. She's as sharp as a tack.

(to) talk over - to discuss

example 1: Dave and I spent hours talking over the details of the plan.

example 2: Before you make any big decisions, give me a call and we'll talk things over.

top dollar - the highest end of a price range; a lot of money

example 1: Nicole paid top dollar for a shirt at Banana Republic.

example 2: Wait until those jeans go on sale. Why pay top dollar?

Never Give Up

To know more about what your ability to believe in yourself can do, just imagine

a young girl who learned dancing when she was three-years old and whose greatest

passion remains dancing. She loses one of her legs in an accident. Read on this true

incident that took place almost 20 years ago and find out whether she gives up dancing

or fights back to realize what she believes in:

Sudha Chandran, a classical dancer from India, was cut off in the prime of her

career --quite literally -- when her right leg had to be amputated after a car accident.

Though the incident brought her bright career to a halt, she didn't give up.

 

In the painful months that followed, she met a doctor who developed an

 

artificial limb made from vulcanized rubber filled with sponge. She helped her to

 

use this new artificial leg. So intense was her desire that she decided to go back to

 

dancing after she had been fitted with an artificial leg. Sudha knew that she

 

believed in herself and could fulfill her dream, She began her courageous journey

 

back to the world of dancing - learning to balance, bend, stretch, walk, turn,

 

twist, twirl and finally dance.

 

After every public recital, she would ask her Dad about her performance.

 

"You still have a long way to go" was the answer she used to get in return.

 

In January 1984, Sudha made a historic comeback by giving a public recital

 

in Bombay. She performed in such a marvelous manner that it moved everyone to

 

tears while catapulting her to the number one position again. That evening when

 

she asked the usual question her dad, he didn't say anything. He just touched her

 

feet as a tribute to a great artiste.

 

Sudha's comeback was such heart-warming that a film producer was

 

inspired to capture the incident into a celluloid box office hit `Mayuri.' When

 

someone asked Sudha how she had managed to dance again, she said quite

 

simply, : "YOU DON'T NEED FEET TO DANCE."

 

1)   They didn't go ____ last weekend. They preferred to stay at home and relax.
1)      anywhere	2)      somewhere	3)      everywhere	4)      nowhere
2)   A: Who is the gift for?             B: I want to give it to the ____.
1)      professor	2)      brother Reza	3)      Dr. Smith	4)      Ahmad
3)   When Mehdi arrived, the class had already started. This means that he was ____.
1)      at time	2)      early	3)      on time	4)      late
4)   A: Where are you going now? B: I'm going to a ____ to buy some shoes
1)      shoe store	2)      store shoe	3)      shoe's store	4)      stores shoe
5)   The person____ book you borrowed is my friend.
1)      his	2)      that his	3)      that whose	4)      whose
6)   A: Did you see the children this afternoon? B: Yes, I watched____ playing football in the park.
1)      they	2)      them	3)      their	4)      theirs
7)   You will fail the exam unless you ____ hard.
1)      don't work	2)      won't work	3)      worked	4)      work
8)   A: "Is this the book which the teacher gave you?"        B: "No, this is ____.
1)      other one	2)      another one	3)      another	4)      other
9)   This morning I bought ____ because the supermarket was very crowded.
1)      something	2)      everything	3)      anything	4)      nothing
10)        Some diseases may be cured by medicine, but a____ leg requires surgery.
1)      break	2)      breaking	3)      broke	4)      broken
11)        Professor Smith refused to lecture because he ____ his notes at home.
1)      had left	2)      was leaving	3)      is leaving	4)      has left
12)        My friend has completely run out of money. He can't buy ____.
1)      anything	2)      everything	3)      something	4)      nothing
13)        Your dictionary is much better than my dictionary. I wonder why you never use ___.
1)      ours	2)      yours	3)      mine	4)      theirs
14)        The lady ____ the dinner before her husband arrived.
1)      has cooked	2)      would cook	3)      had cooked	4)      cooked
15)        The boy ____ you were quarreling with is my cousin.
1)      which	2)      whom	3)      whose	4)      what
16)        The boys ____ ball broke my window were playing football.
1)      who	2)      which	3)      whom	4)      whose
17)        "Have a nice journey and look after ____" My mother said.
1)      yourself	2)      myself	3)      ourselves	4)      himself
18)        I took my brother out with ____ to do some shopping.
1)      I	2)      me	3)      mine	4)      myself
19)        If I had your address, I ____ come to see you.
1)      would have	2)      will have	3)      would	4)      will
20)        My father____ you never met, was born in a small town.
1)      who	2)      whom	3)      whose	4)      which

3

1. The boy ….. has lost his watch is very sad.

1.which              2.who              3.whom              4.whose

2. my uncle worked in a …….. two years ago , but now he is working in a factory.

1. store shoes     2.shoes store    3.store shoe       4.shoe store

3. My friend is in the hospital. He had a …… car accident yesterday.

1.cruel               2.perfect            3.terrible           4.crowded

4. I think Ali is … and can’t answer the question.

1.mixed up        2.looked up       3.picked up       4.got up

5. Jack …. His thumb when he was playing with a hammer.

1.helped            2.hurt                 3.offered           4.copied

6. Her birthday party was held in a garden last night and everywhere was … up with bulbs.

1.lit                    2.made              3.come              4.turned

7. We traveled to the north last summer. Our trip …. For two weeks.

1.covered           2.ordered          3.minded           4.lasted

Reading Comprehension

Mr. Kiser was driving alone a busy highway in Columbus. He saw a truck and a few cars in front of him. Suddenly the back doors of the truck opened and a blue plastic bag fell out of the truck. A car in front of Mr. Kiser hit the bag and a lot of money appeared all over the road. Then some more bags fell out of the truck and money was flying everywhere. At first the drivers thought the green papers on the high way were leaves. But when they realized they were money, they stopped their cars right in the middle of the highways, jumped out of their cars and began picking up the money. Police tried to find the people who had taken the money, but they didn’t have much luck.

1.According to the passage, it can be understood that …. .

1.Mr. Kiser hit the truck

2.Mr. Kiser was talking to one of his friends

3.the road Mr. Kiser was driving on was so crowded

4.the truck hit another car on the highway

2. The under lined word “they” in the passage refers to ….  .

1.cars              2.drivers              3.leaves              4.police

 3. In order to find the drivers, police…..  .

1.did nothing at al

2.could find some bags of the money

3.employed some police officers

4.had almost no chance

4. She … her homework before you arrived.

1. finishes           2.had finished       3.has finished          4.will finish

5. I can’t remember whom …. .

1.did she meet     2.does she meet   3.she was meeting   4.was she meeting

 6. He …. a shirt for his father next week.

1.is going to buy                             2.has bought

3.had bought                                   4.is bought

7. Some people don’t allow their lives to be influenced by TV. “Allow” means …  .

1.worry              2.spend              3.let              4.leave

8. The researchers wanted to know how families would … if they did not watch TV.

1.worry              2.allow              3.stay              4.behave

9. Good managers never allow their personal opinions and feelings to have a/an …. on their decisions.

1.effect              2.future              3.observation            4.choice

10. She ended her education at the university … and now is looking for a job.

1.secretly              2.really              3.suddenly              4.successfully

George W. Bush

When George W. Bush was campaigning during an Ohio primary, he and an assistant dropped into a small luncheonette.

 

"Oh , Mr. Bush," smiled the attractive waitress. "We're so honored. Have anything on the menu on us. What woul d you like?"

 

Bush studied the menu for a few moments and then said to the waitress, "You know what I'd like, honey. I'd like a quickie." The waitress slammed her pad on the table and said, "I don't care if you are running for President, no one talks that way to me." And she walked away.

 

"I don't know what she's so huffy about," said Bush. "It says right here on the menu: quickie."

 

"Mr. Bush," said his assistant. "It's pronounced quiche."

 

Nobody

A girl phoned me the other day and said, "Come on over, there's nobody home." I went over. Nobody was home.

 

—Rodney Dangerfield

Grandma

Grandma Elden was baby-sitting, and every five minutes Adrienne had another request to keep from going to sleep. Exasperated, she said to her four-year-old granddaughter, "Adrienne, if you call Grandma one more time, I'm going to get very angry." Five minutes later she heard Adrienne say quietly, "Mrs. Elden, can I have a glass of water?"