Music Festival Reiew. CAE exam Music Festival review. Music festivals are a part of the agenda during the summer. Dozens of festivals take place all over the country and are attended by crowds of young people eager to see their favourite bands. These festivals are located at outdoors and the music programs are incredibly long. Visitors can sleep in tents through enormous camp areas that are well equipped with facilities and services. Not does a music festival present a great opportunity t to see different groups and solo artist but also includes alternative activities like performance art, workshops and social activities. Last summer I attended at the Bilbao BBK Live festival which takes place in Bilbao as you may easily guess. It’s a small music festival placed in the top of a small hill called Kobetamendi (Kobeta Hill) and for three days you can embrace a broad line-up of guitar based, mainstream and techno artists. There are three stages, two campsites and food trucks with terrible products. That year the main attraction was Muse, the acclaimed British rock band performed his last released album, Drones, along some classics of their set list. Their awesome production elevated the audience to a hypnotic state surrounded by colossal balloons, confetti and lightning effects. Also, The Jesus and Mary Chains and Crowded House, who were enthusiastically applauded by hundreds of middle aged fans recalling for their youthfulness, made us touch the sky. Are these festival worth the money you spend on? Well, that’s a difficult question. On my opinion, I think it’s worth every cent if you want to discover new music. Furthermore, you will be able to meet new people and make some friends.

Purchasing on the internet era. CAE exam. Writing part. Essay It is undoubtedly how the internet has reached such a level of importance for us. The invention of the internet in particular and the development of logistics and communication made in general, have redefined parts of our quotidian existence like shopping. Could this mean the end of traditional retail? Online purchasing has been embraced by costumers as very convenient way to shop. Not only does it help you to save time, but also it is a great way to find the best bargains. Through the internet we can easily compare a wide range of prices for the same article and find the most interesting option. Notwithstanding, the customer experience is more impersonal. The purchase is reduced to fill in a formulary in a virtual transaction and a few emails from the after-sales service. It also needs to be considered how shopping in high streets and shopping centres has become a leisure activity. The meaning of shopping in malls has evolved last decades. Shoppers feel relaxed with a full experience which includes eating out and watching a movie after trying new clothes. Even if we don’t buy anything, we would have a great time for leisure. All things considered, we can ensure that e-commerce will not replace traditional retail since e-commerce cannot supply the amusement and the variety of activities that traditional shopping gives to shoppers.

Cultural consecuences of globalisation. CAE exam - Essay It is undoubtedly that globalisation has turned our world into a global village. The development of the internet, communication and logistics have interconnected our world in such a way that all we are exposed to similar information and products. However, some critical voices are pointing out that the blending of cultures is vanishing the differences that make them unique. One of the most criticised aspects of globalization is the homogenisation of cultural taste. The largest corporations within the entertainment industry are based in the United States of America. This means that the international market of music and cinema is dominated by American productions while domestic productions are ignored. Global audiences are being heavily influenced up to the point that people are integrating some details like western fashion or leisure trends into their lives. Meanwhile, the world has noticed how local nationalisms are being reinforced by those who claim globalisation is a threat to national traditions. But is this truth? Actually, this globalized world enables popular culture to reach a worldwide audience. As a result, more people can appreciate what makes each country so special. Not only can this reduce prejudice against other cultures, but also to adopt their best values. To sum up, globalisation has brought us an incredible opportunity to meet different cultures and knock down preconceptions. But when it comes to speaking about entertainment, the terrible truth is that the massive influence of western culture in the entertainment industry is contributing to create a globally standardised market with little space for different cultural peculiarities.

The importance of internet in our lives. CAE Exam (essay) Today at class, we had a discussion about how internet has reached a level of importance for us. The invention of internet in particular and the technical progress made in general reshaped even the most usual situations in our lives such as buying or learning. Which of these situations has become the most affected by the internet? First of all, I would like to talk about how our purchasing habits of consumers have found a new place for opportunity. The internet has become the biggest market ever known. Millions of consumers and sellers are connected by a click. Not only means this that we have access to a significant number of articles, but we can compare prices to find the best offer. If internet hadn’t existed, we wouldn’t have saved money on those Chinese bargains. In the same way, the internet has dramatically changed the way we study. If you can’t afford to move to a different city or you are not plenty of time, you can consider the possibility of join in one of the many courses offered through the internet. Nevertheless, students prefer in-person classes where they can meet new people. To sum up, despite the importance of internet in education is a fact, our lives has inexorably changed with the instant access to a global market. And this change has been so widely accepted that nobody could imagine a world without e-commerce.

Changes in the syllabus of secondary schools. CAE exam. Hello! I'm practicing the writing exercise to pass the CAE exam. So remember, this is an exercise, not my opinión :) Recently I read an article in a specialized magazine that the Ministry of Education is planning to eliminate some subjects of the secondary schools’ syllabus. The reduced budget for next two years has brought to this situation. The chosen subjects are Music and History. Are these areas less important than the rest? The controversy is served. It is well known that music is a very important part of our lives. It’s sourrinding us. During the lessons, students learn the necessary things to understand and perform music.Not only teach Music education how to play a musical instrument but it helps to develop the student’s creativity. However, the budget cuts on Education make necessary to focus on what is important for our children’s future. History can’t be deleted by authorities. It’s one of the most necessary areas to build knowledge in students. It sets the base of critical thinking. Studying history help us to understand where we come from and what might come in the future. What is more, if we hadn’t learnt from the biggest humans’ errors in history, they might have been repeated. To sum up, we must take over that it’s necessary to take a dramatic decision. Politicians didn’t come up with effective ideas to solve the economic situation. For that reason, let’s teach our kids history, they will avoid the mistakes that took us this point.

Investment in public facilities. Recently, a popular radio program discussed about the need of investment in facilities of public use. The lack of urban open spaces and the poor state of sport facilities were on the top of citizens’ concerns. Which one should receive more money? This question can’t be easily answered. Sport centres are one of the most attractive public services offered in our town. If local authorities hadn’t promoted sports during past years, sport centres would have been empty all this time. But they've been intensely used and users complain about multiple failures on equipment. On top of these complaints, some centres are short of staff. This means that offered fitness activities cannot take place. Nevertheless, most of sporty people prefer outdoors activities where facilities are not needed. Green spaces are important to a city. Not only can help parks to improve the environment, but also to promote a healthier lifestyle. When a green space is provided, people made use of it. What is more, it reinforces social networks among neighbours. You can go for a walk, children find a place to play, friends can plan a picnic… Public gardens are definitely an important asset for any city. To summarise, if money were invested in sport facilities, we might maintain the number of users. On the contrary, not everybody likes indoor activities. Green urban areas benefit all the citizens and make cities a better place to live in, consequently local authorities should take this into account and think of what is better for the city.

Creative block. I'm practicing my writing skills everyday to pass the Cambridge CAE exam. The part 1 of the exercise is to write an essay discussing two of three bullet points. The structre is easy. You write an introduction about the topic from general to concrete. Then two paragraphs, one for each bullet point. You must discuss them and give reasons to support them. Finally, you write a conclusión It seems so easy, but when I'm in front of my laptop I don't know what to write. By contrast, I'm brilliant when writing emails, proposals and all that stuff so I don't know what a kind of creative mental block I'm suffering and I don't know how to solve it. Meanwhile, I'll keep on practicing with other entries in my notebook.

The Centanery of Roald Dahl's Birth These weeks we are celebrating the centenary of Roald Dahl's birth, war hero and one of the greatest British novelist during the 20th century. Among his most famouse books are Charlie and the chocolate factory, James and the Giant Peach, Mathilda, The big firendly giant, The Witches and The Unexpected Tales. He was born to Norwegians parents near Cardiff, he was named after the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsene. When he was 3 years old, his father and one of her sisters died few weeks apart. Despite experiencing financial issues, his mother decied to stay in GB so her children could study in British schools that she considered the best around the world. His schools days were described with horror, He excelled in sports, and show some interest in photography but he was far to show his excellence in writing. As one of his teachers reported "I have never met anybody who so persistently writes words meaning the exact opposite of what is intended." After graduating, he became an explorer, travelling to different countries as Iceland, Kenya or Tanzania. During the Second World War, he enrolled in the Royal Air Force as an aircraftman. He was injured and invalided home. Thanks to his astonishing service records, he was offered to be an assistant attaché to the British embassy in Washington (US). While in Washington, he wrote his first story for young readers, The Gremlins, for Walt Disney. The book didn't success as expected, so his next books topics were about dark and macabre topics for adults. During the 60s, he met succes with the story for childrem "James and the Giant Peach", gaining both critical and commercial acclaim. Later on, he published more winning books and a movie about his book "Charlie and the chocolate Factory" was released in cinemas. After suffering a blood dissease, Roald Dahl died in 1990. His 19 children's book and 9 short story collection for adults made a magnificent contribution to our literary culture.