ARTICLE As the general concerns about the climate change are on the rise, many people reflect on the best way to help our environment. Obviously, all of us know a lot of ways to do it. These include recycling, reusing materials or using renewable energies, such as solar energy. However, apart from the conventional ways, there are other things we can do. In this article, we will talk about charities, in particular 'Fair Trade', which sells socially and environmentally friendly goods. Are you willing to know more about them? 'Fair Trade was set up one year ago by a group of volunteers in our city. Apart from the acknowledged activities mentioned above to help our planet, they decided to contribute with their own work as well. It is a well-known fact that a huge amount of the clothes we wear are manufactured in poor or developing countries, where workers are paid such a misery for their work that they can not even make ends meet. Not only are they poorly paid, but they also have to endure appalling working conditions. For this reason, some volunteers decided to take action and start up their own business. Even though they had some financial issues at first, finally they got all the money they needed through crowdfunding, hence they fulfilled their dream. They personally ensure that all the clothes sold in their shop are socially friendly, and that they bring about benefits to small entrepreneurs and communities. In addition, they also sell eco-friendly food, grown without pesticides, which have been proved to pose a risk to both our health and our planet. Last but not least, they encourage people to donate clothes they no longer use. The charity will not benefit from them, but people can exchange them in the store: whenever you want to take something, you will have to give something else in return. All in all, what is true is that governments should play the main role in the protection of the environment, since there are many things out of our control. However, if we join forces, we can do much more than we think. It is high time we took action. Will you join us?

Proposal to host a conference Dear Madam, I am writing this letter on behalf of the youth counselor in order to propose our city to host the Vanguard Conference. It is a well-known fact that young people, especially teenagers, need places as well as healthy ways to spend their free time. We have been developing a plan over the last three years to provide them with as many resources as possible. We have built sport areas in every neighbourhood. We have created a group of volunteers to help in the nursing home, as we think that being in touch with elder people can be an eye-opening experience. In addition, we have equipped our city with wheelchair facilities, to enable wheelchair users to move around the city and to participate in every activity which is offered. As this is a small city, unfortunately, we do not receive huge grants from the government. Thus, this could be a great opportunity to make the country aware of the improvements we are achieving. Furthermore, it might also bring about benefits regarding tourism, since our city has a lot to offer to the visitors. Apart from that, our city is located in the centre of the country, which is an advantage for the gathering. Visitors will also enjoy our warm dry weather. For these reasons, we are sure our city is the perfect candidate to host the conference. Should you need further information, do not hesitate to contact us, we are entirely at your disposal. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely,

Letter of complaint Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to complain about the inefficient mobile phone service that your company has been providing lately. I changed my plan two months ago, in order to benefit from one of your promotions. However, since then, I have had nothing but trouble with using the service. My phone is constantly trying to get the signal, consequently I am obliged to check it at every moment, as I need to be on call due to my job. Furthermore, some of the applications do not work properly now, and the downloads are extremely slow. As a result, I have to be connected to every wifi network available whenever I need to receive relevant information. Taking everything into consideration, I would appreciate it if you took full responsibility on the matter, finding an alternative as soon as possible. In addition, I urgently ask you for a refund of the last two months' bill, as I have not been able to use my phone properly. Otherwise, I will feel forced to send a complaint to the consumers organization, as well as to look for a company which can meet my needs. Should you need further information, do not hesitate to contact me. I am willing to cooperate, as I have been your customer for several years. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely,

Letter of complaint Dear Sir/ Madam, I am writing on behalf of "Safe TV", a non-profit organization whose aim is to ensure a high quality TV for our children. We wish to express our complaint about an inadequate advertisement shown recently during the afternoon children's programme. Even though there was no violence or sex images in it, the message which could be inferred was not suitable for children. The advertisement, allegedly aimed at children, depicted a girl cooking while her husband, a small boy, was waiting for dinner in the living room. Some people might think that this is an innocent advert. Conversely, we strongly believe that this kind of adverts should be avoided. Women have been fighting for decades to be on the same footing as men, regarding working conditions and house chores. This is the reason why children ought to be prevented from watching these adverts, as they may convey a confusing message. All things considered, we would appreciate it if you took better control of which advertisements are shown during children's programmes. Not only should violence and sex be avoided during these hours, but gender issues should also be taken into account. We think that it is high time everybody bore this in mind. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you in advance. Yours sincerely,

SINGULAR OR PLURAL? I have some doubts with this sentence: A considerable number of men still believe/believes.... I think that the second option is right, but it doesn't sound very well to me...

Job application email Dear Sir/Madam, I am writting in order to apply for the job which was offered in the last Sunday's edition of The Early News. Having graduated the last year in Communications Engineering, I am currently working for a small company in the town where I was born, located in the South of England. Nevertheless, it would not be an inconvenience for me to move to another place if I was required. The main reason why I would be very pleased to join your company is that I am looking for new challenges which allow me to enhance my skills and grow personally. While studying at university, I had a part-time job in a shop which helped me pay my tuition and accomodation. Despite the fact that this job was not related to my degree, I had to learn how to be organised enough in order to be able to balance both things. Furthermore, I can speak French fluently as well as a little Spanish. I consider myself as a driven and hardworking person, with good skills for team working. I am eager to join a big company like yours, which would give me the opportunity to develop my skills and help your company grow. I can send you any further information that you might require. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely,

Letter of apology Dear Professor Johnson, I am writing in order to apologise for my mistake during the last charity event that I personally organised. The truth is that there was a terrible misunderstanding between some members of my organization. The number of people invited to the fundraising event was higher than I expected, so when I realised that there was not enough time for all the guests to talk, it was too late. Therefore, the timetabling of the talks was wrong. I am completely aware that I should have checked it all some days before the event, and that is why I must take full responsibility for this unforgivable mistake. All of us are very grateful that you came to talk to our beloved children, who admire you so much, and we really hope this will not discourage you from attending our next event. I can assure you that, under no circumstances will this happen again. If there is something we can do to compensate you, let us know. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely,

Book review: The woman who stole my life, by Marian Keyes When I started reading the book, my first thought was that it would be the old love story of a middle class woman meeting a rich man and falling in love with him. But after a few pages, I found out that there might be much more in it. The story begins with Irish beautician Stella Sweeney meeting Mannix Taylor in a car crash. Little could she imagine how that man was going to change her whole life. Some days after the car crash, Stella finds herself bedridden in a hospital due to Guillaum Barre Sindrome. Owing to her impossibility to move any muscle of her body, including those needed to breathe and speak, Stella spends her days in pain and despair, without even knowing if she will be able to get over the disease. Until one morning, when neurologist Mannix Taylor shows up and discovers luckily that Stella can communicate through her blinking. Day after day, Mannix brightens Stella's days. Step by step, their relationship grows and becomes deeper. At the same time, Stella's marriage deteriorates day after day. His husband's frustration and lack of understanding towards her illness make him stay away from her. Lying in that hospital bed, with so much time to mull over, Stella wonders what her relationship with Mannix actually means. The story is constantly jumping from one point of Stella's life to other, from the days before the illness, to the months in the hospital and the time after her recovering. Although the writer focuses on the main character, Stella and her relationship with Mannix, she also introduces us to Stella's husband, Brayan, her children, Mannix' wife and Gilda, a woman who meets Stella apparently by chance, and whose friendship makes Stella change her mindset. Stella's husband, Brayan, gets involved in the most hilarious moments of the book. I must say that I haven't really enjoyed this book. Even though the vocabulary is not difficult to understand, the fact that the writer tells the story in a disorganised way makes it hard sometimes to follow it. With regards to the plot, it was appealing to me at first sight. However, I soon realised that not only is the story a bit unemotional, but it is also predictable in some way. For that reason, I am a little disappointed. The only remarkable point of the book is the main character. She is the only one who provides a pinch of emotion, since she can make you burst out laughing with her clever thoughts or she can move you to tears due to her self-deprecating personality.

Proposal to improve town facilities The aim of this proposal is to highlight the lack of infrastructures and facilities for wheelchair users and children with special needs in our town. It is a well-known fact that in some areas of our town it is difficult for wheelchair users to walk on the streets. In the center of the old city, streets are too narrow, as well as the sidewalks, therefore most of these users are forced to walk on the road next to the cars, risking their own lives. Furthermore, children with movement difficulties have the right to enjoy their free time in the same way as other children do. However, playgrounds in our town lack facilities for them. What we plan to do is a research to discover which areas of our town need to be changed in order for them to become user-friendly. First of all, we recommend that sidewalks should be widened so that wheelchair users can walk on them easily. Moreover, the accessibility of some public buildings needs to be improved as well. Secondly, we propose that playgrounds ought to be enhanced in order to encourage social inclusion. Adapted swings and other facilities need to be provided to enable all the children to play together. Our town does not need a special playground. Instead, it needs a playground where all the children can play, no matter if they have difficulties or not. In conclusion, local authorities should feel compelled to provide all the citizens with the facilities they need to develop themselves personally and it is their responsibility to promote equality.