Commenting an Election Statement for the Presidential Campaign in the US While the upcoming US American presidential election starts to be covered in the media, I have commented on an interview on MSNBC titled "Bernie Sanders On Jeb Bush's 'Work Longer Hours' Comments". It can be viewed on YouTube under https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzqvw8q95Us This is so far one of the best statements I've heard about it. The first issue addressed, longer working hours, is a topic I've been pondering about for some time. According to Senator Bernie Sanders, 85% of male employees work more than 40 hours a week. First of all, this is an impressive figure. The Americans are definitely a hardworking society. I agree with him that this needs to be curbed, instead of increased. Productivity is not linear to working hours, it rather decreases above a certain level. Most union-based contracts in Germany are based on a 35 hour working week, with an annual leave of 30 days. Still, the per capita GDP is roughly the same compared to the United States. It helps people to be less stressed or burn-out prone, while it also has a positive effect on the overall unemployment rate. Secondly, I agree with him about reforming banks. Six banks that stand behind 60% of the GDP? This figure sounds pretty high, but if true, I would vote for breaking them up. In my experience, profit driven thinking does not always yield to the best results and can sometimes even harm products. The minimum wage of 15 bucks, as he refers to it, sounds pretty high to me. In his continuing speech he acknowledges climate change, which I appreciate. Pay equity for women and free college tuition sound ambiguous, but are good ideas. While I believe deciding about the former should be left to companies respectively unions, I think investing in education would make a big difference. Senator Sanders touches on the same topic again when he states demilitarizing police is one thing, but curbing high unemployment rates in poor areas would eventually solve the problem. In context with the incidents in Baltimore, President Obama has made a similar statement, referring to these areas as pockets of poverty. I fully agree with these attitudes and believe both reforming the police system and closing the gap would improve live on both sides of it. In essence, Senator Sanders is touching on a lot of urgent issues and his proposed solutions are social and democratic. It would in my opinion help America continue its positive development it is currently making with President Obama.

Requesting an accomodation TASK: -------- You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. You are going on a short training course at a collage in Greenmount, Northern Ireland. You need somewhere to live while you are there. Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the college. In your letter: * explain your situation. * describe the accommodation you require. * say when you will need it. Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Ms Rose, ANSWER: -------------- Dear Ms Rose, I am a German student and I am going to attend the "English Immersion Course for IELTS Students" at Greenmount college this summer. I would require a lodging for the period of the course. Therefore, I kindly would like to ask, if you can provide me with a room starting with July 1st until August 30th. If you have several different room categories available, I would be grateful, if you could send me some background information. I am fine with sharing a kitchen several other room mates. In particular, I require a place in walking distance of the Greenmount college campus. Furthermore, I would much appreciate an Internet connection capable of video conferencing. From your website I understood, that various different payment methods are accepted to pay the rent and deposit. Could you please let me know, if American Express is among your supported credit card systems? Thank you in advance! Yours sincerely, Mr. Jackson REMARKS: --------------- 153 words, 20 minutes. Misspelled words: college Please rate this text according to - task achievement, - coherence and cohesion, - lexical resource - and grammar range and accuracy. Thanks!

The Future of the Silver Screen IELTS Writing Task #2, General Essay: ---------------------------------------------------- You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some people warn that the era of silver screen is coming to an end and that people will eventually lose interest in going to the cinema. Do you agree or disagree with this view? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your experience. You should write at least 250 words. Answer: ---------- As media center in the modern living room get more and more advanced, and as TV entertainment is not only broadcast via cable and satellite, but also streamed over the Internet, it needs to be discussed, which role cinemas are going to play in the future. In the past three decades the amount of TV stations has significantly increased, from a handful channels in the nineties to the copious amounts available today. On top of that, paid services like Netflix let you choose freely, how your evening entertainment will look like. Cinemas, however, offer an entirely different experience. Firstly, watching a movie on the silver screen is way more intense. The size of the screen for instance is overwhelming. Oftentimes movies are produced in a special three-dimensional fashion, requiring the audience to wear special glasses. On top of that, the spatial experience is enhanced by sound recorded in a special surround technique. Secondly, going to the movies is a social event. Often taking place on the weekend, it is an evening to meet friends and to watch a dedicated movie. Be that as it may, going to the movies may become quickly quite expensive. The ticket costs for a family, plus additional expenses such as popcorn and drinks may easily surpass the monthly costs of a streaming providers, often a multiple there of. In my personal opinion, both movie theaters and home entertainment have their individual benefits. For example, I basically watch every new movie I am interested in at a theater, while my living room sports cable and Internet TV. I prefer to watch fresh films in a cinema, this way I can see them in the best quality available and as soon as possible. On the other hand I love watching TV series and oldies in the comfort of my home and on my high definition television. My impression is, that cinemas are still very popular and will continue to be accepted in the future. Remarks: ------------ 328 words Misspelled words: overwhelming benefit to be intereste

An exceptional building Marvelous headquarters are known from fiction and thrillers. No evil villain can be taken seriously if not in possession of a secret hideout. We expect undercover agents to be briefed in perfectly secured places, which are equipped with the latest advancements of technology and well hidden below the innocuous environment of an idyllic farm, a far-off island or an abandoned factory building. But how does this affect us in real life? I assume, everybody daydreams about his own headquarter. Well, I do at least. On my daily commute, there is the one or other location, that would be entirely fine for my batmobile or tumbler. But what, if this vision would really come true? I guess, in this case it would just look like this epic replica of Starship Enterprise. The first thought, when I stumbled over an account of this edifice, was: "Holy smokes!". But after my initial impression I became suspicious. It's made in China. Should this be a knockoff? Reports about the village Hallstatt came to mind, a small Austrian hamlet that had been duplicated somewhere in the Middle Kingdom and is now, after being erected in one piece, ready to be inhabited. Finally, when I continued my investigations about this peculiar construction, I realized that this is a serious brainchild of imagination. Even though I wouldn't consider myself a pronounced Star Trek fan, the uniqueness of this building is undeniable. It is indeed a dream-come-true settlement. The only remaining question would be, is this the kind of headquarter that just sits around, or could it actually transform into a flying spacecraft? http://www.cnbc.com/id/102758199

IELTS - General Writing Task I - Letter to friend TASK: An English-speaking friend wants to spend a two-week holiday in your region and has written asking for information and advice. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: offer to find somewhere to stay give advice about what to do give information about what clothes to bring Write at least 150 words. ANSWER: Dear Susan! I am delighted to hear, that you are going to visit Vienna! There are many things I can recommend you to do. Most of all, you should visit Palace Schoenbrunn. It is ranked on the fourth position of the most popular hotspots in Europe. If you like classical music, the National Opera House has an excellent reputation. When it comes to your accommodation, the preferred choice is the Hilton Hotel. Its location is really central, the first district is in walking range, while it is located directly adjacent to Vienna's city park at the same time. It is not the cheapest hotel, though, with round about 120€ per night. As an alternative, I recommend the youth hostel "Backpacker's Paradise". Also very centrally located, this one is just 60€ per night. For both locations, you would have to make a reservation one month ahead of your arrival. July is really the best time to come here, good choice! But speaking of summer time, you should know, that Vienna can become quite warm during that period. So bring your summer clothes along! I can't say how much I look forward to meet you then! It is so exciting, that you finally can make it! All the best, Jens-Christian REMARKS: 207 words, 20 minutes. Misspelled words: directly, backpacker, preferred Please rate this text according to - task achievement, - coherence and cohesion, - lexical resource - and grammar range and accuracy. Thanks!

An alternative A.I. for Tony Stark For all of you, who wonder what F.R.I.D.A.Y stands for in the new Avenger movie, it is not a new suit for iron man, like I thought first. It is an alternative A.I., other then his usual J.A.R.V.I.S co-pilot, that gets uploaded to "Vision", the artificial human being created by the Korean scientist. The name F.R.I.D.A.Y derives from the English Idiom "Girl Friday" which refers to an all-round secretary or in German language "Mädchen für alles". See http://marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com/wiki/F.R.I.D.A.Y.

Movie Review 'Spy' is an easy-going flick, featuring Melissa McCarthy from 'Heat' as central character. It's a legitimate blockbuster, containing just enough fun to make up for a good evening entertainment. While this wouldn't quite suffice to be mentioned here, there's one thing I found remarkable about it. It's completely set in Europe, starting off in Bulgaria, followed by Paris and Rome, and then heading back to Eastern Europe, to Budapest. In the latter city, Budapest, the capital of Hungary by the way, everybody on the streets is depicted with Italian designer clothes. That was a little exaggerated, but all-in-all a nice promotion for these beautiful European cities! For further information please refer to this NPR article: http://www.npr.org/2015/06/05/412235611/melissa-mccarthy-receives-top-billing-in-spy-finally

Promotion for an Cultural Event When it comes to clubbing, Ibiza is probably one of the best places to go. I'd like to promote this DJ set by Mrs. Ellen Allien, for its genuine atmosphere, both in terms of music and audience. As you can see from the crowd, it's an uplifting, make-you-happy event. Ellen Allien has always been convincing with her pure taste in techno music, and nowhere else is this more appreciated than on Ibiza. http://player.dancetrippin.tv/video/ellen-allien-cocoon-amnesia-ibiza-techno/