Saturday, 30 August 2014

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Implant means end of reading glasses is in sight - Telegraph

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Implant means end of reading glasses is in sight - Telegraph:

Scientists have developed a tiny implant, no bigger than a pinhead, which sits inside the cornea and slightly increases its curvature, to allow the eye to focus again






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Friday, 29 August 2014

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Implant means end of reading glasses is in sight - Telegraph

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Implant means end of reading glasses is in sight - Telegraph:

Scientists have developed a tiny implant, no bigger than a pinhead, which sits inside the cornea and slightly increases its curvature, to allow the eye to focus again






via Tumblr http://ift.tt/1n4jOM6

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Implant means end of reading glasses is in sight - Telegraph

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Implant means end of reading glasses is in sight - Telegraph:

Scientists have developed a tiny implant, no bigger than a pinhead, which sits inside the cornea and slightly increases its curvature, to allow the eye to focus again






via Tumblr http://ift.tt/1qJRAe8

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Implant means end of reading glasses is in sight - Telegraph

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Implant means end of reading glasses is in sight - Telegraph:

Scientists have developed a tiny implant, no bigger than a pinhead, which sits inside the cornea and slightly increases its curvature, to allow the eye to focus again






via Tumblr http://ift.tt/1n0hBRE

Tuesday, 19 August 2014

071 IELTS ESSAY IMPROVEMENT CLASS (1 of 3)

essay_improve

In this podcast we take a poor (but grammatically perfect) essay and transform it into a high scoring succinct masterpiece:-)


Here is a typical Task 2 question:


Employment is becoming an increasingly illusive goal for many graduates. Some say universities are failing in preparing students for the future, whereas others argue there is a fundamental fall in the calibre of graduates. What are the reasons for this? Has the quality of graduates dropped?


Here is the introduction:


Nowadays in the current modern increasingly competitive society there are many challenges to face for the global citizen. Jobs are increasingly difficult to find. University is more popular than ever, and thus makes employment in the job market difficult. In this essay I will talk about the reasons why this is so and hopefully convince you with my excellent reasons. First I will discuss why employment is increasingly difficult. Then I am going to speak about globalisation in general because I think it’s really really relevant.


Copy it down, have a look, where are the problems?


Lets analyse it sentence by sentence. This exact process is how I get would get you to jump a band. I analyse YOUR essay and give you similar feedback but for your own essay.


Download the podcast here:


SENTENCE 1


Nowadays in the current modern increasingly competitive society there are many challenges to face for the global citizen.


All three words are expressing the same concept. Eliminate the fat and use one adjective.


Nowadays in the current modern increasingly competitive society there are many challenges to face for the global citizen.


Is there any citizen who isn’t global?


Nowadays in the current modern increasingly competitive society there are many challenges to face for the global citizen.


Is the ‘topic sentence’ actually related to the question? NO. This is a generic copy paste sentence that examiners can spot a mile off. It should be tailored to the actual topic of the question.


How do we correct the problems?


In an increasingly competitive labour market (employment) opportunities are said to be difficult to find, especially for higher education students.


With this sentence I had to re-write it all, because the original was almost irrelevant.


This sentence refers to the question, relates to it and uses collocations.


SENTENCE 2


Jobs are increasingly difficult to find.


increasingly – Repetition of the same adverb used in the first sentence.


Jobs are increasingly difficult to find. – Sentence is unnecessarily short, and can be linked to the next sentence easily.


SENTENCE 3


University is more popular than ever, and thus makes employment in the job market difficult.


The above sentence doesn’t make sentence, it lacks coherence.


Why would the popularity of university make employment difficult?


The solution is to link both sentences and explain in more detail.


Jobs are increasingly difficult to find. University is more popular than ever, and thus makes employment in the job market difficult.


Should be presented like this:


University is more popular than ever,


THEREFORE MORE STUDENTS FINISHING UNIVERSITY MEANS


GRADUATE Jobs are increasingly difficult to find.


(and thus makes employment in the job market difficult) -optional last sentence.


Due to the popularity of university there are more higher education students than ever before, this increases the competition for graduates opportunities, essentially making the labour market more difficult to enter.


SENTENCE 4


In this essay I will talk about the reasons why this is so and hopefully convince you with my excellent reasons.


This essay will explore the difficulties encountered by job seekers and provide examples from American academic studies to prove arguments.


I will talk - Avoid personal pronouns.


In this essay – This essay… Cut the fat and be succinct.


TALK? – explore.


the reasons why this is so – This communicates absolutely nothing.


hopefully convince you with my excellent reasons.– AVOID PERSONAL PRONOUNS


my excellent reasons – NO DETAIL, NO SPECIFICS, EMPTY AND REDUNDANT.


my excellent reasons – Sounds terrible because it is self promotion, contrast this with an academic essay which should be more objective.


Reason reason – Repeated twice, and -even worse- no real MEAT or CONTENT!


SENTENCE 5


First I will discuss why employment is increasingly difficult.


I will discuss – Again personal pronouns.


First I will discuss why employment is increasingly difficult. – Very basic and repeats a concept previously mentioned.


SENTENCE 6


Then I am going to speak about globalisation in general because I think it’s really really relevant.


Then I – personal pronoun, not necessary.


Then I am going to – Tense, ‘going to’ is considered conversational, in formal writing WILL is preferred.


to speak about – too ‘wordy’, the same concept could be expressed by saying ‘This essay will consider…


because I think – personal pronoun, not necessary.


it’s really really relevant. - NO contractions.


..it is really really relevant. – unsophisticatedemphasis, we could say: extremely relevant, or highly relevant.


Useful Collocations.


Job security


job seeker


employment opportunities


higher education


academic studies




The post 071 IELTS ESSAY IMPROVEMENT CLASS (1 of 3) appeared first on IELTS podcast.


Thursday, 14 August 2014

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Meet the Robotic Weeders

IELTS Academic Task 1 TIPS



Watch this to get 50% of Task 1 under control, GUARANTEED. Tips for IELTS Academic Task 1. Learn advanced sentence structures that get you points.






from IELTS Academic Task 1 TIPS



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IELTS Academic Task 1 TIPS



IELTS Academic Task 1 TIPS Watch this to get 50% of Task 1 under control, GUARANTEED. Tips for IELTS Academic Task 1. Learn advanced sentence structures that get you points.

Stephen shared a post on Google+: MIT researchers made a material that forces water up walls

Stephen shared a post on Google+: MIT researchers made a material that forces water up walls:

There are incontrovertible facts of nature: people get old, things fall, water flows downstream. And then there’s this MIT project, which contradicts at least the last one.


The material can…






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Wednesday, 13 August 2014

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Reversible USB Type-C connector finalized: Devices, cables, and adapters coming soon | ExtremeTech

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Reversible USB Type-C connector finalized: Devices, cables, and adapters coming soon | ExtremeTech:

The USB Promoter Group has announced that the greatest invention in the known universe — the reversible Type-C USB connector — is finally ready for mass production. The USB Implementers Forum will now take the Type-C spec and start building devices, cables, and adapters that support the new reversible connector. We could begin seeing Type-C USB devices over the next few months, but it may take a little while for Type-C to reach critical mass.






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Stephen shared a post on Google+: Siri’s founders are building a new AI assistant

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Siri’s founders are building a new AI assistant:

Siri blew a lot of people away when it was first introduced by Apple in 2011, but just about everyone who used it quickly realized just how limited the AI really was. Not much has changed for Siri…






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Saturday, 9 August 2014

Stephen shared a post on Google+: MIT researchers made a material that forces water up walls

Stephen shared a post on Google+: MIT researchers made a material that forces water up walls:

There are incontrovertible facts of nature: people get old, things fall, water flows downstream. And then there’s this MIT project, which contradicts at least the last one.


The material can…






via Tumblr http://ift.tt/1voKDTU

Wednesday, 6 August 2014

Stephen shared a post on Google+: How Google Benefits From The Increased Market Share Of The Android Open Source Project

Stephen shared a post on Google+: How Google Benefits From The Increased Market Share Of The Android Open Source Project:

Recent numbers from ABI Research on the market share of mobile smartphone platforms splits out the two major variants of Android. Both Google’s flavor of Android and the Android Open Source Project are listed. Far from a danger to Mountain View, the Open Source Project platform is a smart strategic move for Google.






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Saturday, 2 August 2014

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Google Said to Plan Separating Photo Service From Google+

Stephen shared a post on Google+: Google Said to Plan Separating Photo Service From Google+:

Google Inc. is planning to give its photo service more autonomy from its Google+ social network as the company looks to attract more users, according to people with knowledge of the matter.






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