Essay 1

Nowadays, there is a hot topic upon the subject of the most important room in a house. People have so many different opinions, that someone can barely understand which is the most useful and functional room in a house. I am inclined to believe that in somebody’s house, his or her bedroom should be the most significant room.

Firstly, one cannot deny that any individual requires privacy or intimacy just for himself. It is widely known that spending time only with yourself has unfortunately became so rare. People usually tend to surround themselves with plenty of other persons, when they should try to spend more time discovering themselves. Therefore, I think that someone’s bedroom plays a major role throught the personal development. Not only can the individual meditate in tranquility, but he can also pay more attention to his own thoughts, not being disturbed by others. For instance, when I was a teenager I managed to overcome so many difficulties just focusing on my solutions, my ideas in such a profound peace that I could have only found in my bedroom.

Secondly, there is no argument against the fact that most people have the tendency to fulfill all their requirements in the most comfortable environment for themselves. Whether they have to study for an exam or finish a project for a company, people will always come with the best result when they can work comfortably. Thus, being in a familiar place, in this case their bedroom where they can also include their work desk, people are more likely to work harder,better and more efficiently. Morever, some persons might have outlandish habits that would not irritate anybody as everything takes place in the individual’s house. For example, whenever I start working for school projects I chew gum. I observed that certain people get annoyed and cannot concentrate anymore on their work. Consequently, being in my own room, I can behave as I please.

However, there is still a vast majority of people who claims that there are more importants room in a house than someone’s bedroom. These people point out that a bedroom does not offer someone the chance to provide a dinner for his or hers kins, thus it has a lower significance. Furthermore, they claim that it is

necessary to stay away from the place where a person sleeps as nobody wants to constantly feel lazy and sleepy.

Summing up, I consider that even if there are lots of rooms that can have numerous benefits in a house, a bedroom will always play the most important role. Not only does it provide a peaceful environment, but it also reperesents a private part from someone’s life.

Essay 2

Nowadays, there is a hot topic upon the subject of one custom from your country that you would other countries to adopt also. Living in such a rich country in terms of traditions, one custom from Romania I would like others to folow would definitely be „Martisor”. Taking place on the 1st of March, there are a few reasons for which I made this choice.

Firstly, one cannot deny that 1st of March also represents the arrival of spring. The nature comes to life again, the temperature rises and a feeling of happiness and serenity surrounds the entire world. People seem to forget about the harsh winter that has just passed and they are now ready to face a new year full of challenges and new opporunities. Therefore, through offering these little adornments of red and white tied thread on this, people appear to gain a sense of hope and cheer for the following periods of the year. Consequently, the first reason for which I chose this custom of giving little decorations to others is that people definitely need a tradition which gives them profound joy and hope for better days.

Secondly, there is no argue against the fact that through this simple custom of offering tiny talismans to someone to wear, an individual can express his or her appreciation and respect for a significant person. These red and white tied strings can have attached either a three-leafed clover, either a heart, for instance. Thus, someone can express his wishes towards a particular person through this gift. Women and young ladies, for example, often feel loved and cared after when they are given such a decoration from a man. Not only do they attain feeling of appreciation, but they also gain attention and interest from the man offering them the adornment.

In addition, I think that this tradition can also play a major role in people’s creativity. Some persons do not want to buy familiar amulets and as matter of fact they often try to design their own. As a result, they start adding the details they like, the colours they prefer and in the end they have some unique adornments for the persons they cherish. As a consequence, individuals learn to develop their creative skills while creating their own masterpieces.

Summing up, I consider that even if Romania has so much to offer in terms of anything, this undemanding custom could make a difference in any country’s

culture. If I were to choose any tradition from Romania’s heritage, I would definitely pick this one.

Integrated task 1

In the lecture the professor makes several points about Alan Hobson and Robert McKarley’s theory upon the origin of dreams. Their theory is mostly based on a biological perspective. This is different from the reading which states that dreams are related to wish fulfillment.

The lecturer claims that due to a biochemical research on cats, dreams are orginated from the firing of certain chemicals from the brain stem. The professor points out that cats were used for this experiment because their brain emits waves similar to the human ones. Also, the professor adds the example of a a dream in which a person is trying to escape from a place. Therefore, even if the brain is imagining the person running, the legs do not actually provide a response. Thus, the lecturer concludes that there is no meaning in dreams, as they are strongly related to a chemical process of the brain cells.

Meanwhile, the reading argues that dreams have a powerful connection to human wishes. According, to Freud’s theory, dreams are represented through pictures which eventually form meaningful symbols. Moreover, in the reading passage it is cited the example of a student dreaming of an exam, which is compared to a hurdle in a race. Consequently, Freud’s theory says that dreams also have active and latent levels, meant to explain the unconcious mind. In this case the active level is the hurdle, while the latent one is the actual exam from the dream.

The points made by the professor cast doubt on the reading passage, by demonstration a more valuable and reliable theory of dreams occouring.

Integrated Task 2 Supporting ideas

In the reading passage there are several points made about the nebular hypothesis. Regarding this hypothesis, approximately 5 million years ago an enormous cloud ,consisting of mainly hydrogen and helium, was formed in the place of the actual solar system. Due to the gravitational power, the cloud suffered a collapse and with further consequences, planetesimals, which are tiny objects, eventually developed. These planetisimals condensed in the places where now we have planets. Meanwhile, the biggest planet of our system, the Sun, started to alter into a star, which emited not only light, but also heat. There rest of the planets were either formed from desintegrable materials, either from helium, hydrogen and other elements.

The lecture supports the points made in the reading by explaining that nowadays modern computer have become useful in testing such hypothenis as the nebula hypothensis. Through this technology, computers can have a closer look at the conditions and consequences of the formation of a star. The lecture also adds that the nebula hypothensys might be valuable and reliable for the creation of stars in other solar systems.

Essay 4

Nowadays there is a hot topic upon the subject of the most beautiful years in someone’s life. Some claim that the childhood is irreplaceable, while others argue that college years are the best time in anybody’s life. Opinions tend to differ dramatically as people’s experiences are also different. I am inclined to agree with the latter, for there are several reasons.

Firstly, one cannot deny that even if attending college is sometimes an ardous activity due to the numerous exams, it still leaves you plenty of spare time. Whether you attend morning classes or whether you prefer night courses, there is always enough time for ordinary students to enjoy themselves. Therefore, this free time enables them to take part in lots of parties, contests of different kind or even enroll for voluntary activities. During college, most students have the chance to experience all sorts of activities that they might not even heard of. Not having such a busy schedule yet, students are usually able to have fun and make their youth memorable by not staying still for a second. For instance, I remember that when my cousin was in College, she used to leave house Friday afternoons and return Sunday mornings. She was the kind of girl who never missed a party. Even so, she handled college successfully and got a degree in Medicine.

Secondly, there is no argue against the fact that a vast majority of students are often given the chance to discover the world. College does not necessarily mean to listen to lectures and then pass certain exams. Nowadays, most colleges offer students the opportunity to experience everything on their own skin. Thus, it is commonly heard that students take part in internhips, leaving their country for another in order to work or even study, for example. Consequently, not only do they have the possibility to change their horizons, but they also get to meet new cultures, make new relationships and to see beyond some books and grades. Is is widely known that through all these events and happening that students encounter, they can eventually find their vocation in life.

In addition, another reason for which college can represent the best time of someone’s life is that there is no such great responsability, yet. Being a student does not imply raising children or working full time to sustain a family, for

instance. College usually is about learning, developing and preapring for the real world, for the real adult in formation.

However, there are plenty of people who point out the college can sometimes be a real struggle for some students. There are pupils who cannot integrate, who cannot be part in groups and they constantly feel neglected. Others observe that college can also mean terror because of the exams, degrees and marks.

Summing up, I consider that no matter the circumstances, the college years make the best memories of any person’s life. Not only does college provides you a great background for evolving, but it also fosters you to enjoy your youth.

Integrated task 3

In the lecture the professor makes several points about the problems occuring when it comes to the graded school system. Meanwhile, in the reading there are presented general facts and positive aspects of this particular school system.

Firstly, the lecturer claims that one common issue to this system is the actual difference between the readiness of pupils in order to start school. He observes that there is a huge discrepancy on the social, the mental and the physical levels of today’s children. This is different from the reading which states that the graded school system, actually the European model, generally encourages pupils to start school at the age six, the age playing a major role. The lecturer casts doubt on the reading by proving that age is not necessarily an important factor when taking into account the readiness to start school.

Secondly, the lecturer states that another issue prevalent to this system is the process of promotion. He points out that repeating one school year, if marks are not high enough usually leads to boredom and even more droppouts of schools. He also adds that the standartized test focus mainly on groups of students and not on the individuals, as each pupil has his own pace of gaining information. Whereas, in the reading it is argued that it is compulsory for students to achieve the minimum marks in order to pass one grade. Thus, at the end of the twelfth grade, most students obtain a high school diploma that allows them to access further education such as university. The professor doubts this point by stating that it is more important to pay attention to each individual and to take into account his own rhytm of approaching everyday lessons.

These points made by the lecturer challenge the points made in the reading passage by proving that there are quite a few things needed to be improved to this school system.