Travelling into space - TOURISM SPACE TRAVELS - (pros and cons essay)

Until recently, travelling into space was known only to astronauts and ordinary
people did not know anything about space flights. However, nowadays it has completely changed. It is possible both for you and for me to fly into space and watch the Earth from thousands of kilometres away.
Tourism space travels have many advantages but there are also few negative sides of such a phenomenon.

First of all, travelling into space is an exciting adventure, which cannot be compared to anything else. Space tourists could feel free, independent and it could be an adventure of their life too.
Moreover, space travels let travellers gain unusual experience and knowledge, which they cannot get from any book or film watched on TV. They could also develop their intrests and imagination. That is why these journeys recently have become the greatest tourist attraction.

On the other hand, space travels can be very dangerous because of unknown conditions for human living. Lack of fresh air, food and living nature could cause many problems with health or frame of mind. What is more, people are not able predict how their body will react in different environment conditions.

Furthermore, the price of space travels is very high. That kind of travelling is very very expensive and available only for people that can afford it. Such trips cannot be bought at a travel agency.

Taking everything into consideration, space flights could be an exciting, unusual experience and even adventure of our life. They can also give us precious knowledge and will certainly become a great tourist attraction. However, they are also very expensive, dangerous and only some of us could afford them.

So maybe our grandchildren in the future will travel into space for their vacation and it will be an ordinary way of spending free time?

S.P.

'THE DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET' (story)

Everyone has dreams. We all have something that we like doing, that we want to experience; something that we long for. For so long my deepest wish was to participate in one of my favourite band's concert. I was waiting for such a long  time to have an opportunity of being a part of something that brilliant and one day my wish came true.

I was sitting in my room when my dad called me. I wasn't expecting what he was going to say. When he told me that he had bought tickets for Epica's concert, I was stunned. This was my dream, and he knew I admired this band. That was a fantastic feeling. Since then I was so impatient as I thought about this concert all the time.

Finally, after whole month of waiting, this was it.  The day I was longing for, has come! I woke up early and immediately dressed up. It wasn't so easy, because (as often) there was a question - what should I wear? I decided to choose something comfortable, just to feel good and confident.

Me and my dad were listening to Epica's albums while driving the car. Four hours long journey wasn't so boring then.

I can't describe how excited I was and how amazing it was to see and to hear Simone singing live. She has one of the most beautifull voices (and for sure she is the most beautiful woman) in my opinion. The concert didn't disappoint me. Actually, it was one of the best day in my life and I'll never forget it.

by Kat S.

HOW TO CHANGE A BORING LIFE? - "The chance of a lifetime" (story)

Sonia was a teenager living in a small town. She seemed to be a very happy girl. She had many friends at school and was one of the best student in her class.

However, one day she realised her life was boring and each day was practically the same. She wondered if she could ever have a chance to change it. She had never done anything crazy - always behaved in a very calm, peaceful and placed way. Every day was filled with school duties; the only thing she used to do at her free time was watching dance programmes. She was observing dancing couples, admiring every performance and really regretting she couldn't even dance. Sonia was sure she would never appear on the stage and didn't realise that it was exactly her secret dream.

Sonia's eighteen birthday was coming closer. Her parents wanted to give her a special present, but they couldn't find any good idea, because they used to see their daughter only in front of the books or sometimes watching TV. They wanted her to go out home. Finally, they bought a special ticket as an invitation for Sonia to take part in the holiday dancing course led by the most famous dancers in the whole country.

So why wouldn't she take the chance to change her boring life?

Three years later, she became a professional dancer and created her own dance school. Now, she is one of the best choreographer in Poland. She travels a lot with her team and performs on the most well-known stages in all Europe. Anything you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want - you've got it!

S.P.

DEMONS, BEER OR PRETTY LADIES? Why not combine them all! (review)

I have always wanted to be a superhero, fighting evil in the name of good. But after watching 'Supernatural' I changed my mind! The show is about two brothers – Sam and Dean – that are fighting demons and other paranormal creatures. In my opinion, they are real superheroes. They look like average people, they dress normally, they eat and drink in fast food restaurant, they even drink beer!

'Supernatural' basically is for people that like action films, with many humorous dialogues and gripping scenes, straight from horror movies! Every episode starts with 'before' in order to show what had happenned in last few chapters, so you can keep up to the story even if you missed some previous volumes. Later on, the story continues. 

The most magnificent thing about this show is that evey demon has name taken from the Bible or 'Key of Solomon'. Even most rituals that they perform are based on those books! Sam and Dean are well prepared to fight the demons, because their dad – John – trained them since they were young. First seasons are all about catching the demon that murdered John's wife. But with every episode they are getting more and more information, and at some point they realise that this demon is just a puppet for more powerful demon! Also, soundtrack is just stunning! You can hear such bands as Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard or The Who!

I would highly recommend this show to people of all ages, because it has everything that common audience need – blood, guns, father-son love, humour, good music and gorgeous looking women. It is considered as best TV show about supernatural events! There are 7 seasons completed, and the 8^th one is already being cased on television. I can only warn you – „Supernatural” is very addictive!

Better student than Grzegorz P. (??)

JUST ANOTHER STORY ABOUT ZOMBIE? (review)

You definitely cannot say this about "The Walking Dead", because it is much more then just undead people in it. This American television series is based on comic book written by Robert Kirkman, which was the first reason I started watching it. However comparing the film version to comic is meaningless as TV story differs in many ways from the original one.

The story follows police officer, Rick Grimmes, who awakens from a coma in world filled with living corpses whose only target is to devour living beings. Knowing nothing about the reality he is in and nothing about his family, he decides to go to search them and he quickly finds out how much the world has changed.

'The Walking Dead' is not exactly a horror, there are some parts that can scare but most of the time it just gives you feeling of insecurity. The thing I really like about this series is that you cannot predict how long someone will live, no matter if it is a main hero or a not important character. I also really enjoy seeing the changes in behaviour of people. As the story goes on, they are no longer the same folks they were
at the start, they learn that they should be scared of alive not the dead ones.

I recommend it for everybody who likes watching movies in apocalypse scenario and also for these of you that want to experience something unique. Even if the zombie theme is nothing new, the way it is shown here is somehow innovative. I am sure you will like it, at least the first season.

Worse student than Radomir N. (??)

"THE SWORD OF DESTINY has two edges. You are one of them." (review)

If I had to choose my favourite book, it would be one of The Witcher saga for certain. Each of them has a big influence not only on my life, but also on my behaviour and ideas. 'The Last Wish' is a first tome of Witcher's history, which was written by Andrzej Sapkowski. He created a completely different world, full of magic, fantasy creatures (such as dragons), violence and love, though it still feels very realistic.

'The Voice of Reason' is the frame story, first chapter, where we meet the main character of the book, Geralt of Rivia - eponymous Witcher. Witchers are trained to fight with evil creatures, that are lurking and hunting for living ones. I did not use the word 'human' for purpose, because it is not the only existing race. We should not forget about elves, dwarves, gnomes and so on, as their appearance is very important.

Geralt and his ilk are globetrotters, humans turned into mutants at a very young age. They were modified by some kind of potions to provide them with supernatural abilities. The book describes main hero's adventures, things he has to face.

I was captivated not only by this short stories, but also by the whole saga. Andrzej Sapkowski's genius is  incomparable. The Witcher can teach us may things, like for example, that making even seemingly right choices can completely change our lives, or that "the sword of destiny has two edges. You are one of them".

By Kat S.
______________
Ps. I'd like to add sth just for a climate ;) If you are willing to listen, then just enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoBW1VLJzds

KID OR ADULT? (essay)

Theme of my work is childhood. It is the first period of human life, our years of growing, the time in which most of the problems are simple. Still very often we can meet kids who keep saying, that they want to grow up as soon as possible. Then, when they are adults, they wish to return to this age of joy and innocence. Why?

Firstly, childhood is often associated with the lack of any obligations, most of the time it is fun and pranks. Secondly, mistakes made by children are often forgivable, we usually do not have to suffer from them, because they are not very serious. Finally, children do not have to work as they are financed by their parents, they do not have to earn money and worry about the family.

However, the childhood also has some bad sides. The first of them is the deficiency of possibilities for making important decisions, they are limited by parents in many cases. The second disadvantage is they can not buy everything by themselves, because they do not earn their own money and parents do not meet their every whim. The last minus is adults do not always treat children seriously, often do not allow doing a lot of things.

In conclusion, people usually think that the grass is greener on the other side. They hurry to grown up and later long for a lost childhood. In this way they forget the present time. I think we should just seize the moment. 

A.S.

LINGQ.COM (review)

I study English at school, but knowledge, which I acquire there is not for me. I often look trough websites, which help me to read and understand texts in English. Recently I found a very helpful site. It is lingq.com.

It has a lot of advantages. You can listen there stories and at the same moment read the texts. It helps people to become familiar with foreign languages. All texts are translated to Polish and you can easily remember incomprehensible words. Anywhere you are. When you hear it, your subconscious listens for you and you still learn all the time. What is more this is a place, where you can talk to native speakers and improve your  English. Apart from that in this website everything is free. You do not have to pay for a premium account or recordings.

Lingq has only one minus, which I noticed. Everything there is in English, so if you do not know this language very well, you will have a problem to understand it. Still I visit this website everyday and I know that my comprehension of English speech is better and better.

If you are hungry for knowledge, this site is ideal for you. It will change the way you think about foreign languages. See the website and find out for yourself.

                                                                                   Swedish

PAMELA ANDERSON'S NICE BREAST! (story)

Last week me and my best friends: Bartosz, Agnieszka and Radomir decided to play truant from school and visit one of the most popular towns in the United States - Chicago. On Monday everyone gathered at the Rzeszów - Jasionka airport about 10 am. Bartosz wanted to book four tickets for the nearest flight to Chicago, but he forgot his credit card PIN number and Agnieszka had to pay for all of us. It was a very funny situation. At twelve o'clock we were already on board. 

The flight was cool! We played cards, listened to music and talked about school. Radomir was chatting about his plans for holidays when suddenly I saw Agnieszka Radwańska in business class! I told about it to my friend Bartosz and we decided to ask her for an autograph. She agreed and Radomir was so jealous:) 

After nine hours of flight we landed at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. At the beginning we wanted to rent a room for two days near the airport. At the reception it was another funny situation because the receptionist didn't speak English but Spanish! After a few minutes we finally rented a room for four people. Next day we went to town and visited the most interesting places like Sears Tower, Millennium Park, Michigan Avenue and University of Chicago. We also met Pamela Anderson at the local cafe. Radomir said that she had got nice breast, but I thought they couldn't be real!

"It was the best day in my life, ever" - said Bartosz, but it was also time to go home and do the task from page 125 for Friday English lesson. Me and my friends decided to repeat our trip, but we're planning to visit Jodłowa City next time!
                
                                                                                                                  Marten

DEFINITELY CITY! (pros and cons essay)

Living in the village has both advantages and disadvantages. In the opinion of many people it is more interesting than life in the big city or town, but I think otherwise. I believe that living in the village has more cons than pros.

First of all, villages have worse education and it is difficult to find a good, interesting and well - paid job so there are less opportunities to succeed in life. Secondly there is no access to cinemas, theatres, galleries or restaurants and places where people can spend their free time. Moreover in the countryside residents are usually bored, because there is nothing interesting to see or do. What is more the service in the village is very poor as there are just few shops, where you can buy only the most basic products. Besides, there are not any sports centres including swimming pools, tennis courts, gym halls and football fields where people can practise their favourite sports. Finally all the residents of the countryside know each other, you have a little privacy too.

However, living in the village has also some advantages. Firstly, people do not have to live in crowded and small blocks or flats so they have more space to comfortable life. If you are on good terms with your neighbours, you can also borrow something or get help from them. Also in the countryside there is no heavy traffic that is why air pollution is very low and car accidents are rarer. In addition to all this the crime rate is not so high like in cities. The water and soil are very clean so healthy fruit and vegetables may be grown there. People who live in the countryside have more free time too. Whenever you want, you can relax with your family for example go for a walk or play in the big garden. Some people do not have enough money, but they feel happy and free. 

I think that if someone wants to live in the countryside or in the city, it should be their own decision. I prefer living in the city but it is only my opinion. 

                                                                                                                               Marten       

"OUR FOLKS" THE BEST POLISH COMEDY EVER! (film review)

mc
“Our Folks” (Sami swoi) directed by Sylwester Chęciński in 1967 is one of the most popular and classical Polish comedies. Although it was made more than 40 years ago, the film is still funny and entertains the next generations of Poles. The main roles are played by Wacław Kowalski (Pawlak) and Władysław Hańcza (Kargul).

The film tells the story of two conflicted families, which after 2^nd World War were forced to relocate from eastern to western Poland. The beginnings of the dispute date back pre-war times. Cause of quarrel was bounds and Kargul’s cow which got into Pawlak’s field. Neighbours remain in open conflict and argue about ridiculous things, so viewers have got a lot of opportunities for laugh. Families can’t live without a common dispute, but they unite in time of danger. The comedy is accompanied by a great atmosphere and unique climate which we won’t find in films nowadays. Acting is awesome and natural. The best are humorous situations and funny dialogues, which are outright iconic. Music in “Our folks” is so funny and positively disposes the viewer. It suits fantastically to this film.

To conclude, I think it is the best Polish classical comedy and I strongly recommend seeing it.
In my opinion, every Pole should watch “Our Folks”, because this is more than just a good comedy, this is also one of the greatest creations in the history of our national cinema.     

PRIVATE TUTORING, PRIVATE TEACHERS BEFORE MATURA EXAM - FOR AND AGAINST (essay)

S.P.

Nowadays more and more young people  before going in for 
the matura exam use private tutoring to prepare themselves to the examinations.
Is is recently becoming common because most students would like to achieve
as high result as possible. There are a lot of advantages of such a phenomenon
but we could also find some negative sides.

First of all, young people taking extra lessons with private teachers
have more chances to gain better result in matura exam.
They have got their own teachers, who spend all their time
with them, talking, doing many exercises and giving precious advice.
Furthermore, taking extra lessons let develop intrests, spend time
valuably and get additional knowledge.

On the other hand, private tutoring takes free time after school when
sometimes  young person just feels very tired. It seems impossible
to be concentrated all day long, which makes such tutoring ineffective.
Moreover, students usually have to go long way to get there.
Consequently, they may waste valuable time which can be spend learning.
What is more, we have to pay for these lessons, which means a young
person has to resigne of his/her costly hobbies or expenses.

Taking everything into consideration, using extra lessons
has priceless influence on the results of students' examinations.
However, that way of learning requires their time and dedication.
After all, I think it is worth.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN LIFE? (essay)

How can a person succeed in the world of today? Should we chase our dreams or just ignore them and focus on living the way our parents live? Can we even do something without knowing the right person who can help us?

To start with, I think that everyone, who really concentrates on doing their best at things they love, sooner or later will achieve something. But it cannot be the way that is so often shown by kids, who want to be sportsmen, singers, firefighters, etc. and then they spend their time in front of TV or computer. You need to use all your time for practising and grasp every single possibility,  this is the only way to not let your chances sneak by and succeed.

On a second thought noone can guarantee you that you will earn big money from your dream job, but I think that being poor and happy is better then being rich but sad. Of course everyone has their own thoughts on money so I will not generalise.  Another problem is that are borders which you might be not able to cross, no matter how hard you try. I doubt that any of us will became someone like El Greco but there is always a possibility and it would be such a shame to let it go; to waste it without even trying.

To sum up I will say that the only way to be successful in life is to be happy. Not rich, not famous, just happy. And to be happy, you need to do the things you like, not the ones someone will make you do.
So do not abandon your dreams, go chase them and be happy!

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT - FOR AND AGAINST (essay)

A.B.

Some people say that capital punishment should be introduced to Polish law. But is it harmonious with our morality? I try to answer this question by presenting both advantages and disadvantages .

Firstly, capital punishment is a good solution for our safety. We should not be afraid that some day the most dangerous criminal will be free. For example we do not have to live with the fear that men who killed our family some day will be back for us. Secondly, the oldest law in human history  says  "eye for an eye tooth for a tooth" so people who killed somone should be punished in the same way and this is fair. This argument says that the capital punishment is not a bad idea.

However this is a very controversial theme. First of all and the most important thing is that Poland is a Christian country and our religion is complete opposite to the capital punishment . The fifth commandment says " Thou shall not kill". God gave us life and only He can take it away. The last problem is a fact that somebody must kill this criminal so this human is a killer too.

In conclusion there are more disadvantages than advantages so in my opinion the capital punishment should never be introduced to our law. People should not have power to decide about life of somone else. It does not matter what kind of human we are, we have to follow the way of love and forgiveness.

MAGAZINES PUBLISHED ONLINE OR PRINTED NEWSPAPERS? (pros and cons essay)

S.P.

It is commonly known that more and more people recently prefer
reading articles in magazines published online instead of printed newspapers,
which are available to buy in small newsagents' or local shops.
There are many advantages of that modern way of getting information
but we also have few negative sides of such a phenomenon.

First of all, reading articles online usually does not demand any payment.
If we have acces to the Internet, we could find large amount of information
about what happened in the past, a week ago, yesterday or just last hour.
Moreover, we can read few different magazines on the web one after the other
without going out and looking for a needed one in the shop.
Consequently, we also save our time and money.

On the other hand, nowadays we spent a lot of time in front of the computer
screen without any break or move. What is more, we close ourselves at our homes,
far from the society, nature and real life. Buying magazines in newsagents'
requires going outside the building and let us meet people, talk with them,
share our point of view or just express thoughts.
Furthermore, we can never be sure if the specific magazine we would like to
read is available on the website.

Taking everything into consideration, there are many facilities
connected with reading articles online, which make our life easier
and let us get information without leaving home.
However, we could also find few important disadvantages
of such way of reading magazines.