One exam down!!

[large_ghostman]

Just finished a morning of english exam (thats great english in itself!), I had English part 1 which apparently equates to my mums old English Literature exam.
I was at a complete disadvantage because the book the exam was based on my year hasnt studied, I guess thats a problem when you sit an exam early!!
In the end I left feeling most of the course would have been wasted time, most of the info was in the paper so why make people read the book?

Anyway I think I did ok, always hard to tell but its 1 down only 6 more to go . I think we have a gap of a week or so before the next @rse numbing session on hard chairs, but not too sure as two of our exams havnt been scheduled yet!

 

[Andrei_D12]

Is it a TOEFL, Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) or IELTS? You said something about an English exam, am I right?
All I know is that these are academic exams.


Good luck at your remaining exams!!!

 

[large_ghostman]

Is it a TOEFL, Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) or IELTS? You said something about an English exam, am I right?
All I know is that these are academic exams.


Good luck at your remaining exams!!!

I think its a PITA exam , no idea who dreampt it up but I suggest they dont stand in front of a wall for too long . An example question.......................

What was Helen feeling as she held her dying lover as he died?

Dosnt tell you if they got on or anything, so as far as I know she might have been delighted!

 

[large_ghostman]

Oh and another I just thought of

In the dark they could hear a distant noise, suddenly far off the outline of the army became clear blah blah blah. This is kinds paraphrased as I cant remember the exact paragraph, but the question asks you to give your initial reaction.......................I put I was wondering where in 1640 they managed to get a pair of night vision goggles to see so clearly.

Had woodwork this morn, home territory! part 1 of 3 part wood work exam. Managed to bagged the bandsaw quickly so got alot done

 

[Andrei_D12]

So there is a paraghaph with a small story and you got to answer questions, or to express your ideas. It is a bit similar with a Reading task from CAE, however these exams are very objective (and difficult). There you must choose a corect answer to a question, put in order some paragraphs in a text (the paragraphs are scrambled), then you have some paragraphs based on a common theme, and there says: In which paragraph: -is described a method of...?, -the writer gives an example of..? and boring stuff.

I haven't joined this exam yet because of the great amount of lessons we got to learn at mathematics, physics, chemistry and other classes. In order to pass this English exam, I must get a mark higher than 80% overall for a C. I know a bit of English, but not perfectly (you may notice some grammatical mistakes in my posts). I learnt english by myself, while using the internet and talking with other persons who knew well English. Also the school teachers helped me. However, for an academic exam we must prepare seroiusly.

This is one of the reasons I joined this forum. Just like English, electronics attracted me too and with the help of my father (who works in electronics too) I have learnt how to assemble a circuit, how to measure some parametres, how do basic components work, then I started learning by myself, putting circuits together, identifying electronic components and so on. Talking Electronics website was the ideal place for doing this, as the projects are very well explained and easy to build, without the need of some expensive tools...

 

[Andrei_D12]

Wait! Woodwork exam? Hmm, so there is not just English as I thought... There are also practice exams. Pretty cool. Only when I read more carefully your post I noticed this.

 

[large_ghostman]

Woodwork isnt exactly an exam normally, but I did it as part of my technology course. Alot of it is mainly to do with safely setting up machinery etc and doing a few simple joints etc. I took a hybrid technology course rather than a single discipline in technology

 

[spec]

So there is a paraghaph with a small story and you got to answer questions, or to express your ideas. It is a bit similar with a Reading task from CAE, however these exams are very objective (and difficult). There you must choose a corect answer to a question, put in order some paragraphs in a text (the paragraphs are scrambled), then you have some paragraphs based on a common theme, and there says: In which paragraph: -is described a method of...?, -the writer gives an example of..? and boring stuff.

I haven't joined this exam yet because of the great amount of lessons we got to learn at mathematics, physics, chemistry and other classes. In order to pass this English exam, I must get a mark higher than 80% overall for a C. I know a bit of English, but not perfectly (you may notice some grammatical mistakes in my posts). I learnt english by myself, while using the internet and talking with other persons who knew well English. Also the school teachers helped me. However, for an academic exam we must prepare seroiusly.

This is one of the reasons I joined this forum. Just like English, electronics attracted me too and with the help of my father (who works in electronics too) I have learnt how to assemble a circuit, how to measure some parametres, how do basic components work, then I started learning by myself, putting circuits together, identifying electronic components and so on. Talking Electronics website was the ideal place for doing this, as the projects are very well explained and easy to build, without the need of some expensive tools...

Your English is good Andrei- don't undersell yourself. Although you may break the rules here and there, your meaning is crystal clear and that is the main thing.

On a general note, I am amazed how well people on forums write and explain things, especially on ETO.

spec

PS: why not put Romania on your displayed profile.

 

[Andrei_D12]

Woodwork isnt exactly an exam normally, but I did it as part of my technology course. Alot of it is mainly to do with safely setting up machinery etc and doing a few simple joints etc. I took a hybrid technology course rather than a single discipline in technology

That is interesting. I would like learning how to work with such machines, because the objects we use every day are not created ONLY by computers and robots. In order to make a good living we shoud have a wide range of skills and knowledge, because you never know what life brings to you. In case someone loses his/her job and he/she is capable of doing something else, rather than what he/she did at the work place, that person won't have great difficulty in finding a new job. Well, at least that's my idea. This is what the Romanian school was trying to teach us before the Revolution from 1989. Having a wide range of skills makes life more comfortable. Now our school is based only on theoretical knowledge...

As for my profile, I will do what you said, Spec.

 

[spec]

That is interesting. I would like learning how to work with such machines, because the objects we use every day are not created ONLY by computers and robots. In order to make a good living we shoud have a wide range of skills and knowledge, because you never know what life brings to you. In case someone loses his/her job and he/she is capable of doing something else, rather than what he/she did at the work place, that person won't have great difficulty in finding a new job. Well, at least that's my idea. This is what the Romanian school was trying to teach us before the Revolution from 1989. Having a wide range of skills makes life more comfortable. Now our school is based only on theoretical knowledge...

As for my profile, I will do what you said, Spec.

Hy Andrei,

You seem to be another young person with a mature brain.

Having multiple skills is a great asset to some people, not only because it makes them more valuable employees, but also because it is very empowering. Some people in the UK are now so isolated from the practical side of life that they literally cant change a light bulb themselves. The other thing is that if you have practical knowledge and skills it helps you with your theoretical work because you have a wider view.

On the subject of schools teaching practical subjects, it is a good idea provided that it does not detract from the academic side too much. At my school we had woodworking, metalworking, gardening, art, commercial, and domestic science, which took up a disproportionate amount of time and resources. Also the girls only did the latter three subjects while the boys only did the former four.

Quite honestly, for the majority of the boys, the practical subjects were a complete waste of time. Not only did they hate the lessons but they had no interest or aptitude whatsoever. On the other hand there was a few who were naturals.

My feeling is that schools should teach the basics thoroughly and in an interesting way: language, maths, science, literature, personal skills and that there should be some kind of government backed scheme to provide facilities/experience of practical subjects. In the UK we used to have the apprenticeship scheme which was axed in one of the governments cost cutting exercises. In my opinion it was one of the biggest mistakes which they are trying to correct now.

One of the best things for anyone with a practical bent who is going into engineering is to peruse a hobby that involves using your hands: repairing push bikes, motor cars, motor bikes; woodworking, metalworking; building circuits, the list goes on and on. Many of my mates can turn their hand to anything short of child birth and brain surgery.

Just a word of caution though, another mate literally couldn't drill a hole in a piece of metal and held tools as though they were contaminated in some way. He became the financial director of a large multinational company while I was just an engineer.

Nice to see your country on your profile- looks much more classy now.

spec

 

[fezder]

Managed to bagged the bandsaw quickly so got alot done

What means "bagged"? Mind you, bandsaw is one of most dangerous appliances in woodworking, it doesn't make huge noise so people can "fall asleep" during use. And do take care no folks wander to your left-side (of course pass-by can be allowed); sawband can snap and slide like javelin from left side, this is quite rare but still.

 

[JimB]

Bagged. An idiomatic expression.
In this context to" bag" something means to obtain or secure something.

Examples
"I went to the shop and bagged the last loaf of bread", means "I bought the last loaf of bread in the shop"

" I bagged the bandsaw", means "I secured the bandsaw for my own use before everyone else."

Bagged is not an expression which I would generally use, and I cannot remember when I last heard it used.

A more straightforward meaning would be to put something into a bag or sack.
This leads to another idiomatic expression "It is in the bag" meaning that something is done or complete.

ETO = English Tutorials Online

JimB

 

[fezder]

AH, thanks Jim! what about from lord of the rings: Bilbo Baggins? ;D

 

[tech master 117]

English literature oh hell I hate it?
Got a question like this from robert frosts poem"stopping by the woods on a snowy evening"
Q/s.what was the horse thinking when the narrator stopped among the woods?
Ans.I think that the horse's feet was itching for the fellows butt end this time got 70/80 in english grammar but got 57/80 in english literature.

 

[JimB]

AH, thanks Jim! what about from lord of the rings: Bilbo Baggins? ;D

No idea, silly book, silly name, could not care less.
It was a source of confusion to my late mother that I was never interested in reading story books.
One of her sayings about me was that I "once read a book".

JimB

 

[large_ghostman]

Ah at my school Bagged does have a meaning , some of the machinery have isolation boxes with keys in. We have 'Bags' that you put over the box when you take the key out, the BAG says machine in use and in order to use the machine you have to put the key in the machine side. We switched to bags when they found all 3 bandsaws and other equipment all use the same key!! So we bag the box so people know the machine is being used. Currently we have 6 different machines but only 3 keys so bagging a box is a feat .

Main danger with the bandsaw is if the blade breaks, it comes out the dust shoot at the bottom and curls around your legs, so we stand at the side where the chuck key from the pillar drill hits you in the head if left in the chuck!

 

[spec]

Debag means to remove someones trousers, normally as a punishment or as a joke: old school term

spec

 

[large_ghostman]

Debag means to remove someones trousers, normally as a punishment or as a joke: old school term

spec

Debag for me means your finished with the machine, I prefer your version.