Anastasia Oplakanets: Week 10 (Reports and proposals)

 This Week's assingment is to find an example of report and an example of proposal on the Internet, a book, etc; upload a picture of each of these texts quoting their source, and analyse each of them to see all their parts, and how they differ from the other. The following examples are the ones I have chosen for this assingment and if you click on the images you will be redirected to the original source.

Report example: 

This example of a written report starts with the following information: the name of the report, the names of the participants and their place of studies. Lastly, before starting with the report they place it in a specific category.
The report starts with an explicit introduction where the authours explain in detail the points they will cover in their report and its purpose, which is extremely useful for the reader because it gives an idea of every thing that will appear within the report and the lenght of it.
Then, the authors explain the method they had used to prove their point. They clarify the steps they had followed, giving all the information the reader needs to understand and be able to judge their work.

Proposal example:

http://www.rubenvalero.com/english/content/cae-proposal

In this proposal example we do not have any names at the beginning but there should be stated different labels depending of the addressee of the proposal (the name of the author, postal code, phone number, address,etc). As the report above, this proposal has an introduction to explain the purpose of it; a body composed of two paragraphs where the author explains in better detail its goals. Finally, the author gives a series of recommendations to the reader. The proposal differs from the report in its structure, this one is more structured than the previous one but in my opinion it lacks content.

Anastasia Oplakanets: Week 9 (Urban Living)

First task of this week: pictures of a place I like and how life would be there when I'm 50.

 The place I like is very unusual because is another planet, Mars. I have been thinking about it and who knows, judging by the technological advances we have nowadays I do not see any obstacles to not habitate Mars in 40 or 50 years, maybe that won't happen but let's use our imagination.

I have chosen this place because, as I said above, if technology in 40 years allows people to live in another planet I'm not staying in our regular Earth, I demand something fancier.

As I imagine it, when I'm 50  year old, life will be very difficult and I will regret my life choices. There will be very little water for us the marcians, no possibility of returning to Earth and people will go on strikes and fight against the government. I will be too old by that time to fight or protest but my strong and full of life son will lead the new generation and even start an interplanetary war and win it, which makes me very proud because I raised a champion.

 Regarding the second task of this Week's assingment, the other places I like are:

Australia, because its fauna and landscapes please my inner adventurer.

Norway, because I crave experiencing the aurora boreal on live and see its snowy beauty.

Africa; I hate heat but I would sacrifice myself because it is so exotic and full of history I just need to go there.

What did you do to improve your English? Apart from attending all of my lessons? The new Viking's season is out and of course I could not wait until the Spanish release so I watched the first two episodes in its original English and understood it perfectly.  I don't do much.

Anastasia Oplakanets: Week 8 - Odd Inventions

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝙱𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛


There is plenty of inventions mentioned for pets thay may look ridiculous and useless but actually some of them are really helpful things. I have seen umbrellas for dogs and although they funny, they keep your dog dry which is important because it could become ill.
I must say that I am a huge fan silly inventions and creations which purpose is to make our four legged friend's lives easier. Besides, they are just hilarious! The one I have chosen for this Week's assingment is something I have been seeing a lot on the Internet lately, specially on YouTube, it's the automatic ball launcher. When I saw it for the first time my first thought was 'how ridiculous, people should play personally with their pets, how can someone be that lazy as for not throwing the ball themselves?' but the videos were really funny so I kept watching and suddenlty I realised that it could be an invention of a great help for those who actually cannot do it themselves.

For example, invalids who are unable to play with their own pets or old people. I see old people with playful puppies all the time and it is reasonable to think that the owners may do not have the energy or patience requiered when you own a young dog. They run and jump all the time and make a big mess and I can see that for some people is really hard to keep their rhythm.
So in fact, the automatic laucher is a very useful invention. And amusing too, aren't they simply adorable when they put the ball in the laucher, wait for it to be thrown and then chase as if there was no tomorrow?

Paula Sánchez Morlesín - Week 8

The baby stroller and scooter hybrid

A funny invention I have come across with is the baby stroller and scooter hybrid, which consists in a baby stroller that also includes a little skate. This is a cool invention that I did not know about until I did this post. Moreover, I think this can actually be useful and funny, since while carrying your baby home or at the park you can skate in order to have fun and do sport at the same time. This invention could be appropiate for people who spend much time at work and do not have enough time to do sport daily, so this could be a way of doing little exercise while enjoying a moment of hapiness along your child. Thus, I think that if you believe you comply those characteristics you should totally get one soon. And even if you do not comply them, it would be nice to have it and have fun while using it!
Furthermore, I am sure your child will enjoy those rides and will always want to go outside for another one. Also, it can be a good way to create bonds between you and your child as both of you will be having a good time during that ride. I also think that it can educative and inspiring for your child, since she/he will start experiencing the good things sport and going out have. Moreover, it is surely helpful to go around the whole city because if your child gets tired, the only thing she/he has to do is to get on the stroller and let his/her parent take him/her for a ride and have fun !

Anastasia Oplakanets: Week 7 - Successful business

· What do you think is a successful business?
 In my opinion, any business, first of all, must be ruled by a capable person, an inspiring and passionate leader with a strong will and greater aims. I think a successful business is a mixture of a good leader, as well as employees, services and products.
You clearly cannot have success if:
- you are not able to keep everything under control and well organised
- you have uncapable or unexperienced employees in that field
- your clients receive poor treatment
- the products or services you provide aren't of a good quality
I think one of the mot important golden rules of keeping your business as a successful one is giving your clients the best of what they want, keeping them happy and satisfied, because without people buying your services your business will come to an end. Also, your employees have to be qualified for their jobs, not only that, they should be able to resolve any of your customers doubts and problems, so people can see you dedicate time to choose the right people for the job. Also, it is important to provide your customers with quality products or services, which will quickly give you reliability.

Click here to read an interesting article in which successful entrepreneurs share their tips to succeed.

· From the provided link I have chosen my 5 favourite things to take into account for a successful business:

1. Be Fearless
Want to know why becoming successful in a business venture is considered such a daunting feat by society? While there are obvious hurdles to face, one of the biggest challenges is in overcoming the fear of jumping into a business in the first place. Most people dream all day about launching a successful business while watching the clock tick at their mundane day jobs. The reason they never quit the security of a paycheck is because they are too scared by the unknown that comes with starting a business. If you want to separate yourself from that crowd, you need to learn how to manage your own fears. Don't worry, you're not alone. When I quit my job to start my business, I was making double my salary outside my day job than I was inside working my eight hour job. I still had that huge fear of failure.
However, this is only the beginning of the road for those who want to be truly successful in business. Overcoming your fears and getting started is noble, but the true tests of a fearless entrepreneur will be constant, from initiating a conversation at a networking mixer, asking for the sale on a major deal, severing ties with a partner who is causing harm to the venture, and perhaps the most frightening of all situations - watching a business fail (it happened to Henry Ford twice before he designed his famous assembly line!) One who can fail miserably and not be scared to dust themselves off and try again and again until they are successful is truly fearless.

3. Grow As A Leader
Once you harness your fears and make the leap to starting a business, you've already begun the journey of becoming a leader. As we'll discuss shortly, your ultimate success will have a lot to do with how you help others find their own. Many of us hold successful entrepreneurs on a pedestal much like football fans hold a star quarterback or wide receiver in high regard. However, there's always a team that these individuals lead that ultimately leads to their success. You must learn how to be a leader on some kind of level in order to motivate others to join you in your venture, believe in what you preach, or give you money for a product or service that you offer.
Just because you need to possess leadership qualities does not mean that everybody successful in business has to be the CEO, face of the company, or person "in charge". When Google started to really grow, the company's founders brought in a successful CEO in Eric Schmidt to come in and run their company - they were engineers, not CEOs. The ability to lead a team or lead the masses can sometimes come down to just having the right charisma and message to get the right people to do the things that need to be done in order for the entire thing to just work. A great soldier may be good at leading troops on the field, but not managing the entire war. An amazing product designer may also be a lousy salesperson. But a great leader will discover what they do best and where their weakness lies, and know who to put where in order to ensure that their company is one that achieves real success.

5. Acquire Partners
We talked earlier about how becoming a leader is one of the most important qualities one needs to "move the chains" in the game of business. In order to achieve greatness as a leader, one must then have a team of individuals who believe in the mission in order to move forward. That's where assembling a great team of partners plays such an important role in any profitable business. Many start out alone and the wearer of many hats, but a business can only scale so far if there is only one source of energy, of inspiration, and of the actual sweat equity it takes to keep the lights on.
As we will see in understanding the meaning of success both in business and in life, a true "business owner" is one who does not need to be a part of the day-to-day operations in order for the business to run and stay profitable. The classic book "The E-Myth" is a great story of how many try (and fail) at running a business all by themselves. Instead, you need to take those leadership skills and motivate others to take their own specific skillsets and apply them together as a team for the greater good of the company. This doesn't just include employees, but also includes knowing who to shake hands with, how to create strategic partnerships, and how to use that leverage we previously discussed to convince others to have an interest in your venture. And once you reach a certain level of success, it will be an even greater feeling when you get to share it with all who helped make it possible.
 
6. Having the Right Attitude 
So far we've discussed some of the most important concepts you need to understand in order to achieve success in business - but how do you exactly justify what is true success? Is it money, or sales, or the influence your actions have over the environment around you? Ultimately real success in business only matters if it also equates to success in life, and that all starts with having the right attitude towards it. Nobody cares about those who are rich but hate the world they live in. Everyone knows the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge, the jaded old man that had all the money in the world but did nothing but create misery for others.
To have a truly happy and fulfilling life, it's important to know what's really important and to develop values around what you can do each and every day to make that world a reality. Sure, many who start a business venture want to achieve a certain level of financial independence. But what does one do with those riches once they finally have them? Those with the attitude that having money means they can buy more "things" to surround themselves with in order to feel superior to others will never be successful in their life. The entrepreneurs who focus on how they can create wealth that can help others and solve problems have the right attitude needed to obtain true happiness and be seen in a positive light by their peers and partners, and are the true embodiment of the word "success".

7. Showing Gratitude 
We live in a world that is changing each and every day, at a speed that any of us can really truly appreciate. Technology over the last 30-50 years has altered the way we communicate not only with our neighbor and loved ones but our business contacts around the world. The generations that have grown up with this technology often take it for granted, never once stopping to "smell the roses" and to realize that they live in an amazing time in history and that much of what they have in their lives - everything from the electricity powering their lights, the cars that help them get to their next meeting, to their smartphones in their pockets are all things they should very much be thankful for.
Those who are happy in both business and if life are those who are grateful for the world they live in. These are the people who make sure to thank the barista for their coffee in the mornings, who open the door for others, who actually listen to those who they have conversations with. Successful entrepreneurs should never forget all the people, places and things that have played a role in their lives that helped them get from their humble beginnings to where they are today. The next time you're flying on a plane, remember the comedian Louis CK's amazing observation that you're "sitting in a chair in the sky", and be grateful for all the wonderful things we get to experience every day.