LLC level 6 graduates

[tourist]

Marriage is an institution in which a man loses his Bachelor's Degree and the woman gets her Masters.
What about hobbies? My latest and continuous is studying English, however, I would like to learn French and German as well. Other hobbies of mine you might have known. We can discuss, but I can write a lot if I am in a mood.

[SP]

Oleg, I'm sorry to be not sure I uderstant this correctly:
"Yes, let's finish with Aztecs. Let's develop the topic to the very finish. "
So, shall we finish the Aztec topic, or shall we develop it? %)

 I've saved the "Montezuma's daughter" to my disc, but I can't promise I'll read it soon... Just because I'll still need a vocabulary, and it's quite a piles to leaf through it...

It's funny about marriage

Well, please start writing about your hobbies, I guess it can progress better than Aztecs topic...

[tourist]

SP

OK, let's get to hobbies, and after you read Montezuma's daughter we will get back to discuss Spaniards and event described there and then we could have got more information to develop the discussion in details and draw it to its finish line.
Well, my hobby is studying English. However, I feel that I use inappropriate approach, because I cannot remember details, and events , and words, and date and I don't remember how sounds sound and much more. What shall I do to remember the language better and to get answers to any questions quicker (those concerning English)?

[SP]

Tourist, you're being modest I guess, you were probably the best in our group who could remember "details, and events , and words" etc.

[tourist]

SP
You’re a bit tricky. Don’t you remember many cases when I couldn’t recall one or another rule. E.g, just the latest case when I was asked why we couldn’t say “He took a taxi not to be late”, and although I remembered reading somewhere why it wasn’t possible to say like that I couldn’t remember, but after the teacher showed where it was written I could see in my textbook that I even underlined it before in order not to forget to use that rule, because I always want to make a sentence shorter and say/write like in the incorrect example. And I could remember much more examples where I forgot something and I couldn’t remember.

To make things even worse I couldn’t remember details when I am just reading or listening. Hundreds of times I listened to audio and when I had to answer questions to the text I couldn’t remember the simplest things, because, even though I heard those words and caught the meaning of the text, I couldn’t remember not only details but the general meaning of the text.

However, playing mafia helps me a lot (or a little bit) in remembering details.

remember "details, and events , and words" etc.

No, I didn't remember. I just learnt them by heart years ago, and now just revised them so that I could be seen as if I knew something that others didn't. It is kind of a trick, or it wasn't my level - I should have got into a higher-level group, but I enjoyed our group - it wasn't too intensive and I could make homework during my way to the school. Should the level be higher I would have had to study harder , but I would probably have had not enough time for that and I wouldn't have been the best then

[SP]

tourist, I'm not tricky and I said it sincerely.
Nobody's perfect, and no one can remember everything.
So I guess you underprice yourself, though you're probably right about you should be in higher level group.

[tourist]

What I meant is the program wasn't tight enough for me, but I was glad because I wouldn't probably manage it if it had been more intensive. Of course more intensive you work, more you could manage to do over the same time. For me it was good, but not intensive if I wanted to greatly improve my level or to pass any international tests etc.
Are you going to pass any international tests?

[SP]

No, I'm not interested in any international test by now, as there's no real need for me.
As I said already, I went to LCC just to "refresh" my English a little. A didn't set any great goals to myself. Just because I don't have any real motivation (like specific job or living in USA) now to make my English really fluent.
And I don't really consider English a "beautiful" language (it sounds like mumbling for me)) or somethin really interesting to be studied "just for the sake of art" It's rather a matter of modern reality needs for me.

[tourist]

What language do you consider "beautiful"? Let's study that beautiful language then, but what we wouldn't know to explain in that language we'll explain in English, OK?

[SP]

Well let's try to start the tourism topic
My most impressing "jorney" was in summer 2002, when me and my friend desided to climb Avunda mountain (1480 m) near Gurzuf in Crimea.
We planned it as a day walk, took no water, no food, no equipment (and no experience)) - just a small photo camera (crazy morons)). As a result, we reached the summit, but got lost in the mountain forest and had to spend the night under a pine tree on a steep slope. And we returned only the next day.
You can read the whole story in Russion, if you want: http://otpusk-photo.narod.ru/summ2002 (unfortunately they deleted the pics for some reason) - it starts from the middle of the article.
But it's quite a long tale (and may be boring for you )), so you probably could better start asking the questions right here, so I will tell more details of the story in English

[tourist]

SP
Thank you for the topic.
I have a prepared essay. It needs improving. Will you help me improve it? I don't like some of the phrases in it, but I don't know how I could improve them. At the same time, it is a story of the beginning of my hiking career.

There are several things in my life I like to talk about. Let’s begin with my favourite topic which is trips I like going on.
So… It’s the nature of people to be curious and in want to find out something new. Since its birth, a child makes its acquaintance with the surrounding world. It’s usually a little bit scary, but, as the child doesn’t know anything, it is necessary for it to be curious and to take risks at any moment to gain some additional knowledge. Adults have some desires to learn, but some of them are too frightened to change their lives, while the others are adventurous enough to try something new. Once I was adventurous enough to bring some new feelings into my life. I went on a hiking trip. It happened after my vacation at the seaside.
I had gone to a beach at the Black Sea to have a rest after my first working year. I was with my friends who knew how to have a good time, but I didn’t. I could spend my time at the beach all day long, but after sunset I didn’t know how to entertain myself and, as a result, I was bored. I returned home after my vacation at the seaside and in the meantime my other friends suggested that I should go on a trip to Moldova. Having had an experience at the seaside, I agreed.
My friends told me how it could be dangerous and it would require a lot of effort from me to endure things that are unusual for the city life. They told me what a hard work it would be to carry a backpack all day long; it wouldn’t be easy to cook on an open fire and so on. Considering that, I prepared for the worst. But, nevertheless, knowing that “A rolling stone gathers no moss”, I was determined to go there.
When I was walking throughout Moldova I was wondering why it wasn’t as difficult as I was told. I carried not only my backpack but I often helped carry backpacks of those who lagged behind. After our sitting around a campfire I went to bed and couldn’t fall asleep. However, I got up at about 5 in the morning, as they had told me to be ready to get up early in the morning, and I prepared breakfast, this consequently bothered everybody in the group.
The trip seemed to me a dangerous enterprise and I was really surprised to learn that there wasn't a night guard in the camp. Generally, it was so wonderful and so many different feelings arose inside me that I decided to spend my free time hiking. It was a little bit scary, it was unusual, it inspired me to be active in work and in rest and it gave me an enjoyment of communications with different people and, particularly, with the friends of mine.
Later I became friends with people who were fond of white water rafting. We went usually to great mountains to make our trips there. I remember the trip to the river in the mountains of Tian-Shan. I like the nature in such picturesque places. The river created the great canyons. The river have done its job over many thousand years and its work is magnificent. The river goes along its bed through many obstacles. The obstacles are sometimes very dangerous and the water turns white at such places. There are deep pits and big rocks over which the water flows and falls and groans. There are some obstacles that frighten you when you see them. Sometimes, when you are a member of an experienced team, the fear evaporates and you can pass the obstacles, doing only what your captain demands of you and everything finishes well. But if you are frightened and you are uncertain it would be better not to go to such dangerous places.
Sometime I wonder why I go there.
Undoubtedly it is because I like having this kind of trials. Going on trips, I grow and overcome something within myself. I was in mountains, deserts and forests. It was always a little bit scary, but every time there is something interesting. You could acquire some knowledge on the condition of your body and mind. You could make fellowship with the wonderful people. You could become closer to nature. As for me, the main thing I get from the trips is to fight my fears and laziness. Everyone should realize their dream, at least they should make an attempt to do this. Each person faces some challenges in the life. Don’t run away from them. Each decision requires application of some efforts. Your mind and a parachute are both useless if they remain close. This means: open your mind and face difficulties and overcome them. Do whatever you need to and you will have some great feelings and a good self-esteem.

[tourist]

I've read about half of the book Montezuma's daughter. I don't know how well the writer knew the matter, but if he knew it well, it turns out that Maya and Inks lost their states because they believed that there would be a day that white people would come and overtake their lands. It means that any belief is dangerous and harmful, expecially if this belief is negative one. What do you think?

[tourist]

Hi! I haven't advanced in reading Montesuma's Daughter because of absence of additional messages in this thread. Shall we continue reading of the book or shall we discuss something else?

By the way, I finished Level 4 this semester, but as a teacher. I am not sure how much I have learnt but I learnt something and this is without doubts.

Do you have any ideas of continuing to increase our level in English? Shall we enter other courses or shall we continue self-education?

Is there any idea?