Joining ADMC

How a student joins ADMC

Not everyone can join ADMC. There is a specific procedure which must be followed and this is it.

Firstly, all prospective students are given the CEPA test, in both English and mathematics. The papers from the test are then marked by teachers from the Higher Colleges of Technology. After being marked, the results are sent to the Ministry of Education. Based on school results and the CEPA test, successful students are enrolled into the college. The students are then registered into Diploma or Higher Diploma courses. After that, ID cards and parking permits are issued to the newly-registered students; photos are needed for this part of the process. Each student is then assigned to a section and given a timetable. Details of the timetable, teachers and room numbers are checked by the students.

As you can see, joining ADMC is a long process. When he has completed the above steps, the new student is ready to start learning at his new college.

167 words.

City & Village

Compare and contrast living in a village with living in a city

In England, I live in a small town, while here in Abu Dhabi I live in a large, modern city. So I’m well qualified to compare and contrast village and city life.

There are certain similarities between the two lifestyles. Firstly, in both villages and towns you find domestic residences. Roads, schools, hospitals, shops, garages, and so on, are also common to both village and city.

The main difference between village and city is, of course, in terms of size and number. In a small village, there might be only one shop, one school, one garage, one hospital or clinic. In a large city, there are many of each. In addition a village shop will likely be small, whereas in a city like Abu Dhabi we have many large-scale shopping malls, in addition to supermarkets and smaller shops. Similarly, in a large city there will be more, and bigger, schools, hospitals and garages.

Personally, I love living in a small, quiet rural town when I’m in England. I savour walking in the countryside and along the coast. I relish the clean environment. I like using the local fishmonger, baker and other town tradespeople. On the other hand, I enjoy the wider range of shops, restaurants and sporting facilities here in Abu Dhabi. The increased noise and pollution is the price I pay for this.

223 words.

Olive Oil

How olive oil is made

Producing olive oil is a fairly long and difficult process but if you follow these steps you should end up with good quality oil.

First, between September and December, the olives are harvested by hand or with sticks and rakes. Then they are collected on nets beneath the trees. After that, leaves and small stones are removed and the olives are run through a washer to remove any impurities before crushing. Then, within 24-36 hours of picking, the olives are crushed by granite millstones. The olive paste obtained is layered on mats which are put under pressure from a screw or hydraulic press. The liquid produced is collected and put through a centrifugal separator to separate the water and impurities from the oil. Finally, after centrifugation, the oil is obtained.

Superior olive oil is amber in colour and opaque. The less acidic the oil, the better the quality.

153 words.

Reflection 4

Compare & contrast essays should consist of:

(a) a brief introduction saying which two things you are going to compare (similarities) & contrast (differences).

(b) a paragraph in which you discuss similarities i.e. the most obvious similarity is ... another similarity is ... yet another similarity is ... There should be at least 3 or 4 similarities.

(c) a paragraph in which you discuss differences. Again there should be at least 3 or 4.

(d) a conclusion in which you state some kind of preference for one over the other. It doesn't have to be black & white i.e. one is good and the other is bad. You can be positive about both things: see my essay on Brunei & the UAE.

The UAE & Brunei

In this essay I am going to compare and contrast two countries, Brunei and the UAE.

Firstly, let us examine the similarities. Both are Islamic countries and both have hereditary monarchies. In addition, both countries are very rich because of large-scale natural resources of oil and gas. Furthermore, both countries have national airlines, modern airports and well-developed infrastructures.

There are, however, a number of differences. First and most obvious is geographical location. The UAE is in the Middle East whereas Brunei is a tropical country in the Far East. Another difference is climate. The UAE has winter and summer, but in Brunei the weather is largely the same all year round. It also rains a lot more in Brunei and, as a result, the tradition is to build houses on stilts. Another difference is the currency, dirhams in the UAE and ringgits in Brunei. Furthermore, people drive on the right in the UAE but on the left in Brunei. Secondary education is single-sex in the UAE but co-educational in Brunei. A final difference is dress; people in Brunei do not wear dishdashas or ubayas.

I've worked happily in both countries and both are safe, pleasant places to work and raise families in. Brunei was more exciting in that it was my first overseas post but here in the UAE right now I'm very comfortable, both professionally and socially.

228 words

UAE & Brazil soccer

Comparisons
Model answer

Compare and contrast the overall play of Brazil’s national football team with that of the UAE. Say which of these teams you would rather watch and give reasons.

Most countries in the world have a football team, and Brazil and the UAE are no exceptions. I will describe the similarities and differences between the two teams, and say which one I would prefer to watch.

Like Brazil, the UAE is a member of FIFA which is an international body for regulating football. This means that both teams have eleven players, and substitutes are allowed. Both teams play to a system that has been agreed with the coaches beforehand. Brazil and the UAE defend when necessary but prefer to attack.

However, there are many differences in the style of play. Brazil plays at a higher level than the UAE and has won the World Cup. The former are fitter and faster than the latter and can adopt their style of play easily. This is because the Brazilian players have experience with teams all over the world while the UAE players usually play for local teams.

World rankings prove that Brazil is easily the better team. Despite this, I would prefer to watch the UAE. There are several reasons for this but the most important one is that the UAE has a huge potential. They are an emerging nation in football, and it is interesting to see new talent. Also, this country has many skilful players who will improve with experience.

220 words


I enjoy watching the UAE soccer team because I live and work in Abu Dhabi and many of my students are keen followers of the national team. In addition, it is good to see the emergence of skilled local players. However, Brazil are a world-class team and it is usually preferable to watch them competing against the very best teams in the world.

Reflection 3

When teaching process essays, I point out that very often the task, in the assignment or progress test, will specify the use of the passive. Basically, process essays involve the present passive, usually is/are with the past participle.

It's important to point out that with some verbs the simple past & past participle are the same, but with other verbs there are 2 separate forms, e.g. go, went & gone..

The essay structure is similar to procedure, i.e. intro (c. 25-30 words); main paragraph (c. 100 words); conclusion (c. 25-30 words). Total: 150-160 words.

The same linking words can be used: first, secondly, next, after that, finally.

In the model essays I post in my blog I usually colour code in order to show present passives, other passives and linking words.

Process: orange juice

Producing Orange Juice

Orange juice is a very healthy drink,full of vitamin C. The process of producing orange juice for sale in supermarkets is quite long and complicated. Here is how it is done.

First, the fruit is unloaded from lorries. Then the oranges are graded, washed and sized. After that, the juice is extracted and the residual material is sent for use as animal feed. The next step is very important. The juice is evaporated at a high temperature over a short time, producing concentrate. The concentrate is then stored in refrigerated units. Then the juice is canned and shipped overseas to its destination. In the country where it will be sold, water is added to the concentrate. Finally, the orange juice is bottled and sent to supermarkets, where it is sold to the consumer.

As you can see, producing orange juice for sale in shops is a long and complicated process but the final product is worth it.

160 words.

Present passive

Future passive

Reflection 2

I told the students that there were 3 main tense forms used in narrative essays:

a) past continuous, often used when setting the scene, e.g. I was driving in the desert when I saw ...

b) simple past, the main form of the narrative, e.g. I saw, I ran, he was, they were.


c) past perfect, only rarely used. I pointed out that, when talking about 2 actions in the past, the past perfect is used for the first, or earlier, event:

When I got to the cinema, the film had already started.

The film had already started when I got to the cinema.

You can't simply say use the past perfect in the first or second part of the sentence, because the sentence can be swopped around, as above. You must think of the first, or earlier, action. This action, the start of the film in the above example, takes the past perfect.

Reflection 1

In writing procedure essays the 2 essential things to remember are:

1) use the imperative form, i.e. do this, do that, don't do this, etc. Sometimes we were given flow charts with the -ing form and we had to remember to change this.

2) use linking words, e.g. first, secondly, then, next, after that, finally.

We always divided these essays into 3 paragraphs: introduction (c. 20-30 words), main paragraph (c. 90-100 words) and conclusion (c. 20-30 words); total: 150-160 words.

We did several practice procedures before the first writing assignment and first progress test.

Liwa Adventure

A desert adventure
I was driving in the desert about 10 kms from Liwa when my car broke down. I was with my friend Ali and, of course, we both had mobile phones but unfortunately neither phone would work in such a remote location.

We were hoping another vehicle would spot us but after about an hour we hadn’t seen or been seen by anyone. Neither Ali nor I is a mechanic and we weren’t sure what was wrong with the car, apart from the fact that it wouldn’t start. The fuel gauge showed that we had plenty of petrol. It was very hot but we had plenty of water with us. But the water wouldn’t last for ever and neither of us wanted to spend the night in the desert. What were we to do?

We decided to set off in the direction of Liwa. We took a map and a bag containing water bottles and we started to walk. After about 5 kms we saw a Land Cruiser ahead of us. We waved and shouted like crazy and fortunately the driver spotted us and drove in our direction. We told him what had happened and he drove us into Liwa. We decided to stay in the hotel as it was getting dark.

Next day a local mechanic drove us back to our car. He discovered that the problem was a faulty fuel gauge: we had run out of petrol. How embarrassing! Still, the mechanic fixed it so it should never happen again.

251 words

Mary's birthday

My wife’s birthday.

Every year on my wife’s birthday I host a party at our Club in the Main Restaurant. This year was no exception.

First, I chose the Thursday closest to her birthday, February 7th. I chose a Thursday because on that evening the Club has a special bistro night when you can eat as much as you like for a fixed price. So I knew in advance what the cost of the party would be. A few weeks before the event, I e-mailed the guests to ascertain the numbers who would be free to turn up. I gave them the time and place and the dress code, which is always black tie, meaning tuxedo or dinner jacket for the gentlemen and evening gowns for the ladies. Then I booked the restaurant,giving them the number of guests so that they knew how many tables to prepare. I then, of course, had to buy a birthday present and arrange for flowers to be delivered to the school where my wife works.

The day of the party arrived. As usual we dressed up in the early evening and went to the Club to receive our guests. We enjoyed a very pleasant evening with our friends. They all brought flowers and presents for Mary, my wife, and she took lots of photos to preserve our memory of the occasion.

225 words.

How to organise a portfolio

Papers, papers, papers. Students often feel overwhelmed by the number of papers they receive from their teachers and it may seem that throwing them in the boot of their car is the best solution. However, it is actually quite easy to organize your class notes into a neat portfolio. Let me outline the steps.

First, find all your papers. You can look for missing papers on the HD1 website. You can also ask a friend and photocopy his papers. Second, sort your papers into logical divisions e.g reading, writing, listening. Next, put your papers into the different sections. After that, buy a binder and some coloured dividers. Write section headings for the dividers and match them with a table of contents page. Finally, make a label for the side of the binder. Include important information e.g. class code, name etc.

As we have seen it is easy to make a portfolio. You will be proud of your neat, well-organised work.

160 words.

How to make machbous

Machbous is a delicious Arabian dish which can be prepared in several ways. You can have fish machbous or any kind of meat machbous. Meat machbous can be prepared in the following way.the following way.

First, buy the ingredients: meat, vegetables, spices, rice, tomatoes salt and dried lemon. Next, boil the meat in water. While you are doing this, cut and prepare the vegetables and tomatoes. Then remove the fat and blood from the boiling water. Next, add salt, spices and vegetables to the meat and cook until tender. Take out the meat and add the rice. Then return the meat to the rice. After that, cook for about 30-40 minutes until ready. Finally,serve and eat the machbous.

As you can see, making machbous requires care and attention, plus some time, but it is a delicious dish well worth taking time and trouble to prepare.

150 words

How to make a cup of tea.

Making a cup of tea is a very simple procedure if you follow these steps very carefully.

Firts of all, boil fresh water in your kettle. While the water is boiling rinse your teapot with warm water. Then add the teabags or tealeaves to the teapot. A rough guide is one teabag or one teaspoonful of tealeaves for each person. When the water in the kettle has boiled, pour it into the teapot. Then stir and leave for a few moments to brew. After a short while, pour the tea into teacups. Add milk and sugar to taste. Finally enjoy a delicious and relaxing cup of tea with your friends or family.

As you can see, making a cup of tea is a straightforward procedure. All you have to do is follow the above steps carefully and you will enjoy an excellent beverage.

143 words.

How to make butter

Making butter is a long procedure and you need to follow a lot of steps very carefully. If you carry out the following procedure you should produce high-quality butter.

Firstly, check the fresh milk for quality and fat content. After that, leave the milk to cool. Then separate and churn the cream. Next drain the buttermilk from the butter and place the butter in a jar. After that, wash the butter with cold water in order to remove the remaining sour milk. Then add a small amount of salt to add flavour to the butter. After that, cut and wrap the butter. Finally, store the butter in a fridge to keep it fresh and prevent it from melting.

As you can see from the above, making butter is quite a complicated and lengthy procedure. You need to follow all the steps mentioned very diligently but, if you do so, you should produce high-quality butter.

152 words.

Desert Trip

How to prepare for a desert trip

How to prepare for a desert trip

Preparing for a desert trip is not difficult but it is necessary to plan very carefully because the desert can be a dangerous place.

First of all, make sure you have a 4WD vehicle. Just as importantly, make sure it is in good mechanical condition. Check the oil, water, tyre pressures and so on. Next, make sure you have a good tent and warm clothing because it can be very cold at night in the desert. Then make sure you have enough food and drink to last for the whole trip. Don’t forget to take your mobile in case of emergency. Also, make sure your family and friends know where and when you are going. Finally, don’t make the mistake of going by yourself. There should be more than one vehicle in your party in case of mechanical problems.

Preparing for a desert trip is not difficult but for safety reasons you must follow the above steps carefully.

158 words

Australia

In 1985 I flew from Brunei to Darwin in Northern Territory, Australia. I flew on Royal Brunei Airlines, which had just started a service to Darwin.

From Darwin I hired a car and drove to Kakadu National Park. I took a riverboat trip and we had a picnic on the banks of the South Alligator River. The whole area is infested with crocodiles. I saw what looked like a log in the river but it was moving very slowly towards the river bank. I asked one of the guides what it was and he said it was a crocodile. I asked him what would happen if the crocodile came out of the water. He said: 'The first and best thing to do is climb a tree. If there are no trees, run, but don't run in a straight line because a crocodile is as fast as a horse or camel for about 100-200 metres. The croc is sure to catch you, so zig-zag. Or, if there is not enough room, run round in circles. Crocs can't zig-zag or run in circles'.

So on this holiday I learnt some very useful advice about what to do if you are ever chased by a crocodile. I'm glad to say that I've never put the advice to the test.

217 words

simple past

past perfect

past continuous

Synonyms 1

1. couple = pair

2. abducting = kidnapping

3. series = sequence

4. emotions = feelings

5. expressed = showed

6. bundled = pushed

7. kept = held

8. abused = mistreated

9. prison = jail/gaol

10. released = set free

How to use an ATM

Using an ATM is a very simple procedure but you must follow these steps carefully for security reasons. Let me explain the procedure step by step.

First, go to the bank and select an ATM. Secondly, take your bank card from your wallet and put it into the machine as directed. Then enter your PIN, making sure that nobody sees it, as there is a growing amount of card fraud these days. After that, choose the service you require: deposit cash, withdraw cash, view balance, or whatever. If you are withdrawing cash make sure you retrieve your bankcard quicly as you only have a limited time to do so before the machine takes back your cash. Finally, take your receipt from the ATM.

As you can see, using an ATM is not a difficult procedure. However, you must follow the above steps carefully and take care. Always make sure you follow the correct procedure for security reasons.

157 words.