CPE VOCABULARY IN PICTURES

 Let´s put your vocabulary to the test. Can you name these? Give it a try.

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CAE/ CPE Using synonyms

Using synonyms is a good way to improve your speaking and writing. In the CAE and CPE exams try to use synonyms when writing to avoid repetition, show off your high level of English and make a good impression on the examiner. 

Writing exercise.

Rewrite the following, using synonyms for nice: 

Yesterday was very nice. I had a nice meal at a nice restaurant with some very nice people.

I had a whale of a time yesterday. I had a delicious meal in a posh/5-star restaurant with some enchanting/charming people.

*Adapted from "Speak Out" by Frances Eales and Steve Oakes.

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Persuasive Essay on Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the diversity of live organisms in all its forms. Biodiversity is quite a broad term which can be understood in the different way. First of all it is the genetic diversity, because every organism has its own unique code of genes and their variations which are inherited from generation to generation. Then there is the diversity of species, which is characterized with the variety of the types of the living organisms which can be differentiated according to the inner and outer features, lifestyle, the way of feeding, breeding, etc. And finally, there is the diversity on the level of ecosystems, or the differences between various ecosystems, their structures, elements and functioning. The major concepts of biodiversity were proclaimed in the first part of the 20th century, which depended on the level of the development of biology and its methodology of the research. 

Biodiversity is one of the most important factors which maintains life on the planet, because only the great variety of species is able to support the existence and appropriate life of ecosystems. If a single element of the ecosystem disappears, the whole ecosystem will be ruined. Unfortunately, the humanity did not think about this issue till the middle of the 20th century, and the human activity was the major factor of the extinction of numerous biological species and destruction of ecosystems. Nowadays there is a task to maintain biodiversity of Earth and protect species from extinction in order to save ecosystems and as a result save more and more species which can be endangered by the disappearance of the single specie of animals.

Biodiversity is the essential factor of the appropriate existence of live organisms on the planet and the student is supposed to be aware about this matter. The aim of the persuasive essay is to convince the reader in the importance of the maintenance of the biodiversity on the definite examples from the real life. The young professional is able to discuss the issue in detail, dwell on the strong and weak sides of the problem, write about the factors which cause harm to biodiversity and share the possible solutions to the problem. Furthermore, one can focus on the effect of the damaged biodiversity on the life of Earth.

There are several problems related with the preparation of the well-analyzed persuasive essay and the main one is the lack of the student’s experience. One can find the answers to the bothering questions in a free example persuasive essay on biodiversity found in the web. The student is able to learn about the correct approach towards writing and formatting reading a free sample persuasive essay on biodiversity written online. 

If you need a high-quality custom persuasive essay on Biodiversity topic - you can order it online.

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PROFICIENCY. What does it mean to be "proficient" in English?

According to author Scott Thornbury in "An A-Z of ELT" (page 181) " A language users´s proficiency is the degree of skill with
which they can use the language. A proficient user is one who is considered to have a native-like, or near native-like, ability in the language. This is broadly defined in the Common European Framework as being equivalent to C2 level."

A proficient user:

"Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations." (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Council of Europe, 2001, p24)

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Proficiency in English Cambidge Exam Essay Sample

In Part 1 of the CPE exam you are given two pieces of text with information on a topic and are asked to write a discursive essay in 240-280 words. 

Here there is a sample essay sent to us by Sybille a CPE student from France.

 The Importance of music (CPE Essay)

Both texts discuss the status of music in our society. They highlight the fact that music is getting more accessible to people through the Internet while at the same time its serious study is being neglected and professional musicians are suffering for it. It also argues that music is an art that exists since prehistory and is universal, even though its evolution and the way we consume it has significantly changed.

Commercial music can be heard everywhere nowadays. It is relatively easy to make and although in terms of quality is not always good, people are in high demand for it through downloads on the web. In addition to this, the music industry is always in prey for the quick-made manufactured product. The downside of this is that it is making the classical and more serious music disappear. 

There is a steady decline in high quality music, which undoubtedly hurts high-skilled musicians. Totally ignored and outnumbered by the bigger names of popular music, they can hardly draw up a project and are constantly in need for alternative ways to make a living. Besides, schools are making cuts on music lessons, which means many musicians are left without a job. 

This is sad as learning to play an instrument is highly beneficial to children. Composing is a collaborative and creative task. Music helps the youth to develop an identity, develop skills and gives them a real sense of accomplishment. For this reason music should be taught in all schools and be accessible to all families. 

All in all, music –popular and classical- is ubiquitous. It is part of our lives and is good for the mind, so it should be given the rightful place it deserves in our society.

Sybille

#words: 280

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Essay on Half Wave Single Phase Converters

In Single-phase half wave converters, either the negative or positive half AC wave is blocked or the remaining half is allowed to pass. The means that only one-half of the input reaches in the output, which indicates that, the resulting voltage is lower. A half wave converter requires just single diode in case of single-phase supply and in case of three-phase supply, it needs three diodes. Converters or rectifiers yield pulsating and unidirectional direct current. However, half wave single-phase converter produces far more ripple compared to the full wave rectifier. In addition, increased filtering is required for eliminating the harmonics associated with AC frequency of the output.

ADVANTAGES OF SINGLE PHASE HALF WAVE UNCONTROLLED CONVERTER:

• A single phase half wave uncontrolled circuit converter is a simple and low cost circuit. Although the power levels of such circuit are very small, yet it is widely used and simplest rectifier.
• The current flow through the circuit and its output voltage are highly influenced by the type of load.

DISADVANTAGES OF SINGLE PHASE HALF WAVE UNCONTROLLED CONVERTER:

• The output current carried by load also contains some component of ac current in addition to dc current. The frequency of such ac component is almost equal to the input voltage frequency. In order to controlled high ripple factor, a complicated filtering is needed in order to produce steady dc output.
• Only half amount of power is delivered at one time, which result in low rectification and power output.
• The transformer utilization factor is also very low.
• Current is magnetized by the DC saturation associated with the transformer core. It also results in harmonies generation and loss of hysteresis.
• The power supply of single phase half wave uncontrolled circuit converter is not suitable for general power supply. Such type of power supply is best suitable only for some sort of charging.
• The simplest single phase half wave uncontrolled circuit converter is not suitable for industrial use mainly due to poor performance.
• It requires large filter capacitor in order to obtain smooth dc output voltage.

ADVANTAGES OF SINGLE PHASE HALF WAVE CONTROLLED CIRCUIT CONVERTER:

• Single-phase half wave controlled circuit converter is widely used in the industrial applications of different types.
• They have the ability to use both negative and positive voltage and can supply current, which is unidirectional. 
• They have the capacity to operate in the form of an inverter or a controlled rectifier.
• Single-phase half wave controlled circuit has an inverter mode, which blocks the forward voltage of the thyristors, which result in the negative direction of output voltage.

DISADVANTAGES OF SINGLE PHASE HALF WAVE CONTROLLED CIRCUIT CONVERTER:

• The single-phase half wave controlled circuit has poor voltage and current from both input and power factors.
• These circuits have lower efficiency and low dc output.
• The ripple current and ripple voltage of such converters are high.
• The ripple factor of single-phase half wave controlled circuit is relatively higher.
• These converters have low utilization of transformer factor.
• As the dc component is supplied with the input current, it results in the dc saturation in the output transformer core.
• Single-phase half wave controlled circuit is rarely used in the practical life due to their extremely low output and dc output power.

At HotEssays blog you will find thousands of free essays on different interesting topics.

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CPE Sample Writings Facebook Page

Follow our Facebook Page and interact with us answering to questions on grammar and vocabulary.

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Essay on Ecosystem

In ecology, an ecosystem, is the set formed by a partnership or community of living beings (or biota) and its biological, geological, edaphic, hydrological, climatic, etc. (biotope). The elements constituting an ecosystem develop a network of energy and matter exchange for the maintenance and development of life. The term was coined by Arthur George Tansley in 1935, to describe the basic unit of nature. A unit in which plants, animals, and habitat interact in the biotope. In the ecosystem, the role of soil is to provide a diversity of habitats, act as storage, processor and transfer medium for water and other products.

In 2004, the authors of the report commissioned by the UN and called the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment have explicitly included the necromass defining an ecosystem as "a dynamic complex of plants, animals, micro-organisms, and the nonliving environment acting interaction as a functional unit."

We can speak of natural ecosystem, naturally balanced: at each level, the biomass is stabilized through interactions with other levels.

In 2012, The IUCN has announced plans to create (before 2025) a "Red List" of vulnerable ecosystems, endangered or critically endangered in the world. This initiative is a tested and supported by a Venezuelan biologist Jon Paul Rodriguez who worked on the importance of local data and regional red lists criteria (2001) then made such a classification for terrestrial ecosystems of Venezuela published in 2011 and in 2011 a reasoned list of criteria of environmental assessment of the health of ecosystems and prioritized threats to ecosystems.

An ecosystem is all the fauna and flora together in a natural area. It is composed of producers (plants), consumers (animals) and bioreductive agents (micro-organisms), which are supported by emitting energy from the sun.

The ecosystem is a natural system that tends to evolve towards a stable theoretically stable state called climatic climax while being capable of evolution and adaptation to abiotic and ecological context. We talk about ecological regression when the system evolves from one state to a less stable state. Ecosystems, such as the biosphere are still in a state out of equilibrium, constantly drawn to a climax by complex feedback loops.

A living ecosystem is healthy when all agencies and inert environments that form it are in equilibrium.

Diseases are developers and pathogens (bacteria, virus, fungi, pests, etc.) that merely regulate an imbalance but are by no means the cause. Their presence is, instead, a manifestation of the ecosystem need to find a balance and ensure its sustainability.

Eradicate the limit, even by biological control is postpone the problem, often prevent the self-regulation of dysfunction. Good basic knowledge in botany, entomology, plant pathology, agronomy, soil science, embryology, genetics, etc. allow another reading of what the disease process is.This is an approach similar to the Ecopathology.

Free sample essays and examples on ecosystems help you understand the topic.

Additionally you can get professional essay writing help on Ecosystem from academic experts.

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CPE Sample Writing: The Perfect Storm (film review)

The Perfect Storm is a Warner Bros disaster film released in 2000, based on a book by  Sebastien Junger. It portrays the story of a fishing ship called the Andrea Gail, which has the misfortune of being trapped in the most terrible storm ever.

This drama takes place in October 1991 in Gloucester, Massachusset. After several deceiving fishing seasons, Captain Bobby Tyne, magnificently played byGeorge Clooney, convinces his crew to head out far in the cold Atlantic Ocean in search for fish. Ignoring the warnings of the imminent arrival of a hurricane Tyne insists on breaking into the North Atlantic, the Flemish Cap where they have to face inclement weather. All of a sudden they get trapped in gigantic swirling waves.

The beginning of the film is disappointingly slow moving, a quietness holds us back for one hour or so. However, things get better asdisaster knocks on their doors: here it comes the storm of the century with its breath-taking special effects which almost makes you seasick. The digital images are so awe-inspiring and realistic that they carry us into this disaster, swamp us with fear, and root us to the spot, you may surprise yourself by clinging on to your armchair at the view of the nightmarish raising sea.

Even though the different personalities of the actors lead to on-board conflict, this crew definitively display a great courage and a strong team spirit struggling with torrent and against their fate. The dialogues and the soundtrack choice are well in accordance with the subject giving it more suspense.

The Perfect Storm is quite simply an outstanding and really worth–watching. I recommend it to all kinds of people but especially to the ones who are fond of special effects, which in this case are superb.

Written by guest blogger

Sybille

To see other Film Review CPE sample click here.
To learn How to Write a Review click here.

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CPE Cambridge Exam. Grammar: Inversions

Not only are you likely to need "Inversions" in the Use of English part of the CPE exam (Part 1 Open Cloze), but also in the Writing Paper. If you are planning to make a good impression on the examiner, take a look at these examples:

This advanced grammar involves changing the normal order of the subject and the verb in a sentence. It is used to add emphasis, give strong advice and to express opinions clearly.

Let´s see some examples:

She had never felt so excited.

Never had she felt so excited as when he asked her to marry him...

She knew little of what was going to happen that day...

Little did she know of what was going to happen that day...

English and French are not only popular languages, but they are also very useful when...

Not only are English and French popular languages, but they are also very usueful when...

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Proposal Sample

CAE Exam writing task: 

The International Development Agency has given our town a grant to be spent on improving transport and housing facilities.

The Planning Director invites you to send a proposal outlining any problem with existing transport and housing facilities and explaining how they can be improved. A decision can then be made about how the money should be spent. Write a proposal.

Proposal on how to spend the Town´s grant

Introduction

The major aim of this proposal is to provide details about the transport and housing facilities in my town, Bentre City, and to put forward ideas on how they can be made better.

Difficulties concerning transport 

There are two main issues which require immediate attention. Firstly, a lack of public transport for cross-district travel has made it difficult for students who are from other areas in my province to travel to town for their studies. Secondly, the fare for the bus service at the moment is much higher than that in other big cities, such as Hochiminh City.  

  

Difficulties concerning accommodation:

   The city has seen significant developments in recent years. However, people are still very unhappy with the water supply service and the piping system underground. What this means is that the inadequate provision of water has caused great annoyance to local residents, and that the inefficient piping system is always causing the blockage of their WC waste matters.

Suggestions for improvements

·  In terms of transport, it is advisable to spend part of the grant on more buses and to cut down on the fare by half so that more students are encouraged to use this means of transport.

· With regard to people’s household matters, it is vital that these problems are tackled as soon as possible. If the cost of repairing the system goes beyond the money provided, the city council can call the city inhabitants for support.

   Conclusion

    It is an honor for us to receive the grant from the agency; thus, it is crucially important to make the best use of it. I strongly believe that the problems mentioned above are our city’s most formidable obstacles now and that urgent actions must be taken.



**CAE Proposal Sample by guest blogger Duong Hoang Phuc

CAE Practice. 

Now it is your turn to practise for the CAE Cambridge Exam. Write a Proposal using the task above. If you want to have your writing edited and posted in the blog, you can send it to gustavo.albarracin.q@gmail.com

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