Hey Marcus,

I still can’t believe you are 18 already. Man, time does fly away so quickly! Anyway, since elections are coming up and this would be your first time voting I wanted to give you some advice. Do not worry I am not going to tell you whom to vote for. You should make that decision on your own. I know as a teenager you might not have paid much heed to politics but now you need to be more aware. I suggest that you should read about all the candidates. Having knowledge about their past records, future promises and plans, and of course public opinion of them would be of great help to you. Making this decision is the most important step. Rest is smooth sailing from there. Register yourself as a voter as soon as possible. When the time for elections arrives, you must keep your identification cards with you to make it easier. You may have to stay in queue for a long time but, trust me, it will be worth it. The feeling you get after making a contribution to the betterment of your nation would be gratifying. Be sure to know the election symbol of your chosen candidate in order to avoid any mistakes. Lastly, I just hope that you will take this decision seriously and responsibly.

I absolutely detest people who take credit for other people’s work. But unfortunately there is an abundance of such people. I remember I had just started working for a marketing firm and was one of the many interns there. We were given project to prepare an advertisement for a product. All of us worked together and came up with an innovative and unique idea. We presented it to our supervisor but he rejected it calling it lazy. However, later that day, we were called into a meeting with the CEO to brainstorm ideas. All the ideas our supervisor gave were rejected by the CEO. To save himself the embarrassment, he proposed our idea as his and the CEO loved it. Everyone was disappointed but no one said anything. I decided to stand up for us all and went to the CEO with all the proof and the email of the supervisor calling our idea lazy. He was severely reprimanded and shifted to another branch. Eventually, we got a new supervisor who not only appreciates our efforts but also allows us to take initiative. I’m glad I did not sit back and watch someone steal credit for my work.

This image shows something we are all familiar with; a busy street. Judging by the names written on the buildings I can guess that it is an image of somewhere in Italy. At the forefront I can see a family trying to cross the road and a bird flying by behind them. The parents have one arm linked and the mother and son are holding each other’s hands. The two children are playing with a toy. Right in front of them there is a man in a pink jacket who is trying to hail a taxi. Behind him an old lady is passing by with a small child. On the other side of the road, a man is arguing with a cop, maybe over a parking issue, while a bus waits behind them. Two men are standing by a mail box. One of them has a bicycle. There is a crossing in the middle of the road with a big cross on it. Some more people can be seen walking near the shops.

It’s a busy street and a lot can happen on a busy street. Likewise there is a lot that can happen within the next few minutes. Firstly, the bird flying by the family may startle them a little. The children will start fighting over the toy which may make the mother yell at them. The taxi driver will ignore the man in the pink jacket and drive away which will make the man visibly frustrated. The old lady and her grandson will cross the street quietly. The man arguing with the cop will get arrested for disobeying a law officer. The bus driver will get impatient and start honking at the car. This will surprise everyone around and cause them to look over. The man with the cycle may ride off onto the street.

Choice 1:

Hey Jacob,

I have been wrecking my brain over the break room addition for so long and I highly appreciate your advice. However, I think I will choose the coffee machine. Yes, the vending machine offers more variety of snacks but those will all be unhealthy pre-packaged snacks. Coffee will energize people and keep them active. Moreover, the budget provided to me by accounting department is $500. So, the vending machine will be extremely over budget. The annual maintenance cost will be quite high too, given the size of the machine and the constant restocking required. Although there is a plus that it would come with a warranty of 3 years as compared to the warranty period of 2 years of the coffee machine, I feel it won’t be worth it. Our break room is quite small and getting in such a huge machine would take up a lot of space. The coffee machine on the other hand can be easily mounted on the wall. So, it will be more compact.

Choice 2:

Hey Elen,

It’s been daunting making a decision about the break room and I really appreciate your input but I think the cereal dispenser would be a better option as compared to the vending machine. The vending machine is really expensive and over our budget of $500. It may provide more snack options but I feel such pre-packed snacks and drinks won’t be very healthy. Cereal on the other hand is a great option for people who have early shifts and don’t have time for breakfast. It will also cost almost double to maintain and restock the vending machine. Yes, the warranty period is higher for the vending machine but I feel it wouldn’t be that useful in the long run. There is space restriction in our break room so the easily mountable cereal dispenser would be more suitable.

Choice 1:

Hey Jenny,

I know you must have had a long flight and were looking forward to me picking you up. I really wanted to. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it. You see, I had planned out my day to make time for your pickup but your flight landed early. Unfortunately, even my meeting with the client got delayed. You know how hard my team and I worked for this meeting. It is a very important client and I cannot afford to miss it. Moreover, the client is leaving for China tomorrow and we won’t be able to reschedule the meeting. I hope you will understand my situation. I have booked a taxi for you already. I hope you will understand my situation. I’ll meet you after the meeting.

Choice 2:

Hi Mr. Adams,

I am afraid I will have to leave early and won’t be able to attend the meeting. Actually, my husband was flying back from the states today after attending his uncle’s funeral. His flight landed early and I have to go pick him up. Please understand that this is a sensitive time for him and I need to be there for him. I cannot ask him to come by a taxi. I wouldn’t have asked for this, but as our meeting also got delayed, my whole schedule has been shaken up. Please be assured that we will not be postponing the meeting. My team is well-prepared for the meeting and my Assistant Manager will be leading the presentation. He has worked closely with me on this project and will clear all your doubts. I hope you can understand my situation. And please let me know if you would be more comfortable with me being in the meeting. If so, we will reschedule it for some other day. Thanks in advance.

In this age of globalization, more and more countries are adopting English. This has turned English into an international language. However, I do not believe that in the future other languages would cease to exist and only English will sustain. Although more and more people are now actively communicating in English, there are still regions where only the native languages pertain. It is not mandatory in such places for people to converse in English. Thus, their languages are safe. Moreover, English has not even been around for that long. Many ancient languages are hundred thousand years old. They are still very much important and will continue to be so. People have an emotional connection with their language as it is a part of their culture and provides them with a sense of belonging. I doubt these people would just let their precious languages die out. English may be the global language of today, but it isn’t the only important one.

Hey Maya,

I was just out with Ginny and Georgia and we were taking a walk around Hamilton Street. We wandered off to a huge field. You won’t believe what I saw there. It was this huge igloo. What’s more surprising is that it had a restaurant built inside it. It’s new and hasn’t opened up yet. The owner was there to oversee the work in progress. He offered to show us around. I was flabbergasted to see the beauty inside. Firstly, the entrance of the restaurant had beautiful snow carvings. The reflection of light through the openings inside resembled the sunset. Right through the entrance, there was a bar. It had a beautiful crystal clear shelf with stools around it. At first I thought that all this was made of ice, given how clear it was. The owner, however, told me that it was made of glass. There was also a beautiful sculpture of a swan on the bar. It was also made of glass. The floor has scattered snow. He told us that he would be inaugurating it next weekend and invited us to visit. I think we should go there. I know you love snow, so it will be a good experience for you too. What do you say? Shall we go together?