عضو جدید الفبای زبان انگلیسی

الفبای انگلیسی در گذشته 26 حرف داشت. اما به تازگی کاراکتر & که به معنی (و) است به جمع الفبای زبان انگلیسی پیوسته است و به این ترتیب زبان انگلیسی 27 حرفی شده است. اما این کاراکتر تاریخچه جالبی دارد. بیش از 1500 سال از زمانی که برای نخستین بار شکل این کاراکتر طراحی شد می گذرد. در نسخه های قدیمی رومی از حروف شکسته استفاده می شد و در آن زمان رومی ها در تلاش بودند به شیوه ای بنویسند که در فضای نوشتن تا حد امکان صرفه جویی کنند. در زبان لاتین et معادل (و) است و هنگامی که این دو حرف به صورت شکسته نوشته می شوند و در کنار هم قرار می گیرند به شکل & نوشته می شوند و بنابراین می توان گفت این کاراکتر جدید الورود زبان انگلیسی ریشه لاتین دارد. اما از آنجایی که این کاراکتر در زبان انگلیسی بسیار مورد توجه بوده است و در بسیاری از نامه ها و کتاب ها مورد استفاده قرار می گیرد انگلیسی ها تصمیم گرفتند رسما این کاراکتر را در زبان انگلیسی بپذیرند. اگر چه اساسا حرف ها اجازه ورود به الفبای زبان را دارند اما مثل این که این کاراکتر از این قاعده مستثنی است.

7 TOEIC Tips

TOEIC: Test of English for International Communication

Tip 1: Set a goal
If you are taking the test to apply for a job, find out what
score is needed. Some jobs require a minimum score of 600.
Management jobs may require a higher score, such as 800.
Choose a goal that you can achieve.

Tip 2: Understand the test
Make sure you understand the format of each section. By
practising tests, you will become very familiar with the
TOEIC. The test should become "second nature" to you before
you attempt the real thing.

Tip 3: Make a study plan
Procrastination is one of the key reasons students fail the
TOEIC. The day you decide to take the TOEIC should be the
day you start to study. Write down your study plan!

Tip 4: Divide study time appropriately
The TOEIC is divided into seven sections. Each section is
worth a certain amount of points. Don't spend too much time
studying one section. Many students make the mistake of
studying the section that they enjoy the most.

Tip 5: Build a strong vocabulary
Another reason students fail the TOEIC is that they have a
very limited vocabulary. Remember that the TOEIC has a
business theme. You should study vocabulary such as travel,
banking, health, restaurants, offices, etc.

Tip 6: Isolate your weak points
After you have been studying the TOEIC for a while, you will
find out which parts give you the most trouble. You might
want to change how you divide your time.

Tip 7: Eliminate distractors
Every TOEIC question has at least two distractors (wrong
answers to trick you). There are many types of distractor
such as, similar sounds, homonyms, repeated words etc. Make
a list of distractors so you recognize them more easily.

7 Roman Numerals

You know that 2 + 2 = 4. But do you know that ii + ii = iv?

The numbers that we normally use (1, 2, 3 etc) are called
"Arabic numerals". But we sometimes use another system for
writing numers - "Roman numerals". The Romans used letters
of the alphabet to represent numbers, and you will
occasionally see this system used for page numbers, clock
faces, dates of movies etc.

There are 7 letters used for Roman numerals:

I = 1
V = 5
X = 10
L = 50
C = 100
D = 500
M = 1000

In general, letters are placed in decreasing order of value,
eg XVI = 16. Letters can be repeated one or two times to
increase value, eg XX = 20, XXX = 30. Letters cannot be
repeated three times, so XXXX is not used for 40. In this
case, XL = 40 (50 minus 10).

Tips for CVs/Resumes

When you apply for a job, you are usually asked to send a CV
or resume. This is a history of your education and work
experience. Here are 7 tips for CVs and resumes in English:

Tip 1: Use design that demands attention
Employers don't have time to read through each of your job
descriptions to know if you have the skills they need. The
design of your CV must do it for them. Your CV should be
concise, well-organised and relevant. It should emphasise
the most important and relevant points about your
experience, skills and education.

Tip 2: Use 'power words'
To control the image that an employer has of you, use power
words that match the position you want. Certain words are
used frequently by recruiters in their job descriptions. You
should study recruiters' advertisements and job descriptions
and use these words in your CV and covering letter.

Tip 3: A number is worth 1,000 words
Numbers are alive and powerful. They create images in our
minds. General statements are easy to ignore. Be specific!
Use numbers when describing your duties and achievements.

Tip 4: Put important information first
List important information at the beginning of your job
descriptions. Put statements in your CV in order of
importance, impressiveness and relevance to the job.

Tip 5: Sell benefits, not skills
Holiday companies don't sell holidays. They sell relaxation,
adventure, sun, sea and sand (the benefits of a holiday).
You should not sell your skills (many other people have the
same skills). You should sell the benefits of your skills.
When you write your skills and past duties, you can explain
their benefits to the employer.

Tip 6: Solve the employer's (hidden) needs
Employers want people who can solve problems, not create
them! Your CV and cover letter should show how you can solve
the employer's problems and needs.

Tip 7: Target the job
You will have more success if you adjust your CV and cover
letter for the specific skills an employer is seeking. This
means that you would write one CV for one particular job and
a different, modified, CV for another job.

7 British/American Spellings

Some British English and American English words have the
same meaning and pronunciation but different spellings.
Here are seven common groups. If you are not sure about a
spelling, it's best to look it up in a British or American
dictionary as appropriate.

1. ogue/og
BrE: analogue, catalogue, dialogue
AmE: analog, catalog, dialog

2. our/or
BrE: colour, favourite, honour
AmE: color, favorite, honor

3. ence/ense
BrE: defence, licence
AmE: defense, license

4. s/z
BrE: analyse, criticise, organisation (but z is also used)
AmE: analyze, criticize, organization

5. l/ll
BrE: enrolment, fulfil, skilful
AmE: enrollment, fulfill, skillful

6. re/er
BrE: centre, theatre, metre
AmE: center, theater, meter

7. miscellaneous
BrE: jewellery, programme, practise, pyjamas
AmE: jewelry, program, practice, pajamas

NB1: in BrE program is used when talking about computers
NB2: in BrE practise is a verb and practice is a noun