In any country, it’s always important to understand the things you need before picking up a car at the airport. Whether you need an international driving permit or insurance. The only time I had hired a car was back in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2013 — but that was in the USA.
However, if you hire a car in Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, the bureaucracy that follows could be horrendous. At the airport is fine, but under the table could be dangerous. So, let’s dive into the tips!
We’re back with some TOEFL iBT Reading! Document is down below, and it’s about the History of Native American Trade! This will be very useful to test and see if you can do the difficult passages. Answers are on the last page! 18 minutes to complete the passage! If you’re on my TOEFL iBT Badge, you get access to this and dozens more!
Welcome back to another super special! Very sorry to all my TOEFL iTPers out there, but I’ve been focusing heavily on iBT which is a good 30-50% of what you would see on your reading test. Good practice on those blogs, too! Nonetheless, what we have here today is an intermediate-level reading passage and I’ll make it into a video/podcast, too, so look down below for the links!
Algae is a primitive form of life, a single-celled or simple multiple-celled organism that is able to conduct the process of photosynthesis. It is generally found in water but can also be found elsewhere, growing on such surfaces as rocks or trees. The various types of algae are classified according to their pigmentation, or coloration.
Blue-green algae, or Cyanophyta, can grow at very high temperatures and under high-intensity light. This is a microscopic type of algae, and some species consist of only one cell. Blue-gree algae are the oldest form of life with photosynthetic capabilities and fossilized remains of this type of algae more than 3.4 billion years old have been found in parts of Africa.
Green algae, or Chlorophyta, is generally found in freshwater. It reproduces on the surfaces of enclosed bodies of water such as ponds or lakes and has the appearance of a fuzzy green coating on the water. In large quantities, this type of algae may reproduce enough to give a green color to an entire lake.
Brown algae, or Phaeophyta, grows in shallow, temperate water. This type of algae is the largest in size and is most recognizable as a type of seaweed; kelp is a type of brown algae that has grown to lengths of up to 200 feet. Its long stalks can be enmeshed on the ocean floor, or it can float freely on the ocean’s surface.
Red algae, or Rhodophyta, is a small, delicate organism found in the deep waters of the subtropics, where it often grows with coral. This type of algae has an essential role in the formation of coral reefs: it secrets lime from the seawater to foster the formation of limestone deposits.
Longman
What is the author’s main purpose?
to show what color algae is
to differentiate the various classifications of algae
to describe where algae is found
to clarify the appearance of the different types of algae
2. Which of the following is NOT true about algae?
all types have only one cell
it can be found out of water
it can use photosynthesis
it is not a relatively new form of life
3. the word “pigmentation” in line 4 means
size
shape
composition
color
4. The word “microscopic” in line 6 is closest in meaning to
mechanical
tiny
visual
bacterial
5. Algae remnants found in Africa are
still flourishing
photogenic
extremely old
red in color
6. Green algae is generally found
on the ocean floor
on top of the water
throughout ponds and lakes
surrounding enclosed bodies of water
7. The word “coating” in line 10 could best be replaced by
clothing
covering
warmth
sweater
8. Brown algae would most likely be found
on trees
near green algae
on rocks
in the ocean
9. According to the passage, red algae is
study
huge
fragile
found in shallow water
10. it can be inferred from the passage that limestone deposits serve as the basis of
coral reefs
red algae
subtropical seawater
secret passages
11. How is the information in the paragraph organized
various details supporting a theory are explored
various classifications of a specific life form are described
various stages of the chronological development of a life form are presented
various elements that compose a certain life form are outlined
12. This passage would most probably be assigned reading in a course on
Here’s a pre-investment podcast — podcast — for all of you out there. I came across a very informational video that brought the spotlight on my money and finances, especially over the year. As you probably know, shutdowns had begun early last year and the majority of the world was caught-off-guard, including me. So, instead of being proactive, I was reactive. I didn’t have an emergency fund of 3-6 months worth of rent saved up. I didn’t have travel expenses saved up, or even the stipend for a pretty expensive visa. So, I had to work in overdrive to cover expenses and that was three months of stress.
After watching this video and in the midst of the second shutdown, I’m very excited about the “how to” save for a rainy day. Tune into the podcast before we dive into the beginning stages of investing!
Happy March, everyone! This was a consultation I had done back in December of last year and it was FIRE! To hear the golden nuggets that my student had given me can really be useful for a lot of you out there. So, please tune in to this podcast, have your notepad and stuff ready, and get ready to be amazed!
Update: As of December 15th, Bruna received the following scores.
We’re back with a pretty good one today. I’ve always been intrigued by the Bronze Age, and today is going to be a lecture on it! Are you ready for some note-taking and answering of questions? Again, view the blog (if you’re reading this on Facebook) on page 2 (down below if you’re reading this on the blog) to check your answers!
Notes
Bronze popular item to trade
trade commerce, learned that 3k years ago between med sea was popular
other materials out of bronze, including glass
excavation in egypt on Nile, discovered ancient glass factory
importing unfinished, not true
Meso region consisting of middle Eastern countries
glass in Meso, oldest glass comes from
two productions: first stage — discs of raw glass
second, melted raw glass, discs, and created objects
Several processes involved, took corts, crushed it.
Then, mixed it with plant ash
ashes left after you burn plant material
low temperature in small containers like jars that were made out of clay
grassy material grounded into powder and die to color
dye *
Once cooled, broke the molds
inside were discs
Second stage
Discs were reheated
shaped into decorative objects
Most common: beads
Imitating precious stones
looked liek pearls and emeralds and difficult to distinguish
created vessels with narrow necks
probably valuable so not common to hold common food items
mostly red, used copper
any glass was popular, red bottles owned by thee wealthy
so difficult to make, mysterious, produced for royal family
beautiful objects made great gifts
strengthen political alliances
exporting glass, too
mutual trade with Meso because it was usually white or yellow
two white discs for two red discs
1
What is the lecture mainly about
Different types of glass objects made by Egyptians
Whether Egyptians or Mesopotamians were the first to make glass
The history of glass production
New information about glass making and the use in ancient Egypt
2 What is the process for making glass disks? Put the steps below in the correct order
Order
Process
1
2
3
4
a. Glass-like material is ground up and dyed blue or red.
b. Powdered material is heated at very high temperatures
c. Crushed quartz and plant ash are heated at low temperatures.
d. Containers are broken to remove glass disks.
3 What is the importance of the archaeological evidence recently found in Egypt?
It supports the theory that ancient Mesopotamians imported glass from ancient Egypt.
It shows that ancient Mesopotamians were producing raw glass.
It proves that ancient Egyptians imported glass from Mesopotamia.
It shows that ancient Egyptians were able to produce raw glass.
4 Using raw glass and the glass disks, what were the Egyptians able to create?
Cooking utensils
Artwork
Paper
Decorative objects
5 What are two kinds of glass objects that were valued in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia?
Cooking utensils
Beads
Containers
Stones
6 According to the professor, what are two reasons why ancient Egyptians exported glass? Click on 2 answers
To acquire stones such as emeralds and pearls from other countries
We’re back with another awesome segment! So, in today’s segment, you’re going to have a couple of phases.
First, you’ll need to take notes on the reading (down below for 3 minutes).
After that, tune into this podcast here and listen to the Coal Burning audio. You will take notes and start writing your essay.
Then, watch the video down below and see the feedback I give my wonderful student who I’m coaching.
Let’s go!
Reading – Coal Burning
The coal industry has had a large environmental impact from land use, waste management, water and air pollutioncaused by coal mining, processing, and using coal. Not only does it cause atmospheric pollution, but coal burning also produces millions of tons of solid waste products. Burning coal comes with severe health effects and is estimated to shorten approximately 1,000,000 lives worldwide every year. The following are three methods for reducing the pollution produced by coal burning.
One method is to improve the reaction efficiency. By improving the reaction efficiency, air pollution can be reduced. It will not be an immediate impact, but over the long term it will have a significant impact.
Another method is to use water to flush the coal and remove sulfides to prevent the creation of sulfur dioxide. This would help to reduce the level of pollution created by the sulfides reacting with the air.
A third method is to collect the emitted carbon dioxide. This would prevent the gases from reaching the atmosphere. Pollution levels from carbon dioxide would drop significantly over time as this technology is expanded.
Welcome back! Today we have national parks! I would like you guys to figure out which readings are the most difficult for you and ask yourself “why” they are. Self-realization is very important to figure out how to excel.
We’re finally here! It’s the end of the “Sales” mini-podcast that had begun at the exact same time as season 6. Although Season 6 is still a few months away from finishing, these mini-series are the next big step in developing you as a whole — and most specifically, the purpose behind it.
In today’s final podcast is a summary of what had been talked about the past couple of weeks, as well as a glimpse into the new mini-series that will be making its debut Friday, the day after I bring on an amazing teacher from Jordan. In saying that, it’s a sweet ending to a great mini-series.