VIP Class Notes (Li)[S/W]

Homework

What made you realise that some subjects are more important later in life?

Vocabulary

lower/higher living standards – quality of life

home-schooled – to receive schooling at home

befriend sbd – make friends

building design/architecture/the construction 

start a company/set-up a business

operate/run a business

Speaking exercise

If you can speak same language, you have ability to get closer to them and make friends with them. If you don’t speak the local language you still can find your way to live. But it’s no different to living your country. There are many things that have become the same now. The building or the construction or life necessary the food, they’re the same abroad.

If you can speak the same language, you have the chance/opportunity to get closer to them and befriend them. If you don’t speak the local language you can still find a way to live. But, it’s no different to living in your own country. There are many things that have become the same now. Building construction, life and food, have become similar abroad.

Sometimes if you take picture, you think it’s Europe but you still find some construction in SH. Some buildings are design SH style.

Sometimes if you take a picture, you think you’re in Europe but you can find some buildings with the same style as in SH. Some buildings have a Shanghainese style.

Some of foreign languages.

Some foreign languages.

I have been watching HK TV series from a child.

I have been watching HK TV series as a child.

It’s not easy for them to open a company in Mainland now.

It’s not easy for them to start a company/set-up a business in the Mainland now.

Writing exercise

Original article
Visa requirements in Australia just got a little tougher. Foreign partners of existing residents who want a permanent residence visa must soon have to pass an English language test. Australia’s government says it is important that people prove a predetermined level of English proficiency before they are granted a permanent visa. The prerequisite could be in place from the middle of 2021. Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said: “We will require an applicant and a sponsor to have met a functional level of English or to have at least made reasonable efforts to learn English.” He said such efforts would entail about 500 hours of free English classes on a government-run language programme.

The proposed requirement has stoked controversy in Australia’s parliament. Politicians critical of the planned measure called the new language test “discriminatory” and “racist”. They argue it targets people from non-Western nations and their partners. A spokesman for Australia’s opposition party said: “English proficiency isn’t a test of someone’s love.” He said couples already faced an uphill struggle in the application process and that the new requirement would add an “additional burden”. An immigration expert said: “It certainly puts a lot of pressure on couples who’ve been hit hard by COVID. Many of them have lost their jobs and now they’ve got this added burden to pass an English test.”

Summary+opinion

If you want to get a visa in Australia, it’s more difficult than before. Because the government has announced that if people want to stay there permanently , they must have the English test certification. So it’s not easy for some people to get it, but the government also give some chances for them, which provides people with English classes for free. But some professional think it is not suitable for everyone, because people there are living much tougher than before. Some people have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus. And passing the test will put a high pressure on them to learn English. It has been a controversial topic among the people recently.

I don’t think English test can prove a person’s English skills and ability. But if you don’t familiarize with English well when you live in abroad, you will lose a lot of chances at work. I heard that some people not speaking English are still able to stay in Australia for a living, they just find the specific circle who speak the same language to live together. However, English is a common language in the world, if you can’t use it, you will lose the fun of communicating with native speaker to know more about their cultures. That’s why I still keep learning English on a daily basis so that I can get more information around world from different views, which also helps me to broaden my horizons.

Revised: 

If you want to get an Australia visa, it’s more difficult than before. Because the government has announced that if people want to stay there permanently, they must pass an English test. So it’s not easy for some people to get it, but the government also give them some opportunities by providing them with English classes for free. But, some professionals think it is not suitable for everyone, because people living there have to face tougher challenges than before. Some people have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus and having to pass an English test will put more pressure on them to learn English. It has been a controversial topic among the people recently.

I don’t think an English test can prove a person’s English skills and ability. But if you don’t have sufficient/aren’t fluent in English when you live in abroad, you will lose many chances in work. I heard that some people who don’t speak English are still able to live in Australia. They just find their social circle where everyone speaks the same language to live together. However, English is a common language around the world, if you can’t use it, you will lose the fun of communicating with native speakers and to know more about their cultures. That’s why I still keep learning English on a daily basis so that I can get more information and different views from others, which also helps me to broaden my horizons.