“Women in Classical Chinese Art”

The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko Art Museum holds an exhibition titled “Women in Classical Chinese Art” /http://www.day.kiev.ua//

"The Art museum’s collection of classical Chinese paintings comprises over 350 works by painters from the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th century and includes all existing genres. The ancient scrolls of Chinese masters depict a panorama of people’s lives, natural landscapes, and unique phenomena. Women’s beauty has been a leading theme in paintings from the dawn of its invention to modern times..." /Day. Weekly Digest/.
Read more: http://www.day.kiev.ua/

Women's Day

 Introductions

What would you most like to be famous for? 

Now that Spring is here, what outdoor activities are you planning to do? 

Discussion Topic: Women’s Day

1.What is the history of Women’s Day? Why is it celebrated in Ukraine but not in the United States? 

2.What are men’s responsibilities on this holiday? Who should they congratulate on this holiday? Only their wives?

3.There is a saying that, “everyday should be like Valentine’s Day.” Do you think it’s true about Women’s Day as well? Should Husbands try to make something special for their wives everyday?

4.For women, what would be the best possible Women’s Day for you? 

5.For men, what holiday do you think is the best or most interesting one?

Mystery Questions

Our Schedule

Saturday, March 5 – 1400 Rehabilitation Center 

Tuesday, March 8 – No English Club – Women’s Day!

Thursday, March 10 – 1730 Library

Saturday, March 12 – 1030 Library

Join Our Group on www.Facebook.com – English Club in Vinnytsia

English Club Blog - www.woavinnitsa.blogspot.com

Our Rules

It is forbidden to disrespect or insult another member of the Club.

We are guests of the Library Staff. Club Members should bring a library card, and respect the librarians at all times.

All forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, etc.) are not allowed in the club. Discriminatory comments should be kept to yourself. 

Making fun of or insulting someone else’s level of English is inappropriate and rude. None of us speak English perfectly (not even the native-speakers), so there is no cause for insulting someone else. It is forbidden in our club meetings.

Everyone is allowed to tell their opinion.

Everyone should be given an opportunity to speak, so it is not appropriate to talk throughout the whole meeting. A response to a question should not last more than one minute.

If a member of the club consistently breaks the rules, they will not be allowed to attend the club anymore.

Questions

Can you imagine some situation when you would be willing to work for free? What kind of work would it be?

Would you like to be the director of a big business? Do you think that this kind of work suits you and your personality?

If you could start all over again, what would you change about your profession? What would study at the university?

What was your dream as a child? Does it still remain in anyway?

What was the most unusual thing you have ever seen on a train, or bus?

Do you think that you would like to be a stage actress or singer? Would you be nervous performing in front of so many people?

If you didn’t have to worry about money, how would you spend your days?

If you could learn any skill, what would it be?

If you had to be either three inches taller, or three inches shorter, which would you choose?

If you could be any superhero, which one would you like to be?

Would you rather be know as being good looking or a good person?

Travelling to the UK

On March 2 2011 Oleksii Riabokon,  a Senior  Teacher  of the Ukrainian Studies Department of the Vinnitsia National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, presented a report on his travelling to the UK. Over 90 photos with sights of London were demonstrated and commented. The focus was on the Buckingham Palace, Sherlock Holm’s  Museum, Madame Tussaud’s Waxen Figures Museum, Natural History Museum, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kensington Palace, Cambridge University.

The report was then discussed with the Club Discovery’s members who were present and asked a lot of questions on the subject.

Reputation

INTRODUCTION
Group Activity: Work together and make a 1-minute presentation
                                        
Discussion Topic: Reputation
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are (J. Wooden)

1. How important to you reputation? How important is to you that other people like you or respect you?
2. What are the benefits of having a good reputation?
3. Most people say that they don’t care what other people think about them. If this is true, why do we always, “Dress to impress” or try to show that we are special to others?
4. Do you think that your reputation is different from the person who you really are? Is it possible to create a reputation about yourself that isn’t true?

Mystery Questions

English Club Blog – www.woavinnitsa.blogspot.com

MASS PAPERBACK PUBLISHER GOES ALL DIGITAL

1.Do you prefer to read e-book or paper editions? Why?

2.Do you think that libraries will soon die out like dinosaurs?

3.Who are the customers of book shops?

4. Should the same edition of the same book in electronic form and in paperback have different prices? Why?

As digital books continue to gain market share, one of the country's oldest mass paper back publishers is abandoning its traditional print books and making its titles available in digital format and print-on-demand only.

Dorchester Publishing Inc., a closely held book and magazine house, said it is making the switch after its book unit sales fell 25% last year, in part because of declining orders from some of its key retail accounts, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart declined comment.

"It wasn't a long, drawn out decision, because we've been putting in the effort but not getting the results," said Dorchester Chief Executive John Prebich.

The move comes at a time when electronic-book sales are gaining popularity with readers. Mike Shatzkin, chief executive of the Idea Logical Co., publishing consultants, predicts that digital books will be 20% to 25% of unit sales by the end of 2012, up from around 8% today.

The decision to go digital could be a sign of things to come for other small publishers facing declining sales in their traditional print business. Dorchester's switch will likely result in significant savings at a time when it expects its digital sales to double in 2011.

Dorchester, which has been publishing mass market paperbacks since 1971, publishes 25 to 30 new titles a month, approximately 65% of which are romance works. The com pany launched its first mass paperback titles in 1971.

Romance fans in particular have already embraced e-books, in part because customers can read them in public without having to dis play the covers. In addition, type size is easily adjusted on e-readers, making titles published in the mass paperback format easier to read for older customers.

Mr. Prebich estimated that 83% of the books published by Dorchester are priced at $7.99. By comparison, the larger trade paperback format is typically priced at about $14.95.

Dorchester's switch to e-books is effec tive. It plans to make new titles available on a print-on-demand basis through retailers. Ingram Publisher Services, a unit of closely held Ingram Industries Inc., says it will ship orders to retailers as demand arises. News of Dorchester's decision was first reported by Publishers Weekly.

Some authors, Mr. Prebich conceded, may be unhappy if their titles are available only via e-books and print-on-demand, but he said that so far the response has "been receptive to what we're doing."

Hard Case Crime, an imprint owned by closely held Winterfall LLC, said it may seek to move its mystery books from Dorchester to another publishing house.

"It's been a good run, but if they aren't pub lishing mass market paperbacks, we'll have to decide what to do. I'm a believer in the mass format, but I do understand the reality of the marketplace," said Charles Ardai, who owns Hard Case Crime.

The country's largest consumer book pub lisher, Bertelsmann AG's Random House Inc., said it continues to be a strong believer in mass paperbacks. One of the country's most successful mystery writers, the late John D. MacDonald, is available from Random House exclusively in mass paperback.

"It's still a viable, popular, lower-priced alternative to the other reading formats," said Stuart Applebaum, a spokesman for Random House. "It also has a committed readership. Will that commitment be forever in a transformative marketplace? We'll have to wait and see."

By Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg Wall Street Journal
/http://sroblog.com/2010/08/07/mass-paperback-publisher-goes-all-digital-wsj-com//

Identity in America: Are Perspectives Shifting?

Blending cultures may be redefining what it means to be American

Multicultural, post-ethnic, post-racial. While these descriptors are debated, most agree that with the possible exception of the American Indian, to be American is to be, genealogically speaking, from somewhere else. During February, America.gov is exploring how the ever-increasing diversity of the U.S. population is affecting the way Americans view themselves.

Americans love anniversaries, special months, holidays and observances related to the calendar. The president alone issues more than a hundred proclamations each year on special days, weeks or months. Many months are dedicated to one or more ethnic or social groups, and month long celebrations highlight their contributions and the unique flavor they bring to American society. Here are just a few examples of diversity celebrations in the United States.

Read more:
http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-english/2009/January/20090129121357fsyelkaew0.9819147.html#ixzz1FXfo8TvA
http://www.america.gov//identity.html

П’ятдесята річниця Корпусу миру

http://www.pcukraine.org/

У березні виповнюється п’ятдесят років Корпусу миру. Перші волонтери Корпусу миру поїхали до Гани та Танзанії  в серпні 1961 р., через 6 місяців після того, як президент Джон Кеннеді 1 березня 1961 р. підписав указ про створення Корпусу миру. Відтоді понад 200 тис. американців служили волонтерами Корпусу миру, сприяючи взаєморозумінню між американським та іншими народами у 139 країнах світу. Часи змінилися, проте Корпус миру продовжує виконувати свою місію – сприяти миру та дружбі. Сьогодні понад 8655 волонтерів працюють з місцевими громадами в 77 країнах. Волонтерами можуть бути громадяни США, старші за 18 років. Їхній термін перебування в країні - 27 місяців. Детальніше про Корпус миру (англійською):  www.peacecorps.gov.

Корпус Миру США в Україні було засновано 1992 р., коли український Президент Леонід Кравчук та американський Президент Джордж Буш підписали двосторонню угоду про започаткування Корпусу Миру США в Україні. Відтоді Корпус Миру співпрацював з багатьма організаціями в Україні. Американські добровольці живуть і працюють пліч-о-пліч з українцями протягом двох років, обмінюючись досвідом та започатковуючи стосунки, які часто триватимуть усе життя. Мета Корпусу миру: допомагати громадянам України шляхом надання компетентних спеціалістів для задоволення існуючих потреб у відповідній кваліфікації; сприяти кращому розумінню американців українцями і українців американцями. Добровольці викладають англійську мову в середніх школах, університетах і педагогічних коледжах, проводять тренінги в інститутах післядипломної освіти педагогічних кадрів. Вони допомагають учителям розширювати асортимент навчальних засобів для роботи в класі і допомагають студентам набути навичок володіння мовами, які допоможуть їм досягти успіху в подальшій освіті та в майбутній кар'єрі. Добровольці працюють у середніх школах і технікумах, співпрацюють з місцевими відділами у справах сім'ї, молоді та спорту з метою надання молодим українцям допомоги, необхідної для досягнення успіху в кар'єрі та в житті. Вони проводять уроки в школах, організовують позакласні заходи та реалізовують громадські проекти, спрямовані на запобігання зловживанню алкоголем, палінню, вживанню наркотиків та розповсюдженню ВІЛ. Добровольці популяризують здоровий спосіб життя, сприяють розвитку навичок у галузях інформаційних технологій, бізнесу, лідерства, громадянської свідомості, екології та кар'єрного розвитку. Добровольці здебільшого співпрацюють з неурядовими організаціями, місцевими організаціями самоврядування, місцевими органами виконавчої влади та бізнес-структурами. Добровольці сприяють соціальному та економічному розвитку на місцевому рівні. Про Корпус миру в Україні див.: http://ukrainian.ukraine.usembassy.gov/uk/peace-corps.html

Волонтери Корпусу миру активно співпрацюють і з бібліотеками в Україні, зокрема з інформаційними центрами «Вікно в Америку». Чимало українських книгозбірень у партнерстві з волонтерами Корпусу миру започаткували нові послуги для читачів, підвищили кваліфікацію своїх працівників, поповнили фонди бібліотек літературою, отримали гранти на технічне обладнання тощо. Рогатинська центральна районна бібліотека Івано-Франківської області навіть створила відео: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd5lmFOyINU (про це ми вже писали на цьому блозі).  Було би цікаво почути від працівників бібліотек-читачів цього блогу про їхню співпрацю з волонтерами Корпусу миру, розповіді про те, як запросити волонтера до своєї бібліотеки, чи варто це робити тощо. Чекаємо дописів!