Oscars

The Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, informally known as The Oscars, are a set of awards given annually for excellence of cinematic achievements. The Oscar statuette is officially named the Academy Award of Merit and is one of nine types of Academy Awards. Organized and overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the awards are given each year at a formal ceremony. The AMPAS was originally conceived by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio executive Louis B. Mayer as a professional honorary organization to help improve the film industry’s image and help mediate labor disputes. The awards itself was later initiated by the Academy as an award "of merit for distinctive achievement" in the industry.

The awards were first given in 1929 at a ceremony created for the awards, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood. Over the years that the award has been given, the categories presented have changed; currently Oscars are given in more than a dozen categories, and include films of various types. As one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world, the Academy Awards ceremony is televised live in more than 100 countries annually. It is also the oldest award ceremony in the media; its equivalents, the Grammy Awards (for music), the Emmy Awards (for television), and the Tony Awards (for theater), are modeled after the Academy Awards.

The 84th Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre on February 26, 2012; the 85th Academy Awards are scheduled to be held on February 24, 2013, in the same venue. For this years nominations you should go to the web site of Oscars.

Happy New Year! Bonne année! С Новым годом! Glückliches neues Jahr!

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee 2012

Official web site of The Jubilee

Palace of Westminster clock that houses Big Ben renamed ‘Elizabeth Tower’ in honour of Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

The historic clock tower that houses Big Ben was yesterday renamed the ‘Elizabeth Tower’ in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Commons Speaker John Bercow presided over a formal ceremony after the majority of MPs backed a Daily Mail campaign for the name change.

The move, which is understood to have delighted the Queen, means one of Britain’s best-known landmarks will forever carry her name.

It mirrors a tribute bestowed on Queen Victoria, the only other monarch to remain on the throne for 60 years. The tower at the other end of the Palace of Westminster was renamed the Victoria Tower to mark her long reign.

The tower is known across the world by the name of the bell it houses - Big Ben - and MPs accept it will continue to be referred to by that name by most. Previously, the tower was officially known as the Clock Tower,

In the official naming ceremony at the foot of the tower, Mr Bercow said it was a ‘special and heart-warming’ occasion.

Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, who tabled a Commons motion collecting names of MPs supporting the measure, including David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg, said: ‘Only two monarchs since William the Conqueror have actually served this country so diligently and selflessly for 60 years - that’s quite an incredible task considering the number of monarchs this country has seen - Queen Victoria and now Queen Elizabeth II.

‘She has served this country in such esteem - that was recognised this year with the celebrations that were seen.

‘She is one of the most respected public figures in the world. She reminds us who we are, what we are about and what it is to be British and it is a very proud day indeed to see this clock tower renamed in recognition of the work she has done.’

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How To Write A CV

How To Write A Great First CV (Resume) from University of Ulster

 

Tahiti

Tahiti est une île de la Polynésie française (collectivité d’outre-mer) située dans le sud de l’océan Pacifique. Elle fait partie du groupe desîles du Vent, et de l’archipel de la Société. Cette île haute et montagneuse, d'origine volcanique, est entourée d'un récif de corail. L'île est composée de deux parties - Tahiti Nui, la plus importante, et Tahiti Iti également appelée la Presqu'île, reliées entre elles par l'isthme de Taravao.

Avec 1 042 km² et 178 173 habitants, Tahiti est à la fois la plus grande et la plus peuplée des îles de la Polynésie française. L’île concentre l’essentiel des activités économiques de l’archipel polynésien ; la ville de Papeete, située sur la côte nord-ouest de l’île, est la capitale de la Polynésie Française et en abrite toutes les institutions politiques. Le tourisme contribue fortement à l’économie de l’île, d’autant que Tahiti abrite le seul aéroport international de la Polynésie Française, lui donnant le statut de porte d’entrée du territoire.

L’histoire de Tahiti a été marquée tout d’abord par le peuplement de l’île par les navigateurs polynésiens, d’origine austronésienne, puis par la découverte de l’île par les explorateurs européens. Les échanges avec les Européens ont permis à une famille tahitienne, les Pomare, d’imposer leur autorité sur l’ensemble de l’île. À partir de la fin du xviii^e siècle, l’île fut colonisée par des missionnaires protestants anglais, puis devint protectorat français au milieu du xix^e siècle. L’île devint ensuite une colonie, membre des Établissements français de l'Océanie, avant d’être rattachée à un ensemble d’archipels qu’on appelle Polynésie française.

School Years around the World

by Mark Hughes

Somewhere in the world, right now, students are hard at work in school. With over 190 nations spanning the globe’s 24 time zones, students and their academic years come in a variety of forms. Here’s a sampling of the typical school year in 13 nations throughout the world.

Australia

Students in Australia attend school for 200 days a year. Their school year lasts from late January to mid December. Since Australia is in the southern hemisphere, it experiences summer while it’s winter in the northern hemisphere. Summer vacation for Australian students is from mid December to late January. Their school year is divided into four terms, with each term lasting 9 to 11 weeks. Students then have two weeks of vacation between each term. The typical school day is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and lunch is eaten at school. Students are required to attend school for at least eleven years, but they usually attend for twelve years. The average class size is eighteen students and there are about six computers per classroom.

School grades in Australia are called years. Kindergarten is the first year of formal schooling, followed by year 1 through year 6; secondary school is from year 7 to year 12. A 6 year old begins in year one, while an 18 year old finishes school by year 12. From year one to year six, students spend about 12 hours a week working on math and English. Many schools integrate subjects, meaning they combine two or more academic subjects. For instance, say your class is studying coral reefs. A non-integrated approach would have students study coral reels only in science class. An integrated method incorporates math, by taking measurements, for example, and language arts. Students would then use that information to write a report about coral reefs.