The role of women in the past and now. Nowadays, women have joined men in their outside work. We see them as soldiers, policewomen, pilots, even as political leaders negotiating over tough topics. In brief, the role of women has improved enormously. Women used to bring up the children and do the housework like cooking, cleaning, and laundry manually. Similarly, today the housework is a task of the woman but with the assistance of domestic gadgets, such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, dish washers, electric beaters, etc. If women were totally forbidden from going out except to go to the public bath or visit their families. In the same manner, women today can go out just to do the shopping, call in their families, or go to the steam bath. Today, the status of women is at a high level not only in family but also in business area when compared to the past. They learned to defend their rights. This realization also woke women up and stimulated them to insist on their rights. With the guarantee of the laws which were made in that time, women gained the rights they deserved in both family and business space. Primarily, now women are dominant as much as men. To sum up, the role of women was very limited in the past, but nowadays, they are given more and more importance thanks to their struggling and unification. Besides, people have started to understand that we cannot achieve any development without a real participation of women. The participation of women in the development process Today, more than ever, women have become active participants in the development process. Many competent women have become responsible in many leadership positions and are able to express their opinions that can benefit our society. For example, women take part in the political life and contribute in the development. Also, women are able to change the framework of political life, because they have certain knowledge and experience. As far as women’s participation in the www.facebook.com/eng4bac economic level is important, our country has benefited from a lot of fruitful achievements that have improved our economy. For instance, they have created their own projects and contribute to the reduction of unemployment thanks to civic associations and microloans allocated by NGOs. Women’s participation in the process of development has great positive effects at the social level as well. And it is known that educated women can provide better nutrition and education to their children. Besides, women are capable of improving the culture of our society. To sup up, our society can benefit from women’s participation in the process of development that is why women should be given a certain importance in society. Describing someone Ahmed has been my close friend for two years, I first met him on a school trip to Agadir, I stayed next to him on the bus and we started talking. We've been friends ever since. Ahmed is quite good looking, He's tall and slim, with olive skin and curly dark hair, he' got a brown eyes and round face. He has a great sense of style, so he always looks well dressed even in casual clothes. Ahmed is very outgoing. He is always friendly and loves to have fun. He's got a fantastic sense of humour and he always makes me laugh. However, he can be a bit immature at time. All in all, I'm glad to have Ahmed as my friend. It's a pleasure to be with him and really enjoy his company. I'm sure we'll always be close friends. How to protect the environment? We all are aware of the need to protect the environment. As individuals, we may help our environment and help in reducing pollution by paying attention to some important points in our daily life. We should utilize the electricity effectively and wisely to help the government. Turning lights off when we’re not in the room can save a lot of energy. Also, we can only use the air conditioning or heater when Itri necessary. Vehicles are one of the major source of air pollution. Using public transportation, walking and biking are all great ways to clean the air. Packaging is a big problem for the environment because once the product is open we don’t need it and it’s thrown out or recycled. So we can avoid buying products that have a lot of paper and plastic around them. Planting trees is a must if we want to save our planet. Trees not only remove chemicals from the soil, but also help reduce causes of the global warming. It’s time to take action to protect our environment by making simple lifestyle changes. Free time: Letter Dear Ahmed, Nowadays, with busy lifestyles, there is little time for people to entertain themselves. But if I have some free time I usually love entertaining myself. I love watching television on my free time, but what I love more is watching movies. In fact, I like almost all kinds of movies such as action, comedy and classic. Also, I enjoy watching shows series and Documentaries. In addition, I enjoy listening to music it makes me feel comfortable and relaxed. I don’t prefer a particular kind of music, it depends on the singers. Sometimes, I enjoy listening to rock music and sometimes classic music, it depends on my mood. Finally, what I like to do in my spare time is going on a trip. There are many places in my country which I prefer visiting the most such as forests and mountains. They are my favorite places because everything there is calm. Moreover, I could play sport or just hang out with my friends. I hope to hear from you soon ----------------------------Your friend Describing place: Letter Dear John, After all this time, I thought I would Page 1 drop you a line to motivate to come to Agadir. Agadir is a modern city situated on the southern part of the Morocco’s Atlantic coastline. The center of the city is flat with large attractive, clean and safe avenues and boulevards. There are lots of cafes, restaurants, and live music if you want to hang out with your friends. Most locals speak Tamazight and Arabic followed by French and English. In which case you will not have problem communicating with them. Besides, Agadir is a very tolerant city; the locals are very welcoming to visitors in general. The main attraction is the beach. There are a lot of surf schools and shops, especially in Taghazout and Tamraght if you want to learn how to surf. I know that you practice a lot of sports. Agadir also offers golf courses, tennis clubs, horse riding and boat trips out to sea, where schools of dolphins and whales can be spotted. The city of Agadir has the biggest souk called “Souk El Had” where you can buy clothes, household items, fruits and vegetables, souvenirs… Write back soon. Best regards, B. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Your friend Describing event: Letter Dear John, I would like to thank you for your last letter. This time I will talk about a milestone for my family. Over a hundred of guests from all over Morocco were present last July to take part in my cousin’s wedding ceremony. The wedding was celebrated in a big decorated and lovely place. After exchanging greeting and congratulations with couple’s parents we sat, my mum and I, around a table. The guests were divided by gender. Women were wearing beautiful caftans and Takchitas. As for men, they were wearing Djelabbas or modern suits. After that, the groom and the bride were coming. All guests were excited to welcome them. The groom was wearing a beautiful Djelabba and the bride her beautiful caftan and heavy www.facebook.com/eng4bac jewelry. We spent a memorable evening. We all shared dances to the rhythm of traditional music. Mint tea and several varieties of cookies were served to us. Also, they served us dishes like pastilla and meat with dried prunes. I hope you have an idea now on the celebration of marriages in Morocco. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Your friend.... Students smoking Many students take up smoking for different reasons and without thinking of its hazardous effects. Students start smoking for a variety of reasons. Many teens smoke due to peer pressure and acceptance or for just curiosity. Some of them smoke owing to stress in their lives and are under the misconceived notion that it relaxes them. Others take up smoking as an expression of rebellion or to establish independence and boast selfesteem. Furthermore, some students smoke because of the assumption that because their parents smoke, it must be okay. Nevertheless, most of such students are not aware of the dangerous effects of tobacco. The effects of smoking tobacco are irreversible and may cause severe health problem For instance, smokers run a great risk of lung and throat cancers, heart attacks, premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, stained teeth and finger tips. Moreover, students who smoke lose concentration at school, their grades get worse and some get kicked out of school. What is more is that the nicotine in tobacco smoke is so addictive, both physically and psychologically. To sum up, the negative aspects of smoking take over the positive ones that some people think tobacco has. Yet, the question that imposes itself is “what role do magazine ads and media play in this issue?” The mobile phone: advantages/disadvantages In the past, people used simple tools for communication, such as fire, drums, or pigeons. However, today they can send written messages, or videos thanks to the mobile which has Itri certainly expanded worldwide. However, this small gadget may cause harm if it is overused. The mobile is used for multiple purposes. It can be used either to contact a family member, or a friend via sound or messages. Furthermore, many youngsters use it to store their music, or play games. For businessmen its their mobile office where they can get in touch day and night with their employees and partners. More than that, the cell phone can help people in emergencies. For instance, if they ever have a car breakdown, or an injury, the mobile resolves the problem on the spot. Students can contact their parents or classmates. The mobile helps people in different situations. On the other hand, if used excessively, the mobile can cause harm to people. Mobiles may cause harm to people’s brains if we overuse them according to some researches. Moreover, they can be the cause of several road accidents if used in driving. They are sometimes a source of disturbance when we are relaxing, having a rest, or attending a course. The ringing of the cell phone interrupts your sleep, your rest, or distracts you concentration. All in all, the mobile is useful to people; however, if it is not used efficaciously, it may have negative impacts on them. Therefore, we should not utilize the mobile unless it is very necessary. Facebook: advantages/disadvantages Facebook is a big social network, it is very popular for people of all ages. Facebook is the Internet service that users can communicate with others from around the world. It has many activities, for example giving comments, sharing ideas, images, video, chatting with friends, playing games and etc. However, facebook has both advantages and disadvantages. The most important advantage of using facebook is that it is easy for communication and relationship. Besides, for education , facebook is a source for learning new things, exchanging information and experience. Moreover, facebook can save money from using cell phones because we can chat with our friends instead of talking with them on cell phones. In addition, we can share Page 2 good ideas with our friends. Using facebook also has many disadvantages. The main drawback of using facebook is that people can know about our information. Sometimes, our secret information may be released unintentionally. Moreover, if we use facebook for a long time, it may affect our eyes. Furthermore, spending too much time with facebook makes someone cannot spend time for other activities. In conclusion, facebook has both advantages and disadvantages. However, facebook is a new technology that can’t control people. So, we should consider whether it is good or bad to use it as a communication tool. With the development of technology, there have been a lot of changes to our life; some of these changes are bad, causing many environmental and social problems. However, most of these changes contribute in making our life more comfortable and more wonderful. country. First of all, due to the improvement of technology, people can enjoy more convenience than ever. For example, it only takes travelers or businessmen several hours to go to other countries by jet plane, which makes the world seem to be much smaller. With the help of Internet, people at different corners of the world can communicate with significantly high speed and low cost. It is technology that has cleared away the barriers that once prevented people from leading a convenient life. Besides culture and studying abroad, in a national level, lots of economic benefits can emerge from having a multilingual country, because the tourists are more likely to go into a country where people understand them, rather than some random place with no possibilities of being understood by the local population. Morocco is a great example of this: most of the tourists are English, Spanish or French. And these three nationalities represent the three most spoken foreign languages in the country. Importance of Humour Humor, the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement, affects how we perceive and respond to life. It enhances the quality of life and may relieve the body from so many health problems. Comedy helps us to understand what it means to live. If we state that comedy is an indispensable tool which enlightens our life and make it better, so, everyone should make it an integral part of our days. humor is a magic way to overcome stress. Instead of going for a long vacation, consuming alcohol, smoking, or things which are injurious to health, you can sit and watch a funny movie which makes you laugh and helps you to forget the pain and miseries of life. If you look at comedy with a more insightful eye you'll figure out that people who are fun loving generally are witty, energetic, creative and positive. They are always feeling light, joyful and at peaces with themselves. Laughter enables us to lower our blood pressure, benefits a person's hearts since it increases the blood flow to it. It also stimulates the brain. Since laughter does effect the body, mind and spirit the only thing you have to do to lead a happy life is LAUGH, as simple as that. The importance of Technology www.facebook.com/eng4bac Secondly, technology has made our life as comfortable as we can imagine. Sitting in air-conditioned rooms, people do not have to suffer the extremely cold or hot weather any more. Whatever vegetable or fruit we want to eat, we can always find it in a supermarket without worrying about the season. In addition, technology provides us many choices to spend our spare time. Listening to music by using smart phones or MP4, surfing the internet or watching digital movies, all of these entertainments make our life wonderful. In conclusion, although it has brought about some problems, the benefits of technology far outweigh its bad influences. So it is safe to say that technology has made the world a better place to live. The importance of learning foreign languages In a world of Globalization, any young citizen should consider learning foreign languages. So, why studying foreign languages is helpful for students? What are the benefits of learning foreign languages? After getting the baccalaureate degree most of the graduated students choose to study abroad and one of the conditions to get access into a foreign country is to have succeeded its language tests. This could be explained by the fact that knowing a country’s language is essential to facilitate the everyday life in the host Itri Cultural exchange is one of the main advantages of learning others’ languages, there are thousands of cultures to know about, and this cultural exchange is the path into a more ambitious goal: world peace! In brief, any high school student should be really involved in foreign language learning courses. Maybe it can be difficult in the beginning, but with it time it’s all fun. Brain drain: drawbacks/solutions Brain drain or human capital flight is the action of having highly skilled and educated people leaving their country to work abroad. The economical reason is considered as the major reason that obliged the most skilled people to leave their own country to another one so as to ameliorate their living conditions. Moreover, those skilled people believe that abroad is better than their homeland as the proverb said: “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”. Brain drain has negative impact on the sending countries economic prospects and competitiveness. It reduces the number of dynamic and creative people who can contribute to the development of their country. Likewise, with more entrepreneurs taking their investments abroad, developing countries are missing an opportunity of wealth creation. This has also negative consequences on tax revenue and employment. Page 3 Finally, to stop this kind of emigration, government should create more suitable projects for those educated and experienced people, and to encourage them by giving them high salaries; in addition to these brain drainers should be integrated in different domains in their own country so as to stay in their home land. Illiteracy : cause and effect Illiteracy is one of the major problems in our country. This issue must be alleviated because of its positive effects. Poverty is the main cause of illiteracy; Poor parents with low incomes find it difficult to pay school fees. They are forced to choose between providing basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing and taking their children to school. In addition, lack of awareness is another cause of illiteracy, In places where several members of the local population do not understand why it is important for them to go to school, the level of illiteracy may be high. Moreover, Social barriers can cause illiteracy, many social barriers such as restrictions on girls’ education in some societies lead to illiteracy among the affected segment of the population. The effects of illiteracy often negatively impact a nation’s ability to develop its human resources. Countries with a high illiteracy rate are more likely to be disadvantaged in the global economy. If a populace is not literate, it cannot be as involved in high tech jobs. New careers in the sciences, mathematics, and technology are primarily established in countries that have literate populations. Another major effect of illiteracy is that illiterate people may engage in unlawful acts in the society due to lack of employment or simply as a result of being uncultured. In short, illiteracy does not encourage positive social change, personal growth, or the preservation and development of language and culture. In conclusion, poverty and poor education system are two factors contributing to illiteracy rates. To deal with this problem, investment in school infrastructure and the introduction of free education are two major solutions. Dropping out: cause/effect Dropping out of school is a serious problem in Morocco, a big number of children leave school before completing their primary education. A lot of children are deprived from the fundamental right by dropping out of school due to several reasons. Family problems are one cause, If parents are divorced, no-one may be taking responsibility for the child. If parents are uneducated, their may be little encouragement to do homework or to stay in school. Financial factors are also important. Some students want to work in order to support their families. In contrast, others may have family businesses and not see any benefit in obtaining a high school certificates. Perhaps the main reason why students drop out in countrysides is the distance which separate school from home, children have to cover more than 10 kilometers four times a day to get to school and to return home. There are many awful effects of dropping out of school. Obviously the first effect is that the person dropping out will not be as well educated thus it will make it harder to get a good job. Also; it can result in prevalence of the crime, deterioration of the economy of the country, rising of percentage of illiteracy. In addition to the personal income and many other effects. Internet addiction: cause and effect Internet addiction is when a person has a compulsive need to spend a great deal of time on the Internet. Internet use has been categorized as an actual disorder, and has been termed 'Internet Addiction' because of its similarity to addictions like smoking, drinking, and watching too much TV. people spending their time on the internet rather than spending time with their family, or friends. There are several reasons and causes why people get addicted to the internet; they could be lonely in the way that they're the only child, or they have no friends to play with, so they waste their time on the internet. Or they could just be bored; they could be home alone, or it could be raining outside, and they can't go out, so they stay in and surf the web. There are also a lot of social networks online like chat rooms, Facebook, Twitter, and more. People enter social networks to meet new people, and get into virtual online relationships. Also; by the internet people can know the latest news by electronic press or watching TV. In addition to the use of internet to play games, study and collect information. Spending too much time on the internet can affect the user very much. It can interfere with his social life; the addiction can lead to the inability to communicate in the real world, and your family bonding. also; it can distract people from their work or school. Moreover; internet addiction has physical symptoms such as dry eyes or strained vision, Sleep disturbances, pronounced weight gain or weight loss and Backache. Nowadays, using internet became very important, but people must use it cautiously and from time to time not for the whole day. Road accident: causes and solutions Road accident is a global tragedy with the ever-rising trend. Almost every day, we hear the news of the accident on the television, radio and internet. This essay will discuss all the possible causes and solution of the road accidents. To begin with, carelessness is one of the major cause of the road accident in our planet. Under carelessness, we have various examples, which There has been a big percentage of www.facebook.com/eng4bac Itri Page 4 include, using the mobile phone while the vehicle in moving, break the traffic rules and entering from the side road into the path of the vehicle. Furthermore, when inexperience and untrained drivers and those with blur eyesight that drive at night is one of the major cause of escalating accident rate in our world. In addition, most of the people drive after drinking alcohol, which may lead to dangerous road accident. Issues that need to be considered in order to curb accidents are policies made by government to make sure that road are well constructed and maintained. Furthermore, passenger should also be vigilant enough to check drivers when they are over speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol. Police can play the pivotal role to decrease the ratio of the accidents. To sum up, there are many causes of the road accidents in our world, with good strategies and with the participation of the both government and individual; we can easily overcome with this potential problem. Book review: “The Last Friend” The Novel “The Last Friend” is one of the books that attracter my attention. It was written in 2004 by Tahar Ben Jelloun. It is a classic story of friendship and betrayal. This Novel is about friendship of two men Ali and Mamed from adolescence via the individual choices of adulthood to the jealousies of middle age. The novel is divided into two sections .The first is about Ali who becomes a teacher and lives 'a petit-bourgeois existence'. The second is about the story of Mamed, a doctor who immigrates to Sweden to work for the World Health Organisation. The author uses the technique of narration to paint a vivid portrait of life lived within and in opposition to the moral severe criticism of North Africa. Ben Jelloun wrote this novel www.facebook.com/eng4bac to show the reader the complex and contradictory society both modern and archaic in 1950s in Morocco in an inimitable and powerfully direct style. The reader’s surprise becomes less strong; it is one of Ben Jelloun's many successes. in culture shock, Leaving home country to a new one can make emigrants homesick and experience loneliness, loss of identity, isolation, stress, loss of self-value and status. Because you do not know the social customs of the new culture, you may find it difficult to make friends. Film review: The Revenant The Revenant is a 2015 American survival western thriller film directed, co-produced, by Alejandro G.Iñárritu. The film is set in in 2015 in the USA. While exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823, legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) sustains injuries from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a way back home to his beloved family. Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), the former confidant who betrayed and abandoned him. The Revenant is a terrific entertainment, Leonardo DiCaprio role was great, he gives one of his best performances of his career. The end of this film is absolutely brilliant and I highly recommend it everyone. Culture shock Culture shock is feeling unsettled when one person moves from one culture to another unfamiliar one. This is usually seen amongst immigrants or when a person goes to visit another country. Misunderstanding native languages including body languages or being unfamiliar with new food are responsible for the culture shock. When you visit a foreign country, you will find it difficult to understand the language, even when you know the language that makes you puzzled. Besides, food is also an important element attributed to the culture shock. Mental health is another issue faced Itri To sum up. Foreign languages are worth learning in order to avoid cultural shock and to have the ability to deal with cultural issues in an appropriate way. Plastic bags: Drawbacks and solutions. Plastic bags are one of the most dangerous substances to our environment, They could cause so much harm. Plastic bags are made of various chemicals which are mainly toxic. That is certainly very harmful to the health and the environment. These toxic chemicals are sources of various diseases as well as disorders in humans. They do not only provide negative effects on the health of people and animals but also to the air, plants and water. It may be difficult to stop using plastic bags, but we should find environmental friendly bags that you can be used as an alternative as Moroccan government did, it has decided to take action to eliminate plastic bags as quickly as possible, through its operation named “Zero Mika”. When you go out to the grocery store or super market to buy things, have eco friendly bags with you. That way you can say no to the use of plastic bags even if the stores offer plastic bags. to sum up, plastic bags have been one of the most lethal inventions of mankind. They have a major negative impact on our environment. We only have one world to live in, so more precautions should be enforced in taking care of it. Cop22: report Page 5 Last November 2016, from 7 to 18 there was the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties known as COP22 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It took place in Marrakech. Several leaders and state representatives of Parties to the Convention and Observer States attended it to progress action on the ‘Paris Agreement’ and to further the coordination of concerted global action on climate change. The event continued for twelve days. During the Cop, the participants discussed many topic such as water scarcity, water cleanliness, and water-related sustainability, a major problem in the developing world, including many African states. Another focal issue was the need to reduce greenhouse emissions and utilize low-carbon energy sources. Finally, it was being touted as an opportunity to showcase progress and start the important process of turning the UN’s Paris Agreement into a detailed blueprint for action. Qualities of a good citizen Citizens should work towards the improvement of their community through economic participation, public service, volunteer work, and other such efforts to improve life for all citizens. Being a good citizen means you show your love to your country. Being a good citizen also means obeying the laws in your community and school. Laws are made to help you and keep you safe. Obeying the law also shows your respect for others. You can also treat people with kindness. A good citizen is a responsible member of a family and a conscious person of a society. It is very important to become good citizens because the development of the nation mainly depends on the activities of the citizens of the country. To become good citizens we have to become active both at home and in the society, such as respecting others, doing volunteer works, protecting the environment and so on. www.facebook.com/eng4bac To sum up, We should know and learn our responsibilities as good citizens. We are a part of the society. We must understand that each of us is responsible for what we do in this society. My Favourite TV Programme: paragraph My favourite TV programme is ‘Amoudou’, I like it for many reasons. To begin with, it is very educational. It is a window to the world especially my country Morocco. By watching it, I can travel, explore, discover and enrich my knowledge. I also enjoy watching it because it is entertaining, interesting and stimulating. I never imagined that such an educational programme can be very enjoyable. In addition to that, this programme is of very high quality and it is produced by a team of experts, all are authorities in their own field of interest. Besides, the narration is very accurate, informative, vivid and descriptive. Thus, I have never felt bored watching this programme. The Amoudou is my favourite programme as it has helped me to ‘grow’ and ‘mature’. Child labor: cause and solution Child labour is a big social issue in our country as well as abroad which everyone must be aware of. There are various reasons of child labor in our country. It is very common because of the existence of high level of poverty and poor schooling opportunities for the children. A lot of children are being obliged to work by their own parents instead of sending them to the school because they considered them as a source of income. Other reasons include educational problems, like distance from school, poor quality of education, over-crowding, inability to support schooling. To tackle this problem, many solutions should be put into action soon. The first solution is to create more laws to protect and prevent Itri against child labor. With more laws, more people will be aware of what is really happening inside the work force. The second solution is to provide free education to these children. By doing this, these children will succeed in life and they will be occupied with going to school and not being forced to work. The final solution is to create a minimum family income. Many families need child labor or they wind up putting their kids out on the streets or selling them in order to survive. Voluntary work: for/against Volunteering is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society and the community, the environment or individuals Voluntary work is an optional task and a great way to get work experience, learn new skills and help a community .However, this kind of work is unpaid, volunteers don’t get paid from voluntary work. Voluntary work can teach you skills, build your confidence and make you feel responsible. Furthermore, it allows us to help others and serve the society. In addition, it is an opportunity for making friends and knowing new people from different backgrounds. Last but not least, it is an important experience which we could add to our CVs. On the other hand, volunteers are not paid for their time and effort. Moreover, they often have to make sacrifices. Also, voluntary work doesn’t leave much time for school, family and other obligations in addition to stress if the volunteer has to make a lot of effort. In conclusion, for me, if I had an opportunity to participate in a voluntary work, I wouldn’t hesitate. Voluntary work is an interesting experience that everyone should try English 4 "BAC" Itri Mehdi Page 6
