Drivers should be charged for using motorways and roads

Motorways allow citizens to move from a city to another. People travel to another city to go on brief trips, to commute to work far from their hometown and to meet relatives on religious holidays. In my opinion, it's a good idea charging drivers for using motorways.

In my country motorways are national but private companies are in charge of keeping them efficient. In such way motorways are well maintained and widespread throughout the nation. Maintaining this net of motorways in good condition costs the country money, so it seems obvious that drivers are obliged to pay a toll to use motorways.

In some areas environmentalists prefer surface motorways to underground train tracks. Railways are perceived as spoiling countryside and damaging the activities of farmers. In fact, in my country, the building of new train rails has meant digging into mountains to open new tunnels and has resulted in deviating rivers and lowering of the underground water layer.

Driving your private car is more polluting than travelling by public transports. Then making drivers pay money to use motorways contributes to keeping the environment clean.

On the other hand, if we don't ask for money to use motorways, they would certainly fall into decay.

To sum up I think motorways are as important as railways for a modern country. In fact if railways allow companies to carry goods economically, people can't do without motorways to move fast to nearby destinations.


What do think about free motorways ?

How to overtake a car

1st Diagram.

A motorway has multiple lanes. From left to right: the hard shoulder, the inside lane (or slow lane) and the outside lane (or fast lane).

The fast car catchs up on the slow car, pulls out into the fast lane, pulls ahead and then pulls in in front of the slower car. While pulling in if your car is almost brushed by the other one he cuts in in front of you.

If your car breaks down you have to pull over onto the hard shoulder.

2nd Diagram

If you run out of petrol you must fill up the tank with petrol. So you move over the slow lane, then you take the turn to the petrol station or service area.

You pull into at the petrol station and pull up (or draw up) the car in front of the petrol pump.

Before setting out on a long journey remember to top up all the fluids of your car.

Note: the verbs pull up and draw up come from the action of pulling up or drawing up the reins of a carriage.

An article about motorways or freeways

The nightmare Holiday

   Writing about the holiday of my nightmares isn't easy for me, in fact one of my best holidays, which I remember with great pleasure, turned into a nightmare during its last days.
   The holiday I'm talking about is set in Amsterdam, and I went there with other two friends of mine. Before leaving for our destination we booked a room with three beds. We had decided to stay in a hotel in the city center because my friends had had a negative experience with youth hostels.
   Walking through the streets of Amsterdam I realized how beautiful it is. The centre of this city was built on the banks of the river Amstel, it was developed in four concentric half-circles of canals. Amsterdam is called the Venice of the north because it features 1,500 bridges and pile dwellings.
   Because of its canals it's difficult to see a car running in the city, and the most common forms of transport are bicycles and trams. The absence of a stream of cars and the water flowing in its canals make the capital of the Netherlands a quiet and relaxing city.
   We spent our days in Amsterdam going sightseeing. The most important sights include Dam Square, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Royal Palace.
   Up until then everything was going good and at night I was tired after the day spent walking around the city. On the last day, while making up bed, I noticed something odd: a little insect was crawling between the sheets. For a few minutes, my friend and I staring at the matress we saw one insect after another come out of the bed. Since we had used all our money, we decided to leave but I had to sleep again in the same bed because that was the last night in the hostel.
   The following morning I didn't hear the alarm, I rushed to airport but arrived just when the gate was being closed. The most horrible night of my life was unfolding: I had to sleep on a metallic bench at the airport waiting for the next plane, the air conditioning wasn't even working, it was a hot day in August and I couldn't roll up my t-shirt sleeves because my arms were covered in an itchy rash caused by the insects bites.

Saint Valentine dialog

Mary: hi John, do you remember what day is today?

John: ehm, mmm. Yes of course. Today it's your mother's birthday. Isn't it?

Mary: no, today is our feast. It's S. Valentine.

John: ok, you know that I love you, so every day is our feast.

Mary: you love me, don't you?

John: yes, I do.

Mary: if you really love me, then marry me. We have been engaged for ten years! When are we going to settle down?

John: Oh Mary, but we moved in together only five years ago. My brother and his wife split up after six years of marriage, I think we should wait for another couple of years.

Mary: Oooh John, isn't it irritating your way of behaving? I think the day of our marriage is never coming up. And I'll tell you another think, I should have never trusted the friends that set us up....

Life is beautiful

By Silviapitt

IT

Il film che voglio descrivere è La vita è bella diretto ed interpretato da Roberto Benigni. Roberto Benigni è uno dei miei attori preferiti, perché i suoi film sono delle comiche divertenti che mi fanno dimenticare per un istante tutto quello che mi accade intorno.

Il film è ambientato durante la seconda guerra mondiale, e, a differenza con gli altri film di benigni, la vita è bella vuole trasmettere un messaggio morale: la crudeltà della guerra e la follia dello sterminio degli ebrei perpretato dai nazisti.
Nella prima parte del film si vede la storia d'amore tra Guido e Dora, il regista usa la narrazione della favola per descrivere il corteggiamento di Guido.
Nella seconda parte del film, che si svolge nel campo di concentramento di Auschwitz, Guido tenta di salvare la vita a suo figlio Giosuè facendogli credere che tutto è un gioco, e per questo il film risulta emozionante e commovente.

Il film ha ricevuto critiche molto favorevoli in Italia e nel resto del mondo. Critiche negative sono state mosse da parte di alcuni ebrei sopravvissuti ai campi di concentramento sulla correttezza etica del fare ridere le persone sull'Olocausto.

EN

The film I’m talking about is Life Is Beautiful directed and starred by Roberto Benigni. Roberto Benigni is one of my favourite actors, because his films are amusing comedies that make me forget for a while all that happens to me during the day.

The movie is set in the Second World War, and, unlike other Benigni's films, Life is beautiful want to communicate two messages: war is to be avoided because is cruel, and, a warning to mankind that can think to exterminate the whole Hebrew people.
In the first half of the film you see the love story between Guido and Dora: the director shows Guido is courting as in a fairytale story.
In the second act of the film, that takes place in the Auschwitz concentration camp, Guido tries to save the life of his child Giosuè, making him believe that everybody are taking part to a game, and so the film is moving.

The film has been favorably reviewed in Italy and in the rest of the world. But negative criticism have been given by  some Jewish survivors of the concentration camps about the ethical fairness of making people laugh about the Holocaust.

The poem in passive form

In the morning, it is said,

That every day I'm dragged from bed

By forces which are aimed to get me

So I'm pushed to school by 8:15.

From my bed I am plucked.

Various clothes are hung upon me.

To myself is served my breakfast,

Which is eaten with much speed;

Indicating my stomach is emptied in the night

By the digestive processes

About which I am taught in class one,

Where I am required to stay awake

Although 8:30 in the morning is clocked

And sleep is needed for my mind.

A yawn is stifled when it is found

That to my pleasure, class is finished.

My way is stumbled towards English,

Which is started with a "Hello, Rhetts!"

The correct response is known to be,

Quite obviously,

"Hello, Wheels!"

It is discovered to class's disappointment,

That the eaten midterm was not destined

To be that which was to be taken by us.

Français is listed as the next,

Where the latest puns are revealed

By the well known expert, LaRivière.

French is learned to some extent

And lunch is welcomed finally

By those of us by whom some luck is had,

And not by others by whom it is not had.

Food is consumed through my mouth,

And the events of the day are spoken through it,

Until the time is reached at last,

When Analysis is to be enjoyed.

It is taught that 2 is made from 1 and 1,

And I am pleased that this is true.

At last the spot is found by the second hand

Where class is ended by a bing.

My way is made to the band room,

Where every day new pieces are played,

After which History is started,

A jovial ending to the day,

And the teacher is shocked by our ability,

When grades are known and it is revealed

That ours are best and we were thoughttobethedumbones.

Then school is halted and the rest of the day

All takes place in the active voice.

Giving advice

Cat lover

Your friend, who has had relationship problems in the past, has announced that he/she has finally found love. The problem is that he/she in now in love with his/her cat.

My advice

Go to a veterinarian and ask him to help you to convince your friend that what he is doing to his cat isn't right for the cat.
Try to say to your friend that the cat should have a mate that is an animal.
Try to tell your friend that if he really loves his cat he should find a cute female cat for his pet.

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Friend betrayed

You went to another city recently and you saw your best friend's girlfriend/boyfriend holding hands with another man/woman.

My advice

I think you have to tell to your friend what you saw, then it's up to him to decide what to do with his girlfriend.

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Passionate interviewer

You recently went to a job interview. At the interview you were very nervous and didn't perform very well. You were convinced that you didn't get the job but you just got a call from one of the interviewers asking you to meet them privately in a fancy restaurant.

My advice

First of all I want to say that in my opinion it's not fair mixing private life with professional life. It's likely that the person who interviewed is trying to get some favour from you in exchange for hiring you. It could also be possible that your application was rejected, and the interviewer has an honest interest in you as his future mate.
If I were you I would accept the invitation to the restaurant, so that you will be able to understand the intention of the interviewer.