marininha1993

 
To the editor manager of the international program at Michigan University.
 
    Dear Editor manager,
 
             I am writing this essay, because since last year the Michigan University has  opened  a higher number of internacional exchange programs for language students.                                                                                                                             
            I am fifteen years old, I live in Taguatinga, Brasilia, Brazil. I have been studying English since I was six years old. I am a student at Casa Thomas Jefferson and there I learned the importance of English. I have not finished high school yet, but I have my abilities at reading and learning very developed. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        My abilities in English began to highlight when I was seven years old, my father is a teacher, so he used to teach me its basic definitions and concepts, one day he decided to test me, the result was unexpected I got the maximum score. Then, I started to compete with prodigy children, I won three gold medals and two silver in national and state competitions.Nowadays, my dream is to develop further my skills in this subject with an internacional exchange.

             Traveling to another country like the U.S.A will probably increase my fluency and skills in the language. The U.S.A. is also the largest global power, so maybe my expierences in this exchange would give me a range of opportunities in my hometown. Also, being in another country and learning with masters of English will give me lots of opportunities and the personal satisfaction of seeing my wishes coming true.
 
            English is very meaningful to me, so I hope you have understood it by the information that was given to you in this essay. Please, if you need more details about my hobbies, job or expiriences please ask me by e-mail : marininha1993@hotmail.com
 
                                      Sincerelly,
 
                                                    Marina Cavalcante Rocha

      Dear editor,
 
             After reading your article about "Life in the Material World" that mentions the book of Peter Menzel, I started to think about our world. Your article really portrays the real situation that we have nowadays in Earth, social inequality. Like you said we have some classes, generally the upper classes, that have everything , in contrast  most of the classes don't  have anything at all. Also media is always making us familiar with these current lifestyles.      

            The work done by Menzel really shows social inequality and a reality that sometimes many people do not know. The photographer approached in a proper way the side of misery and poverty of society in his job when he shows those families who live almost with only one important material possession and the members of the families who work hard during the whole week just to pay the bills and buy little food, for example the Ukita family. Those families don't exist only in the undeveloped countries they exist in the whole world, they don't have the condition to settle for clothes in vogue, they can't be extravagant with money, they live in unhealthy places and buy knockoff products .

         Honestly, this article was for me a cohesive junction of the contrasts in the world. I agree with you in almost everything in your article and thought Peter's job was wonderful. You showed clearly how lifestyles in world are materializing the idea of poverty in different cultures, countries  and families and showed too the material and spiritual meaning of valuable possessions.

Congratulations,

                      Marina !

             In the whole world there is poverty, unemployed, homeless people, child labor... Nevertheless, in some countries these indices are lower.  

            One of the aggravating factors of poverty is the lack of knowledge that the citizens have, many poor people are easilly conviced by the politicians pitch. The politicians make sure to their voters that they will enhance their quality of life. However in the most of its mandate they corrupt the money of these people and in the last year they upgrade the city, with the constructions of viaducts, parks, roads, reform schools, squares and create programs that help these families financially.

            What happen is that the solutions that are given to these families don't enhance their lifes, the poverty continue happening and people, especially children, continue dying because of the lack of basic sanitation and hospitals of good quality. Then the people that voted, continue voting in that politicians with spectators from economically in order to improve the improvements previously made by him at the end of his mandate, this practice is called "industry of poverty". The politician won votes from the lower classes in elections to steal them and even though is elected by them in the next election.

           There is not a solution to end poverty yet, but the government can prepare it. Everything depends on the policies that they create and invest, especially if these policies are related to the improvement of public education, because the education with quality can provide the knowledge of a person and allow him/her to act and enjoy the opportunities that will be given to her/him.

            Fashion has a very relative definition. For some people it means be well-dressed, for others it means have an own style that  express their identity.

            Here in Brazil and, especially, in Brasilia people value a lot fashion, they are frequently going to parades and some have personal stylists that  orient them about vogue tendency. This group of peolple have the idea that only brand-name clothes can well-dress a person.

             The difference of economic power of Brasilia social classes is seen buy the clothes that they are dressed. The ones that wears brand-name clothes usually be from the upper class, by the time the ones that can't afford this luxury come from the working class, this is because brand-name clothes are also very expensive. This difference between the clothes that which group wear creates a  gap between these social classes, the ones from the upper class discriminate the others.

               Although the brand-name can produce social segregation, it can raise the economic potential of a country. The internacional brand-names, like Nike, Adidas, Puma and Colcci, need labor in their industries and when they open it in underdeveloped countries they take many unemployed people to work with they. As a result, the indices of unemployment and poverty of the country are strongly reduced, it happened in many brasilian cities like São Paulo, Blumenau, Juiz de Fora, Franca, Campo Grande, Curitiba, Sao Lourenco ...

               The brand-name can produce positives and negatives effects, nevertheless the negatives aspects just appear if the society is discriminated with each other. Having this idea, the brand-name without promoting inequality is good to the country to enhance the country economic.

             Fernanda, Tais and I have been friends since two years ago when we met each other at Leonardo Da Vinci. At this time we were very shy and didn't have friends at school. I was the most outgoing of us so I decided to start talking with Fernanda that seemed to be cool. Talked a lot and decided to invite Tais to be one of us.

              One thing my friends and I have in commom is the physical appereance, people always ask us if we are sisters or something else. In appearence we are similar, but Fernanda and Tais have a very different personality than mine. Both of my friends are shy, creative, serious and revolutionary.

              On the other hand, Tais and Fernanda have very arbitrary opinions. One important difference of opinion is that Fernanda is very religious and has never agreed that stem cells of human body could be implanted in bodies to repair damages caused by illnesses or be studied by scientists. In contrast, Tais dad has studied it a lot and Tais agrees that research about stem cells should be done.

              Nowadays, analasing everyday, everyweek, everymonth we three have spent together I am sure that no one can destry our friendship and that it is forever, because they are my shoulder to cry on, the sisters that I have never had, the ones that help me and understand me.

 Thank you,

                 Marina !