An abstract from Claudio Vagner

Dear mates,
I would like to post a lesson about Pay and Benefits, that we studied last week. Do you think top executives are too highly paid? Or do they deserve what they earn? Brazilians executive earn more than americans, says magazine. Executives that work in São Paulo, earned at around one milion in 2010. This amount exceed USA, England, Cingapura and Hong Kong. According to research made by england magazine "The Economist". São Paulo is the brazilian capital negociation. Executives that work there, received more than executives of London and New York in 2010. Brasil, China and India observed a strong growing of level in job in the last year, but, according to the consultant Manpower, the offer is strong in Brazil, however, there is a big problem: We need to improve the technical level. Example: In India every year graduated two hundred and fifty thousand enginners. In China, are four hundred thousand and Brazil, only thirty thousand engineers per year. Other important factor, is that multinational companies are changing to Brazil, according to the magazines The Economist. Hay Group,business management, said that a high germain executive, earns at around US$ 465,000, in USA US$ 448,000, in England US$ 505,000, in Italy US$ 451,000 and in France US$ 431,000 per year. Below are the biggest salary paid 2010 in Brazil. PDG Realty - R$ 7,2 milion reais(2009) BM Bovespa - R$ 5,4 Usiminas - R$ 3,7 Vivo - R$ 3,1 Bradesco - R$ 3,1 Magnesita - R$ 3,0 Petrobrás - R$ 975,1 thousand reais Banco do Brasil - R$ 742,0 thousand reais Of course that USA, couldn't be out. Below are the biggest salaries paid in 2009. 1. H. Lawrence Culp Jr - Danaher - US$ 141,36 milion 2. Lawrence J. Ellison - Oracle - US$ 130,23 3. Aubrey McClendon - Chesepeake Energy - US$ 114,29 4. Ray R. Irani - Occidental Petroleum - US$ 103,07 5. David C. Novak - Yum Brands - US$ 76,49 In Brazil, there is a new millionare, Mr Fábio, EASE Course's CEO, with a fortune of the .......(I can't say). In brief, I don't agree with the salary like they earn. Is impossible on people to spent 600 or 800 thousand reais per year. The governament must propose the following: If you earned up two hundred thousand per year, you will be make some benefits to country. Example:Schools, hospitals, social programs. How many people that live down line of poverty? To improve the world where we live, is the need to improve ourselves.

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability and Sustainable Development are about ensuring a good quality of life for everyone, now and for future generations and it concerns the legacy we leave to those who follow us. The commonly used Bruntdland definition is:

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Sustainability is a complex mix of interdependent economic, social and environmental issues. It is influenced by the actions and decisions taken by us as individuals, by communities, by organizations, by companies, by local, regional, federal and national governments and international bodies.

Manufacturing, Materials and the Environment

Selecting the most appropriate material for any application depends on a consideration of a range of economic and technological factors, such as cost, functionality and durability. Increasingly, another very important factor is the associated environmental performance.

Every manufacturing process and all the materials and products we use in our lives, at home, at work or in our leisure activities, have an influence on the environment. There is an enormous diversity of environmental issues and concerns.

Environmental Impact Categories

In order to be able to understand the complex interactions between materials, manufacturing processes, products and their use, and the environment, it is necessary to first understand the variety of environmental impacts and their causes and effects.

There are many aspects of the impacts mankind has on the environment. The experts tend to categorize the main environmental impacts as follows, each having its own causes and effects:

Global Aspects of Steel Production and Use

Traditionally, iron and steel have been produced close to local deposits of iron ore and carbon (originally forests for a source of charcoal and later coal mines). Today many of these deposits in the industrialized countries have been depleted and what is left is not economically viable. Consequently, iron ore and coal are transported around the world from their mines to the major steelmaking sites, many of which are now located on the coast of the industrialized countries. Steel scrap is also an internationally traded commodity.

The Commitment of the Steel Industry to Sustainability

Steel is and will remain the most important engineering and construction material in the modern world, even concrete would not function without its steel reinforcement. Steel is used in every aspect of our lives and progress would be impossible without it. If what we are using in the home, at work, at leisure or traveling is not made from steel, then steel would probably have been used in its manufacture.

Steel plays an essential role in meeting the challenge of sustainable development for the world in the 21st century, improving economic and social welfare, without prejudicing the ability of future generations to do the same.

The member companies of the World Steel Association are committed to sustainable development. For the world steel industry this means valuing the interdependence of environmental, social and economic aspects in all decision making.

Steel is a major foundation of a sustainable world. This is achieved by a financially sound steel industry, taking leadership in economic, social and environmental sustainability and seeking continuous improvement.

The member companies of the World Steel Association are committed to sustainable development and will:-

1.     Operate their business in an efficient and financially sustainable way in order to supply steel products and solutions that satisfy our customers and add value to stakeholders.

2.     Optimize the eco-efficiency of their products through their life cycle, including increased resource and energy efficiency in the production of steel and during the use of steel products. They are committed to the promotion of the recovery, reuse and recycling of steel.

3.     Foster the well-being of employees in the steel industry and provide them with a safe and healthy working environment.

4.     Demonstrate social responsibility by promoting values and initiatives that show respect for people and communities associated with our business.

5.     Conduct their business with high ethical standards in their dealings with employees, customers, suppliers, and the community.

6.     Engage stakeholders and independent third parties in constructive dialogue to help fulfil our sustainable development commitments.

7.     Build on their knowledge of sustainability and willingly share it with others. They will be open and active in their communications and help steel companies and organizations in the supply chain implement sustainable practices.

DISTANCE EDUCATION

      This week we talk about getting an American education online. It is a cheaper way for those who wish to have an American but just cannot afford it!


      Finding the right online program requires research, just like a traditional education. Talking to advisers and recruiters can help. Keep in mind, though, that they might have a financial interest to direct you to certain programs.


      Avoid a diploma mill. Diploma mills, also known as degree mills, are nothing more than businesses. The education is poor quality, if they even require any class work to get a degree.


      The Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes a group in Washington, D.C., to accredit schools that offer distance learning. One hundred ten programs in the United States and six other countries are accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council.


     If yo u ask us for advice on choosing a distance learning program we'd say that the first thing is to go on the CHEA Web site to find if a school is accredited. Next, make sure the school offers what you need. Do you need a degree, or will a certificate or license be enough?


      Another consideration is cost. Often the published price does not include all the costs -- like books. Technology requirements can also add to the costs. Will you need to get new software or a high-speed Internet connection or even a new computer to take the classes you want?


      Also, consider the level of interaction that an online program offers. You might never meet the teacher or other students in person. You need to be able to work without the supervision that you might find in a traditional class.

      Finally, and this is our own advice, find out what others say. You might search on the Internet for comments or ratings or news stories about schools that interest you. Just remember that what people say is not always fair or true.


      I think that's enough for today... We hope to see you all next time!


      Later...

Soup of SOPA

Lamar Smith, the chief sponsor of SOPA, said on Friday that he is pulling the bill “until there is wider agreement on a solution.”

“I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy,” Smith (R-Texas) said. “It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products.”

Smith also released the following statement on Friday:

“We need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products. “The problem of online piracy is too big to ignore. American intellectual property industries provide 19 million high-paying jobs and account for more than 60% of U.S. exports. The theft of America’s intellectual property costs the U.S. economy more than $100 billion annually and results in the loss of thousands of American jobs. Congress cannot stand by and do nothing while American innovators and job creators are under attack.”

“The online theft of American intellectual property is no different than the theft of products from a store. It is illegal and the law should be enforced both in the store and online.

“The Committee will continue work with copyright owners, Internet companies, financial institutions to develop proposals that combat online piracy and protect America’s intellectual property. We welcome input from all organizations and individuals who have an honest difference of opinion about how best to address this widespread problem. The Committee remains committed to finding a solution to the problem of online piracy that protects American intellectual property and innovation.”

The move comes after widespread protest on the Internet on Wednesday by Wikipedia, Reddit and others. The sites signaled their displeasure with the bill by going dark. That day, several Congressmen dropped their support for SOPA and its Senate counterpart, PIPA. The latter bill has also been taken off the table for now.

“In light of recent events, I have decided to postpone Tuesday’s vote on the PROTECT IP Act,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in a statement Friday morning.

Smith’s stance comes just two days after he told The Wall Street Journal that he didn’t plan to back down on SOPA, telling the newspaper he expected to “move forward” with the bill in February.

Poverty, inequality and redistribution

Governments can reduce poverty and inequality through taxes and cash transfers. Successful programmes such as Progresa-Oportunidades in Mexico and Bolsa Família in Brazil have helped reduce poverty and inequality in the last couple of decades, but compared with rich countries, Latin American countries still fall short. According to a newreport by the OECD, a club of mostly rich countries, Chile is the group's most unequal member. It also finished third from the bottom, ahead only of Mexico and Israel, in relative poverty, measured by the share of the population earning less than half the median income. (Brazil fares even worse in both categories, but is not part of the OECD). Government spending on health, education and social policies is low, around 16% of GDP; the OECD average is around 27%. While the government has introduced Ingreso Ético Familiar, the new cash transfer programme only targets the extreme poor. More efficient and progressive taxes would raise revenues and reduce inequality. Tax evasion by corporations and individuals alone is estimated to cost the government some 2.5% of GDP. Chile’s economy grew by 6.6% last year, but will slow to around 4% this year. Better job opportunities and higher quality education are needed to improve labour productivity and boost growth.

If writing a business letter in English takes you much longer than in your own language,
       here are a few guidelines that you may find helpful.

Plan before you write.          ◊ Look up the words you need before you start.          ◊ Note the points you want to make, and order them into logical paragraphs.          Tone          Write as you would speak in a business conversation.          The tone should be friendly and polite.           Names             ◊ Make sure you check the gender of the addressee (the recipient),              as well as the correct spelling of the person's name and title.            ◊ Use Ms. for women and Mr. for men.              You can use Mrs. for a women if you are 100% sure that she is married.           Dates           To avoid any confusion, write the month instead of using numbers           (e.g. January 15th, 2007, or 15 January 2007)           Be concise and clear.           The easier it is to read a letter, the better.             ◊ Keep sentences and paragraphs short and simple.           ◊ Use straightforward vocabulary to avoid any misunderstanding.           ◊ Ask direct questions.           ◊ Rewrite any sentence that does not seem perfectly clear.           ◊ If the recipient is not a native English-speaker, it is preferable               to avoid words and expressions that are too technical or complicated.           Remember this word order principle :           Who  -  Does  -  What  -  How  -  Where  -  When           (Subject - Verb - Object - Manner - Place - Time)                           Examples :             ▪ Mr. Brown will travel by plane to London on Monday, June 5th.            ▪ A technician will install the equipment in your office on Tuesday morning.            ▪ I will confirm the transport arrangements as soon as possible.           Avoid old-fashioned words           Although they are used in legal documents and contracts,           words like 'herewith', 'hereby', 'herein', 'aforementioned', etc.            are rarely used in letters.           The following style of sentence is preferable :           "You will find more information on our products in the enclosed brochure."

A letter from a student

    A new year is coming and  we usually make plans to the future, or we triy to do. The new year simbolizes the beginning of a better tomorrow. I'd like to do a general balance.Finance,social, familiar, etc. There are things that I would like to have done, but I can't complain.I believe that 2011 was a very nice year. The best news was that we received, was like pedrinho (my son) passed exam of CEFET. I told him: Pedrinho, your future is on your hands. When you finish the technical course, certainly you will be hired from a company. CEFET is an excellent technical course. Believe in yourself and you future will be made. First of all, I would like to think, firstly God for the oportunity to have a wonderful family. Thank God also, I have many friends and certainly I can say it for you too, thank you very much for your dedication and pacience during years. I wish you and your family a happy new year with good health, sucess and achievements in your live.


From Claudio Vagner, a student. 
Send us your letter and we'll publish it here!

THE QUANTIFIERS

Hello everyone!! I hope everything is fine!!! Today i decided to post something that has been confusing to a lot of students and i'll try to help up a bit. If this is not enough, send us a mail and we'll be pleased to help you!!!


THE QUANTIFIERS


Compound nouns made with SOME, ANY and NO

Some +	-thing	-body	-one	-where
Any +
No +

Compound nouns with some- and any- are used in the same way as some and any.
Positive statements:

• Someone is sleeping in my bed.
• He saw something in the garden.
• I left my glasses somewhere in the house.

Questions:

• Are you looking for someone? (= I'm sure you are)
• Have you lost something? (= I'm sure you have)
• Is there anything to eat? (real question)
• Did you go anywhere last night?

Negative statements:

• She didn't go anywhere last night.
• He doesn't know anybody here.

NOTICE that there is a difference in emphasis between nothing, nobody etc. and not ... anything, not ... anybody:

• I don't know anything about it. (= neutral, no emphasis)
• I know nothing about it (= more emphatic, maybe defensive)

More examples:

SOMETHING, SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE
a. I have something to tell you.
b. There is something to drink in the fridge.
c. He knows somebody in New York
d. Susie has somebody staying with her.
e. They want to go somewhere hot for their holidays.
f. Keith is looking for somewhere to live.

ANYBODY, ANYTHING, ANYWHERE
a. Is there anybody who speaks English here?
b. Does anybody have the time?
c. Is there anything to eat?
d. Have you anything to say?
e. He doesn't have anything to stay tonight.
f. I wouldn't eat anything except at Maxim's.

NOBODY, NOTHING, NOWHERE
a. There is nobody in the house at the moment
b. When I arrived there was nobody to meet me.
c. I have learnt nothing since I began the course.
d. There is nothing to eat.
e. There is nowhere as beautiful as Paris in the Spring.
f. Homeless people have nowhere to go at night.

ANY can also be used in positive statements to mean 'no matter which', 'no matter who', 'no matter what':
Examples:
a. You can borrow any of my books.
b. They can choose anything from the menu.
c. You may invite anybody to dinner, I don't mind.


I hope I've helped!!!

THE

Emprega-se o artigo definido the:
1 com substantivos contáveis (singulares e plurais) e com substantivos não-contáveis (que são sempre singulares):
the book	o livro
the books	os livros
the rice	o arroz
2 para se referir a algo já mencionado na frase anterior:
I saw a man and a woman yesterday. The man was short and the woman was tall.	Eu vi um homem e uma mulher ontem. O homem era baixo e a mulher era alta.
3 quando se espera que a pessoa a quem dirigimos saiba do que estamos a referir:
It's hot in here. Could you open the window, please?	Está calor aqui. Podias abrir a janela, por favor?
4 quando algo pode ser identificado a partir de um contexto conhecido entre os intervenientes:
I must go to the post office.	Tenho que ir aos correios.
The beach is full of people.	A praia está cheia de gente.
5 com expressões que têm a ver com instrumentos musicais no singular:
She plays the piano.	Ela toca piano.
6 com expressões que têm a ver com palavras radio, cinema, theatre:
Be quiet! I'm listening to the radio.	Esteja calado! Estou a ouvir a rádio.
I used to go to the cinema every week.	Eu costumava ir ao cinema todas as semanas.
7 nos superlativos:
the best book	o melhor livro
the most expensive car	o carro mais caro
8 com numerais ordinais: first, second, third, ... e next, last:
the first exercise	o primeiro exercício
the last exercise	o último exercício
9 com períodos do dia e da noite:
in the morning	de manhã
in the afternoon	à tarde
in the evening	à noite
10 para se referir a algo que é único:
the moon	a lua
the earth	a terra
the sun	o sol
11 com nomes de lugares: arquipélagos, mares, oceanos, cadeias de montanhas, rios, desertos, hotéis, cinemas, galerias, teatros, museus:
the Azores	os Açores
the Himalayas	os Himalaias
the Tagus	o Tejo
the Atlantic Ocean	o Oceano Atlântico
the Sahara Desert	o Deserto Saara
the United Kingdom	o Reino Unido
the United States	os Estados Unidos
the Ritz Hotel	o Hotel Ritz
the Odeon Cinema	o Cinema Odeon
the National Gallery	a Galeria Nacional
the Shakespeare Theatre	o Teatro Shakespeare
the Natural History Museum	o Museu de História Natural
12 com adjectivos para representar uma classe de pessoas:
the old	os idosos
the rich	os ricos
the Portuguese	os Portugueses
the British	os Britânicos / os Ingleses
13 com nomes dos jornais:
the Times	o Times
the Guardian	o Guardian
14 oralmente com datas:
(the) 10th (of) June	10 de Junho
(the) 7th (of) August	7 de Agosto
15 com apelidos plurais:
the Smiths	os Smiths / a família Smith
the Browns	os Browns / a família Brown
16 para se referir a indivíduos, instituições, organizações com autoridade:
the Prime Minister	o Primeiro Ministro
the Houses of Parliament	as Casas do Parlamento
the Beatles	os Beatles
the University of Cambridge	a Universidade de Cambridge
17 para se referir a alguém bem conhecido:
I know Tony Blair, the Prime Minister.	Conheço Tony Blair, o Primeiro Ministro