Gay Pride (Wikipedia)

Gay pride or LGBT pride is the positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people to promote their self-affirmation, dignity, equality rights, increase their visibility as a social group, build community, and celebrate sexual diversity and gender variance. Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBT rights movements throughout the world. Pride has lent its name to LGBT-themed organizations, institutes, foundations, book titles, periodicals and even a cable TV station and the Pride Library.

Ranging from solemn to carnivalesque, pride events are typically held during LGBT Pride Month or some other period that commemorates a turning point in a country’s LGBT history, for example Moscow Pride in May for the anniversary of Russia's 1993 decriminalization of homosexuality. Some pride events include LGBT pride parades and marches, rallies, commemorations, community days, dance parties, and large festivals, such as Sydney Mardi Gras, which spans several weeks.

Common symbols of pride are the rainbow or pride flag, the lowercase Greek letter lambda (λ), the pink triangle and the black triangle, these latter two reclaimed from use as badges of shame in Nazi concentration camps.^[1]

^{Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_pride}

Structure and Content (TOEIC)

Of the four major language skill areas (listening comprehension, reading comprehension, speaking, and writing), TOEIC only evaluates two: reading and listening comprehension.

Section	Parts	Númber of Questions	Time
Listening Comprehension	Scene-sentence matching	10	45 minutes (100 questions)
	Questions-Response	30
	Short Conversations	30
	Short Talks	30
Reading Comprehension	Sentence Completion	40	75 minutes (100 questions)
	Text Completion	12
	Comprehension Textos	48

Score descriptors

TOEIC Listening and Reading test questions are based on a variety of real-world settings and situations:

• Corporate Development — research, product development
• Dining Out — business lunches, banquets, receptions, reservations
• Entertainment — cinema, theater, music, art, exhibitions, museums, media
• Finance and Budgeting — banking, investments, taxes, accounting, billing
• General Business — contracts, negotiations, mergers, marketing, sales, warranties, business planning, conferences, labor relations
• Health Care — medical insurance, visits to doctors, dentists, clinics and hospitals
• Housing/Corporate Property — construction, specifications, buying and renting, electric and gas services
• Human Resources — recruiting, hiring, retiring, promoting, job applications, job advertisements, salaries, pensions, awards
• Manufacturing — assembly lines, plant management, quality control
• The Office — procedures, board meetings, committees, letters, memos, telephone, fax and email messages, equipment
• Purchasing — shopping, ordering supplies, shipping, invoicing
• Technical Areas — electronics, technology, computers, laboratories and related equipment, technical specifications
• Travel — trains, airplanes, taxis, buses, ships, ferries, tickets, schedules, station and airport announcements, car rentals, hotels, reservations, delays and cancellations

Source: http://gmatbarcelona.com/en/toeic-test-center/structure-and-content/

You are what you read / Eres lo que lees

Soñar con Rosas

Soñar rosas es anuncio de felicidad y diversiones así como amores sinceros.
 

Rosas marchitas en los sueños anuncian desengaños y falsos amores.
 

Rosas blancas anuncian paz interna, pero débil de salud.
 

Una joven que se sueña cortando o juntando rosas para hacer un bouquet, puede significar que tendrá momentos de alegría y algunos éxitos.
 

Soñar que cultivamos rosas devela un espíritu romántico y sincero.
 

Los sueños en donde vemos rosas suelen representar la pasión y los sentimientos. Verlas en su capullo es presagio de nuevas relaciones que nos traerán alegrías y momentos de felicidad a nivel afectivo, no obstante, es necesario entender que a esos sentimientos también los acompañan la decepción y el sufrimiento.
 

Soñar que nos lastimamos con las espinas de una rosa es un mal presagio, pues indica que algunas relaciones nos ocasionarán tristezas y pequeños inconvenientes que pueden agravarse.
 

Recibir rosas en sueños es indicio de que estamos satisfechos con nuestras relaciones afectivas, es señal de amistades sinceras.
 

Soñar que regalamos rosas es señal de afecto y dulzura, no obstante, en caso de regalársela a un enfermo será un mal augurio, pues presagia enfermedad.
 

Soñar rosas sin espinas es señal de que las relaciones que estamos manejando se basan más en idealismos que realidades. Es necesario poner los pies sobre la tierra y evitar crearnos grandes expectativas respecto a las personas que nos rodean.
 

El color de la rosa podrá variar la interpretación del sueño, y en este caso será necesario buscar los simbolismos del color.

Fuente:  http://www.misabueso.com/esoterica/suenos/suenos_rosas.html

Mauritius profile (BBC)

Mauritius, a volcanic island of lagoons and palm-fringed beaches in the Indian Ocean, has a reputation for stability and racial harmony among its mixed population of Asians, Europeans and Africans. 

The island has maintained one of the developing world's most successful democracies and has enjoyed years of constitutional order.

It has preserved its image as one of Africa's few social and economic success stories.

Once reliant on sugar as its main crop export, Mauritius was hit by the removal of European trade preferences but has successfully diversified into textiles, upmarket tourism, banking and business outsourcing.

The strategy helped the island's economy weather the world financial crisis of 2008-9 better than expected.

Continue reading the main story

At a glance

• Politics: Navin Ramgoolam became premier in July 2005, having already held the post from 1995 to 2000. Changing coalitions are a feature of politics
• Economy: Political stability and efforts to diversify have helped Mauritius become one of Africa's most prosperous economies.
• International: Mauritius claims the Chagos Islands, administered by Britain and home to a US military base on Diego Garcia

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Various cultures and traditions flourish in peace, though Mauritian Creoles, descendants of African slaves who make up a third of the population, live in poverty and complain of discrimination.

Mauritius was uninhabited when the Dutch took possession in 1598. Abandoned in 1710, it was taken over by the French in 1715 and seized by the British in 1810.

It gained independence in 1968 as a constitutional monarchy, with executive power nominally vested in the British monarch. It became a republic in 1992.

The island of Rodrigues and other smaller islets also form part of the country.

Mauritius claims sovereignty over the Chagos islands, which lie around 1,000 km to the north-east. The British territory, which was separated from Mauritius in 1965, is home to the US military base on Diego Garcia. The British government oversaw the forced removal of the Chagos islanders to Mauritius to make way for the base.

The country is home to some of the world's rarest plants and animals. But human habitation and the introduction of non-native species have threatened its indigenous flora and fauna.

The dodo - a flightless bird and a national symbol - was hunted into extinction in the 17th century.

Mauritius is home to some rare plants and animals 

 

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13882233