Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Traffic congestion & parking problems


Traffic congestion and parking problems are a big problem in the world. Nowadays, most cities have these problems, just like Abu Dhabi.

First, increased population means there are big families and the percentage of young people is very high. It means we will find more cars on the roads. Second, economic development in Abu Dhabi. Before the economic development there were not as many buildings as nowadays. That means you could park everywhere and near your home. Third, the weather in Abu Dhabi in summer is very hot and it is not suitable for walking or biking to work or to home. Finally, lack of an adequate public transport system. For example, Abu Dhabi does not have a train system like Dubai.

As we see we have written many causes for these problems; however we will supply the solutions. The first solution is to make sure each building has an adequate parking. Next they have to improve public transport. For example, supply more buses and trains. Another solution is they should raise the age of licence holders to 25 because most accidents happen to young people. Finally, improve the existing road system. That means making bridges, overpasses and underpasses.

In summary, there are many causes and solutions but the most effective cause is lack of adequate public transport. I think the best solution for it is to make it a rule for new buildings to have adequate parking space.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Water shortages


Water shortages in the UAE

The UAE is a desert country, with very little annual rainfall, and so there is a constant problem of water shortage.

The most obvious reason for the shortage of water is the rapid population growth. More people means more food and this has led to a growing demand for an increase in agricultural production, which in turn means more irrigation and therefore more water. In addition, the economy of the country has expanded enormously over the past 50 years. Industrialization has greatly increased the demand for water. The climate of the UAE makes it difficult to meet the increased demand for water. There is very little rainfall and no surface water. Wastage of water and leaking water pipes make the situation worse.

Desalination is perhaps the most obvious solution. It’s expensive but the UAE is a rich country. Similarly, making better use of underground water is not cheap but it would help to answer to the problem. Dams to store water when it does rain have already been built in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. Charging people more for water, educational programmes in schools and colleges, and national advertising campaigns could also raise public awareness of the problem.

In practice, the UAE gets most of its fresh water from desalination plants. This is the most obvious short-term solution. In the long run, however, raising public awareness of the problem and encouraging people to use water more responsibly is the most important factor in solving the problem of water shortages.

254 words.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Seasons/Weather

Winter is the coldest season. In Europe it often snows in the winter months, December, January and February.

Summer is the hottest season. During the summer months, June, July and August, it is extremely hot and humid here in the UAE.

Spring comes after winter and before summer.

The autumn, called the fall in the USA, is when the leaves fall from the trees.

Singin' in the Rain is Hedley's favourite movie.

Children like to play in the snow.

Driving in fog is very dangerous.

When we heat water to boiling point, we get steam.

The temperature in Abu Dhabi during the summer can reach 50 degrees Celsius.

During a storm you can often see lightning and hear thunder.

Jobs

An architect designs buildings.

A civil servant is a government employee.

A doctor helps sick people to get well.

A nurse helps a doctor by looking after patients in a hospital or clinic.

The students in CEH are all mechatronic engineers. They study mechanical and electrical engineering.

A farmer works in agriculture, growing crops and raising animals.

Lawyers prosecute and defend accused people in law courts.

A mechanic fixes/repairs vehicles in a garage.

A shop assistant helps and advises customers in a store.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Age of Marriage

The chart shows the fall in the percentage of women aged 15 to 19 who are married in six Arab countries. The table shows the age of first marriage for men and women in 14 countries.

The most significant fall was in the UAE, from 57% in 1975 to 8% in 1995. Tunisia and Libya had a high percentage but now they have fallen to 1%. The table shows the age of first marriage for men and women in 12 Arab countries plus Turkey and Iran. The range for men is from the mid-20’s to the high-20’s. For women the range is low-20’s to mid 20’s.

In conclusion the bar chart shows that in all 6 Arab countries women are now getting married later in life. The bar chart shows that in the Palestinian terrtory the differentce from 1967 to 2004 was just 3% and the table shows that in 2000 the average age of marriage for women in Palestinian was 21.7. So the figures in the table confirm the evidence of the bar chart.

171 words