Lloyds Banking Group

INTRODUCTION

Lloyds Banking Group plc is a leading financial services company. Based in UK it provides a wide range of banking and financial services to both personal and corporate customers. It was formed in January 2009 following the acquisition of HBOS (UK banking company). Since then it specialises in:

·      commercial and corporate banking;

·      retail;

·      life, pension and investment provisions

·      general insurance.

Lloyds Group also operates globally in over 30 countries providing international banking services. The services that corporation offers are delivered through a number of well recognised organisations among which are: Lloyds TSB, Scottish Widows, Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Clerical Medical and Cheltenham & Gloucester and other large branch networks of UK.

Lloyds Banking Group is quoted on the London Stock Exchange and York Stock Exchange. It is also recognised to be “one of the largest companies within the FTSE 100” (Lloyds Corporate Governance Report 2011)

INVESTIGATION & EVALUATION OF LLOYDS BANKING GROUP plc

(i)        key roles of corporation

It is a responsibility of the board of the corporation to achieve a long term success for the company as a whole by being the best bank for the customers and produce stable, sustainable and strong returns for shareholders. Although the directors of the board play an important role in making the decision with relation to how the corporation operates the two key roles in a life of Lloyds Banking Group are the Chairman and Group Chief Executive.

The overall responsibility of Sir Winfried Bischoff, the current Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group, is to be an effective leader of the Board of Directors (Chart 1). He ensures the Board concentrates its attention on the right matters. The chairman always reviews the content of the agendas which are finalised at Board Agenda Review meetings involving the Group Chief Executive, Chairman, Company Secretary, Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director. 

The Chairman along with Company Secretary makes sure the Directors receive up-to-date as well as relevant information and are informed of key developments and emerging issues between and during the formal meetings.

On regular basis Sir Winfried Bischoff also meets with Non-Executive Directors without the Executive Directors being present, in order to broaden the Board’s outlook and strengthen its collective judgement.

 In addition to those mentioned above, the key responsibilities of chairman also include advising to Chief Executive, facilitating over the meetings, formation of board committees, evaluation of the board effectiveness, monitoring and evaluating chief executive and representing shareholders to management and management to shareholders. 

The role of chairman is separate from that of the Group Chief Executive, whose responsibility is to manage and lead the business day to day. Taking over in March 2011, the new Group Chief Executive, António Horta-Osório, delegates responsibilities to the Executive Directors, his direct reports and other senior executives who collectively make up the Group Executive.

Generally the Group Chief Executive is known as a decision maker. He also communicates the annual reports of the corporation to the press and the outside world as well as to the employees and the board. Being a leader the chief executive advises the board of directors and also motivates employees to improve the productivity of the corporation.

It is essential that the relationship between both and chairman and CEO are based on mutual understanding of the roles they accomplish within the corporation, so that they can maintain comfortable and profitable culture within the Board.

(ii)      reporting to the shareholders and auditors

The board of Lloyds Banking Group recognises how it is important to develop and promote a mutual culture and understanding between the corporation and its shareholders. Therefore the company holds about 400 meetings every year. The majority of such meetings are conducted by Group Chief Executive and Chief Finance Director.

As a Chairman of Remuneration Committee, Anthony Watson meets the larger shareholders in order to discuss executive remuneration issues. Once the changes happen every shareholder is informed without a delay. If the meeting is required the board of directors assembles shareholders to discuss and find a solution to an arising issue.

The effectiveness of the control system within the corporation is reviewed regularly by the Board and the Audit Committee. The committee often receives reports of feedbacks from the corporation’s auditors and has a discussion with the auditors at least once a year, without executives being present, to ensure that there are no unresolved issues of concern. Any changes concerning the regulations or board operations are finalised in a report and sent away to the auditors for their acknowledgement.

   DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES 

The Board of Directors and Shareholders

One of the main duties of the Board of Directors is to establish and review system of internal control, the purpose of which is ensuring of effective and efficient operations, internal control, quality of internal and external reporting and also compliance with laws and regulations. The Directors of the Board are committed to maintain a “control-conscious culture” across all areas of corporation’s operation (Board of Directors, Annual Report 2011). The directors also communicate to all employees by publishing policies and procedures and providing regular management briefings.

The directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report, the financial statements and the Directors’ remuneration report in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

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By the means of regular updates at the Board and Committee meetings the Board is advised of the views of major shareholders, who in their turn ensue the board of director properly manages the corporation and complies with all laws. The Board also receives reports every month on market and investor opinion and shareholder analysis.

Relations with Investors have a primal responsibility for managing day-to-day communications with shareholders. Advised by the Group, Chief Executive and Group Finance Director, the Board achieves this through a combination of briefings to shareholders and analysts as well as external visits and individual discussions with institutional shareholders.

The Company Secretary looks after communications and negotiations with private shareholders. And the annual general meeting delivers an opportunity for private shareholders to meet Directors and to hear more about the strategy of the corporation. Shareholders are encouraged to attend the annual general meeting and to raise any questions at the meeting or in advance.

For provision of good corporate governance and in accordance with provisions of the Code of Practice, Directors of the Board of Lloyds Banking Group retire voluntarily and submit themselves for re-election at the annual general meeting. Every shareholder receives a package prior attending such meetings where are set out the details of the directors who seek re-election. Once the shareholder is not satisfied with performance of one or another director he is allowed to seek replacement of that director before the re-election time. Being an owner of the shares any shareholder has a right to claim explanation from the board of directors at anytime.

The Board of Directors and Employees

Lloyds Banking Group provides employment practices and policies which recognise the diversity of the corporation’s workforce and ensure equality for all employees independently their disability, sex, age, race, religious belief or sexual orientation (discuss.bis.gov.uk).

In the UK for instance, Lloyds Banking Group collaborates with the major employer’s groups which campaign for equality of staff, including Employers’ Forum on Age, Employers’ Forum on Disability, Stonewall and the Race for Opportunity. The involvement with these organisations gives the corporation an opportunity to identify and implement best practice for the staff.

All employees of Lloyds Banking Group are always informed of the changes affecting them through such techniques as: briefings, team meetings, internal communications and surveys. Also campaigns that offer the acquisition of shares are available for most staff, with a purpose of encouraging their financial involvement in Lloyds Banking Group.

Lloyds Banking Group always provides employees with comprehensive data of the financial and economic issues affecting the Group. For this the corporation’s management established varies communication channels, among which is a face-to-face briefing campaign that allows Lloyds Banking Group to update the employees on the overall performance and other financial issues throughout the year.

The board of Directors and Suppliers

Lloyds Banking Group also has signed up to the ‘Prompt Payment Code’ (published by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills), with regard to the making of payments to suppliers.

One of the Corporation’s policy relates to agreement of payment terms with suppliers, which normally are settled within 30 days after the date of the invoice, except where other arrangements have been negotiated. It is the policy of the Company to stand by the agreed terms of payment so the suppliers perform according to the terms of the contract.

LEGAL STRUCTURE: LLOYDS BANKING GROUP VS NEW LOOK

Lloyds Banking Group is a public limited company which is listed on the stock exchange. Its shares are freely sold and traded to the public. Its corporate structure was adjusted in 2009 as a result of the acquisition of HBOS plc. Following this the HBOS plc holdings were transferred to Lloyds TSB Bank plc. Thus Lloyds TSB became an immediate parent of HBOS. Lloyds Banking Group continues directly own Lloyds TSB however as a result of this transaction it owns HBOS indirectly.

Such transfer followed a review by the head management of the structure of Lloyds Banking Group. The reason of the transaction was to develop and implement a legal entity structure that is efficient from a financial, capital and regulatory perspectives. It also reduces costs and improves capital efficiencies. The capital ratio of Lloyds Banking Group did not change following the restructure mentioned above.

Lloyds Banking Group is accounted to be a largest British financial services group. For instance in 2011 its revenues concluded £26.812 billion and the number of people employed grew up to 120,449 (2011).

Unlike Lloyds Banking Group, New Look Retail Group is not listed on the stock exchange however has its own board of directors to manage the company effectively. New Look Group is a privately-held business, owned by the company members, which does not trade its shares to the general public on the stock market exchanges . 

Although New Look Retail Group is less visible, it has a huge importance in the world’s economy. For example in 2008 it accounted GBP £1.147 Billion in revenue and employed 30,000 employees worldwide including 17,000 in UK.

DEVELOPING A CODE OF PRACTICE

Over the last decade a number of reports have been commissioned into the subject of corporate governance and as a result a number of codes of best practice have emerged. The purpose of these codes is to increase the transparency and accountability in the manner in which the company is governed.

The codes of best practice are drown up specifically in the context of particular companies however I believe that the principles should equally be applied to all companies in the interest of a further development of the codes of practice.

Researching a few companies and how they comply with the codes of practice I would like to point out there is a number of the key principles that every company should follow:

(i)                 Equitable treatment of shareholders is one of the most important codes in my opinion. Every organisation should respect the rights of shareholders and help them to exercise those rights. For instance, this can be done by delivering open and effective communication as well as encouraging share shareholders to participate in general meetings.

(ii)               Acting in the interests of other stakeholders. Organisation  should recognise there is a legal, social and market driven obligation to non-shareholder stakeholders among which are employees, suppliers, customers, investors, local communities, policy makers, etc.

(iii)             Integrity and ethical behaviour. Integrity should be a fundamental requirement in choosing corporate officers and board members. The board of directors should also develop, conduct and promote ethical and responsible decision making.

(iv)             Disclosure and transparency. Organisations should clarify and make publicly known the roles and responsibilities of their board and management to provide stakeholders with a level of accountability. They should also implement procedures to independently verify and safeguard the integrity of the company’s financial reporting. Disclosure of material matters concerning the organisation should be in time and balanced to ensure all investors have access to a clear and factual information.

AIB is reckoned to be a company that complies with codes of practice in every manner, especially with regard to keeping the shareholders informed of the changes within the organisation. For instance it constantly warns its shareholders whether the price on share will grow or reduce. This also supports a fact of its compliance with the code of practice with relation to being a transparent company willing to disclose the share price change publicly (independent.ie, 24 June, 2011).

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

What is SLS?

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is a synthetic detergent, cleaning agent and anionic surfactant (substance that makes bubbles), used in many cleaning and hygiene products. SLS is derived from cheap coconut and palm oils that in combination with its high detergent properties make substance the most popular and useful from a whole range of surfactants. SLS is available commercially in powder and pallet forms. In water the pallet form dissolves faster than the powder form.

Why is it used everywhere?

Because it is cheap, SLS is widely utilized as one of the ingredients of detergent for laundry. Due to its highly effective cleansing qualities it is used in any task requiring the removal of oil stains, hence high concentration of the substance is found in engine degreasers, floor cleaners and car washing soaps. For its thickening effects and its ability to create lather SLS is added to liquid soaps, bubble baths, body wash, shampoos and oral hygiene products. Also today SLS obtains popularity in products such as scrubs, shaving creams, hair sprays, make-up removals where it provides a foaming effect. However the foaming effects of soaps do not improve the ability to clean. It is added for visual reasons.

History

SLS was developed during World War II as a synthetic alternative to soap, because the natural ingredients such as animal fats, used to make soap, were in a short supply. Because of its high detergent and grease cleaning properties SLS found its high usage in washing and cleaning navy machines, such as tanks, armoured personnel carriers and aircrafts. Since 1947th in France and later since 1949th in Great Britain and USA, SLS became integral part of the laundry detergents.

After 1952, the manufactures started using it in shampoos. Since a second half of 80s SLS became highly popular among the manufactures of the makeup and the cosmetic industry as a whole. This included: acne treatment, hand and face cream, mascara, around-eye cream, lip balm and eye-liner. During the next decade even some eczema treatments, damaged skin treatments and rash creams contained SLS.

Laboratory Application

In science it is commonly used to prepare the proteins for electrophoresis in SLS-page technique. This compound disrupts non-covalent bonds in the proteins, in turn denatured molecules of proteins lose their usual shape, which increases negative charge of the proteins.  In medicine SLS has also found a usage in the analysis of haemoglobin. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate combines with the oxidized iron sub-unit in haemoglobin creating a stable product which then can be analysed.

Why is there a worry about SLS?

As all lathers and detergents, SLS extracts oils from the skin, in turn this process may cause irritation of skin, as a result causing inflammation (dermatitis). The main symptoms are: dryness, soreness and redness of the skin.

The extent and deepness of irritation caused by SLS depends on: a time during which it comes in a contact with the skin; its concentration in a product and frequency of usage. At the end of the 90s and at the beginning of 2000s some media sources actively speculated on a topic of the danger of SLS, especially its links to the skin cancer and blindness. However these rumours remained not proved. In 2002 in the US the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) assessed the ingredient for safety in several tests and reported that SLS appears to be safe in skin care products that are applied briefly to the skin and then rinsed off. 

Who should worry about SLS?

According to the several studies conducted by the International Eczema Society and European Paediatric Society for the last three years, there are two groups of people which are most subjected to the influence of SLS: children up to 10 years and people suffering  from aphthous ulcer. The epidermis (outer layer of the skin) is thinner in children than in adults. For this reasons the skin of children is more sensitive to SLS than of adults. There have been several studies that showed the patients had significant aphthous ulcers after using SLS-containing toothpaste, compared with the people using SLS-free toothpaste. Moreover, patients using the SLS-free toothpaste experienced faster healing of ulcers and less ulcer-related pain in average than patients using SLS-containing toothpaste.

What can we do?

When choosing bath or skin care products for a child, it is recommended to pick products that are specially formulated for babies or children. They contain substances that are milder and gentler than SLS, which are derived from sugar. I would also advise not to apply SLS-containing products to skin for a long time and rinse them off as soon as possible. Hence you can reduce the time of influence of SLS on skin as well as prevent any possible irritation.

Do not use products containing SLS if you or your children have eczema or sensitive skin. You can buy SLS-free soaps at most chemists. Although they do not foam, they are just as effective at cleaning the skin. However, SLS-free products cost more than "traditional" formulations.

Euthanasia

Introduction

We are all familiar with euthanasia in circumstances where people want to end their lives when faced with a terminal or incurable diseases in order to relieve themselves of their suffering. In these cases the people who die ask for euthanasia. However there are cases where people cannot make such requests. But how about people with no reasonable excuses who wish to commit a suicide and would like to be assisted with this?

This issue has been at the centre of the very heated debates since the mid of 1800s.

Defining Euthanasia

Before discussing the problem itself, of critical importance, in my opinion, is how we define euthanasia.  First time in medical context euthanasia was used by an English philosopher and jurist Francis Bacon in the seventeenth century. He referred to an easy, painless, happy death, which was a physicians' responsibility to relieve the body's sufferings. Nowadays one of the definitions says, euthanasia is "painless inducement of a quick death". However some people argue this definition, as it leaves open a number of possible actions, could not be seen as euthanasia. For example in a case where a person kills another, painlessly but with this death he or she gains benefits (i.e. inheritance, etc).

There is another situation, such as an accidental death which is quick and painless but not intentional. According to oxford English dictionary euthanasia is "the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma", where "suffering" is a vital condition. However this approach to define euthanasia has also counterexamples such as a killing of person suffering from a fatal or an incurable disease, where personal gain is suspected. The third, wider, definition incorporates intentionality and says - "the death must be intentional rather than accidental, with the motive to relieve suffering" (euthanasia definition, euthanasia.com) Referring to this definition, some people argue that the motives must be in the best interest of person, who expresses intention to end his/her life. And at the same time a person who performs euthanasia must not benefit from it. Thus as we can see, the definition of euthanasia must encompass four main points:

·         death must result from intention of one person to kill another person, who terminally or incurable ill;

·         the means must be painless and quick;

·         the "killer" must be motivated only by the best interest of person who dies.

Types of Euthanasia

Next part of definition arises many debates around itself and concerns "voluntarily". There are three types of euthanasia:

·         voluntary, when actions are conducted with the consent or after request of the patient;

·         non-voluntary - when procedures are conducted but the consents of the patients are unavailable, because of mental or deep-physical illnesses. For instance in a case of a child euthanasia or when the person is in a coma;

·         involuntary - occurs when actions are performed against the will of the patients who are able to give reasonable consents, (they do not choose to die) or where not asked.

Voluntary, non-voluntary and involuntary euthanasia can all be further divided into passive and active types.

The passive type incorporates withholding of vital treatments such as antibiotics, nutrients necessary for the support of life. The active euthanasia is a cause of the usage of lethal substance, such as injections.

Issues around Euthanasia

One more problem that arouse around euthanasia is so called "the doctrine of double effect". This states that "bad results can be morally accepted if they are the site effects of good actions". This principle is used to justify the situations when a doctor gives the drugs to a patient in order to relieve symptoms even though they know such actions may shorten the patient's life. Very often such a drug is morphine.

 But this is usually when reasonable doses of drugs are uncounted, because doctors have not the aim to kill his patients. The bad result of the patient's death is a site effect of the good result when reducing the patient's pain. But what if the dose was fatal (much larger than it needs to relieve pain) and who can estimate the dose for every patient separately?

People who are against euthanasia claim that it weakens society's respect for the sanctity of life. In other words, by the accepting euthanasia the society accepts that lives of the disabled or sick worth less than others. They insist that it is too difficult to define and separate when it is done in a person's best interest or not, and the defining borders are too subtle and very often overlap.

Another group of reasons is concerning the very government, where euthanasia may be a useful weapon to silence the dissentients as well as became a cost effective way to treat the terminally ill.

The main opposed power in this issue is the religion. Many religions are against euthanasia. They believe a human life belongs to God, because it was given by Lord, hence only the creator can take it away. Another explanation of religion rejecting euthanasia is attitude to suffering, where it says that endurance is a God's plant to purify soul of a sufferer a and his/her relatives, as a way to enter the Heaven.

Pro- euthanasia activists often point to the countries such as Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and state of Oregon in the US where euthanasia is legal today. On the other hand some media reports reveal that elderly people in these countries carry cards or certified letters saying they do not want to be euthanized, for a fear it would be carried out against their will.

Conclusion

Although we all understand that it is not just the pain and suffering the incurable and terminally ill individuals have to endure, but also the pain and suffering of their friends and families that should be taken into a consideration. However the border between euthanasia and murder is very subtle and unclear that sometimes we cannot even define what is what.

The main sources of power in Ukraine

There are a few different types of sources of power in Ukraine.Among them are hydro power plants,heat power stations and nuclear power stations.

Ukraine is heavily dependent on nuclear energy.It has 5 nuclear power station with 15 nuclear reactors which generate about half country’s electricity.20% of the total energy produced by the country is exported to neighboring countries.

Uranium and coal for the fuelling of nuclear stations is mind by Ukraine itself and it imports oil and gas from Russia,as well as the main equipment for reactors.Nuclear energy development started in 1970 with construction of the Chernobyl power plant which was considered to be the biggest of all stations in Ukraine.Nowadays Rivno power station is in the first place of the largest nuclear station in the country.

Nuclear power is,probably,the easiest method of energy production and have many advantages.The amount of energy that forms during the burning of 1 kilo of uranium is equal to that of 2500 kilo of coal.20-30 tones of nuclear fuel,that is concentrated and transportable,works for several years.Nuclear plants can be build in any place where they are required to be.The construction of the station is as cheap as electricity itself.The process of electricity generation is not accompanied by environmental pollution.

Despite being the quickest way of extracting energy nuclear stations have negative impact on their surrounding,for example the emission of deadly radiation into atmosphere as result of breakdowns,as happened in 1986 at unit 4 of the Chernobyl power station.

Fossil fuels and problems associated with them

From the beginning of the time man’s life has been depending on fuels of many kinds.At first people used wood,leaves and hay.But with time we are explored the earth and began to consume fossil fuels such as coal,petroleum,natural gas,etc.Nowadays,fuels are continuously following human progress and it is impossible to separate them from civilized life.

Despite many advantages we have plenty of problems that are caused by inefficient usage of fuels.In the first place it causes environmental damage.The burning of coal sends ash into the air and other harmful materials,which in tern create smog.Another type of fuel ,natural gas,is important for industrial needs as it can be delivered in a compressed form in any volume proportional to any spot around the planet.It is commonly held belief that as a result of combustion of natural gas,carbon dioxide and some poisonous gases are released.Where the first mentioned above has an impact on Global warming and the second falls as acid rain destroying crops.The last type of fossil fuels,that some people call the only reason for wars,is petroleum also known in everyday life as oil.

A few experts claim that cars fueled by petroleum are a major source of carbon monoxide emissions which cause health problems for humans ,right up to heart attack and lung cancer.In addition to this the spillage of oil on the surface of water from mobile oil platform and oil tankers has a most catastrophic effect on the aquatic world and its inhabitants.With the spread of fuel on the top,a dense layer of dangerous substance emerges.This thick layer prevents aqua dwellers from breathing and as well as that it can suck in birds which are landing on the top of the water.

Unfortunately fossil fuels trigger many arguments.However it has been forecast that we are running out of them.Of course,it will not happen in near future but eventually we will no longer be able to rely on them to power our economies.

The drawbacks of using solar power as a sourse of energy

Using solar energy to generate electricity is one of the greatest achievements of mankind.It is known that solar power is one of the cleanest methods of energy production as solar panels simply convert the energy of the sun into energy humans can use.Despite all this advantages,the use of solar power can sometimes have unforeseen disadvantages that might make solar panels useless.

Firstly,there is the cost of the equipment.Solar panels are not cheap,because they are made up of fragile materials.As a result,they must constantly be maintained and often replaced.So,we have touched on a second disadvantage.Which is that when the solar panels break down,you can not just call the power company.You need experienced energy technicians,whose services are quite expensive or you must be a handyman yourself.

Thirdly,is the location:where solar panels are installed.Wet climates will corrode the external metal parts of the equipment,and exposure to cold temperatures reduces the battery life.Also,hail can damage the glass parts of solar system.Moreover pollution and clouds can reduce the efficiency of photovoltaic panels.In addition,during the night your expensive solar equipment will be useless,which is very important for countries with the dominance of night hours.

Fourthly,finding space for both batteries and solar panels can be disadvantage,especially in those areas where space is short or expensive because the single panels are not adequate power producer on their own.

Lastly,you must consider proper disposal of the panels and the batteries when they are broken or at the end of their life,because they contain very toxic materials such as lead and sulfuric acid.

To sum up,the disadvantages of solar panels that I mentioned above are decreasing with advances in technology.But who knows,how soon everyone could afford to obtain a personal solar panel.

How far do you think mental work replace physical work in the next 20 years?

Technological advance has changed our life,our pace of life and even our altitude to work.For the last century physical work slowly but surely has been disappearing ,while mental work gradually is reaching a peak.

Now it is difficult to imagine the worker digging with shovel or the farmer sowing seeds by hand.Robots and machines are replacing man in factories and plants.Computer programmes and software are reducing the number of the workers in banks ,shops ,different agencies and service-providing firms.Clearly,two main reasons for this are to prevent workers from injuries or even sometimes to save their lives in highly dangerous situations in productions as well as to reduce labour costs.Despite the fact that the physical work is really exhausting ,it is very often low-paid.So ,it is not a surprise,that almost all parents endeavour to provide all possibilities for their child to get higher education.Moreover ,due to an increase in the number of educational facilities and career opportunities ,people are attracted to mental work.In addition,opportunities such as getting education on-line in a short time have become more accessible to more people.We can get a degree easily enough just sitting at a computer.

Nowadays,having such modern technology people are able to work without leading their homes.Having only access to the Internet,they are capable of communicating with the entire world.Current technology has evolved greatly allowing investigators to catch criminals quickly as tracking devices are imbedded in every phone.

In conclusion,technology may replace all physical jobs allowing mental work to take over.I reckon ,in the future the human brain will create machines which will perform all physical work currently curried out by human kind.In my opinion,it is quite possible that people’s wishes and technological development may lead to the complete elimination of physical work.

Weak sex

The idea of this expression came from ancient times,when clearly-defined role division existed.The men were the bread winners and the women were keepers of hearth but didn’t have any rights in social life.

This stereotype of gents at work and ladies staying at home is pretty common in Ukraine.A lot of girls get higher education with the belief that it will never be necessary,as they going to be housewives after their weddings.In turn this unemployment means a heavier dependence on their husbands that can be considered a weakness.According to another opinion ,men are stronger and hardier than women physically and that causes division between weak and strong sexes.My next point is that the women talk about feelings and relations more often.This is believed to be a display of weakness.

In my opinion ,women want to be the weaker sex themselves.Probably it is easiest way to control and regulate the mind of men.That is why,they frequently say about necessity in a strong shoulder to lean on.But it is well known that in comparison to the male ,the female is more energetic and can multi-task.

Road transport in European countries

The bar charts below give information on road transport in a number of European countries.

These 3 bar charts show the overall amount of kilometers per year traveled per person using different types of transport and commuting time per day in 6 European countries.

When we compare the figures for kilometers traveled behind the wheel we can see that they are almost the same for each country about 10,000 kilometers, with the highest in Denmark and the lowest in Spain, 12,000 and 9,000 kilometers respectively.However,it is surprising to note that the amount of travel by bus,tram,metro and bike remains the most for Denmark and exceeds 3,000 kilometers per year,whereas in Italy,the next in line ,almost halves,and other countries are times less.

When we compare commuting times we can see that the amount of time spent by German and British commuting is nearly equal,at about 45 minutes,whereas the UK average time is less then 40 minutes.And the shortest time is spent by Italians and it only slightly exceeds 20 minutes.

To sum up,the most kilometers are traveled in Denmark on all types of transport,while the most time is spent commuting in Germany and UK.

UK residents abroad

The charts below give information about travel to and from the UK, and about the most popular countries for UK residents to visit.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features,and make comparisons where relevant.

The charts show overall numbers of visits abroad by UK residents and visits to the UK by overseas inhabitants over a 20-year period , with additional data showing the most popular countries visited by UK citizens in 1999.

According to the charts ,in 1979 the numbers of UK residents visiting abroad and foreigners who visited the UK were almost the same, about 10-11 million.Whereas after 20 years the difference was significant , the number of visits abroad was twice as much as that of overseas visitors, 52 and 26 million respectively.However , from 1979 to 1985 they both increased slightly , but for the next period ,from 1985 the first has increased sharply and the second has continued to rise steadily.

When we compare the number of UK people ,who went overseas in 1999,we can see that the most popular countries were Spain and France,at 9 and 11 million visitors respectively.And the least popular was Turkey,with a figure 4 times less then that of Spain.It is surprising to note that the number of people who visited the UK was just about 4 million.

To sum up,these charts illustrate the rises in the number of people traveling to and from the UK and the popularity of west european countries,the closest to the UK ,for UK residents to visit.

Japanese tourists traveling abroad

The charts below show the number of Japanese tourists traveling abroad between 1985 and 1995 and Australia’s share of the tourist market.

These charts illustrate the quantity of Japanese tourists traveling abroad over 10 years period and the percentage of Japanese tourists coming to Australia for the same period.

The number traveling abroad Japanese increased steadily from 5 million to 15 million over the described period .However the was a slight fall in 1991.From 1985 to 1995 the percentage coming to Australia went up slowly as well,but it exceeded a maximum 6% in 1993 and had slightly decreased by 1995.Over the 10-year period ,we can see a sharp decline in 1989 by 0.5% ,while in 1988 the percentage of Japanese coming to Australia almost reached 5%.But at the same time the number of Japanese tourists traveling abroad continued steadily.

To sum up ,the percentage of Japanese tourists traveling abroad and the percentage of Japanese tourists coming to Australia increased overall.

Generate electricity from wave power

The diagrams show a structure that is used to generate electricity from wave power.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information.

These two diagrams show a construction that allows electricity to be generated from wave power.

The structure is usually built by the sea on the side of the cliff or sea wall and consist of three main parts : a large chamber ,a vertical column and a turbine. The bottom end of the chamber is open to the sea and lets water in.The upper end is connected to the column, which is closed on the top. The turbine is installed inside the column and enables the generation of the electricity in two phases.

The first diagram shows how a wave comes into the chamber and push air in front of it in to the column.This current of air causes the turbine to turn ,hence electricity is generated.

The second diagram illustrates the next part of the process when wave retreats.The low water level decreases compression in the chamber ,so the air is sucked out of the column and turns the turbine again.As a result ,electricity continues to be produced.

In conclusion,we can see that this structure is useful as electricity is generated in both phases : entering and retreating of water.

A lock

These three diagrams show the movement of a boat along a canal over a lock.
The process involves a structure which is built on the canal to let boats move from one water level to another.The construction consist of two identical gates and a large section of the canal to take one or more boats.The gates have valves,called ‘paddles’ which are used for lowering the water level in the lock.
The diagrams illustrate that when the upper gates are open the boat moves into the space between the gates.Then, the upper gates are closed and the ‘paddles’ are opened and as a result, the water level decreases.When level inside the section and behind the lower gates are equal,the last gate is opened.And the boat can leave the lock.When the boat moves in the opposite direction from lower to upper water level,the lower gates are opened first. The boat comes into the section between the gates and they are closed behind boat.The ‘paddles’ of the upper gates are opened,so after some time levels behind upper gates and inside the section become identical.Then the upper gates are opened and the boat moves out of the lock.

In conclusion,we can see that this structure is useful for moving boats along canals with different levels of water on both sides:upward and downward.

Prizes given by TV

A group of TV companies was surveyed to discover trends in the type of competition prizes given in the period 1990-2002.Cash prizes were excluded from the survey.
By far the largest percentage of prizes given in 1990 were connected to the home(fully fitted kitchens and household goods).These accounted for 50% of prizes in 1990 but had fallen fairly sharply to 30 in 1996 with a dramatic drop to 9% in 2002.It is possible that as consumer goods became more affordable over the decade,they became less attractive as prises.This can also be said of expensive cars where the number offered as prizes dropped by a half over the same period.
In contrast,extended travel(luxury cruises and round-the-world tickets) rose significantly between 1990 and 1996 and has increased sharply since then to account for approximately 60% of the total in 2002.The number of second homes given away doubled between 1990 and 1996 but has only risen slightly since then perhaps confirming that people prefer to travel rather then stay in their country of origin.
The opposite trend can be seen in the number of prizes which offer the chance to meet a famous person where the figure fell by a third between 1990-1996 and then dipped dramatically to 1% in 2002.
The popularity of designer clothes as prizes has fluctuated during the decade,rising steeply between 1990 and 1996 and then falling to half the 1996 level by 2002.
Over the last 12 year there has been a shift away from consumer item offered by TV companies towards prizes promising a more luxurious life away from a home.It could be argued that the popularity of prises is in direct relation to the standard of living and media promotion of items as desirable or non-desirable. 

Sources of news

The graphs below show where people first got their news,both about the world and about local events,between 1987 and 1997.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features,and make comparisons where relevant.

The graphs indicate sources of world and local news for people in the United Kingdom between 1987 and 1997.
In 1987 65% of people got their world news from television,almost 2.5 and 7 times more than that from other two sources,newspaper and radio,respectively.Whereas only 19% of those who lived in UK got local news from television in the same period.But the main source of regional news for people was print media,at 56%.Radio,as source of both types of news was nearly the same from 9% to 12% and remained stable during the time depicted in the graph.As well as this,the percentage of people who got their world news from television almost didn't change for 1987-1997,with just a slight fall in 1989 of 5%.The percentage of people using newspaper as source of local information decreased to 40% over the 10 years,while the number of inhabitants getting local news from television significantly increased and nearly reached that of newspapers in 1997.

School spendings

The three pie charts below show the changes in annual spending by particular UK school in 1981,1991 and 2001.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features ,and make comparisons where relevant.

These three pie charts illustrate the changes in yearly expenses by a certain UK school over a twenty year period from 1981-2001.

According to the charts,between 1981 and 2001 the percentage of spending on insurance increased from 2% to four times as much,whereas by 1991 it only had gone up by 1%.The spending other “workers” salaries felt by almost half with a steady fall from 28% in 1981 to 15% in 2001.

When we compare the spending on resources such as book we can see significant decline from 15% to 9% I 1981 and 2001 respectively.However in 1991 the percentage of spending reached 20%,which is twice more than that in 2001.The expenses on furniture and equipment in 1981 was 3 times as high as that in 1991,10 years later.But it rose by almost 500% from 1991 to 2001.The percentage of spending on teachers’ salaries remained almost equal about 45% over the 20 years,with the biggest increase up to 50% in 1991.

To sum up,the most significant changes were linked to insurance,resources and furniture devisions of pie charts.

Pencil making

The following diagram shows how pencils are manufactured.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features,and make comparisons where relevant.

This diagram illustrates the production of pencils,which consists of two manufacturing departments.

According to the diagram the pencil leads are made of ground graphite,clay and water.All component are mixed into the graphite dough.This mixture is poured into a forming press which makes a graphite rod.Then the rod is cut into pencils leads and left to dry.Once they are dry,the leads are put into an oven and heated to a temperature of 800C.The next stage of pencil making is the preparation of pencil cases.The diagram shows that wooden bars are sawed into thin slats.Then,the grooves are cut in each slat,into which the cool leads are inserted.Both,the wooden parts and the leads are covered with glue and then another slat is mounted on them which contains grooves.This "sandwich" of slats is sawed into sticks,which are smoothed and shaped by a shaping machine.Finally,as fast as the machine creates smooth finishes,the pencils are ready to use.

Carbon cycle

Carbon is used repeatedly in a process called the carbon cycle.


According to the diagram,there are 2 parts to the carbon cycle,which are linked to each other. Small part of cycle begins when carbon in the form of the gas,carbon dioxide,is present in the air.Plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it for growth.Animals then eat plant food and release carbon in respiration.When plants and animals die,their remains decay in the ground.So we have reached the second part of the cycle.When,over millions of years under the ground,carbon from the decaying remains turns into fossil fuels such as coal,oil and natural gas.These fossil fuels are mined out of the earth and used for industrial needs,such as fueling cars,heating homes.Eventually,the combustion of fuels releases carbon in the form of carbon dioxide into the air.

Thus,the carbon cycle plays important role in the exchange of carbon between living things and their environment.

2012 февраль

Расправив стрелочки усы

четыре пробили часы,

а это значит где-то

меня ждет лучик света

та,что люблю бескрайне,

моей души призванье

зовет меня и манит

и голову дурманит

и,озарив однажды путь,

велит:меня ты не забудь

и дни любви мятежной,

и красоты безбрежной.

 ......

 ......

Две тонких лодочки брови

под ними чудные огни

прекрасных изумрудов глаз

и острый язычка алмаз

и гладкий шелк её волос

и губы цвета алых роз

и пара стройных ножек

на шпильках , без застежек

и обнаженный силует,

что отражает лунный свет

и тонкой талии охват,

что грациозностью богат

и страстный взгляд,что так манит

и романтический прикид;

густых ресниц неловкий взмах 

вкус поцелуев  на губах 

и бедер чувственных качанье,

и сладкий аромат дыханья;

изысканный изгиб груди

где родинка есть впереди
там на одной из полусфер-
упругий ангельский барьер,
и нежный атласный сосок,
как распустившийся цветок
и кожи бархат без одежды
люблю тебя сильней,чем прежде.