To most people, noise pollution is a jet flying over their head. For one Spanish woman, it is a neighbor playing the piano. The woman has taken her neighbor to court. Now she wants to send her neighbor to prison for over seven years on the charges of psychological damage and noise pollution.

    In a country known for its noisiness, the case has raised eyebrows. Neighbors often complain  about street noise in Spain, but people seeking prison time for someone practicing the piano is unheard of. At the trial, Sonia Bosom says she has been suffering noise pollution up to now due to the practice sessions of Laia Martin, who lives below her. Martin, 27, didn't admit that she played at home that often, saying she took regular classes in other towns and mostly practiced at home on the weekends.

    On the first day of the trial, the newspaper reported that Bosom told the court she now hated pianos so much that she couldn't even stand seeing them in a film. Bosom says years of hearing Constant playing has caused her “psychological injury”. Medical reports show she has suffered from a variety of problems, including insomnia (失眠), anxiety, and panic attacks.

    She says tests by local authorities have found that the sound levels made by the piano are up to 10 decibels （分贝）higher than the limit. City authorities have asked the family several times to either stop the piano playing or soundproof (隔音) the room. The family told the court that they carried out soundproofing work twice but the complaints continued.

    The court hasn't made a final decision. A spokeswoman says the trial will end before May.

    One of the most practical parts of my college education (and my entire education)was my student teaching. For six month, I gradually took over until I was completely teaching the class. It wasn't quite the same as a real teaching job. However, it was definitely a good way to get some real world experience. School should prepare students for the job market. Therefore, are our kids receiving enough practical education so they can be successful in the real world?

When teaching kids, it's important to be able to have a purpose for everything we teach. As parents and teachers, we should ask ourselves: what can this be used for when kids enter the job market? I can think about a college class I took where we had to analyze various movies. I honestly can't think of how analyzing "Rambo" benefited me. Perhaps, I would have been better off taking an auto shop class or a carpentry class. After all, I can't change a tire and I'm completely incapable when it comes to using power tools. The Guardian points out that the current generation is one of the most educated but lacks the skills to mend a hole in a shirt or put up a shelf. We have become a society that hires someone else to do these basic tasks. So how can we fix this?

    Perhaps, learning how to think is not enough. Rather than focusing on standardized tests so much, schools need to give students more practical application. Cooking is actually helpful when teaching children about fractions, measuring and multiplication. Students can learn how to double a recipe and see the relationship between 1/4 and 1/3 cup. As kids get into the upper grades, money management should be a focus. Making a budget and learning about interest rates are good ideas. I used to give my students real restaurant menus and a budged. They had to come up with what they could buy, including the tip with a set amount of money. In college, rather than only focus on the craft of writing, I wish I would have learned more about marketing and publishing my writing. Finally, internships in both high school and college should be required.

It appears that some high schools are doing a better job of preparing students for the real world. For instance, according to NBC News, in Michigan, "the Utica Center for Science and Industry uses technology to prepare students for automotive and military industry jobs." The program aims to combine students' skills with employers' needs. Students take optional courses in areas such as "multimedia, engineering or mechatronics" and also take part in activities where there isn't one right answer. For me, giving kids the opportunity to create is the key point. So far, the program is showing success.

According to a Gallup poll, fifty-seven percent of American workers say "the type of work they do generally" does not require "a bachelor's or a more advanced degree." Therefore, if a college degree isn't helping the majority of Americans at their job, then what is required? Many jobs require a skill. Electricians and contractors have specific skill that allow them to complete their jobs. Whether students go to four-year school or not, I think it's important for everyone to have a skill. After all, a Forbes article states that half of college graduates are working at jobs that don't require a degree. Clearly, being smart and qualified isn't always enough to make it in the real world.

    I'm going to encourage my kids to go to college and earn a degree. I'm also going to encourage them to think outside of the box and give them a practical education too. After all, you never know where life will take you.

    It was an oral English class and in front of us was standing our teacher Lila Betray, who was a university student from the US. Somehow we came to the point whether any of us could sing an English pop song in front of the class. You know, maybe three or more out of ten Chinese students are shy in class. As a result, there was silence in class for quite a while, which made everybody feel rather embarrassed(尴尬的), including the teacher.

    I was a shy boy. However, just at that moment, a great idea struck me suddenly."Seize the enjoyment! Seize the opportunity. Yes, there couldn't be a better opportunity." I said to myself. "Why not seize it? Why should I have always to be the guy regretting missing the opportunity just because of shyness? Yes, maybe I should have a try!"

    So, I raised my hand. And I remember that it took me quite a while to think what the song's name was. Though I sang no more than five sentences because of forgetting the lyrics(歌词), their clapping hands told me that I did the job well. Later, I got a gift and I was really happy.

    I think that is one of the most unforgettable moments in my life. Through this experience, I've also got to know that we should believe that we can do the job well, no matter how difficult it seems for us. Just have a little more courage.

    My wife and I spent two weeks in London last year. We went there in the autumn. We think it is the best season to visit England. The weather is usually good and there aren't too many tourists in October.

    We stayed in a small hotel in the West End. It was convenient as we did most of our sightseeing on foot. Taxis were too expensive, we couldn't understand the bus routes, and my wife didn't like traveling under the ground. She said it made her feel sick.

     We went to look at the places which all tourists visit. We saw Buckingham Palace and the National Gallery. We went shopping in Oxford Street and spent too much money. What we liked most, though, was going to the theatre. We didn't have the chance to see such wonderful plays at home. A lot of people say English food is bad. We didn't think so. It is true that most of the restaurants are French or Italian or Chinese, but we had some very good meals.

    In fact, we enjoyed our holiday so much that we have already booked again for this year. We are going to take our umbrellas, though. I'm sure we'll need them sometimes.

    T-shirts out; uniforms in

    School uniforms are becoming more and more popular across the U.S.A. That's no surprise, because they offer many benefits. They immediately end the powerful social sorting and labeling (标记) that come from clothing. If all students are dressed in the same way, they will not pay too much attention to their clothing, and some of them will not be laughed at for wearing the “wrong” clothes.

    Some people are against the strict rule of school uniforms, but they do not realize that students already accept a kind of rule — wanting to look just like their friends. The difference is that the clothing students choose for themselves creates social barriers; school uniforms tear those barriers down.

    As in other places, uniforms remind the wearers of their purposes and duties. For example, when a man or woman puts on a police uniform, he or she becomes, for a time, the symbol of law and order. The uniform means to the wearer his or her special duties and sends the same message to everyone the wearer meets. People with different jobs wear uniforms of one kind or another. For students, the school uniform reminds them that their task for the six or seven hours they are in school is to get an education.

    Some parents are unhappy about uniforms, saying that school uniforms will affect their children's “creativity.” First, the clothes students choose to wear do not necessarily express the individuality. They just copy their classmates. Second, students have the rest of the day to be as creative as they like. While they're in school, their job is to master reading, writing, and math; this should take up all the creativity they have. Mastery of those skills will be good for the students to build up their creativity in every way.

Language requirements for all programmes, except Creative Writing

    All teaching for the programmes is in English. We require all applicants whose first language is not English to have one of the following test results:

    Academic IELTS details can be obtained from local British Council offices. The minimum requirement is an overall band score of 6.5 with no less than 6.5 in each of the four elements.

    Applicant's Academic IELTS and Cambridge CAE test results will be directly accessed by our office.

    In order for us to do this, applicants should supply the following information on their application form: Academic IELTS:

    Test Report Form (TRF) number Cambridge CAE/CPE:

    Candidate ID number (this is 3 letters and 6 numbers) and secret number (4 numbers)

    These results should have been achieved in the same sitting, and no more than 2 years before the date of application.

    Language requirements for Creative Writing

    The minimum requirement is an overall Academic IELTS band score of 7.0, with no less than 7.0 in each of the four elements. Applicants with Cambridge CAE require grade A. These results should have been achieved in the same sitting, and no more than 2 years before the date of application.

    In addition to meeting the above language requirements for Creative Writing, all applicants are required to submit a 300-400 word written piece, explaining their reasons for applying.

    All programmes: notice concerning TOEFL test scores

    Please note: Due to UK Government restrictions, we are no longer able to accept TOEFL test scores.