Text: " “That guy is the worst! I don’t want to work with him. Please, pair me up with anyone else.” I begged my boss but he wouldn’t hear it. He said that Samir has experience with this project and that he would be able to lead me. So not only do I have to work with him, but I also have to follow him? How am I supposed to work with a guy I don’t trust? I don’t know how on earth he earned the trust of the boss but from what I have seen, he’s a loose cannon. He is unpredictable and not in a good way. He plays the fool but I can see through him. He is a calculating, conniving, always looking out for number one kind of person. I don’t trust him farther than I can throw him. I have proof for what I am saying. I saw him take credit for work he didn’t do. I saw him steal our colleagues ideas. I saw him harass one intern and bully another, plus I know he cheats on his wife all over town. And I know all this is after being here for only one year. Who knows what else he is guilty of? Who knows if he steals from the treasury or if he cooks the books? Who knows if he lies about us to look good? Oh my God! What am I going to do? I can’t stand the idea of working closely with him. Integrity is very important to me. I just want to do my job and go home. I don’t need this kind of added stress. "

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Text: "I have been working for six years now and I feel like I am finally in a good place financially. I want to reward myself for working so hard by going on a trip to Italy. I had to put money aside every month for the past two years to be able to afford this trip but I think it will be worth it. Why else would I work so hard if I can’t have some fun once in a while, and if not now, then when? I am single, I have no responsibilities other than taking care of myself, my parents still have their health and …I might be overthinking this. It’s just a trip. I am feeling a little nervous because I chose to not go through a travel agency. I bought my plane tickets online and I booked a hotel through a website. I have to apply for a visa all by myself, like a big girl. I am so scared of being rejected. I feel like it would break my heart. I know there are worse things in life but I would really hate to see that stamp of rejection. I am tired of having an empty passport. In any case, I have to try. I gathered all my documents. I have bank statements, proof of employment and travel insurance. I got photos taken and I filled out the application forms. Those get me so nervous I forget how to spell my name. I even added a birth certificate for some reason. I don’t think any other country on earth cares about that document but I had to submit it so many times for so many random things that it’s just part of the process for me now. I am praying that this will be enough. It’s all I can do, do my best and pray. Wish me luck!"

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Text: "My brother Farid and I started a Youtube channel. We make comedy sketches. We dress up in silly make shift costumes and basically embarrass ourselves for ten minutes at a time. We have very different personalities. He is spontaneous and full of energy while I have a hard time finding something funny to say on the fly. I have to script, rehearse and prepare myself mentally before shooting. Half the time he doesn’t even know what the video is going to be about. I do most of the thinking and coming up with a set up and when we start shooting he riffs off and starts saying whatever crosses his mind. He has no filter. That’s how he is in real life as well. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He has made many life changing decisions in the spur of the moment, like that time he moved to Adrar and stayed there for two years. He has said many inappropriate things and only got away with it because he is so funny and charming. He could give you the shirt off his back if he saw you needed something. He has a hard time keeping a job because he is all over the map but this hobby of ours is really working well for both of us. He has the freedom to be himself, more than that, he shines not in spite of his personality but thanks to it. He helps me loosen up. I tend to be a bit more rigid and goal oriented. We need that too for our project. We really complement each other. It’s a hobby now but who knows, we might become professional comedians some day or maybe start a business together. I don’t know. The future is full of possibilities."

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Text: "I’m in the bus going to Cherchell. I am sitting by the open window and I can feel the salt air of the Mediterranean Sea on my face. It’s a scorchingly hot day but the bus is going fast so the air feels cool on my skin. I look at the people in the bus and wonder about their lives. I love people watching. I know that every single one of us has a unique story and I would love to know each one of them. People would think I am weird if I started interviewing random passengers so I will just use my imagination. I see a mother with her three children. The kids are wearing colorful shorts and holding floaties. They are going to the beach for sure. I wonder if it’s a spacial day or if it is part of their routine. I love that she didn’t let the heat and the inconvenience of public transport stop her from making memories with her little ones. There’s an old man in a tank top. That’s a pretty rare sight. Old men usually hide their shoulders around here. His skin is leathery but he looks quite fit for someone his age. My guess is that he worked out his whole life. There’s a young man wearing headphones and blasting Rai music. I wonder if Cherchell is his home or if he’s just going for a visit. I wonder if he has a special someone to love him. I wonder about his dreams and aspirations. The young man sitting next to me asks me to close the window, that’s a good opportunity to strike up a conversation. I will try to discover his life story. "

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Love.

Text: "I usually do my chores on Fridays. It's my only day off so I try to get caught up with cleaning and get everything ready for the next week. I always start with the bathroom. I scrub the sink and the shower. I don't have a tub and I don't mind that. I don't really enjoy taking baths, it feels like such a waste of water, plus, it makes no sense to me to just sit there simmering in my own dead skin. Yuk. After making the sink and the shower shine, I move on to the mirror. I wipe it down. I’m always shocked at how quickly it gets dirty again. I, then throw in a load of laundry before moving on to the kitchen. When the kitchen is clean I feel like the whole house is clean. I cooked some tomato sauce last night so there are red dried splatters on the tiles and on the stove. I was too tired to clean up so I just ate and went to bed. Maria will probably stop by this afternoon just to say hi. She likes to check on me, to see if I’m doing okay. Living abroad can be very lonely so I’m grateful to have such a caring neighbor. We go to the same university but we have different majors. I take marine biology and she studies psychology."

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Text: " Hey, long time no see. What's up? I have been kind of MIA for a while, it's true. I've had a busy year. In January I got a new job and got pregnant. Yes, both at the same time. In October I delivered the baby and my first born turned two in November, so you can imagine! You can say that my hands are full. This is no excuse to completely disappear, I know, but I hope you can understand that I have a lot on my plate and it's hard to make time for hobbies. How have you been? I hope you've had a wonderful year. I know that it is hard sometimes to stay positive and upbeat when so much in the world is going wrong. When you read the news you think that the world is falling apart and the humanity has gone mad. Humans are strange creatures that are hard to understand sometimes. In the midst of the chaos, I hope you are still working hard and trying your best to find joy. I know I am. Doing our best is all we can do. My heart is with our brothers and sisters in Palestine and Sudan but I won't let that be an excuse to not do my work. Let's talk soon. I'll be here once a week, hopefully. That's it for now. Take care. Bye. "

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Tip of the day: Try to use an IELTS book.

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Text: " Of course we’re going to have a power outage now! Typical! Every time there’s a little bit of rain we can expect to be in the dark. I wonder how long it’s going to last this time. I find that outrageous. They should have found a solution by now. Honestly, what annoys me the most is not the fact that I can’t switch on the light and I am not too worried about the food in the fridge, it can last many hours no problem. My biggest concern is that I have to submit my assignment before midnight tonight and with the power out, the router is off and that means no internet. Ah. I am so mad. I am actually mad at myself. I don’t know why I leave everything to the last minute. Had I finished my work earlier, I wouldn’t have been so stressed right now. I would have just relaxed like I used to when I was a child. It might sound strange but I have fond memories of the power outages that happened when I was a kid. I remember everyone would leave their room and gather in the living room. No TV, no internet, no reading, no cooking, no distractions, just some time to talk and be together. We would light a few candles, sit anywhere and Dad would retell us our favorite stories from his own childhood. We would laugh at my uncle’s mischief, like the time he filled all the sugar and salt bags with sand. He wanted to prank his mom and got into big trouble for that. My sister Nora would impersonate members of the family and we would try to guess who it was. My brother Djamel would play the guitar and sing. I am the youngest so I would sit on Mom’s lap and enjoy the show. It was good bonding time. We always felt closer afterwards. Oh! The power is back on. Thank God! I can now complete my homework and send it to my teacher."

Listen to this conversation between a fitness coach and a prospective client.

Text: "- Hi, I just randomly found myself on your Instagram page and I liked your style. I saw that you work at different gyms and one of them is in my neighborhood. I am interested in working with you. I just have a few questions just to make sure you are a good fit for what I’m looking for.

- Hi, yes, sure, I’d be happy to answer any question you have.

- I’d like to know how you structure your workouts.

• Well, I usually interview my prospective client and listen to what they want. Do they want to gain weight or do they want to shed a few kilos? Do they want to work on their appearance or do they want to build strength and cardio? I also ask about their motivation. Did they choose to start working out or did the doctor send them to me? After that we have one session where I see what they can do. We try different exercises and see what they seem to enjoy the most. I think it is important to like a workout in order to stick to it.
• - I like that. Being a good listener is a big plus. This would be my first time with a PT so I will probably be a little bit lost.
• No worries at all. I work with beginners all the time.
• Can you provide references or testimonials from past clients who were beginners?
• Yes, sure, you can find some before and after photos on our Instagram. I can send you a link if you want.
• And, what is your availability for training sessions and do you offer any online options?
• Well, it depends on where you live. Where do you live?
• On Concord Street, near Fitness 360.
• Oh, I see. I am there on Thursdays and Fridays all day. I also do online classes on Sunday evenings. You can also find me at Maria’s Gym on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. It’s not exactly your neighborhood but it’s only a 15 minutes drive.
• I think we can workout something. How much do you charge for your services and do you offer any package options? Also, what is your cancellation policy?
• It’s 2000 DA/ hour or 16000 DA for 10 sessions and that saves you a bit of money. The online class is 200 DA.
• That’s good to know. Thank you for answering all my questions. I will think about all this and get back to you soon.
• Sounds great."