Grammar Practice Room

The Happiness Quiz تست میزان شادی و رضایت از زندگی

How content are you with your life? Take this HAPPINESS QUIZ to find out how happy you really are.

Across All Cultures, Dreams Affect Behavior رویاها بر رفتار انسان تاثیر می گذارند

They may rarely predict future events, but most people believe they are meaningful- Kevin McKeever

SUNDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- People worldwide subscribe to the belief that you are what you dream, concludes a new series of studies published in February's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Praying 'aids mental health' دعا خواندن به سلامت روحی و روانی کمک می کند

People who pray frequently are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, according to a study. Much research has recently focused on the relationship between mental health and religion - with conflicting results.

Where's Your Umbrella?

We all have something to learn from this girl.
As a drought continued for what seemed an eternity, a small community of
farmers was in a quandary as to what to do. Rain was important to keep
their crops healthy and sustain the townspeople's way of life.
As the problem became more acute, a local pastor called a prayer meeting
to ask for rain.

Many people arrived. The pastor greeted most of them as they filed in. As
he walked to the front of the church to officially begin the meeting he
noticed most people were chatting across the aisles and socializing with
friends. When he reached the front his thoughts were on quieting the
attendees and starting the meeting.
His eyes scanned the crowd as he asked for quiet. He noticed an eleven
year-old girl sitting quietly in the front row. Her face was beaming with
excitement. Next to her, poised and ready for use, was a bright red
umbrella. The little girl's beauty and innocence made the pastor smile as
he realized how much faith she possessed. No one else in the congregation
had brought an umbrella.

All came to pray for rain, but the little girl had come expecting God to
answer.

Does God Exist? خدا را لمس كرده ايد؟

A woman went to a hairdresser to have her hair cut and blow-waved as
usual. She started to have a good conversation with the hairdresser.
They talked about many things and various subjects. Suddenly, they touched
on the subject of God. The hairdresser said: "Look, I don't believe that
God exists as you say."
"Why do you say that?" asked the client.

"Well, it's so easy, you just have to go out in the street to realize that
God does not exist. Tell me, if God existed, would there be so many sick
people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be
no suffering nor pain. I can't think of loving a God who permits all of
these things."
The client stopped for a moment thinking but she didn't want to respond so
as to cause an argument. The hairdresser finished her job and the client
went out of the salon. Just after she left the salon she saw a man in the
street with long hair and a beard. (It seems that it had been a long time
since he had his cut, and he looked so untidy).

Then the client again entered the hairdressing salon and said to the
hairdresser:
"You know what? Hairdressers don't exist."
"How can you say they don't exist?" asked the hairdresser. "I am a
hairdresser and here I am."
"No!" the client exclaimed. "They don't exist because if they did there
would be no people with long hair and beard like that man who walks in the
street."

"Ah, hairdressers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to
me."
"Exactly!" - affirmed the client. "That's the point. God does exist, what
happens is people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why
there's so much pain and suffering in the world.

SURELY GOD EXISTS.LET'S TRUST ON HIM AND WE'LL UNDERSTAND HOW CLOSELY HE WATCHES US AND KEEPS US ON THE SAFE ROAD.GOD HAS LET ME TO FEEL HIS PRESENCE MORE THAN BEFORE SINCE 3 MONTHS AGO.THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING MY DEAR GOD.

The "Be" Attitudes


Be understanding to your perceived enemies.
Be loyal to your friends.
Be strong enough to face the world each day.
Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone.
Be generous to those who need your help.

Be frugal with that you need yourself.
Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.
Be foolish enough to believe in miracles.
Be willing to share your joys.
Be willing to share the sorrows of others.

Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.
Be a follower when you are shrouded by the mists of uncertainty.
Be first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.
Be last to criticize a colleague who fails.
Be sure where your next step will fall, so that you will not tumble.

Be sure of your final destination, in case you are going the wrong way.
Be loving to those who love you.
Be loving to those who do not love you; they may change.
Above all, be yourself.

HOW CAN YOU BE YOURSELF?

GREAT GOD

God makes Man, His first priority.
But, Man makes God his last resort.
Engrave this quote in Our Store! | Rate this Quote! |
-Ceasar Rodriguez, Jr.

have to learn that the aim in life is God's, not mine. God is using me from His great personal standpoint, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him, and never say -- Lord, this gives me such heart-ache.... He simply asks me to have implicit faith in Himself and in His goodness.
Engrave this quote in Our Store! | Rate this Quote! |
-Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost For His Highest"

Who can believe? At last I did it! With the help of my great God, I could be transfered to ......................

My poor weblog, How R U?

Long time,no see! You see my dear, your UP depends on my students' presence in here. Now that the school year has come to its end, there is no incentive for me to put new entries and so no comments. No matter dear! Surely you realize this fact that you were supposed to be an educational weblog not a personal one. However, I’ll make my utmost attempt to let you know about all wonderful incidents in my life. The two most recent ones are moving to Tehran and attending IELTI 4 in tir 27-28, 1386. Great scholars and professors I met at IELTI and wonderful papers were presented there. Too much learning and motivation to keep on my choice of life style!
Dear, just pray and look forward to a new educational year full of learning along with many enthusiastic students.
Hopefully your creation and integration into my English class will yield a great paper (God willing).Please have in mind that you and I owe a debt of gratitude to all my great professors esp. Dr. Marandi, an expert in this field.
Best,
F.N.N

نامگذاری حفره های سیارات منظومه شمسی با نام بزرگان علم و هنر

The name of the late researcher and physician Azar Andami has been registered on Venus planet as the first and sole Iranian woman along with 997 other noted women from around the world.
"International Astronomical Union"--founded in 1919--assigned her name to one of the craters in the Venus in 1992 in an effort to hail her scientific efforts.
The crater is 30 kilometers in diameter.

Different parts of each planet have been named.There are 799 names on Mercury.
All Mercurian craters are named after famous writers and artists such as
Charles Dickens, Sadi Shirazi, Roodaki, Nezami..... .

On which planet would you like your name to be put and why?

A Memo From God یادداشتی از خدای مهربان برای دوستانش

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: God
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!

The Day of Kindness and Benevolence جشن نیکوکاری

What a nice and precious occasion! The Public Invitation for Participating in Giving Aid to the Needy and the Relief Seekers under the Protection Of Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation (IKRF)

My previous post,Lunch With God, is related to Thursday occasion,Esfand 17,The Day of Kindness and Benevolence, in which we offer our cash and non-cash aides of the humanitarian to the needy. Delivering services to the deprived ones is considered as one of the sweetest prayers in our religion and it has been the custom of the Holy Prophet (PBOH) and the Innocent Imams.

So, about this matter God the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:

“Those who hold it dear, give sustenance to the poor, the orphan and the captive saying ‘We feed you for Allah’s sake only; We seek of you neither recompense nor thanks.” سوره مبارکه انسان آيه 8و9 :

«و به دوستی خدا به فقير و اسير و طفل يتيم طعام مي دهند و گويند ما فقط براي رضاي خدا به شما طعام مي دهيم و از شما هيچ پاداش و سپاسي نمي طلبيم.»

Let's have a great lunch with God.Help yourselves to God's blessings everywhere and everyday.

Lunch With God صرف ناهار با خدا

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer, and he started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted. They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, yet they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave. Before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own home a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?

He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I'ver ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face, and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

She replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." But before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Ten things God won't ask خداوند از ده چیز سوال نخواهد کرد

1...God won't ask what kind of car you drove;
He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

2... God won't ask the square footage of your house,
He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3...God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet,
He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

4... God won't ask what your highest salary was,
He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

5...God won't ask what your job title was,
He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6...God won't ask how many friends you had,
He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

7... God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived,
He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

8...God won't ask about the color of your skin,
He'll ask about the content of your character.

9...God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation,
He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

10...God won't ask how many people you forwarded this to,
He'll ask if you were ashamed to pass it on to your friends.

My students' weblogs وبلاگ های انگلیسی دانش آموزان عزیزم

Terrific! You may not believe it. Last week my first grade students created more than 20 weblogs in blogger. This is part of their portfolio implementation project supposed to be representative of my students' progress in reading and writing skills during this spring semester of the year. They were full of enthusiasm while working on their own weblogs. Some of them keep on working and completing their weblogs at home, sth Which is amazing esp for some of my less motivated students. Thanks God. Again this new experience gives me more energy to continue studying and working and working and working and.............
Their weblogs have been linked. It's worth visiting them.

O' My God, you know I have spent a great deal of my time on studying, surfing the net and researching. I wish all these were just for the sake of YOU.

شعر زيبا از یك بچه آفریقایی کاندیدای جایزه ادبی 2005

When I born, I Black,
When I grow up, I Black,
When I go in Sun, I Black,
When I scared, I Black,
When I sick, I Black,
And when I die, I still black...
And you White fellow, When you born, you pink,
When you grow up, you White,
When you go in Sun, you Red,
When you cold, you blue,
When you scared, you yellow,
When you sick, you Green,
And when you die, you Gray...
And you call me colored???

THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH تخته سنگی در وسط جاده

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

Although it takes a lot of my time to work on this weblog and surf the net for nice stories for my nice students, it's surely worth working. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing its benefits. (GOD WILLING)

The man and the Priest گفت وگوی مرد جویای حقیقت وکشیش

“Holy man” – said a novice to the Father Abbot - My heart is full of love for the world and my soul is free of temptations from the Devil. What is my next step?
The abbot asked the disciple to accompany him on a visit to a sick person who needed extreme action. After comforting the family, the abbot noticed that in one of the corners of the house there was a trunk.
“What is inside it?” he asked.
“Clothes that my uncle never used”, said the sick man’s nephew.” He bought everything, always thinking that the right occasion would arise to wear them, but they ended up rotting inside it”.
“Don’t forget that trunk”, said the Father Abbot to his disciple, when they left. “If you have spiritual treasures in your heart, put them into practice now. Or they will rot away.”
اگر همه انسانها گنجهای معنوی درون خویش را با دیگران تقسیم کنند چه دنیایی خواهیم داشت

A story about Heaven and Hell:The Road to Hell داستانی در مورد بهشت و جهنم

Once upon a time, a man was travelling with his horse and his dog. When they passed by a huge tree, lightning struck and all three were killed.

Not realising that they was dead, their souls continued the journey. They walked up a hill and they were tired and thirsty. Soon, they reached a beautiful place which had a marble gateway and fountain sprouting crystal clear water.

“Good morning” the traveller greeted the guard at the gateway.

“Good morning,” he replied.

“What place is this?”

Everything Happens For A Reason هیچ چیز بدون دلیل و شانسی اتفاق نمی افتد

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they
were meant to be there…to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson
or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know
who these people may be but you lock eyes with them, you know that very
moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.
Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of
luck. Illness, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity
all occur to test limits of your soul.

Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight,
flat road to nowhere safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.

خدایا تو را شکر می کنم. افرادی که وارد زندگی من می شوند هر کدام به من درسی می آموزند و من مطمئنم حضورشان تصادفی نیست از اساتید عزیزم همکارانم دوستانم و دانش آموزان عشقم.دانش آموزانم چه پاکند. بعضی از آنها در این سن کم چه خوب می فهمند و چه زیبا می بینند.ای کاش من جای آنها بودم. چه دنیای شگفت انگیزی که سراسر یادگیری است. هر معلمی خود دانش آموزی دیگر است. خوشا به حال دانش آموزان معلم و معلمان دانش آموز

عطیه برتر

اگر به زبان تمامی آدمیان و فرشتگان سخن گویم.... و از عشق بی بهره باشم طبل میان تهی و سنخ پر هیاهوی بیش نیستیم اگر از کرامت غیب دانی و پیش گویی بر خوردار باشم و همه اسرار جهان را در یابم و قلمرو دانش را تمام مسخر کنم و در ایمان چنان راسخ و نیرومند باشم که کوهها را به رفتار آورم و از عشق بی بهره باشم کسی نیستم. اگر همه دارایی خویش به مستمندان بخشم و جسم خویش را به آتش بسپارم و از عشق بی بهره باشم مرا هیچ سود نخواهد بخشید.عشق بردبار و مهربان است عشق از حسد برکنار است عشق لاف خودستایی نمی‌زند عشق اطوار ناپسند ندارد عشق به اندک چیزی در خشم نمی‌آید و اندیشه شر نمی‌کند و از بیعدالتی خشنود نیست اما با حقیقت و راستی شاد و خرم است همه چیز را تحمل می‌کند همه چیز را باور می‌کند و به همه چیز امیدوار است و هیچگاه از پای نمی‌افتد اما پیشگویها همه شکست می‌خورند و زبانها همه قطع می‌شوند و دانشها در غبار زبان پنهان می‌شوند و دانش ما جزیی است و نبوت ما جزیی است و آنچه جزیی است روی در فنا دارد انچه می‌ماند ایمان و امید و عشق است و از این هر سه عشق را بر ترین مقام است.

نوشته پائولو کوئیلو

The secret of Happiness راز شادمانی در چیست؟

The certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for forty days and finally came upon a beautiful castle high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived
"Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero , on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity : tradesman came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of world . The wise man conversed with every one, and the boy had to wait for tow hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention.
The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come , but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.
Meanwhile , I want to ask you to do some thing , said the wise man handing the boy a tea spoon that held two drops of oil . As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.
The boy began and descending the many stairway of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was. "well” asked the wise man did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? did you see the garden that it look the master garden ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchment in my library?
The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.
Then go back and observe the marvels of my world, said the wise man . You cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house.
Relieved the boy picked up the spoon and return to his exploration of the palace , this time observing all of the works of art on ceiling and the walls. he saw the gardens , the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.
But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you? asked the wise man.
Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.
Well there is only one piece of advise I can give you ,said the wisest of wise men. The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never forget about the drops of oil on the spoon.
Paulo Coelho

Students from Jakarta, Indonesia


Picture sent by Ira Fasa, teacher from SMA Labschool Jakarta. SMA stands for Sekolah Menengah Atas which means Senior High School.These students are part of our iEARN project, Learning Circles (pph1).
Wish them all the best.

تولد امام عاشقان و کعبه دلهای جویای حقیقت مبارک باد


امام رضا علیه السلام
ويژگيهاى دهگانه عاقل
1 ـ از او اميد خير باشد.
2 ـ از بدى او در امان باشند.
3 ـ خير اندك ديگرى را بسيار شمارد.
4 ـ خير بسيار خود را اندك شمارد.
5 ـ هـر چه حـاجت از او خـواهنـد دلتنگ نشـود.
6 ـ در عمر خود از دانش طلبى خسته نشود.
7 ـ فقـر در راه خـدايـش از تـوانگـرى محبـوبتـر بـاشــ د.
8 ـ خـوارى در راه خـدايـش از عزت بـا دشمنـش محبـوبتـر بـاشــ د.
9 ـ گمنـامـى را از پـرنـامـى خـواهـانتـر بـاشـد.
10 ـ سپس فـرمـود: اما دهمى ! و چيست دهمى ؟ به او گفته شـد: چيست؟ فـرمـود: احـدى را ننگـرد جز ايـن كه بگـويـد او از مـن بهتـر و پـرهيزكـارتـــر است.

The giving Tree بیاییم لذت بخشندگی را بچشیم


THE GIVING TREE

Once there was a giving tree who loved a little boy.
And everyday the boy would come to play
Swinging from the branches, sleeping in the shade
Laughing all the summer’s hours away.
And so they love,
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon the boy grew older and one day he came and said,
"Can you give me some money, tree, to buy something I’ve found?"
"I have no money," said the tree, "Just apples, twigs and leaves."
"But you can take my apples, boy, and sell them in the town."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon again the boy came back and he said to the tree,
"I’m now a man and I must have a house that’s all my home."
"I can’t give you a house" he said, "The forest is my house."
"But you may cut my branches off and build yourself a home"
And so he did.
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And time went by and the boy came back with sadness in his eyes.
"My life has turned so cold," he says, "and I need sunny days."
"I’ve nothing but my trunk," he says, "But you can cut it down
And build yourself a boat and sail away."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And after years the boy came back, both of them were old.
"I really cannot help you if you ask for another gift."
"I’m nothing but an old stump now. I’m sorry but I’ve nothing more to give"
"I do not need very much now, just a quiet place to rest,"
The boy, he whispered, with a weary smile.
"Well", said the tree, "An old stump is still good for that."
"Come, boy", he said, "Sit down, sit down and rest a while."
And so he did and
Oh, the trees was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

Shel Silverstein

Virtual pals 'soar in importance' دوستان و ارتباطات مجازی زیاد می شوند


Virtual communities are as important as their real-world counterparts, many members of online communities believe.A survey found 43% of online networkers from the US felt "as strongly" about their web community as they did about their real-world friends. It also found 40% of net-users were using the web to stay in contact with people, and 37.7% believed the internet was enabling them to communicate more with friends and family.
Since its beginning, the web has often been used as a tool to meet new people, but in recent years the interaction between web-users has grown dramatically, spawning a new generation of networking sites.

Dan Greenpeace: "I use Myspace primarily for networking,"It's a much more personal and interactive way of communicating with people out there who are actually interested in what you're doing."

Mr Cole added: "The internet has become an essential source of entertainment, information and communication... However, in 2006, we are beginning to measure real growth and discover new directions for the internet as a comprehensive tool that Americans are using to touch the world."

دیگر نیازی به ارتباط با دیگران نیست. اینترنت دوستان مجازی برای ما انتخاب می کند. با آنها گفتگو می کنیم. با اقوام و بستگان خود چت می کنیم و از مشکلاتمان برایشان حرف می زنیم و درددل می کنیم. نیازی به دید و بازدید نیست. اصلا این ارتباطات چه فایده ای دارند؟ شما حتی اگر وقت ندارید می توانیدبا پدر و مادر خود هم ارتباط اینترنتی داشته باشید و مشکلاتشان را اینترنتی حل کنید. دیگر نیازی به حضور استاد و دانشجو در کلاس نیست و اصلا درک حضور استاد و نگاه و کلام او چه معنایی دارد. همه چیز مجازی و اینترنتی می شود. وای بشرامروزی فقط همین را کم داشت. آفرین بر تکنولوژی. زنده باد تفکر نو امروزی. آیاآرامش و صفا و دوستی و لذت دید و بازدید در گذشته می توانستند امروز را تصور کنند؟ هرگز!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟