Trendspotting

A	These days, urban ______________ seem to change very fast. It is more than just clothing and hairstyles that are in style one year and out of date the next; it’s a whole way of living. One year, people wear sunglasses on top of their heads and wear jeans and boots; they drink white wine and sushi at Japanese restaurants; for exercise they jog several miles a day. However, the next year everything has changed. Women wear long skirts; people drink expensive water from France and eat pasta at Italian restaurants; everyone seems to be exercising at health clubs. Then, suddenly, it has changed again. Men shave their heads and wear earrings; people wear only natural ______________ (safe for the environment); they drink ______________ coffee and eat Thai food; for both leisure and exercise, adults may go bicycling; and some younger people may go skateboarding.
	Fads
B	Almost nothing in modern life escapes the ______________ of fashion: food, sports, music, exercise, books, slang words, movies, furniture, places to visit, even names go in and out of fashion. For a while, it seemed that all new parents in the U.S. were naming their babies Heather, Dawn, Mike, and Adam. These names were “in.” then, suddenly, these names were “out”, and Madison, Amber, and Jason were “in.” it’s almost impossible to write about specific ______________ because these interests that people ______________ follow can change very quickly.
	The Essence of a Fad
C	This is the ______________, the central quality, or a fad: it doesn’t last long. Some fads disappear before we have even heard of them. How many people remember Green Peace swimsuits? (They changed color to indicate polluted water). And then there was “Beethoven Bread”. Popular in Japan in 1994, it was expensive - $20 for one loaf. It was made while classical music played in the kitchen. The woman who created this bread emphasized that “bread doesn’t like rock music.” In 2005, a company introduced a new toothbrush, “Tooth Tunes”, which brought music “from the teeth to the ears.” These fads quickly disappeared.
	the Reasons for Fads
D	What causes such fads to come and go? And why do so many people follow them? Although clothing designers and manufacturers influence fads in fashion because they want to make a ______________, this desire for money doesn’t explain fads in other areas, such as language. For example, why have English-speaking teenagers in the past 25 years used – at different times – the ______________ words groovy, boss, awesome, rad, or tubular instead of simply saying “wonderful”? According to Jack Santino, an expert in popular culture, people who follow fads are not irrational; they simply want to be part of something new and creative, and they feel good when they are part of an “in group”. Santino believes that fads are common in any country that has a strong consumer economy. However, because of TV, movies, and the Internet, fads are now common worldwide and spread very fast. Increasingly, they seem to begin in Asia, especially in Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea.
	Fads and Trends
E	Santino points out that it’s sometimes difficult to see the difference between a fad and a ______________. A fad, he says, lasts a very short time and is not very important. A trend lasts much longer. A recent trend is the interest in good health, but many fads come from this trend: aerobic exercise, kickboxing, organic vegetables, or special diets like carbohydrate-counting. A trend in the 1980s was the use of personal computers; certain computer games were fads. However, these days we can’t really continue we can’t really continue to call computers a “trend” because now they have become an essential part of everyday life.
	Trendspotting
F	______________ is the ability to identify a trend at an early stage – an extremely important skill in the business world. The first company that can correctly identify a new trend (and do something with it) has a ______________ - an advantage – over other companies. The person who founded the Starbucks chain of coffeehouses was able to ______________ a trend – interest in quality and variety of coffee. Today, people buy Starbucks products in shopping centers, airports, and supermarkets everywhere. But when a development in popular culture is new, it’s difficult to ______________ between a fad and a trend. Trendspotters need to ask themselves: will this become an important global trend, or it is just a passing fad? “Hello Kitty” began as a fad but became a trend. People who ______________ their funds in Green Peace swimsuits, however, probably regret their decision. Clearly, they mistook a fad for a trend.
	Popular Culture and the University
G	Possibly because of the importance of trend spotting in business, more and more universities are offering classes in popular culture. Some even offer a major in popular culture. Parents of students at New York University have sometimes been surprised to find their children taking such classes as “Inside the Mouse” (about the influence of Disney), “Golden Arches East” (about McDonald’s in Asia), or “Hope in a Jar” (about the cosmetics industry). At Bowling Green State University, in Ohio, there has been a course on Pokémon, found in Japanese culture. At other schools, students might ______________ in “The History of Rock ’n’ Roll”, “Addiction in Literature”, and “Smoking and Advertising”. Many people don’t take such classes seriously. However, companies are seeking out graduates of Bowling Green, which actually offers a master’s degree in popular culture. These graduates find jobs in advertising, television, publishing, and manufacturing. With an understanding of popular culture, these graduates are becoming the new trend spotters. The question now becomes this: Are courses in popular culture just a fad or a real trend?

• Read the sentences below and select the main idea of the text.

1. Fads in fashion are common because clothing manufacturers make more money if syles change very often.

2. Trends, which are basically long-lasting, are important for both social and business reasons.

3. Fads usually last a very short time, but they can be a lot of fun.

4. People follow many different kinds of fads because they like to be part of something new and creative.

5. The ability to distinguish between fads and trends is increasingly important in the business world.

• Find a definition or a synonym in the text for each word or expression below.

1	lifestyle	___________________________________________________
2	fads	___________________________________________________
3	essence	___________________________________________________
4	profit	___________________________________________________
5	slang	___________________________________________________
6	trend	___________________________________________________
7	trend spotting	___________________________________________________
8	competitive edge	___________________________________________________
9	distinguish	___________________________________________________
10	enroll	___________________________________________________

• Read the text again and answer the vocabulary questions below.

1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to wear, as it is used in Paragraph A?

1. show signs of being used very roughly

2. use as a piece of clothing or jewelry

3. remain useful for a long time

4. display publicly

2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to out, as it is used in Paragraph B?

1. far away

2. extended

3. discovered

4. unpopular

3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to and then, as it is used in Paragraph C?

1. also

2. in the past

3. however

4. at that time

4. Which of the following is closest in meaning to follow, as it is used in Paragraph D?

1. walk behind

2. come next participate in

3. talk about

5. Which of the following is closest in meaning to areas, as it is used in Paragraph D?

1. parts of life

2. parts of the world

3. kinds of communication

4. kinds of business

6. Which of the following is closest in meaning to lasts, as it is used in Paragraph E?

1. comes to an end

2. continues to be present

3. influences society

4. remains good to eat

7. Which of the following is closest in meaning to founded, as it is used in Paragraph F?

1. bought

2. discovered

3. closed

4. started

8. Which of the following is closest in meaning to taking, as it is used in Paragraph G?

1. delivering

2. stealing

3. showing interest in

4. studying in

Listening 2

Who’s taking care of the children?

1. You are going to listen to an interview on a TV talk show. Listen to the introduction. Then answer the questions.

• What is the talk about?

• Who is Julie Jones going to interview?

• What are the three questions you think Julie Jones will ask?

2. Read the list of issues. Listen to the TV talk show. Put the issues in order from 1 to 5.

___The difference between a nanny and a sister

___Child care in the United States

___What a nanny does

___What one husband thinks about male nannies

___How this man became a nanny

3. Listen to the TV talk show again. Circle the sentence that is true.

   1. a. More than 50 percent of families with children in the United States pay for child care. b. Fewer than 50 percent of families in the United States pay for child care.

   2. a. A woman is sometimes called a manny. b. A man is sometimes called a munny.

   3. a. A male and female nanny do the same things. b. A male and female nanny do different things.

   4. a. A sitter usually does household chores. b. A nanny usually does household chores.

   5. a. This male nanny thinks child care is women’s work. b. This male nanny doesn’t think child care is women’s work.

   6. a. This male nanny went to a special school. b. This male nanny didn’t go to a special school.

   7. a. Most parents like male nannies. b. Some parents like male nannies.

   8. a. The woman who hired this male nanny was surprised. b. The woman who hired this male nanny wasn’t surprised.

   9. a. At first, the woman’s husband didn’t like the many being alone with his wife. b. At first, the woman’s husband liked the many being alone with his wife.

   10. a. This male nanny has friends who are mannies. b. This male nanny doesn’t have friends who are mannies.

4. Listen to the excerpts from the listening. Discuss these questions with a partner.

Excerpt 1

Who likes male nannies? Why? Think of three reasons.

Excerpt 2

Are male nannies the same as fathers? What are some differences?

Think back to when you were a child. Would you have liked a nanny? If yes, would you have liked a male or female nanny? Why?

Listening 3

Who is right for the job?

1. Listen to the conversations. The people are discussing men’s and women’s work. Who do the people think can do the work? Circle men, women, or both. Then listen again and write the reasons.

	WHO CAN DO THE JOB?	REASON
Conversation 1 What does the man think?	men/women/both
Conversation 2 What does the man think?	men/women/both
Conversation 3 What does the woman think?	men/women/both

Video

Video 1 Watch a report on male and female roles The Stay-at-Home Dad’(North Star Video) and answer the following questions:

1. What are the traditional roles of men and women?

2. How have the roles changed?

3. Why do in some families men take the responsibilities at home?

4. Where did Michael use to work? What were the disadvantages of it?

5. Why does he consider himself a part of the family? What prevented him from thinking this way before? How much do you agree to this kind of definition?

6. How long had Robin stayed at home before they decided to change roles?

7. Does she like the change? Why?

8. How many children are there in the family?

9. What is the kids’ attitude to the state of things?

10. Does Michael have any problems with the household chores?

11. What are the challenges?

12. What is it ‘being on the frontline’?

13. What is your opinion of the changing roles of men and women? What consequences might there be?

Video 2 Watch the report Climbers (Headway Elementary Video). Do the exercises that follow.

Writing

1. Write the summary of the text “Trendspotting”.

2. Choose one of the following topics. Write two or three paragraphs. Use some of the vocabulary of the unit:

• Lynne Cox is often called the ‘swimming ambassador.’ Explain why she is called this.

• Write about a professional athlete you admire.

• Make reports on different kinds of extreme sport.

3. Work with a partner. Match each situation on the left with the most appropriate quote from the coach, on the right.

   Encouraging a player to accept a challenge.	‘Put up with it just a little longer.’
   Telling a player that he is outstanding.	‘It’s hard. But I know you can do it.’
   Telling a player to tolerate a difficulty.	‘You ran that race faster than anyone ever ran it before.’
   Complimenting a player who broke a record.	‘You did very well this year: Twelve wins and only two losses.’
   Summarizing the team’s achievement.	‘You’re better than most players I know of. You’re the best player on the team.’
   Praising a player for her talent.	‘You’re a natural athlete.’

4. Complete the following sentences with the words in the box.

borders encouraged organs tolerate broke national outstanding waves

1. Athletes’ hearts, lungs, and other major _____ are in excellent condition.

2. An open-water swimmer must _____ cold.

3. In the water, Lynne Cox can’t see the _____ she crosses.

4. First, she ran in small local races; then when she was good enough, she ran in _____ races.

5. Big _____ are a problem – they make swimming difficult.

6. She lost the race and wanted to quit, but her friends _____ her to try again.

7. He was a(n) _____ boxer; he won the heavyweight championship.

8. In 1992, Yoko _____ the world record for speed skating 1000 meters.

5. Translate the following sentences into English using the vocabulary of the unit.

1) Его предупредили, что его грубое поведение больше не потерпят.

2) Чтобы заниматься живописью, надо иметь выдающийся талант.

3) Готовясь к соревнованиям, спортсмен надеялся побить мировой рекорд.

4) Каждый должен быть вознагражден за свои достижения.

5) За последний месяц сотни беженцев пересекли границу.

6) Мне нравится эта должность именно потому, что я все время должен преодолевать трудности.

7) Компании в таких государствах должны разрабатывать и создавать самые современные товары для сохранения конкурентоспособного преимущества.

8) Последнее время модно класть лед в шампанское, но это не стало пока трендом.

9) Люди, способные выявлять новые тенденции, как правило, обладают определенным опытом и знаниями в области поп-культуры.

10) Следование всякого рода модным веяниям и трендам для некоторых людей составляет смысл жизни.

11) Хип-хоп - это стиль жизни со своим собственным языком, стилем одежды, музыкой, умонастроением (mind set).

12) Неразумно было так реагировать. Вы слишком восторженно отзывались о его выступлении.

13) Я почти ничего не мог разглядеть в утреннем тумане (mist).

14) В этом году на курсы записалось более 800 человек.

Discussion

1. In a group of three or four. Look at and discuss the lives of some outstanding people. All these people should be the ones who could be admired for something. For each person, think about the following things:

• What challenges did he or she face in life?

• How talented is he or she?

• How hardworking was he or she?

• How great were his or her achievements?

• What did he or she achieve outside his or her profession – in other areas of life?

Discuss your decisions in class.

2. Statements can be options or facts. An opinion is something you believe to be true. Different people can have different opinions about the same thing. You can agree or disagree with an opinion. Facts are statements that are true for everyone.

Look at the sentences. Which are opinions and which are facts? Write an O for opinion and an F for fact. Then compare your answers with those of a partner.

___1. Men can’t have babies.

___2. Men can’t be male nannies.

___3. Women aren’t strong.

___4. Women can’t be in the army because it’s a man’s job.

___5. There are more women in the world than men.

___6. Women take care of children because it’s a women’s job.

___7. Men and women can both teach children.

___8. Women can’t be mechanics because they can’t learn how to fix cars.

What are some other common opinions and facts about men and women? Discuss your ideas in the class.