Unit 1 Monologues

1. Is our communication mostly verbal or non-verbal? What gestures do people in your country use to show anger, joy, worry, regret, annoyance and other emotions? What gestures do you use to show your emotions?

93 per cent of our communication with others is non-verbal. We use our bodies all the time. We nod instead of saying “Yes”, shrug our shoulders to mean “I don’t know” or raise our eyebrows to show surprise. We use folded arms as a defensive barrier to protect ourselves when we feel nervous. A loud, hollow (несерьёзный, пустой) laugh is an obvious sign of nerves, too. Placing our hands near the mouth or eyes demonstrates insecurity (ненадёжность) and suggests an attempt to cover up (прятать, маскировать) what you really think.

In my country people use different gestures to show their emotions.

If people are angry they usually have their hands on their hips and they tap (притопывать) their foot. Their face is red and their eyes are narrowed. Their forehead is wrinkled and they have clenched teeth.

If you are joyful you grin and rub your hands with pleasure.

If you are sad you have your head down. You have a downturned (опущенный) mouth and your eyes are cast down (унылые). Your arms are folded (скрещены перед грудью).

If you are embarrassed (смущённый, сконфуженный) your eyelids (веки) are lowered and you are blushing (краснеть). You are giggling. Your feet are turned inwards and you are clasping (сжимать) your hands.

If you are shocked your eyes are wide open and your eyebrows are raised. Your mouth is open and you have your hands raised.

As for me I usually drum my fingers impatiently on the counter as I wait for the manager/shop assistant to come. If I smell something unpleasant, I wrinkle my nose in disgust (недовольство). If I disbelief I shake my head. I usually scratch (чесать) my head thoughtfully as I read the difficult questions in the exam. If I am asked and I don’t know the answer, I just shrug my shoulders. I snap my fingers to attract the waiter’s attention. As you see my gestures are various and I use them as often as not (очень часто).

2. What types of music do you know?

We can hear music everywhere: in the streets and at home, over the radio and on TV, in the shops and in the parks. People listen to music, they dance to music, sing songs, they learn to play musical instruments. There are different kinds of music: folk music, classical music, jazz, pop music, dance music, blues, rock, chamber music, background music, spiritual music.

3. What style of music do you enjoy or hate? Why? (How do they make you feel?)

My favourite style of music is pop music because it is full of energy. It helps me to forget the problem of everyday life. It also helps me to relax when I’m tired. Pop music also entertains me when I’d like to have fun. My favourite group is … . Their most famous songs are ………………………………… .

I admire their style of singing. I find it fascinating (очаровательный) and overwhelming (превосходный). When I have free time, I can’t help listening to their records. I also like having background music while I am working.

I wouldn’t mind listening to dance music. It makes me more energetic. I like dance music because I like to escape from my problems and when I’m dancing, the only thing I’m thinking about is the music and how it makes me feel.

I enjoy listening to classical music too. I find it tuneful (мелодичный, гармоничный) and appealing (притягательный). Classical music gives me pleasure and a sense of happiness. Some pieces of classical music are really wonderful. My favourite composers are Tchaikovsky, Rakhmaninov and Sviridov.

The music I hate is heavy metal. I find it noisy and dreadful (отталкивающий, противный). To my mind, too loud music can destroy our ears. I am indifferent to jazz, blues and spiritual music. They don’t appeal to me.