- •Avakova t. F., Gubernatorova m. A., Fedyaeva o. V. Get ready for exam:
- •Contents
- •People around you Look beyond your looks
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Ex.2 Give your advice to the person who is dissatisfied with the way he / she looks. Work in pairs and make up a dialogue. Ex.3 Retell the text. School Reunions: Friends Reunited
- •Ex.2 Make the summary of the text. Boys will be boys
- •Comprehension Ex.1 For questions 1-8, choose from the students a-d. You can choose some students more then once.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •How you spend your time / entertainment
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Decide if the writer is for or against people who draw graffiti, or whether his opinion is not clear. Ex.2 Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences.
- •Discussion
- •Internet Addiction
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Discussion
- •Free Chat Sites – an Exciting Way of Spending Free Time
- •Comprehension
- •Discussion
- •‘Bye, Mum. See you later!’
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Choose from the list (a-I) the sentence which best summarizes each part (1-8) of the article. There’s one extra summary which you do not need to use.
- •Ex.2 Write a word or phrase from the article in each gap to complete the sentences.
- •Discussion
- •Extreme sports
- •Comprehension
- •Discussion
- •Countries and cities
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Discussion
- •Iceland
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Discussion
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Are the sentences true or false? Correct the false ones.
- •Discussion
- •What is it like living in London?
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Discussion
- •Islands – Singapore, St. Lucia, Sicily
- •Life story
- •When fame hits the family
- •Comprehension
- •Ex.2 Find out which of the famous people mentioned in the text:
- •Discussion
- •They came to a sticky end
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Discussion
- •Jobs and careers
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Put these statements in the order that they appear in the text.
- •Discussion
- •The Apprentice: you’re fired!
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Are the following sentences are true or false? Correct the false ones.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Learn to speak body language
- •Comprehension Ex.1 From statements a-k choose six which reflect the content of the text.
- •News and media
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Mark the sentences true, false or no information. Correct the false ones.
- •Discussion Ex.1 In pairs do the quiz about the ‘firsts’ and the ‘bests’ media products in Russia. Explain your choice. Compare your results with the classmates.
- •Turn off tv and turn on life!
- •Tv Crime. Does it affect us?
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Which person or people hold(s) these opinions?
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Visiting different cultures East and West Cultural Differences
- •Different Strokes a look at the differences in character between the British and Americans
- •Meeting Americans and Brits
- •Comprehension
- •Discussion
- •National Characteristics
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Discussion
- •How Do Mexicans Celebrate the Day of the Dead?
- •Things around you
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Ex.2 Retell the text Walking Cell Phone
- •Internet helps families stay more in touch
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Are the following sentences true or false? Correct the false ones.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions
- •Ex.2 Are you connected? Are you in regular contact with people? Complete the table below. Share what you wrote with your partner(s).
- •Ex.3 Which of these things are most important to you? Rank them in order. Justify your choice.
- •Children into computers younger than ever
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Are the following sentences true or false? Correct the false ones.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Decide which of these gadgets are most important to you. Explain your choice.
- •Ex.2 Answer the following questions.
- •Test 'Are you a fashion victim?' Do this test and find out if you are a fashion victim. Do you agree with the results? Why? Why not?
- •Your score:
- •Answers:
- •Society and the future Robotic future rushes towards us
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Choose from the list a-h the sentences which best summaries each part (1-8) of the extract. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Are the following sentences true or false? Correct the false ones.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Dealing with money
- •How not to get rich quick
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Are the following sentences true or false? Correct the false ones.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •What a waste!
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Are the following sentences true or false? Correct the false ones.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Ex.3 Work in pairs.
- •Is this fair? Make up a dialogue.
- •Rules and Freedom Triumph and despair
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Choose from the list a-I the sentence which best summarises each part (1-8) of the article. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Parents tried to sell baby on eBay
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Are the following sentences true or false? Correct the false ones.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Animal rights and wrongs
- •Comprehension Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
- •Problems and how to solve them The greatest killer
- •First time in trouble
- •Extra hints How to write a comment
- •How to write a summary
- •Useful phrases for retelling
Discussion Ex.1 Answer the following questions.
Do most people read newspapers in our country? If so, are they national or regional?
Do you read a daily newspaper? What is your favourite section?
Are some newspapers more reliable than others?
Are any newspapers influenced by a particular political party?
Do you believe everything you read and hear in the news? Why / Why not?
Would you like to be a journalist or an editor? Why? Why not?
Ex.2 Why do you read, watch or listen to news?
Write a value of 1 (strongly disagree) to 10 (strongly agree) in the middle column for each of the reasons in the left column. Explain in full, with examples, exactly why you chose your scores.
Reason |
Value |
Explanation |
To feel intelligent |
|
|
To stay informed |
|
|
Because I'm a world citizen |
|
|
News is fascinating |
|
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I love discussing current events |
|
|
To kill time |
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To find out new things |
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Visiting different cultures East and West Cultural Differences
This is a list of some of the cultural differences between East and West. Read it and decide in which aspects Russia is like East and in which ones we are closer to West. Give an example to prove your point.
Topic |
West |
East |
|
Sharing |
Westerners are not expected to share treats that they have with their friends. It is not considered rude to buy a chocolate bar and then to eat it around other people. |
Easterners consider it rude to not share treats with your friends. In a country where things like fruits and candy are rare, when one person has some, their friends share with them. |
|
Group Dynamics |
In a normal discussion, Westerners can interrupt each other. They tend to find silence uncomfortable in conversations. |
Easterners do not generally interrupt each other. Especially in group discussions, there must be pauses if they are to feel comfortable volunteering their opinion. They are unlikely to ‘dive in’ to the conversation |
|
Greetings and Goodbyes |
'How’s it going ?' and 'How are you ?' are common greetings that Westerners use. It is often just a greeting, and nothing more. It is not that they don’t care about your answer; they are simply saying hello. A good answer is ‘Not bad.’ Westerners also tend to leave conversations quicker than Easterners. If they get up and leave during a conversation, they are not necessarily offended or being rude. |
Easterners tend to be more formal about ending a conversation. They expect some cues that the person they are speaking with is about to leave. It is considered rude to quickly withdraw from a conversation. |
|
Chivalry |
Equality between men and women is valued in the West. To imply that women are weaker, more emotional or that they need protection can be offensive. |
Chivalry is still alive and well in the East. Many women expect doors to be opened for them, to be served first at dinner, and for help in carrying heavy things. |
|
Leadership |
Westerners resent being told what to do, or how to do it. Leaders in the West usually make their requests as questions instead of commands. For example, telling a Westerner 'Go do the dishes', even if you are the boss, will irritate them. 'Could you help out with the dishes ?' will have the same effect, without them resenting you. |
Authoritarian leadership is much more tolerated in the East, also in churches. Leadership is hierarchical, not team based. When an Easterner who is your boss orders you to do something, they aren’t necessarily power-tripping, they’re just trying to do their job. |
|
Questions
|
Asking questions is very important in the West. The main way that people get to know each other is to ask questions about the other person. It is a way of showing interest in the other person. If they don’t want to answer, they will avoid the question, but are unlikely to be offended. Don’t be afraid to bring up questions or concerns. |
Easterners are taught not to ask questions. They tend to get to know people more by spending time with them. If you do ask a personal question, you may have to ask several times before getting an answer. Easterners are less likely to complain about problems directly, but rather let it build up inside. There is a concern ‘not to be a pest’. |
|
Vices |
Smoking and drinking are not considered sinful by most Westerners. Drinking is a part of a most Western parties. |
Smoking, drinking and swearing are big no-nos in most Eastern Protestant churches. Alcohol in particular is a sensitive issue for many Easterners. |
|
Invitations |
Westerners are not likely to invite people to join them when they get together to talk. If there is a group gathered, you are generally welcome to join, even if they don’t invite you. If they are speaking quietly, or don’t look up and greet you, it is probably a private conversation |
Easterners’ social get-togethers usually involve an invitation. Unless explicitly invited to a gathering many Easterners won’t feel welcome just showing up. |
|
Work |
Westerners do not take their work as personally as Easterners tend to. It is not that they don’t care about their work. They are more relaxed about their jobs. |
Easterners tend to take their work personally. Tromping across their freshly cleaned floor, or showing up late when you are to be working with them can be seen as disrespectful. |
|
Humility |
Westerners tend to be more honest about their skills, and to value a high self esteem. They are not necessarily being arrogant if they openly admit that they are good at something. |
Easterners are less likely to volunteer their talents. They will wait for someone to ask them to use their skills, rather than jumping in and volunteering them. |
|
Money |
Westerners have grown up with more money than is needed for their basic needs. They don’t usually consider themselves rich, and not trying to flaunt their wealth. Westerners have a less serious attitude about money and will often spend it on luxuries. |
Money is often a sensitive issue for Easterners. Many are here on scholarships, and are saving their pocket money to send back home. They often perceive that we take our relatively abundant cash flow for granted. |
|
Relationships |
Westerners can have affectionate guy-girl friendships without any romantic interest. Be cautious in assuming a Westerner is romantically interested, even if their behaviour appears intimate. If you’re not kissing or holding hands, you’re probably not dating. |
Easterners tend to have a much lower threshold of what is considered a relationship. What Westerners might consider a normal guy-girl friendship can be read as definite interest in the other person. In particular, spending time alone with someone of the opposite sex is a strong sign of interest. |
|
Language |
You are probably more critical of your own language skills than Westerners are. Don’t be afraid to make lots of mistakes; Westerners won’t mind. |
It’s easy to speak too quickly and to use slang which has the effect of excluding Easterners. Typical conversation topics like sports and television are outside the knowledge base of most Easterners. |
|
Friendships |
Westerners place a high value on having fun. This doesn’t mean that they don’t care about serious issues. If they see someone upset, they will often assume that the person wants to be left alone, unless they are good friends. Westerners can become intimate quite quickly in friendships, but that doesn’t mean that they are committed. Commitment takes longer to happen. |
Easterners tend to value people being concerned about them when they are upset or depressed. If your questions are not welcome, they will indicate it, but will generally appreciate the concern.
In the East, commitment is more closely tied to intimacy. There is an expectation that friendship, after a deep talk, will continue at the same level. |
|
Notes
treat |
угощение |
cue |
намек |
to withdraw |
заканчивать, выбывать |
equality |
равенство |
to imply |
подразумевать |
chivalry |
рыцарство |
to resent |
возмущать, обежать |
to tolerate |
терпеть |
power-trip |
упоение властью |
concern |
забота, обеспокоенность |
pest |
зануда, надоеда |
sinful |
неправедный, греховный |
issue |
вопрос, проблема |
explicitly |
прямо, точно, явно |
to tromp |
топать |
self esteem |
чувство собственного достоинства |
arrogant |
высокомерный, заносчивый |
to flaunt |
выставлять напоказ |
luxuries |
предметы роскоши |
scholarships |
стипендия |
to perceive |
воспринимать |
to take for granted |
принимать как должное |
affectionate |
нежный, крепкий |
cautious |
осторожный, осмотрительный |
to assume |
предполагать, считать |
intimate |
близкий, личный, сердечный |
threshold |
порог |
to exclude |
исключать |
committed |
преданный |
to appreciate |
ценить |
to be tied to |
быть связанным |
intimacy |
тесные дружеские отношения, близость |