III. Let’s talk about any English-speaking country.
№ 22
I. 1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.
From librarian to political reporter
The Pretenders is a very successful and popular TV series. In each programme there is a contestant who has just four weeks to learn to do a completely new job. At the end of the month the contestant has to do a ‘test’, where he or she has to do the new job together with three other professionals. Three judges have to identify the one who pretends.
Jessica Winters is a 26yearold librarian. She studied English Literature at the University of Bath before getting a job at the local library. She didn’t know that two of her friends sent her name to the TV company to take part in The Pretenders. ‘When someone from the company called me, I thought it was a joke,’ said Jessica. ‘First of all, I said ‘no’, in the end my friends and my family persuaded1 me and I agreed.’
Jessica had four weeks to turn from a quiet, shy librarian into a confident TV reporter. At the end of the month she had to interview the Minister of Education. It was her test.
An experienced political journalist, Adam Bowles, had to transform Jessica into a professional. He wasn’t very optimistic when he met her. ‘Jessica needs to be a lot harder, even aggressive. She is much too sweet and shy’, said Adam. ‘Politicians will eat her alive.’ They had just 28 days to teach her how to interview people, how to be confident, how to speak clearly.
Jessica was terrified at the beginning. She watched a lot of live interviews with politicians. Adam made her read the political sections of all the newspapers. It was boring for her and she felt exhausted. Later as soon as she began making progress, she felt more relaxed.
During the interview Jessica felt nervous but wellprepared as she had done much research and had practised a lot. ‘When it was all over came the worst part, I had to wait while the judges decided which of us they thought wasn’t a professional’. The judges gave their verdict: they were all professional reporters.
For Jessica it was a great experience and she was pleased how she did it, but actually she doesn’t feel like changing her work.
1 to persuade [pəˈsweɪd] убедить
2. The Pretenders is a famous TV programme. Read aloud the extract about it.
3. How did Jessica make it into the programme?
4. Why was it an exciting and useful experience for Jessica?
|
|
|
II. Listen to three people talking about their favourite countries and answer the questions below.
1. What country does the first speaker like most?
2. What makes Italy a favourite place for the second speaker?
3. Why does the third speaker like Argentina?
Script:
Speaker 1: What's my favourite place? Well, that's a really difficult question! So many countries are fantastic in different ways. I enjoyed my visits to Spain and Germany. But I think China is my favourite country and it is a very interesting place – such a mixture!
Speaker 2: My favourite country is Italy. It's got the most wonderful mountains, coasts, beaches and lakes. Its towns are fabulous – everywhere has lots of history and, of course, there are delicious things to eat. The people are so lively and friendly, too. I love it. Unfortunately, though, some of the towns are very big with lots of factories, as Italy makes things like cars, shoes and canned food products. Those towns aren't much fun to visit.
Speaker 3: Visit Argentina if you get a chance. That's my favourite country and you'll just love it, too. Everyone says that Argentineans are really friendly, and it's true! Of course, there is fantastic music and dancing as well, especially the tango. The country itself is wonderful if you love the great outdoors – huge prairies*, mountain ranges, waterfalls and in the south, glaciers*. My favourite food was the beef. I've never eaten such good beef before. It's just so fresh and natural. It has a different taste to beef in other countries.
III. Let’s talk about national character and stereotypes.
№ 23
I. 1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.
Mi Luna
Mi Luna is a restaurant in the Rice Village. The atmosphere is lively, and the food is delicious. It is a Spanish cuisine restaurant that you will soon consider one of your favourite restaurants.
There are many reasons why this restaurant is special. One is that they make a wonderful dish called Pulpo con Patatas. It’s a delicious Spanish seafood dish which has the following ingredients: octopus, potatoes, salt, olive oil, and chilepiquin1. (Chilepiquin is a special kind of chili that looks like red powder and is very hot.)
|
|
|
Another reason is the place itself. Once you are in the restaurant, you feel a Spanish atmosphere; it is painted with the classical colours that are used in Spain — red, yellow, white, and black. The way this place is decorated is really very impressive. On the walls, there are photos of Spanish bullfighters, taken at the perfect moments of their performances.
On one of the walls, you can enjoy a photo of the famous classical Spanish dance called Flamenco2. In it, the dancers are wearing the traditional clothes, and the lady has in her hands the most famous Spanish musical instrument called castanets3.
The service is pleasant, caring and quick. It makes you want to come back. The waiters just keep looking at your table to find out if you need something. If they see an empty glass, they immediately ask you if you want something else to drink. At all time, they are friendly and ready to clear all the used dishes from your table. They are always smiling because they are trying to make you feel comfortable and happy. They know each dish, so they are able to explain it to you.
On their menu, they serve a large variety of foods, and there is a section on the menu that I like most. In Spain, these dishes are called tapas4. Tapas or appetizers are dishes that have a small amount of food. In this way you will be able to try a lot of different Spanish dishes.
By the time you leave Mi Luna, you are sure to be entirely satisfied and have very good memories of the visit. It is a great place for any occasion, but it is very busy, so don’t forget to book a table first.
1chilepiquin [ˈtʃɪlɪˈpiːkiːn] пикин (сорт горячего перца чили)
2Flamenco [fləˈmeŋkəʊ]
3castanets [ ˌkæstəˈnets]
4tapas [ˈtæːpəs]
2.The service in Mi Luna is very good. Read aloud the extract which says about it.
3. What makes Mi Luna look very Spanish?
4. Why should visitors make reservations in Mi Luna in advance?
Дата добавления: 2019-09-08; просмотров: 641; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы! |
Мы поможем в написании ваших работ!