SPECIAL REQUEST TO EDUCATION MINISTER
When the senior class of Gardane School heard that it might not get a new teacher for their elementary school, the pupils wrote to the Minister of Education. They live in or near a village in a mountainous district of Martonia where it is difficult to recruit doctors and teachers. Their request was published in a national paper and has become a common topic of conversation in a country where there is great concern about people leaving rural areas for the cities. This is the letter:
Dear Minister,
We are writing to ask for your help. We need a new teacher for the senior class in our school, and we are worried because our parents have been told that the Ministry cannot find one. Our school is very important to us and we like coming here to learn.
Gardane is a small village. Every visitor from the city says our valley is very beautiful and that we are lucky to live here. So why isn't there a new teacher who wants to come here? We don't mind how old the new teacher is, or whether it's a man or a woman. They should like the country and outdoor life, and be healthy. We would like someone who is patient, happy and does not shout. The teacher should be clever and know how to help us understand things. We'd like our teacher to be properly dressed and to come on time. They should be kind, make us feel happy in the school, and help us make our classroom nice. We would like someone who thinks of exciting things to do, inside and outside school. For example, our last teacher got us to write down the history of the village which our grandparents knew — we didn't realise how much the village had changed; make a nature calendar so we learned more about farming and about the animals and plants in our valley; read all sorts of books and write a newspaper about our village.
If the Ministry does not send us a teacher, we will have to leave our families and our valley to go to school.
Please help us!
Yours sincerely
The pupils of Gardane school.
The pupils have not had a reply yet, and so far the Ministry has refused to comment on the situation.
2. The children mention some qualities that their future teacher should possess. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. Why did children like their last teacher?
4. What will happen if the school doesn't get a new teacher?
II. Listen to a girl speaking to her parents and answer the questions below.
1. Where does the girl want to go and why?
2. Who doesn’t like the idea?
3. Who will pay for the trip?
III. Let’s talk about modern means of communication.
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№ 18
I. 1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.
THE MOST DIFFICULT LANGUAGE?
People often ask which language is the most difficult to learn, and it is not easy to answer because there are many factors to take into consideration.
A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chinese is very different. The greater the differences between the second language and our first one, the harder it will be for most people to learn.
Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system. The pronunciation of Chinese appears to be very difficult for many foreign learners, too. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning this language will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet.
Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as each learner's motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day-to-day life.
British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many. But the language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 grammatical cases.
Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native speakers of related languages may find it easier.
2. The author explains why people find Chinese a very difficult language to learn. Find this extract and read it aloud.
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3. What factors play an important role in learning a language?
4. Why do British diplomats find it difficult to learn Hungarian?
II. Listen to the boy speaking about a football match and answer the questions below.
1. What sort of match did the boy play?
2. How did the boy’s team play during the match?
3. What was the result of the game?
III. Let’s talk about a healthy way of life.
№ 19
I. 1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.
MOBILE PHONES
From children to senior citizens, mobile phones have become a craze1 as a way of staying ahead with the technology. With our fast lifestyles, we have no time to meet our relatives or friends and are left with the only option of talking over the phone. Here comes the need of mobile phones, which allow us to stay connected wherever we are and whenever we need to.
Everybody today owns at least a basic mobile phone. What makes it easy to use is its user-friendly nature, small size and its numerous attractive features. However, people are always eager to replace their mobile phones with the latest models having more advanced features.
As the technology is scaling new heights, mobile phones are becoming cheaper and cheaper and the customer is getting more for less. A great way of amusing yourself is by playing games on your mobile phone. If you want to store your precious moments, you can use its video recording feature. Mobile phones can become expressions of who we are by getting mobile ringtones, wallpapers, which turn your phone into a unique device.
Whatever may be said against mobile phones their advantages have always scored over their disadvantages. They have proved useful for every purpose. Nothing is as comfortable as a mobile phone for communicating over a distance. You cannot be present at the same time at more than one place, but if required you can just make use of your mobile phone and get your work done.
Mobile phones have definitely become the most vital part of our lives. It is hard to imagine life without mobiles. Indeed, mobile phones keep you connected round the clock. They are now inexpensive, easy to use, comfortable and equipped with almost every latest feature you desire. Today, a technologically advanced mobile phone can perform as many tasks as well as that of a personal computer. Even remote countries have started having mobile phone services.
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1a craze[kreiz] идея фикс, пунктик
2. The author explains why people need mobile phones nowadays. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What features can be found in modern mobile phones?
4. Why are mobile phones a vital part of our life?
II. Listen to the girl talking about a nasty experience she had and answer the questions below.
1. Who did the girl go to the skating-rink with?
2. What happened to her there?
3. How was she saved?
III. Let’s talk about sport.
№ 20
I. 1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.
HOW I GOT TO THE TOP
I was either ten or eleven when I wrote my first song. I don't remember. My mum was struggling financially and emotionally, so I didn't talk a lot. Finally, she told me if I couldn't talk about what was bothering me, I should write about it. So she gave me a notebook, and my poems turned into lyrics.
I grew up in a very hardworking family. But we didn't have lots of money. I was the kid whom friends' parents bought Christmas presents for. One year, though, when I was in the sixth grade, my mom got a bonus at work, and instead of paying off bills, she bought me a CD player and four CDs.
I eventually got several college music scholarships but passed on them to move to Los Angeles in 2001. Everyone thought I was crazy to do it, but I moved to California anyway and got work singing backup1. A friend and I lived in a house with some other people, and we finally saved enough money to get our own place. The day we moved into our apartment, the building burned down. I stayed in my car for a few days so I could get enough money to drive back to Texas. When I got home, a friend told me about the American Idol audition2 in Dallas.
Looking back on the show, I find it strange going back and performing on Idol last spring. Everyone was always supportive and nice. But I think they were so nice because no one thought I was going to win. Members of the crew came up to me after the finale and told me they didn't think I could have won.
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I recently gave a self-esteem workshop for Girl Scouts in Nashville, and I told the girls that I wasn't a role model for my weight. Sometimes I'm thicker when I'm around my family and I'm eating more. Sometimes I'm thinner because I'm on the road and that takes a lot out of me. But I do feel it's important to talk to girls about weight. They see these images, and there's no way they'll ever live up to them.
Everyone says I'm down-to-earth. It would be very hard for me to keep up any sort of celebrity persona. It's just not me. I'm comfortable in my skin. I'm outspoken. I don't know any other way to be.
1a backup ['bækᴧp] подпевка
2an audition [ɔ:'diʃ(ə)n] проба, прослушивание
2. The author explains what made her write songs. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. Why were all the people nice to her during the show?
4. What did she talk to Girl Scouts in Nashville about?
II. Listen to Ann speaking about a holiday that went wrong and answer the questions below.
1. What holiday did Ann want to have?
2. What problems did she have to face?
3. What decision did she make in the end?
III. Let’s talk about fashion.
№ 21
I. 1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.
HALLOWEEN
Halloween is always celebrated on 31 October. On that night, many people will look like frightening creatures such as vampires or ghosts. They do this with the help of special clothing and face paint.
Halloween traditions developed from Celtic beliefs in ancient Britain. The Celts believed that spirits of the dead would return to their homes on October the thirty-first, the day of the autumn feast. They built huge fires to frighten away evil spirits that night.
People from Scotland and Ireland brought these ideas with them when they came to America. Some believed that spirits played tricks on people on the last night of October. Historians say many of the Halloween traditions of today developed from those of ancient times. They say that wearing a mask to hide a person's face is similar to the way ancient villagers covered their faces to make evil spirits go away.
On Halloween night, American children put on masks and other clothing. They go from home to home shouting "Trick or treat"! If the people in the homes do not give them a treat, the children may play a trick on them.
Some adults put on costumes and attend Halloween parties. They also decorate their homes. They might clean out the insides of pumpkins and cut funny faces on the surface. Then, they place a burning candle inside. Some hang fake1 bats, spider webs and other things around the home.
The National Retail Federation is predicting that Americans will spend more on Halloween treats and products this year. The group says about six point nine billion dollars will be spent in all. That is eighteen percent more than last year when Americans spent five point eight billion dollars to celebrate Halloween.
The National Retail Federation also has information about what Americans will be wearing for Halloween this year. It says zombie costumes are tops among women, men and children.
1fake [feik] поддельный, искусственный
2. The author describes how the ideas of celebrating Halloween came to the USA. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What do adults and children do to get ready for Halloween?
4. Why do many people celebrate this holiday nowadays?
II. Listen to the conversation between a journalist and a Japanese girl and answer the questions below.
1. What does Shima usually eat?
2. Where does she eat?
3. What is happening to the Japanese diet at the moment?
III. Let’s talk about travelling and tourism.
№ 22
I. 1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.
FELT BOOTS1 ARE FEAST FOR THE EYES
The financial-economic crisis of the 2009 was the third of its kind for Smilovichi Felting Factory's Director, Vasily Saban. However, each time his unique company recovered from its challenging situation. Mr Saban, 55, has not only survived these times of trouble but has discovered a solution for 'his' factory — the company modernized its felt boot production, with the range of wool-made products expanded.
"This branch may be one of the oldest but it has seen progress," says Mr Saban, looking at black-and-white photos from the 1950- 1960s. "In 1928 Smilovichi staff made just 8—10 pairs of felt boots daily; the figure is ten times larger now, the quality has also improved. We are now working on making women's felt boots more attractive and fashionable, without giving them high heels!"
Felt boots have been worn for over two centuries but still enjoy popularity with villagers, buiders, the military, steel workers and ice fishermen. In recent years, felt boots have even gained special status, being bought in Russia, the Baltic States, Ukraine and Finland; Smilovichi-made footwear is worn with pleasure.
The company makes 37 different wollen products — including felt boots for children and adults, technical felt, woollen blankets and pillows, and sets for banyas. Its major supplies of raw materials are based in Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan. The company has managed not only to avoid bankruptcy but to advance significantly in its traditional manufacture. The process of felt boot making is complicated and labour intensive, including 36 operations, with only a few of them mechanised.
...I went to Smilovichi to buy felt boots for my sister and ended up buying some for myself and my family. They are beautiful and warm and environmentally friendly, being produced from sheep's wool, without addictive and synthetic glue2. Anyone wearing Smilovichi-made felt boots must surely feel warm; their footwear has been made with love and keeps the warmth of their makers' hands.
1felt boots['felt'bu:ts]валенки
2glue[glu:] клей
2. The director of the felting factory tells us about the factory's achievements over the years. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What does the factory produce?
4. Why are felt boots becoming more and more popular all over the world?
II. Listen to the conversation between a girl and a boy speaking about their family life and answer the questions below.
1. What do the boy and the girl say about their families?
2. Is the girl happy to have a family party?
3. What do John’s parents hope he will do after school?
III. Let’s talk about environment.
№ 23
I. 1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.
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