Аудиокурс к учебнику - Приложение

Unit One

No 1. Exercise 3. Listen to the text “Famous Artists” and say which of the artists:

a) worked not only in the field of visual arts;

b) was born, worked and died in the 17th century;

c) made frescoes for one of the famous Catholic churches;

d) didn’t like to paint in his studio;

e) couldn’t earn money selling his pictures.

Famous Artists

1. Vincent Van Gogh was born in Holland in 1853. In 1888 he moved to Arles, in the south of France, attracted by the sunny southern landscape — especially its fields full of sunflowers. Van Gogh loved the local sunflowers and painted them again and again. He used the paintings to decorate his house. He suffered from mental illness and killed himself in 1890.

2. In the 15th and 16th centuries there were lots of new discoveries in art and science. This period is known as the Renaissance. Many star Renaissance artists worked in Italy including Leonardo da Vinci. He was born in the small Italian town of Vinci, which is how he got his name — “da Vinci” means “from Vinci”. He was interested in science and engineering as well as art and filled notebooks with hundreds of designs. He even designed a flying machine though it never has flown. One of his world-famous portraits is the Mona Lisa, which Leonardo painted between about 1505 and 1514.

3. Another Renaissance star is Michelangelo Buonarroti. He came from the Italian city of Florence. He is famous for his sculptures as well as paintings, and he was very good at creating strong, muscular bodies. In fact, his art shows he knew a lot about anatomy which he probably discovered by dissecting dead bodies. Michelangelo’s admirers called him “Divine Michelangelo”. One of his greatest achievements was decorating the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican palace in Rome. He covered it with more than 3,000 figures illustrating scenes from the Bible. The work took four years — most of which he spent flat on his back just below the ceiling. He was very uncomfortable. He wrote poems about it.

4. Claude Monet was born in France in 1840. He liked to paint fast and out of doors, so he could capture the changing effects of light and weather. Compared to many other artists, his pictures are like quick “impressions” — which made art critics call this style Impressionism. At first people mocked his sketchy, atmospheric paintings. But, by the time Monet died in 1926, he was one of the world’s most successful artists. One of his masterpieces is “The Water Lily Pond” painted in 1899. Monet painted his lily pond over and over again. In fact, he is famous for making series of paintings showing the same scene in different conditions.

5. Harmenszoon van Rijn Rembrandt was born in Holland in 1606. He became one of the leading artists of his time. He made most money by painting portraits, but he also painted scenes of ordinary life, filled with realistic details. Such as “The Artist in His Studio” showing Rembrandt going about his daily work. This painting of Rembrandt has many lifelike touches, from the artist’s tools to the cracks in the walls. The artist is wearing his fancy-looking robe which is in fact an ordinary housecoat to keep warm. Unfortunately, Rembrandt fell out with his clients and died bankrupt in 1669.

No 2. Exercise 5. Listen to the text “Ballet Dancers” and say if the statements below are true, false or not mentioned in the text.

Ballet Dancers

Edgar Degas was born in France in 1834 and studied law before taking up art. He specialized in painting dancers and racehorses, and women washing themselves. As he grew older, he suffered eye problems and began to make more sculptures instead.

Edgar Degas was fascinated by ballet dancers. He made over 1,500 paintings and drawings of them, as well as dozens of sculptures. He showed them in many poses — not just dancing, but going to classes, chatting, stretching and trying their shoes.

Degas made “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen” in 1880—1881; she stands just 99 cm high. Degas made a wax figure, which was then cast in bronze, and gave her a real cloth skirt and hair ribbon.

The model for this sculpture was a young dance student. Compared to the elegant ballerinas in some of his paintings, she looks still and awkward. You can even see wrinkles on her stockings. Most artists prepared to draw or sculpt models in graceful-looking poses. But Degas wanted to show how people really move, catching them in just the awkward, unbalanced poses other artists avoided.

No 3. Exercise 7. Listen to the text “Zinaida Serebryakova” and complete the sentences 1—5 choosing the best ending.

Zinaida Serebryakova

Zinaida Serebryakova was born near Kharkov in 1884. Her father, Yevgeny Lanceray, was a well-known sculptor, and her mother was good at drawing. One of Zinaida’s brothers, Nikolay, was a talented architect. The family was so artistic that no one was surprised by the girl’s talent and desire to become an artist.

Her years of study did not last long. In 1901 she took a course of painting at the art school headed by Ilya Repin.

Zinaida’s early works, which appeared at an exhibition in 1909, already showed her own style and field of interests. She was delighted by the pure colours of the local countryside, by the style of country life and by the freedom and plasticity of the peasants at work.

Ever since her youth Zinaida Serebryakova tried to express her love of the world and to show its beauty. Broad public recognition came with Serebryakova’s self-portrait — “At the Dressing Table”, first shown at a large exhibition in 1910.

The self-portrait was followed by other portraits in 1911—1912, mature works, strict in composition.

Many of the artist’s plans were not to be realized. Her husband, Boris Serebryakov, a railway engineer, died suddenly of typhus, and Zinaida was left with her mother and four children on her hands. In 1920 the family moved to Petrograd. The elder daughter went in for ballet, and from then on the theme of the theatre ran through Serebryakova’s work.

In the autumn of 1924 she went to Paris. On finishing her works there she intended to return to Russia, where her mother and two children remained. But life turned out differently, and she stayed in France. But she always missed her native country and felt nostalgic about Russia. Zinaida Serebryakova travelled a big deal. Among the best works she produced, as a result of these travels are her portraits of peasants and fishermen in Brittany.

In 1966 a large exhibition of the artist’s works was shown in Moscow. Many of her works were bought by Soviet museums after the exhibition.

On 19 September 1967, at the age of eighty-two, Zinaida Serebryakova died in Paris.

No 4. Exercise 58. Listen to the song, learn the words and sing it along.

Nina, Pretty Ballerina

Every day in the morning on her way to the office

You can see as she catches a train.

Just a face among a million faces,

Just another woman with no name.

Not the girl you’d remember, but she’s still something special.

If you knew her, I am sure you’d agree

‘Cause I know she’s got a little secret.

Friday evening she turns out to be ...

Nina, pretty ballerina, now she is the queen of the dancing floor.

This is the moment she’s waited for

Just like Cinderella, just like Cinderella.

Nina, pretty ballerina, who would ever think she could be this way.

This is the part that she likes to play.

But she knows the fun would go away

If she would play it every day.

So she’s back every morning to her work at the office,

And another week to live in a dream,

And another row of early mornings

In an almost never-ending stream.

Doesn’t talk very often, kind of shy and uncertain

Everybody seems to think she’s a bore,

But they wouldn’t know her little secret

What her Friday night would have in store ...

Nina, pretty ballerina, now she is the queen of the dancing floor.

This is the moment she’s waited for

Just like Cinderella, just like Cinderella.

Nina, pretty ballerina, who would ever think she could be this way.

This is the part that she likes to play.

She would like to play it every day.

Unit Two

No 5. Exercise 3. Listen to the text about wedding superstitions and in tasks 1—5 choose the best option.

Wedding Superstitions

Are you superstitious? Even if you are not yourself, you will probably be able to sympathize with those brides and grooms who are determined to do everything right in hope that it will bring them good luck in their married life.

It is considered unlucky for the bride to put on the whole of her bridal outfit before the wedding. So, when the bride tries on her dress, veil and other accessories, she should do it in sections, never all at once. Some brides even leave part of the dress unfinished so that it could be done on the wedding day. More than that, the bride would not look at herself fully dressed in the wedding gown in a mirror. Why not? It is believed that if she does, this may cause something to happen that will prevent the marriage.

The bride and groom traditionally avoid seeing each other on the morning of the wedding day. Perhaps this superstition originated in the time of arranged marriages. The father of the bride may have been afraid that the groom would change his mind if his bride was not to his liking. So the groom was supposed to see his bride only at the actual wedding ceremony.

On the way to the wedding, some sights and events are considered lucky for the bride and groom. Others are thought to be very bad for their happiness. The bride is expected to leave her house out the front door and step out right boot first. If the sun shines on her or she sees a rainbow, it is a sign of good luck. Meeting a black cat, a chimney sweep, or an elephant (however unlikely) is also fortunate.

On the other hand, it is an unlucky sight to see a pig running across the road. The worst of all omens is to meet or even see a funeral procession. Death is also foretold if the horse (or the more contemporary car) refuses to start.

No 6. Exercise 6. Listen to the myth about Zeus and Europa and say which of the statements are true, false or not mentioned in the text.

Zeus and Europa

The beautiful Europa was among the young women Zeus fell in love with. She was playing with her friends on the shore when Zeus saw her. Europa was beautiful. Her charms made the father of gods and men fall in love with her. In order to get near Europa Zeus transformed himself into a white bull and went and lay at the girl’s feet.

As Europa took courage, she began to sport with the bull. But as soon as she sat on his back, he ran to the sea and plunged into the water. She cried for help in vain. The bull swam further and further from the shore. Europa took hold of the horns to keep from falling off and in that way they reached Crete. Zeus and Europa had three sons. Europa stayed on Crete, married its King Asterionas, who adopted her children and gave her name to a continent.

The bull whose shape Zeus assumed rose to heaven and became the well-known constellation of Taurus in the Zodiac cycle.

No 7. Exercise 7B. Listen to the Greek legend about Prometheus and compare it with your story.

Prometheus

Prometheus, the friend of man, stole wisdom from the goddess Athena and gave man reason. Then he stole fire and gave it to man as a gift. Since that time, man has had fire to keep himself warm and alive, and to help him create. Prometheus became the protector of the human race and taught it all he knew. But this angered Zeus, who did not want mankind to be helped to resemble the gods. And when he discovered that Prometheus had given man fire, he decided to punish him. Prometheus’ punishment was a harsh one. Zeus chained him to a peak in the Caucasus, at the end of the world, where an eagle flew down on him every day and pecked out his liver. But during the night Prometheus’ liver grew back again, and so the next day he would undergo his torment once more. Thirty years were to pass before Heracles released Prometheus from his terrible ordeal.

No 8. Exercise 8. Listen to the text “The Twelve Gods of Olympus” and say which of the gods or goddesses:

1. moved on the waters remaining dry;

2. had a twin brother;

3. was not raised by his mother;

4. gave the name to the capital of Greece;

5. made the world sparkle on the day of his birth;

6. supported her husband in all his deeds.

The Twelve Gods of Olympus

Olympus, the highest Greek mountain, was the residence of Olympian gods and above all the throne of Zeus. The twelve gods of Olympus shared out responsibilities and posts among themselves according to the wishes of Zeus.

Zeus himself was the most powerful of the immortal Olympian gods. He was hidden by his mother in a cave on Crete where he grew up on milk provided by the goat and in the care of the Nymphs. He won the wars of the Titans and Giants and was justly accepted as the lord and father of all gods and men. His weapon was the thunderbolt, and his territory included both the earth and the sky.

The wife of Zeus was Hera. She was always his steady and faithful companion in life and his works. Hera protected women and marriages. She punished infidelity. She brought up numerous children apart from her own. She was notorious for her jealousy.

Athena is famous for her bravery and cleverness. She helped heroes such as Perseus, Achilles and Odysseus. Athena decided never to marry — even other gods. Although she was the goddess of wisdom and of war, she was not warlike. Athena was born in a very special way. When the time for Athena to be born was drawing near, Zeus ordered Prometheus to lay open his head with an axe. All were amazed to see Athena jump fully-armed from Zeus’ head with her spear in the hand. According to the traditional account Athena and Poseidon quarrelled over whose name the city of Athens should bear. Athena gave the city the olive tree which since then has become sacred and regarded as a symbol of peace and the city of Athens has borne her name and has enjoyed her protection.

Apollo, being Zeus’ son, belonged to the second generation of Olympian gods. He was born on an island and as soon as Apollo, the god of the sun, music and prophecy, saw the light of day, the island began to glow and the whole world shone. Apollo was a handsome god — tall and well-built. He had great achievements in music, the arts and prophecy. He was also a god of war with particular skill in shooting arrows over great distances.

Poseidon, god of the sea, was one of the gods, whom the Greeks most respected: he, Zeus and Hera were the Olympian gods depicted as eldest. In his gold chariot Poseidon drives back and forth across the oceans and seas among the waves which do not even wet him, surrounded by a company of happy dolphins!

Artemis was the daughter of Zeus. She was born on the same day as her brother Apollo. She was the goddess of the hunt and of the moon. When she was a girl, she asked Zeus to allow her to remain unmarried, so she roamed the forests with her bow and arrows and accompanied by deer and her beloved wild beasts. She protected hunters and the innocent and severely punished those who showed her disrespect. The famous temple at Ephesus, which was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was dedicated to Artemis.

No 9. Exercise 17. Listen to the text “Best-remembered Bible Stories’’ and read it.

Best-remembered Bible Stories

Palm Sunday

Despite warnings that evil men were seeking his life, Jesus set out for Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover — the great feast in memory of Israel’s escape from Egypt under Moses. As he came near to the city, riding on a borrowed donkey, he was met by a great crowd.

“Hosanna,” they cried. “These cheers for the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

As he came to the city gate, the crowds threw palm branches before him in the roadway — a green carpet of welcome as the donkey carried him into the city of David (Jerusalem).

But his enemies watched the welcome, and they decided that he must die. They were afraid that one who was welcomed as David’s son would claim David’s throne.

Good Friday

Jesus knew that his enemies were plotting his death. He told his disciples so when they met to celebrate the Passover Supper (now called Last Supper). During the supper he took bread, broke it and gave it to them. “This is my body,” he said, “which is broken for you! Do this in remembrance of me.” Strange words, but stranger were to follow. “You will all desert me,” he said, “and one of you will betray me.”

“I will never desert you,” said Peter stoutly.

“You will,” replied Jesus sadly. “Before the cock crows you will say three times that you never even knew me.”

They went out from supper to a moonlit olive garden. There, while Jesus was praying, soldiers came, led by Judas — Jesus’ own disciple. They arrested Jesus and marched him off to the High Priest, while the disciples ran away in the darkness, all except John and Peter. They crept along behind the soldiers to see what would happen.

Crucifixion

At the palace of the High Priest they put Jesus on trial. “Are you the Messiah?” asked the High Priest, with all the gravity of his high office.

“I am,” said Jesus calmly.

“Blasphemy,” they cried, and they sentenced him to death. They arranged for him to be taken before Pilate, the Roman governor, first thing in the morning for only Rome could confirm and carry out a death sentence.

Peter and John were in a courtyard. As Jesus was led away from his trial, the cock crew, and Peter burst into tears. For now he remembered what Jesus had said at the supper table, and indeed three times Peter had denied knowing Jesus.

In the dawn light they led Jesus to the great open space in front of Pilate’s residence and demanded that their sentence of death be confirmed and carried out. Pilate questioned Jesus, but could not find that he had done anything wrong.

“We have a Law,” cried the High Priest, “and by that Law he deserves to die.”

Led by agitators the crowd now started to chant, “Crucify! Crucify! Crucify him!” Afraid that there would be a riot, Pilate gave in. He called for a bowl of water, and there, at the top of the steps, he solemnly washed his hands in sight of all the crowd.

“See,” he said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just man. Do with him as you will.”

They led Jesus outside the city wall, and there, between two thieves on a hill called Calvary (Golgotha), they crucified him.

One of the thieves — perhaps to ease his own pain — jeered at Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, get us down off these crosses.” But the other thief rebuked him. “At least we’ve got what we deserve,” he said, “but he hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then turning to Jesus he said, “Master, when you come to your kingdom, remember me.”

Jesus replied slowly, for death was very close, “Indeed I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The sun rose high to noon, and the sky grew dark with menace as if the world would end. At about three in the afternoon Jesus cried with a loud voice, “It is finished.” And so he died. But this voice sang with victory, so that the officer in charge of the execution said in awe, “Truly, this was the Son of God.”

No 10. Exercise 55. Listen to the traditional Christmas song, learn the words and sing it along.

Twelve Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Eight maids-a-milking,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids-a-milking,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Ten lords-a-leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids-a-milking,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords-a-leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids-a-milking,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Twelve drummers drumming,

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords-a-leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids-a-milking,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

No 11. Exercise 56. Listen to another song, learn the words and sing it along.

Happy New Year

No more champagne

And the fireworks are through

Here we are, me and you

Feeling lost and feeling blue.

It’s the end of the party,

And the morning seems so grey,

So unlike yesterday

Now’s the time for us to say ...

Refrain:

Happy new year,

Happy new year.

May we all have a vision now and then

Of a world where every neighbour is a friend.

Happy new year,

Happy new year.

May we all have our hopes, our will to try.

If we don’t, we might as well lay down and die.

You and I

Sometimes I see

How the brave new world arrives,

And I see how it thrives In the ashes of our lives.

Oh yes, man is a fool,

And he thinks he’ll be okay

Dragging on, feet of clay

Never knowing he’s astray,

Keeps on going anyway ...

(Refrain)

Seems to me now

That the dreams we had before

Are all dead, nothing more

Than confetti on the floor.

It’s the end of a decade

In another ten years time

Who can say what we’ll find

What lies waiting down the line

In the end of eighty-nine ...

(Refrain)

Unit Three

No 12. Exercise 3. Listen to the text about the wildfires and say which of the following is true, false or not mentioned in the text.

Wildfires

Wildfire is one of the most destructive natural forces known to mankind. While sometimes caused by lightning, nine of ten wildfires are human-caused. Put simply, “wildfire” is the term applied to any unwanted and unplanned fire burning in forest, shrub or grass.

On the one hand, fires are very important natural cleaning agents of change; they play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. On the other hand, they destroy wilderness, property and lives. As more homes are built in and around forest areas, wildfires are on the rise. We witness the current increase in instances of wildfire which can be explained by changing weather patterns all over the world, increasingly dry, hot weather during long periods of time, increased residential development and carelessness, and also accumulation of fuel in the form of fallen leaves, branches and excessive plant overgrowth in forest and wild land areas. The latest wildfires in the USA, Spain, Italy and Russia caused a lot of problems.

No 13. Exercise 5. Listen to the five speakers (1—5) and match their names with what they mention (a—e).

Pollution Affects Animals More Than Humans

1. It is really so. Pollution affects animals more than humans. Humans have more conscious control over their own environment. They can make choices about where to live. They can also adjust the temperature of their houses and choose what to eat. Animals often become entangled with rubbish, which means that animals often get plastic or wire pieces stuck in their jaws and they cannot easily be set free. As a result they cannot function properly. Unless they can function properly, they die.

2. Animals suffer a lot from acid rains. Burning certain fuels produces sulphur dioxide. This mixes with rainwater and causes acid rain. This gets into rivers and causes fish to have genetic defects or die. In fact, fish and other sea animals are poisoned because factories and plants have a lot of useless and harmful things while making their production.

3. I would like to say that some years ago the coast of northern Spain became very badly polluted, because one of the oil tankers passing by accidentally lost the oil it was carrying, and it went into the sea. Although some were saved, many birds lost their lives due to being covered in oil. The ecosystem of the area is likely to be affected for up to ten years.

4. I fully agree that for many animals places where they live have become dangerous. The food chain can be affected by pollution in the places where certain species have been living for many years and are used to being fed on certain food. For example, if the fish were poisoned or they would starve. This could make a shortage of food for the animals higher in the food chain. So it could take years and years to get rid of such undesirable effects.

5. In my opinion animals suffer from the so-called greenhouse effect too. Heat is trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere, it can’t escape. This causes the Earth to heat up and in some cases rainfall decreases and in other cases it increases causing flood. This means some plants cannot grow. Unless the plants grow, many animals in the countries especially in the developing world have less to eat and become endangered or die out. This is a particular problem in the Amazonian rain forest.

No 14. Exercise 7. Listen to the interview with Mr Riner, an ecologist, and complete the following statements in the right way.

Interviewer: Mr Riner, you are one of the most celebrated scientists working to study and protect tropical forests. What are tropical forests and where can they be found?

Mr Riner: Tropical forests are a belt of vegetation growing on either side of the equator. Strictly speaking, any forest between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn can be called “tropical forest”.

Interviewer: How big is this territory?

Mr Riner: At the moment tropical forests cover about 35 million square km, which is close to one fifth of the Earth’s land.

Interviewer: Do the terms “tropical forest” and “rain forest” mean the same?

Mr Riner: Not exactly the same. In fact, rain forest is only one part of tropical forest. It is closest to the equator. Most of the plants that grow in it are evergreen. This forest receives a lot of rainfall with no dry season and average temperatures between 21 and 27 °C. Trees in rain forest grow very close to each other and compete with each other to reach the light. That’s why trees in such forest are very tall and thin with leaves at the top where the light is.

Interviewer: Why are tropical forests so much in the focus of public attention?

Mr Riner: Tropical forests have a great variety of wildlife and plants. Their number is so large that tropical forests explorers can count on many fascinating discoveries. It is common knowledge that tropical forests play a very important role in balancing the world climate and supplying the planet with oxygen to breathe.

Interviewer: It is clear that tropical forests everywhere are in danger. How bad is the situation and what is the reason for it?

Mr Riner: The disappearance of tropical forests has two main causes. The first is commercial loggers, people who cut down trees. They are attracted by valuable hardwood trees, worth up to a thousand dollars each. The second reason is farmers who come from cities and towns. In South America alone they are responsible for the burning of 25,000 square km of forest annually to make room for tropical grassland.

Interviewer: You mean grassland to be used as pastures?

Mr Riner: Exactly. They need grassland for their cattle which is sold to European and North American markets. The grass on such lands grows well only for two or three years, after which farmers have to move to new places and more trees get cut down and burnt. Behind them such farmers leave a landscape known as “Greek Desert”, areas that are ugly and commercially valueless.

Interviewer: And how quick is this process?

Mr Riner: Figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization show that 180,000 square km of tropical rain forest is cleared every year. The destruction is so rapid that, as scientists believe, by the year 2020 all rain forests will have disappeared.

Interviewer: Don’t people living in those countries see the danger?

Mr Riner: They may do, but the problem is that developing countries, deep in financial crisis, want a quick return of their money. They claim that they have to think about their population in the first place.

Interviewer: Yes, but in the long run they are going to lose anyway. Is there no hope at all?

Mr Riner: Great hope has been placed on the new system under which developed countries from the Northern hemisphere agree to write off the developing nations’ debts. It means that they say officially that the poor countries don’t have to pay them back the money they once borrowed. In return they want a guarantee that tropical forests will be preserved. Unfortunately, this policy doesn’t always work.

Interviewer: Well, Mr Riner, thank you very much for your time and the valuable information you’ve shared with us.

No 15. Exercise 59. Listen to the song, learn the words and sing it along.

The Eagle

They came flying from far away.

Now I’m under their spell.

I love hearing the stories that they tell.

They’ve seen places beyond my land,

And they’ve found new horizons.

They speak strangely, but I understand

And I dream I’m an eagle,

And I dream I can spread my wings.

Refrain:

Flying high, high I’m a bird in the sky,

I’m an eagle that rides on the breeze

High, high.

What a feeling to fly

Over mountains and forests and seas

And to go anywhere that I please.

As all good friends we talk all night,

And we fly wing to wing.

I have questions, and they know everything,

There’s no limit to what I feel.

We climb higher and higher.

Am I dreaming or is it all real?

Is it true I’m an eagle?

Is it true I can spread my wings?

(Refrain)

And I dream I’m an eagle,

And I dream I can spread my wings.

(Refrain)

Unit Four

No 16. Exercise 3. Listen to the text about a very happy mother, Kate Rayton, and say which of the following is true, false or not mentioned in the text.

Hi, my name is Kate Rayton and I think I’m very blessed. I’ll tell you why I think so. Do you have someone who makes your life better just by being around? I do. It is my daughter Lesley, and she is my best friend too. I was a little nervous at the time when she was born as I had some problems with my health, but since then she really has been a blessing in disguise.

We are like sisters with certain telepathy between us. We know when the other is happy or sad. Although I live in Norfolk and she lives in Surrey, we keep in touch, mainly by phone, but we also write and send emails. It is always a red-letter day when we have arranged a visit.

She is my main tutor in working on the computer, and I’m slowly improving. Lesley is like a mother hen. Nothing is too much trouble for her when she does something for her parents. We can talk about anything, support each other if we have problems, exchange ideas between us, talk fashion and swap clothes. I’m really very blessed.

No 17. Exercise 5. Listen to the five speakers (1—5) and match their names with what they speak about (a—f). There is one extra statement.

Speaker 1 (Anthony Lee). After eight hours of high school most kids want to have some fun. Of course, I spend a lot of my time hanging out with my friends. But my hobby is music. I do freestyle rapping and produce music. It’s a real work. I have actually made several hip hop songs myself. In our high school I work with the stage crew on drama production. You won’t believe it, but we have won the first place among our local schools’ drama societies. That day I was the happiest guy in the world.

Speaker 2 (Jason Devon). Hi, I’m Jason Devon. I’m a sports fan. My favourite sports are football, tennis and ice hockey. I like watching basketball and swimming too. I usually watch sports competitions and games on TV, but last April my parents gave me tickets for the final cup match between the English and Scottish national teams, and Scotland won! I was on top of the world.

Speaker 3 (Carol MacDonald). Last week I came back from London. I had always wanted to visit that famous city. So you can imagine that the news that I was the winner of Moscow English Language school competition made me overjoyed. But what was more, all the prize winners were given a chance to visit England. I could hardly believe that I would be able to see Big Ben, London Bridge, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus. And now back in Moscow I’m so thrilled that I have seen all these and many more British sights.

Speaker 4 (Tracey Reed). I will never forget the day when my little brother returned home from hospital. He had been born with a very serious heart problem. The doctor’s verdict was final — little Jimmy, so cute but fragile, had to be operated on the heart. Long weeks full of fears followed, and then as a miracle the great news came. Jimmy had been successfully operated on and could lead a life of a normal child in the future. The moment, when the news came, was one of the happiest in my life.

Speaker 5 (David Milner). I think I’m a very ambitious guy. I know I would love to be a politician and I’m sure one day I’ll turn my dream to reality. But certainly everything should have a beginning. In my case the beginning is a good education that I should have. I do believe in private schools, so I applied for a place in one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the USA. I had to sit the entrance test which was really difficult. But I did it. And now being a student I feel quite optimistic about my future.

No 18. Exercise 7. Listen to the text “The University of Life” and choose the best item to complete the statements.

The University of Life

That was the happiest year of my life. I spent eight months away altogether — four months in South-East Asia, three months in Australia and then a final month back in Thailand.

I have always been keen on the idea of travelling. My parents have both travelled quite extensively, and I guess that’s rubbed off on me. Once I left school and turned eighteen, I realized I could do it. South-East Asia had always interested me. No one from my family had ever been there, so it seemed new and different and so very far away from home. I was searching for something that wouldn’t be easy. In fact, that “gap year” between school and university made me see the world entirely differently. Looking back, I think I didn’t prepare myself emotionally for what I was going to do.

At first I travelled in Asia with my pal Jim. So I wasn’t completely alone. But I realized soon that you can still feel lonely, whoever you are with, wherever you are. The biggest culture shock for me was being in the ethnic minority for the first time in my life. Once I got over the shock of being the only white person in the street, I began to love it. It was a wonderful lesson for me and allowed me to understand the immigrant population at home much more.

Bangkok is a massive change from London. The language barrier was a big shock since, as an English speaker, I take it for granted that everyone speaks English. But after a while you begin to realize the power of the smile. A really friendly smile gets you a long way in South-East Asia. It is a beautiful land with its people so warm and so friendly.

I met so many people from different backgrounds. I learned so much from them all and even some of those I just talked to had an impact on me.

Every day in South-East Asia was a new experience. You learn new things about the way the world works, you learn new things about yourself. When you are on the road, you think and think for hours, you analyse your life and everything around you. When I was away, I had time to examine my life. I know now what my bad points are, but I also know my qualities. My outlook on life is a little more positive than before. I have now realized that we do, for the most part, live in a beautiful world and there are beautiful people.

No 19. Exercise 56. Listen to the song, learn the words and sing it along.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Here is a little song I wrote.

You might want to sing it note for note.

Don’t worry, be happy.

In every life we have some trouble.

When you worry, you make it double.

Don’t worry, be happy.

Don’t worry, be happy now.

Don’t worry, be happy.

(4 times)

Ain’t got no place to lay your head.

Somebody came and took your bed.

Don’t worry, be happy.

The landlord say your rent is late.

He may have to litigate.

Don’t worry, be happy.

Look at me, I am happy.

Don’t worry, be happy.

Here I give you my phone number.

When you worry, call me,

I make you happy.

Don’t worry, be happy.

Ain’t got no cash, ain’t got no style,

Ain’t got not girl to make you smile,

But don’t worry, be happy.

‘Cause when you worry,

Your face will frown,

And that will bring everybody down.

So don’t worry, be happy.

Don’t worry, be happy now.

Don’t worry, be happy.

(4 times)

There is this little song I wrote.

I hope you learn it note for note.

But don’t worry, be happy.

In your life expect some trouble,

But when you worry,

You make it double.

Don’t worry, be happy.

Don’t worry, don’t worry.

(5 times)

Don’t worry, don’t do it, be happy.

Put a smile on your face.

Don’t bring everybody down like this.

Don’t worry, it will soon pass

Whatever it is

Don’t worry, be happy.