В. С. Алексєєв

Learning Politics and Sociology Through Conversational Topics

Розмовна англійська для політологів та соціологів

Посібник містить завдання, що проілюстровані цитатами з оригінальних неадаптованих текстів, а також посилання на джерело повнішої інформації стосовно кожного прикладу. До всіх текстів додаються аудіофайли. Це дає можливість студентам не тільки читати та перекладати тексти, але й слухати їх. Всі записи зроблені дикторами BBC. Може бути використаний на аудиторних практичних заняттях та для самостійної роботи, зокрема з електронними джерелами. Тематика охоплює найцікавіші сторінки з історії сьогодення, представленої через події сучасного світу.

Для студентів-соціологів, політологів та соціальних працівників, які вивчають англійську мову за професійним спрямуванням.

Дніпропетровськ - 2012

CONTENTS

Unit 1: City Children Suffering More

Unit 2: Scottish Independence

Unit 3: Internet Privacy

Unit 4: Making Way for Eurovision

Unit 5: Racism in Football Summit

Unit 6: Obama Visits ‘Home’ in Ireland

Unit 7: Putin’s Party Loses Support in Polls

Unit 8: Japanese Garbage Island Moves Towards US

Unit 9: Jobs Mourned in China

Unit 10: Britain to Ask UN for Olympic Truce

Unit 11: Online Dating is Changing How We Flirt

Unit 12: Libyan Rebels Fight Back Against Government

Unit 13: Egypt Holds First Elections Post- Mubarak

Unit 14: Palestinian Groups Meet

Unit 15: Ukraine and Russia Argue about Spies

Unit 16: Lesbian Custody Fight in Chile

Unit 17 : Spanish Demonstration against Bullfighting

Unit 18: US Plans Housing Reform

Unit 19: Sarkozy Faces Increasing Pressure

Unit 20: Football Fans Killed in Stadium Crush

Unit 21: A War of Words

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Ju. Golovanova, A. Buzalo, M. Moskovenko for their assistance in compiling this book.

UNIT 1 CITY CHILDREN SUFFERING MORE

This theme is dealt with in a lot of sociological sources. The following citation is to illustrate this:

“Campaigns against poverty tend to focus on the rural poor, but UNICEF has found it's children living in slums and shantytowns who are becoming increasingly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable.

One reason is that so many -- about 300 million round the world -- go unregistered at birth. The lack of any official identity means they then miss out on basic services like secure housing, clean water, or education. And they can more easily be exploited or prey to traffickers.

The plight of these children is often overlooked because statistics show average urban families enjoy better amenities than rural ones but this data masks the growing pockets of extreme poverty in towns and cities.

Take Delhi, the capital of India's booming economy. Figures show 90 per cent of children city-wide attend primary school but in fact only half the slum children go to school.

UNICEF says policy-makers should consciously target help at these hard-to-reach children. It recommends a grass roots approach with more recognition of the efforts local communities make to tackle poverty.”

The complete version of this text is at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/03/120301_witn_unicef.shtml

Assignments:

1. Read, listen and translate the text paying special attention to professional terminology.

2. Key words and expressions:

• slums - very poor areas of a city with bad living conditions

• identity - details that state who someone is

• traffickers-people who illegally transport and sell goods or people

• amenities-facilities or services in a building or place

• grass roots-at a local level

• vulnerable - exposed to harm

• exploited- treated unfairly for profit

• plight - difficult situation

• booming -fast-growing

• consciously- think specifically about

3. Give definitions to the following:

vulnerable, exploited, plight, booming, consciously

4. Answer the questions on the text:

• What group is becoming increasingly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable?

• What does “not to have an official identity card” mean ?

• Why is the situation of children living in slums often overlooked?

• How many children from the slums go to school?

5. Put questions to the underlined words.

6. Speak on this issue adding extra information from other sources.

UNIT 2 SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE

This theme is dealt with in a lot of political sources. The following citation is to illustrate this:

“Alex Salmond's statement to the Scottish Parliament is the latest stage in the manoeuvring between Westminster and Edinburgh for control of the referendum process.

Mr Salmond wants a simple question on independence but he'd also like the possibility of another question about further powers for the Scottish Parliament short of full separation. And he's expected to restate the SNP's argument that 16 and 17 year-olds should be allowed to vote.

There are signs that the Scottish government may be willing to negotiate to reach agreement with Westminster to make sure the referendum is legal. The two sides are to hold talks on the details of the ballot.

It looks as if Mr Salmond won't object to the process being supervised by the UK electoral commission.”

The complete version of this text is at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/01/120126_witn_scotland_story.shtml