Text 4 the inner self: intelligence

What makes one person more intelligent than another? What makes one person a genius, like the brilliant Albert Einstein, and another person a fool? Are people born intelligent or stupid, or is intelligence the result of where and how you live? These are very old questions and the answers to them are still not clear.

We know, however, that just being born with a good mind is not enough. In some ways, the mind is like a leg or an arm muscle. It needs exercise. Mental exercise is particularly important for young children. Many child psychologists think that parents should play with their children more often and give them problems to think about. The children are then more likely to grow up bright and intelligent. If, on the other hand, children are left alone a great deal with nothing to do, they are more likely to become dull and unintelligent.

Parents should also be careful what they say to young children. According to some psychologists, if parents are always telling a child that he or she is a fool or an idiot, then the child is more likely to keep doing silly and foolish things. So it is probably better for parents to say very positive things to their children, such as "That was a very clever thing you did" or "You are such a smart child."

What do you think?

Vocabulary:

genius - обдарований, геніальний

brilliant - видатний

fool - дурень

intelligent - розумний

stupid - дурний

bright - здібний, тямущий, кмітливий

dull - нудний, тупий, дурний

unintelligent - неосвічений

idiot - ідіот, дурень

silly - дурний

foolish - дурний, дурнуватий

clever - розумний

smart - дотепний, кмітливий

Questions:

1. Are people born intelligent or do they become intelligent with the help of good parents and teachers?

2. Do intelligent people always do well at school? Why? Why not?

3. Do you know any intelligence problems?

Text 5 the inner self: loving

Sally Jones is fifteen years old and she has never been in love. She likes boys. She goes out with them and sometimes she even kisses them. There are several boys she is fond of, and there are several boys who care about her. But she has never felt true love for anyone. And, oh, how she wants to adore someone and be adored, the way it is in the movies. She is very worried. Maybe, she thinks, there is something wrong with her. Maybe she will never fall in love. Maybe, and this is the worst possibility of all, there is no such thing as true love.

Her friend, Darsy, is very different. She is always falling in and out of love and goes out with a different boy each week. Last week she was madly, passionately in love with Micky. This week she has decided to stop seeing Micky and is dating Jim, who she is crazy about.

Next week she probably won't be interested in Jim any more, but will be going out with Dave. She fancies Dave and is attracted by him very much.

Vocabulary:

to be in love (with) - бути закоханим (в)

to go out (with) - виходити в люди, зустрічатися (з)

to kiss - цілуватися(ся)

to be fond of smb. - любити, захоплюватися, цікавитися ким-н.

to care about smb. - цікавитися ким-н., любити

to adore - обожнювати

to fall in love - закохатися

to fall out of love - розлюбити

passionately - пристрасно, безумно

to be madly in love with smb. - пристрасно закохатися

to date smb. - призначати побачення, зустрічатися з ким-н.

to be crazy about smb. - бути закоханим до безтями у кого-н.

to fancy - подобитися, любити

to attract - привертати

Questions:

1. What advice would you give to Sally Jones?

2. Do you believe in true love?

3. Are there different types of love?

4. What do you think these English expressions mean:

1. Love is blind.

2. Love me, love my dog.

3. All is fair in love and war.