Reading

1. You are going to read the text about some ways in which our lives are faster. Are any of these things true in your country?

We’re living faster, but are we living better?

Not long ago people believed that in the future we would work less, have more free time, and be more relaxed.

But sadly this has not happened. Today we work harder, work longer hours, and are more stressed than ten years ago.

We walk faster, talk faster, and sleep less than previous generations. And although we are obsessed with machines which save us time, we have less free time than our parents and grandparents had. We have no time for the news. Newspaper articles today are shorter and the headlines are bigger. Most people don’t have enough time to read the articles, they only read the headlines! On TV and the radio, newsreaders speak more quickly than ten years ago.

In the USA there is a book called One-Minute Bedtime Stories for children. These are shorter versions of traditional stories, specially written for “busy parents” who want to save time!

The only thing that is slower than before is the way we drive. Our cars are faster but the traffic is worse so we drive more slowly. We spend more time sitting in our cars, feeling stressed because we are worried that we won’t arrive on time. Experts predict than in ten years the average speed on the road in cities will be 17 km/h.

If we don’t slow down, we won’t live as long as our parents. For most people, faster doesn’t mean better.

Vocabulary

previous – предыдущий

obsess – быть одержимым мыслью, мучить

headline – заголовок

traffic – движение, транспорт

to predict - предсказывать

2. Please, point out adjectives in comparative and superlative forms.

3. Give a short summary of the text in English.

4. In pairs, interview each other using the questionnaire.

Are YOU living faster…?

• Compared to two years ago, do you spend more or less time on these things? Say why.

working or studying

talking on the phone

working on a computer

sitting in traffic

seeing friends

shopping

cooking

eating

sleeping

• Do you have more or less free time than a year ago? Why? What don’t you have enough time for?

• How do you get to school/university? How long does it take you? Is this longer than a year ago?

• Do you usually arrive on time to the university?

• What machines do you have which save you time? Do they make your life simpler or more complicated?

• Do you waste a lot of time every day? Doing what?

Listening

1. Listen to the dialogue.

Mr. And Mrs. Brown are planning their holiday.

Travel agent: Can I help you?

Mr. Brown: We'd like to arrange our

holidays.

Travel agent: Have you got anything special in mind?

Mr. Brown: We are thinking of visiting Italy or Spain.

Travel agent: I think I've got a very attractive offer for you. It's in Spain, in Costa Brava, in a hotel near the sea. You get seven nights full board for £170.

Mrs. Brown: That sounds very reasonable, but isn't it a crowded place in summer?

Travel agent: This hotel is in a small village and there aren't many tourists.

Mrs. Brown: That's wonderful. How long does it take to get there?

Travel agent: It depends on the way you travel. You can go there by plane and then the flight only takes two hours. But it's cheaper to travel by coach, and then it takes eight hours. It is also possible to go by train: it's not as expensive as the plane and the journey is shorter than by coach.

Mrs. Brown: I like going by train, it's the safest way of travelling. But do we have to change?

Travel agent: No, it's a through train, nonstop all the way.

Mr. Brown: What about the insurance?

Travel agent: It's included in the price.

Mrs. Brown: Darling, this trip is wonderful. Let's book the tickets in advance.

2. What was it about?

3.Read it and point out all of the adjectives.