Who is Nelson Mandela?

Nelson Mandela was the first black President of South Africa. He spent 27 years in prison for trying to overthrow the pro-apartheid government. After he left prison, he worked to achieve human rights and a better future for everyone in South Africa. He is held in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name of Madiba or as Tata meaning Father; he is often described as "the father of the nation".

Why is he famous? Nelson Mandela became famous for his long fight against bad government and racial prejudice. He became a hero to people all over the world. As South Africa's President, he was respected for his courage and wisdom in bringing people together to live in peace.

When was he born? Nelson Mandela was born in 1918. He was in prison from 1962 to 1990. He became President of South Africa in 1994, and retired in 1999.

Where was he born?

Rolihlahla Mandela was born on 18 July 1918. Mandela's birth name – Rolihlahla – is an isiXhosa name that means "pulling the branch of the tree". Colloquially it also means "troublemaker". His English name, Nelson, was given to him by a missionary schoolteacher. He was born in the Transkei, south-eastern part of South Africa covered with mountains, valleys and grasslands called savannas.

Where did he grow up? Mandela's father Henry was a chief of the Tembu people. The Mandelas were related to the Tembu royal family. When Nelson was 9, his father died. He was looked after by another chief of the Tembu.

What education did he get?

Nelson went to a mission school, and then to college. He achieved academic success through "plain hard work." He also excelled at track and boxing. At Fort Hare University, he studied law. One of his friends there was Oliver Tambo. Nelson left the university in 1939, after student protests about the way it was run.

What job did he choose? Mandela's family had chosen a wife for him. But he did not want an arranged marriage, so he left for the city of Johannesburg. He went on with his studies, and became a lawyer in 1942.

How did the history of South Africa develop? Most South Africans are black. There are also people of European and Asian backgrounds, and Coloureds (people of mixed race). Dutch people set up the first white colony in South Africa in 1652, later British settlers arrived. Dutch farmers called themselves ‘Boers’, from a Dutch word meaning 'farmers'. They spoke a language called Afrikaans, but most other white settlers spoke English. Black people spoke Bantu languages such as isiNdebele and isiZulu. Britain took over the Dutch colony in 1815 and, as a result, South Africa became part of the British Empire. Gold was found in 1886; with gold and good farmland, the country was really rich. However, it was not peaceful. Whites and blacks fought over the land and there were wars between the Boers and the British. The Boers wanted their own country.

How was South Africa ruled? When Mandela was growing up, black people had little say in how South Africa was run. The government was whites-only. Most black people were poor. They worked as  servants in rich white families, they also worked on farms, in factories and gold mines.

What was the ANC? In 1944, Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress or ANC. The ANC wanted black South Africans to have the same human rights as whites. In 1948, the South African government made new laws to keep white people and black people apart. The new system was called 'apartheid'.

What was apartheid? Apartheid forced white and non-white people to live in separate areas. Non-white people meant black people, people from Asia and people of mixed race.

A white person and a black person could not marry. Black people and white people could not share a table in a restaurant, or sit together on a bus. Black children and white children went to different schools. Sports teams were all-white or all-black, never mixed.

What was Mandela’s role in doing away with apartheid? Mandela and Oliver Tambo set up South Africa's first black law firm. Poor people came to them for help. Mandela led young people in the ANC. Many white people, as well as black people, spoke out against apartheid. Mandela admired Gandhi, who had used peaceful protest in India. Perhaps peaceful protest could get rid of apartheid, without fighting? But to speak out was dangerous. In 1956, Mandela and 155 other people were arrested for treason. After a trial lasting five years, he was set free in 1961.

In 1960, people held a demonstration against apartheid at Sharpeville, near Johannesburg. The police shot dead 69 black people. The government blamed the ANC, and banned it. Mandela became leader of a secret army, known as 'Spear of the Nation'. He was hunted by the police, and had to hide and use disguises. He travelled to other countries to ask for help.

How did Mandela get to jail? In 1961 South Africa left the Commonwealth. Millions of people in other countries supported the anti-apartheid movement. Many nations stopped trade with South Africa. Sports teams and entertainers refused to go there. Still the government refused to change. In 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested again. He was accused of sabotage and plotting to overthrow the government. In 1964, aged 46, he was given a life sentence. Mandela was sent to the prison on Robben Island. Oliver Tambo had left South Africa to live abroad. Mandela spent 18 years on Robben Island. During his time in prison, Mandela was restricted to a 2m x 2.5m cell, with nothing but a bedroll on the floor and a bucket for sanitation in it. He was consigned to hard labour in a lime quarry for much of that time and was, at first, only allowed one visitor and one letter every six months. He was later moved to another prison.

How did he get out of prison? Mandela became the most famous prisoner in the world. He did not give up and for that even the prison guards admired him. At last, in 1988, the South African government began to make changes, one of which was to let black students into 'white' universities. From around the world, the calls got louder. Free Nelson Mandela! In 1990, South Africa's new President F.W. de Klerk set Nelson Mandela free. Mandela and de Klerk had negotiations and agreed: no more fighting. Mandela called on all South Africans to work together in peace.

How did he become President? In 1991, Mandela became leader of the ANC. In the 1994 elections, all black people in South Africa were able to vote for the first time. The ANC won the election. A new government took over and in May 1994, Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first black president. Mandela also worked to protect South Africa's economy from collapse during his presidency. Through his Reconstruction and Development Plan, the South African government funded the creation of jobs, housing and basic health care. In 1996, Mandela signed into law a new constitution for the nation, establishing a strong central government based on majority rule, and guaranteeing the rights of minorities and the freedom of expression.

How did Nelson Mandela inspire people? Another famous South African, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, called South Africa a 'rainbow nation'. Nelson Mandela also spoke of it this way. Its people were of all races and colours, working together.

In 1995, South Africa was host for the rugby World Cup. President Mandela wore a Springbok rugby shirt. The springbok antelope is South Africa's national animal. South Africa's rugby team, the Springboks, had been all-white, but Mandela wore the shirt to help bring white and black together. Sport helped to do this.

How did the world honour Mandela?

Mandela was welcomed around the world as a great world leader. He was given many honours. In 1993, Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize. Mandela wrote a book about his struggle called 'Long Walk to Freedom'. From 2004, he gave up politics, to enjoy a quiet life with his family. Within South Africa, Mandela is widely considered to be "the founding father of democracy", being seen as "the national liberator, the saviour, its Washington and Lincoln rolled into one". In 1993, he received the joint Nobel Peace Prize with de Klerk. In November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed Mandela's birthday, 18 July, as "Mandela Day", marking his contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle. It called on individuals to donate 67 minutes to doing something for others, commemorating the 67 years that Mandela had been a part of the movement.

Many artists have dedicated songs to Mandela. He has been depicted in cinema and television on multiple occasions, the latest of them was Invictus (2009) where Mandela is portrayed by Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon plays the role of the national rugby team captain Francois Pienaar.

Unit 10, Lesson 8, Ex. 3

People whose courage has been met by violence populate history. Few, though, are as young as Malala was when, at 15, a Taliban gunman boarded her school bus in northwestern Pakistan and shot her and two other girls, attempting to both kill Malala and, as the Taliban later said, teach a “lesson” to anyone who had the courage to stand up for education, freedom and self-determination, particularly for girls and women. Or as young as 11, when Malala began blogging for the BBC’s Urdu site, writing about her ambition to become a doctor, her fears of the Taliban and her determination to not allow the Taliban — or her fear — to prevent her from getting the education she needed to realize her dreams.

Malala is now where she wants to be: back in school. The Taliban almost made Malala a martyr; they succeeded in making her a symbol. The memoir she is writing to raise awareness about the 61 million children around the world who are not in school indicates she accepts that unasked-for responsibility as a synonym for courage and a champion for girls everywhere. However Malala concludes her book, her story so far is only just beginning.

UNIT 11

MASS MEDIA

LESSON 2, Ex. 2a, 2c.

Mitchel, Hawaii

I always tend to read the sports section first because I enjoy sports. I love doing sports, watching sports and reading about sport competitions, championships, successes and achievements of my favourite teams and sportsmen. And since I'm from Hawaii, I am also interested in the Island Style section, which gives a lot of useful information about new foods, dishes and keeps me up to date on other local news.

Anita, Taiwan

What part of a newspaper do I read first? Well, … I start with the front-page articles on top current news, then I look through a TV guide and some entertainment news, and I read the weather forecast and check the currency exchange rates as well. Naturally, I find my favourite newspaper informative, useful, interesting and entertaining.

Asako, Japan

Let's see, I don't read newspapers, therefore I can't answer this questions. However, when I look through the Internet news sites, I scan the headlines very fast and if I am hooked by a piece of news, I read more attentively to find out what's going on in the world.

Greg, the United States

I go through the front page first, and then I focus on international news, but if I by chance see a comics, first I go to the comics. Comics always relax me.

Ruth, England

Which part do I read first? Well, let me start by telling you the part that I read last. I leave sport until last because sport is not really that interesting for me. It's a little bit pointless, senseless, so usually I begin with the front page, and I read the newspaper in order, but when I get to the sports page, I give up reading the paper.

Simon, Canada

When I read a newspaper, I usually read the sports section first. Sport is nice light reading, you don't have to think too much and it's fun. Then, when sport is finished, I turn to the more serious stuff like world news and all that kind.

LESSON 3. Talk to an editor.

Ex. 1b.

The staff of a big famous newspaper like, for example, New York Times, has an impressive staff, including countless executive and managing editors, assistant managing editors for news, photography, video, deputy editors, editor overseeing journalistic standards, online edition editors, different sections editors (science, technology, health, arts, music, TV, news, automobiles, culture, foreign news, national news, travel, ) digital editors, reporters and columnists, writing for different sections, graphics director, video director.

LESSON 4. MASS MEDIA IN THE UK.

Ex. 2b

The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication

Nature is a prominent journal, publishing original research across a wide range of scientific fields.

New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine

Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine

HELLO! is a weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news and human-interest stories

The Spectator is a weekly British conservative magazine, covering politics and culture

Radio Times is a British weekly television and radio programme listings magazine

NME – the New Musical Express, a music weekly published in the UK since March 1952

Ex. 5a, 5b, 5c

Radio

Radio in the United Kingdom is dominated by the BBC, which operates radio stations both in the United Kingdom and abroad. The BBC World Service radio network is broadcast in 33 languages globally. The BBC also operates ten national networks and over 40 local radio stations including services in Welsh in Wales, Gaelic in Scotland and Irish in Northern Ireland.

There are also a lot of commercial local radio stations owned by large radio groups which broadcast to many areas.

There are four main radio channels. BBC Radio 1 broadcasts a mix of new music and entertainment for 15-29 year-olds and provides news, documentaries and advice campaigns for young adults. BBC Radio 2 covers a diverse mix of live pop and rock concerts, comedy, documentaries and religious content. BBC Radio 3 is best known for its classical music performance and programmes dedicated to jazz and world music, as well as speech programmes, documentaries and drama. BBC Radio 4 offers in-depth news and a wide range of drama, comedy and magazine programmes.

Ex. 6a

Television

Television in the United Kingdom is made up of two public broadcasting companies, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Channel Four Television Corporation, and two commercial television companies, ITV Network Ltd and Northern & Shell. They own five most watched nationwide television channels: BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, ITV and Channel 5.

The BBC also operates several television channels abroad. The BBC's international television news service, BBC World News, is broadcast throughout the world on commercial subscription basis over cable and satellite services.

The BBC first began television broadcasts only for London in 1936. BBC Television was closed during World War II but reopened in 1946. ITV (Independent Television) was originally founded in 1955 to provide competition to the BBC. ITV was the country's first commercial television funded by advertisements, and has been the most popular commercial channel through most of its existence. On October 24 2012 all television broadcasts in the United Kingdom went digital.

There are a number of providers, delivering free and subscription services on more than 480 channels throughout the UK: Freesat, Freesat from Sky, Freeview, the Internet, BTVision, Orange, Sky TV, Smallworld, T-Mobile, TalkTalk TV, Vodafone, and others. The providers differ in the number of channels and the services they offer, such as the electronic programme guides (EPGs), video on demand (VOD), or audio and video on demand (AVOD), high-definition television (HDTV) and interactive television via the red button, where TV viewers are active: they send short text messages, make phone calls, vote.

Ex. 6b

BBC One is the Corporation’s primary network, broadcasting comedy and humour, drama, light plays and series, weather and sport, but there are also some interesting documentaries, news, and some children’s programmes. The most popular TV series are EastEnders and Doctor Who.

BBC Two is a mixed-genre channel, which offers more serious programmes covering arts, culture and showing knowledge-building programmes, discussions, adaptations of novels into plays and films, operas and concerts. Its most popular programme at the moment is Top Gear.

Channel 4 got the rights to broadcast popular sporting events, such as cricket and horse racing. In the early 2000s it began reality formats, such as Big Brother. It also shows many US programmes in peak viewing time, for example Friends.

ITV’s primetime is dominated by soap operas, such as Coronation Street, reality TV programmes, Celebrity Fit Club and Love Island, sports programmes, drama productions and national news.

Channel 5 broadcasts a wide variety of entertainment programmes, such as game shows, imported American drama and reality television, for example Celebrity Big Brother.

LESSON 6. The future of mass media.

Ex. 2a, 2b

Q. As more TV content lands on the Web through YouTube, or network and cable TV Web sites, is there any reason to keep the TV? (Sandra Yin, Rockville)

A. Ten years ago, even five, your question would have seemed absurd for a TV lover. Yes, if you wanted to wait for your favorite shows to come out on DVD, and pay a significant amount of money for that privilege, you could dump your TV. To tell the truth, your question is the one that scares television networks, cable companies and advertisers.

Personally, I do not see any threat to television at the moment. Television is developing, it has gone digital and offers new and interesting services. I would still rather watch television on the big screen, particularly now with flat screens, showing programs in high definition. If you're a sports fan, then I'd also hold on to your television. Watching a baseball, football or hockey game in HD is a transformative experience. And if you like the control the DVR gives you (for example, you are able to skip advertisements or watch programmes any time you want), you need to think twice.

Q. I have the most unimaginative question for you: What is the task at hand when you transport your newspaper to the Web? How do you do that?

A. Actually there's nothing unimaginative about the question. But I’ll have to make the answer imaginative. First of all, our mission is to bring the interactivity of the Web to the newspaper and spread journalistic standards and depth to the Web.

Secondly, we want our online newspaper to be timely, lively and to reflect the excitement and dynamism of the Web. One of the best examples of new possibilities is the world of blogs. Blogs allow writers to present news and information in a quick way and conversational tone. At the same time, they allow readers to join in the discussion.

Q. I believe, that in spite of their conversational tone, blogs should keep to high standards of traditional print journalism. But how do you keep a respectful tone in a conversation of hundreds or thousands of readers?

A. That's a challenge we deal with every day and it's one we take very seriously. Our blogs are all overseen by our editors, and every comment by readers is reviewed by our staff to make sure that they are not abusive and are on the topic discussed.

Q. In the digital era news is updated round the clock. For example, when breaking stories appear online, you can always see the time of their last update. How does this continually updated style correspond to the more traditional newswriting process? Do writers spend more or less time working on and improving articles? (Matthew Stoff)

A. I think most news reporters at most newspapers would tell you that the needs of online journalism have greatly changed their jobs in the past decade.

These days, reporters are often asked to file articles to the Web shortly after news events take place. On some breaking stories we expect an extremely quick response. In the competitive news environment, minutes often count.

To help our reporters manage the demands, our newspaper has a small staff of reporters and editors dedicated to online news.

Q: What does going digital mean both for readers and newspaper staff members?

A. Oh, now it takes 30 minutes to read all of my printed local newspaper, this is if you take the time to read the editorial! Since advertisers took away all their classified ads, my paper now makes money by adding photographs to the death notices. Dead people smiling out at you now, that's journalism! Newspapers cut down their size, they become compact, some of them are not daily newspapers anymore. They are issued 3 – 4 times a week. Reporters lose their jobs … The solution of all these problems lies in the future. What’s the future of mass media? I invite you to think about it.

Ex. 2c

Q: What does going digital mean both for readers and newspaper staff members?

A. Oh, now it takes 30 minutes to read all of my printed local newspaper, this is if you take the time to read the editorial! Since advertisers took away all their classified ads, my paper now makes money by adding photographs to the death notices. Dead people smiling out at you now, that's journalism! Newspapers cut down their size, they become compact, some of them are not daily newspapers anymore. They are issued 3 – 4 times a week. Reporters lose their jobs … The solution of all these problems lies in the future. What’s the future of mass media? I invite you to think about it.

LESSON 6. The future of mass media.

Ex. 5

Jimmy Brown the Newsboy

I sell the morning paper, Sir, my name is Jimmy Brown

Everybody knows that I'm the newsboy of the town

You can hear me yelling "Morning Star", as I run along the street

I've got no hat upon my head, no shoes upon my feet

I sell the morning paper, Sir, my name is Jimmy Brown

Everybody knows that I'm the newsboy of the town

Never mind, Sir, how I look, don't look at me and frown

I sell the morning paper, Sir, my name is Jimmy Brown

I'm awful cold and hungry, Sir, my clothes are mighty thin

I wander 'bout from place to place, my daily bread to win

I sell the morning paper, Sir, my name is Jimmy Brown

Everybody knows that I'm the newsboy of the town

My father was a drunkard, Sir, I've heard my mother say

And I am helping my Mother, Sir, as I journey on my way

My mother always tells me, Sir, I've nothing in the world to lose

I'll get a place in Heaven, Sir, selling the "Gospel News"

I sell the morning paper, Sir, my name is Jimmy Brown

Everybody knows that I'm the newsboy of the town

UNIT 12