Английский язык. Практический курс. Уровень Intermediate. Практикум

3.What kind of information is it possible to get from the Internet?

4.What are ways to communicate with other people?

5.What is an instant messaging?

6.How can you create a personal page?

7.What can users of social networks do?

8.How do the Internet revolutionize education?

9.What is an online learning?

10.What opportunities does the Internet give to companies?

5.Explain the meaning of the following words and word combinations.

1.Medium

2.Social network

3.Personal page

4.Encyclopaedia

5.Representative

6.Fill in the gap.

1.Emails are slower than … .

2.… revolutionized the way we communicate.

3.Before you're going to a vacation, you should … a hotel.

4.The Internet provides instant … to the most famous encyclopaedias.

5.He … that his university allows students to subscribe on online courses.

6.… of entertainment is presented in the Internet.

7.You can always ... with your relatives, using various messengers.

8.All modern … have their websites in the Internet.

9.Every successful company … the opinions of its clients.

10.Wishing to know more, my friend … long-term courses.

7.Translate these phrases from Russian into English.

1.Доступ к сети Интернет может быть получен при помощи широкого выбора устройств.

2.Используя социальные сети, ты можешь оставаться на связи с родственниками и друзьями.

3.С помощью Интернета можно спланировать свой отпуск.

4.Обмен мгновенными сообщениями быстрее, чем отправка электронных писем.

5.Социальные сети и мессенджеры представили собой новую форму взаимодействия между людьми.

6.Пользователь может создать личную страницу в социальной сети и заполнить её информацией о своих интересах.

7.Дистанционное обучение позволяет учиться, находясь дома.

8.Многие университеты публикуют материалы занятий в сети.

9.Неотъемлемый элемент ведения бизнеса – иметь представителя компании в социальных сетях.

10.Компании могут взаимодействовать со своими клиентами при помощи мессенджеров.

8.Prepare a retelling of the text «Internet in our daily life».

9.Fill in the blanks with the suitable form of the verbs in table.

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The Pros and Cons of the Internet

The Internet is without doubt one of the … (1) in history. It … (2) in 1968 by the US government, but at first it was used mainly by scientists. Since 1990, when the World Wide Web was created, it … (3) the world and its uses … (4) every day.

The main … (5) of the Internet is to find information – for your schoolwork or job, or just to find out more about yours hobbies, sports or current events.

All the … (6) information is available to you, in your home, at any hour of the day and night. It is … (7) faster and easier to surf the net in search of information from all over the world than to travel to libraries in dozens of countries.

You can also use the Internet to read newspapers and magazines, play games, plan your holiday or buy from your favourite shop.

E-mail … (8) it possible to send electronic messages anywhere in the world in seconds, and you can use the Internet to ‘chat’ with people and make new friends.

However, the real world of the Internet may not be as perfect as it seems.

With so much information available, finding what you want can … (9) you hours. Multimedia web pages with photographs, music and video are attractive, but they make downloading slow and boring. Besides, there … (10) advertising instead of real information.

As for Internet friendships, sitting at home in front of a computer making ‘chat friends’ is

Speaking

10. Read and translate this dialog.

The Internet experience

S i m o n : Today we discuss our experience of using the Internet. Well, Rose, how do you use the Internet?

R o s e : The Internet has created unlimited opportunities for its users. If you’re a student, it makes the process of studying easier. I don’t mind reading articles and book from a computer screen, as it considerably economize my time. Thus, I don’t need to go to the libraries and sit there for hours. I can be at home and work via the Internet.

S i m o n : Does it change your hobbies and activities?

R o s e : I am fond of embroidering and I am often looking for different schemes there. Moreover, the Internet is becoming faster all the time, so I download a lot of modern popular music and watch films without going to the cinema.

S i m o n : Does it have a bad influence on you?

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R o s e : Yes, I noticed that my sight became worse than before. Than, it makes me lazier: sometimes I chat with my friends in messengers, sitting at home, instead of going for a walk with them. I began to do fewer activities like jogging or going in for sport to keep fit.

S i m o n : Can the Internet be dangerous for its users?

R o s e : I think so. The Internet obviously brings many benefits for education and entertainment, but we all have heard about manipulation, invasions of privacy, cyberbullying, violence and so on. As a solution, there are filtering programs to prevent access to unsafe sites or to control information. Everyone can use them, if they care about their security. On the other hand, some people argue that such kind of software limits free expression on the Internet.

S i m o n : Well, let us make a conclusion. The Internet is really one of the greatest inventions ever and provides a wide variety of benefits, but we must be careful when using it.

11. In pairs, create your own dialog on topics, touching the Internet usage, and present it to your groupmates.

Writing

12. How can the Internet be dangerous for its users? How can the Internet be improved? Choose one of these questions and present your answer in a short essay (200-250 words).

Unit 14. British culture

Before reading

1.In pairs, discuss these questions.

1.Are there many holidays in Great Britain?

2.What is the most popular holiday in Britain?

3.Which type of holidays do you prefer?

2.Pay attention to these words and word combinations.

3. Read the text.

Holidays and festivals in Britain

England is a country of traditions and public holidays. The public holidays are Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Easter, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday.

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January has a nice holiday on New Year’s Day. The most famous celebration is in Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square in London. It is not widely celebrated in England, however, it is more popular in Scotland.

February 14th is St Valentine’s Day. On this day, young people send cards or flowers to those whom they love.

March 25th is Mother’s Day. English people decorate their houses with flowers and cook a nice holiday dinner.

On the morning of the 1st of April, the English people play funny tricks. Most newspapers have at least one unlikely story.

May Day is celebrated on the first Monday in May. It is a spring holiday of flowers, dancing and games.

Halloween is a holiday loved by all children. It takes place on the 31th of October. There are a lot of parties and people dress up in costumes of witches and ghosts and make lanterns of pumpkins with a candle inside. Children usually go from one house to another with empty baskets or bags, knock on doors and say «Trick or treat». People should give them something, or they will play a trick on them.

The 5th of November is Guy Fawkes Night. In 1605, King James the First was on the throne. Some Catholics planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Gunpowder was to be exploded by a man called Guy Fawkes. But he was discovered, arrested and later hanged. Since that day, the British celebrate the 5th of November by burning a doll made of straw and dressed in old clothes on a bonfire. Children dress in old clothes and beg in the street saying «A penny for the Guy».

On the 11th of November, all English people remember those who died in two world wars, in churches special services are held.

Christmas Day is on the 25th of December. Families decorate their houses with brightly coloured paper or holly, and they usually have a Christmas tree. One of the most important Christmas traditions is exchanging gifts. Family members leave gifts at the base of a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, the 24th of December, to be found on Christmas morning, by their near and dear.

26th of December is Boxing Day. People visit friends and relatives or watch one of the many sporting events.

At Easter, the British celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.

On Good Friday, bakers sell hot cross buns, which are toasted and eaten with butter. Easter Monday is a holiday and some people travel to the seaside for the day.

After reading

4.Answer these questions.

1.What public holidays are there in Britain?

2.What holiday is celebrated in January?

3.What happens on the 14th of February?

4.What holidays are celebrated in spring?

5.When is Halloween celebrated? What happens on this day?

6.Who was Guy Fawkes?

7.When do people commemorate those who died in wars?

8.What is celebrated on the 25th of December?

9.What do people do on the next day?

10.What religious holidays are there in Britain?

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5.Agree or disagree with the following statements and prove your point of view. Use the following phrases: I agree that... It’s true... I disagree because... I can’t agree with this statement because... It’s false...

1.Holidays in Britain are usually celebrated with near and dear.

2.Halloween is a children’s holiday.

3.Christmas is one of the popular holidays in Britain.

4.Many holidays take place in spring and autumn.

5.Religious holidays are not public holidays.

6.Fill in the gap.

1.Most newspapers publish … stories on the 1st of April.

2.Scarecrows are often made of … .

3.… are days, when most people don’t work.

4.In Middle Ages, criminals could be … or prisoned.

5.Our … are parents and relatives.

6.All children love … as during this time they don’t go to school.

7.People decorate doors of their houses with … on Christmas day.

8.On Halloween day those people, which don’t want to be …, give children candies.

9.There are many … at theaters and cinemas on holidays.

10.Boxing Day is … the next day after Christmas day.

7.Translate these phrases from Russian into English.

1.В Лондоне первый день Нового года отмечается площади Пикадилли или на Трафальгарской площади.

2.25 марта в Великобритании отмечается день Матери и мамам дарят цветы.

3.Англичане разыгрывают друг друга 1 апреля.

4.Первое мая – весенний праздник, который отмечают в первый понедельник мая.

5.31 октября дети наряжаются в костюмы ведьм и призраков и ходят по домам, прося сладости.

6.5 ноября отмечается ночь Гая Фокса, который пытался уничтожить здание парламента, но был схвачен и казнён.

7.В ночь Гая Фокса британцы сжигают на костре соломенную куклу, одетую в старые вещи.

8.11 ноября англичане вспоминают тех, кто погиб во время Первой и Второй мировых войн.

9.Одна из главных рождественских традиций – обмен подарками с близкими и друзьями.

10.Пасха, Страстная пятница и Понедельник Светлой седмицы являются религиозными праздниками.

8.Prepare a retelling of the text «Holidays and festivals in Britain».

Speaking

9. Read and translate this dialog.

New Year's Day

J o h n : Hi! Have you decided how to celebrate our favourite holiday?

S i m o n : You mean New Year’s Day, don’t you? Well, I think I’ll stay with my parents as usual. First of all, New Year is a family holiday. Traditionally, on the thirty-first of December we decorate a fir-tree and put presents under it. When the Kremlin clock strikes twelve, we wish

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each other «Happy New Year» and give each other presents. I usually get lots of presents from my relatives so I’m looking forward to this day. You can come and celebrate with us if you like. J o h n : Well, I think it’s rather boring to celebrate this holiday with parents. There’s not much to do except watching TV and talking. Why don’t we have something different this year?

S i m o n : Perhaps you are right. But what do you suggest?

J o h n : Some of my friends are having a New Year party at home. Why not join them? We are of the same age and have common views on many things so you can make a lot of new friends. I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun playing games and dancing.

S i m o n : And I’m not quite sure of it. Your friends may not like me and I won’t feel at home.

And some of the guests can be unpleasant to me either, especially if they drink a lot. Finally, we’ll have to do lots of washing up and clean the room in the morning and I don’t feel like doing it on holiday.

J o h n : Well, I can agree with you. What about going for a walk with our classmates? I know they are going to celebrate New Year in Red Square. It’s rather exotic! We’ll watch fireworks and listen to the concert.

S i m o n : You are crazy! It’s freezing and it’s going to be rather cold at night. And I’m afraid we’ll get hungry.

J o h n : If we are hungry, we can go to a cafe and have a snack.

S i m o n : I’m sure all cafes will be frill that night. But if you want to go out, we can buy tickets to a disco party.

J o h n : A disco party? Great idea! There will be lots of young people and we can make new friends. Besides, I’m fond of dancing.

S i m o n : So am I! And I think there will be a special concert programme, too. So we will have a lot of fun. Besides, we won’t have to care about food. Everything is included into the price.’

J o h n : And we won’t have to wash dishes and to clean the room after the party! Wonderful!

Let’s choose a disco party. I’ll go and buy tickets right now.

10. In pairs, create your own dialog and present it to your groupmates.

Writing

11. Write a letter to your pen-friend in Great Britain and tell him how you spent one of Russian holidays. Ask him or her questions about British holidays or festivals (230-250 words).

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Additional texts

Text 1. Learning Foreign Languages

Poet Goethe once said, «Who doesn’t know any foreign language, has no idea of his own». That’s why more and more people realize that every educated person should know a foreign language. The most popular language now is English. English is a world language, the language of progressive science and technology, trade and cultural relation, commerce and business. It’s the universal language of international aviation, shipping and sports. It is also the major language of diplomacy. English is spoken by more than 400 million people. It is the official language of the UK, of the USA, of Australia and New Zealand. English is used as one of the official languages in Canada, the Republic of South Africa and the Irish Republic. It’s also spoken as a second language by speakers in many parts of Asia and Africa. In Russia English is very popular: it is studied at schools, colleges, universities, and sometimes even at kindergartens.

Learning a foreign language is not an easy thing. It is a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But to know languages today is absolutely necessary for everyone. It is important to know languages when we travel to other countries or when we have to read foreign literature in the original, in addition to communication with foreigners. Speaking a foreign language can also help you get a better job in life. Moreover, these days, in the 21st century, it is not necessary to go abroad to communicate with native speakers. We live in an era of high-speed technology and you can just log on to the Internet and have a talk with your friend living in a foreign country.

The importance of foreign language study is obvious. There are different ways to improve your command of a foreign language. You should work hard every day and you are to work systematically. First of all you are to have a desire to learn the language; otherwise you can’t be successful. Learning a foreign language requires a lot of mental and physical activity. You should learn different aspects of the language – phonetics, grammar, vocabulary. Besides, you should acquire habits and skills in hearing (listening comprehension), speaking, reading, writing. You are to be active in foreign language learning. Learning English songs, reading books, listening to CDs, translating, carrying on conversations on different topics and so on may increase your vocabulary and speaking practice. Try to test your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. In short, you are to master the language while reading, listening, writing and speaking.

Text 2. Leisure time

There are many different ways of spending leisure time. People can do sports, play computer games, surf the internet, read books, draw, paint, play musical instruments, dance, knit, sew or just watch TV.

As we all know, leisure time is one of the most important things people cannot live without. It is a big part of our life, and it actually shows the character and temper of a person. Old and young, rich and poor have been using their free time for rest and entertainment. The ways people spend their leisure time normally differ according to the age group: middle-aged and old people normally prefer more passive kind of rest like watching TV or going to the theatre, or sometimes gardening, younger people enjoy more active pastimes like doing extreme sports, visiting night clubs and discos or travelling.

However, the idea of active leisure like doing sports or travelling is gaining popularity with the older people, too. Teenagers normally prefer to do extreme sports. They wish to push themselves to the limits of their physical ability and fear, and push the boundaries of a particular sport, such as climbing, white-water rafting, surfing, windsurfing and many others. Their tastes in music are normally different kinds of popular music, such as hard rock, hip-hop or rap, punk rock,

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psychedelic rock and the like. In watching TV and videos or going to the cinema, they prefer film genres, which are full of action, movement, color, cinema effects and have a good soundtrack. They normally like action films, comedies, musicals, thrillers and cartoons. Sometimes the ways young people spend their free time varies according to the country, as they sometimes depend on national traditions.

For example, in the USA young people normally like different types of popular culture which originated in their country like blues, different kinds of rock, country music and hip hop in music and pop art in fine arts. The sports they are doing are more often than not those, which originated in America like baseball, auto-racing, basketball, and board-based recreational sports – surfboarding, skateboarding and snowboarding. American youngsters are fond of eating out and eat a lot of junk food like hamburgers and drink Coca-cola or Pepsi. British youngsters are really fond of watching football matches and sorts of races such as horse-racing, boat-racing and even dog-racing, as well as playing football, rugby and golf and taking part in races. In going out for the evening, they still prefer pubs to restaurants, bars and cafes. In music, their tastes are nearly the same as those of their American peers. In France, they like listening to French chanson.

Text 3. Sport and Fitness in Russia and Britain

Sport has always been popular in Russia. It’s been a tradition in this country to divide sport into professional and amateur. There are different sporting societies and clubs in Russia. Many of them take part in different international tournaments and are known all over the world. A great number of world records have been set by Russian sportsmen: gymnasts, weight lifters, tennis players, swimmers, figure skaters, runners, high jumpers. Our sportsmen also participate in the Olympic Games and always win a lot of gold, silver and bronze medals.

There are also a lot of amateur clubs and keep-fit centers in Russia where people go in for aerobics, yoga, bodybuilding, swimming, skating, jogging. Thousands of people go to the stadiums to support their favourite team and many thousands more prefer to watch the games on TV.

Sport can be fun as well and it helps to stay in good shape, to keep fit and to be healthy. Doing sports is becoming more and more popular. Some people do it occasionally – swimming in summer, skiing or skating in winter – but many people go in for sports on a more regular basis. They try to find time to go to a swimming pool or a gym at least once a week for aerobics or yoga classes, bodybuilding or just workout on a treadmill.

For those who can afford it there are clubs where they give lessons of scuba diving or riding. In spring and summer, young people put on their roller-skates and skate in the streets and parks.

The English are great lovers of sport; and they are neither playing nor watching games, they like to talk about them. Cricket, football, rugby, tennis, table tennis, badminton, squash, canoeing and snooker were invented in Britain.

Let’s take football for example. It is the most popular team game in Britain. It is played in most of the schools, and there are thousands of amateur teams for young men in all parts of the country. But for most of the public football is a professional game which is watched on Saturday afternoons at the stadium. Professional football is a big business. Every large town has one or more professional clubs.

Rugby football is played with an oval ball, which may be carried in hands. The players of the other team try to stop the man running with the ball by throwing him on the ground. There are fifteen players in each team.

Cricket is a popular summer sport in Britain. There are two teams of 11 players each and test matches between national teams can last up to 5 days. The spectators have to be very patient. The game is played on a pitch with a wicket at each end. Cricket is more popular among men, but it is also played by women and girls.

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Tennis is another favourite sport of the Englishmen. People all over the world know Wimbledon which is the centre of lawn tennis. It is the oldest tennis tournament in the world considered by many people to be the most prestigious. It takes place over two weeks in late June and early July.

Golf is a game of business community. In Great Britain, it is very common to establish good business relations playing golf. The equipment for this game is quite expensive as well as the entrance to a prestigious golf club. In this game, one has to knock a ball into a hole.

Sport competitions gather big crowds in Great Britain. All people in Great Britain are fond of sport and Englishmen know that if they train hard, it will make them strong and healthy.

Text 4. Film genres

Genre is an important concept to understand. Many people may be turned off by a film because of the genre it is in. People must learn to be open minded in these cases also. Genre is a very important component of film. It defines what the general direction the plot line will go and allows you to prepare yourself for that film.

Westerns are the major defining genre of the American film industry – a eulogy to the early days of the expansive American frontier. They are one of the oldest, most enduring genres with very recognizable plots, elements, and characters (six-guns, horses, dusty towns and trails, cowboys, Indians, etc.). Over time, these films have been re-defined, re-invented and expanded, dismissed, re-discovered, and spoofed.

Dramas are serious, plot-driven presentations, portraying realistic characters, settings, life situations, and stories involving intense character development and interaction. Usually, they are not focused on special effects, comedy, or action, films of this type are probably the largest film genre, with many subsets.

Adventure films are usually exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locales, very similar to or often paired with the action film genre. They can include traditional swashbucklers, serialized films, and historical spectacles (similar to the epics film genre), searches or expeditions for lost continents, «jungle» and «desert» epics, treasure hunts, disaster films, or searches for the unknown.

Musical / dance films are cinematic forms that emphasize full-scale scores or song and dance routines in a significant way, or they are films that are centered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography. Major subgenres include the musical comedy or the concert film.

Epics / historical films include costume dramas, historical dramas, war films, medieval romps, or 'period pictures' that often cover a large expanse of time set against a vast, panoramic backdrop. The movies often share elements of the elaborate adventure films genre. They feature an historical or imagined event, mythic, legendary, or heroic figure, and add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes, accompanied by grandeur and spectacle, dramatic scope, high production values, and a sweeping musical score.

Crime & Gangster films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or mobsters, particularly bankrobbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and murdering their way through life. Films of this type are often categorized as film noir or detective-mystery films.

Comedy are light-hearted plots consistently and deliberately designed to amuse and provoke laughter (with one-liners, jokes, etc.) by exaggerating the situation, the language, action, relationships and characters. Various forms of comedy are slapstick, screwball, spoofs and parodies, romantic comedies, black comedy (dark satirical comedy), and more.

War films acknowledge the horror and heartbreak of war, letting the actual combat fighting (against nations or humankind) on land, sea, or in the air provide the primary plot or background

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for the action of the film. Such films are often paired with other genres, such as action, adventure, drama, romance, comedy (black), suspense, and even epics and westerns.

Horror films are designed to frighten and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. These films feature a wide range of styles, from the earliest silent Nosferatu classic, to today's CGI monsters and deranged humans. They are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. There are many sub-genres for this genre: slasher, teen terror, serial killers, Satanic, Dracula, Frankenstein, etc.

Science fiction are often quasi-scientific, visionary and imaginative – complete with heroes, aliens, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology, unknown and unknowable forces, and extraordinary monsters ('things or creatures from space'), either created by mad scientists or by nuclear havoc. This genre often expresses the potential of technology to destroy humankind and easily overlaps with horror films, particularly when technology or alien life forms become malevolent, as in the "Atomic Age" of sci-fi films in the 1950s.

Action films include high energy, big-budget physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles, fights, escapes, destructive crises (floods, explosions, natural disasters, fires, etc.), non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous, often two-dimensional 'goodguy' heroes battling 'bad guys' – all designed for pure audience escapism. Includes the James Bond 'fantasy' spy/espionage series, martial arts films, and some superhero films.

Text 5. Time management

As the saying goes, «Time flies like an arrow». Time is fleeting, and no one can deny the importance of time. What we do in this second may decide what kind of future we might have. Therefore, time management, the topic we will discuss today, is essential to everyone.

Time management plays an important role in each person’s performance. Especially for high school students: we always worry that we don’t have enough time to study since we have a lot of subjects and exams to study every day. The time we have is indeed very limited. So, we can get by it using time management!

There are three tips that we can implement to make our life more efficient. First, we should do the right thing at the right time. As the saying goes, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today,” it is necessary to fulfill student’s responsibility in class as well as after class. For example, paying attention to the teacher and taking notes in class may save us lots of time when we are studying. In addition, if our homework can be done right away after we come home, we don’t have to be panic and stay up late. By doing the right thing at the right moment, we have time to spare and pressure can be reduced.

Second, we should make good use of fragmented time. When waiting for a bus at the bus stop, taking a break between classes, or waiting in lines, we can also do some work such as memorizing English vocabulary or putting the notes in order. If we can seize 5 minutes in a day, every week we will get the extra 35 minutes to do things. Doing this time and time again, we become the master of time, making good use of every bit of it and not to run out of time.

Last but not least, we should plan the schedule in advance. Doing things at random without plans is a waste of time because things might go wrong unexpectedly. Ideally, you should make a list each night or each morning of everything that you want or need to do for that day. Planning our schedule beforehand helps us to utilize the time more properly because we can take into consideration the complexity of work and the time needed to finish the work. Tasks can be grouped in four categories: urgent and important, not urgent but important, urgent but not important, neither urgent nor important. Then, we put off everything that is not important: many so-called problems

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