Английский язык. Сборник текстов и заданий. Уровень Pre-intermediate. Учебно-методическое пособие

3. How many papers were written in psychology literature on depression and on joy in the past three decades?

4.In what way did the American Psychological Association start

2000?

5.Do researchers know much about how an optimistic mood might help the body’s defenses?

Exercise 2. Answer the questions about you.

1.Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

2.Do you believe that pessimists are prone to car wrecks, violence and household troubles and optimists suffer less of depression, achieve more goals, respond better to stress, wage more effective battles against disease and even live longer?

3.Do you think that a person can learn to be an optimist? If yes, how? Can you give some advice?

Exercise 3. Translate the following passages from the text into Russian in a written form.

1.From the beginning to the “... the 21st century will become the time of science of human strength and personal fulfillment”.

2.From the third paragraph to the end.

Exercise 4. Tell the main points of the article. Include your opinion about the facts.

Exercise 5. Fill in the gaps with prepositions.

1.Researchers have started to study optimism, the curious human habit ___ expecting good things to happen, often ___ defiance ___

reality.

2.Dozens ___ recent studies show that optimists do better than pessimists ___ sport, ___ school and work.

3.Optimists suffer less ___ depression, achieve more goals, respond better ___ stress, wage more effective battles ___ disease.

4.Optimists believe ___ positive future.

5.Scientists focus less ___ misery and more ___ why things go right.

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6.Social science now finds itself ___ almost total darkness ____

the qualities that make life worth living.

7.___ the past three decades there were 46000 papers ___

psychology literature ___ depression and just 400 ___ joy.

8.The 21st century will become the time ___ science ___ human strength and personal fulfillment.

9. The American Psychological Association started 2000 ___

a special issue ___ journal devoted ___ optimism and positive psychology.

10.Pessimists are usually ___ bad moods. They are more prone ___

accidents.

11.Some psychologists say that a false sense ___ security can be dangerous when it comes ___ taking risks.

Exercise 6. Translate from Russian into English using the words and expressions from the text.

Наблюдения ученых показывают, что в течение жизни характер человека не меняется. Он лишь обостряется. Нытики (Moaners) становятся еще более занудными. Жадные становятся очень жадными, а оптимисты не меняются. Они, как правило, остаются такими всю жизнь вопреки маленькой пенсии, несчастьям, домашним неурядицам и болезням. Оптимисты поднимают настроение себе и другим людям. Они любят пошутить над собой, над своими проблемами. Можно сказать, что оптимизм служит им защитным механизмом. Они лучше реагируют на стресс, менее подвержены несчастным случаям, в том числе автомобильным катастрофам. Оптимисты живут дольше, чем пессимисты. Ученые считают, что злые (wicked) люди и те, кто всем завидует (envy), живут меньше.

All Kinds of Friends

Before reading the text.

1.Do you have a lot of friends? What kinds of friends have you got?

2.Read the text and find out the kinds of friends the writer talks about.

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Are all friends the same? If you like most people, you probably have many different kinds of friends. For example, think about the person who lives next door to you. Your neighbor might be a convenience friend. A convenience friend is someone who is in your life because of where you live, or maybe where you work. You probably wouldn’t have a reason to be friends if you were in another situation. Convenience friends really are convenient. They will lend you small things you need or give you a ride if you need one.

Another kind of friend is a special-interest friend. These are friends who share an interest with you. You might play tennis once a week with a special-interest friend, or go shopping, or go to the theatre. We usually don’t get too close to convenience friends or special-interest friends. We don’t tell them too much about ourselves. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t important in our lives. And many times these relationships grow into strong friendships.

Did you have a good friend when you were growing up? Maybe you don’t see this friend often, but he or she is still an important part of your past. You might not have much in common now, but a childhood friend can put you in touch with an earlier part of yourself. Childhood friends often become life-long friends. “I only talk to Bill every two years or so, but he’s still very special to me,” says Tom. “He knows things about me that no one else knows. And he knows the people from my childhood. He knew my grandfather. He remembers eating my Aunt Betty’s pies. He is, in a way, like a brother.”

Another interesting kind of friend is a friend who is much older or younger than you are. It can be a pleasure for the older person to share lessons learned from past experiences. The younger friend enjoys talking to an older person who is not a parent. Janie’s friend is sixty-seven years old. “She is older than my mother, but I can talk to her about life,” Janie says. “I tell her things that I wouldn’t tell my mom.”

Then there are friends of the opposite sex. Many men and women become close friends. “Lynn is a great friend,” says Rick. We have a lot in common, and she can always make me laugh. We really care of each other.” Lynn says, “I hate it when people ask if we are just friends. We both date other people. That doesn’t have anything to do with our friendship.”

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Finally, there are best friends. Best friends are special people. They will come running to help you when you need them. You can tell them your deepest secrets and they will always love and support you. Best friends are the rarest kind of friend. They will always be there for you, no matter what happens. And you will always be there for them. That’s a rare thing, indeed.

After reading the text

1.What are six kinds of friend mentioned in the text?

2.Now choose the best answer to each question:

a)What is something you can do with a special interest friend?

■■Stay up and talk all night

■■Tell all of your problems

■■Go skiing

b)A childhood friend is a friend …

■■Who is a child

■■Who has a child

■■You knew as a child

c)To have something in common means …

■■To share interests or ideas

■■To believe in something

■■To be old friends

d)What’s a good reason to have an old friend?

■■You can give advice

■■To listen to old stories

■■To learn from their experiences

e)If someone wants to know if you and your friend are “just friends,” what are they asking?

■■If you are dating each other

■■If your friendship is important

■■If your friendship is only for fun

f)“Best friends are the rarest kind of friend” means…

■■Best friends are better than other kinds of friends

■■Best friends are hardest friends to find

■■You can tell your secrets to your best friend

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g)The main idea of this reading passage is …

■■Many people cannot find best friends

■■There are many different kinds of friendships

■■Some friendships are better than others

3.Discuss these questions with a partner or a small group.

a)Do you agree that it is possible for people of the opposite sex to be “just friends”? Do you have a good friend of the opposite sex?

b)Is it possible to be best friends with a person much older or younger than you? Have you ever had a friend like this?

c)Is it possible to be best friends with a person from your family? For example, can you be best friends with your father? Think about your family. Which family member is most like a friend to you?

d)Can a pet be a best friend? Why or why not?

e)Have you ever lied for a friend? Would you? For example, imagine that your friend accidentally hit another car in a parking lot. You saw it happen. If the owner of the car asked you if you saw what happened, would you lie to protect your friend?

f)What is better to have an old close friend who you don’t see very often or a lot of different friends to go out with?

g)Who is your newest friend? How is that friendship different from the one you share with your oldest friend?

h)Can you be your own best friend? Explain.

What’s in a dream?

Before you read, discuss the following questions in groups of three or four.

1.Why do we dream?

2.Why do people study dreams?

3.Are dreams important? Why or why not?

Read the text. What answers does it give to the three questions?

According to scientists, everyone dreams, although people remember their dreams more easily than other people. Dreams are one of our most personal experiences, and people in every century

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and every culture have been fascinated by dreams. The Bible, for example, contains many stories of people receiving messages from God and visions of the future in their dreams. And many Native American tribes have dream festivals where they dance and act out their dreams.

In the past, dreams were studied mostly for messages about the future, and many people still believe that dreams can predict the future. Most dreams experts nowadays, however, study dreams to understand the people who dream. Psychologists, for example, often pay close attention to dreams; they believe that dreams are the window into the human mind.

One of the biggest mysteries about dreaming is the purpose of dreaming. Why do we dream? Although there are many theories about the reasons for dreaming, nobody really knows for sure why we dream. Most experts believe that we work through our problems and feelings in our dreams. In dreams, we can experience situations that are impossible in real life; we can also re-experience real situations from our past.

Some people make an effort to remember their dreams, because they believe that understanding their dreams will help them understand their lives. They might also use their dreams to help them with particular problems and questions. Just before they fall asleep, they think about a problem, and they ask their mind to help them solve the problem while they sleep. The next morning, they often feel much closer to a solution.

Some important discoveries and creations were the result of dreams. The idea for the Theory of Relativity came to Albert Einstein in a dream. Paul McCartney heard the music for the song “Yesterday” in a dream. The writer Graham Green thought about his novels before he went to sleep; when he woke up in the morning, he had a much clearer idea of how to continue the stories.

Whether or not our dreams can predict the future or help us with our problems, studying dreams is certainly enjoyable. Dreams have been a topic of interest for thousands of years, and they will, without a doubt, continue to fascinate us in the future.

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Tasks on the text and vocabulary

Exercise 1. Read the following statements from the text and say if they are true or false. Correct the false ones. Try not to look at the text.

1.Some people don’t dream.

2.There are stories about dreams in the Bible.

3.Nowadays, nobody believes that dreams predict the future.

4.Psychologists believe that dreams show the future.

5.Scientists know exactly why we dream.

6.Some people try to remember their dreams.

7.Interest in dreams began in the 1800s.

8.The music for the song “Yesterday” came to Paul McCartney in a dream.

Exercise 2. Discuss the following questions with a partner.

1.Do you believe that dreams can predict the future? Have you ever had a dream that came true? Do you know anyone who has had this kind of dream?

2.Do you usually remember your dreams? What kind of things do you dream about?

3.Do you sometimes try to interpret your dreams?

4.Has a dream ever helped you solve a problem?

Exercise 3. Retell the text.

Exercise 4. Tell the class about a dream you have had.

Exercise 5. Play the dream game.

Play the dream game in pairs or small groups. Take turns to read the questions aloud. Make a note of your answers. Compare them. Use the dictionary if necessary.

Read the interpretation.

Then discuss with the whole class. Do you agree or disagree with the interpretation of your personality?

1. You are asleep and you are dreaming. In your dream you find yourself in your perfect house. What is it like? Describe it in detail.

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2.Now you are walking along a narrow path. Suddenly you find a cup/glass/drinking vessel on the ground in front of you. What is it like? What is in it?

3.Now the path ends and you are walking in a wood. You walk quite a long way until you find a clearing. In the middle of the clearing is a building. What sort of building is it?

4.Around the building is a garden. Describe the garden.

5.You walk out of the garden and through the wood. At the edge of the wood there is a wall. The wall is too high to climb over, and too long to walk around. Suddenly you notice a small door in the wall. It slowly opens as you watch. What do you do? Do you go through the door?

6.On the other side of the wall is water. What does it look like? Do you want to swim in it?

Interpretation

Now read about what the images represent and try to analyze your answers.

The house

The house is your idea of yourself. If your house is old, you probably do not like change, you like traditional things. If your house is large, it means you are quite confident, with a high opinion of yourself. If it is filled with light, you are optimistic. If it is dark, you are pessimistic. The number of rooms is the number of people you want in your life.

The cup

The cup is your idea of love. The more beautiful and valuable the cup, the more important love is in your life. You are a romantic person. The contents of the cup show what your experience of love has been so far.

The building

The building is your idea of religion and God. A strong building is a strong belief. A ruin would mean a lack of belief.

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The garden

This is your idea of the world around you, your country, or the whole world. If the plants and flowers in your garden are dying, this might mean that you are worried about the environment and pollution in the world.

The wall

This is your idea of death. Is it the end or is there something after it? Do you go straight through the little door? Do you look and check before you go? Or don’t you want to go through at all?

The water

The water is your idea of your future. If there is a sea with big waves, you feel positive and excited about your future. If you want to swim, you feel confident and want to take risks. If the water is a stagnant pool, you might fear your future and the future of the world.

The Lottery Winner

by Rosemary Border

Part 4. Chapters 5-6

Emma gets a lawyer

On Wednesday evening Simon Carter telephoned his mother. He lived near Sidney with his wife and their two children, and he telephoned Emma every week. She told him the story of her lottery ticket. Simon listened carefully, and got angrier and angrier.

‘Is your head OK now, Mom? ‘

‘Yes, thank you, Simon. But I’m very, very angry. That young man stole my lottery ticket. Now he’s got a cheque for five million pounds — and I’ve got nothing! I don’t want to be rich, but I do want to come to Australia and visit you, and Molly, and my grandchildren. It’s not right, Simon! I had the winner ticket, I paid for it, and that man stole it!’ She began to cry.

‘Mum, listen, ‘ said Simon. ‘Go and see a lawyer.’

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‘I don’t know any lawyers, ‘ said Emma unhappily. ‘Look in the telephone book, ‘ said Simon. ‘There are lawyers in every town.’

‘But lawyers are expensive. I can’t pay a lawyer. ‘

‘I can pay a lawyer, ‘ said Simon. ‘I’m sending you some money today, through my bank. Don’t cry, Mom. Put on your best dress and go and see the lawyer.’

‘Simon, you are a wonderful son.’

‘And you’re a wonderful mother. Goodbye, Mom. And good luck!’

‘Well, Mrs. Carter, how can I help you? ‘

It was Thursday morning and Emma was in Edwin Jones’s office. Edwin Jones was a big man, with a red face and small blue eyes.

‘It’s about a lottery ticket,’ Emma began.

‘Ah, the lottery. Everybody wants to win the lottery! ‘ ‘But I did!’ said Emma. ‘It was my ticket — my numbers.’ ‘Tell me about it, Mrs. Carter. From the beginning.’

So Emma told the lawyer everything, and he listened carefully. When Emma finished, he said:

‘Those numbers on the ticket — tell them to me again.’ ‘5, 12, 23, 24, 38, 41.’

‘And you always get a ticket with those numbers. Why, Mrs. Carter?’ asked the lawyer.

‘All those numbers are important to me. I was born on the 5th of December, 1923. I lived at number 24 Sandwich Road for 38 years. And my son Simon is 41 years old.’

‘I see. Well, Mrs. Carter, what can they do? All lottery tickets look the same. People don’t write their names on the tickets… Perhaps it is your ticket, but we can’t prove it.’

‘But we can! My ticket’s different! Please listen! I always put a little kiss on my ticket … you know, an X.’

‘Why do you do that?’

‘My son lives in Australia with his family. I’d like to visit them, but aeroplane tickets are very expensive. So every week I get a lottery ticket and I think about Simon and his wife and my grandchildren, and I send them a kiss. Simon’s a wonderful son. He telephones me every week. He never forgets…’

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