Listening to BBC. Учебное пособие по аудированию для студентов неязыковых факультетов

6 Minute English. Eyewitness Testimony

6.It is only police questioning that can distort memory.

7.If you’re being held at knifepoint you are likely to be concentrating on your attacker’s face as he is good looking rather than on the weapon.

8.Karen Newirth, senior attorney at the Innocence Project in New York says that people hate eyewitness testimony in court.

9.Eyewitness testimony is the most commonly used evidence brought against criminal defendants in court, even though they are often inaccurate.

10.In a police line-up you can help eyewitnesses receiving information from the officer giving instructions, which might influence their response.

4. Answer the following questions.

1. In which part of the brain is there an area dedicated to recognizing faces? 2. When can’t you get back to the original information?

3. What could change the witness’s memory of what happened? 4. What factors can affect your ability to recall events accurately? 5. Why are eyewitness accounts often unreliable?

6. How can you improve accuracy?

5. What memories do you associate with specific things? Have you ever heard about “smell memories”? Read the text about “smell memories” and answer the following questions.

1.What is one important characteristic of smell memories?

2.Why do humans have a weaker sense of smell than animals?

3.Why do smells cause strong emotional responses?

4.Why do smells often help us remember things from a very early age?

5.What medical implications does research in smell and memory have?

The Nose Knows

Almost everyone has experienced vivid memories associated with smells. Smell memories are so strong that they can transport us immediately to the past. You smell a certain perfume or cologne, and you are with an old love again. You smell popcorn, and you are a child at a fair. We often forget an experience until we smell something associated with it; then we can suddenly see and hear the whole experience and feel the emotions that we felt. It’s as if we are having the experience again.

The sense of smell is very important for animals, as it helps them find food, recognise danger and recognise other members of the same species. However, when humans developed higher cognitive abilities, such as language, the sense of smell became less important for survival. This is why humans only

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have about 20 million smell receptors, while a bloodhound has 220 million. So why are our smell memories so strong? The answer is in our physiology. The reason that we usually have strong emotional responses to smell memories is that the olfactory cortex, where our sense of smell is located, is close to the amygdala, which is the centre of emotions and memories.

Researchers have done experiments to compare smell stimuli with other stimuli as memory cues. With visual cues and word cues, people tended to remember things that happened after the age of 10. With smell cues, they remembered more things from early childhood. This makes sense, because the sense of smell develops in babies before the senses of vision and later, words.

These findings have positive implications for helping people who suffer from dementia. If they can’t remember things from their past, the memories can often be stimulated with smells. Researchers have found that when people with memory loss smell something associated with their youth, they are often able to describe a memory in great detail.

6. Work in groups. Talk about your own ‘smell memories’.

News Review: US child — separation policy debate1

You are going to listen to a story about a controversial immigration policy. The Trump administration has firmly defended its policy of separating children from parents who are suspected of crossing illegally from Mexico — despite widespread criticism. At a White House press conference, the Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, described the United States as a country of compassion and heart. She urged congress to change the law to resolve what she called ‘an illegal immigration crisis.’ The Democratic senator Patrick Leahy said the separation policy was damaging America’s reputation abroad. Before you listen, check you understand the following words and word combinations.

Vocabulary you can use to talk about this topic

rebuke — criticise someone for doing something wrong backlash — strong negative reaction to something stand by — support and defend something

1. Recall the situations in which this vocabulary is used in the story. Use them in sentences of your own.

1 See Appendix Transcript 2.8 US child-separation policy debate. P. 162. URL: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmQBn-n6vbU.

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News Review: US child — separation policy debate

2. Complete the following sentences using this vocabulary in proper forms.

1.The Times of India: First ladies … Trump for separating families at US border.

2.Management will … any member of staff who arrives late for work too often.

3.The ambassador was sternly … for causing offense to the royal guests.

4.CTV News: Trump defiant over border separation despite rising ….

5.A … — a very strong, probably angry, negative public reaction to something that someone has done, usually to do with social or political change.

6.Big change to the US immigration policy has caused public ….

7.The … against the government’s tax increase forced a policy change.

8.Despite the media …, the pop star would not apologise for what she had said.

9.… is a really big reaction, often across a very large group of people.

10.You wouldn’t say that there was a … amongst friends.

11.Time: Why President Trump Is … His Family Separation Policy.

12.If you … something, you remain loyal to it and defend it, especially or in particularly when other people are doubting it or criticizing it.

13.You … your friend to show your support and defence for him.

14.You … something, it means that you defend it now.

15.Good teammates…each other.

16.If we ever make a mistake, we just…each other, smooth it over.

17.The CEO is…the staff, despite accusations of negligence.

18.The manager…his goalkeeper even though he’d made a terrible mistake.

3. Listen to the story again and decide if the following statements are true or false.

1.We use ‘rebuke’ when we are talking about politicians, diplomacy, high level business.

2.‘Rebuke’ is an informal word, it is something that you would use with your children.

3.Big change to the US health policy has caused public backlash.

4.You wouldn’t say that there was a backlash amongst friends.

5.Backlash is a slight reaction often across a very small group of people.

6.When you stand by something you criticise it.

7.When the goalkeeper had made a terrible mistake a good manager would come out and say “It was all his fault”.

8.You physically stand next to your friend when you want to show your friend and the people who are criticizing him that you support him.

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9.The hackers are aiming at getting into people’s wallets.

10.We use ‘targeting’ often when we are talking about advertising campaigns or television programmes.

4. Answer the following questions.

1.Why has the Trump administration firmly defended its policy of separating children from parents who are suspected of crossing illegally from Mexico?

2.What did the Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, urge congress to do?

3.Did she describe the United States as a country of compassion and heart?

4.How was the separation policy damaging America’s reputation abroad?

5.What do you think?

Read the information about Trump’s policy of separating families at the border.

Discuss it with your partners and answer the following questions.

1.Why did Ms. Nielsen, the Homeland Security Secretary, defend a nowdefunct Trump administration practice of separating migrant children from their families at the border?

2.Do you approve of the “zero-tolerance policy”?

For Trump, the family-separation policy is leverage as he seeks congressional funding for his promised border wall and other immigration priorities, according to reporting by The Washington Post. Top DHS officials have said that threatening adults with criminal charges and prison time would be the “most effective” way to reverse the rising number of illegal crossings…. Immigrant families are being separated at the border not because of Democrats and not because some law forces this result, as Trump insists. They’re being separated because the Trump administration, under its zero-tolerance policy, is choosing to prosecute border-crossing adults for any offenses. This includes illegal-entry misdemeanors, which are being prosecuted at a rate not seen in previous administrations.

What is the ‘zero tolerance’ policy?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions detailed the “zero-tolerance” policy in a speech on May 7, saying immigrants who illegally enter the U. S. along the Mexican border would be prosecuted criminally.

Sessions acknowledged then that it would mean separating parents from children if they come into the U. S. illegally. Under the “zero tolerance” policy, adults suspected of crossing the border illegally are sent to federal jails or

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6 Minute English. Cryptocurrencies

other detention centers to await prosecution. If they have children accompanying them, the young people are placed in the custody of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, because children cannot be held in adult facilities.

“If you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you and that child will be separated from you as required by law,” Sessions said in May. “If you don’t like that, then don’t smuggle children over our border.”

On Friday, an official with the Department of Homeland Security told reporters that nearly 2,000 children had been separated from 1,940 adults from April 19 through May 31.

And on Monday, Nielsen herself underscored the stricter policy.

“Illegal actions have and must have consequences,” she said. “No more free passes, no more get-out-of-jail-free cards.”

Sessions cited a Bible passage to defend the administration’s policies after the separations sparked widespread outrage and criticism from religious leaders and immigration advocates. “I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order,” he said Thursday.

6 Minute English. Cryptocurrencies1

A new kind of money might be appearing soon — Libra from Facebook. You are going to listen to how different it is from Bitcoin and to the basics about cryptocurrencies. Before you listen, check you understand the following words and word combinations.

Vocabulary you can use to talk about this topic

cryptography — the use of complex codes to keep computer systems and information secure

currency — the money of a particular country

cryptocurrency — digitally produced money that is not controlled by banks or governments

subject to the whims of — being controlled by unpredictable decisions and trends

notoriously volatile — well known for changing by a large amount in an unpredictable way

stable — predictable and without big unexpected changes

1 See Appendix Transcript 2.9 Cryptocurrencies. P. 163. URL: BBC Learning English — 6 Minute English / Cryptocurrencies.

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1.Recall the situations in which this vocabulary is used in the story. Use them in sentences of your own.

2.Complete the following sentences using this vocabulary in proper forms.

1.… is the use of clever software codes to protect computer information and systems.

2.Facebook have announced they are launching their own digital ….

3.A … doesn’t have physical money.

4.Jemima Kelly, a financial journalist said that the dollar, the pound, the euro and Swiss franc were the … that would be backing up Libra.

5.Cryptocurrencies are completely independent of financial institutions and other ….

6.Jemima Kelly said that cryptocurrencies are … the crypto markets.

7.Cryptocurrency markets are ….

8.Most currencies are reasonably ….

9.Libra is kept … by being backed up by a basket of currencies.

10.In many countries in Europe the … is the euro.

11.If you want less risk, if you want your … to be the opposite of …, if you want it, in other words, to be …, then maybe … are not for you.

3. Listen to the story again and decide if the following statements are true or false.

1.Cryptocurrency is code money.

2.Cryptocurrency has money as notes and coins which come from a country’s bank.

3.A new player is joining the digital money system as Instagram have announced they are launching their own digital currency calling “Libra”.

4.Cryptocurrency is controlled by the people who have it and very complex computer codes.

5.Libra is kept shaky by being backed up by a basket of currencies, the dollar, the pound, the euro and the Swiss franc.

6.Cryptocurrencies are completely dependent on financial institutions and other currencies.

7.Cryptocurrency markets are reasonably stable.

8.The value of a currency can go up or down by a large amount over a very short period of time — that’s positive.

9.Governments and banks control currencies to initiate big changes.

10.In many countries in Europe the currency is the pound.

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6 Minute English. Cryptocurrencies

4. Answer the following questions.

1. When was a well-known cryptocurrency Bitcoin created? 2. Why is Bitcoin not controlled by banks or governments? 3. Why is Libra not really a cryptocurrency?

4. What is a cryptocurrency normally subject to?

5. Why is Libra kept stable?

6. Why is currency notoriously volatile?

7. What controls currencies to prevent big changes?

5. Here is a list of benefits and drawbacks of digital currencies like bitcoin.

Discuss them with your partners in small groups. Answer the following questions.

1.Are there more benefits or drawbacks of digital currencies like bitcoin?

2.Would you prefer cryptocurrency to cash?

Cryptocurrency Pros and Cons List

Cryptocurrency Pros

Low Transaction Costs

This means that it costs less to transfer money from one person to another. This means that merchants don’t have to account for added expenses, and can thus translate into lower prices for the customer. Also, this can be really important for immigrants who

Cryptocurrency Works to Combat Poverty and Oppression

Bitcoin offers an alternative to the status quo that provides anyone with internet access with robust financial services. This is especially important for the impoverished and oppressed, as they often don’t have a viable alternative.

Cryptocurrency is a Stimulus for Financial Innovation

Cryptocurrency is new, and in the financial sector, new is exciting. The features of cryptocurrency that are not present in traditional financial systems — for example, its speed, its facilitation of “micro-payments”, its strictly digital nature, and its low transaction costs — will inevitably lead to exciting new business models, financial opportunities, and online business strategies. On top of this, cryptocurrency’s open-source nature means that developers can extend functionalities by writing API’s and writing application-specific code to interact with cryptocurrency networks.

Fast, Permanent Transactions

Cryptocurrency transactions generally process quicker than checks and bank-facilitated money transfers. Also, all transactions are final as soon as

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they are recorded in the permanent Transaction Block Chain (cryptocurrency’s “public ledger”).

Privacy

There are plenty of legitimate reasons why someone could want to keep their spending private. For example, consider spouses who are fleeing from abusive partners, people desiring controversial health services, and citizens of nations with volatile or oppressive governments. In these and other such situations, individuals’ safety, health, or even lives may depend on keeping their spending private.

You’re the Only Person with Control Over your Money

The only way your money can be accessed is by your private key — essentially a cryptographic password that only you know. This means that no bank, corporation, or central government can freeze your assets.

Your Information Can’t Be Stolen from Vendors

When you use credit and debit cards to make purchases (especially online), you’re trusting the vendor with information that other people could use to steal from you.

Cryptocurrency is Not Inflationary

Since cryptocurrency is still an emerging technology, the value of the various digital currencies can be volatile (as discussed below), but the system was designed to not be inflationary in the long run.

It’s Easy

Many people mistakenly think that cryptocurrency is too difficult a subject to learn and work with. The truth is, anyone can learn to use cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency Cons

As with any new technology, there are some negatives that need to be worked out. While the pros listed above are great, let’s take a bit of time to acknowledge the cons.

Volatility

Right now, the values of most cryptocurrencies are volatile — they change frequently and sometimes by wide margins. Many have theorized that this initial volatility is just “stress testing”, and thus that the fluctuations in value will gradually level out into stable-valued currencies.

Potential for Security Breaches

Because cryptocurrency is digital money with purchasing power, services working with it will need top-notch security to avoid digital breaches.

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6 Minute English. English women in politics

Criminal Uses

As with cash, the privacy afforded by cryptocurrency can be used both legitimately and for illicit purposes. The most infamous example of this is Silk Road, the Deep Web marketplace which used the anonymizing TOR network and the Bitcoin payment system to allow for the peer-to-peer sale of illegal drugs and forged identity documents.

6 Minute English. English women in politics1

You are going to listen to a story about the engagement of women in politics. Thousands of women have signed up with 50:50 Parliament to register their interest in standing as an MP (Member of Parliament) in the UK. Before you listen, check you understand the following words and word combinations.

Vocabulary you can use to talk about this topic

to stand — to be a candidate in an election

to see yourself (doing something) — to imagine that it is possible for you to do something

the prospect of — the possibility of

jargon — vocabulary and expressions related to a particular job

a disadvantaged background — growing up in a family situation without much money

to tailor (what you say) — to change (how you speak) to make it suitable for a particular group

1.Recall the situations in which this vocabulary is used in the story. Use them in sentences of your own.

2.Complete the following sentences using this vocabulary in proper forms.

1.In order to be elected, you first have to …

2.When someone … for election you can vote for them.

3.There are a number of projects in the UK at the moment trying to get more women interested in … for Parliament.

4.Lucrece Grehoua is someone who has taken up that challenge and is hoping to … in upcoming elections.

5.Lucrece Grehoua (I) didn’t really … herself (myself) in the Houses of Parliament.

1 See Appendix Transcript 2.10 Women in politics. P. 168. URL: https://www.bbc.co.uk/ learningenglish/english/features/6 minute-english/ep-200 123.

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6.Ever since I’ve just been excited at … me standing for Parliament.

7.In fact she couldn’t … as a politician.

8.She is now excited at…standing.

9.… is the very specific language and vocabulary relating to a particular profession.

10.One of the things she didn’t like about politics was the …

11.Something that we all hate, except when we use it ourselves, is …. Words and language that are very specific to a particular job and which are difficult for people outside that profession to understand.

12.If you want to make politics accessible for more people, you have to tailor your language and cut out the …

13.Lucrece said she came from a …. This means that when she was growing up her family didn’t have very much money and that made life and study very difficult.

14.But even though, or maybe because, she came from a … she has become interested in politics and thinks that it can be something for everyone.

15.People who grow up without enough money and without access to education can be said to come from a …

16.You can … your language to make it easy for everyone to understand.

17.If you want to make politics accessible for more people, you have to … your language and cut out the jargon.

3. Listen to the story again and decide if the following statements are true or false.

1.New Zealand was one of the first countries to allow women to vote and they currently have a female prime minister.

2.Thousands of women have signed up with 50:50 Parliament to register their interest in standing as PM (Prime Minister) in the UK.

3.The campaign “sign-up-to-stand” from an organization called 50:50 Parliament is trying to get more black people interested in standing for Parliament.

4.Lucrece Grehoua was always interested in politics.

5.Politics looks extremely exciting on TV, especially as a young person.

6.Now Lucrece Grehoua is depressed at the possibility that she could be a member of Parliament.

7.Inside the profession people know what jargon means, and from outside it seems very simple and clear.

8.According to 2019 figures, Rwanda’s parliament has over 60 % women MPs.

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