Reading and Comprehension. Учебно-методическое пособие по практике английского языка

UN International Literacy Day

Have you ever travelled to a country with a language that you don’t speak? If so, perhaps you had trouble understanding the most basic things: signs, instructions, documents, packaging. Maybe you felt quite powerless. This is just a simple example that gives us a small idea of how hard life must be for a person who is unable to read. Illiteracy is a major problem around the world. To acknowledge the huge efforts of people working in this field, the United Nations celebrates International Literacy Day every 8 September.

What is UN International Literacy Day?

Since 1967, this annual celebration has brought attention to people in the world who don’t know how to read or write. It highlights ways to combat this problem and

the huge progress that has been made. Every 8 September, UNESCO holds an awards ceremony in Paris in which prizes are given to individuals and organisations who work hard to increase literacy around the world.

How big is the problem?

It is estimated that around 14 per cent of the global population is illiterate. Within that statistic, there is some good news and some bad news. On a positive note, the levels of illiteracy have fallen a lot in recent decades (in just 1980, world illiteracy was at 43 per cent!). However, there are still enormous differences between regions. In sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia, illiteracy remains around 30 per cent.

What are the consequences of illiteracy?

There is a strong connection between illiteracy and poverty. People who can read and write have an enormous advantage over those who can’t when it comes

to studying and training. This means that literate people generally earn more money and even enjoy better health. The UN also reports more negative attitudes towards women in societies with lower literacy levels.

What is the situation for women and girls?

A study by the UN showed that almost 83 per cent of women and girls are able to read and write. However, two-thirds of all illiterate people in the world are female. This problem is due to factors such as insufficient educational opportunities for girls or the tradition in some countries for girls to get married at a young age. Many organisations work to try to empower women and girls by teaching them literacy skills.

What is the situation for men and boys?

The same UN study showed that, internationally, 90 per cent of men and boys are able to read and write. However, in many Western countries, girls generally show

better literacy than boys. Experts suggest that this is due to education techniques which don’t always suit boys, as well as the opinion among some boys that reading and writing are ‘girly’ things to do.

How is technology changing things?

In the digital era, learning to read and write has become more accessible, with the internet and the popularity of devices like computers and smartphones. UNESCO

suggests that literacy has become more important than ever as the world changes to- wards ‘knowledge-based societies’ which depend on communication rather than cre-

ating physical products.

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What is the future of literacy?

Some experts argue that we need to change our idea of literacy. These days, knowing how to read is a limited skill if the same person doesn’t know how to use

a computer or smartphone. Some suggest that we need to expand the idea of literacy to include skills such as knowing how to use a web browser, create a document on a computer or even send a text message by phone.

How can I participate?

Many libraries and universities organise events to celebrate International Literacy

Day, often inviting famous writers to participate.

Check out #LiteracyDay on social media to see what’s happening in your region.

You can find more information at:

http://www.un.org/en/events/literacyday/.

Tasks

Task 1

Match the explanations (a–f) to the information (1–6).

Task 2

Circle the best answer.

1.If we think of times when we have …….. , we can imagine how it feels to be illiterate.

a. Studied. b. Travelled.

c. Looked at instructions.

2.At the Literacy Day event in Paris, people and groups receive……..

a.Awards.

b.Books.

c.Recommendations.

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3.Since 1980, illiteracy has fallen by…….. around the world. a. 29 per cent.

b. 43 per cent. c. 30 per cent.

4.When people can’t read or write, a common consequence is that they…….. a. Feel angry.

b.Are poor.

c.Don’t travel.

5.About…….. of all illiterate people are female. a. 50 per cent.

b. 83 per cent. c. 66 per cent.

6.In Western countries, male levels of literacy are…….. female levels of literacy. a. The same as.

b. Worse than. c. Better than.

7.The internet has made it…….. for many people to learn to read and write.

a.More possible.

b.More difficult.

c.More expensive.

8. It is suggested that our definition of ‘literacy’ needs to……..

a.Stay as it is now.

b.Be more specific.

c.Get bigger.

Discussion:

What is the best way to learn to read and write in a different language?

UN WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY

What risks do people face when they are in countries at war? And why are humanitarian workers a target for attacks? The UN's World Humanitarian Day puts the focus on these important questions.

Before reading

Do the preparation task first. Then read the article and do the exercises.

Preparation task

Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8).

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UN World Humanitarian Day

'No one is winning these wars. We are all losing.' UN Secretary-General, António Guterres

At the United Nations, 19 August is a day to reflect. It was on this day in 2003 that the UN building in Baghdad was hit by an enormous terrorist bomb. Most of the 22 people who died in the attack had been involved in humanitarian missions in Iraq. Among the dead was Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN's top representative in the country. Every year, the UN commemorates the loss by observing World Humanitarian Day.

What is the objective of World Humanitarian Day?

This is a day to remember the brave humanitarian workers whose daily work can involve terrible dangers and even a risk to their lives. However, it is also a day to build public support for the people at the centre of this humanitarian work: the many millions of civilians around the world whose lives have been affected by conflict. Therefore, 19 August is a day to ask world leaders to commit to protecting vulnerable civilians and to do more to end conflicts in the world.

Where do these conflicts exist?

The UN has recently reported that, at the time of writing, the world's worst humanitarian crisis is in Yemen. Due to war and a shortage of food, it is said that up to 75 per cent of the population (that's about 22 million people) are in need of humanitarian aid and protection. Meanwhile, wars continue in Syria and South Sudan and these are just a few of the countries where conflict is forcing people to live in extreme difficulty or to become refugees.

What risks do humanitarian workers face?

Humanitarian workers must often risk their own lives to provide civilians with food, shelter or healthcare. Sometimes these workers are attacked by people who want to steal food or medicine. Many conflict zones also have big problems with political or terrorist groups who see humanitarian workers as an ideal target to get international attention.

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What is #notatarget?

In recent years, the UN has promoted this online hashtag. Its message is very clear. Humanitarian workers have just one mission: to help people in need. And they should be able to do this in safe conditions. They should not be a target. At the same time, these workers travel to very dangerous places to provide aid for innocent civilians who have not chosen to live in conflict. The hashtag also implies that civilians should not be a target.

What can I do?

It may seem as if the problems of the world are impossible to fix, but there are a few things that you can do to help in some way. As a first step, inform yourself about the major humanitarian problems that the world is facing at the moment. With a quick online search, you will probably also find online petitions asking global leaders to increase their help for civilians in conflict zones and for the refugees that come from these situations. Or if you would prefer to help in a more practical way, try following the advice from previous campaigns for World Humanitarian Day: do something good, somewhere, for someone else.

You can find more information at: http://www.un.org/en/events/humanitarianday/. http://interactive.unocha.org/publication/globalhumanitarianoverview/.

Tasks

Task 1

Write a number (1–6) to put the ideas in the order they are mentioned in the text.

The origins of World Humanitarian Day _______

The reasons why humanitarian workers have a dangerous job______

It's not necessary to be a humanitarian worker to help ______

Wars are terrible for all of us _______

An online campaign to keep humanitarian workers safe _______

Three countries which have extreme conflicts_______

Task 2

Are the sentences true or false?

Discussion

Describe a simple way that we can 'do something good, somewhere, for someone else'. Would you like to work as a humanitarian worker?

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

Before reading

Do the preparation task first. Then read the article and do the exercises.

Preparation task

Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8).

World Environment Day

People celebrate World Environment Day (WED) in many different ways all over the world: planting trees, cleaning up local beaches, organising meetings, joining online protests. Each year the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) chooses a particular issue to focus on. One year it might be forests, another year it might be wildlife. And each year there is a new host; a city which is the centre point for all the celebrations.

How it first started

The United Nations (UN) named 5 June as international World Environment Day at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. The idea was to draw attention to the many problems that are facing our environment. They wanted to include as many people, organisations and governments, both local and national, as possible. They wanted to show that positive change is possible when people work together to fight for a common cause.

The first World Environment Day

The first WED was celebrated in 1974 in the city of Spokane in the USA. The slo- gan for that first year was ‘Only One Earth’ and it was celebrated with the world’s first

world fair to be dedicated to the environment. The exhibition lasted for six months.

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The hosts

Since 1974 the WED has been hosted by 34 different cities in 25 different countries around the world, from Cuba to Korea, from Belgium to Brazil. Some countries

have hosted the main celebrations two or more times, including Bangladesh, Canada and China. But that doesn’t mean that all the celebrations take place in the host country.

Every year people from all over the world take part in a huge number of different events to draw attention to the main issue.

The issues

Each year the celebrations focus on a particular problem. Over the last ten years

key issues have included wildlife, forests and plastic waste, among other things. Each issue has a slogan. Past slogans include ‘Think. Eat. Save’, which asked people to think about the issue of food waste, and ‘Raise your voice, not the sea level’, to focus on the

effect that global warming is having on small island nations around the world. As well as slogans, hashtags have become important for the campaigns too. In a recent campaign the hashtag #WildforLife became a strong symbol for the fight against all kinds of illegal trading in plants and animals.

What you can do

If you want to take part in the celebrations, or support this year’s special cause,

here are some things that you can do. You can visit the official website to find out what this year’s slogan is (World Environment Day). You can search for the slogan

online to find organisations and events in your area or online. You can share infor-

mation about the cause and the events on social media or form a local action group of your own and organise an event in your community. Whatever you do, you won’t

be alone. Millions of people all around the world will be joining the celebrations and fighting for a better future for our planet.

Tasks

Task 1

Match the information (a–e) with the section titles (1–5).

Task 2

Put the phrases in the correct group

Discussion: What do you think are the main problems that are facing the environment at the moment? What can we do to help?

NATIONAL TEA DAY

Tea is the world’s second most popular drink (after water!). In the UK, you can even celebrate drinking it on 21 April.

Before reading

Do the preparation task first. Then read the article and do the exercises.

Preparation task

Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8).

National Tea Day

If you’ve ever spent time in the UK, you’ll surely have had a nice ‘cuppa’. There’s tea for breakfast, tea during break time, tea when visiting a friend’s house,

tea to wake up, tea to relax ... you get the idea. Tea even gets its very own special day

in the UK, 21 April.

Is the UK the ‘capital’ of tea?

In short, no. While drinking tea is certainly a centuries-old tradition in the UK, many countries have their own strong cultural practices involving tea. The nation which drinks most tea is Turkey, where a 2013 survey showed that people drank an average of ten cups a day! This was followed by Ireland, with the UK coming

in third place. Other countries with an obsession with tea include Iran, Russia and

Morocco. It is also a popular drink in China and India, where most of the world’s tea is grown. What do the British consider to be tea?

Many forms of tea exist around the world. Green tea is popular in China and Japan. In India, tea is often prepared with spices and boiled in both water and milk, and Tibetans commonly drink tea with butter and salt. In the UK, tea is typically a variety of black tea and can be prepared with loose tea or teabags. It is made with boiling water, allowed to brew for about five minutes and then mixed with a little milk (and possibly some sugar). And thus, the perfect British cuppa is ready!

Milk: before or after the tea?

Despite the fact that tea has been popular in the UK for hundreds of years, the question of when to add the milk is one which still provokes many an argument! Most people first pour the tea into the cup, then add the milk, but others disagree. It is said that this was a way for the rich to show off their wealth. They often drank tea in porcelain cups, and it was only the better-quality porcelain that could withstand

the temperature of very hot tea. This meant that people who had lower-quality cups needed to first pour the milk so that the cup wouldn’t break.

What is a tea party?

Many cultures have traditions of people meeting to sit together and drink tea. For example, Japanese tea ceremonies can be formal, elegant affairs which last for

hours. In the UK, such gatherings range from formal to very informal. The most famous British ‘tea’ stereotype is probably afternoon tea, where people dress formally and meet in hotels or cafés to enjoy tea and cakes, all served on beautiful fine porcelain.

Nowadays, going out for a formal afternoon tea is rare, and people will more often simply have a nice cup of tea and some biscuits with friends or family, catching up round the kitchen table.

What happens on National Tea Day?

On 21 April, tea parties are held in cafés, pubs, hotels and tea rooms across the UK. Many of these events aim to encourage people to try different varieties of tea and to appreciate how drinking it with others can enrich their lives. Some of these events also promote sustainably produced tea and better prices and working conditions

for farmers, while others raise funds for different charities from the sales. However people observe this special day, it’s about appreciating the opportunity that sharing a cup of tea

gives to people to connect with one another.

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Want to know more about tea celebrations this April?

Search for #NationalTeaDay on social media. And remember, tea-drinking isn’t just for April – it’s always the right time for a delicious cuppa.

You can find more information at: https://nationaltoday.com/national-tea-day/. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/tea-day/. https://www.un.org/en/observances/tea-day.

Tasks

Task 1

Are the sentences true or false?

in the UK.

Task 2

Write the words and phrases in order to make sentences.

1.you’ll surely / ever / spent time / If you’ve / have had / in the UK, / a nice

‘cuppa’.

2.strong cultural practices / While it / many countries / is an old tradition / have

their own/ in the UK, / involving tea.

3.of the world’s tea / a popular drink / also / is grown. / It is / in China and India, / where / most.

4.to add milk / many an argument! / of when / which still / The question / provokes /

is one.

5.to show / this was / It is said that / their wealth. / a way / the rich / off / for.

6.to sit together / cultures / of people / Many / and drink tea. / have traditions / meeting.

Discussion:

Is tea popular where you live? What is the best way to enjoy a cup of tea?

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