Практический курс иностранного языка (грамматический аспект). Методическое пособие
.pdfPART 2. VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR Choose the correct variant:
Text 1. It’s Not Kids With the Cellphone Problem, It’s Parents
By Pamela Paul
The hardest rule I ever set for my kids was 1 … (to have refused/refusing/to have been refusing) them cellphones until high school.
I’d seen the research on the doleful effects of social media, screens and surveillance parenting on kids’ mental, physical and cognitive well-being. If it turns out that the data is wrong, I figured, they will have survived a mild deprivation in their relatively privileged lives and provided fodder for a future therapist’s couch.
“How did you manage?!” other parents asked, and I knew exactly what they meant. Much as parents don’t want 2 … (admit/to admit/admitting) it, we need — or it feels like we need — our kids 3 … (have/to have/having) a phone.
They’ll be safer 4 … (walking/walk/walked) to school, we tell ourselves — fully aware that should they 5 … (hit/to hit/ be hit) by a car or 6 …
(snatch/to snatch/snatched) away, they won’t be texting Mom about the situation. Even in a school shooting, cellphones have as much potential for danger as they do for safety. We tell ourselves the phone will give our kids a sense of independence, even though phone trackers let us 7 … (know/to know/knowing) exactly where they are. It will teach our kids 8 … (be/to be/being) responsible, even though we pay the bill.
We may genuinely believe these little lies; we may just love the convenience. Phones let kids 9 … (check/to check/checking) the forecast themselves rather than yell for a weather report while getting dressed. Phones let kids 10 … (to distract/distract/distracting) themselves rather than distract us when we’re on our phones.
As much as we lament the besotted, agonized, needy relationship our kids have with their phones, that same phone lets parents off the hook. If we screw something up, we can always text: Remember your grandfather’s birthday! Don’t forget violin. So sorry, I 11 …(can’t/mustn’t/shouldn’t) pick you up this afternoon. You forgot your Chromebook!
The news that some districts are cracking down on cellphones is thus a bewildering case of competing interests among kids, administrators, teachers, parents and other parents. It overturns many pro-tech school policies 12 … (to embrace/embracing/embraced) before Covid and 13 …
(to resort/resorting/resorted) to during lockdown. It’s also the smartest thing schools can do, and it’s about time it got 14 … (to do/doing/done).
Years ago, schools largely rolled over on tech in the name of 15 … (to inculcate/ inculcated/inculcating) “21st-century skills.” Schools boasted
Chromebooks for every child, wired education, all kinds of apps. According to the Department of Education, as of 2020, about 77 percent of schools
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prohibited nonacademic cellphone use. Note the caveat “nonacademic”; many schools had simply integrated phones into their curriculum.
When my kids were in middle school, for example, teachers repeatedly told kids 16 … (take/to take/taking) photos of assignments; in science, 17 … (to record/recorded /recording) images on cellphones was part of the lesson. In The Atlantic, Mark Oppenheimer described one school that “made no pretense of 18 … (to try/being tried/trying) to control phone usage, and absurdly tried to make a virtue of being aggressively tech-forward by 19… (require/required/ requiring) phones for trivial tasks: At the beginning of the term, you had to scan a QR code 20 … (adding/added/ to add) or drop a course.”
Little surprise then, that a new study by Common Sense Media found that 97 percent of teen and pre-teen respondents said they use their phones during the school day, for a median of 43 minutes, primarily for social media, gaming and YouTube. According to the authors, students reported that policies about phone use in schools vary — sometimes from classroom to classroom — and aren’t always enforced.
Now the enforcers are coming in. As Natasha Singer reported recently in The Times, Florida has issued a statewide prohibition against student cellphone use in the classroom, and school districts elsewhere 21 … (to include/including/included) those in South Portland, Maine, and Charlottesville, Va., have made similar moves. One district in Florida, Orange County, went so far as 22 … (having banned/banned/to ban) phones during the school day entirely. The not-shocking result: less bullying, 23… (increasing/ to increase/increased) student engagement, even actual eye contact between students and teachers in the hallway.
We should know this by now. In 2018, a secondary school in Ireland decided to ban cellphones altogether. The result: a significant increase in student face-to-face social interactions. “It’s hard to measure, but we find the place has a happier atmosphere for everyone,” one administrator told
The Irish Times. It’s not the school’s job 24 … (to police/policing/policed) kids’ phone habits, something parents are acutely aware isn’t easy. And that gets to the thorny crux of the issue: Parents are often the problem. When one group of parents in my district confronted the administration about its lax policy toward cellphones, the principal said whenever he raised the issue, parents were the ones who complained. How would they reach their children?!
But if we expect our kids 25 … (comply/to comply/complying) with nophones policies, we’ve got to get over the deprivation. Our own parents would just call the front office — in an emergency. Not because they wanted to make sure we remembered to walk the dog.
And really, if we’re trying to teach kids to be safe, responsible and independent, shouldn’t we give them the leeway to do so? Phones don’t teach kids these values; parents do.
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For schools to enact what research overwhelmingly shows benefits students, we parents have to back them up. When parents say our kids are the ones with the cellphone problem, we’re just kidding ourselves.
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Text 2. Your 48-hour tour guide of Moscow this winter!
By Alexandra Guzeva
Short on time? We’ve picked the most interesting must-do activities and places 1 … (seeing/to see/to have seen) in the Russian capital, so that you 2…(must/need/can) get the maximum from your two-day trip. Enjoy!
DAY 1
9 am – Visit the Red Square
The first thing that every tourist should do by default is visit the very heart of Moscow – it’s main and most beautiful (which ‘krasnaya’ actually meant in Old Russian) square!
There are several ways 3 … (to explore/exploring/to be exploring) it:
Take a selfie with Spasskaya Tower
Have a warm drink at the Christmas market (which lasts until mid-January)
Visit Lenin’s Mausoleum
Shop in the gorgeous adjacent GUM department store
Visit St. Basil’s Cathedral (and learn that it’s actually several churches under one roof).
11 am – It’s Kremlin time!
4 … (to enter/to have been entering/entering) the Kremlin is, actually, a bit of a quest, as it’s a presidential facility with no general access. You need to buy a ticket or, better still, book a guided tour. Inside the Kremlin’s walls, you will find ancient cathedrals, in which Russian tsars used to be crowned and buried, as well as explore the magnificent architecture of the Kremlin that reflects the rich history of the country. And, finally, you could also make a quick visit to the Moscow Kremlin Museums and admire artifacts from various Russian tsarist eras: carriages, thrones, crowns and the most incredible armory and jewelry.
For more information, visit the official website of the Kremlin. It’s open from 10 am to 5 pm (and it’s closed on Thursdays) in winter.
2 pm – Watch the changing of the Guard
A very spectacular (and free) thing to do is watch how the honor guard does their ceremonial change at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame, 5 … (situating/having situated/situated) in Alexander Garden, right next to the Kremlin wall. Every hour, from 8 am to 8 pm, the 1st Company of the Kremlin (Presidential) Regiment performs this rather old and beautiful tradition. But, be warned, it's often overcrowded.
3 pm – Enjoy a green oasis just in the center
Just a few steps from the Red Square, you will find the fabulous Zaryadye park. 6 … (to open/opening/opened) in 2017, it is designed by renowned
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American architect bureau ‘Diller Scofidio + Renfro’. You 7 …
(can/must/ought) walk among the very cozy botanical decorations and explore Russia’s climate zones, as each of them is represented in dedicated areas, complete with flora from those zones.
The park also has an underground museum, an “ice cave” and a 3D cinema, where you can take part in a virtual adventure – a flight over Moscow! However, the piece de resistance is a floating boomerang bridge over the Moskva River, one of the best places 8 … (taking/to take/taken) a selfie.
You can also grab a quick lunch or relax with a cup of coffee or tea in the park.
7 pm – Arrange a ballet night
Of course, the most fancy way 9 … (finishing/finished/to finish) your day in Moscow would be to go to the ballet at the Bolshoi Theater (in a perfect world, to see ‘The Nutcracker’!). However, getting tickets to the Bolshoi is not an easy task and should 10 … (do/done/be done) well in advance of your visit.
But, don’t be upset if you don’t manage to get tickets to the Bolshoi.
Moscow has dozens of other options 11 … (seen/seeing/to see) a ballet (or opera). No less brilliant performances can 12 … (be seen/be seeing/see) in the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theater or in The State Kremlin Palace (by the way, this is another way to get a quick glimpse inside the Kremlin!).
10:30 pm – Have a late dinner in a fancy restaurant
There are not so many other cities with such a big choice of restaurants in a range of tastes and styles. In 2021, the authoritative Michelin guide announced their pick of the best of Moscow’s restaurants. And here’s our guide to all the places with Russian cuisine for any budget. But, if you happen to be in the area of the Bolshoi or Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater, then ‘Dr. Zhivago’ would definitely be a nice option (and it’s open around the clock).
DAY 2
9 am – Grab a Moscow coffee
Moscow is definitely a coffee city! You can find coffee shops on every corner and they all offer a huge range of drinks. Try a ‘raf’ coffee, a sweet, creamy drink that was created in Russia, or dare to pick one of the very unusual offers, like cheese coffee or a Soviet candy style one (check out our coffee guide here).
10 am – Take a river cruise
Another exciting way to explore Moscow is to observe it from the water. Boats cruise along the Moskva River all year round. Most begin their route from the Hotel Ukraine, one of Stalin's ‘Seven Sister’ skyscrapers, and will bring you back to the same spot after 13 … (to pass/passing/passed) the medieval Novodevichy Convent, Moscow State University and Luzhniki
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Stadium, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and giant monument to Peter the Great and many other sightseeings.
It’s always at optimum temperature inside the boat, which also has huge panoramic windows. Select boats also offer a full dining experience, so it is also a nice place to have breakfast or lunch.
If you are not a water person, then discover other, unusual sides of Moscow
– pick one of the activities we’ve prepared for you here!
1 pm – Visit ‘Russia’ Expo and taste a bunch of Russian regional cuisines
Until April 2024, the Soviet-era VDNKh exhibition park is hosting the huge
‘Russia’ expo, with tons of activities and expositions 14 …
(devoted/devoting/to devote) to Russia, its culture, science and nature. Check out our special guide on what to do there!
An entire ‘House of Russian Cuisine’ has been opened at the expo. You will find 15 food stands with flagship dishes from Kamchatka, Siberia, Karelia and other regions of Russia. Imagine 15 … (to try/trying/to have been tried) a range of cuisines and dishes in one place without even 16 … (to have/having/have) to travel anywhere, be it Altai pelmeni, Tula kalach or Caucasian pies! A perfect place to grab some lunch.
The VDNKh exhibition park is a great place 17 … (visiting/to have been visited/to visit), in general! Its pavilions are the perfect example of Stalinist
Empire style architecture and you can almost feel as if you’ve traveled back in time! You will also find several interesting museums in the park – devoted to space exploration, Russian history and even a ‘Special Purpose Garage’, which showcases the various vehicles 18 … (used/using/to use) by the country’s leaders.
And, finally, you can ride Europe's tallest panoramic wheel – ‘Sun of Moscow’ – that will give you panoramic views of the city – from a height of 140 meters!
5 pm – Ice skate with view & mulled wine
Ice skating is one of the most popular and affordable activities in Moscow. There are several great ice skating rinks in picturesque locations that are open all winter long. One of the biggest rinks in Europe is also at the aforementioned VDNKh or you can visit the one in Gorky Park, another very popular Moscow spot, or the small, but fancy rink – right on Red Square!
All the parks offer ice skate rental, so the only things you need are warm clothes, a charged phone 19 … (to record/recording/recorded) your memories and a good mood! Moscow also gets dark at 4:30 pm in winter and hundreds of lights are switched on, 20 … (to turn/turning/have turned) the city into a giant fairy tale!
And, if you are not a sports person, we’ve picked several other unusual activities that you could do in Moscow instead. For example, did you know that there is an entire district of dacha (countryside) houses, just 10 minutes from the center, 21 … (surrounding/surrounded/to surround) by giant
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new highrises? How about 22 … (to be taking/taking/to take) a stroll there and feeling the early Soviet atmosphere?
8 pm – Warm up & laugh out loud
After all these outdoor activities, what 23 … (should/could/must) be better than a warm cozy bar with a hot drink and nice company? Moscow is a city full of entertainment for all tastes. So, if you know the Russian language or want to practice it, go to a theater or catch a stand-up comedy show. Moscow even has comedy shows in English, where you can hear both Russians speaking fluent English or foreigners 24 … (including/to include/to have been included) Brits and Americans) who live in Russia speaking in broken or heavily-accented Russian (Check their show dates on the ‘Moscow English Comedy’ Telegram channel)!
11 pm – Finish by partying the night away!
Moscow never sleeps, as you might 25 … (hear/be heard/ have heard). Which means there are plenty of bars and nightclubs where you can have a drink (or two or three; be sure to check out how Russians make Black Russian and White Russian cocktails) and chat with incredibly different people. Have fun and don’t miss your flight (or miss it and stay longer in the best city in the world!)!
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Text 3. 7 Wellness Mistakes You Didn't Realize You Were Making
by Kimberley Valentine, BSN, RN
Most days, we go about our routines without 1… (giving/to give/to be given) them much thought, but did you know that some habits 2 …
(must/could/should) damage our health? Most of the time, we don’t realize we are potentially making “wellness mistakes.” Other times, we know what we are doing is not helpful, but living in such a fast-paced world makes it hard to change a habit. Let's examine seven common wellness mistakes and find ways to achieve optimal health.
Key takeaways:
Long-standing lifestyle habits can be damaging to your physical and mental health if you are unaware of the consequences.
We can forfeit good health and nutrition practices because of our demanding schedules when "quick" is just "easier."
Neglecting self-care can 3… (have caused/be causing/cause) sleep disturbances, increased stress, and overall health issues if not managed well.
Preventative health monitors general health and can alert your healthcare provider of any issues to support early intervention.
Making mistakes regarding how our lifestyle choices affect our health and well-being is common. Being complacent is easy, but it's important 4 … (being/to be aware/to have been) of the possible consequences of our
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choices. This awareness might prompt us to make some lifestyle changes. Here are seven common mistakes made concerning our health and wellness.
1. Overlooking the impact of stress
Stress is the body’s response to demands in our lives. However, the way we respond to that stress 5 … (should/ought to/can) impact our mental and physical health. We often think that stress results from something negative, such as the death of a loved one, but stress can also result from something positive, such as 6 … (to start/starting/to have started) a new job or the birth of a child.
When stress continues 7 … (to uncheck/unchecking/unchecked), it becomes chronic and impacts physical and mental health. When someone is under stress, the adrenal glands respond by 8 … (to release/released/releasing) a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol increases respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar. It activates the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers the "fight or flight" response.
It’s a good response when you must suddenly swerve your car or hit your brakes to avoid something on the road. However, when the stressors persist, such as an illness or a stressful job, the results can be harmful, causing:
Anxiety
Depression
Hypertension
Cardiac disease
Type 2 diabetes
Autoimmune disorders
Cognitive decline
If you have difficulties managing the stressors in your life, consider 9 … (to consult/consulted/consulting) a qualified mental health professional to help you with strategies for establishing priorities and managing stress in your life. Prioritizing self-care is also a strategy to consider.
2. Neglecting self-care practices for mental health
If stress can increase disease risk, then managing it is crucial 10 …
(supporting/to support /to be supported) mental and physical health. Making self-care a priority and stepping back from stress is essential for optimal health.
You 11 … (must/need/ may) feel guilty for taking time for yourself, especially if others depend on you. However, caring for yourself is essential, as you can't give from an empty cup. Caregiver burnout, or burnout of any kind, is so prevalent in our society because many don’t take the time to look after their mental health. Dedicating a few hours a week to self-care can positively change your overall outlook on life. Here are some ideas for how to practice self-care:
Practice guided meditation, mindfulness, or prayer
Keep a gratitude journal
Try breathing and relaxation techniques
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Take a walk in nature
Go for a massage, pedicure, or facial
Work out at the gym
Prioritize rest and sleep
Connect with friends and family
3. Forfeiting sleep for productivity
12 … (to have/having/to have had) high-quality sleep is vital for our physical and mental well-being. We all understand how awful we feel after a night of disturbed sleep; it’s a struggle to get through the next day. Not getting enough sleep occasionally due to work commitments or socializing will not have long-term effects.
Still, a continuous forgoing of sleep to increase your work production or to binge-watch several Netflix series will ultimately affect your mental and physical health.
Sleep has a set of four stages 13 … (to need/needing/needed) to form a cycle of sleep and several cycles 14 … (to need/needing/needed) for optimal restorative sleep to occur. When we sacrifice sleep for what we believe is productivity, it does not prepare us to be the most productive. Some smartwatches have apps where you can monitor your sleep stages.
Stage 1. Light sleep when you first fall asleep; can last 5–10 minutes.
Stage 2. Deeper sleep when brain activity slows down and muscles relax. This stage lasts about 20 minutes.
Stage 3. Deepest sleep stage when breathing and heart rate slow even more. Your brain waves are now at their slowest. This stage lasts 2040 minutes and is essential for restoration, boosting immunity, and enhancing creativity.
Stage 4. REM sleep, also 15 … (calling/called/to call) rapid eye movement sleep, is vital for healthy brain development and is the dreaming stage. Adults require up to two hours of sleep at this stage.
4. Poor sleep hygiene
The term “sleep hygiene” 16 … (may/must/should) not be all that familiar, but it means a set of good habits to maximize your sleep quality. Regardless of age, adults should aim to sleep seven to nine hours each night. Good sleep hygiene practices include:
Keep your bedroom a room for only sleep <…>
Keep the temperature comfortable and on the cooler side
Go to bed at about the same time each night to develop a consistent pattern
Try to limit fluids 1–2 hours before bedtime
Limit the use of caffeine in the evening
Avoid the use of alcohol in the evening
Avoid 17… (to eat/eaten/eating) too close to your bedtime, especially a larger meal
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Turn off screens, television, computers, or mobile devices at least 30 minutes before bed
5.Poor nutrition
Because people are often busy and “on the go,” proper nutrition becomes a low priority. Sometimes, 18 … (to pick/to be picking/picking up) fast food or grabbing a bag of chips seems “easier.” This type of eating often means people lack fruits and vegetables and consume too many processed foods. There are ways you can still eat healthy but on the run or with minimal preparation.
Meal kit delivery. Several companies offer 19… (delivering/ to deliver/to be delivered) prepped ingredients to prepare a nutritious meal. Some are at a reasonable cost and offer quick and easy preparation.
Grocery meals. More and more grocery stores have completed meals that offer a “fast food” convenience with balanced nutrition. This provides a “quick pick-up” for the busy professional.
Healthy snacks. Purchase more nutritious snacks such as nuts, granola, and fruit for healthier options.
6.Inadequate hydration
20 … (maintained/to be maintained/maintaining) hydration is not just important in the warmer summer months — it is crucial in all seasons. Water in your body helps to regulate your temperature, cleanse the body of waste products, and moisten your eyes, mouth, and nose while also
21 … (lubricating/to lubricate/lubricated) tissues.
Dehydration 22 … (should/can/must) occur due to illness, such as diarrhea or vomiting, or because someone does not drink enough throughout the day. Inadequate hydration can cause fainting, confusion, decreased urination, increased heart rate, and low blood pressure or hypotension. <…> You can improve hydration by:
Drinking 6–8 glasses of water daily
Increasing water and fluid intake if the weather is warm, you are working out, or you have a fever
Avoiding too much coffee, tea, or other caffeinated drinks
Increasing intake of fresh fruits and vegetables
Eating fluid-based foods like gelatin desserts, pudding, watermelon, tomatoes, and apples
7.Preventative healthcare
Some people only visit their healthcare provider when sick and don’t consider preventative care. However, preventive healthcare is needed for the early detection of chronic diseases.
Early diagnosis improves the chances of 23 … (to achieve/achieved/achieving) a cure or 24 … (to avoid/avoided/avoiding) the debilitating effects of disease. Regular bloodwork, vital signs, and cancer screenings are all part of preventative care, especially as we age.
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Sometimes, we become complacent in how we manage our busy lives. We take shortcuts, thinking we are maximizing our time and energy when it 25 … (must/should/could) create more harm than good. Looking at these few lifestyle habits and changing in even one area could create new habits that optimize our health and improve our well-being.
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Text 4. Hobby horse competition is no joke for young riders
By Robyn Vinter
It was a story that many people thought was a quirky April fool when it appeared on the website of Horse & Hound magazine.
But it is no joke that the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) is 1 … (to “embrace /embracing/embraced) the hobby horse craze” by 2 … (to introduce/introducing/introduced) a competition with £300 prizes for the young winners.
The sport, which is popular in Finland and increasingly spreading to other parts of the world, involves 3 … (to ride/having ridden/riding) a toy horse
4 … (to make/making/made) from a wooden stick with one end 5 … (to decorate/decorating/decorated) to look like a pony’s head.
Riders – usually young girls – compete by 6 … (to trot/trotting/trotted), 7
…(to gallop/galloping/having galloped) and 8 … (to canter/cantering/cantered) around a ring, sometimes leaping over jumps. At the BSPS championships children will each perform a freestyle show of no more than two minutes, with 50 marks for coordination, balance, energy and body control. A further 50 marks will 9 … (award/be awarding/be awarded) for “overall performance of the show with energy and appeal”.
Competitors will 10 … (divide/be dividing/ be divided) into three age classes: three to five, six to nine, and 10 to 12.
The rules state: “There is no specific dress code but trainers or gym shoes should be flexible 11 … (to point/pointed/to be pointed) your toes. Your hobby horse can be 12 …(plait/plaiting/plaited) or 13 …
(unplait/unplaiting/unplaited).”
A BSPS spokesperson said: “The BSPS wanted 14 … (to embrace/embracing/embraced) the hobby horse craze as an addition to our fabulous children’s entertainment programme, which sets the society apart from others in 15 …. (to provide/providing/provided) all-round family fun.”
Hobbyhorsing competitors often give their wooden companions a name and a backstory, 16 … (to include/including/included) the breed of their horse, its bloodline and temperament.
The BSPS said: “We are a children’s society and, as such, it is important 17
…(to ensure/ensuring/ensured) that we make sure our championship shows are fun for all our smaller members. We hope that this will raise
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