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Файл:Иностранный язык в профессиональной коммуникации. Английский язык для студентов-магистрантов. Учебное пособие
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Russia's population is currently ageing faster than almost any other country in
Europe. The workforce / pensioner ratio has shrunk by a factor of 1.5 over the past
15 years. The idea of solidarity between generations no longer works in the Russian
pension system, hence our big headache-old people living from hand to mouth and a
snowballing Pension Fund deficit. Regular federal subsidies are not a long-term
remedy. Russia faces a hard choice — either to go on paying token pensions or take
drastic measures and risk a public outcry.
The Pension Fund deficit is growing quickly. How to replenish it? This will be
one of Russia's most acute social questions in several years. The country is short of
pension money even now. The problem is becoming all the worse as government
obligations steadily increase.
The average labor pension growth rate for 2006–2009 is not expected to go
below 20 % a year. It is impossible to avoid pension increases, with pensioners
among the worst-off of Russia's population groups.
The average accrued pension was 3,084 rubles a month in April 2007, compared
with a living wage of 3,713 rubles and an average monthly wage of 12,744 rubles for
May 2007. The income-replacement ratio (average pension vs. average wage) is at a
miserly 24.2 %. That is the most the Russian pension system can afford in the present
economic and demographic situation.
There are many ideas of how to considerably increase pensions. For the most
part they do not promise to cope with the Pension Fund deficit. A 3 % increase of the
unified social tax rate was recently proposed. President Vladimir Putin mentioned
another idea in his last state of the nation address.
There are only two evident ways to do so-increase either taxes or the number of
taxpayers. This can be done by collecting back taxes, raising tax rates or increasing
the retirement age. The Pension Fund estimates undeclared revenues at 40 % of the
wage bill, or 7.29 billion rubles in 2007.
Russia has a reason for comparatively early retirements, with its short life
expectancy. Men seldom live long after they retire; and if the retirement age is
increased, too many will die on the job. So this is no cure-all.
However effective the measure might be, it will certainly not meet with public
approval, so the Russian government will never approve it, at least not before
upcoming parliamentary and presidential polls. The pension system will for a long
time yet need to strike a balance, as it does now, between minimal pensions and the
necessity of taking unpopular steps.
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Exercise 1. Answer the questions to the text:
1. What main problem is the Russian pension system facing?
2. Why are Russian pensioners living from hand to mouth?
3. How does the government help to the Russian Pension Fund?
4. Why are pensions in Russia called token ones?
5. Why is the Russian Pension Fund deficit growing?
6. What is the average labor pension growth rate for 2006–2009?
7. What is the income-replacement ratio in Russia now?
8. What are two evident ways to increase the average labor pensions?
9. How do undeclared revenues affect the Russian Pension Fund deficit?
10. What is the main reason for comparatively early retirements in Russia?
11. Who lives longer after retirements in Russia?
12. Why is impossible to increase the retirement age in Russia?
13. Will increasing of the retirement age meet with public approval in Russia?
14. Will you approve of increasing of the retirement age in Russia?
15. Why do officials propose to increase the retirement age in Russia?
Exercise 2. Complete the following sentences and translate them:
1. The workforce / pensioner ratio has shrunk by …
2. A snowballing Russian Pension Fund deficit causes …
3. The federal government attempts to replenish …
4. Token pensions are paid to …
5. The average Russian labor pension is growing at the rate of …
6. The unified social tax rate was increased to …
7. Only 24.2 % of an average monthly wage will …
8. The number of taxpayers can be increased by …
9. The Pension Fund deficit can be decreased by …
10. Undeclared revenues greatly affect …
11. The short life expectancy in Russia leads to …
12. Russian women live longer after …
13. The Russian government will never approve …
14. Taking unpopular steps is …
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Text 8. Youth and AIDS
Words and phrases to the text:
1) sickness rate (n) — уровень заболеваемости
2) intravenous (adj) — внутривенный
3) drug addict (n) — наркоман
4) syringe (n) — шприц
5) homosexual (adj) — гомосексуальный
6) render (v) — оказывать
7) derive (v) — происходить
8) inherent (adj) — присущий, свойственный
9) psyche (n) — душа
10) instill (v) — вселять
11) promiscuous (adj) — беспорядочный
12) epidemic (n) — эпидемия
13) abuse (n) — злоупотребление
14) STD (n) — заболевания, передающиеся половым путем
15) prophylactic (n) — презерватив
Young people and teenagers in the modern world are the most unprotected and
vulnerable group as far as HIV/AIDS is concerned. Since 1999 in Russia the sickness
rate among young people aged 15–25 has sharply increased. From January 1, 1987, to
November 19, 2001, there were officially registered 16,400 HIV-positive Russian
citizens, including 2,200 children. According to experts’ estimations, in fact, the total
number of such citizens in 2001 increased by one million people.
By November 2001 there were registered over 73,000 new HIV-positive
Russian citizens, which is 1.6 times more than during the same period in 2000.
During the years 1996–2001 the main source of infection was intravenous
drugs (93 % of cases). By 2001 about 12,800 people aged 15–20 became infected this
way. Sexual infection increased considerably as well.
Changes in the political and economic situation in Russia during recent years
led to a huge number of homeless children and teenagers (according to experts’
estimations, over 2 million). This segment of the population faces a much higher risk
of becoming infected with HIV/AIDS due to unfavorable conditions such as poverty,
dirt, lack of medical assistance, use of drugs, prostitution, and a high probability of
dangerous sexual contacts.
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The number of drug addicts using intravenous drugs increased during last
years. Lack of sterile syringes, let alone timely medical or psychological help, in
many cases eventually leads to HIV/AIDS. In turn use of drugs and alcohol is directly
connected with risky sexual behavior. Modern show business made homosexual
contacts “fashionable” among young people, which increases the risk of becoming
infected with HIV/AIDS (about 40 % of men admitting their homosexual orientation
say that they don’t always use condoms).
In many cases young people don’t seek medical help due to lack of
confidentiality, unfriendly environment, high costs of services, and sometimes the
refusal to render assistance to underage children not accompanied by adults.
The current attitude toward HIV/AIDS can be expressed with the following
attitude: “Everyone can get infected with AIDS but me.” Over 70 % of those asked
give this answer. This attitude derives from two factors. On the one hand there are
psychological factors inherent in the unstable psyche of teenagers. On the other
hand there are social factors, including influence of friends, people of the same
age, and parents, as well as the social, political, and economic situation in the
country.
Teenagers and young people (13–17 years old) are inclined to nervous and
psychological problems. At this age teenagers want to free themselves of supervision
and care; they want to oppose to adults and have freedom.
On the one hand they are trying to distinguish themselves from everybody else,
but on the other hand they tend to copy other people’s behavior. This contradiction
leads children to behavior that instills in them a sense of a grown-up quality,
including smoking, drinking alcohol, and later using drugs. Some young people take
such “self-expression” as “freedom,” as they are old enough to choose “the forbidden
fruit.” In this age modern young people start sexual life. Nowadays their views on
sexual relations are formed under conditions that were considered abnormal several
years ago: homosexuality, group sex, and an early and promiscuous sexual life are
considered fashionable. This standard is promoted by television and print media.
Modern teenagers take such relations as normal.
An epidemic of teen drug addiction and alcoholism in Russia, as well as in the
rest of the world, is closely connected with emergence of new youth movements,
groups, and styles of behavior. Each of them has its own characteristic stereotype of
relations, sexual behavior, and drug abuse.
Sociological studies show that information channels transmitting true
information about HIV/AIDS nowadays play an important role in prevention of the
disease among youth. Various studies showed that the main source of information
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about AIDS and STD for young people is television (79 % of respondents), followed
by friends and people of the same age (63 %), and then by publications for young
people (58 %). Only 25 % of respondents cited relatives and parents.
It is interesting that girls prefer to get information from publications for youth
and specialized literature while young men more trust television and radio.
Doctors Without Borders' study found out that 95 % of young people know that
sexual intercourse without a prophylactic and using a common needle may cause
AIDS, 73 % of young people know that anal sex and 44 % know that oral sex may
cause AIDS.
Exercise 1. Answer the questions to the text:
1. What social group suffers mostly from HIV/AIDS in the modern world?
2. How many HIV-positive Russian were officially registered from January 1,
1987 to November 19, 2001?
3. What are experts’ estimations of the total number of such citizens in 2001?
4. What was the main source of infection in the years 1996–2001?
5. What have changes in the political and economic situation in Russia during
recent years brought about?
6. What unfavorable conditions do Russian homeless children face?
7. Why are homosexual contacts “fashionable” among young people?
8. Why don’t young people seek medical help?
9. What is the current attitude toward HIV/AIDS among teenagers?
10. What two factors influence teenagers' behavior?
Exercise 2. Complete the following sentences and translate them:
1. Young people aged 15–25 are greatly affected by …
2. 16,400 HIV-positive Russian were …
3. By November 2001 there were registered over …
4. By 2001 about 12,800 people aged 15–20 became infected by …
5. The number of homeless children and teenagers is about …
6. Use of drugs and risky sexual behavior are the main reasons …
7. “Fashionable” homosexual contacts increase the risk of …
8. It is not easy for young people to get medical help because …
9. An average young man thinks about HIV/AIDS infection possibility: …
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UNIT 3.
PHYSICAL TRAINING
Task 1.
Установите соответствие между текстами A–G и заголовками 1–8.
1. Female bobsleighing
2. What you need for bobsleighing
3. Safety rules
4. Bobsleighing techniques
5. Participating countries
6. The dangers of bobsleighing
7. The newest rules
8. From the history of bobsleighing
A. Bobsleighing was originated in Switzerland. In the late 19th century, the
Swiss first started doing it by attaching two skeleton sleighs together with a steering
mechanism added to the front sleigh in order to control the direction. The first
bobsleigh races took place in normal snow covered roads whereas the first
bobsleighing club was founded in St. Moritz, Switzerland in 1897 and the first
specially designed race track was developed outside of St. Moritz in 1902.
B. Bobsleighing is mostly played in Europe along with North America and
Russia because of the proper climate for the icy track. The United States of America,
Germany and Switzerland have long been the most successful bobsleighing nations
based on their incredibly successful track record in all formats of competitive sports
including World Cups and Olympic Championship. Presently, more than fifty
countries take part in various international bobsleighing events all over the world.
C. Bobsleighing is considered the most expensive winter sport as the
equipment used in it, including the safety equipment as well as bobsleigh parts, are
quite costly. The most important equipment in bobsleighing is the sleigh. Besides
this, other protective guards are also used. The length of the sleigh must be a
maximum of 3.80 metres (12.5 feet) for four-man sports and 2.70 metres (8.9 feet) in
case of two-man sports. Bobsleigh crews are supposed to weigh heavy to ensure high
speed.
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D. In fact, two-man and four-man types of bobsleigh are very much similar. As
weight plays a vital role for the speed of the sleigh, four-man sleighs are much faster
than two-man types. However, even a simple mistake at the initial push-off or, say,
during the steering, on decisions of the driver during the turns may largely affect the
final race. The thing is, air passing through the sleigh slows the sleigh down. In order
to avoid these drags, wind tunnels are usually added to the sleigh.
E. One may think bobsleighing is a risky sport but actually not only men are
fond of it. Women do it too. In case of women bobsleighing, the sleighs for women
were originally very much similar to those of men. But with time so many problems
came out as women are shorter than men and many players injured their hips as well
as back. These traumas prompted the organizers to change the interior sleigh designs
for women bobsleighing. Now women can do it safely and successfully enough.
F. Bobsleighing competitions gather crowds of people who want to watch their
favourite sportsmen compete with one another. However, even though bobsleighing
is quite an interesting sport, the risks attached to it certainly cannot be avoided. Till
now more than ninety three players have died in crashes or accidents during the
game. In order to reduce the chances of accidents and to prevent the risks, officials
have made certain rules and regulations about the uses of sleighs and the structure of
the track.
G. There are a lot of risks connected with bobsleighing. Bobsleighers need to
wear high tech plastic made helmets in order to prevent head injuries as well as
goggles for eyes. Racers wear tight uniforms to increase aero-dynamicity and spiked
shoes to gain traction on the ice. The brakeman wears a Kevlar vest in order to avoid
third degree burns during the sleigh’s friction with ice. The next bobsleigh doesn’t
start until the previous team has left the track because of security reasons.
Task 2.
Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A–F частями предложений,
обозначенными цифрами 1–7. Одна из частей в списке 1–7 лишняя. Занесите
цифры, обозначающие соответствующие части предложений, в таблицу.
Bandy
Have you ever heard of such a sport as bandy? It is the “elder brother” of
hockey, and Russia A__________. Folk amusements resembling bandy were known
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in Russia already before the Middle Ages. Some historians even say that Emperor
Peter I, B__________, was a fan of this sport. Yet, bandy became popular only at the
end of the XIX century.
By that time, certain rules had already been settled. In 1888 a sports club
appeared in Saint Petersburg, which was founded by one of the students. And in 1897
Petr Moskvin, C__________, developed single bandy rules for Russia. Next year, on
March 8, 1898 the first match was played. This date is called the “birthday” of
Russian bandy.
At the beginning of the XX century, bandy D__________. As a result, it was
often called “Russian hockey”. And hockey with a puck really came into being
largely because of the great popularity of bandy. Therefore, many rules of the games
are similar. Yet, the differences between these two sports are quite significant. The
most important ones are about inventory and a team. Bandy uses a rubber ball,
E__________, instead of a puck. As for the team, F__________, there can be no
more than six hockey players from one team on the field. While in bandy, eleven
players including a goalkeeper make the same team on the field.
1) was very popular all over Russia
2) while Russia kept bandy traditions
3) played a big role in its development
4) when it comes to hockey with a puck
5) who brought skates from the Netherlands
6) an enthusiastic sportsman and the founder of the circle
7) which weighs 60 grams and is 6.3 centimetres in diameter
Task 3.
Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A–F частями предложений,
обозначенными цифрами 1–7. Одна из частей в списке 1–7 лишняя. Занесите
цифры, обозначающие соответствующие части предложений, в таблицу.
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium connected by EE is the national stadium of England and the
home of English football. With 90,000 seats, it is the largest sports venue in the UK
A__________. Pelé named this magnificent venue “The Cathedral of Football”.
Wembley Stadium (branded as “Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship
reasons”) is internationally recognized B__________ the biggest events including
UEFA Champions League Finals in 2011 and 2013, Gold medal matches at the 2012
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Olympic Games, England internationals, Emirates FA Cup Finals, concerts and much
more!
The stadium continues to develop C__________ attract world class events and
most recently include investment in a new pitch, LED floodlights, PA system and
changing rooms. Wembley reopened its doors in 2007. The stadium was designed
with rows of seats D__________ than in the original stadium and with better
uninterrupted views.
The stadium’s most striking feature is the 133-metre-tall arch that sits above
the north side. With the diameter of 7,4 metres, the arch is wide enough for a Channel
Tunnel train to run through. With the span of 315 metres, the arch is the longest
single span roof structure in the world, E__________.
A representative from every county in England was involved in the
construction of the arch. The stadium bowl protects fans from bad weather with a
sliding roof F__________.
1) and is visible right across London
2) that can be closed and reopened
3) that are higher and closer to the pitch
4) that are built in the best possible way
5) to maintain industry-leading facilities that
6) and the second-largest stadium in Europe
7) as an iconic, world-class venue that hosts
Task 4.
Установите соответствие между заголовками 1–8 и текстами A–G.
Запишите свои ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз.
В задании есть один лишний заголовок.
1. Not Just Fun
2. Running For Heart and Mind
3. United By The Game
4. I Want To Be A Coach
5. Team Work in Sport and Life
6. Next Year We Win
7. Learning From Father
8. School between Practices
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A. I believe playing sports is more than an activity to fill your day, it can teach
important life lessons. When I was a child, my dad spent a lot of time teaching me
how to play different sports. He told me that if I can succeed in sports, I can succeed
at anything in life. He used to say, “It’s not about how good you become. It’s about
working hard to get where you want to be.”
B. I like bicycles. Group rides help me to get new skills and make new friends.
I try to apply the tactics of group riding to team work in the real world. In the perfect
group ride, each rider takes a turn leading the pack, while the others enjoy the
benefits of drafting. I think this way of working is a great method for approaching a
group task anywhere.
C. I believe in the power of running. Running should not be a battle for your
body but rather a rest for your mind. I felt this last fall, when I was running in the
park. Suddenly I felt as if I could have run forever, as if I could use running as a
source of therapy for my body. Running allows the body to release different types of
stress and even change our understanding of life.
D. My father coached basketball every day of his life, and I was right there
with him in the gym watching him work his magic. Basketball appears entertaining
and exciting. But the path to success is not simple. My father always told me,
“Nothing is free.” I took this advice and ran with it. I truly believe that only practice
and determination lead to success.
E. Baseball is so much more than a sport. One of the powers of baseball is that
it brings people together. It unites fans of all ages, genders, and nationalities. No
matter who you are, you can be a baseball fan. My mom and I have one unspoken
rule: no matter what has been going on before, no fighting at the game.
F. I believe that you must always be loyal to the sport teams you support. The
teams I follow in the United States generally lose many more than they win. The start
of each season brings dreams of victory in baseball, basketball or football, dreams
that fade away soon. But then there is always next year. It will be our year for sure.
G. I was determined to join the swim team. I knew I would get my strengths
and learn my weaknesses there. Waking up early for 6:30 a.m. practices is what swim
team is all about, as it helps us get into state. On a long school day you think about
the practice in the pool after school. You want to hear the crowd cheering you, telling
you that you have to do more than your best.
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