Unit_2

Unit 2: Student’s Book

Ex. 4 Complete the text using the words and phrases given.

'Familiarity breeds contempt', as the saying goes. People have been known to search for a gas leak using a candle for illumination, for example, or to hold their babies on their laps in the front seat of cars, instead of securing them safely in the rear seat, in the ............................ (4) that they can protect them in the event of a collision. The familiarity of the surroundings lulls people into a false sense of

to travel by air or train, people are often extremely anxious about the potential dangers, despite the fact that airlines and railways have excellent ............................ (8), notwithstanding the occasional spectacular crash. The fixed routines necessary for the safe operation of transport systems carry

............................ (12) are six to one, the consequences can be fatal. Such games, whether prompted by bravado or a sort of death wish, cannot be

(14), not risks, is uppermost in the minds of the participants. The main danger to us all lies in the unexpected accidents of everyday life and it is therefore essential to be alert and ............................ (15) while at home or work.

Discuss the following questions:

1.Where does people’s low perception of the risklead to?

2.How could you explain the saying “Familiarity breeds contempt”? Provide examples.

3.Why do people ignore obvious danger signals? What are they?

4.What could actually disturb people’s peace of mind, make them alert?

5.What might people feel when it comes to travel by plane or train? What could drive away their anxiety?

6.Why are fixed routines potentially dangerous?

7.What make people play such deadly games as Russian Roulette?

8.What are the rules of the game Russian Roulette?

9.What activities cannot avoid hazards?

10.Why cannot such games as Russian Roulette be compared with mountainclimbingor deep-sea diving?

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Unit 2: Student’s Book

Ex. 5 Complete the sentences below with forms of the words on the right.

Ex. 6 Comment on the picture.

Traffic accidents are among the most frequent risks we face in our everyday lives. What are the causes? What precautions can be taken (both on the part of drivers and pedestrians) in order to minimize the risk? Discuss with a partner.

Unit 2: Student’s Book

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Hometask 1

Ex. 7 Study the active vocabulary. (Quiz 1)

Ex. 8 Read the text from ex. 13 and write a summary of it (200-250 words). Ex. 9 You are going to listen to a risk expert talking about the risks of driving in the US. Before you listen, predict which option you think is correct. Then listen and check.

1.The most dangerous thing to be on the road is _________.

a.a pedestrian

b.a driver

c.a motorcyclist

2.Most accidents happen because drivers _________.

a.fall asleep at the wheel

b.are drunk

c.drive too fast

3.Driving at night is _________ as dangerous as driving during the day.

a.three times

b.four times

c.ten times

4.You are most likely to have a nonfatal accident on a _________.

a.Tuesday morning

b.Friday afternoon

c.Saturday night

5.Most fatal accidents happen on _________.

a.highways

b.freeways

c.country roads

6.Mile for mile, women have more _________ than men.

a.minor accidents

b.serious accidents

c.fatal accidents

7.The age at which a driver is most at risk is _________.

a.over 65

b.between 25 and 34

c.under 25

Would these statistics probably be similar in your country?

Do you think punishments for dangerous driving should be more severe?

Ex. 10 Translate into Russian using the active vocabulary.

1) После теракта 2001 г. власти приняли ряд мер, призванных обеспечить безопасность горожан и сократить риск повторных атак. 2) Не желая подвергать опасности жизни спортсменов, организаторы решили не рисковать и приняли повышенные меры предосторожности. 3) Наводнение имело страшные последствия: сотни поврежденных домов,

разрушенная инфраструктура, не говоря уже о человеческих жертвах. В списках погибших значатся 220 человек, еще 32 считаются без вести пропавшими. 4) В магазине установлены камеры безопасности, предназначенные не только предотвратить кражи, но и обеспечить

безопасность посетителей. 5) Я считаю его поступок глупым, не было никакой необходимости так рисковать. Теперь под угрозой его карьера и будущее. 6) Он настоящий сорви-голова: риск -

это его стихия. Он каким-то чудом остается цел и невредим, какие бы опасности его встречали. Ему нравится бороться сам собой. В этом длянего "кайф".

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Unit 2: Student’s Book

Theme One: Living on the Edge

Ex. 11 Write Quiz 1, check ex. 7-10. Abrief recap of the previouslesson.

Ex. 12 What is happening ineach of the photographs. Discuss.

1.Do any of these activitiesappealto you? Why/why not?

2.Which activity do you think is the most exciting/popular/risky?

3.What is the attraction of extreme sportscompared with activities such as computer games or reading?

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Unit 2: Student’s Book

Ex. 13 Before reading, match the words and phrases listed below to their Russian equivalents.

Ex. 14 Read the text.

Living on the Edge: Extreme Sports and theirRole in Society1

With regard to extreme sports, the perception of the general public is that people who choose to take risks are irresponsible ‘adrenaline junkies’ who are ultimately a burden to society. When a person takes unnecessary risks, and becomes injured or in need of rescue, the expenses for coming to their aid are often borne by taxpayers. It should not be surprising then, that these same taxpayers question why they should have to pay for these seemingly foolish actions. A backcountry rescue after skiers trigger an avalanche, for example, will cost thousands of dollars. Skateboarders cause damage to both private and public property, and injure themselves. While these issues have been discussed at great length in the media, rarely does discussion focus on the negative impact of limiting access to these types of risky sports. What would be the effect on society if we made it more difficult for people to engage in these types of activities? In fact, by curbing a person’s passions and limiting access to their chosen sports–even those the public may consider risky– these athletes may well find outlets for their energy that is much more burdensome to society.

While it is true that extreme sports do not appeal to the masses, there are still a significant number of people to whom these activities are an important and fulfilling part of their lives. It is our differences that make a society interesting, so while it may not be for everyone, high-risk activities contribute to the diversity of our culture. We all crave adventure to some degree or another. As author, outdoorsman, and Idaho State University faculty member, Ron Watters explains in his essay “The Wrong Side of the Thin Edge”, everyone needs a little adventure. But some people need more than the normal forms of life’s excitement and take it one step further, participating in high-risk activitiessports played on the edge, where the consequences are far greater, and where as the great American mountaineer and outdoor philosopher Willi Unsoeld once said, ‘It has to be real enough to kill you.’ (258) Psychologist Frank Farley has studied thrill seeking risk-takers for decades, and has developed the term “Type T” (for thrill seeking). Farley describes Type T personality types as "risk-takers and adventurers who seek excitement and stimulation wherever they can find or create it." (qtd. in Roberts)

Type T’s are not just the mountain climbing daredevils of the world however. They are often our best inventors, entrepreneurs and explorers. They are CEOs, surgeons, and civil rights leaders. We wouldn’t be the progressive, vibrant society we are today if no one was willing to take risks. Farley argues that history's most crucial events are shaped by Type T individuals exhibiting Type T behavior, from Boris Yeltsin to Martin Luther King, Jr. The act of emigration, he says, is an intrinsically risky endeavor that selects individuals who are high in sensation seeking. Consequently, countries built upon immigrant population--America, Canada, Australia--probably have an above-average level of risk takers. He warns

Unit 2: Student’s Book

Ex. 17 Translatethe following wordsand word combinations into Russian.

to take risks

to bear expenses

to cause damage to

to have effect on

to engage in

to appeal to the masses

to contribute to the diversity of our culture

to seek excitement

a daredevil

history's most crucial events are shaped by Type T individuals

tend to be very safety conscious

challengingoutdoor activities

1.If a woman gives up her job to look after her baby, she will risk losing her salaryin the mediumterm and may seriously damage her long-term career prospects.

2.Fair-skinned people who spend a great deal of time in the sun have the greatest risk of skin cancer.

3.In this new world of greyness there is an attempt to remove all risks.

4.‘I have never knowingly exposed any patient to unnecessary risks,’ he said.

5.The officers had run the risk of being dismissed.

6.The recues were able to evacuate 500 children who were at risk.

7.Skiers always face the risk of serious injury.

8.All personal belongings are left at the owner’s risk.

9.This diet could reduce your risk of certain cancers.

10.They are anxiousto avoid any risk of criticism.

11.Investments that provide a high returngenerallyinvolve more risk.

Ex. 19 You are going tolisten to an extract from a radio programme. Before

listening, match the words and phrases listed below totheir Russian equivalents.

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Unit 2: Student’s Book