Unit 1 homelessness

PRE-LISTENING SECTION

Exercise 1. Discuss the following issues be guided by the following information.

• Have you ever thought about the problems of homeless people?

• What do you know about the National Center on Family Homelessness?

• Have you heard about the National Alliance to End Homelessness?

Homelessness (British English: also rough sleeping) is the condition and social category of people without a regular house or dwelling because they cannot afford or are otherwise unable to maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack, "fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." The actual legal definition varies from country to country, or among different entities or institutions in the same country or region.

The National Center on Family Homelessness was started through an unusual partnership. In 1987, David Jordan, then editor-in-chief of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, met in Boston with Ellen L. Bassuk, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Both were concerned about the growing number of homeless families in America, and wanted to do something. In 1988, Dr. Bassuk and Mr. Jordan joined forces to start “The Better Homes Fund,” what would eventually be called The National Center on Family Homelessness, which was established as a not-for-profit organization and non-endowed public charity.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is an advocacy group, founded in 1983, which promotes measures to end homelessness in the United States. The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a leading voice on the issue of homelessness. The Alliance analyzes policy and develops pragmatic, cost-effective policy solutions. The Alliance works collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity, leading to stronger programs and policies that help communities achieve their goal of ending homelessness.

Exercise 2. Match these words and collocations to their definitions or synonyms. Translate them into your native language.

1	toddler	a	facts and statistics collected together
2	recession	b	obstacle
3	shelter	c	extremely short of money
4	data	d	investment
5	staggering increase	e	a young child who is just beginning to walk
6	to be on welfare	f	a type of social worker employed to take on the cases of individuals
7	drawback	g	public services accounts
8	caseworker	h	a period of temporary economic decline
9	Cash-strapped	i	to get grant
10	utility bills	j	stunning rise
11	surge of funding	k	a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger

Exercise 3. Match states to their cities.

California	San Francisco
Florida	Tallahassee
Kentucky	Frankfort
New York	Sacramento
Massachusetts	Louisville
Texas	Boston
Kansas	Albany

LISTENING SECTION

Exercise 1. Listen to the recording and decide if the following statements are true or false.

1. Many come to the centre for homeless families in the Bronx with everything they own – a toddler in one hand, a suitcase in the other.

2. In February nearly 60% more applied for shelter in New York than had done a year earlier.

3. Louisville, Kentucky, reported an increase of more than 58% in family homelessness in 2008.

4. Some cities, like Los Angeles, have adopted a desperate solution to put a roof over people’s heads: motels.

5. «Welfare motels » are often far away from schools and grocery stores.

6. Geography is their only drawback.

7. To help both the homeless and cash-strapped local governments, the federal government has made $3 billion available through the stimulus bill, passed in February.

8. The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimated at first than an extra 1.5m people could become homeless in this recession.

9. Larry Meredith is the director of the Department of Health and Human Services in Marin County, California.

10. According to Mr Meredith, a shelter that provides beds for about 60 people in Marin County will probably soon close because of lack of funding.

Exercise 2. Listen again and answer the questions below.

1. What is the reason for homeless families applying for shelters?

2. What posts mentioned in the recording are taken up by people responsible for issue under discussion?

3. What solutions concerning homelessness have some cities, like Boston, adopted?

4. How many beds does a shelter provide in Marin County? Are there any problems there?

DISCUSSION SECTION

Exercise 1. Express your opinion on the following.

1. What are the main problems of creating such shelters in Ukraine? Do you support the idea?

2. What are the main functions of «welfare motels»? Do you support the idea of creation «welfare motels» in Ukraine?

Exercise 2. Comment on the statements below.

1. A man's homeland is wherever he prospers. Aristophanes (450 BC - 388 BC), Plutus, 388 B.C.

2. Not going home is already like death. E. Catherine Tobler, Vanishing Act

3. A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it. George Moore

4. The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes. Harold B. Lee (1899 - 1973)

5. Life's a voyage that's homeward bound. Herman Melville (1819 - 1891)

6. A good home must be made, not bought. Joyce Maynard, "Domestic Affairs"

7. My home is not a place, it is people. Lois McMaster Bujold, "Barrayar", 1991

TRANSLATION SECTION

Exercise 1. Make the transcript of the recording, translate it into your native language.

Exercise 2. Present a translation-oriented analysis of the text.

Exercise 3. Roleplay the dialogue between

Ellen L. Bassuk, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and David Jordan, editor-in-chief of Better Homes and Gardens magazine discussing the idea of starting “The Better Homes Fund,” what would eventually be called The National Center on Family Homelessness, which was established as a not-for-profit organization and non-endowed public charity.

Exercise 3. Practise consecutive / simultaneous interpretation of the dialogue.

Exercise 4. Translate the information below into Ukrainian giving a summary.