I. Don't look back at the text and say whether the following statements are true or false. If false, say why.

1. At the end of the 19th century scholars in different countries tried to outline the main achievement of the century and forecast the future.

2. The scientists foresaw some remarkable changes in city life, information technologies and other things.

3. At the turn of the 20^th century scientists sketched out some scenarios on different possible ways to improve the world and the self.

4. Nowadays people have to be different from those in the past because life has become more sophisticated.

5. Some people claim that in the future there will probably be no boundaries between countries, classes and castes.

6. Since major organized religions still exist, people can't convert to other religions nowadays.

7. By the end of this century people have prolonged their active lifespan and become more developed in their personality and emotional behavior due to advances in health maintenance.

8. According to one of the scenarios people will have a sense of their own identity that will allow them not be restricted or limited, people will live longer and feel better and they will be psychologically mature.

9. Nowadays people live happily because the world is no longer divided between the two great power blocks.

10. According to the other scenario the future world will be more economically and technologically developed but this technological progress won't make everybody happy: some people will feel vulnerable.

11. In any possible type of society the main factor in reshaping the future is your own self.

II. Answer the following questions:

1. In what way did major cities in Europe and the United States celebrate the advance of knowledge at the turn of the last century?

2. What problems did scholars discuss at the conferences? Did they try to look into the future? What was their forecast concerning the subjects they tackled?

3. What issues were on the agenda of the symposium "Frontiers of the Mind in the 21^st century"?

4. According to one of a few scenarios sketched at the symposium people in the not distant future will live in a different society. What changes in their environment will they have to adjust themselves to?

5. What kinds of world will the postmodern self live in? What this particular future be probably like?

6. In what way is another possible type of social community viewed?

7. What makes it similar to the world we are living now?

8. In what way is it different?

9. What is a crucial force in reshaping the future?

10. Can we say with confidence which form the evolution of society and the changing of the self would take?

III. Find in the text English equivalents for these word combinations and sentences.

Становитися слабким, збереження здоров’я, розвиватися, опановувати, успіх, трансформуватися, ідентичність, вирішальна роль, силові блоки, бути схожим, зиск, вирішальна сила, бідність, поступово зникати, довкілля, стійка ідеологія, робити огляд, вражаючий, наукова праця, мешканці міста, головний

IV. Quote the sentences in which the following words and word combinations are used in the text

Human lifespan, to be humiliated, disparities of wealth, psychological maturity, power blocks, refugees, boundary, tentative forecasts, to lengthen, to be obsessed, to adjust oneself, to review, to be embedded, to resemble, environment, consumerism