Listening practice

Pre-listening Activity

Answer the following questions.

1. What do you think of piercing?

2. Do you have any piercings? Would you like to get some?

3. Do any of your friends have parts of their bodies pierced (ears, nose)?

Listening Activity

Task 1. Listen to the dialogue.

Phil is talking with his friend Brian. Phil is unhappy with his girlfriend, Michelle. Why is he unhappy?

Task 2. Check your understanding.

1. How does Phil feel about Michelle's piercings?

2. What does Brian think about them?

3. What does Michelle want Phil to do?

Task 3. Read these three opinions.

Amber: If Phil really loves her, he will get used to her body piercing.

Anton: If Michelle really loves Phil, she will stop wearing her piercing.

Monica: Body piercing is neither natural, nor beautiful.

a) Match the supporting statements with the opinions. Each opinion has two supporting statements.

1. True love is deeper than physical beauty.

2. In any relationship, people have to be understanding.

3. We were born without holes in our bodies.

4. Our bodies are gifts that we should not change or damage.

5. Phil needs to be patient. People can get used to almost anything.

6. Michelle should not be overly concerned about fashion.

b) Now compare with a classmate.

Task 4. Work in a group of three. Ask your partners.

Do you agree with Amber? Do you agree with Anton? Do you agree with Monica?

Answer for each person: I really agree /1 agree /1 disagree /1 really disagree.

Speech practice

Task 1. Being members of the debating club work in two teams. Try to find arguments and examples for and against the following quotation: “Natural rights are those which appertain to man in right of his existence. Of this kind are all the intellectual rights, or rights of the mind, and also all those rights of the acting as an individual for his own comfort and happiness, which are not injurious to the natural rights of others…” (Thomas Paine, American political theorist and writer 1737 – 1809).

Do not forget to elect a spokesman who is supposed to coordinate debates and summarize the results.

Task 2. Think about a students’ charter for our university.

Task 3. Imagine you have been asked to advise the government on the necessity of the bill introducing an alternative military service. As one political decision often has far-reaching effects, sometimes never thought of, you are to examine possible effects. Work in groups. Then present some of your thoughts to “the government”.

Task 4. You are invited to lecture at the University about undemocratic forms of rule. Reflect on such human right abuse as censorship. The students are expected to ask you questions.

Task 5. Role-playing. Situation: You are invited to the TV studio to discuss the problem of euthanasia, the present situation, its further development. You discuss changes in medicine, possible effects of making the process of mercy killing legal.

Role-Assignments

Student 1

You are a TV programme host. You are to lead the discussion, trying to cover all important points, helping the invited people to share their points of view.

Student 2

You are a representative of the first Hospice in Belarus. Speak about the present situation.

Student 3

You are a member of Belarusian Parliament where the problem is about to be debated.

Student 4

You are a member of the Dutch Government. Focus on the effects of the legitimating euthanasia.

Students 5, 6

You are hospice physians from the UK and the USA and familiar with the problem.

Student 7

You are a student of Medical University. You are collecting data for your course project.

Students 8, 9 ... You are ordinary citizens. You ostensibly are critical about the present situation.