• In text 1, find ten medical expressions that Rachel uses. Say what each means.

• In text 2, find the negative words that Karen uses to describe her emotions.

• Look at the following statements and divide them into two groups, the first group applying to Rachel and the second group to Karen.

1. She is not worried about what people think of her physical appearance.

2. She mentions her financial situation.

3. She felt extremely depressed.

4. She is looking forward to many different experiences.

5. She was worried about being fat.

6. She took her life for granted.

7. She didn’t believe what the experts had said.

8. She spent a long time learning to accept her situation.

9. She expects things to be better quite soon in the future.

10. She has had bad experiences with friends.

• Answer the following questions.

Text 1

1. What symptoms brought Rachel Wilbourn to hospital?

2. What was the diagnosis?

3. What had to be done so as to cure her of the disease?

4. What happened during the transplant operation?

5. What made the doctors fear that Rachel would be definitely brain-damaged?

6. How long did it take Rachel to come round after the operation? In what state was she when she regained consciousness?

7. How long did she convalesce in hospital?

8. Why has she come to appreciate even tiny things in life?

9. In what way has her life become different now?

10. Do you agree that you don’t realise how precious life is until you come close to losing it?

Text 2

1. What event made Karen Morgan feel devastated and worthless?

2. Why was it difficult for her to find another job?

3. How did her life change when she got broke?

4. Why did Karen and her friend part on bad terms?

5. What did she regret most?

6. How long did it take her to sort everything out?

7. What did she gain from that troublesome situation?

• Find Russian equivalents for the following phrases:

1. out of the blue

2. to be a burden to everyone

3. to come to appreciate even tiny things in life

4. to give a new view on life

5. to be more determined to do smth

6. to live life to the full

7. to be made redundant

8. to part on bad terms

9. to take smth for granted

10. to come to terms with a situation

11. to cope with smth

• Find English equivalents to the following words and word combinations:

1. анализ крови

2. вскоре после

3. избавляться от чего-то

4. прийти в себя

5. с трудом могла пошевелиться

6. одинокий и разочарованный

7. страшно подумать

8. отвратительный, омерзительный, ужасный

9. спад деловой активности, экономический спад

10. ипотека

11. в конечном счете, в итоге, в конце концов

12. позволить себе ч-либо (по средствам)

13. расплачиваться, покрывать долг

• Summarize the texts.

• Retell the texts.

• Write a composition (200-250 words) on the theme “Surviving a bad experience”.

Points to cover:

An example of a bad experience

Emotional stress or physical injuries someone had to cope with

Qualities that helped to cope with the situation

Positive influence of the experience