Reading number 1:


A Student Budget

College is an exciting time to learn and to make friends that will last a lifetime. Many students do
not like to worry about money, and would rather not think about it. However, it doesn't matter
whether a student's parents pay for everything, or whether the student works part-time to help
pay for his or her education.

All students can get into money trouble if they're not careful. The cost of a college education can
be high. In English-speaking countries, the average cost per student per year can be well over
US$15,000. Students must also pay for books, paper, pens, etc. These can cost $500 to $1,000
per year. Students must also pay thousands more per year for room and board.1 Add money for
clothes, travel, and other personal expenses, and the average cost of one year at university can
be $20,000 to $30,000, or more. So, students need to spend their money carefully. At most
universities, councillors can give students advice on how to budget their money.

This is what they suggest: At the start of a school semester, write down your income-for
example, money you will get from your family or from a part-time job. Then, list all of your
expenses. Put your expenses into two groups: those that change (food, phone, books, travel),
and those that will stay the same (tuition, room and board). Add together all of your expenses.
Are they more than your income? Will you need to borrow from family or friends, or will you
need to get more money by doing part- time work? Often, students find it is easier to plan out
their own budget, and save their own money, rather than trying to borrow from others.
As you can see, there's more to learn at college than just what's taught in the classroom!

Q:

1.How much is the average cost per student per year in English-speaking countries?

2. What can universities do to help students to budget their money?

3. What is the best way to budget money?

4. How do students make money to pay for their education?

5. Are all the students worry about the cost of the education?
Reading number 2:


A Restaurant for Change

Jamie Oliver wants to change peoples' lives and he is using food to do it. Oliver, a chef, is
well-known for sharing his secrets of cooking healthy food through his magazine, cookbooks,
and television shows. He is also changing lives through his Italian restaurant, Fifteen. Fifteen
started in London, England, as a place to train young adults to work in a kitchen. Oliver's idea
was to create a professional kitchen that can help young people get a fresh start and a chance
to become professional chefs.

Every September, a new group of 18- to 24-year-olds start work at Fifteen. When they start, they
are usually not qualified for a restaurant job, but that will change quickly. In the 12 months of
training, the student chefs study cooking at college and get hands-on training at the restaurant.
Besides learning kitchen skills, they learn the importance of using fresh ingredients and how to
create their own recipes. And their education doesn't stop with preparing and serving food. The
students also learn how to manage money and deal with difficult customers. Overall, the
program encourages them to believe in themselves and enables them to look forward to a future
in the restaurant business.

The restaurant's name, Fifteen, comes from the number of students the restaurant had when it
started in 2002. Today, Oliver has three of these restaurants, and a few hundred students have
finished the program. Around 90 percent of the graduates are still working in the food industry.
Some own restaurants or work in some of the best kitchens around the world. Others are now
starring in their own TV shows. They're all great examples of what young people can do if
they're given the opportunity and support.

Q:

1.Why did Jamie Oliver open Fifteen?

2.How did improve people's lives by participating in Fifteen courses?

3.Was it enough just to learn kitchen skills and create recipes? If not, what should've they learn
more?

4.Why is the restaurant called Fifteen?

5.Do you think such educational programs are useful? And does it provide opportunities for
people to progress and change their lives?
Reading number 3:

Are You an Ophiuchus?

Thousands of years ago, the ancient people of Babylon and Egypt studied the stars in the sky.
From their research, they came up with the zodiac, a map of the 5 sun, moon, stars, and
planets. It was first used to keep track of time.

These ancient astrologers studied the constellations and their positions in the sky. They wanted
to know when each 10 constellations was closest to the sun. They used this information to
determine where each group of stars belongs in the zodiac. The word zodiac actually means
“circle of little animals” in Latin, and refers to how 15 the constellations are shaped.

Today, some people believe that the zodiac can be used to describe a person’s personality.
Some also believe that by studying the zodiac, they can predict what will happen in the future.
According to these beliefs, a person’s zodiac sign is connected to his or her birth date.

The zodiac has remained the same for over a thousand years. It is broken up into 12 equal
parts, each associated with a star sign. However, some astrologers are suggesting a
change-they think a thirteenth sign should be added to the zodiac calendar. This is because the
way the Earth rotates has changed slightly over the centuries, which has also changed its path
around the sun. This possible thirteenth 25 sign is a constellation called Ophiuchus (pronounced
of-ee-yoo-kuhs), which means holder of the snake. Ophiuchus is close to the sun from
November 29 to December 17.

If the dates of the other 12 signs were adjusted to make Ophiuchus a sign, many people would
have a different star sign. As this new sign falls between Scorpio and Sagittarius, some people
with those star signs would have to switch to being Orphiuchus. And this would have an effect
on dates of the other star signs as well. This would add a whole new answer to the question,
“What’s your sign?”

Q:

1.What was the zodiac first used for?

a)Predicting the future
b) Keeping track of time
c) Understanding the galaxy
d) Creating art pieces

2. The word zodiac means “circle of little animals” in Greek. True□ False□

3. Why are some astrologers suggesting a change in the zodiac?

4. The new sign, Ophiuchus, falls between ---------- and ---------- .

5. Do you think that Ophiuchus will ever be the 13th sign? Why? Why not?