Unit 1 Charity challenge
1 SPEAKING
a Work in pairs. Discuss the questions together.
1 What are popular charities in your country?
2 What different projects do they manage or support?
3 What are typical ways that they try to raise money?
2 VOCABULARY
a Match the words in bold to definitions 1–3.
I spent last weekend working as a fundraiser for a local charity
that helps pay for a rescue helicopter. I helped make cakes
and biscuits, and then we sold them at a market. There were
ten of us and we had a lot of fun – it was a really rewarding
experience. Supporting the helicopter is a good cause because
it can really save lives.
1 An idea which people think has social value and which they
support
2 A person who collects money for a charity organisation
3 Makes you feel satisfied because you have done something
important or useful
b Discuss the questions together.
1 What kinds of charities do you think are good causes?
2 In what ways would it be rewarding to support a charity?
3 Would you like to work as a charity fundraiser?
36
www.frenglish.ru
READING PLUS
3 READING 1
a In pairs, discuss the questions.
1 What’s your idea of a perfect holiday? Where would you go?
What would you do?
2 How do you think holidays might be able to help raise funds
for charities?
b Read the information about an organisation that
arranges holidays with a difference. Answer the
questions.
1 Have you ever thought about having a holiday like this?
2 What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of
going on a holiday like this?
Face a challenge
– lend a hand!
Challenge to Help – What we do
Are you the kind of person who likes …
❯ travelling to exotic places and having adventures?
❯ making new friends from all around the world?
❯ raising money for charity?
OK, you’re ready to go – come and meet the
Challenge to Help!
For the past 20 years, we’ve been helping people
to help those in need. We organise adventures and
expeditions for fundraisers who want a motivating
challenge. Maybe you want to go on a long trek or cycle
ride, or perhaps you want to climb a mountain or help
a community in the developing world. All you have to
do is choose the charity you want to help and then find
people to sponsor your challenge. So far, we’ve helped
people raise more than £30 million for over 1,500
different charities.
Make your next holiday a rewarding experience:
face a challenge – lend the world a helping hand.
 Unit 1

4 READING 2 5 SPEAKING
a Choose one of the challenges to do. Think about why
BETTER READING: this is a good challenge for you.
PREDICTING INFORMATION IN A TEXT
Country Challenge Time Difficulty
Before you read a text for the first time, it can help your
understanding if you think about the kind of information you Brazil Amazon jungle 8 days Maxi-challenge
might find in the text. trek
Cambodia Cycling to 6 days Manageable
1 Read only the questions in the text below.
Angkor Wat
2 Discuss possible answers to the questions together.
3 Read the text quickly. Does it include similar ideas China Trek along the 7 days Challenging
to yours? Great Wall
Ethiopia Help build a 10 days Manageable
medical centre
a Read the text again and match summaries a–e to
questions and answers 1–5.
b In groups, tell each other about the challenge you
a  When people do a challenge with someone they know, have chosen and say why you have chosen it.
it’s usually successful.
b  You’ll need to do some training to get ready for your
challenge.
c  Very fit people can do a challenge that’s tough, while
others can choose something easier.
d  There are lots of charity organisations who would like
your support.
e These challenges can be done by anyone.

For more information, see some of our FAQs.

1 How difficult are the challenges?

We have a whole range, and you can choose the level that’s right
for you. You can go trekking in the Brazilian Rainforest – that’s quite
manageable. Or take the maxi-challenge of a cycle ride through
the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. But remember, it’s a challenge and
you’ll have to push yourself a bit.
2 Can you tell me what kind of people take part in these
challenges?
All sorts! We’ve had all ages from 17 to 70 take part in our
challenges. They all have a desire for adventure and the motivation
to help people who are less fortunate than themselves.
3 I’m not sure if I’m fit enough. How will I know?
We can give you advice on the kind of preparation and training that
you need to do in order to get ready. But remember, you’ve got to
have both physical and emotional strength and stamina. The key
thing is that you give yourself time to prepare for your challenge.
4 Can I do a challenge with a friend?
It’s often the best way because you can support each other before
and during the challenge. We also organise challenges for groups.
When a group of people all have the same motivation to succeed
and really support a cause, they really put their heart and soul into it. Your turn now – meet the
5 How do I choose a charity? Challenge to Help!
It should be something that you really care and feel passionate It’s very easy to have your own once-in-a-
about. On our website, you’ll find an extensive list to choose from lifetime experience. Have an adventure like
– they would all be delighted if you wanted to support any one you’ve never had before and do something
of them. good for other people. Get in touch with us
and meet the Challenge to Help.

37
www.frenglish.ru
Unit 2 Survival stories
1 SPEAKING
a Work in pairs and discuss the questions together.
1 Do you think stories of survival based on true events are more
interesting than imagined stories? Why / Why not?
2 Have you seen or read about any incredible story of survival?
What happens and why is it incredible?
3 Look at the article title, introduction and photos on page 39.
What do you think each film is about? Which looks the most
interesting?
2 VOCABULARY: Words connected to
difficult situations and places
a Read the article on page 39 and match the words 1–9 to
the definitions a–i. Compare with a partner.
1 endurance a unable to escape
2 epic b a very unpleasant or difficult experience
3 remote c makes you feel ill in the stomach
4 harsh d very far from the nearest town or village
5 blizzard e a film, poem, or book which is long
6 ordeal with a lot of action, usually historical
7 trapped f being unable to assist someone
8 sickening g cruel or severe
9 helplessly h the ability to do something difficult and
unpleasant for a long time
i a bad snow storm with strong winds
b Find two words you are not sure of the meaning of in
Rabbit-Proof Fence. Guess the meaning and check in a
dictionary.
3 READING 1
a Read the information in the article quickly and answer
the questions.
Which film is about a person or people who … ?
1 used what they knew about something to find their way home
2 travelled through different weather extremes
3 had to make a very difficult decision
b Compare your answers to 2a with another student.
c Read the article more carefully and say if the statements
below are true or false. Correct any false statements and
compare with a partner.
In The Way Back …
1 the prison camp in Siberia was near local towns.
2 bad weather helped the prisoners escape.
3 only six prisoners escaped.
In 127 hours …
1 Aron had plenty of food and water but no mobile phone.
2 Aron eventually met some people who helped him.
3 Aron is still adventurous despite his horrific experience.
38
www.frenglish.ru
READING PLUS
In Rabbit-Proof Fence …
1 the girls had parents who were from different races.
2 the fence was built to stop rabbits moving freely from
the north to the south.
3 all the girls eventually made it back to Jigalong.
4 READING 2
BETTER READING: INFERRING
It’s often possible to understand more than the author
has written by ‘reading between the lines’. For example,
when the author writes, ‘They said he was a spy’, we can
infer that Slawomir Rawicz was probably not a spy. If he
really was a spy, the author would not need to include
‘They said ...’ at the beginning.
1 Look at the two sentences below about
The Way Back. How can you infer them
from the text?
a Many prisoners died trying to escape from the
Siberian prison camp.
b The three survivors were not very healthy when
they reached Calcutta.
a Choose 127 Hours or Rabbit-Proof Fence and
explain how you can infer sentences 1–3 below.
Compare with a partner.
127 Hours
1 There was little chance of anyone rescuing Aron from
the rock trap.
2 Aron ran out of food and water.
3 The writer thinks that after such a terrible ordeal, most
people would hate outdoor adventure.
Rabbit-Proof Fence
1 Mixed-race children are not taken from their homes in
modern Australia.
2 Certain animals cannot get across the fence.
3 The two sisters would have liked to help their cousin.
5 SPEAKING
a Think about the most dangerous situation you’ve
ever been in. Use the questions to help you.
Make notes.
1 Where and when was it?
2 How did you get into that situation?
3 Why was it dangerous?
4 What happened in the end?
5 How do you feel about it now, looking back?
b Tell your partner about your adventure. Listen
to your partner’s story and ask questions to find out
about the details.
 Unit 2

True survival
ST RIES

There have been some incredible stories of endurance and survival shown in films, but they are even
more incredible when they are based on true events. This week, we have chosen our top three.

The Way Back

The Way Back is a film about an epic escape from a prison camp in Siberia. It is based on the amazing true story of Slawomir
Rawicz, a Polish soldier who was taken prisoner in World War II by the Soviet Union. They said he was a spy and took him first to
Moscow and then to a very remote camp near the Arctic Circle in Siberia. Few prisoners managed to escape alive from such camps
because of the enormous distances and harsh weather, but Rawicz and a small number of the other prisoners decided to try.
The group ran away from the camp under the cover of a blizzard and started walking south. Their 11-month trek took them 6,500
kilometres across the Arctic tundra, the Gobi Desert, Tibet and the Himalayas into India. But not all of them survived the ordeal. Four
died in the desert and another two in the mountains. After each death, the desperate group had no choice but to bury the bodies
and continue on their journey. Only three managed to get to India and received treatment in a hospital in Calcutta.

127 Hours Rabbit-Proof Fence

127 Hours is another true survival story, but this time the protagonist
spends most of his ordeal in one place rather than walking a long distance.
He is the American mountaineer Aron Ralston. In 2003, while climbing
alone in a rocky area of desert in Utah, USA, Aron had an accident. He fell
into a narrow space between two rock walls and his arm became trapped.
He had a small amount of food and water, but nobody knew he was there,
and there wasn’t any mobile phone signal.
127 hours was the amount of time it took Aron to free himself. He tried
everything he could to free his arm, and he did his best to preserve his
food and water, but it was no use. It was a desperate situation, and finally
he decided to cut off his own arm. He had to break the bone first – he only
had a cheap pocketknife, and it wasn’t sharp enough to cut bone. After his
horrific escape from the rock trap, Aron climbed and walked until he found
some people to help, and a helicopter came and took him to hospital.
Aron’s ordeal is sickening enough just to see in the film, so we can only
imagine how hard it was in real life. However, it did nothing to reduce
Aron’s love of outdoor adventure, and he’s still keen on walking and
climbing in the mountains to this day.
Rabbit-Proof Fence tells
another story of an amazing
overland trek, this time
across the desert of Western
Australia. The protagonists are
three young girls – 14-year-old
Molly and her eight-year-old
sister Daisy, and their 10-year-
old cousin Gracie. The girls
are mixed-race – one parent
is aborigine and the other is white – and in 1930s
Australia, such children were often taken from their
homes and placed in special camps far away from
their parents.
In this true story, the three girls were in a camp 2,400
kilometres south of their home, and they decided to
escape and walk back. In order to find their way, they
followed the rabbit-proof fence which is mentioned in
the title of the film. This long-distance fence crosses
Australia from north to south to stop animal diseases
from spreading. The girls knew that the fence went
past their home town of Jigalong, in the north.
The film shows how the girls survive in the desert
with the police and local government authorities out
hunting for them. Cousin Gracie was caught and
taken back to the camp, and the two sisters could
do nothing but watch helplessly from a distance.
They were able to reach their mother in Jigalong nine
weeks after their escape. It’s a very moving story.

39
www.frenglish.ru
Unit 3 Food READING PLUS

1 SPEAKING
a
a Talk to a partner. Answer the
questions together.
1 What’s your favourite kind of food?
Why do you like it?
2 How good are you at cooking?
3 What dishes do you find easy to make?
4 What dish would you like to learn to make?

2 VOCABULARY
a Match the words in the box to the
pictures.
b
herbs grate tiramisu artichoke

b Match the words in bold in sentences c

1–4 with definitions a–d.
1 The thing I like best about crisps is the
way they are crunchy when you bite into
them.
2 A lot of French dishes contain very rich
sauces – made with cream and butter.
3 This chicken is delicious – the meat is
so soft and tender.
4 The herbs she added to the sauce made
it so fragrant I couldn’t wait to try it.
a easy to cut and chew
b firm and makes a loud noise when you eat it
c having a light and pleasing smell
d containing a lot of dairy products or oil d

3 READING

BETTER READING:
PREDICTING THE CONTENT OF A TEXT
Before you read a text for the first time, it can help your
understanding if you think about the kind of text it is (the
genre) and the kind of information you can expect to find.

1 Discuss the question with a partner.

You are going to read a blog about someone learning to
cook. Do you think the blog will probably … ?
• tell a story a Read the text again. Which of the cooking tips does
• discuss ideas Tom not talk about?
• include description 1 always use the correct ingredients
• argue a point of view 2 decide yourself when something is cooked
2 Read the text on page 41 quickly. Were your 3 always wash vegetables thoroughly
predictions right? 4 food should look good
5 don’t be afraid to try different things
6 make sure you use fresh ingredients

40
www.frenglish.ru
 Unit 3

Blog: Tom’s Food Adventures in Rome

I absolutely love Italian food. My best friend is Emilio – his parents are Italian, and his family are great cooks. I make a lot of Italian
food myself, but I know it’s just not the same as Italian food I’ve had with Emilio’s family. I’ve decided that the best way to learn to
cook Italian is to learn by doing. I’m off to Rome to stay with Emilio’s uncle and aunt and learn from them.

5 June I arrived yesterday, and Emilio’s uncle and aunt, Roberto and Flavia, were really welcoming. Flavia had cooked this
delicious lasagne to welcome me – really rich with complex flavours. It was followed by the best tiramisu I’ve ever tasted. And
of course I ate far too much! But this first meal was amazing – I’ve never been able to cook like that. This is the mystery I’m
really keen to solve – while also eating some great food!
7 June Yesterday was my first lesson with Flavia: a simple but famous Roman pasta dish called cacio e pepe (cheese and
pepper). I started to grate some cheese and Flavia threw up her hands in horror. What had I done wrong? She got some
Pecorino Romano (Roman sheep’s cheese) from the fridge. She said that unless you use the right cheese, it won’t be real cacio
e pepe. And she’s right – pecorino has a lovely sharp flavour. So lesson number one: make sure you have the right ingredients.
12 June Not much time for my blog in the past few days. Cesare, a friend of Roberto and Flavia’s, owns a small pizzeria, and
he’s let me help out in the kitchen for a few days. It was hard, exhausting work, but what a learning experience! They put me in
charge of making mixed salads – I felt nervous about being there, let alone being in charge of anything! I spent hours chopping
up vegetables – red onions, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, artichoke hearts. In the beginning, after I’d I put the salads in the
small bowls, Cesare would come and rearrange the vegetables. They always looked much better after that. Cesare explained
that presentation of food is very important – this is lesson number two. The best thing I learned was how to make and roll out
pizza base so that it’s really thin and crunchy. A bit like passing a difficult exam, it made me feel like I’d really accomplished
something.
14 June Every day I help Flavia and Roberto prepare meals, and I’ve been learning all the time. Things like how to work out
when pasta is cooked. Roberto tells me to ignore the cooking times on packets and just test it to know when it’s ready.
But what really amazes me is just how much olive oil they use in some dishes. I’d never use that much, but it makes all the
difference if you want food to be rich. I’ve got to learn to be more adventurous.
16 June Yesterday was carciofi (artichokes) day. Romans have this particular way of
stuffing artichokes and then baking them. First, off to the local market with Flavia for
some fresh herbs for the stuffing – herbs like mint are so fragrant. This is another
thing to keep in mind – I need to make sure all my ingredients are fresh. Flavia told me
that as long as you have fresh ingredients, you can’t go wrong. I’ve found out how to
prepare the artichokes – how much to cut off and how much to leave. After Flavia had
prepared a couple, I did one of my own. Roberto said he couldn’t tell the difference
between Flavia’s and mine!
18 June Last night I cooked a full meal for Roberto and Flavia – a way of thanking them
for their incredible hospitality. I made carciofi, then pasta ortolano (tomato sauce with
lots of vegetables: peppers, aubergines, zucchini) – a really great mix of flavours. And
for the main course, Roman veal (Saltimbocca alla Romana), really tasty and tender.
I think the meal was a success – Roberto and Flavia said so and it was a definite
improvement on the Italian food I’d been making before I came to Rome.
This was such a great holiday – it was kind of hard work, but I feel really refreshed,
and I can’t wait to show Emilio and his family what I’ve learned. And do you know
what? Actually just jumping in and doing something is a great way to learn!

b What do you think the people in the text think of Tom? Read
the blog again and decide who is thinking what (Emilio,
Flavio, Roberto or Cesare).
1 He worries too much about following the rules and instructions
closely.
2 I wonder how he’s getting on in Rome.
3 I suppose he can’t buy a lot of Italian products in England – he
uses what he can.
4 I don’t know if he’ll be able to cook well, but he certainly knows
how to eat!
5 We feel very proud of our student.
6 He always looks so worried, but he works hard.
7 I wonder when he’ll invite my family and me to dinner.
www.frenglish.ru
4 SPEAKING
a Think of a new practical skill you would like to
learn. Answer the questions by making notes.
1 What is the skill?
2 Why do you want to learn it?
3 Do you think learning by doing would help you learn
this skill? Why / Why not?
4 What else can you do to help you learn this skill?
b Work in pairs. Tell each other about the skills
you would like to learn. After you listen to your
partner, say whether you would be interested in
learning their skill and why / why not.
41
Unit 4 Language skills
1 SPEAKING
a Do you agree with the following
statements? Why / Why not? Discuss your
ideas with a partner.
1 Your accent is part of who you are.
2 It’s impossible to change your accent.
3 It’s wrong to make decisions about a
person’s character from their accent.
2 VOCABULARY: Words connected to
spoken language
a Match the words and phrases 1–5 to the definitions
a–e. Compare with a partner.
1 speech 4 speech therapy
2 jaw 5 fluent
3 pronounce
a the treatment of people who have difficulty speaking
b to say a word or a letter in a particular way
c able to speak a language easily, well and quickly
d the lower part of your face that moves when you open
your mouth
e the activity of talking; a piece of spoken language
b Think of three other words you know connected
to spoken language. Test your partner.
3 READING 1
a Read the introduction and newspaper headlines 1–3
and answer the questions.
Which newspaper article tells the story of someone who … ?
1 is able to speak another language
2 speaks with the accent of a different language
3 has a different accent to their original one
b Read articles 1–3 quickly to check your answers to 3a.
42
www.frenglish.ru
READING PLUS
News themes: Accidental language skills
In this week’s News Themes focus, we’re taking a look at
people whose accents have mysteriously changed after
medical problems.
1
British woman wakes up with a Chinese accent
Sarah Colwill, from Plymouth, England, woke up after
suffering a stroke to find that her speech had changed in
a bizarre way – she had suddenly developed a surprising
Chinese accent. Sarah, who used to have a strong local accent,
has never visited China in her life and does not speak the
language at all.
Sarah says that this unusual situation, her new accent, has
changed her life. Now, people always ask her where she’s
from, and she has to explain that she has a rare medical
condition called foreign accent syndrome. Sometimes people
have difficulty understanding what she’s saying, which is even
more frustrating.
2
Facial surgery changes Texas woman’s accent
Lisa Alamia was born and raised in Texas, so why is her accent
British? It’s not because of her family background – her family
were originally from Mexico. No, Lisa’s accent is the result of
surgery. It was just a routine operation to correct the position
of her jaw, but when she came out of hospital, it wasn’t only
her jaw that was different. Her husband noticed immediately
that her speech had changed too.
Lisa, who used to speak with a pure Texas drawl, can’t even
pronounce things in the local way anymore, even after
hours of speech therapy. Experts say that losing your accent
is like losing part of your identity. But Lisa says if she can’t
learn to speak the way she used to, she doesn’t mind – she’s
comfortable with her new accent too.
3
Learning French the hard way
British barber Rory Curtis used to study French at school, but
he was never very good at it, and he soon gave up. But when
he woke from a coma in a Birmingham hospital, he was able
to chat with his West African nurse in fluent French. His accent
was so perfect that the nurse thought one of his parents must
be French. When she met them and discovered that neither of
them were French speakers, she couldn’t believe it.
Rory (25) can’t understand his incredible new ability, and
nobody has been able to explain it. But make no mistake, he
didn’t learn French the easy way. His six-day coma was the
result of a spectacular car crash. His car was destroyed – it
took 40 minutes to cut him free from the wrecked vehicle –
and he was taken to hospital with serious brain damage. Rory
nearly didn’t survive his language learning experience.
 Unit 4

c Read articles 1–3 on page 42 again more carefully 4 READING 2

and choose the best answers for questions 1–6. Be
prepared to explain your answers.
1 What caused Sarah’s accent to change?
a an accident b an illness c an operation
2 What do people find difficult to understand about Sarah’s
spoken language?
a her Plymouth accent c her Chinese accent
b her English accent
3 What was Lisa’s native language?
a American English b British English c Spanish
4 Who first noticed the change in Lisa’s accent?
a her parents c speech experts
b her husband
5 What caused Rory’s accent to change?
a an accident b an injury c an operation
6 How would the West African nurse describe Rory’s French?
a like a native speaker c understandable
b not very good
d Are the following statements true or false? Be prepared
to explain your answers. Read the article again if
necessary.
1 Sarah Colwill isn’t always happy about her new accent.
2 Lisa Alamia is relaxed about her British accent.
3 Rory Curtis finds it difficult to understand French.
BETTER READING:
GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW VOCABULARY
It’s often possible to find ‘clues’ to the meaning of a word or
phrase by thinking analytically about the information in the
text, before or after it.
a Read article 4 quickly. Who do you think Debbie Morris
is? Choose the best option from 1–3.
1 Somebody who has foreign accent syndrome (FAS)
2 An academic
3 A nurse
b Put the following topics in the order they appear in
article 4. The first answer is given as an example.
Compare with a partner.
1 How FAS can happen
2 A sad example of FAS
3 A foreign or a new accent?
4 Introducing the idea of FAS 1
c Which one of the stories in articles 1–3 on page 42
is not explained by the article about FAS below?
4
What is foreign accent syndrome,
and how is it possible?
Imagine if you woke up with a new accent. How would
it feel to suddenly speak like someone from another
country? It sounds weird, but this actually does happen,
and there’s a name for it – foreign accent syndrome (FAS).
The first recorded case was a Norwegian woman who
suffered a head injury from a World War II bomb. When
she regained consciousness, she spoke with a distinct
German accent. This was very unfortunate because none
of her neighbours would talk to her for the rest of the
war. Since this case, there have been many other similar
stories reported. We asked linguist Debbie Morris for a
brief explanation.

For example, find the word ‘identity’ in article 2 on page 42. What is the explanation So it isn’t really a foreign
Notice these ‘clues’ before the word: for this weird condition? accent then?
• You can lose part of it • It’s like an accent Debbie: Nobody knows Debbie: Not exactly. The
• Your accent is part of who you are for sure, but the most patient is speaking in a way
So your identity could mean ‘who you are’. Now check likely explanation is that it’s which is different from how
in a dictionary. all about muscle control. he or she used to speak
Speaking involves very before the accident. The
1 Look at the following words, find them in the text careful movement of the accent is new, but it is not
and underline any ‘clues’ to the meaning you can lips, jaw and tongue. The foreign – it just sounds like a
find in the text. Compare with a partner and then very smallest change in foreign accent to the people
check in a dictionary. movement of these will alter who hear it. For example, if
your pronunciation. Foreign the position of the tongue
Article 1 – bizarre, rare, frustrating
accent syndrome happens has been changed by the
Article 2 – drawl when the brain is damaged brain damage, it might
Article 3 – spectacular, wrecked and can no longer control the change the vowels in a way
2 Choose another word and work together to guess muscles in the same way. which sounds Swedish or
the meaning. Check in a dictionary. Chinese or whatever.

5 SPEAKING
a Read the following statements and give each one a
number from 1 to 4, where 1 is completely agree and 4 is
completely disagree. Compare your ideas with a partner.
1 I’d like to speak English without any accent.
2 I like the accent of the people in the far south of my country.

3 I have the same accent as my parents.

4 I often change my accent depending on who I’m talking to.

43
www.frenglish.ru
Unit 5 Live well
1 SPEAKING
a Work in pairs and discuss the questions together.
1 Tell each other about a place you know or have visited that
you think is very special.
2 What makes it special – the land, the buildings, the people,
something else?
3 What advice would you give to someone who’s planning to go
to this place?
2 VOCABULARY: Words to describe
places
a Match adjectives 1–5 in bold to definitions a–e.
I was brought up in a very 1isolated part of Scotland. My parents
have a small farm in a valley that’s completely 2enclosed by hills.
Often during my childhood in the mornings there was fog and
mist that made the valley seem like a mysterious and magical
place – a 3mystical and 4enchanted world of my own. I know this
land very well, but still today I find it completely 5captivating.
a seems to have a hidden or unknown quality
b gets your attention because it’s pleasant and attractive
c not near other cities or villages
d completely surrounded by something
e seems to be affected by magic
b Think of a place or different places that you can
describe using the adjectives in 2a. Tell your partner
about these places.
3 READING
a Look at the picture below of a landscape in Ecuador.
Work together and make a list of adjectives to describe
it. Use some of the adjectives from 2a if they are
suitable and think of extra ones.
44
www.frenglish.ru
READING PLUS
BETTER READING:
IDENTIFYING THE WRITER’S AIM
Quickly reading a text for key language can give you an idea
of what the writer is trying to communicate.
1 Scan the text on page 45. Can you find any of the
adjectives you discussed in 3a? What other adjectives
can you find?
2 What do you think Natasha, the writer, is aiming to do
in this article?
a tell an interesting story about her holiday
b give a clear description of a place and person
b Read the text on page 45 and answer the questions.
Would you like to … ?
1 visit Vilcabamba – Why / Why not?
2 meet Teresa – Why / Why not?
c Read the text on page 45 again and answer the
questions.
1 What’s Vilcabamba famous for?
2 What’s special about the landscape?
3 What makes it seem like a healthy place to live?
4 What recent changes have taken place in Vilcabamba?
5 How easy was it for Natasha to get to know Teresa?
6 What do we learn about Teresa’s personality?
4 SPEAKING
a Work in pairs. Think of a town in your country
which is popular with tourists. Why is it popular?
b Work in pairs. Read the role cards. Student A, begin
the conversation by trying to get to know Student B.
c Work in different pairs – Student As together and
Student Bs together. Answer the questions.
1 Student As: How easy was it to get to know your old person?
2 Students Bs: How sincere was the tourist you spoke to?
 Unit 5

The valley that

lives forever
Every month Slow Trip Magazine invites readers to send in a
report for our Somewhere Special … feature. This month we
hear from Natasha.

Natatsha

Somewhere Special … Someone Special …

Vilcabamba Teresa
The village of Vilcabamba in southern Ecuador became When I was in Vilcabamba, I got to know Teresa. It wasn’t easy. For three
world-famous for a very particular reason: longevity. It days we sat next to each other on a bench in the central plaza.
has been said that the inhabitants could live up to the It was only on the fourth day that she acknowledged me and returned
age of between 130 and 140. But to my mind, that isn’t my greeting.
what makes Vilcabamba special. I spent 10 days there last She told me that in the beginning she thought I was just another
June and found its natural beauty completely captivating. young tourist in a hurry through life. But she was impressed by the
As a child, I often dreamed of a mystical, magical place fact I could speak Spanish and that, like her, I enjoyed just sitting in the
that was completely cut off from the rest of the world – a sunshine and watching the world go by. On the fifth day I bought a
kind of enchanted land. Vilcabamba and the valley it lies quimbolitos (a sweet steamed cake made from cornflour) to share with
in is that place for me. For a long time, Vilcabamba was her. That’s when we really became friends.
difficult to get to, so it was quite isolated. The valley is Teresa told me she was 93 years old. She didn’t look much over 75 to
surrounded by the Andes mountains. Not only are they me, and she still had excellent mobility. ‘Walking – that’s the answer –
beautiful but they also give a sense of being enclosed – a I walk everywhere. You have to keep moving in life’, she said.
feeling of safety. The town is about 1,500 metres above I asked her if she planned to live to 130. She looked me in the eye and
sea level, so the air feels fresh and clean. The whole time said, ‘Of course, at the age of 130 I’ll be doing exactly what I’m doing
I was there I felt as if I had escaped from the loud, busy, now!’ Then she laughed and said, ‘But never believe what people from
dirty reality of the twenty-first century. Vilcabamba tell you. We love to make up stories.’
The climate of Vilcabamba is very mild – it’s like spring all I asked her whether the stories of people living to 130 were really true.
year round – and the soil is rich. Everything grows so well ‘Who knows?’ she replied. ‘Fifty years ago when this place became
there. The landscape is very green and fresh and alive. famous for longevity, I was in my forties. I wasn’t interested in old
I’ve never been anywhere that feels as healthy, and it’s people back then!’
easy to see why people believe that this is the ‘Valley of
Longevity’.
I don’t know for how much longer Vilcabamba will
continue to be a special place. It has become a very
popular spot for people from North America and Europe
to retire to. They may well think that by moving to
Vilcabamba they might live longer, but I can imagine that
the cheap cost of living is really what draws them there
– as well as the natural beauty and the relaxed and slow
pace of life.
About a quarter of the population is now made up of
foreigners. These new arrivals are building new houses
and communities, and they also expect the usual
conveniences of modern life. This means Vilcabamba
is getting bigger and the way of living will certainly
change dramatically. In a few years’ time, it will have
become a completely different place. But for now, it is still
somewhere special for me.

Teresa

45
www.frenglish.ru
Unit 6 Train travel
1 SPEAKING
a Work in pairs and answer the questions.
1 Read the title and subtitles of the article on page 47, and
look at the photos. What trouble do you think users of the
underground may experience?
2 Read the main part of the article quickly. Were you correct?
3 What about you? Have you had similar experiences?
2 VOCABULARY: Words connected with
cultural differences
a Complete sentences 1–5 using the words from the box.
impolite behaviour queues inconsiderate unspoken
1 Different cultures often have different expectations of
on public transport.
2 Some commuters expect people to stand on the right of an
escalator. It’s an rule.
3 I hate waiting in to get past the ticket barrier.
4 It is to leave your bag on a seat when the train is
full and people are standing.
5 If someone helps, it would be not to say thanks.
b Work with a partner. Find the words in exercise 2a in
the article on page 47. Check your sentences make
sense.
c Find two other words you think are connected to the
topic cultural differences in the comments section of the
article. Guess the meaning and check in a dictionary.
BETTER READING: USING PARTS OF A
WORD TO UNDERSTAND ITS MEANING
Many English words are formed by taking the root or base
of the word and adding parts to make a new word. You can
understand the meaning of a word by identifying the root and
thinking about the other parts. You change roots by adding:
• a prefix • a suffix
• an ‘s’ or ‘es’ to make a word plural
• ‘ed’ or ‘ing’ to change the grammar of a verb
Sometime a small spelling change is needed.
For example, in the word impolite, the base or root word
is polite and the prefix im has been placed before it.
This makes the root word polite negative.
Look at the other words in exercise 2 and answer
these questions for each one with a partner.
a What’s the root or base of the word?
b What change or changes have been made to the
root word?
c Have there been any spelling changes?
46
www.frenglish.ru
READING PLUS
3 READING 1
a Read the six main paragraphs of the article on page 47
and answer questions 1–6.
1 Why does the writer decide to focus on trouble on trains and
not somewhere else?
2 Who doesn’t stand on one side of the escalators?
3 What should people who are queuing do?
4 What should people do if they can’t find their ticket at the ticket
barrier?
5 What should people with suitcases on wheels say if they bump
into another person?
6 Why are some metro passengers like cowboys?
b What are the unspoken rules of travelling by underground?
Discuss with a partner and write five rules.
Example:
Stand to the side on the escalators so that people in a hurry
can pass.
c Why do you think the author wrote the article?
Discuss with your partner.
1 to tell amusing stories
2 to report the results of a survey
3 to complain about tourists
4 READING 2
a Read the readers’ comments below the article on page 47
and decide who made the following points.
Who … ?
1 thinks underground travellers should be more patient
2 made the mistake of trying to be friendly
3 thinks that people shouldn’t expect everybody to know the
‘rules’
4 got no thanks for being considerate
5 thinks people should use the space in the train more efficiently
5 SPEAKING
a Put the problems in the main part of the article in order
of seriousness from 1–5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is
the least problematic. Make a note of your reasons.
b Find somebody who shares your opinion.
c Have you ever had similar experiences when
travelling on an underground or other forms of public
transport? Exchange your stories.
 Unit 6

Trouble on trains Home Advice Community

In an increasingly urban world, more and more of us are living in big cities, and it’s not always easy to get along with one another.
Inevitably there are problems from time to time, and many of these seem to take place on the underground. Maybe it’s because
this is the part of the city where people, residents and visitors alike are forced together in the tightest space. The tunnels are
narrow, and it’s a place where everybody seems to be in a hurry, so there is bound to be friction. Here are some of the main trouble
spots we’ve discovered from a survey in five cities.

Escalator obstacles
Blocking the escalator is a sin in many countries. The unspoken rule is that you should stand to
the side so that people in a hurry can pass. One angry passenger on the London Underground
commented, ‘People who stand on the left should be banned from using the underground!’
There’s more tolerance in Mexico City, however. ‘People here don’t stand on one side’, said one
passenger. ‘Maybe that’s because people here aren’t in such a hurry.’

Blind lines
There are rules about not pushing into queues, but there were also complaints about people
in line blocking the way so that you can’t get from one side to the other. ‘People standing in
lines should keep their eyes open’, said one New Yorker. ‘If somebody wants to get past, they
need to leave a gap which is big enough to walk through!’

Ticket barrier blockers

People stopping in front of the ticket barriers is another problem we often heard about.
‘I hate it when people stop in front of the ticket barrier and spend ages searching in
their bags for their ticket or card, stopping anybody else from getting past. Why don’t
they stand aside?’ was a complaint we heard from one Madrid commuter.

Suitcase rudeness
People pulling their suitcases along on wheels are also seen as a nuisance on the
underground. Crashes are difficult to avoid, but what makes it worse is when the
person responsible is impolite – they say nothing. ‘People should say excuse me
if they want to go past and sorry if they accidentally bump into you’, said one
London commuter.

Metro seat cowboys

Some passengers commented on the behaviour of inconsiderate people inside the train carriages. As
one Tokyo commuter commented, ‘I hate it when some passengers, usually men, sit with their legs
apart as if they were riding a horse. They take the space of the passengers on either side of them.’

Over to you. Is there anything that you find really annoying or

strange on the underground in any cities you’ve been to? Comments below please!
Comments Likes Shares Comments

No friendly chat
People on the London Underground generally don’t want to chat to strangers on the trains. They don’t even want to make eye contact. I
offered my seat to an elderly woman on the tube, but she refused it. So I said ‘I’ll stand too, and we can have a nice chat.’ The woman went
23 posts white with shock and I realised you aren’t supposed to do that here!
Janaina, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
On and off
I hate it when people try to get on the train as soon as the doors open. They should let people get off first. Also, I think people should move
along inside the carriage when they get on the train and not just stand by the door. I know they do it because they want to be able to get
5 posts off quickly, but it means there isn’t space for some people to get on.
Oleg, Moscow, Russia
More tolerance please!
I was surprised to read about all the complaints in this article. It’s alright if you live in a big city, but what if you are from a small village?
How can you know what you’re supposed to do on the underground? I think people should be a bit more relaxed and tolerant!
Miguel, Extremadura, Spain
187 posts

47
www.frenglish.ru
Unit 7 Film animation
1 SPEAKING
a Work in pairs and discuss the questions.
1 Why do you think cartoons are popular with many
children and adults?
2 When you were a child what cartoon(s) did you like?
What did you like about them?
3 If you didn’t like cartoons, why didn’t you like them?
What other kinds of TV programmes did you like
watching?
2 VOCABULARY: Words to describe
films
a Read the definitions of adjectives 1–4. Which
noun from a–d is the best match for each
adjective?
1 cute – pleasant and nice to look at, particularly a
small child or an animal
2 smooth – when something flows easily and has
no sudden changes
3 sentimental – when something makes a person
have feelings of sadness or sympathy in an
obvious way
4 underrated – more valuable or important than
people realise
a story
b film director
c film editing
d character
b Tell each other about films or TV
programmes you have seen recently. Use the
adjectives in 2a.
3 READING
a Answer the questions.
1 Have you heard of anime? If so, tell your partner
about it. If not, can you guess what anime is?
b Read the first part of Rick’s blog on page 49.
Are the statements about anime films and TV
programmes true or false?
1 The very first anime film is more than 100 years old.
2 The anime style was developed by artists from Japan
and the United States working together.
3 Many anime characters began life as characters in
manga (Japanese comics).
4 The majority of anime films are aimed at boys and
young men.
5 Science fiction is a popular anime genre.
48
www.frenglish.ru
READING PLUS
BETTER READING:
IDENTIFYING POINTS OF VIEW
In a discussion text like a blog or an essay, it is useful to
identify the different points of view.
In the second section of his blog, Rick acknowledges other
people’s points of view with this phrase:
… people tend to think that …
1 Underline similar phrases in the other paragraphs.
2 Why does Rick acknowledge these other points of view?
a He wants to present a balanced discussion.
b He wants to show that these people are wrong.
3 In discussion texts like this, what is the typical order for
giving your own or acknowledging other people’s opinion?
a The writer gives his/her opinion and then
acknowledges what other people say.
b The writer outlines what other people say or think
and then gives his or her opinion.
c Read the second part of Rick’s blog on page 49: What I
say. Do the statements below express Rick’s opinions
or other people’s opinions? Write R (Rick’s) or O (other
people’s) or B (both). Compare your answers with a
partner. Do you agree with any of the views?
1 People don’t realise how good anime films are.
2 Cartoons are just for children.
3 There are only two genres of anime.
4 Anime characters’ eyes are big and very expressive.
5 The animation in anime films is more limited than
in other genres.
4 SPEAKING
a What genres of films or TV programmes do you
prefer to watch? Why?
• adventure • romance • drama • comedy
• thriller • cartoons • horror
b Think about a film that you’d really like to see. Use the
questions to make some notes.
1 What genre is it?
2 What is it about?
3 Who are the main characters?
4 Who are the actors?
c Tell you partner about the film you chose in 4b.
Try to persuade your partner to watch the film with you.
 Unit 7

Mr.
by Rick
Animation’s Blog
Everything you ever wanted to know about cartoons and animation

Anime
What is it?
Anime is what we call an animation style – it’s a Japanese word. The characters
all look cute – big eyes, clearly defined hairstyles, very expressive faces. Basically,
anime is animated manga – Japanese comic books.
Did you know?
The first anime film was made in 1917 – some manga artists in Japan brought their drawings
to life.
Colour anime films were first produced in Japan in the 1950s.
Anime TV series started in the 1960s, first in Japan and then around the world. One of the most
popular series was Astro Boy about the adventures of a robot boy. He started life as a manga
character then turned into a TV star.
The first anime to appeal directly to young girls was Kimba the White Lion – all about a cute baby lion.
In the 1970s people began to associate anime with science fiction – popular series included Star Blazers and Battle of the Planets.
In the 1990s Sailor Moon, a fantasy story for young girls, was created. It’s one of the biggest selling anime or manga of all time.

What I say
I think anime are really underrated because in my opinion some people
take too narrow a view of them. Outside Japan, people tend to think that
anime are just cartoons, and we mostly associate cartoons with being
children’s entertainment. It’s true that a lot of anime are aimed at children,
but often they are aimed more at adults. This is becoming more and more
the case these days. They have quite sophisticated stories and the characters
have real depth. You really need to see a full-length anime film to really
appreciate this.
The other criticism that people have is that anime only fit into two film
genres: science fiction and fantasy fiction. But again, this isn’t so. There are
anime that are historical dramas, crime stories, romances and comedies.
Even better, they often mix genres in a way that no other films do, so you
can find anime that are a mix of romance, comedy and disaster.
People sometimes say they can’t take anime seriously because the
characters have eyes that are too big. Well, it’s true that the characters have
a very specific visual style. But by making the eyes large, you can really see
the range of expressions that a character has, and it allows you to focus on
their feelings.
Other people criticise the animation of anime films. They say it’s too limited,
particularly if you compare it to something like Pixar films. That may be so,
but I think anime are better at depicting scenes. They show more depth and
create much more atmosphere. I think a lot of other cartoons are very two-
dimensional by comparison.
So to anybody whose memory of anime is just cartoons for kids on TV when
they were growing up, I’d say go to a recent anime film and see how much
they have changed. Go with an open mind – you may be surprised.

49
www.frenglish.ru
Unit 8 Truth and lies READING PLUS

1 SPEAKING
BETTER READING: FOLLOWING IDEAS
a Do you think you should always tell the truth? WITHIN AND ACROSS SENTENCES
When do you think it is OK to lie? Discuss with
Writers use pronouns to refer to something already
a partner.
mentioned so they can avoid repeating the same words. If
you recognise the connection, you can follow the ideas in a
2 READING text more easily.

For example, in the introduction, the word people in the

a Read the first paragraph of the article on page 51. Are second sentence is referred to again with the words people,
the statements true or false? Discuss with a partner. them and they.
1 Most societies think telling lies is wrong. Find these phrases in each of the situations and the other
2 Young children are always taught that not telling the truth is words or phrases which refer to the same thing.
wrong. a a colleague
3 Telling lies is wrong – but maybe not always. b a child
c an old friend
b Read the rest of the article quickly and put the d an airline ticket
descriptions of the situations below in order 1–6. e a group of friends
talking about your past f some cash
taking money
expressing a point of view
asking for money e Read the six situations on page 51 again and answer
offering an excuse questions 1–6. Compare and discuss your answers with
feeling worried a partner.
1 Why doesn’t the person in situation 1 want to go to the party?
c Put the following words and phrases from the article
2 Why do you think the person in situation 2 might say that
into the table. Use your dictionary to help if necessary.
they liked the picture?
trust wrong virtue dishonesty tell the truth 3 Why would the person in situation 3 tell the man that the
tell a lie convicted of an offence deceive friend isn’t in the house?
criminal record conviction 4 Why didn’t the person in situation 4 take the flight?
5 What did the friend do and not do in situation 5?
6 Why does the waiter in situation 6 offer the customer some
Positive Negative money?

f Read the final paragraph on page 51. Which sentence

below summarises the writer’s opinion? Why? Compare
and discuss your idea.
1 You shouldn’t trust people who lie.
2 It is always better to be honest.
3 Not all lies are wrong.

d Think of two or more words related to the topics and
add them to the table. Compare your ideas with other
students. Use a dictionary to check any meanings
you’re not sure about.
4 SPEAKING
a Read the six situations on page 51 again and make
a note of your answers to the questions at the end of
each one.
b Discuss the questions with a partner. Does your
partner have the same answers as you?

c With your partner, put the lies in order of how

serious they are: 1 = not bad, 6 = very bad. Compare
your answers with the rest of the class.

50
www.frenglish.ru

Home Wo r l d Politics Business
When is it
OK to lie? by Maggie Jansen
Most societies do not approve of lying. It’s very
difficult for a community to function if people lie
too much and deceive one another. When people
tell a lot of lies, you can’t trust them even when
they’re telling the truth! That’s why children are
often taught that lying is wrong and honesty is
a virtue. But perhaps life is not quite so simple.
Are there times when dishonesty is justified? Let
me describe six true, real-life situations, and you
decide for each situation whether you would lie
or not.
Situation 1
A colleague invites you to a party on Friday evening. You
haven’t got any other plans for Friday evening, so that is
not a reason to refuse. You get on well with this colleague
at work, but you’ve met a lot of their friends before and,
to be honest, you didn’t like them at all. They are the kind
of people you find very annoying, and that’s actually why
you don’t want to go. How would you respond to your
colleague’s invitation? Would you tell them the real reason?
Situation 2
A child you know has drawn a picture of his mother and
shows it to you. The picture makes the mother look like
something from a horror film and, in fact, you think it is the
ugliest image you have ever seen. The child asks you if you
like the picture and you say yes. The child asks if you really
like it or are just trying to be polite. Would you tell the truth?
Situation 3
An old friend is staying with you. You’ve been close friends
since childhood, but you know that sometimes he hangs
out with a bad crowd and gets into trouble. Late in the
evening, your doorbell rings, and there’s a violent-looking
man at the door. There’s something in his pocket which
looks like it might be a weapon. He asks you if your friend is
there in the house with you. Would you tell the truth?
As you can see, lies come in all shapes and sizes. They aren’t all equally bad, and perhaps some are not bad at all. It
all depends on the context – who you are lying to and why. Are you doing it for selfish reasons or to help someone
else? Does the person you are speaking to deserve your honesty? What are the consequences of your lie? Readers will
certainly disagree about if it’s OK to lie in some of the situations above, but one thing will surely be clear – you can’t
simply say that lying is always wrong.
www.frenglish.ru
Unit 8
Te c h n o l o g y Sport Entertainment
According to tradition, the Mouth of Truth in Rome will bite the
hand of a liar. Would you put your hand in it?
Situation 4
You bought an airline ticket, but you weren’t able to travel because
your father was very ill and you had to stay around to help him.
You didn’t try to claim back the cost of the ticket from the airline
because you knew there was no cancellation policy. Fortunately,
you hadn’t paid for a hotel booking, so you didn’t lose money
on that. A few days after you thought the flight had left, you
discovered that the flight was cancelled and that all passengers
could claim a refund of the ticket price as well as a £100 voucher
as compensation for costs – taxis to the airport, hotel cancellations
and so on. Would you claim the refund? And the voucher? Would
that be lying?
Situation 5
As a teenager, you were wrongly convicted of stealing. You were
in a shop with a group of friends, and one of the group took an
expensive video game and put it in your rucksack without you
knowing. As you left the shop, the alarm went off and you were
caught. Your ‘friend’ didn’t come forward to tell the truth and help
you. Fortunately the conviction is not on your criminal record.
Now you are having a job interview and the interviewer asks if you
have ever been convicted of an offence. Would you tell the truth?
Situation 6
You have had a meal at a restaurant. At the end of the meal, you
pay your bill. You also leave a generous tip because the waiter was
very efficient and attentive. As you’re walking along the street,
the waiter comes running after you with some cash. It’s a single
note, but for a very large sum. The waiter thinks it must be yours
because she found it under your chair. You don’t think it’s yours
– you don’t remember having such a large note. Would you tell
the truth?
51
Unit 9 A hit pop song
1 SPEAKING
a Work in pairs and discuss the questions together.
1 Is there a pop song or piece of music that you like a lot? Why
do you like it?
2 What do you think makes a song good or bad – the tune, the
lyrics, the singer’s voice or something else?
2 VOCABULARY: Music words
a Match the words in bold in sentences 1–4 to definitions
a–d.
1 The thing I don’t like about rap music is that the rhythm
is more important than the melody.
2 I can’t remember all the lyrics of the song – only the
words of the chorus.
3 Whenever he concentrates hard, he usually hums a tune.
4 That song has a really catchy tune – I can’t get it out of
my head.
a the part of the song that is repeated more than once, often
between each verse
b pleasing and easy to remember
c the tune of a piece of music
d to sing a tune without opening your mouth
b Discuss the questions.
1 Do all pop songs have a chorus?
2 Are you able to hum? Do you know someone who hums
a lot?
3 What’s a current pop song that has a catchy tune?
4 Do you prefer simple or complicated melodies?
3 READING 1
a Read the article on page 53 about how to write a
hit pop song. Student A: read Ella’s part of the text.
Student B: read Josh’s part. Follow these steps:
Step 1
Read only the three headlines and think about what the
songwriter might say in each section.
Step 2
Read the article quickly to see if your predictions were correct
or not.
Step 3
Read the article again and make notes. You will need to use
your notes to tell another student about your songwriter.
52
www.frenglish.ru
READING PLUS
4 SPEAKING
a Work in pairs, Student A with Student B. Tell each
other about the songwriter you read about. As you listen
and speak, think about questions 1 and 2.
1 What suggestion do both songwriters make?
2 What differences are there in the two songwriters’ approach
to songwriting?
b When you have finished exercise 4a, discuss your
answers to questions 1 and 2 with another pair of
students.
5 READING 2
a Read the part of the article you didn’t read in exercise
3a. Of all the advice that both Ella and Josh suggest,
which do you think is the most useful for people who
want to write songs? Why?
BETTER READING:
IDENTIFYING STYLE AND TONE
A part of understanding a text means understanding the
writer’s tone or style as well as all the information in it.
Ella writes:
But really it’s better to keep it shorter – people can’t
concentrate forever!
And Josh writes:
You might be at the supermarket or washing the dishes.
1 Do these examples make their texts …?
a formal and serious
b neutral and informative
c informal and quietly amusing
2 Find more language in the texts that is similar to the
examples above. Answer these questions.
a Both writers use the pronoun ‘you’. Does this refer
to readers in general or only songwriters?
b Why do Ella and Josh use ‘you’?
6 SPEAKING
a You can have two free tickets to a music concert. It can
be any singer, band or orchestra that you would like.
Make notes about the following:
1 The name of the performers or musicians
2 Why you would like to go to the concert
3 Where you would like the concert to be held
4 Who you would take with you and why
b In pairs, tell each other about the concert you
would like to attend. Are there any similarities in
your choices?

How to write a
HIT POP SONG
Ella (songwriter)
It’s all about the timing
History tells us that pop songs have got longer over the
decades. In the 1950s, the average pop song was just 2
minutes and 36 seconds long, which is nothing at all. By the
beginning of the 2010s, the average length was 4 minutes
and 26 seconds. In 1997, the British band Oasis released
the song ‘All Around the World’, which is 9 minutes and 20
seconds – one of the longest songs in the history of pop
music. But really it’s better to keep it shorter – people can’t
concentrate forever! So avoid a long introduction, start with
the melody and make sure it’s about 3 to 4 minutes long.
You’ve got to have a hook
No, not a fishing hook! A hook is that catchy bit of melody
that sticks in a person’s ear and they hum it all day. The
Germans call it an ‘ear worm’. ABBA songwriters Benny and
Björn suggest having about five hooks in one song, which
is good advice – look at how many hits ABBA had. Everyone
says you shouldn’t begin a song with the chorus. But
American songwriter and producer Nile Rodgers admits that
most of his songs begin with a chorus – and he’s sold more
than 100 million records. So don’t be afraid to start with a
chorus. Just make sure the tune is good.
Say something new
Don Black, who writes the lyrics of songs for films, says that
a successful song should try and say something new – about
people, about love, about life. Maybe. But if you think of
the word ‘love’ and the number of times it comes up in pop
songs, then you don’t want to be too original. It’s probably
better to have a simple message, which is what the Beatles
did – look at ‘All You Need is Love’. But you’ll probably be
more successful if you write a song about something you
know. Even if you are saying the same old thing, at least
you’ll be saying it your way. And your way might just sound
fresh and new to everyone else.
www.frenglish.ru
Unit 9
Josh (songwriter)
Get that idea down quickly
You never know when you’re going to have a good
idea for a song. You might be at the supermarket or
washing the dishes. When you do get a good idea,
make a note of it immediately – before the melody
disappears from your mind. This is the point where
we say thank goodness for mobile phones. You can
just get it out and sing or hum the bit of melody
into one of the voice notes, which means you’ve
got it recorded. The same goes for lyrics: if you
suddenly think of a good phrase, write it down or
record it on your phone. These are moments of
inspiration which might just turn into hits.
Don’t try and write a hit
OK, so this afternoon you’ll sit down and write a hit
song. Sorry. It just won’t happen. You’ll sit there,
and the ideas won’t come. And if they do, you’ll
be constantly asking yourself if the song has the
potential to be number one. There’s a good chance
you’ll end up writing a boring song. You’re more
likely to write a hit if you think about what you
really want to say. Write about something that’s
familiar to you – a situation, a feeling, a story. Just
try different melodies and lyrics until they seem
to come together. And who knows? You might get
lucky and it’ll be a hit.
Do it all the time
If you want to be a good songwriter, you need to
be writing all the time. More often than not, you’ll
make a note of ideas for melodies and lyrics, and
they won’t develop into a full song. Don’t worry
about it. Save them somewhere and move on to
something else. But never throw away an idea! Six
months later, you might have another great idea.
And you’ll find that the new idea will go together
brilliantly with an old idea that you thought was
rubbish. Some hit pop songs have been written in
an afternoon, but lots more have been worked on
for months. Sometimes, hits take time.
53
Unit 10 Achievement READING PLUS

1 SPEAKING
BETTER READING:
a In pairs, discuss the questions. USING CONNECTORS TO HELP YOU PREDICT AND
1 How important is your mobile phone in your everyday life? UNDERSTAND INFORMATION
2 How would life be different if you didn’t have a phone? Writers use connectors, or signposts, like therefore, because and
3 How do you think the mobile phone has changed the life so to signal the relationship between what they have said and
of people in rural areas in poor countries? what they are going to say.

b Read the article on page 55 quickly and check For example, in paragraph 2, the writer uses the phrase for
if your guesses in 1a were correct. Discuss with instance to introduce an example of the way one person’s life
another student. in the village has changed.
Find other connectors in the first three paragraphs and add
them to the table below.
2 VOCABULARY Words connected to
Addition Result Contrast
money and business
and so even though
a Match the words below with the definitions 1–10.
Check your answers in a dictionary.

scheme micro-credit revenue short-term

repayment branches borrowers poverty-stricken Noticing connectors or signposts and thinking about their
live off luxuries meaning can help you predict and understand information
in the text.
1 another word for income
2 the offices of a larger business
3 a small loan
c Read the text again and say what these numbers refer to.
4 a plan or programme for doing something
5 people who take out a loan 1 1.7 million
6 money given to pay back part of a loan 2 100,000
7 lasting for a period which is not long 3 1997
8 expensive things people buy which are not really 4 40
necessary 5 70
9 to use for living expenses 6 97%
10 suffering from being very poor
d Answer the questions below. Compare your answers
b How many more words do you know connected to with a partner.
the topic of money and business? Test your partner. 1 What is the connection between Fatema and Grameen?
2 What is unusual about Grameen?
3 Who is Muhammad Yunus?
3 READING 4 Why does Grameen lend mainly to women?
5 What does Barsha Begum regret?
a Read the article on page 55 more carefully and
decide if the sentences below are true or false.
If they are false, correct them.
4 SPEAKING
1 Fatema sells mobile phones.
a Ask and answer the following questions.
2 Akash doesn’t have to travel to Dhaka all the time.
3 Grameen is a charity. 1 On average, how much time do you spend on your phone in
4 Grameen lends only to women. a day?
5 Barsha has always been very respected in the village. 2 What features do you use (for example, camera, internet)?
3 What’s the most important feature on your phone?
b Find words with these meanings. 4 Do you own more than one phone? Why / Why not?
5 Could you live without your mobile phone? Why / Why not?
a not in a city
b the possibility of communication
c customer
d things you need from the shops
e when the water level is too high in the river
f limited only to

54
www.frenglish.ru

A lifeline in rural
Bangladesh
Fatema Begum lives in a village in a rural part of
Bangladesh. It’s a poverty-stricken area, and it
was largely cut off from the modern world. Cut off,
that is, until Fatema bought her mobile phone and
started her own business – selling calls.
Lifeline
Fatema’s telephone service has transformed her life and the lives
of everyone in the village. For instance, one client, a local farmer
called Akash, says, ‘We used to have to travel to Dhaka all the
time to get supplies – a long, tough trip. But now we can order
our supplies by phone and save the journey.’ In addition to helping
people, Fatema’s life has improved too. The small income she
receives from selling calls has been enough to live on. As a result,
she has become one of the most respected people in the village.
Going the Extra Mile
Fatema’s clients usually come to her home to use the phone,
however Fatema also takes the service out to elderly neighbours,
usually she goes on foot. Sometimes, when the river is in flood,
her husband takes her across in his boat so that she can reach
customers on the other side. ‘I don’t know what we would do
without her’, says Akash.
www.frenglish.ru
Unit 10
Telephone Ladies
Fatema is not the only woman in this South Asian country who
makes a living from her mobile phone. There are many others like
her, and they’re known as telephone ladies. There are currently
over 1.7 million telephone ladies, all part of a scheme called Village
Phone. This scheme enables rural women to buy their own phones by
providing them with small loans which they must pay back weekly,
from their earnings, over four years. However, Fatema was able to pay
back her loan in only one year.
Village Phone
The Village Phone programme was first set up in 1997 as a way
of spreading connectivity through rural Bangladesh. The loans are
provided by Grameen, a bank which specialises in lending to the poor.
It’s not a charity – the bank can support itself using the revenue it
receives froam loan repayments. Furthermore, it’s been described as a
win-win situation – good for the bank, good for the telephone ladies
and good for their customers. Grameen was founded by Nobel Prize
winner Muhammad Yunus, who is sometimes called the father of
micro-credit.
Why Women?
At Grameen, 97% of small loans go to women. According to Yunus,
women make better use of the money than men, many of whom
tend to waste it on short-term luxuries. Women are more likely to
invest money in something that will improve both their lives and the
lives of their families in the longer term. Also, women have a better
record when it comes to paying back the loans: they are more reliable.
Last but not least, Yunus believes that women have just as much
right to credit as men. But before Grameen, bank lending had been
almost exclusively to men, and many rural women had never even
touched money.
A Micro-credit Revolution
The success of Grameen has inspired similar projects in more than
40 countries in Asia, Africa and South America. Grameen itself has
also expanded in other parts of the world and is now starting to open
branches in wealthy countries too. For example, it currently has 19
branches in the USA, where all of its 100,000 borrowers are women.
No Looking Back
Barsha Begum became a telephone lady four years ago, and she
prefers not to look back. ‘Before I got the phone, nobody respected
me’, she says. ‘I never had enough food to put on the table, and my
children went hungry.’ Consequently, she was so desperate that she
was considering leaving home to look for work in the capital. Then,
somebody told her about the Village Phone programme, and so she
applied. Now Barsha earns as much as $70 a month, and she is able
to buy clothes, books and bicycles for her sons. ‘My only regret is that
I didn’t become a telephone lady sooner’, she says. No doubt Fatema
would say the same thing.
55