L2 052 Słuchanie
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ZADANIE 1
Hello, amid the Black Lives Matter protests, we
think it’s appropriate to commemorate an
important anniversary. 60 years ago, Ruby Bridges
became the first African American child to attend
an all-white school. All schools had previously been
racially segregated, meaning no children of colour
got the same kind of education as white students.
Ruby Bridges was born in 1954, as the oldest child
for Lucille and Abon Bridges, farmers in Tylertown,
Mississippi. That same year, the US Court in Texas
decided to end segregation in public schools and
things started to change for students of colour.
When Ruby was two, the Bridges moved to New
Orleans, Louisiana, in search of better work
opportunities. Indeed, work was easy to find in
Louisiana, but the path to student equality there
was not as easy as one might have expected.
The Kansas Court decision was widely protested in
Louisiana. Very often the court ruling wasn’t
respected and Ruby still attended a segregated
kindergarten in New Orleans. A federal court order
was necessary to put an end to racial segregation in
Louisiana’s schools. However, state officials
weren’t sure if African American children would be
good enough to attend all-white elementary
schools. Therefore, in 1960, the authorities
introduced a novelty. They created entrance exams
for children of colour. Ruby and five other students
passed the exams.
Sending their daughter to William Frantz
Elementary school was a bold step for the girl’s
parents. Ruby’s father opposed the idea. He feared
racist reactions from the white locals would make
Ruby’s life difficult. The girl’s mother was equally
aware of the risk. However, she wanted Ruby to
have an education that her parents and
grandparents couldn’t dream of. Eventually, Ruby’s
mother took the decision to send the girl to Frantz
Elementary. Her daughter deserved the best
education possible.
Meanwhile, the district authorities created
bureaucratic difficulties for African American
candidates. As a result, Ruby went to school as late
as November 14th. She and her mother were
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escorted there by four federal marshals, while
crowds screamed racist insults at them. Ruby spent
her first day in the principal’s office due to the
chaos created by angry parents who decided to pull
their children from school. The only teacher ready
to accept Ruby was Barbara Henry and, for the next
year, the girl was a class of one. While white
students had lunch in the canteen, Ruby ate her
sandwiches in the classroom. At recess, she never
went into the corridor for fear of being bullied. And
yet, she didn’t miss a day of school that year.
When asked today what her most vivid memory
from that historic day is, Ruby says she clearly
remembers riding to school in a limousine in the
presence of federal marshals. Out of the car, she
saw a crowd in the street and she thought it was
some joyous festival, like Mardi Gras. After that, she
heard the crowd chanting: “Two, four, six, eight. We
will never integrate!”. That didn’t upset Ruby as she
didn’t know what “integrate” meant. But then she
saw a white mother who held a black baby doll in a
wooden coffin. That image haunted Ruby for years.
She never showed her fear, however. “She just
marched along like a little soldier,” one of the
marshals said.
Unfortunately, the Bridges’ courageous decision
came at a price. Soon after Ruby went to school, her
grandparents were evicted from their farm, where
they had lived for 25 years. Ruby’s father lost his
job, and grocery stores refused to sell to Ruby’s
mother. Luckily, there were also people willing to
help. A neighbour employed Ruby’s father in his
company. Also, a white lady babysat the Bridges’
children. Others volunteered to protect the family’s
home. Gradually, white parents began to send their
kids back to William Frantz School. All these signs
of good will helped the family survive in the face of
discrimination.
Today, Ruby Bridges is a well known civil rights
activist. She always repeats that racism is a grown-
up disease and we must stop using our children to
spread it. In 2011, Ruby was invited to the White
House to celebrate the 51st anniversary of her
historic first school day. President Obama then
said”: “I think it’s fair to say that if it wasn’t for you,
I wouldn’t be here today.” Bridges never forgot
those who showed her kindness in times of the
greatest discrimination. In the 1990s, Ruby was
reunited with her teacher, Barbara Henry, and for
some time they gave lectures together. In 2010, she
met Pam Foreman Testroet, the first student to
break the boycott and return to Ruby’s school. Isn’t
it amazing to think that Ruby Bridges’ first day at
school happened only 60 years ago?
ZADANIE 2
Good morning. My name is captain Robert
Kowalski. I am a spokesperson for the 12th
Mechanized Brigade, often referred to as the Blue
Brigade, which is part of the Visegrad Battle Group.
My task is to brief you on the exercises we have had
this year and also tell you what will happen in the
near future.
Let me start by informing you about our first
training session that took place between 14th and
16th February. For three days, the staff took part in
operational training classes. The officers gained a
great deal of knowledge related to the potential
areas of operations. They also learnt a lot about the
current international situation. Moreover, a
weapons training session was held at the local
firing range. Interestingly, during this part of the
exercise, soldiers had a chance to use a modern
shooting simulator. That was a unique opportunity
to learn from each other.
The mobile battalion and the other elements of the
Visegrad Battle Group improved their skills at the
Drawsko range. The soldiers of the 1st Mechanized
Infantry Battalion together with an American
platoon were tasked to execute a shooting scenario.
They had to perform this task during a simulated
attack on a base. There was also a joint exercise of
the Blue Brigade Mechanized Infantry Battalion and
the US Cavalry. The remaining elements of the
battalion and the reconnaissance units were
engaged in dynamic shooting exercises.
I also want to add that from January 1st, the
Visegrad Battle Group, led by the Blue Brigade, is
going to stay on alert for half a year. Staff, command
and the elements of the Battle Group are all
involved in the joint training. Its aim is to improve
the combat capabilities of the elements of the
Group in different settings. However, what is
particularly important is to keep the Battle Group’s
operational readiness on both national and
international levels.
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Now let me tell you about another exercise our Blue
Brigade participated in. It took place in June in the
training ranges in Lithuania. Apart from Polish and
Lithuanian troops, five NATO member states took
part in the exercise called Iron Man 20. The main
goal of the operation was to integrate multinational
attack and defence tactics. What I would like to turn
your attention to is the fact that defence tactics
were practised in a built-up area.
The Polish detachment deployed to Lithuania
consisted of 150 soldiers. They were equipped with
several vehicles, including Rosomak APCs. The Iron
Man 20 exercise involved five thousand soldiers
from 5 NATO member states. Before the soldiers of
our Blue Brigade reached the training range in
Lithuania, they had to cover a distance of 830
kilometres. After their arrival, the Polish soldiers
were accommodated at a campsite. After 2 weeks
and completing training tasks, our brigade set off
on a journey back home.
Now let me tell you about our future. Soon over
1,000 soldiers from our Mechanised Brigade will go
to Germany for international Allied Spirit exercises.
Apart from Polish forces, American, British, Italian
and Danish soldiers will take part in the exercises.
The troops will focus on NATO interoperability as
well as on command and control. The Blue Brigade
will send to Germany mostly logistics experts and
sappers. They will take with them a few hundred
specialist vehicles.
As you can see, all the exercises benefit our soldiers
immensely. Thank you for your attention. Are there
any questions?
ZADANIE 3
If you are planning a trip, why don’t you take advice
from a woman who has visited over 115 countries
and is still going strong, despite her advancing age.
Who is the mysterious traveller we are going to talk
about on today’s programme? Well, that’s Queen
Elizabeth II. Her Majesty is the most travelled
monarch in the world. The Queen has visited places
from Ethiopia to Chile, Thailand to the US and
almost anywhere in-between so it’s perhaps
surprising that she hasn’t visited her husband’s
birth place – Greece. Why is it so? Philip’s father
was almost executed there, so it’s hard to blame
him for not being enthusiastic about the country.
He rarely visited Greece, and when he did, he went
there alone.
Another surprising thing, for a person who has is on most people’s packing checklist. The Queen,
travelled the world, is the fact that the Queen however, needs to be prepared for every
doesn’t even own a passport. How’s that possible? complication. That’s why she takes bags of blood to
Well, passports in Britain are officially issued in the countries where the blood supply is problematic.
Queen’s name so technically she doesn’t need one. What are Her Majesty’s other secrets? Well, as a
But despite her special treatment, Elizabeth still has lifelong traveller, the Queen has come up with her
to go through an identity check when travelling in own way of dealing with tiredness experienced
and out of the UK – even though her name and face when crossing time zones. To fight jet lag, the
is plastered all over the country. Queen relies on a bit of barley sugar in the form of
What about a driving licence? Well, the Queen candy. This helps her to get through the time
doesn’t need the licence either. Elizabeth is an differences with ease.
excellent driver though. Let’s not forget that she Want to hear more about the Queen’s travelling
trained as a truck driver and mechanic when she habits? Stay tuned. We are going to continue after a
joined the Women’s Territorial Service in 1945. Her short break.
Majesty feels pretty comfortable behind the wheel.
Once she hopped into a Land Rover and drove
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdullah around one of her
country estates. Just imagine the prince’s surprise.
At that time women were not allowed to drive in
Saudi Arabia and the prince was not used to being
driven by a woman. But I guess he couldn’t say no
to the Queen of England.
What about longer journeys?
For her trips abroad the Queen usually chooses
commercial planes. However, Elizabeth is unlike
most fliers – even her luggage is extraordinary.
What’s so special about it? Well, the Queen takes
duplicates of her every outfit wherever she goes.
She needs two sets of exactly the same clothes to be
prepared for a possible fashion emergency. Can you
imagine the Queen greeting, let’s say the Prime
Minister of Canada, with a huge spaghetti stain on
her blazer? Perhaps this explains why Her Majesty’s
luggage can be very heavy. Reportedly, on her
longest trip across the Commonwealth in 1953, the
Queen took 12 tonnes of luggage.
So what else is there in Elisabeth‘s suitcase? Well,
there is always a black outfit. It’s a measure that
was introduced after the trip to Kenya in 1952. The
Queen was touring Africa when she found out that
her father King George VI had died. The royal
protocol requires family members to be
appropriately dressed. Unfortunately, the Queen
hadn’t packed a black dress. Obviously, Elizabeth
was deeply saddened by the news but she had to
carry on. So she patiently waited several hours on
the plane until her staff delivered a proper outfit.
But that’s not the most surprising fact about her
Majesty’s luggage. You might be interested to know
that Elizabeth takes personal bags of blood
onboard. Well, I have to say, that’s not an item that

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