SECTION I

EDUCATION
Unit 1. Learning for Life
Key Vocabulary List
school, nursery school, infant school, primary school, secondary school, high school,
modern comprehensive school, grammar school
private school, fee-paying school, independent school, public school, state school,
boarding school
college, university, educational institution, self-governing institution
Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Education and Science
LEA = Local Education Authority
Provincial (or Civic) Universities
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
degree (associate, bachelor's, master's, doctorate), to award degree
curriculum (pl. -a) / The National Curriculum
continuing education, compulsory education, voluntary education
leisure learning programs
distance learning, home schooling, co-education
assessment and evaluation tools
to enrol, enrolment in (pre-school) programs
grade n (Am) / form n (Br)
state regulations, district regulations
to drop out v, dropout rate
edutainment
graduate, undergraduate, postgraduate
to teach students one-to-one, to teach students in small groups
to catch up on work
mark (Br) / grade (Am)
bursary, bursary system, to provide bursaries for able students

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to skip lessons / to play truant from school
optional subject (electives), compulsory subject
major (1. a student's main subject at college or university 2. someone who is
studying a particular subject as their main subject: a political science major)
tutorial, tuition / supervision
freshman, sophomore, junior, senior
grant / scholarship / bursary
liberal arts
practical bias, technical bias, vocational subjects, subsidized courses
lecturer, tutor, associate professor, professor
principal / headmaster
sandwich course, degree course, correspondence course/ distance learning course
academic year, term, semester
self-study
Exams and qualifications
SATs / Standard Assessment Tests (SATS) (a test in a particular subject given to
children in schools in the UK)
GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education. The exams taken by most
fifteen- to sixteen-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Marks are
given for each subject separately. The syllabuses and methods of examination of
the various examining boards differ. However, there is a uniform system of marks,
all being graded from A to G. Grades A, B and C are regarded as “good” grades.
SCE = Scottish Certificate of Education. The Scottish equivalent of GCSE. These
exams are set by the Scottish Examinations Board. Grades are awarded in numbers
(1 = the best)
A Levels = Advanced Levels. Higher-level academic exams set by the same
examining boards that set GCSE exams. They are taken mostly by people around
the age of eighteen who wish to go on to higher education.
SCE “Highers” = The Scottish equivalent of A-levels.
GNVQ = General National Vocational Qualification. Courses and exams in job-
related subjects. They are divided into five levels, the lowest level being equivalent
to GSCEs/SCEs and the third level to A-levels/“Highers”. Most commonly, GNVQ
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courses are studied at Colleges of Further Education, but more and more schools
are also offering them.
High School Diploma / GED (General Educational Development) Certificate
Text A
Education in Great Britain
Approximately 8.5 million children attend 30,000 state schools in England
and Wales. In Scotland, 830,000 children attend about 5,000 schools including
pre-schools and other special education schools. And, 1,300 state schools can be
found in Northern Ireland with 350,000 children attending.
The relevant education departments in England, Scotland and Wales
dispense funding for schools through a Local Education Authority (or Education
Authority in Scotland). In Northern Ireland, schools are largely financed from
public funds through five Education and Library Boards.
The majority of pupils – over 90% – go to publicly funded schools, usually
known as state schools. Primary schools usually have both girls and boys as pupils.
Secondary schools may be either single-sex or co-educational.
Full-time education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 and
16. Over 90% of all schoolchildren attend schools maintained from public funds.
There are some nursery schools for children between 2 and 5 years old, but their
number is insufficient. Primary education is given to children between the ages of
5 and 11. Primary schools are usually divided into infant schools for children
between the ages of 5 and 7, and junior schools for children aged 7 to 11.
The usual time of transfer from primary to secondary school is 11. Till
recently, most junior schoolchildren had to sit for the eleven-plus examination
(Secondary Selection Examination). It was important, for it decided what kind of
secondary school the child would attend. The selective procedure, though generally
abolished, is still preserved in some areas.

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 Secondary education is provided through grammar schools, comprehensive
schools and secondary modern schools. Pupils at grammar schools remain there
until 18 or 19 years old, especially if they want to go on to university. Secondary
modern schools give a general education with a practical bias. It is common for
more time to be given to handicrafts, domestic sciences and other practical
activities than in grammar schools. Secondary school pupils may take
examinations leading to the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) or the
General Certificate of Education (GCE).
Higher education (education beyond the secondary stage) comprises: (1)
universities; (2) teacher training; (3) advanced courses in further education. The
universities are self-governing institutions, academically independent of the
Department of Education and Science.
The basic qualification for university admission is the GCE at “A” level, but
applications for places at universities exceed the number available. Therefore entry
to the universities is competitive: the candidates who have been most successful in
their “A” levels, or who make a good personal impression are usually accepted by
the universities.
Over 90% of students in higher education are aided from public funds. The
amount of the awards depends on the income of the student and his parents.
Students who are studying for a degree are called undergraduates. Those
who have passed their examinations and have been awarded a degree are
graduates. Most universities differentiate between arts and science titles, and award
the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Master of Arts
(M.A.), and Master of Science (M.Sc.). The abbreviations of these titles are put
after a person’s name.

Text B
Education beyond Sixteen
At the age of sixteen people are free to leave school if they want to. With Britain’s
newfound enthusiasm for continuing education (and because there are not enough
unskilled jobs to go round), far fewer sixteen-year-olds go straight out and look for
a job than used to. About a third of them still take this option, however. Most do

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not find employment immediately and many take part in training schemes which
involve on-the-job training combined with part-time college courses.

Types of University
There are no important official or legal distinctions between the various types of
university in the country. But it is possible to discern a few broad categories.

Oxbridge
This name denotes the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, both founded in the
medieval period. They are federations of semi-independent colleges, each college
having its own staff, known as “Fellows”. Most colleges have their own dining
hall, library and chapel and contain enough accommodation for at least half of their
students. The Fellows teach the college students, either one-to-one or in very small
groups (known as “tutorials” in Oxford and “supervisions” in Cambridge).
Oxbridge has the lowest student-staff ratio in Britain. Lectures and laboratory work
are organized at university level. As well as the college libraries, there are the two
university libraries, both of which are legally entitled to a free copy of every book
published in Britain. Before 1970 all Oxbridge colleges were single-sex (mostly
for men). Now, the majority admit both sexes.
The Old Scottish universities
By 1600 Scotland boasted four universities. They were Glasgow, Edinburgh,
Aberdeen and St Andrews. The last of these resembles Oxbridge in many ways,
while the other three are more like civic universities (see below) in that most of the
students live at home or find their own rooms in town. At all of them the pattern of
study is closer to the continental tradition than to the English one – there is less
specialization than at Oxbridge.
The early nineteenth-century English universities
Durham University was founded in 1832. Its collegiate living arrangements are
similar to Oxbridge, but academic matters are organized at university level. The
University of London started in 1836 with just two colleges. Many more have
joined since, scattered widely around the city, so that each college (most are non-
residential) is almost a separate university. The central organization is responsible
for little more than exams and the awarding of degrees.

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The older civic (“redbrick”) universities
During the nineteenth century various institutes of higher education, usually with a
technical bias, sprang up in the new industrial towns and cities such as
Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Their buildings were of local material, often
brick, in contrast to the stone of older universities (hence the name, “redbrick”).
They catered only for local people. At first, they prepared students for London
University degrees, but later they were given the right to award their own degrees,
and so became universities themselves. In the mid twentieth century they started to
accept students from all over the country.
The campus universities
These are purpose-built institutions located in the countryside but close to towns.
Examples are east Anglia, Lancaster, Sussex and Warwick. They have
accommodation for most of their students on site and from their beginning, mostly
in the early 1960s, attracted students from all over the country. (Many were known
as centres of student protest in the late 1960s and early 1970s.) They tend to
emphasize relatively “new” academic disciplines such as social sciences and to
make greater use than other universities of teaching in small groups, often known
as “seminars”.
The newer civic universities
These were originally technical colleges set up by local authorities in the first half
of the twentieth century. Their upgrading to university status took place in two
waves. The first wave occurred in the mid 1960s, when ten of them (e.g. Aston in
Birmingham, Salford near Manchester and Strathclyde in Glasgow) were promoted
in this way. Then, in the early 1970s, another thirty became “polytechnics”, which
meant that as well as continuing with their former courses, they were allowed to
teach degree courses (the degrees being awarded by a national body). In the early
1990s most of these (and also some other colleges) became universities. Their
most notable feature is flexibility with regard to studying arrangements, including
“sandwich” courses (i.e. studies interrupted by periods of time outside education).
They are now all financed by central government.
Text C
Private/Public Education
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Should parents have the right to educate their children privately?
One of the most contentious social issues in most countries is that of
education. In education, people see a clear route to a better life for their children.
Most people regard some level of education as a right; the degree of education to
which we are entitled by right varies from country to country. In Britain, the state
provides a free education, for all children, from age 5-18. The aim is to produce a
comprehensive and high-quality education for all its citizens. However, if a degree
is then pursued, it must be undertaken at the student’s expense. There are student-
loan facilities in place to limit the financial impact of further education, but the
student must pay these back when he/she starts to earn above a certain amount
after graduation. This education system is supplemented in Britain by independent,
fee-paying schools to which parents can send their children if they can afford it.
The British model raises many questions, not just pertaining to itself, but to more
general issues as well: do you have a right to an education? To what sort of
education are you entitled? If parents wish to send their children to a private
school, should they have the right to do so?
Pro:
Parents who want to send their children to a fee-paying school are making a
decision based on what is best for their children. They decide to use the money
they have earned to give their children the best opportunities in life. Private
schools provide parents with an alternative to the state sector, and a learning
environment, which might better suit their children. All they are doing is using
their money to help their children. In addition, whilst there are many bad state
schools, there are also bad private schools, and some excellent state schools which
compete with the best private schools. It is clear from this last fact that state
schools can be the successes that we want them to be, whilst still allowing others
the right to choose a different option.
Con:
Private schools do not provide all parents with an alternative – only those who can
afford it. Such schools perpetuate social inequality, as a better education tends to
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lead to a better-paid job, which in turn enables one to send one’s own children to
such a school. Consequently, equal opportunities are denied to the children of
poorer families. With the patronage of wealthier parents, private schools attract
resources far higher than state schools. Moreover, with the (often academically
selected) children from more affluent backgrounds, greater resources and smaller
classes, these schools are unsurprisingly more attractive to teachers than state
schools. We have a situation where state schools are potentially deprived not only
of able pupils, but also very able teachers, thus compounding the inequalities. Such
a state of affairs is socially divisive, and must be avoided.
Pro:
The existence of private education can actually be financially beneficial to state
schools. The state funds the education system through taxation. Parents who do not
send their children to state schools still pay those same taxes. Most schools provide
bursaries for able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is evidence against
private schools being socially divisive.
Con:
The bursary system does little more than improve private schools whilst depriving
state schools of some of their most able pupils. Another factor is that whilst a small
proportion of children do get in on academic ability with bursaries, they are a small
minority of those similarly able and disadvantaged, whilst less able children from
more wealthy backgrounds benefit.
Pro:
A degree or other further study is no-one’s right; it is a privilege to be able to
extend your education up to this level. Research shows that graduates have better
employment prospects, and earn, on average, higher wages than non-graduates.
You stand to get a lot out of your degree, it is not unreasonable to expect you to
put something in to pay for it.
Con:
Higher education should not be a privilege; making students pay for university
education will inevitably lead to a huge gulf between those, who can afford to pay,
and those who are deprived of the opportunities open to a graduate, because they
cannot. Moreover, there are professions, such as medicine and law, in which it
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takes longer and costs much more to qualify. These professions will be ring-fenced
for the social elite, who alone can afford to enter them.
Pro:
Universities need ever increasing funds, in order to compete in research at the
highest levels. Government could pay more, but rather than deprive other areas of
funding, it seems fair that students contribute to the universities’ funds. With low
interest, government loans, which need only be paid back over a number of years,
after you passed a certain earning threshold, the burden can be eased considerably.
Con:
Despite the lower interest loans, students will leave university with considerable
debt. Those from the poorest backgrounds will be severely disadvantaged. They
simply will be dissuaded from pursuing higher education, if doing so means
amassing a debt of £10,000 or more. They will be pressed by necessity to go
straight into employment. As far as possible we should try to prevent defining life
choices being dictated by financial factors out of the student’s control.
Pro:
When degrees were funded by grants, it encouraged less-motivated people to
wander into university. This led to many students who did not have a responsible
attitude towards their degrees. With students taking a direct and considerable
financial stake in their own university education, degrees will only attract the more
responsible, motivated students.
Con:
A consequence of the financial burden upon students is that they have to split their
attention between earning money – often in term-time – and studying. Money
worries often consume people’s thoughts, and detract from whatever academically
responsible dispositions they are purported to have.
Text D
The Independent Review
Alternative Teaching?
In a move that could have every teacher in Britain reaching for the Valium,
the Department for Education and Science (DfES) plans to encourage children to

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email their teachers out of school hours, to help with last-minute revision and
homework queries in the evenings and at weekends.
The idea sounds fine at first. Some anxious parents may see it as the solution
to their nightmares. No more having to help with GCSE maths or English
coursework: a quick email to Sir or Miss will do nicely instead. But anyone who's
ever been stuck in a classroom with teenagers for hours on end will know that it's
essential to get a break from them sometimes.
In fact, the sure knowledge that you'll be free of 4C at the end of the school
day can be the only thing that keeps a teacher sane. If this new scheme is
successful, teachers will no longer be able to escape their charges so easily.
Picking up emails at home may only take a few minutes, but it will inevitably take
teachers straight back to the mind-set of “school”.
Teenagers being what they are, the system will be open to all sorts of abuse,
whether unintentional or not. An out-of-hours “safety net” could, for example,
encourage pupils not to concentrate in class: because they will be able to clear up
queries later. In fact, they can now have the best of all possible worlds: mess
around in school and still catch up on their work when it suits them. Knowing how
reluctant boys in particular can be to seem “keen” by asking questions in front of
their peers, this seems likely to happen.
And here’s a sample of some of the student emails I hope never to get, but
no doubt will soon be picking up once the new system starts:
“Hi, Sir! Remember me? U taught me two years ago, before I left – and I’m now
retaking my GCSEs (if u remember, I only got a D grade!). Anyway, I need a
quick bit of revision on The Mayor of Casterbridge and wondered if u could spare
me a few hours to go thru it with me next week some time??? (PS I'm free
Monday.) Don’t worry – I’ve actually read the book this time! Cheers, Dave X.”
“Hi, Sir! I know it’s New Year’s Day, so I know you’ll be very impressed with me
thinking about work. I wrote three essays for AS coursework on Jane Austen over
the holidays and have now attached them for u to mark. Any chance of a quick
look by return? You’ll have to print them off yourself, but they’re only about 1,500
words each. All the best, Sophie Y.”

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 Of course, new technology has its part to play in improving examination
results, but we need to draw the line somewhere. That’s why the prospect of out-
of-hours emails from pupils doesn’t even bear thinking about.
The writer is an English teacher at Charterhouse School.

Vocabulary Exercises

Ex. 1. Match the words in the left column with the correct definition in the
right column. Then complete the sentences below with words from the left
column.
1) grade a) paper awarded by college or by U.S. high school
2) to learn smth by heart b) smth officially received on completion of training
3) diploma c) mark of A, B, C, etc.
4) edutainment d) grade out of 10 or 20, etc.
5) mark e) to learn smth for a test or exam
6) certificate f) smb studying for first university degree
7) undergraduate g) to know smth very well
8) to revise h) television programmes, videos, software etc. that
entertain you while they teach you smth

1. On graduation day, all the high school graduates received their … .

2. I can’t come out tonight as I’m … for tomorrow’s test.
3. Ten out of ten is the best … anyone can get.
4. He didn’t need notes as he had learned the speech … .
5. We will need to see photocopies of your G.C.S.E. … .
6. Is this video series really … , or is it just a gimmick?
7. Although Eric got a D … in the exam, it was a narrow fail.
8. In the USA, first-year … are called freshmen.

Ex. 2. Match the words with a suitable definition.

1) classmate a) someone who teaches at a university
2) examiner b) someone who studies at primary or secondary school
3) learner c) someone who trains a sports team
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4) principal d) the most important teacher in a university department
5) pupil e) someone who has a college degree
6) coach f) someone who teaches one student or a very small class
7) graduate g) someone in the same class as yourself
8) lecturer h) the head of a school
9) professor i) someone who writes the question papers of an examination
10)tutor j) someone who drives but has not yet passed a driving test.

Ex. 3. Study the following definitions and give the corresponding educational
terms.
a) a first university degree;
b) a degree that you can study for after your bachelor’s degree;
c) school or college subjects that give students a general education and teach them
to think, rather than those subjects that develop practical skills;
d) the subjects that students study at a particular school or college;
e) a lesson in which a small group of students discuss a subject with a tutor,
especially at a university or college;
f) the work that teachers do when they teach a particular subject, especially to one
person or a small group;
g) an amount of money that an organization gives to someone so that they can
study at a particular school or university;
h) an amount of money that the government or an organization gives you for a
specific purpose and does not ask you to pay back;
i) permission to become a student at a college or university;
j) lessons for adults, often held in the evening, that give them the opportunity to
study a wide variety of subjects;
k) to stay away from school without permission;
l) a test in a particular subject given to children in schools in the UK;
m) control of an activity or process by official rules or by state (district);
n) a system in which students work at home with the help of television, computer
or radio broadcasts and send work to their teachers by post or email.

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Ex. 4. Supply the best words in Parts A and B.
A
1. A … lists the times of classes, etc. a) timetable b) schedule
2. When schools close, the children are on … . a) leave b) holiday
3. Children who live in a school are called … . a) pensioners b) boarders
4. The head of a school could be called the … . a) principal b) principle
5. A school for the very young is a … . a) kindergarten b) nursery
6. The function of a school is to … children. a) educate b) bring up
7. You can remove mistakes with a … . a) gum b) rubber
8. A … describes the activities of a school. a) prospectus b) prospect
9. Have you seen the new … for the exams? a) programme b) syllabus
10. A student might win one of these. a) a premium b) a prize
11. You would do an … in a laboratory. a) experience b) experiment
12. Alexander Fleming … penicillin. a) discovered b) invented
13. Some students learn languages with … . a) convenience b) ease
14. We’re building a car in our … . a) laboratory b) workshop
15. After … you can attend university. a) gymnasium b) grammar school
16. The children sat on … to watch the match. a) benches b) banks
17. We’re … for the football match. a) training b) drilling
18. Write your answers on this … . a) protocol b) sheet
19. You might receive … at the end of each term. a) a reference b) a report
20. Universities can only … a few students. a) admit b) receive
B
1. I need to pass my Cambridge First … . a) Certificate b) Diploma
2. She’s got a … to do French at Oxford. a) position b) place
3. Teachers … so many exercise books! a) note b) mark
4. Our course provides you with … experience. a) practicable b) practical
5. You do this before you take an exam. a) revision b) repetition
6. High … requires capital investment. a) technique b) technology
7. Different … have edited Shakespeare. a) scholars b) students
8. What … did you get for the spelling test? a) mark b) degree
9. Sh! I want to listen to the … . a) conference b) lecture
10. … lessons are very expensive. a) Particular b) Private
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11. I … down what the teacher said. a) marked b) noted
12. My essay was illustrated with a … . a) diagram b) scheme
13. Few people add to the sum of human … . a) science b) knowledge
14. No one likes to … an exam. a) fail b) lose
15. History is my favourite … at school. a) topic b) subject
16. … is treated like any other school subject. a) Gymnastics b) Exercise
17. … is the most difficult of all subjects. a) Physic b) Physics
18. Discipline is the best … . a) politics b) policy
19. I don’t know how mistakes like this can … . a) rise b) arise
20. It’s hard to … into university. a) get b) enter

Ex. 5. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct space in the
passage below.
state terms seminar degree private primary tutorial
graduate nursery school secondary lecture break up
compulsory fees academic grant

When children are two or three years old, they sometimes go to a (1) … , where
they learn simple games and songs. Their first real school is called a (2) … school.
In Britain children start this school at the age of five. The (3) … year in Britain
begins in September and is divided into three (4) … . Schools (5) … for the
summer holiday in July. (6) … education begins at the age of about eleven, and
most schools at this level are co-educational, which means boys and girls study
together in the same classes. In Britain education is (7) … from five to 16 years of
age, but many children choose to remain at school for another two or three years
after 16 to take higher exams. Most children go to (8) … schools, which are
maintained by the government or local education authorities, but some children go
to (9) … schools, which can be very expensive. University courses normally last
three years and then students (10) … , which means they receive their (11) … . At
university, teaching is by (12) … (an individual lesson between a teacher and one
or two students), (13) … (a class of students discussing a subject with a teacher),
(14) … (when a teacher gives a prepared talk to a number of students) and of

18
course private study. Most people who receive a university place are given a (15) …
by the government to help pay their (16) … and living expenses.

Ex. 6. Read the following text and then choose the correct alternative below
for each of the numbered gaps.

Education in Australia
In Australia most children (1) … primary school from the age of five. Only two per
cent of children of primary school age are (2) … at home. Some children who go
to school also take up extra activities such as learning to play a musical instrument
or dancing, and they go to (3) … classes for these and for school (4) … they find
difficult or particularly interesting, such as languages, mathematics or computing.
Ninety-five per cent of the population go on to secondary school, but a much
smaller percentage (5) … the final year of secondary school examinations and
complete a university (6) … . At the moment university (7) … and graduates make
up less than a third of the total population. Australian universities are modern and
well-equipped. Most teaching is by a combination of (8) … , tutorials and practical
classes. The humanities courses like History and Philosophy, usually involve a lot
of extra (9) … in the library. To become a primary or secondary school (10) … , it
is usually necessary to study at a university for three years or more.
1. A attend B assist C go
2. A brought up B educated C trained
3. A personal B private C particular
4. A matters B courses C subjects
5. A succeed B pass C approve
6. A degree B curriculum C career
7. A pupils B trainees C students
8. A lectures B conferences C talks
9. A lectures B reading C training
10. A lecturer B professor C teacher
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Ex. 7. Complete the spaces by finding one word which fits in all three sentences.
a) 1. When we had finished acting, the teacher gave us all a … out of ten. 2. Elka
has only been in the office for three months, but already she has really made
her … . 3. The teacher told Jeremy off for making a … on Emma’s notebook.
b) 1. I’ve virtually … any ambition I ever had of becoming a teacher. 2. I … out
of college after one term and went traveling around the world instead. 3. On
police advice, Mr. Bortelo has … the charges he brought against his
neighbours.
c) 1. The project has had some … of success. 2. She’s doing a … at Exeter
University. 3. To a large … it is parents who should take the blame.

Ex. 8. Discuss which of these words and phrases have similar meanings, or are used
in similar situations. In some cases there are various ways of linking them.
Underline one word in each list which seems to be the odd one out and is NOT
connected with education or training.
1) award grant loan prize reward scholarship
award → grant → scholarship grant → loan prize → award
Reward is not connected with education, unless discussing its rewards or
pleasures.
2) certificate degree diploma doctorate licence reference testimonial
recommendation;
3) article assignment composition dissertation essay paper report thesis;
4) comprehensive school grammar school gymnasium junior school kindergarten
law school medical school nursery school primary school secondary school
5) BA bachelor BSc doctorate first degree MA Master’s MSc PhD;
6) credits grades marks numbers scores;
7) continuous assessment evaluation examination questionnaire study test;
8) class conference lecture seminar study group;
9) apprentice contestant freshman graduate participant schoolchild;
post-graduate pupil student trainee undergraduate;
10) academic year financial year half-term holiday semester term vacation;
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11) correspondence course degree course race course evening course
part-time course sandwich course distance learning course;
12) associate professor business associate coach don instructor lecturer
professor teacher trainer tutor.

Ex. 9. Give the English equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Cредняя школа, начальная школа, детский сад, класс, общеобразовательная
общедоступная средняя школа, частные школы, диплом (свидетельство, ат-
тестат об окончании средней школы), абитуриенты, дистанционное обуче-
ние, степень бакалавра, пропускать занятия, присуждать степень, практиче-
ский уклон, пригодность, отбор учеников, профилирующий предмет, дости-
жения в учебе.

Ex. 10. Translate into English.

1. Преподавание в младших классах строится таким образом, что учебный
материал проходится, в основном, в классе, и детям почти не задают до-
машних заданий. Упор делается не на то, чтобы школьники запомнили
как можно больше сведений, а на то, чтобы они научились самостоя-
тельно мыслить, анализировать, сопоставлять факты.
2. В программы средних школ включены предметы, обязательные для всех
учащихся, а также дополнительные, которые изучаются факультативно –
по выбору. По ряду предметов учащиеся старших классов сами выби-
рают учебный материал. Учащимся предоставлена возможность выби-
рать между техническим и гуманитарным уклоном. Обучение в таких
школах завершается сдачей государственных экзаменов на аттестат зре-
лости.
3. Дистанционное обучение – метод образования для людей, желающих
удобным и доступным способом получить образование для карьеры, по-
вышения квалификации, или просто для себя. Следует отметить, что в
престижных университетах мира существует стойкая оппозиция дистан-
ционному обучению как полноценной замене традиционной очной
21
 формы. Дело в том, что проблемы начинаются с самого основного – иден-
тификации студента. Кто сидит за персональным компьютером и сдает
экзамен – сам студент или его приятель-отличник – проверить пока не
представляется возможным. Поэтому дистанционные программы зачас-
тую включают в себя и обязательную очную сессию, в ходе которой сту-
денты сдают экзамены на месте.
IV. Study the following information on the changes throughout the educational
system in Great Britain in the 1990s.

Politics and Education

Changes in educational policy in Britain have frequently been the result of
political decisions or changes of government. For example, the Labour government
which came to power in 1964 immediately encouraged the spread of
comprehensive schools and the abolition of selection at eleven. In the 1980s and
1990s the Conservatives made radical changes throughout the education system.
Labour continued to change parts of the system from 1997 onwards.

Schools in 1988
a. State schools controlled by local authorities.
b. Local authorities decide school budgets, including books, teachers’ salaries,
and cleaning.
c. Children go to the school whose “catchment area” they live in. This is usually,
but not always, the nearest school to their home.
d. All pupils study religion (the only subject required by law).
e. Schools assess children’s progress by their own internal tests.

Conservative Government Changes

a. Primary school children study English (and Welsh in Wales), maths, science,
history, geography, art, music and physical education. Secondary-school pupils
study a modern language up to the age of sixteen in addition.
b. Parents choose the school their children go to.
c. All children are assessed by national tests at the ages of seven, eleven, fourteen
and sixteen.

22
d. Each school is responsible for its own budget, deciding whether to spend it on
books, salaries or other services.
e. Parents vote on whether to make their school independent of local authority
control and receive money from central government.

Schools in 2004
a. All schools are inspected by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).
b. Results of inspections are publicly available and are used by parents to choose
their children’s school.
c. Schools follow a national curriculum including compulsory literacy and
numeracy lessons.
d. All children are tested at “Key Stages” by Standard Assessment Tests (SATS).

1. Define the following: abolition, assessment, catchment area, local authority.

2. Which subjects in the British National Curriculum have you studied in
your own school system?
3. Match each government change with a feature of schools in 1988.
4. Find the outcome in 2004 which resulted from each of the government
changes.

23
 Unit 2. Co-education
Key Vocabulary List
co-education, standardized collegiate co-education
types of schooling: single-sex schools/ segregated schools, mixed schools
religious schools
streaming
timetable, rigid timetable
socially divisive institution
equality
to scatter
core values
gender, gender issues, gender-fair instruction, gender-aware terms, to cater for both
genders
to be flawed
to be sidelined by smb
counterparts
harassment, sexual harassment, to harass smb
career ambition
self-confidence
under-achievement
rigorous subjects
intake, to increase intake
academic results, academic ability, academic performance, academic competition
aptitude tests, to score higher in aptitude tests
domination, male-dominated teachers
to jump the queue
to gain access to smth
computer facilities
to the detriment of smth
implicit contradiction

24
sexism (the belief that men and women should be treated in a different way and
are suited to different types of jobs and different positions in society)
inclination
formative years
to tend (to, towards)
aptitude tests
to gravitate towards their own sex
Text A

Co-education: A High Price to Pay

Research carried out in the Eighties indicated strongly that co-education was
generally better for boys than for girls. The dangers of single-sex education for
boys have often been stated, and there has long been an assumption that girls
benefit from co-education in the same way. Recent research tells us that this
assumption is wrong. Girls studying in co-educational schools can, it seems, pay a
high price in diminished career ambition, poor self-confidence and under-
achievement in subjects such as science and mathematics.
Girls’ schools are working hard to compete with the independent boys’
schools that are currently increasing their intake. Malborough, the pioneer, has
increased its number of girls and begun admitting them at 13. The battle for girl
pupils is growing fiercer all the time. Averil Burgess, head teacher of South
Hampstead High School, believes parents need to consider the effect of mixed
classroom learning on reinforcing gender “stereotypes”. She believes that in the
halfway house type of co-education favoured by independent boys’ schools, men
become “macho” and girls are forced to be inarticulate and passive. This is
inevitable, she says, when the school is still run by the male-dominated senior
teachers with little insight into gender education issues. She points to a study by
professor Hoyle of London University showing how boys were allowed to jump
the queue to gain access to limited computer facilities. As a result girl’s choice of
career of computing suffers.

25
 The recent introduction of co-education by Oxbridge colleges seems to have
had the same harmful effect on girls’ academic performance as identified in
schools. In 1958, 8,1 per cent of men and 7,9 of women won firsts. In 1973, the
corresponding figures were 12 and 12,1 per cent. Since the mid-Eighties, when
both men and women’s colleges have admitted members of the opposite sex, 16.1
per cent of men have gained firsts, but only 9,8 per cent of women. As Averil
Burgess argues: “Maybe the girls fall too readily into the sock-washing and meal-
providing mode for the benefit of male colleagues and to the detriment of their
work. At least a single sex institution offers the freedom not to behave as a
woman.”
No one is suggesting that boys should be restricted to single-sex education;
co-education is here to stay. But boys’ schools with a minority of girls should take
care to protect the latter from social domination by the boys. Parents should
consider a single-sex school as a first option for their daughters, even if they
choose co-education for their son. Maybe the implicit contradiction in that
statement will only be resolved when girls’ schools admit boys on gender-aware
terms.
Text B
Choose the School – not the Sex
The perennial debate over the relative merits of single-sex and co-education
will not be stilled by yesterday’s report from a group of independent co-
educational schools.
As it somewhat reluctantly admits, there is simply no hard evidence for or
against the many prejudices surrounding the issue. What is needed is a
comparative study over time of the fortunes of large numbers of pupils of similar
ability in both types of school. No such study has been done. Instead the report
offers earnest assurance that girls do not suffer academically from being taught in a
co-educational environment. The approach – largely ignoring the position of boys
in single-sex schools – is instructive. Girls, it makes clear, are the battleground.
One reason is the common, if statistically awkward, belief that girls do better
in single-sex schools while boys are better off in co-educational ones.

26
 Another is the fact that most independent co-educational schools are former
boys’ schools that began admitting girls to keep up their numbers – and urgently
need to keep on doing so for their survival.
That pressure, combined with the oft-repeated refrain that girls have a
“civilizing” influence on boys (never the other way round), is enough to make
many parents more than a little suspicious about co-educational schools’ interest in
their daughters.
Add to that periodic reports suggesting that boys in mixed schools demand
and receive disproportionate attention in class and that girls, particularly in maths
and science lessons, are liable to be sidelined by the more aggressive sex, and
parental worries multiply.
So seriously do some co-educational schools take such concerns that they
even teach the sexes separately.
Against that, the report argues: “In single-sex and co-education a number of
academic and social factors come into play, but there is no evidence that one type
of schooling is more effective than the other in exam terms.”
In the absence, in truth, of any evidence one way or the other, one is forced
to fall back on the admittedly bland formula of “horses for courses”.
A good school is a good school, whether single-sex or co-educational. The
best school is that one that best suits a particular child’s academic ability,
personality and inclinations.
Text C
The secondary school I went to was a direct grant grammar school. It was
single sex, boys only, and it was a religious school: Roman Catholic.
The whole aim of the school seemed to be to prepare people for university
entrance. So there were three streams in each year, but you got a very clear
impression that the pupils who mattered for the staff were those in the top stream
who were going to go on to university.
It’s interesting that there was actually no careers specialist on the staff. If
you were going to leave at sixteen after your “O” levels then you left at sixteen,
and people just – the staff just said goodbye and that was it. They were mainly
interested as I say in those who were going on to university. In that sense they
27
were successful, and had a very high rate of successful university applications, but
I can’t say that I look back on my time there with any sense of love at all. It was a
very strict school, very rigid timetable, very rigid teaching methods.
The fact that it was single sex I now see was a big disadvantage and the fact
that it was a religious school in a sense was a disadvantage as well. I think it was
actually a socially divisive institution in many ways.
It helped me get into university. I suppose I’m grateful to it for that, but
when it came to thinking about schools for my own children there were two basic
criteria that my wife and I applied. One was that we would not send our children to
single-sex schools and secondly we would not send them to religious schools.
They both in fact attended state comprehensive schools, the nearest secondary
school to where we live, and I think they had much more enjoyable times at school
than I did. And my wife feels the same. She went to a similar school to mine, a
Catholic religious school for girls.
As I say, it helped me get into university, but that is what it set out to do. It
gave us no training for life, shall we say, no advice at all on careers, so we were
left entirely to think of that for ourselves.

Answer the following questions about the text.

Vocabulary Exercises
Ex. 1. Study the following definitions and give the corresponding words.
1. The system of educating students of both sexes in the same class or college.
2. A feeling that you want to do something.
3. Annoying or unpleasant behaviour towards someone that takes place regularly,
for example threats, offensive remarks, or physical attacks.
4. To make a situation, process, or type of behaviour stronger and more likely to
continue.
5. Not stated directly, but expressed in the way someone behaves, or understood
from what they are saying.
6. To improve something, or make it more attractive or more valuable.
7. The feeling that you can do things well and that people respect you.
8. Control or power over other people or things.
9. Harm caused to something as a result of something else.
28
10. All male people or all female people.
11. The state of being equal, especially in having the same rights, status, and
opportunities.
12. Years strongly influencing the development of someone’s character and beliefs.

Ex. 2. Fill in the missing words or word combinations.

A
harassment formative years flawed detriment tend fierce
reinforce underachievement inequality implicit enhance
1. The current educational system is seriously … .
2. The measures taken should considerably … the residents' quality of life.
3. The UN cannot tolerate the continuing … of peacekeeping soldiers.
4. The latest figures … the view that economic growth is slowing.
5. How are we going to tackle boys’ … in schools?
6. Feminists often argue that marriage reinforces the … between the sexes.
7. His suggestions may be seen as an … criticism of government policy.
8. We … to take technology for granted nowadays.
9. Starting formal education too early can be of serious … to the child.
10. The proposals provoked a … debate.
11. I spent my … in the Middle East.
B
authority bachelor’s bodies campuses classes degree
co-educational co-ordinate courses freshmen graduates junior
undergraduates located school separate special students
university women year sex
Students
The student body of a … or college is divided into … and undergraduates.
graduates have already received their … degrees, while … have not. The
undergraduates belong to one of four … , according to their … of study. These
are … , sophomore, … , and senior classes. Most schools also admit … students
who take a number of … , but are not working towards a … .

29
 Students … vary considerably from … to school. Some institutions are … ,
with both men and … students. Others admit … of only one … .
A … institution has … men’s and women’s colleges. They are controlled by
the same central … and are usually … on the same campus or nearby … .

Ex. 3. Fill in the appropriate form of the word in the brackets.

Get the Girls to School
The (educate) of girls is the surest way of reducing (poor). So why are
ninety million primary school age girls not in school? It is because they contribute
(economy) to the family by looking after younger children, or working in the
fields. But these girls face a life of backbreaking work, with children who die of
(prevent) diseases, subordination to a husband and his family, and an early death.
And the uneducated woman transmits to her children the same doomed life. But it
does not have to be like this. Educational campaigns have meant that (literate) is
almost unknown in Southern India, and the infant (mortal) rate there is
(consequence) the lowest in the developing world. And in Africa and south Asia,
where women do most of the farming, education is allowing them to learn how to
improve (efficient) farming practices and at the same time is raising awareness of
the (ecology) needs of the land. While to rural families it might seem an
unavoidable (need) to keep girls working at home, it is in both the national and
international interest – as well as in the interest of the girls themselves – to (come)
the short-term difficulties and provide these girls with the education they need.

Ex. 4. An international magazine asked students to write an article expressing their

opinion about the following statement: Co-education is a disaster for girls. One
candidate has made six mistakes in his article with the language of giving opinions
and agreeing and disagreeing. Find those mistakes and correct them.
I am not agree with the statement “Co-education is a disaster for girls”. On
my opinion co-educational school have both advantages and disadvantages for
both sexes.
It is often suggested that girls do not do as well because they are more self-
conscious in the company of boys. But girls and boys will never learn to get over

30
their shyness unless they actually have a chance to get to know people of the
opposite sex.
I am agree up to a point that girls learn to be more passive in co-
educational schools, but the two sexes are not normally separated in society and
young women must learn to compete with men.
Another argument against co-education is that boys mature more slowly
than girls and that this holds the girls back. This is truth up at a point, but surely
the boys compensate for this in other ways. The sexes are different after all and as
far as I am concerning these differences are a good thing.
So let’s not separate boys and girls in our education system. In my point
of view we are denying them important opportunities if we do so.

Ex. 5. Translate into English.

1. Среднее образование в Великобритании имеет две ступени. Обязательным
является обучение всех детей до 16 лет (среднее образование). В 16 лет
школьники сдают экзамены на аттестат о среднем образовании, а те, кто
желает поступить в вуз, учатся ещё два года, чтобы сдать экзамен по
программе средней школы на повышенном уровне. 2. Необходимо отметить,
что уже несколько лет по результатам исследований качества обучения в
числе лучших тридцати школ 70% составляют учреждения с раздельным
обучением. 3. Великобритания на протяжении не одного столетия является
лидером как в области школьного, так и в области высшего образования на
европейском континенте. 4. Несмотря на то, что первые женские школы в
Великобритании возникли в период активного феминистского движения, се-
годня девочек в них обучают не только предметным дисциплинам, но и веде-
нию домашнего хозяйства, и даже тому, как правильно рассчитать семейный
бюджет. 5. Задача школы – не навязывать определённую модель, а содейст-
вовать формированию личности, которая способна сделать осмысленный вы-
бор. 6. В Великобритании школьники имеют право выбирать некоторые
учебные дисциплины по желанию (естественно, кроме обязательных). 7. По
результатам проведённых социологических исследований, в государствен-

31
ных школах девочки очень редко выбирают точные науки. И дело не в спо-
собностях девочек, а в самой методике обучения. 8. Большинство методик
преподавания математики и физики разрабатывались мужчинами и оказались
более приспособленными для усвоения мальчиками. Этот факт заставил го-
сударственные школы провести эксперимент, в ходе которого точные науки
преподавались мальчикам и девочкам отдельно. 9. В женских школах такой
проблемы не существует, там процент девочек, которые выбирают для до-
полнительного изучения точные науки, довольно большой.

Pro: Boys and girls distract each other from

Women in particular benefit from a
single-sex education; research shows that
they participate more in class, develop
much higher self-esteem, score higher in
aptitude tests, are more likely to choose
“male” disciplines such as science in
college, and are more successful in their
careers.
their education, especially in adolescence
as their sexual and emotional sides develop.
Too much time can be spent attempting to
impress or even sexually harassing each
other (particularly boys toward girls).
Academic competition between the sexes
is unhealthy and only adds to unhappiness
and anxiety among weaker students.

Pro:
The inclinations of children in the
formative years, between 7 and 15, are to
gravitate towards their own sex. They
naturally tend towards behaviour
appropriate to their gender. It is therefore
easier to implement an education strategy
geared specifically towards one gender.
Certain subjects are best taught in single-
sex classrooms, such as sex education or
gender issues.
Pro:

32
Con: Pro:
The girls from such schools did not in fact Single-sex schools for women are a
show academic improvement. That they are natural extension of the feminist
more inclined towards maths and sciences movement; there are co-educational
is of questionable importance to society as schools, men have had their own schools,
a whole. As the recent report noted, “boys
why should women not? It would still be
and girls both thrive when the elements of
discrimination if there were only male
good education are there, elements like
single-sex schools; as long as both
smaller classes, focused academic
genders are catered for, this
curriculum and gender-fair instruction”.
discrimination is redressed.
These can all be present in co-educational
schools.
Con: Pro:
The formative years of children are the Teachers themselves are often
best time to expose them to the company discriminated against in single-sex
of the other gender, in order that they may schools; a boys’ school will usually have
learn each others’ behaviour and be better a largely male staff where women may
prepared for adult life. The number of feel uncomfortable or denied opportunity,
subjects benefiting from single-sex and vice versa.
discussion is so small that this could
easily be organised within a co-
educational system.
Con:
In fact boys and girls are a good influence
on each other, engendering good
behaviour and maturity – particularly as
teenage girls usually exhibit greater
responsibility than boys of the same age.
Academic competition between the sexes
is a spur to better performance at school.

33
Con:
Single-sex schools are a throwback to the
patriarchal society of the past; in many
historical cultures, only men were
allowed an education of any sort. To
perpetuate this is to remind women of
their past subservience and to continue to
hold them from full social inclusion.
Con:
Teachers frequently favour their own
gender when teaching co-educational
classes; for example, male teachers can
undermine the progress and confidence of
girl students by refusing to choose them
to answer questions etc.

34
Unit 3. Exam Fever
Key Vocabulary List
examination, to hold / take / sit for / revise for / pass an examination, to set /
administer / give an examination
to fail / flunk an exam
to pass an exam with flying colours
to sail through / get through / scrape through an exam
to gear yourself up for exams
mock, written examination, viva voce
deadline (for smth), to miss / meet / have / work to the deadline, to impose / set /
extend the deadline
to be examined in smth, to be re-examined in smth / to retake an exam
examiner, examinee, examining board
student’s record book
test, listening / oral / practical / written / multiple-choice test
achievement / aptitude / intelligence / IQ / language proficiency / assessment test
to give smb a test
to assess, assessment
to test smb on/in smth, to have a test on/in smth, to retest smb on smth
test-paper, to mark test-papers
unified school leaving exam, standardized test, competitive exam, finals
tool, screening / assessment / educational / research tool
bribery, to resort to bribery
fraud n
crib n
to excel at/in smth.
to be accountable for smth, accountability
ratings list
compulsive liar
teacher, guidance / class / head teacher, lenient teacher
to play truant, truancy
borderline candidate
to be expelled from school / university, expulsion, to throw smb out of the college
coursework
stress management, to handle the pressure
Phrasal verbs
to break up
to go back
to scrape through
to drop out
to mug up
to swot up
to polish up
to brush up (on smth)

Text A
Public Exams in Great Britain
The organization of the exams which schoolchildren take from the age of
about fifteen onwards exemplifies both the lack of uniformity in British education
and also the traditional “hands-off” approach of British governments. First, these
exams are not set by the government, but rather by independent examining boards.
There are several of these. Everywhere except Scotland (which has its own single
board), each school or LEA decides which board’s exams its pupils take. Some
schools even enter their pupils for the exams of more than one board.
Second, the boards publish a separate syllabus for each subject. There is no
unified school-leaving exam or school-leaving certificate. Some boards offer a vast
range of subjects. In practice, nearly all pupils do exams in the English language,
maths and a science subject, and most also do an exam in technology and one in a
foreign language, usually French. Many students take exams in three or more
additional subjects.
Third, the exams have nothing to do with school years as such. They are
divorced from the school system. There is nothing to stop a sixty-five-year-old
doing a few of them for fun. In practice, of course, the vast majority of people who
do these exams are school pupils, but formally it is individual people who enter for
these exams, not pupils in a particular year of school.
An example of the independence of the examining boards is the decision of
one of them (the Northern Examinations Board) in 1992 to include certain popular
television programmes on their English literature syllabus. This was against the
spirit of the government's education policy at that time. The idea of 100,000
schoolchildren settling down to watch the Australian soap opera Neighbours as
part of their homework made government ministers very angry, but there was
nothing they could do to stop it.
Text B
Should Examinations Be Replaced with Other Forms of Assessment?
Context
At present many schools, colleges, and universities assess their students by
means of end-of-year written examinations. These can be very stressful and many
students fare worse in exams than in other forms of assessment. On the other hand,
perhaps it is good training for later life when success depends on being able to deal
with stress and perform well on big occasions.

Pro:
Exams test memory more than analysis,
creativity, or real understanding. If you
have a good memory you can get away
with doing very little work throughout
the course and still get very good grades.
Con:
Things such as open book exams, viva
voces, and questions which ask you to
evaluate information are not testing
merely memory, but your ability to apply
your knowledge.
Pro:
Coursework is a much more genuine
assessment of a candidate because it
takes into account research, understanding
of the issues and ability to express
oneself, not just ability to answer a
question in a very limited period of time.
Pro:
The pressure attached to A’levels and
GCSEs is huge and causes many
problems. Some students have
breakdowns and, in extreme cases,
attempt suicide because they cannot
handle the pressure, especially with
university places relying on grades.
Pro:
As well as causing personal problems,
pressure can lead many bright students to
under-perform. Exams test your ability to
keep your cool more than they test your
intelligence.
Pro:
Examination results depend on the
opinion of the individual examiner. The
same paper marked by two different
examiners could get completely different
results. This is exacerbated by the short
time that examiners spend marking a
paper.
Text С
Con:
Coursework is valuable but should be
used in conjunction with exams. A
student might answer a question very
well given time and help from teachers,
family and textbooks, but then be unable
to apply what they have learnt to another
question coming from a different angle.
Con:
Coursework can involve a lot of pressure
as well, especially with the meeting of
deadlines. Schools should, and do, teach
pupils about relaxation and stress-
management for both exams and
coursework.
Con:
Pressure is a fact of life and children
must be prepared for it. Pressure only
increases at university and in the
workplace and we must teach children
how to perform well in these conditions
rather than protect them from them.
Con:
Coursework must also be marked by
individuals, so the same criticism
applies. It is not significant however, as
moderation and examiners meetings
ensure that papers are marked to the
same standards.
Pre-reading questions:
1. How often do you have to take exams?
2. How do you feel about the exams? Do you enjoy them/ hate them/ get nervous
about them?
3. What is the most difficult thing about exams?

How to Pass the Exams

There is a technique to just sailing through, so make sure you don’t just count on
good luck.
It’s that time of year again when students across the country are gearing
themselves up for exams. If you feel you’ve left your revision too late, don’t
despair. Follow our guide and start today.

Before you start

 Get organized: draw up a revision timetable of topics to cover. Stick to it and
let friends and family know that you are serious, so they don’t interrupt your
studies.
 If you find it difficult to concentrate, don’t study at home where you will be
easily distracted; go to your library instead.
 If motivation is a problem, arrange to meet a friend and study together. But
don’t let it turn into an excuse for a social chat or a moaning session!
 Remember what you are studying for. Why do you need these exams? Keeping
your long-term goal in mind will help maintain your motivation.

Studying tactics
 Go with your body clock: if you’re slow in the morning, use that time to do
some background reading. Do the weightier work in the afternoon.
 Don’t study for more than thirty to forty minutes at a time. Take the regular
breaks to get enough fresh air and stretch your legs.
 Don’t study too late, especially the night before your exam. Tiredness will
hinder your performance the next day. Always make sure you wind down
before you go to bed.
 It’s important to maintain a happy, positive frame of mind, so don’t let revising
take over your whole life.
 Give yourself something to look forward to after a day’s studying: meet friends
for a drink, or relax in a warm bath.
 Eat well; have a proper meal rather than snacks snatched at your desk.

On the day
 Allow plenty of time to get to the exam, but don’t arrive too early or you’ll sit
around getting nervous.
 Resist the temptation to compare what you’ve revised with other students while
waiting.
 Do read the paper thoroughly before starting. It’s time well spent. It’s very easy
to misunderstand simple instructions when you’re under a lot of pressure.
 On multiple-choice exam papers, go through and do all the easy questions first
then go back to the beginning and try the trickier ones.
 On essay papers, tackle the questions you feel happiest about first, so you can
build up your confidence.
 Work out how much time you have for each question and place yourself
accordingly. You have nothing to gain from finishing early.
 Always keep things in proportion. The worst thing that can happen is that
you’ll fail. If necessary, you can usually retake an exam.

Find the phrases in box A in the article. Without checking in your dictionary, try to
guess from the context what each one means. If necessary, use the definitions in
box B to help you.
A
1) to sail through an exam 6) snatched
2) to gear yourself up for exams 7) the trickier (questions)
3) to stretch your legs 8) to tackle a question
4) to hinder your performance 9) to pace yourself
5) to wind down 10) to retake an exam
B
a) to make it difficult for someone to do something;
b) to go for a walk, especially after sitting for a long time;
c) to make a determined effort to do something difficult;
d) to succeed very easily in a difficult challenge;
e) to rest or relax after a lot of hard work or excitement;
f) to do an exam again;
g) to do something at a controlled, steady speed;
h) to prepare yourself for something you have to do;
i) taken quickly;
j) difficult, complicated, needing great care to do well.

Vocabulary Exercises
Ex. 1. Explain the difference between
a) to sit an exam and to set an exam;
b) to take an exam and to pass an exam;
c) compulsory and voluntary;
d) to educate and to bring up;
e) a pupil and a student.

Ex. 2. Put the words in the box into the correct column below. Some words
can go in more than one column.
do take sit study pass make follow
an exam a course a subject history
lessons homework a module revision
a test notes
Ex. 3. Read the following text and fill in the gaps using verbs from ex. 2. Try
to use each verb at least once.
In secondary schools in England, students have to (1) … 10 different subjects until
they are 16, and these must include English and maths. After that they specialize,
and from age 16 to 18 they usually (2) … a maximum of four or five subjects.
Sometimes timetabling problems in the school mean that not all the students are
able to (3) … the course of their choice. In their final year they (4) … the final
school exams, which are known as A-levels.
If students want to (5) … a particular subject at university, they must
normally have (6) … the same subject, or a related one, at A-level. It’s very
difficult to go to university unless you have (7) … your A-level exams with good
grades. However, it is always possible to (8) … the exam again to get a better
grade. Although in the majority of courses, students (9) … just one exam at the end
of the course, many new courses involve modules where the student (10) …
smaller tests and builds up credits. These are popular with students because they
are less stressful.

Ex. 4. The following words are sometimes confused. Choose the best word for
each sentence below.
1. The (format/formula) of examinations in the British educational system is
changing.
2. He would have preferred to study more (practical/practicable) subjects at
school.
3. This involves a process of (continuous/continual) assessment done by the
teacher throughout the course.
4. It has the advantage that if the student makes one (mistake/fault) they will not
necessarily fail.
5. Instead, they can improve their (grade/level) in the next piece of work they do.
6. Many students like this form of testing because it is less (stressful/agitating) for
them.
Ex. 5. Study the following definitions and give the corresponding words.
1) a way of judging a student by looking at the work they do during the year
instead of or in addition to looking at their examination results;
2) to read and learn information that you have studied in order to prepare for an
examination;
3) difficult to deal with;
4) to avoid doing something too quickly or doing too much at one time, so that
you have enough energy left to complete an activity;
5) to prepare yourself for an exam;
6) too confident and relaxed because you think you can deal with something
easily, even though this may not be true;
7) a measurement of how good or popular someone or something is;
8) not good enough to definitely pass an examination;
9) a mock test or exam is one that you do in order to practice for a real one;
10)the permanent exclusion of a student from a school.

Ex. 6. Cross out any of the words in italics that do not form common
collocations.
1. He got full / maximum / top marks in the listening test.
2. We have to do / make / write a vocabulary test every Friday.
3. She’s busy reviewing / revising / studying for her exam.
4. How many students have enrolled on / signed up for / undertaken the course?
5. She was always losing / missing out / skipping lessons – no wonder she
crashed / failed / flunked the exam.
6. He suffers badly from exam nerves / stress / worries, which affect his
concentration length / span / time.
7. The teacher made up / set / wrote a difficult exam but checked / corrected /
marked it leniently.
8. We were supposed to do / compose/ write the essay by Friday but I delivered / it /
gave it in / handed it in late.
Ex. 7. Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with the words in the box.

truant cheat heart correct term board

hard absent degree break give report
university headmaster playground

1. Our teachers … our homework in the evening and … it out the next day.
2. My brother tried to … in the exam, but he was caught and sent to the … .
3. I like to play football in the … with my friends during the lunch … .
4. She got a very good school … because she worked so … this … .
5. I’d like to go to … when I finish school and do a … in Economics.
6. The teacher wrote the rules on the … and told us to learn them by … .
7. Were you … for a good reason yesterday or were you playing …?

Ex. 8. Choose the correct answer.

1. Remember that exams never start late, they always start … .
a) ahead of time b) at the last moment c) in time d) on time
2. Will you help me to … for tomorrow’s exam?
a) go through b) read c) review d) revise
3. Lazy Tom clearly had no … of doing any work, although it was only a week till
the exam.
a) ambition b) desire c) intention d) willingness
4. Are the students … about the history exam?
a) discussing b) saying c) talking d) telling
5. If you never do any work, you will only have yourself to … if you fail your
exams.
a) blame b) fault c) mistake d) reprove
6. I’m … I didn’t pass the exam but I’ll do better next time.
a) deceived b) despaired c) disappointed d) disillusioned
7. You must tell me the result now. I can’t bear the … .
a) suspenders b) suspending c) suspense d) suspension
8. As my exam is next month, I’ll take advantage of the week off to … on some
reading.
 a) catch up b) hurry up c) make up d) pick up
9. Eve was happy she … to finish the exam in time.
a) achieved b) managed c) realized d) succeeded
10. Do you think there is any … of him passing the exam?
a) chance b) expectancy c) occasion d) opportunity
11. I hate … formal examinations. I find it difficult to organize my thoughts in a
limited space of time.
a) making b) passing c) sitting d) writing
12. Don’t forget to … your name at the top of the test-paper.
a) get b) place c) put d) set
13. Your answers to the examination questions must … exactly the instructions given
below.
a) accompany b) conform c) follow d) keep
14. Eric was very upset by his French exam … .
a) effects b) failures c) results d) successes
15. Well done! You’ve done an excellent … .
a) job b) task c) trade d) work
16. If at first you don’t … try again.
a) accomplish b) prosper c) succeed d) triumph
17. Those students … their exams last week.
a) assisted b) made c) presented d) took
18. Franky got very … marks in his maths exam.
a) imperfect b) low c) reduced d) secondary
19. Did you … the examination last month?
a) enter into b) form part of c) go in for d) take place in
20. You should write your name … at the top of the paper.
a) clearly b) largely c) obviously d) seriously
21. Good ... ! I hope you do well.
a) chance b) hope c) luck d) wish
22. The examiners often … extremely difficult questions for the written exams.
a) create b) make c) set d) write
23. I expect all of you to be here ten minutes before the examination begins, without
….
 a) fail b) failure c) fault d) miss
24. The purpose of this examination was to … the students’ knowledge of the subject.
a) inspect b) prove c) test d) try
25. Vivian passed the … test but failed the written examination.
a) handy b) practical c) skilful d) working
26. Miss Unlucky was very … because she had failed her examination.
a) afraid b) excited c) sensitive d) upset
27. You should have … the examination last week, so bring your money to the office
as soon as possible.
a) entered for b) passed c) sat for d) taken
28. Congratulations … passing your exams. Well done!
a) by b) for c) from d) on
29. During the test it is always better to make an educated … than to leave a blank.
a) attempt b) chance c) endeavour d) guess
30. Mrs Worried had a good … of the examination result when she saw her daughter’s
face.
a) idea b) news c) report d) thought
31. This kind of question can sometimes be answered only by a process of … .
a) abolition b) elimination c) exception d) subtraction
32. The person who … an examination is supposed to see that nobody tries to cheat.
a) dominates b) governs c) leads d) supervises
33. Greg has just taken an exam … history.
a) about b) for c) in d) on
34. Miss Intelligent was the … student in her class and passed all her exams with high
grades.
a) brightest b) clearest c) fastest d) highest
35. Sign your name on the … line.
a) broken b) dotted c) drawn d) spotted
36. There must be a … of at least one meter between the desks in the examination
room.
a) expanse b) gap c) place d) room
37. This test … a number of multiple-choice questions.
 a) composes of b) composes in c) consists of d) consists in
38. Please don’t talk in the … because there is an examination in the lecture hall.
a) corridor b) lane c) promenade d) way
39. The … thought of exams makes me feel ill.
a) just b) little c) mere d) sole
40. The school has … a system of monthly tests in place of an annual exam.
a) adopted b) agreed c) collected d) taken
41. Miss Diligent did nine hours’ … studying a day for her exam.
a) big b) heavy c) powerful d) solid
42. In the examination you may be asked for comments on various … of a topic.
a) angles b) aspects c) features d) qualities
43. Failing the final exam was a big … to my hopes.
a) band b) blow c) hit d) kick
44. You shouldn’t talk about him failing. You’ll … his confidence.
a) underestimate b) undergo c) undermine d) worry
45. I’m feeling rather … because of the exam I’m doing next week.
a) anxious b) excited c) impatient d) unquiet
46. The result of this exam will … his future.
a) control b) determine c) govern d) rule
47. Please be … . I haven’t got long.
a) brief b) concise c) rapid d) short
48. George has no head for figures. He simply cannot … them.
a) collect b) realize c) relate d) remember
49. No one is so … as the person who has no wish to learn.
a) ignorant b) sensible c) simple d) useless
50. In a multiple-choice exercise it’s sometimes easier to … the wrong answers before
choosing the right one.
a) eliminate b) exclude c) give d) omit
51. Waiting outside the examination room, I trembled with … .
a) apprehension b) comprehension c) expectation d) tension
52. His test results are not very … . He does well one month and badly the next.
 a) consequent b) consistent c) continuous d) invariable
53. The … exam in March prepared pupils for the real thing in May.
a) false b) imaginary c) mock d) unreal
54. My hopes of becoming a doctor … when I failed my “A” levels.
a) cracked b) crashed c) crumbled d) smashed
55. I was completely … by most of the exam questions, so I must have failed.
a) baffled b) harassed c) stupid d) stupified
56. Having already graduated from another university, he was … from the entrance
examination.
a) deferred b) excluded c) exempted d) prohibited
57. This exam is supposed to be … because the marking is not affected by
individual preferences.
a) concrete b) impersonal c) objective d) open-minded
58. Any candidate caught … in the examination will be disqualified.
a) cheating b) deceiving c) swindling d) tricking

Ex. 9. Read the text below and fill each blank with one suitable word.
Lionel Mendax: Curriculum
I was a child prodigy, and went to the most expensive and most academically
demanding schools in the country. I was a model student and was popular both
(1) … my teachers and my classmates. I was elected class president for six years
running. I passed every exam I (2) … for with flying (3) … and came (4) … of my
class in every subject I took. I also excelled (5) … sports. In my final year at
school, I (6) … a scholarship to Cambridge University. Cambridge was child’s
play and I sailed (7) … every exam I took, finally getting a first class honours
degree (8) … natural sciences. On graduating (9) … Cambridge I went on to
Oxford to (10) … research (11) ... atomic particles. Having completed my research,
I took (12) … a teaching post at Harvard, where I lectured (13) … astrophysics, I
am presently teaching post-(14) … students everything they do not know about
nuclear physics at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Oh well, it keeps me occupied,
and it’s a job.
Ex. 10. Read the text below and decide which option (A, B, C, or D) best fits
each gap.
Lionel Mendax: The Truth
It was my misfortune to be Lionel Mendax’s form master in his last year at
school. Lionel was a (0) compulsive liar and an inveterate cheat who, when not
(1) … truant, plagued the hell out of both myself and my teaching colleagues.
Contrary to his own inflated opinion of his intellectual abilities, Lionel was not a
(2) … student. Far from it. He was at best a (3) … candidate for his GCSE exams
and as such it was at best a blessing that he was (4) … from the school before he
took them. It is only fair, however, that I should give Lionel credit where credit is
due. No one had ever been (5) … out of Greyfriars Schools before.
Notwithstanding that, even our ridiculously (6) … and excessively liberal
headmaster could not ignore the fact that Lionel had been caught cheating (7) …
every single one of his (8) … GCSE exams. After his (9) … , he (10) … a course
in printing and design at the local technical college, but soon (11) … out.
0 A hardened B heavy C compulsive D addictive
1 A running B playing C making D doing
2 A gifted B understanding C skilled D strict
3 A grey B borderline C futile D debatable
4 A evacuated B expelled C evicted D expired
5 A thrown B pitched C discarded D hurled
6 A harsh B light C stringent D lenient
7 A on B at C in D by
8 A false B pretend C mock D fake
9 A eviction B extradition C expulsion D evacuation
10 A made B did C assisted D sat
11 A fell B went C let D dropped
Ex. 11. Look at this information leaflet for students at Welney College. Then
look at how David explains the system informally to a friend, using phrasal
verbs. Match the phrases in italics with their definitions.
 Welney College
Promoting excellence
● Autumn term ends on 18 December. Spring term begins on 8 January.
● Students wishing to register for spring term courses should do so before
12 December.
● Any student not completing a course will not receive credits for that course.
● Course essays must be submitted in a final form seven days before the end of a
course.
● Students failing more than 30% of their total coursework will be expelled from
the college.
David:
- If you fail 30% or more of your courses, they throw you out of the college.
- We break up on 18 December and go back on 8 January, so we’ve got about a
three-week break.
- And you have to write up your course essay and submit it a week before the
course ends.
- You have to go to all the lectures; if you drop out before the end, you don’t get
the credits.
Rewrite these sentences using the words in brackets, so that they keep the
same meaning.
1. I’m going to register for a course in statistics next year. (sign)
2. Several students did not complete the Moral Philosophy course. (drop)
3. Our course finishes on 20 June. (break)
4. He was forced to leave university after one term. He’d done no work at all.
(throw)
5. I can’t come out tonight. I have to have my essay finished for tomorrow.
(write)
6. My next term at college starts on 12 September. (go)
Ex. 12. Study the tips for exam success. Match the phrases in italics with their
definitions.
Six tips for exam success
1. Keep your reading up during the
term so that you have less to read
just before the exam.
2. Brush up on some of the things
you learnt a long time ago; they
may possibly come up in the exam.
3. Don’t just mug up on the key
points you need for the exam and
hope that you’ll scrape through
with little effort.
4. On the other hand, don’t try to do
everything. Swotting up on
everything you have done all term
means you will have to revise a lot
of useless things too.
5. Concentrate on polishing up the
most important areas and your best
skills.
6. Don’t fool yourself that you’ll pass
the exam on the basis of what
you’ve picked up during the
lectures and classes. You will need
to revise!
a. Practice and improve your skills
or your knowledge of something,
usually something you learned in
the past but have partly forgotten.
b. Quickly try to learn the main facts
about a subject, especially before
an exam (often + on) (informal).
c. If a question or a subject comes up
in an exam, that question is asked
or questions about that subject are
asked in the exam.
d. Learning as much as you can
about something, especially before
an exam (often + on) (informal).
e. Practising and improving your
skills or your knowledge of
something.
f. Manage with a lot of difficulty to
succeed in something.
g. Something is learnt by absorbing
it rather than studying it.
h. Continue to do something.
Ex. 13. Which of these would make most students happy and why?

breaking up dropping out being thrown out

scraping through mugging up swotting up

Ex. 14. Choose the best phrasal verb from ex. 11, 12, 13 to complete this letter.
Cambridge, 20 June
Dear Auntie Meg,
At last my first year exams are over. It’s such a relief! I feel as if I’ve done nothing
but (1) …for them for ages. Although I’d (2) … with work quite well during the
year, I still needed to (3) … everything that we had covered, of course.
Fortunately, everything that I hoped would (4) … in the exam paper did. So I hope
I’ve done OK and haven’t just (5) … . Now all I have to do is (6) … one course
assignment, which I need to hand in by the end of term.
We don’t (7) … till the end of the month and so I won’t be home till then. We
don’t (8) … until the end of September, so it’ll be a lovely long break. I look
forward to seeing you soon.
Love,
Suzanna

Ex. 15. Correct the ten phrasal verb mistakes in this paragraph. Either the
wrong particles or the wrong verbs have been used.

Dick hardly worked up at all for his exams. He brushed over on the history of the
French Revolution, but no questions on the French revolution got up in the exam.
He was afraid that he would be thrown off university for failing his exams.
However, he did just manage to scratch through them and so he will be in college
when we return back next term. He has promised to try to keep through with work
next year as he is planning to sign in for a couple of quite difficult courses,
including business studies. He’ll have to polish over his French because he can just
lift up the language when he gets there, but I think he should study it before he
goes because he only has school French.

52
Ex. 16. Translate into English.
1. Централизованное тестирование является дополнительной платной обра-
зовательной услугой и проводится один раз в году по утверждeнному распи-
санию. 2. Тестирование проводится на добровольной основе для выпускников
(учащихся) общеобразовательных учреждений. 3. К тестированию допускаются
также лица, окончившие учебные заведения в прошлые годы. 4. Всем
желающим сдать экзамены в тестовой форме предоставляется возможность
проверить свои знания на репетиционном тестировании. Это позволяет
определить уровень собственной подготовки, прежде чем идти на экзамен.
5. Человек, который прошел репетиционное тестирование, знает о своих недос-
татках, поэтому до экзамена может восполнить пробелы.

C. Harriet Sun is a first year student majoring in business. She highly

recommends the following tips for the students who are preparing for their
exams. Make a list of your own tips which you consider to be the most
important for you. Discuss them in pairs.

Preparation
1. Go to class!
2. Stay awake in class. Do whatever it takes – pinch yourself, chew gum, sit at
the front of the classroom.
3. Take notes in class. How detailed the notes should be depends on the class
and teacher. At least write down the key ideas.
4. Plan ahead. Know when you have time to study, and use that time.
5. Don't study hungry. Eat before or during your study time.

The Actual Studying

1. Don't study in your room (where your computer and bed are).
2. Find a friend to study with. Someone who won't talk to you or distract you
otherwise.
3. If you're going to study someplace noisy, use headphones to listen to music or
bring earplugs.

53
4. Bring snacks when you study.
5. Take short breaks.
6. Underline or highlight key points in your textbooks.
7. Make an outline of important chapters. The more you write, the more you
remember.

Finals (Aaahh!)
1. Breathe.
2. Start studying early. You’ve heard it a million times, but it actually works.
3. Schedule your study times.
4. Go to the review sessions if they’re offered.
5. Review your notes.
6. Review the underlined or highlighted parts in your textbooks.
7. Don't overdose on caffeine.
8. Get enough sleep. It may be tempting to stay up all night studying, but rest is
important.
9. Breathe.

Celebration
1. Sleep.
2. Take a shower.
3. Return your textbooks!
4. Play Freecell, or whatever computer game you’re addicted to.
5. Watch a movie!
6. Go to a party.
SECTION II
ADDICTIVE DISORDERS
Unit 1. Smoking, New Attitude
Key Vocabulary List
addict, addiction, to be / get addicted to smth
addictive, addictive disorders, addictive drugs, addictive substances
54
substance abuse, glue sniffing
to relate to smth;
diseases, drug-related / smoke-related / alcohol-related diseases
to be prone to respiratory diseases
to impede child development
to smoke in the workplace / on the job / off the job
per capita (cigarette) consumption,
teenage / women / men smoking rate
cigarette vending machines, cigarette brands, brand names of cigarettes
to ban cigarette sales to minors, to introduce the ban on smoking, to prohibit/ban
smoking on the company premises, to ban tobacco advertising on billboards
to halt the growth in tobacco use among minors
to penalize, penalty, to stiffen penalties, to fine
to reduce tobacco use, to cut down smoking, to establish non-smoking areas
to test for drugs/ for substances, to screen for nicotine
to be a heavy smoker/ a chain smoker
to be exposed to second-hand smoking
to put out a cigarette, to light (up) a cigarette, a cigarette lighter
to be on an increase, to increase / rise / grow by 5 per cent
decrease / fall / decline in smth; a 5 per cent decrease
rise / increase in smth, twofold / threefold / fourfold increase in smth
to double, to triple
to cause high absenteeism / productivity losses, to impair productivity, to be less
productive, poor performance at work
to turn away applicants, to discriminate against smokers
to disseminate information
effective / ineffective measures
to take up the habit, to break the habit
to give up / quit smoking
to adopt male working patterns / male patterns of behaviour
to target, to be targeted at smb
to be / get hooked on smth
55
mood swings, behaving out of character
to tackle a problem
to carry health warnings, to place health warnings on cigarette packages
to highlight smth, to be highlighted
to change drastically / dramatically
discrimination on the basis of national origin, race, religion, sex or age

Text A
Addictive Disorders
Addiction does not, as is commonly thought, relate only to drugs (heroin,
crack, LSD, marijuana). For instance, in Great Britain alcohol probably causes
over 40,000 deaths a year and tobacco up to 100,000 deaths. Other forms of
addiction include reliance on coffee, sweets, tranquillizers and sleeping tablets.
The nature of the addiction is often linked to cultural factors, e.g. cannabis is
considered “normal” among Rastafarians, while alcohol is prohibited among the
Muslim community. It is clear that whatever the form of addiction, be it coffee or
heroin, there appears to be a general increase in the problem in society and that
many school and health authorities are increasingly disturbed by the younger age
groups that appear to be using hard drugs. It is important to realize that human
beings are creatures of habit and addiction may be an exaggeration of a normal
habit pattern. Often people will become addicted without having a wish to become
so. They may be prescribed addictive drugs and then find it difficult to stop taking
them. Addiction may be chemical, i.e. the body requires a drug such as caffeine,
alcohol, heroin, valium, to function. Often the body develops a level of tolerance to
the drug and a higher dose may be necessary to produce the same effect.
Physical signs and symptoms will depend on the nature and type of
addiction and the stage which the addict has reached. General symptoms may
include mood swings, behaving out of character, irritability, lack of sleep,
unreliability, poor performance at work or frequent illness, neglecting food, change
in appearance. Probably the most important step for any addict is to acknowledge
the problem, because without doing so, treatment is of little value. This is where
friends, or a doctor, may be of help.

56
Text B
Tobacco – The Emerging Crisis in the Developing World
The World Health Organization estimates that 3,5 million people die
annually from causes related to tobacco use, with more than half of these deaths
occurring in industrial countries. By the 2020s, however, when the death toll is
likely to reach 10 million each year, 70% of tobacco-related deaths will be in
developing countries.
Smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer. It is associated with heart
disease, stroke, emphysema and lung diseases. Children who are regularly exposed
to second-hand smoke are prone to respiratory illnesses. Smoking during
pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage, result in low infant birth-weight
and impede child development. Tobacco consumption is the leading cause of
preventable death in many countries. In both industrial and developing countries
half of regular smokers die from causes related to their tobacco use. Smokers are
three times as likely to die between the ages of 35 and 69 as are non-smokers.
Since 1970s vigorous antismoking campaigns have been mounted in most
industrial countries banning tobacco in the media, increasing cigarette taxes,
requiring health warnings on cigarette packages, banning cigarette sales to minors
and disseminating information.
But in most developing countries information campaigns lag far behind,
while marketing and advertising campaigns have intensified. Per capita cigarette
consumption fell by 10% between the early 1970s and early 1990s in industrial
countries. But in the same period consumption increased by 64% in developing
countries. Per capita consumption more than doubled in Haiti, Indonesia, Nepal,
Senegal and Syria, and tripled in Cameroon and China.

Answer the following questions about the text.

1. What do the statistics of the WHO indicate?
2. What diseases is smoking associated with?
3. What antismoking measures have been introduced in most industrial countries
since 1970s?
4. What statistics prove that tobacco is the emerging crisis in the developing
countries?
57
5. How do you estimate the situation in our country? Is the number of young
people smoking on an increase?

Text C
Smoking Role Models
Girls must look at themselves for a cure
For the first time in a quarter of a century the number of women smoking is
on the increase. According to the results of the General Household Survey released
this week, after a steady decline since 1972, cigarette smoking among women has
risen by two per cent in the past two years. Look at the figures more closely and
it’s the youngest women who are increasingly taking up the habit, with a 5 per cent
increase among the 16-19 age group, compared with a 2 per cent fall in the number
of smokers among men of the same age.
Among 15-year-old schoolgirls, a third now say they smoke regularly
(compared with 28 per cent of boys) and the trend is not exclusively British. The
rise in teenage girls smoking is also seen elsewhere in Western Europe and the US.
Sadly so are the consequences. Today five women die every hour in the UK from a
smoking related disease, and health experts have warned that lung cancer deaths
are set to overtake breast cancer as the most common cancer killer in women.
So why now, when we know more than we ever knew before about the risks,
are girls in particular starting to smoke? There are many possible explanations:
young women have a greater disposable income: with women out at work, they are
more likely to go for a drink (and cigarette) at the end of the day; as women
increasingly adopt male working patterns the more they adopt male patterns of
behaviour (hence the increase in drinking which was highlighted in the report).
There is also the heavy marketing by the tobacco industry which spends £100-
million a year on promoting its brands – many of them targeted particularly at
women – compared with the £10-million spent on health education. One key area
of concern is the way young women are influenced by media images of glamorous
women who smoke – not just in advertising, but in editorial pictures of models like
Kate Moss, with cigarette in hand or Julia Roberts, who is seen puffing her way
through her latest film, My Best Friend’s Wedding. Smoking makes you look

58
glamorous. It also makes you thin, or so most teenage girls believe. Once you’re
hooked you can’t give it up because you’ll put on weight.
Women become hooked on smoking for the same reasons they become
anorexic. Girls are taught to be concerned about their body image from an early
age – they learn very quickly that their looks are their currency. Yes, cigarette
advertising should be banned; yes, we need more health education in schools, and
more careful use of images in the media. But perhaps we also need to tackle
something more fundamental – the forces which make young girls worry to an
unhealthy degree about the way they look.
Text D
Cracking Down on Young Smokers
Over the past year, a few American states have passed laws that could result
in stiff penalties for minors who try to buy or possess cigarettes. Those convicted
of such offences could lose their driver’s licences, face fines of as much as $ 1,000
or even be imprisoned for as long as six months.
Some cities, meanwhile, are using undercover police officers to catch youths
who smoke, and some schools that test students for substances such as marijuana
are also screening them for nicotine.
These new measures follow repeated failures in recent years to halt the
growth in tobacco use among minors through educational programmes. Some other
measures that are expected to reduce the number of young people who smoke
include banning tobacco advertising on billboards and in some magazines,
removing cigarette vending machines, ending tobacco companies’ sponsorships of
sporting events and concerts and ending the sale of products such as clothing that
carry brand names of cigarettes.
Every US state and the District of Columbia have laws that ban the sale of
tobacco products to minors. But some of the new state laws, which also stiffen
penalties on those who sell tobacco products to youths, now hold young people as
responsible as adults for violating tobacco laws.
Text E
Burned-up Bosses Snuff out Prospects of Jobs for Smokers

59
 The image of a smoker in the United States used to be that of a tall, rugged,
handsome cowboy who radiated health and confidence. However, since the
Surgeon General now requires all cigarette packages and advertising to carry
health warnings, the image of a smoker has changed drastically. Smokers have
learned a lot about humility in recent years. Relegated to the rear of airplanes or
the drafty section of restaurants, they are sometimes even unable to rent the
apartment of their choice. Now smokers face a new form of discrimination.
Smoking, it seems, may be hazardous to the chances of getting a job. Citing
everything from health hazards and productivity losses to outright stupidity as
reasons, some employers are resolutely closing the door to job seekers who smoke.
Others will hire smokers but forbid them to smoke in the workplace. Both practices
appear to be perfectly legal.
Job candidates often find the question “Do you smoke?” written in red out at
the top of the application form. Those who answer “yes” are told they needn’t
bother filling out the rest of the form. Employees defend this policy by quoting
surveys that show that non-smoking employees are more productive than those
who smoke. They argue that people use cigarettes as a break from work, so
smoking a pack of cigarettes on the job could mean 20 breaks a day. Smoking
related illness can also cause high absenteeism.
Isn’t it illegal to discriminate against smokers? No, says the federal Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission – unless the result is discrimination on the
basis of national origin, race, religion, sex, or age.
Don’t employers worry they might be passing up talent by turning away
smokers? “How smart can they be with all the evidence of what smoking does to
their health” is the usual answer. Other employers, while remaining firm on a
policy of no smoking on the job, sympathize with smokers and try to help them
break the habit. At Cybertec Computer Products Inc. in Los Angeles, employees
who quit smoking get a $500 bonus.
Vocabulary Exercises
Ex. 1. Match the attribute (A) and the verb (B) on the left with nouns or
phrases on the right. Use each word only once.
60
A smoke-related smokers
addictive smoking
vending absenteeism
high performance at work
second-hand measures
heavy machine
poor diseases
effective substances

B to disseminate child development

to stiffen the habit
to break tobacco use
to reduce penalties
to impede information
to carry health warnings
to smoke productivity
to impair on the job

Ex. 2. Fill in the correct preposition.

1. For the first time in a quarter of a century the number of women smoking is (1) …
an increase. Statistics show that it’s the youngest women who are increasingly
taking (2) … the habit. The habit is (3) … an increase (4) … teenage girls while it
is falling (5) … all other groups of the population. Dr. Charlton said, “The rates are
less (6) … those who go to university. The smokers are usually the ones who do
not do well (7) … school and show few signs (8) … wanting to. They mistakenly
believe it helps to keep their weight (9) … , although they have no weight problem
(10) … the first place. One of the most effective methods of getting girls to stop
smoking is to point (11) … how much they smell, says Dr. Charlton.
2. Some employers solve their dilemma (12) … prohibiting smoking (13) …
company premises. Other employers sympathize (14) … smokers.
3. Would you mind putting (15) … your cigarette?

61
Ex. 3. Fill in the appropriate form of the word in brackets.
It’s hardly surprising that smokers show (reluctant) to give up the habit. Although
a (depend) on cigarettes is (damage) to the health, giving up can be extremely
(pain). However, many modern (treat) can help. For example, many find (circle)
nicotine patches stuck onto the skin on a (day) basis can help them become less
(depend) on the chemicals in cigarettes. If this isn’t (appeal), then consider trying
(alternate) methods such as hypnosis or acupuncture. You’ll still need (determine),
but it will be easier.
Ex. 4. Complete the following sentences with a word in the correct form from
the box below.
A
to go without to fine to quit damage harmful
to advertise evidence to reject tobacco a violator
second-hand non-smoking

1. The new law will require employers to establish … areas if their employees
request it. … of the proposed law could … . A similar proposition … two years ago
after … companies spent $ 6.3 million on an … campaign against it.
2. A recent report published in the New England Journal of Medicine provided …
that working in a roomful of smokers is … to non-smokers. The University of
California studied the effects of … smoke on over 2,000 middle-aged men and
women. Their report concluded that working next to a person who smokes causes
the same lung … as smoking eleven cigarettes a day.
3. Next Thursday smokers in cities and towns all across America will try to …
smoking for as many hours as they can on Thursday and many of them will … for
good.
B
craving packet antisocial stained harmful
addiction link fatal chain-smoke put out ashtrays

To many people, smoking is not a pleasure, it is an (a) ... They need it, depend on
it, can’t stop it. If they haven’t smoked for some hours, they feel a ... for a
cigarette. They often … , which means they light another cigarette immediately
they have … the one before. Smoking is often considered … since many people

62
don’t like the smell of cigarettes or the sight of the smoker’s … fingers or … full
of cigarette-ends. Above all, smoking is … to health and in many countries a
warning is printed on every … of cigarettes. Scientists have proved that there is a
… between smoking and a disease which can be … , cancer.

Ex. 5. Give the English equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Запретить продажу сигарет подросткам; заядлый курильщик; ухудшать
производительность труда; потушить сигарету; ужесточить наказание;
вещества, вызывающие привыкание; резкие перемены в настроении;
четырехкратное увеличение/уменьшение; увеличить на 5%; запретить
рекламу сигарет на рекламных щитах; повысить налоги на продажу сигарет;
пристраститься к курению; проверять учеников на наличие наркотиков;
запретить табачным компаниям спонсировать спортивные мероприятия;
измениться коренным образом.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

1. Курение ведет к снижению производительности труда. 2. Медики считают,
что курение приводит к заболеванию раком легких. 3. Курение на рабочем
месте воспрещается. 4. Курение ведет к увеличению случаев невыхода на ра-
боту. 5. Для большинства курящих очень сложно отказаться от вредной при-
вычки. 6. Запрет курения на рабочем месте не является дискриминацией. По-
литика отказа в найме курящих не является дискриминационной. 7. Произво-
дительность труда у курящих ниже, чем у некурящих. 8. За последние годы
число курящих женщин увеличилось на 5% (отмечается рост числа курящих
женщин). 9. Причин, по которым женщины приобщаются к курению, не-
сколько. 10. В Великобритании наибольшее число женщин, больных раком,
умирают от рака легких. 11. Все больше женщин усваивают мужскую модель
поведения. 12. Особое внимание в докладе было уделено проблеме распро-
странения курения. 13. Реклама этого сорта сигарет направлена, в первую
очередь, на женщин. 14. Несколько миллионов людей умирают ежегодно от
болезней, вызванных курением. 15. Дети, в присутствии которых курят, под-

63
вержены респираторным заболеваниям. 16. Следствием курения во время бе-
ременности может стать замедленное развитие ребенка. 17. Потребление си-
гарет на душу населения за последнее десятилетие увеличилось на 10%.
18. Уровень курения среди подростков в развитых странах в настоящее время
ниже, чем 10 лет назад. 19. В соответствии с новым законом о курении будет
ужесточено наказание подростков за попытки купить сигареты или их хране-
ние. 20. Производители сигарет обязаны помещать на пачках сигарет преду-
преждение об опасности курения.

Ex. 7. Read the 13-point plan below to give up smoking. The following phrases
have been left out. Put them back in again in the correct places.
a) will have to ask for a cigarette i) it’s raining or very cold
b) and change to a lower-tar brand j) including the times and the places you smoke
c) whom you can call k) alone and do nothing else
d) stress will be minimal l) that is inconvenient and uncomfortable
e) often for accomplishing your goals m) your first smoke of the day
f) how much you smoke and why you smoke
g) switch to your left n) ashtrays and lighters
h) quitting is the goal o) you begin to take control of your habit
How to give up smoking
 Set a target quitting date. Choose a day you think that (1) … and you won’t be
around other smokers. Once you’ve set a target date … .
 Keep a record of your smoking habits, (2) … . Keeping a “smoking” diary will
help you to recognize (3) … . Did a confrontation with a classmate or co-
worker or an upsetting phone-call make you reach for your cigarettes?
 Designate a “smoking place” in your home and at work. Smoke only in those
places. Choose a place (4) … . One person chose the corner of his basement,
another chose the front lawn. If (5) … , you might decide to stay indoors rather
than smoke. And you will look silly standing there smoking on your front lawn.
 Keep (6) … only in this designated smoking place.

64
 Don’t carry cigarettes with you. Ask nonsmokers (spouse, friend) to
hold your cigarettes. You (7) … whenever you want one.
 Smoke (8) … (no watching TV, drinking coffee or talking on the phone) while
smoking. Take the pleasure out of the habit. Make smoking a chore.
 Change smoking postures. If you normally hold your cigarette in your right
hand, (9) … . If you draw from your cigarette on the left side of your mouth,
switch to the right. These changes should make smoking more awkward and
uncomfortable for you.
 Buy one packet of cigarettes at a time (10) … .
 Delay (11) … and the first one after a meal. Start with a half-hour delay and
work up to an hour.
 When you want a cigarette, put off lighting it for a while. Hold it in your
hand and tell yourself: “I don’t need this just yet.” Once (12) … , the urge
for a cigarette might pass.
 Set up a support network. Choose sympathetic friends (perhaps ex-smokers)
(13) … when you feel the urge for a cigarette.
 Start an exercise programme to help prevent weight gain. But remember:
(14) … You can worry about any extra pounds later.
 Reward yourself (15) … . If you cut down smoking before your target date
arrives, quitting should be less stressful.
Pro: Con:
1. Smoking is addictive. 1. People smoke because it’s relaxing
and enjoyable.
2. Smoking causes cancer. 2. The evidence linking tobacco and
cancer is inconclusive.
3. Smoking pollutes the air for 3. Smoking can be restricted to well-ventilated
nonsmokers. areas.
4. It’s a waste of money. 4. People have the right to spend their money
as they see fit.

65
5. The land used to grow tobacco 5. If tobacco were banned people would
should be used to grow food. grow it illegally.
Unit 2. War on Drugs
Key Vocabulary List
drugs, soft drugs, hard drugs
illicit, illegal drugs, illicit drug trade
drug trafficking, drug trafficker, drug peddler
to abuse drugs, drug abuse, substance abuse, drug abusers, growth in drug abuse
a person with a drug abuse problem, drug misuse, drug withdrawal symptoms
to be drug related, to be linked/ attributed to drugs
to outlaw drugs
to denounce drugs, to be socially unacceptable
to legalise/ decriminalize drugs
to advocate the legalisation of drugs
to rule out the legalisation of drugs
to lose the war against drugs
to jeopardise, ~ one’s position
access, accessible, inaccessible
to have access to smth, to be accessible, to be easily obtainable
to offend, offender, first-time offender, offence, criminal offence
to sell drugs through government-controlled outlets
to affect job/work performance
decreased productivity
to experience on-the-job injuries
to have a high rate of absenteeism/ disciplinary problems
to administer a drug test
to test positive
the cost of substance abuse to the workplace
expenses and losses related to substance abuse
to estimate, estimation, estimable, inestimable
66
to have control over a problem
to be subject to stresses
to develop coping and decision-making skills
to resist peer pressure
to make decisions under pressure from peers
to reduce the demand for drugs
to cope with life problems in positive ways
to provide positive alternatives to substance abuse
Text A
A War We Have to Win
The debate about legalising drugs has been with us ever since the hip old
days of the 1960s. Then the call for liberalisation was largely confined to small,
fashionable groups from the world of pop music and the media. Attitudes have
since shifted. Last week no less a figure than the secretary general of Interpol, an
organization dedicated to defeating international crime, advocated the legalisation
not just of cannabis but of all drugs, including heroin.
That the debate should have reached this state is a result of the staggering
growth in drug abuse and related crime. The police claim they are losing the war
against drugs.
The evidence that drug abuse is growing in Britain is equally disturbing.
Millions of young people regularly use cannabis and Ecstasy. A growing number
are using crack and heroin. That in turn is fuelling crime, some of it violent. As
many as two-thirds of thefts are linked to drugs. In the northwest, no fewer than
95% of a sample of young people convicted of criminal offences admitted to using
drugs. A heroin addict needs to steal £ 90,000 of goods a year to feed the habit, and
there are a quarter of a million such people. The illicit drug trade in Europe is
worth an estimated £ 260 billion a year, the equivalent of the government’s annual
spending.
A whole society is under threat and the young are being dragged into a cycle
of abuse and despair that will further expand the ranks of the underclass. Apart
67
from the material costs and the shattered lives, this places an intolerable burden on
our prisons and court system. All right-thinking people agree that if the plague is
not defeated we shall all suffer.
This is where opinion divides. Politicians in Britain and the United States
have ruled out legalisation. They find it easier to denounce drug use and hope, that
the crisis can be contained.
The pro-legalisation lobby argues that it is humbug to continue to ban
cannabis while we smoke cigarettes and drink gin and tonics. They say we should
accept the reality that most drug users are not dealt with by the law and that
cannabis is no more harmful than tobacco. Yet even if we were to legalise soft
drugs, who can categorically say that users would not move on the harder drugs?
Nor would legalising marijuana defeat crime; the serious money is in heroin and
cocaine.
If we know that drugs are dangerous, why should they be legalised?
Common sense tells us that if drugs are readily and legitimately available, more
people will use them. Just because many are addicted to nicotine or alcohol does
not make it right to legalise other addictive drugs. The consequences of smoking
and the violence associated with alcohol abuse have caused immense suffering. So
why make it easier for yet more people to suffer? Though legalization of all drugs
would reduce the profits of the drug dealers, and hence crime, the wider
consequences would be intolerable.
Drug legalisation is a quick fix that will fuel long-term problems. If millions
become addicted in a period when drugs are illegal, socially unacceptable, and
generally difficult to get, then millions more will surely become addicts when
drugs are legally and socially acceptable and easily obtainable. We should always
be suspicious of simple solutions to complex problems. There has to be another
policy to defeat drugs. What is required is resolution and planning.
The attack should be on the users and distributors of hard drugs, not on the
consumers of cannabis. We should also identify unregistered drug addicts as they
come into contact with the police and offer them a rehabilitation programme. We
68
need to develop ways of treating them, wearing them off opiates so they do not
turn to crime.
Finally plans must be drawn up for a drugs education programme in schools.
The traditional scare tactics have failed. Young people must be told the truth if
they are to act on the message. The war against drugs will be a protracted and
unsavoury struggle, but it is a war and one which we must win.
Text B
We Need Better Ways to Deal with Drug Problems
When I looked at the U.S. drug policy and the way we handle addicts, I was
embarrassed. Most of Europe and Australia have decided that there is no such
thing as a drug-free society. In light of that, they have decided to experiment in
ways the U.S. government would never dream of doing.
They have needle exchange programs, which have helped drive down the
spread of AIDS. Methadone, a synthetic drug that stops heroin-withdrawal
symptoms without giving a high – much like nicotine gum for smokers – is being
used to help heroin addicts.
The Netherlands have outlawed “hard drugs” such as cocaine and heroin
while “soft drugs” like marijuana and cannabis have been legalized. Heroin addicts
can go to doctors and receive a prescription for methadone that will allow them to
have a job and function in society.
Compare all this with the U.S. policy of throwing first-time offenders in
prison with little, if any, form of treatment. Nearly 30 per cent of inmates in state
and federal prisons are there for drug-related incidents. Obviously, building more
prisons doesn’t seem to be the answer.
I believe the answer lies in treatment and regulation. Treating drug addicts as
less than human doesn’t help anyone. The addict doesn’t believe that he or she is
worth help, and society loses a potentially productive member. Throwing someone
in jail for life on a first offence, (a law Michigan has on its books), is denying
individuals the chance to start over before they’re in too deep.

69
 Controlling the drugs seems to be the most realistic answer. In the United
States, New York and Baltimore have tried some alternative methods to control
their drug problems. New York had a needle-exchange program that allowed drug
users to bring in their old needles and trade them for clean ones. The spread of
HIV dropped from 6 per cent to 2 per cent.
California has chosen to legalize marijuana in small doses. If they catch you
carrying or selling it on the street, chances are you’ll be arrested, but having a
small amount in your home is no longer an offence. The police estimate they have
saved at least a billion dollars in manpower and legal costs.
Basically, what it comes down to is that the old methods have had their
chance. The time has come to try something new, by having a few drugs legalized
and the rest regulated, so abuse won’t be nearly as frequent. The price will go
down, and those who want help will be able to get it without risk of arrest.
Text C
How the Drug Problem Affects the Workplace
The federal government reports nearly 14 million adults in the USA
currently use illegal drugs. By some estimates nearly three-quarters of current
illicit drug users 18 and older are employed. That’s more than 10 million US
workers. The federal government claimed that if all workers ages 18-40 were
administered a drug test on any given day, as many as 25 per cent would test
positive.
Alcohol is, by far, the leading substance abused by Americans. Following
alcohol, the leading illegal drug abused in the United States is marijuana. In 2000,
approximately 5 per cent of the US population 12 and older (11 million) were
marijuana users. Cocaine was second with an estimated 1,5 million current users.
Other highly used illegal drugs include heroin with an estimated 325,000 current
users.
One of the most revealing studies on how job performance is affected by
substance abuse comes from the US Postal Service. The Post Service discovered
that substance abusers are involved in 55 per cent more accidents, experience 85
per cent more on-the-job injuries, and have a 78 per cent higher rate of absenteeism
when compared to their non-substance abusing co-workers. Drug use adversely
70
affects job performance. The federal government estimates that substance-abusing
employees are one-third less productive than their non-using co-workers.
In terms of its impact on human life, the cost of substance abuse is
inestimable. From an economic point of view, the cost to the workplace is
tremendous. A Wisconsin study concluded that expenses and losses related to
substance abuse equal 25 per cent of the salary of each affected employee. The
overall price tag has been estimated to be as high as $200 billion annually.
To calculate how much drug abuse is costing your company follow this
formula: Multiply $6,600 (the average cost per year per substance abusing
employee) by 17 per cent of the number of your employees (the percentage of the
total workforce with a substance abuse problem). For example, if you have 65
employees, 17 per cent would be 11 workers. Multiply 11 by the average cost per
year, $6,600, and you get a total of $72,600 a year. Now ask yourself – can my
company afford to lose nearly $75,000 every year to a problem that I can have
some control over?

Text D
Dare to Say No (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
From the moment of birth we begin learning skills which enable us to
survive in a complex world. Unfortunately, today’s child is subject to many
stresses and is faced with many decisions long before coping skills and decision-
making skills have been developed. Lacking those skills, a child can make
unhealthy decisions under pressure from peers. Children must be taught the skills
to say “no” to alcohol and drugs.
Drugs and alcohol are everyone’s problem. No longer can we associate
substance abuse with only the criminal element of society. The devastating
consequences are evident throughout our society. Drugs and alcohol victimize each
and every person, even those who do not use them. Increased instances of violent
crimes, robbery, burglary and traffic accidents can be attributed to drug and
alcohol. In the work place, employers recognize drugs and alcohol in decreased
productivity, disciplinary problems, and absences due to illness.

71
 Some believe the solution to the substance abuse problem is to pass more
laws, employ more police officers, prosecutors and judges, and build more prisons.
The truth is that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. As long as society
demands drugs and is willing to pay whatever is necessary to get them there will
always be those who are willing to take risks to supply them. The only way to put
drug suppliers out of business is through the proper balance of enforcement and
education which results in increased risks and reduced profits for the suppliers. We
must try to reduce the demand for drugs by teaching children the knowledge and
skills needed to resist drugs. There are no quick solutions to our deeply rooted drug
problem. However, effective prevention programs, combined with vigorous
enforcement, will have a positive impact upon our drug problem. Effective
prevention instruction must focus on providing accurate information, coping and
decision-making skills, and positive alternatives to substance abuse. Scare tactics
that teach only the harms of drugs do not always work. Teens want to act grown
up. Many of them think that smoking, drinking and exotic drugs are their passport
to adulthood. We should attempt to teach teenagers what being grown up really
means – resisting peer pressure, making your own decisions, and learning to cope
with life’s problems in positive ways.
Thus we should focus on four major areas:
- providing accurate information about drugs and alcohol;
- teaching children decision-making skills;
- showing students how to resist peer pressure;
- providing children ideas for alternatives to drug use.
A variety of activities should be employed by instructors at schools, such as
group discussions and role playing. A healthy exchange of ideas and feelings is an
important part of the learning process.
Vocabulary Exercises
Ex. 1. Match the attribute (A) and the verb (B) on the left with nouns and
phrases on the right. Use each word only once.
A criminal crime
soft drug trade
72
 decision-making substance
illicit drugs
addictive skills
drug symptoms
drug-related offence
drug withdrawal abuse

B to increase the legalization of drugs

to legalize the profits of drug dealers
to rule out work performance
to contain drugs
to reduce to drugs
to affect in drugs
to deal by 20 per cent
to be linked a crisis
Ex. 2. Fill in the correct prepositions where necessary.
According … a study last year in North-West, 95 per cent of a sample …
young people convicted … criminal offences admitted … being or having been
drug-users. That was seen as good evidence … a growing link … drugs and crime.
The experts predict that the number of addicts may reach … 500,000 … the
end of the decade and the number of drug-related crime may go … …200,000.
An increase … the number of addicts shows that the measures taken … the
government are not sufficient. The experts believe that more money should be
spent … drug rehabilitation.

Ex. 3. Complete the following sentences with a word in the correct form from
the box below. Some words will be used more than once.
legalizer legal access addict to limit
drastically accessible to obtain legalization
soft hard

73
 Drug use has increased … among young teens in the past five years. They
think they are immune and can … their involvement to … drugs. That is a
delusion – like trying to be a little pregnant. The earlier and more frequently an
adolescent uses a … drug the more likely it is he will go on to the … drugs. This is
surely an argument for more vigilance, not less. … would jeopardize a whole
generation.
The … respond that if drugs were …, it would not increase the number of …,
since anyone who wants a drug can get it now. This does not square with the facts.
Drugs are not … at all. According to research, fewer than 50 per cent of high
school seniors and young adults under 22 believe that they could … cocaine “fairly
easily” or “very easily”. So, after …, you could double or triple the number of
people who would have … to drugs and who would assuredly use them – exactly
the history of alcohol when Prohibition ended.

Ex. 4. Use the words given in brackets to form a word that fits in the space
according to the meaning.
A. The argument of the (legalize) is that America has lost the drug war. No
matter how many fast boats, helicopters, and antinarcotics teams we have, (legal)
drugs use continues and so does the (crime) apparatus that supports the trade. If we
(legal) drugs at low prices the gangs and peddlers would be out of business and the
killing and extortions would (appear). In a democracy, in short, it is a mistake to
(criminal) the behaviour of so many people. It promotes crime and (weak) respect
for the rule of law.
There are many things amiss with this (analyze). The drug war is not being
lost. In 1980, some 25 million had tried drugs sometime in the preceding month.
Today that figure is 11 million. Why? Because of stricter drug laws, stronger
societal (approve), and an increased (aware) of the devastation drugs can produce.
B. In today’s world people seem to be very (anxiety), and suffer from stress.
This stress is often (harm) and some people need to seek medical (treat) in order to
recover. However, a more (effect) solution is for people to learn to relax. This can
be achieved through a (vary) of leisure (active) such as sport, reading, music or
74
even gardening. (Emphasise) is placed on people spending time doing things that
they enjoy, the ultimate aim being (relax). Unfortunately, some people find this
(possible) and therefore need to take drugs prescribed by their doctor. These drugs
are called (tranquil). They calm people down, but can be dangerous if taken for
long periods of time. Alternative methods are much (safety) and have no side
effects.

Ex. 5. Give the English equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Наркоторговля; контрабанда наркотиков; оказывать отрицательное воздейст-
вие на производительность труда; снижение производительности труда; вы-
ступать в защиту легализации наркотиков; объявить наркотики вне закона;
уголовное преступление; симптомы наркотической ломки; подвергаться
стрессу; уменьшить спрос на наркотики; большое количество невыходов на
работу; травмы, полученные на рабочем месте; противостоять нажиму со
стороны сверстников; исключить легализацию наркотиков; быть доступным.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

1. Некоторые политики придерживаются точки зрения, что и слабо- и сильно-
действующие наркотики должны быть в открытой продаже по доступным
ценам. 2. Существует мнение, что легализация продажи наркотиков будет спо-
собствовать уничтожению подпольного рынка наркотиков. 3. Связь между
преступностью и потреблением наркотиков становится все более очевидной.
4. 95% преступлений, совершенных молодыми людьми, связано с употребле-
нием наркотиков. 5. Наличие у человека слабодействующих наркотиков не
должно считаться преступлением. 6. За несколько последних лет количество
преступлений удвоилось (утроилось, увеличилось на 20%). 7. Большая часть
молодых людей, совершивших преступление, признали, что они употребляли
наркотики. 8. Автор статьи призвал к новому подходу к проблеме борьбы с
наркоманией. 9. В последнее время отмечается значительный рост употреб-
ления наркотиков и связанных с этим преступлений. 10. Большая часть поли-
тиков исключают возможность легализации наркотиков. 11. Если наркотики

75
станут доступными в законном порядке, число людей, принимающих нарко-
тики, увеличится. 12. Легализация наркотиков уменьшит прибыли нарко-
дельцов и соответственно число преступлений. 13. Министерство внутренних
дел Великобритании предлагает ввести пятикратное увеличение штрафов за
хранение марихуаны. 14. По некоторым оценкам, количество людей, упот-
ребляющих наркотики, увеличилось за последние годы на 10%. 15. По дан-
ным федерального правительства, производительность труда у работников,
употребляющих наркотики, в три раза ниже, чем у остальных работников.
16. Производственные потери вследствие злоупотребления наркотиками
эквивалентны 25% зарплаты каждого работника, употребляющего наркотики.
17. Дети могут принимать неправильные решения под нажимом своих
сверстников. 18. В случае легализации наркотиков количество людей,
потребляющих наркотики, может увеличиться в 2–3 раза.
SECTION III
MASS MEDIA
Unit 1. Newspapers
Key Vocabulary List

news report, news story, news bulletin

editorial, leader, feature article (e.g. about fashion or social trends),
interview, fact-finding / formal / exclusive / opinion interview
commentary, the letters page, review, preview, obituary, sports report, horoscope,
gossip column, cartoon, strip cartoon, comic strip, crossword, small add
headline, caption
statement, communiqué, press release
journal, magazine, colour supplement, comic
proprietor
advertising manager, circulation manager
editor-in-chief, news editor, makeup/technical editor, feature editor, picture editor,
sports editor, sub-editor
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reporter, resident correspondent, freelance journalist, cartoonist, gossip columnist
news, bit / item / piece of news
latest news, foreign / international / national / local news, political / business news
good / welcome news, bad news, breaking / shocking / startling / unexpected news
news spreads/ travels
to be in the news
big media / opinion press
local paper, national paper
quality paper / broadsheet
tabloid / popular paper
edition, monthly / weekly / daily / Sunday / evening / morning edition
to be published daily / weekly / monthly
mass circulation papers, small circulation papers
to have an average circulation of … million copies
to increase circulation by … copies a day
to have high / low sales
to subscribe to a newspaper, to be available on subscription
to come out
issue, the issue of July 15, today’s issue, yesterday’s issue
to cover events, to cover all topics and interests from … to …
to give a full coverage of (to) an event
extensive coverage of home and foreign or world news
prominence is given to … (coverage of world news, political and economic news,
sports coverage)
to forecast
topical question, to be of topical interest
to be aimed at the average/educated reader, to cater for
to highlight, to devote much space to, to concentrate on, to devote equal amounts of
attention to

77
to capture readers’ attention, to manipulate public opinion, to play on people’s
emotions, to appeal to the lowest level of public taste
to feature crime, sex and scandal
sensational / spicy stories
to separate news from opinion about the news
to have different political outlooks
to hold right-wing / left-wing views
to be liberal in one’s news
freedom of speech
libel, libellous, obscene
publicise, publicity
Text A The British Press
What is a medium? Well, in this context a medium is something, which gives
information to the public. Radio and television, for example, are media. So are
newspapers and magazines.

British people watch a lot of television. They are reported to be the world’s
most dedicated home-video users. But this does not mean they have given up
reading. They are the world’s third biggest newspaper buyers; only the Japanese
and the Swedes buy more.

The importance of the national press

Newspaper publication is dominated by the national press. Nearly 80% of all
households buy a copy of one of the main papers every day. There are more than
eighty local and regional papers; but the total circulation of all of them together is
much less than the combined circulation of the national dailies.
Most local papers do not appear on Sundays, so on that day the dominance
of the national press is absolute. The Sunday papers are called so because that is
the only day on which they appear. Some of them are sisters of a daily (published
by the same company) but employing separate editors and journalists.

78
 The morning newspaper is a British household institution; such an important
one that, until the laws were relaxed in the early 1990s, newsagents were the only
shops that were allowed to open on Sundays. People could not be expected to do
without their newspapers for even one day, especially a day when there was more
free time to read them. The Sunday papers sell slightly more copies than the
national dailies and are thicker. Some of them have six or more sections making up
a total of well over 200 pages.
Another indication of the importance of the papers is the morning paper
round. Most newsagents organize these, and more than half of the country’s
readers get their morning paper delivered to their door by a teenager who gets up at
around half-past five every day in order to earn a bit of extra pocket money.

The two types of national newspaper

Each of the national papers can be characterized as belonging to one of two
distinct categories. The “quality papers”, or “broadsheets”, cater for the better
educated readers. The “popular papers”, or “tabloids”, sell to a much larger
readership, as they focus more on sensation than real news. They contain far less
print than the broadsheets and far more pictures. They use larger headlines and
write in a simpler style of English. While the broadsheets devote much space to
politics and other “serious” news, the tabloids concentrate on “human interest”
stories, which often means sex and scandal!
However, the broadsheets do not completely ignore sex and scandal or any
other aspect of public life. Both types of paper devote equal amounts of attention
to sport. The difference between them is in the treatment of the topics they cover,
and in which topics are given the most prominence.
The reason that the quality newspapers are called broadsheets and the
popular ones tabloids is because they are different shapes. The broadsheets are
twice as large as the tabloids. It is a mystery why, in Britain, reading intelligent
papers should need highly-developed skills of paper-folding! But it certainly seems
to be the rule. In 1989 a new paper was published, the Sunday Correspondent,
advertising itself as the country’s first “quality tabloid”. It closed after one year.

79
The characteristics of the national press: politics
The way politics is presented in the national newspapers reflects the fact that
British political parties are essentially parliamentary organizations. Although
different papers have differing political outlooks, none of the large newspapers is
an organ of a political party. Many are often obviously in favour of the policies of
this or that party (and even more obviously against the policies of another party),
but none of them would ever use “we” or “us” to refer to a certain party.
What counts for the newspaper publishers is business. All of them are in the
business first and foremost to make money. Their primary concern is to sell as
many copies as possible and to attract as much advertising as possible. They
normally put selling copies ahead of political integrity. The abrupt turnabout in the
stance of the Scottish edition of the Sun in early 1991 is a good example. It had
previously, along with the Conservative party which it normally supports,
vigorously opposed any idea of Scottish independence or home rule; but when it
saw the opinion polls in early 1991 (and bearing in mind its comparatively low
sales in Scotland), it decided to change its mind completely.
The British press is controlled by a rather small number of extremely large
multinational companies. This fact helps to explain two notable features. One of
these is its freedom from interference from government influence, which is
virtually absolute. The press is so powerful in this respect that it is sometimes
referred to as “the fourth estate” (the other three being the Commons, the Lords
and the monarch). This freedom is ensured because there is a general feeling in the
country that “freedom of speech” is a basic constitutional right. A striking example
of the importance of freedom of speech occurred during the Second World War.
During this time, the country had a coalition government of Conservative and
Labour politicians, so that there was really no opposition in Parliament at all. At
one time, the cabinet wanted to use a special wartime regulation to temporarily ban
the Daily Mirror, which had been consistently critical of the government. The
Labour party, which until then had been completely loyal to the government,
immediately demanded a debate on the matter, and the other national papers,
although they disagreed with the opinions of the Mirror, all leapt to its defence and

80
opposed the ban. The government was forced to back down and the Mirror
continued to appear throughout the war.
Papers and politics
None of the big national newspapers “belong” to a political party, However, each
paper has an idea of what kind of reader it is appealing to and a fairly predictable
political outlook. Each can therefore be seen, rather simplistically, as occupying a
certain position on the right-left spectrum.
As you can see, the right seems to be heavily overrepresented in the national
press. This is not because such a large majority of British people hold right-wing
views. It is partly because the press tends to be owned by Conservative party
supporters. In any case, a large number of readers are not very interested in the
political coverage of a paper. They buy it for the sport, or the human interest
Tabloids

stories, or for some other reason.

LEFT CENTRE RIGHT

The Sun
The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mail

The Daily Express

Broadsheets

The Star

The Guardian The Daily Telegraph

The Independent

The Times

The Financial Times

Text B
The Daily Staff
The organisation of most newspaper publishing businesses has changed
considerably in recent years. Many jobs that used to be done by hand are now
81
done by machine, and there has been considerable unrest because a lot of
production workers have been made redundant. But the new technology cannot
gather the news or write the articles so the main responsibilities of the
journalistic staff remain the same.
Most newspapers are privately owned. The proprietor is the person who
owns the paper but in general the person who decides what should be printed
every day is the editor, an employee. He may write the main article, the
editorial, himself, but he has leader writers who specialise in writing this kind of
article to help him. The most famous newspapers in the world have resident
correspondents in different countries whose responsibility is to keep readers
informed of what is going on there. If you see an article that has been sent from
abroad, it is usually signed by the correspondent or headed “from our own
correspondent”.
Sub-editors are not the Editor’s personal assistants but people whose job is
to cut and edit articles so they will fit into the space available. It is also a sub-
editor’s job to write the headlines. If you read an article where the headline
contradicts the text, it means that the sub-editor did not read it carefully enough.
Newspapers also employ a number of other editors who are in charge of
different sections that appear regularly. The Features Editor, for example,
commissions articles from experts on subjects of general interest. These are often
written by freelance journalists, journalists who work for themselves and sell
their stories to the highest bidder. The Sports Editor is the person who decides
which sporting events interest the public most and sends reporters to report on
them.
Finally, there are the people who provide the entertainment in newspapers.
There are cartoonists who draw political cartoons based on the day’s news and
others who draw comic strips. Gossip columnists are employed to interview film
stars, pop stars and those strange people who have nothing else to do but go to
parties and whose main interest seems to be to have their picture taken sitting
next to someone famous. Curiously enough, the person whose work contributes
82
most to the financial success of the newspaper is not a journalist at all. A
successful newspaper relies on advertisements to pay three-quarters of its
production costs. So the advertising manager becomes vitally important. Of
course this is a simplification. People buy a newspaper because they like the
way it presents the news and advertisers place advertisements to reach the public
they are aiming at. The circulation manager is the person who must ensure that
the readership figures are high so that the advertising manager will be able to
attract advertisements.

Answer the following questions about the text.

1. What changes took place in the organization of most newspaper publishing
businesses?
2. Name the journalistic staff mentioned in the text and describe their
responsibilities.

Text C
Press Council’s 16-point Code of Practice
The Press Council's 16-point code of practice sets out stringent standards of
journalistic behaviour for newspapers and magazines, following criticism of the
standards of the press from the public and politicians.
It is the first time the Council has brought together in written form its
adjudications over the years, and was drawn up with the co-operation of national
and regional newspapers and magazines as part of the Press Council's working and
functions.
The code follows the decision by national newspapers to publish their own
code of conduct and appoint readers’ representatives to handle complaints.
The Press Council's code is more wide ranging than the editors code
but does not contradict it.
The code also says that newspapers, periodicals, and journalists have a duty
to defend the freedom of the press in the interests of the public, and to resist
censorship.
83
1. Accuracy. It is the duty of newspapers not to publish deliberately or
carelessly inaccuracies or statements designed to mislead, and to correct
promptly and with due prominence significant inaccuracies which they have
published, or misleading statements, for which they are responsible,
apologizing for these where appropriate.
2. Opportunity to reply. It is the duty of newspapers to allow a fair opportunity
for reply when reasonably called for.
3. Privacy. Publishing material or making inquiries about the private lives of
individuals without their consent is not acceptable unless these are in the
public interest overriding the right of privacy. The Press Council's
Declaration of Principle on Privacy should be observed.
4. Comment and fact. Newspapers are free to be partisan but they should
distinguish between comment and fact. Conjecture should not be elevated into
statements of fact.
5. Subterfuge. Newspapers and journalists serving them should use
straightforward means to obtain information or pictures. Their use of
subterfuge can be justified only to obtain material which ought to be
published in the public interest and which could not be obtained by other
means.
6. Payments for articles. Payments or offers of payment for stories, pictures or
information should not be made to witnesses or potential witnesses in current
criminal proceedings or to people engaged in crime or their associates except
where the material concerned ought to be published in the public interest,
and the payment is necessary to enable this. The Press Council's Declaration of
principle on Payment for Articles should be observed.
7. Intruding into grief. Newspapers and journalists serving them should in
general avoid intruding into personal grief. Inquiries should be carried out with
sympathy and discretion.
8. Innocent relatives. Newspapers should exercise care and discretion before
identifying relatives of persons convicted or accused of crime where the
84
 reference to them is not directly relevant to the matter reported.
9. Interviewing children. Journalists should not normally interview a child
under the age of 16 in the absence of, or without the consent of, a parent or
other adult responsible for the child.
10. Children in sex cases. Save in exceptional circumstances newspapers should
not, even where the law permits it, identify children under the age of 16 as
victims, witnesses, or defendants involved in cases concerning sexual offences.
11. Rape victims. Newspapers should not identify victims of rape, or publish
material likely to contribute to such identification.
12. Pictures. Newspapers should refrain from publishing pictures which needlessly
exacerbate grief or cause distress.
13. Race and colour. Newspapers should not publish material likely to encourage
discrimination on grounds of race or colour and newspapers should avoid
reference to people’s race or colour in prejudicial or pejorative contexts unless
they are directly relevant to the story.
14. Financial journalism. Journalists should not use for their own profit financial
information they receive in advance of its general publication. The Press
Council’s Declaration of Principle on Financial Journalism should be observed.
15. Hospitals. Journalists making inquiries at hospitals or similar institutions
should identify themselves to a responsible official before entering, except in
very rare cases where information, which ought to be disclosed could not
otherwise be obtained.
16. Confidential sources. Journalists have an obligation to protect confidential
sources of information.

Text D
Newspaper Headlines
The writing of headlines and titles requires a very specific skill. The two
functions of headlines, informing the reader and capturing his attention, are often
in conflict. The length of a text and the spread, i.e., whether it occupies one or
several columns widths, determines the type of headline. The more important the
85
item, the broader the spread of the headline, although this is limited by the general
editorial policy of the paper.
Headlines have their own syntax, which is basically a shortening process.
Articles and prepositions are omitted or reduced to a minimum, verbs appear as
infinitives or particles, and it is often difficult to differentiate between the real
subject and object of the statement made by the headline. In the headline “Firemen
clamp down”, it is not clear whether this is a clamp down on the firemen, or
whether the firemen are clamping down. Headlines can summarise the main
information, e.g. “Databank bill on Tuesday”, or, “Butchers reminded of Law on
Sausages”; this type is most common in law reporting. They may, however, only
stimulate our curiosity – “Manxman Creates Pink Eggs in U.S.” An alternative in
the Daily Mirror was “Oh, Mr. Porter, We are Proud of You!” Some headlines are
deliberately ambiguous, e.g., that of a ballet review entitled “A Little More Style”
may be read as a positive or a negative statement.
Answer the questions about the text.
1. What are the two functions of headlines?
2. What are grammatical, lexical and stylistic peculiarities of headlines?
The exercises below demonstrate some peculiarities of newspaper headlines in
English.
NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
Ex. 1. Certain words are found in newspaper headlines sometimes with a different
meaning from that of their normal use. For each of the following “headline words”
on the left, find an item on the right with the same meaning (it will help you look at
the headlines in exercises 2 and 3 below).
A AXE DRAMA
BAFFLED ENVOY
BID HIT
BLAST LEAK
BLAZE LIFT
CALL POLL
CLASH PROBE
CURB QUIT
86
 QUIZ
RAP
RIDDLE
SEEK
SLASH
SPLIT
STORM
TOLL
WED
WOO

a) fire
b) close down, dismiss (usually for economic reasons)
c) conflict, disagree(ment), fight, fighting
d) diplomat, ambassador
e) to escape, escape (of secret information)
f) exciting or dramatic event
g) attempt
h) explosion
i) affect badly
j) remove (restrictions, prohibitions)
k) vote, election, public opinion survey
l) reduce, reduction, limit
m)investigate, investigation
n) criticise, reprimand
o) leave, depart, resign
p) at a loss to explain, mystified
q) attract, interest, win the support of
r) divide, division
s) look for, want, ask for
t) mystery
u) marry
v) angry argument
w) total number of dead

87
x) to demand, to appeal, demand, appeal
y) question, interrogate, interview
z) reduce drastically
B BAN
BID
FLEE
FOIL
HALT
MOVE
PLEA
OUST
C CHIEF
HAUL
GAG
GEMS
RIG
SWOOP
RESHUFFLE
a) to prevent
b) strong request, call for help, appeal
c) to stop
d) to force out of office, remove from high position
e) to prohibit, prohibition
f) to try to attract
g) run away from, escape
h) action, step, to take action
a) jewels
b) to falsify
c) to rearrange, rearrangement (of senior jobs)
d) raid, to raid
88
e) director, high-ranking officer or official
f) goods stolen in robbery or taken by police or customs
g) to silence, censor, censorship

Ex. 2. In headlines certain words are used very often because they are short and
sound dramatic. Some of these words are not common in ordinary language or are
used in a different sense. Headlines also omit certain words (a, the, some, be, been
etc.) and use colloquial expressions, abbreviations and different verb tenses. Explain
the following headlines in simple English.
A e.g. UK TO SEND MORE AID TO GHANA
The United Kingdom is going to send more help to Ghana
e.g. STAR TO WED
A film star is going to get married.
1. ARMY AXES 3 BASES 2,000 MEN
2. BID TO REACH NORTH POLE FAILS
3. HOTEL BLAST KILLS 8
4. ANIMALS DIE IN ZOO BLAZE
5. US, USSR CLASH OVER ARMS CURBS
6. 3 SAVED IN FLATS BLAZE DRAMA
7. ENVOY ACCUSED OF SPYING
8. TOURISTS HIT BY PILOTS’ STRIKE
9. PM ANNOUNCES MARCH POLL
10. POLICE PROBE MISSING WOMAN RIDDLE
11. TOP SCIENTIST QUITS UK FOR US
12. 3 QUIZZED OVER BOY’S KIDNAP
13. FILM STAR SEEKS DIVORCE
14. AIR FARES SLASHED TO WOO HOLIDAY MAKERS
15. STORM AT UN OVER “SPIES” ACCUSATION
16. EARTHQUAKE TOLL REACHES 27
17. ACTOR TO WED FOR FIFTH TIME
18. CABINET LEAK: CALL FOR PROBE
89
19. EU SPLIT OVER LIFTING OF TRAVEL CURBS
20. DEAD ENVOY RIDDLE: YARD BAFFLED
21. PM RAPS BBC IN JOBS AXE STORM
B
1. EDITORS URGE END TO PRESS GAG
2. INDIA SEEKS US AID
3. GEM SMUGGLERS CAUGHT IN PORT SWOOP
4. BANK RAID CASH HAUL FOUND: 3 CHARGED
5. HEAD QUITS OVER “RIGGED” EXAM RESULTS
6. RAIL CHIEFS RESHUFFLED AFTER BIG LOSSES
7. GOVT DEFEATED IN POLL DRAMA
8. PEER DIES IN FLATS BLAZE DRAMA
9. BLAST TOLL RISING: WITNESSES SOUGHT
10. COMMONS STORM OVER DEFENCE CUTS
11. M-WAY DEATH CRASH: BRITON HELD

Ex. 3. For each of the following headlines find the sentence below which
expresses it as it would appear in an ordinary news announcement.
“POLLS RIGGED” CHARGES
TWO SOUGHT AFTER BREAK-OUT DRAMA
CABINET RESHUFFLE URGED
SERVICE CHIEFS GAGGED: TWO QUIT
GEMS HAUL SEIZED IN SWOOP
1. Allegations have been made that election results were falsified.
2. Police raided a house today and took possession of jewellery stolen in a recent
robbery.
3. Police are hunting two men who made a daring escape from prison by
helicopter.
4. Senior officers of the armed forces have been instructed not to talk to the media
and as a result, two of them have resigned.
90
5. Strong appeals have been made to the Prime Minister to make changes in his
ministers.

Ex. 4. Make brief headlines from the following news stories.

1. Eighteen people were killed when the army tried to overthrow the government
2. A leading diplomat has been mysteriously murdered.
3. The Prime Minister is trying to win the support of the coal miners’ trade unions.
4. The director of British Petroleum has been forced to resign.
5. A Member of Parliament was questioned by the police in an investigation into
the use of illegal drugs.

ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviations are a common part of language. We use many of them in spoken
English, pronouncing them either as initials (BBC, EEC, FBI) or sometimes as
complete words in themselves (NATO, OPEC). Some abbreviations are used only
in the written form (Bros, St, Esq) and other abbreviations represent the original
Latin or occasionally French or Italian words and are spoken quite differently from
their written form (lb, oz).
Ex. 5. Put each of the following abbreviations in its correct place in the sentences
below. The full version of each abbreviation is given at the end of the exercise.
A
AA BBC C of E ITV MI5 OHMS BA BR M4
NSPCC RSPCA in oz c/o ft lb Rd Esq
1. Non-commercial radio and television in Britain is controlled by the … .
2. The … investigates cases of cruelty to children.
3. The … protects and cares for animals.
4. The … is the biggest organization for motorists in Britain.
5. If asked which church they belonged to, most English people would say … .
6. … is the main British state security organization, responsible for acting against
foreign espionage.
7. … operates the railway system in Britain.
8. Letters from government offices usually have the initials … on the envelopes.
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9. The first degree in an arts subject from a British university is the … .
10. Most people enjoy watching the commercials (advertisements) between …
programmes.
11. The weight of the parcel was 3 … 10 … .
12. The length of the room is 22 … 6 … .
13. John C Carter … ,
… Mr. and Mrs. R. Waters,
21 Feltham … ,
London SW6.
14. The … runs from London to the south-west of England.
Automobile Association Military Intelligence Department № 5
British Broadcasting Corporation On Her Majesty’s Service
British Rail ounce(s) (1 oz = 28.35 g)
care of pound(s) (1 lb = 0/454 kg)
Church of England Road
foot/feet (1ft = 0.3048 m) inch(es) (1 in = 2.54 cm)
Bachelor of Arts National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Independent Television Esquire (formal title for a man used in addresses)
Motorway № 4 Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

CIA FBI OPEC UK USA NATO UN

1. The … was set up in 1945 to keep world peace and help international co-
operation.
2. Most countries which export oil belong to … .
3. The American … works, normally secretly, to collect information about other
countries.
4. … is a military alliance of the USA, Canada, and most West European
countries, Greece and Turkey.
5. The … investigates crime in America.
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6. There are fifty states in the … .
7. The … consists of Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, The Channel
Islands and the Isle of Man) and Northern Ireland.

Central Intelligence Agency United Kingdom

Federal Bureau of Investigation United Nations
North Atlantic Treaty Organization United States of America
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
C

AD PTO °F PS St v BC Bros °C RSVP NB No

1. – I didn’t know anything was written on the other side of the page.
– Why didn’t you write … at the bottom?
2. INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL. ENGLAND … SPAIN.
3. The address of the firm was written as, “Johnson … 82 East Dock … , London
E5.”
4. The Roman general, Julius Caesar, came to Britain over 2,000 years ago in 55
….
5. Candidates in this exam must answer question … 1 and any two others.
… Answers must be written in pen, not pencil.
6. The summer temperature in Britain rises to about 80 … , that’s about 27 … .
7. That house is more than 100 years old. It has “… 1877” on the wall.
8. The wedding invitation had … written on it, so I replied at once.
9. After finishing the letter to his parents, he thought for a moment and then added
“… Please send more money.”

Anno Domini (in the year of our Lord) Number

Before Christ Please Turn Over
Brothers Postscript
degrees Celsius or centigrade Répondez s’il vous plaît (please reply)
degrees Fahrenheit Street
Nota Bene (note carefully) versus (against)
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 Vocabulary Exercises

Ex. 1. Below are 18 typical extracts from different parts of a newspaper.

Identify each one with one of the following words or phrases.
obituary football report television preview headline horoscope
gardening tips gossip column auction report travel and holidays
new car report caption parliamentary report editorial recipe

1. The word is that Clinton Ross, 32, playboy son of US steel billionaire Dwight
Ross, has left his girlfriend, actress Lee-Ann Van Post, 26, and is now in
Europe.
2. Prince Edward (left) enjoys a joke with actor Sam Cool (centre).
3. PREMIER TO PROBE RIDDLE OF “SPIES IN MINISTRY”
4. He received a number of international literary awards, culminating in the
Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. He leaves a widow and two sons.
5. Today is good day to do business but a bad one for romance. Don’t take
members of the opposite sex too seriously today.
6. Our front page today gives details of the government’s new economic
proposals. Our readers may think, as we do, that these measures are too little
and too late. We say to the government, not for the first time, it is time …
7. Mix two egg yolks with butter in a frying-pan over a low gas. Add sugar and
then …
8. A pair of silver George II candlesticks fetched £17,000. Bidding was slow for
Victorian oil paintings but a landscape by Somers went for £55,000.
9. Robson equalized with a header from five yards just before the half-time
whistle.
10. The cheapest bucket-shop air-return to Hong Kong is now about £480 and
Hong Kong is a good base to visit Macao, China and Taiwan. The best season
is …

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11. Mr Richard Caulder (West Hull, Labour) asked if the Minister of transport
could inform MPs of train-fate concessions for pensioners. However, the
Speaker declared that …
12. Now is the time to plant roses. Put trees in at least 2’ apart, and cover roots
with 6” of soil.
13. A hard-hitting documentary series starts tonight at 10 p.m. Viewers might be
shocked at scenes of …
14. Road holding and fuel consumption are good but otherwise the performance
lacks zip.
B

an abbreviation a draft a manual a royalty a sponsor

an editorial a preface a rumour a viewer a circular

1. An article stating the policy of a newspaper.

2. Unofficial news which may have no basis in fact.
3. The introduction to a book written by the author.
4. A company which pays for a broadcast in return for advertising.
5. The payment made to an author for the number of books sold.
6. A book containing instructions for doing or using something.
7. The first version of piece of writing.
8. A shorter way of writing a common phrase.
9. A leaflet delivered free to a large number of people.
10. A person who watches television.

Ex. 2. Choose the most suitable word in italics.

1. Before the attack, planes dropped brochures/leaflets warning people to take
cover.
2. We do not have the book in stock. It is off the shelf/out of print.
3. “Words” is the official journal/magazine of the Linguistics Association.
4. “The Sunday News” has the highest circulation/output of any newspaper in
Britain.

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 5. They are bringing out Sue’s book in a new edition/publication soon.
6. Are books subject to banning/censorship in your country?
7. Ted is in charge of the stationary/stationery cupboard in the office.
8. This page looks very crowded and I don’t like the outline/layout.
9. Mass circulation newspapers usually specialize in rumour/sensational stories.
10. Don’t include all the details. Just write a summary/version of what happened.

Ex. 3. Complete the sentences by using the following words. Use each word
once only.
A
caption cartoon circulation comic strip crossword
editorial feature gossip column headline horoscope
obituary preview review supplement tabloid
1. The … at the top of the page said “TALKS FAIL”.
2. The newspaper has increased its … by 5,000 copies a day.
3. He was unhappy at some of the comments in the … of his latest film.
4. I always turn to the … first. I love reading about the private lives of famous
people.
5. I like the … they’ve put below this picture.
6. I prefer a … newspaper because it’s a more convenient size.
7. They did a full-page special … on poverty in inner city areas.
8. She drew the political … on the front page.
9. I must read my … to see if I’m going to have a good day.
10. The critics went to a special … of the musical, which opens next week.
11. In his … it said he died of a heart attack.
12. The guide to the air show came as a free … to the local newspaper.
13. I only need one more word to complete the … .
14. If there’s an exciting … , people will keep buying the newspaper to see what
happens next.
15. There was a short but effective … giving the newspaper’s opinion of the new
defence policy.
B
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Bban claim forecast media publish novel
bulletin brochure cover edition publicise manual

1. Over a hundred journalists will … the royal wedding next week.

2. The government has decided to … the sale of this book.
3. Both articles … that the economy will recover by the end of the year.
4. Both newspapers … to be the first to have learned the news.
5. The company has decided to … only paperbacks from now on.
6. Read the instruction … before using your new word-processor.
7. David Copperfield is an autobiographical … .
8. This is a party political … on behalf of the Always Right Party.
9. What time is the next news … ?
10. A first … of this book is worth a fortune.
11. The mass … in most countries are dominated by advertising.
12. I spent all of yesterday evening looking at this holiday … .
C
cartoons editorials circulation censorship sensational headlines
views advertising gossip columns news agencies reviews
entertainment correspondents

A newspaper makes its money from the price people pay for it and also from the
(1) … it carries. A popular newspaper with a (2) … of over five million daily
makes a lot of money. Less serious newspapers are probably read just for (3) …
They have big (4) … above the news stories, funny (5) … to look at and (6) …
photos of violence. The (7) … are full of stories of the private lives of famous
people. No one takes the political (8) … of such papers very seriously. On the
other hand, in a free country where there is no (9) … , serious newspapers are
read principally for their news, sent to them by their (10) … round the world and
by the big (11) … . People also read these newspapers for their (12) … of new
books, films and plays and for their (13) … , which represent the opinion of the
newspaper itself about the important events and issues of the moment.

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Ex. 4. Write the missing words in the sentences below.
1. There was a large … on the front page which said EARTHQUAKE SHAKES
TOKYO.
2. Editors usually think very carefully about what … to write under a photograph,
showing the speech of the characters in the story.
3. A … is a set of drawings telling a story, often humorous. There are usually
words showing the speech of the characters in the story.
4. Many Sunday newspapers include free a special magazine to read called a … .
5. An … is a piece of writing about the character and achievements of someone
who has just died.
6. There was a very interesting … today, giving the newspaper’s opinion of the
government’s new plans for the health service.
7. I prefer reading … newspapers as they are smaller and easier to handle.
Reading newspapers like The Times makes my arms ache after a while.
8. The new television series got a very bad … in today’s newspaper. It was
described as “the worst series the BBC has ever made”.

Ex. 5. Give the English equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Передовая или редакционная статья; газетная статья; коммюнике; официаль-
ное заявление; сообщение для прессы; отдел светской хроники (в газетах);
некролог; обзор событий этого года; попасть на страницы газет; приятные
новости; ошеломляющие известия; бульварная газета; предварительный (за-
крытый) просмотр; клеветническая статья; тираж газеты; газета с большим
тиражом; формировать общественное мнение; подписаться на газету/журнал;
освещать события; публиковать подробную информацию о событиях в
стране и в мире; уделять особое внимание экономическим и политическим
новостям; номер газеты за 6 мая; подлежать цензуре; свежий номер газеты;
главный редактор; заместитель редактора; редактор отдела информации;
технический редактор; художественный редактор; злободневный вопрос;
информационное интервью; официальное интервью; эксклюзивное
интервью; интервью-мнение; опрос.

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Ex. 6. Translate into English.
1. Газета «Санди Ньюз» выходит в Великобритании самым большим тира-
жом. 2. Более ста журналистов будут освещать в прессе визит королевы
Великобритании в Австралию. 3. В погоне за увеличением тиражей газеты
часто публикуют сенсационные и скандальные истории. 4. Тираж газеты
увеличился за последнее время на 10%. 5. Мне нужен вчерашний номер газеты
«Таймс». 6. Эта статья была опубликована в номере газеты за 5 октября. 7. Все
издаваемые в этой стране книги подлежат цензуре. 8. Эта газета приобрела
популярность благодаря освещению политических и экономических проблем
во всем мире. 9. Независимо от того, как эта история будет освещаться в
прессе, скандала не избежать.
Janet Wins Battle of the Bras
Pretty Janet Lindley won a court-room tussle over her bras yesterday. Two
High Court judges cleared Janet of assaulting a policewoman who tried to strip her.
They ruled that magistrates boobed when they fined her £ 50.
Student Janet’s bust-up with the law started when she was arrested for being
drunk in a street two years ago. She was taken to Exeter police station where WPL
Irene Fry tried to remove her bras “in case she tried to hang herself”. Janet, 29, of
Clifton Hill, Exeter, scratched and kicked the officer in the struggle, it was alleged.
After yesterday’s hearing, Janet said: “Thank Got it’s all over.” “I felt
strongly about the police attempt to remove my bras. There were policemen
present. You just don’t humiliate people like that.” “When I was arrested, I had
been celebrating my birthday.” “I think it was petty to bring an assault charge over
an incident like this.”
Lord Justice Donaldson and Mr. Justice Mustill said they will give full
judgement later, setting out guidelines on police rights. Police claimed the case
was an important test of their right to search prisoners.
Woman Wins Appeal over Struggle with Police Officer

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 Janet Lindley, aged 29, a student who was involved in a struggle with a
police-woman who tried to remove her brassiere, won her appeal in the High Court
yesterday against a conviction for assault.
The Court upheld her plea that magistrates at Exeter were wrong in finding
her guilty of assaulting woman police-constable Fry in the execution of her duty.
Her appeal to the Queen’s Bench Divisional Court was regarded by the
police as an important test case on their right to search prisoner.
Lord Justice Donaldson and Mr. Justice Mustill said they would quash Miss
Lindley’s conviction and give a full judgement at a later date, setting out
guidelines on the scope of police rights.
Miss Lindley, of Clifton Hill, Exeter, was arrested accused of being drunk
and disorderly. She was alleged to have scratched and kicked WP-c Fry during a
struggle after the officer tried to remove her brassiere for her own protection, in
case she tried to hang herself with it.
Unit 2. Radio and Television
Key Vocabulary List

TV or radio programme
broadcast, political / educational / news broadcast
documentary, docudrama, infotainment, news bulletin, current affairs programmes,
running commentary
show, quiz show, talk / chat show, game show, variety show
sports programmes, music programmes, weather forecast, news coverage
soap opera, sitcom
clip, serial, episode
commercial break / spot / slot, commercials for (food)
to appear at quarter-hour periods
a TV crew: a reporter, a correspondent, a television journalist, a newsreader / TV
presenter, an anchor, an anchorwoman, a news gatherer, a camera operator, a disk
jockey (DJ)
to present a programme, to run a programme, locally-run programme
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to host a programme / a show, a programme host
to have state subsidy
to be financed through advertising / by TV licence fees / by annual charge on
viewers / by compulsory annual payments / by trading activities / by selling price
to a reader
to sponsor programmes
to be on (the) air, to go on (the) air
to broadcast nationwide
to be biased / unbiased, to be impartial, impartiality
to present news efficiently, interestingly and without bias;
to have a (high) reputation for objectivity
to give a false impression of smth
hype, to be hyped up by the media
fair / balanced reporting
to develop a theme in depth
to set forth one’s arguments
to have influence on the content of the programmes
viewing time, viewers, viewing habits
to highlight, to be in the spotlight
to reflect the cultural mix of society
to cater for minority tastes
popular viewing time/ hours, prime-time/ peak-time/ slot
prime-time programmes
ratings, ratings battles/ ratings wars, ratings lists, to head the ratings lists
to be broadcast live, to do smth live, a live broadcast, a live interview
to be recorded for broadcast later
footage of an event, dramatic footage
to be free from state control
to tune in, to receive/ pick up broadcasts, to switch to a channel
vox-pop interview, talking heads
photogenic/ telegenic
privacy, invasion of privacy, breach of privacy
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intrusive reporting
paparazzo/ paparazzi pl
doorstepping
bug, bugging
to make notes in shorthand

Text A
Radio and Television in Britain
Radio
When the spread of radio began, the British were quick to agree on certain
principles. Unlike the press, it should not be financed, even partially, through
commercial advertising; but its programmes should be free from state control, and
should therefore have no state subsidy. The British Broadcasting Corporation
(BBC) was set up, given the monopoly of radio broadcasting, and financed by
compulsory annual payments. The Minister in charge of Posts and
Telecommunications appoints the BBC’s Board of Governors and its chairman.
The Director-General and staff are appointed on grounds of qualifications and
experience, always in such a way as to ensure that there is the least possible ground
for allegations of partisanship or bias.
On sound the BBC runs four programmes: “1” for pop music, “2” for light
entertainment, “3” for minority interests, including music. For part of the day it is
used for the academic courses of the Open University. The main programme for
news, comment and discussion is BBC Radio 4, which (unlike the others) is split
into separate regional programmes for part of the day. Radio 5 is largely given
over to sports coverage and news. There are also locally-run BBC programmes
such as radio Bristol, and, since 1973, some local commercial sound broadcasting
stations, with mainly music and news. The BBC World Service is listened to
throughout the world and has a high reputation for objectivity.

Television

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There are four television channels in Britain. The British Broadcasting Corporation
has two channels: BBC1 and BBC2. Independent Television has two channels:
ITV and Channel 4.
ITV has a regional network and each region is run by a different company, so some
TV programmes may differ from region to region.
British television’s first channel was run by the BBC, financed by an annual
charge on viewers and without advertising. In 1963 a second, wholly commercial
channel was allowed to start up, and by 1982 there were four channels, two BBC
and two commercial, with the new commercial Channel 4 giving some time to
minority interests, and with a Welsh language channel covering Wales. With the
start of two early morning news and comment programmes in 1983, television was
running for 16 to 18 hours each day, and received by 97 per cent of all households.
BBC Television’s first channel resembles the fourth radio programme.
Except for the short period when it splits into regions, it broadcasts the same news,
comment, plays, sports reports, etc., nationwide – though many of its nationwide
items are produced by one or another of the regions. The second channel
sometimes caters for minority tastes, including occasionally a complete opera. It
broadcasts Open University courses outside popular viewing hours.
Commercial television is financed by advertising. Advertisers’ material
appears for one or two minutes at quarter-hour intervals, either between
programme-items or in so-called “natural breaks”. The advertisers do not sponsor
the programmes or have any direct influence on their content. However, the charge
for each half-minute of time is high, and varies according to the likely number of
viewers. The programme companies’ financial success depends on their ability to
attract viewers, and the programmes themselves inevitably reflect public tastes.
Programmes on ITV are generally light in character. The News at ten is amongst
the most widely watched programmes on British TV. Channel 4 generally caters
for minority groups in the community reflecting the cultural mix of British society:
it is also good for jazz and rock and serious discussion programmes. The BBC in

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its turn does not like to be humiliated by loss of viewers to independent television,
so it has to compete on the same level.
The fears expressed by serious journalists, educators, etc. about the
introduction of a commercial element have been only partly realised. One effect of
competition is that at one time the viewer can choose between BBC’s western film
and the ITV’s western film, at another time between two rival commentators on the
same sporting event.
All four channels produce a good mixture of miscellaneous entertainment,
music, drama and serious discussion. All succeed in presenting news efficiently,
interestingly and without bias. Soap operas (long-running popular serials) such as
“Eastenders” (life in cockney London) and “Dynasty” and “Dallas” always head
the ratings lists. Comedies and sport usually come second along with the News at
Ten. There are numerous discussion programmes allowing the clash of opposing
points of view. One common complaint is of triviality. Because the public can so
easily be bored, programmes of political argument and discussion rarely allow
anyone to develop any theme in depth. Programmes for schools are used
extensively by teachers, and other programmes have a clearly educational purpose.
All broadcasting observes riding rules about impartiality. The two major
parties have equal time for their own broadcasts. All political discussions balance
the opposing views against one another.

Answer the following questions about the text.

1. What are the main principles according to which radio in Britain is organized?
2. What are the sources of the BBC World Service financing?
3. Who has the right to appoint the BBC’s Board of Governors and its chairman?
4. On what grounds are the Director-General and staff appointed?
5. What programmes does the BBC run on sound?
6. What are the main television channels in Britain?
7. What is the difference in financing of the BBC channels if compared with the
commercial ones?
8. What do the BBC channels and Independent Television channels broadcast?
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9. What are the main principles, which govern Independent Television?
10. What do you think the advantages and disadvantages of tough competition
between the BBC and commercial channels are?

Text B
The Rating Battle
There is, of course, a lot of competition between broadcasting organizations. Most
TV and radio networks want to increase the expense of other networks.
Good ratings are especially important during prime-time or peak-time, the
time of day, or slot, when most people watch TV. Slot also means any short period
in broadcasting reserved for a specific purpose.
High audience figures attract more advertising breaks between programmes.
Commercials are also known as spots.
The media often talk about ratings battles or ratings wars between networks
when discussing competition in the industry.

Answer the following questions about the text.

1. What is meant by “ratings” in the text?
2. Why do you think the competition between broadcasting organizations for
“prime-time” or “peak-time” is so tough?
3. What is meant by “rating battles” or “ratings wars”?

Text C
Celebrities, as well as more ordinary people, complain about invasion of privacy or
a breach of privacy when they feel their private lives are being examined too
closely.
They complain about intrusive reporting techniques like the use of paparazzi,
photographers with long-lens cameras who take pictures without the subject’s
knowledge or permission. Other intrusive methods include doorstepping, waiting
outside someone’s house or office with microphone and camera in order to
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question them, and secretly recording conversations by bugging rooms with hidden
microphones, or bugs.

Answer the following questions using as many words and word combinations
from the text as possible. Think of your own examples to justify your
decisions.
1. How far do you agree with the journalists who to justify a breach of privacy say
that in their work they are guided mainly by the public’s right to know?
2. What are the possible ways to curb the press over intrusion into private lives?
3. How far is it justified to limit press freedom to report on people’s private lives?

Text D
Soap Operas
In the 1930s, when radio was still in its infancy, broadcasting stations in the
USA wondered what type of programmes they should put on during the daytime.
They came up with the idea of producing serials that would be on the radio every
afternoon telling a continuous story. To keep the listeners’ interest, there would be
far more crises occurring than in real life. Knowing that the majority of the
audience would be women, the broadcasters decided that the women in the serials
would be strong characters and the men weak. The serials were an instant success
with listeners. As the radio stations were paid for by advertising, these programmes
always carried advertisements and, since one of the most frequently advertised
products was soap, the programmes became known as soaps or soap operas.
It was really by chance that the soap opera appeared in Britain. The BBC
(British Broadcasting Corporation) had no interest in producing this type of
programmes but during the Second World War it was thought that the Americans
should be shown how well the British people were standing up to the war. For this
reason, a soap opera was written for North American service of the BBC; it was
called Front Line Family and showed how a typical English family, the Robinsons,
were living during the war. Some people in Britain managed to hear the
programme and asked for it to be broadcast for the British audience. The BBC
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were unwilling to do this but finally agreed and broadcast the programme in
Britain, but changed the name to the Robinsons. The programme ran for six years.
Other soaps were introduced later, one telling the life of a doctor’s family
and another, The Archers, about life in a country village. The original aim of The
Archers was to inform farmers of new developments in agriculture. The serial
began in 1951 and is still to be heard every week.
Some attempts at soap opera began to appear on television in Britain in the
mid-1950s but it was not until 1961 that the first real soap opera appeared. This
was shown, not by the BBC, but by commercial television. The serial, called
Coronation Street was about lives of people living in a working-class street near
Manchester. Although the serial was planned to run for only thirteen weeks, it is
still to be seen several nights every week and almost every week has more viewers
than any other programme on British television.
The BBC never managed to produce a really successful soap opera until
1984 when it introduced Eastenders. This programme is about life in an area of the
east end of London. For a time it had more viewers than Coronation Street and still
rivals it as the most popular programme on British television. There is a major
difference between the two programmes in that Eastenders concentrates on often
rather depressing realism whilst Coronation Street, although having serious
storylines, always contains a strong element of comedy.
Vocabulary Exercises
Ex. 1. Translate the word combinations in bold type into Russian.
1. After waiting weeks for a day when it would get maximum media exposure, the
Labour Party launched its new policies for industry on February 25 just as the
Gulf War got going.
2. The trial of Bruno Hauptmann for the 1932 kidnapping of aviator Charles
Lindbergh’s baby attracted media attention unlike anything before.
3. The government has been particularly annoyed at the involvement of the
French state in what they are calling a hostile media campaign.

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4. Black had set his heart on the “News”, which he saw as a key part of his plan to
build a worldwide media empire.
5. The thought of a quiet ceremony and a small dinner party to follow is
becoming more attractive to stars as they watch publicised marriages like
Elizabeth Taylor’s being transformed into a media circus.
6. The director of the campaign for the homeless said yesterday’s government
announcement is no substitute for a proper national housing policy. “We were
quite upset about the amount of attention this announcement was given, and the
amount of media hype that went on around it. Actually there was no new
money and it was a new initiative.”
7. Those people ought to be our priority. I don’t think they would be best pleased
to hear this domestic squabble about the leadership of the Conservative Party
being hyped up by the media at this sort of time.
8. Reporters were kept away from the group when they arrived from Nairobi amid
fears that any media coverage of the event might compromise their safety.

Complete the task by combining the word media with the other words in the box
below.
coverage exposure campaign hype
media
circus empire attention
1. Find three expressions referring to what the media give or show if they talk
about something.
2. Find one expression for a very big media organization, perhaps one containing
newspapers and TV stations.
3. Find one expression meaning excitement generated by the media not justified
by reality.
4. Find one expression meaning a period of coverage in different media organised
to change people’s opinions about something or someone.
5. Find one expression showing disapproval describing an event dominated by the
presence of the media.

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Ex. 2. Study the following abbreviations. Translate the names of the companies
into Russian.
ABC – American Broadcasting Corporation
ABS – American Broadcasting System
BBC – British Broadcasting Company
CBS – Columbia Broadcasting System
CNN – Cable News Network
GMTV – Greenwich Meantime TeleVision
ITN – Independent Television News
MTV – Music TeleVision
NBC – National Broadcasting Company

Ex. 3. Match the parts in a) to j) with the wholes in 1) to 10).

a) keyboard 1) serial
b) spine 2) library
c) episode 3) set
d) entry 4) book
e) editorial 5) notepad
f) character 6) newspaper
g) reference book 7) novel
h) sheet 8) word-processor
i) semi-colon 9) punctuation
j) screen 10) index

Ex. 4. Look at the extracts and match the types of programmes to their definitions.
 His fiction was derived from “Dallas” and other glossy soap operas which are
consumed abroad.
 By combining the phone-in with the talk-show, he was able to convey his reaction
to the “concerns of the average American” more immediately than any other form.
 Being a good game-show host means getting to know your contestants.
 On my first appearance, interviewing a priest in the God slot, I tripped headlong
over some wires and the programme was live.
 The whole point of quiz shows is that, sitting at home you can shout the answers.

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 Good sitcom comes out of painful situations, and there doesn’t have to be a happy
ending every time.
1) chat-show or a) contest of skill, intelligence or knowledge. The term includes talk-
show quiz shows;
2) game show b) series about the lives of a group of people;
3) God slot c) short for situation comedy. Comedy series based around a character
or group of characters, often an ‘ordinary’ family;
4) phone-in d) a well-known host invites quests to talk, often about something they
are trying to sell or promote, like their latest book;
5) quiz show e) religious programme;
6) sitcom f) a host invites people to phone in and put questions to a studio
guest, or just give their opinions about something;
7 soap opera or g) contest involving answering question.
soap

Ex. 5. Choose the most suitable word or phrase.

1. The journalist refused to disclose his … to the judge.
A information B source C sponsor D article
2. If you can’t pick up the BBC in the summer, try a different … .
A wavelength B broadcast C transmission D satellite
3. Some people feel that television should give less … to sport.
A programmes B coverage C concern D involvement
4. This article will be continued in our next … .
A publication B page C issue D serial
5. Here is a report from our political … .
A journalist B editorial C correspondent D bulletin

Ex. 6.
A. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct place in the passage
below.

viewers subjective mass media mass media quiz shows

indoctrinate channels objective soap operas commercials switch

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(1) … is a phrase often used to describe ways of giving information and entertainment
to very large numbers of people. It includes newspapers, advertising and radio and, of
course, television. In most countries people can (2) … to any of three of four different
(3) … . Do television programmes influence our minds? Do they (4) … us? Is the
news completely (5) … (neutral) or is it (6) … (considered from one particular point
of view)? Don’t the (7) … for alcohol, food and other goods condition our minds?
Even the (8) … going on week after week telling the story of one family or group of
people sometimes make us want to copy the life style we see on the screen. Also (9)
… which give people big prizes for answering simple questions can make us greedy.
Some programmes are watched by tens of millions of (10) … .
B. Complete the sentences by using the correct forms of the key words.

audience tune in network prime-time peak-time

slot broadcast ratings war spot ratings battle

1. Mr Akiyama’s space mission was paid for by the Tokyo Broadcasting System
at a cost of more than $12 million in an effort to gain … from rival … .
2. Another problem is sleeping habits. The Germans eat dinner and go to bed
earlier, so the French are starting on their first aperitif when the Arte channel is
into … .
3. The BBC intends to … more programmes in Russian soon.
4. At present adverts run for two and a half minutes in the centre breaks, with a
maximum of seven and a half minutes in … between 6 pm and 11 pm.
5. John Suchet has spent three years hosting ITN’s lunchtime … and is very
popular with viewers.
6. Don’t forget to … at this time next week for part two of the programme.
7. Last week, the Army released the second of two national television … , an
effort to ensure that its battle for American hearts and minds would translate
into improved recruitment figures.
8. Television’s top soaps are battling it out in the vital Christmas … .

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9. Marcus Plantin has landed the job of leading ITV’s £500 million … with the
BBC.

Ex. 7. Complete the sentences with a suitable word or phrase.

1. CBD’s b… again showed huge improvement over the previous year.
2. P… on radio and television may be referred to formally as b… , and they may
be referred to informally as s… , especially in American English.
3. Programmes or shows on radio and television are often presented or h … by a
h… .
4. Popular music programmes are presented by d… or DJs.
5. Reporters and correspondents, or TV journalists, and the camera operators who
go with them are n… . Together they form a TV c… .
6. Programmes and reports are transmitted or b… in a l… , with events seen or
heard as they happen, or recorded for broadcast later.
7. The idea that people plan their radio listening is nonsense: most t… in
impulsively.
8. Soap operas that c… for viewer’s interests head the “ratings” lists.
9. There were fierce attacks on the BBC for alleged political b… .
10. She h… a live radio programme.

Ex. 8. Give definitions explaining what job each of these people involved in the
media do.
1) a foreign correspondent; 4) an anchor;
2) a camera operator ; 5) a news gatherer;
3) a critic; 6) a news reader.

Ex. 9. Read the passage below and translate the sentences following it into
Russian.
People sometimes say that today’s news programmes are infotainment, a mixture
of information, and entertainment, something that people watch or listen to for
pleasure. Another example of infotainment is docudrama where real events are

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dramatised and re-enacted by actors. This is a combination of documentary and
drama: a documentary is a serious factual radio or TV programme.
1. What we need is entertainment, variety shows with comedians, singers,
pianists, jugglers and acrobats.
2. We have a documentary on the social issues, like the housing and the public
policies on education, health and the social policies of the government.
3. An interview with Ron Brown, the Democratic party chairman, was edited to
40 seconds and transformed with Sonic Youth soundtrack and zappy special
video-effect. Slotted between the visual gymnastics of Madonna and
McHammer videos, Tabitha Soren is part of an “infotainment” revolution in
which the Republicans have sought no part.
4. That thin line between fact and fantasy has never looked thinner than in this
ABC docudrama movie, provisionally titled “Charles and Diana”.

Ex. 10. Translate into Russian.

1. The BBC has produced two hard-hitting videos in a bid to cut down the
growing number of news gatherers killed or injured while on duty.
2. Groucho flourished in situations with no script at all. One enormous success
was his hosting of a show called “You Bet your Life” which began in 1947 and
ran for 4 years on radio and 2 on TV.
3. Top DJs have taken over much of the ground that pop stars used to occupy.
4. Sissons, solid performer, would make an excellent “Newsnight” anchorman.
Though he has fronted live television studio for Channel 4 in the past, he seems
lost at the BBC.
5. We showed the Channel 4 bosses this four-minute clip of me interviewing
Nelson Mandela and they really liked it, you know, particularly the fact that we
were doing it all live.
6. The programme will feature dramatic footage of the Chernobyl disaster, some
not released before, as well as live performances by international artists.

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7. Even worse, I discovered the New Year awards show was pre-recorded, so it
was probably just a bit of old Big Ben footage filmed one summer’s evening to
set the scene.
8. Our eastern European correspondent, Diana Goodman in Prague, has recorded
vox pops with Czech voters who say they are supporting Civic Forum.
9. In determining the choice of candidates, was it a case of the more telegenic
they were, the more chance they had of success?
10. To hope that pictures like these would not appear is like trying to put a cap on
an active volcano. The behaviour of the royal family is not just a matter of
intense public curiosity, not in itself a justification for a breach of privacy, but
is also of some public importance and concern.
11. It is bad enough to spy on her during a private early morning swim, but then to
criticise her choice of swimwear for the occasion is the worst invasion of
privacy imaginable.
12. They call on the government to consider the introduction of a privacy law to
protect people from unjustly intrusive newspaper reporting.
13. Reporters and photographers crowded every exit from the Mirror building to
cross-question Maxwell as he left. “We are doorstepping our own chairman,”
said a newsroom executive. “Can you believe this?”
14. She was so frightened that she had her private rooms searched in case they
were bugged.

Ex. 11. Give the English equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Телевизионное вещание; финансироваться за счет рекламы; финансирование
за счет обязательных ежегодных платежей зрителей; иметь государственную
субсидию; удовлетворять чьи-либо интересы; представлять новости умело,
интересно и объективно; быть необъективным; сделать центром внимания;
занимать лидирующее положение в рейтингах; выступать по телевидению;
быть в эфире; прямой эфир; прямой репортаж; интервью в прямом эфире; на-
строиться на волну; выпуск теленовостей; вести телевизионную программу;

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политическая передача; образовательная программа; эстрадное представле-
ние; утренний выпуск последних известий.

Ex. 12. Translate into English.

1. Когда будет следующий выпуск теленовостей? 2. Мне не нравится, как ос-
вещаются спортивные события на этом канале. 3. Телевидение в Великобри-
тании не получает государственных субсидий и не контролируется государ-
ством. 4. Этот канал заслужил хорошую репутацию благодаря объективному
освещению событий. 5. Этот проект финансируется за счет рекламы. 6. В на-
стоящее время “мыльные оперы” и другие сериалы занимают ведущее
положение в рейтингах. Новости и спортивные события – на втором месте.
7. Он был одним из самых лучших ведущих этого ток-шоу в прямом эфире,
поскольку ему всегда удавалось развить любую обсуждаемую тему. 8. Эта
передача транслируется в записи по всей стране. 9. Каждая из передач этого
цикла будет посвящена (сделает центром внимания) ключевым историческим
событиям в жизни нашей страны.
Writing
Read these two quotations and then note down your own views on whether it’s
best to get your news from television or a newspaper.

The whole problem with news on
television comes down to this: all
the words uttered in an hour of
news coverage could be printed
on one page of a newspaper. And
the world cannot be understood
in one page. Of course there is a
compensation: television offers
pictures, and the pictures move.
Neil Postman (American writer)
A newspaper can easily afford to print an
item of possible interest to only a fraction
of its readers. A television news
programme must be put together with the
assumption that each item will be of some
interest to everyone that watches. Every
time a newspaper includes a feature
which will attract a specialized group it
can assume it is adding at least a little bit
to its circulation. If a television news
programme includes an item of this sort,
it must assume that its audience will
diminish.
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 Reuven Frank (NBC News Executive)
Unit 3. TV or not TV
Key Vocabulary List
tube/ box/ telly
to have an adverse impact, to influence adversely, the visual impact of television
couch potato, to play couch potato
zap, zapper, to zap through television channels;
remote control
to change channels, to channel surface; to change over
to grow up addicted to the telly
to be glued to television screens
to be irrelevant to real living, to provide second-hand experiences, to be content
with second-hand experiences
the findings of a questionnaire
a notional watershed
on-air trailers
to throw the onus on to smb, to pass the buck, to off-load one’s responsibility
mayhem, gore, gory
to underestimate/ play down, to overestimate
viewing habits
to exercise little/ no control over one’s children’s viewing, to supervise children’s
viewing habits
to reduce level of violence, to block violent shows, to preface violent programmes
with a parental advisory
to turn to violence through watching it
to curb violence
to rate broadcast programmes, a violence ratings system
to give viewers more control over what they are watching
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viewer discretion technology
to provide television sets with viewer discretion technology
censorship, to exercise censorship, to be subject to censorship,
moral standards
to ban
safeguards, to provide safeguards
to infringe on smb’s rights
to degrade, to corrupt
unscrupulous, perverted,
excessive, gratuitous

Text A
Television: Advantages and Disadvantages
Television is one of most powerful inventions of all the many inventions of
this century. It has changed the way we look at the world. Through satellites,
pictures are sent from one part of the earth to another within seconds. “News
travels fast”, is an old saying, but it has never been more true than it is now.
Television has increased our knowledge and opened our horizons. Never
before have we known as much about other parts of the world as we do now, and
television must take a lot of the credit for this. Through our television set, other
countries, cultures and events are on display in our own living rooms.
Documentaries about different countries and religions as well as about people in
our own society, have widened our knowledge of the world and surely, ultimately,
this must result in greater tolerance and understanding.
Television has many positive uses. In most countries of the world the
television has been directly used for educational purposes. There are amusing
children’s literacy television programmes in the USA, university linked courses on
the television in Britain and programmes to encourage vaccination against diseases
and to change attitudes towards birth control in India.
The television is such a powerful medium in this modern world as the
pictures you see reach into your life. We can understand for ourselves what is

117
happening in the world and this often leads to strong reactions to the injustices we
see.
However, television has another side to it. It is big business and different
companies compete with each other to procure the highest ratings. For example,
the news channels try to get the “hottest” piece of news and this often means the
most horrifying pictures to accompany it. Pictures of dying soldiers, earthquake
victims and so on, would definitely be prime fodder for the News at Nine. What
does this do to us, the viewers, especially younger viewers? There we are sitting
curled up in front of the television in our favourite chair watching people dying
from starvation or killing each other in wars. One result has been that we become
immune to all the violence and terrible things we see and turn off the television
and switch over onto our favourite game-show. We no longer really see or hear
what is happening and the danger seems to be that we come to accept violence as a
part of our world. We become harder and harder to shock. What happens to our
sense of injustice if we continually see tear-jerking and heart-rending scenes daily
on television?
What we see on television must also be biased in one way or another.
Someone has to choose what pictures to show and which to leave out. The
television companies are either state owned or increasingly owned by commercial
companies whose aim is to make money. Censorship of the media and television
goes on in all countries, to a greater or lesser degree. Yet, unfortunately most
people seem to think that whatever we see on television must be the truth of a
situation. We must realise the power of television companies and stations to distort
our reality and to give us another sense of reality.
Television can be used for good purposes. However, since television has
become such big business, particularly with the growth in commercial stations, we
must all develop a healthy suspicion of what we see and hear. The television
stations are increasingly, purely profit making businesses so we must all realise
that whatever will “sell” will be on the television regardless of the consequences
or effects on people.
Text B
Watching with Mother
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 I am greatly concerned by the findings of a questionnaire to mothers about
children’s viewing habits, carried out for TV Times. I am not as surprised as
European Union Surveys are by what they call the “incredible amount” watched –
90 per cent of the nation’s children viewing every day. What does worry me is the
negligence revealed on the part of parents.
Eight out of 10 children are “usually or sometimes” allowed to watch right
up to “their bedtime”, a third of five to eight-year-olds and two-thirds of nine to
11-year-olds are allowed to stay up after their normal bedtime at weekends to
watch TV.
There is a notional “watershed” at 9 pm, fixed by the BBC and IBA, after
which more violent and intimate scenes can be shown and adult themes explored.
But the survey reveals that 24 per cent of even five to eight-year-olds are
sometimes allowed to view after nine o’clock, and half of the nation’s nine to
11-year-olds may actually be watching them. As mothers could be expected to play
down their estimates, “the real figures would be even higher,” adds the author of
the survey’s summary.
Only 62 out of the 524 mothers interviewed said they allowed their children
under 10 to watch anything they liked. But implicit in the figures is that adult taste
rather than concern for the child’s mind is the main factor governing a decision to
switch off (27 per cent) or switch over (57 per cent) when parents considered a
programme unsuitable.
Yet 74 per cent agreed or partly agreed that there was too much violence on
TV. Interestingly, only eight per cent thought sex on television was more harmful.
What emerges most clearly from the mass of figures is that parents exercise
little or no control over their children’s viewing, even when it worries them. They
throw the onus on to the programme-makers, which is both cowardly and
irresponsible. The people who make and schedule programmes should not be the
ones who have to worry about little children being upset.
Much as I am against any form of censorship, this survey convinces me that
there should be some sort of indication given to parents as to the suitability of
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programmes. While children cannot be prohibited from viewing at home by
anyone except their parents, as they can be by an “X” certificate in the cinema,
there is a precedent for guidance in another way. Adult American movies now
carry an “R” for Restriction Recommended. Adopting an “R”, to be clearly
attached to tricky titles in programme journals and in on-air trailers, would be of
immense assistance to responsible parents, and would encourage those who are
less keen to take their job of guiding the young seriously.
Personally, I would like to put an “R” on all those nasty, smutty “comedy”
shows like Benny Hill, Pig in the Middle, and George and Mildred, but I realize
that I might be letting my own prejudices carry me away, and this is always the
danger with people who set themselves up as censors.

Answer the following questions about the text.

1. What percentage of the nation’s children views TV every day?
2. After what time are more violent and intimate scenes shown on TV?
3. What percentage of young children may sometimes view TV after 9 o’clock?
4. How many mothers in the survey said they allowed their children under 10 to
watch anything they liked?
5. What percentage of parents agreed that there was too much violence on TV?
6. How many thought sex on TV was more harmful than violence?
7. What main conclusion does the writer draw from the figures in the survey?
8. What suggestions does he make?
9. How far do you think the recommendations he makes would really make a
difference in families where mothers, in particular, find the TV a very welcome
presence in the home?

Text C
TV “Damages Children’s English”
Television restricts the ability of children to speak and understand English,
speech therapists said yesterday, writes Nicole Martin.

120
 One in five children under the age of five suffers with language difficulties
as a result of parents using television as an “automatic babysitter”, said Gila
Falkus, a London-based speech and language therapist.
“Many children with language delay seem to spend hours in front of
televisions, videos or computer screens – the flickering blue parent,” she said.
“I do not believe this helps either their listening or their language skills. The
dominant stimulus is visual, not auditory.”
She said that language development could be improved by encouraging
children to listen to the radio: “Radio helps children to concentrate on sounds
without the distraction of images and background noise.”
Susan Stranks, director of Children 2000, which is lobbying for separate
radio stations for children, criticized the BBC for axing children’s radio
programmes such as Children’s Hour and Listen with Mother.

Answer the following questions about the text.

1. Why, according to speech therapists, does television restrict the ability of
children to speak and understand English?
2. What evidence is there that television causes language delay and other
language difficulties?
3. How different is the influence of radio on language development if compared
with that of television?

Text D
Children Watch Too Much Television
Parents and educationalists are given to moaning about children and
television: it stops them reading; there’s too much sex and violence.
Parents are particularly anxious because they feel they are losing control
over their children’s viewing. One of the biggest struggles in the home is children
trying to wrest control of what and how they view away from their parents. Two
thirds of British children now have a TV in their bedroom, which is double the
number of European children.
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 Although television has advantages as an educational medium, international
comparisons have shown that children who spend five or six hours a day watching
television do not do as well educationally as those who only watch it for an hour or
two. Television provides imaginary and artificial experiences which take the place
of children’s direct experience of the natural world, and even the social world of
their own households. This is a loss we scarcely acknowledge, yet it frames many
of the current concerns about children’s TV.
On the other hand, television is not harmful in itself. The question we should
ask is perhaps not “How much television is too much?” but “What sort of
programmes are we talking about?” The visual impact of television can be
enormously helpful in encouraging children to take an interest in the outside world.
Subjects like geography and history are much more real if we can see pictures of
mountains, castles and famous people, and it is easier to show children how
scientific processes work on a TV screen than by means of an explanation in a
book. While some teachers argue that children should always learn to find out
things for themselves, others recognize that television has a useful part to play in
education.
To a certain extent, parents are responsible if children watch too much
television; after all, they can turn the programmes off if they think they are
harmful. All the same, the real responsibility lies with the television companies. In
spite of the obvious potential of television as an educational medium, this potential
is wasted because it is misused. Children probably watch too much television, but
this is not the main problem; the main problem is that they watch too many
mindless programmes because there is nothing for them to see.
Children should have programmes of quality which are made specifically for
them, reflecting their particular needs, concerns, interests and culture, and which
do not exploit them.

Text E
TV Violence

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TV is often accused of showing too much violence or mayhem: scenes of fights,
assaults, murder and so on. Violence on TV and in films is often referred to as
gore, especially when blood is visible. A film with a lot of violence and blood in it
is gory.
The US cable television industry announced a major new initiative to deal
with the problem of violence in American television programming. At two Capitol
Hill news conferences, cable television executives, joined by concerned legislators,
discussed specific ways the industry can help reduce the level of violence as
portrayed in TV entertainment programs – including using available technology to
block violent shows from homes.
Their proposals include:
 using cable programming to stimulate a national discussion on violence and
ways to curb it;
 developing a violence ratings system to give viewers more information and
control over what they watch;
 forming an industry group to monitor programmes;
 prefacing violent programmes with a parental advisory;
 providing television sets with viewer discretion technology to enable
parents to block violent programmes.
Cable programmers “have united to lead the television industry in the effort
to combat the epidemic of violence in America,” added Winston Cox, chairman
and head of Showtime Networks Inc. “We are taking action to give viewers more
control over what they are watching, and on a long-term basis, seeking to reduce
the level of gratuitous violence on television,” said Cox.
Congressman Edward Markey says Cox’s efforts have helped produce an
agreement among cable stations nationwide “which many would have predicted
impossible to reach just three or four months ago.” Nonetheless, he explained, the
major networks “have continued to resist” the efforts to rate their broadcast
programmes and efforts to install circuitry into the TV set to enable parents to
block objectionable programmes.
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 That “V-chip” technology, he said, is already being used to transmit and
display closed caption information to deaf viewers for a few dollars per set and
could be adapted cheaply “to block any of the programming that is sent with a V
by the cable or television industry.” All television sets sold since last July now
include the chip.
According to Byron Dorgan, who introduced Markey’s legislation in the
Senate, “Study after study demonstrates that children watching television violence,
become more aggressive.” “No one is here suggesting that there ought to be a
thought police, suggesting there ought to be censorship of any kind,” he added.
“What we are suggesting is to use technological means to give parents the
opportunity to better supervise their children viewing habits. It’s that simple.”

Text F
Books, Plays and Films Should Be Censored
Let us suppose that you are in the position of a parent. Would you allow
your children to read any book they wanted to without first checking its contents?
Would you take your children to see any film without first finding out whether it is
suitable for them? If your answer to these questions is “yes”, then you are either
extremely permissive, or just plain irresponsible. If your answer is “no”, then you
are exercising your right as a parent to protect your children from what you
consider to be undesirable influences. In other words, by acting a censor yourself,
you are admitting that there is a strong case for censorship.
Now, of course, you will say that it is one thing to exercise censorship where
children are concerned and quite another to do the same for adults. Children need
protection and it is the parents’ responsibility to provide it. But what about adults?
Aren’t they old enough to decide what is good for them? The answer is that many
adults are, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that all adults are like yourself.
Censorship is for the good of society as a whole. Highly civilised people might
find it possible to live amicably together without laws of any kind: they would just
rely on good sense to solve their problems. But imagine what chaos there would be
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if we lived in a society without laws! Like the law, censorship contributes to the
common good.
Some people think that it is disgraceful that a censor should interfere with
work of art. Who is this person, they say, to ban this great book or cut that great
film? No one can set himself up as a superior being. But we must remember two
things. Firstly, where genuine works of art are concerned, modern censors are
extremely liberal in their views – often far more liberal than a large section of the
public. Artistic merit is something which censors clearly recognise. And secondly,
we must bear in mind that the great proportion of books, plays and films which
come before the censor are very far from being “works of art”.
When discussing censorship, therefore, we should not confine our attention
to great masterpieces, but should consider the vast numbers of publications and
films which make up the bulk of the entertainment industry. When censorship laws
are relaxed, unscrupulous people are given a licence to produce virtually anything
in the name of “art”. There is an increasing tendency to equate “artistic” with
“pornographic”. The vast market for pornography would rapidly be exploited. One
of the great things that censorship does is to prevent certain people from making
fat profits by corrupting the minds of others. To argue in favour of absolute
freedom is to argue in favour of anarchy. Society would really be the poorer if it
deprived itself of the wise counsel and the restraining influence which a censor
provides.
Zapping
People watching TV are viewers. Viewers who watch a lot of television without
caring what they watch are couch potatoes.
If you zap between channels, you use your remote control or zapper to change
channels a lot, perhaps looking for something interesting to watch, and perhaps not
succeeding. A zapper is also a person who zaps.
Informal words for television are the tube in the US, and the box or the telly in
Britain.

125
Sorting out the channels. Two articles about zapping, one from the Times and one
from Today, have been mixed up. There are six sections in the first article and five
in the second.
1. Say which headlines and sections make up each article. (a. is the first section of
the first article and b. is the first section of the second.)
2. Find all the expressions in both articles that mean “change channels”.

Going for the Big Break / Shouting at the Box

a. Pity the poor television advertiser. He fights for our attention, but it is an
unequal fight. We turn on our TV sets to watch programmes; he would rather
we watched his adverts. And these days the advertiser has something else to
contend with: the zapper, the remote control. The moment a programme is
finished or even half-way finished the selfish viewer turns the telly off, or over.
b. Remember the time when there was no such thing as a remote control for the
telly and you had to haul yourself out of the armchair to change channels? Now
everything is about to change again with a new voice-activated method.
c. The idea is that instead of pressing buttons, we will be able to channel-hop
simply by shouting commands at the set, which will react using “voice
recognition”. “Channel One, you ‘orrible little telly”, gets you BBC1, and so on.
d. This is the problem tackled by the Zapper and the Advertiser, a new study from
the Billett Consultancy. The consultancy looked at 1,000 households. You
could have worked out most of the findings yourself, but there are a couple of
surprises.
e. The first is that quality is appreciated. Billet found that more people are likely
to get bored with a one-hour LA Law than a one-hour Maigret. Eight per cent
of live football watchers flip over during half-time, never to return. People
change over half as often during weekends.
f. Perhaps now is the time to remove programme credits, Billett say, their logic
being that most people switch off when the credits come on, anyway.
g. This is a bit like a biscuit manufacturer announcing that it will no longer make
the first and last biscuits in a pack because they always get broken. Billett
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 believes that ITV could increase the number of viewers aged 16 to 24 if it
stopped end-credits and end-break advertising.
h. Can you imagine the chaos throughout the living rooms of Britain if this thing
catches on?
i. “We also wonder whether a sensible change would be to increase the
advertising minutage for centre-breaks during peak hours and a reduction in
end-break minutage.” So, this could be the future: a brief pause for breath
between programmes, but a massive slice of advertising during them. The
advertisers will get you yet.
j. At least with the zapper there is only one person in charge of the set at a time.
As far as I can make out, using this technique, …whoever shouts the quickest
wins. There’ll be my husband bellowing “three, three, three,” for the news the
kids screaming “six, six, six” for Sky, and me shouting at it to switch itself off.
k. At which point the set will probably have a breakdown. Life was so much
simpler when the set stayed on the same channel for three days because no one
could be bothered to get up and change it.
Vocabulary Exercises

Ex. 1. Find words and expressions in your key vocabulary list that have a
similar meaning to the following.
1) to off-load one’s responsibility;
2) short extract of a film used to advertise it in advance;
3) the time after which programmes for adults are shown;
4) a detrimental effect or influence of television;
5) to change channels;
6) indiscriminate viewers;
7) violence;
8) violence on TV or in films;
9) a film with a lot of violence.

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Ex. 2. Complete the sentences with a suitable form of the word or phrase from
the key vocabulary list. The first letter of the word is given.
1. They say there’s a lot of evidence that such like programmes have an a… i…
on children’s behaviour.
2. Nowadays children grow up a… to the telly spending hours g… to television
screens.
3. The f… of a q… show that parents and educationalists have always been
concerned about the influence of television on children.
4. New v… d… t… only give viewers possibility not only to have more control
over what they are watching but also may become one of the means to r… l…
of v… on television.
5. Though the v… i… of television on our perception can hardly be
underestimated, there is hardly any doubt that TV provides us mainly with s…
e… absolutely i… to r… l… .
6. O… t… is a short preview of a future radio or television programme or a new
picture.
Ex. 3.
A. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct place below.
moral standards perverted banned counter-productive
masquerading unscrupulous degrades excessive
safeguards corrupting infringes gratuitous
The amount of offensive material we are exposed to in films nowadays is surely
(1) … . Most people accept that scenes of sex and violence are sometimes
necessary to tell a story, but all too often these scenes are (2) … ; they are
unnecessary and simply inserted in the film to appeal to the baser human instincts.
Censorship is necessary, especially to protect children from the (3) … influence of
such scenes, often (4) … as art, in our cinemas. There should also be censorship of
pornographic magazines produced by (5) … people willing to cater to the (6) …
tastes of a small minority. Such material destroys the innocence of the young and
(7) … all who read it. On the other hand, there are those who say that something
which is (8) … becomes desirable so censorship is (9) … , and that censorship (10)
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… on our freedom of choice. However freedom is not merely freedom to do what
we want but freedom from attempts to destroy society’s (11) … . Censorship
provides the (12) … by which society protects itself.
B. Complete the sentences by using the correct forms of the key words.

mayhem gore a tube (US) couch potato zap gory

mayhem a viewer a box (telly) zapper remote-control
1. Even if the set is on, there is no guarantee that … are giving it their full
attention. 45 per cent say they read during programmes, 27 per cent talk on the
phone and 26 per cent do housework.
2. Do you think there are a lot of high-powered lawyers, doctors out there who
say they don’t watch TV and secretly go home at night and turn the … on and
play … ?
3. People think that because you’re on the … and act like a fool, you must be like
that all the time.
4. Despite its claims to superiority, the BBC is likely to start as the 56th button on
an American viewer’s … .
5. Whatever they pay, customers are left with a … zapper that looks as if it could
land a spaceship.
6. … through the television channels in a big American city. You will naturally
get at least one Spanish-language channel beaming in news of Latin America
and lurid Spanish-language soap operas.
7. All the available evidence suggests a huge public appetite for lust and … .
8. It’s not a family film as it’s a bit messy in parts and some scenes are very … .
9. Hans, played by Hans Hirschmuller, has taken to beating up his young wife
Irmgard (Irm Hermann). This tale of domestic … contains many of the usual
Fassbinder traits.
10. Glancing through the television programmes for the week I was struck by the
number of films advertised containing violence, murder and … .

Ex. 4. Read the text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best completes
each collocation or fixed phrase.
A

129
After more than fifty years of television, it might seem only too obvious to
conclude that it is (1) D to stay. There have been many objections to it during this
time, of course, and on a variety of grounds. Did it cause eye-strain? Was the
screen bombarding us with radioactivity? Did the advertisements contain
subliminal (2) … , persuading us to buy more or vote Republican? Did children
turn to violence through watching it, either because so many programmes taught
them how to shoot, rob, and kill, or because they had to do something to (3) … the
hours they had spent (4) … to the tiny screen? Or did it simply create a vast
passive audience, drugged by glamorous serials and inane situation comedies? On
the other hand, did it increase anxiety by (5) … the news and (6) … our living
rooms with war, famine and political unrest?
1) A around B there C ready D here
2) A information B messages C data D communications
3) A counteract B negate C offset D compensate
4) A attached B fixed C glued D adhered
5) A scandalizing B hyping C dramatizing D sensationalizing
6) A filling B loading C stuffing D packing

B
With the advent of so-called “Reality TV”, which puts the emphasis on ordinary
people doing ordinary things on TV, the BBC has been much criticized for (1) C
down its schedules. But it worries me that the biggest victims of this never-ending
diet of violent cartoons, immoral dramas and banal docu-soaps is the nation’s
children. The sheer quantity of TV watched by the under 16 is truly alarming, with
the national (2) … for Britain placed at three and a half hours per day. The
programmes that are rubbish easily (3) … the programmes that are decent and
watchable. There will no doubt be howls of (4) … out there from people who
believe that TV is educational. Fast-moving visual images (5) … no useful
educational purpose and will be forgotten by the next day. A young family near me
has recently taken a (6) … against TV and given their set away. Their children now
do something truly educational. They read books.
1. A dimming B dumping C dumbing D duncing
2. A medium B norm C average D par
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3. A outdistance B outdo C outreach D outnumber
4. A protest B complaint C objection D disapproval
5. A fill B serve C make D form
6. A position B place C stand D stage

Ex. 5. Give the English equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Проводить время у телевизора; переключать телевизор с канала на канал;
пульт дистанционного управления; зрители, которые проводят много вре-
мени у экранов телевизоров; результаты анкетирования; реклама фильма;
перекладывать ответственность; оказывать вредное влияние; контролировать
программы, которые смотрят дети; время, после которого транслируются
программы для взрослых; сцены насилия; фильм, содержащий сцены насилия.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

1. Выпускаемые в США телевизоры должны быть оснащены специальным
устройством, которое позволяет родителям осуществлять контроль за тем,
какие программы смотрят их дети. 2. Его любимое времяпрепровождение –
сидеть перед телевизором и переключаться с канала на канал с помощью
пульта дистанционного управления. 3. Телевидение часто обвиняют в том,
что экран заполнили сцены, изображающие драки и убийства. 4. Нет прямого
доказательства тому, что телевидение оказывает вредное влияние на детей и
что дети становятся более агрессивными, если смотрят телевизор. 5. Резуль-
таты анкетирования показали, что многие родители не следят за тем, что и
когда смотрят их дети. 6. Исследователи пришли к выводу, что дети, которые
проводят много времени у телевизоров, отстают от своих сверстников в
школе. 7. За последние десятилетия люди настолько пристрастились к теле-
видению, что часами сидят прикованные к телеэкранам.
Here are some arguments for and against TV sets in our homes.
Pro: Con:
1) Nobody imposes TV on you. If you 1) We begin to forget what we did before
don’t like it, don’t buy a set – or switch television. Free time now is regulated
off! by it.
2) We must watch TV to be well- 2) Monster demands: absolute silence and
informed. attention; daren’t open your mouth.
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3) There is often a considerable variety of 3) Whole generations are growing up
programmes and we can select what addicted, neglecting other things.
we want to see.
4) TV is considered to be a source of 4) Children are exposed to rubbishy
information and entertainment. commercials, violence, etc.
5) TV offers enormous possibilities for 5) With TV we have passive enjoyment
education: e.g. close-circuit TV-surgery; and second-hand experiences.
schools broadcasts; educating adult 6) Because of TV we are cut off from real
illiterates; specialized subjects: e.g. world, we become lazy, glued to sets
language teaching. instead of going out.
6) TV provides outlet for creative talents: 7) Television is totally irrelevant to real
many playwrights, actors, etc., emerged living.
from TV.
7) TV is a unifying force in the world.

7. Can you think of any arguments to justify censorship apart from the need to
protect the audience from undesirable influences. Discuss and justify your
decisions. Here are some arguments on both sides.
The arguments for censorship
1. Censorship protects the audience
from undesirable influences.
2. Not all adults are mature enough
to decide what’s good for them.
3. Censorship is like the law: for the
common good.
4. Censorship prevents profits from
corrupting minds of others.
5. Absolute freedom equals anarchy.
The counter-arguments
1. Censorship violates the people’s right to know. It’s not consistent with the
ideals of democracy.

132
2. Censorship limits and controls the way people feel and think.
3. Who can act as a censor? What are the qualifications for this super-being?
4. Banning books, etc. has the effect of drawing attention to them and vastly
increasing sales.

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 Writing
Is it harmful and damaging for children to watch too much TV? Below are four
different opinions on this controversial issue. Write an essay discussing the
statement that appeals to you most.

“TV may be a vital factor in holding a family together where there are, for
example, economic problems and husband and wife seem at breaking point.
The dangerous influence is surely no more than all of us are exposed to every
day… in advertising, in the press.”

“TV passes on to children the corrupting values of a corrupt society. It’s only
a matter of time before we can give statistical evidence of how many
criminals society has given birth to in front of the TV on Saturday night.”

“You can blame TV for the fact that children take longer to learn to read
these days and barely see the point any more of acquiring the skill. In my
opinion watching TV should be strictly confined to “treats”.”

“Primary and secondary education have improved out of all recognition since
the arrival of TV in the home and this is not only because of programmes
designed for schools. Through TV a child can extend his knowledge and it
provides vital food for his imagination.”
 Unit 4. The World of Advertising
Key Vocabulary List
advertisement, ad, commercial, subliminal advertising
a headline, a slogan, a catchphrase, a logo
a hoarding, a billboard, a poster
advertising campaign, advertising agency, advertising industry
marketing, market research, selling, promotion
wholesaler, retailer, consumer
to produce a storyboard
hatch, match and dispatch column
personal or agony column
art-director, copywriter
persuasion, indoctrination, manipulation
a valid form of propaganda
to write a script for an ad
hard sell, soft sell
to discriminate between smth, consumer discrimination
to conjure up certain feelings, associations and attitudes
to encourage people to believe
to plant a name into consumer’s head
reasoned argument
to rely on ads
to make first-hand judgments of quality (products)
to introduce people to new products
to be an insult to the intelligence
to have a corrupting influence
to make false promises
to exploit smth / smb (children, our dreams etc) for smb’s financial gain
to hoodwink smb
to beset the average human being
to cause offence on the grounds of race, religion, sex or disability
to be subject to certain requirements
to stipulate
to safeguard

Text A
The World of TV Commercials
Some people love them – others hate them – but almost everybody watches
dozens of TV commercials every day. They are, in fact, a vital part of 1990s media
culture. Why? Because they don’t just sell us products – they also reflect our
dreams, fears, stereotypes and fantasies. So how do they work? Our journey
through the land of “jingles” and “slogans” begins with…

The Rules
Television commercials have to obey different rules in different countries. Even
so, a few basic conditions exist almost everywhere. For example, advertisers
mustn’t attack someone else’s product or make false promises. What they say must
be, in the words of Britain’s advertising rules, “legal, decent, honest and truthful”.

The Account
When a company wants to sell its product on TV it goes to an advertising agency.
If it likes the agency’s ideas it pays them to make one or more commercials. This
business relationship is called an “account”. These days, many top accounts are
worth several million pounds.

The Product
So what kind of products are advertised on TV? Well – almost anything. For
example… w banks w cars w chocolate w insurance w toothpaste w computers
w toys w coffee w airlines w supermarkets.

The Market Research

OK – so an agency has a new account. What does it do first?
Market research. In other words, it talks to consumers about the product and
analyses what they say. To do this, it divides consumers into groups according to
their …w age w race w sex w income. Market research shows what people think
about the product.

The Concept
Next comes the concept. This is a general idea for the style of the commercial. For
example, it may be a cartoon fantasy, a 50s rock and roll party or a romantic beach
scene. Some of today’s most popular concepts include… w the mini-soap (a
series of commercials which tell a story) w the environment (this shows how
healthy and natural a product is) w “the new man” (images of gentle, sensitive
men, often shown with babies or young children) w “the female executive”
(images of successful women with glamorous, busy lives).

The Storyboard
A team of advertising agency people create each commercial. One member of the
team is the art director. Once there’s a concept, he or she produces a storyboard.
This is a series of pictures, which shows what the commercial will look like and
how it will develop scene by scene.

The Slogan
Another important member of the team is the copywriter. It’s his or her job to write
a script for the ad. This usually includes a short, clever, easy-to-remember phrase
or “slogan”. Three recent slogans in British commercials were… “Gas – the heat of
the moment” (British Gas), “Sony – why compromise?” (Sony), “Everything you
want from a store and a little bit more” (Safeway supermarkets).

The Music
Images and words are both vital factors in a TV commercial. Another is the music.
Some ads have their own short song or “jingle” (which usually includes the
slogan). Others use pop, jazz or classical tunes to create a mood, which fits the
product.
The Shoot
Commercials are one-minute-movies. They cost a lot of money and some take
weeks to film. Others, of course, only take two or three days. It all depends on the
product, the concept and the budget.

The Slot
“Slots” are the short breaks during and between programmes. TV companies sell
them to advertisers, but not all for the same price. A slot at 4.30 p.m., for example,
is much cheaper than one at 8 p.m. That’s because more people watch TV in the
evening or peak viewing hours.

Answer the following questions about the text.

1. What rules do advertisers have to take into account when making
advertisements?
2. What is an account?
3. What is the aim of market research?
4. What are the possible styles of a commercial?
5. What is a storyboard?
6. What factors are vitally important for making a good eye-catching
advertisement and why? Ground your choice.
7. Why do some people like advertisements while others hate them?
8. Why are commercials considered to be a vital part of media culture?

Using a dictionary, discuss the following questions in small groups.

a. What is the difference between persuasion, indoctrination and manipulation?
b. How does subliminal advertising work?
c. Where would you see a hoarding or a billboard?
d. What is a copywriter?
e. Is there a difference between marketing and selling?
f. What exactly is an advertising campaign?
g. What are wholesalers, retailers and consumers?
h. What is the difference between a headline, a slogan and a catchphrase?
i. What is the difference between hard sell and soft sell?
Text B
ASA
The Advertising Standards Authority was set up in 1962 and acts
independently of both the advertising business and the government to make sure
that the millions of advertisements that appear in the UK each year are:

w legal w decent w honest and truthful

The authority safeguards the public by applying the rules contained in the British
Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion to all advertisers. The Codes stipulate
what is and is not acceptable in newspapers, magazines, poster and direct
marketing sales promotion, cinema, video and electronic media. Advertisers who
break the Codes’ rules risk receiving damaging adverse publicity and they will be
refused space to advertise.
In addition to the Codes’ general rules, advertisements are subject to the
following requirements:
 They should contain nothing that is likely to cause offence on the grounds
of race, religion, sex or disability.
 They should contain nothing that condones or is likely to provoke violence
or anti-social behaviour.
The ASA handles around 10,000 complaints each year.

Answer the following questions about the text.

1. What is the function of this organisation?
2. Is there a similar organisation in our country?

Text C
Advertisers Perform a Useful Service to the Community
Advertisers tend to think big and perhaps this is why they’re always coming
in for criticism. Their critics seem to resent them because they have a flair for self-
promotion and because they have so much money to throw around. “It’s
iniquitous,” they say, “that this entirely unproductive industry (if we can call it
that) should absorb millions of pounds each year. It only goes to show how much
profit the big companies are making. Why don’t they stop advertising and reduce
the price of their goods? After all, it’s the consumer who pays…”
The poor old consumer! He’d have to pay a great deal more if advertising
didn’t create mass markets for products. It is precisely because of the heavy
advertising that consumer goods are so cheap. But we get the wrong idea if we
think the only purpose of advertising is to sell goods. Another equally important
function is to inform. A great deal of the knowledge we have about household
goods derives largely from the advertisements we read. Advertisements introduce
us to new products or remind us of the existence of ones we already know about.
Supposing you wanted to buy a washing-machine, it is more likely you would
obtain details regarding performance, price, etc., from an advertisement.
Lots of people pretend that they never read advertisements, but this claim
may be seriously doubted. It is hardly possible not to read advertisements these
days. And what fun they often are, too! Just think what a railway station or a
newspaper would be like without advertisements. Would you enjoy gazing at a
blank wall or reading railway by-laws while waiting for a train? Would you like to
read only closely-printed columns of news in your daily paper? A cheerful, witty
advertisement makes such a difference to a drab wall or a newspaper full of the
daily ration of calamities.
We must not forget, either, that advertising makes a positive contribution to
our pockets. Newspapers, commercial radio and television companies could not
subsist without this source of revenue. The fact that we pay so little for our daily
paper, or can enjoy so many broadcast programmes is due entirely to the money
spent by advertisers. Just think what a newspaper would cost if we had to pay its
full price!
Another thing we mustn’t forget is the “small ads,” which are in virtually
every newspaper and magazine. What a tremendously useful service they perform
for the community! Just about anything can be accomplished through these
columns. For instance, you can find a job, buy or sell a house, announce a birth,
marriage or death in what used to be called the “hatch, match and dispatch”
columns; but by far the most fascinating section is the personal or “agony” column.
No other item in a newspaper provides such entertaining reading or offers such a
deep insight into human nature. It’s the best advertisement for advertising there is!

Answer the following questions about the text.

1. How far do you agree that if big companies stop advertising they will reduce
the price of their goods?
2. What do you think are the functions of advertisements?
3. How far do you share the author’s point of view that “small ads” perform a
useful service to the community?
4. Are you interested in an “agony” column?

Text D
Why is Television Advertising Capable of Manipulating People?
Nowadays almost everybody watches TV. We have a large selection of channels
and programmes and almost every channel is financed by advertising. Advertising
on TV must be very profitable otherwise the companies would not spend so much
money on it. Are we stupid then? We obviously buy the products after having seen
the advertisements. No, we are not stupid, we are just being manipulated. But
how?
The advertisements are repeated over and over again. When you have seen
them about 50 times you subconsciously believe they are a good product. Then,
when you go shopping and have three similar products to choose from, you
remember the advertisements and pick the one you think is the best. That is, the
product that had the advertisements that convinced you the most. I do not think
that the majority of people realise that they are affected by advertisements. The
advertisers also take advantage of people’s natural curiosity. They advertise
products before the stores get them. When there is a product that you have not seen
before, it is only natural to become curious. This kind of advertising is almost
always done to advertise new films. They put together a 45 second advertisement
with all the exciting parts from the film and you think I have got to see the rest of
it, I will go and see that film when it comes out.
Films and popcorn, how many people have not had popcorn at the cinema?
We seem to attach a certain product to a special occasion. The advertisers take
advantage of this and they show us beautiful people in the adverts. We see an
advertisement when it is summer, where everybody is at the beach having fun and
they are all drinking Fanta. When we go to the beach we fancy a drink, so why not
Fanta? We make a connection. This kind of advertisement works in two ways.
We see them in the winter too and then the beach pictures make us feel good.
When we go out and buy a Fanta we remember the pictures and we think about the
summer and feel good.
In contrast to the advertisements where we see beautiful people on exotic
beaches we have the ones where everyday people come forward and tell us about
their brilliant experiences of the product. We identify with these people and it is
easy to believe what they are telling us. For example people in washing powder or
toothpaste adverts. What we forget to think about is that these people will be paid
to say these things.
Famous people are also used to promote their own and other products. They
often make the advertisement look like a talk show with a studio audience. We do
not always realise that we are watching an advertisement. How can we resist
buying a skin cream that is recommended by a beautiful star who looks at least ten
years younger than she really is? Who doesn't want to look 30 when they are 40?
What we do not think about is how many face lifts these people have had.
One could say that we are all being manipulated one way or another. We do
not even realise it sometimes or we do not want to admit it. The advertisements are
endlessly repeated and in the end we begin to believe them. We are all curious and
want to see if a product is as good as the advertisers say it is. Furthermore we also
attach certain products to certain occasions which makes us further influenced by
the advertisements. When famous people tell us how great a particular product is,
it is hard to resist buying it, even though there may be a similar product which is
much cheaper, only it has not been promoted so well. We are not stupid, but the
advertisers are very clever and know exactly how to manipulate people.

Answer the following questions about the text.

1. What makes the author think that we are manipulated by advertisers?
2. What advertising techniques are discussed by the author?
3. Which of them, in your opinion, are the most effective?
4. What is the author’s opinion about advertising? How far do you share it?

Text E
Children and Advertising
Marketing people say that the big sell to the tinies began for them with the
invention of the child-carrying supermarket trolley. Their most powerful weapon
in the fight to sell is sitting right under the nose of the parent, bored, seeking
attention and absolutely bound to spot anything whose packaging features a logo or
a cartoon character seen regularly on the television. But many of the items in these
packages are foods and soft drinks with high fat and sugar contents which are not
particularly good for children.
It takes until the age of about six for the young consumer to understand the
difference between an advert and a programme on the television, and even longer
to appreciate what the ad is trying to do. Even then, the child does not necessarily
care. Keeping in with the peer group is much more important at that age, and
marketing managers are well aware of this. If they can start a craze with, for
example, collectable toys given away in packets of cereal or crisps, sales of that
product will probably go through the roof.
Such marketing is aimed at a very impressionable age group, and although
companies claim that it is responsibility of parents to monitor what their children
eat, drink or play with, it may be that the time has come for a little more social
responsibility to be shown by those people who are exploiting children for their
own financial gain.
Answer the following questions about the text.
1. Why do a lot of advertisers choose children as a target audience for their ads?
2. Why are children so much attracted by advertisements on TV?
3. How far do you share the author’s point of view that advertisers “exploit
children for their own financial gain”?
4. What do you think are the general dangers of advertising to children?

The Language of Advertising

A
Below is a list of techniques which advertisers commonly use to persuade us to
buy their products.
1. Association of ideas 6. Before and after
2. Key words 7. “The camera never lies”
3. Guilt 8. Repetition
4. “Science” 9. Brand names
5. Expertise 10.“Keeping up with the Joneses”
Find out exactly what each of these techniques involves by reading the descriptions
below and matching them correctly with one of the labels from the above list.
Write your answers in the spaces provided.
(a)_______________________
Some products are advertised as having a remarkable and immediate effect. We are
shown the situation before using the product and this is contrasted with the
situation that follows its use. Taking a tablet for a headache in such advertisements
can have truly remarkable results. For not only has the headache gone, but the
person concerned has often had a new hair-do, acquired a new set of clothes and
sometimes even moved into a more modern, better furnished house.
(b)_______________________
One thing reminds us of another especially if we often see them together. These
reminders are sometimes more imaginary than real: for some people snow may
suggest Christmas, for others silver candlesticks may suggest wealth. The
advertiser encourages us to associate his product with those things he thinks we
really want – a good job, nice clothes, a sports car, a beautiful girlfriend – and,
perhaps most of all, a feeling of importance. The “image” of a product is based on
these associations and the advertiser often creates a “good image” by showing us
someone who uses his product and who leads the kind of life we should like to
lead.
(c)_______________________
Advertisements often encourage us to believe that because someone has been
successful in one field, he should be regarded as an authority in other fields.
The advertiser knows that there are certain people we admire because they
are famous sportsmen, actors or singers, and he believes that if we discover that a
certain well-known personality uses his product, we will want to use it too. This is
why so many advertisements feature famous people.
(d)_______________________
Maybe we can’t always believe what we’re told, but surely we must accept what
we’re actually shown. The trouble is that when we look at the photograph we don’t
know how the photograph was taken, or even what was actually photographed. Is
that delicious-looking whipped cream really cream, or plastic froth? Are the
colours in fact so glowing or has a special filter been used?
It is often difficult to tell, but you can sometimes spot the photographic
tricks if you look carefully enough.
(e)_______________________
If you keep talking about something for long enough, eventually people will pay
attention to you. Many advertisements are based on this principle.
If we hear the name of a product many times a day, we are much more likely
to find that this is the name that comes into your head when the shopkeeper asks
“What brand?” We usually like to choose things for ourselves, but if the advertiser
plants a name in our heads in this way he has helped to make the choice for us.
(f)_______________________
In this age of moon flights, heart transplants and wonder drugs, we are all
impressed by science. If an advertiser links his claim with a scientific fact, there’s
even a chance we can be blinded by science. The question is simply whether the
impressive air of the new discovery or the “man-made miracle” is being used to
help or just to hoodwink us.
(g)_______________________
Advertisers may try to make us want a product by suggesting that most people, or
the “best” people, already use it and that we will no doubt want to follow them. No
one likes to be inferior to others and these advertisements suggest that you will be
unless you buy the product.
(h)_______________________
The manufacturer needs a name for his product, and of course he looks for a name
that will do more than just identify or label: he wants a name that brings suitable
associations as well – the ideas that the word brings to mind will help sell the
product.
(i)_______________________
Most advertisements contain certain words (sometimes, but not always, in bold or
large letters, or beginning with a capital letter) that are intended to be persuasive,
while at the same time appearing to be informative. In describing a product, copy-
writers insert words that will conjure up certain feelings, associations and attitudes.
Some words – “golden”, for example – seem to have been so successful in selling
that advertisers use them almost as if they were magic keys to increase sales.
(j)_______________________
Advertisers may invoke feelings that imply you are not doing the best for those
you love most. For example, an advertisement may suggest that any mother who
really loves her children uses a certain product. If she does not, she might start to
think of herself as a bad mother who does not love her family. So she might go and
buy that particular product, rather than go on feeling bad about it.
Answer the following questions.
1. What are the possible advertising techniques used by the advertisers to
persuade people to buy their products?
2. Do you think that some techniques are more effective than others for
advertising particular products? If so, which?
3. Are the described techniques unique or do some techniques appeal more than
others to certain age groups and types of people? If so, which?
4. Try to think of examples of advertisements you are familiar with in order to
explain how each one works.
5. Are there any other advertising techniques you can think of which are not in the
list. If so, describe how they work and give examples of advertisements where
you have noticed them being used.
B
1. Skim quickly through these advertisements. What do they have in
common? What techniques do they use to attract the reader’s attention?

SKINNY LEGS
Try this new amazing scientific home method to ADD SHAPELY CURVES to
ankles, calves, thighs and hips!
Skinny legs rob the rest of your figure of attractiveness. You too can try to help
yourself improve underdeveloped legs, due to normal causes, and fill out any part of
your legs you wish, or your legs all over as many women have by following this new
scientific method. This tested and proven course was prepared by a well-known
authority on legs. Requires only 15 minutes at home. Contains step-by-step
instructions and illustrations of the easy scientific leg technique, with simple
instructions for gaining shapely, stronger legs, plus leg measurement chart for each
section of leg according to height and weight.
30 DAY TRIAL for the ‘Shapely Legs Home Method’ (in plain wrapper), send $7.95
plus 95 cents for shipping. Money back guarantee if not satisfied.
Modern Methods, Dept. 85 to 839
Box 2012 New Rochelle, NY 20002
 ASHAMED OF PRUNE LIPS?
Are you self-conscious
about those old-looking lines
that surround your lips?
You don’t have to be!
JTL WRINKLE CREAM is a unique lotion made up of collagen, jojoba, aloe, herbs
and Vitamin E especially designed to fade away those ugly little wrinkles, yet will
not alter skin structure. The amazing thing about JTL WRINKLE CREAM is that
results occur after the first treatment, leaving your lips smooth and youthful again.
Stop looking old because of aged prune lips. Look and feel younger with a more
youthful and attractive appearance. Full money-back guarantee if you are not totally
satisfied with the results. For a 90-day supply of JTL WRINKLE CREAM, send
$12.95 plus $2 for postage and handling to:
JTL PRODUCTS, 5313-Y, Bakman Avenue, N. Hollywood. CA91601

Wrinkle Stick
Vikki LaMotta, Playboy Model at 53 Introduces Her New, Ultra-Rich,
Purse-Size … wrinkle stick virtually FREE!
$8.00 RETAIL VALUE!

The new VH, formula LYL OIL WRINKLE Stick for wrinkle protection day or
night. In its sleek “pop-up” case it glides on effortlessly and melts into skin
instantly to plump up cells and fade dine line wrinkles that shout “age” to the
world! Perfect for eyes or all dry, flaky, ageing facial and neck areas. Enriched
with vitamin E and Aloe.
Vikki wants YOU to share her personal anti-ageing secrets. Sent just $2 for
postage, handling and promo and Vikki will send you her fabulous new $8 value
WRINKLE STICK plus her full Beauty Secrets Catalogue absolutely FREE!

To order: Mail this ad plus $2.00 to:

Vikki LaMotta Cosmetics Ltd.
Dept. WS-302404 Park Avenue S.,
New York, NY
2. With a partner choose two of the advertisements to read more closely.
Answer these questions on style.
a. Which of these words would best describe the style? (More than one is
possible.) Why have the adverts used this particular style?

serious enthusiastic formal scientific

literary informal impersonal personal colloquial
rhetorical
b. How many exclamation marks are there? Why are they used?
c. Find two or three examples of ellipsis. Why is this feature so common?
d. Are the sentences long or short or a mixture? Which do you think are the
most effective in advertisements?

3. Read through all three advertisements. Note the key phrases in the chart below that illustrate
the features listed on the left.
Features Prune Lips Skinny Legs Wrinkle Stick
Claim to be the only one of its
type or much better than unique lotion
anything else on the market
Claim to scientific respectability
Claim to be new
Quick results
Claim to make you feel, as well
as look, better
Suggestion that the product has
been specially developed with
the reader personally in mind
Financial incentives/guarantees
4. Work individually. For each statement, put a tick in the column which most
accurately reflects your opinion.
Agree Disagree It depends Don’t
understand
a. The basic assumption behind these
advertisements is that there is an
ideal physical appearance and that
those who don’t conform to it are
ugly and failures.
b. Advertisements such as these
honestly try to help people who
have real physical problems
c. If you buy these products, the
advertisements imply, you will be
irresistible to the opposite sex.
d. If we can improve people’s
appearance, the world will be a
happier place.
e. These advertisements encourage
people to come to terms with their
physical appearance, including their
less attractive features, and are
therefore a good thing.
f. They all imply that you would look
fine if it weren’t for that one little
imperfection.
g. These are ordinary advertisements
aimed at ordinary people.
h. Advertisements such as these have
no motive other than to make
money for the manufacturers.
£ £ £ £

£ £ £ £

£ £ £ £

£ £ £ £

£ £ £ £

£ £ £ £

£ £ £ £

£ £ £ £
i. The subtle effect of this type of advertising is to increase people’s feelings of
inadequacy.
j. You would have to be naïve to buy one of these products.
£ £ £ £
 £ £ £ £

Now compare your answers with a partner. Justify your opinions on any points
about which you disagree. If you ticked It depends, say what it depends on.

Vocabulary Exercises
Ex. 1. Read the statement below and fill in the gaps with words from the box.
A price product promotion place

The marketing mix

To meet customers’ needs a business must develop the right (1) … to satisfy them,
charge the right (2) … , get the goods to the right (3) … and make the existence of
the goods known through effective (4) … .

B beneficial misleading blatant brainwash implicit

catchy jingles exploit ubiquitous
bombard watchdog informative subtle

Modern advertisements contain hidden messages. (1) … in the advertisement

showing the pretty girl in the new car or the smiling children round the packet of
washing powder is the message that if we buy the product, we also achieve success
and happiness. It is a (2) … approach since it seeks to (3) … our secret dreams,
and it is inescapable since advertising is (4) … . Giant street hoardings and (5) …
on television (6) … us from all sides. They (7) … us into believing that we can
realise our ambitions quickly and easily. On the other hand, defenders of
advertising say that it is (8) … . Advertising is (9) … . Advertisements tell us about
useful new products. They brighten our lives with colour and music. They increase
demand, stimulate industry and so keep prices down. Whether for or against
advertising, most people would agree that some kind of (10) … body, appointed by
the government or by the advertising industry itself, is necessary to maintain
standards of honesty and to discourage the more (11) … types of (12) …
advertisements.

Ex. 2. Complete the sentences with a suitable word or phrase from key
vocabulary list. The first letters of the words have been given for you.
1. A whole group of related goods is called a product range.
2. Japanese car manufacturers hold an increasing share of the m… .
3. The job of the advertising copywriter is the m… of the minds of the potential
buyers.
4. The secret of a good advertisement is to find the right s… .
5. R… spend a lot of money on advertising.
6. The salespeople were discouraged from using the hard sell approach because
c… feel too pressurised by it.
7. Since the traffic was at a standstill on the A 41, I spent a good half hour looking
at the advertisements on the b… by the side of the road.
8. Short personal ads that help to find a job, buy or sell things, announce a birth,
marriage or death are placed in so-called h… , m… and d… columns.
9. A c… is a person whose job is to write the words for advertisements.

Ex. 3. Fill in the blanks with a suitable form of the word in brackets.
A
a. They showed open … to this advertising project. (hostile)
b. Many find the attitudes of advertisers … . (contempt)
c. In defence of itself, the advertising business can point to the jobs created by the
stimulation of … . (consume)
d. There are a number of … controls on what advertisers can and cannot say.
(statutes)
e. The passionate arguments some people use against advertising are often rather
… . (excess)
B
A man takes a single (1) … of a substance and puts it
in his mouth. Instantly he is transported to another
world, a place of surreal visions and swirling colours.
He rushes (2) … into this parallel universe.
What is this (3) … compound with the power to
induce such a mind-blowing trip? Is it some kind of
drug that makes the user hallucinate? No, it’s just a
humble cereal ad on TV. The Fruity Wheat ad is the
latest in a long line of (4) … ads whose imagery
appears to draw on the effects of mind-altering
substances. Colin Rees of the “Stop TV Advertising”
group, said: “I find this and other such ads totally
(5) … . Take this stuff and you will experience
something out of this world – the (6) … of the ad
seems clear to me. The companies who make them will
say that any relation to drugs is just one (7) … of the
advert, and not one that they (8) … . When I
complained about this ad, I was told that it didn’t
contain any (9) … messages. I thought that was a bit
rich – I think the message in it is blatantly obvious!
And I don’t think we should be giving TV viewers any
(10) … in that respect.”
SPOON

HEAD
TERRIFY

CONTROVERSY
ACCEPT
IMPLY

INTERPRET
INTENTION

CONSCIOUS

ENCOURAGE

Ex. 4.
A. Many firms and shops choose a short name which attracts attention, is easy to
remember and immediately identifies the service being offered. This name (trade
name) is often spelt in a kind of simple phonetic spelling to make it even more unique
and memorable, e.g. EAZIWASH (easy wash) is a launderette and FIZZEEK
(Physique) is a gymnasium and health club.
Below are the real names of fourteen firms or shops. Give the normal spelling of
each and find on the right the kind of business it is.
a. LITE BITE photo-processing shop
b. SHUSELLA photo-copying firm
c. KEEP-A-KREASE children’s clothes shop
d. SUPASNAPS snack bar
e. KWICK KOPY shoe-shop
f. KWALITY FASHIONS dry-cleaners
g. KUMFY KIDDY WEAR taxi firm
h. HANDICARS garage and repair shop
i. MR. KLEEN women’s clothes shop
j. SNAX dry cleaners
k. MOTOR KARE hairdressers
l. LOOKRITE snack bar
m. FLITE CENTRE car-hire firm
n. U-DRIVE travel agency

B. Some firms use normal spelling in their names but form them by combining
two words into one. What kind of business do the following real firms do?
a. TRANSLAGENCY d. SECURICOR g. SUNTOURS
b. AUTOCHECK e. QUICK-LETS h. DATAFLOW
c. AUTOPASS f. FIGURETRIM i. FINNAIR

Ex. 5. Give the English equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Рекламное объявление; маркетинг; продвижение товаров на рынке; колонка
частных рекламных объявлений; создатель текста рекламного объявления;
рекламный щит; убеждение; внушение идей; усиленное рекламирование то-
варов (система навязывания товаров покупателю); внушить название товара
потребителю; использовать что-либо или кого-либо с целью получения вы-
годы; объективно оценить качество рекламируемых товаров; отвечать
определенным требованиям.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

1. Цель рекламы – не только способствовать продвижению товаров на рынке,
но и предоставлять потребителю информацию о новых и уже существующих
товарах. 2. Многие люди считают рекламу бесполезной и даже
оскорбительной. Очень часто создатели рекламы играют на нашем
тщеславии, вынуждая покупать ненужные вещи. 3. Вся реклама в
Великобритании базируется на 4 основных принципах. Она должна быть
законной, честной, достоверной и соответствовать нормам приличия (быть
приличной). 4. Существуют различные приемы рекламирования товаров,
которые направлены на то, чтобы убедить потребителя в необходимости
купить данную вещь. 5. Рекламные объявления способствуют повышению
спроса, дают возможность развиваться промышленности и тем самым
позволяют снизить стоимость товаров.

Discussion
1. A. What products do you think these slogans were used for? Choose from this
list: 1) cars, 2) cream cakes, 3) toilet paper, 4) diamond, 5) engagement rings,
6) washing powder, 7) camping holidays, 8) carpets.
a. Naughty but nice.
b. Longer and softer than ever before.
c. Persil washes whiter.
d. Vorsprung durch Technik
e. The best sights and the best sites.
f. Lifts the spirit. Comforts the soul.
g. Works of art you can walk on.
h. How else could a month’s salary last a lifetime?
B. Do any of these slogans strike you as:
a. clever?
b. ridiculous?
c. meaningless?
2. Are there any particular advertisements, on radio, television or in newspapers
or magazines, which you particularly dislike? Are there any which you
particularly like? Why?
3. Look at the list of copywriter’s guidelines for writing an advertisement. Briefly
note what you think the reason for each particular guideline is. The first one has
been done for you.
 a. Don’t exaggerate or get hysterical. Be truthful and reasonable.
Reason
You must be credible. If people suspect you are lying, they won’t buy.
b. Avoid long words. Stick to short Anglo-Saxon words where possible, rather
than Greek or Latin words.
c. Be colloquial. Use the word you.
d. Be wary of adjectives like exciting, amazing, incredible.
e. Be positive. Avoid negative statements or questions such as Why not try
one?
f. Keep to the present tense. Look how it will brighten your home becomes
Look how it brightens your home.
g. Make sure there is a contrast in pace by varying the lengths of these
sentences.
h. Each sentence or paragraph should flow naturally into the next.
4. Think of a product you all buy regularly, such as an item of confectionery, a
magazine, etc. Decide how effective the marketing mix for your selected
product is by discussing these questions.
 Does the product meet the requirements of the customers for whom it is
intended?
 Is the price right?
 Can consumers get it when and where they want it?
 Is it well advertised?
5. Think of some consumer products you have bought recently, such as an item of
clothing, a CD, electrical equipment, etc. Which of the factors in the list below
influenced your choice? Can you add any other factors to the list?
 brand name
 brand loyalty (you had bought the same brand before)
 a friend’s recommendation
 pressure from your peer group
 advertising
 price
 accompanying special offers or gifts
6. Work with a partner. Together choose one of the following prompt cards and
discuss the topic, using the three suggestions to help you. Make notes of your
ideas.
What do you feel makes a good advertisement?
 concept
 medium
 approach
How far do you agree that TV advertisements are better than the actual
programmes?
 originality and creativity
 words and music
 settings and locations
7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of advertising for:
a) the consumer?
b) the manufacturer or producer?

Here are some arguments for and against advertising

Pro:
1. Advertising creates mass markets,
therefore goods are cheap.
2. Their purpose is not only to sell
goods, but to inform.
3. We get information about house-
hold goods from advertisements.
4. They contribute to our pockets: can
you imagine the cost of a newspa-
per if we paid full price?
5. Small ads perform a service to
community. With their help any-
thing can be accomplished: e.g.
find a job, buy, sell, announce
birth, marriage, death.
Con:
1. It is unproductive industry, waste
of money.
2. If we stop advertising we’ll reduce
the price of goods, because it is a
consumer who pays.
3. Advertising is offensive because it
appeals to baser instincts.
E.g. preys on our fears, our vanity,
our greed, etc.
4. Because of advertising we
experience shocking interruption
of television programmes.
5. Good quality products don’t need
to be advertised.
 Writing
Task 1
You are going to write a letter of complaint about an advertisement you have seen.
Before you write, first revise the information in the text E about the UK
Advertising Standards Authority. Then read the following letter which was written
in answer to the task, and answer these questions:
1. What kind of advert is the writer complaining about?
2. What is the reason for his complain?
3. What does he want done?
4. How does he conclude the letter?
5. Are the tone and register appropriate to the task? Are they consistently
maintained?
Dear Sir,
I am writing to complain about the car advertisement currently being displayed on
the hoarding outside the main post office in the centre of town.
The advertisement shows a car speeding away from a set of traffic lights, with the
caption, “0-100 in under 10 seconds”. I feel that this claim is misleading and
irresponsible. For a start, there is so much traffic on the roads these days that it is
extremely unlikely that anyone could reach a speed of 100 kilometres per hour in
town. The advertisers also seem to have forgotten that there are speed limits on
most roads. In my view, this type of advertising only encourages drivers to break
the law.
Furthermore, the advert suggests that the best cars are the fastest cars and places
undue emphasis on the power of this car in particular, implying that its best
feature is its speed. I would argue that this can only encourage those people who
buy the car to drive fast in order to maintain that image. However, we all know
that speed kills, and more often than not it is the innocent pedestrian who is the
victim of the speeding driver. Don’t you think car companies should behave
responsibly and try to reduce fatalities on our roads by giving safety a better
image?
May I request that you have this advertisement taken down as soon as possible?
While I have no objection to cars being advertised. I feel strongly that this type of
advertising should not be allowed. I have already written to the company
concerned, requesting that they remove this advertisement from their campaign
and giving them my reasons in detail. I enclose a copy of this letter for your
information.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Sam Broadbent
Encs*.

Task 2
You have seen a commercial on your local television station which appeared
during a children’s programme. You feel that an advertisement of this type is not
suitable for showing on children’s TV. Write a letter of complaint to the television
company, explaining why you object to it and what you would like them to do
about it.
The general guidelines you will need while doing the task:
1. A letter of complaint is usually written in a formal style, and it clearly states the
writer’s point of view.
2. Plan your letter before you write. How many paragraphs will it have? What
will each contain?
3. After you have written the letter make sure you state your point of view clearly
and use a consistent tone and register.

*
Encs: short for enclosures.
 LIST OF THE BOOKS CITED

Alexander, L.G. Right Word Wrong Word. Longman, 1997.

Burgess, S. First Certificate Gold. Longman, 2000.
Cunningham, S., Moor, P. Cutting Edge: Upper Intermediate. Longman, 2000.
Evans, V. Practice Exam Papers. Express Publishing, 1998.
Evans, V., Edwards, L. Upstream: Advanced. Express Publishing, 2003.
Harris, M., Mower, D., Sikorzyńska, A. Opportunities. Upper Intermediate.
Student’s Book. Pearson Education Limited, 2002.
Jones, L. Cambridge Advanced English. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Key Words in the Media. Collins Cobuild. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, 1995.
Mann, R., Newbrook, J., Wilson, J. New Proficiency Gold: Exam Maximiser.
Longman, 2002.
Mann, R., Newbrook, J., Wilson, J. New Proficiency Gold. Coursebook. Longman,
2002.
Mathews, A., Read, C. Themes: An integrated skills course for late intermediate
and advanced students. Collins ELT, 1988.
McCarthy, M., O’Dell, F. English Vocabulary in Use: Upper-intermediate and
Advanced. Cambridge University Press, 1994.
Skipper, M. Advanced grammar and vocabulary. 2002
Thomas, B.J. Intermediate Vocabulary. Edward Arnold, 1989.
Thomas, B.J. Advanced Vocabulary and Idiom. Longman, 1988.
Vince, M., Sunderland, P. Advanced Language Practice. Macmillan Publishers
Limited, 2003.