Talk about the article from memory using these prompts:

• Good things about making lists

• Type A/ type B

• Before bed

• Women / men

• Matrix

• Categories

• Excessive list syndrome

• Electronic organizer

• What are you waiting for?

READING 2

Answer: Is it important to have a standard daily routine? Why/Why not?

Read the text to find out.

CAN YOU FEEL THE RHYTHM?

“Routine” is usually seen as a negative term nowadays, largely because we no longer belong to a society of nine-to-fivers. We live in what is fast becoming a 24-hour society, where everything is open all hours. You can buy your groceries at midnight, book your holiday on the Internet at 3 a.m., and do business on line at the crack of dawn. Before you join the 24-hour revolution, however, take a minute to listen to what your body is trying to tell you – that a round-the-clock lifestyle is not what nature intended.

In an area of our brains called the hypothalamus, we have a “body clock” that controls our body’s natural rhythms. It tells us when it’s the right time to eat, sleep, work and play. It plays an important part in our physical and psychological well-being. It is, in fact, what makes us tick and it controls many things including our hormones, temperature, immune functions and alertness. It synchronizes all these like a conductor with an orchestra; it regulates tempo and brings in all the different instruments on time to make music rather than random noise. If we try to ignore our body clocks, or even to switch them off for a while, we not only deprive ourselves of much needed rest but we also run the risk of seriously damaging our health.

Ignoring your body clock and changing your body’s natural rhythms can not only make you depressed, anxious and accident prone, it can lead to much more serious health problems. For example, heart disease, fatigue, ulcers, muscular pain, and frequent viral infections can all result from trying to outsmart our body clocks. Altering your patterns of sleeping and waking dramatically affects your immune system. While we sleep the body repair mechanisms are at work; when we are awake natural killer cells circulate around our bodies and cause more damage. Our digestive system is affected, too – high levels of glucose and fat remain in our bloodstream for longer periods of time and this can lead to heart disease.

Unfortunately, we were not designed to be members of a 24-hour society. We can’t ignore millions of years of evolution and stay up all night and sleep all day. We function best with a regular pattern of sleep and wakefulness that is in tune with our natural environment. Nature’s cues are what keep our body clocks ticking rhythmically and everything working in harmony. So, next time you think a daily routine is boring and predictable, remember that routine may well save your life in the long run.

Answer:

Why has the writer written this article?

Are there any points in the article you disagree with?

Is there any information you did not know before reading the article?

READING 3

STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN!

A Bill: I was an accountant at a large accounting firm in the city. I spent all my time glued to the computer screen, even at home. That meant I rarely spent any time with my family. Then, one day it hit me that I was missing out on the truly important things in life. My kids were growing up fast and I felt I wasn’t playing a large enough role in their lives. I knew that it was time to give up the rat race and get back to basics. So, we sold our town house and moved to a cottage in the country, where we have a small market garden. Gardening had been a hobby of mine when I was younger but when I was working, I just didn’t have the time. Now I have all the time in the world. Financially, life is more difficult, but I think it’s safe to say that the whole family is much happier now that we’ve escaped from the hectic pace of city life.

B Jean: Ever since I can remember, I’ve enjoyed making my own clothes. My friends were always commenting on my original designs, so I often made clothes for them as well. It never occurred to me that I could make a living at it until a friend of a friend asked me to make her wedding dress and offered to pay me. Suddenly more and more people started approaching me and asking me to make clothes for them. It soon reached the point where I was spending all my spare time at the sewing machine and my designs were bringing in more money than my job! I handed in my notice at work and rented a small shop with a flat above which I turned into my workshop. I’m happy to say that business is booming: I now employ ten people and I’m about to open a second branch!

C Ann: I used to work as a sales manager in a large department store. It was quite a good job, but not very rewarding. I knew I wanted to change my career: the trouble was, I didn’t know what to do. Then my sister suggested that I become a nurse, as I am good with people and I don’t faint at the sight of blood! The more I thought about the idea, the more it appealed to me, so I decided to have a go at it. Of course, it meant that I had to retrain. I spent three years at nursing college, which was really hard work. I was permanently exhausted, as I had to work regular shifts on hospital wards as well as attend lectures and complete coursework. It was worth the effort, though. Now I have a job I enjoy and which makes me feel that I’m really making a difference.

D Sally: When I finished university I decided to take a year off and work abroad. It was a decision which changed my life. I got a job teaching English in Spain, so I packed my clothes, stored everything else and headed for the Mediterranean. I didn’t speak a word of Spanish at first, so it took a while to settle in. The pace of life was different, too: much slower and more relaxed than in England. Most of all, though, I noticed the difference in climate and the way that affected my personality. Being under clear blue skies and a blazing sun gave me more energy than I’d ever had before. I felt positive and content. After a few months, I knew that I didn’t want to leave, so I decided to settle there and sent for the rest of my belongings. I’ve been here for three years now; I’m fluent in Spanish and I have a tan all year round!

E Stewart: The most important lesson I’ve learned in my life is that you have to take risks. If there is something you really want to do, you have to give it a try, even if it means giving up the security of receiving a monthly pay cheque. I had always wanted to write, but with all my commitments, I simply couldn’t find the time. Finally, I decided to follow my dream and that meant the job had to go. It’s been really hard work, but I’m managing to sell enough stories and articles to pay the bills. Now, there’s a publisher interested in my first novel: Life just couldn’t be better!

Answer:

Why did each person change his/her lifestyle?

How do you feel towards their decisions?

READING 4

GAP YEARS AND CAREER BREAKS

Read the advertisement and answer the questions.

1. Who can apply for a gap-year placement, and when?

2. What are the four benefits of a gap-year placement mentioned in the advertisement?

3. What kind of work is available?

4. Do you get paid / have to pay?

5. How do you apply?

WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD, OR JUST WANT A CHANGE?

Whether you are still a student or already in work, a gap-year placement is a unique opportunity to broaden your horizons, enhance your CV and step back from your studies or career to decide what you want to do with your life. Perhaps more importantly, a gap –year placement is the chance to do something concrete and tangible to help people in need in underprivileged areas of the world.

Placements are designed for people over 17 years of age, and run for six or nine months throughout the world. All placements begin with an intensive orientation course to help you find your feet; for some countries, an optional ten-day intensive language course is recommended. Participants work as volunteers in sectors such as education, conservation, medical support and care work.

Food and accommodation are provided, but participants pay their own travel costs.

READING 5

CULTURE SHOCK

What do you understand by culture shock? When might you experience it and what might happen?

Read and see how similar your ideas are to the ideas of the text.

One often hears that something was a culture shock – most often when people arrive in a new country, but also when they enter other kinds of new environments. However, it is usually described as being similar to a jet lag – something that you experience for a couple of days and then get over – all you need is a good night’s sleep! The reality is, however, that undergoing any big change – whether it’s moving house, changing job or going to university – will bring about a “culture shock”. Far from being a single event which is quickly forgotten, it is a process which may take several months – even years – to fully recover from. Psychologists more commonly call this process acculturation and highlight four distinct phases that nearly everyone goes through. These are elation – the joy and wonder you first have, where everything is so new and different; resistance – when things settle into a routine and you start to see everything which is bad in your new situation. You look back through rose-coloured glasses on your life before the change. This resistance is then followed by the transformation phase, where you swing more to the other extreme and start looking down on your previous existence and its culture. You may refuse to mix with people you used to know or who speak the same language. You might put them down when you do. Finally, people reach a state of integration where cultural differences are acknowledged and accepted and people appreciate both their own heritage and their new life.

That’s the ideal situation, according to psychologist Perry Graves. ‘Everyone goes through the initial stages, but not everyone finishes the complete cycle. This can cause problems because they often don’t recognise the phases of acculturation. For example, some people drop out of university in their first year, saying they don’t relate to the middle class values or that it has nothing to do with reality and so on. In reality, these opinions are actually a symptom of the resistance stage. In other cases, people get stuck in a transformation phase, which may stop them moving on to new experiences or lead to them cutting themselves off from their roots, from people they’ve known for years and years. That can lead to a deep sense of unhappiness and to feelings of frustration.”

Answer the questions:

1. What two misconceptions about culture shock are mentioned?

2. What is acculturation?

3. What four stages do people go through?

4. What happens in each stage?

5. Why might it be a problem if you don’t complete the cycle?

6. Think of a time when you experienced culture shock and had to adapt to new ways of new doing things – maybe in another country, or when changing schools, starting university, beginning a new job, etc.

7. What was strange to you? What different feelings did you go through? How well did you adapt? Were there any things you just couldn’t get used to?

Managing yourself

The concepts in the box show you how to manage yourself. Write the number of each phase (1-10) next to the correct word (a-j) in the box.

1. I want people – at least the people whose opinion I value – to tell me when I’ve done a good job.

2. I have to prioritise my tasks at the start of each day and then work through them

3. I expect to earn the money I think I deserve for what I do.

4. I need to be able to respect myself in what I do.

5. It would be boring if we never dared into the unknown in our professional lives. There must be some adventure.

6. My job is important to me but so is my family and my own private life.

7. I want to know that there is a future direction and the chance of development in my job.

8. It’s important for me to enjoy what I do.

9. I shouldn’t worry if I do it wrong sometimes – a long as I try to understand why it went wrong.

10. I need stimulating and interesting tasks – otherwise it’s hard to get involved.

Translate the sentences:

1. Когда он был на вечеринке , его попросили написать путеводитель по Китаю.

2. Он приехал в Севилью и влюбился в это место.

3. Я жил в Кенте, когда мне предложили работу в Лондоне.

4. В 2008г. Элисон получили повышение по и службе и стала старшим менеджером.

5. Доминго работал фермером и в тоже время делал скульптуры.

6. К концу дня я так уставал, что у меня не было никакого желания творить.

7. Если Вы не умеете планировать личное время или хотите узнать о персональном менеджменте, свяжитесь с нами.

8. Если в Вашем резюме перечислены интересные виды деятельности, это дает Вам больше шансов заинтересовать работодателя.

9. Я бы хотел узнать где я могу обменять деньги?

10. Большинство людей забывают, что к себе нужно относиться творчески. Они хотят стать более интересными и привлекательными, но не знают как это сделать.

11. Бросьте работу или возьмите длительный отпуск и поезжайте путешествовать по миру. Вы можете заняться чем-то абсолютно новым и это поможет Вам посмотреть на свою жизнь с другой точки зрения.

12. На этот рейс есть свободные места?

Unit 7

I. Vocabulary list

1. Negotiation

2. Sensitivity to cultural differences

3. Achievement

4. Schedule

5. Sign up

6. Optional

7. Confidential

8. Strict

9. Allow

10) Obligatory

11) Recommend (ed)

12) Forbidden

13) permit (ted)

14) Require

15) Work long hours

16) Make a long journey to work

17) Peninsula bounded

18) Cosmopolitan city

19) Inhabitants

20) get chilly, foggy

21) at times

22) soaring skyscrapers

23) tourist attractions

24) extensive range

25) retail outlets

26) eating establishments

27) ethnic neighborhoods

28) boom

29) dot com industries

30) accessible

31) reasonable

32) fascinating

33) dull

34) boring

35) outsourcing

36) advances in technology

37) to sympathize with

38) the culture gap

II. UK and US English

1. Match the words in bold in the sentences below with their US equivalent in the box.

1. Can I use my mobile phone? _______

2. Can we have the bill, please? _______

3. Do you want chips or a baked potato? ____

4. Was there any post today? _____

5. We need to stop for petrol._____

6. Turn left to get onto the motorway._____

7. See you in the shopping centre at 4.30._____

8. When did you buy your flat? ______

9. Next year she`s going to secondary school.____

10. How much is a return ticket? _____

11. The underground is so expensive.____

12. We like watching football._____

13. Let`s see a film. ____

14. I`m on holiday! _____

15. Where`s the toilet? _____

2. A) There are some differences between UK and US spelling. Look at the table.

B) Write these words in US English.

3. A) Work in group of three or four. Write a paragraph using one of the following titles:

• The restaurant

• My last big trip

• The best things in life

Group As: use as many Us words from Exs. 1 and 2 as possible. Group Bs: use as many UK words from Exs. 1 and 2 as possible.