2018-01-08
903
Most people want to be happy. Some people even spend lots of money to learn to be more positive. But perhaps the search for happiness isn't always a good thing. Some scientific research shows that you cannot force yourself to be happy Research has also shown that being in a negative mood can sometimes be an advantage. Joseph Forgas is a scientist at the University of New South Wales in Australia. He has studied how happy and negative moods affect people's lives. Professor Forgas has found that people in a negative mood know more about the world and they are more careful when making important decisions. "A positive mood is good for creativity and quick thinking," says Forgas. "But negative moods connect people with reality."
In some experiments, Professor Forgas found that people in a negative mood didn't easily believe rumours, but happy people are more likely to believe them. Other tests showed that people in a negative mood were better at remembering events that they had seen. People in a bad mood were also better at expressing their opinions on serious subjects.
Forgas has also found a connection between the weather and people's moods. When the weather is bad, people tend to have a negative mood. When the weather is good, people are happier. Forgas also found that on rainy days, when people were negative, their memory was improved. Other experiments by Forgas show that happy people are more selfish than unhappy people. Forgas says: "Happy people think more about their own needs than the needs of other people."
Some people are pleased about the results of Forgas's research. "Today, if you aren't happy people think there is something wrong," says Michael Collins, a journalist. "This is why Forgas's research is so important. Certainly, happiness is a good thing. But we do not have to try to be happy all the time." Forgas told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: "Positive mood is not always a good thing. People in a negative mood make fewer errors. Even they remember events more clearly and they are often better at communicating."
2. What does Joseph Forgas do? Read aloud the extract which says about it.
3. What are the results of Forgas' studies?
4. Do people find the results of the research important? Why?
Ответы на вопросы
1.This text is about positive and negative mood. Some scientific research shows that people in a negative mood know more about the world and they are more careful when making important decisions.Negative moods connect people with reality. People in a negative mood are better at remembering events that they have seen, better at expressing their opinions on serious subjects.And positive mood is good for creativity and quick thinking, but happy people are more selfish than unhappy people.
2.He has studied how happy and negative moods affect people’s lives.(2)
3. Professor Forgas has found that people in a negative mood know more about the world and they are more careful when making important decisions.Negative moods connect people with reality. People in a negative mood are better at remembering events that they have seen, better at expressing their opinions on serious subjects.And positive mood is good for creativity and quick thinking, but happy people are more selfish than unhappy people.
4.People are pleased about the results of F orgas’ research. Michael Collins, a journalist, says that his research is so important. Today, if you aren’t happy people think there is something wrong.We do not have to be happy all the time.Forgas says that positive mood is not always a good thing.People in a negative mood make fewer errors.They remember events more clearly and they are often better at communicating.
Good manners
Are you sure that you are a polite person? Good manners are important across the globe, but that doesn't mean they are the same. The rules of politeness vary greatly all over the world, from country to country everywhere.
Good manners are taken extremely seriously in Japan. It is considered rude to blow your nose in front of other people, and impolite to eat while standing or walking in the street (except ice-cream). When visiting someone's house you should always take off your shoes, and you should be very careful what you say. The Japanese are so well-mannered that they think it is rude to express your opinion too directly. In fact, the Japanese have two different words for opinions 'honne' which is your real opinion; and 'tatemae' which is your public opinion. Generally, they express their public opinion not to hurt people.
But it isn't only in Japan where you can see the difference. In many countries people shake hands when they greet each other but in others it might be seen as aggressive. While in Western cultures it is polite to keep eye-contact during a conversation, in other countries it is best to show your respect by not looking directly at the speaker. Just to add to the confusion, whereas we shall nod our heads to say 'yes' and shake them to say 'no', in some parts of the Middle East, shaking your head means 'yes' and nodding it means 'no'!
In spite of all the differences most of the countries have to face one problem nowadays: the disappearance of good manners. In America Public Agenda showed that 73 % of Americans think that manners are worse now than 20 years ago. At the same time in China the government had to start a campaign during the Olympics to give up bad habits such as spitting in public, littering the streets and using bad language. In England announcements are made on trains to remind people to offer their seats for the elderly and women with children.
As we can see good manners are treated seriously all over the world, that's why we should learn and follow them.
2. Good manners are important in Japan. Read aloud the extract which says about it.
3. Which facts from the article prove that good manners vary in different countries?
4. What do the governments in China and England do to teach people good manners?
Ответы на вопросы
1) This text is about good manners. Good manners differ in different countries. In spite of all the differences most of the countries have to face one problem nowadays:the disappearance of good manners.
2) (2абзац.) Good manners are taken extremely seriously in Japan. It is considered rude to blow your nose in front of other people, and impolite to eat while standing or walking in the street (except ice-cream). When visiting someone's house you should always take off your shoes, and you should be very careful what you say. The Japanese are so well-mannered that they think it is rude to express your opinion too directly. In fact, the Japanese have two different words for opinions 'honne' which is your real opinion; and 'tatemae' which is your public opinion. Generally, they express their public opinion not to hurt people.
3) In many countries people shake hands when they greet each other but in others it might be seen asaggressive.While in Western cultures it is polite to keep eye-contract during a conversation, in other countries it is best to show your respect by not looking directly at the speaker.We nod our heads to say ‘yes’and shake them to say’no’ but in some parts of the Middle East shaking your head means ‘yes’ and noddingit means ‘no’.
4) In China the government had to start a compaignto give up bad habits such as spitting in public, littering the streets and using bad language.In England announcements are made on trains to remind people to offer their seats for the elderly and women with children.
As a student, you are often given a task to prepare an oral presentation such as a book report, debate or power point presentation. How can you speak to the class in an interesting way, avoid getting nervous and get a good grade? Here are a few tips to help you achieve all three of these goals.
Many people are good speakers, but most weren't born that way. What's the key to their success? Practice. Everyone who speaks well from Angelina Jolie to the president rehearses speeches and presentations ahead of time and asks others for their opinion. Practising your presentation in front of a mirror is also helpful because it gives you ideas on how to improve your posture, body language and gestures.
If you're allowed to use notes or a plan when speaking, write only main points on note cards. Avoid writing long sentences on the cards because they're harder to read and encourage you to read your speech rather than speaking to the audience.
One of the most important things to remember about public speaking is that you're speaking to an audience. Is the audience a group of your classmates? If so, what are some points about the topic that they find interesting? Add anecdotes from the class or bits of humour to keep your listeners interested. The more you can connect it with their own experiences, the better — and the more positively they will listen to you.
The biggest mistake teenagers make is talking too fast. It happens to most of us when we're feeling anxious. However, you can teach yourself to be slower by practising your speech ahead of time for a friend. You can also record it using a tape recorder and play it back to hear how fast you're speaking and how many times you say things such as 'like' and 'um.'
Making eye contact with your audience members makes you look confident and competent about your subject. If you're particularly nervous about speaking in front of the class, you can also try looking at an object just behind the people in the audience, such as a clock or board on the back wall of the room.
2. The article says that practice is very important while preparing for a presentation. Read aloud the extract which says about it.
3. What mistakes do presenters make?
4. Which pieces of advice do you find useful? Why?
Why is it important to test GM foods?
Ответы на вопросы
1. This text is about public speaking. Here are a few tips to help us achieve three goals such as how to speak in an interesting way, avoid getting nervous and get a good grade.
2. (2-ой абзац.) Many people are good speakers, but most weren't born that way. What's the key to their success? Practice. Everyone who speaks well from Angelina Jolie to the president rehearses speeches and presentations ahead of time and asks others for their opinion. Practising your presentation in front of a mirror is also helpful because it gives you ideas on how to improve your posture, body language and gestures.
3. The biggest mistake teenagers make is talking too fast. It happens to most of us when we’re feeling anxious.
4. I think that practicing in front of a mirror is very helpful, because it gives you ideas on how to improve your posture, body language and gestures.
PABLO PICASSO
Pablo Picasso was one of the greatest artists of the 20lh century. He experimented in many different styles and changed the world of art during his time.
Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain in 1881. His father was a drawing teacher. At 10 Pablo became his father's pupil and at the age of 13 he held his first exhibition. His family moved to Barcelona in 1895 where Pablo joined an art academy. In his early period the young artist painted life as he saw it around him — in cafes and on the streets. Then they moved to Paris, the centre of art and literature.
In 1901 a close friend of Picasso shot himself. This had a great influence on Pablo. He was very sad and began painting his pictures in grey and blue tones instead of bright, vivid colours. This part of his career is called his Blue Period (1901-1904).
Later on, he changed his painting style and started using more earth colours — rose, pink or brown. He liked to paint pictures of circus life with dancers and acrobats. This Rose Period lasted until 1907.
When Picasso started working with his friend and fellow painter Georges Braque in Paris they started experimenting with a new style that was called cubism. Picasso and Braque didn't want to show nature as it really was. They thought that all objects in nature had geometric forms. In cubism, objects were cut into many flat shapes, which looked like a puzzle. All the sides of a person's face, for example, were shown at once, maybe even with three eyes instead of two.
In 1936 Civil War broke out in Spain. During this period he painted his masterpiece Guernica. It shows the terrified people of the ancient Spanish town which was bombed during the Civil War. Picasso was shocked by this inhuman act and in his painting he shows people running in the streets and screaming with their mouths wide open. To display his sadness and anger he used only black and white as well as shades of grey.
He continued his work up to his death in 1973. For his great imagination and skill he is called 'El Maestro' of modern art.
2. The most famous painting of Picasso is Guernica. Read aloud the extract about it.
3. Where did Picasso learn to paint?
4. Picasso worked in different styles. Which styles are mentioned in the article? What are their typical characteristics?
Ответ на вопрос 1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about. This text is about one of the greatest artist of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso. He experimented in many different styles and changed the world of art during his time. His career had some periods. Some facts of his life had a great influence on those periods.
Ответ на вопрос 2. The most famous painting of Picasso is Guernica. Read aloud the extract about it. (6 абзац) In 1936 Civil War broke out in Spain. During this period he painted his masterpiece Guernica. It shows the terrified people of the ancient Spanish town which was bombed during the Civil War. Picasso was shocked by this inhuman act and in his painting he shows people running in the streets and screaming with their mouths wide open. To display his sadness and anger he used only black and white as well as shades of grey.
Ответ на вопрос 3. Where did Picasso learn to paint? Picasso learned to paint from his father and then in Barcelona in art academy.
Ответ на вопрос 4. Picasso worked in different styles. Which styles are mentioned in the article? What are their typical characteristics? One of his styles was his Blue Period, then his Rose Period and cubism. In his Blue Period he painted in gray and blue tones, in his Rose Period he painted in rose, pink and brown, in the period which was called cubism he didn’t show nature as it really was.
