World's most powerful women

The Forbes Company has released its annual list of the world's 100 most powerful women.

Forbes is an American publishing company. It is best known for its magazine. Each year the magazine also publishes lists of the world's richest people and companies. It has produced its list of most powerful women since 2004. For the fourth year running, Angela Merkel is at the top of the list. She is the elected leader of Germany. Mrs Merkel has been the German Chancellor since 2005.

To work out the list the magazine looks at the public profile of each woman. This includes how often she is mentioned in international newspapers and radio and television broadcasts. Money is also considered. Yet the Forbes Company says this does not mean how much money a woman has or earns, but how much money she controls.

The list also takes into account how much influence a woman has on decisions taken in politics and in international organisations. For example, Dr Margaret Chan, the leader of the World Health Organization (WHO) is at number 84 on the list.

The list includes Queen Rania of Jordan, who campaigns for children's health and education, as well as Aung San Suu Kyi. Ms Suu Kyi was elected prime minister of Myanmar in 1990. But the country's military government refused to accept the election result. Ms Suu Kyi was imprisoned and is still being kept under house arrest. In 1991 she was awarded the Noble Peace Prize. Several important businesswomen appear in the top ten of the Forbes list. Indra Nooyi is at number three on the list. She runs the PepsiCo Company. There are some new entries on the list this year. At number 40 is Michelle Obama, the wife of President Barack Obama and First Lady of the USA. Mrs Obama works to draw attention to the rights of working women and military families in particular.

This year Queen Elizabeth the Second of the UK moved up 14 places to number 42.

1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.

2. The author says how women are chosen for the list. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. Who is at number three on this list and why?

4. Why is it important to appear on this list?

Ответ на вопрос 1. This text is about the list of the world’s 100 most powerful women.This list is published by the Forbes Company.To work out the list the magazine looks at the public profile of each woman.

Ответ на вопрос 2. 4-ый абзац.

Ответ на вопрос 3. Indra Nooyi is at number 3 on the list.

Ответ на вопрос 4. This includes how often she is mentioned in international newspapers & radio & television broadcasts, how much money she controls, how much influence a woman has on decisions taken in politics & in international organizations.

 

 

A TRUE FRIEND?

Leaving my revision until the last minute had never been my plan as I'd always done well at school. But last winter term it all went wrong. Before I knew it, there were just a few weeks until the exams. I tried to revise one subject a night, Mum and Dad didn't help and made me feel guilty for going to my friend Emma's for a break. Emma was my only real friend. I'm quite shy and she was always doing my talking for me. She often asked me to help with homework in return, but I didn't mind because I found school work easy. One day, I spoke to Jamie, a boy from my history class. He had the history exam paper and would give it to me for 25 pounds. When I looked at it I realized I already knew most of the answers! I felt really silly and ashamed but relieved to know I wasn't as bad at history as I thought. That Friday, after school, I went to Emma's and told her everything.

A few days later Emma asked for my French revision notes and threatened to tell everybody that I had cheated. Soon her demands increased. She asked to 'borrow' some of my favourite CDs, but it was clear she was going to keep them. Then she made me buy her lunch or pay her bus fares. I didn't want to but she said she could ruin my whole future. I can't believe I put up with it but I didn't know what else to do.

Then, just before the exams were about to start, my worst nightmare came true. One morning at school I was called into the headmaster's office. I'd been found out. My parents were there too and they were upset. When we got home, I explained everything — how I'd been worried about the exams and Emma's demands.

Gradually, life improved, I started doing better at school and I made a new friend — a girl called Gina, who introduced me to her group of mates. They like me for who I am and are real friends — unlike Emma.

Now I'm waiting for my real exam results. I don't know how I'll do, but whatever happens, I've learnt my lesson — cheating is bad. You just have to do your best and ask for help if you need it.

1. Read Helen's story and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.

2. The author describes different things that Emma demanded from Helen. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. Why did Helen decide to cheat?

4. How did Helen's life change in the end?

Ответ на вопрос 1. This text is about real friends. It’s very important to have a good friend whom you can trust & who can help in any situation.

Ответ на вопрос 2. 4-ый абзац.

Ответ на вопрос 3. She was not sure that she knew history very well.

Ответ на вопрос 4. Her life improved.She started doing better at school & she made a new friend.

WALL STREET

Wall Street is a place where the sun never shines. This doesn't mean it has a different climate from the rest of New York City. It simply means that the buildings here in New York's financial centre are so high that the street is always in the shade.

The people who work in the Wall Street area are too busy to worry about the weather. They are employed by great banking houses or giant financial companies. They handle big sums of money every day.

Twenty years ago, life was a lot quieter on Wall Street. Many of the companies were old family firms. They had always been successful and did not see the need to work very hard for their money. Sons entering their fathers' businesses could come to work late, leave early and be certain that no one would notice. Those days are gone forever. Wall Street's big bosses still have beautifully furnished offices on the top floor, with wonderful views over New York. But downstairs in the trading rooms, clever young people work at their computers sending money around the world.

Americans have never quite got used to trusting their banks. They remember too well the great Wall Street 'crash' of 1929, when many banks closed and thousands of people lost their money. In order to keep the dangers small, American law prevents banks from becoming too big. No bank can have offices in more than one state. Perhaps this is why there arc so many banks in America — nearly 15,000 of them.

The advantage of having so many small banks is that each one can get to know its customers, and can offer a personal service. The problem is that a traveller who has his or her money in a bank in Denver, cannot easily get any money out from a bank in Washington. But even this is changing now Computers can send money so fast that the old system of American banks is breaking down.

Many Americans are not so happy about leaving their money in the bank. They want to see it grow, fast. That's one reason why many people spend as much money as they can on buying and improving houses. They know real estate prices often rise faster than anything else.

2. The author mentions some pluses and minuses of having many small banks. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. Why don't Americans trust their banks?

4. What makes Americans spend money on real estate?

Ответ на вопрос 1. This text is about American banks. American banks are small & there are so many banks in America—nearly 15,000 of them.There are some advantages & disadvantages of having so many small banks.

Ответ на вопрос 2. 6 - ой абзац.

Ответ на вопрос 3. They remember too well the great Wall Street “crash” of 1929, when many banks closed & thousands of people lost their money.

Ответ на вопрос 4. They know real estate prices often rise faster than anything else.

 

It started with shepherd's pie 30 years ago and now ready-made meals have transformed the nation's eating habits.

Britons spent 1.9 billion on ready-made meals last year, twice as much as the French and Germans, four times as much as the Italians and six times as much as the Spanish. Nearly one in three British adults eats a ready-made meal more than once a week. Some claim that the reason for it is an excuse "Can't cook, won't cook". However, others consider it to be a case of culture.

The ready-made meal boom also reflects changing social trends in Britain. More people live alone and so are less likely to cook. And with families eating apart more often, ready-meals allow people to eat what they want when they want.

But ready meals also reflect changing tastes in food. Britain's multi- culturalism has brought a wider range of restaurants than other European countries, and ethnic cuisines, which people are often scared of cooking, arc far more popular. One quarter of chilled meals are Indian, and nearly one in five is Chinese. Traditional British food accounts for only 18 per cent of sales.

The quality of ready-made meals has become better since the 1970s. However, Dr Jebb says: "Ready-made meals tend to be higher in fat, sugar and salt than the meals we would cook ourselves at home. Fat is chcap and it adds flavour. Most of the salt we eat is added by manufacturers — people like it." But it is not necessarily bad. People can choose healthy options, or have ready-made salads. There is a whole generation that has been brought up with ready meals. They haven't grown up with cooking, they have neither the ability nor the desire to cook.

If we cook, we are interested in life. For many of us, cooking is a way of keeping some control over our own health and happiness. There is no way to guarantee a long and healthy life, but there are three ways to make it possible. The first is to drink a lot of water, the second is to walk a lot and the third is to cook.

2. The author tells us about the fact that people eat more ready-made meals in Britain than in any other country. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What does Dr Jebb think about ready-made meals?

4. Why do people need to cook?

Ответ на вопрос 1. This text is about ready- made meals. Ready-made meal is not very healthy for us.But there is a whole generation that has been brought up with ready meals.

Ответ на вопрос 2. 2-ой абзац.

Ответ на вопрос 3. Ready-made meals tend to be higher in fat, suger & salt than the meals we would cook ourselves at home.

Ответ на вопрос 4. If we cook we are interested in life. Cooking is a way of keeping some control over our own health & happiness.

 

 

HOW TO BECOME RICH

I believe that even people who are deeply in debt can become wealthy in ten years or less.

The first step is taking control of spending. So, start living on less than you make. Track your spending for a month. Then review your notes to see where you can make cuts. The next step is looking towards tomorrow. Even people happy in their jobs today understand that things are changing in every profession and that they might not be secure tomorrow.

Lastly, these people are saving like crazy ones. Now is not the time to buy that 42-inch flat-screen TV if you can't afford it.

A poor person should really learn to be as optimistic as a millionaire. Try this simple exercise. For the next three days, notice and write down five good things happening in your world. After three days, you'll see that good things are part of a pattern in your life. This will make you more optimistic, and optimism is a wealth magnet. Study after study shows that people with faith in themselves and in the future get more jobs and keep more jobs. They save for tomorrow rather than spend for today because they're convinced there will be a tomorrow.

I`ve designed a set of special exercises to help people overcome financial difficulties. The exercises are valuable because they help make changes real and they give you a goal and focus. Most involve keeping a journal or asking yourself challenging questions. One that's really valuable is writing about yourself in the third person. New research shows that when you write about yourself as 'he' or 'she,' it takes away some of the self-consciousness. You can see if you're emphasizing positive or negative attributes and understand how others see you. From there, you can start to make changes.

The research being done by psychologist Bob Emmons on gratitude made a difference. His idea is that grateful individuals lead happier, more successful lives. Bob got me to appreciate the everyday — to stop comparing, to do things for others, to use visual aids to stimulate me, like the sign I put up in my house that says 'Breathe.' In this economy, it's something everyone needs to remember.

2. The author gives advice on how to become wealthy. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What exercises should a person do to overcome financial difficulties?

4. Why is it important for people to feel optimistic if they want to get rich?

Ответ на вопрос 1. This text is how to become rich.The author gives advice how to become rich.The author has designed a set of special exercises to help people to overcome financial difficulties.

Ответ на вопрос 2. 4-ый абзац.

Ответ на вопрос 3. The exercises are valuable because they help make changes real & they give us a goal & focus.

Ответ на вопрос 4. Because optimism is a wealth magnet.