Why do we need philosophy?

Socrates is a famous ancient Greek philosopher. Read aloud the extract which tells about him

How are children taught to think?

Why do we need philosophy?

 

№2 CHILDREN AND GARDENING

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

   A lot of children these days have a dislike of vegetables and they often have little knowledge of where food comes from — either it's from a tin (metal box), a packet or a plastic bag. And this is why some schools have begun projects which help children understand more about nature and also get to like healthy, home-grown vegetables.

One school in Derbyshire in northern England was really proud of its project. The course lasted a total of six weeks. In this time, the children learned about growing vegetables and healthy living. They also learned how to make supports in wood for climbing plants like beans and peas. They helped to plant vegetables and take care of their vegetable gardens. It helped the children understand more about where food comes from and it also brought different people together.

In another project in Wales schoolchildren grew their own vegetables without the use of dangerous chemicals and they learned about the problems caused by intensive farming. As a result, the children began eating a lot more fresh fruit and vegetables instead of crisps and chocolate. The head teacher says that this has contributed to the children's health and it has also resulted in less rubbish in the school playground.

  In Scotland teachers have found that children's mathematical skills have become better as a result of learning to grow their own vegetables. The children measured the size of their vegetable garden and calculated the space that they needed to grow the optimum number of vegetables. They also used Maths to find out how much food they could grow on their plot of land. Then they compared their result with the actual amount of food that they grew. They also calculated the cost of producing each vegetable. The head teacher said that the children had enjoyed the project. They had learned about how Maths can be used in the real world.

  The projects were such a great success that some of them were shown on TV.

 

2 Why did the schools begin the projects connected with vegetables? Read

aloud the extract which says about it

3 What did the projects teach the children in England and Wales?

4 How did growing vegetables help the children to develop their mathematical skills and good habits?

№3 GOOD MANNERS

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

   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.

confusion – путаница;  to nod – кивать; to spit - плевать

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?

№4 PABLO PICASSO

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

  Pablo Picasso was one of the greatest artists of the 20^lh 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 geometricforms. 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?

№ 5FAMILY HISTORY

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

  "Researching family history is a true passion rather than just a hobby for many people", says Julie Mason. "It is wonderfully exciting when you learn more about the ancestors*. "

  Julie began researching her family's past in order to find out her roots*. She says: "When you discover your roots, it gives you understanding who you are." John Paul Thompson, has a different reason for wanting to research his family's history. "After my father died I found myself with photo albums full of old photographs with no labels. I wanted to find out more about the others." Some of the things that people discover about their families can be very surprising. When Jean Sandwell researched her family history she had a very big shock. She found out that she had been adopted as a baby. After she had accepted this situation, Jean tried to find her real parents. "I discovered that my mother emigrated to Australia in 1966," says Jean. "In 1982 I went to Australia to meet her. It was a very emotional experience for both of us."

So what is the best way to start researching your family history? "Interview all your family members before it is too late," says Julie Mason. "Make a basic family tree of your close family and step by step make it bigger. Of course, it is not easy to have accurate information from relatives about things that happened in the distant past. It is quite normal for different family members give different versions of the same events. It is very important to check everything."

  Public records in local libraries and in national archives* are also important to the family historian. Old newspaper reports are often kept on in local libraries. Sometimes, researching your family history can be lonely work. Remember that you can find a lot of help on the internet.

Of course, it is not easy to trace your family history a long way back and you must be very patient. Believe me, in the future, your children, and their children may be very grateful to you for recording it.

an ancestor – предок; roots – корни; an archive -архив

2 Jean Sandwell made a shocking discovery. Read aloud the extract which says about it

3 Why do people start tracing their family histories?

4 What recommendations does the author give to discover your roots?

 

№6 FRIENDSHIP IN THE MODERN WORLD

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

     People often say that our modern way of life, with its individualism and fast speed, has made the world a lonely place. So many of us live and work surrounded by people, but it is hard to find true friendship. The faces we see each day are like pictures in a gallery; the talk that we hear is just sound. Perhaps this is why the websites like 'Facebook', 'Contacts' are so popular these days. They allow people to communicate and even become close without meeting up. It seems that many people's idea of friendship has changed nowadays. But what is friendship? Aristotle was the first western philosopher to discuss friendship in a detailed way. He said that people who chose to live alone were either like animals or gods. He probably meant that it is natural to want friends. Certainly, people who choose to live without friends are frequently regarded as having problems. We either pity them or else we view them as strange.

     Aristotle also said that there are three different categories of friends. In the first category, we are friends with people because of some advantage that the friendship gives us. In other words, the friendship has a practical value. Friends in this category would include bosses at work or some of our colleagues. Aristotle's second category of friendship is based on the idea of pleasure. Friends in this category enjoy doing things together and they have a lot of interests in common.

     The third category of friendship is the highest form of friendship. In this category, people are friends on a deeper level. The friendship does not depend on anything other than the friends themselves. The relationship is so close that it seems that one soul belongs to two bodies, Aristotle said.

Aristotle also said that close friends must have eaten salt together. In other words, they must have shared some of life's good and bad experiences. Most people today would probably agree that these are a fundamental part of true friendship.

2 Read aloud the extract which says about the changes in the modern society

3 What do people think about people who have no friends?

4 What does Aristotle say about the three types of friendship?

 

 

№7 MAKE THE DREAM COME TRUE!

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

     Many people who are fed up with living in overcrowded and polluted cities dream of moving to the country and having their own small farm, or smallholding*. “The Telegraph” newspaper published a report about families who had attempted to make that dream come true. One couple, Ed and Sally Budd, bought a small farm a few months                             ago. It consisted of a house in need of some repair and a plot of land. Ed and Sally are planning to restore the house and they have already begun growing vegetables. They've also got a few cows and sheep. Both Ed and Sally work in London and only visit their smallholding at weekends. Fortunately, a local farmer looks after their animals during the week in return for keeping his own animals on their land.

     So far Ed and Sally are enthusiastic and they aren't at all afraid of all the hard work that they still have to do. Sally told the newspaper: "Eventually, we want to live all year round on our smallholding. We want our children to grow up here and to be able to play in the woods."

     0f course, some people are very enthusiastic at the beginning, but they soon start making mistakes. “The Telegraph” describes the experience of two people, Liz Sharkland and Gerry Toms, who had a rather bad start. "We began in completely the wrong way," says Liz. "We saw an advertisement in the paper for this beautiful old farmhouse. We came up to see it and loved it immediately. It was July and the weather was very hot. We bought the place and moved in late autumn. Then it began to rain." The fields turned into mud and Liz and Gerry found that it was not suitable for keeping animals.

     Gradually, however, Liz and Gerry started to make progress. They learned a lot from simply living on the smallholding. Then Liz attended a smallholding course and studied for a Higher National Diploma in countryside management. Liz has now gained enough experience to be able to offer expert advice to other people who want to start a smallholding.

     Living close to nature can be very rewarding*, but making a success of it requires a lot of hard work.

a smallholding – небольшой земельный участок; rewarding – стоящий, полезный

2 Read aloud the extract where Sally says why they want to live in the country

3 What does the newspaper report say about Ed and Sally?

4 What mistake did Liz and Gerry make?    

№8 HOW TO BECOME A WINNER

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

     All sports people are under a lot of pressure to win. They also experience powerful emotions. When they win or do well, they feel excited and extremely happy. But when things go badly, they feel depressed and anxious. This is why athletes have to be mentally strong. In the past, athletes only trained to get physically fit. Today, professional sportsmen learn to control their mind too.
     England rugby player Johnny Wilkinson played brilliantly at the Rugby World Cup in 2003. But after that things started to go wrong. He was injured a lot and he wasn't playing so well. He told “The Times”: "I couldn't control my emotions. Things were going wrong and I couldn't do anything about the situation. The problem was that I couldn't control my mind. If I wanted to feel better, I knew I had to learn how to control it."

     He read lots of books to try to understand how to solve the problem. He found the answer in books. Wilkinson said: "The books tell us that reality changes depending on how we look at it. This made me understand that I was making my own problems. I could solve my problems if I looked at reality differently. "In team sports such as football, it is important to create a team spirit. This can be very difficult because teams consist of people with different personalities.
     Professor Dave Collins is a sports psychologist. He says: “A team is like a monster with 11 heads. It's not easy to get all the players think in the same way, to help one another and to work together. But when you see a team that works as a unit, everything happens naturally and easily.”

     When there is a team spirit, the players help one another. They all take responsibility when things go badly. They do not blame individual players for mistakes. In this way, each player feels more confident and can concentrate better on the game.

     Today, sports psychologists have an important job to do. They help athletes become mentally fit and develop a winning mentality. Having a winning mentality really can make a difference between winning and losing.

2 Read aloud the extract which says about the importance of being mentally strong

3 What does the article say about Johnny Wilkinson?

4 Why is it important to create a team spirit?

                                               №9 ARE WE SHOPAHOLICS?

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

     If you think you are not one of those people whose buying habits are influenced by advertisements, you are most probably mistaken. The latest survey made by The Consumers'* Federation shows what effect modern advertising techniques have on customers.

     150 people were asked to answer questions in a short questionnaire just as they were leaving a Tesco supermarket after finishing their shopping. Only 15 % of the people agree they buy things because they've seen them advertised. More than 50 % insist they do not even watch commercials on television. However, over three quarters had no prоblems matching the most popular perfume brands with their advertising slogans.

     Most people do not realise that advertising aims not only at making them buy a certain brand. It's also all the techniques supermarkets use to make customers buy more than they have actually planned. The music, the smells, the arrangement of products, the reductions*, all have one goal - to get as much money as possible out of our pockets. 94 % of the people taking part in the survey said they buy between one and five things more than is really necessary, each time they visit a supermarket.

     How to avoid spending too much? Here are a few tips: first of all, always make a shopping list and follow it, no matter what special offers you come across. Secondly, never go shopping on an empty stomach- you'll buy tons of unnecessary food. If you really have to take children with you, agree in advance what one thing you'll buy them and don't change your mind later, when they get tired or excited. And, above all, limit the time spent in shops to an absolute minimum; don't treat shopping as a leisure-time activity. Do we have any chance in the battle against the powerful advertising machine? I doubt it. Most of us like spending time in supermarkets, even if we don't realise it. It's become one of our favourite pastimes, something like hunting combined with a family picnic.

a consumer - потребитель; a reduction - скидка

2 What are the results of the survey carried out by the Consumers' Federation? Read aloud the extract which says about it

3 Which methods are used to attract buyers to the shops?

4 What does the article recommend to do not to become a shopaholic?

№10 BOOKS IN NEVER-ENDING MOTION

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

     Librarians are saddened by the fact that young people tend only to borrow reference books* rather than reading fiction for pleasure. Perhaps it's unfashionable to read these days. However, a new trend is developing, with literary lovers leaving their books in public places, to be picked up and 'borrowed' by others.

     The Belarusian National Technical University was the first to support the idea in our country. Several years ago, the Director of its scientific library, Alexey Skalaban, passed an internship* in Sweden. At the airport, he saw a huge glass case of books, which he learnt were available for anyone to read. It was a great idea. The question was only where such books might be kept in Minsk. "Initially, we created a shelf in the reading hall of the University's scientific library. Later, we installed a case in the main building. It's available to everyone," explains Mr. Skalaban. "We want to encourage young people to read. Book-crossing is an easy way to do this." Alexey is looking at a website devoted to book-crossing. "Look, we've set free almost 700 books," he admits with pride. On the day I visited, I saw only two books in the case. The inside cover has a plate stating that it is part of the book-crossing programme, alongside a registration number showing who donated the book and when.

     Library staff, students and even residents of neighbouring houses bring books. Additionally, publishing houses have donated some editions. Every year, more such 'safe' places are found. Not long ago, a Minsk night club installed a shelf of books. While some people dance, others gather by the shelves of books, magazines and discs. "We've subscribed to several magazines, while books are brought in by our guests, staff and musicians. This is how our collection grows," says Yan Busel, who co-owns the club.

     Book-crossing is gaining popularity, with safe shelves found in many libraries, as well as cafes and educational establishments. No doubt, it's a great way to attract visitors.

reference books - справочники

an internship - интернатура, стажировка

2 The author says what makes librarians unhappy. Find this extract and read it aloud

3 Who was the first to introduce book-crossing in our country?

4 Why is book-crossing becoming more and more popular in Belarus?

 

№11 CITY PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

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

     When modern city life becomes too stressing, many people who live in the city feel like moving out to the countryside. The countryside appears to offer so much: clean air, beautiful scenery, less crime, a slower kind of life, and the chance to ‘get back to nature’. In the country you can save money when you grow your own fruit and vegetables. For young children, the countryside can be a very exciting place to grow up. You can explore and play outside in reasonable safety. However, there is also a price to pay if you want to give up city life for the beauties of the countryside.

     For example, Mike Thomas used to work as a lawyer* in New York. He became so tired of city life that he decided to give up his job and move to a small village in the woods of New York State. “I get my water from a clean river and my firewood from the woods. I grow my own food and I am able to live almost without money”, Mike says. “I work when I want to. There is a public library nearby with free internet access and email. What more could I ever want?”

But country life is not always so idyllic*. Teenagers often find the countryside boring and depressing because there is little or no exciting entertainment. Services and basic conveniences in small towns and villages are not as good as those in the city. The lack of public transport means that parents sometimes have to take their children up to 30 miles to go to school. People have less choice about where to go shopping and there is a lack of basic entertainment. This may explain why more teenagers feel unhappy in country areas.

     Also villagers often dislike the so-called ‘townies’. They think that people from the cities do not really understand the true spirit of the countryside. They try to stop farmers go shooting. They do not use local village shops; they have little contact with the local people at all.

     So, people who move from the city to the countryside should understand that life in the country is not always easy.

a lawyer - юрист

idyllic - идеальный

 

    2 Mike Thomas is quite happy in the countryside. Read aloud the extract which says about it

    3 What do people from cities find attractive in the countryside?

    4 What problems can people face in the countryside?

 

№12 OUR PARENTS AND OUR QUALITIES

   1 Read the magazine article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about

   An important new report says that a child's chances of success in life depend on their parents. The way parents bring up their child builds up that child's character. And having the right character is important for opportunities of future happiness.

   According to the report, there are specific personal qualities that parents should work hard to develop in their children so that they can have a good start in life. One of these qualities is the ability to concentrate on a task and stay with it until it is finished. Another quality is the ability to see things from other people's point of view and understand their needs and feelings. It is the main skill that allows individuals to communicate with each other effectively.

   Self-discipline is another important quality. This is something that most children have difficulty learning. Young children often want their desires satisfied immediately. Children don't easily accept 'no' for an answer and they will sometimes have a fight in order to get what they want. When this happens, the parents are under a lot of pressure. There is a strong desire to give the child what he or she wants. But according to the report, this is the wrong thing to do.

   The problem is that children will grow up believing that they can have everything they want immediately. This can lead to serious problems because they never learn to plan for the future and think in the long term. When they are adults, they may buy too many things because they can't control how much money they spend. They may have poor health because they only eat or drink what they like instead of what is healthy.

   For the best chances of success, then, children need to learn how to have self- discipline. They also need to be motivated to work hard at tasks and finish them. Of course, a child's character is influenced by lots of different things. Some of these are beyond their or their parents' control and can make a big difference to a child's chances of success in life.

 

    2 Why is self-discipline important? Read aloud the extract about it

    3 What can happen to adults if they can't control themselves?

    4 What other qualities should parents bring up in their children? Why?

 

№13 UNKNOWN ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

   1 Read the magazine article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about

   Like the great detective Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle also had many wonderful talents. Many people do not know that he wrote many other kinds of books: science fiction, historical adventures, horror stories and stories of the supernatural. He also wrote factual books on history and politics. In everything he did, he showed his incredible creative energy.

  Conan Doyle came from an artistic family and he was a natural writer. His father was a talented artist and his mother was a very good story-teller. In his autobiography, Conan Doyle wrote: "The stories that my mother told me when I was a child stand out more powerfully than the real facts of my life." Conan Doyle went to boarding school when he was nine years old. At school, he entertained his school friends with stories that he had invented. After graduation from Edinburgh University he had his own medical practice in London, but he did not have many patients, so he was not earning a lot of money as a doctor. That's why Conan Doyle made good use of his free time by writing stories. Soon, Conan Doyle began to have his stories published. He now began to understand that writing could provide a better income than medicine.

   Conan Doyle was not satisfied with being just a writer of original and entertaining stories. He was also a great man of action. When he was a young man, he sailed as a ship's doctor on voyages to the Arctic and to West Africa. When the Boer War* in Africa started, Conan Doyle volunteered to fight. He was not accepted because he was too old (he was 40). However, he still went to South Africa as a doctor to treat the wounded* and the sick. He later wrote a history of the Boer War.

   Conan Doyle was determined to do some good in society. He tried to enter Parliament, but he wasn't successful. Conan Doyle was more successful in his work to improve the law system. He worked very hard to help people who had been wrongfully sent to prison.

     Conan Doyle did many things in his life, but he will naturally be remembered most as a writer, a creator of Sherlock Holmes.

Boer War - англо-бурская война

Wounded - раненые

2 Conan Doyle had many talents. Read aloud the extract which says about it