Make up a description of consequences of getting drunk.

6.4.Discuss some questions:

Have you ever been assaulted?

Have you ever had some problems in the streets, with some gangs?

Do you believe that there are some ‘easy drugs’?

6.5.Read the text 5. Answer the questions:

1. What happened to Ann?

2. Has she overcome her problems?

3. Have you (or you friends) ever been in such situations?

4. What, as you think, was the most difficult to overcome in Ann’s situation?

Text 5

The Day I Saved My Life

I saved myself from a terri­ble life the day I moved 2,000 miles away from home. Had I stayed, I probably wouldn't be alive right now to tell you this.

It started in high school. I joined a gang because I wanted to be like my older brother. Before my first fight, I was so nervous, I was shaking. From then on, it was violence and more violence. My 'crew' became my life and I started to love it. Watching my back was something I got used to. Once, on the way home from school, I was jumped by seven girls who busted a bottle over my head and kicked me until they thought I was unconscious. Another day, I got punched and stomped on by 15 girls and guys on the bus. I was shot at too many times to count. Many nights, after driving in danger­ous territory, we'd get out of the car to look at all of the bullet holes. It saddens right now to think about how many kids I know who've been killed. I look back and think, jeez, what if I'd been standing right there? Maybe it would have been me.

When I joined the crew, they asked if I wanted to try drugs. At first, I was like, 'Nah,' but then they said, 'Come on, try.' By the end of sophomore year, I was taking drugs in school. My grades dropped big time. We were basically at war with another gang, and between classes and after school I usually had a fight to look forward to. At the end of my junior year, we had this big, big fight. I kept hitting this girl in the ear until she pulled a knife on me. The next day when I got to school, I found out she'd gone deaf in that ear and I was arrested. Later, as I sat in the back of the cop car with my mom, I felt like a total disap­pointment. Getting arrested changed my life.

I quit my crew and started at a new school (because of my grades, I had to repeat a year), but that wasn't the end of my problems. I still hung with some gangbangers, and I became addicted to cocaine. Then one day I got greedy with the coke, sniffed too much and ended up on the floor, shaking and spit­ting. Even though I managed to graduate, I knew I really needed to start over. That's when I packed up and went to California to live with my sister. I got a job, opened a bank account and finally realised how much life had to offer me. Friends would write to me about who got shot. I didn't want to hear it. I wanted to leave it behind. Now I'm work­ing and going to school. I have new friends, and I haven't touched coke in a couple of years. When I go back home, I see the old gang hanging on the comer and I wonder if I hadn't left, would I be there too? Would I even be alive? I thought I was so strong back then, but I was weak, a follower. Now I'm showing my parents that they raised a strong, intelligent woman who can over­come her wrong-doings and make something of her life.

By Ann J., USA

VOCABULARY

gang - банда

from then on - с тех пор

violence - насилие, жестокость

crew - команда

to watch one's back- быть начеку

to bust - разбивать

to be unconscious - быть без сознания

to punch - ударять (кулаком)

to stomp - топтать

too many times to count - столько раз, что не сосчитать

dangerous - опасный

bullet hole - пулевое отверстие

jeez - Господи

drug - наркотик

It was like 'Nan' [па:] - Вроде хотела сказать «Не-а»

sophomore year ['sofermo:]- ам. второй год обучения (в старшей школе)

grade - ам. оценка

dropped big time -здорово снизились

had a fight to look forward to -меняожидала драка

junior year - ам. третий год обучения

deaf [def] - глухой

cop car - полицейская машина

I felt like a total disappointment - я чувствовала, что из меня ничего не вышло

to quit [kwit] - бросать, оставлять

gangbanger - член банды

to be addicted - присраститься

cocaine,coke [kauk] - кокаин

I got greedy - я пожадничала

to sniff -нюхать

to spit (spat) -плевать

bank account - банковский счет

how much life had to offer me -сколько всего я могу получить от жизни

to leave it behind -не вспоминать об этом

follower -подражатель

to raise - воспитывать

to overcome (overcame;overcome) - преодолевать

wrong-doing - ошибка

to make something of one's life -стать кем-то, сделать что-то в жизни

1.

6.6.Translate into English:

1. Если бы я осталась, меня, вероятно, не было бы в живых, чтобы рассказать вам об этом.

2. Я присоединилась к банде, потому что хотела быть как мой старший брат.

3. Я привыкла быть начеку.

4. В меня стреляли столько раз, что сложно сосчитать.

5. Когда я пришла в «команду» они спросили, хочу ли я попробовать наркотики.

6. К концу второго года обучения я принимала наркотики в школе.

7. Позже, когда я сидела на заднем сиденье полицейской машины со своей мамой, я почувствовала полное разочарование.

8. Сейчас я работаю и хожу в школу.

9. У меня новые друзья и я не притрагивалась к кокаину пару лет.

10. Сейчас я показываю своим родителям, что они вырастили сильную, умную женщину, которая в состоянии преодолеть свои ошибки и сделать что-то в жизни.

6.7.Complete the sentences:

1. Before my first fight, I was so nervous, I was ………...

2. My grades dropped big …….

3. I still hung with some gangbangers, and I became addicted to ……...

4. I got a job, opened a bank account and finally realised how much life had to …. ...

5. I thought I was so strong back then, but I was weak, a ……….

6.8.Give the equivalents of the following words:

violence, to raise, to bust, wrong-doing, cop car