Now complete the sentences below. Develop them into a paragraph.

1. Students often wonder whether it is worth going to Britain to study English.

I would say it depends on …………………….

Some students ………………………………...

Others, however, ………………………………

All in all, ……………………………………...

2. This is an excerpt from the letter a friend of yours wrote to you:

I know the university is my home. But I’ll tell you one thing. I am so worried. I've got to get away from this place. If I leave it my mother will have a nervous breakdown, but if I stay, I will explode … self-destruct! Can you ask me what the matter is? It is my teacher. He's too demanding. I can never please him, no matter how hard I try. He's a perfectionist and expects the same of others … especially his students. But nobody is perfect. We all have our little flaws (недостатки). He is sometimes so certain. Other students are able to live up to all his high goals and ideals. I've tried to speak to him but, as usual, he turns a deaf ear to anything I say. Talking to him is hopeless. He is absolutely no good when it comes to my personal problems.

Write him (her) back. What kind of advice can you give him/her? Try to persuade him/her not to leave the university.

Choose one of the followings topics to describe

a) your current personal interests;

b) the subjects you are taking;

c) the regulations for students at your University;

d) your first day at the University.

TASKS FOR LISTENING

Listen to Dialogue 1. Mark the statements as true (T) or false (F).

1. The courses are offered by an art school.

2. The friends learn about the courses from an advertisement in a paper.

3. Oriental language courses are offered.

4. The friends haven’t made their decision on what course to take.

5. They’ve decided to take a course in making videos.

Listen to Text 1 (Part 1). Answer the following questions.

1. Is it difficult or easy to get on the good side of any teacher?

2. How different are teachers?

3. What kind of behaviour should you have to butter up teachers?

4. What does an old compliment trick mean?

5. What should the tone of your voice be when you flatter your teacher?

Listen to Text 1 (Part 2). Answer the following questions.

1. What is the next point in the author’s argument?

2. Are little tokens also of great importance? In what way are they important?

3. What other sure-fire methods that can help you to win your way to a teacher’s heart and make you a teacher’s pet do you know?

4. Are you confident that hypocrisy is not humiliation?

5. Do you agree with everything the author says?

6. Can you ‘pick any holes’ (найти слабые места) in the author’s arguments?

UNIT5. GOING TO THE DOCTOR

INTRODUCTORY TEXT

· Everyone in Great Britain can have free medical treatment under the National Health Service (the NHS) and in general people don’t have to pay for medical treatment. Every person is registered with a doctor in their local area, known as a GP (general practitioner). People who are on the GP’s list may make an appointment to see the doctor. Sometimes they have to pay part of the cost of medicines the doctor prescribes. The GP makes an appointment for the patient to see a specialist at a hospital. Some people prefer to have private health insurance which means that they can be treated privately. Urgent medical treatment and ambulances in Great Britain are free.

· Health care in the United States is known to be very expensive. Most people have health insurance through their place of employment, or they buy it on their own. There are two federal programmes – Medicaid (a system by which the government helps to pay the medical costs of people on incomes) and Medicare (a system providing nearly free treatment for the elderly). Medicaid for the poor varies from one state to another. Most Americans prefer to get privatehealth insurance to pay their medical bills. But this insurance covers less than 40 per cent of medical costs. A lot of Americans go to the doctor once a year for a checkup. In addition, they go to the dentist for a routine checkup every six months. Many Americans have a complete physical examination once a year. Acting a complete physical examination, doctors check the patient’s pulse and blood pressure. The patient may also have blood tests and a chest X-ray. Many doctors in the US have private practice.

· Thirty million Americans are handicapped. Some are blind or deaf, some cannot walk or talk, some are mentally retarded, and others are disabled in some other way. These handicapped Americans don’t want to be cared for. They want to be independent and care for themselves. They are now demanding changes that will allow them to be more independent.

· According to the American Heart Association, cigarette smoking, a high-fat diet and obesity head the list of unhealthy habits that lead to heart diseases.

· One out of every ten Americans exercises every day to stay in good physical condition. This fitness craze (interest in exercising and eating healthy foods) is popular all across the country. However, a recent study showed that more than 31 per cent of men and almost 27 per cent of US women are overweight – more than 20 per cent over their ideal body weight.

· Many people in Great Britain and the USA now eat a lot of low-fat food and more fibre. Fat is thought to be the cause of diseases. Besides, people believe that they should exercise more so as not to be fat. Some people have started counting the calories they eat every day (a calorie is the energy value of food) so that they can try to take in less food and lose weight. This is called a calorie-controlled diet. Special food with fewer calories for people who want to keep fit is produced now in these countries.

· In Great Britain and the USAFahrenheit thermometer is used to take a temperature. The normal temperature on a Fahrenheit thermometer is 98.6.

· Life expectancy in Great Britain and the USA is quite high. The average age for men is 72 and for women 76.