Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings
Discussion:
1. Discuss in pairs:
1. What did you think when you were listening to the article?
2. What kind of comedy do you prefer?
3. How do you think men and women use humour differently?
4. Do you think men are funnier than women?
5. Do you really think women tell fewer jokes than men?
6. Are your favourite comedians men or women?
7. Are the subjects of men and women’s jokes different in your country?
8. Do you agree that men have a “who can tell the best joke” competition – more so than women?
9. What do you think of the unicycling scientist’s research?
10. Do you think humour is genetic and the male hormone testosterone causes men to be funnier?
11. What questions would you like to ask Professor Sam Shuster?
12. What do you think are the differences between male and female humour?
13. Do you have a good sense of humour?
14. Do you understand the humour of other nationalities?
15. Do you laugh at jokes told English?
16. Are you good at telling jokes?
Writing
Write a letter to professor Sam Shuster. Give him three suggestions on what he should do to find out more about whether men or women are funnier. Give him three other research projects that look into differences between men and women. Read your letter to your partner(s) the next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.
Unit 10. Childhood
Vocabulary
Look up the translation of the following words and word combinations in the dictionary:
1) audition (n) A t the weekends Hayley goes to auditions.
2) awkward (adj) Some lies are designed to avoid unpleasant or awkwardtruths.
3) beg (v) I was useless at the piano and my teacher beggedmy parents to stop sending me.
4) can’t help yourself (phr) If you can’t help yourself, you cannot stop doing something.
5) cool sb down (phr v) The pocket fan cools you downwhen it’s really hot.
6) be designed to (v) Some lies are designed toavoid unpleasant or awkward truths.
7) detrimental (adj) Something that has a detrimentaleffect has a negative effect.
8) dilemma (n) A dilemmais a difficult problem or situation.
9) do something against one’s will (phr) Hayley’s mum says she is not forcing Hayley to do anything against her will.
10) do/have whatever it takes (phr) Rachel thinks her daughter has what it takesto be a film star.
11) drop sb off (phr v) Ryan didn’t want his friends to see his parents drop him offat the gym.
12) dye (v) If you dyeyour hair, you change its colour.
13) eyesight(n) Eating carrots improves your eyesightand you’ll be able to see in the dark!
14) fan (n) A pocket fanis a fan that sprays water in your face when it’s hot.
15) follow-up (adj) I hope we can come back in ten years’ time and do a follow-upstory when Hayley’s a star.
16) gadget (n) A gadgetis a small piece of equipment that does something useful.
17) handle (n) The spider catcher is round with a long handle.
18) head massager (n) The head massagerlooks like a spider with long legs.
19) ice cube (n) You could describe an iceberg as an enormous ice cube!
20) kick-boxing (n) Kick-boxingis one of the martial arts.
21) light the gas (phr) It’s a plastic gadget used for lighting the gason the cooker.
22) martial arts (n) Martial artsare sports such as judo or karate.
23) massage (v) If you massagepart of your body, you rub it gently.
24) mental discipline (n) Mental disciplineis the ability to make yourself do things that are difficult.
25) nutritious (adj) Food that is nutritiousis good for you.
26) originate (v) Some white lies originatefrom the need to encourage children to eat properly.
27) peel (v) If you peela piece of fruit, you remove the skin on the outside of it.
28) recharge (v) The battery’s low on my phone – I need to rechargeit.
29) scary (adj) Something that is scaryis frightening.
30) self-confidence (n) Martial arts help you to defend yourself and learn self-confidence.
31) spray (v) The pocket fan sprayswater in your face when it’s hot.
32) stainless steel (n) Stainless steelhas been treated to prevent rust forming on its surface.
33) straighten one’s hair (phr) If you straighten your hair, you make it straight and not wavy or curly.
34) unblock (v) If you unblocksomething, you remove something from it so that liquid can flow through it.
35) useless (adj) If you are uselessat something, you are not good at it.
36) be worth doing (phr) If a white lie helps a child to eat properly it’s worth telling.
Childhood
1) back off (phr v) Do you think pushy parents should back offand leave their children alone?
2) benefit (v) Psychologists believe many white lies may actually benefitchildren.
3) bib (n) A bibis a piece of cloth that protects babies’ clothes when they are eating.
4) bring sb up (phr v) Some parents have problems bringing their children up.
5) care for (phr v) Your parents are the people who care foryou when you are a child.
6) a child star (n) Being a child starcan be an isolating experience.
7) creative (adj) Someone who is creativehas a lot of imagination and unusual ideas.
8) curl (v) If you eat your crusts, your hair will curl.
9) deprive sb of a normal childhood (phr) Do you worry that you’re depriving Hayley of a normal childhood?
10) develop language skills (phr) When children develop language skills, they learn to talk, and read and write.
11) dummy (n) A dummyis an object you put in a baby’s mouth to stop it crying.
12) eat up (phr v) Some white lies encourage children to eat uptheir vegetables.
13) eat your crusts (phr) If you eat your crusts, your hair will curl.
14) educational (adj) Something that is educationalhelps people to learn.
15) excitement (n) Father Christmas brings fun and excitementto children at Christmas.
16) fall off (phr v) If you’re not careful you’ll fall offthat wall.
17) Father Christmas (n) Father Christmasis part of the magic of Christmas for many children.
18) fulfil one’s potential (phr) Hayley’s mum thinks she’s special and wants to help her fulfil her potential.
19) get square eyes (phr) If I think my child’s watched enough television, I tell him he’ll get square eyes.
20) guilty (adj) Should parents feel guiltyfor not being 100% truthful with their children?
21) isolating (adj) An isolatingexperience makes you feel as if you are alone.
22) be keen for sb to do sth (phr) Ryan’s mother was keen for him to learnthe piano.
23) know when there is something (phr) Mums know when something is wrongeven if wrong you don’t tell them.
24) liberal (adj) Liberalparents give their children freedom.
25) lie (v) Parents often lieto their children to encourage them to do things that are good for them.
26) look after (phr v) Who looked afteryou when your parents were out?
27) myth (n) Some mythswere created to improve children’s behaviour.
28) nanny (n) A nannyis someone adults employ to look after their children.
29) naughty (adj) Parents get angry with their children when they are naughty.
30) your nose will grow (phr) Some people say that if you tell a lie, your nose will grow.
31) obsessed (adj) Hayley’s father, George, thinks his wife is obsessedand not reasonable.
32) pillow (n) Parents tell their children that if they put a tooth under their pillow, the tooth fairy will take it.
33) potential (n) A child’s potentialis its ability do develop particular skills.
34) pressure (n) I want Hayley to grow up like a normal child – there’s too much pressurein the film world.
35) protect a child’s innocence (phr) Some white lies protect a child’s innocence.
36) pull a face (phr) If you pull a face, you put a silly or rude expression on your face.
37) pushy parent (n) Pushy parentsare parents who are very ambitious for their children.
38) see in the dark (phr) Parents sometimes tell their children that eating carrots will help them see in the dark.
39) a stage in life (phr) Some white lies make the world more magical and help children through a stage intheir life.
40) stay on the line(phr) If you’re phoning your friends, don’t stay on the linetoo long.
41) stimulate the brain imagination (phr) If you stimulatea child’s brainor imagination, you help them be more creative.
42) strict (adj) Don’t be too strict– you have to let your children play and have friends.
43) take the easy route (phr) Some parents think it’s wrong to take the easy routeand tell a lie.
44) tell a lie (phr) Most parents telltheir children lies.
45) tell off (phr v) Mum always toldus offwhen we were naughty.
46) tidy away/up (phr v) Who tidied upafter you had played with your toys?
47) tooth fairy (n) The tooth fairyis an imaginary creature who takes children’s teeth from under their pillows.
48) truant (n) A truantis a school student who stays away from school without permission.
49) truthful (adj) If you are 100% truthfulwith your children, you never tell them lies.
50) tuck smb. in (phr v) Who tuckedyou inbed at night?
51) white lie (n) White liescan benefit children by protecting them or helping to stimulate their brains.
52) yell (at) (v) If you yell atyour children, you shout at them.
Supplementary Reading
1. Read and translate the text:
What Really Does Go on in a Teenager's Bedroom?
Becki Heeley (16)
My boyfriend Andy, who's 18 is supposed to be Put out of my room by 10 pm. We've been going out for six months. We are allowed to be alone in my room but there is a line we don't cross. My mum trusts me, and it would be out of order to take liberties.
Becki's mum, Jane
I don't have many rules about Becki's room, but there are a few. No one’s allowed to smoke, for instance, and friends have to leave by 10 pm on school nights and the noise has to be within reasonable levels. She is allowed to have her boyfriend in her room. I don't worry too much about what they do up there because she knows I would kill her. I trust her to behave within reasonable limits.
MarkMalecki (19)
I suppose responsibility is the key word. There aren't rules, as such, but I'm careful about what I leave lying around. They don't like me smoking in the bedroom. I don't smoke much, but I do have cigarettes in there. I have alcohol as well, but most of it was bought as presents by my family. I also keep condoms in the bedroom. My parents are very fair and I respect that, but drugs are the one thing they wouldn't forgive. I think they are right and I would never bring drugs into the house.
Mark's mum, Maria
Mark frequently has friends round for the evening. He always asks if he wants to have people over, and he is very good regarding noise. I can't say I am happy about girlfriends staying in his room, but as long as he's discreet and careful, I will put up with it. At his age you have to offer a degree of freedom. Drugs are the only subject where there is no room for discussion - they are absolutely banned and I trust Mark to be responsible.
Exercises on the text
1. Find the Russian equivalents to the following words and phrases and make up your own sentences with them:
To be supposed to; school nights; to behave within reasonable limits; responsibility; to be fair; to have smb round for; to be discreet and careful; to offer a degree of freedom, there is no room for discussion; to be banned.
2. Scan the text and decide if the statements are true (T) or false (F):
1. Becki’s boyfriend has to leave her room by 10 pm.
2. Becki’s friends are allowed to smoke in her room.
3. Becki’s she-friends can’t spend the night at her house.
4. Mark’s parents don’t let him play his stereo after midnight.
5. Mark’s parents prefer him not to smoke in his room.
6. Mark is never allowed to have girlfriends staying overnight.
3. There are many different ways of talking about rules. Read these sentences from the article: