Think for yourself. Don't let others dictate your opinions

Reading and vocabulary

Look through the text once again and match the words and word combinations from the texts with their definitions. Use these words in the sentences of your own.

a)ignorant	1) having to do with the matter in hand
b)emphasis	2) demand, recognition
c) relevant	3) knowing little or nothing
d) prejudice	4) kind, style, category
e) genuine	5) eager to learn, interested
f) genre	6) easy to approach
g) curious	7) judgment decided beforehand
h) accessible	8) basis
i)claim	9) showing the feelings
j) demonstrative	10) true, really what it is said to be
k)milestone	11) force or stress

Read the text again. Make a short list of recommendations, using the titles of main parts of the text. Prioritize them according to their importance. For ex. Read more. Educate yourself. Study languages.etc.

Fill in the following table. Take expressions from the text and add some of your own.

Read more	Write	Watch films, TV, Videos	Broaden your musical horizons	Participate in Internet culture.	Learn a new language	Get hobbies
Read classical books	Write poetry or short stories	Watch films regularly.	A person of culture knows how to enjoy even the niche music genres	The digital age is very important and a huge milestone for society	Travelling introduces you to the many differences and similarities between cultures, and opens up your mind	Study art
Be first-time reader	Try to write books or plays	There are many films, and you may be unsure as to which watch. You are to chose properly!	Enjoy songs with non-cliché lyrics, it is also important that one is able to enjoy music without lyrics at all.	You ought to follow all latest achievements.	The only way to discover another culture is to go and see for ourselves.	Go in for sports
Chose a genre you are interested in..	Create your own style of writing	Word-of-mouth is the best way to watch films of today's culture.	Just listen to some famous musical pieces.	Set your homepage to Wikipedia and read an article each day about something which seems "cultured" to you	The best way to study language is by immersiom	Visit places where you can receive an education in a fun way.

What main part or activity is missed? Why it is so important to educate yourself? What do you do to learn more? Make one more column about education and development. Add three items from the text and make up a list of yours.

Scan the text and pick up the key words that can help you to express its general idea. Give the summary.

Find out in the text compound adjectives and make your own sentences with them.

Grammar Practice

Modal verbs. Modal verbs are used to express ideas like ability, possibility, certainty etc. The same ideas can be also expressed in other words such as: be able to, be obliged to, it’s possible that, it’s unnecessary to. Modal verbs can refer to ability: can/be able to, inability: can’t/unable to/not be able to. Modal verbs can refer to possibility and certainty: may/might/could. Modal verbs can be used when giving or refusing permission: can/may, can’t/mustn’t. Modal verbs also can refer to obligation or responsibility: must/have to/have got to/ought to.

1. Use the appropriate modal verb according to information from the text in the sentences below.

1) You … want to look up books in other genres which may catch your fancy. (may/ought)

2) You … take full advantage of this and learn all those things that you never understood before.

3) (should/can)

4) If you read a great article about Mozart or other composer, take the article to a store where you buy CDs and ask the counter attendant to direct you to some Mozart CDs that you might like. (can/must)

5) A person of culture … be ignorant of where countries or famous landmarks are.( should not/can not)

6) You …write poetry or short stories or even books and plays. (must/can)

7) You … take full advantage of this and learn all those things that you never understood before.

8) (should/to be to)

9) You …aim to be reasonably educated in these topics: world history,geography,basic sciences, psychology, economics. (can/should).

10) Famous singers have better songs on their albums which they left out of mainstream because they wouldn't be popular with the main market.(should/ may)

Make up your 10 sentences using different modal verbs describing what should/ought to/must a person learn and know to be a man of culture in modern society.

Activity

Discuss the following

Ø What kind of person is a cultured one?

Ø What books should be read to develop personality culturally?

Ø What basic sciences should educated and cultured person be aware of?

Ø What kind of music do you like? Do you like classical music?

Writing

1. Write a small essay on the following topic “How to survive in foreign culture? Recommendation and advice”.

Discussion

Pair work. Discuss the issues raised in the questions below.

1. What does living interesting “cultural life” mean to you?

2. What are the aspects of the "cultural life" for you? In your opinion, what things should a person possess to say that he lives a life of a “cultural “man?

3. Would you include both material and spiritual things into the concept of "cultural life"? Explain why “yes” or “no”.

4. Can you think of somebody to model your life on?

5. Do you think that you are a representative of Russian cultural society? Explain why “yes” or “no”.

6. What is to be “cultural”, to be “uncultured” from Russian point of view?

7. Is language a part of national culture? What is Russian language for you?

8. What’s your attitude towards knowledge of English language in Russian “cultural” society?

9. How many languages should a man of culture speak? Understand? Learn?