The author mentions some pluses and minuses of having many small banks. Find this extract and read it aloud

3. Why don't Americans trust their banks?

4. What makes Americans spend money on real estate?

№ 58

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

YOUNG BUSINESSMAN

Martin Halstead is a normal English teenager who lives in Oxford with his Mum and Dad. There is only one unusual thing about Martin — at the age of 18 he set up his own airline!

Martin got his passion for flying when he boarded a plane for the first time at the age of six. Ever since Martin has wanted to be a pilot. Only a year ago Martin was just a student at an Oxford college and was preparing for his final exams in Business, History and English. However, his desire to become a pilot was so strong that he sent an application to Oxford Air Training School before taking his college exams. Martin wasn't very confident that he would get a place but much to his own surprise he was successful. Martin says: "To my surprise, I was given a chance to start at Oxford Air Training School almost immediately. Both my parents and the head of the college could see how much I wanted to become a pilot, so they supported my decision to leave college without taking my final exams." Martin started his flying course last January. He says: "Last summer I was chatting to my friend and said, as a joke, that my only chance to get a job in that field was to have my own airline."

And that was how it all began. Martin's original plan was to fly between Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford and Cambridge are the two most famous and important university cities in the UK. Although the two cities are not too far from each other, they are not well connected by road or train. However, Martin has now changed his mind. His airline, Alpha One Airways, now plans to fly between Southampton and the Isle of Man.

Where did Martin get money to start his business? Well, he got some money from his Grandmother and also had some savings from doing part-time jobs. Although Martin refuses to say exactly how much money he needed to start the business, he says it wasn't very much.

So, what is next? Martin says: "I hope that this is just the beginning and in the future I will be able to fly to other places." Good luck, Martin!

2. The author mentions Martin's plan of starting the airline. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What made Martin leave college and start studying to become a pilot?

4. How did Martin manage to find money for starting his business?

№ 59

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

MOBILE PHONES

From children to senior citizens, mobile phones have become a craze as a way of staying ahead with the technology. With our fast lifestyles, we have no time to meet our relatives or friends and are left with the only option of talking over the phone. Here comes the need of mobile phones, which allow us to stay connected wherever we are and whenever we need to.

Everybody today owns at least a basic mobile phone. What makes it easy to use is its user-friendly nature, small size and its numerous attractive features. However, people are always eager to replace their mobile phones with the latest models having more advanced features.

As the technology is scaling new heights, mobile phones are becoming cheaper and cheaper and the customer is getting more for less. A great way of amusing yourself is by playing games on your mobile phone. If you want to store your precious moments, you can use its video recording feature. Mobile phones can become expressions of who we are by getting mobile ringtones, wallpapers, which turn your phone into a unique device.

Whatever may be said against mobile phones their advantages have always scored over their disadvantages. They have proved useful for every purpose. Nothing is as comfortable as a mobile phone for communicating over a distance. You cannot be present at the same time at more than one place, but if required you can just make use of your mobile phone and get your work done. Mobile phones have definitely become the most vital part of our lives. It is hard to imagine life without mobiles. Indeed, mobile phones keep you connected round the clock. They are now inexpensive, easy to use, comfortable and equipped with almost every latest feature you desire. Today, a technologically advanced mobile phone can perform as many tasks as well as that of a personal computer. Even remote countries have started having mobile phone services.

A craze – идея фикс, пунктик