Good beer and good cheer top pubs list

A national survey on the public’s attitude to beer and pubs, has made the none-too-startling discovery that the pub is still the most popular place of entertainment for most people. The survey has found that half the men in the UK and a quarter of the women, visit a pub at least once a week. About half the pub-goers have a local which they prefer to any other. Women are as inclined as men to have a regular pub.

But the sexes diverge when it comes to what they expect from a pub. They all agree that cleanliness, comfort and friendliness are the most important criteria. But women put clean toilets at the top of the list, while men judge it by amiability of the bar staff, closely followed by whether it is frequented by their friends (the lads). The third key point among men is whether their favourite beer is on tap, whereas this hardly interests women at all. The fastidious woman puts clean glasses after clean loos, followed by comfortable seats and friendly bar staff.

The poll shows that younger men drink the most, but 55 % of beer drinkers say they drink no more than two pints per visit. Only 10 % of those questioned wanted a reduction in the age limit of 18 for drinkers, and 11 % wanted it raised.

Most men in the UK (88 %) normally drink beer1 – a brown or dark-brown form of the drink, such as bitter or stout, though men under 24 prefer the clear yellow draught lager. Anyway, draught bitter still holds its own as the overall favourite tipple. However, 67 % of women drink other types of alcohol, particularly spirits.

Discuss the following questions.

1) Did the survey show high or low rates of alcohol consumption in the UK?

2) Is the culture of alcohol consumption in the UK different from that in Russia? In what way?

3) Nowadays many people are concerned about the growing problem of beer alcoholism which is especially widespread among the young, including women. Do you think their worry is justified? What effect does beer addiction have on human (esp. a woman’s/ teenager’s) health?

4) Do you think that the sale of alcohol should be restricted in any way? What other restrictions apart from the age limit should be imposed on selling and drinking alcohol?

While discussing the text make use of the additional vocabulary related to the problem:

alcohol abuse, alcoholic beverages, hard/ soft/ alcohol-free drinks, a drinks party, to drink socially, to drink one’s troubles away, to drink oneself into unconsciousness, to drive someone to drink, drink/ drunk-driving, legal age for drinking alcohol.

15. Read the article CONNIE, 70, CAMPAIGNS FOR LEGAL RECREATIONAL DRUGS (Reader) and do the following assignments.

Sum up the article using the words/ expressions below.

To legalize smth (recreational drugs); to stamp smth out (violent crime, illegal drugs trade/ trafficking); to fuel smth (drugtaking, smb’s habits); purified forms/ doses free of contaminants; to sell smth over the counter; to make drugtaking safer; to benefit the community; to maximize profits; to go through licensed premises; to release on the market; to take drugs (trade) off the street; to be quality controlled and taxable; to have a long-term impact on smth/ long-term depression; downgrading (from Class A to Class B/ C); penalties for possession (of prohibited drugs); to oppose legalization; to be linked to smth/ be down to smth; to link ecstasy/ cannabis use to mental illness, schizophrenia etc

Comment on Fozzard’s criticism of “nanny state” attitudes towards the problem of drug abuse.

State all the pros and cons of drug legalization as presented in the article.

Be ready to enlarge on the legal, commercial, medical and moral aspects of the stated problem, adding your own arguments.

Express your personal point of view on the problem of legalization of soft drugs.

6) Write a précis of the article.

16. Read the articleBEAUTY OF THE BODY (Reader).

Suggest Russian equivalents of the following English words and expressions and be ready to use them in your answers to the questions below.

To define the concept of beauty; to reside inside; to put/ place an emphasis on smth; the major contributor to smth; to be obsessed with/ by smth, an obsession with smth; a constant reminder of smth; to the point of death; dying to be thin; to face/ experience pressures from smb; to be/ get out of control; to feel distressed/ unworthy; to love smb for what he is; to accept smth as it is; to attain an ideal body image; to pursue smth in commercials; to be led to believe; to give smb a low self-esteem; to develop eating disorders/ emotional or mental disorders/ ailments; to tend to do smth; to blame one’s problems on smb/ smth; to develop an overwhelming drive to lose weight; to bring on a devastating/ fatal malady; to attempt restrictive diets; to react to smth by smth (binge eating); to cycle back to smth; to put up a cheerful front; to cause severe health risks

Classical (values), inherent, inherently beautiful, outlying, skinny/ bony (models), glamourous, vulnerable, anomalous, unattainable, self-starvation, binge (eating), withdrawal, deeply buried (complexes, anger, depression).