Тексты аудирования

Unit 3, Lesson 7, Ex.3b)

Memoirs: My senior year in high school

I occasionally still dream about my final year of high school and then wake up, relieved it's no longer a part of my life. Who are the people that twitter on about school being the "best years of your life"? It certainly wasn't for me.

I attended an all-girls' Catholic school. Looking back, it was a good school - strict, but still good. I'm sure it played a part in helping me become the woman I am today. And the teachers - many of them had hearts of gold and only wanted the best for the girls they taught.

I wasn't very academic, nor was I too popular. I just wasn't there. I was quiet and shy, and the only time I came to life was when I did Irish dancing at the talent quests and played my flute at concerts and liturgies. I was never picked for school or class captain. I was just too timid and too quiet for that sort of thing. And despite being praised for my music and my dancing, my self esteem wasn't very high. I was bullied a lot by other girls.

Some girls did try to reach out to me, but I didn't trust them. It was hard to know who were genuinely trying to be friends and who were just mucking around. So I closed myself off from everyone, only speaking to the odd few who I felt knew me best. Like many shy people I was often mistaken as a snob.

I had no plans on what I was doing after I left school. All I cared about was my dancing. I didn't see anything beyond competing in the next Nationals. When I saw the timetable for the HSC (Higher School Certificate) and everybody stressing about it, I just shrugged and thought to myself, "I hope I don't get much homework tonight; don't want to miss tonight's dance class, practicing for the Nationals."

The only thing I knew I was going to miss when I left school was music. I really came alive in that class. My teacher was not just my teacher - he was my friend and confidant and the one who really knew me the best. He'd be delighted to know, I'm sure, that the music exam was really the only exam that I studied the most for.

I didn't do well in my final exams, simply because I wasn't interested - although I did receive a good mark in music! The rest, well - who cared? That was honestly how I thought. And my parents knew that I wasn't going to be a flash student anyway; right from the time in kindergarten when I said that I hated school. In the end they basically said that they didn't mind if I didn't get a top mark, it was enough to try my best - and at least pass - which I did!

I still cried at my graduation. I don't know why. Relief,  probably. And shock. After thirteen years of being told what to do, here I was, answering to no one but myself.

It was a strange, strange feeling.

I left school at 18. I was never one of those kids who did part time work through school, so when I started work, I also started my first job - ever. I embarked upon a series of office jobs throughout the next few years and studied at TAFE (Technical and Further Education) college.

I'm now nearly 27 and finally, after all this time, I feel that I can finally live and speak my truth with no fear of retribution from others. I have never enjoyed my life more since I left school!

Unit 3, Lesson 9, Ex.2)

There are 46 universities in Britain. Good 'A' Level results in at least two subjects are necessary to get a place at one. But that is not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews, and competition for places at university is tough.

Students normally enter University from 18 onwards and study for an Academic Degree. Higher education typically begins with a 3-year Bachelor's Degree. During a first degree students are known as undergraduates. Postgraduate degrees include Master's Degrees and Doctor of Philosophy, a research degree that usually takes at least three years.

First year university students are called 'freshers'. A fresher's life can be exciting but terrifying for the first week as everything is so unusual; and often far from home. Most 18 and 19 year-olds in Britain are fairly independent people, and when the time comes to pick a college they usually choose one as far away from home as possible! So, many students in northern and Scottish universities come from the south of England and vice versa. It is very unusual for university students to live at home. Although parents may be a little sad to see this happen, they usually approve of the move, and see it as a necessary part of becoming an adult.

Often freshers will live in a hall of residence on or near the college campus, although they may move out into a rented room in their second or third year, or share a house with friends. Many freshers will feel very homesick for the first week or so, but living in hall soon helps them to make new friends.

During the first week, all the clubs and societies hold a 'freshers' fair' during which they offer the new students to join their society.

On the day that lectures start, groups of freshers are often seen walking around huge campuses, maps in hand and a worried look on their faces. They are learning how difficult it is to change from school to university life. They also learn a new way of studying. As well as lectures, there are regular seminars, at which one of a small group of students (probably not more than ten) reads a paper he or she has written. The paper is then discussed by the tutor and the rest of the group. Once or twice a term, students will have a tutorial. This means that they see a tutor alone to discuss their work and their progress. In Oxford and Cambridge, and some other universities, the study system is based entirely around such tutorials which take place once a week. Attending lectures is optional for Oxford or Cambridge ( often called 'Oxbridge') students!

After three or four years (depending on the type of course and the university) these students will take their finals. Most of them (over 90 per cent) will get a first, second or third class degree and be able to put BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) after their name. It will have been well earned!

Unit 3, Lesson 9, Ex.5a)

1. Which is the oldest University in Britain: Oxford, Cambridge or London?

1.      How many students are there at Oxford? 10,000 – 20,000 -30,000?

2.      How many applications for each available place does Oxford receive? 

3.      What is a tutorial at Oxford and how different is it from a lesson and tutorials at other universities?

4.      What is the difference between undergraduate and graduate studies?

5.      What is continuing education?

Unit 4

Unit 4, Lesson 2, Ex.2b

As a child I was a very shy person. Everything started to change when I was ten and my best friend introduced me to a Christian youth organization.

At first I just went for the arts and crafts but I soon started to become really involved in the other aspects and, even though many of my friends started dropping out as we entered our teens, I never did. Going to a youth group helped me meet new people and I got involved in lots of different things I wouldn't have otherwise, like sport.

Sadly, as I grew older, other people didn’t see youth groups as such a good thing. By the time I was 13, if I mentioned I still went to the brigade, people made fun of me and said I was sad. When I was 14 I went through a rough patch; I had health problems and I fell out with my closest friends. Things at home were bad and I actually started self harming, which was the worst thing I’ve ever done. The people at Girls’ Brigade gave me the shoulder I needed to cry on. They supported me and, with their help, finally came clean to my parents about how I’d been feeling. I also made new best friends at the group who I can't live without now.I soon started Young Leader Training where I helped look after over around 30-40 young girls in the younger age groups. I lead them in crafts and games – it was great! At 15 I joined the London massed bugle band and since then I’ve performed at two London marathons, the Lord Mayor show and Horse Guard Parades, plus at other major events too. “It meant a lot to me to see all the cast”

People may call me sad that I do these things, but they were pretty jealous when I was given a once in a life time experience… when I was asked to represent Girl's Brigade at Buckingham Palace!

The event was an actual garden party at the palace and when I was there I met Boris Johnson (major of London), the duchess of Cornwall and even Prince Charles! This was all thanks to going to a youth group.

My future

I’m 16 now and I still go to all the groups. I am starting my Queen's Award soon, for which I’ll do loads volunteer work. All the experience I’ve gained looks really good on my CV and I’ve recently got my first job - the employer talked more about my Girls’ Brigade experience than anything else, saying it showed I could be trusted.

I’m sharing my story with you because I want to show others just how rewarding youth groups can be and to encourage those who do go, never to stop because of the taunting. These are experiences that will last me a lifetime.

Info on Youth Groups:

Girls' Brigade

Woodcraft Folk

Girl Guides

The Jewish Lads and Girls Brigade

Images posed by models. Some names have been changed.

I soon started Young Leader Training where I helped look after over around 30-40 young girls in the younger age groups. I lead them in crafts and games – it was great! At 15 I joined the London massed bugle band and since then I’ve performed at two London marathons, the Lord Mayor show and Horse Guard Parades, plus at other major events too.

People may call me sad that I do these things, but they were green with envy when I was given a once in a life time experience… when I was asked to represent Girl's Brigade at Buckingham Palace!

The event was an actual garden party at the palace and when I was there I met Boris Johnson (major of London), the duchess of Cornwall and even Prince Charles! This was all thanks to going to a youth group.

I’m 16 now and I still go to all the groups. I am starting my Queen's Award soon, for which I’ll do loads volunteer work. All the experience I’ve gained looks really good on my CV and I’ve recently got my first job - the employer talked more about my Girls’ Brigade experience than anything else, saying it showed I was a serious person.

Unit, Lesson 2, ex. 4a

Youth organizations:

Verbs: to be founded/to join/to be a member/to get involved/to participate/ to support

Adjectives: non-political/ political/religious, independent/ supported by the government, international/local, volunteer

Nouns : leader/ member, symbol/motto/principles, event/conference, campaign/aim/project

Unit 4, Lesson 5 ex.2a

Hi, guys. Please, introduce yourselves.

B: I’m Lee, I'm 15 I've been cheering since I was little! I'm a high school cheerleader.

G: My name is Mary, I am now 16, and in 9th grade. I cheer for the Jr. High Boys' basketball games.

Let’s start from the very beginning? How did you get into cheerleading?

B: I wanted to be a cheerleader because I was always a cheerer. Before I was a cheerleader I yelled from the stands. I finally decided to tryout and become a part of something great. I love the excitement of competitions and the speaker yelling, XPA all stars 1st place!

G:  When I was younger I wanted to be a cheerleader mostly because my babysitter and role model was a cheerleader but not only that, when I went to high school football games or basketball games when I was little and saw the cheerleaders do their dance there was something unique about the way they acted towards each other they weren't just friends they were cheer sisters and I wanted superstar girls like that to be my friends as well.

What qualities does it take to be a cheerleader?

G: Cheerleading takes an extreme amount of physical work as well as practice. Most cheerleaders practice an average of 8 hours a week. Cheerleaders have to be in top physical condition. In addition, they are advised to take a variety of dance classes including jazz, hip hop, and ballet.

I’d like you to share one of those funny stories that happen during the competitions.

G: Well, it’s not really a competition story. The 9th grade boys make fun of me and all the others for being cheerleaders. They find it stupid. I told them to watch our routine cause we were amazing. So they did come to see us dance. Our dance routine was superb, the jumps were done perfectly. At the end, we got into our end poses, which were really beautiful. But suddenly one girl doing the scorpion move fell over on top of the girl doing the splits! She couldn't get up, either! The other one in the scorpion position lost her balance and almost fell on top of them both. All the basketball players were laughing, and started making fun of us even more!

B: I was standing on the track at a game and when everyone else turned right I turned left! Another time the same game I couldn't hear anything because of the fans shouting so I started yelling the wrong cheer and everyone started laughing!

What lessons have you learned from cheerleading?

G: I've learned that, together we work, together we fall, we work as a team or we don't work at all.

B: To me when you are a cheerleader you need to be exactly what the name says, a leader. When you are a cheerleader you need to set good examples for your peers and represent the school, team and your country.

What advice can you give to those who have just started?

B: Don't give up, be serious and focused on what you're doing. Every moment counts and you may not notice a change but it will happen.

Unit 4, Lesson 9, Ex.2a

Hi! I’m Tony and I’m 17. I’m a Sea Cadet. I’ve been in the corps since I was 13. We meet or "drill" at our local unit weekly throughout the year. A unit is structured along military lines and is headed by a Commanding Officer.

We have classes such as basic seamanship, military drill, and leadership. There are weekend competitions where units compete with each other. We also often participate in community events such as parades and fairs, we work in Veterans' Hospitals and organize clothing and food drives.

The best part of my training was spending two weeks with the US coast guard. You know… The sound of alarm, the heart is racing. You actually help save someone’s life. It’s unforgettable. Our motto is Test your limits. And that’s what we regularly do.

I’m Steph and I’m 19. I started in youth parliament when I was 15. At that time I was going to a catholic high school, you know I had about 10-15 girls that I knew of that had children while they were in school. There was no one actually informing any of us on how you could stop that from happening, being safe. That was the main reason why I stood open and said that I wanted to be involved in youth parliament.

I was at the very beginning of SRE: are you getting it campaign. We actually managed to show our programme to the head of the NHS. We also showed it to some ministers down in London. I was a little girl from a little catholic school in the middle of Cheshire. You know I’ve actually helped to change the law and hopefully changed hundreds thousands of young people’s lives. YP is for those with the burning heart who feel ready to do what it takes to make the world a better place.

Hi! I’m John, I’m 16 years old and I’m in Boy’s Brigade Seniors section. Seniors have a special uniform that I enjoy wearing because I feel as though I belong to the family. I participate in the Challenge Plus programme, which is made up of different Projects and Challenges. The weekly section meetings usually run for 1½ - 2 hours and are finished by 10.00pm.

It's all about learning new things, making your own decisions and having fun.

I really recommend BB for those who want to explore new things and achieve a lot while making friends and having adventures.

Unit 5

Unit 5, Lesson 1, Ex.1a

What is Art?

What are the forms of art? When you think of art, what do you think of? Paintings, statues? What else?

Is there a size limit to art? What’s the largest piece of art you can imagine? How small is the smallest?

Is art defined by its materials? We're all used to thinking of paintings as art. Or bronze sculptures. But art can be made from all kinds of materials. Try to think of some. Various kinds of paint and metal, wood, plastics... it can even be an old shoe or a newspaper. What about putting different materials together?

Does art have to be understandable? Is it necessary for it to actually look like something, such as a woman, or a vase of flowers? Does art have to be realistic? Is it better if it is realistic?

What about abstract art? Do you know what that means? What is abstract art about? Can art describe feelings?

Is all art good art? Who decides, and how is it decided?

Does art have to be beautiful? What about a piece that looks truly ugly to you? Is it still art? Sometimes the artist is trying to shock the viewer, or to make you feel uncomfortable. Why would an artist want to do that? Perhaps to make people see things in a new way?

Does art have to “say” something? Communicate some feeling, idea, a record of fact, another way of looking at something? Just try to think of an example of art that does not communicate anything... can you?

Unit 5, Lesson 1, Ex.2a

I: Our world has become a very visual one - we have art all around us. Understanding art is understanding our world! A good first step is to try to understand what we mean by art. Let’s Shelley Esaak, a portrait artist, graphic designer, writer and educator. Hi, Shelley, could you clarify this question?

L: I’d be delighted to. First of all, there’s the arts that are a great subdivision of culture. It is a broader term than art, which usually means only the visual arts. The arts includes visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts, like music, theatre, and film, among others.

If you ask people in the street what art is, paintings and statues are common answers. But actually that’s a bit more than that. The types of visual art include architecture, animation, collage, comics, design, drawing, graffiti, illustration, installation art, photography, sculpture and so on.

I: All right. But how do you know it’s art that you are looking at?

L: The first time that the question of what art is came up was in the 19th century in an essay by Leo Tolstoy. In his work he argues against numerous theories which define art in terms of the good, truth, and especially beauty. In Tolstoy's opinion, art at the time was much more than that. According to him, art must create an emotional link between artist and audience, one that "infects" the viewer.

The idea that art is actually about communicating the feelings of the artists is a romantic one which is widely popular among the researchers.

Or as Frank Zappa once said “Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.”

I: Ha-ha-ha. For all that, how would you personally answer this question today?

L: I could tell you that art plays a large part in making our lives infinitely rich. Imagine, just for a minute, a world without art! (You may think "So what?" but please consider the effect that lack of graphics would have on your favorite video game.) Art stimulates different parts of our brains to make us laugh or cry, calm down or start shouting. For some people, art is the entire reason they get out of bed in the morning. You could say "Art is something that makes us more thoughtful and well-balanced humans."

On the other hand, art is such a large part of our everyday lives that we may hardly even stop to think about it. Look at the desk or table where you are, right this minute. Someone designed that. It is art. Your shoes are art. Your coffee cup is art. All functional design, well done, is art. So, you could say "Art is something that is both functional and (hopefully) beautiful."

Art is form and content.

Form means: The elements of art, the principles of design and the actual, physical materials that the artist has used. Form, in this context, is fairly easily described--no matter which piece of art we are studying.

Content, now, gets a little more tricky. Content is idea-based and means: What the artist meant to say, what the artist actually did say and how we react, as individuals, to the authors messages.

Unit 5, Lesson 2, Ex. 3a

Influenced by a childhood spent in rural surroundings, Chagall’s ‘I and the Village’ is a dreamlike representation of goats, pastures, a farmer, a violinist, and simplistic images of houses, some of them upside-down. The whole could be viewed as a jigsaw puzzle in a child’s imagination. Clearly exhibiting aspects of Cubism, the components are randomly put together to produce an abstract arrangement. The colours are rich and a stark contrast exists between the red, the green and the blue. It is a painting that provides many viewpoints and perspectives.

The painting is full of intrigue and symbolism. In the foreground of the painting, a green-faced man, wearing a cross around his neck, a cap on his head, and holding a glowing tree, stares directly across at the head of a goat. In the background, a row of houses, an Orthodox church, and a man dressed in black hurries past an upside down woman playing what looks like a violin.

The geometric shapes and symbols catch the viewer’s attention. The small and large circles have been said to represent 3 spatial phenomena: the sun’s revolution in orbit, the earth’s revolution around the sun, and the moon’s revolution around the earth.

Unit 5, Lesson 3, Ex.3a

A.      Four years ago I knew two things about graffiti: that it was all criminal and that it was ugly. I was right it was ugly but I was wrong about it being all criminal. Most of it is done by kids of every race and social group from big cities to small towns. Today I’m a member of Together Against Graffiti (TAG) group aimed at bringing people together to fight against this kind of so called street-art.

B.      In the past ten years graffiti seems to have become more about leaving your mark, and less about art or political statement. Most of it is unreadable anyway. I say make it illegal if it’s not saying anything of interest!
 

C.       Graffiti as a public service! Oh please - the majority of graffiti you see is not art, but tags scribbled on someone else's property - trains, walls, tubes or buildings. 6 weeks service cleaning trains or public toilets should do the trick.
 

D.      I am a mural artist and have also been involved with graffiti art. Most of my graffiti-style work has been done on large canvases in my town centre. Spray paint is the most fun to use because it is fast, rustic, colourful and loud. I would like to suggest the following: a) fight vandalism (especially taggers); b) provide gallery space and public places for graffiti artists and encourage trouble-makers to participate by providing materials and guidance.
 

E.       There has been a council sponsored graffiti wall in Walton-on-Thames for many years. This looked fantastic, until the local kids started to "tag" it. Now the original, and quite frankly brilliant, art is covered in nasty, pointless little scribbles. I would love to see graffiti walls where the best artists can be free, but whilst these taggers continue then this will not work.
 

F.       There are two different types of graffiti artists, with two very different aims. One is the ‘bombers’, who just tag everything to get their name up. Then there’s the real artists who spend more time doing pieces that have artistic merit and are pleasing to the eye. The authorities, however, call both types of graffiti vandalism. But the latter is not vandalism, but art with the street as a canvas. There are, of course, legal parks where pieces can be put up, but the point of graffiti is taking over spaces that have been closed off. So having little corners or large walls for creation is against the whole philosophy.

G.      I used to live in London where the graffiti simply made the already grubby city look worse. Mural walls for graffiti artists may help but I doubt it will stop the general rot. I now live in Valencia, Spain and here too there is graffiti. However, it is far less of a problem because the authorities are very quick to clean it up.