English in Mind 5 Unit 1-3

Welcome section A-D

Welcome section A,

Exercise 1b.

Read the text again and listen.

There's something I have to confess.

They have been annoying me for a long time.

How can people take these things seriously? I ask myself, every time I come across one.

How can such rubbish be published?

So what am I talking about?

Personality quizzes, of course!

You know the sort of thing:

'How charming are you?'

'Could you be a better friend?'

'Ten questions to find out how sympathetic you are.'

You find them in those glossy magazines they leave lying around in doctors' waiting rooms.

Am I the only person left in the world who isn't obsessed with mini-questionnaires that promise to tell me all about myself?

To be honest, until I decided to write this article, I'd never actually done a personality quiz.

I just instinctively knew that I didn't like them.

So, in the name of research, I thought I'd better try out a couple.

I half-heartedly did one that told me I was pretentious and smug (my wife would agree) and I struggled with one to find out how bubbly I am – not at all, apparently (no surprise there either).

All in all the whole experience was such a waste of time that I promised myself that I'd never do one again.

Actually it wasn't a <i>complete</i> waste of time.

At least now I know what I'm talking about.

And it confirmed all I had originally thought.

And that is that personality quizzes reflect the fact that we've all become so self-obsessed that we'll read any old rubbish, as long as it allows us to talk about ourselves.

But of course, instead of telling us how boring, selfish and unfunny we all are, these quizzes are designed to make us seem like super humans – interesting, considerate and witty.

That's why we keep going back for more.

But I think what really gets me cross about these quizzes is that the authors must have spent all of five minutes in their tea-break thinking up the questions.

I mean, the questions are so obvious that I think my eight-year-old daughter could think up more meaningful ones.

I've got some advice for all personality quiz addicts: If you really want to know the 'true' you, it's better to listen to what others have to say about you.

But just one word of warning:

Be careful – real people aren't as kind as glossy magazine writers.

You might not always like what they have to say.

Welcome section B,

Exercise 1b.

Read the text again and listen.

st Century Heroes – Steve Irwin

On September th , Australian TV presenter Steve Irwin died while filming around the Great Barrier Reef.

Ironically, for a man who had spent his life chasing some of the world's most deadly animals, Steve wasn't killed by a great white shark or some poisonous snake.

He simply swam too close to a stingray, which provoked the creature to pierce him through the heart with its tail.

News of his death was met with shock around the world.

Steve had made a name for himself wrestling with large crocodiles and snakes on TV, which brought him immediate fame as well as a certain amount of notoriety and controversy.

But there was so much more to him than the loud, over-excited adventurer who shouted 'Crikey' each time he got too close to the jaws of an angry croc.

Steve Irwin was brought up surrounded by animals.

His parents ran a small nature park in Australia and by the age of eight he had already wrestled with his first crocodile and learned how to handle deadly snakes.

When he was , he took over the family farm and renamed it 'Australia Zoo'.

In  Steve met his wife, Terri Raines, an American naturalist who was visiting the zoo.

According to the couple, it was love at first sight and they were married a year later.

Steve and Terri spent their honeymoon capturing and filming crocodiles.

The video footage of this holiday became the material for the first episode of his TV series <i>The Crocodile Hunter</i>, which was first shown on Australian TV in .

A year later, the show was broadcast on US TV and then made its way onto TV screens in more than  other countries.

With a global audience of  million people, Steve was quickly becoming a household name all over the world.

But most importantly, Steve was also a true conservationist.

He often said that this was the side of his job he most cared about.

He worked tirelessly to protect endangered species from dying out and campaigned to bring about an end to illegal poaching.

He bought large areas of land in Australia, Fiji and the US, to create national parks where animals could be protected.

Steve Irwin was a passionate naturalist and a TV sensation.

He brought the natural world into the living rooms of millions of children from all corners of the world.

He always presented his programmes in a fun and interesting way and his enthusiasm was infectious.

He has inspired a generation of young people to care about the world in which they live.

For these reasons and many others, I believe Steve Irwin should be considered 'a st Century Hero'.

Welcome section B,

Exercise 4.

Listen and check.

Jonny Foxx was a singing sensation

A household name all over the nation.

Made it big on a TV talent show

Seems now like that was years ago.

Famous for his parties and rock star life

Forgetting back home he had kids and a wife

Made a name for himself as a ladies' man

Touring the country in his rock star van.

Enjoying success wherever he went

Not thinking twice about the money he spent.

Tax man would have got him but for his wife

Poison in his tea – the end of his life. 

Welcome section C,

Exercise 1b.

Listen and check.

Many roads in central London were brought to a standstill today as thousands of students went on a demonstration through the streets to protest about government plans to reshape university education in the UK.

Shouting slogans such as 'Education for everyone' and 'What price our future?', huge crowds of students slowly made their way from various locations around the capital to a mass meeting in Trafalgar Square, where they were addressed by several leading politicians from the opposition parties.

Speaking to a crowd of over ,, Jim McNutt, head of the National Union of Students, warned that students faced a fight to protect the future of university education and claimed that further education would soon be something only to be enjoyed by the rich.

The crowd were also entertained by several local bands.

The protests were generally peaceful, although there were several fights involving small groups of students and the police.

The troublemakers are thought to belong to a radical organisation and student leaders were quick to disassociate themselves from them.

The main trouble broke out when a few protesters tried to deliver a petition signed by more than , students to the prime minister's offices.

When they were refused entry to  Downing Street, protesters started throwing bottles at the police.

The police moved in to break up the crowd and fighting broke out.

More than  officers were injured and around  people were arrested.

The main focus of the protest was Government plans to allow universities to charge students more to study at them.

It is feared that university education will soon become too expensive for ordinary families to afford and that many potential students will be put off by the thought that they will have to spend the early years of their working lives repaying huge debts.

The government is being accused of not being honest about how much universities will be allowed to increase their annual fees.

Many education experts have warned that the current maximum of just over ?, will rise to over ?,.

The Government have issued a denial, saying that no final decision has been taken yet.

However, it is generally believed that a large increase will soon be announced.

And when it finally is, we can expect to see many more students taking to the streets.

In the end, the Government decided to increase the maximum tuition fees that Universities can charge to ?,.

Welcome section D,

Exercise 1b.

Read the text again and listen.

LUCY: What's up, Dylan?

You look like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders.

DYLAN: It's just Connor and Rebecca.

They've split up again.

LUCY: Again?

Those two are always falling out.

As far as I'm concerned, they're better off apart.

DYLAN: Yeah, well I think it might be for good this time.

I can't see them sorting things out.

Apparently he told her he doesn't want her going out with her friends at night without him.

LUCY: Well, if you ask me, that's completely unreasonable.

I don't blame her for not wanting to be with him.

DYLAN: I know.

I think he's getting really insecure and jealous.

The problem is, I think that they make a really great couple.

It's difficult to watch him messing things up.

LUCY: What are you going to do if they really do split up?

I mean you can't be friends with both of them, can you?

He'll always be asking you about her and she'll always be wanting to know what he's up to.

I think you're going to have to choose between them.

DYLAN: Oh, why can't they just get on together?

LUCY: Well, you could always say something to him.

DYLAN: Yes, but it's tricky.

He's not the kind of person who likes hearing the truth about himself.

And I don't want him thinking I'm taking sides.

LUCY: The way I see it, you either say something and maybe they'll work things out, or you say nothing and it'll definitely be the end.

DYLAN: I think you're right.

Thanks, Lucy.

It's good to talk.

I'll speak to him this lunchtime.

LUCY: Did you speak to Connor?

DYLAN: Yes, but I needn't have.

They'd already made up.

LUCY: So why did you say anything if you didn't need to?

DYLAN: Well, he didn't tell me they were back together until I'd finished telling him what I thought.

LUCY: And?

DYLAN: Now he's not speaking to me.

Unit 1 Legend or truth?

Unit 1

Exercise 1c.

Read the text again and listen.

The rise and rise of urban legends

So there's this girl who eats a hamburger from her local fast-food restaurant.

A week later she goes to the doctor with a huge lump in her cheek.

After a lengthy investigation, it's found that she had been bitten by a pregnant cockroach, which had been hiding in her hamburger.

She now has hundreds of cockroach eggs growing in her cheek.

You don't believe it?

OK, try this one.

After the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, hundreds of oil-soaked seals were cleaned and saved at an average cost of $, per animal.

At a special ceremony, two of the animals were symbolically released back into the wild while hundreds of people looked on and cheered.

A minute later, in full view of everyone, they were both eaten by a killer whale.

You might have heard one, if not both, of these stories before.

They are both classic examples of urban legends, and stories like these have become such an integral part of modern life that there can't be anyone left who doesn't know what they are.

But just in case you have somehow managed to miss them, let me quickly fill you in.

Urban legends, or urban myths as they're commonly known in the UK, are stories that are quickly passed on by word of mouth or electronically.

They can be about anything and everything, although certain topics will crop up time and again: some favourites are crime and horror, schools and universities, cases of food contamination and the Internet.

These stories, often incredible, horrific or funny, are always told as if they are true and usually happened to 'a friend of a friend'.

However, although occasionally they may really have happened, they will usually have been entirely made up.

Perhaps the best definition of an urban legend is that it's a story that's too good to be true.

People started using the term 'urban legend' more than seventy years ago, but it was only in the s that the term really came into use.

Opinions differ, but many experts believe that the 'alligator' story was the grandfather of the modern legends.

You must have come across the tale about a colony of huge alligators that live deep down in the sewers underneath New York City.

It can be traced back to stories from the s, which told how New Yorkers would bring back baby alligators with them from their holidays in Florida, only to flush them down the toilet when they got too big.

Despite a number of claims, no one has ever been able to provide any photographic proof.

This is hardly surprising when you consider that a baby alligator wouldn't last a day in the freezing sewer system of New York.

These days the spread of the Internet, and in particular social networking sites, has given urban legend tellers an immediate audience of millions, and they have never been more popular.

There are now even websites dedicated to investigating the truth behind the thousands of urban legends circulating in cyberspace.

Is it true that a man died when he fell asleep with his laptop still on, causing the machine to overheat and set fire to his bed?

Have people really been killed by lightning while talking on the phone during a thunderstorm?

You can find the answers to these and other questions on the Internet.

These stories have become such a part of our everyday life that academics now discuss the wider implications of contemporary legends.

Ever since it was founded at the University of Sheffield in , the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research has held an annual conference in North America or Europe to discuss the latest stories and their significance.

Over the years, these meetings have looked at a wide range of issues – from humanity's compulsion for storytelling, to the cautionary nature of many of the legends, to a comparison of urban legends and traditional fairy-tales.

Recently, many academics have shown more interest in what current urban legends tell us about modern society and particularly how they reflect the climate of fear in which many of us live.

Experts argue that whether or not the stories are true is largely irrelevant.

What is interesting is that we are so ready to believe that a story might be true and, in some cases, we will change our behaviour because of it.

As an example, the following legend is often quoted: an email warns that motorists have been stopping to investigate baby car seats that have been left beside countryside roads.

As soon as the would-be do-gooder has got out of their car to investigate, they are attacked and beaten by a group of men, who drive off in their car leaving them for dead.

Now, although not one single case of this has ever been reported, a lot of people are reluctant to stop their car to help people in distress for fear that this could happen to them.

Unit 1

Exercise 3b.

Listen.

Put the pictures in order and tick True or False.

Story One.

PRESENTER: OK, it's just after twenty past ten and time for 'A Likely Story'. And on the line we've got Kate from Huddersfield.

How are you, Kate?

KATE: Hiya.

I'm fine.

PRESENTER: And how's Huddersfield this morning?

KATE: A bit wet and cold.

You know, the same as ever.

PRESENTER: Well, let's see if we can bring a bit of sunshine into your morning. 

Are you ready to play?

KATE: Yes.

PRESENTER: You know the rules.

I'm going to tell you an urban legend and you've got to tell me if you think the story's true or not.

Get it right and we'll send you a goody bag with lots of nice things in it.

Get it wrong and you get nothing.

KATE: OK.

PRESENTER: So, here we go.

This story was sent to us by a Mr Don Goodwill who swears it's true because he heard it at his local golf club!

I have to say that it's the first time we've heard this one but that doesn't mean anything, Kate, it's really up to you.

So, the story involves a keen golfer, a tee – and I'm not talking about the meal or drink here but that little plastic thing golfers balance their balls on – and some rather nasty pesticide they were using to keep the grass growing on the golf course.

So, this golfer goes out to play his usual round of golf.

He plays his first shot, picks up his tee, puts it between his lips and walks off to play his next shot.

This habit of carrying his tee in his mouth, I should explain, was an old habit of his, not very hygienic I know, but something he'd always done.

Well, at the end of  holes, he complains to his friend that he's feeling a bit strange. 

However, he soon feels better, goes home and forgets all about it. 

Over the next few weeks, he plays several more rounds of golf and each time complains of feeling more and more ill.

One day he collapses on the golf course.

He's rushed to hospital where he is found to have burns all over his skin and a really high temperature.

Ten days later, unfortunately, he dies.

After a long investigation it is found that he died of poisoning from the pesticide that they were using on the grass, which he had slowly ingested into his body each time he put his tee into his mouth.

KATE: Wow.

PRESENTER: So, Kate.

What do you think?

True or completely made up?

KATE: Well, I've never played golf so I can't say I really have any idea if this is possible or not.

But it sounds too incredible to be true.

PRESENTER: So you're saying it's false.

KATE: Yep.

I am.

I don't believe this could happen.

KATE: No way!

It's true?!

I don't believe it.

PRESENTER: It is, Kate.

I'm sorry.

It happened to a golfer called George Prior back in .

KATE: Well, as I said, I've never played golf and now I don't think I ever will.

PRESENTER: Not a bad idea.

Kate, thanks for taking part.

Sorry you got it wrong.

KATE: Well, I'm used to it – it's the story of my life!

But no problem.

Thanks.

Bye!

Story 

PRESENTER: Our next listener is Phil from Manchester.

Hi, Phil, are you ready to play?

PHIL: Yes, let's do it.

PRESENTER: Now this is a story that's doing the rounds on the Internet at the moment and it really is one of the strangest stories we've come across in a long time.

The story starts with a Russian war ship picking up three Japanese fishermen who they find swimming in the sea.

They take the men back to dry land and ask them how they came to be in Russian waters.

The men explain that they were out fishing when a cow fell from the sky and landed on their boat sinking it immediately.

Well, of course, this story puts the men straight into a Russian prison on suspicion of being spies.

However, and this is where it gets really strange, a few weeks later the Russian air force admit that the crew on one of their cargo planes had stolen a cow in Siberia and loaded it onto the plane.

However, half way through the flight, the cow had panicked and the men had been forced to open the back of the plane and push it out.

And that is how a cow came to be flying through the sky and hit the Japanese fishing boat.

Of course, when they heard this story, the authorities had no choice but to release the fishermen.

PHIL: That's it.

PRESENTER: That's it.

So Phil, what do you think?

Is there any truth to the story or do you think they're pulling our leg?

PHIL: Well, it does sound kind of ridiculous.

I mean if it was true, it would have been on the news, wouldn't it?

No.

It isn't true.

I'm sure of that.

PHIL: Yeees!!

PRESENTER: Well done, Phil.

There's no fooling you.

A bag of goodies will be making its way to you shortly.

PHIL: Thank you.

PRESENTER: Well, that's all for today's 'A likely story'.

Be sure to join us tomorrow when we'll ask two more listeners to give us their thoughts on some of the more unlikely stories floating around out there in cyberspace.

Unit 1

Exercise 4c.

Listen and check.

One

GIRL: Dad – I thought I might go out with my friends tonight.

DAD: Well, OK, but if you want to go out, you have to do your homework first – end of story!

Two

TEACHER: Where's your homework?

BOY: Sorry, Miss, I had to go shopping and cook dinner and ... well, to cut a long story short, I didn't have time to do it.

Three

BOY: I'm sorry I lost your camera, but really it was Sally's fault.

GIRL: Well, I'm going to talk to Sally and hear her side of the story.

Four

GIRL: Let's go to the cinema.

BOY: Yeah, good idea – but I'm broke, can you buy my ticket?

GIRL: Again?!

It's the same old story, isn't it?

Five

MAN: Sorry I didn't come last night!

WOMAN: But why didn't you phone me?

And please don't make up a story about your phone not working!

Six

TEACHER: Where's your homework?

GIRL: Well, I did it, but then my dog ate it.

TEACHER: Oh, right!

That's a likely story!

Seven

BOY: So – how did you do in the test?

GIRL: I failed – again!

It's the story of my life!

Unit 1

Exercise 6b.

Read the text again and listen.

Mythological creatures

When the first explorers arrived in Australia, the Aborigines warned them about the bunyip, a horrible creature that lived in deep waterholes and killed anyone who went near it.

There were multiple descriptions of the beast, but they usually involved huge teeth, sharp claws and a terrifying scream.

The early settlers believed the stories and kept as far away from these waterholes as possible.

These days, of course, not too many Australians are worried about the existence of such a creature.

Interestingly though, most of the descriptions of the bunyip bear a close resemblance to a prehistoric creature called a Diprotodon, whose bones have been found in Australia.

Some scientists think that the legend came from the Aborigines finding such prehistoric bones: when they were shown the remains of some extinct Australian animals, Aborigines would often identify them as the bunyip.

Is it possible that the bunyip was really a creature from the past?

Or maybe it was just a story that the Aborigines invented to scare away their unwelcome visitors?

In the Himalayan mountains of Nepal and Tibet, some locals call him Meh-Teh, others know him by the more familiar name of Yeti.

But, whatever the name, most agree that a large ape-like man is living somewhere out there.

The Yeti is perhaps the most famous of all mythological creatures, and many people have set out to find him.

He is, allegedly, a shy, hairy animal with thick brown or black fur and long arms reaching down to his knees, supposedly living in the forests of the Tibetan plateau.

But, so far, no one has brought back any real evidence, though there have been numerous sightings of giant footprints in the snow by mountaineers who have gone to climb in the area, none more famous than the man who first climbed Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary.

However, to this day, the true nature of this 'man of the mountains' remains one of modern life's greatest mysteries.

Underneath the icy waters of Scandinavia, a giant octopus waited.

As far back as , the giant Kraken was being described in ancient Norse sagas.

This beast was believed to attack Norwegian fishing boats and drag them beneath the waves with its huge tentacles.

Fishermen in the area faced a dilemma: where there was a Kraken there were always plenty of fish, but could they risk going anywhere near it?

The Krakens were said to be so big that they were often mistaken for islands and included on maps of the sea.

Reports of these monsters were still cropping up as late as the s.

The Kraken has appeared in literature too – in a poem by Tennyson and in the  novel <i>The Kraken Wakes</i> by John Wyndham.

These days, most biologists believe stories of the Kraken were based on sightings of giant squid, which can measure as long as m.

Perhaps they're right – or is there something even bigger still hiding under the sea?

Unit 2 Snap judgements

Unit 2

Exercise 1c.

Read the text again and listen.

Listening with your eyes.

If, like me, you're the kind of person who finds it hard to make decisions, then Malcolm Gladwell's Blink might just be the book you have been waiting for.

Because Blink is all about rapid cognition – that is, those moments when we make snap judgements, for example, when meeting someone for the first time, or looking at something we're thinking of buying (in other words, the type of thinking that takes place in the blink of an eye).

According to Gladwell, in these situations, our mind takes about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions.

He spends much of the book exploring the importance of these first couple of seconds when we are faced with having to make a decision, and how our minds jump to conclusions.

He analyses exactly what goes on in our heads when we make split-second decisions and compares this to the thought processes involved when we take longer to come to a decision.

Interestingly, he claims that: 'There are lots of situations – particularly at times of high pressure and stress – when haste does not make waste, when our snap judgments and first impressions offer a much better means of making sense of the world.'

What makes Blink a really interesting read is the number of stories that Gladwell includes to support his theories.

One such story involves doctors in the Emergency Room at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.

A few years ago they were told to change the way they diagnosed heart attacks.

From then on they would collect less information on their patients.

Instead of asking for information such as the patient's age and weight and medical history they were going to focus only on the patient's blood pressure.

At first the doctors were sceptical – like most people, they believed that more information is always better.

But amazingly, from less information, they were found to be much better able to make the correct instant decision.

Cook County is now one of the best places in the United States at diagnosing chest pain.

Another story looks at the case of Abbie Conant, a brilliant female trombone player, who was invited to audition for the Munich Philharmonic orchestra.

In order to conduct as fair an audition as possible, the candidates all performed behind a screen and out of the view of the judges.

As soon as they heard her play the judges immediately knew that this was the person who was going to join their orchestra.

They had made a snap decision and arrived at the right decision – without having all the information available to them.

Interestingly, when they got all the information, they weren't so happy with their snap judgement.

They had been under the impression that Abbie was a man, and when it was revealed that she was a woman they immediately withdrew their job offer.

Their prejudice meant they were unable to capitalise on their decision making.

Of course, there are occasions when we jump to the wrong conclusion, and this is an area that Gladwell also explores in an interesting section on what it means to be tall.

In his research Gladwell discovered that almost all the CEOs of the top companies in the US are tall.

There is no actual correlation between height and intelligence, or height and judgment, or height and the ability to motivate and lead people.

But, for some reason, corporations overwhelmingly choose tall people for leadership roles.

This, he claims, is an example of bad rapid cognition.

There is something going on in the first few seconds of meeting a tall person which makes us think of that person as an effective leader.

Unfortunately, this stops us from making an informed decision.

All in all Blink is a fascinating study on an activity that we all do several times a day.

And, although I didn't agree with all his conclusions, Gladwell certainly had me thinking.

Read it and make better decisions.

Guaranteed!

Unit 2

Exercise 2a.

Listen to someone talking about 'thin-slicing' and write a definition using your own words.

In the book <i>Blink, the author Malcolm Gladwell uses the term 'thin-slicing' to describe how we react when we have to make sense of something very quickly, or when we are in a situation that is new to us.

When we don't have a lot of time we can't evaluate a situation fully, we can't look at all the details.

We have to focus on the details of a part of the situation, a thin slice, for a second or two, and make a snap decision based on what we see in those few seconds.

There are several examples in the book of how people who are excellent in certain fields thin-slice.

In basketball, for example, there are players who can assess and understand everything happening around them extremely quickly and make the right decisions.

These players are said to have 'court sense'.

Basically, they are good at making snap decisions.

There are, of course, situations when people thin-slice, and their decisions are completely wrong.

This often happens when people are prejudiced, and they only see what they want or expect to see.

An example that Gladwell gives is about a time in his life when he decided to grow long hair.

He claims that all of a sudden, he started to get fines for speeding, although he wasn't driving any faster than before.

So whilst the traffic policemen were using thin-slicing, they were actually biased against his long hair, and so they got it all wrong.

An example of when making snap decisions based on someone's appearance can create problems.

Unit 2

Exercise 4a.

Listen to three people each talking about an important decision in their lives.

Hannah

When I was  I got an invitation from my French pen friend to spend two months living with her and her family in a small town about  km outside Paris.

At the time I was completely taken by surprise.

We'd only been pen friends for about a year and although we had got on really well during that time, we had never met.

My first reaction was to say 'no'.

If I'm honest I was petrified at the idea.

I mean, I'd only ever been abroad with my family and the longest I'd ever been apart from my mum and dad was a day or two at my grandparents.

But then my dad started to point out some of the good things about it.

It would be a real adventure, I was going to learn to speak French really well and if I didn't like it, then I could always come home.

As I began to mull things over I began to see that I had less and less to be afraid of.

I was starting to think it might be a good idea.

But I was still dithering.

One day I thought 'yes', the next it was 'no'.

But what really finally changed my mind was when my best friend Sally decided that she was going to spend part of the summer with some friends of her parents who lived in the same town in France.

I would have someone to travel with and someone I knew living close by.

I finally made my mind up and accepted the invitation.

It was the best decision of my life.

And guess what?

When the two months finished, I didn't want to go home.

Julia

I still remember walking into that classroom.

I was ten and I was new to the school.

It was my first day.

I had said a tearful goodbye to my mum at the door and the teacher had taken me into that room.

It seemed enormous.

It was full of children.

I didn't know anyone.

The teacher told me to choose a seat.

At first I couldn't see any empty chairs at all but then I noticed there were two.

The first was right at the front next to an intelligent-looking girl.

I say she looked intelligent because she was wearing glasses.

She seemed friendly and had a nice smile.

The second empty seat was next to a boy on the back row.

He looked fun but then he also looked like he might be the kind of boy who was always getting into trouble.

As I looked between the two chairs, I felt the whole class looking at me, waiting to see what I would do.

I think everyone expected me to sit down at the front but for some reason, which I still cannot explain to this day, I made a split-second decision and sat down next to the boy.

Jim – that was his name – and I became firm friends.

And perhaps I was good at on-the-spot decisions even when I was so young – I thought there was more to Jim than just 'a naughty boy', and I was right – he's now an important member of the government.

Lucy

I couldn't wait to get to university – the chance to get away from home and make my own decisions about my life.

I knew I wanted to do Maths and I had researched all the best places to go to.

The choice was between Bristol and Manchester.

I found out about each city and asked anyone I knew who had ever visited either place loads of questions.

I weighed up the pros and cons and finally put Bristol at the top of my list.

They accepted my application and I was offered a place to start studying the following September. 

My dad drove me down and helped me move into my new home.

I was so excited.

I was . 

I'm not sure how long it was before I started to realise that university wasn't everything I had expected but it wasn't more than a couple of months.

I began to feel lonely, although I had made some new friends.

The work was harder than I expected and it wasn't much fun looking after myself every day.

Then one day after about three months I came to a decision.

I didn't want to be at university any more.

It was quite difficult to tell my parents but they were really good about it and let me move back home.

After a few months I got a job in a bank and five years later I'm still there.

I'm doing really well and I couldn't be happier.

I know now that I had simply made the wrong decision.

I'd thought that further education was for me.

It wasn't.

Unit 2

Exercise 4b.

Listen to three interviews.

Which of the situations from Exercise a is each interview from?

One

MALE INTERVIEWER: So, tell us a bit about yourself, Martin.

MARTIN: Erm – well, I'm Martin Richards, I'm , I live in Coventry – erm, as you know, I'm at Queen Elizabeth the First High School.

And – sorry, I'm a bit nervous, I don't really know what to tell you.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: That's OK – don't worry.

Why not tell us something about your interests?

MARTIN: You mean, outside school?

MALE INTERVIEWER: That's right.

MARTIN: Oh – well, let me think a moment.

Well, I like reading, of course, and I'm very keen on cinema, films, I go to the cinema a lot and I watch a lot of DVDs too ... erm

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Any favourite films, directors?

MARTIN: Yes, I'm a big fan of Inarritu, actually ...

MALE INTERVIEWER: The Mexican director?

MARTIN: Yes, I think he's done some wonderful films.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Great.

OK.

Let's move on a bit, shall we, Martin?

Perhaps you could tell us why you'd like to come and study here ...

Two

FEMALE INTERVIEWEE: ... and I think it was probably down to the way I was brought up, really.

MALE Interviewer: Right.

And where <i>were</i> you brought up?

FEMALE INTERVIEWEE: Oh, well, it's a bit of a long story really.

Erm – the thing is, my parents moved around quite a lot because my father was in the diplomatic service, so we lived in lots of different places over the years ... erm ...

MALE Interviewer: For example?

FEMALE INTERVIEWEE: Well, let me think – this isn't in chronological order, OK? – erm, we spent some time in Ghana in West Africa, then there was a short stint in South America, in Paraguay, and another place we went to was, erm, Vienna, we were in Vienna for a while, that's where I learned to speak German, of course ...

MALE Interviewer: Oh that's right, you speak German, don't you?

FEMALE INTERVIEWEE: I do, yes – it's a little rusty now, but I can get by, you know.

MALE Interviewer: I've heard that you can do more than just get by!

But anyway, let's talk a bit, if we may, about how you really started your career in music, because it was a bit by chance, wasn't it, ...

Three

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Hi!

Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?

MAN: What about?

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: It won't take a minute.

MAN: All right, but I'm in a bit of a hurry – what's it about?

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: I'm doing a marketing thing, it's to do with how you use your mobile phone, is that all right?

MAN: OK, what do you want to know?

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Right – well, first of all, can I ask you if you live here?

MAN: I do, yeah.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: OK.

And have you got a mobile phone at all?

MAN: Course I have – who doesn't?

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Right, yeah, of course.

OK, next question – do you use the phone primarily for a) social contacts, b) work purposes or c) both?

MAN: Erm – crikey, I don't know, just give me a moment, OK?

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Sure, course.

MAN: Erm, I think I'd have to say that it's mainly for work.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Work?

MAN: Yeah.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: So that's b.

OK, thanks.

Can we go on to the next one?

MAN: Yeah, sure, but make it snappy, OK? ...

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: OK.

Question number .

Are you the only person in your household who's got a mobile phone?

Unit 2

Exercise 8.

Pronunciation.

Listen to the phrases and choose how you think each speaker will finish their sentence.

SPEAKER : Perhaps you could tell me ...

SPEAKER : I don't really know what to tell you ...

SPEAKER : Just give me a moment, OK

SPEAKER : Would you mind if I asked you ...

Listen and check.

SPEAKER : Perhaps you could tell me a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER : I don't really know what to tell you.

I'm very, very disappointed.

SPEAKER : Just give me a moment, OK.

You're not the only person who needs me, you know.

SPEAKER : Would you mind if I asked you where you bought that lovely coat?

Unit 3 Other worlds

Unit 3

Exercise 1d.

Read the text again and listen.

Yesterday the world's newest country was born when thousands of people gathered in Leicester Square, London to witness its naming and to meet the man they now consider their king.

And what is the name of the new country, I hear you cry?

The world's newest nation is to be called 'Lovely'.

Six months ago, -year-old Danny Wallace, who earns his living as a TV comic and 'ideas' man, had a great idea.

What if he started his own country and invited anyone who wanted to join him to become a citizen?

So, naming himself King Danny I and declaring his one-bedroom flat in East London an independent state, he set about taking the necessary steps to make his dream come true.

He documented his progress in his BBC  series How To Start Your Own Country</i>, which comes to the end of its six-week run on Wednesday.

Over the six weeks, Danny explored the practicalities of forming your own country.

The first thing on his agenda was to hand in his Declaration of Independence to the prime minister at Number Ten.

With this out of the way, he was free to start thinking about things such as writing a constitution and setting up a government.

Then he was off to design his own flag and record his own national anthem.

He even got someone to design possible postage stamps for Lovely, with his face on them!

Much of his time was spent travelling the world meeting politicians and dignitaries to hear their advice on what it means to govern a country.

He also took advice from a cardinal at the Vatican, and from the linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky on the nature of democracy.

After a trip to Death Row in the USA and a moving interview with an inmate, Danny decided against the death penalty for Lovely.

For economic advice, Wallace visited the chief cashier of the Bank of England.

He decided to create a brand-new currency, which he called the Interdependent Occupational Unit</i> (IOU).

However, you can't open a bank account or take out a loan in Lovely.

And forget trying to draw out IOUs with a cash card for the simple reason that there aren't any banks there.

The IOU is part of a much more casual economy, free from things such as interest rates.

It's based on the phrase 'time is money'.

You basically do something for someone and they'll do something later for you.

Along the way, Danny also met with several disappointments.

In one episode Danny travelled to New York to try and get his country recognised by the United Nations.

Unfortunately his request was ultimately turned down because of his lack of an independent territory.

Although Danny had bought his flat, he had not purchased the land on which it stands, so officially his headquarters belonged in the UK.

But what disappointed Danny most of all was being refused entry to the Eurovision song contest with a song he specially recorded called 'Stop the mugging and start the hugging'.

The reason he was given was that since his country had no radio or TV station he could not become a member of the European Broadcasting Union.

The final thing Danny had to do was to find a name for his country.

At his request, citizens sent in thousands of suggestions as to what this new country could be called.

Ideas ranged from Flatland to Wallaceland, Spexico to United Kingdan and Dantopia; someone even suggested calling the country France!

But, in the end, the final selection came down to just two: Home or Lovely.

And it was the citizens who made the final decision.

Aiming to become the most democratic democracy in the world, King Danny achieved a world first and let the people decide.

Lovely won the final vote.

With more than , citizens, Lovely is officially larger than the Vatican, San Marino, Monaco and Liechtenstein, but whether the country will continue to grow will very much depend on how busy its creator is.

And, as Danny Wallace is much in demand for several other TV projects, it might fall to other members of his government to keep things running.

But with elections promised every six months, the creation of the University of Lovely and several sporting events (including a Scalextric Grand Prix) planned over the coming weeks, there are plenty of activities to keep the citizens of Lovely occupied for quite a while yet.

Unit 3

Exercise 4b.

Listen to the film review.

James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar may be the highest grossing film of all time but for some viewers it's all proving to be a little bit too perfect.

For those of you who haven't yet seen the film – is there really anyone who hasn't yet seen the film? – the action takes place on a utopian moon called Pandora.

Set in the future, it basically tells the story of how this beautiful place is raided by an Earth-based mining corporation who want to try and take away huge amounts of a valuable, rare mineral that is found there.

This brings them into conflict with the natives of the planet, a peace-loving race of m tall, blue-skinned creatures called the Na'vi.

What follows is a battle for the very survival of Pandora and its people.

However, Internet message boards have recently been receiving a large number of messages from people who are suffering from post-Avatar depression.

And the reason for their unhappiness?

Knowing that they will never be able to live in a world as perfect as Pandora.

On the site 'Avatar Forums', the topic 'Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible' has more than , posts.

Obviously that's far too many for me to read out, but this one by a user under the name of Elequin, is a reflection of the general mood.

He or she says, 'That's all I have been doing of late, searching the Internet for more info about 'Avatar.'

I guess that helps.

It's so hard.

I can't force myself to think that it's just a movie, and to get over it, that living like the Na'vi will never happen.'

Another nameless contributor wrote 'When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed grey.

It just seems so meaningless.'

The fact that Avatar can provoke such strong feelings just shows what a great job the film makers did in constructing the fictional world of Pandora.

Of course, this fantasy world, with its weird and wonderful plant and animal life, is really brought to life using stunning special effects and D filming.

But what's really impressive is the research that went into creating this other world, including things that aren't always obvious on the big screen.

For example, did you realise that a new language was specially created for the Na'vi?

This was done by the linguistics professor Paul Frommer of the University of Southern California.

He created over a thousand words for the language which he then taught to the actors.

In addition, a whole world of wonderful plants and animals were devised by a team of specialists.

Hours of work went into thinking about what this wildlife would look like and how it would behave on the moon.

Each animal and plant was supplied with a name and detailed description.

You can even buy a guide to the plant life of Pandora.

It was details like these that helped Cameron build such an entirely believable fictional world.

But apart from the absolute beauty of Pandora, what has attracted so many viewers to the film in such an amazing way is the Na'vi people themselves.

Their peace-loving personalities and their ability to interact so perfectly with the natural world that surrounds them stands in stark contrast to the greedy humans who are trying to destroy this paradise.

And, of course, it doesn't take a lot of insight to see that the film is also reminding us of the speed with which we are tearing up the wonderful world we live in.

Perhaps all those who are experiencing post Avatar depression could help themselves by remembering that we do still live in a beautiful world and that they should get out there and make sure we don't destroy it.

Unit 3

Exercise 7b.

Read the text and listen.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked; and when Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door, she wondered how she was ever to get out again.

Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, made of solid glass; there was nothing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice's first thought was that it might belong to one of the doors of the hall; but it did not open any of them.

However, she found a low curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!

Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw.

How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head through the doorway.

'Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope!' thought Alice.

'I think I could, if I only knew how to begin.'

For, you see, so many unusual things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.

There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went back to the table: this time she found a little bottle on it, and round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words 'DRINK ME' beautifully printed on it in large letters.

It was all very well to say 'Drink me,' but wise little Alice was not going to do <i>that</i> in a hurry.

'No, I'll look first,' she said, 'and see whether it's marked '<i>poison</i>' or not.'

However, this bottle was NOT marked 'poison', so Alice ventured to taste it, and finding it very nice, she very soon finished it off.

'What a curious feeling!' said Alice; 'I must be shutting up like a telescope.'

And so it was: she was now only ten inches high, and her face brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden.

First, however, she waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further.

After a while, finding that nothing more happened, she decided to go into the garden at once; but when she got to the door, she found she had forgotten the little golden key, and when she went back to the table for it, she found she could not reach it: she could see it through the glass, and she tried her best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery; and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sat down and cried.