Unit 1

A Love for Nature

 Do you consider yourself a nature lover?

 Why have you chosen this faculty?
 Which jobs can you do if you are a nature lover?

If you are a real nature lover, you are in for some of

the best, most enjoyable and useful careers out
there! What is more, there are ample job
opportunities in the field of natural sciences and the
environment, as this is such a vital area for the future
of our planet. People who opt for a career in this field
usually work to protect the earth from further damage
or work to repair the damage already done. You can
work on conserving natural reserves, help stop
pollution, try to make agriculture more eco-friendly,
restore degraded soil (environmental
bioremediation). Bioresource engineers work to
develop methods of producing bio-based products:
fuels, fertilisers, and many other products.

Some other jobs related to nature are: horticultural engineer, landscape architect,
environmental engineer, wildlife biologist, many jobs in wildlife sanctuaries and NGOs,
forest steward. One of the best choices for those who love spending time in fresh air is farm
management or farming in the countryside. This is the perfect self-made job. You can
choose your working hours and your main interest from an infinite variety, you can produce
something people need, and also make good money, while living in a stress-free natural
environment.

Q&A
 How many jobs related to nature can you remember? Which would you choose?
 What is the difference between life sciences and natural sciences?
 What kind of plants can you produce? Which would you choose?

Natural sciences can be divided into two main branches: life science (related to
any form of life, e.g. biology, physiology, anatomy) and physical science
(including chemistry, physics, earth science). Life sciences involve the study of
humans, animals, and plants. The plant sciences include applied plant
physiology, nutrition, ecology, breeding and genetics, as well as crop
management. They study two major types of crops: those that represent direct
human food (e.g. cereals, vegetables, fruits, and nuts) and those that serve as
feed and forage for animals. Special branches of these sciences have developed
for different classes of plant crops (vegetables, fruit trees, flowers, and other
types of plants).

Team work: How can we protect the environment?

1. Add some more things we can do every day to reduce waste and
prevent pollution:
  Use reusable products and avoid ………… them away after using them once.
 Borrow / rent items you don’t …………. frequently or share them with ………….. .

 Take ………….. transportation instead of driving.

 Choose products made from …………. materials or

labelled safe for the environment.

 Turn …………. appliances and lights when you leave

the room.

 …

 …

 …

2. You have decided to go green. With your partner, make a plan for green living. Choose
which of the above you will try doing this week.

3. Fill in the sentences with words from the box:

NOUN ADJECTIVE

appliances
 If you are a nature lover, you will go
extinction extinct
for …………………… bags and
non-electric materials.

recyclable  Ecologists prefer appliances which

use …………………… energy
threat threatening
sources.
unspoiled  When she enters the house, all the
…………………… turn on by themselves.
 We all wish we could live in a completely untouched and …………………… nature.
 Environmental degradation is a real …………………… to our own life.
 Overfishing is a …………………… practice for marine ecosystems.
 Because of the destruction of habitats, some wild animals are on the verge of
…………………… .
 It is estimated that 99 % of species that have ever lived are now …………………… .

Q&A

How many species go extinct every day? Take a guess!

Scientists estimate that between 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird and mammal
become extinct every 24 hours. This is nearly 1,000 times the “natural” rate and far greater
than anything the world has experienced since the vanishing of the dinosaurs 65m years
ago (www.huffingtonpost.com).
4. Read the text. Put the words in brackets in the right form. Then, say if you agree:
Are you a nature lover?
There’s something very special that students in this class share: the love of nature,
of the great outdoors, and the wild .……………….. (spoiled) landscape, the
admiration we have for nature. When we are connected to nature, we feel more .
……………….. (live). .……………….. (second), there’s another thing that we think is
really important: ……………….. (protect) our home: the Blue Planet.

Discussion points:

 Why is our planet called the “Blue Planet”?

 Can you come up with some other names?
 What percent of species that have ever lived are extinct?

How can we protect the

planet?

“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are

the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

5. Put the words in brackets in the correct form.

Forests are rapidly disappearing all over the world, which is an ……………… (alarm)
situation. The ……………… (lose) of this natural resource could spell disaster for our
planet. Most of us are part of the problem, but together, we can all contribute to the
……………… (solve). How can we prevent a ……………… (globe) crisis? Protecting the
world’s forests should be a priority in fighting global ……………… (warm) and climate
change because forests are critical to life on earth.
Forests support the environment in
which we live by regulating the
climate, ……………….. (improve) air
quality, absorbing ………………
(harm) CO2 emissions and other
pollutants, controlling floods and
landslides, preventing soil
……………… (erode), cleaning
water and sustaining wildlife and a
rich variety of ecosystems. They are
also great place for outdoor sports
and adventure tourism. In short, we
need our forests and our forests
need our support! So, what can you and I do to help prevent ……………… (forest)?

6. In groups, make a list of things you can actually do to conserve forests.

7. Read the following tips to find more solutions to add to your list.
1. Ditch the printer - Always remember that the more you print, the more trees are cut
down to make paper. Therefore, the less you print, the ……………… (few) trees are cut
down. At the end of the day, this can really add up to a lot of saved trees.

2. Double-sided paper - If you must print, print on both sides of the page. This will cut
down the paper ……………… (consume) by half, which saves half the number of trees in a
forest. That’s a lot!

3. Go digital with your bills - In the same way that printing less will decrease the demand
for paper, getting your bills through e-mail instead of a printed copy in the mail will lower the
demand for paper.

4. Switch to bamboo paper (or maybe you will think about producing it) - Bamboo is
easily sustainable and grows to maturity in five years, a lot faster than trees. Try to use
bamboo paper as much as possible because it has exactly the same functions.

5. Go to the library / read digital books - Digital books are ……………… (cheap) and
more convenient than books. You have an endless supply of books on a single device
which you can ……………… (easy) carry in your bag. Plus, you can also read in the dark.

6. Refuse bags at the market / Reuse your cloth shopping bag - If you remember to do
this, you are ……………… (true) environmentally conscious and you will make a great
……………… (impress) to other intelligent people. This will let your friends know you care
about the environment.

7. Plant trees - if this even needs an explanation, can you say why we should do this? …

8. Avoid paper towels (made from tree pulp) and paper cups – they are convenient, but
that adds up to a huge amount of waste.

9. Buy used wooden furniture - You’ll pay less for it and it is also less toxic.

10. Recycle paper separately – Don’t throw paper and other waste products
in the same garbage bin. They are collected ……………… (separate).

11. Educate yourself and others - The more people are aware of what each
of us can do to help prevent ……………… (forest), the better.

12. Be ……………… (attention) to manmade fire - Do not make open fires where there is
vegetation; do not throw your cigarette on the ground; maintain electricity wires properly,
especially if they fall during storms.
If every person on earth decided to start being more ……………… (care) every day, a large
part of the problem could be solved. Unfortunately, many people are ignorant or simply
……………… (care). Are you part
of the problem or part of the
……………… (solve)?

Project work
Make a poster promoting
ecological awareness. Include
some some useful eco-tips.
 Unit 2

Origins: Out of Africa

1. Brainstorm ideas about the title. In groups, try to answer the questions:

 Where did our ancestors originate?

 Why did we migrate across the planet?
 What was the colour of the first modern humans?
 Why has our colour gradually changed?

Nature Doesn’t Strike Twice

The recent African origin of modern humans, frequently dubbed the “Out of Africa”
theory, is the most widely accepted model describing the geographic origin and
early migration of humankind. The theory asserts that humans first evolved in Africa
and most of our time on earth has been spent on that continent. Here is why
scientists believe humans originated in Africa and why they have abandoned the
notion we evolved separately and independently in different parts of the world.

There are two theories of human origin:

monogenism and polygenism. The monogenic
view, which today is referred to as the “out of
Africa theory,”  states that there is only one
source for humankind; humans first appeared in
one place, but evolved differently due to the
climatic conditions to which they were exposed.

The polygenic theory, or multiregional origin of

modern humans, claims that there are several locations of origin, which would
explain the physiological differences between the races. Followers of this theory
believe that humans were born in Africa, Europe and Asia, and there was no
evolutionary or climatic development. Most scientists find the polygenic theory
faulty. One reason would be that Mother Nature never strikes twice, she doesn’t
create the same being twice. – Adapted after: http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/05/16/6-
arguments-that-prove-the-first-man-was-black/
2. Discussion points:

 Would you like to find out your ancestry, where they lived and where they
migrated until they ended up right here?
 How would it put things into perspective if we all traced back our deep
ancestry to the very first mother and father?

3. Read the text below to get the main idea.

4. Fill in the missing words, based on the words in brackets:

The Genographic Project – by geneticist Spencer Wells

The goal of the Genographic Project is to trace migration patterns that have
………….. (lead) humans all over the world. Research …………… (indicate) that we
all share an African origin about 200,000 years ago. We ………….. (decide) to leave
Africa and find better places to live about 60,000 years ago – that’s only 2000

human generations ago).

The first of these migrants which left our African homeland was Homo erectus, who
were also precursors of human evolution. When our …………… (ancestry) first
moved out of Africa, they met other hominid species and …………… (interbreed).
This is why Europeans and Asians have 2% Neanderthal DNA, but African people
don’t have any trace of Neanderthal in their DNA.
But what exactly was our journey? How did we migrate and how did we end up on
all continents? An early migration moved East into the Arabian peninsula down
through India, Southeast Asia and …………… (reach) Australia. That is why we can
find populations …………… (relate) to Africans even today in isolated places like
the Andaman Islands (between India and Asia) and the Aborigines or Indigenous
Australians, which are the native people …………… (live) in Australia before British
colonisation. Later, another migration to the Middle East and then to Central Asia
…………… (take) place 40,000 years ago. Some of our ancestors from Africa
migrated towards the West into Europe about 30,000 years ago. A small
courageous group of …………… (explore) crossed a land bridge which then existed
between our continent and America about 20,000 years ago during the last glacial
period. Later, the Bering land bridge disappeared and …………… (become) the
Bering straight.

One of the main points suggested by this research is that all humans come from a
common homeland and, so, we are all …………… (relate).

3. True or false?

- The Aborigines are the native inhabitants of America.

- We left Africa 200.000 years ago.
- Our ancestors first travelled from Africa to Australia.
- African people don’t have any trace of Neanderthal in their DNA.
- Our ancestors interbred with Neanderthal hominids, which is why Europeans
have 2% Neanderthal DNA.
- We are all genetically related to one another.

4. Odd one out:

- Aborigine – indigenous – local – native – migrant
- ancestor – forefather – predecessor – originator – precursor – successor
- ancestry – bloodline – connexion – family tree – lineage –parentage –
succession
- archetype – model – prototype – original exemplar – unique
- to explore – to find – to examine – to investigate – to research – to search
– to survey – to trace

5. Project work: Watch the documentary The Journey of Man – A Genetic

Odyssey. Write down some ideas which you find interesting.
Let’s Laugh!
Can you explain the joke?

A man needing a heart transplant is told by his doctor that the only heart available
is that of a sheep. The man finally agrees and the doctor transplants the sheep
heart into the man. A few days after the operation, the man comes in for a check-
up. The doctor asks him, “How are you feeling?” The man replies, “BAAAAD!”

6. Put the verb in brackets in the Past Simple:

Once the genetic “book of life” had been discovered, researchers ………………… (to need)
new tools to decipher its contents. In the 1970s, scientists ………………… (to wrestle) with
methods to work with particular genes. They …………………(to wonder) if there
………………… (can) be some kind of molecular editing system or if it ………………… (will)
be able to create tailored DNA molecules.

If scientists ………………… (to want) to decipher and ultimately rewrite “the book of life”,
they would need a mechanism to make the overwhelming text manageable. Scientists
………………… (to have) to figure out how to isolate DNA sequences of interest. They
………………… (to be) to find out how to cut, paste, and copy DNA. Many scientists
………………… (to make) important discoveries that ………………… (to lead) to the
manipulation of DNA and the creation of new “custom-made” organisms. After they
………………… (to come up) with recombinant DNA, scientists ………………… (to be)
faced with the challenge of verifying if the new technology ………………… (to be) safe.
There is still an ongoing debate over this controversial issue.

7. Underline the correct variant of the verb.

Genetic engineering (has raised / had raised / raised) many legal and ethical issues. The
safety of releasing into the environment genetically altered organisms that (could / should /
will) disrupt ecosystems (has been / had been / was) questioned. Genetically engineered
crops (are raising / have risen / rose) concerns of genetic pollution, leading some scientists
to worry that the spread of transgenes (could / must / should) result in a reduction in genetic
diversity. Imports of genetically modified corn, soybeans, and other crops (have been / had
been / was) limited in some countries, and the vast majority of such crops (are grown / grew
/ were grown) in just a few nations. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (has been / is /
was) signed by more than 100 nations and (has taken / takes / took) effect in September,
2003. It (had required / requires / will require) detailed information on whether imported
organisms and crops (are / could be / were) genetically modified and (had permitted /
permits / would permit) a nation to bar those imports.
 UNIT 3

COMMERCE & BUSINESS

MAKING A BUSINESS PLAN

Key words: market, to sell, supply and demand.

Would you like to start your own business or would you rather be
employed? Give reasons.

A business plan is a roadmap you

need if you want to start your own
business. You need to develop an
overall vision and a mission for your
business, to think about your short-
and long-term goals and to define
the steps to achieve your goals.
Your plan should be realistic,
simple, and specific. Let’s say you
want to start a small farm business
and you are wondering what step to
take first. Finding farmland is a step
you will have to take after you have
considered some other factors.

Firstly, you have to learn about farming and farm management. Learn
everything you can about it within the time you have. Some learning will have
to be done later on the job, even if trial and error is time-consuming and
sometimes costly. However, it is inevitable with farming, so embrace the
process while learning as much as you can. You are lucky if you can find a
mentor - someone you can learn from directly, perhaps in your community or
where you intend to farm - it can be extremely helpful. If you haven't already,
work on a farm, volunteer, gain experience before you begin.

An important part of starting your farm business is defining what it will be. Do
you want to have a micro-scale vegetable farm? Do you plan to grow acres of
hay for other farmers? Maybe you want to have a diversified farm - a small-
scale operation that grows a variety of animals and crops. Or you might be
dreaming to start an ecotourism farm, like Prince Charles of Wales. Here,
people can come to stay on the farm and even participate in daily activities.

Next, you will need to put down a business plan. You should consider
markets, supply and demand, as well as anything related to your farm
operations, management structure, financial analysis, products and prices.
Make sure that your farm plan fits into the general market in terms of supply
and demand. Investigate and analyze industry trends, identify competitors,
and define buyers. You might not have all the capital you need to start
farming on the scale that you would like. If you are not be able to invest
enough money to bring products to the market, you can apply for funding.
Grants and loans aimed at young and beginning farmers are out there! EU
funding programs offer subsidized equipment, assistance in certifying
organic, and more. When it comes to the requirements for establishing a farm
business, the basics are the same everywhere: you will probably need to
register your business name, purchase a business license, get an employer
identification number, and get an insurance. Contact an accountant to get
information specific to your situation and help with financial planning and set
up an accounting system from the start of your small farm business
(https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-start-small-farm-business-3016903)

Questions and Discussion topics

1. Interview your desk mate:

- If you could start a business of your own, what exactly would you do?
- What steps would you take?
- What resources do you need to reach the goal?

2. In pairs, decide which of the following crops you would choose to

produce, considering the questions below:

genetically modified soy, a traditional variety of wheat, corn with a high

input of fertilizers, organic vegetables, saffron, paulownia, etc.

- Which one would feed a greater number of people?

- Which would be the most expensive to produce / the easiest to market / the
most cost-efficient / practical / ecological / attractive for consumers?

3. When learning new words, it is useful to learn related parts of

speech. Complete the table, following the example.

Noun Noun Verb Adjective Negative

concept people form
employment employer employed unemployed
employee unemployment
developer
organise
management

Grammar: The Past Simple

Remember!

 The Past Simple is used to express an action which occurred at a specific

time in the past.
 How do we form the Past tense of regular verbs?
Verb + …
 What is the Past form for irregular verbs? Give some examples.
e.g.: do - did - done
go - …
see - …
 How do we ask questions in the past?
e.g.: ……. you see my friend last nigt at the party?
 Which adverbs are used for the Past Simple?
e.g.: ago, yesterday, …

Questions and exercises

1. Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Simple.

Marcus Terentius Varro (116-28 B. C.), about whom Quintilian …………. (to
say) he …………. (to be) "the most learned of the Romans," …………. (to
study) agriculture as he …………. (to be born) on a farm. Even though he
…………. (to come) from a prosperous family, he was …………. (to breed) in
the habits of simplicity and rural industriousness. Varro …………. (to write)
his treatise Rerum Rusticarum (Agricultural Topics) when he was eighty and
…………. (think) he ………… (will) soon die. He …………. (to address) his
work to his wife as a manual on farming, as she …………. (to buy) a farm
and …………. (to need) practical advice. Its three books …………. (to deal)
with agriculture, domestic cattle, poultry, and bees. Varro's treatise on farm
management …………. (can) be considered the best practical book on the
subject which …………. (to come) down to us from antiquity. Varro …………
(to be) an experienced and successful farmer who ………….. (to see) and
…………… (to practise) all that he …………. (to record).

2. Insert a, an, or the, if necessary.

According to … United Nations’ FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization),

land use involves … management and modification of natural environment
into … built environment such as … settlements and habitats like … arable
fields and pastures. Land use practices include … benefits obtained from use
of … land, as well as … land management activities. Land use and … land
management practices have … major impact on … natural resources
including … water, soil, nutrients, plants and … animals. (After FAO, 1997)
3. Put the word in brackets in the right form.

We must develop (solve) …………………. for natural resource management

issues like water quality and land (exploit) …………........ . Forest gardening,
a plant-based food (produce) ……………….. system, is believed to be the
(old) …………… form of land use in the world. The major effect of land use in
the last 200 years has been (forest) …………………….., which has many
negative consequences. Other effects include soil (erode) ………………….,
soil (degrade) …………………., and (desert) ………………….. This kind of
change and (excess) …………………. use of fossil fuels are the major
sources of carbon dioxide. Land has been damaged more (aggressive)
………………….. where there was no land use planning and no (law)
……………… measures imposed. This has (lead) …………... to the over-
utilization of the resources for immediate production (grow) ………………. at
all costs. Such (harm) ……………….. approaches should be replaced by
(suit) ….................... planning and proper (manage) ……………………. of
land resources. This will hopefully (sure) ……………… the long-term quality
of the land for human use and the (preserve) …………………… of
ecosystems of high biodiversity value.

4. In pairs, ask questions to which the following statements are the answers.

- Figures indicate that global hunger increases.

- The market faces challenges more than ever before.
- The growing food demand means that more pressure is put on natural
resources.
- Having your own business is the best solution to be independent.
- Investing in agriculture is the most effective strategy to reduce poverty.
- Governments should support small farmers’ development.
- People must understand the importance of agriculture.
- Farmers fight against famine.
- The future may bring a revival of traditional farming.

5. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word in capital letters.

Since the 1960s the global nutrition has ………………. (CONSIDER)

improved, providing more food at …………………. (LOW) prices. This
………………………….. (PERFORM) was possible through high-yielding
seeds, ………………………. (IRRIGATE) and plant nutrition. As population
keeps …………………….. (INCREASE), more food needs to be produced.
The main source of food for the ………………………. (POPULATE) of the
world is agriculture. What agriculture produces is …………………………
(DRIVE) by consumer demand. Cereals are by far the most important.

Project: Would you like to start your own business? Say what you
would like to do and how you plan to make your dream come true.

UNIT 4

17
 COUNTRY LIFE VS. TOWN LIFE

Key words: countryside, conveniences, picturesque, unspoiled, village.

Where would you rather live – in the city or in the countryside? Why?

Maria lives in a big city surrounded by the speed and convenience of urban
life. She works in an office with 1000 other employees, and travels to and
from there on a crowded Metro. Her home is a flat overlooking a busy city-
street, which is always alive with the sound of traffic and people passing by.
After work, she meets with friends in a bar or restaurant before going on to a
disco or nightclub. Weekends are spent in the shopping mall.

Alex, however, lives in a small village in the countryside. He cycles to work

down country lanes every morning, the sound of tractors, birds and animals
in his ears. In the evening, he relaxes at home in front of the fire with a good
book to read. At weekends, he goes for long walks in the fields with his dog.
Unfortunately, life is not as simple as stories make it.

A lot of today’s ‘town mice’ such as Maria would be happy to live in the
country. Many modern cities have very large populations and can be
crowded, dirty and dangerous places to live. More than half the world’s
population now lives in cities. In much of Europe and North America this can
be as much as 80% of a country’s population. Today, many town dwellers
wish to reverse this trend and return to a slower pace of life like Alex, our
modern ‘country mouse’.

Yet, a modern country existence is not without its problems: poor transport,
lack of access to hospitals and education, and services found in towns such
as large shops, banks and entertainment. The debate between town and
country is meaningless these days, as so many people live in towns, and
very few people are actually able to choose where they live; this is dictated
by their work or birth. The internet and other mass media have linked country
areas to the world, providing access to information – even to remote areas. In
order for people to stay in the countryside, more benefits of the city need to
be available (employment, healthcare and education).

Conversely, the introduction of city parks and forests, and traffic free zones,
has helped in bringing a little of the countryside to the city streets. The UN
World habitat day (4th October) this year looks at this issue. It emphasises the
need for strong links between town and countryside, and their mutual
dependence upon each other. Are you a town mouse or a country mouse?
(https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/town-or-country-mouse)

2. Debate – In groups, decide for or against living in the countryside; make a

list of arguments.

14
3. Find the suitable ending of the proverbs:

a) the land gives back three times more.

1. As you sow,
2. As is the gardener,
3. To the one, who gives
to the land,
4. Knowledge is like a
garden:
5. Though a tree grows
so high,
6. We can choose what
we sow,
7. God gives every bird a
worm,
8. When eating a fruit,
9 Keep a tree green in
your heart
10. Every garden
(Russian Proverb)
b) if it is not cultivated, it cannot be
harvested. (African proverb)
c) the falling leaves return to the root.
(Malay proverb)
d) think of the person who planted the tree.
(Vietnamese proverb)
e) may have its weeds. (English proverb)
f) and perhaps a singing bird will come.
(Chinese proverb)
g) such is the garden.
h) but he does not throw it in the nest.
(Swedish proverb)
i) so shall you reap.
j) but we are obliged to reap what we sow.
(Chinese proverb)

4. Fill in with much, many, (a) little, (a) few.

- Can I talk to you if you have … time?

- Could you hurry? I have … time.
- They didn’t give … information.
- He knows a lot of things because he has read … books.
- How … money do you have?
- I have … minutes, so we can discuss the issue.
- We really have to go. We have … minutes till the train leaves, sorry.
- There are … people in class today because of the flu epidemics.
- I’m glad I have … good friends.
- I am sad because I realise I have … real friends.

5. Supply the Past Tense of the verbs in brackets in the sentences below.

- Freddy ………….. (be) born and bred on a farm and ………….. (have) no
love for city life.
- He ………….. (do) his best, but he just (be not) cut out for farming.
- Father ………….. (leave) me a farm, but I (decide) to move to the city.
- Our farm ………….. (go) on the block and ……… (get) a good price.
- The farmer ………….. (say) that the village ………. (be) dead ahead.
- The farmer’s wife ………….. (repay) the workers with fresh cream.
- The flood ………….. (sweep) over the farmers who …………. (will) not
leave their homes.
- The farmers finally ………….. (give up) and ………….. (sell out) to the
corporation.

17
6. Fill in the blanks with prepositions (at – by – for – in – of – on – to – upon).

Habitat destruction is the process ………. which natural habitat becomes

unable to support the species present. It may be caused ……… geological
processes, climate change, or human activities. In this process, the
organisms………. the site are displaced or destroyed, leading ………. the
reduction ……….. biodiversity. Habitat destruction ……… human activity is
done mainly ………. the purpose of harvesting natural resources ………
industry production and urbanization. Other important causes of habitat
destruction ………. human intervention are mining, logging, and urban
expansion. Perhaps the greatest threat ………. biodiversity is the process of
habitat loss. Many species are threatened ………. habitat destruction, which
can result ………. the reduction of genetic diversity. It is a process ……
environmental change which leads ……… species extinction.

7. Choose the correct word to fill each gap.

Sustainable farms (1)...... crops and raise animals without (2)..... on toxic
chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically (3)..... seeds, or
practices that (4)...... soil, water, or other natural resources. Sustainable
farms also (5)........ local and regional economies, creating good jobs and
building strong communities.

A. make B. do C. produce D. invent

A. using B. relying C. accepting D. practicing
A. transformed B. changed C. converted D. modified
A. degrade B. spoil C. destroy D. harm
A. stimulate B. motivate C. convince D. activate

8. Interview each other using Past simple irregular verbs.

Model: A: Do you usually take one teaspoon of sugar in your coffee? (two)
B: Yes, but today I took two.

Do you usually ... ?

- go out in the park (central square)
- drink water (wine)
- meet Paul at the office (at the club)
- feel well (awful)
- read the Daily Telegraph (The Times)
- tell Peter first (Janet)
- come by bus (by taxi)
- say too little (too much)
- buy apples (pears)
- leave at eight (at nine)
- write three lines (three pages)
- put the money in the safe (in the drawer)

16
 - wake up at eight (at seven)
- spend a lot of money (hardly anything)
- buy your vegetables at the local greengrocery (at the market)

9. Add question-tags to the following sentences.

Remember the rules!

- Affirmative sentence → negative tag

- Negative sentence → interrogative tag
- Auxiliary verbs (be, can, could, will, would, may, must, have etc.)
are repeated in the tag
- Other verbs require do, does or did in the tag

- He is early this morning, … ?

- I am not so fast as you, … ?
- I was very quick, … ?
- I’m a good teacher, … ?
- It could be done, … ?
- They always work hard, … ?
- They are learning English, … ?
- They ought not to be here, … ?
- This winter hasn’t been cold, … ?
- We must go now, … ?
- You can help him, … ?
- You can swim well, … ?
- You shouldn’t smoke, … ?
- You won’t be late, … ?

Homework:

How would you define life in the country? Do you prefer the countryside or
life in a big city? Why?

You may use some of the words below.

- alienating, comfortable, dangerous, dingy, exciting, fast-moving, isolated,

peaceful, picturesque, relaxing, stressful, stunning, ugly, unsafe.

17
 UNIT 5

LANGUAGE LEARNING

Key words: compulsory, educational, mandatory, skills, training.

 How did you learn English?

 What is the best learning advice you can give to other learners?

Learning a second language is often more difficult as an adult than

earlier in life. Why is this happening and what can be done about it? For
years, we assumed that cognitive performance declined substantially as a
part of normal aging. However, recent research suggests, in fact, this is not
the case. Cognitive functions start to decline as we stop learning. As we age,
learning new information takes a bit more effort than earlier in life. So what
can we do about it?
According to the well-known law of nature “Use it or lose it”, if we do
not exercise our physical body, we lose strength, stamina and endurance.
The same applies to a person who does not practice a new skill. For
example, if we do not practice driving, speaking a foreign language, etc., we
will probably forget or lose those skills.
Language learning is stimulating for our brains. As young children, we picked
up our first language easily by simply absorbing new words and concepts.
However, as adults, our brain generally begins to lose some of its innate
language ability. There is less activity in areas of the brain related to
language. As a result, for most of us, it becomes harder and harder to learn a
new language after childhood.
Researchers have recently shown that physical exercise can help the
brain grow stronger. They explain the effects exercise has on the learning
and memorizing process and how it changes the biology of the brain in ways
that make it more receptive to new information, a process that scientists refer
to as plasticity. They have also shown that exercise prompts the release of
multiple neurochemicals in the brain which increase the number of new brain
cells and the connections between neurons. These effects improve the
brain’s plasticity and augment the ability to learn. So, the benefits of exercise
on cognitive performance are impressive. This is why learning should be
supported by physical activity. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-
third-age/201405/use-it-or-lose-it)

Brainstorming activity

In pairs, find ways that can help you improve your learning skills.
Which of the following learning tips have you not thought of? Add the most
useful ones to your list.
- underlining; - using mnemonic rules
- making mind maps; (making associations);
- flashcards; - revising often; etc.
18
1. Ask your colleagues:

- Are you for or against papers/tests? Why?

- Should school be compulsory or not?
- What would you like classes to be like: a free dialogue/individual
study/ traditional courses?
- Should a teacher be a young or an old person?
- Who should decide the curriculum, the students or the teachers?
- Would you like to address your professors by their names?
- Is it better to have a uniform in school or not? Why?

2. Considering your answers above, in pairs, discuss the idea:

What would the ideal school be like in your opinion?

3. What is difficult/easy about learning a language? Arrange the following in

the order of difficulty.

- Asking questions in class

- Correcting yourself/getting corrected by the teacher in front of others
- Making a list of your common mistakes and crossing them out
- Expressing your ideas
- Guessing words from movies/songs
- Helping your partner
- Learning new vocabulary
- Listening to what other students say/the teacher says
- Organising your notebook
- Practising speaking or what you have recently learned
- Pronouncing words
- Reading for your own pleasure
- Remembering what you have learned
- Repeating new words regularly
- Taking exams
- Understanding grammar rules
- Understanding all the words in movies or songs
- Watching movies without subtitles
- Writing your homework/an essay

Grammar: The Past Tense Continuous

Remember!

 the Past Continuous is used to express actions happening at a certain

moment in the past;
 it may also be used to express simultaneous actions occurring in the past.

- How is the Past Continuous formed?

- When is the Past Continuous used? Give some examples.
e.g.: She WAS DUSTING the furniture while he WAS COOKING.
I WAS LEARNING yesterday at noon.
4. Fill in the Past Tense Simple or Past Tense Continuous of the verbs in
brackets.

- Jonathan ……………. (fall) and ……………. (break) his leg while he

……………. (play) football.
- He ……………. (find) a ring while he ……………. (play) in the park.
- I ……………. (be) sure that we ……………. (be going to) miss the bus.
- Jenifer ……………. (sit) in a café when she ……………. (see) her friend
across the street.
- He ……………. (stop) when the police officer ……………. (tell) him to.
- It ……………. (rain) this morning when I ……………. (get up).
- She ……………. (cut) her finger while she ……………. (peel) potatoes.
- What ……………. you ……………. (do) last night when I …………….
(phone) you?
- We ……………. (talk) about the teacher when she suddenly …………….
(come) in the classroom.
- We ……………. (walk) in the park when it ……………. (begin) to rain.
- Sorry I couldn’t answer the phone. When it ……………. (ring), I …………….
(have) a bath.

5. Fill in the gaps with: it is / there is / there are.

- What's the time? - ... ... 3.30.

- And what's the date?... … the 24th.
- How many cars … … in the campus?
- How far... ...to Arad? … … 40 km.
- … … a blackboard in our classroom.
- ... ... very sunny today. - Yes, ... ... a lovely day!
- … … going to be a bus strike tomorrow.
- ... ... quite cold in the classroom, isn’t …?
- … … many students in the classroom today, are … ?
- … … a pity to stay indoors when … … so nice outside.
- ... ... not any glass in the windows; that is why … … so cold.

Homework:

Think back and write down:

- What were you doing last night between 8-10 p.m.?

- What was your deskmate doing while the teacher was explaining the Past?
- What were you doing on Saturday evening?
- What were you doing in August, during the summer holiday?
- What were you doing when you were a child?

UNIT 6
 ENTERTAINMENT

Key words: to entertain, learning tool, lyrics, sitcom, TV series.

What is the most entertaining way of learning English in your opinion?

Probably the most fun, enriching, and effective way to learn English is
through watching TV series. It’s very common to hear that people learn
significantly more English from TV, movies, and videos than all traditional
methods combined. One important reason is that, as good as some schools
are, learners are often bored in the context of traditional English courses.
Students sometimes feel disconnected from the living, breathing reality of the
language they are learning.
That is why TV series and movies are more effective because the
learning process becomes an enjoyable and real part of who we are. While
this is so obvious to those who have learned this way, it doesn’t occur to
most people to use their favorite TV shows as a learning tool. But you can
really use TV shows as a core component of your learning. Here’s why.
Firstly, fun increases motivation, which is a fundamental component to
learning anything. Without strong motivation, it’s difficult to generate the will
power to consistently do the activities that lead to success in your learning.
We’ve all experienced how it feels to be captivated by a TV series or movie.
We’re dying to know what happens next! We’re hooked, on the edge of our
seats, and we can’t wait to watch the next episode. Our mind and senses
open up. Even when it’s hard to understand, we FIND a way. Even when we
don’t have time to watch, we FIND the time. This is the type of powerful
motivation that a TV series can provide and if you know how to use it right, it
will be your best friend on your English learning journey.
When you find a good TV show that you like and start watching it in
English, you will notice a shift in your motivation to learn English. Given the
power of daily habits, the byproduct of a regular diet like this will be that your
English learning will be considerably accelerated.
The popular series Friends, for example, has 10 seasons and 236
episodes of around 25 minutes each of authentic, real life learning
experience. Plus it’s a great show that’s really easy to enjoy. This is exactly
why many English learners report that Friends is their favorite series to learn
with. Besides, because language learning also requires engagement in the
culture and real life use, it is particularly important here.
Another benefit is that TV series help you build cultural fluency, that is
the correct use and understanding of subtle cultural interpersonal exchange
typical of native communication, including both spoken and non-verbal forms.
Cultural fluency is connected to the way people interact with each other and
how they use idioms, phrases, and slang that is common and appropriate in
certain circles. All of this can best be learned from TV series, which are an
important reflection of pop culture.
Another enriching option is to watch TED Talks. For those who want to
learn something more substantial, TED Talks are extremely convenient and
power-packed video presentations with life-changing information. They also
have subtitle options in nearly every language, so it is wonderful to spread
these ideas to your friends and family (Adapted after
https://reallifeglobal.com)

Questions and exercises

1. Which of the following series was your favourite? Give reasons.

Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Breaking Bad, Mad Men,

Outlander, Seinfeld, Friends, etc.

2. In pairs, speak about your favourite TV show or series. Why do you like it?

3. What kind of entertainment do you enjoy most? Why? You can choose
among the following or come up with your own choice.

circus, computer games, discos, documentaries, movies, musicals, opera,

parties, pop/rock/symphony concerts, puppet shows, soap operas, sitcoms,
Ted-lectures, theatre, TV series, videos.

4. Which of the types of entertainment above are:

- boring, expensive, intellectual, less accessible, less popular nowadays,

light, noisy, only for children, quite old-fashioned, relaxing, suitable for all
ages, very popular in the past, very popular with young people.

Grammar: Present Perfect

Remember!

 in contrast to the Past Tense Simple, the Present Perfect is used to

express actions which occurred at an unspecified, unknown time in the
past or the period of time is unfinished;
 it is used with time expressions like since, for, just, recently, lately...

- How is the Present Perfect formed?

e.g.: We HAVE just FINISHED the book.
He HAS SEEN the movie several times.

- How are questions formed in the Present Perfect?

e.g.: HAVE you HEARD the news?
HAS she SEEN the movie?

- What is the difference?

e.g.: She HAS STUDIED English since 1995.
We HAVE STUDIED English for many years.
They HAVE always BEEN good friends.
They were good friends.

Questions and exercises

1. Present Perfect or Past Simple? Put the verbs in brackets in the right
tense. Remember the following.

- Present Perfect indicates that an action is completed (= perfected), but

the time of the action is not mentioned.
- Past Simple is used for an action done at a certain time; the moment of
the action is known / mentioned.

- He ………… (live) in London for two years; then …………. (go) to NY.
- I …………. (begin) English at secondary school and …………. (do) it for
three years. Then I …………. (drop) it for a year and …………. (forget)
most of it. Then I …………. (spend) two years at a college, where I
…………. (study) English again and for the last six months I ………….
(study) in London.
- I can’t go out because I …………. (not finish) my work.
- Mr. Jones …………. (work) as a gardener for twenty-five years. Then he
…………. (retire) and …………. (go) to live in the country.
- Shakespeare …………. (write) a lot of plays.
- This car …………. (be) in our family for ten years. My father ………….
(use) it for the first five years, my brother …………. (drive) it for the next
five, and now I …………. (receive) it.
- He …………. (meet) her three years ago, when they were in high school.
- He …………. (know) her for three years.
- We …………. (be studying) in this university since last year.
- They …………. (not be) there since their child was born.
- We …………. (see) a great movie last night.

3. Complete the following sentences with since and for.

- The wild ancestors of tamed animals evolved … millions of years.

- I haven’t eaten any meat … over five years.
- She hasn’t spoken to me … more than two years.
- There hasn’t been a mass famine … the Middle Ages.
- We’ve been here … an hour and a half.
- You’ve told us the same thing … the beginning of the semester.
- This building has been here ever … I was born.
- It’s a long time … we last met them.
- We haven’t played tennis … last summer.
- It seems like years … he last cooked a decent meal.
- We stayed in Paris … a week last July.
- We haven’t seen a good movie … ages, in fact not … we went to see
Interstellar.
UNIT 7

HAPPINESS

Key words: feel good, mood, serotonin, well-being.

How can you improve your mood? In pairs, brainstorm some ideas.
 When it comes down to it, all we really want is to be happy. Our well-
being is affected by three main factors: genetics, environment, and our own
thoughts or "life skills".
There are thousands of tips and techniques to help us feel happy and
learn to rejoice in each new day. But what if our own body had a say in the
matter?
Here are some findings from neuroscientists — the people who know
exactly how and why your brain can give you the feeling of total satisfaction!
Learn to say "Thank you"
When we thank a person, or even
fate, we focus on the positive aspects
of life. Pleasant memories trigger
serotonin production in the cortex.
This technique is often used for
treating depression.
Solve problems one at a
time
Our brain never stops searching for
solutions to every problem that
worries us. This takes a lot of energy,
so the brain gets tired and if the
problem remains unresolved, we feel
anxiety and irritation. On the other hand, for every successful decision, our
brain gets a dose of neurotransmitters that calm the limbic system and help
us once again see the world in a better light. Therefore, it really is useful to
try to deal with one problem at a time.
Don’t keep things pent up: talk about what bothers you
If you choose to go through something unpleasant wordlessly or to talk about
it, this activates different parts of the brain. Negative emotions have a lesser
impact on your well-being if you talk about your problems. Your brain
produces serotonin and it can even find positive sides to the situation.
Touch and embrace
Social interaction is really important to us, humans. Various forms of physical
support, especially touches and embraces, can speed up recovery after an
illness. If you remove tactile interaction from your life, the brain perceives its
absence the way it perceives physical pain: the same brain zones become
activated in both cases. This affects your mood and contributes to the
development of depression.
Learn, learn, and, once again, learn!
For the brain, acquiring new knowledge means permanent adaptation to a
changing environment. This process helps our brain develop, as it absorbs
and processes fresh information with dopamine, the hormone of joy. If you
want to feel happy, don’t be afraid to try something new, change your
surroundings, or learn new things.
Play sports
Physical activity is stress for the body. But as soon as the stress ends, your
body gets a reward: a dose of endorphins, which help reduce pain and
elevate your mood. You don’t need to run marathons to achieve this result —
even an ordinary walk can do wonders! Many writers and composers
consider taking walks an indispensable part of the creative process.
Always get a good sleep
While we sleep in complete darkness, especially between 10 p.m.-2 a.m., our
body secretes an essential hormone: melatonin. This hormone slows down
all processes in the body, helping us to recover and increasing the level of
serotonin. If the brain detects light, it triggers the release of the stress
hormone to quickly awaken the body. Therefore, it is important to sleep at
least 7 or 8 hours a day, especially around midnight, and only in the dark.

(Adtapted after https://brightside.me/inspiration-psychology/8-tips-from-

neuroscientists-on-how-to-become-perfectly-happy-355610/?
utm_source=fb_brightside&utm_medium=fb_organic&utm_campaign=fb_gr_
brightside).

Questions and exercises

1. Check whether your class mates have understood the text above by
asking them the following question.

- Why are neurotransmitters like serotonin or dopamine so important for

our brain?
- Why is it important to keep learning? How does it help your brain?
- Is it better to talk about your problems or to just let go?
- Can you explain in your own words why regular physical exercise is so
important?
- Why is sleep so important and how are we affected if we don’t have a
proper sleeping diet?

2. In pairs, share some of your everyday strategies for getting in a good

mood.

3. In groups of four, debate the following: Money brings happiness. Find at

least five arguments to support your point of view.

Grammar: The Past Perfect Tense

Remember!

 the Past Perfect Tense Simple is used to express actions which occurred
before another action or moment in the past;
 it can also be used in Indirect speech when the verb of the first sentence
is in the Past.
I saw her yesterday. → He said he HAD SEEN her the day before.

- How is the Past Perfect formed?

- When do you use the Past Perfect and what would its equivalent be in
Romanian?
e.g.: I HAD FINISHED my lessons before I went out to play.
He HAD BEEN there for hours when the lady finally saw him.

4. Rewrite each pair of sentences as one sentence, using the Past Perfect.

Model: He arrived at the office. His secretary left the office.

→ When he arrived, his secretary had already left.

- He arrived at the office. His secretary left the office.

- Amanda went into the kitchen. The cat ate the dinner.
- Mr. Brown phoned them in June. They sold their house in May.
- The phone rang at 10.30. They went to bed at 10.
- I arrived at the airport at 8. The plane landed at 7.55.
- The bus came. I bought my ticket.
- They arrived at the football ground. The match started.
- We left the pub. We didn’t finish our conversation.
- We took our seats at 8.15. The movie began at 8.
- Mrs. Jones arrived at the station at 9.15. The train left at 9.

5. In pairs, ask the following questions and answer using the Past perfect.

Model: A: Were you in time to stop John telling Ann what happened?
B: No, when I arrived he had already told her.

Were you in time to stop John ...

- posting the letter?
- signing the contract?
- leaving his job?
- taking the pills?
- giving the swindler the money?
- selling his car?
- cutting down the trees?
- burning the documents?
- shooting his boss?
6. Put the verbs in brackets in the right form.

It … (not/ to be) easy to have the body of our dreams, … (consider) what our
genetics … (to be) up against in a food- … (to fill), movement- … (to deprive)
world. Nature … (experiment) with a type of human that … (to be) all we …
(to dream) of: strong, muscular, and athletic – the Neanderthal. Despite … (to
be) the toughest exemplar in the human family tree, the caveman … (not/ to
make) it, … (to become) extinct, while the modern ‘couchman’ … (rise) to the
top of the food chain. Some lessons … (to have) yet … (to learn) from the
cavemen. While their version of a proper diet … (to be) largely based on
animal protein and … (to include) … (to eat) whatever … (not/ to eat) them
first, we have to be more mindful about what we … (to eat).

7. Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Simple, Present Perfect, or Past
Perfect.

Gene therapy… (to see) only limited success so far, since it poses one of the
greatest challenges that … ever … (to pose) in medicine. A problem …
recently … (to occur) in a gene therapy trial to treat several children with X-
linked Severe Combined Immune Deficiency, when an introduced gene … (to
disrupt) another gene. In the late 1990s, researchers … (to test) a gene
therapy treatment that would restore the function of a crucial gene to cells of
the immune system. Though the treatment successfully … (to restore) the
immune function to most of the children who received it, two of the children
later … (to develop) leukemia. Researchers found that this … (to occur)
because the newly transferred gene … (to stitch) itself into the wrong place
and it … (to interrupt) the function of a gene that helps regulate the cellular
division rate. As a result, the cells … (to begin) to divide out of control,
causing leukemia. Although doctors … since … (to treat) the children with
chemotherapy, the fact that they … (to develop) another disease during
treatment … (to raise) some safety-related issues that must be addressed.

Homework: Say what makes you really happy and share some of your tips.

UNIT 8
A HAPPY FAMILY
Key words: entropy, family ties, parents, relationship, relatives.
How would you describe a happy family?

What is the secret to having a happy

family life and building harmonious
relationships? Does it just happen or is it
something you have to work on
conscientiously?
What is entropy? The second law of
thermodynamics says that entropy, (i.e.
disorder or randomness), always
increases with time.
But let’s try to understand it
practically. You bring a book home from
the library; then your father gives you
another book as a gift. Your friend gives
you magazines, and you get some music CDs. They all pile up on a small
table in your room, so now there will be enough clutter. Your clothes and
socks are all around. Your personal space is in a disorganised state, it looks
like a disintegrating system. You get frustrated with the mess and clean
everything up and make your bed. Now the room looks good until again you
start bringing more things and again the system becomes disorganised.
So, keeping things in order requires constant energy input. In human
relationships, we have interactions day after day and these relationships also
become higgledy-piggledy, just like our rooms. We let things build up in our
inner chambers. These become more and more disorganised as we store
more and more, just like the objects in your room. We keep harbouring
feelings until one day it all explodes, unless we do something about it. That is
why we need input to stabilise any relationship, to iron out the wrinkles or
differences, so that we don’t harbour and store things forever.
But do we have to do this every time we make a mistake in order to
pacify others? This would mean a constant investment to maintain a
relationship. When constant input is required every time there is a fight or an
argument with a friend or family member, it will require greater input and
energy consumption every time. We usually do this because we love. We get
hurt in the process and a lot of energy is often lost on both sides, but if you
work on it, the relationship will improve.
In a family, constant emotional input is required. Building up anger in
silence or distrust can destroy a relationship, but in families where we are
open to love and acceptance, we do not have to constantly patch things up
by buying flowers or presents to make up for upsetting the other. The
conclusion is that it is simply the love in your heart that is the best input which
stabilises relationships. When the constant state of our being is love, we will
maintain stable relationships and a balanced family life in which members
don’t have to explain “I don’t want to do this because…”. Where there is love,
there is no need for explanations. (Adapted after
http://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/entropy-in-human-relationships/)

Questions and exercises

1. Turn back to the question at the beginning of the lesson. Would you give a
different answer than before reading the text? Share your views.

2. Talk to your desk mate about your family. How would you define yourself/
your father/mother/brother/sister? You may use the following.

- absent-minded, active, attentive, boring, bright, capable, careful, careless,

clever, competent, conscientious, constructive, co-operative, destructive,
determined, diligent, dishonest, energetic, enthusiastic, focused, funny,
gifted, hard-working, helpful, helpless, honest, imaginative, inattentive,
incapable, independent, indifferent, industrious, insensitive, intelligent,
irresponsible, lacking in concentration, lazy, meticulous, motivated, noisy,
optimistic, persevering, pessimistic, prepared, practical, proficient at (one’s
job), quiet, reliable, resourceful, self-confident, strong-minded, skilful,
talkative, uncooperative, undetermined, unenthusiastic, unimaginative,
unmotivated, unreliable, unresponsive.

3. Find pairs of synonyms and antonyms in the box above.

Model: absent-minded = inattentive = lacking in concentration;

attentive = focused = motivated;
capable = …
determined = …
diligent = industrious = …

4. Match the following idioms with their meanings.

Idiom
1. a cry-baby
2. black sheep of the family
3. blood is thicker than water
4. like father, like son
5. sugar daddy
6. home truths
7. to be your own flesh and
blood
8. (to keep it) all in the family
9. to start a family
10. it runs in the family
5. Discuss the questions in pairs.
Meaning
a. family is important, no matter what
b. a rich old man having a young girlfriend
c. resemblance of the son to the father
d. someone who complains all the time
e. honest criticism which is often painful
f. a characteristic several members of the
family have
h. the worst member of the family, the one
who has bad behaviour
i. restricted to one's own family, as with
private or embarrassing information
j. to be a member of your family
k. to have the first child

- Do you think blood is always thicker than water? In which cases is it not?
- How should you treat your own flesh and blood?
- Have you ever treated your family poorly? Were you sorry?
- Do you know someone who is a black sheep? What is he/she like?

Grammar: The Future Tense Simple

 Remember!

 the Future Simple is used to express future actions or intentions;

 in the interrogative, it is used to ask for opinions or help;
e.g.: WILL you HELP me, please?
 it may also be used in the negative to express refusal;
e.g. I WON’t DO that.

 When is WILL never used?

Remember!
- The Future cannot be used after time expressions (when, after, before, as
soon as, etc).
- The Future cannot be used after IF.

1. Correct the following:

I will come when I will finish learning.

We will join you as soon as we will be able to.
The students will leave before the bell will ring.

2. Put the verbs in brackets in the Future / Present tense.

- The boy will tear his trousers if he ………… (to climb) that tree.
- The kids ………… (to trample) the flowers if they ………… (to run) about in
the garden.
- You ………… (to cut) … your finger if you ………… (to play) with that knife.
- The snail ………… (to be) run over if it ………… (to cross) the road.
- The sooner we ………… (to hit) the road, the sooner we get there.
- You are too young to understand. I ………… (to explain) it when you
………… (to be) older.
- Don’t give the milk to the baby until it ………… (to cool).
- On Sunday, we ………… (to go) out as soon as the shops ……… (to open).
- By the year 2050, many species of animals …

3. Homework: Describe your timetable for the next weekend / your plans for
the holiday.
UNIT 9

GOOD MANNERS & ETIQUETTE

Key words: behaviour, etiquette, manners, politeness, observe rules.

Do you think we should have a school subject teaching children

good manners? Would it be important? Why (not)?
 Etiquette is not a mere formality, but an essential aspect to be
considered if we want to live in civilised society. These norms have been
created for other people to feel comfortable in our presence, as we would like
to feel in other people’s company. If you follow these tips, people will think
highly of you, you will be invited to events and parties and you will be
considered when job opportunities arise.
Not observing good manners can hold you back in social and
professional situations and can also make a bad impression in personal
encounters with people you care about. Here are some updated etiquette
rules you should keep in mind every day.
On the Internet
Don’t tag friends in bad photos and generally ask their permission.
Don’t use caps lock: it feels like you’re shouting.
Don’t discuss topics that concern only the two of you on other people’s
wall or under their photos; there is such a thing as direct messages for this.
Respect others’ privacy. Do not quote or forward personal
emails/messages without the author’s prior permission.
Don’t tease your friends with too many photos showing off how much
fun you had in your last holiday and how happy your life is. It won’t be as
appreciated as you may think.
Return messages promptly. Be concise. Use appropriate language,
good grammar and spelling. Avoid rude language if you want to build a good
image for yourself.
Food photos have already become a standing joke in social networks
because they most commonly suggest bad taste. There are three exceptions:
if you made a meal on your own and improved the recipe; if there’s a story
connected with this food that you want to share; if the food is really unusual.
Greetings
Whatever your status is, when entering a room, say hello first. When
people meet, men greet women first, younger greet elder, and inferior greet
superior.
When introducing people, give them a little information about each
other: "This is my friend Leila and she’s a vet." This way, they’ll have a topic
for conversation.
When getting into a taxi, say hello to the driver first.
If a person who comes/enters offers their hand to a seated person,
they should stand up: shaking hands while sitting is bad manners. Also, don’t
shake hands across the table.
Never offer a handshake in a bathroom or at the exit from it. In
general, if your hands are wet or dirty, it’s better to apologize and not shake
hands than to fuss trying to do it.
If your companion greeted a stranger, you should also say hello.
At someone’s house
When at someone’s place or if you have guests, don’t talk on the
phone for more than two or three minutes and always apologise.
If you have a guest, turn off the TV and stay away from your PC.
Don’t answer an invitation by asking "Who else will be there?" It is
very impolite to make your decision based on that information.
 First, show your guests a bathroom where they can wash their hands.
Only then should you show them other rooms.
Even if everyone is at the table, wait for the host to join before you
start eating.
At the beginning of a stand-up reception or party, when everyone
greets each other, it’s better to hold a cold drink in your left hand. Otherwise,
your right palm will be cold and wet, which is undesirable for a handshake.
If you leave a reception or party first, say goodbye only to hosts.
Otherwise, your departure can become a signal for other guests to go home.
In a restaurant
It’s impolite to join a friend sitting in a café in the company of a
stranger. You can do it only if they invite you to their table.
It’s not recommended to ask for the check if your partner hasn’t
finished their meal or drink. It looks like you are in a hurry.
It’s inadmissible to use a paper napkin instead of a handkerchief.
If a dish is served with a sauce in a separate dish, put some sauce on
your plate. Don’t dip pieces of food into a sauce dish which is meant for all.
Don’t choose the best portion from the food presented on a dish. It is
best to take the piece which is closest to you.
Don’t pour a drink only for yourself. If you intend to pour yourself a
drink, first offer some to your neighbour.
(http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/eyebright/etiquette/etiquette.html)

Questions and exercises

1. Answer the following.

- Which of the good manners described above do you usually respect?

- Which of these rules have you not respected?
- Which rules do you find interesting and you would like to take up?
- Which of these etiquette rules is nonsense and should not be
observed? Which is too oldfashioned?
- Why do you think it is impolite to join a friend sitting in a café in the
company of a stranger unless they invite you?
- Would you like other people to respect these rules?
- What rules would you add?
2. Work in pairs to come up with your own 3 most important rules for life.

Grammar: The Future Tense Continuous

Remember!

 the Future Continuous is used to express actions in progress at a certain

moment in the future or actions occurring simultaneously in the future.
 How is the Future Continuous formed?
e.g.: I WILL BE STUDYING this time tomorrow.

3. In pairs, make questions using the Future Continuous.

Model: A: Will you be waking up at 8 tomorrow morning?
B: No, I will be going to the University at 8.

Will you be ...?

- 7.40 ... cooking breakfast
- 7.50 ... having breakfast
- 8.00 … going to school
- 5 p.m. ... learning English
- 6 p.m. ... doing the housework
- 7.30 ... cookink lunch
- 9.45 ... going to bed

4. In pairs, discuss what you will be doing at the weekend. Ask your desk
mate what his/her plans for the weekend are.

5. In pairs, ask questions and answer negatively, using Future Continuous.

Model: A: Does Ann usually arrange the flowers on your desk at work?
B: Yes, but she won't be arranging the flowers tomorrow; she's
just been given the day off.

Ann usually ...

- open the mail - deal with dissatisfied customers
- dust the boss's desk - type the reports
- answer the phone - make the coffe
6. Put the adjectives in brackets in the comparative and superlative degrees.

- Races may have a … (‘high’ or ‘low’) IQ level, based on test scores.

- Gene therapy could create … (nice, healthy, and intelligent) children.
- He seems to be more … (impulsive and edgy) than his brother.
- Human evolution has turned out … (bad) than we expected.
- If only humans were … (good and smart)!
- We may still have a … (far) point to reach in the universal process of evolution.

7. Fill in the suitable preposition:

- Are you interested … science?

- Please don’t get angry … me for breaking the test tube. Let’s just resume the
testing!
- The geneticist was excited … the success of his formula.
- The scientist was very pleased … the result of research.
- The student is amazed … how the teacher defined the genome based on
mutants that had been isolated.
- The doctor will operate … the patient tomorrow morning.
- To understand the fundamental laws of genetics, one should be familiar… the
principles of heredity.
- When we decide to buy a car, we’ll borrow money … the bank.
- If they want to buy that car, we will lend the money … them.
- We were disappointed … the failure of the experiment.
- We are so fed up … boring classes!
- Will you be kind as… listen … the teacher?
- Stop talking … the back of the class and focus … the exercise!

8. Put the verbs in the text below in the past.

Three rich brothers each want to do something special for their elderly mother on
Mother’s Day. The first brother buys her a huge house. The second brother gives
her a limousine, with a driver. The third brother remembers that his mother used to
love to read the Bible, but can’t see well anymore, so he gets her a specially trained
parrot that can recite any verse from the Bible on demand. Soon, the brothers
receive thank-you notes from their mother. The first son’s note says, “The house you
bought me is much too big! I only live in a small part of it, but I have to clean the
whole thing!” The second son gets a note that says, “I rarely leave the house
anymore, so I hardly use the limo you gave me. And when I do use it, the driver is
so rude!” The third son’s note says, “My darling baby boy, you know just what your
mother loves! The chicken was delicious!”

Homework: Write a short paragraph saying what you will be doing when using the
Internet from now on, taking into consideration the rules of good manners.

e.g.: I won’t be tagging friends in bad photos and without asking their
permission…
 UNIT 10

HEALTH AND HERBAL MEDICINE

Key words: cure, healing, healthy, herbal medicine, hormones.

 What do you do when you feel unwell? / What do you do to stay fit?
 Do you think natural remedies (such as herbs) can help us cure / prevent
disease?
 What do you think about Hippocrate’s principle: “Let thy food be thy
medicine.”

When we are facing a bacterial infection, few people think of herbs as natural
antibiotics. However, considering their effectiveness at treating a wide range of
infections, we should give it a second thought. Plants that are prized for their culinary
flavour, healing properties, medicinal value or other assets are known as ‘herbs’.
Herbs are usually used in foods, for making medicines, for pest control, and also for
spiritual purposes.
What is more, herbs used in cooking retain their benefits. Oregano, basil,
sage, and many others are both culinary and medicinal. For example, sage can be
used to balance moods and hormonal levels, lavender helps you relax and sleep
better, valerian works in case of anxiety, and mint is good for digestive problems.
However, it is not so simple to choose the right plant. You could ask “What is
the best herb for headaches?”, but the answer is not always the same. It depends on
whether your headache is a symptom of stress, neck tension, anxiety, excessive
radiation from computer work or television, head trauma, neurotoxic chemicals in
your food, chemicals in your home or office, or other factors. Here are some things
you need to know about these powerful but misunderstood natural healers if you
really want to understand herbal medicines.
There are thousands of studies documenting the efficacy of herbal medicines
for many common or serious health conditions. People with no training in herbal
medicines easily say “They don’t work” or “I don’t believe in herbs.” People were
more knowledgeable about plants’ medicinal potency in the Dark Ages than most of
us are today. Old wisdom of herbal use may have been lost in recent times, as we
have lost touch with these ancient healing agents in favor of drugs.
The proof that herbal medicines actually work is the fact that billion-dollar
pharmaceutical companies are getting rich looking for plant compounds they can
extract, synthesize, patent and then manufacture into so-called wonder drugs.
On the contrary, herbal medicines are usually safer than pharmaceuticals. In
the process of separating out plant compounds and then attempting to re-create
these in the laboratory, the list of side effects tends to grow. On the other hand, when
used correctly, most herbal medicines have an extensive history of safety. In the
pharmaceutical world, the idea is to take this drug for this symptom.
 However, herbs do not function that way. They work on a holistic level and
they strengthen the body from the inside out. So, it may take longer to notice the
improvement of symptoms, but that is simply because they are going to the source of
the problem first, not just patching a quick solution to a symptom that will eventually
create a whole new set of symptoms. (Adapted after M. S. Cook, 2016,
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/dont-believe-in-herbal-medicine-10-things-to-
change-your-mind.html)

Questions and exercises

1. Discussion points

 What are some differences between a drug and a herbal remedy?

 Do you use herbal remedies?
 Do you know any plant remedies you can share with the class?
 How can food improve happiness? Brainstorm some connections.

2. Put the words in brackets in the correct form.

Proper nutrition is just as important to health as exercise. When …………….

(exercise), it becomes even more important to have a good diet to ……………. (sure)
the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients while …………… (provide) ample
micronutrients. This is to aid the body with the …………… (recover) process following
strenuous exercise. When the body falls short of proper nutrition, it gets into
…………… (starve) mode, which developed through …………… (evolve) and
depends onto fat content for …………… (survive). Research suggests that the
…………… (produce) of thyroid hormones can be …………… (negative) affected by
repeated bouts of dieting and calorie …………… (restrict). Proper rest and recovery
is also important to health, otherwise the body does not adapt ……………..…
(adequate) to the exercise. These can be compromised by a lack of ……………
(organize) or a lack of …………… (motivate), leading to a decreased state of health.

3. Fill in the blanks with one of the following nouns.

bodies – eyelids – health – male – nails – organ – skin – toes

Skin is our largest … If the skin of a typical 150-pound (68-kilogram) adult … were
stretched out flat, it would cover about 2 square yards (1.7 square meters) and weigh
about 9 pounds (4 kilograms). Our skin protects the network of muscles, bones,
nerves, blood vessels, and everything else inside our … Our eyelids have the
thinnest skin, the soles of our feet the thickest. Hair is actually a modified type of …
Hair grows everywhere on the human body except the palms of the hands, soles of
the feet, … , and lips. Hair grows more quickly in summer than winter, and more
slowly at night than during the day. Like hair, … are a type of modified skin. Nails
protect the sensitive tips of fingers and … Human nails aren’t necessary for living, but
they provide support for the tips of the fingers and toes, protect them from injury, and
aid in picking up small objects. Without them, we would have a hard time scratching
an itch or untying a knot. Nails can be an indicator of a person’s general … , and
illness often affects their growth.
4. Match the following idioms with their meanings.

Idiom
1. all ears
2. break a leg!
3. to give your right arm
4. to cost an arm and a
leg
5. to put your back into it
6. to (have) egg on your
face
7. (your) hands are tied
Meaning
a. to feel embarrassed or ashamed
b. a secret in your past which could damage
you if others found out
c. very attentive, listening closely
d. somebody who annoys you
e. good-luck!
f. you are prevented from doing smth
g. to work very hard at something.

8. a gut feeling h. extremely expensive.

9. a pain in the neck i. to want smth very badly
10. a skeleton in the j. to sense something about a person or a
cupboard (closet) situation, without knowing why

5. Fill in the suitable preposition from below.

across – for – from – in – of – over – to – under – without

Muscles are responsible … your body’s every move. Muscles keep your gut …
sagging and your lungs pounding. If you move or bend, this is a result … a muscle
action. Skeletal muscles support the skeleton and make up fifty percent … your body
weight. A skeletal muscle links two bones … its connecting joint. When these
muscles contract or shorten, your bone moves. Muscles are arranged in layers … the
bones. Those nearest … the skin are called superficial muscles. Those closest … the
inside of the body are called deep muscles. Smooth muscles are found … the hollow
parts of the body. This would be … places like the stomach, intestines, blood vessels
and the bladder. Smooth muscles are arranged … layers. These muscles are … the
control of autonomic nervous system. This system controls many systems … us
being aware of them.

6. In pairs, explain the jokes.

a) Diet Joke # 1
People ask me what diet I’m on. Well, I’m on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it.
b) Diet Joke # 2
I can’t stick to my diet because I have metal fillings in my teeth. My refrigerator
magnets keep pulling me into the kitchen.
c) Diet Joke # 3
The advantage of having a healthy diet is that you die healthier.

Grammar: Modal Verbs

 Remember!
 Modal verbs do not express actions.

What do modal verbs express? …

 How is the Negative formed?
 How is the Past formed in the case of modal verbs?

1. Can / could
- expresses ability: We CAN speak English.
(Past): I COULD speak German when I was a little girl.
(Future): We’LL BE ABLE to swim next year.

- polite request: COULD you wait a little?

- impossibility (CANNOT): He CAN’T be hungry, he’s just had lunch.
2. Will / would
- polite request: WILL / WOULD you help me?
- (Negative) - refusal: He simply WON’T / WOULDN’T help me!
3. Shall / should
- giving advice: You SHOULD do your homework.
- making a suggestion: SHALL we go?

- supposition: He SHOULD be on the train by now.

4. May / might
- asking for permission: MAY I smoke?
- possibility: She MAY / MIGHT come tonight.
5. Must - obligation: I MUST study harder.
- interdiction: You MUSTN’T smoke in the University.

Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks with the modals below and explain their uses.

have to – must (not) / (have) – ought to (have) – should (not) / (have) –

needn’t (have)

- In England you … drive on the right lane.

- I've got a stomachache. I … (to eat) so much last night.
- We … (to visit) her if she’s in hospital, it would be kind of us.
- Drivers … stop when the light is red.
- He … get a job because he was too young.
- You … (to bring) anything. We have everything we need.
- You … (to bring) the test-tube. We’ve already finished the test.
- You certainly … (to do) your homework!
- Her exam results are coming out soon. She worked very hard, so she … (to do)
well.
 - I sent the document two days ago, so he … (to get) it by now, but you can never
be sure.
- Students … (to conduct) experiments in the lab unattended. It is absolutely
forbidden!
- The doctor … (to think) twice before creating the monster. Now it’s too late to cry.
- You won’t … feed the cat. It has already eaten.
- You … prepare dinner. I have already done it.

2. Put the modal verbs in the past.

- That can’t be Joseph’s son. I would recognize him.

- That student can speak English remarkably.
- The future may bring about new dazzling experiments.
- The scientist should do a sabbatical to carry on his research.
- The teacher says we have to try harder.
- This must be the solution to all the problems of humankind!
- You needn’t say anything; I already know the answer.
- You ought to study more in order to become a good engineer.

3. Rephrase the sentences, using modal verbs.

- Am I allowed to smoke in the lab?

- Dont tell the teacher about our experiment. It’s vital that it remain secret!
- He refuses to give me an answer.
- I don’t know her, but it’s possible that she’s Catherine’s daughter.
- It’s 7 o’clock. I assume she will be here any moment.
- It's not necessary for you to apologize.
- The lights are on, but he’s not answering. I’m sure he’s asleep.

Homework: Write some tips on what we should do / must never do / could do in

order to stay in good health.

Homework: Write your thoughts on one of the following quotes.

a) “A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, that's very important for
good health.” (Dalai Lama)

b) “Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to
live.” - Socrates

Unit 11

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY CLOCK!

  Do you feel you are fighting against yourself sometimes? Do you feel there are
better times of the day to work? 
 Early bird? Day person? Night owl? What is your chrono-type (biologic time)?

Early bird or night owl? Say you are a

morning person, up with the lark, ready
for the world, bright as the sun and
down to work in the AM. Come PM, you
fade a bit, get boosted with coffee and
try to march on. When the evening
comes and your friends or room mates
are full of beans wanting to stay up all
night, you are like a bear with a sore
head because you just want to relax or
retire to bed early. It’s easy: you are an
early riser, while they are late-nighters.

Dr. Breus’s book The Power of When presents amazing insight into our body
clock, also called the circadian rhythm. It proposes a new program for getting back
in sync with your natural rhythm by making minor changes to your daily routine. One
area in the centre of our brain called the HYPOTHALAMUS is where the “Master
Clock” is and works 24/7. Dr Breus, the Sleep Doctor, discovered 4 basic rhythms in
our bodies that are universal across the globe. These are analogous to 4 animals:
The LION. That’s the early bird. 20% of the population. Early to rise, born
leaders, CEOs, dynamic personality and go getters.
The BEAR. That’s the 9-5 gal or guy. 50% of the population. That’s why our
society revolves around 9-5. But what about the other folks! The Bear’s have energy
and focus best in the middle of the day. Not up with the larks, not up with the owls.
The WOLF. 25% or so. The party animals, ready to go at 10pm. Hate getting
up in the AM. Drag their feet to get to the office, slowly wake up with the day,
blossoming at 2-5 and alive at night. 
The DOLPHIN. 25% or so. Insomniacs or have sleep issues. Their brain like
the dolphins doesn’t shut off in the night. Always alert, likely more anxious, highly
intelligent individuals. With some shifting of their daily routine much of the sleep
issues can resolve. 
If you follow your body clock, you will get the benefit of understanding how
your body works optimally. Design your programme according to your natural rhythm
and you will find you have more energy. If you’re a lion, for instance, go to bed at 11
instead of 1am and you will feel less tired during the day. If you rise early, you are
sharp and more productive in the morning, you’re probably a Lion and you’re in good
company, among people like Benjamin Franklin and the CEO of Apple or Disney.
The bottom line is that you can be way more productive in your life by listening to
your body clock. Follow the advice by The Sleep Doctor and you will be the BEST
person you can be! (Adapted after http://thepowerofwhen.com).

Q&A1
1. What is the circadian rhythm?
2. In the first paragraph of the lesson, find idiomatic expressions meaning:

- early riser =
- late nighter =
- circadian rhythm =
- to be full of energy =
- to be irritable =

3. Group activity
 Form 3 groups with the people you like. Find out who is the Lion, Bear, Wolf
and Dolphin and imagine the profile of each animal.

 Go to  www.thepowerofwhen.com, take the quiz in 5 minutes you figure out

which CHRONO-TYPE (biologic time) you are.

 Re-write the test as homework and interview your partner.

e.g.: The slightest sound or light can keep me awake or wake me up.
o True o False

4. Consider the following animal idioms and find out who in your class:

 1 – is the elephant in the room

 2 – is a one-trick pony
 3 – is pig-headed
 4 – always has the lion's share
 5 – cannot hold his/her horses

5. Use one of the expressions above to fill in the gap. Find clues in brackets:

- "Sadly, I was too ………………. to listen to my mother and now I’m sorry."
(obstinate, stubborn, bull-headed).
- Increasing poverty in the world is the politicians' …………………… . (a big
issue everyone is aware of, but which is ignored because it is too uncomfortable)
- Let’s invite John in our project, even if he ………………. (a person with only
one special talent or area of expertise)
- Just ………………………, man! Think about it for a moment without rushing
in (chill, don’t get excited).
- The manager always ……………………….. , so there is little left for everyone
else (takes the largest amount).

6. In pairs, ask the person next to you what is the best time to:
- sleep (REM sleep = restorative sleep)
- to exercise and ways to do it
- to present your work / ask for a raise / go for an interview / meeting
- to socialize / go on dates / have a party
- to take your medications / visit your doctor / cosmetician
- to shave or epilate / to cut your hair
- healthier times for coffee and alcohol
 Q&A2
 Is early morning the best time to drink coffee? What hours do you suggest?
 Tell us about your morning ritual.

7. Fill in missing words and check your answer:

high - hormone – intake - levels - morning - tolerance - worst

Every so often, science disproves the thinking behind a deeply embedded habit we
have. The latest: drinking coffee in the .................... . It turns out, this is actually one
of the .................... times of the day to drink coffee. The reason? The high levels of
cortisol in our bodies early in the morning. Consuming caffeine when cortisol levels
are .................... generates two problems. One is that caffeine interferes with the
body’s production of cortisol, a .................... which is released in response to stress
and low blood glucose. The body ends up producing less cortisol than necessary,
and relying more on caffeine to compensate.The other effect of drinking coffee in the
morning is well-known: it increases the person’s .................... to caffeine because it
replaces the natural cortisol-induced boost. Studies have shown that
cortisol .................... are high at three times of the day. So, the best times to drink
coffee is between 10 a.m. and noon and between 2-5 p.m. Coffee drinkers should
consider adjusting their schedule to better optimize their caffeine .................... . As
unpleasant as it may be to forgo your customary cup of joy first thing in the morning,
turns out it’s quite ineffective.

8. Work together with your desk mate to paraphrase the following sentence without
using any of the words it contains:

“As unpleasant as it may be to forgo your customary cup of joy first thing in the
morning, turns out it’s quite ineffective.”

9. Add negative prefixes to make antonyms. There is one exception (a suffix) .

able
accurate
customary
effective
edible
natural
pleasant
reliable
tasty
usual

10. Match the animal idioms with the meanings:

1. The early bird gets the worm. a) insomniac, person who cannot sleep during
the night
2. go getter b) an informal way of waking somebody up
 3. night owl c) to sleep very deeply, without hearing noises
4. Rise and shine! d) American expression used to indicate that
someone is going to bed
5. to sleep on it e) to sleep a bit later than normal, perhaps until
9 or 10.
6. to sleep like a log / rock f) informal way of wishing somebody to sleep
well
7. to hit the hay g) an enterprising, assertive person
8. to sleep in / to lie in h) to go to sleep late at night but also wake up
early
9. Sleep tight (don’t let the i) to take a little while to think about something
bedbugs bite) before making a decision
10. to burn the candle at both j) someone who wakes up at the crack of dawn
ends achieves all their tasks.

11. Fill in the blanks with idioms from the exercise above:

a) Jane like to stay up later than most people and goes to bed in the wee hours. She
is a …………………. .
b) Mother wakes Jane up in the morning telling her: “It’s almost noon. It’s time to
……………………., young lady!”
c) I don’t think the boss can keep working around the clock for much longer without
getting enough rest. He does ……………………………. , doesn’t he?
d) Thank you for the proposal, but it is a difficult decision to make. Why don’t you let
me ………………………. and I will give you the answer tomorrow.
e) What time do you wake up on Sunday, Daniel?” “well, I’ve been working hard on
my English homework all week, so I think I’ll be ……………….. . Not before 10.”
f) “Why did you get up so early?” “Well, you know what they say: The early
…………………”.
g) “I’m afraid the fireworks will wake him up.” “Oh, don’t worry! Even the loudest noise
wouldn’t wake Jeff up; he sleeps like a log.”
h) As the conversation winds down we get tired, one of us is likely to wait for a
silence and say “Okay! Time to ………………………! Good night”
Homework: (in case you forgot): • Go to www.thepowerofwhen.com, take the quiz,
find out which chrono-type you are and write a short description about your type.
(e.g.: “I am the Lion type and I usually …”)
• Write down the questions of the test and interview your partner.

UNIT 12

PERSONAL IDENTITY
Key words: ego, empathy, mind, soul.

In pairs, tell your deskmate about yourself:

 Who are you? Can you describe your personality in about 5 words?
 What would you like to change about yourself?

The issue of personal identity deals with questions about oneself. Many of these
questions are familiar ones that every intelligent human being asks at some point in
their existence: Who / what am I? When did I begin? Was there anything before I was
born or will there still be another form of myself after I die? There are many disturbing
questions that psychologists, philosophers, neuroscientists and many others have
been trying to find answers to.
Who am I? We often speak of one's "personal identity" as what makes someone
the person s/he is. Your identity in this sense consists roughly of those properties
that make you unique as an individual and different from others. But are you the way
others perceive you or the way you see or define yourself? Are you the network of
values and convictions that structure your life or are you more than that?
We might call it your individual psychological identity. Your individual
psychological identity is a property or a set of characteristics, which it seems you
have developed only contingently. This is because of social pressure by parents in
your childhood and later by teachers and other figures of authority. However, you
might have a very different identity from the one you have developed in fact. There
may be some repressed qualities or some traits that are still waiting for you to
discover and cultivate. On the other hand, you might have acquired a characteristic
you find you don’t like anymore and then you lose it. Or perhaps you can choose to
become a totally new person. Does it depend on you?
What is it to be a person? What is necessary and what is sufficient for
something to count as a person, as opposed to a non-person? What have people got
that non-people haven't got? This is more or less equivalent to asking for the
definition of the word person. More specifically, we can ask at what point in a human
being's development from a fertilized egg this begins to be a person. Or what would it
take for a chimpanzee or a Martian or an electronic computer to become a person, if
they could ever be?
What does it take for a person to persist from one time to another – that is,
how can someone remain the same person as an innocent child, a mature grown-up
and an old amnesic person? What sorts of adventures could you possibly survive
and still be “you”? Think of loss of consciousness or Alzheimer’s disease when you
totally forget who you are. Does personality persist over time, does it depend on
memory or odo we change so much that we become different persons? And, finally,
will you come to an end when you die or what do you think might happen next?
(After Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

1. True or False?
 True False
Personal identity is what makes someone who s/he is.
Identity is the way others define you rather than the way
you see yourself.
Your identity cannot be essentially changed over time, you
remain the same person.
Identity includes properties that you might have for a while
and then lose.
The word ‘identity’ is equivalent to the definition of the
word ‘person’.
A chimpanzee or an electronic robot may also have a
personal identity.
Preserving your personal identity over time depends on
your memory.
2. In pairs, try to answer the challenging question: Who are you? 
If this is too hard, you may chose any other question from the text above.

3. COMPULSORY ASSIGNMENT!
Take the Myer-Briggs test online (search “16 personalities test”) and present your
personality profile to the class in YOUR own words in 10-15 lines.

 Once you know your 4-letter personality profile, you will:

- obtain the description of your personality type;
- discover careers/professions most suitable for your personality type;
- understand communication and learning styles of your type;
- see which famous personalities share your type;
- be able to use the results of this test to take the Jung Marriage Test and see
your compatibility with your romantic partner or your friends.

 Say what your strengths and weaknesses are and how you can improve your
personality.
 Explain how you understand yourself better and what careers may be suitable
for you.

4. Rephrase the sentences using the word in CAPITAL letters.

e.g.: - He’s not usually rude like that. CHARACTER

It is not in his character to be so rude.

- Don’t listen to what he says! ATTENTION

- I didn’t feel like paying my mother-in-law a visit. MOOD
- My father said he didn’t deserve such a high honour. WORTHY
- She found it difficult to accept what had happened. TERMS
- She is in danger of losing her husband because of her attitude. RISK
- This is the first time I’ve tried cooking this dish. ATTEMPT

5. Fill in the blanks with the prepositions in the box.

 against – around – at – by – from – in – of – on – to

The thorny issues around gene therapy revolve … arguments for and … such genetic
manipulation. … the one hand, there is the potential for physical, intellectual, and
even moral enhancement through genetic manipulation. For instance, it is not
particularly troublesome to excuse the termination of the life … an embryo or foetus
… pursuit of research if you consider that the greater good of society … large is the
principal higher concern. Hopefully, pressures … the majority in democratic societies
will prevent the misuse of genetic technology … tyrants and dictators. However,
moderate geneticists advocate voluntary programs of genetic intervention and are
‘hopeful’ that such interventions will, in time, be limited … sperm and egg cells.

6. The ability to genetically modify organisms has triggered new concerns regarding
how, why, and whether such modification should be done. Write your opinion in 10-
15 lines using the following expressions:

as – because – considering that – given that – since – whereas

7. Discussion points:

 Do you think genetic engineering could be used to modify ”bad” genes and
create better human beings?
 Do you agree that there are better / more developed / more evolved races?
 If yes, how could we help the less evolved races?
 Do you think we have reached the highest point of our evolution as a species?
 In groups, try to imagine what the most highly evolved human race would be
like.
e.g.: We would look like robots, we will not need to eat or drink, but will
get nourishment directly from solar energy, we will not need to speak, we will
transmit telepathically what we think, we will not lie anymore…

Homework: After you take the Myers-Briggs’ test (‘16 personalities test’) online, write
an essay describing your personality profile IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

UNIT 13
 HOBBIES AND LEISURE

Key words: hobby, free/spare time, leisure, pastime.

What are your favourite pastimes? Add to your list something you would
really like to take up in the future.

When you ask yourself what makes you truly happy, do your answers feel
rather vague? Do you find yourself listing things that make other people happy out of
sheer convenience? Do most activities not really do it for you? While some of us are
lucky to have discovered our passions early on, so many more of us get so lost in the
mire of life, responsibility and adulthood that we have no real sense of what makes
us truly happy.
So you don’t like shopping. You don’t like watching or playing sports. You
don’t like working out at the gym. You don’t like going out and drinking alcohol or
coffee with friends. You do not think you are artistically inclined. So all you do is plop
on the couch and watch television when you get home simply because there is
nothing else that can fill your void better than mindless entertainment. You may feel
alone and unfulfilled or passionless. What can you do to enrich your life and begin
the journey towards discovering your passions?
1. Take a class. If you had three lives in parallel universes, what would your
job be? A chef? A painter? A marine biologist? Another way to look at it is to consider
what made you happy as a child. Take one of these ideas and pursue a course in it.
You obviously have some interest in the topic, so expand your horizons. By learning
more and more, you will be able to finally discover what actually lights your fire.
Happiness is all about growth. Can’t afford a class? Take a book from the library or
research it on the net. Make things happen, stop making excuses. Try anything new.
2. Join a group. Do you enjoy road biking? Why not look for a riding group that
meets up and rides weekly. Things are always more fun when you are surrounded by
a positive and supportive community. Look for a book club, a writer’s group, a dinner
group, a wine-tasting club or weekend backpackers. Get together with a group of
friends and try cooking something different. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or help the
poor. Surround yourself with people who do things that spark a bit of interest in you.
3. Make a new friend. Making a new friend is always a good thing. Invite
someone over to your house for dinner or plan to meet out for coffee. Go to the gym
or go to dancing classes together! Take a look at five year-olds; it’s easy to make
friends if you want to.
Trying new things will keep your life rich and interesting. The worst thing that
can happen is you experience beginner’s embarrassment, but you’ll soon get over it.
Being surrounded by supportive, happy people is essential to rediscovering your own
happiness, even if you don’t really consider yourself a people-person. We tend to
avoid the things we are unfamiliar with to such an extent that we just fill our lives with
boredom and television. Don’t go right home after work, check out new social
situations, join a community bike ride, or go for relaxing evening walks. Just get out
there! New situations are usually uncomfortable, but real fulfilment lies at the edge of
your comfort zone. Open yourself up to the world and you will be rewarded with
enrichment and a sense of purpose. It just takes a little work and a little will. But
always remember: you deserve to be happy. (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/do-
you-really-know-what-makes-you-happy.html)
 Questions and exercises

1. Answer the following.

 What do you usually do in your spare time?

 Which of the ideas mentioned in the text above do you never / rarely do?
 Which activities would you like to take up or start doing more often?

2. Join groups of 4 with your classmates. Add five more points to the list. Share your
ideas with the whole class.

3. Put the adverbs in brackets into the right place.

- Students sleep during classes in the afternoon. (never)

- Have you heard of Hippocrates? (ever)
- He has come to the English class. Better late than never. (just)
- I have read all his love poems. (almost)
- I have seen a dirtier man. (never)
- Are you so sleepy in the morning? (always)
- The old man was killed in the accident. (nearly)
- They had fallen asleep when the phone began to ring. (hardly)
- Children used to pay their family a visit. (seldom)
- They were there when I arrived. (already)

4. Complete the sentences with the adverbs already, enough, still, too, yet.

- The child is … young to understand his parents’ problems.

- I am … busy enough, so I don’t have time to help you.
- We haven’t finished the lesson …
- Is her boyfriend … waiting at the door? Why hasn’t he left …?
- She hasn’t … met the man of her dreams.
- I don’t see any results. Are the students working hard …?
- The kid is tall … to reach that shelf.
- Suzy is not strong … to move the furniture by herself.

5. Fill in the gaps with a, an, some or the, where necessary. Remember the following.

 The indefinite article a or an is used with things that you can count.
 We cannot say a music, an information or a milk because these nouns
are uncountable).
 The definite article the is used before a noun that is already
known/implied or has already been mentioned; something particular;
e.g. I love the music! Is this Mozart?
 No article is used when we refer to things in general.
e.g.: I love music. Nature is beautiful. Love is a beautiful feeling.)

- … children love … sweets.

- Thank you! … books are interesting for … children.
- … dolphins are … smart animals.
 - … butcher opposite … library always sells … good meat.
- … student at … back of … class is playing on … phone.
- … tea is very hot; I must put … milk in it.
- The British love … tea!
- The dog would like … food and … water.
- It is pleasant to read … book in … afternoon.
- Take … umbrella with you to … office, it may rain.
- … Nature is beautiful!

6. Insert a, an, or the, if necessary.

Eugenics is … study of, or belief in, … possibility of improving … qualities of …

human species by such means as discouraging … reproduction by persons having
inheritable undesirable traits or encouraging … reproduction by … persons with
desirable traits. … word eugenics derives from … Greek word eu (meaning ‘good’)
and … suffix -genes (meaning ‘born’), and was coined by Sir Francis Galton in 1883.
He defined it as “… study of all agencies under human control which can improve or
impair … racial quality of … future generations”. As … social movement, … eugenics
was very popular in … early decades of … 20th century. It was practiced around …
world and was promoted by … governments and … institutions. Its advocates
regarded it as … social philosophy for the improvement of … human race. It was
used during ... early 20th century in ... United States to justify racial segregation laws
and … immigration laws. Its most infamous practitioner was Adolf Hitler, who
praised ... eugenic ideas in Mein Kampf. Today, it is widely regarded as … brutal
movement which inflicted … massive human rights violations on millions of people.
Both ... public and ... scientific communities have associated ... eugenics with Nazi
abuses, such as ... enforced racial hygiene, ... human experimentation, and ...
extermination of “undesired” population groups.

Homework: Are “designer babies” a form of eugenics? Do you agree with genetic
manipulation to have better / more beautiful / healthier children?

UNIT 14

THE HOLIDAY IS COMING

 Key words: accommodation, agritourism, B&B, guesthouse.

 Where do you prefer to go on holiday?

 What kind of accommodation would you rather choose?

The major concern when you are planning a holiday is to find accommodation.
There are plenty of options on the Internet, but you have to make the best choice.
Which of the following would you choose?
Hotels are probably the most common option. Accommodation usually
consists of a room with a single or double bed and other facilities, including a
bathroom and air conditioning. Other conveniences found in hotel rooms are a
television, Internet connectivity, snack foods and drinks supplied in a mini-bar, as well
as facilities for making hot drinks. Larger hotels provide a number of additional guest
facilities such as a restaurant, a swimming pool, a conference room, a gym, and
other social services. Some hotels offer various combinations of meals as part of a
room and board arrangement.
Hostels and B&B or guesthouses offer accommodation at convenient lower
rates and are therefore young people’s favourites. While in hostels, there are
numerous beds in one room and guests have to share one bath, guesthouses offer
better conditions at reasonable prices.
Tourism in the countryside or agritourism has gained great popularity lately
and Western travellers prefer wild unspoiled areas like Transylvania or Maramures,
which have become a tourist’s heaven. Local food and rustic pastimes are also
greatly appreciated by foreign tourists and even prominent celebs like Prince Charles
of the U.K. seek such locations.
Due to the enormous increase in tourism worldwide during the last decades of
the 20th century, standards have improved considerably. For the sake of
comparability, rating systems have been introduced, with the one to five stars
classification being most common and with higher star ratings indicating more luxury
and comfort.

Questions and exercises

1. In pairs, ask and answer the following questions.

 What kind of tourism has gained great popularity lately?

 What do modern facilities in a hotel include nowadays?
 What is a hostel and how is it different from a hotel?
 What is a B&B or guesthouse?
 What does Prince Charles appreciate in Romania?
 What kind of accommodation would you choose for your dream holiday?
 Where would you like to travel in your summer holiday? Make a short
conversation with your partner, writing down questions for each other.
2. Match the idiom on the right with the explanation on the left.

1. a lot of fuss over a. Don’t worry about those two arguing. It’s just
something small a storm in a teacup.
b. He’s always working in his garden – come
2. not feel very well
rain or shine.
 c. I’m feeling a bit under the weather at the
3. to be easy
moment.
d. You should grab an umbrella because it's
4. to be very busy
raining cats and dogs outside.
5. to save money for e. Thanks for inviting me out, but I’m afraid I
later when it might be can't tonight. Can we take a rain check on that?
needed
6. to look very angry f. The exam was a breeze.

7. it is raining very hard g. We’re snowed under at work.

h. What’s up with him today? He has a face like

8. whatever happens
9. to say something to
make others feel relaxed
in a social setting
10. to postpone an
activity for a future
occasion
thunder!
i. We didn’t know what to say to each other, but
our host was kind enough to break the ice and
everyone felt much more comfortable.
j. Don't spend your entire wage in one night.
You should save for a rainy day.

3. Use the idiomatic expressions from exercise 2 to fill in the gaps.

- Somebody will have to start speaking. Would you like to

……………………………. ?
- The boss seems really angry. He burst into the office with a
……………………………. this morning.
- I didn’t have an umbrella and now I’m soaking wet. It’s
……………………………….. outside.
- Look, can this wait? I am really ………………………………… with work
this week.
- We were afraid we wouldn’t pass the test last semester, but it was really
……………. .
- The guide can’t show us around today because he feels a little
……………………… .
- John is very careful with his money. He always saves half of his wage for
…………………….. .
- If you can’t make it to the meeting, I suggest we ………………………….. .
How about next Tuesday?
- The media makes a lot of fuss about it, but I don’t think it’s a serious
matter. It’s just a ………………………………… .

Grammar: The Passive Voice

Remember!
  The Passive Voice is used when it is more important to stress the thing done
than the person who does the action or when the doer is not known.
 How is the Passive Voice formed? TO BE + …
 What is the difference?
My cell phone was stolen. vs Thieves stole my cell phone.

Prepositions with passive verbs:

 when the agent is mentioned, it is preceded by by:
The book was written by its author.
 when a verb is followed by a preposition, the preposition must remain after the
verb:
We must listen to him. → He must be listened to.
The doctor operated on the patient. → The patient was …

Questions and exercises

1. Turn the following passive constructions into active ones.

- The award was given to the best student by his teacher.

- Engineered micro-organisms are created by genetic engineers.
- Genetic engineering experiments are conducted by scientists.
- The farm is not operated by its owner, but by a professional manager.

2. Put the verbs between brackets in the Passive Voice.

The language gene ……………………. (to find) by researchers in England. Thus, it

……………………. (to suggest) that our linguistic abilities are at least partially
hardwired. The gene that may be crucially involved in the development of speech
and language ……………………. (to isolate) by the team of British scientists.
Although genetic involvement ……………………. (to show) by prior research into
language and speech disorders, this is the first time that a single gene
……………………. (to link) to an inherited speech disorder. The on-going debate
about the relationship between genes and higher cognitive functions like language
……………………. (to fuel) by the discovery of the gene. This would mean that
complex human behaviours, like language, can ……………………. (to track) back to
specific genes. The discovery of a gene involved in speech and language
……………………. (to consider) one of the most striking results of the Human
Genome Project for the cognitive sciences. For that reason, the first decade of the
21st century may well ……………………. (to think) of as the decade of the gene.

3. Change the following according to the model. Keep the same tense!
Model: My friend gave me a CD. → I was given a CD.

- They will tell you what time the plane leaves.

- Father promised my brothers new bikes.
- He is showing them the house.
- The teacher gave the students a test.
- The actress will give him her autograph.
- They offered them flowers for their birthday.

4. Put the following sentences into the passive voice.

- Any good student can understand this text.

- A machine could do this much more easily.
- An earthquake destroyed the town.
- Candidates may not use dictionaries.
- He hasn't introduce his girlfriend to his mother.
- Nobody has used this room for ages.
- They brought up their children up in the countryside.

5. Transform the sentences from passive into active voice. Invent an agent if you
don’t know exactly who did the action.

e.g.: - Columbus is known to have discovered America.

- Everybody knows Columbus discovered America.

- A surprise cake was given to me on my birthday.

- A post card was sent to me from the States.
- He is said to be writing a new book.
- They are expected to visit us next month.
- The lady is said to have been the most beautiful girl in the town.
- The dragon is said to have lived for hundreds of years in an egg.

6. Write a short essay on one of the following (10-15 lines):

- Where and how did you spend your best summer holiday?
- Where would you like to travel in your summer holiday?

Homework:
Choose a place you would like to visit, visit websites providing accomodation,
choose your favourite type of accommodation (hotel, B&B, hostel, couch surfing,
etc). Describe what kind of accommodation you would choose and give arguments
for your choice.

UNIT 15

Restaurants and the Meals

Key words: diet, food choice, paleo, ketogenic, vegetarian, raw foodism.

In pairs, tell your deskmate about yourself:

 How would you describe your daily menu? What do you like to eat?
 What would you like to change about your diet?

Most of the connoisseurs of good taste will readily agree the significance of
the gourmet food. While the mention of gourmet food is quite confusing for some of
us, we will try and explain the details in a simplified manner so that it develops a
good understanding of this tasty topic. A Gourmet is someone who has expert
knowledge and enjoyment of food and drink. It follows therefore, that gourmet food
relates to the preparation of high quality food that is at once sophisticated, luxurious,
rare and carefully groomed. Gourmet foods are most likely one of the most talked
about food items and least understood. There are virtually hundreds of foods that
come under gourmet foods. The list of gourmet foods includes meats, drinks,
deserts, cheese, fruits and many more. In fact, gourmet foods are considered to be a
delicacy that tastes heavenly.
Those who like gourmet food will agree to the fact that gourmet food is as
much a treat for the eyes as it is for the palette. While serving gourmet food,
presentation is meticulously planned and executed so that the senses can be
tempted and eating becomes a completely self-absorbing act. Here we have brought
to you some delicious examples of foods that qualify as gourmet. These include
smoked salmon, foie gras; pate, truffles, mushrooms, condiments, specialty meats,
oil; vinegar, cheese, chocolates.
You can find many gourmet food stores offer a wide selection of top notch
caviar, which is considered an essential part of the gourmet food, including Beluga,
Sevruga and Ostra caviars and a broad variety of Russian, Iranian and American
caviars. Most genuine gourmet food stores meet strict import and quality standards
and the goods come with a freshness guarantee.
Last but not least, good quality condiments are essential to a good meal.
Exotic spices and herbs from the European countryside create an exhilarating
combination of aroma and taste. Spanish saffron, mustards, cinnamon and cloves,
some dill and rosemary will embellish a myriad of appetizing and zesty dressings,
seasonings and gravies. In the same way, Italian virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar,
and malt vinegar are great for adding vitality to your salads. Also, olive oil is a more
healthy choice when it comes to gourmet cooking. (After www.britishcouncil.com)

 Exercises
1. In turns, ask your class mates:

- What is a gourmet?
- What does gourmet food refer to?
- What does the list of gourmet foods include?
- Have you ever tried any gourmet specialties? Give some examples.
- If you haven’t tried any so far, which would you most like to try?
- What is essential to a good meal?
- What spices do you know? Which are your favourite?
2. Complete the sentences with the suitable idiom from the box. Make any necessary
changes.

a plum in one's mouth – carrot and stick – cool as a cucumber – hot potato
– in full fig – in good fig – not to care a fig – off one's oats – to have two
bites at the/one cherry

- Any manager should be as …. in stressful situations.

- Despite his old age, he still is …
- Everything has been taken care of: you do not have to …
- He speaks as if he had …
- I think the dog is sick: he seems to be …
- My younger colleagues are always … while attending academic ceremonies.
- The … policy has always been a good educational policy.
- Unfortunately, the gay issue, as well as religious discrimination, is still a … in
Romania.
- You’ve really messed things up this time, so I’m afraid now you can't have …

3. Match the following idioms with their meanings.

Idiom
1. to be / go bananas
2. to cast one's bread upon
the waters
3. to feel one's oats
Meaning
a. to be generous without
expecting any reward
b. to be knowledgeable in one's subject or
competent in one's job
c. to be or go insane

4. to fig out d. to feel vitality or be full of self-esteem

5. to take the bread out of e. to indulge in youthful (especially sexual)

someone's mouth excess
6. to sow one's (wild) oats f. to make (a horse) lively

7. to know one's onions g. to take away someone's means of living

8. to tread on someone's h. to upset or offend a person's feelings
corns

4. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Tense.

One of the rising trends in UK food culture (be) vegetarianism. How far this (have)
been influenced by recent food safety scares (be) impossible to say. What (be)
certain, however, (be) that more people (be) cutting out meat and animal products
from their diet. A MORI poll (indicate) that 3% of the UK’s population (be) vegetarian,
while the results of a similar poll conducted in 2001 (estimate) that 5.7% of the
population (be) vegetarian. In numbers this (mean) there are over 3 million
vegetarians in the UK today and vegetarianism – where you (not eat) meats – and
veganism – where you (not consume) any animal products – (become) more and
more mainstream in UK culture. Part of this (be) down to food scares, but social
changes, and the fact that the range of vegetarian food available (be) so wide, also
(play) a part.
5. Form two groups: group A will find reasons why it is good to be a vegetarian and
group B will find arguments against it.

6. Odd one out.

- Apricot – broccoli – cantaloupe – pineapple

- Apron – napkin – salt cellar – table cloth
- Aubergine – courgette – lettuce – melon
- Basil – oregano – salt – thyme
- Bread – bun – muffin – pancake
- Cork screw – plate – soup plate – saucer
- Fork – knife – mixer – spoon
- Ketchup – mustard – pepper – salsa

7. Read the following and then answer the questions.

According to the Soil Association, the UK's leading campaigning and certification
organisation for organic food and farming, three out of every four households in the
UK now buy organic food in one form or another. Some people buy organic meat,
fruit and vegetables from farmers' markets or schemes that deliver a box of mixed
fruit and vegetables to their homes each week. Most people, though, probably buy
organic produce in their local supermarket as a wide range is available, including fruit
and veg, but also items as diverse as rice pudding, chocolate, crisps and baked
beans.

- Where can you buy organic meat, fruits and vegetables in Romania?
- Where do you do the shopping? Do you prefer / avoid GMO (genetically
modified food)?

Homework: Describe your regular diet. Research the optimal diet on the net
(vegetarian/ketogenic/paleo/etc) and write an essay entitled: The Optimal Diet