Topic 1. MyAcademy
The Academy of Public Administration under the Aegis of the
President of the Republic of Belarus serves to advance knowledge and to prepare its students to meet challenges of the 21st century.
The Academy was founded in 1991 and obtained its presidential status in 1995. Each year more than 8,000 undergraduates and postgraduates study here. All our courses are challenging and guided and inspired by highly qualified academic staff.
The Academy encompasses numerous academic departments, divisions , subdivisions and degree granting programs , as well as interdisciplinary centers and well-equipped laboratories. The two main educational divisions are the Institute of Civil Service offering refresher courses to those who already work in the system of Public
Administration as civil servants and the Institute of Managerial
Personnel for school-leavers and graduates from other higher educational establishments .
There are 3 main specializations in the Institute of Managerial
Personnel:
Public Administration and Law
Public Administration and Economics
Management of Information Resources.
The curriculum is diversified and includes a wide range of subjects, varying from Public Affairs to Applied Mathematics.
Academy’s structure is hierarchical and centralized.
The Rector is appointed by the President and is the senior officer of the Academy. He runs the most important affairs of the establishment, while day-to-day activities are carried out by the First
Pro-Rector (Vice-Rector) and five Pro-Rectors (Vice-Rectors).
The Institute of Managerial Personnel has different organizational sub-structures which help students not only to obtain knowledge but develop their personality and individuality. Besides lectures, seminars and tutorials students are offered to participate in social life of the
Academy. They may join student societies and organizations such as
‘Logos’, ‘Civilist’, ‘SCOFL’, etc.
Acquiring a good command of a foreign language is a must for the students of the Academy. The Foreign Languages Department provides the undergraduates with a possibility to improve their speaking
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skills in foreign languages. They have an opportunity to participate in different projects and conferences held by the Department.
The Academy’s library is equipped with a computerized system of e-catalogues and the latest information technologies that help to enrich its cultural climate.
Students at the Academy are also provided with modern training facilities where they are coached in up to 10 different sports.
Today, the Academy of Public Administration under the Aegis of the President of the Republic of Belarus has matured into one of the country’s greatest educational institutions. It is well-reputed not only for its high level of education and professionalism, but also for its deep and lasting traditions of fostering a strong sense of pride in their country and an appreciation of its graduates’ obligations to the public.
Topic 2. English as an International Language. Mastering English.
1. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England.
Now English is one of the most common languages in the world which is spoken by perhaps 400 million people. It is a very widespread language, thanks to the former British Empire.
English is the almost universal language of science, business, and international politics. Many higher academic institutions require a working command of English.
2. It might be thought that English will become ever more dominant and will, in effect, become the global language. But turning
English into the global language would cause damage and disasters.
The English language heritage in culture and in literature would cast all others into the shade, and the humanity would lose their humanistic ideals and values it has worked on and cherished for hundreds of centuries.
The people would also lose that rich variety of ways in which they are able to express their concepts today.
Those who speak English as a native language would have an advantage over those for whom it is a learned language, and it could cause strong national reactions against the global English.
3. What’s the alternative? Translation and interpretation?
One of the main arguments against translation is that it is too expensive.
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And then could we trust interpretation, whether it is human or computerized?
Another way out is an artificial language. The best known is
Esperanto, invented in 1887. It is sensible and easy to learn, but it is based on European languages and might therefore rouse non-European hostility.
4. The problem of world communication, however, may take care of itself. A solution may arise with no one’s purposeful interference. In the Mediterranean world in late medieval times, a lingua franka
(language of the Franks,” i.e., Europeans) developed among the merchants of the area to handle necessary communication. It was a mixture of Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, and Arabic. Similarly, in eastern Asia, various mixtures, called “pidgin English,” were developed to break the language barrier.
As communication around the world improves, lingua terra, “a language of the Earth,” may slowly arise. None of the languages would take an advantage over others, as every language will add vocabulary, idiom and grammar. That language could develop a mighty literature of its own and would emphasize the familyhood of humanity.
A Journey into the World of Language Learning
1. Starting a journey into the world of language learning involves plunging into a new language. English learning implies to get into a diversity of new activities, it is adapting of an ear to unfamiliar sounds, foreign pronunciation and mastering of huge amounts of new vocabulary. English learning is a complicated and multistage process, which requires much efforts, long periods of time, inexhaustible patience and perseverance.
2. Mastering a foreign language depends a lot on a person’s learning style. One student sits rigidly at attention and wants to repeat each word after the teacher. Another may only feel happy with the security of a workbook to be worked through carefully, while a third may have no study skills at all and find it extremely difficult to maintain concentration. A fourth may learn everything by rote, yet have no understanding of meaning.
3. A common difficulty which awaits every English language learner is applying of four different types of activities: listening, speaking, writing and reading into the patterns of a new language practically simultaneously.
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4. Learning English is a laborious process. Extremely hard work stands behind its mastering and results which a learner gets in learning
English is a direct payback of his diligence and work.
5. Undoubtedly, a way to perfect English mastery is rather complicated, a learner can confront with an abundance of challenges.
The main thing is not to give in. Every person can master a foreign language up to his/her specific standard and attain his definite results in language learning.
Topic 3. A Friend in Need
A Small Circle of Good Friends Is Better Than One Best
Friend
The Party Partner
There is a time in most children’s lives when they have just one best friend. This is the only person they are interested in and the only person they need. But as we get older, most people realise that it’s actually much healthier to have a small circle of good friends with different personality types.
Firstly, a “party partner” is essential. You need at least one wild friend who encourages you to do spontaneous things like go to a late night party or buy something really expensive. This kind of friend will put interest back in your life. He or she will make you feel more energetic and relieve a lot of stress.
The Workmate
Secondly, you also need a workmate. This friend helps you with your schoolwork or your career. He or she advises you and discusses your progress. If you have a friend like this, you are in luck.
This is someone who will support you and encourage you to do your best. It’s a good idea to find someone who is at a similar life stage or a bit older. But don’t choose someone who is too competitive. You need someone self-confident and generous for this kind of friend.
The hobby sharer
Thirdly, one kind of friend who is fun to have is “hobby sharer”. If you start a new hobby, like going to the gym, it is much more motivating to have someone to go with. This friendship could collapse at any time but it is very nice while it lasts. The great thing about this kind of friend is that you can start all sorts of new things with different
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“hobby sharer” friends. He or she can help you move on to a new stage in your life.
The “Tell-anything” Friend
Finally, almost the opposite of “the hobby sharer” is the kind of friend known as the “tell-anything” friend. He or she could also be known as your “three-in-the-morning” friend. You might never have to wake this friend up because you are in a panic about something, but you know you could. This is perhaps the only friend who you show your worst side to and with whom you can truly be yourself. The key to being a “tell-anything” friend is that even though you may not agree with your friend, you are always loyal and always on their side. This, after all, is what a true friend should be.
Topic 4. Likes and Dislikes (Hobbies and Pastimes)
1. A hundred years ago, there was no problem of what working people could do with their spare time. Their hours of work were so long they had hardly any leisure. Nowadays it is even hard to name all the activities, entertainments and hobbies run by people in their spare time. But there’s no need to say that all people are different. Our tastes differ. One prefers Belarusian cuisine to Japanese food, another British to Spanish. The same is true about our pursuits.
2. There exists quite a different sort of leisure activities, betting and gambling for example, which give thousands of people hope for a huge prize and a sense of excitement and expectation.
3. But nothing can be compared with the feeling of those people who have got really interested in some kind of activity, which has become something favourite and admired.
4. Some people go in for different kinds of indoor and outdoor sports such as bicycling, bowling, tennis, table-tennis, fishing, skiing, skating. Aerobics is one of the most popular leisure activities for women.
5. The most common leisure activities are home based, or social, such as visiting relatives or friends. Other popular pursuits include listening to the radio, reading, do-it-yourself home improvements, gardening and going out for a meal or for a drink.
6. People around the world relax in very different ways. In
Russia, a Russian banya or bath house is one of favourite leisure activities. Russians of all types meet there at any time of day. They go
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there to relax, to talk to their friends and even to discuss business. It’s a wonderful place! It doesn’t matter if you are old or young, fat or thin.
There are cold baths, as well as a hot room where temperature can reach forty-three degrees.
7. It is great when people have some kind of hobby, whether it is collecting coins, supporting your favourite football team, or just shopping. Sometimes people’s hobbies turn into a life passion, become an all absorbing interest of the whole life and even an addiction. But you should take care that your hobby does not become an obsession.
Topic 5. Family is a Cradle for an Individual
1. The family is the most basic and ancient of all institutions, and it remains the fundamental social unit in every society.
2. An “ideal” family consists of a husband, a wife, and their dependent children. This particular family pattern, however, is far from typical. A more accurate conception of the family must take account of the many different family forms that have existed or still exist in different cultures.
3. Broadly speaking, the family is a group of people related by blood or law, living together or associating with one another for a common purpose.
4. What characteristics, then, are common to all family forms?
First, the family consists of a group of people who are in some way related to one another. Second, the members live together for long periods. Third, the adults assume responsibility for any offspring. We may say, then, that the family is a relatively permanent group of people related by ancestry, marriage, who live together, form an economic unit, and take care of their young.
5. There are many different views on family life. Some people could not do without the support and love of their families. Others say it is the source of most of their problems and anxieties. Whatever the truth is, the family is definitely a powerful symbol. Turn on the television or open a magazine and you will see advertisements featuring happy, balanced families. Politicians often try to win votes by standing for
“family values”: respect of parental authority, stability in marriage, chastity and care for the elderly.
6. There are people who say that traditional family is a thing of the past. They see many indications that the family is in decline, in such
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things as the acceptance of sex before marriage, the increased number of one-parent families, the current high divorce rate and what they see as a lack of discipline within the family. What is a strong family then?
7. People all over the world are trying to learn what makes strong families. Strong happy families share some patterns whether they are rich or poor, black or white. Strong, happy families spend time together, talk about their problems. Members of strong families show each other affection and appreciation and they are also committed to one another.
People all over the world cherish the same values about their families.
8. Today, however, families are changing, but they are not disappearing. Families give us a sense of belonging and a sense of tradition. Families give us strength and purpose. Our families show us who we are.
9. The things we need most deeply in our lives – love, communication, respect and good relationships - have their beginnings in the family.
Topic 6. Can Money Buy Happiness?
1. They say money ‘can’t bring you happiness’ but some researchers of
Britain and the USA have proved the opposite. Acquiring a large sum of money can be enough to change a person’s outlook on life. Professor
Andrew Oswald has found a strong link between financial windfalls and being happy and having much better psychological health. A small amount of money is not going to solve a major health problem. ‘The more income you earn …, the cheerier you will become. Large sums are better than small sums’.
2. Indeed, the more new things you purchase, the more you want and willingly make sacrifices to get it. But once you get basic human needs met, a lot more money doesn’t increase happiness. There are two reasons for it. Firstly, humans are never satisfied for long when a good fortune comes their way, they get a thrill at first, but soon they adapt to the new things. Secondly, more money can lead to more stress that is why a big salary may not buy everyone.
3. Scientists looked at 9,000 families in Britain at the end the
1990s to measure the levels of happiness. The research has found out that women tend to be happier than men, and that people in their 30s are least likely to be content. Professor Oswald says that happiness follows a
U-shaped pattern, with people beginning life happy but becoming
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discontented in the early 30s, before their happiness recovered and continued, increasing into their 60s.
4. Harvard economist Erzo Luttmer has learnt that happiness can depend on a number of other factors. According to his research, a secret of happiness is people. Those with five or more close friends are 50% more likely to describe themselves as ‘very happy’, than those with smaller social circles. Besides, people in happy, stable, committed relationships tend to be far happier than those who aren’t. When asked what gives them the most pleasure, happy people favour robust health, home of their own, children, and an interesting job.
5. Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert emphasizes that applying yourself to something hard makes you happy. People are addicted to challenges, and they are often far happier while working toward a goal than after reaching it.
6. Sonya Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor at the University of
California, has defined a profile of a happy person: a happy person doesn’t waste time dwelling on unpleasant things, tends to interpret ambiguous events in positive ways and is not bothered by the success of others. In a series of studies Professor Robert Emmons has stated that those who did exercises to cultivate feeling of gratitude, ended up feeling happier, more energetic and optimistic. His happiness list includes such things as romance, a dozen roses, guitar lessons, pets, gratitude, memories, small pleasures and … sociability.
Topic 7. Healthy Lifestyles.
1. Sport has played an important part in our lives for many centuries. For some it seems as necessary and natural as eating and sleeping, for others it’s just entertainment on television. Today it is easy to forget that sport is supposed to be for enjoyment, for the good feeling that is produced when the body has done some physical work. Many people nowadays work in offices where they have to sit at desks for six or eight hours a day. For this reason we feel the need for exercise at the end of the day and turn to sport.
2. There has probably never been such an emphasis on the importance of fitness and exercise as there is today. The message is clear: keep fit, stay healthy. Various activities can help one keep fit: from running marathons to climbing mountains. Usually people keep fit by dancing, going to the gym and jogging. Fitness comes not from some exercises done here and there but from the way you live. Taking
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exercise can be time-consuming but the feeling of being fit and healthy makes up for the few minutes a day it takes.
3. For an average non-sporting person without much time to spare, activities like these are not very practical and, to be frank, they are a waste of time. It is much better to devote no more than half an hour every day to doing exercises. The important thing is to stick to a routine so that you don’t say to yourself, “I won’t bother today!” or “I’ll do it later!”
4. If you haven’t got the willpower to establish a routine like this, a sport like tennis might suit you better. Your partner will help you remember to play regularly and you’ll be able to get your exercise outdoors, too. Many like to play tennis as it needs mobility, liveliness and much energy. It gives a real joy taking parts in competitions or simply playing with friends on tennis courts.
5. Many people do sports on their personal initiative. They practise skiing, skating, table tennis, swimming, volleyball, football, bodybuilding, etc. All necessary facilities are provided for them: stadiums, sport grounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, skiing stations, football fields.
6. To sum up, sport at an amateur level should be for enjoyment and fitness, and should provide an outlet for surplus energy.
Topic 8. Great Britain in the Spotlight
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1. The United Kingdom forms the greater part of the British Isles, which lie off the coast of north-west Europe. The official full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland. Great Britain comprises England, Wales and Scotland. London is the capital and the largest city.
2. The country’s complicated geology produces a great variety of landscape. Northern Scotland is a wild, windswept region, broken by long arms of the sea that reach far inland. Much of Northern Ireland has low mountains, forest parks and rolling fields. Wales is famous for its green valleys. Most of England is covered by plains, laid out in a patchwork of fields and meadows. The British Isles are surrounded by breathtaking coastline, which is a shifting scene of steep cliffs, golden beaches and fishing towns.
3. The English Channel separates the British Isles from France.
This narrow stretch of water has helped shape the character and history
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of the British. It protected the country from invasion, and has given the people a feeling of security. Since 1066, no enemy has crossed the channel and invaded the country. Such separation of Britain has had a great impact on the British nation. They came to respect privacy and to value old traditions. They developed wit, love for personal freedom, and a high degree of self-criticism. No wonder the British are so different in their behaviour from other Europeans living on the continent, despite all the changes caused by modern technology and transport facilities. In
1994 a major breakthrough occurred when the Channel Tunnel between
Britain and France began to operate.
4. The history of Great Britain is the story of how a small island country became the world’s most powerful nation – and then declined.
In the 1700’s, the British began the Industrial Revolution and made the
UK the world’s richest manufacturing country. They ruled the seas, and were the world’s greatest traders. At its peak, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously weakened in two World Wars.
The second half witnessed the breaking up of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation.
5. Great Britain is one of the few developed countries of the world where a constitutional monarchy has survived. The constitution exists in no one document but is a centuries-old accumulation of statutes, judicial decisions and tradition. The hereditary monarch acts on the advice of the
Prime Minister and is almost entirely limited to exercising ceremonial functions.
6. Today Britain retains an important place among the most advanced countries of the world. It enjoys a long established democratic system of government which has provided political stability. The United
Kingdom is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and of the
Commonwealth. It participates fully in all Commonwealth activities and values it as a means of increasing international understanding and contributing to more balanced global economic development.
Topic 9. The Food We Eat.
British Cuisine
1. Many visitors to Britain do not have a clear idea about British food. Many visitors do not know what British cuisine is. There are responses to some comments made by international students after being
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asked the question, "What do you think about British food?" –”It's greasy”.
2. You may think that British people eat greasy food (like fish and chips) every day. You may be offered a cooked breakfast every day if you stay in a hotel. Britain is a dairy country, however - so milk, butter, cheese and cream are used more than in some countries. Many British people eat toasts with butter and jam, or marmalade. Others prefer a bowl of cereal; for example, cornflakes or muesli with milk. Breakfast may contain food such as sausages, bacon, kippers, black pudding, scrambled or poached eggs or baked beans. A Sunday roast is a traditional meal eaten by a family at Sunday lunchtime; for example, roast beef with roast potatoes, stewed parsnips or boiled peas, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Mint sauce or redcurrant jelly is often served with lamb, apple sauce with grilled pork, and horseradish sauce with beef, cranberry sauce with turkey. Stuffing may be eaten with poultry. After the main dish it is common to eat a dessert also known as afters. People may drink tea, and often eat biscuits, cakes, or a scone with rhubarb jam or savouries such as sandwiches and crumpets. British people enjoy eating sweets and crisps or chocolate bars and nuts between meals. –
"It's boring”.
3. There is actually a very wide variety of food. It is increasingly popular for British people to get a takeaway or go to a restaurant instead of cooking at home. People use a chance to try different types of fresh vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, leeks, celery, lettuce and exotic fruit, juicy herbs, different condiments. There are Chinese spicy dishes, Indian curry, Italian pizza or pasta, Turkish kebabs, Japanese sushi and so on. Ingredients are available from many parts of the world.
4. Eating out in pubs is also very popular among people. It’s a place to drink good beer, play darts or dominos and chat in informal surroundings. But the realization that drinking alcohol and driving a car didn't mix left many in crisis. Luckily landlords soon realized that things must be changed and the modern pub emerged, selling good "real" ale
(Guinness) – low alcohol beer and good traditional food. Some pubs brew their own beer and have names. – "It's dangerous".
5. British farmers have had some problems in recent years due to the spread of BSE (mad cow disease) within cattle in the 1990s, and then foot-and-mouth disease within sheep in 2001. These diseases caused many animals to be killed, and led to the introduction of new and tight controls. Since the BSE crises of the 1990s increasing numbers of the
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British population have adopted vegetarianism. As of 2003 it was estimated that there were between 3 and 4 mln vegetarians in the UK, and around 7 mln people claim to eat no red meat.
6. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise in this country. Fast-food and junk food consumption have increased in the UK over the past three decades. These menus tend to include foods high in fat, sugar and calories and low in fiber and nutrients.
7. Nowadays much research is done on Genetically Modified foods. It is aimed at increasing the size of strawberries, lemons, gooseberries and raspberries or grapes and producing foods which will help to fight diseases. Many people in the UK object to the idea of GM foods. They believe that GM products are dangerous as they are insufficiently tested. It is very possible that in the very near future the whole way of eating will change.
Topic 10. Types of Housing in Great Britain
1. There are many different types of housing in Britain. The most popular one is a semi-detached house, often called the home of “Mr. and
Mrs. Average”. These houses share a central wall. Typically a semi has a small garden and a fence divides a larger garden at the back. Inside the house there are usually three bedrooms, a lounge, a kitchen and a small bathroom. They also have a loft and a basement, rather convenient to keep various tools and instruments. Towns in Britain have areas which contain streets and streets of semis, often with well-kept gardens.
2. People who want to have more privacy and who can afford it prefer living in a detached house. It stands by itself and it has land all round it. More and more homes are detached, although in areas where building land is expensive, the houses may be closer to each other. Most detached houses are to be found in the suburbs, in the “green belt” or in the “commuter belt”.
3. Living in a detached house or in a semi gives their dwellers much opportunity of individual self-expression. People like to choose the colour of their own front door and window frames, and also to choose what they are going to do with the outside territory. The front garden offers endless possibilities of displaying individuality. Some of them are paved, some are full of flower-beds with paths between them, others are just patches of grass or green lawns with some trees or bushes on them.
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4. Many elderly people dream of going to live in a bungalow when they retire. It is a type of house where all the rooms are on the ground floor and so there are no stairs to climb.
5. Most city dwellers usually live in terraced houses or in blocks of flats. Terraced houses are attached to each other in a long row. They usually have three or four stories. They can be anything up to 150 years old, so in recent years many of them have been renovated: central heating has been added and other improvements have been made. A block of flats is a large building divided into separate parts (especially flats or offices). Flats are not popular just because they do not give enough privacy; long corridors in tower blocks often encourage crime and vandalism. In recent years local councils have tried to improve the areas around blocks of flats by creating “green space”, children's playgrounds and the facilities for the community to use: shops, markets, schools, kindergartens, swimming-pools, libraries etc.
6. Today many people who work in the cities buy country cottages.
They are stone buildings which once were part of a farm built on the country estate of wealthy landowners. Some country cottages are very old and they may have a thatched or tiled roof.
7. Whatever type of housing the Englishman chooses, the important thing is to feel cosy – that is, which seems warm even if it is not really warm. This abstract idea of “home” is more important than the building.
8. The well-known saying “The Englishman's home is his castle” illustrates the desire for privacy and the British attitude to housing.
Topic 11. Mass Media – News and Views.
British Mass Media
The BBC
Just as the British Parliament has the reputation for being “the mother of parliaments”, so the BBC (the British Broadcasting
Corporation) might be said to be “the mother of information services”, providing both information and entertainment.
The BBC has often shown itself to be rather proud of its impartiality, objectivity and independence.
It is much the result of its legal status – it depends neither on advertising nor directly on the government for its income. It gets this from the licence fee which everybody who uses a television set has to pay. However, the government decides how much this fee is going to be,
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appoints the BBC’s board of governors and its director general, has the right to veto any BBC programme.
Television
Television seems to be the first choice among the various mass media. The average Briton spends 28 hours a week watching what he or she calls ‘the box’, ‘the telly’ or ‘the TV’.
There are four main TV channels in Britain. BBC1 and BBC2 are broadcast by the BBC without any advertising. Independent television consists of two channels: ITV and Channel 4, which carry advertisements. There are also two satellite TV channels (SKY and
BSB), and several small cable networks.
ITV has a regional network – each region is run by a different company, so many television programmes may differ from region to region. ITV gets its money from advertisers who pay to show films advertising their goods between programmes and during breaks in programmes – ‘commercial breaks’, as they are called. The time allowed for commercial breaks is not more than six minutes in an hour.
There is a choice between four TV programmes:
BBC1 and BBC2 (which are broadcast by the BBC without any advertising);
ITV and Channel 4 (which carry advertisements).
Radio
Almost all households in Britain have at least one radio set; most have more than one. The TV licence includes radio and is paid each year.
The BBC has five national radio stations. They all broadcast news bulletins.
There are also many commercial radio stations, which mostly broadcast pop music. Each of the national BBC radio stations specializes in a particular type of programme.
British Press
Newspapers and Periodicals
Reading a newspaper is a very popular pastime in Britain. Though
British people are reported to be the world’s most dedicated home video-users, they haven’t given up reading. They are the world’s third biggest newspaper buyers, only the Japanese and the Swedes buy more.
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There are national daily papers (published in the morning), national evening papers, more than eighty local morning and evening papers and regional daily papers.
National papers are mostly printed in London and distributed from there. National papers are either ‘quality’ or ‘popular’.
The popular newspapers, or the tabloids, small-size newspapers, have the biggest sales. The Sun, for example, sells over 4 million copies a day; The Daily Mirror almost as many. These papers are read more for entertainment than for news. The Royal family, scandals, personalities, and glamorous women and men are popular subjects in them.
Quality newspapers, like The Times, The Guardian and The
Independent, sell about 400,000 copies each per day. The best-selling quality newspaper is the Daily Telegraph. Quality newspapers concentrate on serious news.
The Financial Times is always printed on pink paper. It sells a third of its 2.8 million circulation outside the UK. Sunday papers have lots of pages. They have many different sections, and most of them also have a colour supplement. You can spend a whole day reading The
Sunday Times or The Observer.
Popular papers are all ‘tabloids; this means they are published in a small page format.
The “quality papers” are considered to cater for the better educated readers while the “popular papers” concentrate on human interest stories.
However, the main difference between them is in the treatment of the topics they cover. The way politics is presented in the national newspapers reflects the fact that British political parties are essentially parliamentary organizations. Although different papers have different political outlooks, none of them is an organ of a political party. What counts for newspaper publishers is business. Their primary concern is to sell as many copies as possible and to attract as much advertising as possible.
The British press is controlled by a rather small number of extremely large multinational companies. This fact helps to explain its two features. One is its freedom from interference from government influence. The press is so powerful in this respect that it is sometimes referred to as the “fourth estate” (the other three being the Commons, the Lords and the monarch).
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The other feature of the national press is its shallowness. Few other European countries have a popular press which is so “low”. Some of the tabloids have almost given up dealing with serious matters. Apart from sport, their pages are full of stories about the private lives of famous people. That’s why most people don’t use newspapers for serious news. For this they turn to another source – broadcasting.
The National Sunday Papers
They are so called because Sunday is the only day on which they appear.
All the Sunday papers provide reading material about fashion, clothes, cooking, the house and home, motoring and holidays. The quality papers also include a magazine called a ‘colour supplement’.
All the quality papers depend a great deal on advertisements to finance them. They all bring information and comment about politics and business throughout the world. They specialize in reviewing new books, the London theatre, new films and music.
If the British still feel short of reading material, they can choose from 4,300 journals and magazines. These are called periodicals and are published weekly or monthly.
Topic 12. Selecting an Employee. A Job Interview.
Looking for the Right Employee?
When your company has a position to fill, you want to be sure that you find the candidate most suited for the job. Your success in recruiting depends on how well you prepare your job ad, choose the right tool to publicize it, and screen those who apply.
1. You want to be sure that all the candidates truly understand the position. The more clearly you describe the tasks, working conditions and advantages, the less time you will waste examining and rejecting unsuitable applications.
An effective ad should include: 1) a position title; 2) information about your company; 3) a job description; 4) qualifications; 5) how to apply; 6) work benefits and conditions.
2. Once you've written your ad, you need to find the right place to publish it.
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Word of mouth, or simply telling your employees, friends and colleagues about a vacancy, is a less expensive strategy but generates fewer applicants.
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Advertising can be effective. If you are searching for someone with very specialized skills, then you may wish to run an ad in a national or international newspaper.
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Employment agencies cost more but generally provide a good range of candidates. They can save you a lot of time by handling the advertising, screening and reference checks, and sending you only the applications that meet your requirements.
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Online recruiting can give you inexpensive, worldwide access to employees.
3. Even when you need to hire urgently, it is important to take the time to screen candidates.
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E-mailing or telephoning people to ask for more information can help you decide if you really want to interview them.
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Diagnostic testing as part of the selection process can help you find the applicants whose skills, talents or values most closely match your ideal. Testing can assess cognitive skills, emotional intelligence, character, work preferences, etc.
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Checking references is essential. Verify that the information given in the resume (employment dates, positions and responsibilities) are accurate.
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A criminal-record check is usually performed only if the type of employment requires it.
4. After you have pre-qualified the candidates, you are finally ready to interview the most promising ones. This is your opportunity to confirm their qualifications, determine if they are really interested in the job, and if they fit in with your company culture.
Judging by Appearance and Behaviour
1. Patrick Smith is 25. He left university two years ago. He has been called for twenty-five interviews but hasn’t found a job.
However, he won’t change his appearance to try and get work. “This is the way I look. You can take it or leave it. People should look at my qualifications, not my hair,” he says.
2. Unfortunately for Patrick, first impressions are vital. For many employers, neat and tidy hair, smart clothes and good manners are as important as qualifications. An interview may last half an hour or more, but the decision to hire or not is usually taken in the first four minutes, sometimes even before the interviewee has spoken. First
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impressions are vital whether we like it or not. However, many young people fail to create that vital first impression because their appearance lets them down.
3. So what factors contribute to that vital first impression? It varies a lot according to our culture. For example, in the United States tall people are considered more reliable and serious in business. In
Britain and America physically attractive applicants are thought of as warmer, kinder, more sociable and even more intelligent although they are not always as lucky as we think – some people think they are irresponsible and immature so they don’t give them the best job.
4. We can’t do much about our height or how good-looking we are but we can control our body language. For example, if you hang your head, play with your hair, hold your hand over your mouth or chew your nails you may seem flustered, nervous or dishonest. If you look at your watch or tap your foot it highlights your impatience or anxiety. In
Europe and America it is appropriate to look the interviewer more or less in the eyes. It shows that you are open, frank, friendly, selfconfident, sincere and natural. If you avoid eye contact the interviewer will think that you are cold and defensive and don’t really care about the conversation. Unfortunately, people from some cultures can find quite difficult to look directly at strangers.
5. Behaviour is language and we all have different ways of expressing ourselves. For example, if you take a plastic bag inside the interview room – even for important documents like your CV, a letter of application or references – it always looks like you are carrying your dirty washing. If foreigners’ behaviour seems strange to you then yours will seem strange to them. But there is an international language. For example, politeness and “being nice” to people are essential for successful interviews in any country. If you enter the interview room wearing not only a shirt and tie but a bright and friendly smile it counts for a lot… Anyway, if you want to do well you should follow experts’ tips how to dress and behave on the big day.
Topic 13. Stereotypes
1. Common stereotypes can be defined as a variety of allegations about groups based on age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, profession, sexual orientation, race, religious beliefs, physical appearance and social class.
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2. Stereotype production is based on generalization, simplification, exaggeration or distortion, presentation of cultural attributes as being
'natural', unshakable belief in stability of stereotype, racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, and, of course, historical factors.
3. We develop stereotypes when we are unable or unwilling to obtain all of the information we would need to make fair judgments about people or situations. Stereotyping is such a natural human function and is so common that it occasionally functions in a useful way. For one thing, it is sometimes valuable to create classifications of individuals.
The term "freshman" on college campuses brings to mind a popular image of a rather naive newcomer who is not familiar with both the social and intellectual life of a campus. Of course, many freshmen don't fit this narrow picture. Nevertheless, the stereotype of the freshman serves the purpose of encouraging professors to construct introductory courses for those with no experience in the subject matter and it also encourages campus social organizations like fraternities and sororities to sponsor group activities planned especially for campus newcomers.
Stereotypes also help us to classify and structure the complex world around us. Through stereotypes we notice, remember and store the information that is most noticeable. Though stereotypes, which evolved out of ignorance or fear often lead to unfair discrimination and persecution when the stereotype is unfavorable. They could be dangerous, offensive and even self-fulfilling prophesies. They won’t give justice to individuals and distort reality.
4. Multiple surveys and studies have shown that stereotypes can be negative or positive, even for the same group. Black men are generally supposed to be good musicians and basketball-players, but at the same time seen as aggressive and likely to take and sell drugs. The effects, of stereotypes, too, can be positive and negative. Students who were implicitly made aware of their gender behaved as the stereotype suggested: Asian-American women performed better in maths-tests when being aware of being Asian, and did worse when being reminded of being women.
5. Stereotypes are common in the world of literature and art, where they are represented by clichéd or predictable characters or situations.
For example, stereotypical salesman is a fast-talking individual who cannot usually be trusted.
6. Our society often innocently creates and perpetuates stereotypes.
Television, books, comic strips, and movies are all abundant sources of
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stereotyped characters. Moreover, stereotypes (such as gender ones) are often maintained by families and peers. And often prove to be reasonable and justified.
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