Listen to the radio programme and answer the questions below.

Listen to the radio programme and answer the questions below.

1. What books did Laura Reddington write trying to make a living?

2. What kind of story did she find one day?

3. Why does Laura think about all the details before writing a book?

 

PR: My guest today is the novelist Laura Reddington, whose novel, The Lost Dream was an international best-seller. Laura, did you always want to write?

L: I've always been interested in books. I always thought it would be wonderful to be a writer and this was an ambition.

PR: How did you start writing?

L: Well, my first thought was that I needed to make a living, so I tried romantic fiction — without success, though. I thought it would be easy money.

PR: How did you get the idea for your book?

L: I was looking through my books one day when I found the story of a man who thought he'd found a new planet. I realised this was going on at about the same time as a famous murder case in London. So I thought I could mix the two stories together to make a sort of a detective novel.

PR: How long did it take you to write the book?

L: Well, that book took two years to write. I know some people can sit down and just write, and until they've finished they don't know how it will end. But for me, it's all about planning, when I worked out all the details, I concentrate on the actual writing.

 

 

Теxt № 2

Listen to the woman talking about her schooldays and answer the questions below.

1. What is the speaker talking about?

2. When did the speaker feel relieved?

3. Why did the speaker start crying?

Woman: Oh yes, I remember my first day at school. I remember feeling very proud when my mother walked with me through the main gate. There was so much noise and so many children that I got quite scared! Anyway, my mum took me to see the teacher, Mrs Gossage was her name — very nice teacher — and I remember feeling very nervous watching my mother leaving but Mrs Gossage looked after me and she sat me down with the other pupils in a big circle. Soon we started playing games so I got very excited. I think it was after lunch that I met Emily, who later became my best friend. She was in another class, but all new students were brought together to meet each other and... I was so relieved to have a friend! Oh yes, and in the afternoon we went swimming, but I couldn't swim so I became very upset and started to cry. In fact, I wouldn't stop crying so Mrs Gossage phoned my mother and she came to collect me early. I remember feeling very confused when I saw my mum! So much had happened! We went and had an ice cream and then I felt calm again. But what a day! I'll never forget it.

 

 

Теxt № 3

Listen to the radio programme and answer the questions below.

1. What are the three main ingredients of the great British breakfast?

2. What is a new trend or fashion in London's top restaurants?

3. What are the key ingredients of a breakfast in a London cafe?

Hello, I'm Amber, in London Life today, we find out what the traditional British breakfast is made of, and why it is becoming more and more popular, especially in London. Let's listen to three people.

Speaker 1: It's a meal that everyone outside of England has heard of, and dreams about, and we don't know what it is, but when we come here, we want to eat it. I got here, and I went to a cafe and there was the bacon, eggs and fried potatoes, and I thought - is this all there is?!

Speaker 2: I think it's very important to start a day. If I've got a long day at work, I try and eat egg and bacon in the morning because it's protein - it keeps you going all day. Now in London, there're lots more people having business meetings in top restaurants and it's getting very fashionable to have breakfast.

Speaker 3: I would say the cafe experience is very important, you know, it's less than 50% the food, as it is. In a good cafe, they're not going to hurry you out. There are the smells, there are the sounds - you are just listening to the world go by.

 

 

Теxt № 4

Listen to the radio programme and answer the questions below.

1. How long has Brian lived on his boat?

2. Why did he decide to leave London?

3. What can he do with his boat that he couldn't with a house?

Jackie: Hello, I'm Jackie Dalton. Have you ever wanted to do something completely different? Well, one man lives on his boat. Brian, welcome.

Brian: Hello.

Jackie: How long have you been living on the boat and why did you move there?

Brian: I've been down here now for about 12 years. I used to live in London. The family had grown up, the wife had died. I had this big house... and I thought who for? I'm going to go and live on the boat.

Jackie: Are you glad you decided to leave London and live on a boat in Brighton?

Brian: Best decision I've ever made.

Jackie: Brian, what can you do on a boat that you can't do in a house?

Brian: All these boats have got all the comforts that are required for living on board: microwaves, televisions, fridges... If you don't like your neighbours, you can go to another place. There's a lot going for living on board. I love everything that's down here. I love these lovely nights, the lovely sunsets. People pay for this, you know, they ask me silly questions like "Where do you go for your holiday?" and I look out here and I look at them and I think: "Every day is a holiday!"

 

Теxt № 5

Listen to the programme and answer the questions below.

1.How did the dolphins help a 10-year-old boy?

2. How does swimming with dolphins help the children?

3. Why are some people not very enthusiastic about dolphin therapy?

 

A 10-year-old boy has been helped by dolphins to talk for the first time in his life. Now, after taking part in a dolphin interaction programme he has begun to use words to communicate. He is just one of the many children who have been helped by dolphins.

Dolphin therapy began some 20 years ago. How does it all work? Close contact with the dolphins works as a motivator. Swimming with the dolphins is an experience that reaches deep down and demands the level of concentration that are necessary for learning.

Despite its evident success at helping children, not everyone is enthusiastic about dolphin therapy. Animal rights groups warn that it is a myth that dolphins are harmless creatures. They are wild animals with wild instincts.

Other people point out the harm done to the dolphins. Captive dolphins must be used for the therapy of course. This creates problems when the animals are returned to the wild. It is partly for this reason that some therapy centres only use dolphins that have been rescued from the wild.

Although dolphin therapy has shown itself to be of great value to many sick and disabled children, the right measures must be taken to ensure the protection both of the dolphins and the children who swim with them.

 

 

Теxt № 6

Listen to the radio programme and answer the questions below.

1. Why did Arthur Conan Doyle stop writing stories about Sherlock Holmes?

2. What worried Mr Horowitz before starting a book?

3. Why was writing the book about Sherlock Holmes easier than Mr Horowitz thought?

 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed Sherlock Holmes when writing the stories took up too much of his time. Now, 80 years later the author's death, Britain's most famous detective is being brought back to life with e new novel by Anthony Horowitz.

The character of Sherlock Holmes was originally created by Arthur Conan Doyle, who feature him in four novels and more than 50 short stories. But it's the first time that the Arthur Conan Doyle estate has officially asked an author to write a new novel. He has been named as Anthony Horowitz and is best known for his Alex Rider children's series. So, was he afraid of the challenge?

Anthony Horowitz:

" Well obviously, it was exciting to deal with probably the most famous detective in the whole history of literature. And I didn't want to disappoint the fans, and people who love these books.

But to be honest with you, I found it fairly easy to write because I have always loved those books, I've read them two or three times during the course of my lifetime - in fact, my whole life as a writer of crime fiction was inspired by Doyle and I find the book not to scary as I thought it might be."

 

 

Теxt № 7

Listen to the radio programme and answer the questions below.

1. What books did Laura Reddington write trying to make a living?

2. What kind of story did she find one day?

3. Why does Laura think about all the details before writing a book?

 

PR: My guest today is the novelist Laura Reddington, whose novel, The Lost Dream was an international best-seller. Laura, did you always want to write?

L: I've always been interested in books. I always thought it would be wonderful to be a writer and this was an ambition.

PR: How did you start writing?

L: Well, my first thought was that I needed to make a living, so I tried romantic fiction — without success, though. I thought it would be easy money.

PR: How did you get the idea for your book?

L: I was looking through my books one day when I found the story of a man who thought he'd found a new planet. I realised this was going on at about the same time as a famous murder case in London. So I thought I could mix the two stories together to make a sort of a detective novel.

PR: How long did it take you to write the book?

L: Well, that book took two years to write. I know some people can sit down and just write, and until they've finished they don't know how it will end. But for me, it's all about planning, when I worked out all the details, I concentrate on the actual writing.

 

 

Теxt № 2