Are the following statements true or false? If false, say why.

2. On Friday mornings Paul never gets up before 8.15.

3. Paul always goes to bed until midnight.

4. Paul doesn’t care about the weather when he goes jogging.

5. He almost never has a regular lunch in the after­noon. Instead, he has a quick snack.

1. Paul’s college is a five minutes’ walk from the hall where he lives.

7. Paul doesn’t like all the subjects he’s studying but only some of them.

8. Paul is self-confident because he’s always ready for his classes.

9. He feels comfortable at the thought that his essay is ready.

10. The tutor is displeased with Paul’s work and he tells him to come next time.

11. There’s a student pub not far from Paul’s hall.

12. After classes Paul doesn’t drop in the pub because he is too tired.

13. In the evening he goes to the pub to see a concert of a Spanish guitar player.

How do you remember all the things you have to do each day / week / month? Read the article and find out how many of your ideas are mentioned. Do you agree with the other ideas?

TIME-SAVING TIPS

Making lists is relaxing. It makes you feel important – all those things to do. It calms you down (it’s OK, it’s on a list somewhere) and it makes you feel good when you cross something off.

The world divides into two types of list-makers. Type A makes orderly lists, prioritises and calmly sets to work on them. Type В waits until panic sets in, grabs the nearest envelope and scribbles¹ all over it, sighs with relief² and promptly loses it.

The more you have to do, the more you need a list, and few people with high-powered jobs get by without them.

Julie Rost, chief executive³ of a large chain of supermarkets, says, “Before I go to bed, I have to write down everything that’s going to stop me sleeping. If I write something down, I feel I won’t forget it, so my lists are a great comfort.”

Jane Levy used to write Lists, but she would forget where she put them and then waste precious time looking for them. Then a couple of years ago she came up with a new system. Now she writes key words on the back of her hand! “At least I can’t lose it,’ she says. True, but too many trips to the bathroom could have disastrous results.

Des O’Brien, a self-employed business consultant, uses another method for organising his time. He writes a list of things to do and then organises them into categories: things that have to be done straight away; other things that it would be good to do today; things that are important but don’t have to be done immediately; and things that he can put off but that he doesn’t want to forget. “Using categories to order the world is the way the human mind works,” he says.

It’s all a question of what works best for you, whether it’s a tidy notebook, a forest of Post-it^® notes or the back of your hand. Having tried all these, Kerry Johns, student, relies on her personal organiser. “My personal organiser has changed my life,” she says. “Up to now, I’ve always relied on my good memory, but now that I’m working and studying, I find I’ve got too much to keep in my head.”

So what are you waiting for? There’s no better time than the present to take control of your work and life. So, get out your pencil and paper and make a list.

Sue Kay & Vaughan Jones, New Inside Out, Macmillan

_________________________

¹ scribble – писать быстро и небрежно

² relief – облегчение

³ chief executive – президент (компании), директор

Read the text and answer the questions below.

Procrastination – a difficult word that makes life difficult

This word is not often used, and probably you’ve never come across it before, still a lot of people (including you may be) procrastinate every day of their lives. Longman dictionary gives the following definition: to procrastinate – to delay repeatedly and without good reason doing something that must be done.

How often do you put off doing something? You know you should do it, but you don’t. We often try to put off difficult tasks, unpleasant things. In spite of what the dictionary says, usually we have reasons for putting things off, we say to ourselves:

• I don’t have time.

• It’s unpleasant.

• I have too many other things to do.

• It’s difficult.

• I don’t feel like doing it now.

• I have a headache.

• I’m tired.

• Let me have a cup of coffee first.

• It might not work.

• I’ll do it when I can concentrate on it.

• I must think about it.

• Before I start I think I’ll take a break.

Well, we can think of plenty of excuses. However scientists say that the main reason for procrastination is fear or worry. We are simply afraid of doing something, so we invent excuses, try to put off doing it and secretly hope that the problem will go away by itself. It does not. Instead procrastination creates more fear and worry and more problems.

Procrastination is a bad habit, which can affect your work and your life. Try to fight it. The following tips may help:

• Keep your to-do list – write down things you have to do.

• Break down big jobs into smaller parts – even five minutes is enough to do something. The most difficult thing is to start. Once you start you usually get going. So get started.

• Try to get a better sense of time. We often think the job will take forever and so we try to avoid it.

• Set deadlines to yourself. If it doesn’t work, make them public.

Remember: procrastination wastes a lot of your time and time lost is lost forever, yesterday will never come back.

· Does procrastination affect your life?

• Do you often put off doing something?
• What do you think is the main reason for procrastination?
• How can we fight a habit of putting off difficult tasks?

FOLLOW-UP

Express the following in one word.

waste, procrastinate, excuse, failure, deadline

 

1 delay action

2 use without a good purpose

3 fixed date for finishing (doing) something

4 reason given (true or invented) to explain or defend one’s conduct

5 lack of success

Fill in the correct word from the list below.

avoid, put off, excuses, success, discipline, procrastinated, wasted

 

1 There’s always the temptation to … the most difficult task till last.

2 He … until it was too late.

3 He’s always making … for being late.

4 Try to … danger.

5 The thought of … years behind him made Mark sick with bitterness.

6 He had all the attributes of a great leader: charisma, energy,... and resourcefulness.

7 All great leaders share certain characteristics which must be seen as the key to their....

30. Work with a partner. What advice would you give somebody who wants to fight a habit of putting off difficult tasks? Give advice using should or shouldn’t.

 

Example:

You should learn to plan your time.

You should remember: the longer you put it off, the worse it will be.

You shouldn’t leave your work until it’s done.

USEFUL PHRASES get rid of your doubts and fears; list what you have to do; look at large projects as a series of steps you complete one at a time; divide the task into parts you can manage; focus on one task at a time

Render the text in Russian.

.

WHAT ARE THE WAYS TO PREVENT TIREDNESS?

(Some important rules suggested by psychologists)

1. Rest before you get tired (not after).

2. Learn to relax. If you are having hard times find a quiet half-hour all for yourself to gain strength.

3. Don’t forget about four good working habits:

· clean your desk of all papers except those you need at hand;

· do things in order of their importance;

· when you face a problem, first analyse the facts, then make a decision;

· learn to organize things.

4. Put enthusiasm into your work; it’s the only way to enjoy what you are doing.

5. Remember: no one was ever killed by doing well-organized work.

6. Don’t be a mental loafer. Don’t be afraid to concentrate on some ideas, to think hard and to exercise your will and memory.

SPEAKING

Everyday routine

Useful Words and Expressions