T. 23. University facilities

Finally, I’d like to say something about the flourishing arts scene here. This is centered mainly on the Lakeside Theatre and includes a full programme of music, theatre and visual arts. As far as visual arts are concerned, the University Gallery has exhibitions throughout the year. The work of local, national, and international artists is regularly on display as well as exhibitions featuring contemporary architects and designers. The University also has a permanent collection of Modern Eastern European art on display. As well as the conventional theatre productions, put on by visiting professional companies and student groups, there is a Workshop Studio which stages more experimental drama. And finally music. Concerts catering for a variety of musical tastes include performances by visiting groups as well as home-grown talent: the university has its own jazz band and choir. As with the other groups I referred to earlier, you are eligible to join these, but of course you will be required to go for an audition. So there you have it. Obviously, I haven’t covered everything in this short introduction, but I hope I’ve given you a flavor of what’s on offer here.

 

T.24. Fashion show

Speaker. Our first model has an informal but stylish outfit.He’s wearing an attractive plain, brown leather jacket and a tight cotton T shirt. It’s long sleeved I think. I particularly like those casual baggy black jeans. The next model is wearing a shiny grey nylon jacket with matching trousers. She’s also got a large spotty scarf around her neck- a touch of humour from the designer, I feel –and a spotty long sleeved blouse. And on her feet are simple but stylish black leather shoes. A very elegant outfit, in my opinion. Now we have a more unusual outfit. She’s wearing a red stripy top and a long dark wool coat. Below that a short stripy skirt and black leather high- heeled shoes. It’s a very strange look- I’m not sure I like it, and I doubt it will catch on!

 

T.25.1 Phrasal verbs

1. There is a towel on the floor. Pick it up

2. I hate this music. Switch it off

3. Your jacket’s on the chair. Put it away

4. You don’t need a coat. Take it off

5. I can’t hear the TV. Turn it up

6. Coffee is bad for you. Give it up

T.25.2. Short dialogues

1. Artist	Now, could you move your right arm a little. No, a little to the left…to the left…to the left…That’s your right	SH1	The Houses of Parliament.
Girl	Sorry, I thought you mean your left.	SH2	Well, it weighs a tonne. They should have it on wheels
Artist	No. Now, try not to look so bored	SH1	I know. I said that but the set designer wouldn't listen.
Girl	But I am bored. I’ve been here for hours	SH2	I'm going to have a word with the director.
Artist	I’m sorry, but these things take time. It isn’t a sketch, it’s an oil painting	SH1	He won't listen either. They never do.
Girl	And I’m cold. Can't you turn the heating up?	3. Soprano	So. then you walk to the chair and sit down.
Artist	I can't work when I'm hot,	Tenor	That's right And I sing my aria
Girl	Honestly! I don't know why I do this.	Soprano	And that's when I come and sit on your knee.
Artist	You need the money.	Tenor	Try again. Please! Music!
Girl	I know that You don’t have to remind me.	4. Dresser	I just love this silk!
Artist	And remember to smile! Your bad moods are ruining this portrait.	Actress	Yes. it smells wonderful, doesn't it? You don't think the colour makes me look …dull?
Girl	it's all right for you, You've got a nice warm smock.		Not at all! You look exquisite.
2.SH1	Back a bit, back a bit. Now lift!
SH2	Ooh, this is heavy! What is It?

T. 26. Bad service

I was in a taxi in Greece, in Athens, and I was going into the centre to do some shopping and the taxi driver started chatting to me. He asked me where I was from. When I said I was English, he started getting really aggressive. He said that he didn't like the English and that all English people were football hooligans. He went on and on - he just wouldn't stop. I got really annoyed. I mean I thought, 'Why do I have to listen to all of this'. So I asked him to stop the taxi and let me get out. Luckily, he stopped and I got out - and of course, I didn't pay him anything.

2.This happened to me recently when I was travelling around France on business. I was really tired because I'd been working and travelling all day. Anyway, when I got to the hotel in Toulouse - it was the evening -1 checked in and the receptionist gave me the key to my room. So I went up to my room and opened the door, but it was a complete mess! The bed wasn't made, there were dirty towels on the floor and the bathroom was filthy. I went downstairs and told the receptionist and he said that I would have to wait for half an hour while they prepared the room. But I was exhausted and needed to rest, so I told him to give me another room straightaway. Luckily he did.

 

T.27. Gossips

A: Did you see that thing in the paper about Shaynee Wilson?

B: No. What was that?

A: Well,you remember she got married last September, right?

B: Yeah, I think so. It's hard to keep up.

A: Well, she's just got divorced! Apparently, she found out that her husband was having an affair with another Hollywood actress.

B: God, that didn't last long, did it? So did he get much of her money?

2 С: Did you see that thing on TV about the mobile phone factory closing down?

D: No. What was that?

C: Oh, one of the biggest factories in the country is closing down, which means about five thousand people will be made redundant.

D: That's bad news, isn't it?

C: Yeah. It must mean the economy is starting to slow down.

D: What's the employment situation like in that area? Do you think people will be able to find new jobs?

3 E: Did you see that thing on TV about the murder last night?

F: Yeah. It was shocking, wasn't it? Stabbed fifteen times and left to die in the street.

E: I know.The victim was only 16 as well. And apparently they think his attackers might've been even younger.

F: Oh, it's depressing, isn't it? Do you know if they've arrested anyone for it yet?

4 C: Did you see in the paper that Sven Larstrom passed away? His funeral is next Saturday.

H: No, I didn't. Who is he? I don't think I've heard of him.

G: Sven Larstrom. He was a really great Swedish director. He made some of my favourite films. Haven't you ever seen Oranges in August?

H: No, never.

G: Or Anna and Maja and Jens?

H: No. Sorry. So how did he die?

5 I: Hey. Did you see that we've finally signed Geraldinho?

J: No, I missed that. Who is he again?

I: Oh, he's a Brazilian midfielder. He's supposed to be great.

J: Yeah? How much did you have to pay for him?

I: Thirty-three million euros! It's a new club record.

J: Yeah? That's a lot for a player I've never heard off. Has he played for the national team yet?

 

T.28. Modern technology

Speaker 1: Hmm, that’s a big question. Obviously modern technology makes our lives easier in many ways, and gives us more leisure time than we’ve ever had, but there are more things to worry about than there were in the past and stress levels are higher than they used to be. I think this can only get worse. In fact, I’d say it’s fairly unlikely that technology itself will make us happier. It may make people expect more out of life and then feel disappointed because the reality doesn’t live up to their expectations.

Speaker 2: I think it’s quite likely that many more people will work from home in the future. To some extent this is already happening. I suppose this is probably men that there’ll be less need for large offices in the center of cities, as more and more employees access their computers from their home.

 

T. 29. An experiment

Presenter Hello and welcome to our review of the week’s TV. With me today the television critic Michael Stein… Michael, what did you think was the best programme of the week?

Michael Well I’ve chosen the last programme in the channel 4 series That’ll Teach ‘Em. I must say I found the whole series absolutely fascinating. For those of you who didn’t see it, what the programme did was to take a group of 30 16-years – old children and send them – as an experiment – to a boarding school for one month. But it wasn’t a modern boarding school, it was 1950s boarding school. They recreated exactly the same conditions as in the 1950s –the same food, the same discipline, the same exams. The idea was to compere education today with education in the 1950s.

Presenter I bet it was a shock for today’s schoolchildren.

Michael Well it, was of course. It wasn’t just the classes-it was the whole atmosphere – I mean they had to wear the uniform from the 50s horrible uncomfortable clothes – they hated them and they weren’t allowed to leave the school once for the whole month, or watch TV, or use mobiles. And they had to have cold showers every morning and go for cross country runs!

Presenter what was the worst thing for them?

Michael The food definitely! Most of them hated it. They said it was cold and tasteless. And girls didn’t like cold showers much either...

Presenter What about the classes?

Michael Well of course the biggest difference for the kids the discipline. It was silence all the time during the lesson-only the teacher spoke. And anyone who misbehaved had to go to the headmaster and was either caned –hit on the hand –or had to stay behind after class and do extra work. And of course they couldn’t use computers or calculators, but curiously the kids didn’t really mind that, and in fact most of them found the lessons interesting than their normal lessons. They had to work very hard though.

 

T.30. Texting while walking

Reading or writing text messages while you are walking is dangerous. A new study says it is more dangerous than texting while driving. The study is from the University of Buffalo in the USA. Researchers found that there are more injuries per kilometer to texting pedestrians than there are to texting motorists. Their report says walking is not as easy as we think it is. We need to focus on many things at the same time to walk safely in a straight line. The research team said that people forget how to walk properly, so dangerous things happen to them. They bump into walls and other people, walk into cars, fall over things in the street, and even fall into holes or down stairs. A University professor said walking is a complex action. He said there are several reasons why texting stops people from walking properly. One reason is that they cannot see the path ahead of them. Another is that they are focused on their fingers on their mobile phone keyboard instead of their feet on the street. A final reason is that their minds are somewhere else and not on thinking, about walking from A to B safely. The professor said over 6,000 people visited his hospital last year because they were injured while texting. He said the worst cases are head injuries. When a pedestrian is tossed into the air after being hit by a car, he/she has nothing to protect the head, and the damage can be serious.

 

 

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PART IV

MATERIALS