Read the text once again to fulfill the tasks to follow.

PART 1

Unit I

Pre-reading tasks

1. Look through the key words and expressions and guess what this text is about:

smoking                   to see no evil                     tobacco

definite link         to take timid (робкий) measures                                     to tax (облагать налогом)

bronchial troubles             cigarette advertising (реклама)            harmful

lung cancer               to ban                                                       short-sighted policy (недальновидная политика)

governments            cancer research

Think of and write down 5 questions the answers to which this text might contain.

Is smoking really harmful?

What consequences does smoking lead?

What antismoking policy is operate in the world?

3. Now look through the text to see:

a) if your guess about the contents of the text was correct;

b) what questions can be answered. (Answer these questions).

1. If you smoke and you don't believe that there is a definite link between smoking and bronchial troubles, heart disease and lung cancer, then you are certainly deceiving (обманывать) yourself. Let us say that you are suffering from a bad case of wishful thinking. Whenever the subject of smoking and health is raised, the governments of most countries hear no evil, see no evil and smell no evil. Admittedly (по общему признанию), a few governments have taken timid measures. In Britain, for instance, cigarette advertising has been banned on television. The conscience (сознание) of the nation is appeased (успокоено), while the population continues to puff its way to a smoky, cancerous death. You don't have to look very far to find out why the official reactions to medical findings have been so lukewarm (без энтузиазма, прохладный). The answer is simply money.

2. Tobacco is a wonderful commodity (продукт) to tax. It's almost like a tax on our daily bread. In tax revenue (годовой доход) alone the government of Britain collects enough from smokers for its entire educational facilities (для полного обеспечения образовательного процесса). So while the authorities point out (подчеркивают) ever so discreetly (осторожно) that smoking may, conceivably (возможно), be harmful_, it does not shout too loudly about it. This is surely the most short-sighted policy you could imagine. While money is eagerly collected in vast sums with one hand, it is paid out (выплачивается) in increasingly vaster sums with the other. Enormous amounts are spent on cancer research and on efforts to cure people suffering from the disease. Countless valuable lives are lost. In the long run, there is no doubt that everybody would be much better-off (обеспеченный=богатый) if smoking were banned altogether.

3. Of course, we are not ready for such drastic actions. But if the governments of the world were honestly concerned about the welfare (благосостояние) of their people, do you think they'd conduct aggressive anti-smoking campaign? Far from it (ничуть)! The tobacco industry is allowed to spend staggering sums on advertising. Its advertising is as insidious (хитрый) as it is dishonest. We are never shown pictures of real smokers coughing up (выкашливающие) their lungs early in the morning. That would never do. The advertisements always depict (отражать) virile clean-shaven (возмужалый, чисто выбритый) young men. They suggest it is manly to smoke, even positively healthy. Smoking is associated with the great open-air life, beautiful girls, true love and togetherness. What utter nonsense!

4. For a start governments could begin by banning all cigarette and tobacco advertising and should then conduct anti-smoking advertising campaigns of their own. Smoking should be banned in all public places like theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Great efforts should be made to inform young people especially of the dire (ужасный) consequences of taking up (приобретать) the habit. A horrific warning - say, a picture of death's head - should be included in every packet of cigarettes that is sold. As individuals we are certainly weak, but if governments acted honestly and courageously (смело), they could protect us from ourselves.

Post-reading tasks

Read the text once again to fulfill the tasks to follow.

1. The text has no heading. Below you will find three possible versions. Choose the one that suits best the information given in the text. Explain your choice .

a) Anti-smoking campaigns.

b) Dreadful consequences of smoking.

c) Smoking! Is it really harmful?

(If none of the variants is good enough, in your opinion, suggest your own heading.)

2. Choose the synonyms to the words given in italics according to the context.

evil        a) badness     b) wickedness c) sin     d) harm

commodity     (продукт, предмет потребления)

a) thing           b) convenience c) product d) purchase

to take up a) to begin       b) to raise up  c) to have d) to develop

welfare  a) well-being   b) prosperity  c) security d) happiness

3. Match questions with the paragraphs of the text. One question is unnecessary .

1. In which paragraph does the author

a) argue that medical costs of lung cancer increase? 2

b) give examples of the erroneous (ложный) belief that one’s wishes are in accordance with reality? 1

c) state that cigarette advertising does harm unseen and secretly? 3

d) prove that the population is not ready to inform young people of dreadful consequences of smoking?

2. In which paragraph is the author of the opinion that governments should conduct tough, courageous and fair anti-smoking policy? 4