Answer the following questions.

1.   What does the author implicitly mean (зд. “подразумевает”) by ‘the Western style’?

2. How does the Russian language demonstrate that a lot of Russians smoke?

3. Do you agree with the author saying that ‘Russian culture is suffused with smoking’? Why or why not?

B: Mystical Russians. ‘Many Russians use home remedies for common illnesses. Lots of people drink hot chicken soup when they have a cold. They find it clears the head and the nose. Some people rub oil on the chest for a cold. Other people drink a mixture of red pepper, hot water, sugar, lemon juice, and milk or vinegar.

Russians are a mystical, religious, superstitious people at heart. ...The roots of these superstitions seem to lie in the country-side, like the Russian fondness for proverbs or their belief in folk remedies. City people as well as peasants often prefer medicinal herbs and grasses or mustard plaster over modern drugs. My friend was advised to apply a copper coin to reduce swelling. We saw Russians wearing garlic cloves around their necks to fight off a cold.’

(H.Smith. The Russians)

Answer the following questions.

1. What kind of remedies do Russians use for common illnesses?

2. Why do you think the author calls Russians ‘mystical’ and ‘superstitious’ people? Where do the roots of these superstitions lie according to the author?

3. Do you agree or disagree with the author’s opinion? Do you use folk remedies, herbs, etc for simple ailments? Do you think this type of treatment is more (less) effective than the traditional (medicinal) one? Why or why not?

C. Are all Russians chocoholics? ‘One day my Russian friend and a colleague of hers ate their way through more than four chocolate bars. Afterwards they felt ‘very, very unwell.’

‘It’s quite usual. All Russian women have a sweet tooth,’ she said. Despite such excesses, they are not overweight. How come? ‘Chocolate tasting is like wine tasting,’ they told me, ‘you don’t swallow unless it’s so good you can’t resist. I think all of us have become immune to chocolate. It no longer makes us put on weight.’ Perhaps they have become immune to the temptations which in their airy office in Gorky Street I found overwhelming. There were chocolates everywhere.

Their chocolate enthusiasm began early. ‘When I was little I, like every kid, wanted to work in the chocolate bar factory. I was just like a child in a sweet shop, eating everything. But that’s worn off. I like chocolate, but I’m not a chocoholic’, says one of them.

(http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/)

Answer the following questions.

1. Do you agree that all Russian women have a sweet tooth?

2. In what way does eating much chocolate and sweets affect your health?

 HOW TO BEAT HOLIDAY STRESS

Are holidays really an antidote to stress? Most of us would agree that a fortnight in some sun-kissed place like Italy will do us a lot of good. But are we right?

‘Holiday can be a source of stress,’ claims Shirley Davenport in her article ‘How to Beat Holiday Stress’. She writes, ‘The traditional summer break, regarded by many people as the highlight of their year, can actually undermine health and put pressure on family relationships. A lot of people believe a holiday will work out a magic for them. But holidays are spent in strange places where it may be difficult for tense people to relax.

 They may feel even more disturbed if they get the idea that others are having a more wonderful time than they are. It becomes a complex vicious circle (зд. запутанный, порочный круг), with people coming home more stressed than before they went away.’  (Shirley Davenport. How to Beat Holiday Stress. http://67.118.51.201./bol/default.cfm).

A lot of specialists and laymen agree that holiday preparations are very stressful because we have to solve a number of problems like buying tickets, boarding the family pet, looking for someone to water our home-plants, last-minute shopping and so on before we leave. Besides, many of us worry about securing home against burglars. Among other stress factors are heavy traffic, crowded airports, stuffy waiting rooms, irregular meal times, poor service in hotels, delayed flights, etc.

What should we do then? Some experts say we should take three short holidays a year instead of a long mid-summer one. Professor Gary Cooper, psychologist at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, says, ‘A big mistake is to take your holiday according to the month, instead of when your body tells you. July and August can be the most disastrous months for holidays because there are always crowds, queues and delays. Holidays are a time for peace, quiet and personal space.’

‘Many couples and families are simply not used to spending a long time with each other,’ says Professor Ben Fletcher, head of psychology at Hertfordshire University, ‘and some people cannot cope with that. Others may try to establish who is boss on holiday. Some people may worry about what happens if they are taken ill’. Disappointment is very stressful, if your holiday lets you down you won’t be refreshed and may feel in need of another holiday. It’s not going to kill you, but it won’t help you to recharge your batteries.’ (Shirley Davenport. How to Beat Holiday Stress. http://67.118.51.201./bol/default.cfm).