Questions for Discussion. 1. Do you think Ted and Caroline would have changed their plans for Christmas if they had known how their parents felt?

 

1. Do you think Ted and Caroline would have changed their plans for Christmas if they had known how their parents felt?

2. If the children had been younger would they have obeyed their parents?

3. Do you consider Ted and Caroline heartless and ungrateful? Is it typical of young people to behave the way they did? If the children had been more considerate and loving would they have declined their friends’ invitation?

4. Could you possibly account for all the circumstances that might have led to the children’s behavior?

5. Could you possibly explain why the parents should have so easily taken their children’s behavior for granted?

6. Do you think Ted and Grace understood their children well enough?

7. Could you possibly account for the part the parents’ overindulgence might have played in the children’s upbringing?

8. What is the moral of the story (if any)?

9. What is your impression of the story and the characters?

 

№3. Find English equivalents in the text of the following.

1. Другие первокурсники университета, которые раньше были здесь, вернулись двадцать первого, в тот день, когда должны били начаться каникулы.

2. «Ты не думаешь, что что-нибудь могло случиться?», - сказала Грейс. «Нам бы сообщили, если бы что-нибудь случилось.», - сказал Том. «Конечно, это маловероятно, - сказала Грейс, - но с ними мог произойти несчастный случай в таком месте, откуда некому было сообщить об этом или позвонить или сделать еще что-нибудь».

3. Я тебе говорил, что не о чем беспокоиться.

4. «Где Тед?» «Разве он еще не вернулся? Я не видела его с тех пор, как мы его высадили у хоккейной площадки».

5. «Ну, ты иди сразу спать», - сказала мать. «Ты, должно быть, очень устала».

6. «Мы с сестренкой думали, что вы будете обедать в семье, как обычно».

7. Тед и Каролина в какой-то мере сдержали свое обещание. Они провели часть вечера дома, а Мердоки, должно быть, привели к ним всех своих и чужих друзей, судя по последствиям.

 

№4. Retell the text as close to the original as possible:

a) tell the story as it is told by the author;

b) as it might have been told by Tom or Grace, Ted or Caroline.

 

№5. Translate from Russian into English and from English into Russian as quickly as possible.

Накануне чего-либо – freshman – аспирант – sophomore – to trace – по расписанию – terrific – fit for studies – портить кому-либо жизнь – go without – to be inclined to do smth – не ложиться спать – to keep a date – inclination – adorn – притворяться – trace the lost goods – бесследно – barely – довольный – разбрасывать – obedient – to keep a deal – уютный – pick out – pretend to be writing – have one’s cell phone fixed – назначить свидание – without delay – to go astray – ahead of schedule – непослушный – в полусознательном состоянии – rehash – праздник – adornment

№6. Translate these sentences into English using the words from the text (aurally).

1. Он притворился, что не понимает сути вопроса.

2. Пусть он не притворяется таким смущенным.

3. Смит претендует на то, что его машина – последнее слово техники.

4. Делайте, как считаете нужным.

5. После аварии в шахте Том оказался непригодным ни к какой работе.

6. Он, по-видимому, не счел нужным говорить ей об этом.

7. Ты случайно не знаешь расписание поездов?

8. Мы ждем автобуса уже полчаса! – Он опаздывает из-за снегопада.

9. Поезда метро ходят строго по расписанию.

10. Я бы хотел, чтобы вы сделали эту работу без промедления.

11. С которого часа вы его ждете? – С девяти. – Он, должно быть, задержался на ферме.

12. Оборудование уже установлено? – Нет еще. – Из-за чего же задержка? – Оно все еще в ремонте.

13. Я бы предпочел, чтобы вы прекратили этот давнишний спор.

14. Им давно пора забыть об это давнишней ссоре.

15. Вам лучше установить дату встречи на месте.

16. Сколько времени он уже встречается с ней?

17. На вашем месте я бы запретила детям сидеть допоздна.

18. Было бы лучше, если бы дети не засиживались так поздно.

19. Он, должно быть, сразу же подчинился приказу.

20. Это заставило его тогда не послушаться родителей?

21. Если бы он послушался нас тогда, он бы не попал в ловушку.

22. Ребенок послушно отложил книгу.

23. Угадай кто звонит?

24. Я полагаю, он починил свой ноутбук.

25. Интересно, догадался ли он о нашем намерении.

26. Почему бы нам не отложить встречу?

27. Я бы предпочел, чтобы он отложил этот разговор.

28. С усилием летчик поднял руку и ощутил острую боль.

29. Вы уверены, что он осознал свою вину?

30. Жаль, что вы отказались от их приглашения.

31. Ему только что предложили интересную работу. Почему он отказался от нее?

32. Напомните ему, чтобы он получил доступ к новым материалам.

33. Кого он напоминает вам?

34. Какую телефон вы выбрали? Сенсорный или кнопочный?

35. Интересно, какую профессию выберет его сын?

36. Кто был избран президентом США?

37. Интересно, какие приложения он выбрал?

38. С его братом поговорить – одно удовольствие!

39. Было бы лучше, если бы обращались с сыном как со взрослым человеком.

40. К тому времени, как я подошел, подарок был уже куплен.

41. Он очень одаренный физик.

42. У него большие способности к музыке.

 

№7.Translate from Russian into English (in writing).

1. Вы напомнили ему о собрании? Почему он сделал вид, что не знает об этом?

2. На вашем месте я бы выбрал другую книгу.

3. Почему бы нам не отложить встречу?

4. Когда он предъявил претензию на это изобретение?

5. Было бы лучше, если бы вы не отказались от их предложения.

6. Он наверняка подчинился этому распоряжению.

7. О его последней книге много говорили. Стыдно сказать, но я ничего не знаю о ней.

8. Автобус опаздывает. Мы ждем его уже тридцать минут.

9. Если бы меня не задержали на работе я бы пришел вовремя.

10. Вашей дочери давно пора выбрать профессию.

11. Он оказался непригодным ни к какому делу.

12. Если ты посмотришь этот фильм, ты получишь настоящее удовольствие. – Полагаю, что это вопрос вкуса.

13. Он собирается работать в детском лагере этим летом и ему придется сдать экзамены досрочно.

14. Он подсказал ему неправильное решение задачи и тем самым ввел его в заблуждение.

15. Он пригласил ее на свидание, но она не пришла по непонятной причине.

16. Они украшали рождественскую елку допоздна.

17. Ему сказали, что он подходит для этой работы, потому что он безответственный человек.

18. Он притворился, что он читает или пишет, но он не читал и не писал.

19. В парламенте был предложен законопроект об ослаблении налогового бремени.

20. Она нарушила запрет и тем самым испортила жизнь себе и другим.

 

 

№8. Сhoose one of the following situation and make up a dialogue on your own.

1. A sophomore is having fun at a friend’s party and runs late home. He/she knows that a father is coming back from a business trip and they were going to have a family dinner together. Make up a telephone call trying to get permission from the parents for a late coming.

 

Vocabulary to use: to be somewhat delay; to sit up late the previous night; to have a jolly party; terrific; delay at a friend’s place; go out seldom; to have a chat with friends; to cook a delicious meal; to relish the quiet and appealing atmosphere of a family dinner; let smbd stay as long as smbd wishes; to show disrespect for one’s family;

 

 

2. One of you is an elder sister/brother who is a magistrate student. He/she has a younger brother/sister who is a fresher at one of the most prestigious universities. The younger thinks that parents are over-protective and should allow him/her more freedom. The elder give advice for the younger about how to avoid arguments and respect the folks.

 

Vocabulary to use:to be over-protective; jumpy; to be anxious about smbd/smth; to treat as a child; to be conscious about smth; to behave like an adult; obedient; to know better than; family values; to know life; to retain patience; as the custom is; to be crazy about; to bent under one’s burden; so many families so many customs.

 

№ 9. Complete the story using some of the words and expressions given below.

A Date with Love

It was close on eight o’clock in the evening. Jack stood at the customary corner, roses in his hand. The crowd was busily screaming past him. Minutes seemed like hours to Jack. He kept on looking up and down the street. Still there was no sign of Susan. He tried to reach her by cell but the telephone was dead.

to make a date with smb; a custom of long standing; to date smb for months; to be smbd’s date; to be always on schedule; to sit up late the previous night; to be devilishly jumpy; to be conscious of it; the subconscious mind prompted that; to retain patience; guess who is it; to keep one’s date after all; a dree of elaborate design; to be detained by a traffic accident; to be not in the habit of; to be conscious of one’s guilt; to be a crying shame that; that looks a wonderful gift; it’s a real treat for me; not to decline smbd’s proposal but; to obey one’s parents; as the custom is

 

№ . You are going to read the article devoted to various attitudes to work among the elder generation and so called Y-generation.

 

You can see representatives of four generations depicted on the picture. The gap between each group is considered to be quite narrow.

1. Guess the age of each age group. In what way do you think their values and attitudes differ?

2. As for the attitude to work in what way do you think it differs for each age group?

 

The don’t live for work… they work to live

The Guardian

May 28^th, 2008

Settling down on the shiny black sofa in the front room of their student house in Jesmond, Newcastle, Ailsa McNeil and her flatmates discuss what they would do once they had left university.

'The idea of moving into the financial world of London and working long hours inside a massive company does not appeal to me,' said McNeil, placing a textbook down on the cream carpet, among scattered magazines, scarves and revision notes. The 20-year-old had a final-year exam for her economics degree the next day.

People in their late teens and early twenties, she argued, were far keener to have a 'good life with a standard amount of money' than 'slog' their guts out like their parents. 'I saw my mum and dad work really hard, but my work ethic is different,' said McNeil. 'I want to do well but I want to have great fun in life. Money and work are not the be all and end all. If you put all your effort into your job you lose sense of what you are living for.'

McNeil is not alone. New research has found that a similar attitude to work is burgeoning among the group of people known as Generation Y - usually defined as those between the ages of 11 and 25. A study of more than 2,500 people born after the early Eighties found that they were rebelling against their parents' values and were determined not to lead lives that revolved so heavily around the world of work.

Instead, they were ready to resign if their jobs were not fulfilling and fun, with decent holidays and the opportunity to take long stretches off for charity work or travel. Salary and status were not high on the priority list, according to the study by Talentsmoothie, a firm that consults companies in banking, professional services and the law on the changing workforce.

Here is a group that has never known, or even witnessed, hardship, recession or mass unemployment and does not fear redundancy or repossession, according to researchers. The result is a generation that believes it can have it all and is not embarrassed to ask for it; a generation that will constitute the majority of the workforce within a decade.

That is why major companies, embroiled in the battle to attract the very best graduates, are doing whatever they can to lure them in. 'The previous generation saw work as a primary part of life,' said Madalyn Brooks, HR director at Procter and Gamble. 'When they left education, work was a dominant part of what they did and they were not looking for time out. Now we are seeing the growth of a different profile of candidate. They have grown up in relatively affluent families. They want to be sure that they can strike a balance between work and their personal life, and so the opportunity to take time off, to travel, to work for a company with a strong social responsibility record, these are all concerns that we increasingly hear when recruiting talent.'

Procter and Gamble has already adapted its recruitment efforts and what it offers to meet the needs of Generation Y. Instead of just stressing higher salaries, this international company is highlighting the opportunity for flexible hours, the chance to work from home, the offer of up to a year of 'family leave' to look after children or elderly parents, and the promise of regular three-month sabbaticals. Similar packages are being offered by companies across Britain.

The fact that young people changed jobs more frequently, argued Chinn, meant they were less willing to put up with long hours or poor holidays. Officials in the US have estimated that a typical member of Generation Y will have 10 jobs by the age of 38. 'People think, why stay in a job you do not enjoy?' he said.

It is the lack of a significant downturn in the economy over the past decade and a half that is driving the new attitude, say experts. Generation Y: what they want from work, the research from Talentsmoothie, concluded: 'They have only ever known economic prosperity. They have many choices: gap years and extensive travel are the norm. They can join a company, or set up their own. They have seen their parents in stressful jobs, working long hours, and realise that hard work for big companies apparently does not bring prosperity and happiness, or make the world a better place. They want their lives to be different - and this shows. If they are dissatisfied, they resign.'

The study found that 85 per cent of Generation Y wanted to spend 30 per cent to 70 per cent of their time working from home. More than half wanted a flexible working arrangement.

'The Boomer generation [who are over 45] created the culture of long working hours and Xers [aged between 28 and 45] reluctantly accepted it,' the report said. 'But not Generation Y. While they are not work-shy, they don't live to work. They will get the job done on time ... but on their own terms.'

The confidence, it said, came from a feeling of security: 'Unlike Xers and Boomers, they are not remotely daunted by the spectre of unemployment.'

Simon Walker, a founding director of Talentsmoothie, said this generation considered work something to do, not somewhere to go. 'As long as they achieve what they need to they are not worried about being seen to do it at their desks,' he said, explaining why things were different for the older generation. 'I am 40 and when I was 10, 12, 14, there was the winter of discontent, Thatcherism and miner strikes. Three million were unemployed, so subconsciously employment was seen as precious and there was no such thing as a secure job. For the next generation, there was full employment, unprecedented economic growth. Their attitude is: "If I can't get one job, I will get another one." They are not preconditioned, like many of us, to be cautious of authority.'

In fact, the research found that younger workers were far more willing to challenge managers and were undeterred by traditional hierarchy. Walker said he was trying to help 'Boomer' and 'Xer' managers to understand the new attitude and not get frustrated by it. Much of what the workers were demanding, he said, such as work-life balance, personal development, exciting jobs and motivating managers, would be welcomed by older workers as well. But the clash of values was causing friction in offices.

In one case, outlined in the study, a chief executive of a large insurance firm emailed thousands of employees to inform them about a major decision. Sitting at his desk in the middle of the huge office, James, 24, who had recently joined the firm, told his older colleagues he disagreed with what had been done. He quickly decided to share his feelings with the head of the company and sent his thoughts directly to him in an email.

Within minutes, a reply popped up on James's screen: 'I have been running this company for 10 years; I think I know what I am doing.' Still undeterred, he hit back: 'I realise this is an uncomfortable conversation but I am not the only one that disagrees with you.' Luckily he was able to convince the boss that he was not simply being rude.

While warning that those who did not make an effort to respond to the needs of this group would end up 'dead in the water', Gilleard added: 'Just how far do employers lean over backwards before they end up being horizontal?' Others felt that companies should not 'overreact' to the new values and attitudes, warning that things could soon change again.

Helen Bostock, global head of campus recruiting for the investment bank Credit Suisse and a board member of the AGR, said: 'A few years ago I recall the dotcom bubble when everyone was trying to reinvent themselves with an entrepreneurial culture. Now it is generational theory. What happens is that employers get sucked into the whole thing, then the pendulum swings one way or another. One thing that is consistent is that there is always something we are tackling. If it is not work-life balance, it is diversity, inclusion or something else.

Given her global role, Bostock argued that Generation Y differed from country to country and warned that the time for UK graduates to be complacent about job opportunities would soon come to an end.

'There are highly talented individuals from China and India heading our way,' she said. 'They are hungry, focused on work and focused on academic success. Just look at the number of high-achieving Asian women studying maths and science compared with home-grown students. This generation is facing different challenges.'

Walker said he planned to look at how attitudes differed across the world. He argued that 'generational attitudes' were partly dictated by age but also circumstances. In China, Generation Y was made up of only-children, as a result of the one-child policy, who grew up through difficult economic times. They would have very different values to their British counterparts, he said.

'We see young people that are searching for some sort of meaning in life and if you can't align their values with the organisation they might leave,' said Julia Middleton, the group's chief executive. 'I think life is cyclical - and there is a return to people searching for meaning and searching for values.'

Now, for the first time in many years that threat is returning. While it may come as an uncomfortable shock for those self-assured members of Generation Y, it could also create a whole new work ethic among the toddlers and babies that constitute Generation Z; born after 2002 they still have a long way to go before they are thrown into a whole new world of work.

Find English equivalents in the article for the following: не привлекает меня; лезть из кожи вон; направлять все свои усилия; восстать против ценностей; брать долгие перерывы в работе; работа, приносящая удовлетворение; массовая безработица; бояться сокращений; стеснятся просить; установить баланс; делать мир лучше; гибкие условия работы; забастовка шахтеров; беспрецедентный экономический бум; быть предрасположенным к чему-либо; оспаривать мнение руководителя; неприятный разговор; столкновение ценностей; пойти на попятный; слишком остро реагировать; член совета директоров; бум интернет компаний; маятник качает из стороны в сторону; что является постоянным, так это; культурные различия; интеграция; спокойно и снисходительно рассматривать предложения работы; появляются на горизонте; разница позиций поколений;

Find Russian equivalents for the following words and word combinations: burgeon; revolve heavily around; fulfilling job; repossession; constitute; lure in; affluent family; flexible hour; sabbatical; put up with long hours; drive a new attitude; gap year; and this shows; undeterred by traditional hierarchy; be frustrated by it; motivating managers; lean over backwards; overreact to; dotcom bubble; consistent; diversity; inclusion; to be complacent about job opportunities; head one’s way; generational attitudes

 

Questions on the text:

1. What demands does generation Y put on towards the job and career?

2. What are the social and historical reasons that brought up such an attitude?

3. How do older generations treat their job? Why the job was more important to them rather than to younger generation?

4. What do companies have to do to attract the graduates to work for them?

5. The author argues that young generation tends to challenge the authorities and argue with the older ones. Would you agree that it is characteristic only for this young generation or for all youngsters in general? Can you give an example?

6. One of the ideas the author puts forward is that people of other nationalities do not share work ethics of younger generation in Britain. Does it mean that gap between generations is more acute that national differences?

7. Sum up the differences in attitudes to job between two age group. What standpoint would you take?

8. Do you think such variety of attitudes towards work can be traced in this country as well?

9. Another conclusion that one can make on reading the passage is that work is the platform were generational clashes can be met and become apparent. Do you think this can be applicable to teacher’s profession? Can generation gap be sort of an issue in the learning-teaching process?

10. Visualize yourself as a recruiter who has to find the head of an educational department with a big company. You have two candidates to choose from – a 45-year-old gentleman who previously occupied the position of deputy school mistress and a 27-year old language teacher who ran English at a language center. Who would be your candidate of choice and why?

Translate from Russian into English:

1. Молодые люди не хотят направлять все свои усилия, чтобы делать карьеру. Для них важны гибкие условия работы.

2. В прошлом году он уходил в творческий отпуск, а теперь, когда его сын решил сделать перерыв и поступать в университет только на следующий год, он тоже думает взять отпуск по семейным обстоятельствам.

3. Во времена, когда процветает массовая безработица, а многие боятся сокращений приходится долго засиживаться на работе и делать все возможное, чтобы сохранить рабочее место.

4. – Зря он стал оспаривать мнение руководства. Он всего лишь недавно стал членом совета директоров и ему не следовало так остро реагировать на изменение политики компании.

– Не могу с вами не согласиться. Насколько я знаю, у него был потом неприятный разговор с председателем совета директоров.

5. Чтобы привлечь работников, международные компании теперь вынуждены предлагать более гибкие условия работы и придерживаться политики культурных различий и интеграции.

6. Во времена бума интернет-компаний и беспрецедентного экономического роста выпускники вузов могли позволить себе спокойно рассматривать предложения работы. Но теперь многие вынуждены мириться с более жесткими условиями работы, да и мигранты тоже стоят на горизонте у работодателей.

7. – Для меня важно найти работу, приносящую удовлетворение с гибким рабочим графиком.

– Мне кажется, тебя бросает из крайности в крайность. Еще недавно ты был готов довольствоваться любой работой.