Text 1 - A Perfect Day?

Before you start

1. What are your favourite kinds of TV programme? Tell the class. Use the Key Words to
help you: sports programmes, plays, the news, soap operas, documentaries, quizzes,
game shows, children's programmes, films
2. What kind of lifestyle do you think the man in the text has?
3. Read the text and answer these questions.
a) How many hours of TV does Brian watch?
b) List the TV programmes Brian watches.
c) Find two examples of lazy behaviour.
d) What do you think a 'couch potato' is?
Forty-three years Brian Blakey from Birmingham has sat on his couch watching telly and is
now talking about his perfect life.
When I wake up I dont get up immediately. I turn on the television and watch the
childrens programmes and old movies until about half-past ten. Then I get up, go
downstairs and switch on the telly. For lunch, I have biscuits and a glass of milk, and I
watch the news. In the afternoon, I often watch another old film - theyre showing some
good ones at the moment. In the evenings, I often watch soap operas or sport and the news
again. I like the main news at six oclock. At nine thirty, if there is a good play on BBC2, I
switch over and watch it. Then at night I watch more films and I usually switch off the telly
at about two oclock. I never watch the TV all night. I watch TV for sixteen or seventeen
hours a day. I also do some exercise every day. I take Tina, the dog, for a walk every
afternoon. I dont go far, of course. I walk to the wall outside my house. I always take my
portable telly and I sit on the wall while the dog walks round in a circle. Of course, I
couldnt live this lifestyle without a wife. Shes not here now because shes working, but she
always makes my meals. We havent got much money, you know, but were happy. Sit
down, watch the telly - youve got the world at your feet. And in your hand. Great!
4. Work in pairs. Is your partner a 'couch potato or an active person? Use the Key Words to ask
questions:
read, watch TV, play football/tennis; go jogging/cycling/swimming/dancing/walking; go to the
gym/for a walk/out/to a movie
Example: What do you do at weekends? Do you often go swimming?
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Text 4 - E A T I N G i n B R I T A I N
Do you know anything about British food? What kinds of British food do you know? Read on.
Years ago a Frenchman said that the only way to eat well in Britain was to eat breakfast
three times a day. And, let's be honest, most British food was terrible - overcooked
vegetables, greasy sausages, boring sandwiches. For a lot of people, eating was something
you had to do to survive; it was certainly not an enjoyable experience. But, things have
changed
* Food has become very important in Britain. TV cooks are more famous thaji writers and
their recipe books are bestsellers.
*More of us eat out regularly and we can get excellent food in lots of different kinds of
restaurants - French, Indian, Italian, Greek, Thai, Indonesian even British!
* Traditional British pubs serve surprisingly good meals at good prices.
* British supermarkets are now full of exotic cooking ingredients, sauces, pasta, cheese,
fruit and vegetables.
* The British love all kinds of 'international' food. The most popular is now pizza and,
according to a recent survey, 40% of British families have a curry for Sunday lunch,
instead of traditional dishes like roast beef.
* We eat less meat and more fresh fruit and vegetables. A growing number of people are
becoming vegetarians. Even children know about sugar-free sweets.
* That is the good news. Unfortunately, there is also some bad news. As we work harder
and have less time, we are eating more and more fast food and doing less exercise. For
lunch, many of us have a hamburger or sandwich and when we come home in the evening
we put our ready-made dinner into the microwave before sitting down in front of the TV.
Meals are no longer family occasions.
1. List three 'good' changes and three 'bad' changes in British eating
habits.
2. List some differences between eating habits in Britain and your
countr y.
Example: C urries are not popular in m y countr y.
3. W r i t e a d e s c r i p t i o n o f f o o d a n d e a t i n g h a b i t s i n y o u r c o u n t r y f o r a
foreign visitor.

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Text 5 -Who wants to be a Millionaire? I dont. says Charles Gray

Angus Deayton interviews ex-millionaire Charles Gray
Before you start
1. Would you like to be a millionaire? Why or why not? Tel l the class.
Sixteen years ago Charles was a college professor with a huge six-bedroom house
and a fortune of $2 million. Today he lives in a small caravan where there is only
second-hand furniture. There are certainly no signs that Charles was a rich man!
There is a small garden outside with a few fruit trees. Charles grows some
vegetables and a few flowers. He gets his clothes and a lot of other things from
charity shops.
But this change is not a tragedy. Charles was happy to give up the lifestyle of a ri ch
man. He was tired of being a person who had everything in a world where many
people have nothing. He made the choice to give all his money away. And this, he
says, has brought him happiness.
A few years ago, says Charles, I was a millionaire, but I k new there were a lot of
hungry people in the world. So he gave away all his money to charities. When he
had two thousand dollars left, he gave away small bank notes in the streets of local
poor areas. Did he feel like Father Christmas? It was a lot of fu n, says Charles.
Charles believes that many people want to earn a lot of money so that they will not
have any worries. However, most people never make much money. Charles Gray
decided to drop out and has discovered that having only a little money makes yo u
free. Are there any things he misses? No, Im much happier now. I wouldnt go
back to being rich for anything - no way.
2. Read the article again. Decide if the statements below are true (T), false (F) or there is no
information (Nl).
a) Charles Gray was a rich businessman.
b) He hasn't got a TV in his caravan.
c) He has got a vegetable garden.
d) Charles gave his money away to poor people.
e) People thought he was crazy when he gave away small bank notes in the street.
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f) He was happier when he was rich.

3. Compare Charles Cray's caravan to his previous home. Use these ideas or make up some of
your own.
persian carpets, paintings, antique furniture, plants, space, six bedrooms
Example: There were many paintings in his house, and now there are only some postcards
4. Write questions to ask another student about his/her lifestyle and possessions. Ask about
these things, using How much...? and How many...?

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Text 7 - Unjustified TV violence not acceptable, say viewers

Before you start
1. Do you have quality, local and tabloid newspapers in your country? Give some examples for
each category.
Read the newspaper article and decide which type of newspaper it is from.
Television violence is only acceptable to viewers if it is 'fair and justified', according to
research published by Leeds University yesterday.
The study found there was 'remarkable agreement' about which television violence was
serious and which was not. Even a group of pensioners agreed that a violent scene in the
well-known film Pulp Fiction was tolerable because the dialogue and situation made it
funny. Some people said they found the bad language in the film more offensive than the
violence.
Viewers were asked to comment on scenes from cartoons like Tom & Jerry, films like Pulp
Fiction, TV drama series like Channel 4's Brookside and news items about wars.
Researchers concluded that viewers made a distinction between violence with a purpose
and unjustified violence.
Phil Harding, the BBC's editorial controller, said: 'Now we will be able to make better
decisions about what we show, or what we don't show.' Sarah Thane, director of
programmes at ITV, said: 'The report gives interesting information about attitudes to
screen violence. But it doesn't mean that we can increase the amount of violence seen on
television.'

2. Imagine you work for a local newspaper. Write notes about real or imaginary news stories.
Choose one of these areas:
entertainment (e.g. a concert), sports (e.g. a local match), personal (e.g. a local girl won a
national chess competition), good news (e.g. new hospital opened), bad news (e.g. minor
accident)
Example:
What? 24-hour concert
Who? local group - the Plastic Roses
When? next Tuesday
Where? the local community centre
Why? to raise money for charity
Comment: brilliant idea
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Text 8 - The Advertising Game Shock Tactics

Although most advertisers use humour or fantasy to attract our attention, others try to
shock us so that we remember their message.
Some adverts present us with a puzzle; they show an unusual image which at first doesnt
make sense. For example, in the Micra advert, when we see a half-shaved head, we want to
know why the man has had his hair cut like that. In the end, we discover that a woman has
shaved the mans head because he borrowed her car! Because we have had to work out the
solution, we will probably remember the product better.
Other adverts play with words rather than images. When we understand the joke, we feel
very pleased with ourselves. Take the advert with the words: Last year 400,000 women
killed their husbands with a frying pan. At first, the words seem to refer to domestic
violence, but then we realise the advert is a warning about eating high-fat food!
Charities have also started advertising in this way. There is so much suffering in the real
world that it is often difficult to hold peoples attention. Because of this, charity advertisers
have developed ways of shocking the public. They use serious and frightening images. In
this case, such hard-hitting tactics are surely justified.
On the other hand, some adverts go too far when they are deliberately offensive. Justified?
The advertisers would say yes if the adverts sell the product.
1. Describe some adverts you see in magazines or on TV in your country. Use the Key Words to
describe them:
amusing, clever, offensive, serious, shocking, tasteless
Example: I think that .. advert on TV is .

2. Read the text and answer the following questions in your own words.
a) Why were the Micra car and Low-fat food adverts successful?
b) What is the joke with the frying pan advert?
c) Why do charity adverts have a problem holding people's attention?

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Text 12 Britain Today

Before you start
1. Do you travel a lot? Where/ when did you travel last? Where would you like to go?
Dont expect to see red phone boxes everywhere - there arent many left nowadays!
Some phones take cash (1, 50p, 20p and 10p coins) and some take phonecards - we suggest
having both. Phone after 6 p.m. - its cheaper! Useful numbers: Emergencies 999,
International Operator 155.
There are 50, 20, 10 and 5 notes, and coins worth 2, 1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and
1p. Avoid getting 50 notes if you can - some places might refuse to change them. If you
dont want to risk carrying a lot of cash, get some travellers cheques before your holiday.
Banks are usually open from 9.30 to 4.30, but most of them are closed on Saturdays. If the
bank is closed, use your own cash or credit card from home, in a cash machine or hole-inthe-wall, as the British call them - the machine will give you British currency.
Most pubs offer a good variety of food at reasonable prices. If you can afford to pay for
something more special, there are many International restaurants. If you see service
included on a restaurant bill, you dont need to tip. If it says service not included a 10%
tip is expected.
Hotels are expensive in Britain but there are some cheaper alternatives. Bed and
Breakfasts are private houses which offer accommodation and breakfast. Many of them
give excellent value for money. Youth hostels are even cheaper, if you dont mind sharing
with other people. Hostels vary greatly, but all those belonging to the Youth Hostel
Association (YHA) guarantee certain standards of comfort and cleanliness.
Wherever you decide to stay in Britain, we advise you to take a plug adaptor if you plan
to use any electrical appliance like a hairdryer. Plugs in Britain (like a lot of other things!)
are different from the rest o Europe.
Buses are probably the cheapest way to travel. If you cant stand going on long bus
journeys, you can always go by train. Trains in Britain are expensive but return tickets
(especially day returns) are a lot cheaper than singles. If you are staying In London, you
can save a lot of money by getting a travel card for one day or for a week to go on the Tube
and buses.
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We cant promise to provide good weather for your trip - British weather is very
changeable. If you enjoy sitting in the hot sun all day, you should consider going
somewhere else for your holidays! During the main tourist season, June-August, the
weather is mild, usually between 200C and 250C.
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1. Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?

a) In Britain, phone calls are more expensive in the evening.
b) 50 is the largest note.
c) You don't always need to leave a tip after a meal in a restaurant.
d) Youth hostels are cheap but very uncomfortable.
e) You can't take electrical appliances to Britain and use them without an adaptor.
f) UK buses are cheaper than trains.
g) You can use travel cards when you travel around Britain by bus or train.

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Text 16 Neighbours from Hell

Before your start
1. What usually causes conflict between neighbours? Have you ever had problems with your
neighbours?
Fergus Maclean, a professional piper, has packed his bags. Not only has he decided to move
house, but he is emigrating to America after his neighbours in Dundee made several
complaints about noise pollution.
Never has he known anything like it. What Mr feels upset about is the fact that people call
his music noise pollution. Its this that really gets to me, fumes Mr Maclean.
I mean, the pipes are our national instrument, arent they? Its not surprising that lot of
our best pipers go to live abroad. Seldom have bagpipes caused such conflict.
Mr Macleans neighbours claimed that they were literally being driven mad by the noise.
Had they known that their neighbour was a piper, one couple said, they wouldn't have
moved into the street. All we want to do is forget the sound of bagpipes! they said. No
sooner had they moved in than the noise began to drive them mad. Mr Maclean practised
for five hours a day and rarely did they get a chance to have a lie-in in the morning.
Neither could they read a book at home without wearing earplugs!
In the end, the local council took action. It was only after careful consideration that we
gave Mr Maclean a warning, a council spokesman said. What counts as noise pollution is
not clearly defined - there is no difference between someone playing the bagpipes and loud
rock music.
2. Read about the dispute between two neighbours. Whose side are you on, the bagpiper's or his
neighbours'? Why?

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