· Having no close friend
· Pressure at school
· Lessons at school are too difficult
· Bullies at school
· Planning the future career (to enter a good university and find a good job afterwards)
· Having pocket money
Suicide
· Loneliness or bad conditions of life
· Love without reciprocity
· Constant failures
· Gang-violence
· Death of close people or serious disease
· Loss of money or financial problems
· Drugs and alcohol
Drugs
· Young people take drugs to escape from worries at home or at school.. They think that smoking and alcohol can help you relax and feel more confident and sociable. It causes addiction or dependence after regular use.
· Some young people think you’re more attractive to the opposite sex after a few drinks. It’s nothing but illusion. The sight of a person with a silly smile, zigzag walking and slurred speech will have the opposite effect.
· Everybody talks about drugs. Young people hear bad and good things about them. So they get curious and want to see themselves if drugs are good or bad. Some drugs may depress or stop breathing. They can cause unbalanced emotions and serious mental disorders.
. Homelessness
· Unemployment (Parents can’t find a well-paid job; they don’t have enough money to feed their children)
· Parents are too busy with their work and they don’t have time to look after their children
· Unsatisfactory living conditions (they are no longer able or willing to live with their parents)
· Some families have lost their homes which they owned themselves (due to fraud)
· Some children do not have their own flat or room (sometimes homeless children live in empty houses)
· Some children have problems at home and at school, so they want to escape from them
· Refuges (most of them are from the former Soviet republics)
· Most of them leave home because they want to get work and experience of the world
Д/З: подготовить мини-проект на тему «Проблемы молодежи в современном обществе».
УРОК №31-32. Молодёжные субкультуры. Участие молодёжи в социальной и политической жизни.
Today the life of many young people in Russia as well as in other countries of the world is influenced by popular culture. The young follow certain stereotypes that are imposed on them through TV, movies, and music. In their lifestyle they try to imitate the images of their idols. Other young people are sports and music fans. They frequent stadiums and huge concert halls. They follow their idols in their tours and support them. Unfortunately they are intolerant to those who don't share their view. It's a specific aspect of the youth subculture that can't be ignored. But many young people have other interests. For some of them getting knowledge is of primary importance. They are fond of reading serious books, listening to serious music. They go to the conservatory and theatres. They are engaged in Hi-Tech through the Internet. They are fond of stories and novels written by Victor Pelevin, Boris Akunin. The novels by Strougutsky's are best read even today, because it is science fiction, which is very popular among young people.
I think that subculture is the culture of those who are dissatisfied with their place in society. Different subcultures have their own beliefs, value systems, fashion, and favourite music. For example the subculture of Rastafairians was based on nostalgia for a lost world. They idealized Africa. Rastafairians were Afro-Caribbean immigrants in Britain. They began to wear distinctive clothes, camouflage jackets, large hats in the red, gold and green colours of Ethiopia and put their long, uncut hair in dreadlocks. They brought to us such tapes of music as ska, reggae and hip-hop. Many subcultures developed as a result of music fusion of black and white cultures. For example skinheads, which wore heavy boots, jeans and braces and shave their hair or cut it very short. Skinheads dreamed about the revival of the traditional working class culture. Skinheads were identified with extreme right wing views. There are many other subcultures such as Hippies, Punks, Mods, Rockers, Ravers and many others. Generally they were young people with low self-respect, who did poorly at school. They opposed the traditional world in which they where settled as fiasco elements.
Subcultures are not that bad as they are thought to be. Teens want to show off. But at the same time a lot of teens think about changing the world to the best. Subcultures are for teens. Then, I am sure, teenagers become good citizens. Some who were punks became the main editors of famous newspapers. A subculture is a way of life. It is not a fan club, it is a real life for us.
Д/З: подготовить презентацию на тему «Виды субкультур», составить топик на тему «Молодежные субкультуры и участие молодежи в социально-политической жизни».
УРОК №33. Повседневное поведение молодёжи.
Schoolchildren usually do not have much free time, because they have to go to school and do their homework. Still, you have to relax sometime. To my mind, it is possible to divide all teenagers into two groups: formal and informal. Teenagers from formal groups generally spend their leisure time doing sports, shopping or going out with friends, sightseeing and travelling; watching TV or listening to the music of their favourite radio station. Teenagers from informal groups spend their free time according to their values and beliefs. They may team with those who share their interests and listen to the music that deviates from the mainstream. They may have rave parties or bike shows, navigate the internet, or organize fan clubs.
In big cities some teenagers from informal groups (e.g. skinheads) gather in gangs. They drink alcohol, fight, break everything they see, and write on walls. They practice vandalism. They enjoy it. They must be freaks who have nothing else to do. They wish nothing else. I think, they really have problems with free time activities. Such teenage gangsters or mobsters, usually get into trouble and create a distorted image of the younger generation. I find their behaviour absolutely provocative and terribly disgraceful.
Some other teens prefer to spend a lot of time indoors because they are TV addicts or fond of computer/video games. Some like to be alone because they are keen on reading or watching videos. I do not like this kind of pastime. It makes you passive. I prefer outdoor activities. I enjoy being with other people. There are lots of interesting things for us to do. There is no use to stay in and watch your telly – instead choose a healthy hobby!
Most teenagers in Russia like to go out with their friends or simply talk. There are a lot of topics to discuss. Friends can help you find new records, computer programmes or just new opportunities to enjoy your free time. I feel I could share all my feelings with my friends and they would understand me very well. We usually go to McDonald’s, the city centre, or a disco club. We talk or listen to some positive music.I know some teens who are fans of a music group or a singer. They collect posters and records, visit concerts regularly, and exchange pictures and news. They like to sing songs of their pop or rock idols and find information about them in the internet. On different websites, admirers can find pictures, and lyrics. Some even download the music.
Other teens are sport fans or go in for sports themselves. British boys and girls play their traditional sport games, such as cricket, soccer, rugby, golf, and tennis. American boys and girls usually play American football, baseball, and basketball. Cheerleaders are also very popular in the USA.My friend and I like to play basketball and volleyball. In summer we play beach volleyball, badminton, and table tennis. But I would not like to join a sports team. I want to play just for fun, not to become a champion.
Some teens spend a lot of time with their pets. One of my friends trains a puppy in his free time.
I know that in Britain and the USA many teenagers earn money after school or during vacations. They work for their pocket money or to support their families. They can work in a local pub, a shop, a supermarket, or a golf club. The majority of kids prefer to deliver mail. Some work in stables, if they like horses; some work as baby-sitters, if they like babies. If I could, I would work too, though in Russia teens have fewer job opportunities. I could babysit, deliver letters. It’s great to acquire some working experience while you are still at school. I believe, I could even work abroad.
The best way to relax for me is travelling. If your parents are made of money, you are a lucky dog. You may have the most breathtaking holidays at the resorts of Spain, Turkey, or the Bahamas. As a matter of fact, some travelling and working experience is rather important, because universities and potential employers are very much in favour of students who have it.
Д/З: составить топик на тему «Молодежь в современном обществе и ее поведение».
УРОК №34-35. Различные ландшафты и страны.
Great Britain
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. They lie to the north-west of Europe. The British Isles are separated from the continent by the narrow strait of water which is called the English Channel.
The United Kingdom consists of four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England, the central part, occupies the most of the island of Great Britain. To the north lies Scotland and to the west the third part of the country, Wales, is situated. The fourth part is called Northern Ireland and is located on the second island. Each part has its capital. The capital of England is London, Wales has Cardiff, Scotland has Edinburgh and the main city of Northern Ireland is Belfast.
Great Britain is a country of forests and plains. There are no high mountains in this country. Scotland is the most mountainous region with the highest peak, Ben Nevis. The rivers of Great Britain are not long. The longest rivers are the Thames and the Severn. The capital of the United Kingdom, London, stands on the banks of the Thames. As the country is surrounded by many seas there are some great ports at the seaside: London, Glasgow, Plymouth and others. Wales is a country of lakes.
Seas and oceans influence the British climate which is not too cold in winter but never hot in summer. Great Britain is a beautiful country with old traditions and good people.
The United States consists of 50 states, two of which arc separated from the continental United States. Alaska (1.5 million km)，which faces Russia across the 80 kilometers - wide Bering Strait, is separated from mainland American by Canada while Hawaii (17000skm) lies about 3200 kilometers away to the west and in the Pacific Ocean. Besides the 50 states，
the United States also includes a number of overseas territories. The main ones are Guam, Puerto Rico，and the Virgin Islands. America’s position on the globe and its relative position in relation to other countries both provide advantage for the country in its development. Main land America, lying within the northern temperate zone, grows large variety of agricultural products. The coastline with many harbors and inlets not only facilitates foreign trade and the fishing industry, but also bring much of the country within the influence of the oceanic air mass. America has no land neighbor which is strong enough to pose a threat to its security. This relieves the United States of the burden to maintain a large frontier army along its border. The two world wars played havoc with many nations. But they never spread into mainland America. As a matter of £act, Canada has been America's most important trading partner and the trade between America and Mexico is also climbing. The three nations have reached an agreement on establishing the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). There are some technical problems remaining to be solved. But the door is open for wider cooperation based on mutual benefit.
So as the geographical features are concerned, the largе territory of the continental United States can be divided into three basic areas：the Atlantic Seacoast west to the Appalachian Mountains；the great Mississippi Rivet Basin between the Appalachian and the Rocky Mountains; the Rockies west to the Pacific Ocean.
Д/З: составить топик на тему «Ландшафт Великобритании и США». Подготовить мини-проекты на тему «Великобритания», «США», представив следующую информацию: географическое положение, символика, главы государств, известные места (города, достопримечательности).
УРОК №36. Культурные и национальные традиции стран изучаемого языка.
English traditions
One of the most peculiar features of life in England which immediately strikes any visitor to this country is the cherishing and preserving of many traditions, sometimes very archaic as they may seem. In England traditions play a very important part in the life of the people. Englishmen are proud of their traditions and have kept them up for hundreds of years. For instance, on Sundays theatres and shops are closed, people do not get letters and newspapers. Very few trams and buses run in the streets of London on Sundays. Uniforms are not particularly characteristic of this fact. However, when one sees the warders at the Tower of London with their funny flat hats, their trousers bound at the knee, and the royal monogram on their breast, one feels carried back to the age of Queen Elisabeth I.
A number of other ceremonies are of a similarly formal character, such as the King's or Queen's receptions and the State Opening of Parliament.
There are other customs of a similar peculiar character, such as the searching of the cellars underneath the Houses of Parliament by half a dozen “Beefeaters” before the opening of Parliament, in memory of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot in 1605.
English people tend to be rather conservative. The conservative attitude consists of an acceptance of things which are familiar. All the same, several symbols of conservatism are being abandoned. The metric system came into general use in 1975. The twenty-four-hour clock was at last adopted for railway timetables in the 1960s-though not for most other timetables, such as radio programs. The decimal money was introduced, but the pound sterling as the basic unit was kept, one-hundredth part of it being a new penny. Temperatures have been measured in Centigrade as well as Fahrengrade for a number of years, tend to use Fahrengrade for general purpose.
The veteran car run. There is a new tradition in England now. Every year a large number of veteran cars drive from London to Brighton. Veteran cars are those which are made before 1904. The run takes place on the first Sunday in November. In November, 1896, a law was published. It said that a man with a red flag must walk in front of every car when it moved in the streets. In those days people were afraid of the cars.
The run begins at 8 o'clock in the morning from Hyde Park. Some cars look very funny. The drivers are dressed in the clothes of those times. The oldest cars move in front. The run is not a competition but a demonstration. Some cars reach Brighton, which is about a hundred kilometers from London, only late in the evening, others don't get there, they have to stop on the way.
The Stone of Destiny. In Westminster Abbey in London there is a large stone which has an interesting history. Many hundreds of years ago it was a seat on which the kings of Scotland sat when they were crowned. When Scotland became part of Britain, the English king brought this stone to London. A large chair was made and the Stone of Destiny was put into the seat of the chair. Since that time the English kings sit on that chair when they are crowned.
Races in England. In England there is a day for pancakes. It is usually in March. At homes families have pancakes for dinner. At school children and teachers have pancakes for school dinner. You know that pancakes are very good for eat, but do you know that in England people race with pancakes, fight for them?
In England there is also an egg-and-spoon race. People who run this race, men and women, boys and girls, must carry an egg in a spoon. They must not let it fall down. If the egg falls and breaks, they must pick it up with the spoon, not with their fingers. Usually there are not many winners in the egg-and-spoon race.
In the three-legged-race boys and girls run in pairs, with the right leg of one boy or girl tied to the left leg of the other. They do not run very quickly, because they do not want to fall. The people who watch the egg-and-spoon race and the three-legged-race always laugh very much.
Д/З: подготовить презентацию на тему «Традиции в нашей стране».
УРОК №37. Обычаи и праздники стран изучаемого языка.