1. What are the major news stories in your country now? 2.
2. What are the biggest world social issues? How to tackle them?
It seems to me that now the most pressing issue not only in Russia but
throughout the world is the coronavirus. This serious illness is similar to
biological war because the coronavirus affects the economy, politics and
social sphere. Due to the coronavirus, the life expectancy of people is
shortened, mortality increases, people develop chronic diseases. This is a
terrible problem and scientists cannot find a vaccine and save humanity.
This is a global problem and countries must join forces to find a cure and
save people from death.
6. Who are the most well-known thought-leaders who address important
social and political issues in your country?
3. What are the biggest social issues Russia needs to tackle?
4. What current global and domestic issues should we address with urgency in
your opinion?
5. What are the major social issues in the UK? How do they compare to the
situation in Russia?
There are many different economic, political, social problems in our country.
But the most globalproblem in the world, in my opinion, is environmental
pollution. Now there are a lot of factories, plants that pollute water and air. By
the way, several months ago a huge territory has suffered from the plant in
Kamchatka. The cause of the ecological disaster in Kamchatka was the leakage
into the river (and then into the ocean) of toxic substances. It is terrible that the
authorities do not control all these processes and because of this the
environment, animals, plants and of course people suffer. I don't know how we
can solve this problem, because nothing depends on ordinary people. The main
support and control must come from the state. but unfortunately our authorities
do not cover this problem in the media. Only people who live near the place of
the event post photos of dirty water, dead sea inhabitants, poisoned people on
the Internet. But on TV every day they show how bad everything is in other
countries. Until we start talking about such terrible things, about environmental
pollution, about global warming, people will not start caring about nature and
the world in which they live. It's terrible that people can't save water, they can't
use less plastic, and they litter everywhere. It is because of these little things
that tragedies can begin. And our authorities only make the situation worse by
not controlling the activities of factories and plants. I hope that soon people will
start thinking and caring about the environment, and the state and authorities
will take action in relation to those who pollute our world. Well, besides the
problem of ecology, we have many social problems that concern absolutely
everyone, for example, political situation. To tell the truth, I'm not really
interested in politics. I believe that nothing depends on ordinary people. I agree
that this is a passive position
7. What are the major issues that young people (teenagers, students, university
graduates) usually face?
To tell the truth, I'm not really interested in politics. I believe that nothing Today, almost every teenager is faced with a lack of understanding from adults.
depends on ordinary people. I agree that this is a passive position, but in For example, from parents or teachers. Adults judge us for our interests,
order for me to make any decisions, I must fully understand the issue and Hobbies, use of gadgets and the Internet. We are a "lost generation" for them .
understand which side I should be on. Most often, I learn some news about This is a generational conflict. They say we dress the wrong way, listen to the
political problems from the Internet. Many bloggers cover this on their wrong music, don't think about school or the future. But adults don't understand
blogs. For example, Sasha Mitroshina often raises important political and that times have changed and what was relevant 30 years ago is no longer
relevant now.
social issues. I like to read her point of view, for example, regarding voting,
Because of this, many teenagers face domestic violence, start Smoking and
domestic violence laws and more. But, before expressing my opinion, I
drinking alcohol, and some become addicted to drugs.
prefer to study the issue deeper and, to be honest, it annoys me. I get angry
and lose my temper. The most famous revolutionary in my country is
Alexei Navalny, but to be honest, sometimes it seems to me that he is
someone's project, because all his attempts to do something look somehow
stupid. Although it may be something I do not understand. In any case,
politics is a complex system and in our world there are many different
social, economic and political problems that cannot be solved.

8. How do people make a difference at a local level addressing the social issues like poverty, unemployment etc.?
It sounds pessimistic, but it seems to me that we will not be able to solve these problems in any way. Definitely not in Russia)
As practice shows, petitions, protests, flash mobs in social networks do not produce results. Even mass public riots don't help, things only get worse. Maybe I
am wrong, because I am not interested in politics at all, but I think that until the government changes in our country, we will continue to drown in social
problems

9. Tell about one local, national and international charity organisation that
you know. What issues and in what way do they try to tackle?
To be honest, I'm not really interested in charity. Because now I'm
financially dependent on my parents and I don't have any free money to
donate. So I know very little about charities. But I know a Russian charity
Foundation that was founded by my favorite biathlete Anton Shipulin. This
Fund helps children from poor families to start playing sports, because
equipment is very expensive and not everyone can afford it. To sum up, I
would like to say that I would like to be more involved in charity, because I
understand that living in Russia, people can only rely on themselves or on
other people, because the authorities are not interested in helping people at
all.
10. In what way do charity organizations change the world?
20. What reasons are given by people who do not give to charity? How do you
think charities could encourage more people to donate to them?
19. Do you agree with the expression “charity begins at home”? Do you believe
we should all donate some of our income to charity? Do you think governments
should do more to help charities?
There are so many charitable organizations in the world today. They allow
people to donate either directly or online, through websites. Charitable
organizations also include orphanages, food banks, religious institutes and
hospitals for the poor. Donating things you don’t use anymore is one of the
forms of charity. Not everyone is lucky enough to have lots of toys or warm
clothes for winter. Sometimes people simply can’t find the job to earn enough

11. Surveillance technology: keeping us safe or invasion of privacy?
For me, this is a very difficult question. On the one hand, it obviously keeps
our lives safer. The huge number of CCTV and metal detectors in public
places helps prevent crime and make you feel more secure. But on the other
hand, I'm afraid that the authorities know almost everything about us. We
are constantly monitored, the Internet stores a huge amount of information
about each person, our phones and computers can hear us. Of course, this is
an invasion of everyone's privacy, but it is done for the safety of people and
maybe it is not so bad. I don't know, I have mixed feelings about this
question.
money. Others are sick, disabled or elderly and can’t get around on their own.
These are the cases when charity helps. If everyone made charity a part of their
life and helped those who are in need, the world would become a better place to
live. The acts of charity come in many different forms. It you have ever helped
to plant a garden or gave your coins to someone who needs it more than you,
then you already know what charity is. People should help each other in
difficult times. But in our world, there are many different economic, political,
social, environmental problems that cannot be solved without financial support
from the state. I am sure that the authorities should donate more money, for
example, to orphanages or the construction of nature reserves.
Some people cannot afford to help someone because they have no money. And
some argue that the government should do it. I cannot blame them for this.
I don't understand why charities should encourage someone to donate. After all,
the essence of charity is to donate money or items from a pure heart with a
desire to help. But I think that for example, getting public attention through
celebrities is a good idea. Now many people follow their own idols. And it is
publicity that can help save someone's life.
12. What, in your opinion, helps us to prevent crime nowadays?
13. What actions might be taken to cut crime in areas with a high crime rate?
Which of them don’t you mind having in your local area?
Now, we live in a world where almost every step we take is monitored by the
authorities. A huge number of surveillance systems see us every day and store
data that can be used at any time by the authorities. This fact is a little scary, but
nevertheless makes our lives safer. Many criminals, knowing that their actions
will be recorded on camera, may change their mind about committing crimes.
Thus, modern CCTV helps prevent crimes. Also, metal detectors, for example,
can prevent terrorist attacks in public places and save hundreds or even
thousands of lives.
I think it would be reasonably to put more police officers in areas with high
crime rate. But they should be really good police officers, not those who sleep
in the workplace. You can also install more CCTV cameras so that you can find
and judge people who have committed crimes.
I wouldn't mind all these measures in my area, even though I live near the
 University, in a Dormetry, and there are cameras everywhere. But the police are
extremely rare, although I think this should be fixed. Maybe you heard about
the situation in Kazan not so long ago, when a girl was raped near a dormetry,
and then died because no one helped her. It's terrible, and to be honest, I don't
feel safe even near my dormetry.

14. What are traditional gender roles in Russia? What’s your opinion on these traditional values?/ 15. Personally, are you in favour of gender-blind hiring?
Give reasons.
Many think that there are certain occupations which should not have females or males participating in them due to their different abilities. Although some
consider certain jobs more appropriate for certain genders, I strongly believe that gender is equality vital in relation to occupations.
To start with, it is true, even based on scientific facts and arguments, that there are mental and physical differences between men and women. Therefore, as
many professions require specific skills, it is common to think that there are occupations that should exclude males or females. Suchoccupations are usually
involved with politics, physical or medical activities. It has become a stereotype and an association that cops, politicians or surgeons are males, whereas lunch
ladies, nurses or models are females. Therefore people are aware that there are specific jobs which are better performed by the opposite sex.
However, as the modern society is improving, trying to be as democratic and free as possible, it is crucial to remember that men and women share equal rights.
So, lawfully an individual has a right to have any job of his or her preference. Therefore making a law about gender related to professions might cause protest
among those who are passionate about jobs that are traditionally meant for the opposite gender. More than that, this act can also be considered as sex
discrimination. Throughout world history people, taking positions in professions that were meant for the opposite sex, were a highlight and almost a revolution
or even a role model to their society. For example, Hilary Clinton or Yulia Timoshenko have been honourable politicians although they are females; also,
many male models and fashion designers such as Alexander Wang or John Galliano are getting more successful and popular every day despite these
occupations being traditionally feminine.
In conclusion, I think that sexual division in professions is not necessary as there are many talented people in the society, and in the end, gender does not
matter.

16. What are common reasons for British men working part-time? Can you
imagine this phenomenon taking place in Russia?
More and more men in the UK are working part-time. While men in the past
tended to work full-time or not at all, there has been a clear increase in the
numbers in part-time jobs. To be honest, I'm not sure, but it seems to me
that men just want to spend time with their family too. Each person wants to
be with his children, wife and parents as much as possible. But when you
work full time, you come tired and can't do anything. It also seems logical
to me the reason that men want to give career opportunities and freedom to
their soulmate. Usually in traditional families, a man works, and a woman
does everything around the house, but if the man does not work all day,
then the husband and wife can, for example, share household
responsibilities. Well, the last reason is most likely fatigue at work from a
17. Does money make you happy? What things are more important than
money? Should wealthy people be taxed more to support the poor?
Many people say that happiness cannot be bought. I do not quite agree with this
statement. On the one hand, for some, a happy life is about spending time with
family and friends. People are simply happy that they have everything to satisfy
their needs and their loved ones are with them. But not for all people, happiness
lies only in this. Some people want to live luxuriously, have a huge house, buy
expensive clothes because for them happiness is material things. And you
cannot blame them for this. All people are different and everyone has their own
understanding of
happiness. For me personally, happiness lies in being able to feel comfortable.
That is, I like to eat delicious food, use personal transport, live alone and, of
course, have fun spending my free time with friends and parents. I think it is
huge load. Not everyone likes to spend 8-9 hours in one place and do boring quite normal that someone can be happy and not have a lot of money. And by
work. Overall, I think part-time work is a good option for those who know the way, I think that it is not fair to make people who have more money pay
how to earn money without spending a lot of time at work. more taxes. If they make more money, then they work harder and they deserve
In a video we watched at one of the previous class, it was said that men in to live in a comfortable environment, to buy whatever they want. Maybe a
Britain are increasingly starting to work part-time. One of the most common person got an education, worked for many years for a small salary, and then got
reason is exhaustion. People are very tired at work, they do not have time a raise and his salary increased many times over. Why should he pay more? I
for children and family. Thus, some men decide to leave their full-time jobs don’t understand, and I’m sure it’s not fair.
and allow women to express themselves and advance in their careers. Men
are do with less, but they have on a more even keel life.
Some of them have part-time jobs, just because they are bored to sit in one
place and have nothing to do. For example, men who are already retired.
I don't think this can be relevant for Russia. We still have traditions and
stereotypes that a man should work in a well-paid job and feed his family.
We consider it a shame if a woman gets paid more than a man. But,
actually, I totally disagree.

18. What are the benefits and drawbacks of streaming music, series, films? 21. What is your opinion about A-list celebrities protesting and fighting for a
Do you listen to music or watch films this way? Do you have any special good cause? Do they do it just for publicity? Does celebrities’ involvement
paid music subscriptions (Boom, Spotify, Apple Music etc)? Is it a good attract more attention to some social issues?
value for money I don't know for sure, but in any case, any statements from celebrities cause a
Every year, there are more and more streaming services such as great resonance in society. One way or another, they pay attention not only to
AppleMusic, BOOM, Spotify and others. I think this is a very convenient themselves, but also to important problems. It seems to me that this way of
way to listen to music. First, Unlike pirated sites, the video and audio involving the public in an issue is pretty good, because a lot of people follow
quality of the movies are usually high. You will be streaming the videos in celebrities and their activities. Any attention to an issue and publicity gives
HD. Also Since there are no downloads involved, you don’t have to worry people the opportunity to learn about it
about running out of disk space or memory space. Downloading huge
videos to your computer may take up vast spaces on your computer, which
may affect the performances of your computer. In addition, Streaming
websites offer you a chance of choosing from their huge list of options.
There are no limits as to how many videos you can watch in a day, as long
as you have paid your subscription. But there are some downsides. For
example, The downside of streaming media from a website is that the
videos are only available online. Another disadvantage of streaming media
from a website is that it requires a stable internet connection. And of course,
There is a risk of losing your financial and personal details when buying a
subscription from untrusted platforms. But I'm still sure that these are very
convenient platforms and they will gain popularity. I only use apple music
and think that the subscription is quite cheap, but it seems to me that such
platforms are not very profitable for musicians and this is already one of the
internal disadvantages. Not our problem

1. What is the significant impact of modern inventions on life? How can
inventions help people enjoy life?
2. How do inventions change our life? Which of them can your consider the
most or the least successful?
Over the years, scientists have invented a great number of things, which we
now use in everyday life. So it’s clear that almost everyone has a mobile
phone, a personal laptop or a computer, a credit card; some people have
smart watches, smart TVs, dishwashers. And, all these devices and all
modern inventions influence our life and our habits. Actually, there are pros
and cons.
For instead, Telephone is the most revolutionary idea for people’s
communication. Though the idea of it is rather simple, it took many years to
realize it in real life. But now I think it's hard to imagine our life without
mobile phones. This made life easier for people. Now people can
communicate despite the distance, search for information on the Internet
very quickly, pay for purchases, listen to music, play games, use social
networks. As for me, my whole life is literally on my phone. But sometimes
it seems to me that people now spend a lot of time on social media and
forget about the real world. For example, coming to a meeting with friends,
people continue to chat on the Internet. It's terrible that people began to
spend all their free time in the virtual world. It does harm to our health and
lifestyle, makes us addictive
Another invention that greatly simplifies our life, I consider different types
of transport. For example, thanks to airplanes, trains, cars, we can save time
and get to the right place in a small amount of time. It is very comfortable.
In addition, the use of transport does not require any energy from us. But
there is a drawback here too. The most important, of course, is
environmental pollution. It is also bad for our health. Fortunately, science is
3. What is the important invention before the age of computer?
5. The term “innovations” has become a buzzword recently. However what does
it imply? What sort of innovations can be? Give an example of a
technological/educational/medical innovation.
As far as I know, innovation is something cutting-edge and
state-of-the-art.
There are different types of innovations. For example,
technological, architectural, social, medical. Basically, these
are some ideas or inventions that come in handy in different
parts of our life. If we consider medical innovations, I think
this can include organ transplants, blood transfusions, and
some sites have information that somewhere even practice
organ cloning. I do not know if this is true, but in the near
future everything is possible. If we talk about the
technological sphere, the most modern thing that
immediately comes to mind is 5G. As far as I know, this is
not very actively used yet, but according to data from
various sites, we can find out that by 2025 we will all start
switching to 5G.
I didn't find much information about innovations in
education, but I think we can include distance learning here.
For almost a year, students and teachers around the world
developing and have already come up with, for example, electric machines
that use fewer natural resources.
In general, inventions certainly make our life easier, help save time, but
there is always a second side to the coin. Despite the usefulness of some
inventions, they also bring problems to our lives. therefore, I believe that
every successful invention is also to some extent unsuccessful.
4. Do you agree that technological advances are always good?
There is an opinion that technological advances don’t have any drawbacks.
And for me it is a bizarre belief. But each thing in the world have as a
positive effect as downsides.
Firstly, technological advances can do harm to a person. Many people have
lost jobs and money due to advances in technology. I have to say that
because of technological advances we have a lot of free time.
What about society? Is it good? I think so. Medical advances have saved
many countless lives. Doctors now can treat some dreadful illness that were
incurable some years ago.
Have you ever mused how many things we can control? We can control
everything in the world from animals to environment. Once we adjusted to
the environment but now people capitalize it (использовать для своей
выгоды). Just remember windswept, solar batteries and hydroelectric power
plants.
All in all, technological advances are good for society, but not always. The
environment suffers that’s why people suffer: they can’t breathe or lose
their job. and as technology advances we only achieve more control over
our environment. From an evolutionary standpoint? Yes, technology is
always good.
have been practicing this, and a huge number of websites
and platforms have been created for this type of training. I
think this can be considered an innovation. Thank you
coronavirus for this horror!
To sum up, I want to say that innovation surrounds us
everywhere, and our life develops with the development of
technology.
6. How is it important for great innovators to possess some essential qualities to
change the world?
7. What makes a good inventor? Are there any scientists (living or dead) you
admire
8. What are the characteristic features of innovative and inventive people? Are
they innate or they can be developed?
An innovator is someone who brings new value to the world around them. It
could be a new product, an improved way of getting something done. It could
be in small or large forms, but (in general) it relates to introducing some form of
significant
positive change. Seeing an opportunities and acting on them. Encouragement of
Risk Taking
Innovators realize that taking risks is part of making great discoveries and
advancing society. Great innovators encourage risk taking in others. Innovators
Teach Others
Great innovators realize that new ideas and implementation can’t end with
them. They bring others along on the journey, training them how to think in new
ways. In this way, they build entire teams of forward-thinkers. When innovation
best practices and mindsets are shared widely, entire industries can benefit.
Staying Positive
As an innovator, you have to keep a good attitude. You can’t assume that
something won’t work simply because it hasn’t been done that way before.
Innovators realize that if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve

9. What do you think is the worst invention of the mankind? What are some
of the greatest technological achievements of all-time?
If someone ask people what is the worst invention of the mankind,
somebody answer something like the Internet or television, but, to be
honest, they are totally wrong. The most dreadful invention that is
connected with killing people.
For instance, Gas Chamber. This killed millions and was the preferred
method of death during the Holocaust. There is no benefit for having the
gas chamber and is one of dozens of inventions that just add no good to this
world.
Let me move to another example. After the instant death of most life forms
in the impact zone, radioactive particles rain down from the sky,
contaminating the air, water, soil and food supply for thousands of miles.
Then there are the genetic mutations seen in humans, animals and plants
after they’re exposed to radiation.
As for the best technological achievements of all time, I suppose they are
connected with our development as being human. Imagine we didn’t have
(?) electricity, what would we do without smartphones, the Internet, without
light bulbs etc.? All this things were created with it. Now, turning to our
health. The most useful invention for me are antibiotics. Antibiotics have
allowed people to be treated at home. It certainly saved many lives.
All in all, this is hard to choose the only one example of the worst
invention, there are a lot of things that cause damage to the environment
and people’s health. And that is not easier to choose the best achievements,
because you can find a long list of inventions that just revolutionised our
life and habits to the best( в лучшую сторону?) .
11. Innovations bring a variety of social transformations. Why is
always gotten. Stay positive and you’ll see new ideas work out in surprising
ways! Being a Team Player
The stereotype of an innovator as a trouble-maker that no one enjoys working
with is false. Great innovators know that groundbreaking solutions never
happen without the help of others.
All in all, great innovators share these main qualities. If you recognize these
qualities in yourself, you may need to give yourself more credit! If you’re
looking to become a great innovator, these are the qualities to develop
10. How has our life changed in recent years as a result of new technology?
I think it's obvious that our lives have changed a lot. Take smartphones, for
instance. They were invented not so long ago, but how many advantages they
brought to our lives. Now, there is no need to have a watch, alarm clock,
calculator, flashlight or camera, because all these features are in our
smartphones. Some time ago, it was a cutting-edge breakthrough, but now
everyone has a smartphone. And of course, phones are a simple and easy way to
communicate with people all over the world. They are just indispensible.
And of course, we must mention the Internet. Because without the use of the
Internet, our life would be very different now. First, it is the Internet that helps
us communicate with people using social networks, messengers, and other
programs like Skype and Zoom, for example. The Internet is also an infinite
amount of
information and entertainment. We don't need to go through textbooks or
dictionaries to find the right formula or translate a word from another language.
We can just Google it. And we don't have to wait for our favorite movie to be
shown on TV or our favorite song to be played on the radio, because everything
we want to watch, read or listen to is freely available on the Internet.
To sum up, I want to say that these inventions are only a small part of what
innovators have brought to our lives recently. But nevertheless, these are very
important items, without which it is impossible to imagine modern life.
12. “Advertising is the engine of commerce and progress”. How do you
transforming society considered as a feat?
To be honest, I don't clearly understand what social transformation is in this
question. But I can assume that these are some changes in people's lives and
behavior related to technology.
The first thing that comes to mind is the Internet. Despite the huge
functionality of the Internet, one of its main advantages is the ability to
communicate with people around the world. And this greatly affects the
social life of many people. There are extroverts and introverts. For the first,
it is easy to just approach a person on the street or in a cafe and start a
conversation, get acquainted. Others feel uncomfortable even when they
call the food delivery service. For introverts, the Internet is a comfortable
way to communicate and meet people.
We can also mention that modern technologies help people with various
health problems feel comfortable in modern society. Special prostheses and
wheelchairs for people with disabilities, various operations and pieces for
the correction of vision, for example.
I believe that this is considered a feat, because it helps different people to
live a full life, feeling comfortable in modern society.
13. How is it important to choose the appropriate advertising campaign for a
product? Why?
14. What makes an effective advertising campaign? Why?
15. What type of advertisement would influence you to try a new product?
16. Which advertisement would you consider an effective one? Why?
21. What marketing techniques can advertisers use to make sure consumers
notice their product? Which techniques are the most effective?
All businesses need promotion because convincing advertising can help not
only promote a product, but also dominate the market. Therefore, many
companies use different marketing techniques to make their advertising
campaign effective. Among the most popular techniques there are classic
ones (such as flyer distribution or TV commercials and magazine
advertisements) and modern ones (for instance, bloggers endorsement,
product placement, social media ads, pop-ups or having accounts on social
networks).
Speaking of efficiency, it must be said that each marketing technique is
understand the statement?
Advertising is the engine of progress. It is difficult to disagree with this
statement. Thanks to advertising, we learn about all the new products of the
modern world, starting with clothes and food, and ending with new cars and
spaceships. It is true that it irritates many people, but this cannot change the fact
that millions of products are advertised daily and sold thanks to this advertising.
Personally, I agree with this statement and understand it literally. I mean, there
is some product, cutting-edge and revolutionary, that will move our life forward
and improve it. And without advertising, very few people will buy this product,
because how can they find out about it? Advertising promotes products on the
market, thus moving progress between people.
To sum up, I want to say that some people get paid for advertising, some people
get paid for selling products, and progress and new technology moves between
people.
17. Are there any brands which you think have a really good logo or slogan?
Does it make you want to buy the products?
18. What factors are essential in making a good advertisement? / What makes
an ad memorable?
All businesses need promotion. And it seems to me that the advertising
campaign plays a crucial role in the position of the product on the market,
because memorable and convincing advertisement can help not only promote a
product, but also dominate the market. So, you may ask what exactly make an
ad memorable? How to catch potential client’s eye? Well, first of all, company
have to create catchy or motivating slogan. Great examples of this are Just Do
It, Think Different, Because You're Worth It. Catchphrase should reflect the
spirit of the brand and convey a message. To make people remember the phrase
better, you can add a recognizable melody as a jingle to it. Remember the
McDonald's tune? I hear her in my head every time I stumble across their slogan
“I'm lovin' it“, and vice versa.
Another way to make your product advertisement memorable is to add a mascot
to it. Animal mascots are considered especially successful because they are
good in its own way and works for individual target groups. The point I am cute, funny and enjoyable to look at. Think about cute penguins for Kinder
making is the effectiveness of the techniques depends on the target audience Pingui, Duracell’s hyperactive bunny, The Milka cow. Would ads have become
of the brand. For example, if a brand is targeting teenagers as a consumer, so popular without these characters? I'm not really sure about that.
there is no point in newspaper advertisement. It’s better to use TV
Speaking of the ad itself, the plot of advertisement is becoming more and more
commercials or pop-ups on websites.
important lately. Some brands try to fit the whole story into their ad inviting
As for me, modern marketing techniques seem to grab my attention more. famous directors to make a commercial. And they manage to do it. These ads
Take the case of active Internet users. As the one of them, I am subscribed are always very touching and bitter-sweet. One of the latest examples is Coca-
to many bloggers, whose videos and stories I regularly watch on YouTube Cola's Christmas advert directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi.
and Instagram. Many of the bloggers recommend or advertise various This is a story about a father who promised his daughter to give her letter to
products, from cosmetics to devices. Most often, after such Santa Claus.
recommendations, we want to try this or that product, because we trust the
All in all, a memorable advertisement is made up of many things: a slogan, a
opinion of these influencers and we know that they are experienced in their
jingle, a mascot and a plot. All of these parts must be responsibly chosen for the
field as well as they are responsible in relation of choosing the advertiser.
advertisement to work effectively and be noticeable.
Based on this, I can say that the bloggers endorsement as a marketing
technique has a very strong influence on internet users including me.
Moreover, I trust companies that have social media accounts more than
companies that don't have social media accounts. It appeals to me that most
of the companies organize various sweepstakes and secret promotions for
their subscribers. For example, they give away promotional codes and
discounts.
All in all, there are lots of marketing techniques which advertisers use to
make sure consumers notice their product and I showed how the most
effective ones work giving a personal example.
19. What are the harmful and the beneficial effects of advertising? 23. What are the important rules of brainstorming?
20. What do you think shouldn’t be advertised? Why? Brainstorming is one of the most effective ways to create a lot of ideas for the
In modern society, we are surrounded by advertisements that we may not topic you have. But, to make your brainstorming successful you need to lead
even notice. Every day we come across advertisements on the Internet, on some rules. And I'll give you three main rules.
TV, even on the streets and on buses. There are lots of ways of advertising
such as magazine and newspaper advertisement, TV commercials, outdoor The first one sounds like "Quantity is more important than quality". In
advertising, celebrity endorsement, product placement, social media ads, brainstorming it isn't enough to give just one brilliant idea. It will be much
pop-ups on websites and so on. All this has a very strong effect on us, but better if you are torn between one idea and another than you have none at all.
we don't even think about it. So, let's look at how advertising influences us, The second one is the idea of having a time limit. It's really important because
society and our life in general. people often come up with their best ideas when they are in a hurry. And even
dreadful and bizarre ideas can be combined into something amazing while
Speaking about the benefits, we can say about a number of positive effects discussing later.
on economy. According to the International Advertising Association,
And the last idea is writing down all your thoughts. Choose a person who writes
advertising can encourage companies to compete and provide new products.
or types very quickly whatever everyone says. Because you can develop the
This encourages more consumers to buy because these products meet the
ideas further unless they are lost.
needs and wants of more consumers. So, the economy is positively affected.
In addition, advertising can help create more jobs. As the demand for In conclusion, I'd like to say there are innumerous ways of generating ideas but
products and services goes up because of advertising, more people are one of the best and the most effective methods is brainstorming
needed to manufacture, supply, ship and test those products and services.
Thus, more jobs are created.
Advertising also has social impact as it creates a higher standard of living.
The experience of the advanced nations shows that advertising is greatly
responsible for raising the living standards of the people. By bringing to the
knowledge of the consumers different variety and better quality products, it
has helped a lot in increasing the standard of living in a developing
economy like India.
And now let's consider harmful effects. The most obvious answer is that
advertising distorts reality and creates unrealistic expectations. All
advertisements tend to display the products and services in the best possible
light. And many advertisements often tend to cross the line of a little
exaggeration to falsely representing the product or the service. Moreover, it
creates unrealistic body image expectations. Our self-image is definitely
being affected. Most men in ads have abs and perfect hair and teeth. For
women, it's even worse. The standards of beauty set in advertising are
beyond ridiculous, and even when advertisers try and empathize, they still
come out with ads that heavily favor good-looking women.
All in all, advertising influences not only us, but society as a whole.
Thisinfluence is both harmful and the beneficial so we have to be careful
with it.

25. ‘By 2029, computers will have emotional intelligence and be 26. How far do you agree that most people in a modern world depended on
convincing as people’ What do you think about this prediction made by Ray science and technology hardly know anything about science? Give examples of
Kurzweil, inventor & futurologist? How do you feel about the future of misconceptions from a scientific field.
technology? Over the years scientists have invented a great number of things, which we now
American author, inventor and futurist Raymond Kurzweil has become well
known for his predictions about artificial intelligence and the human
species, mainly concerning the technological singularity. He predicts that
Artificial Intelligence would outsmart the human brain in computational
capabilities by mid-21st century.
Ray Kurzweil said that before build a real human-computer relationships,
the computers would have to pass the famous Turing test. A Turing test is
an experiment in which the experimenter communicates with one person
and one computer, but does not know which of them is who. The task of the
experimenter during the conversation is to determine which of the
interlocutors is the computer. And it is claimed that Duplex, an artificial
intelligence voice technology, released by Google, passed the Turing test.
To be honest, I can’t imagine reality like this and I’m afraid of a human-
computer relationships. Maybe it’s all because of some films that illustrate
our future life when computers and other devices will have emotional
intelligence.
I refer you to the film called “She”, which illustrates what our life might be.
Theodore is a lonely writer, he buys a new technical development - an
operating system designed to fulfill any user's desire. To Theodore's
surprise, a romance soon arises between him and the operating system. And
he suffers because she is not a real person, he can’t hug and kiss her.
All in all, I’m not Ray Kurzweil to predict future technologies. As for my
feeling about the future of technology, it would be okay, if machines stay in
the devices, not change real people and real communication.
1. What types of TV programmes would you like to watch and why? What
use in everyday life. So it’s clear that almost everyone has a mobile phone, a
personal laptop or a computer, a credit card; some people have smart watches,
smart TVs, dishwashers. And, all these devices and all modern inventions
influence our life and our habits.
But few people know by whom and when the first telephone was invented. For
instead, Telephone is the most revolutionary idea for people’s communication.
Though the idea of it is rather simple, it took many years to realize it in real life.
But now I think it's hard to imagine our life without mobile phones. This made
life easier for people. Now people can communicate despite the distance, search
for information on the Internet very quickly, pay for purchases, listen to music,
play games, use social networks.
I agree with the view that many people who use science and technology every
day know almost nothing about them. As an example, I can give myself.
I use a huge amount of technical equipment and gadgets every day, but I know
absolutely nothing about the technical part of these items. I use electricity, but I
don't think I can fix the socket or change the light bulb. Like many people, I
think. When we use certain technologies, we do not think about the technical
processes and why it happens the way it happens.
To be honest, I didn't really understand what kind of misconceptions I should
have found, but I did find a couple of examples of scientific misconceptions not
related to technology. One of the misconceptions is that there is only water on
Earth. In
fact, on the moon of Jupiter, which is called Europa, there are much more water
reserves than on our planet.
And the second thing that was very interesting for me. This is that there is no
difference between the DNA of people from different races. And it has already
been proven that there can be much more differences within one race than
between Europeans and Africans.
2. Do you agree that people in the public eye should not expect to have private
sort of programmes/films do you never watch? How important do you think
it is to watch programmes/films in the original?
For me TV is about being entertained, don’t get me wrong it is also a place
you can learn a great deal, but that is not what entertains and TV is about
being entertained. Books are to get lost in and learn from, TV is pure
escapism for me and thus… I know some Shows that are just too addicting.
To be honest, I prefer to watch series. My favourite is True Detective. The
first season particularly was some of the best television in years. A good,
single storyline that spans two decades about two detectives investigating
an apparent cult murder of a young girl in a field. This led up to one of the
best season finales I’ve ever seen. By the way, there are very attractive
actors. I would advise you to watch this series in the original, because the
characters' phrases are very caustic and original. You can find many new
words for yourself, which will help improve your English skills.
As was stated, my TV viewing is about being entertained and these are the
ones that intrigue me the most, the ones that took me by surprise and will
not let go. As I said earlier, I love TV shows, however I don't like sitcoms.
These are shows in which the characters are shown in different comedic
situations in each episode. Sitcoms seem pointless and stupid to me, so I
always change the channel.
5. How has modern technology and new media changed our relationship
with the news?
Every day we come across with a huge amount of news. Some of them are
serious and crucial, some are bizarre and ridiculos, but nevertheless, we see
them everywhere every day, because we are all active Internet users.
And this is just one of the things that has changed with the advent of
modern technology. Now people don't have to wait for the evening news or
run to the store for the latest newspaper to find out what has happened in the
world. We can just take our smartphone, open Google or Twitter, or even
VK and read a lot of different news.
On the other hand, because of the huge amount of news resources,
especially online resources, some people do not trust them. And this is
correct, because some news resources, especially channels in telegram,
often publish fake information just for the sake of hype. Quite recently,
there was a situation when a rumor was spread that a Russian singer or
rapper died, to be honest, I do not know who he is, but a huge number of
news resources began to spread this news without checking the facts. And
lives?
I totally disagree with this statement. Nowadays, there are a huge number of
celebrities. In a variety of sphere: actors, singers, YouTube and Instagram
bloggers, even Tick-tockers have a huge audience and they are kind of public
people.
And it is obvious that each of them has the right to their personal space. I want
to say that celebrities are also people and it doesn’t matter that many other
people know them. Every singer, actor or tick-toker has the right to personal
space and privacy.
I have heard the opinion that all celebrities themselves have chosen this way of
popularity, fame and increased attention and they should accept the fact that
everyone wants to know the details of their personal life. But even if they accept
it, it doesn't mean it's right.
In conclusion, I want to say that every person, no matter whether they are
famous or not, deserves to be free and have a private life.
4. Do you think it is more important to get news fast or accurately? What kinds
of news stories interest you most and how do you get them? Is television still
the best way of following the news in the world?
3. How do you feel about the use of social media as well as the mainstream
media for news gathering and broadcasting?
Every day we come across with a huge amount of news. Some of them are
serious and crucial, some are bizarre and ridiculos, but nevertheless, we see
them everywhere every day, because we are all active Internet users.
In my opinion, it is much more important to get accurate and truthful news than
fast. Quite recently, there was a situation when a rumor was spread that a
Russian singer or rapper died, to be honest, I do not know who he is, but a huge
number of news resources began to spread this news without checking the facts.
And as it turned out, this singer is alive. It's just stupid and unprofessional when
people try to publish the news faster than anyone else because of the hype,
instead of writing the truth.
As for me, I am interested in news related to cinematography. Releases of new
as it turned out, this singer is alive. It's just stupid and unprofessional when
people try to publish the news faster than anyone else because of the hype,
instead of writing the truth.
In any case, I like the fact that we can read the news anytime, anywhere, but
you need to be careful when reading such news.
6. Comment on the following statement: “By the time the average child
finishes elementary school, he or she will have witnessed eight thousand
murders on TV.” How should parents protect children from such a negative
impact of TV?
I think this is a very bizarre statement. We finish elementary school at 10,
and I don't think you can watch 8,000 murder movies by that time. But even
if this is true, it is not a fact that it will affect you much. All people,
especially children, are different. For some, a movie about zombies can be
funny, not scary, and someone thinks that Tom and Jerry is a violent and
cruel cartoon. If you are very afraid for your child and the possible violance
that he can see on TV, just be careful and limit his use of the TV. But it is
quite impossible to follow the child all day, because the parents are
working, then they should just accept the fact, that they can't protect and
hide a child from everything, one day he will still watch Tom and Jerry.
In conclusion, I want to say that in our time, a lot of violance is really
shown on TV, but it is simply impossible to protect a child from this 100%.
Anyway, you shouldn’t stop him from watching Tom and Jerry. It is quite
strange.
10. What do you think about information wars? Do you agree that the media 11. In your opinion, is it worthwhile reading newspapers and magazines?
can manipulate people? Should the media use its power responsibly? News is one of the most important things in most people’s lives. On most days
TV series and movies, photos and videos from filming, trailers for new projects.
Especially if they are related to the MARVEL universe or Star wars. I find the
news mainly on Twitter or Yandex Dzen. Sometimes I can spend two hours
there, reading various news and articles.
In conclusion, I want to say that it is much more important for me to receive
truthful news than fast news. But unfortunately, only a small part of the news
really interests me.
7. Should TV programmes for children always be educational as well as
entertaining?
8. What kind of decisions need to be made before TV programmes are broadcast
to children?
A lot of parents still don't know how television influences children's health and
development. Is it all right to let children watch TV as much as they want?
In my opinion, it's not right that some parents use television as a babysitter in
order to keep their children quiet. Besides, many of them don't care what films
and programs their children watch. As a result, boys and girls watch hits,
commercials, soap operas and programs which are not intended for them. As
experts point out, television delays children's speech development. What is
more, a lot of adults complain that they can't get their sons and daughters to
leave the TV-set when they want to play with them or to take them to the zoo.
Nowadays some children are so addicted to television that they are not
interested in anything else: they don't read books, communicate with grown-ups
and other children. They move less, speak less and they even think less. As a
result children are becoming passive, lazy and dull-witted.
However, television has some advantages as well. There are a lot of good
cartoons and feature films for children on TV. Besides, there are excellent
educational programs and programs designed for schools. They help children
broaden their mind, transfer them to different places and develop their
imagination and creativity.
To some up., if a child's parents are clever enough, they will choose carefully
what their son or daughter watches. It is very important to limit children's
viewing time. Boys and girls should understand that there are a lot of other
interesting and useful things to do besides watching TV.
9. Would you agree that the negative effect of violence in TV programmes of the week, something is happening on a local, regional, national or global
and online media is exaggerated? scale that merits headline coverage. For a lot of people, the first question that
comes to mind each morning is, “What are the latest news headlines?”
As spider-man's uncle once said: with great power comes great Whether a particular news item is exciting and uplifting, tragic and scary, or
responsibility. I believe that the media in our time have a huge power and sensationalistic and trivial, it’s likely to be a topic of conversation at some point
play an important role in the lives of many people. in the hours and days ahead between you and your friends, family and work
Many people blindly believe everything they write on the Internet or say on colleagues, as well as random strangers at grocery stores and coffee shops.
TV, but it is not always true. Especially online resources very often publish People get their news these days from a variety of sources, including television,
fake news just for hype, without thinking about the consequences. Quite radio, magazines and the Internet. However, newspapers remain the most time-
recently, there was a situation when a rumor was spread that a Russian honoured medium through which news is delivered to people of all ages
singer or rapper died, to be honest, I do not know who he is, but a huge throughout the country. The uses of newspaper reading are numerous. For
number of news resources began to spread this news without checking the starters, a well-rounded paper provides coverage of global and local news,
facts. And as it turned out, this singer is alive. It's just stupid and weather forecasts and a whole host of entertainment and sports topics.
unprofessional when people try to publish the news faster than anyone else Additionally, newspapers can keep you informed of nearby store openings, sales
because of the hype, instead of writing the truth. and job opportunities. Nearly 90 percent of Americans say they prefer to get
Anyway, I reckon it's obvious that if you have a large audience, you need to their news straight from a reliable source such as a newspaper rather than
take a responsible approach to what you say and write. This applies not only hearing it from friends online or through other sources. Newer media come and
to the media, but also to people who have an audience in general. go, but the format of newspapers has held strong. One of the biggest benefits of
reading newspapers on a regular basis is doing so keeps you informed of all the
latest world events.
Another major advantage to reading newspapers daily is you’re always up to
date on important local news.
Newspapers are also a great source of information on daily and weekly weather
forecasts. Serious topics are not the only things covered in most newspapers.
Fact is, the majority of readers see equal importance in the areas of
entertainment and recreation.
Of corse, If you run a local business, newspapers are one of the best media in
which to advertise. Though many business owners assume the best way to reach
customers is through television commercials, the costs of airtime can eat away
at any profits generated from the increased exposure and resultant foot traffic.
Newspapers, by contrast, offer an affordable medium in which all types of
businesses can get products and services exposed to consumers within a given
range of distribution
12. Talking of television, is a wider choice of TV channels a good thing? 13. Some people say that watching online video or TV has a negative effect on
Would it be better if there were only one channel? Why? Are standards of our concentration span. Do you agree? What other dangers of watching too
programmes getting better or worse in general? much TV do you know?
14. Why should you question media messages instead of simply accepting 15. If you had to depend on only one of the media for information, which would
them as truths? To what extent do you believe what you read or hear?
16. How important do you think radio (newspapers) is nowadays? Is it
outdated
18. What are the benefits of watching TV online as opposed to on a TV?
20. Do you enjoy watching a series more if you watch it weekly or binge-
watch? Talk about the last you were pulled in by? Why do you think it’s
popular?
As for me, I much prefer to binge-watch series. If the series is very
interesting and exciting, I despise with a passion that feeling of waiting
when you've watched one episode and have to wait a week for the next one.
you choose? Why?
17. Why do some news stories go viral? Do you think most viral stories are true
or not true? Why? How can you take action with news stories that are
exaggerated, misleading, false and biased?
19. Which newspapers, websites, TV channels, telegram channels or radio
stations in your country do you think are a) biased b) reliable c) sensational? Is
there much censorship in your country?
Every day we come across with a huge amount of news. Some of them are
serious and crucial, some are bizarre and ridiculos, but nevertheless, we see
them everywhere every day, because we are all active Internet users. But what
about particular resources, let's take a look.
I don't listen to the radio or read the newspapers, so I can't say anything specific
about them. But sometimes I watch TV and maybe I'll say a banal thing, but I
think that Federal channels are very biased. Many people, like me, believe that
our Federal channels are paid for by the authorities and they only say what they
consider necessary and right for them. They propagate the thoughts and ideas
that our authorities dictate to them, often downplaying or hiding the truth at all.
I hope the FSB will not come to me after these words. Reliable news resources I
can call such websites as Lenta.ru and TASS, Медуза. I don't read them very
often, but I found information that these websites are among the most reliable in
Russia. To be honest, I don't really understand what a sensational Internet
resource means. Perhaps these are some sites that publish the latest sensations
and interesting news. I am subscribed to the VPSH telegram channel, which
publishes the latest and most interesting news from the world of blogging and
celebrities. I hope this can be an example. As for media censorship in Russia, it
is very strict. Freedom of speech in Russia is almost non-existent, websites,
telegram and YouTube channels are often blocked, for certain news, and
journalists are brought to criminal responsibility. People are unhappy with this,
but the authorities are not concerned about it.
21. Why do people consume digital video content? What do they search for in
the programs they watch?
Usually, I just wait until all the episodes are released and then watch them
for a couple of days. Another reason is that I have a very bad memory and I
can just forget what was in the last episode until I wait for a new one. By
the way, I really love Netflix series for the fact that they release the entire
season at once and you don't have to wait for new episodes for a very long
time.
But the last show that really pulled me in wasn't from Netflix. It's Disney+
and it's The Mandalorian. I am really keen on this TV show and I finished
watching it just a couple of days ago and I'm very upset that the new season
will be released only in a year. This is a series based on the star wars
universe and I think this is the reason why it is so popular. Because star
wars has had a huge audience since 1977, almost all of their projects are
very successful, movies, cartoons, TV series and even games. So, it is
obvious that the Mandalorian is one of the most popular and best TV series
of this year!

22. How have TV-programmes been changing over the past decade?
24. How would you describe a good journalist? What is important for a
good news journalist?
26. How far do you agree that it's not acceptable for journalists to listen in
on politicians' phone calls and hack into their email accounts?
I absolutely and completely agree that this is unacceptable for journalists
and for all people in general. Because it is an invasion of privacy.
Even if they want to do it for a good cause, to uncover some big secret or to
find out the truth about some issue, I still believe that everything has
frames. Disturbing people's personal space, listening to their calls and
reading their personal mail is unacceptable and illegal, as far as I know. It
doesn't matter whether they are good or bad politicians, they are people at
first, and everyone has the right to personal space and private life. And to
break personal boundaries for the article on the Internet and sensational
headlines is very unprofessional.
In conclusion, I want to say that every person, no matter whether they are
politican or not, deserves to be free and have a private life.
23. Which sections of a newspaper do you normally read? Which sections do
you usually skip?
25. Describe your favourite British TV programmes and shows. What do you
find appealing about them?
27. Why do people use social networking apps? Is it important to limit time we
spend online? Why / Why not?
Social networks in our time are simply indispensible! Thanks to special mobile
apps, we can have a whole world in our phones.
People use them for different activities. For example, I use VK to communicate
with other people and even to study, Instagram allows me to follow people from
different countries, and observe their lives, especially celebrities. On Twitter, I
mostly read the news, I use tik Tok for entertainment and relaxing. After a hard
workday, I really want to lie down and watch funny videos. But still, I can
control myself.
And I think it's very important to limit yourself to using social media, especially
for entertainment. Social networks and the Internet in general are an important
part of our lives, especially with coronavirus, when we learn and work online. I
do not know what to say when answering the question WHY we need to limit
ourrseves, probably because we can easily become dependent on it. We will live
only in the online world, procrastinate and watch tik tok.
In conclusion, I want to say that absolutely everything in our life should be used
moderately, especially the Internet and social networks.