Midst bitten mead and acre shorn, 

The world without is waste and worn, 

But here within our orchard-close, 

The guerdon of its labour shows. 

O valiant Earth, O happy year 

That mocks the threat of winter near, 

And hangs aloft from tree to tree 

The banners of the Spring to be.

Stressed Greeks find release in e-curse website

Greeks fed up with their pesky neighbours, old flames, the government, or society in
general can find release in a new Internet site that posts e-curses for free. "Have you been
dumped, harassed or angered? Why not unload with a curse?" offers www.e-katares.com
(e-curse.com), which currently has more than 150 entries.
Most postings on the site are from jilted lovers but there are also contributions aimed at
Greek taxi drivers -- a favourite target -- banks, the public sector and even Prime Minister
Costas Karamanlis.
"May his next pasta meal give him salmonella poisoning," one user rants against the
premier, whose love of food is a popular barb among opposition media.
In Athens, locals usually relieve stress through a variety of offensive hand gestures, most
frequently whilst caught in one of the capital's trademark traffic jams.
"Studies by Eurostat (EU statistics service) show that Greeks have gone from being
positive and relaxed to having the worst stress in Europe over job uncertainty and the
collapse of traditional social structures," sociology professor George Piperopoulos told the
daily Ethnos, which publicised the site Saturday.

1. Comprehension questions:
1. What are the typical reasons for stress among the Greeks?
2. How can the new site help its users?
3. Who gets cursed most often?
4. What did an angry user wish the Prime Minister?
5. What has changed in the national character of the Greeks recently, according to
statistics?

2. Explain in English the meaning of the highlighted words and phrases as you
understood them. Then look them up in the dictionary for the exact meanings.

3. Retell the story and make your comment.

4. Find in the text 3 synonyms/words close in meaning to the expression “to get rid of
stress”. Try to use all of them in Task 6.

5. Read the small news story and explain in your own words the meaning of the words “a
brawl/to brawl”. Then find in the text one more synonym to the expression “to get rid of
stress”. Use it in Task 6
Villagers Ring In New Year... With A Brawl
Peruvian villagers have been doing their best to clear the air before the start of the new year
- by fighting.
People in Chumbilbilca, near Cusco, brawled in an annual custom aimed at settling scores
and venting any personal problems that have built up over 2010. Men, women and children
take part in the festival, known as Takanakuy, and locals say the tradition helps strengthen
ties. The bare-knuckle fights rarely lead to serious injuries and the day ends with a
celebratory dance.

6. What makes you feel stressed? How do you cope with stress? (Give a 1-2 minute talk)