Monologues

Contents
Unit 1.1...............................................................................................................................................2
1. Who is the best language learner you know?....................................................................2
2. Who was your first English teacher?................................................................................3
3. What do you do to remember words in English?.............................................................3
4. What languages do you like listening to?.........................................................................4
5. What TV programmes do you watch in English?.............................................................4
6. When did you first speak a foreign language?.................................................................5
Unit 1.2...............................................................................................................................................6
1. Think of the people you have talked to in the past week. What relationship do they
have to you?..................................................................................................................................6
2. Do you get on with your team-mates?................................................................................6
3. Do you think men's and women's brains are wired differently? Why?............................6
4. Do you think it's important for a person to have godparents? Why?..............................7
5. Do you have godparents? Are you a godparent yourself? Do you like this role?.........8
6. Are you a member of a club? Do you like taking part in social events?.........................8
Unit 1.4.............................................................................................................................................10
1. What three words best describe you?..............................................................................10
2. What possession is most important to you?....................................................................11
3. What is your greatest achievement?.................................................................................11
4. What do you like most/least about your lifestyle?...........................................................11
5. If you could change one thing about the past, what would it be?..................................14
Unit 2.1.............................................................................................................................................14
1. Which types of film do you enjoy watching? Have your tastes changed over the
years?..........................................................................................................................................14
2. Are there any film genres you can’t stand watching?.....................................................15
3. Can you think of a film you have seen that has taught you about a person/event in
history?........................................................................................................................................15
4. Do you think it is all right for film-makers to change the facts of a story?...................16
5. What are the most important events in your life? When did they happen? Why are
they important?..........................................................................................................................17
6. What are 3 unusual things you’ve done in your life?......................................................17
Unit 2.2.............................................................................................................................................17
1. How do you keep up-to-date with the news?...................................................................17
2. What have been the most important stories in the last five years?...............................18
Unit 2.4.............................................................................................................................................20
1. Which famous fictional thieves/ investigators/detectives do you know about?..........20
 2. Do you watch any crime detective dramas? Which ones? What do you like/dislike
about them?................................................................................................................................21
3. Do you watch any crime detective dramas? Which ones? What do you like/dislike
about them?................................................................................................................................22
4. Tell a story about a crime you’ve heard about. It can be from the news, a film or your
own experience...........................................................................................................................23
Unit 1.3 (Dialogues).........................................................................................................................24
1. Student A. You work for a famous business school.......................................................24
2. Tell a story to your partner. In your story, answer the following questions.................27

Unit 1.1
1. Who is the best language learner you know?
It is quiet difficult question… For me, the best language learner is some modern superhero. You
know. All superheroes have their origin story-life. There was the spider that bit Peter Parker. Or
consider the rise of my favorite superhero - Batman, Joseph "Joe" Chill, who killed Bruce Wayne's
parents. I mean, each of them has their own story. But all these heroes and their superpowers are
fictitious.
But at the same time, here are people among us today with almost superhuman language skills. We
called this people – polyglots. These people are known as polyglots.

What is a polyglot?

A polyglot is someone who has a deep love for languages, and is able to speak, use, and
understand several of them. The term “polyglot” is often used to describe people who can speak
more than three languages. If you speak two languages you’re bilingual, if you speak three you’re
trilingual. If you speak more, you may be considered a polyglot. Polyglots are certainly rare and
interesting people: only about 3% (присент) of the world’s total population can speak four or more
languages.

One of the most famous polyglots - Steve Kaufmann

Languages spoken: English (native), Russian, Japanese, Korean, Romanian, Swedish, Portuguese, French, Spanish,
German, Greek, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Chinese Mandarin, Cantonese, Czech, Ukrainian, Italian, Turkish, Persian.

Steve Kaufmann is a serious inspiration to anybody having trouble with language learning
motivation: he’s still studying languages at 76 years of age!

Steve can communicate in twenty languages, and is a YouTuber.

Steve has said in the past that he was not very good at learning languages due to the rigid teaching
methods employed by schools, which led him to join a polyglot club and develop his own methods
instead.
There are a ton of famous polyglots out there who are known for other things outside of speaking
multiple languages.
Actress Natalie Portman is one famous polyglot. Natalie can speak five languages, including
Spanish, English, Hebrew, French, and Japanese. Along with her passion for acting, Natalie also
loves learning world languages and has a serious thirst for knowledge. She even has a Bachelor of
the Arts degree in Psychology from Harvard.

Another famous actress with a passion for knowledge is television and film star Mila Kunis.
Mila was born in Ukraine and moved to the United States with her family when she was a child so
can speak fluent Russian and English. Mila has also spoken about how difficult learning English
was after the sudden move to the U.S., but you wouldn’t notice by listening to her now. Many don’t
even know that she is from a different country, and her Russian is still impeccable in Russian
language interviews.

If we dig a little deeper through history, there are many famous polyglots that few know
about. One famous polyglot is the ancient Egyptian ruler Cleopatra. The ruler of the ancient
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt was believed to speak at least nine languages. Her native language
was Greek and she was believed to have learned Egyptian, Hebrew, and Troglodyte. She was also
believed to have spoken the languages of the Ethiopians, Syrians, Armenians, Medes, and Parthians
as well. Some anthropologists believe she also spoke Arabic.

2. Who was your first English teacher?

My first English teacher was Victoria Vladimirovna. She is the wife of the director of my school.
She was the first teacher who tried to explain to me how English letters sounded. Before that, I
had been learning German and it was difficult for me to change my pronunciation from German to
English.

And thanks to her, I wanted to learn English.

3. What do you do to remember words in English?

I use some tips, which help me to remember words in English:

1. I watch youtube and TV-channels in English: Id, Paranormal Nights, Blacklisting: Mom’s
and Deddy’s, I killed my family when I was 16.
2. I look at the words again after 24 hours, after one week and after one month. (Because, I
know that our brain has two kinds of memory – short-term memory, and long-term memory.
When you look at a phone number on a piece of paper, then dial it – that’s short term
memory. You only remember it for as long as you need it.
Your home address, your cousins' names, the letters of the alphabet … these are all in
your long-term memory. You aren’t likely to forget them). So if you are
learning a new language (or improving your vocabulary for your first language!), most
words stay in your short-term memory. And to move words from short-term
memory to long-term memory you have to thinking deeply about the word
 and saying the word many times. Because the two most important factors
in remembering words are elaboration and repetition
3. I am currently preparing for certification and I have to read in English. It is quite difficult as
it is a technical language with a lot of terms and concepts.

**Learn the word many ways, and practice it many days!**

Here are some tips to help you remember vocabulary:

 Keep an organised vocabulary notebook.

 Make word cards and take them with you. Read them on the bus or when you are waiting for
your friends.
 Learn words with a friend. It can be more fun and easier to learn with someone else.
 Learn how to use a dictionary. What information is next to a word in the dictionary? Do you
know the different types of dictionary?
 Learn a few words but not too many. About eight new words a day is a good number.

4. What languages do you like listening to?

As I said before, I prefer to watch and listen to specialized english channels on YouTube, as well
as Investigation Discovery. I write down unfamiliar words and after watching, I translate them.
After that, I try to learn them. Sometimes I watch sitcoms with simple linguistic constructions.

5. What TV programmes do you watch in English?

You can improve your English in a fun and easy way. TV shows can help your learning
English journey in a great way. It is possible to find many English series subtitles in your native
language and use them while watching the series, so you can improve your listening abilities. Even
celebrities like Mila Kunis owe her English language abilities to watching British and American TV
shows. You can enrich your vocabulary and easily memorize most commonly used sentence
structures in English.

If you think studying English is boring or want to fulfill your free time with meaningful activities,
watching these English TV series could help you. There are many good series on streaming services
such as Netflix, Amazon Prime etc. Friends, Stranger Things, Homicide hunter (devil in the
mountains), Dark family secrets, A faking IT collections and many-many others. It also depends on
your personal preference.

6. When did you first speak a foreign language?

The first time I communicated in a foreign language was in school, about 23-25 years ago. Our
school was one of two in Makarovskiy district that studied German. We were regularly visited by
families from Germany, who provided certain help for our school. In summer, the most responsible
students from our school were sent to Germany to study German and to stay with these families. In
one of these families I spoke German for the first time. It was quite difficult in the first few days. I
had insufficiently good pronunciation and vocabulary, as well as problems with grammar. But
overall, I overcame the language barrier already after two weeks. I was in the German family for
about a month. This helped me a lot in learning a foreign language. It was also easier for me to
study German, since other children who had moved to Germany several years ago regularly visited
our family. Communicating with children is much easier than with adults.

As for English, I spoke it with a native speaker for the first time about two years ago, here in
Zhytomyr. It was a woman who was trying to buy stationery in one of our stores and was trying to
pay for the purchase with a bank card. But the seller could not explain that they only accept cash. I
explained everything to her, then we went to the ATM, I helped her withdraw cash. Then we had
coffee and talked. She was from Atlanta and her sister has been living in Zhytomyr for several
years.

Unit 1.2
1. Think of the people you have talked to in the past
week. What relationship do they have to you?
Last week I talked mainly with colleagues at work, some customers and members of my family.
Our team has several regular, meetings - daily stand-ups, retrospective and planning. And as part of
these meetings, I always talk with members of our team (IT-BPA), because I am a Scrum Master
and I need to communicate with everyone.

It is important for me to know how the members of my team feel, what prevents them from
working, what is required from the technical side, perhaps some additional meetings (for
example: brainstorming). In general, I need to know everything about each member of my team
(availability of electricity, internet connection, etc.).

Last week I had several meetings with my customers. I had several demos in which I demonstrated
the functionality of several applications, as well as prototypes. They were Irina Gumenyuk and
colleagues from the Polish office.

I also talk to my mother, wife and daughter every day. Now they do not live in Zhytomyr.
 2. Do you get on with your team-mates?
As I said earlier, I need to know everything about our team members. And for this I need to have a
good and trusting relationship with each member of the team. At the same time, I must
communicate easily and naturally. The situation is similar in communication with my
customers. They all have to trust me. And only in this case I can do my job at a good level.

3. Do you think men's and women's brains are wired

differently? Why?
I don’t think so. There are some real differences in women’s and men’s brains such as basic size.
On average, men’s brains are larger than women’s. However, many other areas of the brain are not
distinguishably different.

Studies show that women tend to use both sides of the brain fairly equally, while men generally
focus on the left side.

There is a very small correlation between brain size and intelligence, thought to be around 0.4.
Intelligence generally correlates more with how the brain is used.

Studies show that men and women tend to experience emotion equally, while women are more
expressive emotionally.

About Brain Wiring

You might also have heard that men and women differ in terms of how their brains are ‘wired’.
Usually, when we talk about wiring, we mean how the different parts of the
brain are connected. It is a common idea that the two hemispheres are more
tightly connected in women than in men.

But on average, women’s brains have proportionally more gray matter than men’s brains, and men’s
brains actually have a larger percentage of white matter. White matter is the stuff that connects
neurons. Moreover, when we look at the corpus callosum—the largest bundle of white matter in the
brain—the connectivity story becomes even more complicated.

4. Do you think it's important for a person to have

godparents? Why?
Traditionally, the role of the godparent is grounded in (кристианити) Christianity,
with the practice most often being associated with Catholicism. Within the Catholic
church, a godparent must be chosen from the (конгрегейшен) congregation and
commit to guiding their godchild’s spiritual life, beginning with their baptism.
However, you don’t have to be a Christian or even spiritual to give your kids
godparents.
Over the years, the responsibilities of a godparent have evolved. Now, the role is
still associated with guidance, but that guidance doesn’t have to be spiritual in
nature. Instead, you may choose a friend whose love of arts could enrich your little
one’s future, or an aunt who you hope will act as a co-parent of sorts.

These days, the godparents’ role in their godchild’s life varies from family to family.
Generaly, that means it’s up to you and the godparents you choose for your child to
decide what level of involvement they’ll have in the baby’s life. Still, no matter how
hands-on a godparent is, asking someone to take on such a special role is both an
honor and a huge deal, so it’s a choice that should be made with careful
consideration. Most importantly, you should choose someone you want to always be
a part of not only your child’s life but also your own.

What role should a godparent play in a child’s life?

If you’re not religious, a godparent can simply be an adult presence in a child’s
life who they feel comfortable going to with issues they may not want to broach
with their parents. The person or people you choose should be willing to be there
for your baby through every stage of their life. Essentially, you want someone who
will be equally adept at taking your little one out for ice cream when they’re in
kindergarten and giving them a shoulder to cry on when they’re experiencing their
first heartache as a teen.

The role of the godparent isn’t a legal one unless you decide to make your child’s
godparents their legal guardians in the event of your death. But that’s certainly not a
requirement. In many cases, a child’s godparents are a bit like extra aunts and uncles
— supportive adults who happily spoil your kids rotten.

If you are religious, you may decide to adhere to the traditional definition of a
godparent. In that case, the person or people you choose will play a key role in
guiding your child’s spiritual journey. Even if you’re appointing a secular godparent,
you may want them to be a positive influence on your child in a moral sense — this
could range from teaching your child the value of volunteering to simply act as a
sounding board when your teen or young adult finds themselves facing a moral
dilemma.

5. Do you have godparents? Are you a godparent

yourself? Do you like this role?
Yes. I have godparents. But my godparents did not take part in my upbringing or
development as a person. Rather, it is just a formality. But this is only in my case.
Yes, we maintain good relations, but nothing more. For me godparent - it is a
responsibility to the child that should make you think about what you are doing in
your life (conducting yourself) and how that child will be affected by it…But at the
same time it is not like being a parent. I don’t believe it is something to be taken
lightly. It is a big responsibility for all your life.

6. Are you a member of a club? Do you like taking

part in social events?
In my opinion, every person should decide for himself whether he wants to do sport
or take part in social event not because we live in a society with a freedom of choice.

Nowadays, everybody has a busy schedule that we do not show any interest in any
kind of social events. But at the same time you should remember that social
events can help you to develop emotional intelligence

1. To develop emotional intelligence

Social events develop social skills and empathy—the outward-oriented dimensions of

emotional intelligence (EQ). The interactions or conversations elicited by events
helps students build relationships, understand different perspectives and engage other
cultures. Social events provide an opportunity to expand one’s social circle.

2. To take a break

All work with no breaks diminishes productivity. It’s good to take one’s mind
off the troubles of exams or reports from time to time—something that
participating in events can provide. Whether it’s by watching a movie or
volunteering, a “daily work break” lets us recuperate by focusing on activities
that exercise other creative, mental muscles.

3. To build relationships

Participating in social events enables us to meet people who share common interests
and individuals who can help them professionally. Relationship-building is a good
habit that each one of us need to learn because the world of work requires aptitude in
negotiation, communication and, well, more networking.

The perfect way to increase productivity in your work is to take a break and get
socialize. Sometimes it is good to forget your work and have fun with your new
friends.

So, you should go and participate in social events. You never know you will meet
great people and that will lead to a good transformation in your life
Unit 1.4
1. What three words best describe you?
I'm organized, patient and helpful. I pride myself on my time management skills
and ability to meet multiple deadlines. When I have worker's block, I don't give up.
Instead, I maintain my patience and keep working on the piece until I think of a great
idea or some solution. I also enjoy helping my team members approach their projects
with different methods. I often find happiness in assisting others.

In our project, I have 2 roles as well: business analyst and scrum master. Our team
has several regular, meetings - daily stand-ups, retrospective and planning. And as
part of these meetings, I always talk with members of our team (IT-BPA), because I
am a Scrum Master and I need to communicate with everyone.

It is important for me to know how the members of my team feel, what prevents
them from working, what is required from the technical side, perhaps some
additional meetings (for example: brainstorming). In general, I need to know
everything about each member of my team (availability of electricity, internet
connection, etc.).

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

The idea of a perfect happiness centers around having control over every aspect
of life. I understand that I’ll never have control over every aspect, so I don’t think I’ll
ever achieve perfect happiness although experiencing happiness is a possibility.
Regardless of what parameters I try to set in place for myself or my life, there will
always be something that does not go according to plan.

My idea of perfect happiness is when my heart, conscience, mind, spirit and

body are relaxed, at peace, joyful and in total bliss. Like every bit of me is on
Christmas holiday every day of the year. I’m perfectly happy when my family
and I are enjoying a meal together with not a care in the world. It’s great to find
happiness in the most simple of things, too. Reachable happiness each and every day
is perfect!
Мое представление о совершенном счастье — это когда мое сердце, совесть, разум, дух и тело расслаблены,
умиротворены, радостны и пребывают в полном блаженстве. Как будто каждая частичка меня каждый день
в году находится на рождественских каникулах. Я совершенно счастлив, когда моя семья и я наслаждаемся
едой вместе, не заботясь ни о чем. Также здорово находить счастье в самых простых вещах. Достижимое
счастье каждый день совершенен!
 2. What possession is most important to you?
We all have various possessions that are important to us for various reasons
ranging from their value to the sentiments attached with them. I also have many
valuable items, but the most prized one of them is my laptop and wristwatch.
Specially wristwatch, its holds a special place in my heart as it was the last gift to me
from my grandfather before his demise.

I was very close to him. I received this wristwatch about 10 years in January.

Also I have got a laptop from my wife. Not only does it help me keep in touch
with other people through video calls and messages in social networks, but it also lets
me use high-speed internet. I can check emails, play games, listen to music, watch
videos, and browse social media apps. Besides, it facilitates the usage of important
apps, reading e-books, and transferring data.

3. What is your greatest achievement?

My biggest achievement in the last 4 years is the change of specialization in our
company. I took this important step 4 years ago when I was a developer. My
former colleagues tried to convince me not to do it. And I wasn't 100% sure what I
was doing right. But now, I can say with confidence - it was the right decision. Some
of my colleagues have already been fired or their projects closed. I continue to work
at the job I love. A few days ago I got a promotion.

In retrospect 10 years, my biggest achievement is the birth of my daughter. My

daughter has completely changed my life for the better. I am very happy that I have
her.

4. What do you like most/least about your lifestyle?

The most thing I like about my life is my family, my daughter. And also that I can
give her whatever she wants at the moment. I really like to work and do my favorite
work. I love studying business analysis, conquering new career levels. In general, I
like to wake up in the morning, breathe fresh air, drink aromatic coffee and take my
time. as you can see, I need little to be happy.

3. Keep company with good people.

Maximize the amount of time that you spend with people you enjoy being around.
Connecting with others who radiate positivity and have similar interests will excite
and energize you.
On the other side, people you don't relate to or who have negative outlooks, complain
often, or make poor choices will only drain your energy account. Be selective about
the company you keep.

It's important to set limits and boundaries to protect yourself and conserve your
energy when around people who do not refill your energy reserves.

4. Avoid news overdose.

Consuming news is an important way to stay connected to what's happening in the

world. It can be educational, entertaining and even uplifting.

Unfortunately, the news too frequently is filled with stories of suffering. These stories
can skew your view of the world and cause you to focus on your worst fears instead
of recognizing the good that surrounds you.

You can't avoid these stories altogether, but try to minimize your exposure when you
can, especially during trying times.

5. Get regular exercise.

Do you find yourself feeling lethargic halfway through the day? Have you ever gotten
winded by simple everyday duties, such as grocery shopping or household chores?
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults complete at
least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week. Contrary to what
you might believe, this will add to your enegy account and not subtract from it.

Exercise relieves stress and tension, strengthens muscles and boosts endurance, and
helps your body work more efficiently during other physical tasks or activities.

6. Do something meaningful each day.

What do you feel passionate about? Do you have a special talent that you'd like to
practice more often or share with others? Do something you enjoy every day, even if
it's a simple act like cooking a healthy meal or listening to your favorite song. Putting
effort into the things that matter most to you will help you use and reserve your
energy in ways that will bring out the best in you.

7. Think good thoughts for others.

The least thing I like about my life is I have to act normal when I am not. When
I am upset, I shut myself down and I have no motivation for anything.

I think about all of the negative things I could possibly think of.
I give myself all the pain, thinking I deserve it. I’m not sure why I do that, but that’s
just how I am sometimes.

I got to learn a fact that no one is going to love you for who you are if you don’t love
yourself & just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t
mean they don’t care for you or don’t love you with all they have.

People always think that the most painful thing in life is losing the one you value. But
the truth is, the most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of valuing
someone too much and forgetting that you are special too.

Multitasking. Sounds cool huh? Must be awesome to perform multitasking. Dead

wrong. Aim to perform many tasks at once, hilariously fail at all of them to a range of
medium-high degree. One can accomplish multitasking successfully, you'd have to be
exceptional for it though.

5. If you could change one thing about the past, what

would it be?
I think nothing. Past is just your practice and some important part of your
experience. Life is all about learning. I don't need to change anything. It is
already perfect.

Considering I am a part of this world. I would like to slowly and gently like to work
on changing my tendencies, and that would inturn change the world around me for
sure. If at all i need to choose to invest my energy and power into changing
something, I would try to change this speck of dust, first.

If my energy remains after that then I would be happy to see the world becoming
more empathetic and kind towards other humans and ANIMALS for sure.

Unit 2.1
1. Which types of film do you enjoy watching? Have
your tastes changed over the years?
Each person has his own preferences of movie genres and often visit a movie theater
to enjoy premiers or some of his favorites cast on a big screen. I personally like to
watch documentary movies at home and romance comedies at a cinema and I will
explain why in the following essay.

First of all, when I watch documentary movies at home I feel in more private
atmosphere and so I can focus on a particular movie. Consequently, I can better
understand the story of famous people or other historical event, for instance. In fact,
documentary movies are with cognitive purposes and I believe that home is the best
place to watch them, due to the quite and tranquil place. I will never forget, when I
watched a documentary movie with a big budget at home. It was about Fredy
Mercury's life before he had become a superstar. By watching it I tapped into
exclusive news and facts about the singer, that people may are not familiar with. If I
had watched that movie at a movie theater, I wouldn't have felt good and would
probably missed some details.

However, I prefer watching genres such as horror, science-fiction and especially

science fiction action films based on the Transformers franchise of the 1980s
(maybe some others) at a movie theater because these movies elicit emotions and
I can share with my pals or my significant other. When we are frightened by
seeing a scene from a horror movie or we laugh because of a extremely funny scene
with the special effects in a movie theater we can always grab our partner for courage
or laugh together. We are more excited and feel confident as well. For example, I
went to a cinema to watch a great 3D movie (it was Avatar) with my girlfriend a
year ago. It was her first 3D experience and she was exhilarating by watching a plot
with special effects. Moreover, the cast was full with world famous actors and their
performance was absolutely unique. The soundtrack of the movie turned into a hit
everywhere. If I have the opportunity to watch the same movie anew at a movie
theater, I definitely would not hesitate to go.

To sum up, there are numerous kinds of movies I like to watch but the most
essential genres are documentary science fiction and action films. The best place
to watch documentary films is home due to the absence of audience that might
distract and a person can profoundly concentrate. However, I prefer watching
science fiction action films at a movie theater, because the ambience is more
realistic and believable

2. Are there any film genres you can’t stand

watching?
I don't really like boring movies that you spend the entire time trying to figure
out the point of it or something but I don't really know what the genre of those
films would be. Like they're supposed to be artistic or something but they end up just
being confusing.

Gory films are pretty terrible too but I don't watch them at all really. Though it can be
harder to avoid considering I enjoy good horror films!
 3. Can you think of a film you have seen that has
taught you about a person/event in history?
Yes, as I know Apollo 13 is very close to real events. When making Apollo 13,
director Ron Howard tried to stick as closely as possible to real-life events and
mostly succeeded. In a 2019 interview with Time magazine, NASA planetary
scientist Rick Elphic praised the film, saying it “might be one of the most accurate,
especially when it came to the science of space travel.” The events of the real space
disaster are accurately portrayed in the film, which adheres to the timeline set out in
Jim Lovell’s book, who was the commander of the Apollo 13 mission.

Where the film departs from real-life is in Tom Hanks’ utterance of the now-famous
line: “Houston, we have a problem” (Lovell actually said, “Houston, we’ve had a
problem” or a variation of that phrase a few times over a 16-second period) and
Howard’s creation of arguments between the crew to capture the emotion of the
astronauts. Minor inaccuracies aside, Apollo 13 is about an accurate representation of
the true story as audiences can hope for.

Создавая «Аполлон-13», режиссер Рон Ховард старался максимально приблизиться к

реальным событиям, и в основном это ему удавалось. В интервью журналу Time в 2019 году
планетолог НАСА Рик Элфик похвалил фильм, сказав, что он «может быть одним из самых
точных, особенно когда речь идет о науке о космических путешествиях». События
реальной космической катастрофы точно показаны в фильме, который придерживается
хронологии, изложенной в книге Джима Ловелла, который был командиром миссии
«Аполлон-13».

Где фильм отходит от реальной жизни, так это в произнесении Томом Хэнксом
знаменитой фразы: «Хьюстон, у нас проблема» (на самом деле Ловелл сказал: «Хьюстон, у
нас проблема» или вариант этой фразы). несколько раз за 16-секундный период) и создание
Ховардом споров между экипажем, чтобы передать эмоции астронавтов. Помимо мелких
неточностей, «Аполлон-13» — это точное представление реальной истории, на которое
могут надеяться зрители.

4. Do you think it is all right for film-makers to

change the facts of a story?
It is all right, because film-makers can make you laugh, cry and think. They can
change your perspective on a particular subject, whether through a historical,
political, or cultural lens. Good film-makers make you feel like you’ve learned
somethig new about the world and yourself. A great documentary scratches at
something deep inside people, often revealing truths have been hidden. And if they
need to change the facts of a story, why not?
I think it's much worse if the movie is historically accurate, but when you watch it,
you want to sleep.

5. What are the most important events in your life?

When did they happen? Why are they important?
In retrospect 10 years, my biggest achievement is the birth of my daughter. My
daughter has completely changed my life for the better. I am very happy that I have
her. I will never forget the day of her birth, the day she was born.

6. What are 3 unusual things you’ve done in your life?

I did a lot of things that I don't want to remember. The most idle - I entered the
military lyceum and successfully studied in it. In this lyceum, I broke the nose of my
commander for the first time. It was also here that I first tried soft drugs and alcohol.

I also successfully passed the entrance exams to the military institute, but decided
that I did not want to study at this institute. I came home and lied to my parents that I
didn't get in. Then, I confessed to them, but already a few years later.

Unit 2.2
1. How do you keep up-to-date with the news?
Today I have several ways to get up-to-date news I have several subscriptions to
news sites not only in our country, but also in the USA, EU countries.

1. Subscribe to traditional news sources using your mobile phone

Most people now read the news on their mobile devices. Some great news sites
include: CNN, BBC, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The
New York Times, Daily Mail, The Australian, Daily Telegraph, Sky News, ABC
News etc. All of the apps are free and downloadable on iPhone and Android.

2.I Listen to podcasts

Podcasts are great if you’d prefer to listen to the news than read. There are a lot
of podcast applications accessible; simply track down the one that
accommodates your interests. Sites such as Spotify and Apple Music gives users
the opportunity to explore a range of podcasts and eventually find one that meets
your needs.

3. Download a news aggregator

A news aggregator is an application that collates news and other content for quick
and easy viewing. With a simple google search, you are able to discover plenty of
news aggregators that can cater to your needs.

News aggregators pull stories about similar subjects from different news sources
and group them together in an email list or feed for your consumption. News
aggregators are great tools ways to stay abreast of news and current events because
they sample from a wide variety of sources and put all of the stories in one place,
saving you the hassle.

4. Social Media

By using your social media in the right way, you can gain more bang for buck. By
following accounts such as CNN and the Daily Telegraph, your feed will update to
give you relevant news articles.

2. What have been the most important stories in the

last five years?
I would list issues which impacted the world:

 Russia's rise under Putin (Crimea annexation)

 War in Ukraine-it could cause WW III
 The COVID 19 Pandemic
 The rise of Islamic State (IS)
 China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) move which could integrate Eurasia and
leave US clutching the air. BREXIT referendum.

The first case of COVID-19 is announced in 2019.

The World Health Organization announced that a cluster of mysterious pneumonia-
like cases in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.

Thought to possibly have been caused by a previously unidentified coronavirus. By

the end of January there were confirmed cases in Thailand, Japan and the United
States, among other countries and totalling 9,800 total cases.

1. The COVID-19 Pandemic. Things that start small can reshape the world. Few
people noticed when news emerged in December 2019 that China had begun
monitoring the outbreak of a new pneumonia-like virus, or even on January 11 after
China reported its first death from the disease. Nearly a year later, COVID-19 had
changed life as we knew it.

The World Health Organization estimated in October that as much as 20 percent of

the world’s population had already contracted COVID-19;

In two years, the covid-19 pandemic has swept the entire globe and caused over
250 million infections and five million deaths, despite unprecedented efforts to
stop it. China was the first country affected and held the world’s interest as it battled
to understand and contain the new pathogen.

As countries implemented lockdowns to stop the disease’s spread, the global

economy sputtered—it may have contracted by more than 4 percent—and poverty
rates spiked. Some countries like New Zealand and Vietnam handled the pandemic
well, limiting infections while sustaining economic growth. But many countries, most
notably the United States, China and Russia bungled their response and saw soaring
caseloads and death rates.

As far as I remember, at that time I was at home with my family. Even then, I felt that
there would be something bad. But then we did not take this virus very seriously.
Since China is far from Ukraine. A few months later, the first cases of COVID-19
were already recorded in Ukraine. Then the number of cases reached several hundred,
and after - several thousand people. News feeds were updated almost every minute.
Nobody paid any attention to the numbers. The only thing that scared me was the
number of deaths. In 2021, our entire family fell ill with COVID-19. But the disease
passed in a mild form.

Unit 2.4
1. Which famous fictional thieves/
investigators/detectives do you know about?
I know several stories about fictional and real thieves and police officers who
tried to arrest them. They are famous in our country. But most popular is
Sherlock Holmes. If anybody answers someone other than Sherlock Holmes,
they are wrong. The most famous is Sherlock Holmes. Even if you’ve never read
one of the books or seen one of the many movies or shows based on him, you
know the name, you’ve seen the costume and look.But my favorite is Arsene
Lupin.

Arsène Lupin is one of the great heroes of the golden age of crime novels. This
period was marked by authors such as Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, or
Edgar Allan Poe. The latter inspired French author Maurice Leblanc, who wrote a
novella about a Gentleman Burglar in 1905. It was so successful that his adventures
were the subject of a saga of several published short stories. But what made this
character so successful and intriguing?

Arsène Lupin fascinates readers with his ability to lead a double life without arousing
suspicion. He is part of the high society and the bourgeoisie, but under his appearance
as a charming and seductive man, he is one of the greatest living thieves. His strength
also lies in the fact that he commits impressive crimes without using violence. He
remains elegant, mysterious, and funny in any situation.
Арсен Люпен — один из великих героев золотого века криминальных романов. Этот период отмечен такими авторами, как
Агата Кристи, сэр Артур Конан Дойл или Эдгар Аллан По. Последний вдохновил французского писателя Мориса Леблана,
написавшего в 1905 году повесть о джентльмене-взломщике. Она оказалась настолько успешной, что его приключения
стали предметом саги из нескольких опубликованных рассказов. Но что сделало этого персонажа таким успешным и
интригующим?

Арсен Люпен очаровывает читателей своей способностью вести двойную жизнь, не вызывая подозрений. Он принадлежит к
высшему обществу и буржуазии, но под своим обаятельным и обольстительным мужчиной он один из величайших ныне
живущих воров. Его сила еще и в том, что он совершает впечатляющие преступления, не применяя насилия. Он остается
элегантным, загадочным и забавным в любой ситуации.

What makes Lupin so special and interesting is that instead of rewriting Arsène Lupin
in the 2020s, the series’ authors imagined a character that was influenced by Maurice
Leblanc’s timeless creation.

They shake Arsène Lupin up to give the new generation a great hero played by
talented and popular actor Omar Sy. The man is famous for his many roles in
French movies like The Intouchables (2011) and Chocolat (2016), but also in
American movies like X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) or Jurassic World (2015)
where he plays a hero we can identify with!

“For me, Omar really represents France. This France that doesn’t have a
single color, that doesn’t have a single social level, that evolves. French people
who are intelligent, who are clever, who shouldn’t be pushed too much either
because these French people know how to fight too. That’s what I wanted to see.

Lupin takes us to today’s France and follows Assane Diop (Omar Sy), a man
who wants to get revenge on the man who framed his father years ago by having
him arrested for a robbery he didn’t commit.

He becomes a burglar and gets his inspiration from the novella Arsène Lupin,
Gentleman Burglar being as charismatic, mysterious, and funny as Maurice
Leblanc’s hero.

The series makes us dream too with breathtaking views of the city of Paris and shows
us the Louvre as we’ve never seen it before!
 2. Do you watch any crime detective dramas?
Which ones? What do you like/dislike about
them?
I am a huge sucker for detective shows. I’ve seen a lot of them, and it’s practically
the only kind of TV I watch.

Personally, I enjoy trying to solve the mystery alongside the detectives and thinking
up all kinds of theories. I prefer thoroughly narrated and complex cases, where there
is no surprise evidence, and all the facts are available to the viewer. It’s kind of a
puzzle, I find it fun.

Generally, I lean towards shows that are a case per episode (like Bones, True Crime,
Dexter), rather than the same perpetrator being chased for a whole season or series.

I don’t really care for internal conflicts of the characters, dark secrets looming in their
past or their romantic entanglements, that many detective shows feel compelled to
tack on. I’m just there for the conundrums and the solutions.

3. Do you watch any crime detective dramas?

Which ones? What do you like/dislike about
them?
Characteristics of a Detective Story Detective story is a novel or short story in which
a crime, usually a murder – the identity of the perpetrator unknown – is solved by a
detective through a logical assembling and interpretation of palpable evidence,
known as clues.”
A good detective story generally follows six “unwritten rules.”
 First, the crime must be significant, worthy of the attention it
receives. Most stories involve murder, though Conan Doyle tied the
majority of his crimes to greed and theft.
 Second, the detective must be in some way a memorable character.
He or she must be very intelligent, of course, unusually clever and observant, but also
strange and unsuall, you know - something like Columbo’s old raincoat, James
Bond’s cool and high-tech gadgets, all of these things make the hero more individual.
 Third, along with an exceptional detective, there must be an
outstanding opponent, a criminal clever enough to be a match for the
hero. Solving the crime can’t be too easy.
  Fourth, because a large part of the attraction of a detective story is
the opportunity for the reader to try to figure out the solution along
with the detective, all suspects of the crime must be introduced early
in the story, and
 Fifth, all clues the detective discovers must be made available to the
reader also.
Finally, at the end of the story, the solution must seem obvious,
logical, possible. The crime must not have resulted from accident or
supernatural intervention, and the detective must be able to explain
all aspects of the case in a reasonable (logical) way. A fine detective story
should meet each one of these standards.

4. Tell a story about a crime you’ve heard about. It

can be from the news, a film or your own
experience.

I know several real crime stories. But the most interesting for me are stories about
serial killers and maniacs.

And one of the most brutal serial killers of recent years is a maniac from Orsk.

As far as I know, the Orsky maniac is a truck driver, a respected family man - Velery
Andreev. There are a large number of videos and photos that give the impression that
he is a wonderful person. But this is a misleading impression.

By the way, the Orsk maniac is one of the ten most wanted criminals of Interpol.

Valery Andreev, who was popularly nicknamed the "Orsky maniac", is suspected of
raping, murdering and disappearing girls in the Orenburg region. The remains of one
of the possible victims of the Orsk maniac - Olga Zhuravleva - were found on
September 10, 2013 near the village of Dzhanatalap in a forest near the Orsk-
Chelyabinsk road.

The criminal was put on the wanted list in the summer of 2012, but since then no
official information about his whereabouts has appeared.

The last thing known is that the Orc maniac could change his appearance. Almost two
years after the disappearance of Valery Andreev, experts compiled his sketches.
The media wrote that the serial maniac moved to Karelia, then moved to Mordovia.
One of the versions is that the man may be hiding in Kazakhstan.
There are no additional facts of Andreev's involvement in more "recent or fresh"
crimes, that is, committed after the maniac was put on the wanted list.

Unit 1.3 (Dialogues)

1. Student A. You work for a famous business school.
Student B wants to do a course at the school.
Interview him/her. Use the following prompts and
ask about:
· his/her reason for doing the course
· his/her work experience
· his/her expectations of the course
· his/her plans for the future
Prepare the questions. Remember to ask your partner why he/she is a
good candidate for the school and, at the end, if he/she has any queries
about the business school.

Student A: Hello ….! Nice to meet you. Welcome to our

Business School.
Student B: Hi, thank you.
Student A: As I know, you want to do a course at the school.
And there are a couple of things I’d like to ask about, ……
Could I ask a few questions?
Student B: Of course.
Student A: First of all: what about your expectations of the
course? Maybe you can explain me a reason for doing the
Masters of Business Administration course at our business
school.
Student B: Yep, good question. Actually, I have a team of
developers and QA engineers. In the next 5–6 months we are
going to finish our work on a new power-apps application for
logistics companies.
The application helps to establish supply chains so that a business
can deliver goods faster and cheaper. The store integrates the
service API into its logistics systems, and the application is
responsible for analyzing all the data. Shipping costs are reduced
by about 15 percent.
Student A: I see. Very interesting case, but still, there are no
reason for doing course at our business school. Ok, go on.
Student B: As I said before, we have perfect functional
application. But at the same time, I don’t understand my customer
needs and how we can to deliver service on a high level. That is a
reason why I want to take part in your course. I hope that I will be
able to close all the gaps in my knowledge, and my customers will
receive not only a reliable application, but also a first-class
service.
Student A: I see. Typical problems for many others companies
in our country. In our Masters of Business Administration
course, you can learn to deliver exceptional customer service:
For business success, you need to understand your customer
needs and deliver a service that exceeds their expectations. A
business course will show you how to achieve this.
Student B: This is exactly what I need!
Student A: And one more question.
Student B: Of course!
Student A: What do you think: you are a good candidate for
our school?
Student B: In my opinion, I'm confident my skills and
professional experience align with the requirements for this
student position. In particular, my excellent leadership, creative
thinking skills and my team make me the best candidate for your
business school.
Student A: Do you have any questions? Any queries?
Student B: Actually, I do have a query.
Student A: Yes, go ahead.
Student B: Why your business school is so popular?
Student A: Hundreds of thousands of people enroll in master
of business administration (MBA) programs—each with their
own unique motivations. Business leaders today need the skills
to face integrated problems that span not only functions within a
company, like engineering, supply chain, and human resources,
but also big picture issues of macroeconomic conditions and
geopolitics.
An MBA will help you think about all those things when making
decisions.
More than 80 percent of our students are successful
businessmen. Some of them willingly share their experience
with students. That's why our courses are so popular.
Student B: Thanks a lot for your explanation!
Student A: Ok, then if there is no question. See you later. We
will send you a letter with our decision tomorrow.
Student B: Thank you. Have a nice day!

2. Tell a story to your partner. In your story, answer

the following questions
Katarina
This happened when my sister Dora (Oksana) and I were little kids, our
family had to live for a few years in an old manor house. We liked
exploring dark corners in this charming and at the same time mysterious
house.
Dora (Oksana) and I loved climbing the big apple tree and swinging on the
old swing in the backyard. But even the squeaky swing didn't make us so
happy as playing with a woman ghost did it. It was our favorite game.

So, Dora (Oksana) called her Katarina. This ghost-woman seemed very
kind and caring. Some mornings Dora (Oksana) and I woke up, and near
our beds, we found 2 cups that had not been there the night before. As we
thought, Katarina left these cups with strange liquid, because she worried
about us. But, we had never tasted this drink.

Anyway, among the house's original furniture, there was an antique

wooden chair. We kept it against the back wall of our living room.

When we played games, watched TV or were busy, Katarina moved that

chair forward, across the room, closer to us. Well, we thought it was very
funny. Sometimes ghost-woman moved it to the center of the living room.
Katarina just wanted to be near us.

Finally, 15 years later, after we moved house, Dora (Oksana) found an old
newspaper article about the manor house. It was the widow's house. She
murdered her children. Katarina gave them a cup of poisoned milk before
bed. After that, she hung herself. The newspaper article included an old
photo of the living room, with a woman's body hanging from a beam.
Under her, there was that old wooden chair, placed exactly in the center of
the living room.