Reading newspapers in_english_kuprianova

МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ
РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ
МОСКОВСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ ГУМАНИТАРНЫЙ
УНИВЕРСИТЕТ им. М.А. ШОЛОХОВА
И.А. Куприянова
READING NEWSPAPERS
IN ENGLISH
Учебное пособие
для студентов I курса
факультетов иностранных языков
Москва

Редакционно-издательский центр
2008
2

Куприянова И.А. Reading Newspapers in English: учебное
пособие для студентов I курса факультетов иностранных языков /
Под научной редакцией О.М. Шиян. – М., МГОПУ им. М.А.
Шолохова, 2008 – 190с.
Пособие содержит оригинальный неадаптированный
газетный материал, позволяющий совершенствовать навыки
разных видов чтения и понимания содержания газетных текстов
на английском языке, расширять словарный запас, развивать
навыки устной и письменной речи.
Тексты заимствованы из британских и американских газет.
Пособие предназначено для студентов высших учебных
заведений факультетов иностранных языков.
Под научной редакцией: доктора педагогических наук,
профессора Шиян О.М.
Рецензенты: доктор филологических наук, профессор, зав.
кафедрой иностранных языков Михеева Н.Ф.
(РУДН)
кандидат филологических наук, доцент
Лопатина Ю.Д. (МГОПУ им. М.А. Шолохова)
© Куприянова И.А., 2008
© Московский государственный гуманитарный университет
им.М.А. Шолохова, 2008
3

СОДЕРЖАНИЕ
CONTENTS
Введение 5
The Origin of Newspapers 8
Unit 1
Part I. British Newspapers 9
Part II. Hit-and-Run Accidents
Text 1 One life, six months 13
Text 2 Give us laws that make killer drivers really pay 21
Part III. Family
Text 1 My April shower 26
Text 2 Why girls need a good row with their mum 32
Text 3 I didn’t lay a finger on my baby
Charlotte weeps father 40
Unit 2
Part I. American Newspapers 49
Part II. Fire Disasters
Text 1 Windswept grassfire destroys 2 houses
92 acres burn in Sonoma, Marin and
Contra Costa 52
Part III. Home
Text 1 To the manor reborn 60
Text 2 Property advertisements 69
Unit 3
Part I. Newspaper Layout and Sections 74
Part II. Food and Drink. Cultural Sketches
Text 1 British coffee lovers want instant results 83
4

Text 2 French clash over value of spuds they like 88
Text 3 Watch what you eat 94
Part III. Eating Habit vs. Health of the Nation
Text 1 Now obesity kills child aged three 103
Text 2 British children top league for unhealthy living 114
Text 3 Face it: it’s your own fat fault 120
Unit 4
Part I. Newspaper Headlines. Language Features 131
Part II. What is the weather like today?
Text 1 Today’s weather 139
Text 2 European weather outlook 144
Text 3 Forecast for the cities 147
Unit 5
Part I. Features of TV Programmes 150
Part II. Leisure Time. Choosing Holidays
Text 1 Travel advertisements 161
Appendix 176
Литература
Reference Literature 188
5

ВВЕДЕНИЕ
Средства массовой информации на сегодняшний день
являются одним из главенствующих «поставщиков» информации,
а газетный текст, в свою очередь, одним из наиболее
благодарных источников для изучения современного английского
языка. Как наиболее динамичный вид печатных СМИ газета
отображает общественно-политическую и социально-культурную
ситуацию в стране изучаемого языка во всей ее полноте;
публицистический стиль, используемый в газете, при
разнообразии газетных жанров включает в себя элементы
практически всех остальных функциональных стилей
современного языка.
Целью данного пособия является совершенствование навыков
чтения и понимания содержания газетных текстов на английском
языке, расширение словарного запаса, развитие навыков устной и
письменной речи.
В пособии использованы оригинальные неадаптированные
материалы разного объёма и тематики преимущественно из
британских газет The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail,
the Daily Mirror, The Sun.
Пособие состоит из пяти разделов, каждый из которых
включает в себя информацию общего характера о газетах в
Великобритании и США, их структуре, организации и
содержании: British Newspapers, American Newspapers, Newspaper
Layout and Sections, Newspaper Headlines (в данный раздел
включены задания по работе с заголовочным комплексом как
неотъемлемой частью языка газет [Швейцер А.Д., 1973]), Features
of TV Programmes; и тексты по темам: Family, Home, Food and
Drink, Weather, Leisure Time. Приложение (Appendix) содержит
пояснительные тексты к разделу Features of TV Programmes.
Целям пособия отвечают упражнения, направленные на
обучение чтению, усвоение лексики, поиск информации по
6

тексту, трансформацию текста, поиск значений слов и фраз,
используя контекст и словарь, а также понимание содержания и
обсуждение проблем, затрагиваемых в газетных статьях. Тексты
снабжены комментариями и словарём.
В пособии использованы газетные материалы различного
характера и содержания. Наряду с информационными
сообщениями, тематическими и редакционными статьями, в
пособие включены материалы рекламных объявлений,
телевизионных программ и прогнозы погоды. Подобный подход
к отбору материала не случаен. На первый план выходят тексты,
представляющие интерес для студентов, так как достижение
целей обучения, указанных выше, является базой для подготовки
к восприятию газетных материалов так, как их воспринимают
обычные люди (в данной ситуации, носители языка) [Maley Alan,
1994; Baddock Barry, 1983].
Учебное пособие представлено также и в электронном виде.
Разработан комплекс лабораторных работ и текстов,
предусматривающий работу студентов в компьютерном классе и
дома. Подобная организация пособия даёт возможности для
самостоятельной работы студентов по расширению словарного
запаса путём перевода процесса усвоения лексики в
автоматический режим (при использовании компьютерных
текстовых манипуляторов), а также по развитию навыков
реконструкции текста, поиска, изучения и структурирования
информации.
Пособие предназначено для студентов I курса языковых
вузов, факультетов иностранных языков.
7

“Were it left to me to decide whether we
should have a government without
newspapers, or newspapers without a
government, I should not hesitate a moment to
prefer the latter.”
Thomas Jefferson, 1787
8

The Origin of Newspapers
The history of newspapers is an often-dramatic chapter of the human
experience going back some five centuries. In Renaissance Europe
handwritten newsletters circulated privately among merchants,
passing along information about everything from wars and economic
conditions to social customs and "human interest" features. The first
printed forerunners of the newspaper appeared in Germany in the late
1400's in the form of news pamphlets or broadsides, often highly
sensationalized in content. Some of the most famous of these report
the atrocities against Germans in Transylvania perpetrated by a
sadistic Prince Vlad III Dracula also named Vlad Tepes, who became
the Count Dracula of later folklore.
In the English-speaking world, the earliest predecessors of the
newspaper were corantos, small news pamphlets produced only when
some event worthy of notice occurred. The first successively
published title was The Weekly Newes of 1622. It was followed in the
1640's and 1650's by a plethora of different titles in the similar
newsbook format. The first true newspaper in English was the London
Gazette of 1666. For a generation it was the only officially sanctioned
newspaper, though many periodical titles were in print by the
century's end.
In America the first newspaper appeared in Boston in 1690, entitled
Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick. Published
without authority, it was immediately suppressed, its publisher
arrested, and all copies were destroyed. Indeed, it remained forgotten
until 1845 when the only known surviving example was discovered in
the British Library.
9

Unit 1
Part I. British Newspapers
Reading a daily or weekly newspaper
is a good way to study British English
and to learn about the UK's culture.
National Daily Papers
Probably in no other country are
there such great differences between the
various national daily newspapers – in
the type of news they report and the way
they report it. Daily newspapers are
published on every day of the week
except Sunday.
On the one hand, there are the quality newspapers: The Times,
The Independent, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Daily
Telegraph and The Sunday Times. They are sometimes called the
serious papers. Quality papers (also known as broadsheets, because
the pages are usually larger) mainly cover serious news stories, both in
the UK and internationally. These newspapers concern themselves, as
far as possible, with the world of politics and business and with the
arts and sport. They are written using formal English. Articles are
often long, and the range of vocabulary is great.
On the other hand, there are the popular newspapers or tabloids,
so-called because of their smaller size. The tabloids – the most
widely-read of which are The Daily Mail, The Daily Express, the
Daily Mirror, The Sun and The Daily Star – concentrate on more
emotive reporting of stories often featuring sex, violence, the Royal
Family, film and pop stars, and sport. They are written using casual
English (the use of slang can make them difficult to understand for
10

foreigners). Articles are often short and illustrated with pictures. It is
often said that the popular Press aims to entertain its readers rather
than inform them.
The tabloid Press is far more popular than the quality Press.
Although some people disapprove of the tabloids and call them the
“gutter” press, more people buy them. The Sun, for example, which
is a tabloid, has the biggest circulation in Britain.
Sunday newspapers
In addition to the national daily newspapers there are national
papers that are published on Sundays. Sunday papers contain many
more sections than daily newspapers, including free magazines
(colour supplements) or television guides. The Saturday edition of
The Financial Times, for example, has more general articles than the
weekday editions, which are mainly about business stories. Reading a
Sunday paper, like having a big Sunday lunch, is an important
tradition in many British households.
Local newspapers
Nearly every area in Britain has one or more local newspapers – in
England alone there are around 90 daily papers and over 850 which
are published once or twice a week. Local newspapers may contain
useful information and advertisements, and are usually written in a
simple style. They provide an important focus for the community,
reporting local news and advertising local businesses and events.
Who owns the newspapers?
In some countries, newspapers are owned by the government or by
political parties. This is not the case in Britain. Newspapers here are
mostly owned by individuals or by publishing companies, and the
editors of the papers are usually allowed considerable freedom of
expression. This is not to say that newspapers are without political
11

bias. Papers like The Daily Express and The Sun, for example, usually
reflect Conservative opinions in their comment and reporting, while
the Daily Mirror and The Guardian have a more left-wing bias.
Notes:
Bias – a tendency to support or oppose a particular person or thing in
an unfair way by allowing personal opinions to influence your
judgment:
The government has accused the media of bias.
Reporters must be impartial and not show political bias.
There was clear evidence of a strong bias against her.
There has always been a slight bias in favour / towards
employing arts graduates in the company.
Left-wing – supporting the political groups that believe wealth and
power should be shared between all parts of society
Right-wing – supporting political parties or people that have
traditional opinions, and who believe in low taxes, private ownership
of property and industry, and less help for the poor
Vocabulary
Words
broadsheet n.
tabloid n.
edition n.
editor n.
section n.
circulation n.
comment n., v.
cover v.
coverage n.
feature v.
feature n.
Word combinations
quality papers popular papers
12

national papers
local papers
daily newspapers
political bias
freedom of expression
publishing companies
colour supplement
television guide
to report news
to cover news
Exercises
I. Choose the correct answers:
1. The quality papers try to
entertain rather than
inform.
A. true
B. false
2. Tabloids are called so:
A. because they contain a
lot of pictures
B. because of their smaller
size
C. because they are widely-
read
3. Quality papers are
written using:
A. casual English
B. formal English
C. slang
4. Most colour supplements
are published on
Sundays and are:
A. bought with the Sunday
papers
B. bought separately from
the Sunday papers
5. The most popular tabloid
is:
A. The Daily Mail
B. The Sun
6. Newspapers in Britain
are owned by:
A. the Government
B. individuals and
publishing companies
C. political parties and
editors
II. Make a short review of a British newspaper:
1. What is the name of the newspaper?
2. What type of papers does it belong to?
13

3. Is this a weekday or Sunday edition?
4. What company is it published by? Where is it published?
5. What does the newspaper aim at?
• giving information
• entertaining
6. What kind of information can you find in this newspaper?
• factual reports of major national and international news
stories
• politics
• business
• arts and sport
• sensational news, scandals, gossip
• stories featuring the private life of famous people
• sex and violence
• advertisements
• local news
7. Is there a television guide in the newspaper?
8. Does the newspaper give much space to pictures?
9. What sections does it contain?
10. What articles attract your attention?
Part II. Hit-and-Run Accidents
Text 1
Read the article through quickly and decide whether it is about:
1. A driver who killed a schoolteacher in a pub.
2. A man who made jokes about teachers while drinking in a pub.
3. A woman who has lost her husband in a road accident.
14

4. A driver who ran over a schoolteacher and was sentenced to six
months in prison.
5. A man who after spending six months in jail killed a
schoolteacher.
Now read the story carefully and do the exercises below.
One life, six months
Driver cracked jokes about
teacher he ran over and
killed after six hours in the
pub
By Chris Brooke
A DRIVER with an appalling
record of offences behind the
wheel has been jailed for less
than six months for mowing
down and killing a
schoolteacher.
Mark Webster even laughed
and joked after ploughing into
Anthony Wilkinson, who was
out celebrating his 35th
birthday.
Webster, who had been on a
six-hour drinking session,
refused to stop his van as his
victim lay dying at the side of
the road, despite pleas from his
two teenage passengers.
The jobless father of three
claimed he thought Mr.
Wilkinson was a refugee, telling
the two youths: ‘It doesn’t
matter. It was only a Kosovan.’
Webster, 36, was arrested 16
hours after the accident when
his passengers came forward.
He was not charged with
drink-driving because by this
time a breath test proved
negative.
He did, however, admit
careless driving, having no
insurance, failing to stop, failing
to report the accident and
driving whilst disqualified.
15

Despite a record of 21
convictions for driving whilst
banned dating back 20 years,
magistrates in Hull were only
able to sentence him to five and
a half months in prison.
They also disqualified him
from driving for ten years.
A spokesman for
Humberside Police admitted last
night that the sentence bore ‘no
relation to the suffering caused’.
‘It’s a very sad story,’ he
added. ‘A woman has lost her
husband and a family has lost
someone they care for very
much under very traumatic
circumstances.’
Webster will serve an
additional six months as he was
out of prison on licence at the
time of the crash.
He had been jailed for 21
months at York Crown Court in
December 2002 for a number of
motoring offences including
driving whilst disqualified,
having no insurance and
dangerous driving.
Magistrates heard how Mr.
Wilkinson was celebrating in
Hull when the tragedy happened
on the night of April 4.
Webster’s white van hit him in
the back as he stepped off the
kerb while trying to hail a cab.
Prosecutor Joanna Golding
explained how his passengers
begged him to stop.
But Webster refused, telling
them to shut up.
‘He thought it was comical,’
she went on. ‘He laughed about
the accident.’
Miss Golding said the
maximum sentence of six
months for driving whilst
disqualified ‘does not reflect
what Mr. Wilkinson’s family
have gone through’.
Friends and family gathered
for his funeral yesterday.
He was head of chemistry at
Longcroft School and
Performing Arts College in
Beverley, East Yorkshire.
Headmistress Lesley Hughes
said: ‘Everyone at the school is
deeply shocked and saddened by
what has happened. He will be
sorely missed.’
Mr. Wilkinson’s wife of
eight months, Helen, said: ‘I feel
lost, devastated.
‘Life is very unfair.’
David Davis, Tory MP for
Mr. Wilkinson’s constituency of
Haltemprice and Howden,
16

called yesterday for courts to be
given increased powers in such
cases.
‘I am very strongly in favour
of an extension of the law for
those cases where there’s a
flagrant abuse,’ he said.
Norman Brennan, director of
the Victims of Crime Trust, said
the punishment was ‘derisory’.
‘This man should have been
locked up for years,’ he added.
(from The Daily Mail)
Notes
Magistrate – a person who acts as a judge in law court that deals with
crimes that are not serious: He will appear before the magistrates
tomorrow.
Constituency – any of the areas of a country that elect a
representative to a parliament
MP – Member of Parliament
Vocabulary
appalling adj.
offence n.
a serious / minor offence
a criminal / drink-driving offence
to commit an offence: He committed several serious offences.
to be convicted of an offence: It’s the third time he’s been convicted
of a drug offence.
offender n.
first-time offenders
sex offenders
17

young offenders
conviction n.: As it was her first conviction for stealing, she was
given a less severe sentence.
convict v.: He has twice been convicted of robbery.
sentence / term n.
a 13-year jail sentence
a heavy / light sentence: He got a light sentence.
sentence v.
to sentence smb. to: He was sentenced to 5 years in jail.
to pronounce sentence: The judge will pronounce sentence on the
defendant this afternoon.
prison n.
in prison: He spent a lot of time in prison. (=in jail)
to go to / be sent to prison: She was sent to prison for six months.
to put smb. in prison: They should put him in prison and throw
away the key.
to be out of prison
prisoner n.
to hold / keep / take smb. prisoner: The pilot and several passengers
were held prisoner by the gunmen for 52 hours.
imprison v.: He was imprisoned in 1975 for attempted murder.
jail n.
to be jailed = to be sent to prison
to be released from jail: The financier was released from jail last
week.
in jail = in prison: They spent ten years in jail for fraud.
charge n.
criminal charge: The 19-year-old will be appearing in court on
Thursday where she will face criminal charges.
on a charge of: He has been arrested on a charge of murder.
to bring a charge of smth. against smb.: The police brought a
charge of theft against him.
charge v.
to be charged with: He’s been charged with drink-driving.
18

claim n.
to make claims about: He made claims about being able to cure
cancer.
to make no claims to be smth.: I make no claims to be a brilliant
pianist, but I can play a few tunes.
claim v.
to claim that: The company claims that it is not responsible for the
pollution of the river.
to claim responsibility for: An unknown terrorist group has claimed
responsibility for this morning bomb attack.
insurance n.
insure v.
to be insured against: Our house is insured against accidental
damage.
to be insured to do smth.: I’m not insured to drive his car.
traumatic adj.
trauma n.: He had psychotherapy to help him deal with his childhood
trauma.
crash n.
a car crash: She had a crash on the way to work. / They were only
slightly injured in the car crash.
crash v.: We skidded on the ice and crashed into another car.
devastated adj.: She was utterly devastated when her husband died.
devastating adj.
devastating news
devastate v.
driving n.
careless / dangerous driving
drink-driving
to disqualify smb. from driving
accident n.
to report an accident
breath test
19

Exercises
I. Comprehension. Answer the following questions:
1. What was Mark Webster jailed for?
2. What did he feel when he ran over Anthony Wilkinson?
3. Under what circumstances did the accident happen?
4. How did Webster account for the fact that he hadn’t stopped his
van?
5. Were there any witnesses to the accident?
6. When was Webster arrested?
7. What did a breath test show?
8. What offences did Webster admit?
9. What prison term was he sentenced to? Was the sentence
adequate?
10. What is the position of Wilkinson’s constituency authorities?
II. Vocabulary. Choose the most appropriate explanation for
the following words and phrases:
to mow smb. down
a. to drive a vehicle into
smb.
b. to imprison smb.
c. to frighten by shooting at
smb.
to plough into
a. to dig
b. to hit
c. to plant
d. to kick
to come forward
a. to enter a room or
building
b. to be useful for a
particular purpose
c. to offer to give help or
information
to care for
a. to deal with
b. to love
c. to look for
20

d. to help
appalling
a. shocking and very bad
b. causing a strong feeling
of disgust
c. making people happy
flagrant
a. noticeable by being
brightly coloured
b. behaving in a way that is
not responsible or
expected
c. shocking because of
being so obvious
derisory
a. unable to control
b. ridiculous
c. depressing
d. enjoyable
offence
a. crime
b. privilege
c. misuse
III. Vocabulary. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words
and word combinations from the vocabulary list:
1. The police examined all the facts and have decided not to _____
_____ against him.
2. Many people believe that putting an offender _____ _____ isn’t a
cure for crime.
3. Driving while drunk is a serious _____.
4. For age reasons they don’t usually imprison _____ _____.
5. My flat is _____ against fire.
6. The car _____ _____ a tree and burst into flames.
7. A _____ _____ showed that the driver was intoxicated. He was
fined for _____ _____.
8. Why was your brother _____ _____ driving?
9. Has anyone _____ responsibility _____ the explosion in the
Central square?
21

IV. Writing. The One life, six months story is about 500 words
long. Write a shorter version of it, in not more than 200
words. Keep all the important facts but leave out all the
unnecessary details.
Text 2
The day before The Sun ran the same story of the drunk driver
killing the schoolteacher. In the next issue of the newspaper there
appeared an article in the section Sun Campaign for Justice. Read
it and do the exercises below.
Give us laws that make killer drivers
REALLY pay
Soft sentences must stop
By STEVE KENNEDY and HEATHER BROWNE
The Sun is launching a campaign today to sort out Britain’s
muddled driving laws – so killer motorists get tougher
sentences.
In case after case, maniacs
cause death on the roads – only
to end up being charged with
minor offences for which they
get light sentences.
The daft laws were
highlighted by The Sun yesterday
when serial offender Mark
Webster, 36, got just 5 1
/2
months’ jail for killing teacher
Anthony Wilkinson, 35, after a
six-hour drinking binge.
Currently killer drivers who
could be charged with causing
death by dangerous driving often
end up facing the lesser charge
of careless driving.
22

Some of the worst cases
involve hit-and-run killers, who
are charged only with failing to
stop or failing to report an
accident.
But last night a growing band
of campaigners – including
families of victims, MPs and
road safety watchdogs – called
for killer drivers to face a single
offence of MANSLAUGHTER.
Zoe Stow, of safety group
Roadpeace, said: “At the
moment there are too many
offences and clever lawyers are
able to exploit loopholes. The
current offences are far too
feeble. Often the maximum
sentence is six months and
magistrates rarely give the
maximum. Sentences should
reflect that someone has died.”
A spokesman for the Victims
of Crime Trust added: “There
should be a charge of
manslaughter for those drivers
that kill. Leaving someone lying
for dead on the road with a
broken body is contemptible.”
Furious
Yesterday we told how Webster,
who mowed down science
teacher Anthony in Hull, got off
lightly even though he admitted
careless driving, having no
insurance, failing to stop, failing
to report an accident and driving
while disqualified.
He is the latest in the series
of killer drivers who were let off
by courts unable to hand out real
justice.
In February, Algerian illegal
refugee Kamel Kadri, 38, was
jailed for just six months after
killing nine-year-old Callum
Oakford in Ferring, West
Sussex, on New Year’s Day.
He was only charged with
failing to stop and failing to
report an accident.
Callum’s sister Kathryn
Proudfoot, 22, said: “We are
furious and determined to create
a new law. Hitting and leaving a
child to die must carry a greater
penalty. It must be tried as
manslaughter.”
Failed Iraqi asylum seeker
Aso Mohammed Ibrahim, 25,
got just four months after
leaving 12-year-old Amy
23

Houston to die in a hit-and-run
crash in Blackburn, Lancs.
Amy’s dad Paul said: “He’s
laughing at the justice system.
He will be back on the streets in
two months.”
Lee Jones, 24, had drunk
four bottles of beer when he
swerved on to the wrong side of
the road in Poole, Dorset, and hit
a Renault, killing three young
volleyball players. He could
only be charged with careless
driving and got off with £1,500
fine.
One of his victims was Mark
Pitman, 18. His sister Nicola, 20,
stormed: “The law has to be
changed so people who kill on
the roads are given custodial
sentences.”
Professor Paul Rock, of the
London School of Economics,
blamed changes to the Road
Traffic Act in 1956 and 1991 for
letting off killers. He said: “We
have drifted from dangerous and
reckless, to reckless, back to
dangerous and have surely lost
sight of the central feature which
is one of a violent death.”
Notes
___________________________________
“The law has to be changed so people who kill
on the roads are given custodial sentences.”
___________________________________
custody – the state of being kept in prison, especially while waiting to
go to court for trial
to be in custody
to be taken into custody – to be in a state of being guarded: The
man has now been taken into custody. (= he is being kept in a
police prison before going in front of a judge)
24

to be held in custody: She was held in police custody for six
hours.
custodial sentence – a period of time that someone must stay in
prison: The offender was too young to be given a custodial
sentence.
Lancs – written abbreviation for: Lancashire
Exercises
I. Comprehension and discussion. Answer the following
questions:
1. What do they call for in the article?
2. Do you think manslaughter is just the right word for offences that
drunk drivers commit on the roads?
3. What is the maximum sentence magistrates can give the offenders?
Do you think it is adequate?
4. Do you agree that light penalties make drivers irresponsible? Will
creating new laws help solve the problem?
II. Vocabulary. One and the same idea can be often expressed in
different words. Compare the vocabulary used in the article
from The Daily Mail with that from The Sun. Paraphrase the
sentences using the words from the article One life, six
months:
1. … Mark Webster, 36, got just 5 1
/2 months’ jail for killing teacher
Anthony Wilkinson, 35, after a six-hour drinking binge.
2. But last night a growing band of campaigners … called for killer
drivers to face a single offence of manslaughter.
3. In February, Algerian illegal refugee Kamel Kadri, 38, was jailed
for just six months …
25

4. Failed Iraqi asylum seeker Aso Mohammed Ibrahim, 25, got just
four months after leaving 12-year-old Amy Houston to die …
5. Lee Jones, 24 … swerved on to the wrong side of the road … and
hit a Renault, killing three young volleyball players.
6. “The law has to be changed so people who kill on the roads are
given custodial sentences.”
III. Here is another story, taken from The Daily Mirror. Some of
the words have been removed. Here they are:
hit-and-run killed murder charged
crossing ran over magistrates
Fill the spaces with the appropriate words:
Man on 3 death rap
Three friends were _______ in
a suspected _______ as they
walked to a barbecue yesterday.
John Gibbings, 37, Martin
Connop, 31, and Emma Procter,
25, were _______ the road.
Barbecue coals and cans of
drinks they were carrying were
left in the road after they were
_______ by a Ford Maverick in
Cwmbran, South Wales.
A man of 29 will appear
before _______ today _______
with _______.
26

Part III. Family
Text 1
Look at the headline of the article below. Does it give you any idea
of what the story is going to be about?
Read the article. Explain the meaning of the headline.
My April shower
For one family, a costly month – when all six children
have their birthdays
By Lucy Laing
WHEN Susan Organ’s doctor
told her she was pregnant again
and worked out her dates, he
could not keep a straight face.
With five April-born children
at home, the news that yet
another was due seemed a
coincidence too far.
The odds of having six
babies in a row in the same
month is put at three million to
one.
But last night, as the
birthday season got into full
swing in her household, Miss
Organ, from Coney Hill,
Gloucester, insisted she didn’t
plan that way.
She and her partner, builder
Clint Hiam, 41, were just happy
to have fulfilled their dream of
having six children, she said.
And, their family complete,
they named the baby April.
Miss Organ, 36, said: ‘It’s a
joke going around the village
now that I should lock my
bedroom door in the month of
July, when they were all
conceived.’
The couple’s eldest child,
Terri Anne, was born on April
27

Fool’s Day, 1986. Her second,
Steven, turns 13 on April 19.
She discovered both
pregnancies on her own
birthday, August 16.
‘With my third child, I also
discovered on my birthday that I
was expecting, which meant this
one too would be an April baby.
That’s when it started to become
a joke. The GP couldn’t keep a
straight face when he worked
out my dates.’
Lisa Marie, now 12, was
born on April 7, 1992, and
Tamara two years later, on April
6.
Miss Organ said: ‘Tamara
gave us a bit of a scare as she
had to be resuscitated straight
after her birth. Luckily she
recovered quickly.’
The next to arrive was
Darren, now seven. Miss Organ
then became pregnant in July
1999 and was due in April, but
lost the son she was expecting at
five months. ‘I was so
devastated when I lost my son
that I nearly gave up my dream
of having a family of six,’ she
said.
‘I didn’t want to go through
so much heartache again. When
I fell pregnant again in July
2002 I was thrilled, but I was
terrified of losing another baby.
‘Luckily she was fine and
she was born on April 10, 2003.
‘I knew I just had to name
her April. After her birth, I
couldn’t wait to get home as it
was Darren’s sixth birthday the
next day. I was discharged from
hospital at 2pm and an hour
later I was hosting a party for all
his friends.’
Miss Organ is not planning
to have any more children.
‘April is an expensive month,
with six lots of presents and
birthday parties. I’m exhausted
by the end of it.
‘I didn’t plan any of my
babies to be born in April – it
was just an amazing
coincidence.’
28

Notes
GP – general practitioner: a doctor who provides general medical
treatment for people who live in a particular area
Vocabulary
coincidence n.: You chose exactly the same wallpaper as us – what a
coincidence!
pure / sheer coincidence: It was pure coincidence that I
remembered his phone number.
by coincidence: Just by coincidence, I met my old school-mate
again fifty years later.
coincide v.
to coincide with: I timed my holiday to coincide with the
children’s holiday.
coincidentally adv.: Coincidentally, the fires all began within
minutes of one another.
conceive v.
resuscitate v.: Her heart had stopped, but the doctors successfully
resuscitated her.
resuscitation n.: The patient suffered a cardiac arrest and died,
despite an attempt at resuscitation.
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (= artificial respiration)
pregnant adj.
to become pregnant
to get smb. pregnant: He believes that men who get (= make)
young girls pregnant should be severely punished.
to be pregnant with: My sister is pregnant with twins.
Syn.:
29

to be expecting (a baby): She shouldn’t be lifting those boxes if
she’s expecting. / Kate and Dom are expecting a baby.
expectant mothers / fathers / couples
to be in the family way (Amer.)
to be in a delicate condition / state
with child: She is with child.
lady-in-waiting (Amer.)
a mum-to-be (Br.)
a mother-to-be (Amer.)
her time is near (= she’s expecting)
devastated adj.
devastating adj.
devastating consequences / effects
devastate v.
Word combinations:
to work out one’s dates
to keep a straight face
in a row
to get into full swing
to turn 13
to give smb. a bit of a scare
to be due
to loose a baby at five months
to give up one’s dream of doing
(having) smth.
to be discharged from hospital
to host a party for
Exercises
I. Comprehension. Answer the questions as briefly as possible:
1. Why is April the most expensive month for Susan Organ’s
family?
2. What is the chance of having six babies in a row in the same
month?
3. Did Susan Organ plan her babies to be born in April?
4. Are Susan and Clint married?
30

5. Is Susan referred to as Miss or Mrs. in the article?
6. What is her partner?
7. How old is Susan?
8. Why did she call her sixth baby April?
9. When were all her children conceived?
10. When was the couple’s eldest son born?
11. How many deliveries did she have?
12. Why was Susan eager to get home from hospital when her sixth
baby was born?
II. Vocabulary. Find words and expressions that are used in the
text to mean:
a. to become pregnant
b. an occasion when two or more things happen at the same time
c. a family who live together
d. to calculate smth.
e. a sudden feeling of fear or worry
f. to bring back to life
g. to be expected to happen at a particular time
h. to remain serious when you don’t want to show that you find
smth. funny
III. Vocabulary. Choose the most appropriate explanation for the
following words:
devastated
a. excited and happy
b. very angry
c. morbid
d. shocked and upset
recover
a. to push hard
b. to become well again
c. to obtain help
d. to call into use
go through smth.
a. to experience
b. to be accepted
c. to visit
d. to change to smth. new
31

thrilled
a. having odd feelings
b. extremely pleased
c. very much frightened
d. surprised
exhausted
a. greatly afraid
b. bored to death
c. extremely tired
d. complicated
IV. Vocabulary.
_____________________________________________
‘The GP couldn’t keep a straight face when he worked
out my dates.’
_____________________________________________
Here are seven more expressions with the word “face”:
1. make / pull a face
2. smb.’s face falls
3. in the face of smth.
4. smb.’s face doesn’t fit
5. be in your face (sl.)
6. have a face like the back end of a bus (infml.)
7. on the face of it
Choose the correct definition for each expression:
a. how a situation seems on the surface
b. to make a strange expression with your face, usually to show that
you don’t like someone or something
c. if it happens a person suddenly looks very disappointed
d. to be very ugly
e. it happens when a person’s appearance or personality are not
suitable for a job or other activity
f. to be shocking and annoying in a way that is difficult to ignore
g. despite having to deal with a difficult situation or problem
32

Find the correct endings in column B to finish the sentences
beginning in column A:
A
1. ‘This tastes horrible,’ said
Tom,
2. She left home
3. To make the baby laugh
4. The idea is absurd
5. I can’t say I’m fond of
dance music that is
aggressive, sexy and
6. When I heard he wasn’t
coming
B
a. in the face of strong
opposition from her
parents.
b. on the face of it, but it can
be interesting.
c. pulling a face at his glass.
d. I was pulling silly faces.
e. in your face.
f. my face fell.
V. Discussion. Answer the following questions:
1. What is your idea of the number of children in the family? What
do you think of large families? Would you like to have a large
family?
2. Susan Organ and her partner Clint Hiam are not married. Do you
think this situation can make the father of the children think he is
not responsible for them? Do you think it is necessary that a
marriage should be officially registered?
3. Are you going to plan you babies?
Text 2
Why girls need a good row with their mum
By Jenny Hope
33

Medical Correspondent
IT may be good to talk – but for
mothers and teenage daughters
it’s sometimes better to argue.
Which is just as well because
they have more blazing rows
than any other parent-child
combination.
Dr. Terri Apter, a social
psychologist at Cambridge
University, believes that
frequent arguments help girls to
‘introduce’ emerging
personalities, giving them a
chance to show their mothers
how they are changing.
Complaints about money,
friends and curfews may seem
to result in interminable rows,
she told the British
Psychological Society’s annual
conference in London yesterday.
But mothers and daughters
often increase their
understanding of each other
through conflict, she said.
Her research shows that, on
average, a mother and her
teenage daughter have a spat
lasting 15 minutes every two
days.
By contrast, adolescent boys
have one conflict with their
mother every four days – lasting
six minutes.
But when the dust settles
after adolescence, they will
probably end up having a good
relationship.
‘Mothers and teenage
daughters who never fight are
rare,’ she said. ‘And they are
unlikely to have a close
relationship if they don’t engage
and express emotion with each
other.
‘Quarrels are a signal of the
daughter’s need to update her
relationship with her mother.
‘She wants her mother to be
able to understand her new
developing self.
‘I know many women get a
sickening feeling in their
stomach as they see an argument
coming, but it is important to
realise it isn’t going to kill their
relationship. Arguing is normal
and a mother needs to see it isn’t
about rejection of her love or
values.
‘It can offer potential for
enriching the relationship. It’s
part of the continually changing
34

relationship between mother and
daughter.’
Dr. Apter said the reality
television series The Osbournes,
about rock star Ozzy’s family
life, often showed the mother-
daughter relationship at its most
challenging.
Sharon Osbourne and her 18-
year-old daughter Kelly usually
kiss and make up after rows, she
said.
Dr. Apter studied 23 mothers
and daughters in East Anglia
and London at eight-month
intervals over the course of four
years, spending many hours in
their company at a time.
The girls were aged between
12 and 15 at the start of the
study.
Dr. Apter witnessed more
than 100 rows first-hand. She
said there was a lot of ‘banging
and screaming’.
But she said that in the best
relationships, daughters would
often take ‘repair steps’ during
the argument to start making it
up.
‘There was less meltdown in
these rows,’ she told the
conference.
‘Some daughters appreciate
that saying they “hate” their
mother is extremely hurtful. But
some rows blew up over
absolutely nothing.’
To have a close relationship,
daughters needed to be able to
discuss everyday things, such as
seeing a new pair of shoes in the
shops.
But it was crucial that
mothers were honest.
‘If the daughter can see a
new relationship isn’t working
out, for example, it’s no good
her mother insisting everything
is fine,’ said Dr. Apter.
‘That just excludes the girl
from her mother’s life and will
understandably make her huffy.’
Notes
curfew – the time when children must come or stay at home
35

‘Some daughters appreciate that saying they “hate” their mother is
extremely hurtful…’ – here “appreciate” means “admit, realize”.
Vocabulary
blazing adj.
emerging adj.
emerge v.
complain v.
to complain about smth.: Lots of people have complained about
the noise.
to complain that: He complained that his boss was useless and he
had too much work.
to complain to smb.: If the service was so bad why didn’t you
complain to the manager?
to complain of smth.: She’s been complaining of a bad back
recently.
complaint n.
to make a complaint to smb.: I’ve made a complaint (= formally
complained) to the police about the noise.
a complaint about: We’ve received a complaint from one of our
listeners about offensive language.
interminable adj.
spat n.
to have a spat with smb. about smth.: She was having a spat with
her brother about who did the washing up.
adolescent n., adj.
adolescence n.
reject v.: When she was sent to boarding school, she felt as though
her parents had rejected her.
rejection n.: He never asked her to marry him out of fear of
rejection.
36

make (it) up v.: We often quarrel but we always make it up soon
after.
first-hand (firsthand) adj., adv.: It’s not firsthand information, so I
don’t know if you can completely believe it. / I heard her news
firsthand. (= directly from her)
Compare:
second-hand adj., adv.: It was a second-hand report, based on what
his friends had told him.
huffy adj.: I told her she’d made a mistake and she got huffy with me.
emotion n.
to express emotions: Like a lot of men, he finds it hard to express
his emotions.
to be overcome with emotion: My mother was overcome with
emotion and burst into tears.
Word combinations:
the dust settles
to express emotions with each
other
to update one’s relationship
to enrich the relationship
one’s new developing self
a sickening feeling in one’s
stomach
at its most challenging
at intervals
at a time
to be aged between 12 and 15
to take repair steps
to blow up (a row) over
smth.
Exercises
1. Why do teenage girls, according to Dr. Apter, need arguments
with their mother?
2. What are the common reasons for rows?
37

3. How often do mothers and their teenage daughters have quarrels?
Is the situation the same with adolescent boys?
4. Is there a chance that mothers and daughters who often ague will
have a good relationship in the future?
5. What are Dr. Apter’s conclusions about mother-daughter relations
based on?
6. What was the age range of the girls she studied?
7. How many rows did she witness?
8. Who is usually the first to start making it up after a row?
9. What conditions are important for a close relationship between a
mother and a daughter?
II. Vocabulary. Find words and expressions that are used in the
text to mean:
1. the time at which someone should stay at home
2. a short unimportant quarrel
3. a noisy quarrel
4. if this happens after an argument the situation becomes calmer
5. to make something more modern and suitable
6. extremely unpleasant and causing you to feel shock and anger
7. difficult, testing your ability or determination
8. to try to find ways to be reconciled
9. in comparison
III. Vocabulary. Choose the most appropriate explanation for
the following words and phrases:
interminable
a. impossible
b. endless
c. fierce
d. short
huffy
a. kind and timid
b. angry and offended
c. naughty
d. haughty
38

make it up
a. to become friends again
b. to use lipstick
c. to compensate
d. to become enemies
engage
a. to get married
b. to become friends
c. to begin fighting
d. to communicate
meltdown
a. gradual warming
b. disappointment
c. great success
d. complete failure
blazing
a. fierce
b. sharp
c. cold
d. honest
IV. Vocabulary. Find synonyms of the word “argument” in the
text. Explain their meanings.
Here are six other words with similar meanings. Translate
the illustrative examples into Russian.
squabble – an argument over an unimportant matter: Polly and Susie
were having a squabble about who was going to hold the dog’s
lead.
bickering – an argument about unimportant matters: They are always
bickering with each other about their personal problems. / The
council finally elected a leader after several days of bickering.
tiff – a slight argument: Have you two had a lovers’ tiff?
brawl – a noisy, rough quarrel or fight, especially one in which
several people take part, and often in a public place: There was a
drunken brawl near the pub.
skirmish – a short argument: There was a short skirmish between the
political party leaders when the Government announced it was to
raise taxes.
39

wrangle – an argument which usually continues for a long period of
time: The joint venture ended in a legal wrangle between the two
companies.
V. Vocabulary.
________________________________________
But when the dust settles after adolescence, they
will probably end up having a good relationship.
_________________________________________
Here are five more expressions with “dust”:
1. to kick / raise a dust (about)
2. to bite the dust
3. to turn to dust
4. to dust someone off
5. to dust one’s pants
Choose the appropriate definitions for these expressions:
a. to beat smb.
b. to argue and shout
c. to become worthless
d. to be killed or defeated or come to an unsuccessful end
e. to slap or whip smb. (usually a child)
A
1. When the new management came in, the
project
2. If my dad hears about this he will
3. They quarreled and Bruno threatened to
4. They didn’t do anything; every promise
they have made has
B
a. dust my pants.
b. turned to dust.
c. bit the dust.
d. raise a dust.
e. dust Max off.
40

5. Everything’s OK, don’t
VI. Discussion. Answer the following questions:
1. Do you agree with Dr. Apter’s opinion that frequent arguments
help mothers and their daughters to enrich the relationship? Can
understanding of each other be increased through conflict?
2. How can you explain the fact that boys have fewer rows with their
mother? Do they ever argue with their father?
3. Do you believe that mothers and daughters who never fight are
unlikely to have a close relationship in the future?
4. Several reasons for rows are mentioned in the article. What are
some other things that can result in quarrels between teenagers
and their parents?
5. If you have quarrels with your parents, who is the first to take
repair steps?
Text 3
Look at the headline. What is the article going to be about?
Now read the story and do the exercises below.
I didn’t lay a finger on my
baby Charlotte weeps father
By Tom Kelly
A BUSINESSMAN accused of
murdering his baby in a fit of
temper broke down yesterday as
he told how he had adored his
daughter.
41

Mark Latta, 41, dismissed
claims that he smashed ten-
week-old Charlotte’s skull on a
hard surface in a bedroom as the
rest of his family had Sunday
lunch downstairs.
Earlier, Winchester Crown
Court had heard that Charlotte
was found to have 32 separate
fractures to her body, and an
injury to her head had caused
her extensive brain damage.
Yesterday, Latta told the jury
that his daughter ‘meant the
world’ to him and he had been
devastated by her death.
Sobbing and wiping his eyes,
Latta said: ‘I loved Charlotte,
absolutely loved her. I would
feed Charlotte in the mornings
before I went to work.’
He said he had been planning
to take a less hands-on role in
his IT company, The
PowerWorks, so he could be
with her more often.
‘I am a completely family-
orientated man,’ he said. ‘My
wife and I enjoyed simple family
things more than anything else.
‘Wherever we went we
would always end up buying
Charlotte some pretty clothes.
She was always the centre of
attention.’
Latta said he and his wife
Sharon, 29, were ‘over the
moon’ when Charlotte was born.
‘She was so pretty. She had the
same pale blue eyes as Sharon.’
Latta denied loosing his
temper and attacking Charlotte
at the four-bedroom family
home in Bishop’s Waltham, near
Southampton, in December
2001. He said: ‘I never harmed
her, I never mishandled her, I
never shook her, I never banged
her head on anything.’
He described how on the day
of the alleged attack he was
trying out a new feeding
technique. ‘On the third attempt
she started to feed again but was
gulping her milk rather
strangely,’ he said. Suddenly, as
if she coughed, milk strayed
from the side of the bottle, the
court was told.
‘For the first moment I
thought she was refusing the
feed so I was thinking about
taking the bottle out of her
mouth, but within a short period
of time her eyes started to close.
‘I thought she can’t be going
to sleep and then her eyes rolled
42

back in her head a bit and
immediately I realized there was
something wrong.’
He called out to his wife,
who tried to resuscitate
Charlotte. When this failed to
work he shouted downstairs to
his mother-in-law to call an
ambulance.
He said: ‘I could hear
Charlotte making rasping noises
from deep in her chest.’
Charlotte was taken by
ambulance to the Royal
Winchester Hospital, where
doctors discovered the extent of
her injuries.
Latta said: ‘I couldn’t believe
it. Why should she have
fractures? I didn’t believe
anyone could harm Charlotte.’
His only explanation at the
time was that the child could
have suffered something like
brittle bone disease, but medical
examinations ruled out any such
condition.
Latta wiped away tears as he
described how Charlotte died in
his arms on December 4, 2001,
two days after the alleged attack,
when her life-support machine
was turned off.
Two days later Latta and his
wife were both arrested on
suspicion of murder and causing
Charlotte grievous bodily harm.
They were kept in separate
police cells and Latta described
how he could hear his wife
crying through the night.
Latta denies murder. Judge
Mr. Justice Geoffrey Grigson
has already ordered the jury to
find him not guilty on two
charges of causing her grievous
bodily harm.
The trial continues.
Notes
IT company – Information Technology company – an organization
that deals with computers and other electronic equipment to store and
send information
43

brittle bone disease – a disease that makes bones easily broken
Vocabulary
accuse v.
to accuse smb. of smth.: He’s been accused of robbery. / Are you
accusing me of lying?
accusation n.
to make accusations: You can’t just make wild accusations like
that!
accusatory adj.: When he spoke his tone was accusatory.
accusing adj.: He gave me an accusing glance.
the accused n.: The accused were all found guilty.
temper n.
in a fit of temper
to keep one’s temper: I found it hard to keep my temper with so
many things going wrong.
to loose one’s temper: The children behaved so badly that I lost
my temper.
to be in a bad / foul, etc. temper: I’d avoid her if I were you –
she’s in a foul temper.
tempers get frayed: When tempers got frayed they began fighting.
tempers have cooled: When tempers have cooled (= when
everyone has become calm again) we will decide what to do.
tempered adj.
even-tempered
bad-tempered
break down phr. v.: When we gave her the bad news, she broke
down and cried.
fracture n.
multiple fractures: He suffered multiple fractures in a motorcycle
accident.
fracture v.: She fractured her skull in the accident. / Two of her ribs
fractured when she was thrown from her horse.
44

injury n.
a head / back / knee injury
to receive / sustain an injury: Several train passengers received
serious injuries in the crash.
an injury to: Injuries to the spine are common amongst these
workers.
to do yourself an injury: Don’t even think about lifting me up,
Ted, you might do yourself an injury.
injure v.: She fell and injured her shoulder.
injured adj.: She was told to stay in bed to rest her injured back.
damage n.
to do damage to: Recent discoveries about corruption have done
serious damage to the company’s reputation.
the damage is done (= it is too late to improve a bad situation): I
didn’t even know I’d offended her till Colin told me and then it
was too late – the damage was done.
jury n.
feed v., n.
family-orientated adj.
harm n.
to do smb. harm: Missing a meal once in a while never did anyone
any harm.
no harm in doing smth.: You could always ask Jim if they need
any more staff in his office – there’s no harm in asking. (= no one
will be annoyed and you might benefit)
to mean no harm: She meant no harm (= didn’t intend to offend),
she was joking.
out of harm’s way: The children will be here soon – you’d better
put that plate out of harm’s way.
harm v.: Thankfully no one was harmed in the accident.
to harm a hair on smb.’s head: If he harms a hair on her head I
won’t be responsible for my actions.
harmful adj.
harmless adj.
45

mishandle v.
alleged adj. (formal): It took 15 years for the alleged criminals (=
people thought them to be criminals) to prove their innocence.
allegation n. (formal): Allegations that Mr. Dwight was receiving
money from known criminals (= it was not proven) have caused a
scandal.
to make allegations
cell n.
police cell
guilty adj.
to find smb. guilty
to be guilty of smth.: The jury has to decide whether a person is
guilty or innocent of a crime.
suspicion n.
on suspicion of: He was arrested on suspicion of murder.
above / beyond suspicion: He didn’t do that, he’s beyond
suspicion.
with suspicion: She always treated us with suspicion.
suspect v.
to suspect smb. of smth. / doing smth.: The police suspect him of
carrying out two bomb attacks.
suspect n.: Police have issued a photograph of the suspect.
suspicious adj.: It’s a bit suspicious that no one knows where he was
at the time of the murder.
suspicious-looking: There’s a suspicious-looking van parked at
the end of the road.
Word combinations
to be over the moon.
to dismiss claims
to mean the world to smb.
in one’s arms
on the third attempt
to go to sleep
to call out to smb.
to wipe away tears
46

Exercises
I. Comprehension. Decide whether these statements are true or
false, according to the story:
1. Father of a small girl was accused of cruel treatment of his
daughter.
2. The girl had a lot of injuries to the body.
3. According to the father of the girl he loved her dearly.
4. The girl died when her father was trying out a new feeding
technique.
5. Latta tried to resuscitate Charlotte when he realized something
was wrong.
6. Charlotte suffered brittle bone disease.
7. Charlotte’s mother was also under suspicion of murder.
8. The jury found Mark Latta guilty of murdering his daughter.
II. Vocabulary. Choose the most appropriate explanation for the
following words and expressions:
sob
a. to weep quietly
b. to cry noisily
c. to suffocate
extensive
a. covering a large area
b. involving a lot of effort
c. continuous and painful
dismiss
a. to admit
b. to deny
c. to leave
adore
a. to find attractive
b. to love very much
c. to respect
grievous
a. extremely unpleasant
b. disapproving
c. causing great pain
rule out
a. to include
b. to exclude
c. to suppose
47

hands-on
a. closely involved in
managing things
b. avoiding becoming involved
in smth.
c. holding smth. tightly
over the moon
a. very pleased
b. far away
c. saddened
mean the world to smb.
a. to be extremely important
b. to be very happy
c. to feel elated
III. Vocabulary. Find the words and expressions in the text that
mean:
1. was said to be guilty of
murder
2. denied allegations
3. a crack in the bone
4. injury to the brain
5. his daughter was very
important to him
6. interested in family things
7. to hurt or damage someone
8. a violent act that hasn’t been
proved
9. was experimenting
10. the equipment used to keep
a person alive
11. court hearing
IV. Vocabulary.
_________________________________
… his daughter ‘meant the world’ to him …
____________________________________
Here are five more expressions with the word “world”:
1. have the world at your feet
2. in a world of your own
3. make the world go around / round
4. out of this world
5. the world and his wife
48

Find the correct definition for each expression:
a. extremely good
b. to be extremely important, so that many ordinary events could not
happen without it
c. a great many of people
d. to be extremely successful and admired by a great number of
people
e. not giving much attention to what is happening around you
A
1. When she was young she had very
few friends, she
2. Money makes
3. Five years after her debut, the star of
the Royal Ballet
4. It’s going to be quite a party –
5. It’s a good restaurant –
6. Her children mean
B
a. lived in a world of her
own.
b. the world and his wife
will be there.
c. the world go round.
d. the food is out of this
world.
e. has the world at her feet.
f. all the world to her.
V. Discussion. Answer the following questions:
1. Do you think Charlotte’s parents are to blame for her death? Do
you believe Mark Latta murdered his daughter? Can you suppose
it was his wife who caused Charlotte bodily harm? Could it have
been somebody else who had access to the baby?
2. Have you heard of any similar cases when children suffered from
cruel treatment? What charges should be brought against people
who harm children?
IV. Writing. We read at the end of the story: ‘The trial continues.’
Imagine what happened on the next day of the case, and write
49

a report of it. Make your report about half the length of the
one from The Daily Mail.
50

Unit 2
Part I. American Newspapers
Daily papers
There are more than 1500 daily
newspapers in the USA. Each one is
usually sold only in one part of the country,
but they cover national and international
news. Due to the size and the federal
character of the US, it was virtually
impossible to have a nation-wide press
comparable to the British press. However,
several big newspapers have succeeded.
USA Today was launched in 1982 as the first
American national newspaper. The
Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times
have now established themselves as major
national news organs, whose political
coverage and analyses play an important
role in the political process; the
Philadelphia Inquirer Miami Herald and Boston Globe have produced
significant, nationally recognized, coverage and investigations; and
the New York Times, which for most of the century has been the most
respected and influential newspaper in the United States, and the Wall
Street Journal, the business daily, are both now printed and distributed
nationally.
USA Today, a national newspaper introduced by Gannett in 1982,
was one of the first newspapers to make heavy use of colour in
pictures, maps and graphics. Most major newspapers in the United
States now use colour. USA Today is being printed in 32 locations in
the United States and two outside the country and has a bigger
circulation than that of any metropolitan daily newspaper.
51

Other important newspapers are the Chicago Tribune, sold in the
Midwest, the Rocky Mountain News, sold in the mountain states, and
The Christian Science Monitor, sold in cities nationally.
Daily newspapers are published on every day of the week except
Sunday. There are quality papers and tabloids which are also called
the “yellow press”. Most American dailies are “quality” papers and
reflect responsible journalism. Sensational press products like the
New York Daily News are more of an exception.
Today there are about 9000 different newspapers with a circulation
figure of 60 million copies. About 80 newspapers are foreign-
language publications. Press organs of international excellence are
furthermore The Christian Science Monitor and the two weekly
magazines Time and Newsweek. The Wall Street Journal and The
Herald Tribune with their different editions in Europe and Asia have
started a new era, that of the world paper.
Sunday papers
Sunday newspapers are very big, often having several separate
sections. They contain a lot of long articles and advertisements. Each
section deals with a different subject, for example, national and
international news, sport, travel. One section, the “classifieds”, has
advertisements for jobs and things for sale. Another section contains
cartoons and comic strips and is called the “funnies”. There is also a
free colour magazine.
Ownership and political bias
The American press is not controlled by the state. Most newspapers
and magazines in the United States are private commercial enterprises.
Many newspapers are now part of large national chains, such as
Gannett, which owned 83 daily newspapers in 1993 including the
Louisville Courier-Journal and the Detroit News; Knight-Ridder,
which owned 29 newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer,
Miami Herald and the San Jose Mercury-News; Newshouse, which
owned 27 newspapers, including the Portland Oregonian and the St.
52

Louis Post-Dispatch; Scripps-Howard, which owned 20 including the
Rocky Mountain News in Denver. Other large newspaper chains
include Hearst, publisher of the San Francisco Examiner; Times-
Mirror, publisher of the Los Angeles Times and Newsday and the New
York Times Company, which now also owns the Boston Globe.
There are no newspapers with a clear Democratic or Republican
leaning. American newspapers tend to be impartial and unbiased in
their news reporting. Objective information and personal comment are
clearly separated.
Notes
comic strip – usually a sequence of comic drawings, telling a story
staff-written stories – stories written by staff writers who work for a
certain newspaper
Vocabulary
syndicate v.
regional newspaper
weekly magazine
foreign-language publication
cartoon n.
comic strip
commercial enterprises
impartial adj.
unbiased adj.
objective information
to be funded through
Exercises
I. Choose the correct answers:
1. There are a lot of national
newspapers in the US:
A. true
B. false
53

2. Newspapers are usually
sold:
A. nationally
B. only in one part of
the country
3. Most American daily papers
are:
A. quality papers
B. popular papers
4. All American newspapers
are printed in colour.
A. true
B. false
5. USA Today is printed:
A. only in the US
B. in other countries
too
6. Sunday newspapers contain:
A. sensations and
sports news
B. long articles and
advertisements
7. US newspapers have no
strong political bias:
A. true
B. false
III. Make a short review of an American newspaper:
1. What is the name of the newspaper?
2. What type of papers does it belong to?
3. Is this a weekday or Sunday edition?
4. What company is it published by? Where is it published?
5. What sections does the newspaper have?
6. What information does it carry?
Part II. Fire Disasters
Text 1
Windswept grassfire destroys 2 houses
92 acres burn in Sonoma, Marin and
Contra Costa
Ulysses Torassa, Chronicle Staff Writer
54

Two homes were destroyed
when a brushfire got out of
control in Petaluma on Sunday –
one of three grassfires in the
Bay Area that kept firefighters
busy.
Coincidentally, the fires all
began within minutes of one
another.
The first, reported at 2:15
p.m. just north of Petaluma, was
the worst.
The Petaluma blaze started in
a grassy area on Liberty Road
near Rainsville Road but
quickly grew out of control,
according to Sonoma County
Fire Chief Vern Losh. "With the
hot and high winds, it just blew
through, jumped the road and
took off through the field,'' Losh
said.
It traveled in several different
directions at once, and it burned
eight structures – including two
homes – and 30 acres before
more than 100 firefighters from
Sonoma and Marin counties
contained it.
One firefighter was taken to
hospital suffering from smoke
inhalation and two others were
treated at the scene, Losh said.
Liberty Road resident Susan
Montes lives about two acres
from the fire and said it was the
biggest one she's seen in the
area in the 20 years she's lived
there. One of the houses
destroyed, she said, was a
beautifully restored Victorian
more than 100 years old.
"All that's left is the fireplace,''
she said.
No civilians were injured. A
portion of Rainsville Road was
55

closed for a time because of
damage to power lines.
The cause of the fire remains
under investigation
At 3 p.m., firefighters of the
East Bay Regional Park District
were alerted to a blaze along the
Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline
in Richmond. About 45
firefighters worked to cut down
that fire, which burned about 12
acres.
But some of those
firefighters were soon called to
battle an even fiercer fire in
Contra Costa County. That fire
was reported at 3:20 p.m. in
unincorporated grasslands off
Highway 4 between Hercules
and Martinez.
The fire scorched about 50
acres and threatened some
homes – prompting an
evacuation of some residents
near McEwen Road, according
to Contra Costa County Fire
Protection District Capt. Dave
George.
It took about 50 firefighters
from Contra Costa and the
California Department of
Forestry to contain it.
Strong winds carried smoke
from the blaze as far east as Bay
Point, George said, but no
injuries were reported and no
structures were damaged.
Officials had yet not pinpointed
a cause for the fire Sunday.
(From San Francisco Chronicle)
Notes
county – 1) a political division of the UK or Ireland, forming the
largest unit of local government (графство): Rutland
used to be the smallest county in England, but in 1974 it
became part of Leicestershire.
2) the largest political division of a state in the USA
(округ): Texas is divided into 254 counties.
Capt. Dave George – an abbreviation for Captain
56

Vocabulary
fire n.
to start the fire: The fire was started by children playing with
matches.
to put out the fire: Forty people helped to put out (= to stop) the
fire.
in the fire: The library was badly damaged in the fire.
by fire: How many historic buildings are damaged by fire each
year?
to catch (on) fire: She had to be rescued by her neighbours when
her house caught fire (= started to burn).
to build / make a fire: We built a fire on the beach.
on fire: If your home was on fire and you could save only one
thing, what would it be?
to set smth. on fire: The pile of papers couldn’t catch fire itself;
someone must have set it on fire deliberately.
to set fire to smth.: Who set fire to the house?
firefighter n.
brush n. (US) = bushes
brushfire n. (also brush fire): The dry weather has increased the risk
of brushfires.
grassfire n.
grassland n.: the grasslands of North America
control n.
to get / go out of control: The car skidded and went out of control,
crashing into an oncoming truck.
to be out of / beyond / outside control: There was nothing we
could do about it – the situation was out of our control.
to be under control: It seems that the disease is now under
control.
57

to bring / get smth. under control: It took them two hours to bring
the fire under control.
to get (no) control over smb. / smth.: She’s got no control over
that child – it’s terrible.
to impose control on smb. / smth.: He wants the government to
impose strict controls on dog ownership.
to take control of smth.: The dictator took control of the country
in 1933.
to lose control of smth.: He felt he was losing control of events.
to stay in control of smth.: You need to stay in control of your
emotions.
control v.
blaze n.: Firefighter took three hours to control the blaze.
blaze v.
contain v. (= control): More police were sent to help contain the
violence. / She could no longer contain her anger and shouted at
him uncontrollably. /It is difficult to contain these problems.
take off phr. v. (= to move): When he saw me, he took off in the
other direction.
civilian n., adj.: The army has been criticized for attacking the
unarmed civilian population.
investigation n.
an investigation into smth.: An investigation has been under way
for several days into the disappearance of a thirteen-year-old
boy.
to be under investigation: Currently, the individuals who might
have caused the accident are under investigation.
investigate v.: Police are investigating allegations of corruption
involving senior executives.
alert n.
to be on the alert for smth.: The public were warned to be on the
alert for suspicious packages.
alert v.
58

to alert smb. to smth.: An anonymous letter alerted police to the
possibility of a terrorist attack at the airport.
to be alerted to smth
cause n.: They are trying to establish the cause of the fire.
Compare cause and reason
cause – smth. which produces a result: The cause of the accident
was the fact that he was driving too fast.
reason – smth. which explains or excuses an action: The reason
he was driving so fast was that he was late for an important
meeting.
cause v.: The difficult driving conditions caused several accidents. /
Most heart attacks are caused by blood clots.
restore v.
highway n.
evacuation n.: The evacuation of civilians remains out of the question
until the fighting continues.
evacuate v.: A thousand people were evacuated from their homes
following the floods. / When toxic fumes began to drift toward our
homes, we were told to evacuate.
pinpoint v.: Emergency workers at the site are still unable to pinpoint
the cause of the explosion.
Word combinations
within minutes
north (south) of
to jump the road
to travel in different directions
at the scene
for a time
power lines
to keep smb. busy
to prompt an evacuation
Exercises
59

1. How many fires were there in Petaluma?
2. When did the first fire begin?
3. Why did the fire spread so fast?
4. Why was it difficult to control the blaze?
5. What damage was done by the fire that started on Liberty Road?
Were any people injured?
6. What was the cause of the fire?
7. When did the fire in Richmond start?
8. How many fighters worked to put out the fire?
9. When was the third fire reported? Where did it start?
10. How much land was burned?
11. Why did some residents have to evacuate? Were there injured
people among them?
12. How many houses were damaged in Contra Costa?
following words:
coincidentally
a. by mistake
b. by chance
c. on purpose
contain
a. to control
b. to carry
c. to contact
high (winds)
a. light
b. strong
c. quick
restored
a. returned to a good condition
b. controlled by force
c. limited in size
blaze
a. a high wind
b. a big dangerous fire
c. power lines
highway
a. a high ground
b. a large distance
c. a public road
civilian
a. a member of the armed
forces
b. a person belonging to the
ordinary population
60

c. a polite and reasonable
person
fierce
a. rather bright
b. extremely difficult
c. very severe
cut down
a. to contain
b. to kill
c. to interrupt
scorch
a. to stick
b. to remove
c. to burn
III. Vocabulary. Find the words and expressions that mean:
1. the fire was difficult to keep
in check
2. very quickly
3. overhead cables that carry
electricity
4. in the place where it
happened
5. to extinguish the flames
6. were given a fire alarm
7. they said people were not
hurt
IV. Vocabulary. Fill the spaces with the appropriate words from
the vocabulary list:
1. Someone _____ a garbage truck _____ fire and the _____ were
_____ to the _____. They say the garbage truck couldn’t have
_____ fire itself. The _____ of the fire is _____ investigation.
2. After his father’s death George _____ control _____ the business.
His brother warned him to be _____ the _____ _____ rivals.
George wouldn’t listen to him. When competitively priced goods
appeared on the market, George lost _____ _____ his firm and
went bankrupt.
3. The huge power cut which left up to 50 million people without
electricity in North America probably started in Ohio. The _____
_____ were damaged and the city's lights went out. The engineers
failed to _____ problems with three transmission lines in northern
61

Ohio as the Alarm systems that might have _____ them _____ the
failed lines were out _____ _____. Investigations _____ the case
were focusing on why the faults were not brought _____ _____.
Electricity supplies have been _____ in most areas, but officials
are warning of the possibility of rolling blackouts in the area.
V. Writing. The story is about 400 words long. Write a shorter
version of it, in not more than 200 words. Keep all the
important facts but leave out all the unnecessary details.
Part III. Home
Text 1
To the manor reborn
Eight country houses were sold off recently
when their owner was forced into liquidation.
Nigel Lewis finds out what happened next
62

HERE’S a dream that many of
us cherish: to escape the noise
and pollution of the city and
move to the country, where the
air is clean and the nights are
dark.
Property investor Richard
Burrows, 40, is doing it in
spectacular style.
‘I live with my family in
Putney, but my wife and I have
been keen to get out of London
for some time,’ he says. ‘I never
dreamed I’d end up owing a
400-year-old mansion-cum-
retirement-home.’
A few months ago he read
about the plight of Danny
House, a Grade I listed
Elizabethan mansion near
Brighton in West Sussex – one
of eight owned until recently by
the Country House Association.
‘It has eight acres of grounds, a
considerable improvement on
our small Putney garden.’
Danny House is at the foot of
the West Sussex downs near
Hurst-pierpoint and was built in
1596, although there has been a
house of some sort on this site
since the 13th
century.
Its most famous resident was
Prime Minister David Lloyd
George, who convened his War
Cabinet in the mansion’s
magnificent Great Hall to draw
up the terms of the Armistice
Treaty on October 31, 1918 –
with Winston Churchill in
attendance.
Yet today it is not politicians
who enjoy the Great Hall’s
portrait of Charles I but 35
retired residents who pay
between ₤1,250 and ₤3,500 a
month to live there.
Their rent includes three
square meals a day, their
apartment, use of the gardens,
Great Hall and other communal
rooms.
As Mr. Borrows told me
what attracted him to such an
unusual property investment,
several guests played croquet in
the late afternoon sun while
cows grazed in an adjacent field.
He thinks Danny House can run
successfully as a retirement
home – and provide a luxurious
family home in a tranquil spot.
He and his wife Rachel plus
their children Miles, aged four,
Heather, two, and Willow, one,
are moving into two of the 28
apartments, leaving two for
staff, one for Rachel’s mother
63

(who’s helping run the business)
and 23 for the residents.
The mansion-cum-
retirement-home used to be one
of eight run by the Country
House Association (CHA),
which was founded in 1955 by
Rear-Admiral Bernard
Wilberforce Greathed to provide
mostly retired former colonial
officials with opulent,
affordable and manageable
mansion apartments.
By last year the CHA had
accumulated eight stately
homes, mostly in the Home
Counties. But a mounting
financial crisis at the association
forced it into liquidation and
Deloitte & Touche has now sold
off the properties for a cool ₤ 20
million.
SO FAR six of the houses
have been sold, including
Albury Park in Surrey, Aynhoe
Park in Oxfordshire, Gosfield
Hall in Essex, Swallowfield
Park in Berkshire, Flete House
in Devon and Danny House.
The good news is that these,
like Danny, will continue as
retirement homes and their
residents will not be forced to
move out. But, sadly, the two
remaining properties – Pyt
House in Wiltshire and Great
Maytham in Kent – are being
sold on the open market and
their residents must leave by
June 30.
(from the Daily Mail)
Notes
mansion-cum-retirement-home
-cum- is used to join two nouns, showing that a person or thing does
two things or has two purposes: This is my bedroom-cum-study.
64

Armistice Treaty – an agreement that was signed in 1918 to stop
fighting and that brought the end of the First World War
Home Counties – the counties around London, in SE England. People
living in the Home Counties are often considered to be relatively
wealthy and to share a comfortable way of life.
Grade I listed mansion
listed building – a building of great historical or artistic value which
has official protection to prevent it from being changed or destroyed
Elizabethan – belonging to the period of Queen Elizabeth I of
England (1533-1603), daughter of Henry VIII
Charles I – (1600-1649) a king of England, Scotland, and Ireland,
who was executed after the English Civil War when parliament
stopped supporting him
Vocabulary
home n.
retirement home
family home
stately home
manor n. (= manor-house)
invest v.
to invest in smth.: He’s not certain whether to invest in the
property market.
investment n.
to attract investment: The government is trying to attract more
investment into the shipbuilding industry.
to make an investment: She made an investment of ₤1000 in the
new firm.
investor n.
property investor
65

small investor: Small investors are hoping that the markets will
improve.
property n.
personal property: The club doesn’t accept responsibility for loss
of club member’s personal property.
private property: The notice said ‘Private Property, Keep Off’.
a man / woman of property: Yes, I’ve bought my own house – I’m
now a man of property.
mansion n.: The street is lined with enormous mansions where the
rich and famous live.
apartment n.: They have six holiday apartments for sale. / I’ll give
you the keys to my apartment (= flat).
communal adj.
communal facilities / food / property / rooms: We each have a
separate bedroom but share a communal kitchen.
adjacent adj.: They work in adjacent buildings. / They lived in a
house adjacent to the railway.
resident n.: The hotel bar was only open to residents (= to people
staying at the hotel).
run v. (= to be in control of)
to run a restaurant / business / company: He’s been running a
restaurant since he left school.
well-run / badly-run organization / business
move v. (= change place)
to move to: We’re moving to Paris.
to move in / into: They’ve bought a new house, but it will need a
lot of work before they can move into it / move in.
to move away: The couple next door moved away (= went to live
somewhere else) last year.
move out (of): A lot of businesses are moving out of London
because it’s too expensive. / He was forced to move out (= to
leave the place).
retire v.: Since retiring from the company, she has done voluntary
work for a charity. / He was retired with a generous pension.
66

retired adj.: Both my parents are retired. / He is a retired airline
pilot.
retirement n.
to take retirement: Many teachers over the age of 50 are taking
early retirement.
retirement age: What is the normal retirement age in this country?
improve v.: He did a lot to improve conditions for factory workers.
to improve on / upon smth. (phr.v.): Last time she ran the race in
20 minutes, so she’s hoping to improve on that.
improvement n.
improvement in smth.: There was a slight improvement in the
economy.
improvement on smth.: These white walls are a big improvement
on that disgusting old wallpaper.
rent n.
to pay a rent: I pay a higher rent than the other tenants because
my room is bigger.
high / low rent: Rents here are ridiculously high.
rent v.
to rent smth. from smb/smth..: I rented a car from a garage so
that I could get about.
to rent smb. smth.: The old lady rented us her spare bedroom for
₤55 a week.
to rent (out) to smb.: My Dad has a cottage which he rents (out)
to tourists.
affordable adj.: I bought nice clothes at affordable prices.
afford v.
to afford smth.: I don’t know how he can afford a new car on his
salary. / She can’t afford the time off work to see him.
to afford to do smth.: I can’t afford to buy a house.
provide v.
to provide smth.: This booklet provides useful information about
local services.
67

to provide smth. for smb.: We have concerns about whether the
government will be able to provide social services for poor
families.
to provide smb. with smth.: The government provides poor
families with social services.
to provide for smb. (phr. v.): He has five children to provide for.
Exercises
I. Comprehension. Decide whether these statements are true or
false, according to the story:
1. Eight country houses were sold off because of the financial
crisis at the CHA.
2. Richard Burrows’s family have always dreamed of living in the
country.
3. Richard Burrows has always been keen on buying Danny House
in West Essex.
4. Richard’s family ended up renting an apartment in a retirement
home.
5. Before Danny House was built the spot in the West Sussex
downs had been empty.
6. In 1918 the War Cabinet of Prime Minister David Lloyd George
were residents of the mansion.
7. Winston Churchill once visited Danny House.
8. Danny House is a charity organization which provides retired
residents with apartments.
9. Danny House provides playgrounds for croquet.
10. Richard’s family occupy two apartments in Danny House.
11. Richard’s mother-in-law is in the business as well as his wife.
12. In 1955 colonial officials rented apartments in Danny House to
retired admirals.
13. All the houses owned by the CHA have been sold off.
68

14. Not all the residents of the eight country houses will be allowed
to stay there.
following words:
spectacular
a. luminous
b. impressive
c. faded
luxurious
a. very bright and shiny
b. growing in amount
c. very comfortable and
expensive
opulent
a. rich and beautiful
b. poor and dirty
c. well lighted and big
tranquil
a. calm and peaceful
b. beyond ordinary
c. imposing
adjacent
a. next to
b. sticky
c. separated from
plight
a. an unpleasant condition
b. a collapse
c. a restoration
cherish
a. to search for happiness
b. to keep hopes
c. to make dreams come true
considerable
a. fairly large
b. strong
c. increased in size
convene
a. to change an opinion
b. to accommodate
c. to arrange a meeting
affordable
a. hardly ever possible
b. not expensive
c. permissible
mounting
a. forthcoming
b. gradually increasing
c. slowly improving
III. Vocabulary. Find the words and expressions that mean:
69

1. had to close the business
2. a person who puts money
into property
3. have been eager to leave
4. much better than our small
garden
5. low hills covered in
grass
6. to draft (a treaty)
7. ate grass
IV. Vocabulary. Paraphrase or explain the following phrases:
1. Property investor Richard Burrows, 40, is doing it in spectacular
style.
2. ‘It has eight acres of grounds, a considerable improvement on our
small Putney garden.’
3. He thinks Danny House can run successfully as a retirement
home…
4. … Deloitte & Touche has now sold off the properties for a cool ₤
20 million.
5. But, sadly, the two remaining properties … are being sold on the
open market…
V. Grammar. Notice the use of the emphatic construction with
the pronoun it:
_______________________________________
… it is not politicians who enjoy the Great Hall’s
portrait of Charles I but 35 retired residents…
_________________________________________
Make the following sentences emphatic as in the example:
Example: A mounting financial crisis forced the organization
into liquidation.
It was a mounting financial crisis that forced the
organization intro liquidation.
1. Richard bought Danny House.
70

2. Retired residents live now in the mansion.
3. The tranquil spot attracted him to such an unusual property
investment.
4. Rachel’s mother is going to live in one of the apartments.
5. The two remaining properties are being sold on the open market.
VI. Writing. Write an interview of Nigel Lewis, the author of the
article, with Richard Borrows. Use the material of the article.
Begin it as follows:
Property Mail: Retirement special
By Nigel Lewis
Eight country houses were sold off recently when their
owner was forced into liquidation. Richard Burrows, a
property investor, bought one of the houses and turned it
into a retirement home.
– Mr. Burrows, how did you come to the idea of buying
Danny House?
– I live with my family in Putney…
Text 2
Read the property advertisements from The Daily Mail. While
reading, fill in the chart and do the exercises below.
Rectory Cottage,
Headley, Surrey,
₤875,000
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A FLINT-FRONTED, detached, late Victorian former rectory
once belonging to the local church, Rectory Cottage has been
refurbished in neutral colours and, along with three bedrooms,
has an annexe that is a games room and a granny flat. The
cottage also has a swimming pool.
Lancasters: 01737 371700
The Church Rooms,
Lavenham, Suffolk,
₤200,000
THIS used to be the
community hall for this
historic Suffolk village, half
an hour by car from
Colchester. It has planning permission to become a house and
the sale will fund a replacement hall. Plans include two
bedrooms, two reception rooms and a study. The hall, kitchen
and toilets will become a kitchen / diner.
Clark & Simpson: 01728 724200
The Old Rectory,
Banningham, Norfolk,
₤600,000
72

A RAMBLING 17th century property that, until recently,
belonged to a keen porcelain collector who bought it in the
1950s. The property remained untouched since then and now
needs a substantial and probably expensive upgrade to drag it
into the 21st century. There’s a maze of rooms downstairs and
the upstairs, which is almost derelict, includes six bedrooms
reached via a ladder.
Stratt and Parker, 01603 617431
Rectory
Cottage
The Church
Rooms
The Old
Rectory
Estate agency
that sells the
property
Location
Price
Type of the
property
The time the
building
belongs to
Former owner
73

of the property
The house
plan
Exercises
I. Discussion. Read the advertisements again and answer these
questions:
1. What kind of people do you think are likely to buy the houses?
2. What can each of the houses be converted into?
3. What purposes can the houses serve if left untouched?
4. Can you find advertisements of this kind in Russian newspapers?
5. The houses advertised are historic buildings. Do you think it is a
good idea to give them into private ownership?
II. Vocabulary. Select the vocabulary related to the topic ‘Home’
from the three advertisements, give illustrative examples with
these words.
III. Writing. Work in pairs. Compose an advertisement for the
Holiday Home you want to sell. Use the following words and
word combinations:
₤9,995
Luxury Holiday Home
exclusive holiday park
fishing lake
facilities with heated pool
stylish apartments
lift to all floors
tranquil woodland setting
74

beautifully maintained
enjoy the privacy and security
pets welcome
perfect haven nestling
75

Unit 3
Part I. Newspaper Layout and Sections
Newspapers have a rich tradition of how to attract readership and
to optimize the effectiveness in presenting information. Placement of
articles on pages – the configuration of the news items – is one of the
key activities in newspaper production. The way in which printed
material is arranged in a newspaper is its layout. Though each
newspaper has its own layout rules, there are certain features in
common.
There would be a masthead, a lead story, several smaller stories, a
large picture, some features running across the top, and perhaps an ad
near the bottom.
The size of a broadsheet newspaper makes it possible to display
huge amounts of information. By scanning the front page, the reader
can get an overview of the most important issues in a matter of
seconds. Some tabloid newspapers use the front page to advertise for
articles on inside pages or carry only one article on the front page.
The front page is the most distinct feature of the newspaper. It was
invented 300 years ago, and has changed little since then. The upper
part of the front page is covered by the nameplate, also called the flag
or masthead. It carries the newspaper's name. Traditionally, the
nameplate is positioned at the top of the page, centered, and often set
in an old font type that reflects the dignity of the newspaper.
To the right or to the left of the nameplate there is usually a search
box or index. It promotes other stories inside the paper by pointing
out the pages on which this or that article can be found. The index
may also be placed at the bottom of the front page.
Underneath the nameplate there is a folio line that indicates the
date of the issue and its price.
Obvious elements of the newspaper, photos, are excellent entry
points for the reader. As such they compliment the story, drawing the
76

reader's attention. A line giving the photographer's name, often adding
the paper service he or she works for, is a photo byline, also called
photo credit. Information about a photo is given in a cutline, also
called a photo caption. Rarely longer than two sentences, cutlines
usually answer as well as possible the who? what? where? when?
why? how? questions of the photo.
The title of the story or summary, in large type above the story is
its headline. The purpose of the headline is to attract attention. The
area below the nameplate is dominated by the headlines of the most
important stories. Most newspaper headlines occupy one or two lines
– sometimes three or four. A headline which is bigger than others is
called the banner.
A smaller headline below the main headline is called a subhead; it
is often used to further explain the headline. The subhead under the
main headline is a deck head, above the headline – a kicker. The
writer's name is indicated in a byline.
The text of the article itself is printed under the headline. Since
newspapers put more articles on the front page than there is room for,
only the first part of the article is printed. To read the last part, the
reader must jump to an inside page. This kind of article is a run-over
article. The line telling the reader the page on which this story
continues is called a jump line.
The articles are laid out in columns of fixed width. This makes line
lengths shorter than, for example, in books. Due to this kind of
arrangement the text is easier to follow for the human eye.
While the front page contains articles from several categories,
inside pages are more specialized. The main categories have their own
sections, such as News, Politics, Business, Sport and Art. There are
also such sections as Opinion, Editorial or Comment, and Letters to
the Editor. The choice of sections can vary in different newspapers. A
lot of space in newspapers is given to advertisements.
77

Vocabulary
Words
layout n.
issue n.
advertise v.
advertisement n.
nameplate n.
flag n.
masthead n.
index n.
promote v.
photo n.
compliment v.
cutline n.
headline n.
banner n.
kicker n.
occupy v.
subhead n.
byline n.
print v.
column n.
section n.
Word Combinations
news items
printed material
lead story
front page
inside pages
to get an overview of
search box
folio line
deck head
to draw attention
to attract attention
to work for
photo byline
photo credit
photo caption
to be dominated by
jump line
run-over article
to be laid out (in
columns)
Exercises
I. Choose the correct answer:
1. The layout of a newspaper
plays a certain role in
attracting the reader’s
attention.
A. true
B. false
2. By looking through the
information on the front
page of a broadsheet the
reader can:
A. get all the information
about national and
international events
78

B. enjoy cartoons and
comic strips
C. get general information
of the most important
issues
3. The headline is:
A. the name of the
newspaper
B. the caption under a
photograph
C. the title of an article
4. You can find the article you
are interested in by looking
through:
A. the nameplate
B. the index
C. the cutline
5. They use small type for
headlines to save space:
A. true
B. false
6. The front page always gives
a full coverage of the news
story:
A. true
B. false
7. Newspapers contain a lot of
advertisements:
A. true
B. false
II. Look at the front pages of three British newspapers on pages
80-82 and answer the questions below. Fill in the chart as you
work.
1. Approximately what percentage of each front page is devoted to:
a. articles
b. photographs
c. headlines
d. the nameplate
e. advertisements
f. other items?
2. What is the subject of each newspaper’s main story?
3. Where is each newspaper’s main story located on the page?
4. What is the subject of each newspaper’s main photograph?
5. Where is it found on the page?
6. What similarities and differences do you notice between the
broadsheet and tabloid newspapers regarding their layouts?
The Daily
The Guardian
The Daily
79

Telegraph Mirror
% articles
% photographs
% headlines
% the nameplate
% advertisements
% other items
Subject of main
news story
Location
Subject of main
photo
Location
Similarities
Differences
III. Take an English-language newspaper. Prepare a review of the
front page. Use the following expressions:
80

at the top
at the bottom
in the upper half
in the lower half
in the upper left / right hand corner
next to
in the centre
under the photograph
the article occupies / takes up half the page
a full-page picture
gives much space to
the page is taken up by
the article reports on / focuses upon / highlights
placed on the next page
front page news
stretches across the columns
contains the name
depicted in the photograph
placed in a box
81

Part II. Food and Drink. Cultural Sketches
Text 1
British coffee lovers want instant results
By Sarah Womack
DRINKING instant coffee may
be seen as sacrilegious on the
Continent, but it is the most
popular type of coffee for the
less fussy British.
For us, the more
sophisticated ground coffee –
favoured throughout the rest of
Europe – is just a hassle.
Research into the coffee
drinking habits of Europeans
concluded that the British have
too hectic a lifestyle to find time
to make “proper coffee”.
While more than two in five
of us (44 per cent) drink instant,
a mere six per cent of Germans,
11 per cent of French and 18 per
cent of Spanish coffee drinkers
will touch it.
Freshly ground coffee is far
more popular with our European
neighbours – particularly with
Germans, who prefer it even to
beer. Sixty-two per cent of
Germans drink only ground
coffee and refuse to contemplate
a cup of instant.
Forty per cent of French
people and 32 per cent of
Spanish will only drink fresh
ground coffee, compared with
three per cent of Britons,
according to the report by
Mintel, the consumer analysts.
(from The Daily Telegraph)
Notes
Newspaper headlines often contain ‘play on words’. Consider the use
of the word ‘instant’ in the given headline. On the one hand, instant
85

means ‘immediate, happening without any delay’ such as instant
result / access / success; on the other hand, it is ‘food or drink that is
dried, usually in the form of a powder’ such as instant coffee / soup /
potato.
Cultural note: Many people consider instant food and drinks to be of
poor quality and often make excuses when offering them:
Would you like a coffee? I’m afraid I’ve only got instant.
the Continent – Europe, especially western Europe but not including
the British Isles
Vocabulary
sacrilegious adj.: Muslims consider it sacrilegious to wear shoes
inside a mosque. / It would be a sacrilegious act to put a neon
sign on that beautiful old building.
sacrilege n.
fussy adj. (=not easily satisfied): All my children are fussy eaters. /
He’s so fussy about the house – everything has to be absolutely
perfect. / “Red wine or white?” – “I’m not fussy – either would be
lovely.”
fussiness n.
sophisticated adj.: I don’t suppose I have any books that would suit
your sophisticated tastes. / I think a more sophisticated approach
is needed to solve this problem.
sophistication n.: Her sophistication is evident from the way she
dresses.
hassle n.: It was such a hassle trying to get my bank account changed
that I nearly gave up. / I should have taken it back to the shop but
I just didn’t think it was worth all the hassle.
research n.
86

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