Exam topics: Youth and Society

 

  Throughout the history young people have always been driving force for progress. They are creative, passionate and enthusiastic. Young people generate innovative and ambitious ideas. They are ready to come out of their comfort zone, take risks and that’s why it is so important to give youngsters opportunities and chances to express themselves.

 It’s quite natural that young people want to socialize with their equals so as to express their views on several political and social issues. They join youth organizations and societies. Participation in youth organisations gives numerous advantages both to the youth and to the entire community.

First of all, such organisations bring together diverse groups of young people. They explore different issues together, get involved in many aspects of young people’s lives and eventually become a close-knit peer group.

Secondly, such organisations help youngsters to gain leadership and teamwork skills, which can help them be better prepared for any job they might choose in the future.

And finally, the ability to think critically and solve problems as well as self-confidence will definitely improve thanks to participation in such organisations. The main aim of these organizations is to involve young people into socially useful activities such as sporting events, volunteering at hospitals, taking care of war veterans, assisting the old and the handicapped, carrying out some ecological projects and doing other things.      

 There are a lot of youth organizations, groups and movements in Belarus, so young people can find one that will suit their interests. The most authoritative of them are: the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM), the Belarusian Republican Pioneer Organization, the Association of Belarusian Scouts, the Belarusian Organizations of Falcons, the Belarusian National Scout Organization, the Association of Belarusian Guides, etc. The biggest youth organization in Belarus is the BRSM, which includes about 500,000 young people aged from 14 to 31. The  main aim of this organization is to promote patriotism, develop young people’s initiative and involve them in useful public activities.

Everybody can find something to their taste. Those who want to help people in need join “The Kind Heart Movement” and go to hospitals or orphanages, work with disabled or sick people, those who need care and love. Some young people who are full of creative ideas can take part in festivals, exhibitions and contests organized by the BRSM to show their talents. Business people may take part in one of the largest projects that is “100 Ideas for Belarus”. It is financed by the government and BRSM and offers funding to young people with the best start-up projects. BRSM also provides young people with working places in summer.

Supported by the government young people arrange numerous useful social campaigns, which are dedicated to a wide range of goals. Among them there are such campaigns as charity campaigns, an antismoking and recycling campaigns.

  At the same time there are a lot of informal youth movements that want to express themselves in different ways. Usually they are organized on the base of common interests or preferences in music styles or in arts priorities. Some try to express their political views others are searching for their own answers to universal problems: ecological, religious or philosophical. Anyway all young people want to express themselves and find their place in this world.         

 One more interesting phenomenon is sub-culture. It is generally held that sub-culture is the culture of those who are dissatisfied with their place in society. On the whole Teds, Mods, Rockers, Bikers, Skinheads and Punks are the sub-cultures of the politically or economically weak segments of the society. It is interesting to note that sub-cultures follow a cycle. At first they shock then provoke a strong response. Many adopt it for fun, and play at rebellion in their leisure time. In the end it becomes another recognized and colourful part of urban culture.            

  I have never joined any youth organizations, probably, because I haven’t found anything special or interesting for my personal development. I’m very busy with my studies, besides I’ve got a lot of interests and hobbies. By the way, I’m a very sociable person and have got some close friends and a lot of schoolmates or just mates. I’m fond of travelling and like to meet new people. I can express myself in various activities organized at school: concerts, sports competitions, class meetings and parties, and of course at my everyday classes. Thus I don’t feel intention to join any organization.

 

 Let’s talk about youth and society.

1. What social issues are important for young people nowadays?

2. Do you think your life is easier or more difficult than that of your parents?

3. Your British friend is volunteering on a Belarusian farm. What questions will you ask him/her about it?

4. What youth organisations will you recommend young people to join?

5. People say that volunteering can make a great difference to our lives and the lives of others around us. What do you think about it?

Let’s talk about youth and society.

1. What national and international youth organisations do you know?

2. Are you a member of any youth organisation?

3. What questions will you ask about a new project organised by the BRSM?

4. Some young people want to become volunteers but don’t know what to start with. What will you recommend them to do?

5. If you have a chance to start a campaign, what will you campaign for?

Write the answers to the questions in comments.

10th Grade: Unit 8. LESSON 2. NEWSPAPERS

broadsheet – a newspaper that is printed on large paper; a quality newspaper. E.g. In Britain, the broadsheets are generally believed to be more serious than the tabloids.

tabloid – a type of popular newspaper with small pages which has many pictures and short simple reports. E.g. the tabloid press, a tabloid newspaper, a tabloid format. Information on the personal life of a film star is just the sort of story the tabloids love.

Do the test on Edmodo 

https://new.edmodo.com/groups/creative-10th-grade-25946814

10th grade. Unit 7. Lesson 2. Land and People

Communicative Area: speaking about the prominent people of Belarus

Look at the list of names below. What do you think all these people have in common?

Kirk Douglas, Ralph Lauren, Yanka Kupala, Yakub Kolas, Vladimir Korotkevich, Isaac Asimov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Svetlana Alexievich, Olga Korbut, Yulia Raskina, Inna Zhukova, Max Mirnyi, Viktoria Azarenko, Yulia Nesterenko, Yanina Korolchik, Ellina Zvereva, Daria Domracheva, Anton Saroka, Alexander Medved, Boris Gelfand, Marc Chagall, Kazimir Malevich, Ossip Zadkine, Vladimir Vyshnevski, Michal Oginski, Vladimir Mulyavin, Ignat Domejko, Alexander Chizhevsky, Zhores Alferov, Haim Weizman, Shimon Peres, Petr Klimuk, Vladimir Kovalenok, Vasil Bykov, Boris Kit.

Listen to the on-line lecture about famous Belarusians and do the test on Edmodo.

https://new.edmodo.com/groups/creative-10th-grade-25946814?utm_source=classes_page

Write a short paragraph (10+ sentences) about a famous Belarusian to add to the lecture here in comments.

Exam topics: Outstanding people

Have you ever asked yourself a question what your life would be like today without the invention of the theory of relativity or without such a masterpiece as “Romeo and Juliet”? How would have the world history changed but for such influential figures as Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi? It’s hard to say but one thing is clear – it wouldn’t be the same. These famous people contributed a lot to the development of the mankind and changed our perception of the world to a great extent.

In my opinion to be an outstanding person means to possess personality, not to be like anyone else and it is someone who is not trying to emphasize it. An outstanding person is the one who wants to do something good in his or her life and who helps other people and leaves some kind of trace in the life of others. America has always been achievement-oriented nation. Americans are very proud of their in «some way national hero» Bill Gates and they consider him an outstanding person. Why? Because he was able to create something from nothing. He is not like everyone else, he is one of a kind and that makes him an outstanding person. A young man who used to work in his garage became famous all over the world and when you exchange a word with him you’ll never get a message, that he is better than you are. A true example of devotion and determination on the way to success is Henry Ford, an American captain of industry and a business magnate, the founder of the Ford Motor Company. Not many people know that he failed several times and was broke before succeeding in his start-up business. He really had an idea of what persistence means! These are examples of becoming outstanding people, respectable and strong personalities.

Each country can boast its own outstanding personalities. Great Britain has given the world many talented scientists, politicians, sportsmen, writers and poets, painters and musicians. The names of Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, John Lennon, Charlie Chaplin speak for themselves. The first British woman Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a well-known Scottish writer of Sherlock Holmes stories Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, who relieved more suffering than any other living man, a former star of the legendary Manchester United David Beckham also deserve mentioning. 

Our country has raised a lot of people who can be called outstanding and made a big contribution to the world’s heritage due to its gifted historic figures and our contemporaries.  Number one, for sure, is Francysk Skoryna, a Belarusian legend. He has been remembered and respected for his contribution to the education and the development of printing. Belarus is the motherland of such writers as Y. Kolas, Y. Kupala, A. Mitskevich, V. Bykov, K. Krapiva, I. Shamyakin, M. Tank, V. Korotkevich, M. Bagdanovich and many others who did a lot for our culture. Among the most prominent Belarusian Artists are Mark Shagall. Ossip Zadkin, Kazimir Malevich, M. Savitski. They were involved in renovation of Belarusian culture and they were not afraid to start everything from the beginning and to tell us about our roots, our identity. We can be justly proud of our sportsmen Maxim Mirny, Victoria Azarenka, Darya Domracheva, Alexei Grishin, Melitina Staniouta and many others.

The year of 2015 was marked by a significant event. The first writer from Belarus was awarded Nobel Prize in Literature. This was Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarusian investigative journalist and non-fiction prose writer. Her books have been translated into many languages. Her most distinguished  works are “War Does Not Have a Woman’s Face”, “Boys in Zinc”, “Chernobyl Prayer”.

We often wonder whether a genius is born or made. Judging by the numerous examples we can assume that naturally born talent is the key ingredient of success. But the way is very often thorny. So such qualities as hard work, determination, persistence and devotion are a must.

To learn more visit this site:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Belarus

Let’s talk about outstanding people.

1. What famous people made our life different?

2. Do you think it is important to know the history of your country?

3. You have a chance to interview a celebrity. Whom will you choose and what questions will you ask?

4. My son wants to become a successful businessman in the future. What advice will you give him?

5. Some people say that great minds think alike. What do you think about it?

Write the answers to the questions in comments.

Exam Topics: Science and Technology

We live in the age of science and technology. Science has changed the lives of people to a great extent. It has made life easy, simple and fast. Science has offered many gifts to mankind. Fire was the first discovery and wheel was the first invention. Since that time we have travelled far. To my mind electricity is a gift of science without which the modern civilization cannot survive. If we stop using it, the whole world would come to a standstill. Science creates wonders almost every day. What once was a fantasy is now a reality thanks to the recent achievements of scientists. Science affects us all every day from the moment we wake up till late at night. Your smartphone, digital hand watch, weather report, smart TV, the antibiotics to treat the flu, the clean water and the light you turn off at the end of your day. All these have been made possible thanks to science.

Technological advances have influenced every sphere of our life. First of all, science has changed our daily routine, transforming our houses into smart homes. Nowadays almost every corner of our house is equipped with modern appliances. Motion sensors, automatic lights, climate control and all kitchen appliances make our life safer, easier and more convenient.

Science has greatly improved medical services. The microscope and the X-ray have become real blessings to mankind. The latest inventions help to diagnose patients with serious diseases and start treatment at early stages. Chemists have invented wonder drugs to cure previously fatal diseases and as a result save lives of thousands of people.

Cloning, space trips and robots are the miracles of the modern times. Though we don’t come across these technologies every day, they influence our life in some ways.

 Without doubt, science has an enormous impact on modern means of communication. In the past it took people weeks and even months to deliver a message from one person to another. Since the invention of mobile phones and the Internet quality of communication has improved greatly. Moreover, modern technology helps us find long-lost relatives and childhood friends. Social networks (Facebook, Twitter, VK) and messengers (Skype, Viber, What’s Up) help us keep in touch with friends and strengthen the ties regardless the distance.

Advanced technologies also enable us to get and share knowledge. Just press the button and the biggest encyclopedia in the world is at your disposal. Google updates us on the latest news, discoveries, inventions, festivals and art events.

But science and technology also have a negative side which affects human lives. Fast and effective technology turns us into coach potatoes, unable and unwilling to go out of house and look for real communication. What is more, computers have given rise to new addictions , for instance, gaming addiction. There is a wide range of intellectual games that develop soft skills, but unfortunately they are not as popular as games featuring shooting, killing and fighting. Sociologists claim that addiction to cruel computer games is responsible for increased crime and violence rates. Furthermore, doctors link several serious health problems such as obesity, heart disease, strokes and cancer with addiction to computer and TV watching.

Science and technology also do a lot of harm to the environment. If we look around, most places are crowded and polluted due to the development of factories, plants and power stations, which are all hazardous to our health.

Thus, as we can see in our daily life science has been great help and we have benefited from it a lot. Frankly speaking, now it has become almost impossible to live without using achievements of science and technology.

Let’s talk about science and modern technologies.

1. What is the role of science in our fast moving world?

2. Do all scientific discoveries have a positive effect on our lives?

3. What questions will you ask a famous scientist about his/her career?

4. Your friend is taking part in an experiment. He must live a month without a computer or a laptop. What advice will you give him? 

5. Can you predict what kind of technologies, gadgets, and devices we will use in the future? Tell us about them.

Write the answers to the questions in comments.

Exam Topics: MASS MEDIA

The mass media plays an important part in our lives. Newspapers, radio, TV and the Internet inform us of what is going on in this world and give us wonderful possibilities for education and entertainment. They also influence the way we see the world and shape our views.
Newspapers are the oldest means of mass media. The choice of newspapers is wide. Nowadays newspapers cater for different political views, interests and levels of education. All newspapers are classified into two types: quality or broadsheets and popular or tabloids. Quality newspapers are serious national papers for educated readers. Tabloids are designed for common readers with the content focused on celebrities and fashion. Newspapers don't react to events as quickly as TV, but they usually provide us with extra detail, comment and background information.
The main source of news for millions of people is television. People like TV news because they can see everything with their own eyes. And that's an important advantage. Seeing, as we know, is believing. Besides, it's much more difficult for politicians to lie in front of the cameras than on the pages of newspapers.

Of course, not all newspapers and TV programmes report the events objectively, but serious journalists and TV reporters try to be fair and provide us with reliable information.

It is true that the world today is full of dramatic events and most news seems to be bad news. But people aren't interested in ordinary events. That is why there are so many programmes and articles about natural disasters, plane crashes, wars, murders and robberies. Good news doesn't usually make headlines. Bad news does.

Some people say that journalists are given too much freedom. They often intrude on people's private lives. They follow celebrities and print sensational stories about them which are untrue or half-true. They take photos of them in their most intimate moments. The question is — should this be allowed? But obviously, television, especially quality documentaries from Discovery Channel, Viasat History and National Geographic possesses educational power. Television helps to broaden horizons and get acquainted with different cultures. 

Still, many people prefer the radio. It's good to listen to it in the car, or in the open air, or when you do something about the house.

The Internet has recently become another important source of information. The Net has changed communication as we know it. From education to advertisement, this new technological advance has affected practically every aspect of our lives. Magazines, newspapers and books are "online" and can be read on the computer or on the screen of your smartphone . You can find information on any topic - the possibilities are endless. The Internet can instantly connect you to other computers, allowing you to "chat" with people all over the world. Moreover, the news appears on the screen as soon as things happen in real life and you don't have to wait for news time on TV. 

 Mass media (that is, the press, the radio and television) play an important role in the life of society. They inform, educate and entertain people. They also influence the way people look at the world and make them change their views. Mass media mould public opinion. 

But it is hardly fair to say that mass media do not try to raise cultural level of the people or to develop their artistic taste. Mass media brings to millions of homes not only entertainment and news but also cultural and educational programs.

No doubt, mass media is an important part of our life. We should keep in mind that almost everything can be a blessing or a curse depending on the way we use it. The effect mass media has on us largely depends on our choice of what we watch and read. So let's make intelligent choices.

Let’s talk about the mass media.

1. Which of these do people in your family prefer: TV, newspapers, radio?

2. Is there any means of communication teenagers can’t live without? Why? Why not?

3. What questions will you ask a photojournalist about his/her work?

4. I’d like to watch something entertaining on TV. What programme will you advise me to watch?

5. Can the internet replace all the other means of mass media? What is your point of view?

 Let’s talk about mass media.

1. What role does the Internet play in your life?

2. Are all means of communication really effective? Why or why not?

3. What questions will you ask a British teenager about the media they like best of all?

4. Unfortunately, I have little time to surf the Net. Which sites will you advise me to visit first of all?

5. Do you think newspapers will disappear in twenty years’ time? Why or why not?

Write the answers to the questions in comments.

Exam Topics: Life is short, art is long

Our world has become a very visual one – we have art all around us. Understanding art is understanding our world! A good first step is to try to understand what we mean by art. The arts include visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts, like music, theatre, and film, among others. If you ask people in the street what art is, paintings and statues are common answers. But actually it’s more than that. The types of visual art include architecture, animation, collage, comics, design, drawing, graffiti, illustration, installation art, photography, sculpture and so on.

The first time that the question of what art is came up in the 19th century in an essay by Leo Tolstoy. In his work he argues against numerous theories which define art in terms of the good, truth, and especially beauty. In Tolstoy’s opinion, art at the time was much more than that. According to him, art must create an emotional link between artist and audience, one that “infects” the viewer. Some researchers believe that art is actually about communicating the feelings of the artists.

But of course there are people who view the art as a commercial idea. As Frank Zappa once said, “Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.”

For someone art can be therapy. There is even a term “art therapy”. The aim of art therapy is to improve or maintain mental health and emotional well-being. In my opinion art plays a large part in making our lives infinitely rich. Art stimulates different parts of our brains to make us laugh or cry, calm down or start shouting. You could say “Art is something that makes us more thoughtful and well-balanced humans.”

Art is form and content. Form means the elements of art, the principles of design and the actual, physical materials that the artist has used. Content is idea-based and means what the artist meant to say, what the artist actually did say and how we react, as individuals, to the author’s messages.

The world of art is really fascinating. It is the world of fine artists and sculptors, art historians and critic curators, designers and photographers. We can enjoy masterpieces of both old and modern art in such world famous museums as the Louvre (Paris), the British Museum and the National Gallery (London), the State Hermitage (St. Petersburgh), the Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow), the Prado Museum (Madrid) and many others.

A lot of young people enjoy graffiti – the so called street art, though some older people consider it to be illegal and ugly. I think we have to accept it as part of our lives. A lot of companies use graffiti imagery to promote their things.

The most frequent association with the word art is painting. Painting has had a long and glorious world history as an independent art.

Belarusian artists have made an enormous contribution to the development of world culture. In the 12-18^th centuries the most popular genres of fine arts in Belarus were frescos, icon and portrait painting. The 16^th century portraits created in Belarus were influenced by the Italian and German Renaissance. Ivan Chrutsky (1810-1885) is considered to be the greatest figure in Belarusian art of the 19^th century. His sentimental portraits and luminous (светящиеся) still-life paintings had been assiduously (усердно) collected by Russian and Polish art galleries.

An important role in the formation of young artists in Belarus was played by the opening of art schools in Vitebsk (1898) and Minsk (1906). Among the various genres of Belarusian fine arts water-colour painting is of undoubting importance and interest. Here we should mention V. Tsvirko, one of the leading Belarusian artists. His water-colours Willows Have Burst into Blossom, The Melted Snow and April are superb.

The most famous Belarusian artists who painted in oils are M. Savitski, E. Zaitsev and I. Akhremchik. The war theme predominates in their pictures, though, of course, they also painted landscapes and portraits. The series Figures on the Heart by M. Savitski has become a specific phenomenon in Belarusian art.

At the beginning of the 20^th century a new trend of abstract painting developed in Vitebsk. Among the artists who belonged to that trend were the world famous M. Chagal, K. Malevich, G. Pen and others. Some of them had to leave Belarus and live abroad.

Here I would like to insert some words about abstract art. Understanding abstract art does not come naturally for everyone but it can’t leave people indifferent. To understand abstract art you have to open up your intuition and see where the painting takes you.  Abstract art allows the viewer to decide what the artwork is about, on a very personal level. It requires an open mind and a big imagination. What people don’t realize is that the best abstract artists have excellent drawing skills, a fine sense of composition, and a deep understanding of the workings of color. Instead they choose to express their emotions by creating a piece that is more free, free of the weight of objects. If you want to fully understand an artwork, it’s important to know the artist’s intention behind it. Knowing the artist’s thought process for creating a certain work of art adds to the meaning and value of a painting.

Pablo Picasso once said: “Everyone wants to understand art. Why not try to understand the song of a bird?” Picasso has a point. Art can’t be explained in words, because its influence on people is very personal.

Art echoes the natural world. Art is a means of communion as well as communication. Art creates awareness of social issues. Art may express and reflect the religious, political, and economical aspects of cultures. Art is and can be what ever a culture says it is or what ever they want it to be. Art also helps us to express our sentimental relations. It can beautify, surprise, inspire, stimulate imagination, inform, tell stories, and record history. As someone once said, “Art is life.”

Let’s talk about art.

1. Tell me what forms of art you enjoy most.

2. Is graffiti a form of art or an act of vandalism?

3. Ask me questions about the comedy I have lately seen.

4. Give me a piece of advice on what architectural monuments are worth visiting in Belarus.

5. Are you interested in videoblogs? Why or why not?

Write the answers to the questions in comments.