TEXTE

1. Read the text and answer the following questions

The New TV Shows
I remember watching TV many hours a day when I was a child.
One of the
programmes that I liked very much was "candid camera". There,
ordinary people were
tricked into doing ridiculous things and sometimes they were very
funny. But as I
grew up, things changed. The European television introduced what
we call today
"reality shows". They turn common people into stars by putting
them in unusual
situations. Some of them are locked in a small house with cameras
running twenty
four hours a day. Others are filmed in a hostile environment where
they have to find
food and shelter or they have to face the thing that they are most
afraid of. In all these
cases the viewers are those who decide who should leave or stay.
The TV companies
like this kind of shows because they are cheap to produce and
attract young viewers.
But even if many people are attracted to watch or participate, there
are critics who
believe that programmes like these are humiliating and they can be
dangerous for
society.
1. What is the main idea of the text?
2. What kind of people participate in these shows and why?

3. Why do TV companies prefer to produce this kind of shows?

4. What is the critics opinion? Do you share it?
2. E-Learning
Because more and more people use the Internet nowadays, a new
concept of learning
is growing, namely e-learning. Students study at their computers,
read texts, write
essays, and talk through E-mail to their instructors and classmates.
In other parts of the
world students watch their teacher on a television screen at the
front of the classroom
while sound-sensitive video cameras can move from teacher to
student when
somebody asks a question. At first, I was nervous about taking a
language class
because there was no teacher in the room, but after a while you
don't even notice the
difference," says one of the students. Despite the physical distance
from their teachers,
students can receive personal attention when they need it: phone
calls or e-mails.
Along with the new e-learning technologies: telephones, satellites,
computers,
interactive TV CD-ROMs and Internet, books will continue to be
important in people's
education.
1. What is the main idea of the text?
2. How can the students attend courses by using a computer?
3. Do the students feel comfortable when using this new way of
learning? Why?
4. Do books have any role with the new e-learning technology?
Which one would
you prefer: traditional learning or e-learning?

2. The Importance of Friendship

For many people in this world, life is cold, lonely and hard. If they
had one friend,
their lives would not only be different, but happier. A friendship is
a touch of heaven
on earth.
Friendship is important for adolescents as they figure out who they
are. Having friends
who share similar attitudes and behaviours is believed to make that
process easier and
more meaningful. All of us want to have friends and to be friends
with those persons
who are happy, popular, or even influential. They are very
important for our emotional
well-being. In friendships we reveal what we are and who we are
capable of
becoming. Friends tell one another just about everything that is
going on in each
other's lives. Style of dress and musical interests, a sense of
humour, understanding,
acceptance and loyalty, reciprocal help and admiration, shared
pastimes and values are
only some of the ingredients that have to be cultivated for a solid
friendship.
1. What is the main idea of the text?
2. Why is friendship so important for adolescents?
3. What are the most important criteria people use when they make
new friends?
4. What are the attributes of a solid friendship?
Stay Motivated

The word motivation" means different things to different people.

It is a positive drive
which moves us towards what we desire. A person's brain needs
constant motivational
input just as muscles need exercise, engines need petrol and plants
need water. Strong
motivation stems from a deep rooted belief in what you are trying
to do; it's stronger
when it comes from your inner values. This creates a feeling of
enthusiasm which is
essential in order to remain motivated. Look at the zeal of a
missionary. The best
salesmen are those who get very excited about their products and
have total faith in
them. They sell with a firm conviction that their product is the best
available. Top
athletes have the constant challenge to reach and sustain an
optimum level of
motivation which overcomes problems and brings results. If there
is no challenge in
what you are doing, motivation will soon wither and die. That's
why highly motivated
people are nearly always achievers.
1. What is the main idea of the text?
2. What is the author's definition of motivation?
3. What makes a salesman the best in his domain?
4. What happens to people's motivation when there is no challenge
in what they
do? Do you agree?
Eco-travel
No matter where you go or how you travel, you will have an effect
on the environment

and the people you visit. But if you travel responsibly you can
minimize the negative
impact, and, in many cases, can actually help conserve the
environment and preserve
indigenous cultures. If you don't concentrate on where you want to
go but on what you
want to do and learn, your travel experience will have a real,
meaningful purpose.
Now imagine travelling with a purpose - a personal one and a
global one - and
returning home revitalized, refreshed and fulfilled. Imagine having
seen and
experienced things you never thought possible, stretched yourself
and left a positive
impact on the people and places you visited. By looking at travel
from a different
point, you will discover the benefits of a meaningful, purposeful
travel. Eco-tourism
accommodates and entertains visitors in a way that is minimally
intrusive or
destructive to the environment and sustains & supports the native
cultures in the
locations it is operating in. Its true meaning bears a weight of
responsibility for both
travellers and service providers. As a responsible eco-tourist you'll
have lots of fun
and help save the earth while you are doing it! Supporting ecotourism groups, nature
conservancies, cultural preservation institutions and other
organizations also will help
build a brighter future even while you are not travelling.
1. What is the main idea of the text?
2. Why is this new way of travelling so important?

3. Should tourists be responsible for what happens to the

environment?
4. What could you do to act as a responsible eco-tourist? Can you
think of some
other activities that would help to protect the environment?
Read the text below and then answer the questions :
Twenty years ago, kids in school had never even heard of the
internet. Now, I'll bet
you can't find a single person in your school who hasn't at least
heard of it. In fact,
many of us use it on a regular basis and even have access to it from
our homes! The
'net' in internet really stands for network. A network is two or more
computers
connected together so that information can be shared, or sent from
one computer to
another. The internet is a vast resource for all types of information.
You may enjoy
using it to do research for a school project, downloading your
favourite songs or
communicating with friends and family. Information is accessed
through web pages
that companies, organizations and individuals create and post.
It's kind of like a giant bulletin board that the whole world uses!
But since anyone can
put anything on the internet, you also have to be careful and use
your best judgment
and a little common sense. Just because you read something on a
piece of paper
someone sticks on a bulletin board doesn't mean it's good
information, or even correct,
for that matter. So you have to be sure that whoever posted the
information knows

what they're talking about, especially if you're doing research! But

what if you're just
emailing people? You still have to be very careful. If you've never
met the person that
you're communicating with online, you could be on dangerous
ground! You should
never give out any personal information to someone you don't
know, not even your
name!
1. What is a network?
2. How is information accessed on the internet?
3. Why should you not trust everything you find on the internet?
4. In what ways does the internet influence our lives?
Read the text below and then answer the questions (30 points):
There are ideas about England and the English which are just not
true. England does
not stop for afternoon tea every day, although the English do drink
a lot of the liquid
(hot, with milk) and although the weather is very changeable, it
doesnt rain all the
time!
Also, theres lots of good food in England. No, really! In the major
cities youll be
spoilt for choice, with the cuisine of almost every nationality on
offer. Indian food is a
particular favourite of the English. To find proper English food, try
eating in a
traditional pub.
The famous English politeness is everywhere. The English use
Please, Thank you

and Sorry more than most nationalities. For example, if you step
on someones foot,
theyll probably say Sorry to you! If you make a complaint, its
also usual to begin
with Sorry as in: Im sorry, but this soup is cold.
You may think it strange on the London Underground that people
dont talk to each
other, even when crowded together in the rush hour. Silence is
usual as people read
their books or newspapers. That doesnt mean English people are
unfriendly. It just
means you might have to get to know them first!
1. What ideas about the English and England are not true?
2. Where can you eat traditional English food?
3. Why do people keep quiet on the London Underground?
4. What typical things do you know about England and the
English?
Read the text below and then answer the questions :
Many people have discovered the healing power of martial arts, as
they strive to
control emotional issues that may have followed them for years.
Often, what holds
people back in life is fear. People are afraid of failing, as well as
succeeding - afraid of
speaking up, and at the same time, remaining silent. But learning
martial arts is a
powerful antidote to all that fear. The first time someone hits you
or throws you to the
ground, you're probably going to be afraid of getting hurt. The first
time that you hit or
throw someone else, you're probably going to be afraid of hurting
him. But soon you

realize that people aren't that fragile. You learn that you're strong,
you can defend
yourself, and even that you're worth defending. As you learn the
skills, you also
develop the self-confidence to face your fears and to live your life
the way you always
wanted to. You begin to learn that you're a competent person and
that you can take
care of yourself (and others if you need to).
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the obstacle that many people face in life?
3. In what ways can martial arts have healing powers?
4. Do you think that practising sports can improve a persons
emotional life as
well?