Learn to Listen

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Listening

Listening 1. History of US Presidential Elections

Video Vocabulary

to take the oath of office – приносить присягу

the running mate – кандидат на пост вице-президента

to step in – вмешаться

to swear in – приводить к присяге

electoral college – коллегия выборщиков

to take office – вступить в должность

to convene – собираться

turmoil – беспорядок

Watch the video and answer the questions.

When did the first presidential election take place? How many presidents have been elected since then?
Have presidential elections ever been postponed?
Who was the only unelected US President? What was the reason for that?
When are presidential elections held? Why was this particular day chosen?
Do the Americans directly elect the president?
What is a transitional period needed for?

Watch the video once again and mark whether the statements are true or false.

The first presidential elections were held in the 19^th century.
All the people of the USA have been able to vote since the first elections.
America had an election in the middle of the Great Depression.
Each state’s population decides the number of electors.
The Electoral College meets on December 15th and then select the president.
The president takes office right on Election Day.

Fill in the gaps with not more than two words:

Each state has a number of _______________ that vote at the Electoral College.
Electoral college members meet on ________________ and then select the president.
There is a transition period lasting _______________.
The main reasons were the Electoral College needed time to _________ and ______.
The winner will ________________ at a time of great domestic and international

Listening 2. Canadian Political System

Listening Vocabulary

constituency – избирательный округ

riding – административный или выборный округ в Канаде

Listen to a conversation about the Canadian political system and answer the following questions:

What is the administrative division of Canada? What is the difference between a territory and a province?
What does the number of seats each province gets in Federal Parliament depend on? Which provinces have the most seats?
Who forms the government of the country?
How is the leader of the country chosen?
How many political parties does the speaker mention?
Are there any differences between the American and the Canadian political systems?

Listening 3. Gender-Specific and Gender-Neutral Language

1. Read the following summaries of different parts of the lecture, then listen to the lecture and put the summaries in the correct order.

___ a The topic of today’s lecture is sexism in language and how to avoid it.

_____________________________________________________________

___ b There are a great many gender-specific terms. Words like mailman or policeman are gender-specific because they only refer to men.

______________________________________________________________

___ c But vocabulary isn’t the only problem. Grammar is a problem, too.

______________________________________________________________

___ d The word mankind sounds as if you are only talking about men, but when you say human beings or people, then you include both men and women.

________________________________________________________________

___ e The word we use affect how we think. For example, if children grow up hearing chairman, they think the title must always refer to a man.

2. Name the examples of gender-specific language given in the lecture. Can you provide your own examples of sexisms?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Listening 4. A World within a School (The Lives of Young Immigrants)

Listening Vocabulary

to flourish – процветать

to uproot – искоренять, вырывать с корнем

tight-knit – сплоченный, дружный

intimidating – пугающий

You will hear a report by Richard Schiffman, with host Mary Ambrose, from the Public Radio International program The World. Schiffman interviews teachers and students at the International High School in Queens, New York. Ambrose says that the International High School “seems to work.”

LISTENING FOR MAIN IDEAS

You will hear the entire report. Mark the statements that are true.

At the International High School, _____.

_____ 1. students speak their native languages

_____ 2. students work in groups

_____ 3. students are not all immigrants to the United States

_____ 4. students help each other in their native language

_____ 5. teachers want students to feel comfortable

_____ 6. students improve their English and their native language

_____ 7. teachers think that speaking two languages causes problems

_____ 8. students try to be assimilated quickly into American culture

LISTENING FOR DETAILS

Listen to the report again. In the chart, mark whether each person is a student or teacher. List what they like about the school, and summarize their comments. Check your answers with a partner.

PERSON BEING INTERVIEWED	Student	Teacher	WHAT THIS PERSON LIKES ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Jennifer Shenke	□	□
Priscilla Billarrel	□	□
Aaron Listhaus	□	□
Evelyna Namovich	□	□
Kathy Rucker	□	□

Fill in the gaps with one word:

New York City can be an (1)______________ place, even for those who have spent their whole lives here. But for young people who have just been uprooted from tight-knit, (2)____________ families and traditional communities abroad, the city can seem positively (3)_____________. Teacher Aaron Listhaus says that young immigrants don’t just need a place to learn English and other subjects. They need, above all else, a place that feels completely safe and welcoming.

Aaron Listhaus: It’s particularly important for these students to have a (4)__________ level in a place called school and for that school to feel like home … to feel like their needs are going to get met, um, they’re going to be listened to, they’re going to be (5)___________ for who they are and the (6)____________ backgrounds that they come from, and that those things are viewed as what makes them special rather than what makes them a problem.

Listening 5. Idlers and strivers

Listening Vocabulary:

Be-all and end-all – самое важное, суть

To have itchy feet – иметь потребность постоянно переезжать или путешествовать

Buzz – суета

Listen to Thomas and Elise talking about their work/life habits. How do their opinions and lifestyles differ?

Choose the best answer:

What made Thomas change his lifestyle?
- He received an important email.
- He couldn’t enjoy Rome because he was obsessed with work.
- He went to the coast and fell in love with the sea.
Why does he think people carry technology around with them?
- Because they wish they were in the office.
- Because it helps them feel less stressed.
- Because they are worried they will miss important pieces of information.
What has Thomas learned from living by the sea?
- That human actions and money aren’t so important.
- That you can’t make much money there.
- That he should have left his city job much earlier.
Why does Elise carry around so much technology?
- Because she does not have an office.
- Because she is frightened of missing out important news.
- Because she travels a lot.
What does she believe about her future?
- She won’t do the same job for more than three and a half years.
- She will never have a completely relaxing lifestyle. She doesn’t want one.
- Her lifestyle will probably get worse, especially her health, so she will slow down.