Discussion:
1. Discuss in pairs:
1. What did you think when you were listening to the article?
2. What kind of comedy do you prefer?
3. How do you think men and women use humour differently?
4. Do you think men are funnier than women?
5. Do you really think women tell fewer jokes than men?
6. Are your favourite comedians men or women?
7. Are the subjects of men and womens jokes different in your country?
8. Do you agree that men have a who can tell the best joke competition more so than women?
9. What do you think of the unicycling scientists research?
10. Do you think humour is genetic and the male hormone testosterone causes men to be funnier?
11. What questions would you like to ask Professor Sam Shuster?
12. What do you think are the differences between male and female humour?
13. Do you have a good sense of humour?
14. Do you understand the humour of other nationalities?
15. Do you laugh at jokes told English?
16. Are you good at telling jokes?
Writing
Write a letter to professor Sam Shuster. Give him three suggestions on what he should do to find out more about whether men or women are funnier. Give him three other research projects that look into differences between men and women. Read your letter to your partner(s) the next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.
Unit 10. Childhood
Vocabulary
Look up the translation of the following words and word combinations in the dictionary:
1) audition (n) A t the weekends Hayley goes to auditions.
2) awkward (adj) Some lies are designed to avoid unpleasant or awkward truths.
3) beg (v) I was useless at the piano and my teacher begged my parents to stop sending me.
4) cant help yourself (phr) If you cant help yourself, you cannot stop doing something.
5) cool sb down (phr v) The pocket fan cools you down when its really hot.
6) be designed to (v) Some lies are designed to avoid unpleasant or awkward truths.
7) detrimental (adj) Something that has a detrimental effect has a negative effect.
8) dilemma (n) A dilemma is a difficult problem or situation.
9) do something against ones will (phr) Hayleys mum says she is not forcing Hayley to do anything against her will.
10) do/have whatever it takes (phr) Rachel thinks her daughter has what it takes to be a film star.
11) drop sb off (phr v) Ryan didnt want his friends to see his parents drop him off at the gym.
12) dye (v) If you dye your hair, you change its colour.
13) eyesight (n) Eating carrots improves your eyesight and youll be able to see in the dark!
14) fan (n) A pocket fan is a fan that sprays water in your face when its hot.
15) follow-up (adj) I hope we can come back in ten years time and do a follow-up story when Hayleys a star.
16) gadget (n) A gadget is a small piece of equipment that does something useful.
17) handle (n) The spider catcher is round with a long handle.
18) head massager (n) The head massager looks like a spider with long legs.
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19) ice cube (n) You could describe an iceberg as an enormous ice cube!
20) kick-boxing (n) Kick-boxing is one of the martial arts.
21) light the gas (phr) Its a plastic gadget used for lighting the gas on the cooker.
22) martial arts (n) Martial arts are sports such as judo or karate.
23) massage (v) If you massage part of your body, you rub it gently.
24) mental discipline (n) Mental discipline is the ability to make yourself do things that are difficult.
25) nutritious (adj) Food that is nutritious is good for you.
26) originate (v) Some white lies originate from the need to encourage children to eat properly.
27) peel (v) If you peel a piece of fruit, you remove the skin on the outside of it.
28) recharge (v) The batterys low on my phone I need to recharge it.
29) scar y (adj) Something that is scary is frightening.
30) self-confidence (n) Martial arts help you to defend yourself and learn self-confidence.
31) spray (v) The pocket fan sprays water in your face when its hot.
32) stainless steel (n) Stainless steel has been treated to prevent rust forming on its surface.
33) straighten ones hair (phr) If you straighten your hair, you make it straight and not wavy or curly.
34) unblock (v) If you unblock something, you remove something from it so that liquid can flow through it.
35) useless (adj) If you are useless at something, you are not good at it.
36) be worth doing (phr) If a white lie helps a child to eat properly it s worth telling.
Childhood
1) back off (phr v) Do you think pushy parents should back off and leave their children alone?
2) benefit (v) Psychologists believe many white lies may actually benefit children.
3) bib (n) A bib is a piece of cloth that protects babies clothes when they are eating.
4) bring sb up (phr v) Some parents have problems bringing their children up.
5) care for (phr v) Your parents are the people who care for you when you are a child.
6) a child star (n) Being a child star can be an isolating experience.
7) creative (adj) Someone who is creative has a lot of imagination and unusual ideas.
8) curl (v) If you eat your crusts, your hair will curl.
9) deprive sb of a normal childhood (phr) Do you worry that youre depriving Hayley of a normal childhood?
10) develop language skills (phr) When children develop language skills, they learn to talk, and read and write.
11) dummy (n) A dummy is an object you put in a babys mouth to stop it crying.
12) eat up (phr v) Some white lies encourage children to eat up their vegetables.
13) eat your crusts (phr) If you eat your crusts, your hair will curl.
14) educational (adj) Something that is educational helps people to learn.
15) excitement (n) Father Christmas brings fun and excitement to children at Christmas.
16) fall off (phr v) If youre not careful youll fall off that wall.
17) Father Christmas (n) Father Christmas is part of the magic of Christmas for many children.
18) fulfil ones potential (phr) Hayleys mum thinks shes special and wants to help her fulfil her potential.
19) get square eyes (phr) If I think my childs watched enough television, I tell him hell get square eyes.
20) guilty (adj) Should parents feel guilty for not being 100% truthful with their children?
21) isolating (adj) An isolating experience makes you feel as if you are alone.
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22) be keen for sb to do sth (phr) Ryans mother was keen for him to learn the piano.
23) know when there is something (phr) Mums know when something is wrong even if wrong you dont tell them.
24) liberal (adj) Liberal parents give their children freedom.
25) lie (v) Parents often lie to their children to encourage them to do things that are good for them.
26) look after (phr v) Who looked after you when your parents were out?
27) myth (n) Some myths were created to improve childrens behaviour.
28) nanny (n) A nanny is someone adults employ to look after their children.
29) naughty (adj) Parents get angry with their children when they are naughty.
30) your nose will grow (phr) Some people say that if you tell a lie, your nose will grow.
31) obsessed (adj) Hayleys father, George, thinks his wife is obsessed and not reasonable.
32) pillow (n) Parents tell their children that if they put a tooth under their pillow, the tooth fairy will take it.
33) potential (n) A childs potential is its ability do develop particular skills.
34) pressure (n) I want Hayley to grow up like a normal child theres too much pressure in the film world.
35) protect a childs innocence (phr) Some white lies protect a childs innocence.
36) pull a face (phr) If you pull a face, you put a silly or rude expression on your face.
37) pushy parent (n) Pushy parents are parents who are very ambitious for their children.
38) see in the d ark (phr) Parents sometimes tell their children that eating carrots will help them see in the dark.
39) a stage in life (phr) Some white lies make the world more magical and help children through a stage in their life.
40) stay on the line (phr) If youre phoning your friends, dont stay on the line too long.
41) stimulate the brain imagination (phr) If you stimulate a childs brain or imagination, you help them be more creative.
42) strict (adj) Dont be too strict you have to let your children play and have friends.
43) take the easy route (phr) Some parents think its wrong to take the easy route and tell a lie.
44) tell a lie (phr) Most parents tell their children lies.
45) tell off (phr v) Mum always told us off when we were naughty.
46) tidy away/up (phr v) Who tidied up after you had played with your toys?
47) tooth fairy (n) The tooth fairy is an imaginary creature who takes childrens teeth from under their pillows.
48) truant (n) A truant is a school student who stays away from school without permission.
49) truthful (adj) If you are 100% truthful with your children, you never tell them lies.
50) tuck smb. in (phr v) Who tucked you in bed at night?
51) white lie (n) White lies can benefit children by protecting them or helping to stimulate their brains.
52) yell (at) (v) If you yell at your children, you shout at them.
Supplementary Reading
1. Read and translate the text:
What Really Does Go on in a Teenager's Bedroom?
Becki Heeley (16)
My boyfriend Andy, who's 18 is supposed to be Put out of my room by 10 pm. We've been going out for six months. We are allowed to be alone in my room but there is a line we don't cross. My mum trusts me, and it would be out of order to take liberties.
Becki's mum, Jane
I don't have many rules about Becki's room, but there are a few. No ones allowed to smoke, for instance, and friends have to leave by 10 pm on school nights and the noise has to be within reasonable levels. She is allowed to have her boyfriend in her room. I don't worry too much about what they do up there because she knows I would kill her. I trust her to behave within reasonable limits.
MarkMalecki (19)
I suppose responsibility is the key word. There aren't rules, as such, but I'm careful about what I leave lying around. They don't like me smoking in the bedroom. I don't smoke much, but I do have cigarettes in there. I have alcohol as well, but most of it was bought as presents by my family. I also keep condoms in the bedroom. My parents are very fair and I respect that, but drugs are the one thing they wouldn't forgive. I think they are right and I would never bring drugs into the house.
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Mark's mum, Maria
Mark frequently has friends round for the evening. He always asks if he wants to have people over, and he is very good regarding noise. I can't say I am happy about girlfriends staying in his room, but as long as he's discreet and careful, I will put up with it. At his age you have to offer a degree of freedom. Drugs are the only subject where there is no room for discussion - they are absolutely banned and I trust Mark to be responsible.
Exercises on the text
1. Find the Russian equivalents to the following words and phrases and make up your own sentences with them:
To be supposed to; school nights; to behave within reasonable limits; responsibility; to be fair; to have smb round for; to be discreet and careful; to offer a degree of freedom, there is no room for discussion; to be banned.
2. Scan the text and decide if the statements are true (T) or false (F):
1. Beckis boyfriend has to leave her room by 10 pm.
2. Beckis friends are allowed to smoke in her room.
3. Beckis she-friends cant spend the night at her house.
4. Marks parents dont let him play his stereo after midnight.
5. Marks parents prefer him not to smoke in his room.
6. Mark is never allowed to have girlfriends staying overnight.
3. There are many different ways of talking about rules. Read these sentences from the article:
| Andyis supposed tobe outby10pm They dont like mesmoking in the bedroom. No ones allowed tosmoke. Drugsare absolutely banned friends have toleave by 10pm |
