1. Think of something you have in your home that you no longer need.

Give a
description of such a thing for Freecycle website. (Unit 8)
Freecycle matches people who have things they want to get rid of with people who can use them.
My friends and I often exchange unnecessary things to reduce the amount of garbage. We usually
exchange old CDs, books, clothes, etc. Nowadays websites have been created where you can exchange
things that you do not use for free. For example, I give away my old things for free on sites. My mother
sometimes does charity work and donates things or toys to orphanages. Also, usually in families, people
wear clothes one by one. I think that this is very practical and in this way we help to improve the ecology
of our planet, ridding it of garbage. Moreover, we help each other, give away unnecessary things for free
to those who really need them.
2. Talk about a travel problem you have had (unexpected travel situation, nightmare
journey, etc). (Unit 8)
It's an incredible story about a terrible journey. There was a group of friends who were going on a
trip for the Christmas holidays. they are about to celebrate Christmas in a small house in the forest, in the
suburb. The guys arrived at the station and got lost there. after a small search, they got on train. But after
three stations, the train stopped. because of the power cut, all trains were canceled. Then the guys decided
to get by bus, but they confused (mixed up) the numbers and got on the wrong bus and got off at the next
stop. They stood at the stop for two hours but there was not a single bus. So they are got stuck in this
place for some time.
However, a car passed by and the driver offered give them a lift to the town. Finally, they reached
the city and already went on foot reached the house.
3. Talk about your attitudes to the possessions. Which of your possessions would you
least like to lose? Why? Where can you find lost property? (Unit 8)
As for me, I try to treat my possessions with care. At home, I carefully put things in their places.
If I'm going somewhere, I check several times if I haven't forgotten or lost something. Of my property, I
would least like to lose a phone or a bank card. Buying a new phone is quite problematic, because for this
you need a lot of money. Also, all the things that are important to me, for example, photos or videos and
information that is on the phone, I can no longer restore. If we talk about a bank card, then almost all of
my pocket money is stored on it, so losing it would be very disappointing. If you have lost something,
then most often it can be found at home or where you often go. If you have lost something on the street,
such as a phone, then sometimes passers-by who find it can return it to you. Sometimes found things are
taken to the police, where they try to find their owners.
4. Which problems can happen in your home when you are in or out? Which problems
are the most serious / least serious? (Unit 9)
When I'm not at home, anything can happen. For example , the flood, the pipe’s burst, wiring
closure.
My neighbors can flood me or I can flood them, there may be a fire, It's very dangerous.
 But something less dangerous may happen in my absence in the house, for example, in the watch
the batteries are flat, some (equipment or technics), for example, a washing machine, may also not
working. Or my dog can tear something.
One evening when I got home, the electricity was turned off, and the refrigerator defrosted, it was
very sad. My mom called the electric company and they said that there was an accident at the local power
plant and the light would appear by morning. There was a question of what people used to do without
light and the Internet, in general there was a family evening of reflection.
5. What are thinking strategies? Why should people use many ways of thinking? (Unit
9)
A thinking strategy is a mental or thought process applied by an individual in the context of
achieving success or other activities.
This thinking will help us with:
Refine your research skills.
It enhances problem-solving ability.
Polishes your creativity.
Helps to improve decision making.
Stimulates curiosity.
There is analysis, intuition, creativity, logic and communication.
People use all this to successfully accomplish a certain goal. When people use a thinking
strategies, their productivity and efficiency increases.
6. Think about dealing with conflict across cultures. (Unit 9)
First need to find out what kind of conflict it is, between different cultures or is it a personal
conflict.
If this is a disagreement or misunderstanding, then the solution is very simple a conversation
between the two sides and finding a compromise.
If it's a conflict between different cultures, then it's more complicated.
Initially it is necessary to assume that in different culture the same things may have different
meanings. Therefore, conflicts arise, as people do not understand each other. Words, gestures and facial
expressions in different countries are understood differently. To resolve the conflict, it is important to
explain to a person of a different culture what a phrase or thought means to you. It is important to talk to
the person about this.
But the solution to the conflict is one conversation.
The right solution to any conflict is a conversation between people to determine further actions.
7. Think about the problem with witnesses in court for example. Can we always trust
the witnesses? Give the reasons why we can / can’t rely on witnesses. (Unit 10)
Judgment is a very complex process. The honesty of witnesses is the basis for the judicial process
in many countries around the world. The words of a witness can help a criminal get free, or they can put
him in jail. Several studies have shown that you can’t always rely on these witnesses to give an accurate
account of events. People frequently not only forget the details of things that happened but also remember
things that didn’t happen at all. The problem is made worse by the effect of telling a story on our
memory. People can change certain details. In court, once witnesses have given an account of an event,
they tend to remember what they said in their account rather than the actual event. Even more worryingly,
once a witness has identified a person as guilty, he is likely to identify that same person later on, even
when the person identified is not actually guilty.
8. Have you ever had a problem with something you’ve bought? What did you do?
(Unit 10)
One day I ordered a book called Lolita, which I received from Litres.com. I received a torn book.
I was extremely dissatisfied and decided to write to the service of this store. I wrote email asking for a
refund on August 3rd but they didn't answer until September 1st. I wrote this to the support operator, but
he did not help me. Also, I think he was too rough with me. I asked to send me a new copy of the book or
return the money. The operator said that they do not have such a return service and cannot help. I said that
the site says that if the copy is torn or dented, then the buyer can write a return application. Then the
operator replied that now they do not provide such services. I had to call the hotline to sort it out. They
sent me a new book.
9. You bought a new phone. In a few days it stopped working. Could you make a
complaint about its bad work? (Unit 10)
Recently I bought a new phone in the store. I have long dreamed of such this phone. It worked
great for two days. When I used it outside in cold weather, it just turned off and didn't work all day! Then
I was forced to contact the service, but they did not say that it could simply be discharged. I said that I
charged it for a long time, but no result. The master asked me for a warranty card so that the procedure
was free. It turned out that the phone overheated the battery and stopped working. Master changed the
battery, but the master said that you need to pay for it. I was indignant, as I gave it for repair under the
warranty card. The procedure should be free. He said that this is not a warranty case. Then I had to talk to
the service administrator. The administrator resolved the issue and I did not pay anything.
10. Think about gossips. What are reasons people gossip? What kinds of things do
people gossip? Is gossiping a good or bad thing? Why? (Unit 11)
Gossip is an inseparable part of people's lives. Most often, people gossip for no particular reason
simply because they like to discuss other people. Even gossip can be an important part of communication
between people, thanks to which they can get rid of stress. Usually these are conversations about people
they know, or conversations about family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. It can be talking about how
to solve a difficult situation or about relationships and problems between family members. I don't think I
can say for sure that gossip is good or bad, because it is that it depends on certain situations. Because
gossip is not always only something bad it's maybe something good. For example, you and your friends
discuss your mutual friend who got into a difficult situation and found a solution to the problem, so you
already now know what you can do in such a situation if suddenly it ever happens to you. This can be a
different situation is when people discuss a person and his actions and condemn him for it. So I think it
depends more on the situation or the people.
11. Think about gossips. What is the truth about gossip? (Unit 11)
Gossip is part of human life. Gossip helps people develop and maintain communication that helps
relieve stress. Most often, these are conversations about family, friends, colleagues or neighbors. About
relationships within the family between friends and at work. It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman,
everyone gossips. Men gossip about the same topics as women, but it's more about themselves. Usually
people gossip with their friends or colleagues. Gossip is not always bad. In fact, only about 5% of the
time allotted for gossip is devoted to criticizing people. Actually, gossip is not as bad as people think.
12. Think about a new piece of software to detect written lies. Do you think it will work?
Why? Why not? (Unit 11)
Actually this is a difficult question. Often we cannot determine whether there is a lie in the words
of a person, and in a letter it is much more difficult to do this. To determine lies, there is already a lie
detector, but even a lie detector is difficult to understand whether a person is lying or not. It would be
possible to create a program that, using a scanner, could detect the difference in a person's handwriting
when he writes the truth and when he writes a lie. It can work if you can identify the difference between
when a person is lying and when he is telling the truth. If there is no difference, then such a program will
not be useful and will not work.
13. Attitudes to family across cultures. Talk about attitudes to family in your country.
(Unit 11)
Family is very important part of life every person. The family is there you grow up and you
formed your interests and attitudes to different things in the world. The family is there you always be
supported, encouraged to good actions and helped when you really need this. In your family you should
feel comfortable and know that you can trust relatives and they able to listen you when you really need it.
But it in the good way, unfortunately, sometimes people have bad relationship with their family and they
faster want to be independent and go away from parents’ home. Family is not be chosen, it if talking
about parents and siblings. But if we talking about marriage, when you by yourself create the family, it's
soft and cozy place too, where you exactly know, that you will be supported and with this person you
have same goals in our's life and you can help each other.
In family attitudes very important is trust, support, help each other and able to listen and give
advice. Well, then talk about attitudes to family in Russia. In Russia, like same the other cultures, family
is important thing of life every person. It is customary to respect the older generation, help them and
listen to their opinions. Holidays are usually celebrated with the family. When relatives get together, there
is cook many many different types of food and all sit on big table and remember the past, sometimes look
photo books, it's usually happen, when relatives get together in grandmother and grandfather’s house.
After marriage people usually live in their own home, in society there is thinks that, live with parents
when you have your personal family is unacceptable. Also, in Russia family activities important things in
family life like cook together and eat together, spend weekends with family, ride ski or bike together, go
trip together and so on.
The family in Russia is support for a person, everyone in the family should treat each other
respectfully and love each other.
14. Attitudes to family across cultures. Do you know about attitudes to family in any
other country? (Unit 11)
Family is very important part of life every person. The family is there you grow up and you
formed your interests and attitudes to different things in the world. The family is there you always be
supported, encouraged to good actions and helped when you really need this. In your family you should
feel comfortable and know that you can trust relatives and they able to listen you when you really need it.
But it in the good way, unfortunately, sometimes people have bad relationship with their family and they
faster want to be independent and go away from parents’ home. Family is not be chosen, it if talking
about parents and siblings. But if we talking about marriage, when you by yourself create the family, it's
soft and cozy place too, where you exactly know, that you will be supported and with this person you
have same goals in our's life and you can help each other.
In family attitudes very important is trust, support, help each other and able to listen and give
advice.
If we talk about family attitudes in South Korea, so there are children since early years are
teached to respect for elders and a clear hierarchy and encouraged loving to work. In society think, that
parents should devote their lives to their children so that they take care of them in old age. So, in Korea
children always should listen parents’ advice and try to follow it, even if child is already adult. A few
years ago, it was acceptable that after marriage children still live with parents like big family (usually
married couple remove to husband family house). Also, every important celebrate should spend with
husband family. Same traditions there have in China and Japan.
However, in Australia, they are not so reverent about spend time with family relatives settle very
far from each other and it is not customary for them to often meet, go to visit. In USA there is customly
parents try to encourage their children to faster be independent and children try in adult age live alone in
own home.
But I still think that family is important part of every person life and they support and always help
when you really need it.