Unit 1

Personality
1. Take a look at the list of factors that influence our personality. Range the factors in
the order of importance and impact. Explain your choice.
- heredity (physical height, slimness, dexterity, intellectual capacity, ability to learn,
logical power)
- family background (the socio-economic status of the family, education of the parents,
other family members, values and roles within the family)
- nature of the people with whom we interact
- culture (a shared system of beliefs, attitudes, possessions, attributes, customs and
values)
- self-development and self-education
2. What are the pluses and minuses of being an extravert or an introvert?
3. Name top three most important qualities / skills for a person in the following
situations:
- you have to manage a group of people
- you run your own business
- you are a team member
- you are a partner / friend
- you have high level of responsibility at work
 Questions to Get to Know Each Other Better
1. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
2. What was the last thing you read?
3. What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?
4. Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch or dinner?
5. What do you do on your commute to / from work / university?
6. What’s the phone app that you use most?
7. Do you consider yourself good at networking?
8. What is your definition of success?
9. Would you rather make more money doing the job you hate or less doing one you
love?
10. Which of your personality traits are you most proud of?
11. What’s the first thing you look for in a partner or friend?
12. If you could only give one piece of advice, what would it be?
13. Are you active on social media or do you prefer to be more private?
14. How do you interact with someone who disagrees with you?
15. If you could change anything about yourself, would you? What would it be?
16. What us your least favorite place in the world?
17. At a party, where can someone find you?
18. How old do you feel?
19. What are the things that you do but don’t like doing?
20. How often do you zone out?
21. What makes you happy?
22. Do you feel introverted or extroverted?
23. What are the things you are most thankful for?
24. What is the ideal version of yourself you want to be?
25. What do you fear the most?
 Job Interview
1. Take a look at the list of strategies how to behave during job interview. Mark each as
a ‘do’ or a ‘don’t’. Explain your choice.
- dress casually in order to project the image of a relaxed person
- project confident body language
- tell the truth whatever you’re asked about
- try to take initiative in the conversation
- be modest
- maintain constant eye-contact
- dress up the truth about your skills and abilities
- ask some questions about the company and the job
- give diplomatic responses about all past employers
- give a firm handshake at the end of the interview
2. A lot of career consultants advise candidates to do careful research on the company
and the job before going to the interview. Why do you think it’s important?
3. What are killer questions? Why do headhunters ask them? What is the right strategy
how to deal with a killer question?
4. Job interview can be quite stressful. Share your stress-management tips.
 Recruiting
1. Would you like to work in recruiting? What kind of person can make this type of
career? What are the pluses and minuses of this work?
2. What are top needed qualities and skills employers are currently looking for in
candidates?
3. What kind of professions do you think will be in high demand in the nearest future?
What factors determine this growing demand? Think about:
- upcoming social and economic problems
- digitalization in different spheres
- global geopolitical trends
- modern trends in job market: downshifting, digital nomad, home office, freelance
work
4. Here are some common interview questions employers normally ask. Try to answer.
- What new skill / knowledge have you got this year?
- What is your main weak point?
- Tell about a challenge you faced and how you managed to cope with it.
 Unit 2
Medicine
1. Think about personality type that can make a career in the sphere of medicine. Which
factors can contribute to success in this sphere? Consider the importance of talent /
perseverance / qualification / useful connections / luck.
2. Why do you think medical dynasties exist?
3. Take a look at some types of medicine. Pick up one you are interested in, provide
brief description of its basic principles.
- preventive
- traditional
- alternative
- conventional
- ayurvedic
- palliative
- mainstream
4. Have you ever heard about holistic medicine? What are its main principles? Do you
think such approach can work better?
5. Do you agree with testing on animals to find new medicines?
6. What do you think next revolution in medicine will be?
 Questions Medicine
1. Have you ever:
- broken a bone
- had a black eye
- lost a tooth
- burned yourself
- had any stitches
- sprained your ankle
- fainted
- been to hospital
- had the flu
- had trauma

If so – what happened?
2. Are you allergic to anything? What effect do your allergies have on you?
3. How do you feel about needles?
4. What treatment would you recommend to a person who has a cold?
5. How much interest do you take in the issue of health? Are you interested in health-
related websites / media?
6. Do you think that men and women have different ideas about health?
7. How many hours do you sleep at night? Do you think that you sleep too much or not
enough?
8. What part – if any – do you think that diet plays in illness?
 Health
1. Take a look at the list of factors which determine our health suggested by the World
Health Organization. Which ones do you think play the biggest role for out health and
well-being? Choose one factor which affects our health negatively, suggest how a
person can reduce its negative effect.
- state of environment
- genetics
- income level
- education level
- quality of relationships
- access to high quality medicine
- stress levels
2. Is mental health more important than physical health? Do you think modern society
increases the likelihood of mental health problems? Can you name some basic methods
how to take care of your physical and mental health?
3. Take a look at the quotations about health, choose one you agree with. Explain your
choice.
- ‘Let food be the medicine and medicine be the food.’ (Hippocrates)
- ‘The wish for healing has always been half of health.’ (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)
- ‘A healthy outside starts from the inside.’ (Robert Urich)
- ‘To ensure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate
cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.’ (William Londen)
- ‘A fit body, a calm mind, a house full of love. These things cannot be bought – they
must be earned.’ (Naval Ravikant)
- ‘A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.’ (Irish proverb)
- ‘Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit.’ (B.K.S. Iyengar)
- ‘I have chosen to be happy because it is good for my health.’ (Voltaire)
 Questions Health
1. What should you do if …
- you have a nosebleed?
- you cut your finger when cooking?
- you can’t get to sleep
- you have a cold?
- you have a headache?
2. Do you take any vitamins or supplements?
3. Have you ever donated blood?
4. What do you think about getting old?
 Age
1. Is ageism a problem in your country? What can be done to solve this problem?
2. Do you think attitude towards the elderly can tell a lot about the culture of a
particular society?
3. How should a person’s lifestyle change with age? What aspects of health should an
elderly person pay attention to?
4. Can you think about some strategies how to get prepared to the elderly age? Think
about what can be done in terms of:
- health
- finance
- relationships
 Unit 3
Travel
1. Look at the list of positive effects of travelling. Which ones have you experienced
yourself / you believe are true? Are there any negative effects of travelling?
Travelling ...
- improves your understanding of other cultures
- lets you disconnect from your daily routine
- helps you create your lifetime memories
- expands your social network and gives you extra language practice
- exposes you to new things
- improves your physical and mental health
2. Look at the quotations about travel. Choose one you agree with, explain why.
- Jobs fill your pocket but adventures fill your soul
- Some beautiful paths can’t be found without getting lost
- The journey of a thousand miles behind with a single step
- Life begins at the end of the comfort zone
- Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination
- Not all those who wander are lost
- Collect moments, not things
3. Provide your definition of ethical tourism.
4. Would you like your future job to involve travel?
 Reading
1. Why doesn’t everybody enjoy reading? Think about some strategies how to
encourage a person to read more?
2. Can you name a book that made you a reader?
3. Tell about a book that …
- you couldn’t put down
- you started but couldn’t finish
- you decided to read after seeing a film
- you’ve read, but can’t remember much about
- gave you a book hangover
- people are talking about at the moment
4. What kind of topics should a good children’s book raise?
 Unit 4
Weather
1. Have you ever had a situation when weather spoilt your plans? What happened?
2. Are you weather dependent? What can a person do to reduce the negative effect of
bad weather on their physical and mental state?
3. Google the idea of hygge. Do you think it can work?
Take a look at the list of things which help to practise hygge on a daily basis. Choose
some you would like to do more.
- use candles, blankets, textile and warm home clothes
- have plenty of warm beverages on hand
- have plenty of good books and movies
- use comforting music and soft lighting
- spend high quality time with your close people
- natural elements in decoration and green plants
- aromatherapy
4. Do you think the weather of a country affects its economy?
 Ecology
1. Can you name some reasons why environmental problems are so difficult to solve?
2. In order to improve the situation, what can be done better:
- on the level of governments and institutions
- by businesses
- by every single individual
3. Can you identify the biggest environmental problems of today’s world?
4. Do you think environmental documentaries can help to raise the general awareness of
the problem? Have you ever seen a documentary that made you think a lot / left a
significant impression on you? What makes a good documentary?
 Risk
1. Think about how much risk can be taken in the following spheres of life:
- money
- health
- career
- relationships
- self-development / lifestyle
2. Are you a risk-taker? What is your greatest fear around risky activities? Consider the
points below.
- loss of control
- losing money
- letting people down
- reputational damage
- negative impact on your job
- experiencing negative feelings (anxiety, guilt, etc.)
3. What are some possible benefits that make a risk worth taking?
4. Choose a risky activity you would like to try.
- bungee jumping
- relocation
- getting married
- making a career move
- investing in cryptocurrency / a start-up
 First Conditional Questions
1. If there is another global recession, do you think you’ll be affected?
2. If global temperatures continue to rise, do you think it will be a problem?
3. If you get some extra money, what might you do with it?
4. If you have problems sleeping tonight, what will you do?
5. If you see a homeless man on your way home today, will you give him money?
6. What will you do if your neighbours annoy you?
7. What will you do if you get a headache?
8. What will happen if humans keep polluting the environment?
9. What will happen if you forget your romantic partner’s birthday?
10. When will you be able to retire if you save and invest wisely?
 Unit 5
Security
1. Choose one of the points from the list. Prepare a list of basic security measures
connected with the situation.
- home security
- stalkers /ˈstɔː.kərz/
- isolated areas
- security for kids
- environmental hazards in the city (earthquake, blizzard, heatwave, etc.)
- transport security
2. How do you assess the level of security in the city where you live?
3. What kind of preparation should be done before going hiking?
 Second Conditional Questions
1. If you could be any age for a week, what age would you choose?
2. If you could live in the world of a film for a week, which film would it be?
3. If your house was on fire and you could go back and save just one thing (apart from
people and pets), what would you save?
4. If you had a superpower, what would it be?
5. If you had the possibility to change one thing about your character, what would it be?
6. If you could be an inanimate (not alive) object for a day, what would you be?
7. If you were given an opportunity to travel to a place in the world that you haven’t
been to, where would you go?
8. If you had to choose between health, fortune, or happiness, which would you choose?
9. If you had a chance to speak to the leader of your country for an hour, what would
you say?
10. If you weren’t afraid of anything, which three things would you do that you’ve
never done before?

See the example:

- If you had a superpower, what would it be?
- If I had a superpower, it would be the ability to speak all languages in the world. I
would use this power to try to help people understand each other better and solve their
problems, because I really believe in the power of communication.
 Regrets
1. Take a look at the list of things people regret in the second half of life. Can you
identify top 3 most common regrets people have? Explain your choice.
- getting married too early
- not asking grandparents more about their lives when they were alive
- not having done more exercise or eaten more healthily
- not having saved enough money
- not learning a foreign language or a musical instrument when you were younger
- not working harder at university
- not having travelled more and seen more of the world
- making the wrong career choice
- not keeping in touch with friends
- having taken up smoking
Which do you think would be the top regrets for people in your age group?
2. Do you have some recommendations how to deal with regrets?

I Wish Questions
1. Complete the sentences with your own ideas, compare with your partner.

I wish I spent more time on ...

I wish I didn’t have to ...
I wish I knew how to ...
I wish I were ...
I wish I had ...

2. Talk to your partner about …

- a famous singer you wish you had seen in concert.

- something you wish the Town Council did to improve your town.
- a foreign language you wish you could speak apart from English.
- something you wish a member of your family wouldn’t do.
- something you wish had never been discovered or invented.
- a very expensive possession you wish you had.
- a quality you wish you had.
- an aspect of your personality you wish you could change.
- something you wish people wouldn’t do.
- something you wish you hadn’t bought.
- somebody you wish you could see more often.
- she mistakes you made when you were young that you wish you hadn’t made.
- something you wish you knew how to do.

Regrets Questions
1. If you died tomorrow, what would be your biggest regret?
2. Do you think life gets easier or more difficult as you get older? Why?
3. ‘Don’t cry over spilt milk’ – what does this mean? Do you agree with this idea?
4. Do you believe in second chances? Why / Why not?
5. Have you ever regretted buying something?
6. Is it possible to live your life with no regrets?
7. What do you hope to do at some point in the future? Why?
8. If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be? Why?
9. What is something you wish you had done differently this year?
10. What is something you should have stuck with and not quit? Why do you think so?
11. What do you wish you had tried or done when you were younger? Why?
12. Have you ever regretted a job or a career choice?
 Feelings
1. How difficult is it for you to manage your emotions? What can affect the level of
negative emotions you have on a certain day?
2. Do you think that showing emotions is a sign of weakness? Why / Why not?
3. Take a look at the list of negative emotions a person can feel at different moments.
Choose one or two you’ve experienced recently. What kind of situation triggered this
emotion? How did you cope?
- shame
- sadness
- embarrassment
- disappointment
- anxiety
- frustration
- impatience
- anger
4. Take a look at the list of strategies used to manage emotions, suggested by a
psychologist. Choose one that you would like to practise in the nearest future. Add any
points of your own that can work.
- practice mindfulness / meditation
- see a counsellor
- avoid potentially triggering situations
- practise self-care
- maintain healthy relationships
 Questions Feelings and Emotions
1. Do you find it easy to explain your feelings to another person? If not, why is it
difficult?
2. Can you read another person’s emotions? Can you easily tell how other people are
feeling? How useful is this ability?
3. Do people know how you feel by looking at your face? Are you good at hiding your
emotions?
4. What is a crime of passion? Can you understand why feelings could cause someone
to commit a crime?
5. What is emotional intelligence? How emotionally intelligent are you?
6. Which is more powerful: a feeling of love or a feeling of hate?
7. When are emotions a problem?
8. When do you feel most energized? What do you like to do with that energy?
9. Describe the situation when
- you had to be keeping your chin up
- you were feeling on cloud nine
- you jumped out of your skin
- you were feeling a bit down
10. Is there anything you’re sick of in your job / studies?
11. Can you remember an occasion when you were:
- scared stiff
- relieved
- proud of sb
- grateful
12. Is there anything that you’re fed up with on the Internet?
 Are You Highly Sensitive?
by Elaine N. Aron
overwhelm – to cause someone to feel sudden strong emotion which is difficult to
manage
subtlety – a small but important detail
to withdraw – to stop being involved in a situation,
frazzled – tired and nervous or anxious
go off – to leave a place and go somewhere else
conscientious /ˌkɒn.ʃiˈen.ʃəs/ – serious about your work and doing it in a careful way
startle – to make a sudden movement because of being surprised or frightened
rattled – worried or nervous
Instructions
Answer each question ‘yes’ or ‘no’ according to the way you personally feel.

- I am easily overwhelmed by strong sensory input.

- I seem to be aware of subtleties in my environment.
- Other people’s moods affect me.
- I tend to be very sensitive to pain.
- I find myself needing to withdraw during busy days, into bed or into a darkened room
or any place where I can have some privacy and relief from stimulation.
- I am particularly sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
- I am easily overwhelmed by things like bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or
sirens close by.
- I have a rich, complex inner life.
- I am made uncomfortable by loud noises.
- I am deeply moved by the arts or music.
- My nervous system sometimes feels so frazzled that I just have to go off by myself.
- I am conscientious.
- I startle easily.
- I get rattled when I have a lot to do in a short amount of time.
- When people are uncomfortable in a physical environment, I tend to know what needs
to be done to make it more comfortable (like changing the lighting or the seating).
- I am annoyed when people try to get me to do too many things at once.
- I try hard to avoid making mistakes or forgetting things.
- I make a point to avoid violent movies and TV shows.
- I become unpleasantly aroused when a lot is going on around me.
- Being very hungry creates a strong reaction in me, disrupting my concentration or
mood.
- Changes in my life shake me up.
- I notice and enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, works of art.
- I find it unpleasant to have a lot going on at once.
- I make it a high priority to arrange my life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming
situations.
- I am bothered by intense stimuli, like loud noises or chaotic scenes.
- When I must compete or be observed while performing a task, I become so nervous or
shaky that I do much worse than I would otherwise.
- When I was a child, my parents or teachers seemed to see me as sensitive or shy.

Scoring
Count the amount of ‘yes’ answers. If you answered more than fourteen of the
questions as true of yourself, you are probably highly sensitive. If fewer questions are
true of you, but extremely true, that might also justify calling you highly sensitive.

* But no psychological test is so accurate that an individual should base his or her life
on it.
Task
With your partner, work out some measures how to help highly sensitive people cope
with daily life situations. You may consider some points below or use your own ideas.
- find and learn some information about being highly sensitive
- practice monotasking rather than multitasking
- set personal limits when communicating with other people
- avoid triggering situations
- take up meditation
- change your attitude towards being highly sensitive and focus on positive aspects of
this feature

Unit 6
Music
1. Take a look at the list of positive effects of music on different activities and spheres
of life. Have you ever experienced any of them?
- emotional regulation and communication (to pump up or to relax, feel happy or angry,
to be freer to express what you’re feeling)
- sports and exercise (has positive effects on endurance and performance, enhances
enjoyment of exercise, helps to dissociate from pain and fatigue)
- productivity and brain functioning (improves concentration, memory, motivation,
creativity, cognitive functioning and performance)
- enhancing activities and celebrating life (improvement of experience and mood while
doing routine activities such as driving, doing housework, eating, enjoying time outside,
etc.)
- identity formation (certain music taste gives us a community to identify with, connects
us with friends, family, social groups)
2. Think about how music can create a feeling of community.
3. Take a look at the quotations about music. Choose one you agree with. Explain your
choice.
- ‘Music is the moonlight in the gloomy night of life.’ (John Paul Friedrich Richter)
- ‘Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain
silent.’ (Victor Hugo)
- ‘Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and
life to everything.’ (Plato)
- ‘Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.’ (Sergei
Rachmaninov)
- ‘I’ve always said music should make you laugh, make you cry or make you think.’
(Kenny Rogers)
- ‘Music is powerful. As people listen to it, they can be affected. They respond.' (Ray
Charles)
- ‘The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.’ (Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart)
- ‘Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few
hours.’ (Elton John)

Questions Music
1. Which musical instrument would you like to learn to play?
2. Where and when do you listen to music?
3. Do you enjoy going to concerts?
4. Which decade of the 20th and 21st centuries produced the best music?
5. In general, would you say modern music is better than classical music?
6. Does classical music have a future?
7. Are national anthems important? Do you like yours?
8. Which country produces the greatest music?
9. How important is a good soundtrack to a good movie?
10. Are the lyrics to a song important? Do you listen to them?
 Sleep
1. Google what happens if you don’t get enough sleep. What are the most serious effects
of lack of sleep?
2. Take a look at the list of the most common sleep problems. Choose one and research
for possible preventive measures and solutions.
- insomnia
- sleep walking
- snoring
- hypersomnia
3. Think about the pros and cons of the following methods that help to get to sleep.
- a warm drink
- sleeping pills
- melatonin supplements
- herbal remedies
- counting sheep
- meditation
4. Do you agree with the idea that sleep wastes valuable time that could be spent doing
useful things?
 Unit 7
Conflict
1. Take a look at the list of reasons that can provoke a conflict between people. Can you
suggest any possible preventive measures for each?
People:
- have different points of view on certain issues
- communicate to one another differently
- spend large amounts of time together
- depend on one another to get things done
- have established expectations of one another that are not met
2. Can you think of some positive effects of a conflict?
3. Is it important to develop communicative culture and conflict management? Should
conflict management be taught at schools?
4. Take a look at the list of inappropriate behavior patterns during the conflict. Can you
suggest some ethical tips instead?
- focus on personality traits that cannot be changed
- interrupt others when they are speaking
- disregard the feelings of others
- avoid the conflict
- allow emotions to take over the conversation
- impose your own personal values or beliefs on the situation
5. How good are you at managing a conflict? Tell about the last conflict /
misunderstanding you had. What was your strategy in the conflict? Did you manage to
resolve it? What have you learnt from it?

Questions Workplace Conflict

1. How can you stay calm and professional during a heated discussion?
2. How can you address conflicts in a way that is respectful and non-confrontational?
3. What are some effective ways to handle conflict in the workplace?
4. What are common mistakes people make when trying to resolve conflict?
5. How can you use active listening and effective communication to resolve conflicts?
6. How can you approach a difficult conversation with a colleague or manager?
7. What are some strategies for finding a compromise that works for everyone?
8. How do you handle conflicts that involve power imbalances or hierarchies?
9. What are some techniques for preventing conflicts from escalating?
10. How can you ensure that all parties involved in a conflict are heard and their
perspectives are taken into account?
 Body Language
1. Are you keen on ‘reading’ the body language? Can you understand when a person is
lying / feeling uncomfortable / not very happy with the situation? What body signs tell
you about this? Would you like to read something to learn more about how body
language works and how to use it effectively? (One of the most famous books on the
topic is The Definitive Book of Body Language, by Barbara and Allan Pease).
2. Look at the list of common body language mistakes. Why do you think these actions
are seen negatively? What kind of message do these actions deliver?
- crossing your arms during a conversation
- not making eye contact
- making too much eye contact
- making exaggerated gestures with your hands
- turning away
3. How is body language important when speaking publicly? What are the basic
recommendations on this issue for speakers? Consider the following points:
- facial expression
- posture
- gestures
- the use of space
- eye movement
4. Take a look at the list of ideas about body language. Choose one you would like to
comment on.
- ‘What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.’ (Ralph Waldo
Emerson)
- ‘The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.’ (Peter F.
Drucker)
- ‘The body never lies.’ (Martha Graham)
- ‘The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.’ (Joseph
Priestley)
- ‘Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what
you know.’ (Jim Rohn)
- ‘Dancing is creating a sculpture that is visible only for a moment.’ (Erol Ozan)

Questions Acting
1. What personality types do you think normally choose acting as a profession? What
kind of qualities and skills are needed to become a good actor?
2. Is acting something only professional actors can do?
3. How do you feel, should good acting be realistic or spectacular?
4. Do you think we are always acting in daily life?
5. What is your favorite line or scene from a movie? What about it makes you
remember it so well or like it so much?
6. Do you think men or women are better at acting?
7. Did you ever imagine becoming an actor / actress?
8. Do you think acting work is:
- rewarding
- challenging
- easy
- stressful
- demanding
- fascinating

Questions Verbs Often Confused

1. Talk to your partner about:
- character trait you wish you had
- changes in your life you hope to have in the nearest future
- lifestyle trends you expect to gain in popularity
- something that you have realized about yourself with age
2. What can help you to raise the level of energy you have on a certain day?
3. What do you normally first notice about the person’s appearance?
4. Can you think of some measures to prevent tensions between people who work
together on a challenging project?
5. Do you think it’s important to have an expert who can advise you on career planning?
6. Do you agree with the idea that building relationships with people is harder than it
seems to be?

Unit 8
Crime 1
1. Take a look at the list of most common crimes. Have you heard about recent cases,
connected with these types of a crime? Which of these crimes should result in the
greatest and least penalties?
- criminal violence against people: murder, rape, assault, grievous bodily harm
- crimes against property: arson, auto theft, criminal damage, vandalism, graffiti
- financial crimes: fraud, corruption, tax evasion, insider trading, money laundering,
running a pyramid
- different forms of theft: burglary, home invasion, pickpocketing, confidence tricks,
scams, phishing, identity theft
- car crimes: driving under the influence, driving without insurance, speeding
- online crime: online offense, cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking
- organized crime: drug trafficking, prostitution, smuggling
2. Think about the reasons that can make a person commit the crime. Can some of these
reasons be prevented by the government, social institutions, family?
3. What role does urbanization play in the development of crime?
4. What’s your attitude towards intellectual property rights? Is piracy a crime?
5. Think about how ethical are the following methods of punishment:
- life incarceration
- death penalty
- solitary confinement
6. Is victim blaming a problem in your country?

Questions Crime
1. What do you think is the worst crime a person could commit? Why?
2. Is vandalism usual in your country? Do you consider graffiti to be vandalism or type
of art?
3. Did you have a partner in crime when you were a child? Who?
4. What are the advantages of body scans? Should we have more of them?
5. Do you think there will be more or less crime in the future?
6. Have you ever been scammed (became the victim of online crime)?
7. Why are criminals so loved in pop culture?
8. What kinds of crime are most common in your country? What are the penalties for
these crimes?

Crime 2
1. Choose the statement you agree / disagree with. Explain your choice.
- once a criminal – always a criminal
- violent crime is caused by watching violence on TV and in films
- cyber-crime will be the biggest threat to our future security
- people who mistreat animals should go to prison
- when a child commits a crime, it is the parents’ fault
- people should be allowed to own guns
- prisons are not effective in reducing crime
2. What punishment is the best for young criminals (children or teenagers)?

Questions Passive Voice

Do you agree or disagree with the following ideas? Explain your choice.
- citizens should he encouraged to use their phone cameras if they see someone commit
a crime
- cameras should be installed everywhere in the city to protect people from criminals.
- I don’t mind being observed by cameras and drones
- city centers should be protected against vandalism
- nothing can be done to reduce corruption in Russia
- Internet piracy must be punished more seriously
- in the future the international Internet will be banned in Russia
 Media
1. Is it important to know what is happening in the world? Why? What, in your opinion,
is the most trustworthy source of news?
2. Can you name some current trends in media / social media? Consider the points
below. Why do you think these trends appear?
- video content will continue to dominate
- social commerce (buying products directly from media) will continue to expand
- spotlight on short-form and bite-sized content (short videos and texts)
- combination of entertaining and informative content will rule (edutainment)
- creators and influencers will continue to hold the power
- content personalization will increase
- sustainability and social responsibility of business will continue to be a priority
3. Think about how social media can affect different aspects of our lives e.g. make or
break your career, create or destroy reputation / personal brand, help in establishing
contacts or prevent from real life communication, etc.
What should you never do on social media sites?
4. Do you think information war really exists?
5. Take a look at the list of ideas about media. Choose one you would like to comment
on.
- ‘Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.’ (Jim Morrison)
- ‘The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing
but newspapers.’ (Thomas Jefferson)
- ‘Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised.’
(Marilyn Manson)
- ‘The quality of democracy and the quality of journalism are deeply entwined.’ (Bill
Moyers)
- ‘Content is fire. Social media is gasoline.’ (Jay Baer)
- ‘I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers.’ (Mahatma
Gandhi)
- ‘If a person is not talented enough to be a novelist, not smart enough to be a lawyer,
and his hands are too shaky to perform operations, he becomes a journalist.’ (Norman
Mailer)

Questions Media
1. What, in your view, makes a good journalist?
2. Do you think print media have a future?
3. Why is the media so interested in celebrities? Do you find celebrities interesting?
4. How far should government control and restrict media?
5. Would you say that the media has helped to create a better society?
6. What can be done to improve the quality of the media?
7. What factors affect the development of the media in certain country / area?
8. How ethical is the profession of a paparazzo?
9. Do you think that media tries to satisfy social demand?
10. Do you think media can be a real power?

Questions Reporting Verbs

1. You have a friend who is 18 and doesn’t know what to do after school. Would you
advise them to study something or to take a gap year?
2. Have you ever agreed to do something, and then really regretted it?
3. If a member of your family forgot to wash the dishes, would you remind them to do it
or would you do it yourself?
4. Are there any places that you would recommend going to?
5. You see a stranger walking into a dangerous situation. Would you warn them to stop
or would you walk away?
6. Would you invite your English group partner to go to the cinema with you? What
film would you choose?
7. What sport would you refuse to do?
8. Have you ever tried to persuade somebody to do something and it worked not as you
expected?
9. Have you ever apologized for making a promise and not keeping it?
10. When you find out that you have made a mistake, do you admit it?

Unit 9
Advertising
1. Take a look at some strategies companies use to promote their products in social
media.
- using a conversational manner in communication (e.g. using ‘I’, ‘you’, joking, being
informal)
- exploiting people’s emotions by demonstrating certain content
- sharing behind-the-scenes content
- using misleading claims about the product / service or exaggeration of the effect
- contacting people without their consent by writing direct messages
- telling stories about real experiences
- describing their product / service in a quirky manner
- copying content from competitors
Which ones do you think are:
- effective
- unethical
- useless
2. How do you feel, does marketing today have some other goals except selling a
product / service? How is it connected with psychology, education, creating social and
behavior patterns? Do you think advertising can tell a lot about the culture of a
particular society?
3. Watch some adverts created by Procter & Gamble (‘The best job’, ‘Like a Girl’).
What do you think about this trend when companies are trying to draw attention to some
social issues with the help of advertising? How ethical is it? Does it affect the
commercial side of advertising positively or negatively?
4. Take a look at the list of quotations about advertising. Choose one you would like to
comment on.
- ‘Advertising is only evil when it advertises evil things.’ (David Ogivly)
- ‘Don’t find customers for your product. Find products for your customers.’ (Seth
Godin)
- ‘Creativity without strategy is called art, creativity with strategy is called advertising.’
(Prof. Jef L. Richards)
- ‘In our factory, we make lipstick. In our advertising, we sell hope.’ (Peter Nivio
Zarlenga)
- ‘The most powerful element in advertising is the truth.’ (Bill Bernbach)
Questions Advertising
1. Do you think online advertising works or are all the adverts just annoying?
2. What makes an ad memorable?
3. Do you think advertising influences the choices that you make when buying?
4. Do you think it’s immoral of advertisers to try to persuade people without much
money to buy products they can’t afford?
5. Can you think of a recent advert that made you not want to ever buy a product? Why
did the advert have this effect on you?
6. What do you think about Instagram influencers?
7. What is the most shocking advertisement you have seen?
8. Do you think adverts create desire for more and more material possessions?
9. Should there be advertisement-free zones?
10. Should advertisers be allowed to advertise to children?
11. What differences can you notice between the commercials from 10 years ago and
commercials today?
12. How important do you think a brand’s slogan is in their overall marketing strategy?
13. Take a look at some famous slogans. Which appeals to you and why? Which do you
find the most effective? Which one do you think is not the best choice?
- Just do it (Nike)
- There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else there’s MasterCard.
(MasterCard)
- Do what you can’t (Samsung)
- Move the way you want (Uber)
- Taste the rainbow (Skittles)
- Because You’re Worth It (L’Oreal)
- Red Bull Gives You Wings (Red Bull)
- The Happiest Place on Earth (Disneyland)
- Think Different (Apple)
- Impossible Is Nothing (Adidas)
- Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands (M&M)
- Designed for Driving Pleasure (BMW)

Business
1. What kind of trends do you think will develop in business in the nearest
future? Consider the following points.
- customers will become better informed
- more purchases will be made on the go
- customers will demand more personalization
- text message communication between the customers and the businesses will rise
- customers will become more empowered with health
- quality content will become necessary
- brands will use more video content to attract customers
2. Take a look at the list of ideas about business. Choose one you would like to
comment on.
- ‘The value of an idea lies in the using of it.’ (Thomas Edison)
- ‘If you don’t innovate fast, disrupt your industry, disrupt yourself, you’ll be left
behind.’ (John Chambers)
- ‘Every problem is a gift – without problems we would not grow.’ (Anthony Robbins)
- ‘If you’re competitor-focused, you have to wait until there is a competitor doing
something. Being customer-focused allows you to be more pioneering.’ (Jeff Bezos)
- ‘Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.’ (Richard
Branson)
- ‘If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.’ (Steve Jobs)
3. What kind of qualities and skills should a person possess to be able to start their
own business? What conditions affect the success of a business?
4. What kind of ethical dilemmas can be there in the sphere of business? How ethical is
business in your country?

Questions Business
1. Are you a hard worker and what motivates you to work?
2. If you could do one job for a day, just to learn what it is like, what would you do?
3. What qualities should a good boss have?
4. How important is it to get on with colleagues? Is it a good idea to socialize with them
outside work?
5. What do you think about office romances? Is it a good idea to date with a colleague?
Why?
6. Are you an ambitious person? What career goals do you have?
7. Which professions are well-paid these days? Why does society value these workers
do much? Are there any jobs that you think are not paid enough?
8. Do you know anybody who was fired from the job? What were the circumstances?
9. Do you know any workaholics? What makes them work so much?
10. Some companies have flexible system and employees can work hours that suit their
lifestyles. What do you think about this?
11. Are there jobs that men do better than women do? How about vice versa?
12. What are the best and the worst things about not working?
13. If you’re looking for work, where is the best place to look?
14. How can the atmosphere at workplace affect productivity?
15. If every job paid the same amount of money, which job would you prefer to do?

City Life
1. Think about how life can be different in a city and a small town (countryside).
Consider the points below. Which place for life suits you more? How can it change with
age?
- education and job opportunities
- friendliness of people
- entertainment options
- stress levels
- access to trade and medical facilities
2. What are the main problems of big cities? What are local authorities doing to solve
them?
3. Can you give some tips on how to stay active and healthy when living in a big city?
4. Why is it becoming more popular to relocate to the countryside? Is it better to spend
your childhood in the country or in the city?
5. What do you think about the phenomenon of loneliness in the crowd? Do you think
city life makes people feel lonely and stressed?
6. What factors contribute to the level of friendliness of people in a certain
place? Consider the following factors:
- size / status of the city
- part of the city
- culture / mentality
- safety level
- weather

Questions City Life

1. What kind of changes are needed to the city you live in?
2. Have you got a city you’re dreaming to visit?
3. Do you prefer historical or modern cities?
4. If you could live in any city in the world, where would it be?
5. In the age of the internet, do we really need cities anymore?
6. What will the city of the future look like?

Questions Word Building

Which city in the world do you think ...
- is the most fashionable
- is the most multicultural
- offers the best entertainment
- has a bilingual or trilingual population
- is very overcrowded
- has very serious pollution problems
- has a lot of homeless people
- has some very dangerous neighborhoods
- has the highest rate of unemployment
- has the worst levels of poverty
- suffers from the worst vandalism and antisocial behavior

Unit 10
Science and Inventions
What are the greatest scientific achievements in history?
What is there left to discover?
Do you enjoy science-fiction novels and movies?
Should your government spend more or less money on scientific research?

Public Speaking
Look at the list of things that may happen in a conversation.
Choose things you would aim to do. Explain your choice. What would you try to avoid?
- have a row
- put someone at ease
- listen enthusiastically
- establish shared interests
- ask appropriate questions
- have a misunderstanding
- have some awkward silences
- put your foot in it
- make small talk
- make a good impression
- tell an entertaining story
- offend someone
- dominate the conversation
- hit it off with someone