Choosing a pen pal

Ø 1) Read about Helga and choose a pen pal for her.

Helga, 31 years old, comes from Germany and speaks French, English and Russian. She would like a pen pal who is interested in exchanging ideas about language learning. She does not like using computers for learning and believes that language learning can only happen in a classroom.

a) Alessandro, 25 years old, comes from Rome. He is interested in finding a pen pal who speaks different languages and can exchange ideas on using the computer for learning purposes. He likes playing tennis and football in his free time.

b) Jack, 27, is from London. His favorite pastime is learning languages. He goes to evening German and French classes and uses his computer to improve his German and French by visiting Internet sites.

c) Kim Lee, 19 years old, comes from Seoul, South Korea. Kim loves traveling and hopes to visit Great Britain in the future. He would like a pen pal who is interested in discussing the differences between life in Europe and life in Asia. He loves listening to pop music and playing football in his free time.

d) Elisabeth, 35 years old, comes from Sydney, Australia. She likes learning languages, but does not like using modern technology. She is interested in finding a pen pal who also enjoys learning languages in a traditional manner.

e) Olga, 32 years old, comes from Moscow, Russia. She is a historian and would like to find a pen pal who is interested in discussing the history of Russia. She is not interested in comparing different political systems.

f) Pietro, 42 years old, comes from Argentina. He is a businessman and would like to find a pen pal who is also a businessperson and lives in North America. He is married with three children and likes using the Internet in his free time.

Ø 2) Which of these people would you choose as a pen pal?

Ø 3) Write a paragraph about yourself in a similar way and find “a pen pal” among your classmates.

2.9 WHAT IS YOUR ZODIAC SIGN?

Ø 1) What is your zodiac sign? What is your opinion on the zodiac signs system?

Ø 2) Below are descriptions of zodiac signs. Read about your sign, and then agree or disagree with the given information.

Capricorn – The Go-Getter (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19). Patient and wise. Practical and rigid. Ambitious. Tends to be good-looking. Humorous and funny. Can be a bit shy and reserved. Often pessimistic. Capricorn tends to act before he thinks and can be unfriendly at times. Holds grudges. Likes competition. Gets what he wants.

Aquarius – The Sweetheart (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18). Optimistic and honest. Has a sweet personality. Very independent. Inventive and intelligent. Friendly and loyal. Can seem unemotional. Can be a bit rebellious. Very stubborn, but original and unique. Attractive on the inside and out. Has an eccentric personality.

Pisces – The Dreamer (Feb. 19 – Mar. 20). Generous, kind, and thoughtful. Very creative and imaginative. May become secretive and vague. Sensitive. Doesn’t like details. Dreamy and unrealistic. Sympathetic and loving. Kind. Unselfish. A good kisser. Beautiful.

Aries – The Daredevil (Mar. 21 - April 19). Energetic. Adventurous and spontaneous. Confident and enthusiastic. Fun. Loves a challenge. Extremely impatient. Sometimes selfish. Is easily angered. Lively, passionate. Has a sharp wit. Outgoing. Loses interest quickly – gets easily bored. Egotistical. Courageous and assertive. Tends to be physical and athletic.

Taurus – The Enduring One (April 20 - May 20). Charming but aggressive. Can come off as boring, but he is not. Hard workers. Warm-hearted. Strong, has endurance. A solid being that is stable and secure in his way. Doesn’t look for shortcuts. Takes pride in his beauty. Patient and reliable. Makes great friends and gives good advice. Loving and kind. Loves hard. Passionate. Expresses himself emotionally. Is prone to ferocious temper-tantrums. Determined. Indulges himself often. Very generous.

Gemini – The Chatterbox (May 21 - June 20). Smart and witty. Outgoing, very chatty. Lively, energetic. Adaptable but needs to express himself. Argumentative and outspoken. Likes change. Versatile. Busy, sometimes nervous and tense. Likes to gossip. May seem superficial or inconsistent. Beautiful physically and mentally.

Cancer – The Protector (June 21 - July 22). Moody, emotional. May be shy. Very loving and caring. Pretty / handsome. An excellent partner for life. Protective. Inventive and imaginative. Cautious. Touchy-feely kind of person. Needs love from others. Is easily hurt. Sympathetic.

Leo – The Boss (July 23 – Aug. 22). Very organized. Needs order in his life – likes being in control. Likes boundaries. Tends to take over everything. Bossy. Likes to help others. Social and outgoing. Extroverted. Generous, warm-hearted. Sensitive. Creative energy. Full of himself. Loving. Doing the right thing is important to Leo. Attractive.

Virgo – The Perfectionist (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22). Dominant in relationships. Conservative. Always wants the last word. Argumentative. Worries a lot. Very smart. Dislikes noise and chaos. Eager. Hardworking. Loyal. Beautiful. Easy to talk to. Hard to please. Harsh. Practical and very fussy. Often shy. Pessimistic.

Libra – The Harmonizer (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22). Nice to everyone he meets. Can’t make up his mind. Has his own unique appeal. Creative, energetic, and very sociable. Hates to be alone. Peaceful, generous. Very loving and beautiful. Flirtatious. Gives in too easily. Procrastinator. Very gullible.

Scorpio – The Intense One (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21). Very energetic. Intelligent. Can be jealous and/or possessive. Hardworking. A great kisser. Can become obsessive or secretive. Holds grudges. Attractive. Determined. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Romantic. Can be self-centered at times. Passionate and emotional.

Sagittarius – The Happy-Go-Lucky One (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21). A good-natured optimist. Doesn’t want to grow up (Peter Pan Syndrome). Indulges himself. Boastful. Likes luxuries and gambling. Social and outgoing. Doesn’t like responsibility. Often fantasizes. Impatient. Fun to be around. Has lots of friends. Flirtatious. Doesn’t like rules. Sometimes hypocritical. Dislikes to be confined by tight spaces or even tight clothes. Doesn’t like being doubted. Beautiful inside and out.

Ø 3) Provide real-life examples to prove that you have (or don’t have) the qualities mentioned in the description of your zodiac sign.

Ø 4) Read the descriptions of other zodiac signs and find more adjectives to characterize yourself.

2.10 WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL DAY LIKE?

Ø 1) Read the text and answer the questions:

a) How old is the author of the text?

b) Is the author of the text a male or a female?

c) How can you characterize this person?

As many people I have different schedules for weekdays and weekends. I think that it is very important to go to bed before midnight and to get up quite early in the morning, especially on weekdays. Thus you manage to do everything you plan to do. My major duty is to study at the university. My classes usually begin at 8.30 a.m.

Every day I get up at half past six. I go jogging to the park near my place. So I do jogging for about thirty minutes and then do some exercises. After this I do not feel sleepy at all. I feel refreshed and full of energy.

I return home at about 7 o’clock, take a shower and then have breakfast. I know the first thing many people do when they get up in the morning is to turn on TV. They do it automatically because they are used to this artificial noise. And when they have breakfast, they watch the news or morning programs. Well, I think all this is the key to our morning depression or bad mood. It is better to read or hear news later at work. I even hate reading newspapers and entertaining magazines in the morning. I like to talk to my parents while having breakfast.

After breakfast I put all the necessary textbooks into my bag and get dressed. I leave home at about 8 o’clock. I get to my university by bicycle. My classes usually finish at 4 p.m. When classes are over I go to the sports center where I have karate lessons. I have karate lessons three times a week. When I do not have them, I take guitar lessons.

I come home at 7 p.m. I have dinner and start doing my homework at about 8 o’clock. If I have some spare time after doing homework, I play the guitar or read. I go to bed at about half past eleven. On weekends I usually get up at 8 o’clock and do the same things I do on weekdays except going to university. At 12 o’clock I rehearse with the rock band where I play the guitar. Our rehearsal ends late in the evening. On weekends I can stay at home and read books, or go somewhere with my friends.

I think that it is very useful to have a schedule. It prevents us from wasting precious time.

Ø 2) Agree or disagree with the statements from the text:

a) It is very important to go to bed before midnight and to get up quite early in the morning.

b) The first thing many people do when they get up in the morning is to turn on TV.

c) It is very useful to have a schedule.

Ø 3) Find useful words and expressions in the text that describe the usual routine. Compare your typical day with the day of this person.