Find out different types of adjectives in the text and make up 10 sentences with them.

Unit 3.What is to be a Man of Culture?

Lead-in

1. What does it mean to you “being a cultured person? ”
2. When and where you realized that you belong to the cultural society?
3. Who helped you to develop your personality culturally? Parents? Teachers? Some other people?
4. How often do you visit exhibitions? Go to the theatre, to the concerts? What is your favorite genre of music?
5. Who is your favorite writer? Do you like reading? Which books do you prefer to read-electronic or paper ones?
6. Do like watching films? What are your favorite ones?

Reading and understanding

You are going to read several texts which contain some tips how to become a person of culture. Before reading analyze what you already know (K) and what you want (W) to know on this issue. After reading decide what you learnt (L) and fill K-W-L chart.

Read the text for general understanding Find the topic sentence in each paragraph. Pay special attention to the word combinations in bold. Define the main idea. Think of the title to the text.

(A) A cultured person can be someone who is well-read in books, who has watched and engaged with classic films, has a refined appreciation for art, etc. To be cultured is also to be educated about the world and its languages, to understand world politics and be well-read in world history. Above all, a cultured person is one who is interested in culture and engages in culture.

Read more. A large part of culture comes from books, as they have existed for a longer time than most other media. The obvious thing to do would be to read classic books, but if you're a first-time-reader, this will be daunting and uninteresting.

Start backwards. Choose a genre that you have genuine interest in, such as fantasy or romantic fiction. Research the best books of that genre as judged by book enthusiasts, and read them. You may want to look up books in other genres which may catch your fancy while you're at it. If there is a genre you are not sure about, try it and you might actually enjoy it.

After you feel you've become reasonably well-read in your genre, expand your variety and also read some classic or recommended books. You will understand the books of the past more after reading books of present culture, and you'll find you enjoy them more, too.

Subscribe to a magazine which deals with a subject like literature, the arts, drama or music or a mixture thereof. Read articles from this magazine on a regular schedule. One a week, two a month, or whatever your schedule will allow. Follow leads presented by the articles you read. Every once in awhile one of the articles you read will inspire you to go further with a subject. If you read a great article about Mozart, take the article to a store where you can buy CDs and ask the counter attendant to direct you to some Mozart CDs that you might like. Buy a few or borrow some from the library, take them home and listen. If you read an article about an artist who sounds interesting, look online to find out which museums feature paintings by this artist. Then plan a visit! Maybe you will read about a play or a musical. Scan your newspaper and see if a local college or high school is showing this play soon and buy tickets.

3. Read the text for general understanding. Do you find all the pieces of advice useful?

(B)

Write. You can write poetry or short stories or even books and plays. Being cultured means to respond to culture, and the best way to do this is to create your own. You should try it.

Watch films. It is very important to not only restrict yourself to books, but watch films regularly. There are many films, and you may be unsure as to which watch.

Word-of-mouth is the best way to watch films of today's culture. You may remember your friends talking about a certain film. Go to the video store and scan the shelves to find names you may recognize.

Look up the reception of a film on Wikipedia before you watch it, just to make sure you're not wasting your time (if you're pressed for time). However, remember sometimes critics' opinions are not always right.

It is important to do your research. If you don't understand a certain film, you have to look it up on Wikipedia or somewhere on the internet. Sometimes the film will contain references to other older, classic films which you could not pick up on.

This is a great segue to other recommended films! Watch these films next time, and you will soon be able to appreciate more films than you could previously.

Don't restrict yourself to English-language films. There are many other films out there worth watching, they are just in a different language.

Watch TV. While TV shows can be time-consuming to watch and finish, watching an episode of something a day is not so. There is much to be learned from TV shows. It is as significant a medium as any, and often provides social commentary.

Look up good TV shows that you think you might enjoy. There are many types, ranging from sitcoms to drama. Wikipedia usually has reception for more popular TV shows. You can look up ratings or just ask around.

Don't forget to be open-minded. TV shows you thought you might not like might turn out to be your favorite show. It has happened.

If you really like a TV show and you think you'd watch it again, you ought to buy the DVDs.

Watch TV channels like Discovery and the History Channel. This is a painless way to get involved in topics such as the origins of impressionist art or the history of English kings.

4. Scan the text. Define the main idea. Do you agree with the author about the role of music in raising a person’s cultural awareness?

(C) Broaden your musical horizons. Many people are very narrow-minded when it comes to music, but a person of culture knows how to enjoy even the niche music genres.

For example, while it is very well-intended that a person enjoys songs with non-cliché lyrics, it is also important that one is able to enjoy music without lyrics at all, just for the mood it can set, or the story it tells, needless of words.

The ability to appreciate classical music is not as daunting as it seems. Just listen to some famous musical pieces and you will most definitely understand why.

Be very open-minded. There is a lot of music out there which may not fit into any genre, but you may enjoy it. Don't deny yourself music just because it does not fit into your image or genre.

Listen to albums, not just singles. They may have better songs on their albums which they left out of mainstream because they wouldn't be popular with the main market. This is not to say you won't enjoy those songs.

Listen to bands. Many bands go back quite a lot, even though some of their music is still fresh. This will give you access to older music, and you'll be able to hone an appreciation for older music altogether.

Listen to music from other countries and in other languages. You'll be surprised.

Learn a musical instrument. Once you listen to some good music, it will be natural for you to try and learn an instrument and create your own.

Participate in Internet culture. Don't forget that past culture, such as 80s music, was once present culture. Those who paid attention are now well-rounded about it, while those who ignored it, are not. The digital age is very important and a huge milestone for society. We are living in history! Don't let it pass you by. You ought to follow all latest achievements.

While you may feel like you already know a lot about the Internet, learn about the history of the Internet, and check out memes and viral videos so that you have a greater understanding of it.

Set your homepage to Wikipedia and read an article each day about something which seems " cultured" to you. In a very short time, you will know quite a bit more than you know now.

Take a deeper interest in art. Art is a universal language. It is sometimes considered the most potent form of communication. Whether it actually is, is up to you. You are to chose.

The only advice that can be given here is to do research and engage in art by going to galleries (which, contrary to popular belief, are free).

If there is one art form you particularly like, such as dancing or sculpting, then become practiced in it.

5. Read the text for general understanding. Say what is the best way to learn foreign language. What role can Internet play in your language and cultural development? How do you personally use it to develop yourself?

(D) Learn a new language. The best way to do this is by immersion...

Travel. Reading about other cultures as opposed to experiencing them is like colour being explained to a blind person. Travelling introduces you to the many differences and similarities between cultures, and opens up your mind. A lot of the prejudices we have about a culture (good and bad) are grossly misplaced, and the only way to find out is to go and see for ourselves.

Get hobbies. Ask your friends what their hobbies are. Most of them will be art forms or sports. As a cultured person, it is important to be experienced in as much as possible, so next time your friend goes water-skiing, ask if you can come along.

Visit places where you can receive an education in a fun way. Go to the zoo, visit museums, even go camping to learn more about wildlife.

Educate yourself. Nowadays with the Internet, almost all information is accessible. You should take full advantage of this and learn all those things that you never understood before. You should aim to be reasonably educated in these topics:

World history. This is probably the most important, since it provides pathways into other domains of knowledge and contextualizes its discoveries.

Geography. Again, a person of culture should not be ignorant of where countries or famous landmarks are.

Basic Sciences: Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology. Unless you want to follow a career in the sciences, a refined knowledge in the sciences isn't completely necessary. Instead, make sure you have a sound understanding of the sciences at a high school level.

Economics. This is very relevant in understanding today's world.

Psychology. A note about misconceptions: there is a huge misconception that Psychology is not a science, or that it is bogus. Read up on experimental methodology and actually educate yourself about it before believing those claims. Psychology is of extreme importance in today's society, becoming increasingly more so as the world becomes more complicated.

Free yourself from ignorance about other cultures. Develop a natural curiosity. Delve deep into things you don't understand.

Part of becoming cultured is learning about other cultures, not just your own. Try to free yourself from ignorance and media-fed stereotypes you have about other societies/religions.

Always try to empathize with all parties while learning. It is very important to challenge your prejudices. No one is inherently good or evil; instead you should aim to understand the motives for actions. Otherwise you will not understand other cultures.

(How to Become a Person of Culture from https://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Person-of-Culture)

Think for yourself. Don't let others dictate your opinions.

Reading and vocabulary