I. Form the derivatives of the words given in the chart below. Use a dictionary if necessary.

NOUN VERB ADJECTIVE
    angry
    mixed
    confusing
  fit  

 

II. Give the words or phrases for the following definitions:

1. A book in which someone writes down what happens each day.

2. Feeling anger

3. Something puzzling

4. Be sad because someone or something is not with you.

5. Be suitable

6. A community; people living together in a group or nation.

III. Compose your own sentences with:

Angry (with),fit (in), miss.

IV. Translate the sentences:

1.Многие люди ведут личный дневник.

2. Смешанные браки широко распространены в настоящее время.

3.Трудно привыкнуть (приспособиться) к традициям чужой страны.

4. Это было сбивающее с толку доказательство.

5. Находясь за границей, люди скучают по дому.

V. Sachiko is a 22-year-old Japanese student who is spending her senior year at an American university in Los Angeles. She has met a special man named Amir. Read her diary and find out: what is she trying to decide?

INTERNATIONAL MARRIAGES

Dear Diary,

Tonight Amir asked me to marry him! I knew he would. I love him so much. It is hard to believe that we have known each other for only eight months.

But as much as I love him, I don't know what to do. My par­ents would be angry with me for marrying a man from India. They want me to marry only a Japanese man. My mother has told me that good Japanese marry only Japanese.

And that's not all. There are so many other problems. I mean, where would we live? I think it would be very hard for me to live in India. Would I fit in to Indian society? I don't speak any Indian languages. I would have a difficult time finding a job. And I don't want to be just a housewife! That's for sure.

I don't think Amir would fit in to Japanese society, either. He doesn't speak Japanese. He sounds so funny when he tries to say a single Japanese word! It would be impossible for him to find a job in Japan. Besides, he doesn't even like Japanese food!

Maybe we could stay in the United States. Both of us will finish our studies in May. I wonder if we could get work visas here. That might be diffi­cult. But even if we could stay here, I don't know if I want to live away from Japan. I would miss my family and friends and everything.

And what about our chil­dren? Children of mixed mar­riages might have a difficult time. Would they be Japanese? Indian? What? It is all so confusing.

The more I write to you, dear diary, the more problems I see. I know that marriage is difficult. More and more mar­riages end in divorce. And I think that international mar­riages are even more difficult!

Oh, I am SO confused.

 

VI. Paraphrase the following:

1. My par­ents would be angry with me for marrying a man from India.

2. I think it would be very hard for me to live in India.

3. I don't think Amir would fit in to Japanese society.

4. Children of mixed mar­riages might have a difficult time.

5. It is all so confusing.

VII. True or false?

1. It would be easy for Amir to find a job in Japan.

2. They had known each other for 5 months.

3. Sachiko`s mother told her that good Japanese marry only Japanese.

4. Sachiko speaks Indian language.

5. They want to live in the USA.

6. Children of mixed mar­riages might have a difficult time.

7. She is happy.

 

VIII. Give Russian equivalents to the following proverbs and sayings. Make up short stories to illustrate them:

Love in the cottage.

Marriages are made in heaven.

Marriage goes by contrasts.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

What should Sachiko do?

Check the responses you agree with.

· They shouldn't make a decision about marriage right now. They should visit each other's country. There is a lot of time to think about what to do.

· She should marry Amir and live in the U.S. That's fair for both Amir and her. Both of them could visit their home countries sometimes.

· She should marry Amir and try living in India. It could be a really good experience for her.

· Sachiko should break up with Amir. There are too many problems to continue the relationship.

· She should marry Amir and live in Japan. More and more foreign people are living in Japan, so Amir will be accepted.

 

LOOKING AT THE ISSUE

What are some of the advantages of an international marriage?

What are some of the problems with an international marriage?

Additional reading

Keiko and Akira have been friends for a long time. But something has happened, and they might not be friends anу longer. Read the story and find out: what has happened to hurt, and maybe even end, their friendship?

Friends or Lovers?

Akira and Keiko leave the university library after several hours of studying together, something they do often. Suddenly,Akira tries to kiss Keiko.Keiko is shocked.

"What are you doing, Akira?" Keiko asks, hardly able to speak. "You're my best friend.We've been friends for five years. You're closer to me than my brother. And now you want to kiss me?"

Akira explains, "I want our friendship to be even closer."

"No, no, no! I don't think of you in that way. You're my friend. Best friends don't act thatway."

Akira looks confused. "I don't understand. Don't you see me as a man?"

"Of course I do," replies Keiko. "You're a handsome man. But you're a special man...my best friend. So we can't do this. Now do you understand?"

"No, not at all. Here is how I see it. You're a woman andI'm a man. We like each other very much. We're very close. So let's do what is natural in any male-female relationship."

"Natural? I think our friendship is natural. I thought I understood you. Maybe I was wrong," cries Keiko.

Akira's face is red. "So you really don't like me at all. You just want someone to talk to." He turns and walks quickly away.

Keiko's anger turns to sadness. In her heart, she thinks Akira is wrong—men and women can be friends without being lovers.But now she's not sure. What if all men think like Akira?

 

I. Answer the questions:

1. For how long had Keiko and Akira been friends?

2. In what way did Akira confuse Keiko? What did He want to show?

3. How did Keiko explain her reaction?

4. What was Akira`s argument for his action?

5. What thoughts was Keiko full of after that event?

II. What do you think? Can a man and a woman be close friends without being lovers? Check the opinions you agree with.

v Sometimes they can be friends, but usually friendship between a man and a woman is difficult.

v Maybe not. If a man and a woman are close friends, they will naturally become lovers.

v Yes, they can. I know a lot of cases like that among my friends.

v It's impossible, because men always want to have sex with women they like.

v Of course they can. I have some good men friends and we're just friends.

 

III. What is your best friend like? Use three adjectives.

For example, tall, kind, talkative.

She (He) is _______, _______and____

Why is that person your best friend?

For example, She helps me when I'm in trouble.

We have a great time talking together.

Is your best friend a man or a woman?

 

LET’S THINK

Everybody knows that health is the most valuable thing of all. You can have everything: a brilliant career, a lot of money, a loving family, but if you haven’t got health – you have nothing. Only one moment may change the whole life. Today you are a healthy man, tomorrow – a deadly ill person. You realise that every month, week, day, even a second makes you incapable to move your legs or arms, just breathe. Your friends and relatives will take care of you but it is so difficult to see their sufferings... And you’ve decided. What if I help myself and my close people? Just take some more drugs? Man should be strong enough to make such a decision. Or is it man’s weakness? Can man decide himself whether to live or to die? Perhaps, illness is a sore trial sent by God for sins?

What is your opinion?

 

I. Study the words.

to make a decision di ̀siʒ(ə)n принять решение
a deadly mixture of smth ̀dedli ̀mikst∫ə смертельная смесь чего-либо
drug (n) ̀drÙg лекарство; наркотик
to enjoy smth (v) ̀indʒÉi наслаждаться ч.-л.
disease (n) di ̀zi:z болезнь
cell (n) ̀sel (биол.) клетка
brain (n) ̀brein мозг
cord (n) spinal cord ̀spainl kÉ:d (анат.) связка спинной мозг
to paralyse (v) ̀pærəlaiz парализовать
to swallow (v) ̀swÉləu глотать
to breathe (v) bri:ð дышать
to cure for disease (v) ̀kjuə вылечить болезнь
to kill oneself (v), to end one’s life, to commit suicide     kə`mit `sjuisaid покончить с собой
coffin (n) ̀kÉfin гроб
to bury (v) ̀beri хоронит
to keep on (v)   продолжать
a life-support machine (n) `laif sə`pÉt mə̀∫i:n аппарат для поддержания жизнедеятельности
to become a vegetable bi ̀kÙm ̀vedʒitəbl стать «овощем»
regardless of rìga:dləs Év независимо от, не считаясь
to punish for smth ̀pÙni∫ наказывать за что-либо
to inject (v) in`dʒekt делать инъекцию
to suffer from (v) ̀̀sÙfə страдать от
to put in prison `priz(ə)n посадить в тюрьму
euthanasia (n) ,ju:θə`neiziə эвтаназия

Euthanasia – practice of mercifully ending a person’s life in order to release the person from an incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death. The word euthanasia derives from the Greek for “good death” and originally referred to intentional mercy killing. When medical advances made prolonging the lives of dying or comatose patients possible, the term euthanasia was also applied to a lack of action to prevent death.