For rendering

THE ARTICLE

A report from the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) organization has said that the world’s richest countries have broken their promises to send the world’s poorest children to school. Five years ago, 22 rich nations decided to give $5.4 billion to developing countries for primary school education. GCE has written “school report cards” on these countries and their performance - most score badly. They graded the quantity and quality of education aid programmes. The USA and Austria received an “F” grade; Norway and Holland are top of the class with “A’s”. There are still millions of children who have no schools to go to. The report says that: “For about the cost of four Stealth bombers, we could get 100 million more children into school.” A GCE spokesperson said: “Put simply…[rich] countries are preventing children in poor countries from going to school.” The report ended with a warning of what might happen if children have no education: We are…throwing away…the best chance we have to put an end to world poverty, and secure a more peaceful and stable future for us all.”

1. WORD SEARCH: Use your dictionary / computer to find word partners (collocates), other meanings, synonyms or more information on the words ‘primary’ and ‘education’.

2. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the headline and guess whether these sentences are true or false:

a.      School grades around the world are getting worse.  T / F

b.     The world’s richest countries have broken promises to poor children.  T / F

c.      Rich nations promised $5.4 billion to developing countries for primary school education.  T / F

d.     The USA did best in a school report and got an “A” grade.  T / F

e.      An NGO wants to get 100 million more children into primary school.  T / F

f.       A report says we are throwing away our best chance of ending poverty.  T / F

3. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

(a)	global	need
(b)	promises	got
(c)	nations	actions
(d)	performance	war planes
(is)	quantity	international
(f)	received	guarantees
(g)	bombers	amount
(h)	poverty	countries

4. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

(a)	the world’s	report cards
(b)	broken their	poverty
(c)	primary	promises
(d)	school	with a warning
(is)	aid	richest countries
(f)	top of the	class
(g)	The report ended	school education
(h)	world	programs

For students

Cambridge University may end handwritten exams

The world-renowned Cambridge University is considering abolishing handwritten exams after 800 years. University officials may ask students to type their exam answers on a computer rather than use a pen. The move follows complaints from examination markers who say they are finding test papers increasingly illegible due to poor handwriting. Academics say today's students primarily use laptops in lectures and tutorials instead of pens. Students are losing the ability to write by hand. One academic said asking students to hand-write exams actually causes them physical difficulties. The muscles in their hand are not used to writing extensively for prolonged periods of two to three hours.

A Cambridge University lecturer, Dr Sarah Pearsall, told Britain's 'Daily Telegraph' newspaper that handwriting was becoming a "lost art". She said: "Twenty years ago, students routinely [wrote] by hand several hours a day, but now they write virtually nothing by hand, except exams." She added: "We have been concerned for years about the declining handwriting problem. There has definitely been a downward trend. It is difficult for both the students and the examiners as it is harder and harder to read these [exam] scripts." Dr Pearsall says some students' handwriting is so illegible that they had to return to the university over the summer to read their answers out loud to examiners who could not read their writing.

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

1. Cambridge University has had hand written exams for 800 years.     T / F
2. Exam markers complained they could not read exam papers.     T / F
3. Students still use pens more than computers in lectures.     T / F
4. Cambridge University students have stronger hand muscles.     T / F
5. A Cambridge University lecturer called handwriting a fine art.     T / F
6. She said students used keyboards a lot 20 years ago.     T / F
7. The lecturer said there was an upward trend in legibility.    T / F
8. Students had to read their exam scripts out loud to examiners.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. abolishing
2. rather than
3. complaints
4. primarily
5. prolonged
6. routinely
7. virtually
8. concerned
9. illegible
10. handwriting

1. grumbles
2. regularly
3. worried
4. instead of
5. penmanship
6. getting rid of
7. unreadable
8. lengthy
9. mainly
10. almost

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1. Cambridge University is considering
2. students primarily
3. causes them physical
4. not used to
5. prolonged periods
6. handwriting was becoming a
7. Twenty years ago, students routinely
8. There has definitely been a downward
9. students' handwriting is so
10. read their answers

1. wrote by hand
2. writing extensively
3. illegible
4. "lost art"
5. difficulties
6. abolishing handwritten exams
7. out loud
8. of two to three hours
9. trend
10. use laptops in lectures

Topics for Masters for the examination

1. Enviromenal protection.
2. Elections in Russia 2018. Speak about all candidates and their election programs.
3. Global problems of terrorism.
4. Post-graduate education in Russia and abroad.
5. Advantages and disadvantages of internet in our life.

Topics for composition for the 4th year students

1. Human values.
2. What is happiness.
3. The role of women in modern society.
4. An ideal teacher from my point of view.
5. Youth problems.

Topics for the 2nd course

1. About myself.
2. About my family.
3. About my friend.
4. My native city.
5. About my flat.
6. My week-end.
7. My favourite country.
8. Hobbies.
9. My meals.
10. My working day.

Article for rendering.

Charity warns against uploading photos of children

A child protection charity in the UK is urging parents to ask their children for permission before uploading photos and videos of them on social media. This follows a study by Ofcom, a communications watchdog, revealing that parents are divided on whether it is right to post photos of their children online. The practice of parents uploading photos and videos of their kids is termed "sharenting". This is a combination of the words "share" and "parenting". Ofcom said the biggest reason for parents not sharing photos of their kids is to protect the privacy of under-18s. The NSPCC said: "Each time a photo or video is uploaded, it creates a digital footprint of a child which can follow them into adult life."

The website theatlantic.com highlighted how prevalent sharenting is in the USA. It said: "In the United States, the vast majority of 2-year-olds…already have an online presence. More than 80 per cent of babies younger than that are already on social media." The website said there is a conflict between a parent's pride in their children and his or her desire to share photos of them, and the potential dangers of sharing photos of their kids. Parents often include personal information about their children along with the photos they upload. This could put kids at risk of identity theft and digital kidnapping. There is also the danger of parents publishing real-time information about their children's whereabouts.

  

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

1. A charity said parents should ask children's permission to post photos.    T / F
2. The article says parents are split on the idea of posting kids' photos.     T / F
3. "Sharenting" comes from the words "shark" and "resenting".     T / F
4. Digital footprints can follow children into their adult life.     T / F
5. Most 2-year-olds in the USA have an online presence.     T / F
6. Fewer than 80% of US babies are already on social media.     T / F
7. The article says parents never include personal details about children.   T / F
8. Posting the real-time whereabouts of kids is not dangerous.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. urging
2. permission
3. divided
4. termed
5. combination
6. prevalent
7. vast
8. conflict
9. potential
10. whereabouts

1. split
2. possible
3. mix
4. widespread
5. consent
6. location
7. called
8. encouraging
9. clash
10. huge

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1. ask their children for
2. a communications
3. uploading photos and videos of their kids
4. protect the privacy
5. a digital
6. the vast majority of
7. have an
8. the potential dangers of
9. put kids at risk of identity
10. information about their children's

1. is termed "sharenting"
2. sharing photos
3. footprint
4. theft
5. watchdog
6. whereabouts
7. permission
8. online presence
9. 2-year-olds
10. of under-18s

Comprehension questions

1. What did a charity urge parents to ask children for?
2. What kind of watchdog is Ofcom?
3. Which two words is the term 'sharenting' from?
4. What did Ofcom say must be protected?
5. What kind of footprint is left when a photo is uploaded?
6. How many 2-year-olds in the USA have an online presence?
7. How many babies younger than two are on social media?
8. What parental feeling is in conflict with wanting people to see their kids?
9. What danger was mentioned besides identity theft?
10. What real-time information do some parents upload about children?

11. Multiple choice quiz

12.  1) What did a charity urge parents to ask children for?
a) their passwords
b) pocket money
c) to go out
d) a permission to upload photos

13.  2) What kind of watchdog is Ofcom?
a) a ticking watchdog
b) a communications watchdog
c) a barking one
d) a timely one

14.  3) Which two words is the term 'sharenting' from?
a) 'shard' and ''cementing'
b) 'shark' and 'relenting'
c) 'share' and 'parenting'
d) 'sharp' and 'renting'

15.  4) What did Ofcom say must be protected?
a) the privacy of under-18s
b) the Internet
c) combinations
d) photos

16.  5) What kind of footprint is left when a photo is uploaded?
a) a muddy footprint
b) a carbon footprint
c) a digital footprint
d) an ecological footprint

17.  6) How many 2-year-olds in the USA have an online presence?
a) a considerable minority
b) the vast majority
c) a sizeable minority
d) a tiny majority

18.  7) How many babies younger than two are on social media?
a) just fewer than 80%
b) around 80%
c) exactly 80%
d) over 80%

19.  8) What parental feeling is in conflict with wanting people to see their kids?
a) pride
b) anger
c) envy
d) confusion

20.  9) What danger was mentioned besides identity theft?
a) cyber-bullying
b) phishing
c) digital kidnapping
d) electrocution

21.  10) What real-time information do some parents upload about children?
a) phone numbers
b) their whereabouts
c) their lunch

Put the words in the right order

1. children   their   ask   to   parents   Urging   permission   for   .
2. watchdog   a   Ofcom,   communications  follows   by   a   This   study  .
3. it   to   divided   post   on   photos   is   Parents  right   are   whether   .
4. parents   for   reason   biggest   The   photos   sharing   not   .
5. which  child  a  of  footprint   digital  a  creates  It  them  follow   can   .
6. have   year-   of  The   an   2-  vast   online   olds  majority  presence  .
7. on   Eighty   of   already   media   cent   are   social   per   babies   .
8. of   kids   sharing   The   photos   potential   of   dangers   their   .
9. their   often  include   personal  information  about  Parents   children   .
10. of   put   identity   kids   theft   at   This   risk   could   .