Appearances count -- to the point of bias?

Daniel Hamermesh, a professor at the University of Texas with a doctorate in economics, has studied what is referred to as appearance discrimination, good looks bias and looks-ism. His first study in 1994 found that people this culture identifies as `good looking" generally earn 12 percent more over their lifetimes than those on the other end of the "beauty scale."
The study has since been repeated in the United States, Canada and Shanghai, China. In each case, with all other factors held constant and adjusting for age, Hamermesh says the findings remain consistent:
• Good-looking people earn more over their lifetimes.
• The impact of looks on income is less for women than it is with men.
• With respect to marriage, good looking women tend to marry men with higher earning power and potential.

In the United States study, Hamermesh divided the study population of 3,500 into three groups based on looks. The top 30 percent rated as the good-looking, the middle 55 percent were average-looking, and the bottom 15 percent were rated as bad-looking. His findings revealed the top group earned 5 percent more than the middle 55 percent; the group in the bottom 15 percent earned 10 percent less than the middle 55 percent.
A recent study of attorneys, all graduates from the same institution, found similar results.
"The good-looking attorneys earn more," Hamermesh says.
In a perfect world, people would be judged on merit and paid accordingly. Too often, it fails to be perfect and a variety of factors enter into professional decisions.
The Social Issues Research Center in Oxford, United Kingdom, is an independent, nonprofit organization that conducts research on social and lifestyle issues and monitors and assesses global sociocultural trends. SIRC released a recent report which says "Attractive people have distinct advantages in our society...Studies show attractive applicants have a better chance of getting jobs and of receiving higher salaries. One U.S. study found that taller men earned around $600 per inch more than shorter executives."
Hamermesh says the main qualifier is symmetry of features. He says, too, quality of features is more important than weight - up to a point.
Psychological literature suggests people are judged more favourably if they are more attractive - particularly with first impressions. Because attractive people are judged favourably through first impressions, they are also perceived as having other positive attributes - such as above average intelligence, more fulfilling lives and job success.
Dr. Robert Ersek, president of a plastic surgery center, says both men and women use cosmetic surgery to keep the jobs they have and to look for new jobs.
"You can't help but judge a book by its cover," Ersek says. He says he has had a face lift himself, as well as cosmetic surgery on his eyes, nose and brows.
According to Ersek, men most often request cosmetic eye surgery for business reasons, while for women the face lift is the most common procedure. He adds, however, the type of surgery depends on the age of the patient. Ersek says the face lift and brow lift are equally common with men and women over the age of 55.
"People want to look their best, and that means looking young, vibrant and dynamic, whether looking for a new job or trying to get ahead in a current job," Ersek says.
The good-looks bias is more predominant in certain areas of employment, such as sales positions and company representatives. For example, in pharmaceutical sales almost all the salespersons are attractive females in their mid-30s.
Attractiveness also comes into play in the interview process. The more attractive job candidates know they are attractive, are more at ease and generally have a higher confidence level. The confidence is recognized by the interviewer, and can be a deciding factor in who gets the job.
As for earnings, it is not as simple as an attractive applicant being offered more than a less attractive applicant -- but, because one applicant is more attractive, that applicant may be afforded more opportunities. Over time, the higher number of opportunities can equal more income.
The question is, "Would the person have had access to those opportunities, and therefore the higher income, if they were not as attractive?"
According to Hamermesh's studies, he says the good-looks bias appears to be "across the board," from customer contact jobs to broader occupations where there is little or no customer contact.
People have to take control of their own careers and advancement and create their own opportunities, through training and professional education. He says employers are really looking for experience, knowledge, training and results.
And looks? (Austin Business Journal - July 20, 2001)

1. Look for more information on the problem of interrelation between appearance and career: give some examples. Search for statistical and other data to prove your point. Speak about your personal experience – do you pay any attention to the appearance of strangers you come into contact with (shop assistants, waiters, etc)? Does the way they look matter to you in any way?
2. Give arguments for and against the following statements.

1. People should be judged by merit and not by their looks. 2. Self-confidence during an interview makes a favourable impression but it is not a decisive factor as to whether the candidate deserves the position. 3. Employers are really looking for experience, knowledge, training and results. 4. “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics” (Mark Twain).

1. First impressions are very important and employers take this fact into consideration. 2. It is natural that customer contact jobs (sales positions, company representatives) require presentable appearance. 3. If statistics indicate that appearances count, people should use every means to look their best, including plastic surgery if needed. 4. A human being should be entirely beautiful: the face, the clothes, the mind, the thoughts. (A. Chekhov).

1. Imagine you are a group of employers recruiting new staff (a receptionist, a personal assistant, a sales manager, an accountant, a lawyer and so on). Discuss the requirements for each candidate. In which case do you think appearance should be taken into account?

 

Written Exercises

Exercise 1.

Translate using your active vocabulary.

1. Ландшафт этой местности имеет отдаленное сходство с ландшафтом Шотландии. Если бы не указатели на незнакомом языке, можно было бы подумать, что мы едем по дороге в Эдинбург. 2. Если бы мы осознавали, какой риск связан с этой поездкой, мы бы ни за что не взяли с собой детей. 3. К сожалению, нам не удалось увидеть подлинник Рембрандта, так как картина была на реставрации; пришлось довольствоваться работами менее известных художников. 4. Когда мы пришли, он был в сознании и мог говорить, но он был очень слаб после операции и врач велел нам не задерживаться. 5. Вопреки моим ожиданиям доктор Мэдисон оказалась стройной молодой женщиной с тонкими чертами лица. Я с изумлением уставился на нее, что, боюсь, было довольно невежливо. 6. Рассматривая фотографии в модных журналах, многие женщины начинают стыдиться своей фигуры и забывают о том, что манекенщицы и актрисы не выглядели бы так стильно, если бы над их образами не работало множество профессионалов. 7. Молодым людям свойственно экспериментировать со своим внешним видом, но рано или поздно они это перерастают и находят собственный стиль. 8. Несмотря на недостаток опыта, Эндрю скоро привык к новой должности и был уверен, что справится с любой ситуацией. 9. Разве тебе не стыдно за свое поведение? Ты же стал посмешищем для всего общежития! 10. Поздравляю вас, немногим удается выдержать это испытание. Вы проявили исключительные способности к аналитическому мышлению.

Exercise 2.

Translate using your active vocabulary.

1. Снимать квартиру слишком дорого, мне приходится довольствоваться комнатой. 2. Прядение шерсти было одной из главных отраслей промышленности в Англии XIX века. 3. В ответ на репортаж, опубликованный в предыдущем номере, множество читателей вызвались (volunteer) помочь пострадавшим при пожаре. 4. Не следует с пренебрежением относиться к людям только потому, что их вкусы отличаются от ваших. 5. Я могу устроить так, чтобы тебя осмотрел врач, хотя я уверена, что никакого шрама не останется. На твоем месте я бы не устраивала истерики из-за крохотной царапины. 6. Мы познакомились на борту самолета по пути в Гонконг, и по иронии судьбы оказалось, что мы живем в одном районе. 7. Мы собрались сегодня здесь, чтобы отдать дань уважения нашему коллеге, проработавшему с нами много лет. 8. Переговоры между забастовщиками и работодателями, вероятно, затянутся. 9. Мой брат всегда был способным студентом, он без усилий получил степень магистра и сейчас думает о продолжении научной карьеры. 10. Теперь судьбу арестованного будет решать суд. Если его вина будет доказана, ему грозит до 10 лет тюрьмы.

Exercise 3.

Choose a topic for a composition

1. Beware so long as you live, of judging people by appearances (La Fontaine).

2. Appearances often are deceiving (Aesop).

3. The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw (Havelock Ellis).

4. Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together (Petrarch).

5. There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion (Sir Francis Bacon).

                                              

                                              

                                          UNIT 2

Why does the idea of beauty worry people so much? What do we mean by “beauty”? Can it be defined or standardized? Have beauty standards been the same in all times and cultures? Let’s try to think these matters over.

reap (v) – снимать урожай, пожинать плоды The men were all out reaping. Nowadays machines are used to reap the corn. He finally reaped the benefit of all his years of hard work. She invested cleverly, and reaped a rich reward.

curse (v) – проклинать, ругаться She cursed him for ruining her life; be cursed with – мучиться, страдать от чего-либо be cursed with ill health / bad luck / a violent temper

curse (n) – 1. проклятие be under curse. The witch put a curse on him. 2. бич, бедствие the curse of poverty Foxes can be a curse to farmers.

claim (v) – 1. требовать; претендовать, предъявлять претензию, заявлять права to claim damages – требовать возмещения убытков; to claim diplomatic immunity / the protection of the law. She claims ownership of the land. Did you claim on the insurance after your car accident? The problem claims our undivided attention; 2. утверждать, заявлять. They claim to have discovered / that they have discovered a cure for the disease, but this has not been proved yet.

claim (n) – требование, претензия, притязание; заявление, утверждение Despite his claims of innocence, he was found guilty. You have no claim on me. When his house was burgled, he made a claim on the insurance. He put in a claim for his traveling expenses. She has a rightful claim to this property, it was her mother’s. They accepted her claim that she had been ill-treated.

tend (v) – иметь тенденцию, склонность к чему-л. Women tend to live longer than men. She tends to get angry if you disagree with her. It tends to rain here a lot in the summer.

tendency (n) – тенденция, склонность, стремление. There is a growing tendency for people to work at home instead of in offices.

perceive (v) – 1. ощущать, чувствовать, различать I perceived a change in her behaviour. 2. воспринимать, понимать, постигать That is not the way I perceive the situation. I perceived his comment as a challenge. 

perception (n) – восприятие, ощущение; понимание Our perceptions of the world around us are constantly changing.

convince (v) – убеждать He finally convinced them of his innocence. They failed to convince the committee that their proposals would work. I am convinced that she is telling the truth.

shift (v) – 1. менять(ся) The wind shifted and blew the mist away. 2. передвигать(ся), перемещать(ся) We tried to lift the heavy box, but we couldn’t shift it. The audience shifted uneasily in their seats; to shift from one foot to the other. Don’t try to shift the blame/the responsibility onto others.

scrutinize (v) – внимательно рассматривать, тщательно исследовать All parts of the aircraft are closely scrutinized for signs of wear or damage.

scrutiny (n) – внимательный осмотр, исследование; проверка to undergo careful / close / thorough scrutiny; to be open to international / parliamentary / public scrutiny. The company has come under intense scrutiny because of its environmental record. Though attractive, the idea doesn’t stand up to / bear scrutiny. I realized I was being subjected to scrutiny by a group of children.

fake (adj) – фальшивый, поддельный, искусственный fake furs / diamonds

be contingent on / upon – зависеть от чего-л. Our success is contingent upon your continued help.

susceptible (adj)– восприимчивый, чувствительный; подверженный (чему-л.) Children are more susceptible to some diseases than adults.

score (v) – выигрывать, иметь успех; набирать очки. She scored 120 in her history test. The England team failed to score against Italy on Saturday.

evolve (v)– развиваться. The British political system has evolved over several centuries.

cute (adj) – привлекательный, миловидный. Isn't she a cute baby?

bolster (v) – поддерживать bolster sb's morale / courage / confidence. The high interest rates helped to control inflation and bolster (up) the economy.

assert (v) – 1. утверждать, заявлять She asserted her innocence/that she was innocent. 2. доказывать, отстаивать, защищать assert one’s authority / independence / rights; to assert oneself – отстаивать свои права, быть напористым You are too timid – you must try to assert yourself more.

assess (v) – оценивать to assess the damage at 3500$; It’s difficult to assess the impact of the President’s speech.

relish (v) – получать удовольствие, наслаждаться, находить приятным relish the idea / thought / prospect of sth / doing sth I don’t relish getting up so early.

trump (n) – козырь Hearts are trumps. I had to play a trump.

trump (v) – 1. бить козырем She trumped my ace with a six. 2. превзойти, оказаться сильнее They were trumped by another firm that made a higher offer.

The Beguiling Truth About Beauty
By Carlin Flora

Don't hate yourself for wanting to be beautiful. Good-looking people get special treatment from strangers, employers and even their own mothers. The comely reap real social and economic gains in life, from broader romantic proposals to lighter punishment in criminal courts. The rest of us curse the advantages of beauty because we can never claim membership in the knockout club.

Or can we? We're not even close to objective when it comes to judging our own looks. Other people see the whole package. But when we look in the mirror, we're liable to zero in on the imperfections. That bump on your friend's nose? It's her trademark! It gives her character! But to you, that thing on your nose is downright disfiguring. Our opinion of our own looks is also capricious: We can feel like the belle of the ball at one party, but downright shabby at the next, all on the same night.

So if we can't trust our own self-appraisal, or the reassurances of friends and family, we're left to the cool judgment of strangers to satisfy our curiosity about our appearance. The Web site "Hot or Not," which lets people anonymously submit their photos for others to rate on a 10-point scale, had nearly 2 million daily page views within a week of launching in 2000.

The good news: You're almost certainly hotter than you think. It's partly a matter of limited attention—everyone else is too fixated on his or her own appearance to be critical of yours. If you are particularly attentive to your body (as women tend to be), or if you feel uncomfortable in public, you are almost definitely hotter than you think. And we all have the innate ability to change how other people perceive us, without a physical transformation of any kind. When you're convinced you look good, others see you in a more favorable light.

Why is it that our self-judgments shift like weather on a spring day? Even a stroll down a street can change the way you think about your looks. Our brains have a built-in hot-or-not meter that never stops gathering data.

Psychologists call it the "contrast effect": You feel prettier around ugly people and uglier around pretty people. These social comparisons happen not only when you deliberately scrutinizepassersby, but constantly and automatically. In one study, people given a subliminal [1]glimpse of an attractive female face subsequently rated themselves as less attractive than those who saw a homely one, though no one remembered having seen the images at all. Our self-concepts are built on thousands of these comparisons.

"I'm five feet tall and I'm curvy. I feel good about how I look," says Deanna Melluso, a New York City-based makeup artist. "But when I'm around tall, thin women all day, I start to feel fat. As soon as I walk outside, I feel normal again—I see that I've been in a fake world."

Perhaps because their social status is often contingent upontheir faces and bodies, women are particularly susceptible to this effect. "When women evaluate their physical attractiveness, they compare themselves with an idealized standard of beauty, such as a fashion model," says Richard Robins, professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis. "In contrast, when both men and women evaluate their intelligence, they do not compare themselves to Einstein, but rather to a more mundane standard."

In a study where people were asked to solve math problems, there was no difference in how well men and women scored—when everyone was fully dressed. But when subjects were required to perform the calculations in their bathing suits, the women suddenly fared worse than their male counterparts. They were too busy wondering how they looked to crunch numbers correctly.

Everyone judges his or her own appearance more critically when self-aware, as when giving a presentation to coworkers. But some people feel that way all the time. We all know someone like this—a friend who never runs out of the house to grab coffee without fixing herself up first. Strangers generally consider such people to be more physically attractive than average. But that extra personal care doesn't correct their internal funhouse mirrors: They tend to compare themselves exclusively with very good-looking people—and feel especially down after doing so.

As our faces and figures evolve during childhood and adolescence, we create a picture of ourselves that is hard to get out of our minds in adulthood, however outdated or wrong it may be. Not all people who grow up disliking their appearance were ugly children. Some were perfectly cute as kids, but had an exceptional trait, like being very tall or heavily freckled, which drew comments and stares.

Our "internal mirrors" are often shaped by our parents, contends psychoanalyst Vivian Diller. A child whose parents tell him he's ugly will have to overcome that perception, but that's uncommon. More subtle is the effect of "the gleam in their eye," says Diller—whether parents sincerely light up at the sight of us and appreciate our individual charms.

While parental love can bolster self-esteem for some, there's no direct line between childhood experiences and adult self-image. Ugly ducklings sometimes turn into swans. Donelle Ruwe, now an English professor at Northern Arizona University, grew up terribly gawky, a teen with glasses and a back brace. But she played the piano very well. At the age of 19, she'd recently shed the brace, and a pageant scout looking to improve the talent quotient in a beauty competition suggested she sign up. She did, and was crowned Miss Meridian, Iowa, of 1985.

"For the first time, I felt that I was attractive," she says. That new confidence in her looks actually made her feel freer to develop her intellect—she was quicker to assert her opinions in class and debate with others. "I think that when you are self-conscious about your body, too much of your mind and emotions are focused on it," she says. "But once you let go of that self-consciousness, you can interact without it getting in the way."

But those who are gorgeous from the get-go face their own set of potential problems. Very attractive kids may grow up to be insecure adults, especially if they were praised solely for their appearance. They may develop a particularly harsh way of assessing themselves. They may feel good about their looks only if they meet a specific, and usually very high, expectation, such as weighing in at a certain number. Self-satisfaction is not on a spectrum for such people: If they don't meet their standard, they feel absolutely ugly.

With looks, as in other domains of life, we relish recognition more and recover better from failure when we believe that good results come from effort and not just from what God gave us. If you are born lovely, you have only your parents' genetic contributions to thank. But if you become more attractive because you've invested energy in taking good care of yourself, the credit is all yours.

Alt says she feels better-looking now, at 45, than she ever has. She says that overhauling her diet made the difference. "Now I'm more complimented when someone comments on something I've worked for, such as keeping myself healthy, than when someone says, 'You're beautiful.' "

Ultimately, good looks aren't just a question of a lucky birth. In real life our physical appearance is always evaluated alongside our body language, voice and temperament. Charm can trump beauty. In one study, psychologists videotaped people as they entered a room and introduced themselves to two people. They then asked strangers to rate the videotaped subjects on physical attractiveness, emotional expressiveness and social skills. All three qualities contributed to the subjects' overall likeability—but attractiveness was the least important factor.

The easiest way to influence how others view you is to demonstrate that you like them. If you express interest in what others say, or smile and lightly touch their arm, they will likely feel flattered, comfortable around you and even more attracted to you. A person who finds you likeable will probably never notice your imperfections—besides, no one is as interested in your bald head or fleshy thighs as you are.

Most of us have had the mysterious experience of watching a loved one become increasingly beautiful with time, as the relationship grows deeper. Imagine that generous gaze is upon you all the time, and you'll soon see a better reflection in others' eyes. You may not be able to turn off your inner hot-or-not meter, but you can spend less time fretting in the mirror and more time engaging with the world.

                                          Vocabulary Practice

Exercise 1

a) Answer the following questions

Do great artists always manage to reap profits from their work? 2. Do you agree that people who exert more effort and do their best in whatever they do are the ones who reap the reward?

b) Comment on the following

1. As you sow so shall you reap.2. The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously! (Friedrich Nietzsche). 3. If people did not prefer reaping to sowing, there would not be a hungry person in the land.

Exercise 2

a) Answer the following questions

1. Have you ever heard about the “Curse of the Pharaohs”? Can you remember any other popular superstitions connected with curses?
2. Do you know that Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is said to be cursed, so actors avoid saying its name using “the Scottish play” instead? Have you heard about any other theatrical superstitions?
3. Why do you think some economists believe that reserves of oil and other natural resources may be both a blessing and a curse for a country?

b) Translate using curse

1. Вот уже несколько лет этот спортсмен страдает от постоянных травм. 2. Рон тихо выругался, увидев, что мест для парковки не осталось. 3. Легенда о проклятии могилы Тутанхамона возникла после внезапной смерти одного из участников экспедиции археолога Говарда Картера. 4. Коррупция стала настоящим бедствием для страны и мешает ее дальнейшему развитию. 5. Он часто проклинал тот день, когда впервые приехал в этот город.

Exercise 3

a) Match the words and their definitions

affirm	to make something known publicly
assert	to state that something is a fact but not to prove this
declare	to state formally or confidently that something is true or correct
claim	to announce something publicly or officially/to say something firmly or with emphasis
announce	to state something clearly and forcefully as the truth

b) Fill in the blanks with affirm, assert, announce, claim or declare

1. Mr. and Mrs. Evans are pleased to __________ the engagement of their daughter, Lily. 2. Britain _________ war on Germany in 1914. 3. Authorities ________ that no injuries were reported during the fire. 4. The company ______ that its products are environmentally friendly. 4. Adams was ________ the winner of the fight. 5. The results of the investigation are likely to be ____________ next week. 6. He continued to _________ his innocence. 7. The republic ________ independence following the collapse of the USSR. 8. The report __________ confidently that the industry will grow. 8. Canada announces plans for naval vessels and a deep-water port to _________ its claim to Arctic territorial waters.

c) Translate using claim

1. На вашем месте я бы немедленно потребовал выплату по страховке. 2. Стив утверждает, что он построил дом без чьей-либо помощи. Ты можешь в это поверить? 3. Покупатели квартир намерены выдвинуть иск к владельцам строительной фирмы, так как те не смогли завершить работу в срок. 4. Я уверена, что все его претензии абсолютно необоснованны. 5. Если в течение месяца не найдется никого, кто претендовал бы на найденные вами деньги, вы можете оставить их себе. 6. Вы сможете потребовать возмещения убытков только в том случае, если докажете, что пожар произошел по вине ваших соседей.

Exercise 4

Answer the question using assert, assertion or assertive.

1. What can help a country lead an assertive foreign policy? 2. What can a political leader do to assert his/her authority? 3. What kind of people do you call assertive? Do you regard assertiveness as a necessary quality? Do you know people who have difficulty in asserting themselves?

Exercise 5

Answer the following questions

1. How can you explain the growing tendency for women to marry later? 2. Do you think talented musicians, actors, painters etc. always display artistic tendencies at an early age? 3. What do you think should be done if an individual demonstrates aggressive or violent tendencies? 4. What are the ways of curbing (reducing) xenophobic and racist tendencies in society?

Exercise 6

Translate using shift

1. Климатические условия страны позволяют индийскому правительству планировать плавный переход на солнечную энергию. 2. Компания планирует перевести производство за пределы Европейского союза с тем, чтобы сократить расходы. 3. Рабочим пришлось пригнать кран (a specialist crane), чтобы передвинуть грузовик, застрявший в узком переулке. 4. Ребенку было скучно, и он нетерпеливо ерзал в своем кресле. 5. Он всегда старается переложить ответственность на своих коллег. 6. Гарри совсем не умеет танцевать, он просто переминается с ноги на ногу. 7. Дым от пожаров накрыл весь город, но, к счастью, ветер переменился, и стало легче дышать.

Exercise 7

Translate using scrutiny, scrutinize

1. Министр считает, что стандарты образования требуют пристального внимания. 2. Моя бабушка всегда внимательно просматривает счета за коммунальные услуги, (household bills) прежде чем их оплачивать. 3. На твоем месте, я бы не стала преувеличивать свой опыт работы. Наверняка работодатели тщательно проверяют биографические данные, изложенные в резюме. 4. Производители утверждают, что все детали автомобиля подвергаются тщательной проверке на предмет соответствия международным стандартам. 5. Прокуратура пообещала расследовать случай массового отравления посетителей местного кафе. 6. В целом мне понравился стиль автора, но некоторые из его идей не выдерживают критики.

Exercise 8

Note the difference between the adjectives dependent (needing sb/sth in order to live or survive) and contingent (depending on sth that may or may not happen).

Fill in the blanks with contingent or dependent

1. The French President said earlier this week that he would make his final decision concerning his attending the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics __________ on progress in talks between China and representatives of the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet. 2. The government policy was too _____________ on intelligence in the run up to war with Iraq. 3. The effectiveness of an organization is not ______________ just on the size of its budget. 4. Papers see presidential contender M. as a figure ____________on President B’s support. 5. The Palestinian economy has been in crisis since the intifada, and is now highly ____________ on international aid. 6. According the Prime Minister, the withdrawal of troops was __________ on the readiness of Iraqi forces in the region to assume security operations. 7. An environment agency predicts climate change could leave some farmers ____________ upon irrigation to water crops. 8. As Europe becomes more __________on Russian gas, some energy analysts worry Russia will not be able to meet the demand. 9. Single adults without __________ children are now the UK's biggest group living in poverty, a new study suggests. 10. The offers that Mr. Solana is to make are ________ on an agreement by Iran to suspend its enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.

Exercise 9

Rephrase the following using susceptible

1. Smokers are more likely to have a serious disease than non-smokers. 2. Dog owners should be especially careful in such hot weather. Dogs often suffer heat stoke because unlike people they don’t sweat. 3. The situation in the market is affected by political developments, oil prices, economic factors, global forces, and inflation. 4. It has been noticed that children react to ads more vividly than adults. 5. Mark can’t stand anything he does being criticized. 6. This footballer’s style of playing results in his frequent injuries.

Exercise 10

Answer the following questions

1. How do you assess your chances of graduating with honours?

2. In what spheres do you think it is especially necessary to assess the risk before taking some action?

3. What do you think of the State Unified Exam as a means of assessing students’ knowledge?

Exercise 11

Answer the questions.

1. Do you agree that in some cases security problems can trump all other issues including civil liberties? 2. What could be a trump card in an argument? 3. Do you think in today’s world there are examples of common sense being trumped by ideology?

Exercise 12

Translate into Russian and comment on the following.

1. Close scrutiny will show that most "crisis situations" are opportunities to either advance, or stay where you are. (Dr. Maxwell Maltz). 2. Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. (Chinese proverb). 3. Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself. (Robert Ingersoll). 4. If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. (Abraham Maslow). 5. The best way to convince a fool that he is wrong is to let him have his own way. (Josh Billings). 6. The shifts of Fortune test the reliability of friends. (Cicero). 7. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love. (Martin Luther King Jr.). 8. Assert your right to make a few mistakes. If people can't accept your imperfections, that's their fault. (Dr. David M. Burns). 9. For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. (the Bible).

Exercise 13

Work in pairs

1. Первая дипломатическая поездка российского президента подчеркнула его стремление укрепить связи с Китаем.	1. The Russian President's first diplomatic trip underlined his focus on bolstering China ties.
2. Я очень надеюсь, что этот режиссер получит приз. Было бы справедливо, если бы он, наконец, получил награду за свой новаторский подход к режиссуре.	2. I do hope that this director will get the award. It would be fair if he finally reaped the benefit for his innovative direction.
3. Это не такая работа, о которой я мечтал, но так как мне не улыбается перспектива вернуться в деревню, боюсь, у меня нет другого выбора, кроме как согласиться.	3. It is not the kind of job I dreamt about, but as I don’t relish the prospect of coming back to the village, I’m afraid I have no choice but to accept it.
4. Группа исследователей отправилась в путешествие длиной в 3000 миль с тем, чтобы оценить характер изменения климата в Арктике.	4. A group of explorers started a 3,000-mile journey to assess the impact of climate change in the Arctic.
5. Ситуация в Дарфуре остается критической, но некоторые члены Совета Безопасности позволили своим экономическим интересам взять верх над моральными и юридическими обязательствами по прекращению геноцида.	5. The situation in Darfur remains critical, but some Security Council members have let their economic interests trump their moral and legal responsibility to thwart genocide.
6. Мутации ДНК позволяют организмам эволюционировать так, чтобы лучше приспособиться к окружающей среде. Этот процесс известен как адаптация.	6. DNA mutations allow organisms to evolve to fit their environments better. This process is known as adaptation
7. Я считаю, что на современном телевидении слишком много развлекательных программ. Они повышают рейтинги, но им часто не хватает качества и вкуса.	7. I believe modern TV is too focused on entertainment, which bolsters the ratings but often lacks quality and taste.
8. Растет тенденция к тому, чтобы наши граждане отстаивали свои права в суде.	8. There is a growing tendency for our citizens to assert their rights in court.
9. Все мои друзья пришли навестить меня в больнице, чтобы морально поддержать меня.	9. All my friends came to visit me in the hospital to bolster my morale.

 

Reading Comprehension

 

I. Make sure you know the answers to the following

1. Why is it natural to want to be beautiful? 2. Can people be objective when they judge their own looks? Do they tend to overestimate or to underestimate their appearance? 3. What do our self-judgements depend on and why can they change several times during a day? 4. Who is more susceptible to the so-called “contrast effect”? 5. Why is the picture of ourselves we create in our minds often wrong or outdated? Is there a direct line between childhood experiences and adult self-image? 6. Which is more important – physical beauty or charm?

 

II. Find the English equivalents of the following.

Замечать только недостатки; чувствовать себя королевой бала; доверять собственным суждениям; оценивать по десятибалльной шкале; врожденная способность; встроенный датчик; оценивать свою физическую привлекательность; более приземленный стандарт; справиться с заданием хуже, чем мужчины; относиться к своей внешности более критически, будучи в центре внимания; исправить внутреннее кривое зеркало; чувствовать себя подавленным; создавать представление о самом себе, от которого трудно избавиться во взрослой жизни; ценить личное обаяние; повысить самооценку; не существует прямой связи между; отстаивать свое мнение; стесняться своего тела; неуверенные в себе взрослые; чрезвычайно строго оценивать себя; соответствовать высоким ожиданиям (стандартам); как и в других сферах жизни; вся заслуга принадлежит вам; пересмотреть свою диету; оценивать кого-либо по степени привлекательности.

 

III. Discuss the following.

1) Why do you think people worry so much about their looks? Is it worth it?

2) What is the role of mass media in people’s attitude to this issue?

3) What can help people feel more relaxed and confident about their appearance?

 

Listening Comprehension

Text 1

What are beauty contests?

 

virtue – добродетель, достоинство, хорошее качество P.T. Bartum (name) pageant = beauty contest controversy – спор, полемика

 

• What are the origins of modern beauty contests? How are they organized?
• How are beauty pageants regarded today?

Have your say. What do you personally think about such events?

Text 2

Only skin deep.

Fujian – Фуцзянь, провинция на востоке Китая bind (bound, bound) – связывать, зд. бинтовать inch – дюйм (=2,5 см) disgrace – позор

 

· What is meant by “lily feet”? Why was foot binding so widespread in Midland China?

Have your say. What are the beauty standards of our time? Are they the same in different cultures?

 

Project

Is there any universal idea of beauty shared by all people, regardless of race or nationality? What makes beauty standards so varied in different cultures? What are the social, psychological or biological reasons for certain features to be considered attractive by society? Find answers to these questions in the following article.

Beauty Standards

Some researchers suggest that beauty may not be, as the cliché says, "skin deep," but that it may go a lot deeper, even down into the most primitive reaches of the brain. But while some aspects of beauty appear to be universal, crossing races and time periods, more often, the standards of beauty vary over time, depending on the dominant culture and local economic conditions.

In earlier agrarian societies, poor people worked the fields, and their skins became darkened. The wealthy, for the most part, stayed indoors, thus maintained their pallor. From this, "fair" which originally meant light in color, also came to mean attractive. Later, with industrialization, and most work being performed indoors, the all-over tan became a symbol of the leisure class not the laboring class. In fact, pale skin has been replaced in fashionable circles by tanned skin, and even constant skin cancer warnings have been unable to overcome this allure.

Thinness also seems to follow economics. When food is scarce, weight is a status symbol. Today, when high-calorie, low-protein food is so plentiful that obesity is epidemic, being thin has become desired, for aesthetic and health reasons.

The idea that beauty is defined by the dominant culture has been around for a long time. The media have a major influence on how beauty is conceived across cultures. In Micronesia (which includes islands such as Kiribati, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau), aesthetic preferences followed the tradition of favoring full-bodied women. But things changed when pirated television from Los Angeles became available! After several years, perceptions of beauty changed, and the first cases of eating disorders were reported.

Even then, standards of beauty may have less to do with cultural imposition than with the well-documented similarity effect, in that physical traits of the majority population seem more attractive simply because they're the ones most often seen.

Nonetheless, a number of cross-cultural studies have been conducted, in which people of different races were shown pictures of people of various races. Regardless of the race of the person in the photograph, or the person being interviewed, some patterns emerged, and all respondents liked the same physical traits: high cheekbones and large eyes.

Symmetry – most commonly an even balance between the right and left sides of the face and body – is one of the most common beauty standards. The explanation offered is that a symmetric appearance is a sign of health – or at least of the absence of tumors or atrophy.

An aesthetic preference for clear skin may be nothing more than observation of a lack of skin disease. A winning smile may simply be evidence of the ability to chew and maintain a healthy nutritional status. Absence of wrinkles is an indicator of youth, which is a basic indicator of fertility.

But the most carefully studied measure of female beauty seems to be the waist-hip ratio. A ratio of 0.70 was found to be the average ideal, and it's a ratio that gives a woman the body shape of a pear, rather than an apple. As an example of the ratio, to be the ideal.70, Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind, who famously had an 18.5-inch waist, would have to have had only 26.4" hips.

This.70 ratio spans time and culture, and exists regardless of the woman's overall body size and weight – whether the woman was/is the ideal of painter Peter Paul Reubens or a Paris designer.

This ratio of female beauty may translate into good science from the viewpoint of reproductive capacity and health. Women with a higher waist-hip ratio (those who are more apple-shaped) have greater difficulty in getting pregnant, and may have other long-term health concerns.

Some commentators have suggested that women seeking a mate, realizing they will need support during pregnancy and the early years of child rearing, look for the traits that make a good provider, which may vary depending on economic circumstances. The image of the well-muscled body-builder is a masculine ideal, and made sense when the occupational choices for men were hunting and farming, but has less meaning when the most lucrative occupations (except in major league sports) are usually sedentary (like law, investment banking, etc.).

The well-muscled look with washboard abs (and an all-over tan) may be fashionable among men, but in broad scale studies of women's preferences, the only universally desired male attribute appears to be height. Women routinely select taller men as being more attractive, and apparently award extra credit for good posture, but no other physical trait seems to be universal.

"The proof of the superiority of women to men is that women don't waste energy running after a good-looking man." The author of this aphorism was probably trying to be funny, but he was more accurate than he could have known.

1. Look for more information on the ideas of beauty in different cultures. Compare beauty standards of the past to modern standards. Analyze the impact of mass media on the public opinion concerning the ideal of beauty.

2. Give arguments for and against the following statements.

1. The notion of beauty is universal, crossing races and time periods. 2. Regardless of the race people like the same physical traits. 3. Ideas of beauty are contingent on reproductive capacity and health.

1. The standards of beauty vary over time, depending on the dominant culture and local economic conditions. 2.. Physical traits of the majority population seem more attractive 3. The media have a major influence on how beauty is conceived.

Written Exercises

Exercise 1

Translate using your active vocabulary.

1. Если бы плотина (the dam) не была построена, наводнения до сих пор были бы проклятием города. 2. Фермеры собрали бы более богатый урожай зерна, если бы этим летом было больше дождей. 3. Я не созвал бы вас всех в такой поздний час, если бы вопрос не требовал немедленного рассмотрения. 4. Его можно было бы простить, если бы он не попытался свалить вину на своего товарища. 5. В спорных вопросах, согласно конституции США, федеральный закон берет верх над законом штата. 6. Уверяю вас, что деятельность компании была подвергнута тщательной проверке. Если бы были обнаружены какие-либо нарушения, у них немедленно отобрали бы лицензию. 7. Марк очень чувствителен к критике. Если бы ты был более тактичен, когда разговаривал с ним, вы бы не поссорились. 8. Если бы Оуэн не упустил возможность забить гол на последней минуте, наша команда выиграла бы матч. 9. Ты склонен воспринимать любые разногласия как вызов. Если бы ты был более толерантным, с тобой было бы легче ладить. 10. Ее фальшивая улыбка меня не убедила. На твоем месте я бы не доверяла этой женщине.

Exercise 2

Translate using your active vocabulary

1. Как вы бы вы оценили шансы нашей команды на выход в финал? 2. Если бы не революция 1917 года, российское государство развивалось бы совершенно по-другому пути. 3. У моего деда всю жизнь было слабое здоровье, и если бы не бабушка, он не прожил бы так долго. 4. Если бы не её веснушки и неровные зубы, она была бы очень хорошенькой. 5. У меня склонность к лишнему весу, а то я съела бы еще кусочек торта. 6. Если девочка стесняется носить очки, пусть попробует контактные линзы. Это укрепило бы ее самооценку, она перестала бы переживать и стала бы лучше справляться с академическими тестами. 7. Вам было бы легче доказать свою невиновность, если бы вы смогли предоставить хоть одного свидетеля, который подтвердил бы ваши слова.

Exercise 3

Choose a topic for a composition.

1. The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from. (Andrew S. Tanenbaum). 2. The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself. (Anna Quindlen). 3. Charm is the quality in others that makes us more satisfied with ourselves. (Henri-Frederic Amiel). 4. It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious. (Oscar Wilde) 5. Modesty is the citadel of beauty. (Demades) 6. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. (Proverb).

 

 

                                 MODULE 3

                                 Personalities

When describing someone we usually talk about their personality and behaviour. Scientists and psychologists agree that very many factors contribute to forming your personality, for example, your sex, class, culture, or lifestyle. Which characteristics do we find more attractive or endearing than others? Is character genetically determined or stems from upbringing? What factors influence people’s personalities? What unattractive characteristics do we find easy to tolerate in our friends, relatives, colleagues or acquaintances? What causes arguments between men and women, parents and children? Do men and women have more differences or similarities in their personalities?

UNIT 1

Men and Women: How Different They Are

rise – rose – risen – подниматься (intransitive!) Everybody rose to receive him. What time does the sun rise?

raise (v) – поднимать (transitive) He raised his hand and the taxi stopped. I would raise the question at the meeting.

increase (v) – увеличивать to increase one’s knowledge. The factory increased production.

increase (n) – увеличение, рост, подъем. There has been a noticeable increase in demand lately.

admit (v) – 1) признавать, допускать. He admi tt ed his mistake. I dislike people who never admit that they are wrong; 2) впускать (syn. to let in). to admit smb into the house; 3) принимать to admit into college.

admission (n) – допуск, вход, разрешение войти. The note says: “Admission is free.”

deny (v) – отрицать. To deny smth / do ing smth. He denied his fault. She doesn’t deny that it is true. It can’t be denied that he is a reasonable man. She can’t deny her son anything. She couldn’t deny herself the pleasure of joining them. To deny one’s words, to deny one’s guilt, there is no denying that. He denied see ing her yesterday. He denied himself nothing.

fail (v) – 1) not to manage to do smth – закончится неудачей, потерпеть неудачу, to fail to do smth. He tried to convince her but failed. Don’t fail to come. All his plans failed. 2) не сдать, завалить что-то. He failedthe exam again. 3) подводить кого-то (syn. to let smb down) I hope you won’t fail me and the work will be done on time.

failure (n) – неудача, неудачник. to be a failure, to save from failure, to end in failure. The show was a failure.

without fail – обязательно. I’ll do it without fail.

succeed (v) – удаваться, быть успешным в какой-либо деятельности, области. She succeeded as a teacher. If you try again, you will succeed. He succeeded in gett ing the tickets for the match.

apologise (v) – to apologise to smb for smth. He apologised to me for his words. Why didn’t you apologise to her for your behaviour? The boy apologized to the teacher for being rude.

apology (n) – извинение. To make an apology, to offer an apology.

get rid of smth – избавиться от чего-либо. Don’t try to get rid of me. I’d like to get rid of all the things in my house.

shake (v) – shook – shaken – 1) трясти, встряхивать. To shake a tablecloth. 2) to shake one’s head – покачать головой (для выражения отказа, сомнения, колебания, неодобрения и т.д.) (ant. to nod). 3) потрясать, поражать. The news shook her greatly. The house shook.

shake hands with smb – обменяться рукопожатием, поздороваться или попрощаться за руку. He shook hands with me.

shake with fear – дрожать (от страха, волнения, холода).

doubt (v) – сомневаться. I doubt if he will come. I don’t doubt that it is true. I don’t doubt his honesty.

doubt(s) (n) – I have my doubts about him. There was not a shadow of doubt in her voice. There is no doubt he will come. If I were you I wouldn’t throw doubts upon his plan.

to settle one’s/smb’s doubts – разрешать сомнения. His arrival settled all our doubts.