English literature,θέματα Αγγλικής φιλολογίας 5
H D.Education D.Sclias προσφέρει ΔΩΡΕΑΝ
Τα παρακάτω θέματα και ασκήσεις, τα οποία είναι πολύ χρήσιμα βοηθήματα για όλους τους σπουδαστές της Αγγλικής γλώσσας και τους υποψήφιους ή φοιτητές Αγγλικής φιλολογίας Ιδιαίτερα για όσους θέλουν να αποκτήσουν ένα επίσημο δίπλωμα Αγγλικών .π.χ. lower – Proficiency —
English philology part 5A
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Α. Να αποδώσετε στο τετράδιο σας στην ελληνική γλώσσα το παρακάτω κείμενο, προσδίδοντάς του τη μορφή που θα έπρεπε να έχει αν επρόκειτο να δημοσιευτεί σε ελληνικό έντυπο.
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Jon Stone’s gift was to teach children useful things while they were falling about with laughter or gripped by a story. Millions of otherwise deprived children have learnt at least the rudiments of knowledge – counting and spelling – by watching ‘Sesame Street’, an American television show that Mr. Stone helped to create. It doesn’t sound much, numbers and letters, but unless you make a start you’ll never become a brain surgeon. Many Americans who got to university were happy to acknowledge that they grew up on ‘Sesame Street’.
The intellectual approval posed a question for John Stone. Was it enough to see the programme as no more than a primer for numbers and letters, however ingeniously they were put across? Clearly it was not. ‘Sesame Street’ boldly set out to offer viewers something of what it called the rich pattern of life. Real people, such as a blind man and a mute woman, were introduced. Blacks, Hispanics and American Indians made their appearance.
‘Sesame Street’ has been singled out by some for being politically correct. Fortunately, it is not. Most of the time Jon Stone was a subversive. The characters for which he wrote are splendid parodies of people. He was happiest sticking a pin into ‘correctness’ of any kind.
The Economist, April 5th 1997
Δίνεται: Hispanics: Ισπανόφωνοι, primer: αναγνωστικό.
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Απάντηση:
O Jon Stone είχε το χάρισμα να διδάσκει στα παιδιά χρήσιμα πράγματα, ενώ αυτά λυνόταν στα γέλια ή άκουγαν συνεπαρμένα μια ιστορία. Εκατομμύρια παιδιών, που σε κάθε άλλη περίπτωση, θα έμεναν στερημένα από μόρφωση, έχουν πάρει τουλάχιστον τις βασικές γνώσεις αριθμητικής και ορθογραφίας παρακολουθώντας το πρόγραμμα ‘Sesame Street ’, ένα Αμερικανικό τηλεοπτικό πρόγραμμα , το οποίο δημιουργήθηκε με τη βοήθεια του κ. Stone. Δεν ακούγεται σαν κάτι σπουδαίο, μόνον αριθμοί και γράμματα, αλλά αν δεν κάνεις μια αρχή, ποτέ δε θα γίνεις χειρούργος εγκεφάλου. Πολλοί Αμερικανοί, που μπήκαν στο Πανεπιστήμιο δήλωσαν με χαρά ότι μεγάλωσαν με το πρόγραμμα ‘Sesame Street’.
Ωστόσο, ετέθη ένα ερώτημα στον John Stone ως προς την πνευματική αποδοχή του προγράμματος. Ήταν άραγε αρκετό να δει κανείς το πρόγραμμα σαν τίποτε περισσότερο από ένα αναγνωστικό αριθμών και γραμμάτων παρά τον έξυπνο τρόπο που αυτά μεταδίδονταν ; Είναι ξεκάθαρο πως όχι. Το πρόγραμμα ‘Sesame Street’ ξεκίνησε τολμηρά να προσφέρει στους θεατές ένα μέρος απ’ αυτό που ονομάσθηκε πολυμορφία της ζωής. Παρουσίασε πραγματικούς ανθρώπους, όπως έναν τυφλό άνδρα και μια βουβή γυναίκα. Επίσης, Μαύροι, Ισπανόφωνοι και Ινδιάνοι της Αμερικής εμφανίστηκαν σε αυτό.
Για μερικούς η εκπομπή ‘Sesame Street’ ξεχώρισε επειδή ήταν πολιτικά ορθή. Ευτυχώς δεν είναι. Τις περισσότερες φορές ο Jon Stone ήταν ανατρεπτικός. Οι χαρακτήρες που δημιούργησε είναι έξοχες παρωδίες ανθρώπων. Ήταν ιδιαίτερα ευτυχής όταν στηλίτευε κάθε μορφή ‘ορθότητας’.
The Economist, 5 Απριλίου 1997
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B. Να απαντήσετε στο τετράδιό σας στα αγγλικά στις παρακάτω ερωτήσεις:
B1. a. Provide a title for the above text and justify your answer.
Απάντηση:
Β1α. “The Contribution of Sesame Street to American Education and Social Awareness”. Besides helping children to learn the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, ‘Sesame Street’ has helped them to become aware of the differences among people and thus has made them more tolerant of these differences.
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b. What do you think the writer means by ‘otherwise deprived children’ in the first paragraph? (About 30 words):
Απάντηση:
b. Children coming from a poor family background who lack the things that are considered necessary for a comfortable and happy life. Their only opportunity to learn is through ‘Sesame Street’, otherwise they would be illiterate.
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c. Why do you think the phrase ‘sticking a pin’ in the last paragraph is appropriate in this text? (About 30 words)
Απάντηση:
c. It is appropriate in this text because by presenting minorities and groups of people with physical defects, Jon Stone questioned the values of the American social system and showed that in society there’s a pattern of life beyond the ‘correct’ image broadcast by the media.
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B2 a. ‘Blacks, Hispanics and American Indians made their appearance’ (2nd paragraph)
What message could the appearance of such people convey to young children, especially in America ? (About 30 words)
Απάντηση:
B2 a. It is the duty of the media to present ethnic minorities as an inseparable part of American society so that the image of a multiracial society where people co-exist peacefully together without racial discrimination is conveyed to the young generation.
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b. You are a young American who grew up on ‘Sesame Street’ and is now at University. Write a paragraph saying what the show offered you as a child. (About 40 words).
Απάντηση:
b. When I recall those hard times of my childhood with my father being unemployed and me having to get a job to help my family make ends meet, ‘Sesame Street’ was the single thing in my life then I was looking forward to every week. This is how I learnt the rudiments of knowledge. Through a passion for knowledge because of my ill-fate, I progressed by leaps and bounds and here I am now at University. I express my deep gratitude to you Mr. Stone for showing me the way. Keep up the good work.
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c. Imagine you are a teacher. Do you think that a child learns better while having fun? (About 40 words).
Απάντηση:
c. I have been a dedicated teacher for many years and I can state categorically that children become really interested in the lesson, when I use fun activities such as role playing and group competitions to motivate my students to participate in the learning process more actively. In this way, I believe even the shyest student can be encouraged to become an active participant.
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Γ. Να γράψετε κείμενο 120-150 λέξεων με θέμα :
You have been asked to write an article about the lives of young people for an international young people’s magazine. Describe two or three ways in which young people in your town or city spend their leisure time, and suggest two or three improvements in the existing facilities or the creation of two or three new ones.
Απάντηση:
The aim of this article is to describe young people’s life nowadays and at the same time delve into the ways in which they spend their leisure time.
To begin with, young people’s life styles today are completely different from those of past generations. Living in a harsh and competitive society, they find themselves under constant pressure to rise to the challenges of modern times and make the grade as successful members of our society. Competition in the fields of education and future careers is so fierce and puts such a great strain on them that quite a few inevitably see their efforts come to nothing and their dreams for a better future in tatters.
It is plain to see that such a state of affairs leaves little room for personal recreation as free time has become a scarce commodity for most teenagers. When it does become available, it is utilised in a number of ways according to personal tastes and interests. Most commonly young people enjoy socializing in bars and cafes, which are usually packed with standing people. A good many of them will prolong their stay there exchanging ideas and at the same time pursuing new interesting acquaintances. Joining sport clubs is a popular option for the more athletic-minded as the need for physical activity is also seen as an attempt to let off steam from academic pressures. Many will stay on in basketball or tennis courts till late in the evening and quite a few are seen in tracksuits even in the streets of town . Computer centres always remain immensely popular with the young attracting large masses of them . Now that the Internet offers instant access to just about any source of information and more and more cafeterias have begun to offer paid connection to the Internet, a relatively new pastime appears to be gaining ground as the young can, in this way, combine socializing with electronic entertainment and education.
It is self-evident that these current trends dictate a new kind of state infrastructure in terms of building facilities. Attempts are being made by the local authorities to improve the existing ones and create new ones but, as is usually the case, adequate state funding is always the stumbling block. Ideas exist, but their implementation will probably take years. Ideally, a wide range of recreational , sports and study centres would provide the solution to the modern needs of the young encouraging and motivating them to spend their leisure time constructively.
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English philology part 5B
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A. Να αποδώσετε στο τετράδιό σας , στην ελληνική γλώσσα, το παρακάτω κείμενο προσδίδοντάς του τη μορφή που θα έπρεπε να έχει αν επρόκειτο να δημοσιευτεί σε ελληνικό έντυπο.
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The Boards of the Royal College of Music in England have painted a bleak picture of the decline in school instrumental tuition for all age groups.
In the independent sector, however, some schools are moving in the opposite direction. The classic example is Millfield School, which for the first time in its history has appointed a composer – in – residence.
Mark Emney, 43, a composer who has written extensively for television, film and theatre, is now into his third term in what he believes to be a unique post.
This term, in addition to working with the school on his own composition, Mr. Emney is giving up Saturday mornings to help pupils to record their work on a CD. ‘I could write lots of pieces for my own ego but the most rewarding thing is to go into the classroom and find a key that opens a door for the youngsters.’
Above all, he believes, music has to be accessible. ‘I try not to make it too complicated.’
Indeed, Mr. Emney’s entire philosophy of music education is based on its universality. ‘If I was asked to justify the programme,’ he adds, ‘I would say that it helps to unify the school. And it generates a feeling of well-being’.
Nigel Williamson, The Times, June 5 1998
Δίνεται: composer – in residence: μόνιμος συνθέτης
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Απάντηση:
Τα μέλη του Συμβουλίου του Βασιλικού Κολεγίου Μουσικής στην Αγγλία έχουν περιγράψει με μελανά χρώματα την παρακμή στην διδασκαλία της ενόργανης μουσικής στα σχολεία για όλες τις ηλικίες.
Στον ανεξάρτητο / ιδιωτικό τομέα, ωστόσο, κάποια σχολεία κινούνται προς την αντίθετη κατεύθυνση. Το κλασσικό παράδειγμα είναι το σχολείο Millfield , το οποίο για πρώτη φορά στην ιστορία του έχει διορίσει ένα μόνιμο συνθέτη.
Ο Mark Emney, ένας 43χρονος συνθέτης, που έχει γράψει εκτενώς για την τηλεόραση, τον κινηματογράφο και το θέατρο, διανύει τώρα την τρίτη του περίοδο σε μια θέση που ο ίδιος θεωρεί μοναδική.
Αυτό το τρίμηνο, εκτός από το ότι επιμελείται της δικής του σύνθεσης σε συνεργασία με το σχολείο, ο κ. Emney διαθέτει τα πρωινά του Σαββάτου για να βοηθήσει τους μαθητές να καταγράψουν τη δουλειά τους σε CD. ‘Θα μπορούσα να γράψω πολλά κομμάτια για την προσωπική μου ικανοποίηση, αλλά αυτό που με ικανοποιεί περισσότερο από ηθικής πλευράς είναι να μπαίνω στην τάξη και να βρίσκω ένα κλειδί που ανοίγει μια πόρτα στους νέους’.
Πάνω απ΄ όλα, πιστεύει, η μουσική πρέπει να είναι προσιτή σε όλους. ‘Προσπαθώ να μην την κάνω υπερβολικά περίπλοκη’.
Πράγματι, ολόκληρη η φιλοσοφία του κ.Emney για τη μουσική παιδεία βασίζεται στην παγκοσμιότητά / οικουμενικότητά της. ‘Αν μου ζητούσαν να δικαιολογήσω το πρόγραμμα’, προσθέτει, ‘θα έλεγα ότι βοηθάει στην ενοποίηση του σχολείου. Και δημιουργεί ένα συναίσθημα ευημερίας’.
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B. Να απαντήσετε στο τετράδιό σας στα αγγλικά στις παρακάτω ερωτήσεις:
B1 a. Suggest an appropriate title for the above text.
Απάντηση:
Β1. a. Professional musician appointed in private school.
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b. Do you think that Mr. Emney’s musical experience helped him in his new post? Justify your answer. (not more than 40 words)
Απάντηση:
b. The fact that Mr. Emney has written music extensively for a variety of fields means that he has acquired a wide experience of the subject and is ready to give his privileged students a real insight into music.
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c. What does Mr. Emney mean by ‘… it generates a feeling of well-being’?
(not more than 30 words)
Απάντηση:
c. He means that after he has helped unify the school with music, school children are brought closer together with a new sense of co-operation and creativity. Once again, music has broken the barriers.
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B2 a. In your opinion, how does music unify a school? (not more than 40 words)
Απάντηση:
B2 a. Being a kind of universal language , music is a vehicle for communicating ideas, feelings and a sort of common goal, a shared vision. So it generates a sense of unity among the students of the school.
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b. Could the example of Millfield School be followed by a Greek State School? What are the difficulties and prejudices which need to be overcome? (not more than 50 words)
Απάντηση:
b. Theoretically, it could. All is needed is a bold step on the part of the ministry and a change in the attitude of teachers and students , as music has been traditionally undervalued as a school subject, not to mention cases where music is even out of the school curriculum.
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c. Do you believe that a composer can be a successful teacher too? (not more than 50 words)
Απάντηση:
c. I most certainly do. If he transferred his musical knowledge to education using the harmony and discipline of music during and after lessons and above all believed in the intrinsic value of what he was doing, he could certainly bring a new and promising approach to teaching.
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Γ. Να γράψετε κείμενο 180 – 200 λέξεων με θέμα:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement:
Television has helped improve the standards of education. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Απάντηση:
Whether television can contribute to learning and provide the right stimuli for young people to help them increase their knowledge and understanding depends entirely on the kind of programmes they are exposed to.
Television can be an excellent contributing factor to learning if more educational programmes were broadcast during the early evening hours when so many children watch television. For instance, a child watching a documentary on the pollution of the environment may come up with questions about it. Documentaries and debates about current affairs such as the problem of AIDS, drugs and so on can be really informative and increase the awareness of many youngsters.
However, the reality is harsher than we could have imagined. With the exception of one or sometimes two state channels, which do present a wide range of documentaries on various topics, all the other private channels care only about the commercial viability of their programmes and totally ignore educational needs. Inappropriate and obscene language, purely materialistic ideals and frivolous programmes of zero educational content continually parade in front of the TV screen making one wonder if TV channels ever cared about the sensitive eyes and hearts watching all these. The purpose of TV as an educational means is thus defeated.
To sum up, a certain minority of TV programmes does improve the standards of education whereas the vast majority of them undermines any desire for serious learning and sullies the image of television as an educational means.
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English philology part 5C
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A. Nα αποδώσετε στο τετράδιό σας, στην ελληνική γλώσσα, το παρακάτω κείμενο προσδίδοντάς του τη μορφή που θα έπρεπε να έχει αν επρόκειτο να δημοσιευτεί σε ελληνικό έντυπο :
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Europe is a continent that loves languages.
From an early age, schoolchildren toil over difficult foreign verbs. Bookstores and news-stands keep multilingual stocks, and advertisers and television broadcasters think nothing of mixing, say, German, English and French.
But all this shrinks into insignificance compared with the polyglot goings-on at the headquarters of the European Union in Brussels.
The 15-country Union operates with 11 official languages. As a result, the European Union-which would fit into the United States with room to spare-maintains the largest translation staff in the world.
It is a gargantuan enterprise, by any standard. The United Nations, with its 185 members, has just five official languages.
And the European repertory is expected to grow. With talks under way on plans for 10 Central and East European countries to join the union, even ardent linguists agree that a Tower of Babel looms.
No wonder then that every so often someone tries to shrink this enormous linguistic bureaucracy. Not long ago, France and Austria proposed that for most purposes the organization’s languages should be limited to five: French, German, English, Italian and Spanish. In the outcry that followed, led by the deeply stung Danes, Dutch and Greeks, the idea was shelved.
International Herald Tribune, Saturday-Sunday,
February 27-28, 1999
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Απάντηση:
Η Ευρώπη είναι μια ήπειρος που αγαπά τις γλώσσες.
Από μικρές ηλικίες, οι μαθητές βασανίζονται για να μάθουν δύσκολα ρήματα σε ξένες γλώσσες. Βιβλιοπωλεία και περίπτερα διατηρούν αποθέματα ξενόγλωσσων εντύπων και οι διαφημιστές και οι εκφωνητές της τηλεόρασης δεν διστάζουν να αναμείξουν, παραδείγματος χάριν, τη γερμανική με την αγγλική και τη γαλλική.
Αυτό όμως καταλήγει να θεωρείται άνευ σημασίας συγκρινόμενο με την πολυγλωσσία που επικρατεί στη Διεύθυνση της Ευρωπαϊκής ‘Ενωσης στις Βρυξέλλες.
Η Ευρωπαϊκή ‘Ενωση των 15 χωρών λειτουργεί με 11 επίσημες γλώσσες. Ως αποτέλεσμα (της πολυγλωσσίας), η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, το μέγεθος της οποίας είναι πολύ μικρότερο σε έκταση από των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών, διατηρεί τον μεγαλύτερο αριθμό μεταφραστικού προσωπικού στον κόσμο.
Είναι μια γιγαντιαία επιχείρηση από κάθε άποψη. Ο Οργανισμός Ενωμένων Εθνών, με τα 185 μέλη του, χρησιμοποιεί μόνο 5 επίσημες γλώσσες.
Και το Ευρωπαϊκό ρεπερτόριο των γλωσσών αναμένεται να αυξηθεί. Με τις συζητήσεις που βρίσκονται σε εξέλιξη και αφορούν σχέδια για προσάρτηση 10 Κεντρικών και Ανατολικών Ευρωπαϊκών χωρών στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, ακόμη και οι πιο ένθερμοι (υποστηρικτές της πολυγλωσσίας) γλωσσολόγοι συμφωνούν ότι επίκειται ένας νέος Πύργος της Βαβέλ.
Δεν είναι να απορεί κανείς λοιπόν, ότι σε μόνιμη βάση κάποιος προσπαθεί να περιορίσει αυτή την τεράστια γλωσσική γραφειοκρατία. Πρόσφατα, η Γαλλία και η Αυστρία πρότειναν, για τις περισσότερες περιπτώσεις, ο οργανισμός να μειώσει τις γλώσσες σε πέντε: Γαλλικά, Γερμανικά, Αγγλικά, Ιταλικά και Ισπανικά. Λόγω της διαμαρτυρίας που ακολούθησε, στην οποία πρωτοστάτησαν οι πολύ ενοχλημένοι Δανοί, Ολλανδοί και Έλληνες, η ιδέα δεν υλοποιήθηκε (μπήκε στο περιθώριο).
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B. Να απαντήσετε στο τετράδιό σας στα αγγλικά στις παρακάτω ερωτήσεις:
B1 a. Give a title and a subtitle to the above text.
Απάντηση:
Β1. a. Title: The Problem of Multilingualism in EU.
Subtitle: The European Tower of Babel.
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b. Find three phrases that the author of the text uses to illustrate the problem of multilingualism in EU.
Απάντηση:
b. 1) Schoolchildren toil over difficult foreign verbs.
2) Even ardent linguists agree that a Tower of Babel looms.
3) As a result the European Union – which would fit into the United States with room to spare – maintains the largest translation staff in the world.
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c. Write the two comparisons that the author makes to illustrate the problem mentioned in question b.
Απάντηση:
c. 1) But all this shrinks into insignificance compared with the polyglot going-ons at the headquarters of the European Union in Brussels.
2) The United Nations, with its 185 members, has just five official languages.
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Β2 α. In your opinion, is it worth toiling over difficult verbs from an early age? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages. (Not more than 40 words).
Απάντηση:
B2. a. The earlier a child becomes familiar with a foreign language the easier it will be for it to speak it fluently. On the other hand, the problem a child may encounter by learning difficult verbs could later on result in his having a negative attitude towards that specific language.
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b. Why do you think advertisers in Greece use the English language so often when promoting their products? (Not more than 40 words).
Απάντηση:
b. It is common knowledge that Greek people are favourably disposed to almost anything coming from abroad. It is then wise for an advertiser to use English words when promoting a product, since it is certain that it will make it more appealing to the Greek consumers.
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c. You were asked to support the Greek language in the European Union, right after the proposal of France and Australia to limit the organization’s languages to five. Write your arguments in a paragraph. (Not more than 50 words).
Απάντηση:
c. Greek is one of the oldest languages in the world and one with a widespread influence on many other languages. In fields like medicine, science and literature, countless Greek words have been adopted for want of better alternatives from other languages. Moreover, the Greek culture is widely known and respected through the works of ancient philosophers and historians. Therefore, if we were to allow the European Union to exclude the Greek language, it would be tantamount to denying part of our history and long-lasting values.
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Γ. Να γράψετε κείμενο 180-200 λέξεων με θέμα:
In some countries of the world, becoming an adult is synonymous with leaving home and being independent’.
Do you agree with this statement or not? What is your opinion about it?
Απάντηση:
In some modern western societies, it is believed that becoming an adult is synonymous with leaving home and living independently. To a great extent, I agree with this statement although I think certain points need to be made clear.
To begin with, leaving home in order to live alone, appealing and enticing though it may sound to most young people, is far more than a simple escape from parental restriction or oppression . It is certainly not for those unprepared to fend for themselves in simple household matters they had always taken for granted. Those who dismiss this factor as unimportant are definitely in for a nasty shock. On the other hand, living alone will sooner or later bring them face to face with themselves and their innermost self. Under the circumstances, it is only natural that such feelings as loneliness, depression and a struggle to tame occasional fits of moodiness will bring home a new reality of life.
However, there are positive sides to this as well. Psychological survival is the biggest victory against yourself and the signalling of a new, mature, self-aware and responsible individual emerging. Armed with strength of character, a young person will see it as a challenge to learn to cope with the responsibilities and demands of life and will soon take them in his stride through trial and error.
If adulthood means acquiring maturity and wisdom through experiences , then leaving home and being independent can, indeed, substantially contribute to it.