Oral topics 1.

Sport and environment

Sport is intimately connected to nature. A healthy environment is necessary for healthy sport. For many athletes, it is this intimacy with nature that motivates and inspires them. Sports facilities, events, activities and the manufacture of sporting goods have an impact on the environment. Energy consumption, air pollution, emissions of greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances, waste disposal, wastes use and impacts on biological diversity are all issues for the sporting world to address.




Tomorrow, Save Our Planet Week starts at the Natural History Museum. Every day there will be programs about different parts of the world that are in danger. The topic of the first day will be the disappearing rain forest of Brazil. "Big business is destroying the forest by cutting down the trees in order to make money," says Robert Lund, president of Save the Rain Forest."We must stop them before it's too late," says Lund.
The Amazon River runs through the rain forest.  Indians live deep in this forest.  "If men continue to destroy the forest, many Indians will have to leave their homes," says Lund. The animals of the forest are also in danger. "Many birds and insects will lose their homes if we destroy the forest," explains Carla Sanchez, a scientist studying this area. If you care about the forests, come tomorrow and learn more about what you can do to save our planet!


MY EDUCATION PLANS
Recently, I began taking a special training course.  In the course, I'll learn what to say during a job interview.  Then the course ends next month, I'm going to apply for a full-time job at a department store .  If they hire me, I'll be able to earn a good salary and make extra money working overtime, too. I plan to save money and study at a university in a couple of years.
Some of my friends aren't planning to study, but I think it's important to go.  It's not enough just to have a high-school education. When I was in high school, I had to learn many subjects I didn't like. But when I go to study at the university, I'll be able to choose the courses I want.  I'm interested in  learning business. Maybe one day I'll have my own company.  Then, I can interview people and give them jobs!

People Are Crazy about Sports
Why do people love to watch sports? Professor Len Sanders of Georgetown University asks this question in his study, "People and Sports."  "We can understand why people like to play sports.  It's good exercise and a lot of fun," says Professor Sanders. "But why do millions of people pay so much money to watch other people play?" Sports is good business.  A winning team can make millions of dollars.  A good athlete or player can make a very large salary.  For example, at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, the winner can make more than $500,000.
Shawn Bradley is a basketball player for the Philadelphia '76ers.  He makes one of the highest salaries in basketball. He earns about four million dollars every year. Sports fans, the people who watch sports, often pay a lot of money for tickets to a game.  The Giants Football Stadium in New Jersey can hold 76,891 people. Fans get very excited when their team wins.  Professor Sanders now has the answer to his question:"People love the excitement of a good game."

Dieters Are Feeling Great!
Kim Fit, the famous woman basketball player, introduced her "Fit Feels Great" diet book three months ago.  Thousands of people are already losing weight.  "They feel wonderful!  This diet is healthy and safe.  You don't need to buy special foods. Anyone can use my diet!" David Meals is a 42-year-old businessman.  He's doing the "Fit Feels Great" diet.  "Before, I only ate a piece of cake for breakfast.  Now I understand that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  The body needs energy after a long night without any food," he explains. Mr. Meals now eats some bread and some fat-free cottage cheese for breakfast. Rock singer Maxi is doing Kim Fit's diet, too, and she feels terrific.  Now, she never eats fried foods.  She eats a lot of  turkey and chicken; they have less fat than ham and steak.  Maxi also doesn't use much salt.  "I look ten years younger, don't I?" the superstar says.

RADIO - CALL-IN   CRIME
HOST:This is Wilson Todd with "Crime Watch." Tonight we're talking about motivation and responsibility in violent crimes. Caspar Bogie, aged seventeen, has been accused of committing a number of violent crimes. Although he's admitted committing them, he claims that he was influenced by violent videos and so claims it was not his fault after all . What do you think? Caller Number One, you're on the air.
CALLER 1:Well, in order to understand what happened, we must take into consideration the kind of life Caspar has led. He has grown up surrounded by violence. Every night his ignorant parents let him watch cruel, violent music videos. Inevitably, the boy was corrupted.  It's a pity that these crimes were committed, but we can't blame the boy himself.
HOST:OK. Next caller.
CALLER 2:Let me be frank. What the last caller said is ridiculous. Seeing that the majority of people watch videos without committing crimes, you can't pretend that he's not responsible. He's guilty and he'd better pay for it.
HOST:I see. Next caller.
CALLER 3:I think that violent videos shouldn't be allowed. It's not just this one incident. There are cases like this all the time.
HOST:Thank you. And now, to our last caller...
CALLER 4:I disagree. Even though I don't particularly like violent films, I think we have to stand up for the principle of freedom of expression. I'd hate to have other people controlling what I can and can't see.
HOST:Thanks to all the callers. You've been listening to "Crime Watch."

RADIO – WEATHER
BOB:Good afternoon. This is WNEZ, your radio news station. We have a special report today from Sandy Shearer in our weather department...Sandy?
SANDY:Thank you, Bob. Did you know that pollution affects not only the ecology, but also the weather we have? We all know that the ozone, the protective layer in the earth's atmosphere that keeps out much of the harmful effects of the sun's rays, is being destroyed. As a result, radiation is coming through. The frightening thing about this is that even if we stopped dumping contaminated substances and encouraged people to recycle waste products, it would still take many years to return the ozone to the state it was in ten years ago.
And unfortunately, we haven't stopped. In addition to all this, pollution directly affects the weather by forming clouds of smog that trap in the heat, making nights unnaturally warm. The only nice thing that there is to say about pollution is that it causes breathtaking sunsets when the rays of the setting sun reflect off the smog.
And now for the weather report:
I'm sure you're all waiting to hear what the weather's going to be like this weekend. Well, if you intended to go camping in the north of the country, I would make other plans for the next few days. Heavy rainstorms are expected in that area. For those of you who have your hearts set on going away this weekend, take my advice and check into a nice little hotel. Better still, I would suggest that you either cancel your plans altogether, or take out your sleeping bags and blankets, and camp in your living room by the fire. If your destination is in the south, then I have better news for you. Skies will be clear, and rain is expected neither in the towns nor in more remote areas. So you can either take a scenic drive along the coast and enjoy the view, or have a picnic on the spur of the moment . This would also be a fine opportunity to visit one of our beautiful national parks. Anyway, listeners, whatever you do this weekend, have a good time.

WORKING AT HOME
One cold, dark, rainy Monday morning last fall, Janet Dole reluctantly dragged herself out of bed, got dressed, kissed her family good-bye, and began the long commute to her office.  She soon found herself sitting in traffic, thinking about how much she hated this weekday morning routine.  At that moment, Janet decided to change her lifestyle.  She decided to become self-employed and to run her own business from home. Janet's lifestyle change reflects a rapidly-growing trend. "Whether they are just freelancing or managing a full-time business, more and more people are choosing to work from home," says Kirk Richards, owner of Home Office, a business consulting firm.  "As a result of technical advances that have been made in the field of electronics over the past decade, there has been a significant improvement in communications. Fax machines, modems, and now video phones enable people to work from home, yet stay in touch with the outside world.  In other words , communication technology has turned many bedrooms into boardrooms." Richards points out, though, that not everyone is suited to the "work at home" lifestyle.  "First of all, you have to be a disciplined person. Second, you have to be able to work in isolation, which not everyone can handle.  Often, getting up bright and early  is difficult when there's no pressure to get to an office.  Apart from that, many people would lose their minds if they had to sit all alone in a quiet, empty house day after day! A lot of people still prefer to be around otherpeople, even if it means dressing up and commuting. Today, Janet Dole is running her small mail-order business from home.  "I love the flexibility," she  explains.  "I work when I want to, and take time off whenever I need it.  I also save lots of money on child care .

Dear Daniel,
Hi! I know I haven't written in a very long time, and I apologize.  I could lie and say that it's because I've been busy doing lots of exciting things, but I'm determined to tell you the truth, although I feel a bit ashamed. The truth is that I've spent the last few months feeling upset and depressed. In general, I've been down in the dumps .  You see, my girlfriend, Samantha, left me in January. Although I'm a very emotional person, this time I don't think I'm overreacting. I just can't seem to cope.  I cry all the time and am reminded of Samantha wherever I go. I haven't been sleeping well and as a result, I've been feeling extremely run-down and I can't do a good job at work. I loved Sam very much, and despite our differences of opinion and occasional fights, we always managed to work things out. She really broke my heart.  I think she knew that I wanted to discuss getting married, and the whole idea of marriage frightened her terribly. At last I've decided that I've been feeling sorry for myself for too long, and that I have to stop feeling like a victim. It's time to do something to improve my situation.
In spite of my anxiety about telling a complete stranger my problems, I want to see a therapist.  I need someone who is sympathetic and kind. Do you know anyone in my area? Please let me know.  You went for counseling a few years ago, didn't you? Did you find it helpful? Enough about me and my problems. How are you, Daniel?
Is your boss still driving you crazy?  At first it seemed that you liked your new job, but now it sounds like it puts you under a lot of stress. Maybe you should look for a new job; something where there is less tension.  How are Kathy and the baby? I hope you'll all be able to drop by for a visit during your summer vacation.
Please write soon, Michael
P.S. Believe it or not, writing this letter has cheered me up ! Thanks! Michael

LASAGNE AT LUIGI'S
At 7 o'clock Lianne Kaye's alarm clock buzzed. Lianne yawned as she climbed out of bed. Her body ached, and she felt a little dizzy.  When she looked in the mirror, she saw that she was pale. She took two aspirin in the hope that she'd feel better. "I had better not be sick!" Lianne said to herself,  "I must go to work today. I have an important meeting with my supervisor at 9:30." When Lianne arrived at work, she went directly to her meeting.  While she was presenting her proposal to her supervisor, Mr. Michaels, however, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. "Are you OK?" Mr. Michaels asked. "Oh... never mind . I'm just a bit under the weather . I'll be fine. Now where was I? Oh, ...  yes..." Lianne continued. Then suddenly she grabbed her stomach. "Ow!" she cried out. "I'm taking you to a doctor immediately, Lianne," said Mr. Michaels.
" What for ? I'd rather stay here." "I don't care if you'd rather stay here! You had better see a doctor.  Maybe you'll need some x-rays in order to diagnose the problem. At least the doctor will prescribe some medication so that the pain will go away."
Mr. Michaels drove Lianne quickly to her doctor. Dr. Quinn was a tall, middle-aged Englishman, and had been Lianne's doctor for many years.  He gave her a complete physical examination. "What's the problem, Doctor? Do I need an operation? Is it something contagious? Tell me the truth," Lianne said quietly.
Dr. Quinn smiled. "Lianne, what did you eat for dinner last night?"
"Dinner? Well...oh yes, I went to Luigi's Restaurant. First, I ate spinach salad. Then I had lasagne.  And finally, I ordered ice cream for dessert. Why?"
"You're the fifth person to come in here with stomach pains today. And all of you ate lasagne at Luigi's last night!  There is definitely a connection between these digestive problems and that lasagne.
I'll report this to the health authorities, and the kitchen at Luigi's will have to be inspected."
"And what about me, Dr. Quinn?" asked Lianne. "I'm still not feeling well."
"I'll give you an injection for the pain. Then I suggest that you go home and rest.  Drink lots of tea. If you get hungry, eat some toast,"  the doctor replied.
"Well, I definitely won't eat any lasagne!" Lianne said with a laugh.

AMY'S VACATION
Amy Delaney was a very successful therapist. As well as counseling many people in her office, she had a popular local weekly call-in show on cable TV called "What's Your Problem?".  You could always find Amy cheering people up and helping them work out their problems.  Even Amy's good friends would often drop by her house for sympathy whenever they were feeling anxious or down in the dumps .  And Amy always did her best to make them feel better. But one day, Amy herself, started feeling run-down. She realized that she would not be able to cope unless she took a vacation, so she booked herself a room at the Clear Springs Resort.  She didn't tell anyone where she was going, so as to be sure that no one would bother her.
"Are you THE Amy Delaney?" asked the hotel clerk in an excited voice. "I watch your show all the time. You know, I've got this problem. When I get angry, I react by shouting, and then I feel so ashamed of myself..."
"Oh, dear," thought Amy as she hurried off to her room. There was nothing she wanted to hear less than this man's problems.  This was her vacation, and she was determined to relax.
"Hello, Ms. Delaney," said the waitress when Amy went down for lunch.  "Do you know what my boyfriend did? He left me broken-hearted. There I was, crying, and he..."
"Er...thank you, I don't want any lunch," said Amy, quickly leaving the restaurant.  "I wish they would just leave me alone," she thought. "It's worse than being at home."
Amy went outside and got into a taxi that was parked in front of the hotel.  "The taxi driver had better not tell me any of his problems," she thought. "Please take me to the Springs," Amy said to the driver.
"Uh, I'm afraid I've got a bit of a problem," said the driver.
"No! Stop it! You're all driving me crazy!" shouted Amy.
"Lady, why are you so upset?" asked the driver. "I'm just out of gas.  Listen, lady, you  seem to be under some stress.  Maybe you should go see a good therapist, like that Amy Delaney on TV."

YOU'VE HIT THE JACKPOT!
Diane and Robert were poor.  They bought lottery tickets every week, but never won any prizes, and as a result, they were quite miserable.  Robert's father had been a gambler and he knew from experience that "a fool and his money are soon parted".  One evening, however, the temptation of a big win overcame Robert's better judgement and he decided to go to a new casino that had recently opened in their neighborhood. The casino was huge, dark, and noisy, and Robert found it very exciting.  He approached the first table,  called "The Spinning Wheel of Fortune." Initially, he felt silly because of his inexperience, but he soon gained confidence and picked Number 45 as his lucky number.  It was a long shot and he lost twenty dollars.  He knew he should have cut his losses then and gone home, but he continued to play until he was out of cash.
As he was leaving, he saw a woman wearing dark sunglasses playing cards at the opposite table.  He felt sure that it was Diane, but went over to verify his suspicion.  He was shocked to discover that it was her. However, his shock turned to surprise and pleasure when he realized that she was winning. "Hi, Rob. I saw you were out of luck , and thought I should help you out of your debt." Diane was clearly an expert card-player. "How long have you been coming here, Diane?" Rob asked her, worriedly. "Gambling is an illness, you know. It can lead to a serious addiction." "Yes, you're absolutely right, darling. After we pay off all our debts, let's donate the rest of my winnings to Gamblers Anonymous."

STARTING YOUNG
Seven-year-old Marina Schuman, a Russian immigrant, is called "the interpreter" by her classmates. Two new Russian students have recently joined Marina's class, and most of their school work needs to be translated for them.  Since Marina is bilingual, she was chosen for the task. "When I listen to Marina talk in her native language, it's quite obvious that she is Russian," said Mrs. Marge Smythe, Marina's teacher.  "However, when I hear Marina express herself in fluent English, it's hard to believe that she has lived in the United States for less than two years.  I hardly ever have to correct her.  I'm sure her Russian classmates will also be speaking English fluently within a few months."
Language experts point out that learning a second language is much easier for children than for adults.  "Children begin to put words together into sentences as early as age two," says Dr. Annette Davis, a language specialist.  "This pattern appears to be the same in children all over the world, no matter what language they're learning.  We believe that we can make more progress teaching a two-year-old than an older child or adult.  The younger child has more of an ability to pronounce foreign words correctly, and children in general are better than adults at memorizing new words."  Parents who want their children to practice speaking a second language at an early age can now sign their kids up at pre-school language institutes.  One school known to have succeeded in teaching foreign languages to young children is the Higgins Language Institute.

Dear Sir,
I am writing regarding  the poor service my husband and I received at your hotel last weekend. Two months ago I made a  reservation and requested a double room with a view of the lake. However, when we checked in late Friday night, we were informed that there were only single rooms available. We agreed to take a single room with a folding bed, but it turned out to be very cold. We asked the maid, as well as the manager, for extra blankets, but neither of them could find any. It was impossible to turn up the heat because, they told us, th e heater had been out of order for a week.  Furthermore,  when we checked out the following morning, we were charged the double room rate!
If we do not receive a complete refund immediately, I will tell my story to the "Daily Times" newspaper.  I'm sure that you would prefer to avoid this kind of publicity.  I look forward to  receiving your check in the mail.
Yours faithfully,
Janet Blackstone

A SPACE FOR LIVING
Many people are concerned about the future of life on this planet.  Dr. Gordon Maxwell is so concerned about it that he has set up an experimental station to develop ways to help us survive in outer space.  Dr. Maxwell believes that this is necessary because he claims that the earth will not be able to support its growing population.
"Our population is said to be growing at an extremely rapid pace," he says.  "By the next century it will have grown so much that we won't be able to feed everyone."  Dr. Maxwell claims that although the productivity of agriculture has increased, it will not be able to keep up with the population for long.  "As long as we keep growing at this rate, we will have a significant problem in the future." The population explosion is also known to have been affected by developments in medicine.  Doctors can now diagnose and cure many diseases that used to limit the population growth.  "Medicine is supposed to help us," says Dr. Maxwell, "but it may actually threaten the survival of the human race."
Dr. Maxwell has developed an innovative way of resolving this problem.  He suggests that we look for other planets in the solar system where life may be possible.  Scientists expect to be able to travel as far as Mars very soon, according to Dr. Maxwell.  Until  then we need to be prepared.  At Maxwell's experimental station, scientists try to create conditions that approximate those on Mars.  They try to grow different kinds of plants and see which ones are capable of surviving under those conditions. Will people be prepared to give up their present lifestyle and agree to settle on Mars? Who knows? According to Dr. Maxwell, they may have no choice.

CALL-IN          The press
HOST:Welcome to "Interview Line." This week, callers are invited to interview our special guest, the famous journalist, Dan Swathmore. Mr. Swathmore, more commonly known as "Dan the Man," will soon be retiring after more than thirty years writing for "The National Reporter." His next project is said to be a documentary about the scandalous world of tabloid newspapers, a subject with which he is very familiar.
HOST:Caller One, you're on the air.
DORIS:Hello. My name is Doris. Dan, isn't it true that your information is based more on rumors than on what is actually known to have happened?
DAN:Not at all. In fact, as soon as I get wind of a story, Doris, I follow it up by getting hold of the people who are reported to have been involved, and gathering as many facts from them as possible.
HOST:We have another caller. Joanne, thanks for joining us.
JOANNE:I agree with Doris. How can we trust you? After all, you journalists always refuse to reveal your sources. You take advantage of people's personal tragedies just to make catchy headlines. I'm convinced the tabloid bosses encourage you to break the law by exaggerating the truth to suit their purposes.
DAN:I can only speak for myself, Joanne. I research my articles very carefully and always have hard evidence to back up any claims I make.  As for what people call "the truth of a story," my view is that it has many versions, and my job is to reveal as many of those as I can.
HOST:Thank you all for contributing to "Interview Line."
I think the issues raised tonight were just the tip of the iceberg. Join us next week, when we will be continuing with the topic of freedom of the press.

A NATURE-LOVER'S VACATION
Many people enjoy spending their vacations swimming, lying in the sun, and staying at luxurioushotels. But there are countless others who prefer a different kind of holiday.  They head for the country, to one of the numerous United States national parks, and take advantage of the fresh air  and many outdoor activities that nature has to offer.  "I'm a successful lawyer from San Francisco," says Gavin Murphy. "But every once in a while I like to get back to nature. I usually go to Yosemite National Park, where I sleep in a tent, hike, and enjoy the peace and quiet." Visitors to our country's national parks have a wide variety of activities to choose from. They can go fishing  in a cold stream, hiking on a winding nature trail, or biking along scenic paths.  At certain times of the year, guided nature walks and interesting lectures on a variety of topics are offered to park guests.  These responsibilities, along with protecting the parks and keeping them clean, are part of the duties of the park rangers, who have undergone intensive training, and are considered to be nature experts as well as nature lovers.
"Our job is to do all we can to help our visitors enjoy their stay and learn more about nature and wildlife," says Darby Graham, who has been a park ranger for eleven years. "Some of our guests have no experience being in the country, so we often have our work cut out for us," Graham explains. Camping out does have its disadvantages, however. If it rains, there is not much to do, and even after the weather clears up , there's still lots of mud to deal with.  The weather can be quite chilly at night, and there are always many mosquitoes. Park rangers also recommend that visitors watch out for snakes, whose bites can be poisonous. They stress the fact that it is essential that food be kept packed away, so that an unexpected bear doesn't pay an unwelcome visit to some surprised guests.  Yet, nature lovers continue to visit national parks year after year.  "It might be nice to sit by a swimming pool and sip a tropical drink," Tanya Rodriguez says, "but nature is really so beautiful, and I've met such interesting people here. Nothing compares to a vacation like this!"
HEY you! Turn off that phone!
Just before the curtain lifted on a Broadway show recently, a stage manager stepped forward to give a warning. „If any of you is carrying a cell phone,” he announced, „please turn it off now. Because if it rings during the performance, the actors will pause until it stops.” Almost immediately, somebody’s phone rang. The audience laughed, thinking it part of the joke. But the look on the stage manager’face suggested otherwise, as theatergoers quickly checked their handbags and coatpockets wondering if the offending instrument was theirs.
Such scenes may not to be repeated too often on broadway. In February The NEW YORK City Council decided to ban cellular phones at public performances. Museums, libraries and even art galleries are also covered. It’s a real quality-of-life issue, says the law’s principal sponsor. His opponents pointed our that cell phones were no more a nuisance than people coughing or sneezing during a show, or unwrapping candy or cough drops. „No matter how understandable the goal, they added, the city cannot regulate common sense.”
But it has, and I have mixed feelings about it. At the movies, I’ve often seen how a love scene can be ruined by a cell phone. Nor have I forgotten being pressed into my seat by a large moviegoer whose call phone gave him an urgent message just at the most exciting moment. Those are the occassions that make you wish the cellphone hadn’t been envented. On the other hand, I’ll miss the comfort of knowing I can enjoy a movie and I can also be reached in the event of a real emergency.

TALKING:  Reality shows should be banned from our T.V. screens
Give your opinion and argue for and against the proposition. Your partner will sometimes contradict you. React to the counter-arguments of your partner,too.
FOR
 In practise people in these shows often behave explicity and unashamedly in immoral ways, which should not be nationally televised.
 These shows turn us into a whole nation of Peepeng Toms.
 They take the place of other shows which audiences miss.
 They make starts out of people who are in no way exceptional. BIAS!
 The fact that the winner gets such a big prize for doing nothing all day could be demoralizing for society.

AGAINST
 Free media can show anything
 You can always switch off your TV when these programmes on.
 These programs are hugely popular.
 They provide opportunities for participants to become well-known, which could be a basis for their future career.
 It helps the audience to learn about human behaviour through observation.

TALKING:  Expeditions to mars must be stopped
FOR
 On that barren planet we are not likely to find anything that could significantly affect life on Earth.
 Even finding traces of life or formerly existing life would not solve the problems of our planet.
 Neither pimitive, nor formerly existing life proves that large numbers of humans could ever move to Mars.
 These expections are extraordinaly costly: spending the money on problems on Earth would be far more valuable for humankind.

AGAINST
 It is the task of human beings to discover the universe: we have always explored our environment. With today’s technology, this is the next step we have to take.
 The Earth will be overcrowded one day, We might countinue our life and cold create suitable conditions, we might even be able to create an atmosphere.
 Finding life in any form outside the Earth could revolutionise human civilization.

TALKING: Popular sport should be sponsored and encouraged much more by the government than competitive sport
FOR
 More money would mean more opportunities for sport, and more encouragement would mean more people using these opportunities.
 The amount of money the goverment spend on promoting amateur sport would be saved because there would be fewer health problems and lower health care costs. Doing sports refreshes your mind and improves your memory. Everybody should pursue some sport.
 The general public would enjoy an emotionally more balanced and stable life thanks to the benefitial effects of physical exercise.
 Sport should be made available to everybody, not just to the talented few.
 Competitive sport is a business, therefore it could still find sponsors in the private sector and thrive without state support






AGAINST
 Sport champions bring worldwide publicity and glory to the nation, boosting our national pride.
 Since the whole nation can be proud of them, too.
 Succesful sportsmen women can serve as a examples and encourage the general public to take up sport.
 Facilities built for the professionals could also be used by the public