based on p.4-5, ex.3 Listen and choose the correct options InterviewerMs Rossi Ms Rossi, among journalists you are regarded as a specialist in languages. They say you're a famous polyglot who knows more than twenty languages. I speak about fifteen – English, German, French, Spanish, Polish, Czech, Italian are among them. Do you speak Russian? I can read and understand Russian texts, but my speaking skills are not very well developed yet. English is not your mother tongue, is it? No, it isn't. My native language is Italian, but I began learning English as a teenager and have been practising it ever since. I hope my English is fluent enough. It definitely is. When you are learning a language, how do you get to know which words are embarrassing or offensive? You should certainly look the words up in a dictionary. But the dictionary is not always the best reference when you're dealing with people's prejudices. True. To find out which words can cause offence, I talk to people. For example, the dictionary says that the adjective elderly is a polite way of saying old when speaking about people. The indication is clear: old should not be used in such cases. But is elderly the best way? And how can you find that out? I speak to various groups of people, scholars and those who are not very well educated. Their opinions are often far from being identical. Thus, a working-class Londoner says that pensioners is the most common word when one speaks about old people. And he adds that he personally likes the phrase "senior citizens", which in his view is quite good, and hates the terms "old man" or "old woman". He characterizes these word combinations as terrible. I see. So we should use the word "pensioner" or the unit "senior citizen" instead of the expression "an old person". Is that the solution? Actually, it is not. For instance, Peter Shay, a certain lecturer in gerontology, which is the study of ageing, has a different point of view. Peter says that for him the word "old" is not insulting in itself, especially if the tone of the voice is pleasant and friendly, as in the question "How are you, old man?". Oh, but that's different. It's just a form of address, like old boy or old chap. Exactly. By the way, dictionaries mark these collocations as old-fashioned. It is also important to mention that the phrase "old man" is usually used by certain educated or middle to upper-class people. Peter Shay points out that an accurate description for an old man or an old woman should be an older person. Peter stresses that the word pensioner is nowadays outdated too. Yes, and some people find it even offensive because it refers to a person's financial status as pensioners are not employed. So how does Peter Shay like to describe people who are not young anymore? He offers a neutral term, a euphemism which is coming into popularity now: "a third ager". The first age is the age of education, the second one is the age of work and the third age is the age of mobile, active life without full-time work. So, in Peter's terms I'm a third ager and I am not against being called like that. Ms Rossi doesn't speak Polish. German. Greek. Ms Rossi speaks Russian better than English. Italian better than Russian. English better than Italian. You can find out if a word is offensive by talking to people. looking it up. doing both of the above. The adjective "old" has a lot of substitutes. is hardly ever used by native speakers. is the least common word when natives speak about old people. Peter Shay is an upper-class Londoner. a specialist in gerontology. an old-age pensioner. According to Peter Shay, there is a tendency to call people who are not young anymore third agers. elderly people. older people.

Задание

basedonp.4-5, ex.3

Listenandchoosethecorrectoptions
InterviewerMsRossiMsRossi, amongjournalistsyouareregardedasaspecialistinlanguages.Theysayyou'reafamouspolyglotwhoknowsmorethantwentylanguages.Ispeakaboutfifteen–English, German, French, Spanish,Polish, Czech, Italianareamongthem.DoyouspeakRussian?IcanreadandunderstandRussiantexts,butmyspeakingskillsarenotverywelldevelopedyet.Englishisnotyourmothertongue, isit?No, itisn't.MynativelanguageisItalian,butIbeganlearningEnglishasateenagerandhavebeenpractisingiteversince.IhopemyEnglishisfluentenough.Itdefinitelyis.Whenyouarelearningalanguage, howdoyougettoknowwhichwordsareembarrassingoroffensive?Youshouldcertainlylookthewordsupinadictionary.Butthedictionaryisnotalwaysthebestreferencewhenyou'redealingwithpeople'sprejudices.True.Tofindoutwhichwordscancauseoffence,Italktopeople.Forexample, thedictionarysaysthattheadjectiveelderlyisapolitewayofsayingoldwhenspeakingaboutpeople.Theindicationisclear: oldshouldnotbeusedinsuchcases.Butiselderlythebestway?Andhowcanyoufindthatout?Ispeaktovariousgroupsofpeople,scholarsandthosewhoarenotverywelleducated.Theiropinionsareoftenfarfrombeingidentical.Thus, aworking-classLondonersaysthatpensionersisthemostcommonwordwhenonespeaksaboutoldpeople.Andheaddsthathepersonallylikesthephrase "seniorcitizens",whichinhisviewisquitegood, andhatestheterms"oldman" or "oldwoman".Hecharacterizesthesewordcombinationsasterrible.Isee.Soweshouldusetheword"pensioner" ortheunit "seniorcitizen"insteadoftheexpression "anoldperson".Isthatthesolution?Actually, itisnot.Forinstance, PeterShay, acertainlectureringerontology,whichisthestudyofageing, hasadifferentpointofview.Petersaysthatforhimtheword "old" isnotinsultinginitself,especiallyifthetoneofthevoiceispleasantandfriendly,asinthequestion "Howareyou, oldman?".Oh, butthat'sdifferent.It'sjustaformofaddress, likeoldboyoroldchap.Exactly.Bytheway, dictionariesmarkthesecollocationsasold-fashioned.Itisalsoimportanttomentionthatthephrase "oldman"isusuallyusedbycertaineducatedormiddletoupper-classpeople.PeterShaypointsoutthatanaccuratedescriptionforanoldmanoranoldwomanshouldbeanolderperson.Peterstressesthatthewordpensionerisnowadaysoutdatedtoo.Yes, andsomepeoplefinditevenoffensivebecauseitreferstoaperson'sfinancialstatusaspensionersarenotemployed.SohowdoesPeterShayliketodescribepeoplewhoarenotyounganymore?Heoffersaneutralterm,aeuphemismwhichiscomingintopopularitynow: "athirdager".Thefirstageistheageofeducation,thesecondoneistheageofworkandthethirdageistheageofmobile, activelifewithoutfull-timework.So, inPeter'stermsI'mathirdagerandIamnotagainstbeingcalledlikethat.
MsRossidoesn'tspeak

Polish.
German.
Greek.

MsRossispeaks

RussianbetterthanEnglish.
ItalianbetterthanRussian.
EnglishbetterthanItalian.

Youcanfindoutifawordisoffensiveby

talkingtopeople.
lookingitup.
doingbothoftheabove.

Theadjective "old"

hasalotofsubstitutes.
ishardlyeverusedbynativespeakers.
istheleastcommonwordwhennativesspeakaboutoldpeople.

PeterShayis

anupper-classLondoner.
aspecialistingerontology.
anold-agepensioner.

AccordingtoPeterShay, thereisatendencytocallpeoplewhoarenotyounganymore

thirdagers.
elderlypeople.
olderpeople.

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