It is said that charity begins at home, and people in the UK О) seem to have put these words into practice. Their enthusiasm for helping others shows

на тему любой выдуманной истории, то есть выдумать небольшой рассказ (например, сказку, мистическую историю и т.д.)
Текст должен состоять из четырёх частей : введения, двух основных частей и вывода.

A. CHILDREN AND TENAGERS
B. SHOPPING FOR WOMEN
C. EXPENSIVE ISN’T ALWAYS BEST
D. THE EASY WAY OUT
E. DON’T WASTE TIME
F. THE WRONG GIFT

Choosing the Right Gift
1. Imagine spending all this time, money and effort in choosing the perfect gift for your friend and as soon as she sees it, the disappointment she feels is so great that no degree of politeness on her part can hide her reaction! You’ll probably feel quite embarrassed, and she is likely to feel quite awkward too, because of her reaction! Well, there are certain things you can do to avoid such embarrassment.
2. To begin with, it is said that mothers, sisters, girlfriends, daughters and so on are more difficult to shop for, so do a little research before making your choice of gift. Pay attention to what the girl or lady you want to buy a gift for usually buys for herself. Think of her hobbies and interests or ask her to describe some of the best gifts she’ ever received. These should lead you towards a good choice.
3. Next, come the young generation. Buying a gift fao a toddler or a child is as easy as choosing somethng for your adolescent friend or relative. After all, kids need toys and clothes while teens are happy with CDs or a pair of friendly jeans, right? Not necessarily! The little ones usually end up with too many topys or clothes, and teens go through so many mood swings and changes that you never know what makes them happy. Again, just ask what they’d like!
4. Of course, choosing the right present doesn’t have to be so stressful. What matters is not the amount of money that goes into your gift but whether your choice reflects your feelings for the person who receives it. Buying a pricey stereo or piece of jewellery may not be fully appreciated if they are just displays of wealth rather than throughtfulness.
5. Naturally, there will be times when you simply don’t know what to choose. If that’s the case, the simplest way to avoid giving the wrong present or worrying too much about what to choose is giving the wrong present or worrying too much about what to choose is a gift certificate or something more general, like a big bunch of flowers or a nice box of chocolates. Presents like that are most often welcome, so you can’t really go wrong!

A. CHILDREN AND TENAGERS
B. SHOPPING FOR WOMEN
C. EXPENSIVE ISN’T ALWAYS BEST
D. THE EASY WAY OUT
E. DON’T WASTE TIME
F. THE WRONG GIFT
Choosing the Right Gift
1. Imagine spending all this time, money and effort in choosing the perfect gift for your friend and as soon as she sees it, the disappointment she feels is so great that no degree of politeness on her part can hide her reaction! You’ll probably feel quite embarrassed, and she is likely to feel quite awkward too, because of her reaction! Well, there are certain things you can do to avoid such embarrassment.
2. To begin with, it is said that mothers, sisters, girlfriends, daughters and so on are more difficult to shop for, so do a little research before making your choice of gift. Pay attention to what the girl or lady you want to buy a gift for usually buys for herself. Think of her hobbies and interests or ask her to describe some of the best gifts she’ ever received. These should lead you towards a good choice.
3. Next, come the young generation. Buying a gift fao a toddler or a child is as easy as choosing somethng for your adolescent friend or relative. After all, kids need toys and clothes while teens are happy with CDs or a pair of friendly jeans, right? Not necessarily! The little ones usually end up with too many topys or clothes, and teens go through so many mood swings and changes that you never know what makes them happy. Again, just ask what they’d like!
4. Of course, choosing the right present doesn’t have to be so stressful. What matters is not the amount of money that goes into your gift but whether your choice reflects your feelings for the person who receives it. Buying a pricey stereo or piece of jewellery may not be fully appreciated if they are just displays of wealth rather than throughtfulness.
5. Naturally, there will be times when you simply don’t know what to choose. If that’s the case, the simplest way to avoid giving the wrong present or worrying too much about what to choose is giving the wrong present or worrying too much about what to choose is a gift certificate or something more general, like a big bunch of flowers or a nice box of chocolates. Presents like that are most often welcome, so you can’t really go wrong!

re to attend university. Students are graduating with larger and larger debts. So is a university degree really worth it? In 2006, the UK government started to allow universities in England and Wales to charge British students tuition fees. As a result, more than 80% of students in England and Wales now take out a student loan in order to go to university. They use the loan to pay for tuition fees, books and living expenses. Although the interest on student loans is quite low, it begins as soon as the student receives the loan. The average student in England and Wales now graduates from university with debts of around £12,000. Students of medicine, who study for longer, usually have debts of more than £20,000. That is a lot of money. It means graduates cannot afford to buy a house for many years. They even struggle to pay rent on a flat, because they have to start paying back the student loan when they reach the April after graduating (or after leaving a course). If you start to earn over £15,000 a year, the government takes repayments directly from your monthly salary. Is it any surprise, therefore, that the average British person does not leave their parents’ home until they are 30 years old? You might think that a British person with a degree will find it easy to get a well paid job. However, most people in “white-collar jobs” seem to have a degree these days, so there is a lot of competition. Also, British companies tend to value work experience over a piece of paper. Like everyone else, graduates usually have to start at the bottom and work their way up. That can be very frustrating for them, since they are often over-qualified for the work they are doing. While at university, they had dreams of getting an exciting, challenging job. Therefore, life after university ends up being quite disappointing for a lot of graduates. All of the above is beginning to make British people question whether a university degree is really worth the money. Even before the credit crunch started, the BBC stated, 'The number of British students at UK universities has fallen for the first time in recent history... from 1.97 million in 2007 to 1.96 million last year [2008]’. It looks like the figures will continue to decline, since loan companies are now telling some student that there are no loans available for them. Forecasts are that between 2009-19 there will be fall of 6% in the number of 18-25 year-old university applicants across the UK. Students have always been seen as not having a lot of money, but “student poverty” is now considered a real problem in the UK. Most British students expect to get a loan, part-time job or summer job. Worse than that, however, is the fact student leaders report there are increasing numbers of students turning to crime to support themselves financially. By contrast, things are now easier for students from other countries coming to study in the UK, since the value of the British pound has fallen. More international students come to Britain each year. The British universities offer more and more of the available places to richer international students rather than poorer British students. Some British people fear that, one day, there won’t be any university places left for British students at all.

problem. The situation in other countries around the world is very similar. Of course it is normal to feel a little shy sometimes. Most people feel shy in a new social situation, for example when they start a new job or have to meet and talk to strangers. But in these cases the shyness usually passes quickly.

Some people, however, are extremely shy. They are so shy that they cannot live normally. They feel worried, they sweat and tremble when they are with other people. In order to avoid these unpleasant feelings, the shy person avoids* other people. Shy people often say to themselves: "I'm not normal. People think I am boring and unattractive. I'm a failure." These negative thoughts make it more difficult for the shy person to make friends. The result is that the shy person is lonely and sad.

Shy children need a lot of help. Otherwise these shy children will grow up and become shy, unhappy adults. Parents who have a shy child should set a good example, since children learn a lot of behaviour from their parents. It is also important not to label a child as shy.

Shy children can also help themselves. You have to learn to think positively. You must stop thinking negatively. Another thing you can do is give yourself a target. For example, you may say, "I'm going to talk to at least one stranger today" or "I'm going to ask X to come for a coffee with me." When you achieve your target, you will feel very satisfied. If you are shy, you should try to walk with your head up so that you look at other people's faces. Soon, walking like that will become a habit and you will feel better and more confident as a result.

Of course, it is normal to be shy sometimes. Being a little shy can sometimes stop us from doing things that are foolish. But if you are extremely shy, you do not have to suffer. You can become less shy and become a happy, sociable person.

1. Read the review and say in 2-3 sentences what ut is about.

2. There are quite many shy people in the world and it is not an illness. Read aloud the extract which says about it.

3. Why are shy people sad?

4. What recommendations does the author give parents and children?