You are going to read the poem aloud. Which words will you stress? Where will you pause? Practise reading the poem.

Task 2

Listen to Roger McGough introducing and reading the poem. How does his reading compare with yours? (e.g. Does he read it more quickly or more slowly than you? Does he stress words you didn’t?)

Task 3

You are going to listen to Roger McGough talking about how he writes his poetry. Imagine you were able to earn your living writing poetry.

a) What kind of poems would you like to be able to write (e.g. love poems, poems about places)?

b) What kind of daily routine would you have? (e.g. Would you write at night?)

c) What advantages and disadvantages would there be in this kind of life?

Task 4

Listen to Extract 1 from the interview. Answer the questions.

1. What experiences has he written about?

2. What is his daily routine?

Task 5

Listen again. Which of these does he say? Say in what way the other sentences are incorrect.

1. He is a serious poet.

2. His humorous poems are only for children.

3. Things he sees on TV can stimulate an idea for a poem.

4. A poet is like a sheep.

5. The only day he doesn't write a poem is on the day of a poetry reading.

6. He writes a poem as soon as he wakes up.

7. He is totally useless at everything except writing poems.

Task 6

Listen to Extract 2 and answer the questions.

1. What does he feel makes a poem different from prose?

2. Are many British people interested in poetry?

Task 7

Discuss some of these questions.

1. Can you remember any poems from childhood? What do you think of them now?

2. Have you ever written any poetry?

3. Who are the most famous creative artists in your country at present (e.g. poets, painters, musicians, novelists, film-makers)?

4. Are they original / classical and traditional /popular with young people?

Simon Winchester: how I became a journalist

(40.mp3)

Task 1

Listen to Simon Winchester, a BBC foreign correspondent, talking about how he began his career. Put these events in the correct order.

- read a book called ‘Coronation Everest’

- met James Morris in Wales

- received a letter from James Morris

- read Geology at Oxford University

- resigned from his job in Africa

- worked on an oil rig in the North Sea

- went to Uganda to work as a geologist

- flew back to Britain

- wrote to James Morris

- found a job as a journalist in Newcastle upon Tyne

Task 2

Match a verb in A with a noun in В to make collocations.

Task 3

Listen again. Are the sentences true or false? Correct the false ones.

1. Simon didn’t become an academic because he didn’t get a very good degree.

2. They reached the summit of Everest on the morning of the Queen's coronation on 2 June 1953.

3. Simon was particularly impressed that Morris had been the first journalist to report the news.

4. Simon wrote to James for advice on how to become a journalist.

5. James advised him not to become a journalist.

6. Simon didn't meet James until 1974.

7. James had changed into a woman and changed his name to Jan.

8. Simon and James have lost touch with each other.

A Lecture on Robert Browning (14.wma)

Listen to a part of a lecture and answer the following questions.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 2044