Thomson Heinle Publishing Taboos And Issues - Past 1

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Death

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Introduction
Do you find this conversation offensive?
I haven't seenHarry for months. How is he?
> Dead! He died just beforeChristmas.
Which would you prefer to say?
He passed
away just beforeChristmas.
or We lost him just beforeChristmas.
Do you use similar expressions in your language to
avoid the words dead or died? lf so, what are they?

Discussion
ln your country:
1. When someone
dies,what happensto their body?
a. It is buried. b.It is cremated.
c. Somethingelse
2. \7here do funeralceremonies
take place?
a. In a church b. At d sbrine
c. Sometuhere

else
3. Who usuallyattendsfunerals?
d. Only men b. Men and women c. Anyone
4. What colour do peoplewear ro signify death?
a. Black
b.White
c. A different colowr
.5.
What do peopleusuallydo at funerals?
a. Cry openly and expressstrong emotions.
b. Keep their emotions under control.
c. Try not to cry, but cry quietly if they cdnnot help it.
When you die, would you prefer to be buried or cremated?

"Die,

my dear doctor? That's
the last thing I shall do!"
Lord PctLmerstot't

SURPRISING HONESTY AT FUNERAL
Family and friends at the funeral of George
Ramsbottom in Honley, West Yorkshire,
were stunnedwhen his brother,Frank, stood
up in the church and told everyonethat his
brother would not be missed.
Describing his brother as the meanestman
he had ever met, he went on to list all the
people who would be glad to know that
Georgehad died, and gave the reasonswhy.

He claimed that Georgewas a liar, a cheat,a
womaniserand a drunk. "He owed money to
half the people in the village; he had ruined
a number of marriages; and he was often
incredibly rude for no good reason. No one
will be sad that he has sone." said Frank
Ramsbottom.
Mr Ramsbottom's unexpectedspeech was
followed by complete silence. Eventually
Margaret Dudley, the minister in charge of
the service,stoodto say,"Let us give thanks
for George'slife with our final song." She
then sang on her own while everyone else
stood in silence.The service ended shortlv
afterwards.

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Reading
Read the two articles opposite. Then choose the best
answers to these two questions:
1.Why do you think nobody sangthe final song at the
fur-reral George Ramsbottom?
a. Becausethey didn't agree with George's brotber.
b. Becdusethey were shocked hy what had happened.
2. What is Maplethorpecouncil going to do?
a. Order the body to be re-buried in a cemetery.
b. l"lothing.
Discussthe questionsbelow in pairs:
1. Was Frank Ramsbottomright ro make the speech?
2. "You should neverspeakill of the dead." Do you

agree
?
3. Can you bury someone their gardenin your
in
country?
4. Can you scattertheir asheswherever you like?
5. How would you feel if your nexr-doorneighbours
buried their grandmorherin their back garden?
Death

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HOME BURIAL CAUSES ANGER
A family who buried a relative in their back
gardenhave angeredneighbours.
Residentsof a care home were shocked to
seethe coffin of Daniel Stevens
loweredinto
a grave in ChesterfieldRoad, Maplethorpe.
Staff at the Adamson care home, which
overlooks the garden, want the body reburied in a cemetery.
Geraldine Thomson, the manager of the
home, said: "Someone sent me a letter last
week to say the funeral would happen on
Thursday.I thought it was ajoke.
There were about 200 people in the garden
for the service.When I called the police they
said they couldn't do anything to stop it

because wasn't illegal."
it
Maplethorpecouncil said it was not able to
prevent a burial on private land as long as
certainrules were followed.

Iaboos and /ssues

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Language
Use the correct form of these verbs below:
murder
kill
die
I
.....fora
1 . I ' m j u s t g o i n go u t s i d e . ' m
cigarette.
2. Do you want a drink?
> YesIcould
,
... acupof tea.
3. What's your new boyfriend like? I'm
....t0meethim.

. . warmed up! Are
9. You look like
you ill?
10.I don't just want to sit on the beachall day.
I'll be bored to . . .
you have similar idioms in your language?
Do

Do you know these idiomatic expressions?
He's kicked the bucket.
He'spopped his c/ogs.
He'sgone to meet his maker.

4.I've been out shoppingall day. My feet are
. . . . . . m e !
5. The train doesn'tleavetill 4, so we've got
nearly an hour to . . .
'Whenever
you open your
6. Just keep quiet.
... theEnglish
mouth,you..
language!
Add the following words to these sentences:
death

murder

7. When is it going to stop raining?I'm sick to
of this weather!
8. Sorrv I'm so late. The traffic was . .

"'Will you please
takeyour

Discussion

feet

off *y bestcbair!"

Answer the questions below on your own:
1. How do you feel when the subject of death comes into the conversation?
a. [Jncomfortable- I don't want to talk abowt it.
b. lt dependshow other people redct.
c. Fine - it's perfectly natural to talk about death.
Or do you have another reaction?
2. You have to tell a close friend that a mutual friend of yours has died. You know that they were
very close How would you start the conversation?
.
a. I'm afraid we won't be meeting Mary for lunch on Friday after all.
b. Haue you heard? Mary's jwst died.
c. You'd better sit dotun. I'ue got some bad news about Mary. She died last night.
C)r would you say somethingelse?
3. A friend of yours (a rather unreliable one) has just died, owing you a lot of money. After the
funeral his sistercomes to talk to you. Do you say:
a. I was hoping to meet one of the family so I can get my money back.
b. Poor George! He was such a good friend. (and forget about the money)
c. I shall miss George- but not as much as the ["1000 he ctwedme!
Or would you say somethingelse?
4. If the only work availablewas working with dead bodies - for example as an undertaker or a
pathologist - what would you do?
a. Take the job. Somebodybas to do lobs like that. It's no big deal.
b. I could neuer do a iob like that.'What would my friends think? I'd rather starue.
c. I'd ask for a huge salary.It would be OK if I was paid a lot.
d. Pleasestop tallCompareand discuss your answers in pairs or small groups.
ls it OK to joke about death?

Iaboos and /ssues


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Nudity

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Vocabulary

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Nude / Naked- both words mean wearing no crothes. For exampre:
He wrrscompletelynarked.
Shewas standingthere,in the nude.
Naturism is the activity of not wearing any clothes because you believe
it is more natural or healthy.

The peopfe who do this are called nudists or naturists.

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Discussion

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How would you react in the following situations?would you laugh,
be embarrassed,
cover your eyes,
have a good look, or do somethingelse?
l. You are warchinga football match when a
nrrkecl
woman runs onto the pitch and stops
the garrnc.

4. You are ar the beach with your family. A man
and a woman put their towels near you, take
off all their clothesand lie down to sunbathe.

2. Some ncw friends of yours have a sauna.After
clinncr,

they suggest
you all relax and chat in
the siruna.When you are getting ready, you
cliscover
that you are expected be naked.
to

5. You are invited to dinner by some people you
don't know very well. After dinner, they show
you their holiday photographs.They had been
to a naturist resort in the south of France.The
picturesleavenothing to the imagination!

-1.
Yru rrreshoppingin the main streetof your
town. You notice a man walking down the
street.He is not wearing any clothes,but is
carrf ing a shoppingbag.

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6. Your new boyfriend/girlfriend suggests
gorng ro
'V7hen
the beach.
you get there, it,s a nudist
beach.

Reading
Answer these questions. Then read the article to find out the answers.
l. How manv narlrrists you think there are in Britain?
do
a. 5,000 b. 25,000 c. 50,000
2.How many official nudist beaches you think there are in Britain?
do
a.10
b.50
c.100
.1.D. v..r think it is p.ssible to go on a nudist packageholiday?

EVERY BEACH SHOULDBE A NUDISTBEACH
This sunrmer British naturists are spokesperson
fbr BN, the British England to France, which British

planningkr swirn and bathe naked Naturism magazine. "we
wilr N a t u r i s m h o p e s w i l l i n c r e a s e
on public beachesthroughout the def'endour members in court
... as awareness of topless and nudist
collntry to draw .ttention to public long as we are satisfiecl
that they beaches many partsof the world.
in
and official opp.sition to their have behaved reasonably
a n d Britain alreadyhas I 70 clubs and l0
lit'estyle.
there's
been
no
i n d e c e n t beaches
where naturismis ofTicially
British Naturism. the leading UK behaviour."
permitted and, surprisingly, the
o r g a n i s a t i o nf b r n a t u r i s t s .i s n o t T h e N u c l e T o l e r a n c e C a m p a i g n ,
naturist lifestylc is becoming big
only encouraging its members to which
started quietty
last business. Members of BN enjoy
b a t h e n a k e d w h e r e v e rt h e y w a n t , N o v e m b e r , i s b u i l d i n g
up as discounts on ferry servlces.car
b u t i s a l s o p r o m i s i n g t o c l e f ' e n ds u m m e r a r r i v e s a n d B r i t a i n ' s
rental and breakdown insuranccand
the''in court if they iire arrestecl
by 25,000 naturists arrive at beaches can enjoy f2,000 nudist Caribbean
the policc.
and clubs all over the UK. There c r u i s e s . S e v e r a l l a r g e t o u r

"Basically.
.ur view is that every wiil also be a nude cross-Channel
operators, including Virgin. offer
b c a c h i s a n a t u r i s t sb e a c h , "s a i c la r e l a y s w i m f i o m t h e s o u t h
'
o f natunstsummerpackages.

Nudity

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Taboosand /ssues

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jokes
incorrect
Politically
Discussion
Readthis joke about a blind person.ls it funny?
A blind man and his guide dog went into a department store to do some
Christmas shopping. Atl of a sudden, the man picked up his dog by the tail and
"sir!
Can I hellt
started to swing it)round in a circle. A salesassistantshouted,
"I'm
"No
yctu?"

thanks," the blind man replied,
iust looking"'
joke which upset
Have you ever laughed at something that other people thought was not funny or told a
people? Describe the situation.
ls it OK to tel jokes about anything and everything? Would any or all of the following offend you? Why?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

a ioke about a physicallydisabledperson
a joke that makes fun of women
a ioke that makes fun of men
a loke that makes fun of the elderly
a ioke that ridiculesa particularreligion
a ioke involving a particular country or nationality
a loke making fun of lawyers
a ioke that makes fun of blondes
Do you know any jokes involving any of the above?
ls there a particular group of people in your country who are often the object of jokes?

Language
Use the correct form of these verbs to complete the jokes below:
climb
make

drown
pLtt
retrdtn
take
call
haue
. . . a blonde laugh on
1.How do you
Friday?
> Tell her a joke on Monday.
...ablonde?
2.Howdoyou
> Put a mirror on the bottom of a swimming
pool.
3. What's the differencebetweena blonde and a
computer?
information into
> You only have to . . .
a computer once.

say
throw

6. \fhy don't blondes get coffee breaks?
> It takes too long to . . . . . . them afterwards.
'V7hat
do intelligent blondes and UFOs
7.
...incommon?
> You often hear about them, but you never

seeone.
. . . to screw
8. How many blondes does it
in a light bulb?
> One. Sheholds the bulb still and the world
revolvesaround her.

. . . over the glass
4. Why did the blonde
wirll?
> Tcrseewhat was on the other side.

9. IX/hatdo you
brain?
> Gifted.

S.What do you do if a blonde . . . . . . . - a
grenadeat you?
> Pull the pin out and throw it back.

' . . if her doctor
10.What would a blonde
pregnant?
told her that she was
> Is it mine?

. . . a blonde with half a

Did you find these jokes offensive? Do you know anybody who would? Are they blonde?
it to

Thi;k about a joke that you know and try to translate it into English. Write it down first and then tell
a classmate.
Politically incorrect iokes

Taboosand /ssues


Reading
The authors would like to make it clear that none of the following jokes has been written by them. They
are typical of jokes which exist in books of jokes and on joke websites.The jokes printed here are among
the least offensive! As you read the jokes below, rate each one for its level of humour and level of
offensiveness:

HUMOUR
A: very funny
OFFENSIVENESS A: verv offensive

B: a bit funny
B: a little offensive

C: not funny
C: not offensiveat all

loke 1
Q: How can you tell when a lawyeris lying?
A : H i s l i p sa r em o v i n g .

loke 7
How do you make a cat go 'woof'?.
Soak it in petrol and throw it on the fire.

foke 2
A womanwas paying someitemsin a
for
supermarket a pint of milk,a packet bacon,
of
a
smallbagof rice and a few vegetables. man at
The
the checkout
said,"l betyou'resingle,
you?"
aren't
"Well yes,I am,"the womanreplied.
"How did you
"Because
you'rereally
know?"
veryugly,"replied
the man.

foke B
There was a young man from Calcutta,
Who had the most terrible stutter,
H e s a i d ,P a s s h e h - h a m ,
t
And the 1r-ffjam,
And the b-b-b-b-b-b-butter.

foke 3

HOW TO IMPRESS WOMAN
A
Compliment cuddleher,kissher,caress
her,
her,
love her,strokeher,comfort her,protecther,hug
her,wine and dine her,buy giftsfor her,listento
her,respect
her,standby her,supporther,go to the
endsof the earthfor her.
HOW TO IMPRESSMAN
A
Arrivenaked... with beer.
foke 4
How do you makea dog drink?
P u ti t i n a l i q u i d i s e r .
foke 5
Q: How do men sorttheirlaundry?
'F
A : ' F i l t h y ' a n d i l t h y u t s t i l lw e a r a b l e . '
b
foke 6
and eightarms?
Q: What hasfour legs
A: A pit-bull
terrier a children's
in
playground.

foke 9

A young man with a wild and multi-coloured
hairstylesits next to an old man on a park bench.
The old man staresat the young man. "What's the
matter,old man?" saysthe young man. "Never done
a n y t h i n gc r a z y i n y o u r l i f e ? "T h e o l d m a n r e p l i e s :
"Yeah. When I was in the Navy, I got really
drunk
one night and had sex with a parrot. I thought you
might be my son."
loke 10
Q: How do you know when you're too fat?
A: When you step on the scalesand it says 'To
be continued.'
foke 11
Q: If your wife comes out of the kitchen to nag you,
what have you done wrong?
A: Made her chain too long.
foke 12
Q : W h y d o l t a l i a nm e n w e a r l o t s o f g o l d c h a i n s
a r o u n dt h e i r n e c k s ?
A: So they know when to stop shaving.

Match the following reactions to the relevantjokes above:
a. Anybody who thinks setting fire to an animal is funny needspsychiatrichelp. They are sick!
b. That's in really bad taste.Peoplewho have a speechimpedimenr can'r help it.
c. I don't think you should joke about people's
appearance. not their fault!
It's
d.I don't get it. (I don't understand
the johe.)

Discussion
Did you find any of the jokes offensive or 'sick'? Which, it any?
Who would be offended by the jokes above? Consider each one with a partner.
Are there any categories of jokes that you would describe as offensive that were not included above?

Taboosand /ssues

Pol iticaIly incorrectjoke s


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Tabooconversation
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Discussion

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Work in pairs. Discussthese questions:

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When you fill in a form, are you h"ppy to give this information:
Yottr age?
Your mdrital statusl
Your income?
Are there any other questionsyou don't like answering?

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Readthrough the four conversations
below.Who are the peopleand what is the situation?

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Conversation 1
A: Your blood pressure absolutelyfine. Have
is
you beeneatingnormally?
B: Oh yes.The sameas normal.
A: And do you take any regularexercise?
B: Yes,I play squashtwice a week.
A: Mm. Tell me, how much do you weigh?
B: About 68 kilos.
t

Gonversation2
A:
B:
A:
B:

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'We've
just moved in
Hello, I'm Jean Walker.
nert door.
Paul Burton. Pleased meet you. Do you
to
work locally?
Yes, I'm a solicitor with a firm on the High
Street.
A solicitor.
That's a good job. How much do
you eirrn?

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Conversation3
A:
B:
A:
B:

Hello. I'rn looking for a white tennis shirt.
OK. Tennisshirtsare over here.
As you can see,I'll need a fairly large srze.
Yes, I c:rn seethat. How much do you weigh,
if you don't mind me asking?
Conversation4
A: Gareth,you will be delightedto hear that we
wor-rld
like to offer you the job.
B: Great! Thank you very much.
A: \7e need tc'r
talk a bit about salaries.
B: Right, yes,of course.
A: Rernindme, how much do you earn at the
moment?
B: About {35,000 a year.
A: Yes,well, we won't be able to give you more
than that initirrlly, but we shor-rld able t<;
be
match it.
Tabooconversation
topics

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"Good

morning. I'd like to talk
to you ahout the Bible."

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Discussion

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1.In each dialogue there is a personal question.
Decide if the question is appropriate to the
situation and the speakers. lf it is not
appropriate,why isn't it?
2. The questionsin conversations and 3 do not
2
have answers.How do you think the speaker
should reply in these situations?
3. Have you ever been asked an inappropriate
question? When and who by? How did you
respond? Have you ever asked an inappropriate
question by accident?What happened?
Taboosand /ssues

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Mark the expressions below in the following way:

if they are polite ways of asking personal questions
O
R
if they are ways of responding to personal questions

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l.l hope you don't mind me asking,but ...
2 . I ' d r a t h e rn o t a n s w e rt h a t ( i f y o u d o n ' t m i n d ) .
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J. t Know this is a bit nosey,but ...
4. Mind v()rrr wn business!
o
you ask?
5. wliv do
6. Can I ask you a personalquestion?
7. That's rrrther il personalquestion.
,
8 . I k n o w t h i s i s a b i t p e r s o n a lb u t . . .
really none of your business.
9. I'm afraid thert's

Discussion
Look at the questionsbelow.Decidewho has the right to ask you these questions.lt may be a particular
person, for example, a doctor, a priest, a police officer, a partner/lover.lt might be anybody or it might
be nobody. Write anyone. a particular person or no one next to each question.

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How old are you?

Have you ever taken drugs?

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How much do you weigh?

Are you planning to start a family?

How tall are you?

Who did you vote for at the last election?

How much do you earn?

Have you got a criminal record?

Have you got a boy/girlfriend?

Are you gay?

Are you a virgin?

How much was your CD-player?

Are you married?

\fhat religion are you?

\rVere
your parentsmarried?

How do you feel about abortion?

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Work in pairs.Ask your partnerthe questions.Use the expressionsin the Languagework to help you
ask and answerthe questions.

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Your best friend
Gouldyou say these things to your best friend?

Your breirthis terrible.

I think you've had enoughto drink.

You smell nice. What is it?

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You look silly in that shirt.

You need a haircut.

I think you should ring and apologise.

Your boy/girlfriend'sgot nice legs.

If you want to smoke, do it outside.

I wish you'd learn how to make coffee.

zrp)
Your fly is undone. (fly = 11611.er

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Could you say the same things to your teacheror your boss?
Do you have a friend you can say anything to?
Are you a tactful person or are you more blunt and direct?
Do you think being direct is a good or a bad thing?

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Taboos /ssues
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Taboo
conversation
topics

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It shouldbe banned!
Discussion
Here is a list of some things which are banned in some countries,but are allowed in others. In pairs or
small groups, discuss whether they are banned in your country and then comparewith others in your
class:
. toplesssunbathing
. smoking insidepublic buildings
. abortion pills
o smoking arijuana
m
. sellingalcohol on electionday
o parentSsmacking children
lf some or all of the things above are not banned in your country, do you think they should be?
Why / why not?

Reading
Read these articles and answer the questions below each one with a partner:
ON RIO BEACH
WOMAN ARRESTED

I'OX HUNT SABOTEURS ARRESTED

yesterday
tbr using
A young woman was amested
part of her two-part bikini. Braziliansare
only one
famous fbr their love of the beach,and wear very
i
s m a l l b i k i n i s b u t t o p l e s ss u n b a t h i n g s s t i l l n o t
'look the other way'
allowed.Policeusedto have a
the
havebegunto enforce
policy but localauthorities
law which forbids nudity.The woman
controversial
"This is Brazil - not
was unrepentant
afterher arrest:
England.
not the US. We believein fieedomand we
bclieve in the right to show our bodies. This is
ricliculous."
absolutely

Two men and a woman were anestedby police after
causinghim to breakhis
pulling a man off his hclrse,
as

arm.The incidenthappened the threetried to stop
in
countryside
a fox-huntgoing aheadin the Sussex
t h c s o u t ho f E n g l a n d .

1. ls this law sensible, in your opinion?
'look the other way' policy?
2. What is meant by a
3. "We believe in the right to show our bodies."
Do you agree with her?

Severalminutes of arguing had precededthe attack
when the small group anived with bells and whistles
"Hunting fbxes is
to confusethe dogs and horses.
one of the group before being led
murder." screamed
away by police.
1. Do you feel sympathetic towards the offenders
in this article? Why? Why not?
2. Do you have any animal sports in your country
which you think should be banned?

BAR FINED FOR ALLOWING SMOKING

KU KLUX KLAN RALLY VIOLENCE

Popularbar O'Malley's was fined $1.000on Friday
city

the
nightfbr disobeying new SanFrancisct'r order
which prohibitssmokingin any public building.The
owner plans to appeal against the fine before a
"l
hearingthis afiernoon. tell you. even if the fine
stays.there'sno way I'm going to make my loyal
go
customers outsidein the cold to smoke."he said
yesterday.His customers have of'fbred a lot of
support.
"Has
This is a barl It's a place
the world gone mad'?
"l
fbr vices." said one regular. can't drink without
smokingl"

Four members of the Ku Klux Klan brotherhood
were beaten up at a public rally in which KKK
"a cry fbr white freedom."
memberswere calling for

1. What do you think about this law?
2. What do you think the bar owner should do?
3. What was one customer's justification for
smoking in the bar? Do you agree?
It shouldbanned!

Tempers began to flare when the Klan members,

white robes,begantheir march
in
clressed traditional
t h r o u g h a p r e d o m i n a n t l yb l a c k n e i g h b o u r h o o d
"White power!" Locals took to the streets
shouting
and showedtheir opposition.some using violence.
by
Four men were anested the police.
"We are a peaceful organisationwith the right to
"It's not our
speakour minds," said one Klansman.
fault thesepeopleare animals."
1. Do you sympathise with the offenders?
'the right
2. The man from the KKK said they had
to speak our minds'. Do you agree?
3. Should groups like the KKK be banned?
Taboosand /ssues


Language
Use the correct form of these verbs to complete
the texts below:
stgn

go on

protest dgatnst

I (1) . .
. . . a protestmarch
tomorrow with Greenpeace (2)
to
. . . . the Japanese
Government's
policy on whaling. \7e are trying ro ger 5,000
p e o p l e t o( 3 ) .
...a petirion,whichwe
plan to hand in to the Japanese
Embassy.
This is
something I feel very strongly about.

urSe
ban

boycott
carry out
I belongto an organisation
that (4)
against animals being used ro test cosmetics.We
(5) . . .
politiciansand consumergroups
and (6)
. . the generalpublic to (7) .
c o m p a n i e s t h a(t8 )
.... experimentson
animals. Our aim eventually is for the
governmentto (9)

. . . all forms of animal
exploitation in the cosmeticsindustry.
cdmpatgn
lctbby

Discussion
Have you ever been on a protest march? What for?
Have you ever signed a petition? What for?
Have you ever boycotted a company or its products? Which ones? Why?
Do you think any of these actions make a difference?Which one is the most effective?

Newspaper
language
Certain words are found almost exclusively in newspapers, particularly in headlines. Match the
meaningson the right with the underlinedwords in the headlinesbelow:
I. POLICE OIJIZ ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUP

a. attempt

2. NUDISTS SEEK MORE SUPPORT

b. fight

3. MINISTER BACKS CANNABIS PLANS

c. interview

4. FASCISTPARTY IN POWER BID

d. supports

.5. NEW CALLS TO HALT FUR TRADE

e. demand

6. POLICE AND DEMONSTRATORS CLASH IN CAPITAL

f. stop

7. BOXING BAN PLEA

g. obstruct

8. GREENPEACEFOIL WHALERS

h. look for

Discussion
In small groups, decide whether any of the things below should be banned.Try to persuadethe others
in your group. Then take a vote for each one.

bullfighting
f o x - hu n t i n g

h u m a nc l o n i n g

cockfighting

alcohol

f i s hi n g

cigarettes

whale-hunting

marijuana

shooting

prostitution

gunclubs

pornography

m i l i t a r ys e r v i c e

boxing

n u c l e a rt e s t i n g

soapoperas

b a l l r o o md a n c i n g

Iaboos and /ssues

g e n e t i c a l l y o d i f i e d( G M )f o o d
m

passports

It should be banned!


Not my type
Discussion
L How important is it for you to have a partner who is physicallyattractive?
who was physicallyunattractive?
2. Could you fall in love with someone
habit?
/
who had a disgusting embarrassing
3. Have you ever beenout with someone

Reading
Here are two letters to the 'problem page' of a magazine.As you read them, think about this question:
Hdt,e J,tttteuer nlet on),onewith the same or similar'prrtblems'?
Dear Betty,

Dear Bettv.
woman.She's
l've met thiswonderful
t,
t a l l ,b e a u t i f u il n t e l l i g e nc h a r m i n g
,
a
nearly
everything man couldever

Every
want.There's
only one problem.
time shetriesto kissme I feel like
b e i n gs i c k !
thing
At firstI thoughtit was a passing
- that maybeshejust needed brush
to
that
herteethmore.Now I realise this
mustbe somekind of permanent
W
c o n d i t i o n . h a td o I d o n o w ?| c a n ' t
(
g o o n h o l d i n g y b r e a t h a sl ' m d o i n g
m
overto kiss
now)everytime sheleans
to
me. lt'sgetting the pointwhereI
when
don'tevenlook in her direction
your
shetalksto me! Thisis not
kind
morning-breath of smellaverage
s
t h i si s m o r el i k es o m e t h i nh a sd i e d
inside er!

h
I
W h a ts h o u l d d o ?
Thomas

I have one of the most thoughtful,kind,
men on the planet but he
considerate
h
h a st h i s r e a l l yd i s g u s t i n g a b i tt h a t I
I can't decide how to
can't standand
tellhim.
th
B a s i c a l l y , e p r o b l e mi s h e p i c k s h i s
n o s e .I d o n ' t m i n d s o m u c h w h e n w e ' r e
at home, alone, but when we're in
or
public, in a nice restaurant, worse/ at
e
m y p a r e n t s ' h o u sw h e n w e / r e h a v i n g
He
dinner, I just want to disappear.
s t a r t s i g g i n gi n a n d p u l l i n gt h i n g so u t
d
and throwing them on the floor, or
even worse, puttingthem in his pocket!
when he wants to
And then afterwards
or touch my face I avoid

hold my hand
his advances and of coursehe gets
upset.
I want to tell him about it becauseI
that he does it,
don't think he realises
s
b u t l ' m a f r a i dl ' l l e m b a r r a s h i m a n d I
d o n ' t w a n t t o l o s eh i m . I m e a n , I d o n ' t
w a n t t o s o u n dl i k e l ' m h i s m o t h e r .
h
Please elp.
Emily

Discussion
Discussthe following with a partner:
that tell you how bad Thomas'sgirlfriend'sbreath is.
1. Find words and expressions
2. Did anything in the two lettersmake you laugh?
3. Which problem above did you think was worse?
4. What would you do in Thomas'sor Emily's situation?
6

Not my type

Taboosand /ssues


Sex for sale
Discussion

1. Match the words on the left with the definitions on the right:
l. a prostitute
a. someonepaid ro go out socially with other people
2. a pimp
b. a house where men pay to have sex with prostitutes
3. a red-lighr isrricr
d
c. a person who agreesto have sex in return for money
4. a brothel
d. part of a town where there are many prostitures
-5. a kerb-crawler
e. a man who controls prostitutesand lives off their earnings
6. an escort
f. a man who drives slowly along a road looking for a se"ual liaison
ls prostitution a problem where you live? ls there a red-light district in your town?
Readthe informationin the box and discuss the questionsin pairs or small groups:
At present,in Britain, a woman who
sells sex on her own in a single
property is not breaking the law.
However, it is illegal for a prostitute
to work, or to ask for work. in a
public place. If two or more women
sell sex in a single property, it is
technicallya brothel, which is illegal.

o What is the law in your country?
. Do you think it is too strict, too lenientor about
r:ight?\fhy?
o How would you feel if you found our rhar a close
friend or a member of your family was working as

a prostitute?

Shouldwe legalise
brothels?
Read the two articles to see if these statements are correct:
1.The police officer would like to have srricterlaws on prostitution.
2. The local councillorwould like to relax the laws on prostitution.
"lt's ridiculous
to try and eliminate a practice
w h i c h h a s b e e n g o i n g o n s i n c et h e b e g i n n i n g f
o
c i v i l i s a t i o n .T h e r e a l w a y s h a s b e e n , a n d a r w a y s
w i l l b e , a d e m a n d f o r p r o s t i t u t e sy o u c a n , t s t o p r t
.
b y m a k i n g i t i l l e g a l .T h e p r o b l e m s w e h a v e a r e
b e c a u s ep r o s t i t u t i o ni s n o t r e g u l a t e d T h e w o m e n
.
i n v o l v e da r e a t r i s ko f b o t h p h y s i c a la n d e m o t i o n a l
a b u s ef r o m t h e p i m p s w h o , e m p l o y , t h e m .T h e i r
w o r k i n g c o n d i t i o n sa r e o f t e n p o o r a n d t h e r e a r e
c o n s i d e r a b l e e a l t h r i s k s .L e g a l i s i n gt w o u l d g i v e
h
i
women more control over their lives _ their
h e a l t h , t h e i r s a f e t y a n d t h e i r f i n a n c e s .F r o m t h e
police point of view, it would also mean ress
o b v i o u sp r o s t i t u t i o n n t h e s t r e e t s n d a r e d u c t i o n
o
a
i n r e l a t e dc r i m e s u c h a s d r u g d e a l i n g .T h e c u r r e n t

Iaws are contpletely impractical.lt,s time thev
were changed."
Helen Maddocks, senior police officer

"This

i s n o t a p r a c t i c a li s s u ea t a l l , i t ' s a m o r a t o n e
a n d l ' m d e a d a g a i n s t n y c h a n g ei n t h e l a w . I n f a c t ,
a
I think the laws should be tougher.I agree we
s h o u l d b e c o n c e r n e da b o u t t h e h e a l t ha n d s a f e t y f
o
the women, but the plain fact is, sexfor money is
wrong. Sex should not be for sale.The laws we
h a v ea r e n o t j u s t f o r s t a t i n g h a t i s a l l o w e d a n d n o t
w
allowed, but also to show us what is good and
w h a t i s b a d . L e g a l i s i n gp r o s t i t u t i o n c r e a t e s t h e
i m p r e s s i o nh a t i t i s a g o o d t h i n g . l t ' s a s i g n o f g r e a t
t
moralweaknessn our society. rostitution ay De
i
P
m
t h e ' o l d e s t p r o f e s s i o n ' ,b u t t h a t d o e s n ' t m e a n t r
shouldbe encouragedo continue."
t
Janet Boyce, local government councillor

Spend two minutesthinking about these questions,then discuss them with a partner:

l.Which argumentis closerto your own opinion?Underlinethe statements
you agreewith.
2. Are you surprisedat the police officer's attitude? why? / \7hy not?
3. Do you agreethat prostitutionis a 'sign of great moral weakness our society'?
in
7

Sexfor sale

Taboosand /ssues


Language1

2
Language

Look at this extract from the text:

Divide these expressions with /aw into three
groups:
1. What the governmentor the police do.
2. What offenders or criminals do.
3. What good citizens do.

This is not a practical issueat all,
it's a tnoral one.
Discuss with a partner. ls prostitution:
a practicalissueor a moral issue?
a complicatedissueor a straightforwardissue?

is
ln imoorti-rnt sue r r non-issue?
o
Which verb does not collocate with issue.'

avoid
complicate
address
discuss

I
I
I
I

a. tighten the law
b. break the law
c. defy the law
d. obey the law
e. observethe law
f. relax the law

the issue

do
tackle
resolve

g. comply with the law
h. enforce the law

Which issues is your government addressing at
the moment? Which issues is it avoiding? Which
issues do you want your government to tackle?

i. ignore the law
j. abide by the law
k. changethe law
l. disobeythe law

Discussion
What would you say in reply to these people? Discuss with a partner.

I can earn {,1000 a week as
'lbat's
d prostitute.
about
four times ds much as I
would get doing a different
iob. So why should I stop?

Lots of girls are fctrcedinto
prostittttion. Often they are
illegal imnrigrants. They can't
go to the police because
they
not in the atuntry legally.
dre

"I believe that sex is one of the

most beautiful, natural,
wholesome things that
money can buy."
Steue Martin, actor

Prostitution is a problem
causedby men. There aren't
any prostitutes for women.
It's men who credtethe
problem dnd men wbo mdke
tbe laws.

Taboosand /ssues

I don't belieuetbdt sleeping
with a prostitute is being
unfaithful to my uife. lt's
only sex- nothing else.
Marriage is abont loue.

lf someone wants to accept
my money to haue sex with
me, what's thc prohlem?
It's their life and tbeir
body. It's my money and
it's none of your business!

It's the only way dirty old
m e n c d n g e t s c x ,P r o s t i l u l i o t r
Tbe

is for sad, sad 1teo1tle.
women are sdd and the men
dre euen sadder. I'd ban it!

Sex for sa/e


Swearing
"When angry, count to a hundred; when very angry, swear."
Mark Twctin

Discussion

What would you say?

Work in pairs and compare your answers to the
following questions:

Would you swear in the following situations?What
would you say?

1. How oftcn do you swear?
2. What swearwords do you use most often?
3. Are there irny swear words you would never
use? hy?
W
4.In what situationswould you try to avoid
swearing?
-5.
Are you ever offended,upsetor annoyedwhen

other peopleswear?

1. You take some milk out of the fridge, but
drop it on the floor.
2. You are carrying two pints of beer in a bar.
Someonebumps into you and you spill the beer
down your trousers.
3. You miss the bus to work by a few seconds.
4. Somebodydrivesinto the back of your brand
new car.
5. Your ohone bill is double the normal amount.

Reading
Read the articles below. Tick (/) the true sentences.
l. Marth:r Johnsonwas sackedfrom her job.
2. Mr Slaterfeelsthat he has to swear at work.
3.lohn Ashford was arrestedfor swearing.
4. He is going to jail for 90 days.

PARTOF HIS PERSONATITY
A salesexecutive has taken her
ex-bossto an industrialcourt
f
c l a i m i n gt h a t h i s s w e a r i n g o r c e d
her to quit her job. For over six
m o n t h sM a r t h aJ o h n s o n 4 3 , p u t
,
o
up with the foul language f Jack
S l a t e r ,m a n a g i n g d i r e c t o r o f a

transport company, and his
deputy, Darren Wiggins. Both
m e n s w e a rc o n t i n u a l l yt,h e c o u r t
wastold.

something about the awful
language. leastnow I am in a
At
place where peopleshow respect
for each other."

Mr Slatertold the court that bad
language was part of his
personality nd also common in
a
"
t h e t r a n s p o r tb u s i n e s s . l c a n ' t
"l'm the
h
stopswearing," e said.
fucking boss.My workers would
all think I was fucking soft if I
Y e s t e r d a y M s J o h n s o n o f stoppedswearing."
t
W o r t hi n g , S u s s e x , w h o h a s D u r i n gt h e h e a r i n g h e j u d g e h a d
r e c e n t l ya k e nu p a n e w j o b , s a i d : to warn Mr Slater severaltimes
t
" l h a d a r e a l l yw o n d e r f u jl o b w i t h a b o u t h i s l a n g u a g e .T h e c a s e
tomorrow.
t h e c o m p a n yb u t I j u s t h a d t o d o continues

A BIG SPLASH
T h e b a d l a n g u a g eu s e d b y J o h n
Ashford as he fell out of his
sailing boat into a river in
M i c h i g a nh a s l a n d e dh i m i n b i g
trouble. He appeared in court
'1OO-year-old
state
for breaking a
law which forbids swearing in
front of women and children.
w
F a m i l i e s e r e p i c n i c k i n gn e a r b y
w h e n t h e a c c i d e n th a p p e n e d .
His defence team argued that
standards over the years have
changed and that it is now
p e r f e c t l ya c c e p t a b l e o s w e a r i n
t
,
e x t r e m e c i r c u m s t a n c e ss u c h a s
falling into a river.
Mr Ashford, who faces up to 90
d a y s i n j a i l a n d a $ 1 0 0 f i n e ,w a s
caught by two sheriff'sdeputies.
T h e y w e r e f i s h i n gf r o m t h e s i d e
of the riverwhen he fell in.

Discussion

Work in pairs or small groups. Discuss these questions about the texts above.
If
Do yolr think Martha Johnson was over-reacting? so, what do you think she should have done?
Do you think Mr Ashford should be in court? If not, what do you think should have happened?
8

Swearing

Taboosand /ssues


Language
Look at the sentence below from the second text:
It is now perfectly dcceptdbleto swear in
extreme ctrcumstances.
fn these sentences one of the words in italics is
wrong. Cross it out.
1. Swearingin certainsituationsis completely
una ccep tab Ie/ r u de/ inapp r op r i at e.
2.1 foLrndhis languagedeeply upsetting/
off ensiue/ o bscenesh o ckin g.
/
is
3. Using that kind of language perfectly
acceptable/OK/goodin some situations.
4. Somewords that people use are actually uery

Now make true sentences using some of the
expressions from examples 1 - 4.
1. Most peopleI know find swearing. . . .

2.My mother I father thinks swearing is . . . .
3. There are one or two words which I find . . . .
4. Swearingat someonein a public place is . . . .
5.I think it is . . . . to swearwhen you are really
annoyedabout something.
6.If the Prime Minister swore on TV, I would
findit....
Work in pairs and compare your answers.

funny/rude/terrible.

Discussion
Discuss the statements below. Do you agree or not? Why?
l. Swearing
can lre creafiveand expressive.
2.lt's r-rseful be able to swear in English.
to
3.lt's difficult to know how to use Englishswearwords.
4. You can sound silly if you swearin English.
5. Peoplewho swear a lot are just uneducated.
6. Children should be taught that swearingis wrong.
'JesusChrist'.
7. You can upset people by saying
8. Peopleshouldn'tuse swearwords in the street.

"Er . . . mind if we swear?"

Language

Discussion

The list below shows that swear words vary in
strength. Different people of different ages find
some words more offensive than others. Here is a
rough guide to some of the most common English
swear words and expressions:

Which of the words and expressions opposite
have you used or would you use?
Are you offended when people use religious words
as swear words?
Do you know of anybody who has got into trouble
by swearing?
Most English swear words are connected with sex
or the body. ls this the same in your language?

Weaker

Stronger

Damn!
Blast!
Hell!
Bloody hell!
It was bloody awful!
Crap!
It was really crap!
Bullshit!
He's a real dickhead.

He's a real shit.
Shit!
Pissoff!
Bastard!
Bitch!
Bollocks!
He's a total wanker!
He's a stupid prick.
He's an arsehole!

Taboo-strength:Fuck off!
Religiousswear words can offend much more than
words connected with sex, body parts or bodily
functions. Using God, Jesus Christ or Christ
Almighty will greatly offend some people.
Taboos /ssues
and

Avoidingswearwords
Native speakers often avoid swearing by using
words. What do you think
other similar-sounding
the following examplesavoid?
1. He told me to F off!
2.It's flipping cold, isn't it?
3. Not bleedinglikely!
4. Oh, sugar!
5. P off!
6. He's a real B!
Swearing

Torture
Discussion
Work in pairs.What do you think the answersare to these questions?
ln 1996 there were 171 countriesin the world:
1.ln how many countriesdid peoplein prison or policecustodysuffertorture or ill-treatment?
a.21
b.67
c.124?
2. In how many countries did people die as a result of torture or inhuman prison conditions?
a. 16
b.46 c.82?
Find out the answersfrom your teacherand then discuss these questions:
1.Do the figuressurpriseor shock you or are they what you would expect?
2. Do you think the figures would be better or worse for this year? Or about the same?
3.ln which countrieswould you expectto find torture happening?
4. Whrrt rrbout your own country?

Reading
Read the articles through quickly and answer the questions below:
Which countries are mentioned in connection with torture?
Do any of the articlessurpriseyou?'Which?Why?
CASSIDY ATTACKS PINOCHET
In Chile in 1915,Dr Sheila Cassidy
was beaten, stripped and given
electric shocks all over her body,
forcing her to give the name of a
priest who had asked her for help.
She was later released a result of

as
protestsfrom Britain. Yesterdayshe
spoke out following the arrest of
General Pinochet, the 84-year-old
"I
ex-dictator of Chile.
think
imprisonmentfor the rest of his life
would be appropriate.I know he is
an old man and he is fragile, but so
were the pregnantwomen who were
rapedand tortured," she said.

US POLICE UNDER FIRE
A recent Human Rights Watch
report, examining policing in 14 of
America's biggest cities, contains
some shocking statistics.Following
11,000 civil rights complaints
against the police last year, only 29
police officers were punished.Crime
in New York has halved since 1993,
but complaints about police abuse
arc upby 50Vo.
In one case,a suspectwas chokedto
death when arrested by a police
officer in 1994. The officer was
but the case
cleared of manslaughter,
exposed the police to widespread

criticism.

FRANCE GUILTY OF
TORTURE
France became the first European
country convicted of torture when
the European Court of Human
Rights found it guilty of torturing a
suspected drug dealer during
questioning.The man was beatenin
an effort to obtain more information
about his suppliers. The court
described his treatment at the hands
'of
of five police officers as being
a particularly cruel and serious
'torture' under the
nature' making it
European Convention on Human
Rights.

Readthe articlesagain and answerthese questions:
1. Why was SheilaCassidytortured?
2. What was 'shocking' about the Human Rights \Watchreport?
3. What information did the French oolice want?

Discussion
Discussthese questionsin small groups:
'torture'?
1. Do you think that the conduct of the US police might sometimesactually be

2. How would you define'torture'?
3. Do you feel that any of the casesof torture mentioned above might in any way be justified?
and known criminals?
4. Do yon think the police in your country torture suspects
Tofture

Taboosand /ssues


1
Language

2
Language

Put the words in italics in the right order to make
phrases.
prepositional

Complete the article below using the phrases
from the previous exercise.

1. Shewas later released
f
n r ( ) t c s t sr o m B r i t a i n .(of as result a)
t
2 . I t h i n k i m p r i s o n m e n. . .
his life would be appropriate. (of rest the for)
was choked to death
3. A suspect

. a police officer.
(with interuiew in an)
4. The man was beaten
obtain more information about his suppliers.
(to an effort in)
. . five
.5.His treatment
'of particularly cruel and
police officers was
a
seriousnature'. (of the hands at)

LIFE FOR THE TORTURE TWO
The trial of Justin Mathers and Gary Barstow,
both accusedof murder and torture, finished
today at Brigham Crown Court. (1) . . .
the six-week trial, the iury had heard evidenceof
some of the most horrible crimes ever described
in a courtroom. They had also seenphotographs
thesetwo men.
of injuries suffered (2) . . .
Both men were found guilty. The judge passed
"(3) .......
the
s
m
s e n t e n cie m e d i a t e l y ,a y i n g :
horror of your crimes,I have no hesitationin
your lives.
sendingyou to prison (4) . . .

(5) . . .
. your actions,five peoplewere
permanently injured and sevenwere killed. Two
men and three women lost their partnersl a dozen

..firmevidence,
6....
from prison. (of the in absence) children lost their parents.
he was released
7.The governmenthad no choicebut to arrest
him. .
. . . w h a t h e w a s w r i t i n ga b o u t
them in the foreign press,but they lived to
regret their actions. (of in uiew)

the police' you
After your arrest, (6) . . .
said that you had enjoyed committing theseawful
give you a
crimes. Therefore, (7) . . .
punishment that matchesthe awfulnessof what
. . . any remorse
you have done, and, (8)
you to life imprisonment."
from you, I sentence

' ll'::'r'r:"1
::::il:' i:;;!;:"0;l'i"o
;:i

"No-one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel,
inhuman or degradingtreatmentor punishment."
Article 5. United Nations. 1984.

Discussion
Work in small groups. Look at the situations below. Discuss how much force, if any, it is acceptablefor
the police or army to use in each situation in order to get what they want.
1. The police arrest someonefor a bank robbery.
They are absolutelycertain they have the
personresponsible,
and he alreadyhas a

3. The police catch a member of a terrorist
organisation.He knows the names of other
membersof the organisation.He also has

criminal record, but at the moment they have
They
no evidence.They need a confession.

information about where they have storesof
This information will save
arms and explosives.

only have four hours to get one before he must

lives.

be released.
2. A child has beenkidnapped.The kidnappers

are threateningto kill the child if their
demandsare not met. The police catch one of
the kidnapperswho knows where the child is
being held. She refusesto tell the police.

4. Your country is at war. You capture a highranking enemy soldier who has considerable
knowledge of the enemy plans. This
information would certainly savethe lives of
many of your soldiersand possiblyshortenthe
war.

Would your response to situation 2 be the same if the child was yours or a friend's?
Taboos /ssues
and


Sexualharassment
Discussion
Discussthese questionsin pairs or small groups:
l. Do you think work is a good placero find a parrncr?Why / why not?
2.ln a work setting,what body parts of a colleague
would it be oK ro touch in your country?
Tick all the OK parrs:
hand
frrce
back
stomach

arnl
shoulder

hair
bottom

3. \X/hatwould happenif you did touch the parts of the body that you did not tick?

Reading
Make sure you know what these words and expressions mean before you read the article:
suggestiuephotos
sexy cdlendars
fl irt
sue
dressedseductiuely
chat up

FRENCH

FLIRT

AT WORK

The engineering workshops at a
well-known engine-maker based in
Paris seem as clean and innocent as
a church these days. The nude
photographs and sexy calendars
that used to be on some of the walls
have been taken down or thrown
away.
For that, the men in the department
mostly have one of their female

colleaguesto thank. Brigitte Janin,
an aerodynamicsengineer, said she
started arguing
against the
suggestive photographs from the

moment shejoined the company 13
years ago. "It was being done just
to provoke women," said Janin, 37.
o'When
I said we didn't like it, they
laughed at me." The company
finally changed their policy when
they agreed that the pictures could
be a form of sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment at work is a
relatively new issue in France.
French law now allows women to
sue for sexual harassment,but it is
limited to harassmentby a superior
of a subordinate. Typically, many
casesdo not make it to court.
"It
usually goes this way: the

woman complains about her boss,
and then she's fired," said one
lawyer specialising in workplace
harassment. Then she sues, and
money, if awarded,is usually little

or sometimes nothing at all.
"Judges
will say it's because the
woman is dressedtoo seductivelv."
he added.
"Here
we don't care about sexual
harassment." declared another
lawyer who, despite his bravado,
asked that his name not be
published. "Being macho is seen as
a good thing in the office. Chatting
up beautiful women is natural."

Read the text again and correct the statements below:
l. Seruitlharassment
only appliesin cases advances
of
from a subordinate a superior.
to
2. Usuirlly erwoman is fired after she goes to court.
3. Manv judgesblame a woman's behaviour.

Discussion
How far do you agreewith Brigitte Janin about the photos? \X/hy?
Do you think that a woman who dresses
seductively
should be preparedfor unwanted sexual
advrrnces?
Give an exampleof 'seductive

dress'.
Can nren be serr.rally
harassed women?
by
Have .vor-r
ever bcen in a difficult situation of this kind at work or college?
10

Sexualharassment

Taboosand /ssues


lr
-

Language

=

Complete these sentences with the correct preposition:

E

Ef

-

ot

up

obout
oJ

tn

.lor
betw'een

with

cases.
.
who specialise . . . . sexualharassment
| . Thcre irre larvyers
is
sexualharassment a waste . . . . . time.
2. Trying to sue
justget laughed
,
3 . I f y o u c o n r p l a i ny o u
4. If yoLrflirt . . . . . the men in the office, you're asking for trouble.

-

-5.My bossthinks hc can chat . . . . . all the women in the office.
of
6. (iomplaining . . . . . the sexualadvances your bosstakesa lot of courage.

FI
E

T.Yor.rcanpaycomplimentstoafemalecolleaguebutthereisafineline.....beingfriendlyand
being overfarniliirr.

-t

FT
E

Fr
FI

Discussion

FI
E

Work in pairs or small groups. Decide if the scenarios
Should
below describea situationof sexual harassment.
situation?lf so, what?
anything be done about each

ll-

I

lt.

lEf

l-

rF

F
Fr
F
FT

F
F
F
F

E
F
F
F
F

F

TH€9E,
FruE
MAKtENb

1. Brian l,ake often comesin to work with
"\il7ow,I love your hair," he

compliments.
often saysto the women in the office, or
"Nice skirt." Somewomen have noticedthat
he sometimesstaresat their breastswhen he
talks to them.
?. SusanBellfordgivesthe guys massages the
in
"She'sgot good hands,"
office during breaks.
they often say.A couple of the married men
don't seemtotally comfortable with it and
one gay man doesn'tseemto like it at all,
'make any waves.'
blrt acceptsit s0 as not to
rouchesbottoms - men'sand
3.Jilrnes.|ohnson

where people '';il
women's. most would

smilc' wink or give a pat on the back, James
"It's my way.of
givesa pat on the bottom.
.
being friendly," he says' what's interestingis
that the men :lnd women in the office seem
"Jamesis
that.
to respect
James,"saysone

"He's just a playful guy. He i;;',
worran.
mean rrnyrhing it."
by

in
tellsdirty jokes theofrice.
4. Kenpatrick

"The peoplein the office love it," he says
with a smile. Not everybody,it seems.Some
of the women have been seenleaving the
"Hey, have
office as soon as he starts saying,
you heard the one about the ..."

5'Jennifer Stewarthas a sexy body a'd is

t-Trt',:t;t"tffi:::X\nTJilffi::
..why should I be ashamed what God's
of
..I
given me?,,sheargues. don,t think it
ir"k", anyone feeLuncomfortable. I haven'r
n.nra a single complaint from any of the
men in the office!"
6. Bill Swansoncalls all the men in the office

,ffj:;,::#t

all thewomen
I,X:;.T'calls

7. Shelly Layman is very tactile. She always
puts her hand on the arm of the person she's
talking to and always makes a point of
making direct eye contact.

Are you a tactile person? Do you touch people a lot? Has anyone ever objected to you touching them?
How can you tell when someone does not want to be touched?

Taboosand /ssues

Sexualharassment

10


L -

Briberyand corruption
Language
Match the words on the left to the definitions on the right:
1. a gift
2. a reward
3. a tip
4. a bribe
5. a perk
6. hospitalitv
7. a favour

8. influence

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

friendly and generoustreatment and entertainmentof guests
with your employer
a benefit receivedas part of the arrangements
somethinggiven willingly without payment
a helpful act
the ability to obtain favourable treatment from someone
somethinggiven or receivedfor doing somethinggood
a small sum of money given to someonefor their services
somethinggiven or offered in return for some, often dishonest,help

Now work in pairs. Match the 8 words above to one of the following situations. lf you think more than
one answer is possible, discuss the differences.
give her some beautiful gold earrings at her leaving party.
1. Your boss is retiring. The employees
2. You visit a foreign company to discuss new contract. They pay for a S-starhotel and your expenses.
a
3. You want to build an extensionto your house, but you need permissionfrom the local council. You
give money to one of the local councillors to make sure you get permission.
your business 200% in a year. You give him a new BM\X/.

by
4. Your salesmanager increases
who cut your hair.
5. After paying the salon, you give a little extra money to the hairdresser
6. You get a free lunch in the staff canteenevery day.
7. You use your friendship with a member of the government to make sure that you get a particular
government
contract.
You ask a friend to get it.
8. You won't be home in time to pick up your suit from the dry cleaner's.

Reading

4
1
I

4

q

Readthe articlesbelow and answerthis question:
All three articlesinvolve briberv. Do thev also involve corruption?

a
{

MATCH-FIXING IS NORMAL
According to a former club manager,
bribery in Russia's top football

leaguesis so shameless
and obvious
referees are known to ask for
that
more money in the middle of games.
The managerof a St Petersburgclub
"I've never
during the nineties said:
met a referee who didn't take money.
It's uselessto play if you have no
money."
Apparently, there are three ways to
success.You can bribe the other
team, you can bribe the referee,or
you can bribe the teams that play
your rivals. If you can afford to do all
three, the championship will be
yours.

11

Bribery and corruption

.SACKS OF CASH'
BRIBED BUS DRIVER SACKED
A bus driver from Bournemouth has The political bribery trial of the
been sackedfor taking his bus on an former Indian Prime Minister, PV
unauthorised route. Brian Jeffries Narasimha Rao, started today with
altered the route of the number 22 evidence from an MP that he
offered him r e c e i v e d f o u r m i l l i o n r u p e e s

service after a passenger
f2O to drop him off outside his (f70,000) in two sacks as payment
house"which involved a two-minute for supporting Mr Rao in a vote in
diversion.No bus stopswere missed, Parliament. He did not accuse Mr
but one passengerwas obviously Rao directly, but named other
displeasedand reported the incident ministers in Mr Rao's government
the
anonymously to the bus company. who had organised deal.
"I
believethey
Mr Jeffriessaid, can't
sacked
me. I wasjust doing someone
a favour. Nobody was delayed or
inconvenienced.Whoever it was
who reported me needsto get a life."

Taboosand /ssues


Discussion

Language

Read the articles again and decide which answer
is best:

Use the 8 nouns from the first exercise in these
sentences:

1.ln the Russianfootball leagueyou can bribe:
a. referees.
b. refereesand other tedms.
2 The man reported the bus driver because
a. he missedhis stop.
b. he just thought it shouldn't happen.
3. The Indian MP receivedthe money from
a. colleagues Mr Rao.
of
b. Mr Rao himself.
Answer these questions in groups:

offering a .
She's
1.Her cat'sdisappeared.
person who finds it.
to the
? I'd like some help
2. Could you do me a .
piano.
moving this
3 . H e u s e dh i s . . . . . . t o m a k e s u r et h a t h i s
g
daughter ot into university.
4. The pay is poor but they offer good .
- a company car and free health care.
5. The food was nothing specialand the service
was awful, so I didn't leave a
6.I have a feelingthey want us to enjoy their
. and then give them the contract.

of
T.Three more politicianshave beenaccused
in
. from businessmen return for
taking
political influence.
8.I hope you will acceptthis . . . . . . from all of
us for your excellentserviceover the years.

1.Do you think a crime has beencommitted in
any of the three articles?
2.Can you imagineany of thesethings happening
in your country?
on
3.If you were a passenger the bus, would you
have reported the driver or laughed and done
nothing?

Discussion
Work in groups. What would you do in these situations? Choose a response or suggest an alternative.
1.A police officer stops you for speeding.She asks to seeyour driving licence.Would you ...
a. just giue her your driuing licence?
b. put some money in your driuing licenceand giue it to her?
2. At the end of your driving test the examiner tells you that you have failed. Would you ...
a. just feel disappointedand get out of the car?
b. get out your wallet and ask how much it would cost to pdss?
3. Your company is trying to win an important and lucrative government contract. The minister in
chargetells you that the contract is almost certainly yours and that he and his wife love spending
their holidays in the Pacific.Would you ...
d. do nothing and wait for a decision on who gets the contract?

b. orgdnise a free two-week holiday in Fiii for the minister and his wife?
4. Your daughter wants to go to university but she did not passthe entranceexam. Would you ...
a. ask the admissionsofficer how much it would cost to get her in?
b. tell your daughter to re-take the exam and stop going out euery night?
5. You are a witness in a seriouscriminal case.A friend of the defendantoffers you a large sum of
money to changeyour evidence.Would you ...
a. refuseto cooperdteand then tell the police what had happened?
h. take the money and do tuhat he asked?
6. You arrive at your favourite restaurantto find it is fully booked. Would you ...
a. giue the head waiter LL0 and ask him to find you d table?
b. just go somewhereelse?
7. A colleague at work who you are not attracted to offers to take you to your favourite opera
paid. Would you ...
(or similar) after dinner at an expensiverestaurant- all expenses
a. feel tempted but sdy no?
b. pretend suddenly to like the person and say yes?
Do you know anyone who has been involved in a bribery situation like one of these?
Spend two minutes deciding how you can bribe your teacher to make your life easier!
Taboosand /ssues

Bribery and corruption

11