WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL WOMEN
The Forbes Company has released its annual list of the world's 100 most
powerful women.
Forbes is an American publishing company. It is best known for its magazine.
Each year the magazine also publishes lists of the world's richest people and
companies. It has produced its list of most powerful women since 2004.
For the fourth year running, Angela Merkel is at the top of the list. She is the
elected leader of Germany. Mrs Merkel has been the German Chancellor since
2005.
To work out the list the magazine looks at the public profile of each woman.
This includes how often she is mentioned in international newspapers and radio
and television broadcasts. Money is also considered. Yet the Forbes Company
says this does not mean how much money a woman has or earns, but how much
money she controls.
The list also takes into account how much influence a woman has on decisions
taken in politics and in international organisations. For example, Dr Margaret
Chan, the leader of the World Health Organization (WHO) is at number 84
on the list.
The list includes Queen Rania of Jordan, who campaigns for children's health
and education, as well as Aung San Suu Kyi. Ms Suu Kyi was elected prime
minister of Myanmar in 1990. But the country's military government refused
to accept the election result. Ms Suu Kyi was imprisoned and is still being kept
under house arrest. In 1991 she was awarded the Noble Peace Prize.
Several important businesswomen appear in the top ten of the Forbes list. Indra
Nooyi is at number three on the list. She runs the PepsiCo Company.
There are some new entries on the list this year. At number 40 is Michelle Obama,
the wife of President Barack Obama and First Lady of the USA. Mrs Obama
works to draw attention to the rights of working women and military families
in particular.
This year Queen Elizabeth the Second of the UK moved up 14 places to
number 42.
2. The author says how women are chosen for the list. Find this extract and read it
aloud.
3. Who is at number three on this list and why?
4. Why is it important to appear on this list?
№49
- Read Helen's story and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
A TRUE FRIEND?
Leaving my revision until the last minute had never been my plan as I'd always
done well at school. But last winter term it all went wrong.
Before I knew it, there were just a few weeks until the exams. I tried to revise
one subject a night, Mum and Dad didn't help and made me feel guilty for going
to my friend Emma's for a break. Emma was my only real friend. I'm quite shy
and she was always doing my talking for me. She often asked me to help with
homework in return, but I didn't mind because I found school work easy.
One day, I spoke to Jamie, a boy from my history class. He had the history exam
paper and would give it to me for 25 pounds. When I looked at it I realized I
already knew most of the answers! I felt really silly and ashamed but relieved to
know I wasn't as bad at history as I thought. That Friday, after school, I went
to Emma's and told her everything.
A few days later Emma asked for my French revision notes and threatened to
tell everybody that I had cheated. Soon her demands increased. She asked to
'borrow' some of my favourite CDs, but it was clear she was going to keep them.
Then she made me buy her lunch or pay her bus fares. I didn't want to but she
said she could ruin my whole future. I can't believe I put up with it but I didn't
know what else to do.
Then, just before the exams were about to start, my worst nightmare came
true. One morning at school I was called into the headmaster's office. I'd been
found out. My parents were there too and they were upset. When we got home,
I explained everything — how I'd been worried about the exams and Emma's
demands.
Gradually, life improved, I started doing better at school and I made a new
friend — a girl called Gina, who introduced me to her group of mates. They like
me for who I am and are real friends — unlike Emma.
Now I'm waiting for my real exam results. I don't know how I'll do, but whatever
happens, I've learnt my lesson — cheating is bad. You just have to do your best
and ask for help if you need it.
2. The author describes different things that Emma demanded from Helen. Find
this extract and read it aloud.
3. Why did Helen decide to cheat?
4. How did Helen's life change in the end?
№50
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
To swap
менять, обменивать
ALL SORTS OF THINGS
Do you know that there's a Collectors' Club in the school? This term we asked
them what they do, and they told us about some of their collections.
The Club
We meet on Thursday after school and have different groups. The biggest one is
the stamp collectors; after that there are all sorts of things: toy cars, matchboxes.
key-rings, insects, postcards, dolls. At other times we have a swap*-shop, and people exchange duplicates, or swap something they don't want for something new. Some of our keenest collectors are going to tell you about their hobbies/
Dolls
I started collecting dolls when my aunt gave me a china doll. It's the oldest one
I have, it was made in Germany a hundred years ago and it still has its original
dress and boots. My other dolls are modern. I have twenty-three. However
they're all different: they're made of plastic, wood. The most beautiful ones are
from Italy and Spain, and they are dressed in regional costumes. I also have
a lovely wooden one from Japan.
Postcards
I have hundreds of postcards and they are all fascinating. I collect local ones
They are a history of our town during the last hundred years. One shows a tram
in the High Street; another shows the old Town Hall. That's what I collect. You
could collect foreign postcards or funny postcards.
Coins
Do you have some coins on you? I found my rarest coin, a 1932 Florin, in some
change. It's not the oldest one I have, that's a penny from 1797.1 collect coins
because I like the history they record. It's exciting to think how old they are
I am starting to collect coins from different countries, all made in 1936. It,s
a very interesting hobby.
Stamps
Collecting stamps is great; I think they're the best thing to collect. There aw
so many different ones, from every country. Collecting could cost you a lot o
money, if you bought very old stamps. However, collecting modern stamps isn't
too expensive.
There are all sorts of things that you can collect. You must be interested in
one of them. Why don't you come to the next meeting, and you could get the
collecting bug?
2. The author mentions different items that children collect and the activities of
the Club. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What dolls are the most beautiful in the girl's collection?
4. Why does the coin collector find coins interesting?
№51
- Read the story and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
HAVE YOU READ?..
I have often dreamed of going to exotic faraway places that I have only read
about before. One of those dreams has always been to visit the Sahara Desert in
Northern Africa. In this excellent book the author, Catherine Guigon, describes
the desert in such vivid detail that I almost feel as if I am refreshing my memories
of a past expedition while looking at my photo album! Of course, I wake up when
I realise I only wish I could take pictures that well!
This book takes the reader through a journey across the vast Sahara Desert. It
took the photographer more than four years and 25 trips to Africa to collect all
the photographs to show the beauty of the largest desert in the world. I found
this book incredibly informative. As soon as you open up the first pages you
not only read about the physical facts of the desert, but also the social and
environmental aspects as well. For example, did you know only a quarter of
the desert is covered in shifting sands? I spent a lot of time just enjoying the
pictures in the book, before I would read a passage.
The journey begins in the middle of the desert in Chad. Every few pages I would
look up and realise I had moved further into Algeria and then Libya — and
the journey had just begun! There are so many countries in Africa that I had
never even heard of and all of them have unique cultures, languages, art, and
history. I've learned that the Sahara Desert is 40 times as large as the UK! The
author also puts a lot of effort into describing the living aspects of the desert.
She covers the plant and animal life. As well as describing the Sahara Desert
of today, the book also goes deep into the history of Africa, which some refer
to as the 'birthplace of mankind'. Ancient civilisations and their remains are
spread throughout the desert, especially along the famous River Nile. Did you
know the Sahara Desert was once a green land filled with greenery? Now that
I have this book I cannot imagine not having it! Sahara is a very detailed and
fascinating book.
2. The author says what this book is about. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. Why did the author find the book informative?
4. What new facts did the author manage to learn while reading Sahara?
№52
- Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about
