102 Read the text and answer the questions. 1 Who is the author of the book?
2 What kind of book is the radio play based
on?
3 What is the book about?
4 What are the main characters?
5 What is unusual about them?
6 What do you think will happen in the part
of the radio play you are going to listen to?
Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) was an Ameri-
can scientist and writer, born in Russia. He is
best known for writing science fiction (sto-
ries about life in the future and imaginary
developments in science). His first robot sto-
ry 'Robbie' deals with the issue of fearing
robots and gives some examples of the help
that robots could provide humanity with.
In the story Robot Robbie is a nanny of
a girl, Gloria. Huge Robbie and the little
girl enjoy spending time together. They
have a lot of things to do. Gloria invents
funny and thrilling games that would not
be so exciting without her friend, and Rob-
bie can listen to her amusing stories for
hours. Even when Gloria tells him well-
known fairy tales, he feels delighted and
wants to listen to her stories again and
again. He even agrees to be "a big silver
air-coaster" for Gloria when she promises
to tell him about Cinderella once again.
They have become very close friends and
understand each other very well. Gloria
enjoys Robbie's company and the robot
seems to be a caring nanny for the girl.
Many of Azimov's literary works were
turned into plays, cartoons and films. You
are going to listen to a part from the radio
play based on the short story.
Were is a Malahide Castle? Are there any ghosts?
Где находится замок Малахайд?
Malahide Castle - located near the village of Malahide, 14 kilometers north of Dublin in Ireland (перевод: Замок Мэлахайд — расположен недалеко от деревни Малахайд, в 14 километрах к северу от Дублина в Ирландии)
Are there any ghosts?
Есть ли привидения?
Ghosts of Malahide Castle. Malahide Castle, located in Ireland, has existed for about 800 years. (перевод: Призраки замка Малахайд. Замок Малахайд, расположенный в Ирландии, существует около 800 лет)
When was Conwy Castle built?
Когда был построен замок Конви?
The castle was built in 1283-1289 by order of Edward I of England. (перевод: Замок был построен в 1283—1289 годах по приказанию Эдуарда I Английского)
How many ravens live in the castle?
Сколько воронов живет в замке?
Charles II issued a decree according to which six black ravens must be kept in the castle at all times.
Чарльз II издал указ, по которому в замке постоянно должны находиться шесть черных воронов.
Nowadays there are a lot of programs influencing on people’s outlook, behavior and opinions on TV. A lot of people watch reality shows. Reality television is a genre of television programming that present dramatic or humorous situations and features ordinary people instead of professional actors. For example, one of the most popular reality shows in Russia is «Dom 2». Married couples build a house that is in final draft played out among them by audience voting. It was led by many famous people. Undoubtedly, reality shows have both advantages and disadvantages.
On one hand, there are some positive aspects to reality shows. To begin with, they show usmany life situations. We are a part of show. It teaches us not to do silly and thoughtless actions. As a result, we can obtain some life experience. In addition, it helps to relax after a hard day.
But on other hand, reality shows have disadvantages. Firstly, there is a lot of violence in these programs. Secondly, most viewers are teenagers. They have unformed tastes, character and beliefs. These shows influence on their psyche. Finally, psychologists attribute the popularity of these shows with the desire for peeping at someone else’s life, which is satisfied by such programs. Of course, there are other factors defining popularity of any scandal programs: curiosity and a desire of strong feelings.
For this reason, I am against reality shows. I don’t think it’s the best way to spend time. Reading books or communication with friends is a better way to