1.8 Text

David Forbes has only got one hobby. It's also his job. He spends his whole time monster-watching near Loch Ness in Scotland. Here's David's story ...

Nowadays my home is an old van which I park by the side of the loch. Six years ago I worked in a bank and had a nice house, but I wasn't happy. I wanted to find the Loch Ness monster - it's been my life's ambition. So I sold my house, bought a van and came here.

With this type of job, you have to move around a lot. The trouble is, I move the van and the next day someone tells me he's seen the monster in the very spot where I was. As it is, I just have to keep my eye on the water all the time, even when I am eating my dinner or mending something on the van - it's a full-time job, but I enjoy it.

What makes me believe in the Loch Ness monster? All the people I've spoken to who have seen it. Have I seen anything? Well, one evening at about 11 o'clock, I saw something. But my camera didn't work! Usually the animal comes to the surface at night, so I'm going to buy a special infrared camera to help me see it.

People often ask me it I'll ever have proof of the monster. All I can say is: who knows? (937)

Задание 1 Среди трех заголовков найдите самый подходящий тексту:

1. The monster-watcher

2. David Forbes and his hobby

3. Near the Loch Ness lake

Задание 2 Ответьте на вопросы:

1. What was David's old job?

2. What does he do now?

3. Where does he live?

4. Why does he believe the monster exists?

5. What does he need to buy?

1.9 Environmental Groups

There are several groups in Britain which try to protect the environment. The most famous group is Greenpeace, which campaigns in many countries around the world. They have campaigned against hunting whales, pollution in the North Sea, nuclear power, testing nuclear weapons, and many other issues. Greenpeace supporters organize demonstrations and they also take direct action. For example, they block pipes that pour pollution into the sea.

Another important environmental group is Friends of the Earth. They have led campaigns against global warming, the destruction of the rain forest, and the hole in the ozone layer. There is also a Green Party, which is a political party. It regularly fights elections and it has won seats in the European Parliament and on local councils.

There are many other groups which are concerned with protecting the environment, for example, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which campaigns to protect birds against dangers such as pesticides and hunting. Some environmental groups are very old. The oldest is the National Trust which was set up in 1895 to protect parks, buildings and monuments in Britain. (996)

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. What environmental groups are there in Great Britain?

2. What issues do they campaign about?

3. What kinds of things do they do?