Lesson 6, Ex.1b, 5b

MEAN

You, with your words like knives And swords and weapons that you use against me You have knocked me off my feet again Got me feeling like a nothing You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard Calling me out when I’m wounded You picking on the weaker man

Well you can take me down with just one single blow but you don’t know, what you don’t know…

Someday I’ll be living in a big ol’ city And all you’re ever going to be is mean Someday I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me And all you’re ever going to be is mean Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides And your wildfire lies and your humiliation You have pointed out my flaws again As if I don’t already see them I walk with my head down Trying to block you out ’cause I’ll never impress you I just wanna feel okay again

I bet you got pushed around Somebody made you cold But the cycle ends right now Cause you can’t lead me down that road And you don’t know, what you don’t know…

Someday …

And I can see you years from now in a bar Talking over a football game With that same big loud opinion But nobody’s listening Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things Drunk and grumbling on about how I can’t sing But all you are is mean

All you are is mean And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean

But someday …

Lesson 8, ex.3b

What family were you born into?

My father used to be an actor, my aunt – too. I’ve got four brothers and two sisters. Now it’s one sister, after Dakota died in an accident. When a child, I used to live in a two-room flat in a poor district in the Eastern part of New York with my family. When I was four I became an actor – I worked in clips, advertising different things.

How did you become famous?

At the age of 8 I got my first role in the film ‘Uncle Buck’. But real fame came after ‘Home Alone’. At the age of 9 I couldn’t go out, just go to the cinema – I was immediately surrounded with people. But I took everything for granted. 20^th Century Fox was saved by this film. In half a year it got 200 mln dollars. I was named the best paid young actor of all times and got into Guinness Book of Records. But I couldn’t spend my money until I was 18. A real understanding of what it is to be a star came later.

Where did you study to become an actor?

My father became my manager. My life consisted of school, cinema and theatre. For the first two years I studied at a strict catholic school. Later I was sent to a specialised school training future musicians, ballet dancers, actors and actresses. ‘Home Alone-2’ became one of the top ten films, bringing a lot of money to its creators.

Was it easy to combine school and cinema?

First, when I had to skip classes because of the film, I was happy. Later, I started missing school. Sometimes I had 12 hours of filming a day. 1993 was the climax of my being tired. But my father was ruthless; he never asked me how I was feeling. He didn’t take me seriously at all.

What was your relationship with Michael Jackson like?

I met Michael Jackson in 1991. He called and invited my family over. It’s not easy to be the centre of attention but we weren’t sitting and complaining about how hard it is to be a star. I am the godfather of Michael Jackson’s children. I also was in his clip ‘Black and White’. I used to share everything with Michael.

Have you had any personal problems?

After 1993 the films I was in got worse and worse. My father didn’t want to stop; he was only interested in money. He was stubborn, abusive and cruel. The atmosphere in the family was terrible. Moreover, he wanted to make the other children actors as well – it was the Culkins’ attack on Hollywood. But by 1995 nobody wanted to work with my father. My mother split up with him – they had no contact for 6 years. I think that my father wasn’t a good man, a good father and a good husband. I hope I won’t meet him again. My mother, however, let me make my own mistakes.

In 1998 I got married and for two years lived quite happily with my wife. In 2000 we quietly divorced. Tabloids accused me of drug-taking, alcohol taking and self-destruction, but I’ve never done all that really seriously. If I had all these problems, they weren’t too serious.

By the way, when I made my theatre debut, I received a telegram from my father. I was not ready to forgive him though. I think he wanted to be in touch with me because I’d started making money again.

What are you working on now?

I write poetry and film scripts. I’m enjoying writing not for money, but for self-expression. At 30 I’m home alone and I think I’ll stay a child forever as I don’t feel grown-up enough. I’m waiting for a good project – in cinema or theatre and for good reliable people to enter my life.

UNIT 4

Lesson 3

Presenter:

This part of our Just What the Doctor Ordered programme is about health idioms. We had an e-mail from Josh who would like to know what the expression “By the skin of your teeth” mean .I’ll explain it in a minute. Meanwhile, phone us or send an sms to 3 86 21 47 if you have more questions of that type.

Now back to “the skin of your teeth”. If you pass a test or exam and get the lowest satisfactory mark or win a contest by a tiny bit, people might say you did so "by the skin of your teeth." In other words, one more mistake and you could fail it. Your teeth have no skin of course! But sometimes they have a film called plaque on them, especially first thing in the morning. So, If you feel that sticky film, it's time to brush your teeth!

Q: Hello, My name is Mary. I am 13.I was worried about the concert where I was singing the other day. The teacher said that having butterflies in my stomach is useful. But I had no butterflies there. How could they get into my stomach, especially in winter? I had no time to ask then. Can you help please?

Presenter: How did butterflies get in your stomach? Well, those really aren't butterflies in there. "Butterflies in the stomach" is a way of describing those nervous feelings you might get before a concert, a test or an important game. A writer created the phrase to describe the feeling, and people have been using it ever since. These feelings are normal and happen to many people — even grown-ups. Some people believe having butterflies in your stomach might even help you perform better.

Yes. there is an sms with the question “ What does it mean to “have your heart in your mouth”?

Mmm…This expression means that you're really afraid of something. Many years ago in ancient Greece, the poet Homer used the phrase in his famous poem The Iliad, and people have been saying it ever since. When your heart starts beating so quickly and strongly that you can feel it in your throat it means you feel like you "have your heart in your mouth."

Q: Hello, I’m Jane. Why do people say ‘sick as a dog’?

Dogs often eat anything they find and they often get sick. If a person is very sick, you may use this expression. It describes someone who is not feeling well.

Presenter: One more sms about “Have a frog in one’s throat” It means to have difficulty in speaking because your throat feels dry and you want to cough

Presenter: The last sms for today. It asks about “Make no bones about something”

If you make no bones about something, you're telling the truth. For example, if you are honest and admit that you didn't do your homework, you're making no bones about it. This expression dates back to the 1500s and some people believe it had to do with soup. If there were no bones in a soup, a person could swallow it without worrying about choking. So, when you make no bones about something, people feel confident "swallowing" your answer.