Interviewer: Today in our studio we meet John Myles. John is a psychologist and in our “Healthy Lifestyle” series we can expect John to give us very useful advice. So John, you told me about the paleo diet and what it is. But why did you decide to eat like that?

John: Well, let me tell you. I was feeling sick for a long time.

Interviewer: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.

John: Oh, it's okay now. Thanks though. I started to feel sick three years ago, and then it got worse and worse in my stomach. I had lots of stomach trouble, and I didn’t know why until I found out that some foods are healthier than others. So that's why I started learning about the paleo diet and eating healthy. I found that we should eat fresh fruits and fresh vegetables and we definitely shouldn't eat fast food. And we shouldn't eat very many snacks either.

Interviewer: Oh, right.

John: And because I was sick with my stomach trouble, I was also feeling depressed. But I learned that our moods and our emotions can be affected by what we eat.

Interviewer: Really?

John: Yes. I was very surprised to learn that. But it makes sense because our brain chemistry comes from the foods we eat. When we eat healthy foods, we get good chemistry in our body and our brains can function normally, and we can have good moods and good emotions.

Interviewer: So you feel happier and healthier now that you’ve changed your diet.

John: That's true. But changing my diet wasn't enough. Even though I fixed my diet, I still didn't feel 100 percent. So I had to do more research. And I found something else that's very important. I didn't realize before but everyone needs to get enough exercise every week. In fact, it's best if you can exercise 30 minutes every day.

Interviewer: Every day?

John: Well, of course you can take a day off. Two days off each week is okay. And you don’t have to do very difficult exercise. Just riding a bicycle or jogging is enough. But I also found that having a healthy diet and getting enough exercise is still not enough because you need two more important factors.

Interviewer: What are they?

John: One is called stress management. When we feel stressed, our body has a reaction to stress, and it can make you feel sick, and it can put you in a bad mood. So we need to learn ways to manage our stress. So we need to learn how to breathe deeply and relax more. And when we encounter stress, we should learn healthy ways to react and not react in unhealthy ways, such as getting angry or feeling frustrated.

Interviewer: What's a healthy way to react?

John: Well first, you should breathe and relax your body by slowing down. And then you should think calmly and clearly about the best way to handle a problem. So don't just worry about the problem and think about what can go wrong, but think calmly about ways to solve problems.

Interviewer: Okay.

John: But I found the most important factor in feeling healthy was a big surprise to me.

Interviewer: What was it?

John: We need to get enough sleep.

Interviewer: Oh, I see.

John: Everyone knows we should sleep more but very few people sleep enough. Most adults should sleep 8 hours every night. I was only sleeping 5 or 6 hours every night.

Interviewer: Oh wow!

John: Yeah. So sleeping at night is like recharging your battery, right. So do you have a cell phone?

Interviewer: Sure, of course.

John: What do you do when the battery is dead?

Interviewer: I plug it in.

John: Yeah. And you need to leave it plugged in until it has a full charge. Well, not sleeping enough is just like unplugging your phone before it's charged. So it's much better to have a healthy diet and get a regular exercise, learn stress management skills, and most importantly, get enough sleep every night.

Interviewer: Okay. I'll do that, and I’m sure our listeners will, too. Thank you.

3 – 3, John is a psychologist.

4 – 1, I started to feel sick three years ago, and then it got worse and worse in my stomach <…> So that's why I started learning about the paleo diet and eating healthy.

5 – 3, Первый и второй варианты верны: And because I was sick with my stomach trouble, I was also feeling depressed. But I learned that our moods and our emotions can be affected by what we eat.

6 – 2, In fact, it's best if you can exercise 30 minutes every day.

7 – 2, Every day? - Well, of course you can take a day off. Two days off each week is okay. 7 – 2 = 5

8 – 3, So we need to learn ways to manage our stress <…> Well first, you should breathe and relax your body by slowing down. And then you should think calmly and clearly about the best way to handle a problem.

9 – 3, Most adults should sleep 8 hours every night.

Interviewer: Hi everyone! With us, in the studio, today is Mary Brown, a sociologist, specializing in the urban environment, with her ideas about socializing in modem residential zones. Hello, Mary!

Mary Brown: Good afternoon, everyone!

Interviewer: Let’s start with the question of any changes in the relationships between neighbors now and in the past? Is it a positive or negative change?

Mary Brown: Yeah. Thank you for your question. In the past, a lot of people lived in apartment buildings or quadrangle houses that their companies provided for them, so they knew each other, basically everybody knew everybody. When one person needed help, all the neighbors would come to help. Nowadays, people buy their apartments. It’s so good, but a lot of people don’t want to talk to strangers, so their neighbors remain strangers for their entire life. I think it’s not a positive change, because people are less close. To my mind, this has been the main change in the relationships between neighbors if we compare now and ten or twenty years ago.

Interviewer: And how does our lifestyle influence these relationships?

Mary Brown: Greatly. For example, when there was a slower pace of life, and less pressure, the relationships among neighbors was closer and friendlier. However, these days, people are locked away in their own flats, busy with their own lives, and neighbors are more like strangers than in the past.

Interviewer: We talk about people who live next door. And what’s the importance of neighbors in our society?

Mary Brown: Well, just as an old saying goes: a good neighbor is better than a brother far away, neighbors are very good at helping each other in the community. If an emergency happens, neighbors are nearby to provide the first help, which is impossible for relatives to do if they are miles away. Besides, having a good relationship with your neighbors makes your area more friendly and enjoyable to live in, while having a poor relationship with them means there’s no sense of community.

Interviewer: Nowadays people change neighbors very often, what about in the future?

Mary Brown: Maybe people will change more in the future. This is mainly because the pace of life has sped up, pressure in life is increasing, and people’s interest is widening. People want to change where they live so they can meet their goals in life.

Interviewer: How can the relationship between neighbors be improved?

Mary Brown: Well, many things could be done to improve the relationships among neighbors. For example, more activities in the communities could be organized, so that more neighbors can take part in them, and to share happiness with each other, deepening their understandings and bringing people closer. Also, a better welfare system could be established, so that people can enjoy their life more, and so they have more time to be with their neighbors.

Interviewer: What are the most important qualities for neighbors?

Mary Brown: Well, good neighbors should have a number of important qualities. First, they should be considerate, so they don’t bother others who live beside them, I mean, not making noises to disturb others. And also, good neighbors should be helpful particularly when there’s an emergency.

Interviewer: Are community centers important?

Mary Brown: To some extent, yes. I believe that community centers are important to residents because they can provide residents with a place to enjoy a pleasant community life after finishing work, for example. Once they have had the chance to relax, they are then better able to contribute more to society. It can also improve the relationships between neighbors. For example, more community facilities can be provided for the whole community, so that all the neighbors in the community can be there to spend their leisure time together, and so become closer. Also, more community activities could be held to provide a chance for neighbors to communicate with each other, enabling them to have better relationships.

Interviewer: Thank you very much, Mary. Hope the situation in the residential areas will improve for the best and we all will have best neighbors.

3 – 3, <…> a lot of people don’t want to talk to strangers, so their neighbors remain strangers for their entire life.

4 – 2, In the past, a lot of people lived in apartment buildings or quadrangle houses that their companies provided for them, so they knew each other.

5 – 1, I think it’s not a positive change, because people are less close.

6 – 2, However, these days, people are locked away in their own flats, busy with their own lives, and neighbors are more like strangers than in the past.

7 – 2, Well, just as an old saying goes: a good neighbor is better than a brother far away, neighbors are very good at helping each other in the community + Далее Мэри приводит аргументы, доказывающие нужность соседей.

8 – 3, For example, more activities in the communities could be organized, so that more neighbors can take part in them, and to share happiness with each other, deepening their understandings and bringing people closer.

9 – 1, <…> a place to enjoy a pleasant community life after finishing work, for example <…> more community facilities can be provided for the whole community, so that all the neighbors in the community can be there to spend their leisure time together, and so become closer.

Interviewer: Hi everyone! With us in the studio today is Henry Wickard, a child psychologist who is going to tell us about a problem that needs out immediate attention, something being observed in schools: group pressure. So, Henry, what’s your opinion about group pressure?

Henry: Well, I'm both the psychologist and the parent of two teenage boys. I know all about group pressure because of them.

Interviewer: Yes, they say that adolescence is the time when children begin to feel pressure most from their peers. Do you think that's true?

Henry: What I've seen is that adolescence is the time when the pressure begins to shift from the family and the school to friends. I think it begins about eleven, but comes into full bloom at about thirteen, fourteen.

Interviewer: What actually happens then?

Henry: Well the first thing you see is that adolescents begin to make fashion statements. And certainly those ideas don't come from you. You can tell at a glance that they don't come from you! Like getting tattoos, piercing their ears, and, you know, dyeing their hair. My younger son began to ask if he could dye his hair blue.

Interviewer: And what did you say?

Henry: We said when he was a little older he could make that decision, with the hope that that fad would have passed out of style. But in reality we told him he should be an individual.

Interviewer: Where would you draw the line? I mean, presumably you'd let him wear whatever clothes he wants, but would you let him pierce his ears or dye his hair?

Henry: I think, in the end, I would. But not without a fight!

Interviewer: So, what other things happen?

Henry: Well, as the kids get older, you start to lose them because they’re always talking on the phone, or talking online, or doing other things. Even when they're home, they're in their room most of the time talking on the phone, and not just talking on the phone. They might be talking to one person on the phone and two other people online. And the only thing you know for sure is they're not talking to you!

Interviewer: Do you think this is all normal behavior? And should you be trying to monitor it?

Henry: I think both. Of course it's healthy for kids to follow their peers. But I also think that parents should monitor their kids' behavior. When it's a question of fashion, that's OK. Where you draw the line is when they're doing something dangerous, or illegal — drugs, smoking, drinking. And make no mistake — not all peer pressure is good. Parents always worry that their kids will get bullied by other kids who may be older or stronger. And kids sometimes join cliques or gangs, which exert a lot of pressure on them.

Interviewer: What kind of cliques?

Henry: For instance, you'll find that all the kids who like a particular kind of music will hang out together. They are real copycats, and they tend to listen to the same thing. Or, like, we were discussing fashion before. They'll all get their hair cut the same way, or wear the same style. Up to a point, that's normal behavior. But what you worry about is that they won't use their own common sense. So you have to keep an eye on them.

Interviewer: Is there any advice you could give parents?

Henry: Well, one thing is to think back to your own experience as a teenager. I must say, I find myself repeating the same annoying language my father used with me. I have to try to remember not to do that. You have to trust them -you can't discuss every single decision they make.

Interviewer: So it’s important to respect your children's independence.

Henry: Yes, which is sometimes hard to do. It's hard to watch your kids doing things you don't want them to do. For example, my kids are into video games, and I can't find any value whatsoever in these games. But you don't have to like everything your kids do, as long as it's not dangerous or illegal. Sometimes it's important to just leave them alone.

3 – 3, Well, I'm both the psychologist and the parent of two teenage boys. I know all about group pressure because of them.

4 – 3, Well the first thing you see is that adolescents begin to make fashion statements <…> Like getting tattoos, piercing their ears, and, you know, dyeing their hair.

5 – 2, We said when he was a little older he could make that decision, with the hope that that fad would have passed out of style.

6 – 2, I think, in the end, I would. But not without a fight!

7 – 3, They might be talking to one person on the phone and two other people online. And the only thing you know for sure is they're not talking to you!

8 – 3, Where you draw the line is when they're doing something dangerous, or illegal — drugs, smoking, drinking <…> But you don't have to like everything your kids do, as long as it's not dangerous or illegal.

9 – 1, But what you worry about is that they won't use their own common sense.

Interviewer: All right. Why don’t we get started here? I’m quite sure that everyone uses a computer regularly nowadays. I think we would all agree that our lives have been changed, and in many ways improved, by computers and the Internet. However, there are real dangers here. The fact is, computers and computer networks have created opportunities for crime that never existed before. What do you think, Mr. Clark?

Mr. Clark: You are absolutely right. The police and justice departments are becoming increasingly concerned about the growing number of computer users who are accessing private or secret information. Now this problem is on the increase worldwide.

Interviewer: Just a bit more about this, Mr. Clark.

Mr. Clark: Statistics are showing a trend towards more computer crime every year. In fact, recent studies have shown that around 70 percent of all companies that are online experienced some type of attack.

Interviewer: What are the main reasons for it?

Mr. Clark: We can say that there are three reasons for these dangers. Now first, personal computers hold huge amounts of information and some of its quite sensitive. Companies have sensitive business information, new products, and financial records to protect. Governments have defense secrets, federal banks, and records got millions of citizens. We have found that the theft of information is usually financially motivated. Some companies try to get information from their competitors by accessing information from computers. Computer criminals also access and steal information to sell it to other people or competing companies. Again, their purposes are usually financial gain.

Interviewer: What about other reasons?

Mr. Clark: Well, the second reason for computer crime is to steal money directly. Banking, insurance and business organizations use computers for most of their transactions, making them the hardest hit by computer criminals. Now think about this for a moment. The American banking system alone transfers over 400 billion dollars every day. With this amount being transferred daily, it’s no wonder that experts fear that a major financial disaster could occur. Now you may be interested to know that between one and three billion dollars are lost each year in the USA through computer crime. And 40 percent of large American companies suffered at least one major instance of computer fraud in the last ten years. Can you imagine! We can see from these figures how serious this problem is. I call the people who commit these crimes computer criminals rather than hackers, because hackers may not be motivated by financial gain.

Interviewer: Awful! You’ve said that there are three reasons for these kinds of crimes? What is the third one?

Mr. Clark: Oh, yes! Let’s consider the third reason for computer crime. It involves hacking that is breaking into someone else’s private computer network, often that of a company or agency. Now hacking can take place for various reasons, but it tends to be done by individuals, not organized groups, and those individuals are typically young men in their teens or twenties. Some do it for the challenge, an opportunity to show how much they know, and a sense of importance.

Interviewer: Now I see. And Mr. Clark, could you talk briefly about the effect of these crimes?

Mr. Clark: Oh, the effect... well, the events that have occurred in the past twenty years are astonishing. One more than one occasion, computers all over the world have been shut down as a computer virus has raced around the planet. In less than twenty-four hours, billions of dollars in work hours have been lost. Computers in major companies, and even major software companies, have been shut down completely. In one case, 70 percent of the computers in several European countries were shut down. Even government computers were affected.

Interviewer: How does that happen?

Mr. Clark: Easy. Transmission of a simple virus program. Even beginning students of computer science can make powerful viruses that can do everything I’ve just mentioned. They can write a virus program and send it via the Internet to hundreds of computer uses. The virus enters the user’s computer’s operating system, replaces good files with a copy of itself, and then sends it to other computers via the computer user’s email address book. Soon millions of computers can be infected.

Interviewer: Oh, that’s terrible. Simple and so drastic at the same time. Mr. Clark. Now, let’s take a break we’ll return to the topic in 10 minutes. Then, shall we talk about some precautions we can take to prevent this kind of disaster?

3 – 2, The police and justice departments are becoming increasingly concerned about the growing number of computer users who are accessing private or secret information.

4 – 1, Statistics are showing a trend towards more computer crime every year. In fact, recent studies have shown that around 70 percent of all companies that are online experienced some type of attack.

5 – 2, We can say that there are three reasons for these dangers. Поэтому вариант < 3 не подходит, в то время как a huge variety of =/= 3, поэтому верный вариант – 2.

6 – 1, We have found that the theft of information is usually financially motivated.

7 – 3, Now first, personal computers hold huge amounts of information and some of its quite sensitive.

8 – 3, I call the people who commit these crimes computer criminals rather than hackers, because hackers may not be motivated by financial gain.

9 – 2, They can write a virus program and send it via the Internet to hundreds of computer uses.

Interviewer: Today, everyone, as part of our look at fashion and design, we are going to take a look at fashion and social status — who we are, how wealthy we are, and so on. We will ask a professor of sociology what she thinks about this. Mrs. Smith, you are welcome.

Mrs. Smith: Thanks for inviting me.

Interviewer: So, has it always been like that? I mean history.

Mrs. Smith: Somehow, yes. The idea of using special clothes to signal social status has a long history, dating back to ancient Egypt. In very hierarchical societies like ancient Egypt, for example, only those in high positions could wear sandals. Also, the Greek and Romans had laws which controlled the type, the color and number of garments that could be worn, as well as the kind of embroidery used. These were known as sumptuary laws. However, as barriers between social classes became weaker, these so- called sumptuary laws became increasingly difficult to enforce and were eventually abandoned. Instead, high status was indicated by the cost of a person’s clothing — you know rich, exotic materials, expensive and often unnecessary accessories. Everything was designed to attract attention. It was an example of what’s called conspicuous consumption. And, of course, people thought the type of clothes you wore reflected what you could afford. In other words, your clothes reflected your wealth.

Interviewer: It’s so interesting. This word conspicuous is so vivid.

Mrs. Smith: Yes. It basically means deliberately attracting attention.

Interviewer: So, what’s about the modern world?

Mrs. Smith: If you look at fashion today, things haven’t really changed much, have they? Even though people these days don’t dress in silver or gold lace, clothes are still very much a sign of status. In fact, you could say that nowadays many people believe clothes tell us about the personality — the honesty, talent, intelligence of the person wearing them. In some social circles, there’s often a feeling that someone who is not well-dressed is probably dishonest or stupid, and without talent. Now that’s sad, but true. Many of us make these judgments very quickly and unconsciously. Which, of course, is why people read and write books with titles like Dress for Success.

Interviewer: Fully agree.

Mrs. Smith: Now one more trend I want to mention is when people wear more clothes than are necessary. Whatever the occasion, the well-to-do normally wear more clothes. In North America, for instance, men are more likely to wear jackets and vests, and women — pantyhose, scarves, and unnecessary but expensive wraps — even in mid-summer. And on the beach, even though their swimsuits may be like everyone else’s, just watch the wealthy put on their silk beach kimonos when they come out of the water. And people notice, right? Of course, they are supposed to notice. That’s the point.

Interviewer: Exactly! What else can you add?

Mrs. Smith: Now another way of indicating high status is to own many similar garments so that you rarely wear the same thing twice. This is what’s known as conspicuous multiplication. For instance, some very wealthy men wear a brand new shirt every day. They’ll never use the same shirt twice. Having a large, up-to-date wardrobe is especially important for men and women who want to establish themselves socially and professionally.

Interviewer: And if we talk about the age group? What’s then?

Mrs. Smith: Teenagers in particular feel very strongly about showing variety in their dress. For example, teenage girls often feel so embarrassed about wearing the same outfit twice in the same week, that even if they only own a few items of clothing, they’ll try hard to make them seem new by combining them in different ways and with different accessories. They feel so strongly about this, in fact, that they’ll often prefer quantity to quality. Now, let’s move on to another form of conspicuous consumption, and I’m talking about the use of expensive materials, conspicuous materials. Now, in the past, materials such as satin and velvet were prestigious because they were hand-woven and required a lot of time and labor. But today modern machinery’s changed all that. The result is that natural materials which are often more scarce are now more prestigious. I’m talking about materials like silk, leather, wool. In today’s world, natural is best.

Interviewer: Thank you so much for such an educational talk, Mrs. Smith.

3 – 2, <…> we are going to take a look at fashion and social status — who we are, how wealthy we are, and so on.

4 – 1, The idea of using special clothes to signal social status has a long history, dating back to ancient Egypt. In very hierarchical societies like ancient Egypt, for example, only those in high positions could wear sandals.

5 – 3, Говоря про the Greek and Romans, Мистер Смит упоминает: However, as barriers between social classes became weaker, these so- called sumptuary laws became increasingly difficult to enforce and were eventually abandoned.

6 – 2, It was an example of what’s called conspicuous consumption <…> In other words, your clothes reflected your wealth.

7 – 1, Even though people these days don’t dress in silver or gold lace, clothes are still very much a sign of status.

8 – 1, And on the beach, even though their swimsuits may be like everyone else’s, just watch the wealthy put on their silk beach kimonos when they come out of the water.

9 – 2, Teenagers in particular feel very strongly about showing variety in their dress. Также сказано про teenage girls в частности, но не про взрослых женщин.

Interviewer: Molly, what is your opinion about the impact of the media? Is it a good thing, or a bad thing?

Molly: As a young person, I don't think that you have an option about whether you are going to participate or not in this technology. It’s so ingrained in the world around us, and people use it for every purpose — for social purposes, for work, to follow the news, to, in fact, I can't think of a realm of life that computers have not penetrated. So, I don't know how productive discussions are about whether it is or isn't a good thing. We’re past that. Everybody is using it, and you have to get engaged with it if you want to deal with the world around you. And it does have many advantages.

Interviewer: So what are the advantages of the media?

Molly: I would say that the main appeal has to do with convenience instant communication, like you don't have to wait for anything. In the past, people went to the post office, which I think is an institution that is probably, you know, not going to be here for very much longer. People used to have so much patience. You know, you wrote letters, you put them in envelopes, you bought a stamp, you got to choose which one, you put your letter in the box, sent it off, and five or ten days later it got there. And that was fine for such a long time! But now people have realized that they don't have to wait, and now that they don't have to, they don't want to anymore! So I think that time has become more important to people.

Interviewer: Are there any other advantages?

Molly: Yes, the sharing of information across the Internet has really exploded, and I think that’s a big part of the appeal. And I’m not just talking about words, but photos and videos, too. My friends are constantly posting pictures about what they're doing, where they’ve been, hundreds and thousands of pictures, and it's really interesting because there is always new content to talk about. And you can pretty much use your phone to find out any information about where you are, how to get to different places, and even who is there that you know.

Interviewer: So you think the advantages include convenience, and the ability to share information ...

Molly: Yes, and then thirdly, everyone is connected now, so it’s really easy to find your old friends. In the past, people fell out of touch, and you didn't necessarily have a way to get back in contact with them. Now that's not a concern anymore for my generation, because you can always find everyone. It's almost as if you don't exist if you don’t use Facebook!

Interviewer: Isn’t that an extreme statement?

Molly: Well, for people my age, I’m 27 by the way, the online environment is absolutely central to our fives. But actually, I count myself as very lucky because I've been able to see the world with and without the Internet. I remember getting a computer for the first time. So I have some perspective on its benefits. I actually have some nostalgia for the pretechnological age. I think children now are growing up with a very skewed impression of the world, because for so many thousands of years, the world did not in any way resemble the potential of the modern world. So yeah, perhaps there is a downside to being so connected. Maybe we are losing a part of our cultural heritage, our humanity, because of our addiction to the Internet.

Interviewer: Molly, are there any disadvantages of the media?

Molly: Um, well I think we are brainwashed by the media. It's getting harder and harder to think for yourself. And I also think the media interferes with the way we spend our time. It makes us antisocial.

Interviewer: In what way? Don't you think most people are talking to friends online?

Molly: I don't think that counts. People are not spending quality time together. It's fine to spend hours a day online, clicking here and clicking there, but five hours later, you suddenly realize that you haven't seen your family all day, and you've been sitting there chasing down all this information you think is so important. On one hand, it's wonderful to have the Internet at your disposal, but while you're online, you're not doing anything else, like reading for example. There's a way that books just bring knowledge alive to you in a completely different way. You get to discuss books with your friends, but all people talk about when they're discussing the Internet is how much time they wasted!

3 – 1, So, I don't know how productive discussions are about whether it is or isn't a good thing. We’re past that. Everybody is using it, and you have to get engaged with it if you want to deal with the world around you.

4 – 2, But now people have realized that they don't have to wait, and now that they don't have to, they don't want to anymore! So I think that time has become more important to people.

5 – 3, My friends are constantly posting pictures about what they're doing, where they’ve been, hundreds and thousands of pictures, and it's really interesting because there is always new content to talk about. Про покупки же онлайн не сказано.

6 – 2, It's almost as if you don't exist if you don’t use Facebook!

7 – 3, But actually, I count myself as very lucky because I've been able to see the world with and without the Internet.

8 – 2, I think children now are growing up with a very skewed(в значении: not accurate or exact) impression of the world. В то время как biased - giving results that are not accurate because information has not been collected correctly.

9 – 2, Молли сравнивает, что читая книги люди дискутируют о них, а залипая в Интернете люди лишь говорят о потраченном времени: You get to discuss books with your friends, but all people talk about when

Presenter: Hi, everyone and welcome to our programme. Today Pat Mora will be with us! Pat is a writer and a poet. She will dwell on her missing Heritage. Pat, what do you mean by “Missing Heritage”?

Speaker: It’s interesting to me that though I lived in a very bilingual community, Spanish was never mentioned at school. Many of my friends also came from bilingual homes — or, certainly from homes where Spanish was spoken. And I visited those homes, just as I visited the homes of my monolingual English friends; but Spanish and being of Mexican descent and being part of the border experience was never part of my educational experience. It was really not until I sat down to start writing, which was a little over 20 years ago, that I realized that part of my life — a big part of my life — had never totally been welcomed in my educational experience. So, I was a good student. I loved school. I loved reading. And to some extent, I never noticed that part of what I was, was missing at school.

Presenter: What are you writing about?

Speaker: My whole Mexican heritage was something that I could write about. And so now when I talk to teachers, and when I talk to librarians, and when I talk to students, I say the trick is how we bring everything that we are to the page — everything. So if a student happens to love science and love bugs, I always say to him or her that is always something you could write about, because they’re excited about it. Well, culture is the same. And when I'm using my books with students — particularly with students who are bilingual, who are bicultural — they make connections immediately. They’re so excited, because they see themselves.

Presenter: Are you a versatile writer?

Speaker: The family memoir House of Houses is another book for adults in the nonfiction mode that was a great source of pleasure. It's not a book I ever expected to write, but I come from a very close family, and a lot of my children's books have family themes. So, House of Houses was a way to spend time thinking about some of the most important voices in my life, which is why I think family stories are so important. It’s fun to point out that the children’s book, The Rainbow Tulip, actually began in House of Houses. And when I realized this experience that my mom had had in the first grade, being the translator — you know, many children around the country are the translator generation. Their families speak one language at home. The child speaks another language at school, and the child becomes that translator. So, my mother was that. And had I not written House of Houses, I would never have heard that story about the May parade and her experience. And so when I finished House of Houses, I thought, “Well, I’m going to take that story out and do it as a picture book.” And I may do that with some of the stories about my dad, who was also quite a character. And I think it would give me a lot of pleasure to do some of the books about him. I’ve also written five poetry collections for adults. Students always say, “Well, which is your favourite form?” And I always say, “Well, poetry’s my favourite form.” It’s probably because it’s the most challenging. In many ways, it's the most playful of the forms, I think.

Presenter: Do you often go to libraries?

Speaker: I also love talking to teachers and librarians about this little guy from Crystal City, Texas, whose parents did not speak English, and whose parents didn’t have much money. They were migrant workers. Most students today do not know what those words mean. School after school, I say, “What are migrant workers?” And unless the teacher has done work before my visit, students do not know that. And many times when I read the books, teachers and librarians will themselves come up and say, “There was someone like that in my life.” So, how can we be that for the next generation is the question.

Presenter: Pat, thank you for sharing your ideas with us. That was very interesting! Hope you will come to this studio again!

3 – 1, It’s interesting to me that though I lived in a very bilingual community, Spanish was never mentioned at school <…> Spanish and being of Mexican descent and being part of the border experience was never part of my educational experience.

4 – 2, It was really not until I sat down to start writing, which was a little over 20 years ago.

5 – 3, My whole Mexican heritage was something that I could write about.

6 – 1, Отвечая на вопрос про разноплановость, Пэт говорит про «The family memoir House of Houses», плюс « the children’s book, The Rainbow Tulip», плюс «I’ve also written five poetry collections for adults».

7 – 2, The family memoir House of Houses is another book for adults in the nonfiction mode that was a great source of pleasure.

8 – 3, Well, poetry’s my favourite form.

9 – 1, And many times when I read the books, teachers and librarians will themselves come up and say, “There was someone like that in my life.”

Presenter: Hi, everyone and welcome to our programme. Today with us is Kathleen Krull, a kid’s writer. When did you start?

Speaker: I started writing and making up my own little stories when I was in the second and third grades, and I had a teacher in the third grade, Sister De Maria, who praised my writing. Every day I would go home and write a poem, and I can still remember one of the poems, if you’d like to hear it. It's: “The sun, the sun, the sun; must run, must run, must run; for it is like a hot, hot bun; and inside that bun there is a big, big nun.” Because all my teachers were nuns, I wrote a lot of poems about nuns, and you can rhyme “nun” with a lot of things. It’s kind of fun. I’m not saying that these were great poems, but I was learning how to play around with words on the page, and that was something that was really helpful for me, and I found it to be very pleasurable. I wanted to keep doing it.

Presenter: Are your books a fresh spin on biographies?

Speaker: I like to think that my books are unique. I have tried writing different kinds of books, but I’ve found that the field of biography has been really good to me. I love it because I am so nosy. I love writing about other people, digging up all of this information, like a detective, at the library. I try to make my books as fresh and as current as possible, so that real kids today would want to read them. I try to avoid the dated feel of the past, like making up a dialogue — things like that. Everything that I write is very true, very accurate. I take old stories of famous people and try to put a fresh spin on them and make them new for kids today.

Presenter: Why are your books interesting and useful for children?

Speaker: I like to think that my books do help kids remember famous people from history that they should remember. For example, in my book A Woman for President, which is the story of Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president back in 1872 — this is somebody that most kids have never heard of, and yet she’s really an interesting figure from American history. That’s the kind of thing that I go after, stories from the past that I think kids should know about today.

Presenter: Do you try to humanize history?

Speaker: I do try to humanize famous people from history, especially in My Life of Books, which is all about famous people — these icons from history — and what the neighbors thought of these famous people. Which is just sort of a way of saying these are the very nosiest things that I could find out about each person, that they weren’t marble busts that you see on a piano somewhere, or in a library on the top shelf, all dead and moldy. These were real human beings with quirks and faults and interesting habits and different girlfriends and boyfriends and ways of spending their money and different clothes and hair and underwear and little personality quirks and how they related to their children and their parents and just whatever I can find that makes them seem like real human beings. That’s my goal.

Presenter: Ludwig’s Lifestyle ... tell us about this story.

Speaker: One of the most interesting people that I’ve researched — they’re all fascinating, but Beethoven had a lot of personality quirks and a lot of problems with his neighbors. Beethoven actually had to move about once a year because of so many complaints from his neighbors. He played his music in the middle of the night, the same thing over and over again. It drove the neighbors crazy. He also wasn’t big on personal hygiene, and really didn’t care about clothes or his hair — you know, keeping his clothes clean. His friends — he did have friends, because he was a very charismatic person — they would try to help him out. When he would fall asleep, they would take his old, crusty clothes away and bring in a new suit for him to wear the next day. He’d put on the new clothes and wouldn’t even notice that there had been a change. So, he just was not into his clothes. Also, he kept food until it got old and moldy and very smelly.

Presenter: Thank you. That was really interesting. We are looking forward to your next story.

3 – 2, I started writing and making up my own little stories when I was in the second and third grades.

4 – 1, I’ve found that the field of biography has been really good to me.

5 – 2, I like to think that my books do help kids remember famous people from history that they should remember.

6 – 1, I can find that makes them seem like real human beings. That’s my goal.

7 – 1, Shook в значении liking or wanting someone or something very much => One of the most interesting people that I’ve researched — they’re all fascinating, but Beethoven <…>

8 – 3, Вопросы были нейтральные, с целью что-то разузнать, без сарказма или противоречивых, спорных моментов.

9 – 1, Kathleen Krull, a kid’s writer.