Episode 76 B

EPISODE 76
LEVEL B2

 

READING COMPREHENSION

 

Amish familes                                                                              

 

People say that they are different because of their plain style of dress, limited use of technology and their simple way of life. If you visit an Amish area, you’ll see women in long dresses and people travelling in buggies (= A light, small vehicle pulled by a horse) drawn by horses. If you pass their farms, you’ll notice equipment being pulled by horses too. At homes you’ll find no televisions, no telephones, no kitchen appliances (= a machine or a piece of equipment that you have at home) run by electricity. The Amish are different and they want to  separated themselves from mainstream  society. They do not join the military, pay social security or accept financial assistance from the government. The Amish value simplicity and self-sufficiency (= being able to provide for yourself everything you need), but are no inefficient (= not working in the best effective way). The conveniences (= all things and conditions that make your life easier)  that we take for granted (= to expect something to always be and exist there) such as cars or electricity are thought to create inequality (= a situation in which people are not equal) and can lead the Amish away from their close knit (=consisting of people who look after one another and are very close) community. They live in a separate world, with its own values, the most important of which is a mistrust (= a feeling that you shouldn’t trust sb) of anything modern. They do not compromise with the modern world as they believe that many outside gadgets  bring an intrusion (= sth that interrupts a peaceful or a private event) into their privacy. The man is the primary breadwinner of the Amish family. In the past the Amish family income was produced on the farm. For nearly 300 years the Amish man has tilled  (= to prepare land for crops) the soil to produce crops and livestock for a living. Most Amish still prefer this lifestyle today.

But in recent decades, the scarcity (= a situation in which the supply of sth is not enough) of affordable farmland has forced many Amish men to seek alternative means of producing income. In some areas, less than half the men farm for a living. The best alternative to farming is a cottage industry that allows the man to work at home. Businesses such as:

• bakery
• cabinet shop
• furniture manufacturing shop
• engine repair shop
• greenhouse Bookstore
• dry goods store
• harness (= a set of strong leather bands used for fastening around an animal) and

leather goods shop

• clock and watch repair shop
• sawmill (= a building in which wood is cut)

 

 

EXERCISE 1

Answer the questions after reading the text:

 

1.Why do people say that the Amish are different?

2. Do the Amish ever use modern technology?

3. Why do they live in such an old-fashioned way?

4. What do you think of the Amish’s attitude to modern appliances?

5. What is the role of a man in the family?

 

ENGLISH IN USE 

 

If you visit an Amish area, you will see women in long dresses.

If you are invited into an Amish home, you will find no television.

 

In the text you can find a few examples presenting the first conditional.

We use the first conditional to talk about real possibilities

 

If   +   present simple  +  main clause ( will, might, may, should, can)

 

 

EXERCISE 2

Fill in the gaps with missing verbs:

 

1. If I ………………..to bed late, I …………………. tired.
2. If you ………………….. driving like that, you……………… have an accident.
3. If I ………………. the answer, I……………… tell you later.
4. If the water ………………, it ……………….. the food is nearly ready.
5. Even if it …………………. we……………… still go for a picnic.

 

 

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

 

Your own flesh and blood = a person or people that you are related to

What is it about your own flesh and blood? – Well, I’ve got two sisters.

Squeeze somebody out = (usually passive) to no longer be included in sth one was previously involved in

The middle child can often feel neglected and squeezed out by older and younger siblings.

 

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

get mixed up with = get in touch

cheat on sb = have a sexual relationship with sb else

butter sb up = be very nice to sb

 

 

EXERCISE 3

Match the sentence halves.

 

1. My partner got mixed up                   a) him up so she gets better grades.
2. I suspect he may be                            b) with some untrustworthy people.
3. I think she is trying to butter            c) cheating on me.

 

 

 

NEWS

 

A Few Facts About the Amish…

The Amish frequently refer to themselves as plain. The Plain People, as they’re often called, believe that dressing in anything other than plain modest clothing is prideful, and pride is a sin. Amish families live simple, but hardworking and fulfilling lives. Many speculate that the Amish don’t know how to have fun. I beg to differ. I’ve been witness on more than one occasion to a group of Amish teenagers in a heated game of volleyball, and I can attest to the fact that fun was had by all. The picnic that followed came complete with joking, teasing, flirting and the hearty consuming of lots of delicious food.

Amish families do shelter their children, but that doesn’t mean that influences outside their communities don’t filter through. It’s not at all unusual to observe Amish teenagers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania talking on cell phones. While the Old Order Amish strictly forbid such worldly ways, many New Order Amish communities allow for a few modern innovations.

The Amish are Anabaptists. They believe that a person should make their own decision to become baptized and join the church as adults, rather than through infant baptism as is practiced in some religions. Amish men and women typically commit to baptism around age 18, and many are married shortly thereafter.

As of 2005, more than 80% of Amish teens tired of the fast paced life in the „English” world and returned to be baptized and join the Amish church. More than 90% of that group will remain in the Amish community for life.

 

 

GLOSSARY

 

plain – simple in design

prideful – full of pride

hearty – friendly and enthusiastic

shelter – a place where people are protected

infant – a baby

baptism – a ceremony in which sb is welcome into the christian religion

fast-paced – fast -going

 

 

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