STE 1 3 Bad language . LESSON @5 eaten acetic Listen to the recording, and then answer this question: Why are the staff at the centre deeply shocked? The staff at a wildlife centre near Birmingham have been deeply shocked at the behaviour of their newest resident. When the rare Bali Myna bird first arrived at the centre, nobody noticed that 5 ithad a rich and varied vocabulary of rude words. By the time they realised what the bird was up to, all the other birds in the aviary had begun swearing too. An actor has been employed to teach the birds 10 to be polite, By the end of this week, he will have been working with them for six weeks, but it is still not clear whether his efforts will be successful. Time is short, because the centre will be receiving 15 visits from parties of young schoolchildren soon, The Director is terribly upset. “It’s not just the cost!” he exclaimed, “What about the parents?” ‘Tshall do my best,’ the actor told him, ‘but it isn’t easy. The birds don’t listen. Every time I say 20 anything, the grey parrot shouts, “Shut up, shut up!” And the language of the other birds is really shocking! It sounds like a building site in there!” 7Guided Conversation @ Answer questions about the text. Example: Where is the wildlife centre? Near Birmingham. 1 What kind of bird is the centre's newest resident? 2 What kind of vocabulary does the Myna bird have? 3 What had happened, before the staff realised what the bird was up to? 4 Why has an actor been employed at the centre? 5 By the end of this week, how long will he have been working with the birds? 6 What will be happening at the centre soon? 7 What did the actor tell the Director he would do? 8 What's the language of the other birds like? @ Ask questions Example: ‘The staff at a wildlife centre near Birmingham have been deeply shocked. (Why?) Have the staff at a wildlife centre near Birmingham been deeply shocked? Why have the staff at a wildlife centre near Birmingham been deeply shocked? 1 Arare Bali Myna bird is their newest resident. (What kind?) 2 Nobody noticed that the bird had a rich and varied vocabulary of rude words, (Who?) (What?) (Why?) 3 All the other birds in the aviary began swearing too. (What?) (When?) 4 An actor has been employed to teach the birds to be polite. (Who?) (Why?) 5 He will have been working with the birds for six weeks by the end of this week. (How long?) (Who?) 6 Itis still not clear whether his efforts will be successful. (What?) 7 The centre will be receiving visits from parties of young schoolchildren soon. (What?) (When?) © Tell the story, using these key words. 1 staff — shock — newest resident 7 Centre — receive visits — soon. 2 rare — bird — arrived — nobody — 8 Director — exclaim — cost — what — vocabulary parents? 3 when realise — bird up to — swear 9 Actor — ‘not easy. — Every — say — grey 4 actor — employ — polite parrot —, “Shut up —2” 5 end — week — work — 6 weeks 10 ‘Sounds — building site!" 6 still — not clear — successful @ Guided summary. Write a complete sentence in answer to each question, to make a paragraph of not more than 60 words. 1 What kind of bird is the newest resident at the wildlife centre? What kind of vocabulary does the bird have? Did anybody notice this when the bird first arrived? (The newest resident ... bird with ... which nobody ... when ...) 2 When did the staff at the centre realise what the bird was up to? What were the other birds in the aviary doing? (Before the staff... up to, ... birds .... swearing too.) © Takk about you 1 How easy is it to teach a bird to talk, do you suppose? Do talking birds usually have a rich vocabulary? 2 Ifyou went into an aviary where all the birds were swearing, would you be shocked, or would you laugh? Why? 3 Do you find bad language shocking? Why? / Why not? 4 Who, in your experience, uses bad language? When do they do it, and why? What is your opinion of people who swear? 75