Do you have a GSOH?

Answer the questions:
1. Do you have a good sense of humour?
2. How often do you laugh?
3. Do you know anyone who has an infectious laugh?
4. Are you good at telling jokes?
5. Do you enjoy playing practical jokes on people?
6. Have you ever been the victim of a practical joke?
7. Do you enjoy watching humorous programmes? Why?
8. Who is the funniest person you know? In what way is this person funny?
9. How would you define humour?
10. Why do humans have a sense of humour?

Colour

How important is colour in our lives? According to various studies colour has a major influence on how we feel emotionally and even on our day-to-day performance. For instance, the colour you paint your living room could have an effect on how often you lose your temper in it! (What colour is your living room?) The colour of food packaging is vitally important too. It is carefully considered before marketing the product as certain colours are appetite stimulants whereas others may give the impression that the food tastes bad or is poisonous.

So, which colours should we avoid in our living rooms? Well, surprising as it may seem, yellow is not a good choice for the domestic environment. Usually yellow is associated with sunlight and is traditionally a happy, optimistic colour. It can also help you to think clearly. However, according to recent studies, people become irritable and even angry more often in rooms which are yellow than in rooms of other colours. It can also be upsetting for babies, who will cry more often in rooms with yellow colour schemes.

Orange is less risky. It can make you feel better by reducing depression. Red, however, traditionally associated with anger, can make us feel irritated and overstimulated if we are exposed to too much of it. Meeting rooms with red colour schemes may promote more argument than agreement! Red is also recognised as being effective in making you hungry which is why restaurants often include red in their colour schemes.

Pink might be a good choice for the walls of your living space if you want a calm colour that makes you feel loved and protected, but beware, it can also make you feel lethargic. Some sports teams have been known to paint the walls of the opposing team's dressing room pink in order to drain them of their energy prior to the competition or match.

Blue could be a good choice for the walls of your living room if you want a peaceful colour. People perform better in rooms with blue colour schemes so it is a good colour for offices. Believe it or not, weightlifters have been shown to lift heavier weights in blue rooms than rooms of other colours. But the shade of blue is important too – certain shades can seem cold. Dark blue is not recommended if you are prone to depression. As far as food is concerned, blue is an appetite suppressant. Scientists suspect that when hunter-gatherers searched for food they discovered that blue (or blue-ish) foods, such as berries, were poisonous.

Perhaps the easiest colour for interior walls is white. It is neutral, it doesn’t clash with anything, it is a good background colour, and it is always in fashion!

Quick Quiz: Read the clues below and write the solutions on a piece of paper. Then take the first letter of each answer and rearrange them to find the hidden word connected with this Talking Point.

1. According to various studies, colour has a major influence on how we feel __________.

2. Certain colours are appetite stimulants whereas others may __________ the impression that the food tastes bad or is poisonous.

3. __________, however, traditionally associated with anger, can make us feel irritated and overstimulated.

4. Some sports teams have been known to paint the walls of the __________ team's dressing room pink.

5. As far as food is concerned, blue is an __________ suppressant.

6. White is __________, it doesn’t clash with anything, it is a good background colour, and it is always in fashion!

You may make some exercises here>>>

What's in a Name?

Popular Names in Britain Today
"What's in a name?", Shakespeare asked in his play Romeo and Juliet. Well, the answer is: quite a lot, apparently! Choosing a name for a child can be a lengthy, drawn out process, sometimes even causing the parents or the family to fall out! Names come in and out of fashion. In Britain girls' names such as Gertrude and Ethel have fallen out of favour, as have boys' names such as Percival and Albert. Some names are handed down through the generations, from father to son, from mother to daughter. Others are chosen on a whim – because they sound nice, or because one or both of the parents want to name the child after someone famous they particularly like. So what are the most popular names in Britain today?

Girls
Popular girls' names are often taken from flowers. Lily, Daisy and Poppy are all names of flowers and they all feature in the top thirty in the popularity stakes. Summer and Autumn are also firm favourites though Spring and Winter are much less popular. Emily has been an extremely popular name in recent years and was one of the top two most popular girls' names for the first five years of this century. Jessica and Grace are next, followed by Ruby. None of these are as popular as Olivia, however, which only started appearing in the top five in 2005 and quickly jumped to the number one spot. How long it will stay there is anyone's guess!

Boys
One of the most popular boys' names in Britain is a traditional one - James. A name that harks back to the Bible and the Royal Family, James is a name that has been in use for years and years. However, in 2006 it was pushed out of the top five to make way for Harry. Possibly the popularity of Prince Charles' second son accounts for the rise in popularity for this name, who can say? Other frequently-used boys names are Oliver, Joshua and Thomas, which all appear in the top five. The reigning champion, however, is Jack, which has been the most popular boys' name in Britain for several years now.

Famous names
Giving your child the name of a famous celebrity is a trend that has caught on in Britain. Cruz is a boy's name that has become much more popular in recent years, perhaps due to the fact that David and Victoria Beckham's youngest son is called Cruz. And it is possible that Angelina Jolie's son Maddox is responsible for the rise in popularity of that name: Maddox has risen nearly 90 places in the popularity stakes. Jayden is a name that is catching on too, apparently because Britney Spears called her youngest child Jayden. One of the fastest rising names on the list is Keira, which went straight into the top 100 at number 51 and rose to 33 almost immediately - an impressive debut! The fact that Keira Knightley stars in the box office hit "Pirates of the Caribbean" may well have something to do with this! However, the name of her co-star Orlando Bloom is not enjoying the same success.

Quick Quiz: Read the clues below and write the solutions on a piece of paper. Then take the first letter of each answer and rearrange them to find the hidden word connected with this Talking Point.

1. In Britain girls' names such as Gertrude and __________ have fallen out of favour.

2. Emily has been an extremely popular name in recent years and was one the top two most popular girls' name for the first five years of this __________.

3. Olivia started __________ in the top five in 2005 and quickly jumped to the number one spot.

4. Possibly the popularity of Prince Charles' second son accounts for the rise __________ popularity for this name.

5. Jack has been the most popular boys' name in Britain for several years __________.

6. It is possible that Angelina Jolie's son __________ is responsible for the rise in popularity of that name.

7. One of the fastest rising names on the list is __________ which went straight into the top 100 at number 51.

8. However, the name of Keira Knightley's co-star Orlando Bloom is __________ enjoying the same success.


You may make some exercises here>>

Art

Art Discussion Questions
What was the last art gallery you went to?

What’s the longest you’ve ever spent looking at one picture? What was it about that picture?

What’s the longest you’ve ever spent in an art gallery? And the shortest?

Who’s your favourite artist?
What do you feel when you see one of his/ her paintings?

What do you think about abstract and semi-abstract art?
What do you think about contemporary art and artistic installations?
Do you think any artists who are around now will be remembered in 50 years?
When do you think the best art was being produced?

Is there any one artist you think is over-rated?

What is the most you would spend purchasing your favourite picture (assuming you had unlimited money)?
What is the most you would spend on an original painting under your present circumstances?

Do you think art should be subsidised or run under the free market?

Science and Technology.

Answer the following questions:
1. What means of communication are most common nowadays?
2. Do you see any dangers in the computerisation of our life?
3. How confident are you with all kinds of appliances? Are you more confident than your parents?
4. If you had money, what kind of high-tech machines would you buy? Why?
5. Are there any inventions in the field of technology that the mankind does not need?
6. What do you think is the most important invention in the history of mankind? Why?
7. What do you think we can learn from space exploration?
8. Do you think that we should invest large sums of money into the exploration of other planets while some people on this planet are living and dying in poverty?
9. Would you like to travel into space, if it was possible? Where would you go and why?
10. What do you think of cloning?
11. How would your life be different without electricity?
12. Do you think the car of the future will be different?
13. What alternative energy sources are there to electricity? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of them?

Healthy Lifestyle.

Answer the following questions:
1. Have you ever been in hospital? how helpful were doctors and nurses?
2. How expensive is healthcare in your country?
3. How hard is it to become a doctor, a pharmacist or a nurse in your country?
4. What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
5. What are your family's eating habits?
6. why do people change their eating habits?
7. What do you think about vegetarianism?
8. What can say about Estonian cuisine?
9. Have you tasted traditional dishes of other countries? If yes, what and how did you like them? If not, what would you like to try?
If you could open your own restaurant, what kind of food would you serve there?
10. What should we do to be in good health?
11. How often do you go to the dentist? Have you ever had a toothache? Why are many people afraid of going to the dentist? What can we do to keep our teeth healthy?
12. Why are some people often ill and others not? What do you do to stay healthy?

Family Matters.

Answer the following questions:

1. Do you come from a large or a small family? How many people are there in your family and what relation are they to you?
2. Who are your favourite relatives and why?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an only child?
4. How important is it for families to have regular get-togethers? Do you enjoy get-togethers?
5. On what occasions does your family get together? How important is it for families to celebrate certain occasions together?
6. How important is it to see your parents and relatives regularly after leaving home?
7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a twin? Would you like to have a twin?
8. Who do you look like in your family? Who do you take after the most?
9. Is divorce permitted in your culture? How much does divorce affect the different members of a family?
10. What difficulties do you think single parents face?
11. What are the worst mistakes parents can make?
12. Should parents be responsible for the actions of their children (for example, if the child commits a crime)?
13. Should grown-up children be responsible for looking after their elderly parents?

Celebrations. Party time.

Answer the following questions:
1. Did you often go to parties as a child? What kind of parties were they?
2. What do children eat and drink at birthday parties in your country? Do they play party games?
3. If you were very rich and famous, would you throw big parties for your children's birthday?
4. How much do people spend on parties in your country?
5. What is your favourite party game?
6. Do you enjoy going to parties?
7. Have you ever thrown a party? What was it for? What was it like?
8. What is the best or worst party you have ever been to? Why was it so good? (or bad?)