Вы услышите интервью. В заданиях 3–9 запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды. Пример ответа: 1 9. At the end of the interview Jim advises beginner artists to … 1) love what they do. 2) try to earn a lot of money. 3) post their pictures on the Internet.

Presenter: Hello, everyone, and welcome to our daily programme, 'The Hobby World'. Today in our studio, we have Jim Snow, whose book about digital painting hit the bookstores last week and immediately became an international bestseller. Hi, Jim! Jim: Good afternoon. Thank you for inviting me. Presenter: Why did you decide to take up digital art? Jim: At first it wasn't very focused and I didn't think too much about things, like foundational art skills or whether I could earn a living as an artist. My initial reason for learning digital art was as a creative and fun activity. This in itself is a valid reason to do any form of art. Presenter: How did you get the idea of writing a book on digital painting? Jim: A few years ago, I wrote an article about the best digital painting software for beginners. It has proved the most popular article I've written for any medium. So I've decided I should write more about the subject. You see, digital painting is a huge subject and is very popular these days. Despite this, finding good beginner-level tutorials on the subject is still not that easy, unless you know where to look. When I started out painting digitally back in 2004, I learned very slowly and randomly on my own by creating personal digital artworks. Before that, I had been using traditional ways like pen and pencil because I've always liked to draw. Presenter: What software do you recommend for digital painting? Jim: Well, different types of softwares have their own particular quirks and learning curves to overcome until you can start being creative and have fun with them. My advice would be to choose one or two programmes at maximum and learn them well before trying others. This eliminates possible confusion with the learning process. Once you've learned one digital painting software well, you can usually apply the same skills to another one. What I can say from personal experience is to try different software now and then. I used to only use Coral Painter for a long time, but after I'd tried Photoshop and other programs after my art course finished, I realised what I had been missing. Ultimately, it is not the software or the fancy brushes that will make you a good artist, but the hours of focused practice you put in. Presenter: Have you ever got any negative feedback about your work? Jim: I do get some negative feedback online and offline. Once I got really discouraged with my progress and disillusioned about art in general and became a lot less inclined to upload my art. I had low confidence about art and illustration in general after being told some critical remarks by advisors at my local job centre. My family was not very supportive until much later on during the art course. In short, my motivation was lacking. So I would like to say to beginner artists that they should be wary of early criticism from complete strangers when they're starting something new, because it can be more discouraging than helpful for a beginner. Having positive feedback and encouragement from kind people is much better for motivation. Presenter: Can you give any other pieces of advice to beginner digital artists? Jim: It applies not only to artists, but to anybody who is learning a new skill. One shouldn't forget the fun factor. What kept me going with digital arts for so long was not the prospect of earning money one day, but the fun aspect in creating fantasy creatures for my stories which I used to write, and sharing art on the internet with like-minded people. It helps to cultivate personal passions and interests, and somehow use them while learning. Presenter: Thank you, Jim. Jim: Thank you.

Вы услышите интервью. В заданиях 3–9 запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды. Пример ответа: 1 3. Anna’s rules of polarity are based on … 1) major laws of physics. 2) contrasts of characters. 3) audience’s preferences

Presenter: Hello everybody and welcome to our weekly writer's workshop programme. Today in our studio we have Anna Brown, a well-known writer and writing consultant. She has just published her new book about writing. Good afternoon, Anna. Anna: Good afternoon, and thank you for inviting me. It's a real pleasure being here. Presenter: In your recent book, you speak about the rules of polarity in stories. Could you please explain them to us? Anna: Polarity in stories seems to follow some of the rules of magnetism and electricity. Characters with opposing qualities or objectives can make entertaining stories when they are forced to work together and may even be attracted to one another, as positive and negative magnetic poles are drawn to one another because each side has something the other wants. Audiences seem to enjoy watching this kind of attraction of opposites and are almost magnetically attracted to such stories. Presenter: That's interesting. Anna: There is another rule of polarity. Polarized values sometimes reverse themselves. Many good stories are based on opposition. Let's say we see a tough hero and an emotional sensitive person. Under pressure, they change their behaviour. Thus, the tough hero shows an emotional side and the sensitive character becomes tough. It allows the characters to understand each other better, and it can also provide a lot of comedy and drama. Presenter: You once said stories can heal us. How so? Anna: Stories give us metaphors that help us process and manage our life problems. They give us examples of human behavior against which we can compare our own performance. I've found stories very comforting when I am ill or stressed, giving me some place else to go. Stories can be vehicles for expressing ideas, and sometimes these ideas give us new frames for understanding our challenges and healing our emotional wounds. Presenter: Can you describe your working space for us? Anna: Over the years, I've made a nice office space for myself, with an L-shaped desk that is like a starship control centre, with different areas dedicated to the current projects. For inspiration, I have many models of medieval castles, and a wall of shelves covered with toy soldiers from different time periods. Outdoors, there is a golf course near my house, and I walk around it to clear my head. Presenter: Do you have any special quotes or sayings that you keep visible in your work environment to help inspire, motivate and encourage you? Anna: I like to pick a visual image to focus each project and I keep that within my field of vision somewhere on the desk. As for motivating quotes, my favourite is posted above the computer screen and comes from the English sailor Sir Francis Drake who said: 'There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished, yields the true glory'. Presenter: What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us? Anna: I am continuing to develop material for future non-fiction books about story and character, but I also have some fiction projects in the works. I want to revive a book series I started, a fantasy based on Sir Walter Scott's novel 'Ivanhoe'. The first part was published as a Japanese-style manga, or graphic novel, and I want to continue the story in some form. I love working with artists, to add a visual element to my storytelling. Presenter: Thank you very much for talking with us today, Anna, and sharing your experience and insights.

Вы услышите интервью. В заданиях 3–9 запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды. Пример ответа: 1 4. What does Anna NOT mention as a plus of using polarity in a story? 1) It helps reveal the inner world of characters better. 2) It creates both funny and sad moments in a story. 3) It provokes sharp conflicts between characters.

Presenter: Hello everybody and welcome to our weekly writer's workshop programme. Today in our studio we have Anna Brown, a well-known writer and writing consultant. She has just published her new book about writing. Good afternoon, Anna. Anna: Good afternoon, and thank you for inviting me. It's a real pleasure being here. Presenter: In your recent book, you speak about the rules of polarity in stories. Could you please explain them to us? Anna: Polarity in stories seems to follow some of the rules of magnetism and electricity. Characters with opposing qualities or objectives can make entertaining stories when they are forced to work together and may even be attracted to one another, as positive and negative magnetic poles are drawn to one another because each side has something the other wants. Audiences seem to enjoy watching this kind of attraction of opposites and are almost magnetically attracted to such stories. Presenter: That's interesting. Anna: There is another rule of polarity. Polarized values sometimes reverse themselves. Many good stories are based on opposition. Let's say we see a tough hero and an emotional sensitive person. Under pressure, they change their behaviour. Thus, the tough hero shows an emotional side and the sensitive character becomes tough. It allows the characters to understand each other better, and it can also provide a lot of comedy and drama. Presenter: You once said stories can heal us. How so? Anna: Stories give us metaphors that help us process and manage our life problems. They give us examples of human behavior against which we can compare our own performance. I've found stories very comforting when I am ill or stressed, giving me some place else to go. Stories can be vehicles for expressing ideas, and sometimes these ideas give us new frames for understanding our challenges and healing our emotional wounds. Presenter: Can you describe your working space for us? Anna: Over the years, I've made a nice office space for myself, with an L-shaped desk that is like a starship control centre, with different areas dedicated to the current projects. For inspiration, I have many models of medieval castles, and a wall of shelves covered with toy soldiers from different time periods. Outdoors, there is a golf course near my house, and I walk around it to clear my head. Presenter: Do you have any special quotes or sayings that you keep visible in your work environment to help inspire, motivate and encourage you? Anna: I like to pick a visual image to focus each project and I keep that within my field of vision somewhere on the desk. As for motivating quotes, my favourite is posted above the computer screen and comes from the English sailor Sir Francis Drake who said: 'There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished, yields the true glory'. Presenter: What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us? Anna: I am continuing to develop material for future non-fiction books about story and character, but I also have some fiction projects in the works. I want to revive a book series I started, a fantasy based on Sir Walter Scott's novel 'Ivanhoe'. The first part was published as a Japanese-style manga, or graphic novel, and I want to continue the story in some form. I love working with artists, to add a visual element to my storytelling. Presenter: Thank you very much for talking with us today, Anna, and sharing your experience and insights.

Вы услышите интервью. В заданиях 3–9 запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды. Пример ответа: 1 5. Why does Anna think stories have a therapeutical effect on people? 1) Reading relieves stress and tension. 2) Books make us change our behaviour. 3) You see you’re better than book heroes.

Presenter: Hello everybody and welcome to our weekly writer's workshop programme. Today in our studio we have Anna Brown, a well-known writer and writing consultant. She has just published her new book about writing. Good afternoon, Anna. Anna: Good afternoon, and thank you for inviting me. It's a real pleasure being here. Presenter: In your recent book, you speak about the rules of polarity in stories. Could you please explain them to us? Anna: Polarity in stories seems to follow some of the rules of magnetism and electricity. Characters with opposing qualities or objectives can make entertaining stories when they are forced to work together and may even be attracted to one another, as positive and negative magnetic poles are drawn to one another because each side has something the other wants. Audiences seem to enjoy watching this kind of attraction of opposites and are almost magnetically attracted to such stories. Presenter: That's interesting. Anna: There is another rule of polarity. Polarized values sometimes reverse themselves. Many good stories are based on opposition. Let's say we see a tough hero and an emotional sensitive person. Under pressure, they change their behaviour. Thus, the tough hero shows an emotional side and the sensitive character becomes tough. It allows the characters to understand each other better, and it can also provide a lot of comedy and drama. Presenter: You once said stories can heal us. How so? Anna: Stories give us metaphors that help us process and manage our life problems. They give us examples of human behavior against which we can compare our own performance. I've found stories very comforting when I am ill or stressed, giving me some place else to go. Stories can be vehicles for expressing ideas, and sometimes these ideas give us new frames for understanding our challenges and healing our emotional wounds. Presenter: Can you describe your working space for us? Anna: Over the years, I've made a nice office space for myself, with an L-shaped desk that is like a starship control centre, with different areas dedicated to the current projects. For inspiration, I have many models of medieval castles, and a wall of shelves covered with toy soldiers from different time periods. Outdoors, there is a golf course near my house, and I walk around it to clear my head. Presenter: Do you have any special quotes or sayings that you keep visible in your work environment to help inspire, motivate and encourage you? Anna: I like to pick a visual image to focus each project and I keep that within my field of vision somewhere on the desk. As for motivating quotes, my favourite is posted above the computer screen and comes from the English sailor Sir Francis Drake who said: 'There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished, yields the true glory'. Presenter: What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us? Anna: I am continuing to develop material for future non-fiction books about story and character, but I also have some fiction projects in the works. I want to revive a book series I started, a fantasy based on Sir Walter Scott's novel 'Ivanhoe'. The first part was published as a Japanese-style manga, or graphic novel, and I want to continue the story in some form. I love working with artists, to add a visual element to my storytelling. Presenter: Thank you very much for talking with us today, Anna, and sharing your experience and insights.

Вы услышите интервью. В заданиях 3–9 запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды. Пример ответа: 1 6. How does Anna describe her working space? 1) Multi-functional. 2) Fantasy-like. 3) Business-like.

Presenter: Hello everybody and welcome to our weekly writer's workshop programme. Today in our studio we have Anna Brown, a well-known writer and writing consultant. She has just published her new book about writing. Good afternoon, Anna. Anna: Good afternoon, and thank you for inviting me. It's a real pleasure being here. Presenter: In your recent book, you speak about the rules of polarity in stories. Could you please explain them to us? Anna: Polarity in stories seems to follow some of the rules of magnetism and electricity. Characters with opposing qualities or objectives can make entertaining stories when they are forced to work together and may even be attracted to one another, as positive and negative magnetic poles are drawn to one another because each side has something the other wants. Audiences seem to enjoy watching this kind of attraction of opposites and are almost magnetically attracted to such stories. Presenter: That's interesting. Anna: There is another rule of polarity. Polarized values sometimes reverse themselves. Many good stories are based on opposition. Let's say we see a tough hero and an emotional sensitive person. Under pressure, they change their behaviour. Thus, the tough hero shows an emotional side and the sensitive character becomes tough. It allows the characters to understand each other better, and it can also provide a lot of comedy and drama. Presenter: You once said stories can heal us. How so? Anna: Stories give us metaphors that help us process and manage our life problems. They give us examples of human behavior against which we can compare our own performance. I've found stories very comforting when I am ill or stressed, giving me some place else to go. Stories can be vehicles for expressing ideas, and sometimes these ideas give us new frames for understanding our challenges and healing our emotional wounds. Presenter: Can you describe your working space for us? Anna: Over the years, I've made a nice office space for myself, with an L-shaped desk that is like a starship control centre, with different areas dedicated to the current projects. For inspiration, I have many models of medieval castles, and a wall of shelves covered with toy soldiers from different time periods. Outdoors, there is a golf course near my house, and I walk around it to clear my head. Presenter: Do you have any special quotes or sayings that you keep visible in your work environment to help inspire, motivate and encourage you? Anna: I like to pick a visual image to focus each project and I keep that within my field of vision somewhere on the desk. As for motivating quotes, my favourite is posted above the computer screen and comes from the English sailor Sir Francis Drake who said: 'There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished, yields the true glory'. Presenter: What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us? Anna: I am continuing to develop material for future non-fiction books about story and character, but I also have some fiction projects in the works. I want to revive a book series I started, a fantasy based on Sir Walter Scott's novel 'Ivanhoe'. The first part was published as a Japanese-style manga, or graphic novel, and I want to continue the story in some form. I love working with artists, to add a visual element to my storytelling. Presenter: Thank you very much for talking with us today, Anna, and sharing your experience and insights.