Find the following phrases in the text above. Read aloud the sentences.

To uncover evidence; run a risk of; to increase; to increase from… to …; to decline; to be based on.

Make the sentences complete using the phrases.

1. The police ….. of a plot.

2. Smoking in pregnancy ………………. the risk of producing a low birth weight baby.

3. If you refuse this assignment you …………………. losing your job.

4. The number of day students ………………….. from 2000 to 1000.

5. The novels are all …………………… the author’s life.

6. The number of job applicants ………………200……400.

Make your own sentences with the phrases.

Take a group survey. Find out how many students in your group smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs. Discuss your survey results.

19. Read about attitudes to alcohol in Europe. Is the problem serious enough? What do they do to reduce the incidence of binge drinking? Find in the Internet some information about the situation in other countries and prepare a short presentation.

SWEDEN

For many decades Swedes – including young Swedes – have had a rather low alcohol consumption when seen from a European perspective.

This has been due to a consistent national alcohol policy with a state monopoly on the sale of alcoholic beverages, strict rules on sales of alcohol to minors (defined in Sweden as under 20) and high alcohol prices.

Despite this, the trend has been upward ever since Sweden entered the EU in the early 1990s - due to increased access to cheaper alcohol in neighbouring countries.

However, in the past couple of years Sweden has seen a decrease in the level of teenage alcohol consumption.

The non-governmental organisation, the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs, publishes an annual survey of the drinking habits of ninth-grade students (aged 15 to 16).

For 2007 the statistics suggest that more than 30% of the students claim that they do not drink alcohol.

This is up from 20% non-drinking 15 to 16-year-olds in the late 1990s.

In real figures, the council has found that on average boys of that age drink 3.0 litres of pure alcohol, dramatically down from 5.3 litres at the peak year 2000 - girls consumed 2.2 litres in 2007, also down from 3.2 litres in their peak year 2005.

However, this decline is not seen among the slightly older Swedes. Young men in their early 20s in particular drink a great deal, and a great deal more than young women.

Young men between the age of 20 and 25 consume on average 14 pints of strong beer weekly while women of the same age group half as much.

By Julian Isherwood

SPAIN

Spain's problem with alcohol is minor compared with countries like the United Kingdom.

The relative size of drinks in Spain is a good guide to the scale of the problem. When you order in a bar, the standard serving of beer is a caña - a glass with a volume of 200 millilitres, just over a third of the size of a British pint.

Many people start drinking in their early teens in Spain, but not just with their friends - often with their parents.

There's a high social tolerance for alcohol consumption and the atmosphere in which drinking is done - in bars, restaurants - is usually relaxed and more suited to slower drinking than in some other countries. It is rare to see alcohol-fuelled violence.

That is not so say that Spain is immune from alcohol issues.

The Ministry for Health says about 5% of Spaniards have an alcohol-related problem.

And, a phenomenon known as Botellon (Big Bottle), where young people meet and consume alcohol on the street is a cause of concern for some Spaniards who say it encourages binge drinking. Botellon has been banned in some cities.

But you only have to go out at night in Spain to see that, generally, alcohol is well under control.

By Danny Wood

GERMANY

A 16-year-old German pupil died after drinking over 50 tequila shots.

His death brought attention to the rising problem of teenage alcoholism in Germany and led to some legislative changes.

The bar owner who served the boy was arrested and is awaiting trial. He is charged with causing grievous bodily harm resulting in death.

The government also decided to ban "drink all you can" parties, where guests could pay a certain amount to drink until they literally drop. It was at such a party where the 16-year-old had died.

Although the overall consumption of alcohol here has declined during the past years, some now drink more than ever. German teenagers are number two consumers of alcohol in Europe, topped only by British youth.

The problem is blamed on the fact that drinking is still a big part of German culture and that the alcohol industry is specifically targeting young people as new customers.

Nadja Korinth

ITALY

While Britain's teenagers have gained notoriety for binge drinking, their Latin cousins have always been renowned for their restraint.

The quickest way to lose respect of your Italian friends and neighbours is to get drunk in public. Drinking on the streets is considered disrespectful.

But in the past few years, this more reserved, continental etiquette to drinking has been changing.

Over the summer the Italian government commissioned a series of reports which reveals a worrying new trend.

According to figures from the health ministry 17% of the Italian population are binge drinking at least once a month. One in five teenagers admits to being drunk regularly.

In 1996 there were 19,000 alcoholics in Italy receiving regular treatment – now there are 54,000.

And this, says Emanuele Scafato, from the Italian Institute for Health, is merely the tip of iceberg.

"Young people no longer drink for enjoyment," he said. "They drink to get drunk.

"The relationship with alcohol is very different to what it was 10 years ago.

"We blame the growth in the sale of alcopops, the way the industry encourages young people to drink to be 'cool'. These days you can't be 'part of the gang' in Italy unless you drink.

"The second problem – is the breakdown of the traditional family unit. Drinking in moderation was something you learned from your father.

"Young people were encouraged to enjoy a glass of wine at dinner. Now parents work longer hours, the rhythm of life is changing and so is the father-son relationship."

The authorities in Rome have tried to crack down on binge drinking and the related violence, forcing bar owners to close early and to sell drinks in plastic beakers instead of glasses.

Last month the Ministry for Transportation forced through new changes to the law. It is now illegal to sell alcohol in discos after 2am.

By Christian Fraser

20. What effect does alcohol have on the body? Read the following information and mark in the picture (Pic. 9) the organs that are affected due to excessive drinking:

Pic. 9

Intoxication

The immediate effects of alcohol depend upon the amount of alcohol in the blood and whether the person is an experienced drinker. As the blood alcohol rises, drinkers feel more relaxed and are often more talkative. They become less aware of their behaviour and judgement is often impaired. Loss of co-ordination and drowsiness may occur. The risk of accidents rises, particularly for those involved in operating machinery and driving cars. An individual with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 has twice the risk of having a motor vehicle accident as one with a blood alcohol level of zero.

Long term effects