Pleased to meet you. weekend

СБОРНИК

РАЗГОВОРНЫХ ТЕМ

Методические указания на английском языке

для студентов 1 курса

 

 

САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ

UNIT I

GETTING ACQUAINTED

Vocabulary

Cheers! I can’t wait!

How do you do? accountant

How are you? on holiday

Pleased to meet you. weekend

Don’t mention it. exciting

Excuse me. expensive

Graduate from (v) cheap

Hard= difficult be from

Have a good weekend. come from

Last (v) live in a flat

Railway engineer live in a house

Never mind. wear (v)

Relationship Let me introduce myself.

See you later. parents

Single grandparents

Married grandchildren

RelativesNice to meet you.

Study (v) What do you do?

Be going to Where are you from?

Plan to (v) How old are you?

Enjoy (v) this evening

Live in a flat/in a house I’m late.

Housewife This is my friend.

Live with (v) Have you got brothers or sisters?

Enrolment form. PLEASE WRITE IN CAPITAL LETTERS.

Mr/Mrs/Ms _____ Family name____________ First name___________

Date of birth___________ Nationality__________ Passport №______________

Marital status: single/married/divorced/separated

Address in your country_____________________________________________

Home phone number_______________ Moile_________________

Email address_______________ Occupation__________________

Reasons for learning English: exams/ business/pleasure/other_______________

Date of arrival___________ Date of departure____________

UNIT II

HOBBIES AND FREE TIME ACTIVITIES

Vocabulary

free time, in my free time spare time, leisure time at weekends, in the evening, in summer/winter once/twice/three times a day/a week/a month/ a year to like/enjoy/prefer doing smth to hate/can’t stand/detest doing smth to be interestedin/keen on/crazy about/fond of doing smth to go out/ to stay in to play chess/board games/computer games/a musical instrument/sport games to go swimming/dancing/ /skating/snowboarding/ jogging/rollerblading / windsurfing/sailing/hiking/camping/fishing/hunting/shopping to go for a run/for a walk/ to the cinema/to the theatre/to the gym/to a café to do crosswords/puzzles/sports/aerobics/yoga/morning exercises/gardening/ homework/housework/a driving course/foreign language course/photography to collect stamps/coins/postcards/CDs/calendars/books to make films/sculptures/toys meet with friends, read stories/novels/detective stories/science fiction cook, paint in oil/pencil, draw, listen to classical/rock/pop/jazz music watch TV, films, comedies, thrillers, horror/adventure/documentary films visit museums, exhibitions, art galleries ride a bike/motorbike, drive a car

Ex.1 Let’s speak about different seasons. What are the seasons? What season is it now? What months does each season include?

 

Ex.2 Look at different leisure activities. Discuss what activities you can do in different seasons.

Play sport games, computer games, chess, cards, board games, the piano. Go dancing, swimming, skiing, skating, snowboarding, jogging, sailing, hiking. Go to the cinema, to the theatre, to the gym. Do morning exercise yoga, gardening, a driving course, a language course.

 

Ex.3 Read about three people from different countries. What are their favourite months? Why?

Maria from Australia: I like summer best. We cook and eat in the garden, and we often go to the beach. I don’t like sunbathing but I love water sports. I go surfing and waterskiing, and sometimes I go sailing. Summer here is from December to February, so we always spend Christmas on the beach.

Tumalee from Thailand: I live in the north of Thailand. We have three seasons – hot, rainy, and cool. I like the cool season from November to February. It’s our “winter”. In February, we have lots of tropical flowers and a beautiful Flower Festival.

Max from Norway: Here is a joke about my country – winter lasts nine months, and the other three are good for skiing. Our summer is short but it can be warm. My favourite season is spring. It’s the best time for skiing. I enjoy going fast down a white mountain under a blue sky.

 

Ex.4 What is your favourite season? Why? What do you do in each season?

 

Ex. 5 Read the following text about hobbies. Give the summary and speak about four types of hobbies.

HOBBIES

Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby to your liking, you have made your life more interesting. Hobbies can be subdivided into four large groups: doing things, making things, collecting things, and learning things.

The most popular of all hobbies is doing things. It includes activities from gardening to travelling and from playing chess or computer games to swimming. Making things includes drawing, painting, sculpturing, designing clothes, writing music or novels, and handicrafts. Almost everyone collects something at some period of his life: stamps, coins, books, CDs, postcards, toys, watches, etc. Some collections are so big and valuable that they are housed in museums and art galleries. People with a good deal of money often collect paintings, rare books, and art objects. Sometimes private collections are given to museums, libraries and public galleries so that other people might take pleasure in seeing them.

With any kind of hobby people always have an opportunity to learn from it. By reading about the things they are interested in, they are getting new knowledge. Learning things also includes doing different kinds of courses, such as driving, cooking, or foreign languages.

 

Ex. 6 Have you ever had any hobby mentioned in the text? Do you know people who have an interesting or unusual hobby?

 

Ex. 7 Match the phrases in A with their opposites in B. A B 1. I spend a lot of time I’m not interested in 2. I really love I don’t have enough time 3. I spend too much time I’m not very good at 4. I’m quite good at I absolutely hate 5. I really enjoy I can’t stand 6. I just adore I don’t spend much time

Mind that “V-ing” is used after all of these expressions.

 

Ex. 8 Use the phrases in Ex.7 to make eight true sentences about the activities below.

Chatting on the phone listening to music doing exercises hanging out with friends doing your homework doing housework shopping playing computer games reading relaxing and doing nothing texting your friends walking watching TV on/using the Internet cooking playing football or volleyball clubbing cycling

Examples: I’m not very good at cooking. I spend a lot of time watching TV.

Ex. 9 A researcher is interviewing Tom about his free time activities. Read the interview and say how often he does different activities. Write out frequency adverbs and try to remember them.

Tom: Yes, sure.

With friends.

I Do you do any sport?

Christmas.

Film on, two hours.

UNIT III

DESCRIBING PEOPLE

Vocabulary

What does he/she look like?

How old is she/he?

How tall is he/she?

She wears glasses.

He/she is cheerful/miserable/lively/quiet/open/reserved/sociable/unsociable/talkative/shy/friendly/unfriendly/intelligent/stupid/polite/impolite/rude/self-confident/calm/aggressive/ambitious/optimistic/pessimistic/lazy/hard-working/kind/cruel/patient/ impatient/ reliable/unreliable/generous/mean/interesting/boring/easy-going.

 

Ex.1Ask questions for these answers. Use the words in brackets.

Model: How ………………? (your brother) How tall is your brother?

He's about one metre 75.

2 Is……………………………? (Elena's hair)

No, her hair's dark.

3 Is……………………………? (Mike's hair)

Yes, it is quite long.

4 Are………………………….? (your parents)

Not really, they're middle-aged.

5 Is……………………………? (your sister)

Yes, all the boys want to go out with her.

6 Why………………………..? (Sara -thin)

She has been very ill.

7 What………………………..? (your friend – look like)

She’s tall and pretty, with long dark hair.

8 Does……………………….? (your girl-friend – special features)

No, nothing special, just an ordinary face. Oh, she has got piercing on her right eyebrow.

9 What colour eyes……………………..? (your friend)

Oh, I don’t know really. I think blue.

Ex. 2 Work in pairs. Ask the same questions about your partner’s appearance. Ask about his/her age, height, eyes, hair, special features, etc.

 

Ex. 3 One student thinks about a group mate in front of the class without telling his name. The rest of the group ask questions to guess who it is.

Model: How tall is he/she? What colour are his/her eyes? What kind of hair…?

 

Ex. 4 Look at the photos of famous people. Which phrases will go with each description?

 

A big black moustache, partly bald, a round face, a hooked nose, a long thin face, thick black eyebrows, a beard, short curly hair, a pointed nose, big brown eyes, long dark hair, full lips, short grey hair, short wavy hair, small round glasses.

Ex. 5 Choose a famous person, and think about what they look(ed) like.

Write down a description.

For example: John Lennon

I think John Lennon was quite tall and thin, and he had a long face and a long, hooked nose. He had long straight hair, and I think he had a beard and a moustache. He wore small round glasses.

Describe the person to your partner but don’t say the name.

Let your partner (or the whole group) guess who it is.

 

Ex. 6 Let’s revise grammar.

1 слог	young-younger - youngest	tall – taller - tallest
2 слога	heavy – heavier - heaviest	pretty – prettier - prettiest
2/3 и более слогов		elegant – more elegant – most elegant
неправильные	good – better - best	bad – worse - worst

 

Ex. 7 Match the beginnings of the sentences in A with the endings in B to make sentences. Notice the prepositions used.

A	В
She's older	from the others.
He’s the best friend	as mine.
Her nose is the same	than me.
My hair’s similar	like me.
They're different	to my father’s.
She looks	in the world.

 

Make sentences about you and your family using the phrases above.

 

Ex 8 a) Complete the sentences about you and your family.

1 Isabel is the youngest person in my family.

 

2 I look very different from……….

3 People often say I look like………..
4 My hair is …………... than ………
5 My eyes are ……….. than ………

6 My mother is……………than my father.
7 I'm more…………than my brother/ sister/cousin.

8 My father is the…………… person in the family.

9 In my family, my……………has the most………...

b) Tell your partner about the differences between you and your family.

c) In pairs, ask and answer these questions.

1 How tall are you?

2 How would you describe your build?

3 How much do you weigh?

4 What kind of hair have you got?

5 Have you got any special features?

6 What colour eyes have you got?

7 Would you like it to be different? If so, what else would you like to change about your appearance?

8 Are there any special features you would like to have?

 

Ex 9. a) Organise these words into pairs of opposites and put them in the columns below.

mean clever nice lazy relaxed hard-working reliable punctual reserved tense cheerful generous unpleasant stupid miserable boring optimistic polite interesting moody kind sociable easy–going rude open pessimistic

Positive Negative

……………….. ……………………

……………….. ……………………

………………… …………………….

b) What prefix forms the opposite of each of these words? You need three different prefixes: un-, in-, dis-, im-

kind flexible friendly honest mature punctual reliable polite sensitive ambitious pleasant practical

Ex. 10. Work in pairs. Choose six or more words from ex. 9 to describe your personality. Tell your partner about yourself.

Model: I think I'm usually optimistic and cheerful. I always smile and laugh a lot. And I try to be polite! But sometimes I can be unpunctual. And I’m a bit lazy.

Does your partner agree with the description?

 

Ex. 11 When we describe a person we usually keep in mind three points:

- their appearance

- their personality

- their habits, likes and dislikes

 

a)Сomplete the gaps in the following conversation about Beth.

 

ANDY: ______________________________?

BEN: He's tallish, with grey hair and twinkling eyes.

ANDY: ______________________________?

BEN: Quite serious but very kind and he's got a nice personality.

ANDY: ______________________________?

BEN: Well, mainly indoor things such as reading and watching videos.

 

Ex 12. Read the following text and say which words describe her appearance, personality and habits.

MY SISTER KELLY.

Of all my relatives, I like my sister Kelly the best. She's my elder sister. She isn’t married, and she lives alone in a small village near Bath. She's in her late thirties, and she's very young in spirit. She has a fair complexion, thick brown hair which she wears in a bun, and dark brown eyes. She has a kind face, and when you meet her, the first thing you notice is her lovely, warm smile. I think she is very attractive. She is the sort of person you can always go to if you have a problem.

She likes reading and gardening. She's a very active person. Either she's making something, or mending something, or doing something to help others. She does the shopping for some of the old people in the village. She's extremely generous, but not very tolerant with people who don't agree with her.

She has a partner. His name’s Rick. They often go for long walks over the hills. I think she is happy and contented with her life.

 

Ex 13. Write a similar description of a member of your family in about 200 words. Include the following:

-physical description

-their character, habits, likes and dislikes

-your opinion of the person

 

UNIT IV

MY UNIVERSITY. STUDENT LIFE

Vocabulary

Canteen library

civil engineer live in a students’ hostel\ dormitory

Construct make friends

Credit book make notes

Dean make reports

Department reader’s card

Design spend free time

Outstanding supervisor

Do research tutor

Fail an exam fresher

Get a credit

Ex. 1 Read the text and answer the questions below.

Student Life

My friends are first-year students at Petersburg Sate Transport University. They study at the faculty of Railway Operation and Logistics. The University is a huge and complex institution. The teaching stuff consists of lecturers, professors, tutors, supervisors, etc. The students’ body is numerous: freshers, undergraduates, bachelors, masters, postgraduates. The academic year is divided into two terms. After each term there is an examination period. During the examination period students get credits and take exams. If you pass exams successfully you will get a grant on a monthly basis. First-year students study general and special subjects, such as Mathematics, Physics, Descriptive Geometry, Chemistry, Computer studies, Russian, History, Foreign languages (English, German, French), Philosophy, Physical Training, Economics, Management and others.

Every student has a student’s card, a reader’s card and a credit book. There are three or four subjects every day, where professors deliver lectures and students make notes. It is important to attend lectures and seminars, to make reports and do presentations.

The University offers such facilities as specialized laboratories, computer classes, libraries, reading halls, lecture halls and canteens. Students can attend a gym and a swimming pool to keep fit.

 

Ex. 11 Answer the following questions.

1. What faculty do you study at?

2. Where’s your dean’s office situated? What is your dean’s name?

3. What subjects are you good/bad at?

4. How many of your groupmates live in a hostel?

5. What should you do not to be expelled from the University?

6. What exams are you going to pass during your examination period?

7. What documents do you have as a student?

8. What extra activities do you do at the University?

Ex. 12 Fill in the chart with the adjectives in positive, comparative, superlative forms. Make your own sentences with the adjectives.

Model: young – younger – the youngest. Economics and Management faculty is the youngest at our University.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Old, hard, young
	More difficult, more interesting, more important
		The best, the worst
Much/ many
	less
		The farthest / the furthest

Ex. 13 Translate the sentences into English.

1. Наш университет – одна из старейших высших школ России. 2. Я учусь на лучшем факультете нашего университета. 3. Предметы в университете более интересные, чем в школе. 4. У моих школьных друзей больше свободного времени, чем у меня. 5. Мой самый любимый предмет – информатика. 6. Специальные предметы более сложные, чем общеобразовательные. 7. Он учится более усердно, чем обычно, чтобы сдать экзамен. 8. Кто лучший студент в нашей группе? 9. Она тратит меньше времени на английский, чем на историю. 10. Какой предмет самый важный в этом семестре?

 

Ex. 14 Victor is a first-year student at the University. He has written a letter about his life at the University. Write a similar letter to a friend about your student life.

Dear Anna,

I’m so happy to tell you that I have started University this year! I am a first-year student at Petersburg State Transport University! I was lucky to pass my examinations and now my wish has come true: I am a future railway engineer.

I really like my student life, though it is not always easy for me to study at the University. You know, I was not very good at Mathematics at school, so I have to work hard now. Descriptive Geometry and Physics take a lot of time, too, and I realise how important it is for me now to attend all the lectures and classes regularly.

By the way, do you remember my friend Maxim? We went to school together and now we are in the same group! He studies hard and always does all the drawings and lab works on time. He is a true friend and he is always happy to help me with my homework in Physics and Math. We do sports together. We play football in the same team. I have to go now to get ready for my laboratory work.

Hope to hear from you soon about your University life.

Yours,

Victor.

Ex. 15 Make sentences, using the words and word combinations from the chart.

I We Students Maxim My sister My friend

always never often sometimes usually seldom

have/has do(es) make(s) read(s) write(es) take(s) attend(s)

lectures seminars training test-papers notes exams presentations

in English at the lectures in computer classes on Math in laboratories on Management at conferences

Ex. 16 Complete the sentences, using the words of the letter.

1. I am a … - year student, and my friend Alex is a … - year student.

2. My friend Maxim … at this University, too.

3. We study at the … Faculty.

4. Maxim is very … at mathematics.

5. I am not … at Math, so I have to … hard now.

6. My friend always does … on time, and he is always happy to help

me … my homework.

7.We all have to … all the lectures regularly.

Ex. 17 Complete the following conversation.:

1.A: Are you a first-year student? B: … A: What faculty do you study at? B: … 3. A: Does your friend study at the same faculty? B: … A: Do you have many general subjects? B: …

2.A: Do you have any special subjects during the first year? B: … A: What subjects are you good at? B: … 4. A: Is your friend really good at English? B: … A: And are you good at English? B: …

Ex. 18 Work in pairs:

A. Ask a partner: B. Answer your partner’s questions:

а) where he/she is from;

b) if he/she has many friends at University;

c) if he/she is interested in Math/Physics/Philosophy, etc.

d) what his/her favourite subject is;

e) how many lectures a day they have;

f) how many languages he/she speaks;

g) if he/she works in computer classes/laboratories/reading halls, etc.;

h) if he/she borrows books from the University library;

i) what he/she usually does in his/her free time;

j) if he/she is happy with his/her student life.

UNIT V

PLANS AND AMITIONS

Vocabulary

Change one’s mind

To make up one’s mind

Well-paid job

To be going to do something

To make the right choice

In a year

To be successful

To own a house

For the rest of one’s life

In the nearest future

I’d like / I’d love to

I am looking forward to…(V-ing)

I hope to

I’m thinking of…(V-ing)

Employer, employee

 

Ex. 1 Complete the sentences with ideas about you.

1. One day I want to…

2. On Sundays I love…

3. Right now I’d like to…

4. This weekend I’m going to…

5. I enjoy …because I like…

 

Ex. 2 Ask and answer the questions with a partner.

1. What do you enjoy doing in the evenings?

2. What are you thinking of doing next weekend?

3. Do you like learning English?

4. Would you like to learn another foreign language?

5. Do you want to get married one day?

6. How many children do you hope to have?

7. Are you thinking of buying a car?

 

Ex. 3 Read about Derek’s plans. He is 18 years old now. What will he be like in 10 years’? How will his life be different then?

Complete the sentences with “ will / won’t”.

1. I hope / have a job in 10 years’ time. - I hope I’ll have a job in 10 years’ time.

2. Perhaps I / have a good job.

3. I probably / not / be very rich.

4. I / not /look the same as I do now.

5. I think I / be married.

6. I / probably / have children.

7. I / perhaps / buy a house.

8. I / spend / much time in my garden.

 

Ex. 4 Work with a partner and write B’s questions. Continue the conversations using your own ideas.

1. A. I hope to go to University.

B. (What / want /study)……………………………….?

2. A. One of my favourite hobbies is cooking.

B. (What / like /make)…………………………………?

3. A. I’m thinking of taking an English course.

B. (When / start /)………………………….?

4. A. We’re planning our summer holidays at the moment.

B. (Where / think / go)………………………………….?

5. A. I’m bored.

B. (What / like / do / tonight)…………………………..?

 

Ex. 5 Read the text and get ready to speak about your plans and ambitions using the underlined phrases.

Plans and ambitions

It is very exciting to make plans for the future. Everyone likes planning the future. Now I am going to tell you about some of my plans and ambitions. I began making plans for the future when I was still at school. In those days I changed my mind a lot of times. Now I have already made up my mind. I am going to find an interesting and well-paid job. I would like to work for a big company. It is not easy to make the right choice of a job. I expect to try more than one job before I find the right one.

Nowadays it is very important to know a foreign language to get a good job, so I am learning English. I am going to speak it very well in a year.

I want to be successful so I am going to work hard. I want to make more money than my parents. I think that rich people are happier. I am very ambitious and I want to be famous. One day I am going to make a film or write a book or…

In ten years, I hope to be married. I hope to find the right partner and marry for love. I would like to own a house with a garage and a swimming pool so I am going to earn quite a lot of money. I would like to have a car so I am going to learn to drive.

I have always liked dancing so I am going to do a ballet course.

I have always wanted to see different countries and people. Soon I am going to travel all over the world. I am going to climb the highest mountains and walk on the sea bed. In the nearest future I am going to Egypt to see the pyramids (I am going to Holland to see the tulips, etc.). I hope that all my dreams will come true.

 

Ex. 6 These phrases (1-6) all include the word “ career”. Match each of them to its correct meaning (a-f). Use a dictionary to help you.

1 career move a) chances to start / improve you career

2 career break b) ideas you have for your future career

3 career plan c) an action you take to progress in your career

4 career opportunities d) a period of time away from your job

5 career ladder e) a series of levels or steps in your working life

6 career path f) the direction your working life takes

 

Ex. 7 Discuss the following questions using the phrases from Ex. 6.

1. How ambitious are you?

2. Do you have a career plan? Where do you want to be in 10 years’ time?

3. Which of the following would you prefer to do:

a) work for one company during your career,

b) work for several different companies,

c) work for yourself?

4. What career opportunities do big companies offer?

 

Ex. 8 Complete the sentences below with the verbs in the box.

climb decide have make offer take

1. Employees in large companies …. excellent career opportunities if they are willing to travel.

2. Some people….a career break to do something adventurous things like sailing round the world or going trekking in India.

3. One way to … a career move is to join a small but rapidly growing company.

4. Certain companies …career opportunities to the long-term unemployed or to people without formal qualifications.

5. Ambitious people often … on a career plan while they are still at university.

6. In some industries, it can take a long time to…..the career ladder.

 

Ex. 9 Make your own sentences using the phrases from Ex. 8.

 

Ex. 10 There are three candidates for the position of Sales and Marketing Director in a big company in Mexico. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. Decide who is most suitable for the vacant position.

The successful candidate will:

- have a strong personality with leadership qualities

- be energetic, dynamic and enthusiastic

- have organizational and interpersonal skills

- have a good academic background and work experience

- have good linguistic ability

Juana Ramos

Mexican, aged 30, married, two children

Education – University degree in Economics

Experience – has worked for the company since leaving university, has a good knowledge of computing.

Languages – fluent Spanish and Italian, good standard of English.

Character – a strong charismatic personality, very competitive. Not afraid to speak her mind. A good sense of humour. Wants to advance in her career as quickly as possible.

Chantal Lefevre

Swiss, aged 41, divorced, one child

Education – University degree in Business, diploma in Marketing

Experience – seven years’ market research including one year in Spain and six years in Portugal.

Languages – fluent Portuguese, intermediate Spanish, excellent English

Character – a quiet, modest person, but very eager to progress in her career. Direct and honest. A sociable person. Believes that the new director should involve staff in all decisions. Decisive.

Jeff Sanderson

American, aged 54, single

Education – University degree in Sociology, Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School

Experience – has always worked in sales. Sales manager.

Languages – fluent English and Portuguese, Spanish, good reading skills.

Character – a serious person, respected by his staff. Has a strong sense of responsibility. Not very creative. Believes that new ideas should come from staff. A workaholic and difficult to get to know. Energetic.

UNIT VI

ASKING THE WAY

Ex. 1 Read the text about St. Petersburg and answer the questions.

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was founded by Peter the Great as a strategic point on the Baltic sea. It had been swampy land in the mouth of the Neva riser, and it was extremely difficult to build anything on it but a port that could give Russia an outlet to Europe. In 1712, Peter the Great made St. Petersburg the capital of the Russian empire. The new capital of Russia grew rapidly in wealth and beauty, with its palaces, cathedrals, churches, governmental buildings and historical monuments. It is different from all other Russian cities. Several generations of great Russian and European architects realized their best projects there. Millions of tourists can enjoy marvelous creations of Trezzini, Rastrelli, Rossi, Quarenhi, Voronikhin, Zakharov, Monferrand and others. The Hermitage and the Russian museum are the treasure houses of the world and national art. The Admiralty, St, Isaac’s cathedral and Kazan cathedral are the masterpieces of word architecture. Mariinskiy Opera and Ballettheatre is well-known in the world. When World War I began in 1914, the German-sounding name St. Petersburg was changed to Petrograd. Petrograd became the cradle of three revolutions: in 1905, February 1917 and October 1917. In 1924, the city was renamed after V. Lenin and became Leningrad. In 1991, the original name was returned to the city. During the Great Patriotic War, the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to it in September 1941. For the next year and a half it was cut off from the rest of the country. People died of starvation and daily shelling and air raids. Many parts of the city were destroyed. Today, the population of the city is over 7 millions. St. Petersburg is a large railway junction and a big sea and river port. The October railway is the oldest in Russia and the first high-speed railway. St. Petersburg Metro has 5 lines and 63 stations. The city is sometimes called Northern Venice as it stands on 65 rivers and canals with artistically decorated bridges and comprises more than 40 islands. It is famous for its beautiful white nights.

 

 

Ex. 2 Ask and answer the following questions in pairs.

1)When was St. Petersburg founded? Who founded the city?

2)When did St. Petersburg become the capital city of Russia?

3)What famous architects created the city’s beautiful architectural ensembles?

4)When and why was the city renamed to Petrograd?

5)When did the city become Leningrad?

6)When did Moscow become the capital of Russia again?

7)When was the siege laid to the city? How long did the siege last?

8)When was the siege raised?

9)What is the population of the city today?

10)What places of interest in St Petersburg do you know?

11)What is the main street in St. Petersburg?

12)Why is St. Petersburg often called Northern Venice?

 

Ex. 3 Read the first part of the sentence in A and find the second part in B.

A1.St. Petersburg is the city of …	B… the name St. Petersburg was changed to Petrograd.
2.Architects were brought from …	… the siege was raised.
3.When World War I began, ….	… Europe to lay out the city in harmonious squares.
4.During World War II, ….	… is the monument to Peter the Great on Senate square.
5.On 27 January 1944, ….	… Palace square and St. Isaac’s square.
6.One of the symbols of the city …	… great architectural monuments.
7.The most beautiful squares are …	… is one of its greatest attractions.
8.The white nights in the city …	… the city suffered a lot.

 

Ex. 4 Practise the following short conversations.

a)

- Excuse me. Could you tell me the way to the Hermitage?

- Certainly. Take the Underground and go as far as “Griboyedov Canal” Underground Station. Go out of the Underground and walk straight on along Nevskiy prospect.

- How long do I have to walk?

- No longer than 15 minutes.

- Thanks a lot.

- You are welcome.

b)

- Excuse me, how can I get to the Russian Museum?

- You’d better take the Underground. It’s a long way from here.

- Where is the nearest Underground station?

- It’s over there on the left, just round the corner.

- Thanks.

- My pleasure.

c)

- Can you help me, please? What bus do I take to get to the Finlandskiy railway station?

- Well, let me think… Bus number 12 will take you right there.

- Where is a bus stop?

- Go straight ahead, then turn to the right. You’ll see the bus stop. You can’t miss it.

- That’s fine. Thank you very much.

- That’s all right. You are welcome.

d)

- How do you usually get to University?

- Normally, I go by the Underground.

- How long does it take you?

- About half an hour.

- Do you find it comfortable?

- Frankly speaking, I don’t like the Underground. It is always overcrowded.

- Yes, true.. I usually get to University by car.

 

Asking the way

Vocabulary

Town buildings and places: a bank, a block of flats, a bookshop, a bridge, a bus stop, a café, the chemist’s, a church, a cinema, a crossroads, a hospital, a hotel, a library, a market, a museum, a park, a pedestrian crossing, a petrol station, a police station, a post office, a road, a railway station, a restaurant, a school, a square, a street, a supermarket, a swimming pool, a theatre, the traffic lights, an underground station, a university, hypermarket, car parking, the hairdresser’s, laundry, dry cleaner’s.

Prepositions of place and direction: along the street, as far as the traffic lights, at the bookshop / the end of the street, behind the police station, between the blocks of flats, down the street, in the bank, in front of the library, next to the church, on the corner, opposite the hotel, over the pedestrian crossing, past the hospital, round the corner, through the park, to the café, towards the museum, near here, over there, straight

Asking for directions:

How far is a swimming pool?

Giving directions:

Cross the street.

Go along / down the street.

Go straight on.

The museum is over there.

Turn into Sadovaya street.

Turn left / right.

Answer the questions.

1.Why is Rod in Portland?

2. Why did he want a bank?

3. Where did he park his car?

4. Is he close to the bank?

5. What’s the name of the bank?

6. How do you get from the bus station to the bank in Oak Street?

Ex.4 Mark and Lola have invited some friends to a party at their home. Read the directions they sent to their guests. Complete the gaps with these words or phrases.

cross past opposite Get off along take it takes towards about turn on the left the train

How to get to Mark and Lola’s flat.

From Liverpool street station take (1).......... which goes to Stansted airport. (2).......... at Banfield Hill (9^th stop – (3).......... about 25 minutes).

When you come out of the station, (4).......... the road and (5).......... right. Walk

(6).......... Bush Hill Road (7).......... Banfield. Go up the hill and (8).......... the garage.

New Road is the third road (9)...........

No.5 is the big house (10).......... the school. Just press the bell marked “Bottom Flat”.

See you there!

Mark and Lola.

 

Ex. 5 Read the article and answer the question: “In your opinion, what is the best way to manage the journey happily?”

Daily Commuting

Over the course of the working year, the average person will spend about 348 hours commuting. Many commuters think that commuting can be compared with a nightmare but others, instead of seeing the journey as a burden, value this time.

Samantha Soormally, 27, lives in one of the London suburbs and commutes by the Underground to her job in the heart of London. She has travelled just under one hour a day for nearly three years. “I usually read a novel, but have recently decided to improve my knowledge of languages. At the moment, I am reading a teach-yourself German grammar book and I listen to the accompanying tape of my Walkman. I am a bilingual secretary using my French on a regular basis, but I thought that learning another language would be a bonus.”

Helen Tomas, 24, works as an administration officer in Cardiff. Her routine trip takes three-quarters of an hour on a bus from the outskirts of Cardiff to Cardiff Bay. “I always use my journey to think about my work for the day, so I can be focused on my work and it’s beneficial to organize the thoughts. I tend to read something like a science-fiction novel to get away from the office environment when I go home.”

Maureen Nugent, 35, is a secretary at the University of Manchester and commutes daily either by car or tram. “If I’m in the car, my trip normally takes an hour. I manage to listen to the radio. The tram is a 25-minute journey and I’m lucky if I get a seat because we are packed in like sardines. Then I read a good novel or the newspaper.

It is likely that many commuters are finding way to cope with this daily challenge. Also, seeing the journey in a positive way helped enormously.

Ex. 6 Circle the correct answer.

Samantha Soormally has commuted to work for …

a) a day;

b) about three years;

c) about one hour.

She is learning …

a) French;

b) Chinese;

c) German.

Helen Tomas …

a) always thinks about work on the journey;

b) tries not to think about work on the journey;

c) thinks about work in the morning but not in the afternoon.

Maureen Nugent …

a) always listens to the radio when she commutes;

b) often has to stand in the traim;

c) always commutes to work by car.

Ex. 7 Describe a journey you often make. Write about 10 sentences:

1. How often do you travel to it?

2. Where do you usually travel?

3. How do you travel?

4. How long do you travel?

5. What do you see on the journey?

6. What do you do on the journey?

7. Do you like it? Why/why not?

Ex. 8 Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Вы выходите на следующей остановке?

2. Метро находится прямо за углом следующего дома.

3. Этот парк в пяти минутах ходьбы отсюда. Идите прямо до первого поворота направо.

4. Гостиница находится довольно далеко. Вам лучше проехать на метро.

5. На какой троллейбус мне надо сесть, чтобы доехать до Финляндского вокзала?

6. До Эрмитажа можно дойти пешком. Это займет у Вас 15 минут. Идите прямо, перейдите улицу у светофора, затем поверните налево.

7. Вы можете сесть на автобус №26. Он довезет Вас прямо до Московского вокзала.

8. Попросите водителя сказать вам, где нужно выйти, чтобы попасть на Садовую улицу.

9. Сколько времени понадобится, чтобы доехать до вокзала?

10. Возьмите такси, оно доставит Вас прямо в аэропорт.

 

СБОРНИК

РАЗГОВОРНЫХ ТЕМ

Методические указания на английском языке

для студентов 1 курса

 

 

САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ

UNIT I

GETTING ACQUAINTED

Vocabulary

Cheers! I can’t wait!

How do you do? accountant

How are you? on holiday

Pleased to meet you. weekend

Don’t mention it. exciting

Excuse me. expensive

Graduate from (v) cheap

Hard= difficult be from