Types of houses and life in country or in city

Friendship

What is friendship? Some people will say that it is a feeling of mutual liking between two or more people, other will add that it is a state when one person understands and supports the other one.

To my mind friendship can be compared to a tree. Its seed should find good soil and under good conditions it will grow into a tree. As the years go by the tree stands firmer and firmer on the ground. And if it is strong enough, it will survive all the storms and winds. But to help it, we should take care of it and love it.

The most important feeling that exists between friends is trust. It newer appears by itself, it's the result of a long friendship and this feeling is very valuable. Respect and tolerance are also very important; it means that you don't criticize your friend's way of living, but try to understand him, discuss problems with him and explain to him what you think is good and what is bad. A friend is a person who can help you in time, lend you any sum of money for a long period of time without any percent, whom you can wake up in the middle of the night just to say you feel worried or who is eager to do everything for you waiting nothing in return, who supports you in all your beginnings and who will never betray you.

Lucky are those people who have friends. I'm happy to have lots of friends, too. Some of them are very close, some are less. But all of them make my life interesting and enjoyable.

I appreciate friendship. It makes happiness grow brighter and grief less painful, because we have friends to share it with. When we doubt our ability to fulfill our aspiration or to reach our secret goal it is our best friend who gives us a spark of assurance. And we trust our friends and we are grateful to them. Friendship is a bridge between loneliness and fellowship, frustration and confidence, despair and hope, setbacks and success. That's why a true friend is a priceless gift. They are rich who have true friends, says a proverb and I agree.

 

Education in Our Life

Education plays a very important role in our life. It is one of the most valuable possessions a man can get in his life. During all the periods of human history education ranked high among people. Human progress mostly depended upon well-educated people. Self-education is very important for the development of human's talents. Only through self-education a person can become a harmonically developed personality. A person becomes a highly qualified specialist after getting some special education. And professionalism can be reached only through it. Even highly qualified specialists from time to time attend refresher courses to refresh their knowledge. We get our knowledge of this world and life through education. Many famous discoveries would have been impossible if people were not interested in learning something. Education develops different sides of human personality, reveals his abilities. Besides, it helps a person to understand himself, to choose the right way in this world. The civilized state differs from others in the fact that it pays much attention to the educational policy. John Kennedy said: "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education". But it doesn't concern only one particular nation. We know that science and art belong to the whole world. Before them the barriers of nationality disappear. So education brings people closer to each other, helps them to understand each other better.

 

CAREER

• decent work, well-paid/under-paid job, dream job, challenging/rewarding work
• skilled/semi-skilled/ unskilled worker, factory hand, farm hand, blue collar worker, white collar worker, manual work, mental work, professional work
• eight-hour working day, part-time job, work full time, work flexitime, work in shifts, have a temporary or permanent job, do/work overtime, work regular hours, work from home

My biggest dream is becoming a...

* I would become a good... as I have some appropriate qualities that I think they are needed for this job.
* I think the career that suits my personality most is a... because of two/three/etc. reasons.
* I would like to... because I like to.... I think I can be that, but I know that I need to have good marks and be good at everything I do.
* In my free time I enjoy...-ing,...-ing and...-ing. In the future I would like to be a..., because I love...
...-ing,...-ing or...-ing are also some of the activities I enjoy doing in my free time.
I just hope to achieve this goal because I’d love to work in....
* I feel very confident because I believe that I have enough qualities to make my dream come true.
* I think that there are a few things and clues that can help me and be useful to choose a future career. For example, I am good at... and.... I can... very fast/ well/ etc.
* I can... very well and I know many things about...
* First of all, I am a... and... person. I always....
Surely, this quality will help me to become a good....
* Firstly, I am really interested in...-ing.
I think I have a gift for....
* First and foremost, I like working outdoors/ indoors.
I like...-ing and...-ing.
I am really interested when I...
* Second, I have a good... ability. Thus, it will not be difficult for me to....
* Secondly,... said that I was quite creative in making/...-ing.
* Secondly, I am a... person. I always know how to...
Finally, I am very.... I like...-ing and working with....
For all of those reasons, I think I would...
Now, step by step, I am trying to study... well to become a good....
I wish I had my own (restaurant/ shop/ school/ etc.)
* In conclusion, I want to be a successful in my future job and be an active person to ward the development of my country.
* I want be useful to my family make them proud and happy.
* Now, I am studying hard to get more knowledge and gain different skills to meet my objectives.
* My future job will be my dream job, too. I have to study hard and I will catch all the opportunities.
* I hope I will study in... university because..

BELARUSIAN CUISINE

Modern Belarusian cookery is based on old national traditions. Dishes from potatoes are very common in Belarusian cuisine. Potatoes are called ”the second bread” in Belarus. Potatoes are included into many salads, served together with mushrooms and meat; different pies and baked puddings are made from it. The most popular among the Belarusians are traditional draniki, thick pancakes, prepared from shredded potatoes. A lot of place in the diet of the Belarusians belongs to meat and meat products, especially to the pork and salted pork fat. The salted pork fat is used slightly smoked and seasoned with onions and garlic. Dishes prepared from meat are usually served together with potatoes or vegetables such as carrot, cabbage, black radish, peas, etc. Belarusian national cuisine also offers fresh, dried, salted and pickled mushrooms and also various berries such as bilberry, strawberries, raspberries, cranberry and some others. An integral part of any dinner is soup. It can be hot or cold. Belarusians are fond of borscht, a thick and rich beet and cabbage soup made with grains, potato and meat. The Belarusian khaladnik, a cold borscht made of beets, beet leaves and served with sour cream, hard-boiled eggs, and boiled potatoes will be pleasant on a hot summer day. Another popular Belarusian dishes are “zatsirka” and “krupnik” (soup made from cereals). Every possible salads are prepared from cabbage, carrots, beans.

ENGLISH CUSINE

Let's talk about national cuisine of an English-speaking country

I'd like to speak about English national cuisine. It's common knowledge that English cuisine is shaped by the country's temperate climate, its geography and its history Traditional meals have ancient origins, such as bread and cheese, roasted and stewed meats, meat pies and freshwater and saltwater fish. Traditional English cuisine is substantial but simple and wholesome. The English have three main meals a day. Breakfast is between 8 and 9 a.m. Lunch is a light meal or snack between 12 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. Dinner, which is sometimes called supper or tea, is the main meal of the day between 6.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Sundays the main meal of the day is often eaten at around 1 p.m. This meal usually consists of roast meat, Yorkshire pudding and two kinds of vegetables.

Most overseas visitors see English breakfast as the typical version of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans, all accompanied with a cup of tea or coffee. Today, however, a typical English breakfast is normally a bowl of cereal, a slice of toast, orange juice and tea or coffee.

During the week, due to a lifestyle of often working a long distance from home, many people have a 'packed lunch' or sandwiches for lunch, with a packet of crisps, fruit and a drink.

Sunday lunch is different when the family sits together for a traditional Sunday roast. This consists of roast meat, different kinds of vegetables, always including roast potatoes with Yorkshire Pudding, a flour based batter cooked in the oven. The most commonly eaten joints of meat are beef, lamb or pork, chicken is also popular. Beef is accompanied by white horseradish sauce, pork by apple sauce and lamb is eaten with green mint sauce. Gravy is then poured over the meat.

Traditionally dinner was similar to Sunday Lunch but today this is rarely eaten on ordinary days. Today most people in Britain prefer curry, rice or pasta for dinner. Fresh vegetables grown in England are also popular, such as peas, carrots, cabbage, onions and potatoes. Needless to say, some traditional foods have remained English favourites. Fish and Chips is the most famous English food, after the Sunday Roast beef. Fish can be either cod, haddock or plaice and is deep fried in flour batter, then served with chips. This is England's traditional take-away meal. Steak and Kidney Pie is pastry pie filled with steak, lamb kidneys and gravy, baked in the oven. This is accompanied with chips and fresh vegetables. Shepherds' Pie is made with minced lamb and onions with light gravy, topped with mashed potato and baked in the oven. Cottage Pie is the same as Shepherds' pie but made with beef instead of lamb.

At the same time English families today rarely eat together. People often consume junk food, often in front of the television. The diet in increasing numbers of families consists mainly of salty or sweet snack foods - chips, crisps, chocolate bars, ready-meals, microwave pizzas which can cause obesity and health problems.

SHOPPING

Shopping

I should say that going shopping is а pаrt of our everyday life. For some people it’s a pleasure and for the others it's а must. To my mind, shopping is a pleasure when you can afford to buy the things you like. But whether you like it or not you have to go shopping from time to time.

There are different kinds of shops. We buy bread and rolls at the baker's, meat at the butcher's, sweets and cakes are sold at the confectioner's. We go to the greengrocer's for vegetables and fruit, sugar, tea, coffee, salt, pepper are sold at the grocer’s.

In some shops there are no salesmen or salesgirls, but only cashiers. The customers choose the goods they want to buy and pay at the cash-desk. They are called self-service shops.

In our family it's my mother's responsibility to do shopping. She knows what to buy and where to buy at a cheaper price. I live in a small town, but there are a lot of shops here.

There is a two storyed department store in the centre of our town and it’s usually overcrowded. The market is in our district, not far from our school. But nowadays people go there more often to look at the things than to buy.

I seldom go shopping, but I know where I can buy this or that thing. So, if I want to save time, I take my shopping bag and go to the nearest food store where I can buy everything I need: bread, milk, sugar, eggs, sour cream, butter and so on. I prefer this shop because the goods are ready-weighted and ready-packed there. It's very convenient.

I am not a regular customer at this shop, but sometimes I have to do some shopping when my, mother asked me. Many people prefer to do shopping at the food-market where the prices are more reasonable.

The department stores have a lot of departments. There you can buy clothing for men, women and children, footwear, china, electric appliances, perfumery and other goods.

As I have said I'm not fond of shopping. But in my opinion, book shops are worth visiting. They offer a wide choice of different kinds of book; historical books, novels, encyclopedias, books on different subjects. I can stay there for hours leaving pages of some historical books.

I would like to tell you a few words about my last visit to the shop. Last week my mother and I went to the deportment-store. We wanted to buy a present for my cousin. First of all we went to the ready-made clothes department. There we saw many nice dresses, costumes and blouses. So we chose a very beautiful blouse and bought it. There, were very many nice shoes and boots in the footwear department tried or one pair of boots but they were a little tight. On our way home we dropped in at the baker's where we bought a loaf of bread and 4 rolls. We returned home at 7 o'clock in the evening.

In conclusion I want to say that shops are very important in our life. People cannot do without them.

 

Let's talk about sport

It goes without saying that doing sports is very important for every person. A certain amount of exercise is necessary to keep your body in good shape. Sport is given a lot of attention all over the world as it helps to bring up strong and healthy people. It creates, so to speak, a healthy body for a healthy mind. It also makes people more self-organized and better disciplined.

There is always a kind of sport which will suit you and there are many different kinds to choose from. If you like team games, you can play football, volleyball, ice hockey, field hockey or basketball. Games to play with a friend include badminton, squash and tennis. There are individual sports such as swimming, riding, horseriding or athletics.

There are summer sports such as track-and-field athletics and water sports and winter sports such as cross-country skiing, snowboarding or skating. There are sports which don't depend on the weather, since they are played indoors. Extreme sports have also become one of the fast growing leisure activities nowadays. Among them there are parachuting, hang gliding, windsurfing, bungee jumping, cave diving etc.

An important attraction of sport is also its competitive and challenging nature. The roots of men's desire to display their physical health and beauty go back to ancient times when the idea of the Olympic Games first appeared. For the ancient Greeks the Games were a way of saluting their gods. The original Olympics included competitions in music, oratory and theatre performances as well. After nearly 300 Olympiads they were stopped by the Roman emperor Theodosius. 1500 years had passed and the Games started again in Greece in 1896. The 2012 Summer Olympics were held in London.

At present sport in our country is paid a lot of attention to by the government and much is being done to set up all necessary facilities for its development. Many skating rinks, stadiums are built for people to go in for sports. Our country is preparing for the 2014 Ice Hockey Championship which will take place in Minsk. Our country provides support to team sports. Our national senior and junior teams have become regular participants in the finals of top tournaments, European and world championships. The stunning performance of its athletes has secured Belarus a place among the top twenty sports nations. This is the best result the country has ever had in its sports history.

I'm sure that either as a sportsman or merely as a spectator almost every person likes sport. Some people do sports professionally, others have regular workouts to keep fit. As for me, I'm fond of volleyball. I love it because it's a team game and it requires different kinds of skills. You must do your best and at the same time you should keep your eye on what your teammates are doing and you need a quick brain too.

I do think regular exercise is an essential part of our life. I believe it's very important for people to have some regular exercises. It's very good for the posture, which I believe greatly affects the general health of the body, and makes you feel good.

Let's talk about fashion

Fashion is something we deal with every day. Even people who say they don't care what they wear choose clothes every morning that say a lot about them and how they feel that day. A person can say by their clothes, "This is what I think is nice and I believe it makes me look more attractive".

Psychologists say that 85% of the information people accept is visual information. Fashion is a language which tells a story about the person who wears it. We often judge people by what they are wearing. For example, people, dressed in expensive clothes are often thought to be wealthy and beautiful. People who wear old, dirty or torn clothes can't be called beautiful or reliable by others. In our modern society fashion models, singers, musicians, dancers, actors and sportsmen are the idols of thousands of teenagers who try to copy them in the way they dress, walk and style their hair. Their life-styles are advertised on TV and in fashion magazines. Numerous ads play on our feelings, emotions, and especially our wish to look beautiful.

Some people, especially women, believe that wearing a lot of make-up, having long nails and long eyelashes makes them pretty. I don't find people who put on a lot of make-up attractive. I don't understand it when both women and men who don't look ugly go to plastic surgeons to improve their bodies and look more attractive. Some people make tattoos or scars, have their noses, lips, eyebrows and other parts of the face and body pierced to follow the fashion.

As for me, while choosing clothes, accessories and a hairstyle it is always important to remember the rules of politeness, that there are different styles of clothes for different types of events. From my point of view, things that a person has in the wardrobe should be comfortable to wear. It's better to remain true to yourself. I usually spend little money on new clothes and my favourite items of clothes are blue jeans, grey sweaters and black boots. When it's cold I often put on my warm jacket. I feel like a fish out of water when something doesn't suit me.

My favourite fashion model is Claudia Schiffer who is a very successful German supermodel. She has appeared on the covers and fashion pages of all the major fashion magazines and is one of the faces of Chanel. She has a slim body and very long legs. Her most stunning feature is her attractive face with sparkling eyes and a straight nose. She is a successful businesswoman who has her own fitness video and spends a lot of time working with charity organizations. Fashion is not the most important thing in my life, but it helps me to feel in tune with the world I live in. I can't say I'm a dedicated follower of fashion but I always try to keep up-to-date. In conclusion I would like to say that "all that glitters is not gold." You should not be deceived by appearances, you should use your mind and soul to determine whether the person is trustworthy and pure in their intentions. As a wise proverb says: 'People meet by clothes and set off by mind'. I fully agree with it.

Friendship

What is friendship? Some people will say that it is a feeling of mutual liking between two or more people, other will add that it is a state when one person understands and supports the other one.

To my mind friendship can be compared to a tree. Its seed should find good soil and under good conditions it will grow into a tree. As the years go by the tree stands firmer and firmer on the ground. And if it is strong enough, it will survive all the storms and winds. But to help it, we should take care of it and love it.

The most important feeling that exists between friends is trust. It newer appears by itself, it's the result of a long friendship and this feeling is very valuable. Respect and tolerance are also very important; it means that you don't criticize your friend's way of living, but try to understand him, discuss problems with him and explain to him what you think is good and what is bad. A friend is a person who can help you in time, lend you any sum of money for a long period of time without any percent, whom you can wake up in the middle of the night just to say you feel worried or who is eager to do everything for you waiting nothing in return, who supports you in all your beginnings and who will never betray you.

Lucky are those people who have friends. I'm happy to have lots of friends, too. Some of them are very close, some are less. But all of them make my life interesting and enjoyable.

I appreciate friendship. It makes happiness grow brighter and grief less painful, because we have friends to share it with. When we doubt our ability to fulfill our aspiration or to reach our secret goal it is our best friend who gives us a spark of assurance. And we trust our friends and we are grateful to them. Friendship is a bridge between loneliness and fellowship, frustration and confidence, despair and hope, setbacks and success. That's why a true friend is a priceless gift. They are rich who have true friends, says a proverb and I agree.

 

Education in Our Life

Education plays a very important role in our life. It is one of the most valuable possessions a man can get in his life. During all the periods of human history education ranked high among people. Human progress mostly depended upon well-educated people. Self-education is very important for the development of human's talents. Only through self-education a person can become a harmonically developed personality. A person becomes a highly qualified specialist after getting some special education. And professionalism can be reached only through it. Even highly qualified specialists from time to time attend refresher courses to refresh their knowledge. We get our knowledge of this world and life through education. Many famous discoveries would have been impossible if people were not interested in learning something. Education develops different sides of human personality, reveals his abilities. Besides, it helps a person to understand himself, to choose the right way in this world. The civilized state differs from others in the fact that it pays much attention to the educational policy. John Kennedy said: "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education". But it doesn't concern only one particular nation. We know that science and art belong to the whole world. Before them the barriers of nationality disappear. So education brings people closer to each other, helps them to understand each other better.

 

CAREER

• decent work, well-paid/under-paid job, dream job, challenging/rewarding work
• skilled/semi-skilled/ unskilled worker, factory hand, farm hand, blue collar worker, white collar worker, manual work, mental work, professional work
• eight-hour working day, part-time job, work full time, work flexitime, work in shifts, have a temporary or permanent job, do/work overtime, work regular hours, work from home

My biggest dream is becoming a...

* I would become a good... as I have some appropriate qualities that I think they are needed for this job.
* I think the career that suits my personality most is a... because of two/three/etc. reasons.
* I would like to... because I like to.... I think I can be that, but I know that I need to have good marks and be good at everything I do.
* In my free time I enjoy...-ing,...-ing and...-ing. In the future I would like to be a..., because I love...
...-ing,...-ing or...-ing are also some of the activities I enjoy doing in my free time.
I just hope to achieve this goal because I’d love to work in....
* I feel very confident because I believe that I have enough qualities to make my dream come true.
* I think that there are a few things and clues that can help me and be useful to choose a future career. For example, I am good at... and.... I can... very fast/ well/ etc.
* I can... very well and I know many things about...
* First of all, I am a... and... person. I always....
Surely, this quality will help me to become a good....
* Firstly, I am really interested in...-ing.
I think I have a gift for....
* First and foremost, I like working outdoors/ indoors.
I like...-ing and...-ing.
I am really interested when I...
* Second, I have a good... ability. Thus, it will not be difficult for me to....
* Secondly,... said that I was quite creative in making/...-ing.
* Secondly, I am a... person. I always know how to...
Finally, I am very.... I like...-ing and working with....
For all of those reasons, I think I would...
Now, step by step, I am trying to study... well to become a good....
I wish I had my own (restaurant/ shop/ school/ etc.)
* In conclusion, I want to be a successful in my future job and be an active person to ward the development of my country.
* I want be useful to my family make them proud and happy.
* Now, I am studying hard to get more knowledge and gain different skills to meet my objectives.
* My future job will be my dream job, too. I have to study hard and I will catch all the opportunities.
* I hope I will study in... university because..

TYPES OF HOUSES AND LIFE IN COUNTRY OR IN CITY

Nowadays most people live in urban areas. Towns and

cities are spreading into their surrounding environment to cope with the

increase populations.

As well as I know, more people are buying their own

houses or flats than in the past. Others live in houses or flats that they rent

from a pri­vate landlord, the local council or housing association.

My family lives in a block of flats. I think that it

is the cheapest type of dwelling in any town. Flats can be of different sizes:

one-roomed, two-roomed, three-roomed, so one can choose what they like. If you

are going to live alone, you can prefer a studio to a large apartment. Among

advantages of living in a block of flats some people name the fact that it

takes less time to tidy up a flat than a house. But living in a flat has its

disadvantages. Your neighbours can make a lot of noise when they hammer or

drill the wall or set a party. I can say that all these disadvan­tages don't

bother me much and it is a good type of housing. The largest part of population

in our country lives in blocks of flats.

Living in a detached house gives you a lot of

advantages. Your neighbours do not disturb you. As you have some land around

the house, you can build outhouses. If I lived in a detached house, I would

certainly build a garage, a padding pool and arrange some flowerbeds.

There are also those who like semi-detached houses or

duplexes. To my mind, such houses attract people because they are less

expensive than mansions or bungalows and you have only one neighbour as op­posed

to block of flats. And as you have a neighbor, you can always turn to them if

you need something, though from time to time your neighbour can disturb you

while repairing the their part of the house or listening to music loudly. But

in general I am sure that it is quite convenient to live in a semi-detached

house.

Some people prefer to live in the country either in a

small comfort­able cottage or in a large farmhouse. The way I see things is

that people who prefer this type of dwelling really adore nature and they want

to have calm life. Usually such people keep the poultry and the cattle. One of

the advantages of living in such a house is that you have your own land where

you can grow fruit and vegetables, make flowerbeds and plant beautiful flowers.

You can also build some outhouses like a green­house, a garage and a tool shed.

But the greatest disadvantage of living in a farmhouse or in a cottage, in my

opinion, is that it takes much time to get to the nearest town. On the other

hand, if you have a car it will not be difficult for you.

If to speak about England, I can say that the main

types of houses there are detached houses, semi-detached houses, terrace houses

joined together in long rows and flats. Most houses in England are made of

stone or brick from the local area where the houses are built. The colours of

the stones and bricks vary across the country.

In conclusion I would like to add that there are

different types of housing and all people have the right to choose where to

live.

BELARUSIAN CUISINE

Modern Belarusian cookery is based on old national traditions. Dishes from potatoes are very common in Belarusian cuisine. Potatoes are called ”the second bread” in Belarus. Potatoes are included into many salads, served together with mushrooms and meat; different pies and baked puddings are made from it. The most popular among the Belarusians are traditional draniki, thick pancakes, prepared from shredded potatoes. A lot of place in the diet of the Belarusians belongs to meat and meat products, especially to the pork and salted pork fat. The salted pork fat is used slightly smoked and seasoned with onions and garlic. Dishes prepared from meat are usually served together with potatoes or vegetables such as carrot, cabbage, black radish, peas, etc. Belarusian national cuisine also offers fresh, dried, salted and pickled mushrooms and also various berries such as bilberry, strawberries, raspberries, cranberry and some others. An integral part of any dinner is soup. It can be hot or cold. Belarusians are fond of borscht, a thick and rich beet and cabbage soup made with grains, potato and meat. The Belarusian khaladnik, a cold borscht made of beets, beet leaves and served with sour cream, hard-boiled eggs, and boiled potatoes will be pleasant on a hot summer day. Another popular Belarusian dishes are “zatsirka” and “krupnik” (soup made from cereals). Every possible salads are prepared from cabbage, carrots, beans.

ENGLISH CUSINE

Let's talk about national cuisine of an English-speaking country

I'd like to speak about English national cuisine. It's common knowledge that English cuisine is shaped by the country's temperate climate, its geography and its history Traditional meals have ancient origins, such as bread and cheese, roasted and stewed meats, meat pies and freshwater and saltwater fish. Traditional English cuisine is substantial but simple and wholesome. The English have three main meals a day. Breakfast is between 8 and 9 a.m. Lunch is a light meal or snack between 12 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. Dinner, which is sometimes called supper or tea, is the main meal of the day between 6.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Sundays the main meal of the day is often eaten at around 1 p.m. This meal usually consists of roast meat, Yorkshire pudding and two kinds of vegetables.

Most overseas visitors see English breakfast as the typical version of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans, all accompanied with a cup of tea or coffee. Today, however, a typical English breakfast is normally a bowl of cereal, a slice of toast, orange juice and tea or coffee.

During the week, due to a lifestyle of often working a long distance from home, many people have a 'packed lunch' or sandwiches for lunch, with a packet of crisps, fruit and a drink.

Sunday lunch is different when the family sits together for a traditional Sunday roast. This consists of roast meat, different kinds of vegetables, always including roast potatoes with Yorkshire Pudding, a flour based batter cooked in the oven. The most commonly eaten joints of meat are beef, lamb or pork, chicken is also popular. Beef is accompanied by white horseradish sauce, pork by apple sauce and lamb is eaten with green mint sauce. Gravy is then poured over the meat.

Traditionally dinner was similar to Sunday Lunch but today this is rarely eaten on ordinary days. Today most people in Britain prefer curry, rice or pasta for dinner. Fresh vegetables grown in England are also popular, such as peas, carrots, cabbage, onions and potatoes. Needless to say, some traditional foods have remained English favourites. Fish and Chips is the most famous English food, after the Sunday Roast beef. Fish can be either cod, haddock or plaice and is deep fried in flour batter, then served with chips. This is England's traditional take-away meal. Steak and Kidney Pie is pastry pie filled with steak, lamb kidneys and gravy, baked in the oven. This is accompanied with chips and fresh vegetables. Shepherds' Pie is made with minced lamb and onions with light gravy, topped with mashed potato and baked in the oven. Cottage Pie is the same as Shepherds' pie but made with beef instead of lamb.

At the same time English families today rarely eat together. People often consume junk food, often in front of the television. The diet in increasing numbers of families consists mainly of salty or sweet snack foods - chips, crisps, chocolate bars, ready-meals, microwave pizzas which can cause obesity and health problems.

SHOPPING

Shopping

I should say that going shopping is а pаrt of our everyday life. For some people it’s a pleasure and for the others it's а must. To my mind, shopping is a pleasure when you can afford to buy the things you like. But whether you like it or not you have to go shopping from time to time.

There are different kinds of shops. We buy bread and rolls at the baker's, meat at the butcher's, sweets and cakes are sold at the confectioner's. We go to the greengrocer's for vegetables and fruit, sugar, tea, coffee, salt, pepper are sold at the grocer’s.

In some shops there are no salesmen or salesgirls, but only cashiers. The customers choose the goods they want to buy and pay at the cash-desk. They are called self-service shops.

In our family it's my mother's responsibility to do shopping. She knows what to buy and where to buy at a cheaper price. I live in a small town, but there are a lot of shops here.

There is a two storyed department store in the centre of our town and it’s usually overcrowded. The market is in our district, not far from our school. But nowadays people go there more often to look at the things than to buy.

I seldom go shopping, but I know where I can buy this or that thing. So, if I want to save time, I take my shopping bag and go to the nearest food store where I can buy everything I need: bread, milk, sugar, eggs, sour cream, butter and so on. I prefer this shop because the goods are ready-weighted and ready-packed there. It's very convenient.

I am not a regular customer at this shop, but sometimes I have to do some shopping when my, mother asked me. Many people prefer to do shopping at the food-market where the prices are more reasonable.

The department stores have a lot of departments. There you can buy clothing for men, women and children, footwear, china, electric appliances, perfumery and other goods.

As I have said I'm not fond of shopping. But in my opinion, book shops are worth visiting. They offer a wide choice of different kinds of book; historical books, novels, encyclopedias, books on different subjects. I can stay there for hours leaving pages of some historical books.

I would like to tell you a few words about my last visit to the shop. Last week my mother and I went to the deportment-store. We wanted to buy a present for my cousin. First of all we went to the ready-made clothes department. There we saw many nice dresses, costumes and blouses. So we chose a very beautiful blouse and bought it. There, were very many nice shoes and boots in the footwear department tried or one pair of boots but they were a little tight. On our way home we dropped in at the baker's where we bought a loaf of bread and 4 rolls. We returned home at 7 o'clock in the evening.

In conclusion I want to say that shops are very important in our life. People cannot do without them.