Let’s talk about life in the city and in the country.

Устные темы для экзамена.

Conversational Topic

Introducing Myself

Let me introduce myself. My full name is Svetlana Alexandrova, but my friends normally call me Sveta. I was born on the 29th of March 1985 in Minsk.I am a pupil of the eleventh form of secondary school.

As to my appearance, I'm rather tall and slim. I have never thought I am a beauty. I wish I were more beautiful. I think, that I'm even-tempered, rather reserved calm and modest. But sometimes I can lose my temper and become either angry or sad. I like staying alone. But at the same time I like my friends, I like to laugh and to joke. I have got a sense of humour. It means I understand humour and appreciate it. Besides, I am sincere and tolerant, friendly and faithful, hard-working and serious.

There are many things in our life which I like and some I dislike. I like when everything is OK. Being happy is one way of being wise. I like to study, because knowledge is useful sometimes. I am fond of reading as it gives not only knowledge but also wonderful moments of joy and pleasure. Sometimes I enjoy watching TV. I like music. It makes people better. It awakens the best feelings and high emotions. But there is a thing that makes me crazy. I'm fond of horses and equestrian skill. I dislike overcrowded buses. And I hate getting up early. I'm happy I have got more things I like than I dislike.

 

My Family

I'm Alex Kovalev. I am fifteen. I'd like to tell you about my family.

We are a family of three. I live with my parents. But I've got an elder brother. He is married and has a family of his own.

In my opinion, family is an emotional centre of a person's life, the place where children are being raised. The process of upbringing children is difficult. It requires much effort, mutual respect, tolerance. In happy families parents are frankly honest with their children without moralizing, and the children in their turn learn how to get on with other people.

The proverb says, «Men make houses, women make homes». In my view, it means that the man provides for his family, pays attention to the problems of the members of the family. And the woman creates the homely atmosphere, encourages her husband and children to keep up family traditions and keeps the house. Together they bring up their children in the right way.

It is true to our family, I think. My parents have been married for twenty-six years. My father's name is Vitaly. He is 45 years old. He is an engineer at a Motor Plant. He's generous and full of joy, but very careless. He can make different things with his own hands. My mother's name is Irina. My mother is a woman of character, well-bred, tactful and fair. She's warm-hearted and at the same time practical, reserved and full of common sense. She is a housewife, she does all the housework and helps my elder brother to bring up his sons. She is really concerned about them. My father and I try to help her about the house.

My brother Igor is about 25. He is married, as I have already said. He has got two sons. My elder nephew is a spitting image of my brother and the junior one takes after his mother, my brother's wife. The boys are funny and curious.

We have got a lot of relatives, because my mother has got five sisters and a brother. So I've got many aunts, uncles and cousins. We are all on friendly terms.

Family traditions

It is so important to have traditions. They are part of the glue that holds families together. Traditions are beneficial in several ways. First, they give children and even teens a sense of security. They know that in an uncertain world, some things stay the same. Traditions also foster closeness in the immediate and extended family. Lasting memories are formed, and hopefully our children will continue the customs in their own homes and make more of their own.
Here are some suggestions for creating some family traditions. None are hard to do. These have worked over the years for our family.
SUNDAY DINNER
We started this when my first son was a baby. My mother, sister and brother-in-law, my husband, sons, and I get together for a carry-in dinner every Sunday. We take turns hosting the dinner at our houses. Whoever makes the main dish has the dinner at their house. After my dad died, this was especially meaningful to my mother. It gives us all something for which to look forward.
FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE AND PIZZA
Every Friday night my family and my husband's brother get together for a movie. Usually we have pizza for supper on Friday because it is the end of a tiring work week. I can either throw one in the oven or call in one to be delivered.
We have watched some really good movies and some we tried were not as good as they were advertised to be. However, we get a kick out of my 86 year old mother watching these wild action movies that all the guys like! She's interested, too!
GAME NIGHT
This is one thing that we tried to do when the boys were younger. It was a little harder to keep up with, because of extra-curricular activities and homework. It is nice to set aside one evening of the week, maybe Wednesday, and have everyone sit at the kitchen table and play board games.
READING TOGETHER
Being a teacher, I have read to my children since they were just a few months old. My husband and I memorized Dr. Seuss's "ABC" book! Then as the boys got older, we got into action books and mysteries. I enjoyed them as much as the kids did. It was a nice, calm way to end the day and get settled for bed.
NIGHTLY DEVOTIONS AND PRAYER
From the time the boys were young, I tried to establish the importance of regular Bible reading and prayer. When they were small, we read short Bible stories and had short prayers. Even now, as teens, we read the Bible and pray over any issues in their lives.
I LOVE YOU
Saying "I Love You" seems like such a small thing, but it is so important. We tell each other that before we part for school or work, and before going to bed at night.
HOLIDAYS AND BIRTHDAYS
We always use these as an excuse to get together with family and friends. Have your children help with the planning to make them feel more apart of it. We take turns at each other's houses. For instance, Christmas dinner is at my mother's. Fourth of July is at my sister's pool.
VACATIONS AND CAMPING
Taking vacations or camping trips together can be a great way to build memories. One year, we rented a condo that was big enough for my mother, sister and her husband, and the four of us. My boys were about five and nine years old. We had fake arguments over coffee all week long. My sister likes hers weak, and I like mine as strong as Dutch coffee!
When the week was over, and everyone was back home, my boys said what they missed the most was us joking over coffee!
ANNIVERSARY DATES
My husband and I would always plan a date for our anniversary. We would go to a nice restaurant and maybe a movie. When the kids were younger, we would rent movies, call in pizza, and they would spend the evening with Grandma. It was a treat for all of us.

We all need traditions. As my children get older, I realize how quickly the time passes. I am glad that we put forth the extra effort to keep up with these different activities. I hope you find some of them enjoyable, too.

Family Relationships

How could you describe the word "family"? First of all "family" means a close unit of parents and their children living together. But we shouldn't forget that it is a most complex system of relationships. Family relationships are rarely as easy as we would like, and very often we have to work hard at keeping them peaceful.

When do people usually start a family? This question doesn't have a definite answer. In the 18th, 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century people used to get married at the age of 18 or even 16. If a girl about 23 or more wasn't married, she was said to be an old maid or a spinster. That might have turned out a real tragedy for her family which usually brought up more than three children, because in some cases a successful marriage was the only chance to provide a good life for the daughter and to help her family. Despite the fact that the girl was so young, she was already able to keep the house, take care of her husband and raise children. To feel the time, its culture and customs I advise you to read a wonderful novel or see a breathtaking film "Pride and Prejudice". Though the story takes place at the turn of the 19th century, it retains fascination for modern readers, revealing some problems which may be urgent in the 21st century.

But life's changing as well as people's style of life. Nowadays we have got much more freedom in questions concerning family. It is natural to get married at the age of 20 up to 30; however, some people prefer to make a career first and only after that start a family when they are already in their forties. Moreover, there are many cases when people prefer to live together without being married. There are some reasons for this phenomenon. Firstly, it is difficult to juggle a family life with studies at school or university. But without good education it is practically impossible to find a suitable well-paid steady job. It's a must to get a higher education, but by this moment you are already 22—24 years old. After that you seek for a well-paid job to live independently, which takes about 3—5 years. Now you see why people in the 21st century do not hurry to get married.

There is also another difference between old and modern families. Nowadays it is very unusual to find three generations living under one roof as they used to do in the past. Relatives, as a rule, live separately and don't often meet one another. This fact sharply hurts an older generation. Our parents and grandparents usually suffer from lack of attention and respect from their children and grandchildren, although they try not to show it. They really don't need much, just a telephone call or a visit once a week will make them happy.

There are two basic types of families. A nuclear family — a typical family consisting of parents and children. A single-parent family consists of one parent and children. Nowadays there are very few people who have never divorced. Today the highest divorce rate in the world has the Maldive Republic. The United States of America take the third place. Russia is at the ninth place. What are the reasons of great numbers of divorce? Let us name some of the most common and serious ones.

• Occurrence of adultery once or throughout the marriage. The unfaithful attitude towards a spouse destroys the relationship and leads to a final separation.

• Communication breakdown. After some time of living under one roof spouses find out that they are absolutely incompatible. Constant clashes, brawls and squabbles cause serious problems. The differences grow as a snowball and can't be already settled by kisses or hugs.

• Physical, psychological or emotional abuses. When a person taunts, humiliates, hits the children or his spouse, it can't but end with a divorce.

• Financial problems. It sounds lamentably, but sometimes love alone can't guarantee well-being, whereas money can solve many of your problems. So when a couple lacks it, their relations become more and more complicated, their priorities change and the relationships end.

• Boredom. A lot of couples get bored of each other after 7 or more years of marriage. Boredom may become the reason of constant quarrels and adultery which inevitably leads to a divorce.

However, it goes without saying, in most cases married couples succeed in solving all the problems and keep living in peace and happiness.

 

Home, Sweet Home

It is common knowledge that there is no place like home. To the British their homes are important. They are dedicated to them; they give them a lot of time and effort, looking after their homes with much love, care and enthusiasm.

More than half of British families own their homes (houses or flats). Others live in council accommodation and some people rent from private owners.

Types of Houses. There are three main types of houses that people live in:

a) detached;

b) semi-detached;

c) terraced.

A detached house is the most expensive type of home. It stands on its own land and is not attached to another building. Such houses have privacy from neighbours, and they are ideal for keen gardeners who can devote plenty of time to work in their garden.

A semi-detached house is joined to the house next door by a shared wall. A house of this kind is less expensive than a detached house, but still offers a good standard of privacy and comfort. It usually has a small garden at the front and a larger garden at the back.

A terraced house is usually two- or three-storeys high. It is one of a continuous row of similar houses, joined together by their side walls. Many rows of terraced houses were originally built for workers in nearby factories or coalmines. A terraced house usually costs less than a semi-detached or detached house of similar size. There are miles of terraced houses in most towns. Over a quarter of British families live in them.

There are also other types of buildings in which people live:

d) apartment blocks

e) bungalows

f) country cottages.

-Bungalows are one-storey houses which are particularly popular with older people.

Apartment blocks are high-rise blocks of flats which provide accommodation for a lot of city dwellers. But these buildings are not very popular. There are more about 20% of the population flats in cities than in rural areas. Most people in Britain traditionally like to live in houses.

Buying a House.

The number of people owning their own houses is steadily rising in Britain though a house is expensive. A person does not usually need to have all the money himself to pay for the house. Most people buy their homes with a mortgage which they get from a bank or a building society

Building societies are the largest source of such loans, and they lend money to would-be purchasers over a period of 25 years, so that in about 25 years the house becomes the buyer's property.

The mortgage system. Those people who wish to build or buy a house have to pay a deposit on 1 house first, which is part of the full price, and the Building Society then lends them the rest of the purchase price. The amount of money a Building Society will lend depends on the value of the property and the income of the borrower. The buyers must pay back the loan in instalments, usually in monthly payments, and they have to pay interest on Loans. It may be 10% or 10, 9% each year. The interest on the loan varies.

The mortgage system is important for those people who do not have enough money to pay the whole price for the house. A mortgage enables them to pay in parts, gradually, over a rather long period of time.

Public Housing. About one third of the population now lives in council houses. These houses are provided by local authority councils such as town councils, usually at a low rent. Such houses are mainly occupied by working-class people who cannot afford to buy a house.

Since 1980 it has become possible for council house tenants to buy their houses at favourable rates after they have lived in them for at least two years.

 

OUR HOUSE AND FLAT

I live in a new nine-storeyed block of flats in Pushkin street. Our flat is on the third floor. It is very comfortable. We have all modern conveniences, such as central heating, electricity, gas, cold and hot running water, a telephone and a chute. There are three rooms in our flat: a living-room, a study and a bedroom. We also have a kitchen, a bathroom, a small entrance hall and two balconies.

Our living-room is the largest in the flat. It overlooks a green park and has a lot of sunshine. The living-room is nicely furnished. There is a suite of modern furniture with a wall unit, a wardrobe and a bookcase. We are fond of books and have plenty of them at home. To the left of the wall unit there is a corner-sofa with two armchairs and a small table for newspapers. In the opposite corner there is a TV set with a video and a tape-recorder. A beautiful crystal chandelier gives much light to the room. A thick carpet on the floor and curtains on the windows match the walls. All this makes the room cosy. My mother usually buys everything for the living-room, she has a good eye and taste for colour and style.

I spend most of my time in my bedroom which I use as a study. Here you can see a writing-table where I do my homework. Near the wall there is a pull-out sofa where I sleep at night and have a rest in the day-time. There are some book-shelves crammed with text- and fiction books. There is a thick comfortable rag on the floor near the sofa. My dog likes to sleep on it.

My parents' bedroom is more spacious than the study. There is a doubltbed, a mirror-stand, two bedside tables and a built-in wardrobe there. It is very convenient to have it because it doesn't occupy much space. In the corner of the room there is a small table with a tape-recorder on it. My parents enjoy listening to music.

Our kitchen is rather large. There is a set of modern kitchen furniture, a gas-stove with an oven, a food processor, a refrigerator and a cupboard where we keep our dishes. The kitchen serves us as a dining-room. But when we receive guests we have meals in the living-room.

I like my bathroom too because it provides us with maximum of convenience and is well-fitted. There is a nice mirror, a rack for towels, a bath-tab and a basin. There is a shelf above the basin where I keep soap, toothpaste, tooth-brush, combs, creams, shampoos and make-up. It's very pleasant to have a bath or to take a shower here.

The entrance hall is small. There is a hall-stand and a mirror on the wall. A telephone is on a special table under the mirror. We try to keep our flat clean.

 

SEASONS AND WEATHER

There are four seasons in the year: winter, spring, summer and autumn. Each of them lasts three months.

Every new year begins in winter, on the first of January. This day is a holiday in our country and people decorate their flats with New Year trees.

In Belarus winter is usually a cold season. It often snows, the rivers and lakes are frozen over. The average temperature is about 5 degrees below zero. The most unpleasant thing about winter is that the sun sets early and rises, late — especially in December and January. The days are short, the sky is often grey, nature is sleeping and sometimes it gets rather boring.

But at the end of March the weather gets gradually milder. The sun shines more brightly. The days become longer, snow begins melting. Spring comes and nature awakens after a long sleep of winter. All kinds of plants and flowers (snowdrops, tulips, primeroses, etc.) come out. The grass is amazingly fresh. I can't help loving it. The birds return from the South and make their nests. They look so happy and cheerful. I feel happy with them too listening to their pleasant songs. The farmers begin the sowing campaign. They fertilize the soil, plough the fields, plant trees and vegetables. Everybody is automatically much happier in spring. You feel as if you were born anew.

Spring is followed by summer. The weather gets still warmer and sometimes it is very hot. The sky is blue and cloudless. But sometimes there are storms with thunder and lightning. The gardens are gay with flowers all summer months. The corn gets. golden in the fields. In summer people spend much time in the open air. They find time to go to the forest, to swim in the river, to sunbathe. Summer is a vacation time. I like it very much, but my favourite season is spring. As the great Russian poet A.S. Pushkin said: "Oh, summer, fine! I'd love you but for the heat, the mosquitos and flies".

Autumn comes in September with the beginning of the school year. Early autumn is still the harvest time, the time when fruits and vegetables become ripe. It is also а very beautiful time of the year, when the weather is still warm and the leaves change their colour from green to yellow and red. Everything around is greenish-gold.

Late autumn is less beautiful. It gets colder, the days are shorter, in the morning it often freezes. Last leaves fall from trees and cover the ground. There's much rain and fog. Birds fly away to warm countries. Low and heavy clouds hang in the sky. The landscape gets rather dull. Nature slowly falls asleep for winter.

In fact every season has its fine days and is pleasant in its own way. And it is not difficult to see this beauty.

Great Britain

The full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a great number of small islands. Their total area is over 314 000 sq. km. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. Northern Ireland occupies one third of the island of Ireland. It borders on the Irish Republic in the south. The island of Great Britain consists of three main parts: England (the southern and middle part of the island), Wales (a mountainous peninsula in the West) and Scotland (the northern part of the island).
There are no high mountains in Great Britain. In the north the Cheviots separate England from Scotland, the Pennines stretch down North England along its middle, the Cambrian mountains occupy the greater part of Wales and the Highlands of Scotland are the tallest of the British mountains. There is very little flat country except in the region known as East Anglia.
Most of the rivers flow into the North Sea. The Thames is the deepest and the longest of the British rivers. Some of the British greatest ports are situated in the estuaries of the Thames, Mersey, Trent, Tyne, Clyde and Bristol Avon. Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources, it has some deposits of coal and iron ore and vast deposits of oil and gas that were discovered in the North Sea.
The warm currents of the Atlantic Ocean influence the climate of Great Britain. Winters are not severely cold and summers are rarely hot. The population of the United Kingdom is over 58 million people. The main nationalities are: English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish. In Great Britain there are a lot of immigrants from former British Asian and African colonies. Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. New industries have been developed in the last three decades. The main industrial centres are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol. The capital of the country is London. The United Kingdom is a parliamentary monarchy.

I’d like to visit Great Britain one day to see all sightseeing I have read about, to look at Buckingham Palace, at Big Ben, to stay at Nelson’s monument at Trafalgar Square and to go on double-decker bus.

Probably, it will be a question about the most exciting present on Christmas Day.

It’s really hard to do, because Britain is rich in its historic places which link the present with the past. But if you are in London, I can advise you to start with the oldest part of London is Lud Hill, where the city is originated. About a mile west of it there is Westminster Palace, where the king lived and the Parliament met, and there is also Westminster Abbey, the coronation church. The British Museum is the largest and richest museum in the world. It was founded in 1753 and contains one of the world’s richest collections of antiquities. The Egyptian Galleries contain human and animal mummies. Some parts of Athens’ Parthenon are in the Greek section.
Madam Tussaud’s Museum is an exhibition of hundreds of life-size wax models of famous people of yesterday and today. The collection was started by Madam Tussaud, a French modeller in wax, in the 18th century. Here you can meet Marilyn Monroe, Elton John, Picasso, the Royal Family, the Beatles and many others: writers, movie stars, singers, politicians, sportsmen, etc.

Between Belarusian and British I found some common characteristics, many Belarusian people as well as many British people think of their land as great and strong and the best on the whole world. But the British can be particularly and stubbornly conservative about anything British. They are rather proud of being different. It is, for example, difficult to imagine that they will ever agree to change from driving on the left-hand side of the road to driving on the right. It doesn’t matter that nobody can think of any advantage in driving on the left. British people are obliged by society stereotyping to be polite. British do not as a rule express their real feeling. And Belarusian people are free to express their attitude, they are more sincere. But anyway, there are plenty of things that I like about British: their humour whatever it hides, I like the British breakfast, English tea, gardens, romantism and English language.

Belarus

 

Let’s talk about our country. What can you tell me about our Motherland?

Давайте поговорим о вашей стране. Что Вы можете рассказать про свою родину?

Приблизительный вариант ответа:

Belarus is my homeland. It is the place where I was born. Officially it is called the Republic of Belarus, a sovereign independent state with its own government, constitution, state emblem, flag and anthem. Belarus is a member-state of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and one of the UN (United Nations) founder-members. Its present-day population is about 10 mln people: 78% of Belarusians, 12 % of Russians, 4 % of Poles and 2 % of Ukrainians. 68 % of population live in town and cities. The territory of Belarus is divided into 6 regions: Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk and Mogilev. The capital of Belarus is Minsk with a population of over 1.5 mln people.

Belarus is situated nearly in the centre of European Plain. It borders on Poland in the west, the Baltic States – Lithuania and Latvia – in the north-west, on Russia in the north and east, on the Ukraine in the south.

Belarus stretches for 560 kilometers from south to north and for 650 kilometers from east to west. It occupies the territory of 207.6 thousand square kilometers. It is much larger than such countries as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Czechia and Slovakia.

There are more than 3,000 rivers in Belarus. Seven of them are more than 500 kilometres long each. They are the Dnieper, the Nioman, Western Dvina, the Prypiat, the Berezina, the Sozh, the Bug and the Vilia.

Belarus is a lake-country. There are about 10,800 lakes here. The lakes are particularly numerous in the north. The largest is Lake Naroch – 80 square kilometers. The lakes are noted for their great depth, transparent water and beautiful scenery.

A third of Belarus is under forest. The largest forests are called pushchas. For example, the Belovezhskaya and the Nalibokskaya. The Belovezhskaya Pushcha is famous for its aurochs (European bisons). Fauna is rich and diverse there: one can see elks and deer, wild boars and wolves, bears and foxes, beavers and lynxes, not mentioning myriads of birds.

Forests, pinewoods, mighty oak groves, birch groves and all sorts of other mixed forest formations are the charm, wealth and pride of our homeland.

Belarus is situated in the Temperate Zone of 200-500 kilometers away from Baltic Sea. The climate of Belarus is varies from maritime to continental due to a strong influence of the maritime air of the Atlantic. This results in temperate and mild climate.

By the way, Belarus is the country with unique history and rich cultural heritage. It is an interesting region from the tourist point of view. At the beginning of the 20^th century Belarus was a backward province of the Russian Empire – called the North-Western region. About 80 per cent of its population were illiterate. The Belarusians were not even regarded as a nation at that time. In 1919 Belarus was proclaimed the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic and 1922 became a member of the USSR. During World War II Belarus suffered greatly. It lost more than half of its national wealth. The fascists killed every fourth person living there. But despite all this, Belarus has restored its cities, rebuilt its economy.

Today Belarusian industry produces tractors, big lorries, automatic lines, refrigerators, television sets, bicycles, watches, fertilizers and textiles.

Agriculture specializes in milk and meat production. The main crops cultivated her are grain, potatoes, flax, herbs and vegetables.

Belarus is a republic of well developed science and culture. There are 37 state higher educational establishments, the Academy of Science, about 400 professional schools there. Secondary education is compulsory and free of charge.

There are three branches of state power in the Republic of Belarus – Legislative (Supreme Soviet – Верховный Совет), Executive (Council of Ministers – Совет Министров) and Judicial (Supreme Court – Верховный Суд). According to the existing constitution the head of the state is the President.

What parts of Belarus have you visited?

Какие части Беларуси Вы посещали?

I have been to Mogilev, Brest and Minsk regions. I have never been to Gomel and Grodno regions, but I have always dreamt to visit them.

What questions about Belarus do you expect to hear from a British teenager?

Какие вопросы о Беларуси Вы ожидаете услышать от британского подростка?

I suppose, British teenagers don’t know much about my country, so the questions can be very simple, such as: Where is your country situated in? What is the capital of your country? How many parts are there in your country? What are the sights of your country? Where can I go and what can I see at your country? What is the most interesting place? And so on, and so forth.

What Belarusian sights would you advise a foreigner to visit?

Какие достопримечательности Беларуси Вы посоветуете посетить иностранцу?

They say that Belarus is at the crossroads of Europe. Explain why.

Говорят, что Беларусь находится на перекрестках Европы. Объясните почему.

 

Lawyer

My dream has always been to become a lawyer. As a child, I listened to my parents discussing professional matters. Little by little, I got interested in the subject and began thinking of law as my prospective occupation. For me, choosing a career is not only a matter of future prestige and wealth. In my opinion, a job should be interesting and socially important. That is the reason why I have chosen the profession of a lawyer, which gives plenty of opportunities to help people in trouble. I am very well aware of the fact that my interest in the subject is insufficient; I need profound knowledge in the chosen field. That is why my ambition is to enter the law department of the University of … That’s a difficult task, and I have to study twice as hard as others. I hope I’ll manage to pass my finals and entrance exams at the University with good and excellent marks. That’ll give me a chance of entering the University this year. If I fail at the exams, I’m going to have a try next year. I think to become a lawyer is my final choice.

My dream has always been to become a lawyer. As a child, I listened to my parents discussing professional matters. Little by little, I got interested in the subject and began thinking of law as my prospective occupation. For me, choosing a career is not only a matter of future prestige and wealth. In my opinion, a job should be interesting and socially important. That is the reason why I have chosen the profession of a lawyer, which gives plenty of opportunities to help people in trouble. I am very well aware of the fact that my interest in the subject is insufficient; I need profound knowledge in the chosen field. That is why my ambition is to enter the law department of the University of … That’s a difficult task, and I have to study twice as hard as others. I hope I’ll manage to pass my finals and entrance exams at the University with good and excellent marks. That’ll give me a chance of entering the University this year. If I fail at the exams, I’m going to have a try next year. I think to become a lawyer is my final choice.

Economist

The end of school is the start of our independent life and the beginning of the most serious examination we have passed. In order to do well at this examination it is necessary to choose the right road in life which will help us best to live and work for own good and for the benefit of our country.

Many broad ways will open before the pupils when they leave a secondary school. Everybody will have a chance to develop and use knowledge and education received during the school years.

There are a lot of different trades and professions, and each one must choose the occupation in which he or she can best develop one's own talent and abilities. Our society needs well-educated people. Nowadays the profession of an economist has become one the most useful, modern and interesting. That is because our country is moving towards market economy and different forms of property are being established. There is a place for an economist at every plant and factory. An economist exercises different functions. He or she can determine the structure of an enterprise and calculate costs as well as probable profits. An economist analyses the condition of the market and prospects for its development in the future. His or her practical use of electronic computers is a must. The activities of an economist at an enterprise range from bookkeeper control the financial state of an enterprise and perform a lot of useful calculations. A manager is an actual administrator. Having a good command of the economic situation in the region and the demands of the market a person with an economist's diploma may establish his own business, or he may become a partner of a joint venture. It is very important for an economist to know a foreign language, especially English.

That is because contracts between our country and many countries of the world are becoming wider with every coming day. Every economist has a chance to go abroad or to deal with foreign businessmen coming to our country. But to become a good economist one must work hard and get not only theoretical knowledge but also great practical skills

 

ABSTRACT ART

Have you ever seen a painting that puzzled you? Perhaps you could not see anything "real" or "natural" in it. Perhaps it seemed a jumble of lines and colours. You were probably looking at an example of abstract art. Before the 20Ш century, most artists showed things more or less as they might look to an observer. Their scenes were recognisable. Even when they painted imaginary scenes, the elements of the picture could usually be identified. Of course, artists have always put their own personalities into their paintings. A painting by Van Gogh, for example, can easily be recognised — it has his personal stamp. It shows the way Van Gogh looked at real things. Because of his particularstyle, his paintings look strange to many people. But in his art, people are still recognisable as people. No tree ever looked quite like a Van Gogh tree (he painted trees as great swirling figures), but his trees are still clearly trees. Individual painters have always experimented with unusual ways of showing real objects. But in the 21^st century artists in large numbers began to break away from realistic ways of paining. Many artists seemed to be saying, "If you want an accurate picture of a scene, buy a photograph or a picture postcard." They began to paint life in different ways. They concentrated on form, colour and shape, and avoided any attempt to tell a story or show a scene naturally.

The kind of art just described is often called abstract art. Once upon a time it was a revolutionary movement. Now it has won acceptance. Most museums have examples of abstract art. Some modern museums contain only abstract art. Great numbers of people still prefer a more realistic art. But even the tastes of these people have been shaped, in part, by the abstract artists. Modem design has been influenced by abstract art. Even the floor covering in your kitchen may have been copied from the design of an abstract artist.

 

TV OR NOT TV?

Whether we realise it or not, TV plays a very important part in our lives.

It's the main source of information and a cheap form of entertainment for millions of people.

It's the window on the world which gives us an opportunity to "travel" all over the world, to "meet" different people and learn about their customs and traditions.

It has the power to educate and broaden our minds.

It helps us to relax after a hard day's work and escape from reality.

There's always a great variety of programmes on TV: news and sports programmes, talk shows and TV games, documentaries and feature films, concerts and theatre performances...

Of course, not all programmes are good. But many are made in good taste and with great professional skill.

Some people argue that television is a terrible waste of time. It makes us lazier. We stay at home instead of going out. We read less. We think less. We even talk less.

It's true that some TV addicts spend hours in front of the "box" watching whatever's on — from second-rate Mexican soap operas to silly commercials.

The trick is to learn to control television and use it intelligently. The ideal is to turn on the TV-set only when there's a really interesting programme.

Violence on TV is another problem that worries people. As George Mikes once said, TV teaches us "how to kill, to rob, to shoot and to poison." But the same can be said about computer games and many films and books. And if you don't like a certain programme, why watch it?

Names

George Mikes f'mikej] Джордж Микеш (английский писатель-юморист венгерского происхождения)

Vocabulary

source [so:s] источник

entertainment [,enta'teinment] развлечение

opportunity [,opa'tju:niti] возможность

power [paua] сила, способность

to educate ['edjukeit] обучать, развивать

broaden ['brordn] one's mind расширять кругозор

to relax [ri'laeks] расслабляться

hard day's work тяжелый трудовой день

to escape [i'skeip] from reality уходить от реальности

variety [va'raiati] разнообразие

documentary [dokju'mentari] документальный фильм feature film ['fi:ta.film] художественный фильм

in good taste со вкусом

professional [pra'fejnl] skill профессиональное

мастерство

to argue ['a:gju:] спорить, возражать

waste of time бесполезная трата времени

addict ['aedikt] наркоман, зд. человек, которого не оторвешь от телевизора

box разг. "ящик", телевизор

whatever's on что бы ни показывали (по теле­визору)

second-rate [.sekand'reit] низкосортный, посредст­венный

Mexican ['meksikan] мексиканский

soap opera ['saup ppara] "мыльная опера"

commercial [ka'rraijl] телереклама

the trick is зд. секрет в том (что)

intelligently [in'telid33ntli] с умом

ideal [ai'dial] идеал

violence ['vaialans] насилие

to rob грабить

to shoot [fu:t] (shot) стрелять

to poison ['poizn] отравлять, отрави

 

Questions

How often do you watch TV?

What are your favourite programmes?

Which is your favourite channel?

The average Russian teenager spends about 20 hours a week in front of the TV-set. What about you?

Why is TV often called "the window on the world"?

Do you agree that television has the power to educate?

What do you think of commercials? Do they annoy you?

Do you enjoy watching "soaps"?

Do you think that there's too much violence on TV?

Do you believe that violence on TV may turn people into criminals?

Some people say that television kills conversation. Do you agree?

Do you use TV intelligently?

 

NEWSPAPERS

In the past people learnt about news from newspapers. Nowadays people usually learn what is happening in the country and in the world from TV or radio news programmes or from the Internet.

Still we cannot imagine our life without newspapers. There are dozens of them on every news-stand. There are newspapers for professionals, for businessmen, for children and teenagers, for men and women, for sports fans, for those who are interested in gardening and for those who keep pets.

Some newspapers publish serious articles on politics, economy and finance, some aim to entertain their readers. Many newspapers express certain political opinion and people choose them according to their own political beliefs. In short, you can always find a paper which suits your interests.

Besides, there are many free local newspapers which are put into your post-box whether you ask for it or not. Probably they are not interesting, because they consist mainly of advertisements, but you can find a lot of useful telephone numbers and addresses there.

My parents subscribe to Argumenty i Facty. I also like this weekly. I don't read all the articles, but in every issue I find something interesting. I think that most articles are very well written, they give a detailed and well-balanced, analysis of current events and trends in economy. I like to read articles on social issues, interviews, reviews of new books, plays and TV shows. One of my favourite columns is The Quotation of the Day, where they quote our popular politicians and give their comments. Sometimes it's very funny.

Quite often I buy Sovershenno Secretno (Top Secret) and practically in each issue there are some fascinating stories which you read like a detective story. Sometimes they uncover things I have not heard about, sometimes they show well-known events in a completely new light.

From time to time I read Moskovsky Komsomolets. It's one of the most popular daily papers, but I don't consider it serious. However, I never miss an article written by Minkin. I think he is a very good journalist. I also like Merinov's cartoons. Sometimes they publish good reviews of new films, new CDs and so on.

In short, I think that TV, radio and the Internet have their advantages, but nothing can substitute newspapers.

 

Vocabulary

to imagine [i'msed^in] представлять себе

dozens ['d/\znz] масса, множество

news-stand ['nju:zstaend] газетный киоск

fan [faen] поклонник, болельщик

politics ['politiks] политика

economy [i'konami] экономика

finance [fai'nsns] финансы

to aim [eim] ставить целью

to entertain [,enta'tein] развлекать

to express [ik'spres] выражать

opinion [a'pinian] мнение, взгляд

according [a'ko:dirj] to согласно, в соответствии

political beliefs [bi'lhfs] политические убеждения

in short короче говоря

to suit [s(j)u:t] подходить

free бесплатный

local [loukl] местный

post-box ['paustboks] почтовый ящик

advertisement [ad'vaitismant] реклама

to subscribe [sab'skraib] подписываться

weekly ['whkli] еженедельник, еженедельный

issue [IJu:], [Isju:] выпуск, вопрос

detailed ['dhteild] подробный

well-balanced [,wel'baelanst] взвешенный, объективный

analysis [a'naelisis] (мн.ч. analyses) анализ

current events [,kArant rvents] текущие события

trend [trend] тенденция

social issues общественные проблемы

review [ri'vju:] обзор, рецензия

column ['kolam] колонка

quotation [,kwau'teijn] цитата

politician [poli'tijn] политик

comment ['komant] комментарий

fascinating ['fsesineitirj] увлекательный

to uncover [yvn'k/wa] обнаруживать, раскрывать

completely [kam'pli:tli] совершенно

daily f'deili] ежедневный

to consider [kan'sida] считать

advantage [ad'va:ntid3] преимущество

substitute ['sAbstitju:t] заменять

Questions

Do you read newspapers regularly?

How many newspapers does your family subscribe to?

Do you like to read articles on politics and finance?

Do you read reviews of new films and books?

Do you follow sports news in newspapers?

Some newspapers run gossip columns (колонки сплетен). Do you read them?

Many newspapers print readers' letters, in which people write about their problems. Often there are answers written by psychologists, doctors, educators, etc. Do you read these letters and answers?

Have you ever written to a newspaper?

Do you read any newspapers in English? What kind of newspapers do you prefer?

THE BRITISH PRESS

Probably in no other country are there such great differences between the various national daily newspapers — in the type of news they report and the way they report it.

On the one hand, there are the "quality" newspapers: The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, the Financial Times and The Daily Telegraph. These concern themselves, as far as possible, with factual reports of major national and international events, with the world of politics and business and with the arts and sport.

On the other hand, there are the "populars" and "tabloids," so-called because of their smaller size. The tabloids — the most widely read of which are The Daily Mail, The Daily Express, the Daily Mirror, The Sun and The Daily Star — concentrate on more emotive reporting of stories often featuring sex, violence, the Royal Family, film and pop stars, and sport. It's often said that the popular press aims to entertain its readers rather than inform them.

The tabloid press is much more popular than the quality press.

In some countries, newspapers are owned by government or by political parties. This is not the case in Britain. Newspapers here are mostly owned by individuals or by publishing companies, and the editors of the papers are usually allowed considerate freedom of expression. This is not to say that newspapers are without political bias. Papers like The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Express and The Sun, for example, usually reflect Conservative opinions in their comment and reporting, while the Daily Mirror and The Guardian have a more left-wing bias.

In addition to the 12 national daily newspapers there are nine national papers which are published on Sundays. Most of the "Sundays" contain more reading matter than daily papers, and several of them also include "colour supplements" — separate colour magazines which contain photographically-illustrated feature articles. Reading a Sunday paper, like having a big Sunday lunch, is an important tradition in many British households.

Besides, nearly every area in Britain has one or more local newspapers.

The British are one of the biggest newspaper-reading nations in the world.

Names

The Times [taimz]

The Independent [independent]

The Gardian ['ga:djan]

The Daily Express [,deili iks'pres]

the Daily Mirror [,deili 'rnira]

the Financial Times [faj/isenfl 'taimz]

The Daily Telegraph [.deili 'teligra:f]

The Daily Mail ['deili 'meil]

The Daily Star [,deili 'sta:]

The Sun [sao]

Vocabulary

various [vearias] различный, разнообразный

national ['nae/nl] национальный, государственный

daily ['deili] ежедневный

to report [ri'po:t] сообщать, писать, печатать

on the one hand с одной стороны

"quality" ['kwoliti] newspapers пресса "высокого качества" (для бизнесменов, политиков и т.д), газеты полного формата

to concern [kan'sain] oneself with заниматься, интересоваться

factual ['faektjual] фактический, основанный на фактах

major ['meid3a] главный, основной

international [Jnta'naejnl] международный

politics ['politiks] политика, политические взгляды, убеждения

on the other hand с другой стороны

"popular" ['popjula] газета для широкой публики

"tabloid" ['tabloid] малоформатная газета со сжа­тым текстом и большим количеством иллюстра­ций; бульварная пресса

to concentrate ['konsantreit] on сосредоточиваться на

emotive [i'mautiv] reporting эмоциональная подача материала

to feature ['fi:tja] помещать в газете (на видном месте)

violence f'vaialans] насилие royal ['roial] family королевская семья

it's often said часто говорят

to aim стремиться

to entertain [,enta'tein] rather than inform скорее развлекать, чем информировать

to own [eun] владеть

This is not the case in Britain. He так обстоит дело в Британии.

individual [,indi'vidjual] личность, индивидуум, частное лицо

publishing company ['kAmpani] издательство

editor ['edita] редактор

to allow [alau] разрешать, предоставлять

considerate [kan'sidarit] freedom значительная свобода

bias ['baias] предубежденность, пристрастие, уклон

to reflect [ri'flekt] отражать

conservative [kan'saivativ] консервативный

comment ['koment] комментарий

left-wing левый

in addition to кроме, помимо

"Sundays" газеты, публикуемые по выходным

matter ['maeta] материал

supplement ['sAplimant] приложение

feature article ['frtfer 'a:tikl] большая статья в газете (посвященная какой-либо одной теме), очерк household f'haushauld] семья; люди, живущие в одном доме

local [laukl] местный

Questions

What "quality" newspapers do you know?

What do they concern themselves with?

What does a "tabloid" mean?

What "popular" newspapers do you know?

It's often said that the aim of the popular press is to entertain its readers rather than inform them. What kind of materials do these newspapers concentrate on?

Are "quality" papers more popular than "tabloids"?

In some countries, newspapers are owned by government or by political parties. What about Britain?

What's the difference between daily newspapers and "Sundays"?

What does a "colour supplement" mean?

Are the British one of the biggest newspaper-reading nations in the world?

 

MY MEALS

It goes without saying that I prefer to have meals at home. At the weekend Ilike to get up late and have a good breakfast of scrambled eggs, or pancakes,or something like that. But on weekdays I'm always short of time in themorning. So I just have a cup of strong tea or coffee and a couple ofsandwiches.

As I spend a lot of time at school (usually eight or nine hours) it'snecessary to have a snack at midday just to keep me going. That's why I haveto go to the school canteen to have lunch. Our school canteen leaves much tobe desired. It has become a tradition with our canteen to serve chops andwatery mashed potatoes every day with a glass of cocoa or stewed fruit.

But I enjoy my evening meal at home. My mother is a wonderful cookand her dinners are always delicious and various.To begin with, we usually have some salad - - tomato and cucumbersalad or mixed salad (I like it very much). For the first course we have somesoup — noodle, mushroom or cabbage soup, or maybe some fish soup for achange. For the main course we have meat, chicken or fish dishes, for example,steak or fried fish with spaghetti or potatoes (boiled or fried). We also have alot of vegetables — green peas, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers. I prefer meat tofish but my mother makes me eat fish from time to time. She says it's good formy brains.

For dessert we have some fruit, fruit juice or just a cup of tea with a sliceof cake.

On Sundays we sometimes go to McDonald's. I like everything there:cheeseburgers, hamburgers and Big Macs, apple pies and fruit cocktails. Butunfortunately we can't afford to go there very often, because it's ratherexpensive for a family and besides, they say it's not very healthy to eat atMcDonald's.

 

HOBBIES

Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby according to your character and taste you are lucky because your life becomes more interesting.

Hobbies are divided into four large classes: doing things, making things, collecting things, and learning things.

The most popular of all hobby groups is doing things. It includes a wide variety of activities, everything from gardening to travelling and from chess to volleyball. Gardening is one of the oldest of man's hobbies. It's a well-known fact that the English are very fond of gardening and growing flowers, especially roses.

Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, handicrafts. Two of the most famous hobby painters were President Eisenhower and Sir Winston Churchill.

Almost everyone collects something at some period in his life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches. Some collections have no real value. Others become so large and so valuable that they are housed in museums and galleries.

Both grown-ups and children are fond of playing different computer games. This is a relatively new hobby but it's becoming more and more popular.

As for me, I’m fond of collecting stamps. My hobby helps me to learn a lot of about other countries and other peoples’ traditions, the world’s flora and fauna. Maybe that’s why I’m good at geography and biology at school. I like to bring my albums to school and to examine with classmates my stamps with great interest.

When I was in the 6^th form my parents bought me a compact disc player and I decided to collect compact discs Today, I’ve got more than one hundred CDs of his favourite groups and singers. I am very proud of my collection. Every time I buy a new CD I carefully studies the information printed on disc booklets. I also tries to find out everything about the singers I like. I like all types of music except “rap” and “rave”.

No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he always has the opportunity of learning from it. Learning things can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby.

Hobbies, Leisure time

Leisure or free time is a period of time spent out of work and domestic activity. It is also the period of recreational time before or after compulsory activities such as eating and sleeping, going to work or running a business, attending school and doing homework or housework. Leisure time is the time when you can forget about day-to-day stress and stressful activities and relax. These activities can be our hobby.

Nowadays people work all day long and rarely have spare time to rest and to do something they like. But if they have it they try to spend it in the way they prefer. And there are a lot of possibilities to do it perfect. There are plenty of things to do that can help you not to feel bored. Any activity is much better than doing nothing.

I'd like to notice that there are two main ways of spending free time: the one is to do some physical activities (often outdoors), for example, football, swimming, hockey, skiing; and another way is to enjoy something relaxing at home or in special places: reading, watching TV, knitting, engaging in hand-made. At any rate, hobby is a matter of taste, and everybody should choose it according to the personal preferences.

As for me, I like to pass my leisure time both in active and passive way. I really enjoy reading or watching films, because it's always interesting, helpful and helps to relax, what is especially necessary after a long tiring day. Also I am fond of active sports, swimming, skiing or riding a bike from time to time, when it is possible. Sometimes you feel you need to escape from everyday worries and to do something no thought-provoking. In many cases I can't let me doing anything very extraordinary, so I just go walking over long distances. It really helps to release the tension and refresh the mind.

To the point, the way how people pass their free time depends on the culture and social status. For example, American favorite leisure activity now is participating in experiences that they know aren't real, they turn to imagination – to worlds created by others, such as books, games, movies and television. Also public researches show that the average amount of weekly free time of many people fell; while the average amount of time spent working is now up. It can be explained by the fact of extra time spent on mobile phones or computers, and infrastructure development (the problem of traffic gems in big cities). As well, preferences of people to spend their time have also changed over the past years: instead of team activities more and more people choose solo activities.

Anyway, in the life of any person there are periods of time when he feels extremely bored. It happens because this person doesn't know what to do with his time and can't find anything interesting to do, or because he doesn't like what he is doing. Well, this problem has hundreds ways of solution. The simplest is to find something interesting to do. Here are some variants of activities to choose:
- Just tidy up;
- Try new recipes;
- Decide on making candles, knitting, cross snitching - in one word, create something new you can be proud of;
- Don't let online games dominate in your life;
- Photography, drawing, painting, playing musical instruments are very special activities that you can do as a cure fore boredom;
- Communicate more with other interesting people;
- Read something exiting, encouraging, or anything that will enrich your knowledge;
- Join a health club or gum where you will be able to feel happy and keep fit;
- Go out with you friends;
- Set your aims and keep a diary.

Following these simple advices you will never have a time to think about such problem as boredom.

As we all know, leisure time is one of the most important thing people can't live without. It is a big part of our life, and it actually shows the character and temper of person. I can't imagine a person who doesn't have any hobbies and favorite activities, because it is really impossible. Our hobbies and habits make our lives, filling it up with variety of feelings and emotions. Each person chooses his own way of spending time, either active of passive, and in any case in should be a refreshment and a source of inspiration.

Meals and Cooking

The Belarusians have meals four times a day and their cuisine is rather simple.

Every person starts his or her day with breakfast. Some people are sentenced to either a continental or an English breakfast. From my mum’s point of view, when one has it continental it actually means that one has no breakfast at all, because it means drinking a cup of coffee and eating a bun. The English breakfast is a bit better, as it consists of one or two fried eggs, grilled sausages, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms. The English have tea with milk and toast with butter and marmalade. As a choice one may have corn flakes with milk and sugar or porridge.

In Belarus people may have anything for breakfast. Sandwiches and coffee are very popular.

Lunch is the biggest meal of the day. It may be a meat or fish course with soft drinks followed by a sweet course.

Belarusian lunch is about 2 o’clock and often we call it ‘dinner’. His or her dinner includes three courses. A Belarusian will have a starter (salad, herring, cheese, etc.), soup, steaks, chops, or fish fillets with garnish, a lot of bread, of course, and something to drink. The more the better. At four or five the Belarusians may have a bite: waffles, cakes with juice, tea, cocoa, or something of the kind.

In Great Britain they have dinner at five or six. A lot of British prefer to eat out. “Fish and Chips” shops are very popular with their take-away food. The more sophisticated public goes to Chinese, Italian, seafood or other restaurants and experiments with shrimp, inedible vegetables