Если у вас возникли сложности с курсовой, контрольной, дипломной, рефератом, отчетом по практике, научно-исследовательской и любой другой работой - мы готовы помочь.
Предоплата всего
Подписываем
БИЛЕТ 1
Говорят, что школьные годы - самая счастливая пора. А ты можешь сказать, что ты был счастлив в школе? Почему?
SCHOOL YEARS
Some people think that school years are the happiest in their life. As for me, I cannot say whether it is right or wrong. I am still too young. I am 14 years old, and it is difficult for me to say whether my future will be more happy than my past. Moreover, school takes so much time that I hardly have time for anything else. I have classes in the first half of the day and in the evening I have to do my homework, which takes me several hours. Sometimes I have to sit up to write a composition, prepare a report, or learn a poem.
School years may certainly be fairly happy. However, there are a lot of problems even today connected with school life and the formation of a personality. School is the place where almost everything happens with a person for the first time. School is the first true experience of the real life. At school a person makes his first friends, meets his first love. Here at school the person reads the first book and writes the first composition. He acquires basic knowledge of physics, mathematics, literature, history, biology, etc. But school helps the pupils to get on in life and become successful.
Now I want to say some words about my school. I've just left school and I'd like to tell you a few words about it. My school is one of the oldest specialized schools in Moscow. It's famous for its high-quality education and strict discipline. The school is very well-equipped. On the ground floor there's a gym, a canteen, a library and two workshops. On the first floor there's a large assembly hall, a home economics room, a computer class and a language laboratory. On the second floor there are physics, chemistry and biology labs.
I went to school five days a week. Classes began at nine o'clock in the morning. But I usually came to school ten minutes earlier. Each lesson lasted forty minutes. After three or four lessons we had a thirty-minute break During this break we went to the canteen to have lunch. Every day we had 7 or 8 lessons. The lessons were over at four o'clock in the afternoon.
We usually had a lot of homework and it took me several hours to do it. I sometimes had to sit up to write a composition, to prepare a report, to translate a newspaper article from English into Russian or to learn a poem by heart After classes I didn't usually go home right away. We had some out-of-class activities. Our social and cultural life was well-organized. For example, we had an orchestra, a choir, an arts club, an International Friendship Club. I took part in the drama club.
At school we had classes in Russian, Literature, Mathematics, Biology, Geography, Physics, Chemistry, English, History, Computer Programming. We also had Music, Physical Education, and Information Technology,
My favourite subject was English. I liked to learn new words, to dramatize texts and dialogues. I liked it when we discussed something interesting to us, when we were taught to debate, when we had small-group discussions or set up a role play.
But I wasn't very good at chemistry. I always failed to learn formulas and terms properly. Maybe our chemistry teacher was too serious, too academic. She was not imaginative enough and her lessons were a little bit dull.
I liked my class. I always felt at home there. Everybody was so friendly and easy to get along with. I was on good terms with my classmates and we often spent our free time together
БИЛЕТ 2
Если ты хочешь продолжить свое образование, куда ты пойдешь учиться? Аргументируй свой выбор.
WHERE WILL YOU GO TO STUDY FURTHER?
Now we have a lot of opportunities. There are private and state schools and gymnasiums, pilot schools and schools specializing in different subjects. I think that my choice of educational institution must depend on what I want to be in future. But it is so difficult to decide!
You see, my father is a technologist at a small chemical plant. He tells a tot of interesting things about his work, because he wants me to become a chemist, too. He wants me to go to a school specializing in mathematics and chemistry. But as for me, I don’t like chemistry, physics, or mathematics. It is difficult for me to memorize and use formulas, make physical and chemical experiments. I’m bad at these sciences. Besides, I find some themes really boring. *
What I can really do well is languages. My favourite subjects are Russian and Russian literature. It is very interesting for me to find out the origins of words, to learn how our language changed through years. I wanted to become a writer or a poet, but my mother says I shan’t make a good writer or a journalist, because I’m not patient enough. Another important matter which, I think, I should consider is the money I can make in future to support my family. I think, writers and journalists get their royalties not regularly. Besides, an educated person nowadays should know a foreign language, and English is the language of international communication.
I’m good at English, I like this subject, and the knowledge of this language gives me a wide choice of opportunities, such as a teacher, a translator, an interpreter, a coach, a guide and many others. If I am a teacher or a translator, I shall work with both Russian and English.
When I thought it all over, I decided to enter a school specializing in English. There are a few schools of this type in our city. I have chosen the school closest to my place. I know that this school has agreements with several universities. It helps its pupils enter those universities easier. Though I haven’t yet decided which university to enter, it can be very useful. There is one more advantage of entering that school. It has an agreement with a school in England, and they exchange students. If I study well, maybe, I shall have an opportunity to visit England.
But I must say, it will be very difficult for me to part with my school where I feel at home, and my classmates, with whom I have spent so much time together.
БИЛЕТ 3
Выбрать профессию нелегко. Как ты думаешь, что может помочь тебе сделать выбор?
WHAT CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE A PROFESSION?
We have come into the era of information. There are a lot of ways to get information about anything. Choosing a profession, it js very important to make the right choice. There are many sources of information. What we really need. I think, is to judge and evaluate the information we get.
Our parents and relatives can help us a lot. First of all, they work and can tell us about their "own work, secondly, they can describe the jobs of their friends and other jobs they know. I think their opinion is important for me. But if your mother is an art critic, and your father is a technologist, it can be rather difficult to decide what to be. Our friends can also help if they have already chosen their future professions, because we can discuss all aspects of the chosen jobs.
Books and especially reference books can be very useful, because they offer information not only about different jobs, but also about educational institutions where you can be trained for this or that profession. The information in reference books is usually valuable and accurate.
I must mention another matter which is very important. It is my own tastes, likes and dislikes. I think one cannot work well, if he or she does not like the profession, there are some ways of discovering personal attitudes, abilities and traits of-character. First of all, we can analyse our behaviour, discuss it with our friends and parents. Secondly, we can visit a psychologist. Our school has a psychologist. He tests our attention, memory, and character, and pupils consult him. Sergey Ivanovich says that personality tests can show what professions can suit this or that person. Our teachers of Geography and Social Studies also tell us about many professions at their lessons.
This year we have had a computer literacy course. I must confess that I have learnt about some professions, such as a programmer, for example, from these lessons.
Mass media, including newspapers, magazines, and TV, can help those who want to learn about different professions. There are interesting articles and programmes about famous and common people. But you can learn mostly about lives and careers of film stars, singers, dancers, composers, showmen, sportsmen and composers.
One more thing which I should speak about is our life. Living with open eyes, you can learn about many different professions.
БИЛЕТ 4
Существуют разные возможности познания мира (средства массовой информации, книги, путешествия, посещения музеев, встречи с интересными людьми и т.д.). Какие из них ты предпочитаешь
HOW DO YOU LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND YOU?
I like to learn about the world around me. Nowadays people can learn from different sources such as the Internet, TV and other mass media, books, travelling, and visiting museums. They are all different.
I'd like to use the Internet, because I can find there any information such as information about different countries, pop stars’ songs, and even English lessons. Via E-mail and in chat rooms I can communicate with children all over the world. It’s a pity we have neither computer nor the Internet at home.
As to television and other mass media, I’m critical about them. What I like about TV is watching films. I like science fiction: “Star troopers’' Robocop", and “X-files”, but I also watch films about Russian history by Parfyonov, Kiselyov and alike. I would watch MTV, if we had it I don’t read newspapers or magazines, except Sport Express and Cool, I learn political and other news when I listen to the radio.
I like to listen to the radio, because you can listen to music of different kinds news, and many other things. In the morning you can listen to the day's horoscope, advertisements, songs or the history of our city, you can take part in an intellectual quiz and win a prize. One more advantage of the radio is that you can do something and listen to it at the same time My parents also like to listen to the radio. I am happy that now we have many channels, for example, Radio Maximum, Radio Hit, Europa+. My grandmother says when she was young there was only one channel. It was dull, I think. People need to have a choice of informational sources
1 know that travelling gives food for thought. I believe, we can lean a Jot when we travel. I think that in my future I shall have a possibility to travel and see the world. But now I can say that I have been to Novgorod Pushkinskye Gory, Ladoga, Gatchina, and Pushkin with my form master and classmates. We went there to visit museums.
I’m not fond of visiting museums, because you have to listen to the guide; you must not speak or share opinions with your friends. Still, I can be interesting from time to time, especially if it is not a collection of pictures and sculpture as in the Hermitage, but scenes from the past as in Ladoga Fortress. I like the Wax Dolls museum in Nevsky Prospect. The wax dolls look like real people. I recognised many celebrities, when I was there, because I had read about them in books.
Our family has books of different types. Mother says that books can: teach me all my life. It is true, but books can also entertain.
БИЛЕТ 5
Путешествие - один из способов узнать другие страны Чем привлекает туристов Россия? Что бы ты показал своим зарубежным друзьям?
WHAT ATTRACTS TOURISTS TO RUSSIA?
Russia is an ancient country with many places of interest. I’m afraid many foreigners think that Russians are wild and only know how to drink vodka. Not all tourists know that Russia has many skillful artists, architects, poets, and workmen. They have produced many masterpieces. Some of them are famous all over the world.
I’d take my foreign friends to Moscow, the capital of our count There are a lot of things to see there. We would begin with Red Square is registered by the Organization of the United Nations as one of the monuments of architecture which has international importance. It waft named Red Square because in the Russian language of that time “red” meant “beautiful”. It is really beautiful. In Red Square we can see the whole history of Russia. There is the cathedral of Basil the Blessed, the' monument to Minin and Pozharsky, and the Mausoleum.
Moscow also has about 80 museums. The most famous is the State Tretyakov Gallery. If you visit Moscow, you must see the masterpieces which are exhibited there. You will see the famous portrait of Pushkin by Kiprensky, works by Brullov, Aivazovsky, Shishkin, Vasnetsov, and Surikov. There are many historical paintings.
Moscow is now the official capital, but there was the time when Saint Petersburg was the capital. It is one of the few cities which were built as capitals from the very beginning. Saint-Petersburg is a unique city, I’d: like to take my foreign friends around it. I’d take them to the main museums, which are the Hermitage and the State Russian museum. I think the palaces of Peter the Great - the Summer palace, the Wooden Palace and the first Winter Palace - would be interesting for them, too. I think they, would like Ethnography museum as well. There they can see Russian national clothes, musical instruments, plates and dishes. They can buy souvenirs there.
But if my friends were interested in Russian church architecture or folklore, I would offer them a trip around the Golden Ring of Russia which includes Zagorsk, Pereslavl-Zalesky, Rostov, Kostroma, Suzdal, and Vladimir. These ancient Russian cities attract many tourists who want to learn about Russian history and culture.
It may be interesting for them to see Novgorod, or Novgorod the Great. Novgorod, now a small town, is older than Moscow. It was first mentioned in 859. During the Tartar invasion the town was not destroyed. That’s why now we can see all the beautiful buildings, including St. Sophia of Novgorod (1045-1052) and Novgorod Kremlin. The monument “One Thousand Years of Russia” is a history textbook in metal. It includes more than one hundred figures' of famous Russian people, for example, Yermak, Minin and Pozharsky, and Peter the Great.
The village of Vitoslavlitsv, a museum of wooden architecture, also attracts tourists from all over the world. In this museum in the open air they can see izbas of Russian peasants and village churches built without nails. They can buy souvenirs, made of birch bark and wood, observe Russian national holidays and ceremonies.
If my friends are interested in our life, I can offer them to go to the forest to pick berries and mushrooms. I think it will be interesting for them too.
БИЛЕТ 6
Каждая страна имеет свои особенности. С чем у тебя ассоциируется страна изучаемого языка и ее жители?
WHAT COMES TO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT GREAT BRITAIN?
Great Britain is a country of the most modem technologies and the most ancient traditionsjflt hides some great mysteries though it tries to become opener to the world.
When I think about Great Britain, I don’t see one country. I see many countries. One of them is an ancient land of Stonehendge, with barbarian kingdoms of Picts and Scots. Somewhere in the North of the country lives a monster - the famous Loch Ness Monster, which then probably was a baby. I also see Robin Hood and his merry men in Sherwood forest. I see monks and dukes riding here and there. I also see William Wallace who fought for the freedom of Scots and won so many battles.
At the same time I see the modem Britain, with its industrial cities and calm country houses, with sheep eating grass by highways and children riding their bicycles to school. I see Britain - the queen of seas and overseas, ruling colonies in all parts of the world - in Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. And I see Britain - the centre of the Commonwealth, the Britain whose most popular dish id chicken curry.
I see the Britain of Sherlock Holmes and of Queen Victoria. And I see the Britain of Lady Diana. I see the Britain under the German bombs -and the peaceful countryside with its pubs and golf fields.
БИЛЕТ 7
Каждая страна гордится своими достижениями. Какими достижениями своей страны гордишься ты?
RUSSIA’S ACHIEVEMENTS
Russia is proud of its achievements in satellite technology and investigation of outerspace. On October 4, 1957, the world's first artificial satellite was launched in our country. With «Sputnik-1» a great deal of programmes of space exploration were implemented. Over the next few years a number of unmanned spaceships of various kinds, ranging from meteorological and communications satellites to lunar probes were launched.
On April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union launched «Vostok-1». For the first time in the history of mankind a manned spacecraft was launched into outerspace. It carried Yury Gagarin in a single orbit around the Earth. German Titov piloted «Vostok-2» spacecraft. It was launched on August 6, 1961, on the first manned spaceflight of more than a single orbit. Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to travel into space, was launched on June 16, 1963 in «Vostok-6», which completed 48 orbits in 71 hours. In space at the same time was Valery Bykovsky, who had been launched two days earlier in «Vostok-5»; both of them landed on June 19.
«Vostok» flights had demonstrated that man could function while weightless in space. The «Vostok» spacecraft enabled the preparation of new, more complicated flights. Taking over the traditions of the single-sitter «Vostok», multi-sitter «Voskhod» and «Soyuz» spacecraft began to circle around the orbits of the Earth. «Voskhod-2», a two-piloted spacecraft was constructed in such a way that the cosmonaut could leave the ship during flight. On March 18, 1965, Aleksey Leonov left the spacecraft through an airlock to become the first man to float free in space.
Developed for the Earth-orbital space station programme «Soyuz» aircraft were equipped for extended missions of scientific experimentation while in the Earth orbit of up to 30 days duration. There were 40 manned and unmanned «Soyuz» spaceships which were launched between 1967 and 1981. It should be stressed that 30 «Soyuz» flights involved its docking with an orbiting «Salyut» space station. The first record for the longest manned mission in spaceflight history was set in 1981 by the crew of «Soyuz-35». It remained on board «Salyut-6» for 185 days. Other notable «Soyuz» flights include «Apollo-Soyuz» Test Project, the first joint space venture undertaken by the United States and the Soviet Union. During this mission, conducted in July 1975, a three-man U.S. «Apollo» spacecraft met and docked with the two-man «Soyuz-19» craft. The crews performed joint experiments for two days. The joint «Apollo-Soyuz» mission achieved all its major objectives.
«Salyut-1», launched April 19, 1971, was the world's first space station. In 1986 the Soviet Union launched a more advanced type of space station «Mir». This station - a large, permanent, multimanned orbiting complex - was designed to accommodate various modules for crew living quarters and research facilities. On March 13, 1986, cosmonauts Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Solovyev were sent aboard a «Soyuz» spacecraft to dock with «Mir» and become its first occupants. They spent 53 days adjusting equipment and bringing the complex into workable order. Other cosmonauts later visited the station. In 1987 Yury Romanenko set a new endurance record of 326 days in space. The previous record 237 days, was set in 1984 by a Soviet crew in «Salyut-7» space station. In the 1970s and 1980s our scientists concentrated their efforts on numerous experiments into outerspace which involved the cosmonauts' repeated docking. Various «Salyut» orbiting laboratories were equipped for extended missions of scientific experimentation. On board «Salyut» stations our cosmonauts conducted scientific research and made valuable observations of the solar system.
БИЛЕТ 8
О ком из людей, прославивших нашу страну, ты рассказал бы своим зарубежным друзьям? Кем из знаменитых людей страны изучаемого языка ты восхищаешься?
WHAT MAKES PEOLE FAMOUS?
What makes people famous? Some people say you can only be famous if you are born to a famous family. No doubt, they say that a daughter of a famous singer and a son of a famous actor are famous. But what to do with the people which are not from a famous family or so-called self-made people? Arnold Schwarzenegger, for example. He was sixty in 2007. Amie was a small, weak boy, and his father, a local policeman, wasted a stronger son. Arnold liked body-building, and started going in for it. He acted in every film he could, and now he is a famous actor and a happy family man. He entered a university when he was already a millionaire and got a Bachelor Degree in economics. He was a Governor of California. Everything he has he got himself, not from his father or mother. He became famous because of his strong character.
Or lady Diana Spenser. Of course she was born to an aristocratic family, but she first became famous for marrying the Prince of Wales. All the British loved her for her democratic, charming yet simple manner, her beauty and her affectionate love to children. She was the member of the Royal family who yet wasn’t haughty or reserved. She was close to the men in the street, who called her People’s Princess. They admired her sense of duty and her quick wit. She won many hearts with her compassion to the sick and her warmth. She obtained the love of simple people herself, not for being a member of the Royal family.
Another example is Bill Gates. Who knows his father or mother? But he is a very famous person even for those who don’t spend much time in front of a computer.
БИЛЕТ 9
Что бы ты рассказал своим зарубежным друзьям о традиционных русских праздниках? Что ты знаешь о праздниках в странах изучаемого языка?
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR FOREIGN FRIENDS ABOUT TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN HOLIDAYS?
Russian people love holidays. They are very hospitable. Any holiday is celebrated with lots of food and presents. All holidays bring a lot of joy, but the New Year’s Day is the most loved in Russia.
New Year’s Day is, probably, the main holiday in our country. We prepare for it for a long time - we buy and make presents, discuss the menu. Most people believe it is a family holiday, but young people sometimes gather together to celebrate it. I think that New Year’s Day is a family holiday and I should be with my family, but some of my classmates are against it. They call me names for loving my family. I think they are silly.
From history we know that the tradition of celebrating the New Year’s Day is a very old one, and goes back to our pagan past. But Peter the Great ordered to celebrate it on the 1st of January, to decorate houses and rooms with evergreen plants, and to make fireworks.'
The holiday begins when we put up the New Year Tree. It is a young fir-tree. Some people buy natural trees, but we have a plastic one. My parents and I decorate the rooms with special decorations, and also the tree with sweets, oranges and glistening glass balls. The holiday is great fun for children because they can stay up late and also because after the holiday we have our school vacation. At ten minutes to midnight the President makes his traditional speech. We all listen to the speech, then wish each other “Happy New Year!” and drink champagne. Then it is the time for presents. I try to make something useful for my parents, or buy something in shops. They usually give me books, clothes and toys. After that we can eat and drink, dance and play games, or listen to music.
There is no traditional dish for the holiday, except the Russian salad. As for my family, we usually have the Russian salad, fruit salad, fish salad, a plate with slices of smoked meat and sausage, fish or meat in aspic, eggs stuffed with mushrooms, salted and pickled mushrooms and vegetables. For the main course we have fried meat. It is a tradition in my family to go for a walk after the New Year meal. We play snowballs, explode crackers and make fireworks. When we come back, tired but happy, granny brings in the cake. We all have tea or coffee and go to bed.
БИЛЕТ 10
Изучение иностранных языков становится все более популярным в России. Почему люди в нашей стране изучают иностранные языки?
SPEAKING ENGLISH
In general many people say that it is necessary to know English nowadays. And there is no doubt that they are absolutely right. There is every t reason to believe that English is a world language. It is spoken in many countries, such as United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, the Republic of South Africa and others. It is also spoken as a second language in many parts of India and Africa. It has been counted that English is spoken by more than 350 million people. Statistically it is the most - widespread language on the Earth, second only to Chinese in the number of people who use it.
In addition to that nowadays millions of people study and use English as a second / a foreign language. And it seems that the number of nonnative speakers may soon extend the number of native ones. It means that in addition to all its official functions English is needed for establishing relations with people from different countries. No doubt it’s very useful for those who like travelling and want to have foreign friends.
English has already become the language of international communication. English is the language of progressive science and technology, trade and culture exchange, commerce and business. It is a well- known fact that English is a universal language of international aviation, shipping and sports. It is the major language of diplomacy and the language of Internet, which connects people globally. Thus, English is needed almost everywhere and knowing this language would help us in our life. But to study English is not an easy-thing. It is a long and slow' process that takes a lot of time and effort.
БИЛЕТ 11
Читательские интересы у людей разные. А что любишь читать ты?
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO READ?
I am fond of reading. My mother taught me to read when I was 4. She says, since that time she has never had any trouble with me. I could entertain myself very well. I began to read the poems of Barto, Marshack, and Mikhalkov. I still love poetry, I read poems of Russian and English authors, such as Shakespeare, Frost, Bums, Eleanor Faijean.
When I went to school, I learnt to use dictionaries and reference books. Biographies are a good source of information, too. But they can also be a pleasant reading. For example, the biography of Moliere by Bulgakov, or of Tchaikovsky by Nina Berberova.
For school lessons I read mostly classical fiction and history books. For my English lessons I read chapters of different English books.
But most of all I like science fiction. I think that science fiction is the most important genre because it is like a test field where mankind studies its future in vitro. I know that mostly men and boys read science fiction, but the girls of our class like science fiction, too. My favourite science fiction book is “Star ship troopers”. The author of the book is Robert Heinlein. It has been filmed, but I don’t like the film, which is very primitive. The plot of the book is simple. The main character of the book is a boy, his name is Johnny. The boy goes to the army, because that is the only way to become a citizen of the state. While in the army, he understands that only a man who can forget his own interests for the sake of his Motherland is a real citizen. I think, this idea is vital now in our country. I have read many science fiction books by Russian and foreign authors.
I also like Lukianenko. I think that his books are about people and their relationships sooner than about spaceships and flights. I also believe that the saying “Say what you read and I’ll say who you are” is true.
БИЛЕТ 12
Сейчас много говорят о телевидении, находят как положительные, так и отрицательные стороны. А что думаешь ты?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT TELEVISION?
Television is one of the newest of mass media. I think, it is one of the most popular mass media. Now almost every family has a TV set. Some families have several TV sets. We have a big TV set in the sitting-room and one in the kitchen.
Now people discuss if television is good or bad, but I think TV has its advantages and disadvantages.
Speaking about the advantages of having a TV set, I must say, that it is very convenient. You can watch news programmes and weather forecasts several times a day, and see the changes. My father always watches programmes with public figures and politicians, such as “Mirror”, “Time”, and others. I do not think he could see them all in the flesh.
We watch sport events, such as Olympic games and sports competitions, together. Mother and 1 like figure skating and diving. Father enjoys watching football and hockey matches. You know, the tickets are expensive and most of the events are in other cities. If there were no TV, we would never be able to see so many sport events.
I must mention that there are many good films on TV. Cinema tickets are expensive, but you can see the best Russian and foreign films at home for free. I think, it is very convenient.
Now we have many channels on TV. I think it is great. When my parents were young, there were only three channels on TV. Then there was no MTV, no NTV, no sport or film channels. There were no serials or quiz programmes. I think that was boring.
TV is very entertaining. When we buy a TV schedule, everyone reads it and marks in his or her colour interesting films or shows. My colour is blue. So when a film or a show is interesting for everybody, we watch it together in the sitting-room and discuss.
But we must consider the disadvantages of TV. First of all, if you watch TV too much, it can ruin your eye-sight and make you stupid. We should not believe all that we see on TV. For example, there are sales on TV where you can buy rubbish for a lot of money.
Another great disadvantage of TV is commercials. They are really stupid and boring. I must also say that some people are TV addicts. They watch and watch, they do not live. They do not go in for sports, they do not spend time with their friends.
БИЛЕТ 13
Чем наиболее часто занимается в свободное время подростки в разных странах (в США, Великобритании)? А что привлекает тебя? Почему
WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?
Schoolchildren usually do not have much free time, because they have to go to school and to do homework. We also help our parents about the house - with washing, cleaning and cooking. As for me, I like ironing. Still, you have to rest sometimes, or you will wear yourself to a frazzle. Then everyone does what he likes to restore his health.
Some teenagers spend a lot of time indoors, especially in big cities. They watch TV or play computer games. Some like to be alone, so they knit, sew, read or watch TV and video films. The most modem activity is navigating the Internet. Some boys and girls can do that for hours. I do not like this kind of rest. I like to be with other people.
In big cities some teenagers gather in gangs, because they have nothing to do. They break everything they see, write on walls. It is called vandalism. There is a lot of vandalism in big cities. But these “gangsters” can get into a trouble.
Most of schoolchildren like to socialize, to be together and meet their friends. I am not an exception. There are lots of interesting things for us to do! English and American teenagers, as well as Russian, like to go to the cinema, or play musical instruments and sing songs, or simply walk and talk. There are a lot of topics to discuss. Friends can help you find new records, books for school, or explain how to deal with other people. It is easier to find a girlfriend or a boyfriend, if you are a member of a group. I feel I can share all my feelings with my friends, and they understand me very well.
Some children are fans of a music group or a singer. They collect posters and records, visit concerts, exchange pictures and news. They like to sing the songs of the singer they like. When my father was young, he and his friends learnt to play the guitar and sang the songs of “The Beatles”. Many children in Britain and the USA use the Internet to find information about their pop idol. They can find pictures, lyrics and video clips. They exchange that information with other fans. They can even send an e-mail letter to their pop idol. Some of my friends are fans of Russian and American singers. It is a pity we can not use the Internet now, because it is very expensive.
Many Russian and foreign children like to go in for sports. English boys and girls play traditional sports, such as cricket, football, rugby, golf, tennis. American boys and girls play American football and soccer, and baseball. It is interesting that in those countries there are girls football and baseball teams. My friends and I like to play basketball and volleyball. In summer we play beach volleyball, badminton and table tennis. But I would not like to join a sport team. I want to play just for fun, not to become a champion.
I know that many teenagers in foreign countries earn money. The; work for their pocket money or to support their families. They can work in a local pub, a shop, a supermarket, a golf club or as postmen for pocket money or to support their families. Some work in stables, if they like horses. Some are babysitters. I think it can be useful for those who war to become teachers or educators. If I could, I would work, too, I could bring letters and telegrams. I could babysit, too. I have learnt how to do so with my younger sister.
A few people can spend their time with their pets. One of my friend trains his puppy in his free time.
I think, to have my feet up is dull and boring. The best way to rest fc me is to listen to music and dance. I also like reading and knitting. I have knit a sweater for myself and one for my younger sister.
БИЛЕТ 14
Молодежь, любит разные музыкальные стили. Какие из них популярны сейчас? Какой стиль ближе всего тебе? Почему?
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
There are many musical styles. Some of them are popular among the young people. Others are popular with grown-ups. I think we like music because music expresses some ideas which are important for us. That is why different people like different music styles.
I have read somewhere that every music style appeared as a kind of protest, but later became generally accepted and popular.
For example, the music of Mozart. Now it is called classical music. Everyone admires Mozart, both the young and the old. But for his time Mozart was a revolutionary, he reformed the opera and introduced some new ideas. I think young people all over the world like classical music. My favourite classical composer is Mozart.
Classical music is international, but every nation has its own music, folk music. The British are very fond of their folk music. They hold special Folk festivals, where the young can learn about their national culture and folk music. It is a pity we do not know much about Russian folk music. But now there is a group called “Ivan Kupala”. The members of the group restore Russian folk songs. I like to listen to this group, because it is interesting to learn about the past.
Still most of the young people like light music, such as pop, rock, Latino American, rock’n’roll. Some like techno, heavy metal and rap.
Most of my friends like music as the background of their life or dancing music for parties. As for me, I like pop music, because it is light, and improves my mood when I am gloomy. I like to watch video clips of Philip Kirkorov, Madonna, Britney Spears, Tony Braxton. The songs of Philip Kirkorov are very melodical, he has a good voice. His clips are pieces of art, there are beautiful costumes, dances and gestures. I like Kirkorov as well. He is a handsome man, and very clever, I believe. I like the songs of Tony Braxston “Un-Break My Heart” and “Spanish Guitar”. They are romantic and sweet. I respect Madonna and Alsou. I see that they work hard. That is why their songs are so popular. I also like to dance. Pop music is very rhythmical and it is easy to dance to it.
БИЛЕТ 15
Какие традиционные виды спорта страны изучаемого языка ты знаешь? Популярны ли они в России? Какими видами спорта интересуются в твоей семье?
WHAT SPORTS CAN YOU GO IN FOR?
The British and the Americans like sports very much. They believe that sport keeps them fit and healthy. They say sport helps you become stronger and braver.
There are several well-known and popular British sports. They are cricket, golf, horse-racing and boat-racing. The Americans love baseball. But both the British and the Americans are fond of football.
Football, or soccer, is popular in all countries. There was time when there were no rules. The game was very rude then. But step by step everybody accepted the rules. It happened in 1863. Now football is the most popular game in the world. There are 11 players on the field. They are the goalkeeper, 4 defenders, 3 midfield link men and 3 forwards. The aim of the game is to kick the ball into the goal.
American football is different from soccer. It is played with an oval ball. American football and Rugby are alike.
Football is very popular in Russia.
Rugby (or rugger) is a team game, too. It was first played in the city named Rugby in 1823. That is why it is called rugby. The players can pass the oval ball with their hands (but not forward) and their legs. The aim of the game is to kick the ball over the horizontal bar of the H-shaped goal. The Rugby League unites the teams of professional players. There are 13 players in each team. The Rugby Union unites the teams of amateur players. There are 15 players in each team. Rugby is not very popular in Russia, but there are some Rugby teams.
The national British sports are cricket, golf, boat-racing and horse-racing. Cricket is a team game. There are 11 players in each team. They play with bats, wickets and a cricket ball. The game is played on a oval grass field. The aim of the game is to ruin the goal of the other side with the hits of the ball. The International Federation of Cricket includes more than 10 countries. Both boys and girls play cricket at schools. But in Russia cricket is not popular. Russian children play football, basketball or handball at school.
Golf is another popular game, but it is not a team game. 2 or 4 persons play the game of golf. Each player has a small golf-ball and drives it with a golf-club. There are 9 or 18 holes in the golf ground. The aim of the game is to drive the ball into the holes. The game appeared in the Middle Ages in Denmark. Since 1927 the golf contest has been held every year.
Boat-racing is also popular. Every year there is a contest between the universities of Cambridge and Oxford on the river Thames. In 1996 Britain won the Olympic gold medal in rowing.
Horse-racing is a spectator sport. There are two main events - The Grand National and the Derby. The Grand National is about 5 mile long. It is a steeplechase. The Derby is a race which is held every year. There is a lot of betting at these events.
The national American sport is baseball. The game of baseball is played with a bat, a glove, and a ball. There are two teams of 9 players each on a field with 4 bases. The players are called catcher, shortstop, fielder and batter. The referee is called the umpire. There are other kinds of players.
So there are sports to choose from. Everyone can choose a sport to go in for. What sport is right for you?
БИЛЕТ 16
Одни люди занимаются спортом, другие предпочитают смотреть спортивные соревнования. Так что же лучше - заниматься или смотреть?
TO TAKE PART OR TO WATCH?
Sport competitions are very popular among all people. About one third of the population watch sport events on TV or listen to sports news over the radio. But very few go in for sports. I think both groups have their reasons.
Those who go in for sports say that it keeps them fit. They feel healthy. They have good figures and strong muscles. They are usually attractive. There are other reasons for going in for sports. To be a good sportsman you have to develop positive traits of character. You must know what to do, if you win or lose. Of course, nobody wants to lose. But there is only one winner, and you have to learn how to keep your temper and not to be jealous when you lose. You also learn how to work hard. You have to be strong and patient. You also learn how to be well-organized and disciplined.
Sport is also a good possibility to meet other people, to make real friends, especially if you take part in a team sport. Then everything depends on the effort of everyone, everyone does his part, and you can see who is a real friend and who is not. You can meet people within you country and outside it, because you take part in different competitions. You can visit different cities and countries.
You can be an amateur sportsman, in this case sport helps you to be f energetic, to make your body work well and stay healthy.
But most of the people do not go in for sports. They have their reasons, too. One of the most important reasons is that sport takes much time. It is really so. If you want to be a sportsman, you have to exercise every day, or, at least, several times a week. Many people cannot afford that, because they work hard to make their career. They can do morning exercises or visit gyms or swimming-pools from time to time, but I cannot call them sportsmen. Another reason is that people do not like to lose. When they lose, they feel uneasy and unhappy. The winner is happy and proud, but the losers feel they are bad, even if they are good in their profession or happy with their families. That is why many people stop going in for sports when their results grow worse.
I must mention one more reason. This reason is risk. Going in for sports can cause many injuries. Some players get hit, they break their bones, they sometimes tear their muscles. This is very dangerous. But even more injuries take place during the training. I know that most of the gymnasts become seriously ill.
There is one more unpleasant thing. Sport is a job for the young. When you are thirty, you are too old to be a professional sportsman. There are few sportsmen over 35 years of age.
But yet everyone has to decide what way to choose. What is your point of view?
БИЛЕТ 17
Что означает «здоровый образ жизни»? А как ты заботишься о своем здоровье?
KEEPING FIT
Many parents in the USA want their families to eat healthy and nutritious food nowadays. Fat food is dangerous not only for adults but for children as well. It is advisable to have your cholesterol level checked regularly. Research shows that cutting cheese, butter and ice-cream from your diet will drop your cholesterol level 50 points and only this will decrease the risk for you developing heart problems.
Research also shows the children are heavier today then they used to be some 20-30 years ago and the rate of obesity in little children has increased nearly 60%. More and more parents are troubled by what their children eat, introducing into family diets more fresh and canned fruit, vegetables and fish. They avoid paying regular visits to fast-food restaurants because McDonald’s and the like serve unhealthy fatty and high cholesterol food. People believe that low-fat diets and plenty of exercise will help to grow a healthy generation.
But what exercises are better? For example jogging. To jog or not to jog? That is the question. On the one hand, everyone should think about healthy way of life... But on the other hand - getting up early at weekend? Never! And what about swimming? What real pleasure there is in the pool. The warming up before swimming helps you to feel great. After the week's sitting in front of the computer and at the desk your limbs are crying for a bit of exercise. And that music they use there is quite good -energetic and rhythmic. These 15 minutes of aerobics and 30 minutes of swimming work wonders. Very refreshing. After that you feel yourself ready for the next week’s marathon. Instead of swimming or jogging you may go on a cycling tour. This kind of sport also does people a lot of good; and the morning air smells wonderful.
БИЛЕТ 18
Проблемы экологии необычайно важны сегодня. Что ты и окружающие тебя люди могут сделать, чтобы защитить планету?
HOW TO PROTECT OUR PLANET?
The protection of the environment is now the question of life on the Earth. Life on our planet needs special conditions. If these conditions are broken, there will be no life in a few decades. I have watched a very good film called “Per Aspera ad Astram” (“Through Thoms to Stars”). This film shows a planet, whose ecological balance was broken. It was a terrible view. The people could not walk without special masks and had to buy air to breathe. If we do not want to live in such conditions, we must pay much attention to the problems of the environment.
The first step is to learn about environmental problems. The cause of j many problems is pollution. Plants and factories which produce things we need also pollute the air with poisonous gases, such as carbon dioxide. They also produce gases and substances which destroy the ozone layer of the atmosphere. It is dangerous, because this ozone layer protects the Earth from the space radiation. We can help keep this ozone layer, if we use ozone-friendly substances and sprays.
The atmosphere pollution is also dangerous because of the greenhouse effect. It means that the climate becomes warmer every year. This is dangerous because it causes the melting of Arctic ice and the level of the Ocean can become higher. So, water will cover some land.
Another great problem is water pollution. Factories and plants produce water polluted with poisons or oils and let that water into rivers and seas. That is dangerous for the wildlife and for people. We need clean water to drink. There are also acid rains. They harm forests which produce oxygen. But we cannot live without oxygen. People must stop polluting water and do everything to help trees and other plants produce oxygen. People do a lot of things. They make special water and air purifiers and filters. They also organize National parks and Wildlife reservations. But many species of flora and fauna have died out, many are dying out now. I think that the best solution is to develop technologies which produce no waste. I must also speak about the land pollution. Dirty water and fertilizers cause land pollution Good plants cannot grow on the polluted land. It seems that it is very difficult to stop pollution and all countries must work together to solve this problem. Some ideas for your answer:
There is an international organization, called Green Peace which fights against pollution and protects Nature. But there are some ideas how every man can help nature. There are some alternatives to cleaners, pesticides and other substances which we can use, soda, for example. We should not cut trees and other plants, we should help animals. We must collect I waste properly so it does not get into water or land. There is a good formula of RRR. It is Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
We can reduce the usage of electricity and drinking water. For example, when you clean your teeth and let the water run, you lose two or three liters of water. Now multiply 3 liters by the number of people in our city and you will see that it is a lot. But we can stop it if we switch off the water. We can reduce the usage of packing and buying things in plastic packs. It is important, because it is very difficult to recycle plastic.
We should reuse everything we can. For example, we can reuse plastic bags. If people reuse plastic bags, the factories will produce less of them and will harm Nature less.
We also should recycle what we can. We can recycle paper, aluminium cans, glass and plastic bottles. I think throwing away and not recycling is a crime against our Nature! These things are very easy and every man can help a lot.
БИЛЕТ 19
Когда человек взрослеет, у него могут появиться проблемы. А у тебя есть проблемы с друзьями, родителями или другими окружающими тебя людьми? Как ты справляешься с ними?
HAVE YOU GOT ANY PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE AROUND YOU?
No one lives in outer space, there are a lot of people around us. They are our parents, friends, relatives, neighbours, teachers and other people.We are all different, so it is difficult sometimes to get on.
The closest to us are our parents. I see my parents every day. They are people of the old school. They think that business is always before pleasure. I am not a couch potato, but sometimes it is so difficult to work When it is spring, I want to walk and play, I do not want to study. We have come to an agreement. When I come from school, I have dinner and go for a walk. After that I come home and do my homework, wash dishes and help my mommy about house.
Then there is the question of fashion. I do not want to get out of line I want to have fashionable clothes and records. My parents always say that the clothes and singers I like are awful! That is why we quarrel sometimes. But we can deal very well. When they want to give me an exciting present, we go shopping together and they offer me to choose what I want. When we receive guests I wear the clothes my mother gives to me. My mother sews and knits well, I like to wear her presents, because she buys fashion magazines. The same with music. In my room I can listen to the music I like. When guests come to my parents, we listen to the music they like.
Grown-ups usually treat me as a child. But I hate it. I am not a child I can decide what I want and what I do not want. So when I speak to my parents I can be sincere, I say what I think. They understand me and we can discuss everything. But when I speak to their friends, I have to keep my temper and to pretend I am a child, because I do not want to be impolite. My grandparents think I am a child, too. They think the most important for me is to eat well and to sleep much. They do not understand me as my parents do. So when I stay with my grandparents during the summer, I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible.
I have got many friends, but they are all different. If I do not like a person, I shall never call him or her my friend. If I understand that a person is a broken reed, egoist, forcing, I stop our friendship. Sometimes my friends do not understand me. Then I feel unhappy. There are some problems with the teachers, too. Some teachers do not understand that we have very many things to do. They give too much homework. Some teachers do not understand that some pupils do not like some lessons. They think everyone loves their subject and expect us to work as slaves. But we are just people, we cannot love all school subjects.
БИЛЕТ 20
Ты собираешься провести месяц в семье твоего зарубежного друга. Как ты думаешь, что в этой семье будет интересно узнать о тебе?
MY FAMILY
I am Alex Sidorov. Alex is my first name and Sidorov is my surname. I am seventeen years old. I want to tell you a few words about my family. My family is large. I’ve got a mother, a father, a sister, a brother and a grandmother. There are six of us in the family.
My mother is a teacher of biology. She works in a college. She likes her profession. She is a good-looking woman with brown hair and green eyes. She is forty-four but she looks much younger. She is tall and slim.
My father is a computer programmer. He is very experienced. He is a broad-shouldered, tall man with fair hair and grey eyes. He is forty-six. My father often sings and when we are at home and have some free time, I play the guitar and we sing together. My father knows all about new radio sets and likes to repair old ones. He is also handy with many things. When he was small, he liked to take everything to pieces. My grandmother told me a story that once my father tried to “repair” their kitchen clock. He managed to put all the wheels and screws back again — but the clock did not work. They had to give it to a repairman. But that happened a long time ago. Now he can fix almost everything: a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, a fridge and what not. He’s got a few shelves where he keeps everything he needs. On the table there’s always a radio in pieces.
My parents have been married for twenty-six years. They have much in common, but they have different views on music, books and films. For example, my father likes horror films and my mother likes “soap operas”. My father is fond of tennis. My mother isn’t interested in sports. But my parents have the same opinion about my education and upbringing.
My parents are hard-working people. My mother keeps house and takes care of me and my father. She is very good at cooking and she is clever with her hands. She is very practical. My father and I try to help her with the housework. I wash the dishes, go shopping and tidy our flat.
My grandmother is a pensioner. She lives with us and helps to run the house. She is fond of knitting.
My sister Helen is twenty-five. She is married and has a family of her own. She works as an accountant for a small business company. Her husband is a scientist. They’ve got twins: a daughter and a son. They go to a nursery school.
My brother Boris is eleven. He is a schoolboy. He wants to become a doctor but he is not sure yet. Three months ago he dreamed of being a cosmonaut.
I want to become a student. I’d like to learn foreign languages. I think I take after my father. I’m tall, fair-haired and even-tempered. I always try to be in a good mood.
We’ve got a lot of relatives. We are deeply attached to each other and we get on very well.