ENGLISH TOPICS - palju teemasid inglise keele riigieksami kordamiseks (0)

British Cuisine   
Some people criticize  English food. They say it's unimaginable, boring, tasteless, it's 
chips with everything and totally overcooked vegetables. The  basic ingredients, when 
fresh , are so full of flavour that British haven 't had to invent sauces to disguise their natural 
taste . What can compare  with fresh pees or new potatoes just boiled and served with 
butter? Why drown spring  lamb in wine or  cream  and spices, when with just one or two 
herbs it is absolutely delicious? 
If you ask foreigners to name some typically  English dishes, they will probably say 
" Fish  and chips" then stop. It is disappointing, but true that, there  is no tradition in England  
of  eating  in restaurants, because the food doesn't lend itself to such preparation. English 
cooking is found  at home. So it is difficult to a  good English restaurant with a reasonable 
prices. 
In most cities in Britain  you'll  find  Indian, Chinese , French and  Italian restaurants. In 
London you'll also find Indonesian, Mexican, Greek ... Cynics will say that this is because 
English have no "cuisine" themselves, but this is not  quite  the true. 
  
Vocabulary : 
to criticize -  
tasteless –  
overcooked -  
ingredient -  
to invent -  
sauces -  
to disguise -  
spice –  
herb  -  
delicious -  
disappointing -  
to lend –  
cuisine –  
 
British Youth (2)  
Most 18 and 19  year -olds in Britain are quite independent people. English people say 
that children   grow  up more quickly now. Relationships within the British family are 
different now. Children have more freedom to make their own decisions . 
For example, children  aged 13 may be  employed   part time in Great Britain. Age 15 is 
legally a "young  person " not a " child ". Age 16 is a school leaving age. They can leave 
home, drive a moped, marry  with " parents ' consent" buy  beer . Age 17 can drive a car. Age 
18 can vote , get married ,  drink in pubs. 
Education is a very  important part in the life of British youth. One can't become an 
independent person without it. When time comes  to enter a college a young Englishman 
chooses one far away  from home. It is a necessary  part of becoming  adult . 
During  the last 30  years there were a lot of different trends in youth movements. All of 
them were characterized by their own philosophy , way of life, style of dressing. Each 
tendency was born by the  influence  of economic and political changes in the society. 
Those trends are  known  as the "hippies" the "punks" the "rockers". 
But certainly  there are different traditional  youth organizations in Great Britain. Among  
them — the  Scout Association , the Girl Guides Association, the National Union of 
Students , the Youth Club . The  latter  offers, for example, a wide range of sporting and 
social activities . 
The National Union of Students was founded in 1922. It operates through local  
branches in colleges and  universities . It promotes the educational, social and general 
interests of students. 
But certainly the most numerous is the Scout Association, founded in 1908 for  boys and 
in 1910 for  girls by  Lord   Baden -Powel. The Scout movement is to encourage  a  sense  of 
adventure  and of responsibility for others among young people. The  programme  of training 
is planned to develop intelligence and practical skills , to promote health and a sense of 
service. 
Scout training is complementary to the ordinary education. Scouts train in mapping , 
signalling,  first aid and all the skills that arise from camping  and similar   outdoor activities. 
British scouts take part in international scout meetings, which are  held approximately 
every  four  years. 
The  membership in this or that youth organization is not compulsory in Great Britain. 
But everyone can find the  activity  he  likes most. 
 
Climate in Great Britain   
The British Isles which are  surrounded by the ocean have an insular climate. 
There are 3 things that chiefly determine the climate of the United Kingdom: the 
position of the islands in the temperate belt ; the  fact that the prevailing winds blow from 
the west and south -west and the  warm  current — the Gulf Stream that flows from the Gulf 
of Mexico along  the  western shores of England. All  these   features make the climate more 
moderate, without striking  difference   between seasons. It is not very  cold in winter  and 
never very hot in summer . 
So, the British ports are ice-free and its rivers are not frozen throughout the  year . The 
weather  on the British Isles has a bad reputation. It is very changeable and fickle. The 
British say that there is a climate in other countries, but we have just weather. If you don't 
like the weather in England, just wait a few minutes. 
It rains very often in all seasons in Great Britain. Autumn and winter are the wettest. 
The sky is usually  grey and cold winds blow. On the  average , Britain has more  than 200 
rainy  days a year. The English say that they have 3 variants of weather: when it rains in the 
morning , when it rains in the afternoon, and when it rains all day long. Sometimes it rains 
so heavily, that they say «It's raining  cats and dogs ».  
Britain is known all over the world for its fogs. Sometimes fogs are so thick that it's 
impossible to see  anything  within a few meters. The winter fogs of London are, indeed, 
awful; they surpass all imagination. In a dense fog all  traffic is stopped, no  vehicle  can 
move from fear of dreadful accidents. So, we may say that the British climate has three 
main features: it is mild , humid and very changeable. 
 
Vocabulary: 
to surround — 
insular climate — 
to determine — 
temperate belt — 
prevailing winds — 
the Gulf Stream — 
to flow — 
shores — 
moderate — 
striking difference — 
throughout — 
fickle — 
wet — 
to blow — 
It's raining cats and dogs — 
fog — 
awful — 
dense — 
vehicle.—  
dreadful —  
English Meals   
The English proverb says : every  cook praises his own broth . One can not say English 
cookery is bad, but there is not a lot of variety in it in comparison with European cuisine. 
The English are very  particular about their meals. The usual meals in England are 
breakfast , lunch , tea and  dinner . 
Breakfast time is between seven and nine  a.m. A traditional English breakfast is a very 
big  meal . It consists of juice, porridge, a rasher or two of  bacon  and eggs , toast , butter, jam 
or marmalade, tea or  coffee . Marmalade is made from oranges and jam is made from other 
fruit. Many people like to begin with porridge with milk or cream and sugar , but no good 
Scotsman ever puts sugar on it, because Scotland is the home of porridge. For a  change  
you can have sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, cold ham or perhaps fish. 
But nowadays in spite of the fact that the English strictly  keep to their meals many 
people just have cereal with milk and sugar or toast with jam or  honey . 
The two substantial meals of the day are lunch and dinner. Lunch is usually taken at one 
o' clock . For many people lunch is a quick meal. Office  workers usually go to a  cafe  at this 
time. They take fish, poultry  or cold  meat (beef, mutton, veal and ham), boiled or fried 
potatoes and all  sorts of salad . They may have a mutton chop or steak and chips, followed 
by biscuits and a cup of coffee. Some people like a  glass of light beer with lunch. Pubs also 
serve  good, cheap  food. School children can have a hot meal at school. Some of them just 
bring a snack from home. 
Tea is very  popular among the English; it may  almost be called their national drink. Tea 
is welcome  in the morning, in the afternoon and in the  evening . The English like it  strong  
and fresh made. The English put one tea-spoonful of tea for each person. Tea  means two 
things. It is a drink and a meal. Some people have afternoon tea, so called «high tea» with 
sandwiches, tomatoes and salad, a tin of apricots, pears or pineapples and cakes, and, of 
course  a cup of tea. That is what they call good tea. It is a substantial meal. 
Cream teas are also popular. Many visitors, who come to Britain, find English instant  
coffee  disgusting . Dinner time is generally between six and  eight p.m. The evening meal is 
the biggest and the main meal of the day. Very often the whole family eats together. They 
begin with soup, followed by fish, roast chicken, potatoes and vegetables, fruit and coffee. 
On Sundays many families have a traditional lunch consisting of roast chicken, lamb or 
beef with salads, vegetables and gravy. 
The British enjoy tasting delicious food from other countries, for example, French, 
Italian, Indian and Chinese food. Modern people are so busy  that they do not have a lot of 
time for cooking themselves. So, the British buy the food at the restaurant and bring it 
home already  prepared to eat. So we can conclude that take-away meals are  rather  popular 
among the population. Eating has become rather international in Britain lately. 
Vocabulary: 
proverb —   
Every cook praises his own broth — 
cookery — 
variety — 
cuisine — 
particular — 
lunch —  
porridge — 
rasher — 
sausage  — 
mushroom — 
in spite of — 
strictly — 
cereal — 
honey — 
substantial — 
poultry — 
beef — 
mutton — 
veal — 
ham — 
boiled — 
fried — 
chop — 
steak — 
cheap — 
snack — 
tea-spoonful — 
tin — 
apricot  — 
pear — 
pineapple  — 
instant coffee — 
disgusting —   
roast — 
lamb — 
gravy — 
delicious — 
to conclude —  
Computers   
Computer is an electronic  device  that can receive a set of instructions called program  
and then carry  out them. The modern world of high technology  could not be possible 
without computers. Different types and sizes of computers find uses throughout our 
society. They are used for the  storage  and handling  of data, secret  governmental files, 
information about banking transactions and so on.  
Computers have opened up a new era in manufacturing  and they have enhanced modern 
communication systems. They are  essential tools in almost every  field of research, from 
constructing models of the universe  to producing  tomorrow 's weather reports. Using of 
different databases and computer networks make  available a great variety of information 
sources. 
There are two main types of computers, analog and digital , although the term computer 
is often used to mean only the digital type, because this type of computer is widely used 
today . That is why I am  going  to tell you about digital computers.  
Everything that a digital computer does is  based on one  operation : the  ability  to 
determine: on or off, high voltage  or low voltage or — in the  case  of numbers  — 0 or 1 or 
do-called binary  code . The  speed at which the computer performs this simple act is called 
computer speed. Computer speeds are measured in Hertz or cycles per second. A computer 
with a «clock speed» of 2000 MHz is a fairly representative microcomputer today. It is 
capable of executing 2000 million discrete operations per second. Nowadays 
microcomputers can perform from 800 to over 3000 million operations per second and 
supercomputers used in research and defense  applications attain speeds of many billions of 
cycles per second.  
Digital computer speed and calculating power are  further  enhanced by the amount  of 
data handled during each cycle. Except two main types of computers, analog and digital 
there are eight generations of digital computers or  processing   units . The first generation 
was represented by processing  unit  Intel 8086.  
The second generation central processing unit was represented by processing unit Intel 
80286, used in IBM PC AT 286. The third generation is Intel 80386, used in IBM PC AT 
386. The microprocessors of the  fourth  generation were used in computers IBM PC AT 
486. There are also central processing units of the fifth generation, used in Intel Pentium  
60 and Intel Pentium 66, central processing units of the  sixth generation, used in computers 
Intel Pentium 75, 90,100 and 133. Few years ago appeared  central processing units of 
seventh and eighth generations. They are much more  powerful and can perform from 2000 
to over 3000 million operations per second. 
Vocabulary: 
electronic device — 
to receive — 
set of instructions — 
to carry out — 
society — 
storage — 
handling — 
transaction — 
to enhance  — 
essential — 
tool  — 
network — 
source — 
analog — 
digital — 
ability — 
to determine — 
voltage — 
discrete operation — 
to perform — 
defense — 
to attain — 
amount of data — 
except — 
processing unit —  
Questions : 
1. What is computer? 
2. What is the main purpose of all computers? 
3. Where are computers used? 
4. What is the index of computer speed? 
5. What speeds do modern computers have? 
6. How many generations of digital computer are there? 
7. What is the first generation processing unit? 
 
Television in Our life 
Television now plays  an important role in our life. It is difficult to say if it is good or 
bad for us. It is clear , that television has advantages and  disadvantages . 
But are there more advantages than disadvantages? In the first place , television is an 
entertainment. But it is not only a  convenient entertainment. For a family of three, four or 
five , for example, it is more convenient and less expensive to sit comfortably at home than 
to go out to find entertainment in other  places . They don't have to pay for expensive seats 
at the  theatre  or cinema . They  turn on the TV-set and can watch interesting films , concerts, 
football  matches.  
But some people think that it's bad to watch TV. Those who watch TV need do nothing . 
We are  passive  when we watch TV. Television shows us many interesting programmes. 
But again there is a disadvantage here: we watch TV every evening, and it  begins to 
dominate our  lives . 
My  friend told me that when his TV-set broke down, he and his family found that they 
had more time to do things and to talk to each other. There are other arguments for and 
against television. 
Very often the programmes are bad. Sometimes they show too much violence  in films 
and news programmes. There is also too much pop music and ads. Ads on the whole are 
convenient for  grown -ups. But is it good for children to watch all those ads where they 
show all kinds of underwear and what not? 
Questions: 
1. What advantages does television have?  
2. What disadvantages does television have? 
3. What did my friend find when his TV-set broke down? 
4. What do they sometimes show? 
 
Vocabulary: 
entertainment — 
to turn on — 
passive — 
to dominate — 
to break down — 
argument — 
violence — 
pop music — 
ads (advertisemets) —  
Sport in My School  
If you want to keep fit you must go in for one kind of sport or another .  
Sport is an essential part of my  daily  life. Every morning all the year  round  I do my 
morning  exercises . Almost every day I do some training. In summer I go swimming  or 
rowing . During my summer  holidays  I go on hikes. I usually spend my winter holidays in 
the country  where I ski, skate or toboggan. 
I also go in for  track -and-field (athletics)  events . Different sports and  games are popular 
with my classmates. All my  friends  go in for different kinds of sport, such as water polo, 
gymnastics, horse- racing , wrestling , fencing, weightlifting, boxing , ice- hockey , speed-
skating , figure-skating, football, basket -ball, volley-ball, etc.  
We have fine teams at our school and different kinds of competitions take place there. 
The boys of my school are  crazy  about football, they play football and the girls are football 
fans. The girls never miss  a  single match played by school teams.  
And now a few words  about our physical training lessons. In winter our physical 
training lessons are held out-of- doors . We go skiing  or skating. When it is cold outside 
P.T. lessons are held indoors, in our school gymnasium . We play different  team -games 
such as basket-ball or volley-ball. Besides we have some training in gymnastics.  
In autumn and in spring, when the weather is warm we have P.T. lessons at our school 
stadium. My school has a sports day  once  a year in late spring. On this day we have no 
lessons.  
All the competitors change into their sports clothes, the spectators find their seats round 
the track ready  to cheer . All the events take place at the  same  time. This day is a great 
success every year. Even  if the weather is not warm, we enjoy ourselves just the same.  
Vocabulary: 
1. What do you do every morning all the year round?  
2. Where do you usually spend your winter holidays?  
3. What sports and games are popular with my classmates?  
4. Where are our P. T. lessons held in winter?  
5. On what day don't we have lessons?  
 
Vocabulary:  
championship — 
tournament — 
to cheer — 
water-polo — 
cycling  — 
diving — 
fencing — 
gymnastic — 
rowing — 
weight-lifting — 
wrestling — 
fan —  
Summer Way of Spending Time  
In my opinion there is a great number of different  ways of spending summer holidays. 
It depends on person, on his culture, education, age, social level and personal tastes and 
preferences. So, everyone likes his own way of summertime spending. 
It is a great pleasure  to have a  rest after a whole year of  hard work or  study . People like 
to travel during their summer holidays.  
Some people go abroad to see new countries, some people prefer to go to the country-
side to enjoy country-life far from noise and fuss of big cities. Other people like staying at 
home doing nothing, but watching  TV and playing computer games. 
Some people like to spend their holidays in cities, visiting theatres, museums and going 
sightseeing . But a great number of people go to the seaside. 
As for me, I prefer to go on holiday  to the seaside. I do not like crowds. My family and 
I always have our holiday on the coast. Sea and sunbathes, that is what we  look forward to 
every summer. Hotels at the large seaside towns are rather expensive, so we usually go 
camping. 
Last year we  spent our holidays in a camp. Each day was full of small joys. We swam 
in the sea, lay in the sun, played different games and had a wonderful time.  
We lived there for about a month. The time passed very quickly. It was a wonderful 
holiday. 
Questions: 
1. Is it a great pleasure to have a rest after a whole year of hard work or study? 
2. Do people dislike traveling during their summer holidays? 
3. How do other people prefer to spend their summer holidays? 
4. How do you prefer to spend your summer holidays? 
 
Vocabulary: 
in my opinion — 
to depend on — 
social level — 
preferences — 
summertime spending — 
pleasure — 
to go (past went , p«p.  gone ) abroad — 
to go (past went, p.p. gone) to the country-side— 
to enjoy — 
noise — 
fuss — 
sightseeing —  
as for me — 
coast — 
sunbathes — 
crowd — 
to look forward — 
expensive — 
My Week-day (3)  
I am very busy on my week-days. My week-days do not differ much one from another. 
On week-days my  working  day begins early in the morning. My school starts at 8 o'clock, 
so I have to get up at 7, to be ready in time.  
I never wake up myself , my  mother always wakes me up. Sometimes I do my morning 
exercises, then I  rush to the  bathroom . I  clean my teeth, wash my  face . The cold water 
makes me feel not so sleepy. Then I go back to my  room , make the bed. I  switch on my 
radio , usually I  listen to radio.  
I put on my clothes, comb my  hair , put a little  make-ups. By that time my breakfast is 
ready (my mother cooks it for me). At a  quarter to eight I grab my bag and rush to my 
school. My school starts at 8 o'clock and I don't like to be late.  
Usually I have six or seven lessons a day, it lasts till 3 o'clock. After each lesson there is 
a break, so I can talk to my friends or eat my  sandwich . When school is over I go home.  
First of all I need to walk  my dog. Then I have my dinner and a little rest. The teachers 
give us a lot of homework , so I start doing it about 16.30 or 17.00. As a rule  it  takes me 
two or three  hours to do my home assignments.  
My parents get home about six o'clock. We watch soapopera on TV, have  supper  
together. We  share  all the news, I tell about the lessons and school. After it, I help my 
mother to do some work about the house — wash dishes, sweep the floor , clean the room.  
Twice a week in evenings I go play  tennis . When I do not go to play tennis, I  stay  home 
and watch TV, listen to the music, read magazines. Sometimes my friends call me and we 
go for a walk.  
At eleven o'clock tired after a long working day I go to bed and fall  asleep.  
  
Questions: 
1. What time do you get up on your week-days?  
2. Do you usually do your morning exercises?  
3. Who cooks your breakfast?  
4. What time do you leave your house to go to school?  
5. How many lessons do you have a day?  
6. Do you usually do your homework?  
7. What do you do in the evening?  
8. What time do you go to bed?  
 
Vocabulary: 
to differ — 
to wake up — 
sleepy — 
to switch on — 
to grab — 
rush — 
sandwich — 
to be over — 
rest — 
to sweep — 
to be tired —  
My  Plans for the Future (3)  
In our country every boy and girl has a chance  to choose  one of several jobs  which 
interest him or her. The  best way to prepare  for any job is to get a good education at 
school.  
Our boys and girls can find a job to their liking. They are also given every possible 
opportunity  to go on with their education. 
There are a lot of interesting trades and all of them are important and useful. Vocational 
schools   teach all kinds of trades, for example, bus, tram and trolleybus driving, repairing 
radio and TV- sets and refrigerators.  
There is also dress making  and decoration of hails, shops and cinemas. You may learn 
the trade of a builder, a  turner , a dressmaker, a  shop assistant, a  carpenter , a hairdresser. 
After  finishing  secondary school young people may enter an institute or a  university  to 
prepare for different professions, such as that of a  teacher , a doctor, a  lawyer , an engineer, 
a designer, a journalist, a chemist, a physicist, a musician, a writer, an economist among 
other professions. 
  
My Friend (1) 
I have a lot of friends. Most of them are my  former schoolmates. But my  bosom  friend 
is  Lena . She is 16. Lena isn't very  tall , but she is pretty  in her own way. 
She has red curly  hair and a turn-up nose . Lena wears spectacles and when spring 
comes there are plenty of freckles on her cheeks,  forehead  and nose. But all that doesn't 
make her plain or ugly. I like Lena because she is well-bred, jolly and kind.  
She does well at school though she has an unbreakable rule: never to study at night no 
matter how many written  reviews are  coming  in the morning. She is also fond of  reading  
plain books , and Lena sometimes thinks that one book isn't enough to read, she has two pr 
three books going at once. My friend has a lot of books at home, and she buys them 
wherever she  goes .  
She says that the books are of great help any time and they always must be at her  hand . 
Her idea  is that it's much easier to have a library of her own comprising  lots of books than 
to try  keeping  everything in her head. Lena goes in for sports and she is a  member of our 
school basket-ball team. She is terribly quick and strong.  
It's a pleasure to watch her playing basket-ball: while others are hopping about in the air 
she always gets under their feet and grabs the ball. I don't like people who are bored at 
everything and who never make the slightest effort to be pleasant. That's why my friend is 
Lena, the most amusing person in the world. She thinks everything is funny — even 
flunking an exam.  
Lena is a sunny   soul  by  nature  and always takes the slightest excuse to be  amused . My 
friend has an imagination and her own style. Usually she writes nice compositions and 
once even won short-story contest that our school wallpaper holds every year.  
Lena and me are good friends. We help each other a lot and try not to quarrel. But when 
sometimes it comes to quarrelling we try to make it up at once.  
 
Questions: 
1. How old is Lena?  
2. Does she wear spectacles?  Describe  her appearance.  
3. Does she do well at school?  
4. What unbreakable rule has she?  
5. What books is she fond of reading?  
6. Does Lena go in for sports?  
7. Is she a member of the school basket-ball team?  
8. Why is it a pleasure to watch her playing basket-ball?  
9. Is Lena a sunny soul by nature? What makes you think so?  
10. Has she an imagination? Prove it.  
 
Vocabulary: 
former school-mates — 
bosom, friend — 
to be pretty in one's own way — 
burn -up — 
frecles — 
forehead — 
plain — 
to do well at school — 
to be fond of — 
plain books — 
to be of great help — 
to be at hand — 
to go in for sports — 
terribly — 
to grab — 
to be bored at everything — 
amusing —  
to flunk an exam — 
a sunny soul by nature — 
a short-story contest — 
to hold  — 
to quarrel — 
to make up with smb. —  
My Future Profession  
Finishing school is the beginning  of the independent life for  millions of school leavers. 
Many roads are opened before  them: vocational and technical schools, institutes and 
universities. But it is not an easy  thing to choose a profession out of more than 2,000 
existing in the world. Some pupils  follow the  advice  of their parents, others can't decide 
even after leaving school.  
As for me, I made my  choice  long ago. I want to become a teacher of the Ukrainian 
language  and literature . My choice of this occupation didn't come as a sudden flash . 
During all school years literature was my  favourite subject. I've read a lot of books by 
Ukrainian and  foreign writers. I  understand that reading books helps people in self 
education and in solving different life problems.  
I would like to teach my pupils to enjoy reading, to encourage them to learn our 
national language and literature, which is the source of national culture. It is known that 
teaching is a very  specific  and difficult job. It shouldn't be taken easily. The teacher is a 
person who is  learning  as well as teaching all his life.  
Most jobs can be  done  within the usual office hours from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m., but teacher's 
work is never done and evenings are usually spent in marking exercise-books and 
preparing for the next lesson.  
Teachers do not only teach their subjects. They develop their pupils' intellect, form their 
views and  characters , their attitudes to life and to other people. It's a great responsibility 
and the teacher must be a model of competence  himself . 
It's not as easy as it may  seem at first. But I think that love for children combined with 
the knowledge  I'll get at the University would be quite enough to succeed in my work. 
I'm  applying  to the philological department and I am sure  my dream will come true 
sooner or  later . 
Vocabulary: 
1. What roads are opened before school leavers?  
2. Is it an easy thing to choose a profession out of more than 2,000 existing in the world?  
3. What does reading books help in?  
4. Why is teaching a very specific and difficult job?  
5. What would be enough to succeed in your work?  
 
Vocabulary:  
independent — 
school leaver — 
to exist  — 
to follow the advice — 
to make a choice — 
sudden flash — 
source — 
office hours —  
My Daily  Routine   
As a rule, I get up at half  past six. I put on my dressing-gown, go into bathroom and 
turn on the  bath taps. Good health is better than wealth , so I do my morning exercises. I get 
breakfast at seven- thirty  and listen to the news over the radio.  
I like to begin the day well, so my breakfast is always a good one. For breakfast I 
usually have hard-boiled eggs or an omelette, bread and butter, tea or coffee; I read my 
newspaper with my last cup of coffee before I leave home.  
Then, I say "Good-bye" to my mother, take my school-bag and go to school. I don't live  
far from my school, so it doesn't take me long to get there. The lessons start at half past 
eight. Each lesson lasts for 45 minutes. The  classes are over at two o'clock.  
I come back home, have dinner, wash up and go shopping . I buy foodstuffs for the 
family. Coming back I begin to clean the house and get the vegetables ready for supper. 
We have supper at seven. I do my homework for the next day. It usually takes me several 
hours to prepare well for the lessons.  
In the evening, I always try to spend at least an hour  at the  piano . As a rule my parents 
and I sit and talk, watch a  film on TV, read newspapers and magazines. Sometimes, we go 
to the cinema or to the theatre. Once or twice a month, I  visit exhibitions in my home 
town.  
I go to bed at about eleven o'clock, but my parents like to sit up late and write letters or 
read.  
Questions: 
1. When do you get up as a rule?  
2. Why do you do your morning exercises?  
3. What do you have for breakfast?  
4. How long does each lesson last?  
5. When do you begin to clean the house?  
 
Vocabulary: 
dressing-gown — 
tap — 
to turn on — 
health — 
hard-boiled — 
to get... ready for... — 
at least — 
to sit up — 
to go to bed — 
Hobbies (2)  
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. 
Gardening is one of the oldest man's hobbies. It is a well-known fact that the English 
are very fond of gardening and  growing  flowers, especially roses. 
Both  grown-ups and children are fond of playing different computer games. This is a 
relatively new hobby but it is becoming more and more popular. 
Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing  costumes , 
handicrafts. Two of the most  famous  hobby painters were  President Eisenhower and Sir 
Winston Churchill.  
Some hobbyists write music or play  musical instruments . President Bill Clinton, for 
example, plays the saxophone. 
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.  
Many world-famous collections started in a small way with one or two items . People 
with a good deal of money  often collect paintings , rare books, and other art objects. Such 
private collections are sometimes given to museums, libraries and public galleries so that 
others might take pleasure in seeing them. 
No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he always has the opportunity of learning 
much from it. Learning new things can be the most exciting hobby. 
  
Choosing an Occupation (2)  
I originally  became  interested in the law during my 9th form when I realized that my 
skills as a writer, speaker, and leader  — as well as my powers of logic — would probably 
serve me well in a legal career.  
That is why I entered an optional class where I could have lessons on law twice a week. 
All that I have done and  experienced in my  studying  of the basic aspects of the law has 
further stimulated and reinforced my interest in the law, especially international 
obligations and public law, and my determination to pursue a legal career. 
Studying to be a lawyer represents the fulfilment of one of my  longest held dreams. 
Whatever I could do as a lawyer to help people who are victimised by unscrupulous 
businessmen, as well as their own ignorance of the law, would give me a great satisfaction.  
The  duty  of the lawyer is not only to punish people for various crimes: from espionage 
to serial murder  and terrorism , but they must do their best to prevent  crimes, to fight  
against  evil  in our society. 
The lawyers should help those people, who committed an error (broke the law) to find 
the right road in their life. Judges can hand down a  death sentence for murder in our 
country. I feel strongly that the death sentence should be abolished. The lawyers protect 
the rights and legal interests of citizens, institutions and organisations.  
I want to help people, businesses to solve their problems, I want to help everybody  to 
know the  rules that we all have to get along. I think that the profession of a lawyer is one 
of the most important in the law-governed state, which we are creating now. 
 
Seasons  
1)There are four seasons in a year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. In the United 
States autumn is called Fall. Each season lasts three months. In most countries of the world 
the new year begins on the 1st of January . This day is a holiday in Russia .  
2)Every season is beautiful in its own way. Winter in Russia is cold, especially in the 
northern regions. The sun sets early and  rises late. The rivers and lakes are frozen over. 
Everything is covered with snow . Sometimes it is very cold, and the temperature can drop  
to thirty  below zero. Going out in weather like this isn't very pleasant. Winter is a good 
time for sports. People go in for skating and skiing. Tobogganing is also popular, not as a 
kind of sport, but rather as fun. Winter in St. Petersburg  is worse  than in Central Russia 
because it is damp and clouds often cover the sun.  
3)In March it gets warmer and warmer. The sun becomes hotter and brighter. The days 
grow longer, the snow and ice gradually melt away. Spring comes, and nature awakens to 
new life after its winter sleep . The air is fresh, the sky is blue  and cloudless. All kinds of 
plants and flowers appear. The  ground  is covered with bright- green   grass , and the first 
flowers; the trees are in full blossom. Birds return  to the  North from their winter stay in the 
South and start building their nests. Farmers get ready to plough their fields. The days are 
warm, and everything is full of life and joy.  
4)Spring is followed by summer. The weather is usually fine in summer, but it can be very 
hot, especially in July . Sometimes there are storms with  thunder  and lightning , but they do 
not last long. They freshen the air and help the plants fight the  heat . In summer people try 
to get away from the city noise and spend more time in the open air. They pick mushrooms 
and berries in the  forest , swim in the rivers and lakes, go fishing and boating. Most people 
prefer to have their holidays in summer. In St.Petersburg in June the sun does not set at all. 
This period is known as the White Nights.  
5)Autumn begins in September. The days become shorter and the nights become longer. 
The leaves turn  yellow , red and brown  and fall to the ground. Most birds fly away to warm 
countries. There is a short spell of dry sunny weather in September which is called Indian 
Summer. It is a beautiful time when the sky is cloudless, the trees around  are  golden , the 
air is transparent and it is still warm. September is also rich in fruit and all kinds of 
vegetables grown round St.Petersburg and also brought from Central Russia. It gets colder 
towards the end of September, and mists and drizzle begin. In October we have some 
really  chilly days. 
 
Keeping Fit and Doing Sports 
1)People all over the world like sport. Sport make you healthier , keep you fit and it is just a 
great pastime! International matches and tournaments unite nations; they play an important 
role in establishing good relations between countries.  
2)In Russia a huge amount of attention was always given to sport, especially in schools, 
colleges and universities. You can hardly find a school without a gym or a sports ground. 
Every city and town has a few stadiums or swimming pools where local competitions are 
usually held. It's been a tradition in our country to divide sport into professional and 
amateur . There are various sporting societies and  clubs in Russia. Many of them take part 
in international tournaments and are known all over the world. A great number of world 
records have been set by  Russian sportsmen: gymnasts, weightlifters, swimmers, figure 
skaters, runners, jumpers. Our sportsmen also participate in the Olympic  Games and 
always win a lot of  gold , silver and bronze  medals.  
3)There are also a lot of amateur clubs and keep-fit  centres in Russia where people go in 
for aerobics, yoga, body -building, swimming, skating, jogging. Thousands of people go to 
the stadiums to support their favourite team and many thousands more prefer to watch the 
games on TV. But watching sporting events and going in for sport are different things.  
4)Sport also play an important part in the life of the British. The English are proud of fact 
that many sports originated in their country and then spread throughout the world. The 
national British sports are football, golf , cricket, table tennis, lawn tennis, snooker, 
steeplechase, racing, darts.  
5)Football, the most popular  game in the world, is of two kinds in Britain: association 
football ( soccer ) and rugby. Soccer, played in almost all countries, remains one of the most 
popular games in Great Britain. Rugby football originated at Rugby public school. In this 
game players may carry the ball. Rugby is played by teams of 15 men with an oval ball.  
6)Golf, one of the most popular sports in Britain, originated in Scotland.  
7)One of the most British games is cricket. It is often played in schools, colleges, 
universities and by club teams all over the country. To many Englishmen cricket is a game 
and a standard of behaviour. When they  consider  something unfair, they sometimes say: 
"That's not cricket".  
8)Horse-racing is the  chief  spectator sport in British life next to football. A lot of people 
are interested in the  races . The Derby is perhaps the most famous single sporting event in 
the whole world. Britain is also famous for  motor -car racing, dog-racing, boat-racing and 
even races for donkeys. The famous boat- race  between the teams of Oxford and 
Cambridge  attracts large crowds of people.  
9)A great number of people play and watch tennis. Tennis tournaments at Wimbledon are 
known all over the world. The innumerable tennis courts of Britain are occupied by people 
of all  ages who show every  degree  of skill. Table tennis also originated in England.  
10)In the USA sport is very important too. The  emphasis on physical fitness has involved 
increasing numbers of Americans in activities that provide the necessary physical 
conditioning and at the same time  offer enjoyment and recreation. Americans are attracted 
by such sports and activities as swimming, tennis, marathons, track and field, bowling, 
archery , skiing, skating, squash and badminton. But the four major American sports are 
hockey, baseball, football and basketball.  
11)The large choice of sports in America can be explained by the variety and size  of the 
country, its different climates and the people's love of competitions of any type. In 
addition, public sports facilities have always been available in great numbers for 
participants. American schools and colleges use sports activities as a way of teaching 
social values . Among these are  teamwork  and sportsmanship. The average high school 
offers its students a great variety of sports, including  rowing, wrestling, tennis and golf. 
Being intelligent and being good at sport are regarded as things that combine well, as an 
ideal.  
12)Recently such typically American sports as skate- boarding , wind- surfing  and surfing 
have gained international  popularity . The most unusual sport that first achieved popularity 
in the USA is the triathlon. It includes swimming, bicycle racing and long- distance  
running , and is becoming more and more popular in Europe .  
13)As for me, I'm interested in different kinds of sports. At school we have physical 
training lessons twice a week. I like to ski in winter. Sometimes the whole family goes 
skiing at the  weekend . In summer I like to swim. I also do some cycling. I am very fond of 
hockey (football, figure-skating etc.). I try to watch every hockey match (championship) 
on TV. 
 
The Olympic Games 
 
 1)The Olympic Games have a very long history. They began in ancient Greece. The 
games were held in honour of  Zeus , the principal god of the Greeks. They lasted for five 
days and became a symbol of peace  and friendship , because in keeping with the decree  of 
that time no wars could be waged during the Games. The athletes competed in running, 
boxing, wrestling, horse and chariot racing and the like. The  winners were presented with 
laurel wreaths in the temple of  Zeus . There is a list of Winners dating from 776 EC.  
2)The Games took place every four years and were so important in the life of the Greeks 
that they culculated time by them. The Olympic Games were held for nearly  twelve 
centuries until they were abolished in 394 AD by the Christian Emperor  Theodosius  I.  
3)The Olympic Games were revived only at the end of the  19th century  thanks to Baron 
Pierre  de Coubertin. In 1894 he addressed the International Congress of Athletes and 
emphasised the  importance  of sport in peoples ' life.  
4)The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896 to underline the 
importance of precedent. The International Olympic  Committee  was also set up in 1896. It 
is the central policy-making body of the Olympic movement. It is composed of 
representatives from all the countries, which take part in the Olympic Games. The 
International Olympic Committee decides on the programme of the games, the number of 
the participants and the  host -city for the games. Over one  hundred and fifty countries are 
represented in the International Olympic Committee now. Each of the countries also has its 
National Olympic Committee.  
5)Summer and Winter Games are held separately. There are always several cities wishing 
to host the Games. For example, Saint-Petersburg put in a bid to host the Summer Games 
of 2004. The International Committee selects the most suitable city. After that the city 
starts preparations for the competitions, constructs new sports facilities, stadiums, hotels, 
press centres. Thousands of athletes, journalists and guests come to the Games, and it takes 
a lot of efforts to arrange everything. There is always an interesting  cultural  programme of 
concerts, exhibitions, festivals etc. for every Games.  
6)Russia joined the Olympic movement in 1952. Since  then it has won a lot of gold, silver 
and bronze medals. In 1980 Moscow hosted the XXII Olympic Games. The latest Olympic 
Games were held in Atlanta. Russian sportsmen most recent got medals for  setting  up new 
records in many events. 
 
Travelling   
 
1)The  scientific  and technological progress of the  20th century has allowed  people to 
overcome time and distance, to cover in the twinkling of an eye the vast expanse of our 
planet . The whole world is open now. The limitations of former  times have ceased to exist.  
2)Modern life is impossible without travelling. To begin with most of us in big cities travel 
every day to our schools, offices and factories. For some people it is quite a trek to get 
from home to work. They go by  underground , they change to a bus or they take a taxi. 
From time to time we have to go to another city or country on business. Then after a year's 
work people go on holiday and they do not like to spend it at home.  
3)Millions of people all over the world spend their holidays travelling. They travel to see 
other countries and  continents , modern cities and the ruins of ancient towns, they travel to 
enjoy picturesque places or just for a change of scene. It is always interesting to discover 
new things, to see different ways of life, to meet different people, to try different food, to 
listen to different musical rhythms.  
4)Those who live in the country like to go to a big city and spend their time visiting 
museums and art galleries, looking at shop windows and dining at exotic  restaurants. City 
dwellers usually like a quiet holiday by the sea or on the mountains , with nothing to do but 
walk and bathe and lie in the sun.  
5)People who wish to travel either for pleasure or on business have at their disposal 
various means of transport. If you want to get somewhere as quickly as possible the best 
way is to travel by  plane . It is better to book tickets in advance. On the appointed day you 
go to the  airport by car. Soon you'll be boarding the big airliner and it will carry you to 
new lands. When on the plane you may look around. In  front of you in the cockpit you'll 
see the pilot  and his  crew . Some of the passengers  are already reclining in comfortable 
armchairs. There is a kitchen in the  rear part of the plane where the stewardesses are 
preparing the meals. Presently we take off and in a few minutes the pilot informs us of the 
altitude. Sometimes it is possible to see  land . It is like a geographical map. Our plane is 
due to arrive  in eight hours. The time passes quickly. The plane  arrives at the airport on 
time.  
6)Travelling by train is slower than by plane but it has its advantages. When on the train 
you can always see the country side around you, so you are not simply travelling, but your 
holidays have already  begun . To have a good trip by train you must book the tickets in 
advance. When the day of your departure comes, you go to the railway station, which is 
usu¬ally closer to your home than the airport. The  porter helps you with your  luggage . 
You go to your carriage and find out if you have a  lower or  upper berth in your 
compartment. Each compartment has its own window , a table, a place for your suitcases 
and, of course, four berths.  
7)Travelling by sea is mostly for those who are going on holiday and want a pleasant 
voyage . On board a large cruise  ship people traverse oceans and visit other countries. The 
ship stops for a day or two in different ports and people go ashore on excursions. Crossing 
the ocean is a magnificent and very long voyage, with enormous waves before you and a 
4- deck liner under you. The only drawback is seasickness, so before starting on a voyage 
you should find out whether you suffer from it or not.  
8)Many people prefer travelling by car. This way you can explore the nearby towns and 
cities. The  greatest advantage is that you can stop whenever you like and that you are not 
bound by any  schedule . You start from your own front door and take any road you like.  
9)Coach tours are not expensive and very popular. They are planned as holidays and there 
is a chance to do a lot of sightseeing and have a good rest at the same time.  
10)One of the cheapest and the most popular ways of travelling is hiking . It is always a 
great experience for a  lover of nature. Walking  through the wood or along the  river , having 
a rest on the shore  of a forest lake, climbing  a  mountain , you feel yourself a part of nature.  
11)All means of travel have their advantages and disadvantages. People choose one 
according to their plans and destination. When travelling we see and learn a lot of things 
that we can never see or learn at home.