Text 1. Family Life and Myself

Unit 1. Family Life: My family and Myself

(Family life: traditions, leisure time, entertainment in the family, traveling)

Let’s put our thinking caps on

Language is the dress of thought

Samuel Johnson

The tasks are:

- to introduce yourself to other people;

- to read and write a personality profile.

- to read the texts and do the tasks;

- to speak on the family problems;

- to write the family essay.

Preparatory Activities

Task 1. Discussion: Answer the following questions

1) Hello. My name is Olga Alexeevna. What’s your name?

2) How are you? How are you getting on? How is life?

3) Where are you from? Where do you come from?

4) Do you want to learn English? Why? (I want to learn English for my job / I want to learn English because it’s an international language).

5) What’s your job? What’s your address? What’s your phone number?

6) What is you future profession? What specialist are you going to be?

7) What should you do to achieve the goal?

8) What position are you going to occupy?

9) Where do you want to work? Which countries would you like to go and work in?

10) Do you have chances of climbing the career ladder?

11) Do you think working abroad is essential for a successful career? Why? Why not?

12) What do you do in your free time? What do you like doing in your free time?

13) What does your friend do in his/her free time?

14) What do you like doing at the weekend?

(go/goes walking; play; skiing; skating, ice-skating; dancing; visiting museums; doing crosswords; listening to music; watching TV; taking photographs; cooking; playing computer games; sailing; painting; swimming; reading; going to the cinema; windsurfing; sunbathing; fishing).

15) Where do you usually go on holiday? (France, Spain, Greece, England, Egypt, Russia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Hungary, Italy, Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Baltic countries, the Crimea, the Caucasus).

16. Is your family the most important part of the world? Why?

Task 2. Meeting people: face to face. Start the conversation and introduce yourself

Good afternoon! How are you? How are you getting on? How are you doing? Glad to meet you! Nice to meet you! How nice to see you! Pleased to meet you! It’s nice (good) to see you! I’d just like to introduce myself. Let me introduce my colleague to you. I’d like you to meet my colleague. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. We are lucky to be here. Is this your first trip to Belgorod? Did you have a good flight (journey)? Would you like some coffee? That sounds a good idea, thanks.

Task 3. Personality Profile. Fill the spaces with missing information

My name is … and I am…. I come from … but live in … and I study at Belgorod University of Cooperation, Economics and Law. I’m responsible for …. I’m always very busy and I don’t have much free time, but when I do, I like…doing and I do. In my free time I do…. My hobbies and interests are… (to deal with). The most important thing that I enjoy is…. The group mates are very friendly and I enjoy the process of learning. Generally speaking I enjoy the class (stimulating) environment. I want to become a good specialist in the field of management (personnel management, psychology, economics, social work and pedagogical education).

Word Check

Task 4: Memorize the key terms, concepts, expressions and their meaning

1. a student of the day-time department, a student of resident instruction; a full-time student	студент дневного отделения
2. apply to	подать документы
3. enter the University	поступить в университет
4. exciting	волнующий
5. the Economic Department	экономический отдел
6. a book-keeper; book-keeping department	бухгалтер , 6yxгaлтерия
7. a cashier;syn. a teller; cash syn. money	кассир; деньги
8. the post-office savings-bank	сберкасса при почте
9. to take somebody’s way. (took did not take)	пойти по чьим-либо стопам
10. at first , first, first of all	первое время, в первую очередь, сначала, прежде всего
11. become familiar with	познакомиться
12. a freshman = a first-year student; a sophomore = a second-year student; undergraduates = students of senior courses	студент 1 курса; студент 2 курса; выпускник
13. I’m still to know more	мне предстоит узнать еще больше
14. to be fond of; syn. to like	любить, нравиться
15. like; to be like	подобно, как, быть похожим
16. it’ll take time	понадобится время
17. I am no longer sheltered	Я больше не одинок

Reading

Text 1. Family Life and Myself

Task 5. Read and translate the text. Comment on new words and expressions

In an attempt to provide a fairly complete story I have composed this commentary report.

My name is…. I am seventeen (eighteen) years old and just starting the first academic year at Belgorod University of Co-operation, Economics and Law. This year is extremely important for me because I have applied to the University. In my resume I included all my grades that I earned during my school years, any work that I have done outside of school, participation in artistic activities and any sport teams that I have been on. Some say that the University years are the best years … so it is something exciting to look forward to!!!

I was born in Belgorod (Shebekino, Prokhorovka, Kharkov …). It’s a nice old city and I like it very much as it’s the place of my childhood. In 2014 I entered the University and I want to become a good specialist in the field of economics (personnel management, psychology, social work and pedagogical education).

My father is an engineer, he taught me to understand and love mathematics. I realize now mathematics is a corner-stone of all sciences.

My mother is a book-keeper at a book-keeping department of the factory. She likes her specialty very much. I have a sister. She is twenty. And she is also an economist. She works as a cashier at the post-office savings-bank. She combines her work with studies at the Institute. She is a second-year student of extra-mural education (education by correspondence) at our University.

As you see, I took (I didn’t take) my mother’s way. I worked hard to pass my entrance examinations well. And now I’ve become a happy member of the great, young, gay family of students. Now I became familiar with such words as «a freshman», «a sophomore», «an undergraduate» and such terms as «a period», «a seminar», «lab-works». I know what it means «to make notes», «to pass thousands, etc.

I have a granny, she is a pensioner. She is very kind to all of us. We also have many close and distant relatives and we are always glad to see each other

I have wonderful new friends; we talk to on a regular basis, and expand our points of view on the world. I am no longer sheltered.

In my future I’ll get to explore and learn about the world through different perspectives. I’ll spend a lot of time understanding the environment around me and I think that the new adventures (приключения, риски) will be enticing (привлекательные. соблазнительные).

Task 6. Ask and answer the following questions

Where were you born? What can you say about your city? What are your parents and relatives? Did you take your mother’s way? Where do you come from? Is this your first visit to Belgorod? Do you need any help or information? When did you actually arrive? Where are you staying? Do you live in the hostel? Do you rent a flat or a room? What is your job? What do you do? Are you a happy member of the family of students? What do you plan? What are you going to do (plan)?