Holiday letter to a friend

65, Allendale Road

London — GI5 8SG

December 20, 2014

Dear Helen,

Thank you for your letter! Sorry for haven’t written to you for so long but I was busy all this time.

New Year is coming. New Year is the most long-awaited holiday. Many people associate it with magic and gifts. First of all it is surrounded by the wonderful smell of tangerines and Christmas trees, which helps to create a festive mood. People of all ages truly believe that in New Year their goals and wishes will come true.

New Year is an international holiday, but in every country it is celebrated in many different ways and each family has their own traditions. For example, in Australia, people celebrate the New Year on the beach or go on picnics with friends. In Italy, the New Year begins on January 6. Here people believe in the good fairy Befana, who gives stars and gifts for everyone. In Israel, people eat only sweets and avoid bitter food. In Spain on this day there is a tradition to swallow one grape for every time the bell chimes and make a wish.

How are the things going on? Could you tell about your national and family traditions to celebrate New Year?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With love,

Jessica

Exercise 11. You and your friend are thinking of how you could spend New Year. Discuss the following options and choose the one you both like most of all, make up your own dialogue:

• with your parents at home • go for a walk

• at your friend’s house • go to the disco party

¾ ’Hi! Have you decided how to celebrate our favourite holiday?’

¾ ’You mean New Year’s Day, don’t you? Well, I think I’ll stay with my parents as usual. First of all, New Year is a family holiday. Traditionally, on the thirty-first of December we decorate a fir-tree and put presents under it. The family meal is a central part of our celebration. When the Kremlin clock strikes twelve, we wish each other ’Happy New Year’ and give each other presents. I usually get lots of presents from my relatives so I’m looking forward to this day. It’s a great time of the year! You can come and celebrate with us if you like.’

¾ ’Well, thank you, but I think it’s rather boring to celebrate this holiday with parents. There’s not much to do except watching TV and talking. Besides, your parents usually go to bed rather early and won’t allow us to stay up all night. Why don’t we have something different this year?’

¾ ’Perhaps you are right. But what do you suggest?’

¾ ’Some of my friends are having a New Year party at home. Why not join them? We are of the same age and have common views on many things so you can make a lot of new friends. I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun playing games and dancing.’

¾ ’And I’m not quite sure of it. Your friends may not like me and I won’t feel at home. And some of the guests can be unpleasant to me either, especially if they drink a lot. Finally, we’ll have to do lots of washing up and clean the room in the morning and I don’t feel like doing it on holiday.’

¾ ’Well, I can agree with you. What about going for a walk with our classmates? I know they are going to celebrate New Year in Red Square. It’s rather exotic! We’ll watch fireworks and listen to the concert. And then we can play snowballs and have a lot of fun!’

¾ ’You are crazy! It’s freezing and it’s going to be rather cold at night. And I’m afraid we’ll get hungry.’

¾ ’If we are hungry, we can go to a cafe and have a snack.’

¾ ’I’m sure all cafes will be frill that night. But if you want to go out, we can buy tickets to a disco party.’

¾ ’A disco party? Great idea! There will be lots of young people and we can make new friends. Besides, I’m fond of dancing.’

¾ ’So am I! And I think there will be a special concert programme, too. So we will have a lot of fun. Besides, we won’t have to care about food. Everything is included into the price.’

¾ ’And we won’t have to wash dishes and to clean the room after the party! Wonderful! Let’s choose a disco party. I’ll go and buy tickets right now.’

GRAMMAR IN PRACTICE

Exercise №1. Analyze the use of the Perfect Forms. Translate the sentences into Russian.

A.

1. I was sure I had never seen that man before. 2. No one had finished his work by the appointed time. 3. When we reached the house the windows were dark as everybody had gone to bed. 4. After they had left the room together he sat in front of the fire for a long time thinking about them. 5. She opened the door only after I had told her who I was and what I wanted. 6. They had prepared everything by 4 o’clock.

B.

1. Don’t come for the article at 6 o’clock. We shall not have finished it by that time. 2. I am sure we shall have prepared everything when you return. 3. If you don’t hurry, the train will have gone by the time you reach the station. 4. By the time you make up your mind to tell him about it he’ll have heard of everything from somebody else. 5. They will have read the first chapter of the book by the end of the week.

Exercise №2. Make up interrogative sentences with the answers:

You, play, football? — Have you ever playedfootball? — I have never

played football.

1. Your friend, invite, his/her house? 2. You, be, the North Pole? 3. She, use, the Internet? 4. You, lose, keys? 5. You, be late, for the plane? 6. Your son, have, pets? 7. You, write, poems? 8. You, play, music group? 9. You, eat, snakes (frogs, snails, ...)? 10. Your parents, give, good pocket money? 11. You, meet, a famous person? 12. You, have, a dog or a cat? 13. You, travel, without a ticket, on public transport? 14. You, win, money, in a lottery? 15. You, find, some money, on the street? 16. You, see, a flying saucer? 17. You, ride, a camel or an elephant? 18. Your father, take you, to a football match? 19. Your mother, grow, roses? 20. You, be, in the jungle?

Exercise №3. Use gone or been:

You can‛t see her now. She‛s goneout. (Её здесь нет. Она ушла).

She is here. She‛s just beento the café. (Она здесь. Она только что

была в кафе).

1. My parents have just come back. They have ............. to Italy. 2. The chief is here now. He has .............at a conference. 3. — Isn’t Kate here? — No, she has ............. home already. 4. — Where have you.............? — I have ............... to the library. 5. You won’t be able to speak to the Minister. He has ................ to the Parliament. 6. — Have you ever .................to Brazil? — No, never, but my friends have just ...............there. 7. I know London well. I have............... there many times. 8. There is a new shop on our street, but I haven’t ................... there yet. 9. Where has the manager.................? ? I’m waiting for him. 10. — How long has this client ................... here? — But he has already .................. away. 11. My friends aren’t in Moscow at the moment. They have................. to the country. 12. I’m happy to see you. I know that you have .................away. 13. This detective doesn’t live here any longer. He has ................... away. 14. Sorry that I kept you waiting. I have ................to the bank. 15. Susan has.................... to a party, call her tomorrow.

Exercise №4. Put words and phrases in the correct columns:

Запомните!Предлогforупотребляется,когда речь идет опериоде времени: for two days – в течении двух дней; предлог since употребляется, когда обозначается начало периода времени: since Monday – с понедельника; since childhood – с детства.

last Sunday; yesterday; a fortnight; September; Saturday night; a few days; I was 20; ages; a few hours; three years; 2003; last month; ever; a week; lunchtime; a long time; Christmas; 10 years; 12:30; a few minutes

We have been here

For since

Examplea few days 2003

.................................................... ....................................................

.................................................... ....................................................

Exercise №5. Use for or since.

1. Mrs. Honey has been a teacher ...................... thirteen years. 2. My father has had this car ................ half a year. 3. We have known each other ................. 2004. 4. I haven’t heard from her .............. a long time. 5. They haven’t had news from home ............. May. 6. The astronauts have been in space ............. a year already. 7. She has had a toothache ...................... morning. 8. Mr. and Mrs. Parker have been married ............... ten years. 9. The tourists have been in Russia .................. a week.

Exercise №6. Make up interrogative sentences, using How long...? Give the answer, using for or since.

1. know your best friend? (two years). 2. have a computer? (last year). 3. play the guitar? (a few years). 4. live in this city? (childhood). 5. be interested in girls/boys? (fourteen years) 6. be a reporter? (graduate from University). 7. be in love? (first meet). 8. have problems with your children? (become teenagers). 9. own this dacha? (1970). 10. there be mice in the shop? (autumn).