Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb to be. Some sentences are present and some are past.

Example: Last year she was 22, so she is 23 now.

1) Today the weather ­­­___ nice, but yesterday it ___ cold.

2) I ___ hungry. Can I have something to eat?

3) Don’t buy those shoes. They ___ too expensive.

4) Why ___ you so angry yesterday?

5) This time last year we ___ in Paris.

6) Where ___ the children? I don’t know. They ___ in the garden ten minutes ago.

7) Could you read when you ___ three?

8) Could you walk when you ___ one year old?

9) Could you mother play the piano when she ___ 10?

Write five things you could do when you were three.

Example: I could run.

Write five things you can do now that you couldn’t do when you were three.

Example: I couldn’t swim when I was three, but I can now.

3) Write two things you couldn’t do when you were three and you still can’t do!

Example: I couldn’t ski when I was three and I still can’t.

Correct the mistakes (if there are any).

1) She were at home yesterday evening.

2) He can play the guitar when he was seven.

3) Where was they at half past eleven last night?

4) How old was he when he can ride a bike?

5) I am sorry I am late!

6) She can’t read when she was six.

7) My parents were at work at this time yesterday.

Read some information about our university.

Polotsk State University offers its students good facilities for study. There are modern computer rooms, multi-media lecture theatres, scientific laboratories, an up-to-date Internet centre, a large library with an electronic catalogue.

It also has good social facilities. There are several refectories, six comfortable hostels, an exhibition space and a gala complex.

Match the words with their translations.

multi-media lecture theatre facilities for study electronic catalogue refectory exhibition space computer room gala complex scientific laboratory library up-to-date/modern hostel

компьютерный класс научная лаборатория электронный каталог библиотека условия для учебы выставочный зал актовый зал общежитие современный мультимедийная лекционная аудитория столовая

Use the modal verb “can” to say what our students can do at our University.

- use the Internet centre

- borrow books from the library

- attend exhibitions

- live in comfortable hostels

- have dinner/lunch in the refectory

- go to concerts at the Gala complex

- work in modern computer rooms

- do research in up-to-date scientific laboratories

Do you think students could do all these things 20 years ago? Ask and answer you group mate.

Example: I don’t think students could use the Internet centre.

I think students could borrow books from the library.

Study the names of the faculties at PSU.

Civil-Engineering Faculty

Chemical-Engineering Faculty

Radio-Engineering Faculty

Machine-Buildings Faculty

Financial-Economic Faculty

the Faculty of Geodesy

the Faculty of Information Technologies

the Faculty of Law

the Faculty of History and Philology

the Faculty of Sports and Pedagogy

Can you translate them? It is not difficult because many words are international.

22. Discuss with your group-mate:

1) What do you know about PSU?

2) What do you want to learn about PSU?

Read the text. Try to answer your questions.

Polotsk State University

I am a first-year student of Polotsk State University. Polotsk State University is a dynamically developing higher educational establishment in Belarus. It is a classical university that follows European traditions in culture and education.

PSU was founded in 1993 on the basis of Novopolotsk Polytechnical Institute.

It has three departments: Extra-Mural (for students who study by correspondence), Preparatory (for people who want to enter the University) and Day-Time. Students who want to continue their education and get a scientific degree can study at the Post-Graduate courses of our university. The university cooperates with different educational establishments and organizations from Germany, Sweden, Italy, Spain, the UK, Greece, Russia, and Ukraine.

Over 10 thousand students and post-graduates get knowledge at PSU. Highly professional staff including 16 Doctors of science and over 150 Masters of science train our students. There are ten faculties at the university: Civil-Engineering Faculty, Chemical-Engineering Faculty, Radio-Engineering Faculty, Machine-Building Faculty, Financial-Economic Faculty, the Faculty of Geodesy, the Faculty of Information Technologies, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of History and Philology and the Faculty of Sports and Pedagogy. Every faculty offers a number of specialities.

Our students attend lectures, seminars, tutorials and laboratory classes. They have examinations twice a year: in winter and in summer. Those students who pass their exams successfully continue their education. At the end of studies students write their final scientific work (paper) and get a diploma. The graduates of our university become good specialists in their field and can easily find a job in Belarus and abroad.

There are good facilities for study at PSU: multi-media lecture theatres, computer rooms, scientific laboratories, the Internet Centre and the library with an electronic catalogue. Every year students can take part in international conferences that our university organizes.

The social conditions of our students’ life are also excellent. There are several refectories, hostels an exhibition space and gala complex. Our students can attend sports clubs and take part in various competitions.

Talented students can become members of our students’ theatre “Art”. It’s very popular with our students and the residents of Novopolotsk. I like my university. It is interesting and rewarding to study here. I hope to become a highly educated professional with a great future.