Adventures on the river

(From "Three Men in a Boat" by Jerome K- Jerome)We decline to drink the river.

We found ourselves short of water at Hambledon Lock; so we took our jar and went up to the lock-keeper's house to beg for some. George was our spokesman. He put on a winning smile, and said:

"Oh, please could you spare us a little water?" "Certainly," replied the old gentleman; "take as much as you want, and leave the rest." "Thank you so much," murmured George, looking about him, "Where — where do you keep it?" "It's always in the same place, my boy," was the stolid reply: "just behind you." "I don't see it," said George, turning round.

"Why, bless us, where're your eyes?" was the man's comment, as he twisted George round and pointed up and down the stream. "There's enough of it to see, ain't there?" "Oh!" exclaimed George, grasping the idea; "but we can't drink the river, you know!'!

"No, but you can drink someof it," replied the old fellow. "It's what I'vedrunk for the last fifteen years."

George told him that his appearance, after the course, did not seem a sufficiently good advertisement for the brand and that he would prefer it out of a pump.

We got some from a cottage a little higher up. I dare say thatwas only river water if we had known. But we did not know, so it was all right. What the eye does not see, the stomach does not get upset over.

2. Говорение.

К Вам в класс пришел новый ученик. Расскажите о своей школе и учителях, которые вас обучают: - какие традиции есть в Вашей школе? - какие Ваши любимые предметы? - расскажите об учителе, которым Вы восхищаетесь.

A new pupil has come into your class. Talk about your school and the teachers that teach you. - Say something about your school traditions. - Inform about your favourite school subjects. - Talk about the teacher you admire.

Билет №6

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DARYL HANNAH

The pretty mermaid looked up from the golden sand and the world fell in love with her. The film was Splash, and the mermaid was the famous actress, Daryl Hannah, who has also starred in such films as Roxanne and Blade Runner.

Daryl is tall and slender. She has got long blond hair, large blue eyes and stunning features. She looks fantastic in expensive clothes, but she prefers casual clothes which show off her natural beauty.

She is more than just another pretty face, however. She is a complicated person whose character has many sides. She is often in the public eye, but she is actually a very shy person who dislikes the crowds and noise of Hollywood parties. Her shyness is a problem which she is trying to overcome with her friends' help. She is not the sort of person who expects help without giving anything back, however. Daryl is an extremely caring person, and she says that she forgets her own problems when she is helping others. She is also a romantic who believes in true love, so she wants to find someone very special before she starts a family.

Daryl's lifestyle is quite simple. When she is not working, her favourite activities are gardening, playing the piano and making pottery, all of which reveal the creative side of her character.

Daryl may prefer to sit in the shadows at parties, but when it comes to her beliefs she is not afraid to speak her mind. She has strong views on the environment. She believes that our modern lifestyle is destroying the environment. For this reason, she is currently looking for a place in the countryside where she can build an environmentally-friendly house. She says that she feels most relaxed when she is close to nature.

Underneath the success, shyness and simple lifestyle are Daryl's very strong views on life. As she says, "Find out what is important to you - and don't be afraid to leave it!"

It is a pleasure to meet an actress who remains down-to-earth and sincere in a world where fame and success can often harm one's character.

2. Говорение.

Вас попросили сделать доклад на международной конференции, посвященной вопросам защиты окружающей среды. Расскажите: - о проблемах, которые вызывают загрязнение окружающей среды в мире. - как, на Ваш взгляд, эти проблемы можно решить?

You are going to make a report at the international conference, devoted to the questions of environmental protection. Talk about - the problems which are caused by the pollution of the environment in the world. - How can these problems be solved in your opinion?

Билет №7

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KING LEAR

Once upon a time there lived an old king of Britain. His name was Lear. He had three daughters: Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. One day King Lear called his daughters and said to them: "I am very old and tired. I cannot be the king of Britain any more. I want to divide the country into three parts and give one part to each of you. Each of you will be the queen of her part of the country. But first you must tell me how much you love me. Then I shall know which of you must get the better part."

Goneril and Regan were not good daughters. They did not love their father. But they were very greedy. They wanted to become queens very much. They were glad to hear that their father wanted to divide his country into three parts. They only thought how to get the larger and better part of the country. So Goneril said:

"Dear Father, I love you very much. I love you more than my eyes, more than my beauty, more than my life. No child loves his father more than I love you."

Regan said the same, but in different words.

King Lear was very glad. Then he asked his youngest daughter Cordelia to speak. She was his favourite daughter.

Cordelia knew that her sisters were bad daughters. She loved her father very much, but she did not want to repeat the words of her sisters. So she said nothing. Only when King Lear told her angrily that she must speak, she said:

"I don't understand why my sisters say that they love you more than anything else. They are married. Don't they love their husbands? You are my father, and of course I love you. But when I marry, I shall love my husband, too."

King Lear did not like Cordelia's words. He shouted at her and said that he did not want to have such a daughter. He divided the country between Goneril and Regan and gave Cordelia nothing.

2. Говорение.

Английский стал международным языком. Расскажите о важности изучения иностранных языков: - какие, на Вш взгляд, самые важные составляющие изучения иностранного языка? - какой лучший способ практиковать иностранный язык? - скажите, хотели бы Вы изучать несколько иностранных языков? Почему?

English has become an international language. Talk about the importance of learning foreign languages - What do you consider to be the most important aspects of learning foreign languages? - Which is the best way to practise them? - Say if you want to learn several foreign languages. Why?

Билет №8

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THE PRICE OF FAME

Have you ever dreamed of being rich and famous? You might change your mind if you considered all the disadvantages of being famous.

For one thing, celebrities have to look perfect all the time. There's always a photographer ready to take an unflattering picture of a famous person.

Celebrities also sacrifice their private lives. They are followed by the paparazzi wherever they go. Their personal problems, divorces, or family tragedies all end up as front-page news.

They worry constantly about their reputation. Actors may lose their popularity, singers may lose their voices, athletes may be injured.

Do you think it's fair? The rich and famous worry about money too. Sometimes they don't know what to do with it.

It's difficult for famous people to know who to trust. Ex-lovers may sell their stories to the newspapers. Their accountants or impresarios may be secretly cheating them. The paparazzi sell photos of the rich and famous to the popular press. And paparazzi can make a fortune on those pictures. But for the celebrities these photos are an invasion of privacy.

Do you think a special law should be introduced to protect the celebrities?

Famous people can never be sure whether people like them for themselves or because they are famous. It's difficult for them to make true friends.

Furthermore, celebrities are in constant danger of the wrong kind of attention. Threatening letters and even physical attacks from crazy fans are not unusual things in their lives. So many of them suffer nervous breakdowns or drug and alcohol problems.

Many celebrities say that their lives are far from being happy. As Fred Alan once said, ."A celebrity is someone who works hard all his life to be known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized".

2. Говорение.

Праздники это любимое времяпрепровождение с семьёй и друзьями: - какой Ваш любимый праздник? - как Ваша семья и друзья празднуют этот день с Вами? - Есть ли у Вас какие-либо особые традиции отмечать этот праздник?

Holidays are the time to spend with family and friends - What is your favourite holiday? - How do your family and friends celebrate this holiday with you? - Do you have any special traditions to celebrate this holiday?

Билет №9

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Choosing the right time to sleep, the correct moment to make decisions, the best hour to eat — and even go into the hospi­tal — could be your key to perfect health.

Centuries after man discovered the rhythms of the planets and the cycles of crops, scientists have learned that we too live by precise rhythms that govern the ebb and flow of everything from our basic bodily functions to mental skills. Man is a pri­soner of time.

But it's not just the experts who are switching on the way of our bodies work. The increasing number of people study the state of their bio-rhythms before making their daily plans. Prince Charles consults a chart which tells him when he will be at his peak on a physical, emotional, and intellectual level. Boxer Frank Bruno is another who charts his bio-rhythms to plan for big fights.

Leading experts say every aspect of human biology is influ­enced by daily rhythms. Sleep, blood pressure, hormone levels, and heartbeat all follow their own clocks, which may bear only slight relation to our man-made 24-hour cycle.

Research shows that in laboratory experiments when social signals and, most crucially, light indicators such as dawn are taken away, people lose touch with the 24-hour clock and slee­ping patterns change. Temperature and heartbeat cycles lengthen and settle into "days" lasting about 25 hours.

In the real world, light and dark keep adjusting clocks to the 24-hour days. But the best indicator of performance is body temperature. As it falls from a 10 p.m. high at 37.2 degrees Cel­sius to a pre-dawn low of 36.1 degrees Celsius, mental functions fall too. This is a key reason why shift work can cause so many problems — both for workers and their organizations.

2. Говорение.

Школьная форма обязательна во многих школах, но, кажется, что не всем ученикам это нравится: - почему все больше и больше школ склоняются к школьной форме? - какое влияние школьная форма производит на учеников, учителей и на образование в целом? - почему люди некоторых профессий должны носить униформу?

School uniform is a must in many schools, but not all pupils seem to like it. - Why do more and more schools choose to have a school uniform? - What effects do uniforms have on students, teachers and education? - Why do people of some professions have to wear unuiforms?

Билет №10

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