Describing people: traits of character

There is no doubt that all people have different character traits. Sometimes you may think that you know a person's character well just because you have been friends for ages, but one particular situation can show how wrong you were. In lots of cases people just don't know who they really are and what they are capable of. Anyway, each of us has both negative and positive character traits and wants to be a better person. In life, there is a constant battle between these two traits.

As far as I am concerned, I am emotional and easy-going. That's why it is easy for me to make new acquaintances. Besides, my friends say that I am helpful, sympathetic and kind-hearted. Well, I am supportive as well. No matter how busy I may be, I will always be there to help if I am needed. As for my negative character traits, I am lazy and stubborn. Besides, I am too touchy and vulnerable. I dislike when people criticize me because I feel as if I must be perfect. Another negative trait of character I dislike and suffer from is my hot temper. I get angry very quickly and fly into a rage. Sometimes I even can't control myself when I argue with anyone.

If you ask me to describe a person whose character I like, I would tell you about my best friend, Anna. She is sociable and cheerful. She is always in high spirits. Her optimism always cheers me up. Besides, she is clever, purposeful and hardworking. She is an excellent student and already knows three foreign languages. Moreover, she has a wide range of interests. She is fond of music, reading and painting.

As for characteristics which are the least appealing in a person, I think it is envy and hypocrisy. Unfortunately, appearances are often deceptive. It is true when they say, "Don't judge a book by its cover." As for other negative characteristics I hate, I can't stand cruel and ruthless people. Moreover, I don't trust people who dislike animals. I find them cold-hearted.

Vocabulary:

traits of character / character traits — черты характера
negative / positive character traits — отрицательные / положительные черты
sociable — коммуникабельный, общительный
easy-going — легкий в общении, добродушно-веселый, беспечный
helpful — услужливый, всегда готовый прийти на помощь
sympathetic — полный сочувствия
kind-hearted — добрый, мягкосердечный
supportive— готовый прийти на помощь, поддержать
lazy — ленивый
stubborn — упрямый
touchy — обидчивый
vulnerable — уязвимый, ранимый
hot-tempered — вспыльчивый
to fly into a rage — быстро выходить из себя
angry — злой
distrustful — недоверчивый
cheerful — веселый
to be in high spirits — быть в приподнятом настроении
to cheer up — бодрить, поднимать настроение
clever — умный
purposeful — целеустремленный
hardworking — трудолюбивый
to have wide range of interests — быть разносторонним человеком
envy — зависть
envious — завистливый
greedy — жадный
hypocrisy — лицемерие
two-faced — лживый, двуличный
cruel — жестокий
ruthless — беспощадный, жестокий
cold-hearted — бессердечный, черствый
optimistic — оптимистичный
pessimistic — пессимистичный
shy — застенчивый
faint-hearted — трусливый, робкий
coward — трусливый, малодушный
arrogant — заносчивый, высокомерный
mean — подлый
stupid — глупый
generous — щедрый, великодушный
unpleasant — неприятный, отталкивающий

Questions:

1. When do people show their real charecter?

2. What negative character traits do you know? What positive character traits do you know?

3. Which negative and positive traits can you find in your character?

Let me introduce myself

My full name is Oleg Olegovitch Orlov. I have been named after my father. I am Russian. I am seventeen. I was born on May 3, 2000 in Volgograd. Now I am the first-year student in college «Ugresha». I live in Dzerzhinskiy.

I am tall and slim. I have dark short hair and blue eyes. My appearance is rather typical for teenagers. I can’t say that my character is good, but I try to be sociable, supportive, cheerful and hardworking. But sometimes I am stubborn and hot-tempered.

My family is rather large. My parents have two more kids besides me. Thus I have got an elder sister Marina and a younger brother Ivan. My brother is a schoolboy. He is thirteen. He is rather tall for his age. His hair is red and curly.

My sister is five years elder than I am. So she is twenty three already. She is tall and slim. She has big blue eyes and thick long eyelashes. She is a designer by profession. She is married. Her husband is a computer programmer. They are four in the family. She has two children — a son and a daughter. They are twins. They are lovely little kids with curly hair and dark blue eyes.

My parents are not old at all. Daddy is forty-four and Mum is one year younger than he is. My father is a journalist and my mother is a teacher of English at the University. They like their work very much. They have been married for twenty-five years.

They have much in common, but their views on music, films, books and sports are rather different. For example, my mother is fond of classical music, but my father is not. He prefers the same kind of music that I do. He likes rock. My mother doesn't like action or horror films. But my father does. My father likes detective stories, but mum prefers historical novels. My father is fond of tennis and my mother doesn't go in for sports.

Our family is very united. We like to spend time together watching TV, listening to music or just talking about the events of the day. Our parents don't always agree to what we say but they listen to our opinion.

All of us like to spend our weekends out of town. We often go to the village where our grandparents live. My grandparents are already pensioners, but they are still full of life and energy. I have many relatives — aunts, uncles, cousins. Some of them live in our city. But the others live far from us. But we try not to miss a chance of seeing each other. They often stay with us during holidays. Or either we go to see them.

I am fond of reading books on history and fiction. I am going in for sports. I like playing football, basketball and chess. Especially I am good at chess. I take part in different chess competitions and tournaments.

Actually I study well and I am particularly interested in computers. I am planning to become a programmer, as my sister’s husband.

Vocabulary

saying — поговорка, пословица
wisdom — мудрость, мудрый
to introduce — представить
first name — имя
family name — фамилия
second name — второе имя, отчество
to represent — представить
actually — вообще, фактически
to consist of — состоять из
experiences — опыт
to communicate — общаться
exciting — волнующий
blond — блондинка
to admire — восхищаться, любоваться
to adore — обожать
sense — чувство
to assure — уверять, заверять
to cope — справляться
to wash — мыть
dish — тарелка, блюдо
plate — тарелка
to go (past went, p.p. gone) shopping — ходить за покупками
to spend (past spent, p.p. spent) — проводить, тратить
to stroll — прогуливаться, бродить
to be fond of — очень сильно что-л. любить, увлекаться
to be keen on — очень сильно что-л. любить
to cook — готовить пищу, стряпать
recipe — рецепт
to involve — включать в себя, заниматься чем-л.
ancient — древний, античный, старый
coin — монета
huge — огромный, очень большой
to praise — хвалить, превозносить
birth — рождение
outstanding — выдающийся
to inherit — получить в наследство, унаследовать
remarkable — замечательный, удивительный
kind-hearted — добрый, добросердечный
honest — честный
to allow — позволять, разрешать
advice — совет
frankly — честно
lucky — счастливый, везучий
generous — нежадный, великодушный
falsehood — ложь, неправда
modest — скромный, сдержанный
shy — застенчивый, робкий, нерешительный
to trick — обманывать, надувать
to kid — обманывать, надувать; высмеивать
in spite of — вопреки
to keep (past kept, p.p. kept) secret — хранить секрет
to let (past let, p.p. let) smb. down — подводить кого-л.

Questions:

1. What's your name? What's your surname?

2. Can you describe your appearance?

3. Where do you live?

4. Where do you study?

5. Tell a few words about your family.

6. What do you like? What's your hobby?

Family. Family Relationships

How could you describe the word "family"? First of all "family" means a close unit of parents and their children living together. But we shouldn't forget that it is a most complex system of relationships. Family relationships are rarely as easy as we would like, and very often we have to work hard at keeping them peaceful.

When do people usually start a family? This question doesn't have a definite answer. In the 18th, 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century people used to get married at the age of 18 or even 16. If a girl about 23 or more wasn't married, she was said to be an old maid or a spinster. That might have turned out a real tragedy for her family which usually brought up more than three children, because in some cases a successful marriage was the only chance to provide a good life for the daughter and to help her family. Despite the fact that the girl was so young, she was already able to keep the house, take care of her husband and raise children. To feel the time, its culture and customs I advise you to read a wonderful novel or see a breathtaking film "Pride and Prejudice". Though the story takes place at the turn of the 19th century, it retains fascination for modern readers, revealing some problems which may be urgent in the 21st century.

But life's changing as well as people's style of life. Nowadays we have got much more freedom in questions concerning family. It is natural to get married at the age of 20 up to 30; however, some people prefer to make a career first and only after that start a family when they are already in their forties. Moreover, there are many cases when people prefer to live together without being married. There are some reasons for this phenomenon. Firstly, it is difficult to juggle a family life with studies at school or university. But without good education it is practically impossible to find a suitable well-paid steady job. It's a must to get a higher education, but by this moment you are already 22—24 years old. After that you seek for a well-paid job to live independently, which takes about 3—5 years. Now you see why people in the 21st century do not hurry to get married.

There is also another difference between old and modern families. Nowadays it is very unusual to find three generations living under one roof as they used to do in the past. Relatives, as a rule, live separately and don't often meet one another. This fact sharply hurts an older generation. Our parents and grandparents usually suffer from lack of attention and respect from their children and grandchildren, although they try not to show it. They really don't need much, just a telephone call or a visit once a week will make them happy.

There are two basic types of families. A nuclear family — a typical family consisting of parents and children. A single-parent family consists of one parent and children. Nowadays there are very few people who have never divorced. Today the highest divorce rate in the world has the Maldive Republic. The United States of America take the third place. Russia is at the ninth place. What are the reasons of great numbers of divorce? Let us name some of the most common and serious ones.

• Occurrence of adultery once or throughout the marriage. The unfaithful attitude towards a spouse destroys the relationship and leads to a final separation.

• Communication breakdown. After some time of living under one roof spouses find out that they are absolutely incompatible. Constant clashes, brawls and squabbles cause serious problems. The differences grow as a snowball and can't be already settled by kisses or hugs.

• Physical, psychological or emotional abuses. When a person taunts, humiliates, hits the children or his spouse, it can't but end with a divorce.

• Financial problems. It sounds lamentably, but sometimes love alone can't guarantee well-being, whereas money can solve many of your problems. So when a couple lacks it, their relations become more and more complicated, their priorities change and the relationships end.

• Boredom. A lot of couples get bored of each other after 7 or more years of marriage. Boredom may become the reason of constant quarrels and adultery which inevitably leads to a divorce.

However, it goes without saying, in most cases married couples succeed in solving all the problems and keep living in peace and happiness.

Vocabulary:

relationship — родство, отношение
unit — единство
a most — очень, чрезвычайно
complex — сложный
rarely — редко
peaceful — мирный
definite — определённый, точный
old maid — старая дева
spinster — старая дева
to turn out — оказываться
to bring up — воспитывать, растить
to provide — обеспечивать
despite — несмотря на
to keep the house — вести домашнее хозяйство
to raise children — растить детей
custom — обычай
breathtaking — захватывающий
"Pride and Prejudice" — «Гордость и предубеждение» (роман Джейн Остин)
to take place — происходить
at the turn of the 19th century — в конце XIX века
to retain — сохранять, удерживать
fascination — очарование, обаяние, привлекательность
modern — современный
to reveal — открывать, раскрывать, обнажать
urgent — насущный, актуальный
to concern — касаться, иметь отношение к
to start a family — заводить семью
to be in one's forties — быть в возрасте от 40 до 50 лет
moreover — более того
to juggle — совмещать
suitable — подходящий
well-paid — хорошо оплачиваемый
steady — постоянный
higher education — высшее образование
to seek — искать
independently — независимо
generation — поколение
separately — раздельно
to suffer from — страдать от
lack of attention — недостаток внимания
nuclear family — полная семья
typical — типичный
single-parent family — неполная семья
to consist of — состоять из
to divorce — разводиться
divorce rate — уровень разводов
occurrence — возникновение, случай
adultery — измена
throughout — на протяжении, в течение
unfaithful attitude — предательское отношение
spouse — супруг, супруга
separation — расставание
communication breakdown — невозможность общения
to be incompatible — быть несовместимыми
clash — конфликт
brawl — перебранка, скандал
squabble — спор, мелкая ссора
difference — разногласие
to resolve — улаживать, решать
hug — крепкое объятие
abuse — оскорбление, надругательство
to taunt — насмехаться, говорить колкости
to humiliate — унижать
to hit — бить, ударять
lamentably — печально, грустно
wellbeing — благополучие
priority — приоритет
to solve — решать
boredom — скука
inevitably — неизбежно

Questions:

1. How many members are there in your family?
2. At what age did your parents get married?
3. Give your opinion of marriages of the previous centuries.
4. Do you think it is possible for a modern girl of eighteen to start a family?
5. People should not get married unless they are deeply in love, should they?
6. What can be done by both spouses to prevent a divorce?
7 What are the family roles distributed within a family? What is a "woman's place" and what is a "man's place" in the family?
8. Can the birth of children strengthen the family?
9. There is a good phrase in the English language about marriages — "to go on the rocks". It means to break down, to crumble. Think of the similar ones in Russian.
10. Do you agree with the statement that unhappy couples with children should stay together until the children are grown?

Family problems

"Honour your mother and father and you will live long and be well, if not, you will die" — says the Bible. Some families are happy, some are dead. It seems to me the reason is misunderstanding of each other in the family.

One more thing, teenagers can take on most of the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. Before this occurs, however, they go through the period of adolescence and most of them experience conflicts at that time. They change rapidly both physically and emotionally and they search self-identity as they grow up and become more independent.

Sometimes teenagers develop interests and values different from those of their parents. That sets a conflict between two generations, which leads to a gap in mutual understanding. Traditional disagreements are: the time to come home at night, doing work about the house and the friends to spend time with.

I'd like to point out, that teens face a number of problems: drinking alcohol or using drugs. Moreover, some children run away from their homes. Most of them return after a few days or weeks, but some turn to crime and become juvenile delinquents.

I'm convinced that sometimes parents do not care about their children. It is exactly at that age when young people need a piece of advice or help. Different TV programmes and magazines for the young come to their rescue. In case of need you can also dial a special telephone number, the so-called 'telephone of trust'.

But it's not the way out. Parents should help their children and find the right approach to them so as to make everything clear. Being able to view the problems more rationally, they should try to do their best to resolve them. We need to learn to talk our problems over in our family. If we are able to do it, everything will be all right.

Vocabulary:

to honour — почитать, уважать, чтить
dead — однообразный, безжизненный, неживой, мертвый
misunderstanding — неправильное понимание, размолвка, ссора, разногласие
adulthood — зрелость, взрослость; состояние зрелости организма
adolescence — подростковый возраст, юность
values —достоинства, ценности
generation — поколение
a gap — разрыв, глубокое расхождение (во взглядах и т. п.); недостаток
generation gap — конфликт, поколений, проблема отцов и детей
drug — наркотик
juvenile delinquent — малолетний преступник
to be convinced — быть убежденным, уверенным
rescue — спасение
to dial — набирать номер, звонить
way out — выход из положения

Questions:

1. What does the Bible say about parents?
2. What is the reason of unhappy family?
3. When do teenagers experience conflicts?
4. What sets a conflict between two generations?
5. What problems do teens face?
6. What do teenagers especially need at that age?
7. How should parents help their children?
8. What other means come to their rescue?
9. What do we need not to have problems in the family?

My household chores

Doing household chores is an essential part of our daily life. Everybody wants to come back home after college or work and enjoy the quiet and cozy atmosphere of home. So, cleaning the house is a responsibility of the whole family. Our family is not an exception. We share our household chores to help each other.

As far as I am concerned, I have some household duties. Well, since childhood I got used to wash the dishes after meals. However, recently, my dad has bought a new dishwasher. So, now I just load or empty it. Sometimes I help my mom with cooking and clear or lay the table. As I am a good cooker, I often bake cakes or pies. We have lots of plants at home. That's why I regularly water them. 1 also take out the garbage and walk with my dog. Moreover, I always make the bed and clean up my room.

My mom's main responsibility is cooking. She always buys only fresh and healthy products which don't contain any chemical activities. I think that home-made meals are the tastiest. Besides, my mom does the laundry and vacuums the carpet. Twice a year she does spring and fall cleaning. She cleans the windows, arranges lots of items in the wardrobe and paints the ceiling.

My dad is a handy man. He is well at home repairs of all kinds. Last year he refurbished our apartment. He hung wallpapers, installed floor tiles and painted the walls.

My brother has his own duties at home. He helps to fix and repair some things. For example, he repairs electrical appliances when they are out of order. He has already repaired our mother's electric iron, my desk lamp and his own shaver.

There are some chores that we do together. At weekends we always go shopping for food or clothes. It is our family tradition. We prefer huge shopping malls like IKEA, where we spend the whole day. We always have a lot of fun.

Vocabulary:

household chores — домашние обязанности
to share household chores — делить домашние обязанности
quiet — тихий, спокойный
cozy — уютный, удобный
responsibilities — обязательства
to dust — вытирать пыль
to vacuum-clean — пылесосить
to wash up / to wash the dishes — мыть посуду

to do the laundry [ffo:ndn] — стирать белье
to dry the laundry — сушить белье
to iron — гладить
dishwasher — посудомоечная машина
to load / empty a dishwasher — загружать / разгружать посудомоечную машину
to lay / clear the table — накрывать на стол / убирать со стола
to walk with / to air a dog — выгуливать собаку
to water plants — поливать растения
to take out the garbage — выносить мусор
to make the bed — стелить постель
to clean up / to tidy up — убираться
home-made meals — домашняя еда
to do spring and fall cleaning — делать генеральную уборку (летом и осенью)
to clean the windows — мыть окна
to refurbish an apartment — делать ремонт в квартире
to hang wallpapers — клеить обои
to install tiles — класть кафель

Questions:

1. What are household chores? What does it mean?

2. Do you have any household duties?

3. Do you have any chores that you do together with your family?

My college

I study at college «Ugresha» in Dzerzhinskiy Moscow region. I am a first-year student. I would like to tell you some words about it. It is a 3-storeyed building with all modern conveniences.

On the first floor there is a security at the entrance door and a cloak-room. Before entering I must show them my Identity Card. All college students and teachers must keep the rules. We must come 15 minutes before the lesson.

On the left there is a college publishing office. On the right there is a large assembly hall on the second floor. All college celebrations are held in the assembly hall. The whole college collects together in the hall to mark some holidays. If you go straight you can find a college library with a good choice of books. Also there is a college canteen on the first floor. If you turn right and go upstairs there is a large gym.

At college we have classes in Russian, Literature, Mathematics, Geography, History, Chemistry, English and so on. Some classrooms are well equipped. They have cinema and slide-projectors, a TV-set and a tape-recorder; you can see schemes and tables on the walls. They are often helpful at the lessons.

Actually, this college is one of the best educational institutions in our town. It was founded in 1942. At first it was simply the school of factory training, and then it was transformed into the vocational school. In 2002 the vocation school received the status of college. Today, the college provides basic and advanced training in such specialties as Economics and Accounting, Logistics, Commerce, Information Systems, Law and Social security organization, Laboratory diagnosis, and some other branches. In addition, more than 15 thousand highly qualified specialists have been trained in the 70-year history of the college. I’m very proud to be a student of this college.

Vocabulary:

first-year student - первокурсник

3-storeyed building - 3х этажное здание

modern conveniences - современные удобства

security - пост охраны

cloak-room - гардероб

Identity Card - удостоверения личности, пропуск

keep the rules - следовать правилам

publishing office - типография

assembly hall - актовый зал

held in - проводиться

choice of books - выбор книг

canteen - столовая

school of factory training - школа фабрично-заводского обучения

vocational school - училище

specialty- специальность

highly qualified specialists - высококвалифицированные специалисты

Questions:

1. Where do you study? What year are you in?

2. How many floors does the building have?

3. Is the discipline strict in your college? What are the rules in your college?

4. Are you allowed to enter the college if you are late for a lesson?

5. Are the classes well equipped? What do they have?

6. Which classroom do you like best? Why?

7. Where is the Assembly Hall? What is held there?

8. Is the quality of teaching high?

9. How many people are there in your group?

10. What are the halls for the students like? Is it comfortable to sit there?

11. How are the walls decorated?

12. What is college canteen like? Is it pleasant to have food there?

13. Where do the students have PT lessons?

14. Do you attend PT lessons?

15. What do you do at the English lessons?

16. What would you like to change in your college?

My Flat

We have a nice flat rather far from the centre of the city. It is in a new sixteen-storey high-rise building in Lenina street. As there are so many storeys in the building it has two lifts. Our flat is on the fourth. It has all modern conveniences such as central heating, gas, electricity, cold and hot water, and a chute to carry rubbish down.

There are three rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a hall in our flat. The sitting room with a wall-size window facing the park is quite large. In this room there is a furniture unit. There is a TV-set, a video-recorder and a tape-recorder here. On the walls there are five paintings. A thick carpet covers the floor. We spend evening hours in this room. We watch TV, listen to the music or discuss the problems of the day.

My parents' room is small. There are two beds a dressing table with a mirror and a wardrobe there. An alarm clock and a small lamp with a pink lampshade are on the bedside table.

The third room is my study. There is not much furniture in it, only the most necessary pieces. It has a writing desk with drawers to keep papers in. There are books on the shelves all around the walls. There is a sofa with a cushion on it. Just behind it there is a reading lamp. There is an armchair and two chairs in my room.

Besides we have a kitchen. It is light and pleasant. In the kitchen there is a gas stove to cook the meals or boil the kettle on. There is very little furniture as the kitchen has fitted units, just a kitchen table and six stools. There is a refrigerator to keep food cool or frozen in hot weather.

The bathroom is very cosy. There is a bath, a washbasin with hot and cold water there.

My parents are hospitable. They often invite friends and relatives to our place. And everybody feels at home here.

Vocabulary:

light - светлый
carpet - ковер
mirror - зеркало
central heating - центральное отопление
modern conveniences - современные удобства
coffee maker - кофеварка
sixteen-storeyed – шестнадцати этажный
coat hanger - плечики (вешалка)
poster - плакат
coffee table - журнальный столик
refrigerator - холодильник (сокр. fridge)
right-hand corner - правый угол
comfortable - удобный
running water - водопровод
cosy - уютный
tap - кран
desk - письменный стол
thick - толстый
dining room - столовая
thin - тонкий
dish washer - посудомоечная машина
tidy - опрятный, аккуратный
toaster - тостер
electric fire - электрический камин
wallpaper - обои
wall unit - стенка
freezer - морозильная камера
wardrobe - платяной шкаф
furniture - мебель
well equipped - хорошо оборудованный
hallstand - вешалка, держатель
well-planned - хорошо спланированный порядок
to lay the table - накрывать на стол
yard – двор

Questions:
1. What is your address?
2. What conveniences have you got in your flat?
3. Will you describe your room?
4. Which is the coziest room in your flat?
5. How is your living room furnished?
6. In what room do you receive guests?

My Room

Everyone in this world has a favorite place. Some people tend to stay at their workplaces and some people like to spend time at restaurants, but I an introvert and I mostly like to spend time at my home. I love my house and my favorite room in my house is my bedroom.

I spend most of my time there as it’s not only a bedroom but also a study. The first thing is that I sleep in my bedroom, so it is the place which gives me the ultimate relaxation. I also like to watch movies in my room. Some people like to watch movies in their living room but I think otherwise. I want privacy and my bedroom is the only place where I can get it. There is no noise, no disturbance.

My room is very nice and cozy. I can’t say it’s spacious enough but I have everything I need there. There isn’t much furniture, only necessary things. For more convenience it’s built-in. My bed is situated in the left corner of the room, and my desk is in the right. Beside my bed there is a stylish lamp and a comfortable armchair with some stuffed animals on it. When it’s rainy weather outside, I like to turn on my lamp, sit in the armchair and read interesting books. As for the desk, it contains numerous drawers where I can keep my pens, pencils, markers, text-books, exercise books, notes, diaries and else. There are also some shelves with books in my room.

I have a large collection of Russian and English books. There are some posters with my favourite quotations and music bands on the walls. They set a special atmosphere in my room. I like my room a lot. It’s the place where I feel fine. When my friends come over, I invite them into my room. It’s a suitable place both for work and for rest.

American Homes

The majority of Americans live in or near large cities, but small living-town is still widespread. A suburb (a small community near a big city) offers the advantages of safer, more intimate small-town life with the recreational and cultural activities of the big city nearby.

For the typical American family, home may be at different place every five or six years. Most moves relate to new job opportunities, but sometimes the American pioneering spirit and desire for adventure inspire the move.

About two-thirds of Americans live in homes or apartments that they own.

But many people rent their living quarters. Some high-rise apartments are very expensive and elegant, but many are built for moderate or even law-income families. Many apartment buildings are condominiums or cooperative apartments, which means that each family owns the unit it lives in.

More than 10 million Americans live in mobile homes, living quarters built on wheels. They can be moved, but are generally brought to a site that becomes more or less permanent. Then the wheels are removed and the home is attached to the ground. Because they cost less than conventional homes, mobile homes are especially popular with young couples and retired couples with a limited incomes.

Questions:

1. Where do the majority of Americans live?
2. What is a "suburb"?
3. Do many people rent their living quarters?
4. What can you tell about mobile homes?
5. Why are mobile houses so popular with young couples?

Vocabulary:

majority — большинство
suburb —пригород
to inspire — вдохновлять
living quarter — жилая площадь
mobile house — подвижный дом
permanent — постоянный
income — доход

British Homes

There are 22 million homes in Britain — big homes and small homes, old cottages and new buildings, houses and flats. (Americans say "apartment" but British people say "flat"). Many British people love old houses and these are often more expensive than modern ones. They also love gardening and you will see gardens everywhere you go: in towns, villages and out in the country.

Some are very small with just one tree and a few flowers. Others are enormous with plenty of flowers and enough vegetables and fruit trees. Two third of the families in Britain own their houses.

Millions of these houses are the same with two or three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, dining-room and kitchen downstairs. To pay for their house, home owners borrow money from a "building society" and pay back a little every month.

There are a great many different kinds of homes in Britain, but there are not enough! It is often very difficult for young people to find a home when they want to start a family. British homes are usually smaller than American homes. But like Americans old people, young families and unmarried people do not usually live together.

Questions:

1. How many homes are there in Britain?
2. Two thirds of families own their own houses, don't they?
3. What do these families do to pay for houses?
4. Is it difficult or easy for young people to find a home?
5. What can you tell about British homes?

Vocabulary:

owner — владелец
to borrow — занимать
enormous — огромный

My Day

My every day activities are quite routine. On weekdays the alarm clock wakes me up and my working day begins. I usually get up at 7 o'clock. I do my physical jerks, wash, clean my teeth and comb my hair. Then I have breakfast. For breakfast I usually have toasted bread, bacon and eggs, tea or coffee and some jam. While I am having breakfast, I check messages and read news in social networks by using my phone.

It takes me 10 minutes to get to college. Classes in my college starts at 9 sharp and I have classes till half past 12.10. Then we have a big break and we go to the college canteen. I usually have three or four classes a day. I return home at 16 o'clock and take a short rest and I have lunch at 17.

After doing my homework I go for a walk with my friends.. I often play chess with them. Sometimes we go to the cinema but not very often. In summer I like to get out more, so in the evenings I go to the tennis court for a few sets of tennis, or take out my bike for a run in the country.

My parents usually return home at 19 o'clock. We have dinner at 19.30. As usual dinner consists of soup, fish or roast chicken, potatoes, vegetables and dessert. After dinner we go to the sitting room. There we read books, newspapers and magazines, watch TV, chat with the friends on the phone.

At 11 o'clock I take a shower, brush my teeth and go to bed. I fall asleep fast and have no dreams.

Questions:

1. Is it difficult for you to get up early?
2. Does your mother get up earlier than you? Why?
3. What do you do when you get up?
4. How much time does it take you to get to school?
5. When does your school begin?
6. How long does it last?
7. What do you usually do in the evenings?

My Day Off

Most people in our country work five days a week and me too. When I was a pupil at school I had always worked six days a week. Now I am the first-year student and our college has shifted to five-day studies. So I have to go to college five days a week. I have two days off, but Sunday is my favorite one.

I like Sunday very much. On the one hand you needn't hurry anywhere and you may go wherever you like after your week's work. On this day I wake up later than usual. There is always some interesting programme on Sunday morning on TV, so I watch it before we have breakfast. For breakfast we usually have some special dish on Sunday, a cake or buns and everybody has two cups of tea instead of one. On the other hand, I have to wash up on Sunday because I cannot say that I will be late for college.

I phone my friends and we discuss our plans for the weekend. Sometimes we go to the cinema. We have been to most museums and picture galleries in the city, but there is still a lot to see. Last Sunday, for example, we went to the Botanical Garden. There were a lot of brightly coloured flowers in the open air and we saw some rare tropical plants. They were in greenhouses as our climate is too cold for them. It was very pleasant to spend time there.
When the weather is fine, it is good to go to the country. We look for a nice place in the forest or on the bank of a river. We take some food and have a snack there in the open air. We play different games, swim and lie in the sun. In winter we often go skiing on the hills near the city. We make a snowman and play snowballs. Once or twice a week my friends and I go to the skating rink.

When the weather is bad, I stay at home and occasionally my friends come to my place. They bring over some new board games and use play or just talk.
In the evening all the members of our family get together. We have our supper, make plans for a new week, watch TV or read books. From time to time we recieve guests or go for a walk. I enjoy my days off very much.

Vocabulary:

board games - настольные игры
to come to smb's place - приходить к кому-либо
day off- выходной
to dig in smb's garden - копаться в саду
have a rest - отдыхать
leisure - досуг
to lie in the sun - загорать
to make a snowman - делать снеговика
to make plans - планировать
to play snowballs - играть в снежки
to earn smb's living - зарабатывать себе на жизнь
to go for a walk - идти на прогулку
to go to the country - ехать за город
to receive guests - принимать гостей
to relax - расслабляться
skating-rink - каток
to spend time - проводить время
to wash up - мыть посуду

Questions:
1. What do you like to do at weekends?
2. What are you going to do this weekend?
3. How do you usually spend Sunday mornings?
4. What do you do in fine weather?
5. What do you do on Sundays in winter?
6. How do you spend your time if the weather is bad?
7. What does your family do in the evening on Sundays?
8. How many days off do you usually have?

College life

They say that college life is something that one never forgets. I’m a freshman and a full-time student of the faculty of information technologies at college «Ugresha». Our group consists of 25 students, including our monitor. We study different subjects. Every member of our group feels like a real student, having a student membership carol, a student record card and a library card. Every day we have different classes: lectures, seminars or tutorials. There are so many students and so few rooms at our college. That’s why many first-year students have classes in the afternoon. We try not to be late for classes. As a rule, almost every student of our group comes to the college five minutes before the bell rings. So we can have a chat with each other. We usually have a lot of things to talk about. After classes everybody goes home to do a real avalanche of homeworks. We have to sit up late doing it. If one cannot cope with the work load of college he or she immediately starts lagging behind and missing classes. It’s easier to keep pace with the programme rather than to catch up with it later. During the term we write reproductions, compositions, papers, translations. Our works are handed in and handed out. At the end of each term we have tests and an examination session. When we have passed all the tests we start sitting up for the exams. After the exams a long-awaited vacation comes.

Now I can’t say that college life is a fascinating, fantastic experience. For the moment I can compare it only with a daily routine.