Ex. 4 Answer the questions

1. What faculty do you study at?

2. What year are you in?

3. What subjects do you major in?

4. Which of them do you find interesting?

5. What is the most difficult subject for you?

6. You have classes according to the time-table, don’t you?

7. When do your lessons begin and when are they over?

8. Do you come to the University long before classes begin?

9. Do you enjoy your studies at the University?

10. What other things do you enjoy doing?

11. Do you enjoy your studies at the University?

12. Do you live at the residence hall, rent a flat or live with your parents?

13. Do you take an active part in the social life of the faculty?

14. Do you meet your fellow-students after classes or do you only see them in the University?

15. Do you have enough time to do sports? What sport do you do?

Ex. 5. Comment on the following proverbs. Give Russian equivalents.

1. Live and learn.

2. It’s never too late to learn.

3. The more man knows, the greater power he has.

4. If you want knowledge, you must toil.

5. Two heads better than one. Four eyes see more than two.

Ex. 6. Speak about your studies.

Topic: Holidays

Ex. 1. Read the text and answer the questions:

My Winter Holidays

Students have holidays twice a year: in winter and in summer after passing examinations. Summer holidays last two months but winter holidays are quite short – they last only two weeks.

During my winter holidays I spend a lot of time in the open air. Winter is a good time for sports. My friends and I like to go to the skating-rink. It is near my house. There are usually a lot of people there.

On Sundays my parents and I go to the forest to ski. I’m not the world’s greatest skier but that doesn’t stop me having a wonderful time. The forest looks like a fairy-tale in winter. Everything is white with snow and it crunches under your skis. The rime like precious diamonds sparkles on the branches.

If it is cold I stay at home, read books or watch TV. Sometimes my friends come to see me. We talk, listen to music or play computer games.

Last winter holidays my friend and I went to the theatre. The performance we saw was the “Nut Cracker” by Tchaikovsky. I bought the tickets four days in advance. We left our coats in the cloakroom. We bought a programme that told us which parts the actors were playing and how many acts there were in the performance. The house was full. We sat in the stalls and had a clear view of the stage. The main parts were performed by very talented dancers. But I was also impressed by a very young ballet-dancer who was performing the part of Masha girl. I think she deserves respect of the audience because she did her best and looked great for her age. I enjoyed the play immensely.

Questions:

1. The academic year is divided into two terms, isn’t it?

2. When do students have holidays? How long do they last?

3. Why do students like holidays?

4. Do you look forward to your holidays?

5. Did you spend the last winter holidays well?

6. What do you like to do during your winter holidays?

Ex. 2. Read the text “My Summer Holidays” with a dictionary.

My Summer Holidays

At the end of June after my hard and busy academic year summer holidays begin. I start to plan a lot of wonderful things to do during my summer vocation.

Last year my friend and I went to the seaside. We stayed at the hotel situated at the foot of a big cliff protruding a little way out into the sea. The view over the sea from the cliff, which we used to climb now and then, was attractive. In the day-time we played volleyball, tennis, swam in the warm water of the sea. The sea was mostly calm and the water was so clear and blue that one could see the sandy bottom at the depth of some 5-6 feet. It was so shallow that one could walk into the sea for a long distance. After bathing it was wonderfully nice to stretch at full length on the burning hot sand and bathe in the sun, gazing into the cloudless sky.

After dinner there were all sorts of excursions, pleasure trips in a motor boat and, of course, a dip in the sea again.

In the evening I liked to sit on the beach watching the sea and enjoying the sunset. Time passed quickly and soon we had to make our way back. We returned home sunburnt and full of impressions.

By the time we had to go home we were greatly refreshed and were wonderfully tanned. We had a most lovely time indeed.

Then I was very happy to return home and to spend several weeks in my summer cottage, where I had a rest helping my grandparents to dig the garden, to water the plants and to gather fruit and vegetables. Sometimes my grandfather and I took our fishing-rods, some food and went fishing to the bank of the river. Coming back home we cooked our fish together. I enjoyed boating, swimming and helping my grandparents.