III Let’s talk about modern means of communication: TV, newspapers, radio, the Internet.

1. Which of these does your family like?

2. Is there any means of communication you can’t live without? Why (not)?

3. What questions will you ask the participants of “What? Where? When?” a famous TV programme?

4. My cousin spends a lot of time chatting in “Contact” and it makes all the family angry. What can you advise him and the family to do in this situation?

5. Can the Internet replace all the other means of mass media? What is your point of view?

Билет № 18

I 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

The most difficult language?

People often ask which language is the most difficult to learn, and it is not easy to answer because there are many factors to take into con­sideration.

A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portu­guese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chi­nese is very different. The greater the differences between the second language and our first one, the harder it will be for most people to learn.

Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system. The pronunciation of Chinese ap­pears to be very difficult for many foreign learners, too. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning this language will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Ro­man alphabet.

Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as each learner’s motivation for learning. If people learn a language be­cause they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day­to­day life.

British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many. But the language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 grammatical cases.

Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a ques­tion of the writing system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native speakers of relat­ed languages may find it easier.

2. The author explains why people find Chinese a very difficult language to learn. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What factors play an important role in learning a language?

4. Why do British diplomats find it difficult to learn Hungarian?

II Listen to the boy speaking about a football match and answer the questions below.

1. What sort of match did Tom play?

2. How did Tom’s team play during the match?

3. What was the result of the game?

Script:

The first time I played for the school football team was September 12^th — I can’t forget the date! The day was wonderful and the weather sunny. I was 13 and I was wearing a new pair of football boots I got for my birthday. It was a home game and lots of people were watching, including my parents. I was playing in the mid­field position. My best friend John was the goalkeeper. I felt quite nervous at the start but I soon relaxed. The crowd were cheering and shouting. Ten minutes into the game, the other team scored a goal. John looked really unhappy. For the next thirty­five minutes, our team tried really hard to score a goal but we were unlucky. At half­time, our PE teacher, Mr Hunter, talked to us and told us to play even harder! Though our competitors were well­trained, we were very enthusiastic and tried to attack as often as possible. We were really tired in the second half but in spite of this we managed to score a goal! It was a fantastic moment. The game ended in a draw. I didn’t score a goal but that didn’t matter. I was part of the football team now — that was the most importantthing.

III Let’s talk about a healthy way of life.

1. What influences a person’s health?

2. Is home­made food better than junk food? Why?

3. What questions will you ask a fitness coach?

4. What activities can you advise a person who wants to have a healthy way of life?

5. Why is a balanced diet important for your health?

Билет № 19

I 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Mobile phones

From children to senior citizens, mobile phones have become a craze¹ as a way of staying ahead with the technology. With our fast lifestyles, we have no time to meet our relatives or friends and are left with the only option of talking over the phone. Here comes the need of mobile phones, which allow us to stay connected wherever we are and whenever we need to.

Everybody today owns at least a basic mobile phone. What makes it easy to use is its user­friendly nature, small size and its numerous attractive features. However, people are always eager to replace their mobile phones with the latest models having more advanced fea­tures.

As the technology is scaling new heights, mobile phones are becoming cheaper and cheaper and the customer is getting more for less. A great way of amusing yourself is by playing games on your mobile phone. If you want to store your precious moments, you can use its video recording feature. Mobile phones can become expressions of who we are by get­ting mobile ringtones, wallpapers, which turn your phone into a unique device.

Whatever may be said against mobile phones their advantages have always scored over their disadvantages. They have proved useful for every purpose. Nothing is as comfortable as a mobile phone for communicating over a distance. You cannot be present at the same time at more than one place, but if required you can just make use of your mobile phone and get your work done.

Mobile phones have def initely become the most vital part of our lives. It is hard to imagine life without mobiles. Indeed, mobile phones keep you connected round the clock. They are now inexpensive, easy to use, comfortable and equipped with almost every latest feature you desire. Today, a technologically advanced mobile phone can perform as many tasks as well as that of a personal computer. Even remote countries have started having mobile phone services.

¹ a craze [kreIz] идея фикс, пунктик

2. The author explains why people need mobile phones nowadays. F ind this extract and read it aloud.

3. What features can be found in modern mobile phones?

4. Why are mobile phones a vital part of our life?

II Listen to Tina talking about a nasty experience she had and answer the questions below.

1. Who did Tina go to the skating-rink with?

2. What happened to her there?

3. How was she saved?

Script:

When I was eleven years old, I had an accident. I get scared even now when
I think about it. I went ice­skating near my house. It was the first time that I’d gone ice skating, so I was nervous and I wasn’t sure how to skate.

I went with a friend who was very good at it, and she spent some time teaching me, but I didn’t make much progress. I think she got fed up with me, so she left and I went off skating by myself. As soon as she left, I fell over, then again and again. In the end I got bored, so I took off my skates and just walked around on the ice in my shoes.

Suddenly, I stepped on something that wasn’t hard. What was it? It was a weak place in the ice! When I stepped on it, the ice broke and I fell in — I sank under the ice. I struggled and struggled but couldn’t get out. I was getting very frightened. Then, fortunately, a man came to help me. He grabbed¹ my arms and pulled² me up out of the water onto the ice. So I’m still alive today, but even now, whenever I think about that time, I feel uncomfortable.

And I don’t want to go skating again.

¹ to grab [grQb] схватить

² to pull [pUl] тянуть

III Let’s talk about sport.

1. What do you do to keep f it?

2. Do you agree that bad habits, like smoking, can be dangerous? Why (not)?

3. What questions will you ask a professional sportsman?

4. What can you advise a person who doesn’t know what kind of sport to take up?

5. Sport develops character and team spirit. Can you add any other points in favour of sport?

Билет № 20

I 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

How I got to the top

I was either ten or eleven when I wrote my first song. I don’t remember. My mum was struggling financially and emotionally, so I didn’t talk a lot. Finally, she told me if I couldn’t talk about what was bothering me, I should write about it. So she gave me a notebook, and my poems turned into lyrics.

I grew up in a very hardworking family. But we didn’t have lots of money. I was the kid whom friends’ parents bought Christmas presents for. One year, though, when I was in the sixth grade, my mom got a bonus at work, and instead of paying off bills, she bought me a CD player and four CDs.

I eventually got several college music scholarships but passed on them to move to Los Angeles in 2001. Everyone thought I was crazy to do it, but I moved to California anyway and got work singing backup¹. A friend and I lived in a house with some other people, and we finally saved enough money to get our own place. The day we moved into our apartment, the building burned down. I stayed in my car for a few days so I could get enough money to drive back to Texas. When I got home, a friend told me about the American Idol audition² in Dallas.

Looking back on the show, I find it strange going back and performing on Idol last spring. Everyone was always supportive and nice. But I think they were so nice because no one thought I was going to win. Members of the crew came up to me after the finale and told me they didn’t think I could have won.

I recently gave a self­esteem workshop for Girl Scouts in Nashville, and I told the girls that I wasn’t a role model for my weight. Sometimes I’m thicker when I’m around my family and I’m eating more. Sometimes I’m thinner because I’m on the road and that takes a lot out of me. But I do feel it’s important to talk to girls about weight. They see these images, and there’s no way they’ll ever live up to them.

Everyone says I’m down­to­earth. It would be very hard for me to keep up any sort of celebrity persona. It’s just not me. I’m comfortable in my skin. I’m outspoken. I don’t know any other way to be.

¹ a backup [ÈbQkÃp] подпевка

² an audition [ùÈdIS()n] проба, прослушивание

2. The author explains what made her write songs. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. Why were all the people nice to her during the show?

4. What did she talk to Girl Scouts in Nashville about?

II Listen to Ann speaking about a holiday that went wrong and answer the questions below.

1. What holiday did Ann want to have?

2. What problems did she have to face?

3. What decision did she make in the end?

Script:

Ann: Last year I went on a walking tour along the coast of the Baltic Sea. I was fed up with the idea of lying on the beach; what I wanted was an active holiday.

The first day was pretty good. I walked for about 7 hours. And in the evening I got to the place where I planned to spend the night, it turned out that there was not a single bed free. I had to sleep out on the beach. The second day started with heavy rain, so my things got very wet. On the third day I began to have problems with my shoes. My feet hurt so much that I had to take a bus to the nearest town to buy some other shoes. When I was there I accidentally met an old friend. She invited me to her holiday home, but I refused,

Next day, though, there wasn’t only a problem with my shoes (I mean the new ones), but also another worry: there was no way to go! The road along the shore was blocked for some reason. That time I decided to call my friend. She said happily, “Great! We’ll be lying on the beach, sunbathing and doing nothing!” Well, I must say I quite liked the idea.

III Let’s talk about fashion.

1. What style in clothes do you prefer and why?

2. Do you follow the latest fashion trends? Why (not)?

3. What questions would you ask a fashion designer?

4. What can you advise a person who wants to change something about his/her style but doesn’t know how to do it?

5. They say that young people pay a lot of attention to their style and want to be fashionable. What do you think about it?

Билет № 21

I 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Halloween

Halloween is always celebrated on 31 October. On that night, many people will look like frightening creatures such as vampires or ghosts. They do this with the help of special clothing and face paint.

Halloween traditions developed from Celtic beliefs in ancient Britain. The Celts believed that spirits of the dead would return to their homes on October the thirty­first, the day of the autumn feast. They built huge fires to frighten away evil spirits that night.

People from Scotland and Ireland brought these ideas with them when they came to America. Some believed that spirits played tricks on people on the last night of October. Historians say many of the Halloween traditions of today developed from those of ancient times. They say that wearing a mask to hide a person’s face is similar to the way ancient villagers covered their faces to make evil spirits go away.

On Halloween night, American children put on masks and other clothing. They go from home to home shouting “Trick or treat”! If the people in the homes do not give them a treat, the children may play a trick on them.

Some adults put on costumes and attend Halloween parties. They also decorate their homes. They might clean out the insides of pumpkins and cut funny faces on the surface. Then, they place a burning candle inside. Some hang fake¹ bats, spider webs and other things around the home.

The National Retail Federation is predicting that Americans will spend more on Halloween treats and products this year. The group says about six point nine billion dollars will be spent in all. That is eighteen percent more than last year when Americans spent f ive point eight billion dollars to celebrate Halloween.

The National Retail Federation also has information about what Americans will be wearing for Halloween this year. It says zombie costumes are tops among women, men and children.

¹ fake [feIk] поддельный, искусственный

2. The author describes how the ideas of celebrating Halloween came to the USA. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What do adults and children do to get ready for Halloween?

4. Why do many people celebrate this holiday nowadays?

II Listen to the conversation between a journalist and a Japanese girl and answer the questions below.

1. What does Shima usually eat?

2. Where does she eat?

3. What is happening to the Japanese diet at the moment?

Script:

Journalist: What do you eat in a typical day, Shima?

Shima: I don’t usually have breakfast, because I can’t get up early enough to it. I normally just buy a coffee and drink it in the office. I usually have lunch in the restaurant near the office with people from work. When I was younger, I used to go to fast food restaurants and have pizza, fried chicken and chips, but now I prefer eating something healthier, so I go to sushi restaurants or restaurants which serve organic, healthy food which is grown in local gardens. And for dinner I have to eat out a lot too.

Journalist: Do you ever eat unhealthy food?

Shima: Well I don’t eat a lot of unhealthy things, but I drink a lot of coffee every day. I know it is not a good habit and I am going to give it up one day. I began drinking more juice. Orange one is my favourite.

Journalist: Are people’s diets in your country getting better or worse?

Shima: Oh, probably worse. I think the diet in Japan today is much more westernized¹ than before and that’s why some people are getting fatter. But personally I like the fact that there are more different kinds of food and restaurants now. I enjoy the variety, it makes eating out much more fun.

¹ to be westernized [Èwest«(r)naIzd] находиться под влиянием западной культуры

III Let’s talk about travelling and tourism.

1. What role do they play in your life?

2. How do you like to travel?

3. What questions should you ask a travel agent to learn more about a tour?

4. What can you advise a person who doesn’t know where to spend his/her holiday?

5. What difficulties can you have when visiting a foreign country? Is it possible to avoid them?

Билет № 22

I 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Felt boots¹ are feast for the eyes

The financial­economic crisis of the 2009 was the third of its kind for Smilovichi Felting Factory’s Director, Vasily Saban. However, each time his unique company recovered from its challenging situation. Mr Saban, 55, has not only survived these times of trouble but has discovered a solution for ‘his’ factory — the company modernized its felt boot production, with the range of wool­made products expanded.

“This branch may be one of the oldest but it has seen progress,” says Mr Saban, looking at black­and­white photos from the 1950—1960s. “In 1928 Smilovichi staff made just 8—10 pairs of felt boots daily; the figure is ten times larger now, the quality has also improved. We are now working on making women’s felt boots more attractive and fashionable, without giving them high heels!”

Felt boots have been worn for over two centuries but still enjoy popularity with villagers, buiders, the military, steel workers and ice fishermen. In recent years, felt boots have even gained special status, being bought in Russia, the Baltic States, Ukraine and Finland; Smilovichi­made footwear is worn with pleasure.

The company makes 37 different wollen products — including felt boots for children and adults, technical felt, woollen blankets and pillows, and sets for banyas. Its major supplies of raw materials are based in Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan. The company has managed not only to avoid bankruptcy but to advance significantly in its traditional manufacture. The process of felt boot making is complicated and labour intensive, including 36 operations, with only a few of them mechanised.

…I went to Smilovichi to buy felt boots for my sister and ended up buying some for myself and my family. They are beautiful and warm and environmentally friendly, being produced from sheep’s wool, without addictive and synthetic glue². Anyone wearing Smilovichi­made felt boots must surely feel warm; their footwear has been made with love and keeps the warmth of their makers’ hands.

¹ felt boots [ÈfeltÈbuùts] валенки

² glue [gluù] клей

2. The director of the felting factory tells us about the factory’s achievements over the years. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What does the factory produce?

4. Why are felt boots becoming more and more popular all over the world?

II Listen to the conversation between a girl and a boy speaking about their family life and answer the questions below.

1. What do the boy and the girl say about their families?

2. Is the girl happy to have a family party?

3. What do John’s parents hope he will do after school?

Script:

Angela: I don’t know your family very well, John. I guess I haven’t been to your house that often.

John: No — you must come round again soon, and have dinner. My parents are quite fun. They come from up north, and then they moved down here when they decided that they wanted to start a family.

Angela: My family have always lived round here. It’s full of my cousins! So, do you get on well with your family? You don’t talk about them as much as some people talk about their families.

John: Oh yeah, they’re fine. It’s OK. They both work hard, so I don’t see them so much.

Angela: Sometimes I wish I saw a little less of mine! But in fact, I’m going to see everybody soon. I can’t wait for this party we’re having next month. Everyone’s coming.

John: That sounds like fun. I could do with some fun.

Angela: Oh? Is something the matter?

John: Well, it’s just that I’m expected to follow tradition and join my uncle’s firm when we finish school, but I think it’s boring. OK for a holiday job, maybe, but that’s enough…

Angela: Hm — what can you do in this sort of situation?

John: Yeah, I would ask my older brother, but he’s always at university…

III Let’s talk about environment.

1. People say that our planet is in danger. Do you share this opinion?

2. What do you think people should do to protect the environment?

3. What would you like to ask your British friend about measures that are taken to protect the environment in Britain?

4. A friend of yours wants to develop a programme to protect the city where he lives. Give him a piece of advice.

5. Green School of the Year contest is held in the country and you want your school to enter it. Give ideas for some ‘green events’.

Билет № 23

I 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Village with history of a city

Rakov is a wonderful place. Once it was a big city — a cultural, religious and economic centre. Today, it’s just a village located 40 km from Minsk.

I’ve heard plenty of stories about the origin of this unusual name — Rakov. Some connect the name with the Belarusian word ‘raka’, or the first settler, named Rak, or, even, the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra.

Rakov was first mentioned in written chro­nicles¹ in the 15th century — noted as a place owned by the great Lithuanian dukes. 150 years later, it became a town at the centre of Rakov county, with a castle, governor and constitution. A famous Belarusian nobleman and composer Michal Oginski also owned Rakov county for some time.

Rakov reached its height of power in the 17th century, when it was owned by the Sanguszko family. Anna Sanguszko — the wife of one of the Radziwills — set up in her native city the manufacture of ceramic ware² that enjoyed great popularity all over Belarus. Ceramic pots, angel figurines and baking dishes are still found buried beneath Rakov.

Today, Rakov has neither factories nor workshops. However, its residents are proud of their clean air and wonderful landscapes. A complex of several­storey red­brick buildings, constructed in an unusual style in a Rakov residents’ garden, stands out against the village’s architectural landscape. A large inscription³ on the facade reads: ‘Museum. Art­Gallery’.

Felix Yanushkevich — a restorer and a famous artist (his pictures are hung even in the Tretyakov Gallery) — owns the place. The gallery shows Felix’s works, as well as pieces by his no less talented brothers. Moreover, it holds ancient documents, furniture, musical instruments, ceramic ware. Today, the gallery has over 12,000 exhibits.

Silver water of the Rakov holy spring⁴ is running through my fingers again. What will happen if I drop a coin? They say it means that you’re sure to return. I certainly wish to come back, since I’ve truly enjoyed seeing this unusual village with the history of a city.

¹ a chro­nicle [ÈkrnIkl] хроника; летопись

² ceramic ware [sIÈrQmIk we(«)r] керамика

³ an inscription [InÈskrIpS(«)n] надпись

⁴ a spring [sprIN] источник, ключ, родник

2. The author tells us when Rakov was first mentioned in the chro­nicles and some facts about the town’s history. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What museum is situated in Rakov?

4. Why will it be interesting for people to visit Rakov?