Texts in English on various topics, Essays (high school) of English

Download Texts in English on various topics and more Essays (high school) English in PDF only on Docsity! About Myself and My Family To begin with, let me introduce myself. My name is Nina and I am a graduate of Dubno Teachers’ Training College. I was born on the 24th of August 1998 in the village of Ivannia, Dubno district, Rivne region. As far as I can remember, I always dreamed of being a teacher. In my childhood I used to play school very much. When I went to school, my first teacher became a modal of a teacher for me. She was very young but, nevertheless, very intelligent, responsible, creative, talented, our second mother, a faithful friend, a doctor, a person who helped deal with our problems, who supported us, who formed our minds and our future attitude to education. So after finishing the 9th form I’ve already chosen my future profession and entered our college. I’ve also chosen English as my second specialization not only because I love this beautiful language but also because nowadays you can’t find a good job without knowing it. I also do lot of sports. It’s great fun for me to play volleyball. I play in our college team. Another way I like to relax is to read a lot. I prefer contemporary literature. My favourite author is Stephen King. As to music I find rap great fun, but as a future teacher I must know classics and I often listen to Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mozart. Albioni,s ‘Adagio’ is one of my favourite . Speaking of my family, I’d like to mention that we are a family of four: my mum, daddy, my younger brother and me. My parents are young: mummy is 38, and daddy is 40. My father is a doctor at our district hospital. He is a surgeon. He is tall and thin. I think he is very handsome. My dad is a very honest man. My mum is a housewife. She is a very pretty woman with dark blue eyes and long blond hair. She has always much to do at home. My parents have been married for 20 years. They have much in common, but they have different interests, hobbies, points of view on sport and music. Our grandparents and our aunts and uncles live in Dubno and we often come to see them. Like many other families, we have problems but we try to deal with them together. We are very friendly. Certainly, sometimes we have conflicts because of my coming home late or my clothes, or my make-up and the like, but each of us knows that our home, our family is our castle where everyone will support you and where I am being taught to support others. And like many other families, our family has many traditions of its own. We usually celebrate the birthday parties of every member of the family, Easter or Christmas together. And if you ask me what is a real family like, I will answer that‘s a place where ‘the more you are together the happier you are’, the place where you are hurrying to with your problems, the place where you are always loved. Words and Expressions to begin with – насамперед graduate – випускник faithful – вірний to deal with problems – мати справу з, вирішувати contemporary – сучасний to have much in common – мати багато спільного and the like – і тому подібне My House/Flat Before starting to describe my house I’d like to dwell upon different kinds of lodgings. They can be a villa, a cottage, a detached-or semidetached house, a flat in a block of flats or in a skyscraper. And each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. If, for example, you are single or work in a city, it’s better to live in a bed-sitter. And, on the contrary, if you have a family and live in the countryside or in a small town, the best dwelling for you will be a cottage or a detached house. As for me, I live in the village and, of course, we have a detached house. It’s a two-storeyed building with all modern conveniences with a bathroom, a kitchen and a toilet on the ground floor and four spacious rooms on the first floor. As to our living-room, it has two large windows which face our beautiful garden. There is modern furniture in this room, and we like to spend evenings there drinking tea, talking or watching TV. The green carpet matches the light-green curtains and the light-green papered walls. My room is not so big but it’s my favourite place in the house because here I have a computer. It’s the place where I can relax, put on my head- phones and listen to my favourite tunes. Our kitchen is very big but cozy and up-to-date. We’ve got a fridge, a freezer, a microwave cooker and a dishwasher. Our bathroom is tiled with blue tiles. We keep our washing-machine there. I love my house, and when I visit my friends’ flats in Dubno, I don’t find it very convenient to live on the fourth or fifth floor without a lift, or, if there is any, it is often broken. When I think about my future, I imagine sometimes my future house somewhere near the ocean, not far from a big city, with a terrace, a garage and a garden. I imagine myself sitting in a big sitting-room and listening to the sounds of the ocean, to the singing of birds and breathing in the fresh ocean air. The pink curtains are moving slightly, touching the cozy arm-chair I am sitting in. My bare feet feel the soft carpet on the floor. The book I’ve just read lies on the small light-brown table. I enjoy being here. I look at the vase with my favourite pink roses, at the beautiful pictures on the walls. Somewhere, faraway, my children are hurrying home, to their castle, to the place they love most of all. And I know that the proverb ‘East or West, Home is Best’ is really true for me, and I hope will be true for my future family. Words and Expressions to dwell upon – детально зупинятися lodging – квартира detached house – окремий будинок semi-detached house – будинок на дві сім’ї bed-sitter – однокімнатна квартира on the contrary – навпаки dwelling – житло spacious – просторий head-phones – навушники tune – мелодія tile – плитка to breathe in - вдихати bare - голий castle - замок My Working Day Before starting to describe my daily actions I’d like to speak about my morning. As a matter of fact, I am not an early-riser, that’s why I hate getting up early, but I got used to it. Usually I wake up at 15 minutes to 7, but I like to stay in bed for a while. At 7 the alarm- clock rings and I get up. Of course, I know the proverb ‘early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’, but it’s so hard for me to start my day! I am sure I am not a lark. I know that to be fit means to start your day with morning exercises. But for me to do morning exercises is rather a punishment than pleasure. I wash, brush my teeth, comb my hair, have a quick light breakfast which consists of a cup of coffee or tea and a cheese or sausage sandwich and leave the house. I usually walk to the college. It takes me fifteen minutes to get there. But when it rains and the weather is nasty, I take a bus. Our lessons start at 8 a.m. We usually have four or five periods. Sometimes I have lunch at the canteen. to earn money – заробляти гроші tutor – репетитор contest – конкурс mighty - могутній staff – штат to recognize – визнавати, впізнавати to train – готувати child day-care centre – дитячий садок to be equipped with – бути обладнаним to be engaged in – бути задіяним у Through hardship to the stars – крізь труднощі до зірок My Future Job: Advantages and Disadvantages It’s very important for us to make the right choice of profession. But it’s not easy to choose out of more than 2,000 existing in the world. Some people follow the advice of their parents, others can’t decide even after leaving school. As for me, I made my choice long ago. My parents are teachers and I know all about this very specific and such an important job, about its advantages and disadvantages. To begin with, there are some very difficult aspects to this job. Firstly, teaching carries a huge amount of responsibility because a teacher forms young minds of his students, especially their future attitude to education. The power a teacher has is incredible. He must provide a secure and positive classroom environment. If a pupil’s first experience with education is negative, he’ll never have a positive attitude to learning and education in the future. Furthermore, teachers have to work extremely long hours. To do the job properly a teacher has to spend a vast amount of time preparing lessons beforehand and then marking homework afterwards. To make matters worse, the teaching profession is badly paid worldwide. This does not seem an attractive choice of career. But it’s not all negative. If you ask them, the majority of teachers will reply that teaching can be the most rewarding profession in the world. The reason for this is often the relationship between the teacher and the pupils themselves. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to help pupils deal with their problems and allow them to develop in a positive and supportive manner. Furthermore, teachers can allow themselves a great amount of creativity. Not many professions can do the same. So teaching is not an easy profession. It involves responsibility, long hours, low pay and total commitment. However, most teachers say they wouldn’t want to do anything else. In conclusion I’d like to describe a humorous picture from the Internet which is called ‘Parts of a Teacher’. A teacher must have eyes – to see the marvelous works of her students, ears – to hear all the stories that kids tell her, hands – to hold, help and hug, an intelligent mind – to think and know how to help each child, feet – to bring the kids to interesting places outside the school, and a heart that loves all the children. Words and Expressions to exist – існувати advantage – перевага a huge (vast, great) amount of – величезна кількість disadvantage – недолік to begin with – насамперед incredible – неймовірний classroom environment – атмосфера в класі furthermore – більш того properly – належним чином rewarding – вдячний total commitment – повна самовіддача to involve – втягати, залучати marvellous – чудовий, дивовижний At the Provision Shop Now I live in the town of Dubno which is famous for its Department Store, supermarkets, provision shops and three markets where you can buy all you need. As for me, I prefer to go to the supermarket ‘Dubno’ which is not far from the place I live. Certainly, when you want to buy cottage cheese or meat, it’s better to go to the market where you can bargain or taste and smell the food-stuffs you need to be sure they are fresh. As to the supermarket,it has its own advantages: you can find all you want in one place, and there are huge refrigerators there where food-stuffs are kept fresh. There are many departments there: the butcher’s, the baker’s the grocer’s, the greengrocer’s, the confectionery, the dairy, and by the way, one can buy there different kinds of toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap and the like. Last time my friend and I went to the supermarket was when we ran out of food-stuffs in the hostel. So at the baker’s we bought two white loaves and six rolls, at the grocer’s we bought ground coffee, tea and flour, a kilo of apples and two oranges at the greengrocer’s and a packet of sour cream at the dairy. Then we looked at the price of meat and sausage at the butcher’s. There was a great choice of pork, veal and other kinds of meat and sausages there but they were too expensive for us and we hurried to the cash-desk. There was a long queue there. The cashier wrapped our food-stuffs and we paid the money. Then we dropped in at the confectionery to have some coffee with cakes. The coffee was really good. Then I remembered that we didn’t buy potatoes and onions and we bought them at the vegetable stall near the bus stop. We also bought a tin of sprats at the fishmonger’s and went home. Frankly speaking, I don’t like to go shopping. I find it very tiresome. My friend’s mother usually brings fresh fruit and vegetables from the village they live in. She is a farmer and sells all she grows at the market. Sometimes she sells pork and veal. To my mind, the food-stuffs she sells are the best: fresh, tasty and cheaper than at the supermarket. Personally I like her dairy products. They smell wonderful. So as for me it would be better to buy food-stuffs at the market if all the farmers were like my friend’s mum. Words and Expressions provision shop – продовольчий магазин certainly – звичайно to bargain – торгуватися the butcher’s – м’ясний магазин the baker’s – хлібний the grocer’s – бакалійний the greengrocer’s – овочевий the confectionery – кондитерська the dairy – молочний the fishmonger’s – рибний by the way – між іншим to run out of – закінчуватися white loaf – буханка білого хліба roll – булочка ground coffee – мелена кава flour – борошно queue – черга expensive – дорогий cheap – дешевий to wrap – загортати to drop in at – заходити у vegetable stall – овочевий лоток tin of sprats – банка шпротів Ukrainian Cuisine Ukrainian cuisine is varied and rich in taste and nutritional value. It was influenced by many factors: geography and climatic conditions, plant cultivation, technological changes, economic relations with other countries and so on. Since ancient times bread has held a special, primary position in the cuisine of our people. It is the object of reverence. Bread is used to bring divine blessing at the marriage ceremony, the birth of a child, the move to a new home. As the sign of hospitality guests of honour at celebrations and public functions are greeted with a ceremonial offering of bread and salt. Cooked cereal is an ancient Ukrainian food. The most commonly eaten are buckwheat, millet, and in the Hutzul and Transcarpathian regions, cornmeal. The favourite dishes made of flour are dumplings (halushky) and filled dumplings (varenyky) with various types of filling: cottage cheese, potato, cabbage, meat, cherries and the like. The potato is most widely used vegetable in Ukrainian cooking. Boiled or baked potatoes are served alone or with meat, fish, cabbage, mushrooms and so on. Potato pancakes are served with sour cream. Another important element in Ukrainian cooking is cabage, particularly sauerkraut. Cabbage leaves are used in making cabbage rolls (holubtsy) which are filled with rice and meat, buckwheat or millet grits. Other vegetables such as onions, garlic, carrots, radishes and cucumbers are frequently eaten raw. Cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes are pickled for winter. In a Ukrainian tradition a soup or borsch must be served for dinner. Various soups made with meat, fish, vegetables, fruit or milk are popular, but borsch remains the favourite. It is made of vegetables, among which beets and cabbage are predominant, and meat. As to meat, the most popular is pork and its products, such as ham, blood sausage, smoked bacon and salt pork. Foods prepared with milk, dairy products and eggs have been long a part of Ukrainian cooking. Soured milk is a favourite drink throughout Ukraine. Cottage cheese is eaten with sour cream. Fruits and berries, when in season, are eaten fresh or made into custards and compotes. Bread kvas, birch sap are popular folk beverages. There are significant regional variations in Ukrainian cuisine but, in general opinion, it is one of the best cuisines of the world. Words and Expressions сuisine – кухня varied – різноманітний nutritional – поживний the object of reverence – предмет пошани divine – божественний guest of honour – шановний гість potato pancakes – деруни sauerkraut – квашена капуста grits – крупа frequently – часто to pickle – маринувати to remain – залишатися custard – крем avoid smoking, food high in cholesterol and fat, you should have a certain amount of exercise and maintain a healthy body weight. Certainly the progress of science is a wonderful thing, and we can get medical help in hospitals, clinics, polyclinics and different medical centres. We know that if a hundred years ago there was medicine for diphtheria, measles, whooping cough and for many infectious diseases, nowadays the situation has changed and our medicine has succeeded in treating many of them. You can always go and see a doctor, and you are sure he will examine you and give you an advice. If your teeth need attention, filling or extracting, or if you need false teeth, then you go to the dentist. If your eyes need attention, you go to the oculist who will examine them, test your sight and will write out a prescription which you take to the optician, who will then make the necessary glasses for you. Last month I fell ill. I had high fever, dry cough and a splitting headache. My nose was running. The symptoms were very much alike as at the flue. My mum called a district doctor and she came in an hour. She took my temperature and my blood pressure, listened to my chest and asked me some questions about symptoms. She said that I had a flue and prescribed me some pills and cough mixture. She told me to drink much, especially tea with lemon and honey and stay in bed for some days, or else I could have complications. In some days I felt better and in a week I fully recovered. While I was ill, I was thinking about the value of health. And really, is there anything more important than health? I rather doubt it. If your body suffers from any disorder, your mind suffers with the body, too and you can’t be good either at work or at studies. So, the advantages of the healthy way of life are obvious: they lay the foundations for long and happy life. Words and Expressions there is no denying the fact – не можна заперечувати той факт, що to avoid – запобігти preventable – такі, якім можна запобігти a certain amount of – певна кількість to maintain – підтримувати diphtheria – дифтерія measles – кір whooping cough – коклюш infectious – інфекційні to succeed in treating – мати успіх у лікуванні false teeth – вставні зуби optician – оптик to have high fever – мати високу температуру to cough – кашляти to have a splitting headache – мати сильний головний біль (голова розколюється) my nose was running – у мене нежить complications – ускладнення fully recovered – повністю видужав Ukraine – My Motherland Ukraine is the country where I was born and where my parents and friends live, the country which is the best place in the whole world for me. Ukraine is a sovereign state. It has its own history, government, national emblem and anthem. It is situated in the very centre of Europe and borders on Russia, Byelorussia, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. Its total area is 603,700 square kilometers. Our country is mostly flat with the Carpathian Mountains in the west and the Crimea Mountains in the south. Though the Crimea is now occupied by Russia, I am sure its territory will be returned to us in the nearest future. Ukraine is washed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and has very important ports. The major rivers are the Dnieper, the Dniester, the Donets and others. The Svityaz is the largest lake of Ukraine. The climate in Ukraine varies from temperately continental to subtropical in the south of the Crimea. As to the political system of our country, the highest body of the legislative power is our Parliament – the Supreme Rada, the highest body of the executive power is the Cabinet of Ministers and the Supreme Court is the highest body of the juridical power. The national banner of Ukraine is blue and yellow, the blue colour means the blue sky, and the yellow means the yellow wheat, or, as some people say, the golden sun. The coat of arms of Ukraine is the golden trident, and our national anthem is ‘She lives on, our Ukraine’. Ukraine is a very rich country. It has deposits of oil, coal, titanium, nickel, chrome, mercury and other rare metals. It is also rich in granite, sulphur, potash salts, clay and other natural resources. Ukraine has a very rich culture and history. It has given the world many brilliant names in literature, history, painting, music and science. Speaking about the best known Ukrainians, I can’t but mention the names of B. Khmelnytsky, T. Shevchenko, I. Franko, M. Lysenko and many others who won recognition not only in Ukraine but all over the world. As you know, the capital of Ukraine Kyiv is one of the oldest and charming cities of Europe. It is our leading spiritual and cultural centre. As to other cities, the most famous are Lviv, a scene city in the west of Ukraine, Dnidropetrovsk, a large industrial centre, Odessa, a true gem on the Black Sea and many others. Nowadays our country survives very difficult times in its history. But I’d like to mention the words of our anthem ‘ She lives on, our Ukraine, her freedom and glory, let us trust that once more fortune may illumine her story. Like the dew before the sunshine our foes disappearing, we shall rule, oh youthful brethren, our land nothing fearing…’ And I deeply believe that our country will overcome all these hardships, that one day we will unite again ‘in a great new family’, as Taras Shevchenko said. Words and Expressions national emblem (coat of arms) – герб anthem – гімн flat – рівний the legislative power – законодавча влада the executive power – виконавча влада the juridical power – юридична влада mercury – ртуть sulphur сто – сірка potash salts – калійні солі clay – глина can’t but mention – не можна не згадати to win recognition – здобути визнання leading spiritual and cultural centre – провідний духовний і культурний центр a scene city – мальовниче місто a true gem – справжня перлина Kyiv – the Capital of Ukraine Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is one of the oldest cities of Europe. It was the cradle of three peoples – the Russian, the Ukrainian and the Byelorussian. Nowadays it is a large political, industrial, scientific and cultural centre of Ukraine. It is the seat of the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers. The city is situated on the picturesque banks of the Dnieper River. It was first mentioned in the historical documents in the 5th century, and as Kyiv is an ancient city, there are a lot of places of historic interest such as St. Sophia’s Cathedral, St.Volodymyr’s Cathedral, St, Andrew’s Church, the Golden Gates and others. There are a lot of monuments and museums in Kyiv, too. When I was there last year, I was impressed by the monuments to B. Khmelnytsky and Prince Volodymyr. We also visited Kyiv-Pechersky Monastery which stands on the green hills above the Dnieper, and its sparkling gold cupolas can be seen from outside the capital. Then we went to the Historical Museum and the Museum of Western and Oriental Art. The exhibits and pictures represented there are very rich and exiting. Kyiv is also the centre of Ukrainian culture. It is famous for its theatres and concert halls. The performances staged at these theatres are always of great demand. The city is a great scientific centre. A lot of research institutes and higher educational establishments are located in it. It is the seat of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Kyiv is a great transport centre with a large railway station, several bus stations, a river port and up-to-date airports. But as every big city it has its own problems, especially ecological ones. Smoke and gases from factories, cars, trucks and buses pollute the air and water. And how often do we think that our own activities are the source of this pollution and the source of provoking many serious diseases? What I also don’t like in Kyiv and think it to be a problem, too is ugly new buildings in the old part of the capital. To my mind, they look like monsters and only spoil the beauty of the city. I am convinced we all should protect Kyiv from dirty streets and beaches, from these ugly houses, from harmful people’s activities because Kyiv is a face of our country, its heart and soul. People have always travelled to Kyiv because of its greenery and beauty. I am sure they will continue to do so for a long time in the future. Words and Expressions cradle – колиска picturesque – мальовничий sparkling – сяючий, іскристий to be of great demand – мати величезний попит up-to-date – сучасний to be convinced – бути переконаним Famous People of Ukraine Ukraine has a very rich culture and history. It has given the world many brilliant names in literature, history, painting, music and science. Speaking about the best known Ukrainians, I can’t but mention the names of B. Khmelnytsky, T. Shevchenko, L.Ukrainka, I. Franko, M. Lysenko, M. Drahomanov, M. Hrushevsky and many others who won recognition not only in Ukraine but all over the world. By UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) decisions the anniversaries of their births are celebrated worldwide. The Ukrainian composer school is connected with the name of M. Lysenko. He is famous for nine operas and a great deal of beautiful songs. Such immortal works of his as ‘Taras Bulba’, ‘Natalka Poltavka’ and ‘Eneida’ are still staged at home and the world’s opera houses. The Ukrainian fine art is represented by the names of Borovykovsky, Murashko, Trush, Pymonenko, Yablonska and many other famous painters. I like reading and I can tell about such well-known writers as Lessya Ukrainka, Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko and others. But these writers belong to the previous century. They private – рядовий to resume – знову повертатися ‘Testament’ – «Повчання Володимира Мономаха»Заповіт» Seasons There are four seasons in the year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. There are three months in every season. In spring the days become longer and the nights shorter. The sun shines and it is warm. Bright spring sunshine begins to melt snow in the fields and in the streets, the icy sheets on the rivers and lakes. The trees begin to bud and soon tiny green leaves begin to appear. Birds return from the south. Fruit trees begin to blossom. Nature awakens. In summer the days are the longest and the nights are the shortest. It is very hot. People have holidays and vacations. Summer is the time of rains, showers, thunderstorms and lightning. In autumn the days become shorter and the nights longer. The sky is often cloudy. This is a rainy season. But there are usually a few sunny days in late September, which are called an Indian summer. The leaves on the trees and grass turn yellow and fall. “Fall”, by the way is the name of autumn in American English. Late autumn greets winter. In winter the sky is grey, the sun shines but isn’t warm. The weather gets frosty. Is snows, sometimes heavily, and the ground is covered with a white sheet. The greatest holidays in winter are Christmas and New Year. And on these days we say “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year”. The season is characterized by a distinctive temperature, rainfall, vegetation and the like, which occur at different times in different regions and is determined by a position of the Earth in relation to the Sun. My favourite season is summer. Frankly speaking I love this season not only for hot weather, but for long holidays. I try to spend more time on the seashores, river beaches, in the forests and in the mountains. Moreover, it’s a good time to get a sun tan, to swim, to pick mushrooms and berries, to gather flowers. Sometimes it’s raining cats and dogs. I do my best to have a good rest and get ready for studies. It should be mentioned that the way we live our lives today is having a very damaging effect on the environment. Pollution from cars, factories and power stations leads to global warming. Global warming is causing the ice at the North and South Poles to melt, leading to serious flooding and violent storms in many parts of the world. In other places there will be less rain and the land will be turned into a desert. Climate change is making conditions difficult for people, plants and animals. They say that when two Englishmen meet their first talk is about the weather. The weather is subject to frequent changes. West winds from the Atlantic Ocean bring rain and make English winters mild. They are the reason why the climate of the country is mild. The British Isles as a whole are not the best place to sunbathe. Everybody knows that Great Britain is the country of fogs. In conclusion I’d like to say that every season has its charm and advantages. Words and Expressions to melt – танути icy sheet – льодова крига to bud – пускати бруньки tiny – крихітний to blossom – цвісти to awaken - прокидатися shower – злива thunderstorm – грім lightning – блискавка Indian summer – бабине літо distinctive – відмінний, характерний vegetation – рослинність and the like – і тому подібне to be raining cats and dogs – сильно дощити to do one’s best – робити все можливе violent – сильний desert – пустеля to sunbathe – засмагати Plants and Animals of Ukraine Ukraine is one of the most beautiful countries of the world, its flora and fauna are very rich. Ukraine has plantations of pines, oaks, firs, beeches, birches and other valuable trees, berries, mushrooms and medical herbs. The animal world of Ukraine is diverse, with hundreds of species of mammals and birds. Predators include wolves, badgers, martens; hoofed animals include roes, deer, wild pigs, elks; there are beavers, marmots, hamsters and field mice. Characteristic of the birds are sparrows, titmice, grouses, owls and partridges. Certain fur animals (nutria, mink, silver-black fox, musk-rat) introduced into Ukraine have acclimatized well. In the rivers, lakes and reservoirs there are perch, bream, pike and carp. Animals of Polissia include wolves, wild pigs, elks, lynxes, martens, beavers, polecats, raccoons and bears with such birds as black, hazel and wood geese. The Forest-steppe zone contains the wolves, forest martens, foxes, hares and roes. The rivers are home to ducks, storks, geese and cranes. The Steppe zone is the largest natural geographic zone in Ukraine. In the past the steppes were covered in natural grasses. Now they are under cultivation. Virgin steppe remains only in nature reserves. In the Carpathians we can see different vegetation according to altitude. We find mixed forests with beech, hornbeam, fir and oak. In spring the mountains are abloom with saffron, primrose, mercury, snowdrop and edelweiss. The animal life of the Carpathians is unique. Here one finds deer, brown bears, wild cats and pigs, ermines and black squirrels. Bird life includes stone thrushes, golden eagles and black woodpeckers. The Crimean Mountains vegetation is very diverse. Here we can find hornbeam, pear and maple. The principal tree species in the Crimean Mountains is the oak. In late April snowdrops, crocuses, steppe sedge and other flowers come into bloom here. In May these meadows are a multicoloured carpet of flowers. The parks of the Southern Coast contain cypresses, palms, magnolias, platans, laurels. The animal world of this region is distinct from the other zones. Birds and animals have survived here which are rare or extinct in other places. Such birds include eagles, black griffons, owls; reptiles and others. We can also find noble deer, roes, wild pigeons, small weasels, white- tailed eagles, mountain linnets, blue stone thrushes, etc. There are many lizards and some snakes. And now I’d like to say a few words about domestic or farm animals and pets. My aunt lives in the village and has a cow, two pigs, a goat and many hens and geese. As for me, I have a dog and a cat. My cat is very funny and likes to play with my little sister very much. And my dog is my true friend. He is always licking me when I come home and goes wild with joy, and when I am sad he looks into my eyes as if understanding my problems. I am sure that dogs are true and reliable friends who love their masters more than they love themselves. Words and Expressions beech – бук diverse – різноманітний species – вид, різновид predator – хижак marten – куниця hoofed animals – парнокопитні elk – лось marmot – бабак titmouse – синиця grouse - рябець partridge – куріпка mink – норка musk-rat – ондатра perch – окунь bream – лящ pike – щука lynx – рись polеcat – тхір raccoon – єнот stork – лелека crane – журавель altitude – висота hornbeam – граб mercury – пролісок ermine – горностай stone thrush – кам’яний дрізд woodpecker – дятел sedge – осока laurel – лавр distinct – відмінний (від інших) extinct – вимерлий weasel – ласка pigeon – голуб linnet коноплянка Appearance They say ‘Appearances are deceptive’, but I’m sure you will agree with me that our appearance is very important. Everyone wants to be good-looking. All of us, especially girls, want to be pretty and many of us are lucky to wear make-up. We can put a little black mascara on our eyelashes and some eye-shadow on our eyelids and look fresh and attractive. And if we have much money, we can change our appearance with plastic surgery. Nowadays plastic surgeons can change your face, your body and make you twenty years younger. Someone said, ’Beautiful people are perhaps a little bit happier, but not as much as we can imagine’. Being attractive is like being rich – it can help you find happiness, but it doesn’t always make you happy. Sometimes it is a problem to be a really beautiful woman, because men may be more interested in looking at women than talking to them. They think of a good-looking woman as a picture, rather than a person. There are also some people who think that pretty women and handsome men must be stupid. They believe that only unattractive people can be intelligent. closely – тісно attachment - відданість, прихильність although – хоча in the foreground – на передньому плані vivid – живий radiate – випромінювати Music in My Life Can you think of a day without music? There is music everywhere: at home, in the concert hall, in parks, at the seaside and even in the forest. People cannot live without music. They listen to music, they dance to music, they learn to play musical instruments. But what is music? Specialists explain it very well. Music isn’t combination of pleasant sounds only. It is an art which reflects life. Music reflects people’s ideas and emotions. Music is also a weapon. It fights for light against darkness, for freedom against tyranny, for humanism against barbarity. When speaking of different forms of music I’d like to mention first and foremost classical music. I prefer different genres: symphony, concerto, chamber music, vocal music, opera and ballet. Classical music gives me delight, partly sensual, partly intellectual. And like other teenagers I like to listen to all genres of modern music: pop, rock, jazz and so on. I admire Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart. As to Ukrainian composers, my favourite is Mykola Lysenko. He was an outstanding composer, a pianist and a teacher. Lysenko was born in Poltava in 1842 and died in Kyiv in 1912. He studied in Kharkiv and Kyiv universities but his calling was music, and continued his studies of music in Leipzig. After returning to Kyiv he worked as a conductor and a teacher of music. His musical compositions were numerous. His works include ‘Natalka-Poltavka’, ‘Taras Bulba’ and operas for chldren’. Lysenko was the founder of the national movement in music. Many young people today are gravitating towards new rhythms. That’s why pop, rock, jazz and more modern genres of music are so popular nowadays. Another important influence is folk music. I enjoy Ukrainian folk songs. As to modern Ukrainian singers, I prefer Sviatoslav Vakarchuk. His songs are wonderful. They reflect our problems, they evoke exciting emotions and feelings, and his lyrics make us think about the sense our life. Words and Expressions weapon – зброя barbarity – варварство first and foremost – насамперед chamber music – камерна музика delight – задоволення Cinema I am not a great cinema-goer, first of all because there is no cinema in the place I live in, but I can’t deny the role of cinema in our life. The film history is very long, full of events and very interesting. As far as I know, the first moving pictures were shown in the 1890s in Paris. For a number of years films were black-and- white and mute. And of course, many of them were shot in Hollywood. All of us know such names as Charlie Chaplin, Lawrence Olivier, Clark Gable and many other famous actors of those days. By the 1950s increasing competition from television led the film industry to concentrate on special effects. Also exploited were horror and thriller genres, Western or kung fu films and science-fiction. Among different types of films such as cartoons, westerns, science-fiction movies, disaster movies, documentaries, horror films, thrillers and other genres I prefer melodramas, documentaries and comedies. As to my favourite actors, Nikulin, to my mind is the best, especially in ‘The Diamond Arm’ where he is in the title role. He is a real favourite with public. His face is enough to set us roar with laughter. His acting is wonderful. Nikulin is a versatile actor, by the way. I saw him in tragic films, too, and there he was fantastic and made me cry. As to Ukrainian cinema, it is developing rather successfully. One of the last Ukrainian films ‘The Leader’ was a great success not only in Ukraine but also in the whole world. It is a film about the tragic destiny of the Ukrainian Kobza players and the whole Ukrainian people in the 1930s-1940s. As to my favourite film, I prefer ‘Titanic’, though people say that to talk about ‘Titanic’ is to talk about money. And it really cost $200 million. Nevertheless it’s a great film. It’s no mere disaster movie. ‘Titanic’ is an epic love story, it’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ on a sinking ship. The film has become an international sensation. Special effects, fantastic acting of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, and what is the most important, Cameron’s talent and wonderful music make the film one of the best films about love, money and its evils. Watching the film we don’t wonder what’s real and what’s computer-generated. What we feel is the horror experience, the depth of folly that left this ‘unsinkable’ ship so vulnerable to disaster. Well, the magic of cinema is unbelievable. Words and Expressions deny – заперечувати moving picture – фільм shoot (shot, shot) – знімати (фільм) mute – німий science-fiction movie – науково-популярний фільм disaster movie – фільм катастрофа documentary – документальний фільм horror film – фільм жахів thriller- трилер to set smb roar with laughter – кататися від сміху versatile – багатосторонній mere – простий evil – злий, зло computer-generated – створений комп’ютером folly – дурість, нерозсудливість vulnerable – уразливий Great Britain There is a proverb “There is no place like home”. Certainly I agree with it. But there is one country I would like to live in for at least a month. It’s Great Britain. First of all let me tell you some words about the geographical position of the country. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on two large islands called the British Isles. They lie off the north-west coast of Europe and include Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), Ireland (Northern Ireland and the independent Irish Republic) and some smaller islands. The total area is 244, 100 square kilometers The biggest island is Great Britain. No place in Great Britain is far from the sea. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the England Channel. London is the capital of Great Britain. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. Cardiff is the capital of Wales. The main city of northern Ireland is Belfast. The major rivers of the country are the Thames, the Severn, the Trent, the Clyde, etc. As to the mountains they are the Pennines, the Cumbrian mountains, the Grampians. The largest cities of the United Kingdom are London, Bermingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and others. West winds from the Atlantic Ocean bring rain and make English winters mild. They are the reason why the climate of the country is mild. The British Isles as a whole are not the best place to sunbathe. The weather is subject to frequent changes. It’s not a secret that when two Englishmen meet their first talk is about the weather. The population of Great Britain is 57 million people. It should be mentioned that the British population is predominantly urban and suburban. Greater London, the South and the South- East are the most densely populated areas of Britain. Four out of every five people live in towns. And now let me dwell upon the state system of the country. Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen is formally the head of state. But in fact the country is ruled by a Prime Minister responsible to Parliament which consists of two Houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Prime Minister is the Head of the Government. As to the places of interest of Great Britain I can’t but mention Stonehenge, Snowdonia, Welsh Lakes the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey. Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and the British Museum are also a great attraction. There is one place I would like to visit most of all. It’s Stonehenge which is situated in England. It’s a circular group of large upright stones or solar temple on Salisbury Plain. It is known to be Britain’s most important prehistoric monument and to be anywhere from 3,500 to 4,000 years old. The largest stones are 21,5 ft high. So, Great Britain, the birthplace of many outstanding writers, poets, scientists, is the country which constantly attracts a lot of people. Words and Expressions at least - принаймні mild - помірний to sunbathe – засмагати frequent – частий predominantly urban and suburban – переважно міський і приміський the most densely populated - найщільніше заселений can’t but mention – не можу не згадати circular – круглий upright stone – вертикальний камінь solar temple – сонячний храм to attract - приваблювати London – the Capital of Great Britain Many years ago Samual Johnson said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford” London, the capital of Great Britain, is one of the greatest cities in the world and the cradle of British tradition and culture. London, with the population of more than 8 million people, is the largest city in the world after Tokyo and New York. The city is situated on the banks of the river Thames. The historical centre of London is the city. There are some parts of London, which have distinctive features. For example, the West End is famous for fashionable shopping and entertainment centres. The East End is an industrial district. Westminster is the place for government offices. The City is the financial centre and Soho is known for international (Greek, Italian, Indian) restaurants and many entertainments. London has a number of parks and gardens such as Kensington Gardens, Australia has several different climatic regions, from warm to subtropical and tropical. The hottest summer month is January, and the coldest winter month is June. As Australia lies in the southern hemisphere it cold in the south of Australia and hot in the north. New Zealand is situated to the south-east of Australia. When it is midnight in Great Britain, it is midday of the next day in New Zealand. The seasons in New Zealand are also different from what they are in Great Britain. From December till February it is summer, from March till May it is autumn, from June till August it is winter and from September till November it is spring. Summer is not very hot and winter is not very cold in New Zealand. English is the national language in New Zealand. Many people from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland came to live in Australia and New Zealand by the end of the 18th century. And now I’d like to say a few words about some national features of the native people of New Zealand – the Maoris. They were the first who settled the country. It was 1,000 years ago. Maoris is a Polynesian people. And the British came here at the end of the 19 th century. The British waged the war on the Maoris. Thousands of the Maoris were killed, but their culture survived. Beautiful songs and dances are as old as the Maori people itself. It was the Maoris who called New Zealand the country of long white clouds because of smoke and steam that come from volcanoes and geysers. They say, ‘So many countries, so many customs’ and in my opinion, all the English-speaking countries are worth visiting. Words and Expressions land – висадитися so-called – так званий steam – пара to be worth – бути вартим My Favourite English Poet To be or not to be: that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? … Everybody knows these immortal words from Shakespeare ‘Hamlet’. And who doesn’t know about a tragic love of Romeo and Juliet or about King Lear and the eternal problem of the good and the evil? This all is Shakespeare, a prominent English poet and dramatist. William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in a small English town Stratford-on-Avon. There were no theatres in England then. Groups of actors travelled from town to town showing performances in the street. Sometimes actors came to Stratford-on-Avon. The boy went to see all their shows and liked them very much. He wanted to become an actor. Sometimes he wrote little plays and staged them with his friends. When he was twenty-one, William went to London. There he joined a group of actors. At first he only helped actors and then began writing plays for them. Soon Shakespeare’s plays were staged more and more and became famous. The theatre where he worked was called the ‘Globe’. It became the fist professional theatre, a famous Shakespeare theatre. Everyone knows Shakespeare’s plays. The most famous of them are ‘Othello’, ‘Hamlet’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘King Lear’ and many others. And his sonnets are fantastic. They are mostly about love, friendship and the beauty of a common earthly woman. I began my story about Shakespeare with the famous words from the tragedy ‘Hamlet’. Why is ‘Hamlet’ so popular even nowadays? I think because in this play as in all his works he showed the real life and relations between people. Love and death, friendship and treason, devotion and lie are the main ideas of ‘Hamlet’. Shakespeare’s works will always be interesting to people and will attract people by their themes, their eternal problems and their rich and beautiful language. And I’d like to finish my story with immortal ‘To be or not to be’. To be or not to be: that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die; to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, ‘tis the consummation Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep: To sleep: perchance to dream: ay there’s a rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause, there’s the respect That makes calamity of so long live … Words and Expressions outrageous – жорстокий eternal – вічний earthly – земний treason – зрада devotion – вірність heir – спадкоємець consummation - завершеність shuffle off – скинути calamity – нещастя, катастрофа My Favourite English- Speaking Singer Many books have been written on the mysteries of music, many poets tried to solve its magic, but even nowadays when we think we know everything about its forms, genres and the like, the only thing we understand is that music is the universal language that shares and interprets our experience and emotions. As to Britain, the musical life of the country before the 16 th century was centered on the church, especially the cathedrals and royal churches. The choral works of Taverner, Byrd, Tallis are still performed today. Among the famous names of the 17th century is Henry Purcell, the founder of the British opera. His opera ‘King Arthur’ was very popular with spectators. Another outstanding English composer is Benjamin Britten who lived in the last century. One of his greatest works is the opera ‘Peter Grimes’ Britain also has good traditions of folk music. There are traditional folk clubs in most towns. But modern music is also of great popularity. Who doesn’t know about the world’s most astonishing rock’-n’-roll band the Beatles? Someone said, ‘When you’re happy, you enjoy the music. But when you’re sad you understand the lyrics’. You can’t be more exact when speaking about the Beatles. Their music still influences new generations. The founders of the legendary group were the most talented and famous composers of contemporary life John Lennon and Paul McCartney. But my favourite singer is the American King of rock’-n’-roll Elvis Presly. He came from a poor family and was born in 1935 in Mississippi. In his childhood he loved music and sang in the church choir. When he was 13 mother bought him a guitar. In the same year his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. One day in 1954 he went to the recording studio Sun Records. He wanted to make a record for his mother’s birthday. The boss of the studio, Sam Phillips, heard Elvis. Elvis was just what Phillips dreamed about: ‘a white boy with a black voice’. Phillips became Elvis’s manager and Elvis made his first single – ‘That’s All Right, Mama’. When disc jockeys played it on their radio stations, American teenagers went wild. In 1955 Elvis appeared on TV in New York. The following year he went to Hollywood and made his first film ‘Love Me Tender’. In 1958 he joined the American army and went to Germany. When he returned to America music was not the same. British groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were the new stars. Presley was a millionaire, but he was a very lonely man. In his last years he became fat and depressed. He died of heart attack in 1977. For the millions of fans Elvis is still the King, the King of rock’-n’-roll. Words and Expressions choral - хоровий astonish вражати contemporary – сучасний choir – хор go wild – зійти з розуму Customs and Traditions of Great Britain Almost every nation has a reputation of some kind. The English are reputed to be cold and reserved. In reality they are steady, easy-going and fond of sport. But these statements can’t be universal. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and inhabitants of these parts have a lot of differences. For example, the Scots are not English. They are thought to be kind, but at first glance they are not so amiable. They don’t like to compromise, lean much upon logic and run much to extremes. The Scots are more extravagant, their traditions are more colourful and exciting. The Gaelic language and songs, the tartan, the bagpipes are completely Scottish. There is no other part of the British Isles where national spirit is stronger, national pride more intense and national traditions more appreciated than in Wales. The Welsh still wear their national dress on holidays. The Welsh language is still spoken and taught side by side with English at schools. Welshmen have a highly developed artistic taste, and their national art festival Eisteddfod is known all over the world. The main difference between the Irish and the British is their religion. But there are some things that unite them together. One of them is gardening. The love of gardens is deeply rooted in all the British people. And Britain is also the nation of animal lovers. Every family has a pet. And what do we, Ukrainians, have in common with the British? Are we different? I don’t think so. We are proud of being Ukrainians as the Scots are. We also wear our national clothes and are proud of our language as the Welsh, and as the British we have not only beautiful gardens but also large vegetable gardens. I, as a future teacher of English, dream of going to Britain and visiting all its parts. Then I’ll be able to get acquainted with its traditions and customs. Bibliography 1. Янсон В.В. Практичний курс англійської мови / В.Янсон, Л.Свистун - К.:ТОВ «Повчання Володимира Мономаха»ВП Логос», 2006. - 352 с. 2. Практичний курс англійської мови / [Янсон В.В., Свистун Л.В., Богатирьоава С.Т., Лежньов С.М.]. Книга І – ТОВ «Повчання Володимира Мономаха»ВП Логос-М», 2007. – 368 с. 3. Верба Г.В. Довідник з граматики англійської мови / Г.Верба, Л.Верба. – К.: ТОВ «Повчання Володимира Мономаха»ВП Логос-М», 2011. – 352с. 4. Англійська мова. Комунікативний аспект: Підручн. для студ. вищих навч. закладів / [Мисик Л., Арцишевська А., Кузнєцова Л. та ін.]; За ред. Л.Мисик – Львів: Світ, 2007. – 432 с. 5. Бех П.О. Англійська мова. Посібник / Бех П.О. – К.: Либідь, 1996. – 285 с. 6. Бичкова Н.І. Англійська мова. Комунікативний курс / Бичкова Н.І. – К.: Либідь, 2004. – 328 с. Minicmepcmeo oceimu i HayKu Yxpainu Aly6encpxuti Koned2c PigHeHcbKoz0 Oep2icaeHozo zyMaHimapHozo yHigepcumemy Tomyemoca 0o 0ep3tcaeHo2o eK3amMeHy 3 OoOOamKOsO! KeaNiqdikauil «Buume/b iHO3EMHOI MO6U 6 NOUAMKOBUX KNACcax» (3pa3KU po3MoeHUX Mem 3 NpaKmuUHOzoO Kypcy iHozeMHOi Moeu) Haeuanbuo-memoouunutt noci6uuk Aly6uo - 2015