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материал для подготовки к егэ (гиа) по английскому языку на тему

CARD 1

I Read the text and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                                                                           HELPdesk.com

THE GIANT PANDA

An endangered species, the giant panda can only be found in the mountain bamboo forests of Western China. There are only about 1,000 wild giant pandas left in the world. Giant pandas are members of the bear family, and they are mammals. Even though giant pandas look just like bears, they certainly do not behave like bears. Unlike their meat-eating relatives, giant pandas are vegetarians for the most part of their time. Their favourite food is bamboo. Giant pandas must eat a lot of bamboo everyday to get enough nourishment. In fact, they spend at least 12 hours everyday eating about 33 pounds of bamboo. However, if they are extremely hungry and bamboo is nowhere to be found, giant pandas may eat grass, fruits, or sometimes, small animals like chicken.

Giant pandas do not live in groups. They are loners! They only leave their territory from March to May to look for a mate. Female giant pandas usually give birth to twins. Baby giant pandas are very small, blind, pinkish, and weigh about 5 ounces at birth. Strangely, mother giant pandas tend to choose to raise just one baby and leave the other to die. Mother giant pandas feed their babies with milk. A baby giant panda opens its eyes at six to seven weeks. It starts to learn how to walk when it is about three or four months old. Mother giant pandas look after their babies for about 18 months. Once the young is strong enough, it bids farewell to its mother and moves out

to live independently. (1201)

II Read the text and say why the books by Agatha Christie have been always popular.

Speak about your favourite authors and your favourite books.

THE QUEEN OF MYSTERY

                                                                                                                         tolearnenglish.com

Agatha Christie was probably the most successful writer in history. She wrote 78 crime novels, six other novels, 150 short stories, four non-fiction books and 19 plays.

Christie became a writer by accident. She was bored when her husband was away in the First World War. Agatha was working in a hospital dispensary. She decided to write a novel to pass the time. She chose a detective novel because she loved reading them. Her first novel was a great success. Readers loved the books, particularly because Christie always gave the readers all the information they needed to find the solution.

Christie loved travelling. When she became rich she could go all over the world. She used the travels in her writing. Agatha Christie died in 1976, but her stories are still very popular.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You want to do a course of English at a language school. You are phoning a language school to find out about the courses they offer. Ask questions about the location of the language school, how long the courses are, how much the courses cost, what is necessary to do to register for the courses.

CARD 2

I Read the text and answer your teacher’s questions.

DIFFERENT  ENGLISH                                              5 minute English

English is spoken as a first language by several countries including Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the United States. While all of these countries share the same mother tongue, there are some differences in the way they speak and write.

The first difference is in the accent. Each country has its own accent. And within each country there are a variety of accents called regional accents.

Another difference is the spelling of some words, like ‘color’ and ‘colour’, or ‘theater’ and ‘theatre’.

And a third difference is that some of the words are not the same at all. For example, Americans say restroom, Canadians say washroom, and the British say W.C. (water closet.) But all of these words have the same meaning (the room where the toilet is located.)

So which English is the best English to learn? Well, there is no best English. They are all equally good and correct. But two things may help you decide which one is best for you to study.

First of all, where do you live? If you are from South America, for example, you will probably have more exposure to North American English. If you live in Europe, most likely you will be more exposed to British English.

But no matter where you study English or whether it's British, American, Australian, or whatever, it's good to know a little about English in other countries. (1123)

II Read the text and say what the first human music was like.  Say if  music is your hobby. Speak about your bobby (hobbies).

Early Music

There was music before there were people to listen to it. Birds sang. Wind whistled, and ocean waves crashed in a steady rhythm. People have probably made music since their earliest days on earth too. Maybe the first human music imitated the sounds of nature. Humans may have created songs in imitation of the sounds of other creatures. As people had words to speak, maybe they also had words for songs. Simple hunting tools might have served as early percussion instruments. Simple flutes made from hollowed bones have been found that date back to 10,000 BC Archaeologists have found evidence that music was played in ancient civilizations including ancient Egypt and Babylonia. As early music was not written down, the earliest evidence of music is in the form of pictures showing musicians and musical instruments.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You and your foreign friend, who is on a short visit in Moscow, are discussing what you are going to do at the weekend. Ask him/her when he/she isn`t busy, what he/she would like to do during his stay in Moscow, why.  

CARD 3

I Read the text and answer your teacher’s questions.

THANKSGIVING DAY                                                                            Internet Public Library

The story of America’s Thanksgiving begins with the Pilgrims. Early in the 17-th century, the Pilgrims left England in search of religious freedom. In 1608, they sailed to Holland. Then, in 1620, they crossed the Atlantic by ship called the Mayflower.

After sailing for many weeks, the Pilgrims landed at a place now called Massachusetts. They planted the seeds they had brought from England. But the seeds didn’t grow well, and there was so little food for the Pilgrims that many of them starved to death.

Luckily for the Pilgrims, some nearby Indians came to rescue. They taught the Pilgrims to grow native food such as corn. Without this help, the Pilgrims would not have survived.

After the first harvest, the governor of Plymouth Colony - William Bradford - suggested that the Pilgrims hold a feast of thanksgiving. And to their thanksgiving feast the Pilgrims invited the Indians. The Pilgrims were grateful to the Indians for helping the Colony survive. In addition, they hoped that the celebration would strengthen their friendship with the Indians.

Nobody knows the date of the first Thanksgiving feast. But we do know that the Pilgrims and Indians enjoyed a huge feast of deer, goose, duck, oyster, eel, bread, fruit, and corn meal pudding.

In 1789 George Washington declared that Thanksgiving would be a national celebration. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. (1163)

II Read the text and comment on the situation described in the text. Say if you like watching TV, what programmes you and the members of your family prefer, why.

Television                                                                                                                       ESL reading

My mother used to tell me how she and her family got their first television when she was a teenager. Of course it was black and white. When I was young we had only about 3 or 4 different channels. My bothers and sisters and I would sometimes fight about which channel to watch. Nowadays we can get hundreds of channels on TV. There are channels with only old movies, and channels with only cooking, and channels with only fishing. It's amazing! There is a channel for everything. I wonder how much my brothers and sisters and I would fight if we had hundreds of channels when I was a child. Of course we had only one television set. These days I notice families with 2 or 3 or more television sets in their homes. I guess it stops people from arguing over which channel to choose from.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You and your foreign friend, who is on a short visit in Moscow, are going on an excursion.  Discuss when and where it would be better to go; who you’d invite to go with you.

CARD 4

I Read the text and answer your teacher’s questions.

ENDANGERED  ANIMALS                                                                HELPdesk

What do the following animals have in common: pandas, rhinoceros, loggerhead turtles, Californian condors, pink pigeons, small tooth sawfish, and Siberian sturgeons? They are all endangered animals! Animals become endangered for a variety of reasons. Sadly, humans are behind every one of them! Here are three reasons.

Hunting: for centuries, humans have hunted elephants for their impressive tusks, killed tigers for their beautiful furs, and scooped up sturgeons to make caviar. While we still have elephants, tigers, and sturgeons in the wild, we cannot say the same about many others that have simply disappeared!

Loss of habitats: humans and animals have always competed for land and other natural resources. We clear an area of a forest for farming. We cut down trees and build beautiful houses. At the same time that we are trying to make our life comfortable, we inadvertently destroy the habitats of wild animals.

Pollution: more than once we have seen on televisions that rescue workers are trying to save seabirds soaked in spilled oil. More than once we have heard about how carbon dioxide and other gases have raised the Earth temperature and caused global warming. Pollution has a long lasting, and usually irreversible, effect. If we choose to do nothing and continue to pollute our planet Earth, our next generations will have to bear the consequences of abnormal weather and polluted environment. (1187)

II Read the text and say if the problems in Russian families are different or the same. Speak about your family.

Family Problems                                                                                                                BBCnews

 Father leaves for work in the morning after breakfast. The two children take the bus to school, and mother stays at home cooking and cleaning until father and the kids return home in the evening. This is the traditional picture of a happy family living in Britain. But is it true today? The answer is - no!

The biggest change has been caused by divorce. The large rise in divorces has meant many women need to work to support themselves and their children. In addition, women are no longer happy to stay at home raising children, and many have careers earning as much as or even more than men. Although it is difficult to be a working mother, it has become normal and it's no longer seen as a bad thing for the children.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You are to write an article on environmental problems for your school English Magazine.

You and the editor of the magazine are discussing what problems to mention in the article,

what title for the article to choose, and when the article must be published.

CARD 5

I Read the story and answer your teacher’s questions.

The Musical Glass   By Jane Runyon

Mary Elizabeth loved music. She was happy when she heard lovely sounds. She waited to hear the birds sing outside her window in the spring. She listened for the cricket's song when she swept the hearth in her mother's kitchen. The horses passing her papa's store made a "clip clop" sound. That was a song to Mary Elizabeth. These songs made her heart fill with joy.

Mary Elizabeth had only one wish. She wanted to make music on her own. She couldn't sing very well. Her brother, Matthew, had said, "You sound like the cat when Nana stepped on its tail."  She loved music so much. Why couldn't she make music on her own?

Mary Elizabeth knew where to go when she was sad. Her Uncle Ben Franklin could always make her smile. Best of all, Uncle Ben loved music just like Mary Elizabeth. One morning, Mary Elizabeth stood outside Uncle Ben's workshop. She could hear him humming to himself. She knew something fun was going to happen. She opened the door and saw Uncle Ben at his work table. Oh, no! What had happened? Broken glasses were everywhere. There were big glasses, little glasses, and middle sized glasses spread out on his table. Wait a minute. Only the stems that held the glasses up were broken off. What was Uncle Ben doing? Uncle Ben saw the puzzled look on Mary Elizabeth's face. "Come, little songbird," he said. "I will show you how we can make beautiful music. We will use what is broken. We can turn it into something good." (1178)

II Read the text and say why Lake Baikal is one of the most poplar attractions in our country. Say if you are proud of  Russia and its capital, why.

The Peal of Siberia                                                                                                            Speak Out

Lake Baikal is the most ancient lake on earth. Lakes rarely live longer than a million years but the ‘Pearl of Siberia’, as it is often called, is more than 25 million years old! The lake holds one-fifth of the planet’s fresh water – and it is still clean!

Lake Baikal is one of the most beautiful places on earth. This wonder of the natural world is difficult to describe. The waters of the lake are amazingly transparent – and they change colours all the time. Lake Baikal is a living museum of water plants and animals. You can see many of them nowhere in the world.

The lake is surrounded by beautiful mountains. The Baikal Mountains and the taiga are protected as a national park.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

As the winners of a contest, your class was rewarded a grant. Explain to a foreign journalist why you were given a grant, who was the grant given by, and what you are going to spend it on.

CARD 6

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

Shopping on the Internet                                                                Book of the Future

Shopping on the Internet, or shopping on-line is becoming more and more popular. More and more people are using the internet to buy things. Why do people use the Internet to shop? Some people say it is more convenient. They don't have to leave their homes to order something, and they can shop for anything they want at any time, day or night. Other people say they can find things for sale that they can't find in the stores near their homes. Still other people say they can find better prices on the Internet.

If you want to buy something on the Internet, you need a credit card. You have to type your credit card number and information on the website and send it to the store over the Internet. You have to be sure that the store will not use your information in the wrong way. You don't want someone to get your credit card number and charge something to your account. Of course, you always have to be careful with your credit card number, because people sometimes steal credit card numbers from stores and restaurants too.

For people who are too nervous to shop on-line, the Internet is a good place to go window-shopping. Window-shopping is when you go to a store and look at the things for sale, but don't plan to buy anything. Window-shopping is easy on the Internet. You can see what kinds of products are available and how much they cost. You can visit stores with branches near you, or you can visit stores that are only on the Internet. (1183)

II Read the text and prove that Paralympics Games have become more popular than ever.

Speak about the importance of sport in people’s lives.

                                                                                                                            SOON online magazine

Paralympics Games

Just a few weeks after the Olympic Games, it’s time for the Paralympics. They are the Olympic event for athletes with physical and mental disabilities.

The idea of Paralympics Games was born in 1948, when Sir Ludwig Guttmann organised a sports competition in England for World War II veterans with physical disabilities. Four years later, the event became international when participants from Holland joined in. In 1960 the Paralympics finally became an Olympic event. Four hundred athletes came to the first Paralympics Games in Rome in 1960. In Athens in 2004, more than 3800 athletes from all over the world competed in 19 different sports.

By the way, ‘para’ is a Greek word meaning ‘alongside/beside’. So the word Paralympics means ‘the Games parallel to the Olympic Games’.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

Your friend has just returned from an English-speaking country. Ask him about the places of interest he/she was able to see there, and which of them he/she was impressed by.

Card 7

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

THE FIRST WOMAN IN BUSINESS                                                   David Evance

At the start of the twentieth century the idea of women in business seemed crazy. In those days men held all the positions of power and made all the decisions about money. They believed that a woman` s place was at home, looking after her children, cooking for her family and managing the house. If a woman needed to work she could perhaps find a job in a shop or in a factory, but she had no chance of working as a businesswoman or a banker, or a lawyer.

Women` s fashions in the USA and Europe at that time supported their position in society. Fashionable women wore long dresses that almost touched the ground. This made it difficult for them to drive a car, ride a horse or even walk quickly.

But many women were not happy with their position in society, and they didn’t like the clothes they had to wear. One of those people was a French woman called Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel. When she went into business in 1910, she planned to change clothes that women wore. But over the next sixty years she did much more than that, as she became the richest and the most successful businesswoman.

Coco Chanel had no experience of business when she opened her first hat shop in Paris in 1910. She was only twenty-seven years old and she came from an ordinary family.  Many of Coco`s customers in her first shop were her young women friends. They loved the simple but beautiful hats and dresses that Coco made for them, and soon her shop started to do well. (1181)

II Read the text and say how football has changed in the course of time. Speak about the most popular sports in Britain.  

About Football                                                                                                    5minute ENGLISH

People have played games like football for thousands of years.

In ancient China they played a special game for the emperor's birthday. Soldiers kicked balls made of animal skin into a net between two posts. These posts were ten metres high.

In the Pacific Islands they played games using hands and feet. They used coconuts and oranges as balls.

In the Nineteenth Century football began to be played in English public schools. The public schools were very expensive private schools attended by the sons of the rich and powerful.

The headmasters of three schools - Rugby, Eton and Harrow – began to develop new versions of football. The game became less violent, less dangerous and easier to control. It became a game for young gentlemen.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You’re on an excursion abroad. You’ve got lost in a city. Ask a passer-by how you can get to the hotel you’re staying at; which is the fastest and the most convenient means of the city transport, how long it will take you to get to the hotel.

CARD 8

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

EDINBURGH                                                                                ESL reading

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second-largest city in the nation with the population of 448,624. It is located in the east of the country, just seventy kilometres apart from Glasgow, the first largest city of Scotland. Though the two cities are equally famous, Edinburgh has long established itself as the more popular tourist destination and there are many reasons for this.

The city of Edinburgh is divided into two areas, the Old Town (its historical centre) and the New Town (the city’s main shopping and commercial area). The Old Town includes picturesque streets, monuments and many wonderful cathedrals and churches. The most famous landmark of Edinburgh is Edinburgh Castle. The castle is open to the public and includes a number of museums too.

The New Town was first developed in the late 1700s. In its centre is Georges Street, and the city’s two main shopping areas Princes Street and Queens Street. The city contains many museum, public parks, markets, cafes, bars restaurants and has something really special to offer all its visitors.

Every year Edinburgh hosts a number of major festivals, none more famous than the Edinburgh International Festival, which takes place from August to early September. The festival attracts performers and audiences from all over the world and offers a mixture of theatre, films, music and comedy amongst other things. (1162)

II Read the text and say how the bully is helped in English school. Say if there is bullying in Russian schools,  what problems Russian teenagers have.

SAYING "NO" TO BULLIES!                                                                                           BBC news

Bullying is when someone continually insults or hurts you. Many young people are bullied at school. But there are some positive ways to solve the problem, for example, a "bully box". It is    a box in school where students put notes about bullying. The important thing is to tell an adult about the bully. Psychologists suggest discussing the problem openly with the bully.

Teachers usually learn how to recognise when kids are being bullied and try to help them. Most bullies are stopped by the kids themselves.  In some schools martial arts are taught for self-defence, not for fighting – if you know you can defend yourself, you are not afraid of the other person.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You’re doing the shopping in one of European cities. Now you’re in the department of ready-made clothes. You’d like to buy some new things for summer wear. Ask a shop assistant for advice about the clothes you’re going to buy: if they fit you, if you should buy them. Ask her how much the clothes cost.

CARD 9

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                   The Presidents                                     ESL reading

George Washington was born February 22, 1732. He was the first president of the United States, elected by people in 1789. People call him the Father of their nation. He was one of the people who fought in the Revolutionary War and later helped write the United States Constitution. There is a famous story about George Washington when was a young boy. It says that he chopped down his father's cherry tree with an axe. When his father asked, "Who did this?" young George replied "I cannot tell a lie. I did it." Many children have heard this story and are encouraged to tell the truth.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809. He became president in 1860. His presidency was difficult. The states in the north and the south were divided because of slavery. White people in the south owned black people. The north did not like it. A civil war began between the two sides. In the end, the northern states won and President Lincoln helped to free the slaves. He gave a very famous speech about how everybody had the right to be free and how all people were equal.

Both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were very famous presidents in the United States. Today you can see their faces on American money. George Washington is on the one dollar bill and Abraham Lincoln in on the five dollar bill. Many schools and some cities are named after each president. And the State of Washington and Washington D.C. were both named

after President Washington. (1196)

II Read the text and say what kinds of newspapers and magazines there are in the USA.

Speak about newspapers and magazines you and the members of your family read.

American Newspapers                                                                                                 ESL reading

The first American newspaper was published in Boston in 1690. Now lots of magazines and newspapers are published in the USA. They bring the world of events into people’s homes.

Magazines and newspapers can be divided into two large groups - mass and specialized. Mass magazines and newspapers are intended for large groups of people, living in different places and having many different interests. Among them are newspapers and magazines for teachers, for cat lovers, for stamp collectors. In fact, there is a magazine and a newspaper to fit any interest.

Most U.S. cities today have only one newspaper publisher. In more than 170 American cities, a single publisher produces both a morning and an evening newspaper. But some cities (fewer than 30) have different owners.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You’re going to give a talk about one of the English-speaking country. Ask your teacher for advice: what to speak about, how you can make your report more interesting, how long you are allowed to speak at the lesson.

CARD 10

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                                                                                                     B B Cnews

A Teenage Businessman        

When most 14-year-old boys are playing football or computer games after school, James Kenyon from Manchester is running his own successful business. “I’ve heard of a company in Scotland selling homemade bath products and thought it was a good idea.

My dad said I could do that, so I decided to take a chance,” James explains. That was two and a half years ago.

James started selling bath products to his friends and neighbours, but soon he began working for two local shopkeepers. Since he started his own soap company, selling homemade soap, bath salt and other bath products, James has earned over & 4,500.

James is proud of his success in business but he thinks there are more important things in his life. “I’ve learnt lots and I’m really enjoying it, but my school work always comes first.

James` s parents are proud of their son, they think that he plans everything really well – he does homework and he can focus on the business in his spare time. James says his parents have been a big support.

In 2006 James became a finalist in the Enterprising Young Brit Award. James is just one of an extraordinary group of enterprising young British businessmen who have innovative ideas and enthusiasm for business. Age and experience is certainly no obstacle to their success; their ambition and energy inspires them to create their money-making ideas. (1119)

II Read the text and say what Americans prefer for breakfast, if it is healthy food.  Speak about healthy habits.

Big Eaters                                                                                                                     ESL reading

Americans, in general, are big eaters and one of the greatest pleasures of the day is sitting down to a hearty breakfast. Most neighbourhood diners and cafeterias offer breakfast specials. Some can be as simple as buttered toast with coffee. Others can almost be equivalent to a full course meal which can provide enough calories for the entire day. This kind of breakfast may start with a glass of orange or tomato juice and then proceed to two eggs with toast, jam, butter and coffee. The menu shows that the eggs are served "any way you like them." This means they can be prepared scrambled, boiled, poached or fried. For those who can't eat eggs, there is a wide variety of other choices. Corn flakes with bananas, waffles with butter, pancakes with maple syrup and French toast are all good alternatives.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You’re talking to your foreign friend on the phone. He/She says he/she is going to Moscow soon. He/She wants you to meet him/her at the airport. Ask him/her when he/she is arriving, and what the number of the flight is. Ask what he/she’d like to see in Moscow and where to go.

CARD 11

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

Black Taxis, Red Buses                                                           Encyclopaedia Britannica

London has five airports in or near the city. The most important airport is Heathrow; it situated twenty four kilometres from the city centre. The city has eight big train stations, too. You can catch a train from London to Paris or Brussels now. Many people live outside London and come into the city for work every day. Children know about King’s Cross station because it is the train station in Harry Porter books.

In the UK people drive their own cars, that` s why the traffic is heavy on the roads. Drivers in the UK drive on the left side of the road! As there are a lot of cars in London, journey can take a very long time at the wrong time of day. But the city is famous for its black taxis and red buses. You can see some of London` s red buses today, and there are other buses, too. London’s taxi driver have to remember 25000 streets in London. Before they can start driving people, they study maps and drive round the city for about two years; have to answer difficult questions about the best ways across London.

You can move across London by the Underground. Londoners also call these underground trains ‘the Tube’. The London Underground is the oldest in the world. People first used it in 1863. Now it is about 410 kilometres long. There are three hundred stations, and some of them are nearly sixty metres under the streets.

You can, of course, walk around London! No cars or buses can go across London newest bridge. (1173)

II Read the text and say where people prefer to travel and why. Say if you like travelling, why/why not.

Travelling

Have you ever had the desire to see the world and see what was out there? While some people prefer to stay in the comfort of their own home, others are looking forward to travelling and can't wait to explore the world. Exotic places call to them. "Come visit me and I will show you my mysteries," they say.

Every year millions of people pack their suitcases or put on backpacks and flock to visit the seven continents of the world. They wander through the castles and museums of Europe, and the cities and natural wonders of North and South America. Some visit the vast exotic cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Why do people want to explore the world? It gives them a better perspective about the earth and the people living on it. It opens their minds, it gives them a feeling of accomplishment, and it makes them feel alive

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You’re visiting your foreign friend. Both of you want to join a sports club. Discuss what sport you’d like to take up and why. Choose the most convenient days to go to the sports club.

CARD 12

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                                     'It's Only Me'                                  Just Funny Stories

After her husband had gone to work, Mrs Richards sent her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was too excited to do any housework that morning, because in the evening she would be going to a fancy dress party with her husband. She intended to dress up as a ghost and she had made her costume the night before. Now she was impatient to try it on. Though the costume consisted only of a sheet, it was very effective. Mrs Richards put it on , looked in the mirror, smiled and went downstairs. She wanted to find out whether it would be comfortable to wear.

Just as Mrs Richards was entering the dining-room, there was a knock on the front door. She knew that it must be the baker. She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the kitchen table. Not wanting to frighten the poor man, Mrs Richards quickly hid in the small store-room under the stairs. She heard the front door open and heavy footsteps in the hall. Suddenly the door of the store-room was opened and a man entered. Mrs Richards realized that it must be the man from the Electricity Board who had come to read the meter. She tried to explain the situation, saying 'It's only me', but it was too late. The man let out a cry and jumped back several paces. When Mrs Richards walked towards him, he ran away, slamming the door behind him. (1110)

II Read the text and say how this school is different from most other schools. Speak about your school. Say what you’d like to change in it and why.

FREE SCHOOL                                                                                                      English Textbook

At White Lion Street Free School there is no punishment for missing classes. But many kids spend more time here than other children spend in their schools. This school is open in the evenings and at weekends. The kids complain if holidays last longer than two weeks. There are no compulsory lessons. Each child has one adult who follows his progress through school. Together they decide what he needs to learn next, and the child does this in his own time. Sometimes kids work on their own, sometimes with an adult, sometimes in a group.

A lot happens outside school. The teachers think you can’t learn everything in one building. They visit local factories, markets, shops, fire and police stations.

Now there are very few Free Schools in England.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You’d like to do a course of a foreign language. Your friend thinks it` a waste of time as there are interpreters who can help you if necessary.

You don` t agree with him/her. Try to persuade your friend that foreign languages are very important today.

CARD 13

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                                                                              Eddie Ogan

The Rich Family in Church

I'll never forget Easter of 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12, and my elder sister Darlene was 16. We lived at home with our mother; our dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with three school kids to raise and no money.

A month before Easter the pastor of our church asked everyone to save money and help a poor family.

When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month.  When we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn't listen to the radio, we'd save money on that month's electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could.

Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we'd sit in the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would give them.

The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and the manager gave us three $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change. We had never had so much money before.

We could hardly wait to get to church. When the pastor was taking money, Mom gave him a $10 bill, and each of us, kids, $20.

As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. Later that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door and then came back with an envelope in her hand. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three $20 bills, one $10 and seventeen $1 bills. (1219)

II Read the text and say what languages are spoken in Great Britain. Say if it’s important to learn a foreign language, why/why not.  Speak about your foreign language lessons at school.

What Languages do the British Speak?                                                English Learning Magazine

English is the official language of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it` s a first language for the majority of its citizens. However, visitors to the UK are often surprised that they have difficulties in understanding the language. In Britain every part of the country has its own way of speaking English. Most people in Britain can guess where someone comes from by the way they speak, either their accent or by words they use.

People in Wales speak a different language completely. About 25% of people there still speak their native Celtic language called Welsh. In some regions of Scotland Gaelic is used as a first

language. All over Scotland the accent is strong, some words are different but overall it is not difficult to understand. In Northern Ireland about 7% of people are bilingual and speak English and Irish Gaelic.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin a conversation.

You’re taking an interview from a foreign singer. Ask him when and why he became a musician;  

what are his further plans.

CARD 14

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                                                                                                                 Encyclopaedia Britannica

                                                   FOOTBALL  IN  ENGLAND            

Football is the most popular game in England – you understand it if you come to one of the important matches. Rich and poor, young and old, one can see them all there, shouting and cheering for one side or the other. Football matches are also watched by millions of people on TV.

One of the most surprising things about football in England to a stranger is the greatest knowledge of the game. Even the smallest boy can tell you the names of players in most of the important teams; he has photographs of them and knows the results of large number of matches. He will tell you, who he expects will win such and such a match, and his opinion is usually as good as of men three or four times older.

Most schools in England take football seriously –much more seriously than nearly all European schools. In England, it is believed that education is not only a matter of filling a boy’s mind with facts in the classroom: education also means character training; and one of the best ways of training character is by means of games, especially team games, where the boy has to learn to work with others for his team, instead of working selfishly for himself alone.

The school therefore arranges games and matches for its pupils. Football is a good team game, it is good exercise for the body, it needs skill and a quick brain, it is popular and it is cheap: as a result, it is a schools` favourite game. (1137)

II Read the text and say which facts are for reading book and which are against it. Say if the  technological progress is important to people.

The Book or the Computer?

The death of the book has been predicted for centuries. Cinema, radio and television have all been presented as the murderers of books and reading. With the development of computing and the Internet books were replaced by electronic media. Who wants to use a twenty-volume encyclopaedia if you can take the necessary information from a small CD-ROM? It is, of course, the greatest revolution! But no one will lie in bed reading a novel from CD-ROM. Reading and the books, magazines and newspapers are still important in our lives. They continue to teach us lessons, amuse and broaden our minds.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

Discuss with your foreign friend what is necessary to become successful: a good education, a lucky marriage, a special talent for something.  Give your opinion and ask about your friend’s opinion of this problem.

CARD 15

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                        THE SPIDER                                        FirstScience

Have you ever seen a small animal with four pairs of legs, a body that is divided into two parts?

This is a spider. Spiders live all over the world. They do not live only in the coldest places. You may find them on land: on grass, bushes, trees, and on pools, rivers, seas. There are 15,000 different kinds of spiders. The smallest spider is less than 1 mm in body length, and the biggest one can have body length up to 90 mm.

The spider spins its web to catch insects for food. It spins its web all its life. The process of spinning a web is very long.  People say that the spider is very persistent in its work. If you destroy its web, a spider will begin to spin a new web.

There is a story about a spider and a Scottish hero Robert Bruce (1274-1329). Robert Bruce was at the head of the Scottish army in the fight for the independence of Scotland against the English kings, Edward the First and Edward the Second. .

Once Robert Bruce was watching a spider spinning the web. Robert Bruce destroyed the web, and the spider began to spin a new web. Several times Robert Bruce destroyed the web, and each time the spider began its work from the beginning.

Watching the persistent work of the spider, Bruce decided to be as persistent as the spider and continue the fight for the independence of Scotland. And he defeated the English.

It was many years ago, but Scottish people still remember their great victory, and their great leader Robert Bruce. (1179)

II Read the text and say which of the English-speaking countries have a plant as an emblem, and which – an animal. Speak about one of the English-speaking country and its capital.

National Symbols                                                                                            BBC Learning English

Countries often have national symbols or emblems. Britain is usually shown as a lion or a bulldog. The USA has an eagle as its symbol. Australia uses a kangaroo.

Countries have their own national colours, too. These are usually the colours of their national flag. The patriotic colours in Britain and the USA are red, white and blue.

Different parts of Britain have their own emblems, too. They are all plants: a red rose in England, a thistle in Scotland, a shamrock in Northern Ireland and a leek in Wales. Each country has its own colour. They are used, for example, for football or rugby teams: white in England, blue in Scotland, red in Wales and green in Northern Ireland.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You foreign friend often goes to MacDonald’s. Tell him/her that the food people eat there isn’t healthy, give your reasons.  Give him/her advice about the healthy eating.

CARD 16

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                                MANUSCRIPTS                               by Lack London

When Martin Eden returned to San Francisco, he began to write. He sent his works to newspapers and magazines, but the editors sent his manuscripts back. Martine continued to write and study at the same time. Martine slept five hours: only a man in very good health could work for nineteen hours a day.

The weeks passed. All Martin’s money was spent and publishers continued to send his manuscripts back. Martin sold his coat, then his watch.

One morning the postman brought him a short thin envelop. There was no manuscript in that envelope, therefore, Martin thought they had taken the story. It was The Ring of the Bells. In the letter the editor of a San Francisco magazine said that the story was good. They would pay the author five dollars for it. And he would receive the check when the story was published.

Martin thought that five dollars for five thousand words was very little. After a few weeks the story was published, but the check didn’t` arrive. Martin had waited for about a month before he decided to go and get the five dollars from the editor.

He entered the office and said that he wanted to see Mr Ford – the editor. “I`m Martin Eden,” Martin began the conversation. He wanted to ask for his five dollars, but it was his first editor and he didn` t want to make a bad impression on him. To his surprise Mr Ford quickly stood up with the words “You don` t say so!” and the next moment, with both hands was shaking Martin` s hand. (1184)

II Read the text and say what the environmental organisations usually do. Say why it is very important to protect the environment.

Environmentally Friendly                                                                                           FirstScience

There are several groups in Britain which try to protect the environment. The most famous group is Greenpeace, which campaigns in many countries around the world. They have campaigned against hunting whales, pollution in the North Sea, nuclear power, and many other issues.

Another important environmental group is Friends of the Earth. They campaigned against global warming, the destruction of the rain forest, and the hole in the ozone layer.

There are many other groups which are worried about the environment. The oldest is the National Trust which was set up in 1895 to protect parks, buildings and monuments in Britain.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

Your foreign friend thinks that computers are harmful.  You don` t agree with him. Prove that he/she is wrong. Give a few examples to show that computers can be very helpful.

CARD 17

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE                                                   BBC Learning Tnglish

About one hundred years ago many educated people learned and spoke French when they met people from other countries. Today most people speak English when they meet foreigners. It has become the new international language. There are more people who speak English as a second language than people who speak English as a first language. Why is this?

There are many reasons why English has become so popular. One of them is that English has become the language of business. Another important reason is that popular American culture (like movies, music, and McDonald's) has quickly spread throughout the world. It has brought its language with it.

Is it good that English has spread to all parts of the world so quickly? I don't know. It's important to have a language that the people of the earth have in common. Our world has become very global and we need to communicate with one another. On the other hand, English is a fairly complicated language to learn and it brings its culture with it. Do we really need that?

Scientists have already tried to create an artificial language that isn't too difficult and doesn't include any one group's culture. It is called Esperanto. But it hasn't become popular. But maybe the popularity of English won't last that long either. Who knows? There are more people in the world who speak Chinese than any other language. Maybe someday Chinese will be the new international language. (1176)

II Read the text and say why Queen Boadecia and Robert the Bruce became national heroes. Speak about a person or people you admire.

National Heroes

All countries have their national heroes and heroines. We usually learn about these people through out our history lessons at school. Heroes and heroines are often leaders who fought against a more powerful enemy. The earliest leader in British history was Queen Boadicea, who led a rebellion against the Romans. There is a statue of her on Westminster Bridge in London.

In Scotland, the most famous leader is Robert the Bruce. He defeated the English in one of the many wars between England and Scotland which took place before two countries were united.

Not all national heroes and heroines are leaders. Some are inventors, explores or pioneers in particular field.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You’ve invited your foreign guests to a school party which your classmates are planning to celebrate Moscow City Day. Discuss with your teacher when and how to organise the party.

CARD 18

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                                                                                                Inventions That Changed the World

                                                              FLIGHT              

For many centuries people watched birds and dreamed that they could fly. We cannot fly like birds: we don` t have enough strength in our arms to move wings up and down. We also really need the power of an engine to drive up forward. Many people died learning these lessons, before controlled flight became possible.

The first flying machine which could carry a human being was built in the in Spain in 875.  Reports tell us that the inventor flew some distance, but the landing was hard: the man hurt his back badly and was never able to fly again.

It was possible that the news of his flight reached England, carried there by men returning from war in the Middle East. Whether this is true or not, in 1010 a man called Oliver jumped off a church roof in Mulmesbury. This time we know the distance of his flight - 125 steps.

In the last years of the 15th century, the Italian Leonardo da Vinci studied the flight of birds and made a number of drawings of flying machines. His early machines tried to copy the movement of birds` wings, which he didn’t fully understand. But less than 10 years before his death in 1519, he drew a machine with wings that didn’t move. One of the machines was built and it did fly.

In 15 36 in France, Denis Bolor returned to the idea of moving wings. He tried to fly using wings that were moved up and down. The idea didn` t work and he fell to his death. (1122)

II Read the text and say how many bank holidays there are in all the countries of the UK.

Speak about holidays in Russia.

What are 'bank' holidays?

British bank holidays are Public Holidays and have been recognized since 1871. The name Bank Holiday comes from the time when banks were shut and so no trading could take place.

There are currently eight permanent bank and public holidays in England, Wales and Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland. These include Christmas Day and Good Friday, which in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are common law holidays (they are not specified by law as bank holidays but have become customary holidays because they are celebrated by everybody.

Even though banks are still closed on these days many shops today now remain open. Shops, museums and other public attractions, such as historic houses and sports centres, may close on certain public holidays, particularly Christmas Day.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

In October you’re going to England. Speak to your foreign friend, who lives there, and ask him/her what the weather is usually like there in October; how often it changes. Ask your friend to recommend you what clothes to take with you.

CARD 19

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                       DAILY  BREAD              by O`Henry

Miss Martha was 40 years old but she was not married. She had her own shop where she bread, both fresh and stale which was cheaper.  

There was a customer who called at her shop two or three times a week. The man was not young but he was very pleasant. He wore heap clothes but they always looked nice on him. He always brought stale bread and never fresh. Miss Martha decided that he was very poor.

She often thought of him and was always sorry that she couldn’t invite him to have dinner with her. She wanted to talk to him, to know more about him. She liked the man and began wearing her best dress. She wanted to help the ppr man but didn’t know how tot do it.

Once when her customer called on her to buy stale bread, Miss Martha had an idea and a good one, as she thought, to help him. She put some butter in the stale bread.

The next day two men came into the shop. One of them was her customer and the other – a young man. The customer was very angry and couldn’t speak to her. So the young man told Miss Martha everything. “We work together in the same office”, he said. “We use stale bread to take away to pencil lines from our plans.  We have worked at a plan of a new district for six months. We finished it this morning and began taking away pencil lines from it with your bread. You see, as there was butter in the bread the plan is good for nothing, and we can` t show this plan to anybody now.”

When the men left, Miss Martha went to her room, took off her best dress and put on her old one.

(1201)

II Read the text and say how the British spend their holidays. Say how you usually spend your winter and summer holidays.

The British on Holiday

Schools close for the summer in the UK about the middle of July and open again at the beginning of September, so most families go on holiday in July and in August.

Many families go to the Mediterranean to get two weeks of the sun. The most popular destination in Europe is Spain. Outside Europe, Florida in the USA is the top destination.

Many families stay in the UK for their summer holidays. Popular seaside resorts are Scarborough and Blackpool, some places in Devon and Cornwell.

But even if the sun shines, the sea never gets very warm. A new alternative is to go to a leisure complex like Centre Parcs , which has heated swimming pools under a big glass dome and many indoor and outdoor activities like cycling, horse riding and archery.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

Your friend is in a bad mood. Ask him/her why he/she feels upset, and if you can help him/her.

Give him/her advice how to cope with the situation.

CARD 20

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

                                                                HOGMANY                   Encyclopaedia Britannica

Many national and local celebrations took place in Scotland in the past and some survive to this day. They start on January 1st and finish on the major celebration on the Scottish calendar – Hogmanay, New Year's Eve, on December 31st. Hogmanay, the celebration of bringing in the New Year is a more important festival in Scotland than Christmas.

The origin of the word ‘Hogmanay’ is lost in the past. Historians believe that the Scots inherited the celebration from the Vikings who, coming from even further north than they themselves, paid even more attention to the passing of the shortest day.

The Scots have a long rich heritage associated with this event. There are traditions such as cleaning the house (known as "redding") on  December  31st (including taking out the ashes from the fire in the days when coal fires were common); visiting friends and relatives immediately after New Year's Eve, in the early hours of the morning of January 1st. First footing after the bells have rung in the New Year is still common - the "first foot" in the house after midnight should be male, dark, and handsome and should carry symbolic coal, shortbread, salt, black bun (a spiced cake) and, of course, whisky.

And Scotland is the only part of the UK that has a statutory holiday on January 2nd as well as  January 1st - so they can recover from the excesses of December 31st!  (1136)

II Read the text and say what you think of the manager selling the book. Say where you would like to work in the future, what you are going to do to realize your ambitions.

Mr Sellyer Is Selling Books                                                                                  after S.Leacock

One day I went to a bookshop to look through the new books. While I was looking through the books, I could watch Mr Sellyer, manager of the shop, and see some of his methods.

Every customer who entered the shop went away with the book Golden Dreams. To one lady the manager sold this book as the reading for a holiday, to another as the book to read after a holiday. One man bought it to read on a rainy day and another one as the right book for a fine day.  Every time Mr Sellyer recommended the book to his customers he added that his wife said that Golden Dreams was the best book of the season.

I asked the manager, “Do you like the book yourself?” He answered, “Dear me! I’ve no idea of the book”. “And did your wife really like the book?”, I asked. “I’m not married, sir”, answered the manager smiling.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You and your friend are going to prepare a project about one of the English-speaking countries.

Discuss what country you are going to speak about, what is necessary to do in order to make the project interesting; what each of you is going to prepare for the presentation.