Texts
учебно-методическое пособие по английскому языку (11 класс)

UNIT 2

MY WORKING DAY

Text A: «MY WORKING DAY»

Hi again... As you already know, I am a first-year student of the Technical Academy. My parents live in Sochi and I study in Rostov-on-Don so I need some housing. There are two opportunities for me: I can live in a dormitory (a students hostel), or to rent a flat (an apartment).

I decided to rent a flat. To make the rent smaller, I also decided to share my flat with another girl — Natasha Kozlova. She studies at the Academy, too, and she is my best friend now. I'll tell you more about her later.

Now, let me describe my usual working day. My classes begin at 8:30. So on week-days I have to get up at 7:15.1 don't have an alarm clock and usually my roommate wakes me up and my working day begins. I turn on the radio and do my morning exercises while Natasha takes a shower. I don't take a bath in the morning because I don't have enough time for it. I take a cool shower (that's when I completely wake up), brush my teeth. After that I go back to our room and get dressed. I brush my hair and put on a light make-up. Then we have breakfast. Natasha makes breakfast every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I have to serve breakfast on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I love to listen to the latest news on the radio while I am eating and Natasha prefers light music.

We leave the house at ten minutes past eight and walk to the nearest bus-stop. We live rather far from the Academy and it usually takes us about a quarter of an hour to get there by bus. Sometimes when the weather is fine and we have enough time we walk to the Academy. It is very healthy to walk much.

The classes begin at 8:30 in the morning and they end at 2:00 p.m. We have lectures in different subjects. As a rule we have three or four classes a day. Sometimes it is very hard to wait till they end.

Usually I don't miss my classes because I want to pass my exams successfully. But sometimes I do, especially when the weather is fine and the classes are boring.

At 11:50 we have lunch. That's my favourite time. That is the time to share the latest news and to gossip. My friends and I prefer not to go to the canteen and we often have lunch in a small cafe not too far from the Academy. At 12:30 we have to be back to our classes. During the working day we also have several short breaks that last for ten minutes.

Occasionally I have to stay at the Academy till 5 or even 6 o'clock in the evening because I go to the library to get ready for my practical classes or to write a report. As a rule I have no free time on week-days. So by the end of the week I get very tired.

We come home at about 7 o'clock in the evening. We eat supper together and share the latest news.

After supper we wash dishes, drink coffee or tea and watch TV. I prefer old comedies and Natasha likes serials or films about travelling. Sometimes Natasha and I go for a walk in the park or visit our friends.

At about eleven at night I go to bed. I like to read something before going to bed and Natasha likes to listen to some music. Sometimes I fall asleep while I am reading and Natasha gets up and switches off the light and says — Good night!

Vocabulary:

housing — жилье

opportunity — возможность

dormitory, students hostel — студенческое общежитие

to rent a flat (an apartment) — снимать квартиру

to share — делить(-ся)

week-days — будние дни

alarm clock — будильник

usually — обычно

roommate — сосед по комнате

rather — довольно

to turn on (off) — включать, выключать

enough — достаточно

completely — полностью, совершенно

to get dressed — одеваться

to serve — обслуживать

make up — макияж

while — пока, в то время как

to prefer — предпочитать

healthy — здоровый, полезный

to miss — пропускать

successfully — успешно

boring — скучный

to gossip — сплетничать

have to be back — должны вернуться

break — перерыв

report — доклад

share — делиться

canteen — столовая

ADD TO YOUR ACTIVE VOCABULARY

tape-recorder — магнитофон

to brush one's hair — причесывать волосы

it takes me... minutes to get to the Academy by bus —у меня уходит... минут, чтобы добраться до Академии на автобусе

cloackroom — гардероб

upstairs — наверху, вверх по лестнице

downstairs — внизу, вниз по лестнице

to miss classes — пропускать занятия

to pass exams — сдать экзамены

to do well — делать успехи, хорошо учиться

for the first (second) course — на первое (второе) блюдо

to get ready — подготовиться

as a rule — как правило

to get tired — устать

to take pleasure in — получать удовольствие от...

to look forward to — ждать с нетерпением

acquaintance — знакомый

Exercise 2.1. Write one sentence with each word:

1. Usual — usually — as usual — unusual

2. occasion — occasional — occasionally

3. to end — to finish — to be over

4. to start — to begin — to get ready for

5. on Sunday — at five o'clock — in cafeteria ...

6. full time student — part time student

7. freshman — second year student — school graduate

Exercise 2.2. Translate into English:

• быть студентом (студенткой) дневного отделения

        • рассказать вам о...

        • в будние дни

        • просыпаться — вставать в 7 часов утра

        • включать магнитофон

        • принимать душ

        • чистить зубы

        • одеваться

        • слушать последние новости

        • У меня уходит час, чтобы добраться до института

        • ездить на автобусе (троллейбусе, трамвае)

        • опаздывать на занятия

        • заканчиваться в 15:50 вечера

        • пропускать занятия

        • сдать экзамены успешно

        • время от времени

        • подготовиться к занятиям

        • как правило

        • устать

        • приходить домой

        • быть дома

        • иметь свободное время

Exercise 2.3. Tell about your typical day. The following questions will help you:

1. Do you get up early?

2. Is it easy for you to get up early?

3. Do you wake up yourself or does your alarm-clock wake you up?

4. Do you do your morning exercises?

5. What do you prefer: a hot or a cold shower in the morning?

6. How long does it take you to get dressed?

7. What do you usually have for breakfast?

8. Some people look through newspapers or listen to the latest news on the radio while having breakfast. What about you?

9. When do you usually leave your house?

10. Do you work? If yes, where?

11. How long does it take you to get to your Academy (Institute)?

12. Do you go there by bus/trolley-bus or walk?

13. Where do you usually have lunch (dinner)?

14. What time do you come home?

15. How long does it take you to do your homework?

16. How do you usually spend your evenings?

17. Do you have a lot of free time?

18. Do you play any musical instrument?

19. Are you fond of listening to music?

20. What kind of music do you prefer?

21. Do you collect anything (stamps, records, postcards, coins, matchboxes, etc.)?

22. What time do you usually go to bed?

Exercise 2.4. Tell about:

a) the working-day of your father or mother

b) the usual weekend at home

c) the best day of your life

d) a holiday spent with your friends or relatives (New Year's day, Christmas, 8th of March)

e) the working day of famous people (writers, artists, politicians etc.)

Text В: «NICK'S USUAL WORKING DAY»

Hi, nice to meet you all!

My name is Nick Price. I am a freshman at MIT — Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I am not from Boston myself. I was born in Vermilion, Ohio, not far from Cleveland.

My family is not very rich, that is why I can't afford to live on a campus. But it is a rule, that every student must reside during his or her freshman year on the campus. To cover some of the expenses I've got to work part-time on the campus. I work in cafeteria.

Now let me tell you about my usual working day. I wake up at seven in the morning. My alarm-clock radio is tuned to my favourite radio station. My roommate Todd Hall is a football player. He jogs every morning at 6:30. He is still out jogging when I get up. First I take a cold shower and brush my teeth. Then I dress myself up and rush to work — to the University cafeteria. I wash dishes and clean the tables. It is not a very interesting job, I know that, but soon I'll be a cook and will earn more. My boss Suzie is very strict but very nice when you do your job properly.

My first class starts at 11:15. The professor is never late for his classes. The lecture hall we sit in has about 100 seats. MIT is a very big school. I think that it is the best school of science and technology in the US.

At 2:00 p.m. I eat lunch at school cafeteria. The food is free for me because I work there. I am a vegetarian and I don't like drinks with caffeine. I prefer cool filtered water or juice.

Then I have two more classes. I need to go to the library right after the classes to do my homework. There I meet my friends and we talk a lot. Twice a week I play basketball with my friends. I swim once a week. Usually after library we go out to the cafe or just sit outside and talk.

I have dinner at 6:00 p.m. at the little Chinese restaurant not too far from the dormitory or I cook myself in the kitchen in my dorm. My favourite food is salami pizza and potato salad.

After dinner I watch TV or play ping-pong with my friends. When it is Friday, we go to the football game.

I usually read before I go to bed. It calms me down after the long day. I guess, that's pretty much it for now. See you later!

General understanding:

1. Where does Nick Price study?

2. What year of study is he in?

3. Is Nick from Boston?

4. Is Nick's family a rich one?

5. What is Nick's job? Do you think he enjoys it?

6. Is Massachusetts Institute of Technology a good school?

7. Where does Nick spend his evenings?

8. What does Nick usually do on Friday nights?