Expressing:
Opinion
I thinkI suppose
I believe
The thing is
The matter is
It is quite clear
It is clear
It seems to me
Some people say
I am (not) sure / that / People are fond of sports.
It is good for our health.
He is the best teacher in the world.
It is true/false
Pupils hate school uniform
Agreement
I agree with this statement.
I think this is (he/she is) right/not right.
I believe this is true.
I think so.
That is right/not.
It’s no doubt.
Disagreement
I don’t think so.
Nothing of the kind!
I disagree / can’t agree / don’t agree with that / him / her /them /you.
I don’t believe that/ him / her /them /you.
That’s false!
He/she is not right.
Appearance: I want to tell you about my …. She/He ispretty/handsome. She/he has got a/an round/ovalface and a straight/turned-up nose.
Her/His eyes are large and dark . She/He has long curly/short eyelashes and thick/thin eyebrows. …’s lips are full/thin and her/his teeth are snow-white. She/He has a beautiful smile. … is tall/short and slim/ a bit fat.
Learning a foreign language
The most useful activities(видидіяльності) in learning the language are
- Doing exercises and drills (вправи)
- Doing tests and projects
- Writing homework and essays (творів)
- Listening to lecturers
- Participation (участь) in discussions
- Reading texts
- Performing (драматизація) dialogues
- Learning through cooperation (черезспівпрацю)
- Working in small groups or pairs
- Talking about different topics
- Role-play (рольовіігри) or drama
The reasons (причини) to learn the foreign language
To communicate (спілкуватися) with people in other countries
To work as a translator or a foreign language teacher
To understand the words of songs and actors in films
To run (вести) business with foreign partners
To understand the culture of other nations
To read books, newspapers and magazines in the original
To use the Internet
To watch satellite programmes
We use knowledge of English to read and understand
- Street signs - знаки вуличного руху
- Traffic directions – напрямки
- Television advertisements - телереклама
- Forms and graphs – бланкитатаблиці
- Labels – товарні знаки, ярлики
- Manuals (інструкції) how to operate (керувати)
the technical devices (приладами)
My House
We live in a country house. It has got 4 rooms: two bedrooms, a living-room, a kitchen and a bathroom. They all are very comfortable, cosy and neat because we tidy up them very often. Usually I vacuum the carpets and dust the furniture. Also I help my Mum to set the table or wash up. And I make my bed every morning.
I have got my own room. It is not very big but I like it. There is a comfortable bed, a table with a chair for my school tasks to do, a carpet on the floor and curtains on the windows. And you can see some posters with my favourite animals – horses - on the wall. They make my room special.
My family likes to gather in the kitchen for supper. There is a cupboard, a refrigerator, a cooker and a dinner table there. We have no dishwasher so I have to wash up with hands. Before the meal I put the plates, forks and spoons on the table. My Mum cooks tasty Ukrainian varenyky with mashed potato or cherries. She boils them in the water and serves with hot fat and sour cream. I help her to peel potatoes and mash them. Ukrainian varenyky are very delicious!
Travelling
People travel a lot today: by train or plane, ship or bus, car or motorbike. The fastest and the most comfortable mean of transportation is by plane, but it is rather dangerous. Travelling by car is very convenient as you can stop where you want. While travelling you should bye a ticket at the booking-office. The luggage is put into the luggage compartment in the buses and trains. And travelling by plane the passenger has to check in an hour before the flight, check the luggage and get a boarding pass. Then you go through the passport control and find the gate. The bus takes the passengers to the plane. The stewardess checks the boarding pass and helps you during the flight. And in the train you show the ticket to the conductor, in the buses – to the driver.
The trip of my dream is to visit London. I think it would be comfortable to travel there by plane from our Boryspil’ airport and land in the Heathrow. I would go around the city by the double-deckers and the Tube because they are fast and comfortable.
My family. Character
My family is really friendly/ kind/ attentive. I have (not any) especially close relations with my … . We always/never discuss our problems. My parents want me to be serious/ disciplined / honest. They always used to teach me to be reliable / polite / generous because they use to treat people in such a way.
My father is a brave and clever man. My mother is optimistic and emotional. Sometimes they can be boring, especially when they make me study or clean the room, but they do these things because they want me to be neat and hard-working. But I hate when my parents are telling me to stop playing computer games/ listen to loud music/ get up late/speaking on the phone for a long time.
My friends say, that I am talkative/ energetic/ adventurous/ shy. Of course, I have some good and some bad habits. My mother is happy when I tidy my room or help about the house. But she gets mad when I leave my clothes on the floor/ do make-up/ eat in bed. Speaking about the kinds of character I like in other people I have to say, that I Love people who are easy-going / energetic / tolerant / polite / optimistic / active / clever / friendly / helpful / kind / brave / adventurous. I don’t really like, when a person is forgetful / lazy / boring. And I hate those who are stupid / selfish / mean / aggressive.
At the library
There are different kinds of books in every library. It may contain fiction and non-fiction books, reference literature and the press. The main genres of fiction are drama, poetry, historical, detective, science-fiction and love stories and novels. They are always full of imagination and hold our attention from the very beginning till the last page. And true-to-life stories, which are described in non –fiction books, such as documentaries and biographies, are not less interesting. Among the reference literature we find encyclopedias, dictionaries and many kinds of reference books on different fields of study. The librarian is always ready to help us in looking for the necessary book. If you know how to use the catalogue, you needn’t consult the librarian. Many libraries have reading rooms and may be equipped by the computers to work with the Internet. But there are some rules: you mustn’t write or make drawing on the pages, make dog’s ears or tear the books. And always return books in time!
Speaking about the book.
One of the best books I have ever read is … . The author keeps the attention of the reader from the very beginning till the end. The book describes the events of … . The setting is… . The main characters take part/live in … . A plot is set in … . The narrator hold our interest by … . The end of the story is a … one because … . The main idea of the book - … is very truthful/amusing/clear – you must … . I would strongly recommend all … to read this book to have a great fun/to learn how to be brave/to study the true life.
Schools in Britain.
Children begin to go to school at the age of 5 by the law. At first British primary school is very alike a kindergarten – kids study by playing and doing different activities. The primary school pupils study to read, write and count, and music, art, sports and labor as well. At the age of 11 they go to the secondary school and study in the first form. The compulsory subjects for them are English and Maths, and they choose the foreign languages, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Art and Design, , Music, Information Technology. The pupils choose these subjects at 13 to be ready for the national General Certificate in Secondary Education (GCSE) exams after finishing school. They need to have this certificate to enter a university. Children also have Physical education classes but they don’t need to take exams in this subject.
My school
General description: My school is situated in a … storied modern/old building with wide/narrow windows and large/small classes. It is surrounded by a park/garden, flowerbeds/ sports grounds/ foot waves .
School studies and classes: There are different studies in it. On the first floor you can find … . And … are on the second floor. When we are hungry we hurry to the canteen on the … floor.
School facilities and equipment: Our school is well /bad equipped: the pupils can use the … and … . You can study … by … . And our school has all/good/no facilities for teaching … .
Describe some special place of your school: To my mind the best place in my school is … . I always stay there with pleasure. The point is that … , and I am fond of doing some … there.
Describe rules for pupils in your school.
Medicine
When we feel unwell we call the doctor or do to the hospital. The doctor examines the patient, takes the temperature, measures blood pressure or does some other tests. Than he is sure about your illness he gives a prescription what medicines can cure it. So you go to the pharmacy (or a drug store, as Americans call it) to buy the pills or mixtures. Most often people can have a runny nose, a high temperature or a cough because of a common cold or a flue. In more serious cases the patient can be treated at a therapy unit, a sugary or intensive care unit. Children are treated at a pediatric unit. If we have a toothache we visit the dentist.
How I was ill
Recently I felt really sick. I had a terrible headache, a high temperature and a cough. Besides my nose was closed-up. So I went to the doctor. He examined me and said that it was not serious – just a flue. He prescribed me to take pills three times a day, take a cough mixture and stay in bed for three days. It was very boring but my friends called me often. I followed all the instructions of a doctor, and my mum took a nice care of me: she served hot tea with lemon and honey. And in a few days I felt much better.
Food
An English proverb says: Eat to live – not live to eat. I am sure it’s right. We need to get different things from food: proteins and vitamins, fats and carbohydrates, minerals and fiber. Proteins help our body to grow well. Fats and carbohydrates give us energy and help to keep warm in winter. Vitamins, fiber and minerals are very important to function well. That’s why we should eat fresh and home-made food. Ready-made food sold in the supermarkets has less things important to our health. Besides that, fast food served at restaurants such as McDonald’s, is rich in fats and sugars. It is very unhealthy. Teenagers fond of Coca-cola and hamburgers become overweight and have heart problems.
To my mind Ukrainian cuisine in one of the best in the world. Our favourite Ukrainian soup – borshch – is cooked of different vegetables: beans, beets, carrots, potatoes, cabbage and onion. The hostess serves it with sour cream and pampushky – little hot buns with garlic. Ukrainian varenyky are little boiled raviolis with different fillings – mashed potato or fried mushrooms, sweet cherries or cottage cheese.
Television
Mass media like television and radio are the fastest means of spreading news and information. They keep us informed about the current events, extend our education, entertain us and influence the opinions and imagination of the viewers.
Among the lots of TV channels available us now we choose our favorities to watch such kinds of programmes as news summaries and films, soap operas and sitcoms, chat and talk shows, documentaries and educational programmes, live matches and game shows. Satellite TV provides us with opportunities to watch foreign channels from BBC World, CNN to MTV.
There are thousands of TV stations with channels, that can be public or commercial. Public TV usually focuses on education and culture. Commercial channels broadcast mostly entertainment programmes because they must attract viewers in order to sell advertising time. Commercials appear between and during the programmes there.
Lots of people are working on programmes making. The director is responsible for the programme. From the control room, the director controls the view we watch on our screens. The camera operators follow his or her instructions on where to take a camera. The sound engineers take care of sound from microphones from the mixing desks with thousands of lights and buttons. The floor manager is the director representative on the studio floor and follows the director’s orders which come through the headphones. The hosts or presenters conduct a conversation or the contest in the studio. And many other people – vision managers, production secretaries, technicians make a real crowd, needed to make a show!
But the real face of every channel is an announcer. This person needs to have a good appearance and the ability to hold himself well. Next comes the intelligence and good memory. And it is important to have a friendly and likeable manner.
TOPICS
Why We Read Newspapers
Newspapers are part of our daily life. We read them to get the latest news of events happening in our own country as well as abroad.
People in all walks of life read newspapers. Of course, not everyone goes for the same pages and hardly anyone reads every single page. Politicians, for example, would be very concerned about national and world issues. Businessmen, on the other hand, would watch out for the share market situation more diligently than any others.
Then, there are many who pick up the newspapers for articles that would particularly interest them. I am sure children too scramble for the newspapers even if it is only to read the cartoons or to find out the current day's TV programmes. Sports enthusiasts, however, would turn to the last few pages for news that interests them.
Newspapers provide a wide range of information including advertisements on new products, sales, job vacancies, restaurants, tours, cinema shows, courses of study available and a host of many others.
Useful Modern Inventions in the Home
Life today is remarkably changed compared to that of our forefathers' time. Take, for instance, new inventions in the home. The gas stove, electric oven, microwave oven, electric toaster and food-processor are a great boon to housewives who find cooking and preparing meals very much easier now than in the olden days. Now time is saved because electricity cuts long hours of work and we find we can afford to spend more time on hobbies and other activities.
Besides the kitchen gadgets, there are others like the vacuum-cleaner for cleaning the house and the washing-machine for washing the clothes.
Life for housewives today is more relaxing and they have more free time to attend to their children or do reading, sewing, shopping and visiting.