CARD 1
2. 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
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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.
This text is about the most successful English writer Agatha Christie. Her stories are still very popular. Readers love her books, particularly because Christie always gave the readers all the information they needed to find the solution.
I am fond of reading. My favourite author is Joanne Kathleen Rowling. She is the most successful writer these days. She wrote her first book when she was 5. But nobody took her hobby seriously. When Joanne grew up , she became a secretary. But she never forgot her hobby. Her marriage wasn’t happy and she left her husband. Rowling and her daughter Jessica have a lot of problems. She was unemployed and money was a big problem. Their little flat was cold because she couldn’t pay for heating, so she used to go to different cafes. It was warm there and she could write while her daughter was asleep. And nowadaysJoanne Kathleen Rowling is one of the richest persons in the world. Her books about Harry Potter are very popular all over the world. “Harry Potter and the philosopher stone” is one of my favourite books.
CARD 2
2. 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.
This text is about early music. Maybe the first human music imitated the sounds of nature. People used hunting tools, bones as instruments. Archaeologists have found that music was played in ancient civilizations.
I think that it is difficult to live without music. Music plays an important role in my life. It is my hobby. I like to listen to music. It reflects my mood and emotions. In fact I can listen to almost any kind of music. But most of all I prefer to listen to rock music. My favoutite band is …. .I like their song … . Listening to music is the perfect way to spend free time. FurthermoreI like watching TV, surfing the Net, hanging out with my friends ,playing football…
CARD 3
2. Read the text and comment on the situation described in the text. Say if it is good or bad to watch TV, what programmes you and the members of your family prefer.
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.
When the author was young there were 3 or 4 channels on TV. And they would sometimes fight about which channel to watch. Nowadays they can get hundreds of channels on TV. And there is something for everyone. These days some families have 2 or 3 TV sets in their homes.
I think Television plays an important role in our life. It is difficult to say if it is good or bad for us. But it is the most popular part of mass media and entertainment. Television also provides great opportunities for education.
Some people think that it’s bad to watch TV. Sometimes they show too much violence. There are also a lot of ads on TV. Moreover, TV is bad for our health.
As for me, I don’t like watching TV. I watch only my favourite programmes. I like to watch news on “Russia 24” or sports programmes. My mother usually watches “soap operas” and my father likes … .
CARD 4
2. Read the letter and comment on the situation. What does a teenager complain about? Speak about your relationship with your parents.
Family Problems
My parents control my life. When I make a new friend, they want me to bring him or her to our flat straightaway. If I want to go to a party, they lecture me for days about how I should behave and when I should come home. Even if I promise to come home by nine, they still phone me every hour to check where I am. They embarrass me in front of my friends. When my phone rings, my friends know exactly who it is and call me a mommy’s boy. What should I do? I don’t want to disobey my parents, but maybe I should? How do I explain to my parents that I’m fifteen, and they shouldn’t treat me like a child?
The author of this letter complains about his parents’ control. He says that they phone him every hour to check where he is. They embarrass him in front of his friends. He doesn’t want to disobey his parents. He wants them not to treat him like a child.
I don’t have such problems with my parents. My parents are fine. …………