Warm-up: Summer Holidays

 Here are simple, level A2–B1 questions about summer holidays. 

You can use them for speaking practice, classroom activities, or conversation starters.

Topics for discussion: Describe a working day in your life. Tell what you like and don’t like to do.

I don’t feel like speaking about my working day in detail. The everyday routine is of no interest to anybody but everyday life is something that makes an essential part of our life.

So my day starts when I hear my alarm clock rings or my mother’s voice: “Anton, it’s time to get up”. Though I am a heavy-sleeper I can easily return to reality after my night dreams. The thing that helps me do that is a cool shower which I take every morning with a great pleasure. One more thing which helps me raise the spirits in the morning is music and I switch on my smartphone while dressing.

It doesn’t take me long to get dressed. As soon as I have done it I am ready to have breakfast. Some people say that they like to begin their day well so their breakfast is good. They make it rather substantial. With me it is different, I'm not a great eater in the morning so as a rule, I prefer having a cup of tea with a sandwich or some corn flakes with milk. But after having breakfast like this I soon feel hungry and at about 11 o'clock I have a bite at our school canteen. My lessons are over at 2 or 3 o’clock.

Sometimes I have extra classes after school or I go to the library to get ready for my classes or to write a report.

When I am back home I have dinner. This time I eat a lot: for example soup for the first course, meat or fish with some vegetables for the second and something for dessert. After hard work at school and after a heavy dinner I feel tired and sleepy. So rather often I have a nap. Sometimes, very seldom to be more exact, I meet my friends to have a chat or I go for a short walk. Then it’s time for me to get down to doing my homework. It takes me 1 or 2 hours to do it. Rather often I have to sit up late especially on those days when we have to write a composition or to make a report. As a rule I am through with my tasks at about 6. Then I have 4 hours at my disposal which can be spent on playing computer games, reading, watching TV and what not.

I am afraid that you have got an impression that I never do anything about the house. Certainly, I do. It is my everyday duty to tidy up the rooms twice a week, I do the vacuum cleaning and once in a while I go shopping, that I hate most of all, but nevertheless I can kill two birds with one stone – having a walk and doing some useful work.

I like to pack my things for the next day before going to bed, it really makes my preparation for school easier in the morning.

At about 11 o’clock I go to bed to get up early next morning to begin everything anew. I try to stick to my schedule to be fit and organised.

In conclusion, I’d like to say that most of us today run in the fast line of life and I pay close attention to what I do with my time and use any possibility to gain extra free time, which helps get rid of tiredness. Of course, physical rest is very important, but we need soul rest – or little me time which you can get from reading a book, watching a good film or just mixing with your relatives and friends. And it has been wisely noted that after spiritual rest we feel strengthened, patient and full of beans.

This is more or less what my regular working day looks like. I'm sure a five-day school week is for the benefit of pupils, as it encourages them to be more organised and have more time for rest.

7. Describe a working day in your life. Tell what you like and don’t like to do.

1) Do you help your mum about the house?

2) Do you have any problems at school? What are they?

3) What is the most boring thing you have to do?

4) Do you spend much time watching TV?

13. Describe your usual working day. Tell what you like and don’t like to do.

1) Do you help your mum about the house?

2) Do you have any problems at school? What are they?

3) What is the most boring thing you have to do?

4) Do you spend much time watching TV?

19. Do you agree that children are very busy? Tell us what you usually have to do on weekdays.

1) Do you help your mum about the house?

2) Do you have any problems at school? What are they?

3) What is the most boring thing you have to do?

4) Do you spend much time playing computer games?

Topics for discussion: Let’s talk about hobbies.

My Hobby Structure

• Introduction (The importance of having a hobby)
• Different kinds of hobby
• My hobby
• My parents' hobbies
• My friends' hobbies
• Conclusion

Sample 1

A hobby is a favourite pastime of a person. Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby to your liking, lucky you are: you have made your life more interesting. Numerous hobbies can be subdivided into four large classes: doing things, making things, collecting things, and learning things.The most popular of all hobby groups is doing things. It includes a wide variety of activities, everything from gardening to travelling and from chess to volleyball. Gardening is one of the oldest man’s hobbies, especially in some countries (Britain, for example). A relatively new hobby which is becoming more popular is computer games.

Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, and handicrafts. Some people write music.

Almost everyone collects something at some period in his life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches.

Generally speaking, a hobby is a matter of taste.

My hobby is playing computer games. Both grown-ups and children are fond of it now. It has become one of the most popular hobbies nowadays. I think that playing with a computer is very interesting. It is not only "wasting time" as some people say.

Computer games make us think things over properly, they widen and develop our mind and imagination. I have a good collection of different games and when I have some free time I play them with great pleasure. My favourite game is Clash of clans. My mum is fond of excercising. My dad is keen on programming.

Some of my friends have the same hobby and we like to play together. No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he always has the opportunity of learning from it. By reading about the things he is interested in, he adds to what he knows. Learning things can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby.

At the current moment, my secondary hobby is English. It’s not only the process of learning the language for me. I like listening to English songs, watching videos and movies in original, visiting speaking clubs and communicating with native speakers. I admire the culture of English speaking countries and I’m interested in everything that is connected with it. I have lessons five times a week and I love my group and the teacher. She makes the process of studying so exciting.

Thus, I believe that the keyword in a hobby definition is "pleasure". My hobby brings me a lot of pleasure and satisfaction. I feel my progress and it’s the best motivation to go ahead.

Sample 2

A hobby is a favourite pastime of a person. Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby to your liking, lucky you are: you have made your life more interesting. Numerous hobbies can be subdivided into four large classes: doing things, making things, collecting things, and learning things.

The most popular of all hobby groups is doing things. It includes a wide variety of activities, everything from gardening to travelling and from chess to volleyball. Gardening is one of the oldest man’s hobbies, especially in some countries (Britain, for example). A relatively new hobby which is becoming more popular is computer games.

Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, and handicrafts. Some people write music.

Almost everyone collects something at some period in his life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches.

Generally speaking, a hobby is a matter of taste.

My hobby is playing computer games. Both grown-ups and children are fond of it now. It has become one of the most popular hobbies nowadays. I think that playing with a computer is very interesting. It is not only "wasting time" as some people say.

Computer games make us think things over properly, they widen and develop our mind and imagination. I have a good collection of different games and when I have some free time I play them with great pleasure. My favourite game is Valorant. My parents aren't keen on playing computer games. My parents like travelling, they think it's so interesting and exciting

Some of my friends have the same hobby and we like to play together. No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he always has the opportunity of learning from it. By reading about the things he is interested in, he adds to what he knows. Learning things can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby.

At the current moment, I suppose that my hobby is English. It’s not only the process of learning the language for me. I like listening to English songs, watching videos and movies in originaI admire the culture of English speaking countries and I’m interested in everything that is connected with it. I have lessons three times a week and I love my group and the teacher. She makes the process of studying so exciting.

Thus, I believe that the keyword in a hobby definition is "pleasure". My hobby brings me a lot of pleasure and satisfaction. I feel my progress and it’s the best motivation to go ahead.

4. Let’s talk about hobbies. Why is it important to have a hobby?  What are you fond of? What hobbies do your friends have?

1) What would you recommend your classmates to do in their free time?

2) What are your parents’ hobbies?

3) Give me some advice on what to do in my free time.

4) Many parents think that children should spend less time playing computer games, that they should play outside or do some sport instead. What do you think about this?

17. Let’s talk about hobbies. What are you fond of? What hobbies do your friends have?

1) What would you recommend your classmates to do in their free time?

2) What are your parents’ hobbies?

3) Are you fond of making things?

4) Is it good to play computer games? Why?

Topics for discussion: Let’s talk about friendship.

My Friend Structure

• Introduction (What does friendship mean to you?)
• Appearance of your friend
• Features of character 
• Relationship 
• What do you do together?
• What do you have in common
• Conclusion

Sample 1

Lucky are the people who have friends. It is good to have a friend in the family, but it’s more common when we have our best friends among our classmates or people of the same age. Everyone knows the proverb “A friend in need is a friend indeed” – according to the old saying a good friend should always help us in difficulties, cheer us up and raise our spirits when we are down, troubled or when nothing is going right.

I'm happy to have a lot of friends, too. Some of them are very close, some are less. But all of them make my life interesting and enjoyable. They are rich who have true friends, says a proverb and I agree.

I think, Roma is my best friend. We’ve been friends since we went to school. We have much in common: the same interests and hobbies. Very often our opinions are the same, sometimes they are different. We understand each other and never fall out.

As to his appearance, he is tall and slim (a bit plump), though. He is dark-haired with blue eyes. He prefers comfortable clothes and you can often see him wearing jeans and a t-shirt or a sweater.

I think that he is calm and honest. But sometimes he can lose his temper and become angry and sad. Besides, he is friendly, serious and hard-working. Although Roma is sometimes naughty, he is always there for me. He is a kind person who will always listen to my problems and try to help me. I can always count on him to be honest and to give me the best advice. It seems he and I are always talking or laughing about something. He has a very nice personality, he has a heart of gold, he is selfless and generous. He likes to laugh and to joke and has got a good sense of humour. He can be very amusing especially when he tells stories. He is also quite active and enjoys playing computer games.

He lives not far from my house. We meet every day at school. We are the same age. We get on really well and we always find lots of enjoyable things to do together. We spend a lot of time together discussing books, films, computer games, solving our problems, planning our future. We can talk about everything.

I’ve shared many good times with Roma. I’m happy I met him. I know, that the way to have a friend is to be one, so my friend can rely on me I won’t tell his secrets to anyone and won't let him down. 

Sample 2

Lucky are the people who have friends. It is good to have a friend in the family, but it’s more common when we have our best friends among our classmates or people of the same age. Everyone knows the proverb “A friend in need is a friend indeed” – according to the old saying a good friend should always help us in difficulties, cheer us up and raise our spirits when we are down, troubled or when nothing is going right.

I'm happy to have a friend, too. Bartholomew is my best (and only) friend. We’ve been friends since we met each other in game. We have much in common: the same games for example. Very often our opinions are the same, sometimes they are different. We understand each other and never fall out.

As to his appearance, I (as of now) don't know his height. He is dark-haired with brown eyes. He wears glasses.

I think that he is calm and honest. But sometimes he can lose his temper and become angry. Besides, he is friendly. Although Bartholomew sometimes loves to troll too much, he is always there for me. He is a kind person who will always listen to my problems and try to help me. I can always count on him to be honest and give me the best advice. It seems he and I are always talking or laughing about something. He has a very nice personality, he has a heart of not exactly gold but close enough, he is selfless and generous. He likes to laugh and to joke and has got a good sense of humour. He can be very amusing especially when he tells stories. He is also quite active and enjoys playing computer games.

He lives very far from my house, in London to be exact. We call almost every day. I am 1.5 years older than him. We get on really well and we always find lots of enjoyable things to do together. We spend a lot of time together discussing films, computer games, solving our problems. We can talk about everything.

I’ve shared many good times with Bartholomew. I’m happy I met him. I know, that the way to have a friend is to be one, so my friend can rely on me I won’t tell his secrets to anyone and won't let him down.

3. Let’s talk about friendship. What does friendship mean for you? What qualities do you appreciate in your best friend?

1) Do you share common interests with your friend?

2) Has your friend ever let you down?

3) What can you advise a teenager who wants to make friends in a new school?

4) What questions do you usually ask when you want to get acquainted with someone?

9. Let’s talk about friendship. Is it important to have friends? What would you tell your mum about your best friend?

1) Has your friend ever let you down?

2) What can you advise a teenager who wants to make friends in a new school?

3) What questions do you usually ask when you want to get acquainted with someone?

4) Who is the leader in your friendship?

14. Imagine you are at the conference. Tell about friendship in your life and explain if it’s easy to be a good friend.

1) Do you share common interests with your friend?

2) Has your friend ever let you down?

3) What can you advise a teenager who wants to make friends in a new school?

4) What questions do you usually ask when you want to get acquainted with someone?

Topics for discussion: Tell your new friends about your family

 

My Family Structure

• Introduction (what does family mean in general?)
• Extended or nuclear family
• Description of your family members  
• Relationship in your family
• Household chores
• Family traditions
• Other relatives
• Conclusion

Sample 1

Family means a lot to everyone, because it gives you a sense of stability and tradition, support and understanding. You feel safe when your family is always for you. They are people you can trust and rely on, people who won’t let you down and who share your joys and problems. In happy families parents are supportive and honest with their children, they treat their children with respect, as equals, without moralizing or bossing them, and children in their turn learn how to treat other people and how to form relationship with their mates.

Some of us are lucky to be born and raised in an extended family with lots of family members, close and distant relatives. Others come from nuclear families which are made up of parents and children. Basically, the size is not so important. It’s the relationship in the family that matters. I, personally, come from a nuclear family.

We are a family of three: my Dad, my Mum and I. Both of my parents are middle-aged. My father is in his mid-40s. He’s tall, slim and has neither beard, nor a moustache. He works as an accountant. My mum is in her early 40s. She’s of a medium height with long dark hair and blue eyes. She’s a dentist by profession. I have always looked up to my parents and treated them as my role-models. My dad is a very wise person and he taught me many life lessons. My Mum is the example of patience, kindness and tolerance to other people. So, all in all, our family is happy and tight-knit.

I really appreciate the relationship in my family. I enjoy the honest and open atmosphere in my family. I like it when parents trust their children, give them enough freedom and respect them. I think these things make family relations warm and pleasant. There is no so-called “generation gap” in our family, though we may argue and disagree on certain issues.

We also share responsibilities and household chores. Everyone has their own duties which we have to fulfill and I consider it fair. Besides it makes us more disciplined and well-organized.

Nothing strengthens family ties and creates an atmosphere of friendship, happiness and love better than family traditions. Moreover, they set a good example of family relations for children and, of course, they leave memories for the rest of their lives. We have some family traditions. But to my mind we haven’t got anything special or original in our family. For example, we always have dinner together. Every evening, when my parents come home from work, we have a family dinner. We discuss the important events of the day.

The second tradition is connected with household duties. Everyone in our family has his own duties. For example, my mum is responsible for cooking, while my dad always does the shopping. I’m responsible for washing the dishes and vacuum-cleaning.

The third tradition is celebrating holidays together. We especially like celebrating New Year, Christmas and Easter. The traditional New Year dishes in our home are a cake, a couple of salads and some other stuff. Apart from national holidays there are family holidays like birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. Birthdays are always a happy event in our family. On these days we usually have a party. Mum is usually responsible for cooking and dad for entertainment. I guess, when people spend more time together they are closer to each other. 

One more family tradition is spending summer holidays together either at the seaside or in the country, which I enjoy very much. It is always interesting to travel to see other countries and continents, modern cities and the ruins of ancient towns, to enjoy picturesque places. It's always interesting to discover new things other ways of life, to meet different people, taste different food, examine various architectual styles, visit museums and art galleries. Travelling is a remarkable key to understanding other cultures, a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the world we live in.

I also have a granny. She lives with us and is retired. My grandma is kind. I love my family very much. Everyone in my family is my best friend. We are the best friends because my parents are the most important people in the world.

Sample 2

Family means a lot to everyone, because it gives you a sense of stability and tradition, support and understanding. You feel safe when your family is always for you. They are people you can trust and rely on, people who won’t let you down and who share your joys and problems. In happy families parents are supportive and honest with their children, they treat their children with respect, as equals, without moralizing or bossing them, and children in their turn learn how to treat other people and how to form relationship with their mates.

Some of us are lucky to be born and raised in an extended family with lots of family members, close and distant relatives. Others come from nuclear families which are made up of parents and children. Basically, the size is not so important. It’s the relationship in the family that matters. I, personally, come from a nuclear family.

We are a family of three: my Dad, my Mum and I. Both of my parents are middle-aged. My father is in his mid-40s. He’s tall, slim and has neither beard, nor a moustache. He works as a chief of the road police. My mum is in her late 30s. She’s of a medium height with long dark hair and blue eyes. She’s a controller by profession. I have always looked up to my parents and treated them as my role-models. My dad is a very wise person and he taught me many life lessons. My Mum is the example of patience, kindness and tolerance to other people. So, all in all, our family is happy and tight-knit.

I really appreciate the relationship in my family. I enjoy the honest and open atmosphere in my family. I like it when parents trust their children, give them enough freedom and respect them. I think these things make family relations warm and pleasant. There is no so-called “generation gap” in our family, though we may argue and disagree on certain issues. I can always bring my friend home and my parents are very positive about it, although they don’t always approve of our tastes, views and clothes.

We also share responsibilities and household chores. Everyone has their own duties which we have to fulfill and I consider it fair. Besides it makes us more disciplined and well-organized.

Nothing strengthens family ties and creates an atmosphere of friendship, happiness and love better than family traditions. Moreover, they set a good example of family relations for children and, of course, they leave memories for the rest of their lives. We have some family traditions. But to my mind we haven’t got anything special or original in our family. For example, we always have dinner together. Every evening, when my parents come home from work, we have a family dinner. We discuss the important events of the day.

The second tradition is connected with household duties. Everyone in our family has his own duties. For example, my mum is responsible for cooking, while my dad always does the shopping. I’m responsible for washing the dishes and vacuum-cleaning.

The third tradition is celebrating holidays together. We especially like celebrating New Year and Christmas. The traditional New Year dishes in our home are a roast chicken, a couple of salads and my mum’s specialty — a chocolate cake with cherry. We always prepare presents for one another. Apart from national holidays there are family holidays like birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. Birthdays are always a happy event in our family. On these days we usually have a party. Mum is usually responsible for cooking and dad for entertainment. I guess, when people spend more time together they are closer to each other. One more family tradition is spending summer holidays together either at the seaside or in the country, which I enjoy very much.  It is always interesting to travel to see other countries and continents, modern cities and the ruins of ancient towns, to enjoy picturesque places. It's always interesting to discover new things other ways of life, to meet different people, taste different food, examine various architectual styles, visit museums and art galleries. Travelling is a remarkable key to understanding other cultures, a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the world we live in.

I also have a granny. She doesn't live with us, but I often visit her. My granny is retired. She likes gardening and spends a lot of her time working in the garden. I love my family very much. Everyone in my family is my best friend. We are the best friends because my parents are the most important people in the world.

2. You are writing a letter to a magazine. Tell about your family and your favourite family pastime.

1) What do you do to help your mum about the house?

2) What does your dad look like?

3) Why is it important to have a family?

4) What will you ask your British friend about his/her family?

11. Let’s talk about your family. Tell how you spend holidays together and share duties about the house.

1) What can you tell about your mum?

2) What can you advise people who want to have a close and happy family?

3) Why is it important to have a family?

4) What can you tell about your grandparents?

Placement Test: Speaking

Starter

1. What is your name? How do you spell your surname?

2. Where do you live?

3. What is your age?

4. Where are you from?

5. Do you work or study?

6. What are your hobbies?

7. What is your favorite food?

8. What colour do you like best?

9. What is your favorite animal? And why?

10. Tell me about your family.

Elementary level

1. What do you do now? Do you work or are you a student?

2. Did you learn English at school? For how many years?

3. What do you do in your free time?

4. Do you like football? What sports do you like?

5. What do you do every day? What time do you get up/start work/school?

6. What subjects did you study at school? What exams did you take?

7. Tell me something you could do well at school. And something you can do well now.

8. Tell me about the weather in  your country.

9. What are you going to do at the weekend?

10. Have you been to an English-speaking country (before)?

Pre-intermediate level

1. What kind of movies do you like? And why?

2. Tell me about your favorite movie, what do you like most about it? Who is your favorite actor? And why?

3. Let’s talk about your friends. How often do you normally see them? Tell me about your best friend. What is he or she like?

4. Tell me about something you did with your friends recently.

5. What do you think your friends are doing now?

6. What do you think your friends are going to do next weekend?

7. Tell me about your last holiday, where did you go? Who with? And, what did you do?

8. What do you do to relax? Do you relax often? Why? Why not?

9. Let’s talk about your house or home. How would you describe it?

10. How about your country/town. How is it different now from 20 years ago?

Intermediate level 

1. What kinds of things do people in your country/town do in their free time?

2. Do you like to shop? What is your favorite type of shopping? Why do you like it?

3. How do you think your country/town will change in the next 20 years?

4. What advice would you give to someone visiting your country/town?

5. Tell me about the main news stories in your country at the moment.

6. What do you think the main news stories are in the UK or America at the moment?

7. If you had been born in the UK or America, how would your life up to now have been different?

Upper-intermediate level

1. Tell me about someone you admire. What do you admire about them?

2. If you could change one thing about your life what would it be? And, why?

3. If you won a million dollars what would you do? How would it change your life?

4. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why? Who with? What would you do there?

5. Tell me about any other languages you speak, apart from English.

6. Tell me about a book you’ve read recently, either in English or in your own language.

7. Some people think everyone in the world will speak English within 50 years. What do you think?

8. How do you think the Internet has changed the way people learn English?

9. Would you say you are a practical person? What jobs can you do about the house?

10. Tell me how you imagine your life this time next year.

Advanced level

1. What, in your opinion, are the characteristics of a good friend?

2. Do you think life for young people today is easier or harder than it was for their parents and grandparents?

3. How would you improve the education system in your country?

4. We hear a lot about globalisation nowadays. What are your views on globalisation?

5. What famous person, either present or past would you like to meet and why?

6. What are the problems associated with learning a language at an advanced level? How can you continue to make progress?

7. What is your opinion of the infrastructure in your home city?

8. In your opinion are there any forms of art that should not be considered as art? Tell which ones and why?

Topics for discussion: Tell your new friend from Britain about Belarus.

 The main points to speak about:

1. Location (The country is located ... . It borders .... . )

2. Landscape (The highest mountain ... . There are ... rivers and .... lakes ... .)

3. Flora (The most common types of trees .... . National parks are .... . )

4. Fauna (The most common species of animals and birds .... . )

5. Statistics (The population .... . The capital ... .)

6. National symbols (Flag, anthem, coat of arms). National animal, bird, flower

7. Places of interest, sights.

BELARUS

          To my mind, Belarus is a small country but it is very beautiful. It lies in the centre of Europe, between Poland and Russia and from space it looks like a maple leaf. On the map this leaf is always coloured in green, because Belarus is rich in forests. It isn’t a surprise, nowhere in the world you’ll see such a variety of plants, trees, bushes and flowers.

There are 111 species of trees and about 12000 species of plants and mushrooms in Belarus. There are fir and pine wood trees, oaks and ash-trees in our forests. Some oaks in Belovezhskaya Pushcha are from 300 to 700 years old. Many species of animals live in the wilds of our country: elks, wild boars, deer, wolves, hares and beavers. You'll never forget meeting a herd of European bison. This animal is one of the symbols of Belarus. Unfortunately, people have always killed wild animals uncontrollably, so many of them are in danger now. Belarusian lakes are rich in fish, especially Lake Naroch, where you can find eel, trout and pike. There are practically no dangerous snakes in Belarus. There are beautiful national parks – Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Pripyatsky National Park – where you can find a lot of animals, birds and plants.

Now some statistics! The population of Belarus is over 9 million people and the area is about 200 thousand sq/km. The capital of the republic is Minsk, which is also the largest city. The population of Minsk is about 2 million people. Summer temperatures are +15-28 C but in winter it can be very cold, -5-25 C below zero. Belarusians speak Russian but with a Belarusian accent.

Belarus also has its national symbols. We have three stripes on our national flag: red, green and white with a red ornament. The green stripe on our flag is a symbol of our green forests. The white colour is the symbol of peace. The red one means blood, the blood of Belarusians who died during the Great Patriotic War. Red crosses and stripes on the ornament is the symbol of life. Belarus is famous for its white storks. People say, they are a symbol of good luck. And the symbol of Belarusian fields is the cornflower - a small blue flower. People sometimes call Belarus the blue-eyed country, because there are more than ten thousands lakes there.

In old times people called Belarus the country of castles. Now there are many places in Belarus where we can still see these old castles. Nesvizh lies in Minsk region. It is one of the oldest towns in Belarus. From the 16th century it was the residence of a rich family - the Radziwils. The castle in Mir is older than the castle in Nesvizh. It dates from the 15th century. There is no other castle in the world like this one. The builders used red bricks for the castle. Since 1992 the castle in Mir has been a museum. This place is also famous for its beautiful park.

The castles are very interesting. They are famous for their ghosts. The Nesvizh ghosts are the Black Dame and the Black Nun. The Black Nun likes to play tricks on people. The ghost can push someone or break a mirror. And the Black Dame still walks in the castle. It's the ghost of Barbara Radziwil.

Speaking about Belarusian national character, many foreigners admit that our people are extremely sociable, hospitable, generous and welcoming. They are also described as resourceful and peaceful. When socialising, Belarusians are open, warm-hearted, fun-loving, humorous and outgoing.

However, when Belarusians are moving around the city, shopping or travelling on public transport they are a bit reserved and tend to keep themselves to themselves. There is a high respect for education and culture, so the majority of people are highly professional, hard-working and intelligent.

In conclusion, I'd like to say that I'm proud of my country and its people. I think Belarus is a very interesting to place to visit. I love my country very much and can’t imagine other place where I can live.

4. Tell your new friends about your country.

1) What famous Belarusians can you name?

2) Can you cook any Belarusian dishes?

3) What places of interest in Belarus would show to your new friends?

4) What do you know about Belarusian symbols?

10. Imagine you are writing about Belarus to a foreign magazine. Describe our country to its readers.
1) Have you ever been to Minsk? What places in Minsk do you like?
2) What famous Belarusians can you name?
3) What places of interest would you like to show to your new friends?
4) What kinds of sports are popular in Belarus?

16. Belarus is a beautiful country. Tell your new foreign friends about the beauty of the Republic of Belarus.

1) What can you tell people from other countries about the capital of Belarus?

2) Where do Belarusians do the shopping?

3) What Belarusian sights would you recommend to visit?

4) What is Belarus proud of?

19. Imagine you are making a website about Belarus. Describe our country to the foreign site visitors.

1) What can you tell people from other countries about the capital of Belarus?

2) What Belarusian national dishes can you name?

3) What Belarusian sights would you recommend to visit?

4) What is Belarus proud of?

Topics for discussion: Tell your new friend what you know about hobbies.

A hobby is a favourite pastime of a person. Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby to your liking, lucky you are: you have made your life more interesting. Numerous hobbies can be subdivided into four large classes: doing things, making things, collecting things, and learning things.

The most popular of all hobby groups is doing things. It includes a wide variety of activities, everything from gardening to travelling and from chess to volleyball. Gardening is one of the oldest man’s hobbies, especially in some countries (Britain, for example). A relatively new hobby which is becoming more popular is computer games.

Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, and handicrafts. Some people write music.

Almost everyone collects something at some period in his life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches.

Generally speaking, a hobby is a matter of taste.

My hobby is playing computer games. Both grown-ups and children are fond of it now. It has become one of the most popular hobbies nowadays. I think that playing with a computer is very interesting. It is not only "wasting time" as some people say.

Computer games make us think things over properly, they widen and develop our mind and imagination. I have a good collection of different games and when I have some free time I play them with great pleasure. My favourite game is ... . My mum is fond of ..... . My dad is keen on .... .

Some of my friends have the same hobby and we like to play together. No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he always has the opportunity of learning from it. By reading about the things he is interested in, he adds to what he knows. Learning things can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby.

At the current moment, I suppose that my hobby is English. It’s not only the process of learning the language for me. I like listening to English songs, watching videos and movies in original, visiting speaking clubs and communicating with native speakers. I admire the culture of English speaking countries and I’m interested in everything that is connected with it. I have lessons five times a week and I love my group and the teacher. She makes the process of studying so exciting.

Thus, I believe that the keyword in a hobby definition is "pleasure". My hobby brings me a lot of pleasure and satisfaction. I feel my progress and it’s the best motivation to go ahead.

3. Tell your new friends about your hobbies.

1) Is there a hobby that you’d like to take up?

2) What unusual hobbies do you know?

3) Do you have a favourite film?

4) What’s your friend’s hobby?

8. A lot of people have hobbies. Tell your new friends about your hobby and why people have hobbies.

1) What are your friends’ hobbies?

2) What unusual hobbies do you know?

3) Is reading books popular now?

4) Who is your favorite singer?

15. Let’s talk about hobbies. What are you fond of? What hobbies do your friends have?

1) What are your relatives’ hobbies?

2) What unusual hobbies do you know?

3) How did you spend your last winter holidays?

4) Do you have much time for your hobbies?

20. Let’s talk about hobbies. Why do people have hobbies? What hobbies do you have?

1) What are your relatives’ hobbies?

2) What funny hobbies do you know?

3) Do you travel a lot?

4) How much time do you spend on your computer or smartphone?