Topics for discussion: Tell about your true friend

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, ……….. 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). 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 …….. 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 …. . 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.

6. Let’s talk about friendship. Is it important to have friends?

1) How to be a true friend?

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

3) Do your parents like your friends?

4) What is your best friend’s hobby?

12. Let’s talk about friendship in your life. Is it easy to be a good friend?

1) How to be a true friend?

2) Do you easily make friends?

3) Do your parents like your friends?

4) What is your best friend’s hobby?

14. Let’s talk about your friend. When did you make friends?  Why do you think he/she is a good friend?

1) Is it easy to be a true friend?

2) Why do people need friends?

3) Do your parents like your friends?

4) What is your best friend’s hobby?

Topics for discussion: Tell your new friends about your working day.

 

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: “Alex, 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 cell-phone 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 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 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.

At about 11 o’clock I go to bed to get up early next morning to begin everything anew.

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 hopeful.

5. Tell your new friends about your working day.

1) Do you like school lunches?

2) What do you do to help your parents with house chores?

3) Do you have much free time on weekdays?

4) What do you usually do in the evenings?

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

1) What do you like about school most of all?

2) How do you help your parents with house chores?

3) Do you have enough free time on weekdays?

4) What is your most difficult school day?

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

1) What do you dislike most about your school?

2) What do you do to help your parents about the house?

3) What dishes can you cook? Do you often do it on weekdays?

4) Do you usually plan your day?

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?

Word Patterns accuse - congratulate. Destination B1

 

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr

Topics for discussion: Tell your new friend 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

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 four: my Dad, my Mum, my brother and I. Both of my parents are middle-aged. My father is in his late 40s. He’s tall, slim and has neither beard, nor a moustache. He works as an engineer. My mum is in her mid-40s. She’s of a medium height with long dark hair and blue eyes. She’s a teacher 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. As I have already mentioned, I have one sibling, a brother. He’s 5 years younger than me and studies in primary school. Talking about the relationship with my brother, I won’t be honest enough if I say that it’s perfect. In general, we get on well most of the time but sometimes we don’t see eye to eye on certain things and it can lead to misunderstanding and even rows. But if my brother is in trouble, I will always support and stand for him. And he will do the same. 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, while my younger brother is responsible for the pets and plants.

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 vanilla cake. We always prepare postcards and 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.

I also have a granny and a granddad. They don’t live with us, but I often visit them. My grandparents are retired. They like gardening and spend a lot of their 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. Tell your new friends about your family.

1) What does your dad look like?

2) Who makes dinner in your family?

3) What is your mother like?

4) Do you spend a lot of time together in your family?

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

1) What does your family like to do in the evenings?

2) Does your family like living in town or in the country?

3) What is your mother?

4) Do you watch films together in your family?

18. You are writing a post for an online forum. Describe the members of your family to the forum readers.

1) What does your family like to do in the evenings?

2) Is your family a sporty one?

3) Do you like travelling with your family or with your friends?

4) How do you celebrate holidays in your family?

Prepositional Phrases A-H. Destination B1

 

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr

Topics for discussion: Tell your new friends about yourself

It is often not easy to speak about myself but I shall try. My name is Vera, I’m 13 years old. I was born in a Belarusian town of Soligorsk which is located 130 km to the south of the the capital of our country, Minsk. I live in my native city, in a comfortable flat with my parents and an elder brother. My mother is a housewife, my father works as a supervising manager at a big plant and my brother is a student.

I am a pupil of the 7th form at a secondary school. My favourite subjects are Literature and English but my teachers believe that I’m good at Biology and Music. Quite soon I will have to make probably the most important decision and choose my future profession. At present I would like to become a professional singer or a doctor.

What about my appearance, I'm of medium height and well-built. I've got an oval face, almond-shaped eyes with fluffy eyelashes, a slightly upturned nose, high cheekbones and full lips. I take after my aunt in appearance as we both have short straight dark hair which we often wear in a short haircut with a sided fringe and have freckles on our cheeks. I take after my mum in character because we’re both sensitive and responsible. My star sign is Cancer and I suppose I am a typical Cancer. I could describe myself as an extremely sensitive person. I’m not an outgoing person, though people consider me to be easy-going. Besides I’m rather serious and calm and I always try to keep promises. To be quite frank I am a bit ashamed of my drawbacks: I can be lazy sometimes and too touchy, it’s impossible for me to accept my failures with dignity. In other people I appreciate kindness, sincerity, intelligence and a nice sense of humour. I cannot get on well with people who are selfish, arrogant or rude.

I’ve got a lot of friends. Luckily we have a lot in common, so we can spend much time together listening to our favorite music bands, going to the cinema and concerts. I am fond of painting and drawing too and I am extremely fond of playing computer games. My other hobbies are reading fantasy books by Joanne Rowling and Tolkien, surfing the Internet, baking cakes and playing with my dogs. I also devote enough time to sports: in warm seasons I go jogging, cycling or roller-skating in the nearest park and in winter I adore skiing and skating.

My life motto is to keep your chin up, so nothing can let me down. I have plenty of interesting plans and exciting dreams in my life and I hope that they will definitely come true and my personality traits will help me.

1. Tell your new friends about yourself.

1) Does it take you a long time to do your homework?

2) What films do you like?

3) Do you like getting up early?

4) Do you help your mum about the house?

7. You are writing a post on an online forum. Tell its readers about yourself as much as possible.

1) How do you spend your free time on weekends?

2) Do you think it’s possible to be friends with parents?

3) Do you like your school?

4) What do you do to help your mum with housework? 

13. You are looking for a new friend on the Internet. Speak about yourself.

1) What school subjects are you good at?

2) What kind of people do you like?

3) What types of films do you like watching?

4) What do you do to help with housework?

 

 

7th grade. The English Language Olympiad. Speaking Situations

 1. Tell your new friends about yourself.

2. Tell your new friend about your family.

3. Tell your new friend what you know about hobbies.

4. Tell your new friends about your country.

5. Tell your new friends about your working day.

6. Let’s talk about friendship. Is it important to have friends?

7. You are writing a post on an online forum. Tell its readers about yourself as much as possible.

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

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

10. Imagine you are writing about Belarus to a foreign magazine. Describe our country to its readers.

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

12. Let’s talk about friendship in your life. Is it easy to be a good friend?

13. You are looking for a new friend on the Internet. Speak about yourself.

14. Let’s talk about your friend. When did you make friends?  Why do you think he/she is a good friend?

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

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

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

18. You are writing a post for an online forum. Describe the members of your family to the forum readers.

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

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

Phrasal Verbs add up - find out. Destination B1

 

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr