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- A Graded English Course (First Year).
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Part One. Daily Routine
Reading and Speaking Practice
Introductory Text
Kate describes her daily routine at university. Do you do the same things every day? What time do you do them? How long do they take you?
Im in the first year at the university, where Im studying English and hotel management. My elder sister, Betty, is studying public relations at the same university. Betty can organise her time wisely, whereas I do not know what order I should do things in. I find it hard to get up on time, and usually I do not get enough sleep. I have to wind up two alarm clocks to make sure I do not oversleep.
My sister, an early riser, is awake by 7 oclock, refreshed and full of energy. While Im wandering round the kitchen, fighting the urge to go back to bed, my sister manages to have a quick shower, make her bed, put on make up, eat a full breakfast and set off to the university. It takes me an hour and a half to get ready. I have a hasty bite and rush out of the house. Even if I catch a bus at once, I still arrive at the university 15 minutes late, which always makes me feel guilty.
My studies keep me busy all day long. I have 10 hours of English a week. I also have lectures and seminars. At lunchtime I meet up with my sister and we have a snack at the university café. After classes I make myself go to the library where I spend about six hours a week reading for my seminars.
My sister and I come home tired. I always find excuses to put off my homework. Unlike me, my sister manages to do the housework and get down to homework. I like the idea of going to bed early, but quite often I have to sit up late, brushing up on my grammar and vocabulary, though I feel sleepy. My sister says that keeping late hours ruins ones health. Of course, I agree.
As my sister and I do not get any time off during the week, we try to relax at the weekends. One of my greatest pleasures is to lie in bed and read my favourite books. My sister is a sporty person. To keep herself fit, Betty goes for a run in the park; from time to time she works out in the gym.
I hate staying in, and sometimes on Saturday night my sister takes me out to a concert or a play. Sometimes we go to a party or to a disco. But more often than not I end up catching up on my studies and my sister goes out. I wonder how I manage to spoil my leisure time.
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Every Monday when I awaken I think I should start a new life. I honestly think that I must become well-organised and correct my daily routine. I make plans to go to keep-fit classes, to go shopping with my sister, to do the cleaning and a hundred other good things. But then I remember that I have to call on my school friend in the evening, and I put off my plans till next Monday. It is always better to start a new life in a week.
Exercises after the text
1. Did you understand everything in Kates story?
Whats the Russian for the following:
An early riser; to have a hasty bite; to put off ones homework; to brush up on ones grammar; to keep late hours; to go to keep-fit classes; to catch up on ones studies.
Whats the English for the following:
; ; ; ; ; .
2. Answer the following questions about Kates day.
3. What did she do yesterday, do you think? What will she do tomorrow?
4. Write out the things Kate does a) in the morning; b) in the afternoon; c) in the evening. Add the things which you do during the day, but Kate doesnt. Compare Kates usual day with yours.
5. Is Kate a well-organised person? What makes you think so?
6. What about you? Are you a very organised person or not? Prove it.
7. Would you like to change your daily routine? What would you like to do about it?
Describing a working day
Look at Jenny Treeces time diary.
| TIME | ACTIVITY |
| 6.00 | Wake up, switch on radio, stay in bed (have a lie-in) |
| 6.15 | Get up, make bed, have shower, brush teeth, make up |
| 6.45 | Have breakfast |
| 8.00 | Get dressed, take Spot for a walk |
| 8.30 | Feed Fluffy, leave for work |
| 9.00 | Arrive at work, cup of coffee, John comes in, talk about film we watched last night |
| 9.15 | Go to have a word with Fred about tomorrows meeting. He isnt there. Walk back to the office, tea and sandwich |
| 9.35 | Read mornings post, call Fred, hes out |
| 10.00 | Decide to start work, cant find the right folder |
| 10.15 | Anna phones. Shes just passed her driving test, chat |
| 10.30 | Coffee break |
| 10.50 | Star work, computer isnt working. Phone engineer to explain fault |
| 11.15 | Look for type-writer. Theres none. Go to the computer laboratory in the next building |
| 11.40 | All the computers in the lab are being used. Wait twenty minutes |
| 12.00 | Return to the office. Computer engineer has arrived. He explains the problem but doesnt do anything else, no time |
| 12.15 | Start writing letters |
| 12.30 | Lunch time |
1. Answer the following questions.
Whats Jennys job?
What did she do last Monday morning?
How much time did Jenny spend doing each thing?
Complete the analysis of Jennys morning and draw you conclusion.
In four hours Jenny really did only things: ________. I cant say she ________.
In order to do her job well, she has to be a more organised person.
What advice would you give Jenny to manage her time better?
E.g. You will save a lot of time if you dont drink so much coffee every morning.
Describe Jennys morning.
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2. Compare Kate, her sister and Jenny. Are they alike or different? Have you got anything in common with them?
3. Work out an ideal daily routine for a first-year student who wants to manage everything and have enough time for studies and entertainment. Discuss your daily routine with your partners.
4. Read these extracts from peoples interviews about their everyday life routines.
Thomas H.:
My daily routine has never really fitted into a regular pattern. Ive never been the sort of person who has a job which starts at 9 oclock every morning and finishes at 5 oclock every evening, comes home, watches television, eats and then falls asleep, like my father and other members of my family. I like to find time in the day for things which are really important to me. The first of these is playing music, practising my violin or my flute or playing together with me girlfriend, learning new tunes to play in concerts or for a new group, or just playing for its sake. I try to find work which I can do when I want to, but some things have to be done at a certain time, and so I always give these priority in my timetable.
I love going to the cinema, to concerts, and also to the swimming pool, but I dont have special times for doing these things, I just do them when I can make time for them, or when I feel like it, or when a friend calls me and says, hey, do you want to come out to the cinema? or something like this.
Maria C., Thomass girlfriend:
I have more of a weekly routine than Thomas, because of my school. I have to get up very early on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, to go to lessons. I have two piano lessons every week, on Monday and Thursday afternoons. I lay the cello, and I have a lesson for this once a week. I also play many concerts with my orchestra, which plays mediaeval and renaissance music. Besides, I have a lot of friends and family commitments. My mum says I do an admirable job of managing my time and fitting all of these things into my week. I also like to go to a fitness centre with my sister, and try to do this every week, and me and Thomas like to swim together, but for some reason we cant often make enough time for it.
One thing is regular in our lives, and thats breakfast time. Every morning, while I am preparing for school or for going out to one of my music lessons, Thomas gets up and makes hot porridge and chocolate milk for breakfast. In this way, we always try to have a little time together before the day begins.
Judy S., Maria and Thomass friend:
Now that I work freelance, I tend to work ay home a lot, or to go out and do interviews and then come home and type them up. If I want to use a computer, I go to a friends house. She doesnt live very far away and I have a key to her flat, so I can use her computer and her fax machine, which is really useful as I can send off articles to newspapers. If I stay quite late at work, my flat mate does some shopping on the way back from university to get some food for the evening, and cooks a meal. She actually enjoys cooking and finds it really relaxing. After thinking all day, she says, its nice to just chop up vegetables and think of something really mindless, and not have to concentrate too hard.
After dinner, I usually watch the news in English on television. I brought a guitar with me from England and sometimes I play that, which is quite a good way of relaxing. Quite often on weekdays Im too tired to go out, but, if I do, maybe I go to the cinema with my flat mate or friends, or I go out to dine at other peoples houses. Where I go also depends on how much money I have. Sometimes I go out to a restaurant or go for a pizza.
Which of the speakers
tend(s) to stay at home than go out in the daytime?
follow(s) the same routine pattern as most of his family?
give(s) the most important things priority in their timetable?
play(s) music most of the day?
start(s) the day at 9 oclock?
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love(s) going to the cinema?
have(has) music lessons every week?
eat(s) a regular breakfast of porridge and milk?
get(s) up very early on weekdays?
go(s) to concerts when they can make time for them?
try(tries) to keep fit?
manage(s) their time perfectly?
do(does) some shopping on the way back home?
work(s) freelance?
use(s) the computer quite often?
enjoy(s) cooking after a hard days work?
watch(es) television after dinner?
have(has) a job which finishes at 5 oclock every evening?
can do what they want during the day/week?
