Vocabulary
specialized ['spejalaizd] school high-quality
strict
discipline ['disiplin]
well-equipped [,weh'kwipt]
gym [d3im]
canteen [kaen'tiin]
workshops
assembly [a'sembli] hall
home economics [^ka'nomiks] room
computer class
language laboratory
physics ['fiziks]
chemistry ['kemistri]
biology [bai'olad3i]
to sit up ,
,
composition
report [n'po:t]
right away
out-of-class
social f'saujl]
orchestra f'o:kistra]
choir f'kwaia]
arts club
International Friendship Club -
drama ['dra:ma] club
geography [d3ftgrafi]
physical education [,fizikal edju'kei/n]
Information Technology [tek'nobdji]
to dramatize f'draemataiz]
to debate [di'beit] , ,
to set up a role play
formula ['fcxmjula]
term [torn]
properly ['propali]
serious ['siariasj
academic [,aka'demik] ,
imaginative [i'msedjinativ]
dull [dAl]
to get along with
to be on good terms with
Questions
1. What kind of school did you go to?
2. Was your school well or poorly equipped?
3. Was the quality of teaching high?
4. Did you have any problems with discipline?
5. How many lessons a day did you have?
6. Did you spend much time on your homework?
7. What was your favourite subject?
8. Were there any subjects you were bad at?
9. Were you taught computer skills?
10. What subjects do you think should be studied at school?
11. Did you take part in any out-of-class activities?
12. Were you on good terms with your teachers?
13. Did you get along with your classmates?
HOW I WENT SHOPPING
One day my friend Nick and I decided to go shopping. I took my salary and Nick took his father's salary. Nick needed some new clothes badly. There are a lot of shops, supermarkets and department stores in the centre of the city, so we decided to go through some of them.
The first shop on our way was a large supermarket. The choice of goods was very impressive. It seemed to us that on the counters and shelves there was everything one could want. We could see sausages of different kinds, fish, meat, poultry. At the bakery there was bread, rolls, buscuits. At the dairy department there was milk, cream, cheese, butter. Everything was nicely packed and when we came to the cashier our baskets were full.
Then we went to the department store which was right across the street.
Nick and I are fond of computers and video and hi-fi equipment, so we couldn't go past our favourite department. There were a lot of computers, video cassette recorders, TV sets, hi-fi centres and tape recorders. Nick bought three new CDs and I bought two video cassettes.
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And then, at last, we found the men's clothing department. There were a lot of suits, trousers, jackets, shirts and many other things. Nick needed a suit because he was going to the theatre with his girlfriend and her parents to see Pygmalion. As you probably remember, Nick is very tall and slim. So it's always difficult to find clothes that would suit him perfectly.
The shop assistant asked Nick's size and offered him a nice suit. But when Nick tried it on I couldn't help laughing. The jacket was too big for him and the trousers were too short. He looked so funny! The shop assistant thought for a moment and then suggested that Nick should try on some jackets and some trousers separately. An hour later Nick looked like an English gentleman. The pinstriped jacket matched the black trousers perfectly. The shop assistant also showed Nick a wonderful tie and he immediately agreed to buy it.
We had to go home by taxi because our bags were so huge that we could hardly lift them. We came home completely broke but happy.
Vocabulary
to go shopping
salary ['saelari]
to need badly
supermarket ['su:pa,ma:kit]
department store [di'pa-.tmant sto:]
to go through [0ru:] .
on one's way ,
choice [tfois]
impressive [im'presiv]
counter ['kaunta]
sausage [-sosid3]
poultry ['pauttri]
bakery ['beikari]
roll [raul]
biscuits ['biskits]
dairy ['deari]
cream [kri:m]
nicely packed
cashier [kse'Jie]
basket ['ba:skit]
right across the street
video equipment [i'kwipmant] -
hi-fi [,hai'fai] equipment -
to go past
men's clothing department
suit [su:t / sju:t]
slim
to suit perfectly ,
size
to try on
I couldn't help laughing
to suggest [sa'd3est]
separately ['sepratli]
gentleman ['d3entlmen]
pin-striped ['pinstraipt] jacket
to match , ,
immediately [i'mi:diatli] ,
huge [hju:d3]
hardly ,
to lift
completely [kam'pli:tli]
broke [brauk]
Questions
1. Who does the shopping in your family?
2. How often do you go shopping?
3. Do you prefer to go shopping on weekdays or at the weekend?
4. Do you like to go to small shops or to big department stores and supermarkets?
5. Which do you think is the most convenient time for shopping?
6. Some people are fond of window-shopping ( ). Can you say that you belong to such people?
7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of big supermarkets?
8. When did you last go shopping? What did you buy?
MY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
When you leave school you understand that the time to choose your future profession has come. It's not an easy task to make the right choice of a job. I have known for a long time that leaving school is the beginning of my independent life, the beginning of a far more serious examination of my abilities and character.
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I have asked myself a lot of times: "What do I want to be when I leave school?" A few years ago it was difficult for me to give a definite answer. As the years passed I changed my mind a lot of times about which science or field of industry to specialize in. It was difficult to make up my mind and choose one of the hundreds jobs to which I might be better suited.
A couple of years ago I wanted to become a doctor. I thought it was a very noble profession. I was good at biology and chemistry in the 8th and 9th forms. I wanted to help people who had problems with health. I knew that a doctor should be noble in work and life, kind and attentive to people, responsible and reasonable, honest and prudent. A doctor, who is selfish, dishonest can't be good at his profession. I tried to do my best to develop good traits in myself.
Now I have already decided what to do. I'd like to be a teacher. I know that it's very difficult to become a good teacher. You should know perfectly the subject you teach, you must be well-educated and well-informed. An ignorant teacher teaches ignorance, a fearful teacher teaches fear, a bored teacher teaches boredom.
But a good teacher develops in his pupils the burning desire to know and love for the truth and beauty. As John Steinbeck once said, a great teacher is a great artist and you know how few great artists there are in the world. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts. It's a great responsibility to bring up children. I think that's the reason why teachers are deeply respected.
More and more people realise that every educated person should know a foreign language. That's why I'm going to become an English teacher. I always remember these famous words and I'm going to teach them to my pupils: "He, who doesn't know a foreign language, doesn't know his own language".
Names
John Steinbeck ['steinbek] ( )
Vocabulary
choice [t/ois] to develop [di'vetep]
independent [jndPpendant] trait [trei/treit]
far more well-informed
serious ['siarias] ignorant f'ignarant] , , -
ability [a'biliti]
character ['kaerakta] ignorance [Ignarans] , , -
to change one's mind
to make up one's mind () fearful [fiaful] ,
to suit [sju:t] fear [fia] ,
noble ['naubl] bored [bo:d] , ,
attentive [a'tentiv] boredom ['bo:damj
responsible [ris'ponsibl] burning desire [di'zaia]
reasonable ['ri:zanabl] , responsibility [risponsi'biliti]
to bring up
prudent ['pru:dant] , , reason ['ri:zn]
deeply f'dhpli]
selfish ['selfij] to respect [ri'spekt]
dishonest [dis'onist] to realize ['rialaiz] ,
Questions
1. Have you decided on your career?
2. When did you begin making plans for the future?
3. When were you able to give a definite answer about your future profession? Did anybody help you to make the choice?
4. Are you going to work and study at the same time?
5. Why do you think teaching is a noble profession?
6. What traits must a good teacher have?
7. What difficulties of teaching profession can you name?
8. What did Steinbeck say about teaching?
9. What other jobs do you know?
10. In what jobs is the knowledge of a foreign language necessary?
11. Would you rather have a dull well-paid job or an interesting but poorly-paid job?
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12. Have you got computer skills?
13. Do you think people will work less in the future?
14. Do you believe that one day teachers will be replaced by computers?
MY MEALS
It goes without saying that I prefer to have meals at home. At the weekend I like to get up late and have a good breakfast of scrambled eggs, or pancakes, or something like that. But on weekdays I'm always short of time in the morning. So I just have a cup of strong tea or coffee and a couple of sandwiches.
As I spend a lot of time at school (usually eight or nine hours) it's necessary to have a snack at midday just to keep me going. That's why I have to go to the school canteen to have lunch. Our school canteen leaves much to be desired. It has become a tradition with our canteen to serve chops and watery mashed potatoes every day with a glass of cocoa or stewed fruit.
But I enjoy my evening meal at home. My mother is a wonderful cook and her dinners are always delicious and various.
To begin with, we usually have some salad - - tomato and cucumber salad or mixed salad (I like it very much). For the first course we have some soup noodle, mushroom or cabbage soup, or maybe some fish soup for a change. For the main course we have meat, chicken or fish dishes, for example, steak or fried fish with spaghetti or potatoes (boiled or fried). We also have a lot of vegetables green peas, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers. I prefer meat to fish but my mother makes me eat fish from time to time. She says it's good for my brains.
For dessert we have some fruit, fruit juice or just a cup of tea with a slice of cake.
On Sundays we sometimes go to McDonald's. I like everything there: cheeseburgers, hamburgers and Big Macs, apple pies and fruit cocktails. But unfortunately we can't afford to go there very often, because it's rather expensive for a family and besides, they say it's not very healthy to eat at
McDonald's.
Vocabulary
it goes without saying couple ['1<1] ,
to prefer [pitfe:] , sandwich ['sanwid3] ,
to have a snack
scrambled eggs rskraembld 'egzl
pancakes [-paenkeiks] , to keeP smb 8ثę
short of time canteen [kaen'ti:n]
leaves much to be desired [di'zaiad]
to serve ['S3:v] ,
a chop
watery ['wo:tri]
mashed f'maejt] potatoes
cocoa f'kaukau]
stewed fruit ['stju:d 'fru:t]
delicious [di'lijas]
various [vearias]
to begin with
salad f'saelad]
tomato [ta'ma:t9u]
cucumber ['kju:kamba]
mixed [mikst]
noodle ['nurdlj soup
mushroom ['rmjru:m] soup
cabbage ['ksebidj] soup
for a change
steak [steik] , ,
spaghetti [spa'geti]
to boil [boil]
to fry [frai]
green peas [pi:z]
carrot ['kaerat]
to make smb do smth -
-
from time to time
brain [brein]
dessert [di'za:!]
juice [d3u:s]
slice [slais] ,
cheeseburger ['tji:zb3:ga] (
)
hamburger [':] ( -
)
Big Mac [,big 'maek] (
)
apple pie [pai] ()
fruit cocktail ['kokteil]
unfortunately [An'fortjhitii]
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to afford [a'fo:d]
they say ...
it's not very healthy [tieiei] .
Questions
1. How many meals a day do you usually have?
2. What do you usually have for breakfast?
3. Where do you have lunch (dinner)?
4. How many courses does your lunch (dinner) usually consist of?
5. What is your favourite dish?
6. What vegetables do you like?
7. What do you usually have for dessert?
8. How often do you eat out?
9. Have you ever eaten at McDonald's?
10. Some people say that eating at a restaurant is a waste of money. Do you agree?
11. Can you cook?
12. Do you agree that the best cooks in the world are men?
AT THE DOCTOR'S
Is there anything more important than health? I don't think so. "Health is the greatest wealth," wise people say. You can't be good at your studies or work well when you are ill.
If you have a headache, heartache, toothache, backache, earache or bad pain in the stomach, if you complain of a sore throat or a bad cough, if you run a high temperature and have a bad cold in your head, or if you suffer from high or low blood pressure, I think you should consult a doctor.
The doctor will examine your throat, feel your pulse, test your blood pressure, take your temperature, sound your heart and lungs, test your eyes, check your teeth or have your chest X-rayed.
After that he will prescribe some treatment, pills, tablets or some other medicine which we can buy at the chemist's. He will recommend you to stay in bed for some time, because there might be serious complications. The only thing you have to do is to follow his recommendations.
Speaking about doctors' recommendations, I can't help telling you one funny story.
An old gentleman came to see the doctor. The man was very ill. He complained of weakness, insomnia, memory loss and serious problems with his heart, lungs and liver. The doctor examined the patient and said that no medicine could cure his desease.
Do you want to know what the doctor's advice was?
He told his patient to go to a quiet place for a month and have a good rest. He also advised him to eat a lot of meat, drink two glasses of red wine every day and take long walks. In other words, the doctor recommended him to follow the rule: "Eat at pleasure, drink with measure and enjoy life as it is."
The doctor also said that if the man wanted to be well again, he shouldn't smoke more than one cigarette a day.
A month later the gentleman came into the doctor's office. He looked cheerful and happy. He thanked the doctor and said that he had never felt a healthier man.
"But you know, doctor," he said, "it's not easy to begin smoking at my age."
Vocabulary
health [helG] wealth [we!6]
wise [waiz]
to be good at studies
headache ['hedeik]
heartache ['ha:teik]
toothache ['tu:Oeik]
backache ['bsekeikj
earache f'iareik]
bad pain
stomach ['st/unak] ;
to complain [kam'plein] of
sore throat [.so: 'Graut]
cough [kof]
to run a high temperature ['tempritfa]
bad cold in one's head
to suffer ['SAfa] from
blood pressure ['blAd,preja]
to consult [kan'sAlt] a doctor
to examine [ig'zaemin]
to feel one's pulse [!]
to test one's blood pressure
to take one's temperature
to sound one's heart and lungs [IAQZ]
to test one's eyes
to check one's teeth
to have one's chest X-rayed ['eksreidj
to prescribe [pri'skraib] (),
()
treatment ['trhtmantj
pill
tablet ['taeblit]
medicine ['medsan]
at the chemist's ['kemistsj
complication [jompli'keijn]
to follow one's recommendations
I can't help telling
weakness ['wi:knis]
insomnia [irrsomnia]
memory loss
liver [live]
patient ['peifantj
to cure [kjua]
desease [di'zhz]
quiet f'kwaiat] ,
to have a good rest
to take long walks
rule [ru:l]
Eat at pleasure ['!], drink with measure ['meja]
and enjoy life as it is. ,
.
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to be well
to smoke [smauk]
cheerful ['tfiaful]
at my age [eid3]
Questions
1. Do you agree with the saying "Health is the greatest wealth"?
2. The doctor recommended his patient to follow the rule: "Eat at pleasure, drink with measure and enjoy life as it is." What do you think of this piece of advice?
3. When were you last ill? What did you complain of?
4. Did you see the doctor?
5. Did you have to stay in bed?
6. What treatment did the doctor prescribe?
7. How long did it take you to get well?
8. Have you ever had complications after a disease? Which did you take harder, the disease itself or the complications after it?
9. What do you usually do when you have a headache?
10. How often do you go to the dentist to check your teeth?
11. How long does it usually take you to recover from cold?
12. Have you ever been operated on? Was it serious?
Hobbies and Pastimes
HOBBIES
Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby according to your character and taste you are lucky because your life becomes more interesting.
Hobbies are divided 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 of man's hobbies. It's a well-known fact that the English are very fond of gardening and growing flowers, especially roses.
Both grown-ups and children are fond of playing different computer games. This is a relatively new hobby but it's becoming more and more popular.
Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, handicrafts. Two of the most famous hobby painters were President Eisenhower and Sir Winston Churchill. Some hobbyists write music or play musical instruments.
Almost everyone collects something at some period in his life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches. Some collections have no real value. Others become so large and so valuable that they are housed in museums and galleries. Many world-famous collections started in a small way with one or two items. People with a good deal of money often collect paintings, rare books and other art objects. Often such private collections are given to museums, libraries and public galleries so that others might take pleasure in seeing them.
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 is adding to what he knows. Learning things can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby.
Names
Eisenhower ['aiznhaua] ( Winston Churchill [,winsten 'tfaitjil]
1953 1961.; ( , -
II ) II )
Vocabulary
character ['kaerakta]
taste [teist]
according [a'ko:dio] to ,
to include [in'klu:d]
variety [va'raiati]
activity [aek'tiviti]
gardening f'ga:dnio]
grown-up ['] ()
relatively ['retetivli] ,
drawing [-dro:ig]
painting ['peintiij]
sculpture ['skAlptJa]
to design [di'zain] , ,
costume ['kostju:m] ,
handicraft ['haendikrarft] ,
hobbyist f'hobiist] ,
to collect [ka'lekt]
stamp
coin
matchbox
record ['reko:d]
postcard ['paus(t)ka:d]
value [vaelju:]
valuable ['vaeljuabl] ,
to house [hauz] ,
in a small way ,
item ['aitam]
a good deal of
rare []
private ['praivit] ,
to take pleasure in
no matter what kind of hobby a person has
opportunity [ppa'tju:niti]
to add
exciting [ik'saitirj] ,
aspect f'aespekt] ,
Questions
1. Tastes differ. Can you say the same about hobbies?
2. Have you chosen a hobby according to your character and taste?
3. Which hobby groups do you know?
4. The most popular hobby group is doing things, isn't it? What kind of activities does this group include?
5. What do you know about gardening?
6. Do you like computer games?
7. Are you fond of making things?
8. Do you know any famous hobbyists?
9. Have you ever collected anything?
10. What can be collected?
11. Do you know of any private collections that were given to museums or art galleries?
12. Do you agree that learning can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby?
MY FRIEND'S HOBBY
My friend Nick is very busy and he doesn't have much time to spare. But he's got a lot of hobbies and interests.
Five years ago Nick was fond of collecting stamps. His hobby helped him to learn a lot about other countries and other peoples' traditions, the world's flora and fauna. Maybe that's why he was good at geography and biology at school.
He used to bring the albums to school and we examined his stamps with great interest and envy. Sometimes he exchanged stamps with his schoolmates.
When Nick was in the tenth form his parents bought him a compact disc player and Nick decided to collect compact discs. Today, he has got more than one hundred CDs of his favourite groups and singers! I think that he is very proud of his collection.
Every time Nick buys a new CD he carefully studies the information printed on disc booklets. He also tries to find out everything about the singers he likes. That's why he reads a lot of specialised magazines and books on the history of rock.
Nick never misses MTV shows he thinks he must keep up with the news in the world of music. He says he likes all types of music except "rave".
He even writes letters to some fan-clubs in other countries, so he has to brush up his English.
Nick never misses a concert of his favourite group. He brings his compact discs to the concert and asks the singers for their autographs.
But in spite of his new hobby, Nick sometimes sits in his room and looks through his albums of stamps (with his earphones on, of course).
Names
MTV [,em ti: 'vi:] = music television (24- )
Vocabulary
time to spare ['spea]
flora f'fkxra]
fauna ['fo:na]
to be good at
envy f'envi]
to exchange [iks'tjeind3]
schoolmates
compact disc ['kompaekt 'disk] player
-
booklet ['buklit] ( -)
specialised ['spejalaizd]
to keep up with ,
rave [reiv] ( ) to brush up ( ),
fan-club ( ) autograph ['o:tsgra:f]
Questions
1. Nick doesn't have much time to spare, does he?
2. Why was he good at geography and biology at school?
3. What is his new hobby?
4. Why does Nick try not to miss MTV shows?
5. Do you think his English is good?
6. Have you ever written a fan letter to your favourite singer?
7. Are you fond of listening to music?
