| Alina Ivanova Flat 11 25 Novokuznetskaya Street Moscow 126574 RUSSIA 15 May 2015 Dear Granny, Hi! How are you? As you know I am staying with my friends in the USA. They live in Florida. It is called the Sunshine State because the climate is very warm. Can you imagine that oranges grow here all year round, even in winter? We have great time! At the moment I am sitting on the beach and drinking orange juice. The sun is shining and it's very hot. Very often I remember our family and how I spend my summer in the country side. I also miss my Russian friends! I wish they were with me! It would be really great! Please, write back soon. Lots of love, Michael |
Text 2. Our flat
Vocabulary
to be centrally heated — имеет центральное отопление
facilities — оборудование
storage space — место для хранения
football pitch — футбольное поле
hi-fi system — музыкальный центр
visible — видимый
advantage — преимущество
to separate — разделять
double-glazing — двойные стекла
sunlight — солнечный свет
spirit — дух, моральная сила
successful career woman — женщина с успешной карьерой
software designer — разработчик программного обеспечения
cosy — уютный
I live in Moscow in a block of flats. It's a typical Moscow 16-storey building. We don't live in the centre of Moscow, but we live not far from the metro station. It takes us 10 minutes to get to the centre of the city. There are three rooms in our flat and we have all modern conveniences. The building is centrally heated; there is cold and hot running water in our flat. We have good kitchen and bathroom facilities really. There is a big living room and two bedrooms in our flat. My brother and I share one big bedroom. We have two beds, a couple of very comfortable chairs and a lot of storage space for us to keep our things. In the hall there is a little corner where our computers live. And in the living room there is a video, a very good hi-fi system and a fantastic television. Our windows look down on a football pitch, which is occasionally used by schoolchildren. A lot of trees are visible from our windows and we can see the top of the church too.
One of the great advantages of our flat is that our block of flats isn't next to any big roads. So we get virtually no noise from outside. Well, there are two layers of glass separating us from the outside world, a kind of double-glazing. We live on the 11th floor. And I like living high up, because a lot of light comes in. I like to have more sunlight, I think it's healthy for the spirit.
My mother always keeps fresh flowers in our flat. I like flowers very much and so does my brother. They make our flat feel alive. My mother waters them regularly, and I think they are happy, as they are well taken care of.
My mother is a successful career woman, and my father is a software designer. There is always a very nice family atmosphere in our flat. Our parents are very friendly. And besides, every little detail, every picture on the walls, every vase of flowers gives the place a homely atmosphere. So I can say that our flat is very cosy.
I. Answer the following questions:
1. Where do you live? 2. How many floors are there in your block of flats? 3. What floor do you live on? 4. What modern conveniences do you have in your flat? 5. How many rooms are there in your flat? 6. What furniture is there in your flat? 7. Are there fresh flowers in your flat? 8. Is your flat comfortable and cosy?
Dialogue 1
Is Alice’s room comfortable and cosy? What is there in her room?
- Have you got your own bedroom?
- Yes, I have.
- Is our room big or small?
- It is not very big and not very small.
- What is there in your room?
- There is a bed, a wardrobe, a desk and a chair in my room. There are some bookshelves on the wall.
- Is your room cosy?
- I think, it is. There is a big colourful carpet on the floor and there are pink curtains on the window.
- How beautiful! Are there any interesting things there?
- Yes, I like music. That’s why there are a lot of posters on the walls and a DVD player on the shelf.
- You are lucky! I share a room with my sister.
Text 3. My working day
Vocabulary
dormitory, students hostel — студенческое общежитие
to rent a flat (an apartment) —снимать квартиру
week-days — будние дни
weekend - выходные
to miss — пропускать
to miss classes — пропускать занятия
canteen — столовая
to pass exams — сдать экзамены
to get ready — подготовиться
to get tired — устать
Hi again... As you already know, I am a first-year student of the Technical Academy. My parents live in Sochi and I study in Rostov-on-Don so I need some housing. There are two opportunities for me: I can live in a dormitory (a students hostel), or to rent a flat (an apartment).
I decided to rent a flat. To make the rent smaller, I also decided to share my flat with another girl — Natasha Kozlova. She studies at the Academy, too, and she is my best friend now. I'll tell you more about her later.
Now, let me describe my usual working day. My classes begin at 8:30. So on week-days I have to get up at 7:15. I don't have an alarm clock and usually my roommate wakes me up and my working day begins. I turn on the radio and do my morning exercises while Natasha takes a shower. I don't take a bath in the morning because I don't have enough time for it. I take a cool shower (that's when I completely wake up), brush my teeth. After that I go back to our room and get dressed. I brush my hair and put on a light make-up. Then we have breakfast. Natasha makes breakfast every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I have to serve breakfast on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I love to listen to the latest news on the radio while I am eating and Natasha prefers light music.
We leave the house at ten minutes past eight and walk to the nearest bus-stop. We live rather far from the Academy and it usually takes us about a quarter of an hour to get there by bus. Sometimes when the weather is fine and we have enough time we walk to the Academy. It is very healthy to walk much.
The classes begin at 8:30 in the morning and they end at 2:00 p.m. We have lectures in different subjects. As a rule we have three or four classes a day. Sometimes it is very hard to wait till they end.
Usually I don't miss my classes because I want to pass my exams successfully. But sometimes I do, especially when the weather is fine and the classes are boring.
At 11:50 we have lunch. That's my favourite time. That is the time to share the latest news and to gossip. My friends and I prefer not to go to the canteen and we often have lunch in a small cafe not too far from the Academy. At 12:30 we have to be back to our classes. During the working day we also have several short breaks that last for ten minutes.
Occasionally I have to stay at the Academy till 5 or even 6 o'clock in the evening because I go to the library to get ready for my practical classes or to write a report. As a rule I have no free time on week-days. So by the end of the week I get very tired.
We come home at about 7 o'clock in the evening. We eat supper together and share the latest news.
After supper we wash dishes, drink coffee or tee and watch TV. I prefer old comedies and Natasha likes serials or films about travelling. Sometimes Natasha and I go for a walk in the park or visit our friends.
At about eleven at night I go to bed. I like to read something before going to bed and Natasha likes to listen to some music. Sometimes I fall asleep while I am reading and Natasha gets up and switches off the light and says — Good night!
Task 1. Translate into English:
• быть студентом (студенткой) дневного отделения
• рассказать вам о…
• в будние дни
• просыпаться – вставать в 7 часов утра
• включать магнитофон
• принимать душ
• чистить зубы, одеваться
• слушать последние новости
• у меня уходит час, чтобы добраться до института
• ездить на автобусе, трамвае, троллейбусе
• опаздывать на занятия
• заканчиваться в 15:50 вечера
• пропускать занятия
• сдать экзамены успешно
• время от времени
• подготовиться к экзаменам
• как правило
• устать
• приходить домой
•быть дома
•иметь свободное время
Task 2. Tell about your typical day. The following questions will help you:
1. When do you usually get up?
2. What do you do in the morning?
3. What do you usually have for breakfast?
4. When do you usually leave your house?
5. Where do you study?
6. How long does it take you to get to your Academy (College)?
7. Do you go there by bus/ tram or walk?
8. Where do you usually have lunch (dinner)?
9. What time do you come home?
10. How long does it take you to do your homework?
11. How do you usually spend your evenings?
12. What time do you usually go to bed?
Exercise 3. Tell about:
1) the working day of your father or mother;
2) the usual weekend at home;
3) the best day of your life;
4) a holiday spent with your friends or relatives (New Year’s day, Christmas, 8 th of March)
5) the working day of famous people (writers, artists, politicians etc.)
MY LEISURE TIME
