Which parts of Belarus have you visited?

I have visited a few towns in Belarus such as Minsk, Mogilev, Grodno but most of all I was impressed by my visit to Belovezshksaya Pushcha. As you know there is the Residence of Father Frost ( Slavic Santa Clause) in Belavizshsdaya Pushcha and we saw European Bison there.

What questions about Belarus do you expect to hear from a British teenager?

1. Have you got any national symbols ( customs and traditions)? 2. What is the most beautiful city in Belarus? 3. Do most people in Belarus speak Russian or Belarusian? 4.I wonder where I can buy Belarusian souvenirs. 5. The Belarusian language is losing its popularity, isn’t it?

What Belarusian sights would you advise a foreigner to visit?

The most famous Belarusian sights are Mir Castle, Brest Fortress,  Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Architectural and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family, Lida Castle, etc.

I’d advise to visit Mir Castle. It’s located in the town of Mir in the Karelichy District of the Hrodna region, which is home to a few UNESCO World Heritage sites that attract visitors. It’s a unique monument of Belarusian architecture, it was built in the Gothic-style by duke Ilinich in early 16th century. This is a square-planned building with towers at the corners. Some people consider Mir Castle to be the main landmark of Belarus.

5. You are to write a short article about Belarusian people for a foreign newspaper. How would you describe our people? Belarusians are intelligent, tactful, kind, friendly, hard-working, soft, hospitable and merry. They are easy to be ruled; they are hard-working, reserved, they are rather pessimistic, stubborn and peaceful... The citizens of Belarus love their families, respect the elderly

generation and bring up the young to be grateful to their ancestors and history for happy childhood, freedom and peaceful sky over their heads.

Card № 21

I. 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Technology

Technology is everywhere. We see it any place we go to and, in fact, almost all of us carry some piece of technology with us every time we leave the house. We can’t imagine our life without them. But what we always forget, though, is just how useful and powerful technology can be when we want to help others.

There is not a single room in my house that does not have some gadget lying around in it. Whenever I am at home, providing that I am not sleeping, I am almost always using at least one electronic device. If you walked into my living room on any given day, you would find that, first, I have the television on (along with the other related appliances, such as the DVD player or my current favourite games console¹). At the same time, even though multi­tasking is definitely not my strong point, I usually have my laptop resting on my knee, or I will be using my tablet or mobile phone. In the background, the technology that I am not using will most likely be on charge somewhere in the house. Even when I’m not at home I am constantly using my phone. At work or in café s, I sit down and connect to the local wireless network on my laptop. I must admit that I waste a lot of time on the computer. Instead I could spend it doing some online volunteering.

The technology we carry about everywhere can have a great power to do good for the world and to help others and recently I discovered just how much online volunteering there is to do in the world. From using your language skills to do translations, to developing and managing projects and helping with IT work, there is so much that so many people can do to help people in their own countries and across the world. The United Nations, in fact, has a huge page on its website designed for recruiting volunteers.

This work can support the poor and help charities who otherwise would not have the funding to pay for staff. Many organisations only require you to work an hour a week — some even less. And the support provided by online volunteers can really help make a difference to those in need.

¹ games console [ˈ ɡ eɪ mz ˈ kɒ nˈ sə ʊ l] игровая приставка

 

2. The author disapproves of the way people use electronic devices. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What electronic devices does the author often use?

4. How can online volunteering help people?

 

II. Listen to the conversation and answer the questions below.

1. What is the flat like?

2. What do Anna and Carlos like and dislike about the flat?

3. What have they decided to do?

 

III. Let’s talk about any English-speaking country.

1. What do you know about the USA(Canada/Australia)? I’d like to talk about the USA. The USA is the world’s third largest country in size and nearly the third largest in population. Located in North America, the country borders on Canada in the North and Mexico in the South. The country is divided into 50 states and the District of Columbia. The USA has a relatively short history. It all started with Columbus’s discovery of America in 1492. After his arrival a series of European visitors appeared on the continent -the Spanish, French, Dutch and British. In the early 17th century, settlers moved from Europe to the New World, established colonies, and moved the native peoples away.

Native people fought for their independence from Britain in the late 18th century and formed a union of states based on a new constitution. On the 4^th of July, 1776 independence from Britain was declared. This is exactly the date when all the Americans celebrate the Independence Day.

The USA has been a nation of immigrants throughout history. The Native American people now form only about 1% of the population.

There are about 300 million people living in the USA, all of different religions, races and backgrounds. The USA has been a world leader economically, militarily, and technologically for many years. The US dollar is the world’s main reserve currency. And Wall Street in New York is considered to be the world’s financial centre.

The USA has been a leader in science since the late 19th century. The inventions of the telephone, the light bulb, radio and the first movie camera have been made by Americans. The USA is also the best in space technologies and computers. The proof is such names as Apple Inc. Technology, Microsoft and IBM.

2. Do you think that people speaking the English language are similar in character? English is the third most spoken native language in the world, after Chinese and Spanish. It is the most commonly spoken language in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, and in some areas of the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia. I don’t think people living in these counties are similar in character, as every nation has its own characteristics and traits of character.

⇐ Предыдущая567891011121314Следующая ⇒

Поделиться: