Family  Relations.

My family consists of five people. They  are my mother, my father, my little sister, my granny and me. Everybody in my family is busy, so we can see each other only in the evening and at the weekends. But in the evening we always discuss everyday events. My parents and granny advise me what to do in different situations. They often help my sister and me to write down  compositions or explain difficult sums in maths. If I get into trouble, I ask them for advice. They are kind and wise people. We have got common interests. We all like listening to music, going to the theatre or just going for a walk together.All the members of my family are very friendly and hospitable. Our friends often come to see us and we have wonderful parties.I enjoy family feasts. love my family. My family means a lot for me.

My School. My Friend. Problems of youth.

I am a student of the ninth from   of a Saratov school giving secondary education. We study   Russian, Russian literature, History, Social Sciences. Our school occupies a three storied building with a gym, a canteen and workshops on the ground floor, classrooms for different subjects, and Physics, Chemistry and Biology labs on the first floor. The rooms are well-equipped for studying and making experiments. I am not very good at communicating in English, but I am diligent, that is way I am sure things will soon improve. When classes are over I seldom go home right away. I stay to train. I spend much time at school. But at school we do not only study. We have some extra activities as well. They are a part of  our school life. Our Social and cultural life is well organized. We have   different clubs. We often go to the museums and theatres. I prefer going in for sports because sports help me keep fit. I fell at home at school. I am sure I will remember my school and school mates for the rest of my life.

 I have got a lot of friends at school. But my best friend is Olga. Olga is a very interesting person. She has a great talent for drawing and painting. She has read a lot of books and can discuss any theme we like. I enjoy spending my free time with her. We often gather at my place or somewhere else to speak about life, listen to music and have fun. We have common interests in music and books. We like the same singers and filmstars. Olga is bright and goodhearted. She is the only person with whom I can share my problems, ideas and troubles. We understand each other perfectly well. I am happy to have such a friend as Olga.

It is very good to have a true friend because young people have a lot of problems. Youth is a very important period of life. Young people face lots of problems of misunderstanding of grown-ups, relationship with friends, problems of love, personal problems, cruelty, drug addiction, violence and drinking problems. Teenagers today have a lot of more to worry about than their parents did. So it is very important to have good friends and parents who understand and support you. Young people often face to problems of misunderstanding of their teachers. It`s a pity, but teachers often think that they are always right. Some of them do not want to listen to our opinions. I respect our teachers very much, but I’d like them to give us an opportunity to tell them our own opinion.

Appearence and Character

Hobbies. Fashion.

What is a hobby? It is something you like to do when you have some free time. When we have hobbies our lives become more interesting. Very often our hobbies help us to choose our future professions because we learn a lot of new things. Many people are interested in music. They collect records. Others like to read and collect books. People living in cities and towns like to be closer to nature and they spend their free time in the country. Some of us go on hikes, some like to work in the gardens. For example, gardening and growing roses is the most common hobby among the Englishmen. Both grown-ups and children enjoy playing computer games. This hobby has become one of the most common hobbies.

 I have got a hobby too. When I have free time I like to train my dog. I go with my dog for walks to a special platform equipped for training. My dog is very clever and cheerful. His name is Charles. It is easily trained with different commands. We repeatedly win the first places at dogs’ exhibitions. I get a lot of pleasure to spend free time with such a pupil. But I have got another hobby. I enjoy choosing and wearing clothes. I think that a person must be able to wear clothes. Very often people wear clothes which do not suit them.  Young people think about clothes a lot. Going to school, we have to wear uniform or strict clothes. Boys usually put on dark jeans or trousers; girls prefer trousers or skirts, shirts or blouses. But when we go out, especially to the parties or for walks, young people prefer being attractive and smart. The most fashionable things nowadays are jeans, short skirts, and leggings for girls. Boys are fond of bright, T-shirts and sweat-shirts. A lot of girls and sometimes even boys wear jewellery: chains, earrings and bracelets. As for me, all my classmates say that I am trendy. I enjoy wearing stylish clothes. I like to look smart and attractive. It is very important for me to follow fashion. So I feel confident. I prefer design clothes when I go to the party or to the disco. But in other cases, I like comfortable clothes: jeans, sweat-shirts, T-shorts, trainers or sneakers.

As for my sister she has cut her hair into a strange shape,pierced her ears and wears a lot of cheap jewellery.She shows off her independence and feelings.

As for the British people ,they don’t think about clothes very much.In Britain as well as in the USA men in offices usually wear suits and ties,women wear dresses and skirts,not trousers.Doctors,lawyers and business people wear quite formal clothes.British people just like to be comfortable.When they go out to enjoy themselves,they can wear almost everything. At theatres, cinemas and concerts you can put on what you like – from elegant suits and dresses to jeans and sweaters. In many ways, Americans are more relaxed than British people, but they are more careful with their clothes. At home or on holiday most Americans wear informal or sporty clothes. But when they go out in the evening, they like to look elegant.

To my mind fashion comes and goes out so looking clean and tidy is more important than looking stylish.

Shopping and Pocket Money

Everybody goes shopping just once a week. We need food, clothes and household articles every day. The best place to do your shopping in is a supermarket. There is a good supermarket not far from my house. The supermarket has a lot of self-service counters. There we can choose what we like. When we come to the shop, we take a basket at the entrance and go inside. There are a lot of departments there. You can buy cereal, tea, honey, cheese and bacon at the Food Department. There are different markers, copybooks, pens, pencils and albums in the stationery. There are also Sporting Goods, Electronics, Shoes and clothes departments there. There are a lot of customers, because goods are not very expensive. The shop-assistants are attentive and friendly and often help us with good advice.

 I often go shopping with my parents, but sometimes I do it alone. I have some pocket money. I get it every week. It is not a big sum. I usually spend it for my needs: buying ice-cream, gum, stationery or posters of my favourite filmstars. Of course, I want my parents to give me more pocket money. I think, pocket money is a useful thing for students. We are learning how to spend money. These skills will be of use in my grown-up life.

Correspondence (переписка)

Nowadays our world is becoming smaller, because people from different corners of the land can communicate in any minute they want. There are telephones, letters and the Internet. Only some years ago letters were the only way of communication between people.

 My mother and father have some friends in the other cities of Russia. They wrote letters to each other once or twice a month. Later, when mobiles appeared, they got an opportunity to phone each other when they wanted.

 Another phenomenon of the 20^th century is the Internet. It is a new way of exploring the world. This symbol of the 20^th century is becoming more and more popular among the people of different ages. A person can get a lot of information without leaving his house. The Internet is the global communication system. With its help a person can find friends in any part of the world. The most popular programs are ISQ (I seek you), Contact and Classmates.

 As for me, I also have a lot of friends in the net. I often sit down in front of the screen and write down letters to my friend Olga. Olga is a very interesting person. She has a great talent for drawing and painting. She has read a lot of books and can discuss any theme we like. We have common interests in music and books. We like the same singers and filmstars. Olga is bright and goodhearted. She is the only person with whom I can share my problems, ideas and troubles. We understand each other perfectly well. I am happy to have such a friend as Olga.

Changing Programs. Holidays at School.

Everybody likes holidays. Both teachers and students enjoy them. Our school has more holidays than others. We usual have holidays in every 5-6 weeks. It is very comfortable. You have an opportunity not only to rest but to repeat grammar rules, new English words, write compositions and many other things.

During my holidays I always read a lot, watch my favourite TV programmes and walk a lot of with my friends. There is a good opportunity to train English during holidays.It is very important to know different foreign languages nowadays. The world is becoming smaller all the time. We can communicate through the Internet or on the phone. But we should know the international language and it is English.So there are a lot of special programmes for students. They are exchange programs.From Europe to Australia, Africa to Asia, teenagers pack their bags, say goodbye to friends and family, then sit on a plane for hours to arrive in a country they have probably only read about or seen on TV.  These programmers are very important. They break the stereotypes and change existing images. They help to build a bridge between the countries. They help to improve language skills and give you an opportunity to communicate. Teenagers can learn more about the history and culture of the country they visit.

My Future Profession. English is an International Language

The problem of choosing the future profession has always been important. The profession a person choosing influences on his future life in many ways. For many people choosing a career is not an easy task. Some factors are very important. They are material and moral aspects. To avoid the mistakes, I discuss my choice with my parents and my friends. All professions are useful, but, I have decided to become a pharmacist. I have chosen this career because it is helpful for people. An educated pharmacist can help to choose the right medicine and even advise how to treat the illness. To be a good pharmacist is difficult. You should study a lot of Chemistry, Biology, Physics and even Maths. You must also know Computer science well. There are positive and negative sides of each profession.

 To my mind a person should be very well-educated, attentive ,careful to people and responsible. Then you will be an excellent specialist. A good specialist has to know English language. I study English because I understand that I can use it. If I go to England or to the USAI will be able to speak English there.  English is used not only in England but also in other parts of the world. I learn English because I want to read foreign literature in the original.  I like to travel but it is difficult to visit countries, when you do not know the language spoken there. Knowledge of foreign languages helps young people of different countries to understand each other and communicate. You can see a lot of advertisements and signboards in the streets. Very often they are in English. If you know English well, you can read and understand them. I am going to become a doctor and English is necessary for me because there are a lot of instructions for medicines in English and I must understand them.

At the moment English is internationally recognized by the world community as one of the languages more often spoken in various parts of the world.It is known that English is spoken in Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, The Republic of Ireland, the Caribbean Islands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the USA. People in 30 countries speak English as a second language. English is also popular in Russia. About 70 per cent of Russian students choose English as their  first foreign language at school.

Places of Interest in Great Britain

The United Kingdom is situated near the north-west coast of Europe. The U.K. includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain, the largest island in Europe, contains England, Scotland and Wales. England is one of the most important and biggest parts of Great Britain. It is situated in the south-east of Great Britain. It is the most populated region. A lot of tourists visit it every year.

If you want to see the most famous sights of the country, you will certainly go to London. London is the capital of Great Britain. It is a very old city. It is two thousand years old. London is situated upon both banks of the Thames. There are 17 bridges across the river. The city of London is the oldest part of London. You can see narrow streets and pavements there. The West end is the centre of London. There are many sights in the West End. They are the House of Parliament with “Big Ben”, which came into service in 1859. Big Ben is the biggest clock bell in Britain. It weighs 13,5 tons.

The other interesting place is Westminster Abbey, which was founded in 1050.Many great Englishmen were buried in the Abbey: Newton, Darwin and others. The official London residence of the Queen is Buckingham Palace. It was built in the 18^th century. Buckingham Palace is like a small town. It has got a swimming pool, a post office, two clubs, a disco, a hospital, a cinema, a restaurant and a bar. There are 600 rooms and 3 miles of red carpet. About 700 people work in the Palace.

St.Paul’s Cathedral is a masterpiece of the well-known English architect Christofer Wren.It took him 35 years to build the Cathedral.The Whispering Gallery which is 100 feet above the floor of the Cathedral, is remarkable for its acoustics.A person standing at the entrance of the Gallery can hear clearly what is said on the opposite side,107 feet away. Beneath the centre of the dome is the tomb of Lord Nelson killed at the battle of Trafalgar. Sir Christofer Wren ,the great architect of St.Paul’s ,died in 1723, aged 91, and was buried in the building which his genius and toil(труд) had created.

Places of Interest in Russia

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the world. It is situated in Europe and Asia. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometers. The country is washed by 12 seas and 3 oceans. The main attraction in my country is our nature. There are many rivers in Russia. The longest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Ob in Asia. The deepest lakes are Baikal and Ladoga.It is known that Baikal contains the cleanest water in the world. But in the big cities you can see a lot of things which are worth visiting.

 Moscow is the capital of Russia. It is one of the biggest and most beautiful cities in the world. Moscow was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruky. Moscow is a cultural centre. There are 60 professional theatres, 74 museums, many institutes and libraries in Moscow. The Bolshoi Theatre is famous all over the world. If you are fond of painting you can go to the Tretyakov Art Gallery or to the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum and see a lot of interesting portraits and landscapes there. We say the Tretyakov Art Gallery is a treasure-house of Russian art. Young people like to visit the Central Military Museum. There are many tanks, guns and war documents there. One can see the Kremlin and Red Square in the centre of the city. There are many fine buildings, wide streets, green parks, large squares, churches and monuments in Moscow. It is necessary to mention such famous monuments as monuments to the Great Russian writer Alexander Pushkin and first Russian printer Ivan Fedorov.    

Holidays in Russia, Britain and the USA.

Holidays can be religious and secular, national and local, official and unofficial.  The dates that are memorable to every Russian are Victory Day, May Day, Constitution Day and Women’s Day. These are national holidays and people do not work on these days. The most important date in Russia is Victory Day. It is on May 9. On that day the veterans meet in the parks and squares of the cities to remember the days of war. At night fireworks are let off. May Day is also very popular in our country. This is the day of friendship and support. One of the biggest festivals of the year is New Year. The coming of New Year is celebrated with a New Year tree, Grandpa Frost, European Santa Claus. In our country New Year is toasted in champagne. Recently new national holidays have been celebrated in our country. These are Christmas and Easter. Christmas and Easter are both religious holidays. In Russia Christmas is celebrated on January 7.

 The major  holidays in Great Britain are Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 1, Christmas Day , Boxing Day and New Year . Public holiday are called Bank Holidays, because on these days banks are closed. At Christmas people usually stay with their families. Children hang stockings at the ends of their beds to fill them with toys. Boxing Day on December 26 is the day on which boxes of presents are given. But besides public holidays the British celebrate certain traditions as Pancake Day, Guy Fawkes Night, April Fools Day and Mothers Day. The first of April is known as April Fool’s Day. For three centuries Mother’s Day has been the day when grown-ups and children come back to their parents with boxes of presents. Another interesting tradition is Guy Fawkes Night .It is on November 5. In 1650 Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Every year, on “Guy Fawkes Night” children make “guys” to burn on bonfires and let off fireworks.

National holidays of the United States include Thankgiving Day,Independence  Day,St.Patrick’s Day , Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. Independence Day is observed on July 4.On this day America adopted the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson and started the fight for freedom from the British rule.Another big holiday in the USA is Thanksgiving Day.On this day American families meet for a special dinner, usually with turkey and pumpkin pie.Children always have fun at Halloween on October 31.They dress up like ghosts and witches.They cut up a pumpkin to loor like a frightening face and put a light inside.Memorial Day falls on the fourth Monday of may.It is the day on which Americans honour those who died in wars (and all other dead are remembered)

Famous People of Great Britain

Arthur Conan Doyle was a great writer. He was born in Scotland into a family of Irish origin. He was a doctor. In 1882 he moved from Scotland to England to set up a practice. His medical knowledge was a great help to him in his detective stories.  Conan Doyle was one of the first to start the fashion of the detective story. Today the fashion continues with the stories of the other writers. Conan Doyle created his famous character, Sherlock Holmes, in 1885. There is a special museum in London devoted to S.Holmes. There you can find the room where S.Holmes lived and worked and a lot of things belonged to a great detective.There is also the stuffed head of a hound.It is said to be the original ‘hound’ of the Baskervilles!

Famous People of Russia

Yuri Gagarin was born on the 9 of March 1934. He was born in his village of Klushino in the region Smolensk. In 1951 Gagarin graduated from the vocational school near Moscow. In 1955 he entered a school for pilots and joined the first group of cosmonauts. On April 12 1961 Yuri Gagarin flew into space and spent 108 minutes there. It was the first time in history that the Russian spaceship Vostok-1 with a man on Board had been in space.

One of Russia’smost celebrated poets of all the times , Michael Lermontov was born in Moscow in the family of a nobleman. He spent his childhood and his youth at Tarckany,the province of Penza. In1830 Lermontov entered the Moscow University,but very soon had to leave it.Then he entered St. Petersburg School of Cavalry Cadets (кавалерийскиеюнкеры). He finished it in 1834 and served in the Hussar Regiment of the Imperial Guard.(гусарскийгвардейскийполк).

Lermontov began writing when he was very young. But he won fame as apoet after his poem on Pushkin’death was published. Lermontov ‘s poems “Demon”, “Mtsyri”,his great novel A Hero of Our Time”,his lyrics and his play “Masquerade” are masterpieces of Russian literature.

Travelling About Russia.

All people like travel. Travelling is a very enjoyable thing for us and I enjoy all kinds of travelling very much. Traveling is the oldest and the most pleasant way of exploring the world. Traveling broadens our minds and give us a lot of information about new lands. People can travel by train, by air, by ship, by car or on foot. As for me, I prefer travelling by car. It is interesting too, because you can see many things in a short time. We do not need to buy tickets either and we put all the things we like into the car.

The modern way of travelling is hitchhiking. Brave young people stop passing cars with a special gesture and ask drivers for a lift..

 Some people enjoy traveling on foot. This kind of traveling is called “hikes”.  You can see a lot of different things; you can stop anywhere you want.  We take our rucksacks, we do not think about tickets, we do not hurry and we walk a lot.

Last year we went to Samara by car. It took us about half a day to get there.  It was a funny trip.  We listened to music, talked a lot of and laughed. In Samara we visited the famous aquapark. There were a lot of attractions and slides in it we had a lot of fun. I remembered this trip because it was very pleasant.   

It is always interestihg to discover new things, different ways of life, to meet different people, to try different food. Most travellers take a camera with them and take pictures       

 of everything –the sights of a city ,old churches and castles, views of mountains, lakes, valleys,waterfalls, animals and plants.

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the world. It is situated in Europe and Asia. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometers. The country is washed by 12 seas and 3 oceans. The main attraction in my country is our nature. There are many rivers in Russia. The longest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Ob in Asia. The deepest lakes are Baikal and Ladoga. But in the big cities you can see a lot of things which are worth visiting. Moscow is the capital of Russia. It is one of the biggest and most beautiful cities in the world. Moscow was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruky. Moscow is a cultural centre. There are 60 professional theatres, 74 museums, many institutes and libraries in Moscow. The Bolshoi Theatre is famous all over the world. If you are fond of painting you can go to the Tretyakov Art Gallery or to the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum and see a lot of interesting portraits and landscapes there. We say the Tretyakov Art Gallery is a treasure-house of Russian art. Young people like to visit the Central Military Museum. There are many tanks, guns and war documents there. One can see the Kremlin and Red Square in the centre of the city. There are many fine buildings, wide streets, green parks, large squares, churches and monuments in Moscow. It is necessary to mention such famous monuments as monuments to the Great Russian writer Alexander Pushkin and first Russian printer Ivan Fedorov. I have already been to Moscow. I have visited the Tretyakov Gallery, Pushkin Fine Arts Museum and the Kremlin. Theyattractedmeverymuch.

Ecological Problems.

People all the world think about our planet. They think about air, water, plants and animals on the Earth. We try to protect animal and plant worlds, to keep the waters clean and the air fresh. Recently climate has changed a lot of in the world, especially in its European part. Winters have become warmer. There is little snow in January. There were winters when it rained on the New Year’s Eve. Scientists say that it is because of the greenhouse effect. During the last 100 years people have produced a lot of carbon dioxide. This gas in the atmosphere works like glass in a greenhouse. It lets heat get in but it does not let much heat get out. So the atmosphere becomes warmer. Another great problem is pollution. More and more factories, cars and trucks add their bad breath to the air. Chemicals puff out of coal-burning factories around the world. When they mix clouds, acid rain falls and harms lakes, rivers and plants. Also, a lot of companies dump chemical wastes into water. So, a lot of lakes and rivers are polluted. The Pacific Ocean has suffered from nuclear pollution.The French government  tested nuclear weapons there. This poisoned and killed fish and sea animals. Another people activities do a lot of harm to the forests. People cut down trees to build farms, roads, buildings. Because of this birds’ and animals’ habitats are destroyed. If people want to survive they must solve these problems quickly. That’s why people all over the world think and speak so much about ecology.  

Sports in our life.Sports in Great Britain.

Sport is very important to us. It is popular among young and old people. Many people do morning exercises, jog in the morning or train in different clubs and take part in sports competitions. Other people like sports too buy they only watch sports games and listen to sports new. They prefer reading interesting stories about sportsmen but they do not go in for sports. There are several popular sports in our country .They are football, volleyball, hockey, skating, skiing and others.Much attention is paid to organised sports. There are many different sporting societies and clubs in Russia.They take part in the international tournments and are known all over the world. A great number of our sportsmen participate in the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games are the greatest.  international sports games in the world.  The Olympic Games have a long and interesting history. Competitions of athletes took place in Greece.  They were only for men. It was twenty eight centuries ago.  The 22^nd summer Olympic games were held in Moscow in 1980. The Olympic Games are a festival of health, peace and friendship. In 2014 the next Olympic Games will be held in Sochi.

 National sports in Great Britain. This is very interesting question, because many kinds of sport have taken their origin in England. For example : cricket, football, rugby football, table tennis.  Cricket is the English national sport in summer.  There are two teams.  Each team has eleven players.The “bowler” throws the ball and the “batsman” hits it with his bat.Rugby football is very popular.The ball is oval. There are 15 players in each team.There are a lot of amateur rugby teams. Englishmen pay a lot of attention to swimming, rowing and walking. Usually the Oxford-Cambridge boat race takes place at the end of March or at the beginning of April. There are several racing competitions in England. They are motor-car racing, dog-racing, donkey-racing, boat-racing, and horse-racing.

My favourite sport is swimming. I go to the swimming-pool twice a week. I prefer to relax by the lake or the river and swim there. To my mind, sport helps people keep in good health and enjoy life.Sports keeps people more disciplined and better organised.I agree with a proverb “A sound mind in a sound body”.

Russia’s Achievements in Space

Since the 1950s people have been travelling into space. In 1959 Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon. Since then we have been sending space probes to the planets and into outer space. These probes have   been sending us data and scientists have been studying them and learning new facts about the universe.  Russia is proud of its achievements in space. On October 4 1957 the world first satellite was launched in our country. Over the next few years unmanned spaceships were launched. On April 12 1961 Yuri Gagarin flew into space and spent 108 minutes there. It was the first time in history that the Russian spaceship vostok-1 with a man on board had been in space. German Titov piloted “Vosok-2”,Valentina Tereshkova , the first woman-cosmonaut to travel into space ,was launched on June 16,1963 in “Vostok-6”,which completed 48 orbits in 71 hours. There were 40 manned and unmanned “Souyz” spaceships  between 1967 and 1981. In 1980-s ourscientists and cosmonauts made a lot of valuable observations of the solar system.

The Mass Media

Television is one of the greatest achievements of the 20^thcentury. It is the most popular part of mass media. Today every family has a TV-set. Today television gives people a possibility to be well informed and enjoy “civillised pleasures” .The programmes are various and people have a chance to select what they want to see. There are programmes devoted to special subjects. With the help of TV it is possible to learn foreign languages, to know wonderful things about flora and fauna. TV teaches the ideals of democracy and political argument. By the beginning of the 21th century TV became a colored world network. The choice of the channels ranges from six to fifty. These channels show programmes of various kinds from documentaries, news, sports, films and cartoons. At the same time there are a lot of arguments against TV.  It is called a “living room monster” or “one-eyed monster.” The biggest viewers are pensioners and housewives. In total they spend five hours daily sitting before the “boxes” children watch commercials, horror films or films of violence. Also TV is damaging for health. It is bad effect on the eyes. Instead of playing football or reading books people watch various programmes. The best thing is to watch only selective TV programmes and not to be governed by them.

Another phenomenon of the 20^th century is the Internet. It is a new way of exploring the world. This symbol of the 20^th century is becoming more and more popular among the people of different ages. A person can get a lot of information without leaving his house. The Internet is the global communication system. With its help a person can find friends in any part of the world. The most popular programs are ISQ (I seek you), Contact and Classmates. As for me, I also have a lot of friends in the net.

Another popular means of mass media is radio. Radio was invented in 1897 by Marioni. Later it was reinvented by Popov.There are a lot of different radio stations. You can listen to musuc, news, dramas and even take part in contests and discussions. I often listen to the radio too. I prefer different musical stations. The most favourite is “Love Radio”.

The press is a great force in the world.It has a great political influence.There are daily and weekly newspapers. There are quality and popular newspapers. Quality newspapers provide serious information on all topical issues of the day. The most important Russian newspapers are Komsomolskaya Pravda,Arguments and Facts,etc. The leading newspapers give serious coverage of current news and events.Populars are offered for less serious reading. They give little amount of political news and more articles of entertaining character.

We can not imagine our life without mass media. Mass media give a lot of current information about situation in the country and in the world.

About Myself.

Let me introduce myself. My full name is …, but I am usually called ... I am a student of the ninth form of a secondary school. There are five of us in my family. They are me parents, my granny, my younger sister and me. My father is 35 years old. He is a fireman. He has very little free time. He likes his job. My mum is a shop-assistant. She is younger than me father. She is a dark-haired slim woman.  She is pretty and nice. She always has a lot of housework to do at home. My granny works too. So I often have to help about the house and look after my sister. Sometimes I take her home after school. As for me, I am fourteen. I am always very busy; I have a lot of extra classes after school. I train Russian, English, Chemistry and Biology. When I have free time, I prefer listening to music. My favourite style of music is rap. I have a big collection of disks. My family is very friendly and hospitable. We have a lot of friends and often have parties or family feasts at home.Parents always have time to listen to me and discuss my problems together. We often spend free time together. It helps me to feel sure in different situations. And it is very important ,because youth is not always an easy period of life.  Young people face have lots of problems, which are very important for them: misunderstanding of grown-ups, relationship with friends, problems of love, personal problems, cruelty, drug addiction and drinking problems. Teenagers today have a lot of more to worry about than their parents did. So it is very important to have good friends and parents who understand and support you.

Computers.

Computers were invented in the nineteenth century.  It is unbelievable, but in 1812 Charles Babbage, a professor of Mathematics invented the first machine, which could calculate. Nowadays, computers control almost everything. They are used in sports and technology, in science and in music, in trade and in economy, in politics and just in our common life.  They have much better memories; they can keep a great amount of information. They can control machines in factories, compose music, program space flights and even play chess. Each pupil and student uses computers for studying and just for communicating. So, without computer we can’timagine our modern world. But there are some negative effects of computers.  They have bad influence on our eyes, sometimes even brain, because it has radiation.  People, who spend a lot of time in front of the screens, have eye diseases ,back diseases and others. As for me I also have a computer. When it is necessary, I surf the Internet and find information for school. Sometimes I communicate with my schoolmates in chats.

Russia

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the world. It is situated in Europe and Asia. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometers. The country is washed by 12 seas and 3 oceans. There are different types of climate on the territory of this country. It is very cold in the North even in summer. The central part of the country has a mild climate: winters are cold, summers are hot. In the South the temperature is usually above zero all year round, even in winter. Some parts of the country are covered with hills and mountains. There are many rivers in Russia. The longest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Ob in Asia. The deepest lakes are Baikal and Ladoga. The Russian Federation is very rich in mineral resources, such as oil, natural gas, iron, gold and others. Russia borders on many countries. Among them are Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Poland, China, Mongolia and Korea. Russia is very rich in mineral resources such as coal,oil,natural gas,copper,zinc and others. The Russian Federation was founded in 1991.The Constitution was adopted in 1993.Russia is a presidential republic.

Moscow is the capital of this country. It was founded in 1147. It is a nice city. There are many interesting places in Moscow. They are museums, art galleries, theatres, churches and monuments.All the ceremonies are held in Red Square.

 The population of Russia is about 150 million people.

Books.

I think that we can’t live without books. I believe that books are with us all our life. If I have free time I like to spend it with my favourite book. Our family has got a lot of books. All the members of our family buy books and read them. My mother says that books help us in self-education and in solving problems of life.They make our life more exciting and interesting.In spite of the fact that there are plenty of books printed in different parts of the world, they are still expensive.That’s why libraries are so important in our life. They contain a great number of books :Fiction and non-fiction, reference books,encyclopedias, dictionaries and periodicals. The books in the libraries are arranged in alphabetical order. The titles authors of books in the library can be found in a card catalogue or a computer listing.

 In ancient times books were written by hand. They were written on tablets of wood or pieces of bark. The tablets of wood were covered with wax and writing was impressed upon them with a small stick called stylus.

 Then printing came into our life It came quickly over Europe and by the end of the 15 th century there were more than 200 presses. Printing played an important role in the development of literature and culture.

Sometimes it is difficult to solve some problems of life. I think that books can help us,because they are a great source of information. There are a lot of famous and popular writers and poets in British and American literature. The most famous ones are Jack London, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde and others. My favourite writer is Oscar Wilde. He wrote poetry, fairy tales, essays and criticism. He was born in Dublin on October, 16, 1854. His mother was well-known in literary and political circles. His father was a leading surgeon. Wilde received a good education. When he was ten, he was sent to Portora Royal School. Then he entered Trinity College in Dublin. In 1874 he began his studying at Oxford University. On May 29, 1884 he married Constance Lloyd. They had 2 children. His happy family life inspired him to write stories for children. “The Happy Prince and Other Tales” were published in 1888.O.Wilde also wrote his only novel “The Picture of Dorian Grey” which made him famous. But I enjoy his fairy-tales most of all. They are very touching and interesting; they can help us to see what is bad and what is good. They teach us a good lesson. O. Wilde describes his characters with great mastery.

Music styles.

 It is difficult to live without music. We hear music everywhere: in the street, at home, on TV, in the concert halls. Music plays an important role in the life of people, especially in the life of young people. There are a lot of music styles. The 20^th century is the most influential period of time in the development of music. I know various music styles: jazz, ragtime, blues, swing, rock`n`roll and many others. I enjoy the well-known band called the “Beatles”. This band was created in the 1960s in Great Britain in Liverpool. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were writing simple songs and performing them so wonderfully that they gave a new impulse for the development of the musical community.. Other members of the famous group were George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Such songs as “Yesterday”, “Let it be”, “Love me do” and “Yellow Submarine” made them popular all over the world.

In fact, I can listen to almost any kind of music, from classic music to heavy metal. But I’m fond of jazz. Jazz is a type of music and the only art form that was created in the United States. Jazz was created by black Americans. It is a mixture of different kinds of music. It is made up of the music of West Africa, the work songs of the slaves and religious music. The first jazz bands were formed at the end of the 19^th century. Nowadays New Orleans is an international seaport and people from all over the world come to New Orleans to hear jazz. Improvisation is an important part of jazz. This means that jazz music is made up on the spot. So it can sound a little different each time it is played. With time jazz became more and more popular.

Music change the outlook of the people, make peace ,bring some positive social changes.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Television.

Television is one of the greatest achievements of the 20^thcentury. It is the most popular part of mass media. Today every family has a TV-set. Today television gives people a possibility to be well informed and enjoy “civillised pleasures” .The programmes are various and people have a chance to select what they want to see. There are programmes devoted to special subjects. With the help of TV it is possible to learn foreign languages, to know wonderful things about flora and fauna. TV teaches the ideals of democracy and political argument. By the beginning of the 21^th century TV became a colored world network. The choice of the channels ranges from six to fifty. These channels show programmes of various kinds from documentaries, news, sports, films and cartoons. At the same time there are a lot of arguments against TV.  It is called a “living room monster” or “one-eyed monster.” The biggest viewers are pensioners and housewives. In total they spend five hours daily sitting before the “boxes” children watch commercials, horror films or films of violence. Also TV is damaging for health. It is bad effect on the eyes. Instead of playing football or reading books people watch various programmes. The best thing is to watch only selective TV programmes and not to be governed by them.

Sometimes I like to watch TV.But I do not spend much time much time in front of it. I watch only my favourite programmes. I like sports and musical programmes and science fiction serials. Reality TV show is very popular today.Thousands of people watch “Behind the Glass” and “The Last Hero”. Such programs as “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” and “The Weakest Link” have been invented in Britain but they are popular in our country too.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The United Kingdom is situated near the north-west coast of Europe. The U.K. includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain, the largest island in Europe, contains England, Scotland and Wales. The official name of the state is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The UK is an island state.The two main islands are Great Britain and Ireland.The two islands are separated by the Irish sea. The UK is separated from the continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover. The UK is also washed by the Atlantic ocean in the north and the North sea inthe east.

The capital of the country is London. English is the official language. The population of the U.K. is nearly 60 million. The population lives mostly in towns and cities and their suburbs. Four out of every five people live in towns. Over 46 million people live in England. Over 3 million- in Wales, a little over 5 million- in Scotland, about 1,5 million- in Northern Ireland. London’s population is over 7 million people. The British nation consists of the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. People from Scotland and Wales do not like it when they are called English.

 The climate of Great Britain is mild. It is not too hot in summer or too cold in winter. It often rains in England. Rain falls in summer and in winter, in autumn and spring. Snow usually falls only in the North and West of the country. The surface of England and Ireland is flat but Scotland and Wales are mountainous. There are many rivers in Great Britain. The main river is the Thames. Many ships and barges go up and down the river. The longest river is the Severn. It is 350 kilometers long. There are many universities, colleges, libraries, museums and theatres in the country. The most famous universities are Cambridge University and Oxford University.

The U.K. is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen is the head of the state, but in fact she doesn’t rule the country , she is only the symbol of it, she has no power. The real power belongs to the Parliament. The British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Prime Minister is the head of the Government.

 The United Kingdom has various mineral resources. Coal and oil are the most important of them. The main industrial centers are Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester. Agriculture is an important sector in the economy of the country. The British grow wheat, fruit, vegetables and oats.

The of United States of America

The United States of America are situated in the central part of the North American continent.Its western coast is washed by the Pasific Ocean and its eastern coast - by the Atlantic Ocean. The total area of the USA is over 9 million square kilometers. The population is about 250 million people.Most of the population live in cities and towns.The USA is a very large country, so it has several diffirent climatic regions. The coldest regions are in the north and in the north-east. The south has a subtropical climate.

The United States is  aland of rivers and lakes. The northern state of Minnesota is a land of 10000 lakes .The longest rivers in the USA are the Mississippi, the Missouri and the Rio Grande. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada.

The USA is rich in mineral resources.It produces copper, oil, iron ore and coal. It is highly –developed industrial and agricultiral country.

There are many big cities in the USA, such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and others. The national capital is Washington, DC. It was built in the late 18 th century and named after George Washihgton. W. Is sometimes called the heart of America. It is the place where the federal government works and where each President of the USA lives. The buildings in Washington are not very tall because no building must be taller than the Capitol.

The USA is a presidential republic. The legislative branch of the Government  or the Congress consists of two parts: the House of Represantatives and the Senate. The job of the Congress is to make laws. The executive branch puts the country’s laws into effect. The judicial  branch of the Government  is the system of courts in the USA. Its job is to enforce laws. The judicial  branch works together with the legislative and executive branches to protect the Constitution and the rights of people.

My Native City. Saratov.

The history of Saratov goes back for 4 hundred years. The town was built in 1590 to protect the south-eastern borders of the Moscow state. During the reign of Tsar Feodor Ivanovich several settlements were built in order to fortify the state borders. The name Saratov may be connected with the  Turkic words Saryk Atov which means “hawks’ island”.

Saratov became an important shipping port in the 1800-s and developed industrially after a railroad linking it to Moscow was finished in 1870.

From Soviet times until 1991 Saratov was a “closed “city, strictly off limits to all foreigners. Situated on the Volga river , it was a maijor military aircraft manufactoring site , the home of the first man in space ,Yuri Gagrin and a vital part of the Soviet space programme.

Present-day Saratov is the administrative centre of Saratov region and a major port on the Volga river.It is a modern city with highly –developed industry , such as machine building ,electronics, chemical and textile. S. Is also a large educational and cultural centre. S. Is often called a city of students.  There are a lot of universities, institutes, 40 research institutes , many colleges. Saratov State University is one of the oldest Russian universities. It includes 26 departments where more than 25,000 students study.Saratov University is famous for its library,which has more than 3 million books.

A lot of famous people lived worked in our city. Among them were politician Pyotr Stolypin, biologist Nikolai Vavilov, painter Mikhail Vrubel, aircraft designer Oleg Antonov, sisters of Vladimir Lenin, philosopher Nikolai Chernyshevsky, writers Konstantin Fedin and Alexander Radishchev, actors Oleg Tabakov and Oleg Yankovsky and many others.

There are a lot of beautiful parks and squares in our city. Among them are City Park, Lipki Park, Victory Park, In the Victory Park you can see a wonderful exhibtion of the military equipment. Children’s Park. My favourite one is Lipki. There are many lime trees there .You can have a rest in the shade of them in hot summer days. There are two fountains in the park. Children have a wonderful playground. There is a library and a chess club for chess lovers.

There are some museums and art galleries in Saratov. Our picture gallery named after Radshchev is well-known not only in our country . It possesses the rich collection of Russian and European art.

The masterpiece of architecture is our Conservatoire  named  after Sobinov. It was built by architect Kallistratov. Our citizens and guests of our city enjoy visiting the museum of the Local Lore History. There you can learn a lot about the history of our region.

There are a lot of theatres in Saratov.The theatre of Young Spectators, the Drama Theatre , theOpera and Ballet House, the Puppet’s theatre can be visited. The circus named after  Nikitins’brothers is in the very centre of the city.

Our city is beatiful and I love it.

Education in Britain and the USA.

English children must go to school when they are five, first to infant schools , where they learn the first steps in reading, writing and using numbers. Young children are divided into two groups according to their mental abilities. When children leave infant school at the age of seven, they go to junior school until they are about eleven years old. They have regular timetable, sit in rows and study English, arithmetic, history, geography, nature study. They also have swimming, music, art, religious instruction and organised games.

About 5% of elementary school-leavers in Britain go to secondary modern schools. Such schools do not provide complete secondary education. Their programmes are rather limited.

The secondary technical school teaches many general subjects. Boys and gils also study such practical subjects as woodwork, metalwork, needlework, typing and others. Not more than 2 % go to technical schools.

The grammar school is a secondary school giving a full theoretical secondary education. Pupils can choose which subjects and languages they wish to study. About 3 % of pupils go to such schools.

The comprehensive school combines in one school the courses of all three types of secondary schools. Comprehensiveschools take over 90% of schoolchildren in Great Britain.

There are many private schools in the country. The doors of Oxford and Cambridge , the best English universities, are open to the public school-leavers.

About 90% of all children in the USA attend state or public schools where education is free. In private schools parents have to pay for their children’s education Most of the private schools have religious education, too.