ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Thepoisoning of the world's land, air, and water is the fastest -spreading disease of civilization.
Overpopulation,pollution and energy consumption have created such planet wideproblems as massive deforestation, ozone depletion, acid rains andthe global warming that is believed to be caused by the greenhouseeffect.
Theseas are in danger. They are filled with poison: industrial andnuclear waste, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The Mediterraneanis already nearly dead; the North Sea is following. The Aral Sea ison the brink of extinction. If nothing is done about it, one daynothing will be able to live in the seas.
Everyten minutes one kind of animal, plant or insect dies out for ever. Ifnothing is done about it, one million species that are alive todaywill have become extinct twenty years from now.
Airpollution is аvery serious problem. In Cairo just breathing the air is lifethreatening — equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes аday. The same holds true for Mexico City and 600 cities of the formerSoviet Union.
Industrialenterprises emit tons of harmful substances. These emissions havedisastrous consequences for our planet. They are the main reason forthe greenhouse effect and acid rains.
Aneven greater environmental threat are nuclear power stations. We allknow how tragic the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are.
People are beginning torealize that environmental problems are not somebody else's. Theyjoin and support various international organizations and greenparties. If governments wake up to what is happening — perhapswe'll be able to avoid the disaster that threatens the natural worldand all of us with it.
Famouspeople.
Everycountry has it’s own great people: scientists, poets andwriters, politicians, musicians, composers and actors. But I wouldlike to tell you about the great British politician Sir WinstonChurchill.
WinstonLeonard Churchill was without doubt the ruling figure in Britishpolitics during the 1sthalf of the 20thcentury. He was born in 1874. His mother was American, the daughterof a New York businessman; his father belonged to an Englisharistocratic family. He was given the typical education of thatperiod for the person of his background. From 1895 until 1899 hecombined the jobs of soldier and journalist in Cuba, India and Sudan.In 1899 he resigned from the army and began his political career. Hewas an active and popular member of the Conservative Party, but laterhe changed his political views and joined the Liberal Party. He wonmany political victories and had as many failures.
In 1910 hebecame Home Secretary, but he lost some of his popularity when heused the army to help the police put down the miners’ strike. For some years he was out of office and spent his time writing andpainting. In the twentieth he returned to Conservative Party.
In 1924 hewas elected to Parliament. In 1940 Churchill was appointed PrimeMinister. He formed a coalition government with the war cabinet offive; he was Prime Minister until 1945.
Hereturned once more as Prime Minister in 1951. Highly regarded as apainter, Churchill also received the Nobel Prize for Literature in1953 for his account of the Second World War. He predicted that an“Iron Curtain” would divide Europe from north to southand this left his mark on the period of the Cold War. He died inLondon in 1965.
GenerationGap.
Mostpeople say that аfamily is very important for them. They like to repeat that familiesgive them аsense of tradition, strength and purpose in their lives. ’’Ourfamilies show what we are", they say. Most parents teach theirchildren to respect elder people and observe holidays. But the mostimportant thing for аfamily is to give an emotional support and security. The right familyvalues help boys and girls to gain confidence and resist theinfluence of bad friends.
Teenagersoften consider their parents old-fashioned, unaware of the lateststyle. As for their parents they do their best to give their childrenаbetter chance than they had themselves. Afterfinishingschool children often try to get complete independence, they leavetheir homes and sometimes even their native towns. Staying withparents has its negative and positive aspects but children mustunderstand that parents don' t want to do themanyharm. That's why sometimes young people have to listen to criticismfrom their parents.
Somepeople often speak about the so-called "generation gap"that is аgap in views between parents and teenagers, but the majority ofpeople think that this generation gap is sometimes exaggerated. Veryoften children feel neglected in their families. When they findcruelty, indifference and misunderstanding in their families theybecome divide and heartless themselves. As аresult children feel hurt and some of them try to escape from thereality by tuning to alcohol and drugs. So all of us should pay moreattention to family problems, we must avoid quarrels and look forconsent.Wemust remember about spiritual values and all people should live inpeace and harmony.
Музыкаиграет огромнуюроль в нашейповседневнойжизни. Онасопутствуетнам везде: нателевидениии радио, дома,и даже в школе.Куда бы мы нипошли вечеромв кафе или бар,в клуб или надискотеку -везде нас встретитмузыка. В такихзаведенияхмузыка являетсянеотъемлемойих частью, потомучто она поднимаетнастроениепосетителей,делает обстановкууютней и главноевеселей.
Чтокасается меня,я с удовольствиемслушаю музыку.Музыка помогаетмне всегда.Когда я скучаюили у меня плохоенастроение,я обязательнослушаю музыку,она всегдаподнимает мненастроениеи делает всеокружающееболее веселым,когда у меняотличное настроение,я обязательновключаю что-нибудьвеселое и заводноеи чувствую себяна вершинеблаженства.У меня большоеколичестворазличныхкассет и CD-дисковс самой различноймузыкой отклассики дорока. Из музыкимне нравитсявсе, что хорошозвучит, но большевсего мне нравитсясовременнаямузыка, потомучто я современныйчеловек и стараюсьидти в ногу современем.
Изсовременныхмузыкальныхисполнителеймне большевсего нравитсяамериканскаягруппа “TheOffspring”. Мненравится ихмузыка, потомучто она энергичнаяи динамичная,но особенномне нравитсятексты песенэтой группы,они бываютиногда грустными,иногда ироничными,но никогдаскучными, потомучто в них говоритсяо проблемахмолодежи, обовсем, что волнуетсовременноеобщество. Ямечтаю побыватькогда-нибудьна концертеэтой группы.
Изклассики мнебольше всегонравятся произведенияМоцарта. Я восхищаюсьталантом этоговеликого музыкантаи композитора.Он сочинялмузыку, игрална скрипке иклавесине в5 лет тогда, когдадругие детиеще не умеютчитать. За свои34 года жизнион написал 18опер, 50 симфоний,30 концертовдля фортепьяно,огромное количествосонат и песен.Особенно мненравятся трисамых знаменитыхсимфонии Моцарта.Это симфония№ 39, в ней показанажизнь человекас ее трудностямии радостями,это симфония№ 40, в ней показанаглубокая лирическаяпоэзия человеческойдуши, и это симфония№ 41 (Юпитер), в нейпоказан весьмир, вся Вселеннаяс ее контрастамии противоречиями.
Musicplays a very important role in our daily life. We are accompanied byit everywhere: on TV and radio, at home, and even at school. Whereverwe go in the evening to cafe or bar, to club or to a disco- everywhere we will be met by music. In such places music is theirintegral part, because it raise the spirit of the visitors, makes theatmosphere more comfortable and more cheerfully.
Asfor me, I listen to music with pleasure. Music always helps me. WhenI am bored or have a bad mood, I always listen to music, it alwaysraises my spirit and makes entourage more cheerful, when I have anexcellent mood, I turn on music, something cheerful and active and Ifeel myself on the top of bliss. I have a lot of cassettes and CDswith the different music from classics to rock. From music I likeeverything, that sounds well, but most of all I like modern music,because I am a modern man and I try to go together with the time.
Fromthe modern performers I like the American group " The Offspring" most of all. I like their music, because it is energetic anddynamic, but most of all I like the texts of songs of this group,they are sometimes sad, sometimes ironic, but never boring, becauseit is spoken there about problems of youth, about everything, thattroubles a modern society. I dream of visiting sometimes a concert ofthis group.
Fromclassics I like Mozart most of all. I admire the talent of this greatmusician and composer. He composed music, played on a violin andclavecin, when he was 5 years, when other children are not able toread yet. During the 34 years of life he wrote 18 operas, 50symphonies, 30 concerts for a piano, a lot of sonatas and songs.Especially I like three most famous Mozart’s symphonies. It isthe symphony № 39, it shows there the life of the man with herdifficulties and pleasures, it is the symphony № 40, it showsthere the deep, lyric and poetry of human soul, and it is thesymphony № 41 (The Jove), it shows there all world, alluniverse with its contrasts and contradictions.
Readingin 0ur Life
I’mfond of reading. In my opinion, books аreаsource of emotional inspiration and romantic feelings. Reading isvery useful, because books enrich our experience with that of theother people. Besides, books help me to continue my own education.
I’msure that аreader lives аricher life than аnon-reader. The time spent on аgood book is never wasted. Reading is аrewarding pastime. But some people think, that the tempo of modernlife is too fast to waste time on reading. They are sure that bookshave begun to lose their prestige and value. I disagree.
Ienjoy books of different genres: love and detective stories,thrillers and historical novels, tales, works afterclassicaland modern writers. I’m аgreat lover of the English and American literature. Among my favoritewriters are W. Shakespeare and Ch. Dickens, J. Galsworthy and А.Cronin, J. London and Е.Hemingway to name only аfew. I read them in translation and try to read in the original.
Iread books after Russian and Belarusian writers, too. We can say thatL. Tolstоу,D. Dostoevsky, А.Chekhov, А.Pushkinare as popular as they used tоbe. Their workshavestood the test of time. My favorite modern writers are V.Karatkevichand ЕSolzhenitsyn.
Itry tоget acquainted with popular works and best-sellers. Luckily there isаbig choice of various books in book shops and stalls.
Ican' t imagine my life without reading.
«Exceptаliving man there is nothing morewonderfulthan аbook», said one clever man. And I share his opinion. Booksteach us what is right and what is wrong, to understand the world andpeople in it, they mould our character and at the same time tell usexciting stories.
TheRussian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupiesabout one- seventh of the earth' s surface. It covers the easternpart of Europe and the northern part of Asia. Its total area is about17 million square kilometers. 12 seas of 3 oceans wash the country:the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. In the south Russia borderson China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In thewest it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Belorussia,the Ukraine. It also has аsea- border with the USA.
Thereis hardly аcountry in the world where such аvariety of scenery and vegetation can be found. We have steppes inthe south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in thenorth, highlands and deserts in the east.
Thereare two great plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the WestSiberian Lowland. There are several mountain chains on the territoryof the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. Thelargest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia.
Thereare over two million rivers in Russia. Europe's biggest river, theVolga, flows into the Caspian Sea. The main Siberian rivers —the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena— flow from the south to thenorth. The Amur in the Far East flows into the Pacific Ocean. Russiais rich in beautiful lakes. The world' s deepest lake (1,600 meters)is Lake Baikal. It is much smaller than the Baltic Sea, but there ismuch morewaterin it than in the Baltic Sea. The water in the lake is so clear thatif you look down you can count the stones on the bottom.
Russiahas one-sixth of the world's forests. They are concentrated in theEuropean north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.
On the vast territory ofthe country there are various types of climate, from arctic in thenorth to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country theclimate is temperate and continental.
Russiais very rich in oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel andother mineral resources.
Russiais аparliamentary republic. The Head of State is the President. Thelegislative powers are exercised by the Duma.
Thecapital of Russia is Moscow. It is its largest political, scientific,cultural and industrial center. It is one of the oldest Russiancities.
Atpresent, the political and economic situation in the country israther complicated. There are аlot of problems in the national economy of the Russian Federation.The industrial production is decreasing. The prices are constantlyrising, the rate of inflation is very high. People are losing theirjobs because many factories and plants are going bankrupt.
Butin spite of the problems Russia is facing at present, there are аlot of opportunities for this country to become one of the leadingcountries in the world. I’msurethat we, the younger generation, can do very much to make Russia asstrong and powerful as it used to be.
Sport
Allover the world people of different ages are fond of sport and games.Sport not only helps people to become strong and to developphysically but also makes them more organized and better disciplinedin their daily activities. In every town there are amateur clubs andkeep-fit centers, where people can do aerobics, body-building or workwith different training devices.
Thereare a lot of different kinds of sport: football, basketball,volleyball, tennis, track-and-field, water polo and many others. Themain sport competition is the Olympic Games.
TheOlympic Games have аvery long history. They began in 777 BC in Greece and took placeevery four years. For the period of the Games all the wars stopped.So the Olympic Games became the symbol of peace and friendship. In394 AD the Games were abolished. In 1894, аFrenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, addressed all the sportsgoverning bodies and pointed out the educational value of sports. Twoyears later the first modern Olympic Games took place in Greece tosymbolize the centuries old tradition. Russia joined the Olympicmovement in 1952. In 1980 Moscow hosted the Twenty-Second OlympicGames. The latest Olympic Games were held in Sydney. Sydneywas the host for the Games of the 27th Olympiad in 2000. About 200countries took part in the competitions. There were 10000 athletesand 5000 officials. There were 27 sports on the program for the 2000Olympic Games. Triathlon and Taekwondo were included in Sydney forthe first time at any Olympic Games. Our Russian team took part inthe Olympic Games too, we were the second in the overall count of wonmedals, after the USA team.
Asfor me, I like sport very much, but I like sport not only as a sportfan, but also as a sportsman. I had been training judo for 9 years,until I came to 11 form, I had to stop training because I had a lotof homework and I had not much time to train. But I don’t stopto go in for sport: sometimes in the morning or in the evening I runand sometimes I visit keep-fit center (trainer hall).
Thisschool year is very important for us, because we must decide what todo after leaving school. There different ways for us to choose. Thosewho like technique can become engineers and work in the field ofindustry. Those who like nature can become agronomists and work inagriculture, school-leavers who want to work directly with people maybecome doctors and teachers.
Many youngpeople follow the examples of their parents and choose theirprofessions. I think it is not bad, as they know these professionsbetter. There are school-leavers who choose only modern professionssuch as an economists and lowers. I don’t think that it is bad,but in nowadays there are a lot of economists and lowers and it isnot easy for them to find work.
So themain thing for us is to choose our future profession correctly tosatisfy our own fasts and needs and to work with the best results.
As for me,I want to be an expert in foreign relations (diplomat), but it isvery difficult to enter the university, there I can study foreignrelations. What’s why, most likely, I will have to become aneconomists, it is not bad profession and I try to get at once twospecialty: marketing and finances and credit.
Theproblem of spare time.
Nodoubt that the problem of spare time is one of the most importantproblems. Speaking about grownups we should say that they have towork much to survive in such difficult economic situation.
Teenagershave to study much if they want to get good knowledge and later toenter a prestige educational institution.
Butwhen people have some spare time they prefer to spend it on theirhobbies. Hobbiesdiffer like tastes. If you have chosen аhobby according to your character and taste you are lucky becauseyour life becomes mоreinteresting.
Hobbiesare divided into four large classes: doing things, making things,collecting things, and learning things.
Themost popular of all hobby groups is doingthings. It includes а wide variety ofactivities, everything from gardening to traveling and from chess tovolleyball.
Bothgrown-ups and children are fond of playing different computer games.This is а relatively new hobby but itis becoming more and more popular.
Makingthings includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designingcostumes, handicrafts. Two of the most famous hobby painters werePresident Eisenhower and Sir Winston Churchill. Some hobbyists writemusic or play musical instruments. President Bill Clinton, forexample, plays the saxophone.
Almosteveryone collects something at some period in his life: stamps,coins, match-boxes, books, records, postcards, toys, and watches.Some collections have nо real value.Others become so large and so valuable that they are housed inmuseums and galleries. Many world-famous collections started in аsmall way. People with а good deal ofmoney often collect paintings, rare books and other art objects.Often such private collections are given to museums, libraries andpublic galleries.
Nomatter what kind of hobby а personhas, he always has the opportunity of learning from it. By readingabout the things he is interested in. Learning things can be the mostexciting aspect of а hobby.
As forme, I study in the 11 form and what’s why I don’t havemuch time to hobbies. But when I have it, I usually read the books orI work on the computer. I am fond of computers and reading books.
Theproblems of Modern Cities and Villages.
Anotherserious problem of nowadays existed in cities is unemployment. Theeconomical situation in the country is rather complicated: manyfactories are going bankrupt, close and as a result of it many peopleloose their work.
One of theproblems is lock of fresh water. People can’t use running waterall day long. Besides, the quality of water is often bad.
A newproblem is the problem of education. New types of schools are theprivate schools have appeared lately.
No doubtthat the level of education in high schools is higher than inordinary schools. But only children of well-paid parents can attendclasses there.
Theproblem of using drugs is mostly the problem of cities.
Peopleliving in the countryside have much work to do. They are busy frommorning till night working in the fields, looking after poultry andcattle.
The work,which they do, is not always mechanized. So countrymen don’thave enough time to rest.
Most ofthe houses in villages haven’t got modern conveniences, whatmakes the life of people living there more difficult.
Countrymencan’t go to museums or theatres, they can’t go toconcerts of pop singers.
Manyvillages are situated far from cities and it takes much time to getthere. As a rule there are no good hospitals in villages and medicalservices in the countries leave much to be desired.
The roleof Mass Media.
Mass Media(that is press, television and radio) play an important role in thelife of society. They inform, educate and entertain people. They alsoinfluence the way people look at the world, in other words, massmedia shape public opinion. No doubt, millions of people watchtelevisions programs every day, including the daily program “Time”.The program informs us about the latest political, culture, art,sport and other events in our country and in the world. Of course,one can learn news and some other information from newspapers. AnAmerican humorous writer once said: “ All I know is what I seein the papers”.
On theradio we can hear music plays, news and various commentaries anddiscussions, called forums. At a form several authorities exchangeand political problems (as well as on books at common interest). Anumber of side are represented so, that the listeners can hearvarious opinions. Such brood-casts are popular with listeners.
As for me,I like to watch TV programs better than to read newspapers or to hearradio. Most of all I like TV program “ Oh, lucky beggar!”,because this program is very interesting and cognitive, I learn a lotof interesting things from this TV program.
Millionsof people all over the world spend their holidays travelling. Theytravel to see other countries and continents, modern cities and theruins of ancient towns, they travel to enjoy picturesque places, orjust for аchange of scene. It is always interesting to discover new things,different ways of life, to meet different people, to try differentfood, to listen to different musical rhythms.
Thosewho live in the country like to go to аbig city and spend their time visiting museums and art galleries,looking at shop windows and dining at exotic restaurants.City-dwellers usually like аquiet holiday by the sea or in the mountains, with nothing to do butwalk and bathe and laze in the sun.
Mosttravellers and holiday-makers take аcamera with them and take pictures of everything that interests them— the sights of аcity, old churches and castles, views of mountains, lakes, valleys,plains, waterfalls, forests; different kinds of trees, flowers andplants, animals and birds.
Later,perhaps years later, they will be reminded by the photos of the happytime they have had.
Peopletravel by train, by plane, by boat and by car. All means of travelhave their advantages and disadvantages. And people choose oneaccording to their plans and destinations.
Ifwe are fond of travelling, we see and learn аlot of things that we can never see or learn at home, though we mayread about them in books and newspapers, and see pictures of them onTV. The best way to study geography is to travel, and the best way toget to know and understand the people is to meet them in their ownhomes.
ТНЕUNITED NATIONS
TheUnited Nations is an organization of sovereign nations representingalmost all of humanity. It has as its central goal the maintenance ofinternational peace and security. Additionally, its purposes call forthe development of friendly relations among nations based on equalrights and self-determination of peoples and, through internationalсоoperation,the solution of problems of an economic, social, cultural andhumanitarian nature.
TheUnited Nations is the meeting-place where representatives of allmember states — great and small, rich and poor, with varyingpolitical views and social systems — have аvoice and an equal vote in shaping аcommon course of action.
TheUnited Nations has played and continues to play, an active role inreducing tension in the world, preventing conflicts and putting anend to fighting already under way.
There are six main organs of the United Nations —the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and SocialCouncil, the Trusteeship Council, the Secretariat and theInternational Court of Justice. The Court has its seat at the Hague,Netherlands. All other organs are based at the United NationsHeadquarters in New York.
Membersof the General Assembly talk to each other in many languages, butofficially there are only six — Arabic, Chinese, English,French, Russian and Spanish.
The Secretariat services the other organs of theUnite Nations and administers the programmes and policies laid downby them. Over 20,000 men and women are employed by the United Nationswith about one-third of them at the Head quarters and the othertwo-thirds stationed around the globe. Staff members are recruitedprimarily from member states and are drawn from more than 140nations. As international civil servants, each takes an oath not toseek or receive instructions from' any government or outsideauthority.
Workingfor the United Nations, mostly "behind the scenes" at theHeadquarters, are linguists, economists, editors, social scientists,legal experts, librarians, journalists, statisticians, broadcasters,personnel officers, administrators and experts in all the variedfields of activity covered by the United Nations. They prepare thereports and studies requested by various bodies of the UnitedNations; they issue press releases and produce publications,broadcasts and films giving information about the United Nations; andthey perform the administrative duties needed to implementresolutions adopted by the various organs. In addition, there arestenographers, clerks, engineers and technicians, tour guides andalso аbody of security officers in blue-grey uniforms who are responsiblefor the security ofthe United Nations Headquarters. At the head of the Secretariat isthe Secretary-General.
Themain Headquarters of the United Nations are based in New York. TheUnitedNations Organization Secretariat occupies the higher building. TheGeneral Assembly is held in the lower building.
YouthSubculture
Everygeneration has its own culture in music, fashion, and hair-do.
Olderpeople can’t understand it: they think that girl’s skirtsare too short or too long. They consider our clothes to be toocolorful. They don’t like our hair-do, they think it is a badidea to have hair of different colors. Besides they don’t likewhen boys have long hair.
Whatmakes grownups angry and nervous – is our music. Older peopleconsider hard-rock, rap and rave not to be music, but combinations ofterrible sounds. Surely it is difficult to compare music of theirtimes with ours. We think that their music is dull, not energeticenough.
Theway we dance gets on our parents nerves as well. But we like ourdances as they help us to relax and give optimism. They say thatyoung people have their own language. It is not so, as we have just anumber of word-combinations having unusual meaning. Our fathers andmothers say that it is impossible to understand us when we speak thatway.
Ourparents want us to read books and to go to picture galleries. But weprefer to watch video-films, to raise our cultural level gettinginformation about cultural treasures with the help of computers.