British customs and traditions

British customs and traditions
1. Let’s talk about customs and traditions of an English-speaking country. What can you tell me about your favourite holiday in Britain?	1. The British celebrate such public holidays as Christmas, Easter, Easter Monday, May Day, the Spring Bank Holiday and the Summer Bank Holiday. 2. There are other festivals, such as Pancake Day, April Fool’s day, Halloween, Guy Fawkes night, St Valentine’s Day and others. 3. Halloween is a day on which many children dress up in unusual costumes and go from house to house saying, “Trick or treat!” 4. It is my favourite British holiday. 5. It has a Celtic origin and happens on the 31st of October. 6. The symbols of Halloween are ghosts, spiders, skeletons, witches, black cats, and, of course, pumpkins and scarecrows.
2. Do you find some British customs and traditions special? Why (not)?	7. I do. Some British customs and traditions are very special. Take, for example, the Changing the Guard or the Beefeaters of the Tower of London.
3. What questions can you ask a British teenager about good manners in their country?	8. How often do yousay “Please” and “Thank you”? Do you stand in line in Britain? Do you shake hands when introduced? Do you open doors for other people?
4. What national souvenirs will you recommend a tourist to buy in Britain?	9. If I were you, I would buy something connected with the Royal family.
5. Nowadays more and more people are getting interested in customs and traditions of different countries. What do you think about it?	10. It’s very important to know traditions and customs of different countries. It will help you to understand different people and learn their language.

Belarusian customs and traditions
1. Let’s talk about Belarusian customs and traditions. What can you tell me about your favourite Belarusian holiday?	1. Like other countries, Belarus has its own holidays. 2. People in Belarus celebrate 1^st of May, Victory Day, Independence Day, Christmas, Easter, Kupalle and other holidays. 3. I like New Year’s Day best. 4. New Year’s Day is a family holiday. 5. On the 31^st of December all the family get together to see the New Year in. 6. There is usually a holiday dinner with a lot of tasty things and everyone wishes each other “A Happy New Year”.
2. Are you proud of our national holidays and traditions?	7. Yes, I am proud of our national holidays and traditions, as they are unique and are a part of our history and culture.
3. What questions can you ask a friend about his/her last New Year celebration?	8. Did you see the New Year in at home? Did you have a party? What’s your favourite New Year’s dish? What present did you get?
4. What national souvenirs will you recommend a tourist to buy in Belarus?	9. I would recommend a foreign tourist to buy a straw spider amulet to protect the house and ensure the well-being of the family.
5. Do you think it is important to follow our grandparents’ traditions? Why?	10. Traditions are a part of our culture, so we should care about them to respect our ancestors and feel that we are a nation.

Republic of Belarus
1. Let’s talk about the. What can you tell me about our Motherland?	1. Belarus is my Homeland. It is a country with unique history and rich cultural heritage. Officially it is called the Republic of Belarus, a sovereign independent state with its own government, constitution, state emblem, flag and anthem. 2. Belarus is situated nearly in the centre of Europe and borders on Poland Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and the Ukraine. 3. The territory of Belarus is 207.6 thousand square kilometres. Its population is about 12 mln people. The largest cities are Minsk, the capital, Gomel, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Grodno and Brest. 4. Belarus is a country of rivers, lakes and forests. The longest river is the Dnieper. The largest lake is Lake Naroch. The largest forest is Byelovezhskaya Pushcha. The climate of Belarus is temperate and mild. 5. My country is a developed industrial state. Its enterprises produce tractors, motor-cycles, TV-sets and many other goods. 6. Beautiful Belarusian scenery and unique history attract a lot of tourists.
2. What famous Belarusian people do you know?	There are a lot of famous people among Belarusians: writers and poets, politicians and cosmonauts, artists and sportsmen. They are historic figures and our contemporaries. I would like to mention the names of Kolas and Kupala, Masherov and Gromyko, Domracheva and Mirny.
3. What questions about Belarus do you expect to hear from a British teenager?	1. Where is Belarus situated? 2. What city is the capital? 3. Do people of Belarus speak Belarusian? 4. What places are worth seeing in Belarus?
4. What Belarusian sights would you advise a foreigner to visit?	If I were you I would visit the National Library of Belarus, Mir and Nesvizh castles and Lake Naroch.
5. You are to write a short article about Belarusian people for a foreign newspaper. How would you describe our people?	1Our people are talented, hard-working, patient and peaceful.

Travelling
1. Let’s talk about travelling and tourism. What role do they play in your life?	1. I must admit that nowadays tourism has become very popular and turned into a prosperous business. 2. More and more people travel every year though the motivation for this is different. 3. If you want to experience a whole new environment, to see new places and meet new people, travelling is the right way. 4. Travelling on business allows people to get more information about achievements of other companies and helps them to make their own business more successful. 5. Some people travel for educational purposes, or they visit their distant relatives and friends. 6. As for me, I don’t travel much, but I hope to travel a lot in future.
2. How do you like to travel?	I prefer travelling by car. Travelling by car is convenient. You don’t depend on the timetable. You are free to stop and change the direction whenever you want.
3. What questions should you ask a travel agent to learn more about a tour?	What documents do I need to carry with when I travel? Do I need a passport or visa? What excursions would you suggest? What is the best time of year to travel to this destination?
4. What can you advise a person who doesn’t know where to spend his/her holiday?	If I were you, I would travel around my own country first and then travel abroad. There are a lot of places to visit in Belarus, such as Mir and Nesvizh castles, Belavezhskaya pushcha, Brest fortress and others.
5. What difficulties can you have when visiting a foreign country? Is it possible to avoid them?	Visiting a foreign country, people usually come in touch with culture, traditions and ways different from their own. To avoid possible difficulties one should get acquainted with this or that country beforehand and then follow the proverb “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”.

Sport, healthy way of life
1. Let’s talk about sport. What do you do to keep fit?	1. Sport is very important in our life. 2. It is popular with both young and old people. 3. Sport helps people to keep fit and stay healthy. 4. A lot of people do morning exercises and go in for jogging. 5. Some do sports professionally. 6. As for me, I play basketball, volleyball and from time to time I do my morning exercises.
2. Do you agree that bad habits, like smoking, can be dangerous? Why (not)?	I agree. Smoking, drinking or overeating are dangerous as they cause lung cancer, obesity, heart disease and other health problems.
3. What questions will you ask a professional sportsman?	Why did you choose a sport career? Is it difficult to do sports professionally? What competitions did you take part in? What are your plans for the future?
4. What can you advise a person who doesn’t know what kind of sport to take up?	I would recommend you to take up swimming. It helps to be fit and at the same time strengthens your heart, lungs and muscles.
5. Sport develops character and team spirit. Can you add any other points in favour of sport?	10. Sport keeps you healthy and optimistic.

Healthy way of life
1. Let’s talk about a healthy way of life. What influences a person’s health?	1 The advantages of a healthy way of life are obvious. 2. If your body and your mind suffer from any disorder you can’t be good either at work or at studies. 3. So nowadays people are conscious about their health more than ever. 4. They understand that a lot depends on their behaviour – their decisions to smoke, to drink, to over-eat and so on. 5. Income, housing, environment and healthy food are also important factors that influence a person’s health. 6. Living a healthy lifestyle is a matter of choice and like most good choices it takes effort.
2. Is home-made food better than junk food? Why?	7. Yes, it is. Home-made food is healthy while junk food is harmful being high in fat, sugar, salt and calories.
3. What questions will you ask a fitness coach?	8. How long have you been a trainer? What are your qualifications? Can you advise me some exercises for weight loss? Do I have to change my diet?
4. What activities can you advise a person who wants to have a healthy way of life?	9. Take regular exercises. Eat healthy food. Keep a balance between your work and rest. Be positive in your attitude towards people.
5. Why is a balanced diet important for your health?	10. A balanced diet is important because it helps you to keep healthy by bringing your body exactly what it needs.

Modern means of communication
1. Let’s talk about modern means of communication: TV, newspapers, radio, the Internet. Which of these does your family like?	1. To tell you the truth, I’m not really interested in any traditional media. 2. To my mind, television, radio and newspapers are becoming less and less popular. 3. As for my family, my mum likes watching TV, but she says there is too much crime on it. 4. My dad is a computer-user, he watches the news-portals. 5. Sometimes he reads newspapers. 6. I neither watch TV nor read newspapers, as I have no free time getting ready for my entrance exams.
2. Is there any means of communication you can’t live without? Why (not)?	7. Yes, there is. I can’t live without my mobile phone. I use it every day to come in touch with my friends or to get information.
3. What questions will you ask the participants of “What? Where? When?” a famous TV programme?	8. How much time do you spend preparing for a game? Where do you get information from? Do you think the Internet is a reliable source of information? Do you read in other languages?
4. My cousin spends a lot of time chatting in “VKontakte” and it makes all the family angry. What can you advise him and the family to do in this situation?	9. I would advise him to spend more time with his friends outdoors. His parents should demonstrate to him that there are things in life which are more important than the Internet.
5. Can the Internet replace all the other means of mass media? What is your point of view?	10. Maybe yes, maybe no. The Internet is a great source of information and entertainment for many people. But there are always those who prefer going to the theatre or reading a good book. We’ll live and we’ll see.

Leisure time
1. Let’s talk about leisure time. What do you do in your free time?	1. Leisure is a period of time spent out of work and domestic activity. 2. I can’t say that I’ve got a lot of free time. 3. Nevertheless, when I have some free time I spend it on my hobby. 4. My hobby is …….. 5. I also like hanging out with my friends. 6. We go to a disco or watch a funny film at the cinema. In winter we go to the skating rink.
2. Is cinema still important? Why (not)?	7. I think that as an art cinema is still important, but it is not very popular nowadays. People prefer to stay at home and watch TV or surf the Internet.
3. What questions can you ask a British friend about his/her hobbies?	8. Have you got a hobby? Do you collect anything? Are you fond of reading? Do you spend much time on your hobby?
4. Can you recommend me to watch one of the films you have seen recently?	9. If I were you, I would watch something relaxing, such as an old French comedy, for example.
5. Many parents complain that children don’t read books. Why do you think children are not interested in reading?	10. It’s a pity, but children don’t read much these days. They find computer games more interesting.

Shopping
1. Let’s talk about shopping. Who does the shopping in your family?	1. My parents do most of the shopping in our family. 2. They usually do their shopping at the supermarket where they buy all the food we need for our family. 3. They usually do it once a week. 4. As for me, I like window-shopping. If something catches my eye and is good enough I usually buy it. 5. You see, shopping is a kind of pastime and even entertainment for me. 6. Nevertheless, I consider everyday shopping boring.
2. Is it easy to buy a good birthday present? Why? Why not?	7. I must admit, buying a good birthday present is not easy. If you want something special, you should think carefully before you make your choice.
3. What questions will you ask your friend who has bought an expensive telephone?	8. Is it a brand new model? How much is it? What does it have inside? Does it have an access to the Internet?
4. What can you advise a person who wants to buy many things (clothes, foodstuffs, etc.) but has little time?	9. The best way to buy many things at a time is to do shopping at a big supermarket, and to make a shopping-list before going there.
5. Parents usually give pocket money to their children. How do you usually spend your pocket money?	10. I usually spend my pocket money on different entertainments, such as going to a cafe or a disco or I buy something tasty at our school canteen.

Food, national cuisine
1. Now let’s talk about food. What do people eat in Britain?	1. Some people criticize English food. They say it’s boring and tasteless. 2. It is disappointing, but true, because English cooking is very simple and doesn’t need any special preparation. 3. Traditional British cuisine includes fish and chips, roast beef, steak, mash, and, probably, famous British pudding. 4. For breakfast many British people often have cereals such as cornflakes with milk, or they have toast with marmalade. 5. They drink a cup of coffee or tea or a glass of orange juice. 6. On a cold day, some people like to have porridge for breakfast.
2. Let’s talk about food. What can you tell me about Belarusian national cuisine?	1. First of all I’d like to mention dishes from potato, which is called “the second bread” in Belarus. 2. The most popular dish from potato is draniki. 3. Potato is also used in many salads. 4. The second place in Belarusian national cuisine belongs to meat and meat products, especially to pork and salted pork fat. 5. Belarusians eat a lot of vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, black radish, peas, etc. 6. Belarusian national cuisine also offers fresh, dried, salted and pickled mushrooms and various berries.
2. Do you like cooking? Why? Why not?	A. Yes, I do. My mother is a very good cook and she taught me to cook pizza, pancakes and roast chicken. B. n fact, I don’t like cooking. I think it’s boring. My mum does it better. I only help her in the kitchen.
3. What questions can you ask a British friend about their eating habits?	How many meals a day do you have? What do you usually have for breakfast/lunch/dinner? What’s your favourite dish? Are you fond of fast food?
4. Which cafes would you recommend to visit in your place? Why?	If I were you, I would visit Il Patio in Minsk. The food there is not very expensive and really tasty.
5. A lot of pupils refuse to have meals at school. What do you think about it?	I think a snack in the middle of a school day can do you a lot of good. Unfortunately, school meals leave much to be desired. As for me, I usually ignore the main dish in favour of a cup of tea with a roll.

Choosing a career
1. Let’s talk about your future career. What would you like to become?	It’s a very difficult decision to choose the right job. Of course, I want a profitable job, but I also want to enjoy the profession in which I’ll be engaged. I want a creative job, no matter what the profession will be. Maybe I’ll become a specialist in business matters like my mother.
2. Does a person need to possess special qualities to become a good specialist in this or that particular field? Why?	Yes, each profession needs special qualities. To become a good specialist one should analyze whether the job is suitable for him or whether he is suitable for the job. Otherwise the job may later turn into a nightmare.
3. What questions will you ask your future employer at a job interview?	What are the working hours? How much is the salary? Do I have to travel on business? Do you provide your employees with accommodation?
4. Give me some advice on how to behave at a job interview to create a positive impression on the employer.	Sit upright with your shoulders back and relax. Make eye contact. Smile – give the impression of being happy to be there. Keep your answers simple, relevant and interesting.
5. Some people think that it is necessary to have a good command of a foreign language to get a good job. Do you agree with this?	I agree. Though not all jobs require a good knowledge of a foreign language, it’s absolutely necessary if you are going to become a specialist in business matters.

decision – решение
profitable – хорошо оплачиваемый
be engaged – быть занятым
creative – творческий
a specialist in business matters – специалист в сфере бизнеса
qualities - качества
suitable – подходящий
turn into – превратиться
nightmare – кошмар
working hours – рабочее время
travel on business – ездить в командировки
provide – обеспечивать
employees – служащие, работники
accommodation – жильё
upright – прямо
relax – расслабиться
make answers relevant - отвечать по существу

My School
1. Let’s talk about education. What can you tell me about the place where you study?	I live in a village and go to a village school. My school building is of a typical design. It’s a three-storied building with flowers in front of it and a sports ground behind it.My school is rather big with spacious classrooms for different subjects, with a teachers’ room, a gym, a library, a canteen, an аssembly hall and numerous cloakrooms for pupils. Unfortunately, not all classrooms are well-equipped, but my teachers and my headmistress do their best to provide all pupils with excellent knowledge. The atmosphere in my school is friendly and, I suppose, I will miss my teachers and my classmates after I leave school.
2. Does your school have any traditions?	Yes, it does, but they don’t differ from any other school traditions.
3. Ask me about my school life.	Did you go to a village school? Did you have a lot of friends at school? Did you have problems studying? Were you happy at school?
4. What can you advise a student who is not very good at languages to do to achieve better results?	First of all, be attentive at your English lessons. Listen to your teacher. Read English books. Listen to English songs. Watch films in English. Take every opportunity to practice the language.
5. Nowadays some young people complain that they have lots of problems at school. Do you agree with them?	School is not only a place where we study but where we communicate with our classmates and teachers. The main problem, as I see it, lies here. It may be poor relationships or bullying or misunderstanding. No one’s perfect.

School Traditions
1. Let’s talk about school traditions. Do you have any traditions at your school? What are they?	Yes, we do. First of all, it’s a ceremony of the first and the last bell. On the 1^st of September and on the 31^stof May there are festive parades outside the school building. There are always a lot of flowers, parents and guests are invited and everybody looks beautiful and excited. We also have a former pupil meeting in our school. It is on the first Saturday of February. There is always a very beautiful party at the assembly hall in the evening on that day.
2. Do you agree that schoolchildren must wear a school uniform? Why?	I agree. Pupils come to school to get knowledge and formal style of clothes probably aims at being concentrated on books and lessons, but at the same time it deprives pupils of their individuality.
3. Ask me what kind of pupil I was at school.	What marks did you get at school? Did you come to school in time? What was your favourite subject? Did you do your homework regularly? Did you respect your teachers?
4. Which school club would you advise your classmate to join?	If I were you, I would join a sports club, because sports make us healthy.
5. Today some young people think that having a good education is very important. Do you agree with them?	It has always been important to have a good education. Unfortunately, these days the values have changed and a person with a good education very often can’t find a place in the society.

Education in Belarus
1. Let’s talk about education. What can you tell me about studying at school?	Children in Belarus start going to school at the age of 6. They spend 4 years at primary school and 7 years at secondary school. At the age of 16, when pupils finish the 9th form, they can either leave school or continue their education for another two years. Most schools in Belarus are secondary comprehensive but there are lyceums and gymnasiums, where pupils get more profound knowledge in various subjects. Marks in Belarusian schools are given out of 10. All schools have rules, such as to be neatly dressed, not to smoke or to avoid casual hair styles. In general, pupils are satisfied with their school as they get good knowledge in all subjects.
2. Do you agree that Belarusian secondary school provides a person with good knowledge? Why (not)?	I agree. I think that all children are provided with equal opportunities to get good knowledge. My idea is that good knowledge depends not only on school and teachers but on pupils themselves.
3. Ask me whether I liked school when I was a pupil.	Did you like to go to school in your childhood? What was your favourite subject? Who was your favourite teacher? Did you have to take your English exam?
4. What ideas from Belarusian school can you advise a teacher from Great Britain to use in British school?	I can advise a teacher from Great Britain to have a wide range of subjects on the timetable.
5. Today some young people think that having a good education is not very important. Do you agree with them?	It has always been important to have a good education. Unfortunately, these days the values have changed and a person with a good education very often can’t find a place in the society.

Friends
1. Let’s talk about friendship. What role do friends play in your life?	Friendship is extremely important for every person because everyone needs communication and understanding. A friend is one with whom you spend your free time, share your thoughts and interests, who keeps your secrets, whom you trust and who is always ready to help. I’ve got a lot of friends. Some of them are close, some are not, but all of them make my life brighter and more interesting. In my view friendship is a gift from God. I can’t imagine my life without friends. As a proverb says, “Life without a friend is like death without a witness”.
2. Can you rely on your best friend? Why (not)?	My best friend is Sveta. I think I can rely on her. We have been friends for many years. We never quarrel, there’s mutual understanding between us.
3. What questions do you usually ask when you want to get acquainted with someone?	What’s your name? Where are you from? Have you got a lot of friends? Have you got a hobby?
4. What can you advise a teenager who has no friends?	The best way to have a friend is to be one. Be polite, helpful, attentive and friendly with people, and, I’m sure, they will appreciate this.
5. They say: “A person has just one true friend”. What do you think about this?	I think it’s possible to have more than one true friend. It’s hard to find a person who will share your whole life. But you may find one who is faithful and sincere, helpful and devoted, and these are the qualities that make a true friend.

Дата добавления: 2015-09-29