I. Read these texts, paying special attention to the words printed in bold.

1. About Myself

Hello! My name is Alexandra Barsukova. But my friends call me Sandra for short. I'm seventeen. This year I'm going to finish school. So I'm a student of a top class. It's funny enough, but I was born on the first of April. And every year my friends play jokes at me when we celebrate my birthday.

I was born in a family of doctors. We are four in our family: my parents, my elder brother of 22 and me. It's so nice to have such an elder brother as my Max. His full name is Maxim. He is a very tender brother. He is a student of the Ural State University. His future profession is connected with computers, but I don't know the exact name of it. It's something difficult for me. Frankly speaking we, computer and me, don't like each other. So, usually it doesn't agree to work with me. My father is a surgeon. My mum is an ophthalmologist. And all the time I hear orders to wash hands and to sit straight and not to read in bed. As if they don't know that to read in bed some horror book is best of all. You can always hide under the blanket. But, please, don't think I'm complaining. My parents are wonderful people. I can talk with them about everything. We understand each other very well. They have a fine sense of humour; they are kind, loving and caring. They like order in everything. I think it's because of their occupation. Such responsibility demands order. But I simply begin to hate their profession. They always speak about operations and new methods of treatment. And they expect me to follow them because there were several generations of doctors and one more would be wonderful. But the only sight of blood makes me feel giddy. And I'm afraid of all those frogs.

I think, the best thing for me is to study languages in future. I like Russian, Literature, History, English and French. I study English at school and I have private lessons of French at home. My parents found a teacher of French for me several years ago. She is rather old and very strict but we get on very well because I like languages. I am ready to sleep with a dictionary beneath my cheek instead of a pillow. I learn all the material she gives me. I do really want to know English and French. These subjects go easy to me. I can't say the same things about other subjects, especially maths and physics. It's a hard work to get good marks on them. I can't say I'm a lazy-bone but it's so difficult to drag myself from my bed early in the morning and get ready for school. Maybe it's because of my reading late at night. I like to read fantasy, detective and travel books. I also like cooking. It's not so cool as some of my classmates think, but they like to eat my pies and cakes very much. As for sport I like gymnastics and swimming, but I can't stand basketball and skiing.

My classmates are my good friends. But I have only two close friends. We are together practically all our life. Our mums are close friends too. My friends and me are quite different people. Nastya is very serious and gifted; I think she will get a gold medal. At the same time she is not boring and dull. Olga is funny, she is always ready to laugh and she is super in Maths. She saves me at the lessons and during the tests very often. As for my character, my big brother says I must be more confident in myself and not so bashful. Nastya and Olga think I am a kind, friendly and sociable person but sometimes rather stubborn and obstinate. Maybe they are right. We understand each other without words. 

 

A) Translate into English the following sentences using the words and word combinations from the text.

1. Ну и лентяйка ты! 2. Мне легко даются иностранные языки, чего не могу сказать о точных науках. 3. Моя сестра сейчас учится в выпускном классе, но до сих пор не знает, что делать после окончания школы. 4. У моего деда длиннющее и труднопроизносимое имя, и поэтому все коротко зовут его Милый Эп. 5. Наши родители любят подшучивать над нами, но мы не обижаемся, потому что видим, что они нас любят и уважают. 6. Терпеть не могу змей, один их вид даже на экране телевизора вызывает у меня головокружение. 7. Как будто ты не знаешь, что надо сначала сделать эту работу, а уж потом идти гулять. 8. Не могу сказать, что мои коллеги ладят друг с другом, но работу они делают хорошо. 9. Мне приходится сидеть допоздна над учебниками, чтобы получить хорошие оценки. 10. К институту я обычно готовлюсь с вечера – решаю, что надеть, складываю все тетради, ручки и карандаши в сумку, записываю на листке, что надо сделать – оказывается, это очень удобно. 11. Мой братец обычно смотрит полночи телик, а утром еле стаскивает себя с кровати в последний момент. 12. У меня всего две близкие подружки, но куча приятельниц. 13. Не всем быть таким одаренным и серьезным, как ты, кому-то надо быть и обычным раздолбаем, как я. 14. К окончанию школы он превратился в уверенного, общительного и дружелюбного молодого человека, хотя в средних классах был очень застенчив и, порою, упрям. 15. Моя младшая сестренка такая строптивая!

 

B) Make fifteen questions to the text as a plan.

2. About Myself

Hi! I am Anthony Popov, Tony for short. I'm sixteen but this year I'm finishing school. I went to study at the age of six, because my mum did not know what to do with me. I could read and write by that time, drove the whole family mad with my questions and had a lot of unused energy. So I was sent to school and my parents could relax a little. But my teacher began to use valerian drops very soon. I wasn't a hooligan, but a rather adventurous boy. All troubles, all bumps, all black eyes and scratches were mine. I was a great explorer that time. I was eager to learn everything. Sometimes the results were quite unexpected. It's strange enough, but having such a hectic life I studied very well. And at last my parents got a fine idea: I should do some kind of sports. I chose figure skating. I think I had some abilities. Though I was the eldest boy in our group and I began skating much later and could do nothing. But I used to be among the first everywhere. All my energy was spent to cope with the skates and those figures that we should do. But only in spring I heard the first words of approval of my coach. I was satisfied. My classmates enjoyed hockey and football, wrestling and boxing but I liked music and applause. And besides, one should be very strong to do all those leaps and rotations. My results grew and my height grew too. At 14 I became too tall for figure skating. I gave up it because I couldn't move graciously.

And by that time I discovered a new world for me – the world of computers. As both my mum and my dad are computer programmers they often discuss their professional problems. And we have two PCs at home. When I showed some interest for their work the parents were delighted. I always thought that they were a bit dull, boring and sometimes even silly. But now I know my folks are great people. They have a superb sense of humour. Never mind they sometimes grumble at me. I think I deserve it. My daddy is Jack-of-all-trades. It's thanks to him I can repair everything at home and know a lot about cars. My mum teaches me cooking. She says all great cooks are men. So I strike the girls of our class with different culinary secrets. My parents teach me to do everything perfectly. But frankly speaking I am not an example pupil and, moreover, I don't want to be such a person. I don't want to waste my time cramming things I am not interested in. I am good at Maths and Computer Science, Physics and English but I can't stand Literature (mainly because it is taught awfully dull) and Chemistry. If I have some free time I prefer to read the next fantasy book or some detective story or to watch TV. I have several favourite programmes – "What, Where and When", "Witted boys and girls", information and sport programmes and of course programmes about music and singers.

My classmates are nice people. They know a lot and it's always interesting with them. But I have only one bosom friend – Phillip or Phil for short. We both are a bit crazy on computers. We are going to study at the Ural State University. But I've chosen the faculty of Economy and Management and Phil is going to enter the faculty of Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics. So we have to work hard this year to get ready for our entrance exams. Sometimes I am so exhausted with all that amount of work I should do that I have the only wish – to drag myself to the sofa, fall down on it and think about nothing. So my life is rather vivid and not dull, though not always very enjoyable. But as a famous Russian proverb says - "Business before pleasure". When I get my membership student card I'll be really happy.

 

A) Say the same in English using words and word combinations from the text.

When I was six; to make smbd nervous and crazy; could come down a little; a risky boy; to manage; to be interested in smth; my dearest and nearest; to be a very good pupil; to fix or to mend; I hate Literature; learning things by heart, not understanding the meaning; a very close friend; to be very keen on computers; to prepare for smth; the exams you held to get to any university; a hectic life.

 

B) Make a plan of the story for retelling.

 

3. The story of my life, sad and happy at the same time*

Let me introduce myself. I'm Helen Belyaeva. At the end of July I had a birthday and I became of age. On the one hand it's pleasant – you feel adult and can do whatever you like; on the other hand everybody can say, 'Could you think a bit harder and not do such stupid things, you are a grown-up already'. So you see, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. I live with my daddy and a younger sister. Our Mum died tragically several years ago in a car crash and Daddy was badly hurt. Now, everything is OK with his health, but there is no Mum nearby. It was a dreadful time for the whole family, but it was Granny, Mum's mother, who saved us. She took care of us, went to the hospital to Daddy (we were not let there for a very long time), encouraged us, smiled and did everything not to let us feel lonely, though very often at night I noticed her crying in her room. Five years passed. Last year I finished school but I did not enter any institute because I simply didn't know where to. I thought I had no any special abilities, bents and vocations. Luckily Daddy got a letter from our family friend living in San Francisco. He asked him to recommend a girl, maybe a student, to live and work in his family as au pair. As they both, Aunt Vera, his wife, and he, Uncle Andrew, were very busy people there was nobody to look after their five-year-old daughter properly. So the men agreed very quickly on my coming there and in few weeks I flew to the USA. I spent a wonderful year there though I missed my folks greatly. The girl I looked after turned out to be a charming child. I got on with her quickly and we became great friends – I read her Russian fairy-tales, taught her to read in Russian and to count, we both watched Russian cartoons with great pleasure and did a lot of other things pleasant for both of us. At weekends we both were taught to swim in the ocean, to ride a horse. Aunt Vera gave several lessons of working with a camera, so very soon I began making short funny films. My host family approved my creative work and advised to become a journalist saying I had some talent. But to my great surprise I discovered that I could remember a lot of English words very easily and soon I began to communicate with Americans without any feeling of awkwardness and shyness. Uncle Andrew was very glad seeing my success in English and other things. But nevertheless he liked to play jokes at me and also his daughter. When the year was coming to the end he suggested me entering any local university and continuing the work at his family. But I wanted to get home badly. So at the beginning of July I returned home and was on Cloud Nine seeing the faces of my relatives again. When I told Daddy about my wish to study languages and to become an interpreter he was very glad. So I passed my entrance exams with excellent marks and became a student of the Institute of International Relations.  

 

A) Express the same in English in one word or word combination using the text.

When you are eighteen, you …

Something that helps you to be more successful than others, or the state of having this …

An accident in which a vehicle violently hits something else and there are people wounded …

A natural ability to do something well. Often better than others …

A young person, who stays with a family in a foreign country to learn the language and looks after their children for a small wage …

To take care of smbd …

To feel sad because someone you love is not with you …

A children’s story in which magical things happen …  

Films that are made with the help of a great many drawings …

A feeling of being nervous and embarrassed about meeting and speaking to other people …

To be very happy …

 

B) Write down key words from the text with the help of which you will be able to retell the story.

II. Retell these three texts on behalf of: a) a main character of the story; b) a friend of her / his.

Family life