Vocabulary Exercises

1. С какого возраста, по вашему мнению, подростки должны вести самостоятельную жизнь?

2. Родители не должны навязывать своего мнения детям.

3. Вы когда-нибудь ощущали давление со стороны сверстников?

4. Перечислите сопутствующие факторы подростковой преступности.

5. Родители должны проявить большую заботу о своих детях и, при необходимости, обратиться за помощью к специалисту.

6. Трудные подростки перестают слушаться родителей, ведут себя вызывающе и часто сбегают из дома.

7. Дети очень тяжело переживают развод родителей.

8. Попав в дурную компанию, подростки начинают употреблять алкоголь и наркотики.

9. Многие люди считают, что невозможно преодолеть разрыв между поколениями.

10. Я не являюсь сторонником телесного наказания в воспитании детей.

11. Подростки из проблемных семей часто попадают под дурное влияние и сталкиваются с непреодолимыми трудностями.

12. Многие люди недооценивают риск возникновения депрессии у своих детей.

13. Многие подростки решают покончить жизнь самоубийством из-за безответной любви.

14. Если ваш ребенок стал замкнутым, агрессивным, или вы стали замечать его частые перепады настроения и отсутствие аппетита, то это серьезный повод обратиться за помощью к специалисту.

15. Подростки, которые живут самостоятельно, взваливают на свои плечи массу обязательств.

16. Одним из ключевых факторов подростковой преступно­сти является неблагоприятная обстановка в семье.

17. Причиной всех этих проблем может быть отсутствие воспитания, моральных ценностей и недостаток внимания со стороны родителей.

18. Домашнее насилие является распространенной проблемой во многих странах и, к сожалению, во многих случаях остается безнаказанным.

19. Давайте разберемся с первопричинами заниженной самооценки!

20. Многие подростки находят себе работу на неполный рабочий день и узнают цену деньгам.

Give the synonyms to the following words and phrases:

Adolescents; destitution; seditious; to be on the lookout; self-esteem, intimate friends; to live on somebody’s own; ill-mannered; ailment; self-sufficient; to reprimand

Answer the following questions:

1) Have you ever experienced peer pressure?

2) What, in your opinion, drives so many youngsters to commit suicide?

3) What is the leading cause of death among teens?

4) Have you ever experienced depression? Describe your state of health in this period.

4. Travelling

Sample Essays

• Nowadays many people prefer to travel abroad. Do you agree with this statement? What is your opinion?

Many people nowadays face a difficult decision when they plan their holidays. The issue is whether to go abroad or to travel within your home country. In fact, there is no definite answer to this question because tastes differ. But personally, I think that travelling abroad is full of new and vivid emotions.

To begin with, I adore travelling around the world. Firstly, it gives me inspiration and lots of positive emotions. Secondly, this is not only the time for relaxation, but it is also a great way to go sightseeing, to explore various cuisines of the world and to learn more about cultures and traditions of different countries. Moreover, travelling broadens the mind, improves language skills and geographical knowledge and makes life more interesting.

On the contrary, there are people who choose to travel within their native country. In fact, one cannot deny that every country has lots of tourist attractions, ancient architecture and historical places. But personally, I incline more to the opinion of Carlo Goldoni who said, “He who never leaves his country is full of prejudices”.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that it is up to you to decide whether to go abroad or explore your home country. But in my opinion, it is more exciting and informative to travel all around the world in order to learn more about other people’s cultures, values, traditions and lifestyle.

(233 words)

• Nowadays many people prefer to travel by air. Do you agree with this statement? What is your opinion?

Modern life is impossible without travelling. It is generally accepted that the fastest way of travelling is by plane. In my judgment, travelling by air is breathtaking and exciting from the moment the plane takes off until it lands. In this essay I intend to show why so many people still choose this mode of transport.

To begin with, air travel is a necessity when you plan a long distance trip and want to save time. It should be mentioned that the flight itself is very comfortable. One can listen to music, read newspapers or communicate with fellow-travelers. Moreover, the process of making arrangements is also quite convenient. As far as I am concerned, 1 always book tickets in advance by phone or on the Internet. Hence, there is no need to stand in long lines.

Nevertheless, some people do not like travelling by air. There are many reasons for it. Some of them cannot afford high price tickets. Others suffer from airsickness or acrophobia. However, as is generally known, for every complicated problem there is a simple solution: travel sickness pills or budget airlines correspondingly. Among opponents of air-flights are those who are displeased with a check-in process at the airport or possible delays and cancellations due to unfavorable weather conditions. My personal view is that in case of need one can always relax in the departure lounge.

To conclude, it is up to you to decide whether to travel by plane or not. Personally, I still strongly believe that air travel saves time and gives you lots of opportunities to explore the world around.

(265 words)

• Nowadays many people prefer package holidays. Do you agree with this statement? What is your opinion?

There is no doubt that many people look forward to their well-earned holidays, especially if they work hard all year round and feel exhausted. Personally, I prefer package holidays which include flights, excursions and hotel accommodation.

In my judgment, today everyone can choose a package tour that will suit their requirements and budget. The first thing that needs to be said is that holidays should be organized by professionals. With their help you do not need to arrange flights or book hotel rooms. Besides, if you do not speak any foreign language your local guide will meet you at the airport, transfer to the hotel and give you some useful information on places of interest. Finally, you don’t need to worry about money. All restaurants, pre-paid excursions and accommodation are all inclusive.

All the same, there are still people who organize their trips themselves. Some of them insist that it gives them more freedom to explore the world. Others are convinced that this way they can save money. There is a great deal of truth in what they say. However, it is very important to be sure that your holidays will not turn into disaster. For instance, people who choose a hotel themselves buy a cat in a sack, because the staff or rooms can be really awful.

In conclusion I want to emphasize that it is up to you to decide whether to buy a package tour or to make all arrangements yourself. But as far as I am concerned, I would highly recommend everyone to rely on a professional travel agent. (263 words)

• Some people think that travelling by sea is the best way to spend their holidays. Do you agree with this statement? What is your opinion?

Travelling by ship is always full of adventures and mysteries. That is why sea cruises attract so many tourists from all over the world. Personally, I choose sea voyages because they help me to explore new places and give lots of vivid emotions.

Firstly, travelling by sea is popular mostly for pleasure trips. Passengers usually live in comfortable cabins but most of their time they spend on the deck. They sunbathe near the swimming- pool, watch films, communicate with fellow passengers and promenade. Secondly, sea cruises are very entertaining and thrilling. One can go on a deep-sea diving adventure or enjoy the thrill of open water fishing. Thirdly, sea voyages give people lots of opportunities to explore the world around. The ship usually calls at different ports and passengers can take onshore excursions and visit not just one but several countries during their trip.

On the contrary, there are people who dislike sea voyages. There is a simple reason for this: most of them suffer from seasickness. In my judgment, we live in the age of modern medicine with a wide range of medications available for the treatment.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, I consider that travelling by sea is a perfect way to broaden the mind, to gain deep impressions and explore the world around. Undoubtedly, it is up to everyone to decide whether to go on a voyage. Personally, I highly recommend everyone to learn it by your own experience.

As is generally known, “A picture is worth a thousand words”.

(253 words)

Topical Vocabulary