6. Ask your friend:

как он (она) – проводит свободное время зимой

– собирается провести свои летние каникулы

– добирается до кинотеатра

– готовится к занятиям

чем он (она) – увлекается

– занимается по вечерам

часто ли он (она) – ходит в кино

– проводит каникулы с родителями

– ездит на велосипеде

7. Translate into English:

1. Где вы проводите свои летние каникулы?

2. Иногда они ходят в лес собирать грибы и ягоды.

3. Они прекрасно провели время на зимних каникулах.

4. За городом мы загораем, играем в футбол и поем песни.

5. В плохую погоду мои друзья приходят ко мне. Мы играем на гитаре и обсуждаем различные проблемы.

6. Как правило, утром мне некогда выносить мусор и убирать квартиру.

7. Мне приходиться готовить еду себе, так как я живу в общежитии.

8. Кто ходит за покупками в вашей семье?

8. Speak on the way you usually spend your day off‚ your winter and summer holidays

Text 2. The Kirillovs’ week-end

Read the text and do the exercises that follow it.

Study the following vocabulary before reading the text:

a homesort – домосед

to get smth. ready – подготовить что-то

unanimous – единодушный

a trouble – неполадка

an engine – мотор

a spirit – настроение

It’s a difficult question for the Kirillovs what is the best way to spend the week-ends. There is a difference of opinion in the family. For example, Ann is fond of figure-skating in winter time. In summer time she likes swimming and boating. Oleg is always ready to go fishing, snow or rain. It’s his favourite pastime. His mother is a homesort. She likes to stay at home on week-ends. She likes watching television and knitting, especially when there’s nobody around. As for Oleg’s father he spends his week-ends in different ways. He goes to the theatre or goes for a camping week-end.

But the week before last the Kirillovs were unanimous. They all agreed to go to the country for a picnic. On Saturday everybody got up early in the morning. Grigory Alexeyevich went out to get the car ready. Meanwhile his wife and Ann were making sandwiches into a basket and Oleg took it down and put it into the car.

A quarter of an hour later they were ready to go. But Grigory Alexeyevich couldn’t start the engine. He tried again and again without success. It took him nearly half an hour to find the trouble.

At last they drove off. The weather was fine. The sun was shining brightly and everybody was in high spirits. Oleg was joking.

Soon they found a nice place at the riverside. The women wanted to sunbathe while Oleg and Grigory Alexeyevich were fishing. In the afternoon they had their tea and sandwiches.

It was getting dark when they decided to go back. But Grigory Alexeyevich couldn’t start the engine again. Everybody was worried. Besides, the weather was changing. It was getting cold.

They got home very late at night. Everybody was tired but glad the picnic was over.

Exercises

1. Use the text to put questions about:

1) what each member of the family is fond of doing on week-ends;

2) how the Kirillovs were getting ready for the picnic;

3) what they were doing at the riverside;

4) why everybody was glad the picnic was over.

2. Decide if the following statements are true or false.

1. Ann is fond of having her week-ends somewhere out.

2. Oleg is always ready to stay at home on week-ends.

3. The week before last the Kirillovs were unanimous.

4. In the morning everybody was busy getting ready for the trip.

5. Grigory Alexeyevich couldn’t start the engine for some time.

6. When they got to the riverside it began to rain.

7. At the riverside they had a nice time.

8. In the afternoon they decided to go back.

9. They got home very early.

3. Add some more sentences from the text to expand the following statements:

1. The Kirillovs spend their week-ends in different ways.

2. The week before last the Kirillovs were unanimous.

3. The preparations for the trip didn’t take them long.

4. They had a good time at the riverside.

5. They got home late at night.

4. Look through the text once again and speak on:

1) the way the Kirillovs usually spend their week-ends;

2) the picnic they went for last week-end.

5. Be ready to speak about your last week-end.

Text 3. Oleg’s trip to Minsk

Read the text and do the exercises that follow it.

Study the following vocabulary before reading the text:

to undertake – предпринять

to book – заказать заранее

to board – cесть в поезд (трамвай, на корабль, самолет)

a booking-office – билетная касса

a berth – место (для лежания)

a trough train – прямой поезд

a return ticket – обратный билет

Oleg is fond of travelling. Last summer he undertook a trip to Minsk which he will remember forever.

Oleg was going to the football match which took part in Minsk. He had very little time. He had to book tickets and pack his things.

He phoned up the railway booking-office and inquired about the time-table and tickets. A clerk replied that there were tickets for the 6.40 train. It was a through express train. That suited Oleg all right.

Oleg went to the railway booking-office. There were not many people in there. So it didn’t take him long to get a ticket. He bought a return ticket too.

Oleg came to the station half an hour before the departure. There were a lot of people on the platform. They were waiting for the train to come. At last it arrived. Passengers started getting in. Oleg was among the first to get into the carriage. He quickly found his compartment, found his berth and could relax at last. As he had enough time before the departure he went out onto the platform to buy a newspaper. People were hurrying to get aboard the train. Porters were carrying luggage. Suddenly Oleg looked at the sign on the carriage. It was Gomel – Brest. What a big fool he is! He mixed up the platforms and boarded the wrong train to Minsk. Certainly he missed it. What an awful situation! All his plans went to pieces...