2.3. New year's day

There are many holidays in our coun­try. They are: New Year's Day, Christ­mas, Women's Day, Victory Day, May Day and others.

I like New Year's Day, it is my favorite holiday. The 1st of January is a win­ter holiday and now it is the first day of the New Year.

Peter the First changed the Russian calendar in 1699. He made the 31st of De­cember, 1699 the last day of the year. The first of January 1700 became New Year's Day.

The 1st of January is in the middle of winter. The weather is usually fine and there is a lot of snow everywhere. As the 1st of January is a holiday I don't go to school and my parents don't go to work.

We usually have got a very interesting New Year's party at school. We have got it on the 28th or 29th of December.

Our family prepares for this holiday be­forehand. My father buys and brings home a beautiful New Year's tree at the end of December. Our family has a tradition to buy it. I like to decorate the New Year's tree with toys, little colored lights, sweets and a beautiful star on the top.

My mother and grandmother prepare our holiday supper and lay the table. I make a cake.

All the members of our family clean the flat before this nice holiday and then each of us try to dress well. We like to see the New Year in at home with our relatives. They come to see us at 11 o'clock in the evening.

At 12 o'clock we are sitting at the table and we are glad to see the New Year in. We say, "Best wishes for the New Year!"

I hope that next year will be better than the last one.

The New Year's Day is always connect­ed with our new hopes and dreams.

It is a pleasant moment to get presents on the New Year's Eve.

I usually get many nice useful things from my parents and relatives.

My parents put their presents under the New Year's tree.

We don't go to bed till morning; we watch TV, dance, eat tasty things and make jokes. I enjoy this holiday very much.

2.4.Holidays, travel and tourism

For most people there is no problem in deciding how they are going to spend the money they earn - it all goes on housing, food, clothes, transport and, if they are lucky, leisure and some holidays. Many of us have spent our lives without doing anything out of the ordinary and now I have got a marvelous opportunity of doing something exciting and I will. If I win the prize of 20,000 dollars, I will spend it in the world round trip.

To travel round the world has been my dream for a long time and with this sum of money behind me this dream is likely to be realized. I am going to take a trip around the world. I am going to do a lot of sightseeing. I am going to put up at expensive hotels and spend much money on entertainment and other exciting things.

My travel experience would begin in New York, known as one of the world's most modern cities because of its high buildings and its dynamic spirit. From New York I would cross the Atlantic Ocean to England. In London I would explore the British Museum and visit the shops and pubs along King's Road in Chelsea.

My next stop would be Amsterdam, an attractive city because of its steep narrow houses and canals lined with trees. Flying to Copenhagen I would eat Danish open-faced sandwiches and have entertainment at night clubs in Tivoli Gardens. Having seen enough cities by this time I would go to the Italian Riviera.

Portofino, a handsome fishing village resembling an opera setting, is one of the most charming vacations sports in Europe. Of course, a serious traveller could not leave Italy without visiting Florence, Venice, Naples and Rome, for all these cities are living museums. Continuing South, I would trace the beginning of Western civilization. I would make stop in Athens.

Certainly a chance to see the pyramids should not be missed. Next, I would fly east to visit the shimmering island of Ceylon. Here, the traveller finds many precious gems for sale, but the brightest jewel of all is Ceylon itself. Leaving this island I would travel to Bangkok, an Oriental city of many charms. Then, like many other travellers, I would be drawn to Hong Kong, the shopper's paradise.

Leaving Asia, I would load my overstuffed suitcase on a plane bound for Acapulco. In this Mexican resort, I would swim, sunbathe and eat spicy foods. At this time it would be necessary to count my remaining travellers checks.

If a tour of Latin America were still possible, I would want to stop in Peru, Argentina, Brazil. But by that time my funds would probably have run low. So, where would my round-the-world trip end? For me there is only one answer: Moscow, the city I will never tire of calling home.