The Student’s Life

This dialogue is a conversation between Sasha and Mary. Sasha invited Mary to the cafe to discuss the latest news.

- Hello, Mary!

- Hi, Sasha. I haven’t seen you for a long time.

-We haven’t seen each other for half a year or so, have we?

- Yes, it’s been a long time.

- Now, tell me everything about your student’s life.

- Well, I’m a first-year student at Penza State Teachers’ Training University, you know.

- Really? I didn’t expect you to be a teacher.

- Oh, I made up my mind about it long ago. Both my mother and father are teachers and I think teaching is a noble profession.

- But it’s not a very profitable way of earning one’s living, is it?

- Yes, it is, but teaching is a tradition in our family. I couldn’t help it.

- As for me, I’m a freshman too, but I have made up my mind to be an economist. It’s a pity our universities are far from each other. So we cannot meet often.

- But I should like to show you the main building of our University. I can’t help admiring this old building with its beautiful columns.

- I hear it’s very large. It has eighteen different faculties such as Russian, Literature, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Geography and many others.

- You know, we have a good library and a reading room, and for those, who go in for sports there are good gymnasiums and a stadium. We also have many clubs, but I haven’t joined any of them yet.

- There is a good drama club at our University, too. As for me, I’m already a member of our club and I really enjoy it.

- Yes, such activities really do the student’s life more interesting.

- By the way, do you find the first semester difficult?

- Oh, yes. We have a lot of work as we learn English Practice, Grammar and Phonetics, Russian, History of our native land and even Latin.

- Latin? Do you like it?

- I hate it, it takes me a lot of time and effort. Besides I’m working hard at my pronunciation, so I’m not very good at it. And what about you?

- Oh, we have so many new subjects, I’ve never heard of. Such as Higher Mathematics, Management, Sociology and many others. Well, it’s getting late and I really hate to say good bye, but I’ve got to go home.

- What about going to the movies next Saturday night.

- I’d love to.

- Good bye. See you on Saturday.

- Ok. Bye- bye.

My Favourite Season English Weather

This dialogue is a conversation between two girls, Alice and Julia. They came to London as tourists a week ago. Now they are walking along the street. So, the conversation begins.

• Isnt't it a beastly day, Julia?

• It is. It is so nasty and windy and this terrible fog! It is so thick that you can hardly see a yard in front of you.

• They say, in England it is frequently foggy in the mornings. As a matter of fact, dull weather is quite usual for this country. There're even days, when the rain falls heavily from morning till night.

• But there are fine days as well. On Monday I had an excursion over London, so I took a walk through the Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens and I enjoyed the weather so much. The day was simply wonderful! And the sun was shining brightly in the blue and cloudless sky.

• Yes, the English weather is very changeable. We may have a very close day when not a leaf is stirring and when there's hardly a cloud in the sky. But suddenly it gets darker, the sky becomes grey. There comes a flash of lightning and a thunderstorm begins.

• That's why the English have a saying about the weather: If you don't like it now, just wait a bit. But look! It seems to be clearing up, doesn't it?

• Now it looks like a real spring day.

• By the way, I'm so fond of spring. And I like April most of all because it's the time when everything is awakening from its long winter sleep. There are no snowstorms in spring and we cannot see snowdrifts in the streets. Snow melts and spring streams run merrily along the roads.

• But, Julia, when there're streams and pools everywhere our feet may get wet through. Besides, as cars and buses go along the streets they splash water and mud on the passers-by. To my mind, the most unpleasant time comes when the snow begins to melt.

• You don't say so! When spring comes everything is full of life and joy. The trees put forth little tender buds, the meadows grow green and the flowers begin to bloom. And in May all the shrubs are in blossom and the trees are the loveliest young green. The grass is dotted with yellow dandelions, and their sweet perfume fills the air as well as the songs of the birds.

• Well, as for me, I very much like winter with its frosty sunny days. It's a pleasure to go for a walk then. The ground is like iron and rings under your feet. The frost sparkles on the branches and icicles hang from the houses. And most of all I like the days when snowflakes are coming down as big as popcorn.

• But in winter we're obliged to spend more time indoors because out-of-doors it's cold.

• Oh, no! Winter is a delightful time for sports. Little children are fond of playing snowballs and making snowmen, older ones go in for skating, skiing and tobogganing, while grown-ups enjoy all these things even more.

• Sounds fine. However, I can really enjoy only warm days, especially in spring. Oh, don't you think it looks like rain?

• It does. And a moment ago the sun was shining. Now I know why English weather is something worth talking about.

• Well, let's go to one of those cafes and wait till it stops raining.

• OK. Come on.