Topic 12 Why people go to museums?

It is an interesting phenomenon that, when traveling to new places they have never been to before, many people choose to visit museums. Why museums are people's common choice? Based on my personal experience and according to my observations (наблюдения), I think this is because museums tell people a lot about the culture of those places and provide them with entertainment.

It is easy to find out many ways to obtain knowledge about the culture of the place where people visit for the first time. You can go to a theater, a church or a nightclub. Another option is to sit in the park and watch the people around you. Among various options, visiting museums might be the most efficient way. Museums show you the history and art and those things that the locals think important, some of the exhibits might be unique in the world. On the other hand, the museums themselves are part of the landscape of a place. Many museums are designed and built based on the historical and artistic characteristics of the places where the museums are located in. The Forbidden City Museum is the most favorite tourist site because not only it contains a large variety of historical treasures and art works but also it is the representative of the Chinese history and the highest achievement of Chinese ancient architecture. As a result, people are willing to choose museums as their first destination to understand culture of the place that they visit.

Museums also give people entertainment. Even if you are not interested in art or history, there is always something to catch your attention. Many museums now have what they call "interactive" exhibits. The "interactive" activities were originally designed to keep children occupied while their parents were looking at the exhibits. However, the interesting thing is that adults are keen (заинтересованы, стремятся) to these activities as well as their children. It is fascinating to create your own work of painting at an art museum or to design an appearance of a robot by yourself in a science museum. People can be really pleased through performing the "interactive" works in museums, as well as gaining related knowledge. Both local people and visitors welcome museums because museums are an essential part of our life. They reflect our history, our art, our values, our creations and our dreams. No matter who you are and what you like, somewhere there is a museum that will amaze and interest you.

Topic 13 Do you prefer to eat out or eat at home?

Nowadays, some people like to eat at home and prepare food by themselves, but others prefer to eat out side in restaurants or at food stands. As far as I am concerned, I prefer to eat at home.

Of course there are some advantages to eat out (питаться вне дома). Firstly, restaurants offer a more comfortable environment to eat and the food there tastes more delicious than home-cooked meals. In addition, eating at restaurants is a good way of getting together with friends. People also do not need to worry about washing dishes and cleaning. For people who are too busy to cook, eating out is certainly an ideal choice. Furthermore, for people do not know how to cook and do not have some one to cook for them, eat out seems to be the only choice.

However, I prefer to cook and eat and home. The main reason is that at home, family members can prepare their meals and enjoying their food together, which can enhance their relationships. Family members can talk, make jokes and exchange feelings on current affairs (текущие события) with each other while preparing a meal. Parents have a chance to communicate with their kids and keep track of what they are thinking and doing; while children can learn to help with some household tasks and develop intimacy (тесная связь, близость) with their parents. Image that you and your brothers and sisters help your mother to cook on a weekend, and enjoy the food later on, and you feel everything is so nice.

Another reason is that eating at home can save money. The same amount of money that you spend on a meal in a restaurant can buy a lot more foods from a supermarket. You can use the money saved to buy a new cloth, or attend a concert.

General speaking, eating out side is comfortable and convenient, but eating at home has more benefits. I prefer to eat at home.