Топики по английскому языку

The American system of school education differs from the system in some countries. There are state-supported public schools, private elementary schools, and private secondary schools. Public schools are free and private schools are fee-paying. Each individual state has its own system of public schools. Elementary education begins at the age of six with the first … Читать далее

John Sloan — Джон Слоун In 1908 a group of young artists started an exhibition of their paintings which had been rejected by the National Academy, at the Macbeth Gallery, New York. The impact of them was enormous. They broke down academic idealism and a fostered keen interest in contemporary American life. They achieved for … Читать далее

My favourite writer is Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. In my opinion, he is the greatest Russian dramatist and short-story writer. I’m never tired of reading and rereading his plays and humorous stories. Chekhov was bom in 1860 in Taganrog. In 1879 he went to Moscow, where he studied medicine. Though he practised little as a doctor … Читать далее

A few hundred years ago the main forms of transport were walking or riding a horse, donkey, camel and elephant, depending on where you lived. Nowadays, in most countries long journeys involve some form of motorized transport. People today tend to travel longer distances, more often and at much higher speeds. As a result the … Читать далее

Agatha Christie is known all over the world as the Queen of Crime. She wrote 78 detective novels, 19 plays, and 6 romantic novels. Her books have been translated into 103 foreign languages. They are the third best-selling books in the world (after Shakespeare’s works and the Bible). Many of her novels and short stories … Читать далее

Alfred Bernhard Nobel (1833-1896), Swedish inventor and philanthropist, was a man of many contrasts. He was a son of a bankrupt, but became a millionaire; a scientist with a love of literature. He made a large fortune but lived a simple life. He was cheerful in company, and often sad in private. A lover of … Читать далее

In our time, life is not so interesting and exciting as it can be. The world has become a bland and safe place. Each day is like another and we are so tired of such life. People in the past used to risk their life by hunting animals, taking part in expeditions. We need some … Читать далее

Global problems are those which affect not only one individual but the whole mankind. They can’t be solved in one day and require organized efforts from the world community. If people leave these problems unsettled, it may lead to serious consequences in the future. It will affect all humanity and environment. All in all, global … Читать далее

Oxford was founded in the 9th century when Alfred the Great created a network of fortified towns called burhs across his kingdom. One of them was at Oxford. Oxford is first mentioned in 911 in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. According to legend, Oxford University was founded in 872 when Alfred the Great happened to meet som’e … Читать далее

Everybody talks about a conflict between generations. This is a well-known expression, used as an explanation for misunderstandings between people of different ages. Although sometimes this is an excuse for not recognizing who is wrong or right, it is certain that every generation of people is different in important ways. Even though everybody probably thinks … Читать далее

How important is your appearance? Although everyone wants to tf good-looking, are beautiful people always happier people? For example, must be a problem to be a really beautiful woman, because some men ma: be more interested in looking at you than talking to you. They think of you as a picture rather than a person. … Читать далее

There are over 40 institutions of higher learning in St. Petersburg. Of St. Petersburg University, with about 20,000 students, is one of Russia’s largest universities. The Conservatory of Music, established in 1862, is the nation’s oldest music school. Its graduates include such famous composers as Sergei Prokofiev, Dimitri Shostakovich, and Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky. The Choreographic … Читать далее

Education is an important part of modern life. Being educated means to know a lot of necessary and useful things for life, which is why every decent person studies at school. Originally Russian education starts from the early age. Children can start going to kindergarten from the age of two, but this is not a … Читать далее

My name is Katherine. I’m 16 years old and I’m a high school student. I have several hobbies which make my day diverse and interesting. Аlmost every day after the lessons I go to the gym. It’s one of my favourite pastimes. Moreover, I like swimming and skating. There is a sports center in my … Читать далее

When two persons are married, the man is called the husband; the woman becomes his wife. When a child is born in the family, the father and mother of the child are called parents. A family generally consists of a father, a mother and children — sons or daughters or both. The first born child … Читать далее

More people are abusing drugs today than in any other time in history of mankind, and many of those people are youth. Understanding what drugs are is fundamental for understanding their potential abuse. Drugs are a psychoactive substance. A psychoactive substance is something that people take to change the way they feel, think or behave. … Читать далее

Is there anything more important than health? I don’t think so. «Health is the greatest wealth,» wise people say. You can’t be good at your studies or work well when you are ill. If you have a headache, heartache, toothache, backache, earache or bad pain in the stomach, if you complain of a sore throat … Читать далее

Baseball is a nine-a-side game played with bat, ball, and glove, mainly in the U. S. A. Teams consist of a pitcher and catcher, called the battery, first, second, and third basemen, and shortstop, called the infield, and right, centre, and left fielders, called the outfield. Substitute players may enter the game at any time, … Читать далее

The prominent politician Winston Churchill was born’ in 1874. He is the son of Lord Randolph Churchill and grandson of the seventh Duke of Marl-borough. He was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst and entered the Army in 1895. In 1900, he entered Parliament and soon became a prominent figure. He left the Conservative Party and … Читать далее

American author and satirist Mark Twain summed up the nature of the holiday thus: «The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.» It is a day for harmless tricks and good laughs. The origin of April Fool’s Day or ‘All Fools’ Day goes back … Читать далее

The capital of Australia, Canberra, is a young and comparatively small city. It was founded in the 20th century and now has a population of about 260 000 people. The centre of Canberra is a small hill. Several streets run from that hill. Special charm is given to Canberra by an artificial lake in the … Читать далее

There exists a centralized national system of education in Australia. The top of this system is the Federal Ministry of Education. But there are still many differences in the structure and the curricula of schools in different states. There exist two types of schools in the country: state schools and private schools. Tuition in state … Читать далее

A nation is a group of people who share common history and usually a language and usually, but not always, live in the same area. Culture can be described as our everyday life: how we communicate, what makes us happy and sad. It also includes our language, religion, traditions, behavior, way of life – in … Читать далее

Chemical warfare is a military operation using the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure or incapacitate the enemy. Chemical warfare is different from the use of conventional weapons or nuclear weapons because the destructive effects of chemical weapons are not primarily due to any explosive force. Although rude chemical warfare has been employed … Читать далее

Great Britain or Foggy Albion, or Britain consists of England, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The UK is an island state: it is composed of some 5 thousand small islands lie varying distances from the coasts. Geographically, the island of GB is … Читать далее

The USA is situated in the central part of the North American Continent. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, by the Pacific Ocean in the west and by the Gulf of Mexico in the south. The climate varies from moderate to subtropical. Along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts it is oceanic. … Читать далее

Most Australians have been dreaming of a white Christmas for centuries. But the traditional European Christmas is just a myth for Australians. Santas wearing thick woollen clothes don’t fit with Australia’s thirty-degree heat. Thankfully things are changing fast. Now they have their own Christmas, Australian style. Australia is a country which is largely made up … Читать далее

Everywhere, everyday, exciting things are happening. Each day is filled with news. People learn news and views. While reading newspapers and magazines, talking over the telephone or they are kept informed by watching TV or listening to the radio. TV dominates the life of the family most of the time. The TV set isn’t just … Читать далее

My family is not very big, just a typical family: Dad, Mom, me, my brother and sister and our cat. My Mummy is forty-one, she is a teacher of Spanish at the University. She is a born teacher. She has teaching abilities. My Dad is forty-two, he is a professional painter, he works for a … Читать далее

Have you ever been to Great Britain? If you have, it will be much easier for you to imagine what a real British pub is. Anyway, I’ll acquaint you with all the peculiarities of this extraordinary place. A pub is a short word for «public house». It is a unique place not only because there … Читать далее

I have a tortoise. His name is Pasha. Usual green tortoise with a coat of mail. But one day my mind about him has changed. Last year at the time of the cold winter I was sleeping in my bed. It was the midnight. I was sleeping when I heard somebody`s voice. «Asya, wake up…» … Читать далее

Last summer was the most astonishing in my life. I visited the country covered by sacrets and mysticism. It was exactly such wonderland about that Alice could dream…Let`s start with the reality! When I had a birthday my parents gave me a present. It was a tour about Egypt. It was imposible to impress my … Читать далее

What am I going to do after school or university? Maybe I should consider a job in the financial world. There’s a surprisingly wide range to choose from — for example, I could raise money for charities or sell famous paintings or write about economics as a financial journalist or run my own company or. … Читать далее

Some people criticize English food. They say it’s unimaginable, boring, tasteless, it’s chips with everything and totally overcooked vegetables. The basic ingredients, when fresh, are so full of flavour that British haven’t had to invent sauces to disguise their natural taste. What can compare with fresh pees or new potatoes just boiled and served with … Читать далее

When children in our country are six or seven years old they begin to go to school. They spend there 5 or 6 hours daily during ten or eleven years. That’s why we may very often hear a phrase, «School is our second home». There are different kinds of schools — secondary schools, lyceums, gymnasiums, … Читать далее

I`m a teacher. I teach children and I like it. But at the same time I`m a class mistress. There are 25 pupils in my class, 25 children. They are so different these boys and girls; they have different appearance, tastes, hobbies… Sometimes they are too naughty, sometimes — too selfish and stubborn. But at … Читать далее

They lived in a small village of the Soviet Union. Their house was not big, but very beautiful and cosy. There was a big garden around this house. They usually walked and worked there. When Misha was seven, he went to school. He was a clever boy and he did very well. Misha had got … Читать далее

Family is an essential part of every person’s life and of our society. Family is a little world with its own values and priorities. Close families share dreams, ideas, hopes and even possessions, and it’s a good side of being a family. However, as usual, every good thing can have its drawbacks. Same with families: … Читать далее

There is no real national press in the USA as there are more than 85 newspapers published in 34 languages. There exist two main groups of newspapers: qualities and populars. Only 2 or 3 newspapers with the largest circulation tell their readers about some rumours or crimes. Quality newspapers contain only reliable serious information. They … Читать далее

Americans eat a lot. They have three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most of Americans don’t eat home but prefer to go to res­taurants. They can choose from many kind of restaurants. There is a great number of ethnic restaurants in the United States. Italian, Chinese and Mexican food is very popular. An … Читать далее

The American system of school education differs from the systems in other countries. There are state public schools, private elementary schools and private secondary schools. Public schools are free and private schools are feepaying. Each state has its own system of public schools. Elementary education begins at the age of six or seven, when a … Читать далее

There are certain stereotypes of national character which are well known in Britain. For instance, the Irish are supposed to be great talkers, the Scots have a reputation for being careful with money, the Welsh are renowned for their singing abilities, and the English are considered to be reserved. These characteristics are, of course, only … Читать далее

I like to go to the post-office because post is one of the things that link people living in different cities and coun­tries. There are some counters at the post-office. At one of them you can buy envelopes, stamps, post cards. You can write a letter right there and post it or you can write … Читать далее

Christmas is a Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is based on the Biblical event described in Luke 2 and Matthew 1-2 of the New Testament. Luke tells the story of how an angel appeared to shepherds and told them that a Saviour had been born to Mary and Joseph in a … Читать далее

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country, and most of the people live in large cities. Naturally, the capital comes first among the biggest industrial cities of the country. Lots of things such as clothes, food, planes and cars are made in London. Birmingham is the biggest town in the centre of England. Machines, … Читать далее

Our life would be boring without computers. It’s hard to believe that one device can provide people with entertainment, news, education, music. With the appearance of computer many things have lost their importance. People don’t watch TV anymore, don’t go to the cinema very often. They don’t listen to the radio, CD — or MP3-player. … Читать далее

In England and Wales compulsory school begins at the age of five, but before that age children can go to a nursery school, also called play school. School is compulsory till the children are 16 years old. In Primary School and First School children learn to read and write and the basis of arithmetic. In … Читать далее

Welcome to the free Tourist Information Line for visitors to Great Britain. For information on visas and immigration, please press one. For information on driving in Britain, please press two. For information on hotels, please press three. For information on public transport in Britain, please press four. To return to this menu at any time … Читать далее

With the passing years and developing technology, life seems to be in the hands of machines, the latest acquisition being the production of genetically modified food. Also known as genetically engineered foods, these foods are modified by inserting genes of other species into their DNA. Against the traditional art of cropping, such foods are not … Читать далее

Alexandre Dumas is generally called Dumas pèreto distinguish him from his illustrious son Alexandre (known as Dumas fils), who was also a dramatist and novelist. The son of a Creole general of the French Revolutionary armies, Dumas was brought up by his mother in straitened circumstances after his father’s death. While still young, he began … Читать далее