Text 4 Ann's Diary
I. 1. Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about.
SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1942
Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the thoughts of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing, and I have an even greater need to get all kinds of things off my chest*.
“Paper has more patience than people.” I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my hands. I was bored and wondering whether to stay in or go out. I finally stayed where I was and decided to start a diary. Yes, paper does have more patience, and since I’m not planning to let anyone else read this notebook, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make a bit of difference.
Now I’m back to the point that prompted me to keep a diary in the first place: I don’t have a friend. Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen-year-old girl is completely alone in the world. And I’m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen-year-old sister, and there are about thirty people I can call friends. I have a bunch of admirers who can’t keep their adoring eyes off me and who constantly try to catch a glimpse* of me in the classroom. I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend.
All I think about when I’m with friends is having a good time. I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to get closer, and that’s a problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t trust each other. In any case, that’s just how things are. That’s why I started the diary.
To enhance* the image of this long awaited friend in my imagination, I don’t want to write only about facts, but I want the diary to be my friend, and I am going to call this friend Kitty.
_______________________________________________
1 *to get off one’s chest облегчить душу
2 a glimpse [ɡlɪmps] взгляд
3 to enhance [ɪnˈhɑːns] усилить
2. The author writes when she decided to keep a diary. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What close people did Anna have?
4. Why did Anna start writing in a diary?
SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1942
Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the thoughts of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing, and I have an even greater need to get all kinds of things off my chest*.
“Paper has more patience than people.” I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my hands. I was bored and wondering whether to stay in or go out. I finally stayed where I was and decided to start a diary. Yes, paper does have more patience, and since I’m not planning to let anyone else read this notebook, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make a bit of difference.
Now I’m back to the point that prompted me to keep a diary in the first place: I don’t have a friend. Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen-year-old girl is completely alone in the world. And I’m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen-year-old sister, and there are about thirty people I can call friends. I have a bunch of admirers who can’t keep their adoring eyes off me and who constantly try to catch a glimpse* of me in the classroom. I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend.
All I think about when I’m with friends is having a good time. I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to get closer, and that’s a problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t trust each other. In any case, that’s just how things are. That’s why I started the diary.
To enhance* the image of this long awaited friend in my imagination, I don’t want to write only about facts, but I want the diary to be my friend, and I am going to call this friend Kitty.
_______________________________________________
1 *to get off one’s chest облегчить душу
2 a glimpse [ɡlɪmps] взгляд
3 to enhance [ɪnˈhɑːns] усилить
2. The author writes when she decided to keep a diary. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What close people did Anna have?
4. Why did Anna start writing in a diary?
II. Listen to Alice speaking about her first job and answer the questions below.(22)
1. What job did Alice do?
2. What difficulties did she have?
3. What kind of knowledge and skills did she get at her first job?
1. What job did Alice do?
2. What difficulties did she have?
3. What kind of knowledge and skills did she get at her first job?
Script
My name is Alice and I’d like to talk with you about my first job. After leaving school last year, I decided it would be a good idea to visit my relatives in Australia and improve my English. My uncle invited me to work in his shop, and thus I became a shop assistant. Of course I hadn’t had any previous experience in this kind of job and I was a bit worried. Those days were the best training you can imagine. I really learnt a lot. If you are a shop assistant, dealing with customers is one of the most difficult things to do. I discovered that some people came to our shop not only to buy things but to talk with us. Now I think I can understand people’s behaviour much better than before, and especially that of the elderly. The most difficult thing is money. When you work for the first time you feel really strange about it. For about a month I kept making mistakes. But I was very lucky my uncle always helped me to get out of the trouble. I learnt a lot from him. All in all, my first job was a very positive experience. I think I’ve become more tolerant and open, more serious and responsible. Even though I had a lot of work to do, I have also managed to become somehow relaxed and easy-going.
. Let’s talk about Belarus. What is our republic famous for?
2. Are you proud of Belarus? Why?
3. What questions do you expect to hear from a British teenager about Belarus?
4. What Belarusian sights can you advise a foreigner to visit.
5. Belarus is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. Explain why?
2. Are you proud of Belarus? Why?
3. What questions do you expect to hear from a British teenager about Belarus?
4. What Belarusian sights can you advise a foreigner to visit.
5. Belarus is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. Explain why?
possible response
1) The republic of Belarus is a small beautiful country with the heroic past and difficult present. It is situated in Central Europe. It borders on Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Its area is above 207,000 square kilometers and the population is more than 10 million. 64% live in cities, the largest of which are Minsk, Gomel, Mogilev, Brest, Grodno and Vitebsk.
Belarus is a land of vast plains and picturesque hills, thick forests and green meadows, deep blue lakes and flowing rivers. Forests cover 2/5 of Belarus. The large forests are called "puschas". The greatest of them is Beloviezskaya Puscha.
There are a lot of rivers and lakes in our country. The Dnieper, the Pripyat, the Berezina, the Sozh, the Zapadnaya Dvina, the Neman are the biggest rivers with more than 500 kilometers in length. The largest lake in Belarus is the Naroch. It is a very popular recreation area in our country.
Today Belarus is a developed industrial state. The main industries are Information Technologies, engineering, chemical industry, wood-working and food industries. Belarussian goods are exported to many countries and known all over the world. Agriculture of Belarus specializes in milk and meat production, flax, vegetables (especially potatoes) and fruit.
At present Belarus is active on the international arena. It’s the UNICEF’s democratic state based on principles of Welfare and rules of low.
2) I am Belarusian and proud of my country. I am proud of its amazing nature, rich heroic and cultural heritage, unique national holidays and traditions, hospitable and hardworking people.
3) Where is Belarus located?
What countries does it border on?
What’s the population of the Republic of Belarus?
What places of interest are there in Belarus?
What can it be proud of?
What’s the official language of Belarus?
4) I advise you to visit the Palace of the Rumyantsevs and the Paskeviches in Gomel, which is included into the State List of the Historical Cultural Values protected by the State. Today the unique museum complex unites the palace of the Rumyantsevs and the Paskeviches, a chapel (часовня), a winter garden, a watchtower and a picturesque old park. So you can enjoy the beauty of the complex, learn more about the historical past of the country, hand-feed wild squirrels the park and get a lot of positive emotions.
5) I suppose Belarus is becoming more and more popular among tourists because:
Belarus is a land of vast plains and picturesque hills, thick forests and green meadows, deep blue lakes and flowing rivers. Forests cover 2/5 of Belarus. The large forests are called "puschas". The greatest of them is Beloviezskaya Puscha.
There are a lot of rivers and lakes in our country. The Dnieper, the Pripyat, the Berezina, the Sozh, the Zapadnaya Dvina, the Neman are the biggest rivers with more than 500 kilometers in length. The largest lake in Belarus is the Naroch. It is a very popular recreation area in our country.
Today Belarus is a developed industrial state. The main industries are Information Technologies, engineering, chemical industry, wood-working and food industries. Belarussian goods are exported to many countries and known all over the world. Agriculture of Belarus specializes in milk and meat production, flax, vegetables (especially potatoes) and fruit.
At present Belarus is active on the international arena. It’s the UNICEF’s democratic state based on principles of Welfare and rules of low.
2) I am Belarusian and proud of my country. I am proud of its amazing nature, rich heroic and cultural heritage, unique national holidays and traditions, hospitable and hardworking people.
3) Where is Belarus located?
What countries does it border on?
What’s the population of the Republic of Belarus?
What places of interest are there in Belarus?
What can it be proud of?
What’s the official language of Belarus?
4) I advise you to visit the Palace of the Rumyantsevs and the Paskeviches in Gomel, which is included into the State List of the Historical Cultural Values protected by the State. Today the unique museum complex unites the palace of the Rumyantsevs and the Paskeviches, a chapel (часовня), a winter garden, a watchtower and a picturesque old park. So you can enjoy the beauty of the complex, learn more about the historical past of the country, hand-feed wild squirrels the park and get a lot of positive emotions.
5) I suppose Belarus is becoming more and more popular among tourists because:
- for the citizens of 80 states there’s the 5- day visa-free entry through the border checkpoint at the Minsk National Airport;
- it is the country of warm welcoming and hospitable people;
- the architectural heritage of Belarus is unique. Some of the oldest architectural monuments of Belarus date back to the 12th Century;
- it’s a great place for holidays and recreation. Belarus can boast mild climate, beautiful wild nature and clean environment, well-equipped sanatoria and recreation centers;
- everyone will enjoy its unique and original culture and taste authentic national cuisine.