Topic # 18 A Lot of People Think That Canada Is in Many Ways Like Russia. Say What Makes Our Countries Alike and Different.

Topic # 18 Canada Is in Many Ways Like Russia. Say What Makes Our Countries Alike and Different.

Ottawa

Canadian beaver 

waterfalls 

hockey players 

St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow 

badger

chamomile

brown bear

Siberian forest

    Well, Canada and Russia are similar in many ways. Both Canada and Russia occupy a large territory. Canada occupies a major northern part of North America. It borders the United States in the south and the US state of Alaska to the northwest. Canada is the second largest country in the world, after Russia. While Canada lies in  the Western Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere, Russia is in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres. Russia is located in north Asia and the eastern Europe. Russia is in two continents - Asia and Europe. It is the biggest country in the world.

     While Canada has a population of about 35 million, Russia is inhabited by 143 million people.

    Canada has a dual cultural heritage and both French and English are official languages. Other groups of population are Germans, Italians, Ukrainians, Scandinavians, Poles, the Dutch and Eskimo (Inuits). Unlike Canada, Russia has got one official language, that is Russian, as 81% of the people are Russians. But there are such groups of population, as Tatars, Ukrainians and many others. 

     Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories, each with its own capital city. French Canadians are mostly concentrated in the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick. Ottawa, the country's capital, and the largest city of Canada Toronto are situated in the province of Ontario.

     Unlike Canada, Russia is subdivided into 85 federal subjects. It comprises 46 oblasts (provinces), 22 republics, 9 krais, 4 autonomous okrugs, 1 autonomous oblast, 3 federal cities: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Sevastopol. Federal subjects are grouped into 9 federal districts. Our Kemerovo oblast is part of the Siberian federal district.

    As for Canadian flora and fauna, they are really diverse. The most common representatives of fauna are bison, badger, beaver, bobcat, lynx, caribou, coyote, grizzly bears, moose, porcupine, raccoon, skunk and walrus. The flora is represented by spruce, Balsam Fir, Larch, pine, aspen, and poplar. The maple leaf is one of the symbols of Canada. 

    The flora and fauna of Russia are also diverse. Small animal species, like arctic foxes, lemmings and white hares, as well as reindeer, are found in the tundra zone. In the taiga one can find moose, bears, lynx, reindeer, sable, hazel-grouse, owls, and woodpeckers. The brown bear is a popular symbol of Russia. Russia's flora is varied.

    As for the political system of the Russian Federation, it is a federal multi-party republic with a bicameral legislative body - the Federal Assembly that is made up of two houses: the Federation council and the State Duma. Russia's head of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister.

    Unlike Russia, Canada is a constitutional monarchy. Elizabeth II, Queen of England, is also Canada's queen and sovereign of a number of realms. The queen is the head of state, and is represented in Canada by the governor-general. The Parliament of Canada consists of the Queen, the Senate, and the House of Commons.  

    Canada is rich in natural resources:gas, oil, coal, gold, copper, iron ore, nickel, uranium, zinc, along with wood and water. Like Canada, Russia can also be proud of its natural resources. There can be found oil, natural gas, metals, and timber.

    The climate of Canada can be compared with that of Russia. As the territory of Canada is comparatively smaller, the types of climate in Canada are fewer. The southern areas have a moderate climate when in the north the climate is characterized by long, cold winters and cool summer months. The enormous  size of Russia results in the dominance of the humid continental climate in most parts of the country. However, the coastal part of Krasnodar Krai on the Black Sea (Sochi), has a humid subtropical climate.

   The largest cities of Canada are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa. The largest cities of Russia are Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Omsk, Volgograd. Kemerovo takes the 30th place in the rank list.

     Both countries have got their public and non-public holidays. 

    Canada's public holidays are New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. There are both public and non-public holidays in Russia. Among them are New Year's Day, Orthodox Christmas, Easter, Victory Day, Old New Year, Maslenitsa, Ivan Kupala Day and others.

   I'd like to mention some recognizable symbols of Russia. One of them is the Matryoshka doll. Chamomile is the national flower, while birch is the national tree. The Russian bear is an animal symbol of Russia.

    As you can see both countries have got lots of interesting places to explore. Though Canada and Russia are far apart, I would recommend tourists to visit and enjoy both of them.

The New Words:

 1. occupy - занимать

 2.  comprise - включать в себя

3. badger - барсук

4. beaver - бобёр

5. bobcat - рыжая рысь

6. lynx - рысь

7. caribou - канадский олень

8. moose - американский лось

 9.  porcupine - дикобраз

10. raccoon - енот

11. skunk - скунс

12. walrus - морж

13. spruce - ель

14. Balsum Fir - бальзамическая пихта

15. Larch - лиственница

16. pine  - сосна

17. aspen - осина

18. poplar - тополь

19. maple - клён

20.  lemmings - ластоногие

21. reindeer - северный олень

22. sable - соболь

23. hazel-grouse - рябчик

24. realm - владение

25. dominance  - преобладание

26. humid - влажный

 27. Orthodox Christmas - православное Рождество

28. recognizable - узнаваемый

29. chamomile - ромашка

30. birch - берёза 

Topic # 19 The Role Of Mass Media In the Modern World. Express Your Opinion Of Different Sources Of Information In The Life Of Contemporary Teenagers.

Topic # 19 The Role of Mass Media in the Modern World. Express your opinion of Different Sources of Information in the Life of Contemporary Teenagers. 

The mass media is a collective name for newspapers and magazines, radio, television and the Internet. Newspapers and magazines are the oldest of mass media. The mass media play an important part in our lives. Newspapers, radio and especially TV inform us of what is going on in this world and give us wonderful possibilities for education and entertainment. They also influence the way we see the world and shape our views. Of course, not all newspapers and TV programmes report the news objectively, but serious journalists and TV reporters try to be fair and provide us with reliable information.

It is true that the world today is full  of dramatic events and most news seem to be bad news. But people are not interested in ordinary events. That is why there are so many programmes and articles about natural disasters, plane crashes, wars, murders and robberies. Good news doesn't make headlines. Bad news does. The main source of information for millions of people is television. People like TV news because they can see everything with their own eyes. Still, many people prefer the radio. It's good to listen to in the car, or in the open air, when you do something about the house.

The Internet has recently become another important source of information. Its main advantage is that news appears on the screen as soon as things happen in real life and you don't have to wait for news time on TV. 

As for teenagers, most of them are not regular listeners to radio. They may occasionally tune in, but they do not try to listen to a programme specifically. The main reason teenagers listen to the radio is for music. Most teenagers watch television. Teenage boys watch more TV when it is the football season. No teenager regularly reads a newspaper, as most do not have the time and cannot be bothered to read pages and pages of text while they could watch the news summarized on the Internet or on TV.

Every teenager has some access to the Internet, be it at school or home. Home use is mainly used for fun (such as networking) while school (or library) use is for work. Outside of social networking, the Internet is used as a source of information for variety of topics. For searching the web, Google is the dominant figure, simply because it is well-known and easy to  use. Many teenagers use YouTube to watch videos and some use it as a music player by having a video with the music they want to listen to playing in the background.

But I'd like to mention cyber addiction which has become common with some teenagers. The Internet offers benefits in developing a teen's ability to grow with modern technology, helping them to get new knowledge and acquire other skills. However, using the Internet unsafely puts the teenagers at very high risk for many problems. When children spend more than enough or agreeable time online they tend to be cyber addicts. Cyber addiction can be just as harmful as addiction to drugs or drinking alcohol. I believe parents should talk to their children and agree on a list of rules that clearly say when to use the Internet, which sites they should visit and what safety measures they should follow.

New Words:

1. the mass media  - средства массовой информации

2.  shape our views - формируют наши взгляды

3. objectively - объективно, беспристрастно

4. fair - честный, объективный

5. provide - снабжать, обеспечивать

6. reliable - достоверный, надёжный

7. natural disasters - стихийные бедствия

8. crash - крушение

9. murder - убийство

10. robbery - ограбление

11. make headlines - попасть в заголовки

12. bother - причинять беспокойство

13. summeris/ze - суммировать

13. networking - сеть

 14. benefit  - преимущество

15. agreeable - приемлемое

16. cyber addict - кибер зависимый

17. addiction - зависимость

18. harmful - вредный

19. drugs  - наркотики

20. list - список

21. safety measures - меры безопасности 

Topic # 17 What Kinds of Trips Do People Enjoy Nowadays? What Countries Do They Visit?

Denpasar hotel 

Bali 

Travel Memories 

Topic # 17 What Kinds Of Trip Do People Enjoy Nowadays? What Countries Do They Visit? What Baggage Do They Take? What Is The Traveler's Code Of Conduct? 

Well, lots of people enjoy travelling. It's really interesting to see new places, small towns and great cities, exotic islands and cultural centres.  People travel to different parts of the world and use various means of transport, such as buses, trains, ships and airplanes. Besides, there are those who prefer hiking and backpacking. Most people travel for pleasure, some people travel on business. But there are those who work and travel or study and travel. Such people combine work and pleasure.

 We use different words to describe travel. A trip usually takes from one to three days. It can be made either to have some relaxation or to arrange some business. A journey is a long trip made by different means of transport. A voyage is a sea journey which takes quite a lot of time. And, besides, there is a cruise which is a pleasure trip on a ship involving visiting a series of places.

      It has become popular to visit developing countries and support local national parks, traditions and crafts. This kind of tourism is called sustainable tourism. This means you help the people of the country you are visiting develop their economy and  culture. Eco-tourism or ecological tourism is a part of sustainable tourism. Travellers try to support national parks and not to harm rare species' habitats. This kind of tourism helps educate the traveller, provides funds for conservation and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights. "Take only memories and leave only footprints" is  a very common slogan in protected areas.        

          Nowadays people visit a wide range of countries starting with European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Germany,  France, Austria, Belgium, Greece,  Spain and Italy and trying recently being exotic places, such as the Bahamas, Jamaica, Bali, African countries, Indonesia and Vietnam, China and Thailand.  Many people prefer to travel light and they don't take much luggage on a trip, just a small shoulder bag or a rucksack or a backpack. But there are those who take several suitcases with lots of things. I don't think it's practical.

          When you start getting ready for a trip you should think of a number of things beforehand. For example, you should acquaint yourself with the geography of the route and region of travel. Besides, you should arrange, if possible, to have only one piece of luggage to look after. If you go on a long journey and to tropical climates, it is important to have tropical clothes as part of your hand luggage. When travelling by air, wear loose, comfortable shoes that can be easily slipped on and off. The most suitable shoes for flying might well be sandals or flip-flops as you are required to take them off at the security checks. If you plan going camping or hiking, remember to bring maps that you can carry along with you. Research your destination on-line to find reviews of hotels, resorts and attractions before deciding on your travel  plans. Make sure to research the current status of social and political events in the country you'll be visiting. This will allow you to avoid dangerous situations.

         A responsible traveller should follow  the traveller's code of conduct that is a set of rules one should follow not to do any harm to the people and place he or she is visiting. One of the main rules is to respect the fragile earth - both land and sea. You shouldn't disturb animals, plants or their natural habitat. You shouldn't leave litter or graffiti. You should keep noise to an appropriate level.  You should respect local cultural  traditions and customs by dressing and acting in a polite way. You should always ask before photographing and video-recording people. You should learn a few basics in the local language - it will be appreciated. Try to reduce usage of natural resources, for example fresh water. You should support local economies - buy local produce. Be ready to tip - in some economies people rely on their tips. Support local craftsmen by buying handicrafts. 

New Words:

1. hiking - пеший поход

2. backpacking - поход с рюкзаком

3. trip - короткая поездка

4. arrange business  - организовать бизнес

5. journey - путешествие

6. voyage -  путешествие по морю

7. cruise - путешествие на корабле, включающее посещение нескольких стран

8.  crafts - ремёсла

9. sustainable tourism - щадящий туризм (способствующий поддержанию экономики, культуры и  экологического баланса страны)

10. economy - экономика

11. ecotourism - экологический туризм
12. habitat - ареал обитания
13. educate - образовывать
14. conservation - сохранение (ресурсов)
15. foster - воспитывать
16. memories - воспоминания
17. footprints - следы, отпечатки стоп
18. travel light - путешествовать без багажа
19. luggage - багаж
20. suitcase - чемодан
21. beforehand - заранее
22. acquiant with - познакомить(ся) с
23. loose - свободный. не тесный
24. flip-flops  - "вьетнамки"
25. security check - пункт контроля безопасности
26. research - исследовать, изучать
27. destination - пункт назначения, страна (цель путешествия)
28. review - обзор, отчёт, описание
29. avoid - избежать
30. responsible - ответственный  
31. follow the traveler's code of conduct - соблюдать  кодекс путешественника 
32. fragile - хрупкий
33. disturb - беспокоить
34. litter - мусорить
35.  appropriate - соответствующий
36. basics - основные слова и выражения
37. tip (s) - чаевые, давать чаевые
38. support  - поддерживать
39. craftsmen  - ремесленники
40. handicrafts - ручные изделия 

Topic # 16 Tell About Some of the Urgent Problems Scientific Minds are Working at.

Topic # 16 Tell About Some Of The Urgent Problems Scientific Minds Are Working At. 

solar panels

wind energy system 

using biomass energy 

    Well, nowadays mankind is facing various global problems. Some of them are ozone layer depletion and global warming, deforestation, desertification,  overpopulation and world famine, incurable diseases, species extinction, ice melting and shortage of fossil fuel resources. And , therefore, scientists are working at such problems as finding and using alternative sources of energy, learning how to save and conserve energy, creating highly effective systems of communication, recycling and reusing materials, creating new materials, finding the cure for incurable diseases like cancer, AIDS, heart and vessels problems, drug addiction, cloning.  Besides, scientific minds are working hard at exploring the underwater world, studying the first humans and ancient civilizations, UFOs and the possibility of alien visits, the possibility of colonizing other planets. 

I'd like to speak about alternative sources of energy in detail.

Well, every day, the world produces carbon dioxide that is released to earth's atmosphere and which still be there  in one hundred years time.  

This increased content of Carbon Dioxide increases the warmth of our planet and is the main cause of the so called "Global Warming Effect". One answer to global warming is to replace and retrofit current technologies with alternatives that have comparable or better performance, but do not emit carbon dioxide. We call this Alternate energy.

By 2050, one-third of the world energy will need to come from solar, wind, and other renewable resources. Climate change, population growth, and the fossil fuel depletion mean that renewables will need to play a bigger role in the future than they do today. Alternative energy sources are renewable and are thought to be "free" energy sources. These include Biomass Energy, Wind Energy, Solar Energy, Geothermal Energy, Hydroelectric Energy sources. Combined with the use of recycling, the use of clean alternative energies such as the home use of solar power systems will help to ensure man's survival into the 21st century and beyond.  

New Words:

1.  ozone layer depletion  - истончение озонового слоя

2. deforestation - вырубка леса

3. desertification -  опустынивание

 4. overpopulation - перенаселение

5. world famine  - мировой голод

6. incurable diseases - неизличимые болезни

7.  species extinction - вымирание видов

8. ice melting - таяние ледников

9. shortage of fossil fuel resources  -  недостаток запасов ископаемых видов топлива

10. alternative sources of energy - альтернативные источники энергии

11. recycling and reusing materials - вторичная переработка и вторичное использование материалов

12. creating new materials - создание новых материалов

13. cure  - лекарство, средство излечения

14.  cancer  - рак

 15. AIDS - СПИД

16.  heart and vessels problems  - сердечно-сосудистые заболевания

 17. drug addiction - наркомания

18. cloning - клонирование

19.  UFO - НЛО

20.  alien - инопланетянин

21.  colonizing other planets - заселение других планет

22.  carbon dioxide  - углекислый газ

 23.  release to - выпускать в

24.  increased content  - повышенное содержание

25.  the main cause  - главная причина

 26.  replace - заменить

27. retrofit  - приспособить

28.  emit - выпускать

29. ensure  - обеспечить

30.  survival - выживание 

Topic # 14 The History of Mankind Is Full of Wonderful Discoveries. Can You Describe Any? What Inventions Have Greatly Contributed to the Progress of Science and Technology?

Topic # 14 The History of Mankind Is Full of Wonderful Discoveries. Can You Describe Any? What Inventions Have Greatly Contributed to the Progress of Science and Technology? 

Johannes Gutenberg invented the Printing Press. 

John Logie Baird invented the first practical Television.

 iPhone 

    Well, mankind wouldn't have progressed if a number of wonderful discoveries and inventions   hadn't been made by real geniuses. One of such discoveries was made by Albert Einstein, perhaps the most famous scientist in history. Einstein formulated the theory of general relativity. Alexander Fleming discovered the fungus responsible for the production of penicillin, Penicillium notatum. Dmitri Mendeleev created a comprehensive periodic table of elements. Isaac Newton discovered and formulated the laws of gravity and the three laws of motion.  Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered the X-ray, and thus is considered the father of diagnostic radiology.

  As for the greatest inventions, you can hardly say which one was  the most important of  all, as each of them have greatly contributed to the progress of mankind. I'd like to mention some of such. One of the greatest inventions was, of course, the invention of the wheel. It allowed people to travel faster.  One of the greatest inventors was Alexander Graham Bell who invented the first practical telephone following his work on elocution and deafness. Galileo Galilei invented the telescope and the military compass. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. This invention is regarded as one of the most important in human history. With the printing press books became much cheaper and more available, it was a huge step in the spread of information.  John Logie Baird invented the first practical Television. Mankind should thank several inventors for electricity. They were Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and Alexander Graham Bell.  

The era between 1901-2000, better known as the 20th century, witnessed the birth of some remarkable creations. They were the invention of the radio, the invention of the airplane, the invention of the television, the computer, and the cell phone. The computer is the greatest, incomparable invention belonging to the 20th century. The Internet is also one of the most useful inventions of the 20th century. Today, computers are used in nearly all fields like education, defense, robotics, banking, telecommunication and others. The invention of cell phones, also called mobile phones, in 1977, made communication easier, quicker and more comfortable. Today, cell phones also perform functions of computers, music players, camera, video recorders and televisions. Cell phones have replaced telephones or other traditional means of communication.  

New Words: 

 1. genuis - гений

2.the theory of general relativity - теория относительности

3. the law of gravity  - закон всемирного тяготения

4.  diagnostic radiology - диагностическая рентгенология

5. contribute - внести вклад

6. elocution - ораторское искусство, дикция

7. deafness - глухота

8. fungus -  грибок, плесень

9. available - доступный

 10. spread - распространение

11. witness - быть свидетелем

12. remarkable - замечательный

13.incomparable -  несравнимый

14. defense - оборона

Topic # 13 Our Age Is the Age of Science and Technology. Prove It.

Topic # 13 Our Age Is the Age of Science and Technology. Prove It. 

    Well, our age, I mean the period that started at the end of the 19th century and has still  been going on, is really the age of sensational discoveries and inventions. It is called "The age of science and technology". The first airplane, the cinema technology, the telephone and the first car were invented in the 19th century. Those inventions gradually changed many people's lives, made their way of life faster and more convenient. The way people get information and contact each other has been developing day by day and those who can't afford the latest machines and devices, gadgets and technologies suffer from lack of speed and information.

   The list of inventions is rather long. We are on-lookers of great scientific achievements, for example, television and the computer. Let's have a look at one of them - computer. A computer is an electronic device  that stores information and allows changes in it through the use of instructions. A modern computer is capable of doing various tasks, like word processing and accounting.

    A computer gives a lot of advantages to a user. Computers give us access to the Internet - an international computer network. You can save a lot of your free time surfing the Internet and get all sorts of information from it. You can enter the chat room with other Internet users and debate urgent problems on line. You can email your friends and colleagues. Based on the computer, there is the idea of developing the so-called "smart house" technology. Smart-house software has the ability to turn home appliances off and on by using the existing wiring in the house. Smart-house software helps to run appliances, access the Internet for weather, stock market, other information, all using voice commands.

 In my life the computer plays a very important role. It helps me find information and relax.

Though scientists have achieved so much, scientific minds are still working at some urgent problems. These are finding and using alternative sources of energy, energy saving and conservation, fighting fatal diseases like cancer and AIDS, designing and developing artificial body parts, making people's life longer, colonizing other planets.

New Words:

1. gradually - постепенно

2. convenient   - удобный

 3. afford - позволить себе (иметь средства)

4. list - список

5.  on-lookers - наблюдатели

 6. scientific achievements  - научные достижения  

7. store - хранить, накапливать

8. allow - давать возможность

9. through - посредством  

10. capable of doing sth - способен на что-либо

 11. accounting - подсчёт, калькуляция

12.  access to - доступ

13. enter - вход

14. urgent - злободневный, жгучий

15. colleague - коллега

16. software - программное обеспечение

17. home appliances - бытовые приборы

18. wiring - электропроводка

19. run appliances - управлять приборами

20. stock market - фондовая биржа

21. have achieved - достигли

22. alternative sources of energy - альтернативные источники энергии

23. fatal diseases - смертельные заболевания

24. cancer - рак

25. AIDS - СПИД

26. artificial - искусственный

27. colonize - заселять 

Topic # 11 The World of Shopping Is Really Enormous and Various, Isn't It? Will You Describe It in Detail?

Topic # 11 The World of Shopping Is Really Enormous and Various, Isn't It? Will You Describe It In Details? (Name All Types of Shops and Goods They Sell, Their Services and Advantages.)

    Well, shopping has become not just a necessary but also pleasant activity as the range of shops is really wide and various. We can find goods and services to meet our both basic and choice demands. I'd like to name shops and goods they sell. One of the most important shops is, of course, baker's shop or bakery where we can buy white and brown bread, rolls, biscuits, sweet pies and cheesecakes. Not less important is dairy shop where they sell butter, milk, sour cream, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, and eggs. Ham, sausages, pork, beef, chicken are sold at the butcher's. At the fishmonger's they sell tinned fish, caviar, salmon, fish cakes, crab sticks, shrimps. I've got a sweet tooth, so I like to go to the sweet shop and buy chocolates, caramels, fruit-drops and marshmallows there. If you want to stay healthy and fit, you should go to the greengrocer's and buy vegetables and fruit, such as carrots, peas, tomatoes, apples, pears, plums, tangerines, onions, beets and turnips there. At the grocer's they sell packed and tinned food, such as oil, flour, vinegar, mustard, spaghetti, sugar and bouillon cubes. School life and studies can't go smoothly without stationery goods, such as paper clips, notepads, copy-books and glue, pens and pencils which you can buy at the stationer's.

     There are small corner shops, supermarkets, department stores and big shopping centres or shopping malls. A corner shop is usually on the corner of a street, this shop sells mainly food and household goods. A super market is a large shop which sells all kinds of food and household goods. You walk round the shop and take items off the shelf yourself and pay for them all together before you leave. A department store is a large shop which is divided into a lot of different sections and which sells many different kinds of goods. A shopping centre or a shopping mall is an area in a town where a lot shops have been built close together.

     There are many advantages of shopping centres. Firstly, they are very convenient due to their layout. Every shop is positioned with the user in mind, so that there is as little distance as possible to travel between each store. Secondly, there is a wider variety of  goods than at small shops. Besides, shopping centres house a collection of retail stores and restaurants, cinemas and entertainment areas for customers with children.

     As for me, I like buying food the most. When you come to the food shop you smell  fresh bread, different rolls and many other delicious things.

New Words:

1. basic and choice demands  - базовые и изысканные требования

2. household goods - хозяйственные товары

3. layout - планировка

4.is positioned - расположен

5. user - потребитель, покупатель

6. retail store - магазин розничной торговли

7. entertainment area - развлекательная зона

8. сustomer - клиент, потребитель, покупатель

9.  smell - ощущать запах

10. delicious - изысканный, деликатесный