A Letter to a Friend

Reading Activity

Memorise the following word combinations.

Read and learn the basic vocabulary terms.

Guess the meaning of the following words.

Pre-Reading Activity

Special (to the subject)

Special (except the subject)

Interrogative Pronoun	Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Predicate Part of Predicate	Object	Adverbial Modifier
Why	does	she	come	to school	so early?
Who	did	you	borrow	the money from?
Where	shall	we	go		now?

Interrogative Pronoun (+ a noun)	Predicate	Object	Adverbial Modifier
Who	gave	you	the information?
Which bus	goes		to the city centre?
Whose friends	will visit	him	in hospital?

Mathematician [,mxTImq`tIS(q)n], founder [`faundq], progress [`prqugres]

information [Infq`meIS(q)n], privilege [`prIvIlIG], union [`jHnIqn], especially [I`speS(q)lI], comfortable [`kAmf(q)tqbl].

delay (n) [dI`leI]	задержка
recent (adj) [`rJs(q)nt]	последний, недавний
manage (v) [`mxnIG]	суметь (сделать)
belong (v) [bI`lON]	принадлежать, быть частью группы
outstanding (adj) [aut`stxndIN]	выдающийся, знаменитый
room-mate (n) [`rHm,meIt]	товарищ по комнате
describe (v) [dI`skraIb]	описывать
routine (n) [rH`tJn]	определенный режим, заведенный порядок
flash by (v) [`flxS]	пронестись, промчаться
drag (v) [`drxg]	тянуться, затягиваться
instructive (adj) [In`strAktIv]	содержательный, поучительный
compete (v) [kqm`pJt]	cоревноваться
facilities (n) [fq`sIlItIz]	благоприятные условия, возможности
area (n) [`e(q)rIq]	район; область; сфера
various (adj) [`ve(q)rIqs]	различный, всевозможный
society (n) [sq`saIqtI]	общество, объединение
depend on (v) [dI`pend]	зависеть от
imagine (v) [I`mxGIn]	воображать, представлять себе
nowadays (adj) [`nauqdeIz]	в наше время, теперь

to be busy	быть занятым
the students’ hall of residence	студенческое общежитие
as a matter of fact	в самом деле, в действительности
to face South	выходить окнами на юг
to have a shower	принять душ
to be available	быть в наличии
to be for / against	быть за / против
to press a button	нажимать кнопку
to have a nap	вздремнуть
to have a late night	поздно лечь спать
it usually takes me	мне обычно требуется
to attend lectures	ходить на лекции
on weekdays	в рабочие дни
to be up to one’s neck in work	быть по горло загруженным работой
to have a lie-in	оставаться в постели (позже обычного)
recreational facilities	места отдыха и развлечений
and entertainments
my best regards to your parents	мой сердечный привет твоим родителям
on the one hand	с одной стороны
on the other hand	с другой стороны

Dear Linda,

I’m very sorry for the delay in answering your recent letter. I was so awfully busy. In the spring I passed my A-Level examinations and tests at school and managed to get good results. Now I am a first-year student at the Mechanics and Mathematics Department at the Belarusian State University. It certainly is a great privilege to belong to the faculty among whose founders were outstanding mathematicians.

I have so much to tell you about my life in Minsk. I live in the students’ hall of residence and share the room with two other girls. One of them is from Gomel, the other girl is from Brest. As a matter of fact they are not only my room-mates but also my good friends. We have a nice and comfortable room, it faces South.

And now I would like to describe the routine I more or less follow everyday. During the week I usually wake up at 6.30 a.m. I sometimes lie in bed for five minutes but then I have to get up. I have a shower, clean my teeth and at 7 a.m. I’m ready for breakfast. In the morning I don’t bother to cook very much, so I have a light breakfast. We usually have lectures and seminars in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon. On some days lessons flash by very quickly, but sometimes they drag more slowly, especially when we write tests or have some colloquium. In general I enjoy my university hours because they are instructive and interesting. After classes we have dinner at the students’ dining room and sometimes go to the reading-room, where the computer-based information is available six days a week.

Oh, I haven’t told you yet that I learned how to use a computer and bought one for myself. But one thing worries me greatly. Once people managed to write and think using their brains, but now people can’t do anything without these machines. On the one hand, I am for progress. It is impossible to imagine our life without computers nowadays. But on the other hand, I’m against everything depending on pressing a button.

If I don’t go to the library, I get back to the hall of residence and try to have a nap, especially if I had a late night. Then I am busy doing my homework. It usually takes me two or three hours.

I don’t only attend lectures and read books here. I have the chance of developing myself as a person. Students organize clubs and societies covering various areas such as sport, drama, music, dances, etc. Every university has a students’ union which organizes recreational facilities and entertainments. As you remember, I used to play tennis, but I don’t anymore. Here I joined the Athletics Club. We compete in area, regional and national competitions. So on weekdays I am up to my neck in work and often very tired by the end of the day. Most evenings I go to bed at about 11.30 p. m. and fall asleep very quickly.

The weekends are different. On Sunday I have a lie-in. In the evening I often go out. There is so much to see and so many places to go to in Minsk. Why don’t you come for two or three days? I’d love to see you.

My best regards to your parents.

Yours, Kati

Дата добавления: 2014-12-23