Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ;)

Let me remind you the main Topics for your Exam compositions.

EXAMINATION TOPICS (9^th Form):

1. About myself
2. Appearance and character
3. My Family. Family relations.
4. My flat \ house. The house (flat) you live in.
5. My free time activities, entertainment
6. Celebrations. Describing a party.
7. Your interests and hobbies
8. Books in my life
9. Your plans for the future
10.  My school
11.  Your favourite subject (English Lesson)
12.  Learning foreign languages
13.  Getting Education
14.  Ukraine (geographical position)
15.  Kyiv
16.  Kharkiv
17.  Travelling round Ukraine
18.  Climate of Ukraine
19.  Travelling
20.  English-speaking countries
21.  The U.K.
22. Climate of the U.K.
23.  London
24.  Sights of the U.K.
25.  British and Ukrainian holidays
26.  Shopping
27.  Famous people (writer, sportsman, actor, singer etc.)
28.  Sports
29.  Environment protection
30.  Modern technologies

LoVe and Be LoVed

 

Have a great St. Valentine's Day!

MUST WRITE & LEARN
Write a composition for your Exam. You can use this Topic as an example:

My Favourite Book

Nowadays it's almost impossible to imagine our life and to become an educated person without books. Most of the books are to be read just once, others can be read plenty of times. And each time you find something new and useful as you turn the same pages of your favourite books. I am fond of books about adventures and great people, detective stories and science fiction. I enjoy reading them when I have spare time.

As for me, good science fiction and fantasy develop imagination, logical thinking, broaden one's outlook.

The same could be said in favour of detective stories. They reveal details of everyday life in this or that particular country that are of the greatest interest for a curious reader. The masterpieces of this genre by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and others, show the depths of psychological analysis, the insight into the human nature.

My favourite book is "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I first discovered these stories when I was about twelve and I've loved them ever since. They're brilliantly written, full of bizarre crimes and they've got a terrific Victorian atmosphere.

When you read them you really feel like you've been carried back to nineteenth-century London.

All the twentieth century detectives like Miss Marple and Inspector Morse seem really boring compared to Sherlock Holmes.

That's where Conan Doyle, really makes you believe that Holmes is unique — a genius with amazing mental powers.

Normally I only read detective stories once. I mean, why read them again when you know what happens in the end?

With the Sherlock Holmes stories, though, it’s different.

Each time I re-read them I discover more and more to enjoy.

As an old saying goes, man cannot live on bread alone. Books are the source of knowledge and the means of self-perfection. Sometimes it is difficult to solve some problems in life. I think that books can help us. Books must be our friends during all our life.

 

           Merry Christmas, everyone! :)
"Carol of the Bells" is a popular Christmas carol composed by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914 with lyrics by Peter J. Wilhousky. The song is based on a Ukrainian folk chant called "Shchedryk".

Carol of the Bells — рождественская песня. Она является адаптацией украинской народной песни «Щедрик», получившей известность в обработке украинского композитора Николая Леонтовича ( Микола Леонтович ).

 

MUST LEARN!

British and Ukrainian Holidays

Every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. But there are also international holidays which are celebrated in all countries world-wide. They are: Christmas, New Year, Easter and St. Valentine’s day.

Christmas comes but once a year. Christmas is a traditional family reunion day. On this day, many people attend a church service, they celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ, open their presents and eat a Christmas dinner. In Britain it is celebrated on December 25^th while in Ukraine Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January. For British people Christmas is the most important public holiday of the year. It combines the custom of giving gifts with the tradition of spending this day with the family. Every year a huge Christmas tree, the gift of the Norwegian people, decorates Trafalgar square.

New Year is a public holiday but it is not marked with any particular custom in Britain, yet it has a joyful celebration in Ukraine. People stay awake until after midnight on December 31st to watch the Old Year go and the New Year come. Many parties are given on this night. Theatres, night clubs and streets are full of people young and old.

Easter is one of the most important Christian holiday. It is traditionally associated with Easter eggs and with the coming of spring, and most churches are specially decorated with flowers for the service held on Easter Day. There is a popular belief that wearing three new things on Easter will bring good luck.

St. Valentine’s day is not the official holiday in most countries. February 14 is the day of lovers. Boys and girls, sweethearts and lovers, husbands and wives, friends and neighbours, and even the office staff exchange greetings of affection. Valentine’s day is a whirl of hearts, candies and good wishes in the form of bright, lacy, colorful cards, with loving emblems and amorous doggerel, saying: «Be my Valentine».

There are also some special holidays which are usually celebrated in a particular country. Let’s start with the traditional British holiday Pancake day. But people don’t eat only pancakes this day, they run with them. In many towns in England pancake races are held every year. These races are run by housewives.

In Ukraine we celebrate Women’s day on the 8th of March. On this day men are supposed to do everything about the house and cook all the meals.

In Britain traditions play more important part in the life of the people than in some other countries. English are proud of their traditions and treasure them. The English are a nation of stay-at-homes “There is no place like home” they say. The Englishman is never tired to say «My house is my castle». As for Ukraine it is the country of beauty and to my mind, the main traits of the real Ukrainian character are hospitality, «open heart», «golden hands», we are a very talented nation with our own traditions and customs.

Every country has its own traditions, customs, beliefs and national holidays. I think it is very important to follow special traditions and celebrate different holidays because they unite people.

MUST LEARN!

Kharkiv

My native city is Kharkov. It is quite an old city. It was found about 350 years ago. The city is situated on the plateau surrounded by the Kharkiv and the Lopan rivers. According to the popular legend the city is named after Cossack Kharko. Kharkiv is the historical capital of Slobidska Ukraine.

Today Kharkiv is the second largest city in the country. About 1.6 million people live here.

With the foundation of Kharkiv University in 1805 the city became an important educational and cultural centre of Ukraine. Such famous people as Kvitka-Osnovianenko, Hulack-Artemovsky, Kostomarov, Repin lived and worked in Kharkiv.

Kharkiv is one of the largest industrial, cultural and scientific centres of Ukraine. There are many plants and factories, schools and higher educational establishments, research institutes here. There is the Scientific Library, the Historical and Natural Science Museums and the Museum of Fine Arts in Kharkiv. The city supports a circus and six professional theatres.

Kharkiv is very beautiful, especially in spring. There are over 2500 streets and 26 squares in the city. The largest parks are Gorky Park, Shevchenko Garden with the Zoo, Artem Park, the Forest Park and some others. The city has got a large number of monuments. The most prominent of them is the one to T. Shevchenko built in 1935.

My favourite place is Gorky Park. There you can escape from the noise of the city streets and enjoy the freshness of air under the canopy of park trees. Gorky Park, is very popular with children. There they can go rollerblading or ride a horse, or take photos with a monkey. There are a lot of differ­ent attractions here. Adults can have a rest in one of the cosy cafes or watch a movie in the «Park» cinema. For sport-fanciers there are tennis-courts, a swimming pool and a stadium.

Sumskaya street is the main street of our city. The most treasured pieces of architecture have been preserved here. Old houses are combined with modern buildings there.

I’m proud to be a Kharkovite. All my life is closely con­nected with this city. I’m happy to live here as I really love this city and I’ll never change it for any other place.

MUST LEARN!

Kyiv

I'm from Ukraine. The capital of our country is Kyiv. It is one of the most beautiful and oldest cities in Europe. The city is located in the north central part of the country on the picturesque banks of the Dnipro river, the longest river in Ukraine. Its population is about three million people.   

Kyiv is about 1.500 years old. Therefore there are many places of historic interest in it. Among them are the Kiyivo-Pecherska Lavra, the Golden Gate, St. Sophia's Cathedral and the monuments to Prince Volodimir, Bogdan Khmelnitsky, and T.G.Shevchenko.

Kyiv is a large political, industrial, scientific centre. The higher body of state power of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada, is seated here. The city has well-developed industry. There are many research institutes in Kyiv and the Academy of Sciences is located here. There are a lot of libraries in our capital. They have millions of books, magazines, and newspapers.

Kyiv is the centre of cultural life of Ukraine. Fans of theatre, cinema, music, painting and other arts can find many interesting things here. There are lots of museums in Kyiv: the Museum of Ukrainian Arts, the Historic Museum, the Taras Shevchenko Museum, the Lesya Ukrainka Museum, the museum of M. Bulgakov and others.

Kreshchatik is the central street of the capital. It is one of the finest streets of the city. There are many beautiful buildings and some of the best shops in Kreshchatik.

As for me I have been to Kyiv and I advise you to visit our capital and enjoy its beauty.

Extra Lessons! Be Ready for Your Exam!

On Monday, January, 4th, 2016 at 11.00. you are welcome to take 3rd Extra Lesson!

And here is "Be Ready for Your Exam! Part 2" if you wish to practise at home:

4. Choose the correct Item to complete the sentences.

1. I always have / do my lunch prepared by my father.

2. David had / made his new computer repaired (by a technician).

3. Don’t worry, we’ll have / make our beds made by the maid.

4. Mary couldn't / can’t have her trip arranged last week.

5. I must / can’t have the windows at the office cleaned.

6. I’m having / doing a new security system installed in my office.

7. Jenny is being / having her car serviced at the moment.

8. Richard has not had / has not been the piano fixed yet.

9. I was having /was making the leak in the bathroom fixed when you phoned me.

10. Do you always have / get your clothes dry-cleaned?

5. Put the verbs Into the correct form of Passive Voice.

1. The music  must______ (turn down) by 12 o’clock at the latest.

2. Your free gift _____ (send) to you in the next few days.

3. I wish I ______ (teach) how to use a computer when I was at school.

4. Human bones________ (find) by archaeologists yesterday.

5. My car _________ (repair) at the moment, so I can't give you a lift.

6. New York ______ (say) to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

6. Choose the correct item.

Today we take many inventions for granted but one of the most useful ones is the ‘not so (1 ) ______ ’ supermarket trolley. Before the 1930s women shoppers went into grocery stores with their own baskets. ( 2 ) ______ , they would only buy a few things because their baskets wouldn’t (3) ______ much.

Sylvan Goldman of Oklahoma ( 4 ) ______ this and decided that he had to think of a way to encourage people to buy more, especially since business was not (5 )_____very well.

He took a folding chair, (6 )_____ wheels to the legs and placed two baskets on top. He put the trolleys near the door and waited to see his customers’ ( 7 ) ______ . He was very disappointed. No one (8) _____ any notice. Nevertheless, being a very determined man, he didn’t give up. He hired people to push them around the store filled with groceries.

Customers were offered one to try out and his success story began.

1  A critical   B significant   C meaningful   D serious

2  A Furthermore   B In particular   C However   D Apart from that

3  A put   B keep   C hold   D take

4  A noticed   B watched  C regarded   D viewed

5  A making   B running   C doing   D heading

6  A included   B added   C combined   D accompanied

7  A replies   B remarks   C reports   D reactions

8  A took   B got   C made   D hid

7. Complete the sentences with for or since.

1. Olena has been a teacher ---------- 1993.

2. Nancy has been learning French______ September.

3. Mary has been cleaning this room ____ two hours.

4. She has been doing homework______ 17.00.

5. I have been working here ______ the last two years.

6. Taras has been repairing his car _____ 9.00.

7. Granny has been cooking______ two hours.

8. I haven’t seen her ______ we were schoolchildren.

8. Complete the sentences with prepositions at, on, In.

1. I get up ______ 7 o’clock every day.

2 . I was born ______ 22 June.

3. Mary likes to travel_______ summer.

4. My father reads the newspaper______ the morning.

5. We are going to the picnic____ the weekend.

6. My sister is _____home now, but I’m _______ work.

7. My friend was born _____ 1997.

8. I will be back _____ ten minutes.

9. We have English lessons______ Monday and  _______ Wednesday.

10. They are busy ______ the moment.