You are going to be given a word

You are going to be given a word. Your job is to return the middle character of the word. If the word’s length is odd, return the middle character. If the word’s length is even, return the middle 2 characters.

1. You are going to give a talk about your school.

— what your typical school day is like

— what your favourite subject is

— what you like most about your school

I would like to tell you a few words about my school. My
typical school day usually starts at  8.30 am.  We typically have 6 or 7
lessons a day.  I usually have lunch after the fourth lesson.  When all my
lessons are over, I usually have one or two extra classes. We are getting ready
to take our school-leaving exams.

My favourite school subject is English. Firstly because I
think studying languages helps you improve your memory and  makes your brain
work better. Besides, I enjoy studying English. I like the way it sounds. I
enjoy listening to songs and watching films in English.

There are a lot of things I like about my school. First, I
really like my teachers. They are very understanding, helpful and are very good
at explaining things. Besides. I like our school canteen. It is very
comfortable, looks nice and the food is really tasty.

So, I am a lucky one as I really like my school and it is
very important as we spend most of our day at school.

1. You are going to give a talk about books.

— whether reading is still popular with teenagers, and
why, or why not

— what kind of books you like reading

— why many people prefer e-books to paper books

I would like to tell you a few words about what I think
about books and reading. To my mind, reading is not so popular nowadays as it
was a couple of  decades before. There are several reasons for this. First,
teenagers now have far more ways to entertain themselves. We have an
opportunity to play computer games, listen to countless number of songs and
watch any films we like on the Internet.

As  for me, I like reading very much. My favourite kind of books is adventure  stories. I like
adventure stories because they make my monotonous life more exciting and
interesting, give me an opportunity to travel around the world.

Most people nowadays prefer e-books to paper ones, as paper
books cost more and occupy a lot of place in your home. Some really huge paper
books are too heavy to be taken with you. As for the e-book, you can take it
with you wherever you go.

So, in conclusion, despite the fact that reading is not so
popular nowadays, it continues to remain one of my favourite pastimes.

3. You are going to give a
talk about your school homework

—       
how long it takes you to do your homework

—       
what subjects you usually start with and why

—       
whether schoolchildren should be given more or less homework
and why

 I would like to tell you a few words about my school
homework. It always takes me a great deal of time to prepare for all my
lessons: usually about 4 hours or even more. I have to spend much more time on
my homework in the ninth grade because I am getting ready to take my school-leaving
exams in four subjects and I pay special attention to these subjects.

I usually start doing my homework with humanities as they
are most tiresome for me. You have to read so much and to remember plenty of
information. It is very difficult for me as I don’t have very good memory. So,
if I put them off till the end of the day I am too tired to do them.

In my opinion, schoolchildren nowadays are too busy at
school. We have more subjects than our parents did, we get more homework. So,
we almost don’t have any free time to relax, to hang out with friends, to do
sports and to to enjoy our hobbies. As a result, many of us have poor health,
get tired very quickly and become nervous. And this may lead to worse marks at
school. That is why, I believe, schoolchildren should be given less homework.

1. … about travelling.

— why most people enjoy travelling

— what people like doing while travelling

— what place you would like to go to and why

I would like to tell you a few words about travelling. I
think most people enjoy travelling because it is a good way to relax and to experience new positive emotions. It  gives you an
opportunity to communicate with different people and get to know their
lifestyles and traditions.

To my mind, most people enjoy sightseeing while on holiday.
They like visiting places which are of great historical and cultural interest
and learning about different architectural styles. Many people, especially
women find great pleasure in shopping. For example, in Milan there are great
sales in shops when you can buy brand clothes much cheaper than the same things
in Moscow.

As for me, I would like to visit Japan. I am very interested
in the customs and traditions of this country. This country seems another world
to me. It is an Asian country and differs a
lot from European countries and Russia as well. There is a kind of mystery in
it I’d like to uncover.

I hope my dream will come true some day.

1. You are going to give a talk about TV.

—       
whether watching TV is still a popular pastime with teenagers,
and why

—       
how many hours a week you watch TV

—       
what you dislike most about TV

I would like to tell you a few words about what I think of
TV. I believe watching TV is very popular with teenagers nowadays. There are so
many kinds of  television now: ordinary, cable, satellite. There are hundreds
of different channels where everyone can find something to his/her liking. I
think numerous sitcoms and reality shows are the most favourite programmes
among teenagers.

As for me, I don’t spend much time watching TV. It is
usually one hour a day on week days and about  three hours a day on Saturday
and Sunday, that is about 11 hours a week. I cannot afford more as I am very
busy preparing for my school-leaving exams. Besides, I don’t think watching
much television is safe for your health.

I like watching TV in general. It helps you to relax after a
hard day. But at the same time I believe there is too much violence on TV
nowadays. There are plenty of thrillers with very violent murders. And they are
often on during the day when children can watch them. It is very harmful for
children’s psycho. They may get nervous or aggressive.

So, to my mind watching TV is a good pastime, but one should
carefully choose what programmes to watch.

1. about your free time.

-whether you have a lot of free time and why

— what you enjoy doing in your free time

-what your Sunday afternoons are like

I would like to tell you a few words about my free time. At
the moment I am very busy preparing for my school-leaving exams and have one or
two extra classes a day. That is why I can spare only a little time for my
leisure activities.

One of my favourite pastimes is watching films. I really
love going to the cinema. But unfortunately, we don’t have a cinema here in
Morshansk. So we have to go to Tambov. It’s not very cheap. So, we don’t go
there very often. But I often watch  films on the Internet and TV. I prefer
melodramas. Besides, I enjoy going to the discos at the weekends. I adore
dancing and can dance for three to four hours at a stretch. Besides, I like
spending time chatting with my friend. We have a lot in common with her and
there are so many things to talk about!

Sunday is my only day off when I have neither lessons nor
extra classes. So I try to get the most out of it. My best friend and I usually
meet  at noon at my or her place and make a home cinema for ourselves. We buy
plenty of snacks beforehand and enjoy watching films on the Internet chewing
something! After that we discuss the film and everything that happened to us
during the week.

1. about whether and seasons.

— which of the four seasons you like most

-how the earth’s climate has changed recently

— whether you trust the weather forecast and why

I would like to tell you a few words about weather and
climate.

As for me, my favourite season is summer. Fist of all, we
have our longest holidays in summer –  three months of rest and relaxation!
Second, there are so many things you can do in summer! The weather is hot and
sunny. You can swim in the river, lie in the sun and get a beautiful tan.
Besides, I try to keep fit and do sports. Summer is a good time for cycling. I
enjoy cycling in the country when there is a lot of vegetation and birds
singing around you.

As for the earth’s climate, it has changed a lot recently.
They say the climate has become warmer and the average temperature has
increased by about 1 degree. I am not sure if that is true. On one hand, we
really don’t have such cold winters as before. On the other hand, summers are
often not so warm now. But what I am absolutely sure about is  weather has
become very changeable. The temperature can fall or rise considerably
overnight.

As for weather forecasts, I don’t trust them very much as
they rarely come true nowadays. There were many cases they let me down. Maybe
because weather has become unpredictable.

1. About public holidays in Russia.

— what public holidays are celebrated in Russia

— what your favourite public holiday is and why

— how your favorite public holiday is celebrated in your
town.

I would like to tell you a few words about public holidays
in Russia. We celebrate the following public holidays: New Year’s Day,  Defender of the Fatherland Day, Women Day, May Day,
Victory Day and Independence day.

As for me, my favourite public holiday is New Year’s Day.
First of all, because, we have ten days off devoted to the holiday. Besides, I
like all the traditions connected with it: decorating the New Year’s tree,
meeting Father Frost and Snow Maiden, setting off fireworks, exchanging
presents and so on.

In the town Where I live celebrating New Year’s day usually
starts at home with the family. Family members usually meet about an hour
before the midnight and see the old year off. Then we see the new year in and
while the clock on Spasskaya tower chimes twelve we make a wish. After that
many of us go to the central square to watch a New Year’s show prepared by our
local actors with dances, songs, different contests and presents from Father
Frost and Snow Maiden. It is usually great fun!

1. You are going to give a talk about keeping fit.

—why a healthy lifestyle is more
popular nowadays;

·           —what
you do to keep fit;

·           —what
sports activities are popular with teenagers in your region.

I would like to tell you a few words about healthy
lifestyle.

I believe a healthy lifestyle has become more popular
nowadays. First, people are more health-conscious thanks to mass media like TV
or magazines. They promote healthy lifestyle by showing successful slim
athletic people. There is also much information about healthy eating and keeping
fit. Besides, people have more opportunities to live a healthy life now. We
have more sport centres and devices to cook healthy food.

As for me, I don’t do much to keep fit. I just do morning
exercises for 15 minutes every day, try to eat regularly small amounts of food
4 or 5 times a day and try to avoid eating sweet things.

As for sport activities popular with teenagers in our
region, I believe they prefer athletics. There are many sport clubs where you
can do athletics. Our local authorities also hold different athletics
competitions quite regularly. Besides, fitness training is also popular among
teenagers. Girls like attending non-equipment fitness group classes, boys
prefer equipment-based workouts at a gym.

So, I believe healthy life style is popular nowadays thanks
to mass media and greater opportunities we have.

10. You are going to give a talk about your school. You
will have to start in 1.5 minutes and will speak for not more than 2 minutes.

Remember to say:

·         what you
like most about your school;

·         what
weekday you find the most difficult, and why;

·         what you
would like to change in your school life.

I would like to tell you a few words about my school.

 There are a lot of things I like about my school. First, I
really like my teachers. They are very understanding, helpful and are very good
at explaining things. Besides. I like our school canteen. It is very
comfortable, looks nice and the food is really tasty.

As for the most difficult day for me, I believe it is Tuesday.
We have 7 lessons this day among which there are 4 subjects that require plenty
of reading and learning: History, Geography, Chemistry and Literature. And as I
don’t have very good memory, it is quite difficult for me to get ready for
these subjects.  Besides, I have 2 extra classes in Social studies and Maths
after lessons. I am getting ready for my school-leaving exams. So I am
extremely tired at the end of the day.

Though I like my school very much, there are some things I
would like to change. It would be nice to have more parties than we do now. We
are too focused on studying and lack entertainment. I believe that too much
work and no fun is not very good for students’ health.

So, I am a lucky one as I really like my school, though some
things might be improved.

11. You
are going to give a talk about the place where you live. You will have to start
in 1.5 minutes and will speak for not more than 2 minutes.

Remember to say:

·         what your
city, town or village is famous for;

·         what your
favourite place in your city, town or village is, and why you like it;

·         whether you
are going to stay in your city, town or village after leaving school or move to
another place, and why.

I would like to tell you a few words about my town.

I live in a small town called Morshansk not far from Tambov.
There are a few things my town is famous for. First of all, it is our beautiful
Troitsky Cathedral. It is hard to believe, but it is the third largest
cathedral in Russia! Besides, we have a very good Historical and art museum
rich in paintings of famous artists and unique ancient Russian wooden
sculpture.

 As for my favourite place in my town, it is our pine-tree
forest. It is a very picturesque place. Sometimes It seems to me that it is
this forest that you can see on the pictures of the famous Russian painter
Shishkin. Besides, the air is so fresh there. I like to go jogging there from
spring to autumn and go skiing in winter.

Though I like my town, I am going to move to a larger city
after leaving school, because there are few education and job opportunities in
it. There are no higher education institutions and the unemployment rate is
very high here.

So, I like my town, but I have to leave it after school as I
want to get good education and job.

12. You are
going to give a talk about foreign languages. You will have to start in 1.5
minutes and will speak for not more than 2 minutes.

Remember to say:

·         why lots of
people learn foreign languages nowadays;
       

·         why you
have chosen to do the English exam this year;

·         what you
did to prepare for your English exam.

I would like to tell you a few words about learning foreign
languages.

I think lots of people learn foreign languages nowadays
because international relations in all spheres of economy are becoming stronger
and stronger. So, companies need specialists of all kinds with the knowledge of
foreign languages. That’s why people who want to be successful in their career
study languages.

As for me, I have chosen English as my school-leaving exam
this year, as it is my favourite subject and I am quite good at it. Besides, I think it is one of the most
useful and important subjects in modern world and the knowledge of English will
help me to get good education and be successful in my career.

I did my best to prepare for my English exam: read plenty of
texts and expanded my vocabulary, watched films in English to improve my
listening skills, did grammar exercises. Besides, communicating with my pen
friends (writing messages and chatting via Skype) helped me a lot.

So, learning languages is very important in modern world,
that is why I have chosen to take an exam in English this year.

13.
 You are going to give a talk about pets. You will have to start in 1.5
minutes and will speak for not more than 2 minutes.

Remember to say:

·         why people
keep pets;

·         what pets
are most popular in big cities;

·         whether
having pets is a big responsibility, and why.

I would like to tell you a few words about pets.

There are very many reasons why people keep pets at home. First,
they help people not to feel lonely. They are very good friends. They give you
unconditional love and are always faithful. Pets can improve your mood, they
are always there for you if you feel down or depressed.  Moreover, some
scientists claim that pets can cure different diseases. 

I believe that in big cities budgies, fish, hamsters and other
small pets that don’t need much space and to be walked out are most popular. I
think so because there are fewer places you can walk your pets in large cities
and the streets are a very dangerous place for them there. Besides, people have
less time for walking with their pets as they spend much time getting to their
work and back.

To my mind, having pets is a big responsibility as you must know
and do a lot to keep your pet healthy and happy. They cannot take care of
themselves and totally depend on you.

So, keeping pets at home has a lo lot benefits, but it is also a
great responsibility.

14. You are
going to give a talk about the Internet. You will have to start in 1.5 minutes
and will speak for not more than 2 minutes.

Remember to say:

·         why today’s
teenagers use the Internet so much;

·         how the
Internet makes long-distance communication easier;

·         what
dangers teenagers can face when they use the Internet.

I would like to tell you a few words about the Internet.

I believe today’s teenagers use the Internet so much because it is
a perfect tool for getting  information and entertaining. It is a combination
of different kinds of mass media, means of communication and  entertainment
sources. You can get news, communicate with friends, read books, watch films,
listen to music, play games and even shop on the Internet nowadays.

The Internet makes long-distance communication much easier than it
was before its invention. In case of ordinary mail, it took a letter several
days or even weeks to reach the addressee. Now, the process takes just a few
seconds even if the sender and the addressee are thousands of miles from each
other.

There are many dangers, however, teenagers can face on the
Internet. First, they can watch video for adults which is not good for their
psycho. Second, they can become a victim of cyberbulling and be piled with
numerous nasty messages. Besides, they can become a victim of fraud while
shopping online.

So, the Internet is very useful, but parents must make sure their
children use it in a proper way.

15.You are going to give a talk about photography. You will have to
start in 1.5 minutes and speak for not more than 2 minutes.

Remember to say:

lwhy people like taking pictures

lwhy taking photos is more popular today
than it was in the past

lwhat the best photo you have ever taken is

I would like to tell you a few words about photography.

I believe people like taking pictures because photos help them to
remember and keep in their memory forever the most important, happy and
beautiful moments they experience in their life.

To my mind, taking photos is more popular today  as it has become
much easier. We have got digital cameras that have simplified the whole process
greatly. There is no film in digital cameras you have to develop. So, it saves
money as there is no need to go to the photo lab and pay them to get the
pictures. The moment you press the button, the photo is ready and you can see
it. So, another plus is if the picture is not OK, you can re-take it.

The best photo I have ever taken is the photo I took while going
up on a very high mountain in a special means of transport. We were high up
above very tall trees. The view below was really breathtaking! And the photo
was wonderful too!

As for me, I like taking pictures very much and always take my
camera with me while travelling.

16.You are going to give a talk about holidays. You
will have to start in 1.5 minutes and will speak for not more than 2 minutes.

Remember to say:

·         what
holidays are most popular in your country;

·         what your
favourite holiday is and how you celebrate it;

·         if you
prefer to give presents or to get presents, and why.

I would like to tell you a few words about holidays.

I believe the most popular holidays in my country are New Year’s
Day and Victory day. People like to exchange presents and set off fireworks on
New Year’s night.  Victory Day is a special day for all the Russians. We feel
proud of our  grandparents who won victory over German fascists in 1945.

As for me, my favourite holiday is New Year’s day. I usually start
celebrating it at home with my family. All our family members usually meet
about an hour before the midnight and see the old year off. Then we see the new
year in and while the clock on Spasskaya tower chimes twelve we make a wish.
After that my friends and I go to the central square to watch a New Year’s show
prepared by our local actors with dances, songs, different contests and
presents from Father Frost and Snow Maiden. It is usually great fun!

For me giving presents and getting presents are equally pleasant.
I love getting presents as I like the feeling of curiosity and expectation you
experience while unwrapping them.. And I also like watching people feel happy
getting presents from me.

17.You are going to give a talk about the Internet. You
will have to start in 1.5 minutes and will speak for not more than 2 minutes.

Remember to say:

·         why using
the Internet is so popular;

·         how the
Internet can help students in their studies;

·         whether the
Internet can be dangerous, and why.

I would like to tell you a few words about the Internet.

I believe the Internet  is so popular nowadays because it is a
perfect tool for getting  information and entertaining. It is a combination of
different kinds of mass media, means of communication and  entertainment
sources. You can get news, communicate with friends, read books, watch films,
listen to music, play games and even shop on the Internet nowadays.

The Internet can help students in their studies very much. It is a
wonderful source of information. Most libraries  have their own sites on the
Internet now. You just type in the title of the book or even the topic you are
searching for and have the result almost in no time. Besides, you can follow
plenty of educational courses and get the tutor’s assistance on the Internet
nowadays.

There are many dangers, however, people  can face on the Internet.
First, they can become a victim of cyber-bulling and be piled with numerous
nasty messages. Second, they can become a victim of fraud while shopping
on-line. Besides, some personal or secret information can be stolen from your
computer when you use the Internet.

So, the Internet is very useful, but people must make sure they
use it in a proper way.

18.

You
are going to give a talk about travelling. You will have to start in 1.5 minutes and
will speak for not more than 2 minutes.

Remember to say:

·         why most
people like travelling;

·         which
season is the best for travelling in your opinion;

·         what means
of transport is the best, and why.

I
would like to tell you a few words about travelling. I think most people enjoy
travelling because it is a good way to relax and to experience new positive emotions. It  gives you an opportunity to
communicate with different people and get to know their lifestyles and
traditions.

To
my mind, the best season for travelling is late spring (if you want to see as
many interesting places as possible). It is the time when there is already a
lot of vegetation and the trees are in blossom.  But at the same time it is not
so hat as in summer when travelling is really tiresome. But if the main aim of
your travelling is lying somewhere on a seashore, swimming, getting a nice tan
and doing nothing, the best season is summer, of course.

I
believe, the best means of transport is your own car. It is very convenient.
First, you don’t have to wait for your bus or train at the station. It saves
your time. Second, you can choose the route yourself to take the most of your
trip and enjoy most picturesque places. Besides, you can stop any time you feel
tired to  stretch your legs after a long sitting or have a bite if you are
hungry.

19.You are going to give a talk about your career plans.
You will have to start in 1.5 minutes and will speak for not more than 2
minutes.

Remember to say:

·         what job
you want to do in the future;

·         what two
subjects you think are the most important for your future job, and why;

·         whether
your family approve of your career choice or not.

I would like to tell you a few words about my career plans.

I am really interested in tourism and want to become a tour guide
in the future. There are two reasons why I have chosen this job. First, I like
travelling and sightseeing. Besides, I am very sociable and enjoy communicating
with different people. I think this kind of job gives you such an opportunity.

I think geography and history are the most important subjects for
my future job as you have to know much and to tell people about the nature and
history of different places, about their customs and traditions and different
architectural styles. Besides, it would be also very useful to know foreign
languages as there are often a lot of foreigners on excursions.

All the members of my family approve of my choice. First of all,
they believe I am the right person for  the job as I am good at geography,
history and English and very sociable too. Second, tourist business is actively
developing and they think it will be easy to find a job.

Все мы строим планы как и на далекое будущее, так и на ближайшие выходные. Сегодня вы узнаете, как на английском языке рассказать о своих планах, спросить о чужих и сказать, что вы делать совсем не собираетесь.

Специально для этого в английском существует конструкция to be going to do something, которая переводится как «собраться что-либо сделать».

Содержание статьи:

• Когда употребляется конструкция to be going to?
• Схема образования утвердительного предложения
• Схема построения отрицательного предложения
• Как задать вопрос с to be going to?
• Специальные вопросы c to be going to
• Использование конструкции to be going to в прошедшем времени

Когда употребляется конструкция to be going to?

Эту конструкцию мы используем в следующих случаях:

1. Когда заранее планируем что-либо сделать.
(она собирается испечь торт; он собирается помыть машину)

2. Когда говорим о том, что что-то произойдет с большой вероятностью и для этого есть все признаки.
(собирается дождь, посмотри на эти облака)

Схема образования утвердительного предложения

Оборот to be going to состоит из двух частей: изменяемой и неизменяемой.

Первая часть — глагол to be, меняется в зависимости от того, кто совершает действия. В настоящем времени глагол to be имеет 3 формы:

1. Am — используется со словом  I.
2. Is — используется со словами единственного числа he, she, it.
3. Are — используется со словами множественного числа: you, we, they.

Статья на тему:  Глагол to be в настоящем времени (Present Simple)

Вторая часть — going to, всегда остается неизменной.

I	am
You
We	are		eat
They		going to	sleep
She			dance
He	is
It

Например

Как можно сократить to be going to?

В неформальном общении, например, в разговоре или переписке с друзьями, to be going to можно сократить, как to be gonna. Также очень часто такое сокращение можно услышать в текстах песен, фильмах и сериалах. 

Схема построения отрицательного предложения

Если вы хотите сказать, что вы не собираетесь делать что-либо, то к глаголу to be добавляем отрицательную частицу not. 

I	am
You
We	are			swim
They		not	going to	work
She				dance
He	is
It

Примеры отрицательных предложений.

Как задать вопрос с to be going to?

Чтобы спросить, собирается ли кто-то что-либо делать, глагол to be ставится на первое место.

Am	I
	you
Are	we		sleep?
	they	going to	buy?
	he		travel?
Is	she
	it

Например

Специальные вопросы c to be going to

С этой конструкцией также можно задать вопросы со словами:

• what — что;
• where — где;
• when — когда;
• who — кто;
• how (often/long) — как (часто/долго);
• which — какой;
• why — почему.

Эти слова ставятся на первое место. Остальной порядок слов остается таким же, как в обычном вопросе.

	am	I
		you
What	are	we		do?
When		they	going to	buy?
Where		she		visit?
	is	he
		it

Давайте рассмотрим примеры.

Использование конструкции to be going to в прошедшем времени

Как ни удивительно, эта конструкция может использоваться в прошедшем времени. Её можно использовать, когда мы говорим, что собирались что-то сделать, но так и не сделали. Чтобы построить такое предложение, глагол to be ставится в прошедшую форму.

1. Для единственного числа (I, she, he, it) — was.

2. Для множественного числа (you, we, they) — were.

Статья на тему: Глагол to be в прошедшем времени

Например: «Он собирался отправиться в путешествие, но не смог из-за проблем с деньгами». 

I	was
You
We	were		work
They		going to	sleep
She			travel
He	was
It

Примеры

Итак, теперь вы все знаете о конструкции to be going to. Если у вас остались вопросы, задавайте их в комментариях. А теперь перейдем к практике.

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Задание to be going to на закрепление

Переведите следующие предложения на английский язык:

1. Она собирается купить то платье?
2. Мы собираемся пойти на день рождения друга.
3. Он не собирается обедать.
4. Ты собираешься помогать мне?
5. Они собирались поехать на природу, но не смогли.
6. Вы собираетесь жить вместе?
7. Она не собирается выходить замуж.
8. Он собирался встретиться с ней, но ему надо было работать.

Свои ответы, как всегда, пишите в комментариях под статьей.