Giving personal information

Ø 1) Answer the questions:

a) When did you last fill in a form in Russian? What for?

b) Do you know how to fill in a form in English?

Jim: Your painting is fantastic, Roger!
Roger: I’m happy you like it. It’s for a competition. Here’s the form.

Jim: Right. OK, here are the questions.... Your hands are dirty.
Roger:... from painting! What are the questions? Here’s a pen (gives him a pen to fill the form in)

Jim: What’s your name?
Roger: Oh, that’s difficult... Roger!

Jim: Ha, ha. What’s your surname?
Roger: I’m not sure...

Jim: Very funny! OK, surname – Tailor.
Roger: Yes, that’s it!

Jim: Next question, please. Are you married or single?
Roger: Single. I’m sure about that!

Jim: What’s your address?
Roger: 72 London Road.

Jim:... and what are your hobbies?
Roger: Hmmm.... painting, going windsurfing and watching TV.

Jim:... OK, last question. What’s your telephone number?
Roger: 0343 897 6514

Jim: 0343 897 6514 – I got it. Where’s an envelope?
Roger: Over there...

Ø 2) Say what these answers refer to:

a) Roger

b) Tailor

c) single

d) 72 London Road

e) painting, going windsurfing and watching TV

f) 0343 897 6514

2.2 TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY!

Ø 1) Read the text and answer the questions:

a) Who is David? Who is Daniela? Who are Allan, Cecilia, Brian, Jenny, and Jason?

b) What is David? What is Daniela? What are Allan and Cecilia?

c) Where do the family members live?

d) What is special about each of the family member?

e) What are the family members fond of?

I think that a family is the most important thing for every person. Family is the people that always love you, support you and help you. For me, it is impossible to live without my family. My family is rather large. There are my parents, a brother, a twin sister and grandparents. We are from Vermont, the USA. We live in the suburbs of Bristol in a cottage. It takes us only half an hour to get to the city by car.

My Dad’s name is David. He is a plastic surgeon; he helps people to become more beautiful. He is a professional and he is fond of his job. My Daddy does his work very well and gets a very good salary. When he is free, he prefers to repair the car or to watch the news on TV. My Mum’s name is Daniela but we cal her Danny for short. She is a housewife. She looks after the house and us, the kids. Mum makes very tasty breakfasts and dinners for us. Our Mummy is very kind, but strict to us. She always checks how we do our homework. She arranges our free time, so that we cannot just fool around. In her spare time she enjoys knitting, sewing, embroidering, and baking. She is also very good at gardening.

My elder brother, Jason, is a student of the medical faculty. He wants to become a good surgeon, like our father. Besides he is also a member of the local theatre club. He plays main parts in several plays. He is a real theater-lover. Jason lives alone in a hostel but he comes to visit us twice a month.

My twin sister Jenny is finishing school this year. But she has not yet made up her mind about her future profession. On the one hand she is fond of animals and can become a vet, on the other hand she is very good at mathematics and knows some complex computer programs. Maybe she will have a year off to think over her future possibilities. My sister is such a sweet-tooth!

Our grandparents, Allan and Cecilia, are scientists. Grandfather is a historian and grandmother is a linguist. They are over sixty, and they are retired but they still give lectures in different universities and write serious books. They live apart from us, in a condominium complex in Birmingham. But we phone each other regularly to find out the news.

I have also got many relatives. I’ve got two aunts, one uncle, and three cousins. We keep in touch by e-mail or by phone since they live in Europe and we seldom meet each other.

As for me, my name is Brian. I have always loved music. I can play the guitar and piano very well. I am also good at singing. I love all kinds of music, but mostly I prefer rock. After school I am planning to enter the music college, because I want to become a professional musician. At the same time I want to have my own rock band. I dream of being famous!

Everyone in our family is rather busy, but we always look forward to a possibility to spend some time together. We all get on very well with each other. My family means a lot to me and I can say that “My family is my castle.”

Ø 2) Prove that this family is supportive and united.

Ø 3) Name the useful words and expressions from the text to talk about your own family.

2.3 WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

Ø 1) Read the text and answer the questions:

a) Where is the flat situated?

b) How many rooms are there in the flat?

c) What modern conveniences are there in the flat?

e) Which room is the coziest, the most spacious, the quietest?

d) How many people live in the flat?

We live in a nice flat in a new block of flats in a new town district. Our flat is on the fifth floor of a nine-storied building. It has all modern conveniences: central heating, running hot and cold water, electricity, gas, a lift and a chute to carry rubbish down. We have a three-room flat which consists of a living-room, a bedroom, a study (which is also my room), a kitchen, a bathroom and a toilet. There are also two closets and a balcony in our flat.

The living-room is the largest and the most comfortable room in the flat. In the middle of the room there is a round dinner-table with six chairs around it. To the left of the dinner-table there is a wall-unit which has several sections: a sideboard, a wardrobe and some shelves. At the opposite wall there is a piano. To the right there is a little table with a TV set on it. Opposite the TV set there are two cozy armchairs. In front of the armchairs there is a small round table for newspapers and magazines. A sofa and a standard lamp are in the left-hand corner of the room. There is a bright thick carpet on the floor. Two water-colors by popular local painters hang on the wall above the sofa. The room is spacious, light, and very cozy.

The bedroom is smaller than the living-room and not so light as there is only one window in it. The window faces the yard so it is quiet in the room. In this room there is one double bed, a dressing-table and a wardrobe. On the dressing table there is an alarm-clock, plenty of bottles of perfume, and a small lamp with red lamp-shade. In the corner of the bedroom there is a green plant with big leaves.

Our study is the smallest room in the flat, but in spite of it, it is very cozy. There isn’t much furniture in it, but there are a lot of shelves full of books. There is a writing table with a notebook on it, an armchair and a bookcase, too. An exercise bicycle stands in the right-hand corner of the study. Besides, there is a small sofa near the wall opposite the bookcase. The mirror on the wall makes the room look larger. This room was my father’s study, but as I grew older, it has become my room. And in my opinion it is the best room in our flat because I decorated it myself. The room is in the oriental style with orange, red, and yellow cushions, curtains, bed covers and a carpet. There are many souvenirs from different countries, my favorite photos in frames, a number of exotic statuettes, and lots of plants in my room. I am proud to have a nice aquarium with a turtle in it. My friends often come to my place to have a chat or to play chess in the evening, and they say that my room is very comfortable. I agree with their opinion.

Ø 2) Draw the layout of the furniture in the living-room. Do you like it? What would you change in it?

Ø 3) What typical furniture can be found in a kitchen?

Ø 4) Would you like to have a study like the one described in the text? What is your idea on an ideal place of living?

Ø 5) Talk about the place you live in, and your neighbour will draw schematically the layout of the furniture in your room.

2.4 HAVE YOU GOT A HOBBY?

Ø 1) Read the text and answer the questions:

a) How are hobbies classified?

b) What examples of hobbies are given for each category?

c) How old can the author of the text be?

A hobby is what a person likes to do in his/her spare time. Hobbies are divided into four large classes: doing things, making things, collecting things, and learning things.

The most popular hobby is doing things. It includes a wide variety of activities, everything from gardening to traveling and from chess to volleyball. Gardening is one of the oldest man’s hobbies. It is a well-known fact that the English are very fond of gardening and growing flowers, especially roses. Many people play musical instruments. Both grown-ups and children are fond of playing computer games. This is a relatively new hobby but it is becoming more and more popular.

Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, handicrafts, writing music, and others.

Almost everyone collects something at some period of life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches, and other things. Some collections don’t have real value. Others become so large and so valuable that they are presented in museums and art galleries. Rich people often collect paintings, rare books, and other art objects.

No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he/she always has the opportunity of learning from it. Learning things can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby.

As far as I am concerned, I like to listen to music. I try to find everything about my favorite singers. I also like to watch music programs on TV. I want to keep up with the news in the world of music. Of course, I like to spend my spare time with my friends. We talk about all sorts of things (politics, cars, girls). We discuss films, books, TV programs. When the weather is fine, we like to be in the open air. We go cycling or roller-skating in summer, and skiing or skating in winter. We have a lot of fun together.

Ø 2) Add more hobbies to these four categories.

2.5 NEA’S HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

Ø 1) Answer the questions:

a) Are you often busy?

b) What do you usually do in your spare time?

Ø 2) Read the text and say if your hobbies are similar to Nea’s.

Nea has a lot of hobbies and interests. She usually gets up early so she can jog before work. She doesn’t often have time to ski, but she occasionally goes skiing on Saturdays during the winter. Nea regularly rides a horse. She sometimes goes to the stable near her home after work, but she usually goes horseback riding on Sundays. She loves music. She always goes to choir practice on Wednesday evenings and sings in church on Sundays. She doesn’t have much extra money, so she rarely goes to concerts in the city. She seldom watches TV because she likes doing things outside. She usually goes to the gym if it’s raining. She isn’t often alone because she has a lot of friends. She’s a happy and sociable woman!

Ø 3) Choose the best answer to the questions:

a) Why does she usually get up early? (to run before work; to go to work; to have breakfast)

b) How often does she ski? (often; occasionally; rarely)

c) How often does she ride a horse? (every day; often; never)

d) When doe she usually go horseback riding? (after work; on Saturdays; on Sundays)

e) What kind of music does she like doing? (playing the violin; singing; playing the piano)

f) How often does she go to concerts in the city? (every Sunday; rarely; never)

g) How often does she watch TV? (every night; seldom; never)

h) What does she usually do if it’s raining? (she goes outside; goes to the gym; calls friends)

i) How often is she alone? (often; not often; usually)