Environmental protection is a universal concern. That is why serious measures to create a sistem of ecological security should be taken.
Some progress has been already made in this direction. As many as 159 countries-members of UNO- have set up environmental protection agencies. The accident at Chernobyl nuclear power station in April 1986 caused radioactive pollution of a vast area.
The international organization Greenpease is also doing much to preserve the environment.
The Earth is our home. We must take care of it for next generations and ourselves.
My Favorite Video Film.
My favorite video film is "Titanic". It tells the story of the famous ship, "Titanic", which sank in 1912. The "Titanic" was a colossal ship even by modern standards. Its tragic sinking will always be remembered, for the ship went down on the first voyage with heavy loss of life.
The director of the film is Jeremy Cameron. The main parts in the film are played by young actors Leonardo De Caprio and Kate Winslet. To my mind their acting is superb. The camerawork is fantastic, too. I've heard that for this film they made a full-size model of the "Titanic". It's a very spectacular film. It is also a moving love-story.
I advise all my friends to see this film. It was awarded 11 Oscars and I'm sure the film deserves every one of them. "
My Future Profession.
Finishing school is the beginning of the independent life for school leavers. Many roads are open before them: technical schools, institutes and universities. But it is not easy thing to choose a profession out of more than 2.000 existing in the world. Some pupils follow the advice of their parents, others can't decide even after leaving school. As for me I have made my choice long ago. I want to become a teacher of the Russian language and literature. My choice of this occupation didn't come as a sudden flash. During all school years literature was my favorite subject. I understand that reading books helps people in self-education and in solving different life problems. Teachers do not only teach their subjects. They develop their pupils' intellect, form their views and characters, their attitudes to life and to other people. It's a great responsibility.
I'm applying to the Philological Department and I am sure my dream will come true sooner or later.
Sport in my life.
Watching sport events and going in for sports are 2 different things. When you listen to the radio you can always hear sport news. When you open a newspaper you will always find information about sport events.
TV programs about sports are always very popular, and you can watch something very interesting every day.
Personally I prefer to watch figure-skating competitions.
Sports help people to keep fit. At the same time those who go in for sports try to achieve good results and win victories in sports competitions. Practically speaking all kinds of sports and games are popular in our country. People go in for athletics, gymnastics boxing, fencing, and tennis - sports and games for any season, for any person, for any taste.
It goes without saying that football and tennis enjoy the greatest popularity in our country.
As for me I go jogging every day and I attend fitness center 3 times a week. But I am not crazy about sports. I am much happier sitting on the sofa with a book or in front of the computer.
Travelling.
Modern life is impossible without travelling. People can travel by rail, by sea, by road, by air.
As for me I prefer travelling by car. Every year my parents and I go somewhere to the South for holidays.
The Black Sea is one of the most wonderful places, which attracts holidaymakers all over the world. We often go on excursions. It's interesting for me to go sightseeing and to see ancient monuments and many places of historical interest. As a rule I make new friends there. I never feel bored when I travel, because I always have good companions. Time passes quickly and soon we have to make our way back. We return home sunburnt and full of impressions. I think travelling and sightseeing help me get to know the world around us.
Books and libraries.
I usually take books from school library. The library is helpful when I have to make a report, when I need information on some subjects. The choice of books in our school library is very good. There are many short stories and novels, textbooks and reference books, dictionaries and encyclopedias there. All books are arranged in alphabetical order. I pay attention to the cover of the book, its illustrations, the name of the author, the title of the book and the contents.
When we take a book, we mustn't do dog's ears, we mustn't write anything on the pages, and we must return books to the library in time.
I think it is necessary to follow these rules. I'm extremely fond of reading. I often read for pleasure and sometimes for information.
So I'm interested in different kinds of books. I like to read stories about heroes, great travelers, explorers, and courageous men. These books excite my imagination. I think I devote much time to reading.


Famous people.

Andrei Sakharov, an outstanding scientist and public figure, was born on the 21st of May 1921. He graduated from Moscow University in 1942. In 1947 he defended his thesis for the degree of Candidate of Science. In 1953 he defended his Doctorate thesis and was elected member of the Academy of Sciences.
Sakharov played a decisive role in developing the Soviet hydrogen bomb. While working on the bomb he came to the conclusion that any atomic and nuclear weapons should be banned.
He fought courageously for human rights in the former USSR and in 1975 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His international repute as a scientist kept him out official, but in 1980 he was deprived of all his titles and orders and exiled to the city of Gorky. There he continued to work for peace, justice and human rights.
Only in 1985 Sakharov was allowed to come back to Moscow. He was given back all his titles and 3 years later he was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet. But soon he died in 1989.
A.D. Sakharov is remembered by everybody as an outstanding humanist and philosopher.
Leisure time of British teenagers.
The majority of teenagers in Great Britain spend their free time as everywhere in the world. The average young person spends about 19 hours in front of the television. According to the government report nearly three-quarter of young people have TV sets in their rooms. Besides watching TV, other activities like cinema going and sport remain popular. In Wales, the report says that some 50 percent of boys play football throughout the winter while a great number of girls also play football, although they are in general prefer swimming and tennis.
Listening to music is also a part of time spending. Tape-recorders, CD-players and the concerts of pop music are the subject of every day talk of teenagers.
As children grow older they turn from playgardens or homes to streets where they meet and talk and start develop their confidence. Street life includes groups of friends who meet together in the streets, squares and parks, or visit town centers to do window-shopping and "see what's going on".
My hobby.
I have many hobbies because there are many interesting things to do. Unfortunately I don't have much spare time as I'm going to be a student. That's why I have to study a lot. I like doing different things: Such as reading detective stories, listening to the music, playing tennis with my classmates.
But my favorite hobby is solving crossword puzzles. It's not only interesting, but also very useful. When you try to solve the puzzle you find out and learn a lot of different facts. Because in puzzles there are questions about famous people, geographical places, countries, scientific achievements and so on. You also train your brain. The crosswords are published in newspapers and magazines and there are special newspapers that contain only crosswords. I sometimes try to make up my own puzzle and I can say that it is not less interesting. All the members of our family like to take part in solving the puzzles and this unites us very much.
Space Exploration.
For thousands of years man dreamed of flying to the stars. At the beginning of the century the great Russian scientist Tsiolkovsky predicted that "mankind will not remain on Earth forever". Half a century later his words came true, the dream became a reality.
It happened on October 4, 1957, when the 1st artificial satellite, the sputnik, was launched. The Russians were the 1st in the world to fly into outer space.
Then the most remarkable event in the history of cosmonautics took place.
On April 12, 1961 the spaceship "Vostok", piloted by Yuri Gagarin went up. He orbited the Earth only once, staying in space for 108 minutes. Mankind will always remember him.
A new era of man's exploration of outer space began. Many space rockets went up by our cosmonauts. Among them were Titov, Nikolaev, Leonov, Tereshkova, Savitskaya and others.
Today Russia wants the exploration of space to be based on broad international cooperation. Many international crews went up in space. This is the best example of the possibility of peaceful cooperation.
Spare time.
Every day I go to school. I get up early, do homework, and have piano lessons twice a week. But on weekends I like to do something different. I like to relax. I watch TV or videos. If it rains, I prefer indoor activities: to read books and magazines, to play chess, to play records, to draw on a computer, to clean the house.
As for my sister she likes to knit and sew. She takes an aerobics class on Sundays. In spring and summer I prefer outdoor activities: to do some gardening, to ride a bike, to go jogging.
Sometimes we come to see our grandparents or friends. I also like to go to the parties to discos with my friends.
Our family has a little summerhouse in the country. Beginning from early spring we spend a lot of time on the weekends there. There is a river not far from our house and when the weather is fine we go there to bathe, to swim, to get sunburnt.
Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln was one of the most famous presidents of the USA. He was born in the family of a poor farmer in 1809 in Kentucky, but soon his family left for the wild forestland of Indiana.
He was taught reading, writing and simple arithmetic, as his family could not afford better education.
When he was 18, he went to New Orleans and there he saw a slave market. It made a deep impression on him and he began to hate slavery and he decided to fight against it.
In 1830 he went to Springfield and became a clerk in a store. He learned much and greatly improved his knowledge. He entered politics and in 1832 became a candidate for the Parliament of the State. Soon he became a force in political life and in 1860 was elected President of the USA.
He was an enemy of slavery. Some of the Southern States left the Union, and the war between the South and the North began. At first the war went badly for the North but Lincoln never lost his courage and soon they won.
When the war was over, Lincoln issued a proclamation to say that slavery was abolished.
Lincoln was well known all over America and everybody loved him.
In 1864 he was elected President of the USA for the second time. But his enemies could not let him continue his work.
He was shot in a theatre in Washington on April 14, 1865 and he died the next day.
From the History of GB
The conquest of England by the Normans began in 1066 with the Battle of Hastings where the English fought against the Normans. The conquest was completed in 1071.
Who were the Normans who conquered England?
Some 150 years before the conquest of England they came to a part of France, opposite England, a part that we call Normandy. There they adopted the Christian faith, the French language and the Roman law.
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