Speaking Test Card4 and Card 5

                                                   Card 4

1.      What are the most important means of Mass Media?

2.      What makes the Internet the most popular media resource nowadays?

3.      Why are there so many programmes and articles about natural disasters, plane crashes, wars, murders and robberies?

4.      What media sources do you usually use and why?

Card 5

1.      What’s the role of television in our life?

2.      What are the two main viewpoints on television?

3.      What kinds of TV programmes do you like and dislike?

4.      When and how many hours a week do you watch TV?

 Sample answer

I enjoy watching a variety of TV programmes, but I just love police dramas like …. I find them really exciting and interesting. I'm not really a fan of soap operas, though, and I can't stand watching reality shows. I think both of these are silly and a waste of time.

Sample answer

I really like watching quite a lot of programmes on TV but I absolutely love documentaries. I think that they are very interesting and sometimes fun. You can learn a lot of things that you would need a great deal of time to find out yourself by researching the internet or looking up in encyclopedias. The fun part lies to the fact that you can find out amazing and sometimes unbelievable things about the world around us. For example, I was amazed to discover that the male seahorse gives birth to the offspring and not the female one.

On the other hand though, I hate watching talk shows or reality shows on TV. I can't understand why so many people watch them. I find them so boring. For me, they're just a waste of time.

 I usually watch TV in the evenings when I have done my homework or during the weekends when have a lot of free time, and to be honest, I sometimes spend quite a lot of hours in front of a TV set. On average, I would say, I spend ten to twelve hours per week watching TV.

Speaking Test 8th form Term1 Card 3

Card 3

1.      What is special about the geographical position of Russia?

2.      What types of climate are there on the territory of Russia?

3.      What’s the climate like in Saint Petersburg?

4.      What’s the best time of the year to visit Saint Petersburg?

The Climate and Weather in Saint Petersburg (basic level)

One of the largest northern cities in the world, Saint Petersburg lies near the Arctic Circle. However, despite its northern location, St Petersburg has a mild climate; it’s temperate and humid. The warm air masses are brought to the city by the winds from the Atlantic Ocean.

 The most attractive time to visit St. Petersburg is so-called “White Nights”, which lasts from late May to mid-July. At this time the sun goes down below the horizon for only a few hours and on the streets at night there is enough light. At this time you can walk around St. Petersburg all night until the morning. 

The Climate and Weather in Saint Petersburg (advanced level)

One of the largest northern cities in the world, Saint Petersburg lies near the Arctic Circle, on the same latitude as the southern part of Alaska and the southern tip of Greenland. However, despite its northern location, St Petersburg has a fairly mild climate; it’s temperate and humid. On the average, the temperature is above the freezing point 222 days a year. This is mainly owing to the warm air masses brought to the city by the winds from the Atlantic Ocean.

The most attractive time to visit St. Petersburg is so-called “White Nights”, which lasts from late May to mid-July. At this time the sun goes down below the horizon for only a few hours and on the streets at night there is enough light. At this time, when the weather is good, you can walk around St. Petersburg all night until the morning.

Speaking Test Term 1 8th form

Speaking Test Term 1 8th form

Card 1

1.      What types of disasters does the humanity suffer from?

2.      What natural disaster is the most destructive from your point of view? Why?

3.      What happens when a natural disaster strikes some place?

Card 2

1.      What types of disasters does the humanity suffer from?

2.      What is the worst natural disaster you have read about?

3.      What can make us safer and reduce the  impact  of  natural  disasters?

What is the worst natural disaster you have read about?

 Sample answer 1 (advanced level)

The worst natural disaster I have read about is the tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. The largest earthquake in Japan's history triggered а devastating tsunami, which hit the northeastern coast of Japan. The tsunami washed away houses and cars and hurled ships far inland slamming them into whatever lay in their path. Many areas were without electricity. Without power, the cooling system at the Fukushima № 1 Plant failed. Explosions rocked the plant as courageous technicians struggled to prevent a nuclear meltdown. Over 15,000 people died that day and thousands more were missing.

Sample answer 2 (advanced level)

The worst natural disaster I have read about is the tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. At first, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of Japan. Soon after, a 10-metre tsunami followed which washed away many houses and cars. The force of the Japan quake was so big that it moved the island by about 2.4 metres. Many nuclear power stations in the areas where the quake struck had to be closed down. Half a million Japanese people evacuated their houses. Over 15,000 people died and thousands more were missing.

Sample answer (basic level)

The worst natural disaster I have read about is the tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. The tsunami washed away houses and cars. Without electricity, the cooling system at the Fukushima Plant failed. Explosions rocked the plant as technicians struggled to prevent a nuclear meltdown. Over 15,000 people died that day and thousands more were missing.