7th form 2016-2017, Ivan Kupala Day

Ivan Kupala Day (Basic Level)

All living things on Earth depend on the energy that comes from the sun. In Russia, people honour the sun on Midsummer Day, or Ivan Kupala Day. It’s an ancient holiday still celebrated in a lot of countries, including Russia. The celebration takes place every year around the summer solstice. It’s the day when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. It’s a fun holiday with a variety of rites and ceremonies connected with water, fire and plants.

On the evening before Ivan Kupala Day, people look for fern flowers in forested areas. Finding a fern flower is thought to bring prosperity to the lucky finder. On Ivan Kupala Day, children play tricks and have water fights. Swimming on Ivan Kupala Day is also a popular custom. In the evening people light huge bonfires, dance around them and jump over them. In the past, many people thought that on this night evil spirits came out and so people performed different rites to keep the evil spirits away.

I think it’s very important to keep up our traditions as they define who we are and we should be proud of our country and its great culture and history.

Ivan Kupala Day (Advanced Level)

All living things on Earth depend on the energy that comes from the sun. It isn’t surprising then that people have always celebrated the sun.

In Russia, people honour the sun on Midsummer Day, or Ivan Kupala Day. It’s an ancient holiday still celebrated in a lot of countries, including Russia. This huge celebration of the sun takes place every year around the summer solstice, the day the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. It’s a fun holiday filled with a variety of rites and ceremonies connected with water, fire and plants.

On the evening before Ivan Kupala Day, people wander around forested areas looking for fern flowers. People believe that these flowers only bloom for a few moments on the eve of the summer solstice. Finding a fern flower is thought to bring prosperity to the lucky finder.

On Ivan Kupala Day, the fun begins with children playing tricks and having water fights. Swimming on Ivan Kupala Day is also a popular custom. In the evening, people light huge bonfires as part of the celebrations. They dance around them and jump over them. In the past, many people thought that on this night evil spirits came out and so they would stay up all night performing different rites to keep the evil spirits away.

I think it’s very important to keep up our traditions as they are a way of defining who we are and we should be proud of our country and its great culture and history.

My Best Friend

                                                              My Best Friend

Sample answer

            My best friend’s name is ….. I’ve known him/her since my first day at school when we were only seven years old.

           Now he/she is in his/her mid- teens, quite tall and well-built/slim. He's got an oval face, short straight fair hair, dark brown eyes, and a small mouth with full lips. He/she always looks well-dressed whether he/she is wearing an expensive suit/dress or casual clothes.

            .... is an energetic person who likes participating in a lot of activities. He/she has got an out-going personality and makes new friends easily. He/she is also very decisive and makes decisions quickly. However, he tends to be a bit stubborn at times, refusing to admit that he can be wrong about something. ...... can also be rather bossy as he likes telling other people what to do.

          Bob and I spend our free time together. We have much in common. He likes the same things as I do such as music, sports and books and we both enjoy the same TV shows..... is good at playing basketball  and he is fun to be with due to his sense of humor.

           I'm sure there is nothing better than to have a friend who can share my hobbies and interests and who will never betray or let me down. I hope we’ll be friends for life.    

7th form Term 4 2016-2017

Term 4 Questions

Holidays

1.       What’s your favourite holiday? Why?

2.       What other traditional celebrations are popular in Russia? (How do Russian people celebrate Maslenitsa festival?)

3.       Have you ever taken part in any traditional celebration like Maslenitsa festival? Would you like to take part in any traditional celebration like Maslenitsa festival?

Studying at university/ Studying abroad

1.       Would you like to study at university? Why/why not?

2.       Would you like to study at university in Russia or abroad? Why?

3.       Should all young people spend time studying abroad? Why/why not?

4.       What can be difficult for a student studying abroad?

5.       What advice can you give to someone who is going to study in the UK?

6.       Are there any differences between the social etiquette of Russia and the UK?

7.       What situations do you find annoying? Why?

My best friend

1.       Is it easy to find a true friend?

2.       What people do we usually make friends with?

Cyber Crime

1.       What are the positive/negative aspects of using the Internet?

2.       What types of crime are committed in your neighbourhood? Why do you think people commit these crimes? What are the ways to prevent these crimes?

Topics

1.       Ivan Kupala Day

2.       Studying at university

3.       Studying abroad

5.       Cyber Crime

6.       My best friend

Modern marvels or new nasties?

                                       Modern marvels or new nasties?  Basic level

 Nowadays we can hardly cope without modern gadgets: our mobile phones, MP3 players and computers. However, we shouldn’t use these gadgets carelessly.

     With new games consoles, you have to move around in front of the TV. When you make the same motion again and again in a confined space, it can cause strain to your shoulder. You mustn’t play for too long, and you should warm up first.

Earphones play the music directly into your ear canal. It can cause hearing loss. You should set the volume at a low level where you can hear conversations around you.

Sending text messages is easy. However, too much texting can cause thumb arthritis. This can lead to restriction of movement, swelling, and pain. To prevent this condition, you should send fewer messages or use different fingers when you text.

A mobile phone is full of bacteria. When you press it against your face and ear, it can lead to skin problems such as acne, skin infections and rashes. You should clean your phone before you use it.

Computers are useful tools for research and entertainment. However, staring at a computer screen for an extended period of time can cause eye strain, blurred vision, dry eyes and a difficulty distinguishing between colours. You mustn’t spend too much time looking at the screen, and you should take frequent breaks.

 All in all, it depends on you not to turn modern marvels into new nasties.

                               Modern marvels or new nasties? Advanced level

Nowadays we can hardly cope without modern gadgets: our mobile phones, MP3 players and computers. However, we shouldn’t use these gadgets carelessly as it can lead to serious health problems.

     With new games consoles, you have to move around in front of the TV to control the action on-screen. When you make the same motion again and again in a confined space, repeated arm motions can cause strain to your shoulder. Doctors warn that you mustn’t play for too long, and you should warm up first.

Earphones play the music directly into your ear canal. The type of music doesn’t matter, but the volume on your MP3 player does. It can cause hearing loss. Researches recommend that you set the volume at a low level where you can still hear conversations around you.

Sending text messages is as easy as moving your thumb. However, too much texting can cause thumb arthritis. This can lead to restriction of movement, swelling, and pain. To prevent this condition, you should send fewer messages or use different fingers when you text.

A mobile phone is full of bacteria. When you press it against your face and ear, it can lead to skin problems such as acne, skin infections and rashes. Dermatologists say that you should clean your phone before you use it. If someone borrows your phone, make sure that you clean it after they finish.

Computers are useful tools for research and entertainment. However, staring at a computer screen for an extended period of time can cause eye strain. Some of the symptoms include blurred vision, dry eyes and a difficulty distinguishing between colours. Opticians warn that you mustn’t spend too much time looking at the screen and should take frequent breaks.

All in all, it depends on you not to turn modern marvels into new nasties.

Climate Change

Climate Change (Advanced level)

The Earth is heating up and scientists believe that it’s our fault. When we burn fossil fuels, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide increase and surround the earth like a thick blanket. This traps heat and temperatures rise. Scientists say that in the next 100 years, average temperatures will rise by 3 C. Ice is already melting, sea levels are rising and the climate is changing.

According to recent climate reports, melting ice from the polar ice caps and mountain glaciers could cause sea level to rise by about 1 metre by 2100. If this happens, whole countries such as Maldives will vanish and millions in low-lying areas will lose their homes. Coastal cities including Shanghai, Bangkok, New York and London will also be under threat. If the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica ever melt completely, sea levels will rise about 60 m.

Global warming is a serious threat to wildlife. In particular, Arctic polar bears are in great danger. The ice that they hunt from is melting very fast, so they have to swim further and further to find food. Many starve or drown. By 2100, summer ice may disappear completely in the Arctic, and polar bears probably won’t survive. Changing weather patterns and rising sea levels threaten thousands of other species too. Some people believe that 30-40 % of the world’s species could become extinct because of climate change.

Heatwaves, droughts, hurricanes and tornadoes happen a lot more frequently these days and climatologists believe this is because of global warming. When sea temperatures rise, there are changes in the atmosphere. But climate change doesn’t just mean hotter temperatures. It means more and more extreme and unpredictable weather. To help, we should reduce our carbon footprint. We can cycle, walk, or take a bus instead of travelling by car, use energy-saving bulbs, and put on more clothes instead of turning up the heat. Experts say we must do something now. If sea levels start rising even faster, it will be impossible to stop!

Climate Change (Basic level)

The Earth is heating up and scientists believe that it’s our fault. When we burn fossil fuels, greenhouse gases increase and surround the earth like a thick blanket. This traps heat and temperatures rise. Ice is already melting, sea levels are rising and the climate is changing.

According to recent climate reports, melting ice from the polar ice caps could cause sea level to rise by about 1 metre by 2100. If this happens, whole countries will vanish and millions in low-lying areas will lose their homes.

Global warming is a serious threat to wildlife. In particular, Arctic polar bears are in great danger. The ice that they hunt from is melting very fast, so they have to swim further and further to find food. Many starve or drown. Changing weather patterns and rising sea levels threaten thousands of other species too. 30-40 % of the world’s species could become extinct because of climate change.

Heatwaves, droughts, hurricanes and tornadoes happen a lot more frequently these days and this is because of global warming. When sea temperatures rise, there are changes in the atmosphere. Climate change means more and more extreme and unpredictable weather.

To help, we can cycle, walk, or take a bus instead of travelling by car, use energy-saving bulbs, and put on more clothes instead of turning up the heat. Experts say we must do something now. If sea levels start rising faster, it will be impossible to stop!