CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

continued from No. 1, 3/2007

Daily Life

Texts for Oral Practice in the 3rd–4th Forms

Part V. In the Evening

Then I begin to do my lessons. Sometimes I do them quickly, but when I am in bad mood, I am very slow. I cannot concentrate on my lessons. I think about something pleasant, or draw pictures, or eat an apple, or play with my dog, or simply wander about the room. Mum is always cross when I sit for hours with my lessons. When I finish my lessons I am free to do what I like. I read my favourite books, chat with my friends over the telephone or help my Mum with supper. When Father comes from his work we have supper and discuss all our problems of the day or make plans for the weekend. Dad is always interested in my progress at school. My parents do not let me watch TV on week days, so after supper we go out for half an hour, in order to sleep well at night. I kiss everybody goodnight. They wish me to sleep tight and at ten thirty I go to bed.

to be in bad mood быть в плохом настроении
to be slow делать медленно
to concentrate сосредотачиваться
pleasant приятный
simply просто
to wander слоняться, бродить
to sit for hours просиживать часами
to be free быть свободным
to chat over the telephone болтать с друзьями по телефону
to discuss обсуждать
to make plans for строить планы на
a weekend конец недели
to be interested in smth. интересоваться чем-то
progress успехи
to let разрешать
on week days по будням
to sleep tight спать крепко

Answer the questions:

1. When do you begin to do your lessons?
2. How long does it take you to do your lessons? It takes me... (мне требуется...)
3. Do you do your lessons quickly or slowly?
4. Can you always concentrate on your lessons?
5. Do you do your lessons alone?
6. Does anybody help you with your lessons?
7. Who checks your lessons?
8. What lesson do you do first?
9. Which lesson is the easiest and which one is the most difficult for you?
10. When do you finish your lessons?
11. What do you do when your lessons are finished?
12. When do you go to bed?
13. Do you kiss your parents or grandparents goodnight?
14. What do they wish you?
15. Do your take a shower and clean your teeth before you go to bed?

SAMPLE DICTATION No. 1

My friend usually gets up at seven o’clock. He quickly makes his bed. Then he does morning exercises. After that he goes to the bathroom. There he washes his face, hands and neck and cleans his teeth. He has his breakfast in the kitchen. At eight o’clock my friend goes to school. He lives not far from school.
He has five or six lessons every day. He has lunch at school. After lessons my friend goes home. He has dinner at home. After dinner he goes for a walk in the park. Then he does his homework. In the evening he reads books, watches TV or plays computer games. He goes to bed at ten o’clock.

SAMPLE DICTATION No. 2

Tom gets up at half past eight every morning. He quickly runs to the window and opens it. Every day Tom does his morning exercises to music together with his father. Then he goes to the bathroom. He likes to take a shower. He always washes his hands, face and neck and cleans his teeth two times a day. He makes his bed, dresses and goes to the kitchen where he has breakfast. He thanks his mother for the breakfast, takes his bag and goes to school at eight o’clock. Usually he goes to school with his friend Mike.
The lessons begin at half past eight. Tom likes his school and his teachers very much. He has five or six lessons every day. At eleven o’clock he has lunch at school. At two o’clock he comes back home and has dinner. Then he goes for a walk with his dog. After that he does his homework.
When his father comes home they have supper. After supper he plays computer games, reads a book, watches TV or helps his mother about the house. He goes to bed at half past eleven.

Vocabulary Exercise

Fill in the gaps with the suitable word from the box. Retell the story.

Sam Greenwood is a (1)_____________. He has got a (2)_________ and three (3)____________. They live in the (4)___________. They all are very (5)___________. Sam (6)_______ _____ at 5 o’clock because he (7)__________ his horses and milks his (8)_____________ early, every morning. His wife and children (9)________ ____ at 7 o’clock. Mrs. Greenwood (10)________ breakfast for the family. The children drink (11)________ milk and go to school. When the children are at school Sam works on the (12)________, and his wife (13)______ the housework. At 4 o’clock the children (14)_________ ________ from school, and they all have (15)______. In the evening Sam and his wife (16)_________ _____. The children (17)_____ ___ watch TV, because they (18)________ their (19)____________. They all go (20)_____ _______ at 9 o’clock, because they (21)_______ very (22)____________.

Key: 1. farmer; 2. wife; 3. children; 4. country; 5. hardworking; 6. gets up; 7. feeds; 8. cows; 9. get up; 10. cooks; 11. fresh; 12. farm; 13. does; 14. come back; 15. dinner; 16. watch TV; 17. do not; 18. do; 19. lessons; 20. to bed; 21. are; 22. tired.

By Yelena Zubets

to be continued