Topics. Form 6
(к учебнику: Л. В. Хрусталева, В. Н. Богородицкая. Английский язык для VI класса школ с углубленным изучением английского языка, лицеев, гимназий, колледжей)
SCHOOL
School gives much knowledge for our future education and work. The school curriculum includes such subjects as: Russian, Literature, Mathematics, History, Physics, Geography, Biology, Foreign Languages, Art, Music, Physical Education, Handicrafts.
We have six Mathematics lessons a week. We are taught to do sums, to solve problems, to add, to subtract, to divide and multiply. We must know the multiplication table well. It is important to study Mathematics because it develops logical thinking.
Art is an interesting subject. In this lesson students make drawings with coloured pencils and chalk or paint in watercolours and oils. Children who are fond of this subject can go to art school. Art lessons are necessary because they develop a good imagination, teach us to watch and compare and to understand beauty.
Biology is another important subject. It teaches us to love nature, to take care of animals and plants, to understand the world around us.
History tells us how people lived in the past. It broadens our outlook and enlarges our knowledge of the world.
Our school is a school with an extensive course of English. We have six English lessons a week. They are Home Reading, Listening Comprehension and regular lessons. In Home Reading lessons we learn to read, discuss and analyse the works of famous English and American writers. We learn to share ideas, to take part in discussions and express our own opinions. In Listening Comprehension lessons we listen to interesting stories in English and learn to understand them. In our regular lessons we are taught to pronounce English sounds and words correctly, we learn spelling and grammar rules, read, translate and retell texts and recite poems. We discuss different topics. I think that many of my schoolmates will connect their future with the English language. Knowledge of English gives a lot of opportunities. We shall be able to understand people all over the world, because English is an international language. We shall be able to choose an occupation which requires a good command of English, and to read works of English and American authors in the original.
My favourite subject is ____________________________________________________________
Our school was built in 1937. It is named after the famous Russian playwright, A. Ostrovsky, who lived nearby. Our school is situated in the centre of Moscow in one of its oldest districts noted for its historical past.
School plays a very important role in my life. In addition to knowledge, it teaches us how to work and get along with other people. It gives me good friends – my classmates and teachers.
Translate the sentences using the active vocabulary.
Школа дает много знаний для нашего будущего образования и работы. Мы учим разные предметы в школе: русский, литературу, математику, историю, физику, географию, биологию, иностранные языки, изобразительное искусство, музыку, физкультуру и труд. На уроках математики мы решаем примеры и задачи, складываем, вычитаем, умножаем и делим. Мы должны знать таблицу умножения хорошо. На уроках изобразительного искусства учащиеся делают рисунки цветными карандашами, мелками и рисуют акварелью и масляными красками. Биология – интересная наука. Она учит нас любить природу, заботиться о животных и растениях. На уроках английского языка мы учимся произносить английские звуки и слова правильно, мы учим грамматические и орфографические правила, читаем, переводим и пересказываем тексты и декламируем стихи. Мы обсуждаем разные темы и принимаем участие в дискуссиях. Я думаю, что необходимо учить английский, потому что знания английского дают много возможностей. Мы также принимаем участие во внеклассных мероприятиях. Школа играет важную роль в моей жизни.
SPORT IN OUR LIFE
Many people say that they like sports because they enjoy watching a game of football at a stadium or on TV while sitting in comfortable armchairs. But watching sport events and going in for sports are two different things.
Sport helps people to keep in good health. At the same time those who go in for sports try to win sports competitions. Nowadays you can train in any kind of sport. You can do physical exercises or play games at sport and fitness clubs, you can swim in swimming pools, play games on playgrounds or jog in the park.
Children enjoy sports. Different kinds of sport, quick games and sports competitions have always been popular with children. Physical Education is compulsory at all schools. Marks for P.E. are entered in students’ reports. P.E. lessons are held twice a week. Students in poor health train in special groups. While physical training classes are compulsory for all, participation in sports is voluntary. Students who wish to take up sport seriously and to show good result in competitions can train in special junior sport schools. I like (dislike) P.E. lessons because __________________________________________
I think that every season is good for sports. In summer, late spring and early autumn you can play outdoor games. You can skate, ski or sledge in winter. You can play indoor sports all year round.
Sport makes people healthy and strong, brave and cheerful. Sport helps people make good friends, especially in team sports. It’s impossible to win a game if players in a team are not good friends. Sport shows your character and develops good traits of character. It helps one to become more organized and disciplined. It teaches one to overcome difficulties and to achieve good results.
My favourite kind of sport is ______________________________________________________________.
When did you take up this sport?
1. Where do you train?
2. What qualities does this kind of sport require and develop? (strong will power, quick reaction, time, courage, energy, great physical strength, concentration, patience, enthusiasm, mobility.)
3. How does sport help you? (to keep fit, to be in good health, to relax after a hard day at school, to develop body and mind, to offer an outlet of tension, to give moments of joy, to make a person more organized and disciplined.)
THE GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF THE USA
The United States of America is one of the largest countries in the world. It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Atlantic coast, across the central plains, over the Rocky Mountains to the densely-populated West Coast up to Alaska, and then to the island state of Hawaii. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometers. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-border with Russia.
The USA is made up of fifty states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area and the capital of the country. The population of the country is about 250 million people.
The United States is a land of rivers and lakes. The northern state of Minnesota is known as the land of 10000 lakes. Most of the fresh water of America is in the five Great Lakes: Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie. They are on the border with Canada. America’s largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Mississippi is the world’s third longest river after the Nile and the Amazon.
If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Rocky Mountains, with their rivers, deep canyons, waterfalls and caves, delight people when they see them. A large territory of this region is now a national park where plants and animals and all wildlife are protected. The Appalachian Mountains are in the Northeast of the USA. These mountains are the oldest on the North American continent. They are rather low. The highest peak in the USA is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska. It is 6193 meters high.
The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic. The climate of the central part (the Midwest) is continental. The South has a subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico often bring hurricanes. The climate along the Pacific Coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic Coast.
There are many important cities in the USA. New York is one of the largest cities in the world, a great seaport and a financial centre. Chicago, on the Great Lakes, is the second largest city after New York and one of the biggest industrial cities in the USA. Boston is one of the oldest cities which was built on the Atlantic coast of America. Now it is a big cultural centre with three universities. Los Angeles in California is a centre of modern industries and show business. Other big cities in the USA are Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington and some others.
Answer the questions:
1. Where is the USA situated?
2. What countries does it border on?
3. Where is the capital of the USA situated?
4. Where are the Great Lakes situated?
5. Which state is known as the “Land of 10000 Lakes”?
6. What are the highest mountains in the USA? What is the highest peak?
7. Where are the Appalachian Mountains situated?
8. How does the climate of the USA vary?
9. What is the largest city in the USA? What is the second largest city in the USA?
Read the following geographical names correctly.
| the Rocky Mountains |
Minnesota |
the Appalachian Mountains |
Philadelphia |
Alaska |
Washington |
the Sierra Nevada |
Hawaii |
Baltimore |
Mount McKinley |
the District of Columbia |
Dallas |
Lake Ontario |
the Mississippi |
Chicago |
Lake Erie |
the Missouri |
Los Angeles |
Lake Michigan |
the Colorado |
San Francisco |
Lake Huron |
the Rio Grande |
Seattle |
Lake Superior |
the Columbia |
Hollywood |
California |
the Nile |
Canada |
Louisiana |
the Amazon |
Mexico |
Texas |
Boston |
the Gulf of Mexico |
1. Name the mountain ranges in the USA and say where they are situated.
2. Name the five Great Lakes and say where they are situated.
3. Name the most important rivers in the USA.
4. Say how many states the USA consist of and name some of them (at least 5–6).
5. Name the most important cities of the USA (at least 10).