School holidays – Школьные каникулы. Топик HOLIDAYS

Topic: My Summer Holidays

Тема: Мои летние каникулы

What student does not like vacation? Especially the summer holidays - the longest, the most long-awaited and usually the most exciting! Almost 100 days of pure pleasure even if you are not able to , which you have long dreamed of. You can read a lot of interesting books, wake up , go to bed at any time, walk and play with your friends and go to the sea. What is just not offered by summer!

Какой школьник не любит каникулы? Особенно летние – самые долгие, самые долгожданные и как обычно, самые увлекательные! Почти 100 дней сплошного удовольствия, даже если тебе не удастся поехать в какое-нибудь поездку, о которой ты давно мечтал. Можно прочитать массу интересных книг, просыпаться позднее обычного, ложиться спать в любое время, поиграть с друзьями и съездить на море. Чего только не предлагает лето!

Если вам повезло куда-нибудь съездить и побывать в другой обстановке,- вы счастливчик! Но, в любом случае, летние каникулы всегда отличный способ отдохнуть от насыщенной школьной и внешкольной работы, жесткого расписания и больших нагрузок.

I always use summer holidays that I need for my future studies. I improve my English, read literature and some historical materials. This work brings benefit and pleasure: reading books and listening to English songs, watching documentaries and training your memory while memorizing some verses, English phrases or dates. I am glad that my mother has taught me to do it easily and without any nervous tension. If you treat this work as a game or an amusement you can enjoy a part of the summer and facilitate for your future busy learning season.

Я всегда использую лето для не напряженной работы над предметами, которые мне нужны для моей будущей учебы. Я изучаю английский, читаю литературу и историю. Такая работа приносит и пользу и удовольствие: почитать книги и послушать английские песни, посмотреть документальные фильмы и потренировать свою память заучиванием некоторых стихов, английских фраз или дат. Я рада, что моя мама научила меня делать это легко и без нервного напряжения. Если относиться к такой работе как к игре или развлечению, то можно отлично и с пользой провести часть лета и облегчить будущий напряженный сезон учебы.

This year my family and I spent ten days at the seaside in Odessa. It is a beautiful city on the coast of the Black Sea and there"s always plenty of entertainment and wonderful beaches. our relatives or in a hotel. This time we did not only beached, but also went on boat trips, visited a water park and went fishing. The weather in late June was hot and most of the time we spent near the water. In the evenings we went to a restaurant and walked along the famous promenade. Odessa is gorgeous in the evening.

В этом году мы с семьей провели 10 дней в Одессе, на море. Это прекрасный город на берегу Черного моря и там всегда масса развлечений и великолепных пляжей. Мы останавливаемся у родственников или в отеле. В этот раз мы не только проводили на пляже, но и ездили на прогулки на катере, посещали аквапарк, рыбачили. Погода в конце июня была жаркая и большую часть времени мы проводили у воды. Вечером ходили в рестораны и гуляли по знаменитой набережной. Одесса великолепна вечером.

In July I was in the country house with my grandparents. The terrain is very beautiful here: the lake, the fields, a lot of trees. The garden is planted with fruit trees, and there are a lot of vegetables. In the nearby village one can buy fresh milk and eggs. If there were the Internet and TV, it would be possible to spend the entire summer in the village. Unfortunately, the summer house is far from the city and we have to get there by train or a shuttle bus. To my shame, I could not do without all modern conveniences for a long time and my visit lasted not more than a week.

В июле я была на даче у бабушки и дедушки. Местность здесь очень красивая: озеро, поля, много деревьев. В саду растут фруктовые деревья, кусты малины и много овощей. В соседней деревне можно купить свежее молоко и яйца. Если бы там был интернет и телевизор, то можно было бы проводить все лето, как в деревне. К сожалению, дача далеко от города и добираться туда приходится на электричке или маршрутном автобусе. К своему стыду, я не могу долго обходиться без всех современных удобств и мой визит длился не более недели.

In late August our friends and the family made a trip to Bulgaria. It was a wonderful time. Several excursions to the small towns on the coast, a lot of delicious food and, of course, a beach holiday. We stayed in a magnificent hotel with its beautiful grounds, excellent cuisine and entertainment. I met a few guys from other countries and we had fun on the beach and in the evening. With some of them now I correspond and we plan to meet next year.

На этой странице находится топик по английскому по теме HOLIDAYS

Having a holiday is always great fun in many ways. Firstly, people have a day off from work, secondly it’s a variety and relaxation from everyday routine. Every country has got its own public (national) and religious holidays. In our country there are ten public holidays that are observed nationwide and are official days off.

I love all kinds of holidays but most of all I admire the national traditions connected with them. My best loved holidays are the New Year with a New Year tree, Christmas with plenty of delicious food to eat and Easter with red eggs and an Easter pie. The preparation for these holidays starts long before they come. Thus about a fortnight before the New Year streets are decorated with colourful lights, the shop windows display a wide choice of New Year toys and Christmas gifts. It should be pointed out that unlike Catholic Christmas, Orthodox Christmas comes a week after the New Year and this week in Russia is called Kalyady. During the Christmas week street festivals of all kinds take place.

We are not a religious family and we don’t regularly go to church, but we respect national traditions and my grandmother always dyes eggs red and makes Christmas cakes and Easter pies.

On public holidays like the Independence Day or May Day people stay away from work or school and have a rest. There are two very special holidays in the country: the Eighth of March and the Ninth of May. On the Eighth of March women are traditionally presented with flowers and gifts and words of love and respect are addressed to them. The Ninth of May is both a happy and a sad day. On this day we celebrate our victory over fascism in the Great Patriotic War and at the same time pay tribute to those who gave up their lives for the liberation of our motherland. Deep respect and warm gratitude are shown to war veterans. The day is made special by a military parade in the morning and grand fireworks at night. The look of elderly people proudly wearing numerous orders and medals cannot leave anyone unmoved, I think.

Apart from national holidays there are family holidays like birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. We have a family tradition to celebrate birthdays of each member of the family. On these days we usually have a party. Friends and relatives come with flowers and presents. A festive dinner is served with plenty of delicious food to eat, which is a famous Slavic tradition, you know. Afterwards the guests either dance or sing, listen to music or just chat. Such parties usually go late into the night and people are unwilling to leave which, frankly speaking, I don’t like. But the last celebration of my birthday was different. We had an outing on that day. My friends and I, a group of ten in all, went to the «Youth» hotel. My parents saw how happy I was and agreed that I had become a grown-up person and had the right to go out with my friends. We had barbeques in the forest, stayed for the night, in the hotel and came back home the next day. We enjoyed ourselves greatly.

Indeed, life would be dull and grey without holidays.

I think it’s hard to find a person, especially among the young, who doesn’t like holidays, as they mean rest and entertainment, when you can forget for a while about the work undone and enjoy yourself. In my view rest and recreation are as important as work.

Like other countries Russia has its own holidays. They are either of a political, social or religious kind. The New Year, the 8th of March and the Victory Day are probably the most popular national holidays in our republic. Among religious holidays that are widely observed in most families are Christmas and Easter.

National holidays are both a public celebration and a personal event in the family. Different people choose different ways of celebrating them. New Year is traditionally a family holiday with a New Year tree, plenty of delicious food, presents and good wishes.

On other holidays people either take part in public entertainments arranged in parks and squares or go to parties at somebody’s place or restaurants. My family are not an exception in our attitude to holidays and we always look forward to them and make all kinds of preparations. We observe most public holidays which are printed in red in the calendar. But the most exciting for me are the New Year, Christmas, Easter and the Women’s Day.

At the same time every family has some holidays which are a special event only for them. They are usually anniversaries, birthdays and weddings. I love our family holidays and I think I loved them even more when I was a child. I was thrilled when all the relatives and most of the friends got together, dressed up and smiling, and they brought presents, danced and sang songs. On the eve of the party the house was given a big clean and a lot of delicious food was cooked. The atmosphere of the coming holiday was felt and made me happy and excited. I still look forward to celebrations, though, perhaps, with less enthusiasm.

Our last family holiday was my mother’s birthday. We wanted to make it a special day, since it was her 45th birthday Mother was not very happy about her age, so we tried to do our best to cheer her up saying that she was young as ever and even looked ten years younger than her age. We had selected a nice present for her and my sister and granny had done all the cooking. The table was nicely laid up with a candle and cakes on it, the walls of the sitting-room were pinned up with mother’s photos when she was a baby, a little girl and a young woman. The party was fantastic. All the guests seemed to enjoy themselves a lot.

The only disadvantage of holidays in my opinion is that they are short or, perhaps, it’s one of their attractions. You wouldn’t enjoy things that take place every day.

Holidays
What is the best time for schoolchildren? Holidays, of course! Autumn, winter, spring and definitely summer holidays. These are the times when you can forget about homework, school and teachers.
Usually autumn holidays are not very exciting. The weather is getting worse, it"s raining and you don"t have much opportunity to walk outside for a long time. During autumn holidays my friends and I usually spend time at each other"s places playing computer games.
Winter holidays are much more interesting! I like skating and my family usually goes to the skating rink in a nearby park. Sometimes my friends and I go outside the city to the ski lodge. We rent skis and go cross-country skiing in the forest. Just before the New Year"s Day a big fir tree is set in our park. It is decorated with garlands and large toys. Ice hills are also made in the park. I like going to the park with my younger sister and my friends. At New Year"s night my family usually goes outside. My father and I make a fireworks display. My mother always says that it is dangerous, but we all know that she likes our fireworks. We also congratulate everyone who we meet with the New Year and they congratulate us back. I like it that people are so kind during this holiday!
The longest term is behind and spring holidays come. It is getting warm every day, streams are flowing in the streets. It is fun, but you should be careful not to slip on the spring ice and fall in a puddle! I walk with my friends, go to the cinema, ride a bike or roller-skate.
At last summer has come! The books have been taken back to the library, now other children will use them next year. Summer is my favourite season. I can wear only a T-shirt, jeans or shorts and light trainers or flip-flops. I have three months of rest which I can devote to myself and to my friends. During the first two weeks of summer holidays my family and I go to some resort. We have already been to Turkey and Egypt and this year we are going to Spain. We like sunbathing and swimming in the sea. I wish we could do this all year round!
Then we go back to the city and my sister and I go to our grandparents" country house. It is not worse than holidays at the sea. Our country house is rather far from our city - about two and a half hours by car. But it is worth going there anyway. I take a bike and a games console with me. I meet my friends there. I see some of them every day at school and I don"t see others for the whole year, so I have an opportunity to meet them again and catch up. We ride bikes, sunbathe on the river bank, swim in the river and communicate with each other.
I wish holidays were all year round!

ПЛАН-ОТВЕТ. HOLIDAYS
1. Вступление (What is the best time for schoolchildren? Holidays, of course! Autumn, winter, spring and definitely summer holidays. These are the tunes when you can forget about homework, school and teachers.).
2. Рассказать о школьных каникулах и о том, чем обычно занимаются во время них (autumn holidays: not very exciting, weather getting worse, my friends and I...; winter holidays: much more interesting; I like...; my family...; New Year"s Day; spring holidays: the longest term; it is getting warm; streams; I walk with my friends/go to the cinema/ride a bike/roller-skate, etc.; summer holidays: I can wear...; three months; my family and I...; this year we...; Then...; country house; meet my friends, etc.).
3. Заключение (I wish holidays were all year round!).

QUESTIONS
1. What are holidays?
2. What school holidays are there in Russia?
3. What are your favourite holidays?
4. When are autumn holidays?
5. What do you usually do during autumn holidays?
6. When are winter holidays?
7. What do you usually do on winter holidays?
8. Do you like winter holidays? Why (not)?
9. Are spring holidays long or short?
10. What can schoolchildren do during spring holidays?
11. What do you usually do?
12. How long are summer holidays?
13. Where do you usually spend your summer holidays?
14. Do you go with your family?
15. Do you prefer to swim in the sea or in a swimming pool?
16. What do you think of spending a holiday in a village?
17. What is better to spend holidays with the family or with friends?
18. Have you ever been camping? if so, where?
19. Do you take any school books to revise?
20. Do you read during your holidays?
21. Do you meet any English-speaking people during your holidays?
22. What do you think of spending your holidays learning languages?
23. What do you think of working during your holidays?
24. What do you think of people who work in summer?
25. How do you feel when your holidays are over?

USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES
Indoor activities Занятия в помещении
dance танцевать
listen to music слушать музыку
play board games/computer играть в настольные
games игры/компьютерные игры
read читать
study учиться
watch TV смотреть телевизор
Outdoor activities Занятия на открытом воздухе
birdwatching наблюдение за птицами
(downhill) skiing катание на горных лыжах
(ice) skating катание на коньках
(rock) climbing . скалолазание
(whitewater) rafting сплав по реке
camping идти в поход
canoeing заниматься греблей
cross-country skiing кататься на лыжах по пересе-
чённой местности
diving ныряние (дайвинг)
figure skating фигурное катание
fishing ловля рыбу
gardening садоводство
jogging бег
karting . картинг
make sandcastles строить замки из песка
paintballing пейнтбол
picnic пикник
play volleyball/football играть в волейбол/футбол
rowing гребля
sailing плавание (на яхте, на лодке)
scuba diving ныряние с аквалангом
sightseeing/doing the sights осмотр достопримечательностей
skateboarding скейтбординг
snorkeling плавание под водой с маской
snowboarding сноубординг
sunbathe загорать
surf сёрфинг
swim плавать
toboggan катание на санках
walk гулять
waterskiing катание на водных лыжах
windsurfing виндсёрфинг
zorbing зорбинг (катание/спуск со склонов внутри прозрачного двухслойного шара «зорба»)

Topic: English Holidays

Тема: Английские праздники

The homeland of the English language which we are studying is an island state, the United Kingdom. Britain’s location "away" from Europe became the main reason of British traditions’ being so different from the European ones. English holidays are no exception. Many of them coincide with European holidays, but are celebrated in a special way, and some have no analogues in the world.

Родина английского языка, который мы изучаем – островное государство Великобритания. Именно потому, что Британия расположена «в стороне» от Европы большинство британских традиций отличаются от европейских. Исключением не стали и английские праздники. Многие из них совпадают с европейскими, но празднуются по-особому, а некоторые вообще не имеют аналогов в мире.

Studying about holidays of England and other British countries is very interesting. We can compare the British holidays and traditions with our holidays. It helps to understand the nature of the British, their lifestyle, the differences between our characters. In addition, many English traditions and festivals celebrated in England are becoming popular all over the world.

Изучать праздники Англии и других стран Великобритании очень интересно. Мы можем сравнивать британские праздники и традиции с нашими праздниками. Это помогает понять натуру британцев, их образ жизни, отличия их характера от нашего. К тому же, многие традиции и праздники, которые отмечаются в Англии, становятся популярными во всём мире.

The festive year in England begins, like ours, with New Year is celebrated on January 1st. But New Year celebration in the United Kingdom can not be studied separately from Christmas celebration on December 25th. This week is the brightest of the year. Like we do, the British install Christmas trees in their homes, streets and in churches. They decorate not only trees, but also their homes, yards and streets. Flashing lights, garlands, figures of Santa Claus and nativity Scenes, big and small, can be seen everywhere.

Праздничный год в Англии начинается, как и у нас, с Нового года, который отмечают 1-го января. Но празднование Нового года в Великобритании нельзя рассматривать отдельно от празднования Рождества 25-го декабря. Эта неделя является самой яркой в году. Как и мы, англичане устанавливают в домах, на улицах и в церквях рождественские ёлки. Они украшают не только деревья, но и свои дома, дворы и улицы – мигающие огоньки гирлянд, фигуры Санта Клауса – английского Деда Мороза и Рождественские вертепы, большие и маленькие, можно увидеть всюду.

By the way, all December is filled with pre-holiday bustle. The fact is that from the 25th of December to the 1st of January, most shops are closed. So everyone wants to buy gifts for the loved ones and take care of everything required for a holiday beforehand. Holidays when banks and other specialized institutions are closed, are known as bank holidays. The list of them is traditionally approved by the Queen. The holiday week includes, except Christmas and New Year, Boxing Day which is celebrated on December 26.

К слову, весь декабрь наполнен предпраздничной суетой. Дело в том, что с 25-го декабря по 1-е января большинство магазинов закрыты. Поэтому все стремятся выбрать подарки для близких и позаботиться обо всём необходимом для праздника заранее. Праздничные дни, когда не работают банки и другие специальные учреждения, называют банковскими праздниками. Из список традиционно утверждался королевой. Праздничная неделя, кроме Рождества и Нового года, включает ещё и День подарков, который отмечают 26 декабря.

Next after Christmas and New Year, there comes a holiday which is also marked all over England and abroad – St. Valentine"s Day. The tradition of congratulating the loved ones was so great that it has become popular all around the world. On this day, people who feel sympathy for each other, exchange heart shaped presents. There are many variants of gifts - cards with romantic poems, small pillows, sweets, toys and souvenirs. Everything that can bring positive emotions to a beloved person will do.

Следующий после Рождества и Нового года праздник, который отмечают по всей Англии и за её пределами, - это День Валентина. Традиция поздравлять любимых людей была настолько хороша, что стала популярной во всём мире. В этот день люди, которые испытывают симпатию друг к другу, обмениваются подарками в форме сердца. Вариантов подарков много – открытки с романтичными стихотворениями, подушечки, конфеты, игрушки, украшения. Подойдёт всё, что может доставить приятные эмоции любимому человеку.

Spring festive season in the UK is also rich in bright events. In March, for example, they celebrate St. Patrick"s Day – the day of Ireland’s patron saint. On this day, the Irish and other residents of Britain wear green clothes or attach the emblem of shamrock. In April, they celebrate the day of England’s patron saint - St George. On this day you can see a red rose on the clothes of the British, and in the streets you can hear folk songs and playing national instruments.

Весенний праздничный сезон в Великобритании также богат яркими событиями. В марте, например, отмечают День Святого Патрика – покровителя Ирландии. В этот день ирландцы и другие жители Британии надевают зелёное или прикрепляют к одежде изображение клевера – трилистника. В апреле же отмечают день покровителя Англии – Святого Георга. На одежде британцев в этот день вы сможете увидеть красную розу, а на улицах – услышать народные песни и игру на национальных инструментах.

And still in March and April an entire series of Easter events is marked - Good Friday, Holy Resurrection (Easter) and Easter Monday, when children are presented with flowers and toys. In England, they do not use boiled chicken egg, as a symbol of Easter. But in every house you will find chocolate eggs in colorful wrappers, egg shaped souvenirs and Easter bunny figures.

А ещё в марте-апреле отмечается целая серия пасхальных мероприятий – Страстная Пятница, Страстное Воскресенье (Пасха), Пасхальный Понедельник, когда детям дарят цветы и игрушки. В Англии не используют варёные куриные яйца, как символ Пасхи. Зато в каждом доме вы найдёте шоколадные яйца в ярких обёртках, сувениры в форме яйца и фигурки пасхального кролика.

Do not also forget about the April day of fun, which is called "Fool"s Day" in England and "Cuckoo’s Day" in Scotland. Just like we do, on this day the British are playing jokes on each other. The first May Monday is declared a public holiday in Britain. This is the holiday of spring and blooming nature. Such fun activities as carnivals and festivals are held everywhere. On this day the streets are decorated with flower garlands, and the national hero, Robin Hood, is honored. A similar rest day is held in August, on the last Monday of the month. People organize family picnics, fairs, carnivals and festivals.

Не будем забывать и о первоапрельском дне смеха, который в Англии называют «День Дурака», а в Шотландии – «День Кукушки». Так же, как и у нас, в этот день британцы разыгрывают друг друга. Первый понедельник мая объявлен в Англии официальным выходным. Это – праздник весны, расцвета природы. Повсюду проводятся весёлые мероприятия – карнавалы, фестивали. Улицы в этот день украшают цветочными гирляндами, а ещё – чествуют национального героя, Робин Гуда. Подобный день отдыха проводится и в августе, в последний понедельник месяца. Люди организовывают семейные пикники, устраивают ярмарки, карнавалы, фестивали.

The official birthday of the monarch, which falls on the second Saturday of June, may not coincide with the real date of birth of a king or a queen. On this day a ceremonial parade and troops review are held, and then a magnificent secular ball finishes the day.