The bedroom is smaller than the living-room and not so light as there is only one window in it. In this room there are two beds with a bedside-table between them

It’s really wonderful to have a room for yourself. My room is not large but very cosy. There isn’t much furniture in it, only the most necessary. In my opinion, the study is the best room in our flat. But the warmest place in our flat is the kitchen, I think — the place where the whole family gathers every evening not only to have supper together, but also to speak and rest. I like the English proverb: “My home is my castle” because my flat is, indeed, my castle.

2. Does the place where a person lives reflect his/her personality? Why (not)? In my view to live comfortably doesn’t mean to live in luxury in a detached house with all modern conveniences and appliances, which is well furnished and nicely decorated. Good housing conditions are very important for creating a good quality of life. But I’m convinced that all these things are not so important as the relaxing friendly atmosphere at home.

3. Ask me what my flat/house looks like. How many rooms are there in your flat? Do you have all modern facilities and appliances in your flat? Would you like to move to the house somewhere in the country?

4. Your friend doesn’t know what to choose: to live in a city or in the country. Give him/her some advice. Living in the countryside has a lot of advantages. As the advantage we can consider the fact that the country is less polluted and the traffic isn't so heavy. In the countryside the air and water are so clean. There aren't any huge blocks of flats, modern skyscrapers or bothersome traffic jams. You can enjoy walking in the forest and picking mushrooms or hunting.

5. How do you see an ideal flat/house? My ideal house would be situated in the countryside, well away from any large cities, maybe even away from roads if possible. I don't like living in the city. The air in the city is a problem. I like trees very much too. That's why I'd like to live near a forest. I'm a good swimmer, so I'd like to have a river, a sea or a lake nearby. I'd like to live in a stone farmhouse and to have a good view of the sun going down in the evening.

EDUCATION

1. Let’s talk about education. What can you tell me about the system of education in Belarus? Each citizen of the Republic of Belarus is guaranteed the right to get education. The multilevel system established in the country allows exercising the right to the full extent. Education in Belarus is free and compulsory from age 6 to 15 and the system is well administered. The majority of girls and boys come to school for the first time when they are 6 years old. The first four years of school are devoted to acquiring basic skills and habits of writing, reading, count; mastering primary knowledge of the nature, society and man; getting acquainted with principles of personal hygiene and healthy way of life. Thereafter pupils go on to basic secondary school for 5 years culminating in a certificate of basic education at age 15. The curriculum continues to be academically based and universal across the state.

When students enter senior secondary school level they are faced with a raft of choices regarding the route of education they wish to take. They may remain in the academic stream for 3 years at gymnasiums. They may attend vocational classes at lyceums for 2 years. Or they may train at a strictly practical level at colleges and obtain a trade.

A network of institutions throughout Belarus provides refresher courses and reskilling opportunities in a country where ongoing education remains a priority. Fees are charged and there is little central control.

Altogether there are 57 higher educational establishments, of which 43 are state owned (28 universities, 8 academies, 1 institute, 5 higher colleges, 1 higher school), 13 are private and 2 are run by religious organizations. Every establishment occupies its particular niche in training of highly qualified staff for various branches of national economy. In total about 300,000 students are enrolled.

2. Does your school differ from any other school you know? I don’t think so, but I know exactly that gimnasiums of our districts provide pupils with more profound level of secondary education.

3. Ask me what problems I had when I was a student. Did you visit all lessons in the university? Did you get a scholarship? Have you got any problems with passing the exam?

4. You are talking with a British student. What would you advise him/her to do to prepare for an exam well? To give up watching TV and sitting in front of the computer display and to sit down and work hard with the exam materials.

5. Today some young people want to study abroad because they believe that the level of education is higher there. Would you do the same? Our system of education is based on theoretical preparation of students to their future career. At the same time studying abroad guarantees a good training of practical skills. So I’d prefer to study abroad.

STUDYING at SCHOOL

1. Let’s talk about studying at school. What can you tell me about your school? My school is a three-storeyed building. It is quite big with a sport ground behind it.

On the ground floor there are classrooms for the primary-school pupils, workshops. There are all kinds of tools and machines in the workshops. The boys of our school have a woodwork room too.

If you enter the school and turn left you see a big light dining-room. It is always busy and noisy, but it is clean. Here pupils and their teachers have their lunch. There are blue curtains on the windows and beautiful pictures on the walls.

There is a gymnasium on the ground floor as well. Our physical training lessons are held there. Pupils like to go there even after the lessons, because it has a lot of sport equipment. Our school has many classrooms. The classrooms are light and spacious. There are three large windows in each classroom with flower pots on the window sills.

Each room has teacher's table, pupils desks, blackboard, tables and charts on the wall, maps and portraits. There are special classrooms for Chemistry, Physics, Biology, History, Geography, English, and Russian. On the first floor there is a big nice assemble hall. A lot of meetings, concerts, festivals are held there.

Our classroom is on the second floor. Its windows face the school-yard. Our form-mistress is a teacher of Russian language and literature. We respect her very much, she is a kind and knowledgeable teacher. She teaches us Russian and is so fond of her subject, that each of us cannot help liking too.

When I think about my school I don't remember its walls and desks; it is my teachers and school-mates who will be always with me. I am so thankful to our teachers for what they have done for us.

2. Do you agree that Belarusian secondary school provides a person with good knowledge? Why (not)? The main objective of the school is not only the development of physical and intellectual capabilities of schoolchildren, ethical and moral properties of a personality, but the formation of children's steady interest to studies. So I fully agree with this statement.

3. Ask me whether I liked school when I was a pupil. Did you like to go to school in the childhood? What was your favourite subject? Would you like to have an English exam when you were a pupil?

4. What ideas from Belarusian school can you advise a teacher from Great Britain to use in British school? I advise to learn a wide range of foreign languages and to pass final exams in each of them.

5. Today some young people think that having a good education is not very important. Do you agree with them? In my view only a good education can guarantee a good job in the future of a person. This means that the salary will also be good.

SCHOOL TRADITIONS

1. Let’s talk about education. What can you tell me about the place where you study? My school is a three-storeyed building. It is quite big with a sport ground behind it.

On the ground floor there are classrooms for the primary-school pupils, workshops. There are all kinds of tools and machines in the workshops. The boys of our school have a woodwork room too.

There is a room for manual works for girls. Teachers teach them how to cook, sew and design clothes. Our school library is nice and clean. Two librarians help pupils to find books they need. There are many bookcases and bookshelves with a lot of books there.

When I think about my school I don't remember its walls and desks; it is my teachers and school-mates who will be always with me. I am so thankful to our teachers for what they have done for us.

2. Does your school have any traditions? There is a good tradition in our school. Every year people who graduated our school come here to meet their teachers and classmates. These meetings take place every first Saturday of February. Another traditional event is the ceremony of celebration of the best pupils of our school which is held on the 25^th of January.

3. Ask me about my school life. What did you like best while studying at school? What was your favourite subject? Have you ever been to your school after finishing it?

4. What can you advise a student who is not very good at languages to do to achieve better results? I can advise him to listen to British radio programmes, to watch films and to read books in the original.

5. Nowadays some young people complain that they have lots of problems at school. Do you agree with them? Not to have such problems they should respect their teachers and classmates and work much harder.

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