Task 1
Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.
There are countless techniques for managing stress. Yoga, mindfulness meditation, and exercise are just a few examples of stress-relieving activities that work wonders. But in the heat of the moment, during a high-pressured job interview, for example, you can’t just excuse yourself to meditate or take a long walk. In these situations, you need something more immediate and accessible.
One of the speediest and most reliable ways to stamp out stress is to engage one or more of your senses – sight, sound, taste, smell, touch – or through movement. Since everyone is different, you’ll need to do some experimenting to discover which technique works best for you – but the payoff is huge. You can stay calm, productive, and focused when you know how to quickly relieve stress.
Task 2
Study the advertisement.
You are considering putting your pet dog into the boarding kennel for some days while you are away and now you’d like to get more information. In 1.5 minutes you are to ask four direct questions to find out about the following:
- how far in advance you need to book
- vaccinations your dog needs
- number of walks your dog will get each day
- if there will be webcam access to your dog’s kennel
You have 20 seconds to ask each question.
Task 3
You are going to give an interview. You have to answer five questions. Give full answers to the questions (2–3 sentences). Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question.
Tapescript for Task 3
Interviewer: Hello everybody! It’s Teenagers Round the World Channel. Our guest today is a teenager from Russia and we are going to discuss a circle of friends. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started.
Interviewer: Do you have a wide circle of friends? Are they mostly online, offline or mixed-mode friendships?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: What do you value most in a friendship?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: Does our circle of friends change over time? If yes, why do you think this happens?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: Do you think having a small circle of the right people, people you can trust and rely on, is better than a huge friendship circle? Why or why not?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: Friendships that stand the test of time and distance are valuable, aren’t they? What are some other requirements for a strong friendship?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: Thank you very much for your interview.
Task 4
Imagine that you and your friend are doing a school project “Places to go shopping”. You have found some photos to illustrate it but for technical reasons you cannot send them now. Leave a voice message to your friend explaining your choice of the photos and sharing some ideas about the project. In 2.5 minutes be ready to:
- explain the choice of the illustrations for the project by briefly describing them and noting the differences;
- mention the advantages (1–2) of the two shopping places;
- mention the disadvantages (1–2) of the two shopping places;
- express your opinion on the subject of the project – which of the shopping places presented in the pictures you prefer and why.
You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (12–15 sentences). You have to talk continuously.
