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.
Every autumn, Canadian and American families gather for a day centred around community, food and giving thanks – the day of Thanksgiving. In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. In the United States, it is on the fourth Thursday in November. It is an occasion to spend time with loved ones and express gratitude for the good things in life and the year that has passed.
Thanksgiving dinner traditionally includes roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and, for dessert, apple, pumpkin or pecan pies. Every family has its own recipes, sometimes secret recipes handed down through generations. Beyond food and gratitude, there are some unexpected sides to the American and Canadian holiday. One of these is football. This popular sport is an important part of the holiday, when families gather around to cheer on local or national teams.
Task 2
Study the advertisement.
Experience art in virtual reality!
You are considering visiting this VR gallery 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:
- admission fee
- types of VR art shown
- best time to visit to avoid crowds
- special packages for first-time visitors
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 teenagers’ attitude to school uniform. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started.
Interviewer: Does your school require a uniform? If so, what does it look like for boys and girls?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: Do schools in Russia have the same uniform, or does it vary by region or school?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: What are the advantages of having a school uniform, in your opinion?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: Are there any disadvantages to wearing a school uniform? If so, what are they?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: Do you think it’s better to have a school uniform or to wear what you like? Why?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: Thank you very much for your interview.
Task 4
Imagine that you and your friend are doing a school project “Travel experiences”. 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 ways of travelling;
- mention the disadvantages (1–2) of the two ways of travelling;
- express your opinion on the subject of the project – say which way of travelling presented in the pictures you’d prefer and why.
You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (12–15 sentences). You have to talk continuously.
