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.
Thousands of years ago, ancient people studied the stars in the sky. From their research, they came up with the zodiac, a map of the sun, moon, stars, and planets. It was first used to keep track of time. These ancient astrologers studied the constellations and their positions in the sky. They wanted to know when each constellation was closest to the sun. They used this information to determine where each group of stars belongs in the zodiac. The word zodiac actually means ‘circle of little animals’ in Latin, and refers to how the constellations are shaped. The zodiac has remained the same for over a thousand years. It is broken up into 12 equal parts, each associated with a star sign.
Today, some people believe that the zodiac can be used to describe a person’s personality. Some also believe that by studying the zodiac, they can predict what will happen in the future. According to these beliefs, a person’s zodiac sign is connected to his or her birth date.
Task 2
Study the advertisement.
An immersive experience!
An out of this world adventure!
You are considering attending this UFO Festival 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:
- festival hours
- entertainment schedule
- cost to attend
- photography policy
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 school traditions. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started.
Interviewer: What traditions at your school did you enjoy the most, and why?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: What cultural traditions does your school have?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: How do schools in Russia celebrate the beginning of the school year?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: What traditions do Russian schools have to mark the end of the school year?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: Why do you think traditions are an important part of school life?
Student: _________________________
Interviewer: Thank you very much for your interview.
Task 4
Imagine that you and your friend are doing a school project “Ways to support sports teams”. 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 to support sports teams;
- mention the disadvantages (1–2) of the two ways to support sports teams;
- express your opinion on the subject of the project – which of these ways to support sports teams you’d prefer and why.
You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (12–15 sentences). You have to talk continuously.
