Human Personality
I’m … (your name and surname). I’m … (age). I’d like to tell you about my family.
Our family is not large, it consists of 3 members. They are: my mother, my sister and I am.
In my opinion, family is an emotional centre of a person’s life, transmitter of culture, the place where children are being raised. The process of up-bringing children is difficult. It requires much efforts, mature respect, tolerance. In happy families parents are frankly honest with their children and children, in their turn, learn how to get on well with other people.
The proverb says: "Men make houses, women make homes.” In my view, it means that the man provides for his family, pays attention to the problems of the members of the family. And the woman creates the homely atmosphere, encourages her husband and children to keep up family traditions and keeps the house. Together they bring up their children in the right way.
And now I’d like to say some words about all members of my family.
My mother’s name is … . She is in her early forties, 40 to be exact. I must say she looks young for her age. She is a tall and well-built woman with close-cut brown curly hair. She is good at house-keeping and she is an excellent cooker. She has a lot of good qualities. She is a calm, sociable, wise, jolly, cheerful and thoughtful woman. I like her grey eyes, her soft voice and the way she smiles. I admire her sense of humor. My mother is a busy woman. She is a book-keeper.
My sister’s name is … . Like her mother … has grey eyes and short fair hair. She is an attractive girl. She is neither tall nor short. She is a slender girl. Usually she is well-dressed. She is a clever, talkative, friendly and polite girl. I think that boys think a lot of her. She looks very much like her mother. She is an obedient cheerful girl. She always has a common sense. She is a pupil of the 8th form. English and History are her favourite subjects at school.
My name is … . I’m … years old. My hair is fair and long. My eyes are grey. I think I’m a sociable and friendly girl. I have a straight nose, oval face with fair complexion. My voice is clear and soft. My smile is happy. I’m always honest with people. I’m fond of cooking and reading books about the history of the world. I think I’m a person of a strong character. I like to dress in a modern style. I like to go to the disco, meet my friends and go for a walk. Now I study at school, at the 9th form and Math is my favorite subject.
Our family is a very united. We like to spend time together.
In the evening we watch TV, read books and newspapers, listen to music or just talk about the events of the day. We are happy when we are together. I have a lot of relatives and we all are on friendly terms.
My friend (Natasha)
What about me I have known my best friend Natasha almost all my life, but 1 can never forget our first meeting. It was in summer when our families decided to rest in the south together. When we drove up to their house my attention was attracted by a little tidy girl in a rose dress, who was sitting to squat and playing with her long blond curl, but I can't say that my first impressions were the same as my opinion about her now, because meeting people for the first time we always make a judgment based on their appearance though the proverb tells us not to make such a mistake. At first she seemed to me so correct, obedient and shy that I didn't like her, but when we began to communicate closer I understood I was mistaken. I think it makes sense to say that when we returned home we were loyal friends.
Today she has changed a lot but we are still best friends and now I think Natasha is a very charming and pretty seventeen-year-old girl. She isn't tall and I can't even say that she is of average height but she is always smart and elegant. Natasha has an attractive face which is broaden with open and frank features. She is the owner of a blunt nose, large expressive green eyes and radiant smile that immediately makes people smile in return. Her blond hair and sort voice make her similar to a little beautiful princess from a fairy-tale.
My friend likes casual clothes. Natasha hates skirts and formal blouses, but adores tight-fitting trousers and casual T-shirts. She prefers low-heeled shoes to high-heeled, because they are more comfortable to her mind.
I believe that Natasha is a very amazing girl, because she differs from other people. When she was about twelve she became a real tomboy, she communicated only with boys except me, she liked to play rough and boys' games and she even decided to go to the army when she would come of age. All her friends and relatives tried to dissuade her and at least she agreed, but frankly speaking. I can't understand her desire even now, though in general we are very alike. It's true that Natasha is a very enthusiastic and active person, you can hardly find her sitting at one place without doing anything but in spite of it she constantly has no free time. My friend is a gregarious person and an optimist; she is never bored but always smiles and laughs, that is why I like her fascinating smile very much. I should say I can never be bored it my friend keeps company for me, because she is so cheerful and joyous. She is responsible and original, I think. Such friends like she can be characterized as devoted. frank and careful, because she can never refuse if I need support or a piece of advice, she is always eager to help me and to calm me with the help of a tender word. To my mind Natasha is an intelligent, skillful and diligent girl, that's why her success in study is brilliant. Now she studies at gymnasium number 56 in physics-mathematics class. I'd like to add that she is a great daydreamer, because she has always got her head in the clouds and she is always dreaming about something.
But like other people she isn't an ideal. Sometimes she is too lazy and stubborn and I dislike it a bit. She is rather impatient, because she can't wait for long. But these features of her character don't matter much for me; I try not to pay attention to them because in general she is a wonderful person, whom I worship a lot.
Though Natasha is a busy girl and she doesn't have much free time, she always tries to find spare time for her hobbies and interests, because she has a lot of them. Most of all she likes to play computer games and solve various problems on it. She says she can't imagine her life without this machine. When Natasha relaxes she likes to look through different interesting magazines and newspapers but she doesn't like to read books, especially large books like "War and Piece" by Tolstoy. Sometimes she can write poems about love. It happens rarely but I'm always the first person who reads her poems and gives an objective mark. Natasha is fond of sport but this year she has very little time for it, because she is very busy with her studying, because she enters the university this year.
And unfortunately that is the main reason why we see each other quite rarely, but we phone each other almost every day, we try to meet on our days off and that's why we don't feel separation from each other. Though I can't see Natasha every day I think about her all the time.
At these rare times when we see each other we like to attend cinema or central park, but most of all we like to speak. When we meet our mouths are never close because we can speak for hours, I can discuss with my best friend such problems that I can't discuss with my parents. We speak about fellows and our relations with them, we discuss our problems with parents and share our thoughts and dreams. It doesn't mean that I can't say about all these things to my mother, but I know that nobody can understand me better than Natasha. I know that only she can support me and help me in everything, because we are very alike, we think in the same way and our points of view often coincide, but in spite of it I can't say that nothing worries me in our relationships, though also I can't say there are some real problems or misunderstandings between us. We see each other rather rarely, because we live in different districts and she is too busy even on days off and I dislike it a lot. I consider she is a bit disorderly and she can't plan her day off in a right way, that's why she doesn't manage to do everything she wants. Natasha often has troubles and problems with her parents and it is another thing that worries me. I know her parents very well and to my mind they are wonderful people, but sometimes my friend can be rude to them and as a result they quarrel, when she tells me about such quarrels I can't take her side because I don't approve her behaviour, that's why I prefer to keep silence in such situations. Sometimes her flippant attitude to some things worries me very much. In my opinion she is too flippant in her attitude to preventive words of others. But I believe that all these things can't destroy our friendship, though they influence it a bit.
And of course in some cases our points of view can differ, for example, sometimes our opinions can be different in clothes, music or films. In such situations we freely express our points of view, we can even argue but we never suppress each other. To my mind thoughts, opinions and habits of your friend can influence you a lot, but they should not destroy your own personality, they shouldn't influence you if you don't want it. I'm happy that both of us understand it.
MY FRIENDS. FRIENDSHIP
Friendship is very great thing. An English proverb says: "A good friend is as the sun in winter”. I think it is a good proverb. A real friend makes your life happier and more interesting.
He/she is clear to you and you want your friendship to last for a very long time. You must always think how to keep it, as it difficult to find a new friend.
Friends have the same interests; they understand, help, respect and trust each other.
As for me I have a friend, too… We like to be together. We often listen to music (go to the cinema, walk about the city, play games, read books) together. We have the same hobby and devote all our free time to it. We speak of all sorts of things. We tell each other our secrets and troubles. Together we decide what to do.
It is interesting to discuss our school life, films that we have seen, interesting books, TV programmes, political news, and the results of sport events.
I never quarrel with my friends (if we quarrel we try to make peace as soon as possible). We share the same ideas about sports (music, books, films friendship). But of course there are some issues on which we have different opinions.
What I like in my friend is that she (he) is always willing to help, to share his knowledge (success, feelings). I like that she (he) is very sensitive, she (he) knows a lot, I can rely on her (him) in any situation. I trust her (him) a lot and she (he) never lets me down.
I respect her (him) for her (his) fairness, strong will. She (he) is very kind-hearted, honest, serious, well-bred, modest, and intelligent. It is easy to get along with her (him). She (he) is always full of ideas. She (he) is good at sports, drawing and music. And there is only one thing I don’t like in her (him): she (he) is sometimes hot-tempered.
Friendship helps me to feel strong and self-confident.
HEALTHY FOOD IS A WAY TO KEEP FIT
Most of us eat without realizing what our food consists of. And, like any other machine, the body functions better or worse according to the fuel we feed it. No one single food will kill us, but a combination of the wrong sorts of food can cause ill health. Perhaps we ought to stop and think for a moment.
Chemical additives (добавки) in food certainly make it tastier and more attractive to look at when it often consists mainly of sugar. This is dangerous not only for our body but also for our teeth. We should cut down (сокращать) on sweets, ice-cream and soft drinks.
Sugar is not the only danger. The next time we eat lamb (ягненок)chops or cheese, or drink a glass of milk, we should remember the high level of fat they contain. Too much fat may lead to heart disease.
In order to be really healthy, our bodies need fiber. Without a sufficient (достаточное) amount, the digestion (пищеварение) cannot function properly. We ought to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, bread and cereals such as rice. Fiber also fills us up, makes us feel less hungry and so we eat less of the wrong kinds of food.
Our body needs energy, protein, minerals, vitamins and fiber. In order to get all of these it is important to have a varied and balanced diet, and to eat the right amount. Our body "burns” food to get energy: the amount of energy provided by food is measured (измеряется) in units called calories.
If you eat more than you need, the extra calories turn into fat: if you eat less than you need, the body burns fat to get energy and you lose weight. One way of losing weight is by dieting – eating less. Another way is to go on eating the same amount, but to increase our body’s need for energy by taking more exercise. But be careful. It is important to slim – or to start an exercise programme – gradually (постепенно). Don’t try to lose a lot of weight fast. It doesn’t usually work, and it can be dangerous.
Those of you who are a little overweight need not think of a diet as punishment, if you follow a sensible (разумный) eating plan. To lose weight regularly, we should not eat more that 1500 calories a day. There is one condition, however. You must want to lose weight and not just think you ought to do it. When you have decided, you will have to buy a special booklet which tells you the number of calories in every type of food. You will also have to buy two reliable scales, one for weighing your food, the other for weighing yourself. You must keep an accurate (точный) record of everything you eat and weigh yourself at the same time every week. If you follow the plan carefully, you should lose an average of 2 and a half pounds (1 kilo) a week.
It’s a pity, but people in our country don’t eat right food and don’t keeping on a diet. So, we can say ‘WHAT IS FOR Russian MEAT IS A British MAN’S POISON”.
SEASONS 1
The most pleasant season in Europe is the spring, from March till June. In May the weather is fine. The trees put forth little buds, the meadows grow green; the flowers begin to bloom. There are no sharp frosts during the night. The nightingale, swallow, cuckoo, and other birds come back from Africa, build their nests, lay and hatch their eggs and rear their young ones. The new crop is shooting (up). Nature looks full of promise.
By the end of June the weather becomes considerably warmer: summer has come. Sometimes it is very close, and the heat is almost unbearable; then a thunderstorm usually brings relief. Dark clouds gather in the sky; it lightens and thunders, and the rain falls shortly after. A heavy downpour or a hailstorm makes the air cool down very quickly.
When the heat gets too oppressive and people can no longer bear it, they go bathing and swimming.
In summer cherries, apricots, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, currants, blackberries, and other fruits ripe.
In September autumn begins. The weather is cooler than in summer, and the leaves change colour and fall off. Apples and pears are now ripe. Most birds go away to warmer countries; only the sparrow and a few others remain.
November is the month of fogs. A London fog – " as thick as pea-soup”, or even at times quite black – is a thing to be remembered. When it comes on the street-lamps must be lighted. Fog-signals are heard on the Thames and the railways, and the trains are late.
Winter is the season of snowstorms and of ice. During the winter there is a lot of rain in England but little snow. The British Isles being surrounded by the Ocean, and washed by the warm Gulf Stream, have a more equable climate than Central Europe.
SEASONS 2
Spring is the liveliest season of the year. But not from the very beginning.
People suffer a great deal from bad weather in early spring. That is why in England they call the first spring month " windy and blustery March”.
There are two English sayings characterizing March as a cold and unpleasant month: "March comes in like the lion and goes out like the lamb” and "Never cast a clout till March be out”.
It is April that brings in fine weather and people call it "the sweet month”. It brings the lengthening of the days – the translucent quality of the light at dusk, the gusty, showery winds. "April showers bring May flowers,” they say. The air is rich with a fragrance of young grass and the breath of the early spring flowers foremost among them "the herald of spring – the snowdrop”.
Dickens called summer the prime and vigour of the year. Summer is a luxuriant season: the larks send their thrilling songs from the blue sky; the robins fill the forests with their voices. The meadows are fragrant with hosts of wild flowers such as bluebells, buttercups, poppies, daffodils and daisies.
The air rings with the shrill sounds produced by insects. Everywhere dragonflies, bees and bumblebees dart with a buzzing sound; beetles and furry caterpillars hasten to and fro about their business, gnats and butterflies fly in hosts. Autumn is dear to man due to its mellow fruitfulness. All fruit are filled with ripeness to the core. The mossy cottage-trees bend with apples, pears and plums. The vine is heavy with grapes. The watermelons, pumpkins and cucumbers swell on their beds. And in the woods the hazel shells are plump with sweet kernels. Autumn is a maturing season.
Autumn is a season full of significance for man. His efforts are never in vain. Nature will always kindly and generously reward man for his exertions.
After the pleasant time of harvesting the picture changes – in comes the late autumn with its rains, gusts of wind, grey cloudy skies and mists. The roads are muddy, there are pools everywhere. The flowers begin to wither, the trees shed their leaves. Here and there one can see a solitary vine clinging to the mouldering wall. But at every gust the dead leaves fall. The days are dark and dreary.
Both sides of autumn – the merry harvesting time and the dreary rainy time – have always attracted poets, painters, and composers. After autumn comes winter.
Winter is a season of black and white. The colours are washed away from the trees leaving the naked branches black while snow is covering the earth.
Winter is a season of black and white. The colours are frozen. The snow covers the fences and hedges so that they no longer mark the road over the plain. The clouds are grey like ashes. The red sun flashes through the grey clouds on the windows and they glimmer red.
But the pictures of winter are not always gloomy and dreary. The sun in winter can shine from a clear blue sky and the snow sparkles then under it like jewels.
Winter sports are magnificent: skating, skiing, tobogganing are the favourite winter sports of young people.
Winter is not the same everywhere of course. In Siberia for instance and North Canada winter is snowy, severe, cold and long lasting. The temperature falls as low as 50-60 Centigrade. Blizzards rage for days covering vast areas with a thick layer of rains and winds. It never snows there.
Each season of the year possesses its own charm, has its own beauty and significance to man.
SEASONS AND WEATHER
The naughtiest thing in the world is the weather. It is like a capricious woman who always does the opposite to what you ask her and does not feel any pangs of remorse.
To tell the truth sometimes the weather is ashamed and turns for the better. But not always. More often it sticks to its own pattern and after a short warm spell turns bad again. Why is it always like this? Maybe the weather likes surprises and wants to bring in adventure to our life breaking the boring routine with marvelous happenings? Anyway, the weather can be wonderful, delightful, and splendid if you know the proverb: "The nature hasn’t bad weather, we have unsuitable clothes”.
All of us know that there are four seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn. I’d like to start with spring. I don’t know more beautiful season than spring, especially May. Everything awakes from its winter sleep. At first, the ground thaws, so there is mud and a great number of pools everywhere. Snow melts and little streams flow merrily. As the sun shines more and more brightly and warmer, the slush disappears and the loveliest period of the year starts. New life, new dreams appear with it. We can’t but notice great changes in nature. The trees burst into a cloud of blossom. The fields and meadows are covered with fresh green grass. Wild flowers begin to peep forth and the white snow-drop is one of the first spring flowers to appear. Then forget-me-nots, lilies of the valley, violets, primroses, tulips and daffodils, lilacs and jasmine feel the air with a sweet fragrances. The sky is blue and there is not a single cloud in it. At night, millions of stars shine in the darkness. The birds have already came back from the South, so the woods and forests are filled with their songs and twittering. They build their nests, hatch and rear the chicks. Nature is full of promise. Everything is so fresh and wonderful that you cannot resist this world and not to fall in love with it. Everything is looking forward to summer.
Dickens called summer the prime and vigor of the year. Summer is a luxuriant season. The larks send their thrilling songs from the blue sky, the robins fill the forests with their voices. The meadows are fragrant with hosts of wild flowers such as bluebells, buttercups, poppies, daffodils and daisies. June is the month of roses, a sweet smell rises from the blooming flowers. A warm breeze stirs the leaves of the birches. The air rings with the shrill sounds produces by insects. Everywhere dragonflies, bees and bumblebees dart with a buzzing sound, beetles and furry caterpillars hasten to and fro about their business, gnats and butterflies fly in hosts. How beautiful are the fields around! The wheat is golden, the grass is green. Summer is full of beauty.
Summer is the hottest season of the year. By the end of June the weather becomes considerably warmer, even oppressive and people can no longer bear it, so they go bathing and swimming. What a pleasure it is to lie in the sun, get suntanned or splash in the water. Sometimes it is very close, and the heat is almost unbearable. Then a thunderstorm brings a relief. The sky is so heavily cast with low dark clouds. The downpours follow one another with such frequency, the rolls of thunder and flashes of lightning are frightening. But it doesn’t last long. A heavy downpour or a hailstorm cools the air down very quickly. The flowers smell sweet, the sun shines brightly, the air is clear and there is a rainbow in the sky.
Summer is the farmer’s busy season. He works in his field from morning till evening. The grass must be cut, the hey must be made white the dry weather lasts. The hot sun ripens the corn and the fruit. There are plenty of strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, plums, apricots, peaches, currants, water melons which afford a treat for old and young. Besides it’s time to gather mushrooms and nuts.
And on moves the earth in its race round the sun. The days are becoming shorter, the sun rays are loosing their glittering force – autumn is approaching. The beautiful nature thanked the laborious farmer for his work in the fields, meadows and orchards by giving him good harvest. The trees that not long ago bloomed with flowers are now changing their colour from green to golden dark brown, red and orange. The period of fine weather, which is called Indian Summer sets in. The days are full of sunshine and charm, there isn’t a single cloud in the sky, the air is clear and fresh. It is the most glorious and gorgeous time of the year. Nature looks beautiful then in its golden garment, light wet flows in the air, everything is quiet and still. The sun gives its warmth to the last drop. It’s a real pleasure to go for a stroll in the park. But everything comes to an end and deep, gloomy autumn comes into its own. We don’t hear the sweet melody of birds as they have flown away to far distant warm counties. Everything begins to take a different colour in the lonely quiet of the countryside. The trees look bare for they have cast off the leaves, which are now covering the ground with a multicolored carpet. The fragrant flowers have faded away. The sky is overcast with low, heavy black clouds. It is very chilly, a piercing wind blows, it is constantly drizzling. It is more pleasant to stay indoors in front of the fireplace in a soft armchair with a cup of hot coffee. It is muddy, there are many pools in the street. In the morning it can be very foggy. Everything is grey and unhappy. The weather is very changeable, so you must be ready for everything, if it doesn’t rain in the morning it doesn’t mean that it will not rain in the evening. The nights are dark and cold. There is a breath of winter in the air, everything tells about its approach.
It is getting colder day by day. The cold makes the hands stiff and frost-bitten noses. It’s on a morning in December that you get up and look out of the window and see that the ground, the roofs of the houses are covered with a white sheet of snow. Winter comes into its own. The snow lies thick, the birds hop about looking in vain for food. Ponds, lakes, rivers and streams are frozen and there is icing on the roads, that’s why people slide and slip from time to time. Winter is a season of black and white. The colours are frozen. The clouds are grey like ashes. The red sun flashes through the grey clouds on the window and they glimmer red. Sometimes there can be blizzards. Then the wind is severe and sharp. The snowflakes are driving in people’s faces.
But the pictures of winter are not always gloomy and dull. On a frosty sunny day the nature looks splendid and magnificent: the hoarfrost sparkles under the sun like jewels. The sky is clear and blue, the air is fresh and crisp. And think of the joys of children and grown-ups! How many activities they can do! After the first snowfall they are out making snowmen, building snow huts, playing snowballs. It is also a good time for different sports: skating, skiing, hockey, sledging.
All seasons are different and each of them has its own charm. We are to notice and appreciate it and then the world will be wonderful and full of miracles all the year round.