FRIENDSHIP

1) Let’s talk about friendship. What role do friends play in our lives?

People say that if you haven’t learnt the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learnt anything. To me friendship is very important. I have fun with friends and I can relax. I can also be myself. True friends never let me down, never go back on promises or forget about me. A true friend will also never put me down or hurt me. They are always there for me to hold my hand in difficult situations. A friend would love and support me no matter what. A true friend will always cover my back and help me out when I ask him to.

I can say that I have a lot of friends, but today I’d like to describe my best friend Tanya, because I know her the longest. Tanya is a very beautiful girl of 16. She is of medium height, she has curly blond hair and blue eyes. I like her style, because she often wears dresses, which suit her.

Tanya is a very talented girl. She is good at writing and she often writes articles for our school newspaper. She is also keen on languages, that’s why she is going to study English at the university.

We always hang out with her and the rest of my friends in the park, study together or talk for hours. I love my friend and I think that we will always stick together.

People say that friendship isn’t a big thing, it’s a million little things. For me these are loyalty and trust, respect and sincerity, affection and acceptance. It is also lack of arrogance. These are the little things that make our friendship special.

2) Can you rely on your friend in any situation?

Tanya is reliable, kind-hearted and generous, she can always help me or give me a piece of advice. I can trust her all my secrets and be sure she won’t tell anyone. She is also ready to help me in any dangerous situation. For example, two years ago I lost a large sum of money. Tanya gave that money to me and didn’t even ask me any questions and didn’t expect to get it back. As people say, “A friend in need is a friend indeed”.

3) What can you advise a teenager who is starting a new school and is afraid of bullies?

It is very difficult to start a new school, because you have no friends. But some teenagers come across a more difficult problem – bullies. A bully is a person who attacks someone physically or mentally, uses name-calling and plays ugly tricks on others. They make their victims feel miserable. What can be done to stop these mean people? We shouldn’t give them our attention. We should also talk to our parents or teachers, who can stop the threats. Also it is very important to talk to our friends. A bully can only pick on people who are weaker. But if we have friends who cover our back we are stronger.

4) Nowadays many young people have hundreds of friends in social networks. Do you agree that this friendship is real?

Nowadays some teenagers have 300 friends in VKontakte or on Facebook. I think that social networks are very popular and influence the way we communicate. It is easy to have conversations without leaving your house, listen to music, watch videos, and so on. However, some teenagers lose touch with reality. They prefer the number of friends to genuine friendship. As a result they can say that they have lots of friends, but in a difficult situation they might have no-one to rely on. That’s why I think that social networks are good for us, but only within reasonable limits.

5) What questions do you usually ask when you want to become friends with someone?

LIVING IN THE COUNTRY VS. LIVING IN THE CITY

1) Let’s talk about living in the country and living in the city. A lot of people want to live in the country nowadays. What are the advantages of living in the country? Are there any disadvantages?

            Living in the country has become very popular in Europe recently. A lot of people move to villages and small towns and enjoy the life there.

Living in the country has many advantages. Firstly, here you can breathe fresh air. Ecological situation is not very good in big cities, because of harmful gases released by factories and exhaust fumes released by cars. Secondly, the life in the country is very quiet. A lot of people move there to avoid the rat race, which is normal in cities: everyone wants to get more money and boast of having the best house, car, phone and so on. But very often such people forget about or don’t have time for families. So, if they want their children to have a better life, they choose to go to the village. In Europe the houses in the country are cheaper. It is very typical of them to commute to work from a small town. Many Europeans want to have a garden around their house and grow organic food.

Of course, there are some disadvantages to living in the country. For example, you are far away from cafes, schools, kindergartens, clubs, shops and social life. Your friends live far away. A lot of people can feel bored, lonely and isolated. There aren’t too many career opportunities. Also there often will be no modern conveniences or technologies in your village.

In conclusion, I’d like to say that it is up to you to decide, if you want to live in a busy city or a quiet village. Some people will enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of a village and others will not be able to live without the hustle and bustle of a large town.

2) Is Grodno a comfortable place to live?

            Grodno is a big city in the West of Belarus. It is a very comfortable place to live. Here you can buy a big town house or a flat – the variety of choice is great. In Grodno you will find all the modern conveniences (hot and cold running water, central heating, electricity) and modern technologies (the Internet, television, phone) that you need. In my city there are a lot of clubs, cafes, restaurants, shops. Here you can get good education, because there are over 40 schools, where you can choose different specializations, and three universities. People are provided with the best medical care in the country. The ecological situation is good. The river Neman flows through our city and there are some lakes, where people can swim in summer. Grodno is very picturesque with a lot of historical monuments. It is close to Belarusian and European places of interest. Also the city is very clean and beautiful. The people of Grodno are very hospitable and are always glad to see guests.

All in all, my city is one of the best places to live in the world.

3) Where would you like to live and why?

            A. I’d like to live in the city, because I am used to living there. I have a supermarket, a school and some cafes next to my house. It is important for me to communicate to my friends and to different facilities. I love the variety of choice in the city: I can have anything I want and need. Fashion is also high on my list of priorities. That’s why I think that a big city is the best place for me.

B. I’d love to live in the country not far from a big city. Here I would have all the modern conveniences and access to technologies that I need for comfortable living. Also I will be close to my job or university. At the same time I can have a garden, lots of fresh air and lead the healthy and relaxed lifestyle that I want. Nowadays it is easy to get to such places if you have a car. So everything is at hand, but at the same time you live in a gorgeous place away from civilization.

4) What recommendations will you give a British tourist: to spend their holidays in a Belarusian village or in Minsk?

            Belarus has lots to offer to foreign tourists. Those who want to see the lifestyles of people who lived long ago should visit a typical Belarusian village. There they will enjoy the simple way of life; they can pick berries or mushrooms, visit a sauna or swim in a lake. They can have barbeques and hear the beautiful national songs.

            Those who prefer big city life should travel to Minsk. It is an amazing city with wide streets, ancient churches, cafes, restaurants and parks. The National Library is worth visiting, because it is one of the biggest and the most unusual libraries in the world. There are lots of museums and galleries, too.

5) Your family is going to move. What questions will you ask them about your new house?