FRIENDS AND I 1 Reading practice My friends

МУ FRIENDS AND I

� � � � 1. Reading practice. My friends. Friendship means very much in your life. You realize it fully when you think how you can live without your friends. In many cases it’s unimaginable. That’s why the Englishmen say , “A friend in need is friend indeed”. The borderline between friends and acquaintances is different in Russian and English culture: Russian often say that close friends are not numerous. You have only from one to three true friends whom you can confide in and share all your troubles. All the others are just those with whom you can spend free time or discuss recent news and popular films. Whereas Englishmen think that anyone with whom you are on good terms is your friend. American view on friendship is even more exaggerated. But, as you know, “So many countries, so many customs”. Even friendship is different in different countries. I would like to speak about my closest friend. His name is Sergey. We know each other since early childhood. When we were boys, we went to the country together, played tennis, swam in the river and had fun. We studied in the same school and often helped each other in our homework. When I was a teenager, I had many problems and questions without answers, and I always turned to Sergey for help. I also supported him when he needed it. Now we see each other not so often, because we don’t study together. But we are still very good friends, that will never betray each other.

� � � 2. Answer the following questions to the text 1. Does the author think that friendship means very much in your life? 2. What is the borderline between friends and acquaintances in Russian culture? 3. Where is this borderline in English culture? 4. How long has the author known his best friend? 5. Do they see each other very often now?

� � � 3. Listening You will hear five teenagers talking about their friends and relationships. Choose from the list A-F a sentence that describes each speaker. Use letters only once. There is an extra letter which you don’t need to use. Speaker 1. We don’t make friends with the boys in your class. We don’t have similar interests. Our boys spend so much time playing stupid computer games that they live in a virtual world. Speaker 2. Getting on with people can be very simple: be tolerant. Tolerance means to respect other people’s likes and dislikes, opinions and beliefs. It also means not to start an argument over something you disagree with. Speaker 3. I prefer friends that stick around. It doesn’t matter if they are different from me or similar to me. I value loyalty and responsibility in my friends. Speaker 4. Kelly always looks on the gloomy side or whatever’s negative. It’s irritating. Nobody likes to hear every day that things are bad and even bound to get worse. She is rather pessimistic. Speaker 5. My friends’ attitude to Sasha is not very positive, but it doesn’t matter to me. I won’t change my opinion of him. Our relations are as good as before. I’m the only person who understands him. I’m not going to change my opinion of my friends Sasha. Keep things to yourself that could hurt other people feelings I prefer friends that never betray others. Our boys live in a virtual world. Pessimistic people irritate me.

� � � � 4. Vocabulary. Match these verbs with their Russian equivalents. 1. to betray а) отказывать 2. to forgive b) вернуть, заменять 3. to last c) предавать 4. to obey d) оценивать 5. to replace e) продолжаться, длиться 6. to refuse f) слушаться 7. to value g) прощать

� � � � 5. Complete the sentences using the verbs from 4. Vocabulary 1. A friend is a person who understands and _____. 2. A false friend is a person who _______others. 3. Friendship is a thing that _____forever. 4. Nothing can ______a best friend. 5. Peter’s younger sister doesn’t ______his orders. 6. If you _____my friendship, please do what I say.

� 6. Match the characteristics with their opposites. 1. Polite a) untidy 2. Careful b) merciless 3. Tidy c) unkind 4. Kind d) careless 5. Merciful e) untrusting 6. Trusting f) impolite 7. Reliable g) thoughtless � 8. Thoughtful � � � � h) unreliable

� � � � 7. Match English and Russian words and expressions. 1. to bully a) чувствовать себя виноватым 2. to chatter b) драться 3. to chat c) извиняться 4. to fight d) порицать 5. to blame e) обращать внимание 6. to apologize f) держать слово 7. to call names g) сплетничать 8. to pay attention h) обзывать 9. to keep one’s word i) ладить 10) to get on with j) потеряться 11) to be lost k) задирать 12) to feel guilty l) болтать дружески

� � � 8. Complete the sentences using one of the above words and expressions ( don’t forget to use the proper tense of the verb) 1. Tom _______in Disney World. He couldn’t find his friends. He was very worried. But Nick and Paul found him. 2. If you_____it’s never too late______. 3. Nobody______to Ginger at the carnival. Marcy ______herself that Ginger ran away. 4. If my mark is better than Joel’s mark, he always ____me _______. 5. Kate’s best point is that she never _______about her classmates. 6. Mandy doesn’t _____her classmates. She sometimes _____them. 7. Kelly’s star sigh sign in Gemini. She likes ______with her friends. 8. Clint ______if he promises something. 9. Ted had a black eye. He ____with a bully.

� � � � 9. Complete these questions. 1. _____are your friends like? 2. _____you often ask you friend for advice? 3. _____you ever lost friends? 4. _____are your qualities as a person? 5. _____your friends influence your life? 6. _____ friendship important to you? 7. _____it hard for you to maintain a friendship?

� � � � � 10. Speak about your friends or about your best friend. 1. Do you have any childhood friendships that are still strong today? 2. Do you have any long distance friends? How do you keep in touch with your long-distance friends? 3. How do you make new friends? 4. How many people do you consider your “best friends”? 5. What do you usually do with your friends? 6. What factors may result in the breakdown of a good friendship? 7. What is the longest friendship that you have had? 8. What qualities do you think are important in a friend?

� � � 11. Match the proverbs and sayings and their equivalents. 1. Bird may be known by its song 1. Друзья познаются в беде 2. Deeds, not words 2. Слова не должны расходиться с делом 3. Practise what you preach 3. Видна птица по полёту 4. A friend in need is a friend indeed 4. Не по словам судят, а по делам