Тема / Топик по английскому языку:
Му School

Let me introduce myself. My name is Ekaterina Ivanova. I am a pupil of the 11th form of a secondary school in Moscow. Our school is a gymnasium. It offers a general course of academic and non-academic subjects, and gives secondary education. Besides, it offers a number of courses in a variety of fields: the humanities, mathematics, natural sciences. My school used to be a specialized school, offering a course of English. It had been known for its academic excellence. Some years ago it was reorganized in a gymnasium but, fortunately, the changes haven’t led to lower teaching standards. Moreover, better trained teachers of Social Sciences, Russian and Literature have been employed. In my opinion, the quality of teaching at our school is much better now than it used to be.

I specialize in the humanities. The course I take includes Russian, Russian Literature, Social Sciences and two foreign languages - French and English. I’ve always liked social sciences and foreign languages.

My school is very well equipped. There are sporting facilities including a gym and a swimming pool on the ground floor, and a sports ground with a tennis court outside the school building. On the ground floor, we have a library with a reading hall, a language lab, a home economics room and a canteen. On the second floor, there is a large assembly hall and Physics, Chemistry and Biology labs. We have also several computer rooms where basic computer skills are taught.

We have classes 5 days a week, from half past 8 in the morning till 3 or 4 in the afternoon. After classes you can participate in extracurricular activities including all kinds of school clubs and societies. At our school you can be a member of a choir, an orchestra, an arts club, a track-and-field club, the English-Speaking Club and a drama club. I’m a member of the English-Speaking Club aiming at giving a deeper knowledge of the subject and developing communication skills. Our English-speaking club has a theatre, too, staging drama in English. I have enjoyed playing all the parts I’ve been given, though they have been minor. Frankly speaking, I’m not very good at acting, but I hope things’ll improve.

English is my favourite subject. I enjoy dramatizing texts and dialogues, learning new words and grammar, setting up role plays or just communicating in English.

I like my class, too. I always feel at home there. Everybody is friendly and easy to get along with. I’m on good terms with most of my classmates, and we often spend our free time together.

I hope my school education will form a basis for my future occupation. It goes without saying that I’ll need some extra knowledge to pass my entrance exams to the university. That is the reason why I take a preparatory course at the University.

Anyway, I’m sure I’ll always remember my school years and the friendships I have made at school.

Topical Vocabulary

- to introduce oneself
представиться
a secondary school
средняя школа
a gymnasium
гимназия
to offer a general course of academic and non-academic subjects
предлагать общий курс академических и неакадемических предметов
to give secondary education
дать среднее образование
to offer a number of courses in a variety of fields
предлагать ряд курсов в различных областях
the humanities
гуманитарные науки
a natural science
естественная наука
a specialized school
специальная школа
to be known for academic excellence
быть известным качеством обучения
to be reorganized in a gymnasium
быть реорганизованным в гимназию
to lead to lower teaching standards
привести к снижению уровня обучения
to employ better trained teachers
нанять лучше подготовленных учителей
the quality of teaching
качество преподавания
- to specialize in the humanities
специализироваться по гуманитарным предметам
- to be very well equipped
быть хорошо оборудованным
sporting facilities
спортивные сооружения и помещения для занятия спортом
a gym
спортзал
a swimming pool
бассейн
a home economics room
класс домоводства
a canteen
столовая
an assembly hall
актовый зал
to teach basic computer skills
обучать навыкам работы с компьютером
- to participate in extracurricular activities
принимать участие во внеклассной работе
a choir
хор
a track-and-field club
кружок по легкой атлетике
the English-Speaking Club
кружок разговорного английского
to aim at doing smth.
ставить целью что-либо
to give a deeper knowledge of the subject
дать более глубокие знания по определенному предмету
to develop communication skills
развить речевые навыки
to stage drama in English
ставить пьесы на английском
to be not very good at acting
быть не очень хорошим актером
- to dramatize texts and dialogues
читать по ролям тексты и диалоги
to set up a role play
организовать ролевую игру
to communicate in English
общаться на английском
- to get along with smb.
общаться с, иметь дело с кем-либо
to be on good terms with smb.
быть в хороших отношениях с кем-либо
- to form a basis for smth.
сформировать основу для чего-либо
to need some extra knowledge
нуждаться в дополнительных знаниях
to pass one’s entrance exams to
сдать вступительные экзамены в (какое-либо учебное заведение)
to take a preparatory course at
учиться на подготовительных курсах в (каком-либо учебном заведении)

Answer the questions:

  1. What kind of education does the school give?
  2. What courses does Ekaterina take?
  3. What classrooms are there in the school building?
  4. What activities can you participate in after classes?
  5. What is Ekaterina’s favourite subject?
  6. What are her relations with her classmates?
  7. Why does she take a preparatory course at the University?

Translate into English:

  1. Школа, в которой я учусь, предлагает общий курс академических и неакадемических предметов, обеспечивающий общее образование, и ряд курсов, дающих углубленные знания в ряде областей.
  2. После того как наша школа была преобразована в гимназию, качество обучения улучшилось.
  3. Наша школа хорошо оборудована: в ней есть спортивные сооружения, классы, актовый зал, физические, химические и биологические лаборатории и т. д.
  4. В нашей школе можно участвовать во внеаудиторных занятиях.
  5. Деятельность английского клуба направлена на развитие навыков общения и включает постановку пьес на английском языке.
  6. Чтобы получить дополнительные знания в избранной мной области, я хожу на подготовительные курсы при университете.
  7. Я уверена, что мое школьное образование заложит основу моей будущей профессии.