Reading
Text 2. UNESCO World Heritage List I. 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
Belarus joined UNESCO in 1954. During many years, Belarus has been building up fruitful and dynamic relations with international organizations. Belarus programme of UNESCO activities includes numerous interesting projects in the fields of education, science, information, communications, and, of course, culture. In October 1988, Belarus joined the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage1. Today 4 Belarus sites have already been included into the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In 1992, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, a natural heritage object and a unique European forest reserve which has been protected since the 14th century, was the first one to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2000, the Mir Castle Complex, which was built at the beginning of the 16th century, was also added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The successful combination of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture makes Mir Castle one of Europe’s most impressive castles. In 2005, two more sites were included into the UNESCO World Heritage List. They are the Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwills in Nesvizh and the Struve Geodetic Arc points3. For centuries the Nesvizh Palace used to be the residence of the Radziwills, one of the richest families in Europe. Today the National Historical and Cultural Museum Reserve Nesvizh is a wonderfully restored castle, which is visited by hundreds of tourists from all parts of the world. No wonder, it has become a landmark of Belarus. The Struve Arc is a world famous construction. The same sorts of points are in 10 countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, all together 265 points. According to the historical data, there were 31 geodesic points in Belarus, and only 19 survived. Belarus is going to propose to add Independence Avenue in Minsk for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Socialist Postwar Architecture in Central and Eastern Europe. ____________ 1. heritage [ˈheritidʒ] наследие 2. Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture [ˈgoθɪk, bəˈrok, rɪˈneɪsəns ˈɑːkɪtektʃə] 3. the Struve Geodetic Arc points [ˈstruːv ˌdʒiːəʊˈdetɪk ˈɑːk ˈpɔɪnts] Геодезическая дуга Струве, представляющая собой цепь опорных пунктов наблюдения 2. Belarus is a member of UNESCO: Find this extract and read it aloud. 3. Which Belarusians sites are included on the list for protection? 4. What other sites does Belarusian government want to be on the UNESCO List? |
Reading exercisesVertical Divider
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Listening
II. Listen to the speaker speaking about choosing a career and answer the questions below.
1. Why is choosing the right job very important? 2. Which jobs are popular among young people at present? 3. What advice does the speaker give? Vertical Divider
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Listening exercises |
III. Let’s talk about education.
Sample answer
Let’s talk about education.
1. Tell me about the system of education in Belarus.
There are 5 stages of education in Belarus: preparatory, primary, secondary, high and postgraduate. At
the age of three children go to kindergarten. They stay there up to the age of 6.
At the age of 6 children start going to school. There are 2 types of school in Belarus: state and private.
Parents can choose between secondary school, lyceums and gymnasiums.
The school year starts on the 1st of September and finishes on the 31st of May. It is 35 weeks long and is
divided into four terms. After each term there are vocations. Pupils study a range of subjects at school:
Maths, Russian, Geography, History, Foreign Languages, etc. All subjects in Belarusian schools are
compulsory. Marks are given out of 10.
After the 9th and the 11th forms pupils take their exams. After the 9th form at the age of 15 pupils can
leave school and go to college or to vocational training school or they can continue studying in the 10th
form. Then they leave school at the age of 17.
After secondary school those who show good abilities can go to high school which lasts for 4 or 5 years.
To become a student one should take special written exams which are called tests.
After high school most talented students can continue studying and it is called postgraduate education.
2. Do you like your school? Why or why not?
Yes, I do. I like my school because of the high level of education it provides. I also like the building, the
classrooms and the teachers.
3. Ask me about the school I went to when I was young.
Where was your school situated?
Was it a village school?
What subjects did you study at school?
What was your favourite subject?
4. What advice can you give me on how to prepare for exams well?
Don’t leave your exam revision to the last minute. Organize your working place. Take breaks during your
study. Have enough sleep. Eat healthy brain food.
5. If you were to write an article about school problems, what would you write about?
I would write about homework. A lot of pupils are stressed because of their homework. Pupils should get
knowledge in the lessons and have a rest at home. I believe only creative home tasks should be done at
home.
1. Tell me about the system of education in Belarus.
There are 5 stages of education in Belarus: preparatory, primary, secondary, high and postgraduate. At
the age of three children go to kindergarten. They stay there up to the age of 6.
At the age of 6 children start going to school. There are 2 types of school in Belarus: state and private.
Parents can choose between secondary school, lyceums and gymnasiums.
The school year starts on the 1st of September and finishes on the 31st of May. It is 35 weeks long and is
divided into four terms. After each term there are vocations. Pupils study a range of subjects at school:
Maths, Russian, Geography, History, Foreign Languages, etc. All subjects in Belarusian schools are
compulsory. Marks are given out of 10.
After the 9th and the 11th forms pupils take their exams. After the 9th form at the age of 15 pupils can
leave school and go to college or to vocational training school or they can continue studying in the 10th
form. Then they leave school at the age of 17.
After secondary school those who show good abilities can go to high school which lasts for 4 or 5 years.
To become a student one should take special written exams which are called tests.
After high school most talented students can continue studying and it is called postgraduate education.
2. Do you like your school? Why or why not?
Yes, I do. I like my school because of the high level of education it provides. I also like the building, the
classrooms and the teachers.
3. Ask me about the school I went to when I was young.
Where was your school situated?
Was it a village school?
What subjects did you study at school?
What was your favourite subject?
4. What advice can you give me on how to prepare for exams well?
Don’t leave your exam revision to the last minute. Organize your working place. Take breaks during your
study. Have enough sleep. Eat healthy brain food.
5. If you were to write an article about school problems, what would you write about?
I would write about homework. A lot of pupils are stressed because of their homework. Pupils should get
knowledge in the lessons and have a rest at home. I believe only creative home tasks should be done at
home.