Speaking Giving bad news & reacting
10.5.3 Use the headlines in Ex. 1b
and the language in the box to make
exchanges, as in the example.
Giving bad news
Reacting
Did you hear? There's been
Did you see hear about the
on the news?
Have you heard?
Guess what happened
You'll never guess what's
happened!
Look at this!
It's awful, isn't it?
Oh no! That's awful
terrible!
Really? How horrible!
I don't believe it!
That's so sad!
depressing, etc.
A: Did you hear? There's been a major train crash
and 50 people have been injured.
B: it's awful, isn't it?
Listening
The center is decorated with such Astana sights as Baiterek and the Palace of Peace and Harmony created by the projects of the famous modern architect Norman Foster. Excursions are conducted in the Presidential Palace "Ak Orda", in the ethno-memorial complex "Atameken" you can see the whole of Kazakhstan in a "miniature", an area of about 2 hectares. An interesting place for recreation and entertainment is the entertainment complex "Duman". Here, in addition to shops, cinemas, attractions and cafes, there is a museum of miniatures and an aquarium, where more than 2 thousand marine inhabitants, brought from different parts of the world, live. Sports fans are invited to the super modern stadium "Astana-Arena", designed for 30 thousand spectators.
School-children attend a primary school for 6 years. When students transfer to Secondary School at the age of 11, they do not take any examination, but their reports are sent on from the Primary School.
Secondary School. Most children go to a comprehensive (комплексный) school. “Comprehensive” means all-inclusive. They admit (позволять) pupils of all abilities. But there are also “grammar school” and “secondary-modern schools”.
The pupils have to pass an exam to go there. Grammar school - a school for children over the age of 11, who are specially chosen to study for examinations which may lead to higher education. Secondary-modern school -a schools for children over the age of 11, who are not expected (рассчитывать) to go on to higher study later. All types of secondary schools have the 5-year courses for pupils from 11 years up to the school leaving age.
Pupils in all state schools in England and Wales study 10 main subjects: Core (центральный) subjects: English, mathematics, science; Foundation (основной) subjects: history, geography, a modern language, (art, craft and design), music, information technology, physical education. Religious education is also taught (преподаваться). Attainment (проверочный) tests are given at the ages of 7, 11 and 14, 16. At the end of a 5-year courses, at the age of 16, students sit the General Certificate of Secondary Education exams in as many subjects as possible. At the age of 16 about two-thirds of these pupils leave school and get job or apprenticeships (учеба). About one-third stays on at school until the age of 18, preparing themselves for higher education.
The 6th Form. More ambitious pupils continue to study in the 6th form. They stay on at school for one or two years to prepare themselves for university. They have only three or four main subjects which are necessary to pass to advanced level exams at the age of 18. the school year is divided into three terms with the intervals between them during the Christmas and Easter holidays lasting about two weeks each and the summer holidays which begins rather late and is usually six weeks long. All kinds of out-of-class activities are part of school life in Britain. Students have a lot of opportunities for playing sports, attending different clubs and singing in a choir. Most schools have very good libraries which students use for reference work.