Taking pictures has become an important part of our life. People love this process and new technologies give more and more opportunities for it.

why people like taking pictures

I think that people like taking pictures because it is a good way to remember favorite moments they like. A person sees something beautiful and wants to remember it forever. He takes a camera and seizes the moment. (0_1)

why taking photos is more popular today than it was in the past

Personally, I think that taking photos is more popular nowadays than it was before, because it is much easier now. My father said that in his time cameras were expensive. Now, every telephone has a built-in camera. He also said that they used film to take pictures. Then one had to develop it and only after that he could have photos. The process was long and not cheap. (0_2)

what the best photo you have ever taken is

The best photo I’ve ever taken was of a flying cat. Once, I was walking along a street and saw how a pigeon was sitting on a fence and a cat was about to attack it. I got out my telephone quickly, prepared the camera and at that very moment he jumped at the bird and I managed to take his photo. He looked really funny. The bird flew away and the cat kept hunting. (0_3)

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Learning English has become quite popular nowadays. This language is considered as a major international language. 

how long you have been learning English

As far as I remember, I’ve been learning English for over 7 years. (1)

why most Russian students learn English at school

I think that Russians study English at school because English is the international language. (2)

If you speak English you can talk to people from different countries. Most international companies do their daily business using English. Nowadays, there are many international students exchange programs which allow Russians to learn different subjects abroad. 

what you use English out of the classroom for

Personally, I use English in my travels. (3)

When our family goes abroad for vacation we speak English with the locals. Also, I like watching English movies in English. Sometimes Russian translations are not very good. I like to listen to the original actors' voices. Of course, I correspond with my Spanish friends regularly in English. They don’t speak Russian, so English is the only language that we all can use. 

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Since our work takes up the biggest partion of our life, choosing a job is a very important decision.

what jobs are popular with modern teenagers

I think that managers and DJs are popular among boys. As for girls, I guess makeup stylists. (4)

what job you dreamed of in your childhood and why

As far as I remember, I wanted to be a sailor. I dreamed about sailing around the world and visiting different countries. I like learning about new nations and cultures. I think it’s very interesting. I also dreamed to be a doctor. I wanted to help people and cure them from different diseases. (5)

who can help you to make your career choice

I guess my parents can help me to make my career choice. They have always helped me to make important decisions in my life. They are far more experienced than I am, so I can trust their advice. They have been in business a long time and understand things that I haven't experienced yet. They told me that their parents helped them to make their vocation decisions and they are pretty happy with the results. (6)

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Having a hobby is a very importent part of our life.

why most people have hobbies

I think that hobbies help people (to) relax. It’s important for a person to spend time doing something he or she really likes for free. (7)

what hobbies are the most popular with your friends

Some of my friends collect things. Some collect stamps, some coins and some, toy soldiers. But the most popular hobbies are computer games and sports. (8)

in what way a hobby can be useful for educational purposes

As for using hobbies for educational purposes, I think that some computer games can be educational. There is a game called “Touch-Type”. It’s a game where you don’t look at the keyboard while you type words. The program teaches you how to type without looking at your keyboard. When a person learns how to type this way, he or she saves a lot of time and energy on writing say, compositions or some other useful things on computers. The typing speed increases and tiredness decreases. (9)

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Watching films give a lot of joy and positive emotions. Nowadays, people can’t imagine their lives without movies.

what kind of films you enjoy and why

Personally, I enjoy watching comedies or romantic-comedies. I find them very relaxing and therapeutic. I watch, I laugh and I feel good. (10)

how often you watch films

As a matter of fact, I watch movies pretty often. Two or three times a week. (11)

what film you have seen recently, what it was about

As far as I remember, last week I watched a film called, “Some Like It Hot”. It’s an old and famous film, an absolute classic. It’s about two musicians who could not find a job in Chicago and the only available band positions open were for two female musicians. The guys decided to disguise themselves as women, got hired and the band then went to Miami. After that one millionaire fell in love with one of the guys. When the disguised man said that he was a man, the millionaire replied, “Everybody has their faults”. It was a very hilarious comedy. (12)

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Reading books gives a lot of joy and positive emotions. Nowadays, people can’t imagine their lives without reading books.

what kind of books you enjoy reading

I like adventure books most of all. Although, sometimes I like to read detective stories too. (13)

where you usually get books to read

As a rule, I download my books from the Internet and I read them on my e-book reader. If my parents or friends give me a printed book as a present or I just borrow one to read, I read that also. (14)

what book would be your desert island choice and why

I think that my "desert island" book of choice would be “Mysterious Island” by Jules Verne. This book is about travelers on a desert island. I guess I would learn a lot of useful things from it, like how to survive on an island without many things in civilization that people got used to. There are a lot of examples of bravery and friendship as well, which is important to keep one's spirits high. (15)

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Listening to the radio gives a lot of joy and positive emotions. People still listen to the radio in this era of TV and the Internet.

why, in the era of TV and the Internet, radio is still very popular with some people

I think that radio is still popular because you can listen to it while you are on your way somewhere. When we are driving to, say, St. Petersburg or to our friends’ dacha we are also listening to a radio. (16)

what kind of radio programmes young people usually listen to

As far as I know, different hit parades are popular among young people. Personally, I like hit parades on “Like FM”. One of my friends listens to audio books on another station. Another friend of mine listens to analytical programs on “Business FM”. He is going to become a financial analyst. (17)

whether you would like to work for a radio station; why / why not

As for me, I would like to try to work at a radio station. I’ve seen many movies where the main characters worked as DJs or hosts at a radio station. So I’d like to try it out. I am sure I would make a good host. It must be very interesting and exciting. (18)

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Studying at school gives us knowledge that will help us in our life.

what interesting facts about your school you know

I guess that one of the most interesting facts about my school is that Alexey Ivanovich Simenov, a Hero of the Soviet Union, studied in it. (19)

what sports facilities your school offers to the students

Our school provides different sports facilities. You can play football or basketball there. The gym is well equipped with different fitness machines. So, one could do whatever he or she wants, like weightlifting or different cardio exercises. (20)

which school day is the most difficult for you and why

The most difficult day for me is Monday. I am always too relaxed after weekends, so going to school on Mondays and learning different subjects is quite difficult for me. Once I heard a song with the line “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down”. It’s about me. (21)

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Nowadays schoolboys and girls have a very busy weekday schedule.

what your weekday mornings are like

My weekday mornings are tough. I must wake up early in the morning to get to school on time. I live outside of Moscow, so it takes more than one hour to get to my school. Before going to school I usually take a shower and eat my breakfast. Sometimes I realize that my clothes are wrinkled so I have to iron them quickly. (22)

how many lessons you usually have

I usually have 5 or 7 lessons each day, depending on the day. (23)

whether your weekday afternoons are busy, and why

My weekday afternoons are usually busy. I go to the gym 3 times a week, twice during weekdays. I also have to do my homework. It takes a lot of time. Sometimes I go to see my friends or play football. Before I go to sleep I either read a book or watch a movie. (24)

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Nowadays the Internet has become really popular. We can’t live without it now.

whether you can imagine modern life without the Internet; why / why not

Personally, I can’t imagine modern life without the Internet. We buy train tickets through the Internet. We communicate with each other by the Internet, I mean Skype, and different messengers like WhatsApp or Viber. A lot of people watch Internet Television. It’s in every sphere of our life. (25)

what you and your friends use the Internet for

As for me, I use Skype to talk with my friends and relatives. I correspond with my friends and watch different movies on-line. My friends use it the same way. Some of them also play computer games and have on-line battles. (26)

how the Internet can help you in your studies

The Internet helps me a lot with my studies. I find there plenty of useful information I need for my lessons. I ask questions about different school subjects on-line. There are people on the Internet who can help you with many different educational questions. (27)

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Using public transport is very convenient. However, it can cause some environmental problems.

what means of public transport is the most popular in your hometown

I think that the most popular means of public transport in our city is the Metro. It’s faster than any other public transport. It is also more comfortable than say, buses or trolleybuses. (28)

what environmental problems caused by cars exist in your hometown

As far as I know, the biggest enviromental problem is air polution which is caused by cars. There are a lot of cars in our city. They produce a lot of unhealthy smog. Sometimes when you are walking along a street it’s hard to breath because of car fumes. (29)

whether the bicycle is a popular means of transport in your hometown; why / why not

I guess bicycles are getting more and more popular in our city. The city government is going to make a special lane for bicyclers, although not all motorists like it. Frankly speaking, bicycles are not as popular here as say, in Europe but I hope that soon they will reach the same popularity. (30)

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Protecting animals is something worth doing regardless whether they are endangered or not.

what your favourite animals are, and why

My favorite animals are hamsters and cats. When I was little I kept hamsters as pets. Then my parents bought me a cat. He is still living with us. I like him a lot. Hamsters and cats make me feel good. (31)

what people should do to protect endangered animals

I think people should stop killing endangered animals. There is a special book called “The Red List” where  all endangered species are writen down to protect them. It’s forbidden to hunt these animals. (32)

whether zoos are a good thing or not, and why

I believe that zoos are a good thing. In well managed zoos animals are well kept and properly fed. If they need veternarian help, they get it right away. Each animal's living quarters are made as close to the natural places they inhabit. Children and adults learn about animals that they could see in real life and they would never see, since meeting them where they live might be dangerous. (33)

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Travelling gives a lot of joy and positive emotions. Nowadays people can’t imagine their lives without travels.

why most people like travelling

I think that people like travelling because they like to learn new things. It’s interesting to see other countries, different cultures, and learn new languages. (34)

what people usually do when they visit a new place

I guess when people visit new places they learn new information about these places, take pictures, read about the history of these places, and buy souvenirs. (35)

what place you would like to visit one day

Personally, I would like to visit Thailand. I have never been to Thailand but I’ve heard a lot of good things about this country. The food is fantastic there. The weather is really friendly at around +30 C all year. It’s quite cheap to have a vacation there. Many people from all over the world go there to take a restful vacation. There are a lot of Russians there as well. (36)

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If one wants to be fit and healthy he has to eat healthy food and do physical exercises.

what you do to keep fit and healthy

Personally, I usually go to gym. It keeps me fit and healthy. I use the gym three times a week. Sometimes I jog in the morning or go bicycling with my friends. I also eat healthy food. I try to avoid McDonald’s and other fast food chain restaurants. (37)

what foods are good for you

I think that home-made food is good for me. I like what my Mom cooks. She rarely fries things because it’s not very healthy. She usually bakes different dishes in her stove. Her meals are healthy and delicious. (38)

whether you go for a check-up at the doctor's regularly and why it is important

We have regular doctor check-ups at school. Usually I go to a doctor only when I am sick. I think that it’s important to have regular check-ups because many diseases can detected in their early stages before they create some real troubles. (39)

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Making friends is a part of human life. Everybody needs a friend.

why most people need friends

I think that it’s important for a person to share his thoughts or interests with someone. That’s why people need friends. (40)

where and when you met your best friend

My best friend is Kolya. I met him in my yard when we were about 5 years old. I could not ride a bicycle and he taught me how to do it. (41)

what you value in your friend most of all

I like a saying “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. I think that Kolya is the personification of this saying. I value his reliability most of all. He always helps me when I need it. He sacrifices his own needs without hesitation to help me and others. He is also a clever person who always smiles. (42)

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Some people prefer living in a city, whereas other choose villages.

what the advantages of living in the city are

I think that living in the city has many advantages. First of all, new technological things come to cities first and only later do they get to smaller towns and villages. In cities there are people with different interests and you can easily find friends who share the same interests. Salaries are usually higher in cities than smaller towns and villages. (43)

why some people want to live in the country, far away from the city

Cities have some disadvantages as well, like air pollution and bad traffic. It can also be too noisy and crowded in cities. Also, people are more money oriented. That’s why some people don’t like to live in cities and prefer villages. (44)

where you would like to live (in the city or in the country) if you could move house

I’ve been living in a city all my life. I know the rules here and feel quite comfortable. So, I would like to live in a city. I like big cities with all their advantages and disadvantages. (45)

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Using electronic gadgets makes our life easier, although there are some side-effects too.

how new electronic gadgets have changed our life

I think that electronic gadgets have changed our life a lot. Nowadays, we can easily communicate with our friends who might be in any part of the world. Some gadgets can tell us a lot of useful information, like weather, show us our position, and work as navigators. Some of them have special health apps that can show us many health features like pulse, temperature and even blood pressure. (46)

what the most useful gadget is in your view and why

My favorite gadget is my mobile phone. I use an iPhone 7. It’s very convenient to use, intuitive and it gives me all the information I need. It wakes me up, navigates me to any location I want to drive to and even entertains me when I want it. (47)

whether there are any drawbacks to using modern gadgets

I think that the biggest disadvantage of using modern gadgets is overusing them. People sometimes forget about real life and live inside of their gadgets. Some people even have an addiction to their mobile phones. If they don’t chat or text they get anxious and don’t feel good. They can even became psychologically dependent on their devices. (48)

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Protecting the environment is an important task that everybody has to consider as his own. 

why it is important to protect the environment

I think that it is important to protect the environment because we are all part of it. If the ecological situation becomes bad our health becomes bad too. We eat food that is grown on the ground. If the ground is polluted, our food is polluted too. We all breath the air that surrounds us. If the air is dirty, we can get sick. (49)

what the most serious environmental problem is in the place where you live

I guess that the biggest environmental problem is polluted air. I live in a big city where there are many cars that produce lots of car exhaust fumes.You can hardly breath when there is no wind and you are walking along a road with bad traffic. (50) 

what you and your classmates can do to help protect the environment

I think everyone can do a lot of things to protect our environment. Personally, I try not to litter. When we leave the city to have a rest we try not to harm the environment. When we leave our picnic area, we leave it in a better condition than it was when we arrived. Also, we separate our trash that we throw away. Food remnants go into one container while plastic, glass and other things go into other containers. It makes recycling much easier. (51)

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Summer holidays are very pleasant parts of a pupil's life. Although, there are a few things that can spoil summer holidays.

which you prefer: summer holidays in the city or in the country, and why

Personally, I prefer summer holidays in the city. Cities have many different opportunities. I can go to the movies and watch interesting films. I can also visit a museum or theater. I can also just hang out with my friends somewhere in a park. (52)

what your perfect summer holidays would be

As for me, my perfect summer holidays would be in a hot country. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Thailand. I dream to go there. The weather there is around +30 C all year. The temperature of its seawater is around +29 C. You can eat different delicious dishes and lie on their clean and sandy beaches. I like all these things. (53)

what can spoil your summer holidays

One of the things that I hate is rain. That can really spoil my holidays. I remember we went to the sea for two weeks and it rained for 10 days. That was the worst holiday ever. Once, I went to the mountains and got a cold. That's another very unpleasant thing that can happen during my holidays and ruin them. (54)

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First memories of our life are strongly connected with the places where we were born. People re-live them no matter where they live when they grow up.

what your hometown is like

My hometown is St. Petersburg. It’s a big, beautiful and industrial city. It's the second largest city in Russia. There is an opinion that it’s the most beautiful city in Russia. I agree with this opinion. (55)

what it is famous for

It’s famous for many things. First of all, it’s a "Hero Town". People fought heroically against Nazi soldiers during The Second World War. There are a lot of beautiful places there, like The Hermitage, Catherine's Palace, Smolny Cathedral, Peterhof, The Summer Garden and Palace of Peter the 1st, etc. It’s also famous for hospitable people but not very good weather. (56)

what place in your hometown you like most and why

I like a park that is not so far from the house where I was born. It is quite big but it doesn’t have a special name. Nevertheless, it’s beautiful and cozy. There are a lot of trees and bushes there. There is a small monument of Peter the Great near the pond. I used to play there when I was a child. (57)

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Nowadays healthy life and sport are becoming more and more popular.

why more and more people do sports nowadays

I think that people do more sport activities because nowadays they realized that it’s absolutely necessary. A lot of people have jobs where they have to spend all their time in an office, sitting in chairs in front of computers. It causes physical inactivity and this in turn may cause different diseases. (58)

what sports are popular with you and your friends

Personally, I like weight-lifting. A lot of my friends like playing football or basketball. Sometimes we go play tennis or go to swim in a swimming pool. All these sports are quite popular among teens nowadays. (59)

what you do to be healthy and fit

As for me, I go to my gym 3 times a week. Sometimes my friends and I play football after our classes. I pay special attention to eat healthy food as well. I try not to eat in fast-food restaurants. Their food is high in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. It can increase the level of cholesterol in your body and make you vulnerable to different heart diseases. (60)

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