Examination Topics

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Another thing I would like to complain about is the amount of smoking in the films that are shown on TV. Smoking is often shown as a very “cool” thing to do – making young people much more likely to copy what they see, and take up smoking themselves.

Some people say that television is a terrible waste of time. Of course, there are TV addicts who can’t drag themselves away from the box. They watch TV for hours without choosing programmes, and spend time in front of television which they could spend talking to their friends and family. In this case, television makes them really waste time. But on the contrary, if we watch TV for an hour a day, to find out what is happening in the world or to relax, then television is really useful.

In short, television does have its good points. Many of the broadcast programmes are educational and can help with schoolwork. A good soap-opera or a comedy is a source of relaxation for many people. Television also provides jobs for thousands of people. So I think it is not the TV itself which is to blame for the bad effects it has, but the fact that people do not know how to make the best use of it.

13. What are the most popular free time activities for British and Russian teenagers? What activities do you like? Why?

Britain has recent by been described as a “leisure society.” This is because there are a great variety of leisure pursuits. Young people generally go out on Friday or Saturday nights to a disco, to a concert or to a pub. In recent years going out for a meal or getting a take-away meal have become popular too. During the past years there is a great increase in keeping fit and staying healthy. A lot of teens started running, jogging and going to different fitness clubs in their spare time. Aerobics classes and fitness clubs opened in every town, and the number of recreation centres greatly increased. Indoor pools, with their wave-making machines, water slides and tropical vegetation, have became very popular.

And the same is true in Russia. A lot of teens go in for different kinds of sport. Sport helps them to feel as fit as a fiddle. In both countries there are special programmes for problem teenagers, such as a high-risk activities, for example they are taught to jump out of aeroplanes. But despite the increase in the number of teens participating in sport, the majority of young people still prefer to be spectators. They prefer to be couch potatoes. Watching sports on TV is a popular leisure activity, as is going to football matches on Saturday. Cinemas have been redesigned with four or more screens, each showing a different film at the same time, and a lot of teens like going to the cinemas too.

The young generation is fond of communication. There are many available methods of communication nowadays, and the most popular one is computers. A lot of teenagers spend plenty of time working on computers. The Internet seems really good fun. You may send e-mails to friends from different countries and get their answers instantly. You even may talk to them. It is easy and quick. A lot of teenagers have mobile telephones, so they can always be contacted, if they keep their telephone switched on, at any time of the day or night, or tend text messages.

A lot of teenagers in both countries are crazy about animals. They race them, train them and breed them. They like to hear stories about them on television programmes and they like reading books about them. Many teens have a pet animal. It could be a dog, a cat, a goldfish, a bird or a small furry animal like a hamster. Looking after and being kind to their pets is very important for teens. Why are teens so interested in animals? Perhaps it’s because they are rather shy in their heart of hearts. One of my friends says: “I can say anything I like to my dog, but she never thinks I’m silly.”

Реферат опубликован: 13/08/2008