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Unit 030 Health and lifestyle

readeralexey — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 06:47:47 GMT

List the foods that you eat most regularly. How many are (a) healthy (b) not so healthy?

Do you consume any superfoods? Why? Why not?

Name a food / drink that caused you a short-term health problem.

Name a food / drink that has caused you a long-term health problem.

What do you do to boost your immune system?

What health risks are you particularly concerned about? What do you do to reduce them?

Do you ever eat food that you are 100% sure is not processed? If yes, where do you get it?

What is the difference between fasting and dieting?

What do you do to keep fit?

"People often do not realise how stressful their jobs are" (section B). Do you agree?

Which of your habits do you consider to be harmful? What harm do they cause?

Unit 073 Abstract nouns

readeralexey — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:28:38 GMT

Choose a quote from exercise 73.4 and write an essay on it.

Write your own quotations to describe the following abstract nouns. (Perhaps you know a saying in your own language that you could translate into English?) Write an essay on the quote.

1 freedom
2 love
3 life
4 curiosity
5 imagination

Write a poem using rhyming words from sections B and С of the Unit.

Unit 069 Talking and communicating

readeralexey — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 22:19:46 GMT

1.

Write three short dialogues similar to the ones in the unit (section A, exercise 69.1) to illustrate idioms connected with communication problems. Be ready to perform them in class with a partner for your classmates to guess what idiom they illustrate.

2.

Have you ever been talked down to? What is your strategy of coping with the situation?

Do you ever talk behind people's back, honestly?

Do you ever indulge in small talk? Why (not)?

Why do you think some people would always talk shop?

What is the current talking point among your peers?

Have you ever been given a talking to? What was the occasion?

Give examples from fiction (e.g., Shakespeare's plays) of characters who:

talk rubbish

talk sense

are long-winded

put it in a nutshell

speak their mind

get straight to the point

wrap it up suddenly

start the ball rolling.

Unit 020 Theatre and cinema

readeralexey — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 20:45:36 GMT

Talk about a production or a film you particularly liked using words and collocations from the unit. (Who do you think gives the best performance in it? Who’s the director? Where was it set? What is your favourite scene in it? What’s the score like? Are there any particularly memorable lines in the dialogue?) Post illustrations, if possible.

Are you interested in theatre? What are the advantages of theatre over cinema, if any? Do you think theatre will survive in the age of Internet?

If you dance or perform ballet, how long did it take you to learn? Do you often dance? What is the style you prefer and why do you find it rewarding?

Are there comedians you like? Why do you find them interesting?

What has been your most positive and most negative experience with entertainers?

What is the most impressive venue you have been to? Post illustrations, if possible.

Unit 050 Commenting on problematic situations

readeralexey — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 20:22:16 GMT

Are there any positive sides to chaos?

Have you witnessed any disaster?

Have you ever been in a dilemma? What were the choices you were facing?

Have you ever been in a fix or in a tight corner?

What challenges have you had to face in your life so far?

What do you find mildly irritating in your daily routine and interactions with other people? Is there anything that is intensely annoying?

Give an example of your plans being disrupted or of a project you were involved in that collapsed.

Have you suffered any great deprivation in life? Do you know people who have?

Do you believe someone's heart can be broken?

What do you think is the most important thing most people lack in life?

When working as a team do you tend to take a back seat or to take the bull by the horns?

Do you know anyone who stirs things up? Why do you think they do it?

Have you ever poured oil on troubled waters? Did you succeed?

Are there things you can't face?

Do you think it is always a good strategy to lay your cards on the table?

What was the last occasion when you had to get your act together?

Are there areas in which you really want to get to the bottom of things?

Did you ever have to get people to sit up and take notice? Did you succeed? How?

Are there things you find particularly difficult to get a grasp of?

Describe a situation (political, cultural, personal or any other) using idioms from section D of the unit (the tide has turned; to see the light at the end of the tunnel; to come to a dead end; to reach a turning point; to bury the hatchet; to sweep something under the carpet).

Unit 032 Holidays

readeralexey — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 16:31:59 GMT

Describe your holiday on a campsite, if you ever had one. Where was it? How long did you stay? Did you pitch a tent or parked a caravan? Who cooked meals, and how? What did you do there? How was security ensured?

When you travel, do you prefer to stay in a hotel, a self-catering accommodation, a guesthouse, or a hostel? Why?

Have you ever had a package holiday? Was it worth it?

Have you ever been on a cruise?

Would you like to have an adventure holiday?

Have you ever had a ride up a winding mountain road? Was it terrifying? Did it prove to be worthwhile in the end?

What is the remotest place you have been to?

Describe a holiday you have had, using words from the unit.

Which would you prefer and why - a holiday in the centre of a historic city or one in a remote village with spectacular surrounding countryside?

What’s the most memorable holiday you’ve ever had?

Which would you say is the most impressive city you’ve visited?

What would you say is the most fascinating place you’ve been to?

Have you ever had a holiday experience you’d describe as terrifying?

Unit 056 Sound and light

readeralexey — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 15:50:32 GMT

The Psychology of Sound:
How can different sounds affect human emotions, behavior, and cognition? Discuss the impact of music, environmental sounds, and white noise on mental well-being.

Soundscapes of Different Cultures:
How sound is used in various cultures for communication, rituals, and expressions. Discuss the significance of specific sounds in different traditions and ceremonies.

Sound in Film and Media:
Discuss the role of sound design in movies, TV shows, and video games. Explore how sound contributes to storytelling, mood, and audience engagement.

The Influence of Sound in Advertising:
Discuss how sound is used in advertising to create emotional connections, enhance brand identity, and influence consumer behavior. Discuss iconic jingles and sound logos.

Synesthesia: Sound and Color Connection:
Discuss the phenomenon of synesthesia, where individuals experience a crossover of senses, such as seeing colors when hearing specific sounds. Discuss how this unique perception influences art and creativity.

Light Pollution and Night Sky Preservation:
Discuss the effects of light pollution on astronomical observations, ecosystems, and human health. Explore initiatives to preserve natural nightscapes and reduce light pollution.

Are you afraid of darkness or do you feel comfortable in the dark? Why do you think this is so?

Discuss the significance of light/darkness imagery in the Bible or in fiction (e.g, Milton's "darkness visible" or Byron's poem "Darkness").

Unit 060 Success, failure and difficulty

readeralexey — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 15:18:01 GMT

Are there responsibilities you can never say you have fulfilled?

Tell about your plan that failed (came to nothing).

Tell about your fulfilled ambition.

Do you have hopes and dreams (outside of family life)? What are the prospects of them being realised?

Do you think Russia and the Ukraine will reach a compromise and avoid further escalation of armed conflict? Why (not)?

Tell about your plan that came off.

What aspect of English do you find it difficult to understand?

Can you name people who succeeded in rising to the top of their profession?

Do you ever have any trouble using your smartphone?

Can you say you have accomplished something in life so far?

What do you find it difficult to cope with in your life?

Did you have much difficulty finding friends on campus?

What would you do if …
1 you were having a lot of bother with your neighbours?
2 you started a small business but it came to nothing?
3 you couldn’t cope with your English studies?

Unit 026 The natural world

readeralexey — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 14:47:07 GMT

Describe your experience with any representative of the animal kingdom. Use as many words from the unit as possible. You may also want to add multimedia illustrations.

A tulip is the national emblem of the Netherlands and a maple leaf represents Canada. What flower or animal is used as the national emblem of your country? Find out what other plants or animals are national emblems of other countries. Post illustrations, if possible.

There are some words derived from animal names that you might know, for example "to peacock" means "to show off ostentatiously". Please share 3-4 such derivatives that you remember and explain what they mean + provide example sentences.

Do you remember any idioms with animals, birds, flowers or trees? Sometimes their meaning is not obvious due to some differences in traditional apprehension of animal qualities and characteristic traits, indeed most of them are semantically picturesque. Please share 3-4 such idioms that you remember and explain what they mean + provide example sentences.

Unit 022 Food

readeralexey — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 11:35:48 GMT

Describe your favourite dish, what is in it, how it is prepared, what flavours it has, etc.

How often do you eat junk food or processed food? Why? Do you have a balanced diet? In what ways?

Describe your experience at a restaurant you have recently been to.