I mean you can take a book with you whenever you go, it doesn't break down if you get sand inside it, you don't need batteries and you can put it down and pick it up whenever you l
ike - the only equipment you need to have is a bookmark.
I should say that we have a large collection of books at home, but I never miss the opportunity to borrow some new books from the library. I have been interested in Russian and Belarusian literature s
ince my childhood. As far as Russian literature is concerned it is hard to name one favourite writer or one favourite book especially if we are talking about the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, known as the "golden" and "silver' periods in t
he Russian culture. Such giants of Russian literature as A. Pushkin, I. Turgenev, I Tolstoy, A. Chekhov and many others are known all over the world.
The writer who stands out of this list for me is Fyodor Michailovich Dostoyevsky. I think I can never forge
t my first acquaintance with him. Nearly three years ago when I came to our local library the librarian, a pleasant young lass, offered me to borrow "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoyevsky. The title of this book tells its own tale and though I have never e
n
joyed books about murders and crimes I decided to take it, as I have heard about Dostoyevsky as about one of the most seminal writers in European literature. But after reading his book, "Crime and Punishment" became my favourite book and its author came i
nto my life as my beloved Russian writer.
I look upon him not only as a great writer but a great philosopher as well. His ideas had an immense influence on the literature that followed and his deep penetration into the human soul and the motives of people's
behaviour impresses the modern reader as much as it did his contemporaries.
Dostoyevsky was born in Moscow on October 30, 1821. He was the second son of a former army doctor. Though the Dostoyevskies were a middle-class family the father was able to provi
de the best education for his sons. The boy was educated at a private Moscow boarding school and, shortly after the death of his mother in February 1837, was sent to St. Petersburg, where he entered the Army Engineering College. He received a commission i
n 1843 and was attached to the Army Engineering corps, but in 1844 Dostoyevsky resigned his commission to devote himself to literature.
In the spring of 1846 he joined the group of Utopian socialists led by Michael Butashevich-Petrashevsky. And in April 184
9 Dostoyevsky and other members of the group were arrested and imprisoned for eight months in the Petropavlovsk fortress. On November 16 Dostoyevsky was sentenced to death, but the death sentence was commuted to four years of hard labor in a Siberian pris
on. After his release from prison in February 1854, Dostoyevsky did his compulsory army service in Siberia.
In March 1857 Dostoyevsky resigned from the army and return to St. Petersburg. Two years after his return, at the end of 1859, he founded the monthly
periodical "The time" under the nominal editorship of his elder brother Michael, who was his best friend throughout his life. But some years later "The Time" was suppressed because of an article on the Polish uprising.
Dostoyevsky died in St. Petersburg on January 28, 1881, from a burst blood vessel in his lungs, aggravated by an attack of epilepsy.
Fyodor Michailovich Dostoyevsky died but he left his descendants a large heritage. At present Dostoyevsky is still among the most widely read authors, whose co
ntribution to the world literature can hardly be overestimated. I consider that he is so popular among the readers because of the problems raised by him; these problems haven't lost their significance. Dostoyevsky wrote about Russian people and the proble
m
s of the Russian society of his time, his genius made the problems raised international and vital for people of all nationalities. Among his outstanding novels are "The Idiot", "The Devils", "The Adolescent", "The Brothers Karamazov", "Humiliated and Abus
ed", but as I have said before my favourite is "Crime and Punishment".
To my mind the novel "Crime and Punishment" is one of the best books I've ever read which leaves lasting impression and unforgettable feelings. It holds your attention from the start and becomes more exciting as it progresses.
The author worked upon this novel in 1865 and throughout the following year and the book was published in 1866. It is the psychological account of a crime. A young man Radion Raskolnikov, sent down from university,
of middle-class origins and living in extreme poverty has decided to break out of his appalling situation. He decides to kill a certain old woman, the pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna. The old woman is stupid, deaf, ill and greedy; she is evil and torments the
l
ife of her younger sister. "She is of no use for anything", "why does she live?"', "is she of any value to anybody at all?" - such questions thoroughly disconcert the young man. He decides to kill and rob her in order to improve the fortunes of his mother
and sister. He wants to save the family, finish his course, go abroad and then for the whole of the remainder of his life to be honest. Despite the fact that such crimes are terribly difficult to carry out, he carries out his plan quickly and successfully
.
He passes almost a month after this before the final catastrophe. Nobody suspects him and here the whole psychological process of the crime unfolds. Insoluble questions confront the murderer, unsuspected and unanticipated feelings torment his heart. God'
s truth and the earthly law and justice take their toll, and he ends by being compelled to give himself up.
I have a really high opinion of this book, as I got the whole pleasure from it. This is the book which, once you have started, is impossible to put d
own. While reading the novel you share all Radion's feelings and fears together with him, you try to understand his behaviour and thoughts, to cut the long story short, you live together with the main hero. "Crime and Punishment" includes strong elements
o
f realism; you can find a certain theme to think over at every page of the novel. From my point of view all these make the book unforgettable and peculiar. And I think if I met a person who hasn't read this book, I would recommend him or her to read it, a
s "Crime and Punishment" is a real masterpiece of Russian literature.
---------------------------------------------------------
MY FAVOURITE AMERICAN WRITER
I consider that books are with us during all the life. When I was a child my parents read them to me
and I was pleased to listen to the stories and tales. I learned a lot of interesting and useful things from books. Later I could read books by myself and they brought me a lot of pleasant minutes.
In general, I'm fond of reading and to my mind books are a source of emotional inspiration and romantic feelings.
I think you'll agree that reading means much in our life. It is very useful because books enrich our experience with that of other people, help to continue our self-education and to discover what we are.
Reading is a rewarding pastime, as the time spent on a good book is never wasted. But some people think that a tempo of modern life is too fast to waste time on reading. They are sure that books have begun to lose their prestige and value. I agree that
our century is the century of computers and progressive technologies, but it doesn't mean that one day books will be replaced by computers. Love and detective stories, science fiction and historical novels we read for pleasure and they create a special a
t
mosphere. Books take us into the imaginary world of high human emotions and exciting relations. Owing to books we have the invisible contact with the writer who speaks with us from the passed centuries. I'm sure that computers are unable to replace all th
e
se things. In my opinion books are not only things which help us to wide our knowledge but they are as teachers help us in different situations and set examples. Books teach us what is right and what is wrong, to understand the world and people in; they m
ould our character and at the same time they tell us exciting stories.
Unlike most of young people, who read little, I have been doing regular reading since my childhood. Today youth isn't used to reading.
For me reading tends to be something you enjoy more
and more as you get older, but if you don't develop a taste for it when you are young you may never discover the pleasure of getting involved in a good book. In my opinion, the main advantage books have over all other entertainments like computer games,
v
ideos or TV is that they are relatively inexpensive and portable. I mean you can take a book with you whenever you go, it doesn't break down if you get sand inside it, you don't need batteries and you can put it down and pick it up whenever you like - the
only equipment you need is a bookmark.
I should say that we have a large collection of books at home, but I never miss the opportunity to borrow some new books from the library. My attention has always been attracted by shelves with English and American
literature. Nearly three years ago when I came to out local library the librarian, a pleasant young lass, advised mo to borrow "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. Frankly speaking, the title of the book didn't arose my attention at first, though I
decided to take this book. But when I finally read it, "Gone with the wind" became my favourite book and its author came into my life as my beloved one. I have been fascinated by this great American writer.
When I read her biography | was impressed by her p
ersonality. Margaret Mitchell was born on November 8, 1900 in Atlanta to a family with ancestry not unlike the O'Hara's in "Gone with the Wind". Her mother, Mary Isabelle Stephens was of Irish-Catholic ancestry. Her father, Eugene Muse Mitchell, an Atlant
a attorney, descended from Scotch-Irish and French Huguenots. The family included many soldiers-members of the family had fought in the American Revolution, Irish uprisings and rebellions and the Civil War.
The imaginative child was fascinated with stories
of the Civil War that she heard first from her parents and great aunts, who lived .it the family's Jonesboro rural home, and later from grizzled Confederate veterans who regaled the girl with battlefield stories.
Young Margaret attended private school, but was not an exceptional student. When, on one memorabl е
day, she announced to her mother that she could not understand mathematics and would not return to school, Mary Isabelle dragged her daughter to a rural road where plantation houses had fallen into ruin.
"It's happened before and it will happen again," mother sternly lectured the girl. "And when it does happen, everyone loses everything and everyone is equal. They all start again with nothing at all except the cunning of their brain and the strength of
their hands."
Chastened, Margaret Mitchell returned to school, eventually entering Smith College in the fall of 1918. In January 1919, her mother died of a flu epidemic and Margaret left college to take charge of the Atlanta household of her father and he
r elder brother.
In 1925 Margaret Mitchell began writing the book that would make her world famous. Once she said: "If the novel has a theme it is that of survival. What makes some people able to come through catastrophes and others, apparently just as abl
e strong and brave, go under? It happens in every upheaval. Some people survive, others don't. What qualities are in those who tight their way through triumphantly that are lacking in those who go under…
? I only know that the survivors used to call that quality 'gumption'. So I wrote about the people who had gumption and the people who didn't."
"Gone with the Wind" was published in June 1936, and she was awarded the Pulitzer Price for her sweeping novel in May 1937. The novel was made into an equally famous
motion picture starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. The movie had its world premiere at the Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta on December 15, 1939 with Margaret Mitchell and all of the stars in attendance.
On August 11, 1949 while crossing the crossroads, Margaret Mitchell was struck by a speeding taxi. She died five days later and is buried in Atlanta Oakland Cemetery with other members of her family.
Margaret Mitchell died but her book is still alive and it is still popular among readers. To my mind the
novel "Gone with the Wind' is one of the best books I've ever read, which leaves lasting impression and unforgettable feelings. It holds your attention from the start and becomes exciting as it progresses.
"Gone with the Wind" is a sort of historical novel
s where the Civil War (1861-1865) between two hostile camps of South and North is depicted. The author of the novel blames the war and shows all its horrors and burdens, hunger and collapses, nonsense and inhumanity. One of the most interesting aspects of
the story is the portrayal of the main hero Scarlet O'Hara, who is a beautiful, proud and spirited girl with practical mind. In youth she passionately falls in love with Ashley, but he prefers another girl and marries her. Scarlet's fanatical devotion to
h
er first love prevents her from an opportunity to estimate at Rhett Butler's love. Rhett is a strong-willed, bold man who is quite similar to her in temperament and spirit. Finally Scarlet understands that all her life she has loved not real Ashley, but h
er own child's dream only when Rhett leaves and she remains alone. But Scarlet isn't defeated, she hopes for the next day. That's why not without reason the novel ends with the words: "But tomorrow will be another day."
As for me I have a really high opinio
n of this book, as I got the whole pleasure from it. This is the book which, once you have started, is impossible to put down. "Gone with the Wind' includes strong elements of realism, it portrays life very truthfully and it can make people laugh and cry.
The characters are depicted so vividly that people immediately recognize themselves; it amuses the readers and arouses the feeling of admiration. From my point of view all these facts make the book unforgettable and peculiar. And I think if I met a person
who hasn't read the novel, I would certainly recommend to read it; as "Gone with the Wind' is a real masterpiece of American literature.
-----------------------------------------------------
MY DAY OFF
What is the life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare
Sometimes it is very hard to find some free time even on our days off, because we are often busy with our work and we don't see all
kinds of other activities. Besides we don't save our minutes, that's why we have no time to relax. Until recently staying busy relieved me of the need to make decisions about how I was spending my time. Business gave me a sense of control over my life. Fr
a
nkly speaking my dilemma is deeper than shortage of time; it is the problem of priorities I want to spend time at work, but not for the lack of good rest. Physical rest is very important, but we also need spiritual relaxation - the peace and refreshment i
n
our soul. It has been wisely noted that after spiritual rest we feel strengthened, dashing and patient. So, at present I try to maximize my time in such a way in order to have enough time for work but also have some spare time for entertainments. This is
usually connected with my weekends or in other words days off.
I should say that this year was not an easy one in my life. Apart from everyday preparation for the lessons at lyceum, I had to do quite a number of additional studies in English, Belarusian an
d History because I started getting ready for the entrance examinations. During the school week I got so tired and exhausted that I anxiously looked forward to the weekend when I could relax and have a good rest. A day off for me was a nice possibility to
escape from the daily lyceum routine. Every day off came like a reward and like all nice things it flashed by quickly.
To my mind every day off needs some special planning. Time passes quickly and if you have no plans you can be sure to get no results, as you may spend your time on trifles.
In general I'm for an active rest I like to go somewhere with my friends and to spend my free time in a good company. I hate staying at home at the weekend. While studying at lyceum, I tried to do all my homework right a
fter the classes on Saturday, because I didn't want to remember about it during my weekend. Also I did something about the house like cleaning my room, placing books on the shelves which were piled up in different places and then I was free and could do e
v
erything I wished. I enjoyed my Saturday evenings most of all. I never knew about boredom even when I spent the evening on my own listening to music or reading an exciting book. I'm fond of reading. Books help me to continue my self-education, besides I'm
sure that a reader lives much richer and interesting life than a non reader. I prefer reading psychological books. In my opinion, the time spent on such a book is never wasted, as these books help me to understand the world and people in it, teach me what
is right and what is wrong and at the same time they mould my character.
But I should mention that usually I spent my Saturday evenings in another way. I met my friends and we went for a walk or to the disco. I'd like to say that a lot of clubs have been o
pened recently in our town. The entrance ticket isn't very expensive, wonderful music is played there and you can dance there and get acquainted with interesting people. I can't explain all the feelings I experience while dancing, but it gives me so much
e
nergy that I even don't feel my tiredness. I always returned home brisk and in a good mood. I should say that on Saturdays I tried to return home early, because I wanted to have a good sleep which was a well-deserved reward for the six days of hard work a
nd early rising.
I'm in the habit of getting up late on Sundays. Especially when the weather was nasty, I afforded myself to relax and not to be in a hurry. I hate the cold that's why I usually tried to stay in bed as long as possible. So I could stay in it
and not get up till 11 or even 12 o'clock in the morning. Only then I dressed and had my breakfast.
I could do everything I wished till 5 o'clock. Usually I watched TV, visited my friends or chatted with them on the phone. But sometimes if I had known tha
t the next week was hard I could spend half of the day reading numerous pages in literature, writing essays or compositions. I should say that it helped me a lot and I had more free time during the workweek.
I tried to end all my duties till 4 o'clock, as
at 5 o'clock my trainings on shaping began. To my mind not without reason people say that sport is a world of its own and it can't mean the same to everybody. I'm absolutely sure that doing sports is the best way to keep fit, healthy and strong. It is wid
e
known that there is a sound mind in a sound body. But for me sport is also a means of relaxation and entertainment, a way of acquainting with other people. I should say that I have met a great amount of interesting people there, communication with whom m
ade my day off brighter and more enjoyable But to my great regret I had to give up my trainings some months ago, because of lack of spare time.
After the trainings, tired but happy, I returned home. It was usually about 8 o'clock. The rest of the day I pref
erred to spend with my family members, as my family has always meant very much for me I like most of all when the whole family gather in the kitchen and we all sit chatting for hours It happens especially often on long winter evenings. We usually drink te
a or coffee and share our news, joys and sorrows and discuss our plans for the next week. I have always enjoyed the honest and open relattons in our family and I think that my family is the most valuable thing I have in my life.
I have described you my typi
cal day off, but of course, my weekends vary depending on the season. Summer weekends are more pleasant than long winter evenings, but I don't mean to say that I never enjoy weekends like these. Honestly, an ideal weekend for me is going for a picnic some
w
here in the country or in the forest with my friends, sitting around the fire and singing songs to the guitar. That is the kind of weekend we sometimes have in spring or early autumn. But frankly speaking, it happens quite rarely, as I and my friends are
busy people. Take me for example: studying at lyceum left little time for entertainment but the English say: He, who knows how to work, knows how to rest, and I think I'm not the exception.
I believe that in future when I have more spare time and ,hopefully
, more money, then I'll have other preferences and choices in rest and relaxation, but now I'm an exceptionally lucky person, because I get a good deal of what I want, and I can work actively for the rest. So my life is full of interesting and varied acti
vities. Frankly speaking, I feel pity for those people, whose lives are boring and who don't see anything except work and TV. We have to learn to run providing some rest, comfort and entertainment, so that we could live full lives.
-------------------------------------------------------------
MY FLOT
It goes without saying that all of us have our own ideas about home because it can't mean the same to all people. As for me I'm sure that homes are not just places. Home is your little world where you live accor
ding to yow own rules and interests. It's a place where you feel comfort, warmth and reliability. My own home should be quite large and spacious, because I hate tiny rooms with small windows. Undoubtedly it should be handy for bus stop, shops and all publ
i
c places like clinics, schools, etc. Evidently all these things are significant, but nevertheless warm and friendly relations between members of the family are considerably more important than large rooms and modern furniture. I think that if you live und
e
r pressure in a flat of your dream it won't seem so wonderful, modernized and comfortable for you. And I prefer to live in a common fiat without particular modem conveniences, but where there are harmony and friendly atmosphere. It is true that all of us
e
ncourage warm relations between family members and all of us want to see the members of their family respecting, helping each other and sharing the same joys and troubles. I believe you will agree that these simple things help people to form the mood of f
riendly atmosphere in their homes.
We say "East or West, home is best ", the English say "My home is my castle". I personally agree with these statements, because it is home that always awakens the most pleasant feelings and high emotions in my soul. Alway
s after a hard day I return home and think "At last I came home". For me there is no place like home.
Though my house is situated rather far from the centre of our town I think that myhouse is perfectly located. It is a short way to the bus stop and I can
not say it is a great problem for me to get to any place in the town because public transport works well. It takes meonly about five minutes to get to the post office, pharmacy and hairdresser's. There are three schools, two kindergartens, about five shop
s
, a church and a market not far from my house. I should say that it has never been a problem for me to get to the hospital, as both nursery and adult hospitals are separated from my house only by the road. And as far as the road is concerned it's not a bu
sy one, that's why I can't say that noise troubles me.
The only thing I don't like about my flat is the view from my windows because one of the windows in my flat faces a nine-storied grey building and all the others look on a private neighborhood.
At first look my house is a common grey and boring building. It looks like hundreds of other buildings in our town, but for me it is the best house in the world.
I live on the second floor in a three-room flat. Our flat is always filed with happiness and joy.
Even after the first few minutes in our flat you can understand all hospitality and friendliness of this place and the family which lives there. Our flat is very warm and cosy, so it makes you feel at home.
I should say that as you come in through the fro
nt door, you find yourself in a long hall. It is a place where we greet our guests and it's the place where you can get the first impressions about our flat, that's why we made our entrance hall in such way that each thing there creates the feeling of com
f
ort. There is a grey carpet on the floor, but walls and ceiling are papered white. Such contrast between the dark floor and the light walls is very spectacular. It is the darkest room in our flat, because we have only one small lamp there but the darkness
makes our hall rather mysterious. Near the door there is a little seat and a mirror. A wardrobe with a coat racks stretches near the right wall but on the left wall there is only a long artificial flower and three pictures, made in one style.
The first do
or on the right of the hall leads into my parents' bedroom. It is a very convenient room, though there isn't much furniture there. There is a double-bed near the wall and two bed-side tables by its sides with photos. In front of the bed stands a dressing
t
able with a big mirror. It's the place where my mother makes up every morning. There are always a lot of perfumes on this table and it isn't a surprise that the room is always filled with their scents. There is also a door to the balcony. In summer it is
usually open and I like to enjoy the fresh air and cool swish of leaves that come from it.
The next room after the bedroom of my parents is my own bedroom. First of all I should say that it is my favourite room in our flat. I have always tried to make my r
oom cosy, because to my mind your room is your face. My bedroom is the place where I wake up every morning to the refreshing smell of coffee from the kitchen and where every day of my life starts.
Though my room isn't very large I can say that it is rather spacious for me because I live al
one. My bedroom is also my study, so you can see a table near the window and three bookshelves on the wall with various books. Not far from the table there is my bed, near it stands a bed-side table with the telephone. You can also find a wardrobe, a ches
t of drawers in my room and a fluffy carpet on the floor.
In my opinion my room is very cool and light. It is always filled with the sounds of my favourite music. Certainly my room is very lovely and comfortable. Here there are a lot of beautiful things t
hat make it funny and merry; I have a lot of toys which sit on my bed and on the shelves. I collect postcards and statues as well, that's why a lot of them are situated on the chest of drawers and on the shelves. But my room isn't very green, because I do
n't like flowers and frankly speaking I don't enjoy the view from my window.
But in general I adore my bedroom and I always feel myself comfortable in it. I like to receive guests in my room and we like to listen to music together, to drink tea with sweets and candies and to talk about our problems, interests and news.
As far as our living room is concerned I'd like to say that it is the largest and the busiest room in our flat. Every evening we gather together there and discuss some problems and events, w
atch TV or read magazines. This room is filled with cheerful and friendly humor; here you can always hear happy laughing and joyful voices.
The walls in this room are white but sofa and armchairs are red. There is a table for magazines between two armchai
rs and near the front wall a wardrobe and a suite of furniture stand. There is also a TV set in the living room. We usually like to have a cup of coffee there and to talk.
To the right of the hall or in front of the living room there is our kitchen with al
l its conveniences where we sit chatting for hours in winter. Our kitchen is rather small, but cosy and warm. It faces east, that's why there is a lot of sunshine there especially in the morning. The air of this room is usually filled with the delicious s
mells of my mother's cooking, because mainly she is the hostess of the kitchen.
The walls are papered blue there. As scientists say blue is the colour that is the most universally preferred as blue rooms instill peacefulness, blue can also help us feel cal
m and confident, that's why I like this room and spend there quite a lot of time.
A table and four stools stand near the window with wonderful gaily-coloured curtains. In the corner to the left of the door you can see a sink and a gas cooker. Next to the cooker stands a working top and over it there are wall cupboards.
Between the kitchen and the living room there is a bathroom and a toilet. Our bathroom is rather large. Its walls are covered with blue tiles, but the floor with grey ones. In the front of
the door there is a bath.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
ike - the only equipment you need to have is a bookmark.
I should say that we have a large collection of books at home, but I never miss the opportunity to borrow some new books from the library. I have been interested in Russian and Belarusian literature s
ince my childhood. As far as Russian literature is concerned it is hard to name one favourite writer or one favourite book especially if we are talking about the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, known as the "golden" and "silver' periods in t
he Russian culture. Such giants of Russian literature as A. Pushkin, I. Turgenev, I Tolstoy, A. Chekhov and many others are known all over the world.
The writer who stands out of this list for me is Fyodor Michailovich Dostoyevsky. I think I can never forge
t my first acquaintance with him. Nearly three years ago when I came to our local library the librarian, a pleasant young lass, offered me to borrow "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoyevsky. The title of this book tells its own tale and though I have never e
n
joyed books about murders and crimes I decided to take it, as I have heard about Dostoyevsky as about one of the most seminal writers in European literature. But after reading his book, "Crime and Punishment" became my favourite book and its author came i
nto my life as my beloved Russian writer.
I look upon him not only as a great writer but a great philosopher as well. His ideas had an immense influence on the literature that followed and his deep penetration into the human soul and the motives of people's
behaviour impresses the modern reader as much as it did his contemporaries.
Dostoyevsky was born in Moscow on October 30, 1821. He was the second son of a former army doctor. Though the Dostoyevskies were a middle-class family the father was able to provi
de the best education for his sons. The boy was educated at a private Moscow boarding school and, shortly after the death of his mother in February 1837, was sent to St. Petersburg, where he entered the Army Engineering College. He received a commission i
n 1843 and was attached to the Army Engineering corps, but in 1844 Dostoyevsky resigned his commission to devote himself to literature.
In the spring of 1846 he joined the group of Utopian socialists led by Michael Butashevich-Petrashevsky. And in April 184
9 Dostoyevsky and other members of the group were arrested and imprisoned for eight months in the Petropavlovsk fortress. On November 16 Dostoyevsky was sentenced to death, but the death sentence was commuted to four years of hard labor in a Siberian pris
on. After his release from prison in February 1854, Dostoyevsky did his compulsory army service in Siberia.
In March 1857 Dostoyevsky resigned from the army and return to St. Petersburg. Two years after his return, at the end of 1859, he founded the monthly
periodical "The time" under the nominal editorship of his elder brother Michael, who was his best friend throughout his life. But some years later "The Time" was suppressed because of an article on the Polish uprising.
Dostoyevsky died in St. Petersburg on January 28, 1881, from a burst blood vessel in his lungs, aggravated by an attack of epilepsy.
Fyodor Michailovich Dostoyevsky died but he left his descendants a large heritage. At present Dostoyevsky is still among the most widely read authors, whose co
ntribution to the world literature can hardly be overestimated. I consider that he is so popular among the readers because of the problems raised by him; these problems haven't lost their significance. Dostoyevsky wrote about Russian people and the proble
m
s of the Russian society of his time, his genius made the problems raised international and vital for people of all nationalities. Among his outstanding novels are "The Idiot", "The Devils", "The Adolescent", "The Brothers Karamazov", "Humiliated and Abus
ed", but as I have said before my favourite is "Crime and Punishment".
To my mind the novel "Crime and Punishment" is one of the best books I've ever read which leaves lasting impression and unforgettable feelings. It holds your attention from the start and becomes more exciting as it progresses.
The author worked upon this novel in 1865 and throughout the following year and the book was published in 1866. It is the psychological account of a crime. A young man Radion Raskolnikov, sent down from university,
of middle-class origins and living in extreme poverty has decided to break out of his appalling situation. He decides to kill a certain old woman, the pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna. The old woman is stupid, deaf, ill and greedy; she is evil and torments the
l
ife of her younger sister. "She is of no use for anything", "why does she live?"', "is she of any value to anybody at all?" - such questions thoroughly disconcert the young man. He decides to kill and rob her in order to improve the fortunes of his mother
and sister. He wants to save the family, finish his course, go abroad and then for the whole of the remainder of his life to be honest. Despite the fact that such crimes are terribly difficult to carry out, he carries out his plan quickly and successfully
.
He passes almost a month after this before the final catastrophe. Nobody suspects him and here the whole psychological process of the crime unfolds. Insoluble questions confront the murderer, unsuspected and unanticipated feelings torment his heart. God'
s truth and the earthly law and justice take their toll, and he ends by being compelled to give himself up.
I have a really high opinion of this book, as I got the whole pleasure from it. This is the book which, once you have started, is impossible to put d
own. While reading the novel you share all Radion's feelings and fears together with him, you try to understand his behaviour and thoughts, to cut the long story short, you live together with the main hero. "Crime and Punishment" includes strong elements
o
f realism; you can find a certain theme to think over at every page of the novel. From my point of view all these make the book unforgettable and peculiar. And I think if I met a person who hasn't read this book, I would recommend him or her to read it, a
s "Crime and Punishment" is a real masterpiece of Russian literature.
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MY FAVOURITE AMERICAN WRITER
I consider that books are with us during all the life. When I was a child my parents read them to me
and I was pleased to listen to the stories and tales. I learned a lot of interesting and useful things from books. Later I could read books by myself and they brought me a lot of pleasant minutes.
In general, I'm fond of reading and to my mind books are a source of emotional inspiration and romantic feelings.
I think you'll agree that reading means much in our life. It is very useful because books enrich our experience with that of other people, help to continue our self-education and to discover what we are.
Reading is a rewarding pastime, as the time spent on a good book is never wasted. But some people think that a tempo of modern life is too fast to waste time on reading. They are sure that books have begun to lose their prestige and value. I agree that
our century is the century of computers and progressive technologies, but it doesn't mean that one day books will be replaced by computers. Love and detective stories, science fiction and historical novels we read for pleasure and they create a special a
t
mosphere. Books take us into the imaginary world of high human emotions and exciting relations. Owing to books we have the invisible contact with the writer who speaks with us from the passed centuries. I'm sure that computers are unable to replace all th
e
se things. In my opinion books are not only things which help us to wide our knowledge but they are as teachers help us in different situations and set examples. Books teach us what is right and what is wrong, to understand the world and people in; they m
ould our character and at the same time they tell us exciting stories.
Unlike most of young people, who read little, I have been doing regular reading since my childhood. Today youth isn't used to reading.
For me reading tends to be something you enjoy more
and more as you get older, but if you don't develop a taste for it when you are young you may never discover the pleasure of getting involved in a good book. In my opinion, the main advantage books have over all other entertainments like computer games,
v
ideos or TV is that they are relatively inexpensive and portable. I mean you can take a book with you whenever you go, it doesn't break down if you get sand inside it, you don't need batteries and you can put it down and pick it up whenever you like - the
only equipment you need is a bookmark.
I should say that we have a large collection of books at home, but I never miss the opportunity to borrow some new books from the library. My attention has always been attracted by shelves with English and American
literature. Nearly three years ago when I came to out local library the librarian, a pleasant young lass, advised mo to borrow "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. Frankly speaking, the title of the book didn't arose my attention at first, though I
decided to take this book. But when I finally read it, "Gone with the wind" became my favourite book and its author came into my life as my beloved one. I have been fascinated by this great American writer.
When I read her biography | was impressed by her p
ersonality. Margaret Mitchell was born on November 8, 1900 in Atlanta to a family with ancestry not unlike the O'Hara's in "Gone with the Wind". Her mother, Mary Isabelle Stephens was of Irish-Catholic ancestry. Her father, Eugene Muse Mitchell, an Atlant
a attorney, descended from Scotch-Irish and French Huguenots. The family included many soldiers-members of the family had fought in the American Revolution, Irish uprisings and rebellions and the Civil War.
The imaginative child was fascinated with stories
of the Civil War that she heard first from her parents and great aunts, who lived .it the family's Jonesboro rural home, and later from grizzled Confederate veterans who regaled the girl with battlefield stories.
Young Margaret attended private school, but was not an exceptional student. When, on one memorabl е
day, she announced to her mother that she could not understand mathematics and would not return to school, Mary Isabelle dragged her daughter to a rural road where plantation houses had fallen into ruin.
"It's happened before and it will happen again," mother sternly lectured the girl. "And when it does happen, everyone loses everything and everyone is equal. They all start again with nothing at all except the cunning of their brain and the strength of
their hands."
Chastened, Margaret Mitchell returned to school, eventually entering Smith College in the fall of 1918. In January 1919, her mother died of a flu epidemic and Margaret left college to take charge of the Atlanta household of her father and he
r elder brother.
In 1925 Margaret Mitchell began writing the book that would make her world famous. Once she said: "If the novel has a theme it is that of survival. What makes some people able to come through catastrophes and others, apparently just as abl
e strong and brave, go under? It happens in every upheaval. Some people survive, others don't. What qualities are in those who tight their way through triumphantly that are lacking in those who go under…
? I only know that the survivors used to call that quality 'gumption'. So I wrote about the people who had gumption and the people who didn't."
"Gone with the Wind" was published in June 1936, and she was awarded the Pulitzer Price for her sweeping novel in May 1937. The novel was made into an equally famous
motion picture starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. The movie had its world premiere at the Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta on December 15, 1939 with Margaret Mitchell and all of the stars in attendance.
On August 11, 1949 while crossing the crossroads, Margaret Mitchell was struck by a speeding taxi. She died five days later and is buried in Atlanta Oakland Cemetery with other members of her family.
Margaret Mitchell died but her book is still alive and it is still popular among readers. To my mind the
novel "Gone with the Wind' is one of the best books I've ever read, which leaves lasting impression and unforgettable feelings. It holds your attention from the start and becomes exciting as it progresses.
"Gone with the Wind" is a sort of historical novel
s where the Civil War (1861-1865) between two hostile camps of South and North is depicted. The author of the novel blames the war and shows all its horrors and burdens, hunger and collapses, nonsense and inhumanity. One of the most interesting aspects of
the story is the portrayal of the main hero Scarlet O'Hara, who is a beautiful, proud and spirited girl with practical mind. In youth she passionately falls in love with Ashley, but he prefers another girl and marries her. Scarlet's fanatical devotion to
h
er first love prevents her from an opportunity to estimate at Rhett Butler's love. Rhett is a strong-willed, bold man who is quite similar to her in temperament and spirit. Finally Scarlet understands that all her life she has loved not real Ashley, but h
er own child's dream only when Rhett leaves and she remains alone. But Scarlet isn't defeated, she hopes for the next day. That's why not without reason the novel ends with the words: "But tomorrow will be another day."
As for me I have a really high opinio
n of this book, as I got the whole pleasure from it. This is the book which, once you have started, is impossible to put down. "Gone with the Wind' includes strong elements of realism, it portrays life very truthfully and it can make people laugh and cry.
The characters are depicted so vividly that people immediately recognize themselves; it amuses the readers and arouses the feeling of admiration. From my point of view all these facts make the book unforgettable and peculiar. And I think if I met a person
who hasn't read the novel, I would certainly recommend to read it; as "Gone with the Wind' is a real masterpiece of American literature.
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MY DAY OFF
What is the life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare
Sometimes it is very hard to find some free time even on our days off, because we are often busy with our work and we don't see all
kinds of other activities. Besides we don't save our minutes, that's why we have no time to relax. Until recently staying busy relieved me of the need to make decisions about how I was spending my time. Business gave me a sense of control over my life. Fr
a
nkly speaking my dilemma is deeper than shortage of time; it is the problem of priorities I want to spend time at work, but not for the lack of good rest. Physical rest is very important, but we also need spiritual relaxation - the peace and refreshment i
n
our soul. It has been wisely noted that after spiritual rest we feel strengthened, dashing and patient. So, at present I try to maximize my time in such a way in order to have enough time for work but also have some spare time for entertainments. This is
usually connected with my weekends or in other words days off.
I should say that this year was not an easy one in my life. Apart from everyday preparation for the lessons at lyceum, I had to do quite a number of additional studies in English, Belarusian an
d History because I started getting ready for the entrance examinations. During the school week I got so tired and exhausted that I anxiously looked forward to the weekend when I could relax and have a good rest. A day off for me was a nice possibility to
escape from the daily lyceum routine. Every day off came like a reward and like all nice things it flashed by quickly.
To my mind every day off needs some special planning. Time passes quickly and if you have no plans you can be sure to get no results, as you may spend your time on trifles.
In general I'm for an active rest I like to go somewhere with my friends and to spend my free time in a good company. I hate staying at home at the weekend. While studying at lyceum, I tried to do all my homework right a
fter the classes on Saturday, because I didn't want to remember about it during my weekend. Also I did something about the house like cleaning my room, placing books on the shelves which were piled up in different places and then I was free and could do e
v
erything I wished. I enjoyed my Saturday evenings most of all. I never knew about boredom even when I spent the evening on my own listening to music or reading an exciting book. I'm fond of reading. Books help me to continue my self-education, besides I'm
sure that a reader lives much richer and interesting life than a non reader. I prefer reading psychological books. In my opinion, the time spent on such a book is never wasted, as these books help me to understand the world and people in it, teach me what
is right and what is wrong and at the same time they mould my character.
But I should mention that usually I spent my Saturday evenings in another way. I met my friends and we went for a walk or to the disco. I'd like to say that a lot of clubs have been o
pened recently in our town. The entrance ticket isn't very expensive, wonderful music is played there and you can dance there and get acquainted with interesting people. I can't explain all the feelings I experience while dancing, but it gives me so much
e
nergy that I even don't feel my tiredness. I always returned home brisk and in a good mood. I should say that on Saturdays I tried to return home early, because I wanted to have a good sleep which was a well-deserved reward for the six days of hard work a
nd early rising.
I'm in the habit of getting up late on Sundays. Especially when the weather was nasty, I afforded myself to relax and not to be in a hurry. I hate the cold that's why I usually tried to stay in bed as long as possible. So I could stay in it
and not get up till 11 or even 12 o'clock in the morning. Only then I dressed and had my breakfast.
I could do everything I wished till 5 o'clock. Usually I watched TV, visited my friends or chatted with them on the phone. But sometimes if I had known tha
t the next week was hard I could spend half of the day reading numerous pages in literature, writing essays or compositions. I should say that it helped me a lot and I had more free time during the workweek.
I tried to end all my duties till 4 o'clock, as
at 5 o'clock my trainings on shaping began. To my mind not without reason people say that sport is a world of its own and it can't mean the same to everybody. I'm absolutely sure that doing sports is the best way to keep fit, healthy and strong. It is wid
e
known that there is a sound mind in a sound body. But for me sport is also a means of relaxation and entertainment, a way of acquainting with other people. I should say that I have met a great amount of interesting people there, communication with whom m
ade my day off brighter and more enjoyable But to my great regret I had to give up my trainings some months ago, because of lack of spare time.
After the trainings, tired but happy, I returned home. It was usually about 8 o'clock. The rest of the day I pref
erred to spend with my family members, as my family has always meant very much for me I like most of all when the whole family gather in the kitchen and we all sit chatting for hours It happens especially often on long winter evenings. We usually drink te
a or coffee and share our news, joys and sorrows and discuss our plans for the next week. I have always enjoyed the honest and open relattons in our family and I think that my family is the most valuable thing I have in my life.
I have described you my typi
cal day off, but of course, my weekends vary depending on the season. Summer weekends are more pleasant than long winter evenings, but I don't mean to say that I never enjoy weekends like these. Honestly, an ideal weekend for me is going for a picnic some
w
here in the country or in the forest with my friends, sitting around the fire and singing songs to the guitar. That is the kind of weekend we sometimes have in spring or early autumn. But frankly speaking, it happens quite rarely, as I and my friends are
busy people. Take me for example: studying at lyceum left little time for entertainment but the English say: He, who knows how to work, knows how to rest, and I think I'm not the exception.
I believe that in future when I have more spare time and ,hopefully
, more money, then I'll have other preferences and choices in rest and relaxation, but now I'm an exceptionally lucky person, because I get a good deal of what I want, and I can work actively for the rest. So my life is full of interesting and varied acti
vities. Frankly speaking, I feel pity for those people, whose lives are boring and who don't see anything except work and TV. We have to learn to run providing some rest, comfort and entertainment, so that we could live full lives.
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MY FLOT
It goes without saying that all of us have our own ideas about home because it can't mean the same to all people. As for me I'm sure that homes are not just places. Home is your little world where you live accor
ding to yow own rules and interests. It's a place where you feel comfort, warmth and reliability. My own home should be quite large and spacious, because I hate tiny rooms with small windows. Undoubtedly it should be handy for bus stop, shops and all publ
i
c places like clinics, schools, etc. Evidently all these things are significant, but nevertheless warm and friendly relations between members of the family are considerably more important than large rooms and modern furniture. I think that if you live und
e
r pressure in a flat of your dream it won't seem so wonderful, modernized and comfortable for you. And I prefer to live in a common fiat without particular modem conveniences, but where there are harmony and friendly atmosphere. It is true that all of us
e
ncourage warm relations between family members and all of us want to see the members of their family respecting, helping each other and sharing the same joys and troubles. I believe you will agree that these simple things help people to form the mood of f
riendly atmosphere in their homes.
We say "East or West, home is best ", the English say "My home is my castle". I personally agree with these statements, because it is home that always awakens the most pleasant feelings and high emotions in my soul. Alway
s after a hard day I return home and think "At last I came home". For me there is no place like home.
Though my house is situated rather far from the centre of our town I think that myhouse is perfectly located. It is a short way to the bus stop and I can
not say it is a great problem for me to get to any place in the town because public transport works well. It takes meonly about five minutes to get to the post office, pharmacy and hairdresser's. There are three schools, two kindergartens, about five shop
s
, a church and a market not far from my house. I should say that it has never been a problem for me to get to the hospital, as both nursery and adult hospitals are separated from my house only by the road. And as far as the road is concerned it's not a bu
sy one, that's why I can't say that noise troubles me.
The only thing I don't like about my flat is the view from my windows because one of the windows in my flat faces a nine-storied grey building and all the others look on a private neighborhood.
At first look my house is a common grey and boring building. It looks like hundreds of other buildings in our town, but for me it is the best house in the world.
I live on the second floor in a three-room flat. Our flat is always filed with happiness and joy.
Even after the first few minutes in our flat you can understand all hospitality and friendliness of this place and the family which lives there. Our flat is very warm and cosy, so it makes you feel at home.
I should say that as you come in through the fro
nt door, you find yourself in a long hall. It is a place where we greet our guests and it's the place where you can get the first impressions about our flat, that's why we made our entrance hall in such way that each thing there creates the feeling of com
f
ort. There is a grey carpet on the floor, but walls and ceiling are papered white. Such contrast between the dark floor and the light walls is very spectacular. It is the darkest room in our flat, because we have only one small lamp there but the darkness
makes our hall rather mysterious. Near the door there is a little seat and a mirror. A wardrobe with a coat racks stretches near the right wall but on the left wall there is only a long artificial flower and three pictures, made in one style.
The first do
or on the right of the hall leads into my parents' bedroom. It is a very convenient room, though there isn't much furniture there. There is a double-bed near the wall and two bed-side tables by its sides with photos. In front of the bed stands a dressing
t
able with a big mirror. It's the place where my mother makes up every morning. There are always a lot of perfumes on this table and it isn't a surprise that the room is always filled with their scents. There is also a door to the balcony. In summer it is
usually open and I like to enjoy the fresh air and cool swish of leaves that come from it.
The next room after the bedroom of my parents is my own bedroom. First of all I should say that it is my favourite room in our flat. I have always tried to make my r
oom cosy, because to my mind your room is your face. My bedroom is the place where I wake up every morning to the refreshing smell of coffee from the kitchen and where every day of my life starts.
Though my room isn't very large I can say that it is rather spacious for me because I live al
one. My bedroom is also my study, so you can see a table near the window and three bookshelves on the wall with various books. Not far from the table there is my bed, near it stands a bed-side table with the telephone. You can also find a wardrobe, a ches
t of drawers in my room and a fluffy carpet on the floor.
In my opinion my room is very cool and light. It is always filled with the sounds of my favourite music. Certainly my room is very lovely and comfortable. Here there are a lot of beautiful things t
hat make it funny and merry; I have a lot of toys which sit on my bed and on the shelves. I collect postcards and statues as well, that's why a lot of them are situated on the chest of drawers and on the shelves. But my room isn't very green, because I do
n't like flowers and frankly speaking I don't enjoy the view from my window.
But in general I adore my bedroom and I always feel myself comfortable in it. I like to receive guests in my room and we like to listen to music together, to drink tea with sweets and candies and to talk about our problems, interests and news.
As far as our living room is concerned I'd like to say that it is the largest and the busiest room in our flat. Every evening we gather together there and discuss some problems and events, w
atch TV or read magazines. This room is filled with cheerful and friendly humor; here you can always hear happy laughing and joyful voices.
The walls in this room are white but sofa and armchairs are red. There is a table for magazines between two armchai
rs and near the front wall a wardrobe and a suite of furniture stand. There is also a TV set in the living room. We usually like to have a cup of coffee there and to talk.
To the right of the hall or in front of the living room there is our kitchen with al
l its conveniences where we sit chatting for hours in winter. Our kitchen is rather small, but cosy and warm. It faces east, that's why there is a lot of sunshine there especially in the morning. The air of this room is usually filled with the delicious s
mells of my mother's cooking, because mainly she is the hostess of the kitchen.
The walls are papered blue there. As scientists say blue is the colour that is the most universally preferred as blue rooms instill peacefulness, blue can also help us feel cal
m and confident, that's why I like this room and spend there quite a lot of time.
A table and four stools stand near the window with wonderful gaily-coloured curtains. In the corner to the left of the door you can see a sink and a gas cooker. Next to the cooker stands a working top and over it there are wall cupboards.
Between the kitchen and the living room there is a bathroom and a toilet. Our bathroom is rather large. Its walls are covered with blue tiles, but the floor with grey ones. In the front of
the door there is a bath.
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