Holidays
What is the best time for schoolchildren? Holidays, of course! Autumn, winter, spring and definitely summer holidays. These are the times when you can forget about homework, school and teachers.
Usually autumn holidays are not very exciting. The weather is getting worse, it"s raining and you don"t have much opportunity to walk outside for a long time. During autumn holidays my friends and I usually spend time at each other"s places playing computer games.
Winter holidays are much more interesting! I like skating and my family usually goes to the skating rink in a nearby park. Sometimes my friends and I go outside the city to the ski lodge. We rent skis and go cross-country skiing in the forest. Just before the New Year"s Day a big fir tree is set in our park. It is decorated with garlands and large toys. Ice hills are also made in the park. I like going to the park with my younger sister and my friends. At New Year"s night my family usually goes outside. My father and I make a fireworks display. My mother always says that it is dangerous, but we all know that she likes our fireworks. We also congratulate everyone who we meet with the New Year and they congratulate us back. I like it that people are so kind during this holiday!
The longest term is behind and spring holidays come. It is getting warm every day, streams are flowing in the streets. It is fun, but you should be careful not to slip on the spring ice and fall in a puddle! I walk with my friends, go to the cinema, ride a bike or roller-skate.
At last summer has come! The books have been taken back to the library, now other children will use them next year. Summer is my favourite season. I can wear only a T-shirt, jeans or shorts and light trainers or flip-flops. I have three months of rest which I can devote to myself and to my friends. During the first two weeks of summer holidays my family and I go to some resort. We have already been to Turkey and Egypt and this year we are going to Spain. We like sunbathing and swimming in the sea. I wish we could do this all year round!
Then we go back to the city and my sister and I go to our grandparents" country house. It is not worse than holidays at the sea. Our country house is rather far from our city - about two and a half hours by car. But it is worth going there anyway. I take a bike and a games console with me. I meet my friends there. I see some of them every day at school and I don"t see others for the whole year, so I have an opportunity to meet them again and catch up. We ride bikes, sunbathe on the river bank, swim in the river and communicate with each other.
I wish holidays were all year round!

ПЛАН-ОТВЕТ. HOLIDAYS
1. Вступление (What is the best time for schoolchildren? Holidays, of course! Autumn, winter, spring and definitely summer holidays. These are the tunes when you can forget about homework, school and teachers.).
2. Рассказать о школьных каникулах и о том, чем обычно занимаются во время них (autumn holidays: not very exciting, weather getting worse, my friends and I...; winter holidays: much more interesting; I like...; my family...; New Year"s Day; spring holidays: the longest term; it is getting warm; streams; I walk with my friends/go to the cinema/ride a bike/roller-skate, etc.; summer holidays: I can wear...; three months; my family and I...; this year we...; Then...; country house; meet my friends, etc.).
3. Заключение (I wish holidays were all year round!).

QUESTIONS
1. What are holidays?
2. What school holidays are there in Russia?
3. What are your favourite holidays?
4. When are autumn holidays?
5. What do you usually do during autumn holidays?
6. When are winter holidays?
7. What do you usually do on winter holidays?
8. Do you like winter holidays? Why (not)?
9. Are spring holidays long or short?
10. What can schoolchildren do during spring holidays?
11. What do you usually do?
12. How long are summer holidays?
13. Where do you usually spend your summer holidays?
14. Do you go with your family?
15. Do you prefer to swim in the sea or in a swimming pool?
16. What do you think of spending a holiday in a village?
17. What is better to spend holidays with the family or with friends?
18. Have you ever been camping? if so, where?
19. Do you take any school books to revise?
20. Do you read during your holidays?
21. Do you meet any English-speaking people during your holidays?
22. What do you think of spending your holidays learning languages?
23. What do you think of working during your holidays?
24. What do you think of people who work in summer?
25. How do you feel when your holidays are over?

USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES
Indoor activities Занятия в помещении
dance танцевать
listen to music слушать музыку
play board games/computer играть в настольные
games игры/компьютерные игры
read читать
study учиться
watch TV смотреть телевизор
Outdoor activities Занятия на открытом воздухе
birdwatching наблюдение за птицами
(downhill) skiing катание на горных лыжах
(ice) skating катание на коньках
(rock) climbing . скалолазание
(whitewater) rafting сплав по реке
camping идти в поход
canoeing заниматься греблей
cross-country skiing кататься на лыжах по пересе-
чённой местности
diving ныряние (дайвинг)
figure skating фигурное катание
fishing ловля рыбу
gardening садоводство
jogging бег
karting . картинг
make sandcastles строить замки из песка
paintballing пейнтбол
picnic пикник
play volleyball/football играть в волейбол/футбол
rowing гребля
sailing плавание (на яхте, на лодке)
scuba diving ныряние с аквалангом
sightseeing/doing the sights осмотр достопримечательностей
skateboarding скейтбординг
snorkeling плавание под водой с маской
snowboarding сноубординг
sunbathe загорать
surf сёрфинг
swim плавать
toboggan катание на санках
walk гулять
waterskiing катание на водных лыжах
windsurfing виндсёрфинг
zorbing зорбинг (катание/спуск со склонов внутри прозрачного двухслойного шара «зорба»)

I guess people all over the world like holidays. During celebration time people, as a rule, visit their friends and relatives, have parties and give and receive presents. Some of the holidays have its own customs and traditions.

Holidays in Great Britain

Unfortunately, I’ve never been to England, and my desire is to visit Great Britain during Christmas celebration. The atmosphere is wonderful: there are a lot of Christmas trees everywhere; houses are decorated with candles and toys.

Christmas is celebrated at the 25 th of December and is thought to be a family holiday. Children decorate their Christmas trees with lights, toys, candies, candles and looking forward to receive presents from a Santa Claus, who is believed to come down the chimney and leave gifts in children’s stockings. Both children and adults like this magnificent holiday!

Holidays in Russia

There are a lot of national holidays in Russia. I would like to tell you about Easter. So what are the symbols of this holiday? Firstly there are traditional dishes such as panted eggs, Easter cakes and paskha.

Speaking about specific Russian traditions there must be mentioned that people congratulate each other on the fest saying: “Christos Voskrese”, there is no such a tradition in English- or French-speaking countries.

My favourite holiday

My family like holidays very much because you can have fun all day long and don’t have to do anything. Our favorite holiday is a New Year’s Day. My family and I celebrate it together with relatives at the 31st of December.

Grandfather Frost and his granddaughter Snegurochka are thought to be the main characters of New Year in Russia. They deliver and give presents to small children.

At Christmas Day, together with my family we sing, dance and have fun.

Думаю, что все любят праздники, ведь в эти дни люди проводят время с близкими, устраивают вечеринки и обмениваются подарками. У многих праздников есть устоявшиеся традиции и обычаи.

Праздники в Великобритании

К сожалению, я никогда не был в Англии, но мне бы хотелось посетить эту страну во время Рождественских праздников. Рождественская атмосфера городов зачаровывает: повсюду наряженные рождественские елки, дома украшены огнями и игрушками.

В Англии Рождество празднуется 25 декабря и считается семейным праздником. Дети украшают елки гирляндами, игрушками, конфетами и свечками, и с нетерпением ожидают, когда Санта Клаус принесет им подарки. По легенде он спускается в дом через дымоход и оставляет подарки в рождественских чулках. Дети и взрослые любят этот замечательный праздник!

Праздники в России

В России много национальных праздников, но мне бы хотелось рассказать о Пасхе. Какие же символы у этого торжества? В первую очередь, на праздничный стол подают традиционные блюда: крашеные пасхальные яйца, пасхальные куличи и творожная пасха.

Следует упомянуть о традиционных именно для России обычаях, например, только русскоговорящие поздравляют друг друга словами «Христос Воскресе». В англоязычных или франкоговорящих странах такой традиции не существует.

Мой любимый праздник

Моя семья очень любит праздники, ведь можно целыми днями только и делать, что веселиться, и проводить время с родными и близкими. Наш любимый праздник – Новый Год. Моя семья празднует его с нашими родственниками 31 декабря.

Главными персонажами Новогоднего торжества являются Дед Мороз и его внучка Снегурочка. Они приносят и дарят подарки маленьким детям. В новогоднюю ночь мы с семьей поем, танцуем и веселимся.

School Holidays


Каникулы

Pupils at school have their vacations four times a year — in winter, in autumn, in spring, and in summer.
As for me, the best holidays are in summer. All the people enjoy summer holidays very much. It is a great pleasure to have a rest after a whole year of hard work or study. People like to travel during summer holidays. Some people go abroad to see new countries, some people prefer to go to the country-side to enjoy country-life far from noise and fuss of big cities.
У учеников в школе каникулы бывают четыре раза в год — зимой, осенью, весной и летом.
Я считаю, что лучшие каникулы — летом. Всем людям нравится отдыхать летом. Так приятно отдохнуть после целого года напряженной работы или учебы. Людям нравится путешествовать на летних каникулах. Некоторые едут за границу посмотреть новые страны, другие предпочитают деревню, чтобы насладиться спокойной жизнью вдали от шума и суеты больших городов.
Some people like to spend their holidays in cities, visiting theatres and museums. But a great number of people go to the seaside in summer.
I like to have rest at the seaside best of all. I do not like crowds when I am on holidays. My parents and I always have our holidays on the coast. Sea and sunshine that is what we look forward to every summer. Usually we go to a holiday centre.
Некоторые любят проводить каникулы в городе, посещая театры, музеи. Но многие люди едут летом на море.
Я тоже больше всего люблю отдыхать на море. Когда я отдыхаю, мне не нравятся толпы людей. Родители и я всегда стараемся отдыхать на берегу моря. Море и солнце — вот чего мы ждем с нетерпением каждое лето. Обычно мы едем в пансионат (дом отдыха).
Last year we spent our holidays in such a centre. Each day was full of small joys. We swam in the sea, lay in the sun, played different games and had a wonderful time. It was a nice rest. If everything is OK this year we will go to the seaside again. В прошлом году мы были как раз в таком пансионате. Каждый день был полон маленьких радостей. Мы плавали в море, загорали, играли и замечательно проводили время. Отдых был хорошим. Если все будет хорошо, мы снова поедем на море в этом году.

Vocabulary


fuss — суета
crowd — толпа
coast — побережье
to look forward — ожидать с нетерпением

Questions


1. How many holidays a year do pupils have?
2. Why do all the people enjoy summer holidays?
3. What do people like to do during summer holidays?
4. Why do people like to go to the seaside in summer?
5. What holidays do you enjoy most of all and why?
6. Where did you spend your last holidays?
7. How did you travel?
8. What did you see?
9. Where did you stay?
10. How long did you stay?

Holidays
What is the best time for schoolchildren? Holidays, of course! Autumn, winter, spring and definitely summer holidays. These are the times when you can forget about homework, school and teachers.
Usually autumn holidays are not very exciting. The weather is getting worse, it"s raining and you don"t have much opportunity to walk outside for a long time. During autumn holidays my friends and I usually spend time at each other"s places playing computer games.
Winter holidays are much more interesting! I like skating and my family usually goes to the skating rink in a nearby park. Sometimes my friends and I go outside the city to the ski lodge. We rent skis and go cross-country skiing in the forest. Just before the New Year"s Day a big fir tree is set in our park. It is decorated with garlands and large toys. Ice hills are also made in the park. I like going to the park with my younger sister and my friends. At New Year"s night my family usually goes outside. My father and I make a fireworks display. My mother always says that it is dangerous, but we all know that she likes our fireworks. We also congratulate everyone who we meet with the New Year and they congratulate us back. I like it that people are so kind during this holiday!
The longest term is behind and spring holidays come. It is getting warm every day, streams are flowing in the streets. It is fun, but you should be careful not to slip on the spring ice and fall in a puddle! I walk with my friends, go to the cinema, ride a bike or roller-skate.
At last summer has come! The books have been taken back to the library, now other children will use them next year. Summer is my favourite season. I can wear only a T-shirt, jeans or shorts and light trainers or flip-flops. I have three months of rest which I can devote to myself and to my friends. During the first two weeks of summer holidays my family and I go to some resort. We have already been to Turkey and Egypt and this year we are going to Spain. We like sunbathing and swimming in the sea. I wish we could do this all year round!
Then we go back to the city and my sister and I go to our grandparents" country house. It is not worse than holidays at the sea. Our country house is rather far from our city - about two and a half hours by car. But it is worth going there anyway. I take a bike and a games console with me. I meet my friends there. I see some of them every day at school and I don"t see others for the whole year, so I have an opportunity to meet them again and catch up. We ride bikes, sunbathe on the river bank, swim in the river and communicate with each other.
I wish holidays were all year round!

ПЛАН-ОТВЕТ. HOLIDAYS
1. Вступление (What is the best time for schoolchildren? Holidays, of course! Autumn, winter, spring and definitely summer holidays. These are the tunes when you can forget about homework, school and teachers.).
2. Рассказать о школьных каникулах и о том, чем обычно занимаются во время них (autumn holidays: not very exciting, weather getting worse, my friends and I...; winter holidays: much more interesting; I like...; my family...; New Year"s Day; spring holidays: the longest term; it is getting warm; streams; I walk with my friends/go to the cinema/ride a bike/roller-skate, etc.; summer holidays: I can wear...; three months; my family and I...; this year we...; Then...; country house; meet my friends, etc.).
3. Заключение (I wish holidays were all year round!).

QUESTIONS
1. What are holidays?
2. What school holidays are there in Russia?
3. What are your favourite holidays?
4. When are autumn holidays?
5. What do you usually do during autumn holidays?
6. When are winter holidays?
7. What do you usually do on winter holidays?
8. Do you like winter holidays? Why (not)?
9. Are spring holidays long or short?
10. What can schoolchildren do during spring holidays?
11. What do you usually do?
12. How long are summer holidays?
13. Where do you usually spend your summer holidays?
14. Do you go with your family?
15. Do you prefer to swim in the sea or in a swimming pool?
16. What do you think of spending a holiday in a village?
17. What is better to spend holidays with the family or with friends?
18. Have you ever been camping? if so, where?
19. Do you take any school books to revise?
20. Do you read during your holidays?
21. Do you meet any English-speaking people during your holidays?
22. What do you think of spending your holidays learning languages?
23. What do you think of working during your holidays?
24. What do you think of people who work in summer?
25. How do you feel when your holidays are over?

USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES
Indoor activities Занятия в помещении
dance танцевать
listen to music слушать музыку
play board games/computer играть в настольные
games игры/компьютерные игры
read читать
study учиться
watch TV смотреть телевизор
Outdoor activities Занятия на открытом воздухе
birdwatching наблюдение за птицами
(downhill) skiing катание на горных лыжах
(ice) skating катание на коньках
(rock) climbing . скалолазание
(whitewater) rafting сплав по реке
camping идти в поход
canoeing заниматься греблей
cross-country skiing кататься на лыжах по пересе-
чённой местности
diving ныряние (дайвинг)
figure skating фигурное катание
fishing ловля рыбу
gardening садоводство
jogging бег
karting . картинг
make sandcastles строить замки из песка
paintballing пейнтбол
picnic пикник
play volleyball/football играть в волейбол/футбол
rowing гребля
sailing плавание (на яхте, на лодке)
scuba diving ныряние с аквалангом
sightseeing/doing the sights осмотр достопримечательностей
skateboarding скейтбординг
snorkeling плавание под водой с маской
snowboarding сноубординг
sunbathe загорать
surf сёрфинг
swim плавать
toboggan катание на санках
walk гулять
waterskiing катание на водных лыжах
windsurfing виндсёрфинг
zorbing зорбинг (катание/спуск со склонов внутри прозрачного двухслойного шара «зорба»)

Вторую часть топика о праздниках в России читайте

Holidays are important part of people"s life, we love to celebrate different dates.

Some of them are more popular, some are less, but there are many national holidays and all of us are eagerly looking forward to them. People don"t work on these official days off.

Most holidays fall on the same date every year and some other ones are movable.

The beginning of the year is accompanied with the most important holiday. We meet New Year"s Day at midnight and we commonly celebrate it till morning with the closest circle of family and friends. Traditionally everybody decorates New Year tree with New Year baubles and colored lights and home with fir branches and tinsel, prepare lots of delicious food, singing winter songs and dancing. All the children are waiting for the Grandfather Frost with his gifts.

Russia is an orthodox country, so our Christmas is on the 7th of January. We clean our homes, cook many tasty things one day before Christmas because the next day nobody should work, but only go to church and have a rest with the family.

The next winter holiday is non-official “Men"s day”, officially this day is called “Defender of the Motherland Day «. In Soviet period it was The Day of Soviet Army. Normally women give men small gifts on this day.

Перевод:

Праздники являются важной частью жизни людей, мы любим отмечать разные дни и даты.

Некоторые из них более популярны, другие менее, но есть много национальных праздников и мы все с нетерпением ожидаем их. В эти дни официальных выходных люди не работают.

Большинство праздников проходят в один и тот же день каждый год, а некоторые являются переходными.

Начало года сопровождается самым важным праздником. Мы встречаем Новый год в полночь, и широко празднуем до самого утра в близком кругу семьи и друзей. Традиционно все украшают новогоднюю елку шарами и разноцветными огнями и дом ветками ели и мишурой, готовят много вкусной еды, поют зимние песни и танцуют. Все дети ждут Деда Мороза с его подарками.

Россия — православная страна, поэтому наше Рождество отмечается 7го января. Накануне Рождества мы убираемся в доме, готовим много вкусных блюд, потому что на следующий день никто не должен работать, а только ходить в церковь и отдыхать с семьей.

Следующий зимний праздник неофициальный “Мужской день”, официально этот день называется “День защитника Отечества». В советское время это был день Советской Армии. Обычно женщины дарят мужчинам небольшие подарки в этот день.

Фразы:

eagerly – c нетерпением

movable - зд. переходный, т. е. без фиксированной даты

New Year baubles - новогодние елочные шары

fir branches - еловые ветки

tinsel — мишура

Grandfather Frost - Дед Мороз

orthodox — православная

Defender of the Motherland Day - День Защитника Отечества