• what influences fashion ;

• what fashion styles are popular among young people nowadays;

• what kind of clothes you prefer to wear, why;

• If you are for or against wearing a school uniform.

The first impression we make almost fully depends on what we wear. Manners and speech are noticed next and character only later. It's true that the clothes we choose to wear tell other people a lot about us. We often judge people by what they wear. We express ourselves in the style, colours and the combination of clothes we put together. Our shoes, accessories and jewellery tend to create an impression of our social class and personality. At the same time we use clothes to express our individuality. We also use them to show our membership in special groups. Moreover, our choice of clothes also depends on our age, occupation and who and what we are influenced by.

Fashion changes constantly. We are bombarded with new fashion ideas from music, videos, magazines and TV. Musicians, actors, sportsmen, politicians influence our choice of clothes. Practically all people are involved in production, selling and buying clothes. Millions of workers design, sew, dye and transport clothing to stores. The fashion business is one of the biggest money earning businesses in the world.

A lot of young people wear practical, comfortable and affordable clothes which have probably been designed by somebody young. Music has always influenced fashion. The boom in extreme sports such as skateboarding and snowboarding has influenced it as well. Of course there are plenty of people wearing the latest sporty fashion who never do any sport at all. Being in fashion makes you feel good, in tune with the world you live in. However, lots of teenagers do not follow fashion. They prefer to wear comfortable clothes in relation to the things they do and the places they go.

To look good people have to match colours and styles as not all of them go well together. So we should have some 'clothes sense'. For instance, when we are at school it is important to wear the right clothes. However, some teenagers like to shock their teachers and parents and provoke them wearing informal and casual clothes instead of the uniform. As a result they have problems at school.

As for me I prefer casual/ formal style. My favourite items of clothes are … . It is important for me to feel comfortable. However, I realise that different situations need different clothes. Sometimes when I go to the theatre or a concert I need to look smart.

In conclusion I’d like to say that though fashion is not very important for many people, we should keep in mind that clothes reveal a person’s life, character and status.

PROGRESS OF SCIENCE

Give a talk on the topic Progress of Science.

Remember to say:

• what role science plays nowadays;

• what scientific inventions we use in our everyday life, which of them are important to you;

• what problems are connected with scientific progress;

• how can people solve these problems.

It is impossible to overestimate the role of science and technology in our modern life. We can't imagine our contemporary life without the telephone, the radio, the television, the automobile, the plane or many other devices invented by means of science. It should be mentioned that all the greatest inventions, which make out life easy, comfortable and pleasant were mainly created in the 20th century. These inventions would seem to be miracle for people of the previous centuries.

The 20^th century was called the atomic age due to the discovery of the splitting of the atom. Another crucial event happened when a man overcame the gravity and entered the Universe for the first time in the history of the mankind. Now we live in the information era when the computer network embraces the globe and connects not only the countries and space stations but also a lot of people all over the world. All these things prove the power and the greatest progressive role of science in our life.

However, one should remember that science can do us not only good but it can bring a lot of serious disasters. It is science that is to blame for inventing the gun powder to kill people. Nowadays we realize that the rapid scientific progress has aroused a number of global problems which are a matter of our great concern. These are different kinds of pollution, holes in the ozone layer, acid rains, greenhouse effect, and safety of nuclear power stations. Such invention as nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles made wars of annihilation possible. If we don't think about the solution to these problems we will ruin the place of our habitat quite soon.

Nevertheless, I think that by means of science it is possible to find harmless technologies, build plants and factories with purifying systems, produce environmentally friendly products, develop and produce alternative energy. The solution to these problems needs great investment into science.

Therefore we see that science occupies the central position in the modern society and it dominates man's whole existence. People all over the world should learn how to use its inventions most effectively and safely.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY. THE INTERNET.

Give a talk on the topic Modern Technology. The Internet.

Remember to say:

• if we can imagine our present life without modern technology, why/why not;

• why the computer and the Internet have become an integral part of our life;

• what advantages of advanced technology (virtual reality, thy Internet) are;

• what disadvantages of advanced technology are.

Modern technology is quickly spreading all over the world. We can hardly imagine our present life without such gadgets as air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, mobile phones, lap tops etc. Every teenager is able to use a remote control, CD player, MP-3 player and of course a computer.

Computers have become an important part of our everyday life. A modern computer is capable of doing various tasks like word processing and accounting, typing texts and drawing objects or diagrams, saving, editing and deleting texts.

Nowadays modern computers and modern programs allow us to use such advanced technology as virtual reality. It is the technology which allows users to interact with computer-simulated images. In today's virtual worlds people can do a lot of things. For example, doctors practice operations on different parts of a human body, students learn Geography and History by "walking" into the places they are interested in, tourists take far-away trips to other countries. However, some psychologists warn that for the young and mentally ill virtual trips could be very dangerous because after such trips they mix up the real world with the virtual one.

Several years ago very few people heard about the Internet. Now it is as useful and common as the telephone. The Internet is probably one of the most important inventions of our time. Many people send email messages and read websites every day. We can get a lot of interesting and useful information from the Internet, buy books, book tickets and find out about holiday offers. Nowadays it is even possible to find a job in any part of the world if you browse the appropriate Internet sites attentively. Moreover, the Internet allows a lot of talented people to show the world their achievements.

However, the possibilities of the Internet sometimes seem frightening. There have appeared recently some hackers who can get into the computers of banks and governments and create chaos or steal money from bank accounts. Another danger is the Internet addiction. A lot of people, especially teenagers spend hours chatting or playing games on line.

So we see that modern technology offers us both great opportunities and dangerous problems. Our task is to use them in peaceful purposes and to cope with problems which sometimes are created.

Speaking activity:

Answer the following questions:

1. What technological developments in the home do you enjoy?

2. What technological developments do you think there will be over the next twenty or thirty years?

3. When did you first get to know about computers?

4. What of the following advantages of computers seems to you the most significant? Rank the items in order of importance:

• computers let you access a lot of information

• computers let you communicate very quickly(by e-mail or using the Internet)

• computers can do some jobs very quickly (e.g. sending out large numbers of letters or bills)

• computers make it possible to work from home

• word processors make it easier to write letters and reports and do work for school or college

• computers, multimedia, interactive software and virtual reality all make learning more exciting

• many books are available

• large amount of information can be stored on computer in a database

5. Don’t you think some children spend too much time playing computer games? Is it harmful for health and their academic progress?

6. Do computers have an important influence on our daily life?

7. Can you think of anything else you would like to see invented that will make your life easier?