They say there’s no bad weather, there are bad clothes. What do you think about it?

Englishmen say 'There is no bad weather, there are bad clothes'. It means that they like all the seasons, all kinds of weather. I agree with them as I also enjoy all the seasons of the year.

 

 

24. Let’s talk about Belarus.

1) Let’s talk about Belarus. What can you tell me about our Motherland?

The Republic of Belarus is situated in the centre of Europe. The capital is the city of Minsk. Belarus borders Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine. Its population is about 10 million. Belarus is made up of 6 regions with the major cities of Brest, Grodno, Gomel, Mogilev and Vitebsk.

There are two versions of the origin of the name of Belarus. According to one of them the white clothes of the ancient people, their fair hair and the whiteness of their skin gave the name to our republic. The other version says that the old Rus lands were not conquered by the Tatars and were described as “ white” or free.

The black pages of Belarusian history tell us about terrifying wars which took place on its territory. For example, World War II wiped out one third of the country’s population.

The natural world of our republic is a mixture of forests, swamps and grasslands. There are also numerous lakes and rivers. That’s why Belarus is often called the blue-eyed country.

1) Do you know any symbols of our country?

Our state symbols are the National Flag, and the National Emblem. The National Flag has two stripes: the red one and the green one. The green stripe is a symbol of our green forests. Besides, the other symbols of our republic are a bison, a white stork and a cornflower.

2) What questions about Belarus do you expect to hear from a British teenager?

3) What Belarusian sights would you advise a foreigner to visit?

There are many places of interest in our republic. A lot of them are connected with the Great Patriotic War. One of the most impressive is the memorial in Khatyn, a village burnt together with all its inhabitants by the fascists. There are many historical places in the town of Polotsk, some of them are connected with Francisk Skaryna, and with Efrosinia Polotskaya.

The popular tourist destinations are Mir and Nesvizh Castles. They are unique monuments of Belarusian architecture.

4) Name 5 things connected with our country that you are proud of?

Belarus has a number of national parks. Our swamps are called ” the lungs of Europe” and our forests have some of the oldest trees in Europe.

There are four World Heritage Sights in our country. They are the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Mir and Nesvizh Castles and the Struve Arc.

We are also proud of our famous Belarusians. (Add information about some of them)

25. Let’s talk about Great Britain.

1) Let’s talk about Great Britain. What do you know about this country?

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is situated on the British Isles.

The capital of Great Britain is London. The population of the country is about 60 million. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and one of the most beautiful cities in Great Britain. `Cardiff is the capital of Wales, and `Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.

Birmingham is the second largest city in Great Britain. Manchester and Leeds are the centres of the British `textile industry. Glasgow and Liverpool are big seaports. The most famous educational centres in Great Britain are Oxford and Cambridge. They are considered to be the intellectual centres of Europe.

The United Kingdom is a parliamentary `monarchy, and the Queen is the head of the state. But in practice it is ruled by the government with a Prime minister at the head.

2) What part of Great Britain would you like to visit? Why?

I would like to visit the lakes of Great Britain. There are a lot of lakes in Scotland and in England. The most famous is Loch Ness. It is famous for its monster, though nobody knows if it really exists. The Lake District in the north-west of England is known for its beauty. There are 16 lakes there. It’s a very good place for holiday-makers and I would like to have a holiday there too.