I. Reading People in Britain and the US mostly travel by private cars. They drive their cars when they get to work, do the shopping, and visit friends. Traffic in the cities is often heavy and it is difficult to find anywhere to park a car, that is why people often use buses, trains or the Underground (in London) to get to the city centre. In the cities of the US public transportation system is well-developed. Nevertheless, most families in the USA own two or more cars and drive long distances to schools, offices, shops and banks. Though railway system, long-distance coach/bus services link most cities and towns in Britain, people prefer to use their cars at their own convenience. Air flights are mostly taken for business trips on long distances.
II. Writing Dear Patricia, I am writing to tell you about the wonderful school trip we had two days ago. We went to Mukachevo to see the Palanok Castle. The weather was fine that day. It was rather warm. It was neither windy nor rainy. The castle itself is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine. It was a residence of Koriatovych's mighty family for almost 200 years. The prince and his family lived in the highest part of the beautiful castle. The interior of the castle was very rich. The stronghold had a good armour and was surrounded by the deep ditch. We also heard the story of the well in the inner yard. Come to Ukraine one day and we'll be able to see the castle together. I look forward to receiving your answer as soon as possible. Best wishes, Olesia
III. Speaking The Olympic Games are a major international event in which thousands of athletes participate in more than 30 different kinds of sport. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating, although they occur every four years within their respective seasonal games. Since 2008, host cities are contracted to manage both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games, where athletes who have a physical disability complete. There are also the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes. The first Summer Youth Games were held in Singapore from 14-26 August 2010.
Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 5th century AD.
Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. The IOC has since become the governing body of the Olympic Movement, whose structure and actions are defined by the Olympic Charter. The Games have grown in scale to the point that nearly every nation is represented.
The Games have a lot of symbols. The five Olympic rings are the symbol of the unity of five continents. They are of five colours - red, yellow, blue, green, and black - on a white field of the Olympic Flag.
The Ukrainian sportsmen have always been among the participants and winners at the Olympics. Everybody knows the names of Oksana Baiul, Lilia Podkopayeva, Yana Klochkova, Volodymyr and Vitaliy Klychko. Such sportsmen bring glory to our native land.
In 2008 Beijing became the city which hosted the Olympic Games again. The Olympic Games in China turned into a bright, beautiful and exciting festival of sport. Hundreds of sports grounds, stadiums, swimming pools were ready to meet the best athletes of the world. The Ukrainian team was quite successful in these games and was among the top 10 teams of the world.
What people should do to become the Olympic champions? Here, I'd like to quote Serhiy Bubka, the Head of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, "Finding motivation is something that you must work harder if you want to become more successful. You must set goals you can achieve and then continue to work hard and improve your results."
