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Let’s talk of the Republic of Belarus

The official name of our county is the Republic of Belarus. It’s total area is 207,600 km². It is situated in the western part of the East-European Plain within the basins of the Dnieper, the Western Dvina and the Upper Neman. It borders on Russia in the north and east, on Lithuania and Latvia in the north-west, on Poland in the west, and on the Ukraine in the south. Belarus stretches for 560 kilometres from south to north and for 650 kilometres from east to west.

Its population is about 9.5 mln people: 83% of Belarusians, 8% of Russians, 3% of Poles and 2% of Ukrainians. 76% of the population live in towns and cities.

There are more than 3,000 rivers in the country. The longest are the Dnieper, Neman, Western Dvina, Prypiat, Berezina, Sozh and Vilia. Belarus is called a lake-country. There are about 10,800 lakes here noted for their great depth and beautiful scenery. The largest of them is Lake Naroch.

The largest forests in Belarus are called pushchas. There are elks and deer, wild boars and wolves, bears and foxes, beavers and lynxes in the forests.

Belarus has a temperate-continental climate with moderate features which is characteristic for Central Europe, with hot summers, long, cold winters and very distinct seasons. The annual average temperature is about 7°C.

The capital of our country is Minsk. Its population is about one fifth of the country population. In accordance with the political division, Bel­arus consists of six regions: Minsk, Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev regions.

The Republic of Belarus is a democratic social state with the rule of law. The state power exercised on the basis of its division on legislative, executive and judicial. Belarus is a presidential republic. The President of the Republic of Belarus is a head of state. We have two official languages: Belarusian and Russian.

The most developing branches of industry are motor-car construc­tion, machine-tool construction, electrical indus­try, fertili­zers, pharmaceutical industry, production of building materials, light and food industries.

Natural conditions of the Republic of Belarus let successfully pro­duce milk, beef, pork, meat and eggs of poultry, grain, potatoes and so on.

Our country is famous for its people who are hospitable, tolerant, hard-working and friendly. I’m proud of my country and its people and I'm happy that it is my homeland.

Let’s talk about weather and climate

As far as I know weather is the condition of the outside air or at­mosphere at a particular time and place. It can be hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or windy, clear or cloudy. Humidity, air temperature and pressure, wind speed and direction, cloud cover and type, and the amount and form of precipitation are all atmospheric characteristics of the momentary condi­tions we call weather.

Belarus has a temperate-continental climate with moderate features which is characteristic for Central Europe, with hot summers, long, cold winters and very distinct seasons. Snowfalls may occur throughout the country from December to sometimes early March or even April.

The annual average temperature is about 7°C. Daytime temperatures vary from 5degrees below 0 to 0 degrees in winter and from 25 to 30 degrees above 0 in summer months. The summer lasts about 150 days in Belarus and it is most of the time sunny and dry. Local thunder­storms are quite common in the late afternoon and evening and can be very heavy sometimes. Spring and autumn can be damp and rainy.

As we live in the western part of Europe, the seasons here have their specific features, both attractive and unpleasant. Every season is beauti­ful in its way. We should choose the right clothes to wear in order to be healthy and feel comfortable and warm. In my view, modem designers create nice and comfortable clothes. So, we can choose the clothes we like and enjoy any kind of weather.

If to speak about Great Britain, the weather there is very changeable. British people say: “Other countries have a climate, in Britain we have only weather”. One day may be fine and the next day may be wet. The morn­ing may be warm and the evening may be cool. British people are apt to complaining of their climate as being damp and rainy, and foreigners laugh at it and say that the British summer is made up of three fine days and a thunderstorm.

The Republic of Belarus

The Republic of Belarus is in eastern part of Europe. It borders on Latvia, Lithuania, Ukrain, Russia and Poland. The territory of Belarus is more than 200 thousand square kilometers. The population of the country is about 12 million people.

Belarus is famous for its nature. There are a lot of forests, beautiful lakes and rivers there. The biggest forest is Belovezhskaya Pushcha. It is in Brest region. The symbol of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is the bison, a very strong animal. The symbol of Belorussian fields is the cornflower, a small blue flower. Belarus is famous for its white storks. People say they are a symbol of good luck. The national symbol of the country is the flag. It is green, red and blue. Green colour symbolize Belorussian forests, white colour is the symbol of peace and red colour symbolize blood and bravery.

Belarus has 6 regions: Brest, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno and Minsk regions. The capital of the country is Minsk, it’s also the largest city in Belarus. The population of Minsk is about 2 million people.

There are a lot of historical castles in the country. The most famous are the Mir and the Nesvizh castles. Nesvizh castle was the residence of the Radziwills.

Belarus is a very beautiful country. People sometimes call it the blue-eyed country because there are a lot of lakes and rivers. All Belorussian people are proud of their country. Belarus is a nice place to visit.

                  Let's talk about family

I believe that everything has its beginning in the family. Family is very important for every person, because it gives you a sense of stability and tradition, a feeling of having support and understanding.

I do think the family is very important as a unit in our society. Noth­ing else but family can be an emotional centre of people's lives and a transmitter of culture. Understanding between all members of the family and consideration for others are very important in family relationships. Tenderness, warm-heartedness and respect must always be present in the family to make it friendly. In my opinion, when a child is brought up in a friendly family, he or she will become a reliable and responsible per­son with a strong character and mind.

My family consists of my father, my mother, my sister and me. I think I'd better start my story with my dad. His name is Vladimir. He is in his late thirties. He's tall with dark hair and hazel eyes and is of a strong built. He works as an electrician. My father is a very intel­ligent man and he is fond of reading and watching scientific programs. In some situations he is very serious but in general he is a cheerful per­son with a good sense of humour. He enjoys telling funny stories and taking photos. I think I take after my dad both in appearance and in character.

My mother's name is Galina. She is a programmer. She is very in­terested in her work and she is a professional. It has always impressed me how she can find enough time for both family and work. I can't say that my mother's life is easy as she has to keep the house and work but she manages to do everything in time. She is a strong and charming per­son and she docs a good job of being a mother. In fact, she means a lot to me. She understands me in the way no other person would and she always finds proper words to comfort me.

My sister Kate is seven years old. She takes after our mother in her appearance. She is a nice girl with green eyes and long fair hair. She is a first-former. She likes music and dancing. She learns to play the piano. She likes playing with toys and watching cartoons in her free time. I love my sister but sometimes we quarrel about petty things. I think I must be more patient and tolerant with her.

We don't live with our extended family but we have many relations: two grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts, uncles and cousins. All of them live in Belarus and we get together from time to time, mainly on our birthdays or other holidays. It's also our family tradition to spend summer holidays together either at the seaside or in the country, which i enjoy very much.

As I've already said the bonds of the family are always stronger than those between unrelated people. And I am happy to say that my home is a place where even the tea kettle sings from happiness. I can say that my parents trust me, give me freedom, rely on me and respect me. These things, in my opinion, make family relations warm and pleasant.

                        Let’s talk about healthy way of life
I believe that health is better than wealth, basically because you can get by living on a small amount of money, but you cannot live without good health, and without good health nothing else is worth having. Peo­ple nowadays are more health-conscious than they used to be.
In order to be healthy we should avoid bad habits that can affect our health. In my opinion, smoking and drinking alcohol, are the worst ones. It's common knowledge that smoking and drinking alcohol can shorten our lives dramatically. Smoking, for example, causes lung diseases, such as pneumonia, cancer, heart deceases and high blood pressure. Besides, it makes teeth yellow and skin unhealthy. Alcohol causes heart disease and brain damage. A drinker becomes nervous and aggressive, loses friends, and finally loses his work, family and happy life. Teenage drinking is particularly dangerous, because what happens to a grown-up in 10 years will happen to a teenager in two years.
Smoking and drinking are joined by less dangerous habits, such as eating unhealthy food, or even overeating. If we eat too much, we start to put on weight, and obesity leads to serious health prob­lems.
Experts say people should remember a wise proverb ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’. This means that we should eat more fresh vege­tables and fruit, foods which are high in fiber and vitamins А, В, С and E. Such vegetables as Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower contain agents that block cancer. Beet greens, bell peppers, carrots and tomatoes as well as cherries, apricots and watermelon are rich in beta-carotene. We should have regular eating habits and try to have meals every day in the same time.
Regular exercise is an essential part of our life. I believe it’s very important for people to have some regular exercises. After doing some exercises followed by a shower, you can really feel that your life is renewed. A person who takes regular exercise will stay physically fit, vigorous and keep a youthful shape.
Regular sleeping habits are also important. We should remember that the most important period for our brain is from 12 p.m. to 3 a.m., as during this period our brain produces hormone melatonin, which helps us stay young and active. At night while we sleep our brain also pro­cesses and stores all the information learnt during the day. That is why staying late hours is not good for our health.
In conclusion I would like to say that it’s easier to prevent a disease rather than try to cure it after you get sick. We should take a good care of our health, because health once lost is lost forever.

Let’s talk about leisure time

Leisure or free time is a period of time spent out of work and domestic activity. It is also the period of recreational time before or after compulsory activities. Leisure time is the time when you can forget about day-to-day stress and stressful activities and relax.

It goes without saying that every person needs entertainment and en­joyment, free time and rest after hard work. All our activities can be di­vided into physical, intellectual and mental activities. Scientists prove that we can benefit from combining activities of different kinds as much as from having a rest.

The most popular hobbies are collecting view cards, coins, stamps, badges and books. Hobbies differ like tastes. They are divided into 4 large classes: doing things, making things, collecting things and learning things. Doing things, for example, include a wide variety of activities from gardening to travelling. Making things includes painting, drawing, designing cos­tumes, handicraft, composing music.

If you ask me how I usually spend my leisure time, I can say that I play volleyball, play the guitar, read for pleasure, listen to music or spend time with my best friend.

It goes without saying that sport is very im­portant for every person. Playing volleyball helps me to keep my body in a good shape, makes me more organized and self-disciplined. Every Thursday I have volleyball classes. They help to create a healthy body for a healthy mind and give possibilities to communicate with my team­mates.

I’m keen on reading. My parents taught me to read at a very early age. Books teach me to live, help to form moral values, entertain and give pleasure. I like adventure stories in which brave and clever  people are shown, I’m interested in reading detective stories which show crime, criminals and clever detectives. I like psychological dramas which show how people behave in different situations.

I’m fond of listening to music. My favourite bands are ‘Three Days Grace’ and ‘Nightwish’

In my free time I try to read English books in the original. It in­creases my vocabulary. I’m fond of watching American films. It helps me to learn pronunciation and social English better.

I like to spend some of my free time with my best friend. We watch movies, listen to music or go for a walk together.

To sum up I would like to say that without leisure activities life be­comes dull and boring, and people become frustrated.