Card #11. Потерялась эта тема.

Card #12. Ecology.

In recent years the environmental problems have become extremely urgent and received a great publicity. In some way they are the result of scientific and technological progress of the 20-Th century. But people also do a lot of harm to nature because they don't understand that the man is the part of environment. The relationship between man and nature has become one of the most vital problems facing civilization today. Pollution of water and air is one of the problems millions of people are concerned today. Acid rains, unsaften of nuclear and hydraulic power stations, radioactive and other poisonous materials, disposal of wastes became the global disasters. Cars are one of the most harmful and dangerous polluters of air.
In more than a hundred towns and cities the concentration of harmful substances in the air and water is over 10 times the admissible level. Archangel is one of the most "dirty" towns of the country. The Nothern Dvina - our main water source is fully polluted with industrial and communal wastes - the result of side - effect in the work of three giant pulp and paper mills. Water is not suitable for drinking.
Another problem is presence of dangerous radioactive military objects and kosmodrom "Plesetsk". Besides we must remember about ozone holes over our heads. The ozone layer doesn't protect us from dangerous ultraviolet rays any more. They get through the atmosphere causing skin cancer and other diseases.
All these facts make us become more sensitive towards the environment. The trouble is that our local powers don't realize enough the danger of the situation and don't pay much attention and money for construction of cleansering enterprises. Various public organizations and unofficial movement make their best to change official and public opinion on the environmental problems. One of the most famous and strong organizations nowadays is "Green peace". I suppose the solution of the problem requires the cooperation the people's efforts in nature conservation.

Card #13. Future career.

I agree that choosing career is not a simple matter. And I'm still hesitating about my future profession. But I want my profession to be connected with computers, because I have the computer at home and I am learning to use it. And I think that computer professions would be popular in a few years and it won't be difficult to find a good and well paid job, especially if you can work on the computer better then the others. That is one more reason why I want to connect my future with computers. I am sure that human's future is impossible without modern and progressive computer technologies and that is why some new professions, connected with computes, will appear in future.
Of course, our school computer lessons teach us how to use computer and give a basic knowledge , but it is not enough for future and it is necessary to continue education in a higher establishments. As I have a computer at home I have the facility for self-education. I believe that it is rather effective because there are a lot of good books, which can help you, learn different things about computers. I have a computer for a several years and I've already learnt a lot about this product of the 20th century. Now I can easily make programs, print documents and referats and then print them on a special machine, called printer, draw different pictures, which are close to professional pictures.
I think that my parents, relatives and other experienced people can give me a good advice about choosing future profession.
There are not so many establishments specialized on computer in Archangel, which I want to enter. But, first of all, I want to finish the school. Because, to my mind, only after getting the highest education, we can succeed in life.
I am sure that knowledge of English could be of great help in my career, connected with computers, because the majority of "soft" is in English. On computer slang "soft" means computer equipment. And that is why every computer men should possess the good, or even brilliant knowledge of English.

Card #14. Free time.

Teenagers often complain that they don't know how to occupy their free time. But I don't think that it is a real problem, simply they should open to themselves in what they are interested in. And then they will find that there are a great variety of interesting things to occupy their spare time with. The first problem I think is the free time itself, because everybody likes to have more time for relaxing. Much time school and home assignment need from us and usually teenagers only have 2-3 hours of their own occupation. You can find your talent in the music school, drawing school, school of applied art or somewhere else. And later the things that you have learned there would be able to help you in future. If you are the man who likes dancing and if you like to be in the company, you may take your friends and go to the disco dancing, or make some party and have a good time. And here the second problem rises- money. Many of sports and dancing clubs are closed to those ones, who aren't able to pay great sums and, by the way, the quality of serves, where you would like to have a rest, is not always high. Those boys and girls who don't like loud music, large companies and noise may find themselves in the corresponding with their friends from other cities or even countries. It is very interesting to learn the traditions and ways of life of people from other countries and it is wonderful way to find a lot of new friends. Very often person is so tired that he can't move any longer and his brains need some time to relax. In this case he may switch on his tape with favorite music and relax. And one more good way to relax is to read a good book.
As for me, the occupation of my free time is not a problem. I don't have a lot of spare time because school takes a lot of time. Often after school I go to learn to play guitar and come home at five o'clock and then I do my homework. But when I have some free time that I can use, as I want I enjoy programming on my computer and sometimes I play some computer games. I also like to read fantasy books and watch good films. Except the books I'm fond of reading different magazines, connected with computers.

Card #15. City/town.

Since the ancient times people began to create towns. They needed it because of the danger of attacks of different nomad tribes. But now the necessity in big towns sharply falls down. I'm not a supporter to live in big city or to live in a country-side. I prefer to live in a town which has a middle size - such as Archangel. If you live in a big city you hear the noise of a big city each day. There is also harmful smog, which is inseparable part of big city. It ruins our health greatly. You are tired of endless fuss and choke with the numerous shots of car's exhausts. And in some months you begin to hate this city without green trees and flowers with it faceless crowds of people and noise, noise and noise, from which you can't run away anywhere. That's why a lot of people from big cities go to the country-side to forget for some days the life of a big city. There (in the country) they can find all, what they want to find. First they can find silence, then fresh air and of course solitude. But in some weeks they begin top understand all disadvantages of the country -side. All days are resembling, and the people, who live in the country can't understand the citizens of a big town. That's why they try to change this place to the life of a big city. So I'd better not live in a big city or in a small town.
But there are a lot of advantages of a big city, which you can't find in a small town or in countryside. Of course, there are much more facilities in a big city from a small town for education: there are a diversity of schools with different studying of some subjects and languages, libraries for all kinds of readers, where you can find all literature you prefer, and also one can find a diversity of different higher educational establishments: academies, universities and institutes.
Also there are many other facilities for leisure and sports which you can't find in the majority of small towns. Though Archangel is not a very big city, it contains almost all facilities, which you can find in big cities, including facilities for sport, leisure, shopping and education.