First of all let me introduce myself. My name is Taras. I'm seventeen years old. I'm at 11-th grade. There are two more kids in the family besides me my elder brother Oleg and my younger sister Marija

Virtual Reality
Not long ago computers were considered an amazing invention. Today they form part of our everyday lives. The latest thing today is Virtual Reality. A Virtual Reality system can transport the user to exotic locations such as a beach in Hawaii or the inside of the human body The Virtual Reality system is still in the early stages of its development. At the moment it is necessary to put a large helmet on your head to see the simulated world and you have to wear a special glove on your hand in order to manipulate the objects you see there. Lenses and two miniature display screens inside the helmet create the illusion that the screen surrounds you on every side. You can "look behind" computer — generated objects, pick them up and examine them, walk around and see things from a different angle Already today Virtual Realidy is used in medicine. In hospitals, surgeons could plan operations by first "travelling" through the brain, heart or lungs without damaging the body It is also used in police training schools. In schools pupils could explore the Great Pyramid or study molecules from the inside. Developers of Virtual Reality say its potential is powerful. The word which comes closest to describing Virtual Reality is "simulator". Virtual Reality technology resembles the flight simulators that are used to train pilots. But of course there are dangers as well as benefits. In the wrong hands Virtual Reality can be used for power fantasies and pornography.
Questions: 1. What is Virtual Reality? 2. Why do you need to wear helmet and special glove? 3. What are the possible uses of Virtual Reality? 4. What are some of the disadvantages of Virtual Reality? 5. Do you think Virtual Reality is an important invention or not?


Choosing a Career
Let me introduce myself. My name is Masha. I have left school this year. It is my dream to become a student of the English department. I want to study English, German and maybe French. Knowledge of a foreign lanquage opens a new world for us. If you know a foreign language, you can speak with foreigners and it is a way to better understanding. If you know a foreign language you can read books in the original, and it is a way to better understanding of other people's nature and culture. In our country children study different foreign languages. At school I took up English. I read stories by English, American and Australian writers. It has become my habit to read English books in adapted form every day. I learn poems and do a lot of grammar exercises. Now I know I must work hard to master English. Studying the English language under the guidance of the University teachers I want to learn much about the history of words, their origin and usage in ancient times. For example; the word "window" is made of two very old Anglo-Saxon words, such as "wind* and "eye". The word "window" means "the wind's eye". It tells us of the time when a window was only a hole in the wall, and the wind used to come through it. When I finish my studies, I'll begin teaching in a secondary school. I think I'll enjoy the work greatly. Teaching is a noble profession. In modern times all kinds of specialists need foreign languages in their work — teachers, doctors, engineers and people in many other professions. If a specialist doesn't know a foreign language he can't use all the foreign books which he needs in his work. I want to teach my pupils to read English books in the original, so they won't depend on translations. I hope I've chosen the right profession.
Questions: 1. What is your dream? 2. What opens a new world for us? 3. What can you do if you know a foreign language? 4. What is the origin of the word "window"? 5. Why is teaching a noble profession?