Today is Memory Day in Ukraine. It is the beginning of the next week after Easter. On this day people should visit cemetries and take care of the graves of their relatives and friends. As for me, it is very strange. Such impression that we should remember those who passed away on this day only! But there is one tradition that I can't accept at all. It is to eat and drink vodka at the cemetry. Why should I eat among the graves?! As for me it is some kind of barbarism! Besides, it is a must to fill glasses three times and say something good about the people who are not with us. You may know that number 3 is the main in Christian religion, I mean Holly Thrinity.
I respect all people, either they are with us or not but if I have nothinh good to say I'd better say nothing. I never visit the cemetry on this day. I always do it earlier not to see those false feelings and drunk people all around.If I feel I want to visit the graves of my parents and friends I do it anytime I like. But I always remember the people who were dear and close and I don't need any special day to recall my memories about them.
New Year Glitter Scraps, Images - GoodLightscraps.com" target="_blank">New Year is the most favorite holiday in Ukraine. It is celebrated by everyone independently of age, social status, income, etc. We decorate New year trees, give presents and lay tables. Many people have to save money for a few moths just to buy gifts and to put something very special on their tables. Of course, champagne is the must. Besides, there is a tradition to have both black and red caviar on New Year Eve. At least, the red one is also the must. Honestly, I have no idea why it is caviar but not any other food. Maybe, because it is the most expensive seafood here. Anyway, New Year is the most awaited and enjoyable holiday here. This year it will be snowy and frosty contrary to many previous years. At least, children are happy. There is so much snow in Kiev now! It is true New Year!My dear friends! I'd like to wish you Happy New Year and all the best! May you be healthy and wealthy, lucky and successful! I wish you mutual love and understanding, peace on the Earth and peace of your mind. Be happy, my friends!Read more…
GoodLightscraps.com" target="_blank">Christmas is one of the most awaited and desirable holidays. Most of us can't say why. Perhaps, we don't have to answer to this question. Christmas is the only one holiday that returns us to the childhood. Spirit of Christmas is unforgettable. And it is of no matter what is your faith because the idea of Christmas is so positive.Dear friends! I'd like to wish you Merry Christmas and all the best! May all your days be warmed with love and understanding of those you would like to be with!
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My friends! I am going to have my grammar book published very soon. However, I have problems with design of the cover page. I have a few ideas and I've made a few drafts. I'd like you all to tell me which one is better and how to change the design. Please, don't pay attention to the text. It is in Russian (my name, name of the book "English Grammar in Use", place and time of publication). I mean design only. I have found a few nice pictures but I don't know what else I can do. Here are my drafts. Thank you in advance!Title.docRead more…
Tomorrow, September 1, is the beginning of the academic year in my country. It is officially called Day of Knowledge. In fact, this day is a national event. Despite not being a day off, September 1 is a true holiday for most of people especially for all teachers, pupils and students and those who are related to education. On this day all children and young people who go to their schools, colleges and universities bring flowers to their teachers and congratulate them with the beginning of the academic year. There are different ceremonial actions in all educational establishments. For those children who go to school first time administration organizes so called "The First Bell" ceremony, i.e. initiation into pupils. Same ceremony takes place for the freshmen at the universities and colleges. Knowledge and education have always been of the main priority in my country.Happy Day of Knowledge to all students and teachers! Knowledge is power. Please, never forget about that!
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August 24 is one of the greatest holidays in Ukraine. It is Independence Day. My country is very old. Human settlements on its territory are considered to have existed about 20 thousand years ago. As a country it appeared somewhen in the 5th century B.C. If you look at the world map, you will see that Ukraine lies on the main ancient routs among North, West and East. Besides, its soils are very fertile. They are so good that we have a saying: ”If you plant a stick, it will grow”. For about 15 centuries, so many different countries had wanted to conquer us! Needless to say about wild nomadic tribes during ancient times but later on there were Mongol Kings, Swedes, Poles and many others. So, one of the great leaders of Ukraine, Bogdan Khmelnitsky (who was a Polish hetman (governor) here but loved Ukrainian people and was against such violence) decided to get it joined to Russia that was more powerful that time. He wanted Russia to defend our people from Poles who were very aggressive, ruined our cities, raped our women, tortured our people. Now it is hard to say if his decision was right because 4.5 next centuries Russia considered our country as a rural province and never took care of our people. It only took everything from here and ruined our land. It was Russia that brought slavery and later communism here. Ukraine had never known that before. It was communists who destroyed relicts of the past that were more than 10 centuries old and were part of our culture. During Soviets it was Russia that organized artificial hunger in my country because it didn’t obey Soviet leaders. You can’t imagine how many people died of hunger here when Russians were full! During WWII, it was Ukraine that suffered more than other republics of the Federation. It was our punishment for our spirit of freedom. It is world known fact now.I believe it is quite clear that what I’ve told is history. I can’t say that we still feel hatred to any nation that tried to conquer us in the past. As to me, I like Swedes, respect Germans, worked with Poles.But, to make a long story short, when we got an opportunity to become independent, we used it first of all former Soviet Republics. . There was not any shot or any blood drop here contrary to many other republics. Ukrainians are smart, sly and peaceful. We do have economic problems now but we are happy to be independent! I believe that now we are more respected by the world community than some other former Soviet republics and not only because of our potential but mostly due to our positive intentions and national turn of mind.We like this holiday and our current president, Victor Yuschekko, is always with us.On this day we usually have military parade but it is just a tradition. We like our military forces and like parades. It is not demonstration of our aggressivenes, it is just to show that "Ukraine is still alive" (first line of our Natiobal Anthem).Wish us happy holidays!
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I invite everyone to pass the level test on my new website. It is free and available for everyone who knows English at least a little. You will immediately see it on the left of the screen if you enter:http://www.bestenglish.net.ua/Read more…
It concerns to all native Russian speakers, those who speak it as a second language and those who know it well enough to accept curricular material written in Russian.I've just started my site in the net. There are two programms now: TOEFL (iBT and PBT) training and General English. Toefl course is also good if you are planning to pass other exams like ESL , TOENIC, etc. because it is one of the most complicated tests. Both courses are very professional and have successfully been tought by me for many years. The site is not free but it is really cheap. I invite you to visit it and become my students there.http://www.bestenglish.net.uaRead more…
Here is one more problem for you. Please, be more active!During the lunch hour at school, a group of five boys from Miss Jones home room visited a nearby lunch wagon. One of the five boys took a Mars bar without paying for it. When the boys were questioned by the school principal, they made the following statements in respective order:1. Rex: "Neither Earl nor I did it."2. Jack: "It was Rex or Peter."3. Peter: "Both Rex and Jack are lying."4. Dan: "Peter's statement is not true; one of them is lying and the other is saying the truth."5. Earl: "What Dan said is wrong."When Miss Jones was consulted, she said, "Three of these boys are always truthful, but everything that two of them say will be a lie." Assuming that Miss Jones is right, who took the Mars bar?You will get the right answer in a week, as usual.
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Hi, everyone! Here is a new riddle for you and it is not easy. So, what do you think about it?What am I?With potent, flowery words speak I,Of something common, vulgar, dry;I weave webs of pedantic prose,In effort to befuddle those,Who think I wile time away,In lofty things, above all dayThe common kind that linger whereMonadic beings live and fare;Practical I may not be,But life, it seems, is full of me!I will post the right answer in a week. Good luck!
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Dear members of the Club and Administration! First of all, let me thank to the learners who recognized me as a teacher and started trusting me. Being a teacher for many years I sincerely believe it is the students' recognition that makes us true teachers and give us confidence and inspiration. As I said on my profile, teaching is my vocation and I feel so good that I can express not only my ideas as to teaching English but also share my points of view on this world and its problems, human life and its value, etc. here. Guys, I'll try to make it both useful and interesting for you as well as I did it before. I'd also want to say my special thanks to the administration of this Club and to Josef personally. You are doing great business uniting people and making this world better. Thank you all! I do love people!
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I see, you all like logical problems. Here is a more difficult one!Last Saturday, four neighbor boys found that work goes more quickly when friends help friends: each of the four had found a job one of the neighborhood adults, including Mrs. Wilson, needed done, and the four worked together to make fast work of the chores, one of which was cleaning a car. Given the following clues, you should be able to decide which job each found and for whom the work was done.1. Three of the friends are Alex, the one who found the job mowing the lawn, and the one who got the job from Mr. Halley.2. Mr. Trent didn't have the job staining the backyard fence.3. Alex didn't locate the window-cleaning job.4. Jason isn't the boy who got the chore from Mr. Trent.5. Mrs. Diaz didn't have the job cleaning windows; Chad isn't the friend who found the window-cleaning task.6. Mr. Halley didn't employ the boys as window cleaners.7. Chad isn't the boy who found the lawn-mowing job.8. Mrs. Diaz isn't the adult who gave Alex a job.9. The chore Ian negotiated wasn't cleaning windows.
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Each Ukrainian city has its City Day, the day when the city was founded. Kiev Day is usually celebrated at the last weekend of May although nobody knows when it was really founded. The reason for choosing this time is obvious for Ukrainians, so, let me explain it to you. Starting with Orthodox Easter, which is usually in the middle of April, each weekend is this or that holiday here. So, Kiev Day is the honorable end of so called May holidays. During three days various performances of popular actors and musicians are held. Here opened many new exhibitions of the famous and new artist. Almost every year, the International Medieval Festivals and tournaments are held in our oldest fortresses and castles. I like those tournaments so very much! At last, our men are able to show they are still the strong sex! Many people from suburbs and other towns and cities come to Kiev to see performances, walk along nicely decorated streets and have a great time. The celebration is usually accomplished with fireworks at about 10 p.m every day of the weekend. Not only the residents of Kiev, but also all Ukrainians adore this holiday. It is the greatest one of all May holidays and it is the last! I am adding the picture of the tournament. You can see the pictures of the Medievel Tournament on my current event.
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The problem about cats seems to be incorrect. So, I want to post the new one which has the right soulution and doesn't need knowing math. This one is like the riddle about a fisherman but easier. I believe you will cope with it. Good Luck!Thanksgiving DinnerSusan has invited her family to Thanksgiving Dinner. As her plates are not the best, Susan wants to buy new plates – one for each person at her Thanksgiving Dinner.There’ll be a grandfather, a grandmother, two fathers, two mothers, four children, three grandchildren, one brother, two sisters, two sons, two daughters, one father-in-law, one mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law.At least how many plates does Susan need to buy?Read more…
Randwick CatsIs your knowledge of math as good as your English? Find out how many cats there are in Randwick.In Randwick, the cats, I declare,They numbered one third of a square.If a quarter did roam,Just a cube would stay home.How many, at least, must be there?Vocabularysquare - x²cube - x³
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What am I?I do not breathe, but I run and jump.I do not eat, but I swim and stretch.I do not drink, but I sleep and stand.I do not think, but I grow and play.I do not see, but you see me every day.
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Here is a riddle, or logical problem for you to solve. Enable your grey sells. You will get the right answer in a week.Hope, you will enjoy such activity.Who goes fishing?In this riddle you must assort the information given in order to find out who goes fishing.FactsThere are 5 houses of 5 different colours: blue, green, red, white, yellowIn each house lives a person of a different nationality: American, Australian, British, Canadian, IrishEach of the 5 house-owners has a certain job: carpenter, lawyer, pilot, plumber, waiterEach of the 5 house-owners has a certain hobby: chess, fishing, football, sailing, tennisEach of the 5 house-owners has a certain pet: cat, dog, goldfish, hamster, horseNone of them have the same pet, job or hobby.Other factsThe Irishman lives in the green house.The red house is on the immediate left of the white house.The person in the red house is a pilot.The American plays chess.The Canadian is a waiter.The person with the horse lives next to the one who plays tennis.The person who goes sailing lives next to the one with the cat.The person with the goldfish plays football.The person in the blue house has a cat.The Briton has a hamster.The Australian lives next to the yellow house.The person with the horse has a neighbour who is a plumber.The person in the center house is a lawyer.The Australian lives in the first house.The dog owner is a carpenter.Question: Who goes fishing?The AmericanThe AustralianThe BritonThe CanadianThe Irishman
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