Family
1. Which family do you come from?
My name is .........., I was born in 19…, on ..... I'm a student and I still live with my parents. I come from a small family, I haven'got any brothers or sisters. My parents are in their early/late forties, but they are quite energic and dynamic. My grand-parents live on countyside, we often see them at the week-end. I keep in touch with my cousins, we always go out together.
OR:
I come from a large family, I have got two brothers and a sister. I get on well with them, we can share our problems with eachother. My brothers are wage-earners, my sister is a student. The members of my family are nice, open-minded people, they have good a sense of humour.
2. Do you get on well with your parents? /if yes/
I get on well with my parents, they trust me and I trust them. They give me a lot of freedom and treat me as an adult. I can share my problems with them, they can always give me advice.
No:
I fed up with my family, we quarrel about everything. They are not tolerant with me, don't understand my problems and I can't turn to them if I need help. They treat me like a little child, who need orders. They don't trust me, I must stay at home and learn at the week-end.
3. How do you spend the time together?
In the evening, we have dinner together. We can discuss what has happened during the day, and speak about our problems. Sometimes we go to the teather or visit our relatives. In Summer we organise a garden-party and invite the neighbours.
OR:
My parents are very busy, because they work 8 hours. When they are at home they sit glued to the television and don't speak to eachother. When I try to speak to them, they say: Shut up! We can't hear the TV. We have no time for each other. The members of my family are isolated, they haven't got any friend and they always quarrel about the money.
4. Do you like to have a small or a large family?
I think that the most important is to take up a carreer. The people, who work 10 hours for a company are too busy to bring up two or three children. The question of money is important as well. I know some large families who can't buy clothes or food for their children.
OR:
The childen need a large family because they have to learn how to be considerate with the other people. They can share their problems with eachother and people who live in a large family have always strong family sense.
Housing
1. Where do you live in a house or in a flat? Which one do you prefer?
House:
I live in a house facing /nord, south, west, east/ with a garden. I like living in a house because it is more confortable than a flat. You can have more privacy because the house is your own property and nobody disturbs you. People living in a block of flats are often isolated they don't know even their neighbours.
Flat:
I live in a three-rooms flat on the third floor of a nine-storey block of flats. I like living there because it is not too far from the centre. Peope living on outskirt travel one or two hours a day if they go to work. Unfortunately there are some disadvantages: the walls of our flat are not sound-proof, therefore we can always hear our neigbours. The different pipes conduct the sound as well.
2. How is your flat/house furnitured?
Furniture of the living room:
Our living room is big, and light, it overlooks the garden./street/. The walls are papered it has a blue-white stripped/checked pattern. There are full lenght/mid-lenght, short/ white curtains on the windows. There is wooden panel arround the walls and nice three piece suite in the middle of the room, which consists of a sofa, and two armchairs. The television stands in the corner and the bookcase is next to the sofa.
Furniture of the bedroom
There is a double bed opposite the door. The floor is covered with a white carpet, we have nice, short curtains on the window. My mother has a dressing-table under the window. There is a wardrobe in the corner.
Furniture of the kitchen
Our kitchen is of small/medium size, but the various items of the furniture are well arranged around the walls. The cooker is on the right side next to it is the sink-unit with the draining board. The refrigerator with a small deep freeze is on the other side, and there is enough place for a cupboard in which we can put some machines, and casseroles, jugs, bowls, mugs etc.
Furniture of the bathroom
We have a large plastic tub in the bathroom, the floor and the wall are tiled.The washbasin is beside the tub and there is mirror on the wall.
3. Where would you prefer to live: in a town or in a village?
In a town:
I live in a town and I wouldn't like to move to a village for all the tea in China. The life of the young people living in a little village is very dull, they have no possibility to see the latest films, plays, concerts. The shops are better supplied in a town, there is a wide choice of everything, the people have more privacy. Children can choose from the variety of schools, and they will have more chance of employment.
In a village:
I don't think it is a privilege to live in a town. The people living in a town are isolated, they are not on friendy terms with the neigbours. Nobody has time for the others: the people rush to work in the morning, work 10 hours and come dead tired in the evening. There are more shops in a town but the prices are higher and the shopkeepers are often rude with the customers. The block of flats are overcrowded and too small for the people who live in.
4. How can you get a flat in Hungary?
If you have a good salary you can get a bank loan at a quite high interest rate and you can pay it in monthly installment. At the moment there is a shortage of accomodation for young couples in Hungary. The majority of them live with their parents, because they do not have enough money to buy a flat.
Meals
1. What do you usually have for breakfast, lunch, dinner?
Version 1:
I always have a substantial breakfast: bread with butter, sausages, or ham and eggs and I drink tea, or coffee. I think that breakfast is the most important meal because people need energy in the morning. I have lunch at home my mother cooks every day. We usually take a soup /fruit soup, vegetable soup,/ the second course is some meat /chicken, fish, pork chop/ with garnish /chip, rice, vegetable, mashed potatoes./ The third course is consisted of fruit, or cake. My family has dinner together. We usually have a light dinner, fruit soup, or chicken with rice.
Version 2:
I never have breakfast in the morning. I'm always in a hurry that is why I gulp down a cup of tea/coffee and I go to school. I have lunch in the canteen between 12 and 13 o' clock. I'm not really keen on this food because the dishes are not well-done. There is too much vegetable sauce and we are rarely given any fruits or cakes.
2. What is the Hungarian cuisine famous for?
The Hungarian cuisine has a good reputation abroad. The Goulash, the stuffed cabbage, the pancakes, the paprika chicken with sour cream, the noodles with cabbage, roasted paprika potatoes, with cottage cheese are world-famous dishes. The Hungarian specialities are prepared with paprika, which gives a pleasant taste to the food. Hungarian people are fond of different soups: the typical Hungarian meal usually contains soup. We take great pride in fish dishes, the Hungarian fish soup is a substantial meal itself.
3. Do you like the instant foods, cube stocks, and freeze-dried foods?
Version 1.
I don't like the instant and the freeze-dried foods. I think it is better to buy fresh meat or vegetable than open a tin or use ready-cooked vegetable. The frozen foods always contain food additives and preservatives, which can cause health problems.
Version 2
I like the instant foods because it takes too long to prepare a dish from fresh ingredients. The housewives living in USA prefer this kind of food, because they have no time to go shopping. In Hungary there is a trend towards frozen foods and the population began to know the importance of them.
4. What is your favourite dish, and how do you make it?
My favourite dish is chips, because it is very easy to prepare. I peel the potatoes after I cut and wash them. I put oil in a frying pan and I cook them during 20-30 minutes. I eat it with a salad, for which I use: dash of salt, dash of vinegar, a small garlic, 2 tomatoes, 2 green pepper, cheese and 2 cups torn lettuce. At first I mix the ingredients and toss it with a ready dressing and put them into the fridge. If it is cool enough I sprinkle them with cheese.
5. Do you like to eat in a restaurant?
Version 1
I don't often eat in a restaurant because Hungarian restaurants are expensive. If I go out with my friends we always go to a caf. I have not enough money to invite my friends to a good restaurant that is why we always eat in a fast-food restaurant and go Dutch. Some of the Hungarian restaurants are not at high level: the food always have fancy-names but they are not delicious, the prices are high, and the waiters are unfriendly.
Version 2
I often eat in a restaurant because it is a great form of entertainment. I always invite my friends and I give them a real treat. They wine and dine at my expenses and we have a nice time together. There are some good restaurants in Hungary where the foods are well-done, the waiter is nice and the guest are welcome.
6. Do you like fast food?
Version 1
I like fast food because it takes not too much time to wait for a dish. Nowadays people have to go to work, they are in hurry and need a quick meal. You can have a meal in 10 minutes, and you are not obliged to give a tip to the waiter. You always know what do you eat and don't buy a big in a pocket. That problem is that this kind of restaurant is crowded and noisy it is not easy to find a free table.
Version 2
I never eat fast-food because it is expensive and not healthy. I prefer to eat at home because I can make a dish from fresh ingredients. I hate the crowded places and the noisy disturbs me. The menu of the fast-food restaurants is always the same, there is not too much vegetables in the foods and there is only a little choice of cakes.
Health
1. Are you often ill? When were you ill last time?
I'm not often ill, but last month I had a bad cold. When I got up in the morning I felt dizzy I had headache, I felt sore all over, I was shivering with cold and my nose was running. I decided to see the GP. I went to the local health central and I waited for the doctor more than two hours. I entered the consulting room, the doctor examined me and said to strip to the waist. He listened to my lungs and breathing and looked at my throat. He said that I had a bad cold and I was given some medicaments keeping my temperature down, a mixture for my throat and some pill, which I had to take after each meal . After I went to the chemistry and I received the medicaments. I had to stay in bed for a week and I drank some cups of warm tea with lemon. I was put on the sick-list and I had to stay off the school. The doctor gave me an illness certificate, which I presented at school.
2. Which kind of illnesses do you know?
Nowadays people work hard they have no time to do gymnastic or other kind of sport. If you live in the centre of a big town you cannot breath fresh air, in some districts the level of pollution is too high. People living in a big town are more threatened by circulatory and respiratory problems than those who are living in a little village. In winter a lot of people have bad cold or flu, if somebody has not enough resistance he can have pneumonia. Old people always are rheumatics. Appendicitis, food-poisoning and indigestion are common illnesses. More and more people have mental illnesses they suffer from nervous breakdown, which is due to overworks or to the stress.
Children diseases
There are a lot of vaccinations, which prevent the most frequent illnesses: the small pox, the chicken pox, polio, scarlet fever. The majority of the children have already caught : measles, mumps, chicken pox. It is difficult to force the children to stay in bed and to take the medicaments.
3. How can you prevent the illnesses?
I think it is better to prevent illnesses than to cure them. At first you should avoid stress and tension and to do gymnastic every day. You should go for an excursion at the week-end breath fresh air, and not to sit every day in the room You should renounce of fat meat, and eat fruit or vegetables. If you have not too much time you should go to a fitness centre, which is opened until 20.00 or 21.00 o'clock and pass there one hour a day. Lot of people say that they are too tired to go to a fitness-centre therefore they prefer to sit glued on the TV and to have a rest at the week-end. The doctors say that it is more tiring to sit in the living room and watch TV than do a bit of exercises. People who go to the supermarket at the week-end are more tired than those who go for an excursion.
Traffic
1. Which means of transport do you use to go to school?
I go to school on foot because our house is within spitting distance. I must cross the main road, which is situated in front of our house and go straight on. At the corner of the streets…I must turn right and go about a hundred meters.
OR:
I live at the other end of Miskolc, I have to take 2 buses if I go to school. At first I go to the bus stop of the bus No:. I always have to wait a long time until it arrives. I go on this bus 8... stops then I get off in the main place. I changed for the bus No:…and I get off at the ... stop. The journey takes about half an hour, because there is always a bottleneck on the road or a rush hour traffic.
OR:
I live in a village that is why I must get up at 5 o'clock to take the morning coach. The coach is full of people who are commuters and work in Miskolc. I must get off at a central bus station, take a bus and to school.
2. Which means of transport are there in a town?
In the big cities people have a wide choice of means of transport: buses, trolley buses, tram, suburban train, underground train. The majority of the inhabitants prefer the underground train because it is quicklier than the buses. The trolley buses and the tram are not considered as the best means of transport because they are too slow. In spite of this variety the Hungarian transport system must be improved: the roads are in an awful status, the lorries and the heavy vehicles must be banned out of the big town because they damage the roads, the number of the cars must be restricted in some districts. The number of the passengers who travel cross Budapest increases therefore pedestrian subways must be constructed to avoid the occurrence of the accident.
3. How often do you get a taxi?
I often take a taxi, because it is the best way of travelling in the town. You can call a taxi by telephone or on the street. If you are in an unknown town or you have a lot of luggage and you don't know how to get about it you should call a taxi. If you are abroad and you don't know the language you can take a taxi.
I never take a taxi because it is too expensive. You are obliged to give a tip to the taxi driver, who is not always friendly. There is a meter in the car, on which the fare is measured. Sometimes the amount you must pay is higher than the expected.
Sports
1. Are you interested in sport?
If yes
I am interested in sport, I am involved in regular sport activities: I like jogging, swimming, making excursions. I go to the fitness centre every day and I swim twice a week. I'm not a champion also I don't take part in competitions. I think that everybody should pursue sports for his own fitness and enjoyment.
I like watching sport programs /athletics, swimming, football matches/ on the TV. I am interested in sport programs but I watch them more than I do them. I have not too much time to pursue sport that is why I sit before the TV and try to catch up with the latest sport events.
If not:
I am not interested in sport. In the morning I am too tired to do gymnastics and in the evening I always have programs with my friends. I can't bring myself to do any kind of sport I prefer dancing, going to the cinema, or meeting friends.
2. Which kind of sports can you pursue at school?
I go swimming with my class, we have two PE lessons a week. When the weather is bad, we do some gymnastics in our gym. We have a big and well-equipped gym /with wall-bars, climbing ropes, beam, floor mats, balls ect/. When the weather is nice we can play football, volleyball, basketball. The girls have opportunity to do aerobic.
3.The football is the most popular sport in Hungary. What do you think about it?
It is true
I agree with the above mentioned, because I am a football fan. I always go to football matches. Some people say that it is better to watch football matches on TV because you can see the most exiting parts and you have a better view of the whole match. I always take part in football matches, all through them the crowd cheers the good players and encourage them. There is always a top-player who scores the majority of the goals. If a goal is scored the fans stand up and shout.
It is not true
I am not a football fan, I think that the Hungarian football teams are weak they are always defeated. If they take part in a championship they never get gold cup. During the football matches young fans /spectators/ get into fights, they break the shopwindows. I think that the police should be present in the matches and the violence must be banned out of the games.
4. What is your favourite sport?
I like aquatic sports, diving, swimming, sailing, wind-surfing, and water skiing. I think the children must be taught to swim at early age. There are not too much people in Hungary who like swimming or know each kind of strokes for example breaststroke, butterfly stroke, backstroke etc.
I'm crazy about skiing. I always take part in skiing tours, I prefer going to Italy, to Austria or to the mountain of France. In Hungary there are not too much places where you can skiing: there is a little ski-run in the Hills of Buda and in the Bakony Hills. The children often go ice-skating if the Lake Balaton or Velence freezes over.
I'm good at volleyball, our school has a team, which takes part in competitions. There are selected players in our team, and we always get into the final or semi-final of the European /Hungarian/ Championships.
Weather
1. What is your favourite season?
I like the spring because it is the first warm season at the beginning of the year. Nature awakens from its sleep, the spring flowers: snowdrops, violets appear, the trees are full of blossom. I always go on trips to the surrounding hills and enjoy the first sunshine. In April or in May the weather can be capricious, there are heavy rainstorms or scattered showers.
2. What is the weather like in Hungary?
Hungary has a continental climate, there are big differences between the temperature of the seasons. The mountain of the Carpathian Basin protect the country from the extremes of the weather. The number of the sunny hours is high in Hungary the hottest months are June, July and August but the heat wave begins at the end of May. Last May it was sweltering hot and the people had to find shelter in the shade to avoid getting sunstroke. In the previous years the number of rainfall was low and the fields had to be irrigated. Sometimes the hot days are followed by quick showers.
The autumn begins in September, the leaves of the trees became coloured, the trees are full of fruits. The families living on countryside begin to pick the grapes to make wine from them. In October and in November there are often: rain, fog, hoar frost.December, January and February are the coldest months, the temperature falls below zero, stormy winds shake the trees and the lakes freeze. There are not too much snow in Hungary but people are shivering with cold because of the sleets and the storms.
3. What is the weather like in England?
In England the weather is very wet and rainy, summers are cool and damp. English people discuss the weather because it is changeable and it is difficult to forecast it. Some people say that English are often depressed, the bad weather gets them down.
4. How do the weather conditions influence traffic?
In Hungary the bad weather has an effect on the traffic. If the roads are covered with ice there are a lot of accidents, it is not allowed to drive at a high speed. Sometimes the accidents are due to the fog or to the bad visibility conditions. At the corner of the most crowded roads the vehicles slip into each other and the traffic is delayed. In case of a snowfall the traffic is blocked: the small villages are always isolated from the main road, the trains cannot connect the places.
Daily routine
I get up at …….. I go to the bathroom and wash my face, neck and ears, and dry myself with a towel. Then I clean my teeth, comb my hair and begin to get dressed. I always have a substantial breakfast: bread with butter, sausages, or ham and eggs and I drink tea, or coffee. After breakfast I go to school. /I never have breakfast in the morning. I'm always in a hurry that is why I gulp down a cup of tea/coffee and I go to school.
Usually I have 6 lessons a day. After the lessons I have lunch at school. There is a good canteen, meals are really tasty. / I always have lunch at home. What my mother cooks at home is more to my taste than the meals one gets in a canteen.
I get home / to the hostel quite early. I relax a bit then I start studying for the next day's lessons. Later I meet my friends. After supper I help my mother to clear the table and wash up. Then I take a warm bath and go to bed at about 10. Until I fall asleep, I relax with a bit of music or watch TV.
At weekends the days are different. I don't have to get up so early and I try to spend some time outdoors.
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