When did you finish school?

Exercise 4. Make sure you know the following word-combinations.

To be born in a small town, to spend one’s childhood, to move to the city, to make up one’s mind, to leave school, to pass exams, to work hard, to be in the military service, to take part in the battles, to be badly wounded, to remain in the ranks of the Soviet Army, to cover a long path, to be awarded, to graduate from the college, to become a well-trained and highly-educated specialist.

Exercise 5. Make up sentences.

My friend was born to Moscow

spent his childhood in a small town

moved in the family of an officer

My friend was in the military service

made up his mind all the exams successfully

passed to enter a University

My grandfather was a participant many battles

took part in in the ranks of the Soviet Army

remained of the Great Patriotic war

Exercise 6. Fill in the gaps with the following words (childhood, special liking, marks, military service, to prepare, the Russian Army, hard, to enter, highly-educated, to pass, to take part in, to become).

1.I spent my ____ in the city of Rostov on the Don. 2. I took a ____ to history at school. 3. I got excellent ____ in all the subjects. 4. After leaving school I joined ____. 5. I was in ____ for two years. 6. I began ____ for my exams to University. 7. I work … at all the subjects at school. 8. I made up my mind to … University. 9. He wanted to … a well-trained specialist. 10. My dream is to become … … lawyer. 11. All students … exams with good marks. 12. My grandfather … in many battles.

Exercise 7. Read the text.

My Biography.

I was born in 1983 in a small town on the Don in the family of an officer. I spent my childhood in the city of Rostov, where my family moved to, when I was five. When I was 7 years old I went to school. When I was in senior classes I took a special liking to history. I also liked English. I did well at school, my mark in many subjects was a “five”.

When I was in the eleventh form I made up my mind to enter University and become a lawyer. My grandfather was an officer. He was a participant of the Great Patriotic War. He took part in many battles, was badly wounded but remained in the ranks of the Soviet Army till the end of the war. He covered a long and glorious path from Stalingrad to Berlin.

After leaving school I joined the Russian Army and was in military service for two years. I served in the Far East. Then I began to prepare for my exams to University. I passed all the exams with good and excellent marks. Now I am a first-year student of the University. I work hard at all the subjects because I want to become a well-trained and highly-educated specialist.

Exercise 8. Complete the following sentences.

1. He was born in ….

2. He spent his childhood in ….

3. He went to school when ….

4. When he was in the eleventh form he ….

5. His grandfather was ….

6. After leaving school he ….

7. He served in ….

8. He began to prepare ….

9. He passed ….

10.Now, he is ….

Exercise 9. Arrange the words in pairs.

a). to be, to become, to spend(2), to take part in, to study, to pass, to leave, to join, to have.

b). many battles, a specialist, by correspondence, a first-year student, exams, school, Army, a united family, childhood, free time.

Exercise 10. Find the opposites.

a). small, old, senior, to enter, to be single, military, long, excellent, to be a full-time student.

b). bad, short, to study by correspondence, big, young, junior, to graduate from, to be married, civilian.

Exercise 11. Find the equivalents.

a). to do well, to make up one’s mind, to leave, to serve, grandmother and grandfather, like, a first-year student.

b). grandparents, to decide, to study, to be in military service, undergraduate, to finish, to hate.

Exercise 12. Fill in the prepositions.

1. My friend’s grandfather took part …many battles… the Great Patriotic War. 2. He remained … the ranks of the Soviet Army…1945. 3. He covered a long path … Moscow … Berlin. 4. My father returned … his native town … 1980. 5. He worked … a large plant...... our town. 6. My friend graduated … one of the Moscow colleges. 7. He served … the Far East. 8. Then he moved … Kiev. 9. He took a special liking … British music. 10. I made … my mind … become a computor-programmer. 11. They passed exams … excellent marks.

Exercise 13. Answer the following questions.

1. When was he born?

2. Where did he spend his childhood?

3. When did he go to school?

4. How did he do at school?

5. When did he make up his mind to enter the University?

6. Who was a participant of the Great Patriotic War?

7. Did he serve in the Army?

8. When did he pass his entrance exams?

9. What is he now?

Exercise 14. Retell the text from the third person singular.

Exercise 15. Answer the questions about yourself.