Вопрос №3. Speaking

What are the daily habits of Belarusians?

Belarusians are creative people, a little bit conservative in their habits, but interested in new trends. They are always open to dialogue and willing to help. Belarusians are music fans. 54 percent of people living in Belarus are women. 76% of women live in cities and towns, and 24% of women — in rural areas. Moreover, the average rural woman is older than the urban woman by seven years at an average. The National Statistical Committee draws a more specific portrait.

54 percent of people living in Belarus are women. 76% of women live in cities and towns, and 24% of women — in rural areas. Moreover, the average rural woman is older than the urban woman by seven years at an average.

If we believe in figures, the current resident of the republic is a 42-year-old Belarusian woman, who has a higher education and lives in a city. She works in the manufacturing industry or in education. She got married at 24, and a year later gave birth to her first child. Her native language is Belarusian, but in everyday life she speaks Russian.

That said, the average Belarusian man is younger: as of the beginning of 2012, the average age of a Belarusian man was 37. He prefers to live in a city, has special secondary (each third) or higher education (each sixth). Married. His priority activities are agriculture, trade in cars and motorcycles, their technical maintenance and repair, as well as transportation, construction, fishing, hunting and forestry.

Modern Belarusians look after their health and lead an active life style.

Different from anyone else, Belarusians are able to adapt to any circumstances — not to change the circumstances but to change themselves.

The second aspect of the Belarusian character is that a Belarusian holds tight to what he/she has gained. He/she regards the external world with little trust.

At the same time, in the view of Belarusians themselves, they are loved and respected by everyone. Belarusian people have always enjoyed receiving guests and have been perfect at this. This tradition is alive today.

To sum up, Belarusian features of character are: tolerance and a lack of temper. Belarusians are kind, soft, soulful, and hospitable. They are easy to be ruled; they are hard-working, reserved, not very jolly; they are rather pessimistic, stubborn and peaceful.

Are there any traditions in your family that are handed down from one generation to another?

1)Yes, there are. Now I would like to tell you about customs and traditions in our family. We have several of them. First of all I’d like to tell about New Year. Every year we try to celebrate New Year in our grandparents’ house. Each of us prepares a little present for other members of the family. Usually we put them under the Christmas tree.

The next tradition is that we travel together every summer. Every year we choose a place for our trip. We like it because we can be together for several weeks and also we can make beautiful photos of each other. There are a lot of other traditions in our family, but they are not so interesting and important for us.

2)Yes, there are. We have some family traditions. We celebrate the birthdays of each member of the family, we also celebrate Easter, Christmas and New Year. All my relatives gather together at one big table. It’s also our family tradition to spend summer holidays in the country or go somewhere to the seaside, go fishing and cycling.

Вопрос №3. Speaking

1. Tell me about some outstanding people who changed our world.

There are a lot of famous people among Belarusians: writers and poets, politicians and cosmonauts, artists and sportsmen. They are historic figures and our contemporaries. First of all I would like to mention the names of outstanding Belarusian enlighteners Francisk Skoryna and St. Euphrosinya of Polotsk. Francisk Scoryna was the 1^st translator and publisher of the Bible in the Belarusian language and editor of 23 books in Belarusian.

Tadeush Kostiushko’s name is among the names of the world famous fighters for freedom. Then we can speak about our outstanding writers Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala, Maksim Bogdanovich, Vladimir Korotkevich and Vasil Bykov. We can also be proud of world-famouse artists Mark Shagal and Kazimir Malevitch. The world-famous physicist and the Nobel Prize winner in Science is Zhores Alferov. We still use his scientific innovations in our everyday life: in mobile phones, CDs, traffic lights, price tag’s decoders and even lasers.

The names of Olga Korbut, Alexander Medved, Daryia Domracheva, Viktoria Azarenka, Alexander Hleb and Maxim Mirny gave our country the opportunity to boast about good achievements in sport. But the most prominent person in Belarus is certainly Boris Kit – a great mathematician, physicist, chemist and educator, doctor of philosophy in mathematics and in the History of Science, a citizen of the world.

2. Do you know anyone who is a Nobel prize winner?

Yes, I do. Svetlana Alexievich is a Nobel prize winner in literature. She got this prize in 2015. She was awarded Nobel Prize for her book “War’s Unwomanly Face”. This touching novel is made up of monologues of many women in the war who tell about the facts and aspects that have never been described before. Barack H. Obama became a winner in 2009 for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. Zhores I. Alferov got the prize in 2000 in physics for developing semiconductor heterostructures used in high-speed- and opto-electronics.

3. What questions will you ask that person?

What qualities does a person need to become a Nobel prize winner? How much did you research your subject? What would you advise a person who wants to become a winner?

4. My son wants to become a successful businessman in the future. What advice will you give him?

I can give you some aspects how to become a successful businessman in the future: 1- set goals, 2- find the right idea, 3- research the idea, 4- design a sales and marketing plan.

Вопрос №3. Speaking

Вопрос №3. Speaking

What are the daily habits of Belarusians?

Belarusians are creative people, a little bit conservative in their habits, but interested in new trends. They are always open to dialogue and willing to help. Belarusians are music fans. 54 percent of people living in Belarus are women. 76% of women live in cities and towns, and 24% of women — in rural areas. Moreover, the average rural woman is older than the urban woman by seven years at an average. The National Statistical Committee draws a more specific portrait.

54 percent of people living in Belarus are women. 76% of women live in cities and towns, and 24% of women — in rural areas. Moreover, the average rural woman is older than the urban woman by seven years at an average.

If we believe in figures, the current resident of the republic is a 42-year-old Belarusian woman, who has a higher education and lives in a city. She works in the manufacturing industry or in education. She got married at 24, and a year later gave birth to her first child. Her native language is Belarusian, but in everyday life she speaks Russian.

That said, the average Belarusian man is younger: as of the beginning of 2012, the average age of a Belarusian man was 37. He prefers to live in a city, has special secondary (each third) or higher education (each sixth). Married. His priority activities are agriculture, trade in cars and motorcycles, their technical maintenance and repair, as well as transportation, construction, fishing, hunting and forestry.

Modern Belarusians look after their health and lead an active life style.

Different from anyone else, Belarusians are able to adapt to any circumstances — not to change the circumstances but to change themselves.

The second aspect of the Belarusian character is that a Belarusian holds tight to what he/she has gained. He/she regards the external world with little trust.

At the same time, in the view of Belarusians themselves, they are loved and respected by everyone. Belarusian people have always enjoyed receiving guests and have been perfect at this. This tradition is alive today.

To sum up, Belarusian features of character are: tolerance and a lack of temper. Belarusians are kind, soft, soulful, and hospitable. They are easy to be ruled; they are hard-working, reserved, not very jolly; they are rather pessimistic, stubborn and peaceful.