[link] consists mostly of vegetables, meats and breads. The foods that are considered to be staples of Belarus include pork, cabbages, potatoes and bread. Traditional cooking methods are usually either slowly cooked or stewed food.
But the most popular Belarusian dish is draniki with machanka. Machanka is used as a traditional Belarusian sauce for draniki or blini. Most often it is made with pork, sausage, sliced onion, sour cream and flour.
Kvass is a type of soft drink that is made from either brown bread or rye flour that has been malted. Kvass can also be combined with sliced vegetables to create a cold soup called okroshka.
I think all these dishes will be rather tasty and unusual for a tourist.
National cuisine of an English-speaking country
Food is obviously a very important part of peoples’ culture and if you want to understand the nation it is important to try national food.
I’d like to tell some words about British food. Traditionally English people have three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served in the morning. It used to be a large meal with cereal, eggs and bacon, sausages, tomatoes. But such a large breakfast takes a long time to prepare and is not very healthy. Nowadays, Britain's most popular breakfast consists of cereal, toast with marmalade, juice and yogurt with a cup of tea or coffee. Lunch is a light meal. Most people have no time to go back home for lunch so they eat at school, cafes, pubs or restaurants. The main meal is dinner, which is usually between 6 and 7 p.m. A typical evening meal is a meat dish with vegetables and dessert. The most important meal of the week is the Sunday dinner, which is usually eaten at 1 p.m. The traditional Sunday dish used to be roast beef, but nowadays pork, chicken or lamb are more common. On Sunday evenings people have supper or high tea. The famous British afternoon tea is becoming rare, except at weekends.
Shopping
When we want to buy something, we go to a shop. There are many kinds of shops in every town or city, but most of them have a food supermarket, a department store, men's and women's clothing stores, grocery, a bakery and a butchery.
I like to do my shopping at big department stores and supermarkets. They sell various goods under one roof and this is very convenient.
Leisure time (My hobbies)
Every person needs rest after work, free time. Most people have hobbies.
Hobbies differ like tastes. They are divided into 4 large classes: making things, doing things, collecting things and learning things.
If you ask me how I usually spend my leisure time, I can say that I play volleyball, play the guitar, read for pleasure, listen to music or spend time with my best friend.
I think I am a sporty person. Every Thursday I have volleyball classes.
I like reading. I prefer to read defective stories most of all.
I am fond of listening to music. Music helps me to relax.
Also I like to spend my free time with my friend. We watch movies, listen to music or go for a walk.
In conclusion I should say that without leisure activities life becomes dull and boring.
Belarusian customs and traditions
Belarus has deep historical roots in the past that’s why its customs and traditions often have a long history. Belarusian holidays and traditions can be classified according to four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
In spring we celebrate such holiday as Calling of Spring. One of the greatest Christian holidays is Easter. On this day people paint eggs and make special pies.
The greatest fest in summer is Kupalle. The most important part of this celebration is great fire.
Autumn has its holidays. They traditionally connected with the end of the harvesting time. In the late autumn we have Dziady. It is the day of memory of the dead relatives.
In winter the most important holidays is New Year and Christmas.
In conclusion I should say that the Belarusian people are proud of their traditions and carefully observe them.
Customs and traditions of an English-speaking country
British customs and traditions are famous all over the world. England has preserved its old ceremonies and traditions. Most of this traditions have been kept from up without any changes since 13 century.
There are only six public holidays a year in Great Britain. They are Christmas, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Spring Bank holiday, Summer Bank holiday.
Besides public holidays there are some traditional ones, for example
Pancake day and Bonfire Night, Halloween.
Some English traditions concerns with private life of people. For example, the British like to speak about weather, like gardening.
In conclusion I should say that the British people are proud of their traditions and carefully observe them.
Modern means of communication
According to dictionary communication is sending, giving and exchanging information, ideas. Thus talking about means of communication we can name telephone, telegraph, television, radio, and internet and so on.
Mobile phones and internet are the most modern and wide-spread means of communication. The mobile phone is very useful devise. Thanks to it I can call people I need: my parents, my friends, and my teachers .With the help of new mobile phones we can also send and receive emails, and text-messages, watch TV, listen to music, take photos.
Personal computers are used in every field today. Emails have replaced letters and postcards almost completely. Skype has become one of the popular means of communication. A lot of people especially teenagers communicate in social networks such as vkontacte, facebook, twitter, odnoklasniki. They share the news, pictures, funny videos, jokes, songs and so on.
In conclusion I should say that modern means of communication will never replace real face-to-face communication.
A healthy way of life
I believe that health is better than wealth. In order to be healthy we should avoid bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol, taking drugs, eating unhealthy food. We should eat more fresh vegetables and fruit. If we eat too much we start to put on weight, that leads to serious health problems.
Regular exercises are essential part of our life. I believe it is very important for people to have some regular exercises. It will help you to stay physically fit and keep a good shape.
Regular sleeping habits are also important. Staying late hours is not good for our health.
As concerns me I am going in for sport that helps me to keep fit.
In conclusion I would like to say that we should take a good care of our health, because health can’t be bought for money.
Sport
People all over the world are fond of sports and games. Sport makes people healthy, keeps them fit, more organized and better disciplined. Many people do sports on their personal initiative. They go in for skiing, skating, table tennis, swimming, volleyball, football, bodybuilding. All necessary facilities are provided for them: stadiums, sport grounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, skiing stations, football fields. Sport is paid much attention to in our educational establishments. Physical culture is a compulsory subject at schools and colleges.
Professional sport is also paid much attention to in our republic. There are different sporting societies clubs and complexes. They are used for international and world competitions.
Practically all kinds of sports are popular in our republic but hokey; athletics, biathlon, tennis enjoy the greatest popularity.
As for me, I go in for hokey, football, athletics…. It needs mobility, liveliness and much energy. It keeps a person in a good form.
Fashion
Fashion is something we deal with every day. It is the language which tells the story about the person who wears it. We often judge people by what they are wearing.
In our modern society fashion models, singers, musicians, dancers, actors and sportsmen are the idols of thousands of teenagers who try to copy them in the way they dress, walk and style their hair. Some women believe that wearing a lot of make-up, having long nails and long eyelashes make them pretty. Some people makes tattoos, pierce different part of body, to follow the fashion. I think it looks ugly.
From my point of view it is always important to remember the main rules of politeness, that there are different styles of clothes for different types of event.
As for me fashion is not the most important part of my life but it helps me to be the part of our modern word. My favorite pieces of clothes are blue jeans and T-shirts of different colours. I think it is very fashionable and convenient
A wise proverb says: “People meet by clothes and set off by mind” And I fully agree with it.
Traveling
Millions of people all over the world spend their holidays traveling. They travel to see other continents, modern cities and the ruins of ancient towns, they travel to enjoy picturesque places, or just for a change of scene. It's always interesting to discover new things, different ways of life, to meet different people, to try different food, to listen to different musical rhythms. Those who live in the country like to go to a big city and spend their time visiting museums and art galleries, looking at shop windows and dining at exotic restaurants. City-dwellers usually like a quiet holiday by the sea or in the mountains, with nothing to do but walk and bathe and laze in the sun. Most travelers and holiday-makers take a camera with them and take pictures of everything that interests them - the sights of a city, old churches and castles, views of mountains, lakes, valleys, plains, waterfalls, forests; different kinds of trees, flowers and plants, animals and birds. Later, perhaps years later, they will be reminded by the photos of the happy time they have had. People travel by train, by plane, by boat, by car, by bike and on foot. People travel to have a holidays or to have business. If people have business trips they choose the fastest transport. They often travel by plane or by train. It is very expensive but it is very fast. And if people want to have a rest they choose traveling by boat, by car, on horseback and etc. When you travel by car or by bike you can stop where you want. All means of travel have their advantages and disadvantages. And people choose one according to their plans and destinations. If we are fond of traveling, we see and learn a lot of things that we can never see or learn at home, though we may read about them in books and newspapers, and see pictures of them on TV. The best way to study geography is to travel, and the best way to get to know and understand people is to meet them in their own homes. The best way to study geography is to travel, and the best way to get to know and understand people is to meet them in their own homes.
Environment
Environment is the nature around us: air, water, trees, flowers, animals, birds. Now people are more worried about the environment because of the harmful effects of human activity.
One of the most important ecological problems is the water pollution. Many sea birds die because of the polluted water. People may get sick from eating them. Lakes and rivers are becoming polluted, too. Some beaches are dangerous for swimming.
The second important problem is air pollution. Cars and factories pollute the air we use. They also destroys the ozone layer which protects the Earth from the dangerous light of the Sun.
Another problem is that our forests are dying from acid rain. Deforestation, especially destruction of tropical forests, affects the balance of nature in many ways. It kills animals, changes the climate and ecosystem in the world.
The most important ecological problem for our country is the result of
of the Chernobyl . About 18 percent of the territory of Belarus was contaminated with radioactive substances.
Weather and climate
Climate is the weather that a certain place has over a long period of time. Climate has a very important influence on plants, animals and humans and is different in different parts of the world.
Belarus has a temperate-continental climate with hat summer and cold winter.
If to speak about Great Britain the weather is very changeable. One day may be fine and the next day may be wet.
Some scientists think that the world is becoming hotter. Winters have become warmer. Sometimes there is little snow in January, and there were winters when it rained on the New Year’s Eve.
Many people say that it is so because of the greenhouse effect. During the last 100 years people have produced a lot of carbon dioxide. This gas in the atmosphere works like glass in a greenhouse. It lets heat get in, but it doesn’t let much heat get out. So the atmosphere becomes warmer.
These changes can be dangerous for our planet, which needs protection. Earth is millions of years old, much older than the humans. We know many of its secrets. Yet there is still much to learn.
The Republic of Belarus
The Republic of Belarus is a small, beautiful country. It is situated in Eastern Europe. The Republic borders on Russia, the Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. It has a population of more than 10 million. The largest cities are Minsk (the capital), Gomel, Brest, Vitebsk, Grodno and Mogilev.
Belarus is a land of vast plains and picturesque hills, thick forests and green meadows, deep blue lakes and flowing rivers. One third of the republic's territory is covered with forests. The largest of them are called pushchas. The longest rivers are the Dnieper, the Nieman, the Western Dvina, the Pripyat and the Bug. The largest of the lakes is the Naroch, the pride of the republic. It is very popular recreation area in our country.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a great number of small islands. The UK consists of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The northern and western parts of the country is mountainous and is called the Highlands. All the rest is a vast plain which is called the Lowlands.
Most of the rivers flow into the North Sea. The Thames is the deepest and the longest of the British rivers.
Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. The main industrial centres are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol.
The population of the United Kingdom is over 58 million people.
The capital of the country is London. The United Kingdom is parliamentary monarchy and the Queen is the head of the state.
