Задать 5 разных типов вопросов: you're at a cocktail party. there are lots of people there but there's nobody that you know. what do you do? the good conversationalist would choose to walk up to someone and introduce himself. we all know people like that — people who can talk to anyone about anything. how do they do it? well, the good news is that there is no great secret to small talk. there are just some simple techniques that anyone can use to start a conversation and keep it going. 2. in the film ‘annie hall’ diane keaton and woody allen have just met and they want to impress each other. while they are talking their inner thought appear in sub-title on the screen. 'listen to me-what a jerk.' he probably thinks i'm stupid.' thoughts like these kill a conversation. so don't try to impress other people. just relax and be yourself. when you talk to someone you show that you are interested in them. so you don't have to talk about deeply important things. just talk about simple things like the weather or a television program that you saw. 3. tv journalist barbara walters recalls that when she was younger she met the author, truman capote. she wanted to tell him that she liked his book. however, she thought that he must be tired of hearing that, so she just mumbled 'how do you do? ' and turned away. she forgot that everybody likes to receive a compliment and it's an easy way into a conversation, especially if you follow it up with a question: 'i really liked your book. how long did it take you to write it? ' or 'that's a nice jacket. where did you buy it? ' 4. your face and your body can communicate much more than your words. if you stand with your arms folded or if you keep looking around the room, the conversation will quickly end because you will look uninterested. instead, you should make eye contact; keep an open posture and smile. if you send out friendly messages, you will get friendly messages back. 5. a victorian lady once compared the two british prime ministers, gladstone and disraeli. 'when you speak to mr. gladstone', she said, 'you think he is the most interesting man in the world. but when you speak to mr. disraeli, you feel that you are the most interesting woman in the world.' people like to talk about themselves and they will think you are fascinating if you ask questions that allow them to do so. 6. but people often don't listen properly. they are too busy thinking about the next thing that they themselves want to say. good conversationalists listen carefully and they show that they are listening, too. they ask questions, nod their head in agreement or say things like 'oh that sounds exciting'. 7. there are some topics that you should avoid. don't ask people about personal problems, money or religion. it's also a good idea to avoid the kind of statements that say 'i'm right. you're wrong'. it's all right to express your opinions but soften your comments with expressions such as 'i'm afraid i have to disagree with you there'. so, there is no secret to successful small talk. just follow these simple rules and you'll soon find that you can hold a pleasant conversation with anybody about anything.

Welcome to my favourite city Samarkand!

1. Today Samarkand is one of the oldest and most important cities in Asia, the third largest city in Uzbekistan.  Сегодня Самарканд - один из старейших и важнейших городов Азии, третий по величине город Узбекистана.

2. More than half a million people live in the city of Samarkand.  В городе Самарканде проживает более полумиллиона человек.

3. It is famous for its ancient culture and architecture, as well as eventful history.  Он славится своей древней культурой и архитектурой, а также богатой историей.

4. In 1925-1930 it was the capital of Uzbekistan, before being replaced by Tashkent in 1930.  В 1925-1930 годах он был столицей Узбекистана, прежде чем был заменен Ташкентом в 1930 году.

5. The city has carefully preserved the traditions of ancient crafts: embroidery, gold embroidery, silk weaving, engraving on copper, ceramics, carving and painting on wood.  В городе бережно сохранились традиции старинных ремесел: вышивка, золотое шитье, шелкоткачество, гравировка на меди, керамика, резьба и роспись по дереву.

6. Thousands of tourists visit Samarkand to see its various sights every year.  Тысячи туристов ежегодно посещают Самарканд, чтобы увидеть его различные достопримечательности.

7. Modern Samarkand is divided into two parts: the old city, and the new city which developed during the days of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union.  Современный Самарканд делится на две части: cтарый город и новый город, который развивался во времена Российской Империи и Советского Союза.

8. The old city includes historical monuments, shops and old private houses, while the new city includes administrative buildings along with cultural centres and educational institutions.  Старый город включает в себя исторические памятники, магазины и старые частные дома, а новый город включает в себя административные здания, а также культурные центры и образовательные учреждения.

9. The state and official language in Samarkand, as in all Uzbekistan, is the Uzbek language, which is one of the Turkic languages. As in the rest of Uzbekistan, the Russian language is de facto the second official language in Samarkand.  Государственным и официальным языком в Самарканде, как и во всем Узбекистане, является узбекский язык, который относится к группе тюркских языков. Как и в остальной части Узбекистана, русский язык де-факто является вторым государственным языком в Самарканде.

10. In Samarkand you can enjoy a tasty Uzbek cuisine.  В Самарканде можно отведать вкусные блюда узбекской кухни.

11. People in the city are friendly and hospitable. Люди в городе дружелюбные и гостеприимные.

Раскройте скобки, употребляя глаголы в Past Simple или Present Perfect

1. I (cut) some flowers from my garden yesterday. I (have cut) lots of flowers from my garden so far this summer.

2. I (have not seen) Tom lately.

3. The artist (drew) a picture of sunset yesterday. She (has drawn) many pictures of sunsets in her lifetime.

4. I (fed) birds at the park yesterday. I (have fed) birds at the park every day since l (lost) my job

5. Ann (woke up) late and (missed) her breakfast on Monday.

6. I (forgot) to turn off the stove after dinner. I (have forgotten) to turn off the stove a lot of times in my lifetime.

7. The children (hid) in the basement yesterday. They (have hiden) in the basement often since they (discovered) a secret place there.

8. The baseball player (hit) the ball out of the stadium yesterday. He (has hit) a lot of homeruns since he joined our team.