Some people say that we should invest money in ecology projects, while others believe that nature is doing well by itself.

The earth is the only planet that people can live on, but nowadays they seem to be doing every­thing to make their home unfit for living. Industrialization has brought us into conflict with the natural environment. Our pl^get is in danger; air, water and land pollution have disastrous con­sequences which threaten human life on Earth.

I strongly feel that the more money is invested in ecology projects, the better our lives are going to be. People have technologies to make our planet cleaner: we can control pollution, recycle waste materials, protect rare animals and plants and install antipollution equipment. We need more disaster-prevention programs in order to control environmental pollution, fight the destruction of wildlife and preserve woodlands. There should be more organizations like Greenpeace that will help protect the animal world and stop environmental degradation. Such organizations influence public opinion and help form a correct attitude to nature. There should be more newspaper articles, TV-programs and science-popular films about ecological problems. They help people become environment-educated.

Some people say that the theatre is likely to disappear, while others believe that it will con­tinue attracting large audiences.

The theatre has existed since 2000 ВС. Greek theatres were huge, open-air structures that were able to seat thousands of viewers. Nowadays there are many types of theatres: a comedy theatre, a drama theatre, a concert hall, a musical theatre, an opera and ballet house, a dance theatre and others. Some theatres are famous all over the world such as the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow or la Scala in Milan.

Personally, I am sure that the theatre is not likely to disappear. I am a real theatre-goer. To my mind, a good play stirs spectators1 imagination, makes them smile and cry, fills them with joy and excitement, makes them forget about dull reality and carries them away to a fantastic coun­try. The theatre is a small world with its own rules, its own life and feelings. Going to the the­atre is always an exciting event for me.

Some of my friends think it's important to do sports regularly, while others would rather watch a sporting event on TV.

Nowadays people have to work more and they prefer to rest more actively. Therefore they need better health, more energy and endurance in order to carry out all activities efficiently and with­out fatigue. It's important to be in good shape and to stay healthy and attractive.

To my mind, physical exercises are essential for everyone. If you want to be strong physically and mentally, you can go to a fitness club, a sauna or a swimming pool. Physical exercises strengthen the immune system, improve mental health and help prevent different diseases and obesity. Exercising is also the best remedy for insomnia, depression and stress.

A lot of people are fond of watching TV. Others say that television is becoming a national disease.

Every day millions of people watch TV and find it the best way of entertainment. Why is televi­sion so popular?

Personally, I spend at least two hours a day watching TV. Thanks to television, I can learn about the latest international and local events, I "travel" all over the world and broaden my mind. Television gives me food for thought, introduces me to new ideas and activities. There is always a great variety of programs on TV: news and sports programs, talk shows and TV games, docu­mentaries and feature films, concerts and theatre performances. Besides, there are a lot of excellent educational programs for children and teenagers. They help them improve their knowledge, transfer them to different places and develop their imagination and creativity.

Some people change their jobs every few years. Others say it is better to work for one com­pany for a long period.

Almost everybody dreams of having a good job and making a career. Some people prefer stick­ing to one company for many years, while others, especially young people, are constantly look­ing for something better.

Personally, I think that if you stay with one company, you will have an opportunity to learn everything about it and to make a career. If you are devoted to your profession and work hard, you are likely to be promoted. What is more, you can make friends with your colleagues and earn your employer's respect. So, the company that you work for may become your family.

People say that youth is the most wonderful period in a person's life. Others are sure that young people face too many problems nowadays.

Many people are convinced that youth and happiness are synonyms. But an Arabian proverb says: "Youth is a kind of illness cured only by the passing years".

I have always wondered why many people believe that youth is the most wonderful period in a person's life. From the psychological angle, youth is a very complicated period when young peo­ple are undergoing the painful transition from childhood to independence. They are facing psy­chological problems that may cause aggression and lead to the rejection of adult values and experience. Socially, many young people suffer from such problems as poverty, unemployment, low incomes, or breakdown of the family. So alcohol and drugs may become a kind of psycho­logical or emotional escape for young people.

Technology is an important part of our lives. We use computers and other electric equipment at work and in the home. However, some people believe we rely too much on machines, and that the more technology improves, the lazier and weaker humans will become.

Technological advances are changing our lives very rapidly. Nowadays we can't do without such gadgets as mobile phones, GPS, digital tape recorders, air conditioners, fax machines and so on. Many people feel ill at ease without their laptop computers or GPS navigation systems.

Some people say that it is very important for everybody to have a hobby. Others do nothing but watch TV or listen to music in their free time.

Our lives would be hard without rest and recreation. People have quite different ideas of how to spend their free time. For some of them the only way to relax is watching TV or drinking beer. But other people use their spare time getting maximum benefit from it.

I strongly feel that hobbies make our lives much more interesting. There are different kinds of hobbies such as reading, cooking, knitting, collecting, playing a musical instrument, painting, photography, dancing, travelling, sports and many others. So you can always find an exciting activity which you will certainly like. Personally, I am fond of camping. To my mind, it is a great opportunity to get away from town life. What is more, camping is a cheap way to rest, to improve your health, to train yourself physically and to enjoy nature.

A number of people believe that pocket money teaches teenagers to be responsible. Others say that teenagers are too young to deal with money and that their parents should just buy them what they need.

Many parents wonder whether to give pocket money to their children and how much to give. Most Moms and Dads think that pocket money helps the child learn to handle money sensibly. However, pocket money may become a battleground if not handled correctly from the very start.

Personally, I think that by giving pocket money parents help children learn to manage money while they are young. It also helps them make choices and feel that they are important members of the family. Even a small amount can give a child the feeling of responsibility and indepen­dence. Parents can suggest the child keeping a little book in their money box to record ins and outs. This will help with their mathematics and will encourage them to save money.

Some people think that life-long friendship exists only in books and films. Others believe that it exists in real life.

Friendship is considered one of the central human experiences and for many people it may be as important as love. There are different types of friendship. People have close friends, pen pals or just acquaintances. Life-long friendship is a rare kind of friendship and a lot of people even doubt that it exists in real life.

I believe that life-long friendship exists not only in books and films. For example, my grandfa­ther has a friend whom he has known from his childhood. They are devoted to each other and they have much in common. My grandfather and his best friend understand and support one another. Besides, they have similar tastes, interests and life philosophies. Grandfather often says that when they were young, his friend used to help him in times of need or crisis. They have always trusted each other and they have never quarreled.

Many pupils go on school trips. Some people say they are interesting and educational. Other people say that they are a waste of time and children should learn in the classroom.

Most teachers are convinced that there is more to learning than lessons in the classroom. That is why they try to create memorable learning experiences with the help of educational school trips.

School trips include a wide range of outdoor educational and residential courses, designed to stimulate, educate and motivate pupils. To my mind, school trips help teachers inspire pupils and bring subject areas to life. School trips broaden children's mind, improve their knowledge of history and geography and make their lives interesting and eventful. Whether pupils want an educational school trip within their country or abroad their aim is the same: to enjoy sightsee­ing, to discover new things, to meet interesting people and to get wonderful impressions and learning experiences which educate, excite and inspire.

Most people believe that it's important to look nice. However, some people say that we place too much importance on appearance and fashion.

One will hardly disagree that it is pleasant to look at a person who is neatly and beautifully dressed. A person usually chooses clothes according to his or her age, social class, financial posi­tion and occupation. People also choose clothes according to their preferences and character.

To my mind, if a person wants to produce a good impression and to be successful, he or she must look nice. When people speak to you, they always pay attention to your appearance and your clothes. If you look sloppy and untidy, they will try to avoid you. There is a saying that "good clothes open all doors" and I quite agree with it.

Fast food is very popular and saves time for busy working people. However, many experts say that it is not completely healthy.

Do you know a person who has never been to McDonald's? McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer serving millions of people in more than 100 countries each day. McDonald's restaurants sell what is called "fast" or "junk" food — hamburgers, chips and so on. Such food is very popular, especially with children and teenagers.

Personally, I adore hamburgers, cheeseburgers, apple pies, muffins and fruit cocktails. This food is tasty, cheap and ubiquitous. What is more, going to McDonald's saves much time and effort. I don't have to go to a supermarket, prepare meals and wash the dishes when I eat out: Besides, I like the holiday atmosphere of McDonald's. There I can relax, enjoy the food and celebrate some event with my friends and relatives.

Some people like big families, while others think that small families are better.

As someone has rightly said: "The family is the nucleus of civilization". A person's upbringing and education starts in his or her family and it is in the family that values, norms and ideas are communicated from generation to generation. Families can be big and small. Some families consist of parents and their only child. But there are families where several generations live together and where there are a lot of children.

In my opinion, big families are better than small ones. Firstly, when there are two or more chil­dren in the family, they are used to helping each other and sharing responsibilities. They learn to live in a "community" where every member is equal. Secondly, when a child has brothers and sisters, he or she is not likely to become egoistic because parents share their love and attention between all their children. And finally, it is difficult to feel lonely when one has a big family.

Some people are fond of shopping. Others consider it to be a waste of time.

Different people have different attitude to shopping. It is usually considered that all women love shopping, while all men hate it. In reality there are women who are indifferent to the process of purchasing things and there are men who find shopping to be the best entertainment.

Personally, I like shopping. To my mind, it is a wonderful leisure activity. I often go shopping just to pass the time, to get pleasure or to plan a later purchase. Besides, sometimes I make pur­chases online. It is very fast and convenient. You have access to the information about the par­ticular product and you can look at it. What is more, you don't even have to leave your house. It helps you save much time and effort and encourages you to purchase more products.

Education plays an important role in our life. However, some people consider it only a ne­cessary step in getting a job so they do not want to go to university after leaving school.

"Knowledge is power" as the famous proverb says. It is transferred from generation to generation and comprises different facts, skills and information. Through learning people get knowledge and experience accumulated by their ancestors.

Of course, higher education is not compulsory, but I strongly feel that going to university is very important to everybody. In my opinion, higher education gives great opportunities and opens all doors. Only an educated person can get a good job and be promoted. Nowadays employers demand perfect knowledge. Education helps cultivate skills and provides mental, moral and aes­thetic development. Personally, I prefer communicating with an intelligent person who knows a lot of interesting facts and who can share his or her ideas with me.

It is reported that billions of dollars are spent on space exploration projects every year. Some people believe that this money should be used to solve problems on Earth.

People are explorers by nature and space has always attracted them. But is it wise to spend so much money on space exploration projects when we have so many problems on Earth?

In my opinion, space exploration is very important to mankind. Firstly, satellites are used for radio, television, and other electronic communication. Satellite television provides us with a great number of channels, mobile phones facilitate communication, GPS that uses radio signals from satellites can show you your exact position on the Earth. Secondly, thanks to space equipment we can learn the weather forecast and predict different cataclysms. What is more, people have always dreamed of reaching other planets and finding other forms of life. So I think that the more money is spent on space exploration projects, the more people learn about the universe and their own planet.

In Western countries, people spend a lot of money on their pets. They buy special food and toys for their cats and dogs and often pay high fees for medical treatment. Some people think this is a waste of money, and argue that pets are dirty and dangerous.

In many Western countries people are fond of keeping pets. However, others say that pets are often dangerous and aggressive.

Personally, I think that people can benefit from pets in many ways. First of all, animals are usu­ally devoted to their owners and love them. You will hardly feel lonely and depressed if you have a pet. Secondly, pets help people stay healthy. For example, doctors have found out that people who have high blood pressure feel much better when they stroke pets and talk to them. What is more, pets encourage their owners to get out and exercise. Dog owners usually spend much time walking which helps them improve their overall health. It is a well-known fact that people who have pets are happier and live longer than those who don't.

Some people are fond of reading, while others consider it to be a waste of time.

Different people have different attitude to reading. Some of them have dozens of books in their houses and consider reading to be their favourite pastime. Other people prefer watching TV to reading books.

Personally, I get a lot of enjoyment out of reading books. Our family loves gathering in the sit­ting room in the evening and reading books: fairy tales, novels, detective stories, thrillers, fan­tastic stories and what not. It has become a tradition and I'm sure it makes our family united. To my mind, books are our best teachers and friends because they have the power to educate and entertain us. When Гm tired, I like reading detective stories and thrillers. When I want some­thing more serious and instructive, I take an encyclopedia or read some philosophical works. I love reading when I'm travelling, when I'm having meals, when Гт bored or just for relaxation.

Some people prefer to live in a big city, while others would like to live in a small town or in the country.

Those people who live in a big city and those who live in a small town or in the country lead dif­ferent ways of life. We choose where to live according to our preferences and character.

There are a lot of advantages of living in a big city. Firstly, people have more opportunities to receive good education and to find a well-paid job there. In any city there are a lot of educa­tional establishments and a great number of firms which need qualified specialists. Besides, there is a wide choice of entertainment in a big city. One can visit concert halls, theatres, muse­ums, art galleries, cinemas, clubs, restaurants, cafes, discos and what not. To my mind, a big city gives people all modern conveniences and cultural opportunities.