Employment plays a big role in person’s life.

If you want
to apply for any position first of all try to find out as
much as you can about the company or institution before
you go. Find out exactly what they do and find out as much
as you can about the job you are applying for. When you
find a job first of all you have to fill up an application
form and give more detailed information about yourself,
about your previous working experience and skills.
Lots of people in our country are unemployed or search for
any jobs. People who search for jobs are very different at
their age. Some of them are young and graduated
universities or schools a year or a few years ago, others
are in their early or late-forties and the rest are those
who will retire in a few years. It’s obvious everyone
employer wants to employ only young people with higher
education, big working experience and skills. But if the
employee is young it’s impossible for him to be very well
experienced and skilled. It’s obvious experience and
skills are gained gradually and not in a short time, but
if we read the advertisements we can see that required
people must be at the age of twenty five or thirty years.
Above all a big part of people are jobbed into a post in
spite of their education and experience and there are lots
of jobs for the boys.
There is no secret nowadays that people often become
cheated by employers and having worked in any company or
institution a few months are made to leave their positions
because they aren’t paid or working conditions are
intolerable.
Lots of employers have cheap labour force. They try to
avoid paying taxes for the government, although they are
breaking the law. But people looking for jobs are ready to
get down to any work and to be hard at work. Most have to
maintain their families or old parents. So if they are
lucky they take any jobs in spite of working conditions or
poor salary.
As a rule many companies and firms rival with each other
and their owners, managers and employers want to have well
skilled and experienced workers, who are able to perform
simple and difficult jobs as they try to avoid a failure.
In conclusion I would like to say that employment is a
problem of the government and society and this is not a
permanent feature so government should work more to help
people to solve these problems.
 What do you think about
general quality of TV and radio
broadcasting in this country?
Which of the two do you
prefer and why? How do you
choose the pprogrammes
to
watch and listen to?

I think that TV programmes and radio broadcastingare very

important in our life. By watching TV and listening to the
radio we can know a lot of new things. It helps us to
broaden our outlook. I can’t say that I prefer TV to radio
or on the contrary, because they are very different. You
just have to choose the one you like. TV broadcasts many
interesting programmmes, but not all channels. TV offers a
big variety to its spectators ant they can choose their
most favourite programmes according to their age and
taste.
On weekdays when I come back home after achool I
frequently don’t have time to watch TV so I turn on the
radio and listen to the music. If I listen to the radio I
choose radio stations “M 1” or “Tau” because I like them
best of all. These stations play very different and good
music Sometimes I like listening to disco, pop music or
rock. Sometimes I want to listen to classical music (or
heavy metal). Of course, it depends much on my mood. In my
opinion these two radio stations play the best music of
the world, sometimes we can hear the best tops of the
world, that were chosen during the last week.
And sometimes I listen to Rusian music too. I think, it’s
quite good . Listening to the music on the radio doesn’t
take as much time as it does watching TV.
I never miss an opportunity to watch such TV programmes as
“Srovės”, “Abipus sienos”, “Be tabu”. My favourite films
are “Melrouzas”, “The X - files”. I like sitcom “Be namų
negerai” and others. If I have spare time sometimes I
watch quiz-show or a chat-show, that are sometimes
quite interesting too. We have four lithuanian channels on
TV in our town. They are TV 3, LNK, Baltija and LTV.
I just would like mention that I hardly ever watch LTV
channel. I can say I don’t like it at all, because its
programmes aren’t interesting to me. They are boring. I
know that many teenagers hardly even switch on this
channel when other chaneels broadcast much more
interesting programmes. As we have a cable TV at home, we
have a possibility to watch foreign programmes as well. My
most favourite channels of cable TV are Discovery and
Travel channels. They broadcast really very interesting
programmes.
Now I can’t realize what we would do if we didn’t have a
TV set or a radio at home. I think nowadays our life
would be impossible without radio and television.

Pluses and minuses of both cinema and videos and try to

make compromise that suits you both

She is a cinema-goer and want to see a new film in the

cinema tonight
In illegal way

Pretty woman
Ashes and silver
Who is son?

Stevan Segal
Julia Roberts

I want to buy a car

She has to know – time and place of your meeting in person

The form of payment (cash or cheque) and
The car registration fee

Mass media

Means of communication are such as print, radio, TV.

The mass media are defined as large-scale organizations,
which use one or more of these technologies to communicate
with large numbers of people (‘mass communications’). The
mass media has two important sociological characteristics:
first, very few people can communicate to a great number;
and, second, the audience has no effective way of
answering back. Mass communication is by definition a one-
way process. Media organizations are bureaucratic and
corporate in nature.
Media outputs are regulated by government everywhere
but restrictions vary from very light advisory regulations
(for example no cigarette or nudity on TV) to the most
comprehensive forms of censorship in totalitarian
societies.
Mass media dominate the mental life of modern
societies and therefore are of intense interest to
sociologists. From the earliest studies in the 1930s the
main concern was with the power implicit in new media
technologies especially radio and television. TV and radio
can be used for propaganda and other dangerous things.
Early studies of Lasswell and others seemed to show
that media effects were indeed direct and powerful model
of influence. But later and intensive research showed that
mass media effect on audience depend on such factors as
class, social context, values, beliefs, emotional state
and even time of the day.
Some researchers say that new electronic and visual
media can destroy the concept of the traditional education
and literature. But now it is proved that the
understanding of a text differs when a person reads in
written on a sheet of paper and in electronic form. Texts
written in electronic form are realized 40% worse. And
that is the main reason why electronic media with nice
visual graphs and pictures won’t destroy written word.
Mass media is closely connected with communication in
all forms. The students of mass media study the discipline
of communication.

Print – spauda, spaudinys, laikraštis

Define – apibrėžti, apibudinti
Large scale – didelis lygis, mastas
Sociological – sociologinis
By definition – iš esmės
Corporate – bendras, kolektyvinis, korporacinis
In nature – pobūdžiu, pagal pobūdį
Media – žiniasklaida
Outputs - apimtys
Regulate – reguliuoti, derinti, tvarkyti
Restriction – apribojimas
Vary – keistis, kisti
Advisory – patariamasis, konsultacinis
Regulations – tvarkymas; taisyklės, nurodymai
Nudity – nuogumas, nuogybė; nuogumo aktas
Comprehensive forms – visapusės, išsamios formos
Censorship – cenzūra
Totalitarian – totalitarinis
Dominate – dominuoti, vyrauti; valdyti; daryti poveikį
Mental life – protinis, dvasinis gyvenimas
Intense – smarkus, stiprus, didelis; intensyvus,
įtemptas, gilus, rimtas
Sociologist – sociologas
Main concern – pagrindinis susirūpinimas, interesas;
reikalas, dalykas
Implicit – numanomas, neišreikštas žodžiais; visiškas,
besąlygiškas
Social – visuomeninis
Context – kontekstas; situacija, fonas
Visual – akivaizdus
Concept – sąvoka, idėja, supratimas

RADIO, TV

Media: means of mass communication;

Radio,
to listen the radio;
television/TV;
to watch TV;
cable television;
network - tinklas, sistema,
programme - programa, laida;
channel - kanalas.
Types of radio/TV programmes
Current affairs - dienos aktualijos,
news;
commercials - reklama;
quiz show - žaidimas ar konkursas;
talk/chat show - pokalbių laida;
documentary;
soap opera;
TV serial;
series;
cartoons;
feature film/movie - meninis filmas;
comedy;
sitcom - situacijų komedija;
apparatus:
recorder - magnetofonas,
cassette recorder/player;
tape recorder;
videorecorder;
videotape - vaizdajuostė;
camcorder – video kamera ar video magnetofonas;
record - plokštelė,
a record player - patefonas;
CD/compact disc;
CD player;

High fidelity (hi-fi) system - muzikinis centras;

Television set;
Remote control - distancinis valdymas,
Walkman - ausinukas;
To broadcast - transliuoti
Switch on/off - įjungti/išjungti;
To change channels;
To turn up/down - pagarsinti/patylinti
Button - mygtukas.

Newspapers:

Weather forecast - oro prognozė;

Popular Tabloid newspaper - bulvarinis laikraštis,
Quality newspaper - faktų laikraštis,
A Journal - magazine,
Comic;
Advertisements/ ads - skelbimai,
Horoscope,
The letters page,
News reports,
Sport reports,
Review - apžvalginis straipsnis,
Subscribe - užsiprenumeruoti,
Issue - leidinys, numeris,
Cartoons,
Crossword,
The editorial - vedamasis straipsnis,
Feature article - teminis straipsnis,
Headline - antraštė,
Circulation – tiražas, apyvarta
Columnist - apžvalgininkas,
Repoter – korespondentas, radijo komentatorius
Daily,
Weekly,
Monthly.
 Advertising

Advertising plays an important part in our everyday life.

On average, people are exposed to over one thousand

adverts a day – on television, in newspapers, on the

radio, in the streets or even on the public transport. You

may decide on what products you need, but advertisers know

better. They shape our attitude to what we consume.

Advertisements give a positive impression of a brand

through the images they use. For example, the images in

sportswear adverts often stand with strength and success,

whereas perfume ads suggest you will be irresistible to

other people. Ads also say ‘buy this product and you will

be part of this group’. We often go round the product

which promotes the group we identify ourselves.

Advertising is a form of selling. Advertising seems to

make people aware of things they need and to make them

want these things. It tells what products are on the

market and how they can be obtained. It describes new

products, new uses and improved features of familiar ones.

Advertising suggests that we might enjoy more nourishing

food, more attractive clothes and more comfortable homes.

In doing all these things, advertising helps us to improve

our way of living. It may also shape our tastes, habits

and customs.

As people spend part of their spare time watching

television they see lots of commercials and it may become

irritating when an interesting chat show or film is

interrupted by the same commercial we saw a few minutes

ago.

But the most successful advertisements and commercials are

those which appeal to many different groups of people. In

particular, products which have come from other countries

have had huge success. Coca-Cola, for example, is popular

in all over the world. Over 7.000 Cokes are consumed every

second.
Outstanding People of Lithuania

Lithuania is famous for its writers and poets, actors and

singers. The first book was printed in 1547. The founder
of Lithuanian fiction (fikcija, belitristika) is
Kristijonas Donelaitis (1714 - 1780) His greatest work
is an epic poem “The Seasons”.
Lithuanian literature is linked with the names as
Valancius Baranauskas, Maironis, Kudirka, Zemaite. Later
new democratic writers and poets appeared - Vienuolis,
Mykolaitis - Putinas, Baltusis, Marcinkevicius, are known
not only in Lithuania, but also abroad. The same can be
said about actors Banionis, Adomaitis, Budraitis or
singers as Noreika, Daunoras, Ambrazaityte, Milkeviciute.
The works of Ciurlionis made Litthuania’s name familiar to
people living in such faraway countries. He came to a
painting as a composer, graduating from Warsaw and Leipzig
Conservatories. During a short time (1904 - 1909) created
400 paintings and works in black and white Romantic and
symbolic painting. We enjoy such his works as “Stilness”,
“The Creation of the World”, “The truth”. His main
interest in folk art-fairy tales and legends. S.Neris
wrote a lot of poems about her native country and people
whom she loved very much. Some of them are translated by
Lionginas Pazusis. I like the translation, although there
are some differences in the sentence structure and the
rhythm but the mood and the main idea are described
scilfully (igudusiai).
Every country needs its heroes, “Ciurlionis, Banionis,
Marciulionis, Kurtinaitis, Sabonis - these are the names
we Lithuanians are most proud of. It comes to the
international fame of the tiny Baltic state. When
foreigner is being asked where Lithuania is the happy
ending is heard: “Oh, Sabonis, sure, I know the name. I
just didn’t know he was a Lithuanian.

Outstanding people of Great Britain (pabaiga)

ationalized industries, and legislation (istatymu
leidimas) to restrict (apriboti) the powers of trade
unions. In international affairs she was a strong
supporter of the policies of President Reagan. She was
well known for determination (ryztingumas) and resolve
(she had been dubbed (“Isventinta, dubliuota) “The Iron
Lady” as early as 1976), especially in her handling of the
Falklands War of 1982. She resigned after a leadership
(vadovavimas) challenge (lenktyniavimas,varzymasis) and
was created a life peer (nerasianti sau lygaus) in 1992.

DRUGS
Drug Dependence, psychological and sometimes physical
state characterized by a compulsion to take a drug in
order to experience its psychological effects.
Psychological dependence, or habituation, is present when
the compulsion to take a drug is strong, even in the
absence of physical withdrawal symptoms.
The drugs that are commonly abused, besides substances
such as alcohol and tobacco, can be grouped into six
classes: the opioids, sedative-hypnotics, stimulants,
hallucinogens, cannabis, and inhalants.
Opioids

The class of opioids includes drugs derived from opium

(such as morphine and heroin) and its synthetic
substitutes (such as methadone). Medically, morphine is a
potent pain reliever; indeed, it is the standard by which
other pain-relieving drugs are measured. It and other
opium derivatives also suppress coughing, reduce movements
of the intestine (providing relief from diarrhoea), and
induce a state of psychological indifference. Heroin, a
preparation synthesized from morphine, was introduced in
1898 as a cough suppressant and nonaddicting substitute
for morphine. The addictive potential of heroin was soon
recognized, however, and its use was prohibited in many
countries, even in medical practice. Users report that
heroin produces a “rush” or a “high” immediately after it
is taken. It also produces a state of profound
indifference and may increase energy.
Opioids produce different effects under different
circumstances. The drug taker's past experience and
expectations have some influence, as does the method of
administering the drug (by injection, ingestion, or
inhalation). Symptoms of withdrawal include kicking
movements in the legs, anxiety, insomnia, nausea,
sweating, cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever.
During the 1970s, when scientists isolated substances
called enkephalins, naturally occurring opiates in the
brain, they discovered what many believe to be the reason
behind physical dependence on opioids—that is, the drugs
are thought to mimic the action of enkephalins. If true,
this hypothesis suggests that physical dependence on the
opioids may develop in those who have a deficiency of
these natural substances.
Stimulants

Commonly abused stimulants are cocaine and drugs of the

amphetamine family. Cocaine, a white, crystalline powder
with a bitter taste, is extracted from the leaves of the
South American coca bush. It is used medically to produce
anaesthesia for surgery of the nose and throat and to
constrict blood vessels and reduce bleeding during
surgery; but abuse, which increased considerably in the
late 1970s, can lead to severe physiological and
psychological problems. A highly addictive, smokable form
of cocaine, “crack”, appeared in the 1980s.
Amphetamines, introduced in the 1930s for the treatment of
colds and hay fever, were later found to affect the
nervous system. For a while they were commonly used as an
appetite suppressant by people trying to lose weight.
Today their use is restricted primarily to the treatment
of narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized by sudden
sleep attacks throughout the day, and of hyperactivity in
children, in whom amphetamines produce a calming effect.
For adults, however, amphetamines rightfully earn their
common name, “speed”. These drugs heighten alertness,
elevate mood, and decrease fatigue and the need for sleep,
but they often make users irritable and talkative. Both
cocaine and amphetamines, after prolonged daily use, can
produce a psychosis similar to acute schizophrenia.
A designer drug, 3,4-methylene dioxymethamphetamine, also
know as “Ecstasy” or “E”, gives users a great sense of
wellbeing; affection for all those around them; increased
energy; and, sometimes, hallucinations. Associated with
rave culture, its adverse effects can make users feel ill
or experience a sense of loss of control, dehydration, and
long-term memory and weight loss. There have been some
deaths associated with taking Ecstasy and other drugs at
raves.
Tolerance to both the euphoric and appetite-suppressing
effects of amphetamines and cocaine develops rapidly.
Withdrawal from amphetamines, particularly if the drug is
injected intravenously, produces depression so unpleasant
that the drug user has a powerful incentive to keep taking
the drug until he or she collapses.
Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are not used medically in most countries

except occasionally in the treatment of dying patients,
people with mental illness, drug abusers, and alcoholics.
Among the hallucinogens that were widely abused during the
1960s are lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, and
mescaline, which is derived from the peyote cactus.
Although tolerance to these drugs develops rapidly, no
withdrawal syndrome is apparent when they are
discontinued.

Phencyclidine, or PCP, known popularly by such names as

“angel dust” and “rocket fuel”, has no current use among
human beings but is occasionally used by veterinary
surgeons as an anaesthetic and sedative for animals. It
became a common drug of abuse in the late 1970s, partly
because it can easily be synthesized. Its effects are
quite different from those of other hallucinogens. LSD,
for example, produces detachment and euphoria, intensifies
vision, and often leads to a crossing of senses (colours
are “heard”, sounds are “seen”). PCP, by contrast,
produces a sense of detachment and a reduction in
sensitivity to pain; it may also result in either
triggering or producing symptoms so like those of acute
schizophrenia that even professionals confuse the two
states. The combination of this effect and indifference to
pain has sometimes resulted in bizarre thinking,
occasionally marked by violently destructive behaviour.
Cannabis

The plant Cannabis sativa is the source of both marijuana

and hashish. The leaves, flowers, and twigs of the plant
are crushed to produce marijuana; its concentrated resin
is hashish. Both drugs are usually smoked. Their effects
are similar: a state of relaxation, accelerated heart
rate, perceived slowing of time, and a sense of heightened
hearing, taste, touch, and smell. These effects can be
quite different, however, depending on the amount of drug
consumed and the circumstances under which it is taken.
Marijuana and hashish are not thought to produce
psychological dependence except when taken in large daily
doses. The drugs can be dangerous, however, especially
when smoked before driving. Although the chronic effects
are not yet clear, marijuana is probably injurious to the
lungs in much the same way as tobacco. A source of concern
is its regular use by children and teenagers, because the
intoxication markedly alters thinking and interferes with
learning. A consensus exists among doctors and others
working with children and adolescents that use is
undesirable and may interfere with psychological, and
possibly physical, maturation.
Cannabis has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, but
it has no well-established medical use today. Experimental
work has been done using its active ingredient, delta-9-
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), for treating alcoholism,
seizures, pain, the nausea produced by anticancer
medications, and glaucoma. Its usefulness for glaucoma
patients seems fairly certain, but its disorienting
effects make its possible employment by cancer patients
more doubtful.
Inhalants
In the class of inhalants are substances that are not
usually considered drugs, such as glue, solvents, and
aerosols, such as cleaning fluids. Most such substances
sniffed for their psychological effects act to depress the
central nervous system. Low doses can produce slight
stimulation, but in higher amounts they cause their users
to lose control or lapse into unconsciousness. The
effects, which are immediate, can last for as long as 45
minutes. Headache, nausea, and drowsiness follow. Sniffing
inhalants can impair vision, judgement, and muscle and
reflex control. Permanent damage can result from prolonged
use, and death can result from sniffing highly
concentrated aerosol sprays. Although physical dependence
does not seem to occur, tolerance to some inhalants does
develop.
Drugs are very dangerous and everyone must keep away
from them.
CHRISTMAS

’Twas Christmas broach’d the mightiest ale;

’Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;
A Christmas gambol oft could cheer
The poor man’s heart through half the year.

[Sir Walter Scott

(1771–1832), Scottish
novelist, poet.
Marmion, Introduction
to cto. 6, (1808).]

Maybe one of most excited holidays. Everyone likes

Christmas and Christmas Eve - some because they shouldn’t
work, some - because they get a lot of beautiful presents.
In Lithuania everyone celebrates Christmas together
with their families. But it’s not like that in other
countries. For example, in Belgium Christmas are
celebrated mostly by young people - they go to the
coffees, to the towns, discos. It’s like New Year in
Lithuania.
Actually, a Christian feast commemorates the birth of
Jesus. This feast is celebrated on the 25th of December.
The name ‘Christmas’ came from middle English Cristemas,
from Old English Crìstes mæsse, Christ's festival.
In the Christian calendar, it ranks after EASTER,
PENTECOST, and EPIPHANY in liturgical importance and was
not widespread until the 4th cent. The customs of the
caroling, mistletoe, and gifts at Christmas are English.
Elsewhere, gifts are given at other times, as at Epiphany
in Spain. Christmas cards appeared c.1846. The concept of
a jolly Santa Claus was first made popular in 19th-cent.
New York City. The Christmas tree was a medieval German
tradition. Midnight Mass is a familiar religious
observance among Roman Catholics and some Protestants.
A greeting card sent at Christmas to express good
will. But all these beautiful greeting cards with nice
pictures on them are not so old. They were invented only a
few centuries ago.
 London museum director Henry Cole sends out the
world’s first Christmas cards. He has designed a three-
panel card that says, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year” (1843).
The first American-made Christmas cards appear at
Boston. German-American lithographer Louis Prang, 51, who
makes the cards for the English trade, has been publishing
$6 reproductions of famous works of art (“chromos”) since
1865 but will now concentrate on introducing Christmas
cards in America, developing a market that he will
dominate until 1890, when cheaper imports from Germany
will put him out of business.
Moravian immigrants at Bethlehem (see 1740) introduce
the celebration of Christmas with such German customs as
the visit from Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus. In Puritan
New England Christmas remains a working day.
A lot of famous writers and journalists wrote about
Christmas, composed beautiful songs. There are some ‘very
clever’ sentences about this holiday:
From a commercial point of view, if Christmas
did not exist it would be necessary to invent
it.
[Katharine Whitehorn (b. 1926), British
journalist. ]

A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s

compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go
through it together.
[Garrison Keillor (b. 1942), U.S. author.
Leaving Home, “Exiles” (1987).]

There are some people who want to throw their

arms round you simply because it is Christmas;
there are other people who want to strangle you
simply because it is Christmas.
[Robert Lynd (1879–1949), Anglo-Irish essayist,
journalist. The Book of This and That, “On
Christmas” (1915).]

Please to put a nickel,

Please to put a dime.
How petitions trickle
In at Christmas time!
[Phyllis McGinley (1905–78), U.S. poet, author.
“Dear Madam: We Know You Will Want to Contribute
…” published in Times Three (1960).]
 This is the month, and this the happy morn,
Wherein the Son of heav’n’s eternal King,
Of wedded Maid and Virgin Mother born,
Our great redemption from above did bring.
[John Milton (1608–74), English poet. On the
Morning of Christ’s Nativity.]

Most popular Christmas songs and hymns:

Hymns “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God!” and “Away in a
Manger” by Martin Luther.
Hymn “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” by U.S.
composer Richard Storrs Wills, lyrics by Unitarian
clergyman-poet Edward H. Sears.
Hymn “We Three Kings of Orient” by English-American
clergyman John Henry Hopkins
Hymns “Lead, Kindly Light” (“Lux Benigna”) by English
clergyman-composer John Bacchus Dykes, lyrics by John
Henry Newman (1833); “Yield Not to Temptation” by
U.S. composer Horatio Richmond Palmer; “O Little Town
of Bethlehem” by Philadelphia Holy Trinity Episcopal
Church organist Lewis H. Redner, lyrics by church
rector Philips Brooks.
Hymn Adeste Fidelis by English clergyman John
Reading. An English version beginning “Oh Come All Ye
Faithful” will be published in 1841 with lyrics by
another clergyman.
Hymn “Joy to the World” by G. F. Handel.
Hymn “Silent Night” (“Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht”)
by Austrian parish priest Joseph Mohr, will be set to
music by composer Franz Xavier Gruber.
Popular song “Jingle Bells” (“One-Horse Open Sleigh”)
by Boston composer James Pierpont.

Interesting fact: In 1882 the world’s first electrically

lighted Christmas tree is installed in December in the New
York house of Thomas Edison’s associate Edward H. Johnson.

So, it’s Christmas.

-Paulius-
1996.04.

A large scale of unemployment

There are hundred of people today who are able and eager
to work but are unemployed.

It’s no secret to speak about this complicated situation

nowadays. It’s very well known for everyone there are so
many young and elder people keen on finding any kind of
job.
People mostly blame the government and society in general
for unemployment, which exists in Lithuania. They say that
the government does not create good conditions for work
and fails to guarantee a fair (pakankamas) wage. But why
does the unemployment exist? There are a lot of reasons
for this. Illegal immigrants deprive of (atima) jobs,
because in this situation employers have cheap labour
force, they avoid paying taxes for the government,
although they are breaking the law. Also the
automatization of manufacture costs unemployment. People
lose jobs when big firms arise and then small ones can’t
rival (konkuruoti) with them and are a failure. The great
influence on unemployment has the population growth.
At any time there were people looking for a job. Some of
them were dismissed, others who have never worked (mainly
- young people).
What could I say about people who are able and eager to
work? The first thing what I’d like to mention perhaps
would be that employers are seeking for quite young but
very well skilled and experienced employees. In my opinion
it’s impossible to be quite young and well skilled,
because every person gains (igyja) his work experience
after graduating the university and spending at least five
years working according to his occupation in any company
or institution. As far as I know it’s inconsistent to be
quite young and very well experienced, because you
experience comes doing some kind of work during years.
There was a very interesting talk show on TV a week ago
about pensioners who work and occupy many working
positions. In my opinion it’s partly the truth. Pensioners
who are retired and stay at work deprive of (atima) jobs,
because the younger people are waiting for these
positions, but they are still occupied by pensioners. But
sometimes happens that younger people refuse to do this
kind of work that is paid very bad because it’s to little
for them to maintain their families, mostly children. As
the pensioners get their pension even very low wages
satisfy their wishes. Their pensions and law wages let
them to survive.
I think the government must do something more to reduce
the unemployment. The unemployment reduction programme
must be active and create the labour market. The bigger
attention should be paid at young people and bigger fund
(piniginis fondas) must be paid to children whose parents
are unemployed.
As far as I know unemployment in Lithuania is not only a
problem of the social security system, it is a general
problem for the whole country.problem for the whole
country.

Large-scale unemployment with all it’s

problem is now a permanent feature of our society

(large-scale - didelis mastas)

Unemployment always existed and will always do.

Simply it is impossible to create working places to every
human according to his needs.
According to modern concepts (mintis, sąvoka) of
poverty, today’s people consider themselves poor when they
can not attain (pasiekti) living conditions which bring
them up (iškelti klausimą) to the values accepted in
society. These include, for example, access (priėjimas) to
comforts (parama, patogumai), services and opportunities
which would allow people to fulfil (atlikti, įvykdyti)
their roles and express themselves as members of society.
People mostly blame the government and society in
general for the unemployment which exists in Lithuania.
They say that the government does not create good
conditions for work and fails to guarantee a fair
(pakankamas) wage.
I hope everybody understands that unemployment costs
problems as idleness (dykinėjimas), criminalty, people
loose their qualification when they do nothing.
But why does the unemployment exist? There are a lot
of reasons for this: illegal immigrants deprive (of -
atimti) of their jobs, because in this situation employers
have cheap labour force, they avoid to pay taxes for the
government, althought they are breaking the law. Also the
automatization of manufacture costs unemployment. People
lose jobs when big firms arise, and then small ones cant
rival (konkuruoti) with them and are a failure (žlugimas,
bankrotas). The great influence on unemployment has the
population growth.
At any time there will be people who are looking for
a job (some of them are dismissed, others resigned or
those who have never worked - young people).
For some people large-scale unemployment is
benevolent (pakantus), because they can decrease salaries,
exhaust employees, keep strict discipline in their firms.
Yes, unemployment is a feature of our society -
nothing to be done. But I don’t agree that large-scale
unemployment is permanent feature of our society. This is
not a permanet feature. The amount off unemployed changes
all the time. This amount will decrease when the standard
of living rices. But it will decrease only down to certain
limit.
You can’t say that I speak pessimistically, but there
are unemployed in every country.
A very important discovery of the survey (apžvalga,
ištyrimas) is that about 300.000 people are unemployed and
that the level of unemployment is 14 percents - 2,6 times
higher than the number registered with labour exchanges
arround the country.
The unemployment reduction programme must be active.
Efficients (efektyvus, produktyvus) jobs must be created
in the labour market; much attention and funds (kapitalas)
must be paid both to child and adult education and
training.
Tax policy should bring in investment and business
development, especially when paying attention to rural
development.
Unemployment in Lithuania is not only a problem of
the social security system. It is a
general problem for the whole country.

Valentine’s day

Valentine’s day is celebrated on as a festival of

romance and affection (prisirišimo). People send greeting
cards called valentines to their sweat hearts, friends and
members of their families. Many valentines have romantic
poems or they humorous. But almost all valentines ask “Be
my Valentine”. This means by my friend or be my love.
Valentines often show a cupid (Amūras) with an arrow.
Cupid also called Eros was the ancient Roman God of love.
Valentine’s day is not legal holiday. Schools and
banks are open as usual.
Merchants (prekiautojai, komersantai) sell valentines
and decorations for Valentine’s day at dances and
parties .All the decorations are bright, red and the most
popular ones are heart shaped. Schoolchildren decorate
their classrooms with red paper hearts and celebrate this
day in the classrooms. They also make valentine cards for
their friends and parents.
Stores advertise for this holiday since it is
traditional for sweat hearts, spouses (sutuoktiniø pora)
and members of the family to exchanges gifts. Heart-shaped
boxes of candy, jewelry or flowers are the most popular
gifts given on this day. Many newspapers publicize
advertisements or messages placed by people in love. Both
men and women want to let their sweat-hearts know how much
they love them. Many radio stations play romantic music
all day long. It had become traditional for many couples
to become engaged on this day. This is a happy day,
because it is specially dedicated (skirta, paðvæsta) to
celebrate love, affection (prisiriðimas) and friendship.
 ABITÛRINËS ANGLØ KALBOS TEMOS (A lygis) 1998/99 m.m.

1. Personal identification

I’m Marius. I was born in 1981 on the 28th of January

in Kaunas. I don’t remember anything about the weather
that day, but I know that it was about 2:30 p.m. I was the
first child in the family. Our family is not very big. I
have a brother. When I was a child I can't say, that I was
a good boy. My parents always wanted me to be a good man,
and now I'm very thankful for that. At that time I didn’t
understand that my parents wanted good for me, and I made
my mother worry about me very often. I think, that my
character isn’t bad now and I’m a good, sincere and
tolerant teenager.
In 1987 I started school and now I'm finishing it. I
was good at all subjects. I am fond of school. I liked my
class. I always felt like at home here. Everybody was so
friendly and easy to get a long with. I was on good terms
with my classmates and we always spend our free time
together. I think, that school years maybe remain in my
heart forever.
I want to say a few words about the future. I'm
going to take entrance exams and enter KTU. I would like
to study Computer Science. My parents are engineers -
programmers and I like this profession too. That's all
about myself.

2. Services

Services aren't important as food, drinks or home,

but it's enough important to as. One of them we use more
frequently others we don't use. There are many services in
my region. There is post near my house. You can use all
services that post can offer: to send a postcard, letter
or parcel, make postal - order, to buy stamp or postcard.
There are petrols where you can buy gas. Also there are
hospital and police station in my region. Police station
is one of the unpleasant services. You get there when you
commit something bad. If you want to do photos it's no
problem, because there are some places there you can make
photograph. A Very important service for people's beauty
is hairdressing saloon. But there is only one saloon in my
region.
Bank is very important for people, who have their
own business. Usually they open checking account. But a
lot of firms haven't enough money so they take loans.
Diplomatic services are useful, when you are in foreign
country or when you want to go there. And garage - service
use people who have a car. Here they can check and put
right their cars.
The most important services are hairdressing,
photography, post, and hospital. So all services are very
useful. They make our life easier.

3. House and home

I live in a block of flats building. This house is

in _____ street. I have an apartment in a nine-story
building I live on the second floor. The inhabitants of
the house keep it in order. There are many trees near my
house. My house was built in ………….. The number of my flat
is ………………... There are ………………..rooms in our flat. The area
of my flat is about 60 square meters. There is a balcony
in my flat. I have a fine view from the balcony and
windows. Our family has ………………………………………… rooms, a
bathroom, a toilet, a corridor and kitchen. There are
bookcases, wardrobes, beds and tables in the rooms. My
walls are papered. There are carpets on the floor. I have
all amenities - hot and cold water, gas, electric light
and central heating, lift. In the kitchen there is gas
cooker. There are gas meter, electric meter and water
meter. I would like to have a detached house in some
solitary place, far away from the town's noise, smoke and
polluted air. Sure it'll be a two-storied house with a big
yard and garden.

4. Flora

Lithuania's flora is rich and varied, because of

its geographical position and climatic peculiarities, but
we can't boast that it's peculiar to it alone. We have
typical northern plants such as conifers, deciduous trees.
Forests cover one fourth of its territory. 3 centuries
ago, they were twice as extensive. Nowadays more woods are
cut down than replanted. We have lots of spruce, birch and
alder woods as well. It's a pity such trees as oaks, ashes
and limes are decreasing, because they were used as
timber. Now we can hardly find oak, ash or lime woods. The
preservation and restoration of forest hasn't been given
great attention. Every year hectares of forest are
planted, but more hectares are felled. Timber is still the
chief article of export. Some trees are remarkable as
natural rarities. In East Lithuania at Stelmuze grows an
old oak, that according to botanists, about 1,5 thousand
years old.
Forests cover one half of the territory in east and
South Lithuania. The Varena-Druskininkai forests spread on
area of thousands square km. These forests abound in
mushrooms, berries and beasts. The Rudininkai forest
remind as of historical events. The rebels of 1831 and
1863 against the Russian czar found refuge in it. The
Cepkeliai swamp, covering 5000ha is the largest in
Lithuania. Broad and beautiful are the Labanoras, Kazlu
Ruda and other forests. 40% of Lithuanian's territory is
occupied by arable land.

5. Fauna

The Lithuanian forests have inspired many poets,

writers and composers. They devoted their works to the
charm of woods.
The fauna has no particular species peculiar to it
alone. There are various species of mammals, birds,
reptiles and amphibians. For various reasons many kinds or
them became extinct. This fate befell aurochs, bisons,
bears, etc. All forests can boast of the giant of woods -
the antlered elk. Elk meat is exported abroad. Deer are
less common. Roe and hares are abundant everywhere. Wild
hogs, foxes, squirrels, martens are rather numerous. The
number of wolves has shrunk. The beaver was entirely
exterminated, but now it has been reacclimatized. Their
houses are frequent on the banks of many rivers. New
species of animals such as punctate deer, minks have been
acclimatized. They feel quit at home and bear offspring.
We have 300 species of birds. In forests we can
hear voices of woodpeckers, cuckoos, owls, hawks and
others. In rivers, lakes and swamps are various species of
ducks, geese, and swans, where they hatch their young. In
Neringa there is a settlement of grey herons, rare birds.
There are about 50 species of fish in Lithuania.
We can't boast that abound in our lakes and rivers. Bream,
roach, salmon, eels, carps are caught. Salmon comes to our
rivers to spawn.

6. Television

TV is one of the ways to spend our free time.

Sometimes it shows good or sometimes bad things. It's
good, that there are some documentary films, which show us
the life of wild animals, old civilizations, and the lost
world. There is news, which inform us about the things,
which are happening all around the world. Also TV shows
some talk shows, where we can hear the interesting
interwievs.
But there is a lot of violence in TV films, even
in cartoons. And violence has a bad effect on viewers,
especially on children and teenagers. They can't
understand what is right or what is wrong and they think,
that everything is true and start to copy everything and
to do the same things as "good guys" or "bad guys". So, I
think, that there is more violence in our TV programs,
than good and nice things.
 7. Museums of Kaunas

There are many museums in Lithuania. Lets talk

about some of them - museums of Kaunas. Ciurlionis State
Museum of Art is the national museum of Lithuania, founded
in 1925. It operates as head office for 5 different
museums in Kaunas. Devil museum is a part of the
Ciurlionis State Museum of Art. It's the only devil museum
in the world and it was founded by professor
Zmuidzinavicius. At that time, the Museum of Medicine
Academy had a big interesting collection of skeletons,
from fetuses to adults, also skeletons of cats, dogs and
monkeys. It helps for students, who are studying Anatomy.
It's the only Anatomy museum in Lithuania.
Vytautas the Great Museum of War is the only war
museum in Lithuania. There are gun collection and
exhibition about the first two men, who flew over the
Atlantic. They have connections with the Lithuania army,
organize festivals for and about soldiers. The 9th fort
Museum comprises of two different parts: the 9th fort and a
separate museum. The 9th fort was built at the end of the
19th century by a Russian czar to defend the Russian
Empire. During World War 2 the fort was used to hold the
Jews before they were executed. After the war it was used
as a prison. In 1959 the fort was opened for the public as
a museum. This fort is probably the cruelest concentration
camp-museum in the world.
And for the end about T.Ivanauskas Zoological
Museum. It's one of the oldest museums in Lithuania. It
has collection of stuffed animals, collected by
T.Ivanauskas. It's the only Zoological museum in the
Baltic States, having a big impressive collection of all
kinds of animals, nature sounds as background music.

8. Travelling

There are various means of travel. We can travel

by train, boat, airplane, and finally we can travel on
foot. First of all I will say what I think about walking.
So, when you use your foot, of course then it is the
cheapest way to get somewhere. But if that place is some
100 or more km. away, then everyone prefers a faster way
of traveling. I agree that traveling on foot is good for
your health, but just imagine that you have to go to
another country and return using only your foot - I do not
think, that it will be very healthy for you.
Travelling by car is the finest type of
travelling. It’s noisy, not good for nature, more
dangerous, but it's fast, comfortable and easy to use.
Ship and plane are very useful too, when you have to reach
another continent, because usually it would be too wet to
get there another way.
 Besides all these means of transport people
usually get their trip by trains and hitch-hiking. I
think, everybody knows, how cheep it is when you spent
money given by your parents somewhere else. So it’s no
need to speak about train. And the last way of getting
somewhere from somewhere is hitch-hiking. Of course,
anyone can say that it's dangerous, but you really don’t
need to go alone. It’s even more fun when you go together
with your only-friend, girl friend or boy friend. So, I
think, it is the funniest way to travel.

9. Traffic

In our town every other family has its own cars.

Everybody is eager to have a car. It's especially
convenient for shopping. Sometimes cars help people when
they hurry to the work or when it's necessary to take an
invalid to hospital. But cars cause a lot of problems.
Cars poison our air with exhaust, shatter our ears with
noise and the drivers wreck our nerves with dangerous
driving.
In Kaunas center the traffic is heavy. Donelaitis
and Kestutis streets are one-way streets and in those and
other streets there are many traffic lights and pedestrian
crossings, but sometimes there are traffic jams and
parking problems, because some drivers are careless and
selfish. Many traffic accidents happen in the main wide
streets, for example Barsauskas, Vytautas streets, because
the drivers drive much too fast and they don't pay
attention to the speed limits. Also traffic accidents
happen when pedestrians forget about road safety and
crossing the road. But people aren't afraid of traffic
accidents and they keep buying cars, because it's the
fastest and the most comfortable way to get around.

10. NATO

The Baltic States' admission to NATO is currently

the most pressing topic in the Baltic. NATO is the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's a military alliance of
Western nations for the purpose of collective defense. It
was established in 1949. NATO's member States are:
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany (since 1955),
Greece (1952), Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain (1982), Turkey
(1952), UK, USA. Poland and Czech were admitted this year.
If the Baltic States support the program -
"Partnership for Peace" to the fullest extent, they will
be admitted as well. Baltic military forces take part in
NATO maneuvers and it's a concrete benefit, as Baltic
States want to be admitted as full members.
There are lots of different opinions on what is
better for a small country: to be a member of a military
organization or to be a neutral country. There are various
advantages and disadvantages of both. It's said, that
preparation of Lithuania to join NATO requires from 8 to
10 mln. Litas. That is why it would be more beneficial to
modernize the economics of Lithuania, than to spend huge
sums of money on joining NATO. Moreover some people say,
that the threat of war is only our imagination. For
example, during the period of 1944-1953 lots of men were
killed, but it was impossible to confirm the act of
independence. Meanwhile, in 1990 the independence was
restored without any war or guns. So, it would be better
to spend money on solving social and economical problems
than on joining NATO.
In conclusion the opponents of "Lithuania in
NATO" consider, that Lithuania should seeks to be a
neutral country. The proponents of "Lithuania in NATO"
suggest that joining NATO would confirm the stability of
Lithuania. Lithuania is tiny country and the enemies can
be too strong and powerful to fight with. So, NATO could
help in case in the threat of war.

11. Social affairs

I want to tell you about the town, where I live,

about Kaunas. Kaunas is an industrial town. There are a
lot of companies, factories and enterprises in Kaunas, but
they pollute our rivers and blacken our sky. As Kaunas is
a big town, there are a lot of cars, buses, and they
pollute our environment too. People, working in these
factories, sometimes suffer from ill and die of various
diseases, but they don’t complain, because they are afraid
to lose their jobs. They have to support their families
and money is very important for them. Nowadays prices go
up and are high and wages are low in Lithuania. There are
many unemployed, poor people. There are a lot of children,
who beg for money or food.
I think, that all this sounds very sad, but I
hope, someday it will be better. That’s all about my
native town.

12. Education in GB and Lithuania

Education is compulsory in our country. Children

start school at the age of seven. They can stay at school
for twelve years but some of them leave school at the end
of the ninth form. These pupils usually go to vocational
junior colleges where they can get both secondary
education and the qualification. Education in Great
Britain is compulsory too. British children start school
at 5. They go to the primary school, which has two
divisions: the infant school (from 5 to 8) and junior
school. From 11 to 16 British children go to a secondary
school. At the age of 16 schoolchildren may either leave
the school or remain two years longer to prepare for
university or college entrance. Education is free;
everybody can go to a university or any higher school
after finishing secondary school. In Lithuania children go
to school five days a week. The school year begins
September and ends in the middle of June.
Education in Lithuania has been centralized for a
long time, but now almost all schools have their own
education system, but all systems don't differ from each
other very much: children study almost the same subjects
in all schools. Schoolchildren can transfer freely from
one school to another. At that time in Great Britain the
education system has been decentralized for a long time
and the school curriculum, the organization of lessons,
and other things vary from school to school. There are two
types of secondary schools: grammar school - giving
education up to the age of 18, preparing pupils for
university entrance and secondary modern school, which
gave general education and some practical training up to
the age of 15. After a secondary school, a vocational
junior college or a manual training school, children can
take entrance exams and enter the university.

13. The School

School is a part of our environment from the time you

are a little child until you are almost grown up. We hear
very little of what the pupil think of school, and what
happens to them here.
At school pupils spend the most important years of
their lives. Here they take courage and confidence, make
friends and learn to understand life. Whatever school
years maybe remain in our hearts forever. Our teachers not
only give us knowledge of physics, mathematics, history
and ect. But they also taught us to love our Motherland,
to be honest and hard working.
In the school I'd like the relationship between
teachers and pupils would be changed. Instead of the
teacher telling the pupil, both teacher and pupil would
learn together, creating warm relationship. A school is a
place where people learn together to live together and
loved one another.
I like my class. I always feel at home here.
Everybody is so friendly and easy to get a long with. I
was on good terms with my classmates and we always spend
our free time together. I think, that there can be an
ideal school. Everybody has their own wishes.

14. "Saule" gymnasium

I attend "Saule" gymnasium. The society "Saule"

guided by prelate Olsauskas included several Lithuania
schools, supported by the government. Just from the first
days of it's existence, the palace was used for various
educational purposes, for teacher's seminary and finally
for girls school. Nuns were invited by prelate Olsauskas
to run the school. Our school was built in 1912. Students
are selected on their ability to this gymnasium. They have
to take entrance exams in math, Lithuanian and English.
Only the best are supposed to be admitted. Our gymnasium
has a good reputation, especially for math and computer
science. It's quite prestigious to study here. We have
advanced courses in math and computer science. Our school
maintains a high academic standard. The requirements are
much higher than in any ordinary school. Our gymnasium is
famous for its old traditions. The teachers and all the
system of our gymnasium do everything under the sun to
make study all the day round. There are a lot of good
teachers, but most of them are sure, that their subject is
the most important for the pupils. I can say, that I'm
happy here and I need to prepare for university entrance,
so I don't know the better school for that.

15. Food & drink

Food and drink are very important, because nobody

can live without eating and drinking. These two things may
be a great pleasure. Of course, we have to eat neither too
much nor too little. Foods that are eaten on a regular
basis make up a diet. Although geographic location and
family traditions play major part in forming dietary
habits, food choices vary from person to person.
Eating too much salt, sugar and fat can effect your
risk of developing heart disease and raise the level of
cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a natural waxy
substance made by the body. It helps to form digestive
juices. Eating too much sugar can mean that you're more
likely to become obese and that means a higher risk of
getting heart disease. Sugar may taste good, but of
course, it contains nothing but calories. Sugar can lead
to tooth decoy. Eating too much salt has been linked with
high blood pressure, which in turn can cause heart
disease. Fast foods are major part of many people's diets.
Fast foods are often high in fat, salt and low in minerals
and vitamins.
It's important to eat more fresh fruit &
vegetables, to cut down on salty snacks, chips, nuts, to
go easy on sweets, chocolates and to use less salt and
sugar in cooking. But the most important thing in changing
your eating habits is to cut down gradually.

16. Smoking

It's said, that 70% of young people smoke or have

tried smoking. Well I think that smoking is a bag thing.
It's dangerous to us and to others. Smoking causes cancer,
various diseases of lungs, throat. Doctors inform us about
it, but smokers don't pay attention to it. The youngest
usually like to imitate the adults. For this purpose
parents must no smoke themselves. Smoking is like
illnesses, once try and you can't stop. Smoking helps
people to relax and they enjoy it. But to give up is very
difficult, and some people can't do this without others
help.
I think, that many smokers are selfish people,
because there are many places where is "no smoking" sign,
but a lot of people ignore them. They do harm not only for
their health, but for non-smoker's health too. To my mind
smoking is really not the problem of the person itself,
but it's also the problem of mankind. The person not only
poisons itself, but he pollutes the environment also. So
it's better not to begin smoking at all. The life of all
people will be healthier, especially of the young people.

17. Weather forecasts

I think, that weather forecast is good thing, but

not always it's right. Sometimes forecast said one thing,
but happens another. So, we can't always trust them. I
think, that people are interested in forecasts, when they
are going somewhere or when they are going to make a party
in open air. Sometimes people are interesting in forecasts
when they have nothing to do and are bored.
In spring the sky often is cloudy all day long and
it's raining at intervals. The temperature is about 10
degrees over zero. But sometimes the sky is clear and the
sun is shining and then the temperature rise up to 15-19
degrees over zero. In summer sometimes temperature is 25
degrees over zero and it's very hot and sultry. Sun is
blazing, but it's good only to get sunburn. The wind is
very wild in summer, because it's western or southern.
Sometimes it's drizzling after that there are many puddles
everywhere.

18. Seasons of the year

There are four seasons in a year. They are spring,

summer, autumn, and winter. Every season is beautiful and
pleasant in its own way.
Spring is a wonderful season. Spring comes and
nature awakens from its winter sleep. The days become
longer and nights shorter. The ground is covered with
fresh green grass and the first spring flowers .The trees
are covered with new leaves and blossoms. The air is fresh
and sun shines brightly. Spring months are March , April
and May.
Summer months are June, July and August. The
weather is usually fine in summer. It is much warmer than
in spring. The trees are green and the gardens are full of
flowers. Everybody enjoys summer. A lot of people have
their holidays in summer. They can go swimming and
boating, they can lie in the sun and get sunburn, they
can gather berries and mushrooms.
 Autumn months are September, October and November.
The days become shorter and the nights become longer. The
weather often changes, and it gets colder and colder. The
sky is often grey and cloudy, often rains. Autumn is
harvesting time; it's the time when grain, fruit and
vegetables become ripe.
Winter months are December, January and February.
Sometimes it is very cold (30 degrees or more below zero).
It often snows. Winter is a good time for sport. Little
children are fond of playing snowballs and making snowmen,
older ones go in for skating and skiing.

19. Foreign languages

English is very popular in nowadays. About 85% of

people speak English. English is used as native language,
as second language or the language, which we have to use
in our job. People like English, because it's easy to
learn and to speak.
If we know a foreign language, we are able to
speak to foreigners, to write letters or documents to
other country. I think it's very important to know at
least 2 foreign languages. I know English and Russian; my
parents know polish, English and Russian. I know polish
too. I have used my knowledge, when we were in Poland. I
spoke with salesmen, when I wanted to buy some souvenirs.
We can talk to tourists if we know foreign
language; we can talk, when we are in other country. We
can read books, papers, listen to the songs words, news,
we can watch films without translation.
And I think that most important must be speaking,
because if we have to use foreign language, we usually
speak, but not write or read. I think, that we can learn
foreign language very well if we only want.

20. Charity

These days the life is really difficult in our

country. People have a lot of problems, they have lost
hope to live better. It's the worst thing that could
happen. Thousands of people can't afford to buy even food.
Today in Lithuania there are a lot of homeless families,
sick and disable people, thousands of lonely, helpless old
people, who can't support themselves only living on their
pensions, they can't afford to pay heavy taxes for a flat,
electricity, central heating and gas. They suffer from
malnutrition and diseases. We can see beggars on every
corner. There are people dying of starvation. Nobody cares
that there are hundreds of children who stay away from
school.
There are people who beg for help, but nobody
hears them. Nobody care about them, others think that it's
nothing to do with them. There are charity organizations.
There are people who feel maral duty to help others, they
sacrifices themselves for charity, they collect money, but
they can't solve this terrible problem. Almost 50 years
Lithuania was exploited by Soviet occupation. Our natural
resources were stolen, our industry was suppressed, and
people were taken as slaves. Most of people dream to be
rich, to earn a lot of money by cheating others and so on.

21. Shopping

We go shopping practically every day when we need to buy

some foodstuffs or some household articles. Very often we
don’t know what to buy and advertisements help us to
decide. People are influenced by publicity everywhere - in
newspapers, on the train or on the bus, on television, in
the shops. While we are shopping we are attracted by
colorful packets, by signs of reductions and free gifts. I
think advertisements are very useful for sellers and for
buyers. They give the public information. If we want to
buy something important, we go to a large department
store. These stores are very useful places, people enjoy
shopping there because all kinds of things are on sale
there and they can buy everything they need. All the
things for sale are displayed and can be easily seen.
“Iki” is the biggest department store in our town. You can
get almost everything there. The store is divided into
sections: the women clothes, the men clothes, the shoes,
the toys, the sports goods, radios and so on. Some of
these departments can be called ‘self-service departments’
because customers walk round and choose what they want
there. If you need a gift or a souvenir you can go to the
souvenir section. There is a mini bar where you can have
tea or a cup of coffee and a cake or sandwich. On the next
floor you can get everything in the way of clothes wanted
by men or women. You can get footwear there too. In the
perfume section there is a wide assortment of perfume. So
in “Iki” you can find lots of tiny and large things that
you may want for you or for your house. On the each floor
in “Iki” there are some checkouts where you pay money for
your goods. I go to “Iki” too. But usually I go shopping
near my house. This shop isn’t large but I can get almost
everything there.

22. Littering

Littering is a disgusting habit; it shows a lack

of responsibility on all sides. Unfortunately, these days
most parents don't bring their children up properly and
don't set a good example themselves. A local government
ought to provide litter cans, place them at regular
intervals and empty them regularly. And citizens ought to
feel a duty to use them, but untidy people don't bother,
as if it doesn't concern them. People who leave litter
behind them are anti-social, because they create all sorts
of danger. Broken bottles, rusty cans, cigarette butts,
empty packages spoil the countryside, and they can cause
serious injuries, especially to children. Only fools throw
away matches and cigarette butts, because they can start
fire, especially in dry forest.
I think, that littering is a crime and carries a
heavy penalty. But the police are too busy to prevent
serious crimes, to worry about littering. If someone
dropped a ton of poisonous chemical waste, the police
would try to catch him, but they can't chase everyone who
leaves around empty bottles, cans and scrap of paper or
cigarette butts after a picnic. Every citizen ought to
feel responsibility for their bad habits.

23. Crimes

Nowadays our life isn't safe. It seems that

neither police, nor government can't guarantee public
safety. Statistics shows that violent crimes at present
have been increase. So no one can live in peace and feel
save even in his own home. This situation in Lithuania is
getting hopeless. A lot of dangerous criminals are allowed
to escape and roam free. There are more and more burglars,
kidnappers, murders and killers, who commit crimes and
succeed in escaping penalties by engaging good lawyers.
Juvenile delinquency has become a serious problem and it's
evident. People can't trust even banks, which most of them
become bankrupt, because they were ruined by greedy,
little-skilled people. Only few of these bank workers were
convicted of being guilty and sentenced to imprisonment.
Others sentence was commuted or the sentence wasn't
carried out at all. And now they are free. Meanwhile lots
of people lost their savings.
I don't believe, that criminals, who commit
crimes of a particularly heinous nature can be reformed in
the prison. Some people robbing, committing crimes,
because of hunger or poverty. But the worst thing is that,
then you are poor and can't afford to have a good
solicitor, you can be convicted of murder and imprisoned
even being completely innocent. Sometimes it's not use in
locking for the truth and justice, because there is one
law for the rich and another for the poor.

24. Lithuania

Lithuania is a small country at the Baltic Sea. The

nature is very beautiful in Lithuania. One must show the
foreign visitors it's wonderful nature and traditions. To
my mind, they must see everything what is nice. There are
many national parks in Lithuania. You can take your guests
to them. The Trakai national Park was designated in 1992
to embrace the historical city of Trakai, the forests,
villages and lakes. The most significant historical
monument is the Ancient Castle, erected on one of the
island of the lake Galve. Zemaitija National Park was
founded in 1991. The main aims of the park are the
preserve the lake Plateliai system and the nature, to take
care of cultural values in Zemaiciu Kalvarija, Plateliai
and other places. In the park the visitors can have a good
rest and spend the holidays or weekend in the fresh air,
in picturesque places, play games, go by water bikes and
yachts and do other things.
For the foreigners it's very interesting to take
part at festivals. The festival of Rasa is held on the 22-
23 of June. There is a Church festival in Zemaiciu
Kalvarija at the beginning of July. Thousands of people
come there to pray, sign ancient Church songs and visit
chapels, which were built 350 years ago. The Zemaiciai
National Park contains many agricultural territories with
a great amount of unique monuments, reflecting
etnocultural heritage of the very early population up to
our days. And that's all about the places where you can
take the foreigners.

25. Elections

Every four years people of Lithuania vote in general

elections. Now 3 years have already passed since the last
general elections took place. We have almost forgotten all
these long political speeches and debates on the radio and
TV, all the agitation for one or the other candidate. But
one year will fly past and this marathon will start again.
The Conservatives, as always, will be hoping to convince
the nation, that if people unite under their government,
they will overcome such evils as inflation, food shortage,
unemployment and crises. The LDDP will be introducing
radical new measures including widespread nationalization
of private industry in an effort to rescue Lithuania from
threatening economic problems. The socialists, the Center
Coalition Party, the Liberal Democrats and the other will
be trying to persuade the voters that Lithuania can
achieve economical stability and industrial prosperity
only under their leadership.
In the next elections my classmates and I will be
voting for the first time. My family always goes to vote,
we belong to Silainiai electoral district. From early
morning till evening people go to polling stations and put
their voting-papers into ballot boxes. I think, that
nowadays people are disappointed with the Government,
because they see how one party changing other, but
situation in Lithuania doesn't change. I think, that
deputies must work and try to do their best - to make life
easier for their electors, but not themselves and then
maybe the political situation will achieve stability.
Written by Marius, 1999

e-mail: mar_sva@yahoo.com
Vocabulary
No.3
bed-sitting rooms - bendras
kambarys
(ir kartu miegamasis)
No.4
peculiarities - ypatybiø
conifers - spygliuoèiai
deciduous - lapuoèiai
extensive - platesni
spruce - eglë
birch - berþas
alder - alksnis
ashes - uosiai
limes - liepos
timber - statybinë medþ.
preservation - iðsaugojimas
rarities - retenybë
spread - paplitæ
abound - gausûs
rebels - sukilëliai
refuge - prieglobstis
arable - ariama.
No.5
inspired - ákvëpë
devoted - paðventë
mammals - þinduoliai
reptiles - ropliai
amphibians - varliagyviai
extinct - iðnyko
aurochs - stumbras
antlered elk - raguotas
briedis
common - sutinkamas
roe - stirnos
abundant - paplitæ
hogs - ðernai
squirrels - voverës
martens - kiaunës
deer – elnias
minks - audinë (þvërelis)
bear offspring - veda
jauniklius
owls - pelëda
swans - gulbë
settlement - kolonija
herons - garniai
bream - karðis
roach - kuoja
salmon - laðiða
eels - unguriai
carps - karpiai
No.10
opponent - prieðininkai
No.13
compulsory - privalomas
courage - dràsa
confidence - pasitikëjimas
remain - pasiliks
No.14
purposes - ketinimai
nuns - vienuolës
maintain - palaiko
No.15
dietary - dietinis
No.16
lungs - plauèiai
throat - gerklë
No.17
sunburn - ádegimas
drizzling -lynoja
The second largest city of
Lithuania
Located in the central part
of the country
A strong stone castle
The confluence of the Neman
and Neris –
(santaka)architectual
buildings
Scientific and cultural
centre
Buildings of architectural
and historical inerest
Laisves Avenue
... - object of special
love and care of Kaunas
people
... are concentrated in
Laisves Avenue
...where the Neris joins
the Neman
Žilinskas Picture Gallery
Čiurlionis Art Museum
Perkūnas House
Botanical park
The Zoo
Ąžuolynas Public Park
Suburb
Disctrict
 Individual talk

What are some characteristics that make people popular? Describe the
famous you like. Do you think it’s better to be popular with everyone
or to have just a few good friends?

Word “popularity” can be interpreted (aiškinamas) in different

ways. It can acquire (įgyti) both positive and negative meaning.
From my point of view (požiūriu) every man is unique and in some
social group he is peculiar (ypatingas).
Let me say the following that it’s difficult to name specific
characteristic that make
people popular. It can be active, enthusiastic, alive, cheerful,
self-confident, energetic man or simply devoted (atsidavęs),
good friend who is always eager to help. To draw others
attention also can lonely, bashful (drovus), calm, self-
distrustful person or different from him aggressive, cross,
gloomy (niūrus), rude man. But I’d like to emphasize, that
popularity isn’t always equivalent. Sometimes person is famous
only among some kind of people, but sometimes rumors (gandai)
about him spread all over school, ward (kvartalas) or town.
Majority of popular people are surrounded of crowd of people who
maybe are less popular. In my opinion famous person, can easier
find friends, commensurable (bendraminčiai) or partners. But I
have no doubts it is easier to find enemies in this way, too.
I’m sure the same we can say about celebrities (garsenybės) who
attract people’s attention in various ways. Like activities –
the way to success of POP groups; extravagant appearance, for
example Rodman. I’ve no doubts he is a great basketballer, but I
turned my attention to him because of his colorful hair, and
others, who we can call lucky babies. They were born popular and
mostly it’s their parent’s fault. Very clear example is Princes
Diana. From very beginning of her life she had conditions to
upstairs of popularity. All over the world she was known like
attentive, tender (švelni), sympathetic and active woman.
Adultery (neištikimybė) to her and catastrophe increased Diana’s
popularity. And burial showed how famous she was.
Now I’d like to dwell on ( apsistoti ties kokiu nors klausimu )
the following issue like friendship. As far as I am concerned
I’d prefer real, loyal friend. But in my opinion it’s better to
find happy medium: to have not only few good friends but also
friend who you would be able with pleasure call for number. It’s
obvious that our temper is different and it would be too hard
task to adapt to everybody. And in addition to this I’d like to
say that adaptation isn’t necessary, because you can be called
dissembler (veidmainis). In my opinion it’s normal to have both
friends and enemies, colleagues and competitors.

The biggest problems of old people

 In the old days old person was respected and supported. But
now the problem of generation arose.
At first I’d like to talk about younger treat old people
with disrespect (nepagarbus elgesys) . The most visual proof, in
my opinion, is a bus. Sometimes it’s hard to see old person
standing, when at that moment young, strong man is sitting. It
represents rudeness of the man. It was only one example, but on
the whole I think old person often is not respected in many
places. I’m convinced that this problem arises because old
generation doesn’t keep pace (atsilieka) with younger
generation. They go slowly, they are eat slowly, they can’t
understand many things in modern life and they deliver long
lecture (skaito paskaitas) how to live, the beginning of which
is “When I was young…” The youth dislike all this and
persistently oppose (atkakliai priešinasi).
Now I would like to talk briefly about the jobs. I think,
unemployment is a very big problem in our country. Employer
chooses worker not only according to his abilities, but and
according to his appearance, temper and other characteristics
(savybės) in which old people hardly over can boast (girtis).
So, the chance to get a job is really very small. So addition to
this old – age pension don’t give pensioner an opportunity to
live normal life. They must count every coin. It wouldn’t be
such a big problem, if all pensioners had children, who would
maintain them, or at last would support them.
There is one more problem. Very often old persons are
lonely. Their children don’t take care of them. In my
comprehension loneliness is moral running people thing,
especially for old people. According to Pitagor: “You can’t be
happy alone”. Happiness is business two”. I daresay it’s very
painful after all years when you grow up your children to stay
alone. Old people are made to live for themselves. I’m sure that
there are much more problems of old people. But while we are
young this does not touch us.

Individual talk

Imagine you can have any car you want. What would it be? What do
you think of driving, driving lessons, driving test? What is
needed for safe driving?

I daresay everybody thinks about the car and desires to have it.
I would like to say that I am not good judge (žinovas) in car’s
engine. But I would like to speak up (išsakyti) my opinion about
car’s appearance. The clean car attracts my attention and I can
see it’s natural colour. If we were talking about colours my
dream car would be the black one, as I don’t like traditional
white, red, blue or other colours. We all know the cars pollute
the environment greatly. If I could have any car, surely, I
would choose the new car where its fuel could be sun batteries.
Before purchasing a car I would be interested in its technical
condition. There is no doubt it’s unreasonable to buy car
according to its colour, so I would ask my father or other
understanding person to help me to buy it.
I’d like to speak about driving too. When I was a small girl I
heard a phrase ‘woman at the steering-wheel’. I’m convinced that
at that time it was not so often occurrence. But in spite all
this it’s a natural thing to see a woman driving a car. But
before sitting at the steering wheel we must take a driving
license. I know it’s a long way to take license. We have to
attend driving lessons, to learn hundred of traffic rules. At
the beginning it appears we must learn so many and unusual
things for us. Many rules are so similar and you easily can do a
mistake. And while learning to drive a car you experience some
unexpected situations and it’s so difficult enough to avoid
mistakes and unpleasant situations. But if you have a good and
patient-driving instructor he will teach you all things that are
necessary for safe driving. And there is no pint to speak how
you feel before examination.
And at the end I would like to speak briefly about traffic
offences and safe driving. There is an established order to
drive a car in our country. Pedestrian and drivers must keep
traffic rules. All the drivers must keep safe speed limit
because they may be stopped and fined for speeding limit. There
are so many traffic jams in the streets so every driver’s duty
is to stay polite and calm in different situations and not to
show his or her emotions. We must bear in mind the fact that the
policemen just do their work and observe the situation on the
roads. Sometimes they make drivers to keep safety rules and not
to put pedestrian in danger.