II. Read, and translate the texts. About myself

To tell you the truth, it is not so easy for me to speak about myself but I'll try to do my best.

First of all let me introduce myself. My name is Olga, Olya for short. So I am eighteen now.

As for my appearance, you can judge yourself. I think there is nothing special in my appearance to attract attention. I am neither tall nor short. I am of medium height like my parents. My parents believe I am slim, but to my mind I am a bit plump and need to lose weight. My hair is straight and long, I do not like a haircut. I wear my hair either loose or done in a knot which becomes me most.

I am like my father about my face. But my blue and close-set eyes resemble my mother's. My father's eyes are hazel. Unfortunately, I am short-sighted. I wish I did not have to wear glasses.

My friends say I am easy to deal with but I am always a little unsure of myself, a little too nervous of what other people might say about me. I wish I were more reserved. I am stubborn and never drop my work half-way, always trying to achieve the goal I set. It is difficult to put me off if I have made up my mind to do something. That is why my interests do not change much with the time. As I am interested in ancient history, I prefer reading historical novels when I have some free time. When I am tired, I listen to music. I am fond of both classical and modern music, so my favourite performer is Vanessa Mae. I can play the piano a little but I wish I could play the guitar as well.

My family

To begin with, I may say, then, that the family is a relatively permanent group of people related by ancestry, marriage, or adoption, who live together, form an economic unit, and take care of their young. The family is the most basic and ancient of all institutions and is present in all cultures.

I regard my family as the most important thing for me, so now I want to tell you a few words about them. I have got a mother, a father, a sister and a brother. There are 5 of us in the family.

First of all I’ll tell you some words about my parents.

My mother Irina Nikolayevna is forty. She is two years younger than my father. My Mum is not very tall, a bit overweight, looks her age and wears her hair shoulder-length. She is an easy-going person, very honest and reliable. If I have any trouble, I can always count on her help and understanding. My Mum doesn't work; she's a housewife. She keeps house. Of course we help her about the house: all of us do our share in daily household chores. My work is washing the dishes, sweeping and washing the floor. My brother empties the dustbin, beats the carpets, dusts and vacuum-cleans. Our mother and father do most of the shopping. However, cooking is done by Mum only. She is very good at it and she is clever with her hands.

My father Andrey Ivanovich is forty-two. He is the recognized head of the family. He is a broad–shouldered man with short black hair and hazel eyes. Everybody says that I take after him. By character my Dad is very polite and friendly. He's a businessman and works at a joint venture enterprise. He works hard and spends little time with us. He has to earn for our living. However in these rare moments that he spends at home he always finds time for me if I come to him with my troubles.

My parents have been married for twenty-six years. They have much in common, but they have different views on music, books, films and sports. For example, my father likes horror films and my mother likes «soup operas». My Dad is fond of sports and cars while my Mum is keen on gardening and knitting. But my parents have the same opinion about our education and upbringing.

My younger brother Alexander is two years junior and he is quite different from me. He's in the tenth form now. He does very well at school and I am sick and tired of listening to my parents speaking about his numerous talents. We are on friendly terms, but I should say he is too inconsistent and rarely does his best. In other words he is not bad when he makes an effort. He is very energetic. It takes him half an hour to do his homework and then he rushes out to play football because he is crazy about it. Andrew is rather impulsive and quick to make decisions though he does not always do the right ones. He has his own way in everything, and I respect him for that.

We have an elder sister, too. Dashya is twenty-five years old, but she does not live with our family. She is married. She has a little family of her own: a husband and a child — a four-year-old boy. He goes to a nursery-school.

I have already said we are five, but it would be more precise to say we are six, as there is one more member of the family. Our dog is the most important person in our house. Rex is a sheep-dog. He is very gallant and devoted to his masters. He does not like to stay alone when we are out, but whenever we come back he meets us with such joy and energy that make spirits bright.

Our grandparents are retired. My aunts, uncles, cousins live in different parts of Russia. On holidays they often come to our place. We have a very good time together.

Our family is very united. We like spending time together. I especially enjoy quiet Saturday evenings, when all the members of our friendly family are at home and nobody is in a hurry, and we are quietly sitting in our large and comfortable living-room, talking, joking, discussing our everyday affairs and drinking nice hot cups of tea with something delicious prepared by mother. So, we are always happy to be together and we wish one another only the best out of the best.