Task 2. Write an essay “What can be done to prevent natural disasters?”. Use the following questions to organize your essay:
1.      What are natural disasters?
2.      What problems do people have after natural disasters?
3.      How can we help victims of natural disasters?
4.      In your opinion, what are possible preventive measures?
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New Year’s Day is a happy holiday. I like it very much. It is in the middle of winter and there is a lot of snow on the ground, on the houses and on the trees. My friends and I like to play in the yard, we play snowballs and make a snowman. We do not go to school because we have winter holidays at that time.
On the 31st of December Mother comes home from work early. She begins to prepare good things for the New Year party, and mf sister helps her.
Father brings home a green New Year Tree. We put it in the middle of the living-room and my sister Nelly and I put toys, small flags and lights of all colours on it. The New Year Tree looks very nice with red, green, blue and yellow lights on it.
After dinner the door opens and Father Frost comes in. He has a big bag with presents in it. He says, "I wish you a Happy New Year. Here are New Year presents for you” and gives presents to my little sister and me. We are happy to get presents from him.
Then we watch TV and go to bed only at ten o’clock.
On the 1st of January I get up early in the morning and run to the living-room. There under the tree I see presents for Nelly and me from Dad and Mum.
Then Father and Mother come into the room. I thank them for their presents and give them my présent — a picture of our family. I say, “Happy New Year” and they answer ‘The same to you.”
In the afternoon my friend comes to see me. We wish each other a Happy New Year and go for a walk.

Minsk is the capital of the Republic of Belarus, its political, economic, cultural and scientific center. It is an ancient city and dates back to the 11th century. There is one version of how it came into being. Gleb Vseslavovich took proposition of Minsk from his father and made it the capital of an independent Principality. There are certain proofs that it was a flourishing commercial center located at the crossroads of the traditional trade rout from east to west and from north to south.

Minsk is situated on the river Svisloch and occupies an area of 200 square kilometers. Its population is about 2 million people. During the Great Patriotic War Minsk was destroyed by German invaders almost completely. Minsk lay in ruins. The people of Belarus rebuilt the city. Victory Square, the Eternal Flame at the monument commemorates soldiers, underground fighters, partisans who fell in the battles for freedom f our motherland. The names of many streets of the city commemorate many heroes.