Music and Films

People cannot live without music. They listen to music, dance to music or learn to play musical instruments. There is music everywhere: at home, in a concert hall, in the park, at the seaside, in the forest and even in the street.

Music is not only a combination of pleasant sounds. It is an art which reflects life. Music reflects people's ideas and emotions. In this world of ours, filled with conflicts, tragedies, joys and hopes, music strives to speak to people of what is most important, urgent and poignant.

Music in the lives of different people is different: some compose music, others play music, and others only listen to it. A lot of people who cannot play any musical instrument love to listen to music either at home or at a con-cert. Different people like different kinds of music. You may prefer pop or rock music, country or folk music, classical music or jazz, but you certainly cannot think of a day without music.

As for me, I prefer ... music. I have a lot of cassettes (CDs, records). I try to watch all the programmes dealing with it on TV and to go to the concerts as often as possible. My favourite composer (singer, musician) is... I think he (she) is very talented. I can (not) play an instrument (the piano, the guitar, the violin). It is a great pleasure to be able to play an instrument and I like it a lot.

Cinema

In England the cinema is usually called “the pictures”. In America the word “the movies” is often used. Cinema-going is a favourite pastime in Britain. People go to the cinema once or twice a week. Cinema-going is more popular in industrial towns in the North of England and Scotland than in the South. However, especially if it is cold and wet outside, many people like to stay at home to watch TV.

Cinemas in England are usually large and more comfortable than the theatres. Often there is a restaurant, so that it is possible to spend an afternoon and evening there (if you have enough money, of course). Behind the cine-ma screen there is a stage, so that the building can be used for concerts and other performances.

British cinema-goers see mainly English and American films, though many of the foreign films are often shown in London and in the South of the country.

In our country cinema-going is not so popular now as it was earlier. People prefer to stay at home and to watch TV or video.

I like to watch films very much. I prefer thrillers, comedies and horror movies, but I do not like tragedies and melodramas very much, and I hate soap operas, although they are becoming very popular in our country. My favourite film is ... with ... starring. It is really wonderful from the beginning to the end. There are a lot of films which are worth seeing, but this one is the best one to my mind.