2.

TÉTEL
CONVERSATION
Today, under the influence (befolyás) of openness (nyitottság) and globalization, national values are at risk
(veszélyeztetett) of disappearing.

1) Are national holidays still important in our globalized word? Why or why not?
National holidays are important as these days have a great significance (jelentőség) in the history of a nation.
Commemorating (megemlékezve) there events reminds us of our national heroes and guides different
generations about the values and messages associated (társított) with these events. They help us promote a
sense of nationhood and maintain (fenntartani) a sense of unity and cultural belonging. A country’s historic
time-makers (időmeghatározók) are, for example gaining (megszerzése) independence, sacrifices (áldoaztok) in
war, or the lives and roles (szerepek) of important leaders.
2) What are the most important public holidays in Hungary, and what do they commemorate?
March 15th stands for democracy and freedom and it commemorates the Hungarian Revolution of 1848,
which grew into a war for independence from Habsburg rule. August 20 th commemorates the foundation
(alapítvány) of the Hungarian state. It is also called St. Stephen’s Day, remembering Stephen I, the first king
of founder (alapító) of the Kingdom of Hungary, who was canonized (szentté avatták) an August 20th. October
23rd commemorates the revolution of 1956, Hungary’s uprising (felkelés) against communism. It also
commemorates the Declaration (nyilatkozat) of the Republic, as in 1989, after the fall of communism,
Hungary was declared (kijelenteni) a republic on October 23rd.
3) How do we celebrate these events?
The main event of the March 15th celebration is held (tartott) at the Hungarian National Museum, where
young Hungarian revolutionaries (forradalmárok) held a mass (tömeg) demonstration and traditional Hussar
procession. On this day the most of Hungarian people wear cockade (kokárda) made of the colours of the
Hungarian flag. August 20th festivities (ünnepségek) start in the morning by raising the Hungarian flag and
continue all day long, culminating (tetőzve) in a spectacular (látványos) firework display over the Danube. We
Hungarians also celebrate the new bread on this day. On October 23 rd we have a commemoration and
memorial ceremony at the ’56 Monument at the University of Technology and Economics. Everyone can
visit the House of Parliament and the House of Terror Museum free of charge (díj). And best of all these
days, holidays. We are not used to attending (részt vesz) these celebrations, we prefer to enjoy the extra free
day and relax or go on a trip.
4) Which is the most important religious (vallási) holiday in your opinion and why?
Our most important religious celebration is Easter, which celebrates the resurrection (feltámadás) of Jesus.
The many customs (vám) and traditions surrounding (környező) Easter are about celebrating spring and rebirth.
Traditionally, on Easter Monday men visited girls, recited (szavalt) a poem, and douched (zuhanyoz) them with
a buckets (vödör) of water to ensure (biztostják) they become good wives and bear many children. According to
Hungarian men, (a magyar férfiak szerint) women are flowers that need to be watered to keep them from wilting
(hervadás). This tradition has both Christian (keresztény) and pagan (pogány) roots. In exchange (cserébe), women
would reward their visitors with Eater eggs. Egg painting in one of the oldest traditions associated with
Easter. Egg decorating is a form of folk art and in’s still part of the Easter celebrations today. Me and my
family are do it different. We don't like the perfumes and water so usually we are going to our fishing house.
The boys are fishing, and girls make a good lunch from eggs, ham and trotters (csülök).
5) What other public holidays do we have?
We also celebrate Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Pentecost (pünkösd) is celebrated seven
weeks after Easter, commemorating the descent (származás) of the Holy Spirit. November 1st or All Saint’s
Day is a traditional day for honouring the memory of the dead. It’s a custom to light candles and visit the
graves of deceased (elhunyt) relatives. May 1st or May Day marks Labour Day just like in many other
European countries. I love Pentecost so much because on this day my hometown holds the ’Pentecost days
of Tát’. These days there are orchestral (zenekari) concerts and cheerleading (mazsorett) parades throughout
(végig) the day. In the evenings there is a retro party in a tent set up (felállított) in the middle of the town. When
I was a child I was a cheerleader in this event, nowadays I go to the retro party with my friends.

DEBATE
Fast food does more harm than good.
You will have a conversation with your examiner about the above statement. Give your opinion and argue
for or against the proposition (javaslat). Your examiner sometimes contradict (ellentmond). React to the
counter-arguments (ellenérv) of your examiner, too. You have 30 seconds to think you points over.
The following points may help you:
 fast availability (hozzáférhetőség)
 price
 ingredients
 health and social issues
Arguments
Pros Cons
Its fast arability makes fast food the perfect
Fast food contains lots of calories, sodium (nátrium),
solutions for those who do not have the luxury of
preservatives (tartósítószerek) and other harmful
time to prepare food for themselves or for their
substances.
family.
Fast food isn’t unhealthy as long as (amíg) it is
Fast food can pose a risk to people’s health by
consumed (fogyasztják) in moderation and combined
causing obesity, cardiovascular diseases,
with lots of physical activity on a daily basis
hypertension and diabetes.
(naponta).
Fast food is highly addictive (erős függőség), that’s The health conscious (tudatos) are offered salads or
why a lot of people consume excessive amounts of vegetarian food choices by a lot of fast food chains
it. now.
Fast food is cheap because most fast-food chains
Compared to prices in traditional restaurants, fast
use inexpensive (olcsó), low quality or unknown
food is relatively cheap.
ingredients that may be harmful to human health.
There is no guarantee that meals served at these
Supplies for fast food chains of stores must meet
restaurant chains are prepared and cooked in
strict standards today.
sanitary (egészségügyi) conditions.
Fast food takes away quality time from families. Fast food is a same taste and quality all over the
Since fast food meals are often taken in a hurry or world. You can always choose to have a dinner in
outside the home, families do not spend time fast food store wherever you are doubtful (kétséges)
together during meals. of the cousine of the given country (adott ország).

S: I am against the statement, since fast food is served quickly, unlike what traditional restaurants offer. The
fast availability makes it the perfect solution for those who do not have the luxury of time to prepare food
for themselves or for their family.
E: You are right, it is definitely (egyértelműen) fast but it can undoubtedly (kétségtelenül) pose a risk to people’s
health. French fries, hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza and soft drinks all contain lots of calories of unhealthy fast
food include obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes.
S: I disagree. I think eating pizza, pasta, hotdogs, burgers and fries isn’t unhealthy as long as they are
consumed in moderation and combined with lots of physical activity on a daily basis.
E: You are right, but fast food is highly addictive, that’s why a lot of people consume excessive amounts of
it.
S: It might be true, but a lot of fast food chains now offer salads or vegetarian food choices to cater (ellátni)
for those who are health conscious. Another trademark (védjegy) of fast food is the relatively cheap price.
E: I see but fast food is cheap because most fast food chains use inexpensive and low quality ingredients.
There also unknown ingredients that may be harmful to human health. Chicken nuggets and hotdogs, for
example, are not always made from real chicken or pork (sertéshús). There is no guarantee that meals served
at these restaurant chains are prepared and cooked in sanitary conditions, either
S: I disagree. Suppliers (beszálltók) for fast food chains must meet strict standards today. Another advantage
of fast food is the same taste and quality all over the world. Wherever you are abroad (külföldön), you will
always know what you are getting when you order food from fast food chain. This is especially true if you
are in a place where you don’t exactly know where to eat. You can always choose to have a dinner in a fast-
food store wherever you are doubtful of the cuisine of the given country.
E: You might be right, but here is another drawback (hártány). Fast food takes away quality time from
families. Since fast food meals are often taken in a hurry or outside the home, families do not spent time
together during meals.
S: That might be true, but fast food restaurants are perfect locations for the young tot o socialize and work in
summer to get some pocket money.
E: Yes, you have a point there.

INDIVIDUAL LONG TURN

These pictures show different aspect of pollution. Look at the pictures and speak about possible causes and
consequences of air, land, soil, radioactive, and water pollution. When you have finished talking, the
examiner may ask you a few questions.
These pictures show different types of pollution, such as air, water, land, soil and radioactive pollution.
Air pollution is the contamination of the smoke and harmful gases, mainly oxides of carbon, sulphur, and
nitrogen. Air pollution can be caused by exhaust fumes from vehicles, the burning of fossil fuels, such as
coal (szén), oil or gas ad well as radiation (sugárzás) spills or nuclear accidents. Moreover, certain industries
(iparágak), release sulphur dioxide or carbon monoxide which mix with the air and clouds and cause acid
rain. Burning plastic, wood and rubber also releases carcinogenic (rákkeltő) gases into the atmosphere. The air
we breathe in naturally consist of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% other gases. If this balance is disturbed
(zavart), it has a fatal effect of human health. Air pollution can be responsible for asthma, allergies and other
respiratory diseases. The greenhause effect is coused by air pollution because it keeps the Earth warm
enough for humans to live there. The greenhouse effect means that vertain gases in the atmosphere (water
vapour (gőz), carbon dioxide, methane, etc.) trap the energy form the sun and this makes the Earth warmer.
We also pollute the air when we use aerosols or smoke.
Radioactive pollution occurs when radioactive metals disintegrate, releasing dangerous rays which can cause
cancer and other mutative diseases. This kind of pollution can happen by either (bármelyik) the improper
(helytelen) dumping (lerakódás) of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants (atomerőművek) or damage to
nuclear reactors, leading to radioactive contamination that lasts for decades (évtizedekig tartó) causing highly
mutative diseases.
Water pollution is the contamination of rivers, lakes, groundwater, seas or oceans. It is caused by raw savage
running into bodies of water or industrial (ipari) waste spills (kiömlött), contaminating (szennyező) groundwater
(talajvíz). In many cases, water pollution can also be caused by littering. Unfortunately, to this day, you can
see people on the beach throwing (dobás) garbage into the sea instead of taking it to a trash can. We can take
certain preventative measures (intézkedések) to stop water contamination, like being more cautious
(óvatosebbnak lenni) of dumping contaminants (szennyező anyagok) into the water. For the repair of the already
existing damage, we can construct eater treatment (kezelés) plants to clean polluted water. I think if there were
more trash can in public spaces all over the world, low garbage would get into the water.
Land pollution is the degradation (degradáció) of the Earth’s surface (felület) caused by the misuse (visszaélés) of
resourced (erőforrásokkal) and improper disposal (ártalmatlantás) of waste. It can be the result of litter on the
side of the road, illegal dumping in natural habitats (természetes élőhelyek), inland oil spills (szárazföldi
olajszennyezés) radiation spills or nuclear accidents.

Soil pollutions comes from the use of instecticides (rovarölő szerek), pesticides (rovarirtók) and other farming
chemicals which absorb (elnyel) the nitrogen from the soil making it unfit (alkalmatlan) for the growth of plants
and leading to soil erosion (talajerózió). In most soil pollutants are carcinogenic and can couse cancer in
humans. High concentration of lead (ólom) or mercury (higany) in the soul can endanger (veszélyeztetett) the
kidneys and the liver. It can also hamper (akadályozni) brain development in children, cause neurological
disorders, skin diseases and central nervous system disorders. Human can also be affected indirectly
(közvetve) if they consume produce that is grown in a pollutes soil or when they consume animals that eat
plants from polluted soil. As a result, humans suffer (szenvedni) from acute illnesses and may fall victim to
premature (idő előtt) death.
Questions
1) What is air pollution, what is it caused by and why is it dangerous?
Air pollution is the contamination (szennyeződés) of the air by smoke and harmful gases, mainly oxides of
carbon sulphur (kén) and nitrogen. Air pollution is caused by factories with harmful chemicals released into
the air, exhaust fumes (kipufogógáz) from vehicles and I think the big problem is when people burn materials
that are not allowed because they are cheaper than wood. Air pollution is dangerous because it is harmful to
health, can cause cancer and other respiratory illnesses (légzőszervi megbetegedés). For example, when I was a
student in medical school, I went to the pathology, and I saw an autopsy (boncolást). Unfortunately, today,
there is no difference in the lungs of people who smoke than those who only live in the city. Of course, air
pollution is also harmful to the environment. This is responsible, among other things (többek között), for global
warming.
2) What do you know about radioactive pollution?
Radioactive pollution occurs (bekövetkezik) when radioactive metals disintegrate (szétesik) releasing (felszabadít)
dangerous rays which can cause cancer and other mutative diseases. This kind of pollution can happen by
either (bármelyik) the improper (helytelen) dumping (lerakódás) of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants
(atomerőművek) or damage to nuclear reactros, leading to radioactive contamination that lasts for decades
(évtizedekig tartó) causing highly mutative diseases.

3) Can you think of an example of it?

For example, this kind of of pollution can happen when a chemical plant (vegyi üzem) tragedy occurred
(történt). Such was (ilyen volt) Chernobyl in 1986 when an explosion occurred in Unit 4 of the nuclear power
plant. In 2010, there was a red mud disaster in Hungary, when heavily corrosive (erősen maró) chemical
pollution flooded (elönt) several settlements (települések).
4) What couses water contamination?
It is coused by raw (nyers) sewage (szennyvíz) running into bodies of water or industrial (ipari) waste spills
(kiömlött), contaminating (szennyező) groundwater (talajvíz). In many cases, water pollution can also be caused
by littering. Unfortunately, to this day, you can see people on the beach throwing (dobás) garbage into the sea
instead of taking it to a trash can.
 5) What can be done to stop it?
We can take certain preventative measures (intézkedések) to stop water contamination, like being more
cautious (óvatosebbnak lenni) of dumping contaminants (szennyező anyagok) into the water. I think if there were
more trash can in public spaces all over the world, low garbage would get into the water.
6) What is land pollution?
Land pollution is the degradation (degradáció) of the Earth’s surface (felület) caused by the misuse (visszaélés) of
resourced (erőforrásokkal) and improper disposal (ártalmatlantás) of waste. It can be the result of litter on the
side of the road, illegal dumping in natural habitats (természetes élőhelyek), inland oil spills (szárazföldi
olajszennyezés) radiation spills or nuclear accidents.

7) What is soil pollution and what are its possible consequences?

Soil pollutions comes from the use of insecticides (rovarölő szerek), pesticides (rovarirtók) and other farming
chemicals which absorb (elnyel) the nitrogen from the soil making it unfit (alkalmatlan) for the growth of plants
and leading to soil erosion (talajerózió). It can causes cancer for the humans, and dangerous for the kidneys
and liver. It can also hamper (akadályozni) brain development in children.