Vocabulary

confluence [ ] – слияние

to span a bridge [ ] – построить мост

intact [ ] – нетронутый, целый

colloquially [ ] – в разговорном стиле

in isolation [ ] – в изоляции

assume [ ] – принимать на себя, признавать

forbid (forbad, forbide) – запрещать

foremost [ ] – самый главный, выдающийся

semicircular chamber [ ] – полукруглая комната

conferment [ ] – присвоение, присуждение

conceive [ ] – постигать, понимать

Ex.1 Find English equivalents in the text:

прославленный город науки, низкий берег, через реки построены мосты, был окружен, на разговорном языке, за счет величественных строений, дополняет великолепие, коммерческие здания, золотое сердце, в изоляции, признано, самый главный в Европе, выбор пал, составные части, великолепно расписанный потолок, носит имя.

Ex.2 Translate the following word combinations into Russian:

designed by Christopher Wren, large-scale work, with great pomp, semicircular chamber, seating 4,000 persons, beautiful walk known, one of the glories of Oxford, foundation stone, one of the memorable institution of the city, foundation goes back to 1478.

Ex.3 Find all the adjectives characterizing Oxford.

Ex.4 Complete the sentences define the tense form of the predicate in each sentence. Translate into Russian:

1. The rivers are spanned by … .

2. It is made beautiful by … .

3. It has a “golden heart” – an area … .

4. They are mixed … .

5. The first group of scholars … .

6. The buildings of the university … .

Ex.5 Find some more sentences with the passive predicate and translate them into Russian.

Ex.6 Answer the questions:

1. What city is Oxford?

2. What bridges are the rivers spanned?

3. What length does the principal river have?

4. What is a “golden heart”?

5. What is “university”?

6. What does the Sheldonian Theatre look like?

7. What is Christ Church?

8. What is Christ Church famous for?

9. What else is Oxford famous for?

Ex.7 Retell the text.

Cambridge

Proper and Geographical Names:

Cambridge [

East Anglia [

River Cam [

Castle Hill [

St Benet’s Church [

Harold [

Hugh de Balsham of Ely [

Peterhouse [

Trinity College [

King’s College [

St John’s College [

Christopher Wren [

Grinling Gibbous [

Henry VI [

Eton [

Wars of the Roses [

Oxford [

Cambridge. The Ancient buildings of Colleges.

Cambridge lies in the flat lands of East Anglia. It stands on the River Cam. The Cam has several bridges over it. That’s why the city is called Cambridge.

The River Cam was important because it was navigable. Later, where four Roman roads crossed, a Roman settlement developed on a site near Castle Hill. An Anglo-Saxon settlement in the same neighbourhood followed – the tower and nave of St Benet’s Church near the Market Place are Saxon work. The Danes set up a base here in 875 during their conquest of East Anglia. In 1068, shortly after the Norman defeat of Harold, the Conqueror built a castle which still exists.

In 1278 Cambridge was a prosperous town with 534 houses and then, in 1284, Hugh de Balsham of Ely, founded Peterhouse, the first college, and since then the history of Cambridge has become the history of Cambridge and of Cambridge University. Now when we say Cambridge, we mean “University City”, because Cambridge is world-famous for its university. It consists of twenty-nine colleges and many of them are grouped together. Each group of colleges has its own green court with beautiful lawns and bright flowers. It has also chapels, halls and libraries.

There are some unique colleges such as Trinity College, King’s College and St John’s College.

Trinity College is unique among the colleges. It is the largest of the Cambridge colleges and under one foundation it embraces two Halls, seven Hostels, and one Hostel-Inn. There is a court there, too.

The Great Court of Trinity College is the largest university court in the world. It was built between 1593 and 1615. Sir Christopher Wren designed one of its noblest features, the Library. It was completed in 1695 and contains limewood carvings by Grinling Gibbons.

Cambridge. King’s College.

The first stone of King’s College was laid by Henry VI in 1441. He decided to build the most magnificent college which was to be linked to the school he had founded at Eton. The work was interrupted by the Wars of the Roses and was abandoned in 1461, when Henry lost his throne. Work on the College began again in 1723.

At both Oxford and Cambridge, which for centuries remained England’s only universities, the medieval students enrolled at about the age of fourteen and often stayed until they were twenty-one or more. As on the Continent, the full programme consisted of grammar, logic and rhetoric as well as arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy. These seven subject composed the seven-year course which led to a degree of B.A. or M.A.

Oxford and Cambridge remain a centre of education chiefly for the privileged.