Билет №11. Вопрос 1.

WHAT HIS LIFE WAS WORTH

Robert Bums, the great Scottish poet, was born on the 25th of January 1765 in a poor farmer's family near the town of Era in Scotland. In his early childhood he faced the life full of hard work and privations. De­spite all this he was always cheerful, full of life and would sing old Scot­tish songs and relate folk stories, ballads and legends. The folk poetry was dear to him since childhood because he would listen to old Scottish songs, ballads and legends from his family people. A village taught him to read and to write. Further he learned a great deal by himself. So he had very little formal education. At the age of 27 he made up his mind to go abroad for earning money. To save money for his journey he issued "Poems in Scottish Dialect". This collection was a great success and made him well-known.

Robert Bums loved common people and wrote for them. Though he had little formal education, he was well-read and talented. He became famous when his first poems were published in 1786. He was known as a very witty man. One day when Bums was walking near the docks, he heard a cry for help, He ran towards the water. At that moment he saw a young sailor jump off a boat that stood near the dock. The sailor began to swim towards the man who was calling for help. Though it was not easy, the sailor saved the man. The man who was saved from drowning was a very rich merchant. He thanked the brave sailor and gave him a shilling. The sailor was embarrassed.

A large crowd of people gathered round them. All the people consid­ered the sailor to be a hero. They were displeased when the rich man gave the brave soldier only a shilling. Many of the people shouted loudly and protested against it. They thought it was unfair. But the rich merchant did not pay any attention to them.

At that moment Robert Burns approached the crowd and wondered what the matter was. He was told the whole story. He was not surprised at the behavior of the rich merchant and said: "Let him alone. The gen­tleman is the best judge of what his life is worth."

1. What is the text about?

2. What made him famous?

3. What was his family?

4. What was his childhood like?

5. What can you say about his wit?

Билет №11. Вопрос 2.

Reading books

Literature is the greatest human property. It is generally known that Russian literature is one of the most voluminous in the world. A. Pushkin, I. Turgenev, I. Goncharov, L. Tolstoy, F. Dostoevsky, A. Chekhov are the leaders of the world classical literature. They set a pattern for language, subject matter, and narrative techniques of Russian and world literature. Their works attract readers even today, because everybody can find something special there.

Ivan Turgenev successfully linked social problems with true literary art. His "Hunter's Sketches" and "Fathers and Sons" depict Russia's life with realism and with artistry which make these works classics. The problem of the generation gap discussed in his "Fathers and Sons" is very acute today. The everyday life of the Russian provincial gentry is perfectly described by Goncharov in his famous novel "Oblomov". The writer shows how the best and the brightest men can degenerate if they do not see how to use and develop their talents.

Leo Tolstoy and Feodor Dostoevsky are recognised as the best Russian writers. They give a realistic picture of the Russian society of the 19-th century. Their research in a person's inner world is unique. Their characters do not always know what they really want, and when they think they do know, the fate breaks their illusions. Moral issues are raised in Tolstoy's and Dostoevsky's works. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" as well as Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and "The Brother Karamazov" focus on serious human problems.

The end of the 19-th century was dominated by Anton Chekhov. He contributed to two genres: short stories and drama. His short stories are really short, but powerful. They make people laugh and cry at the same time. Some of his stories may seem very cruel, but Chekhov simply reflected the Russian life in his prose. His plays are not numerous, but they are really outstanding. "The Cherry Orchard" is his best known play. It is an emotional drama of the decline of a Russian noble family, which shares the fate of the Russian nation.