Supplementary reading

1. Read the text about Zara.

Have you ever been to Zara store?

You probably have because it's one of the fastest-growing chains in the world. The person behind Zara is Amancio Ortega. He is the richest man in Spain, but very few people know his face. There are only two official photographs of him, and he rarely gives interviews. Although he is a multimillionaire businessman, he doesn't look like one - he doesn't like wearing suits or ties, and prefers to wear jeans and a shirt.

When he was young he worked as a shop assistant in a clothes store, but he always dreamed of having his own business. In 1963 he started a small company which made women's pyjamas. In 1975, at the age of 40, he opened his first clothes shop in La Corufia, a small city in north-west Spain, and named it Zara. Now you can find Zara shops all over the world, from New York to Moscow to Singapore. So why is Zara so successful?

The main reason is that Zara reacts incredibly quickly to the latest designer fashions, and produces clothes which are fashionable but inexpensive. Zara can make a new line of clothes in three weeks. Other companies normally take about nine months. The clothes also change from week to week - so custormers keep coming back to see what's new. It produces 20,000 new designs a year - and none of them stay in the shops for more than a month.

So if you've seen a new jacket or skirt you like in ZARA store, hurry up and buy it, because it won't be there for long.

2. Give a short summary of the text in English. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the official name of the British Kingdom. It is situated on the British Isles. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometres. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the English Channel and the North Sea. The narrowest part of the English Channel is called the Strait of Dover.

The UK is made up of four countries. They are England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London. The UK is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north and the North Sea in the west. The two islands are separated by the Irish Sea.

The north of Scotland is mountainous. It's called the Highlands. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain.

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they aren't very long. The longest of them is the Severn. The Thames is the deepest river.

The climate of Great Britain is generally mild due to the influence of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. There is much rain and fog here. The population of the UK is over 57 million people.

The UK is a highly developed industrial country. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.

English is the official language of the UK.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. The monarch reigns with the support of Parliament. The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords, the House of Commons and the Sovereign as its head.

Parliamentary elections must be held every five years. The minimum voting age is 18, and the voting is taken by secret ballot.

The main political parties in Great Britain are the Conservative and the Labour Party. The political party which wins the majority of seats forms the Government and its leader usually becomes Prime Minister. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and "Shadow cabinet".

London is the capital of the UK, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world. Its population is about 8 million.

Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End.

The City is the heart of London. It is a financial and business centre of London. There are a lot of banks, offices and firms there.

Westminster is the historical and political centre of London. There you can see Westminster Abbey, Westminster Palace or the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen. The British Prime Minister lives at number 10, Downing Street.

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It is the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there. Trafalgar Square is the centre of London.

In The East End there are a lot of factories, workshops and docks.