Груповий метод

Широке розповсюдження отримав також так званий "груповий метод" (communitylanguagelearning), запропонований чиказьким професором психології Чарльзом Карреном (Ch. A. Curren). Основні принципи навчання були запозичені із сфери стосунків консультанта з клієнтом (thecounselor -clientrelationship); вони орієнтовані на поєднання пізнавальних та емоційних процесів навчання (whole-personlearning). Це передбачає тісну взаємодію вчителя і тих, хто навчається, в комунікативних ситуаціях без опори на підручник.

Такими є основні напрями і тенденції вітчизняної та зарубіжної методики навчання іноземних мов.

Structure of the Banking System of Ukraine

The evolution of the national banking system in Ukraine started in March, 1991, after the adoption of the Law of Ukraine "On Banks and Banking" by the Ukrainian Verhovna Rada. The Ukrainian banking system is a two-tier structure consisting of the National Bank of Ukraine and commercial banks of various types and forms of ownership including the state-owned Export-Import Bank and a specialized commercial Savings Bank.

The National Bank of Ukraine serves as the country's central bank which pursues a uniform state monetary policy to ensure the national currency stability.

Commercial banks are formed as joint-stock companies or as companies on an equal footing with both legal and natural persons involved. The range of commercial banks activities includes: receiving deposits of enterprizes, institutions and households, crediting of economic entities and households, investments in securities, formation of cash balance and reserves, as well as other assets, cash and settlement servicing of the economy, foreign exchange operations and other services to natural persons and legal bodies.

The banks act in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, the Laws of Ukraine "On the National Bank of Ukraine", "On Banks and Banking", the Ukrainian legislation on joint-stock companies and other economic entities, as well as with the normative regulations of the National Bank of Ukraine and their Statutes.

Economy black economy

The economy of Ukraine is an emerging free market, with a gross domestic product that fell sharply for the first 10 years of its independence from the Soviet Union and then experienced rapid growth from 2000 until 2008. Formerly a major component of the economy of the Soviet Union, the country's economy experienced a deep recession during the 1990s, including hyperinflation and a drastic fall in economic output. In 1999, at the lowest point of the economic crisis, Ukraine's per capita GDP was about half of the per capita GDP it achieved before independence. GDP growth was first registered in 2000, and continued for eight years. In 2007 the economy continued to grow and posted real GDP growth of 7%.[5] In 2008, Ukraine's economy was ranked 45th in the world according to 2008 GDP (nominal) with the total nominal GDP of 188 billion USD , and nominal per capita GDP of 3,900 USD.

However Ukraine was greatly affected by the economic crisis of 2008 and as a result the World Bank expects Ukraine's economy to shrink 15% in 2009[6] with inflation being 16.4%.[7] The second Tymoshenko Government had predicted GDP growth of 0.4% in 2009, and a slowdown in inflation to 9.5% (also in 2009), although the overwhelming majority of economists considered this forecast to be excessively optimistic.[7] A 15.1% decrease in Ukraine's GDP took place.[8] Inflation slowed in July 2009 and stayed at about 8% since

Black economy is also known as underground economy in economic terminology. It is basically a type of market where the rules of taxation and trade are not applicable. Black economy is also called underdog, black economy, shadow economy and parallel economy.

The range of activities that take place in the black economies at present is vast. It has been observed that the size and scope of black economy is indirectly proportional to the amount or extent of economic liberties permitted in various states. This implies that black economy is significant in countries where it is tough to operate a legitimate business as a result of certain internal economic factors. The most noteworthy among such situations are corruption, legal monopolies and regulation.

Some of the most common examples of black economy are wars, prohibitions in the United States of America on alcohol and smoking. The Clearstream scandal is one of the major modern day examples of black economy. Clearstream is headquartered at Luxembourg deals in financial clearing services. This implies that it concentrates the operations of a number of banks. A number of these banks operate from places where there are lesser economic restrictions

Technology

The technological revolution truly is a miracle, but as for me it has both advantages and disadvantages.

Firstly, let me show the advantages of all these mobile phones, computers, mail lists in the Internet and of course different nodes, fax machines, copy machines and so on. I strongly believe, that all equipment is of vital importance for the proper work of the office and being in London you can easily arrange all you business matters in Madrid only with the help of your laptop and the Internet.

Moreover, a mobile phone can help you to get out of a difficult situation or reach your partner wherever he is. According to statistics, nowadays it is much more easier for people to get any kind of information with the help of modern devices. And it is a well-known fact, that the person who owes the information, rules the world.

Secondly, I would like to perform you different disadvantages of modern technologies. Both scientific and sociological research clearly indicate that, although the Internet has transformed the way people work, they tend to loose the most important feature – they don’t know how to communicate! They simply can’t do it without the computers and mobile phones, and unfortunately an old joke about two programmers, sitting at the same table in the restaurant and communicating via the Internet, doesn’t look like a joke any more!

Speaking about the mobile phones – they can turn your life into the nightmare, if you want to be left alone. Moreover, there is no excuse for the unanswered calls! I think that sometimes these simple devices can turn you into fugitives!

Summing it all up, I want to say that everybody has the right to live in “peace” and ‘privacy’, but in our modern world it is very difficult to get it. So, next time when you want to be left alone, simply turn off your mobile phone and tell everybody that you probably were outside the zone! And using the Internet to send an e-mail or to find the needed information remember that Internet is saving your time, and in our world “time is money”!

So, appreciate your time and you will probably have a lot of money.

Mineral Natural resources of Ukraine

Ukraine is rich in natural resources: coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel and uranium, and others. The reserves of sulfur are the largest in the world, the reserves of mercury ore are the second largest. Also more than 5% of world reserves of iron ore are concentrated in Ukraine.

There are oil and gas deposits but their reserves are not significant (the reserves of these fossil fuels were partly depleted during the Soviet period).

Coal is the main fossil fuel of Ukraine. It is mined in the Donetsk and Lviv-Volyn basins. Donetsk Basin (Donbass) is the largest in Ukraine. It is located on the territory of Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts.

The area of the basin is about 60,000 sq. km. (50,000 sq. km. within Ukrainian border). The eastern part of the Donetsk Basin is located in Rostov oblast of Russia. Industrial coal mining began in 1795.

This region, in east-central Ukraine, is industrial heartland of the country and one of the major heavy-industrial and mining-metallurgical complexes of Europe. The region is the most urbanized, and russified area of Ukraine. The key cities are Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, and Donetsk.

Besides its basic mining industries, Donetsk Basin has highly developed ferrous-metals industries that produce iron and steel in large quantities. Durable goods manufactured in Donetsk Basin include mining and metallurgical equipment, diesel locomotives, and tractors.

Along with coal Ukraine has rich deposits of iron ore (about 46% of all of the former USSR). Uranium ore that is used in nuclear power plants, is mined in Dnepropetrovsk and Kirovograd oblasts.

Ukraine is rich in building materials (granite, marble, labradorite, chalk, marl, sandstone). The largest reserves of granite and labradorite are found in Zhitomir oblast.

In the volume of Ukrainian industrial production mining industry accounts for 11,1%.

Ukrainian chemical industry produces large amounts of coke, mineral fertilizers, and sulfuric acid. Ukrainian food-processing industries yield granulated sugar and meat, fruit, and dairy products.

Light industry and consumer goods sectors of Ukraine are underdeveloped in comparison to its heavy industry and agriculture.

Outstanding People of Ukraine.

In the history of humanity there have always been people whose actions and ideas produced a great impact on the lives of other people. They have made a great contribution to the science, culture, social life of this country. That’s why they are called outstanding.

The names of Taras Shevchenko, Lessya Ukrainka, Ivan Franko, Marko Vovchok and Hrygoriy Skovoroda won universal recognition. There’s hardly a country in the world which doesn’t have Taras Shevchenko’s poems translated into its language. Gentle melodies and deep emotions of Lessya Ukrainka’s verses are dear to poetry-lovers throughout the world.

Ukraine has also given the world many outstanding scientists. Such names as Vernandskyi, Zabolotnyi, Bogomolets, Sklifosovskyi, Paton, Filatov are well-known all over the world. Nowadays modern Ukrainian scientists achieved great successes in the field of mathematics, physics, biology and medicine. Great contribution to the world’s historical science was made by such prominent Ukrainian historians as Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, Mykhailo Dragomanov, Dmytro Yavornitskyi, Mykola Kostomarov.

The Ukrainian national composer school is connected with the name of Mykola Lysenko. M. Lysenko’s operas “Taras Bulba”, “Natalka Poltavka”, “Eneida” are still staged at the world’s opera-houses.

The Ukrainian fine art is represented by the names of Kostandi, Murashko, Borovikovskyi, Pymonenko. The Ukrainian culture always developed human traditions of the mankind.

Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko was a Ukrainian poet, artist and humanist. His literary heritage is regarded to be the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature and, to a large extent, the modern Ukrainian language. Shevchenko also wrote in Russian and left many masterpieces as a painter and an illustrator.

Born into a serf family in the village of Moryntsi, of Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire (now in Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine) Shevchenko was orphaned at the age of elevenHe was taught to read by a village precentor, and loved to draw at every opportunity. Shevchenko went with his Russian aristocrat lord Pavel Engelhardt to Vilnius (1828–31) and then to Saint Petersburg.

Engelhardt noticed Shevchenko's artistic talent and apprenticed him in Vilnius to Jan Rustem, then in Saint Petersburg to Vasiliy Shiriaev for four years. There he met the Ukrainian artist Ivan Soshenko, who introduced him to other compatriots such as Yevhen Hrebinka and Vasyl Hryhorovych, and to the Russian painter Alexey Venetsianov. Through these men Shevchenko also met the famous painter and professor Karl Briullov, who donated his portrait of the Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky as a lottery prize, whose proceeds were used to buy Shevchenko's freedom on May 5, 1838

On March 22, 1845, the Council of the Academy of Arts granted Shevchenko the title of an artist.He again travelled to Ukraine where he met historian Nikolay Kostomarov and other members of the Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius, a Pan-Slavist political society dedicated to the political liberalization of the Empire and transforming it into a federation-like polity of Slavic nations. Upon the society's suppression by the authorities, Shevchenko was arrested along with other members on April 5, 1847.Taras Shevchenko spent the last years of his life working on new poetry, paintings, and engravings, as well as editing his older works. But after his difficult years in exile his final illness proved too much. Shevchenko died in Saint Petersburg on March 10, 1861, the day after his 47th birthday.the poet died seven days before the Emancipation of Serfs was announced.

Music

Music was an important part of cultural and social life in Ancient Greece: mixed-gender choruses performed for entertainment, celebration and spiritual ceremonies; musicians and singers had a prominent role in ancient Greek theater.With 20th century music, there was a vast increase in music listening as the radio gained popularity and phonographs were used to replay and distribute music. The focus of art music was characterized by exploration of new rhythms, styles, and sounds.Music is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace. Amateur musicians compose and perform music for their own pleasure, and they do not derive their income from music.Musical improvisation is the creation of spontaneous music.The advent of the Internet has transformed the experience of music, partly through the increased ease of access to music and the increased choice.Another effect of the Internet arises with online communities like YouTube and MySpace. MySpace has made social networking with other musicians easier, and greatly facilitates the distribution of one's music. YouTube also has a large community of both amateur and professional musicians who post videos and comments.Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, United Kingdom. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals".While dubstep is its own distinct form of electronic music, its roots are surely located within Jamaican dub music and soundsystem cultures.

Theatres in Ukraine and GB

Kiev is at the center of the theatre world in Ukraine. There are numerous venues for a variety of theatre performances scattered throughout the city. From intricate ballet and vibrant opera performances, to humorous comedy shows and alternative plays, there is something to suit everyone in Kiev. New theatre companies have come onto the scene and works are far more diversified than in the past. Unfortunately, financial restraints have hampered some development of theatre in Ukraine; however, directors are becoming more adept at obtaining sponsorships.

Comedies are most popular with local audiences and dramas often take a back seat to more light-hearted entertainment. Theatre tickets in Ukraine are relatively inexpensive and are fantastic for those traveling on a tight budget. It may, in some respects, be struggling to draw large audiences in the electronic age, but the age-old art of theatre will never die and has quite a bright future ahead of it in Ukraine.

The centre of theatrical activity in Britain is London. There are some 48 principal theatres in or near the West End and some 8 in the suburbs. Most of the theatres are let to producing managements on a commercial basis but some are occupied by important subsided companies, including the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Companies.

The former stages classical and modem plays from all countries; the latter presents Shakespearean plays in Stratford-upon-Avon and a mixed repertoire in London. Many non-repertoire theatres outside London present all kinds of drama and many also put on variety shows and other entertainment. Music in all its forms — pop music, folk music, jazz, light music and brass bands — plays an important role in British cultural life.

The widespread interest in classical music is reflected in the large audiences at orchestral concerts and at performances of opera, ballet and chamber music. Regular seasons of opera and ballet are given at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Seasons of opera and operetta in English are given by the English National Opera.

There are several thousands of amateur dramatic societies in Britain (some 200 amateur youth theatres among them). Most Universities have active amateur drama clubs and societies.

Olympic games

The world's greatest international sports games are known as the Olympic Games.

The Olympic idea means friendship, fraternity and cooperation among the people of the world. The Olympic Movement proves that real peace can be achieved through sport. The Olympic emblem is five interlinked rings: blue, yellow, black, green and red. Any national flag contains at least one of these colours.

The original Olympic Games began in ancient Greece in 776 B.C. These games were part of a festival held every fourth year in honor of God Zeus at the place called Olympia. It was a great athletic festival, including competitions in wrestling, foot racing and chariot racing, rowing and others. The games were for men only. Greek women were forbidden not only to participate but also to watch the Olympics.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. Then they were resumed in London after the Second World War. Since then the Olympics are held every fourth year in different countries.

The ancient Greeks had no winter sports. Only in 1924 the first Winter Olympic Games were held in France, Now they are being held regularly.

Summer and Winter Games are held separately. There are always several cities wishing to host the Games. The most suitable is selected by the International Committee.

After that the city of the Games starts preparations for the competitions, constructs new sports facilities, stadiums, hotels, press centres. Thousands of athletes, journalists and guests come to the Games, and it takes great efforts to arrange everything. There is always an interesting cultural programme of concerts, exhibitions, festivals, etc., for each Games.

Education in ukraine

Ukrainians have always shown a great concern for education. The right to education is stated in the constitution of Ukraine. It’s ensured by compulsory secondary schools, vocational schools and higher education establishment. It is also ensured by the development of extramural and evening courses and the system of state scholarship and grants.

Education in Ukraine is compulsory up to the 9th form inclusive. The stages of compulsory schooling in Ukraine are: primary education for ages 6-7 to 9-10 inclusive; and senior school for ages 10-11 to 12-13 inclusive, and senior school for ages 13-14 to 14-15 inclusive. If a pupil of secondary school wishes to go on in higher education, he or she must stay at school for two more years. Primary and secondary school together comprise 11 years of study. Every school has a «core curriculum» of academic subjects, such as…

After finishing the 9th form one can go on to a vocational school which offer programmes of academic subjects and a programme of training in a technical field, or a profession.

After finishing the 11th form of a secondary school, a lyceum or a gymnasium one can go into higher education. All applicants must take competitive exam. Higher education institution, that is institutes or universities, offer a 5-years programme of academic subjects for undergraduates in a variety of fields, as well as a graduate course and writes a thesis, he or she receives a candidates degree or a doctoral degree.

Higher educational establishments are headed by Rectors. Protectors are in charge of academic and scientific work. An institute or a university has a number of faculties, each specializing councils which confer candidate and doctoral degrees.

The system of higher and secondary education in Ukraine is going trough a transitional period. The main objectives of the reforms are: to decentralize the higher education system, to develop a new financial mechanism, to give more academic freedom to faculties and students. All secondary schools, institutes and universities until recently have been funded by the state. Now there is quite a number of private fee-paying primary and secondary schools, some universities have fee-paying departments.

British secondary education

Universities and Colleges in Great Britain.

There are over 90 universities in GB. They are divided into three types: the old universities (Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities), in the 19th century universities, such as London and Manchester universities, and the new universities. Some years ago there were also polytechnics. After graduating from polytechnic a student got a degree, but it was not a university degree. 31 formers polytechnics were given university status in 1992.

Full courses of study offer the degree of Bachelor of Art or Science. Most degree courses at universities last three years, language courses 4 years (including year spent aboard). Medicine and dentistry courses are longer (5-7 years).

Students may receive grants from the Local Education Authority to help pay for books, accommodation, transport, and food. This grant depends on the income of their parents.

Most students live away from home, in flats of halls of residence.

Students don’t usually have a job during term time because the lessons called lectures, seminars, classes of tutorials (small groups), are full time. However, many students now have to work in the evenings

University life is considered «an experience». The exams are competitive but the social life and living away from home are also important. The social life is excellent with a lot of clubs, parties, concerts, bars.

There are not only universities in Britain but also colleges. Colleges offer courses in teacher training, courses in technology and some professions connected with medicine.

Foods and meals in GB

The first meal of the day in the morning is breakfast (usually eaten between about 7:30 and 9:00). Many British people eat toast with butter or margarine and jam (often strawberry, raspberry, apricot or blackcurrant jam), marmalade (a type of jam made from oranges) or Marmite (a dark brown spread made from yeast). Melon, grapefruit or fruit cocktail are popular. Others eat a bowl of cereal; for example, cornflakes or muesli with milk, or porridge (a mixture of oats, hot milk and sugar). A traditional English breakfast (also known as a cooked breakfast or a fry-up) is a cooked meal which may contain food such as sausages, bacon, kippers (herring - a type of fish - which has been covered in salt and smoked), black pudding, scrambled or fried or poached egg (for details about how to cook a poached egg, see: http://www.perfectpoachedegg.com), mushrooms, fried tomatoes, baked beans, hash browns and toast. People sometimes eat a boiled egg, dipping (dunking) strips of toast (soldiers) into the egg yolk. A continental breakfast is a small meal and is not cooked; for example, a bread roll or croissant with cheese or ham and a cup of coffee. The most common drinks at this time of day are orange juice or a cup of breakfast tea.

Many people have a tea-break at about 11:00 in the morning (elevenses). If a meal is eaten in the late morning instead of both breakfast and lunch, it is called brunch.

Lunch (sometimes called more formally luncheon) is the meal eaten in the middle of the day (usually between about 12:30 and 2:00). Many people eat a sandwich (also known as a butty or sarnie in some parts of the UK). Some people have a simple meal such as cheese and biscuits or soup and bread. A ploughman's lunch is a traditional lunch for farmers: a bread roll, Cheddar cheese, Branston pickle and salad, perhaps with a pork pie. It is also traditional for people to go to a pub with some friends for a pub lunch and a drink.

A Sunday roast is a traditional meal eaten by a family at Sunday lunchtime; for example, roast beef with roast potatoes, parsnips, peas, Brussels sprouts, green beans, Yorkshire pudding, bread sauce and gravy. Mint sauce or redcurrant jelly is often eaten with lamb, apple sauce with pork, and horseradish sauce (a type of mustard) with beef, cranberry sauce with turkey. Stuffing may be eaten with chicken or turkey.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves sliced thin

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt to taste

1 pound spaghettini pasta

2 large basil leaves, torn into pieces by hand

freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

Add olive oil and garlic to a large sautè pan over medium heat. Cook until garlic is lightly browned, then add the sliced tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and salt.

Saute the tomatoes until they are softened and have started to release their juices, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of liberally salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente.

Strain pasta and transfer to the sautè pan with the sauce. Add the basil, and toss until completely coated.

Dish out into individual serving bowls and serve with grated Parmagiano-Reggiano.

Technology has made the world a better place to live. Technology as we all know has changed the way we live our life. Every thing around us was developed by a technological advantage. Medicine, communication and industry are some areas with an amazing growing in the last ten years. As well as the technology made the world a better place to live, the cost of our comfort and easiness is high for the environment. The amount of the rest no recyclables is enormous. In my point, the biggest advantage was in Communication, all the world communicates with technology which is the most things in our live these days. For example, the internet which they call it the spider network that is make many things easy for people for doing what do they need and contact with other people from east to west with less cost, one of the advantage that internet give it to people is find what do they need, like doing a search or chat with other people from other country.

Moreover, when I moved to united state the internet make me connect with my friend and my family for a less payment better than using a phone. And there also the computer system that also one of the most important means that provided this network primarily and made the contact matter easy. The medical technology and it is also considered from the most important things that were a big role in technology, its spread and its development in fighting diseases and control many diseases. For example the people before the technology were being cured by the herbs and by the primitive purposes that discovered because of the technology which has many negative things in the future. But with the spread of the technology there was the medicine and there were many of the systems that were discovering the disease place in the body. A third and finally the industry are from the most important elements that developed a big and noticeable development by the technology. For example, the cars found the trains and the planes that became in this age the most important ways of the move from place to another the one that human can't never live without it. In the end, it softened the technology that made the world is the better place for the living with the availability of these means.

Preprimary education in Ukraine is included in the state educational system. It is subordinate to the Ministry of Education. The major types of preschool facilities are nursery schools (dytyachi yasla), which take care of infants from six weeks to three years old, and kindergartens (dytyachi sadki), which are intended for children from three to six years of age. Orphans and children without proper parental care are placed in children's homes, boarding kindergartens, and or family-type and sanatorium-type facilities. There are also specialized preschool institutions for children with physical and mental disabilities, as well as other diseases. The length of stay at most of the facilities is nine hours, but there are also institutions, which work on a 24 hour basis. Preschools provide childcare and initial intellectual, physical, and aesthetic education. Special emphasis is made on the preparation of children for primary school. Classes are devoted to the development of speech and elementary numerical skills, singing, dancing, foreign languages, and art. The government encourages the study of the Ukrainian language and culture. Teachers for preschool institutions (vykhovateli) are trained at specialized departments of teacher training schools, institutes, and universities, as well as advanced training and retraining institutes.

The transition to a market economy calls for new approaches and forms of work in preprimary education. In order to balance state financing and family needs, preschools offer a variety of options, including short term stay, seasonal services, and variable cost programs. According to the state statutes and regulations, the fees directly depend on the family income. Children from low income or incomplete families attend preschools free of charge. The emerging non-state institutions offer diverse new services (e.g., aesthetic education, foreign language instruction, and swimming). They are usually expensive and are aimed at well to do families. Complex facilities, school plus kindergarten, are gaining popularity in rural areas. In 1998 Ukraine had 981 such combined institutions.

The laws on Preschool Education, On Protection of Childhood, and On Approval of the State Standard for Preschool Education aim for the further development of the preprimary network. Amongst others, they set the goal of ensuring the conjunction between the preprimary and primary school curricula. The publications in the journal Doshkilne Vykhovannia (Preschool Education) are specifically devoted to issues that deal with the development of new educational technologies for preprimary institutions.

Complete general (non-professional) education in Ukraine lasts 11 years and includes 3 stages:

• primary school (first to fourth grade)

• basic secondary school (fifth to ninth grade)

• upper secondary school (tenth to eleventh grade).

Public Transportation in Ukraine

Ukraine's ground transportation system is very well-developed. Buses small and large whisk passengers along all major city streets in all possible directions. Street trams and trolleybuses — the cheapest forms of transportation — plug slowly along their routes. None of these modes of transportation are particularly foreigner-friendly, but with a bit of study and exposure almost anyone can learn to use them.Be advised that at busy times of day all these forms of transportation can be jam-packed, eliciting images of India or Sub-Saharan Africa, where people even cling to the outside of buses. If you're not prepared for an intimate acquaintance with other passengers, better take a taxiduring these times of day.These minibuses come in different shapes and sizes. More and more common these days are the larger buses (usually yellow) shown in the photo at top, but the smaller minivan type at right are also very common. The larger, taller buses are far more comfortable for standing, which is what many passengers end up doing. Standing half-bent over someone else's seat can be a painful experience. So, if you are tall, look for minibuses with a high ceiling if it looks like you will have to stand.Trolleybuses and street trams ("tramvayi") stop only at designated stops. Street trams run along narrow train tracks, while trolleybuses are hooked up to electric lines above the road, so their movements are limited. The connecting rods on trolleybuses sometimes get dislodged, making the driver run out and realign them. This happens a lot.Each city has a slightly different system, but you can usually buy a ticket at ticket booths at major stops; if not, you'll need to buy one from the ticket dispatcher ("conductor") in a special green or blue vest or — if there is none — from the driver himself. In some cities the ticket does not need to be punched, while in others (Kiev, for example), you will need to have it punched on a special punching device on the wall. When the carriage is crowded, people pass tickets to the hole-puncher by saying, "прокомпостируйте, пожалуйста" (Russ. - "punch this please"), or "закомпостуйте, будьласка" (Ukr.).Trams often have two carriages and only one conductor (who goes back and forth between the carriages), so if you don't have a ticket, get in the carriage where the conductor is in order to avoid controllers. Not to be paranoid or anything, but dealing with controllers can be a very unpleasant experience for inexperienced expats.

LIFE IN UKRAINE

Life of youth in Ukraine is determined by the economic, social, and political situation of the country. The economic crisis in Ukraine has led to unemployment, especially of youth. As a result of it the criminal situation has immensely changed for the worse. That's why Ukrainian government took special measures for the foundation of youth organisations in Ukraine. And such organisations have been found. They are, the Students' League, Young Socialists, Green Peace, The League of Ukrainian Youth, Sokil, Ukrainian Youth Environmental League, Youth Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists, Eastern-Ukrainian Union ofYouth Organisations (VUSMO), Ukrainian Scouts and various youth clubs which unite young people according to their interests.The Students' League is aimed at solving various students' problems, including economic ones. The members of this league organise youth forums, festivals, and group meetings. Thisorganisation lso maintains friendly ties with the universities and colleges of such countries as the USA, Great Britain, France, Germany and Holland. These ties include students' exchanges on educational and cultural programmes.Young Socialists is the organisation of young people who share the views of socialism. They participate in the movement of socialist organisations abroad and support the policy pursued by the Socialist Party of Ukraine.A lot of young people in Ukraine are active in the movement of "the greens". They organise various actions of protest against the pollution of environment. The members of the Green Peace organisation stand for preserving safe environment. They fight against the destruction of flora and fauna on the Earth.The League of Ukrainian Youth was founded at the end of 1990 by students and teachers who had taken part in protest demonstrations and a hunger strike in Kyiv earlier in the fall. It was organised for the "development of democracy and realisation of human rights in Ukraine; to support Ukrainian education; and to draw youth into scientific work."The league organises conferences and summer camps on such topics as history, politics, philosophy, folklore, etc.

Fashion    

Fashion is something we deal with everyday. Even people who say they don't care what they wear choose clothes every morning that say a lot about them and how they feel that day.  One certain thing in the fashion world is change. We are constantly being bombarded with new fashion ideas from music, videos, books, and television. Movies also have a big impact on what people wear. Ray-Ban sold more sunglasses after the movie Men In Black. Sometimes a trend is world-wide. Back in the 1950s, teenagers everywhere dressed like Elvis Presley.

Who dictates fashion?

Musicians and other cultural icons have always influenced what we're wearing, but so have political figures and royalty. Newspapers and magazines report on what Hillary Clinton wears. The recent death of Diana, the Princess of Wales, was a severe blow to the high fashion world, where her clothes were daily news. Even folks in the 1700s pored over fashion magazines to see the latest styles. Women and dressmakers outside the French court relied on sketches to see what was going on. The famous French King Louis XIV said that fashion is a mirror. Louis himself was renowned for his style, which tended towards extravagant laces and velvets.

Clothes separate people into groups.

Fashion is revealing. Clothes reveal what groups people are in. In high school, groups have names: "goths, skaters, preps, herbs." Styles show who you are, but they also create stereotypes and distance between groups. For instance, a businessman might look at a boy with green hair and multiple piercings as a freak and outsider. But to another person, the boy is a strict conformist. He dresses a certain way to deliver the message of rebellion and separation, but within that group, the look is uniform. Acceptance or rejection of a style is a reaction to the society we live in. Fashion is a language which tells a story about the person who wears it. "Clothes create a wordless means of communication that we all understand," according to Katherine Hamnett, a top British fashion designer. Hamnett became popular when her t-shirts with large messages like "Choose Life" were worn by several rock bands. There are many reasons we wear what we wear. Protection from cold, rain and snow: mountain climbers wear high-tech outerwear to avoid frostbite and over-exposure. Physical attraction: many styles are worn to inspire "chemistry." Emotions: we dress "up" when we're happy and "down" when we're upset. Religious expression: Orthodox Jewish men wear long black suits and Islamic women cover every part of their body except their eyes. Identification and tradition: judges wear robes, people in the military wear uniforms, brides wear long white dresses. Fashion is big business. More people are involved in the buying, selling and production of clothing than any other business in the world. Everyday, millions of workers design, sew, glue, dye, and transport clothing to stores. Ads on buses, billboards and magazines give us ideas about what to wear, consciously, or subconsciously. Clothing can be used as a political weapon. In nineteenth century England, laws prohibited people from wearing clothes produced in France. During twentieth century communist revolutions, uniforms were used to abolish class and race distinctions.

Fashion is an endless popularity contest.

High fashion is the style of a small group of men and women with a certain taste and authority in the fashion world. People of wealth and position, buyers for major department stores, editors and writers for fashion magazines are all part of Haute Couture ("High Fashion" in French). Some of these expensive and often artistic fashions may triumph and become the fashion for the larger majority. Most stay on the runway.Popular fashions are close to impossible to trace. No one can tell how the short skirts and boots worn by teenagers in England in 1960 made it to the runways of Paris, or how blue jeans became so popular in the U.S., or how hip-hop made it from the streets of the Bronx to the Haute Couture fashion shows of London and Milan. It's easy to see what's popular by watching sit-coms on television: the bare mid-riffs and athletic clothes of 90210, the baggy pants of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But the direction of fashion relies on "plugged-in" individuals to react to events, and trends in music, art and books. "In the perspective of costume history, it is plain that the dress of any given period is exactly suited to the actual climate of the time." according to James Laver, a noted English costume historian. How did bell-bottom jeans fade into the designer jeans and boots look of the 1980s into the baggy look of the 1990s? Nobody really knows. Once identified, fashions begin to change.  

Tourism in Ukraine

Ukraine is currently facing the challenge to rebuild its economy after dramatic recession caused by the crisis. Even though the necessity of general business environment improvement is not to be underestimated its economic effect could well be increased if coupled by fostering the potential of a few promising sectors with high spillover effect. As the country is facing growing world competition in its traditional export markets and is additionally constrained by the bad state of government finance it is particularly important to prioritise those sectors wisely. Ukraine’s beneficial geographical position together with its historical and natural heritage is bringing tourism into the radar of public discussion in that respect.Does tourism have a high growth potential in Ukraine? Can the sector provide significant return on investments in short to medium term? Is its development in line with Ukraine’s long-term social and economic goals?Tourism represents around a third of global service trade. In many countries tourism is the largest contributor to national GDP, for example, in Croatia it contributes 17% to the country’s economy. Ukraine has a great tourism potential, which is based on its unique geographical position and a variety of tourism sights, ranging from ski resorts in the Carpathians to the Kazantip music fest and Black Sea beaches. However, this potential is currently heavily underused. Around 20 mn people cross the Ukrainian border annually, while the average amount spent per person is only $200 which is twice lower than in Russian and 3 times lower than in Poland, reaching the level of Russia could bring Ukraine additional revenue of $4bn a year.The country can also benefit from indirect effects of tourism development. Tourism stimulates growth in related industries like retail trade and construction, creates demand for higher value-added services, and encourages development of small and medium enterprises. Furthermore, according to statistics, in Ukraine creation one workplace in tourism is tenfold cheaper than in manufacturing.Experience of former socialist countries like Bulgaria or Croatia demonstrates that emerging economies can become highly successful tourist destinations. Effective promotion strategy and good site management can well be enough for a start. Moreover, preparation for the Euro 2012 Championship will help to solve problems with transport infrastructure, accommodation and recreation facilities in the largest cities. It will also present a good opportunity to promote Ukraine’s tourism brand worldwide.In order to attract high income tourists Ukraine should invest a lot into infrastructure, building and renovation of hotels and other tourist facilities, service improvement and country brand promotion. Considering low level of business sophistication and high share of shadow economy in the country, those investments will take too long to payback and would not lead to substantial tax inflow into state budget; on the other hand, modernisation in agriculture and manufacturing industries can provide high returns already in a short run while taxes in those areas are much easier to collect.Statistics demonstrate that tourism demand growth has slowed down in the past few years and the market is potentially approaching its saturation stage. With tourism supply continuing to increase the industry is not going to be very attractive for newcomers unless they feel confident they could cut off substantial market share from the incumbents. Ukraine should better look for more promising high growth potential sectors.The country does not really have any unique tourism attraction, which could compete with such worldwide renowned heritage sites as Egyptian pyramids or natural wonders. Moreover, bringing tourism infrastructure up to a reasonable standard would take years. Therefore, Ukraine is unlikely to be competitive both in the world and regional tourism markets.The question of whether tourism development should be prioritised in Ukraine will be discussed at the public debate organised by the Foundation for Effective Governance in partnership with London-based Intelligence Squared on 28th of October 2010 in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Means of Communication

People use various means of communication to get from one place to another. In the old days people had to travel several days, weeks and months to get to the place they needed. They either went on foot, by coaches driven by horses or on horseback or by. boats and ships. Then trams, cars, buses, planes, underground and other means appeared.Many people like to travel by air as it is the fastest way of traveling. A lot of people like to travel by train because they can look at passing villages, forests and fields through windows. Some people like to travel by car. There they can go as slowly or as fast as they like. They can stop when and where they want.People who live in big cities use various means of communication to get from one place to another. Londoners use the underground railway. They call it “the tube”. London's underground is the oldest in the world. It was opened in 1863. There was one route at that time, four miles long. Now London's underground has 277 stations and it is 244 miles long. Londoners use buses. The first bus route was opened in London in 1904 Today there are hundreds of routes there. The interesting thing is that some of the routes are the same as many years ago.

London's buses are double-decked buses. Londoners do not use trams, though London was the first city where trams appeared. And now it is one of the biggest cities in the world where there are no trams. The last tram left the streets of London many years ago. Londoners use cars. One can see a lot of cars in London streets. When Londoners leave the town, they use trains, ships or planes. Phones today, are a far cry from their origin of journey. Both from a technological and the aesthetic perspective, they have changed beyond recognition: becoming glamour items in the process. Today, not only are they configured to work most reliably, but to also to look a world apart from each other.

Teenagers imagine their cellphones to be one among their fashion statements. Apart from the looks, they fulfil various tasks at the same time. From Java games to receiving and sending emails, to camera and video camera, to a music system they are also available with internet and with modern technology such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPRS, phones these days are full-fledged multi-tasking gadgets. Business phones used to be a different calling, focusing more specially on the functionality rather than form. However, even those targeted at the business-class consumers these days, incorporate the stylish features, that fascinate children and adults alike. Their glamour quotient is on the rise and this tendency among the consumers is an enhanced selling point. They are thus smart not only in performance but in appearance as well. These days, many of them can inadvertently arrest your attention with their futuristic designs. Sci-fi movies can be proud of the legacy they spawn which includes phones with all their exquisite design.

Another amazing feature of the cellphones is the continually shrinking size of these items. In fact, it is not only size, but also the weight that are going for a toss. At times, it can be surprising as to how such a small thing can accommodate so many features and functions. They have truly changed in the way they used to be just a decade ago and by the way things are going, the shape and size of the phones of the future can be a matter of wild imagination.

Art, museums and galleries 

Art reflects life, so the saying goes. Real, live art appeals to our hearts and minds, to our feelings and ideals and it proclaims life. Art is truthful only when it serves life, and only when the artist hopes to arouse a warm response in the heart of the viewer. This was the case in the days of Giotto and Raphael, this was the case in the subsequent stages of man's artistic development, and this is the truthful relationship of art and life in the day of Renato Guttuso and Rockwell Kent.

Art belongs to the people. The history of art beginning in the Renaissance and continuing on to our day and age confirms this. An artist is a worthy son of his time if his art is addressed to the people, when it deals with life, when he welcomes the sunrise as a wonderful symbol of man's finest hopes. It is close contact with the life of his people that gives an artist's work its power. One can find and study masterpieces of old and modern art in various picture galleries and museums. There are nearly a thousand museums in Russia, some of which are world famous. The largest collection of Russian art is the Tretyakov Art Gallery in Moscow - a real treasury of canvases by prominent Russian painters and contains priceless collections of icons, paintings and sculptures dating from the 15^th century as well as contemporary Russian painting and sculpture. One of the largest and most remarkable museums of the world is the Hermitage in St Petersburg. More than three hundred halls hold its exhibitions of inestimable artistic value. The museum's collections are comprised of the work of various periods in the development of art, from ancient times up to the present day. Famous painters from different countries are represented there. The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg is another picture gallery which contains the richest collection of Russian paintings of 18-19th centuries and the best collection of Russian sculpture. In the Pushkin Museum of the Fine Arts in Moscow the art of the Ancient East and Western Europe is represented. This museum possesses a unique collection of copies of the finest sculptures of antiquity. It is in this museum that many famous foreign expositions of the Fine Arts are displayed every year.  

Globalization in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones. It can be described as a process by which the people of the world are unified into a single society and function together.

This process is a combination of economic, technological, sociocultural and political forces. Globalization is often used to refer to economic globalization, that is, integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, foreign direct investment, capital flows, migration, and the spread of technology.

Globalization has various aspects which affect the world in several different ways such as:

• Industrial - emergence of worldwide production markets and broader access to a range of foreign products for consumers and companies. Particularly movement of material and goods between and within national boundaries.

• Financial - emergence of worldwide financial markets and better access to external financing for borrowers. As these worldwide structures grew more quickly than any transnational regulatory regime, the instability of the global financial infrastructure dramatically increased, as evidenced by the financial crises of late 2008.

• Economic - realization of a global common market, based on the freedom of exchange of goods and capital. The interconnectedness of these markets however meant that an economic collapse in any one given country could not be contained.

• Political - some use "globalization" to mean the creation of a world government, which regulate the relationships among governments and guarantees the rights arising from social and economic globalization. Politically, the United States has enjoyed a position of power among the world powers; in part because of its strong and wealthy economy.

• Informational - increase in information flows between geographically remote locations. Arguably this is a technological change with the advent of fibre optic communications, satellites, and increased availability of telephone and Internet.

• Language - the most popular language is English.

  • About 75% of the world's mail, telexes, and cables are in English.

  • Approximately 60% of the world's radio programs are in English.

  • About 90% of all Internet traffic uses English.

• Cultural - growth of cross-cultural contacts; advent of new categories of consciousness and identities which embodies cultural diffusion, the desire to increase one's standard of living and enjoy foreign products and ideas, adopt new technology and practices, and participate in a "world culture".

• Ecological- the advent of global environmental challenges that might be solved with international cooperation, such as climate change, water and air pollution, over-fishing of the ocean, and the spread of invasive species. Since many factories are built in developing countries with less environmental regulation, globalism and free trade may increase pollution.

• Social - increased circulation by people of all nations with fewer restrictions.

  • Spreading of multiculturalism, and better individual access to cultural diversity. \

  • Greater international travel and tourism

  • Greater immigration, including illegal immigration

  • Spread of local consumer products (e.g. food) to other countries (often adapted to their culture).

  • Worldwide fads and pop culture.

  • Worldwide sporting events such as the Olympic Games.

• Technical

  • Development of a global telecommunications infrastructure and greater transborder data flow, using such technologies as the Internet, communication satellites and wireless telephones

Globalization – the growing integration of economies and societies around the world – has been one of the most hotly-debated topics in international economics over the past few years. Rapid growth and poverty reduction in China, India, and other countries that were poor 20 years ago, has been a positive aspect of globalization. But globalization has also generated significant international opposition over concerns that it has increased inequality and environmental degradation.

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