Введение

Предлагаемое вам пособие для студентов творческих вузов, изучающих английский язык, может служить материалом как для аудиторных занятий, так и для индивидуальной работы.

В пособии разработаны темы, которые могут стать информативной базой и основой для обсуждения устных тем в рамках программы ВУЗа. В текстах вы найдете много интересного и познавательного материала страноведческого характера, особенности культуры разных стран, тексты об известных людях, внесших свой вклад в развитие литературы, музыки и других видов искусства.

Все тексты объединены в тематические разделы. Каждая тематическая серия расширяет представление о предмете разговора и формирует определенные разговорные навыки. Такое расположение текстов сможет значительно облегчить усвоение материала, например, при подготовке к экзаменам.

В каждом разделе содержится несколько текстов разного уровня сложности. В соответствии со своими знаниями английского языка каждый найдет для себя посильный и интересный материал. Возвращаясь к этому пособию снова и снова, можно постепенно проработать темы всех уровней.

Тексты сопровождаются иногда вспомогательным словарем с подачей слов и выражений в порядке их расположения в тексте и их русскими эквивалентами. Для лучшего усвоения темы даны упражнения на закрепление материала.

За основу взят вариант британского английского языка.

I. Countries and Cities

1. The United States of America.

The USA is the fourth largest country in the world in size and population. It has an area of 9 371 781 square kilometers and its population is 249 million people. The US consists of 50 states. The largest state is Alaska. Hawaii is one of the smallest states, it is a group of islands in the Pacific ocean, 2,397 miles from California. The other 48 states stretch across the north American continent for about 3000 miles (4800 km) from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Along the Atlantic coast the land is flat, inland from the coast there are Appalachian Mountains. In the middle of the continent there is the great Mississippi river, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. The middle part of the country is generally flat, this area is called the great plains. In the west there are two mountain systems: the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Range.

The climate of the USA is temperate, with four distinct seasons. The northern part of the country has snow in winter. The hottest places are Florida, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Southern Florida and Hawaii are subtropical. The East is much wetter than the West.

The main rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Colorado and the Ohio. The largest cities of the US are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia. The capital of the US is Washington.

The US has many natural resources, such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas, rich soil for agriculture and forests. The economy of the US is based upon free enterprise. The US produces non-electric machinery, transportation equipment and cars, chemicals, food products, electronic equipment, metal products, paper and plastic products.

There are many ethnic groups in the United States. The largest group is Black Americans (about 12% of the population). Spanish-speaking people are about 9%. The fastest growing ethnic groups are Chinese, Japanese and Indo-Chinese (about 3%). Native Americans are about 1% of the population. The basic language spoken throughout the country is American English.

TASK:

1. Answer the questions:

   1. What is the size and the population of the USA?

   2. What state is the largest one?

   3. How many states are there in the USA?

   4. What are the main mountain systems?

   5. What can you say about the climate of the USA?

   6. What are the main rivers?

   7. What are the largest cities?

   8. What is the capital of the USA?

   9. What natural resources has the US?

   10. What ethnic groups are there in the US?

II. Render the text.

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2. LIVING IN CANADA TODAY

Canada is a good example of the way peoples of different ways of life and different languages can live side by side under one government. The Canadian government is more British in style than American, except that it is a federal government.

Parliament is divided into two parts, the Senate and the House of Commons. Voters in each province (Canada is divided into 10 provinces and 2 territories ) choose candidates from different political parties. The party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons chooses the Prime Minister, who heads Canada’s government. Senators are not elected, they are appointed by the Prime Minister.

Canada now belongs to the Commonwealth of Nations (nations which once belonged to the British Empire). Queen Elizabeth II is still the Queen of Canada. But ties with Great Britain are not so strong as they were.

Canada is unique in the Americas because it gained its independence without fight. They celebrate it on July 1-st with fireworks and picnics. But most of Canadians do not mind that there are still some ties to the British Queen. Many like to continue old customs and still give honour to the Queen of England. Traditionally, in the Western provinces, this is the day for planting flowers.

More than half of all people in Canada live in the southern Quebec and Ontario. Quebec is Canada’s oldest province and its largest. This province was settled by the French, and the people still follow French customs. The heart of French Quebec is its capital, Quebec City. In many ways the lower part of the city, with its narrow streets, old churches, and little houses built close together in long rows, resembles the cities of France.

Quebec is the largest province in size. Ontario is the largest in population. It is also Canada’s leading province in many ways. Some call it nation’s heartland, as it is Canada’s demographic and economic center and is a major force in national politics. It is Canada’s most industrialized province, producing half of the nation’s manufactured goods.

Ottawa, the capital of Canada, lies on the border between Quebec and Ontario. It is the political and administrative center of the nation. Most national cultural institutions, including museums, archives, the National Gallery, and the National Art Centre are in the city.

Task:

1. Learn the vocabulary:

A voter избиратель

To be divided быть разделенным

A province провинция

To choose выбирать

To win the most seats завоевывать большее количество мест

Prime Minister премьер- министр

To belong принадлежать

The (British) Commonwealth of Nations (Британское) Содружество Наций

British Empire Британская империя

Ties узы

Unique уникальный, неповторимый

To gain independence добиться независимости

To celebrate отмечать, праздновать

Fireworks фейерверки

To give honour отдавать почести, почитать

To be settled основать

To resemble повторять, воспроизводить

Demographic center демографический центр

Major force основная сила

Industrialized индустриализованная

To produce производить, изготавливать

Manufactured goods производственные товары

A cultural institution культурное заведение

An archive архив

II. FIND ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS IN THE TEXT:

Хороший пример того, как; люди с разным образом жизни и разными языками; рука об руку; подчиняясь одному правительству; избиратели каждой провинции; от различных политических партий; партия, завоевавшая большинство мест; связи не так сильны, как были прежде; уникальная страна в обеих Америках; без войны; некоторые связи с Британской короной; в западных провинциях; день, когда сажают цветы; самая старая провинция Канады и самая большая; люди придерживаются французских обычаев; нижняя часть города; старинные церкви; маленькие домики, построенные близко друг от друга; самая большая провинция по величине; самая большая по населению; во многих отношениях; сердце нации; основная сила; промышленные товары; на границе между; культурные заведения.

III. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. What is the structure of the government of Canada?

2. Who is the head of Canada’s government?

3. What do the words “ the Commonwealth of Nations” mean?

4. Who is the Queen of Canada?

5. When and how do the Canadians celebrate their Independence Day?

6. Why is Quebec called the French Canadian homeland?

7. Which province is called nation’s heartland?

8. What can you say about Canada’s capital?

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