Кудинова Практическиы курс англиыского языка для студентов международник Ч.4 2014

Reading, Listening and Speaking: Wonders of the Modern World

1. In the 2nd century BC a list was made of the most impressive and beautiful man-made objects in the world. These were called The Seven Wonders of the World. Match each picture in the box with its name. How

many can we still see today?

The Pharos, lighthouse of Alexandria

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia The Colossus of Rhodes

The Pyramids of Egypt

The Tomb of Mausolus

The Temple of Diana

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2.What do you think are some of the greatest wonders of the twentieth century? Don’t just think of buildings!

3.In the text, the journalist, Ann Halliday, describes what are for her the seven wonders of the modern world. Why does the author think these phenomena to be modern wonders of the world? In what way does she say modern wonders are different from ancient wonders? Put them in order, 1- 7, according to which you think is the most important (1 = the most

important, 7 = the least important). Discuss your decisions as a class.

Wonders of the Modern World

By Ann Halliday

I don’t believe that today's wonders are similar in kind to the wonders of the Ancient World. They were all buildings and statues. In the last two centuries we have seen unprecedented technical and scientific achievements. These are surely our modern wonders. Here is my list.

1) Computers

They have already revolutionized the way we live and

work. But it is early days for computers. We don’t know how much they are still changing the world. More computer wonders are yet to come.

2) Space Travel

Only a few years before men were walking on the moon, reputable scientists declared that it was impossible. But in 1969 Neil Armstrong stepped out of his space capsule and made his famous statement:

‘That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind’.

3) Medical Science

Surely nothing has done more for the comfort and happiness of mankind than the advance of medical knowledge! How many millions of people have benefited from the humble aspirin? How many lives has penicillin saved? Average life expectancy in Europe has risen dramatically over the last hundred years, from about 50 years in 1906 to about 75 years today.

4) Holidays

Yes – holidays! In fact there have always been holidays – in ancient Rome there were more than

150 a year – but a holiday used to mean simply a day when you didn’t work.

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Now holidaymakers travel to all parts of the world. Perhaps you don’t like so many tourists in your country, but you must agree that a phenomenon which sees the population of Greece treble in summer, and which sends office workers and shop assistants to Spain, Turkey, or the Caribbean is a wonder of the world.

5) The Olympic Games

It is true that the Olympic Games are now commercialized and there is greed and drug abuse. However, it is a competition in which every country in the world takes part. Every four years, for a brief moment, we see these countries come together in peace and friendship. We feel hope again for the future of mankind.

6) Agriculture

In 1724, Jonathan Swift wrote, ‘Whoever makes two blades of grass or two ears of corn grow where only one grew before serves mankind better than the whole race

of politicians’. In Europe our farmers have done this. In 1709, whole villages in France

died of hunger. Now, in Europe we can’t eat all the food we produce. If only the politicians could find a way to share it with

those parts of the world where there is still famine.

7) We are still here

The last wonder of the modem world is simply that we are still here. We have bombs that could destroy the world but we have not used them. This is surely the greatest wonder of all!

4.Translate these words into Russian: to be similar to sth, unprecedented, to revolutionize, it is early days for computers, to be yet to come, reputable, to declare, a leap, advance of sth, to benefit from, a holidaymaker, treble, greed, drug abuse, brief, mankind, famine.

5.Translate into Russian:

1.The best part is yet to come, just you wait!

2.There is yet so much to be done about this project.

3.We are yet to meet the evil side of modernization.

6.Here are seven more statements made by Ann about her choice of wonders. Which statement goes with which wonder? Discuss your answers

with a partner.

1.Surgeons can perform the most amazing operations.

2.We see people from warring countries shake hands.

3.Small children can program them, sometimes more easily than adults!

4.No government dares to use such weapons.

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5.Maybe visiting one country a day is not your idea of the best way to see the world!

6.We produce enough to feed the world.

7.Progress in this area is slower now. Not as much money goes into research as in the 1960s.

7.You will hear three people giving their ideas of the wonders of the

modern world.

a)Make a list of the wonders they mention.

b)What is good about each wonder?

c)Are there any problems with it?

Before you listen make sure you know this vocabulary: to extend freedom, to fill sth with sth, to enable sb to do sth, to keep in touch with sb, a jumbo jet, to come along to do sth.

Vocabulary and Reading: Buildings

1. What's your favourite building? Why do you like it?

2a. Are the following adjectives for describing buildings positive, negative

2b. Which of the adjectives in Exercise 2a can describe a building which is:

3. Think of a building you know. Describe it, using adjectives from Exercise 2a.

The British Museum is a very impressive building because of its magnificent dome and classical style.

4b. Put the verbs into an order to show the stages in the life of a building. 5. In the texts A, B, C find these words and phrases, use the context to help you match them to the correct translation, say in which context they were

6b. Read the texts and check your answers.

The Colosseum

I always visit the Colosseum when I’m in

Rome; it's magnificent. I suppose it's what many people think of when you say

classical architecture. It’s an incredibly impressive building. It was opened way back in AD80. It's a vast amphitheatre and big crowds used to go there to watch gladiators and fights between wild animals. It is made of stone and concrete,

and although it was damaged by earthquakes in the 15th century, the main structure has survived for almost 2,000 years. It used to look rather run-down, but recently it has been renovated and partly restored.

The Hajj Airport Terminal

I love the Hajj Airport Terminal in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It's really stylish.

It’s a mixture of traditional architecture and high-tech materials, sо it’s also very contemporary. It was built to provide a meeting place for Muslim pilgrims on their way to and from Mecca. It's basically a number of huge tents, put up using some kind of innovative roof

technology. It’s an enormous modern

airport, but it has no walls or air-conditioning. The tents are like giant parasols and their sides are open to the desert breezes. It really shows how you can design a low-energy building which both works and looks great.

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The Eiffel Tower

My favourite building is the Eiffel Tower in

Paris. It’s one of the world’s best-known landmarks and it captures the atmosphere of Paris for me. It looks so elegant and graceful rising above the city. It was built as a temporary structure for the 1889 Universal Exhibition but has never been taken down, although apparently at the time there was a lot of opposition from the public to it, with many people calling it an

eyesore. It's massive. I think it’s about 300 metres tall – and it was the world's tallest structure until about 1930.

7. Find words in the texts which mean the following.

1a circular building with seats arranged on a slope (Text A)

2continued to exist in difficult conditions (Text A)

3repair a building so it is in good condition (Text A)

4scientifically advanced (Text B)

5umbrellas that protect you from the sun (Text B)

6a building which is easily noticed (Text C)

7not lasting or needed for very long (Text C)

8something ugly or very unpleasant to look at (Text C)

Reading: Bridging the Gap

1. Read the introduction to the article, find these vocabulary units and

2. Which of these reasons explain the importance of bridges?

- they are essential for trade and transporting goods.

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-they have military significance.

-they symbolize place and people.

-they give people more belief into their ability to achieve things.

Measured by the effect they have on our spirits and imagination, bridges are the highest form of architecture. They stand as metaphors for so much in life. ‘Let's cross that bridge when we come to it,’ I remark, when I want to put off thinking about some nasty dilemma. If I quit a secure job, I am ‘burning my bridges’. If I

make friends with strangers, I am ‘building bridges’. If I argue with someone, but want to forget it and be friends again, I say, ‘It’s all water under the bridge.’ Why do we hold bridges in such regard? One reason is surely that, because of their strategic importance, they are often scenes of fierce battles and thrilling heroics. Another is that a bridge can often embody the spirit of a city, even an entire nation, as the Sydney Harbour or Brooklyn Bridges do, or the Stari Most did until it was destroyed in the Bosnian conflict. (Fortunately, it has since been rebuilt and is now listed as a World Heritage Site.)

But perhaps the chief reason is that a bridge is a leap of daring: a symbol of mankind's belief in its ability to overcome any natural obstacle, no matter how wide, deep or windswept. That belief has occasionally been tragically misplaced, but it has never been shattered.

What's indisputable is that our own age has seen one of the most innovative bursts of bridge-building ever.

3. Do you recognise the bridges in the photos? What is the most impressive bridge in your country?

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4. Do the matching task, read the rest of the article and match the descriptions of the bridges to the pictures in ex.3:

Built for Expo 92, the Alamillo Bridge across the River Guadalquivir in Seville demonstrates how a striking new bridge can revitalise an old city. The bridge is supported by a pylon and cables which form the graceful shape of a harp. It has a span of 200 metres.

There has been a bridge over the River Vltava in Prague, Czech Republic for several centuries, but the now-famous Charles Bridge (Karlov Most) was built in the 14th century and named after the king. It is unusual because it is made of sandstone, not hard granite, which required some maintenance work in the 15th century after a flood. In 2005 further repairs started on the bridge. This work was scheduled to be completed within two years. Street vendors, street artists and tourists can always be seen along its 500-metre length.

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan is the longest, tallest and costliest suspension bridge ever constructed. Connecting Kobe with Awaji-Shima Island, this bridge has been built to withstand hurricanes, tidal waves and earthquakes. In 1995. an earthquake added a metre to the bridge's length while it was still being built. It has a total length of 3,910 metres.

The Golden Gate Bridge spans the mile-wide mouth of San Francisco Bay. The

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total length of the bridge is 2,739 metres. The bridge expands on hot days and contracts when it is cold. On hot days the heat lengthens the cable. As a result the bridge becomes 4.9 metres lower and 1.8 metres longer. The bridge was

opened on 21 May 1937 with a 'pedestrians’ day', during which 200,000 people walked across the bridge. On the morning of the following day it was opened to traffic.

5. Supply a literary, not literal translation to these phrases: 1) a nasty dilemma, 2) to quit a secure job, 3) the spirit of the city, 4) a leap of daring,

5) no matter how wide, deep or windswept.

6. What component can you change in the structure “what is indisputable is that…”? How? Make up 5 sentences with the phrase.

Listening: Changing Cities

1. Look at the photos of Michael and Irina. What do you know about Moscow and Hong Kong?

2a. Listen to Michael and Irina. Mark the things in the box they mention, I for Irina and M for Michael.

2b. Which changes do both Michael and Irina mention? Do they feel generally happy or unhappy about these changes?

3. Choose the correct alternative. Then listen again and check. Hong Kong

a)Daily life in Hong Kong feels very different from / more or less the same as how it was before.

b)Michael thinks Hong Kong seems more / less Chinese now.

c)The standard of living in Hong Kong is very similar / very different.

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