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South of the Bodleian Library is the beautiful Radcliffe Camera (or Camera Bodleiana), erected between 1737 and 1749 to contain books presented to the university by Dr.Radcliffe, but now used as a reading-room for the Bodleian.

Oxford. The Sheldonian Theatre.

Westward of the Bodleian Library is the Sheldonian Theatre, designed by Christopher Wren. It was his first large-scale work and it was opened with great pomp on July 9, 1669. The Sheldonian Theatre is a large semicircular chamber, seating 4,000 persons. It is used for the conferment of degrees and other public functions.

The university also possesses the New Examination Schools, the Taylorian Institute, with the University Galleries and Ashmole Museum, the Science Musuem, the large university parks with the beautiful walk known as Mesopotamia, the Indian Institute and the Botanical Gardens.

Oxford. Christ Church.

The most remarkable of the various college buildings is Christ Church. Its Tom Tower is one of the glories of Oxford. It is also one of the architectural treasures of the college first conceived by Cardinal Wolsey. He was determined to found a college which would be more magnificent than any other. Its foundation stone was laid in 1525. Christ Church is remarkable for its famous well known as “Great Tom”, its great dining-hall, its library and its art collection.

Oxford is also an important industrial centre. There are some industries there such as printing.

The Oxford University Press, whose plant is situated on Walton Street, is one of the memorable institutions of the city, and an integral part of the university. Its foundation goes back to 1478, when it was in the hands of private individuals for a century or more. Delegates of the Press are professors of Oxford. It has been responsible for thousand of learned books, including the Oxford English Dictionary.

In 1546 college and cathedral were joined to give it its present-day name.

forbid (forbad, forbide) – запрещать

Ex.1 Find English equivalents in the text:

прославленный город науки, низкий берег, через реки построены мосты, был окружен, на разговорном языке, за счет величественных строений, дополняет великолепие, коммерческие здания, золотое сердце, в изоляции, признано, самый главный в Европе, выбор пал, составные части, великолепно расписанный потолок, носит имя.

Ex.2 Translate the following word combinations into Russian:

designed by Christopher Wren, large-scale work, with great pomp, semicircular chamber, seating 4,000 persons, beautiful walk known, one of the glories of Oxford, foundation stone, one of the memorable institution of the city, foundation goes back to 1478.

Ex.3 Find all the adjectives characterizing Oxford.

Ex.4 Complete the sentences define the tense form of the predicate in each sentence. Translate into Russian:

1.The rivers are spanned by … .

2.It is made beautiful by … .

3.It has a “golden heart” – an area … .

4.They are mixed … .

5.The first group of scholars … .

6.The buildings of the university … .

Ex.5 Find some more sentences with the passive predicate and translate them into Russian.

Ex.6 Answer the questions:

1.What city is Oxford?

2.What bridges are the rivers spanned?

3.What length does the principal river have?

4.What is a “golden heart”?

5.What is “university”?

6.What does the Sheldonian Theatre look like?

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7.What is Christ Church?

8.What is Christ Church famous for?

9.What else is Oxford famous for?

Ex.7 Retell the text.

Cambridge

Proper and Geographical Names:

Cambridge [

East Anglia [

River Cam [

Castle Hill [

St Benet’s Church [

Harold [

Hugh de Balsham of Ely [

Peterhouse [

Trinity College [

King’s College [

St John’s College [

Christopher Wren [

Grinling Gibbous [

Henry VI [

Eton [

Wars of the Roses [

Oxford [

Cambridge. The Ancient buildings of Colleges.

Cambridge lies in the flat lands of East Anglia. It stands on the River Cam.

The Cam has several bridges over it. That’s why the city is called Cambridge.

The River Cam was important because it was navigable. Later, where four Roman roads crossed, a Roman settlement developed on a site near Castle Hill. An Anglo-Saxon settlement in the same neighbourhood followed – the tower and nave of St Benet’s Church near the Market Place are Saxon work. The Danes set up a base here in 875 during their conquest of East Anglia. In 1068, shortly after the Norman defeat of Harold, the Conqueror built a castle which still exists.

In 1278 Cambridge was a prosperous town with 534 houses and then, in 1284, Hugh de Balsham of Ely, founded Peterhouse, the first college, and since then the history of Cambridge has become the history of Cambridge and of

Cambridge University. Now when we say Cambridge, we mean “University City”, because Cambridge is world-famous for its university. It consists of twenty-nine colleges and many of them are grouped together. Each group of colleges has its own green court with beautiful lawns and bright flowers. It has also chapels, halls and libraries.