Иностранный язык (английский язык). Сборник упражнений по переводу и разговорной речи. Учебное пособие

The Germans travel to check up on the guide-book. The English used to be taught that travel broadens the mind. Anyway people travel either for pleasure or on business. There are various means of travelling. For example there is nothing like travelling by air, it is more comfortable, more convenient, and of course, far quicker than any other means. There is none of the dust and dirt of a railway or car journey, none of the trouble of changing from train to steamer and then to another train.

You have a combination of speed, comfort and pleasure with a train. From the comfortable seat of a railway carriage you have a splendid view of the whole countryside. If you are hungry, you can have a meal in the dining car; and if a journey is a long one, you can have a wonderful bed in a sleeper.

Travelling by ship is also very popular. It is very pleasant to feel the deck of the ship under the feet, to see the rise and fall of the waves, to feel the fresh sea wind blowing in the face and hear the cry of the seagulls.

Мany people like to travel by car. It is interesting too, because you can see any sights in a short time, you can stop when and where you like, you do not have to buy tickets or carry your suitcases.

A very popular means of travelling is hiking. It is travelling on foot. Walking tours are very interesting. Hitch-hiking is a very popular method of travelling among young people. But it is not as popular in our country as abroad.

As for me I prefer travelling by air because it is the fastest possible way. Last summer I went to Turkey and spent 2 weeks in a nice hotel at the seaside. It was a good relaxation for me and my family.

I dream to visit Italy one day. I am very much interested in the ancient culture so I hope to see Rome and its attraction. Italian cuisine also attracts me.

Topic 10

Countries. Russia

Russia is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one-seventh part of dry land. It is situated in Europe and in Asia. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometres, with the population of 200 million people. There are 1,030 towns and cities in our country. Moscow (9.5 million people) is its capital. The second largest city is St. Petersburg (about 5 million people).

Russia borders with fourteen countries including the former republics of the USSR, which are now independent states. Russia borders with Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Poland, China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan and so on.

The country is washed by the Baltic Sea in the West, the Pacific Ocean in the East, the Arctic Ocean in the North and the Black Sea in the South. Due

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to the large territory, the climate and nature are of various types in Russia. The climate of Siberia is continental with very cold winters and hot and dry summers. The climate in the central part of Russia is rather mild. In the south of Russia the climate is subtropical.

There are many rivers in Russia. The largest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Yenisei and the Ob’ in Asia. The deepest lakes are Baikal and Ladoga.

The relief of Russia is mostly flat. Russia is located on two plains: the Great Russian Plain and the Western Siberian Plain. There are three main mountain chains in Russia. The Caucasus is a range of mountains which extends from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. The highest mountain in Caucasus in Russian Federation and in the whole Europe is Mount Elbrus. The Urals extend from the Arctic Ocean to the steppes. This mountain chain divides the European and Asian parts of Russia. The Urals are famous for their valuable minerals. There are 150 volcanoes in Kamchatka, 30 of which are active.

The Russian Federation is very rich in mineral resources, such as oil, natural gas, coal, iron, gold and others.

Today Russia is one of the world’s largest grain producers and exporters. So, modern Russia is a great industrial country.

This country has a glorious history. Russia gave the world such famous writers and poets as Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Alexandre Pushkin. Outstanding composers as Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Borodin are admired in the world.

The emblem of Russia is a double-headed eagle, the most ancient symbol. The symbol of Russia is a three-coloured flag. It has three horizontal stripes: white, blue, red. White represents peace, blue represents loyalty, and red stands for valour.

Topic 11

Countries.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (The UK)

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated at the north-west coast of Europe between the Atlantic Ocean in the north-west and the North Sea in the east.

It consists of four parts so far: England with the capital in London, Scotland with the capital in Edinburgh, Wales with the capital in Cardiff and Northern Ireland with the capital in Belfast.

The United Kingdom has an area of 244,000 square kilometres (94,249 square miles). The capital of the country is London. English is the official language.

The UK is economically very well developed country, one of the leading European states. It has very long history, being for a very long time the metropolis

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of the British Empire, the biggest empire in the history of the humanity. Now some of the former colonies have established the Commonwealth of Nations.

The population of the U. K. is nearly 64 million people. The population lives mostly in towns and cities and their suburbs: four out of every five people live in towns. The majority of population is made by Christians belonging to the Church of England. The head of the church is the Queen; the primate is Archbishop of Canterbury.

The U. K. is a parliamentary monarchy. The official head of the state is a king or a queen, who does not rule. Queen Elizabeth II has been the head of the state since 1952. She is the longest ruling monarch in the history of the world. Her official title is Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and Head of the Commonwealth. She has a big family, which is in the focus of constant attention of the world. The heir to the throne is her eldest son, Prince Charles, whose official title is Prince of Wales.

The British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords includes two different types of members: the Lords Spiritual, consisting of the most senior bishops of the Church of England, and the Lords Temporal, consisting of members of the peerage and life peers who are appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. The House of Commons is a democratically elected chamber with elections held at least every five years The Prime Minister is the head of the government and the real head of the state.

The climate of Great Britain is mild and damp. It is not too hot in summer or too cold in winter. It often rains in England. Rain falls in summer and in winter, in autumn and in spring. Snow falls only in the north and west of the country. The UK is famous for its beautiful countryside. The surface of England and Ireland is flat, but Scotland and Wales are mountainous. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis, which is 1343 metres high.

There are many rivers in Great Britain. The main river is the Thames. The longest river is Severn. It is 350 kilometres long. The biggest ports are seaports – Liverpool, Southampton, Dover and some others.

There are many universities, colleges, libraries, museums and theatres in the country. The most famous universities are Cambridge and Oxford.

Topic 12

Higher education system in Russia and abroad

There are three basic kinds of higher education institutions in Russia. These are Universities, Academies and Institutes. Universities offer a wide spectrum

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of programs on all levels of education. Academies provide higher education at all levels and conduct a large amount of research – usually specialized in one branch such as science, art or architecture. Institutes are independent parts of universities or academies offering professional education programs.

Russia has more university graduates than any other country in Europe. This is largely due to the government financing all education and higher education including living expenses during the Soviet era. There are some 519 institutions of higher education and 48 universities in Russia. Russia has historically placed much emphasis on science and technology in educations, and most of the government run institutions are specialized within this area. This is also where Russian higher education has its best reputation. To complement these traditional Russian institutions, many private institutions of higher educations have been emerging, often providing education in those areas not traditionally in focus such as economics, business and law.

One academic year lasts for 10 months (September 1st — June 30th). The academic year is arranged in two semesters: At the end of each semester, in January and in June, students take their term exams in the subjects they have studied, in accordance with the curriculum approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

Higher education in Russia normally lasts between four to six years. The first four years of full time university study leads to a Bachelor degree. The completion of the course requires a research project and passing the state final exams. The Bachelor degree is awarded in all fields except medicine, where the first stage lasts for six years.

Once students have obtained their Bachelor degree, they are eligible for entry into a Specialist Diploma and Master’s degree program. In Russia, this does not count as postgraduate education, as is the case in most other countries. The master degree is awarded after two years of study whereof one is a year of research including practice, preparation and defending of a thesis. In addition you must also sit the final exams.

Both Bachelor and Master degrees are relatively new. They did not exist in the Soviet system, and were introduced to conform the Russian system toward a more international standard in accordance with the Bologna Process. This change will hopefully mean a greater recognition and acceptance of Russian degrees abroad, which has been a problem for international students in the past and has kept the numbers of international students down.

A Master’s degree qualifies the student to enter postgraduate education. Postgraduate education is obtained at a university or scientific institute and

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is split in two parts. The first level usually results in a Kandidat nauk degree, which is a Candidate of Sciences. This first level is roughly equivalent to a Ph.D. in the United States.

Topic 13

Students’ Life in Russia and abroad

Students are the future of every country. They are young citizens of our society, full of infinite energy and progressive ideas, fantastic plans and noble ambitions, hopes and dreams. Student life is the brightest period of our life. It is a mixture of studies and great fun. I know that my parents (ex-students) miss those old good days of their student life.

A student has certain duties to perform. It goes without saying that the primary student duty is studying hard and acquiring proper knowledge for the future career. He must attend all the classes at college, do all the work at the right time, be punctual and disciplined. It can help the student achieve his goals and become diligent and perseverant. If he does not neglect his studies, he will receive rich dividends in his future work.

Examination time at the end of each semester is quite tough for students. They spend endless days and nights on studying and cramming. Although some of them use cheating, copying someone’s essays or course works. In addition, you are lucky if you are not caught by the teacher because he/she can punish you by a poor mark or even by excluding from the universities.

Most of the student’s time is devoted to reading and learning. It is unbelievable but some students manage to deal with part-time jobs because they need a lot of money to study at university. Tuition fees and books are very costly nowadays, and if you rent an apartment, it is even more expensive. So students have busy schedules including studies, work and going out to socialize.

A good student never wastes his spare time uselessly. He should also go do sport to stay in good health and mood. They say, “A sound mind lives in a sound body.” Students love participating in both academic and extra-curricular activities at college: different festivals, intellectual quizzes and summer camps. This social life broadensthemind,developsyourtalentsandcommunicationskills.Moreover,this is a wonderful time when you find real friends among your classmates at college. Finally, I’d like to say that it is absolutely great to be a student!

Topic 14

Our Higher School of Print and Media Technologies

I study at the Higher School of Printing Arts and Media Technologies, which is a branch of St. Petersburg University of Industrial Technologies and

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Design. I am a second year student. I major in the IT. I am going to be a software engineer. This speciality requires good knowledge of different subjects, first of all, mathematics. So we have a profound course of Mathematics including Mathematical Analysis, Higher Mathematics, Probability Theory. Our term paper now is devoted to solving a complicated mathematic task.

Nevertheless, a specialist with higher education must be a well-educated person with the wide world outlook. Therefore, our curriculum includes also a course in Russian History and a course of the History of St. Petersburg. In addition, of course we have PE lessons, which help us to be physically fit.

We study six days a week having three or four classes a day: lectures, seminars, workshops. We start at 8.30 am and study till 2 or 4 pm. Fortunately, we have a big lunch break of 45 minutes, so we can relax and socialize over the meal. Each term we have to pass several exams, from three to six, and several tests. Therefore, our examination period, that is January and June, is very difficult. Then we have time to relax – we have two weeks’ holidays in February and two months’ holidays in July and August.

Our group is rather friendly; we help each other and sometimes spend our free time together. It is interesting for me to study in my Institute and I hope I will graduate it in three years as a highly qualified specialist. I am planning to continue my education at the Master’s level in the future.

Topic 15

Books and publishing. A book or film review

Books play an important role in our life because they help us in self-education. They take us into a different world of imagination. Books encourage us when we are defeated. They inspire us to work hard with hope and courage. Books enrich our experience and sharpen our intellect. A good book is our true friend.

When I was a child, I read books about animals and nature. I am always happy to get a book on my birthdays. It doesn’t matter what kind of book it is, the main thing is that the book must be thick. Later I read books about travelling. I learned a lot of interesting facts about other countries and people.

Booksareofdifferentkinds.NowIreadbooksonscienceanddifferentdisciplines for my studies. There are a lot of books in the shops, in our flat but it is expensive to buy all the books we want to read that is why we get books in public libraries.

We should be very careful while we select books. Good books develop in us many qualities. A man of wide reading is a man of culture.

As for me I cannot say I read much. But nevertheless I definitely love reading. One of my favourite books is Gone with the Wind by American writer

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Margaret Mitchell. The story is about beautiful and rebellious Scarlett O’Hara. Gone with the Wind takes place in the southern United States of America in the state of Georgia during the American Civil War (1861–1865) and the Reconstruction Era (1865–1877). The novel unfolds against the backdrop of rebellion wherein seven southern states initially, including Georgia, declared their secession from the USA (the «Union») and formed the Confederate States of America (the «Confederacy»), after Abraham Lincoln was elected president. The Union refuses to accept secession and no compromise is found as the war approaches. The novel was published in 1936 and sold almost 30 million copies. Mitchell received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the book in 1937. It was adapted into a 1939 American film. The film was produced by David O. Selznick of Selznick International Pictures and directed by Victor Fleming. The leading roles are played by Vivien Leigh (Scarlett), Clark Gable (Rhett), Leslie Howard (Ashley), and Olivia de Havilland (Melanie). The film received positive reviews upon its release in December 1939. I think, Leigh is especially suited to her role as Scarlett. 1,400 women were being interviewed for the part of Scarlett. The film is one of the most successful films in the box-office history.

Topic 16

Art in our life

Our life is not full with arts. Arts provides us food for thought and emotions, gives us a source of imagination and good escape from reality.

As we live in St. Petersburg we have got plenty of opportunities to watch a good play, to listen music of any kind, to attend an exhibition.

ThemostfamousmuseuminourcityistheStateHermitage,thesecondrichest museum in the world. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise over three million items including the largest collection of paintings in the world. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors. My favourite part is the collection of paintings by Rembrandt. I am fascinated by his works and can see them over and over.

And of course, I love music.

My favourite style of music is pop music, because it is breathtaking and full of energy. When I listen to pop music it makes me remember happy times and forget the problems of everyday life. It helps me to relax when I am tired, and entertains me when I’d like to have fun. My favourite group is Abba. It was formed in 1973 in Sweden. Abba’s cheerful tunes made them international pop stars and one of the most successful groups of the seventies. Their most

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famous songs («Waterloo», «Money, Money, Money», «Knowing Me, Knowing You», etc.) often topped European charts. Though the group does not exist anymore, it is still popular with people of all ages. I cannot but admire their style of singing. I find it fascinating and overwhelming. When I have free time I listen to their records. I also like having background music while I am working.

I do not mind listening to dance music, especially when I go to disco clubs. This style of music is catchy and I like catchy tunes. It makes me more energetic.

It is a pity that many young people like to listen only to modern music. As for me, I also enjoy listening to classical music. I find it tuneful and appealing. Classical music is always a complex of emotions. It gives me delight, pleasure and a sense of happiness. Some pieces of classical music are really wonderful. Not long ago I listened to the First Piano Concerto, composed by Tchaikovsky. The power of his music captivated me. The impression was overwhelming.

Topic 17

Arts in Britain

The arts in Britain are flourishing, and present a varied and lively picture. London has become an international forum of the arts, with major exhibitions of painting and sculpture and the-atre, opera and ballet companies and orchestras drawing large audiences. Throughout Britain there are festivals and centres of artistic activity – among them the Edinburgh International Festival, the music festivals at Aldeburgh, Windsor and Chel¬tenham and opera at Glyndebourne.

The spread of musical interest in Britain owes much to the British Broadcasting Corporation with its daily music programme and its partial financing of the Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

There are over 900 museums and art galleries in Britain and art exhibitions are shown all over the country through the Arts Council, which distributes government grants for music, drama, painting and sculpture. Local authorities play an important part in encouraging the arts, supporting galleries, orchestras and arts centres – an example is the ambitious Midlands Art Centre for young people in Birmingham.

British artists, writers, musicians and architects exert a po¬werful influence abroad. Notable figures include sculptors Henry Moore and Anthony Caro, painters Francis Bacon and Graham Sutherland and, among younger artists, RichardSmith,winnerofamajorinternationalprizein1967,RichardHamilton, who painted the first “pop” picture, and Bridget Riley, internationally known artist whose work has also inspired fashion.

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British music owes’ much to the composer Benjamin Britten, whose influence has produced a new school of British opera. In architecture the work of Sir Basil Spence (Coventry Cathedral, Sussex University) and the collective work of modern British architects in housing and town planning are outstanding.

Literature presents great diversity . Poetry has received fresh stimulus from regional movements including the Liverpool poets, who write for public performance. Among novelists of worldwide reputation are Graham Greene, Angus Wilson, William Golding, Iris Murdoch and Muriel Spark.

Topic 18

Museums and Art Galleries

Every country has museums and art galleries. Some of them are world famous. A museum is a place where various collections of works of art are displayed. There are different kinds of museums: history museums, museums of art, archaeological museums, science museums and others. I would like to tell you about some of the most famous museums in the world.

I live in Moscow, the capital of Russia and there are a lot of large museums in the city. One of the biggest museums is the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts which houses one of the world’s largest collections of the ancient, oriental and classical art. You can see sculptures, paintings and other works of art by world-famous artists. The museum holds one of the biggest collections of Ancient Egyptian Art.

The Tretyakov Gallery is one of the biggest art galleries in the world. It was founded by a Russian merchant, Tretyakov, who gave his private collection of paintings to Moscow. The Gallery has a great collection of works by Russian famous painters. It consists of seven departments. You can see portraits, seascapes, landscapes and other genres of painting there.

St. Petersburg, which once was the capital of Russia, is famous for its museums, too. The Hermitage is one of the biggest museums in the world. A lot of permanent and temporary exhibitions are displayed there. The museum consists of six buildings. The most famous are: Winter Palace and the Hermitage. You can see portraits of Russian tsars, Roman statues, works of Western European Art, Egyptian Art and Oriental Art there.

If you go to Great Britain you should definitely visit the British Museum in London. The museum is very big and you can see works of art in glass, stone, gold and also a few collections on natural history there.

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The Tower of London is another big museum in London. It used to be a treasury, a prison, an observatory and even a zoo. The Tower of London hosts a big collection of arms and jewels.

The United States of America is famous for its museums and galleries, too. There is the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. It consists of several museums and art galleries that are free and open to the public. The National Portrait Gallery has a big collection of those who played an important role in the history and culture of the USA. The National Museum of Natural History is popular with children. The museum contains one of the world’s largest scientific collection: exhibits on human culture, evolution, dinosaurs, birds, animals, sea life, meteorites, plants, rocks and minerals.

Another famous museum is the National Air and Space Museum. It houses the world’s most expensive collection of aircrafts and spacecrafts. Visitors can see exhibits on the history of air crafting and watch documentaries in the IMAX movie theatre that is situated inside the building. The National Museum of American History explores America’s scientific, cultural and political history. It also houses the first American flag.

All museums are very interesting to visit. Museums and art galleries give us an opportunity to learn facts about art, history and culture of different peoples and countries.

Topic 19

Mass media. Types of media technologies

Mass media or mass communication means are press, radio, television and the Internet. Nowadays there are a lot of newspapers and magazines, radio stations and TV channels that we have to be very selective and give preferences to some of them.

Newspapers with their enormous circulation report different kinds of news. They carry articles which cover the latest international and national events. Now people may buy newspapers and magazines or read their e-versions. There are special newspapers which gave a full coverage of commercial, financial and publish affairs. There are newspapers and magazines for young people. They give a wide coverage of news, events and reports on education, sports, cultural life, entertainment, and fashion. There are a lot of advertising programmes now.

Radiobroadcastsarevaluedmainlyfortheirmusicprogrammes(Europaplus). TV, radio, press reflect the present day life. Their information may vary from social and economic crises, conflicts, wars, disasters, earthquakes, to diplomatic visits, negotiations, from terrorism, corruption, to pollution

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