Английский язык для гуманитарных направлений подготовки. Учебное пособие

READING

I

1. Complete the Text with the suitable words or phrases from the box.

investigate; story; generation; explain; historians; interpreted; account; earlier; fixed; values; reinterpretation; inhabited; historiography

«History» and «the Past»

Those starting out in history often believe history and the past to be the same thing. This is not the case. The past refers to an _____

time, the people and societies who _____ it and the events that took place there. History is our attempts to ____, study and ____ the past.

This is a subtle difference but an important one. What happened in the past is ____ in time and cannot be changed. History, in contrast, changes regularly. The past is a factual certainty while history is an ongoing conversation about the past and its meaning.

The word «history» and the English word «____» both originate from the Latin historia, meaning a narrative or _____ of past events. History is itself a collection of thousands of stories about the past, told by many different people.

Because there are so many of these stories, they are often variable, contradictory and conflicting. This means history is subject to constant revision and _____. Each _____ looks at the past through its own eyes. It applies different standards, priorities and ____ and reaches different conclusions about the past.

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The study of how history differs and has changed over time is called _____.

Like historical narratives themselves, our understanding of what history is and the shape it should take is flexible and open to debate. For as long as people have studied history, _____ have presented different ideas about how the past should be studied, constructed, written and ______.

As a consequence, historians may approach history in different ways, using different ideas and methods and focusing on prioritizing different aspects.

Active Vocabulary:

1)over time;

2)generation;

3)attempts to investigate;

4)ongoing conversation;

5)variable, contradictory and conflicting.;

6)explain;

7)historiography;

8)to look at the past through its own eyes;

9)a narrative or account of past events;

10)differ;

11)to be fixed in time;

12)refer to.

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2. Translate into English:

1.История и прошлое — это не одно и то же.

2.Прошлое относится к людям, культурам и событиям, жившим и имевшим место раньше.

3.История — это попытка узнать, изучить и объяснить прошлое.

4.Историография — это наука о том, как история развивалась с течением времени.

5.Все, что было в прошлом нельзя изменить, История же, наоборот, постоянно меняется.

6.История — это наука, которая постоянно пересматривается и интерпретируется по-иному.

7.С тех пор как люди стали изучать Историю, историки предлагали множество вариантов того, как следует ее изучать, реконструировать, описывать и объяснять.

II

Why Do Attilas and Tamerlanes Appear in History?

1.The year 1820 was a good one for historians in Russia. 1820 saw the birth of Sergei Solovyov, a historian, who wrote a great work «A History of Russia from Ancient Times», consists of 29 volumes.

For his Masters’s Degree he wrote «Novgorod’s Relationship with the Grand Princes» in 1845, and for PhD, «History of Relations between the Princes of the House of Ryuruk», in 1847. In 1855 S. Solovyov became dean of the History and Philology Department and in 1870, university president.

2.Solovyov’s understanding of History fell within the bounds of the state school, the exact opposite of anarchism. The transition from the tribal system to state was regarded as the most important

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progressive development for the Russian nation. In terms of natural environment, Solovyov linked Russia’s ancient history to the enormous Russian plains, which were open to attack from Asia. He didn’t endorse the Norman theory of the origin of the Russian state, although he did not deny the presence in Russia of the Varangians (Vikings). Nor did Solovyov attach exclusive importance to the Tatar (Mongol) conquest of Russia, since the Tatars did not colonize Russia and left its religion untouched.

3.The need to protect the country from external enemies was the decisive factor in the shaping of Russian society, in Solovyov’s view. It was necessary to constantly maintain the combat worthiness of the country’s military organization. The gentry formed the basis of the military force. In exchange for military service, the gentry received land (which was abundant in Russia) and serfs. Thus, military power led to the «enserfment» of all estates in society. The gentry members were subordinated to the ruler, serfs worked for their owners, town dwellers were forced to work and pay taxes. Since Russia had vast expanses, especially in the East, flight was always an option, and in this sense, Solovyov believed that Cossacks, free fighting horsemen who lived on the outskirts of the Russian state, were a major threat to the Russian state (ironically they would later become the last mainstay of the Czarist Empire).

4.Hegel’s dialectics were an important part of Solovyov’s theory of History. Russian history, in his view, involved the struggle between opposites, tribe and state, forest and steppe (settled and nomadic peoples), European and Asian civilization, the high ideals of Christianity and the restricted possibilities of peoples in absorbing them. At the same time, Solovyov fell prey to Hegel’s chief failing, his idealization of the state (in Hegel’s case, it was his

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contemporary Prussian state, in Solovyov’s the Moscovy state which united Russia).

5. He explained Russia’s Time of Troubles by the fall in society’s moral standards. He wrote: «We know when Attilas, Tamerlanes and other rockers of the universe appear, when external or domestic breachers of the social system and civilization appear: it happens when society ignores spiritual life, spiritual interests, spiritual strengths, when it indulges in sensuality, material gains, when it builds an altar to Moloch and Golden Calf…» These words certainly have a prophetic ring to them, and today, once again, we turn a deaf ear to the warning of one of Russia’s greatest historians.

Tasks for the text

1.Read the text and choose the right title (a–e) to each passage (1–5):

A. Theory the Russian History based on.

B. Solovyov’s idea of Russian state development. C. The path of the scientist.

D. The main elements in the forming of Russian state. E. Solovyov’s view on the crisis of civilizations.

2.Give Russian equivalents to the words and wordcombinations:

1) tribal system;

2) external enemies;

3) decisive factor;

4) the combat worthiness;

5) gentry;

6) serf;

7) town dwellers;

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8)nomadic peoples;

9)restricted;

10)indulge;

11)material gains;

12)prophetic.

3. Find the following English expressions in the text:

-предупреждение великих историков;

-городские жители;

-переход от родоплеменного строя;

-он не одобрял теорию;

-он не отрицал присутствие;

-важность Татаро-Монгольского завоевания;

-с точки зрения природных условий;

-знать была основой военной мощи;

-защищать страну от внешних врагов;

-оседлые и кочевые племена;

-внешние и внутренние влияния (на уклад страны);

-пренебрегать духовным и предаваться страстям и наживе.

III

A. Ancient Structures.

1. Read through these two paragraphs about two very famous structures in China and Egypt. When you have finished reading, answer the comprehension questions. There is also a vocabulary exercise for you to try.

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The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China was built across northern China to protect the population from foreign invaders. Before 3rd century BC, there were lots of smaller walls and they were joined together to make one long, defensive wall. The work was done by enormous numbers of forced labourers and many of them died during the process. The wall is over 20,000 km long, and on average is 7m high, and 5m wide. It is made of earth covered stone.

The Egyptian Pyramids

The Egyptian Pyramids are a famous symbol of ancient Egypt. The stone structures were usually tombs for pharaohs. The pyramids have square bases with sloping sides which meet at an apex. The first Pyramid was built in about 2600 BC and is over 140m high. One of the biggest Pyramids is made of enormous stone blocks which weigh up to 200 tons each. It is estimated that around 25,000 people worked for 20 years to build each Pyramid.

2. Comprehension Questions.

1.Why was the Great Wall of China built?

2.Who built the Great Wall of China?

3.How long is the Great Wall of China?

4.Which structure is older, the Great Wall of China, or the Pyramids in Egypt?

5.What was the purpose of the Pyramids in Egypt?

6.What are pharaohs?

7.When was the first pyramid built?

8.How long did it take to build one Pyramid

9.Where was the Great Wall of China built?

10.What is a famous symbol of ancient Egypt?

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3. Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined words. All these words come from today's comprehension:

1.«To protect the population from foreign invaders»: a) doubters; b) police; c) forcers; d) attackers.

2.«The work was done by enormous numbers of forced labourers»:

a) insignificant; b) historic; c) heavy; d) huge.

3.«The Egyptian Pyramids are a famous symbol of ancient

Egypt»:

a) representation; b) beauty; c) kingdom; d) place.

4.«The stone structures were usually tombs for pharaohs»:

а) palaces; b) churches; c) rooms; d) graves.

5. «The pyramids have square bases with sloping sides which meet at an apex»:

a) hole; b) river; c) top; d) angle.

6. «It is estimated that around 25,000 people worked for

20years»:

a)thought; b) used; c) shocking; d) helped.

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B. Taj Mahal.

1. Read an encyclopedia entry on the Taj Mahal to practice and improve your reading skills. Before reading: Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Match the definitions (a–f) with the vocabulary (1–6).

The Taj Mahal (pronounced /ˌtɑːdʒ mə'hɑːl/) is a famous mausoleum next to the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. A mausoleum is a building where people bury the dead. The name Taj Mahal means 'the crown of palaces'.

1.The most famous part of the Taj Mahal is the large white dome in the centre. It is 35 metres high and is surrounded by four smaller domes. The rooms inside the building are decorated with beautiful archways and precious stones in the walls. The buildings are surrounded by gardens with pathways, pools, fountains and green gardens.

2.The construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and finished in 1653. It was built with materials from all over India and

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Asia, but the main material is white marble. Historians believe that the materials were transported by over 1,000 elephants for the construction.

3.The emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a burial place for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. According to legend, he wanted to build another Taj Mahal in black on the other side of the river, but this never happened. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, many parts of the Taj Mahal were damaged by British soldiers, who took some of the precious stones from its walls. Over the years, the Taj Mahal has suffered from environmental damage, and there have been many government attempts to conserve its beauty.

4.The Taj Mahal is one of India's most famous landmarks. There are millions of visitors to the mausoleum every year. The Taj Mahal is almost always included in lists of famous buildings to visit and is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5.Encyclopedia Britannica article on the Taj Mahal: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Taj-Mahal.

Official site of the Taj Mahal: https://www.tajmahal.gov.in. UNESCO Profile of the Taj Mahal: http://whc.unesco.org/en/

list/252.

C.

1. Read the text «The Pantheon» and filled it from a to f with sentences from 1 to 7.

The Pantheon

Built more than 1800 years ago, the magnificent Pantheon still stands as a reminder of the great Roman Empire. The name

«Pantheon» refers to the building’s original function as a temple for all gods.

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