Иностранный язык (Английский). Практикум

PART I. COUNTRIES, CULTURES, PEOPLE

The population of the country is sometimes called «salad bowl», because all nations and nationalities are mixed up, though they keep their specific features. There are white people, Afro-Americans, American Indians, Puer- to-Ricans, Chinese and Japanese people.

Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the USA struggled against the Fascists during World War II together.

The flag of the USA has thirteen white and red stripes and 50 white stars against the blue background (one for every state).

Many famous Americans, such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, William (Bill) Clinton, Mark Twain, O’Henry, and J.D. Salinger are famous all over the world.

Вопросы и задания

1.Read and translate the texts.

2.Answer the questions:

1)What is common or different in the geographical position of three countries?

2)Which country is larger Russia or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

3)What proves that Great Britain has a variety of landscapes?

4)Which country is richer in natural resources Russia or the United Kingdom of Great Britain or the USA?

5)What is the main difference of political systems of Russia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain?

6)How can the relief of Russia be characterized?

7)What climate and landscapes are typical in Russia, Great Britain and the USA?

8)The geographical position of these countries is different, but are there any things that these countries have in common?

3.Please make a tourist guide about place where you live.

The geography. The climate. The industries. The wildlife. The people.

4.Read and translate the texts.

Moscow, the Capital of Russia

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded eight centuries ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky.

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Historians have accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow’s history. Gradually the city became more and more powerful. In the 13th century Moscow was the centre of the struggle of Russian lands for the liberation from the tartar yoke. In the 16th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the new united state. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1712 Moscow remained the heart of Russia. After the October revolution Moscow became the capital again.

The heart of Moscow is Red Square, the central and the most beautiful square in Moscow. Here one can see St. Basil’s cathedral, erected by architects Postnik and Barma to commemorate Russia’s conquest of the Kazan kingdom in 1552. It is a masterpiece of Russian architecture. In front of St. Basil’s cathedral tourists can see the monument to Minin and Pozharsky. It was designed by Ivan Martos in 1818 in memory of the Russian victory over the Polish invaders in 1612. The History Museum in Red Square is a magnificent building, besides, it is one of the major scientific and educational institutions where we can follow the life of Russian people since ancient times.

Moscow’s road system is centered roughly around the heart of the city, the Moscow Kremlin. From there, the roads in general radiate out to intersect with a sequence of circular roads or «rings» focused at the Kremlin.

Moscow’s museums and galleries with their collections are some of the largest and most important in the world. Frequent art exhibitions of both new and classic painting, photography, and sculpture thrive, as they once did in pre-Revolutionary times.

One of the most notable art museums in Moscow is the Tretyakov Gallery, which was founded by Pavel Tretyakov, a wealthy patron of the arts who donated a large private collection to the city. Currently the Tretyakov Gallery is split into two buildings. The Old Tretyakov, the original gallery on the south bank of the Moskva River, houses the works of the classic Russian tradition. The New Tretyakov, created in Soviet times, mainly contains the works of Soviet artists, as well as of a few contemporary artists. Another art museum in the city of Moscow is the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Its halls are a cross-section of world civilizations, with many plaster cast reproductions of ancient sculptures. However, it also hosts famous paintings from every major Western era of art, including works by Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Pablo Picasso.

Among Moscow’s many theaters and ballet studios are the Bolshoi Theater and the Maly Theater, as well as Vakhtangov Theater and Moscow Art Theater. The repertories in a typical Moscow season are exhaustive, and modern interpretations of classic works, whether operatic or theatrical, are common.

There are 96 parks and 18 gardens in Moscow, including four botanical gardens. There are also 450 square kilometers of green zones besides 100

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PART I. COUNTRIES, CULTURES, PEOPLE

square kilometers of forests. Moscow is a very green city if compared to other cities of comparable size in Western Europe and America.

The most populous city in Europe, metropolitan Moscow has a population of close to 12 million, which constitutes about 7 percent of the total Russian population.

Moscow also remains a major economic center and is home to a large number of billionaires. It is home to many scientific and educational institutions, as well as numerous sports facilities. It possesses a complex transport system that includes the world’s busiest metro system, which is famous for its architecture. Moscow also hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Moscow is the seat of power for the Russian Federation. At the center of the city, there is the Moscow Kremlin, which houses the home of the President of Russia as well as many of the facilities for the national government. Moscow, like any national capital, also hosts all the foreign embassies and diplomats representing a multitude of nations in Russia.

Moscow has always been a popular destination for tourists. During the summer, the extended hours of daylight allow more time to visit the wealth of historical, cultural and popular sites in Moscow.

London

London is situated upon both banks of the river Thames; it is the largest city in Britain and one of the largest in the world. Its population is about 9 million people.

London dominates the life of Britain. It is a big port and the most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre. There is little heavy industry in London, but there is a wide range of light industry in Greater London. The City extends over an area of about 2.6 square kilometers in the heart of London. About half a million people work in the City but only less than 6000 live here. It is the financial centre of the UK with many banks, offices and the Stock Exchange. But the City is also a market for goods of almost every kind from all parts of the world.

The West End can be called the cultural center of London. There are historical palaces as well as the famous parks. Hyde Park with its Speaker’s Corner is also there. Among other parks are Kensington Gardens, St. James’s Park. In the West End there is Buckingham Palace which is the Queen’s residence, and the Palace of Westminster which is the seat of the Parliament.

The best-known streets there are Whitehall with important Government offices, Downing Street, the London residence of the Prime Minister and the place where the Cabinet meets, Fleet Street where most newspapers have their offices, Harley Street where the highest-paid doctors live, and some others.

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The name ‘West End’ came to be associated with wealth, luxury and goods of high quality. It is the area of the largest department stores, cinemas and hotels. There are about 40 theatres, several concert halls, many museums including the British Museum and the best art galleries.

It is in the West End that the University of London is centered with Bloomsbury as London students’ quarter.

Visitors with plenty of money to spend and who come chiefly for enjoyment are likely to pass most of their time in the West End.

The port of London is to the east of the City. There were kilometers and kilometers of docks, and the great industrial areas that depended upon shipping. This is the East End of London, formerly unattractive in appearance, but now changing because of the introduction of new industries and very expensive housing.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as «Washington», «the District», or simply «D.C.», is the capital of the United States. The signing of the Residence Act on July 16, 1790 approved the creation of a capital district located along the Potomac River on the country’s East Coast. The U.S. Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and the District is therefore not a part of any state. The district is named after Columbus who discovered America in 1492.

Washington had an estimated population of 672,228 as of July 2015. Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city’s population to more than one million during the workweek.

Washington, D.C. is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the USA. No building in the city may be more than 40 meters tall.

Washington, D.C. is the seat of federal government and there is the White House, the official residence of the President. President John Adams and his wife were the first to live there. The White House is the oldest building in Washington, D.C. It has the most famous address in the United States – 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There are 3 floors and 132 rooms in the White House. The rooms for public functions are on the first floor. The President and his family use the second and the third floor.

The United States Capitol is the tallest building in Washington, D.C. and the most famous building in the USA because this is where the laws are made.

Washington is home to many national monuments and museums, which are primarily situated on or around the National Mall. The city hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of many international organ-

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PART I. COUNTRIES, CULTURES, PEOPLE

izations, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups, and professional associations.

5. Answer these questions:

1)What is Moscow known for?

2)What are the most popular art museums in Moscow?

3)What is the main tourist attraction in Moscow?

4)What are the masterpieces inside the Kremlin wall?

5)What part does London play in the life of the United Kingdom?

6)What are the West End and the East End known for?

7)What is the main tourist attraction in London?

8)What proves that London is a cosmopolitan city?

9)You have the opportunity to visit Great Britain for two weeks. Which places would you like to visit? Explain your choice.

10)Where is Washington, D.C. situated?

11)What is the District of Columbia?

12)In what sense is Washington the most important city in the USA?

13)What is the tallest building in Washington, D.C.?

14)What can you say about the places of interest in Washington, D.C.?

15)What do these capitals, London, Moscow and Washington, have in common and what do they differ in?

6.What is your home town like? Choose the word combinations given below to describe your town/village under the following headings: position, environment, population, special features.

In the north /south of, green countryside, clean fresh air, much to do, in the way of entertainment, traffic noise, amusement park, pollution, on the coast, wonderful vegetation, spend time in /out of doors, beautiful landscape, good /bad climate, on the river, dirty streets, less /more populated than, a lot of places to go to, green areas, open and friendly people, crowded, to worry about, crime /violence, town hall.

7.Talk about different European towns and cities. Use these expressions to give yourself thinking time while you arrange your ideas.

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8. Read the text and answer the questions:

Russian Character

Russians are impressed with size and numbers, and much that they do is on a grand scale. This is not unusual for such a vast country. Russians think and act big.

Russians think of themselves as members of the community rather than as individuals. The origin of the Russian communalism lies deep in the vastness of the Great Russian Plain.

Nature has not been kind to Russia. Much of European Russia and Siberia is very cold most of the year. In Old Russia, people could do little during winter months. But in spring there was much to be done, and in a short period of time. This explains why Russians are often inactive for long periods of time and then show bursts of energy. The harsh climate explains the Russians’ strength, their ability to overcome hardships, as well as their patience and submission. Climate has also made them cautious.

Their cruel climate, harsh history, and skeptical outlook on life have made Russians value stability, security, social order, and predictability, and to avoid risk.

To understand the Russians, one must know where they come from.

1.How much is the Russian national character influenced by the country geography and climate?

2.What do you think about the notion “national character”?

3.What stereotypes about Americans, Russians and the British can you sug-

gest?

4.How different or alike do you think Americans, Russians and the British are?

5.What features of the American, British and Russian people and their way of life can you name?

Control

1.Answer the questions about Russia.

1.Where does Russia lie?

2.What are Russia’s neighbours?

3.What proves that Russia has a variety of landscapes?

4.How can the relief of Russia be characterized?

5.What are the main natural resources in Russia?

6.What is the population of Russia?

7.What is the climate of the country like?

8.What are the main rivers and lakes of Russia?

9.What is Russia’s political system?

10.How can you characterize the economy of Russia?

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PART I. COUNTRIES, CULTURES, PEOPLE

11.What is characteristic of the Russian system of education?

12.What are the main cities of Russia?

13.What part does Moscow play in the life of Russia?

14.What are Russian people like?

15.What can you say about the main sights of Russia?

2.Answer the questions about Great Britain.

1.Where does the UK lie?

2.What does the UK consist of?

3.What is Great Britain’s largest neighbour?

4.What proves that Great Britain has a variety of landscapes?

5.How does the Gulf Stream influence Britain’s climate?

6.What are Britain’s chief industries?

7.What is Britain’s political system?

8.What are the major political parties in Great Britain?

9.What is the population of London?

10.What part does London play in the life of the United Kingdom?

11.What are the West End and the East End known for?

12.What are the main tourist attractions in London?

13.Where do the majority of Londoners live?

14.What is the population of the United Kingdom?

15.What natural resources are there in Northern England?

3.Answer the questions about America.

1.Where is the USA situated?

2.What territory does the USA occupy?

3.How can the relief of the USA be characterized?

4.What are the rivers and lakes of the USA?

5.What is the climate of the country like?

6.How can you characterize the economy of the USA?

7.What is the political system of the USA?

8.What does the US national flag represent?

9.What are the two major kinds of daily newspapers in the USA?

10.What are the holidays for federal employees and state government

offices?

11.What other kinds of holidays are there in the USA?

12.How are religious holidays marked?

13.What are traditional holidays?

14.How is Independence Day marked?

15.What kind of holiday is Thanksgiving?

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Unit 2

CULTURES

Цель занятия: формирование системы знаний о историко-культурном наследии России и Великобритании, развитие межкультурной компетенции.

В результате изучения темы студент должен:

–знать терминологию по теме занятия;

–уметь применять на практике лексику, необходимую для беседы с англоязычным партнером; работать в паре;

–владеть навыками диалогической речи, необходимыми в межличностном и межкультурном общении на иностранном языке (ОК-2).

Актуальность темы: знание базовой лексики необходимо для эффективного межкультурного и межличностного общения на иностранном языке.

Теоретическая часть

▪ British Customs

British nation is considered to be the most conservative in Europe. It is not a secret that every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. In Great Britain people attach greater importance to traditions and customs than in other European countries. Englishmen are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up. The best examples are their queen, money system, their weights and measures.

There are many customs and some of them are very old. There is, for example, the Marble Championship, where the British Champion is crowned. Also one can win a silver cup known among folk dancers as Morris Dancing. Morris Dancing is an event where people, worn in beautiful clothes with ribbons and bells, dance with handkerchiefs or big sticks in their hands, while traditional musicsounds.

Another example is the Boat Race, which takes place on the river Thames, often on Easter Sunday. A boat with a team from Oxford University and one with a team from Cambridge University hold a race.

British people think that the Grand National horse race is the most exciting horse race in the world. It takes place near Liverpool every year. Sometimes it happens the same day as the Boat Race takes place, sometimes a week later. Amateur riders as well as professional jockeys can participate. It is a very famous event.

There are many celebrations in May, especially in the countryside. Halloween is a day on which many children dress up in unusual cos-

tumes. In fact, this holiday has a Celtic origin. The day was originally called

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PART I. COUNTRIES, CULTURES, PEOPLE

All Halloween’s Eve, because it happens on October 31, the eve of all Saint’s Day. The name was later shortened to Halloween. The Celts celebrated the coming of New Year on that day.

Another tradition is the holiday called Bonfire Night.

On November 5, 1605 a man called Guy Fawkes planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament where the king James 1st was to open Parliament on that day. But Guy Fawkes was unable to realize his plan and was caught and later, hanged. The British still remember that Guy Fawkes’ Night. It is another name for this holiday. This day one can see children with figures, made of sacks and straw and dressed in old clothes. On November 5th, children put their figures on the bonfire, burn them, and light their fireworks.

In the end of the year, there is the most famous New Year celebration. In London, many people go to Trafalgar Square on New Year’s Eve. There is singing and dancing at 12 o’clock on December 31st.

A popular Scottish event is the Edinburgh Festival of music and drama, which takes place every year. A truly Welsh event is the Eisteddfod, a national festival of traditional poetry and music, with a competition for the best new poem in Welsh.

If we look at English weights and measures, we can be convinced that the British are very conservative people. They do not use the internationally accepted measurements. They have conserved their old measures. There are nine essential measures. For general use, the smallest weight is one ounce, and then 16 ounce is equal to a pound. Fourteen pounds is one stone.

The English always give people’s weight in pounds and stones. Liquids they measure in pints, quarts and gallons. There are two pints in a quart and four quarts or eight pints are in one gallon. For length, they have inches, foot, yards and miles.

If we have always been used to the metric system therefore the English monetary system could be found rather difficult for us. They have a pound sterling. It was early divided into twenty shillings, half-crown is cost two shillings and sixpence, shilling is worth twelve pennies and one penny could be changed by two halfpennies. But nowadays the British have the internationally accepted monetary system. It means that one pound of sterling consists of one hundred pennies.

▪ On Good Manners Abroad and at Home

When abroad, study and respect local customs. If you are in a foreign country and know only one foreign word, use it. If not, learn one! People will appreciate your trying to speak their language. It is a sure road to friendship.

When you are in a foreign country, do not forget that your behaviour will be considered typical of that of your native land. Good manners will be ap-

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preciated the world over, so do not fail to be polite, courteous and well-man- nered.

Be neat and tidy in your clothes. Don’t go about in dirty footwear. Don’t sit, stand or walk with hands in your pockets. Don’t eat fruit, ice cream or anything else in the street, in the shop or in public transport.

No matter where you are, loud laughter and talking are signs of bad manners.

A real gentleman never forgets to rise when a lady comes up to him and addresses him. He will never remain seated when a lady is standing.

Always come in time. Punctuality is essential when keeping an appointment whether you are meeting friends for a drink or whether you are having a business talk.

When an English businessman expects you to come to a business talk or a conference, be punctual. He will be surprised if you come fifteen minutes before your time and annoyed if you are five minutes late. Avoid getting into the habit of arriving everywhere late. If you can arrive regularly late, you might just as easily arrive regularly on time.

Вопросы и задания

1.Read and translate the texts.

2.What is normal? Something which you think is normal, someone from another country may think is quite extraordinary. Here are some customs from different countries including Britain. Mark what is normal in your country and compare it with Britain.

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