Иностранный язык (Английский). Практикум

PART I. COUNTRIES, CULTURES, PEOPLE

Sagittarians (November 22 to December 21) like ethnic food from many different countries. Aquarians (January 20 to February 18) can eat as much meat and fish as they want, but sugar and cholesterol are sometimes problems for them.

7. Circle the letter of one main idea of the reading:

A. The typical North American diet now includes food from many different countries.

B. For health reasons more people are also buying more raw vegetables. C. “Junk food” in the future is not going to be “Junk” at all.

D. North Americans are becoming more interested in good health, and nutrition is an important part of health.

8. True or false:

A.All North Americans eat only fast food, convenience food, and junk food with a lot of sugar, salt and fat. ___________________

B.People today are becoming more interested in good nutrition and more healthful cooking methods._________________

C.Food from other countries is not very popular with North Americans.

______________

D.In the future people will probably continue to eat more healthful food. ______________

9.Find the answers to the following questions and put them down:

1.What food are North Americans eating more for better nutrition?

2.What food are they eating less?

3.Why do people cook vegetables quickly in very little water?

4.What ethnic food do Americans often eat?

5.How will convenience food change in the future?

6.Why will junk food be more healthful?

10.Speak on the following situations:

1.Lunch time: you are in the US. You are not feeling too well. It’s nearly lunch time, but you don’t want very much to eat. You think a sandwich and a drink is enough, your partner is going to eat a sandwich and offers to bring something for you. Find out what you can get and choose something you like. Where can your friend get it?

2.A good dinner. You are visiting Washington on business. You have plenty of money. Your partner is another visitor to the same conference. Find out if your friend can come.

3.Find a suitable place to eat for each situation in the USA:

• You expect to talk business over lunch, so you want somewhere small and quiet. You’re rather hungry.

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•Your partner is a very important guest and might become a big client of your company. You would like to please and impress your partner. The company will pay for the lunch anyway, and you’ve been told it doesn’t matter how much it costs, providing your partner is pleased.

Your partner:

•You want to talk business over lunch, so you would prefer something small and quiet. You don’t like eating big meals at lunch time.

•You really don’t want anything more than a sandwich and a drink.

4.Ask your American friend about his/her favorite breakfast and dinner dishes. In turn describe your favourite dishes.

5.Exchange opinions with your friends about each other’s eating habits. Express your opinions about it. If necessary give some helpful advice how to make it healthier. Do you think your friends’ eating styles differ from Americans’ ones?

6.Arrange a discussion on typical American and Russian diets. State advantages and disadvantages of each. Find out which diet your friends would prefer to follow, if they have any stereotypes about American diet.

7.Living to eat or eating to live? Which one do you support? Discuss it with your friends and find arguments for and against each part of the statement.

8.Exchange opinions about the difference in men’s and women’s attitude to food and dieting. Is it different in the States and in your country? Compare the differences and make your conclusions.

9.Poll your friends and find out what they think about the following.

•What is healthy food for you?

•What is your opinion of dieting?

•How many of your friends (classmates) have rational meals (regular meals)?

•Are you much of a cook? Cooking what dishes are you particularly good at?

•What would you prefer: to buy a new thing to wear or to have a couple of good meals with plenty of fruit and vegetables?

•Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, what sort of sweet do you favor?

•To what extent are you a vegetarian?

•Do you economize on food?

•How often do you think about what you are eating?

10. Cultural differences at dinner party. What are the customs for entertaining guests at dinner in the US / Russia? Explain the difference to the class.

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PART I. COUNTRIES, CULTURES, PEOPLE

Unit 5

PLACES OF INTEREST

Цель занятия: формирование представления о достопримечательностях родной страны и стран изучаемого языка.

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

▪ Places of Interest in Russia / Moscow

The majestic Kremlin serves as the focal point and authoritative symbol of the historic city of Moscow. Established in 1147 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruki, the city flourished as a trading centre, effectively defended by the Kremlin’s fortified walls. Despite numerous attacks and occupation by invading Mongols, Moscow continued to thrive and consolidate its sovereignty, emerging as the center of the influential Russian Orthodox Church in 1326.

In the late 15th century, Moscow became the capital of Russia, a status it retained until Tsar Peter I, known as Peter the Great, moved the centre of power to St Petersburg in 1712. The raging fire of 1812 that drove Napoleon out of Moscow in defeat also destroyed much of the city, although its rebuilding was rapid. Industrialization and the advent of the railway brought prosperity and an ever-increasing population to Moscow. With the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1918, the city again was named the capital.

Moscow is the cultural and political centre of Russia. The imposing walls of the Kremlin that enclose centuries-old cathedrals, museums, and administrative buildings dominate Red Square in the heart of the city. The rest of Moscow spreads in a series of concentric circles reaching into the suburbs, where rows of high-rise apartment buildings constructed since the 1950s commonly fail to meet the enormous demand for housing.

Moscow remains one of the great cities of the world. Its stately architecture, including the multicoloured onion-shaped domes of the Cathedral of St Basil, as well as the renowned Bolshoi Ballet, the lively Arbat Street,

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and the elegance of its underground metro system contribute to Moscow’s international reputation.

Grand Kremlin Palace

The River Moskva flows past the gilded domes of the 15th-century Uspensky Cathedral and the imposing Grand Kremlin Palace, which is the youngest of the numerous buildings and churches enclosed by Moscow’s medieval fortress walls. Originally constructed in 1156 and refortified many times to ward off attacks by the Mongols, the Kremlin is today the seat of the Russian government.

Arbat Street in Moscow

Narrow 19th-century Arbat Street has long been a gathering place for writers and artists in the Russian capital city of Moscow. Located west of the Kremlin, the pedestrian avenue is lined with shops and restaurants. During Communist rule, intellectuals who disagreed with the government found refuge along the Arbat.

St Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square

Bright sun illuminates the whimsical spires and intricately carved onion domes of St Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow’s most colourful landmark. Built in the 1550s to celebrate Ivan the Terrible’s conquest of Kazan and Astrakhan Province, this extraordinary structure was originally known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin. Eight chapels, each with a distinct exterior, surround the central church. Now a museum, St Basil’s is filled with frescoes, icons, and paintings.

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and it was called so in his honour. The city is situated on the Neva River and has become the “window” to Europe. It was built by prominent European and Russian architects.

St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia from 1712 till 1918.

The Peter and Paul Fortress was built to protect the Neva banks from Swedish invasion. Later D. Trezzini, a famous Swiss architect, reconstructed the fortress. It became a prison. Now it is a museum. D. Trezzini erected the Peter and Paul Cathedral here, which is a masterpiece of architecture. Russian tsars were buried in it.

St. Petersburg is an industrial, cultural and scientific centre. There are over 80 museums, about 20 theatres, exhibitions, clubs, a university, colleges, institutes, schools, libraries and parks. The Pushkin Drama Theatre, the Bolshoi Gorky Drama Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet are pearls of the Russian art.

In St. Petersburg there are a lot of parks and gardens where the citizens can spend their free time.

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PART I. COUNTRIES, CULTURES, PEOPLE

The Summer Garden is the oldest and most fascinating park. Rare trees, bushes and flowers grow there. Beautiful marble statues made by Italian sculptors and a cast iron grille decorate the Summer Garden. There is a bronze monument to the prominent Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov (by sculptor Klodt) in the Summer Garden.

The city is famous for its magnificent architectural ensembles of the 1819 centuries.

In St. Petersburg tourists usually start sightseeing from Palace Square, the largest and most beautiful one. One cannot help admiring the ensemble in Palace Square: the Winter Palace (built by Rastrelli) was the residence of Russian tsars till the revolution.

The Hermitage, one of the oldest art museums in Russia, occupies the Winter Palace and four other buildings. There one can see masterpieces of the outstanding artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Velazques and other unique works of art.

The Russian museum is located in the Mikhailovsky Palace, designed by Rossi. Marvellous paintings of the famous Russian artists: Tropinin, Repin, Bryullov, Fedotov, Surikov, Serov, the works of sculptors: Rastrelli, Shubin, Antokolsky are exhibited here.

The streets and squares in St. Petersburg are very beautiful. Nevsky Prospect is the main street of the city, where there are amazing buildings, shops, hotels and the remarkable Kazan Cathedral (by Voronikhin) with a colonade and monuments to M. Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly. Here in the prospect one can see the magnificent building of the Admiralty (by Zakharov) and an ensemble of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Famous Russian writers, painters, composers and actors were buried in the Lavra.

The majestic palaces, cathedrals, churches and other buildings, built by famous architects, decorate St. Petersburg, such as: palaces of Stroganov, Menshikov, Anichkov, the Triumphal Arch and St. Isaak’s Cathedral, erected byMontferrand.St.Isaak’sCathedralisoneofthemostbeautifulcathedrals, from the observation place of which one can see the panorama of the city.

One cannot forget to mention the Smolny Institute and the Smolny nunnery, masterpieces of Rastrelli. Girls from aristocratic families studied and lived in the institute.

A lot of bridges cross the Neva, the Fontanka, the Moika and the canals, but the Anichkov Bridge is the most beautiful one.

St. Petersburg inspired many of our great poets, writers, painters, sculptors, composers and actors. Much of the life and work of Lermontov, Griboyedov, Pushkin, Belinsky, Glinka, Chaikovsky, Repin and Kramskoi was connected with the city.

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Citizens, tourists and guests enjoy visiting the suburbs of St. Petersburg: Petergof, Pushkin, Pavlovsk, and Lomonosov with their wonderful palaces, parks and fountains.

Вопросы и задания

1.Read and translate the texts.

2.Each country has various museums and art galleries. Read about Russia’s best known museums. Fill in the necessary words.

The Russian museum

a house – to house a display – to display a collection – to collect

an exhibition - an exhibit – to exhibit

The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg is a world “treasure _____” of Russian art. It _____ more than 300,000 items. The first state museum of Russian art _____ in the Mikhailovsky Palace in March 1898.

The _____ of Russian art is rich. Here there _____ tens of thousands of drawings and water-colours. The _____ of the Russian Museum include almost 9,000 works of paintings of famous Russian artists. The visitors to the Museum today can see the world famous _____ of Russian art in its _____

halls.

The Russian Museum also _____ sculptures and engravings (гравюры). The rich _____ of numerous items of Russian works of art _____ in its 120 rooms.

The Hermitage

house collection painting sculpture handicraft textiles furniture culture art

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PART I. COUNTRIES, CULTURES, PEOPLE

It’s “a treasure-_______” of world _______ and ________. It’s one of the biggest ______ in the world that contains two million seven hundred thousand _______. It contains rich ________ of the art of all ages. Here are exhibited the _______ of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt and other masters; _________ by Michelangelo, Bernini, Falconet and others. There are also wonderful ______ of drawings, popular art, ______ work as

_______, gold and silverware (изделия), _____.

3. Read and translate the texts.

Places of interest in London

London is one of the oldest and most interesting cities in the world. Traditionally it’s divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the

West End and the East End. They are very different from each other and seem to belong to different towns and epochs.

The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Bailey. Few people live here, but over a million people come to the City to work. There are some famous ancient buildings within the City. Perhaps the most striking of them is St Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of British churches. It was built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror. It was used as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison. Now it’s a museum.

Westminster is the historic, the governmental part of London. Westminster Abbey has more historic associations than any other build-

ing in Britain. Nearly all English kings and queens have been crowned here. Many outstanding statesmen, scientists, writers, poets and painters are buried here: Newton, Darwin, Chaucer, Dickens, Tennyson, Kipling.

Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace, or the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Parliament. The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell, known as “Big Ben”.

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen.

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It’s the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs, and theatres are situated there. There are splendid houses and lovely gardens belonging to wealthy people.

Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in memory of Admiral Nelson’s victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson’s Column stands in the middle of the square.

On the north side of Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Not far away is the British Museum - the biggest mu-

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seum in London. It contains a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures, etc, and is famous for its library.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

St. Paul’s Cathedral is the work of the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren. It is said to be one of the finest pieces of architecture in Europe. Work on Wren’s masterpiece began in 1675 after a Norman church, old St. Paul’s, was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. For 35 years the building of St. Paul’s Cathedral went on, and Wren was an old man before it was finished.

From far away you can see the huge dome with a golden ball and cross on the top. The interior of the Cathedral is very beautiful. It is full of monuments. The most important, perhaps, is the one dedicated to the Duke of Wellington. After looking round you can climb 263 steps to the Whispering Gallery, which runs round the dome. But if you want to reach the foot of the ball, you have to climb 637 steps.

As for Christopher Wren, who is now known as ‘the architect of London’, he found his fame only after his death. He was buried in the Cathedral. Buried here are Nelson, Wellington and Sir Joshua Reynolds.

The Tower of London

The Tower on the north bank of the Thames is one of the most ancient buildings of London. It was founded in the 11th century by William the Conqueror. But each monarch left some kind of personal mark on it. For many centuries the Tower has been a fortress, a palace, a prison and a royal treasury. It is now a museum of arms and armour, and as one of the strongest fortresses in Britain, it has the Crown Jewels.

The gray stones of the Tower could tell terrible stories of violence and injustice. Many sad and cruel events took place within the walls of the Tower. It was here that Thomas More, the great humanist, was falsely accused and executed. Among famous prisoners executed at the Tower were Henry VIII’s wives Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard.

When Queen Elizabeth was a princess, she was sent to the Tower by Mary Tudor (‘Bloody Mary’) and kept prisoner for some time. The ravens whose forefathers used to find food in the Tower still live here as part of its history. There is a legend that if the ravens disappear the Tower will fall. That is why the birds are carefully guarded.

The White Tower was built by William the Conqueror to protect and control the City of London. It is the oldest and the most important building, surrounded by other towers, which all have different names.

Every night at 10 p.m. at the Tower of London the Ceremony of the Keys or locking up of the Tower for the night takes place. It goes back to the Middle Ages. The keys are finally carried to the Queen’s House where they are safe for the night. After the ceremony everyone who approaches the gate must give the password or turn away.

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PART I. COUNTRIES, CULTURES, PEOPLE

Art Galleries

If you stand in Trafalgar Square with your back to Nelson’s Column, you will see a wide horizontal front in a classical style. It is the National Gallery. It has been in this building since 1838 which was built as the National Gallery to house the collection of Old Masters Paintings offered to the nation by an English private collector, Sir George Beamount.

Today the picture galleries of the National Gallery of Art exhibit works of all the European schools of painting which existed between the 13th and 19th centuries. The most famous works among them are ‘Venus and Cupid’ by Diego Velazquez, ‘Adoration of the Shepherds’ by Nicolas Poussin, ‘Mrs Siddons’ by Thomas Gainsborough and many others.

In 1897 the Tate Gallery was opened to house the more modern British paintings. Most of the National Gallery collection of British paintings was transferred to the Tate, and only a small collection of a few masterpieces is now at Trafalgar Square. Thus, the Tate Gallery exhibits number of interesting collections of British and foreign modern painting and also modern sculpture.

The collection of Turner’s paintings at the Tate includes about 300 oils and 19,000 water-colours and drawings. He was the most traditional artist of his time as well as the most original: traditional in his devotion to the Old Masters and original in his creation of new styles. It is sometimes said that he prepared the way for the Impressionists.

The modern collection includes the paintings of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and Salvador Dali, Francis Bacon and Graham Sutherland, Peter Blake and Richard Hamilton, the chief pioneers of pop art in Great Britain. Henry Moore is a famous British sculptor whose works are exhibited at the Tate too.

4. Answer the following questions:

1) What are different districts of London famous for? 2)What are the main tourist attractions in London? 3)What is Westminster Abbey noted for?

4)What is Buckingham Palace? 5)What is the biggest clock in London?

6)What do you know about Trafalgar Square?

7)What are the most famous ancient buildings in London? 8)What is St. Paul’s Cathedral famous for?

9)What is the Tower of London associated with? 10)What world – famous museums are there in London?

5. Read and translate the texts.

Places of interest in the USA

Washington is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the United States. In the very centre of it rises the huge dome of the Capitol – a big

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white dome standing on a circle of pillars. The 535 members of the Congress meet here to discuss the nation’s affairs. It’s easy to get lost in this huge building, full of paintings and statues.

Not far from the Capitol is the Library of Congress, the largest library in the States. It contains more than 13 million books, more than 19 million manuscripts, including the personal papers of the US presidents.

The White House is the official residence of the US President. He works in the Oval Office.

One can hardly find a park, a square or an open area in Washington without a monument or a memorial. The most impressive and the best-known ones are the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

There are some important museums in Washington where you can see all kinds of things: famous paintings and sculptures, the dresses of Presidents’s wives, the original of the Declaration of Independence, the largest blue diamond in the world, etc.

There are no skyscrapers in Washington, because they would hide the city’s many monuments from view. No building in the city may be more than 40 metres tall.

Although New York is not the capital of the United States, it is the biggest and most important city of the country. Situated at the mouth of the deep Hudson River, it has always been the gateway to the USA. But it is more than just a door: it is also a window through which the life of the whole nation may be observed.

It’s the centre of American cultural life. It’s the national leader in fashion and entertainment.

When people say “New York City” they usually mean Manhattan. It is the real centre of the city. The Empire State Building, Rockefeller Centre, the United Nations building, tremendous traffic, dazzling advertisements, Central Park, Times Square, Broadway, Harlem, Chinatown, the most famous avenues and streets – all these are to be found in Manhattan.

The map of Manhattan seems unusual to a European eye. It is crossed from north to south by avenues and from east to west by streets. Only one avenue, Broadway, runs east to west. Each avenue has either a name or a number. The streets are numbered from one to over a hundred. Only a few of them have names.

Broadway is the symbol of American theatre, as Hollywood is of American cinema.

The intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue forms world-famous Times Square, the heart of the New York Theatre District. It is one of many New York City “squares” that is actually triangles.

Park Avenue represents luxury and fashion because of its large expensive apartment houses.

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