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THE UNITED KINGDOM __________________________________________________________ 71
Choose the correct verb for each blank.
died, had, was born, travelled, moved, told, became, sang, was published
1.Robert Burns ... much about Scotland collecting popular songs.
2.Robert Burns ... in poverty at the age of 37 in
1796.
3.Robert and his brother ... partners on the
farm.
4.Robert’s mother ... a beautiful voice and often
... songs and ... many folk tales to her children.
5.The great Scottish poet Robert Burns ... in 1759.
6.His first book Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dia-
lect... .
7.Burns ... to Edinburgh.
Read the first part of the sentence in A and find the second part in B.
А
1.His favourite heroes were ...
2.Robert was more interested in the romantic nature of poetry than ...
3.In 1777 Robert moved to another town where
...
4.His father wanted Robert to be ...
5.Robert Burns was born ...
6.At the age of 15 Robert wrote ...
7.Burns is the author of the words of the song ...
8.Bruce defeated the English army and ...
... his first verse My Handsome Nell.
... later became King of Scotland.
... an educated person and sent him to school at the
age of 6.
... Auld Lang Syne which Scottish people sing on the
New Year's Day.
... William Wallace and Robert Bruce.
... he organized a society of young people.
... working on a farm.
... in the family of a poor farmer.
В
Put in the missing words according to the text.
1.In 1791 he had to sell the farm because he
wasn’t ... at farming.
2.Wallace was the leader of the ... against the
English oppressors.
3.His father William was a kind person who loved
and ... people.
4.He spent his ... working on his father’s farm.
Read and learn by heart the dialogue. Then act it out.
Meggy: Hi, Liz! It seems to me that you haven’t no-
ticed me.
Liz: Oh, sorry, Meggy. I didn’t see you. I was
carried away by the book.
Meggy: What are you reading?
Liz: Detective stories.
Meggy: Really, Liz, you should start more serious
reading.
Liz: What do you mean?
Meggy: Poetry first of all.
Liz: What would you recommend me to start
with?
5.Robert Burns died in ... at the age of 37 in
1796 of heart disease.
6.The book was ... praised by the critics.
7.Robert’s father was extremely well-read and employed ... for Robert and his younger brother
Gilbert.
Meggy: I have a collection of poems by Robert
Burns, the great Scottish poet.
Liz: What did he write about?
Meggy: What do all poets write about? About love,
about people, about everything they see around them.
Liz: I see. He is author of the words of the song
Auld Lang Syne which people sing on the
New Year's Day.
Meggy: Yes, you are quite right.
Liz: I’d like to read his poems.
Meggy: OK. I’m glad to hear it.
72 __________________________________________________________ THE UNITED KINGDOM
James Cook
James Cook is a great English discoverer and
traveller. He was born on the 27
th
of October in
an English village in Yorkshire. His father was
a poor farmer. At the age of 18 James made his
first voyage as an apprentice on board a ship. In
1755 he enlisted in the Royal Navy as an able
seaman and was sent to the American coast. While
charting the coast of Newfoundland, Cook mastered the skills of a mapmaker. In 1768–1771
Cook made his first round-the-world voyage on
board the Endeavour. He sailed round Cape Horn
and explored the South Pacific. Cook discovered
several islands in the South Pacific. He also sailed
around both islands of New Zealand and explored
the eastern coast of Australia.
In 1772–1775 Cook undertook his second voyage in search of the Southern Continent. He had
two ships with him. They were the Resolution
commanded by James Cook and the Adventure
commanded by Tobias Furneaux. Cook was a very
Names
nice captain. He took good care of the health of
his crew. In those times lots of sailors on long
voyages died of scurvy because of the lack of
vitamins in food and bad hygiene.
Captain Cook made his men wash every day
and air their beds. He tried to get as much fresh
food as he could. Cook made his men eat sauerkraut. His second voyage lasted three years and
eighteen days. Out of 112 men Cook lost four,
among whom only one died of an illness.
In 1776–1779 Cook made his third voyage. The
purpose of this voyage was to look for the Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans from the Pacific side. James Cook
undertook this voyage in company with Captain
Clerke. They sailed around Africa and across the
Indian Ocean into the Pacific. Captain Cook met
his death on the 14
th
of February in 1779 on the
Hawaiian Islands. He and his crew were attacked
by the natives.
James Cook ['dZeImz 'kuk] — Джеймс Кук
Yorkshire ['jD:kSIA] — Йоркшир
the Royal Navy — Королевский военно-
морской флот
Newfoundland [,nju:'fAundlAnd] — Нью-
фаундленд
the Endeavour [In'devA] — «Усилие»
Cape Horn ['keIp 'hD:n] — мыс Горн
the South Pacific ['sauF pA'sIfIk] — южная
часть Тихого океана
New Zealand [nju: 'zi:lAnd] — Новая Зеландия
Australia [D:'streIljA] — Австралия
the Resolution [,rezA'lu:Sn] — «Решение»
Vocabulary
poor [puA] — бедный
farmer ['fC:mA] — фермер
apprentice [A'prentIs] — ученик, подмастерье
board [bD:d] — борт (судно)
to enlist [In'lIst] — поступать на военную
службу
able ['eIbl] — умелый, знающий
coast [kAust] — побережье
to chart [tSC:t] — составлять карту
to master ['mC:stA] — овладевать (ремес-
лом)
skill [skIl] — искусство, мастерство
mapmaker ['mBp,meIkA] — картограф
the Adventure [Ad'ventSA] — «Приключение»
Tobias Furneaux [tA'baIAs 'fA:nAu] — Тобиас
Ферно
the Notrhwest passage ['nD:F'west 'pBsIdZ] —
Северо-западный проход
the Atlantic Ocean [At'lBntIk 'AuSn] — Атлан-
тический океан
the Indian Ocean ['IndIAn 'AuSn] — Индийский
океан
the Pacific Ocean [pA'sIfIk 'AuSn] — Тихий океан
Clerke [klC:k] — Кларк
the Hawaiian Islands [hA'waIn 'aIlAndz] — Га-
вайские острова
путешествие
to explore [Iks'plD:] — исследовать
to undertake [,EndA'teIk] — предпринимать
search [sA:tS] — поиски
crew [kru:] — судовая команда
scurvy ['skA:vI] — цинга
lack [lBk] — недостаток, нужда
hygiene ['haIdZi:n] — гигиена
sauerkraut ['sauAkraut] — кислая капуста
purpose ['pA:pAs] — цель, намерение
death [deF] — смерть
native ['neItIv] — туземец
THE UNITED KINGDOM __________________________________________________________ 73
Answer the questions.
1.What was Games Cook?
2.When and where was he born?
3.At what age did James Cook make his first voyage?
4.When did he enlist in the Royal Navy?
5.Where was Games Cook sent?
6.What skills did he master while charting the
coast of Newfoundland?
7.When did James Cook make his first roundthe-world voyage?
8.Where did he sail?
9.What did James Cook explore and discover?
10.When did he undertake his second voyage?
11.How many ships did he have?
12.Who commanded those ships?
13.Cook was a very nice captain, wasn’t he? What
can you say to prove it?
14.How did Cook take care of the health of his
crew?
15.What did he make his men do?
16.How long did his second voyage last?
17.How many of his men did he lose during his
second voyage? Why?
18.When did he make his third voyage?
19.What was the purpose of this voyage?
20.What company did Games Cook undertake this
voyage in?
21.Where did they sail?
22.When and where did James Cook die?
23.Who attacked him and his crew?
Read the first part of the sentence in A and find the second part in B.
АB
1.In 1772—1775 Cook undertook ...
2.Captain Cook made his men ...
3.In 1755 he enlisted in ...
4.In those times lots of sailors ...
5.He sailed round Cape Horn and ...
6.Captain Cook met his death ...
7.His second voyage lasted ...
... explored the South Pacific.
... three years and eighteen days.
... his second voyage in search of the Southern Con-
tinent.
... on the 14
Islands.
... wash every day and air their beds.
... on long voyages died of scurvy.
... the Royal Navy as an able seaman.
th
of February in 1779 on the Hawaiian
Agree or disagree.
1.James Cook’s father was a rich farmer.
2.He and his crew were attacked by the wild animals.
3.His second voyage lasted ten years.
4.In 1755 James Cook enlisted in the Royal Navy
as an able seaman.
Put in the missing words according to the text.
1.He took good care of the health of his ... .
2.At the age of 18 James made his first voyage as
... on board a ship.
3.Cook made his men eat ... .
4.He and his crew were attacked by ... .
5.In those times lots of sailors on long voyages
died of ... because of the ... of vitamins in food
and bad ... .
5.James Cook is a great Spanish discoverer and
traveller.
th
6.Captain Cook met his death on the 14
ruary in 1879.
7.James Cook was born in 1828.
6.... of this voyage was to look for the Northwest
Passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific
Oceans from the Pacific side.
7.While ... the coast of Newfoundland Cook mastered the skills of a mapmaker.
8.The ... of this voyage was to look for the Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans from the Pacific side.
of Feb-
74 __________________________________________________________ THE UNITED KINGDOM
Read the beginning of the sentence and find its end in the text.
1.Out of 112 men Cook lost four ... .
2.James Cook is a great ... .
3.They were the Resolution commanded by ... .
4.In 1768–1771 Cook made ... .
5.Captain Cook met his death ... .
6.In 1775 he enlisted in ... .
7.In those times lots of sailors on long voyages ... .
8.James Cook undertook this voyage in ...
Choose the correct verb for each blank.
undertook, lost, explored, were attacked, met, took care, died, sailed, mastered
1.Cook and his crew ... by the natives.
2.Out of 112 men Cook ... four among whom
only one ... of an illness.
3.He ... round Cape Horn and ... the South Pacific.
4.James Cook ... of the health of his crew.
5.While charting the coast of Newfoundland,
Cook ... the skills of a mapmaker.
6.Captain Cook ... his death on the 14
ruary in 1779.
7.In 1772–1775 Cook ... his second voyage in
search of the Southern Continent.
Choose the correct item.
1.James Cook ... to get as much fresh food as he
could.
was, met, tried
2.In 1755 Cook ... to the American coast.
was sent, lost, made
3.In 1776—1779 Cook ... his third voyage.
discovered, made, explored
4.Jame Cook ... this voyage in company with Captain Clerke.
undertook, sailed, mastered
5.Cook ... several islands in the South Pacific.
had, died, discovered
6.They ... around Africa and across the Indian
Ocean into the Pacific.
were attacted, sailed, made
th
of Feb-
Translate from Russian into English.
1.Кук был очень хорошим капитаном.
2.Джеймс Кук исследовал восточное побережье Австралии.
3.Его отец был бедным фермером.
4.Кук предпринял своё путешествие в компании с капитаном Кларком.
Read and learn by heart the dialogue. Then act it out.
Ted: Hi! What are you doing, Nick?
Nick: Hi! Nothing special. I’m listening to Rus-
sian popsongs of the 60s.
Ted: Oh, how interesting. By the way, have
you ever listened songs by Vladimir Visotstky?
Nick: Yes, my parents often listen to his songs. As
for me, I like rock-music.
Ted: To tell you the truth, some of his songs
go to my heart. Sometimes I enjoy listening
to them and they help me when I’m in trou-
5.Из 112 человек Кук потерял четверых, среди которых только один умер от болезни.
6.Кук хорошо заботился о здоровье своей команды.
7.Капитан Кук встретил смерть 14 февраля
1779 на Гавайских Островах.
ble. Especially I like his song about
Cook be eaten by aboriginals [,BbA'rIdZAnl].
Nick: Cook... What is he?
Ted: Don’t you know? James Cook was a great
English discoverer.
Nick: I see. What did he discover?
Ted: As far as I remember lots of islands in the
South Pacific. But I’m sure he is also known
because he took good care of the health of
his crew.
THE UNITED KINGDOM __________________________________________________________ 75
Nick: Oh, yes, I’ve read that in those times many
sailors on long voyages died of scurvy
['skA:vI].
Ted: Yes, you are quite right. They didn’t get
enough vitamins in food.
Nick: And how did he solve this problem?
Ted: Cook made his men eat sauerkraut
['sauAkraut]. And there was another problem. It was bad hygiene ['haIdZi:n].
Agatha Christie
Agatha Cristie is known to millions of people
all over the world as the Queen of Crime.
Agatha was born in 1890 in Torquay in England. Her father’s name was Frederick Miller, so
she was born as Agatha Miller. Agatha was educated at home and took singing lessons in Paris.
In 1914 she married Archie Christie and became Agatha Christie. She took part in the First
World War. Agatha worked at a hospital. That
experience was useful later on when she started
writing detective stories. Her first book was published in 1920.It was The Mysterious Affair at
Styles. This novel was met with interest by the
reading public. That was the first appearance of
Hercule Poirot. He became one of the most popular private detectives since Sherlock Holmes. This
little Belgian with the egg-shaped head has become a legend all over the world.
Agatha Christie became a popular writer when
she published her novel The Murder of Roger
Ackroyd in 1926.It is still considered her masterpiece.
The same year Agatha Christie surprised the
public by suddenly disappearing for a few days.
After it her husband wanted a divorce. Agatha
was found to be staying in a hotel under an assumed name. Her disappearance is still a mystery!
Nick: Oh, yes. I can guess what he made his
crew do. It was washing every day, wasn’t
it?
Ted: Yes, exactly. And airing their beds.
Nick: But tell me please, was he eaten by the abo-
riginals or not?
Ted: I’m sorry, I don’t know. Let’s ask our par-
ents, maybe they know.
Nick: OK.
After the divorce she married a British archaeologist, Max Mallowan. This marriage proved to
be a happy one. Agatha wanted to stop using her
former husband’s name. But her publishers said
that it would not be wise because the name of
Agatha Christie had already become well known
to the public.
When Agatha Christie got tired of Hercule
Poirot she invented Miss Marple. Miss Marple is
a deceptively mild old lady with her own method
of investigation. She is an English spinster and
lives in the English village of St. Mary Mead. She
doesn’t look like a detective at all. This old lady
doesn’t use a magnifying glass looking for clues.
She always uses her instinct and knoweledge of
human nature. Once she said: “Human Nature is
the same everywhere.”
Agatha Christie died in 1976.She was buried
in St. Mary’s Churchyard. This churchyard is situated in Cholsey, Berkshire, forty-seven miles west
of London.
Agatha Christie wrote 78 crime novels, 19 plays
and 6 romantic novels.
Her books have been translated into 103 foreign languages. She is the third best-selling author in the world (after Shakespeare and the Bible). Many of her novels and short stories have
been filmed.
Names
Agatha Christie ['BMAFA 'krIstI] — Агата Кристи
Torquay [tD:'ki:] — Торки
Frederick Miller ['fredrIk 'mIlA] — Фредерик Миллер
The Mysterious [mIs'tIArIAs] Affair at Styles — «Таинственная история в имении Стайлс»
76 __________________________________________________________ THE UNITED KINGDOM
Names
Hercule Poirot ['LAkju:l pwC:'rAu] — Эркюль Пуаро
Sherlock Holmes — Шерлок Холмс
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd ['rDdZA 'BkrDId] — «Убийство Роджера Экройда»
Max Mallowan ['mBks 'mBlAuAn] — Макс Мэллоуэн
St. Mary Mead [snt 'mLArI 'mi:d] — Сант Мэри Мид
Cholsey ['tSAulzI] — Челси
Berkshire ['bC:kSIA] — Беркшир
Shakespeare ['SeIkspIA] — Шекспир
Bible [baIbl] — Библия
Vocabulary
crime [kraIm] — преступление
to be born — рождаться
to educate — получать образование
to marry — жениться
to take part — принимать участие
experience [Iks'pIArIAns] — опыт (жизненный)
useful ['ju:sful] — полезный
to publish — публиковать
public [pEblIk] — публика
appearance [A'pIArAns] — появление
private ['praIvIt] — частный, личный
egg-shaped — яйцевидной формы
legend ['ledZAnd] — легенда
masterpiece ['mC:stApi:s] — шедевр
to consider [kAn'sIdA] — считать
to surprise [sA'praIz] — удивлять, поражать
suddenly — внезапно
disappearing — исчезновение
divorce [dI'vD:s] — развод
to find (found, found) — находить
assumed [A'sju:md] — вымышленный
mystery ['mIstArI] — тайна
Answer the questions.
1.When and where was Agatha Christie born?
2.What was her father’s name?
3.Where did Agatha get her education? Did she
go to school? Where did Agatha take singing
lessons?
4.When did Agatha get married? Who was her
husband?
5.Did Agatha Christie take part in the First World
War? Where did she work?
6.When was her first book published? What novel
was it?
7.How was this novel met by the reading public?
8.Who was the main hero of this novel? Can you
describe him?
9.When did Agatha Christie become a popular
writer? What masterpiece did she publish?
10.How did Agatha surprise the public in 1926?
What happened to her? Can you explain why
she disappeared for a few days from her home?
archaelogist [,C:kI'DlAdZIst] — археолог
to prove ['pru:v] — доказывать
former ['fD:mA] — прежний
wise [waIz] — мудро
to get tired — уставать
to invent [In'vent] — выдумывать
deceptive [dI'septIv] — обманчивый, вводя-
щий в заблуждение
mild [maIld] — кроткий
investigation [In,vestI'MeISAn] — расследо-
вание
spinster ['spInstA] — старая дева
magnifying ['mBMnIfaIIN] — увеличительное
clue [klu:] — ключ (к разгадке чего-либо)
instinct ['InstINkt] — интуиция
knowledge — знание
human ['hju:mAn] — человеческий
nature ['neItSA] — природа
to die [daI] — умирать
churchyard ['tSA:tS'jC:d] — кладбище
to sell — продавать
to film — экранизировать
11.What was her second husband?
12.Why didn’t she stop using her former husband’s
name?
13.Why did Christie invent Miss Marple? Can you
describe Miss Marple?
14.What did Miss Marple once say about human
nature? Do you agree with her? Why?
15.When did Agatha Christie die?
16.Where was she buried?
17.How many novels and plays did Agatha Christie
write?
18.How many foreign languages have her books
been translated into?
19.What novels or plays by Agatha Christie have
you read? Do you enjoy these detective stories?
20.What film versions of Agatha Christie’s novels
have you seen? Do you like them? Why? Why
not?
THE UNITED KINGDOM __________________________________________________________ 77
Read the beginning of the sentence and find its end in the text.
1.That experience was useful later on ... .
2.Agatha Christie became a popular writer ... .
3.Miss Marple is a deceptively mild old lady ... .
4.Agatha Christie wrote ... .
5.This little Belgian with the egg-shaped head ... .
6.Agatha Christie is known to ... .
7.Agatha was found to be ... .
8.He became one of the most popular ... .
9.Once she said ... .
10.After the divorce she married.
Put in the missing words according to the text.
1.This ... is situated in Cholsey, Berkshire, fortyseven miles west of London.
2.She is an English ... and lives in the English
village of St. Mary Mead.
3.But her publishers said that it would not be ...
because the name of Agatha Christie had al-
ready become well known to ... .
4.That was the first ... of Hercule Poirot.
5.Her ... is still ... !
6.She always uses her ... and ... of human nature.
7.She is the third ... author in the world (after
Shakespeare and the Bible).
8.When Agatha Christie got tired of ... she in-
vented ... .
Choose the correct verb for each blank.
invented, was published, proved, was educated, was buried, took, got tired, took part,
surprised
1.This marriage ... to be a happy one.
2.Her first book ... in 1920.
3.Agatha Christie ... in the First World War.
4.Agatha ... at home and ... singing lessons in
Paris.
Read and learn by heart the dialogue. Then act it out.
Willy: What do you usually do after classes,
Julia?
Julia: Oh, a lot of things. There is always a lot of
homework, helping my mother about the
house, taking care of animals.
Willy: No, I don’t mean that. What’s your favour-
ite pastime?
Julia: Again — nothing very special. Sometimes I
watch television, listen to pop-songs in English and read a lot.
5.The same year Agatha ... the public by suddenly disappearing for a few days.
6.When Agatha Christie ... of Hercule Poirot she
... Miss Marple.
7.She ... in St. Mary’s Churchyard.
Willy: What do you prefer to read?
Julia: Detective stories. I’m crazy about stories by
Agatha Christie. I’ve read almost all her stories.
Willy: Can you give me any stories? I’d like to read
them, too.
Julia: OK. I have a good collection of her books.
You can come to see me some day and I’ll
give you one of them.
Willy: OK. Thanks.
78 __________________________________________________________ THE UNITED KINGDOM
Holidays in Great Britain
There are some public holidays in Great Britain. They are: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New
Year’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, Good Friday,
Easter, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday and Summer Bank Holiday. Some holidays are called Bank
Holidays because banks, offices and shops are
closed on these days.
Christmas is the most popular holiday in Britain. It is celebrated on the 25
th
of December. People spend time at home, with their families, eat
special food (turkey, potatoes, green vegetables,
a Christmas pudding) and drink a lot. Many people decorate Christmas trees with toys and little
coloured lights. People buy Christmas cards and
send them to their friends and relatives. Long
before Christmas the shops are busy, because a
lot of people buy Christmas presents. In churches
people sing Christmas carols — special religious
songs.
On Christmas Eve (the 24
th
of December) some
people go to a special church service. This service
is called Midnight Mass. It starts at 12 o’clock at
night.
The day after Christmas, the 26
th
of December,
is called Boxing Day. The priest in church opens
boxes with money and presents and gives to the
poor people.
New Year’s Day is less popular in Britain than
Christmas. Some people don’t celebrate it at all.
Some people have New Year parties. At midnight
they listen to the chimes of Big Ben, drink a toast
to the New Year and sing Auld Lang Syne.
St. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14
th
of
February. It is the day of sweethearts. On this day
people send cards, candies or flowers to those
whom they love.
Easter is a Christian holiday in March or April.
On this day Christians remember the death of
Christ and his return to life. They go to church
and have a celebration dinner. The most popular
emblem of Easter is the Easter egg. People paint
hard-boiled eggs in different colours.
May Day is celebrated on the 1
st
of May. Girls
put on their best summer dresses and put flowers
in their hair and around their waists. The most
beautiful girl is crowned with a garland of flowers. Spring Bank Holiday is celebrated on the last
Monday in May. People don’t go to work on this
day. Many people go to the country and have
picnics.
Summer Bank Holiday is celebrated on the last
Monday in August. It is a time for big sports
meetings all over the country.
Guy Fawkes Night is one of the most popular
festivals in Britain. It is celebrated on the 5
th
of
November. On that day, in 1605, Guy Fawkes tried
to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King
James I. But the King’s men found the bomb,
took Guy Fawkes to the Tower and cut off his
head.
Since that day the British burn a dummy, made
of straw and old clothes, on a bonfire and let off
fireworks. This dummy is called a “guy”. Children go about the streets saying “Penny for the
guy.” If they collect enough money they buy some
fireworks for the festival.
Holiday Date
1.New Year’s Day January, 1
2.St. Valentine’s Day February, 14
3.April Fool’s Day April, 1
4.Easter late March or early April
5.May Day May, 1
6.Spring Bank Holiday May, last Monday
7.Summer Bank Holiday August, last Monday
8.Halloween October, 31
9.Guy Fawkes Night November, 5
10.Christmas Eve December, 24
11.Christmas December, 25
12.Boxing Day December, 26
st
st
st
th
st
th
th
th
th
THE UNITED KINGDOM __________________________________________________________ 79
Names
Christmas ['krIsmAs] Day — Рождество (25 декабря)
Boxing Day — второй день Рождества, день подарков
New Year’s Day — Новый Год
St. Valentine’s Day — День Святого Валентина
Good Friday — Великая пятница (пятница на страстной неделе)
Easter ['i:stA] — Пасха
May Spring Festival — майский праздник, праздник весны
Spring Bank Holiday — весенний день отдыха
Summer Bank Holiday — летний день отдыха
Hallowe’en ['hBlAu'i:n] — Хеллоин, Канун дня всех святых
April Fool’s Day [fu:lz] — 1 апреля
Auld Lang Syne — «Старая дружба»
Guy Fawkes Day ['MaI'fDks'deI] — День Гая Фокса
Vocabulary
public ['pEblIk] — общественный
to call — называть
religious [rI'lIdZAs] — религиозный
mass [mBs] — месса, обедня
priest [pri:st] — священник
chime [tSaIm] — перезвон колоколов
sweetheart — возлюбленный/ая
death [deF] — смерть
to return [rI'tA:n] — возвращать
Answer the questions.
1.What public holidays in Great Britain do you
know? What are they?
2.Why are some holidays called Bank Holidays?
3.What is the most popular holiday in Britain?
4.When and how do the British celebrate Christmas? Where do they spend time on this day?
What do they usually have for Christmas dinner? Do the British decorate Christmas trees?
5.What is the service on Christmas Eve called?
When does it start?
6.Why is the day after Christmas called Boxing
Day?
7.Is New Year’s Day popular in Britain?
8.When is St. Valentine’s Day celebrated? What
do people usually do on this day?
9.What important Christian holiday do the British celebrate in March or April? Whom do
hard-boiled — сваренное вкрутую
waist [weIst] — талия
to crown [kraun] — короновать
garland ['MC:lAnd] — гирлянда
to blow up — взорвать
dummy ['dEmI] — кукла, чучело
straw [strD:] — солома
bonfire ['bDnfaIA] — костер
to let off — устраивать
Christians remember on this day? What is the
most popular emblem of Easter?
10.When do the British celebrate May Spring Festival? What do the British girls usually do on
this day? How is the most beautiful girl
crowned?
11.Why don’t most British go to work on the last
Monday in May? Where do they go on this day?
12.When is the time for big sports meetings all
over the Great Britain? What holiday do the
British celebrate on this day?
13.What do you know about Guy Fawke’s Day?
When is this holiday celebrated? What happened on this day in 1605? What do the British
usually do on this day? What do the children
say going about the streets?
Read and learn by heart the dialogue. Then act it out.
Ann: What about this hat?
Susan: Mm... It looks fine. How much is it?
Ann: It’s rather expensive.
Susan: I will take it. It is a good Christmas present
for mother. I know what she is going to say.
“What a lovely hat, that’s just what I wanted.”
Ann: When will you give your present?
Susan: On Christmas — the twenty-fifth of Decem-
ber. We usually put our presents in special
stockings.
80 __________________________________________________________ THE UNITED KINGDOM
Ann: Stockings?
Susan: Yes, it is an old tradition. Children find
stockings in the morning near the beds or
under the Christmas tree. They think that
Santa Claus has brought the presents for
them.
Ann: Do you decorate the Christmas tree?
British customs and traditions
Every nation and every country has its own
customs and traditions. In Britain traditions play
a more important part in the life of the people
than in other countries.
Englishmen are proud of their traditions and
carefully keep them alive. There are some old traditions and customs. They are the Changing of
the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Trooping the
Colour, the State Opening of Parliament, changing of the guard and taking care of the ravens in
the Tower.
The legend says: while the ravens are alive in
the Tower, England will be rich. We can see a
group of cavalrymen riding on black horses
through the streets of London. These men are
Life Guards. Life Guards wear red uniforms, shining helmets, long black boots and long white
gloves. They guard the king or the queen of Great
Britain and very important guests of the country.
In England many things are the other way
round. For example, we seldom speak about the
weather. If we do, it usually means we have no
topics to discuss. In England if you don’t speak
Susan: Yes, with tinsel, balls and Christmas lights.
Ann: What do you usually say to each other?
Susan: “Marry Christmas” — “And to you.” Christ-
mas is a time for sending greeting cards,
exchanging presents...
Ann: ... Eating, drinking and being merry.
about the weather the English are surprised and
think that you are very dull.
You can easily offend the English only if you
tell them they have no sense of humour. The
English hardly ever lie, but they don’t tell you the
truth either.
In England even the richest man can wear some
old clothes and not shave.
Some of us think life is a game, but the English
think cricket is a game. In England people have
good table manners. It is a tradition too.
Most English love gardens. Growing roses is
one of the most popular hobbies among Englishmen. They usually prefer a house with a fireplace
and a garden to a flat in a modern house with
central heating.
The English like animals very much. Lots of
families in Great Britain have got one or more
pets. Dogs are the favourite pets and there are
about 6 million of them in Britain. The second
favourite are cats (about 5 million) and the third
favourite is a bird — a budgie. Animals have
a much better life in Britain than anywhere else.
Vocabulary
custom ['kEstAm] — обычай
nation ['neISAn] — нация
part — часть
to be proud of — гордиться
carefully ['kLAflI] — бережно
to keep up — сохранять
to change — изменять
to troop the colour — торжественно встре-
чать знамя
to take care of — заботиться
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