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Файл:Let’s read!. Учебное пособие по чтению на английском языке
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Vocabulary:
common — общий
industrious — трудолюбивый
mercenary — наемник
suspicious — подозрительный
courteous — вежливый
shrewd — проницательный
revengeful — мстительный
forefathers — предки
Answer the questions:
1. What is a nation?
2. How can Culture be described?
3. How are the Germans regarded?
4. What nation is considered to be nationalistic?
5. What are the Russians’ features?
6. What are the Englishmen’s features?
7. Which factors influence the nations stereotype and its people's character?
8. Why are many African countries still hard-working and industrious?
Text 2
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
There are many cultures now and they are all different. Some of them are very
archaic, others are considered to be rather new. Anyway, each culture is abundant.
However, all cultures differ from each other. Some of them seem to be similar, others
don’t correspond at all.
Let’s take, for example, Italian and Russian cultures and compare them. On the
one hand, they may seem a little bit close to each other as people in both countries
tend to be open and careless sometimes. It is a result of the cultural effect and
mentality.
On the other hand, Italian culture pays much attention to food and to a sort of
rite of eating. They have a lot of unspoken rules which are respected by native
people. For instance, the Italians do great coffee and drink it a lot as well. However,
they don’t drink all kinds of coffee during the day. Cappuccino, a famous type of
coffee beverage, can be drunk only from 8:30 to 10:30.
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Moreover, in Italy people tend to eat at the same time. Almost everyone has
lunch at 12–13 no matter where they are at that moment. In Russian culture, there are
not such limits or strict rules that most people follow. There is hardly a food culture
in Russia. People usually eat what they like and when they like.
As for literature and art, Russia and Italy have a significant difference in this
sense. The reason for this is that Russian and Italian cultures were generated in
different historical circumstances. History has a profound effect on culture and
human mentality, that’s why art is always a reflection not only of the author’s identity
but also of the history.
Vocabulary:
archaic — архаический
abundant — обильный
mentality — менталитет
unspoken — негласное
beverage — напиток
strict — строгий
profound — глубокий
rite — обряд
Answer the questions:
1. Who pays much attention to food and to a sort of rite of eating?
2. What nation tends to eat at the same time?
3. What differences in literature and art are there in Russia and Italy?
4. What do you know about food culture in Russia?
Text 3
GZHEL
By the 1770–80s, Gzhel had become the centre of artistic majolica manufacture
in Russia. The reason was that, since 1724, when Afanasy Grebenschikov started his
business many people from the locality were employed there as potters. Clever and
quick to learn, they mastered the secrets of the new craft very quickly, and they
returned to their villages they built kilns which, though primitive, soon became very
numerous. Those craftsmen began to use not only the habitual red clays but also
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white to which, according to the new technology, other types of clay, as well as
mineral ingredients were added.
Gzhel ware had a distinctive character and was in constant demand. Peasant
craftsmen worked from early in the morning till late at night transforming clay into
things necessary for everyday life. Everyone had his own manner, and showed his
vision of the world in his work.
The end of the 18th century was the heyday of Gzhel majolica. Local craftsmen
were especially good at making various kinds of jugs and pitchers. The work required
great patience and skill, the technique made retouching impossible, for decoration
was painted on soft, non-fired objects coated with white enamel. The shape of big
vessels for kvass (a drink made from brown bread), beer, braga (sort of Russian
home-made wine), or for schchi (Russian cabbage soup), was very curious.
They were modeled on ancient soldiers’ flasks: a large, flat body that often had
a hollow in the middle for a small pouch with ice. Such vessels sat on rests shaped
like lion’s paws. Their upper parts carried beautifully bent spouts and handles, high
lids decorated with small figures of beasts, birds and people in all kinds of amusing
attitudes. The polychrome palette was dominated by hues of yellow, green, brown
and blue.
Gzhel craftsmen also produced majolica figurines that often represented
characteristic scenes from life, humorous compositions, soldiers, peasant women,
dressed-up ladies and gentlemen having fun working, talking to each other, and so
on. The subjects were expressively developed and easy to understand, the artists’
conceptions clear and charmingly naïve.
Sewage tubes for Moscow streets were also made in Gzhel.
The area was famous for its skilled potters many of whom took part in
spreading their craft to other regions of Russia. For decades amazingly varied tiles for
decoration of stoves and fireplaces were produced in Gzhel. More than 500 of them
are now in the Hermitage collection in St’Petersburg.
Answer the following questions:
1. When had Gzhel become the center of artistic majolica manufacture in
Russia?
2. When did Afanasy Grebenschikov start his business?
3. What types of clay did the craftsmen use?
4. Gzhel’s craftsmen created things necessary for everyday life, didn’t they?
5.Were local craftsmen especially good at making various kinds of jugs and
pitchers?
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UNIT 20. BUSINESS ENGLISH
Text 1
BUSINESSMAN'S DAY
Mr. John Turner is 30. He is married and he has got his own family. He has a
wife, a daughter and a son. His wife is an economist. Her name is Jane. The names of
their children are Kate and Peter. They live in a small house in Greenwood.
Greenwood is a small place not far from London.
John works in London. He is a manager in a big trade firm. His firm sells the
goods in various countries. In the morning he always goes to his office in London on
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. He doesn't go to his office on
Saturday and Sunday. These are his days-off.
John frequently meets the representatives of English and French firms. They
discuss the prices, terms of payment and delivery He begins his working day at 9
o'clock in the morning. Every morning John first looks through fresh newspapers. He
takes much interest in the latest political and business news. Sometimes John goes to
different cities to discuss business with their customers. He is a very busy man. He
always has a lot of work. He looks through mail, reads telegrams and letters and
speaks on the phone with the customers. He also makes appointments with his
business partners.
At twelve he has lunch. After lunch he sometimes goes to factories with the
inspectors, but sometimes stays in the office and discusses business matters with
director or customers. He finishes his working day at 6 o'clock. He usually comes
home at 7 o'clock in the evening.
Linda Foster is a secretary to Mr. John Turner. Her office is not large. She has
got a computer, a fax and a telephone on her desk. Linda comes to her office at nine
every morning from Monday to Friday. At the beginning of her working day Linda
usually looks through the mail. She receives both snail-mail and e-mail. At 11 o'clock
she comes into her manager's office with the letters and telegrams. The manager
reads them and gives answers to the letters. Linda writes everything in her book and
goes to her office. There she types the answers on her computer. She also receives
and sends e-mail correspondence.
In the afternoon Linda usually has lunch at the office but sometimes she has
lunch at the cafe with her friend Alex. She stays in the office till 6 o'clock. In the
evening Linda has her French lessons. She learns French for two years already. Linda
wants to know French well because she wants to work with French firms and
customers.
125
Vocabulary:
own — собственный
economist — экономист
manager — менеджер
trade firm — фирма
frequently — часто
customer — клиент, заказчик
representatives — представители
prices — цены
terms of payment — условия платежа
delivery — доставка
to look through — npoсматривать
Answer the questions:
1. Is Mr. John Turner married?
2. How old is he?
3. Has he got his own family?
4. What is his wife's profession?
5. What are the names of their children?
6. Where do they live?
7. What is John Turner's profession?
8. What does his firm sell?
9. What are John Turner's working days?
10. What are John Turner's days-off?
11. What does he do during his working day?
12. What is Linda Foster?
13. What does she do during her working day?
14. Where does Linda have lunch?
15. What language does she learn?
Text 2
AT THE HOTEL
The “Golden Ring” hotel is located downtown in Moscow. The hotel has a
modern building. It is not far from foreign embassies, foreign companies offices and
from the Exhibitions Center.
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Friendly staff and high standards of service make the stay in the “Golden Ring”
hotel pleasant and enjoyable. The hotel has sраcious comfortably furnished
apartments including double and single rooms, and luxurious suites.
The hotel offers the most sophisticated security system. The guests are
provided with in-room safety deposit boxes, satellite TV and telephone lines, air
conditioners.
We are in the entrance hall of the hotel. The reception cleric is behind the
reception desk. He gives the guests the keys to their apartments. Modern hotels have
electronic locks on the doors. They are opened with a plastic card with a magnetic
code. The codes are usually changed every day.
Large hotels usually offer their guests different kinds of services. There is the
inquiry office where they will answer all your questions and give you all the
information you want. At the laundry you can have your things washed and pressed.
At the dry cleaner's you can clean your clothes. AT the shoes repairs you can have
your shoes mended and polished. AT the service bureau you can order a taxi or rent a
car, book in advance train and air tickets. There are also hairdresser's, barber's and
beauty saloon.
There is a small banking office in the entrance hall. You can cash traveller's
checks and change currency there.
If you need to leave your suitcases for a while you can use the left-luggage
office. The hotel porters will help you to carry your luggage.
Vocabulary:
to be located — быть расположенным
downtown — в центре города
embassy — посольство
Exhibitions Center — выставочный центр
friendly — дружелюбный
staff — персонал
enjoyable — доставляющий удовольствие
spacious — просторный
to furnish — обставлять мебелью, меблировать
apartment — номер в гостинице
to include — включать
double room — двухместный номер
single room — одноместный номер
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luxurious — роскошный
suite — номер «люкс»
sophisticated — сложный
security system — система безопасности
beauty saloon — косметический салон
to change currency — менять валюту
air conditioner — кондиционер
entrance hall — холл гостиницы
reception clerk — портье
electronic locks — электронные замки
plastic card — пластиковая карточка
magnetic code — магнитный код
laundry — прачечная
dry cleaner's — химчистка
shoes repairs — ремонт обуви
service bureau — бюро обслуживания
to rent — нанимать, брать напрокат
hairdresser's — дамская парикмахерская
travellers cheques — дорожные чеки
left-luggage office — камера хранения
to cash — обналичивать
safety-depositboxes — небольшие сейфы
inquiry office — справочное бюро
to book tickets in advance — заказывать билеты заранее
barber's — мужская парикмахерская
Answer the questions:
1. Where is the “Golden Ring” hotel located?
2. What kinds of services do large hotels offer their guests?
3. Where can the guests order a taxi, rent a car, book train and air tickets in
advance?
4. Where can the guests have their things washed and pressed?
5. Where can the guests clean their clothes?
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Text 3
LUGGAGE AND CUSTOMS
After undergoing formalities at Immigration the group goes to the Luggage
Reclaim point. They find the monitor showing their Flight Number and see their
suitcases and bags on the belt. But one of the participants of the group does not see
his suitcase and asks Andrew Lvov, the Group Leader, for help. Andrew comes up to
an official:
Andrew: Excuse me, one of our suitcases is missing. Where can it be?
Official: What's your flight number, sir?
Andrew: It's SU 241 from Moscow.
Official: Some luggage is over there. I hope you'll find yours there. There
wasn't enough space on the belt. We had to remove some and put it on the floor.
Andrew: Thank you.
Andrew and the gentleman who did not find his suitcase go to the place shown
by the official and see the suitcase. The gentleman picks up the suitcase, puts it on the
trolley and joins the group. So all the participants have collected their luggage.
Now they are moving to the Customs point. By the way, it is not necessary to
fill in any declaration forms. They see the sign “Nothing to declare” and the green
walls of the passage. They all have nothing to declare and pass through this corridor.
They see a few Customs officials standing behind the rack. The officials say nothing
to them and they safely pass.
Some other passengers pass through the red wall corridor since they have
something to declare and probably they have to fill in some forms and pay customs
duty. Usually every country has a list of the things liable to duty “in addition to the
duty free allowance”.
In a second or two our group gets out into the hall of the airport and sees the
crowd of people meeting passengers who have just arrived.
Vocabulary:
luggage — багаж
to reclaim — получать (обратно), востребовать
to undergo formalities — пройти формальности
belt — транспортер
to miss — обнаружить отсутствие
One suitcase is missing. — Не хватает одного чемодана.
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space — место, пространство
to remove — убрать, переставить, переложить
We had to remove it. — Мы вынуждены были убрать его.
to put it on the floor — поставить на пол
trolley — тележка
to collect — получать, забирать
They have collected their luggage. — Они получили багаж.
Customs — Таможенный контроль, Таможенная служба
sign — вывеска, знак
to declare — заявлять, декларировать
official — официальное лицо
rack — стойка (для багажа)
They have something to declare. — У них есть вещи, которые нужно
декларировать.
They have to fill in some forms. — Они должны заполнить формы.
customs duty — таможенная пошлина
in addition to ... — дополнительно к …
duty free — беспошлинно
allowance — разрешенное количество
crowd — толпа
They have just arrived. — Они только что прибыли.
Underline the sentences true to the text:
1. The group undergoes formalities at Immigration and then goes to leclaim
their luggage.
The group reclaims the luggage and then undergoes formalities at Immigration.
2. Some participants had difficulties at Immigration.
Some participants had difficulties at the Luggage reclaim point.
One participant had a difficulty in finding his suitcase.
3. The difficulty was eliminated1 with the help of an Immigration officer.
The difficulty was eliminated with the help of a Customs officer.
The difficulty was eliminated with the help of an official responsible for
luggage.
1
to eliminate — устранять.
130
4. All the participants of the group have a few things to declare for Customs.
All the participants have nothing to declare.
A few participants have something to declare.
5. They all pass through the led wall corridor.
They all pass through the green wall corridor.
Most of them pass through the red wall corridor.
6. Some other passengers pass through the red wall corridor.
All the passengers pass through the green wall corridor.
The text does not speak about this detail.
7. All the countries have the same list of things liable to duty.
Every country has a different list of things liable to duty.
All the countries have similar lists of things liable to duty.
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