2. Speaking

What was happening in Russia during these periods of history? Who were the key people and which places are associated with them?

3. Writing

Write a table of key dates for Russia, like the one in the exercise

above.

WORDBANK

Behead – kill someone by cutting their head off

Dissolution – breaking up

Goddess – a female god

Landmark – a prominent feature in the landscape

Legion – a division of the Roman army (consisting of about 5,000 men)

Re-enact – to re-create by using drama

Spa – a town where there is a mineral spring

Spring – where water comes up from under the ground

Tribe – an ethnic group of people

Wail – to make a sound like a miserable cry

OPTIONAL TASK

READING

Task 1:

Read the text about the Scottish tour. Name:

1) a Scottish musical instrument.

2) An article of Scottish clothing.

3) a Scottish drink

4) a type of Scottish food.

Task 2:

Which of the things from Task 1:

a. could be used to sleep in?

b. were used as protection from enemies?

c. might have originated without the help of humans?

d. gave freedom of movement?

e. might have come from a country outside Scotland?

SCOTTISH HISTORY TOUR (days 8-11)

Why not extend your holiday and take our optional four-day

tour of Scotland too?

You’ll learn all about the origins of these famous symbols of

Scotland:

• the haggis: some say that this Scottish favourite (meat and cereal

cooked inside a sheep’s stomach) originally came from Scandinavia

• whisky: was it made accidentally in medieval times, when wet cereal

was left to ferment?

• bagpipes: used to frighten enemies with their terrible wailing*

sound, perhaps these musical instruments were brought to Scotland by the Romans

• the kilt: worn by Scottish tribes because it allowed them to move

easily, it was warm and it could also be used as a blanket.

Level 2 tasks

TEXT STUDY

Task 1:

1. Squeeze the main thesis of the text.

2. Clarify the supporting ideas to the main thesis.

3. Define the Introduction.

4. Define the Conclusion.

5. ANNOUNCE the route of your trip in the UK. Emphasize the main places of interest. (150-180 words; response time – 60 seconds).

A TRIP TO THE UK

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!

Our tour is ideal for those visitors who have only several days to spend in the United Kingdom. Amongst the many cities and towns you will see are London, Oxford, Canterbury, Bath and Stonehenge, Stratford-upon-Avon - the birthplace of William Shakespeare. A great start to a relaxing trip is to call us and we can arrange standard of first class tickets for you. If you are travelling by train, the car will be waiting for you at the station.

Our tour takes us past many of the famous sights of London’s

West End including Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the houses of Parliament as well as the Downing Street, residence of the Prime Minister.

We travel to the Buckingham Palace, the London home of the

Queen, to see the Changing of the Guard. From the West end of London we travel to the City, rich in history and for many centuries the leading commercial and financial centre. We see the Stock Exchange, Bank of England. We travel to see St. Paul’s Cathedral, Wren’s famous masterpiece. After lunch we visit the Tower of London which, over its 900 years history used to serve as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison. Here you van see the Crown Jewels and meet the Beefeaters in their traditional Tudor uniforms. You will arrive back in London by a riverboat, passing under Tower Bridge. It makes your visit to London really special.

Leaving London by a steam train is relaxing and pleasurable. You will get a magic day out combining travel and visiting England’s most beautiful cities, castles and cathedrals. You’ll arrive at your destination refreshed and ready to enjoy historic sights.

Our train to Canterbury takes us through Kent’s countryside known as “The Garden of England”. The traditional home of the Archbishop of Canterbury was once a walled Roman city and still has a fine medieval wall. In 1170 Thomas Beckett was murdered in his own cathedral by the knights of Henry II. He was canonized shortly after and for centuries pilgrims flocked to his shrine. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote his famous book “Canterbury Tales” about these pilgrims. Leaving Canterbury we’ll pass through the lovely ancient seaside towns of Sandwich and Deal before reaching Dover, where there are wonderful views of the castle and those famous White Cliffs. On a clear day seen across the Channel, France could seem only a short swim away!

We are to devote the next few days to visiting Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick castle and, of course, Stonehenge and Bath. Oxford is home for one of the oldest Universities in Britain consisting of a large complex of colleges built over a period of several centuries. In Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, we can see many places associated with the Bard, such as his Birthplace, Grammar School, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

On the way to the Warwick Castle, we can see Anne Hatheway’s Cottage in the village of Shottery. Warwick Castle is a great medieval fortress containing a fine collection of armour and works of art. Passing by Stonehenge, we can’t help admiring its bronze-age 50-ton pillars created by a unique civilization in Britain more than 3 000 years ago. Our tour includes a visit to the famous Roman Baths built by the Romans 2 000 years ago in the city of Bath in the south of England.

Upon leaving Bath, our journey takes us back to London. Our next trip to the North of England will be planned in accordance with your preferences.

Task 2:

Read the questions to the text below. Find the answers to the questions (response time for each question for each answer 10 seconds)

1. What organization in Britain is responsible for the general arts

policy?

2. How many museums and art galleries are there in the UK?

3. Where are the Royal Opera and Coven Garden situated?

4. What is London Eye?

5. When did Madame Tussaud begin making her wax figures?

6. What was the real name of Madame Tussaud?

7. How long does it take nowadays to complete each wax figure?

8. What is Eisteddfods?

9. What is local festival in the Northern Ireland?

10. Where does the leading annual International cultural event take

place?

11. What is Tattoo?

12. Summer reading Festivals are very popular all over the UK,

aren’t they?

13. What is one of the “big names” of the modern Scottish literature?

14. Where is the Writers’ museum located?

15. Why is the UK called a multicultural country?

MULTICULTURAL BRITAIN

The British Government’s general arts policy is the responsibility of the Department of National Heritage. The broad range of cultural interests, including theatres, museums, art galleries, opera, ballet and concert venues can be found in all major cities of the UK. There are about 2 500 museums and art galleries in Britain. Britain has about 300 theatres intended for professional use, of which about 100 are in London, including the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, and the English National opera. “The Globe” Theatre on the Bank-side of the River Thames, is one of the greatest tourist attractions in London. The theatre was built in the 16^th century. That was a great idea – to build a prolific theatre where the actors could work. The playhouse was called “The Globe”, because the building was round.

Not far from “The Globe” on the South Bank of the River Thames, opposite Big Ben, is located British Airways London Eye – the world’s tallest observation wheel. London Eye offers unraveled views of the City’s most famous landmarks. Its gradual 30 minute 360 degrees rotation gives passengers a bird-eye view usually accessible only by helicopter or plane.

The other tourist attractions in England charging for admission are the Tower of London, and Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks in London. In the 1770s Madae Tussuad (Marie Grosholtz) began making her wax portrait figures, and since then many wax exhibitions have appeared around the world, but none compare with the original Madame Tussaud’s. Nowadays, it takes about six months to complete each wax figure. For more than 200 years Madame Tussaud’s has entertained and amazed people of all ages, nationalities and from all walks of life. After all, where else can you mingle with movie stars, be counted amongst world leaders, or line up alongside your sporting heroes.

Artistic and cultural activity in Britain ranges from the highest professional standards to a wide variety of amateur involvement. Some 650 professional art festivals take place each year. The biggest street Carnival in England is Notting Hill area of London, it comes from the West Indies – a group of islands in the Caribbean. And for two days in August, Notting Hill is the West Indies. There’s also a big parade and people dance day and night.

Special festivals, known as Eisteddfods, encourage Welsh literature and music. People sing and read their poetry in the Welsh language. The Welsh name for these poets is “bards”. People also play music. You can hear harp music at an Eisteddfod. But Eisteddfods aren’t just festivals. They’re also competitions to find the best singers, musicians and poets in Wales. The largest is the annual Royal National Eisteddfod, consisting of competitions in music, singing, prose and poetry entirely in Welsh. The town Llangollen attracts International Musical Esiteddfod. The Welsh people also have strong musical traditions: the country is well known for its choral singing and the Welsh National Opera has an international reputation.

Local festivals in the Northern Ireland are an important feature of the arts calendar, for example, the Belfast Festival is based at Queen’s University. The land is strong and rich in music. The harp, a national emblem of Ireland, was very popular in the 17^th century. However, nowadays harp is not the main musical instrument in Ireland. Irish pipes and violin have taken its place. Irish people play them for dances like the jig, the hornpipe ad the reel. Today there are many fine Irish musicians known all over the world, for instance, the flute player James Galway, the singer Bernadette Gillen, the pianist John O’Connor. Ireland also has its great pop and rock musicians. A very popular rock group from Ireland is U2. The group started in Dublin in 1979. They sing about the feelings and wishes of the young people.

But the leading cultural event in Britain is the annual Edinburgh

Festival. Moreover, it is the largest of its kind in the world. Every August, Edinburgh in Scotland has the biggest art festival in Europe. There are plays, concerts and exhibitions from countries all over the world. That’s the “official” festival. But there’s an “unofficial” festival too. This is called the Edinburgh “Fringe”. At the Fringe, visitors can see cheaper concerts and plays by students. Every day in August for three weeks, visitors and Edinburgh people can enjoy the events. They listen to music and watch the fireworks in the sky above the Edinburgh castle.

On other evenings there is the Tattoo – a military parade. Soldiers from different countries march inside the castle. There is music from Scottish pipers and other bands. Soldiers, seamen and airmen show their different skills. At the end of the evening, one piper plays his pipe on the walls of the castle.

Numerous literary events, such as Summer Reading Festivals, meetings with modern prolific novelists, poets and playwrights are held in England (in the British Museum, British Library, London), in Scotland (in the Writers’ Museum, National Library, Edinburgh). Ion Wales Summer Reading Festivals are also popularized.

One of the big names of modern Scottish literature is Stewart Conn, a poet and playwright who has been actively and significantly involved in Scotland’s cultural life for several decades. A number of his essays are character studies of writers and their work. The main themes of his “Distances: A Personal Evocation of People and Places” are devoted to communication of different people, cultures and continents. The Writers’ Museum in Edinburgh also holds a series of literary events with the authors. A series of small temporary exhibitions allows the Writers’ Museum to celebrate the anniversaries and work of the writers who have contributed to the development and diversity of Scottish Literature, as well as to promote literary organization and literary themes.

The UK is a multicultural country. Today only about ten percent of people in England speak standard English. The Irish people speak English in their special way. Their accent is strong, but musical. English is one of the two official languages not only in the Northern Ireland, but also in Scotland and Wales, where people have their own manners and purposes, languages and traditions. Local government authorities support the arts by maintaining more than 1000 local museums and art galleries and some 5000 free public libraries. Their support is estimates at around hundreds million pounds a year. Furthermore, the British Council promotes knowledge of British culture overseas and maintains libraries in many of the 95 countries in which it is represented. It initiates and supports tours by British arts companies and artists.

VOCABULARY

National Heritage – национальное достояние

Broad range – широкий ассортимент

Venue – место проведения

Tourist attractions - достопримечательности

Prolific theatre – зд. Доходный театр

Observation wheel – колесо обозрения

Unrivalled – непревзойденный

Rotation – вращение

Bird-eye view – вид с высоты птичьего полета

Accessible - доступный

Charge for admission – плата за вход

Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks – музей восковых фигур мадам Тюссо

Walk of life – стиль жизни

Mingle with – смешиваться с …

Be counted amongst – быть в числе

Line up – присоединяться, выстраиваться

Amateur involvement – художественная самодеятельность

Eisteddfods – название фестиваля в Уэльсе

Harp – арфа

Entirely – всецело

Choral singing – хоровое пение

Pipes – волынка

Bagpiper, piper – волынщик

Violin – скрипка

Jig – джига (танец)

Hornpipe – народный танец (сольный)

Reel – рил (быстрый шотландский танец)

Flute player – флейтист

“Fringe” – “Окраина»

Tattoo – название военного парада, проходящего в Эдинбурге в рамках международного фестиваля в августе каждого года

Temporary – временный

Be estimated at – оценивать(ся) в…