Going sightseeing

Have you been to London before?	Вы были в Лондоне ранее?
No, it’s my first time here.	Нет, это мой первый визит сюда.
Have you seen much of the city?	Вы осмотрели большую часть города?
So far, very little. Could you tell me what are the most interested places to visit?	Пока очень незначительную. Не могли бы вы мне сказать, какие наиболее интересные места мне следует посетить?
Willingly. If you are interested in historical buildings and monuments, I would advise you to see the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, the Tower, the British Museum, the Buckingham Palace, and perhaps Hyde Park with Speaker’s Corner. What would you like to see first?	Охотно. Если вас интересуют исторические здания и памятники, я бы посоветовал вам осмотреть здание Парламента, Вестминстерское аббатство, собор Св. Павла, Колонну Нельсона на Трафальгарской площади, Тауэр, Британский музей, Букингемский дворец, и, возможно, Гайд-Парк с местом для ораторов. Что вам хотелось бы осмотреть в первую очередь?
It makes no difference. Is it possible to arrange a bus tour with a guide?	Не имеет значения. Возможно ли организовать автобусную экскурсию в сопровождении гида?
I hope so. By the way, I can offer you a map of London and a guide book to make a preliminary study.	Полагаю, что да. Между прочим, я могу вам предложить план Лондона и путеводитель для предварительного ознакомления с городом.
Oh, thank you very much.	О, большое спасибо.

Exercise 12. Make up your own dialogues with the following proverbs and expressions.

• If you’re tired of London – you’re tired of life.

• London is a modern Babylon.

to have a double-decker bus tour	a weird legend
the royal residence	The London Eye
to be jealous of	fortress
to be the Roman city	Dockland
to have a guide book	ancient name of London
try to use www.walker.co.uk	to visit Harrods

Unit 9 The Holidays in Great Britain

Proverbs and sayings

So many countries, so many customs.	Сколько стран, столько и обычаев.
Customs is a second nature.	Привычка – вторая натура.
Every country has its customs.	Что город, то норов.
Traditions wears a snowy beard.	У традиций «седая борода».
In the country of one-eyed be one-eyed.	В чужой монастырь со своим уставом не ходят.

Text The Holidays in Great Britain7

A bank holiday is an official holiday when all banks and post offices are closed. Most factories, offices and shops are closed, too. The following days are bank holidays in Great Britain: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Most of bank holidays are religions holidays. Now for most people they are simply days on which people eat, drink and make merry.

Christmas Day is the most popular of bank holidays. It is celebrated on December, 25. On this day many people go to churches, open their Christmas presents, eat a Christmas dinner of roast turkey and Christmas pudding. Many people watch the Queen’s Christmas broadcast on TV. This day is a traditional family reunion day and a special day for children.

Boxing Day is on December, 26. People usually gave “Christmas boxes”, or gifts of money, to servants on this day. Today many people still give a Christmas gifts to paperboys and girls.

New Year’s Day is on January, 1. It is not marked with any custom in Great Britain. Traditional New Year parties and dances are held on New Year’s Eve. People see the old year out and the New Year in.

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter when the church marks the death of Christ. On this day people eat hot-cross buns — buns marked on top with a cross.

Some English customs and traditions are famous all over the world. The United Kingdom is full of customs and traditions. Here are some of them.

St. Valentine's is the saint of people in love, and St. Valentine's Day is February, 14. On that day, people send valentine cards and presents to their husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. You can also send a card to a person you don’t know. But traditionally you must never write your name on it. Some British newspapers have a page for Valentine’s Day messages on February 14th.

April, 1 is April Fool’s Day in Great Britain. This is a very old tradition from the Middle Ages. At that time servants were masters for one day of the year. Now April Fool's Day is different. It’s a day for jokes and tricks.