Читай и говори пособие 1 курс
.pdfIII. Say what you have learnt about:
1. the countries of the UK and their capitals; 2. the British Isles; 3. two main islands; 4.the flag of the UK.
IV. Think and answer.
1.What is often referred to as Great Britain?
2.Where are the British Isles located?
3.What languages are spoken in the UK?
4.Why the flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union Jack?
V. Make up a short summary of the text.
TEXT 3B. GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
Study the following text and do the tasks given bellow.
Britain is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch - Queen Elizabeth II - as head of state. The British constitution, unlike those of most other countries, is not set out in a single document. Instead it is made up of a combination of laws and conventions. Conventions are rules and practices which are not legally enforceable, but which are regarded as vital to the working of government.
Political stability owes much to the monarchy. Today the Queen is not only head of state, but also an important symbol of national unity. In law the Queen is head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Crown and the ‘supreme governor’ of the established Church of England. As a result of a long process of evolution, during which the monarchy’s absolute power has been progressively reduced, the Queen is impartial and acts on the advice of her ministers.
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Parliament, Britain’s legislature comprises the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Queen in her constitutional role.
The Commons has 651 elected Members of Parliament (MPs), each representing a local constituency.
The Lords is made up of 1,185 hereditary and life peers and peeresses, and the two archbishops and the 24 most senior bishops of the established Church of England.
The centre of parliamentary power is the House of Commons. Limitations of the power of the Lords - it rarely uses its power to delay passage of most laws for a year - are based on the principle that the House, as a revising chamber, should complement the Commons and not rival it. Once passed through both Houses, legislation receives the Royal Assent and then becomes law.
General elections to choose MPs must be held at least every five years. Voting, which is not compulsory is by secret ballot and is from the age of 18. The simple majority system of voting is used. Candidates are elected if they have more votes than any of the candidates - although not necessarily an absolute majority over all other candidates.
The political party system is an essential element in the working of the constitution. Although the parties are not registered or formally recognized in law, in practice most candidates in elections, and almost all winning candidates, belong to one of the main parties, Conservative or Labour. A number of smaller parties are also represented in Parliament.
The Government is formed by the party with majority support in the Commons. The Queen appoints its leader as Prime Minister. As head of the Government the Prime Minister appoints about 100 ministers, of whom about 20 are in the Cabinet - the senior group that takes major policy decisions. Ministers are collectively responsible for government decisions and individually responsible for their own departments. The second largest party forms the official Opposition, with its own leader and ‘shadow cabinet’. The Opposition has a duty to challenge government policies and to present an alternative programme.
I.Give your impressions of:
1.the British constitution; 2. the head of State in the UK ; 3. the centre of parliamentary power; 4. the House of Lords; 5. the British Prime-Minister.
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II.Think and answer.
1.What ‘s the state system of the United Kingdom?
2.What’s the role of the monarchy in the system of British government?
3.How does the British Parliament function?
4.What are the peculiarities of general elections to choose Members of Parliament?
5.Why is the political party system an essential element in the working of the constitution?
6.How is the British government formed?
TEXT 3C. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Study the text; do the tasks given below.
Nobel prizes for science have been awarded to 70 British citizens, a greater number than for any other country apart from the United States.
The Government takes responsibility for funding research in basic science. Spending on scientific research and development is very high.
The Science and Engineering Research Council supports fundamental research in pure and applied science, including engineering. With the other research councils, it’s setting up interdisciplinary research centres.
The Medical Research Council supports major projects in all types of disease, including AIDS. The earth’s resources, the oceans and the atmosphere are the concern of the Natural Environment Research Council. The Agricultural and Food Research Council supports work on crops and livestock.
The Government supports university research through the universities Funding Council. Research in nuclear power is the responsibility of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, which also offers a contract research service to industry. The Ministry of Defense’s share of government research expenditures has greatly fallen. Increasing emphasis is placed on its research funded jointly with industry. ’Spin-off’ from defense technology to the civil market is encouraged. British firms and academic institutions participate in European Community and other international programmes.
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Industry is the second major source of funds for research and development. There have been major advances in the development of optical fibre communication systems. British pharmaceutical firms produce 11 of the world’s 50 best sold medicines. In aerospace British companies play a major role.
I.Give your impressions of:
1.funding research in basic science; 2. the role of Research Councils; 3.interrelation of science and technology.
II.Think and answer.
1.How does the British government support science and technology?
2.Why science is highly developed in the UK?
TEXT 3D. WHEN IN BRITAIN
Learn some more material about Great Britain and answer the questions given below.
Visitors to Britain are often surprised by the strange behavior of its inhabitants. The British, especially the English, are more reserved than the people of many other countries. They don’t like to show their emotions. They usually don’t easily get into conversation with strangers. They don’t like personal questions (for example, how much money they earn or about their family life). They take more time to make friends. They would like to know you better before they ask you home. So don’t be upset if your English friends don’t invite you home. It doesn’t mean they don’t like you!
If you are invited to a party, it’s considered polite to call and say if you can or cannot come. Most parties are informal these days, so you don’t have to worry about what to wear - anything from jeans to suits will do.
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If you are told ‘to help yourself’ to something, it doesn’t mean that your host is rude - he or she is showing that you are completely accepted and just like ‘one of the family’.
It is considered rude - or bad manners - to smoke in someone’s house without asking ‘Do you mind if I smoke?’
If you enjoyed the evening, call your hostess the next day, or write her a short ‘thank you’ letter. Perhaps it seems funny to you, but British people say ‘thank you, thank you, thank you’ all the time! They say ‘thank you’ even when they give money to a shop assistant.
In recent years smoking has received a lot of bad publicity, and fewer people now smoke. There is no more smoking on the London Underground, in cinemas and theatres and most buses. Many companies have banned smoking from their offices and canteens. And non-smokers can be rude to smokers who break the rule and smoke in public places. There are, however, special smokers’ carriages on trains and special cinemas for those who haven’t given up smoking yet.
Good and bad manners make up the social rules of a country and are not always easy to learn because they are often not written down in books! The British have an expression for the following these «unwritten rules»: «When in Rome, do as Romans do».
1.What are visitors to Britain surprised by? Why?
2.What shows that the British are very reserved?
3.Do you often follow the rule «When in Rome, do as the Romans do»?
Render the contents of the following text in English.
III. The Globe Theatre
In 1949, an American actor Sam Wanamaker came to London and decided to visit the site of the famous Globe Theatre where Shakespeare had staged his plays. All he fond, however, was a plague on the wall of a brewery: «Here stood the Globe Playhouse of Shakespeare». Wanamaker was so shocked that he decided to rebuild the Globe.
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It took many years to get the money, get permission and find out exactly what the place looked like in the old days. On June 12, 1997 Her Majesty the Queen opened the International Shakespeare Globe Centre, the re-creation of Shakespeare’s theatre. Unfortunately, Sam Wanamaker died in 1993 and wasn’t in the audience to see his dream finally come true.
Today, you can visit the beautiful new Globe, and in summer you can even see a play performed, as it would have been in Shakespeare’s day.
Did you know that?
William Shakespeare left the Grammar school where he had studied when he was 13 and never went to school again.
John Shakespeare, the great playwright’s father, couldn’t write.
Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays, but only 18 of them were published in his lifetime and the first 8 didn’t even carry his name.
Many people have denied that Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare. Candidates for the ‘real’ author have ranged from Francis Bacon to Queen Elizabeth I.
Shakespeare usually wrote for a specific group of actors, and as they grew older he wrote plays with older characters to suit them.
Some actors are still superstitious about Shakespeare’s Macbeth. They believe that harm can come to the actors if they mention its name. So it’s usually called ‘The Scottish Play’ or ‘That play’ or ‘Mac - oh, I mustn’t say it’.
From Speak out, 2/ 2000
Read the text, get ready to render its contents in English.
Виды Лондона
При посадке в аэропорту Хитроу взор пассажиров падает вначале на не слишком-то вдохновляющий вид резервуара. При обычных полетах происходит это лишь за несколько минут до посадки, но при большой плотности движения
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и задержках с посадкой самолет может неожиданно сделать прогулочный круг над городом. При этом, разумеется, взглянуть на знаменитые здания и места удается лишь мельком - в пассажирском самолете нельзя просто остановиться, чтобы рассмотреть то или иное здание.
А вот с вертолета - можно. Фотограф Джейсон Хокс со своим коллегой Тимом Кендалом провели почти целый год, летая на вертолете над Лондоном, и создали уникальную фотолетопись города.
Фотоаппарат помог им по-новому увидеть знакомые места и достопримечательности. Башня Вестминстерского дворца «Биг Бен» знакома каждому, но лишь немногие видели циферблат на близком расстоянии. Глядя с улицы, никто не заподозрит, что за серыми фасадами правительственных учреждений Уайтхолла скрывается сложнейшая планировка геометрии расположения внутренних двориков - с воздуха же они прекрасно видны. С высоты птичьего полета можно видеть и сами королевские сады. Быть может, лишь с высоты можно по-настоящему оценить огромные масштабы - 1600 кв. км - города, который является столицей Британии. Фотографии Хокса и Кендала демонстрируют многообразное лицо этого необыкновенного города.
Из журнала Англия, 1/1993 (125)
Audial Practice
Listen to the text and answer the question:
Whom have ceremonial activities always been associated with?
Think and do.
I. You had a chance to visit a session of British Parliament. Write notes of what you have seen, then make a short speech about it.
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II. Comment on the advantages and disadvantages of having a monarch.
III.Your friend was on holiday in England. He has just returned home. You may ask him any questions about the country he visited. Write these questions down.
IV.At a session of the university English-speaking club you will discuss: a) the state system of Great Britain; b) science and technology in Great Britain. Be ready to speak on these topics.
V. You know Britain rather well. You have visited that country and read a lot about it. Your friend is studying English and he wants to know as much as possible about England and Englishmen. Make up a dialogue.
VI.Work in groups of four. One pair of students prepare arguments for the statement, the other pair prepare arguments against it.
1.Great Britain lost its position as one of the most powerful states in the world. 2.Political stability of this country owes much to the monarchy.
3.The British are more reserved than the people of many other countries.
Just for fun
Political speaker: “What we need is a working majority and then …”
A voice: “Better reverse it, mister. What we really need is a majority working.”
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* * *
Teacher (to a new boy): “What’s your name, my little fellow?”
New boy: “’Elbert’ Arris.”
Teacher: “Always say ‘sir’, please, whan you are speaking to a master. It’s more polite.”
New boy (apologetically): “Sir ‘Erbert’ Arris.”
* * *
An Englishman on a visit to the West decided to go horseback riding. The cowboy who was to attend him asked: “Do you prefer an English saddle or a Western?”
“What’s the difference?” he asked.
“The Western saddle has a horn,” replied the attendant.
“I don’t think I’ll need a horn,” said the Englishman. “I don’t intend to ride in heavy traffic.”
Poem to Enjoy
Love
John Lennon
There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done.
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.
It’s easy.
There’s nothing you can make that can’t be made.
No one can save that can’t be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
It’s easy.
All you need is love.
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There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known. Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.
All you need is love.
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