What to see if you have two hours

Lenin Avenue runs down to the Ob River and offers a picturesque stroll from the northern to southern part of the city's center. Starting at the stylish provision store “Under the spire” building, you can follow the birch-tree lined park in the middle of the avenue, passing the main Sovetov Square, the ubiquitous Lenin statue and the local government's headquarters.

Behind that building on the right is the Drama Theater, located on Sotsialtichesky Avenue, where you can enjoy a street fair in summer. You'll also pass the traditional TsUM department store and some newer shops. On the left you can see the Polzunov Altai State Technical University, with a statue to steam energy pioneer Polzunov right before it. After that comes the Medical University and then one of the more famous places of higher learning, the former pilots' school that was famous throughout the U.S.S.R. but failed to survive the post Soviet crash and for the last several years has served as a police academy.

Soon the main cathedral, Nikolsky Cathedral, comes into view, as well as the city's finest example of Stalinist architecture, the KraiSovProf building, on the right. Approaching the river, you'll see the city's Dinamo stadium and the famous Soviet-era store “Krasny Magazin”, be in range of the “Stary Bazar” open-air market and at last come to the river station, which is unfortunately modern, because many of the town's buildings after a 1917 fire were destroyed.

At the river station, you can take in the Hollywood copycat sign spelling out "BARNAUL" in giant letters impaled on the riverbank on the other side of the bridge, or just do as the locals do in the late spring  gaze at the ice floes that are floating northward with the current of the Ob River. 

Task 5. Choose the correct word.

Probably the most beautiful city in the world, Paris has been called the City of Light for good reason.

At night the city glistens like a jewel, creating a 1) thrilling/frightening atmosphere. During the day the glorious architecture take one’s breath away. Chic shops, beautiful parks, 2) high/impressive avenues – it’s almost too much to take in.

No one can say that Paris is a 3) humdrum/unique city since it is full of fascinating attractions. The Louvre 4) hosts/ houses some of the greatest art in the world and that famous symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, gives a 5) breathless/breathtaking, panoramic view of the city. If the crowds and noise of the avenues become too 6) overwhelming/strong, you can escape to Versailles. A more extravagant display of wealth cannot be found anywhere.

For 7) delight/entertainment, there are thousands of clubs and discos, and of course famous 8) locations/ attractions like the Moulin Rouge. A trip to Paris must include a 9) sampling/trial of French cuisine with its rich sauces, creamy cheeses and excellent wines.

This 10) multi-faceted/two-faced city is a place that you will never forget.

Task 6. Give the Russian equivalents to the following.

“No Thoroughfare.” “No Left Turn.” “Cross Here” “Parking.”= “P.” “No Parking.” “Slow Down.” “No Passage.” “Horns Forbidden.” “No Admittance.” “Keep Left.” “Admittance Free.” “Used Tickets.” “Bus Stop Request.” “Station Full” (at the parking lot). “One way Only.” “Filling Station.” “No Stopping.” “Private.” “Beware of Cars.” “Two line Traffic.” “Look Out When Crossing.” “Road Under Construction.” “Wet Paint.” “ Taxi-stand.” “Keep Off the Grass.” “Tickets and Trains” (in the London Tube). “For Litter.” “Obey Park Regulations.” “Keep Our Town Clean.”

Task 7. Fill in the correct word from the list below:

Pavements, zebra crossing, road sign, skyscrapers, area, traffic lights, traffic, tube ,streets, roadworks.

1. The pedestrians cross the street on the ….. . 2. In New York, there are a lot of ….. , with big flats. 3. In Paris, a lot of … are famous, such as the Champs-Elysées. 4. Manhattan is a famous American … . 5. If the … are red, the cars can't go on. 6. In Paris, the … are usually wide. 7. I won't come back home soon because there is a lot of … . 8. I live in Paris and I don't have a car, so I use the … . 9. The men are building a new road, we can see … . 10. A … tells us we can't turn left.

Task 8. Read the text and answer the questions below it.

My home - love it or hate it!

By Ali Khazan

I live in Blackheath in South London. London’s one of the largest and most exciting cities in the world, and there are advantages and disadvantages to living here.

The main advantage is that there’s a lot to do and see. In the centre of London there are tourist attractions like Madam Tussaud’s and the Science Museum, and there are all kinds of parks and historic buildings. I suppose that we don’t always make the most of it. We only visit places like the Tower of London when one of our relatives comes to visit!

Secondly, London is a great place for entertainment. All the new films come here first, and if we want to go to a pop concert or big sports events, there’s always something right on our doorstep. And of course the shopping is great – there’s everything from department stores like Harrods to Camden Market.

Another advantage of living in London is that you can travel easily and quickly across the city on the underground. And we’ve got railway stations and airports to take you anywhere in the world.

Lastly, London is truly cosmopolitan. Kids at my school are from lots of different cultures, but that doesn’t stop us being friends. It’s good to mix with people from different backgrounds. It stops you from becoming narrow-minded.

But there are some major problems if you live in London. Like most other capital cities, it is noisy, polluted and congested with traffic. The traffic problem is so bad that they have recently introduced a congestion charge for central London. Drivers now have to pay if they want to take their cars to the city centre. Hopefully that will improve the situation.

Secondly, things are very expensive here – apparently it’s more expensive to live here than to live in any American city. For example, if you go to the cinema in the centre of London it can cost you nearly 12 pounds. And to go just one stop on the underground can cost nearly one pound.

But the worst problem about living in London is that, in general, people aren’t very friendly. Nobody will talk to strangers or help people in the street if they are in trouble. They don’t trust each other, and I think that’s because they are scared of becoming victims of crime. London has the highest crime rate in the country.

But in spite of these negative points, I still wouldn’t want to live outside of London. It’s my home – love it or hate it!

Task 1. Answer the questions based on the text.

1. What is the main advantage of living in London?

2. What is the number of advantages?

3. What can you say about entertainments?

4. How can you travel across the city?

5. What does cosmopolitan town mean?

6. The author of the text mentioned some disadvantages. What is the worst one?

7. Are there any other minuses of living in London?

8. What is the congestion charge? Do we have it in Barnaul?

Task 2. Speak about advantages and disadvantages of life in London.

Pair work

1. Read and learn the following dialogues:

1.

- Excuse me, I'm afraid I'm lost. Can you help me?

- Where do you want to go?

- I am to be in Independence Square at 3 o'clock. I'm short of time.

- Oh, yes. The quickest way to get there is by metro.

- Is there a metro station here?

- Yes, go straight as far as the park and there you'll see the metro station.

- Thanks a lot.

2.

– Tom, is Chicago your native city?

– No, my native city is Boston. But I am now studying and living in Moscow.

– Do you live in a dormitory?

– Yes.

– And where is it located?

– The dormitory is located on Lomonosovsky prospect.

– Do you get to the dorm by metro?

– Yes, it’s better to go by metro to station “University”, but you can also go by trolleybus.

– How long does it take you to get to the university?

– About 15–20 minutes.

2. Translate into English and reproduce:

• Город Барнаул такой же большой как Новосибирск?

• No, it isn’t. Barnaul is much smaller.

• Сколько районов в Новосибирске?

• I don’t know exactly but I think there are more than 5 districts.

• Есть ли в Новосибирске улицы с односторонним движением?

• Sure. For example, the street I live in is one-way.

• В Новосибирске легко заблудиться, не так ли?

• I don’t think so. Any passer-by will show you the right way.

III. Conversation questions. Use them to compose a dialogue. 

• Why do you like living in the city?

• What are some of the advantages of living in a city?

• What are some of the disadvantages of living in a city?

• Is your city a sprawling city?

• Do you know the neighbours who live near you?

• What’s your favourite city? Why?

• What parts of your city do you like the most?

• Does your city ever have bumper-to-bumper traffic?

• Do you like the hectic pace of life in the city?

• Does your city have any areas with upmarket shops?

• What is the inner city like?

• What aspects of life in the city would you complain about?

• Are there any deprived areas in your city?

• What do you think should be done to improve living condition in cities?

• What are some differences between living in the city and living in a small town?

• What monuments of your city do you consider the most impressive?

• Which city’s sports team do you cheer for?

• In what ways are people from cities different to people from small towns?

• What do you like about small towns?

• Have you ever visited a small town with rustic charm and quaint old buildings?