Peterhof

1. Versailles was, however, the inspiration for Peter the Great’s desire to build an imperial palace in the suburbs of his new city and, after an aborted attempt at Strelna, Peterhof – which means «Peter’s Court» in German – became the site for the Tsar’s Monplaisir Palace, and then of the original Grand Palace. The estate was equally popular with Peter’s granddaughter, Empress Elizabeth, who ordered the expansion of the Grand Palace and greatly extended the park and the famous system of fountains, including the truly spectacular Grand Cascade. The Peterhof ensemble includes the Upper and Lower Parks with 150 fountains spurting upwards powerful jets.

2. Improvements to the park continued throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Catherine the Great, after leaving her own mark on the park, moved the court to Pushkin, but Peterhof once again became the official Imperial Residence in the reign of Nicholas I, who ordered the building of the modest Cottage Palace in 1826.

3. Like almost all St. Petersburg’s suburban estates, Peterhof was ravaged by German troops during the Second World War. It was, however, one of the first to be resurrected and, thanks to the work of military engineers and over 1,000 volunteers, most of the estate’s major structures had been fully restored by 1947.

Содержанию текста соответствует утверждение

• In the reign of Empress Elizabeth the territory of the Peterhof ensemble got smaller.

• Only talented architects took part in the restoration of the Peterhof ensemble.

• Cottage Palace was one of the most luxurious buildings in the Russia of the XIX century.

• In the past Peterhof used to be an exquisite residence of Russian tsars.

Завершите утверждение согласно содержанию текста.

Peterhof wasn’t the imperial residence in the reign of

• Nicholas I

• Peter the Great

• Empress Elizabeth

• Catherine the Great

Ответьте на вопрос:

Where did Peter the Great want to build his imperial residence first?

• In Versailles.

• In Strelna.

• In Pushkin.

• In Peterhof.

Основной идеей текста является

• The main attraction in Peterhof is its beautiful Lower Park with 150 fountains.

• Peterhof was founded as early as 1714 by Peter the Great after visiting Versailles.

• During the Second World War thousands of masterpieces in Peterhof were destroyed.

• The Peterhof building continued about two centuries in the reign of several emperors.

Renaissance

1. Renaissance, literally «rebirth», is the period in European civilization immediately following the Middle Ages, traditionally held to have been characterized by a rise of interest in classical learning and values. The Renaissance also witnessed the discovery and exploration of new continents, the substitution of the Copernican for the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, the decline of the feudal system and the growth of commerce, and the invention or application of such potentially powerful innovations as paper, printing, the mariner’s compass,and gunpowder. To the scholars and thinkers of the day, however, it was primarily a time of the revival of classical learning and wisdom after a long period of cultural decline and stagnation.

2. The term Middle Ages was coined by scholars in the 15th century to designate the interval between the downfall of the classical world of Greece and Rome and its rediscovery at the beginning of their own century, a revival in which they felt they were participating. Indeed, the notion of a long period of cultural darkness had been expressed by Petrarch even earlier. Events at the end of the Middle Ages, particularly beginning in the 12^th century, caused a series of social, political, and intellectual transformations that culminated in the Renaissance. These included the increasing failure of the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire to provide a stable and unifying framework for the organization of spiritual and material life, the rise in importance of city-states and national monarchies, the development of national languages, and the breakup of the old feudal structures.

Определите, какое утверждение соответствует содержанию текста.

• The Renaissance is the revival of European civilization at the beginning of the 15th century. ?

• The long period of cultural darkness in European civilization is associated with the Renaissance.

• The scholars and thinkers of the 15th century stated that they lived at the time of cultural decline and stagnation.

• The Middle Ages is the period of the decline of the feudal system and the growth of commerce in Europe.

Завершите утверждение согласно содержанию текста.

The period of the Renaissance is remarkable for the great achievements in geography, such as the

• rediscovery of the classical world of Greece and Rome

• revival of classical learning and wisdom

• discovery and exploration of new continents

• invention of paper and gunpowder

Ответьте на вопрос:

What period in history is called the Middle Ages?

• The period of time when the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire lost their influence over the organization of spiritual and material life is called the Middle Ages.

• The period of time characterized by the rise of interest in classical learning and values, the development of national languages is called the Middle Ages.

• The period of time when the Copernican system of astronomy was substituted for the Ptolemaic system, and many important discoveries were made is called the Middle Ages.

• The period of time between the downfall of the classical world of Greece and Rome and its rediscovery at the beginning of the 15th century is called the Middle Ages.

Определите основную идею текста.

• Powerful innovations, such as paper, printing, the mariner’s compass, and gunpowder were invented or applied in the Renaissance.

• The Renaissance witnessed the increasing role of city-states and national monarchies and the breakup of the old feudal structures.

• The Renaissance is the period of the culmination of great social, political and intellectual changes in European civilization.

• The Renaissance is characterized by a rise of interest in classical learning and values in European civilization.