Путешествие в страну устных тем

Belfast is the seat of government of Northern Island. Administratively Great Britain is divided into 5 counties. The biggest cities of Great Britain are London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Cardiff.

The Welsh have their own language. However, many Welsh people do not know Welsh, and English is spoken by everyone in Wales. Scotland and Ireland also have their own languages, but they are rarely spoken and English is known by everyone there.

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. Officially the head of state is the Queen (or the King). However, the power of the Queen in Great Britain is not absolute. The Queen is the head of State, but her power is limited by Parliament. In practice, she reigns, but does not rule. She acts only on the advice of the ministers and Parliament. The branches of government are: the legislative, the executive and the judicial. There is no written constitution in Great Britain, only customs, traditions and precedents. The legislative is the supreme authority.

Parliament in Great Britain has existed since 1265 and is the eldest Parliament in the world. It consists of two Houses – the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords consists of 1000 peers who are not elected by the people. The House of Commons is a nation-wide representative body which is elected by the people at a general election, within 5 years of the last election. After the general election the Queen appoints the head of the government – the Prime Minister. As a rule the Prime Minister is the leader of the party that has won the election. The Prime Minister appoints the ministers to make up the government.

There are two main political parties in Great Britain: the Conservative party and the Labor party.

Great Britain is a highly-developed industrial country. The main fields of British industry are machine-building, ship-building, metallurgy, and electronics. It is known also as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of textile, aircraft and navigation equipment.

Language work

1. Practise the pronunciation of the following words and phrases.

Great Britain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, islands, Ireland, the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea, France, the English Channel, Northern Ireland, the highest point, the Northern Highlands, Scotland, the Thames, the Severn, an insular climate, humid, mild, striking discrepancy, England, Scotland, Wales, high-tech, car industries, castles, government, Edinburgh, coal mines, myths, industrial city, county, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, the Welsh, however, parliamentary monarchy, to reign, the legislative, the executive, the judicial, precedent, the supreme authority, the House of Lords, the House of Commons, a peer, representative body, the Conservative party, the Labor party, a highly-developed industrial country, metallurgy.

2. Do You Know Britain?

1. The UK is an island country. But it has land border. What country does it border on?

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tals?

3.What is the highest mountain in the British Isles called?

4.Give the names of:

a) the longest river in Britain; b) the largest lake in Britain; c) the largest city not counting London; d) the busiest port.

5.Why are there few outdoor cafes in London?

6.What are the Highlands like?

7.Which parts of Great Britain are the centers of wooden and cotton goods industries?

8.What is the official name of the country?

9.Are all the people in Britain English?

10.What is the name of the Scottish lake where supposedly lives a

monster?

11.Who sat at the famous Round Table?

12.What is the birthplace of Shakespeare?

13.Where can you meet Sir Nelson?

14.What books can you meet these characters in?

15.What sports originated in Britain?

16.Why are public holidays in Britain called "bank holidays"?

17.When was London destroyed by fire?

18.Why are English policemen called "Bobby"?

19.What English pop group is famous all over the world? Where is it from?

20.What is another name for the Houses of Parliament in London?

21.What is the name of the most famous clock in London? Whom is it named

after?

22.Why is Downing Street so well-known?

23.What do you know about the Tower?

24.Who is the head of the United Kingdom?

25.The first woman Prime Minister in Britain was called:

II. The USA. Washington

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world, after Russia, Canada and China. It occupies the southern part of North America, and includes Alaska. The USA is made up of 50 states, and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where the capitol of the country is situated.

If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska. The United States is a land of rivers

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and lakes. The largest and deepest lakes in the USA are the five Great Lakes on the border with Canada. America’s largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Mississippi is the word’s third longest river after the Nile and the Amazon.

The climate of the country varies greatly. The climate of Alaska is arctic. The climate of the central part is continental. The south has subtropical climate. There are many important cities in the USA, for example New York, one of the largest cities in the world, a great seaport and financial center, Chicago near the Great Lakes, one of the biggest industrial cities in the USA, and the second largest after New York. Boston is one of the first cities built on the Atlantic coast of America. Now it is a big cultural centre with three universities. Los Angeles is the centre of modern industries and show business. Other big and important cities of the USA are Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Detroit.

The city of Washington, the capital of the United States of America is located in the District of Columbia (DC for short). Washington is one of the most beautiful, unusual and impressive cities. Here you can see many neoclassical buildings, beautiful parks and squares. A lot of people come here just to have a rest. In Washington there are many sights: museums, theatres, galleries, monuments and memorials. It is very interesting to visit all this places and to get photos of all the most impressive things.

It’s the world’s largest one-industry city. And that industry is government. The White House, where the US president lives and works, the Capitol, the home of the US congress, and the Supreme Court are all in Washington. The city was so named in memory of George Washington, the first president of the USA, known for the active participation in the war with Britain. A special district was created for the city – the District of Columbia.

Washington is one of the most magnificent and unusual cities in the USA. In the centre of it raises the huge dome of the Capitol – a big white dome standing in a circle of pillars. It’s rather easy to get lost in this huge building, full of paintings and statues. The Capitol is the highest building in Washington. There is a law in Washington not to build buildings higher than the Capitol. Not far from the Capitol is the library of Congress, the largest in US. It contains more than 13 million books, more than 19 million manuscripts, including the personal papers of the American presidents.

The official residence of the USA president is White House. It is the greatest attraction. It has 132 rooms, among them the Oval Office where the president works. The White House used to be a president residence since it first occupied by

Other landmarks in Washington DC include memorials to three Presidents: The Washington Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial and The Jefferson Memorial; The Library of Congress, The National Gallery of Art, The John F. Kennedy center for the Performing Arts. One can hardly find a park, a square or an open area in Washington without a monument or a memorial, the Jefferson Memorial was built in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the USA. The Lincoln Memorial reminds everybody of Abraham Lincoln,

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the sixteenth American president who’s noted for the slavery destruction. There’s a statue of Abraham Lincoln inside the memorial. At the National Air and Space Museum visitors can see the history of flight from the first airplane to the Apollo spaceship. The National Gallery of Art, a large museum of painting, sculpture and other arts is also situated in the Capitol.

From the beginning of the twentieth century the USA became the world’s leading country. Thousands of tourists visit Washington every day.

Language work

1.Practice the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations.

the District of Columbia; The White House; the Capitol; the Supreme Court; the Library of Congress; The Washington Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial and The Jefferson Memorial; The National Gallery of Art, The John F. Kennedy center for the Performing Arts.

2.Give the Russian equivalents for the following words and word combinations.

To occupy the southern part; a special federal area; unusual and impressive city; there are many sights; to be named in memory of; the active participation in the war; the most magnificent and unusual city; full of paintings and statues; the greatest attraction; to be built in honor of; to remind everybody.

3.Give the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations.

Занимать южную часть Америки, состоять из 50 штатов, специальная федеральная зона, столица Америки, много достопримечательностей, прекрасных парков и площадей, первый президент, быть названным в честь президента, быть знаменитым, один из великолепнейших и необычных городов, в центре, самое высокое здание, существует закон, состоять из, манускрипт, личные бумаги, официальная резиденция, овальный кабинет, Верховный суд, Национальная галерея искусства, Декларация Независимости, приветствовать туристов, фестиваль красоты всех городов.

4.Answer the questions:

1.What is Washington?

2.Whom was it named after?

3.What is the District of Columbia?

4.What is the highest building in Washington?

5.Where is the Capitol situated?

6.Whom is Lincoln Memorial dedicated to?

7.What do you know about The John F. Kennedy center for the Performing Arts?

8.What is the official residence of the USA president?

9.What is the National Gallery of Art ?

10.When do tourists come to see Washington?

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5. Expand the following statements. Add the information from the

text:

1.The city of Washington is the capital of the United States of America. 2. The Capitol is the highest building in Washington. 3. The official residence of the USA president is White House.4. Other landmarks in Washington DC include memorials to three Presidents. 5. From the beginning of the twentieth century the USA became the world’s leading country.

III. Canada

Answer the following questions

1.Where is Canada situated?

2.How many people live in Canada?

3.What rivers in Canada do you know?

4.What do you know about the climate of the country?

5.What is the capital of Canada?

6.What is the second largest country in the world?

7.What is Canada bordered by?

8.What do you know about the system of power in Canada?

9.Who were the first people to live in Canada?

10.How did they come to Canada?

11.What countries took part in exploration of Canada?

12.When did Canada gain it's independence?

13.Is Canada a developed country now?

14.Where do most Canadians live?

15.Who is the head of state in Canada?

16.What are the official languages in Canada?

17.What is the main problem facing Canada today?

Read and translate the text, learn the italicized word combinations. Canada is the second largest country in the world. Only Russia has a greater land area. Canada is situated in North America. The country is situated in North

America. It is bordered in the north by the Arctic Ocean, in the east by the Atlantic Ocean, in the south by the United States and in the west by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska.

Canada is slightly larger than the United States, but has only about a tenth as many people. About 28 million people live in Canada. About 80% of the population live within 320 km of the southern border. Much of the rest of Canada is uninhabited or thinly populated because of severe natural conditions.

There are many rivers in Canada, and among them are the St. Lawrence, the Mackenzie, the Saskatchewan, the Columbia and the Yukon.

Climate, while generally temperate, varies from freezing winter cold to blistering summer heat. Canada's natural vegetation can be best described as falling into five areas: the boreal forest, the forests of the southeast and the southwest, the grasslands and the tundra.

Canada's history is an exciting story of development of a vast wilderness into a great nation. Most experts believe that the first people who lived on this land

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came from Asia about 15000 years ago. They came over a land bridge that once connected Asia and North America. Their descendants are known today as Indians. The ancestors of the Eskimos came to Alaska after them probably about 5000 years ago.

In 1497, John Cabot, an italian navigator in the service of England, found rich fishing grounds off Canada's southeast coast. His discovery led to the European exploration of Canada. France set up a colony in eastern Canada in the early 1600's. Great Britain gained control of the country in 1763, and thousands of British emigrants came to Canada. In 1867, the French and English-speaking Canadians helped to create a united colony called the Dominion of Canada. Two groups worked together to settle the country and to develop its great mineral deposits and other natural resources.

Canada gained its independence from Britain in 1931. In the 20th century Canada became an industrial country with highly developed agriculture. Today Canada is a leading producer of wheat, oats, and barley.

Canada is a constitutional monarchy, an independent federal state and parliamentary democracy with two official languages and two systems of law: civil law and common law, a member of the Commonwealth.

Canada is a federation of 10 provinces and 2 territories. Canada is an independent nation. But according to the Constitution Act of 1982 British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is recognized as Queen of Canada. This symbolizes the country's strong ties to Britain. English and French are both official languages, but 20% of the population speaks only French. Both English and French are official languages of the country. Native people – American Indians and Eskimos

– make up about 2% of the country's population. 77% of Canada's people live in cities or towns. The largest cities are Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary. Ottawa is the capital of the country.

Today, maintaining a sense of community is one of the major problems in Canada because of differences among the provinces and territories. 80% of Quebec's population are French Canadians. Many of them believe that their province should recieve a special recognition in the Canadian constitution.

Language work

Practise saying and learn the vocabulary

land area – площадь, population – население, uninhabited – незаселенный, severe – суровый, federation – федерация, independent – независимый,

British Monarch – английская королева, to recognize – признавать,

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ties – связи,

Commonwealth – (Британское) Содружество, civil law – гражданское право,

common law – общее право, ancestors – предки, Indians – индейцы,

to make up – составлять, to maintain – сохранять, community – общность, recognition – признание, vast – обширный, wilderness – пустыня, land bridge – перешеек, Escimos – эскимосы,

navigator – мореплаватель, fishing grounds – рыбные места, exploration – исследование,

to set up – основать,

Dominion of Canada – доминион Канада, mineral deposits – залежи полезных ископаемых, wheat – пшеница,

oats – овес, barley – ячмень.

Complete the sentences and use them as a plan for your future talk on the Canada

1.Canada is situated in North America. It is bordered_______

2.Canada is slightly larger than the United States, but _____

3.Climate, while generally temperate, varies from__________

4.Canada's natural vegetation can be best described as_____

5.Canada's history is an exciting story of development of a ___

6.In the 20th century Canada became an________________.

7.Canada is a constitutional monarchy, an independent_____

8.Native people – American Indians_________________.

9.Both English and French are_________________.

10.The largest cities are_________________.

11.Today, one of the major problems in Canada is________

UNIT VII. FAMOUS PEOPLE

Answer the following questions:

a)What famous people from English-speaking countries do you know? b)What are they famous for?

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I.Read and translate the text

Benjamin Franklin

Self-educated and self-made, Benjamin Franklin led a rich and active life. Universally rcognized as a superb diplomat and celebrated wit, Franklin was also a scientist, a musician, a philosopher, and an inventor.

Born the son of a Boston tallow maker, Franklin became at the age of twelve a printer’s apprentice to his brother, who had just bought back a press from England. Under the pen name of Silence Dogood, Franklin wrote a number of satiric pieces for his brother’s newspaper. At the age of seventeen, he headed for Philadelphia, where he acquired his own printing shop. In 1730, he created a character who came to be known as Poor Richard, and Poor Richard’s Almanack continued for the next twentyfive years.

The growth of his printing company and some wise investments enabled Franklin to retire when he was forty-four and devote his time to inventions and scientific experiments. His findings established him as the leading scientist of the Western Hemisphere and caused his election to the exclusive Royal Society.

The Pennsylvania legislature sent him to London in 1757 to present Pennsylvania in its disputes with mother country. Between 1768 and 1770 three more of the colonies asked Franklin to represent them, and he quickly became the chief spokesman for the colonies as a whole. By 1775 he had given up his once strong hope for reconciliation with England and returned to America where he was elected to the Second Continental Congress. He was appointed to the committee to frame the Declaration of Independence.

His quick wit and worldly wisdom made him extremely popular there, he helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris (1783), by which England recognized American independence. While abroad, he wrote The Autobiography, which explained the regimen of self-education that he so rigorously pursued.

Although he was old and ill when he returned to America in 1785, he served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention (1787) and continued his work with many humanitarian and scientific societies.

II. Language work

1.Give the Russian equivalents for the following words and word combinations:

Self-educated, self-made, a rich and active life, universally recognized, a superb diplomat, a scientist, an inventor, a pen name, to create a character, to come be known, an investment, to enable, to devote one’s time, scientific experiments, Western Hemisphere, Royal Society, to represent, reconciliation, to be elected, to be appointed, a committee, the Declaration of Independence, to be extremely popular, humanitarian and scientific societies, to give up one’s hope.

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2. Give the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations:

Насыщенная и активная жизнь, превосходный дипломат, изобретатель, ученый, псевдоним, создать персонаж, посвящать свое время, научные эксперименты, быть избранным, Западное полушарие, быть назначенным, королевское общество, быть крайне популярным, гуманитарные и научные общества, отказаться от своей надежды, комитет, Декларация независимости, стать известным.

3.In pairs, comment on the qualities which help to become a great scientist or an outstanding politician. Use some of these words.

4.Complete the sentences using the words and word combinations from the text “B. Franklin.”

5.And use them as a plan for your future talk.

1.Benjaming Franklin led ____ life.

2.He was ____.

3.Franklin started _____ at the age 12.

4.He acquired his own printing shop at the ____.

5.He was ____ of the West Hemisphere and caused his election to the

_____.

6.He was sent ____ to represent Pennsylvania in its disputes with the mother

country.

7.In America he was elected to the ____.

8.Franklin was appointed to the committee to frame the ___.

9.He took part in the negotiations by witch England recognized American

____.

10.He continued his work with many ____.

UNIT VIII. ENTERTAINMENT

1.Which of these do you associate with

a)art

b)music

c)dance

d)theatre

e)cinema

f)TV

Exhibition, opera house, masterpiece, portrait, abstract, sculpture, concert hall, ballet, shade, watercolours, sketch, canvas, art gallery ballerina, tenor, chat show, drawing, stage, audience, soprano, commercial, director, star, hit, video, plot, thriller, rap, turn on/off.

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Read and translate the text.

Entertainment

We live in the world of incredible pressure and growing demands. Every day we experience stress that makes our life a rat race, that is why, we are looking forward to the end of the working day, weekend or holidays that is the time when we can relax, enjoy ourselves and be entertained.

Entertainment is a vital part of our pastime as it makes our life various, colorful, rich and balanced. There are so many kinds of entertainment that it can meet demands of people with the most sophisticated tastes. The most popular are TV, cinema, music, books and dance. However, other people prefer theatre, galleries and exhibitions where they are not disturbed in the world of silent beauty.

Television, no doubt, is the most popular kind of entertainment offering you daily a palette of programs, films and commercials. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t have a TV-set, but I know hundreds who have about 90 channels broadcast by satellite and cable TV in all possible languages in the world. They are juggling between quiz shows, reality shows, comedy shows, chat shows, soap operas, the news, cartoons, documentaries, drama series, films, sport programs, sitcoms, animal programs, health programs and other TV-creations which challenge us, take our time, make big talking points and turn TV viewers into TV addicts. Today psychologists, papers and doctors give us an earful about dangers of TV especially for children and psychos, but we can’t deny obvious benefits of TV: it keeps us informed about what is going on in the world, educates us and entertains us.

Still a lot of people don’t feel like being a coach-potato glued to the sofa for ages. They regard television as a viable alternative to movie-going, but not exactly the same thing. Cinemas are still overcrowded and collect a fortune from box-offices. They offer spectacular widescreen effects and multi-track stereo sound, which add to the sense of overwhelming reality. They provide us with a variety of movies of the world-famous film-directors. There is always something to feast your eyes on: action films, comedies, horror films, musicals, science fictions, fairy-tales, thrillers and westerns.

Music and dance walk hand by hand appealing to our imagination and making our life dynamic and mobile. You can choose from a range of musical trends: pop, rock, rap, heavy metal, blues, country music, instrumental music and others. You can go to the concerts and enjoy live performance or just plug in your earphones.

For those who are not to be disturbed in their privacy, books are the best bet. For those, who want to come in touch with the peak of human passions unfolding just in front of their eyes, theatre is the right place.

Our world is a big entertaining place that gives you shelter, absorbs stress and brings happiness.

Language work

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