МИНИСТЕРСТВО СЕЛЬСКОГО ХОЗЯЙСТВА РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ
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Кафедра иностранных языков
Б1. Б.3. Иностранный язык (английский)
Страноведение
Сборник текстов для самостоятельной работы бакалавров
заочного обучения всех напрвлений подготовки
Уфа 2011
УДК 811 А: 910
ББК 81.2 Анг: 26.89
С 23
Рекомендовано к изданию методической комиссией факультета ветеринарной медицины (протокол №5 от 22 декабря 2011 г.)
Составители: к.ф.н., доцент О.Н.Новикова, старший преподаватель Р.А.Исмагзамова, старший преподаватель Р.А.Юсупова.
Рецензент: к.фил.н., доцент кафедры иностранных языков З.Н.Изимариева
Ответственный за выпуск: зав. кафедрой иностранных языков, к.ф.н. доцент О.Н. Новикова
Предлагаемый сборник текстов для чтения состоит из четырех частей: 1) Англоязычные страны, 2) Чудеса, сотворенные природой, 3) Соединенное королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии, 4) Некоторые стороны жизни англичан. Общее количество печатных знаков всех текстов – около 30 тысяч. Норма чтения для студентов заочного обучения – 5 тысяч. Студентам рекомендуется выбрать тексты из всех четырех частей.
Тексты взяты из аутентичных источников и адаптированы с сохранением лексико-грамматических характеристик научно-популярного текста.
Part 1 English-Speaking Countries
1.1 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK, for short) is the official name of the country which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Several islands around the British coast are also part of the United Kingdom.
The UK is a constitutional (or parliamentary) monarchy. The country has a monarch (a King or a Queen) as its head of state. The monarch has very little power and can only reign with the support of parliament. Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
The different parts of Britain have their own emblems. They are all plants. You can see them on pound coins: England has the rose, Scotland has the thistle, Wales has the daffodil and Northern Ireland the shamrock.
Typical popular pastimes in the UK include going to pubs, playing and watching sport, going on holidays, doing outdoor activities, listening to pop music, reading, and watching TV. Pubs are an important part of British social life and many people spend their free time in pubs, speaking, drinking beer, meeting their friends, watching sport events. England is also famous for its gardens, and most people like gardening. This is probably one reason why so many people prefer to live in houses than in flats.
(Объем текста 1103 печатных знака)
1.2 The United States of America
The USA is a very powerful and the most advanced country. It leads the world in industrial and agricultural production. The total area of the USA is over 9 mln square kilometers. The population of the country is 300 mln people. In size it ranks 4th among the countries after Russia, Canada and China.
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. It has one major business, and that business is government. Many people who live in Washington work for the federal government. The White House is the official residence of the US president. You will see no skyscrapers in Washington,D.C. because they can hide from view the city’s many monuments. In fact, no building may be more than 40 metres tall.
The largest city is New York, which is nicknamed Big Apple. New York is called the city that never sleeps because it is alive at all hours of day and night.
Chicago is called the most typical American city. Chicago is on Lake Michigan, and waterways made the city a natural link between the Midwest and the East of the country. Chicago is the centre for meatpacking, grain storage, and manufacturing of farm equipment.
The Hawaii Islands are volcanic. Hawaii’s first contact with the west was in 1778, when it was discovered by the English explorer James Cook. In 1959 Hawaii was made the USA’s 50th state. Today tourism accounts for 30% of Hawaii’s income. Hawaii’s agricultural products include sugar, pineapple, and nuts.
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