10 (#16) Wonders of the Modern World_________________________

♦ When Charles Babbage, a professor of Mathematics at Cambridge university, invented the first calculating machine in 1812 he couldn’t imagine the situation we find ourselves in today. Nearly everything we do in the world is helped, or even controlled by computers, the complicated descedants of his simple machine. Just as television has extended human sight across the barriers of time and distance, so the computers extend the power of the human mind across the existing barriers. Computers are used more and more often in the world today, for the simple reason that they are far more efficent than human beings. They have much better memories and they can store much information. No man alive can do 500000 sums in one second, but a computer can. In fact, computers can do many of the things we do, but faster and better. They can predict weather, and ever play chess, write poetry or compose music. Computers are one of great importance in modern hospital.

Computers play a very important part in our life. They help people in their work and studies. They save us a lot of time. While at the University I often made use of the Internet to collect information for my test papers and compositions.

Computers give access to a lot of information. It is possible to find data and descriptions, chapters from necessary books… to make a long story short, everything you need.

Ordinary computer can remember only the data stored in the hard disk. Now scientists have desighned machines, that are capable of learning from experience and remembering what they have learned.

11 (#17) English Food______________________________________

♦ The English usually have 4 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. Breakfast can be a full ќEnglish breakfast› of cornflakes with milk and sugar, or bacon and eggs, toast and marmalade, tea or coffee.At midday everything is stopped for tea. Most offices and small shops are closed for an hour. The English like what they call “good plain food”. They must be able to recognize what they are eating. Usually they like steak, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and fish and chips.

Afternoon tea is taken at about 5 o.clock, but it can hardly be called a meal. It is a cup of tea and cake or biscuits. At the weekends afternoon tea is a special occasion. Friends and visitors are often invited to have a chat over a cup of tea.

Dinner is the most substantial meal of the day. It usually eaten at 7 o.clock. The first course may be soup (though the English don.t like it very much). The main course will often be fish or meat, perhaps the traditional roast beef of old England, and a lot of vegetables. The next course will be something sweet and often cooked, such as fruit pie. Last of all there may be cheese, often with biscuits.

It is common knowledge that the English are very fond of tea. They like to have ќa nice cup of tea› 6 or 8 times a day, sometimes even more.

Russian people have 4 meals a day too. Traditional Russian foods are pelmeni and pancakes. The Russian often have a nice meal on Sunday, with all their family, grandparents, grandchildren, and so on. The meal can go on for long time, maybe three, four hours. As for me I prefer Russian food, because English food isn.t tasty.

♦ The two features of live in England that is possibly give visitors their worst impressions are the English weather and English cooking. English food has often been described as tasteless. But it would be unfair to say that all English food is bad. Many traditional British dishes are as good as anything you can get anythere.

Meals and mealtimes in England are not the same in all families. The English usually have 4 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner.

Breakfast is the first meal of the day. But it is often rather hurried and informal meal. Most people do not have a full breakfast at all apart from a hot drink. People who do have a full breakfast say

that it is quite good. Breakfast can be a full .English breakfast. of cornflakes with milk and sugar, bacon or eggs, toast and marmalade, tea or coffee.

The British are the world.s greatest tea-drinkers. They drink the quarter of all the tea grown in the world each year. They like to have .a nice cup of tea. 6 or 8 times a day, sometimes even more. At midday everything is stopped for tea. Most offices and small shops are closed for an hour. Afternoon tea is taken at about 5 o.clock, but it can hardly be called a meal. It is a cup of tea and cake or biscuits. At the weekends afternoon tea is a special occasion. Friends and visitors

are often invited to have a chart over a cup of tea.

Lunch is a light meal and eaten at school or work. Lunch takes 30 . 40 minutes. Some offices have installed (устанавливать) a microwave oven for employees to use. Popular lunches are: a salad or sandwich, a baked potato, beans (фасоль) on toast. Snacks are very popular in Britain and many people frequently eat snacks between meals. Schools and workplaces may also sell snacks such as crisps, chocolate, sweets and biscuits. Instant snacks are the fastest-growing sector of the food market.

Dinner is usually the main meal of the day. It usually eaten at 7 o.clock and consists of two courses. The first course may be soup (though the English don.t like it very much). The main course will often be fish or meat, perhaps the traditional roast beef and a lot of vegetables. The next course will be something sweet and often cooked, such as fruit pie. Last of all may be cheese, often with biscuits.

The English like what they call .good plain food.. They must recognize what they are eating. Usually they like steak, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips.