New York
Everyone knows something about New York — the Statue of Liberty, the skyscrapers, the beautiful shops on Fifth Avenue and the many theatres on Broadway. This is America's cultural capital, and her biggest city, with a population of nearly eight million. In the summer it is hot, hot, and in the winter it can be very cold, but there are hundreds of things to do and see all the year round.
There are five 'boroughs' in New York: Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Richmond. Only one of them, the Bronx, is not an island.
Manhattan, the smallest island in New York, is the real centre of the city. When people say 'New York City' they usually mean Manhattan. Most of the interesting shops, buildings and museums are here, and Manhattan is the scene of New York's night life.
In 1605 the first Europeans came to Manhattan from Holland. They bought the island from the Native Americans for a few glass necklaces, worth about $26 today.
Only 1,500,000 people live in Manhattan, but five million people work here every day. Many live in the suburbs and come to work on the subway.
Wall Street in Manhattan is the financial heart of the USA and the most important banking centre in the world. It is a street of 'skyscrapers', those incredible, high buildings which Americans invented, and built faster and higher than anyone else.
Like every big city, New York has its own traffic system. Traffic jams can be terrible, and it's usually quickest to go by subway. The New York subway is easy to use and quite cheap. Take a look at the map. The subway goes to almost every corner of Manhattan. But be careful. It's better not to go by subway late at night.
You see more, of course, if you go by bus. New York buses are also easy to use. The 'Shoppers' Shuttle' (Monday to Friday) and the 'Culture Loops' (Saturdays and Sundays) stop at some of the best known stores and tourist places. You can get on and off as many times as you like in one day with only one ticket.
There are more than 30,000 taxis in New York. They are easy to see, because they are bright yellow and carry large TAXI signs. Taxis do not go outside the city but they will go to the airports. People give the taxi driver a 'tip' of 15 % extra.
If you really have to drive in New York, remember that nearly all the east-west streets and most of the north-south streets are one way only. This can be difficult for the visitor who does not know his way. Try to get a map that shows the direction of the traffic, and — good luck!
A. Questions.
1. What do many people know about New York? 2. What is the population of New York? 3. What is the weather like? 4. What are the five 'boroughs' in New York? 5. Which of them is not an island? 6. What is the real centre of the city? 7. Who was the first to come to Manhattan? When? 8. How many people live in Manhattan? 9. How many people work there? 10. What street is the financial heart of the USA? 11. What is the New York traffic system like? 12. What colour are the taxis in New York?
B. Speak about New York.
C. Has anyone in your group visited New York? Answer your friends' questions about New York.
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D. Put the verbs in brackets into the –ing form or the infinitive.
Kim: I'll never forget (go) to America for the first time. I was incredibly excited although I was trying (act) cool and casual.
Tom: I know. I remember (be) quite envious because I wanted (go) there too.
Kim: Yes, I know. I was a bit over the top, wasn't I? I'm sorry for (behave) so badly.
Tom: Yes, you were! You just went on (talk) about America constantly. It was quite funny though when I think back. You hardly let me (say) a word.
Kim: I'm sorry, but you know that in my excitement I nearly left a lot of things behind like my camera and my money.
Tom: I didn't know you had such a bad memory.
Kim: I'm not usually so forgetful. I had a lot on my mind. Anyway, I don't remember actually (leave) anything behind in the end.
Tom: How did you feel when you first arrived there?
Kim: I remember (worry) about what to do and where to go. I wanted (see) everything but I didn't know where (begin).
Tom: So where did you go first?
Kim: Well, we started in New York. At first, the traffic was so bad that I was afraid (cross) the road. But it got easier. I saw the Empire State building and the Statue of Liberty and lots of other things. It was incredible! I love New York!
Pacific Paradise Tour
The Pacific Paradise Tour took us to California, on the west coast of the United States, and to the Hawaiian islands in the Pacific Ocean. With beautiful countryside, exciting cities and fantastic beaches, this holiday had everything.
The first place we stopped at was San Francisco, in northern California. This city is famous for its cable cars — and it certainly needs them because San Francisco is extremely hilly and has some very steep roads! By the sea, next to the fishing boats, there are the fish restaurants. Here we enjoyed watching the street actors and musicians as we ate delicious fresh fish. One thing we'll never forget is the Golden Gate Bridge, which is very big and beautiful.
The next city on the tour was Los Angeles. This city is very exciting and has some very famous attractions. The nearby beaches are long and
sandy and the mountains outside the city are high and dry. We visited the beach where they were filming Baywatch. We also went to Disneyland where we saw E.T. and shook hands with Mickey Mouse. After that they took us to Hollywood to see the houses of the stars who have made a lot of films — and a lot of money!
The last place we visited in California was San Diego, a city with sun, sand, sea and all kinds of watersports. We went to the San Diego Zoo which is one of the world's largest zoos. We also visited Mexico, which is only a short drive away from San Diego,
Finally, we went to Hawaii. It's paradise! We sat on golden beaches with green palm trees and watched amazing red sunsets. We also saw colourful fish at Sea Life Park and went snorkelling in Hanauma Bay. In the evenings we enjoyed the lively clubs, bars and ice-cream parlours. Best of all, we ate fantastic Hawaiian food while watching Hawaiian people performing traditional Polynesian dances.
This holiday was fantastic. So when you have time, get on the first plane to the west coast of The United States and have the time of your life!
A. Match two things from the list to each place.
1. San Francisco a. cable cars
b. traditional
2. Los Angeles dances
с a zoo
3. San Diego d. Disneyland
e. golden beaches
4. Hawaii f. a famous bridge
g. rich people's houses h. watersports
B. Which sentences refer to which place(s)?
San Francisco San Diego
Los Angeles Hawaii
The city is built on hills.
There is a famous theme park.
It is very close to another country.
The local food is delicious.
Entertainers perform as you eat.
You can see the homes of famous people.
You can see interesting creatures under the sea.
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С.
Practice.
1. Match each word from column A with its opposite from column B.
A В
beautiful a. dull
delicious b. ugly
fresh с southern
exciting d. tasteless
dry e. wet
northern f. stale
2. Fill in the correct word from the list below. Use the words only once.
cable palm steep street short fishing traditional golden
|
1. |
.. boats |
|
2. |
.. trees |
|
3. |
.. dances |
|
4. |
.. cars |
...beaches
a. ... drive
... roads
... actors
3. Replace the words in bold with others from the list.
colourful perfect delicious gorgeous tiny delightful huge fantastic
Last winter I went on a skiing holiday to the Alps. We stayed in a small chalet which had a big fireplace in every room. The weather was good so we were able to go skiing every day. In the evenings we had dinner at nice restaurants in the village. The food was really good. There were some nice shops so I bought a nice jumper. We stayed there for a week. We had a good time.
D. Read the article and talk about San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Hawaii in terms of sights / activities.
E. Have you ever travelled abroad? Where did you go? What did you see there?
Madrid
Madrid is the capital of Spain, and is located right in the centre of the country. It's also the largest city in Spain, with over three million residents.
Madrid is a centre for government and finance, and is an important manufacturing centre for the automotive and aircraft industries. In addition, it's one of the major publishing centres for the Spanish-speaking
world.
The people of Madrid are called Madrilenos. Many Madrilenos work from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Then, at two o'clock, many stores and offices close. The custom started so that people could take an afternoon nap or siesta. Those who take a siesta go back to work again from five to eight o'clock. However, recently, many businesses have stopped closing for siesta; instead, they follow the semanta inglesa, or English week, and stay open from nine to five o'clock. Nevertheless, many people still work late, until eight in the evening. Like many people throughout Spain, Madrilenos eat dinner late, usually between 10 p.m. and midnight, and theatres and cinemas begin performances late. The local style is to keep late hours, especially in the summer. During the hot months of July and August, the temperature is often over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit, or thirty-eight degrees Celsius. But Madrilenos have a variety of ways to stay cool. For example, they stroll up and down the streets or sit and talk at outdoor cafes; they can also go to discos that have an outdoor swimming pool.
Madrid has many attractions. Soccer is the most popular sport in Madrid, and the city has two major soccer teams. In addition, the largest bullring in Spain is located in Madrid. It's called Las Ventas, and it's the place where all novice bullfighters get their start. And, of course, there are world-famous art museums, such as the Prado Museum, which is the home of masterworks by artists such as El Greco and Goya.
A. Do you remember what the speaker says on each of these topics?
population — weather
industry —entertainment
life-style
B. Speak about Madrid, the capital of Spain.
C. Choose an interesting city or place to give a talk on. Speak about the cost of living, employment, housing, industry, location, population, size, weather, etc. Be ready to answer any questions about the place you are talking about.
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