18. Learn the dialogues.
1.
– Which are the most interesting picture galleries in London?
– Well, the National Gallery, to begin with, then comes the National Portrait Gallery.
– Yes, but what about the British Museum? I’ve heard a lot of it.
– Oh surely, you ought to go there, but the British museum is not a museum of Fine Arts. It’s a museum of history, archeology and ethnography. It’s also one of the largest libraries in the world.
2.
– This is Fleet Street.
– It’s name suggests a sea voyage.
– Nothing of the kind. It suggests journalism.
– Why?
– Because all the big British daily newspapers are edited here.
3.
– Why, it’s № 10 Downing Street:
– Exactly so. Here the Prime Minister of Britain lives.
– And where’s the residence of the Queen?
– The London residence of the British kings is Buckingham Palace. When the Queen is in the residence the Royal Standard is flown at mast head (флагшток).
19. In groups, hold a discussion on the following situation:
– Big Ben is a tower clock. It is famous for its accuracy and for its 13-ton bell, designed by Edmund Beckett, Baron Grimthorpe. Big Ben is housed in the tower at the eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. The clock was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, commissioner of works at the time of its installation in 1859. Originally applied only to the bell, eventually it came to indicate the clock itself.
– Many important events in the history of Great Britain are connected with the Tower of London. It has served as citadel, palace, prison, mint, and menagerie. Now it is a museum. In 1078 William the Conqueror built the White Tower to defend the city. The Tower is famous for its illustrious prisoners. Many great people lost their heads on the executioner's block. The Yeoman Warders known as 'Beefeaters' guard the Tower. They wear traditional Tudor costumes.
20. Comment on the following proverbs and sayings. (Explain their meaning, give their Russian equivalents.)
East or West, home is best.
There is no place like home.
So many countries, so many customs.
When at Rome, do as the Romans do.
21. Role play
A group of guides suggests possible sightseeing routes about London to their office director commenting on the peculiarities of different historical places. Each one speaks in favour of his/her suggestion trying to convince both the director and the guides that the route is the best. In the end the participants of the talk choose the most appropriate route.
Check List to Module IV
What's the City, the West End, the East End?
What are English buses called?
What is the name of the tower which contains the famous Big Ben?
What is the name of London underground?
Can you name the person of England whose final Battle was at Trafalgar?
What is the famous place in Hyde Park where people can say anything they like?
Who was the famous English general and statesman who won the victory of Waterloo?
MODULE V
The Russian Federation
Vocabulary Training
1. Read the words and the expressions below:
Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Kaliningrad Oblast, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and Democratic People's Republic of Korea, mineral and energy resources, unfrozen fresh water
2. Group the words into subject groups:
republic, country, land borders, energy, minerals, water, land
3. Work with your partner.
Semi-presidential republic, the eighth of the Earth’s land area, federal subjects, the ninth largest by population.
4. Read English sentences choosing one of the Russian words in brackets with the proper meaning. This time work in small groups.
1. The Russian Federation is a transcontinental (пересекающийся, трансконти-нентальный, трансматериковый) country.
2. Democratic People's (национальный, народный, общественный) Republic of Korea is our eastern neighbour.
3. Russia`s lakes contain approximately (приблизительно, приближенно, точно) one-quarter of the world's unfrozen fresh water.
Reading
5. Read this text quickly and define the main idea of this text.
Russia or the Russian Federation is a transcontinental country. It is a semi-presidential republic comprising 83 federal subjects. Russia shares land borders with the following countries: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (via Kaliningrad Oblast), Poland (via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and Democratic People's Republic of Korea. At more than 17 million square kilometres, Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than an eighth of the Earth’s land area; with 142 million people, it is the ninth largest by population. Russia has the world's greatest reserves of mineral and energy resources, and is considered an energy superpower. It has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's unfrozen fresh water.