Text 6 Coffeehouses and Taverns

I Retell the text.

The coffeehouse has been a Viennese institution for three centuries. According to legend, the first such establishment opened with an inventory of Turkish coffee beans, part of the booty (добыча, награбленное добро) from the Siege (осада) of Vienna in 1683. There are a variety of coffees and an assortment of supplements such as cream or brandy to choose from. The Viennese have turned the coffeehouse into a sort of second living room, where they not only drink their beverage and consume pastries but also read periodicals, play cards and chat with friends. There were once famous literary ant theatrical cafés where artists and famous personalities held court; still flourishing is the Café Demel, a true custodian (хранитель) of the past. Also pe­culiar to Vienna are the taverns in which is served the young, sour wine – Heuriger – of the previous year harvest. Some of the most famous taverns are in the outlying dis­tricts of Vienna, such as Grinzing, Nussdorf and Sievering and they are identified by evergreen branches hung over the entrance. The wine drinking is accompanied with music, usually played by a trio of instruments, including those such as a fiddle (скрипка), accordion, guitar or zither (цитра).

II Work in pairs. Make up dialogues about Vienna using the following to­pics:

• Vienna as a capital city.

• Vienna’s architecture.

• Transportation in Vienna.

• Health, Welfare and Education in Vienna.

• Music and Theatre.

• Coffeehouses and Taverns.

Text 5 The Cotswolds, Burford, Canterbury, Leeds Castle, Greenwich

I Read and translate the text. Use a dictionary if necessary.

The Cotswolds. Steeped in history, rich in heritage and awash with natural beauty, the area of England known as the Cotswolds is a charming blend of bustling market towns, sleepy villages, and breathtaking natural scenery. This tour gives you time to explore some of these picturesque villages independently.

Burford. This is a thriving old wool town built along a steep high street which leads down to a medieval bridge spanning the River Windrush. Burford is full of crooked little houses, leaning walls and gabled cottages. Then traveling through the Windrush, Dickler Valley and Gloucestershire you’ll get to Bourton-on-the-Water, often called the «Venice of the Cotswolds».

Stow-on-the-Wold. It is the highest town in the Cotswolds, at 800ft. At one end stands the town stocks, at the other the ancient cross; all surrounded by elegant Cotswold houses and delightful shops.

Blenheim Palace Gardens. The gardens landscaped by Capability Brown. The grounds include lakes spanned by stone bridges, rolling hills, woodlands, follies and of course the Marlborough Maze, the world's largest hedge maze.

Canterbury. This fascinating medieval city has been the centre of English Christianity since St. Augustine was sent here by Pope Gregory in 597 AD. The original church was rebuilt in the 11 century as the magnificent cathedral you can see today. Of the 104 Archbishops to date, possibly the most famous is Thomas Becket, who was gruesomely murdered in the cathedral in 1170.

Leeds Castle. This historic moated castle, surrounded by 500 acres of beautifully landscaped parkland, is situated in the heart of the Kent countryside. Unusually, it sits on an island, and its idyllic setting led Lord Conway to describe it as «the loveliest castle in the world».

Greenwich. You will be able to drive by the Royal Naval College, National Maritime Museum, then across the zero meridian line near the Royal Observatory, crossing from longtitude West to longtitude East.

II Try to make a presentation of the tour:

The Cotswolds – Burford – Canterbury – Leeds – Greenwich.

UNIT III TRAVELLING TO AUSTRIA

Text 1 VIENNA

I Read and translate the text. Use a dictionary if necessary.

The capital city of Austria, Vienna is also one of the country’s nine Bundesländer (federal states) – the smallest in area but the largest in population. Modern Vienna has undergone several historical incarnations. It was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a part of Hitler’s «Greater» Germany, when Vienna became «Greater» Vienna, reflecting the Nazi revision of the city limits. In the decade following World War II, Austria was occupied by British, French, American and Soviet forces, and Vienna was divided into five zones. In 1955 the State Treaty, by which the country regained independence, was signed with the four occupying powers, and Vienna became once again the capital of a sovereign Austria.

Vienna is among the least spoiled of the great old western European capitals. In a city renowned for its architecture, many of Vienna’s urban prospects remain basically those devised over several centuries by imperial gardeners and architects. It is still possible to live in Vienna at almost the same pace and in much the same style as it was a century ago. The same music is played in the same rebuilt music halls, and a theatrical or operatic success still stimulates lively conversation. One can drink the same sourish local wines in the taverns on the outskirts of town and sample the same infinite varieties if coffee in countless cafés. Thick woolen suits and overcoats in shades of green, gray or brown loden cloth and colourful dirndl dresses are still the fashion. It is even possible for tourists and for others on festive occasions to ride in a traditional fiacre, the two-horse carriage driven by a bowler-hated coachman.

Austria’s capital has avoided many of the problems – financial crises, social unrest, and urban decay – that afflict other European cities. Its people enjoy an enlightened health and welfare system, which originated in the reforms of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Joseph II in the 18^th century. A city of green parks with ponds, cafés, and playing bands; opulent stores and elegant shopping streets; banks, bookshops, and crowded theatres; and boulevards for leisurely sauntering – Vienna is an invigorating distillation of human energy and imagination.

II Answer the questions:

1 What are historical incarnations of Vienna?

2 What role did the city play for Hitler’s Nazi Germany?

3 Why is Vienna considered to be the least spoiled of the great old western Europeans countries?

4 Is it possible to face the same style as it was a century ago? Why?

5 What are the results of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Joseph II’s reforms?

III Say whether these statements are true or false.

Useful expressions: In my opinion …; I think (that) …; As far as I know (remember) …; I am sure that …; I (fully) agree (that) …; From what I know …; It’s (absolutely) true that … .

I am afraid it is false (that) …; I don’t think …; I am not quite sure (that) …; I (fully) disagree that …; It’s (absolutely) wrong …; I am sure it is false that … because … .

A The capital of Austria has remained unchanged for many centuries.

B Vienna was a seat of the Holy Roman Empire and the capital of the Austro–Hungarian Empire.

C Austria didn’t support Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

D Vienna was greatly changed with the course of time.

E Austria’s capital, Vienna, has avoided many of the problems that afflict other European cities.