Landscape: The Golden Mountains

We can see a magnificent mountain landscape. The mountains are shining with gold in the sun. The tops of the mountains rose so high that they are above the clouds. That makes the impression that the mountains are buried in the clouds. The combination of blue, golden and white colours give the landscape unrepeatable solemnity. The brilliance of gold and snow on the contrast background with the azure expanse of the sky makes the landscape especially expressive. The air is clean and limpid. In the mountains it is the cleanest. You could hardly hear a sound or a wind blowing – it is quiet and peaceful in the mountains today. But it is not always peaceful and quiet in the mountains. Wind, rain and the spring brooks have been working through the centuries creating this beauty. The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water.

Watching this landscape you feel the infinity of time and expanse. This boundless affluence of sublime mountain beauty makes you realize yourself a small particle of the endless universe. But at the same time the man who is the small particle in this world is able to destroy this glorious beauty in one moment. The man has a choice: he can enjoy this harmony in nature or destroy it.

Pay attention to the following list of vocabulary:

Vocabulary:

magnificent mountain landscape – величественный горный пейзаж

to shine with gold – отливать золотом

to rise (rose, risen) – подниматься

to make the impression – создавать впечатление

to be buried in the clouds – тонуть в облаках

to give the landscape unrepeatable solemnity – придавать пейзажу неповторимую тожественность

brilliance of gold – блеск золота

on the contrast background – на контрастном фоне

the azure expanse of the sky – лазурное небо

especially expressive – особенно выразительный

clean and limpid – чистый и прозрачный

you can hardly hear – не слышно

it is quiet and peaceful – тишина и покой

peaceful – мирный, спокойный

the spring brooks – весенние дожди

to create – создавать

The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water. – Прекрасные работники по камню не медные и стальные инструменты, а нежные прикосновения воздуха и воды.

infinity of time and expanse – бесконечность во времени и в пространстве

a boundless affluence of sublime mountain beauty – бесконечное изобилие величественной красоты гор

to realize oneself – осознать себя, почувствовать себя

small particle – крохотная песчинка

the endless universe – бесконечная вселенная

to be able to do something – быть в состоянии сделать что-то

to destroy – разрушить

glorious – великолепный

harmony – гармония

rift [rift] – трещина

enormous [i’nɔ:məs] – громадный, огромный, грандиозный

tectonic plates [tek’tɔnik pleits] – тектонические плиты

apart [ə’pa:t] – врозь, в стороны, друг от друга

gap [gæp] – щель

about 60 kilometres wide – до 60-ти метров в ширину

to pour [tə pɔ:] – лить(ся)

to erupt [tə i’rлpt] – извергаться

sodium carbonate [’səudjəm ’ka:bən(e)it] – карбонат натрия

carbon dioxide [’ka:bən dai’ɔks(a)id] – углекислый газ

Exercise 5. Guess the words according to their meanings given below:

1. molten rock thrown out by volcanoes, which hardens as it cools

2. expanse of water entirely surrounded by land

3. mountain with a vent through which lava is ejected

4. low area between hills usually with a river running through it

5. solid part of the earth’s surface

6. salt of carbonate acid

Exercise 6. Listen to the text “The Great Rift Valley” and choose the right answers to the following questions:

1. How long is the Great Rift Valley?

a. 4800 kilomtres b. 480 kilomtres c. 4080 kilomtres

2. What are the views from the top of the Rift Valley?

a. wonderful b. spectacular c. fantastic

3. What kind of lakes are along the Valley?

a. big b. enormous c. beautiful

4. What is the Rift?

   1. The Rift is a piece of land like a valley which is lower than the land on each side.

   2. The Rift is a lake like a valley which is lower than the land on each side.

   3. The Rift is a piece of land like a valley which is higher than the land on each side.

5. How was the Great Rift Valley made up?

   1. The Great Rift Valley was made by river.

   2. The Great Rift Valley was caused by two tectonic plates in the Earth which are moving apart.

   3. The Great Rift Valley was made both by river and by two tectonic plates in the Earth which are moving apart.

6. How long are the gaps in some places?

   1. In some places the gaps are about 60 kilometres wide.

   2. In some places the gaps are about 600 kilometres wide.

   3. In some places the gaps are about 6 kilometres wide.

7. Why is it difficult to see the gaps sometimes?

   1. because of the forest which is growing by volcanoes

   2. because of the lava which was thrown out by volcanoes

   3. because of the mountains which stand near by volcanoes

8. Why the lakes of the Valley are white?

   1. They contain white waterweeds.

   2. They contain carbon dioxide.

   3. They contain sodium carbonate.

Exercise 7. This time choose any landscape you like most and write a description of it using the list of vocabulary given with it. (See Student’s Individual Task: Unit 5., Part 3., Ex.2.)