- •1. Discuss different opinions of the threat of population growth on our planet ( “There’s Plenty of Room Abroad Planet Earth)
- •2. Talk about the problems a newly-independent state is confronted with ( “Progress in Samoa”)
- •3. Describe the way parents feel and behave when their son/daughter is preparing for a journey and while he/she away.
- •4. Talk about stereotyped ideas that people may have about the way of life in other countries! (Traveller`s Tale)
- •5. Talk about one of London`s famous museums ( Talk about Hollywood & the epics produced there in 1930s & 1940s ( `Madam Tussaud`s, `The Great Days of Hollywood`)
- •6. Talk about Hollywood and the epics produced there in the 1930s and 1940s (Section V, «The Great Days of Hollywood»)
- •7. Talk about the language of Shakespeare & the difficulties of presenting Shakespeare`s character to a modern audience («Shakespeare», «Drama in Cambridge»)
- •8. Describe an English journalist`s impressions of travelling through vast spaces of Russia. China, Mongolia. («The Trans-Siberian Express»)
- •9. The ethical teaching of Christianity: Christian virtues as described in the Bible (“Virtues & Sins” 1)
- •10. The ethical teaching of Christianity: sins and struggle as described in the Bible (“Virtues & Sins” 2)
- •11. The book I want to talk about is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde “The Picture of Dorian Grey”.
- •12. Talk about a most unfortunate experience of a holiday arranged through a travel agency («The Association of Travel Agents»)
- •13. Give a comparative description of some ancient English towns («Salisbury, Caernarfon»)
- •14. Describe a journey that went wrong for some reason (“Journey to Namur”)
5. Talk about one of London`s famous museums ( Talk about Hollywood & the epics produced there in 1930s & 1940s ( `Madam Tussaud`s, `The Great Days of Hollywood`)
Britain offers a lot places to visit.
It often comes to a shock to Londoners that Madam Tussaud`s is one of the capital`s top tourist attractions. Many find this museum gruesome & frightening. Others maintain that its collection of wax statues has no artistic merit. Yet, despite these criticisms, M. Tussaud`s has become a world famous `institution`. Millions of visitors from overseas and from others parts of Britain wouldn`t consider their trip to the capital worthwhile without a stop at the unusual waxwork exhibition in Marylebone Road. M. T. was French in her uncle`s waxwork museum in Paris. She is said to perfect her skills by modeling the royal family of France. In 1802 she brought the collection inherited from her uncle & her children to England. 33 years later she settled in London`s Marylebone area. A great many of waxworks are on display at M. T`s. The exhibition consists of a series of halls:
In the first hall the «Sleeping Beauty» figure. By the way, all the figures are really durable & this one ( I mean the «S. B.» ), has been cast from 1 of M. T`s. oldest moulds.
The` 2nd hall is known as the Conservatory, where visitors can view life-size wax models of sport, film and TV personalities. « Super Stars», opened in March 1985, is one of several areas at M. T`s to use sound, light and special effects.
Next to « Super Stars» is the Grand Hall. This room is peopled by historical, political, military and royal figures from Henry 8 and his wives to Gorbachev, prime ministers of Britain and from abroad.
The next hall is undoubtedly the most famous of the waxwork rooms the Chamber of Horrors. Nowhere are the visitors quieter than in this eerie place. There are models illustrating methods of execution, famous murderers like Christie, and in the cells, the most infamous 20th century prisoners who were sentenced to life imprisonment for their vile crimes.
So it`s easy to understand why some people criticize parts of M. T`s for its horror and sensationalism. It`s even easier to understand why more people go there to be entertained.
6. Talk about Hollywood and the epics produced there in the 1930s and 1940s (Section V, «The Great Days of Hollywood»)
Everything we read about the great days of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s seems like an exaggerations. The studios always said their films were «super», «co’lossal», «fabulous» or «fantastic». They spent vast sums of money but made very few good films. Now some words about the people in charge of them. Almost all of the owners of the big film companies had been small businessmen who developed the Hollywood philosophy of «the bigger – the better». They believed that the more money they spent, the greater profit they’d make. No one could make a successful film without them as they owned everything: the production companies, the cinemas and the studios. But in private life they were ignorant, unattractive people and their employees thought they were monsters, for example a famous actor of those days (Samuel Goldwyn) said that a lot of people had come to the funeral of one such men because they all wanted to make sure he was dead.
The films that cost most money were epics.
«Samson and Delilah» for example. For this film the company had cast a massive actor called Victor Mature as Samson, but he wasn’t as brave as he looked: he was afraid of the tame lion so his stand-in had to fight; he was afraid of imitation swords in the battle scene; he ran away from the studio wind machine. The director said that Victor was “the first 100% coward’ he had ever met.
“Gone with the wind” was the most expensive picture made at this time. The studio interviewed 1.400 people for the part of Sc. O’Hara, the heroine. They made so many screen tests that the film was almost as long as “Gone with the wind” itself. In the end they were filming the burning of Atlanta without having found the right actress. Finally the brother of the director managed to find the actress they all had been looking for – Vivien Leigh. She won the Oscar for her outstanding performances and deserved it.
Epics encouraged extravagance, but they very seldom gave value for money even when they made a profit.