TOPICS
Óñòíûå ðàçãîâîðíûå òåìû ïî àíãëèéñêîìó ÿçûêó
Äëÿ ñòóäåíòîâ II êóðñà
Topic I
Topic II
Text 1
Vocabulary
ruins – ðóèíû, ðàçâàëèíû
ancient – äðåâíèé
picturesque – æèâîïèñíûé
change of scene – ïåðåìåíà îáñòàíîâêè
city-dweller – ãîðîæàíèí
to laze in the sun – âàëÿòüñÿ íà ñîëíöå
holiday-maker – îòäûõàþùèé
to take pictures of – ôîòîãðàôèðîâàòü
view – âèä
valley – äîëèíà
plain – ðàâíèíà
to remind – íàïîìèíàòü
destination – ìåñòî íàçíà÷åíèÿ
waterfall – âîäîïàä
advantage – ïðåèìóùåñòâî
disadvantage – íåäîñòàòîê
Answer the following questions:
1. Why do people travel?
2. What do we see and learn while traveling?
3. How do city-dwellers and people from the country travel?
4. Why do people take a camera with them?
5. What do they usually photograph?
6. How do different people spend their holidays?
Text 2
Vocabulary
To hike – ïóòåøåñòâîâàòü ïåøêîì
To hitch-hike – ïóòåøåñòâîâàòü àâòîñòîïîì
To book tickets – áðîíèðîâàòü áèëåòû
Beforehand = in advance – çàðàíåå
Route – ìàðøðóò
To board a plane – ñàäèòüñÿ â ñàìîëåò
Free of charge – áåñïëàòíî
Excess – ïðåâûøåíèå, èçáûòîê
Reliable – íàäåæíûé
It’s worth smth. (doing smth.) – Ýòî ñòîèò òîãî …
Speak on:
1. What means of travel do you know? Say what are their advantages and disadvantages.
2. Some people prefer to travel on their own and hate traveling in a group. What about you?
3. What places have you visited? What countries would you like to visit?
Topic III
Vocabulary
that's shame! - îáèäíî! æàëü!
Pound – 1.ôóíò (åäèíèöà âåñà, àíãë. 456 6 ã)
Cent – öåíò – (0,01 äîëëàðà)
Quart êâàðòà – (â Àíãëèè-1,14 ë; â Àìåðèêå=0,95 ë)
Pint ïèíòà – (àíãë.=0,57 ë)
Vocabulary
size – ðàçìåð
to try on – ïðèìåðÿòü
tight – òåñíûé
Loose – ñâîáîäíûé
to fit – ïîäõîäèòü, áûòü âïîðó
to wrap up – îáåðòûâàòü, çàâîðà÷èâàòü
Receipted bill – îïëà÷åííûé ÷åê
Make up conversations în analogy.
Topic IV
Topic V
Vocabulary
ÂÑ – äî íàøåé ýðû (ñîêð. îò Before Christ)
AD – íàøåé ýðû (ñîêð. îò ëàò Anno Domini).
wrestling – áîðüáà
to abolish – îòìåíÿòü, óïðàçäíÿòü
to set up – îðãàíèçîâûâàòü, ñîçäàâàòü
body – îðãàí, êîìèòåò
participant – ó÷àñòíèê
city-host – ãîðîä-õîçÿèí Îëèìïèéñêèõ èãð
sports facilities – ñïîðòèâíûå ñîîðóæåíèÿ
it takes great efforts – íóæíû áîëüøèå óñèëèÿ
to arrange – óñòðàèâàòü, îðãàíèçîâûâàòü
to renew – âîçîáíîâëÿòü
to take part – ïðèíèìàòü ó÷àñòèå
interlaced – ïåðåïëåòåííûé
motto – äåâèç
background – ôîí
Topic VII
Text 2
London
London is the capital of Great Britain, it is one of the largest cities in the world. London is situated on both sides of the Thames. There are fourteen bridges across the Thames. There are four parts in London: the City, the West End, the East End and the Port.
The City is the oldest part of London. There are no houses in the City, only large office buildings. It is the country's financial and business centre. The Stock Exchange, the Royal Exchange, the Bank of England are all there. At night the City is quiet and empty.
The name "West End" is associated with the rich. It's the finest part of London. In the West End there are theatres, cinemas, museums, picture galleries, long streets of fine shops and many big houses. There are beautiful parks, too.
The Houses of Parliament, Whitehall, Downing Street are all in the West End. Whitehall is the street where all the Government offices are. It is the heart of the Government of Great Britain.
If the City is the "money" of London, and the West End is the "goods" of London, then the East End is the "hands" of London. Working-class London is in the East End. It is a district of docks, factories, poor little houses and narrow streets. Housing conditions in this part of London are very bad. Lots of old houses have no modern conveniences. They are damp, dirty and dark.
The East End and the Port of London are situated to the east of the City. They are unattractive, but very important to the country's economy.
London is very rich in sights. Among them is Westminster Abbey which is famous for its architecture and history. In Westminster Abbey the kings and queens of England are buried. Here is also the Poet's Corner where many great writers and poets are buried: Kipling, Dickens, Tennyson, the memorials to Shakespeare and Byron, Scott and Longfellow.
Of no less interest are the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben, the Buckingham Palace – the Queens residence, the National Art Gallery, the British Museum, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower, which was first a fortress, then a prison and which is now a museum.
Trafalgar Square is about a hundred years old. The main feature is the tall Nelson monument, with the figure of the great seaman on the top. Many demonstrations and meetings take place here.
There are a lot of parks in London, the most famous of them is Hyde Park with its Speaker’s Corner.
Sunday is a very quiet day in London. All the shops are not open and so are theatres and most of the cinemas. Londoners like to get out of the town on Sundays. They often go down to the sea for the day.
Vocabulary
The Stock Exchange – Ôîíäîâàÿ áèðæà
The Royal Exchange – Ëîíäîíñêàÿ áèðæà
"goods" – çä. âèòðèíà, ãäå âûñòàâëåíî âñå íà ïîêàç
Say a few words about:
1. The City of London.
2. The West End.
3. The East End.
4. London's sights.
Topic VIII
Topic IX
Text 2
Vocabulary
to deal in – òîðãîâàòü
scrap paper –ìàêóëàòóðà
to load – çàãðóæàòü
railway cars – âàãîíû
building structures – çäàíèÿ
the Capitol – çäàíèå Êîíãðåññà
the Supreme Court – Âåðõîâíûé Ñóä
sky-scrapers – íåáîñêðåáû
marble – ìðàìîðíûé
tomb – ìîãèëà, ñêëåï
shipping – ãðóçîïåðåâîçêà, ñóäîõîäñòâî
Speak about the capital of the United States.
1. Who chose the place for the District of Columbia?
2. What is the only industry in Washington?
3. Which American state does Washington belong to?
4. What historical places does Washington have?
5. Why does Washington attract many tourists today?
6. How many stars and stripes are there on the US flag?
Some more Texts for Reading
The famous people of Great Britain.
Text 1
Isaak Newton (1642-1727)
The great English scientist Isaak Newton was born on December 25, 1642.1n his early years young Isaak showed more as one who could made things with his hand then a scholar. He made various things -He made a clock that worked by water.
In June 1661 Newton entered the University of Cambridge where he studied mathematics. When Newton was twenty-two years old he began studying the theory of gravitation. In 1665, while he was on a visit in his native village, he saw an apple fall from a tree and began wondering what force made the apple fall.
At Cambridge Newton read with great interest the writings of Galileo, he knew the geometry of Descartes, and he worked out the methods of calculus. Newton performed many experiments with light and found that white light was made up of rays of different colors. He invented a reflecting telescope. Newton developed a mathematical method which is known as the Binomial Theorem and also differential and integral calculus.
In 1673 Newton gathered together all his earlier calculations and succeeded in completing his whole theory. He examined the attraction of one mass by another. He showed that a massive sphere here attracts another as if the whole mass were in the centre. This was of great importance. It enabled Newton to treat the problems of the sun, moon and earth like problems of geometry. He at last justified the method of treatment which he had first adopted for the problem of the earth and moon. The proof of his universe square law was not complete. He had demonstrated that the gravitation pull of the earth extends as far as the moon and keeps it in its orbit. He demonstrated that this pull is in accordance with the same law as that by which a stone falls to the ground, namely gravity. Newton's great work "Elements of Natural Philosophy" was published only in the middle of 1687.
Isaak Newton died in 1727 at the age of 85. He was buried with honors as a national hero.
Vocabulary
calculus – èñ÷èñëåíèå
Binomial Theorem – áèíîì Íüþòîíà'
the differential and integral calculus – äèôôåðåíöèàëüíîå è èíòåãðàëüíîå èñ÷èñëåíèå
universe square law – çàêîí ðàâåíñòâà äåéñòâèÿ è ïðîòèâîäåéñòâèÿ
to justify – ïîäòâåðæäàòü
"Elements of Natural Philosophy" – "Ìàòåìàòè÷åñêèå íà÷àëà íàòóðàëüíîé ôèëîñîôèè"
the law of gravitation – çàêîí òÿãîòåíèÿ
Text 2
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
William Shakespeare is the greatest of all playwrights and poets of all times. He was born on the 23rd of April 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon. In Stratford there is The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, and a very old hotel with no numbers on the doors of the rooms. Instead every room has the name of a Shakespeare play on it: the Macbeth room, the Othello room, and so on.
He attended the local grammar school and got a classical education. For endless hours Latin grammar was taught; no geography, no science, no history... Almost the only reading in English was from the Bible. Very often companies of strolling players visited Stratford and Will made contact with actors, so he gained some knowledge of actors and the stage.
At the age of eighteen he got married and had three children.
In 1587 Shakespeare moved to London. Soon he became an actor playing supporting roles like the ghost in "Hamlet". In 1599 Shakespeare became a part owner of the Globe Theatre in London. The Globe, which was not far from London Bridge, was now the chief of London's theatres.
The stage had no curtain. The audience stood on the ground or sat in the galleries all round except at the back. There was no scenery.
When it was necessary to tell where the scene was to take place, it was told by the Prologue in the introduction to the play. An important member of the company was the clown. No women were allowed to be on the stage, and all women's part were played by young boys.
Shakespeare's work as a playwright is subdivided into three periods. Written in the first period, Shakespeare's plays are mostly history plays like "Henry VI", and comedies with strong-elements of farce ("The Comedy of Errors"). His masterpiece of this period is "Romeo and Juliet".
In the second period Shakespeare wrote a number of comedies where he moved away from farce towards romance ("Much ado about nothing", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", “The twelfth night", "As you like it").
In the third period, after 1600, appeared his major tragedies - "Hamlet", "Othello", "Macbeth", and "King Lear".
Many of his plays do not deal with English life, but with places far from his native land. He has left us in the plays a gallery of characters such as no other writer has given us.
He is great in every kind of play. His comedies make people laugh, his tragedies produce tears. He describes men's passions and emotions in the finest poetic language.
Shakespeare was a great poet and would be well known for his poetry alone. His major achievement as a poet is his sonnets. A sonnet is a poem consisting of 14 lines, with a moral at the end. The sonnets deal with the great themes of love, friendship, death and immortality. They are Ml of harmony and music; they praise love, friendship and beauty, though there is no sentimentality in them.
He had done two men's work, as actor and as author, and within twenty years, had written more than thirty plays. He died on the 23rd of April, 1616.
Vocabulary
to attend the local grammar school – ïîñåùàòü ìåñòíóþ ãðàììàòè÷åñêóþ øêîëó
to play supporting roles – èãðàòü âòîðîñòåïåííûå ðîëè
to become a part owner of – ñòàòü ñîâëàäåëüöåì ÷åãî-ëèáî
a comedy with strong elements of farce – êîìåäèÿ ñ ñèëüíûìè ýëåìåíòàìè ôàðñà
a masterpiece of the period – øåäåâð ýòîãî ïåðèîäà
to move away from farce towards romance – óéòè îò ôàðñà â ñòîðîíó ðîìàíòèêè
to deal with – áûòü ñâÿçàííûì
to praise smith – êàñàòüñÿ âîñïåâàòü ÷òî-ëèáî
Festivals in Britain
Text 3
St. Valentine's Day.
St. Valentine is the patron saint of lovers, and on 14 February young men and women declare their feelings for each other. But the tradition is to do so anonymously. Valentine's Day cards and romantic flowers such as red rose are sent which, although they carry messages of undying love, are always left unsigned. Indeed, some people go to great length to disguise their handwiring, in order to maintain their anonymity. Many people hope for cards on St. Valentine's Day and failure to receive any cause great disappointment.
Patron – ïîêðîâèòåëü
Anonymously – àíîíèìíî
Unsigned – áåç ïîäïèñè
to go to great lengths – èäòè íà âñå
to disguise – ñêðûâàòü
disappointment – ðàçî÷àðîâàíèå
Text 4
National Saints' Days
The patron saint of Wales, Ireland and England are, in order, St. David, St. Patrick and St. George. Their days are celebrated on 1 March, 17 March and 23 April respectively. National symbols depicting the Welsh dragon or leek, the Irish shamrock and the English rose are worn on the appropriate days, and you will see small gatherings of the various nationalities having a drink together or celebrating in the streets - particularly when they are living away from their native country.
Dragon – äðàêîí
Leek – ëóê-ïîðåé
Shamrock – òðèëèñòíèê
Thistle – ÷åðòîïîëîõ
Text 5
Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday, or Mother's Day as it usually called, falls three weeks before Easter Sunday. On this day, mother is rewarded for all her work looking after the house and family during the rest of the year. Her husband and children usually buy her a card and a small gift, and traditionally bring her breakfast in bed. Sometimes she will also be taken out for lunch.
Father's Day, as the name implies, is when Dad gets his treats. Father's Day is on the third Sunday in June but is less widely celebrated than Mother's Day. Perhaps this is because fathers are seen to be less deserving than mothers!
Gift – ïîäàðîê
Treats – óäîâîëüñòâèå; óãîùåíèå
to reward – âîçíàãðàæäàòü
to deserve – çàñëóæèâàòü
to imply – ïîäðàçóìåâàòü
Text 6
Text 7
Easter
The build-up to Easter begins on Shrove Tuesday. This is the day before Ash Wednesday - the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. On Shrove Tuesday it is the custom to cook and eat pancakes. This is symbolic of using up left-over food - eggs, milk and flour in this case - in readiness for Lent, traditionally a time of Fasting and abstinence. Nowadays very few British people actually fast in Lent, but many use it as a time to give up something they know is bad for them, such as chocolate, alcohol or cigarettes.
Although Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar, the majority of the British public pay much more attention to Christmas with its traditions of present giving, eating and drinking. Good Friday (three days before Easter Day) and Easter Monday are bank holidays, and the banks and other financial institutions, offices and shops are closed îé these days.
Gift giving is more restricted than at Christmas although most children are given an Easter egg-made of chocolate and often filled with sweets or a small gift. Tradition says that these eggs are delivered by the Easter Bunny (rabbit) and it is a popular game for the children to hunt for small eggs concealed around the house or garden.
Fish is traditionally eaten on Good Friday and Easter cake is an iced fruit cake with a marzipan on the top.
Easter – ïàñõà
Ash Wednesday – ïðîùåííàÿ ñðåäà
Lent – âåëèêèé ïîñò
Shrove Tuesday – ìàñëåíèöà
Fasting – ïîñò
Abstinence – âîçäåðæàíèå
To restrict – îãðàíè÷èâàòü
Good Friday – ñòðàñòíàÿ ïÿòíèöà
Text 8
Text 9
Midsummer Eve
Although Midsummer Eve is not is not traditionally a widely celebrated festival in Britain, it is celebrated by druids (practitioners of an ancient religion now virtually extinct) at the prehistoric stone circle of Stonehenge. In recent years, groups of travelers - caravan dwellers - and hippies have also tried to claim the right to enter the circle to see the sun rise on Midsummer's Day, but they have generally not been allowed, largely because of fears of damage to the ancient monument.
dwellers – æèòåëü; îáèòàòåëü1
hippies – õèïïè
druids – äðóèäû
virtually – ôàêòè÷åñêè
extinct – âûìåðøèé
Text 10
Harvest Festival
This is a very old festival, dating from pre-Christian times but nowadays celebrated by Christians. Each October, the churches - particularly in the countryside - are decorated with flowers, fruit vegetables and other crops, and the local people come to give thanks for the successful completion of the harvest.
Text 11
Halloween
The name a0mes from "the eve of All Hallows", also known in the Christian calendar as All Saints. According to folklore, on this night - 31 October - witches and evil spirits roam the country. These days, people dress up as witches and ghosts and have parties. Groups of children also play "trick-or-treat" on their neighbors, going from door to door and playing a harmless but slightly unpleasant trick on anyone who refuses to give them a sweet or other gift.
witch – âåäüìà
evil spirits – çëûå äóõè
to roam – áðîäèòü ñêèòàòüñÿ
trick – øóòêà
Text 12
Text 13
Text 14
New Year's Day, or Hogmanay
People all over Britain celebrate the passing of the old year and the coming of the new. In Scotland, Hogmanay- as it is called there - is almost as important as Christmas. The Scots take New Year's Eve very seriously, and anyone unwise enough to try to sleep at midnight is likely to be woken up by a band of "first footers". First footers go from house to house after midnight carrying lumps of coal (seen as-symbols of good luck) and they expect a glass of whisky in each house they visit!
lumps of coal – êóñêè óãëÿ
The famous people of America
Text 1
Vocabulary
to rise from the lowest to the highest position – ïîäíÿòüñÿ èç íèçîâ äî âûñøåãî ïîëîæåíèÿ â îáùåñòâå
to enter politics – íà÷àòü ïîëèòè÷åñêóþ êàðüåðó
a burning question – áîëüíîé âîïðîñ
to abolish – îòìåíèòü, çàïðåòèòü
the break-up of the Union – ðàçâàë Ñîþçà
to admire smth. for political moderation – âîñõèùàòüñÿ ÷üåé-ëèáî óìåðåííîé ïîëèòèêîé
to preserve the nation – ñòàðàòüñÿ ñîõðàíèòü íàöèþ
Text 2
Vocabulary
A light lamp – ýëåêòðè÷åñêàÿ ëàìïî÷êà
the phonograph – ôîíîãðàô
outside of a laboratory –âíå ëàáîðàòîðèè
to create – ñîçäàòü
a true genius – íàñòîÿùèé ãåíèé
honored –ïî÷èòàåìûé
Helpful Phrases
LIKES
I like (very much)
a) ice-cream; your dress
b) reading; going to the theatre; playing football
I'd like to see a new film – ß áû õîòåë...
I do like your dress – Ìíå äåéñòâèòåëüíî íðàâèòñÿ...
I love = I like very much
Ex.: I love ice-cream (swimming in the sea).
I enjoy (feeling of pleasure)
Ex.: I enjoy travelling (very much)
I enjoyed the concert last night.
I'm very fond of Marion (reading).
I'm very keen on ... figure skating.
I'm mad about (on) ...
Ex.: I'm mad about (on) their latest record.
I'm crazy about...
Replies:
Positive
So do I
I do too
So am I
Me too
Negative
I don't
I'm not Are you?
Do you?
1. Do you like?
Ex. Do you like this picture?
Replies:
Positive
Yes, (I do).
Yes I do rather
(Yes) very much indeed
It's all right
It's not bad
Negative
No, (I don't)
Not very much
Not particularly
I can't say I do
2. How do you like?
Replies:
Positive
Very much
It's very nice (lovely, beautiful)
It's all right (not bad)
Negative
Not (very) much
It's awful (terrible)
Illustrative examples:
1. - I like science fiction very much.
- So do I.
2. - I do like Julia's new flat.
- Yes. It’s very cozy, isn't it?
3. - I love home-made pies.
- I do too.
4. - Is the drama club popular with the students?
- Oh, yes. They are very keen on it.
5. - I'm crazy about these new electronic games.
- Really? I don't know what you see in them.