ИНОСТРАННЫЙ ЯЗЫК: АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК

Федеральное государственное образовательное учреждение

высшего профессионального образования

«Алтайская государственная академия культуры и искусств»

Факультет информационных ресурсов и дизайна

Кафедра иностранных языков

 

 

ИНОСТРАННЫЙ ЯЗЫК: АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК

Методические рекомендации

по изучению английского языка

для студентов очной и заочной форм обучения

по направлению 08800.62 прикладная информатика

квалификации «бакалавр прикладной информатики»

 

Барнаул 2012

 

 

ББК

И

 

Утверждены на заседании кафедры иностранных языков

дата .2012, протокол № ?

 

Рекомендовано к изданию советом факультета

информационных ресурсов и дизайна

дата, протокол № ?

 

 

Составитель: канд. филол. наук, доцент М.С. Андрюхина

 

Рецензент: канд. филол. наук, доцент каф. англ. филологии

ЛИИН, БГПУ Е.П. Гилева

 

Иностранный язык: английский язык:Методические рекомендации

по изучению английского языка для студентов очной и заочной форм обучения

по направлению 08800.62 прикладная информатика квалификации «бакалавр прикладной информатики»/ сост. М.С. Андрюхина; АлтГАКИ, кафедра иностранных языков. – Барнаул: Изд-во АлтГАКИ, 2012. – с.

 

 

Методические рекомендации по изучению английского языка предназначены для студентов очной и заочной форм обучения по направлению 08800.62 прикладная информатика квалификации «бакалавр прикладной информатики». Целью этого пособия является обучение студентов говорению по заданной теме . Вокабуляр и аннотации к каждому разделу направлены на помощь студенту, как в понимании текстов, так и в выражении своих мыслей во время дискуссии. Упражнения своей последовательностью подготовят студента к достижению вышеупомянутой цели. Иллюстрационный материал позволит получить более глубокие знания о стране изучаемого языка.

 

 

© ББК

 

© Алтайская государственная академия культуры и искусств , 2012

 

 

Федеральное государственное образовательное учреждение

высшего профессионального образования

«Алтайская государственная академия культуры и искусств»

Факультет информационных ресурсов и дизайна

Кафедра иностранных языков

 

 

ИНОСТРАННЫЙ ЯЗЫК: АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК

Методические рекомендации

по изучению английского языка

для студентов очной и заочной форм обучения

по направлению 070601.65 дизайн

квалификации «дизайн среды»

 

Барнаул 2012

 

ББК

И

 

Утверждены на заседании кафедры иностранных языков

дата .2012, протокол № ?

 

Рекомендовано к изданию советом факультета

информационных ресурсов и дизайна

дата, протокол № ?

 

 

Составитель: канд. филол. наук, доцент М.С. Андрюхина

 

Рецензент: канд. филол. наук, доцент каф. англ. филологии

ЛИИН, БГПУ Е.П. Гилева

 

Иностранный язык: английский язык:Методические рекомендации

по изучению английского языка для студентов очной и заочной форм обучения

по направлению 070601.65 дизайн квалификации «дизайн среды» / сост. М.С.Андрюхина; АлтГАКИ, кафедра иностранных языков. – Барнаул: Изд-во АлтГАКИ, 2012. – с.

 

 

Методические рекомендации по изучению английского языка предназначены для студентов очной и заочной форм обучения по направлению 070601.65 дизайн квалификации «дизайн среды» . Целью этого пособия является обучение студентов говорению по заданной теме. Вокабуляр и аннотации к каждому разделу направлены на помощь студенту, как в понимании текстов, так и в выражении своих мыслей во время дискуссии. Упражнения своей последовательностью подготовят студента к достижению вышеупомянутой цели. Иллюстрационный материал позволит получить более глубокие знания о стране изучаемого языка.

 

 

© ББК

 

 

© Алтайская государственная академия культуры и искусств , 2012

 

 

Федеральное государственное образовательное учреждение

высшего профессионального образования

«Алтайская государственная академия культуры и искусств»

Факультет информационных ресурсов и дизайна

Кафедра иностранных языков

 

ИНОСТРАННЫЙ ЯЗЫК: АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК

Методические рекомендации

по изучению английского языка

для студентов очной и заочной форм обучения

по направлению 100.103.65 социально-культурный сервис и туризм

квалификации «специалист по сервису и туризму»

 

 

Барнаул 2012

 

 

ББК

И

 

Утверждены на заседании кафедры иностранных языков

дата .2012, протокол № ?

 

Рекомендовано к изданию советом факультета

информационных ресурсов и дизайна

дата, протокол № ?

 

 

Составитель: канд. филол. наук, доцент М.С. Андрюхина

 

Рецензент: канд. филол. наук, доцент каф. англ. филологии

ЛИИН, БГПУ Е.П. Гилева

 

Иностранный язык: английский язык:Методические рекомендации

по изучению английского языка для студентов очной и заочной форм обучения

по направлению 100.103.65 социально-культурный сервис и туризм

квалификации «специалист по сервису и туризму»/ сост. М.С. Андрюхина; АлтГАКИ, кафедра иностранных языков. – Барнаул: Изд-во АлтГАКИ, 2012. – с.

 

 

Методические рекомендации по изучению английского языка предназначены для студентов очной и заочной форм обучения по направлению 100.103.65 социально-культурный сервис и туризм квалификации «специалист по сервису и туризму» . Целью этого пособия является обучение студентов говорению по заданной теме. Вокабуляр и аннотации к каждому разделу направлены на помощь студенту, как в понимании текстов, так и в выражении своих мыслей во время дискуссии. Упражнения своей последовательностью подготовят студента к достижению вышеупомянутой цели. Иллюстрационный материал позволит получить более глубокие знания о стране изучаемого языка.

 

 

© ББК

 

 

© Алтайская государственная академия культуры и искусств , 2012

 

«Методические рекомендации по английскому языку для студентов специальностей АлтГАКИ представляют собой специальную подборку лексических тем, упражнений и текстов на темы: «День студента», «Академия культуры и искусств», «Культурная жизнь Великобритании», «Культурная жизнь Лондона», «Культурная жизнь Барнаула». Лексика и грамматика получают развитие и закрепление в обильном текстовом материале, предназначенном как для работы в аудитории, так и для самостоятельного освоения. Задания и упражнения несут разнообразный по форме и целям характер и оставляют пространство для творчества и самостоятельности преподавателя, работающего с ними. Тестовые задания помогают в осуществлении контроля качества усвоения пройденного материала. Данная работа является необходимым учебным и справочным пособием для студентов.

CONTENTS

 

Student’s Life………………………………………………………………………4

Academy…………………………………………………………………………..19

Barnaul as a Cultural Center of Siberia…………………………………………...33

The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland ………………………58

Tests ………………………………………………………………………………

 

 

 

STUDENT’S LIFE

I. Repeat after your teacher and memorize the following words:   1. to be a first-year student – быть студентом-первокурсником

TEXT 1. STUDENT’S LIFE

  My name is Kate. I am 17 years old, and I am a first-year student at the Altai… As a rule my classes begin early, so on weekdays I get up at half past six. I do my morning exercises, make my bed,…

Eg. a first-year … a first-year student

to do morning … to study various … a cup of … to enrich one’s … the latest … to take part in …

TEXT 2. DIALOGUE

Task 1. Read the dialogue in pairs:   Nick: How was the lecture?

Most young people in Great Britain start life in higher educational institutions at the age of 18. They prefer to try their independence and usually study far from their home. Most of them live in a hostel.

Student’s life in Great Britain in this or that way differs from that in our country. Here is how it flows in Cambridge, one of the oldest universities in England.

The rooms in a hostel have a pleasant outlook over the College gardens and are well furnished according to the needs of a student. There is even a small gas-stove on which students can make coffee or tea. It is a popular custom there to invite friends in the afternoon for tea and hot buttered toast and jam. While having tea they discuss various problems of their everyday life. The students are free to decorate their rooms according to their own tastes, so each room reflects the personality of its owner.

11 o’clock is the time for refreshment between lectures known as “elevenses” when students attend little restaurants and teashops for a cup of coffee and a cake. They drink a great deal of tea and coffee and have a friendly talk there.

The basic way of instruction in Cambridge is tutorial. Every student has a tutor who plans his work. Each week some students come to see him and he discusses with them the work, which they have done. Lectures are voluntary. Unlike school most of students’ work is not done in class but in students’ rooms or in one of the libraries and each student arranges his timetable according to his purposes and wishes, leaving time for other activities apart from study.

The students eat their meals in the College dining-hall, a large room with a long line of tables and a raised platform at the end, on which there is a special table for the tutors known as the High Table. On the walls one can see the portraits of famous people – former students of the University. If a student comes late to dinner or is not correctly dressed he is punished.

Speaking of punishment, in general the discipline is not strict. The students can stay out as late as they wish up to midnight, but after 11 o’clock a small sum of money is imposed. But if a tutor finds that one of his pupils is staying out late very often, he will want to know the reason.

Discipline out of College is the responsibility of Proctors appointed by the University. Each evening a Proctor with two assistants, called “Bulldogs” wanders around the town. If he sees a student who disobeys the regulation that he must wear a cap and a gown he will come up to him and ask if he is a member of the University. If a student runs away in an attempt to escape, the “Bulldogs” chase him, and if they catch him, they fine him.

The University has over a hundred societies and clubs. Perhaps the most popular is the Debating Society at which undergraduates debate political and other questions with famous politicians and writers. Sport is a part of student’s life. The most popular sport is rowing.

Notes:

 

1. tutorial – в форме консультаций, практических занятий с наставником

2. tutor – преподаватель-куратор

3. Proctor – административное лицо, в чьи обязанности входит надзор за поведением студентов и наложение дисциплинарных взысканий

 

 

Task 2. Using the text, fill in the blanks:

 

most … people, to try their … , to study far from … , a pleasant … , according to the needs … , to invite friends for … , various problems of … , the personality of … , to attend restaurants and … , to arrange one’s … , to leave time for … , the portraits of … , to stay out as late … , to disobey … , to wear a cap and … , in an attempt to … , over a hundred … and clubs, to debate … and other questions.

 

Find sentences with the phrases and translate them into Russian.

 

Task 3. Find English equivalents:

 

высшее учебное заведение, предпочитать, один из древнейших университетов Англии, за чаем, повседневная жизнь, по вкусу, личность владельца, по-дружески беседовать, планировать работу, бывшие студенты университета, опаздывать на обед, ответственность администраторов, ходить по городу, нарушать правила, член университета, обсуждать различные вопросы, известные политики и писатели, наиболее популярный вид спорта.

 

Task 4. Match the definition with the word.

 

1. the society at which undergraduates debate political and other questions with famous politicians and writers;

2. the assistants of a Proctor who help him to see to a student discipline out of College;

3. the building where students live;

4. the time for refreshment between lectures at 11 o’clock;

5. the teacher who helps the students to arrange their timetable and acts like a parent while they are far from home;

6. not obligatory;

7. a special table for the tutors in the College dining-hall;

8. to get away from control;

9. to punish sb by a sum of money for breaking a law or rule;

10. to make sth beautiful by adding ornaments to it.

…………………………………………………………………………………... a hostel, “elevenses”, the High Table, a tutor, voluntary, the “Bulldogs”, to decorate, to escape, to fine, the Debating Society

 

Task 5. Choose the word, which you think is the closest in meaning to the words in the text.

1. free a independent b allowed to

2. outlook a view b glance

3. to reflect a to examine b to demonstrate

4. customs a traditions b tax

5. punishment a discipline b injury

6. refreshment a revival b break

7. hostel a dormitory b hotel

8. famous a popular b well-known

9. to chase a to follow b to catch

10.regulation a rule b instruction

 

Task 6. Translate the sentences into Russian:

 

1. Молодые люди в Великобритании предпочитают жить самостоятельно и обычно обучаются далеко от дома.

2. Кембридж – это один из древнейших университетов в Англии.

3. Комнаты в общежитии хорошо обставлены.

4. Популярной традицией является приглашать друзей на чай.

5. Каждая комната отражает личность ее владельца.

6. Основным методом обучения в Кембридже является консультация и занятия с наставником.

7. На стенах столовой можно увидеть портреты знаменитостей – бывших студентов университета.

8. Если студент часто задерживается допоздна, то наставник пожелает узнать причину.

9. В университете более ста сообществ и клубов.

10. Самым распространенным видом спорта является гребля.

 

Task 7. Answer the following questions:

 

1. When do young people in Great Britain start life in institutions of higher education?

2. What can you say about the rooms in a hostel in Cambridge?

3. What custom do the students of Cambridge have?

4. Why is the time for refreshment between lectures called “elevenses”?

5. What is the basic way of instruction in Cambridge?

6. What is the tutorial method of teaching?

7. How does the college dining-hall look like?

8. What can you see on the walls of the university’s dining-room?

9. Is the discipline strict in Cambridge?

10. What are the “Bulldogs”?

11. What is the uniform of the students in Cambridge?

12. Does the University have many clubs and societies?

13. Which is the most popular one?

14. Who takes part in the Debating Society?

15. What is the most popular sport in Cambridge?

 

 

TEXT 4.TEACHING IN RUSSIA

By Richard J. Daigle

Task 1. Read the text and name the main differences between Russian and American students.

 

While working in the American Embassy in Moscow, I had the opportunity to teach part-time in the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Moscow State University (MGU), the flagship uni­versity of the former Soviet Union. I taught three courses, one a semester, from spring 1994 through spring 1995. Having taught linguistics and literature for over 30 years in American universities, I had much to learn about teaching in Russia, and I was still learning at the end of that spring semester 1995.

The Faculty of Foreign Languages became an independent part of MGU in the early 90's and was soon known for the high quality of its various language programs, especially the English program. By June 1997 there were over 250 applicants¹ for every available place in that program.

In each of my three semesters there, I learned something new about university practices in Russia, but rather than skip blithely through details of three semesters, I will concentrate on the last semester when a Russian colleague and I team-taught a course called “American Culture”. My partner had spent the previous year at a prestigious university in the U.S., so she was probably more up-to-date on some characteristics of U.S. culture than I, for I was nearing the end of my fourth year in Moscow.

As a basic text we used a publication, which provided insights into some of the major facets of American culture. We had 35 second-year students. Though I remember how similar Russian students are to the Americans I had taught before going to Moscow, I want to focus on a few differences, which are essentially national characteristics rather than personal traits.

Having gone through the Soviet system of educa­tion, the students were accustomed to what I call straight lectures—that is, the teacher talks, the students take notes, and examinations require that students regurgitate² what they remember from those notes. Having unhappily attended a few such courses myself, I was determined to avoid that methodology. Instead, imitating professors I admire, I threw out questions, sometimes provocative, and tried to let the students take matters into their own hands³. I quickly learned that that did not work at MGU. The students would not volunteer⁴. So I had to point at a student and ask my question. That student would then answer, giving me what I had said earlier or what had been assigned for reading. He or she would not expand or explain or even question that rote response. Because my colleague knew my objective (having experienced it her self in the States), she joined me in getting students to develop some ideas of their own, usually emanating from the materials they had read or from ideas they had heard from others. In addition, five or six of the students had been in the States (for a semester or two of high school or college) and not only knew something of the student culture there, but were happy to be able to act like American students and actually discuss matters in class. Because of this, we succeeded quickly.

Before long, however, I started to wonder if we had accomplished too much too well. I was soon shocked to discover a national characteristic that caught me completely off guard⁵. It had surfaced in my earlier courses at MGU, but only in the third semester did I come to understand it fully. Here in the U.S., some of us would call it cheating— that is, copying from another student's work or test in class or openly talking with others during examinations. In our culture class, my colleague and I had warned the students that there would be unan­nounced quizzes to check on whether they were doing the read­ing. Though we considered the quizzes insignificant, we did indi­cate that they would count ten percent of the final grade.

So, one Saturday, we asked the class to put away their books and notes and take out a clean sheet of paper for a quiz. There were a few groans from the group as well as some snickers. My colleague asked the first ques­tion. The result furthered my un­derstanding of Russian mores⁶. Students turned to each other to talk about the question and its response. Some even rose from their seats and leaned over people in front of them. A couple of them seemed to know a little more than the others, so attention was focused on them. They made no attempt to avoid helping others. There was no attempt to conceal what was going on. (A similar situation had developed in one of my previous classes, but no one offered any explanation of what it meant.) Now I turned to my colleague and asked, "Are we going to let them cheat like this?" She obviously sensed my concern. "Ah, Richard," she said, "they aren't cheating. They are Russians, and this is what Russians do."

I had completely forgotten the basic tenet of Soviet education, what I call the "We Syndrome." That belief requires that all share, that no one should keep anything solely himself. Taking that one step further, I now understood that it applied in the classroom as much as it did anywhere else. So the students were sharing their knowledge with each other. They were not cheat­ing, and they would have been very upset if I had accused them of doing so. My colleague calmed me down, for I realized that this was one more facet of Russian culture that I had to live with. (Since then I have learned that this academic trait exists in other cultures as well.)

 

Notes:

1. applicant – абитуриент

2. regurgitate – зд. выдавать (информацию) обратно

3. take matters into one’s own hands – взять все в свои руки

4. volunteer – изъявлять желание

5. catch smb. off guard – застать врасплох

6. mores [mo: 'reiz] – обычаи

 

Task 2. Translate the following phrases:

 

Американское посольство, возможность преподавать, более 30 лет, высокое качество различных языковых программ, престижный университет, личные качества, посещать курсы, взять все в свои руки, итоговая оценка, скрывать происходящее, похожая ситуация, делиться знаниями друг с другом, обвинять.

 

Task 3. Match the words under the letter A with those under the letter B:

A) to teach, spring, language, national, straight, to take matters, to catch smb., unannounced, to offer, to sense, a facet;

B) one’s concern, of culture, programs, a course, semester, lectures, characteristics, into one’s own hands, off guard, quizzes, an explanation.

 

Task 4. Match the definitions with the words.

 

1. copying from another student’s work or test in class;

2. most important of a group of products, projects, services;

3. happy and carefree;

4. competition in which people try to answer questions to test their knowledge;

5. customs or conventions considered typical of a community.

…………………………………………………………………………………..

blithe, mores, cheating, quiz, flagship

 

Task 5. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). Find evidence from the text to support your answer.

 

	T	F
1. Moscow State University is the flagship university of the former Soviet Union. 2. The faculty of Foreign Languages is known for the high quality of its various language programs. 3. Richard J. Daigle and a Russian colleague team-taught a course called “Russian Culture”. 4. The American professor used the methodology of “straight lectures”. 5. Some of the students had been in the States and were able to discuss matters in class. 6. One Saturday, the teacher asked the class to take out sheets of paper for a quiz and the students started groaning. 7. Students wrote a paper independently. 8. The American professor was shocked to discover the level of his students’ knowledge. 9. The basic tenet of Soviet education is that all share, that no one should keep anything solely himself. 10. “We Syndrome” exists in Russia and in other countries as well.

 

Task 6. Answer the questions to the text.

1. What is the flagship university of the former Soviet Union?

2. What is Richard J. Daigle by profession? Where did he come from? What did he do in Russia from spring 1994 through spring 1995? What course did he teach?

3. What is “straight lectures”? Can you describe an alternative way of studying?

4. What methodology did the American professor try to use? Did it work at MGU? Why? What was the way out?

5. What did the Professor discover about Russian students? Did they like to work independently?

6. What situation developed in class? Was it cheating or a mere sharing of knowledge?

7. What is “We Syndrome”?

8. Do you agree that “We Syndrome” applies in the classroom as much as it does anywhere else in our country?

9. Does this academic trait exist in other cultures?

10. Does our country belong to a collectivist or to an individualist society? What countries are of the same type of identity? And what countries have the opposite pole of this dimension?

 

Task 7. Translate the sentences into English.

 

1. Работая в американском посольстве в Москве, я имел возможность преподавать на факультете иностранных языков в МГУ.

2. Когда мой коллега задал первый вопрос, студенты повернулись друг к другу и начали обсуждать ответ на него.

3. У нас было 35 студентов-выпускников.

4. Тогда я повернулся к коллеге и спросил: «Мы позволим им списывать?»

5. В 1995 году в паре с русским коллегой я вел курс Американской культуры.

6. Мой коллега успокоил меня, потому что я понял, что это еще одна особенность русской культуры, с которой мне нужно было жить.

7. Так, в одну из суббот мы попросили группу приготовить чистые листы для самостоятельной работы.

8. Я совсем забыл основной принцип советского обучения, который я называю «Синдром Мы».

9. Хотя я помню, как русские студенты схожи с американскими студентами, которым я преподавал, прежде чем поехать в Москву, я хочу показать некоторые различия, являющиеся чисто национальными чертами.

10. Таким образом, студенты не списывали, а делились знаниями друг с другом.

11. На нашем занятии мы предупредили студентов заранее, что будем проводить самостоятельную работу, чтобы проверить, читают ли они дополнительную литературу.

12. «Ричард, - ответила она, они не списывают. Они – русские, и это то, что русские делают всегда».

13. Это такой принцип, когда все делятся, и никто не должен ничего оставлять для себя.

 

Task 8. Put the sentences from the previous task into the right order. Retell the story you have got.

 

Mini-Project

  1. How much time do you spend on … Fill in the table.

ACADEMY

I. Repeat after your teacher and memorize the following words and phrases: 1. to train – обучать, готовить professional training – обучение профессии

TEXT 1. THE ACADEMY OF CULTURE AND ARTS

Task 1. Read the text and answer the following questions:   1. How many faculties does the academy have? What are they?

TEXT 2. DIALOGUE: A FOREIGN VISIT

Task 1. Read the dialogue:   Prorector: Dear Ladies and Gentlemen! On behalf of the Rector of the Altai State Academy of Culture and Arts, I…

TEXT 4. OXBRIDGE

Task 1. Read the text and say:   · What are the most prestigious universities in Great Britain?

University education in Great Britain

Oxford and Cambridge, the oldest universities are world-known for their academic excellence. The University of London has the size and breadth to…   A university usually consists of colleges. The departments of the colleges are organized into faculties.

University education in the United States of America

There is no National University in the USA. Each state controls and supports at least one University. The National Government gives no direct…   Most of the Us Universities have a central campus. Colleges of Law, Business, Medicine, Engineering, Music, and…

Education in Russia

Citizens of Russia have the right to education which is guaranteed by the Constitution and ensured by the broad development of compulsory secondary…   In Russia there is a nine-year compulsory education, but to enter a university one has to study two years more.

Mini-Project

Topic: The Academy I’d Like to Study at.

 

1. Draw it.

2. Write down 10 adjectives describing the Academy of your dream.

3. Make a schedule.

4. Advertise the various clubs and activities.

 

 

Barnaul as a Cultural Center of Siberia

Spiritual traditions.................................. духовные традиции The Theatre of Musical Comedy.............. театр Музыкальной комедии

Barnaul as a Cultural Center of Siberia

For almost three centuries Barnaul has been one of the major cultural centers of Siberia. Today the spiritual traditions are continued by the… The local Philharmonic Society offers diverse cultural programme. The lovers… Bright, exuberant folklore festivals are known all over Russia, and the “Siberia”, an orchestra of Russian folk…

Altai Artists

  Pre-reading

Altai Cultural Traditions

Pre-reading   Find out, if you don’t know, what the Siberian Rerikh Center is?

Museum Traditions of Barnaul

Pre-reading a) What is “loyal to its cultural museum traditions”?

The Museum of Regional Studies

a) Do people in your city visit the museums, exhibitions, and galleries? b) Are certain museums especially popular among the young people?

Demidov Square

We can take our time and admire the architectural treasures of Barnaul. Demidov Square is a place where we can always make new discoveries, however… The foundation stone of the Mining Hospital was laid in 1827. The number “… L. Ivanov and J.Popov played a significant role in the designing of the buildings. The buildings designed by such…

Peter and Paul’s Cathedral in Barnaul

The eighteenth century holds a place of its own in the history of Russian culture. It was then that a radical change in all spheres of Russian life… The last decades of the eighteenth century were unprecedented in the scope of… Barnaul’s cathedral was notable monument of Russian architecture in the traditions of Petrine times. Particularly…

The People’s House

The building at Polzunova 35 witnessed many important and dramatic events. It was here that revolutionary meetings and gatherings were held. During… Little is known about the earliest owners, except their last names and… The People’s House was opened on the 17th of December 1900 and became the center of the public education. The House…

THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NOTHERN IRELAND

  1.Learn the new words:  

TEXT

THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NOTHERN IRELAND

To the North – West of the continent of Europe there are two large and over 5000 small islands called the British Isles the area of which is about… The surface of England and Northern Ireland is rather flat, while in Scotland,… The British climate is mild and warmer than that of the continent because of the influence of the Gulf Stream. The…

LONDON

 

When we think of Paris, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon and other European capitals, we think of them as ‘cities’. When we think of the whole of modern London, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, that great area covering several hundred square kilometers, we do not think of it as ‘a city’, not even as a city and its suburbs. Modern London is not one city that has steadily become larger through the centuries; it is a number of cities, towns and villages that have during the past centuries, grown together to make one vast urban area.

London is situated upon both banks of the River Thames; it is the largest city in Britain and one of the largest in the world. Its population is about 7 million people.

London dominates the life of Britain. It is the chief port of the country and the most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre. There is little heavy industry in London, but there is a wide range of light industry in Greater London.

London consists of three parts: the City of London, the West End and the East End.

The City extends over an area of about 2.6 square kilometers in the heart of London. About half a million people work in the City but only less than 6000 live here. It is the financial centre of the UK with many banks, offices and Stock Exchange. But the Сity is also a market for goods from all parts of the world.

The West End can be called the centre of London. Here are the historical palaces as well as the famous parks. Hyde Park with its Speaker’s Corner is also here. Among other pars are Kensington Gardens, St. James’s Park. In the West End is Buckingham Palace which is the Queen’s residence, and the Palace of Westminster which is the seat of Parliament.

The best-known streets here are Whitehall with important Government offices, Downing Street, the London residence of Prime Minister and the place where the Cabinet meets, Fleet Street where most newspapers have their offices, Harley Street where the highest paid doctors live, and some others.

The name ‘West End’ came to be associated with wealth, luxury, and goods of high quality. It is the area of the largest department stores, cinemas and hotels. There are about 40 theatres, several concert halls, many museums including the British Museum, and the best art galleries.

It is the West End where the University of London is centred with Bloomsbury as London’s student Quarter.

Visitors with plenty of money to spend and who come chiefly for enjoyment are likely to pass most of their time in the West End.

The Port of London is to the east of the City. Here, today are kilometers and kilometers of docks, and the great industrial areas that depend upon shipping. This is the East End of London, unattractive in appearance, but very important to the country’s commerce.

In recent times London has grown so large, that the Government has decided that it must spread no father. It is now surrounded by a ‘green belt’. A belt of agricultural and wooded land on which new buildings may be put only with the permission of the planning authorities.

 

 

References

 

The City........................................................................ Сити

Greater London............................................................ Большой Лондон

Stock Exchange............................................................ Лондонская фондовая биржа

Speaker’s Corner.......................................................... Уголок оратора

Buckingham Palace....................................................... Букингемский дворец

Bloomsbury.................................................................. Блумзбери

 

 

28. Read the text and speak about ‘Cultural Life of Britain’.

 

 

Artistic and Cultural Life of Britain

  Artistic and cultural life in Britain is rather rich. It passed several main… The Saxon King Alfred encouraged the arts and culture. The chief debt owed to him by English literature is for his…

British Drama Theatre Today

  Britain is now one of the world’s major theatre centres. Many British actors… Drama is so popular with people of all ages that there are several thousand amateur dramatic societies.

Music and Musicians of Britain

  The people living in the British Isles are fond of music, and it is quite… The Promenade concerts are probably the most famous. They were first held in 1840 in the Queen’s Hall, and were…

Westminster Abbey

  It is safe to say that the three most famous buildings in England are… Westminster Abbey is a fine Gothic building, which stands opposite the House of Parliament. It is the work of many…

St. Paul’s Cathedral

  St. Paul’s Cathedral is the work of the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren.… From far away you can see the huge dome with a golden ball and cross on the top. The interior of the Cathedral is very…

The Tower of London

The grey stones of the Tower could tell terrible stories of violence and injustice. Many saddest and cruelest events took place within the walls of… When Queen Elizabeth was a princess, she was sent to Tower by Mary Tudor… The ravens whose forefathers used to find food in the Tower, still live here as part of its history. There is a legend…

Art Galleries

Today the picture galleries of the National Gallery of Art exhibit works of all the European schools of painting which existed between the 13th and… In 1897 the Tate Gallery was opened to house the more modern British… The collection of Turner’s paintings at the Tate includes about 300 oils and 19000 water-colours and drawings. He was…

British Museum

We go to Bloomsbury. “Bloomsbury Square” is the oldest in London, it dates from 1665. It is the… It is an immense, light-grey building, like a Greek temple. It was founded in 1753.