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Великобритания  (Great Britain)

 Vocabulary :

 Great Britain - Великобритания

To be situated - располагаться

To lie - располагаться, лежать

 The British Isles - Британские острова

 An island - остров

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии

To consist of - состоять из

To include – включать

 England – Англия

 Wales - Уэльс

Scotland – Шотландия

 Northern Ireland - Северная Ирландия

The English Channel - пролив Ла - Манш

The Strait of Dover - Дуврский пролив = Па-де-Кале

The Irish Sea - Ирландское море

 The Severn – Северн

 The Cambrian mountains - Кембрийские горы

 The  Сheviot Hills - Червиот - Хилс

The Cumbrian mountains - Кемберленсдские горы

To separate – отделять

 Surface - поверхность

To wash – омывать

 To be washed – омываться

 A lake – озеро

 A river – река

 Navigable – судоходный

 All the year round - круглый год

 An area – площадь

 Population – население

 An industrial state - индустриальное государство

A harbour – гавань

 Highly developed -высоко развитый

 The capital – столица

 A coastline - береговая линия

Прочтите и переведите:

 а) словосочетания,

 б) предложения

а) European continent, on the British Isles, thousands of small Islands, in the west of the country, to the north of England, east of Great Britain, a lot of beautiful lakes, the Island of Great Britain, a flat surface, a mountainous surface, a highly developed industrial country, a densely populated country.

 б) 1) The British Isles lie to north-west of Europe. 2) Great Britain is situated on the British Isles. 3) The British Isles consist of two large Islands and a thousand of small ones. 4) Great Britain includes three countries: England, Wales and Scotland  5)There are many mountains, rivers and lakes in Great Britain . 6) Great Britain is а highly developed industrial country. 7) There are many industrial cities and towns in Great Britain. 8) There are a lot of harbors on the coastline of the British Isles, which serve as ports.

Прочтите и переведите текст.  

 Great Britain is an island state. It lies on the British Isles . The British Isles consist of two large Islands Great Britain and Ireland and of thousands of small Islands . Great Britain consists of three countries: England , Wales and Scotland.

 England  lies in the south of the British Isles, Wales is to the west of England and Scotland is in the north of Great Britain . The United Kingdom of Great Britain includes four countries: England , Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland . Northern Ireland lies in the north - east of Ireland. The Atlantic Ocean washes the British Isles in the west. In the east you can see the North Sea and the southern coast is washed by the English Channel . The Irish Sea lies between England and Ireland . The North Sea and the English Channel, the narrowest part of which is called the Strait of Dover, separate Great Britain from the European continent. Some parts of Great Britain are flat and others are mountainous. The surface of Eastern and Northern Ireland is flat, but the surface of Wales and Scotland is hilly and mountainous. In the west of Wales we can see the Cambrian mountains . The Cheviot Hills separate England from Scotland . To the south of Cheviot Hills you can see the Pennines and Cumbrian mountains . There are a lot of beautiful lakes in Cumbrian mountains . There are many rivers in Britain but they are not very long. The principal rivers are the Severn, the Trent and the Thames . The Severn is the longest river but the most important river is the Thames . It is navigable all the year round.

The area of Great Britain is 211000 square km. and population is more than 55 mln. Great Britain is a highly developed capitalist country. There are many industrial cities and towns such as Manchester , Birmingham , Glasgow, Sheffield and many others. Oxford , Cambridge , Edinburgh and London itself are university cities. On the map you can sea numerous harbours which serve as ports among which are London , Liverpool, Glasgow , Portsmouth and others. London is the capital of Great Britain . 

Answer the questions:

 1. What are the names of the two biggest islands? 2. What parts does Great Britain consist of? 3. Where is each part situated? (England , Wales , Scotland).

 4. What are the most important rivers in Great Britain?  5. Why is the Thames the most important river? 6. Are there many mountains and hills in Great Britain?

 7. What are the names of the mountains? 8. What is the area (the population) of Great Britain? 9. What country is Great Britain? 10.What industrial (university) cities of Great Britain do you know? 

Лондон  (London)

London is the capital and the largest city of the UK. Its population is over 8 million. It is the country’s main industrial and financial centre. London is also one of the largest ports in the UK. It stands on the River Thames.

Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. There are a lot of banks, offices and firms there, including the Bank of England and the Stock Exchange. Few people live here, but over a million come to the City to work.

The City is famous for its oldest part, the Tower of London. Many years ago the Tower was a fortress, a Royal Palace, a prison and even a Royal Zoo. It is now a museum of arms and armour and it contains the Crown Jewels. The Tower is guarded by the famous Beefeaters. The ravens are also a part of its history. There is a legend that if the ravens disappear, the British monarchy will fall. That’s why their wings are cut back and they are carefully guarded. Another famous sight of the City is St. Paul’s Cathedral designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century. It is one of the most famous churches in the world.

Westminster is the political centre of London. The Palace of Westminster is one of the world’s most famous buildings. It houses the British Parliament and is often called the Houses of Parliament. The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is known as Big Ben. Another famous building in Westminster is Buckingham Palace, which is the official residence of the Queen.

Opposite the Houses of Parliament there is Westminster Abbey where all British monarchs have been crowned. Many famous people are buried in Westminster Abbey including statesmen, musicians and writers. In the Poet’s Corner you can find the tombs and monuments of many outstanding British writers.

The West End is the richest and the most beautiful part of London. The best hotels, shops and restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there. Trafalgar Square, which is also in the West End, is the geographical centre of London. It was laid out in memory of Lord Nelson’s victory in the Battle of Trafalgar.

There are a lot of museums and galleries in London. On the north side of Trafalgar Square there is the National Gallery, one of the finest art gallery in the world. The biggest museum in London is the British Museum. It contains a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures. It is famous for its library.

The East End covers a wide area to the east of the City and is quite different from the other parts of London. It is one of those areas of London where working class people live.

 To divide [dɪ'vaɪd] – делить,

To include [ɪn'kluːd] – включать,

The Stock Exchange ['stɔk ɪks'ʧeɪnʤ] – Лондонская фондовая биржа,

Fortress fortress ['fɔːtrəs] – крепость,

Prison ['prɪz(ə)n] – тюрьма,

Royal ['rɔɪəl] – королевский,

Arms [ɑːmz] – оружие,

Armour   ['ɑːmə] – доспехи,

To contain [kən'teɪn] – содержать,

Crown Jewels [kraun] ['ʤuːəl] – королевские драгоценности,

To guard [gɑːd] – охранять,

Beefeater ['biːfˌiːtə] –стражник Лондонского Тауэра,

Raven ['reɪv(ə)n] – ворон,

To disappear [ˌdɪsə'pɪə] – исчезать,

Wing [wɪŋ] – крыло,

Church [ʧɜːʧ] – церковь,

To crown [kraun] – короновать,

To bury ['berɪ] – хоронить,

Statesman ['steɪtsmən] – государственный деятель,

To lay out [leɪ] [aut] – планировать, разбивать

,Priceless ['praɪsləs] – бесценный,

Ancient ['eɪn(t)ʃ(ə)nt]  – древний,

Manuscript ['mænjəskrɪptˌ 'mænjuskrɪpt] – рукопись,

Coin [kɔɪn] – монета.

Let’s do exercises:

           Please name these places 

Big Ben,  Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, the House of Parliament, the Tower of London,  The Queen of Britain Elizabeth II

             RIGHT OR WRONG-

1.  London is one of the largest cities in the world.

2.  Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch.

3.  Big Ben is the largest clock tower in the world.

4. Without eagles the Tower of London will fall.

           Questions:

What river is London situated on?
What parts does the UK consist of ?
What was the name of a magic school in which Harry Potter studied?
What English poet and writer composed beautiful poems called sonnets ?

 Do you know these famous people? ( Madonna, Barack Hussein Obama, The Beatles, David Beckham).

Назовите данные достопримечательности:

1) Биг Бен 2) Букингемский дворец 3) Британский музей 4) Парламент

 5) Тауэр 6) Королева Елизавета вторая

 Ответить верно утверждение или нет:

1) Лондон один из самых больших городов мира.

2) Букингемский дворец является официальной резиденцией британских монархов.

3) Биг Бен самая большая часовая башня в мире.

4) Без воронов Тауэр падет.

Ответить на вопросы:

1) Какая река находится в Лондоне?

2) Из скольких частей состоит Великобритания?

3)  Кто сочинял сонеты?

4)  Знаете ли Вы данных людей? (Мадонна, Барак Обама, Битлз, Дэвид Бэкхэм)

Британские праздники и традиции.

British holidays and traditions

1. Прочитайте текст и выполните задания к тексту.

Great Britain is an old country and it has a lot of holidays and interesting traditions. Holidays in the country are historic and public. Most public holidays are called bank holidays because banks, companies and most shops do not work on these days. Such holidays include New Year’s Day, Easter Monday and others.

 At Easter , the British give each other chocolate eggs, which they eat on Easter Sunday. Christmas is on the 25-th of December. Families spend this day together. For many people this is the most important holiday of the year. Family members wrap up their presents and put them under the Christmas tree. Children hang colorful socks at the end of their beds for presents. They believe that Father Frost puts presents inside the socks.

New Year’s Day is not as important in Britain as it is in Russia. People usually make promises to themselves such as to give up smoking, to change their lifestyle and others. St. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14-th of February. This is the traditional day for those who are in love. Young people give flowers and greeting cards to their Valentines and celebrate this day together. Halloween is a holiday loved by all children. It takes place on the 31-th of October. There are a lot of parties and people dress up in costumes of witches and ghosts and make lanterns of pumpkins with a candle inside. People also play different games and have fun. Children usually go from one house to another with empty baskets or bags, knock on doors and say: Trick or treat. People should give them something, or they will play a trick on them. Among historic holidays, Guy Fawkes Night can be mentioned. In the 15-th century, a group of people with Guy Fawkes as their leader decided to blow up the Houses of Parliament. They did not manage to do this and Guy Fawkes was caught and hanged. Since then the British celebrate this day burning a doll made of straw and dressed in old clothes on a bonfire. Children dress in old clothes and beg in the street saying: A penny for the Guy. There are a lot of customs in Great Britain. One of the most famous is gardening . Most of the English keep small gardens full of flowers behind their houses or around them. In spring, there are a lot of flower-shows and vegetable-shows with prizes for the best exhibitions. In Northern Ireland there is a holiday called St. Patrick’s Day . It is celebrated on the 17-th of March. On this day people wear green clothes and drink Irish beer. There are carnivals and barbeques all over the country.

2. Прочтите и переведите:

 а) словосочетания

 б) предложения

 a) interesting traditions, most public holidays, New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, the most important holiday of the year, colorful socks at the end of their beds, traditional day for those who are in love, dress up in costumes of witches and ghosts.

 b) 1. Great Britain is an old country and it has a lot of holidays and interesting traditions. 2. Such holidays include New Year’s Day, Easter Monday and others. 3. Family members wrap up their presents and put them under the Christmas tree. 4. They believe that Father Frost puts presents inside the socks. 5. There are a lot of parties and people dress up in costumes of witches and ghosts and make lanterns of pumpkins with a candle inside. 6. Most of the English keep small gardens full of flowers behind their houses or around them.

3. Ответьте письменно на вопросы:

What can you say about British holidays and traditions? What British holidays and traditions do you know? What can you say about Christmas? What can you say about New Year’s Day? What can you say about St. Valentine’s Day? What can you say about Halloween?

Политическая система Великобритании

The political system of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

          The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen, Elizabeth II, is the head of the State. But, in practice, the UK is ruled by the elected government with Prime-Minister at the head. The power of the Queen is limited by the parliament. The official residence of the Queen in London is the Buckingham Palace.

          The main political parties are: the Conservative Party and the Labor Party. The Liberal Party is on the third place. The party that has won the majority during the elections to the House of Commons is the leading Party. It forms the Government and the other party forms the official Opposition.

          The legislative branch of power is realized by the British Parliament. The British Parliament  has existed  since 1256 and is the eldest parliament in the world. It consists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords has no fixed number of members (over 1000 members). It consists of Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. Lords Spiritual are Archbishops, most senior bishops of the Church. They serve as long as they occupy their positions in the Church. Lords Temporal are Life Peers, Hereditary Peers, Law Peers. They serve for life. The House of Lords is not elected by the people. The House of Commons consists of 659 members. It is a nation-wide representative body which is elected by the people at a general election not less frequently than once in 5 years.

          The executive branch of power is realized by the Government: the Prime-Minister, the Cabinet and the Government Departments. After the general election the Queen appoints the head of the government – the Prime Minister. As a rule, the Prime Minister is a leader of the political party that has won the election and has a majority in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister appoints the ministers to compose the Government. Government is responsible to the Parliament. The Cabinet consists of 20 Secretaries of State. They are heads of the Government Departments. These Secretaries are appointed by the Prime-Minister. There are 20 Government Departments in the UK: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Education Department, Department for Health, etc.

At present the Prime-Minister of the UK is David Cameron. He is the leader of the Conservative Party. The official residence of the Prime-Minister is Downing Street, 10 in London.

          The Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice, the Crown Court, the Subordinate Courts compose the judicial branch of power. Subordinate Courts (Magistrate’s Courts and County Courts) are local Courts of Justice. There are the High Court of Justice and the Crown Court. The High Court of Justice deals with civil cases. The Crown Court deals with criminal cases. The Court of Appeal deals with appeals from the High Court of Justice and the Crown Court. The House of Lords is presented in the Supreme Court by 3 Lords. They are operating as a committee of the House of Lords.

          A constitution is the basic law of any state. The main elements of the constitution are definitions of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The state government comprises all three in general. The constitution of the UK is the sum of laws and principles that concerns both the relationship between the individual and the state, and the functioning of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. Great Britain has an unusual constitution. It is partly unwritten and consists of:

The laws passed in Parliament (acts of Parliament). The first document was Magna Carta;

Common Law – decision made by judges in the past;

Various unwritten conventions

All these things can be changed at any time by new acts of Parliaments. The bills are among the most important sources of the constitution. Many British constitutional conventions are ancient in origin. One of the most well-known and important constitutional  documents is “Bill of Rights”. It was adopted in 1689 and it was an act declaring the Right and Liberties of the Subject and setting the Succession of the Crown. It is affective nowadays

 Key words of the topic:

A constitutional monarchy – Конституционная монархия

A parliamentary monarchy – Парламентская монархия

A government – Правительство, управление

Parliament – Парламент

Legislative – Законодательный

To exist – Существовать

Executive – Исполнительный

Judicial – Закон, билль (закон в Великобритании)

A body – орган

A branch of power – Ветвь власти

A state – Государство

A head of state – Глава государства

A law – Закон, право

A court – Суд

A political party – Политическая партия

Supreme – Верховный, высший

Leading – Ведущий, лидирующий

To elect – Избирать

To win – Выигрывать

Majority – Большинство

To form – Формировать, образовывать

To comprise – Включать в себя

Relationship – Взаимоотношение, связь

To consist of – Состоять из

To appoint – Назначать

To change – Изменять-(ся), менять-(ся)

A source – Источник

To adopt – Принимать

To declare – Объявлять

Заполнить таблицу и ответить  на следующие вопросы

What is the difference in the political system of the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom?

What are  special features in the political system of these countries?

The table

Тесты

1. The UK is _____________.

a. An absolute monarchy

b. Federative republic

c.parliamentary monarchy

2. ____________ is the head of the State in the UK.

a. The President

b. The Queen

c. The Prime-minister

3. There are 2 main political parties in the UK? They are:

a. The Conservative and the Democratic parties

b. The Democratic and the Labor  parties

c. The Conservative and the Labor parties

4. _____________ power is realized by the parliament.

a.Executive

b.Legislative

c.Judicial

5. The House of Commons is elected ___________________.

a.Every 4 years

b.Every 6 years

c.Every 5 years

6. The Supreme court, the court of Appeal and local courts compose _____________________.

a.Judicial branch

b.Executive branch

c.Legislative branch

7.___________________ can pass or regret a bill.

a.The House of Lords

b.The House of Representatives

c.The House of Commons

8.The British monarchy must act on the adviсe of _____________________.

a.The Parliament

b.The Prime Minister and his cabinet

c.British judges

9. The Executive branch is realized by_________________

a.The British  Parliament

b.The Prime Minister and the British Government

c.The British judicial system

10. Prime Minister is the Leader of the Political party that has won a majority in _________________.

a.The House of Lords

b.The House of Representatives

c.The House of Commons

11.The official residence of the British Prime Minister is __________________.

a.The white hall

b.Buckingham Palace

c.Downing Street, 10

12.__________________ is the British Queen nowadays.

a. Elizabeth  I                     b. Elizabeth II                 c. Elizabeth III

A day in my life

День из моей жизни

              My name is Anna.  I'm 17 years old and I study law. Let me tell you what my typical day looks like.

            I get up at seven clock. Study at the university starts at half past eight. At seven the alarm clock rings. Sometimes my mother wakes me up. I jump immediately out of bed, open the window and air the room. Every morning I start with morning gymnastics. Then I feel fresh and cheerful all day. After morning exercises I make my bed I go to the bathroom, take a shower, and get dressed.

            At 7:20 I go to the kitchen and  eat breakfast. I usually drink a cup of coffee and eat a sandwich with cheese or sausage. The breakfast takes little time. At a quarter to eight I leave the house.

           The university is far away. I have to take the bus. It takes me 30 minutes to get to the university.

          Every day we have four lectures. They last from 8:30 a.m. till 3 p.m. My compulsory foreign language is English. But I learn to speak German fluently. After lunch I play tennis at the sport ground three times a week.

         It is only half past six I am back at home, I have little rest, have supper and do my homework. In the evening I sit in the armchair, turn the lamp on and read a book or watch TV. On the days when I don’t have my tennis lessons I come home earlier. Then I  spend  my free time with my friends. Sometimes I have to prepare law lectures in the reading room of our university library. At 11:30  I go to bed.

This is my typical working day.

Vocabulary notes

to tell - рассказать                          

 study - обучение

alarm clock - будильник                     

sometimes - иногда

cheerful - бодрый                            

 in order – в порядке

usually - обычно                              

          law lectures – юридические лекции

to prepare - подготовить              

         reading room – читальный зал

I’m a student of the Medical College

Прочитайте текст, переведите его на русский язык и выполните упражнения после текста

Last year I finished secondary school. My favorite subjects were chemistry and biology. I passed successfully the Uniform State Examinations in chemistry, biology, mathematics and the Russian language.

According to the results of the Uniform State Examinations, I was admitted to the medical college. This medical college is a middle medical school that trains specialists for curative  medicine.    Now I am a first year student.   I study at the Nursing faculty.  There are day (full-time), evening (part-time) departments in my college. I entered the medical college because my dream is to become a nurse and help people suffering from different diseases.

I am from Yessentuki. I live here with my family. I decided to enter the medical college because it is one of the best middle medical schools. When I have free time we often go to the cinema, visit exhibitions or museums or walk along the streets of the city admiring its beauty. I also go in for sports.  I play basketball.

I am very happy that I have entered the medical college. It is very interesting to study here, though not easy.

 secondary school [ˈsekəndərɪ] [sku:l] – средняя школа

pass exams [pɑ:s] [ɪɡˈzæm] – сдать экзамены

successfully [ səkˈses.fəli ] – успешно

mathematics [ ˌmæθəˈmætɪks ] – математика

according [əˈkɔ:dɪŋ] – согласно

result [rɪˈzʌlt] – результат

admit [ədˈmɪt] – принимать

high [haɪ] – высокий

train [treɪn] – готовить

curative[ˈkjuərətɪv]– лечебный

medicine[ˈmedsɪn] – медицина

though [ðəu] – хотя

go in for sports – заниматься спортом

faculty[ ˈfæk.əl.ti ] – факультет

different [ˈdɪfrənt]– разный

disease [dɪˈzi:z] - болезнь

decide [dɪˈsaɪd] – решать

because [bɪˈkɔz] – потому что

rather[ˈrɑ:ðə]–довольно, достаточно

theater [ˈθɪətə] - театр

exhibition[ˌeksɪˈbɪʃən]– выставка

museum [mju:ˈzɪəm] - музей

walk [wɔ:k] – гулять

admire[ədˈmaɪə]– восхищаться

beauty [ˈbju:tɪ] - красота

Ответьте на вопросы словосочетаниями из текста

1. When did you finish secondary school? 2. What were your favorite subjects at school? 3. What Uniform State Examinations did you pass at school? 4. What faculty do you study at? 5. What faculties are there in the medical college? 6. How many departments are there in the medical college? 7. What are they? 8. Why did you enter the medical college? 9. Have you got a family? 10. How many students are there in your group? 11. What do you usually do in your free time?

Назовите английские эквиваленты следующих русских словосочетаний:

первокурсник, различные заболевания, профилактическая медицина, медсестринский факультет, средняя школа, ГИА, готовить специалистов, гулять по улицам, медицинский техникум, любимый предмет, дневное отделение, свободное время, вечернее отделение, лечебная медицина, страдать от различных болезней.

Мои родители  (My parents)

Parents are the closest people in the world for every child, for every little boy and girl. I am strongly convinced that those children who have no Mum and Dad are very unhappy. And even when we grow up, we need our parents, and they need us. As for me, I am very lucky, because I have a big and friendly family: a mother, a father, a brother, two grandmothers and a grandfather. Of course, we don’t live in one flat. Our grandparents live separately, but we often visit them and always help each other. And today I am going to tell about my parents, who are the dearest people in the world for me.

First of all, a few words about myself. My name is Rita, and I am sixteen. At the moment I am a ten-grade student of a secondary school. I have a younger brother Maxim by name. He is twelve.

My Mum’s name is Galina. She is forty-one. She works at my school as a teacher of Mathematics. She is very clever, though sometimes she can be rather strict. But I know that her students respect her very much, because she is a talented teacher. Also my Mum is very beautiful. She is quite short of stature, and has a straight slender figure. Her natural hair colour is black, and she never dyes it. In general, she uses very little cosmetics, but she always looks well, because she pays much attention to the state of her skin, hair and hands. My Mum says that even the most expensive cosmetics will never substitute natural beauty of a woman.

As for my Mum’s personality, her predominate traits, in my opinion, are patience and a strong sense of justice. When I was small, she never shouted at me. Instead, she tried to explain me what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong. She managed to find time to explain me all the things that I didn’t understand. And I have always known that I could ask her any questions.

My Dad’s name is Nicolay. He is thirty-nine. Yes, he is two years younger than my Mum. By the way, they got acquainted when they were students. My father studied in Polytechnic University, and my mother was a student of Pedagogical Institute. At that time they both were fond of alpinism, and went to one and the same mountaineering camp. One day my Mum fell down and twisted her ankle, and my Dad happened to be nearby. He carried Mum to the camp in his arms, and

My father is an electrician, but now he doesn’t work in his specialty. He has his own small business. Some years ago his friend and he opened a car service center. Here I should say that my Dad can turn his hand to almost anything, so, he has succeeded in his new work rather quickly. Now he has got many regular customers. My little brother is mad about cars, and Dad often takes him along to work. As for me, I am not much interested in all this stuff, and most of all I like weekends, when Dad is at home. Then we can go somewhere all together.

I love my parents very much, and I am proud of them. I am happy that our family is really strong and friendly.

Спорт в моей жизни. Sport in my life

Sport is very important in our life. The general belief is that a person who goes in for sports can’t be weak and ill. Physically inactive people get old earlier that those, who find time for sport activity. And of course good health is better than good medicine.

People all over the world are fond of sports and games. In our country sport is being widely popularized as well. The most popular kinds of sport are football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, figure-skating, aerobics, ping-pong and swimming. A lot of people are fond of jogging. In schools and colleges sport is a compulsory subject. Many young people attend sport sections. Some of them dream to become professional sportsmen.

As for me, I can’t imagine my life without sport. In summer I go jogging every morning and when I have free time I attend swimming pool. In winter I like to skate with my friends. It’s fun. Also I’m fond of aerobics. First of all aerobics helps to keep myself fit. It also attracts me because it resembles dancing.

In conclusion I’d like to say that I’m absolutely sure that doing sports is the best way to keep fit. Sport makes our bodies strong, it prevents us from getting too fat, and makes us more self-organized and better disciplined.

• belief – вера, мнение, убеждение

to go in for sports, to do sports – заниматься спортом

• inactive – бездеятельный, малоподвижный
• activity – деятельность
• good health – крепкое здоровье
• fond of – любить (что-то делать)
• jogging – бег трусцой
• compulsory – обязательный
• to resemble – быть похожим, иметь сходство
• to keep fit – поддерживать в форме
• to prevent – препятствовать
• to get fat – растолстеть, потолстеть
• Найдите в тексте эквиваленты следующих слов и словосочетаний: очень важен, личность, физический, хорошая медицина, спорт и игры, широко распространена, самый популярный, обязательный предмет, профессиональный, представить свою жизнь без спорта, любить аэробику, в заключении, сильный, более организованный

Книги в нашей жизни. Books in our life

Nowadays it's almost impossible to imagine our life without books. Perhaps, there are more books on our planet than men alive. Long before the invention of printing people valued books as treasure troves of the human knowledge and experience. Hand — written manuscripts took months of writing and were collected by and kept in monasteries with utmost care. We can distinguish books between three classes of them.

Firstly, books on different branches of knowledge, works by brilliant minds of mankind. Secondly, textbooks, reference books and numerous dictionaries. And at last, books of all kinds and genres to read at leisure.

Classics should be taken a little at a time. One's understanding of books by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, Mopassan and Balzak depends on one's age and experience.

Serious books are to be read conscientiously and maybe more than once. To a thinking reader they will provide new food for thought every time he rereads it. Many people indulge in reading science fiction, fantasy or detective stories. Of course, there are some advantages and disadvantages of this kind of literature, often reffered to as «easy reading».

As for me, good science fiction and fantasy develop imagination, logical thinking, broader one's outlook.

The same could be said in favour of detective stories. They reveal such minute details of everyday life in this or that particular country that are of greatest interest for a curious reader. The masterpieces of this genre by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and others, show the depths of psychological analysis, the insight into the human nature.

As an old saying goes, man cannot live on bread alone. Books are the source of knowledge and the means of self — perfection. Sometimes it is difficult to solve some problems in life. I think that books can help us. Books must be our friends during all our life.

Questions:

1. Do you like to read books?
2. What kind of books do you prefer to read?
3. How many classes of books do we distinguish?
4. Books are our friends, aren’t they?
5. Is it possible to live without books?

Телевидение: за и против. Television: for and against

Read the following words:

achievement – достижение

society – общество

opportunity – возможность

devote – посвещать

current events – новости

science fiction – фантастика

separate – отделять

TV bridge – телемост

violence – насилие

to make – заставить

damage – вред

depend on – зависеть

occupy – занимать

instead of – вместо того чтобы

rush – спешить

to be in time – чтобы успеть

inconvenience – неудобство, беспокойство

Read and translate the text:

Television is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. It is the most popular part of mass media. Television plays a big role in every civilized society. Today television gives people a possibility to be well informed. The programmes are various and people have a chance to select what they want to see. Television provides great opportunities for education. There are programmes devoted to specialized subjects. With the help of TV it is possible to learn foreign languages, to know a lot of wonderful things about the world of flora and fauna. TV teaches the ideal of democracy and political arguments.

The different channels show programmes of various kinds from documentaries, current events and sport to American films and science fiction cartoons. Now this medium of communication allows people to see and speak with other if they are separated by thousand kilometers. TV bridges between Russia and the USA once were very popular. TV shocked, surprised and stimulated. It brought ballet, opera and theatre to big masses of people.

Only three generations have grown up with television, but they forgot how to spend their free time without television. It is called a “living room monster” or “one-eyed monster”. TV can keep children quiet. If they are noisy their mothers turn on the set. Children watch commercials, horror films of violence. They watch TV all the time. Sometimes it is very difficult to make children doing their homework if they are watching their favourite programme.  

TV is damaging for health. It has bad effect on the eyes, especially of children. The physicians proved that if children do not watch TV they do not have anything to talk about at school, where comedians and singing stars are major topics during breaks between classes. The same is true about some adults. Sometimes TV programmes become the topics of common interest of people and without them they have nothing to talk about…

People depend on television. They watch everything from news and sports reports to dramas, educational and entertainment programmes. Today some people feel themselves unhappy if they do not find another way of passing free time. TV occupies our free time. Instead of going to the theatre or reading books people watch TV. People rush home to be in time to watch their favourite programmes. People stopped reading books and depend on TV pictures. Spoken words become more important. No surprise that television is often called “chewing gum for men’s brains”. People become lazy, instead of doing sports they watch TV. If they cannot watch their favourite programmes they feel inconvenience.

English Today

Modern world is becoming smaller all the time. Every day distances between different countries seem less. For this reason it's becoming more and more important to know different languages, especially English.
population. 400 million people speak English as their first language. For the other 600 million people it's either a second language or a foreign language.
English is the first language in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. It is one of the official languages in Canada, the Irish Republic and the Republic of South Africa.
As a second language English is spoken in more than 60 countries. It is used by the government, businessmen and universities.
English is the language of politics and diplomacy, science and technology, business and trade, sport and pop music. 80% of all information in the world's computers is in English. 75% of the world's letters and faxes are in English. 60% of all international telephone calls are made in English. More than 60% of all scientific journals are written in English.
To know English today is absolutely necessary for every educated person, for every good specialist. Learning a language is not an easy thing. It's a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But it's a must.
English is taught throughout the world and a lot of people speak it quite well. In our country English is very popular: it is studied at schools (sometimes even at nursery schools), colleges and universities.
Everyone will speak English soon — I'm sure of it. We all need to understand each other. To do that we need an international language, and that's English.

The text

To be healthy is very important. You can work, learn and have fun only when you are healthy. Health is the man’s greatest wealth.

People in all times understood how important food is. To be healthy you need vitamins and fibre. You should eat fruit and vegetable. The English say “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. It is because apples have vitamins and are good for your health. The most important vitamin is vitamin С. You can find it in lemons, oranges and even in cabbage. You can find fibre in plants.

But if you eat fruit and vegetables, it does not mean that you keep to a healthy diet. There are things you should not eat much. They are chocolate, pasta, cakes and sweets. They have much fat and sugar. This food gives a lot of energy. If you do not work it out, it becomes fat in your body.

If you eat sweet and fat food from time to time, you have to exercise regularly.

Маnу peoplе jog, walk or cycle in their free time. Physical exercises help you keep fit, have a good gait and figure. They also help you lose weight and work out energy. It is not good to be as thin as a stick, but extra weight can cause serious problems, such as heart problems and diabetes.

There are a lot of advertisements both on TV and in newspapers of different pills and drops which can help you become slim and slender in two weeks. But I know that to take medication without a doctor’s control is dangerous. Also I know that pills cannot work a miracle.

There are also some bad habits, which can ruin your health. They are smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs. My parents do not smoke, and I do not smoke, either. I think these bad habits ruin health and show your weak character. Nowadays it becomes more and more popular to be healthy and slim. Yet everyone has to decide what he can do to be healthy.

 True or false

1. To be healthy is very important. You can work, learn and have fun only when you are healthy.
2. To be healthy you need vitamins and fibre.
3. You can find fibre in plants.
4. There are things you should eat much. They are chocolate, pasta, cakes and sweets.
5. Physical exercises help you keep fit.
6. Also I know that pills can work a miracle.
7. Nowadays it becomes more and more popular to be healthy and slim.

Internet –online source of information

It’s hard to imagine our lives without Internet nowadays. It has become an important part of every person’s life. It seems that Internet has created a whole new history. It has drastically changed everything around. Computers were also an important invention, but Internet is better than any other type of information. Besides, it’s not only used for information, but also for global communication. Since the time of Internet appearance, many other media sources became unnecessary. From one side, it’s great to have everything right here online, from the other side, it’s a shame that people have stopped reading paper books and newspapers. That’s because all books or prints can be found online, as well as all films and programs. One of the obvious advantages of Internet is its efficiency. You can find the information you’re looking for in 5 seconds. Just google it and here is the answer. It is very convenient for students, professionals, experts and all other people.

 In spite of all the good sides that Internet has, there are some drawbacks. First of all, they are viruses, which can be very dangerous for any computer. That’s why it’s good to have reliable anti-virus software installed.

 Other minus is the violent content. As well as on TV, there is a lot of violence and cruelty online.

Nevertheless, every day millions of people turn on their computers and start surfing the worldwide net, because it’s the easiest and quickest way to stay informed.

Слова по теме «Интернет»

1. аccess – доступ, иметь доступ
2. to browse – просматривать Интернет-сайты
3. to display – выставлять напоказ
4. email account – электронный почтовый адрес
5. to look up – искать что-либо
6. modem – модем
7. search engine – поисковая система (в Интернете)
8. server – сервер
9. site – Интернет-сайт
10.  to surf – проводить время (в Интернете)
11.  to upgrade – улучшать
12.  wirelessly – без проводов
13.  worldwide – глобально
14.  device – прибор
15.  online – подключенный к Интернету
16.  instant messaging – обмениваться мгновенными сообщениями    
17.  level -   уровень сложности
18.  to crash – внезапно ломаться
19.  to delete – удалять
20.  disc drive – дисковод
21.  document – файловый документ (в компьютере)
22.  to download – загружать данные из Интернета
23.  frozen – «зависший» (о компьютере)
24.  germ – микроб
25.  hardware – комплектующие (компьютера)
26.  Internet connection – связь с Интернетом
27.  Internet service provider (ISP) – Интернет-провайдер
28.  laptop – ноутбук
29.  link – ссылка
30.  memory – компьютерная память
31.  monitor – монитор
32.  network - сеть
33.  to reboot – перезагружать компьютер
34.  to run a search – искать информацию в Интернете
35.  to save – сохранять информацию на компьютере
36.  to scan – проверять компьютер на наличие вирусов
37.  screen – экран
38.  to stick – замирать, зависать (о курсоре мыши)
39.  software – программное обеспечение для компьютера
40.  to store – хранить
41.  to transfer – передавать информацию
42.  virus – компьютерный вирус
43.  web site – Интернет-сайт
44.  to wipe – чистить
45.  to sort out – решить проблему                                                                                                                      

Man and Nature

The term “nature” includes all around us: trees, lakes, mountains, seas, animals, flowers, etc. So, nature is something special not controlled by humans. How marvelous and rich nature is!

Human beings have been closely attaching to nature since time out of memory. In period of paganism people were frightened of such natural sources as storm, thunder, earthquake and downpour. That’s why they made some sacrifices to the mother-nature because ancient people believed it could gain nature’s favour and make their life easier and better.

In our century the attitude to it has been changed. People learned to read the sky, avoid dangerous results of “nature’s rage” and explain all the phenomena scientifically. Now people know how to deal with nature for personal use – they created hydro-electric power stations, solar batteries, lighting conductors, successful agriculture systems and other interesting things. We use natural resources permanently and it helps us survive, but they are not endless and we should not forget to take care about it.

Sometimes we forget about beauty and richness of nature around us because we are just used to thinking about ourselves and vested interests. You can notice many miracles if you pay attention to them: twitter of birds, sounds of rain and wind, great mountains, green hills and bright sunlight.

I guess that the nature can be compared with a piece of art or even a master who creates all these beautiful and fantastic things around us. Nature is responsible for our mood and can make us happy and inspired or sad and depressed. Probably, indescribable waterfalls, eye catching meadows with flowers, mysterious mountains attract people’s attention because human being is just a small part of nature and can’t exist separately from it.

Words

marvelous –изумительный

earthquake - землетрясение

downpour – ливень

thunder - гром

paganism – язычество

sacrifice – жертвоприношение

favour – польза, милость, благосклонность, поддержка

attitude to – отношение к

survive – выживать

vested interests – личные интересы

twitter – щебет, щебетание

nature’s range – диапазон природы

exist - существ

Climat and weather

The condition of the atmosphere in some area in a certain interval of time is called weather. Weather is characterized by elements and phenomena. Weather elements are the following: air temperature, humidity, pressure. There are natural phenomena as well: wind, clouds, atmospheric precipitation. Sometimes the natural phenomena have extraordinary, even catastrophic character, for example, hurricanes, thunder-storms, heavy rains, tornadoes, droughts. Weather is characterized not only by elements and the phenomenon, but also their combinations. At an identical temperature, but at different humidity of air, with precipitations or without any precipitations, with the wind or without it weather won't be identical.

Climate influences plants, people and animals. Scientists consider that the climate is now hotter than it was a dozen centuries ago. The climate in different parts of the world changes a little from year to year. There are some seasons existing and each season has its own characteristics. In different continents seasons have the features and are different. Sometimes people don't know what to talk about, especially when they have a language barrier. But you can still do a small talk based on some common easy topics, even if you know the language badly. One of such subjects is discussing the weather.

Words

1. humidity – влажность
2. precipitation – осадки
3. hurricane – ураган
4. thunder- storm – гроза
5.  extraordinary - чрезвычайный
6. drought - засуха

The weather

 Every season is wonderful in its own way. In spring the air is refreshing, the trees are in blossom, the ground is covered with the first tender flowers. The birds start singing heavenly songs. In summer it can be really dry and sultry, there are thunders and lightnings during the heavy showers. People go sunbathing, fishing and sailing and enjoy all kinds of fruits and berries. In autumn the trees turn golden, it often rains cats and dogs and it’s quite muddy. The sky is overcast with grey clouds, sometimes it’s foggy and chilly and the days become shorter. In winter the snow covers the ground, the air is frosty, the roads are slippery. It is mainly freezing and there are periods of severe colds and heavy snowfalls. The temperature can fall down to 35 degrees below zero.

 I prefer not to complain about the weather but generally I enjoy mild and calm weather with a moderate breeze. I don’t quite like damp and gloomy weather and it’s hard for me to stand windy or hot summer days with mosquitoes and flies and oppressive heat. But so many men, so many minds.

 Our country is so huge and the weather is not the same in different parts of Russia. It depends on the geographical position and the type of climate. We must admit that the climate has changed much due to global warming and winters have become much warmer. It looks rather strange and disappointing when there is little snow in winter and sometimes it even sleets or drizzles.

 Frankly speaking, I don’t trust our misleading weather forecasts as they don’t come true as a rule. The weather is changeable and it is a thing that is beyond us, so it’s better to keep an umbrella in your bag all the year round.

Words

1.refreshing – освежающий

2.to be in blossom –

3.tender – нежный

4.heavenly – небесный

5.sultry –знойный

6.It rains cats and dogs – Дождь льёт как из ведра

7.lightning – молния

8.overcast – пасмурный

9.chilly – прохладно

10.slippery – скользкий

11.to freeze – заморозить

12.damp and gloomy – сыро и мрачно

13.muddy – грязный, мутный

14.oppressive heat – гнетущая жара

15.to admit – признать

16.sleets and drizzles – мокрый снег и морось

17. frankly speaking –откровенно говоря

18.misleading – вводящий в заблуждение

19.to trust – доверять

20.beyond us – вне нас

21.forecast – прогноз

Ecological problems

Ecology is a scientific branch which studies interactions between organisms and their environment. It also studies the biodiversity of our planet. Earth is the only planet in the solar system where there is life. It is home to various kinds of plant and animal species. For centuries people lived in harmony with their environment until industrialization began. It brought human society into conflict with nature, which today has grown to a dramatic scale. Every year industrial waste pollutes surrounding atmosphere with millions of tons of dust and harmful substances.

The most acute problems include shortage of natural resources, global warming, acid rains, wildlife extinction, water and air pollution.

Air pollution is one of the most important and urgent problems. It is mostly caused by transport and factory fumes, which gradually destroy the ozone layer. Unfortunately, this can have dire consequences, as the ozone layer is there to protect our planet from sun radiation. Most aerosols which are used in daily life create large holes in this layer.

Water pollution also leads to numerous problems in natural environment. Many ships carry oil by sea. In case, there is a leakage, many fish die or get contaminated. It happens because their habitat gets polluted. People can also suffer if they eat such fish. Oil and other waste pollute beaches as well, which makes it difficult for holiday-makers to swim.

Acid rains lead to deforestation. Many forests disappear because of acid rains. It is especially true for tropical forests. Such rains kill nature in many ways: animals die out, climate changes along with ecosystem.

Wildlife extinction is no less acute. Many species of animals are in danger nowadays. For example, the blue whale, which is the largest water animal in the world, has been hunted for so long that it became a rare animal. The largest land animal is the African elephant, and it is also exposed to extinction. Even though they are strictly protected, these animals are still hunted for their valuable tusks. The only solution of this problem is wildlife conservation. It means opening more national parks, planting more new forests, and cutting down on industrial pollution.

Global warming has recently become a real threat. It is the rise in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, which brings tangible changes into world’s climate. It is primarily a problem of too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. When we burn fossil fuels, such as coal or oil, carbon overloads and creates greenhouse effect.

Shortage of natural resources will definitely affect the future of our environment. It includes food and water shortage, fuel and non-fuel minerals shortage. These resources are not limitless and if people persist using them uncontrollably, the upcoming years will become extremely polluted, economically unstable and risky.

      words:

1. interactions –взаимодействия
2. environment – окружающая среда
3. biodiversity – биологическое разнообразие
4. a scale – масштаб
5. wastes – отходы
6. pollute – загрязнять
7. extinction – вымирание
8. acid rains –кислотные дожди
9. dire consequences – страшные последствия
10.  a leakage – утечка
11.  to contaminate – загрязнять
12.  habitat – среда обитания
13.  deforestation – вырубка леса
14.  expose – подвергать(ся)
15.  to cut down – срезать, срубить, сокращать
16.  tangible changes – ощутимые изменения
17.  carbon dioxide – углекислый газ
18.  fossil fuels – природное, органическое топливо
19.  carbon overloads – уровень углерода возрастает
20.  to persist - настаивать
21.  upcoming years – ближайшие годы

Resort cities of the Caucasus

 The famous Russian resort, Caucasian Mineral Waters, is famous for its healing springs, exquisite architecture, and beautiful nature. Sanatoriums and boarding houses are very popular today.

 Minvody is considered the gateway to the resorts of the Caucasus, which is located near the mountain Snake.

 Zheleznovodsk is located near the Iron mountain. It is famous for its healing springs, architectural monuments, and picturesque landscapes. The climate of Zheleznovodsk is moderately dry, with 117 clear days a year.

 Pyatigorsk is the cultural and socio-political center of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. It is the center of the North Caucasus Federal district. Beautiful architecture, numerous sanatoriums, hospitals, boarding houses, a variety of cultural life attracts a lot of tourists.In summer, it is noisy and fun. The city is rich in picturesque reservoirs, forest belts, parks, squares.All this is due to the mild climate. Winter in Pyatigorsk is warm, and summer is hot. The pride of Yessentuki is the famous mud baths, where the healing properties of the mud of lake Tambukan are used, as well as the drinking gallery, which accommodates 5,000 visitors at a time. The city's climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and frosty winters.

 In the South of the KMV is Kislovodsk. It is a resort of Federal significance. There are many health resorts, a huge Park, and a picturesque valley of Roses. The city is always cozy and comfortable for residents and tourists. Winter is clear and dry, and summer is warm.

1. healing springs – целебные источники
2. exquisite – изысканный, утончённый, восхитительный, изящный
3. boarding house – пансионат
4. resort – курорт
5. gateway – ворота, вход
6. picturesque – живописный
7. reservoir – водохранилище
8. properties – свойства
9. to accommodate – разместить
10.  significance – значимость, значение, смысл, важность, значительность
11. valley – долина
12.  landscape - пейзаж

Caucasian Mineral Waters

 Nowadays Caucasian Mineral Waters is an especially protected ecological-resort region of federal significance. There are 120 mineral springs more than a hundred sanatoriums and rest homes, a natural radon and medical mud of Tambukan lake, abundance of sunny days in summer and soft, warm winter. Variety of methods allows to treat here almost all diseases. Caucasian Mineral Waters has the reputation of pearl of Caucasus by right; it takes only an hour to drive around four cities-resorts. Resembling each other like brothers, each of them has individuality.   The wonderful continental climate with mild winters and warm summers, the pure and extremely fresh air, the beauty of the nature with majestic snow peaks of the Caucasian Mountains, azure waterfalls, transparent rivers, rich resources of mineral springs and curative mud – all this about the Caucasian Mineral Water. This region is really worth seeing.   Treatment combines with walks and other procedures. The route corresponds to appointed regime of activity. The best time for walks is when you hurry nowhere, in cool time in summer, in winter – in warm time of day. It is better to have a walk in light clothes and cosy shoes, at slow free pace.

   Application of mineral water favours to acceleration of adaptation to the local climate, enforcement of immunodefences, disturbed by a disease. Mineral water, which is used, have an effect on organism not only by chemical and gas composition but also by temperature, duration of a procedure, density of water, ect.   Mineral baths by its temperature (usually 35-37 C?), chemical and gas composition. Duration of a procedure in 6-20 minutes (not longer) is considered to be optimal. Minerals are not indifferent to an organism. They are taken only when they are prescribed. You shouldn’t come to the procedure either on an empty stomach or right after taking much food. Rest should precede the procedure therefore you should come in time.

Internal implication of mineral water

Food treatment by mineral water is considered to be one of main methods of treatment of large number of diseases for many years. Regulating systems of organism mobilize their energy, metabolic processes become more intense while usage of mineral water. Owing to its variety, mineral waters of Caucasian Mineral Waters are used in treatment of wide specter of diseases. Chemical components of mineral waters, reaching blood, influence receptors of blood vessels, organs of endocrine systems and nervous systems.

Mud cure

   Mud of Big Tambukan lake is used in Caucasian Mineral Waters spas for treating applications. Unique method of treatment – radonotherapy (waters, containing radon, are used for treatment of diseases of nervous and cardiovascular system, respiratory and digestion apparatuses, bones, joints and muscles, gynaecological disorders, metabolism diseases and others) – include medicinal influence on organism with the help of medicinal element radon which is used for water and air bath , bathing in medicinal pools, ablution, microclyster, inhalations.

   Inhalation therapy is used for treating of sick men with upper air passage diseases. Therapeutic action of inhalation is formed of influence of saline and gas components of mineral water and moist warmth.     

ПЕРЕВЕДИТЕ СЛОВОСОЧЕТАНИЯ ПО ТЕМЕ «CAUCASIAN MINERAL WATERS»:

• Особо охраняемый
• Федерального значения
• Город-курорт
• Дом отдыха; санаторий
• Источник минеральной воды
• Богатые ресурсы
• Медицинская грязь
• Жемчужина Кавказа
• По праву
• Процедуры
• Ингаляция
• Используется для лечения
• Местный климат (местный житель)
• Очень чистый воздух
• Все это
• Почти все заболевания
• Чудесный свежий
• Мягкая и теплая зима
• Стоит посмотреть
• Дыхательный и пищеварительный аппарат
• Укреплять здоровье
• Окрестности; горы; водопады; вокруг
• Экскурсии

переведите предложения по теме:

1. Города Ессентуки, Кисловодск, Пятигорск, Железноводск и Минеральные воды – это особо охраняемый курортный регион федерального значения.
2. В нем находится 120 источников минеральной воды.
3. Она используется для лечения почти всех заболеваний дыхательного и пищеварительного аппарата, органов эндокринной и нервной систем.
4. Для лечебных аппликация используется грязь большого Тамбукансого озера.
5. Люди укрепляют здоровье в домах отдыха и санаториях.
6. Лечение сочетается с прогулками и другими процедурами: ингаляциями, минеральными и радоновыми ваннами и промываниями.
7. Чудесный климат, очень свежий и чистый воздух, красивая природа – всё это о нашем регионе.
8. Мы приглашаем вас посетить наш замечательный край, потому что его действительно стоит посмотреть!

Every country has its own customs, traditions and holidays and Russia is no exception. It is almost impossible to list all the holidays of the country but I’d like to tell you about the most important and traditional ones.

 At the beginning of each year Russian people celebrate New Year and Christmas. Both children and adults love these public holidays. People don’t work or study for several days. They relax at home, visit relatives and exchange presents. New Year starts at midnight on the 31st of December and Russian Christmas is on the 7th of January. It is a religious holiday and many people go to church services on that day.

 Next holidays are “Men’s Day” on the 23rd of February and “Women’s Day” on the 8th of March. These holidays are rather important. On “Men’s Day” women prepare small gifts for their loved men. On “Women’s Day” men do everything around the house and cook all the meals. In such way all women of the country can take a rest from household duties. They also get some presents on this day.

 Easter is one of the widely celebrated holidays in Russia. Its date changes from year to year but usually falls on April. Children exchange coloured eggs and women bake traditional cakes called “paska”.

 The 1st of May is the Day of Labour in Russia. It is an official public holiday when people don’t work but go on demonstration instead.

 One of the greatest national holidays is Victory Day on May the 9th, which commemorates the victory of Russia at the Second World War. On this day the veterans take part in military parades.

One of the newest holidays in Russia is the Independence Day, which is celebrated on the 12th of June. It was the day when the first Russian President was elected in 1992.

 All pupils and students of the country start their school-year on the 1st of September. This holiday is considered to be the Day of Knowledge. Students usually present their teachers with flowers.

 Next national holiday is celebrated on the 12th of December. It’s the Constitution Day.

 Today, Russians also celebrate many foreign holidays, such as St. Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Chinese New Year and so on.

    Words

1. customs – обычаи
2. exception – исключение
3. to celebrate – праздновать, отмечать
4. gift – подарок, дар
5. household duties – домашние обязанности
6. labour – труд
7. church service – церковная служба
8. to commemorate – почтить память
9. to elect – избирать
10.  independence – независимость
11.  foreign - иностранный, зарубежный

Culture and traditions of the Caucasus

The Caucasus is a huge unique country where a large number of peoples live, each with its own interesting traditions: family, wedding, culinary. Many traditions have survived to this day.

In the Caucasus, many peoples speak different languages: Dagestanis, Karachais and Balkars, Adyghe, Kabardin, Circassians, Abazins, Ossetians, Ingush, Chechens, etc.

A man in the Caucasus has high authority, he is the head of the family, the oldest man in the family is the head of the whole family. Seniors are accepted to obey implicitly. The foundation of family organization is respect for elders. A woman is always showed respect and reverence. A woman transfers spiritual values, traditions and culture in the family to the younger generation

It is a woman among all nations who is the guardian of the hearth, the whole family life is supported on her.Women always stand up when a man enters the room, thus showing their courtesy and respect for the man.

The woman is always showed respect and reverence. A woman transfers spiritual values, traditions and culture in the family to the younger generation

It is a woman who is the guardian of the health, the whole family life is supported on her. The laws of hospitality in the Caucasus were also formed in very ancient times, according to which the guest was respected by the family. Anyone could get shelter, food and protection in the  highlander's house. According to tradition, in the first three days the guest was never asked questions: who he is, where he came from, why he came, what his name is. A guest in the house has always been a family member. It was the owner of the house who was obliged to protect the property and life of his guest. According to etiquette, the guest was not obliged to pay for his stay, but he could leave a gift.

 Modernity has brought its own adjustments to wedding traditions. Not all traditions are acceptable in the modern world. For example, shooting at a wedding. In ancient times, thus, they scared away evil spirits from a young family, but now it is done for fun. Previously, parents always chose a bride for their son, in some cases this custom is preserved to this day.

 The Caucasian wedding is a bright, original spectacle, but at the same time a clear adherence to customs is a strict solemn event. The wedding always lasts more than one day. One of the most striking manifestations of a wedding is dancing. You will never hear "bitterly"at a Caucasian wedding. This is not acceptable according to Muslim customs, and in some nations, the bride and groom are generally in different places. The bride at the wedding is modest, quiet and almost always silent. Very often, the bride’s parents and her relatives do not participate in the wedding at all.

The fullness of national elements of the wedding in the modern period depends on the region of residence, in some places customs are very strictly observed today.

     Words

1. culinary – кулинарный                                            
2. implicity – беспрекословно, безоговорочно          
3. courtesy –вежливость
4. reverence – благоговение
5. to transfer – передавать
6. spiritual values – духовные ценности
7. guardian – хранительница
8. hospitality – гостеприимство
9. shelter – приют, кров, убежище
10.  to provide – обеспечивать
11.  property – собственность
12.  owner – владелец, хозяин
13.  bride, groom – невеста, жених
14.  to preserve – сохранить
15.  adherence – приверженность
16.  previously – ранее
17.  manifestation – проявление
18.  etiquette –этикет
19.  highlander – горец
20.  adjustments – поправки, изменения, корректировки

American Customs and Traditions

Every nation has different customs and traditions, its own way of life. In Europe there are people who have lived in the same house and been in the same job for 20, 30 or more years. That's not the American way of life.

The Americans love change, they call it the spirit of adventure, a spirit that they think is more characteristic of America than of Europe. They like to move away, to change houses and jobs.

While the Englishman thinks it is ill mannered to ask private questions, the American doesn't feel that at all.

He will tell you all about himself, his wife and family, and ask where you have come from, what your job is, how you like America and how long you are staying. The American prefers sociability. In his home he doesn't object to being seen by everyone — he actually likes it. With this sociability goes overwhelming hospitality

A national Thanksgiving Day is perhaps the only holiday spent by the Americans at home. Table decorations follow a traditional pattern — a harvest of Indian corn, apples, oranges, walnuts and grapes. Flowers also bring the fall scene in-doors. The centrepiece is the traditional roast turkey.

Still another American tradition concerns Halloween. Its origin dates back hundreds of years to the Druid festival. The Druid New Year began on November 1, marking the beginning of winter and the reign of the Lord of Death. The custom of telling ghost stories on Halloween comes from the Druids. On this occasion children usually wear ghost costumes or false faces. They also carve out rounded eyes in pumpkins and put burning candles inside them to make them visible from far away.

In Texas, where the West begins, the biggest annual festival — the Fat Stock Show — is held. Its rodeo, hold together with the stock show, is the biggest indoor rodeo on the earth.

And, of course, no nation can exist without humour. As they themselves say, an American must have one wife, two cars, three children, four pets, five suits, six acres, seven credit cards — and is lucky to have eight cents in his pocket.

    Words:

1. spirit – дух, духовный
2. adventure – приключение
3. ill mannered – дурной тон
4. sociability – общительность
5. overwhelming – всеобъемлемый
6. hospitality – гостеприимство
7. to carve out – вырезать
8. scene in-doors –пейзаж в доме
9. to reign – править, царствовать
10.  centerpiece – центр

Знаменитые люди Великобритании

 (Popular people of Great Britain)

Some facts from biography of Robert Burns.

 The work of the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) is characterized by realism, intense feeling, and metrical virtuosity. His best work is in Scots, the vernacular of southern Scotland, and he is one of the greatest authors in that language of the last 4 centuries.

 Robert Burns was born in Alleyway, Yorkshire, on Jan. 25, 1759, in the cottage of hard-working farmer parents. He grew up in the general atmosphere of dour Scottish Calvinism, but his father’s moderate religious views helped instill in Burns a spirit of tolerance and of rebellion against the grimmer doctrines of Calvinism. Although Burn’s formal schooling was skimpy, he read avidly and for a time had a good tutor in John Murdoch, who gave him a thorough grounding in the 18th-century genteel tradition of English literature.

The family worked hard on their Yorkshire farm, and the arduousness of his labor in adolescence was to have a crippling effect in the long run on Robert"s health. And troubles with landlords and their agents were helping to foster in him the egalitarianism and rebelliousness against privilege which became prominent themes in his poetry. In 1784 his father died in bankruptcy, and the family then moved a few miles away to Mossfield. (By the end of his short life he was to have fathered fourteen children, nine of them out of wedlock, by six different mothers.). 

Words:

1. intensive feeling – интенсивное чувство

2. metrical – метрический

3. virtuosity – артистизм, виртуозное мастерство

4. vernacular – просторечие, разговорный язык

5. dour – суровый, строгий

6. moderate – умеренный, скромный, небольшой

7. to instill – внушать, прививать

8. tolerance – терпимость, толерантность; допустимо

9. rebellion – восстание, бунт, мятеж, сопротивление

10. grim – мрачный, угрюмый, страшный, ужасный, жуткий

11. doctrine – учение, теория, доктрина

12. skimpy – скудный

13. avidly – жадно, запоем

14. thorough – полный, всесторонний, подробный, обстоятельный

15. grounding – основание, основа

16. genteel – изящный, изысканный, элегантный, благородный, аристократический

17. arduousness – трудолюбие

18. adolescence – юность, молодость, отрочество

19. chippling effect – сокрушительный эффект

20. in the long run – в конечном счете, в конце концов

21. landlord – владелец недвижимости, владелец жилья, домовладелец

22. to foster – способствовать, содействовать, развивать

23. egalitarianism – эгалитаризм, уравниловка

24. rebelliousness – непокорность, строптивость, бунтарство

25. bankruptcy – банкротство, несостоятельность, неплатежеспособность

26. out of wedlock – вне брака

Прочитайте и переведите стихотворение Р. Бёрнса 

My Heart’s in the Highlands

My heart’s in the Highlands, a chasing the deer;

 Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North,

The birthplace of velour, the country of worth:

 Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,

The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.

Farewell to the mountains high covered with snow;

 Farewell to the straits and green valleys below;

Farewell to the forests and wild-handing woods;

Farewell to the torrents and loud pouring floods.

 My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here;

 My heart’s in the Highlands, a chasing the deer;

 A chasing the wild deer, and following the roe –

My heart in the Highlands wherever I go.

Sports in Great Britain

The British are known to be great sports-lovers, so when they are neither playing, nor watching games, they like to talk about them. Many of the games we play now have come from Britain.

One of the most British games is cricket. It is often played in schools, colleges, universities and by club teams all over the country. Summer isn't summer without cricket. To many Englishmen cricket is both a game and a standard of behaviour. When they consider anything unfair, they sometimes say: "That isn't cricket."

But as almost everywhere else in the world, the game which attracts the greatest attention is Association football, or soccer. Every Saturday from late August till the beginning of May, large crowds of people support their favourite sides in football grounds. There are plenty of professional and amateur soccer clubs all over Britain.

Rugby football is also very popular, but it is played mainly by amateurs.

Next to football, the chief spectator sport in British life is horse-racing. A lot of people are interested in the races and risk money on the horse which they think will win. The Derby is perhaps the most famous single sporting event in the whole world.

Britain is also famous for motor-car racing, dog-racing, boat-racing, and even races for donkeys. The famous boat-race between the teams of Oxford and Cambridge attracts large crowds of people.

A great number of people play and watch tennis. Tennis tournaments at Wimbledon are known all over the world.

The British also like to play golf, baseball, hockey, grass-hockey. Various forms of athletics, such as running, jumping, swimming, boxing are also popular. You can sometimes hear that there are no winter sports in England. Of course the English weather is not always cold enough to ski, skate, or toboggan, but winter is a good season for hunting and fishing. Indeed, sport in one form or another is an essential part of daily life in Britain.

Words:

1. behavior – поведение

2. unfair – несправедливый

3. to consider – считать, полагать

4. amateur – любитель

5. soccer – футбол

6. to support –поддерживать

7. toboggan – кататься на санках

8. essential – существенный

9. races – гонки, соревнования в беге

10. hunting – охота

11. daily life – повседневная жизнь

12. to attract the greatest attention – привлечь большое внимание

13. Derby – Дерби (игровой спорт, спортивное соревнование)

British Youth

Relationships within the British family are different now. Children have more freedom to make their own decisions. For example, children aged 13 may have regular part-time job to earn some pocket money. Aged 16 they can leave home, marry with "parents' consent".  Most 18 and 19 year-olds in Britain are quite independent people. At the age of 18 they can vote, get married, drink in pubs. Some young people work in their church organizations. They help elderly people or work in hospital. Everyone in Great Britain can find the activity he likes most.

 Numerous youth organizations have been formed since the Second World War, uniting young people from all classes and sections of the population. 

Sport clubs are characteristic youth organizations in UK. They unite people, who are interested in baseball, football, basketball, golf, etc. You can attend any club: from theater clubs to bird-watching clubs. Bird-watching clubs are very popular, especially in Great Britain.

Education is a very important part in the life of British youth. One can't become an independent person without it.

During the last 30 years there were a lot of different trends in youth movements. Those trends are known as the "hippies", the "punks", the "rockers".

But certainly there are different traditional youth organizations in Great Britain. Among them — the Scout Association and the National Union of Students. The National Union of Students promotes the educational and social interests of students. But certainly the most numerous is the Scout Association.  The programme of it is planned to develop intelligence and practical skills. Scout training is complementary to the ordinary education.

Words:

1. independent – независимый
2. relationships – взаимоотношения, связь
3. consent – согласие
4. to vote – голосование
5. to get married – пожениться
6. youth – молодёжь
7. to promote – активизировать, способствовать
8. skills – навыки, умения
9. pocket money – карманные деньги
10. decision – решение
11. freedom – свобода
12. complementary –дополнительный, вспомогательный

Rules of Good Health

1. Eat a nutritious diet…

The food you eat, its quality and amount provide the fuel for your body.

• Eats as much food in the unrefined state as possible.
• Include at least five servings of vegetables and/or fruits each day.
• Whole grains are preferable to refined ones; fresh produce is preferable to canned or processed.
• Have deep fried food, sweetened food and alcohol rarely.

2. Drink pure water…

The body is 60 % water and require a replenishment of 6-8 glasses per day of water. Make sure that the water you drink is uncontaminated by heavy metals, chemicals and micro-organizms.

3. Breathe…

Air provides life-giving oxygen. Like water, the body cannot survive without it. Plenty of fresh, clean air is essential to good health.

4. Sunshine:

Ten minutes of sunlight per day is enough to encourage normal vitamin D production.

5. Exercise:

The human body is designed for movement.

6. Sleep:

Most people require seven to eight hours of sleep per night.

7. Avoid negative health behaviors.

Nicotine, excesses of alcohol and caffeine, and many drugs damage health.

8. Maintain a positive outlook.

Everybody has problems in life. We choose how we will respond to any given situation. Negative health effects are from negative mental outlooks. Make the best of every situation.

Our meals and diet

Our eating habits affect our health. If a person has no breakfast, or poor breakfast he feels tired or cross and hungry till lunch. Food is a form of fuel. It gives us energy, helps us to grow, resist disease and form strong teeth and bones. Different foods do different things for the body. If a person wants to be in good health he must be careful about his meals and diet. 

Diet should contain everything sufficient to supply the needs of the body. People of physical work need more food than people of mental work.

 It is important to know that a diet must consist of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, water and vitamins. 

All this you can find in fish, meat, liver, kidney, cheese, eggs, milk, sugar, bread, potatoes, butter and nuts. If you want to be healthy you must use a mixed diet of meat, fats and fruit.

In the hospital the doctor usually prescribes the diet for every patient. A person with high temperature and poor appetite needs caloric diet. You can treat many diseases by diet. 

Words: 

habit - привычка  

to feel tired or cross - чувствовать себя усталым и раздраженным 

 fuel - топливо 

 sufficient - достаточный 

to supply - снабжать, поставлять 

to resist – сопротивляться, препятствовать

needs – потребности

to contain – содержать

carbohydrates –углеводы

 to affect – влиять

mental – умственный

proteins – протеины

fats – жиры

kidney – почка

liver – печень

sugar – сахар

nuts – орехи

to prescribe – назначать, прописывать

Ex.1. Find English equivalents. Найдите английские эквиваленты. 

Влиять на здоровье; сопротивляться болезни; содержать все необходимое, чтобы обеспечить потребности тела; умственная работа; углеводы; плохой аппетит 

Ex.2 Find Russian equivalents. Найдите русские эквиваленты. 

A form of fuel; form strong teeth and bones; must consist of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, water and vitamins 

Ex.3 Answer the questions. Ответьте на вопросы. 

What will happen if we have no breakfast? 

Why do we say that food is a form of fuel? 

Why must a person be careful about meals and diet? 

Do people of mental work need more food? 

What diet does a person with high temperature and poor appetite need?