Texts for extra-reading

A. Westminster Abbey

It is safe to say that the three most famous buildings in England are Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Westminster Abbey is a fine Gothic building, which stands opposite the Houses of Parliament. It is the work of many hands and different ages. The oldest part of the building dates from the eighth century.

It was a monastery. In the 11th century, Edward the Confessor after years spent in France founded a great Norman Abbey. In 200 years Henry III decided to pull down the Norman Abbey and build a more beautiful one after the style then prevailing in France. Since then the Abbey remains the most French of all English Gothic churches, higher than any other English church (103 feet) and much narrower. The towers were built between 1735— 1740. One of the greater glories of the Abbey is the Chapel of Henry VII, with its delicate fan-vaulting.

The Chapel is of stone and glass, so wonderfully cut and sculptured that it seems unreal. It contains an interesting collection of swords and standards of the "Knights of the Bath". The Abbey is famous for its stained glass.

Since the far-off time of William the Conqueror, Westminster Abbey has been the crowning place of the kings and queens of England. The Abbey is sometimes compared with a mausoleum, because there are tombs and memorials of almost all English monarchs, many statesmen, famous scientists, writers and musicians. In 1997, the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, took place there.

If you go past the magnificent tombstones of kings and queens, some made of gold and precious stones, past the gold-and-silver banners of the Order of the Garter which are hanging from the ceiling, you will come to Poets' Corner. There many of the greatest writers are buried: Geoffrey Chaucer', Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens, Alfred Tennyson, Thomas Hardy and Rudyard Kipling. Here too, though these writers are not buried in Westminster Abbey, are memorials to William Shakespeare and John Milton, Burns and Byron, Walter Scott, William Makepeace Thackeray and the great American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Here in the Abbey there is also the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, a symbol of the nation's grief. The inscription on the tomb reads: "Beneath this stone rests the body of a British Warrior unknown by name or rank brought from France to lie among the most illustrious of the land..."

In the Royal Air Force Chapel there is a monument to those who died during the Battle of Britain, the famous and decisive air battle over the territory of Britain in the Second World War.

Notes:

The Chapel of Henry VII – часовня Генриха VII (сооружена в 1503-1513гг.; один из лучших образцов перпендикулярного архитектурного стиля)

Edward the Confessor – Эдуард Исповедник (король Англии с 1042 по1066гг.)

Henry III Генрих III (1207-1272) – английский король с 1216г. (при Генрихе III создан первый английский парламент)

fan-vaulting нервюры, веерный ребристый свод

“Knights of the Bath” – кавалеры ордена Бани (один из высших орденов; учреждён в 1425г.)

stained glass витраж

the Order of the Garter – орден Подвязки (высший орден; число награждённых, не считая иностранцев, не должно превышать 24; учреждён в 1348г.)

Geoffrey Chaucer – Джефри Чосер (1340-1400), поэт, прозаик, «отец английской поэзии»; автор «Кентерберийских рассказов» - одного из первых памятников на общеанглийском литературном языке

Samuel Johnson – Сэмюэл Джонсон (1709-1784), английский критик и поэт, составитель словарей

Alfred Tennyson – Алфред Теннисон (1809-1892), английский поэт, автор цикла поэм «Королевские идиллии» (1859)

Thomas Hardy – Томас Харди (1840-1928), английский романист и лирический поэт, автор романов Тэсс из рода д’Эрбервиллей (1891) и Джуд Незаметный (1896)

Rudyard Kipling – Редьярд Киплинг (1865-1936), английский писатель и поэт, автор рассказов о жизни мальчика Маугли среди зверей (Книга джунглей, 1894, Вторая книга джунглей, 1895), автор стихов баллад; лауреат нобелевской премии (1907)

John Milton – Джон Мильтон (1608-1674), английский поэт, политический деятель; завершает историческую полосу развития художественной культуры Англии, возникшей в эпоху Возрождения; автор поэм «Потерянный рай» (1667), «Возвращённый рай» (1671) и др.

William Makepeace Thackeray – Уильям Мейкпис Теккерей (1811-1863), английский романист, автор романа «Ярмарка тщеславия» (1848), воплотившего социально-типические пороки буржуазного общества, исторических романов «История Генри Эсмонда» (1852) и «Виргинцы» (1857)

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – Генри Уодсуорт Лонгфелло (1807-1882), известный американский поэт, автор поэмы «Песнь о Гайавате» (1855) – эпоса о народном герое индейцев

Royal Air Force – ВВС Великобритании

Battle of Britain – Битва за Англию (воздушные бои в районе Лондона и южной Англии в 1940-1941гг.)

Ex. 1. Complete the sentences below. Then look at the plan of the text and refer each sentence to the part it comes from. One sentence has been done for you.

1. It contains an interesting collection of swords and standards of the “Knights of the Bath”. (The Chapel of Henry VII)

2. The oldest part of building dates from

3. Since the far-off time of William the Conqueror

4. In 200 years …decided to pull down the Norman Abbey and …

5. Westminster Abbey is a fine …building, which stands opposite…

6. There many of greatest writers are buried: …

Ex. 2. Imagine that you are inside Westminster Abbey. Make a list of those things that you can see there.

For example: stained glass, a collection of swords, banners hanging from the ceiling.

Compare your list with that of your groupmate.

Ex. 3. Suppose you are a guide in Westminster Abbey. What would you tell the tourists about its history?

B. The History and Meaning of the Union Jack

The British Flag: a Symbol of Unity

The Union Jack is a transnational flag full of historical significance. It represents the union of different countries and the growth of a family of nations whose influence extends far beyond the British Isles. This far-reaching influence is still seen today in the incorporation of the Union Jack in other national flags such as that of Australia. The British flag is called the "Union Jack", an expression that needs to be explained.

The Union Jack is a fine expression of unity as well as diversity. The British flag incorporates the national symbols of three distinct countries, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In fact its name "Union Jack" emphasises the very nature of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a union of nations. The countries comprising the British Isles are not inward-looking or isolated states with an insular mentality; together they constitute a powerful union that has spanned centuries. Recent devolution that gave Scotland its own Parliament and Wales its own Assembly has also emphasised the importance of individual national identities within the union without affecting the essential unity of Great Britain. On the contrary, it has strengthened it. Recognition of, and respect for national identities are an essential ingredients for effective union. The Union Jack symbolises all this: respect for individuality within a closely knit community.

The "Union Jack" or "Union Flag" is a composite design made up of three different national symbols:

St. George's Cross, the flag of England	St. Andrew's Cross, the flag of Scotland

St. Patrick's Cross, the flag of Ireland

The cross represented in each flag is named after the patron saint of each country: St. George, patron saint of England, St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland and St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland.

The image below renders the idea of the union of the three flags forming one unified, transnational Flag.

 

No mention has been made of the Welsh flag. The Welsh dragon was not incorporated into the Union Flag because Wales had already been united to England when the first version of the Union Flag was designed in 1606.

 The name "Union Jack" became official when it was approved in Parliament in 1908. It was stated that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag".

When is the Union Flag Flown?

The Union Flag is flown on government buildings on days marking:

• the birthdays of members of the Royal family,

• Commonwealth Day,

• Coronation Day,

• The Queen's official birthday,

• Remembrance Day and on the days of the State Opening and prorogation of Parliament.

It is also flown on St David's Day (Wales), St George's Day (England), St Andrew's Day (Scotland), and St Patrick's Day (Northern Ireland).

C. The Tower of London

The Tower of London was originally built by William the Conqueror, following his successful invasion of England in 1066.

The Tower of London is perhaps better known as a prison. The prisoners would be brought across the river from Westminster where have been tried and crowds would wait on the river bank to find out the verdict to see if they would be treated to the spectacle of a public execution. The executioner, with his long sharp axe would stand behind the accused on the boat. If the accused was guilty he would point his axe towards the victim and if not guilty he would point away. People knew that if found guilty there would be a public execution 48 hours later. The responsibility for looking after the prisoners was given to the Yeomen Warders or Beefeaters. These guards, although looking very similar, are different from the Yeomen of the Guard. The Yeomen Warders originate from twelve Yeomen of the Guard, who were once private bodyguards of Henry VIII.

In the centre of the Tower of London there is the famous White Tower. It is the oldest part of the fortress. The Tower, or Bloody Tower as it is known, has been host to many famous executions and imprisonments, including those of Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey and Sir Walter Raleigh, Elizabeth I. Many people have been locked in the Tower for religious beliefs or suspected treason.

Elizabeth I was held prisoner in the Tower for two months by the order of her half sister, Queen Mary. Mary felt her throne was being threatened by Elizabeth, so she imprisoned her in the Tower.

For over 900 years, the Tower of London has been standing guard over the capital. As a Royal Palace, fortress, prison, place of execution, arsenal, Royal Mint (where money is made), Royal Observatory, Royal Zoo and jewel house, it has witnessed many great events in British history.

Today the Tower of London houses the Crown Jewels and is open to the public as a museum.

The legend of the Ravens

Ravens have lived at the Tower of London for hundreds of years. Legend has it that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London the White Tower will crumble and a great disaster shall befall England.

Notes:

the Yeomen of the Guard	телохранители короля
the Yeomen Warders	тюремные надзиратели
Beefeaters	солдаты охраны лондонского тауэра
Anne Boleyn	Анна Бойлен, Королева Англии, вторая жена Генриха VIII
Catherine Howard	Кэтрин Ховард, пятая жена Генриха VIII
Lady Jane Grey	Джейн Грей, Королева Англии, известна также как «королева на 9 дней»
Sir Walter Raleigh	Сэр Уолтер Роли, английский, аристократ, ученый, писатель

C. George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw was born on 26 July 1856, in Dublin, as the son of George Shaw, who was in the wholesale grain trade, and Lucinda Elizabeth Shaw, the daughter of an impoverished landowner. Shaw’s childhood was troubled. His father was a drunkard, which made his son a teetotaler. Shaw went to the Wesleyan Connexional School, then moved to a private school near Dalkey, and then to Dublin’s Central Model School, ending his formal education at the Dublin English Scientific and Commercial Day School. At the age of 15 he started to work as a junior clerk.

In 1876 he went to London, joining his sister and mother. Shaw did not return to Ireland for nearly thirty years. Shaw began his literary career by writing music and theater criticism, and novels, including the semi-autobiographical Immaturity without much success.

In 1884 Shaw joined the Fabian Society, a middle-class socialist group and served on its executive committee from 1855 to 1911. In 1895 Shaw became a drama critic for the Saturday Review. These articles were later collected in ‘Our Theatres In The Nineties’ (1932). Shaw also wrote music, art and drama criticism.

In 1898 Shaw married the wealthy Charlotte Payne-Townshend. They settled in 1906 in the Hertfordshire village of Ayot St. Lawrence. Shaw remained with Charlotte until her death.

Shaw’s early plays including ‘Widower’s Houses’ (1892), which criticized slum landlords were not well received. His ‘unpleasant plays’, ideological attacks on the evils of capitalism and explorations of moral and social problems, were followed with more entertaining but equally principled productions like ‘Candida’ and ‘John Bull’s Other Island’ (1904). ‘Pygmalion’ was originally written for the actress Mrs. Patrick Campbell, and became later the basis for two films and a musical.

George Bernard Shaw was the Irish dramatist, a literary critic, a social spokesman, and a leading figure in the 20^th century theatre. He was a freethinker, a supporter of women’s rights and an advocate of equality of income. In 1925 George Bernard Shaw was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Shaw accepted the honour but refused the money.

Shaw died at Ayot St. Lawrence, Hertfordshire, on November 2, 1950. During his long career, Shaw wrote over 50 plays.

Notes:

slum landlord — владелец трущоб

Ex. 1. Translate the famous quotations by B. Shaw into Russian. Which one do you like best?

1. A fashion is nothing but an induced epidemic.

2. England and America are two countries separated by a common language.

3. I can forgive Alfred Nobel for having invented dynamite, but only a friend in human form could have invented the Nobel Prize.

4. I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation.

5. Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.

6. Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.

Ex. 2. Answer the following questions.

1. Who was Shaw’s father?

2. What was the beginning of Shaw’s literary career?

3. When did he get married?

4. How many plays did he write during his life?

D. About the writer - J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling was born in a small town near Bristol. She always liked writing and wrote her first story when she was only five! After school she went to university to study languages and then became a teacher of French.

The writer says that Harry Potter was born on a long train journey and was originally seen as just a bit of entertainment for the writer’s daughter Jessica. At the time, J.K. Rowling, known as Jo to her friends, was a single mother working hard to make enough money to support her daughter. It was the publishers who advised Jo to use her initials – J.K. instead of Jo, as they thought that adventures of 11-year-old boy would not be popular amongst teenagers if written by a woman.

Now, Harry Potter books are so popular all around the world that J.K. Rowling has become one of the richest people in the UK. She is even richer than the Queen with an estimated fortune of 280 million pounds!