- •Ethnic groups
- •Languages
- •Religion
- •Exercises
- •I. Pronounce the following words correctly.
- •II. Give the Russian equivalents to the following English words and word combinations.
- •III. Give the English equivalents to the following Russian words and word combinations.
- •IV. Explain the following in English.
- •V. Complete the following table.
- •VII. Look at the head-line of the article and say what it is going to be about. Read the article and give your opinion on the issue using the questions given below.
- •VIII. Listen to the disc and do the following exercises.
- •Answer the questions.
- •Express your opinion on the issue.
- •2. People (part I)
- •Introduction
- •Views of Britain The official view
- •The people’s view
- •Exercises
- •I. Give the English equivalents to the following Russian words and word combinations.
- •VII. Comment on the following author’s statements.
- •VIII. Answer the questions.
- •IX. Read all the texts one more time and render their general contents in several sentences.
- •X. Read the text and list all the problems it deals with. The Telegraph
- •Ten core values of the British identity
- •Эти странные англичане Как, по их мнению, к ним относятся другие
- •Как их воспринимают на самом деле
- •Эти странные шотландцы «Извечный враг»
- •Какими они хотят казаться
- •People (part II) a foreigner view of the British
- •Exercises
- •I. Pronounce the following words correctly.
- •II. Give the Russian equivalents to the following English words and word combinations.
- •IV. Answer the questions.
- •Issues to be discussed.
- •VI. Make up a dialogue on the topic under review imagining that.
- •VII. Listen to the following piece of information of a person, who was born in Northern Ireland and now lives in England and do the following exercises.
- •Answer the following questions.
- •Make up a list of issues on which the Irish and the English have different points of view.
- •VIII. Comment on the newspaper article “White Britons will be outnumbered by 2066 if the rate of immigration continues, researchers have claimed” given below.
- •White Britons will be outnumbered by 2066 if the rate of immigration continues, researchers have claimed
- •3. The family Family structure
- •Working mothers
- •Young people
- •Exercises
- •VI. What would you do if you encountered such a situation?
- •VII. Analyze this table and say at what age in Russia you can do the following.
- •VIII. Read an extract from the book “Britain Now” and take part in discussing of the following issues. Family life in the past
- •4. Leisure Spare Time
- •How People Relax
- •Reading
- •Exercises
- •I. Pronounce the following words correctly.
- •II. Translate the following sentences into Russian and say what lexis from the texts under consideration is used in those sentences.
- •III. Search the text for the words similar in meanings to the ones given below.
- •IV. Search the text for the words opposite in meanings to the ones given below.
- •V. Ask your group-mates questions about leisure time in Britain and in Russia using the suggested words and word combinations from the texts above.
- •VI. Prepare a short talk on places and activities, which help you to have a rest with your friends or members of the family.
- •VIII. Comment on the following article from “Britain Explored”.
- •Gаmbliпg
- •IX. Scan the text for the information that will help you to answer the questions given after the text. Sports and recreation
- •X. Compose dialogues on the following topics.
- •XI. Discuss it with your group-mates.
Exercises
I. Pronounce the following words correctly.
Foreigner, toe, queueing, curtsy, bow, conspicuous, caricature, avaricious, puritanical, haunt.
II. Give the Russian equivalents to the following English words and word combinations.
Reserved; peculiar to; strict code of fairness; а common man; to cheer; to miss attention; far distant days; conspicuous; to be above one's head; avaricious; a grain of truth; hospitality; to devote; annual.
III. Give the English equivalents to the following Russian words and word combinations.
Bоспринимать, рассматривать; свойственный кому-либо; служить причиной, являться основанием; грубый, невежливый; реверансы и поклоны; несовременный, старомодный; вопить, кричать; выражать неодобрение, шикать; цитировать, повторять вслух по памяти; обобщать; особый, индивидуальный, отличный; сдержанный, нe склонный демонстрировать свои чувства; неприветливый, равнодушный; приспособиться к жизненным условиям; весёлость, живость.
IV. Answer the questions.
1. The British often claim that Britain is a land built on tradition. Do you consider this statement to be true or not? Explain your choice.
2. Do you know any countries with strong customs and traditions except
Britain?
3. Can you refresh in your memory the manners and customs, which are peculiar to the British and different from those in other countries?
4. Some people state that nowadays Britain is not so a traditional country and the British are simply supposed to pretend to be bound by customs and traditions. What are your thoughts on the problem?
5. The British are thought to be rather conservative. Could you explain the term and give any examples of British conservatism?
6. Do you consider yourself to be a conservative person?
7. Do you find the Russians to be conservative?
8. Some people think that a wish not to alter anything means stability. Is it good or not? What ideas on the point could you suggest?
9. Englishmen have a tradition to have private closed clubs, private schools with their uniform, private societies with their own conventions. What for?
10. Are there similar schools, clubs and so on in Russia?
11. What conduct of a man towards a woman appeals to you most – when he treats her to be an equal or to be in petticoats?
12. It is given rather a diverse information in the article how foreigners
see the British. Do you take the same view?
13. Antony Miall in his guide-book “Xenophobe's Guide to the English” states that: “The English are in absolutely no doubt as to their own innate superiority. This they see as no petty prejudice but rather as a scientific observation. The Irish are perceived as being wildly eccentric at best, completely mad at worst; the Welsh are dishonest and the Scots are dour and mean; French people are insincere, unhygienic and given to sexual excess; the Italians are hysterical and dishonest; the Spanish, lazy; the Russians, gloomy; and the Scandinavians, Dutch, Belgians and Swiss, dull. Americans and Australians are vulgar, Canadians are boring, and all oriental peoples inscrutable and dangerous.” How would you comment upon all said above?
14. Should people characterize the whole nation implying some individual persons they don’t or do like?
15. What is the political and historical background of disintegration of the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish people even within the ‘United Kingdom?
V. Almost every nation has a reputation of some kind. Sometimes it’s enough to hear one word to realize people of what nation are supposed to speak of. Under the box there is a list of words, the so-called national behavior stereotypes, used by foreign authors in different publications towards certain nations. Check how well you know the people of other countries. Find analogy between the nation and the peculiar character traits and fill in the box. You may add your own variants.
Nation
|
Common-held view on national character traits |
The French |
|
The Germans |
|
The Americans |
|
The Russians |
|
The English |
|
The Scottish |
|
The Welsh |
|
Amorous, punctual, dull, energetic, hospitable, vainglorious, patriotic, self-possessed, dour and mean, vigorous, fond of military uniforms and parades, musical, passionless, inventors, efficient, gregarious and vulgar, boastful, proud, cautious, dishonest, fond of champagne, hard-working, innate artists, proud of its nation, disciplined, pessimistic and unhappy, trust-worthy, gay, reasonable, well-mannered, organized, effusive nationalists, formal, the best nation in the world, gloomy, restrained, obliging, open-minded, amicable.