1. Translate the text into Russian.

2. Answer the following questions:

1. Who was the author of the oldest English poem?

2. What is the oldest heroic epic written in English?

3. What is the name of the first English printer?

4. When and where was W. Shakespeare born?

5. What literary movement concerned for nature, mystery, folk music and poetry?

6. What novel can be the title of the human society?

7. What is the most popular English book of present days?

3. Match the authors with their works:

Thomas Melory	Richard III
Thomas More	Frankenstein
William Shakespeare	The Return of the King
John Galsworthy	The Pickwick Papers
Mary Shelly	Utopia
Charles Dickens	The Forsyte Saga
J. R. R. Tolkien	Le Morte d’Arthur

4. What books are these words taken from?

1) “To be or not to be, – that is the question: –”

2) “In a little time, I began to speak to him, and teach him to speak to me; and, first, I let him know his name should be Friday, which was the day I saved his life…”

3) “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit”.

4) “I heard … the howling of many wolves. The Count’s eyes gleamed, and he said: «Listen to them – the children of the night. What music they make!»”

TEXT II

1. Pay attention to the following proper names:

Hans Holbein the Younger, King Henry VIII, Italian, William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds, Elizabeth Delmé, William Blake, John Constable, Salisbury Cathedral, J.M.W. Turner, Venice,

2. Read after the speaker:

Painting, architecture, court, portrait, wealth, foreign, charm, satirical, generation, extraordinary, particular, drawing, sculpture, exhibitions, art prizes, reward, originality, castle, cathedral, arch, triumph.

Painting and Architecture in Britain

Painting developed later in England than in other European countries. One of the first important periods of English painting was initiated by a German visitor. Hans Holbein the Younger lived in London between 1527 and 1543, and painted wonderful portraits of the rich and famous at the court of King Henry VIII. He had learned from Italian painters – which showed how international the art world was, even at that time, when travelling was slow and difficult. Inspired by Holbein, a school of portrait painters developed in England. But in the 17th and early 18th centuries people of wealth preferred to employ foreign artists.

William Hogarth was among the first Englishmen to develop painting of a national character. “The Graham Children” is a portrait of the children of wealthy parents. Yet he avoided making a stiff, formal composition and showed the young people with charm and wit. But Hogarth is best known for his moral and satirical paintings.

A generation later Sir Joshua Reynolds became the most important member of the English portrait school. His “Lady Elizabeth Delmé and Her Children”, in contrast to Hogarth's painting, is elegant and aristocratic. One of Reynolds’ students was as much a poet as a painter. The mystic William Blake (1757 – 1827) had extraordinary religious dreams and visions, which he expressed in poetry, drawings and paintings.

The English made their greatest contribution to art in landscape painting. In the following works: John Constable's “A View of Salisbury Cathedral” and J.M.W. Turner's “The Grand Canal, Venice”. We can’t, but notice the brilliance of light on buildings and water and the great freedom in use of colour. This use of light and colour was carried much further by artists of the late 19th century.

The 20^th century was an extremely busy and exciting time for British painting. In the 1950s and 60s, Britain was in many ways a very fashionable place: British pop music and clothes were big news all over the world. The visual arts also joined in this successful piece of marketing. Pop art in particular caught the imagination of young people. For some years now, young British artists seem to have given up the traditional form of drawing, painting and sculpture. At exhibitions we can see photos, videos, constructions with light and sounds. Art prizes often reward originality rather than old-fashioned taste and skill.

British architecture is closely connected with European styles. There is a proverb: “An Englishman’s home is his castle”. Apart from some ancient churches, the oldest in Britain are castles. They are dotted all over the country, with many beautiful examples in Scotland and Wales. The Tower of London (1078) is probably the most famous one.

Since the Middle Ages, architecture in Britain has been based on three major styles: Gothic, classical and modern. The great early cathedrals and churches are in Gothic style – tall, with pointed arches and highly decorated; they are covered with sculptures of people, animals and plants. The tallest spire in Britain, at Salisbury Cathedral, is 123 meters high and was built in the 1330s.

After the Gothic period, architectural fashion looked back to the classical age of Greece and Rome. Rich aristocrats built huge and impressive houses and palaces surrounded by parkland.

The 20^th century became the triumph of modern style. For the first time in the history, architects are free to make almost any shapes they like.

Words:

painting court wealth stiff generation contribution in particular drawing to join exhibition to reward castle to be dotted spire arch

художественное искусство двор богатство жесткий поколение вклад в частности рисунок присоединяться выставка награждать замок быть усеянным шпиль арка

Tasks for the discussion:

1. Translate the texts into Russian.

2. Answer the following questions:

1. During what king’s reign did Hans Holbein live and work in London?

2. What English painter was also a poet?

3. What painters are famous for their landscapes?

4. How can pop art be characterized?

5. What British castle is best-known in the world?

3. True or false?

1. Hans Holbein was born in Britain.

2. Inspired by Holbein, a school of landscape painters developed in England.

3. William Blake painted realistic pictures.

4. Nowadays we can see photos, videos, constructions with light and sounds at exhibitions.

5. British architecture isn’t connected with European styles.

4. Find the proper place for the words under the line:

The most ________ old buildings in London include Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey. London is often associated with Big Ben. Big Ben is the ________. It was named after Sir Benjamin Hall. St. Paul’s Cathedral, built by Sir Christopher Wren, is the greatest English _________. The Tower of London is one of the oldest ________, it was a _________ and a _________. Nowadays it is a popular _________, here the Crown Jewels are kept.

Museum, church, fortress, famous, prison, bell, castle

TEST ON UNIT IV

Do you know any outstanding people of Great Britain?

1. “Vanity Fair” is the most famous work of ….

a) Shakespeare;

b) Thackeray;

c) Swift.

2. George Bernard Shaw was …

a) a painter;

b) a scientist;

c) a dramatist.

3. “A View of Salisbury Cathedral” is a masterpiece of …

a) John Constable;

b) Thomas Gainsborough;

c) William Turner.

4. The Nobel Prize for literature in 1907 was won by ….

a) Sir Christopher Wren;

b) R. Kipling;

c) Walter Scott.

5. What Englishmen became famous in America and then in the whole world?

a) Hamlet;

b) Lord Nelson;

c) Charles Chaplin.

6. What person is often associated with British Decadence?

a) Ann Radcliffe;

b) Mary Shelly;

c) Oscar Wilde.

7. Who described Italian cities and people, but had never been to Italy?

a) Alexander Flemming;

b) William Shakespeare;

c) George Gordon Byron.

8. One of the greatest English philosophers was …

a) Thomas Hobbs;

b) Caedmon;

c) Beowulf.

9. Who wrote the modern best-known book about magicians?

a) A. Christie;

b) L. Carroll;

c) J. K. Rowling.

10. Who is the favourite writer of Australian director Peter Jackson?

a) Mary Shelly;

b) J. R. R. Tolkien;

c) Charles Dickens.

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