Texts for Extra Reading

Ex. 18. Read the text.

New York

New York City was the capital of the US until 1790. Although New York City is now the largest city in the US, it is not the capital of New York. In fact Albany, about 136 miles (219 km) north of New York City, is the capital of the state of New York.

New York City initially developed as an important trading port and is well known as an important historical immigration center. It is now one of the largest urban areas in the world and has been, for over a century, a major international center for finance and commerce. New York City has global influence in areas such as media, politics, education, entertainment, arts, and fashion. With its 24-hour subway and constant bustle of people, New York City is known as ‘The City That Never Sleeps’.

The city population is over 11 million people. New York is an industrial and cultural center of the country. Most business is concentrated in Manhattan Island. The whole area is very small, that's why the skyscrapers were invented in New York and especially in Wall Street. Wall Street is a narrow street with big houses, but it is well known all over the world as the busiest street in the USA.

There are two more world-famous streets - Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Broadway is the center of the theatres and night life. It is known as "the Great White Way" because of the electric signs which turn night into day. It is the city that never goes to sleep. Buses and subway run all night. There are many drugstores and restaurants, which never close their doors. There are cinemas with films that start at night. Fifth Avenue is the great shopping, hotel and club avenue. If you go along this avenue, you come to Harlem, where the black people of New York live.

There are many places of interest in New York. They are: the Statue of Liberty, the United Nations Building, Empire State Building, Columbia University, City Hall, New York Public Library and others.

Ex. 19. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the population of New York?

2. Where is most business concentrated?

3. Why were the skyscrapers invented in New York?

4. What is Wall Street famous for?

5. What is the center of theatres and night life?

6. Why is New York known as "the Great White Way"?

7. What people live in Harlem?

8. What is the largest port in America?

9. What places of interest are there in New York?

Ex. 20. a) Read the text.

London

London is one of the largest cities in the world, it is one of the world's most important ports and it is the capital of Great Britain.

London is more than two thousand and five hundred years old. About seven million people live there. There are more than 10 thousand streets in London.

Most of the streets are not very wide and most of the buildings are not high, but multistoried buildings have also appeared in London and almost all of them are hotels and offices.

London Underground (or Tube) is the oldest and longest in Europe. There are eleven different lines with more than 500 stations. Although London is a crowded and noisy city you can find many pleasant parks and green squares there.

Regent's Park is the most beautiful park and Hyde Park is the largest, it is one of the most popular places of rest of Londoners on hot summer days.

There are three main parts in London: the City, the West End and the East End.

The oldest part of London is the City, the business center. But the political center is Westminster, which is in the West End. The West End is famous for its rich shops, hotels, restaurants, cinemas, museums and other places of interest. Only rich people live there. The East End is another part of London. Many houses there are poor and many streets are narrow and dirty. The East End is famous for its docks but they have closed. Now people are building houses there. There are offices, shops and restaurants, a cinema and a large hotel for a modern traveller. Soon there will be a sports center, a shopping center, an airport and many other new buildings.

There is so much to see in London that even Londoners can always find new sights. They like to say: "When a man is tired of London he is tired of life".

b) Give English equivalents for the following words:

многоэтажный; метро (подземка); перенаселенный и шумный; знаменитый; достопримечательности, богатый, бедный, узкий; грязный, спортивные и торговые центры.

с) Agree or disagree. Give your reasons.

1. London is the capital of Great Britain.

2. London is a young city.

3. Most of the streets are wide and most of the buildings are high.

4. Multistoried buildings have not appeared in London.

5. London Underground is not the longest in Europe.

6. There are no quiet places in London.

7. The oldest part of London is the City.

d) Think and answer.

1. Why are London streets not very wide and the buildings not very high?

2. Why is London a crowded and noisy city?

3. Why do Londoners like to say: "When a man is tired of London he is tired of life"?

e) Give the gist of the text.

Ex. 21. Translate into English.

1. Нью-Йорк - самый большой город США. В нём живёт более девяти миллионов человек. Нью-Йорк известен широкими и прямыми авеню, высокими зданиями, богатыми музеями.

Бродвей - одна из самых интересных улиц мира. Там вы можете увидеть много ресторанов, кинотеатров, магазинов. Это самая длинная улица города. Уолл-стрит - одна из самых старых и коротких улиц Нью-Йорка. На этой улице много банков, известных во всём мире. В течение многих лет самым высоким зданием было Эмпайр Стейт Билдинг. Позднее появились более высокие здания.

Но не все районы города такие красивые, как центр. В Нью-Йорке много грязных, перенаселённых районов с узкими улицами. В этих районах живут рабочие.

2. Вашингтон, столица США, расположен на реке Потомак. Вашингтон - политический центр страны. Вашингтон - не очень большой город, его население менее I млн. человек. Большая часть населения Вашингтона - афроамериканцы.

2. Москва – столица Российской Федерации, город федерального значения, административный центр Центрального федерального округа и центр Московской области, в состав которой не входит. Расположена на реке Москва в центре Восточно-Европейской равнины. Как субъект федерации, Москва граничит с Московской и Калужской областями. Москва – важный туристический центр России. Она является также важнейшим транспортным узлом. Город обслуживают 5 аэропортов, 9 железнодорожных вокзалов, 3 речных порта (имеется речное сообщение с морями бассейнов Атлантического и Северного Ледовитого океанов). С 1935 года в Москве работает метрополитен.

2. Санкт-Петербург – самый северный в мире город с населением более одного миллиона человек. Среди городов, полностью расположенных в Европе. Санкт-Петербург  – важный экономический, научный и культурный центр России, крупный транспортный узел. Существенную роль в экономике города играет туристический бизнес. Город обладает значительным историко-культурным наследием для формирования туристского продукта, для превращения туризма в базовую отрасль городской экономики. В городе работает более 260 крупных и небольших отелей на 27 тысяч номеров.