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Министерство образования науки Российской Федерации Волгоградский государственный архитектурно-строительный университет

Наша страна и страны изучаемого языка

English-speaking countries and Russia

Сборник текстов и упражнений к практическим занятиям по английскому языку

Составители Т. А. Дорогина, Л. А. Радова, Т. А. Табакова

Волгоград

ВолгГАСУ

2013

УДК 802.0-5(076.5) ББК 81.432.1-923

Н 37

Р е ц е н з е н т ы:

кандидат педагогических наук О. Н. Романова, доцент кафедры лингвистики и межкультурной коммуникации ВолгГАСУ; кандидат педагогических наук А. В. Долинская, доцент кафедры лингвистики и межкультурной коммуникации ВолгГАСУ

Утверждено редакционно-издательским советом университета в качестве учебного пособия

Н 37           Наша страна и страны изучаемого языка = English-speaking countries and Russia : сборник текстов и упражнений к практическим занятиям по английскому языку / М-во образования и науки Рос. Федерации, Волгогр. гос. архит.-строит. ун-т ; сост. Т. А. Дорогина, Л. А. Радова, Т. А. Табакова. — Волгоград :

ВолгГАСУ, 2013. — 39, [1] с. ISBN 978-5-98276-554-3

Содержит темы, предусмотренные программой по английскому­ языку неязыковых специальностей высших учебных заведений и спо-

собствующие развитию у студентов навыков чтения и говорения на английском языке по страноведческой тематике.

Материал рассчитан на аудиторные занятия и самостоятельную работу дома.

Для студентов первого курса всех специальностей.

УДК 802.0-5(076.5) ББК 81.432.1-923

ISBN 978-5-98276-554-3

© Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования «Волгоградский государственный

архитектурно-строительный университет», 2013

 

Contents

 

 

1.

Russia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

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2.

Moscow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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3.

Saint-Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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4.

Volgograd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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5.

Great Britain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

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6.

Traditions and Customs in Great Britain

 

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7.

London

 

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8.

The United States ofAmerica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

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9. Washington

 

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10. New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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11.

Holidays in the USA

 

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GettingAbout Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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 1. RUSSIA

The foundation of Russia dates back to 9th century, when the legendary Viking Rurik landed on Lake Ladoga. For almost 700 years nearly all the Russian rulers belonged to the family of Rurik.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the Romanov dynasty came to power. This dynasty ruled over Russia for more than 300 years. Peter the Great is the best known of the Russian Tsars. He made Russia a powerful state. Peter made a strong Russian army, built up the first strong Russian navy. He spent much of his reign fighting wars, especially against the Swedes. During his reign Russia became an empire.

At the beginning of the 19th century the Russian Empire rebuffed the Napoleon’s invaders and made the Russian people glorious for many decades to come.

The 19th century opened the way to the revolutionary movement in the country which led to the victory of the October Socialist Revolution in 1917 and the formation of the USSR in 1992.

The 20th century witnessed the World War II, the most devastating in the history.It’shardlypossibletooverestimatetheroleoftheUSSRinthestruggle against the fascists. It coasted our people more than 22 million lives.

Anew stage in the development of Russia began in 1985. The dissolvement of the USSR and the formation of separate independent states instead brought to life new political, socio-economic realities and mentality.

Now Russia is a Presidential Republic. The President is the head of the state. The State Duma and the Council of Federation are the legislative branch of the government.The national banner of Russia has three horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. The white stripe symbolizes the earth, the blue one stands for the sky, and the red one symbolizes liberty.The national emblem is a two — headed eagle. It is an ancient symbol of Russia.

Russia is one of the largest countries in the word. It is situated in the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. It’s total area is over 17 million square kilometers. When dusk descends on Vladivostok, dawn begins to steak the sky over Moscow. The territory of Russia is represented by different zones-deserts, steppes, semi-deserts, forests, plains, tundra. The population is around 150 mln people.

The flora ranges from the dwarf birch to the palm and the animals from the polar bear to the tiger.Almost the entire known range of farm crops are grown in Russia.

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The climate too is varied. There are areas where winters are colder than at the North Pole. It is marine in the North-West, and continental in Siberia. In many parts of the Far East there is a permafrost.

Russia is rich in water resources. The Caspian Sea is the biggest inland sea in the world. Lakes number more than 250 000. In Siberia there is the deepest lake in the world — Lake Baikal — which is 1741 m deep. There are many rivers in Russia; the longest rivers are theVolga in Europe and the Yenisei and the Ob inAsia.

Oil, natural gas, ferrous, non-ferrous and precious metals, timber, coal, various minerals are in abundance in Russia.

Dialogue

What country do you live in?

I live in Russia. I was born here and I am the citizen of this country. I love it very much and I wouldn’t change it for any other place.

Is it a large country?

Yes, it occupies about one-seventh of the earth surface. The vast territory of Russia lies in the eastern part of Europe and in the northern part ofAsia.

Is it washed by any seas?

Yes, it is washed by 12 seas and 3 oceans: the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Pacific.

What countries does Russia border on?

In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Byelorussia, the Ukraine. It also has a sea-border with the USA.

What is the climate like in the country?

There are various types of climate, from artic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is moderate and continental.

Where are the deepest forests?

They are in the eastern part of country.

Where are the longest rivers?

They are everywhere. There are over two million rivers in Russia. They flow in all directions. The longest river in Europe, the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea. The main rivers — the Ob, the Yenisei and the

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Lena — flow from the south to the north. The Amur in the Far East flows into the Pacific Ocean.

Russia is located on two plains, isn’t it?

Yes, there are two plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Plain.

Are there any mountains?

There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and the others. The Urals is the longest mountain chain. It separates Europe fromAsia.

Is Russia rich in natural resources?

Yes, Russia has deposits of coal, oil, natural gas, iron, gold, copper, nickel and other mineral resources.

Is it an industrial or agricultural country?

It is both an industrial and agricultural country.

Questions

1.What country are you from? What is your native language?

2.When was Russia founded?

3.What do you know about its history?

4.What kind of state is Russia now?

5.Where is Russia situated?

6.Is it one of the largest countries in the world?

7.What is the population in the country?

8.Is it washed by any seas?

9.What countries does the Russian Federation border on?

10.What is the climate of Russia?

11.What are the longest rivers?

12.What sea does the Volga run (flow) into?

13.What is the deepest lake in the world?

14.What is the longest mountain chain?

15.Where are the deepest forests?

16.What mineral and natural resources is Russia rich in?

17.What are the biggest cities in the country?

18.What cities of Russia have you visited? Which of the cities did you enjoy greatly and why?

19.Russia gave the world many talented people, didn’t it?

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 2. MOSCOW

Moscow is the glorious capital of Russia. It was founded in 1147 by PrinceYuri Dolgoruky as a fortress on the Moskva river. It is one of the oldest Russian cities. The population of the city is about 10 million people.

During the whole history of Russia Moscow occupied the leading place in its cultural and political life. Now Moscow is a big industrial, cultural and political centre of the country. It is the seat of our government. President of Russia lives and works there. Numerous plants and factories produce various machines for all branches of national economy and different consumer goods for the population.

The cultural life of the capital is very rich. There are plenty of cinemas, theatres, museums and art exhibitions here. The Bolshoi Theatre, the Maly Theatre are world famous. The Tretyakov Gallery has a wonderful collection of world famous pictures by Suricov, Polenov, Kramskoy and other Russian and contemporary artists.The Pushkin Museum possesses art works by foreign masters.

Moscow is a large educational and scientific centre. There is a great number of various educational establishments (universities, institutes, colleges, etc.) and research institutes here and the oldest one is Moscow University. It was founded by M. Lomonosov in the 18th century. Moscow is also the seat of theAcademy of Sciences of the country.

Moscow is one of the largest cities of the world. Moscow is beautiful. Weadmireitsfinebuildings,magnificentpalaces,architecturalmonuments, beautiful green parks and squares. If you want to do the sights of Moscow it is better to start with Red Square. Red Square together with the Kremlin, is the heart of Moscow. On the south side of the square is St. Basil’s Cathedral with the monument to Minin and Pozharsky in front. St. Basil’s Cathedral is a masterpiece of Russian architecture. It was built in 1555—1561 by the architects Barma and Postnik to commemorate the victories that the troops of Ivan IV (the Terrible) had won in the battles against the Khanates of Kazan andAstrakhan. It consists of 9 chapels. It is built of brick in traditional Russian style. On the north side of the square is the Historical Museum. It was opened in 1883. It is one of the major scientific and educational institutions. It tells us about the history of our country and of Moscow in particular.

The Kremlin has a long history. It was a fortress, a residence of the tsars. The Kremlin is an ancient monument of Russian culture and

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architecture. One can see many cathedrals and palaces in it. The Moscow Kremlinisoneoftheworld’slargestcollectionsofhistoricalandarttreasures.

In the past Moscow was built up in rings around the Kremlin from which roads radiated out. The Bulvarnoye Ring and Sadovoye Ring have survived from days of old.

The Moskva River flows in big loops across the huge city.

Traffic in Moscow is very heavy. Cars, buses and trolley-buses speed along its wide streets and avenues. The underground connects the centre of the city with almost all districts and suburbs of Moscow.

Moscow is a great railway junction. Airlines connect Moscow with all parts of the world.

Dialogue

When was Moscow first mentioned?

It was first mentioned in the chronicles in 1147. Under tsar Fyodor Moscow was already considered to be one of the largest cities of Europe.

Is it a big city?

Yes, Moscow is a huge city, its area is about 900 square km.

What is the centre of Moscow?

The centre of Moscow is Red Square. Red Square is the place where Moscow’s inhabitants assemble on different occasions; demonstrations and parades take place here.

The Kremlin is the symbol of Russia, isn’t it?

Yes,itis.Itisthemostspectacularplaceofsightseeing.TheKremlin means a fortress or a «citadel» in Russian.

Did the Kremlin always look the way it does today?

No, the original walls and towers of the Kremlin were made of oak. In the 14th century they were replaced by the walls of white stone, and Moscow began to be called the White-Stoned city. By the end of the 15th century new brick walls completed the roughly triangular shape of the present Kremlin.

What tower carries the clock — the Kremlin Chimes?

The Savior’s Tower (Spasskaya Bashnya). It is the symbol of the Kremlin.Thestar-toppedtoweris71mhigh.Itisnotablefortheclockwhose melodious chimes are well-known to all those listen to Moscow radio.

Are there any other places of interest?

There are many other places of interest: the Tretyakov State Gallery, the Pashkov House, Manezhnaja Square, the Pushkin Museum of Fine

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Art, Moscow State University, Kalinin Avenue, one of the best places in Moscow with its skyscrapers, cafes and restaurants; the Triumphal Arch, the imposing monument to the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812; Arbat Square with the House of Friendship, the Central Stadium which seats over 100 000 spectators, etc.

Questions

1.Have you ever been to the capital of Russia? What impressed you greatly?

2.When was Moscow first mentioned?

3.Who founded Moscow?

4.Is it a young city?

5.What is the area of the city?

6.What is the population of the city?

7.What centre is Moscow?

8.Are there any places of interest in Moscow? What are they? 9. What is the heart of Moscow?

10. What is situated in Red Square? 11. What do you know about the Kremlin? 12. What tower is the symbol of the Kremlin? 13. What Rings do you know in Moscow? 14. What can you say about Moscow theatres? 15. Are there any museums in Moscow?

16. Moscow is a large educational and scientific centre, isn’t it? 17. What is the oldest University?

18. Why do people call Moscow the heart of Russia?

 3. SAINT-PETERSBURG

Saint-Petersburg is situated on the eastern shore of Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. It is the northernmost of all cities with the population of over onemillion.ItisthesecondlargestinRussiaafterMoscow.Itspopulationis 4.5 million. The city is situated on 44 islands in the delta of the river Neva, the largest of which (Vasilyevsky Island) covers an area of 10 sq. km.

St. Petersburg was founded on the marshlands in 1703 by Peter-the- First. He personally supervised the building of the city: he helped to plan it together with the best architects and spent a lot of time on the construction sites. For two centuries it remained the capital of Russia (1712—1918).

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St. Petersburg is a hero city. During the Great Patriotic War fascist troops blockaded the city for 900 days but could not capture it. The city survived the siege.

By the number of rivers, islands, and bridges it excels any other city in Russia and among the first in the world. There are 86 rivers and canals and over 100 ponds in the city. The length of the Neva is 74 km of which 32 fall within the city boundaries. 400 bridges cross the Neva. The longest bridge over the Neva, one km-long Alexander Nevsky bridge was built in our times.

St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities with magnificent architectural ensembles, tall granite embankments. St. Petersburg is like a huge architectural museum. It has many architectural masterpieces. We admire buildings, built in so-called Russian baroque style. A long line of buildings designed in the Russian classical style runs along the left bank of the Neva. University Embankment on the Vasilyevsky Island is a fine street. The famous Nevsky Prospect is a wide and very busy avenue with many shops.

The unity of two arts — architecture and sculpture — gives St. Petersburg its unique look. Sculptured figures decorate palaces, residential buildings, triumphal arches, bridges, parks and streets.

The most interesting architectural ensembles and monuments are: Nevsky Prospect, Palace Square surrounded by beautiful buildings with the Alexander Column in the middle, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Bronze Horseman,themonumenttoPeterI,thePointofVasilyevskyIsland,thePeterand Paul Fortress, the Neva embankments, etc.

There are also many different places of interest situated in the suburbs, such as Peterghof, a town of fountains; Pushkin, the town where the great Russian poetAlexander Pushkin spent his youth; Pavlovsk and other where one can admire wonderful masterpieces of art and architecture.

St. Petersburg is a great cultural and educational centre.There are many higher schools, academies, technical and secondary schools. Its theatres enjoy a well-deserved popularity. There are more than 30 theatres and concert halls, including such well-known companies as The Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theatre, The Mussorgsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet, The TovstonogovAcademic Bolshoi Drama Theatre, The Shostakovich Philarmonia and many others.

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