Metodichka_po_angliyskomu

The city has many museums, two of which are world famous: the Hermitage with its richest collection of classic and modern painting and sculpture and the Russian Museum, a wonderful collection of Russian art.

St. Petersburg today is an industrial centre. The leading branches of the city’s industry are power-engineering, instrument-making, radio electronics and shipbuilding.

St. Petersburg is an important railway junction and airport. It is also a major river and sea port on the Baltic.

Dialogue

—Excuse me, what is the name of this bridge?

—It’s Palace Bridge. You are new here, aren’t you?

—Not quite. I was in St. Petersburg some years ago on a short visit. Can you tell me some words about that grey building to the right?

—Oh, it’s the Peter and Paul Fortress. It is the first stone building of St. Petersburg.It’sinterestingtoknowthatthesteepleofthePeterandPaulCathedral rises 122 meters above the Peter and Paul Fortress. The Cathedral is the burial place of the Russian tsars from Peter the Great toAlexander III.

—And what’s the name of that wonderful garden opposite it across the Neva?

—It’s the famous Summer Garden.

—And that green-and-white building is the Winter Palace, isn’t it?

—Right you are. It was built in the baroque style in the mid-18th century.The greater part of the collections of the Hermitage Museum is housed here. And if you look to the left you’ll see the building of St. Petersburg University.

—And opposite the University you can see St. Petersburg Isaac’s Cathedral.Am I right?

—Yes, you are. Do you know the monument in front of it?

—Oh, sure, it’s the monument to Peter the Great, the Bronze Horseman.

—And now, have a look at this yellow building. It’s theAdmiralty. It’s spire is one of the symbols of St. Petersburg.

—Oh, thanks a lot. Can you help me with some advice?

—Most willingly.

—I’m here only for a couple of days.What places of interest shall I see

first?

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—Well, first of all I’d recommend you to visit the Russian Museum, the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theatre and the suburbs of St. Petersburg: Pushkin and Pavlovsk. If you stay here over the weekend I’d be able to show you round the city. Here is my telephone number. If you have time for sightseeing give me a ring, please.

—Oh, it’s so kind of you. I’ll do it by all means. Good-buy.

—See you.

Questions

1.Is St. Petersburg the city which is worth visiting? Why?

2.Where is it situated?

3.What is the population of St. Petersburg?

4.Who was the founder of St. Petersburg?

5.Was it the capital of Russia?

6.Is it a hero city?

7.How many rivers and canals are there in the city?

8.Why is the city often called the museum of bridges?

9.What is the longest bridge in the city?

10.St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities of our country, isn’t it?

11.What gives the city its unique look?

12.What places of interest do you know in the city and its suburbs?

13.Where is the Hermitage collection housed?

14.What is the burial place of the Russian tsars?

15.Is St. Petersburg one of the major industrial, scientific and cultural centers of the country?

16.Why are people so enraptured with this city?

 4. VOLGOGRAD

Volgograd is situated on the right bank of the Lower Volga. It stretches more than 80 km along the river.The city has changed its name three times: Tsaritsyn, Stalingrad and Volgograd. Tsaritsyn was founded in 1589 as a fortress. It protected the trade route along the Volga. The city was called Tsaritsyn up to 1925 and Stalingrad between 1925 and 1961. In 1961 it was renamed Volgograd. The population of Volgograd is one million.

Volgograd is a hero-city, known the world over. During the Great Patriotic War it became a symbol of courage and heroism of our people. Stal-

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ingrad was associated with one of the greatest events in the course of the war — the Stalingrad Battle. It began in July 1942 and lasted for 200 days and nights. It was a fierce fighting for each house, street, inch of land. 300 000 Hitler’s officers and soldiers were encircled and captured. The last shots of the battle were fired on the 2nd of February 1943.The battle became a turning point in the course of the war.

The city was razed to the ground during the fighting.The entire country helped to reconstruct Stalingrad. In a short period of time a modern town was reborn from the ruins and the revived city is much more beautiful than the old one.

Volgograd of today is a modern city with beautiful buildings, wide, straight avenues, granite embankments, numerous parks. The first street, which was restored in our city, was named Peace Street. It consists of residential buildings. The planetarium is situated in it. Peace Street crossed the Square of Fallen Heroes, the heart of the city. A granite obelisk towers above the common grave of 54 heroes who fell in the battle for revolutionary Tsaritsyn. Next to it is the common grave of the defenders of the city who perished during the Great Patriotic War. There are two hotels, the New Experimental Theatre, the Central Post Office, the department store and the Medical University here. HeroesAvenue connects the Square of Fallen Heroes with the embankment, one of the pleasant sections of the city. It is a beautiful place with a broad granite stairway. Volgogradians like to have a rest here, admire magnificent, expanses of the Volga. Lenin Prospect is the city’s central street.

There are many war monuments in the city: the Pavlov House, called in honor of Sergeant Jakov Pavlov, who held out there with a handful of soldiers for 58 days against superior enemy forces, but did not surrender the building; the ruins of an old flour mill, which were left as a reminder of the war days; the common graves in several city squares; and the majestic ensemble on the Mamayev Hill with its Military Glory Memorial and eternal flame burning on the tomb of the fallen heroes.

Volgograd of today is a big cultural and education centre with theatres, museums, clubs, palaces of culture, cinema-theatres, a circus, libraries and stadiums. There are many higher educational institutions, research institutes, schools, colleges, lyceums, gymnasia. The city continues to grow. Town planners and builders of Volgograd are working hard and fruitfully to

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make the city more beautiful and comfortable for its people. They plan to build new blocks of flats with all modern conveniences, new hotels, restaurants and shops. New parks will be laid out. A bridge is being constructed across the river.

Dialogue

—Volgograd is your home city, isn’t it?

—Yes, it is.

—What are the best places of interest in Volgograd?

—Oh, there are many wonderful places worth seeing in our city.

—I should like to start sightseeing with Mamayev Hill. I read about the fierce battles that had taken place there.

—That’s a good idea. The Mamayev Hill is the symbol of Volgograd. It was the centre of fighting during the heroic defence of Stalingrad. Now there is a great memorial there with the sculpture of a woman personifying our Motherland.

—What is the central avenue of Volgograd?

—Lenin Prospect. It intersects Lenin square where the legendary Pavlov House is situated.

—Is Volgograd an industrial city?

—Yes, it is.There are many plants and factories: theVolgogradTractor Plant, the Red October Iron and Steel Works, the Aluminum Plant, a number of chemical works and others.

—What can you say about transport system in Volgograd?

—There is the high-speed underground tram, and a lot of buses, trol- ley-buses, trams, and, of course, taxis. By the way traffic in Volgograd is very heavy.

—What higher educational institutions has Volgograd?

—There are plenty of them, such as Volgograd State University ofArchitecture and Building, the Medical University, theAgriculturalAcademy, the State University, the Technical University, the Pedagogical University, the Academy of Physical Culture, Volgograd Academy of the Internal Affairs Ministry, etc. Volgograd is a city of students.

—Where can I go in the evening?

—I advise you to go to one of the theatres: to the New Experimental Theatre, the Theatre ofYoung Spectators or the Theatre of Musical Comedy.

—Thank you for your information.

—That’s all right.

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Questions

1.When was our city (Volgograd) founded?

2.Has it changed its name?

3.Why is Volgograd known the world over?

4.There are many war monuments in the city, aren’t there?

5.What do you know about Stalingrad Battle?

6.Was our city ruined during the war?

7.What is Volgograd today?

8.How long does it stretch along the Volga?

9.How many people live in Volgograd?

10.What was the first street to be restored in our city?

11.What is the heart of the city?

12.What place do you like best of all and why?

13.Is Volgograd a big cultural centre?

14.What educational institutions has Volgograd?

15.What can you say about transport system in Volgograd?

16.What are the largest industrial enterprises of our city?

17.Does the city continue to grow?

 5. GREAT BRITAIN

The country the language of which we study is situated on the British Isles. Officially it is called «The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland». But more often it is called Great Britain or simply England. The British Isles lie to the north-west of Europe.

Historically the country consists of Scotland, England, Wales and the Northern part of Ireland. Administratively, it is divided into counties. The population of it is about 61 million people.

Great Britain is washed all around by the sea: in the North, west and South it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean; in the East by the North Sea. Great Britain is separated from the continent of Europe by the English Channel, the narrowest part of which is called the Strait of Dover.

The surface of England and Ireland is flat, but Scotland and Wales are mountainous.The highestmountaintopintheUnitedKingdomisBenNevis in Scotland (4.400 ft). Many parts of the country have beautiful green meadows.

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There are many rivers in Britain, but they are not long. The principal rivers are the Severn, theThames and theTrent.The most important river is the Thames which is rather wide, deep and suitable for navigation.

The climate of Great Britain is mild. TheAtlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the weather of British Isles. There is much rain and fog. The weather is changeable.

Great Britain has a highly developed industry. The leading industries are: shipbuilding, coal-mining, machine building, chemicals, electronics, textile and many others.

Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources, of which the most important are coal and oil. Great Britain has a lot of industrial cities, such as: London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield, Bristol, Newcastle and others.

According to its system of government Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. There is a parliament and a monarch-a king or a queen (now queen Elizabeth the Second). British monarchs do not really rule the country. Power in the country belongs to the Parliament. The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The main political parties which change each other in power are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. The Party which obtained the majority of seats in Parliament is the government, the other is the opposition.

The Government forms the Cabinet of ministers which is headed by the Prime Minister.

London is the capital of Great Britain. It is one of largest cities in the world.

Dialogue

—What is the official name of the country?

—It is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

—What is the anthem of the country?

—The anthem of the country is «God Save the Queen/King».

—Is the pound or the dollar the currency of Great Britain?

—The currency of the country is the pound that consists of 100 pence.

—The flag of Great Britain is known as the Union Flag, or the Union Jack, isn’t it?

—Yes, and it has the red cross of St. George of England, the white cross of St.Andrew of Scotland, and the red cross of St. Patrick of Ireland, all on the blue background.

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—What is the total area of the U.K.?

—It is over 244 000 square kilometers.

—Is Great Britain an industrial or an agricultural country?

—GreatBritainismainlyanindustrialcountry.Mostofthepeoplethere live in towns.The country has highly developed shipbuilding, iron and steel manufacture, heavy and light engineering industries. Computers, electronic equipment, foods, textiles, TV and radio sets are produced there.

—What agricultural products does Britain produce?

—It produces vegetables, wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, some kinds of fruit which grow in the south. Besides, there are a lot of cattle farms and milk farms there. Great Britain is also famous for its wool. Most farms are small in size, but supply the whole population with food.

—What are the main cities of England?

—London, of course, is the most important city. The biggest town in the centre of England is Birmingham. Machines, cars and lorries as well as TVand radio sets are produced here. Manchester is a very old city. It is situated in the north-west England and is a centre of the cotton textile industry. It’s the third largest port in Great Britain. Manchester has many libraries, museums, art galleries, theatres and cinemas.

—What Scottish cities do you know?

—Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Glasgow is a great industrial city an also a centre of Scottish culture.

—What is the capital of Wales?

—Cardiff. It is a big port, and ships come here from all over the world. And the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast, the leading industrial centre and a large port. Its chief industries are the production of linen and other textiles, clothing, shipbuilding, etc.

—Can you name the oldest university towns in Great Britain?

—Yes, I can. They are Cambridge and Oxford. Many great men studied at these universities: Cromwell, Newton, Byron, Darwin and others.

Questions

1.What is the official name of Great Britain?

2.What do you know about the geographical position of Great Britain?

3.What parts does the country consists of?

4.What is the population of Great Britain?

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5.What is the total area of the U.K.?

6.What is the surface of the country?

7.What seas and oceans is Great Britain washed by?

8.What are the main rivers?

9.What climate has Great Britain? What influences the climate?

10.What are the leading industries of Great Britain and what industrial cities do you know?

11.What agricultural products does Britain produce?

12.Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy, isn’t it?

13.Who is the queen now? Does all power in the country belong to the queen?

14.What can you say about the British Parliament?

15.What is the anthem of the country?

16.What is the currency of the country?

17.What are the main cities of England?

18.Do you know any Scottish cities?

19.What are the capitals of Wales and Northern Ireland?

20.Do you know what is Stratford-on-Avon famous for?

21.What are the oldest university towns in Great Britain?

 6. TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS IN GREAT BRITAIN

Every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. If you arrive in Great Britain you’ll hear the word «tradition» everywhere. Englishmen are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up.To this day an English family prefers a house with a garden to a flat in a modern house with central heating. Englishmen have sentimental love for things because they are old. They never throw away old things.

The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. In the House of Lords there are two rows of benches for lords and a sack of wool for the Lord Chancellor to sit on it. This is so because in the old times wool made England rich and powerful.

The only inhabitants of the Tower now are ravens. The birds with clipped wings are carefully guarded. There is a legend that the Tower will fall if it loses its ravens.

Englishmen keep to their traditions even in meals. Porridge is the dish Englishmen are traditionally fond of. Besides, the British are great teadrinkers. «Five o’clock tea» is a national habit.

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Holidays are especially rich in old traditions and are different in Scotland, Wales and England. Christmas is a great English national holiday, and in Scotland it is not kept at all. But six days later, on New Year’s Eve the Scotch begin to enjoy themselves. When the clock strikes twelve, the doors are open wide to let the Old Year out and the New Year in. It was believed the first person to visit one’s house on New Year’s Day could bring good or bad luck. Usually a dark-haired man as the first footer was chosen, and never a women for she would bring bad luck. The first-footer used to have three articles: a piece of coal to wish warmth, a piece of bread to wish food, and a silver coin to wish health. This pleasing custom is still observed in Scotland.

The annual National Eisteddfod is an old Welsh tradition. It is a festival of songs and poems. It lasts a week and the competitions are listened to by thousands of people. Such an eisteddfod is a great demonstration of a people’s culture.

A new national tradition was born in Britain. Every year a large number of ancient motor-cars and motor-cycles drive from London to Britain. Veteran cars are those which were made before the year 1904. Englishmen keep up the old «veterans».

These are some of the traditions of which Great Britain has so many. Besides public holidays British people observe certain traditions on such days as Pancake Day, Bonfire Night, St. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day.

Dialogue

—Englishmen are proud of their traditions, aren’t they?

—Yes, and they carefully keep them up in everything. Even the appearance of an Englishman and his character has some specific features. To begin with, the English are very reserved. They don’t like to show their emotions and feeling. They don’t like any boasting or showing off in manner, dress or speech. Englishmen are very polite, even in the streets there is practically no noisy behavior or loud talk.

—Are the English stay-at-home people?

—Yes, they are. They prefer having their own house rather than having aflat.«AnEnglishman’shouseishiscastle»,saysanEnglishproverb.When they don’t work they like to spend their days off at home with their families, working in the garden, growing flowers, etc. Englishmen are in the habit of helping their wives about the house, they clean windows, cook supper.

—What tea do the English call «Russian tea»?

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—Tea with lemon in it is called «Russian tea». The English drink tea with milk, so called «English tea». By the way, they never drink tea out of glasses. They serve tea only in cups.

—Do the English eat much bread?

—No, they don’t. Thy eat bread only with their soup. With meat and vegetables they never eat any bread. Some Englishmen eat only one thin piece of bread at dinner.

—What holidays in the U.K. do you know?

—I know 6 public holidays in Great Britain, such as: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Spring and Late Summer Bank Holidays. People need not go to work on these days. They are movable (except Christmas and Boxing Day), that is they do not fall on the same day each year.Then there are holidays which are celebrated but which are ordinary working days: Pancake Day, Bonfire Night, St. Valentine Day, Mother’s Day, and Poppy Day.

—Christmas is the most enjoyable holiday, isn’t it?

—Yes, they celebrate it on the 25th of December. The British decorate trees with tinsel, various baubles and colored lights. They decorate their houses with holly and mistletoes. There is a great air of expectation.

—Is New Year observed as widely as Christmas?

—No, some people even ignore it, other celebrate it in one way or another.The most common type of celebration is a NewYear party with a buffet supper of cold meat, pies, sandwiches and biscuits. At midnight they turn on the radio to hear the chimes of Big Ben and on the hour drink a toast to the NewYear.ANewYear’s dance is another popular way of celebrating the NewYear.The most famous celebrationis in London round the statueof Eros in Piccadilly Circus. In Trafalgar Square there is also a big New Year tree, a big crowd, and someone usually falls into the fountain. January the 1st, New Year’s Day, is not a public holiday, unfortunately for those who like to celebrate most of the night.

—Do the English have a custom of celebrating Mother’s Day?

—Yes, they carefully keep custom up. Mother’s Day is usually in March on one of the Sundays. This is a holiday for English women.

Questions

1.Do Englishmen keep up to their own customs and traditions? Prove it.

2.What can you say about Englishmen?

3.What custom seems to be archaic?

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