_ПРАВКА_лексика разг.речи_. _ПРАВКА_лексика разг. Министерство образования и науки
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PART II. WORLD AROUND UNIT 1. GREAT BRITAIN Learn the following words and word combinations Vocabulary List
TEXT 1. Read and translate. Work out a plan of behavior in Britain. Give a summary of the text. When in Britain … Visitors to Britain are often surprised by the strange behaviour of its inhabitants. The British like forming queues. They queue up when waiting for a bus, theatre tickets, in shops... A well-known writer George Mikes, a Hungarian by birth, joked: «An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one». So one of the worst mistakes is to get on a bus without waiting your turn. The British are very sensitive to such behaviour and they may get really annoyed with queue-jumpers – people who don't wait their turn in the queue. Drivers in cars can become quite aggressive if they think you are jumping the queue in a traffic jam. Newspapers often publish angry articles about people who pay money to bypass a hospital waiting list in order to get an operation more quickly. The British, especially the English, are more reserved than the people of many other countries. They don't like to show their emotions. They usually don't easily get into conversation with strangers. They don't like personal questions (for example, how much money they earn or about their family life). They take more time to make friends. They would like to know you better before they ask you home. So don't be upset if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you! If you are invited to a party, it is considered polite to call and say if you can or cannot come. Most parties are informal these days, so you don't have to worry about what to wear – anything from jeans to suits will do. If you are told to 'help yourself to something, it doesn't mean that your host is rude – he or she is showing that you are completely accepted and just like «one of the family». It is considered rude – or bad manners – to smoke in someone's house without asking «Do you mind if I smoke?» If you enjoyed the evening, call your hostess the next day, or write her a short «thank you» letter. Perhaps it seems funny to you, but British people say «thank you, thank you, thank you» all the time! They say «thank you» even when they give money to a shop assistant. These days most people in Britain do not wear very formal clothes. Of course, when they are «on duty» they have to obey certain rules. You cannot imagine a bank employee without a suit or a tie. But when he is no longer «at work», he can put on an old sweater and jeans, sometimes with holes in them. If you go out to enjoy yourself, you can wear almost anything. It is no longer a requirement of theatres that the audience should wear evening dress. So what you wear depends, perhaps, on how much you paid for your ticket. At the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, for example, spectators in the stalls, the circle and the boxes are usually dressed formally, whilst those peering down from the amphitheatre may well be in jeans. People do, however, tend to dress more formally for ballet and opera than for the theatre and concerts. In recent years smoking has received a lot of bad publicity, and fewer people now smoke. There is no more smoking on the London Underground, in cinemas and theatres and most buses. Many companies have banned smoking from their offices and canteens. And non-smokers can be rude to smokers who break the rule and smoke in public places. There are, however, special smokers carriages on trains and special cinemas for those who haven't given up smoking yet. Pubs are an important part of British life. People, especially men, go to the pub to relax, meet friends, and sometimes to do business. At one time, it was unusual for women to go to pubs. These days, however, there are only a few pubs where it is surprising for a woman to walk in. Children under the age of 14 are still not allowed into some pubs. Pub food is cheaper than most restaurant food, and you don't have to leave a tip. But you do have to go to the bar to get your food and drink. There are no waiters in pubs. In some countries it is considered bad manners to eat in the street. In Britain it is quite common to see people having a snack while walking down the road, especially at lunchtime. On the other hand, the British may be surprised to see young children in restaurants in the evening because children are not usually taken out to restaurants late at night and, if they make a noise in public or in a restaurant, it is considered very rude. In Victorian times it used to be said that «Children should be seen and not heard», since children did not participate at all in public life. In recent years children are playing a more active role and they are now accepted in many pubs and restaurants. Good and bad manners make up the social rules of a country and are not always easy to learn because they are often not written down in books! The British have an expression for following these «unwritten rules»: «When in Rome, do as the Romans do». TEXT 2. Read and translate the facts. Single out the most amazing of them. Amazing Facts about Great Britain Crowded Country Britain is one of the most densely populated countries in the world: it is more than twice as densely populated as France, nine times as densely populated as the USA and 100 times as densely populated as Australia. Kings and Queens Great Britain's monarchy is over 1,000 years old. The only time when there was no King or Queen in Britain was when the country was a republic between 1649 and 1660. (In 1649 King Charles I was executed and Britain became a Republic for eleven years. The monarchy was restored in 1660). Monarchy without a Constitution Britain doesn't have a written constitution! Of course, there are rules and principles for the running of the country, but there is no single written document. Nobody can refer to «article 5» or anything like that, because nothing like that exists. The Royal Surname The surname of the British Royal Family is Windsor. This probably sounds very British, but the Royal Family's ancestors were German. The family name was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1917 by George V because of strong British feelings against Germany during the First World War. Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is the oldest royal residence in the world that is still being used by the royal family! It's almost 1,000 years old! It is also believed that the castle has lots of ghosts including those of Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, King George III, and Charles I. Her Majesty's Subjects Other countries have «citizens». But in Britain people are legally described as «subjects» – subjects of Her Majesty the Queen. And criminals are sent to one of «Her Majesty's» prisons. John Smiths There are over 30 000 John Smiths in Britain. Tea Drinkers British people drink more tea than anyone else in the world: 2,5 times more than the Japanese and 22 times more than Americans! Most Britons like their tea strong and dark, but with a lot of milk. Besides, the British have a «sweet tooth». They love cakes, chocolates and sweets, pies and puddings. Multicultural Britain If you walk down a street in Britain, especially in the bigger cities, you will see people with different hair, skin and eye colours. More and more people from different countries arrive in Great Britain each year. Today, you can hear 300 languages in the streets of London! But now those who want to live in Britain have to take a test on «Britishness» to show their knowledge of British culture, history and laws. A Nation of Newspaper Readers More daily newspapers are sold per person in Britain than in almost any other country. Sunday papers are especially popular and some people spend all day reading them. A nation of Animal Lovers Britain is famous for being a nation of animal lovers, and many people in Britain keep pets. The most popular pets are dogs, cats, hamsters, birds and rats. All in all, there are more than 27 million pets in the country. According to a recent survey, half of pet owners let their cats or dogs sleep in their bed, 40% buy their pets Christmas and birthday presents, 10% of pets eat meals at the table with their owners. The Rich The richest people in Britain are pop stars, actors, writers, inventors and members of the royal family. Paul McCartney is the world's first pop star billionaire. London Zoo Founded in 1828 London Zoo is the oldest zoo in the world. More than 15,000 animals live there today. One cage invites visitors to step inside, and the sign on the cage reads: «London Zoo presents the most destructive animal in the world – Man». The London Eye The London Eye is one of the tallest observation wheel in the world. It is 135m high. Since opening in March 2000 it has become a symbol of modern Britain. The London Underground The London Underground is the oldest underground railway in the world! It was built in 1863! Londoners call it the “Tube” because of the shape of the most tunnels. Cricket Cricket, the national sport of England, is terribly long. It can take five days to play! It's terribly slow, too. Thirteen players are on the field, but ten of these stand still most of the time. Another strange thing about cricket is that both teams wear the same colour - white. Some words and phrases used in cricket have become idioms. It isn't cricket, for example, means «it's unfair». Clubs and Societies There are all sorts of clubs and societies in Britain: the Left-Handers Club, the Tall Person Club, the Talbot Association (only for people called Talbot), the Bald-Headed Club, the Spoon Collectors club, the Button collectors club, the Thimble Society, the Hat Pin Society ... The list is endless. TEXT 3. Read and translate the text. Give some more symbols of Great Britain. Icons of Great Britain The Rose England. The national flower of England is the rose. It all started during the time of the Wars of the Roses – civil wars (1455-1485) between the royal house of Lancaster (whose emblem was a red rose) and the royal house of York (whose emblem was a white rose). At the end of the war the two roses were combined in the Tudor rose. The idea belonged to Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch and the father of Henry VIII. Henry was a Lancastrian, but he fell in love with Elizabeth of York, married her – and united the two houses. Looking for a symbol of this union, he chose a red rose with a white rose in it. During the Tudor period, hundreds of inns were named the Rose – to show loyalty to the royal family. There are still many pubs and hotels all over the country named after this flower. In 1871, the newly formed Rugby Football Union selected an England team to play the first ever international match against Scotland. The committee chose a red rose as the team's badge. Although England lost the match, held in Edinburgh, the country's rugby teams have worn red roses ever since. Besides, every country in the United Kingdom has its own national flower. Scotland. The national flower of Scotland is a wild plant – a thistle. Wales. The Welsh emblem is a vegetable or a flower – a leek or a daffodil. Northern Ireland. And the national flower of Northern Ireland is another wild flower – a shamrock. The V-sign Nobody knows for sure where the V-sign came from but many English people have chosen it as a national icon. During World War II it was used to mean victory, and it was used again by hippies in the 1960s and 1940s to mean peace. As the symbol of peace, it has become universal, while the «V for Victory» will forever be associated with the wartime prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill. Fish and Chips It all started about 150 years ago, when women in poor English families had to go out to work in factories. There was no time to shop and cook so they bought fast food in the street, on the way back from work. The most popular was fried fish with a piece of bread. Then the first chips came from France. The «chipped» potatoes, as they were called in those days, were also sold in the street. But at first, no one thought of selling fish and chips together. The idea to sell fish and chips together first came to a Londoner Joseph Malin. In 1860, he opened a fish-and-chip shop in Cleveland Street in London’s East End. Soon there were fish’n’chip shops everywhere in working-class areas. They used to put your fish and chips in an old newspaper – with a lot of salt and vinegar on top. Be careful because sometimes they give you too much! Today, fish and chips are a still very popular in Britain but they come in clean white paper bags! You can buy your fish and chips «open» so you can eat them as you walk home, or you can buy them «wrapped» to keep them warm until you get home. More than 250 million portions are eaten in the country every year. TEXT 4. Read and translate the text. Make up 10 questions on its contents. How the British Relax As British people say, «all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy». Like everybody else, British people like doing things outside work. Gardening is a well-known favourite. As the weather in Britain is relatively mild, British people manage to do gardening almost all the year round. Sometimes this can be just doing a bit of weeding and sometimes, serious vegetable and fruit growing. In fact, regardless of the size of the garden, the British can always find plenty to do in it. Mowing grass is also very important. Every Sunday morning (except for winter) they come out to mow their lawns. To outsiders, it almost seems like an obsession but to a British person it is an important social duty. The British see an unmown lawn, not only as a sign of laziness, but also as disrespect to others (and you can get fined for it as well). Walking is also very popular. Ask any British person if they have a pair of walking boots and the answer will probably be yes. Except for dry summer days, the beautiful British countryside is pretty muddy, so you need a good pair of walking boots or «wellies» to enjoy your walk. Walking as a leisure activity has a long tradition in England. You can buy a variety of maps and guides to walking routes. Organized walking is also popular and is a good way to discover local sights of interest with a group of like-minded people and a good guide. Cycling is another popular activity. Unfortunately, many British roads are very busy and don't have cycling paths, so cycling can be a bit dangerous in Britain, many people find quiet country roads and spend their whole holidays exploring their homeland on their bikes. More extreme sports like rock climbing also attract people. And, of course, the famous British eccentricity is the cause of unusual sports like extreme ironing. Extreme ironing is a serious sport where teams of people compete at who can do their ironing in more extreme conditions. Mountains, rivers, tall buildings, busy streets… no location is unsuitable for extreme ironing fans. The contestants are judged on both the extremity of the location and quality of the ironing. Phil Shaw, the creator of the sport, says it «combines the thrill of an extreme sport with the satisfaction of a well-ironed shirt». Extreme ironing is now an international sport with serious competitions and organized events. Of course, not all British people keep fit by engaging in extreme sports. Many go to the gym, swimming pool or fitness classes. However, it has to be said that the British are not the sportiest nation in the world. You see, watching TV often gets in the way. Increasingly, British people spend their free time watching TV. Sad, but true. The only comforting thing is that they are not on their own - most of the world seems to be doing the same! As far as actually going away on holiday, many British people choose to spend their holidays abroad, preferably somewhere warm and dry. Spain, France and Greece are regular destinations due to convenient location and kind climate. City breaks are also a good idea for changing the scenery and enjoying new places without too much trouble. |