Практикум представляет материал, который состоит из текстов, организованных по тематическому принципу, и предназначен для студентов неязыковых факультетов
 Скачать 0.51 Mb.
|
Read the text and do the exercises that follow it.Study the following vocabulary before reading the text:a bubonic plague – бубонная чума England’s greatest poet and dramatist‚ William Shakespeare‚ was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564‚ the exact day is unknown. Shakespeare was earning his own living by the time he was 18. He wasn’t yet 19 when he married Anne Hathaway and they had 3 children. Not much is known about what Shakespeare did in the years just after his marriage. A few years later he appeared in London as an actor and writer of plays. They were written in poetry. In 1592 bubonic plague‚ a terrible disease‚ swept over London. For about 2 years all London theatres were closed. During that time Shakespeare began to write poems. Besides writing some long poems‚ he wrote more than 100 sonnets. When the plague was over‚ the playhouses were opened again. New companies of actors were formed and Shakespeare began to spend most of his time writing plays. In the late 90s a new theatre called The Globe was built on the bank of the Thames. It was there that most of Shakespeare’s plays were staged at that time. He became a part-owner in the company for which he wrote. This company‚ known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men‚ often put on a play to entertain royal household. Shakespeare prospered. He wrote some of his plays about early kings of England. “Henry V” and “Richard III” are 2 of these plays. They helped the English people to understand the history of their own country. Besides his historical plays Shakespeare wrote both comedies and tragedies. “Romeo and Juliet” is one of the most famous of his tragedies. Other tragedies are “Hamlet”, “Macbeth”‚and “Othello”. Among his comedies are “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “The Taming of the Shrew”‚ and “The Merchant of Venice”. At the height of his success Shakespeare returned to Stratford-upon-Avon. There he died in 1616. He was buried in Stratford-upon-Avon. Thousands of people visit his birthplace and grave each year. Answer the following questions on the text: 1. Where and when was William Shakespeare born? 2. When did he begin to write poems? 3. What historical plays written by Shakespeare do you know? 4. What did Shakespeare write besides historical plays? 5. Where is Shakespeare buried? 6. Have you read any of his comedies or tragedies? Text 7. Robert Burns Read the text and do the exercises that follow it.Study the following vocabulary before reading the text:to be well-read – быть хорошо начитанным verse = poem a tutor – домашний учитель to plough – пахать The greatest Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759–1796) was born in the family of a poor farmer. He was the eldest of seven children. He spent his youth working on his father’s farm, but in spite of his poverty he was extremely well-read: His father employed a tutor for Robert and his younger brother Gilbert. At 15 Robert wrote his first verse “My Handsome Nell”. When his father died in 1784, Robert and his brother became partners in the farm. However, Robert was more interested in the romantic nature of poetry than in the hard work of ploughing. He was thinking of leaving his farm and going away to the warmer and sunnier climate of the West Indies. At the same time he continued writing poetry. But he did not go to the West Indies. His first book “Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect” (a set of poems essentially based on a broken love affair) was published and was highly praised by the critics. This made him stay in Scotland. He moved to Edinburgh. The artists and writers of Scotland’s capital enthusiastically received the Ploughman poet. In a few weeks he was transformed from a local hero to a national celebrity. Robert Burns travelled much about Scotland collecting popular songs. He discovered long forgotten songs and wrote his own verses. Robert Burns’s poetry was inspired by his deep love for his motherland, for its history and folklore. His beautiful poem “My Heart’s in the Highlands”, full of colourful descriptions, is a hymn to the beauty of Scotland’s nature and to its glorious past. Burns’s poetry is closely connected with the national struggle of the Scottish people for their liberation from English oppression, the struggle that had been going on in Scotland for many centuries. His favourite heroes were William Wallace, the leader of the uprising against the English oppressors, and Robert Bruce, who defeated the English army and later became king of Scotland. Robert Burns died at the age of 37 of heart disease caused by the hard work he had done when he was young. On the day of his burial more than 10,000 people came to pay their respect to the great bard. On the anniversary of his birth, January 25, Scots both at home and abroad celebrate Robert Burns. And not only Scots. Robert Burns’s birthday is celebrated annually by the lovers of poetry in many countries of the world. Exercises 1. Decide if the following sentences are true or false: 1. He spent his youth reading books. 2. Robert wrote his first verse at 14. 3. “My Handsome Nell” was his first verse. 4. Robert Burns went to the West Indies and spent there the rest of his life. 5. His beautiful poem “My Heart’s in the Highlands” is a hymn to the beauty of Scottish nature. 6. Burns poetry is not connected with the national struggle of the Scottish people. 7. Robert Burns died at the age of 36. 8. The anniversary of his birth is January 25. 2. Answer the questions on the text: 1. Where was Robert Burns born? 2. How did he spend his youth? 3. What was his first book? 4. What is the Burns poetry connected with? 5. Who were his favourite heroes? 6. When did he die? 3. Be ready to speak about Burn’s life and his works. Text 8. CHARleS DARWINRead the text and do the exercises that follow it.Study the following vocabulary before reading the text:an ancestor – предок species – вид, род, разновидность divine – божественный aboard – на корабле H.M.S. (= Her Majesty’s Ship) – Корабль Ее Величества a fossile – ископаемое extinct – вымерший a specimen – образец Charles Robert Darwin (1809–1882) was a British naturalist who became famous for his theories on evolution. Like several other scientists before him, Darwin believed that, through millions of years, all species of plants and animals had evolved (developed gradually) from a few common ancestors. Darwin set forth his theories in his book. “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life”. He gathered facts that supported the idea of evolution, and he proposed that evolution occurred through a process called natural selection. Darwin’s theories shocked most people of his day, who believed that each species had been created by a separate divine act. His book, which is usually called simply “The Origin of Species”, presented facts that disputed this belief. It caused a revolution in biological science and greatly affected religious thought. Darwin was born in Shewsbury, England. He was the grandson of the noted doctor and naturalist Erasmus Darwin, who had proposed a theory of evolution in the 1790’s. As a boy, Darwin often heard his grandfather’s theories discussed. Darwin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and theology at Cambridge University. He received a bachelor’s degree from Cambridge in 1831. From 1831 to 1836, Darwin served as a naturalist with a British scientific expedition aboard H.M.S. Beagle. The expedition visited places throughout the world, and he studied plants and animals everywhere it went. In South America, Darwin found fossils of extinct animals that closely resembled modern species. On the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, he noticed many variations among plants and animals of the same general type as those in South America. Darwin collected the fossils and other specimens of organisms for future study. Darwin returned to England in 1836 and settled in London. He spent the rest of his life studying specimens, doing experiments, and writing about his findings. His early books included “The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs” and a journal of his research aboard the Beagle. In 1839, Darwin married his cousin Emma Wedgwood. The family moved to Downe, near Croydon, in 1842, and Darwin lived there until his death. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in London. Exercises 1. Put questions to the words in italics: 1. Darwin’s theories caused a revolution in biological science. 2. All species of plants and animals had evolved from a few common ancestors through millions of years. 3. Evolution occurred through natural selection. 4. Darwin’s grandfather proposed a theory of evolution in the 1790’s. 5. With a British scientific expedition he studied plants and animals everywhere. 6. Darwin collected the fossils and other specimens of organisms for future study. 7. Darwin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and theology at Cambridge University. 2. Add 2–3 sentences to the following statements: 1. Darwin became famous for his theories on evolution. 2. His theories shocked most people of his days. 3. As a boy, Darwin often heard his grandfather’s theories discussed. 4. From 1831–1836, Darwin served as a naturalist with a British scientific expedition. 5. In 1836 he returned in England and settled in London. 3. Make an outline of the text and be ready to speak about Darwin’s life and his theories. СОДЕРЖАНИЕ Введение3 Chapter 1. Family. Home Text 1. Oleg Kirillov 4 Text 2. Oleg’s family 6 Text 3. The Kirillovs’ flat and a place of residence 9 Additional texts for reading Text 1. Jackie’s family 10 Text 2. The house of an Englishman 12 Chapter 2. Meals. Shopping Text 1. Meals 13 Text 2. Shopping 15 Additional texts for reading Text 1. Meals in England 18 Text 2. Shopping in the UK 19 Chapter 3. University. Week days Text 1. Oleg’s student life 20 Text 2. Oleg’s ordinary working day 23 Additional texts for reading Text 1. Student life in Great Britain 25 Text 2. An account of a typical day at Oxford University 26 Chapter 4. Free time. Travelling Text 1. Oleg’s free time 28 Text 2. The Kirillovs’ week-end 31 Text 3. Oleg’s trip to Minsk 33 Additional texts for reading Text 1. Sunday in England 34 Text 2. Adventure holidays at Beacon Park 35 Text 3. Travelling 37 Chapter 5. Future profession Text 1. Oleg’s future profession 39 Additional texts for reading Text 1. School teacher 40 Text 2. Economist 41 Text 3. Philologist 42 Text 4. Historian 43 Text 5. Ecologist 44 Chapter 6. Youth life Text 1. Oleg is a teenager 46 Additional texts for reading Text 1. Problems of young people’s unemployment 47 Text 2. Leisure activities of youth 48 Chapter 7. The Republic of Belarus. Cities of Belarus Text 1. Belarus 50 Text 2. Minsk 52 Text 3. Mozyr 54 Additional texts for reading Text 1. From the history of Belarus 57 Text 2. From the history of Minsk 59 Chapter 8. Great Britain. London Text 1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 61 Text 2. London 65 Additional texts for reading Text 1. From the history of Britain 67 Text 2. From the history of London 69 Text 3. Museums of London 70 Text 4. London parks 71 Text 5. English character 72 Text 6. Customs‚ holidays and traditions in Great Britain 73 Chapter 9. The systems of education in Belarus and Great Britain Text 1. The system of education in Belarus 75 Text 2. The system of education in Great Britain 77 Additional texts for reading Text 1. The history of development of education in our Republic 79 Text 2. Teachers’ training in Belarus 80 Text 3. Comprehensive education in Scotland 81 Text 4. Higher and further education in Britain 82 Text 5. Famous universities of the UK 83 Chapter 10. Famous people of Belarus and Great Britain Text 1. Famous people of Belarus 86 Text 2. Famous Britons 88 Additional texts for reading Text 1. Who was Dr. Skaryna? 91 Text 2. Efrosinya Polotskaya 91 Text 3. Zhores I. Alferov 93 Text 4. Isaac Newton 95 Text 5. James Watt 96 Text 6. William Shakespeare 97 Text 7. Robert Burns 98 Text 8. Charles Darwin 100 |