Топики по английскому языку. Топики Тексты для чтения Экзаменационные вопросы Цветкова И. В. Клепальченко И. А
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VALENTIN SEROV One of my favourite artists is Valentin Serov. When I first saw his famous pictures - - the Girl with Peaches and the Girl in the Sunlight - - in the Tretyakov Gallery, frankly speaking, I wasn't too impressed. The girls seemed quite ordinary and I couldn't understand what was so special about these portraits. Some years later I happened to be in Abramtsevo, where these two pictures had been painted. It's a very beautiful place. Abramtsevo belonged to Savva Mamontov, a well known patron of arts. Our guide told us about the people who had been invited there. It seemed that all artists, actors and writers of that period had stayed at Abramtsevo or at least visited it. When I went to the Tretyakov Gallery after that and looked at the Girl with Peaches again, I suddenly remembered that day in Abramtsevo, and for the first time I noticed the play of light and shade in the picture, the atmosphere of a sunny summer day. It's surprising that Serov painted this picture when he was only 22 years old. I read somewhere that at the time he had not seen the works of French Impressionists, who tried to catch the sunlight and the air and transfer it to the canvas. But he managed to do it perfectly. Serov was born in 1865. His father was a well-known composer and the boy grew up in the atmosphere of creative activity. His first art teacher was Repin, who noticed that the boy could catch the likeness of a model often more quickly and surely than older artists. Later Serov studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and graduated from it when he was 20. For several years he taught at Moscow School of Painting Sculpture and Architecture. But teaching did not interfere with his painting. Probably now he would be called a workaholic. He painted almost 700 canvases, though, unfortunately, his life was not very long — he died in 1911. He was a brilliant landscape painter, he created genre scenes, but he is mostly remembered as a portraitist. The list of his portraits reads as "who-iswho" in Russian culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He painted Sawa Mamontov, Konstantin Korovin, Ilya Repin, Isaak Levitan, Nikolai Leskov, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the great actress Yermolova ... The list can be continued. And practically all his portraits are excellent from the technicalpoint of view — the colours, the composition, but there is more than that - they show people's personality. Names Valentin Serov [vaelan,tin si:'rof] Валентин Серов Tretyakov Gallery [,tretjakof 'gaelari] Третьяковская галерея Abramtsevo [a:'bra:mtsavau] Абрамцево Sawa Mamontov Lsa:va tnarmantof] Савва Мамонтов Girl with Peaches Девочка с персиками Girl in the Sunlight Девушка, освещенная солнцем Academy of Fine Arts Академия изящных искусств Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture ['skAlptfa] and Architecture ['arkitektja] Московское учили- ще живописи, ваяния и зодчества Vocabulary frankly speaking откровенно говоря to be impressed [im'prest] быть под впечатлением ordinary [-o:danri] обыкновенный special ['spejl] особенный to belong [bi'loq] принадлежать patron ['peitrn] of arts покровитель искусств guide [gaid] гид, экскурсовод atmosphere [ aetmasfia] атмосфера Impressionist [im'prejanist] импрессионист to transfer [trans'fa:] переносить canvas ['kaenvas] полотно composer [kam'pauza] композитор creative [kri'eitiv] activity творческая деятельность likeness [laiknis] сходство to interfere [jnta'fia] with мешать workaholic [.waika'holik] трудоголик landscape ['laenskeip] painter пейзажист genre scene ['зэпгэ ,si:n] жанровая сцена portraitist fportratist] портретист reads as читается как "who-is-who" "кто есть кто" from the technical ['teknikl] point of view [yju:] с точки зрения техники personality [.paisa'naeliti] личность, характер Questions 1. What is Abramtsevo famous for? 2. Who did Sawa Mamontov invite to Abramtsevo? 3. When was Valentin Serov born? 4. Who was his first teacher? 5. Where did Serov study? 6. How old was he when he painted the Girl with Peaches! 7. How many canvases did he paint? 8. What kind of pictures did Serov paint? 9. Can you name any of his famous portraits? 10. Who is your favourite painter? 11. Have you ever been to the Tretyakov Gallery? 12. What kind of pictures do you prefer — portraits, landscapes, genre scenes? 13. Somebody said that when an artist creates a portrait it is not a portrait of his sitter, but a portrait of the artist himself. Do you agree? ISAAC LEVITAN Isaac Ilyich Levitan, the great Russian artist, became the first painter of the Russian scenery, who revealed all its beauty. He is a real poet of the Russian countryside. He continued and developed the traditions of painters of the Russian realistic school — Savrasov, Polenov, Serov. Levitan found significant meaning and poetry in what would seem the most everyday subjects. He is a very individual sort of painter. You can't but appreciate his paintings, because there is something in his landscapes that reflects our own moods. He deeply felt what he wished to express and his brush transferred these feelings to the canvas. It is interesting to note that a master of landscape, he never introduced figures into it. Though if you look at the Autumn Day in Sokolniki — everything seems to bring out the loneliness of the figure in the centre: the trees losing their leaves, the remote, indifferent sky, the path going off into the distance. But the fact is that it was not Levitan who painted the figure. It was Checkov's brother Nicolai who did it. His travels over the Volga region influenced Levitan's art, the impression made on him by the great Russian river was unforgettable. For his life and painting he chose Plyoss — a small beautiful town on the Volga. His paintings Evening, Golden Plyoss, After Rain reflect his love for nature. Last summer I visited Plyoss and saw the places where the great pictures were painted. Many people admire his pictures Deep Waters, Evening Bells, Springtime, The Last Snow and, of course, his famous Golden Autumn. All his paintings are very emotional, lyrical and realistic. In the closing years of his life Levitan made several journeys abroad to France, Italy and Germany where he painted a number of landscapes, although his best works of the period were devoted to Russia. He was only 40 when he died in 1900. Levitan's influence on the painters of lyrical landscapes was great. Levitan's feeling for nature, his great love for his native land, his ability to reveal and depict the poetry of the Russian land have won his paintings the love and gratitude of people. Names Isaac Ilyich Levitan [i'sa:k ilj'itj ,levi'ta:n] Savrasov [ssvra:sof] Саврасов А.К. (русский Исаак Ильич Левитан (1860-1900) живописец, передвижник) Polenov [po'lenof] Поленов В.Д. (русский живописец, передвижник) Serov [sh'rof] Серов В.А. (русский живописец, передвижник) Plyoss [pljos] Плес (город на берегу Волги) Vocabulary scenery ['shnari] пейзаж to reveal [rivkl] открывать, обнаруживать countryside ['kAntrisaid] сельская местность to develop [di'velap] развивать, совершенствовать realistic [ria'listik] реалистический significant [sig'nifikant] важный, значительный individual [jndi'vidjual] индивидуальный, особенный, оригинальный you can't but нельзя не... to appreciate [a'prifieit] ценить landscape [Isenskeip] пейзаж to reflect [ri'flekt] отражать mood [mu:d] настроение to express [iks'pres] выражать, отражать brush кисть to transfer [traens'fa:] переносить canvas ['kaenvas] холст, полотно to introduce [,intre'dju:s] вводить, представлять, вносить figure ['figa] фигура to bring out выявлять, обнаруживать loneliness ['iaunlinisj одиночество remote [ri'maut] отдаленный indifferent [in'difrant] безразличный, равнодушный, холодный to influence ['influans] влиять to make an impression [im'prejn] on производить впечатление на unforgettable [yvnfa'getabl] незабываемый to admire [ad'maia] восхищаться emotional [i'maufanl] эмоциональный, волнующий lyrical [lirikl] лирический closing ['klauzig] years последние годы (жизни) journey f'd33:ni] поездка, путешествие abroad [a'bro:d] за границей, за границу although [э:1'Ээи] хотя to devote [dhreut] to посвящать (кому-либо, чему-либо) to depict [di'pikt] изображать, рисовать gratitude ['grsetitju:d] благодарность Questions 1. What is Levitan famous for? 2. Levitan is a very individual sort of painter. Can you prove it? 3. What traditions did Levitan continue and develop? 4. What place did Levitan choose for his life and painting? 5. Did the Volga influence his art? 6. How old was Levitan when he died? 7. Why do so many people like his pictures? 8. Who is your favourite Russian painter? MOZART Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the greatest composers ever born. Like Shakespeare, he stands at the summit of human achievement. In every form, from serenade to fugue, from piano concerto and symphony to the heights of grand opera, his music amazes, enchants and invades the memory. Thousands of books have been written about Mozart. Few lives have ever been so well documented as his, and yet he is one of the most mysterious figures in the world. Mozart was born in 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. He began playing the piano at 4, and when he was 5 years old, he already composed serious music. His father took him on tours of Western Europe and Italy and the boy was always a success. Then the prodigy ripened into genius. The genius conquered Vienna and the world. Mozart's fame was great. He met all the great figures of his time, from Haydn to Goethe, from George III to the luckless Marie Antoinette. But then he suddenly fell from favour. The Vienna aristocracy grew tired of him. He lost pupils and contracts, had to move from his comfortable house in the centre to a modest flat in the suburbs. The genius was forgotten. Mozart died in 1791, when he was only 35 years old. There's a legend that Mozart was poisoned by his rival composer Antonio Salieri. There's no truth in this legend, though it inspired many great poets, writers and composers. But it has been proved that in the last months of his life Mozart really believed that he was pursued by a spirit, "the grey messenger", who appeared and ordered him to write a requiem. In a state of depression Mozart imagined that he was to write the requiem for himself. Not long ago a 150-volume edition of Mozart's works was published. His works include 41 symphonies, nearly 30 piano concertos, 19 operas, a vast quantity of orchestral and other instrumental music, and volumes of church music (he wrote it mostly for financial reasons). His most famous operas are Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro. Names Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ['wulfgaerj 8ema,deias Haydn ['haidn] Гайдн (знаменитый австрийский 'meutsa:t] Вольфганг Амадей Моцарт композитор) Salzburg ['saeltsbaig] Зальцбург Goethe ['дз:1э] Гете (знаменитый немецкий поэт, Austria ['ostria] Австрия автор "Фауста") Vienna [vi'ena] Вена Salieri |>aeli'eri] Сальери George III [,d3o:d3 da '03:d] Георг III (король ])on Giovanni [,don d3au'va:ni] Дон-Жуан Великобритании и Ирландии с 1738 по 1820 г.; Пе м .. рШе ^ ,flu.t] Волшебная считался безумным) . Marie Antoinette [,maeri sentwa'net] Мария Антуанетта (королева Франции, жена The Marriage of Figaro [,maerid3 av 'figarau] Людовика XVI; была гильотинирована во Свадьба Фигаро время Великой Французской революции) Vocabulary composer [kam'pauza] композитор luckless [>klas] несчастливый, злополучный summit ['SAmit] вершина to fall from favour ['feiva] впасть в немилость achievement [a'tfkvmant] достижение aristocracy [,aeris'tokrasi] аристократия serenade [,seri"neid] серенада modest ^^1} скромный fugue [fiu:g] фуга in the suburbs ['злЬз:Ьг] на окраине города piano concerto [kan'tf3:tau] фортепьянный концерт voiume [volju-m] том symphony ['simfani] симфония е(,Шоп [Щп] юдание grand opera [,grand 'эрага] большая опера ,е (в противоп. комической опере или оперетте) to amaze [a'meiz] изумлять, поражать to Polson К50*1! ° травлять, отравить to enchant [in'tja:nt] околдовать, очаровывать r*va" t'raivl] соперник to invade [in'veid] овладевать, охватывать to inspire [in'spaia] вдохновлять (о чувствах и т.п.) to pursue [pa'sju:] преследовать genius ['d3i:nias] гений spirit ['spirit] дух, призрак mysterious [mfstiarias] таинственный, загадочный messenger ['mesindsa] посланник to compose [kam'pauz] сочинять музыку to order ['o:da] приказывать tour [tua] гастроли, выступления, поездка requiem ['rekwiem] реквием (хоровое произведение prodigy ['prodid3i] вундеркинд, необыкновенно траурного характера) одаренный человек vast quantity f'kwontiti] огромное количество to ripen ['raipn] созревать, превращаться orchestral [o:'kestral] оркестровый to conquer ['korjka] завоевывать instrumental [ jnstra'mentl] инструментальный Questions 1. Why is Mozart so often compared with Shakespeare? 2. Is Mozart's life well documented? 3. When did he begin playing the piano? 4. How old was he when he began composing serious music? 5. Was Mozart's fame long? 6. How did he spend the last years of his short life? 7. Was Mozart poisoned? 8. Have you read Pushkin's Mozart and Salieri? Do you remember the end of this "little tragedy"? 9. Have you heard Rimsky-Korsakov's opera Mozart and Saliertf 10. What made Mozart write his famous requiem? 11. Mozart was an unusually prolific (плодовитый) composer, wasn't he? What kind of music did he write? 12. What do you think of Mozart's music? MY FAVOURITE SINGER My favourite singer is Michael Jackson. I like his songs very much because they are full of energy and very melodic. I also like the way he dances. There were nine children in Michael's family. They lived in a small fourroom house. Today he lives in a house which has seventeen rooms downstairs and sixteen rooms upstaires. It stands in 2,700 acres of ground. Besides the house there are guest houses, a golf course, a swimming pool, tennis courts, stables, gardens, lakes, forests and a zoo. A lot of strange stories are told about Jackson. It's difficult to decide whether they are true or not. Michael never gives interviews and is rarely seen in public, except on stage. Certainly his behaviour may seem eccentric. In public he often wears a face mask to protect himself from germs, he sleeps inside an oxygen capsule, which he believes will help him to live longer. But his manager says that Jackson isn't eccentric. He is just shy. Michael sang in public for the first time when he was five. Since that time he has always been in the public eye. And since that time he has been working like a grown-up. There were times when he came home from school and he only had time to put his books and get ready for the studio. He often sang until late at night, even if it was past his bedtime. There was a park across the street from the studio, and Michael looked at the kids playing games. And he just stared at them in wonder — he couldn't imagine such freedom, such a carefree life. Now he says about himself that in the crowd he is afraid, on stage he is safe. Off stage he feels happiest with animals and children. He is well-known for his childish tastes. It's not a secret that his favourite hero is Peter Pan. Michael has been called "the child who never grew up", but I think he is a grown-up who was never allowed to be a child. Whether he is crazy, childish, eccentric or just shy, he is no fool. He has created a brilliantly successful image, he makes a lot of money and spends it on the things he wants. Who wouldn't like to do the same? Names Michael Jackson [,maikl 'c^seksn] Майкл Джексон Peter Pan Питер Пэн (герой книг английского писателя Джеймса Барри, мальчик, который не рос) Vocabulary energy [-enad3i] энергия melodic [mi'bdik] мелодичный the way he dances как он танцует acre ['eika] акр golf course ['golf ,ko:s] поле для гольфа stable ['steibl] конюшня interview [Intavju:] интервью rarely [Yeali] редко behaviour [bi'heivje] поведение eccentric [ak'sentrik] эксцентричный mask [ma:sk] маска to protect [pra'tekt] защищать germ [d33:m] бактерия oxygene capsule ['oksidgan 'kaepsju:!] кислородная капсула shy [Jai] застенчивый in the public eye на виду grown-up [,дгэип'лр] взрослый studio ['stu:(stju:)diau] студия it was past his bedtime ему давно было пора ложиться спать to stare ['stea] in wonder ['vwvnda] смотреть в изумлении to imagine [irnsedsin] представлять себе carefree ['keafri:] беззаботный crowd [kraud ] толпа on stage he is safe на сцене он чувствует себя в безопасности childish ['tjaildif] детский to allow [a'lau] разрешать, позволять crazy f'kreizi] сумасшедший Questions 1. What role does music play in your life? 2. What kind of music do you like? 3. How often do you listen to music? 4. Do you like Michael Jackson's songs? 5. Do you think that his behaviour is eccentric? 6. Why is Michael Jackson often compared to Peter Pan? 7. Do you think his childhood was happy? 8. When does Michael feel happiest? 9. Are all the stories printed about Michael Jackson true? 10. Do you like the way Michael dances? |