Топики по английскому языку. Топики Тексты для чтения Экзаменационные вопросы Цветкова И. В. Клепальченко И. А
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HALLOWEEN Halloween Hey, hey, for Halloween! Then the witches shall be seen, Some in black, and some in green, Hey, hey, for Halloween! You should be very careful on the night of October 31. This is the night when witches and ghosts come out! Halloween is the most famous of witches' festivals. They ride on brooms through the midnight air to meet with the Devil. Black cats, their best friends, usually accompany them. Poor cold ghosts come out of the lonely woods and fields and warm themselves in people's houses. Ghosts and witches are not the only ones who come out at Halloween. From their hiding places come hundreds of demons, skeletons, goblins and other supernatural creatures. Children in the US, Great Britain and Ireland like Halloween very much. In the weeks before October 31, they decorate the windows of their houses and schools with pictures of witches, black cats and bats. They make lanterns out of pumpkins. They are called jack-o'-lanterns. Black and orange are traditional Halloween colours. On October 31, children dress up as ghosts and witches, skeletons and Draculas, and have noisy parties. Sometimes they go to the people's houses and ring at the door, shouting "Trick or treat!" The person who opens the door must give the children a treat — some sweets or cookies. If not, the children play a trick on them. For example, they can throw flour at the window or draw a funny picture on the door. Halloween parties are great fun. APRIL FOOL'S DAY Most European countries "celebrate" April 1st in some strange way, either by mocking the simple-minded or honouring the fool. Most of the tricks played on this day are far from original, and many have been used so often that they have become traditional. The most common form of the joke is to send a simple-minded person on some fruitless errand. Naturally, children are the easiest victims. They may be sent to get a dozen cock's eggs, or a stick with one end, or a litre of sweet vinegar, or, probably, a leather hammer, or a pint of pigeon's milk. A popular joke is to say that something is wrong with your victim's dress (when in fact everything is in order) or that a cockroach is crawling over his or her clothes (there's no cockroach, of course). At school children try to pin notices like "Kick me", or "I'm a fool" on each other's backs. Teachers have to be very careful or they, too, might find themselves walking around with a silly sign on their backs. Some jokes are not so harmless. For example, you may step into a basin of water placed secretly where you are sure to step into it. You may get salt in your coffee instead of sugar. You may fall on the floor because your trousers are sewn up or your shoe-laces are tied. These jokes may be silly, but they succeed again and again. On April 1st television and radio services join in the fun. They tell unbelievable stories and advertise nonexistent goods. Newspapers print long articles which turn out to be jokes. Often, you have to read the long article to the very end to realise that you have been fooled. HOLIDAYS IN THE USA American holidays are strikingly different in origin and show surprising similarities in the manner of their celebration. No matter what the holiday's origin is, they all seem to be the same thing. A holiday has simply become, for most Americans, a day off from work, though some (for example, Thanksgiving and Christmas) retain some individuality. The major holidays in the USA are: New Year's Day, January, 1st: People stay awake until after midnight on December 31st to "watch the Old Year out and the New Year in." Many parties are given on this night. Theatres, night clubs, restaurants are crowded. When midnight comes, they greet the New Year: people gather in the streets of big cities, they ring bells, blow whistles and automobile horns, some shoot off guns and firecrackers. Valentine's Day, February, 14th: It is not a national holiday. Banks and offices do not close, but it is a happy little festival in honour of St Valentine, patron of sweethearts and lovers. It is widely celebrated among people of all ages by the exchange of "valentines." A "valentine" may mean a special greeting card or a little present. The greeting cards are often coloured red, have red trimmings and pictures of hearts. Washington's Birthday, February, 22d: In addition to commemorating the birth of the United States' first President, it's a great day for shoppers. The department stores of Washington, DC, stated a national tradition of sales marked by unusual bargains. It is not a national holiday. Many schools, offices and banks close for this day, some stay open. The US Congress observes the birthday of George Washington with speeches and readings from his works. Easter: Easter is in memory of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon between March, 22, and April, 25. The 40 days before Easter are called Lent. Just before Easter, schools and colleges usually close. Students have a week or ten days of spring vacation. Easter is a church holiday, and many churches have an outdoor sunrise service. People give each other presents of coloured or even decorated eggs which are the symbol of new life. There is a popular belief that wearing three new things on Easter will bring good luck throughout the year. Memorial Day, May, 30th: It is a national holiday. Schools, banks and offices close for the day. On that day, Americans honour the servicemen who gave their lives in past wars. Schools, clubs and churches decorate the cemeteries. They put up the flags on the graves of the army, navy and airmen. They hold memorial services in churches, halls, parks and cemeteries. In addition to solemn services Memorial Day is often marked by other, more joyful ceremonies: colourful parades, sports competitions. Independence Day, July, 4th: On this day, in 1776, America signed the Declaration of Independence. It is a national public holiday celebrated with fireworks and speeches praising "Americanism, democracy, free enterprise". Labor Day, the first Monday in September: It is a holiday of recreation. It marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Vacation time is over. Resorts, camps and beaches close ... Parents go to summer camps and take their children back home. Halloween, October, 31st: Halloween is the day or evening before All Saints' Day. Halloween customs date back to a time when people believed in devils, witches and ghosts. They thought that these evil spirits could do all kinds of damage to property. Some people tried to ward off witches by painting magic signs on their barns. Others tried to scare them away by nailing a piece of iron, such as a horseshoe, over the door. Now most people do not believe in evil spirits. On this day they just have a nice holiday. Children dress up as ghosts and witches and go out into the streets to beg. They go from house to house and say: "Trick of treat!", meaning "Give me a treat or I'll play a trick on you". People give them candy, cookies and apples. A favourite custom is to make a jack-o'-lantem. Children scrape out a pumpkin and cut the outlines of eyes, nose and mouth in its side. They light a candle inside the pumpkin to scare their friends. This custom refers to a man named Jack who still wanders around the earth lighting his way with a pumpkin lantern. Veterans Day: On this day, the radio and television broadcast services held at the National Cemetery in Arlington. High officials come from Washington to attend these services. They place a wreath of flowers at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. All stand in silence for a few minutes at eleven o'clock to honour the memory of the servicemen killed in the two World Wars. Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November: In the USA it is a national holiday. It was first celebrated in 1621 by the Pilgrim Fathers after their first good harvest. Thanksgiving is a family day, for it is customary for all members of the family to gather at the home of their parents. The family eats a large traditional dinner, usually with turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Christmas Day, December, 25th: It is usually a one-day official holiday, but it is preceded and followed by festive parties, and marked by special church services, gift-giving and feasting. Christmas is a family holiday. Schools and colleges close between Christmas and New-Year's Day. People stay at home and spend the time with their families. Everybody tries to come home for Christmas. People send cards or Christmas greetings to family and friends away from home. Every family tries to have a Christmas tree, which is beautifully decorated. Santa Claus comes from the North Pole in his sleigh, dressed in red cap and jacket, entering the house from chimney. He is a merry and fat individual. He has gifts of whatever kind you may wish for — nothing is too fabulous nor too trivial for him to provide. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA! July 4m, or Independence Day, is the most important American holiday. It's the birthday of the United States of America. On this day, in 1776, America signed the Declaration of Independence and started the fight for freedom from British rule. Before 1776., the King of England, George III, ruled the thirteen colonies in America. The colonists were tired of the taxes that George III imposed on them. "We have no representation in the British Parliament," they said, "so what right does he have to tax us?" "No taxation without representation" became their battle cry. In 1767, the British government placed new taxes on tea and paper that the colonists imported from abroad. The colonists got angry and refused to pay. George III sent soldiers to keep order. In 1773, a group of colonists dressed up as Indians threw 342 chests of tea belonging to the East India Company into the waters of Boston harbour. King George didn't think it was funny. His reply to this "Boston tea party" was a set of laws to punish the colonists. Boston harbour was closed until the tea was paid for. More soldiers were sent there to keep order. But the "Intolerable Acts", as the colonists called King George's laws, served only to unite the colonies against the British rule. The War of Independence began. On July 4, 1776, the colonists declared their independence from Britain. Led by Thomas Jefferson, the representatives of all thirteen colonies met in Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. A large part of it was written by Jefferson himself. The document stated that the colonies were now "free and independent states" and officially named them the United States of America. It also said that all men had a natural right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The following day, copies of the Declaration of Independence were distributed and, on July 6, The Pennsylvania Evening Post became the first newspaper to print the extraordinary document. People celebrated the birth of a new nation. But the War of Independence dragged on until 1783 when the colonists finally won. The head of the Revolutionary army was George Washington, who later became the first President of the United States of America. In 1783, Independence Day was made an official holiday. Today, the country's birthday is widely celebrated with parades, public meetings, patriotic music and speech-making. There are picnics and barbecues, and in the evening there are big fireworks shows. Wherever Americans are around the globe, they will get together for a traditional 4th of July celebration! (from Speak Out, abridged) COLUMBUS DAY Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492. At least that is what all elementary school children were always taught: "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Of course, Columbus never "discovered" North America, and the regions he explored were already inhabited. He only discovered them from the viewpoint of the Europeans. Yet his first voyage did prove one thing for sure, that the earth was not only round, but that it was bigger than he had thought. One of the first known celebrations marking the discovery of the "New World" by Christopher Columbus was organised by the Italian population of New York on October 12m, 1866. Three years later, in 1869, Italians in San Francisco celebrated October 12m calling it C-Day. In 1937 President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed every October 12tn as Columbus Day. In 1971 it was declared a federal public holiday. Today, Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Christopher Columbus was bom in 1451 in Italy. He probably worked as a weaver before going to sea. At that time the life of a sailor was full of adventure and danger; so Columbus had many exciting experiences. Once during a battle with a vessel off the coast of Portugal, he had to leave his boat and swim to the shore a long distance away. He afterwards lived in Portugal a number of years, and while there, he married the daughter of a sea captain. For some time he earned his living, partly by making sea voyages, and partly by drawing maps and selling them. Knowing that the earth was round, he decided to reach India by sailing to the west. It was very difficult for him to organise his expedition as nobody wanted to help him. Many years after, the Spanish government gave him some money for his expedition. In 1492 he sailed with three small ships into the Atlantic Ocean. They soon met a north-eastern wind that drove them farther and farther south-west. They had been sailing for more than two months. The sailors began a mutiny. They were afraid that they would not be able to return home. At last they saw land. When they landed they saw strange trees and flowers. Men and women with olivecoloured skins gathered around them and looked at them with great surprise. Columbus was certain that the lands he discovered were part of India, and he called these islands the West Indies. The people living there have been called Indians since then, though they have nothing in common with the real Indians — inhabitants of India. Columbus' second voyage to America took place in 1493. This time he discovered some other islands of the West Indies. Twice more Columbus tried to find India. During his third voyage, enemies spread false rumours about him. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were led to believe that he was a tyrant. Columbus was sent home in chains. Back in Spain, he quickly proved his innocence. His last voyage was made in 1502-1504. After that, seriously ill, he remained in Spain until his death. He died believing that Cuba was part of Asia. Columbus was tall and imposing. No real portrait of him exists, but he is described in the writings of the men of his time as having blue eyes, red hair, and a freckled complexion, which reddened when he was excited. Columbus' voyages gave Europe its first important knowledge of the New World. Other explorers, their imaginations fired by his discoveries, sailed for the Americas after Columbus. In the western hemisphere many places have been named in his honour. The Americas, however, were named after another explorer, Amerigo Vespucci. ЗОО QUESTIONS (Вопросы для общей беседы) 1. What is your first name? 2. What is your surname? 3. How old are you? 4. Where do you live? 5. Where were you born? 6. What is your date of birth? 7. What is your address? 8. What is your telephone number? 9. Is your family large? 10. Are you an only child? 11. What are your parents? 12. Who do you most take after, your mother or your father? 13. Can you describe yourself? 14. Can you describe your parents? 15. What are your household duties? 16. Do you always plan your day beforehand? 17. What do you usually do in the evenings? 18. How do you spend your weekends? 19. Are you a stay-at-home or do you prefer to go out when you have some time to spare? 20. Are you fond of having friends in? 21. Do you often have parties? 22. What do you think makes one's home cosy? 23. Have you got a room of your own? 24. Can you describe it? 25. What is your hobby? 26. Who is your best friend? 27. Can you describe him/her? 28. How long have you been friends? 29. Do you have much in common or are you different? 30. How do you spend your free time together? 31. Is your friend easy to get along with? 32. What qualities do you most admire in people? 33. What characteristics annoy you most in people? 34. What does the word " lazy" mean? 35. How would you describe a person who helps other people? 36. What do we call a person who expects good things to happen? 37. What do we call a person who expects bad things to happen? 38. Do you believe in horoscopes? 39. What are the good and bad characteristics associated with your sign of the zodiac? 40. What is your attitude to astrology? 41. When did you leave school? 42. What kind of school was it? 43. What subjects were you good at? 44. What subjects did you like? 45. What subjects did you dislike? 46. What subjects were you bad at? 47. Who was your favourite teacher? Why? 48. Did you spend a lot of time at school? 49. What out-of-class activities did you take part in? 50. Were there any hobby clubs or societies in your school? 51. Did you take part in any of them? 52. What time did you usually come home from school? 53. Did you have to wear a uniform? 54. Could you choose the subjects you studied? 55. Did you like your English classes? 56. What did you do during your English lessons? 57. When did you begin studying English? 58. Had you studied English before you came to school? 59. How long have you been learning English? 60. Were all your English teachers good? 61. What marks did you usually get in English? 62. Do you find English grammar easy or difficult to study? 63. What about English pronunciation? 64. How many vowels are there in the English alphabet? 65. How many letters are there in the English alphabet? 66. What English-speaking countries do you know? 67. Have you been to any of them? 68. Which variant of the English language do you like more: British or American? 69. Did you study any other languages at school? 70. How long does it take a person to learn to speak a foreign language, in your opinion? 71. Do you find languages easy or difficult to learn? 72. What other languages besides English would you like to learn? 73. What languages belong to the family of Romance languages? 74. What languages belong to the family, of Slavic languages? 75. What family does the English, language belong to? 76. What language is spoken in France? Germany? China? 77. What language is spoken in Holland? Switzerland? Brazil? 78. Why is it important to know foreign languages? 79. What are your future plans? 80. Why did you decide to study at our University? 81. What professions do you know? 82. Which of them require the knowledge of foreign languages? 83.What is an interpreter? 84.What's the difference between an interpreter and a translator? 85.What's the difference between "to take an exam" and " to pass an exam" ? 86.Which are the most prestigious professions today? 87.Science and technology constantly create new jobs. Can you name any of them? 88.Will people work less in the future? Why do you think so? 89.Experts say that we'll have to change jobs more often in the future? Do you know why? 90.Are you optimistic about the future? 91.Are you fond of reading? 92.What famous English writers do you know? 93.What famous American writers do you know? 94.Who are your favourite English (American) authors? 95.Who are your favourite Russian writers? 96.Do you like poetry? 97.Which do you prefer to read, poetry or prose? 98.Have you ever written any poetry? 99.What is the basic difference between poetry and prose? 100.Who are your favourite Russian poets? 101.Do you read much? 102.How much do you read in English? 103.Is it difficult for you to read English books in the original? 104.What kinds of books do you know? 105.If you could choose between reading a book or seeing the same story on TV, which would you prefer? Why? 106.Do you believe that one day computers will replace books? 107.What are the advantages of the Internet? 108.Do you choose different sorts of books for different occasions (holidays, journeys, bed)? 109.What's the difference between a biography and autobiography? 110. What's the difference between fiction and non-fiction books? 111. Who are your favourite modern authors? 112. What kind of books do they write? 113. Which book did you particularly enjoy reading recently? 114. What did you like about the book? 115. What was it about? 116. Are there any books you'd like to reread? 117. Do you sometimes borrow books from a library? 118. What do you call a person who works in a library? 119. Have you got a lot of books at home? 120. Do you think it is good to have a home library? 121. Have you got any books in English at home? 122. Why do so many people like to read crime stories? 123. Can you explain the difference between a bookshop and a library? 124. Do you read newspapers? 125. What newspapers do you read? 126. What are your favourite magazines? 127. Where can you buy newspapers and magazines? 128. What newspapers and magazines do you subscribe to? 129. Which sections of a newspaper are you especially interested in? 130. Do you read reviews of new books, films and plays? 131. What is an editorial? 132. What's the difference between an editor and a reporter? 133. Do you like to read stories about the private lives of pop stars and actors? 134. Do you read any newspapers in English? 135. What British newspapers do you know? 136. Do you agree that radio and television have made newspapers unnecessary? 137. Do you like watching TV? 138. How much time do you spend watching TV? 139. Do the mass media report the events objectively? 140. What TV programmes are most popular with young people? 141. What are your favourite TV programmes? 142. What programmes do your parents usually watch? 143. What do you think of soap operas? 144. Do you like quiz shows? 145. Do you ever watch educational TV programmes? Are they helpful? 146. Are you an Internet-user? 147. How many times have you been to the cinema this year? 148. Who are your favourite actors? 149. Who are you favourite film directors? 150. What do you think of horror films? 151. Which film did you particularly like recently? 152. What was it about? 153. Who starred in the film? 154. Have you seen any films in English? 155. How often do you go to the theatre? 156. When did you last go to the theatre? 157. Did you like the performance? 158. Did the audience like the performance? 159. Was the house full? 160. Where were your seats? 161. Did you like the scenery? 162. What was the play about? 163. Who played the leading parts? 164. Was the cast good? 165. What do you call a place where the performance takes place? 166. Where do you buy tickets? 167. What do we call a person who writes plays? 168. What do we call a person who directs the staging of a play? 169. What is your favourite theatre and why? 170. Which do you enjoy more: going to the theatre or going to the cinema? 171. Do you like opera? 172. What are your favourite operas? 173. What are your favourite ballets? 174. Which do you prefer: ballet, opera or musical concerts? 175. Who are your favourite composers? 176. Do you enjoy listening to classical music? 177. Which do you prefer: pop music or classical music? 178. What's the difference between a concert and a rehearsal? 179. What's the difference between a composer and a musician? 180. Does loud music annoy you? 181. Who are your favourite pop singers and groups? 182. Does music help you to escape from the problems of everyday life? 183. How often do you go to discos? 184. Do you play any musical instruments? 185. Did you take music lessons? For how long? 186. Have you ever been to a concert you didn't like? 187. Do you watch MTV? 188. How often do you visit art galleries or fine arts museums? 189. How many times have you been to the Tretyakov Gallery? 190. When did you last go to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts? 191. What museums have you been to this year? 192. Have you been to any exhibitions lately? 193. Who are your favourite Russian painters? 194. What famous English and American painters do you know? 195. Where did you see their pictures? 196. Do you like abstract art? 197. What's the difference between a landscape and a seascape? 198. Can you draw? 199. Have you ever been to the Hermitage in St Petersburg? 200. What art galleries in London do you know? 201. Are you fond of reading science fiction? 202. Who is your favourite science fiction author? 203. Which of the writers foresaw the flight to the Moon? 204. Which great Russian scientist worked out the theory of space flights and designed the first rocket? 205. What achievements have been made in space exploration? 206. Who was the first cosmonaut? 207. Who was the first man to land on the Moon? 208. Do you think there is life on other planets of the solar system? 209. Do you believe in UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects)? 210. Can you predict the future? What will our life be like in 50 years? 211. What outstanding scientists do you know? 212. What famous inventors do you know? 213. What kind of people are considered to be outstanding? What qualities must they possess? 214. Is it enough to be talented to be called outstanding? 215. Do you agree that computers have completely changed our lives? 216. What possibilities does genetic engineering open? 217. Are you for or against cloning people? Why? 218. Do you think people will live longer in the future? Why? 219. What has man's interference in nature led to? 220. Why do so many species of animals and plants die out for ever? 221. What pollutes and poisons the air? 222. Why are acid rains so dangerous for people? 223. What do you know about the consequences of the Chernobyl tragedy? 224. What should every country do to protect nature and to clean the environment? 225. Is international cooperation necessary to create a system of ecological security? Why do you think so? 226. What countries is the UK made up of? 227. What is the capital of the UK? 228. What is the capital of Wales? 229. What is the capital of Scotland? 230. What is the capital of Northern Ireland? 231. Who is the Prime Minister of Great Britain? 232. What places of interest in London do you know? 233. What do you know about Westminster Abbey? 234. What do you know about the Houses of Parliament? 235. Where is the residence of the Queen? 236. Who was St Paul's Cathedral built by? 237. What do the stars on the American flag stand for? 238. How many stars are there on the US flag? 239. What is the capital of the USA? 240. Who was the first president of the USA? 241. Who is the US President now? 242. What great Americans do you know? 243. Who discovered America? 244. What large cities in the USA do you know? 245. Which city is more American: Washington or New York? 246. What places of interest in Washington do you know? 247. When did the Russian Federation become an independent state? 248. What parts of Russia have you been to? 249. What is Russia rich in? 250. When was Moscow founded and who by? 251. Can you describe the centre of Moscow? 252. What historical monuments in Moscow do you know? 253. What world-famous museums in Moscow do you know? 254. What do you know about Red Square? 255. What is your favourite place in Moscow? 256. What are the most interesting tourist sights in your city? 257. What kinds of public transport do you know? Which do you prefer? 258. Are you fond of travelling? 259. If you were free to travel wherever you wanted, what countries would you visit? 260. Why do you think so many people like travelling? 261. Which is the most convenient way of travelling? 262. Which is the quickest way of travelling? 263. What are the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by car? 264. What are the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by air? 265. Have you ever been abroad? 266. What's the difference between a voyage and a journey? 267. What great travellers of the past do you know? 268. Would you like to travel in space? 269. Do you find time for sports? 270. What kinds of sports do you know? 271. What is you favourite kind of sports? 272. What sports do you enjoy watching? 273. What do you do to keep fit? 274. Have you got any bad habits? 275. .)oes anyone in your family smoke? 276. What do you know about the history of the Olympic Games? 277. What kinds of sports are popular in Britain? 278. What's the difference between an amateur and a professional? 279. What do you do when you fall ill? 280. What does the doctor do when he comes to examine you? 281. What is the dentist's job? 282. What must we do to be in good health? 283. What are the most important national holidays in Russia? 284. What do we celebrate on the 9th of May? 285. When do we celebrate Independence Day? 286. What religious holidays do you know? 287. What is you favourite holiday? 288. What are the most important public holidays in Great Britain? 289. What are the most important public holidays in the United States? 290. Are Christmas and Easter celebrated at the same time in all Christian countries? 291. How is New Year celebrated in your family? 292. Have you got a watch? What time is it now? 293. What are you doing now? 294. What will you be doing this time tomorrow? 295. What were you doing at six o'clock in the evening yesterday? 296. If you were a millionaire, how would you spend your money? 297. If you were free today, where would you spend the day? 298. If friends come to visit you tonight, how will you entertain them? 299. What are you going to do tonight? 300. If you are admitted to this faculty, what specialization would you like to take up? |