Обучение чтению и устной речи на английском языке по страноведческой тематике. Ч. 1. Лондон (160

Text

Let’s listen to the fourth part of the text.

In the south of Soho lies the grandiose Trafalgar Square.

The square was founded between 1829 and 1850 based on design by Charles Barry. Today it is mainly a place of commerce and traffic. It has become a frequent avenue for demonstrations and protests. It was named after the famous battle of Trafalgar on the Spanish land where Admiral Nelson’s fleet defeated the French and the Spanish navies. Admiral Nelson, however, lost his life in the battle.

The thousands of pigeons that gather on the square have become a major tourists’ attraction.

The Square is dominated by the 55 meter high Nelson’s column. It was designed in around 1840 by the architect William Regan in honor, of course, of Admiral Nelson.

On the northern side of the square stands the National Gallery, a classicist building dated from the year 1836. It contains over 2200 paintings from European painters of many different styles. The oldest building of the square is the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields built between 1721–1726 in classicist baroque style. Alongside the Navy building of the old Admiralty stands the Triumphant Admiralty Arch which connects Trafalgar Square with the Mall.

(видеофрагмент — время звучания 1 мин 34 с)

Key words

to be named after

famous battle

fleet navy

in honour of

painting

church

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Exercise 14. This part of the text goes on telling us about the main London square. Your task is to answer the questions, using the given word combinations.

1.What is Trafalgar Square famous for?

2.What is the height of Nelson’s Column and when was it designed?

3.What is National Gallery? What kind of pictures are collected there?

Now, after we have discussed the main points of the text, please, write a plan of the text. Let’s sum up the text (one or more students retell the text briefly).

Exercise 15. Finally, let’s focus on the new words. Your task is to replace the parts in bold with the new words and expressions.

а) After a long campaign the Duke of Wellington’s army beat Napoleon.

b)The party was organized in order to show respect to the guests from England.

c)The book holds all the information you need.

d)In the UK people used to think of Trafalgar Square as a place where you could go to feed a fairly large grey short-legged birds.

e)Storms are common on this part of the coast.

f)Shipbuilding used to be one of our important industries.

Exercise 16. Your last task for today is to translate the sentences from Russian into English, using the words and word combinations from the third and the fourth parts.

a)Известный символ Лондона — площадь Пиккадилли и прилегающий к ней квартал и его главная улица. Само название родилось в XVII веке, когда здесь торговали кружевными воротниками (Piccadells).

b)Главная достопримечательность площади — статуя ангела, символизирующего христианскую любовь к ближнему и получившего в обиходе имя Эрос.

c)Площадь Leicester оккупирована главным образом туристами и уличными артистами.

d)В 1805 году адмирал Нельсон разгромил французов и испанцев в морском сражении при Трафальгаре. Трафальгарская площадь символизирует национальную гордость и военную мощь.

Exercise 17. Imagine that you are a guide and your task is to tell the tourists about one of London sightseeings.

Exercise 18. Trafalgar Square (Supplement p. 25).

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TOPIC 5

New words and word combinations

Text

Let’s listen to the fifth part of the text.

A very wide avenue the Mall as founded in the year 1660. On its northern side stand three important palaces, the most dominant being St. James’s Palace — the home of the present Queen mother. On the other side of the Mall is St. James’s Park, the oldest of all Royal Parks established by Henry the VIII in the year 1532. It is reputed to be one of the most beautiful city parks of all time. With its grace and charm the park attracts many artists.

London’s most important and admired buildings is Buckingham Palace, the seat of the British monarchy. The original building was constructed in a garden by Joan Sheffield in 1705. It was significantly outstanding during the reign George the IV. In 1847 the young queen Victoria moved in her apartment of 600 — room palace. Today the present queen Elizabeth the II inhabits only 12 of the rooms in the northern wing.

The open area in front of the palace is decorated by the queen Victoria memorial inaugurated in 1911. Allegoric figures surround the statue of Victoria and symbolize such values as justice, truth, motherhood, peace and progress.

(видеофрагмент — время звучания 1 мин 29 с)

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Key words

to be founded

to attract artists

during the reign

to inhabit

to be decorated

to inaugurate

Exercise 19. This part of the text tells us about the most important London palaces. Your task is to answer the questions, using the given word combinations.

1.Who made St. James’s Park very popular?

2.Which building is admired and important in the centre of London?

3.When was Buckingham Palace constructed?

4.Which English Queen moved in Buckingham Palace and when?

5.How many rooms does the present queen Elisabeth inhabit?

6.Where is Queen Victoria’s memorial?

7.What do allegoric figures on the monument symbolize?

Now, after we have discussed the main points of the text, please, write a plan of the text. Let’s sum up the text (one or more students retell the text briefly).

Exercise 20. Imagine that you are a guide and your task is to tell the tourists about one of London sightseeings.

Exercise 21. Buckingham Palace (Supplement p. 26).

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TOPIC 6

New words and word combinations

Let’s listen to the sixth part of the text.

Along St. James’s Park we reach the heart of Westminster – Westminster Abbey. The coronations of all the British monarchs are taking place here since William the Conqueror 1056. In 1220 Henry the III constructed the Chapel of the Virgin Mary, and with it he reconstructed the original church. The work wasn’t completed for 300 years. Its modern day look dates from 1745 after the works on the west house were completed.

Members of the Lower house of Parliament — the Commons have traditionally been married in the neighboring St. Marks Church. Visitors can be impressed by the Abbey’s great impressive proportions.

Close by is Westminster Palace which stretches along the banks of the river Thames. This is being the site of the royal palace since the 11th century, and since the signing the Magna Carta in 1215 has housed the parliament and the judiciary.

The present Houses of Parliament were built in a new gothic style after a fire in the mid 19th century. It was made from gold and brown yorstone and was designed by the architects Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin. Today the house is only the legislative divided into the lower and upper chambers

—the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Probably its most famous feature is its St. Steven

tower with the 16-tone bell called Big Ben.

(видеофрагмет – время звучания 1 мин 37 с)

Key words

coronations of monarchs

to be impressed by

banks of the river

to be devided into

lower and upper chambers

bell

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Exercise 22. This part of the text tells us about the heart of Westminster. Your task is to answer the questions, using the given word combinations.

1.What happens every day in front of the Buckingham Palace?

2.Where is Westminster Abbey situated? What is it famous for?

3.What is situated nowadays in Westminster Palace?

4.When was the Magna Carta signed and where?

5.What is Big Ben?

Now, after we have discussed the main points of the text, please, write a plan of the text. Let’s sum up the text. (one or more students retell the text briefly)

Exercise 23. Let’s focus on the new words. Your task is to fill in the gaps with the proper words and word combinations.

1.In Britain the upper __________ of Parliament is the House of Lords, the lower the House of Commons.

2.He goes to the ________ every Sunday night.

3.The parliament obtains _____________ power.

4.The police are trying to _________________ the crime from the few clues they

have.

5.______________ are judges in the courts of law, considered as one group, and forming one of the branches of the government.

Exercise 24. Your last task is to translate the sentences from Russian into English, using the words and word combinations from the fifth and the sixth parts.

a)Здание Парламента, или Вестминстерский дворец, — это огромный комплекс площадью 3,3 га, находящийся в распоряжении Палаты общин и Палаты лордов.

b)Слева от Вестминстер-холла возвышается часовая башня Биг Бен, знаменитая своим 16-тонным колоколом. Его назвали по имени Бенджамина Холла, заказавшего отливку этого колокола.

c)Пространство перед дворцом украшает великолепный монумент королевы Виктории, которая была коронована в 1911 году. Аллегорические фигуры окружают статую королевы Виктории и символизируют правосудие, правду, материнство, мир и прогресс.

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d) Коронация всех британских монархов проходит в Вестминстерском аббатстве. В 1220 году Генрих Третий возвел часовню Святой Марии и таким образом восстановил церковь в ее первоначальном виде.

е) Современное здание парламента было построено в новом готическом стиле после пожара в середине XIX века.

Exercise 25. Imagine that you are a guide and your task is to tell the tourists about one of London sightseeings.

Exercise 26. Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament (Supplement p. 26).

Text

Let’s listen to the seventh the part of the text.

Across from Parliament Square we reach the street Whitehall where many important government buildings are located. One of its most important sights is the Cenotaph — a memorial to those lost their lives in both two world wars.

Almost anybody has heard of Downing Street. For more than 250 years number 10 has been the official home of the British Prime Minister.

We follow the Thames down to the City Quarter, and probably it is the most well known sight in London — Tower Bridge, built in 1894 in a gothic style. It was only opened to the public in 1982. It is a drawback — that it takes only 15 seconds to open allowing the tour ships to sail through. Most of the time, however, it serves as a river crossing for London’s heavy car traffic. Tower Bridge is a triumph of engineering. Visitors can find more about its history, and how it operates in the local museum. From the gallery walkway it is possible to gain a wonderful view of the city skyscrapers, the Docklands as well as the river Thames. The view over river to the Tower of London. The original building was the White Tower constructed in the 11th century by William the Conqueror and which dominates the complex even today. At the end of the 12th

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century Richard I ordered to dig a moat and 100 years later Henry III built the wall surrounding internal courtyard so as to improve the court defense. From its beginning the Tower primaried the city defense and the security of the naval passage along the Thames, as well as to defend the Royal Palace. In the courtyard of the Tower we don't only come across the Royal guard but also the famous Beefeaters who carry out the evening ceremony of closing the Tower.

Things of the interest in the White Tower include a collection of Henry VIII armour and weapons. The main attraction are crown jewels which are located in the Jewelry House.

(видеофрагмент — время звучания 2 мин)

Key words

memorial

triamph of engineering

internal courtyard

defense

armour and weapons

crown jewels

Proper names

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Exercise 27. This part of the text tells us about the most important historical places of London. Your task is to answer the questions, using the given word combinations.

1.What can you say of Whitehall Street?

2.Where is the official home and working place of the British Prime Minister?

3.When was Tower Bridge built? What does it serve for?

4.Who founded the Tower of London and when?

5.What was the Tower’s main function in old days?

6.Who guards the Tower?

7.What can you see in the Tower museum?

Exercise 28. Let’s focus on the new words. Your task is to match the synonyms.

Exercise 29. Your task is to translate the sentences from Russian into English, using the words and word combinations from the seventh parts.

a)На улице Whitehall расположены многие правительственные здания.

b)Более 250 лет 10 Downing Street был официальным домом премьера министров Великобритания.

c)Лондонский Тауэр был построен в 11 веке Вильгельмом Завоевателем.

d)В Тауэре вы можете увидеть бифиторов, которые являются королевской стражей и охраняют Тауэр.

e)Оружие и доспехи из коллекции Генриха VIII, находящиеся в Тауэре, представляют интерес.

Exercise 30. Imagine that you are a guide and your task is tell the tourists about one of London sightseeings.

Exercise 31. The Tower of London, Tower Bridge (Supplement p. 27).

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TEST

Exercise 32. Match the description to the picture.

1. There is a statue of Eros in the center of dominant public fountain. The place was established in 1819 and became the most popular hanger place for Londoners.

a)

2. In the 17th century it was known as disreputable part of London. Today visitors are attracted by cinemas, night spots and casinos. Here we can find many cafes and restaurants representing cuisine from all over the world

b)

3. Built in 1894 in a gothic style, it is a triumph of engineering. It takes only 15 seconds to open allowing tour ships to sail through.

c)

4. It was established by Charles Faulder in 1828 on a site of a former London’s biggest fruit and vegetable market.

d)

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