Страноведение

МИНИСТЕРСТВО  ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И  НАУКИ РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ

              Федеральное агентство  по образованию 

 Санкт-Петербургский  государственный  университет сервиса  и экономики

 

Кафедра межкультурных коммуникаций

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Английский  язык

Страноведение

 

Практикум

  для студентов 1 курса

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Санкт-Петербург

2009

      Одобрены  на заседании кафедры «Межкультурных коммуникаций», протокол № 3 от 28.10.2008 г.

 

     Утверждены  на заседании УМСС, протокол № 4 от 08.04.2009 г.

 

     Леонтьева Т.Н.Английский язык .Страноведение. Практикум для студентов 1 курса / Т.Н. Леонтьева, Т.Т. Леонченко, Л.С. Маслова.– СПб.: Изд-во СПбГУСЭ, 2009. – 47 с.

 
 

     Настоящий практикум по английскому языку  предназначен для аудиторной и самостоятельной работы студентов I курса.

     Материалом  для данного практикума послужили аутентичные тексты из британских и американских источников. Тематика текстов охватывает основные аспекты социально-политической и культурной жизни Великобритании, США  и других англоговорящих стран.   Тексты значительны по объему, информационно и лексически насыщены. Работа с ними и выполнение прилагаемых заданий позволяет обучающимся приобрести навыки всех видов чтения: ознакомительного, поискового и с полным пониманием прочитанного.

     Усвоение  страноведческого материала содержащегося  в текстах способствует расширению кругозора у студентов и обеспечивает в будущем эффективную коммуникацию с зарубежными партнерами в сферах как профессионального, так и повседневного общения.

 

Составители: доц. Т.Н. Леонтьева,

         ст. преп. Т.Т. Льонченко,

         ст. преп. Л.С. Маслова

 

Рецензент: доц. Н.А. Меркулова

 
 
 
 
 
 

© Санкт-Петербургский  государственный университет

сервиса и экономики

2009 г.

 

CONTENTS

 
 
 
 
 

 

CHAPTER I 
THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN  
AND NOTHERN IRELAND

Text 1 
Great Britain

     Britain, Great Britain, the United Kingdom (UK for short), England – these different names are sometimes used to mean the same thing, and they are sometimes used wrongly.

     The name used at the United Nations is the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”  Strictly speaking, “Great Britain” should only be used as the name of the country, since England is only a part of Great Britain.

     The United Kingdom includes four nations and only the people of England call themselves English. The others refer to themselves as Welsh, Scottish, or Irish. Both in Wales and in Scotland there are strong demands for more recognition of their national distinctions through the system of government. There are distinct Scottish customs and ways of speaking the English language. Scotland has always had a separate educational system as well as a legal system and local administration. Wales has been assimilated administratively. Most Scottish and Welsh people live in small and heavily concentrated areas of coal-mining and heavy industry.

     England is highly industrialized and was the country in which the earliest development of modern industry took place. The original basis of British industry was coal-mining, and the early factories grew up not very far from the main mining areas. Glasgow and Newcastle became great centres of engineering and shipbuilding. Lancashire produced cotton goods and Yorkshire woolens, with Sheffield concentrating on iron and steel. Birmingham and the other towns developed light engineering. The world does not go to Britain to buy textiles or ships as it did in the past. A new light industry, much more diversified, has grown up in place of the old.

     The central parts of the old industrial areas with their long rows of red-brick houses, are still rather ugly. A hundred years of winter fogs have left their mark. It was in and around Manchester in the middle of the 19th century that F.Engels found such impressive evidence of what he interpreted as the horrors of capitalism.

     The British climate has a bad reputation, which is partly justified. What’s the forecast in Britain? It’s mainly showers and sunny intervals since there’s too little sunshine in the country. The British love to complain about the weather. They practically always mention it when they greet people. However, there are rarely extremes of cold or heat in Britain and when temperatures drop below 0 or rise above 32°C nobody is prepared.

     All over the world Britain is famous for its fogs. The smoke-fogs (smogs) of big towns were in the past really unhealthy and dangerous to traffic. Much of the smog was caused by the burning of coal in fire-places, though smoke from factories contributes to the trouble. A Clean Air Act was passed by Parliament in 1956, giving local councils power to control smog in big cities; the effects of the plan have been noticeable. But in everyday life for the business of heating houses, for example, many English people in country places remain loyal to the open coal fire although it causes much work and adds to the pollution of the air.

     English people are famous for their love of tradition. They want their customs, like their buildings, their machinery, the operations of their institutions, their Church, to stay established. This reveals itself in their attitude to the monarchy, for example, which is the last link left of the Empire. Also the traditions associated with royal events attract many tourists into the country, thus bringing currency. Their love of traditions can be observed in practically all aspects of life and behaviour.

     English people tend to be rather conservative, they love familiar things and take anything that is strange or foreign with suspicion. They have been slow to adopt rational reforms such as the metric system which came into general use in the UK in 1975 or decimal money which became the regular form in 1971.

     English people prefer familiar things but they share a world in the 21-st century which is full of change, and new changes are taking place in the country from year to year.

Task  1. Answer the following questions.

 

1. What name of the country is used at the United Nations?
2. How many nations does the United Kingdom include?
3. Which  parts of  Great Britain  are assimilated administratively with England?
4. Which industries were the first to develop in Britain? Which industries are developed now?
5. What customs are English people famous for?

Task 2. Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right.

 

1	distinction	a	a clear difference or separation between two similar things
2	act	b	excellent, fantastic, wonderful, great
3	effect	c	to officially accept a law
4	familiar	d	a law that has been officially accepted by Parliament
5	impressive	e	connection between two or more people, countries,  etc
6	link	f	extremely unattractive and unpleasant to look at
7	local	g	a short period of rain or snow
8	loyal	h	change, result
9	noticeable	i	to have or use something with other people
10	operation	j	to say that you are annoyed, not satisfied, or unhappy about something or someone
11	rarely	k	well-known to you and easy to recognize:
12	shower	l	not often
13	to complain	m	relating to the particular area you live in
14	to pass	n	always supporting your friends, principles, country, etc
15	to share	o	easy to notice
16	ugly	p	the work or activities done by a business or organization

 
 

Text 2 
Visiting Britain

     Don’t expect to see red phone boxes everywhere - there aren’t many left nowadays! Some phones take cash (£1, 50p, 20p and 10p coins) and some take phonecards - we suggest having both. Phone after 6 p.m. - it’s cheaper! Useful numbers: Emergencies 999, International Operator 155.

     There are £50, £20, £10 and £5 notes, and coins worth £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p. Avoid getting £50 notes if you can - some places might refuse to change them. If you don’t want to risk carrying a lot of cash, get some traveller’s cheques before your holiday. Banks are usually open from 9.30 to 4.30, but most of them are closed on Saturdays. If the bank is closed, use your own cash or credit card from home in a cash machine or ‘hole-in-the-wall’, as the British call them - the machine will give you British currency.

     Most pubs offer a good variety of food at reasonable prices. If you can afford to pay for something more special, there are many international restaurants. If you see ‘service included’ on a restaurant bill, you don’t need to tip. If it says ‘service not included’ a 10% tip is expected.

     Hotels are expensive in Britain but there are some cheaper alternatives. ‘Bed and Breakfasts’ are private houses which offer accommodation and breakfast. Many of them give excellent value for money. Youth hostels are even cheaper, if you don’t mind sharing with other people. Hostels vary greatly, but all those belonging to the Youth Hostel Association (YHA) guarantee certain standards of comfort and cleanliness.

     Wherever you decide to stay in Britain, we advise you to take a plug adaptor if you plan to use any electrical appliance like a hairdryer. Plugs in Britain (like a lot of other things!) are different from the rest of Europe.

     Buses are probably the cheapest way to travel. If you can’t stand going on long bus journeys, you can always go by train. Trains in Britain are expensive but ‘return’ tickets (especially ‘day returns’) are a lot cheaper than singles, If you are staying in London, you can save a lot of money by getting a travel card for one day or for a week to go on the Tube and buses.

     We can’t promise to provide good weather for your trip - British weather is very changeable. If you enjoy sitting in the hot sun all day, you should consider going somewhere else for your holidays! During the main tourist season, June-August, the weather is mild, usually between 20°C and 25°C.

Task 3. Are these sentences  true(T) or false (F)?

 

1. In Britain, phone calls are more expensive in the evening.
2. You don’t always need to leave a tip after a meal in a restaurant.
3. Youth hostels are cheap but very uncomfortable.
4. You can’t take electrical appliances to Britain and use them without an adaptor.
5. UK buses are cheaper than trains.
6. You can use travel cards when you travel around Britain by bus or train.
7. Britain is usually hot and sunny in the summer.

 

Text 3 
London

    Capital City

     London is the largest urban area and capital of England and the United Kingdom. London is the home of the Government of the United Kingdom which is located around the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. Many government departments are located close to Parliament, particularly along Whitehall, including the Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street.

     The British Parliament is often referred to as the "Mother of Parliaments"  because it has been the model for most other parliamentary systems, and its Acts have created many other parliaments.

     An important settlement for two millennia, London’s history goes back to its         founding by the Romans. Since its settlement, London has been the centre of many important movements and phenomena throughout history such as the English Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Gothic Revival. In light of this, the city has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world which has increased over the years due to the city’s economic growth. London boasts four World Heritage Sites; these are Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, the historic settlement of Greenwich, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

     It is one of the world’s leading business, financial, and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as a major global city.

     London has an official population of 7,512,400 (as of mid-2006) within the boundaries of Greater London. London’s diverse population draws from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and over 300 different languages are spoken within the city.

     It is an international transport hub, with five major international airports serving the area and a large port. It serves as the largest aviation hub in the world, and the multi-terminal Heathrow Airport* carries more international passengers than any other airport in the world.

 

     *Heathrow Airport is an international airport in London. Heathrow is the largest airport in the UK, and it is 20 miles to the west of London.

 

Task 4. Answer the questions.

 

1. How old is London? Who was it founded by?