Методичка по английскому языку

— And what about the south? There are no mountain chains in the south, are there?

— No, there aren't. The plate opens to the Gulf Coastal Plain which connects with the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

— You describe it so vividly that I'll remember it for the rest of my life.

— I'm fond of geography, besides I'm really interested in the USA. I want to know everything about this wonderful country.

— Then you can tell me about the climate of this country, can't you?

— The climate of the United States is extremely diverse. While people go to the beach in Florida, California and Hawaii, others in Alaska, the midwest and the northeast are wearing thick coats and trying to keep warm.

— So the climate in the USA resembles Russia's. Is that so?

— Well, I wouldn't say that. Of course, the climate in Russia is also very diverse, but you shouldn't forget that Russia is one of world's coldest and most northern countries. So the climate in the USA is much warmer than that in Russia, so American crops yield more bountifully.

— That explains why America is one of the richest countries in the world.

— I think that the main reason is in the people. Americans are very hard-working and persistent. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" is their favourite saying.

— Oh, you know so much about America and its people that listening to you I feel like a traveller. Now I also want to visit this wonderful country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNIT 5. TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS AND CULTURE OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES

 

Text 1. British Customs and Traditions

Vocabulary

old-fashioned — старомодный

keep them up — поддерживать

self-discipline — самодисциплина

reserve — сдержанность

courtesy — учтивость

dignity — достоинство

stay-at-home — домосед

There is no place like home — В гостях хорошо, а дома лучше

 block of flats — многоквартирный дом

An Englishman's house is his castle — Дом англичанина — это его крепость

 pet — любимое домашнее животное

bowler hat — котелок

 cornflakes — кукурузные хлопья

porridge — овсяная каша

 plain — простой

 beefsteak — бифштекс

chop — отбивная котлета

pears — горох

beans — бобы

cauliflower — цветная капуста

cream — сливки

high tea — большой чай

tinned fruit — консервированные фрукты

 

Traditions... Every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. Some of them are old-fashioned and few people remember them, others are part of people's life. Englishmen are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up.

Self-discipline, reserve, courtesy, and dignity are features typical for English people of all classes. They don't like to show their emotions even in dangerous and tragic situation. Englishmen are naturally polite. They always say "Thank you", "I'm sorry", "I beg your pardon", etc. The remarkable politeness of English people are known all over the world. If you follow anyone who is entering the building or a room, he will hold the door open for you.

The English are stay-at-home people. "There is no place like home", they say. When they don't work they like, to spend their days off at home with their families. The Englishman also prefers his own house to an apartment in a block of flats. He doesn't like to be watched by his neighbours. "An Englishman's house is his castle". Englishmen are very fond of fire-places, that's why many of them prefer the open fire to central heating.

They are fond of gardening and very proud of their gardens. It is well known that English people like animals. Usually, there is a pet in every English home. Alongside with the pictures of their family they always have a picture of their pets: a cat, a dog, a bird, etc.

When we say "Bowler hats, tea and talks about the weather", we can immediately see the image of an Englishman.

They say that English people keep to their traditions even in meals. For his breakfast an Englishman usually has cornflakes with milk and sugar (porridge if he lives in the North), fried bacon and eggs, marmalades on toast and tea with milk, of course.

At offices and factories there is a tea or coffee break at eleven. Between 1 and 2 there is lunch time in Great Britain. Englishmen are fond of good plain food. They like beefsteaks, chops, roast beef, fried fish, chipped potatoes. A meat course is served with plenty of vegetables: pears, beans and cauliflower. Tea drinking is quite a tradition with the English 5 o'clock tea is not usually served at the table. Each person has a cup and saucer and a spoon in his hand. They drink strong tea with sugar and cream or milk. Such tea is known as English tea. Tea with lemon is called 'Russian tea' in England.

The evening meal has different names: tea, high tea, dinner or supper. It's usually a meat course followed by tinned fruit or cake and tea. At the evening English people like to go to the local pubs for a drink of beer and a pleasant talk. They really enjoy their style of life.

 

Answer the following questions:

1.Why is it important to keep up different traditions? 2. Have old traditions survived in Great Britain? 3. What traditions do you know in Britain? Name them. 4. Have you got any traditions in your family? Name them.

 

 

Text 2. Holidays in Great Britain

Vocaulary

Christmas Day — Рождество

Boxing Day — Второй день Рождества

New Year's Day — Новый Год

Good Friday — Великая пятница

Easter Monday — Первый понедельник после Пасхи

May Day — Майский праздник

Spring Bank Holiday — Весенний день отдыха

Summer Bank Holiday — Летний день отдыха

bank holiday — национальный праздник

ancient people — древние люди

expectation — ожидание

stocking — чулок

chimney — труба

turkey — индейка

donation — денежное пожертвование

servant — слуга

paperboy —разносчик газет

to arrange — организовать

biscuit — сухое печенье

to mark the death of Christ — отмечать день смерти Христа

hot-cross bun — булочка с крестом наверху

outdoor — на открытом воздухе

May Queen — Майская королева

to select — выбирать

to fall on — приходиться на (какой-то день)

 townsfolk — городской парад

fair — ярмарка

swing — качели

roundabout — карусель

to blow up — взрывать

to succeed — добиваться цели

figure — фигура

straw — солома

to knock — стучать

gunpowder — порох

plot — заговор

treason — предательство, измена

firework — фейерверк

bonfire — костер

 

There are following public holidays in Great Britain: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holidays, and Summer Bank Holidays. Public holidays in Britain are called bank holidays, because the banks as well as most of the offices and shops are closed.

Christmas is celebrated on December 25^th. It is the most colourful holiday of the year. On Christmas Eve offices and public buildings close at one o'clock, but the shops stay open late. Most big cities are decorated with coloured lights across the streets and beautiful Christmas trees. The biggest Christmas tree stands in Trafalgar Square in London. At homes there is great air of expectation. Children decorate the trees with toys and coloured lights. They also hang stockings on their beds. They hope that Santa Claus will use the chimney to come at night and fill stockings with toys and sweets. Christmas is a family holiday. Traditional Christmas bird is a turkey. There is also Christmas pudding. And everyone gives and receives presents.

The 26th of December is called Boxing Day, because many years ago the next day after Christmas people traditionally went to the church. There are special boxes in the churches and they usually put their donations there for the poor people. Nowadays people also presents servants, postmen, paperboys with lit- tie gifts or money. They also visit their friends or relatives and watch TV.

In England New Year is not as popular as Christmas. Usually it is a family party or a party arranged by a group of young people. It begins at 8 pm and goes on until the morning. There is a lot of drinking, cold meat, pies, sandwiches, cakes, and biscuits. New Year's dances are held in most hotels and dance halls on New Year's Eve. Some people send the New Year's cards and give presents, but it's not a custom.

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter, when the church marks the death of Christ. On this day people eat hot-cross buns — buns marked on top with a crosa. Easter Monday is the day after Easter Day. It is a traditional day for the start of the summer tourist season.

May Day is the first Monday after the first of May. It is celebration of the coming of spring. On May Day different outdoor events are held. Usually May Queen, the most beautiful girl of the celebration, is selected.

Spring Bank Holidays falls on the last Monday in May. Summer Bank Holidays falls on the last Monday in August. During these holidays all the banks, offices, factories and shops are closed. On Bank Holidays the townsfolk usually goes to the country or to the coast of the sea. If the weather is fine many families take a picnic-lunch or tea with them and enjoy their meal in the open air. During these holidays there are also large fairs with swings and roundabouts. 

Besides public holidays there are some special festivals in Great Britain. One of them takes place on the 5^th of November. On that day in 1605, Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. He didn't succeed. At the moment of his arrest he had a mask on his face. Guy Fawkes was taken to the Tower and killed. That's why on the fifth of November every year English boys and girls carry funny figures about the streets. These figures are made of straw and dressed in an old coat and a hat, with a mask for a face. The children knock at the door and sing:

"Remember, remember

The fifth of November

Was Gunpowder reason and plot.

I see no reason

Why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot".

The people give children some money for fireworks. In the evening a bonfire is made and the figures are burnt on it. Each of these figures are called Guy Fawkes. Children like this holiday very much.

 

 

Text 3. British Character

Vocabulary

well-mannered — воспитанный

queue — очередь

to queue — стоять в очереди

habit — привычка

reserved — сдержанный

hardly ever lie — почти никогда не лгут

truth — правда

to offend — обижать

Trooping the Colour — вынос  знамени (торжественная церемония развода караулов с выносом знамени, которая проводится в официальный день   рождения монарха)

Ceremony of the Keys — церемония передачи ключей (проходит в лондонском Тауэре в 10 часов вечера)

familiar — знакомый

to preserve — сохранять

prudent — благоразумный

Changing of the Guard — смена  караула королевских гвардейцев (торжественная церемония, которая проводится каждое  утро во дворе перед Букингемским дворцом)

lawn — лужайка

neatly — аккуратно

to trim — подстригать

crime — преступность

block of flats — многоквартирный дом

household — семья

to take care of — заботиться о

 

The British are said to be polite and well-mannered people. Polite words or phrases sue has "Please", "Thank you" and "Excuse me" are used very often in Britain. Queuing is a national habit. At bus stops and cinemas, in shops, banks and post offices and in lots of other places you'll have to join the queue and wait for your turn. "An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one," said George Mikes.

The British are said to be reserved. They don't like displaying their emotions even in dangerous and tragic situations. But they are not unemotional. They control their emotions because they are taught that it is best not to show their feelings. The English hardly ever lie, but they don't tell you the truth either. English people take everything with a sense of humour. You can easily offend them if you tell them they have no sense of humour.

Englishmen tend to be rather conservative, they love familiar things. They are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up. Britain has more living symbols of its past than many other countries. Traditional uniforms are still preserved in Great Britain. There are also a lot of traditional ceremonies such as the "Changing of the Guard" at Buckingham Palace, "Trooping the Colour", which is performed on the Queen's official birthday, or the "Ceremony of the Keys", that takes place every night at the Tower of London.

The English are practical and realistic, prudent and careful about almost everything. Everything is orderly: the lawns and the trees are neatly trimmed. Every Englishman is said to be a countryman at heart. The English countryside is many things to many people. It means peace and quiet, beauty, good health and no crime. Most Englishmen love gardens. Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies among Englishmen. They usually prefer И house with a garden to an apartment in a modern block of flats.

The British people are considered to be the world's greatest teal drinkers. They drink it at meals and between meals. The English tea is usually strong and with milk.

The British love animals very much. Millions of families have "bird-tables" in their gardens. Nearly half of the households in Britain keep at least one pet. The English take good care of their pets. They are pet lovers.

 

Answer the following questions:

1. Arc the British polite? Why? 2. Are the British reserved or communicative? Why? 3. Why are the British people said to be conservative? 4. What traditional British ceremonies do you know? 5. What are traditional British dishes? What do the British like to drink? 6. Do the British keep everything in order? How can you prove that? 7. Do the British like their countryside? 8. What is their attitude towards animals? 9. Can you describe the British using 3 adjectives? 10. What is your personal attitude towards the British? 11. How different or alike do you think the Russians and the British are?

 

 

Text 4. National Stereotypes

Vocabulary

for instance — например

to be renowned — быть знаменитым,славиться

reliable — надежный

relatively — относительно

to give a high value — высоко ценить

desire — желание

numerous — многочисленный

identity — индивидуальность

hostility — враждебность

comparatively — сравнительно

affection — привязанность

convention — норма, обычай

casualty — обычно, небрежно

income — доход

to be embarrassed — смущаться, стесняться

to admit — признавать

snobbish — спесивый, высокомерный

to behave — вести себя

to combine — сочетать, совмещать

indeed — в самом деле

measurement — измерение

government — правительство

scale — шкала, единица измерения

pound — фунт

ounce — унция

chauvinistic — шовинистический, высокомерный, подчеркивающим свое превосходство

to obey — подчиняться

rigid — жесткий

a male bank employee — служащий  банка мужского пола

to slip into — накидывать, влезать в

scruffy — неряшливый

tolerant — терпимый

cemetery — кладбище

overall concern — всеобщая забота

unlike — в отличие

remark — замечание

obligatory — обязательный

rather — скорее

rude — грубый

convenient — удобный

to fill the gap — заполнять паузу

 

There are certain stereotypes of national character which are well known in Britain. For instance, the Irish are supposed to be great talkers, the Scots have a reputation for being careful with money, the Welsh are renowned for their singing abilities, and the English are considered to be reserved. These characteristics are, of course, only caricatures and are not reliable description of individual people from these countries.

British people give a relatively high value to the everyday personal contacts. Some writers on Britain have talked about the British desire "to belong", and it is certainly true that the pub, or the working man's club, or the numerous other clubs devoted to various sports and pastimes play a very important part in many people's lives. Many people make their social contacts through work and, partly as a result of this, the profession is also important aspect of their sense of identity. British people try to appear as if they belong to as high class as possible, though nobody wants to be thought of as "snobbish".

The British have few living traditions and are too individualistic to have the same everyday habits as each other. They are rather proud of being different. However, this does not mean that they like change. They don't. They may not behave in traditional ways, but they like symbols of tradition and stability. The British are rather conservative and their conservatism can combine with their individualism. Why should they change just to be like everyone else? Indeed, as far as they are concerned, not being like everyone else is a good reason not to change. Their driving on the left-hand side of the road is a good example to this. Systems of measurement are another example. The British government has been trying for many years to get British people to use the same scales that are used nearly everywhere else in the world. But everybody in Britain still shops in pounds and ounces.

The modern British are not really chauvinistic. Open hostility, to people from other countries is very rare. If there is any chauvinism at all, it expresses itself through ignorance. Most British people know remarkably little about Europe and who lives there. The popular image of Europe seems to be that it is something to do with the French.

It is probably true that the British, especially the English, are more reserved than the people of many other countries. They find it comparatively difficult to indicate friendship by open displays of affection. For example, it is not the convention to kiss when meeting a friend. Instead, friendship is symbolized by behaving as casually as possible.

The British are comparatively uninterested in clothes. They spend a lower proportion of their income on clothing than people in most European countries do. Many people buy second-hand clothes and are not at all embarrassed to admit this. Of course, when people are "on duty", they have to obey some quite rigid rules. A male bank employee, for example, is expected to wear a suit with a tie at work. But on Sundays the British like to "dress down". They can't wait to take off their respectable working clothes and slip into something really scruffy. In fact, the British are probably more tolerant of "strange" clothing than people in most other countries.

The English people are great pet lovers. Practically every family has a dog or a cat, or both. They have special dog shops sellings food, clothes and other things for dogs. There are dog hairdressing saloons and dog cemeteries. Millions of families have "bird-tables" in their gardens. Perhaps, this overall concern for animals is parte the British love for nature.

The British are always talking about the weather. Unlike many others, this stereotype is actually true to life. But constant remarks about the weather at chance meetings are not the result of polite conventions. They are not obligatory. Rather, they are the result of the fact that, on the one hand, to ask personal questions would be rude while, at the same time, silence would also be rude. The weather is a very convenient topic to "fill the gap".

 

Answer the following questions:

1. What stereotypes of the British national character do you know? 2. Do the British like change? 3. Can you give any examples of the British conservatism? 4. Arc the British reserved? 5. What is the attitude of the British people towards clothes? 6. Do the British like animals? 7. Why do the British always talk about the weather? 8. Can you describe the British using 3 adjectives? 9. What is your personal attitude towards the British? 10. How different or alike do you think the Russians and the British are?

 

Text 5. TIME FOR TEA

The British and tea are inseparable. 8 out of 10 people in Britain drink tea every day and Britain imports about 20% of all the world's tea. Tea makes up about half of all that a British person drinks. Tea has even played a part in British literature and history.

Do you remember the Mad Hatter's tea party in Alice in Wonderland! And there was the "Boston Tea Party" when a group of Americans threw a delivery of tea from the ships into the waters of Boston harbour because the ruling British government wanted to tax it. This particular tea party marks the beginning of the movement to make America independent.  .

Tea didn't come to Europe until 1610 and was introduced to Britain in 1657 by Catherine of Braganza, King Charles II's wife. But by the 1800s, the exotic drink became so popular that special ships ("clippers") were designed to bring it quickly from China.