ADLER PLANETARIUM HONOURS YURI GAGARIN
The Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois has honoured Russian cosmonaut
Yuri Gagarin. He was the first person to travel to space. He made the flight
on April the twelfth, 1961. Now, fifty years later, the Adler Planetarium is
celebrating with a new sculpture of the man. Russian officials in Moscow
donated the Gagarin sculpture to Chicago.
The planetarium opened in 1930, the country's first museum of astronomy. The
Adler has always honoured scientific gains made by the Americans. But now
the museum is working to honour astronomical achievements made by other
nations as well.
Former Romanian cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu attended the ceremony
to honour Yuri Gagarin. Twenty years after he became the first man in space,
Mr Prunariu flew to space on a Soyuz rocket. That was in 1981. He remains
Romania's only cosmonaut.
Mr Prunariu was eight year old when Gagarin made the flight. He remembers
the moment he heard about it.
"I was in the house together with my sister and mother listening to the radio.
And the radio stopped and very important news was broadcast about the flight
of the first human into outer space... Yuri Gagarin showed us how to break
frontiers, the frontier of the atmosphere."
James Andrews is a Russian history expert at Iowa State University in Ames,
Iowa. He says Gagarin's flight shocked Americans, coming just three and a half
years after the Soviets launched the Sputnik satellite. But America soon stole
the world's attention with its Earth orbits and trips to the moon.
The president of the Adler Planetarium is Paul Knappenberger. He says, in the
past, the Adler had not really shown what other nations were doing in space.
But he said, "that is something we are working on now."
Mr Knappenberger says the Adler is expanding. He says plans include a new
building. The new museum will feature the history of space exploration
by Americans and Soviets. It will also show current, international activity
connected to space travel; the private industry now involved in space flight
will also be included.
2. The author describes how the Adler Planetarium is expanding. Find this extract
and read it aloud.
3. What is Mr Prunariu grateful to Yuri Gagarin for?
4. Why did the Adler decide to include Yuri Gagarin's sculpture into its exhibition?
№64
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
Fake
поддельный, искусственный
HALLOWEEN
Halloween is always celebrated on 31 October. On that night, many people will
look like frightening creatures such as vampires or ghosts. They do this with
the help of special clothing and face paint.
Halloween traditions developed from Celtic beliefs in ancient Britain. The Celts
believed that spirits of the dead would return to their homes on October the
thirty-first, the day of the autumn feast. They built huge fires to frighten away
evil spirits that night.
People from Scotland and Ireland brought these ideas with them when they
came to America. Some believed that spirits played tricks on people on the last
night of October. Historians say many of the Halloween traditions of today
developed from those of ancient times. They say that wearing a mask to hide
a person's face is similar to the way ancient villagers covered their faces to make
evil spirits go away
On Halloween night, American children put on masks and other clothing. They
go from home to home shouting "Trick or treat"! If the people in the homes do
not give them a treat, the children may play a trick on them.
Some adults put on costumes and attend Halloween parties. They also decorate
their homes. They might clean out the insides of pumpkins and cut funny faces on the surface. Then, they place a burning candle inside. Some hang fake* bats, spider webs and other things around the home.
The National Retail Federation is predicting that Americans will spend more on
Halloween treats and products this year. The group says about six point nine
billion dollars will be spent in all. That is eighteen percent more than last year
when Americans spent five point eight billion dollars to celebrate Halloween.
The National Retail Federation also has information about what Americans will
be wearing for Halloween this year. It says zombie costumes are tops among
women, men and children.
2. The author describes how the ideas of celebrating Halloween came to the USA.
Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What do adults and children do to get ready for Halloween?
4. Why do many people celebrate this holiday nowadays?
№65
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
Felt boots
валенки
Glue
клей
FELT BOOTS* ARE FEAST FOR THE EYES
The financial-economic crisis of the 2009 was the third of its kind for Smilovichi
Felting Factory's Director, Vasily Saban. However, each time his unique
company recovered from its challenging situation. Mr Saban, 55, has not only
survived these times of trouble but has discovered a solution for 'his' factory —
the company modernized its felt boot production, with the range of wool-made
products expanded.
"This branch may be one of the oldest but it has seen progress," says Mr Saban,
looking at black-and-white photos from the 1950—1960s. "In 1928 Smilovichi
staff made just 8—10 pairs of felt boots daily; the figure is ten times larger now,
the quality has also improved. We are now working on making women's felt
boots more attractive and fashionable, without giving them high heels!"
Felt boots have been worn for over two centuries but still enjoy popularity with
villagers, buiders, the military, steel workers and ice fishermen. In recent years,
felt boots have even gained special status, being bought in Russia, the Baltic
States. Ukraine and Finland; Smilovichi-made footwear is worn with pleasure.
The company makes 37 different wollen products — including felt boots for
children and adults, technical felt, woollen blankets and pillows, and sets for
banyas. Its major supplies of raw materials are based in Russia, Uzbekistan,
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan. The company has managed not only to avoid
bankruptcy but to advance significantly in its traditional manufacture. The
process of felt boot making is complicated and labour intensive, including 36
operations, with only a few of them mechanised.
...I went to Smilovichi to buy felt boots for my sister and ended up buying some
for myself and my family. They are beautiful and warm and environmentally
friendly, being produced from sheep's wool, without addictive and synthetic
glue*. Anyone wearing Smilovichi-made felt boots must surely feel warm; their
footwear has been made with love and keeps the warmth of their makers' hands.
2. The director of the felting factory tells us about the factory's achievements over
the years. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What does the factory produce?
4. Why are felt boots becoming more and more popular all over the world?
№66
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
A chronicle
хроника, летопись
Ceramic ware
керамика
An inscription
надпись
A spring
источник, ключ, родник
