Render into English the information about the Tower of London paying attention to the words in bold type.

Тауэр – это крепость, расположенная в центре Лондона. История Тауэра – это история Лондона. Строительство Тауэра началось в 1078 году королем Генрихом III. Тауэр когда-то был королевской резиденцией, кладовой драгоценностей, монетным двором (mint) и тюрьмой. Сейчас это музей. Туристы совершают пешеходные экскурсии с гидом. Они узнают много интересных фактов, как по истории Лондона, так и Великобритании.

 

Summarize the text “London”. Use the following phrases:

The text reports on...

The text deals with...

Much attention is given to...

It should be said (stressed) that...

It is pointed out that...

Summarizing, it can be pointed out (mentioned) that …

Read the following text and write down Russian equivalents for the words and expressions in bold type.

CARDIFF

1. Cardiff, the capital of Wales, with the population of 320 900 inhabitants, is its political, educational, cultural, and industrial centre. The city is located near the mouth of the river Taff, which flows into the British Channel, in South-eastern Wales.

2. The Romans built a fort there in A.D.75, but the town itself was only established with the arrival of the Normans in the eleventh century. By the third and fourth centuries there had been built a massive stone wall around fort. Traces of this wall can still be seen at various parts of the modern city. By the late 4th century when Roman forces withdrew from Britain the fort was probably abandoned. Only with the coming of Normans about 700 years later did there reappear signs of occupation. Although Cardiff is an ancient town it did not expand greatly until the 19th century. Later its growth declined once more. Its population was small into the early 19th century, but by the early 20th century Cardiff had become the largest coal-exporting port in the world. Cardiff is very well placed to develop a most vigorous export trade in coal. It rose to importance with coal mining and iron industries. Though the coal trade ceased in the 1960s, the city remains the largest in Wales and principal commercial centre.

3. Today the cargoes it handles are mainly imports, to be distributed throughout South Wales. On imported grain flour milling developed as well as other food processing. Engineering in Cardiff includes ship-repairing and making of railway wagons, oil engines, vehicles and electric gear. It is also known for a great range of light industry. Cardiff has a modern shopping centre.

4. The University of Wales, founded in 1893, is situated in Cardiff.

Wales’ capital, Cardiff, is probably one of the Britain’s best-kept secrets. In the heart of the city stands the 1900 year-old castle, sumptuously renovated in the 19th century. Here too are Victorian arcades lined with tiny shops, a lively covered market and a lot of pubs, restaurants and theatres, as well as National Museum of Wales, a huge museum which covers the history of the country.

 

Comprehension check

8. Indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false according to the text “Cardiff”. Correct the false statement.

1. The town of Cardiff was set up in the eleventh century.

2. By the nineteenth century Cardiff had become the capital of the UK.

3. Cardiff is a port.

4. You can find a lot of small shops, markets, museums in the capital of Wales.

 

9. Find in the text “Cardiff” equivalents for the following Russian words and expressions:

жители, отозвали войска, появились признаки оккупации, приостановили торговлю, мукомольное производство, переработка продуктов питания, двигатели для нефтяной промышленности, хранитель секретов, крепость, дает сведения по истории страны, электропривод.

 

Make an outline of the text you have read. (See appendix).

 

Use the outline to summarize the text “Cardiff”.

Read the following text and write down Russian equivalents for the words and expressions in bold type.

EDINBURGH

1. Edinburgh the capital of Scotland is the centre of Scottish culture, commerce, education, the site of the Scots national parliament. Its population is 448 900 inhabitants.

2. Located in southeastern Scotland, the original burgh, now known as Old Town, arose in the eleventh century, around Edinburgh Castle, the royal residence of Malcolm III MacDuncan. In 1329 Robert Bruce granted Edinburgh a town charter, it became the capital of Scottish Kingdom in 1437. The city was destroyed in 1544 in the border wars with England; its characteristic use of stone architecture began with this rebuilding. The 18th century saw a cultural and intellectual renaissance in Scotland. Edinburgh was home to such luminaries as David Hume, Adam Smith, Robert Burns and Walter Scott. It was the birthplace of the Encyclopedia Britannica (1768). The city expanded in the late 18th century with the development of Georgian-style New Town, separated from the Old Town by a valley.

3. Now, Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, full of historical monuments of great interest. It is home to the University of Edinburgh, which was founded in 1582, National Library, National Gallery, and Royal Scottish Museum.

4. The dominating feature of the city is the Castle, standing high on a steep rock. It is in the royal apartments of the Castle that the son of Mary Queen the Scots, the future King James I, was born. Every citizen in Edinburgh checks his watch by the One O’Clock Gun which is fired every day in Edinburgh Castle.

5. The Royal Palace of Hollyrood House is the official residence of the present queen of England, Elizabeth II. When she comes on a visit to Scotland, she stays in this palace.

6. The main shopping area is Prince Street and it is also the finest street in the capital. In the gardens on its south side stands the monument to Walter Scott, the famous writer of historical novels. Beyond the Scott monument, at the foot of the Castle, is the National Gallery of Scotland.

7. Edinburgh is also an important centre of cultural life. Every year, in late August and early September, it produces a festival of music and drama which is famous all over the world.

8. The Scottish capital has become the outstanding centre of tourism in Scotland. Its picturesque surface features led to its being called “The Athens of the North”.

9. Edinburgh is famous for rubber manufacturing and engineering and also for its biscuit industry.

 

Comprehension check

13. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the Edinburgh Castle famous for?

2. What places of interest can tourist visit in this city?

3. What branches of industry are developing in the capital of Scotland?

 

14. Match the following English words and expressions with their Russian equivalents:

1) the original burgh	a) духовное возрождение
2) inhabitant	b) приграничная война
3) dominating feature	c) житель
4) intellectual renaissance	d) подлинный город
5) a town charter	e) быть известным во всем мире
6) the border war	f) характерный признак
7) picturesque surface features	g) городская привилегия
8) to be famous all over the world	8) to be famous all over the world

15. Have another look atthe text “Edinburgh” and pay attention to the historical dates and proper names. Tell what these dates and names mean in the history of Edinburgh .

16. Which parts of the text “Edinburgh” correspond to the following headings? Put them into logical order.

1. Edinburgh – the centre of cultural life.

2. The cultural and intellectual renaissance of the city.

3. The Edinburgh Castle.

 

17. Use the structural pattern built in task 16, add 1 – 3 sentences to illustrate each heading. Use the phrases given above (See Unit 1).

18. Read the following text and translate the sentences in bold type into Russian in writing

BELFAST

1. Belfast is the district, seaport and capital of Northern Ireland, with the population of 297 000 inhabitants. It is Northern Ireland’s political, educational, commercial and cultural centre.

2. Situated on the River Lagan, the site was occupied in the Stone and Bronze ages, and the remains of Iron age forts can still be seen. Belfast’s modern history began in the early 17th century when Sir Arthur Chichester developed a plan for colonizing the area with English and Scottish settlers. Having survived the Irish insurrection of 1641, the town grew in economic importance especially after a large immigration of French Huguenots. They arrived there after the rescinding of the Edict Nantes (1685) and strengthened the linen trade. The town became a centre of Irish Protestantism, setting the stage for sectarian conflict in the 19th- 20th century. The latest conflicts broke out in the 1960s and continued into the 1990s. A provisional peace agreement was reached in 1998.

3. Belfast is beautifully situated. Lying in a broad natural amphitheatre, gracefully surrounded by hills, and looking down a deep inlet of the sea, Belfast has rich variety and offers many pleasant surprises. The centre of the city is built like Amsterdam on piles driven into mud. The broad roads that radiate from the centre bring us out to the suburban districts on the hillsides or by the sea or the valley of the River Lagan.

4. Belfast is a modern city, a city of the 19th century and of the industrial revolution. Its expansion was rather later than that of most other British industrial cities. There are a few Georgian buildings, but the mass of the city’s buildings are late Victorian or belong to the 20th century. The City Hall in Donegall Square is one of the chief Landmarks. The huge Law Courts, the Protestant Cathedral (Church of Ireland), the handsome Telephone House, the Albert Memorial clock are worth seeing.

5. The Museum and Art Gallery is rich in modern Irish painting, a fine collection of Irish silverware. Its exhibits give a vivid picture of Ulster history, geography, and animal life. There is a library which includes early Belfast-printed books, a fascinating collection of photographs which record Ulster life half a century ago and the Horner collection of spinning wheels. The Transport Museum houses one of the finest collections of transport vehicles in Europe. The Botanic Gardens with its conservatory, the tropical greenhouses and rosewalks is one of Belfast’s oldest and most pleasant parks. Behind the conservatory there are the main buildings of the Queen’s University of Belfast, so called because originally it was one of three colleges founded by Queen Victoria.

Notes to the text

1. French Huguenots – французские протестанты (гугеноты); последователи Ж.Кальвина во Франции XVI –XVIII века.

2. Edict Nantes (1685) – Нантский эдикт (указ) 1598года издан французским королем Генрихом IV, завершил религиозную войну. Католицизм оставался господствующей религией, но гугенотам предоставилась свобода вероисповедания и богослужения, но это запрещалось в Париже и нескольких городах. Гугеноты получили определенные политические права. Этот эдикт частично был отменен в 1629г., а полностью в 1685г. Людовиком XIV.

3. Georgian – георгианский (относящийся к периоду четырех королей: Георга I (1714-1727), Георга II (1727- 1760), Георга III (1760 -1820), Георга IV (1820 -1830).

Comprehension check

19. Answer the following questions:

1. What events caused the conflicts in Belfast?

2. When were the most of the city’s buildings built?

3. What exhibits can anyone see in the city’s museums?

 

20. Find in the text “Belfast” equivalents for the following Russian words and expressions:

окруженный холмами, пережив восстание (мятеж, бунт), после отмены указа, лежащий (расположенный), смотрящий (свысока), названный, основанный, конфликт разразился, ставший причиной (подтолкнувший к), временный договор, пригородные районы, современная живопись, изделия из серебра, прялка.

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