Write compressed version of the text making use of topical sentences.

Topical conversation

1. Speak on the role of labour which transformed the face of the earth and the primitive people themselves.

2. Speak on the importance of archaeology as a science.

 

Text 2

 

The first calendar

 

Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates. What is more, they will not have to rely on the writ­ten word. Films, gramophone records and magnetic tapes will provide them with a bewildering amount of information. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting, to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a large task.

He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available. Even insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.

Up to now, historians have assumed calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, for man was faced with a need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.

Historians were puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been engraved on walls, bones and the ivory tusks of mammoths. The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the lest Ice Age which began about 35, 000 B.C. and ended by 10, 000 B.C.By correlating markings made in some parts of the world historians have been able to read this difficult code. They found that it la connected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar.It has long been known that the hunting scenes depleted on walls were not simple and

artistic expression. They had a definite meaning, they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible that there is a definite relation between these paintings and the markings that., sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 2O, OOO years earlier than was supposed.

 

Key words and expressions

 

B.C.(before Christ) дo нaшей эры

to record the history увековечивать историю

scientific evidence научное доказательство

to rely on полагаться на

to deduce делать заключение, проследить, установить происхождение

scanty clues скудные ключи к разгадке

available доступный

insignificant незначительный

to come into being появиться

the advent of agriculture возникновение сельского хозяйства

assumption предположение

to be puzzled by быть озадаченным, быть поставленным в тупик

to be engraved выгравированный, запечатлённыйй

ivory tusks of mammoth слоновые бивни мамонта

hunting scenes сцены охоты

a definite meaning определённое значение

to be faced with a task сталкиваться с задачей

 

Words for active use

 

To record the history, to select facts, scientific evidence, am attempt to reconstruct, available clues, insignificant remains, to shed interesting light, assumption, by hunting and fishing, markings and paintings.

 

Assignments

 

1. Find English equivalents in the text:

Будущие историки, в особом положении, увековечивать историю, выбирать факты, множество доказательств, полагаться только на, магнитные ленты, попытка воссоздать, далекое прошлое, сталкиваться с задачей, пролить свет на историю, появиться, возникновение, последние научные доказательства, неверное предположение, ломать голову над; линии и символы, выгравированные на стенах и камнях; слоновые бивни мамонтов, жить охотой и рыбной ловлей, до нашей эры, примитивный календарь, определённое значение, определённая связь, рисунки и знаки, времена года.

 

1. Suggest Russian equivalents to the following:

 

To be in unique position, to record the history, to select facts from the great mass of evident, to rely solely on the written word, to provide with a bewildering amount of information, to see and us in action, attempting to reconstruct the distant past, to be fased with a difficult task, from the few scanty clues

available, insignificant remaine, to shed light on the history, to come into being with the advent of agriculture, recent scientific evidence, to puzzled by smth, to be engraved on walls, ivory tuske of mammoth, to live by hunting and fishing, a primitive type of calendar hunting scenes, a form of artistic expression, a definite meaning, a real effort to understand the seasons.

 

1. Find historical terms in the text, pick them out.

 

1. Give definitions to the following:

Historian, history, calendar, scientific evidence, mammoth, Ancient History, remains, Ice Age.

 

1. Rend the text and find all the sentences containing modal verbs. Explain the meaning of the modal verbs in them.
2. Translate the following sentences paying special attention to the underlined parts of the sentences:

A. 1. Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture.

2. The devision of labour came into being with the improvement of working tools.

3. The slave society came into being when war prisoners could be left alive.

4. When did a state system come into being and why?

B. 1. Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.

2. Man seems to have been making efforts to understand the seasons 20, 000 years earlier than it has been supposed.

3. Those markings seem to be a primitive type of calendar.

4. The hunting scenes depicted on cave walls seem to have a definite meaning.

5. This seems to be a very interesting find.

 

Interpretation of the text

 

1. Answer the questions:

 

1. Why will future historians be in a unique position?

2. What will they rely on when they come to record the history of our times?

3. Why is the historian's attempt to reconstruct the distant past always faced with a difficult task?

4. When did the last Ice Age begin and when was it over?

5. How did the nomads live during the last Ice Age?

6. What was engraved on walls, bones and the ivory tusks of mammoth?

7. Who did these markings?

8. What did these markings mean?

9. What do the historians think about these markings?

10. When did a man begin to make a real effort to understand the seasons?

 

2. Write a short summary of the text using the following plan:

1. Material evidence of our times and of the distant past.

2. The recent point of view concerning the appearance of first calendar.

3. In the light of new evidence.

 

Topical conversation

 

1. Discuss a unique position of future historians when they come to record the history of our times.

2. Speak on the primitive calendar and the time it appeared.

 

Text 3

 

Rome in the time of Julius Caessar

 

Rome ruled the world. Her armies brought peace and order everywhere. Whether you lived in Palestine or Egypt or Britain, it was true that " all roads led to Rome".For Rome was a centre of a great empire,

where people of every race and country gathered together.

But in spite of all this, all was not well in Rome, no one was satisfied with the government and everyone wanted more power. Many of the consuls did not like being consuls only for one year, but wanted to run the country all the time. Successful generals did not like handing over their armies after a few years to another general. There were two particular rivals in Rome - Pompey and Julius Caesar. Pompey had been a great general who had cleared the Mediterranean of pirates and had made many conquests in the east. Julius Caesar, who came from a very old Roman family, had won great victories, Juries in Gaul and Britain. Each wanted to be sole ruler of Rome and each feared the other. The other Romans began to take sides, and soon terrible civil out, in which Pompey was killed. Julius Caesar then planned to make himself king of Rome, but a band of Romans, who were envious of him or did not want a king in Rome, murdered him.

Then two more rivals arose - Mark Antony and Julius Caesar's adopted son, Octavian. At last those two fought a great battle in 31 B.C. and Octavian defeated Antony.

 

Learn to pronounce the words:

Rome ['roum]

an empire ['empai ]

Julius Caesar [ ]

Egypt ['pompi]

Pompey ['pompi]

Mediterranean[ ]

Gaul [go: l ]

Octavian [ ]

 

Key words and expressions

 

to rule the world управлять миром

to run the country зд.управлять страной

a sole ruler единственный правитель

a war broke out вспыхнула война

a rival соперник

to be envious of smb. завидовать кому-либо

to fight a battle провести сражение

to take sides становиться на чью-либо сторону

to clear the sea of pirates освободить море от пиратов

to make a conquest осуществить завоевание

 

Words for active use

 

To run the country, to bring peace and order, the government, to make a conquest, to come from an old family, to win a victory, a sole ruler, a civil war, to defeat.

 

Assignments

 

1. Find English equivalents in the text:

 

Управлять миром, установить порядок, все дороги ведут в Рим, великая империя, хотеть больше власти, осуществить завоевание, одержать победу, единственный правитель, вспыхнула гражданская война, приёмный сын.

 

2. Suggest Russian equivalents to the following:

In spite of all this; to rule the world; to take sides; to clear the sea of pirates; to win a victory; to come from; a civil war broke out; to want more power; to make a conquest; great empire.

 

3. Give definitions to the following:

 

1." All roads led to Rome"

2. to bring peace and order everywhere;

3. a sole ruler;

4. to run the country;

5. to take sides.

 

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