METODIChKA_DLYaOZO_2009
.docAutumn begins in September. The days become shorter and the nights become longer. The leaves turn yellow, red and brown and fall to the ground. Most birds fly away to warm countries. There is a short spell of dry sunny weather in September which is called Indian Summer. It is a beautiful time when the sky is cloudless, the trees around are golden, the air is transparent and it is still warm. But gradually it gets colder and colder. It often rains in October and November which makes autumn an unpleasant season.
In winter the sun sets early and rises late. The rivers and lakes are frozen over. Everything is covered with snow. Sometimes it is very cold, about 25-30 degrees below zero. Going out in such weather isn’t very pleasant. Winter is a good time for sports. People go in for skating and skiing. Tobogganing is also popular, not as a kind of sports, but rather as fun.
As for me, I like all seasons, but I think there is nothing like late spring.
GREAT BRITAIN
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. It consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is surrounded by seas and separated from the continent by the North Sea, the English Channel and the Strait of Dover.
The rivers in Great Britain are not long, but many of them are deep. The Severn is the longest river while the Thames is the busiest and the most important river in England.
The climate of Great Britain is mild. The Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the weather of the British Isles. It is often foggy and rainy. The summers are not very hot and the winters are not very cold. Winter temperature seldom falls below zero. February is the coldest month in Great Britain. But the climate is different in different parts of the country. In Scotland the climate is colder than in England.
There are many mountains in the north of England and in Scotland, but they are not very high. The highest mountain in Great Britain is Ben Nevis. The north of Scotland is called the Highlands while the south is known as the Lowlands. There are many lakes in Scotland. The most beautiful lake is Loch Lomond.
Great Britain has “park-like” appearance. The art of gardening has a very old tradition. The parks are pieces of country left in the middle of town. Everything is quiet and green. People who come here admire the combination of sea and highland, the valleys and orchards of Kent, the lakes of Scotland, its fields, woods and parks.
The population of the United Kingdom is over 57 million people. About 80% of the population is urban.
The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.
The UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law the Head of the State is the Queen. In practice the Queen reigns, but doesn’t rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
The capital of the UK is London.
LONDON
London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 9 million people. London is one of the oldest and most interesting cities in the world.
Traditionally it is divided into several parts: the City, the West End, the East End and Westminster. They are very different from each other and seem to belong to different towns and epochs.
The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the old Bailey. Few people live here, but over a million people come to the City to work. There are some famous ancient buildings within the City. Perhaps the most striking of them is St.Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of English churches. It was built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror. It was used as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison. Now it is a museum.
Westminster is the historic, the governmental part of London.
Westminster Abbey has more historic associations than any other buildings in Britain. Nearly all kings and queens have been crowned here. Many outstanding statesmen, scientists, writers, poets and painters are buried here: Newton, Darwin, Dickens, Kipling, etc.
Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace or the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Parliament. The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell, known as “Big Ben”.
Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen.
The West End is the richest and the most beautiful part of London. It is the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there.
Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in memory of Admiral Nelson’s victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson’s Column stands in the middle of the square.
On the North side of Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery and the national Portrait Gallery. Not far away is the British Museum – the biggest museum in London. It contains a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures and is famous for its library.
Most of factories, workshops and docks are situated in the East End.
The streets are narrow, the buildings are unimpressive here. The East End is densely populated by working class families.
RUSSIA
The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the earth’s surface. It covers the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometers. The country is washed by 12 seas of 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic.
There is hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. We have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midlands, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east.
There are two great plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland. There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. The largest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia.
There are over two million rivers in Russia. Europe’s biggest river, the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea. Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world’s deepest fresh-water lake is Baikal. It is much smaller than the Baltic Sea, but there is much more water in it than in the Baltic Sea. Russia has one-sixth of the world’s forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.
Russia is one of the richest countries in the world in natural resources. It is rich in oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel and other mineral resources.
The climate of the country differs from one part to another. In the South-West the weather is usually mild and wet. Northern Asia is the coldest place, but in the middle of the country the climate is moderate and continental.
Russia is a producer of heavy machines, airplanes, cars and tractors, railway carriages, ships and boats, TV and radio sets and a lot of other things.
Russia is a parliamentary republic. The head of state is the President. The legislative powers are exercised by the Duma.
The capital of Russia is Moscow. It is the largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It is one of the oldest Russian cities. Other big cities are St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Krasnodar. The largest seaports are Murmansk, Vladivostok, Kaliningrad.
TVER
Tver is one of the oldest Russian cities. Its population is about half a million people. It is situated between Moscow and St.Petersburg on both banks of the river Volga.
The first chronicle records about Tver date back to the beginning of the 12th century when it was founded by Novgorod people. First Tver was a trade market place. It was an important point on the great waterway connecting Russian principalities with the Baltic states and countries of the East.
The city has got an exciting history with many important events and personalities. Among them the prince Mikhail Yaroslavich Tverskoy who gave his life for other people and became the patron saint of Tver region. Many places in Tver remind of the past, for example the magnificent Travelling Palace which was specially built for the Russian Empress. It is the architectural monument of 18th century designed by M. Kazakov. Today the Palace houses the museum of Local Lore and a Picture Gallery. The oldest building in Tver is the White Trinity Cathedral constructed in the 15th century. It presents a brilliant example of Russian architecture of that time. Besides, three other cathedrals, two convents, fourteen churches and six chapels were reconstructed or built in Tver.We can admire some buildings of the world-famous architects K.Rossi and M. Kazakov kept in the centre of the city. That’s why Tver is involved in the Golden Ring of Russian culture and attracts a lot of tourists.
Tver is proud of its countrymen who brought fame and glory to the country. One of them is Tver merchant Afanasy Nikitin, the first Russian who made the voyage over the three oceans. There are a lot of well-known scientists, writers, singers and other people who glorified Russia and lived and worked in Tver. We have monuments to A.S.Pushkin, a world-famous poet, to the famous fabulist I.A.Krilov, to the writer M.Saltykov-Schedrin.
Tver is an industrial centre which has engineering, printing, textile and chemical enterprises. Current industrial production includes passenger cars, excavators, building materials, ready-made clothes, knitted wear, artificial leather and textiles.
There two state Universities, three Academies, a lot of colleges, schools, lyceums, gymnasiums where students can get education, professional and life experience.
The suburbs of Tver are very picturesque.
EDUCATION IN GREAT BRITAIN
The British educational system is a divided one. The first and the main division in schooling is between state and private education.
There are three stages in the state educational system in Great Britain: primary education, secondary education and further education. University-level education stands apart being almost independent of state control.
Children in Britain go to school at the age of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) until they are 16. Before school many children attend the nursery schools. Some parents send their children to the private (fee-paying) nursery schools or kindergartens. The nursery schools catering for children aged 3 and 4 years old precede the stages of school life. The attendance at the nursery schools is not compulsory. There no formal lessons there. The children occupy themselves with indoor and outdoor play, with drawing, painting, listening to stories told by the teachers, with singing and dancing. Great attention is given to physical development.
The primary schools cater for children between the ages of 5 and 11. The first two years are the years of the infant school or classes. In infant schools children are encouraged to read, to write in their own words, to understand and make use of numbers. Life in the first year of the infant school is usually similar to that in the nursery school but the children’s occupation tend to be slightly organized and systematized. The teacher organizes a day with children working in small groups on varied activities. Reading, writing and arithmetic are taught for about 20 minutes a day during the first year, gradually increasing to about 2 hours in their last year. The rest of time is spent on activities such as modeling clay or plasticine, painting, cutting and pasting, drawing and singing. There is no written time-table.
At 7 children move to the junior school. More class teaching takes place in the junior than in the infant school. At junior schools the atmosphere is more restricted: the children sit in rows and follow a regular time-table. The following subjects are taught: English, Arithmetic, History, Geography, Nature Study, Art and Music, Physical Education, Religious Instruction and Swimming. By the time children reach the end of the junior school they should have developed the habit of reading, they should be able to write simple letters and attempt creative writing, such as adventure stories, plays or poems. They should know the fundamental rules in mathematics and have a knowledge of geometrical forms.
At 11 (12 in Scotland) children go from junior to secondary school. Over 85% of secondary school pupils attend comprehensive schools. These schools take children of all abilities and give secondary education for children from the age of 11 to 16 or 18.
Grammar schools give academic education for the children from 11 to 18 years old. Children enter grammar schools on the basis of their abilities. Subjects normally taken by pupils at grammar schools are Mathematics, History, Geography, Art, Physical Education, Handicraft and Housecraft. Foreign languages are also taught.
A small minority of children attends secondary modern schools, which give a more general and technical education for children aged 11-16.
City Technology Colleges give boys and girls strong technological and business education. They are non-fee-paying independent schools, set up by the Government with the help of business sponsors who finance the schools. There are 15 such colleges in England and Wales now.
Specialist schools, which operate only in England, give pupils a broad secondary education in technology, languages, arts or sports. There are over 250 specialist schools. They charge no fees.
7% of all schoolchildren in England and 4% in Scotland go to independent school sector that is separate from the state educational system. Parents of pupils attending public schools can afford to pay for their education, and in some cases fees can be several thousand pounds a year. About 250 of the larger independent schools are known as public schools. Eton, which was founded in 1440, is the first grammar school called a ‘public school’ because pupils could come to it from any part of England.
ENGLISH UNIVERSITIES
All universities usually have both faculties and departments. The faculties are arts, law, medicine, science and theology. The departments include engineering, economics, commerce, agriculture, music and technology. At the head of each faculty there is a professor. A staff of teachers called lectures helps him. Professors and lecturers give lectures to large numbers of students or study with small groups and here the students have a chance to discuss.
All universities admit men and women, but in some universities there are colleges for one sex. Most of the universities provide hostels for their students. There are many types of colleges in England. There are colleges within universities. There are teachers’ training colleges, technical colleges of various types, colleges of arts and commerce. Colleges give a specialized training. Those who wish to become teachers spend three years at a teachers’ training college. They study various subjects and learn how to teach. They also have practice teaching at schools.
All English universities except Oxford and Cambridge are fairly new. The University of Oxford was the first university in Britain. It was organized in the 12th century as a federation of colleges. Today Oxford University consists of 35 separate colleges, of which two are for women students only. Cambridge University was established by scholars from Oxford in 1208. London University is the biggest of the modern English universities. It has many colleges and schools.
MY SPECIALITY
I am going to be a teacher in a primary school. I’ll teach children to read, write and do sums. I must teach them penmanship, spelling and grammar. Our children must express their ideas logically, study four rules of Arithmetic, the Earth, seas and air. They must know the geography of their native land, different arts and crafts. We must also develop their love for books, their ear for music and their taste and interest in art.
Needless to say that it is not an easy task. So a teacher should know many things and should know how to answer all children’s questions. A teacher should be young spiritually all his life to understand children and wise enough to help them in their troubles. A teacher must love children. He must love not only the children that are good, clean and beautiful but also those uncared for and difficult.
The best way to bring up children is giving example. So a teacher must be a model to be followed. A teacher must know his work, his subject. A good teacher studies constantly, reviews, researches his subject, perfects his knowledge. He should be deeply interested in what he teaches and openly share his enjoyment of his subject. Where there is no love, let him bring love.
A teacher must know his pupils and establish the kind of personal relationship – the attitude that they are working together to develop their knowledge and skills that will lead to effective teaching.
To be a good teacher you need some of the gifts of the good actor. A good teacher must be able to hold the attention and interest of his audience, to have a good, strong, pleasing voice. He should act what he is teaching in order to make his meaning clear. He stands the whole time he is teaching, he walks about, using his arms, hands and fingers to help him in his explanations. His face should express his feelings.
The profession of a teacher is the most difficult on earth as a teacher must not only love people and feel for them, but he must possess some quality which is difficult to define – something like a talent.
Данная учебно-методическая разработка предназначена для самостоятельной работы студентов заочного отделения педагогического факультета в межсессионный период. Она содержит упражнения по различным разделам грамматики английского языка, что способствует закреплению теоретического материала и усвоению различных грамматических структур. В разработке также представлены тексты по основным разговорным темам, предлагаемым на экзамене.