Vocabulary and speech exercises
Answer the following questions about the UK.
1. What is the full name of the UK?
2. What islands do the British Isles include?
3. Where is the UK situated and what countries is it made of?
4. What are their capitals?
5. What is the UK washed by?
6. What is the population of the UK?
7. What is the official language of the UK?
8. What are the patron saints of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland?
9. What countries does Great Britain consist of?
10. What are the highest peaks in the UK?
11. What are the largest rivers and lakes in the UK?
12. What is the name of the British flag?
13. What are the national emblems of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland?
14. What is England bounded on?
15. What mountains are called the "backbone of England"?
16. What economic regions do you know in England?
17. What is "Black Country"?
18. What city is called the City of 1500 trades?
19. What is the name of the North-Western part of England?
20. What are the southern regions of England famous for?
Read, translate and learn the dialogues by heart.
Make up and write down as many questions about the dialogue “Town and Country” as you can. Let your fellow students answer them.
IV. a) Look at the dialogue and sum up all the arguments for and against big cities.
b) Think of several more arguments in favour of living in London or any other big city and against it. Use the following:
A good thing about living in London (a big city) is ………..
I really enjoy living in a big city as ………….
I’ve always liked living in ………… because ………….
What I hate about big cities is ……………..
I’m afraid I never liked living in a big city as …………….
There’s nothing I like less than living in a big city ……………..
I dislike living in a big city for the simple reason that ………………..
V. Speak Out interviewed Londoners, old and new to find out what they liked or disliked about their city, and to discover what they thought about their fellow Londoners.
These are the questions we asked the people we met:
What’s your name?
How long have you lived in London?
What’s your job?
What is the best thing about London?
What is the worst thing about London?
Sum up the character of London and Londoners in one word.
John: “I’ve lived in London for thirty years. I work as a lawyer in the City. The best thing about London is the international mix. The worst thing is pigeons and congestion. The traffic is terrible! Londoners are very open-minded.”
Anna: “I’ve lived in London for two weeks. I’m from Moscow in Russia. I am studying English here. London is a big and nice city. There are a lot of kind people, I think. The worst thing is too much traffic and the air is bad.”
Tom: “I’ve lived in London for two years. I am a security guard. I am from Sweden. There are lots of good things about London! Very nice buildings, nice people. The worst thing is that London is very polluted. And sometimes it can be very hectic.”
Phanas: “I have lived in London for about one year. My job is to give information about this Indian restaurant to people. The best thing is that London is busy. The other thing is the crazy English girls. London is old and interesting. The bad things are too many cars and too many people from different countries.”
Sarah: “I am an actress and a teacher! I have lived here all my life. The best thing is the mix of people, the mix of entertainment, the mix of activities. The worst thing is the trash. Actually I think Londoners are quite friendly.”
George: “I own this stall at an underground station. I am from India. I came here four years ago. Life in India is better than in England, because things happen very fast here. The best thing is that London is a beautiful city. London in one word is “noise”.
Mark: “I am a print manager for a print company. I have lived in London for three years. The best thing about London is its lost corners and unexplored places. They really make London a living museum. The worst thing is the people are quite angry sometimes for no reason. In one word, Londoners are irritated.”
Ruth: “I am a music teacher. I have lived here for fifteen years. The best thing is the buzz: the atmosphere. It is a certain atmosphere you don’t get anywhere else in the world. The worst thing is the traffic jams. In one word, Londoners are pretentious (надменные).
Toni and John: “John has lived here for a year, but I was born here. I am an actor and he is a graphic designer. The best thing is the variety of life and culture. Whatever you like, whatever you are into, there is something there for you. The worst thing is the rain and the obsession (одержимость) with money and status. Also the commuting is bad. In one word: Londoners are soulless.”
Jan: “I have lived here for one year. I am from Poland. I am a freelance (свободный) artist. The best thing is that you are free in London to do whatever you want in life. There are lots of parks and green spaces. The worst thing is the awful weather. Londoners are very loyal (верные) and make good friends.
Louisa: “I have lived in London for eighty-five years. I am a pensioner now. The best thing about London is you feel like a Londoner. We are different from the rest of the country. The worst thing is the crime and the noise. Some Londoners are nice and some aren’t.”
Sum up their information about London and Londoners and present it in the form of the report
X. Translate into English.
Мы хотим покататься по городу на двухэтажном автобусе. С верха двухэтажного автобуса открывается прекрасный вид города. Туристы знают, что поездка на таком автобусе – отличная возможность познакомиться с городом.
Оксфорд – старый английский университетский город. Он расположен в центральных графствах Великобритании (The Midlands) к северо-западу от Лондона. Оксфордский университет основан в XII веке.
Брайтон – курортный город, расположенный на юге Англии.
Очень интересно посетить графство Кент. Туристы всегда восхищаются его великолепными садами. Графство Кент называют «сад Англии».
Озерный край Англии расположен на северо-западе страны. Это романтическое место, известное своими долинами, горами, озерами и водопадами. Озерный край связан с именами поэтов Озерной школы (the Lake Poets), которые жили в этом районе и писали о нем.
Знаменитые курортные города Англии расположены на юго-востоке.