Saint- Petersburg University of Trade and Economics
1. I study at the University of Tradeand Economics. 2. Our University trains specialists for different branches of trade and national economy.3. It is situated in Novorossiyskaya Street. 4. It is housed in two buildings. 5. One of them attracts everybody’s attention at once. 6. It’s modern and comfortable, with many large lecture-halls, light classrooms, well-equipped laboratories. 7. There is an Assembly hall, a gym, a library, a dining-room and a snack bar. 8. The University provides full-time (day) and extra-mural (correspondent) education. 9. It has five faculties: the Faculty of Finance and Economics, the Faculty of Management and Business Technologies, the Faculty of Food Technology, the Faculty of Trade Experts and the Faculty of Master Training. 10. The course of training for full-time students is four or five years. 11. The course of training for extra-mural students is one year longer. 12. The academic year is divided into two terms. 13. The first- year students study many general subjects: Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, History and one of foreign languages: English, German or French. 14. Later some special subjects are added- Economics of Trade, Accounting, Statistics, the Science of Foodstuffs or Non-Food Goods. 15. The full-time students go to classes six times a week. 16. The classes start at 9.30. 17. We have three or four lectures or some practical work a day. 18. At 5 p.m. the classes are usually over.19. We’ll get our degrees in four years. 20. The students of our University can become economists, managers, trade experts, food technologists and accountants.
English Meals
The English proverb says: every cook praises his own broth. One cannot say English cookery is bad, but there is not a lot of variety in it in comparison with European cuisine. The English are very particular about their meals. The usual meals in England are breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner.
Breakfast time is between seven and nine a.m. A traditional English breakfast is a very big meal. It consists of juice, porridge, a rasher or two of bacon and eggs, toast, butter, jam or marmalade, tea or coffee. Marmalade is made from oranges and jam is made from other fruit. Many people like to begin with porridge with milk or cream and sugar, but no good Scotsman ever puts sugar on it, because Scotland is the home of porridge. For a change you can have sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, cold ham or perhaps fish.
But nowadays in spite of the fact that the English strictly keep to their meals many people just have cereal with milk and sugar or toast with jam or honey.
The two substantial meals of the day are lunch and dinner. Lunch is usually taken at one o'clock. For many people lunch is a quick meal. Office workers usually go to a cafe at this time. They take fish, poultry or cold meat (beef, mutton, veal and ham), boiled or fried potatoes and all sorts of salad. They may have a mutton chop or steak and chips, followed by biscuits and a cup of coffee. Some offices have installed a microwave oven for employees to use. Snacks are very popular in Britain & many people frequently eat snacks between meals. Schools & workplaces may also sell snacks such as crisps, chocolate, sweets & biscuits. Instant snacks are the fastest-growing sector of the food market.
Tea is very popular among the English; it may almost be called their national drink. Tea is welcome in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. The English like it strong and fresh made. The English put one tea-spoonful of tea for each person. Tea means two things. It is a drink and a meal. Some people have afternoon tea, so called «high tea» with sandwiches, tomatoes and salad, a tin of apricots, pears or pineapples and cakes, and, of course a cup of tea. That is what they call good tea. It is a substantial meal.
Dinner time is generally between six and eight p.m. The evening meal is the biggest and the main meal of the day. Very often the whole family eats together. They begin with soup, followed by fish, roast chicken, potatoes and vegetables, fruit and coffee.
On Sundays many families have a traditional lunch consisting of roast chicken, lamb or beef with salads, vegetables and gravy.
The British enjoy tasting delicious food from other countries, for example, French, Italian, Indian and Chinese food. Modern people are so busy that they do not have a lot of time for cooking themselves. So, the British buy the food at the restaurant and bring it home already prepared to eat. Take-away meals are rather popular among the population. Eating has become rather international in Britain lately.
Shopping
When we want to buy something we go to a shop. There are many kinds of shops in every town or city, buy most of them have a food supermarket, a department store, men's and women's clothing stores, grocery, a bakery and a butchery. I like to do my shopping at big department stores and supermarkets. They sell various goods under one roof and this is very convenient. A department store, for example, true to its name, is composed of many departments: ready-made clothes, fabrics, shoes, sports goods, toys, china and glass, electric appliances, cosmetics, linen, curtains, cameras, records, etc. You can buy everything you like there. There are also escalators in big stores which take customers to different floors. The things for sale are on the counters so, that they can be easily seen. In the women'' clothing department you can find dresses, costumes, blouses, skirts, coats, beautiful underwear and many other things. In the men's clothing department you can choose suits, trousers, overcoats, ties, etc. In the knitwear department one can buy sweaters, cardigans, short-sleeved and long-sleeved pullovers, woolen jackets. In the perfumery they sell face cream and powder, lipstick, lotions and shampoos. In a food supermarket we can also buy many different things at once: sausages, fish, sugar, macaroni, flour, cereals, tea. At the butcher's there is a wide choice of meat and poultry.. At the bakery you buy brown and white bread, rolls, biscuits. Another shop we frequently go to is the greengrocery which is stocked by cabbage, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, beetroots, green peas and what not. Everything is sold here ready-weighed and packed. If you call round at a dairy you can buy milk, cream, cheese, butter and many other products. The methods of shopping may vary. It may be a self-service shop where the customer goes from counter to counter selecting and putting into a basket what he wishes to buy. Then he takes the basket to the check-out counter, where the prices of the purchases are added up. If its not a self-service shop, and most small shops are not, the shop-assistant helps the customer in finding what he wants. You pay money to the cashier and he gives you back the change. But there is a very good service called Postal Market. It really helps you to save you time and get goods of high quality. You have just to look through a catalogue, choose the things you like, order them and wait a little to get them.
GREAT BRITAIN
Great Britain is situated on the British Isles. The two largest islands are Great Britain and Ireland. There are three parts in Great Britain: England, Wales and Scotland. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland constitute the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is separated from the European continent by the English Channel and the North Sea. The English Channel is 220 km wide in its widest part in the west and only 32 km in the narrowest called the Strait of Dover. That’s why Britain has an easy and profitable contact with the mainland. In 1994, the construction of the two-rail tunnel was completed and made it even easier.
The most important sea routes pass through the English Channel and the North Sea connecting Europe with other continents. The geographical position of Great Britain created favorable conditions for the development of shipping and trade. With the discovery of America, the British Isles became a mediator between Europe and the New World. By the end of the 19th century, Great Britain had become the richest country in the world, the first great modern industrial capitalist society.
In the course of the 20th century, Britain lost this position and its economy faced a number of problems, especially with the collapse of the empire. However, Britain with the advantage of North Sea oil production is still one of the leading industrial and trading countries in the world.
Great Britain has a relatively mild climate due to marine influences: the warm waters of the Gulf Stream move from the Gulf of Mexico to the shores of Northwest Europe.
Great Britain, especially England, forms one of the most thickly-peopled areas in the world.The total area of the United Kingdom is 244,100 sq km. It has a population of 60 million people. About four fifth of the population is urban and only one fifth is rural. The capital of the country, London is the largest city in Britain. It is the political, economical centre of the country and one of the largest seaports.
The United Kingdom has a developed mixed private-and public-enterprise economy and ranks among the top industrial countries in growth rates, productivity and competitiveness. Today Britain is fifth in size of its gross domestic product (GDP). The most important change in Britain’s trade took place after 1973 when the country joined the European Economic Community. Trade with the countries of the European Union is now more than one-half of all Britain’s trade with other countries.
In recent years, new industries have made serious progress such as aerospace, chemicals, oil, gas, electronics, and biotechnology. At the same time the traditional old industries such as steel, coal production, shipbuilding, production of textile have met serious difficulties and declined. Unemployment remains a serious problem. In recent years, unemployment has been reduced but it still remains high. So far, it has not fallen under 1.5 million.
The British economy is mainly based on private enterprise. Seventy five per cent (75%) of the economy is controlled by private sector, which employs three-quarters of the labor force.
The mineral industry accounts for approximately 6 per cent of the GNP but employs less than 1 per cent of the work force. Production from oil fields in the North Sea has allowed the United Kingdom to become virtually self-sufficient in petroleum. The United Kingdom’s coal industry, despite the steady decline since the early 1950s, remains one of the largest and most technologically advanced in Europe.
A little over 2 per cent of Britain’s working population is engaged in agriculture, which is lower proportion than in any other major industrialized country, Owing to large-scale mechanization, productivity in agriculture is very high. It supplies nearly two-thirds of the country’s food. At the same time, Britain continues to be one of the world’s largest importers of agricultural products, raw materials and semi-manufactures. The country imports such materials and products, which cannot be grown in Britain: different fruits, vegetables, cotton, coffee, cocoa, etc.
In terms of its economic development, Britain may be divided into the following economic regions: the South Industrial and Agricultural region; the Midlands; Lancashire, Yorkshire and the North; Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. The South is a major agricultural region of Great Britain. Britain’s South has the advantages for the location of modern industry. Today, among the economic and social problems of the country we may speak about the traditional gap between the “depressed” North and the “flourishing” South.
Eighty per cent (80%) of industrial and agricultural production is concentrated in England. At the same time, in the national external regions of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland the rate and level of the development of industry, as well as the average earnings of
the population, are lower than in England. The gap between England and external regions has increased because of the decline of the traditional industries, which are heavily concentrated in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of fifty states and the District of Columbia. The latter is a part of Washington and it is a federal area governed by Congress. The District of Columbia is not a part of any state. It is interesting to note that Washington, the capital of the USA, consists of three parts: the District of Columbia, a part of the state of Maryland and a part of the state of Virginia. Besides, do not mix up the capital of Washington and the state of Washington, which is located in the north-west of the country.
The United State of America is situated in central North America, with Canada to the north, Mexico to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
The United States occupies a favorable geographical position. The Atlantic Ocean is of great importance for the country’s sea communications with Europe, Africa and South America.
The total area of the United States is about 9.4 million square kilometers.
Population of the United States of America amounts to over 250 million people. Some areas of the USA are densely populated others are not. The highest density of population is in cities and the lowest is in mountains, deserts and open lands.
A vital role in the formation of the population of the United States was played by the immigration. Very many people came from abroad, mostly from Europe, in search of political or religious freedom. Others fled from poverty and hunger.
The United States of America is a country of great contrasts. There are high mountains and the flattest of prairies, tropical heat and arctic cold, fertile valleys and desert areas. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. There are many rivers on the US territory. The longest of them are the Mississippi, Missouri, the Columbia and some others. The diversity of the country stems from the fact that it is so large and has so many kinds of land, climate and people.
The United States of America was formed in 1787 when the original thirteen states being the Thirteen Colonies along the Atlantic Seaboard united. The last two states to be admitted to the union were Alaska and Hawaii. The US national flag reminds of the history of the country. Its 13 stripes symbolize the original 13 states; the 50 stars represent nowadays 50 states.
The United States of America is a highly developed industrialized country. Shipbuilding, electronics, automobile industry, aircraft industry, space research are highly developed in the states.
Each region of the United States has characteristics of its own due to the differences in climate, landscape and geographical position.
Great Lakes, Atlantic Coast, Pennsylvania, New Jersey are the biggest industrial regions of the country.
The United States has a lot of mineral deposits or resources such as coal, gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc. The south, especially Texas is rich in oil. There are plenty of coalmines in Pennsylvania.
Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska is the richest farming region of America and it is known as the Corn Belt. The land is fertile and well watered. They grow mostly corn and wheat there. Much of livestock is also raised there.
There are a lot of fruit raising areas. For example, California oranges, grapefruit, lemons, as well as other fruits and vegetables are shipped all over the States and to other parts of the world. The most of the crops grown in the States are also tobacco, soybeans, peanuts, grapes and many others.
