Exercise 1. Read and translate the text
Exercise 2. Find in the text English equivalents for the following word combinations and sentences.
1) ;
2) ;
3) 25 ;
4) , , ;
5) , , ;
6) , , ;
7) ;
8) ;
9) ;
10) ;
11) ;
12) ;
13) , ;
14) ;
15) - ;
16) .
Exercise 3. React to the statements using the phrases of agreement and disagreement. Extend your answers to the small situations:
1. Leisure time of British people is very much organized
2. Television is not very popular in England.
3. Private leisure is characterized by the national enthusiasm for gardening.
4. They need to grow vegetables because it's impossible to buy them.
5. "D-I-Y" activity is not very popular.
6. Television has reduced enthusiasm for reading.
7. Books are well-designed, brightly coloured and expensive.
8. Music magazines persuade teenagers to buy new and new records with the
9. purpose to develop individual taste.
10. People buy records which they like.
11. People are free in their choice, it concerns their leisure time as well
Exercise 4. Study the text and answer the following questions:
1. Is leisure time of British people very much organized? 2. What is the most popular entertainment in Great Britain and other countries of the world? 3. Are theatre, opera and ballet available for all people? 4. What is the British national enthusiasm? 5. Why do British people grow vegetables and fruit? 6. What do British people have passion for? 7. What does "do-it yourself" activity mean? 8. What are women's activities in Great Britain? 9. Is music a perfect activity to spend one's free time? 10. What music do people listen to? 11. Is it difficult to cultivate individual taste in music and why? 12. Do people always spend their money to buy what they like? 13. Concerning one's leisure time summer is a boring season, isn't it? 14. Are people free in their choice?
Exercise 5. Make up five special, five alternative and five disjunctive questions basing on the text.
Exercise 6. Give the summary of the text "British Leisure"
Exercise 7. Complete the following sentences:
1. Leisure time of British people...
2. Statistics says that...
3. People who are deprived of great works of art...
4. Private leisure is characterized by...
5. In fact...
6. "Do-It-Yourself" means...
7. Women concentrate on...
8. It is extremely difficult...
9. There is an unquestionable loss...
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10. No wonder...
11. Music magazines...
12. In summer you can...
13. People are...
Exercise 8. Make up situations using the following words and word combinations:
a)leisure time, to be free in one's choice, there are people and people, majority, minority, to relax, to deprive smb of smth, to suffer a diminishment of spirit, to be good or bad;
b)to taste, national enthusiasm for, to have a passion for, home-based activity, improvement of one's home, to supply a detailed advice, "Do-It-Yorself" department;
c)to reduce reading, attraction, lighter entertainment, well-stocked shops, cheerfully designed, brightly coloured, to glance at; d)music magazines, to cultivate one's individual taste, to persuade, amateur or professional orchestras, chorus/choir?/, to hire, a stream, to explore mountains.
Communicative exercises
Exercise 1. Find in the dialogues A-C equivalents for the following word combinations and sentences:
1) ?( ) 2) . 3) . 4) . 5) ! 6) . 7) ( ). 8) , ( ). 9) - ? 10)
? . 11) ! 12) . 13) . 14) . 15)
. 16) ? 17) ? 18) ! 19) ! 20) .
Exercise 2. Complete the following dialogues:
1.A: Would you like to join us for a picnic this Saturday?
B:
A: Is your son going to join us?
B:
A: Oh, yes. It will do him a lot of good.
B:
A: Nothing special. Just a couple of blankets and towels.
B:
A: No, you needn't. My wife and I will take care of all the rest.
B:
A: We'll come to pick you up at 10. Is it all right with you?
B:
2. A: Hello. How are you doing?
B:
A: I'd like to invite you to the movies tonight.
B:
A: A historical film. It is said to be worth seeing.
B:
A: Oh, the publicity is really good. The film is praised to the skies by
the critics.
B:
A: Unfortunately not. But the cast is brilliant: Sean Connery, Richard
Gary and Julia Ormond.
B:
A: Yes, we should book them ahead of time for the film has been on for
a fortnight already, but each time the house is sold out.
B:
A: You are sure to be swept away by it if you enjoy historical films.
Exercise 3. Translate the words of the Russian speaker into English:
A: ? .
B Thank you. It's so nice of you to invite me, but I'm afraid I won't be able to.
A: - ?
B: Nothing special. You see, my diploma...
A: , . . . , .
B:You seem to be right. One day in the open air will do me a lot of good. Shall I take something with me?
A: , . .
B: I'd rather take some tea in order not to be thirsty. What time are we starting?
A: , . ?
B: It is. I'm an early riser.
A: ?
B: It would be wonderful.
A: 6-30. !
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B: See you on Saturday morning.
A: , .
B: Thanks again. I appreciate it so much.
Exercise 4. Discuss the ways of spending spare time.
Exercise 5. Compare the leisure in Great Britain and in your country.
LONDON
London is without doubt one of the most fascinating cities in the world, one of the biggest cities in the world, the capital of Great Britain. It has many faces and means many things to many people. London is a very old city even by European standards. The history of London has begun long before our time. The Roman conquerors of Britain founded Londinium (London) in 43 AD** by settling and fortifying two small hills on the river Thames. More than a thousand years later, another conqueror turned the city into his capital. This was William of Normandy, who defeated the last Saxon ruler of England in 1066. In 1666 the city of London suffered the Great Fire and survived. 13200 buildings and 87 churches were burnt down. The historic centre of the capital was turned into a heap of ashes. This natural disaster gave a rare opportunity to replan and build it anew. However the owners of the land insisted on building on the old foundations, and the streets of the city remained as narrow and winding as they had been before the fire. Now modern London is a number of cities, towns and villages, that have, during the past centuries, grown together to make one vast area. London today stretches for nearly thirty miles from north to south and nearly thirty miles from east to west. This is area, known as Greater London, with a population of nine million. The river Thames divides London into two parts: Northern and Southern. And to the right is the West End; to the left is the East End. Many years ago the City and Westminster, where the kings and queens lived, became parts of one urban organism, and the area around the royal court was called the West End. Today, far from being an end or suburb, it might be called the centre of London. In the West End there are many parks, squares, wide and straight streets, which are famous for their splendid shops and restaurants. One can see here elegant people, grand hotels, clubhouses and modern cars. The name of the West End is associated with wealth, luxury and goods of high quality. As for the East End it is the workers district. There are miles of docks and great industrial areas. The East End has many old houses build in Dickens time. Jack London described the London slums in his book The people of the Abyss**. But the people are fond of their district and are proud of being called Cockneys** or true Londoners. A foreigner with a fair knowledge of Standard English cant understand their lovely Cockney dialect. Besides, there is the City of London, the commercial and business centre. It is only a very small part of modern London; it measures only one square mile and the number of people who live there is only about ten thousand. The City is famous for its offices, banks and museums. London is more than two thousand years old. Although London is a crowded and noisy city one can find many sights and memorial places there. Trafalgar Square is one of the tourists centres of the city. On the column in the centre there is a statue of Admiral Nelson who defeated the French in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Orators often use the large platform at the foot of it. This square is a place for all sorts of meetings and demonstrations for peace and disarmament, for better schooling and pensions for the aged. To the left of Trafalgar Square there is the National Gallery. It has a fine collection of European painting. Another sight, which is worth to be mentioned about, is Piccadilly Circus. It is not very large, but it is dynamic and colourful. Piccadilly Circus is especially very beautiful in the evening. That famous Eros statue on the top of the fountain in the centre is very wonderful. It is the meeting point of six streets. There is Regent Street, one of Londons most fashionable shopping streets. Another one leading off Piccadilly Circus in the direction of Soho is Shaftesbury Avenue. Soho is one of the entertainment centres of London. There live artists, actors and writers. There are many restaurants, cafes and clubs. Other famous streets of the centre of London are Oxford Street, the Strand and Fleet Street. The Houses of Parliament stand on the north side of the Thames. The official name of the building is the Palace of Westminster. It was built in Gothic style. In 11th century it was destroyed by fire many times. Only Westminster Hall and the crypt of the chapel were saved. It was rebuilt only in 1840. Everyone knows that Westminster Abbey is a royal church and the centre of the Westminster Area. It was founded in the middle of the 11th century by Edward the Confessor** and was mainly built by Henry III in the 13th century as a fitting burial ground for English sovereigns. Also one should mention about the Tower of London. It was a fortress, a royal palace and later a prison. It is a museum now. There are a lot of interesting collections in the Tower of London. The ravens are another famous sight. The legend says that without them the Tower will fall. The Raven Master is the person who gives them food. St. Pauls Cathedral is the greatest work of the architect Sir Christopher Wren. It took him 35 years to plan and carry out his plan of building this cathedral. There is so much to see in London that even Londoners can always find new sights. They like to say: When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.
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