Download Видавництво СумДУ - Сумський державний університет

Міністерство освіти і науки України
Сумський державний університет
2882 МЕТОДИЧНІ ВКАЗІВКИ
до практичної роботи з навчальної дисципліни
«ЛІНГВОКРАЇНОЗНАВСТВО
АНГЛОМОВНИХ КРАЇН»
для студентів спеціальності
6.030507 “Переклад”
денної форми навчання
Суми
Видавництво СумДУ
2010
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Методичні вказівки до практичної роботи з навчальної
дисципліни
«Лінгвокраїнознавство англомовних країн»
/ Укладач Н.А. Приходько. – Суми: Вид-во СумДУ, 2010. – 31 с.
Кафедра германської філології
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Методичні вказівки до дисципліни “Лінгвокраїнознавство
англомовних країн” складаються з 6 частин. В основі роботи з
поданим матеріалом лежать проектна методика та метод
презентацій.
Інтегративною метою навчання є здатність студентів
здійснювати міжкультурне спілкування у заданих межах.
Проектна методика, в основі якої лежить концепція особистіснодіяльнісного підходу, відповідає сучасним освітнім вимогам.
Відповідно до поставленої мети зміст навчання із
застосуванням проектної методики передбачає використання
лінгвістичних та соціокультурних знань, які студенти набувають
під час оволодіння новим країнознавчим матеріалом у процесі
пошуку значущої інформації із англомовних джерел.
Група умінь та навичок, які отримує студент у процесі
проектної діяльності, включає:
1) інтелектуальні (уміти працювати з інформацією,
орієнтуватися в інформаційному просторі, систематизувати
знання, виділяти головну думку, уміти робити узагальнення та
висновки, уміти працювати з довідковими матеріалами);
2) творчі (вміти генерувати ідею, знаходити декілька
варіантів вирішення проблеми, вибирати раціональні думки,
прогнозувати наслідки рішень);
3) комунікативні (вміти вести дискусію, слухати та чути
співрозмовника, відстоювати свою точку зору, вміти знаходити
компроміс, вміти лаконічно викладати думку).
Наведені навички та вміння повинні бути взаємозв’язані
та взаємодоповнювати один одного.
Основні принципи навчання проектної методики:
1) принцип комунікативності;
2) принцип ситуативної обумовленості;
3) принцип проблемності;
4) принцип проблемності;
5) принцип самостійного вивчення мови та культури;
6) принцип автономності.
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Read the information about London Sightseeings. Then
answer the following questions.
Tower of London
In 1078, William the Conqueror built the first part of the
Tower, the White Tower, as a fortress. Over the centuries, other
kings and queens extended the Tower and used it as a palace or
prison. Prisoners usually arrived by boat and entered the Tower
through Traitor's Gate, which faces the river.
The Tower of London, seen from the river, with a view of the
water gate called “Traitors Gate”.
Worth seeing in the Tower are old armours and weapons, the
crown jewels and the famous ravens. People say that as long as there
are six ravens at the Tower, England is safe from invasion.
Near the Tower, there are the ruins of an old Roman city wall.
The Romans invaded England in the year 43. They also founded the
city of London, which they called Londinium.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is the most famous bridge in London. It opened
in 1894. The bridge only needs 90 seconds to lift. This happens about
500 times a year.
Her Majesty’s Ship – HMS Belfast played an important role
during World War II. The ship weighs 11,500 tons and is a museum
now.
London Dungeon
The London Dungeon is in an old subterranean prison (that’s
what the word Dungeon stands for). The wax museum takes its
visitors on a scary journey through England’s history of brutal
killings and tortures.
When you are in the Dungeon, watch out for creepy creatures
- the Dungeon employs actors who are dressed as monsters, ghosts or
executers. They hide in dark corners and then suddenly jump out to
give you the fright of your life.
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Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre opened in 1997. It is a replica of
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, which burned down in 1613 during a
performance of Shakespeare's play Henry VIII.
In the Globe Theatre, you can experience what the theatre
was like at Shakespeare’s time. The theatre had no roof, there were
no electric lights and hardly any decoration.
London Eye
The London Eye offers a spectacular view over London and
its surroundings. With its 135 m height, it is the biggest observation
wheel in the world.
Each capsule can carry 25 people. So in one day, the 32
capsules of the wheel carry over 15,000 visitors. A flight lasts 30
minutes and you can see up to 40 km in each direction.
Houses of Parliament
The official name of the Houses of Parliament is Palace of
Westminster. This is because it was the royal palace before the king
moved to Whitehall Palace in 1529. Now the palace is home to the
United Kingdom Parliament.
The Houses of Parliament are seen over Westminster Bridge
On 5 November 1605, some radical Catholics wanted to blow
up the Houses of Parliament. But they were not successful. Guards
searched the cellars of the Palace and found 36 barrels of gunpowder.
Every year on 5 November people commemorate Guy Fawkes Day
(or Gunpowder Day) with fireworks and bonfires.
In 1834, a fire destroyed most of the palace. Between 1840
and 1888, Sir Charles Barry rebuilt the Palace of Westminster and
also added the famous clock tower that everybody knows as Big Ben.
Actually, it is only the name of the biggest bell in the clock tower,
which rings the hour. Big Ben takes its name from Sir Benjamin
Hall, who ordered the casting of the 16 ton bell in 1856.
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Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the Queen’s residence in London.
When the queen is in the palace, you can see the Royal Standard on
the roof of the palace. If the Queen is not in the palace, you see the
Union Jack.
Buckingham Palace has 600 rooms, a park, a swimming-pool
and even a cinema. The royal family lives in the north wing of the
palace.
The Changing of the Guard is at 11:30 am. It takes place
every day in summer and every second day for the rest of the year.
On the following page you can check out the Buckingham Palace
Guard Change dates: www.changing-the-guard.com
Horse Guards
In Whitehall you can see the Queen’s Life Guard – the Horse
Guards. The Mounting of the Guard takes place every day at 11 a.m.
(10 am on Sundays).
Trooping the Colour
Behind the Horse Guards is Horse Guards Parade. This is the
place where the Queen’s birthday parade – Trooping the Colour –
takes place every year in June. The Queen’s real birthday is in April,
by the way. Her birthday parade is in June, however, because the
weather is usually better then.
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square takes its name from Admiral Nelson's
famous victory in the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.
Nelson's Column is 56 m high and on top you can see the statue of
Admiral Nelson, who died in the battle.
The building in the background is the National Gallery. It is a
famous gallery with lots of old and valuable paintings. The entry to
the gallery is free.
On New Year’s Eve, Trafalgar Square is a popular meeting
place. Fireworks are not allowed in Britain on New Year’s Eve. But
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at midnight people hug each other, sing Old Lange Syne or swim in
the fountains.
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is the centre of London’s nightlife. Its neon
lights are famous all over the world. The Eros fountain is a great
meeting place if you want to go to one of the plenty restaurants, bars,
nightclubs or theatres nearby.
The Rock Circus with wax figures of famous rock stars, is
also at Piccadilly Circus. At the entrance of the museum you get
headphones, so you can hear the stars sing. The highlight of the
museum is a spectacular concert with moving wax figures.
Madame Tussaud’s
Madame Tussaud's is a famous wax museum with celebrities
of entertainment, sport and politics. It is one of the most popular
museums in London.
Madame Tussaud was born in France where she learnt how to
make waxworks. In 1802, she came to England with her collection
and travelled around Great Britain and Ireland. In 1835, she finally
opened a wax exhibition in London. Her last work was her selfportrait, which is at the entrance of the museum. Madame Tussaud
was 89 years old when she died in 1850.
Millennium Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral
Millennium Bridge is a footbridge over the river Thames.
In the background, you can see St Paul’s Cathedral. Its cupola is very
special: go up there with a friend. Ask your friend to put his/her ear
against the wall of the cupola. Then go to the other side and whisper
against the wall. Your friend will hear every word you whisper,
although you are 34 m apart. This is why the cupola of St Paul’s
Cathedral is also called Whispering Gallery.
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Monument to the Great Fire of London
On 2 September 1666, a fire broke out in Pudding Lane,
which destroyed three quarters of London in only three days. It was
the Great Fire of London.
Between 1671 and 1677, the architect Sir Christopher Wren
built the monument in remembrance of the Great Fire. The
Monument is 61.5 metres high – this is exactly the distance between
the monument and the place where the fire broke out in 1666.
You can go up a spiral staircase to a platform from where you
have a nice view over the City of London.
London Docklands
In the 19th century, London Docklands formed the world's
largest port. Ships arrived here with goods from all parts of the
world. There were warehouses for tea, silver, ivory and so on. Now
the former warehouses are nice (and expensive) homes and offices.
The office building Canary Wharf is the highest building in London.
St Katherine Dock is just beside the Tower of London. It is a
nice place with a yacht marina and a number of restaurants. In the
background you can see the Dickens Inn. It is a huge pub and was a
brewery in the 18th century.
1 What did the Romans call London?
a) Londinium
b) Londritia
c) Londatio
2 What does the word Dungeon mean?
a) It's a place where monsters and ghosts live.
b) It's a place where parliament meets.
c) It's an underground prison.
3 Which of the following poets performed his plays at the original
Globe Theatre?
a) William Shakespeare
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b) Samuel Bishop
c) Robert Burns
4 Why do people celebrate Gunpowder Day (5 November)?
a) Because Guy Fawkes was born on that day.
b) Because Guy Fawkes blew up the Houses of Parliament on
that day.
c) Because guards caught Guy Fawkes, who wanted to blow up
the Houses of Parliament on that day.
5 Who lives in Buckingham Palace?
a) Robbie Williams
b) the Prime Minister
c) the Queen
6 How often does the Mounting of the Guard take place?
a) only on Sundays
b) every day
c) every second day
7 When especially is Trafalgar Square a great meeting place?
a) on Halloween
b) on Easter Sunday
c) on New Year's Eve
8 Where was Madame Tussaud born?
a) in Switzerland
b) in France
c) in England
9 What happened to the original Globe Theatre?
a) It burned down during a performance.
b) It burned down in the Great Fire of London.
c) This is the original Globe Theatre!
10 How many people can the London Eye carry at the same time?
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a) about 300 people
b) about 500 people
c) about 800 people
11 What can you see in the Dungeon?
a) wax figures of famous rock stars
b) photos of ghosts in old castles
c) how people were killed and tortured in England's past
12 The Horse Guards are the Queen's ...
a) Life Guards
b) Jockeys
c) Palace Guards
13 Which famous animals can you see at the Tower?
a) dogs
b) ravens
c) bears
14 How long did the Great Fire of London last?
a) 3 days
b) 3 weeks
c) 3 months
15 In the 19th century, the Docklands were the world's ...
a) most important prison
b) largest port
c) most famous wax museum
16 When did the Globe Theatre open?
a) in 1613
b) in 1853
c) in 1997
17 What is the name of the person who wanted to blow up the Palace
of Westminster in 1605?
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a) Guy Fawkes
b) Boy Hawkes
c) Gay Forkes
18 Why is the Queen's birthday parade not in April (when the
Queen's real birthday is)?
a) Because the horses are too wild in April so it would be too
dangerous.
b) Because the weather is better in June than in April.
c) Because most of her guards are on holiday then.
19 Which of the following is not at the Tower?
a) Nelson's column
b) ravens
c) crown jewels
20 How many seconds does the Tower Bridge need to lift?
a) 60
b) 90
c) 120
21 What does HMS mean?
a) Hear My Signal
b) Her Majesty's Ship
c) Honoured Marine Symbol
22 When was the Great Fire of London?
a) in 1555
b) in 1666
c) in 1777
23 When does Trooping the Colour take place every year?
a) in May
b) in April
c) in June
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24 Who fought in the battle of Trafalgar?
a) Nelson
b) Wellington
c) Braveheart
25 When did Madame Tussaud open a permanent wax exhibition in
London?
a) in 1802
b) in 1835
c) in 1850
26 At the performance of which play did the original Globe Theatre
burn down in 1613?
a) Henry VIII
b) King Lear
c) Romeo and Juliet
27 At what time does the Mounting of the Guard take place on a
Sunday?
a) at 9 o'clock
b)at 10 o'clock
c)at 11 o'clock
28 How often per year does the Tower Bridge lift nowadays to let
ships through?
a) about 50 times per year
b) about 500 times per year
c) never
29 How long does one flight in the London Eye last?
a)15 minutes
b) 30 minutes
c) 45 minutes
30 What is the Dungeon today?
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a) a place where parliament meets
b) a theatre
c) a wax museum
31 When is the Queen's real birthday?
a) in April
b) in June
c) in February
32 What is the street called where the Horse Guards are?
a) Whitehall
b) The Mall
c) Baker Street
33 In the Rock Circus you can see ...
a) stones, rocks and minerals
b) wax figures of famous musicians
c) what women wore in the past
34 How tall is the observation wheel?
a) 100 m
b) 135 m
c) 153 m
35 Which famous building is in Trafalgar Square?
a) Houses of Parliament
b) Rock Circus
c) National Gallery
36 What is the name of the river that runs through London?
a) Avon
b) Thames
c) Seine
37 How far can you see from top of the London Eye?
a) up to 20 km
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b) up to 40 km
c) up to 60 km
Do library and dictionary research.
Explain the proper meaning of the particular English
national notions below and translate them into Ukrainian.
№10. Downing Street, Whitehall, the Upper House, the
Commons, the woolsack, speaker, teller, whip (Parliament), division
of Parliament, the White paper, the Stock Exchange; John Bull, the
British Lion; lobby; ladyship, lordship, peerage, Yorkshire pudding,
frankfurters, hot dogs; ale, gin; crown, farthing, guinea, sixpence,
bushel, foot, inch, pint, sheriff.
Suggest possible ways for faithful conveying the meaning
of peculiarly American government offices and their principal
officials in the passage below. Identify the ways of translation
which you employ for the purpose.
The United States, unlike most other countries of Europe,
Asia and America has no «government» but only an «administration»
or to be more precise, a «president's administration». The latter in its
turn has no ministries and consequently no «ministers» but departments and secretaries performing the functions of ministries and
ministers. Traditionally established in the USA are the following
thirteen departments: Agricultural Department, Commerce
Department, Defense Department, Educational Department, Energy
Department, Health and Human Services Department, Housing and
Urban Development Department, Interior Department, Justice
Department, Treasury Department, and Veterans Affairs Department.
Each of these government institutions is headed respectively by an
appointed leader, as announced by the presidential secretary. The
only exception is the Justice Department which is headed not by a
secretary but by the Attorney General. Almost all Secretaries have
their Assistant Secretaries performing the functions of deputy
ministers in other European and American governments. Exceptions
from the list include only four departments which have Deputy
16
Secretaries instead. These are Commerce Department, Housing and
Urban Development Department, Educational Department and
Treasury Department. Still other departments in the U.S.
administration government have Under Secretaries performing the
duties of assistant secretaries which correspond to the government
positions occupied by deputy ministers in other countries. To these
departments belong the Commerce Department and Veterans Affairs
Department. Secretary of the Interior Department, contrary to all
others, has an Inspector General for the first assistant. But certainly
the most peculiar are the duties of the Interior Department which
include building roads, and overseeing the national park system, and
not keeping law and order and fighting criminals, which the
ministries of the interior are responsible for in other countries. These
functions are performed in the U.S.A. by the F.B.I. (Federal Bureau
of Investigation).
Study the following information about making a
presentation. Use the suggested topics to make a presentation.
HOW TO MAKE A PRESENTATION
How do I start?
You could introduce your talk or presentation formally.
Today I'm going to talk about...
In this presentation, I'd like to tell you a little bit about...
Alternatively, you could grab your audience's attention by starting
with a question or a challenging statement. Use pictures or objects.
So, how much do you know about ___________?
Have you ever asked yourself why ... ?
What I'm going to tell you about today will change the way you think
about...
Pass around the picture/object. What do you think it is?
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How do I organize the presentation?
Make it short. Write
down the points you want to make, edit them down to, say, four, then
decide which order you are going to make them in.
Introduce each point with an expression from the list below.
The first/key thing to say about __________ is...
The main point to make about __________ is...
What you really need to know about__________ is ...
Now let's look at...
Let's turn to/move on to ...
Another interesting thing to say about__________ is ...
Finally, I'd like to say a few words about...
What do I say?
After introducing the point, add information
briefly in two, three, or, at the most, four sentences. Use markers like
the ones below to construct long, well-balanced sentences.
Anyway,...; Naturally,...; Of course,...
Similarly, ... ; Surprisingly, …; Remarkably, ...
Despite,...; However, ...; Although, ...; Whereas...
Consequently, ... ; In addition,…; Moreover, ...; Furthermore, ...
Incidentally, ... ; By the way, ... ; It's worth noting that...
How do I finish?
Conclude the presentation by briefly
summarizing what you have said, or the points you have made. You
could end by asking for comments or questions.
In conclusion,... ; To sum up,...
So, remember that…….. is all about……..
So, there are three things to remember about….
Does anybody have any questions?
Introducing yourself and your talk
Greeting, name, position
Good morning. My name's (...). I'm the new Finance Manager.
Ladies and gentlemen. It's an honour to have the opportunity to
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address such a distinguished audience.
Good morning. Let me start by saying just a few words about my
own background. I started out in ...
Welcome to Standard Electronics. I know I've met some of you, but
just for the benefit of those I haven't, my name's (...).
Title/Subject
I'd like to talk (to you) today about...
I'm going to present the recent.../explain our position on .../brief you
on../.inform you about.../ describe...
The subject/ focus/ topic/ of my talk / presentation/ paper
(academic)/ speech (usually to public audience) is
Purpose/Objective
We are here today to decide.../ agree.../ learn about...
The purpose of this talk is to update you on .../put you in the
picture about.../give you the background to...
This talk is designed to act as a springboard for discussion, start the
ball rolling.
Length
I shall only take (...) minutes of your time.
I plan to be brief.
This should only last (...) minutes.
Outline/Main parts
I've divided my presentation into four parts/sections.
They are...
The subject can be looked at under the following
headings:...
We can break this area down into the following fields:
Firstly/first of all...
Secondly/then/next...
Thirdly/and then we come to ...
Finally/lastly/last of all...
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Questions
I'd be glad to answer any questions at the end of my talk.
If you have any questions, please feel free to interrupt.
Please interrupt me if there's something which needs
clarifying. Otherwise, there'll be time for discussion at the end.
Reference to the audience
I can see many of you are...
I know you've all travelled a long way.
You all look as though you've heard this before.
Topics suggested for making a presentation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
UK
Blenheim Palace (Замок Бленхейм)
Hampton Court ( Хемптон-корт)
Howard Castle near York (Замок Ховард поблизу Йорка)
Kensington Palace (Кенсингтонський палац)
Longleat House (Лонгліт хаус)
Montacute House (Монтакьют_хаус)
Strawberry Hill, Twickenham (Строберри –Хілл, Туікенем)
Tower of London (Лондонский Тауер)
Fortress of Douve (Фортеця в Дуврі)
Windsor Castle (Віндзорський палац)
Aberystwyth Castle ( Аберистуїтський палац)
Harlech Castle (Палац Харлех)
Holyrood Palace (Палац Холіруд)
Berwick Castle (Палац Берик)
Stirling Castle (Стірлінгський Палац)
Tamworth Castle (Палац Темворт)
Rochester Castle (Рочестерський палац)
Henry VIII
Anne Boleyn
Boudicca of the Iceni
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21
22
23
24
25
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Francis Drake
Euro
Guy Fawkes
Hadrian’s Wall
Stock Exchange
USA
Yellowstone National Park
Mount McKinley
French and Indian War
Primary elections
New York Stock Exchange
Alexander Graham Bell
Thomas Edison
Nikola Tesla
Ransom E. Olds
Henry Ford
Hispanic and Latino Americans
White Americans
Asian Americans
Languages of the United States
Nobel Prize in Literature
Booker Prize in Literature
Pulitzer Prize in Literature
Ivy League
NASDAQ
Pentagon
Native Americans
Great Depression
ABC, CBS, NBC (the Big Three)
The Death Valley
The Great Lakes
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Making and Preparing Tours.
You are going to travel about the US/UK during your holidays of
two – week duration. Discuss what cities you are going to visit and
by what transport. A map of the USA/UK is need. Take into account
all factors including time and money. Prepare an oral presentation of
the results of your discussion. Use the given hints.
London Tour 1
London Tour 2
Tower of London
Horse Guards
Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast
Trafalgar Square
Dungeon
Piccadilly Circus
Globe Theatre
Madame Tussaud's
London Eye
Millennium Bridge, St Paul's
Houses of Parliament
Cathedral
Buckingham Palace
Monument to the Great Fire of
London
Docklands
UK Tour 1
London
Dover
Stonehenge
Oxford
Hadrian’s Wall
Loch Ness
Edinburgh
UK Tour 2
London
Brighton
Winchester
Bristol
Birmingham
Liverpool
Manchester
Glasgow
Edinburgh
UK Tour 3
Dublin
Glendalough
Kilkenny
Wexford
Cork
Ring of Kerry
Dingle
UK Tour 4
Limerick
Cliffs of Moher
Galway
Aran Islands
Connemara
Donegal
Derry
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USA Tour 1
New York
Niagara Falls
Chicago
Keystone
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
USA Tour 2
Grand Canyon
New Orleans
Orlando
Washington, DC
Philadelphia
Death Valley
McKinley, Alaska
USA Tour 3
Baltimore
Boston
Houston
Memphis
Detroit
El Paso
San Diego
Capitals: Cultural significance (project team work)
Before you start, study the project stages:
1 Identify the topic and the challenge/ problems. Specify the final
results.
2 Analyze the problem. Create the main hypotheses. Identify the
main sources of information.
3 Brain Storming – discussion of hypotheses. Identify the method of
results representation.
4 The collection of the information – interview, poll, observation,
experiment.
5 Analyze the project, its results and new problems.
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There exist 3 types of the projects:
1 Team project – the research is carried out by the teem, but
each student studies a separate aspect of the problem.
2 Mini-research is an individual social poll using interview and
questionnaire.
3 Project based on the library research according to the given
topic.
You have come to one of the biggest UK cities (London,
Edinburg, Cardiff, Belfast) or to one of the biggest US cities
(Washington, Boston, Los Angeles, New York – choose any) for
two days. Make a plan of sightseeing, visiting museums, places of
entertainment (a guidebook is desirable). Use the given hints.
London
Nelson Monument, National Gallery, Greater London, Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew Gardens, Royal Observatory, London Heathrow
Airport, 10 Downing Street, Royal Exchange, Royal Albert Hall in
Kensington, British Museum, London University, Royal Society, Old
Vic, London Gatwick Airport, Royal Park, Kensington Gardens,
Hyde Park, Regent's Park, London Zoo, St. James's Park, Victoria
and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum, Tate Museum.
Washington
International Monetary Fund (IMF), National Mall, National Air and
Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History, National
Museum of African Art, National Museum of American History,
National Museum of the American Indian; Sackler and Freer
galleries, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Arts and
Industries Building, S. Dillon Ripley Center, Smithsonian American
Art Museum, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera.
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Edinburgh
Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Vaults, National Gallery of
Scotland, Leith, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh
Comedy Festival, Beltane Fire Festival, Museum of Scotland, Royal
Museum, National Library of Scotland, National War Museum of
Scotland, Museum of Edinburgh, Museum of Childhood, Royal
Society of Edinburgh, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish National
Gallery of Modern Art, Scottish National Portrait Gallery,
Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh Zoo.
Cardiff
Millennium Stadium, Pierhead Building, National Assembly for
Wales,r Cardiff Castle, St David's Hall, Llandaff Cathedral,
Millennium Centre, National History Museum at St Fagans, Cathays
Park, National Museum, Gallery of Wales, Cardiff Crown Court,
Cardiff International Arena, St David's Hall, Saint Fagans Castle,
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, New Theatre, Sherman Theatre,
Chapter Arts Centre, Gate Arts Centre.
Belfast
Queen's University Belfast, Linenhall Library, Botanic Gardens in
the Queen's Quarter, Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, Belfast Zoo,
Ulster Orchestra, Belfast Marathon, Gaelic games, Queen's
University Belfast, University of Ulster.
Boston
Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston Opera House, City Performing Arts
Center, Colonial Theater, Orpheum Theatre, Boston Symphony
Orchestra, Boston Ballet, Boston Early Music Festival, Boston Lyric
Opera Company, Opera Boston, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston
National Historical Park, Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart
Gardner Museum, John F. Kennedy Library, Boston Athenaeum,
Boston Children's Museum, Bull & Finch Pub, Museum of Science,
and the New England Aquarium.
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Los Angeles
Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Walt Disney Concert Hall,
Kodak Theatre, Griffith Observatory, Getty Center, Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art,
Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Sign, Hollywood Boulevard,
Capitol Records Tower, Los Angeles City Hall, Hollywood Bowl,
Theme Building, Watts Towers, Staples Center, Dodger Stadium,
and La Placita Olvera/Olvera Street.
New York
Montauk Point State Park, Montauk Lighthouse, Adirondack Park,
Hither Hills, New York Stock Exchange, State University of New
York, University at Albany, Binghamton University, University at
Buffalo and SUNY Stony Brook, New York metropolitan area,
Meadowlands Stadium.
Topics for Reports
1 Boston Tea Party
2 Vikings
3 Celts
4 European Economic Community
5 European Union
6 Industrial Revolution
7 Agricultural revolution
8 French and Gaelic languages on the territory of Great Britain
9 Sinn Fein
10 House of Lancaster
11 House of York
12 The Tudors
13 House of Stuart
14 House of Hanover
15 House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Windsor after 1917)
16 Margaret Thatcher
17 John Major
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18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
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Anthony Blair
Gordon Brown
Tories
Whigs
The first president of the USA (George Washington)
Richard Nixon (Watergate Affair)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
John F. Kennedy
Central Intelligence Agency
MI 6
The most famous first ladies
Bill Clinton
George Bush
Barack Obama
Read, transalate the given texts. Identify the underlined
notions.
Economy
The United States has a capitalist mixed economy, which is
fueled by abundant natural resources, a well-developed
infrastructure, and high productivity. According to the International
Monetary Fund, the U.S. GDP of $14.4 trillion constitutes 24% of
the gross world product at market exchange rates and almost 21% of
the gross world product at purchasing power parity (PPP).
It has the largest national GDP in the world, though it is
about 5% less than the GDP of the European Union at PPP in 2008.
The country ranks seventeenth in the world in nominal GDP per
capita and sixth in GDP per capita at PPP.
The United States is the largest importer of goods and third
largest exporter, though exports per capita are relatively low. In
2008, the total U.S. trade deficit was $696 billion. Canada, China,
Mexico, Japan, and Germany are its top trading partners. In 2007,
vehicles constituted both the leading import and leading export
commodity. Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. public debt,
having surpassed China in early 2010. The United States ranks
second in the Global Competitiveness Report.
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In 2009, the private sector is estimated to constitute 55.3% of
the economy, with federal government activity accounting for 24.1%
and state and local government activity (including federal transfers)
the remaining 20.6%. The economy is postindustrial, with the service
sector contributing 67.8% of GDP, though the United States remains
an industrial power. The leading business field by gross business
receipts is wholesale and retail trade; by net income it is
manufacturing. Chemical products are the leading manufacturing
field. The United States is the third largest producer of oil in the
world, as well as its largest importer. It is the world's number one
producer of electrical and nuclear energy, as well as liquid natural
gas, sulfur, phosphates, and salt. While agriculture accounts for just
under 1% of GDP, the United States is the world's top producer of
corn and soybeans. The New York Stock Exchange is the world's
largest by dollar volume. Coca-Cola and McDonald's are the two
most recognized brands in the world.
In the third quarter of 2009, the American labor force
comprised 154.4 million people. Of those employed, 81% had jobs in
the service sector. With 22.4 million people, government is the
leading field of employment. About 12% of workers are unionized,
compared to 30% in Western Europe. The World Bank ranks the
United States first in the ease of hiring and firing workers. Between
1973 and 2003, a year's work for the average American grew by 199
hours. Partly as a result, the United States maintains the highest labor
productivity in the world. In 2008, it also led the world in
productivity per hour, overtaking Norway, France, Belgium and
Luxembourg, which had surpassed the United States for most of the
preceding decade. Compared to Europe, U.S. property and corporate
income tax rates are generally higher, while labor and, particularly,
consumption tax rates are lower.
The United Kingdom's economy is made up (in descending
order of size) of the economies of England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland. Based on market exchange rates, the UK is today
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the sixth largest economy in the world and the third largest in Europe
after Germany and France.
The Industrial Revolution started in the UK with an initial
concentration on heavy industries such as shipbuilding, coal mining,
steel production, and textiles. The empire created an overseas market
for British products, allowing the UK to dominate international trade
in the 19th century. However, as other nations industrialised, coupled
with economic decline after two world wars, the United Kingdom
began to lose its competitive advantage and heavy industry declined,
by degrees, throughout the 20th century. Manufacturing remains a
significant part of the economy, but accounted for only one-sixth of
national output in 2003.
The British motor industry is a significant part of this sector,
although it has diminished with the collapse of the MG Rover Group
and most of the industry is foreign owned. Civil and defense aircraft
production is led by BAE Systems, the largest defense contractor in
the world, and the continental European firm EADS, the owner of
Airbus. Rolls-Royce holds a major share of the global aerospace
engines market. The chemical and pharmaceutical industry is strong
in the UK, with the world's second and sixth largest pharmaceutical
firms (GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, respectively) being based
in the UK.
The UK service sector, however, has grown substantially, and
now makes up about 73% of GDP. The service sector is dominated
by financial services, especially in banking and insurance. London is
the world's largest financial centre with the London Stock Exchange,
the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange,
and the Lloyd's of London insurance market all based in the City of
London. London is a major centre for international business and
commerce and is the leader of the three "command centres" for the
global economy (along with New York City and Tokyo).
London has the largest concentration of foreign bank
branches in the world. In the past decade, a rival financial centre in
London has grown in the Docklands area, with the HSBC, the
world's largest bank, and Barclays Bank relocating their head offices
there. Many multinational companies that are not primarily UK29
based have chosen to site their European or rest-of-world
headquarters in London: an example is the US financial services firm
Citigroup. The Scottish capital, Edinburgh, has one of the large
financial centres of Europe and is the headquarters of the Royal Bank
of Scotland Group, one of the world's largest banks.
North Sea oil and gas have supplied much of the UK's energy
needs in recent decades, but the country now increasingly depends on
imported fossil fuels.
Tourism is very important to the British economy. With over
27 million tourists arriving in 2004, the United Kingdom is ranked as
the sixth major tourist destination in the world. London, by a
considerable margin, is the most visited city in the world with 15.6
million visitors in 2006, ahead of 2nd placed Bangkok (10.4 million
visitors) and 3rd placed Paris (9.7 million).
The creative industries accounted for 7% GVA in 2005 and
grew at an average of 6% per annum between 1997 and 2005.
The UK has a small coal reserve along with significant, yet
continuously declining natural gas and oil reserves. Over 400 million
tonnes of proven coal reserves have been identified in the UK. In
2004, total UK coal consumption (including imports) was 61 million
tonnes, allowing the UK to be self sufficient in coal for just over 6.5
years, although at present extraction rates it would take 20 years to
mine.
An alternative to coal-fired electricity generation is
underground coal gasification (UCG). UGC involves injecting steam
and oxygen down a borehole, which extracts gas from the coal and
draws the mixture to the surface - a potentially very low carbon
method of exploiting coal. Identified onshore areas that have the
potential for UGC amount to between 7 billion tonnes and 16 billion
tonnes. Based on current UK coal consumption, these volumes
represent reserves that could last the UK between 200 and 400 years.
Government involvement throughout the economy is
exercised by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (currently George
Osborne) who heads HM Treasury, but the Prime Minister (currently
David Cameron), is First Lord of the Treasury; the Chancellor of the
Exchequer is the Second Lord of the Treasury. In recent years, the
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UK economy has been managed in accordance with principles of
market liberalization and low taxation and regulation. Since 1997,
the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, headed by the
Governor of the Bank of England, has been responsible for setting
interest rates at the level necessary to achieve the overall inflation
target for the economy that is set by the Chancellor each year. The
Scottish Government, subject to the approval of the Scottish
Parliament, has the power to vary the basic rate of income tax
payable in Scotland by plus or minus 3 pence in the pound, though
this power has not yet been exercised.
In July 2007, the UK had government debt at 35.5% of GDP.
This figure rose to 56.8% of GDP by July 2009.
The currency of the UK is the pound sterling, represented by
the symbol £. The Bank of England is the central bank, responsible
for issuing currency. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland retain
the right to issue their own notes, subject to retaining enough Bank of
England notes in reserve to cover the issue. Pound sterling is also
used as a reserve currency by other governments and institutions, and
is the third largest after the U.S. dollar and the euro.
The UK chose not to join the euro at the currency's launch,
and the British Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, has
ruled out membership for the foreseeable future, saying that the
decision not to join had been right for Britain and for Europe. The
government of former Prime Minister Tony Blair had pledged to
hold a public referendum for deciding membership should "five
economic tests" be met. In 2005, more than half (55%) of the UK
were against adopting the currency, while 30% were in favour.
On 23 January 2009, Government figures from the Office for
National Statistics showed that the UK was officially in recession for
the first time since 1991. It entered a recession in the final quarter of
2008, accompanied by rising unemployment which increased from
5.2% in May 2008 to 7.6% in May 2009. The unemployment rate
among 18 to 24-year-olds has risen from 11.9% to 17.3%.
The poverty line in the UK is commonly defined as being
60% of the median household income. In 2007-2008, 13.5 million
people, or 22% of the population, lived below this line. This is a
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higher level of relative poverty than all but four other EU members.
In the same year, 4.0 million children, 31% of the total, lived in
households below the poverty line, after housing costs were taken
into account. This is a decrease of 400,000 children since 1998-1999.
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