Текст книги "Практический курс английского языка 2 курс"

Автор книги: Владимир Аракин

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I looked out of the window enjoying the scenery.

3. shallow adj 1. мелкий, as shallow water, a shallow dish

Ant. deep

2. поверхностный, пустой; несерьезный, as a shallow mind, argument; shallow interests; a

shallow man, person

Ant. serious (about a person, book, argument), deep (love, feelings)

Note: the Russian word мелкий has different meanings which are rendered in English by

means of different words: 1) fine – состоящий из мелких частей, as fine sand, buckwheat, 2)

small – некрупный (о достоинстве монет), as small change (uncountable)', 3) flat —

неглубокий, почти плоский, as a flat pan (plate).

4. extremeadj 1. крайний (at or near the end or edge), as the extreme end (edge, border,

etc.), in the extreme North

2. чрезвычайный; чрезмерный, as extreme patience (love, kindness, interest)

extremely adv чрезвычайно, as to be extremely interested in smth., to be extremely sorry

for smb., smth., etc.

5. supply υt снабжать, е.g. In our hall the students are supplied with all the necessary

furniture and bedding. Who will supply the expedition with all the necessary equipment?

supply n (often pl) запас(ы), е.g. This shop has a large supply of winter coats.

to give a good supply of, е.g. These forests give a good supply of timber.

6. shape n форма, очертание, е.g. I don't like the shape of his nose. This sculpture hasn't

got much shape, I should say.

Syn. form, outline

in the shape of, е.g. I want to get a brooch in the shape of a horseshoe.

shapelessadj бесформенный, е.g. He had a ragged coat and a shapeless hat on.

shapely adj красивой формы; стройный, хорошо сложенный, as a shapely figure

7. channel n канал, a stretch of water wider than a strait, joining two seas or separating two

bodies of land, as the English Channel, the Bristol Channel

Syn. 1. ca'nal канал – a channel for water made by man, not by nature, used for ships or for

carrying water to places that need it, as the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal, the Volga-Don Canal, the

Fergana Canal; 2. strait пролив – a narrow channel of water connecting two large bodies of water,

as the Magellan Strait, the Strait of Dover

8. value n ценность, значение, е.g. The literary value of that book is not great. I don't

believe you realize the value of his advice.

to be of great (little, some, no) value to smb., е.g. In some years his pictures will be of great

value. This book will be of no value in your studies.

valueυt 1. ценить, дорожить, е.g. I greatly value his friendship.

Syn. appreciate (о)ценить высоко, по заслугам, е.g. We all appreciate a holiday after a

year of hard work. I greatly appreciate your kindness.

2. оценивать, е.g. He valued the house for me at £ 800.

valuable adj ценный, е.g. It's a valuable picture.

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY (I)

Words

advantage n

flow υ

shapely adj

canal n

harbour n

soil n

channel n

lonely adj

strait n

cliff n

manufacture n

supply υ

comparatively adv

plain n

valuable adj

crop n

plough υ

value υ, n

cultivate υ

rocky adj

varied adj

deer n

scene n

variety n

distinct adj

scenery n

various adj

eagle n

shallow adj

vary v

extreme adj

shape n

wander υ

extremely adv

shapeless adj

wheat n

Word Combinations

to the west (east, north; south) of

in the north (south, east, west)

within a few miles (metres, etc.) of

to separate smth. from smth.

to keep smth. from (cold,

regular in outline

heat, bad influence, etc.)

under wheat (rye, etc.)

on the map

to flow into (the sea, lake, river)

to give a good supply of

owing to the shape (rain, etc.)

to flow (from, out of)

to be of great (little, some, no) value

EXERCISES

I. Read the text and do the following (A. Grammar, B. Word usage, C. Word-

formation):

A. 1. Pick out all proper names and arrange them into two groups – nouns with the definite

article and without it; explain the use of the article. 2. Search the text for sentences with inversion.

Transform them into regular sentences and compare them with the original ones. Specify what kind

of inversion it is. 3. What tense group is predominant in the text and why?

B. 1. Pick out all the adjectives that go together with the following nouns: sea, lake, river;

mountains, hills, cliffs; area, land, field, moors, upland, lowland. 2. Mark all the cases when nouns

are defined by two adjectives; comment on the word order; is it possible to change it? 3. Pick out all

the nouns defined by the adjective small; is it possible to use little instead? 4. Search the text for the

combinations of Adv +Adj ending in -ed, translate them into Russian and use them in sentences of

your own.

C. 1. Pick out all the derivatives and classify them according to the suffix. 2. Search the text

for compounds and comment on their structure. 3. Pick out from the text all the words that have

homonyms. Spell, transcribe and classify them.

II. Write English equivalents of the following:

более миллиона тонн, миллионы людей, двести озер, глубиной 600 футов, сотни миль,

длина Темзы немногим больше 200 миль, сотни островков, общая площадь Великобритании

около 94 250 кв. миль или 244 000 кв. километров, население – 56 миллионов человек.

III. a) Make up a list of geographical names used in the text (mind the articles)

and transcribe them.

b) Transcribe and translate the following words:

advantage, canal, channel, comparatively, desolate, determine, estuary, extremely, glorious,

heather, indentation, manufacture, moor, navigable, occasionally, plough, scenery, strait, total, vague,

value, vary, wander, wheat, wind.

с) Translate the following verbs into English. Give their four forms:

пахать, течь, извиваться, меняться, бродить, ценить, снабжать, ломать,

выращивать.

d) Give the plural of the following nouns. Translate them into Russian:

deer, sheep, fish, mouth, foot

IV. Supply adjectives:

1. ... water is warmer than ... water. 2. Cornwall is famous for its ... cliffs. 3. Its ... soil is

deeply cultivated. 4. This part of the country is noted for ... cold. 5. The U. K. ... area is some 94,250

square miles. 6. There are ... fields in the east of England. 7. There are ... harbours for ships. 8. In the

northern Highlands of Scotland you'll enjoy the sight of ... mountains. 9. They were making their

way through ... hills. 10. There were ... plains stretching for miles and miles. 11. Lowlands is the ...

plain of Scotland.

V. Answer the following questions (use the map on p. 240):

1. What do we call the group of islands situated to the north-west of Europe? 2, What are the

names of the biggest islands? 3. Do the United Kingdom and Great Britain mean the same? 4. What

countries are situated on the British Isles? What are their capitals? 5. What is Great Britain proper?

6. What are the names of the waters washing the coasts of the British Isles? 7. Why do the English

call the strait between Great Britain and the mainland the "Strait of Dover" and the French call it

"Pas-de-Calais" (international term)? 8. What are the most important rivers in Great Britain? 9. What

are the names of the chief mountain ranges on the island? 10. Where are the Cumbrian and the

Cambrian mountains situated?

VI. Translate the following sentences in writing. (Consult Essential Vocabulary

(I).) Respond to the questions and statements, using the conversational formulas

(see p. 164, Ex. XI 8):

1. Вы можете показать на карте важнейшие порты Великобритании? 2. Эта карта не

представляет большой ценности. 3. Знаете ли вы, куда впадает река Северн? 4. Благодаря

постоянным дождям реки Англии служат хорошим источником пресной воды. 5. Какие горы

отделяют Англию от Шотландии? 6. К северо-востоку от Шотландии находятся острова. Как

они называются? 7. Остров Мэн имеет сравнительно правильные очертания, судя по карте. 8.

Что может предохранить посевы от сильного холода? 9. Сравнительно большая часть

пахотной земли на юго-востоке Англии занята под пшеницей. 10. В каком районе страны

находятся большие запасы угля? 11. В нескольких милях от Лондона находится город Кройдон

(Croydon), в котором имеется большой аэропорт.

VII. Study the following derivatives and compounds:

sandy, noticeable, plough-land, sea-loving, heather-covered, muddy, navigable, sugar-beet,

low-lying, waterways, fruit-growing.

a) Write out the sentences in which they are used in the text.

b) Use them in sentences of your own.

c) Give English equivalents of the following:

солнечный, туманный, дождливый, снежный, скалистый, грязный, дымный,

водянистый, холмистый, песчаный, сахарный, удлиненный, предпочтительный, ценный,

судоходный, заметный, отделимый, определимый, подходящий.

d) Give Russian equivalents of the following:

variety-show, wheat-field, coal-supplier, ploughman, heather-moor, horseshoe, seashore,

seascape, earthquake;

deer-hunting, wheat-growing, sheep-breeding, crop-gathering, land-ploughing, snow-

ploughing;

shipbuilding (yards), leaf-bearing (trees), nature-loving (nation), furbearing (animals), ocean-

going (steamers), food-producing (industries);

snow-covered (fields), smoke-filled (room), man-made (canal), grass-covered (plain), sea-

bound (ship), weather-beaten (face), moon-lit (path).

VIII. Supply articles where necessary. Write answers to the questions:

1. Look at... map of ... British Isles. Do you know what... two largest islands are called? 2. ...

right-hand side of... map is ... East. What sea is east of ... Great Britain? 3. In what direction is ...

Irish Sea from ... Great Britain? 4. Point to ... body of ... water which is west of ... Ireland. What do

we call it? 5. Towards ... bottom of ... map is ... South. What is towards ... top of ... map? 6. In what

direction is ... Great Britain from ... English Channel? 7. What country is west of ... England? 8. Find

... Thames. ... rivers' always flow towards ... sea. In what direction does ... Thames flow? 9. ...

Severn flows into ... Bristol Channel, doesn't it? 10. Where does ... Severn rise? 11. What do we

call... highest part of... Scotland? 12. Find ... Edinburgh and ... Glasgow. In what part of ... Scotland

are they situated? 13. Where are ... Cheviot Hills? 14. In what direction are ... British Isles from ...

mainland? 15. What water body separates ... British Isles from ... Continent?

IX. Study Vocabulary Notes and translate the illustrative examples into

Russian.

X. Supply suitable words (consult Essential Vocabulary I):

1. The English ..., in its narrowest part (the ... of Dover) is only 32 km wide. 2. The ... of

Scotland is noted for its wild and desolate beauty. 3. The rivers of Great Britain are of no great... as

waterways, some of them are joined by means of ... . 4. The relief of Great Britain ... to a remarkable

degree. 5. They took ... of their stay in London to brush up their English. 6. The chief grain.. are oats

and barley. 7. Rivers in England are seldom frozen. ... are ice-free. 8. Next to coal and iron, stone

and slate are most ... minerals in England. 9. The rich ... of south-east England is well cultivated. 10.

The Welsh Mountains are very ... and difficult to climb. 11. The seas surrounding the British Isles are

very ..., usually less than 300 feet deep. 12. Britain's complex geology is one of the main reasons for

its rich ... of scenery. 13. In winter eastern Britain faces the colder continent whereas western Britain

faces the ... warm Atlantic. 14. In most areas the farmer ... only the valley lands and the ... where

soils are deeper and richer. 15. There are ... types of wild vegetation, including the natural flora of

woods, fens and marches. 16. The Lake District is famous for its ....

XI. Express the same idea in your own words or explain the following

substituting synonyms for the words in italics:

1. Tom Ramsay spent two happy years in the various capitals of Europe. 2. Blodwyn, gazing

at the dark out/me of mountains before her, knew that rain would fall before night-time. 3. The

windows of semi-circular shape were on the level of the floor. 4. He was wandering about with two

pence in his pocket and nowhere to go for the night. 5. It was the string of pearls Miss Robinson was

wearing and it was valued at 50 thousand pounds. 6. Larry had a wonderfully melodious voice with a

singular variety of tone. 7. The children appreciated the mechanical toys they had never seen before.

8. His hands were long, but not large for his size, beautifully shaped and at the same time strong. 9.

She has twenty years advantage over me. 10. Both had the advantage of speaking good and fluent

French. 11. They have just had a terrific scene. 12. I used ro wander about the sweet-smelling

meadows in the evening. 13. He was not interested in your views on the social and moral value of

their relationship. 14. Though she had lost the fresh bloom of extreme youth, there was not a line on

her forehead or under her hazel eyes. 15. The climate is sufficiently varied for both sub-tropical and

sub-arctic plants to be cultivated within the extent of the British Isles. 16. The British farmer

cultivates a comparatively small tract of land producing a variety of products. 17. Tom ran around

and stopped within a foot or two of the flower. 18. Owing to numerous rapids the river is not

navigable. 19. Julia Pendleton liked to sit cross-legged on the couch just to show her shapely legs in

silk stockings.

XII. Fill in prepositions. Make a study of the text'

Just off the coast... the mainland ... north-western Europe and only nineteen miles distant ... it

... the nearest point lies the small group ... islands known as the British Isles.

The British Isles include Great Britain, Ireland and a number ... small islands. Great Britain

consists ... England, Scotland and Wales. The southern two thirds ... Ireland are occupied ... the Irish

Republic which borders ... Northern Ireland. Great Britain is a region ... varied lowlands, rolling hills

and few mountains. Although the highest peak, Ben Nevis ... the Grampians ... Scotland, rises ...

4,400 feet, such-heights seldom occur. The Pennine Range ... northern England rises only slightly ;..

3,000 feet, as do the Cambrian mountains ... Wales.

... the extreme south ... England are the famed chalk hills some ... which form the Dover

Cliffs.

The rivers ... the region are short and ... general flow ... the central and southern lowlands ...

the surrounding seas. Many ... them are connected ... each other ... canals. The coasts ... the British

Isles are washed ... the Atlantic Ocean, the Norwegian, North and Irish seas and two big channels

(the English Channel and the North Channel).

ХIII. Write questions about the text, using new words and phrases in each

question. When asking and answering the questions use the map.

XIV. Give English equivalents of the Russian word мелкий in its different

meanings. Use them in sentences of your own.

XV. a) Read and translate the following text:

The warm currents in the Atlantic Ocean influence the climate of Great Britain. The winters

are not severely cold, while summers are rarely hot.

Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year.

The percentage of the cloudiness is high, well over half the days of the year being overcast;

fogs along the coast as well as occasionally in the interior frequently hide the sun. The fogs of

London, often made severe by mixture with city smoke (smog), have a world-wide reputation, but

one not to be envied.

b) Talk (or make up a dialogue) on the climate "of the European part of Russia

using the terms from the text above.

XVI. Translate these sentences iato English:

1. Разные люди, которых мы не ожидали, появились в зале. 2.. Ангара вытекает из

озера Байкал и впадает в Енисей. 3. Едва ли вы найдете в нашей стране такой район, где бы не

выращивались сельскохозяйственные культуры. 4. Просто удивительно, как может водиться

столько рыбы в таком мелком озере. 5. Орел – большая птица, сильная, с острым зрением. Он

обычно живет в скалах или на вершинах гор. 6. Этот одинокий утес напоминает мне по форме

древнюю башню. 7. Если бы вам удалось защитить эти тюльпаны от жары, они бы не завяли

(fade) так скоро. 8. Гористый ландшафт встречается главным образом на юге и на востоке

нашей страны. 9. Он не раз видел, как олени бродят по тундре (the tundra). 10. Детей следует

ограждать от дурного влияния. 11. Теперь уже едва ли вы найдете на карте белые пятна (blank

spaces).

XVII. Fill in:

a) to change, to vary or to differ.

1. The soil ... within a few miles in many districts, producing sharp contrast of scenery and

flora. 2. The climate of Great Britain ... greatly from that of the Continent. 3. The weather ... very

often in England. 4. The face of Scotland ... from that of South East England. 5. The educational

system of Great Britain ... from that of the United States. 6. Tastes .... 7. He looked exactly as she

remembered him, as young, as frank, but his expression was .... 8. The average winter temperature ...

between – 3°C and – 7°C. 9. What can have happened to ... him so much? 10. That is a point on

which you and she would certainly. ..

b) different, various or varied:

1. Russia has a ... climate because of its vast territory. 2.... branches of industry are found in

Greater London. 3. This good wheat land is quite ... from those being cultivated in northern regions.

4. Britain is immensely ... within a small area. 5. The insect fauna in Britain is less... than that of

Continental Europe. 6. He has been to ... places of the extreme North. 7. A glance at the map is

enough to see how... the surface of England is. 8. A home in the country is very... from an apartment

in the city. 9. I have come across him in recent years on ... occasions. 10. The young man asked

me ... kinds of questions. 11. The newspapers carried ... reports of the storm. 12. What we wear

nowadays is quite ... from what our ancestors wore. 13. He started to teach me German. He would

tell me the German for the ... objects we passed, a cow, a horse, a man and so on, and then make me

repeat simple German sentences. 14. Through many years of... conditions he kept thinking of his

family. 15. Having tried ... topics of conversation I felt exhausted.

c) to value or to appreciate:

1. She told Count Borcelli that her necklace was... at eight thousand pounds. 2. Judging by

his words he ... your help. 3. Being asked what he thought of a possible change in the plan he said

he... it 4. But I would not like him to think that I do not... the honour that he has done me. 5. The

picture is ... at a thousand dollars. 6. I suppose only a Frenchman can ... to the full the grace of

Racine and the music of his verse. 7. Jane Austen's work is to be ... primarily as satire. 8. Mr.

Cook ... his secretary for her accuracy.

d) lonely or alone:

1. She stayed ... in her room refusing to come downstairs. 2. Theirs was a ... house isolated by

the mountains. 3. He felt miserable and .... 4. ... in the house was Miss Sarie Villier. 5. Elliot in his

well-cut dinner jacket looked elegant as he ... could look. 6. "Do you know that meeting you for the

first time is to me like a ... traveller coming across some bright flowerlet in the desert!" – said Sir

Francis. 7. He was ... when I was ushered in. 8. Frau Becker seemed to look for opportunities of

being ... with Larry. 9. The British farmhouse is often some distance from a public road. The life

there is hard and .... 10. Young Jolyon ... among the Forsytes was ignorant of Bosinney's nickname.

XVIII. Translate the sentences into English:

1. Чем лучше обрабатывается почве, тек выше урожай. 2. Обширная равнина

простирается от Уральского хребта до реки Енисей. 3. Волго-Донской канал – одна из наших

главных водных магистралей, он судоходен на всем своем протяжении. 4. Во Владивостоке

прекрасная гавань, многие российские иностранные пароходы бросают в ней якори (cast

anchor). 5. Па-де-Кале отделяет Великобританию от материка, а Северный пролив —

Шотландию от Ирландии. 6, Эта культура ценна как корм для скота. 7. Едва ли приходилось

вам наслаждаться более живописными видами. 8. Большая часть пахотной земли в этом

районе занята под пшеницей. 9. Уже на расстоянии мили от берега мы видели отчетливые

очертания кораблей, стоящих в гавани. 10. Линия побережья Каспийского моря сравнительно

ровная, только у устья Волги берег изрезан и имеет много островков и бухт.

XIX. The table below (April, 1981) shows some similarities and differences between the four

countries of Great Britain:

England

Scotland

Wales

Norhern

Ireland

Area (sq km)

130,422

78,133

20,779

13,576

Population

49,300,000

5,100,000

2,900,000

1,700,000

Highest

Scafell

Ben

Snowdon

Slieve

mountain

Pike

Nevis

1,085 m

Donard

(height)

978 m

1,342 m

852 m

Largest city

London

Glasgow

Cardiff

Belfast

(population)

(Greater London)

611,660

318,000

297,900

7,074,300

We can point out the similarities like this:

In spite of the obvious differences in size and population, the countries of the UK have quite

a lot in common. Wales and Northern Ireland are fairly similar in size, though the area of Wales is

slightly larger. There isn't much difference in population between Cardiff and Belfast, though

Belfast is just a little larger.

Scafell Pike and Snowdon are more or less the same height, though Snowdon is just a few

metres higher. Both Snowdon and Ben Nevis are over 1,000 m height, though neither of them is all

that high compared with the Alps, for example.

a) Practise using the words and word combinations in bold type to make other

comparisons between some two-four regions of Russia. Write your best sentences down.

b) In small groups, compare your own country (republic) with another country

(republic) you know well. What are the similarities in Climate, Industry, People, Traffic,

Railways, Scenery, City life, Food, Agriculture, Education, Clothes?

XX. Talk about your home town. Use the following dialogue as a model:

A.: You're from Wales, aren't you?

D.: Yes, that's right. I come from Swansea actually.

A.: Ah, Swansea! I've never been there. It's a port, isn't it?

D.: Oh yes – big docks, steel works and a lot of heavy industry round about. But it's funny,

just outside the town there's really beautiful country. It's extremely beautiful along the coast – the

Gower Peninsula. No industry or nothing – just like it was a hundred years ago.

A: Sounds great. And how large is Swansea?

D.: Oh, it's a big city. You mustn't think that all the people in Wales live in villages, We have

cities too!

A.: Yes, I suppose so.

XXI. Try your hand at teaching.

1. Say what you would do in the teacher's position:

Paul, a senior in high school, must outsmart every adult with whom he comes in contact. His

need to feel superior is so strong that he spends hours plotting how he can achieve his goal. He goes

to the library to look up definitions and information of irrelevant subject matter, and confronts the

teacher with questions like "What kind of dress did Josephine wear when she married Napoleon?"

Since the teacher cannot answer this question, Paul proceeds with his information and proves his

superiority to the whole class.

2. a) Try and act as a teacher of geography and discuss one of the following topics.

Make use of Essential Vocabulary (1). Use the map when speaking. (Give a three-minute talk.)

b) Comment on the students' knowledge of the topic, their skill of reading the map and

the choice of the vocabulary:

1. The British Isles and the seas, straits and channels, washing their coast. 2. The relief of

England, its highlands, lowlands and mountains. 3. The rivers of England. 4. The Lake District. 5.

Stratford-on-Avon. 6. The relief of Scotland. 7. The relief of Wales. 8. The climate of Great Britain.

9. The relief and climate of Ireland. (See "Classroom English", Section VIII)

LABORATORY EXERCISES (I)

1. Listen to the text «The British Isles», mark the stresses and tunes. Repeat the text

following the model.

2. Paraphrase the sentences, using the suggested speech patterns. Check your sentences

with the key (oral work).

3. Complete the sentences with geographical terms. Write these terms down and check

them with the key (oral and written work).

4. Write a spelling-translation test: a) translate the phrases into English; b) check them

with the key.

5. Do the suggested exercises and check them with the key (written work).

6. Listen to the text «Soil and Vegetation» or some other text on Geography: a) write it

as a dictation; b) retell it.

TOPIC: GEOGRAPHY

TEXT A. INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS IN GREAT BRITAIN

England is a highly developed industrial country. The city of London is one of the World's

three leading financial centres along with New York and by far the biggest in Europe The Bank of

England is the commercial pulse of the city of London while Greater London is important for

products of all kings in cluding food, instrument engineering, electrical and electronic engineering,

clothing, furniture and printing. It has some heavy engineering plants and several leading research

establishments65. London is a great port with many docks.

North-west of London, in the midland counties (the Midlands) is a very important industrial

district which is known as the "Black country". In Birmingham, the centre of this area, and in the

manufacturing towns nearby, various goods are produced: machine tools, tubes, domestic metalware,

rubber products, etc. The largest coal and iron fields in Britain are located in the Midlands. Further

north is Manchester, one of the main centres for electrical and heavy engineering and for me

production of a wide range of goods including computers, electronic equipment, petrochemicals,

dye-stuffs and pharmaceuticals. The Manchester Ship Canal links Manchester with Liverpool, one of

Britain's leading seaports.

East of Manchester is the city of Sheffield, well-known for its manufacture of high quality

steels, tools and cutlery. A short railway journey to the north-east will take you from Manchester to

Bradford, the commercial centre of the wool trade.

Further north is Newcastle situated on the North Sea coast, a city famous for its shipbuilding

65 Nowadays there is little industry in London as heavy engineering plants have been moved to the nearest manufacturing towns.

yards and its export of coal.

What is remarkable about the second half of the 20th century is the accelerating pace of

change.

The Scottish economy has moved away from the traditional industries of coal, steel and

shipbuilding. North-east Scotland is now the centre of offshore oil and gas industries. There has been

a significant development in high-technology industries, such as chemicals, electronic engineering

and information technology. In Scotland, the richest part is that of the Lowlands. Here there are coal

and iron fields. Glasgow is the largest city, seaport and trading centre of Scotland.

Recent decades have seen fundamental changes in the Welsh economy. Wales is an important

centre for consumer electronics, information technology, chemicals, and food and drink.

Although Britain is a densely populated, industrialized country, agriculture is still one of its

most important industries. Dairying is most common in the west of England, where the wetter

climate encourages the growth of good grass. Sheep and cattle are reared in the hilly and moorland

areas of northern and south-western England. Its best farmland lies in the south-eastern plains.

The south of England is rural, with many fertile valleys, well-cultivated fields and pastures.

The south-eastern coast is well-known for its picturesque scenery and mild climate and a

number of popular resorts. On the southern coast of England there are many large ports, among

them: Southampton, Portsmouth, Plymouth.

TEXT B. THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE

– I know that there are many types of natural scenery in England. But what is there in the

English landscape that strikes the eye of the stranger used to other countries?

– Its "park-like" appearance, I believe. England in truth looks like one great well-ordered

park with its old trees, green meadows and hedges.66

– But as far as I know the hedges take up a considerable part of soil suitable for ploughing.

– They do. But the Englishman loves the green of England with its hedges, tender-green in

spring, covered with leaf and flower in summer, a blaze of gold and red in autumn. In winter too they

are still beautiful with a few scarlet berries almost burning in the frost.

– And yet, if England swept away her hedges and put in their place fences the saving of land

would be enormous.

– But much of the park-like beauty of the countryside would be gone and with it the

peculiar character of the English landscape.

– I hear there are a lot of lovely gardens all along the English countryside. Are English

people fond of gardening?

– They are. Almost every one in England tries to come in touch with a bit of plant life. In

the East of London you may see workingman's "flats" with their window gardens. In the West End,

land which is worth many thousands of pounds per acre is devoted to garden use. In the small

suburban villas a very considerable tax of money and labour is paid in the effort to keep in good

order a little pocket handkerchief of lawn and a few shrubs.

– Well, I think that this proves that the Englishman is at heart a great lover of nature, though

he is supposed to be such a prosaic and practical person.

TEXT C. LOOKING AT THE MAP OF RUSSIA

– I'd like you to tell me something about your country.

– I think the best way to get a general idea of a country is to study the map. It's lucky I've

got one with me. Here it is.

66 hedge: a row of bushes or low trees which are forming a kind of barrier.

– Perhaps we had better start with the physical outline of the country.

– Well, Russia can be divided roughly into two main regions – the highlands in the east

and the lowlands covering the greater part of the country, with a long mountain range cutting it into

two unequal parts.

– You mean the Urals. They form the natural border between Europe and Asia. But the

highest mountain chains, as far as I can see are situated in the south and the south-east of the country.

What do you call them?