Контрольно-измерительные материалы по английскому языку
методическая разработка по английскому языку на тему

Санкт-Петербургское

государственное бюджетное профессиональное

образовательное учреждение

«НЕВСКИЙ КОЛЛЕДЖ имени А.Г.НЕБОЛСИНА

Утверждаю

Зам. директора

 по учебно-методической работе

СПб ГБПОУ

«Невский колледж имени А.Г. Неболсина»

       _____________ С.А.Завитаев

«____»______________2014 г.

КОНТРОЛЬНО-ИЗМЕРИТЕЛЬНЫЕ МАТЕРИАЛЫ

для промежуточной аттестации

ДИФФЕРЕНЦИРОВАННЫЙ ЗАЧЕТ

по учебной дисциплине

ОДб.03 Иностранный язык

общеобразовательного цикла

образовательной программы среднего профессионального образования –

программы подготовки квалифицированных рабочих, служащих

по профессиям технического профиля:

08.01.14 Монтажник санитарно-технических, вентиляционных систем и  оборудования;

08.01.19 Электромонтажник по силовым сетям и электрооборудованию;

09.01.03 Мастер по обработке цифровой информации;

11.01.08 Оператор связи;

13.01.14 Электромеханик по лифтам;

23.01.03 Автомеханик;

26.01.05 Электрорадиомонтажник судовой

Разработчик:

Цаплина А.М., преподаватель

иностранного языка  СПб ГБ ПОУ

«Невский колледж имени А.Г. Неболсина»

Рассмотрено и обсуждено

на заседании МО общеобразовательного цикла

Председатель МО

___________________ В. Н.Шадрина

“____” __________ 2014 г

САНКТ – ПЕТЕРБУРГ, 2014 г.

Дифференцированный зачет по дисциплине

ОДб.03 Иностранный язык общеобразовательного цикла

образовательной программы среднего профессионального образования –

программы подготовки квалифицированных рабочих, служащих

по профессиям технического профиля:

08.01.14 Монтажник санитарно-технических, вентиляционных систем и  оборудования;

08.01.19 Электромонтажник по силовым сетям и электрооборудованию;

09.01.03 Мастер по обработке цифровой информации;

11.01.08 Оператор связи;

13.01.14 Электромеханик по лифтам;

23.01.03 Автомеханик;

26.01.05 Электрорадиомонтажник судовой

Выписка из «Положения по организации промежуточной аттестации

в СПб ГБПОУ «Невский колледж имени А. Г. Неболсина»

1. Общие положения

1. Промежуточная аттестация в СПб ГБПОУ «Невский колледж имени А. Г. Неболсина», имеющим государственную аккредитацию и реализующим   образовательные программы среднего общего образования в пределах ОПОП СПО на профессию или специальность, является основной формой контроля результатов учебной деятельности обучающихся, согласно Типовому положению об образовательном учреждении среднего профессионального образования.

2. Промежуточная аттестация обеспечивает оперативное управление учебной деятельностью обучающегося и ее корректировку и проводится с целью определения:

- соответствия уровня и качества подготовки обучающихся Федеральному государственному образовательному стандарту среднего профессионального образования в части государственных требований;

- полноты и прочности теоретических знаний по дисциплинам, МДК, практикам;

- сформированности умений применять полученные теоретические знания при решении практических задач, при  выполнении лабораторных и практических работ;

- наличия умений самостоятельной работы с учебной и научной литературой.

3. Промежуточная аттестация по результатам освоения обучающимися образовательных программ среднего профессионального образования - программ подготовки квалифицированных рабочих, служащих, программ подготовки специалистов среднего звена проводится в форме зачетов, дифференцированных зачетов и экзаменов.

4. Дифференцированные зачеты и экзамены по дисциплинам, МДК и практикам  проводятся с выставлением балльных отметок.

4.Подготовка и проведение  промежуточной аттестации в форме дифференцированного зачета по отдельной дисциплине, МДК, практике

1.Дифференцированный зачет – это сочетание теоретической и практической части  с учетом специфики дисциплины, междисциплинарного курса, практики.

2.Дифференцированный зачет проводится по циклам дисциплин, междисциплинарным курсам и практикам образовательных программ среднего профессионального образования - программам подготовки квалифицированных рабочих, служащих, программам подготовки специалистов среднего звена в рамках промежуточной аттестации, предусмотренной ФГОС СПО, и фиксируются в рабочем учебном плане.

3. Дифференцированный зачет проводится на завершающем этапе обучения, как правило, на последнем занятии,  за счет учебного времени, выделяемого на изучение соответствующей учебной дисциплины, курса, практики и оценивается в баллах: 5 (отлично), 4 (хорошо), 3 (удовлетворительно), 2 (неудовлетворительно).

4. Условия, процедура подготовки и проведения дифференцированного зачета по отдельной дисциплине, МДК или практике разрабатываются преподавателем (мастером производственного обучения) соответствующей дисциплины, МДК или практики  самостоятельно и доводятся до сведения обучающихся в течение первых двух месяцев от начала обучения.

5.Дифференцированный зачет по учебной дисциплине, МДК, практике может проводиться в письменной, устной или комбинированной (смешанной)  форме  (тестирование, практическая работа, собеседование и др. формы), с привлечением компьютерных технологий, как подведение итогов рейтинговой формы контроля.  Конкретные формы проведения дифференцированных зачетов определяются преподавателем (мастером производственного обучения) согласовываются с соответствующим МО и фиксируются в рабочей программе соответствующей дисциплины, МДК. практике.

6. Оценка по дифференцированному зачету перекрывает текущие оценки теоретических и практических знаний. В журнале теоретического (практического) обучения оценка выставляется как оценка последнего дня занятий и выносится отдельно в графу «Дифференцированный зачет».

7.Уровень подготовки учащихся фиксируется в промежуточной ведомости успеваемости и выставляется в зачетную книжку.

8.Учащиеся, сдавшие дифференцированный зачет на неудовлетворительную оценку, пересдают его в дополнительно установленное учебной частью время.

Цель дифференцированного зачета по дисциплине «Иностранный язык»:

• показать знания всех разделов курса иностранного языка, т.к. текст — «категория, показывающая язык в действии», единица языка и речи, интегрирующая значение всех других единиц;
• показать уровень сформированности умений, предусмотренных программой.

    Дифференцированный зачет по дисциплине «Иностранный язык» представляет собой чтение и перевод текста и устная тема. При работе с текстом есть возможность пользоваться словарем. При изложении устной темы у каждого учащегося есть свобода для его творчества. Слабый учащийся может излагать свои мысли простыми короткими предложениями, используя знакомую ему лексику. Сильный учащийся может проявить свои знания лексики и грамматики, используя более сложные грамматические конструкции. Наконец, перед каждым учащимся стоит важная коммуникативная задача: прочитать текст и построить свой ответ так, чтобы было интересно слушать. Знание теории становится инструментом для решения практических задач. Работа учащегося на ДЗ носит исследовательский, творческий характер, т.к. надо уметь творчески применять знания, обобщать и систематизировать изученное. При анализе текста проявляется языковое чутье, речевая интуиция.

Критерии оценивания

Условия выполнения задания

На групповую работу отводится 30 минут. Далее каждый студент отвечает индивидуально. Для выполнения задания можно использовать словари.

Билеты для подготовки к дифференцированному зачету

Билет №1

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Обо мне»

Билет №2

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Мой рабочий день»

Билет №3

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Покупки»

Билет №4

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Мой друг»

Билет №5

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Моя семья»

Билет №6

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Мой любимый праздник»

Билет №7

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Мой дом»

Билет №8

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Мое любимое время года»

Билет №9

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Мое хобби»

Билет №10

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Моя будущая профессия»

Билет №11

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Путешествия»

Билет №12

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Мой любимый вид спорта»

Билет №13

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Музыка в нашей жизни»

Билет №14

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Средства массовой информации»

Билет №15

1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы к тексту.
2. Устная тема «Мои каникулы»

1. Ecological Problems

Since ancient times Nature has served Man, being the source of his life. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with environment and it seemed to them that natural riches were unlimited. But with the development of civilization man's interference in nature began to increase. Large cities with thousands of smoky industrial enterprises appear all over the world today. The by-products of their activity pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we grow grain and vegetables on.

Every year world industry pollutes the atmosphere with about 1000 million tons of dust and other harmful substances. Many cities suffer from smog. Vast forests are cut and burn in fire. Their disappearance upsets the oxygen balance. As a result some rare species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever, a number of rivers and lakes dry up. The pollution of air and the world's ocean, destruction of the ozone layer is the result of man's careless interaction with nature, a sign of the ecological crises. The most horrible ecological disaster befell Ukraine and its people after the Chernobyl tragedy in April 1986. About 18 percent of the territory of Belarus were also polluted with radioactive substances. A great damage has been done to the agriculture, forests and people's health. The consequences of this explosion at the atomic power-station are tragic for the Ukrainian, Byelorussian and other nations.

Environmental protection is of a universal concern. That is why serious measures to create a system of ecological security should be taken. Some progress has been already made in this direction. As many as 159 countries - members of the UNO - have set up environmental protection agencies. Numerous conferences have been held by these agencies to discuss problems facing ecologically poor regions including the Aral Sea, the South Urals, Kuzbass, Donbass, Semipalatinsk and Chernobyl. An international environmental research centre has been set up on Lake Baikal. The international organization Greenpeace is also doing much to preserve the environment. But these are only the initial steps and they must be carried onward to protect nature, to save life on the planet not only for the sake of the present but also for the future generations.

Questions:

1. Why is the problem of protecting our nature so important now?
2. Are there any organizations that pay attention to the protection of the environment?
3. When did the Chernobyl tragedy happen?
4. What are the results of the Chernobyl tragedy?
5. What can we do to protect our environment?

2. Agatha Christie

 Agatha Christie was sure the world's best-selling crime writer. Moreover, she was an immensely prolific writer. 79 shot stories, 4 non-fiction ones and 19 plays were written by that strange woman. They were translated into 136 languages. Over 3 billion books by Agatha Christie were sold worldwide. She is popular for ingenuity of plots, which are classical murder mysteries: marooned places and a well-mannered murderer. Her way to present the stories was quite different from that of her colleagues. In the first place, her stories appealed to the readers inside, so you can't find much blood and violence in her stories.

 Agatha Christie created two major characters for her stories. Hercule Poirot, a Belgian, used to work in the Police, but by the time of the action he already retired. He can be described as a funny little man taken by many readers as a comic personage. He had a luxurious moustache and he was really proud of it.

 Miss Marple was the complete opposite of Poirot. She wasn't a professional and had never been one. She was just an old spinster, very modest but perceptive and not a flamboyant personality, who acted as a detective just by virtue of taking thought.

 Agatha Christie's favourite way of murdering was poisoning. She accurately described the process because she had learned a lot about poisons and other chemicals during World War II, while working in a hospital.

 The reader has to solve the mystery and decide who the murderer is together with the author. Most of the crimes were committed in some closed surroundings with a limited number of people to suspect. Finally the identity of the murderer is revealed and the reader is hooked and starts looking for another book by Agatha Christie.

 Agatha Christie lived between 1890 and 1976. She started writing stories at a very early age, at first to entertain herself. However, she managed to become famous. Not many people know that she used to write under a pen-name of Mary Westmacott. Later, already as a world-known writer, she tried to avoid publicity and stayed out of the public eye.

Questions:

1. Why was Agatha Christie famous?
2. When was she born?
3. What kind of books did she write?
4. What characters were the most popular?
5. What was her favourite way of murdering?

3. Christopher Columbus

 300-400 years ago a big part of the world was remaining unknown. But now there seems little more to explore, the wild north was conquered, the jungle was conquered too. And it seems that all the pages of the great book called “The Earth” has been filled in, but exploration still goes on. In the 15th century people knew only 3 continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. They knew nothing about America. The man who was thought to be the discoverer of America was born in 1451 in Italy. His name was Christopher Columbus.

Knowing that the earth was round he decided to reach India by sailing to the west. It was very difficult for him to organize an expedition as nobody wanted to help him. At last the Spanish government gave him some money. In the 1492 he sailed with 3 small ships into the Atlantic ocean. They had been sailing for more than 2 months and at last they saw land. Columbus was certain that the lands he discovered were part of India and he called these islands “The West Indies”. He made 3 voyages to America. His last voyage was made in 1502-1504. After that, heavily ill, he remained in Spain until his death. He died believing that Cuba was part of Asia. These voyages gave Europe the first information about the new world. Many places have been named in his honor. America however was named after another explorer Amerigo Vespucci.

Americus Vespucius (or Amerigo Vespucci, as the name is spelled in Italian) was born in Florence, Italy, in 1454. He was in Spain at the time of Columbus' first and second voyages. In a letter, written in 1504 and printed in 1505, he claimed to have made four voyages, on the first of which, in 1497, he explored the South American coast. This would make him the first European to land on the American continent, for at that time Columbus had only reached the outlying islands. Most scholars reject his version of this voyage. Vespucius perhaps did accompany a Spanish expedition that of Alonzo de Ojeda to South America in 1499, and in 1501 and 1503 he probably went with Portuguese expeditions. Probably he never commanded an expedition himself and, of course, was not the first person to set foot on the continents to which his name is given. Vespucius died in Seville, Spain, in 1512.

Questions:

1. What was Christopher Columbus famous for?
2. Where did he decide to go?
3. How did he call his discovery?
4. When did it happen?
5. Who was America named after?

4. Isaac Newton — the Great English Scientist

 Isaac Newton was a great English scientist. He was born in 1642 in a little village in Lincolnshire: Newton’s father was a farmer and died before his son’s birth. When Newton was 15, his uncle removed him from school because he wanted to make a farmer of him. But a young Isaac was a bad farmer and his uncle sent him to the University of Cambridge. After graduation from the University he became a professor of Mathematics and lectured at Cambridge for more than 30 years.

In 1665 the great plague broke in England and Cambridge was closed — Newton had to return home for eighteen months. It was the most important period in his life when he made his three great discoveries— those of the differential calculuses, of the nature of white light and of the law of gravitation. He advanced an idea that light consisted of small particles — corpuscles (today the scientists call them photons). Later on he, however, came to the conclusion that light had a dual nature, namely, it was a combination of the corpuscles and the ethereal waves. Newton was also interested in the problem of what was the cause of the motion of the planets. He came to the conclusion that the force that kept the planets in the orbits round the Sun was the same force that caused objects to fall onto the ground, namely, the force of gravity. A popular legend says that he made this discovery while observing the fall of an apple from a tree in his garden. But only in 1684 Newton published his famous book the “Principia” in which he explained the movement of the planets and laid down the law of universal gravitation. This book made a great contribution to Physics and Mathematics: the publication of the “Principia” was compared to a sunrise, but Newton himself was always modest.

Newton was not only theorist but a great inventor, too: he invented a mirror telescope. The demonstration of the mirror telescope made a great impression on the contemporaries and in 1672 Newton was elected a member of the Royal Scientific Society. In 1695 Newton was appointed an inspector at the Royal Mint; there he was in charge of coining new English money. In 1703 Newton was elected a President of the Royal Scientific Society. For the last time he attended its meeting in February, 1727. On March 20, the same year he died and was buried in Westminster Abbey. There is a monument to Newton in Trinity College at Cambridge with the inscription: “Newton Who Surpassed All Men of Science”

Questions:

1. What was Isaac Newton famous for?
2. When and where was he born?
3. Where did he study?
4. What is the force of gravity?
5. What did Isaac Newton invented?
6. What book did he write? What was it famous for?

5. Ernest Hemingway

 Ernest Hemingway is one of the greatest 20th-century American writers. The legend which developed around his impressive personality was that of a man of action, a devil-may-care adventurer, a brave war correspondent, an amateur boxer, a big-game hunter and deep-sea fisherman, the victim of three car accidents and two plane crashes, a man of four wives and many loves, but above all a brilliant writer of stories and novels.

Hemingway was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. His father was a doctor who initiated the boy into the outdoor life of hunting, camping, and fishing. While at school, Hemingway played football and wrote articles for the school newspaper.

In 1917, when the United States entered the World War I, Hemingway left home and schooling to become a reporter for "The Kansas City Star". He wanted to enlist for the war but was rejected because of an eye injury from football. Finally he managed to go to Europe as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross. He joined the Italian army and was seriously wounded.

His war experience and adventurous life provided the background for his many short stories and novels. He achieved success with "A Farewell to Arms", the story of a love affair between an American lieutenant and an English nurse during the World War I.

Hemingway actively supported the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War and wrote another successful novel of war, love and death. It was "For Whom the Bell Tolls".

During the World War II Hemingway was a war correspondent first in China and then in Europe. He fought in France and helped to liberate Paris. In his later years Hemingway lived mostly in Cuba where his passion for deep-sea fishing provided the background for "The Old Man and the Sea". He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1954.

Unwilling to live with the inevitable physical aging, Hemingway committed suicide, as his father had done under similar circumstances.

Questions:

1. What was Ernest Hemingway famous for?
2. When and where was he born?
3. What were his hobbies at school?
4. Did he want to enlist the war? And why was he rejected?
5. What books did he write?
6. What did he work as?
7. Where did Hemingway live in his later years?

6. USA Holidays

Memorial Day is a legal holiday, observed annually on the last Monday in May in most of the United States, It honours the nation's armed services killed in wartime. The holiday, originally called Decoration Day, is traditionally marked by parades, memorial speeches and ceremonies, and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags. Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, on the order of General John Alexander Logan for the purpose of decorating the graves of the American Civil War dead. It was observed on May 30 until 1971, when most states changed to a newly established federal schedule of holiday observance.

Independence Day is an annual holiday commemorating the formal adoption by the Continental Congress of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia. Although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the Fourth of July holiday has been accepted as the official anniversary of United States independence and is celebrated in all states and territories of the U.S.

The Fourth of July is traditionally celebrated publicly with parades and pageants, patriotic speeches, and organised firing of guns and cannons and displays of fireworks. Family picnics and outings are a feature of private Fourth of July celebrations.

Thanksgiving Day, a legal holiday in the U.S., was first celebrated in early colonial times in New England. The actual origin is probably the harvest festivals that are traditional in many parts of the world. After the first harvest was completed by the Plymouth colonists in 1621, Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving.

In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a day of thanksgiving, and since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, generally designating the fourth Thursday of November as a holiday.

New Year's Day is the first day of the year, January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. In the Middle Ages most European countries used the Julian calendar and observed New Year's Day on March 25, called Annunciation Day and celebrated as the birth to the Son of God. With the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, Roman Catholic countries began to celebrate New Year's Day on January 1.

The custom of visiting friends, relatives and neighbors on New Year's Day is one of the Old World traditions that has taken on a new form in the United States. A favourite place to see the old year out is New York City's Time Square.

Christmas is an annual festival, held on December 25, to celebrate the Nativity, or birth of Christ. The Christmas tree, an evergreen trimmed with lights and other decorations, is derived from the so-called paradise tree, symbolizing Eden.

Saint Valentine's Day, a holiday honouring lovers, is celebrated on February 14. There is a custom of sending greeting cards or gifts to express affection. The cards, known as valentines, are often designed with hearts to symbolise love. The holiday probably derives from the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalis (February 15). The festival gradually became associated with the feast day (February 14) of two Roman martyrs, both named St. Valentine, who lived in the 3rd century. St. Valentine has traditionally been regarded as the patron saint of lovers.

7. Customs and Traditions

 There are many customs and traditions in England. First tradition is called "Wrong side of the bed". When people are bad tempered we say that they must have got out of bed on the wrong side. Originally, it was meant quite literally. People believe that the way they rose in the morning affected their behavior throughout the day. The wrong side of the bed was the left side. The left always was linked with evil.

The second custom is called "Blowing out the candles". The custom of having candles on birthday cakes goes back to the ancient Greeks. Worshippers of Artemis, goddess of the moon and hunting, used to place honey cakes on the altars of her temples on her birthday. The cakes were round like the full moon. This custom was next recorded in the middle ages when German peasants lit tapers on birthday cakes, the number lit indicating the person's age, plus an extra one to represent the light of life. From earliest days burning tapers had been endued with mystical significance and it was believed that when blown out they had the power to grant a secret wish and ensure a happy year ahead.

"The 5th of November". On the 5th of November in almost every town and village in England you will see fire burning, fireworks, cracking and lighting up the sky. You will see too small groups of children pulling round in a home made cart, a figure that looks something like a man but consists of an old suit of clothes, stuffed with straw. The children will sing: "Remember, remember the 5th of November; Gun powder, treason and plot". And they will ask passers-by for "a penny for the Guy" But the children with "the Guy" are not likely to know who or what day they are celebrating. They have done this more or less every 5th of November since 1605. At that time James the First was on the throne. He was hated with many people especially the Roman catholics against whom many sever laws had been passed. A number of catholics chief of whom was Robert Catesby determined to kill the King and his ministers by blowing up the house of Parliament with gunpowder. To help them in this they got Guy Fawkes, a soldier of fortune, who would do the actual work. The day fixed for attempt was the 5th of November, the day on which the Parliament was to open. But one of the conspirators had several friends in the parliament and he didn't want them to die. So he wrote a letter to Lord Monteagle begging him to make some excuse to be absent from parliament if he valued his life. Lord Monteagle took the letter hurriedly to the King. Guards were sent at once to examine the cellars of the house of Parliament. And there they found Guy Fawkes about to fire a trail of gunpowder. He was tortured and hanged, Catesby was killed, resisting arrest in his own house. In memory of that day bonfires are still lighted, fireworks shoot across the November sky and figures of Guy Fawkes are burnt in the streets.

Questions:

1. What customs and traditions do English people have?
2. What is the Russian analog of "Wrong side of the bed"?
3. What was the history of "Blowing out the candles"?
4. What do English people usually do on The 5th of November?

8. Canada

   Canada is the second largest country in the world. It occupies northern part of North American continent and borders on the United Stated in the south and in the north-west. The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east and by the Pacific Ocean in the west.

   The climate of Canada is rather cold: winters are usually long and snowy and summers in Northern Canada are short and cool. Summers in Southern Canada are longer and warmer. Canada is mostly covered by forests which are one of the most important resources оf the country.

   Canada is divided into ten provinces. The biggest provinces are Quebec (which is the largest province of Canada), British Columbia and Ontario.

   The capital of Canada, Ottawa, is situated in Ontario. It is mainly a government city but it also has a lot of places of interest such as The Chateau Laurier, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Parliament Buildings which are the symbol of Ottawa.

   English and French are the two official languages of the country. English is the first language for most Canadians, but in Quebec province French is the main language.

   The flag of Canada has two red vertical stripes and a big middle white vertical stripe with a red maple leaf in the centre. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth. It is a confederation with parliamentary democracy. Queen Elizabeth II is not only the Queen of Great Britain, but of Canada as well. Every Canadian province has its own government.

   Canada has numerous cities and towns. Montreal which is situated in the province of Quebec is the largest city in Canada. It is divided into two parts: the English part and the French part. The heart of Montreal offers some excellent restaurants, shops and a lot of leisure activities.

   Toronto, which is the capital of the province of Ontario, is the second largest city in Canada, it is an international commercial and business centre and it has always been an artistic and cultural centre as well. The CN Tower, the world's tallest free-standing building, is the symbol of Toronto.

   Niagara Falls is the most beautiful city in Canada. Tourists from all over the world come here to enjoy the view of the Canadian Falls or the Horseshoe. The city is a big entertaining centre with a lot of bars, restaurants, small shops, hotels and a big casino.

   Canada is a very interesting country to visit!

Questions:

1. Where is Canada situated?
2. What country does Canada border on?
3. What oceans is the country washed by?
4. What can you say about the climate of Canada?
5. What is the capital city of Canada?
6. What languages do the Canadians speak?
7. Describe the flag of Canada.
8. What is the commercial and business centre of Canada?
9. Would you like to visit this country?

       9.  Australia

   Australia is an island continent in the southern hemisphere. It is washed by the Indian Ocean in the west and the Pacific Ocean in the east. The territory is not very big with the population more than eighteen million people.

   The climate of the country is very hot. The biggest part of Australia lies in the tropical belt. It rains heavily in summer, but it's very hot, too.

   Northeast coast of the country is protected by the Great Barrier Reef, and in the east there is the Great Dividing Range with Mount Kosciusko, the highest mountain of Australia.

   The deepest river in Australia is the Murray River and the Darling is the longest one. In desert regions there are salt lakes like Lake Eyre. The inner part of Australia is occupied by deserts. The most famous ones are Desert Victoria and Gibson's Desert. In the west semi-deserts turn into savannahs.

   The plant life of Australia varies. There are desert grasses, scrub, eucalyptus, acacias and others. Australia animals are unique, they can not be found in any other place of the Earth. For example, kangaroos, koalas, Tasmanian devils, echidnas, platypuses, dingos and others.

   Australia is a member of the Commonwealth. It is a federation of 6 states and 2 territories. A governor heads each state. Australia is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen of Great Britain (Elizabeth II) as the head of the state. The head of government is Prime Minister. The national currency is the Australian dollar.

   English is the official language of Australia. There are also a lot of aboriginal languages and dialects in Australia.

   The capital of Australia is Canberra which is often called the Garden City because of its streets lined with trees. Other world famous cities are Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney is the largest city-port called the Queen City of the South. It is Australian main commercial and industrial centre. Sydney Opera House in Sydney is considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Australia is an industrial country rich in coal, gas, oil, ores, gold, opals. It is an agricultural country, too. Most food products are produced for exporting. Australia is number one in producing lamb meat and sheep wool. Bee-keeping is developed as well.

   Australia is a very interesting country with rich culture and strange animals. I would love to go there one day.

Questions:

1. Where is Australia situated?
2. What oceans is the country washed by?
3. What can you say about the climate of Australia?
4. What is the name of the highest mountain of Australia?
5. What is the capital of the country?
6. Would you like to visit this country?

10. New Zealand

   New Zealand is situated in southwest Pacific. The country consists of two large islands, North and South and several smaller islands. The two main islands are separated from each other by the Cook Strait. New Zealand is washed by the Pacific Ocean in the east and the Tasman Sea in the west. The territory is small with the population more than three million people.

   The relief of each of the islands is mostly hilly and mountainous. There are active volcanoes, geysers and hot springs in New Zealand. The highest peak is Mountain Cook in the Southern Alps on South Island. The climate of the country is mostly temperate with moderate rainfall.

   The country has unusual animals and birds. The most interesting one, the kiwi, the non-flying bird, can be found only in New Zealand. It has become the national emblem of the country.

   The national currency of New Zealand is dollar. The official language is English, but there is also the Maori language spoken by the natives. New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen of Great Britain as the head of the country. Queen Elizabeth II is represented by Governor-General and the head of government is Prime Minister.

   The capital of New Zealand is Wellington which is situated on North Island. It is the political centre of New Zealand because the House of Representatives and the residence of the Governor-General are situated there. There are several museums in Wellington. The Dominion Museum and the National Art Gallery are the most famous ones. Horse racing is very popular among the citizens of Wellington.

   Auckland is the largest city-port in New Zealand. It is a big commercial and business centre of New Zealand. The city is full of parks and gardens. Most of them are situated on hills and give a beautiful view on the city.

   New Zealand is an agricultural country. It specializes in sheep-breeding and exports lamb meat, sheep wool and butter.

   This country is sometimes called Green Paradise because of its nature: green hills, clean water and air.

Questions:

1. Where is New Zealand situated?
2. What oceans is the country washed by?
3. What can you say about the geography of New Zealand?
4. What rare animals do there live?
5. What is the capital of the country?
6. What products does New Zealand produce?
7. Would you like to visit this country?

11. Mass Media

The press, the radio and TV play an important role in the life of society. They inform, educate and entertain people. They also influence the way people look at the world and make them change their views. Mass media shapes public opinion. Millions of people in their spare-time read newspapers. It is impossible to imagine our life without newspapers. Millions of copies of them appear every day.

Many people subscribe to two or more newspapers, others buy newspapers on the news-stands. There are national daily newspapers such as "The News" and "The Economic newspaper". There are also national weekly newspapers such as "The arguments and the facts". Most national newspapers express a political opinion and people choose them according to their political beliefs. Most newspapers contain news, detailed articles on home and international affairs, reviews of book are and TV-shows. Mane of them cover sport events. There are local newspapers in every city and town of Russia.

One can also find newspapers for teenagers and children, for sportsfans and people of different professions. In Britain there are great differences between the various daily newspapers - in the type of news they report and the way they report it. On the one hand there are "quality" newspapers: "The Times", "The Guardian ", "The Daily Telegraph". These concern themselves, as far as possible, with factual reports of major national and international events, with the world of politics and business, and with the arts and sport. On the other hand there are the popular and tabloids, so-called because of their smaller size. The tabloids - the most widely read of which are "The Daily Mail", "The Daily Express" and "The Sun" - concentrate on more emotive reporting of stories often featuring violence, the Royal Family, film and pop stars and sport. The tabloid press is much more popular than the quality press.

In addition to the national daily newspapers there are some national papers which are published on Sundays. Most of the Sundays contain more reading matter than daily papers. Besides, nearly every area in Britain has one or more local newspapers. The British are one of the biggest newspaper-reading nations in the world.

Millions of people watch TV. In our technological age TV has become a part of daily life. It broadens our horizons and enriches our mind because there are different programs on the arts, history, archeology, technical inventions. The strength of our television lies in its high quality, in its willingness to experiment and its ability to please most tastes. But a peculiar feature of modern TV is a soap-opera. It is s sentimental serial drama dealing with domestic problems. Most people find soap-operas boring. There is a lot of advertising on TV. The same advertisements are repeated dozens of times every day which bores the viewers. In my opinion some new American films pull the rest of the people down to their own intellectual level. But it hardly fair to say that our media do not try to raise the cultural level of the people or to develop their artistic taste. Many of the TV programs are excellent, they are made in a good taste and with a great professional skill. The radio is turned on most of the time. It doesn't interfere with your activities. You can listen to the radio while doing some work about the house, reading a book or driving a car. On the radio one hear the music, plays, news and various commentaries and discussions. Radio and TV bring into millions of homes not only entertainment and news but also cultural and educational programs. For instants you can take a TV course in history, political, economy, management and many other subjects, learn a foreign language by radio. My favorite is "Current affairs". This program deals with political and social problems of modern society. Its aim is to give an analysis of the problems and to show different view points.

Questions:

1. What kind of mass media do you know?
2. What’s the difference between “quality” newspapers and tabloids?
3. What are the advantages of TV?
4. Do you find soap operas boring?
5. What do you think about adverts?

12. Life of Shakespeare

The great poet and dramatist William Shakespeare is often called by his people "Our National Bard", "The Immortal Poet of nature" and "The Great Unknown". More than two hundred contemporary references to Shakespeare have been located among church records, legal records, documents in the Public Record Office, and miscellaneous repositories.

After assembling all these references, we have a basic timeline of Shakespeare's life, beginning with his baptism on April 26, 1564, in Trinity Church, Stratford-on-Avon, and ending with his burial there on April 25, 1616.

Shakespeare's native place was Stratford-on-Avon, a little town in Warwickshire, which is generally described as being in the middle of England. Shakespeare's father, John, was a prosperous glove maker of Stratford who, after holding minor municipal offices, was elected high bailiff of Stratford. Shakespeare's mother Mary Arden, came from an affluent family of landowners.

Shakespeare probably received his early education at the excellent Stratford Grammar School, supervised by an Oxford graduate, where he would have learned Latin and a smattering of Greek.

In 1582 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who lived in a neighboring hamlet. The first child born to Ann and William was their daughter Susanna. In about two years Ann had twins a boy and a girl, Hamlet and Judith.

Then life in Stratford became intolerable for William Shakespeare and he decided to go to London where he began a theatrical career. Shakespeare's major activity lay in the field of drama. He became a full shareholder in his acting company, he was part-owner of ”The Globe Theatre” and later of ”The Blackfriars Theatre”, and in 1597 he purchased property in Stratford.

This property included one of the largest houses in the town. In all, 154 sonnets sequences. The sonnets were probably written in the 1590 but were first published in 1609.

Questions:

1. What was William Shakespeare famous for?
2. When and where was he born?
3. Who did he marry? Did he have any children?
4. What Shakespeare’s plays did you read?
5. Where did Shakespeare work?
6. When did he die?

13. Robin Hood

In the 11th century England was conquered by the Normans who had come from the North of France. They began to take away lands and homes from the Saxons, the native population of the British Islands. The Saxons suffered very much from the Normans and hated their new masters. Many of them ran away into the forests and become outlaws. There are many legends and songs about one of these outlaws - Robin Hood.

Robin Hood with his 300 men, so the legends say, lived in the Sherwood Forest, not far from the town of Nottingham. He often attacked the rich Normans, but he was a friend of the poor and helped them as much, as he could.

The Sheriff of Nottingham wanted to catch Robin Hood. He journeyed to London to ask Prince John for help. Prince John told him that it was his work and he must do it quickly.

He decided to have a shooting match and hoped that Robin Hood and his men would appear there to try their luck. He decided to make a beautiful gold arrow as the prize for the best archer.

 The Sheriff did not argue but went back to Nottingham, angrier than ever. He was worried by what Prince John had said. As he was not a brave man, his thoughts soon turned to trickery. He was right. When the news of the golden arrow travelled to Sherwood, Robin decided to enter the competition. But his friend David told him that it was only a trick of the Sheriff. Then Little John, Robin's great friend said that he had a plan. He decided to dress in different colours, because the Sheriff expected to see them in green. And so, dressed in many colours Robin Hood and his men went to Nottingham. The sheriff was really looking for people in green. He thought Robin Hood wasn't brave.

The archery went on and Robin Hood, fine shot that he was, was better than all the rest, and carried off the golden arrow.

Some days later, the Sheriff sat at his dinner table boasting that Robin was afraid to show his face in Nottingham. Suddenly, an arrow flew in the window and came to rest in the big fat goose. It had a message. The Sheriff read the message and understood that once again Robin Hood outwitted him.

Questions:

1. What was Robin Hood famous for?
2. Where and when did he live?
3. What did he do?
4. How did he get a beautiful gold arrow?
5. What do you think? Who has written the stories about Robin Hood?

14. Olympic Games

The word's greatest international sports games are known as the Olympic Games. They are held once every four years. The Olympic Games began in Olympia nearly 1,200 years ago in Olympia. They were for men only. In 1896 the first International Olympic Games were organized in Olympia. The Games opening ceremony is celebrated by lighting a flame called the "Olympic flame". The Olympic motto is "Faster, Higher, Stronger." The Olympic symbol is five interlocking circles colored blue, yellow, black, green and red. In 1980 the Olympic Games were organized in our country in the Moscow. The first Winter Olympic Games were hold in France in the city Shamoni in 1924. Last Winter Olympic Games were hold in the USA in the Salt-Lake city, state UTA from 8th to 24th February 2002. Russian athletes took part in this sports competition. Russia won all in all 16 medals (6 gold, 6 silver, 4 bronze). It is the 4th result. The first result achieved Germany with 35 medals.

Sport is a very important part of life in Great Britain. The most popular of the team games are football and cricket, and the most popular individual game is lawn tennis.

Rugby. One type of football, in which the players carried the oval ball in their hands, appeared 140 years ago at Rugby School. That is why the game took the name of Rugby, or "rugger". The rules of the game are different from football, and there are 15 players instead of 11, in a team.

Cricket. Cricket is England's national summer game. Nobody knows exactly how old the game is. Most matches last one day, but important matches (such as international ones) can last six days. In England cricket is played in schools and universities, and almost all villages and towns have their cricket teams which play regularly at least one match a week during the season - from May to September.

Lawn tennis. The number of people who can play lawn tennis is great. The tennis championships held at Wimbledon.

Swimming. Many children in Britain learn to swim at school, or during holidays at the seaside, and swimming as a summer pastime is enjoyed by millions of people. There are also indoor swimming pools, which makes swimming possible all-the-year-round.

Questions:

1. How often are the Olympic Games held?
2. Where and when were the first International Olympic Games organized?
3. What are the most popular team games in Great Britain?
4. What’s the difference between football and rugby?
5. Do you go in for sports?

15. Medicines and health

 Medicines are not meant to live, an English proverb says. Yes, that's true and we may add that good health is better than the best medicine. If your health is good, you are always in a good mood. You have a sound mind in a solid body, as an Old Latin saying goes. The English proverb "Sickness in the body brings sickness to the mind, expresses the similar idea, but from the different point of view.

The profession of a doctor is one of the most noble, respected and needed in the world, as we turn to a doctor for advice at the hardest moments of our life, when we fall ill or suffer from pain or some disorder in our body and soul. We complain of low medical treatment, poor equipment of hospitals, difficulties in getting this or that medicine and so on. What a pity we start to value our health only when it is necessary to take medicine. Taking medicine is an unpleasant thing of course, and if we want to avoid it, we should go in for sport and keep ourselves fit. Physical exercises are necessary. Physically inactive people catch cold more often than those who do plenty of exercises. Physical exercises are good pastime. That is true that good health is better than the best medicine. If you do early exercises you feel refreshed.

Here some rules for good health.

1. Take long walks in the open air as often as you can.

2. Keep your body clean.

3. Keep your teeth clean.

4. Wear clean clothes.

5. Sleep with your window open.

6. When you are reading or writing let the light come from your left shoulder.

7. Have plenty of fruits and vegetables all the year round "An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Of all things people probably have diseases most. There is nothing more unpleasant than being taking ill. If you are running a temperature, have a splitting headache feel dizzy or cough you go and see a doctor or send for him at once. She or he will come and feel your pulse, take your temperature, listen to your heart, tested your lungs, measure your blood pressure, etc. Certainly, he or she will prescribe some medicine which you can get made up at chemists [drug-store] At chemist's shop you can get different kinds of medicines: pulls, tablets, ointments and many other things.

Questions:

1. Our health is very important? Isn’t it?
2. What do people usually complain of?
3. What is the best way to keep your health?
4. What advices are very useful?
5. What can you buy at the chemist’s?
6. How often do you consult the doctor?