Разговорные темы для обучающихся 9 - 11 классов (стр. 5 )

Among other traditions that most Englishmen observe is 5 0`clock tea which people can have at any time between 4 and 6 p. m. It is a very light meal and the time when “everything stops for tea” in England and this became a kind of ritual. Beer is also a popular drink in England and the best place where you can try different kinds of beer is the pub. You can have a glass of it, called a pint, or a small glass, which they call a half. English pubs open at 10.30 in the morning and close at 11 in the evening, they are very popular both with the local people and with visitors.

Sunday is a very quiet day in London. All the shops, the theatres and most of the cinemas are closed. Londoners like to get out of town on Sundays. The sea is not far – only 50 or 60 miles away – and people like to go down to the sea in summer.

The English people are great pet lovers. Practically every family has a dog or a cat, or both. They have special dog shops selling food, clothes and other things for dogs. There are dog hairdressing saloons and dog cemeteries.

London

London is the capital of the United Kingdom, its economic, political and cultural centre.

It is one of the world's most important ports and one of the largest cities in the world. London with its suburbs has a population of about million people. London has been a capital for nearly a thousand years. Many of its ancient buildings still stand. The most famous of them are the Tower of London, where the crown jewels are kept, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral. Most visitors also want to see the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace (the Queen's home with its Changing of the Guards) and many magnificent museums. Once, London was a small Roman town on the northern bank of the Thames. Gradually it grew into one of the world's major cities.

The East End is the district where mostly working people live. The old port area is now called "Docklands". There are now new office buildings in Docklands, and different areas of London seem like different cities.

The West End is a rich men`s world of shops, offices and theatres.

The City of London is the district where most offices and banks are concentrated.

By the day the whole of London is busy. At night, offices are quiet and empty, but the West End stays alive, because this is where Londoners come to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses here, several concert halls and many theatres, as well as cinemas. In nearby Soho the pubs, restaurants and night clubs are busy half the night.

Like all big cities, London has a lot of concrete buildings, but it also has many big parks, full of trees, flowers and grass. In the middle of Hyde Park you will feel that you are in the countryside, miles away. Many people live outside the centre of London in the suburbs, and they travel to work in shops and offices by train, bus or underground.

Russia

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. It covers an area of over 6.5 million square miles. Russia has eleven time zones, its population is 149 million people, 80 percent of which are ethnic Russians. Russia is a multinational state, over 100 nationalities live in it, each with its own language, culture and traditions.

Russia became an independent state in 1991, now it is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, former Soviet republics.

The capital of Russia is Moscow, its political, administrative, cultural and scientific centre.

Russia is rich in raw materials and energy resources, which enabled the country to develop different industries. Russia has all kinds of surface – mountains, hills, lowlands, downs, plains and deserts. There are vast areas of forests in Siberia and the European North. The Urals are the Natural Boundary separating the European and Asian parts of the country. Other mountainous areas are the North Caucasus and Karelia in the northwest. The most important rivers are the Volga with its tributaries, the Ob, the Yenissey, the Irtysh and others. The Black Sea, the Caspian, the Azov and the Baltic Seaa are not only water resourcea, their coasts are favorable for holiday-making.

The climate of Russia is different in different parts. In the central European part it is continental, with frosts and snow in winter and hot summers. To the west of the centre and in the northwest the climate is raw and mild. In the southern areas there is hardly any snow in winter and summer may be very hot. The coldest areas are in the extreme North and in the northern part of Siberia.

Russia is a unique country, it has a lot to be proud of, first of all – its people, famous scientists, musicians, artists, ballet school, its folk songs and dances. That`s why thousands of tourists from different parts of the world visit this country every year.

Moscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia. It is an ancient historical city. It was founded in 1147 by Russian prince Yuri Dolgoruki. Now Moscow is the fifth largest city in the world, its population is over 9 million people. Moscow is also one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

The centre of Moscow is the Kremlin which was built on the left bank of the Moskva River. Among the historical monuments inside the Kremlin there are the Cannon Tsar, the Bell Tsar, made by Russian masters, the Armoury Chamber, the Archangel. The Assumption and the Annunciation Cathedrals.

Visitors can find a lot of other places of interest in Moscow, such as the Moscow Univercity area and the observation platform from which you can see a panorama of Moscow and all the monumental Buildings like the Ukraine Hotel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the apartment house in Krasnaya Presnya and others. Other places of interest that attract tourists are Arbat Street and the Exhibition area. There are also a lot of museums and popular art galleries in Moscow. The most famous and popular art museums are the Tretyakov Art Gallery and the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum.

Moscow is the centre of political. Cultural and educational life in Russia. There are a lot of theatres and cocert halls in Moscow. The most popular theatres are the world-famous Bolshoi Theatre, The Maly Theatre, the Puppet Theatre named after Obraztsov, the Chaikovsky Concert Hall and others.

There are over 50 institutes and universities in Moscow, among them Moscow State University named after Lomonossov, one of the first higher educational institutions in Russia.

Moscow is growing day after day and is becoming more and more beautiful. Some old buildings are being repaired, a lot of new buildings appear in different districts of Moscow. Among the new sights that have appeared recently are the Monument in Poklonnaya Gora and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in the centre of Moscow.

Of course, like all big cities, Moscow is a noisy city. The traffic is heavy both in the day time and at night. During rush hours buses, trolleybuses and trams are overcrowded, but Moscovites prefer to travel by the Metro which is the fastest and the most reliable means of transportation.

Russian Holidays and Traditions

There are a lot of fine Russian holidays and traditions connected with them. They are: New Years Day, Christmas, Russian Army`s Day, Easter, Women`s Day, May Day, Victory Day and many others.

New Year`s Day is one of the Russian popular holidays. People get ready for the holiday many days beforehand: they buy presents to each other, decorate a New Year`s tree, read horoscopes for the coming year and try to follow their advice. They cook some special dishes and make a wonderful party. At night, at some minutes before 12 o`clock the president of Russia makes a speech on TV. He speaks about the results of the year, makes a conclusion, congratulates Russian people with a fine holiday and wishes them a Happy New Year.

After that a party begins. Russians may celebrate this holiday at home, with their relatives, at cafes and restaurants. People enjoy making fireworks on this day.

Christmas is a religious holiday. It symbolizes the birth of Jesus Christ. It appeals to the child in all of us. The central decoration for Christmas must be a tree and both grown-ups and children enjoy decorating it with toys and little coloured lights. People go to church and stay there for a service. After that they have a special Christmas meal: pies, stuffed ducks or geese and a lot of sweets. There is a tradition to give presents to children on this day.

Russian Army`s Day is celebrated on the 23rd of February. All men receive presents, cards, kisses on this day. There is a wonderful concert on TV and women in all the offices, schools, enterprises congratulate men and wish them all the best

Easter is another important Russian religious holiday. On this day Russians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They cook paskas and kulichis, colour eggs and go to church. Easter is celebrated in April or May.

Women`s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March. On this day men try to everything possible to make their mothers, girlfriends, sisters feel that they are special. It is a day of giving flowers, cards, presents and exchanging kisses.

On the 1st of May the Russian people celebrate May Day. It is a day of solidarity of all working people. It is the official holiday, so, people do not go to work on this day, they stay with their families and friends, have parties.

Victory Day is one of the most favourite Russian holidays. It is on the 9th of May. Russians honour their great heroes of the World War II. There is a military parade in almost every town. The highlight of the day is the military parade on the Red Square in Moscow. Millions of people in Russia and abroad watch it. It is a special day for Russian people. On this day we remember how courageous and faithful common people could be, how much they had loved their Motherland and how selflessly they had fought for its independence.