LONDON (3)
London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million. London is situated on the river Thames. The city is very old. It has more than 20 centuries old history. Traditionally it is divided into several parts, the City, Westminster, the West End and the East. End. They are very different from each other. The City is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are concentrated here. Few people live in the City but over a million come to work here. There are two places of interest in the City: St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. St. Paul's Cathedral was built in the 17th century by the architect Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was built in the 15th century. It was used as a fortress, a palace and a prison. Now it's a museum. Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. There is BuckinghamPalace where the Queen Lives and the Houses of Parliament along the north bank of the Thames. The clock tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell known as «Big Ben». Westminster Abbey is the place where the coronation of nearly all kings and queens has taken place. Many of them are buried here as well as some other famous people of the country. The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. The best hotels, restaurants, shops, clubs, parks and houses are situated there. There are many tourists there from different countries of the world. Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London; it was named in the memory of Admiral Nelson's victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson's Column stands in the middle of the square. The East End is an industrial district of London. There are many factories there. The region is densely populated by working class families.
IN THE WORLD OF ARTS (4)
People cannot live without music. They listen to music, they dance to music, they learn to play musical instruments. Some of them are fond of pop-music, others prefer jazz, and still others listen only to classical music. As for me, I like both pop-music and classical music. My favorite composer is Sergey Prokofiev. He was born in 1891, and when he was six, he began composing music. When he was thirteen, he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatoire where his teachers were such famous musicians as N. Rimsky - Korsakov and A. Liadov. He played his works for the first time at a concert in St. Petersburgwhen he was seventeen, and two years later at a concert in Moscow. Prokofiev composed music to such famous ballets as "Romeo and Juliet" and "Cinderella", to the opera "War and Peace". He wrote seven symphonies. His sixth and seventh symphonies are known all over the world. Besides, he wrote nine sonatas, many songs and different pieces far the piano. Prokofiev died in 1953. But thousands of people all over the world still enjoy his wonderful music. As fords other kinds of arts, I like painting very much. Some time ago I watched a good TV programmer about English painters. Some portraits attracted my attention. They were painted by the famous English artist Joshua Reynolds. He was born in England, but spent much time in Italy where he studied art. He became a famous portrait painter. People liked his portraits very much. In 1768 Reynolds became the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts. He made a whole gallery of portraits of the most famous people of his time - writers, scientists and actors.
THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN GREAT BRITAIN (5)
The system of education in any country is aimed at developing a personality for the good of the individual and society as a whole. Pre-school education in England begins at the age of 3 or 4. Around half of the children at this age attend nursery schools or playgroups mostly organized by parents. Children of this age need care as well as education. That's why kids play a lot, learn to listen attentively and to behave. Compulsory primary education begins at the age of five in England, Wales and Scotland and at four in Northern Ireland. Children start their school career in an in fan school. Lessons start at 9a. m. and are over at 4 p. m. They are taught «3R's»: Reading, writing, arithmetic. Pupils have a lot of fun at school, drawing, reading, dancing or singing. When they are 7 pupils move to a junior school, which lasts four years till they are 11. They study a lot of subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, History, and Geography along with Technology, Music, Art and Physical education. Most of children (over 90 per cent) go to state schools where education is free. Only a small proportion of them attend private (Public) or independent schools. The fees are high and only some families can afford it. So such schools are for the representatives of the high class of England. The most notable Public schools are Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Rugby. Secondary education begins at 11. The majority of secondary schools are Comprehensive schools where boys and girls study together. Besides, parents can take their sons and daughters to Grammar schools or Secondary Modem Schools. Grammar schools provide an academic course from 11 to 18. They prepare pupils for colleges and universities? Many children of working class families go to Modern schools. They give a very limited education. Pupils get instruction in woodwork, metalwork, sewing, shorthand, typing and cooking. After finishing such a school a pupil becomes an unskilled worker. The Comprehensive Schools have their own "Modern classes" classes and "Grammar school". Every pupil has to choose a set of subjects to learn. If he takes up Art he will study English Literature, Music, Art, Drama and foreign languages. If he is good at exact and natural sciences, he will learn Science: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Economics and Technical Drawing. The British government encourages careers education in the country. That's why secondary schools try to break down the barriers between education and business. They set up close links with firms their students to take part in business activities. At around 16 years old teenagers take some exams and coursework to get General Certificate of Education. Those who choose to stay on at school usually study for two further years to pass a level (Advanced level) exam. These exams will give them a chance to enter the university.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (6)
The USA is one of the largest countries in the world. It is situated in the central part of the North American continent. The area of the USA is over nine million aquaria kilometers. Its oceans are the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic. The population of the United States is nearly 250 million people. Most of people live in towns. People of different nationalities live in the USA. There are a lot of rich people in the USA but the life of many colored people is very difficult. Some Americans live in poverty and some people can't get work. The official language of the country is English. The capital of the country is Washington. It was named in honor of the first President, George Washington. As the USA is a large country, the climate is different in different regions. For example, the Pacific coast is a region of mild winters and warm, dry summers but the eastern continental region has a rainy ciliate. The region around the Great Lakes changeable weather. There are many mountains in the USA. For example, the highest peak in the Cordeliers in the USA is 4,418 meters. The country's main river is the Mississippi but there are many other great rivers in the USA: the Colorado in the south and the Columbia in the north-west. There are five Great Lakes between the USA and Canada. The USA produces more that 52 per cent of the world's corn, wheat, cotton and tobacco. There are many big cities in the country. They are Washington (the capital of the country), New York (the city of contrasts and the financial and business centre of the USA), Boston (which has there universities), Chicago (one of the biggest industrial cities in the USA), San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit (one of the biggest centers of the automobile industry) and Hollywood (the centre of the US film industry). The USA has an Academy of Sciences. There are many scientific institutions, museums, libraries, theatres and other interesting places in the USA. It is a highly developed industrial country. The USA is rich in mineral resources, such as aluminum, salt, zinc, coppers, and others. The country is rich in coal, natural gas, gold and silver, too. It holds one of the first places in the world for the production of coal, iron, oil and natural gas. Such industries as machine-building and ship-building are highly developed there. American agriculture produces a lot of food products: grain, fruit and vegetables. The USA is a federal republic, consisting of fifty states. Each of these states has its own government. Congress is the American parliament which consists of two Chambers. The president is the head of the state and the government. He is elected for four years. There are two main political parties in the USA. They are the Democratic Party (organized in the 1820s) and the Republican Party (organized in the 1850s).
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