Topic 6
Britain is a
country there sport and leisure life are taken seriously. TV has
helped to generate interests in a wide variety of sports. Millions of
people all over the Britain take part in sport exercises and
competions.
Football
and Rugby football.
The British invented the rules of many sport and games played all
over the world. The rugby football or “rugger” is another
popular British sport. The story is told that in 1823 Boys at Rugby
school in England were playing football in the normal way? When
suddenly one boy picked the ball up and run with it. So a new game
was born.
Cricket
is sometimes called the English national game? Having been played
from 1550s. It’s usually played by a men and boys. Players
traditionally wear white clothes.
Bowls
it is another outdoor summer game. It was played since 13 centure.
It’s played an a specially prepared green/ The players roll
large bowls towards a small ball and try to bring them as near as
possible.
Mountaineering
and rock climbing.
There are more than 330 mountaineering clubs in Britain. The most
popular areas in Britain are the sea cliffs of Devon and Cornwall,
the peak district, the lake district, Snowdonia
in North Wales and
some others. British climbers often go abroad to climb mountain, such
as Alp’s.
Horse
racing and Horse riding.
Horse racing sometimes called a sport of kings? Because it is very
expensive to own a racehorse. There are two kings of h.r. : flat
racing (w/o jumps) and steeplechasing (with jumps). Horse Riding is
very popular too. Riding a horse used to be means of transport.
Sailing.
About 3 million British people go sailing in a small boats every
year. The number of small boats owners has increased 1000% in last 10
years. If you live in Britain you are never more then 100 miles from
the sea and you have a lot of opportunities for sailing.
In Britain all the year round
there are different competitions. In March – April the have got
The international boat race, Oxford and Cambridge boat race, The
London marathon, The grand national and so on all the year round. The
Oxford – Cambridge Boat race is a traditional annual rowing
race between teams from Oxford and Cambridge universities. The Grand
National is the most exciting steeplechase in Britain, held annually
in spring. And as I started to speak about important sporting events
I must mention the Wimbledon, the most important event in lawn
tennis. Wimbledon tournament draws huge amount of spectators from all
over the world. And so at the end I would like to say that English
people really fond of different kinds sports. But they do not only
watch it on TV or on stadiums, but they also take part in it, they
form different clubs and compete with each other. All the schools
have their own soccer or cricket teams and even such well-known
universities as Oxford and Cambridge have their own rowing team.
Topic
2
Britain has many places of interest
which have historic associations. London is one of the cities each
reflected the past. Buckingham Palace is the official London
residence of the Sovereign the daily ceremony of
the Changing of the Guards takes place in its courtyard. The palace
was built by the Duke of Buckingham. Stonehenge a prehistoric complex
regarded as one of the most important monuments of its kind in Europe
and very popular with visitors. The great circle of standing stones
is believed to have had some religious purpose. Windsor is a town on
the Thames not far from London. Its castle has been a royal
residence for 9centuries. Seen from a distance it’s beautiful
beyond imagination. Windsor Castle has a long and fascinating
history. Canterbury an ancient city in Kent with a majestic cathedral
which dominates it. Canterbury is a religious capital of England. It
became a place of pilgrimage in medieval. Stratfort-on-Avon is an
attractive town world famous as the birthplace of William
Shakespeare. It holds a priceless collection of Shakespeare relics.
In
Wales we can visit times
Coventry. It’s now known for its magnificent cathedral,
decorated by the best artists and craftsmen in Britain. It was built
near the ruins of the old cathedral destroyed during the Second World
War in the memory of those who died in the bombings.
Cardiff Castle has colorful
and lavish interiors continually suprise and delight visitors who
enter a grim fighting castle to find themselves surrounded by
exquisite wood carving and sculpture. Cenarfon is an ancient town
with a magnificent preserved castle which dominates it.
Places to visit in Scotland.
Edinburgh Castle stands high on the massive Grey Castle rock. In the
Castle are the Honours of Scotland the Scottish Crown scepter and the
sword of state the oldest royal regalia in Europe is an areas. The
Burns Country where Scotland national poet wrote many of the world’s
most tender love songs. The thatched cottage where Robert Burns was
born is the starting point together 40places associated with the
poet.
Places
to visit in Northen Ireland. The Giant’s Causeway is a mass of
stone columns standing very near together. The tops of the rocks from
stepping stones leading from the cliff foot and disappearing under
the sea. This strange geological feature is believed to have been the
result of volcanic action. It’s sometimes called the 8th
wonder of the world.
Topic 3
In the UK represents four nations,
which are distinct from each other in almost every aspect of live.
They have their own dialects, economics, social and legal systems.
All of them have got their own stereotypes. The Irish for example are
supposed to be good talkers when the Scots are supposed to have a
reputation for being careful with money. The Welsh are famous for
their singing abilities and English are individualists. The first
nation I’m going to speak about is the English. The English are
mainly Anglo-Saxon in origin. Since 12-th century the English people
have developed their own character and personality. They managed to
save their traditions of dance, food and music from mixing with other
origins. English people are generally tolerant of new ideas and
influences. Traditionally, the English are thought to be reserved,
shy of strangers, suspicious of change and slow to accept new ideas.
The Scots have a strong sense of national identity, of their own
distinct values, and traditions. This is partly due to history.
Scotland’s history is a history of endless battles against the
English for independence, and Scots have many national heroes who
fought in these battles. Scotland is a country with an intense
national tradition, with its own songs, its poetry, its own national
food and drinks, sports and manners. To many foreigners, the image of
Scotland looks a little bit childish. Kilts, tartans, bagpipes, and
tweed play an important role in it. Although the part of the UK,
Scotland has it’s own laws, which in some are really very
different from English ones and Scotland even has got its own pound
coin. The Welsh are proud of themselves and they believe to be the
true Britons. Nowadays only twenty per cent of them speak Welsh, the
oldest language in Europe. Wales was inhabited from ancient times.
From the 6-th century the Welsh fiercely resisted the attacks of the
Anglo-Saxons into their land. Also the Welsh fought for many years
against the English to win their freedom but they were defeated in
1282. The Welsh are proud of their culture, traditions, and their
language. They are really gifted in the art of self-expression in
words, they are not afraid of being poetic in speech, of using bright
and pictorial descriptions of men and events in ordinary
conversations. And the last nation I’m going to speak about is
the Irish. The Irish are mainly Celtic people. They have maintained
their ancient Gaelic language but English is spoken everywhere. To
understand the present situation in Northern Ireland it is necessary
to know something about the island’s long and violent history.
Before the early 20th
century, Northern Ireland was a part of Ireland as a whole. After
many English and Scots people had settled there in the 16th
century, Northern Ireland became mainly Protestant, unlike the rest
of Ireland which remained, as before, mainly Roman Catholic. By the
terms of an Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, Northern Ireland was granted
its own parliament in which the protestant government was formed. And
also Britain has a lot of immigrants who left their countries because
of the political or religious persecution or some other problems. In
the UK they form different societies in which they follow their
native traditions.
Topic
4
Today English is a major language spoken in the
world. In every part of the world English is spoken with different
pronunciations, but the original and right pronunciations can be
heard only in England and it’s called The King’s or
Queen’s English. The King’s or Queen’s English is a
good correct English, as it should be spoken. The standard form of
English used in England is called the RP – Received
Pronunciation and it is also called the BBC English as it is used be
the BBC. RP or BBC English is the accent of the South-east of
England. It has been associated with power and high social class
since the 14th
century. At the time of the King, the Royal court and the government
settled in London, and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, both
settled in the Southeast, provided higher education for the whole
country. People who wanted to be part of that powerful world had to
use the same language and accent. In the 19th
century RP was used in public schools and universities, the
government and the army to form small groups who would run the
empire. It was even impossible to get any kind of high position if
you did not speak the right way. The best advise to those who wish to
become proficient in English was given in 1906 by the Fowler brothers
in the famous book “the king’s English”. It is
still sound advice for any student of English, whether English is his
mother tongue or whether it is foreign language: prefer
the familiar word to the far-fetched, Prefer the concrete word to the
abstract, Prefer the short word to the long, Prefer the Saxon word to
the Romance. Above I’ve mentioned
accent and now
I want to explain the right meaning and the role of it in England.
Accent is the sound of a person’s pronunciation of the English
language. It is very important in Britain. It shows where the person
comes from and, to an extent, what class he or she belongs to. And I
also want to mention that in London you can meet another way of
speaking English, which is called Cockney. Cockney is typical among
people who live in the eastern area of London and it also known as
London dialect. Cockney has some differences. For example in cockney
TH is
pronounced as f and
didn’t become
didn. And
nowadays English is considered to be the major language in the world.
To my mind English language has reached such a great popularity
thanks to the expansion of British colonial power and the emergence
of the US as the leading economic power of the 20th
century. English is the language of the international air traffic
control, policing and emergency services. It is also used as the
language of international business and academic conferences and the
leading language of international tourism. A lot of video games,
broadcasting and computers use English language. World famous
computer net, I mean Internet is based on English language. So from
my point of view English language is the major language and its
really great to learn and to know this language as gives you
opportunities to travel abroad, to learn more, to get a better job.
Topic
5
England as every country has its own kinds of
houses that can be rarely seen in any other countries. In England
there are know three main types of houses that people live in. They
are: detached houses, semi-detached houses and terraced houses. They
all differ from each another by size, price and conveniences in
living. A detached house is the most expensive one among those that I
mentioned. This house usually stands on its own land and its not
attached to any other buildings. Such houses have privacy from
neighbors, and they are ideal for keen gardeners who can devote
plenty of time to work in their garden. The next house, which is less
expensive than a detached one is a semi-detached. A shared wall joins
a semi-detached house to the house next door but it still offers a
good standard of privacy and comfort. It usually has a small garden
in the front and a larger one at the back. A terraced house is
usually two – or three- storeys high. It is one of the
continuous rows of similar houses, joined together by their
sidewalls. Many rows of terraced houses were originally built for
workers in nearby factories or coalmines. A terraced house usually
costs less than a semi-detached or detached house of similar size.
There are miles of terraced houses in most towns. Over a quarter of
British families live in them. But apart from these houses there are
some other types that are popular with English people. They are:
bungalows, apartment blocks and country cottages. Bungalows are
one-storey houses, which are particularly popular with older people.
Apartment blocks are high-rise blocks of flats, which provide
accommodation for a lot of city dwellers. But these buildings are not
very popular. About 20% of the population lives in flats. There are
more flats in cities than in rural areas. Most people in Britain
traditionally like to live in houses. To my mind English people
prefer to live in detaches, semi-detached or terraced houses because
of they habits, I mean that they are keen on gardening. To buy a
house is an expensive thing and to help people to do it there are
building societies and mortgage system in Britain. From building
societies people can get loans to buy a house, and then in a period
of 25 years you ought to return them money back. And Mortgage system
works the next way: When you buy a house you pay only a half of its
price and then during the limited period of time you have to pay the
rest of the house’s price by parts. The only disadvantage is
that you have to pay percent. About one third of the population now
lives in council houses. Local authority councils such as town
councils, usually at a low rent, provide these houses. Since 1980 it
has become possible for council house tenants to buy their houses at
favorable rates after they have lived in them for at least two years.
Topic 1
The
United Kingdom is the administrated title and it includes Great
Britain and Northern Ireland. And Great Britain it self includes
Wales, Scotland, NI
and England. They are 4 different parts of UK with their own culture,
history, traditions & even language The differences are in the
climate, in their politic, in their mineral resources, in their
religious, in the industries, which are promoted in different parts,
people’s occupations. Landscape is varied. Yes that’s
true: mountainous North of Wales, highlands & lowlands in
Scotland, miles of rocky cliffs on the coast of the south of England.
But climate in England is more gentle than in other parts of UK.
Great Britain is situated on one of the largest British island and
the landscape and climate very greatly, from cold in North to warm in
the South. At first I want to talk about England. England can be
divided into three main parts, which varies one from another greatly.
In the south there are lots of sea costs, which vary from the flat,
sandy or stony beaches to the rocky cliffs. The climate there is
mild. The midlands region is mostly the farming land and the north
has a hilly landscape. In the midlands and in the north the climate
is colder than in the south. Wales as England can be divided into
several parts: the south and the north. The country varies from the
picturesque mountains of the north to the valleys of the south.
Scotland considered having the most beautiful landscape – of
hills, valleys and unspoiled beaches. The climate is considerably
colder than in any other parts of Great Britain, but however there is
no month has an average temperature below freezing. The last part of
UK I wont to mention is Northern Ireland. The landscape there is
gentle. The climate is not stable. Rain showers quickly changed by
sunshine. As we can see all parts of the UK are different. They have
their own landscapes and climate but as a hole they all form highly
developed industrial country. But besides climate and landscape all
parts of the UK has their own traditions, culture, and way of living
and even language. For example in Wales apart from English people
speak on the Welsh language and in Scotland people speak The Scottish
Gaelic.
Topic N 7
UK is a country where holidays are celebrated with great
enthusiasm. In England people have some different public holidays and
besides them there are other festivals, anniversaries and simply
days, on which certain traditions are observed, but unless they fall
on a Sunday, they are ordinary working days. Here are some examples.
From December to February people in England have such holidays as:
Christmas day, boxing day, new year, burns night, St valentine’s
day and Cruft’s dog show. Christmas is a traditional family
reunion day. On this day many people attend a church service, open
their presents, eat Christmas dinner and watch the sovereign’s
annual Christmas broadcast on TV. Preparations for Christmas are
always pleasant: Buying gifts, sending Christmas cards and decorating
the Christmas tree with small, brightly-colored lights and small
colored glass ornaments. In Britain, Christmas is the most important
public holiday of the year. It combines the custom of giving gifts
with the tradition of spending this day with the family. 26th
of December is a boxing day, which comes right after Christmas and is
celebrated as a bank holiday in Britain. It was formerly the custom
to give “Christmas boxes”, or gifts or money to servants
and tradesmen on this day. The custom gave a name to the holiday.
January 1st, New
Year’s Day is now a public holiday in England. I think that
this holiday does not need any explanation, as it’s well known
all over the world. 25 January is Burns night. This celebration is
held on the 25th
of January, the anniversary of the birth of Robert burns, Scotland’s
greatest national poet. It usually takes the form of a supper at
which the traditional Scottish dishes are eaten, including haggis,
and during which a Scottish pipe plays, wearing traditional Highland
dress. 14th of
February is called St Valentine’s Day or the day for lovers and
it also becoming an international one. On this day, boys and girls,
sweethearts and lovers, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors,
and even office staff exchange greeting cards with the hearts on
them. Britain is a nation of animal lovers. No wonders that dog shows
always attract a lot of enthusiasts. Cruft’s Dog Show at East
Court, London, is internationally known. Dog breeders from all over
the world bring their dogs to take part in it and the winner is
broadcasted on TV. From March to May in England are known such
holidays as: St David’s and St Patrick’s days, Pancake
day, April fool’s Day and many others. Pancake day is the
popular name for Shrove Tuesday, the day before lent. People
traditionally eat pancakes on Pancake Day, which are made from eggs,
flour and milk, fried on both sides in fat on a pan and eaten with
lemon juice and sugar. In many towns pancake races are held on Shrove
Tuesday in which women run with pancakes. Each runner has a pancake
in a pan and while running have to toss the pancake up and over in
the air and catches it again in the pan. The 1st
of April is the funniest day of the year. On this day people usually
play jokes on other people. Easter is the most important Christmas
religious festival. It is traditionally associated with Easter eggs
and with the coming of spring. In many towns there are funfairs with
roundabouts, coconut shies, switchbacks and other amusements. 23rd
of April is the Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration. This
Celebration is always held in Stratford, where a long procession of
flower-carriers walks from the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, through
the streets to the churched where Shakespeare is supposed to be born.
The 1st of May is
traditionally celebration of the coming spring. On this day the most
beautiful girl is chosen as a May Queen. A lot of people sale good on
open air. From June to august there are such holidays as: Trooping
the color, summer sales, the Proms, Notting hill carnivals and
others. Trooping the color takes place each June as part of a
200-year-old ceremony to mark the official birth of the monarch.
Trooping the color is an impressive military display held at horse
Guard Parade, a huge open space behind the Whitehall where the
various royal units troop their regimental flags to the tune of the
marching music and thundering drums. Troops march past the Queen
dipping their Colors in salute. The ceremony ends with the monarch
returning to the B.P. at the heart of her Guards. Notting Hill
carnival is held over the August Bank holiday since 1966. It mostly
involves black people and is known for it’s colorful costumes
and the steel band music. It’s the largest street carnival in
Europe. Remembrance day(poppy day) is observed throughout Britain on
the Sunday nearest to the 11 of November, Armistice day. Fallen in
both world wars are remembered in special church services & civic
ceremonies. Poppies are sold in the streets & people
traditionally wear them in memory of those who fell in the wars.
Self-honesty. Telling you the truth using emotional positive actions.
Self-honesty means
telling myself the truth. It means knowing myself and choosing
positive actions that are right for me.
I know my strengths and
weaknesses.
I admit my mistakes.
I don’t blame
others.
I resist peer pressure.
It will help us to:
Learn about and
like us.
Know our strengths
and weaknesses.
Admit mistakes and
accept responsibility for our own actions.
Avoid blaming
others and making excuses.
Behave in a way
that is honest with what we think and feel.
Keep our word and
do what we say we’ll do.
Sometimes things happened to us, make us feel sorry for ourselves.
Nobody can go through life with the world on a string without
anything bad ever happening. It’s pretty natural to feel sorry
for ourselves, at least for a little while. But if we keep feeling
self-pity we won’t find the way out of our problems. And we
sure can’t turn a bad thing into something good if we are lost
in self-pity.
Being honest with yourself and admitting what is good about you as
well as those things about you that aren’t so good: your
strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes a weakness{like eating too much
candy} can be changed, but in some cases a weakness is just a
weakness and there’s not too much we can do about it. In fact,
recognizing both kinds of weakness in ourselves helps to find out who
we really are.
Being able to look at yourself closely and honesty and recognize
what things you do best are positive actions. It is important to know
what you are strong in when choosing a career or trying out for
sports or play; it can help you to make the right selection.
Everyone has some strength in a particular area. Your strength might
be an ability to get along with others, a good memory, or an ability
to think quickly.
Have you ever heard anyone say: “ Oh, he’s always making
excuses!” do you ever get tired of people who never do what
they’ve promised and only give you an excuse why they didn’t
do it? We come across such situations quite often at school, when a
pupil hasn’t his homework and makes up some excuse not to be
given a bad mark
Often people make up excuses out of habit. They haven’t yet
learned the positive action of taken responsibility of their actions.
Instead, they look for a quick way out of the problem not caring much
if they are honest or not.
Sometimes we need to be honest about our needs instead of making
excuses.
Actions can be either honest or dishonest. Sometimes we apologize
just in order not to be punished. Sometimes we say we are busy just
because we don’t want someone to come over and play. Sometimes
we misbehave to get attention. Throughout all our life we will have
to make decisions. It will never stop. We might as well begin now
being truly honest with ourselves about what is right for us. As we
get older, we’ll have fewer and fewer people helping us make
decisions. The choices are ours to make. Some of lives’ choices
are easier to make than others. Some students of our age have to make
choices about drugs and other things that may not be good for their
bodies.
Do you have some needs right now? Do you feel like an outcast and
need friends? Do you wish you could like yourself more? Are you
pulled in 2 different directions?
Have you ever experienced peer pressure? Pressure is “force
applied to something”. If you’ve ever had a toothache you
have felt pressure on that tooth. But we can feel not only physical
pressure. One of them is peer pressure. Our peers are classmates and
friends, people that are equal to us.
Peer pressure is a term we may not have heard before but we’ve
experienced it, we all have! Peer pressure occurs when others try to
influence you in your thoughts and actions. Often friends try to
persuade us to do something or to think a certain way that we know is
not right for us. We must be honest with ourselves! If we do
something that is not within our personal Code of Conduct, we won’t
feel satisfied with ourselves.
Peer pressure is real and powerful. We are all influenced by it at
some time. But we should always remember to be honest with ourselves,
to do what&
that important person you live with everyday – yourself!
Positive
action.
Your
self-concept is how you see yourself. It is what you think about the
person you call “Me”. It is not only what you see in the
mirror. It includes feelings, emotions, opinions, and attitudes to
others. Ability to manage ones life successfully and other aspects of
yourself. Self-concept means the way you feel about yourself, friends
and families influence your self-concept. Negative choices and
negative actions create a negative self-concept. Positive choices and
positive actions make us feel good about yourself.
The
positive circle shows positive feelings, leading to positive thoughts
and positive actions. If you want to be a happy positive person, say
“Yes” to life.
Use
positive actions and you will be as happy as you can be. You know, an
action is something you do. A positive action is something you do
that makes life good for you and the people around you; a negative is
just the opposite. It is easy to learn about positive actions. It is
hard to use positive actions.
Positive
action is a course that helps to feel good about themselves. The way
you think about yourself controls how happy, healthy and successful
you be. You can learn simple ways to be your own good friend and to
make your life happy. You say to yourself:” I want to enjoy my
life, to do interesting things and be as happy as I can be.” I
am a happy and positive person. But I can expand on who and what I
am. I want to learn more about myself and to like myself, to be a
good friend and to tell myself the truth. Self-concept helps me to
think about myself, to picture myself in my mind. This self-concept
is very important. Because it has a great influence on how happy I am
and what I achieve. When I help others, if I am independent and
loved, I feel good about myself. Most people are disappointed with
themselves at times, but they wish they were different in some way.
And naming some negative feelings, people often have about
themselves, they mean that these negative words represent a challenge
for improvement.
Developing
a strong self-concept it is important to set yourself up to succeed.
You must discover what is important to your self-esteem and then do
those things well.
Everyone
needs a positive self-concept. No one can be 100 % positive all the
time. We all get a little angry with ourselves at times. This can be
very valuable if we keep things in perspective and use our
disappointment to motivate us towards improvement and gives way to
despair. We must accept our weaknesses as challenges and we must take
satisfaction in the abilities we have. The person who takes a
positive self-view much more often than not is the one who will be
happy, healthy and successful.
Take
o look at yourself and identify your strong points and built on them
positive self-concept. No matter what kind of self-concept you have
now , you can make stronger. Each of us can develop a skill, a talent
or a personal quality, to bring us pleasure and the appreciation of
family, friends and others. You can develop your good qualities and
make even better. These qualities will give you confidence and
happiness. Do you sing or play an instrument? Are you a good friend?
Do you read well or write stories or poems? Are you fun to be with?
Can you organize and get things done? Do you know a lot about some
subject? Do you have a sport you play well? Are you clever? And do
you sometimes make people laugh? These things can give your enjoyment
and are reasons for you to feel good about yourself. When people are
happy and well liked, they sometimes fail to realize that they still
have room for improvement. It is an excuse to say ”I have to be
myself” or “That is just the way I am”. We should
want to be our best selves.
Now
ask yourself “Is there some area that I am still weak in?”
Is there something about myself that I could improve?” Once you
have chosen a quality you would like to improve, write it down and
then write your plan for improvement. Then thoughts-actions-feelings
cycle can be a positive force for you.
Every
day we are faced all kinds of situations that require us to make
choices. When faced such situation we some thought about it. This
thought leads to an action and that action leads to a feeling. Let us
take an example: a teacher asks you to do some homework. You have a
thought : homework makes me feel responsible( get knowledge). That is
a positive thought and it leads to an action: you do a good job on
the assignment. This leads to a positive feeling: satisfaction and
pride in your work. But when you begin with a negative thought such
as, “I hate homework”, negative feelings and actions
might follow. So positive or negative thought do not simply stop with
feelings. Good or bad feelings cause us to have further thoughts and
those influence further actions and further feelings. The circle of
behavior and emotions follow and continues on and on.
Some
things happen in life that are unpleasant . We can not pretend that
they are not. These can be a serious as divorce. Certainly, we should
not excepted to be pleasant with everything that happens to us, but
our thoughts about difficult situations still control our ability to
handle them in a positive way. Give examples of difficulties you have
overcome by using positive thoughts. A self-concept is not an
accident. Behind the way you feel about yourself are many influences.
Important pictures we have about ourselves come from the people who
are most important to us – friends, teachers, and especially
our families. By showing you that you are loved, interesting and
important to your family and your friends also build you
self-esteems. We all need to know that others think well of us. When
we are discourage and having and having negative thoughts sometimes
we need to go to a friend or a family member to find positive
thoughts we need. Parents will almost give us that kind of help, then
they know we need it. Sometimes “however” a friend or a
family member may be a very one giving us the negative thoughts of
ourselves. At times like that we need to look inside ourselves for
positive thoughts and look to other friends or relatives who see what
we need at that time. We should never feel ashamed of needing a
little “tender loving care.”
Friends
can affect self-concept. Perhaps, a compliment brightened the way you
felt about yourself. May be teasing hurt your feeling. We all need
to look within ourselves for the assurance that we believe in
ourselves. But we can not help being not influenced by the attitudes
of our friends. Now turn the situation around. Just think a good
friend you can be to someone else’s self-concept. It takes
almost no effort to give a compliment and it also work in reverse.
When you treat
Managing
yourself.
Each
person has eight gifts: time, energy, possessions, money, talent,
thoughts, feelings, actions. We need to use our gifts wisely. We need
to learn positive actions that will help us to waste less energy, to
create some order.
When
a person con not use self-discipline, usually someone else has to
make choices for that person. If you let your time go, your parents
have to limit your
playing time. When you make good choices and show self-control, you
usually gain more chances to make, more choices, when you show
immaturity by using no self-control, you often lose some of the
freedom you have attained.
Time
is one of the resources we have in equal amount. Happy, healthy
people manage their time wisely. This management is a positive action
that helps people feel good about themselves.
Energy
is like fuel. Our actions lose strength and efficiency when we fail
to manage energy. These are things we can do to use our energy gift
well.
1
stay healthy. If you are sick, rundown, tired or poorly nourished,
you can not perform effectively.
2
stay mentally alert. You mind can stimulate your energy.
3
stay in control emotionally. People who are upset, sad or discouraged
sometimes lose their physical energy. Happiness and excitement, on
the other hand stimulate energy.
4
use your time wisely. At certain times of the day your energy level
is high. Study or hard work is rarely done well late at night when
you are tired.
Learn to
manage possessions wisely.
Owing
things requires that we act responsibly. We may wish to share or even
give our possessions as gifts but too means that we use proper
management. When we give proper care to the things we possess, we
feel a sense of satisfaction. In many ways our possessions represent
us people. If our rooms and the things we own in our rooms are kept
in order and are looked after, we experience a sense of our own
worth. And we show the same respect for other possessions.
When
you use positive actions to protect the valuable things you own you
will respect yourself. And these is greater possessions than your own
sense of self-worth.
Money.
People say that money can not buy happiness. That is true many times.
But money can certainly make people unhappy. When we fail to manage
our money wisely, we often make our lives difficult and
disappointing.
Money
is not the most important thing in the world, but when it is used
wisely it gives you control over your life. When it is used poorly,
it controls you and your are unhappy. Now is the time to acquire the
good money habits to make our life happy.
Positive
actions are also necessary for recognizing and developing talents.
Some people seem to have lots of talents, others only have few. But
talents do not mean much unless they are developed. We should be
thankful for the things we are good at and we should do our best to
improve those skills. We have a lifetime to improve upon our
abilities, and after all, that is one of the main joys in life;
seeing yourself get better at something.
All
people experience feelings and emotions. One of the most powerful
human emotions is love. Managing the emotion of love means being a
good friend. You may call it caring about people. That is another
name for the same feeling. A person who is in control of this emotion
will expand his circle of friends and learn to be friendly to all
people.
And
how to manage anger? What does anger look like? Does it have a shape?
Or edges? Each of us experiences anger in a different way. We all get
angry at times. But uncontrolled anger will destroy your chances of
thinking and acting wisely. People who act in anger almost always
regret it. Wise persons learn to give themselves some time to
consider before they act and to react in a positive way. Here are
some ways to manage anger.
1
accept anger as a feeling we all experience.
2
never take your anger out on someone who is not to blame.
3
give yourself time to think of ways to deal with it.
4
try to get an explanation for what happened. It may help you handle
your anger constructively.
5
react positively. Channel your emotional energy towards hard world or
intense activity. Then you may be able to express your anger in a
reasonable way.
Problems
with worry. How do you feel when you worry? What happens to your
body? Does you stomach feel sick? Does your heart hurt? Do you feel
like crying?
Everyone
feels jealous at times. Positive people, however, learn to control
the feeling by sharing the joy that others experience. If you care
about others, you should be happy with their good fortune. You expect
your friends to be happy for you.
The
feeling of fear. Fear is certainly normal. It is something every
single human being experienced. Fear can be useful. It keeps you from
doing things that might harm you, such as leaning too far over a high
ledge or going into dangerous situations. But fear must be managed.
Some fear are exaggerated and keep people from enjoying normal
activities. If you are afraid of water, for instance, you may have a
healthy fear. Water can be dangerous. But if that fear keeps you from
swimming, it has taken over and is managing you. You must face your
fear, enter the water carefully and conquer that negative feeling.
People should also conquer the feeling of discouragement.
Discouragement is the feeling we have when we feel we can not stand
up to the challenges we face. Discourage means to lose courage. But
the positive action in such situation is not to give way to despair
and to deal with feelings of discouragement.
So
if our goal life is to keep on leaning in all the ways we can we want
to be well-rounded persons, we must meet the needs of
bodies(physical), minds(intellectual) and emotional(feelings).
You
can choose positive over negative actions.
We
all have eight gifts we can manage wisely: time, energy, money,
possessions, talents, thoughts, feelings, actions.
Everyone
has feelings of anger, worry, jealousy, pride, fear, discourage and
love. We should learn to manage these through positive actions.
You
are in control. When you choose positive actions you feel better
about yourself.
Topic
13
Beowulf
an epic in Old English tells us of the times long before the
Anglo-Saxons came to Britain. The poem was compiled in the 10th
century by an unknown author. The manuscript is in the British Museum
in London. The main events are the staying of the monster Grendel and
Grendel’s mother by the hero Beowulf of a brave and noble
knight who is ready to sacrifice his life for his country and his
people.
The
Canterbury Tales is another masterpiece of the English literature.
Geoffrey Chaucer who is acclaimed today as «the father of
English poetry» wrote it in 1384. His most important
contribution was the development of the resources of the English
language for literary purposes. By using English instead of the more
fashionable French spoken in court circles and by the aristocracy he
added tremendously to its prestige. “The Canterbury Tales”
are a series of stories written in verse. The framework that serves
to connect them is a pilgrimage to Canterbury is 60miles. To make the
tiresome four-day trip more interesting the pilgrims decide to tell
stories. Beside their intriguing and exciting plot they contain a
moral which is valid for all times. The value of the work lies also
in the brilliance of style.
Another
work which exercised enormous influence on the development of the
English language is The King James Bible. It was appointed to be read
in churches throughout the Kingdom and in this way had a far-reaching
influence on the population. The King James Bible remains the most
widely accepted version of the Bible and a classic of the English
language. There are many phrases in the King James Bible which have
entered the English idiomatic language some of them are: eye for eye,
a wolf in sheep’s clothing and many others. An exceptional role
in the English literature was played by William Shakespeare. He is
the author of 37plays and some tragedies and sonnets. Shakespeare’s
genius lay not only in masterful narration but rather in his capacity
for revealing the greatness and imperfections of human life in its
full richness and movement. In his masterpieces Shakespeare possesses
some special merit for every generation. Shakespeare enriched the
English language with plenty of phrases such as: what is done can’t
be undone, to play fast and loose, to much of a good thing.
Topic 14
WILLIAM
SAROYAN.
William
Saroyan is an American writer of American origin. He gained his
popularity in the thirties as a short-story writer. The long list of
Saroyan’s collections of short stories opens with “The
Young man on a Flying
Trapeze”. He is also known as a talented dramatist, the best of
his plays being “The Time of Your Life”. He is the author
of a number of novels. His first novel, “The Human Comedy”,
combined his talent of the storyteller with that of a dramatist.
Saroyan’s works are highly
democratic, they are marked by deep belief in human kindness and the
power of humor. To him
the kind heart and humor are instruments of helping people in
overcoming hardships and in resisting evil.
Saroyan’s characters are mostly
common people, poor, noble, and full of humor.
His is at his best, however with characters of children and such
grown-ups who remain children, preserving their sincerity and
sensitivity. No wonder that his manner of writing is characterized by
the sincerity of intonation and. His language is both lucid and
colorful. Saroyan makes the reader see the world through the eyes of
his characters, keeping himself in the background, His humor is
mostly mild, sometimes bitter, and more often than no eccentric.
Realistic
and democratic at bottom, Saroyan’s works are not devoid of
drawbacks and certain limitations. His firm belief in human kindness
makes him resist the seamy side of life, its violence and cruelty.
Though being a realist, he can’t help exposing it from time to
time. But that is always accompanied by the soothing tone and
reassuring smile suggesting that in spite of the hardships life will
change for the better . Thus his kindness borders on sentimentality.
“The
Human Comedy” came out in 1943. It’s a rare case of the
adaptation of a move scenario into a novel. Both the movie and the
novel were a great success. It reminds us of Saroyan’s short
story collections, each chapter forming an episode which can be
arranged into a story. The novel is set in California in a small
provincial town of Ithaca during World War Second. The plot is
centered round the Macauley family, whose eldest son is at war, the
youngest, Ulysses, is only four, Homer is 14. Their mother is a widow
of two years. The novel is to some extent autobiographical;
Saroyan, as well as Homer Macauley, had to earn his living from an
early age and had a lot of after school jobs, one of them that of a
telegraph messenger. The job was not a casual choice of the writer.
It linked Homer with a lot of people and with their fates, and
constantly reminded was a war going on.
The title of the novel is suggestive
. It implies that in spite of war and evil, life is going on and will
finally win, for the world is full of clever, noble, stoical people,
possessing the sense of humor,
too.
Topic 17
The
problems of environment include a wide range of burning issues:
nature distraction, pollution, extermination of wildlife on global
scale, endangering human health with industrial and nuclear wastes,
shortage of natural resources and others. The problem of pollution
has become one of the most serious ones during the last thirty years.
That is why man’s interest in environmental protection has been
stimulated by a great number of problems mankind ever faced. A lot of
rainforests are disappearing fast on the planet. But we shouldn’t
forget that the “green belts” not only provide restful
relaxation but they are regarded as important allies in the battle
against air pollution.
Many
factories and plants pour their wastes into seas, rivers and lakes.
That is why among the simple but far disappearing blessings is the
small of clean fresh air and the good taste of pure water. Acid
rains, holes in the ozone layer, global warming are caused by
pollution.
Now
the problem of pollution is being tackled depends greatly on the
Government and social initiative. All states ought to join their
efforts to save the Earth from an ecological catestrophe. It’s
urgent to build such purifying systems which anable to avoid the
pollution of rivers and reduce the amount of harmful wastes in the
air. Natural and energy resources should be used economically. As
protecting forests is the key to our survival on the Earth that’s
why the greenary must be increased. Ecological education should be
introduced in all schools since an early age because the should
realise the importance of environmental protection. We must save
energy because production of electricity causes air pollution, acid
rains, global warming. People should use ecologically harmless-salar
power, wind power and water power. Recycling saves energy and raw
materials and also reduces damage to the countryside.
English
meals.
There are four meals a day in
English home: breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day. It is
at about 8 o’clock in the morning, and consists of porridge
with milk and salt or sugar, eggs – boiled or fried, bread and
butter with marmalade or jam. Some people like o drink tea, but ether
prefer coffee. Instead of porridge they may have fruit juice, or they
may prefer biscuits.
The usual time for lunch is 1
o’clock. This meal starts with soup or fruit juice. Then
follows some meat or poultry with potatoes – boiled or fried,
carrots and beans. Then a pudding comes. Instead of the pudding they
may prefer cheese and biscuits. Last of all coffee – black or
white. Englishmen often drink something at lunch. Water is usually on
the table. Some prefer juice or lemonade.
Tea is the third meal of the day.
It is between 4 or 5 o’clock, the so -called 5 o’clock
tea. On the table there is tea, milk or cream, sugar, bread and
butter, cakes and jam. Friends and visitors are often present at tea.
Dinner is the fourth meal a day.
The usual time is about 7 o’clock, and all the members of the
family sit down together.
Dinner usually consists of soup,
fish or meat with vegetables – potatoes, green beans, carrot
and cabbage, sweet pudding, fruit salad, ice-cream or cheese and
biscuits. Then after a talk they have black or white coffee.
This is the order of meals among
English families, but the greater part of the people in the towns,
and nearly all country-people, have dinner in the middle of the day
instead of lunch. They have tea a little later – between 5 or 6
o’clock, and then in the evening, before going to bed, they
have supper.
So the four meals of the day are
either breakfast, dinner, tea, supper; or breakfast, lunch, tea,
dinner.
Topic 19
The
choice of accommodation available in Britain is vast. It includes
hotels, inns, “Bed and Breakfast”, farmhouses and
self-catering establishments. You may stay at a castle that has been
converted into a hotel or at a historic country inn with low
wood-beamed ceilings.
Britain’s large towns and city hotels offer every
comfort you would expect-central heating, bedside radio, TV,
coffee-making facilities and privet bathroom. There will be a
restaurant and bar on the premises. An increasing number of hotels
have leisure facilities for their guests-swimming pools, tennis
courts, small golf courses. Other have local arrangements for
pony-trakking golf, fishing and sailing.
For real value of money accommodation, a friendly
welcome and the best chance to meet the British, try a B&B. You
will find B&B in towns resorts and villages throughout Britain.
Some are private houses, other are country pubs or farmhouses. The
main advantage about B&B is that you don’t need to book,
just look for the sing saying B&B and walk up and knock at the
front door.
Guesthouses
found mainly in seaside towns and other tourist centers are slightly
more expensive but have more bedrooms and bathrooms.
Wherever you stay you’ll be pleased with the
quality, friendly service and value for money.
All
kind of accommodation are to comply with the most stringent
requirements of the
visitors. They have convenient location with easy access and parking.
They are set in tranquil picturesque surroundings and are sure to
suit any taste.
Topic 20
If
i can choose a city to go, of course i’ll choose London. I have
been there 2 years ago. London draws people from all over the world.
Some come on business, some come to study, to work or on holidays.
There is much in London which fascinates visitors and inspires the
affection of Londoners. London shows examples of buildings that
express all the different areas of its history. Buckingham
palace is he
official London residence of Sovereign. The daily ceremony of the
Changing of the Guards takes place in its courtyard. Piccadily
Circus has become
an important meeting point. At its hear is a bronze fountain topped
by a figure of winged archer, known as Eros, god of love. This area
is now famous for its theatres, clubs and shops. Whitehall
is a street in
central London running from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of
Parliament. It contains many important buildings and government
offices: Ministry of Defense, the treasury, Admiralty. Its name
originates from former Palace of Whitehall which stood here until 18
century. London is always full of life. The streets are crowded with
traffic. High “double-decker” buses rise above the
smaller cars and vans. The
City of London is
commercial center, it has its own police and government. The
territory of City is over one square mile, includes several banks,
many financial companies.
The parks of London
provide a welcome contrast of the great built-up areas. There are 4
main parks: St. Jame’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and
Kensington Gardens, they all are linked together and forms the green
heart of London.