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text 1

1. Read the following proper nouns correctly.

B.C. (before Christ [kraIst]) – до нашей эры

Stonehenge ['stqun'hendZ] – Стоунхендж

The British Isles ['brItIS'QIlz] – Британские острова

The Iberians [QI'bIqrIqnz] – иберы (древнее племя)

Druid['drHId]– друид (древнее племя)

Court of Justice ['kLt qv 'dZAstIs] – суд (справедливости)

2. Read and translate the text. Mysterious Stonehenge (1, 300)

About three thousands years B.C. many parts of Europe including the British Isles, were inhabited by people called the Iberians. We do not know much about these early people because they lived in Britain long before a word of their history was written, but we can learn something from their weapons and the remains of their dwellings which have been found. The Iberians used stone weapons and tools. They could polish stone and make smooth objects of stone with sharp edges and points.

In some parts of modern Britain one can see a number of huge stones standing in a circle. These are the monuments left by the earliest inhabitants of the country. The best known stone circle named Stonehenge dates from between 1900 and 1600 B.C. It is made of many upright stones, standing in groups of twos, 8.5 metres high. They are joined on the top by other flat stones, each weighing about 7 tons.

No one can tell how these large stones were moved, or from what places they were brought. Stonehenge is still a mystery to scientists. What was it used for?

There are a lot of legends and fancies of antiquarians. Some believed that the early British kings, killed by the invading enemies, were buried here. Others think that Druids made it to house their pagan rites. Some say it was used for sun worship, assuming that it had been deliberately laid out so that its axes pointed toward the sun on the horizon at the summer solstice. And there is perhaps the best summation of E. Herbert Stone. He says: “It may have been a Temple for some form of worship – or a Court of Justice – or a Hall for ceremonial meetings of tribal chiefs. But all we can say with certainty is “We do not know”.

Notes

1) a number of – ряд; несколько;

2) pagan rite – языческий ритуал;

3) summer solstice – летнее солнцестояние;

4) tribalchief– вождь племени.

3. Learn the key words and expressions.

axis– ось

believe– считать, полагать

bury– хоронить

circle– круг

dwelling– жилище

edge– край;горизонт

flat– плоский

house– помещать, вмещать

include– включать

inhabit– жить, обитать

join– соединять

point – острый конец; наконечник; быть направленным

polish – шлифовать

remains – остатки

scientist – ученый

sharp – острый

smooth – гладкий, ровный

temple – храм

tool – инструмент

weapon – оружие

weigh – весить

worship – поклоняться, почитать; поклонение

4. Check your comprehension.

1. What were the most ancient people who lived on the British Isles? 2. What kind of monument did the earliest people leave to us? 3. How does the monument look like?

TEXT 2

1. Read the following proper nouns correctly.

Roman ['roumqn] – римлянин

The Mediterranean Sea ["medItq'reInjqn 'sJ] – Средиземное море

Julius Caesar ['dZHljqs 'sJzq] – Юлий Цезарь

A.D. (Anno Domini) ['xnou'dOmInaI] – наша эра

Celt['kelt] – кельт (древнее племя)

2. Read and translate the text.

The Roman Conquest of Britain (1, 300)

Two thousand years ago while the Celts were still living in tribes the Romans were the most powerful people in the world. Roman society was divided into the class of slaves and the class of slave-owners. With the help of the army the slave-owners put down the uprisings of the exploited. The army also helped the slave-owners to protect their riches against foreign enemies and to wage endless wars in order to conquer new lands and to seize more slaves. The Romans conquered all countries around the Mediterranean Sea.

In 55 B.C. a Roman army of 10, 000 men with Julius Caesar at the head crossed the Channel and invaded Britain. The Celts saw their ships approaching and rushed to attack the invaders in the sea as they were landing. Their hair and moustaches were dyed red and their legs and arms were painted blue. With loud shouts they attacked the Romans in chariots and on foot and the well-armed invincible Romans under one of the greatest general of that time had to retreat to Gaul (France).

In the next year, 54 B.C., Caesar again came to Britain, this time with large forces (25, 000 men). The Celts fought bravely for their independence but they were not strong enough, in spite of their courage, to drive the Romans off. The Romans, who had better arms and armour and were much better trained, defeated the Celts in several battles. Some of the chiefs submitted and promised to pay tribute to Rome. But the promised tribute was not paid.

Nearly a hundred years later, in 43 A.D. a Roman Army invaded Britain and conquered the South-East. The Celts fought fiercely against the Romans who never managed to become masters of the whole island.

Notes

1) put down uprising – погасить восстание;

2) wage a war – вести войну;

3) in order to – для того, чтобы;

4) pay tribute to – платить дань к-л.

3. Learn the key words and expressions.

approach – приближаться

conquer– завоеватель

conquest– завоевание

force– сила; отряд

foreign– чужеземный, иностранный

general– (зд.) полководец, генерал

inspiteof– несмотря на

invade– завоевывать, вторгаться

promise– обещать

slave – раб

slave-owner – рабовладелец

submit– подчиняться; сдаться

tribe – племя

whole – весь, целый

4. Check your comprehension.

1. How did the Romans live two thousand years ago? 2. When did Julius Caesar first invade the British Isles? 3. How did the second invasion of the Roman Army finish?

TEXT 3

1. Read the following proper nouns correctly.

British Empire ['brItIS'empaIq] – Британская империя

BritishIsles['brItIS'aIlz] – Британские острова

Australia[P'streIlIq]– Австралия

Burma['bE:mq]– Бирма

NewZealand[njV'zJlqnd]– Новая Зеландия

Merchant Capital ['mWtSqnt'kxpItql] – торговый капитал

Financial Capital [faI'nxntSl'kxpItql] – финансовый капитал

2. Read and translate the text.

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (2, 500)

The British Isles are situated on the crossways of sea routes. That helped the British fleet to develop very early in history. In the 17th century Britain became not only the “workshop of the world” but also “the mistress of the seas”. Her ships carried the products of Britain industries all over the world and brought back food and raw materials.

Large territories of India, Australia, America and Africa became dependent on the British Empire. Britain sent to these overseas lands soldiers and clerks to look after its property. Settlers from Britain moved to these new lands in search of riches. Some colonies were self-governing or dominions, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Others like India, Africa and West Indies were ruled by a governor appointed from Britain.

At the period of its prosperity the British Empire covered one quarter of the earth and had one quarter of the world’s population. The colonial system of Britain was founded on the three principal stages of capitalist development – Merchant Capital, Industrial Capital and Financial Capital. Merchant Capital initiated and dominated the first period of large-scale overseas colonial expansion. This was the period of freebooting and plundering expeditions, of the slave trade, of the conquest of newly discovered overseas territories, extermination of the original inhabitants and establishment of colonial settlements by migration. Colonies were direct source of wealth for the home country.

Cheap raw materials were drawn from all over the world. The products of British machine industry dominated the markets of every country. British shipping, under the protection of the British Navy, dominated the world trade. The old colonial system provided the main basis for the primary accumulation of capital which made possible the Industrial Revolution. The era of industrial capital had given place to the era of finance capital.

At the end of the 19th century Britain began to lose industrial supremacy to become the great user and the colonial exploiter, sucking tribute from all over the world. The direction of capital investment and accumulation more and more overseas had led to the neglect and decay of home industry. The imperialist system of British economy had entered into deepening crisis and approached collapse.

The population of the colonies began to struggle against the British colonists. The freedom struggle and revolt of colonial peoples against their oppression had developed and led to powerful national liberation movements. India, Burma, Pakistan and many colonies in Africa became independent. Britain lost military strength and employment for its population.

British imperialism has greatly weakened today, both by the pressure of American imperialism and by the advance of the revolt of the colonial peoples, as well as through its own international economic disorganization and contradictions. And yet British imperialism is not finished. It is trying to adopt many new forms and techniques to meet new conditions, in order to continue to promote its age-old aims of extracting the super-profits of colonial exploitation.

Notes

1) dominion– доминион (во времена бывшей Британской Империи: самоуправляющее государство, входящее в состав этой империи и зависящее от нее в своей внутренней и внешней политике);

2) freebooting and plundering expeditions – пиратские и грабительские набеги;

3) technique – метод, способ;

4) meetnewconditions– соответствовать новым условиям;

5) revolt – восставать.

3. Learn the key words and expressions.

appoint– назначать

carry– перевозить

contradiction- противоречие

development– развитие

fleet– флот

giveplaceto– уступать, приходить на смену

governor– губернатор, правитель

independent– независимый

property– собственность, имущество; свойство

prosperity [prP'sperqtI]– процветание

raw materials [rL] – сырье

settlement – поселение

struggle – сражаться

weaken – ослаблять

4. Check your comprehension.

1. What helped Britain to develop its fleet so quickly? 2. What territory did Britain possess in the period of its prosperity? 3. Why and when did Britain begin to lose its industrial supremacy?

TEXT 4

1. Read the following proper nouns correctly.

Scandinavians ["skxndI'neIvIqnz] – скандинавы

Angles['xnglz]– англы (древнее племя, проживавшее на территории Англии)

Saxons['sxksnz]– саксы (древнее племя, проживавшее на территории Англии)

Normans ['nLmqnz]– нормандцы

Denmark ['denmRk] – Дания

Danes [deInz] – датчане

Germans ['dZE:mqnz] – немцы

Jutland ['dZAtlxnd] – Ютландия

2. Read and translate the text.

from the history of Great Britain (1, 000)

Great Britain has a long and rich history. About two thousand years ago the British Isles were inhabited by Celtic tribes. They were waging wars through their whole history. They fought against the Romans, Germans, Scandinavians and Danes.

The Romans came from Italy in 43 A.D. Their intention was to expand the boundaries of the Roman Empire. The Romans brought to Britain their way of life, their language and religion. They built large towns, constructed a wide network of roads and made Latin an official language of the country.

The Angles and Saxons came from Germany, Denmark and Jutland. By the end of the sixth century they founded seven kingdoms, which gradually merged into one country, England, to defend themselves against the raids of the new enemies.

The Scandinavian invasion began in the 8th century. The Scandinavians were good sailors and traders. They favoured the growth of towns and the development of trade in England.

The Normans invaded the British Isles from France in 1066. As a result of this invasion the English language changed greatly. The French to be spoken by the Normans was the official language of England for almost three centuries. The modern English has a lot of words of French origin.

So the Englishmen are the descendants of all the invaders.