Иностранный язык (страноведение)

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Рекомендовано к изданию методической комиссией факультета ветеринарной медицины (протокол №5 от 22 декабря

2011 г.)

Составители: к.ф.н., доцент О.Н.Новикова, старший преподаватель Р.А.Исмагзамова, старший преподаватель Р.А.Юсупова.

Рецензент: к.фил.н., доцент кафедры иностранных языков З.Н.Изимариева

Ответственный за выпуск: зав. кафедрой иностранных языков, к.ф.н. доцент О.Н. Новикова

Предлагаемый сборник текстов для чтения состоит из четырех частей: 1) Англоязычные страны, 2) Чудеса, сотворенные природой, 3) Соединенное королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии, 4) Некоторые стороны жизни англичан. Общее количество печатных знаков всех текстов – около 30 тысяч. Норма чтения для студентов заочного обучения – 5 тысяч. Студентам рекомендуется выбрать тексты из всех четырех частей.

Тексты взяты из аутентичных источников и адаптированы с сохранением лексико-грамматических характеристик научнопопулярного текста.

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Part 1 English-Speaking Countries

1.1 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK, for short) is the official name of the country which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Several islands around the British coast are also part of the United Kingdom.

The UK is a constitutional (or parliamentary) monarchy. The country has a monarch (a King or a Queen) as its head of state. The monarch has very little power and can only reign with the support of parliament. Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The different parts of Britain have their own emblems. They are all plants. You can see them on pound coins: England has the rose, Scotland has the thistle, Wales has the daffodil and Northern Ireland the shamrock.

Typical popular pastimes in the UK include going to pubs, playing and watching sport, going on holidays, doing outdoor activities, listening to pop music, reading, and watching TV. Pubs are an important part of British social life and many people spend their free time in pubs, speaking, drinking beer, meeting their friends, watching sport events. England is also famous for its gardens, and most people like gardening. This is probably one reason why so many people prefer to live in houses than in flats.

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1.2 The United States of America

The USA is a very powerful and the most advanced country. It leads the world in industrial and agricultural production. The total area of the USA is over 9 mln square kilometers. The population of the country is 300 mln people. In size it ranks 4th among the countries after Russia, Canada and China.

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. It has one major business, and that business is government. Many people who live in Washington work for the federal government. The White House is the official residence of the US president. You will see no skyscrapers in Washington,D.C. because they can hide from view the city’s many monuments. In fact, no building may be more than 40 metres tall.

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The largest city is New York, which is nicknamed Big Apple. New York is called the city that never sleeps because it is alive at all hours of day and night.

Chicago is called the most typical American city. Chicago is on Lake Michigan, and waterways made the city a natural link between the Midwest and the East of the country. Chicago is the centre for meatpacking, grain storage, and manufacturing of farm equipment.

The Hawaii Islands are volcanic. Hawaii’s first contact with the west was in 1778, when it was discovered by the English explorer James Cook. In 1959 Hawaii was made the USA’s 50th state. Today tourism accounts for 30% of Hawaii’s income. Hawaii’s agricultural products include sugar, pineapple, and nuts.

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1.3 Canada

Canada is the 2nd country in the world by total area nearly as big as all of Europe. Only the Russian Federation is larger. It extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and to the Arctic Ocean in the north. The population is about 32 mln people (as of 2008). The people who inhabit Canada are: English, French, Scottish, Irish, German, Italian, Chinese, Ukranian, First Nations. About three quarters of the population live in urban areas.

The country is made up of 10 provinces and three territories. The southern region is the warmest area of the country and also has the best land and waterways. Canada is governed as a constitutional monarchy with Queen as its head of state. It is a bilingual and multicultural country with English and French as official languages at the federal level. Canada is one of the world’s highly developed countries.

The capital of the country is Ottawa with the population of 1.1 million people (as of 2006). Ottawa is situated on the Ottawa River and is considered the 4th cleanest city in the world by Forbes magazine. The largest cities are Toronto (5 million people), Montreal (3.6) and Vancouver (2.1).

Canada has 7 of the world’s largest and cleanest lakes and also contains 3 of the globe’s longest 20 rivers. About 25% of its territory is covered with forest. The best known geographic features of Canada are the Rocky Mountains and Niagara Falls.

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1.4 Australia

Australia was the last great landmass discovered by the Europeans. Its official name is the Commonwealth of Australia. It is an island continent. Australia is the world’s 6th largest country.

Mining, industry and agriculture are Australia’s most important sources of income. More recently, tourism has become important, too.

Tourists come to enjoy Australia’s warm climate, to see the unique animals, such as the kangaroo, the koala and the platypus.

Australia has a population of 22 million people (as of 2008). Many of Australia’s inhabitants are of British origin, and this can be seen in many aspects of Australian life. English is the national language, cricket is the national game. In recent years, however, most immigrants have come from other European countries such as Italy, Greece and Poland, or from Asian countries. Only about one per cent of the inhabitants are Aborigines.

Some of the best architecture in Australia can be found in its capital, Canberra, founded in 1913. The whole city is fascinating because it is totally planned and orderly. Canberra has the population of 345 thousand people (as of 2008). The largest cities are Sydney (4.4 million people), Melbourne (3.8), Brisbane (1.9), Perth (1.6), Adelaide (1.2).

The Head of Government is the Prime Minister, but the Head of State is still the British monarch.

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1.5 Ausralia’s Unique History

Captain James Cook discovered Australia in1770. He was sent to discover the huge land that many people believed was south of the equator. He landed south of present day Sydney. He claimed this part of the land for the King of England.

At this time England had many social problems. Unemployment was high. Crime was one of the greatest problems. The government punished people by sending them to prison. England decided to send prisoners to the far colonies. They could work in the new colonies and eventually earn their freedom. In 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip commanded eleven ships to Australia. About 750 of the 1000 people on the ships were convicts. These first settlers were greeted by the Aborigines, the first inhabitants of Australia.

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Great Britain claimed all Australia in 1827. In 1851 gold was discovered west of Sydney. People rushed to the gold fields to find their fortunes.

In1901 Australia became a nation within the British Empire under Queen Victoria’s rule. It was called the Commonwealth of Australia. In 1931 Australia gained independence from Great Britain.

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1.6 New Zealand

New Zealand stretches 1600 km from north to south. It consists of two large islands, its native flora and fauna are, for the most part, not found anywhere else in the world. The most famous bird is kiwi, the country’s symbol.

New Zealand is a modern country with a high standard of living. Tourism, service industries, manufacturing, small-scale industry and agriculture are all highly important in the NZ economy. Much of the land in the country is devoted to pasture, and agricultural products such as sheep, cattle, fish and forestry products are NZ’s chief exports.

Farming is a scientific business in New Zealand, where the most modern scientific farming methods are used.

New Zealand’s population of 4.5 million people is comprised of people of European origin, Maori and Asians. The capital of the country is Wellington. It is often called Windy Wellington, because it is the windiest place of the island. Its population is about 400 thousand people (as of 2009).

New Zealanders place a high value on education. The country has several universities, a number of teachers’ training and polytechnical colleges and also agricultural colleges.

The country is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elisabeth II as the head of the state and the Prime Minister as the head of government. English and Maori are two official languages.

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Part 2. Natural Wonders of the World

2.1 Natural Wonders of Great Britain (part 1) Giant's Causeway («Дорога великанов»)

The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Most of the columns are hexagonal (six sides),

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although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres high and 28 metres thick in places.

Scottish Highlands (Шотландская возвышенность)

The Scottish Highlands include the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault (Шотландское нагорье, тектонический разлом). The area is generally sparsely populated, with many mountain ranges dominating the region, and includes the highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis. Before the 19th century however the Highlands was home to a much larger population. The average population density in the Highlands and Islands is lower than that of Sweden or Norway.

Loch Ness (Озеро Лох-Несс)

Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch (the Scottish word for “lake”) in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately 37 km southwest. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the legendary Loch Ness Monster, also known as "Nessie”. Loch Ness is the second largest Scottish loch after Loch Lomond, but due to its great depth it is the largest by volume. It contains more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined.

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2.2 Natural Wonders of Great Britain (part 2) White cliffs of Dover (Белые скалы Дувра)

The white cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the British coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk. Dover is an ancient and still important English port.The cliffs have great symbolic value for Britain because they face towards Continental Europe across the narrowest part of the English Channel, the white line of cliffs also forms the first or last sight of the UK for travellers.

Jurassic Coast (Побережье Юрского периода)

The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. The Jurassic coast was the second wholly-natural World Heritage Site to be designated in the United Kingdom.

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Cheddar Gorge (Ущелье Чеддар)

The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in 1903. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites.Cheddar Gorge, including the caves and other attractions (village stores and stalls, etc), has become a tourist destination. In a 2005 Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain.

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2.3Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory of Australia.

The cultural and natural values of Kakadu National Park were recognised internationally when the Park was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is an international register of properties that are recognised as having outstanding cultural or natural values of international significance.

Climate. Kakadu is located in the tropics, no far from the Equator. The climate is characterised by two main seasons: the dry season and the rain season. During the dry season (from April/May to September), dry winds predominate. During the period of October to December conditions can be extremely uncomfortable with high temperatures and high humidity.

Flora. Kakadu's flora is among the richest in northern Australia with more than 1700 plant species. Kakadu is also considered to be one of the most weed free national parks in the world.

Fauna. The diverse environments of Kakadu National Park support animals, a number of which have adapted to particular habitats. Some animals in the Park are rare, or endemic. Due to the extreme weather conditions in the Park, many animals are active only at particular times of the day or night or at particular times of the year.

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2.4 Yellowstone, the First National Park of the USA

Yellowstone is the United States’ first and most famous national park. This large wilderness area is very high in the Rocky Mountains of the northwestern U.S.

Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872.

Yellowstone has many different kinds of unusual scenery. The valley of the Yellowstone River has beautifully coloured rocks and three

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large waterfalls. The high mountains around Yellowstone are covered with evergreen forests. Great grizzly bears live there. The bears sometimes come down into the camps to look for food. Other wild animals move around freely in the park.

Yellowstone Park has many areas with hot springs and geysers or hot water fountains. These are caused by heat from the hot centre of the earth. Old Faithful geyser is the most famous. Every seventy minutes, Old Faithful sends hot water about 50 metres high into the air. Here, hot spring water runs down over rocks into deep pools. It looks like a fantastic white cake.

In winter, Yellowstone Park is covered with heavy snow, but visitors still come to ski and skate. With clouds of steam above them and snow all around, Yellowstone’s hot springs look even more wonderful.

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2.5 Natural wonders of the USA (Part 1)

Nothing is so amazing and so mysterious as the wonders that are created by nature.

There are hundreds of natural wonders around the world that would take a lifetime to see. The United States of America has some of the most beautiful natural wonders of the world. There are waterfalls and rainforests, reefs and erupting volcanoes, deserts and giant redwood trees.

Death Valley (Долина смерти)

Death Valley is a 250 km valley between two Californian mountain ranges. It is the hottest and the lowest place in the USA, and at one famous point – Badwater Basin – you arrive at the lowest place in the western hemisphere (86 metres below sea level). Summer temperatures in Death Valley can reach 54°C.

Giant Redwood and Bristlecone PineTrees (Редвуд)

General Sherman, a giant redwood tree of 84 metres high, is the largest plant in the world. It is also 3,000 years old, but it isn’t the oldest tree in the world! That’s also in California. The bristlecone pine grows in the White Mountains, and it is the oldest living thing on earth. The most famous, named Methuselah, is over 4,000 years old.

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Niagara Falls (Ниагарский водопад)

The Niagara Falls are formed where the Niagara River flows between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. There are two main waterfalls: the Horseshoe Falls in Canada and American Falls in the USA. The falls are 55 metres high, and 160000 cubik metres of water flow over them every minute.

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2.6 Natural wonders of the USA (Part 2) Grand Canyon (Arizona) (Большой каньон)

The Grand Canyon, eroded over thousands of years by the Colorado River, is 400 km long. It is 2,000 metres deep at its deepest point and 30 km wide at its widest point. It is one of the most important geological sites in the world (some of the rocks are over 1,800 million years old) and it is home to a great diversity of wildlife.

The Great Lakes (Великие озера)

The Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario) form the largest system of fresh water on earth, containing 18% of the world’s supply. Lake Superior is the largest and the deepest. It has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake in the world (81,000 square km) and holds enough water to cover the entire continents of North and South America with a third of a metre of water.

Glacier Bay (Alaska) (Ледниковая бухта)

Glacier Bay is a wilderness of mountains, glaciers, estuaries, beaches and lakes which was covered by ice only 200 years ago. The glaciers of Glacier Bay are still retreating, revealing new landscapes every few years. Glacier Bay is now a nature reserve and is used extensively for scientific research.

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Part 3. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northen Ireland

3.1 The country and a county

The British Isles is the name for a collection of about 4000 islands, including Great Britain and Ireland. Great Britain or GB is the name for the largest of the islands in the British Isles. It includes England, Scotland and Wales. It does not include Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. You see the abbreviation GB on driving licenses of people who live in England, Scotland and Wales.

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