4. Talk about stereotyped ideas that people may have about the way of life in other countries.

Nobody wants to be average. So generalizations about nations aren’t usually welcomed, though sometimes they are quiet accurate. The dangers may go even deeper, when someone tries to generalize from his own limited experience.

The Americans, for instance, are the nation, about which numerous stereotyped ideas exist. They are created, as a rule, by the people who have never been to the USA, but nevertheless, they are apt to assure others categorically the country isn’t worth visiting. They invent false stereotypes, which in fact, turn out to be nothing more than inaccurate information, gathered from 2^nd hand sources.

For instance, you may hear that the whole pace of life among Americans is dreadful. It’s a perpetual everyday strain. The social pressures are tremendous. This may seems appalling to people committed to the idea of actually living in town which is unheard of in America. It’s supposed that Americans don’t even know about slipping away at weekends to some peaceful place in the country, because countryside is entirely occupied by all those immense suburban housing developments. The idea of typical American housewife is even more amusing. It’s believed that she has nothing to do but go mad from boredom and frustration.

Another prejudice about the Americans is that their habit of taking showers is the mania about personal cleanliness. Am-n food is described as flavorless, stuff with no decent fruit and vegetables. Finally, even Am-n children are said to be unbearable.

However, even coming to the US, you get surprised to see quite the opposite and it wouldn’t be some local atipicality, because in reality the pose of Am-n life isn’t a dreadful rat-race at all, although it has certain peculiarities, one should be ready to adopt oneself to. As for social pressures, I think, they do exist everywhere. I’m sure Americans give a good example of hard work and optimistic life-style. This «can-do-spirit»proves that with the necessary willingness and inventiveness one can overcome all the difficulties. So, Am-n tend to be trendsetters in lifestyle. And, as for stereotypes I’d say that in nowadays mobile world of traveling and active interaction any stereotype ideas will soon be nonsense.

5. TALK ABOUT MADAME TUSSAUD’S AS ONE OF LONDON’S FAMOUS MUSEUMS.

It often comes as a shock for Londoners that Madame Tussaud’s museum is one of the capital top tourist attractions. Many find it gruesome and frightening. Others maintain that its collection of wax statues has no artistic merit. Yes, despite this criticism, Madam Tussauds has become a world famous. Millions of tourists from overseas and from other parts of Britain wouldn’t consider their trip to the capital worthwhile without a stop at the unusual waxwork exhibition. M T aws French in origin and was herself a model of waxwork in her uncle’s waxwork museum in Paris. She is said to perfect her skills by modeling the royal family of France. In 1802 she brought the collection, inherited from her uncle.

A great number of waxwork are on display at M T’s. the exhibition consists of a series of halls:

1)in the first hall there’s« the Sleeping beauty» figure. By the way the figures are really durable and this one (s b) was cast from M T’s oldest models.

2)the 2^nd hall is known as «the Conservatory», where visitors can view life-size wax models of sport, TV and film personalities. Accurate measurement and photographic preferences, photo all the way round the body, they are taken from many angles for the statue to be as lifelike as possible; it’s also very important to capture the personality. Also «multimedia environment» effect is used to create a special atmosphere.

3) next to «Super Star» in the Grand Hall. This room is peopled by revere historical, political, military and royal figures from Henry 8 to Gorbachev. Pr minister of GB and from abroad.

4) the next hall is undoubtedly the most famous of the waxwork rooms «The Chamber Of Horrors». Nowhere are the visitors quieter than in this eerie place with terrifying scenes, keeping breath of history. There are models of execution, famous murders like Christie and in the-cells, the most infamous 20^th century prisoners who were sentenced to life imprisonment for their wild crimes.

So, it’s easy to understand why some people criticize parts of M T’s for it’s horror and sensationalism. It’s even easier to understand why more people go there to be entertained.

6. TAIK ABOUT HOLYWOOD AND THE EPICS PRODUCED THERE IN THE 1930S AND 1940S.

Nowadays for million if people there’s nothing better than watching a good film and the vast majority of films are produced in Hollywood. But what we really know about this really know about this great-star factory? To tell the truth, everything we read about the great days of Hollywood in the 30’s and 40’s seems like exaggeration. The studious always said their film were «superb» and «colossal» because vast sum of money that had been spent to produce them. But if we look deeper, we will be totally surprised at how the people in charge of the studious could make good films at all.

Almost all the owners of the big films companies developed the philosophy of «the bigger, the better», owing the production companies, cinemas, studious and being very powerful in the film industry. But in private life they were ignorant, unattractive people and were believed to be monsters.

I suppose it’s very funny to trace the history of production some epics, like Samson and Delilah, that cost money. First of all, a massive actor cast as Samson, was not as brave as he looked. He was afraid of the fame lion his stand-in had to fight, of the imitation swords in the battle scenes, and what’s the funniest—he was afraid of the wind machine. But despite all this, Samson and Delilah made a profit at the box office.

«Gone with the wind» was the most expensive picture, which was made at that time. Even screen tests took almost as long as «Gone with the wind»itself. It’s an interesting fact, that Vivien Leigh got the part of Scarlet while the film had already been started. She won an Oscar for her outstanding performance and deserved it. The film was a really big hit. But I believe that all the previous screen tests with 1400 people was a waste of money and there must have been thousand of really strong and handsome actors who could have played the part of Samson without being frightened of the wind machine. Nobody will deny if I say that epics encouraged extravagance, but they very seldom gave value for money even when they made profit. I must confess that produces who think that the more money they spend, the greater profit they would make will become completely failures one day.AND 1940S.