Section 2. Reading Text 1 margaret thatcher (1925- )

Ex.1. Read the text.

She was the first woman prime minister in Europe. She became Prime Minister of Britain in 1979.

Her early life

She was born above a shop in the small English town of Grantham. Her father, Alfred Roberts, was a grocer. He worked very hard for little money. Margaret also worked hard, and she went to Oxford University, where she studied chemistry. In 1951 she married Denis Thatcher, a rich businessman. They had twins, a girl and a boy. The love of her life was politics. She didn’t have much time for other interests. She said she only needed four hours’ sleep a night.

Her later life

She became a politician in 1959, the leader of the Conservative Party in 1975, and Prime Minister of Britain four years after that. She had a strong personality. A lot of people were afraid of her, and she was called “The iron lady”. In 1984 Irish terrorists bombed her hotel, but she survived. She was Prime Minister for eleven years. She finally resigned in 1990, but she didn’t want to, and she was in tears when she left.

Ex.2. Are the sentences True (T) or False (F) about her? Correct the false sentences.

1. She came from a rich family. __________________________

2. She loved being a politician. __________________________

3. She worked hard. __________________________

4. She had a lot of other interests. __________________________

5. She had a good education. __________________________

6. She married, but didn’t have any children. __________________________

7. She was in office for eight years. __________________________

8. Finally she was tired of politics and resigned. _________________________

Text 2 new orleans

Ex.1. Read the text.

New Orleans is the largest city in Louisiana, USA. It stands on the banks of the Mississippi River and is a busy port and tourist centre. Its population of about 550,000 is very cosmopolitan, with immigrants from many countries. Every year people from all over the world visit New Orleans to see its famous Mardi Gras carnival.

Its history

In 1682 the French named Louisiana after the French King, Louis XIV. They built New Orleans in 1718. In 1762, Louis XV gave it to his cousin Carlos of Spain. Then, in 1800, it became French again until Napoleon sold it to the USA in 1803. The French Quarter in New Orleans still has many old buildings and excellent restaurants.

Its music

New Orleans is the home of jazz. Jazz is a mixture of blues, dance songs, and hymns. Black musicians started to play jazz in the late 19th century. Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton came from the city. New Orleans is most famous for its jazz, but it also has a philharmonic orchestra.

Ex.2. Answer the questions about the city.

1. How many people live there? ________________________________

2. What is the name of its river? ________________________________

3. Why is it a tourist centre? ________________________________

4. What are some important dates in its history? ________________________________

5. What famous people lived there? ________________________________

6. What kind of music is it famous for? ________________________________

7. What is world-famous about the city? ________________________________

8. What can you do in the city you read about? ________________________________