II. Перепишите вопросы к тексту и письменно ответьте на них. Переведите вопросы и ответы на русский язык.

1. Why can we say that electricity has made possible the engi­neering progress of today?

2. Where is electricity used in the modern home?

3. How much electricity is used by a worker operating plant machines?

4. What means of communication cannot work without electricity?

5. What can be said about a modern research laboratory and electricity?

Тексты для дополнительного чтения

Прочитайте и устно передайте на русском языке содержание прочитанного текста.

The Seasons

December, January and February are the winter months. In win­ter the days are short and the nights are long. English people try to spend more time indoors because out of doors it's cold. In December the sun rises about eight o'clock a.m. and sets about four o'clock p.m. Eight hours of daylight! It's so little!

Spring brings with it new life. The sky is blue. It's warm, the days become longer.

The summer moths are June, July and August. The weather in Great Britain is usually warm in summer. It is sometimes hot, but it is not often very hot. When the temperature is over eighty degrees Fahr­enheit (80° F) English people say that it is hot. When the temperature is about seventy degrees Fahrenheit (70° F), they say that it is warm. In the south of Europe the summer is usually very hot. It is always hot: in the South of Spain and in North Africa.

Oxford

No town in England, and, perhaps, no town anywhere, contains within, so small a space so much good architecture, covering so wide a period of history. Oxford owns almost all the buildings of extraordinary variety and charm to the University and its colleges.

The foreigner who visits Oxford sometimes asks "But where is University?" It is not an easy question to answer. Our visitor is thinking of the universities in his home country. Compact, square, self-contained buildings easily identified for what they are. In this case there is no “University" in Oxford. The nearest we have to it is the fine series of buildings that reaches from the eastern end of Broad Street, down Cattle Street, to the High Street. This is indeed the heart of Oxford. Thus there is no a single building as "the University". There is group of buildings.

The "University of Oxford is basically a federation of colleges. A distinctive feature of the collegiate system is that the colleges are self-governing corporate bodies. There are thirty-four colleges. In ad­dition to the colleges there are also five Permanent Private Halls which are, like the colleges, independent societies.

The Entrance Examination consists of special subject papers, at least, one general paper and, in some subjects, translation papers. The examinations take place in late November or early December.

Great People in London

London has been the home of many famous Englishmen. Some were born there. Some lived there all their lives. Others lived in Lon­don only for a short time but all gave something to the great city.

One of the first names of importance is that of Geoffrey Chau­cer, the poet. He lived most of his life in London. His most famous work is "The Canterbury Tales". Chaucer held official posts in Lon­don and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

William Shakespeare also lived in London. He had lived there for more than twenty years. He acted at the Globe Theatre and wrote his play's in London.

But London's famous men were not only writers. Sir Christo­pher Wren, the architect, spent most of his life in London. He de­signed many beautiful churches, including St. Paul's Cathedral. He also designed palaces and fine houses.

Music is represented by a very interesting figure. This is George Frederick Handel. He came to London from Hanover in 1710. After some success and some failure he at last became famous. Lice Chaucer and many other great artists. Handel is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Another famous London figure is one of England's greatest seamen, Admiral Lord Nelson. He has a very special memorial in Tra­falgar Square. The monument consists of a very tall column. It is called the Nelson Column. On top of it the figure of Nelson stands. Equally famous is the general who led the army at the battle of Water­loo in 1815. This was the Duke of Wellington. His house stands at Hyde Park Corner. Like Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington is buried in St. Paul's Cathedral.