Англійська

Unit 5

Dialogue 2. SCOTLAND

Exercise 2.

Read and listen to the following dialogues. Choose one o f them and practise it with another student.

I

A: Scotland is a country in the north of Great Britain, isn’t it? В : Yes, it is.

A: Have you heard of any other names for this country? В : No, I’m afraid I haven’t.

A:Well, the Romans called it Caledonia. You know that the Romans undertook nu­ merous military campaigns against the tribes of Caledonia between the 1st and 3rd centuries, but the region was never subjugated.

B:This name isn’t often used, is it?

A:Yes, it’s quite often mentioned in literature.

B:So, what is the size of the territory of Scotland?

A: It’s 78,800 sq. km,

В: And what’s the population of Scotland?

A:Five million.

B:Does Scotland include any islands?

A:Yes. It includes the Hebrides, Orkneys and Shetlands.

B:In the west and north it’s bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, in the east by the North Sea, and in the south by England and the Irish Sea.

II

A:Which are the highest mountains in Scotland?

B:The Grampians.

A:What are Scotland’s main rivers?

B:The Tweed, Clyde, Tay and Spey.

A:There are many lakes in the Scottish mountains, aren’t there?

B:Yes. But the Scottish word for “lake” is “loch”.

A:The largest loch in Scotland is Loch Lomond, isn’t it?

B\ That’s right, but the best-known one is probably Loch Ness, because of the legend of the Loch Ness monster, said to be living in the loch.

III

В : What are the main industries in Scotland?

A: Mostly fishing, shipbuilding and whisky distilling.

B\ I believe Scotland is important for commerce, and possesses valuable iron and coal mines.

A: Yes, but the mining industry is now in decline.

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IV

В: What about Scottish agriculture?

Л: About a quarter of the total area of Scotland is under cultivation or in permanent pasture.

В: What is the principal Scottish crop?

A: It’s oats, with more than half of the total cultivated areadevoted to it.

B: Sheep rearing has always been an important activity in the Highlands, hasn’t it?

A:Yes. But it has been declining recently.

B:Do you know what “crofting” means?

A:“Crofting” is a form of agriculture practised here. A crofter owns a plot of land, called a croft, but it’s really only enough to grow potatoes and keep, say, one cow and three sheep.

B:Farming is difficult, because up there the winters are very long and the summers are wet.

V

A:Who is responsible to the British Parliament for Scottish domestic affairs?

B:The Secretary of State for Scotland.

A : Is the Secretary of State for Scotland a Cabinet Minister?

B: Yes, of course.

A\ Could you explain what the “Cabinet” is?

B:The Cabinet is the “inner circle” of the British government, a group of about 20 ministers who are the heads of the most important government departments (ministries). They meet, usually once a week, at 10, Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister.

VI

A:Scotland has her own legal system and her own banks and banknotes.

B:Scotland’s name originated in the 11th century.

A:When did Scotland lose her independence?

В: In 1587, with the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.

A:Do you know what the national emblem of Scotland is?

B:No, I’m afraid I don’t,

Л: It’s the thistle.

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Exercise 3.

Listen to the following dialogue. Act it out with another student:

Dialogue 3. NEW YORK

Roman: Hello, Alice. Are you doing anything special at the moment? Alice: Hi, Roman. No, nothing in particular. Why?

Roman: I’ve heard you are a New Yorker and I’d like to have a chat with you about

habitants live in poverty.

Roman: I suppose that’s because many new immigrants to America settle here. They have been arriving there for centuries. How old is New York, actually?

Alice: Well, New York isn’t as old as Lviv, of course. It was founded by Dutch colonists in 1626 and named New Amsterdam. Then 40 years later the colony was captured by the British navy and renamed New York.

Roman: What can you tell me about the famous Statue of Liberty?

Alice: It was presented to the USA by France in 1886 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of American independence. It’s made of bronze and stands 152 ft high. Unfortunately, it’s exposed to atmospheric pollution and acid rain, and needs constant maintenance.

Roman: I’ve read that it took something like $30 million to repair the Lady of the Harbour in preparation for her centenary. Can the city afford such a heavy expense?

Alice: I think that, although New York is the country’s largest city, its busiest sea port and the centre of commerce, finance and the arts, the repairs wouldn’t have been possible without the financial assistance that was received from all over the country.

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English-Speaking Countries

Roman: Of course, everybody knows that the financial centre of America is in Wall Street.

Alice: Roman, you know so much about my home town that the only thing that re­ mains is for you to actually visit it.

Roman: That’s right, Alice. I hope to do so soon.

Exercise 4.

Express your opinion about the issues mentioned in the above dialogue. Start with:

In my opinion ...

I think ...

To my mind, ...

Personally, I think...

As I see it,...

Exercise 5.

Read the dialogue entitled Washington, D.C. Before you listen to the dialogue con­ sider the following:

a)The capital of a country;

b)The capital of Ukraine;

c)The capital of the USA.

Then listen to the dialogue and discuss what new information you have learned about the capital of the USA.

Dialogue 4. WASHINGTON, D. C.

Martha: James, have you got any spare time now? I have to write an essay about the capital of the USA, but I’m afraid I won’t manage it without your help.

James: I’ll be glad to help you, Martha. After all, you helped me to find the most interesting information about Kyiv.

Martha: That was a pleasure. Kyiv is one of the most ancient cities in Eastern Europe and the cradle of our culture. So what can you tell me about Washington?

James: It’s one of the few capitals in the world that were created to house a nation’s government. The location for it was chosen by the first American president, George Washington.

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James'. Think nothing of it, Martha. I’ll be glad to help you with any other problems. Martha: That’s very nice of you.

Exercise 6.

Read and listen to the following dialogues, make notes and discuss them in groups:

Dialogue 5. THE PACIFIC COAST

Boris, who isfrom Ukraine, is on holiday in the USA. He has struck up a conversation with a young American in a bar in New York. They have just introduced themselves to each other.

Boris: Where do you come from, Roger?

Roger: I’m from Juneau, I was bom and raised there. It’s the capital of Alaska, you know.

Boris: Isn’t that the biggest state in the USA, with rich oil resources and other min­ eral deposits. They say the US Secretary of State bought it from the Tsar of Russia for $7 million sometime in the 19th century, and that at the time most Americans thought he was crazy!

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English-Speaking Countries

Roger. Yes, they did. They called it “Seward’s Icebox”, after this Secretary of State, who’d spent all that money on a vast barren territory! And then, of course, thirty years later gold was discovered there, so old Seward had the last laugh.

Boris: I bet he died laughing! By the way, have you read any Jack London? I think his stories are great. Some of them are set in the time of the gold rush. Not that he found any gold there, but he had some amazing experiences.

Roger. Did you know he came from San Francisco?

Boris: Did he really? Funny, I always associate him with wild, deserted places. Pretty sophisticated place, isn’t it, San Francisco?

Roger. Fantastic! I spent four years there as a student. I did economics at the Uni­ versity of California.

Boris: Lucky you! All that blue sky, and the Hollywood movie scene!

Roger. Mind you, California’s a pretty down-to-earth place, too. It’s one of the ma­ jor centres of America’s electronics, aircraft and oil refining industries.

Boris: Sounds as if it has everything. I bet you wanted to stay on there, didn’t you? Roger: Not on your life! I went back to Alaska. As the saying goes, east, west,

home’s best!

Glossary

to raiseвиховувати

down to earth - практичний

Dialogue 6, AUSTRALIA

Olha and Paul are students studying at a university in England. They have just won a holiday in Australia, so Paul has been reading up about the country.

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Unit 5

all that barren land and turning it into a land of plenty. Before long they were exporting to the old world - things like wheat and wool. And then, of course, don’t forget all Australia’s mineral resources.They had everything they needed for industrial development. It was all there, waiting to be dug up.

Olha: And now Australia’s waiting for us! It’s supposed to be a great place for tour­ ism, isn’t it? I can’t wait to see the desert! - and then ail those eucalyptus for­ ests with their wonderful blue leaves! - and kangaroos and those gorgeous ko­ ala bears!

Paul: Australians love all of that. They’re crazy about wildlife and love picnicking in the bush, I hope we manage to meet some of them and get to know them. They take having a good time very seriously. That’s why they fought hard for a shorter working week and won!

Olha: They’ve obviously got their priorities right! And they’re great drinkers, too, aren’t they? Was it an Australian who said, “Work is the curse of the drinking classes”?

Paul: No, that was Oscar Wilde!

Exercise 7.

The following statements relate to topics you've already studied. Give your reasons for agreeing, disagreeing, or partially agreeing.

1.Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.

2.The national emblem of Scotland is a red rose.

3.Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland.

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6.All newly arrived immigrants settle down in New-York.

7.The capital of the USA is situated in the state of Washington.

8.The location of the U.S. capital was chosen by the first American President.

9.The capital of the USA resembles other American cities.

10.Alaska possesses much oil and other mineral resources.

11.Alaska was nicknamed “Seward’s Icebox” at the beginning of the 19th century.

12.The writer Jack London was bom in Alaska.

13.The name “Australia” means “eastern” in Latin.

Some useful ways to express disagreement:

Exercise 8.

Give a 5-minute talk about one o f the following:

Your talk should consist of three sections:

1.Introduction: introducing yourself, welcoming the audience, getting their attention.

2.Giving information.

3.Conclusion: summing up, offering to answer questions, thanking people for lis­ tening.

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