Translate from Russian into English.

1. Бухгалтерский учет представляет данные для кредиторов и вкладчиков.

2. Они готовят отчет о доходах и балансовый отчет в конце финансового года.

3. Мы определяем эффективность производства с помощью анализа коэффициентов.

4. Недвижимость является собственностью корпораций.

5. Мы проверим актив и пассив и определим стоимость имущества за вычетом обязательств.

6. Мы платим большие налоги.

7. Сколько ты получаешь без вычетов?

Corporate Finance

Corporations need financing for the purchase of assets and the payment of expenses. The corporations can issue shares in exchange for money or property. Sometimes it is called as equity funding. The holders of the shares form the ownership of the company. Each share is represented by a stock certificate, which is negotiable. It means that one can buy and sell it. The value of a share is determined by the net assets divided by the total number of shares outstanding. The value of the share also depends on the success of the company. The greater the success, the more value the shares have.

A corporation can also get capital by borrowing. It is called debt funding. If a corporation borrows money, they give notes or bonds. They are also negotiable. But the interest has to be paid out whether business is profitable or not.

When running the corporation, management must consider both the outflow and inflow of capital. The outflow is formed by the purchase of inventory and supplies, payment of salaries. The inflow is formed by the sale of goods and services. In the long run the inflow must be greater than the outflow. It results in a profit. In addition, a company must deduct its costs, expenses, losses on bad debts, interest on borrowed capital and other items. It helps to determine if the financial management has been profitable. The amount of risk involved is also an important factor. It determines the fund raising and it shows if a particular corporation is a good investment.

Comprehension Questions

1. Why do all corporations need financing?

2. What does equity funding mean?

3. What does debt funding mean?

4. How is the value of a share determined?

5. What activities produce an inflow and outflow of capital?

6. What can happen if an enterprise has a greater outflow of capital than an inflow?

7. Why is the risk involved an important factor in determining fund raising?

Translate from Russian into English.

1. Наше предприятие нуждается в денежных фондах для покупки оборудования.

2. Я предпочитаю акционерный способ образования денежного фонда предприятия. Он привлекает большее количество капитала.

3. Акции и облигации могут быть переуступлены, куплены, проданы.

4. Я хочу купить десяти процентные облигации.

5. Мы намерены выплатить все долги к началу финансового года.

6. Ты получишь хорошую прибыль при продаже этих товаров.

7. Он является совладельцем компании SONY.

8. Покупка акций этой компании – хороший долгосрочный вклад.

9. Если речь идет о моих деньгах, я изучу годовой отчет компании.

Banks and Business

Banks are different in different countries. Let’s speak about the banks in the United States of America. There, commercial banks are classified into two main groups. First, there are national banks. They are charted and supervised by the Federal Government. Secondly, there are state banks. They are charted and supervised by the state in which they are operated. All commercial banks can make loans to borrowers.

Major commercial banks in such cities as Tokyo, Paris< Rio cooperate with each other. In this way they finance imports and exports between countries.

An importer buys merchandise from another country using the currency of that country. For that purpose he buys this currency from the foreign exchange department of his bank. And in the same way if an exporter receives foreign money from sales to other countries, he sells this currency to his bank. By this method the currency of any country can usually be exchanged.

Comprehension Questions

1. What do all commercial banks do?

2. What kinds of commercial banks in the USA do you know? What are they called?

3. Who supervises the operations of national bank?

4. What kind of currency does an importer generally use when he buys goods from another country?

5. What do you know about the “international exchange”?

6. What is the currency of this country called?

7. What is the exchange rate between your currency and the currency of the USA and Germany? How can you find it out if you don’t know it?

Translate into English.

1. Государство учреждает коммерческие банки.

2. Если ты хочешь купить товары за границей, ты должен поменять деньги в отделе обмена валюты.

3. Я бы хотел сделать карьеру в банковском деле.

4. Все банки устанавливают проценты на ссуду.

5. Наш банк намерен предоставить краткосрочную ссуду этому предприятию.

6. Наименьший процент со ссуды предоставляется привилегированным клиентам.

7. Банки могут выпускать аккредитивы и рекомендательные кредитные письма.

8. Я намерен занять крупную сумму денег.

9. Банк считает, что это предприятие платежеспособно и ему можно предоставить заем.

Marketing

Marketing includes all the business activities connected with the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers. Sometimes it is called distribution. On the one hand, marketing is made up of such activities as transporting, storing and selling goods and, on the other hand, a series of decisions you make during the process of moving goods from producer to user. Marketing operations include product planning, buying, storage, pricing, promotion, selling, credit, traffic and marketing research.

The ability to recognize early trends is very important. Producers must know why, where, for what purpose the consumers buy. Market research helps the producer to predict what the people will want. And through advertising he attempts to influence the customer to buy. Marketing operations are very expensive. They take up more than half of the consumer’s dollar. The trend in the USA has been to high mass consumption. The construction of good shopping centres has made goods available to consumers. It provided a wide range of merchandise and plenty of parking facilities.

Comprehension Questions

1. What does marketing mean?

2. What activities does marketing consist of?

3. What do marketing operations include?

4. Why is it so important for the producer to predict the trends?

5. How was mass consumption possible in USA?

Translate into English

1. Маркетинг включает в себя действия, связанные с движением товара от производителя к потребителю.

2. Маркетинг включает в себя транспортировку, хранение, рекламу, калькуляцию цен, продажу.

3. Изучение рынка помогает предсказывать общие направления спроса.

4. Реклама оказывает сильное влияние на покупателя.

5. Мы не можем устанавливать самую низкую цену на этот товар.

6. Мы должны разработать план производства новых продуктов.

7. Сбыт этого товара очень реагирует на изменение цены.

Pricing

All products and all services have prices. The price depends on different things such as credit terms, delivery, trade-inallowance, guarantees, quality and other forms of service, which price can produce the biggest profit during a long period of time. It’s hardly possible to determine such a price. The price may be too high to produce a large volume or too low to cover costs. No other area of marketing operations has been a subject to bad practice. Many businesses persue unsound price policies for long periods of time and not aware about it.

Prices can be determined in different ways. For example, the prices of meat, cotton and other agricultural prices can be decided in large central market where forces of supply and demand exist. This is pure price competition. The prices on industrial products (iron, steel, etc.) are usually decided by large companies. As a rule the amount and price of goods sold to large number of buyers is controlled by a few competing sellers. Prices also can be set by the government, usually for different public services – railroads, electricity, manufactured gas, bus services, etc.

If demand increases, prices rise, profits expand and new investment is attracted. But other factors may be involved as well. Prices are related to each other in different ways. Ultimately, everything is related in price, since the consumer can buy and must pay for everything out of a particular, limited amount of money.

Comprehension Questions

1. Why is it difficult to determine the right price?

2. Why is the seller interested in the price that produces the highest volume of sales at the lowest unit cost?

3. Why do many businesses follow unsound pricing policies?

4. In what way are agricultural prices decided?

5. How are industrial products usually priced?

6. Why does the government usually set the prices for public utility services?

7. Why is it so important to know the levels of supply and demand when dealing with pricing?

8. Why is everything related by price?

Translate into English

1. Этот магазин предоставляет покупателю выгодные кредитные условия.

2. Товар имеет низкую цену. Она покроет затраты.

3. Эта фирма ведет неразумную ценообразовательную политику.

4. Прежде чем выпускать товар, необходимо тщательно изучить спрос и предложение.

5. Государство устанавливает цены на ряд продуктов.

6. Магазин имеет превосходное место расположения.

7. Супермаркет предоставляет покупателю много дополнительных услуг: доставку товаров на дом, кредит, установку и т.д.

8. Новая марка несомненно привлечет покупателей.

9. Начинайте с низкой цены.

10. Продажа за счет низкой цены действует при продаже товаров народного потребления.

English Today

The modern world is becoming smaller all the time. Every day distances between different countries seem less. For this reason it’s becoming more and more important to know different languages, especially English.

One billion people speak English today. That’s about 20% of the world’s population.

400 million people speak English as their first language. For the other 600 million people it’s either a second language or a foreign language.

English is the first language in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. It is one of the official languages in Canada, the Irish Republic and the Republic of South Africa.

As a second language English is spoken in more than 60 countries. It is used by the government, businessmen and universities.

English is the language of politics and diplomacy, science and technology, business and trade, sport and pop music.

80% of all information in the world’s computers is in English.

75% of the world’s letters and faxes are in English.

60% of all international telephone calls are made in English.

More than 60% of all scientific journals are written in English.

To know English today is absolutely necessary for every educated person, for every good specialist. Learning a language is not an easy thing. It’s a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But it’s a must.

English is taught throughout the world and a lot of people speak it quite well. In our country English is very popular: it is studied at schools (sometimes even at nursery schools), colleges and universities.

Everyone will speak English soon – I’m sure of it. We all need to understand each other. To do that we need an international language, and that’s English.

Questions

1. Why is it necessary to know English today?

2. English is a world language, isn’t it?

3. How many people speak English?

4. In what countries is English the official language (one of the official languages)?

5. Is English popular in Russia?

6. Is learning languages an easy thing?

7. When did you begin learning English?

8. How long have you been learning English?

9. Have you read any books in English?

10. Have you seen any films in English?

11. Have you ever visited an English-speaking country?

12. What other languages would you like to know?

Life in the 21st Century

We’ve entered a new era: the twenty-first century. Of course, it’s exciting and we are trying to predict what our life will be like in the future.

It will certainly become better – I’m sure of it.

Robots will do all the dangerous and dirty work for us and our daily life will become easier. They’ll sweep the floor, dust the furniture, wash the dishes and even cook! It doesn’t mean we’ll become lazier, no. When everything is automated, we’ll be able to do more creative jobs.

We’ll be able to call our friends on a videophone and type up homework by talking to a small gadget that understands the human voice.

Scientists (or probably computers?) will find solutions to our most urgent problems. People will stop dying from cancer and AIDS and will live to be 150 years old.

There will be no more famine on our planet and no more hungry children.

Our cities will become cleaner, greener and safer. We’ll drive electric cards and live in houses with lots of plants and special air-cleaning gadgets.

Atmospheric pollution will be stopped and our planet will be saved.

There will be no more wars, no more criminals and no more terrorists. People will learn to live in peace and understand each other.

We’ll have more free time and longer holidays. We’ll be able to travel in space and – who knows? – one day we’ll be able to spend our holidays on Mars.

I’m really optimistic about the future. After all, we are becoming wiser. The superpowers are disarming, governments are waking up to Green issues . . .

Anyway, it’s up to us to look after our planet and try to make it a better place to live.

Questions

1. Are you optimistic about the future?

2. Do you believe that robots will do all the dangerous and dirty work for us?

3. What will robots do for us?

4. Do you think children will go to school in the future?

5. What’s the difference between a telephone and a videophone?

6. Will writing by hand become the thing of the past?

7. Why do you think people will become healthier?

8. Will our planet become cleaner or more polluted?

9. Pessimists say that one day we’ll have to pay for clean air just like we do now for clean water. Do you think it’s possible?

10. Will there be wars in the future?

11. Have you ever seen an electric car?

12. Do you think the world will become more democratic?

Computer Revolution

50 years ago people didn’t even heard of computers, and today we cannot imagine life without them.

Computer technology is the fastest-growing industry in the world. The first computer was the size of a minibus and weighed a ton. Today, its job can be done by a chip the size of a pin head. And the revolution is still going on.

Very soon we’ll have computers that we’ll wear on our wrists or even in our glasses and earrings.

The next generation of computers will be able to talk and even think for themselves. They will contain electronic “neural networks”. Of course, they’ll be still a lot simpler than human brains, but it will be a great step forward. Such computers will help to diagnose illnesses, find minerals, identify criminal and control space travel.

Some people say that computers are dangerous, but I don’t agree with them.

They save a lot of time. They seldom make mistakes. It’s much faster and easier to surf the Internet than to go to the library.

On-line shopping makes it possible to find exactly what you want at the best price, saving both time and money.

E-mail is a great invention, too. It’s faster than sending a letter and cheaper than sending a telegram.

All in all, I strongly believe that computers are a useful tool. They have changed our life for the better. So why shouldn’t we make them work to our advantage?

Questions

1. Have you got a computer?

2. Do you think it’s a useful tool?

3. Will computers become smaller in the future?

4. Can the Internet help you to do your homework?

5. Can computers help us to learn foreign languages?

6. Do you play computer games?

7. What are the advantages of on-line shopping?

8. What are the advantages of e-mail?

9. Do you think that computers are bad for health?

10. Some people have made friends through the Internet. What about you?

11. Some people say that computers make us less sociable. Do you agree?

12. What will the next generation of computers be able to do?

Our Planet Earth

The planet Earth is only a tiny part of the universe, but it’s the only place where human beings can live.

Today, our planet is in serious danger. Acid rains, global warming, air and water pollution, overpopulation are the problem that threaten human life on Earth.

Who is to blame for the disaster? The answer is simple: all of us.

Our forests are disappearing because they are cut down or burnt. If this trend continues, one day we won’t have enough oxygen to breathe.

The seas are in danger. They are filled with poison: industrial and nuclear waste, chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The Mediterranean is already nearly dead; the North Sea is following. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. If nothing is done about it, one day nothing will be able to live in the seas.

Every ten minutes one kind of animal, plant or insect dies out for ever. If nothing is done about it, one million species that are alive today may soon become extinct.

Air pollution is another serious problem. In Cairo just breathing the air is dangerous – equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. The same holds true for many Russian cities.

Factories emit tons of harmful chemicals. These emissions have disastrous consequences for our planet. They are the main reason for the greenhouse effect and acid rains.

An even gerater threat are nuclear power stations. We all know how tragic the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are.

Fortunately, it’s not too late to solve these problems. We have the time, the money and even the technology to make our planet a better, cleaner and safer place. We can plant trees and create parks for endangered species. We can recycle little. We can support green parties and put pressure on those in power. Together we can save the planet and all of us with it.

Questions

1. Why is our planet in danger?

2. Who is to blame for the disaster?

3. What is happening to our forests?

4. Why are the seas in danger?

5. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. Do you think it’s possible to save it?

6. A lot of animals are dying out. But people wear fur coats, crocodile handbags, leather shoes, etc. Are you for or against hunting?

7. Is air pollution a serious problem? Why?

8. The car is now the world’s number one polluter. Do you think it’s possible to make it cleaner and safer? Have you heard about electric cars?

9. Why are nuclear power stations dangerous? What were the tragic consequences of the Chernobyl disaster?

10. What is the main cause of the greenhouse effect and acid rains?

11. What will happen to our planet if the present trends continue? Do you think that one day it may become uninhabitable?

12. What can we do to save the planet?

Mass Media

The mass media play an important part in our lives. Newspaper, radio and especially TV inform us of what is going on in this world and give us wonderful possibilities for education and entertainment. They also influence the way we see the world and shape our views.

Of course, not all newspapers and TV programmes report the events objectively, but serious journalists and TV reporters try to be fair and provide us with reliable information.

It is true the world today is full of dramatic events and most news seems to be bad news. But people aren’t interested in ordinary events. That is why there are so many programmes and articles about natural disasters, plane crashes, wars, murders and robberies. Good news doesn’t usually make headlines. Bad news does.

Some people say that journalists are given too much freedom. They often intrude on people’s private lives. They follow celebrities and print sensational stories about them which are untrue or half-true. They take photos of them in them in their most intimate moments. The question is – should this be allowed?

The main source of news for millions of people is television. People like TV news because they can see everything with their own eyes. And that’s an important advantage. Seeing, as we know, is believing. Besides, it’s much more difficult for politicians to lie in front of the cameras than on the pages of newspapers.

Still, many people prefer the radio. It’s good to listen to in the car, or in the open air, or when you do something about the house.

Newspapers don’t react to events as quickly as TV, but they usually provide us with extra detail, comment and background information.

The Internet has recently become another important source of information. Its main advantage is that news appears on the screen as soon as things happen in real life and you don’t have to wait for news time on TV.

Questions

1. Do the media play an important part in your life?

2. Do you think that the media influence our life?

3. Millions of people get most of their news from television. What about you?

4. Do you read newspapers?

5. When do you usually listen to the radio?

6. Do you agree that most news we get from the media is bad news?

7. Do you think it would be nice if all news printed in newspapers and shown on TV was good news?

8. Do you think that journalists are given too much freedom?

9. If people have died in a plane crash, should their bodies be shown on TV?

10. How do paparazzi earn their living?

11. Are you interested in politics? Don’t you think that some politicians use the media to influence their voters (избиратели)?

12. What is the main advantage of the Internet?

TV OR NOT TV?

Whether we realise is or not, TV plays a very important part in our lives. It’s the main source of information and a cheap form of entertainment for millions of people.

It’s the window on the world which gives us an opportunity to “travel” all over the world, to “meet” different people and learn about their customs and traditions.

It has the power to educate and broaden our minds.

It helps us to relax after a hard day’s work and escape from reality. There’s always a great variety of programmes on TV: news and sports programmes, talk shows and TV games, documentaries and feature films, concerts and theatre performances . . .

Of course, not all programmes are good. But many are made in good taste and with great professional skill.

Some people argue that television is a terrible waste of time. It makes us lazier. We stay at home instead of going out. We read less. We think less. We even talk less.

It’s true that some TV addicts spend hours in front of the “box” watching whatever’s on – from second-rate Mexican soap operas to silly commercials.

The trick is to learn to control television and use it intelligently. The ideal is to turn on the

TV-set only when there’s really interesting programme.

Violence on TV is another problem that worries people. As George Mikes once said, tv teaches us “how to kill, to rob, to shoot and to poison”. But the same can be said about computer games and many films and books. And if you don’t like a certain programme, why watch it?

Questions

1. How often do you watch TV?

2. What are your favourite programmes?

3. Which is your favourite channel?

4. The average Russian teenager spends about 20 hours a week in front of the TV-set. What about you?

5. Why is TV often called “the window on the world”?

6. Do you agree that television has the power to educate?

7. What do you think of commercials? Do they annoy you?

8. Do you enjoy watching “soaps”?

9. Do you think that there’s too much violence on TV?

10. Do you believe that violence on TV may turn people into criminals?

11. Some people say that television kills conversation. Do you agree?

12. Do you use TV intelligently?

The British Press

Probably in no other country are there such great differences between the various national daily newspapers – in the type of news they report and the way they report it.

On the one hand, there are the “quality” newspapers: The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, the Financial Times and The Daily Telegraph. These concern themselves, as far as possible, with factual reports of major national and international events, with the world of politics and business and with the arts and sport.

On the other hand, there are the “populars” and “tabloids”, so-called because of their smaller size. The tabloids – the most widely read of which are The Daily Mail, The Daily Express, the Daily Mirror, The Sun and The Daily Star – concentrate on more emotive reporting of stories often featuring sex, violence, the Royal Family, film and pop stars, and sport. It’s often said that the popular press aims to entertain its readers rather than inform them.

The tabloid press is much more popular than the quality press.

In some countries, newspapers are owned by government or by political parties. This is not the case in Britain. Newspapers here are mostly owned by individuals or by publishing companies, and the editors of the papers are usually allowed considerate freedom of expression. This is not say that newspapers are without political bias. Papers like The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Express and The Sun, for example, usually reflect Conservative opinions in their comment and reporting, while the Daily Mirror and The Guardian have a more left-wing bias.

In addition to the 12 national daily newspapers there are nine national papers which are published on Sundays. Most of the “Sundays” contain more reading matter than daily papers, and several of them also include “colour supplements” – separate colour magazines which contain photographically – illustrated feature articles. Reading a Sunday paper, like having a big Sunday lunch, is an important tradition in many British households.

Besides, nearly every area in Britain has one or more local newspapers.

The British are one of the biggest newspaper-reading nations in the world.

Questions

1. What “quality” newspapers do you know?

2. What do they concern themselves with?

3. What does a “tabloid” mean?

4. What “popular” newspapers do you know?

5. It’s often said that the aim of the popular press is to entertain its readers rather than inform them. What kind of materials do these newspapers concentrate on?

6. Are “quality” papers more popular than “tabloids”?

7. In some countries, newspapers are owned by government or by political parties. What about Britain?

8. What’s the difference between daily newspapers and “Sundays”?

9. What does a “colour supplement” mean?

10. Are the British one of the biggest newspaper-reading nations in the world?

Hobbies

Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby according to your character and taste you are lucky because your life becomes more interesting. Hobbies are divided into four large classes: doing things, making things, collecting things, and learning things.

The most popular of all hobby groups is doing things. It includes a wide variety of activities, everything from gardening to travelling and from chess to volleyball.

Gardening is one of the oldest of man’s hobbies. It’s a well-known fact that the English are very fond of gardening and growing flowers, especially roses.

Both grown-ups and children are fond of playing different computer games. This is a relatively new hobby but it’s becoming more and more popular.

Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, handicrafts. Two of the most famous hobby painters were President Eisenhower and Sir Winston Churchill. Some hobbyists write music or play musical instruments.

Almost everyone collects something at some period in his life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches. Some collections have no real value. Other become so large and so valuable that they are housed in museums and galleries. Many world-famous collections started in a small way with one or two items. People with a good deal of money often collect paintings, rare books and other art objects. Often such private collections are given to museums, libraries and public galleries so that others might take pleasure in seeing them.

No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he always has the opportunity of learning from it. By reading about the things he is interested in, he is adding to what he knows. Learning things can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby.

Questions

1. Tastes differ. Can you say the same about hobbies?

2. Have you chosen a hobby according to your character and taste?

3. Which hobby groups do you know?

4. The most popular hobby group is doing things, isn’t it? What kind of activities does this group include?

5. What do know about gardening?

6. Do you like computer games?

7. Are you fond of making things?

8. Do you know any famous hobbyists?

9. Have you ever collected anything?

10. What can be collected?

11. Do you know of any private collections that were given to museums or art galleries?

12. Do you agree that learning can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby? Why?

Great Britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometres.

The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and does not include Northern Ireland. But in everyday speech “Great Britain” is used to mean the United Kingdom. The capital of the UK is London.

The British Isles are separated from the continent by the North sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

Shakespeare called Britain a “precious stone set in the silver sea” because of its natural beauty. It has a varied countryside where you can find mountains, plains, valleys and sandy beaches. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain, but it is only 1343 metres high.

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round.

The UK is one of the world’s smaller countries. Its population is over 58 million. About 80% of the population live in cities.

The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen. In practice, The Queen reigns, but does not rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and Liberal parties.

Questions

1. The UK is an island state, isn’t it? Where is it situated?

2. What countries is the UK made of? What are their capitals?

3. What channel separates the British Isles from the European continent?

4. Who called Britain a “precious stone set in the silver sea”?

5. The surface of the British Isles varies very much, doesn’t it?

6. What’s the highest mountain on the British Isles?

7. Are there a lot of long and deep rivers in Great Britain?

8. Why is the climate of the British Isles mild?

9. Is the UK a large country?

10. What’s the UK’s population?

11. The UK is a highly developed industrial country. What does it produce and export?

12. The UK is a constitutional monarchy. What does it mean?

London

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political economic and commercial centre. It’s one largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million.

London is one of the oldest and most interesting cities in the world. Traditionally it’s divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different from each other and seem to belong to different towns and epochs.

The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Bailey. Few people live here, but over a million people come to the City to work. There are some famous ancient buildings within the City. Perhaps the most striking of them is St Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of British churches. It was built in the 17th centry by Sir Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror. It was used as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison. Now it’s a museum.

Westminster is the historic, the governmental part of London.

Westminster Abbey has more historic associations than any other building in Britain Nearly all English kings and queens have been crowned here. many outstanding statesmen, scientists, writers, poets and painters are buried here: Newton, Darwin, Chaucer, Dickens, Tennyson, Kipling.

Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Place, or the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Parliament. The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell, known as “Big Ben”.

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen.

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It’s the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs, and theatres are situated there. There are splendid houses and lovely gardens belonging to wealthy people.

Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in memory of Admiral Nelson’s victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson’s Column stands in the middle of the square.

On the north side of Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Not far away is the British Museum -–the biggest museum in London. It contains a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures, etc, and is famous for its library.

The East End was once the poorest district of London – with lots of factories and docks, narrow streets and unimpressive buildings. Today, the district is changing very fast. There are huge offices and new blocks of flats in the East End.

Questions

1. Is London the largest city in the world?

2. What’s the population of London?

3. Traditionally London is divided into several parts. Can you name them?

4. What do you know about the City?

5. Who was St Paul’s Cathedral built by?

6. Who founded the Tower of London? When was it rebuilt?

7. What is Westminster Abbey Famous for?

8. Where does the British Parliament sit?

9. What is Big Ben?

10. Why was Trafalgar Square named so?

11. Why does Buckingham Palace attract so many tourists?

12. What are the most famous London museums and art galleries?

The USA

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometres. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-boarder with Russia.

The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is more than 270 million.

If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska.

America’s largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA.

The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic. The climate of the central part is continental. The south has a subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country. It’s the world’s leading producer of copper and oil and the world’s second producer of iron ore and coal. Among the most important manufacturing industries are aircraft, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, armaments, furniture and paper.

Though mainly European and African in origin, Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, including Chinese and native Americans.

The largest cities are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San-Francisco, Washington and others.

The United States is a federal union of 50 states, each of which has its own government. The seat of the central (federal) government is Washington, DC. According to the US Constitution the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches: the executive, headed by the President, the legislative, exercised by the Congress, and the judicial. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republican and the Democratic, though there’s hardly any difference between their political lines.

Questions

1. Where is the USA situated?

2. What’s the total area of the country?

3. What countries does the USA border on?

4. How many states does the USA consist of?

5. What is the capital of the country?

6. Can you name any other cities in the USA?

7. What is the population of the United States?

8. What mountains in the USA do you know?

9. What are the largest rivers?

10. What can you say about the climate of the country?

11. What does the USA produce?

12. According to the US Constitution the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches. What are they?

13. How many chambers does the Congress of the USA consist?

14. What are the main political parties in the USA?

15. Who is the President now?

Washington, DC

Washington is the capital of the United States of America. It’s situated in the District of Columbia and is like no other city in the USA. It’s the world’s largest one-industry city. And that industry is government. The White House, where the US President lives and works, the Capitol, the home of the US Congress, and the Supreme Court, are all in Washington.

Washington was named after the first US President George Washington. He selected the place for the capital and Pierre L’Enfant, a French engineer, designed the city.

Washington was first settled in 1790 and since 1800 it has been the federal capital.

Washington is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the United States. In the very centre of it rises the huge dome of the Capitol -–a big white dome standing on a circle of pillars. The 535 members of the Congress meet here to discuss the nation’s affairs. It’s easy to get lost in this huge building, full of paintings and statues.

Not far from the Capitol is the Library of Congress, the largest library in the States. It contains more than 13 million books, more than 19 million manuscripts, including the personal papers of the US presidents.

The White House is the official residence of the US President. He works in the Oval Office.

One can hardly find a park, a square or an open area in Washington without a monument or a memorial. The most impressive and the best-known ones are the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

There are some important museums in Washington where you can see all kinds of things: famous paintings and sculptures, the dresses of Presidents’s wives, the original of the Declaration of Independence, the largest blue diamond in the world, etc.

There are 5 universities in Washington.

There are no skyscrapers in Washington, because they would hide the city’s many monuments from view. No building in the city may be more than 40 metres tall.

Thousands of tourists visit Washington every day. People from all parts of the United States come to see their capital.

Questions

1. Where is Washington situated?

2. Is Washington a typical America city?

3. It’s the world’s largest one-industry city, isn’t it? What kind of industry is it?

4. What important government buildings are situated in Washington?

5. Where does the US president live and work?

6. Who selected the place for the capital of the USA?

7. Is there a monument to George Washington in the city?

8. When was Washington first settled?

9. Who designed the capital of the USA?

10. What places of interest in Washington do you know?

11. How many universities are there in Washington?

12. Why aren’t there any skyscrapers in Washington?

The Russian Federation

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the earth’s surface. It covers the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometres. The country is washed by 12 seas and 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Artic and the Atlantic. In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Belorussia, the Ukraine. It also has a sea-border with the USA.

There’s hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. We have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east.

There are two great plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland. There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. The largest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia.

There are over two million rivers in Russia Europe’s biggest river, the Volga, flows into Caspian Sea. The main Siberian rivers – the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena – flow from the south to the north. The Amur in the Far East flows into the Pacific Ocean.

Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world’s deepest lake (1,600 metres) is Lake Baikal. It’s much smaller than the Baltic Sea, but there’s much more water in it than in the Baltic Sea. The water in the lake is so clear that if you look down you can count the stones on the bottom.

Russia has one-sixth of the world’s forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.

On the vast territory of the country there are various types of climate, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is temperate and continental.

Russia is very rich in oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel and other mineral resources.

Russia is a parliamentary republic. The Head of State is the President. The legislative power are exercised by the Duma.

The capital of Russia is Moscow. It’s its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It’s one of the oldest Russian cities.

At present, the political and economic situation in the country is rather complicated. The industrial production is decreasing. The prices are constantly rising, the rate of inflation is rather high. People are losing their jobs because many factories and plants are going bankrupt.

But in spite of the problems Russia is facing at present, there are a lot of opportunities for this country to become one of the leading countries in the world. I’m sure that we, the younger generation, can do very much to make Russia as strong and powerful as it used to be.

Questions

1. Where is the Russian Federation situated?

2. What is the total area of the country?

3. What countries does Russia border on?

4. What mountain chain separates Europe from Asia?

5. How many rivers are there in Russia?

6. Which is the longest river in Europe?

7. What do you know about Lake Baikal?

8. Do you know what strait separates Russia from America?

9. What mineral resources is the Russian Federation rich in?

10. What is the climate like in Russia?

11. What can you say about the present economic situation in Russia?

12. What great Russians do you know?

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare, the greatest and most famous of English writers, and probably the greatest playwright who has ever lived, was born on the 23d of April, 1564, in Stratford-on-Avon.

In spite of his fame we know very little about his life. At the age of six he was sent to school, but had to leave it at the age of 13. His farther, John Shakespeare, was a glove-maker, and when he fell into debt, William had to help him in the trade.

Just what William did between his fourteenth and eighteenth year isn’t known. At the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. Ann was eight years older than her husband and the marriage wasn’t happy one.

When Shakespeare was twenty-one, he went to London. We don’t know why he left Stratford-on-Avon.

There is story that Shakespeare’s first job in London was holding rich men’s horses at the theatre door. But nobody can be sure that this story is true.

Later, Shakespeare became an actor and a member of a very successful acting company. It’s highly probable that The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet and some other plays by Shakespeare were performed for the first time on this stage.

Very soon, however, the actors were told that they could no longer use the land that their theatre was built on and the company had nowhere else to perform. There is a story that in the dead of night the whole acting troop took down their theatre, timber by timber, brick by brick. They carried it across the river and rebuilt it. The new theatre was called the Globe.

Shakespeare’s Globe was rather different from modern theatres. The plays were performed in the open air and the audience got wet if it rained. There was no scenery, very few props, and the only lighting was the daylight that came from the open roof above. Women in those days weren’t allowed to act in public and all the parts (even Juliet!) were played by men. Much of the audience stood to watch the performance and moved around, talking with each other and throwing fruit at the stage if they didn’t like something.

Shakespeare wrote 37 plays: 10 tragedies (such as Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Macbeth), 17 comedies (such as As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing), 10 historical plays (such as Henry IY, Richard III). He also left 7 books of poems.

Most of Shakespeare’s plays were not published in his lifetime. So some of them may have been lost in the fire when the Globe burnt down in 1613.

Shakespeare spent the last years of his life at Stratford, where he died, ironically, on the same date as his birthday, the 23d of April, 1616. He was the great playwright in the Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey. In 1997, Shakespeare’s Globe was restored.

Questions

1. The last half of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th centuries are known as the age of Shakespeare. Can you explain why?

2. When was Shakespeare born?

3. He lived in Stratford-on-Avon until he was twenty-one, didn’t he?

Why did he leave Stratford?

4. What was his first job in London?

5. Why did the acting company decide to build a new theatre?

6. In what way was Shakespeare’s Globe different from modern theatres?

7. How many plays did Shakespeare write?

8. Have you read any of his plays?

9. What happened to the Globe?

10. When was the Globe restored?

11. When did Shakespeare die?

12. Is Shakespeare famous in Russia?

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