Unit 9. Comprehension reading
5.9.1 Text. Holidays in Russia
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here are many national holidays in Russia, when people all over the country do not work and have special celebrations.
The major holidays are: New Year's Day, Women's Day, May Day, Victory Day, and Independence Day.
The first holiday of the year is New Year's Day: People see the New Year in at midnight on the 31st of December. They greet the New Year with champagne and listen to the Kremlin chimes beating 12 o'clock.
There are lots of New Year traditions in Russia. In every home there is a New Year tree glittering with coloured lights and decorations. Children always wait for Father Frost to come and give them a present. Many people consider New Year's Day to be a family holiday. But the young prefer to have New Year parties of their own.
A renewed holiday in our country is Christmas. It is celebrated on the 7th of January. It's a religious holiday and a lot of people go to church services on that day.
On the 8th of March we celebrate Women's Day when men are supposed to do everything about the house, cook all the meals and give women flowers.
The greatest national holiday in our country is Victory Day. On the 9th of May, 1945, our army completely defeated the German fascists and the Great Patriotic War ended. We'll never forget our grandfathers and grandmothers who died to defend our Motherland. We honour their memory with a minute of silence and put flowers on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Independence Day is a new holiday in our country. On the 12th of June, 1992, the first President of Russia was elected.
We also celebrate Day of the Defender of Motherland on the 23d of February, Easter, Day of Knowledge and lots of professional holidays which are not public holidays and banks, offices and schools do not close.
5.9.2 Vocabulary. Pronounce the following words
Independence Day – День независимости
Father Frost - Дед Мороз
Christmas - Рождество
Easter - Пасха
Day of the Defender of Motherland - День защитника Отечества
Day of Knowledge - День знаний
celebration - празднование
major - главный
to see the New Year in - встречать новый год
to greet - встречать (возгласами, аплодисментами)
champagne - шампанское
chimes - куранты
to beat (beat, beaten) - бить, отбивать
a New Year tree - новогодняя елка
to glitter - блестеть, сверкать
to consider - считать
the young - молодежь, молодые люди
renewed - возобновленный, восстановленный
religious - религиозный
service – служба
men are supposed to.. - предполагается (подразумевается), что мужчины...
to defeat - наносить поражение, разбивать
fascist - фашист
to elect - избирать
public - общенародный, общественный
5.9.3 Questions. Answer the questions upon the text
1 What public holidays are celebrated in Russia?
2 What is your favourite holiday?
3 How is New Year's Day celebrated in your family?
4 Do you see the New Year in at home?
5 What New Year traditions do you know?
6 When is Christmas celebrated?
7 What holiday do we celebrate on the 8th of March?
8 What is the greatest national holiday in our country?
9 Why is the 9th of May so sacred for the Russian people?
10 What other Russian holidays do you know?
5.9.4 Text. Sports in Russia
Sport has always been popular in our country. There are different sporting
societies and clubs in Russia, Many of them take part in different
international tournaments and are known all over the world. A great number of
world records have been set by Russian sportsmen: gymnasts, weightlifters,
tennis players, swimmers, figure skaters, runners, high jumpers. Our sportsmen
take part in the Olympic Games and always win a lot of gold, silver and bronze
medals.
Millions of people watch figure skating competitions, hockey and football matches, car races, tennis tournaments and other sports events. Certainly watching sports events and going in for sports are two different things.
In the past it was never admitted that professional sport existed in our country. The official point of view was that our sport was totally amateur. Now everybody knows that sport can be a profession and a business.
But sport can be fun as well. Besides, it helps to stay in good shape, to keep fit and to be healthy.
Doing sports is becoming more and more popular. Some people do it occasionally - swimming in summer, skiing or skating in winter - but many people go in for sports on a more regular basis. They try to find time to go to a swimming pool or a gym at least once a week for aerobics or yoga classes, body building or just work-out on a treadmill. Some people jog every morning, some play tennis.
For those who can afford it there are clubs where they give lessons of scuba diving or riding. In spring and summer young people put on their roller-skates and skate in the streets and parks.
5.9.5 Vocabulary. Pronounce the following words
sporting society - спортивное общество
tournament - турнир, чемпионат
record - рекорд
gymnast - гимнаст
weightlifter - тяжелоатлет
figure skater - фигурист
high jumper - прыгун в высоту
to admit - признавать
professional - профессиональный
point of view - точка зрения
totally - полностью
amateur - любительский
fun - удовольствие
in good shape - в хорошей форме
fit - зд. в хорошем состоянии, в хорошей форме
to do sports - заниматься спортом
on a more regular basis - более регулярно
gym - тренажерный зал
aerobics - аэробика
yoga - йога
body-building - бодибилдинг
work-out - тренировка
treadmill - тренажер "беговая дорожка"
to jog - бегать трусцой
to afford - позволить себе
scuba diving - дайвинг, плавание с аквалангом
roller skates - роликовые коньки
5.9.6 Questions. Answer the questions upon the text
1 Why is sport so important in our life?
1 Do Russian sportsmen take part in the Olympic Games?
2 Do they often win medals?
3 Was there a gym or a sports ground in your school?
4 What professional sporting societies or clubs do you know?
5 Are there any keep-fit centers in your neighborhood? Do you go there?
6 Do you go in for sports or do you prefer to watch other people playing?
7 What team are you a fan of?
9 What is your favourite kind of sport?
10 How long have you been playing it?
11 Do you take part in competitions?
12 What games are popular hi Russia?
5.9.7 Text. Anton Chekhov
My favourite writer is Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, in my opinion, he is the greatest Russian dramatist and short-story writer. I'm never tired of reading and rereading his plays and humorous stories.
Chekhov was born in 1860 in Taganrog. In 1879 he went to Moscow, where he studied medicine. Though he practiced little as a doctor in his lifetime, he was prouder of his medical knowledge than of his writing talent.
While in college, Chekhov wrote humorous sketches for comic papers to support his family. He collected the best ones into a volume, Motley Stories, in 1886. The book attracted the attention of the publisher of the Novoje Vremja, Russia's largest paper, and Chekhov was asked to contribute stories regularly.
Chekhov, as an established writer, was able to develop a style of his own. Though he never gave up writing comic stories, he began working in a more serious vein. In 1887 Ivanov, his first play, established Chekhov as a dramatist. From then on, he concentrated on writing plays, as well as short stories.
Chekhov was seriously ill. He had tuberculosis and knew what it meant. By 1892 his health was so bad that he was afraid to spend another winter in Moscow. He bought a small estate near a village Melikhovo, 50 miles from Moscow. He spent 5 years there, and those were happy years in spite of the illness. He wrote some of his best stories there, including Ward No. 6, several well-known one-act comedies and two of his serious dramatic masterpieces, The Seagull and Uncle Vanya.
The Seagull was first staged in the Alexandrinsky Theatre in Petersburg. It was a complete failure because of the dull and clumsy production. It was a cruel blow to Chekhov. However, the play was successfully performed as the first production of the Moscow Art Theatre in 1898. From then on, Chekhov was closely connected with this theatre and with its founder, K.S. Stanislavsky, in 1901 he married an Art Theatre actress, Olga Knipper, who acted in his play The Three Sisters the same year.
Chekhov's health went from bad to worse and he had to spend the remaining years in the Crimea and other health spas.
The Cherry Orchard, his last play, was produced in 1904. Soon after the first night Chekhov died. He was 44.
Chekhov had an immense influence on the 20th century drama. Besides, several generations of writers both in Russia and abroad studied and imitated Chekhov to perfect their own literary style.