LOS ANGELES - THE CITY OF ANGELS
Accommodation
The hotels in LA are more expensive than those in many other American cities, but they are clean and safe. The Biltmore and the Omni are lovely and close to special bus stops where you can get cheap rides to the various sights.
Places to visit
There are many interesting places you can visit, like Venice Beach with its street performers, Universal Studios to see how they make films, and Griffith Park. You can also see the handprints and footprints of film stars outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Children can visit the Children’s Museum – one of the most exciting museums in the world.
Eating out
There are famous restaurants you can eat in, like the Buffalo Club, a place packed with celebrities, or Musso & Frank’s, Hollywood’s oldest restaurant. For the most delicious Mexican dishes, eat at the Border Grill.
Shopping
You can buy cheap fashionable clothes on Melrose Avenue. Do you want designer clothes? Then go to the expensive shops on Rodeo Drive. A visit there is always unforgettable.
Entertainment
The nightlife is exciting on the Sunset Strip, an area in Hollywood with famous clubs like the Whiskey and the Roxy. There you can enjoy rock ’n’ roll music. 24-hour cafes like Van Go’ Ear are popular with visitors.
LA is a modern city with something for everyone. It’s noisy and crowded, but it’s also fascinating.
3. Replace the article sub- headings with the ones in the list:
Nightlife – Restaurants – Shops – Hotels – Sights
4.Fill in the missing adjectives:
1. The hotels in LA are more e------- than those in many other American cities.
2. There are many i---------- places you can visit.
3. There are f----- restaurants you can eat at.
4. You can buy c----, f---------- clothes on Melrose Avenue.
5. Transport is c------ in the rush hour.
6. LA is a modern, n---- and f--------ng city.
5.Match the adjective-noun collocations, then make sentences with them.
Quiet – noisy place
Clean – dirty\polluted streets
Tall – small buildings\restaurants
Cheap – expensive shops\hotels\restaurants
Modern – old city\town
Exciting – boring nightlife
6. Fill in: of, in, at, to, with, on
1. the second largest city … America; 2. it’s home … film stars;
3. close…. special bus-stops; 4. footprints … film stars; 5. you can get rides …. the various sights; 6. eat …a restaurant; 7. packed …. celebrities;
8. …. the world; 9. … Rodeo Drive; 10. popular … visitors
7.Fill in synonyms.
| District, not dangerous, memorable , well- known, interesting, near |
1. safe………. 4. famous………..
2. close…….. 5. unforgettable……….
3. fascinating ……… 6. area………..
Grammar Focus: Degrees of Comparison
| adjective | Comparative | Superlative | |
| One-syllable adjectives | cheap large big | cheaper larger bigger | the cheapest the largest the biggest |
| -y adjectives | noisy | noisier | the noisiest |
| Adjectives with two or more syllables | expensive | more expensive | the most expensive |
| Irregular adjectives | good bad much many little | better worse more more less | the best the worst the most the most the least |
| · We usually use thanwith comparative adjectives. · We use the superlative form to compare more than two people, things, places etc. We use the… of\in with superlative adjectives. · We can also use (not) as + adjective + as to compare two places, things, people, etc. · We use much\far\bit\a little + comparative degree. |
8.Use the adjectives in the list to compare LA with the place you live in.
Large, clean, noisy, polluted, crowded, small, dirty, safe, expensive, old, modern, peaceful, cheap
9. Fill in the superlative forms and choose the correct item.
1. Which city is the first ….(large) city in America?
A Chicago B New-York C Los Angeles
2. Which is ……. (high) mountain in the world?
A Ben Nevis B Mount Mckinley C Mount Everest
3. Which is….. (long) river in the world?
A the Missouri B the Mississippi C the Nile
4.Where is ……. (dry) place in the world?
A in Chile B in Canada C in China
5. Which is ………. (small) country in the world?
A Luxembourg B Wales C the State of the Vatican City
6.Where is …….. (hot) place in the world?
A Death Valley B Tokyo C Malta
7. Which is ……. (tall) building in the USA?
A the Empire State Building B the John Hancock Centre C the Sears Tower
TEXT B
Vocabulary
arid – сухой, засушливый, безводный
prosperous – процветающий, успешный, благополучный
harbour – гавань, порт
spectacular – впечатляющий, волнующий, захватывающий
pace of life – темп жизни
resident – житель
thriving – преуспевающий, процветающий
the Gold Rush – Золотая Лихорадка
1.Complete the sentence using the adverbial of purpose or reason.
Nowadays many tourists like to visit Australia ………….
2. Before reading the text, answer the question: Which city is the Australian capital? (Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne). Read the text and check your answer.
AUSTRALIAN CITIES – A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA
Much of the land in Australia is so arid that people are unable to live on it in its undeveloped state. That explains why most Australians live in metropolitan areas, many of which line the coast, and why Australia is considered one of the world’s more urbanized countries. Australia’s cities each have their own unique character, with plenty to keep the visitor busy, however long your stay.
Sydney
Sydney is Australia’s largest city, with a population of more than 4 million. It is a prosperous business centre and people are still enjoying the success of the 2000 Olympic Games.
The city was founded by the British as a prison colony in 1788 – they chose the place because of its natural harbour. All who visit Sydney come away with memories of seeing one of the most beautiful harbours in the world, made even more spectacularby the famous bridge and opera house.
Melbourne
Melbourne is Australia’s second city with half a million fewer people than Sydney. For those who live there, however, there is no better place in the world to live. It has parks and gardens and plenty of excellent restaurants. The city was founded early in the 19th century and became a major financial centre during the Gold Rush. It was Australia’s capital city until the Federal capital, Canberra, was founded in 1927. The city has a warm, open feel to it, though as any local will tell you the weather can change from fine and warm to cold and windy in no time at all.
Perth
The capital of Western Australia is known as the most remote capital city in the world. It lies on the west coast, between the Indian Ocean and the Great Australian Desert – nearly 3,500 kilometres from Sydney. It has a population of about one and a half million, about 90% of the population of the state.
Being so far away from the centre of Australian life, Perth is not as busy as either Sydney or Melbourne. It has retained a quiet dignity and a slow pace of life. Many of its old Victorian buildings survive to add to the charm of the city.
Brisbane
The third largest city in Australia is widely regarded as the best city for the quality of life it offers its residents. The capital of Queensland has a tropical climate and its 1.8 million people enjoy greenery, outdoor restaurants and open-air cinemas. It wasn’t always the case. Brisbane was a prison colony until 1842.
Now a thriving, though relaxed, business centre, its warmth, both in the weather and the friendliness of its people have helped to make it the fastest growing city in Australia. It has a growing tourist industry, being the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef as well as to the Queensland.
3.Read the text again and choose the best ending for each sentence.
1. Every city has …
A. many visitors.
B. different characters.
C. a different character.
D. places with character.
2. Sydney is …
A. a prison colony.
B. a harbour.
C. a bridge.
D. more than 200 years old.
3. The capital city of Australia …
A. is Melbourne.
B. is Canberra.
C. has good weather.
D. has many good restaurants.
4. Perth is known …
A. as a busy city.
B. for its history.
C. as a quiet place.
D. for being isolated.
5. Brisbane is said to be …
A. a tropical city.
B. famous for its gates.
C. a good place to live.
D. a national capital city.
Vocabulary
4.Match these words from the text with the corresponding definitions.
1 remote a. very successful
2 metropolitan b. inhabitants, people living in the area, town city
3 arid c. entrance, place you go through
4 gateway d. belonging to or typical of a large city
5 greenery e. far away
6 thriving f. very dry
7 residents g. plants that make a place look attractive
Writing
5.Write a tourist leaflet on two cities in your country.
1 Use these notes to help you.
· Where is it,(area population)?
· What famous buildings, places are there?
· What is there to do(daytime, evening)?
· What people think of the place.
2. Include some of these words and phrases: large, small, crowded, busy, nearby, choose from, local people or residents, attractions or sightseeing, exciting, thriving, marvelous, spectacular
Write 200-250 words
TEXT C
Communication: Making Comments
1. Skim through the excursion script.
Sydney
On behalf of Boomerang Tours, welcome to Sydney. My name is Angela, and I’m your guide for today. Our driver is Paul and we will be showing you the sights of our lovely city, so sit back and enjoy yourselves.
Sydney is in the state of New South Wales. It has a population of 4 million people from 140 different countries, making us a cosmopolitan multicultural city. To your left is Great Harbour Bridge built in 1932 – a wonder of modern construction. To your right, our famous Opera House, built by Joern Utzon, in 1973, home to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. We are now going through the business area, constructed on the site of the original settlement. To your right is the Art Gallery of New South Wales, which was built in 1874 and today houses the best collection of Australian art in the world. We are now passing the site of the first farm. Thirty hectares of lawns, gardens and exotic plants, today, our Royal Botanical Gardens. To your right, the shopping, hotel and entertainment area. As you can see, we have many theatres, cinemas, and restaurants with shows. Restaurants with shows, films and food from all over the world. We shall stop here for the afternoon to permit you to have lunch and to do some shopping. This evening we shall be going to the Opera House to see the ballet, Sleeping Beauty, and to end our evening with dancing and fun in a local disco. As you can see Sydney is an exciting city with lots to see.
2.Work in pairs, fill in the missing information and describe the places::
NameSydney
LocationNew …..
SightsGreat Harbour Bridge built in…
………. House built in ……
Art …… of New South Wales built in ….
Royal Botanical………..
Free-time theatres,………
Activities shopping, ……………….
Feelings……….. city
TEXT D
centennial – столетний, вековой
1. Work in pairs. Before reading the text answer the questions:
1. Have you ever seen the Statue of Liberty?
2.What does the statue have in its hand?
3. Where does the statue stand?
2. Read the text and check your answers.
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY –
THE WORLD-FAMOUS ATTRACTION
One of the most famous statues in the world stands on an island in New York Harbour. This statue is, of course, the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is a woman who holds a torch up high. Visitors can go inside the statue. The statue is so large that as many as twelve people can stand inside the torch. Many more people can stand in other parts of the statue. The statue weighs 225 tons and is 301 feet tall.
The Statue of Liberty was put up in 1886. It was a gift to the United States from the people of France. Over the years France and the United States had a special relationship. In 1776 France helped the American colonies to gain independence from England. The French wanted to do something special for the U.S. centennial, its 100th birthday.
Laboulaye was a well-known Frenchman who admired the United States. One night at a dinner in his house, Laboulaye talked about the idea of a gift. Among Laboulaye’s guests was the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Bartholdi thought of a statue of liberty. He offered to design the statue.
Many people contributed in some way. The French people gave money for the statue. The Americans designed and built the pedestal for the statue to stand on. The American people raised money to pay for the pedestal. The French engineer Alexander Eiffel, who was famous for his Eiffel Tower in Paris, figured out how to make the heavy statue stand.
In the years after the statue was put up, many immigrants came to the United States through New York. As they entered New York Harbor, they saw the Statue of Liberty holding up its torch. It symbolized a welcome to a land of freedom.
Vocabulary
3.Complete the sentences. Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. The people of France wanted to give the United States a special … .
a. gift b. torch
2. France and United States had a special … .
a. independence b. relationship
3. France helped the American colonies … independence.
a. build b. gain
4. A famous Frenchman, Laboulaye, … the United States.
a. admired b. visited
5. Frederic Bartholdi … to design the statue.
a. contributed b. offered
6. The Statue of Liberty stands on a … .
a. pedestal b. harbour
Grammar Focus: The Definite Article The with Geographical Names and Places
| We use the with: the names of rivers(theNile), seas(the Black Sea), oceans( the Pacific), canals (the Panama Canal), groups of islands(the Canary Islands), mountain ranges ( theAlps), countrieswhen they include words such as state, Kingdom, republic (the United Kingdom) and the names or nouns with ‘of ’(the Leaning tower of Pisa) NOTE: theequator, the North/South Pole, the North of England, thesouth/west/north /east | We don’t use the with: the names of countries (Italy but: the Netherlands, theLebanon, theSudan, the Vatican City), cities(Paris), streets (Oxford Street, but: theHigh Street, the Strand, the Mall, theLondon Road, theA19, theM6 motorway), squares(Trafalgar Square), bridges (Tower Bridge), parks(Hyde Park), railway stations(Victoria Station), mountains (Ben Nevis), individual islands (Tahiti), lakes (Lake Geneva), continents(Africa) |
| the names of cinemas (theRex), hotels(the Carlton), theatres ( theGlobe), museums (the British Museum), galleries(the Tate Gallery), newspapers/magazines (theTimes butTime magazine), ships (the Mary Rose), organizations (the EU). | two-word names when the first word is the name of a person or a place(Gatwick Airport, Windsor Castle but: theWhite House) |
| names of pubs, restaurants, shops, banks and hotels named after people who started them and end in –s or ‘s (Lloyds Bank, Harrods, Dave’s Pub but:the Red Lion (pub) |
4.Complete the sentences with the correct article.
Use a or the. If no article is necessary, write –.
Example: The statue stands on an island in – New York Harbor.
1. … Statue of … Liberty was … gift to … United States from … people of … France.
2. Over … years … France and … United States had … special relationship.
3. In … 1776 … France helped … American colonies to gain … independence from … England.
4. … French paid for … statue.
5. … American people paid for … pedestal.
6. We saw…. Buckingham Palace and …. Houses of Parliament on our tour yesterday.
7. … British Museum and … Louvre hold the collections of art treasures.
8. We’ll get off at … Waterloo Station.
5.Work in pairs. a)Look for main ideas andcircle the letter of the best answer.
1. The Statue of Liberty is a famous statue in … .
a. France b. The United States
2. The Statue of liberty was a gift … .
a. form the people of France to the USA
b. from Laboulaye and Eiffel to the USA
3. The Statue of Liberty symbolizes … .
a. a woman with a torch b. land of freedom
b)Look for details andcircle T if the sentence is true or circle F if the sentence is false.
1.Twelve people can stand inside the torch of the Statue of Liberty. T F
2.The United States helped France to gain its independence in 1776. T F
3.Alexander Eiffel was among the guests at Laboulayes’s house. T F
4.Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was a French engineer. T F
5.Alexander Eiffel figured out how to make the statue stand. T F
6.Americans designed the pedestal for the statue. T F
6.Discuss the answers to these questions with your group-mates.
1. What other famous statues or monuments can you think of?
2. When we think of New York, we think of the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. List five other cities and the buildings, statues, and places they make you think of.
3. Do you have any famous statues or monuments in your country? What are they?
Description Tips
To describe a place, a building or a monument
a)first, you should give the name and location of the place, building or monument and the reason for choosing it; b) second,you should describe the main aspects of the place, building or monument in detail – for example what you can see and do there, the exterior and the interior and the historical facts about it, tell who built the house or erected the monument; c) thengive your comments/feelings/ recommendations.