IV Retell the text (Перескажи текст)

ENGLISH READER

for elementary and pre-intermediate students

Книга для чтения на английском языке для студентов, начинающих изучать английский язык (в лицее, колледже, высшем учебном заведении), и совершенствующихся в языке.

В книгу включены рассказы английских и американских писателей, а также писателей других стран, пишущих на английском языке.

Рассказы разнообразны по тематике и стилю, познавательны. Тексты подобраны с учётом программы по устной практике, снабжены специально разработанными упражнениями, направленными на развитие навыков чтения, устной речи и грамматики.

Автор: Ленская Т.А., преподаватель кафедры английского языка РГГУ

Пояснительная записка

Предлагаемое пособие для домашнего чтения адресовано учащимся лицейских классов РГГУ, которые находятся на уровне “elementary” и “pre-intermediate”.

Целью данного учебного пособия является обеспечение учащихся интересным познавательным материалом, способствующим развитию навыков чтения английской литературы, с последующим приобретением и формированием лексических и грамматических норм учащихся, для дальнейшего их употребления.

Задачами данного пособия является овладение навыками самостоятельного чтения, говорения, аудирования.

В книгу включены разнообразные по тематике и стилю рассказы английских и американских писателей.

Тексты подобраны по степени возрастания сложности и с учётом программы по устной практике лицейских классов.

Учебное пособие состоит из двух частей, с учётом уровня языковой компетентности обучаемых. Тексты I-ой части – небольшие по объёму, что даёт возможность хорошо проработать их лексический материал, а специально разработанные на основе этих текстов упражнения, позволяют освоить и правильно употреблять грамматические нормы английского языка.

Рассказы II-ой части содержат более сложный языковый материал и предназначаются для самостоятельного чтения с последующим обсуждением на занятии.

CONTENTS

Part One

Unit 1. School in Great Britain. G. Rogova, F. Rozhkova

Unit 2. Education in the USA. G. Rogova, F. Rozhkova

Unit 3. She Wants to Have Money of Her Own. G. Rogova, F. Rozhkova

Unit 4. The History of London. I.N. Vereshcagina, O.V. Afanasyeva

Unit 5. The History of Thanksgiving Day. Monica Vincent

Unit 6. Native Americans. Terry Tomsha

Unit 7. The Wild West. I.N. Vereshcagina, O.V. Afanasyeva

Unit 8. American Symbols. I.N. Vereshcagina, O.V. Afanasyeva

Unit 9. Everyday Life in America. Terry Tomsha

Unit 10. Isn’t It Fun to Whitewash the Fence? Mark Twain

Unit 11. The Golden Touch. J. Codlinnik, M. Kuznets

Unit 12. A Sea Story. W. Jacobs

Unit 13. Robin Hood. J. Codlinnik, M. Kuznets

Unit 14. How the Book Was Born. V.N. Bogorodskaya, L.V. Hrustalyova

Unit 15. The Ransom of Red Chief. O. Henry

Unit 16. Arachne. V.N. Bogorodskaya, L.V. Hrustalyova

Unit 17. Little John Joins the Band. Antonia Fraser

Part Two

Unit 18. Absent-Mindness. Jerome K. Jerome

Unit 19. The Luncheon. S. Maugham

Unit 20. The Last Leaf. O. Henry

Unit 21. How to Avoid Travelling. George Mikes

Unit 22. Molly Morgan. John Steinbeck

Part One

Unit 1

SCHOOL IN GREAT BRITAIN

(by G. Rogova, F. Rozhkova)

In Great Britain boys and girls go to school from the age of five to fifteen; some go up to sixteen or eighteen.

The school year in Great Britain begins in the middle of September and it is over in July.

English children learn subjects like: English, mathematics (which includes arithmetic, algebra and geometry), history, geography, science (which includes biology, zoology, botany, chemistry and physics), foreign languages, drawing, singing. They also have PT (physical training).

The children stay at school from 9 till 16.15. From 12 till 14 o'clock they have a lunch break or dinner-time. And from 14 till 16.15 they have their lessons at school again. After 16.15 they go home. There are several types of schools in Great Britain. They are primary and secondary schools. English children begin to go to a secondary school when they are eleven. Some secondary schools are only for boys, some are only for girls and some for boys and girls. Grammar school, one of the types of secondary school, prepares pupils for the university. Pupils stay at this type of school from eleven till eighteen.

English schools are open five days a week. On Saturdays and Sundays there are no lessons. The school year has three terms. After a term pupils have holidays. So they have winter holidays which begin in December, spring holidays are in April, and summer holidays are in August and the first half of September. So they are six weeks long.

The pupils of all schools have uniforms. Each school may have a different uniform. They wear dark grey, dark green or dark blue uniforms. The pupils of many schools have striped ties, only the colours are different for each school. Very often pupils have their school badges on the left breast pockets and berets.

I Find in the text English equivalents for the following words and expressions (Найди в тексте следующие слова и выражения на английском языке) :

1) в возрасте; 2) оканчиваться; 3) включать; 4) перерыв на обед; 5) типы; 6) начальная школа; 7) семестр; 8) школьная форма.

II Give Russian equivalents for the following words and expressions from the text and use them in sentences of your own (Переведи следующие слова и выражения из текста на русский язык и составь с ними свои предложения):

1) in the middle of…; 2) science; 3) from…till…; 4) grammar school; 5) the first half of September; 6) striped ties; 6) school badges on the left breast pockets and berets.

III Answer the questions (Ответь на вопросы):

1) What types of schools are there in Great Britain?

2) At what age do children go to school?

3) What subjects do children learn at school?

4) How long do children stay at school?

5) When do pupils have holidays?

6) What uniform do pupils wear at school?

IV Retell the text (Перескажи текст).

V Grammar Task (Грамматическое задание).

1.Ask questions about the words in bold type (Задай вопросы к выделенным словам):

a)The school year in Great Britain begins in the middle of September.

b)Theyalso have PT.

c)After 16.15they go home.

d)There are several types of schools in Great Britain.

f)Englishschools are open five days a week.

2. Open the brackets (Раскрой скобки):

a) We (togo) to school every day.

b) The school year (to begin) in September.

c) He (to have) many subjects.

d) The children (to stay) at school till 14 o’clock.

e) Our schools (to be) open six days a week.

f) Our teacher often (to play) role games with us.

3. Make these sentences 1)interrogative and 2)negative (Cделай эти предложения 1)вопросительными и 2)отрицательными):

a) Girls and boys go to school from the age of five.

b) English children learn many subjects.

c) I am a pupil now.

d) My brother goes to school every day.

e) There are several types of schools in Great Britain.

f) The school year has three terms.

4. Translate from Russian into English (Переведи с русского на английский):

a) Мы носим тёмно-синюю форму.

в) Сколько у тебя уроков сегодня?

с) Их друг очень любит свою школу.

d) Мы изучаем историю, английский и много других предметов.

е) Где твоя школа?

f) Её сестра – ученица средней школы.

Unit 2

EDUCATION IN THE USA

(by G. Rogova, F. Rozhkova)

You know that American children go to school for twelve years.

There are different schools in the USA: large and small, public and private, co-educational and for boys and girls alone, schools in large cities and in small towns.

When the children are five years old they go to kindergarten. After kindergarten they go to elementary school. They study there eight years.

Then the American children can go to high school. They study there four years more. Most Americans finish high school because it is free.

Public schools, one of the types of high schools, are always big. There are about fifteen hundred boys and girls there. Most American public schools are co-educational which means that boys and girls study together. Most Americans go to public schools.

When the American children finish high school they can go to college. A college is like a university. The difference is that a university has several colleges. The students study at college four years.

The school year always begins in September or October and ends in May or June. Many young people cannot go to college because it costs too much.

Some colleges have three hundred students or fewer, but some universities have twenty thousand students or more.

1) государственный; 2) частный; 3) совместные; 4) детский сад; 5) начальная школа; 6) средняя школа; 7) разница

1) finish school; 2) it is free; 3) it costs too much; 4) fewer or more.

III Answer the questions (Ответь на вопросы):

1) What types of schools are there in the USA?

2) How many pupils are there in public schools?

3) What is the difference between college and university?

4) Why can’t many young people go to college?