Holidays in Russia, Britain and the USA

Feasts and festivals serve to meet specific social and psychological needs of the people of the country. Holidays can be religious and secular, national and local, official and unofficial. The dates that are memorable to every Russian citizen are Victory Day, May Day, Constitution Day, Women's Day, and the Day of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation. These are national holidays; people do not work on these days. The most important date in Russia is Victory Day. Observed on May 9, it commemorates the Victory of the Russian troops over the Nazi invaders. On that day the veterans meet in the parks and squares of the cities to recollect the days of war and exchange greetings. Wartime music is played everywhere. At night fireworks are let off. May Day is also very popular in our country. This is the day of friendship and support.

One of the biggest festivals of the year is New Year. Peter I the Great decreed that New Year should be marked in Russia on January 1.

The major holidays in Great Britain are New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day (May 1), Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Public holidays are called Bank Holidays, because on these days banks, most of the shops and offices are closed. The Bank Holidays were appointed by the Act of Parliament in 1871.

National festivals in the United States include Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day. Independence Day is observed on July 4. On this day, in 1776, America adopted the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, and started the fight for freedom from the British rule. The celebration of it began in the American Revolution. Since then it has been a patriotic holiday. People go out into the streets on July 4, dress up and take part in parades and open-air meetings. In the evening there are always parties and fireworks.

In the USA there are 50 states, and there are many holidays that are not observed nation-wide but are celebrated in certain states only. Columbus Day is observed on October 12 in 34 states. It commemorates the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus who landed in the New World on October 12, 1492. The major celebration of the day takes place in New York City, which holds a huge parade each year.

 

 

БИЛЕТ №10. Вопрос 1.

APPLYING FOR A JOB

I

t is not the question that everybody dreams to find a really good and interesting job with a high salary plus many valuable extras in benefits, incentives and expenses. But how to find such job? And even if you were so lucky to find it how to behave at the first interview to get this job. Maybe some advice will help you.

- Arrive on time and wear clean smart clothes.

- Relax, be yourself but be friendly and polite.

- Don't smoke or chew gum.

- Avoid saying only "yes" or "no". Give truthful information about yourself.

- Look straight in the interviewer face, they don't trust people avert­ing their eyes.

- Smile occasionally, it may help.

- Show that you have a clear picture of the scope of the work.

- Ask if there is something you want to know about the job.

- When speaking, avoid being wordy and vague. Sound logical and reasonable.

- Ask the interviewer when you may expect to hear the decision.

In addition to that we want you to read a short wise but funny story. We hope that it also will be very useful for you.

Once a lawyer needed an office-boy. After the advertisement had been published more than forty boys turned up to apply for the job. The law­yer was very quick in choosing only one boy and that surprised his part­ner who happened to witness the interview. "Why did you prefer this boy? He even didn't have any credentials with him", - said he.

“I'm afraid you are wrong”, - answered the lawyer. “The boy has recommended himself wonderfully. When coming in he wiped his feet properly and closed the door after him, which recommends him as a tidy and careful person. When waiting for his turn he gave his seat to the elderly lady, which proves him to be kind-hearted and polite. And he didn't push others aside, but stood patiently waiting. When speaking to me he showed himself respectful, thoughtful and modest. And besides it was nice to look at him - his clothes were neat, his hair was brushed and his fingernails were clean. Don't you believe all these things to be the best credentials?”

 

1. What is the text about?

2. Is the reported story real or imaginary?

3. Who has recommended himself wonderfully?

4. What credentials did he give?

5. Why shouldn’t you say only “yes” or “no” at the interview?

 

 

БИЛЕТ №10. Вопрос 2.

 

About myself

My name is Peter Sidorov. I am 14 years old. I was born in Moscow, where I am still living. Our family is rather large. There are five of us: my mother, my father, my brother, my sister and me.

My father is 44 years old. He is an eye surgeon. He works in hospital. He is always very busy. He has very little free time. He likes his job. My mother is a teacher of literature. She works a lot. She is always busy checking up the compositions of her pupils. She does her housework and we always help her. My brother is 19 years old. He is a Law Faculty student. He is not married yet and has no family of his own. He wants to be an expert in the field of law that is why he works hard. My little sister is 10 years old. Her name is Ann. Although she is little she knows a lot of wonderful things. She is very clever and intelligent. I can talk with her for hours about the adventures of three musketeers, the Greek and Roman gods and heroes. She learns English. Her favourite books are "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass" by Lewis Carroll. But I like his poem "The Hunting of the Snark". It is nonsense literature of the highest order. Children like this fantastic tale about Alice's adventures very much. The book is successful because it is not an allegory; it has no hidden meaning or message, either religious, political, or psychological. My sister has a good ear for music: she goes to musical school for piano lessons. Once I also attended musical school and learnt to play the piano. Sometimes we go to the Conservatoire with our parents to listen to solo concerts or symphonic orchestras.
I am always very busy, but when I am free I like to read books, play football with my friends or watch TV or video films. My favourite writer is J.R.R. Tolkien. I like his epic trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" very much. This book is about the struggle between good and evil forces for possession of a magical ring that can change the balance of power in the world. When I have a lot of free time I like to go to the museums and art galleries. My favourite painter is Nikolai Roerich. Roerich is known for his monumental historical paintings and wonderful landscapes of the Himalayan Mountains. His works of art are full of mysticism and symbolism. I like his painting "The Forefathers". This canvas, based on the Slavic legend, is inspired by the northern Russian countryside. It shows an old Slavic piper surrounded by bears against the background of hills.
My favourite movie is the "Star Wars". It is an inspiring fairy tale about the fight of the good and evil. The action takes places in the far away galaxy in the distant future. One can easily recognise the reality of today. The main characters arouse our admiration. Luke Skywalker can be characterised as a musketeer of outerspace. But most of all I like contemporary music. I am fond of almost every trend of music style. I like Russian music too, but not so much as British or American. I am not interested in music as a passive recipient. I can play the guitar and piano. I take part in a musical project with my friends. In our band I sing and play the guitar. We give concerts at our school. Recently I've started to practice drums and I've found out that I like it very much. Unfortunately, I cannot devote as much time as I would like to music. I have to study and do other things as well.

 

БИЛЕТ №11. Вопрос 1.

WHAT HIS LIFE WAS WORTH

R

obert Bums, the great Scottish poet, was born on the 25th of January 1765 in a poor farmer's family near the town of Era in Scotland. In his early childhood he faced the life full of hard work and privations. De­spite all this he was always cheerful, full of life and would sing old Scot­tish songs and relate folk stories, ballads and legends. The folk poetry was dear to him since childhood because he would listen to old Scottish songs, ballads and legends from his family people. A village taught him to read and to write. Further he learned a great deal by himself. So he had very little formal education. At the age of 27 he made up his mind to go abroad for earning money. To save money for his journey he issued "Poems in Scottish Dialect". This collection was a great success and made him well-known.

Robert Bums loved common people and wrote for them. Though he had little formal education, he was well-read and talented. He became famous when his first poems were published in 1786. He was known as a very witty man. One day when Bums was walking near the docks, he heard a cry for help, He ran towards the water. At that moment he saw a young sailor jump off a boat that stood near the dock. The sailor began to swim towards the man who was calling for help. Though it was not easy, the sailor saved the man. The man who was saved from drowning was a very rich merchant. He thanked the brave sailor and gave him a shilling. The sailor was embarrassed.

A large crowd of people gathered round them. All the people consid­ered the sailor to be a hero. They were displeased when the rich man gave the brave soldier only a shilling. Many of the people shouted loudly and protested against it. They thought it was unfair. But the rich merchant did not pay any attention to them.

At that moment Robert Burns approached the crowd and wondered what the matter was. He was told the whole story. He was not surprised at the behavior of the rich merchant and said: "Let him alone. The gen­tleman is the best judge of what his life is worth."

 

1. What is the text about?

2. What made him famous?

3. What was his family?

4. What was his childhood like?

5. What can you say about his wit?

 

 

БИЛЕТ №11. Вопрос 2.

Reading books

Literature is the greatest human property. It is generally known that Russian literature is one of the most voluminous in the world. A. Pushkin, I. Turgenev, I. Goncharov, L. Tolstoy, F. Dostoevsky, A. Chekhov are the leaders of the world classical literature. They set a pattern for language, subject matter, and narrative techniques of Russian and world literature. Their works attract readers even today, because everybody can find something special there.

Ivan Turgenev successfully linked social problems with true literary art. His "Hunter's Sketches" and "Fathers and Sons" depict Russia's life with realism and with artistry which make these works classics. The problem of the generation gap discussed in his "Fathers and Sons" is very acute today. The everyday life of the Russian provincial gentry is perfectly described by Goncharov in his famous novel "Oblomov". The writer shows how the best and the brightest men can degenerate if they do not see how to use and develop their talents.

Leo Tolstoy and Feodor Dostoevsky are recognised as the best Russian writers. They give a realistic picture of the Russian society of the 19-th century. Their research in a person's inner world is unique. Their characters do not always know what they really want, and when they think they do know, the fate breaks their illusions. Moral issues are raised in Tolstoy's and Dostoevsky's works. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" as well as Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and "The Brother Karamazov" focus on serious human problems.

The end of the 19-th century was dominated by Anton Chekhov. He contributed to two genres: short stories and drama. His short stories are really short, but powerful. They make people laugh and cry at the same time. Some of his stories may seem very cruel, but Chekhov simply reflected the Russian life in his prose. His plays are not numerous, but they are really outstanding. "The Cherry Orchard" is his best known play. It is an emotional drama of the decline of a Russian noble family, which shares the fate of the Russian nation.

 

БИЛЕТ №12. Вопрос 1.

WHY DO PEOPLE TRAVEL?

P

eople enjoy travelling, but what are the reasons they leave their homes? There are several of them. First comes curiosity of course. Films about far-off places, books, and friends' stories encourage us to undertake our own trips. "Seeing is believing", we say, buy tickets and off we go to new places.

Education comes next. Learning through travelling is very popular. It does not mean only visiting museums and admiring architectural en­sembles. It also means to get a glimpse of another life style. You can never get that sort of knowledge from books. You are to live this life yourself, to touch it yourself, to smell it yourself. Then you might under­stand something about other people and other countries.

And besides, there are people who just change places. They are on a constant move, enjoying new scenery. Probably they have problems at home and that is their way - rather to escape than to solve. Others look for adventures. We are all different and have different motives for travelling.

Last year a friend of mine from London visited me in St.Petersburg. It was his first coming to our city and this is what said: "I was really impressed by the beauty of St.Petersburg. It's worth seeing it. It isn't as old as Paris or even Moscow, no, it isn't but that's it all. What astonished me most was the Neva panorama - it's as wide as two Thameses! And on both sides you can see beautiful architectural ensembles. What makes St.Petersburg unique is that it was constructed in accordance with the city plans and there aren't any narrow streets at all in its center like in other European cities whose centers were laid out in the Middle Ages. Just imagine the open river prospects you can enjoy from bridges!

And I really understood why St.Petersburg is called the city-museum. There are many reasons for that. The city abounds in historical monu­ments, its buildings that date back to past times, have interesting stories, and resemble the exhibits of a museum."

 

1. What is the text about?

2. What rivers are mentioned in the text?

3. What was really impressed by the beauty of St. Petersburg?

4. What makes St. Petersburg unique, according to the text?

5. How can you answer the question: “Why do people travel?”

 

 

БИЛЕТ №12. Вопрос 2.