Unit 9. Comprehension reading

 

5.9.1 Text. Holidays in Russia

 

T

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 31^st 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 7^th of January. It's a religious holiday and a lot of people go to church services on that day.

On the 8^th 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 9^th 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 12^th 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 8^th of March?

8 What is the greatest national holiday in our country?

9 Why is the 9^th 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 20^th century drama. Besides, several generations of writers both in Russia and abroad studied and imitated Chekhov to perfect their own literary style.

5.9.8 Vocabulary. Pronounce the following words

 

Chekhov Anton Pavlovich - Чехов Антон Павлович

Taganrog - Таганрог

Motley Stories - Пестрые рассказы

Ivanov - Иванов

Ward No. 6 - Палата № 6

The Seagull - Чайка

Uncle Vanya - Дядя Ваня

the Alexandrinsky Theatre - Александрийский театр

the Moscow Art Theatre – Московский Художественный театр

The Three Sisters - Три сестры

the Crimea - Крым

The Cherry Orchard - Вишневый сад

in my opinion - по-моему

dramatist - драматург

humorous stories - юмористические рассказы

medicine - медицина

lifetime - (вся) жизнь

to be proud of - гордиться чем-либо

sketch - зарисовка,.набросок

comic - комический

to support - поддерживать, содержать

volume - том

to attract attention - привлечь внимание

to contribute - сотрудничать (в газете, журнале), писать (для газеты, журнала)

regularly - регулярно

established – признанный, известный

to develop - развивать

a style of one's own - собственный стиль

to give up - бросить, отказаться (от чего-либо)

vein - стиль, направление

from then on - с тех пор, с той поры, с того времени

to concentrate on - концентрироваться, сосредоточиваться

tuberculosis – туберкулез (сокр. форма: ТВ)

estate - поместье

one-act comedy - одноактная комедия

masterpiece – шедевр

it was a complete failure - пьеса провалилась

dull - скучный, монотонный

clumsy - неуклюжий, грубый, неудачный

production - постановка

It was a cruel blow to Chekhov. - Это был страшный удар для Чехова.

to perform - исполнять, играть

to go from bad to worse - ухудшаться, становиться все хуже и хуже

spa - курорт (с минеральными водами)

to produce - ставить (о пьесе)

first night - премьера

immense - огромный

influence - влияние

drama - драма

generation - поколение

to imitate - подражать

to perfect - совершенствовать.

literary - литературный

 

5.9.9 Questions. Answer the questions upon the text

1 Do you like Chekhov's humorous stories?

2 When and where was he born?

3 When did he begin writing his first humorous sketches?

4 Who helped Chekhov in his writing career?

5 What made Chekhov move to Melikhovo?

6 The Seagull was first staged in the Alexandrinsky Theatre. Why was it a complete failure?

7 What was Chekhov's last play?

8 Do you know any English or American writers who were influenced by Chekhov?

 

5.9.10 Text. Andrei Sakharov

 

Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov, an outstanding scientist and public figure, was born on the 21^st of May,^: 1921, into the family of teachers. He graduated from Moscow University in 1942. In 1947 he defended his thesis for the degree of Candidate of Science. In 1953 he defended his Doctorate thesis and was elected member of the Academy of Sciences.

When he was a graduate student Sakharov began to work on the Soviet nuclear weapons programme and soon he suggested a totally new idea for a hydrogen bomb design. But he was getting more and more worried about the consequences of his work. He understood better than anybody else what nuclear weapons meant and he thought about his own responsibility and about the responsibility of the states which possessed such weapons.

In 1968 he wrote an article attacking Soviet political system. He wrote that people needed a democratic society, free of dogmatism.

Sakharov is often called the father of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, but he became more known as a champion for human rights and freedom. For this work the Nobel Committee awarded him the Peace Prize in 1975. The Committee called him "the conscience of mankind". The Soviet authorities, however, did not allow him to go to Norway to receive the award.

In 1966 he took part in his first human rights demonstration, a one-minute silent protest in Pushkin Square. A year later, he wrote a letter to Communist Party leader Leonid Brezhnev defending imprisoned dissidents.

His international repute as a scientist kept him out of jail, but in 1980 when he protested against Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, he was deprived of all his titles and orders and exiled to the city of Gorky. In 1986 Michail Gorbachev invited Sahkarov to return to Moscow. He was given back all his titles and orders.

Andrei Sakharov died in 1989. He is remembered by everybody as an outstanding humanist, who could teach and inspire and who foresaw the changes that are taking place now.

 

5.9.11 Vocabulary. Pronounce the following words

Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov - Андрей Дмитриевич Сахаров

the Academy of Sciences - Академия наук

Nobel Committee - Нобелевский комитет

Peace Prize - Премия мира

Norway - Норвегия

Afghanistan - Афганистан

Gorky - г. Горький

outstanding - выдающийся

public figure - общественный деятель

to defend one's thesis - защищать диссертацию

degree of Candidate of Science -ученая степень кандидата наук

Doctorate thesis - докторская диссертация

to elect - выбирать, избирать

graduate student - студент-старшекурсник

nuclear weapons - ядерное оружие

to suggest - предложить

totally - полностью, совершенно

hydrogen bomb - водородная бомба

design - конструкция

consequence - последствие

responsibility - ответственность

to possess - владеть

to attack - нападать, критиковать

democratic - демократический

dogmatism - догматизм

champion - защитник, борец

human rights - права человека

to award - награждать, присуждать

conscience - совесть

mankind - человечество

authorities - власти

protest - протест;

to protest - протестовать

to defend - защищать

to imprison - заключать в тюрьму

dissident - диссидент

repute - репутация

jail - тюрьма

intervention – насильственное вмешательство, интервенция

to deprive of - лишать чего-либо

title - зд. титул, звание

order - орден

to exile - ссылать, изгонять

humanist - гуманист

to inspire - вдохновлять, воодушевлять

to foresee (foresaw, foreseen) - предвидеть

 

5.9.12 Questions. Answer the questions upon the text

1 When was Andrei Sakharov born?

2 What were his parents?

3 What university did he graduate from? When?

4 What is Sakharov famous for as a scientist?

5 When did he defend his Doctorate thesis?

6 What conclusion did he come to while working on the bomb?

7 When did he take part in his first human rights demonstration?

8 What prize was he awarded?

9 Why was he exiled to Gorky?

10 Who helped him to come back to Moscow?

11 Why is Sakharov known all over the world?