Текущий контроль осуществляется в форме контрольных опросов и тестов.

С.С. АЛЕШКЕВИЧ

А.С. КОЖЕВНИКОВА

ИНОСТРАННЫЙ ЯЗЫК

 

 

 

БЕЛГОРОД

«КООПЕРАТИВНОЕ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ»

2008
ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ

ВЫСШЕГО ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ

«БЕЛГОРОДСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ

ПОТРЕБИТЕЛЬСКОЙ КООПЕРАЦИИ»

 

С.С. АЛЕШКЕВИЧ

А.С. КОЖЕВНИКОВА

ИНОСТРАННЫЙ ЯЗЫК

 

 

Методические указания для практических занятий

и самостоятельной работы студентов

 

 

РЕКОМЕНДОВАНО НАУЧНО-МЕТОДИЧЕСКИМ

СОВЕТОМ УНИВЕРСИТЕТА

 

БЕЛГОРОД

«КООПЕРАТИВНОЕ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ»

ББК 81.2 Англ А 54

Рекомендовано к изданию кафедрой иностранных языков. Протокол № 2 от 22 октября 2007 г.

 

Авторы:

Алешкевич Сергей Сергеевич, канд. филол. наук, ст. преподаватель кафедры иностранных языков БУПК

Кожевникова Анна Сергеевна, ассистент кафедры иностранных языков БУПК

 

Рецензент

Витохина Ольга Алексеевна, канд. пед. наук, доцент кафедры иностранных языков БУПК

 

А 54	Алешкевич С.С., Кожевникова А.С. Иностранный язык: Методические указания для практических занятий и самостоятельной работы студентов. – Белгород: Кооперативное образование, 2008. – 160 с.

 

В методических указаниях предложены краткие тексты, ключевые слова, термины, концепции, вопросно-ответные и дискуссионные задания, ориентированные на анализ текста и самостоятельное изучение дисциплины «Иностранный язык». В конце каждого раздела включены тесты с ответами для контроля знаний студентов.

Издание предназначено для студентов специальности «Налоги и налогообложение», а также «Финансы и кредит», изучающих дисциплину «Иностранный язык».

Методические указания могут быть рекомендованы для студентов, обучающихся по дополнительной образовательной программе «Переводчик в сфере профессиональной коммуникации».

 

ББК 81.2 Англ

© Издательство БУПК

«Кооперативное образование», 2008

I. ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ

 

Цель методических указаний – реализация государственных требований к минимуму содержания и уровню подготовки студентов специальностей 080107(65) «Налоги и налогообложение», 080105(65) «Финансы и кредит», и дополнительной квалификации «Переводчик в сфере профессиональной коммуникации».

Методические указания составлены в соответствии с рабочей программой по дисциплине «Иностранный язык».

 

II. ВВЕДЕНИЕ

 

2.1. Цели и задачи дисциплины

Целью изучения дисциплины является достижение языковой и коммуникативной компетенции, достаточной для дальнейшей учебной профессиональной деятельности, а также для осуществления деловых контактов.

Задачи дисциплины «Иностранный язык»

В процессе достижения цели должны решаться следующие задачи:

1) совершенствование фонетических навыков с учётом специфики артикуляции звуков, интонации, акцентуации и ритма нейтральной речи в изучаемом языке; основных особенностей полного стиля произношения, характерных для профессиональной коммуникации; чтения транскрипции;

2) совершенствование лексических навыков, предполагающих дифференциацию лексики по сферам применения (бытовая, терминологическая, общественно-научная и др. – в объёме 4000 учебных лексических единиц);

3) совершенствование грамматических навыков, обеспечивающих коммуникацию общего характера без искажения смысла при письменном и устном общении; изучение основных грамматических явлений, характерных для профессиональной речи;

4) получение знаний о культуре и традициях стран изучаемого языка;

 

5) совершенствование навыков чтения и овладение приемами изучающего, ознакомительного и просмотрового чтения;

6) совершенствование навыков аудирования, монологической и диалогической речи в рамках изучаемого материала;

7) развитие умений и совершенствование навыков письменной речи (написание аннотации, частного и делового письма, биографии; CV; составление реферата, тезисов, сообщений).

 

2.2. Требования к уровню освоения дисциплины

 

В результате изучения дисциплины «Иностранный язык» студент должен:

· сформировать иноязычную коммуникативную компетенцию, включающую языковую, речевую, социокультурную;

· иметь системное представление об экономическом, географическом, политическом, культурном аспектах стран изучаемого языка (Великобритания, США);

· уметь работать с оригинальной литературой, проводить социально-экономический анализ реалий;

· уметь вести аргументированную беседу на основе прочитанного, аудиоматериалов и кинофрагментов;

· владеть специальной терминологией дисциплины, навыками реферирования и аннотирования литературных источников;

· владеть умениями самостоятельной работы, помогающими ему организовать свою деятельность;

· владеть навыками критического анализа в сфере компаративных литературных источников для принятия самостоятельных решений.

2.3. Взаимосвязь дисциплины «Иностранный язык»

с другими дисциплинами учебного плана

 

«Иностранный язык» представляет собой дисциплину, призванную углубить языковые и речевые знания, способствующую повышению общего культурного уровня специалиста. Изучение дисциплины конкретизирует и расширяет знания студентов в области иноязычной коммуникации, географии, истории, экономики и культуры стран изучаемого языка.

По степени интеграции учебного материала наиболее значимы такие дисциплины, как «Страноведение», « Культурология», « Мировая экономика», «Основы управления персоналом», «Основы менеджмента», «Маркетинг», «Экономика предприятия», «Иностранный язык для делового общения», «Кооперативное движение», «Экономическая география и регионалистика», «Экономическая теория», «Бизнес за рубежом», «Теория государства и права», «Иностранный язык (основной)», «Иностранный язык (профессиональный), «Теория и история потребительской кооперации»,.

Дисциплина «Иностранный язык» будет способствовать успешной коммуникации студентов наряду с другими дисциплинами учебного плана.

 

2.4. Особенности изучения дисциплины «Иностранный язык»

Объектом изучения дисциплины «Иностранный язык» является лексико-грамматический и социокультурный компоненты языка. Потребность в изучении культурного наследия этих стран обусловлена их географическим и историческим развитием, а также наличием глубоко укоренившихся и часто трудных для понимания традиций, политических или иных коннотаций различных слов, словосочетаний, названий реалий, необходимых для правильного понимания явлений и фактов, относящихся к повседневной действительности современной Великобритании и США.

В программе дисциплины «Иностранный язык» нашли отражение основные темы: биография, речевой этикет, проблемы современной молодежи, социокультурный портрет страны изучаемого языка, географические и исторические особенности развития, международные молодежные контакты, экология и экономика, государственная система, система образования, культура и искусство, литература, будущая профессиональная деятельность, проблемы трудоустройства, поиски работы, резюме, роль иностранного языка в будущей профессии.

Авторы программы дисциплины «Иностранный язык» не ставили перед собой задачи дать исчерпывающий охват всех тем, ими выбраны лишь важнейшие направления, обучения иноязычному общению, в рамках которого обращается особое внимание на безэквивалентную лексику и реалии, использующиеся в необычном, непривычном для студентов значении.

Предлагаемые методы работы над иноязычным материалом расширяют культурологический и филологический кругозор студентов, совершенствуют навыки чтения литературы по специальности, развивают их умения и навыки дискуссионного общения по актуальным проблемам современности.

Структура курса

Дисциплина «Иностранный язык» изучается на 1 курсе в 1 и 2 семестрах. На изучение дисциплины отводится 340 часов, из них на аудиторные занятия – 136 часов (ФК и НН), самостоятельную работу – 204 часа (ФК и НН). Аудиторная работа предусматривает контрольный опрос (ко), индивидуальные задания (из), и тестирование (т); самостоятельная работа включает подготовку устного сообщения (говорение и аудирование), чтения и перевод текстов, понимание различной информации и разных коммуникативных намерений, характерных для профессиональной деловой сферы будущих специалистов; предполагает написание личного и делового письма, заявления, анкеты, составление аннотации и реферата, использование учебников, учебных пособий, видеофильмов, чтение дополнительной литературы; литературных произведений и фрагментов художественных произведений для закрепления знаний студентов, расширения кругозора, формирования умений сопоставительного анализа, совершенствования навыков поискового и критического анализа необходимой информации.

Форма и методы контроля:

III. МЕТОДИЧЕСКИЕ УКАЗАНИЯ

ДЛЯ САМОСТОЯТЕЛЬНОГО ИЗУЧЕНИЯ ДИСЦИПЛИНЫ «ИНОСТРАННЫЙ ЯЗЫК»

 

3.1. Тематический план («Налоги и налогообложение»)

№ п/п	Наименование темы	Бюджет рабочего времени
Всего	В том числе
	Практ. и семин.	Сам. раб.
Раздел 1.Социокультурная сфера
	Речевой этикет. Представление. Знакомство
	Проблемы современной молодежи. Система образования в России и странах изучаемого языка
	Социокультурный портрет страны изучаемого языка
	Международные молодежные и деловые контакты
	Основные проблемы экономики. Защита окружающей среды
	Средства массовой информации, реклама, интернет
	Итого за I семестр
№ п/п	Наименование темы	Бюджет рабочего времени
Всего	В том числе
	Практ. и семин.	Сам. раб.
Раздел 2. Профессионально-деловая сфера
	Специфика профессии, сведения о будущей профессиональной деятельности
	Проблемы трудоустройства, поиск работы
	Роль иностранного языка в будущей профессии
	Презентация компании
	Деловая корреспонденция
	Ведение переговоров, обсуждение и подписание договоров
	Международное кооперативное движение
	Итого за II семестр
	Итого за год

 

Тематический планы по дисциплине «Иностранный язык» для студентов специальностей «Налоги и налогообложение» и «Финансы и кредит» в основном соответствуют по тематическому принципу.

 

 

3.2. Рекомендуемая литература

 

Основная

1. Бонк Н.А., Котий Г.А., Лукьянова Н.А. Учебник английского языка: В 2-х ч. – Переиздание. – М.: «ЭКСМО», Деконт +; 2006. 640 с.

2. Дюканова Н.М. Английский язык для экономистов: Учеб.пособие. – М.: ИНФРА–М, 2006. – 320с. – (Высшее образование).

3. Практический курс английского языка: 1 курс: Учеб. для студ. высш. учеб. заведений / Под ред. В. Д. Аракина. –5-е изд., испр. – М.:Гуманит. изд. центр ВЛАДОС, 2003.–544 с.

4. Осикова Л.Н. Английский язык. Налоги и налогообложение: Учебное пособие – М.: ГИС, 2005. –244 с.

 

Дополнительная

1. Витохина О.А., Крот О.Н.., Голенкова В.Д. Как реферировать и аннотировать литературу по специальности: Справочное пособие.– Белгород: Кооперативное образование, 2007.– 71 с.

2. Витохина О.А., Кожевникова А.С. Crack English: Методические рекомендации для самостоятельной работы студентов. – Белгород: Кооперативное образование, 2006. – 53 с..

3. Витохина О.А., Рослякова Е.Ф. Страноведение: Планы семинарских занятий. – Белгород: Кооперативное образование, 2007. – 25 с.

4. Витохина О.А Иностранный язык: Методические указания для практических занятий и самостоятельной работы студентов. – Белгород: Кооперативное образование, 2008. – 168 с.

5. Петряева Н.И., Глебова Г.Л. English Grammar: reference and Practice: Рабочая тетрадь по грамматике для студентов неязыковых специальностей. – Белгород: «Кооперативное образование», 2006. – 125 с

6. Агабекян И.П. Английский для менеджеров / И.П. Агабекян – Изд. 6-е. – Ростов н/Д: Феникс, 2006. – 416 с.

7. Кубьянс,Л.Н., Английский для студентов-международников = English for Experts in International Ralations / Л.Н. Кубьянс, И.В. Кудачкина. – М.: АСТ: Восток – Запад, 2006. – 576 с.

8. Рожкова И.Д. Совершенствуйте свою грамматику. Brush up your grammar: Тестовые задания.– Белгород: Кооперативное образование, 2006. – 84 с.

9. Рослякова Е.Ф., Б. Дэвис Клэренс Английский для работы и досуга: Учебно-методическое пособие. – Белгород: Кооперативное образование, 2003. – 171 с.

10. Ashley A., A Handbook of Commercial Correspondence.Oxford University Press.

11. Business Objectives. Student's Book.Vicki Hollet. Oxford University Press.

12. Business Objectives. Workbook.Vicki Hollet and Michael Duckworth Business Objectives. Student's Book.Vicki Hollet. Oxford University Press. Oxford University Press

13. Fenton, John. 101 Ways to Boost Your Business Performance

14. Student's Grammar. Collins Cobuild. Harper Collins Publishers

15. Журнал "The Economist".

16. Газета «The Times»

 

3.3. Средства обеспечения освоения дисциплины

 

№	Видеофильмы:	Формы наглядности	Информационные технологии
	Nelson and Trafalgar	Карта Великобритании	www.languagelink.ru
	London	Карта Англии	www.economist.ru
	Windsor	Карта США	www.britannica.ru
	Oxford, Cambridge	Карта Новой Зеландии	www.britainusa.ru
	Stradford - on - Avon	Репродукции	www.knowbritain.ru
	The American Album	Раздаточный материал	www.greatbritainhabitat.ru
	Oxford English Video	Грамматические таблицы	www.eragreatbritain.com
	Starting business English	Грамматические схемы	www.mrenglish.ru
	Look Ahead	Таблицы неправильных глаголов	www.fepo.ru

 

PART I

 

Text 1.

Some of the most important years of your life will be spent pursuing a university degree. Your diploma is a passport to a better future, but it is only a symbol of what you will accomplish. The key elements of your university education are the process through which you learn, the array of experiences you accumulate and the store ofknowledge you acquire. They will be with you for the rest of your life

I AM A STUDENT

 

So, Iam a student now. I'm a first-year student of the day-time department. I've entered the University after finishing a secondary school. Belgorod Consumer Cooperative University — that's the name of the University I study at the Finance and Credit Department. I am studying finances, economics, management techniques, marketing, etc. My major is Taxes and Taxation. That’s why I must know mathematics.

Naturally, my father taught me to understand and love mathematics. I realize now mathematics is a corner-stone of all sciences. My father works as a financier at the Economic Department of the plant.

My mother is a book-keeper at a book-keeping department of the factory. She likes her speciality very much. I have a sister. She is twenty. And she is also an economist. She works as a cashier at the post-office savings-bank. She combines her work with studies at the Institute. She is a second-year student of non-resident instruction ⁶ at our University.

As you see, I did not take parents' way. I worked hard to pass my entrance examinations well. And now I've become a happy member of the great, young, gay family of students. "Many new things and notions came to my life with it. At first, I didn't know what they meant. Now I became familiar with such words as «a freshmam», «a sophomore», «an undergraduate» and such terms as «a period», «a seminar», «lab-works».I know what it means «to make notes», «to pass thousands, etc.

I'm still to know more, and first of all how to save time to be able to not only study well, but to take an active part in the students' life — to join some students' scientific societies and to sing in our University choir, to become a member of our University famous football team and to visit interesting gay students' evening-parties, meetings of our discussion clubs and alot more.

It is very interesting to learn such new subjects as Economic Theory, Higher Mathematics, Stock Market, Foreign Languages, Fundamentals of Marketing, Economics, Taxes and Taxation, Theory and History of Consumer Co-operatives, and some others. I'm fond of everything at my University. I think it is not like any other university in our city. I like its great beautiful buildings, sports complex, its lecture halls, laboratories and studies.

I'm a freshman, as they call the first-year students. It'll take time to know everything about our University and I shall tell you more about it later.

 

SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

Проблемы современной молодежи. Система образования

 

Text 1.

Education means systematic instruction, development of character or mental powers; activity of educating people in schools, colleges, and universities, and all the policies and arrangements concerning this. To educate students is to train or instruct them intellectually, morally and socially

The policy of educating people is carried out by the systems of education in Russia and Great Britain. The basic stages of the educational systems are normally the same: primary, secondary and higher or “further” education.

However, there is quite a lot which distinguishes education in Britain from the way it works in Russia (and other countries).

Our interest is in co-operative education, that’s why we’ll speak about Belgorod Consumer Co-operative University in Russia and Co-operative College in Great Britain as examples of the system of professional co-operative education.

Belgorod Consumer Co-operative University was established in 1978 as a branch of Poltava Co-operative Institute. The student body of the University is about 23, 000 including its branches. The number of full-time students is about 11, 000.

Belgorod Consumer Cooperative University (BCCU) is a higher educational institution (establishment) of the Russian Federation. It is granted the right to carry out activities in the field of secondary, higher, post-graduate and continuing education.

The University possesses modern facilities for study, research and leisure. They include 21 lecture halls, 20 computer classes, 70 laboratories with modern equipment and computers, a library containing 400 000 volumes of books, 3 comfortable reading-rooms, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and a print shop. More than 1, 000 students live in 3 hostels.

The University consists of 11 departments, 23 chairs, post-graduate courses. The tuition at the University is organized on the contract basis of 5-year full-time course with the compensation of all expenses for training a specialist. The University graduates are awarded state standard diploma. Male students are freed from the service in the Army.

The University trains specialists of market economy for the system of consumer cooperatives and for other fields of economy who can work in different commercial organizations, the marketing departments of plants and factories, banks, stock exchanges, customs, supermarkets and so on.

Training specialists of high qualification is carried out both at the day-time and correspondence departments in the following specialities:

- Accounting and Audit;

- Finance and Credit;

- Taxes, Taxation;

- Computing (Information Systems);

- Management (Personnel Management);

- Marketing;

- Advertising;

- Law (Jurisprudence);

- Economics and Management at Enterprise;

- World Economy;

- Customs Business;

- Merchandising and Commodity Expertise;

- Social Work;

- Psychology;

- Service and some others.

At the University there is the special Department of Continuing Education for those who want to get the second higher education, Preparatory and Extra-Mural Departments.

High level of professional training of graduates from the University allows them to work in any sector of consumer cooperation as well as enterprises and institutions of various forms of ownership.

The Co-operative College is UK’s major provider of co-operative education, training and development (it is its vision). Its mission is to provide challenging and diverse opportunities that enable learners and their organizations to put co-operative values and principles into everyday practice.

The Co-operative College was established in 1919 to meet the educational and training needs of the Co-operative movement. First, it was located in East Midlands, Leicestershire near Loughborough at Stanford Hall, now it is in Holyoake House, Hanover Street, Manchester (www.co-op.ac.uk).

The Co-operative College is experienced in delivering regional, local and residential adult and lifelong learning programmes that emphasize co-operative values and principles.

Strategic Objectives of the Co-operative College are:

– to meet the learning needs of diverse co-operative, mutual and social enterprises regionally, nationally and internationally;

– to promote and encourage the understanding of co-operative values and principles and co-operative learning within and beyond the co-operative mutual and social enterprise sector;

– to continuously improve learning and quality standards across the whole of the College curriculum;

– to develop e-learning and information and learning technology (ILT) provision;

– to transform the Rochdale Pioneers Museum and the National Co-operative Archive into accessible lifelong learning resources.

The Co-operative College offers a wide range of workshops and qualifications designed to develop knowledge, understanding and skills to enable directors and members to become more effective in the roles.

The Co-operative College offers nationally recognized qualifications; specialist courses for the funeral service; international programmes; co-operatative business programmes, etc.

The Co-operative College has a portfolio of national and international projects designed to raise awareness of and benefit the co-operative movement, projects that help the co-operative movement become better informed and equipped to meet the business and social challenges of the new millennium.

The Co-operative College is working with schools to develop curriculum resources designed to change the perception of co-operation among students and educationalists alike. The College is involved in new initiatives supporting young people in co-operatives, facilitating young co-operators’ participation in youth seminars arranged by the International Co-operative Alliance. The College is working with partners across the UK on a range of action research projects designed to encourage a wider section of members to get involved in their democratic processes.

The Co-operative Union (the Co-operatives ^UK) and the Co-operative College provided the opportunity to build up a truly national Archive of the co-operative movement to provide students and scholars with access to a valuable resource in a single center.

The Rochdale Pioneers Museum exists to preserve the original store of the Rochdale Pioneers and to generate an understanding of the ideals and principles of the co-operative movement.

The Co-operative College delivers a range of specialist tailored programmes as well as IT applications including Microsoft Office; the European Computer Driving Licence delivered via the internet.

The field of e-learning is both an innovative and progressive new area of education, and one which the Co-operative college is pioneering. E-learning modules offer a wealth of information on the subject of co-operation.

In terms of distance learning the College is currently developing e-learning CD Rom and paper-based packages for members and directors in the UK and internationally. These allow learners to access parts of the framework for members and director learning from their homes and at a time that is convenient for them.

The Co-operative College provides learning, education, training, consultancy and research for the co-operative, social enterprise and mutual sectors in the UK and internationally.

Your university experience, charged with the excitement of new knowledge, offers personal growth and fulfillment. The university that you choose, with its distinctive character and setting, will help you grow in many ways. The right university will broaden your general knowledge and develop relevant skills for life and a career. It will reinforce your ability to continue learning throughout life and to adapt to a changing world. Your university should offer opportunities for career enhancement. While at university, you will develop lifetime friendships. So it is not surprising that selecting the right university is one of the most important decisions you will ever make.

If you seek a university that provides intellectual challenges, cultural diversity, personal growth, enhanced career opportunities and preparation for an increasingly interdependent world, Belgorod Consumer Cooperative University is the university for you.

 

Education of Great Britain

 

Text 1.

The basic features of the British educational system are the same as they are anywhere else in Europe.

In terms of historical background it is necessary to say that the British government attached little importance to education until the end of the nineteenth century. It was one of the last governments in Europe to organize education for everybody. Britain was leading in the world in industry and commerce, so, it was felt, education must somehow be taking care of itself. Today, however, education is one of the most frequent subjects for public debate in the country.

System of education in Great Britain consists of: nursery education; primary school; secondary and higher education. It’s interesting to know that almost all educational establishments are controlled by the Local Education Authority.

The school year is divided into three terms: autumn, spring and summer. They have holidays three times a year: Christmas, Easter and Summer.

Students have different exams for qualification, but the most significant are: Bachelor’s degree and Master’s Degree.

Types of university: there are no important official or legal distinctions between the various types of university in the country. But it is possible to discern a few broad categories: Oxbridge; the old Scottish universities; the old civic (“redbrick”) universities; the campus universities; the newer civic universities.

International education deals with the need to place a great emphasis on understanding other nations and cultures. Our planet is small, and problems sooner or later affect everybody. These problems cannot be ignored. We inhabit a “global village”.

Co-operative education. This term dates back to the nineteenth century, 1844, when the first co-operatives emerged and members of the co-operatives started educating their counterparts. Co-operative education is represented by co-operative educational establishments in Russia and Great Britain. Co-operative College in Manchester is the world leader in co-operative learning.

 

Table 1

Education in Great Britain

 

	NURSERY SCHOOL (VOLUNTARY)
	11 YEARS COMPULSORY EDUCATION	PRIMARY SCHOOL At least 6 years primary education
	SECONDARY SCHOOL At least 5 years secondary education GSCE exams (taken at 15 – 16)
		“A” levelexams taken at 17 – 18	COLLEGE OF FURTHER EDUCATION
HIGHER EDUCATION
University	College of Education	Polytechnic

Text 1.

 

«Area studies» is a subject which studies various areas of a country or a nation, e.g. geography, history, economy, state system, education, culture, etc.

Commonwealth may be defined as a nation, state or other political unit; an association of self-governing autonomous states more or less loosely associated in a common allegiance (as to the British crown); political control of the UK. It is also known as the Commonwealth of Nations of the British Commonwealth.

Geographically speaking there are two large islands and several much smaller ones. Collectively they are known as the British Isles. The largest island is called Great Britain. The other large one is called Ireland.

Politically speaking there are two states. One state is called the Republic of Ireland or “Eire”, “Ireland”, “The Republic”. The other state is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Nothern Ireland or “the United Kingdom”, “the UK”, “Great Britain”, “GВ”, “Britain”.

There are four nations of the British Isles: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The people who live there are English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish and they feel their identity very strongly. «Identity» means sameness or individuality; the state of being identical. Identifying symbols of the four nations:

England is the most densely populated area.The country of Kent is known as “the garden of England”, because of the many kinds of fruit and vegetables grown there. There is little heavy industry.The north of England is sparsely populated. In the north – western country is the Lake District.

Scotland is the area of spectacular natural beauty. Tourism is important in the local economy. Glasgow and Edinburgh are two major cities. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and called “the Athens of the north”.

Walls is mountainous The area around mountain Snowdon is very beautiful. Communication between south and north is very difficult. Cardiff is the capital of Wales.

Northern Ireland is like the rest of Ireland, largely agricultural. It has several areas of spectacular natural beauty. One of them is the Giant’s Causeway. The capital is Belfast.

 

Table 2

Great Britain's history

Text 1.Ancient Britain

«Deep are the roots». Indeed, Great Britain’s history dates back to 250,000 BC when first evidence of human life might occur. Britain has history like the Sahara has sand, and its history may be divided to some periods: Ancient Britain; Middle Ages Britain; the 18^th century – the century of wealth, technological revolution and power; the 19^th century – the Victorian age of the British Empire; the 20^th century – the contemporary world; the 21^st century – the century of globalization.

Ancient Britain deals with preceltic and celtic people (old stone men, new stone men, bronze men, iron men, the Picts, the Scots, the Britons); the Romans and the Roman occupation (55 BC – AD 410); the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings (410 – 1066); the Normans and the Battle of Hastings (1066-1154).

The greatest material monument of the ancient population of the British Isles is Stonehenge. Their priests the Druids, were skillful in teaching and administration. The material monument of the Roman times is Hadrian’s Wall, which was built is the second century to protect the Romans from attacks by the Scots and Picts. The Anglo-Saxon period is connected with the beginning of the United Kingdom of England. The Norman Conquest of England (1066) was the fifth and the last invasion of England. The Norman duke became king of England – William I or William the Conqueror. It was he who built the Tower of London, introduced Great Council and the Domesday Book (a complete inventory of Britain).

The Normans mixed with the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes and from this mixture the English nation emerged.

Text 2.Middle Ages Britain

Middle Ages Britain tells us about feudalism as a politico-economic system of that period; chevaliers (knights), king Arthur and their round table; the growth of towns (Oxford, Cambridge, Bedford etc); medieval guilds and occupations; commodity production and a system of payment by money; markets and fairs; wool trade as a very profitable business; main sea routes which established commercial contacts with trading towns of the world. This period named legal documents of constructional importance, which affected modern legal systems. These are the Magna Carta or the Great Charter (1215) which limited the power of the monarch; Habeas Corpus Act (1621), which guaranteed and guarantees that nobody can be held in prison without trial; the Bill of Rights (1689), one of the basic instruments of the British constitution, which limited some of the powers of the monarch.

In terms of culture in feudal England we say that: 1) the standard written language was formed; 2) William Caxton, the first printer, set up printing and printed the first book in England «The History of Troye»; 3) Latin was still the language of learning; 4) a development of folklore was connected with the Robin Hood Cycle; 5) it was the period of English Gothic architecture (King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, Westminster Abbey, etc). That period and namely the 15^th century was an age of violent contrasts, the anarchy and the lack of powerful central government. The war of Roses was a vivid example of that time (1455-1485).

The Tudor age started with Henry VII, the established centralized national state and absolute monarchy. Then came Henry VIII, one of the most well-known monarchs in English history. It was during his reign that the reformation took place. Then Edward VI sat upon the throne and he became the founding father of the English-Russian relations. Henry VIII's daughter Mary was known to be Bloody Mary. In 1553 Elisabeth, daughter of Henry VIII, became Queen. She was the first of three long-reigning queens in the British history (the other two are Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II). During her reign England became very important in European politics, commerce and the arts (English Renaissance).

The 17^th century was the century of the Stuart dynasty and it was in that period Parliament established its supremacy over the monarchy in Britain (Oliver Cromwell). Two political parties were formed in the 17^th century: Tory and Whig. In 1688 there was the «glorious (bloodless) revolution» and the Bill of Rights was signed.

Text 3.The 18, 19, 20 centuries

The 18^th century was politically stable. Economically it was marked by the development of capitalism. The 18^th century was the century of wealth, technological revolution and power. England, Scotland (1707) and Wales (1536) were united and became Great Britain.

In 1714 a new dynasty of Hanoverians was established. It was the time of the cabinet system of government. The first prime – minister was Robert Walpole. In the 18^th century colonial expansion and the formation of the colonial empire occurred. The American colonies waged the war of Independence (1775-1783) and on the 4^th of July 1776 the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

In the 19^th century Britannia Ruled the Waves. In 1805 Nelson defeated the French and Spanish Fleet at Cape Trafalgar. In 1813 the Duke of Wellington defeated the French army in Spain and 1815 at Waterloo. Britain became the “Workshop of the World”. The 19^th century was the period of Napoleonic Wars.

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901 and was regarded as the personification of contemporary morals.

The 20^th century is associated with the British Empire, the British Commonwealth and the Commonwealth of Nations. It was the time of the new dynasty Windsor. Elisabeth II became queen in 1952. In 1973 the Conservatives came to power led by Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first woman prime minister. In 1990 John Major was elected. In 1997 the Labour Party won by a landslide. Tony Blair became Prime Minister.

Here are the main milestones.

1971 – decimal currency is introduced;

1973 – Britain joins the European Economic Community;

1981 – marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer;

1994 – Channel tunnel opens.

 

Text 4. Britain in the 21^st century

As a relatively small trading nation without much in the way of natural resources Great Britain must compete and innovate to make a living. It retains a post-imperial habit of thinking and investing globally, and it is home to the world's most important international financial center. All this makes it a testing ground for globalization.

Britain's economy is one of the most open among the big rich countries. Britons have long been avid investors overseas, and now foreign investors are returning the favour. Britain is a little ahead on restructuring its economy: it freed the labour market and strengthened competition, its workforce is much more flexible than France's and Germany's. High-tech or research-based fields (aerospace engines pharmaceuticals) are dominated in the industry. Most importantly, Britain's financial market and business services are doing a roaring trade as other countries become more internationally minded.

Globalisation is undermining the old certainties in lots of ways:

1) employment is less secure; 2) communities are less rooted; 3) the gaps between rich and poor, skilled and unskilled, young and old, are wider, and immigration has risen sharply in recent years.

All these has created vibrancy and buzz, but also dislocation and often sense of grievance.

Britain is in some ways a halfway house between America and the rest of Europe. It resembles America in its open and flexible markets. It resembles Europe in social safety.

At every turn the choice lies between openness and protectionism; between multiculturalism and nativism; between engagement and isolationism.

Which way will it go in the 21 ^st century?

 

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

Основные проблемы экономики. Защита окружающей среды

 

5.1. The economy of Great Britain

 

Text 1. The economic format

 

Economy is a system by which a country's trade, industry and money are organized; the whole of a country's business, industry, trade and the money that they produce.

1. The UK has an independent, developed, international trading economy. The country emerged from World War 2, as a military victor but with a debilitated manufacturing industry, and it took 40 years to improve its competitiveness significancy (in 1973 Great Britain joined the EC).

2. The UK now ranks among the top industrial countries in growth rates, productivity and competitiveness (the USA, Japan).

3. Resources

The extraction of iron-ore has decreased, other important metals are tin & rink. Non-metallic minerals are sand, limestone, chalk, slate, clay, celestite which are used in construction.

By contrast, the UK has larger energy resources: oil, natural gas & coal (decreased in importance), the discovery of oil in the North Sea led to the rapid development of oil exploitation.

4. Branches of National Economy

1) Agriculture: 2 % employed in agriculture. The most important farm crops are wheat, barley, oats, sugar beets, potatoes & rapeseed (veg. oil). The main livestock products are derived from cattle, calves, sheep lambs, pigs & poultry,

2) Forestry. More than 8% of the United Kingdom's land area is devoted to productive forestry. Conifers & broad-leaved trees are planted. Britain imports 90 % of its timber needs from Scandinavia & Russia. Private woods comprise 56% of the total forest area in GB.

3) Fishing. The UK is one of Europe leading fishing countries. It has two-thirds self-sufficient in this sector. The kinds of fish are cod, haddock, plaice, mackerel and shellfish (lobsters, crabs, oysters), trout and salmon.

4) Industry. Coal mining has declined and the energy sector has been transformed in oil & natural gas. The bulk of electricity is produced in steam power station.

5) Manufacturing. The most important manufacturing industries are engineering: food, beverages and tobacco and textiles, clothing, footwear and leather.

6) Construction. Construction has grown at a faster rate than manufacturing. About one-third of the labour force in construction is self-employed. More than half of all construction work is the remainder on repair and maintenance.

7) Services

The most remarkable phenomenon characterizing the economy of the UK is the growth of service industries: hotels, catering, air travel and other leisure-related activities, distribution (retailing) & finance; business-support services, e.g. computing systems, softwear, management consultancy, advertising, market research, provision of exhibition and conference facilities are involved in service industry.

8) Finance.

Financial institutions are banking, insurance, building societies, the Stock Exchange, shipping and commodity markets.

London has continued to grow in size and influence as a centre of financial activity worldwide. Capital flows, foreign exchange and securities trading have increased. That's why a large number of foreign banks are represented there.

9) The Bank of England

All commercial banks are supervised by the Bank of England, which has the sole right to issue bank notes in England & Wales (banks in Scotland & Northern Ireland have limited rights to do this). The Bank of England licenses retail banks, merchant banks, discount houses and other British or foreign, banks.

10) Trade

The UK has to export and import more because of:

1) the limitation of its natural resources

2) the demands of rising living standards

British exports are: machinery, road vehicles, computers, electrical and electronic goods, oil, iron, steel, organic chemicals.

British imports are: machinery, foodstuffs, road vehicles, transport equipment, petroleum, clothing, textiles, paper, paper products.

Retail trade is conducted through shops, co-operative stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Wholesale trade is mostly carried out in London.

11) Transportation

In the pattern of transport the British use automobiles, local buses, air traffic, rail network, double – decker buses, underground (tube), taxi, channel tunnel.

A lollipop lady at a zebra crossing patrols and allows children to cross the road.

12) Communication includes: British Telecom, British Broadcasting Corporation (the BBC) as the mother of information services, Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), daily, weekly newspapers.

13) From the English to the American century.

The USA became the world’s leading nation – the richest, the most prosperous, the most modern, the highest technologied – only because Great Britain, the 19^the workshop of the world, seemed to falter in its economic growth.

14) Co-operation is an actual economic reality, continuing to respond to society's present and future needs and concerns.

15) The main economic regions: 1) Southern England, 2) the Midlands, 3) Lancashire, 4) Yorkshire, 5) Northern England, 6) Wales, 7) Scotland, 8) Northern Ireland.

 

Text 2. Economic regions

The whole country consists of eight economic regions.

The South Industrial and Agricultural Region (Southern England).

This region is the most important in the country in terms of industry, agriculture and population. This is themost densely populated area in the UK. This region includes all the south of.England both the South East and the South West. The South is a region of various industries and of intensive agriculture. At the centre of everything is the city of London (lakefort). It is the biggest port in the country. London is a typical capitalist city with allthe social problems.

The other towns andcities of this region: Oxford (98,000), Cambridge (90,000) and Luton (164,000).

The South is the main agricultural region of Great Britain (dairy farming is developed; oats, barley and wheat are principle cereals).

East Anglia is extremely flat, and it is dominated by agriculture (Cambridge, Norwich). Now it is best known as a farming region. This region produces sugar-beet, potatoes and celery as well as cereals. A lot of fruit is grown in this area too.

The Midlands is situated in the centre of Great Britain. The Midlands has been one of the Britain's leading industrial region and now it is one of the chief industrial areas in the UK.

Birmingham (998,200) is Britain's second largest city and the industrial capital of the Midlands. Thiscity is a major producer of consumer goods and services.

Coventry (310,000) is the centre of the British motor industry.

Leicester and Nottingham are leading centres of the knitwear industry.

Derby is an important producer of aircraft engines.

Agriculture: fanners breed dairy and beef cattle, sheep. The principle crops are barley, wheat,potatoes and sugar beet, gardening production of vegetables and flowers.

Lancashire. This region is situated on the western slopes of the Pennines.

Manchester is the centre of a textile industry.

Liverpool is Britain's leading port.

Agriculture: cattle, sheep, poultry; potatoes, cabbage, peas.

Yorkshire. This region is situated to the east of the Pennines.

Sheffield produces wide range of steel goods.

Leeds' (709 000) main industry is themanufacture of clothing, and engineering is also important.

Bredford (462 000) is the leading centre of woolen manufacture.

Northern England is situated between Lancashire and Yorkshire in the south and Scotland
in the north. Most important cities are: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (the principle centre of the North-East).
Sunderland(a seaport, a centre of ship-building and engineering industry) and Teesside (the leading
iron and steel manufacturing areas in Britain).

Agriculture: sheep rearing, beef cattle and dairy cattle predominate.

Scotland is thenorthern part of Great Britain. Its most important industries are: coal mining, iron industry and ship-building.

Glasgow (715,000) is Scotland's largest city and the centre of ship-building trade.

Edinburgh (438,700), the capital of the country, is the centre of government, political, cultural and commercial life.

Agriculture: farming in Scotland is best described as mixed. Barley, oats, turnips, potatoes are grown. Sheep, beef and dairy cattle are reared.

Northern Ireland. As in other parts of Great Britain, basic industries of N.I. have declined, and new industries have appeared, such as electronics, electrical engineering, chemical industry.

Belfast (400,000) is a major centre of textile manufacture, ship-building, aircraft production, electronical engineering, food processing.

Wales is a mountainous country. Wales is the main area of industrial activity. Coal mining the iron and steel industries are long developed Ulster.

Cardiff (280,000) is the modern capital of Wales and is also the main business centre.

Swansea is an important container-port and Newport is a coal exporter.

Agriculture: sheep raising, dairy and beef cattle. Oats and root crops are grown mainly for fodder. Tourism is mainly concentrated in the northern coastal strip.

Answer key

1 b; 2 a; 3 c; 4 d; 5 c; 6 a; 7 d; 8 a; 9 b; 10 a; 11 b; 12 d; 13 c.

Environment protection

The primary sector

The primary sector, or first sector, obtains the raw materials which man turns into the millions of products and articles used in daily life.

Examples of such industrial undertaking include mining, fishing, quarrying, oil extraction, forestry, agriculture, etc.

The secondary sector

Once the raw materials have been mined or harvested, they are taken to factories, where they are made into the items the public demands. Thus the secondary sector makes goods.

Some manufacturing industries are called “heavy” and others “light”. Heavy industries build the large products or machines needed by our society. Shipbuilders, for example, construct the huge tankers needed to transport oil around the world, and heavy engineering companies build the generators used is power-stations or the bulky furnaces at the heart of a steelworks.

At the other end of the scales are the light industries which work with fine components, such as the quartz watch industry, r the electronic calculator industry.

In