Agree or disagree with the following statements.

 

1. The pagan holiday “Kalyady” coincided later with Christmas.

2. On the Remembrance Day souls of the dead are believed to come out of their tombs and into the wide world.

3. Victory Day, celebrated on May 1, is a commemorative event in our life.

4. One of the culminating moments of “Kupalle” is the search for a magic fern-flower in the forest.

5. The folk holiday “Dozhinki” signals the beginning of the harvesting in summer.

6. The Belarusians are generally recognized as hard-working, industrious and patient people.

 

Vocabulary practice

16. These words can be used both as verbs and nouns. Make up your own sentences to show the difference in their usage.

 

work, mark, colour, honour, signal, dance, wish

 

Reading

Read the text and get ready to speak about places of interest in Belarus.

Text E: Places of Interest in Belarus

Belarus starts with the capital city. Minsk has almost a thousand-year history. During the Great Patriotic War Minsk was destroyed by more than 80%. That is why very few ancient buildings have survived in the city. However, Minsk can be proud of wide avenues and streets, spacious squares, diverse architectural ensembles, verdurous boulevards and parks. The Belarusian capital offers over 40 pedestrian and bus tourist routes introducing tourists to historical and cultural heritage, museums, theatres, exhibition halls, and other facilities.

The Mir Castle Complex (Mir Castle) is an outstanding specimen of the 16th century fortification art. It is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. The Nesvizh palace and park complex is a unique monument of architecture and landscape design of the 16th-18th centuries. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Augustow Canal is a hydraulic engineering specimen of the early 19th century. It connected the Vistula River and the Neman River. Numerous international cultural and sport events, national and regional contests, tourist gatherings take place at the canal. Tourists can go for kayak, canoe, motorboat trips along the Augustow Canal.

The memorial complex Khatyn is one of the most impressive monuments to the victims of World War II. It is located at a distance of 54 km from Minsk. Khatyn is a former Belarusian village destroyed by fascist invaders during the Great Patriotic War. Today Khatyn complex is one of the most revered places in Belarus. The memorial complex has its own museum and a photo exhibition.

The Brest Fortress memorial is a specimen of the 19th century fortification art. It is a 30-minute walk from Brest's downtown. The fortress is a symbol of Soviet soldiers’ resistance in World War II. On the 22nd of June 1941 the fortress garrison repelled the first attacks of Nazi invaders. The besieged fortress managed to hold the line for over a month. It was awarded the Hero Fortress title in the wake of World War II for outstanding courage displayed by Soviet soldiers when they fought against fascist troops.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is one of the major tourist attractions of Belarus. It is the biggest forest in Central Europe famous for its oak trees, which are over 500 years old. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is also home to numerous bird and animal species, including Europe's largest population of rare aurochs. The Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Braslav Lakes National Park is located in Vitebsk region. The park includes the most beautiful glacial lakes in Belarus. The lakes are the habitat of rare birds and animals included in the Belarus Red Book of Endangered Species.

 

Discussion

 

1. You have to organize a Belarus day for exchange students' visit from Great Britain or the USA. What activities would you choose?

2. Suggest your friend, who's come from another city, to meet at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning for a sightseeing tour of Minsk (or your native place). Discuss the plan of your tour with your friend.

3. Steve Brennon, your friend from Great Britain, is visiting your home city. You have taken him to many places. He shares his impressions with his friends.

Project

Make a report/presentation about a famous compatriot.

UNIT III: GREAT BRITAIN

Pre-reading

Answer the questions to learn how much you know about the UK.

 

1. What image of Britain do you have?

2. Which places in Britain would you like to visit?

3. What does the flag of Great Britain symbolize?

4. Is Britain a politically stable country?

5. Do you know what kinds of leisure are purely British?

 

Reading

Read the text below and answer the following questions.

 

1. Great Britain, England and the United Kingdom – how are they different?

2. How was the United Kingdom formed?

3. Why is the weather characterized as changeable and unpredictable?

Text A: Four Countries – One Kingdom

 

The United Kingdom, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is an island nation and constitutional monarchy in north-western Europe, member of the European Union.

Great Britain is the largest of the British Isles. It comprises, together with numerous smaller islands, England and Scotland, and the principality of Wales. Northern Ireland, also known as Ulster, occupies the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland.

The United Kingdom is separated from continental Europe by the English Channel, in the east it is limited by the North Sea, and in the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The only land border is between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.The total area of the United Kingdom is 242 sq km.

The names United Kingdom, Great Britain and England are often used interchangeably. The use of Great Britain, often shortened to Britain, to describe the whole kingdom is common and widely accepted, although strictly speaking it does not include Northern Ireland.

However, the use of the word “England” to mean the United Kingdom is not acceptable to members of the other constituent countries, especially the Scots and the Welsh.

England and Wales were united administratively, politically and legally by 1543. The crowns of England and Scotland were united in 1603, but these two countries remained separate political entities until the 1707 Act of Union, which formed the Kingdom of Great Britain with a single legislature. From 1801, when Great Britain and Ireland were united, until the formal establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, the kingdom was officially named the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

The mainland of the island of Great Britain is 974 km at its longest part and 531 km at its widest. However, the highly indented nature of the island’s coastline means that nowhere there is a place more than about 120 km from the sea.

The climate of the United Kingdom is mild relative to its latitude, which is the same as that of Labrador in Canada. The mildness is an effect of the warm Gulf Stream. Winter temperatures seldom are below -10º C and summer temperatures rarely higher than 32º C. The sea winds also bring plenty of moisture, average annual precipitation is more than 1,000 mm.

The population of the country is more than 56 mln people, but it is one of the world’s leading commercial and industrialized nations. In terms of gross national product (GNP) it ranks fifth in the world, with Italy, after the United States, Japan, Germany, and France.

 

Comprehension

Here are the answers to the questions. Work out the questions.

 

1. The only land border is between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

2. Britain is nearly 500 km wide and 1000 km long.

3. The names United Kingdom, Great Britain and England are often interchangeable.

4. In 1922 Ireland was partitioned. Northern Ireland remained within Britain. It was the last step in the formation of the United Kingdom.

5. The climate of the UK is favourable for agriculture.

6. Britain has only 1% of the world’s population, but it is the fifth largest trading and banking nation.

7. France and Belgium are the closest continental neighbors.

 

Vocabulary