Макіївський економіко-гуманітарний інститут

МАКІЇВСЬКИЙ ЕКОНОМІКО-ГУМАНІТАРНИЙ ІНСТИТУТ

МЕТОДИЧНІ ВКАЗІВКИ

до організації практичних занять та самостійної роботи

студентів з англійської мови (модульний курс «Міста. Біля карти світу.»)

За напрямом підготовки 6.020303 – Філологія

Макіївка 2010

 

МАКІЇВСЬКИЙ ЕКОНОМІКО-ГУМАНІТАРНИЙ ІНСТИТУТ

 

Кафедра англійської філології

 

МЕТОДИЧНІ ВКАЗІВКИ

до організації практичних занять та самостійної роботи студентів з англійської мови (модульний курс «Міста. Біля карти світу.»)

За напрямом підготовки 6.020303 – Філологія

 

Затверджено:

на засіданні кафедри

англійської філології

Протокол № 10

від 27 травня

Макіївка МЕГІ 2010

Методичні вказівки до організації практичних занять та самостійної роботи студентів з англійської мови (модульний курс «Міста. Біля карти світу.») //В.О.Лобач.-Макіївка:МЕГІ,2010.-

 

Містять автентичні тексти за темою першого змістового модуля, серію прав інформативного, репродуктивного та творчого рівнів, і завдання з самостійної роботи студентів 1 курсу напрямку підготовки 6.020303- філологія (англійська мова та література). Спрямовані на подальший розвиток комунікативної компетенції, читання, говоріння, умінь письмового мовлення на базі розмовної теми, що опрацьовується.

 

Упоряд. В.О. Лобач, старший викладач.

 

Рецензент Л.Ж. Норкіна, кандидат філологічних наук, доцент.

 

Відповідальний

за випуск О.А.Педерсен.

Передмова

Методичні вказівки призначаються для студентів 1 курсу спеціальності 6020303 –Мова та література (англійська).

Головною метою методичних вказівок є подальше удосконалення лінгвістичної, комунікативної, країнознавчої та комунікативно-методичної компетенції студентів на основі теми відповідного змістового модуля.

Методичні вказівки містять автентичні тексти, серію вправ інформативного, репродуктивного та творчого рівнів і завдання з самостійної роботи студентів, які спрямовані на подальший розвиток вмінь читання, говоріння, писемного мовлення на базі теми, що опрацьовується.

Пропоновані вправи подані у відповідності до принципу послідовного ускладнення. Спочатку надаються вправи з активації та закріплення лексики, потім завдання творчого характеру, що включають ситуативні висловлювання, обговорення проблем за пропонованою тематикою.

Самостійна робота передбачає пошук інформації, її систематизацію з подальшою презентацією у класі екскурсії одним із міст України або рідним містом; а також розробку законів та знаків з метою захистити навколишнє середовище та зберегти міста чистими та зеленими.

Проектна робота передбачає підготовку відео-екскурсії в одну із світових столиць за допомогою Інтернету та презентацію її в групі.

Topics and texts to be discussed in Module 3 Unit 1. At the Map of the World 1.1. Cities around the world. 1.2. Where in the world? 1.3. British cities. 1.4. U.S. cities. 1.5. Ukrainian cities. 1.6. Singapore – the Garden city of Asia.   Unit 2. Comparing and contrasting cities of the world. Describing cities. Unit 3. Megacities.   3.1. Life and problems. 3.2. Experts’ opinion. 3.3. The world’s first megapolis.   Unit 4. Urban and rural life. 1.1. Problems of city and country life. 1.2. Talking about town and cities. 1.3. Discussing the dangers of cities.   Unit 5. Native town. 5.1. Soho. My favorite part of town. 5.2. Talking about places in your country. 5.3. First impressions.   Unit 6. At a hotel. Hotel Reservation. Unit 7. Getting about town. Autonomous work. Project work.

Functions Practiced in Module 3 “Places” admiring asking for/giving reasons describing evaluating exemplifying asking for/stating and justifying opinions talking about likes and dislikes expressing preferences asking for/giving explanations comparing contrasting expressing hopes expressing wishes making speculations expressing disappointment and regret hypothesizing asking for/making suggestions hesitating asking for clarification offering/accepting help correcting and checking facts showing surprise apologizing asking for/giving direction

UNIT I

AT THE MAP OF THE WORLD

 

Cities around the world.

Pre-reading

How much do you know about cities around the world? Do this quiz and find out.

What proportion of the world's population lives in cities?

a) Over 80% c) About a third

b) About two thirds d) About half

Which is the world's largest capital city?

a) Tokyo c) Mexico City

b) Seoul d) New Delhi

Which is Europe's noisiest capital?

a) Athens c) Rome

b) Madrid d) Paris

Which is the world's oldest capital city?

a) Baghdad c) Cairo

b) Damascus d) Amman

Which is the world's highest capital city?

a) La Paz (Bolivia) c) Quito (Ecuador)

b) Lima (Peru) d) Kathmandu (Nepal)

Which was the first city to reach a population of 1 million?

a) Mexico City c) London

b) New York d) Rome

 

READING

Mike and Sue are discussing the answers to the quiz. Read the conversation to find out what the right answers to the quiz are.

(М = Mike; S = Sue)

M: Thank you John, and now it's back to the studio for the answers to last week's quiz. Sue?

S: Thanks Mike. Hello, yes, and there are a few surprises in the answers this week. So let's start with the first question, which I think held the biggest surprise for our contestants. According to data collected by the UN, 53% of the world's population lives in Cities, whilst 47% live in rural areas. In the EU the percentage of people living in urban centres rises to a staggering 74% and an even higher 76% in the USA. It would appear that there is a steady movement towards urban areas and that the proportion of city dwellers will continue to rise.

Although it may seem a fairly straightforward question to answer, there is still some discussion as to which is the world's largest capital. This is mainly due to the difficulty in deciding where the world's largest cities actually end as they alltend to be surrounded by a mass of satellite towns which all merge into one large agglomeration. If we take city to mean the population which lives within the city limits, then Mexico City, with a population of more than 20,000,000, is the world’s largest capital, closely followed by Seoul at 12,000,000 and Tokyo at 8,000,000. Likewise, it is very difficult to tell which is Europe's noisiest capital, mainly as there don't seem to be any standardized noise pollution measurements across the countries of the EU, and very few exhaustive studies have been carried out. However, it is widely recognised that Athens is the European capital which suffers from the worst noise pollution levels. It's not known whether this information is based on popular opinion or on statistical data from Greek authorities however. Judging from the entries we've received, this will come as quite a surprise to some of our listeners.

On to the fourth question. There is still some debate over this one. The Syrians claim that their capital city, Damascus, is the world's oldest city, though other Middle Eastern inhabitants would claim that their capitals are just as old. Sources seem to suggest that the Syrians are right and that their capital is indeed the oldest in the world, having been continuously inhabited since 5000 ВС. Question five was pretty straightforward. There is no doubt whatsoever about which of the world's capital cities is the highest. La Paz, in the Bolivian Andes, stands four kilometres above sea level. And finally, the last question, again a fairly straightforward question. The first city to have reached a population of 1,000,000 was Rome which had a population of over a million during the heyday of the Roman Empire in 133 BC. London reached the mark in 1810 and New York in 1875. Today there are over 300 cities in the world that boast a population in excess of one million. So, the winners this week are …

 

Follow up.

1. While reading the text you came across quite a number of cases of hedging:

 

a) It would appear that...

b) There is still some discussion as to...

c) It is widely recognised that…

d) It's not known whether this…

e) Sources seem to suggest that...

f) There is no doubt whatsoever about…

Close up

Speaking

Where in the world?

Pre-reading

Work with a partner. Discuss the following questions:

a) What is the capital of your country famous for? Does it attract a lot of visitors?

b) Which capital city would you most like to spend a weekend in?

c) Do you live in a city, a town, a village or out in the country? Have you always lived there? Do you like it? Why/Why not?

 

Reading

The following extracts from guide books describe five of the world's most famous cities. The list below may prove to be helpful:

Budapest, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, Prague, Tokyo, Bangkok

 

Follow up

Vocabulary area

Close up

British cities.

A. London

B. Transport.

US cities.

A Washington, D.C., city and district, capital of the United States of America. Named after the first U.S. president, the city has served since 1800 as the seat of federal government. It is also the heart of a dynamic metropolitan region. The city is located on the Potomac River. The District of Columbia was named for Christopher Columbus. Washington, D.C., has a total area of 176 sq km and the Washington metropolitan region - which in addition to Washington, D.C., contains 24 counties in the surrounding states has a total area of 17 920 sq km. Washington is home to many famous and interesting public buildings and monuments. The Capitol of the United States is located on a hill rising 27 m above the Potomac. The oldest federal building in Washington is the White House. It is an official residence of the U.S. president. The Mall is a narrow park stretching 1.6 km from the Capitol to the Washington Monument, which is 169 m high. The Mall is Washington's most prominent park, and it hosts many special demonstrations and events such as the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the Chinese New Year, Columbus Day, Saint Patrick's Day and the Fourth of July.

 

В New York, N.Y., attracts people from all over the world. It is the most exciting and the most changeable city in the world. It is a city of immigrants. Many say that the face of New York is The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The French people gave this statue to the Americans in 1886. It contains 354 stairs. There are 5 boroughs in New York - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island. Manhattan is an island 13 miles long and 2 miles wide. It is the center of American finance, advertising, art theatre, publishing, fashion - and much more. It is divided into the East Side and the West Side.

The dividing line is Fifth Avenue. In 1626, a Dutchman came to Manhattan, and paid the Indians about 24 dollars for the island. So, the Dutch were the first Europeans to settle Manhattan. To protect themselves from attacks, they built a strong wooden wall. This wall gave name to a street in Lower Manhattan - Wall Street. The Italian restaurants of Little Italy are popular both with tourists and Italians. Today Chinatown is the only immigrant community that is still growing. Chinatown has seven newspapers and nearly 200 restaurants. Greenwich Village and the East Village have always been at the center of New York`s excitement. Both have an active nightlife with plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs. You can see different people there: students from New York University, police, drug dealers, joggers, roller skaters, and everyone else.

С Chicago, III., is the third largest city in the United States and one of the country's leading indus­trial, commercial, transportation, and financial centers. Chicago covers a land area of 588.2 sq km and stretches 47 km along Lake Michigan. It is the center of a large metropolitan area. Almost every ethnic group found in the United States is represented in Chicago. The city is a significant port for both domestic and international trade. Ships deliver iron ore, coal, petroleum, and grain. Foreign vessels arrive, bringing automobiles, steel, fish, etc. The boats depart carrying machinery, farm equipment, food products. Chicago is one of the nation's leading producers of steel, medical appliances, railroad equipment, soap, paint, cosmetics, industrial machinery and sporting goods. Chicago has many beautiful lakes and parks such as Grant Park, Lincoln Park, and Jackson Park. In the central part of the city there are several of the tallest buildings in the world, including the Sears Tower, 110 stories high.

D Los Angeles, Ca., city in south-western California, located on the Pacific Ocean. Los Angeles is the second most populous city in the United States after New York City. It is one of the nation's major industrial, commercial, and financial centers. Los Angeles is also famous for its balmy climate, lush scenery, television industries, freeways, and occasional earthquakes. The city of Los Angeles covers a land area of 1 214.2 sq km. Beverly Hills is a separate city famous for its movie-star residents and the Rodeo Drive shopping district. Against the Santa Monica Mountains, is West Hollywood and Sunset Strip, an area known for dance clubs and designer clothes shops. Griffith Park is the city's major outdoor recreation area. Places of historical interest include historic monuments, such as Olvera Street, Plaza Church, and Avila Adobe, built in 1818 and the city's oldest building. Other tourist attractions are the Farmers Market, New Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and the movie studios in Hollywood. A popular tourist place of interest is Mann's Chinese Theater, with its collection of handprints and footprints of film stars. Within Los Angeles is the well-known Forest Lawn Memorial Park, a large cemetery with many unusual statues and monuments.

 

Follow up

1. After you have read the four texts about US cities say which of the cities

 

-is the capital of the USA;

-has the largest population;

-was bought by its first owner by a tiny sum;

-is situated on the bank of the lake;

-occupies the smallest area;

-is affected by natural disasters;

-has a pleasant climate;

-has five districts;

-does not belong to any of the 50 states of the USA;

-is situated by the mountains;

-is certainly not a significant port;

-is situated on the ocean shore;

-has the place with the same name that London has;

-has a district with its own media;

-got a present from France;

-has a downtown area on an island;

-has a monument over 100 metres high;

-is the US movie capital;

-has a symbol dating back to the 19^th century;

-is situated on the banks of a river;

-has the highest skyscraper.

 

2. Work in pairs. You are expected to discuss your preference concerning US cities. Ask your partner about his/her likes and dislikes. Agree or disagree with him/her. Ask him/her explanations. Give your reasons for choosing this or that US city as your favourite. Ask each other if you have ever thought of visiting any of US city or even living in it.

 

 

Ukrainian cities.

1. Compare and contrast the four cities in the following aspects: their age, population, industries, land­marks, research and education, culture. In what way are they similar and in what ways different. How do they contribute to the diversity of Ukraine as a nation?

 

Imagine you are a guide and you are going to give a guided tour for foreign tourists. Choose any town in Ukraine and prepare a guided tour. Use any sources you can find. Make a wide use of the vocabulary given in 1.2. and 1.4.

SPEAKING TASKS

1. Work in pairs. You are expected to speak for about three minutes. Ask your partner about her/his prefer­ences concerning Ukrainian cities. Agree or disagree with her/him. Then answer her/his questions. Ask your questions in turn.

 

Work in pairs. You arc expected to speak for about three minutes. Compare and contrast the two pictures of Ukrainian cities. In which ways are they similar and in which different? Don't give separate descriptions of the pictures. Compare and contrast them from the beginning.

Work in pairs. You are expected to speak for about four minutes. You don't have to agree with your partner, but try not to interrupt. Let your partner finish, then say what you think. Discuss the following problems: Is there difference in the standard of living in the capital of Ukraine and other big cities, in big cities and in towns? What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a big city or a small town? Why do many young people in Ukraine would like to live in the capital? In what way can the authorities boost or slow down the development of the city? What are the most serious problems of Ukrainian cities? Do you think the city governments are able to solve them? Why or why not? What should be done to solve problems? What may happen if the city governments ignore the problems?

 

Pre-reading

Comprehension check

Right, wrong or don't know?

a) Tourists do not have to follow these laws.

b) It is illegal to smoke in Singapore.

c) You can be fined $500 for smoking on a bus.

d) Dropping litter carries the death penalty.

e) It is illegal to have long hair in Singapore.

f) Women with long hair are served last in government offices.

g) You can be executed for buying and selling heroin.

h) You are only allowed to gamble in your own home.

i) Children are not allowed to cross the road on their own.

j) You should cross the road only when the pedestrian light is green.

Follow up

1 Find words in the text to complete these tables:

Smoking in cinemas is

f_____ p_____ і_____

You are not____ It is і____	to	Smoke in cinemas.
You____not

 

Example

PLEASE KEEP

OFF THE GRASS

This sign means walking on the grass is forbidden.

Make some signs to show that something is forbidden.

Can the rest of the class guess what they mean?

 

 

UNIT II

Descriptions

PRESENTATION

Grammar questions.

Rule

Mind! What... like? asks for a general description of people, places, or things. Here, like is a preposition. Don't confuse it with like used as a verb (/ like Coke. I Do you like swimming?).

PRACTICE

1 Tina's friend asked her some more questions about New York. Complete the questions using What is/are... like?

a. Friend What___________like?

Tina It's cold in winter and hot in summer.

b. Friend What___________like?

Tina Well, they're interesting, but they can be a bit rude.

с Friend What___________like?

Tina It's wonderful. You can find food from every country in the world.

d. Friend What___________like?

Tina They're very modern and very, very tall. Some of them are sixty floors high.

e. Friend What___________like?

Tina They're open all the time, and you can buy everything you need.

Work in pairs.

PRESENTATION

London

Founded 43 AD by the Romans

Population 6,754,000

Area 1,580 sq km

Temperatures 4°C - 18°C

Rainfall 610 mm

40 miles / 64 km from the sea

 

Rome

Founded 753 BC by Romulus

Population 2,831,000

Area 1,508 sq km

Temperatures 8C-25C

Rainfall 744 mm

16 miles/24 km from the sea

 

Tokyo

Founded 1456 AD as Edo

Population 11,807,000

Area 1,250 sq km

Temperatures 3°C - 26°C

Rainfall 1,563 mm

On the Pacific coast

 

New York

Founded 1609 AD as New Amsterdam

Population 7,071,639

Area 956 sq km

Temperatures -1°C - 23°

Rainfall 1,123 mm

On the Atlantic coast

 

 

Speaking

You are going to describe a visit to a city which made an impression on you. Decide which city you are going to talk about and then look at the questions below. Decide which are relevant to the city you are going to talk about. Think about what you are going to say and what language you will use. You may find helpful unfinished sentecies in the box below

□ When did you first visit the city? Have you visited it more than once? If so, when was the last time you were there?

□ What was your overall impression of the place? Is there any one particular image that sticks in your mind? How would you describe the general atmosphere of the city?

□ Why did you go there? On holiday? For work? To study? Was it your decision or did you go on a trip with friends or your family?

□ How long did you stay? Where did you stay? What were the people like? What was the weather like?

□ What did you do? The usual touristy things? Did you sit and watch the world go by or did you walk for miles and miles?

□ Would you like to go back? Have you made any plans to go back? Would you recommend it to a friend?

□ Is there anything else you'd like to mention?

 

It was about three years ago... The one thing that really struck me was... It's hard to describe... It's difficult to put into words... When you arrive, the first thing you see is... The first thing I noticed was...

 

 

Vocabulary

Writing

Tasks

UNIT III

Pre-reading.

You are going to read an article by M. Hager and J.Bartolet from the Newsweek on the problems of the world's megacities. Choose the best suitable heading from the list (A-H) to each part (0-6) of the article. There is one extra heading which you don't need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).

A	From worse to bad
В	The change of the strategy
С	Megacity contrasts
D	The devil is not so black
E	Megacities of the world, unite!
F	The terrorists' paradise
G	The forecaster's failure
H	The official international stand

 

0. Everyone knows what a "megacity" looks like. Row upon row of cardboard and corrugated metal shacks in the shadow of gleaming skyscrapers. Bony children playing half-naked in the mud beneath a haze of smog. Laun­dry hanging overhead. In the city center, a quarter mile away, business people close deals over four-course lunches and make tennis dates on their cellular phones. Well-heeled shoppers browsing in pricey boutiques walk past beg­gars with outstretched hands. Limos with tinted windows compete with rickshaws for position on teeming streets. This is the scene that urban planners and environmentalists, have warned for decades would overtake us all.

Headline: С

1. Well, that future has come. And it may not be so bad after all. So say urban experts and officials. By ex­pert opinions, a majority of the earth's inhabitants lives in urban areas. More important, the quality of life in such megalopolises is better than was predicted. Life expectancy is longer in the big cities than in smaller ones or in the countryside. Urban dwellers are more likely to have good sewage disposal and running water than are their rural compatriots. And cities tend to offer superior medical care, greater educational opportunities and more jobs.

1 | Headline:

2. That has led to a reversal in the way policy planners are addressing rapid urbanization. They used to be trying to limit mass migration by urging people to stay on the farm. (Cuba and China evicted millions from the cities, Indonesia outlawed new arrivals from the countryside.) But now experts have taken a new approach. Rather than focus on preven­ting the migration of rural poor to the cities, they suggest concentrating on making those cities better places to live.

2 | Headline:

3. Still, the idea of big city bad, little village good dies hard because of a popular romantic attachment to the idea of agrarian life. But it is also a practical matter. Traditionally, international aid money has gone largely to fun­ding rural projects. Only recently have institutions like the World Bank begun to shift their focus. Many cities have trade and foreign relations across national borders, as shown by the commercial independence of some large cities in authoritarian nations like China. They may have more in common with one another than with rural regions of their own country. Solutions to high crime rates and massive traffic jams won't be found in any country's hinterland, but in other cities having the same problems. New York, for instance, borrowed an air-pollution program from Sao Paulo.

3 | Headline:

4. For all that, there's little agreement on what needs to be done to improve urban life. Some officials want to emphasize housing and rural issues. Others object to the new focus of improving city life and want to continue discouraging rural out-migration. However the UN report came down clearly on the side of urbanization: "Cities may provide better services to people, reduce poverty, improve life expectancy and more wisely manage our pla­net's massive population growth."

4 | Headline:

5. Most people flee to the cities because life there is generally better than the rural one. Their new homes may be dirty shanties without plumbing or heat. A regional-planning professor spent three years living in the slums of Brazil's largest cities and studying their residents' lives. "I went back with many of them to their hometowns, and the conditions there were nearly always worse," she says. The people who migrated to the cities are there to give their children a better life than they had.

5 | Headline:

 

6. At the same time, few of the bad predictions have come true. Though the number of megacities is rising, the growth of those cities themselves has slowed in the past years, even as the world's population doubled. Mexico City and Calcutta were each predicted to have 30 million to 40 million residents by the millennium. In fact, Calcutta had only 13 million, Mexico City - 18 million. That's still a lot, but it makes absurd the prediction made a decade ago that Mexico City would be so overcrowded it would have to be abandoned. In Sao Paulo, more people are mo­ving out than are moving in; the city's growth has slowed down from 5 percent in the 1980s to 1 percent today.

6 | Headline:

4. Analysis of ideas and relationships. Circle the letter next to the best answer.

 

1. In paragraph 0 the author:

a) describes advantages of a megacity

b) describes disadvantages of a megacity

c) describes contrasts of a megacity

d) describes possibilities of a megacity

2. Paragraph 2 enumerates:

a) advantages of a megacity

b) disadvantages of a megacity

c) contrasts of a megacity

a) possibilities of a megacity

 

3. The city planners' new policy consists in:

a) urging people to stay on the farm

b) evicting people from the cities

c) improving life conditions in cities

d) outlawing new arrivals from the countryside

 

4. The main idea of paragraph 3 is:

a) megacities need air-pollution programs

b) megacities can use international experience

c) megacities suffer from high crime rate

d) megacities' traffic is quite a problem

 

5. The UN new policy supports:

a) urbanization

b) traditional approaches

c) control of rural out-migration

d) housing and rural issues

 

6. Rural inhabitants migrate to big cities because:

a) they think about houses that lack plumbing and heat

b) they think about shanties

c) they think about their children

d) they think about their hometowns

7. In paragraph 6 the author states that:

a) forecasts have mostly failed

b) growth of megacities has increased lately

c) number of big cities hasn't changed lately

d) Calcutta predictions have in fact come true

Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions.Are megacities characterized in the article positively or negatively? Why? Is the author in favour of megacities, against them, or is he neutral? Why? Are there more positive or negative characteristics in each category? Do you share the author's view? Why?

9. Work in pairs. Compare the problems of megacities in the world and in Ukraine. Do you see any dif­ference? Have you noticed any trends in our megacities of the same sort that the article discusses. Give some examples.

Text 2

You are going to read four expects’ opinions on megacities. For questions 1-15 choose from the opinions (A-D). The opinions may be chosen more than once. When more than one answer is required, these may be given in any order.

Which expert:

believes megacities are self-regulatory (as to their size) units		A
discusses traffic problems
suggests the ways to save up fuel
shows how to have more time fore leisure
enumerates bad aspects of living in a new megacity
describes the advantages of living in a megacity
does not believe the officials can control a megacity growth
describes the strategies of moving residents out of megacities
argues against people having separate houses
gives examples of the rich – poor life differences in a megacity
does not think a megacity are dangerous for agriculture
thinks that living outside megacities may pollute the environment
gives examples of innovations in pedagogy
believes that megacities have a bright future
is greatly concerned about the dramatic growth of violence
points out that the growth of cities stimulates the growth of economics

READING AND SPEAKING

Pre-reading.

Answer the questions.

1 Has this city got a name yet?

2 Why is it ugly? Why is it exciting?

3 What are some of the statistics about Shenzhen that make it a remarkable place?

4 In what ways is China changing? Why were Deng Xiaoping's words significant?

5 How are the people changing? Why do they want to own a car?

6 What does Shenzhen look like?

7 Why will this city be important in the 21st century?

8 What do these numbers refer to?

 

1982 thousands

3 million six months

less than ten years two hours

40 million four hours

 

What do you think?

• In groups, write what you think are the ten largest cities in the world. Compare your list with the class. Your teacher will tell you the answer.

• Make a list of some of the problems that these cities face. Decide which are the three most important problems. Compare your ideas with the class.

 

To the north of Hong Kong, the world's biggest city is growing. It hasn't got a new name yet, but it will probably be і called Pearl River City.

 

MEGALOPOLIS

The town of Shenzhen, just forty kilometres north of Hong Kong, is the world's biggest building site. In 1982 it was a fishing village with two main roads, fields, and a population of 10,000. Now it has a population of 3 million. It is growing at an incredible speed. It is spreading north towards Guangzhou (also known as Canton) and west towards Macau. The Chinese government hopes that in less than ten years this area will be the biggest city on earth, with a population of 40 million people.

China is changing. It is no longer a country where absolutely everything is owned and controlled by the state. Developers are welcome. As Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader, said in 1992, 'To get rich is glorious'. The old China of bicycles and Little Red Books is disappearing. A world of mobile phones and capitalism is arriving. The Chinese people seem to welcome dramatic change. They don't worry about losing traditional ways of life. They want the new. As the posters on the sides of the highways shout, 'Development is the only way.' Shenzhen is a shocking place, like nowhere else on earth that I have ever seen. It is a city with no boundaries and no centre. There are new concrete office blocks, factories, and housing blocks as far as the eye can see. Not just dozens of new buildings, nor even hundreds, but thousands. And it is all happening so fast. It takes just six months to design, build, and finish a 60-storey, air-conditioned skyscraper. As one architect said to me, 'If you move too slowly here, someone will walk over you.' The new Hopewell Highway runs from Shenzhen to Guangzhou, and it takes just two hours to do the 123 kilometres. This superhighway will become the main street of a huge new city, as it gets bigger and bigger until the east meets the west, and the countryside in the middle disappears under concrete. There will of course be more and more cars on the road. People don't want bicycles. If you have a car, it means you have made money. So the traffic will be like in Bangkok, where people spend four hours commuting every day. People eat and work in their car.

Pearl River City very nearly exists. It will probably be the world's First City, the greatest city on earth. It won't be beautiful, but its power, energy, and wealth will be felt in all corners of the world.

UNIT IV

URBAN AND RURAL LIFE.

Dialogue 1

- Where would you prefer to live in the city or in the country!

- If I could choose where to live I would have the best of both places as each of them has its own advantages to say nothing of disadvantages.

- What are the advantages of living in the modern city!

- Life in the city is much easier than in the country - developed transport system, sewerage (water drain) system, information, sports, shopping malls, etc. Modern men are too sophisticated for simple country pleasures. There is far more entertainment in the city than in the country. Cities offer high concentration of good things in life: big stores, restaurants, theatres, cinema, art galleries. Life is more convenient in a city: services are always better here, in the city people are more open-minded. It is possible to go out, make friends and never be cut off from them by weather conditions. Generally, people do not mind what you do in the city. In the city people have more chances to be employed, as the range of jobs is greater than in a village. Besides in the city people have more chances to succeed. Moreover, life is never dull in the city, people always have something to do here. The objections to city living are not convincing enough. People easily adapt to various incon­veniences of city life. For example, noise and traffic are hardly no­ticeable to city-dwellers. In the city especially in our country peo­ple live in apartments with central heating, telephone, gas, electricity, radio, TV, the Internet. Most people love cities. In 330 ВС Aristotle wrote that by nature man belonged to a city. Many people love the busy city life. It is enough for them to visit a coun­try at weekends.

- What brought about the growth of cities over the centuries? - Cities grew over the centuries because they served aims that could not have been served otherwise. Two thousand years ago most people lived in the countryside. It was not their choice. To­day, almost half of humanity lives in cities. It does so because it has to. Man has always lived in groups. It makes life safer and easier. Geography - rich soil, a safe harbour or navigable river, ample fresh water, easy defense, coal - was the start of many towns. In' Europe towns grew over the strongholds of a local lord. Most of them developed as buying and selling centres; trade needed a market, and markets needed people.

- How did towns serve their inhabitants?

- Towns served their citizens very well if they in turn were served by them. During the Middle Ages when harvest failed, the nearby town offered hope of survival. All successful towns satis­fied economic needs. For a peasant town was the only place where he might make a fortune. In the new industrial order, the city was the nerve centre, brining to a focus all dynamic economic forces: vast accumulation of capital, business and financial institutions, spreading railroad yards, factories, and armies of manual and cleri­cal workers. For example, in the USA villages, attracting people from the countryside and from the land across the seas, grew into towns and towns into cities almost overnight.

- Are there any disadvantages of living in the city!

- Pollution is the greatest disadvantage of the city life of to­day. Polluted air is hanging like a brown cloud over cities. Dirt and smoke are pouring from the buildings of cites and factories. Polluted urban air causes respiratory distress, particularly in children, and elderly people. The increased number of motor ve­hicles not only jam the city streets but pollute the city air as well. Cars give a collection of pollutants. In bright, calm weather, sunlight turns the chemicals into a poison smog. All big cities have problems with air pollution. There was still nothing any­where like «killer-smog» which caused some 3000-4000 deaths in London in December 1952. Mexico city's air is famously filthy, as is that of many Indian, Chinese, and East European cit­ies. The exceeding output of industries and urban communities is harmful to the city aquatic systems. The result is a foul-smelling body of water running for a bath or dish washing. Noise pollu­tion is the prоЫеm of big cities too. Urban garbage - like food; paper and caps - on the ground or in the street is one more prob­lem of cities. Peopte don't always put their garbage into the garbage cans. Urban garbage is ugly, it makes the sky look dirty, and it spoils the view.

- What are other disadvantages of living in a big cityl

- There are lots of other disadvantages of living in a big city. Today's cities are ballooning. Bombay in I960 was a jam-packed city of 4 mln people. Now Mexico city holds around 18 mln peopte. 'The rush-hour' with crowded streets, packed trains, full buses that happens twice a day is one of them. Cost of living is very high in the cities, in addition, people live under constant threat; life is not quiet in the cities, it causes stresses and heart diseases, in the city people lose touch with land, rhythms of nature. Everyone who ca­res about his health tries to move out of the city. Cities are not fit to five in, man are born for countryside. Most people in Europe and America try to live in non-industrial cities, which are set down near big cities and can not be killed by pollution and traffic.

- Do you like to stay in the countryside?

- Yes, I do. I like to stay in the countryside.

- Why do you like to stay in the countryside?

- Well, in the countryside I enjoy such simple things of primary importance as sunlight and fresh air. Besides, living in the country­side is cheaper and safer than in a city. It provides people with more security. There is less crime and, of course, there is less traf­fic there. Life in the countryside is quiet, peaceful, and healthy. I like to be close to nature. Here people are friendly and it is much more pleasant in the countryside than in the city. Unfortunately, life in the countryside is rather hard. Working and living condi­tions are difficult, social and cultural life in the countryside is not full of entertainment. And annually more and more young people flee from the countryside for a better life in the city.

- Is it difficult to find a job in the countryside?

- Certainly, the problem of employment in the countryside is very crucial today. It is especially acute for the young people and profes­sionals. As a rule there are few labour places for skilled agricultural workers and less for professionals. A great many villages need teachers and physicians, they can not provide them with nessesary facilities. There are few schools and clinics in the countryside. Some­times there is one secondary school for several villages and children have to wallk ten kilometres to study there. Usually either the village community is too poor to provide the children with a bus or the roads are too bad for the bus to run on them.

—Can this problem be solved!

- Surely, people should always be optimists and hope for a bet­ter life. Where there is a will there is a way. Nowadays we can witness the revival of some villages. So far they are few but annu­ally their number is increasing.

 

Follow up.

Dialogue 2

You are going to read two young people`s conversation. Briefly formulate the topic of their discussion. Rende its contentsin the indirect speech. Pay attention to the peculiarities of spoken English: ellipsis, hesitation words, tautology, break-in- the narrative, parenthetic words, etc.

 

(A = Alison; В = Bart)

A: Have you seen this? The article about that new survey...

B: Yes, I was reading it earlier. No surprises there I don't think... seems pretty obvious to me. You don't need a survey to tell you that, do you?

A: Yeah, well, I don't know, I mean, it's not that simple, is it? I mean, some реорlе like living in the country...

В: Yeah, and you can see why; less stress, less traffic, less smog... but I don't think it's just a simple question of what you like, you know...

A: ' No, it's more like... it seems like it's a question of work and money more than anything else, I mean...

B: Yeah, it said that, didn't it? The main reason was that they couldn't find a job in the country...

A: Well, it doesn't say that exactly, but yes, it says it's er, it's, you know, easier to find work in large cities and you reckon, that's true, don't you?

B: Yeah, but I don't think that's the main reason. I mean, it might be the main reason for older people... you know, no jobs, rural unemployment, whatever...

A: Yeah, there's a lot of that...

B: But it seems to be talking more about young people... I mean, the statistics here are referring to people under.thirty and you know, I reckon that, even if there were plenty of jobs in the rural areas, well, they'd still go to the cities, wouldn't they?

A: Do you think so? Maybe you're right. Maybe it's more a kind of lure of the bright lights...

B: Yeah, you know, nightlife, music, youth culture in general…

A: Yeah, it says something about that, doesn't it? That bit where it talks about, what is it... leisure time activities or something like that?

B: 'Free time facilities'.

A: Yeah, that was it.

B:... pubs and clubs more like!

A: Yeah, and cinemas and exhibitions and “such stuff” as well... B: Nah, discos and the chance to meet other young people more like...

A: Yeah, OK, the social side of things, but it's important, isn't it?

B: Yeah, this survey seems to reckon it's the second most important factor, in fact, after getting a job. You know, if young people decide to leave their homes in the country, then they reckon the social side of things is the second most important thing they consider. What other things do you think they mentioned?

A: Oh, I don't know. Maybe they said there were more opportunities for continuing their education, like going to colleges and stuff. They might be thinking about facilities for their families in the future, like being near good schools and stuff. Um, what about better living conditions... more modern houses which need less work doing to them and stuff?

B: Yeah, I suppose they're all things you'd have to think about, aren't they?

A: Yeah, the survey makes quite a lot of sense.

B: Mmm

 

Dialogue 3

Pre-reading.

Reading.

(H = Helen; R = Robert)

H: Well, I don't really think it's particularly dangerous. Not any more than any other large city. You have to be sensible, take the normal precautions. I mean I wouldn't walk down a street and stare at somebody and I certainly wouldn't walk home alone, and I wouldn't go down unlit alleys, you know, dark alleys at night, and obviously there are certain areas that you just know you wouldn't go into, but I think on the whole it's not a particularly dangerous city.

R: Yeah, I think I agree, but, um, actually there have been a couple of stories in the papers recently about this spate of muggings that's been going on.

H: Oh, yeah; I read about that. Yeah, because they say things are changing and things are getting worse in the city. I did have a friend, actually, she was on the underground, and her wallet was snatched from her bag just as the train was coming into the station, and of course they got off straight away and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

R: Well, I sympathise with her. I mean I've seen that happen too, and, er, you've just got to watch it in a place like that, or like the street market. You've got to be really careful there because there is a big crowd and a lot of pickpockets and they can steal something and run away.

H: But I don't think it's really dangerous. They're not violent people, you just have to be sensible and keep your eyes open, and...

R: Well, I don't know. This article I read they said that a lot of the thieves were carrying knives, which means if you resist then, er, you could get badly hurt, so that really makes you think, doesn't it?

H: Mmm, I said it wasn't violent, maybe it is. I heard about a group of tourists the other day who were mugged. What do you do if you see something like that? You don't really know what's going on and you don't really want to get involved in case you get hurt.

R: Yes. I think it's stupid to try and be a hero. I mean you could get very badly hurt and all they want is just money. I mean I know that is a terrible thing to say, but it's just money. It's not worth losing your life for.

H: I suppose so. Apparently these guys had a knife and they cut one of the women's handbags from her shoulder. I think she thought they were going to stab her husband actually.

R: Did you hear if anybody was hurt at all?

H: No, no one was hurt. Apparently the woman had had her passport stolen, and her travellers cheques taken but the sad thing was that they had only just arrived and they didn`t want to leave all their stuff in the hotel. They thought it was safer with them.

R:Yeah. well, that’s a problem with tourists.

H:I mean, it happens to locals too. I think, it’s very important when something like that happens there should be more police around, they should be on streets at night driving up and down every now and then.

R:I think you are right. Anyway, you would feel better protected.

 

Follow up.

1. After you have read two friends’ conversation about the city they live in answer the following questions:

1) Do they think they live in a particularly dangerous city?

2) How many dangers from your list do they mention?

3) Do they mention any other dangers?

 

2. Compare your answers with a partner and discuss these questions:

a) What precautions do they suggest you should take when walking home at night.

b) In what places do they suggest you should take special care with your bag or wallet? Why?

c) There seems to have been an increase in crime recently. What sort of crime?

d) Have the friends been victims of crime themselves?

e) What exactly happened to the group of tourists?

f) What do they think the police could do to improve the situation?

 

SPEAKING

GRAMMAR AND SPEAKING

Read Louis’ story to

UNIT V

NATIVE TOWN

My favourite part of town.

Pre-reading.

SOHO

One of my favourite parts of London is Soho, which is right in the centre, and includes Piccadilly Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue, and Leicester Square. One of the main reasons I like it is that it is always lively and colourful, with people dashing around going about their business, which is mainly honest but not always.The place is a bit of a mess, and the buildings aren't the most beautiful in London, but the streets are always interesting, with surprises around every corner. The name is derived from a hunting call, 'So-ho' that huntsmen were heard to cry as they chased deer in royal parklands. It has been a cosmopolitan area since the first immigrants, who were French Huguenots, arrived in the 1680s. More French arrived escaping the revolution during the late 18th century, followed by Germans, Russians, Poles, Greeks, and Italians. Soho is packed with continental food shops and restaurants. More recently there have been a lot of Chinese from Hong Kong. Gerrard Street, which is pedestrianized, is the centre of London's Chinatown. It has restaurants, dim sum houses, Chinese supermarkets, and in February, there are the New Year celebrations. Many famous people have lived in Soho, including Mozart, Karl Marx, and the poetT. S. Eliot. It has a reputation for attracting artists, writers, poets, and people in the media. Shaftesbury Avenue is in the heart of London's theatre land, and there are endless clubs, pubs, and cafes. There are also street markets, advertising agencies, clothes shops, music publishers, and recording studios, which makes it an exciting place to live and work. Piccadilly Circus is like a magnet for young people from all over the world.They like to sit on the steps under the statue of Eros, celebrating the freedom and friendship of youth. It is said that if you wait long enough at Piccadilly Circus, you'll meet everyone you've ever known!

 

Follow up.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

WRITING

Dialogues

Speaking

UNIT VI

GETTING ABOUT TOWN

EXERCISES

10.

They showed me the way to the office. I was shown the way.

A boy showed me the way to that square. I was shown the way there.

 

Do I Take the Underground?

Panina: Pardon me. Do I take the underground to get to Hyde Park?

Passer-by: Well, it depends on what part of the Park you need.

Panina: I want to get to Marble Arch*.

Passer-by: I see. Then it would be more convenient for you to go there by bus. The bus stops just round the corner while the nearest underground station is quite a long way.

Panina: Thank you very much.

Passer-by: Never mind.

 

On a Bus

Panina: Excuse me... I want to get to Palladium Theatre. Do I get off at the next stop?

Passenger: Well, what's that stop? Oh no! You go farther. Two or three stops more. Or... wait a moment. You may get off here and take another route bus. It'll be probably quicker.

Panina: Oh, thank you. I'll go by this bus, just not to change.

Passenger: Yes, it surely is more convenient.

 

I Can Give You a Lift

Harry (from his car): Hello, Andrei! Where are you walking so fast?

Rogov: Oh, that's you, Harry. I'm hurrying to the theatre. I don't know exactly how long it will take me. I want to be on the safe side.

Harry: Well, I can give a lift, if you don't mind. It'll be just on my way. Take the front seat. Close the door, better. Thank you.

 

X. Say it in English.

1.Вибачте, ви не покажете дорогу до залізниці? 2.Скажіть, як мені дістатися центрального стадіону? 3. Скажіть, будь ласка, чи пройду я так до готелю «Київ»? 4. Йдіть прямо вздовж цієї вулиці, потім поверніть направо. 5. Пройдіть прямо три квартали цією вулицею, потім повертайте наліво. 6. Йдіть прямо до високої будівлі, а там спитайте в кого-небудь. 7. Вам потрібно сісти в трамвай 18го маршруту и проїхати… Дайте поміркувати…і проїхати 4 зупинки, потім повернутися пішки назад на один квартал. 8. Їдьте автобусом до метро (це кінцева зупинка), потім на метро проїдете 4 зупинки в напрямку до центру. 9. Я доїду в цьому автобусі до Трафальгарської площі? - Боюсь, що ні. Вам потрібно сісти на 22-й або 14-й. А цей автобус їде у зворотньому напрямку. 10. Як (яким транспортом) зручніше добиратися до вашого закладу? – З готелю, де ви зупинилися, краще йти пішки або взяти таксі. – Дякую.

 

UNIT VII

AT A HOTEL

EXERCISES

Which Hotel To Stay At

Pavlov: Can you recommend a good hotel for me to stay at?

Mr Hall: Why, yes. I think you can put up at the Lancaster House Hotel. It's a new modern and very comfortable hotel; telephone, hot and cold running water in every room; well-trained personnel.

Pavlov: Is it far from the centre of the city?

Mr Hall: It's just minutes away from the centre. Very close to the shops, cinemas and parks.

I'avlov: It must be a rather expensive hotel, I think.

Mr Hall: It surely isn't very cheap.

 

I'd Like a Single Room

Rogov: Good afternoon! I'd like a single room with bath for a week or so.

Reception Clerk: Very well, sir. Have you made reservations?

Rogov: In a w