Outstanding People of Great Britain

 

Painting of old masters is one of the greatest treasures mankind has collected in the history of civilization. Old painting reflects the collective experience of human spiritual life of many centuries.

Painting in England in the 17^th – 19^th centuries is represented by a number of great artists. Such masters as Reynolds, Gainsborough, Lawrence and Raeborn created the impressive formal style of portrait.

By the end of the 18^th century a school of landscape painting was firmly established in England. It reached its culmination in the early 19^th century in the works of two greatest English landscape painters – John Constable and Joseph Turner. They represented two different trends in English painting: Constable – Realistic trend and Turner – Romantic trend.

Constable may be regarded as the splendid prose of earth; Turner gives us the poetry of the earth.

Literature plays a key role in global culture. It educates and entertains us, brings past centuries to life and helps us to understand our deepest dreams and fears. Literature is the developed world’s most dynamic and popular art form.

In Britain there are also a lot of outstanding poets and writers. The most prominent is William Shakespeare. He is the greatest poet and dramatist. He wrote 37 plays. He is also known as the author of 154 sonnets.

Robert Burns is a famous Scottish national poet. He left behind him a rich heritage of folksongs and poetry.

The greatest novelists are Walter Scott, a great master of the historical novel and Charles Dickens, who wrote many stories about childhood.

Jonathan Swift is the greatest satirist in the history of British literature. He is the author of the immortal work “Gulliver’s Travels”.

Oscar Wilde wrote many poems, fairy tales, plays, critical essays and the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray”.

In all epoch there were people who tried to use their knowledge to improve their life and life of other people.

The industrial technologies were perfected more and more intensively. The new inventions came up very much often. Some of them, for example Watt’s steam engine has played the relevant role in life of mankind. All of patterns remember also other great scientists: Newton and his theory of gravitation, Rutherford and his discoveries in nuclear physics, and his theory of the structure of the atom.

Alexander Fleming’s discovery of the antibacterial powers of the mould from which penicillin is derived was a great triumph.

 

IV. Answer the questions to the text.

 

1) What is one of the greatest treasures mankind has collected?

2) What great British artists do you know?

3) Does literature play a key role in global culture?

4) What famous British poets and novelists do you know?

5) What works of famous British writers do you know?

6) What famous British scientists do you know?

7) What discoveries have British scientists made?

8) What Fleming’s discovery was a great triumph?

 

V. Mark the statements below as “True” or “False”.

 

1) Old painting reflects the collective experience of human spiritual life of many centuries.

2) By the end of the 20^th century a school of landscape painting was firmly established in England.

3) Literature plays a key role in global culture.

4) Walter Scott is the greatest satirist in the history of British literature.

5) The novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is written by W. Shakespeare.

6) Oscar Wilde wrote many poems and fairy tales.

7) In all epoch there were people who tried to use their knowledge to improve their life and life of other people.

8) Newton discovered the theory of gravitation.

 

VI. Match to make sentences.

 

1) John Constable may be regarded as

2) Joseph Turner gives us

3) William Shakespeare is

4) Robert Burns left behind him

5) Walter Scott wrote

6) Jonathan Swift is

7) Oscar Wilde wrote many

8) Watt’s steam engine has played

9) Rutherford made discoveries

10) Alexander Fleming’s discovery of the antibacterial powers of the mould

 

a) a reach heritage of folksongs and poetry.

b) the greatest satirist in the history of British literature.

c) the splendid prose of earth.

d) the relevant role in life of mankind.

e) the most prominent poet and writer.

f) in nuclear physics.

g) from which penicillin is derived was a great triumph.

h) the poetry of the earth.

i) poems, fairy tales, plays and critical essays.

j) a great number of the historical novels.

 

VII. Choose the correct answer.

 

1) Gainsborough created the impressive formal style of….

a) landscape

b) portrait

c) sea

d) nature

 

2) John Constable is the greatest English … painter.

a) landscape

b) portrait

c) sea

d) nature

 

3) W. Shakespeare is the greatest ….

a) novelist

b) painter

c) poet

d) scientist

 

4) Robert burns left behind him a rich heritage of ….

a) folksongs

b) novels

c) paintings

d) essays

 

5) Jonathan Swift is the author of the immortal work ….

a) “The picture of Dorian Gray”

b) “Robinson Crusoe”

c) “Gulliver’s Travels”

d) sonnets

 

6) Walter Scott was a great master of the historical ….

a) poems

b) dramas

c) essays

d) novels

 

7) Oscar Wilde wrote many ….

a) paintings

b) novels

c) fairy tales

d) scientific works

 

8) Rutherford made discoveries in ….

a) antibacterial power of the mould

b) the theory of gravitation

c) steam engine

d) nuclear physics

 

9) Alexander Fleming discovered ….

a) the steam engine

b) penicillin

c) the theory of gravitation

d) the structure of the atom

 

 

Личные и притяжательные местоимения

По своему значению местоимения делятся на следующие разряды:

Вид	Формы
Именительный падеж	Объектный падеж
Личные местоимения (Personal Pronouns)	I — я you — ты, вы he — он she — она it — он, она, оно (неодуш.)	we — мы you — вы they — они	mе — меня, мне you — тебя, тебе him — его, ему her — ее, ей it — его, ее, ему, ей	us — нас, нам you — вас, вам them — их, им
Притяжательные местоимения (Possessive Pronouns)	I форма mу — мой (-я, -е, -и) your — твой (-я, -е, -и) Ваш (-а, -е, -и) his — его her — ее its — его, ее (неодуш.) our — наш (-а, -е, -и) their — их	II форма mine — мой (-я, -е, -и) yours — твой (-я, -е, -и) Ваш (-а, -е, -и) his — его hers — ее its — его, ее ours — наш (-а, -е, -и) theirs — их

Exercise 1. Complete the sentences using personal pronouns.

 

1) Who is that man? Why are you looking at …?

2) I’m talking to you. Please, listen to….

3) “Do you know that man?” – “Yes, I work with…”.

4) I like that camera. I’m going to buy ….

5) These photographs are nice. Do you want to look at ….

6) Where are the tickets? I can’t find ….

7) We’re going out. You can come with ….

8) Where is she? I want to talk to ….

 

Exercise 2. Use the appropriate form of possessive pronouns in the following sentences.

 

1) I know Mr. Watson but I don’t know (he) wife.

2) Put on (you) coat when you go out. It’s very cold.

3) We are staying at a very big hotel. (We) room is very comfortable.

4) The man next door has been busy cutting the grass in (he) garden.

5) I’ll have (I) hair cut this afternoon.

6) She folded the letter and replaced it in (it) envelope.

7) The children had had (they) tea. Kate was late for (she) as usual.

8) We make all (we) clothes ourselves.

 

Exercise 3. Use the absolute form of the possessive pronoun in brackets.

 

1) His composition is much more interesting than (your) or (my).

2) It was through no fault of (her).

3) You can very well do without my help but not without (their).

4) This radio-set of (his) is always out of order. – But so is (your)!

5) (Our) was the last turn.

6) The pleasure was all (my).

 

Exercise 4. Choose the correct forms of the pronouns in brackets.

 

1) Would you like to see some of (her, hers) latest sketches?

2) He has not read a line of (your, yours). How can he criticize (your, yours) poems?

3) If this book is neither (her, hers) nor (his, him), it should be (my, mine).

4) (Their, theirs) knowledge of the subject is not much superior to (our, ours).

5) I’m afraid they will take (your, yours) words against (her, hers).

6) All (our, ours) clothes were extremely dirty, and (my, mine) especially so.

7) Will you help me to sort out the things? I cannot tell which are (your, yours) and which are (my, mine).

8) (Their, theirs) boat was faster than (our, ours).

Test 1.

Выберите правильный вариант ответа:

 

1) This dessert is … the one you made last night.

a) sweeter than c) sweet as

b) sweetest d) more sweeter than

 

2) That was … question in the exam.

a) the least c) little difficult

b) the less d) the least difficult

 

3) This was the … test I’ve ever done.

a) easiest c) easier

b) easy d) most easiest

 

4) That was the … movie I’ve ever seen.

a) worst c) worse

b) bad d) worser

 

5) You live ever … from the centre than I do.

a) further c) fursest

b) far d) more far

 

6) I like Justin less than John, but I like Terry … of all.

a) less c) little

b) lesser d) least

 

7) The people who arrived … got the best seats.

a) more earlier c) the earliest

b) most early d) much early

 

8) Susanne took … to finish than John.

a) long c) the longest

b) as long d) longer

 

9) Tom is … friendly to me as he was once.

a) more c) less

b) as d) least

 

10) My left arm is … than my right one.

a) stronger c) more strong

b) more stronger d) strongest

 

11) They are … my other neighbours.

a) more friendlier than c) friendlier as

b) friendly than d) more friendly than

 

12) He came into the room very ….

a) quietly c) quiet

b) much quiet d) more quietly

 

13) It was … moment of my life.

a) the worst c) worst

b) worse d) the worse

 

14) Our friends arrived … than we expected because their flight was delayed.

a) later c) late

b) more late d) lately

 

15) Two days ago I went into the town to buy a birthday present for my … sister.

a) older c) the elder

b) elder d) oldest

 

Тест 2

 

Выберите правильный вариант ответа:

 

1) … is a blue Ford.

a) their b)its c) my d) theirs

 

2) I’ve got some record ….

a) of hers b) hers c) my d) mine

 

3) The house lost … roof in the storm.

a) his b) its c) it’s d) theirs

 

4) That isn’t my key. … is here.

a) My b) me c) mine d) none of me

 

5) Your daughter will soon be as tall as ….

a)my b) her c) mine d) them

 

6) Susan is late. Has … called?

a) he b) she c) her d) him

 

7) Take a taxi. … is a long way to the station.

a) It b) its c) he d) them

 

8) Don’t worry about … behavior. She is just a child.

a) his b) their c) her d) its

 

9) It’s dangerous for … to smoke.

a) his b) him c) it d) its

 

10) Would you like to look at my pet? It is really enjoying … meal.

a) its b) hers c) his d) their

 

11) If they had a plot of land of … own they could grow vegetables.

a) them b) their c) theirs d) they

 

12) When each passenger arrives, they ask … to fill in a form.

a) they b) their c) them d) theirs

 

13) Robert give … a great idea.

a) me b) I c) my d) mine

 

14) The case is too heavy for children. I’m afraid … can’t carry it.

a) them b) their c) theirs d) they

 

15) Jack overslept this morning. … didn’t have time to wash and have breakfast.

a) him b) he c) his d) it