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Some Holidays We Celebrate in Russia

Speaking about holidays we celebrate in our country, I'd like to say, that first of all we have New Year's Day on the l-st of January. Before New Year's Day we usually send our friends New Year wishes by telegramme, letter or postcard, or we ring them up in the evening on the 3 l-st of December.

On the night of the 31 -St of December we are usually at home with our family or with some friends. At 12 o'clock we say to each other 'Happy New Year' and answer "Thanks, the same to you'. We give presents to our friends for the New Year, and in each family we have a New Year Tree with lights and decorations. The presents for all the family hang sometimes on the tree, and we receive our presents after 12 o'clock. In most families parents put the presents for their children under tree and when their children get up on the l-st of January, they hurry to the tree for the presents. They think that Father Frost brought those presents for them at night. That is a very merry and happy holiday for all the people.

The next holiday we celebrate in Russia is on the 23-rd of February. Now it is called the Defender's Day. It is the holiday of the officers and soldiers in the army and of all the people. On that day we usually congratulate all the men. On TV we can see concerts, different shows, military parades and other interesting and entertaining programmes. At schools they usually invite some officers or soldiers who tell the schoolchildren different stories about their service, what they usually do and how they can become officers and so on. Schoolchildren ask different questions and get answers. Besides giving the guests presents, the children organize special concerts and other entertaining programmes for them.

On the 8-th of March we celebrate the Women's Day. On that day we give presents to all our women, especially our mothers. The best presents for women are flowers, of Course, and on Women's Day we see many men who buy flowers to give to their wives. Usually on that day men try to do all the work about the house. They go shopping, do the flat, cook and do all kinds of work they never do on usual days.

We also celebrate May Day on the 1 -st of May. It is the holiday of all the working people. We usually celebrate it at home. But in Moscow demonstrations, salutes, illuminations take place.

Victory Day is one of the most important and great holidays in Russia. We celebrate it on the 9-th of May. It is the anniversary of the victory over fascist Germany. All the families in our country celebrate it. On that day we meet the veterans who tell us about the war, the heroes and other brave men and women, boys and girls. We usually organize concerts, shows and plays for them, In the evening we sit at the table and have our big holiday supper and watch interesting programmes on TV.

On the 7-th of January we celebrate Christmas Day. It is a religious holiday. It is the day of the birth of Christ. There are special church services in the churches and many people go and see them.



Besides, there are many other holidays that we celebrate. They are Teachers' Day, St. Valentine's Day, April Fool's Day and so on. But, of course, the most favourite holiday for everybody is our birthday.

I think that holidays are very good and interesting days for everybody because they give us rest, fun, happiness. Besides, they help us to meet our best friends, talk to them and enjoy the life.

 

My Birthday

I'd like to say that we celebrate many holidays in our family. They are: New Year's Day, Christmas, The Defender's Day on the 23-rd of February, the Women's Day on the 8-th of March, the Victory Day on the 9-th of May, and , of course, our birthdays.

My favourite holiday is my birthday and the birthdays of all the members of our family, because we are very friendly.

I'd like to speak about the way I usually celebrate my birthdays. Before that day we have to prepare everything: to do the flat, to dust the furniture, to do shopping, then to make dinner and to bake a birthday cake. Usually I invite my friends and relatives earlier. When my birthday comes all the family makes the preparation. We decorate the room, lay the table and wait for the guests.

My parents dress up in their best clothes, so do I. We have a big round table in the middle of the room. My mother puts the birthday cake on it, and we all bring dishes from the kitchen and put them on the table, too.

After that I put one candle for each year of my life on the birthday cake. When the guests come I meet them with great pleasure. They are eager to give me presents, of course. They congratulate me and wish many happy return of the day. I thank them all and ask them to the table. Everybody enjoys the party: some of us dance, others talk and laugh. When the weather is fine we all go for a walk on the bank of the river or in the park. We even sing songs while walking.

When the weather is nasty we stay at home or go to the cinema or to the theatre. If we stay at home we play different games, sing songs to the guitar, listen to the music, see video-films or just have a talk.

Every year not only friends make me presents on my birthday but I make small presents for each of them too. As a rule, it may be a small souvenir, a cassette or just a toy.

So I may say that everybody is usually glad with spending that day.

I think that everybody's birthday is a real and dear holiday for the whole family.

 

Unit Seven

Great Britain

As you know, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands. They are Great Britain and Ireland and about live thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244.000 square kilometres.

As a matter of fact, the UK consists of four countries. They are England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. The capital of the UK is London.

England is the southern and central part of Great Britain. Scotland is in the north of the island and Wales is in the west. Northern Ireland is situated in the northeastern part of Ireland.

If we look at the map of Great Britain, we can see that the west coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea, .and the east coast is washed by the North Sea, and the south coast is washed by the English Channel. The English Channel lies between Great Britain and the continent.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands. The south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and west of England are mountainous, but all the rest - east, centre and south-east, is a vast plain. Mountains are an important part of the geography of the country. They are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain. It is one thousand three hundred and 43 metres high. In England the Penine Chain runs down from the north through the centre. In Wales there are the Cumbrian Mountains.

The British Isles have many rivers, but they are not very long. The Severn, which flows into the Irish Sea, is the longest river. The Thames is the deepest and the most important one. Scotland s most important river is the Clyde, on which stands Glasgow.

Besides, England, Ireland and Scotland have many beautiful lakes.

Actually, there are no great forests in the British Isles today. Historically, the most famous forest is Sherwood Forest, in the east of England. As you know, it was the home of Robin Hood,

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is generally mild the whole year round, not very cold in winter and never very hot in summer.

The UK is one of the world's smaller countries. Its population is over 57 million. About 80% of the population is urban. There are at least people of four nationalities in the UK. They are the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. Each of them has their own language.

It is notorious that the UK is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world's largest producers and explorers of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding. It is centred in London, Glasgow, Newcastle and in Belfast.

Speaking about agriculture in Great Britain, I should like to mention that sheep farming, cattle farming, and dairy farming are important branches of the British economy. Wheat is grown in the east of England, but oats and rye are the main drown crops. Vegetables are grown in all parts of England, especially in the south. The south of England is often called the "Garden of England". This is because there are many gardens and orchards there.

Speaking about political system in Great Britain, I should like to say that the UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen. In practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. Power in the country belongs to Parliament with the Prime Minister at the head, The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Commons is elected by the people. The members of the House of Lords are not elected.

There arc three political parties in Great Britain. They are the Conservative, the Liberal and the Labour parties. The Conservative party is the ruling party nowadays. The Prime Minister is David Cameron.

To my mind, the UK is a very rich, with high standard of living country with its own political and economical system, system of education and of course its peculiar traditions, customs, history and way of thinking.

 

London

Talking about London, I should like to say, that it is the capital of the United Kingdom, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world. Its population is about 8 million people. London was founded more than 2000 years ago. It is one of the oldest and most interesting cities in the world.

Traditionally London is divided into several parts. They are the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different from each other.

The heart of London is the City. It is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. Many banks, offices and firms are situated there. Few people live there, but over a million people come to the City to work.

Westminster is the historic, governmental part of London. The Houses of Parliament and the government and administrative buildings are in Westminster; The West End is the part where rich people live. It is the most beautiful part of London. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there. There are splendid houses and lovely gardens belonging to wealthy people.

As for the East End, it is an industrial district of London. There are many factories there. It is one of those areas of London where working people live.

Speaking about the sights of London, I should like to say that there are a lot of places of interest in London. It's notorious that London stands on the river Thames. Crossing the river by the Tower Bridge, we can see to Tower of London. It is one of the oldest buildings of the city. Many centuries ago it was a fortress, a royal palace and then a prison. Now it is a museum of arms and Crown Jewels.

On the bank of the Thames not far from the Tower of London we can see Westminster Palace, or the Houses of Parliament. It is the seat of the British government and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in London. In one of its towers there is the famous Big Ben. It is the largest clock of England. All people in Britain take the time from it.

Near the Houses of Parliament is Westminster Abbey. It is a very beautiful church built over 900 years ago. Nearly all English kings and queens have been crowned there. Many outstanding statesmen, scientists, writers, poets and painters are buried there.

As you know, Buckingham Palace is the residence of the Queen of England. This is a beautiful building, standing in large gardens. Tourists always go to see the ceremony of changing of the Guard there.

London has many fine squares. Some of them are quiet, others are busy, like Trafalgar Square. It is the central square of the city. In the middle of Trafalgar Square stands a monument to Admiral Nelson. The Nelson Column is guarded by four great bronze lions. It is a tradition to feed pigeons in Trafalgar Square and many people keep to that tradition. On the other side of the square are the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. It has fine collection of European paintings.

Not far away is the British Museum. It is the biggest museum in London, ft contains a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures and so on. It is also famous for its library.

St. Paul's Cathedral is the biggest of English churches, which is situated in the West End of London. St. Paul s Cathedral was designed by the English architect Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century. It contains memorials to many national heroes.

Besides, London is also famous for its beautiful parks. Hyde Park is Londoners' favourite resting place. Hyde Park is famous for its Speakers' Corner. Many people come to listen to speakers on politics and other subjects.

As for me, I should like to visit London because I am interested not only in the English Language but also in British culture, traditions and history.

The USA

Geographical Position. The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, it also includes Alaska in the north and I Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometres. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-border with Russia. The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia. It is a special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is about 250 million people.

If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska.

America’s largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia, The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA. And the largest cities in the USA are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San-Francisco, Washington and others.

Climate in the USA. As for the climate of the USA, I can say, it greatly differs from one part of the country to another. The coldest climate is in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic, There is heavy snow and hard frost in winter. The climate of the central part is continental, The south has a subtropical climate. It is warm and sometimes even hot in summer. Hot winds, blowing from the Gulf of Mexico, often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast. The heaviest rains in the country are in the Washington region. The climate in the Gulf of Mexico area is also very damp. The region around the Great Lakes is known for its changeable climate.

Finally, I want to say, that the USA is a very rich country with high standard of living, with its own political and economical system, system of education. Now, making changes in Russia, we study the experience of the USA and other countries and we try to cooperate with them. And as we see, it works.

Political System.As for the political system of the USA, I should say that it is a federation of 50 states and the District of Columbia. The President is the head of the government. He forms the government. The President is elected for 4 years. He cannot be younger than 35 years and he must have lived in the USA for at least 14 years. The President is responsible for enforcing laws, choosing the government, commanding the army and recommending laws to Congress.

Congress, as you know, consists of two Houses. They are the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has 100 senators, two from each state. They are elected for 6 years. The head of the Senate is Vice-President. He is elected for 4 years.

The House of Representatives consists of 435 members. They are elected for 2 years. The head of the House of Representatives is the Speaker.

There are two main political parties in the USA. They are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The thing is that most of government members come from one of these parties. Besides, there are several minor parties, as well.

The USA is a very rich country with high standard of living, with its own political and economical systems, system of education. Now making changes in Russia, we study the experience of the USA and other countries and we also try to cooperate with them. And as we see, it works.

 

 


Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1244


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