N. Kryazheva - The United States and the United Kingdom. Past and Present (pdf), страница 16

Nowadays, it may be an imitation ofopen fire with plastic coal. Most older houses have two living-rooms. It allows the front room to be usedfor formal visits while the family spend their time in the back room, hidden from public view. If there is oneliving-room in the house, then there is a hall into which the front door opens. Private houses usually havethe back door for family or close friends.In spite of peoples' great desire to have a house of their own they're not so much attached to the houseitself. The house can be easily sold, if necessary and if the price is attractive. Most houses are sold on theopen market by the "property developers" (these are private companies).The desire to have a private house is great, but house prices are very high. About 70% of all thehouses are occupied by their owners.

Usually people borrow 80% of the price and then pay the moneyback month by month. Normally they pay the money back over the period of 20-25 years.GARDENINGThe love of gardens is deep-rooted in the British people. This is probably one reason why so manypeople prefer to live in houses rather than flats. Many people who have no gardens of their own havepatches of land in especially reserved areas. Flower and vegetable shows, with prizes for the bestexhibits, are immensely popular.Every year,the British Queen holds several garden parties at Buckingham Palace.

The guests areusually invited as a reward for their work or achievements, and it is considered a great honour.PETSBritain is a nation of animal lovers. Dogs are especially popular in the UK. People often give them a lotof attention and consider them to be part of the family.

Everybody Knows there are more than five milliondogs almost as many cats, over three million budgies, cage birds, aquarium fish. 10 ml pounds are spentannually on pets.In Britain pets can send Christmas cards to their friends, birthday cards to husbands, wives, boy or girlfriends. Owners can buy for their pets jewelry, nylon, velvet collars, lace-trimmed panties, night-gowns,pyjamas.

Newspapers sometimes have articles about dogs who have done clever things such as saved achild's life.or travelled miles to find their owners after they have been lost. "The Sunday Mirror" hasestimated that Britain spends six times as much on pet foods as on baby foods and roughly 16 times asmuch as on cancer research.There are also many television shows, films.and stories about dogs, including Lassie and Scoobie Doo.Because dogs are generally considered to be loyal and friendly, they are sometimes called "man's bestfriend".Words and Phrases:to estimate - оцениватьreason - причинаto prefer - предпочитатьimmensely - безмерно (очень)owner - владелецnight-gown - халат, пеньюарpatch of land - небольшой участок землиdeep-rooted - имеющий глубокие корниpets - любимцыto research - исследоватьresearcher - исследовательresearch - исследованиеTasks:1. Draw a parallel between pets in Russia and Great Britain.2.

Render the text in your own words.3. Speak about your favourite dog (cat, cage bird, or aquarium fish).4. Speak about your garden, if any.5. Speak about the flower language.SPORT IN GREAT BRITAINBritish people have always been known for their love of sports. Some people Jake part in sportsthemselves, others are only spectators. But there are few Brit-lsh People who have absolutely no interestfor sports.The most popular game for men are golf and cricket in summer and football in Winter.

Everyschoolboy knows the names of the best teams and their players.A crowd of loyal fans usually go after their favourite team to other towns to sup. port the players. Footballis the most popular of spectator games in the UK. дм kinds of racing come after football: horse-racing,dog racing, motor racing ana boat racing. It is legal to place bets on the participants.Tennis is played by both men and women all the year round, on grass courts in summer and oncovered courts in winter. Many people like to watch tennis instead of playing. The Wimbledonchampionships in winter in which the best tennis players of the world take part attract crowds of people.Boxing is popular in Great Britain as well.

But many British people consider boxing too rude and crueland boxing for women and children is forbidden now.Sport in one form or another takes part in an average British person's daily life. In English schools sportis an important part of the system of education. Every student can go in for basketball, football, volleyball,table tennis, tennis, wrestling and karate. They care strongly about sporting spirit.Words and Phrases:spectator -зрительteam - командаto support - поддерживатьto play bets - держать париfen - болельщик, любительcruel -жестокийrude - грубыйto care - заботится, ухаживатьto care for - интересоватьcare - забота, попечениеTasks:1. Answer the following questions.a.

Which is the most popular of spectator games in Great Britain?b. Which is the most popular sport for both men and women?c. What is Wimbledon known for?d. Is it legal to place bets in horse-racing in Russia?e. What kind of sports can be called a "nation hobby" in England?2. Speak about Russian sports.FOODCustoms and traditions always held by the Englishman are present in his eating. He is used to certainfoods and never tires of them.There are four meals a day in English home: breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner.Breakfast is the first meal of the day. It is about 8 o'clock in the morning, and consists of porridge withmilk rarely with cream and salt or sugar, cornflakes, eggs boiled or fried, bread and butter withmarmalade or jam, bacon or sausage, or liver, or cold ham, toasts.

Breakfast toasts in England aretraditionally cold. Some people like to drink tea, but others prefer coffee, though tea is part and parcel ofBritish life. Instead of porridge they may have fruit juice, or they may prefer biscuits. The midday meal iscalled lunch. The usual time for lunch is 1 p.m. This meal starts with soup or fruit juice. Then follows somemeat or poultry withpotatoes - boiled or fried, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, and peas. Meat is rather expensive in Britain.Rice and macaroni are seldom served.

Then a pudding comes. Instead of pudding they may prefercheese and biscuits. Last of all coffee I black or white. Englishmen often drink something at lunch. Wateris usually on the table, but some prefer juice or lemonade.Tea is the third meal of the day. It is between 4 and 5 p.m. the so-called 5 o'clock tea or high tea; it isalso a substantial meal and is eaten by families, which do not usually have a late dinner.

On the tablethere is tea, milk or cream, sugar, bread and butter, cakes and jam. In well-to-do families it consists ofham or tongue, tomatoes and salad or a kipper, followed by fruit: pears, apricots, pineapples, strong teawith cream and a cake. Friends and visitors are often available at tea. Tea making in England is an art.Dinner is the fourth meal of the day. The usual time is about 7 p.m.

and all the members of the familysit down together. Dinner consists of soup, fish or meat with vegetables, potatoes, green peas, carrotsand cabbage, sweet pudding, fruit salad, ice-cream or cheese and biscuits. Then after a talk they haveblack or white coffee.Sunday dinner is a special occasion, (week-end). Beef or lamb are brought and eaten hot withvegetables. After this a large heavy pudding with custard will probably follow. Dessert may consist of fruitor many varieties of pies and tarts.

They are eaten hot or cold.There is the order of meals among English families. But the greater part of the people in the towns, andnearly all country-people, have dinner in the middle of the day instead of lunch. They have tea a little laterbetween five thirty or six-thirty, and then in the evening, before going to bed, they have supper.So, the four meals of the day are either breakfast, dinner, tea, supper or breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner.Legend about tea and coffeeCoffee and tea were not known in Europe three hundred years ago.

People were afraid to drink thembecause they thought coffee or tea could kill a person. Once a King of Sweden decided to find outwhether it was true or not. At that time there were two young brothers in prison. They were twins andwere very much alike. They had committed a crime and had been sentenced to death. The King said: "I'lllet them live but they must drink coffee or tea to the end of their lives.

One must drink tea and the othercoffee". Very soon the King died. Both brothers Nved for many years. So, the length of the life does notdepend upon drinking either coffee or tea.In the days of Elizabeth beer was the normal breakfast liquid. By 1700 the English became a teadrinking nation. The English are famous for the amount of tea they drink, "a nice cup of tea" is one of themost commonly heard phrases in Britain.Most of English people drink their tea, but give little thought to what actually happens when they pourwater over tea leaves.Three of substances contained in the tea leaves come out of the leaves into thewater. Theoflavins give the tea its color, theorubigins affect its taste and caffeine makes tea astimulant.Scientific research confirms that using waiter, which is as near boiling point a possible gives the bestcup of tea since it brinigs out more of all those substance from the tea leaves.

But, however, hot watetrwill always take a few minutes fa the process to be completed. The hostess firrst of all must rinse the teapot with boiling water (this is called "warming the pot'") before adding several tea-spoons of tea.The amount of tea varies, of course, according to the number of the peop|e present plus one spoonfulfor the tea-pot. The pot is then filled to allow the tea to infuse or draw for five minutes English peoplleseldom put lemon juice or rum in their tea.No self-respecting Briton would drink tea, which has not been made in a teapot in a civilized way.Why the Britons became addicted to tea when continentals favoured coffee is a mystery as yetunexplained.JOKES ABOUT TEAThe English know how to make tea and what it does.Seven cups of it wake you up in the morning.night.If you drink it in the afternoon, it wilt re/ax you for thoughts.Then of course you should drink a lot of it in off-hours.Nine cups wilt put you to sleep atIf you are hot tea will cool you off.If you are cold it will warm you up.The taste of good tea is very simple.

If a sp)oon stands up in a cup, it is strong. If a spoon starts towobble, it is weak.Words and Phrases:to pour - наливатьpineapple - ананасstew - тушеное мясоamount - количествоchop - отбивная котлетаtea leaves - листья чаяcauliflower - цветная капустаto oonfirm - подтверждатьlamb - телятинаto complete - завершать, заканчиватьcustard- сладкий кремtea-spoon - чайная ложкаkipper- лосось (копченая рыба) tеа-pot- чайник для заварки чаяapricot- абрикосtea-fparty - чаепитиеsubstantial meals - питательная пищаto infuse - настаиваться (о чае)part and parcel - неотъемлемая частьiquid - жидкостьwell-to-do family - хорошо обеспеченная семьяtart - домашний торт, сладкий пирожокTasks:1. Render the texts about food in your own words.2.

Exchange ideas after reading articles about foods.3. Compare Russian cuisine with English one.4. Answer the questions:a. How do you make tea?b. How do you make coffee?c. How often do you have your meals?5. Make up mini dialogues in various situations: a. you have tea-party at home; b. at a cafe; c. at arestaurant.6. Translate the following expressions and make up situations with them:a. Neither fish nor flesh;g. A hard nut to crack;b. As like as two peas;h.