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Министерство образования и науки Российской ФедерацииФедеральное агентство по образованию

Государственное образовательное учреждениевысшего профессионального образования

«РОСТОВСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ»

Leisure Time. HolidaysМетодические указания

по практике устной и письменной речи английского языка

(специальность – романо-германская филология)

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Методические указания обсуждены и утверждены на заседании кафедры английской филологии факультета филологии и журналистики Ростовского государственного университета

Протокол: № 4 от 24.11.2005

Составитель: доц., канд. филол. наук Шкуратова Т.А.

Рецензент: доц., канд. филол. наук Полякова И.М.

Ответственный редактор: доц., канд. филол. наук Николаев С.Г.

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Данные методические указания к курсу «Практика устной/письменной речи английского языка» по теме «Свободное время. Досуг. Отпуск» предназначены для студентов 3 курса отделения романо-германской филологии факультета филологии и журналистики.

Методические указания состоят из пяти разделов, каждый из которых имеет свое методическое назначение и относится к различным видам речевой деятельности. В каждый раздел включены тексты, упражнения и задания разной языковой трудности. Это дает возможность преподавателю использовать материал выборочно в зависимости от индивидуальных особенностей аудитории и степени подготовленности студентов.

Основная цель методических указаний - систематизация и расширение словарного запаса студентов с учетом коммуникативных потребностей в их будущей профессиональной деятельности, совершенствование навыков и умений по переводу и интерпретации научно-популярных, художественных, газетных текстов, по передаче информации с использованием необходимого лексического материала, что, в конечном счете, способствует стимулированию устной монологической и диалогической речи, а также грамотности и точности при письме.

Методические указания являются частью комплекса учебного материала по указанной теме и являются тематическим продолжением Урока 1 «Taking a Break» и Урока 3 «Enthusiasms» учебника «Focus on First Certificate» (автор Sue O’Connell, Longman Ltd, 2001), а также Урока 5 «Globe Trotting» учебника «Focus on Advanced English C.A.E.» (автор Sue O’Connell, Longman Ltd, 2001). Основным учебным пособием комплекса является учебник «Progress to Proficiency» (автор Leo Jones, Cambridge University Press, 1994). Тематика разделов перекликается с разговорными темами Урока 1 («Free Time») учебника, что позволяет преподавателю использовать методические указания параллельно с изучением данной темы по учебнику.

Содержание текстов, взятых из произведений английских писателей и прессы, нацелено на расширение страноведческих знаний и кругозора студентов.

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Part 1 LANGUAGE FOCUS

1 Study the following words and word combinations and find their Russian equivalents.

Leisure activities HobbiesTeam sports collecting stamps/ coins/ antiquesTo get in plenty of sport car maintenanceIndividual competitive/ non-competitive sports carpentryOutdoor activities playing a musical instrumentBirdwatching doing crossword puzzleHunting sewingIndoor activities knittingChess/ draughts making potsBoard games (Scrabble, Monopoly) photographyCard games do-it-yourself

dancingChoosing a route belly-dancingHiking/ to go hiking to take up paintingTo go on a picnicWalking tour Going on a holidayTo travel on foot leisure interestsTo wander/ to roam/ to stroll/ to rove packageTo plan a trip to snap, a snapGuide-book to have a good timeLight (hand)/ heavy luggage I wish I could get away for a whileRucksack/ knapsack to be idleHamper/ basket to spend holiday “off-season”Damp proof at odd times (odd moments)Sleeping-bag it turned out marvellouslyThe spirit of the journey to escape fromTo be open to all impressions to give an ideaAn inveterate anti-picnicker to have funTo be (to get) wet through a busman’s holidayThe things are damp/ soaked funfairCooking utensils amusement machinesTo get a kettle to boil the national pastimeTinned food at one’s leisureTin-opener leisure centrePocketknife to take a ferryTo camp out to laze aboutTo settle oneself to a meal

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Gas-burner Boating/sailing/ yachtingWater-container a south-coast resortTo peel/ to scrape potatoes to make for the open seaTo make a (bon) fire to blow up a dinghyOdds and ends swimming things (beach wear)To squat down to supper sun-tan oilA picnic site peeling noseNot to sleep a wink to run one’s boat into a quiet nookTorch/ flashlight to row up (down) the river/ streamTo put up/ to pitch/ to fix a tent to steer

to scull/ to tow/ to puntNature to raftPicturesque safe bathingSpectacular cliffsGrove A place to staySteep hill pied-à-terresMeditative silence of the morning self-catering accommodation/a giteTo watch the sun rise and set bed and breakfast establishment (B&B)To be sprayed by waves breaking on the rocks to be up to three-star standardSea fret youth hostel/ residenceThe heat is unbearable/ scorching host-familyThe beauty of the nature made me breathless landlady

2 Write down all the places that people can stay in on holiday. (Think of as many different types of holiday as possible!) Have you ever been on any of the following types of holiday?

Adventure packageBackpacking pony-trekkingCamping sailingCruise sightseeingHiking touring

Tick the places on your list that you have stayed in yourself. Work with another student. Compare your lists. Then choose one of the

places your partner has ticked and find out as much as possible about the holiday(s) concerned.

Think about the best and worst holidays you ever had. Where were they and what made them so bad? Tell your partner.

3 Paraphrase the following quotations. Which do you agree with? Why? Discuss them in pairs.

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“Some people, for the sake of getting a living, forget to live.”Margaret Fuller (US journalist and essayist)

“A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of hell.”George Bernard Shaw (Irish dramatist and writer

4 What do you like to do in your spare time? Use phrases from the language box to discuss in pairs, as in the example.

Preferences

Positive Negative To tell the truth, I think I I don’t like skating at all.prefer stamp collecting to I like skiing far better.gardening. Personally, I like reading I’m afraid pottery isn’t my cup ofbetter than watching TV. tea. I prefer sculpting.

On balance, I’d prefer to Television doesn’t really hold mylisten to some good music interest. I’d much rather go to therather than play the piano. theatre.

Given the choice, I’d sooner I don’t think I’d fancy that.watch a video than go to the However, embroidery might be nice.cinema.

A: What do you like to do in your spare time?B: Personally, I like… What about you?A: I don’t think I’d fancy that. However,…

5 Build Up Your Word Power

The adjectives below have been grouped in order of increasing intensity. Use them to complete the sets of sentences which follow. Use each adjective only once.

silent<audible<raucous<deafeningmild<chilly<wintry<freezingagreeable<disconcerting<distressing<harrowingundemanding<challenging<daunting<gruelling

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1. The sound of the fisherman’s voice was barely audible over the roar of the

waterfall. The couple’s ……….laughter destroyed the romantic atmosphere of the

elegant restaurant. The studio was ……….as the young artist worked at her sculpture. The roar of applause at the end of the concert was ………. .2. The film is full of violence – I found that seeing it was such a

……….experience that I came out of the cinema feeling completely drained.

To my relief, the long train journey was more ……….than I had expected. It was slightly ……….to see that everyone else at the party was younger

than me. It was really ……….to see the terrible poverty endured by people living in

the shanty town.3. It’s quite a(n) ……….book, not quite relaxing enough for bedtime reading. After the ……….seven-hour climb, the mountaineers were absolutely

exhausted. If you’re not up to strenuous sports, try a(n) ……….activity like gentle

walking. To reach safety, the survivors were faced with the ……….prospect of a

fifty-mile trek through uncharted jungle.4. The ……….temperatures of the lake make it unsuitable for snorkeling

without a wetsuit. Although it was slightly ………., we enjoyed our sleigh-ride enormously. The ……….conditions made the race track very wet and slippery. If the weather remains ……….I’m going to plant my garden at the end of

the week.

6 Underline the correct word in the sentences.

1. After I was assigned my own personal (instructor, advisor, tutor), he showed me around the gym and explained how the equipment worked.

2. The fishing (tent, hostel, lodge) was conveniently located within distance of a well-stocked lake.

3. We enjoyed a lovely packed lunch in the refreshing (isolation, barrenness, solitude) of the fragrant wood.

4. The group opened their concert with a rousing (rendition, edition, translation) of the hit song that had made them famous.

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5. The film was a real (cliff-hanger, blockbuster, box office hit) –it had the audience gasping in suspense till the very end.

6. After his 10-mile (pilgrimage, trek, voyage) over rough terrain, John was glad to see the inn come into view.

7. The (dean, curator, prefect) showed the visitors the new exhibits that had been donated to the permanent collection.

8. We stood on the (platform, deck, stage) of the liner as it pulled away from the pier.

7 Discuss your weekend plans with your partner. You can use the phrases from the boxes. Tick (√) the boxes to form the phrases. Can you think of one more phrase to go under each heading?

Book Do Have Taketime to relaxit easyas on-line crossworda soothing bathtickets for a matchan extravagant dinnera partyclose friends overa table for twoa weekend break

8 Underline the word that best completes each sentence. To what pastime is each group of words related? Can you add one more word?

1. After missing an easy shot, the player threw her (net, racket, court, umpire) angrily on the ground.

2. He spends hours in his (camera, darkroom, lens, tripod) every evening developing rolls of film.

3. Place tour foot in the (saddle, stirrup, bit, bridle) and swing your other lag over the horse’s back.

4. Because of her fear of heights and the swinging motion of the seats, Linda has never been persuaded to get on (carousel, roller coaster, big wheel, water slide).

5. My grandmother is a fanatic about her favourite (documentary, chat show, soap opera, cartoon); she laughs and cries with the actors as though they were real people.

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6. Be sure you drain the spinach in the (whisk, grater, saucepan, colander) before you spread it over he sheets of pastry.

9 Idioms

Match items from columns A and B to make idioms. Then use some of them, in the correct form, to complete the sentences.

A B1. bring a. of one’s seat2. read somebody b. the lines3. face the c. house down4. let one’s d. beaten track5. off the e. shoestring budget6. on a f. music7. on the g. the house8. on the edge h. like a book9. paint i. hair down10. read between j. the town red

1. Travellers differ from tourists in that they prefer getting ……….to holidaying at popular holiday spots.

2. The most amazing thing about this year’s Oscar winning film is that it was made ……….

3. Don’t believe everything you see in travel brochures; ……….before you make your final decision.

4. I know she doesn’t really want to come out dancing with us. I can ………….

5. I can’t believe I got the promotion! Let’s go out and ……….!6. To make up for the poor service the restaurant owner told us our drinks

were ………..

10 Replace the underlined words and expressions with one of the fixed phrases below. Then, in pairs, use the fixed phrases to make up sentences of your own.

●at least ●at large ●at last ●at present ●at a loss●at times ●at odds with ●at a standstill ●at a glance ●at a loose end

1. The trip wasn’t good. The good thing was that we got to visit plenty of interesting ruins. At least

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2. I’m very busy at work right now, but when things relax a bit I’m going to go on a cruise.

3. Dave is quarrelling with John over that CDs to bring to the graduation party.

4. Although I love getting lost in a good novel, now and then I just like to sit and listen to classic music.

5. In the end , I found my passport tucked away in the zipped compartment of my suitcase.

6. From the sly look on the taxi driver’s face I knew immediately that he couldn’t be trusted.

7. The 5 o’clock news reported that the escaped prisoner was still on the loose.8. Due to the bazaar in the city center, traffic was stopped for two hours.9. I’m really not sure what to do with myself now that the Christmas holidays

are here.10.Steven invited some friends over and was totally confused as to what to

offer them to eat.

11 Match the phrasal verbs in the sentences with their meanings from the list below. Make sentences of your own using any four of the given phrasals.

save bear construct, assemble embark replacecause as an expense criticize cause somebody painpostpone continue, develop

1. We put up our tent before it got too dark to see what we were doing.2. We put off our picnic, hoping the next day would be less overcast.3. After what you put her through, I’d be surprised if she ever went out with you

again!4. Stop putting the travel agent down, it wasn’t her fault we missed our flight.5. I know you love cooking, but I don’t know how you put up with the mess

afterwards.6. He managed to put aside enough money to buy a car.7. It’s great that I’ve got the Internet, but my computer set me back a month’s pay.8. If drowsiness sets in, stop taking the medication immediately.9. Could you please put the CDs back in the same order that you found them?10.If we set off at dawn, we should arrive at the island by noon.

Part II READING, WRITING, SPEAKING

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1 Read the text,

paying attention to the words and word-combination underlined; use them in your own letter describing your holiday at the seaside.

Dear Aunt Helen!We have been back from our holidays two weeks ago and we’ve finally sorted

out our snapshots. The children have insisted on our sending you this snap, taken on our last day in Whiteland Bay.

I hope you got the postcard we sent and that you are now ready to read on account of our holiday. We decided on an “off-season” holiday at a south-coast resort because we could save money that way and yet be fairly sure of having good weather and it turned out marvellously. The snap will give you some idea of the fun we had on the beach every day.

First the weather was glorious: cloudless blue skies and hot sunshine every day. There was a light breeze that kept us from becoming too hot but it was strong enough to let the many yachting enthusiasts in the resort get in plenty of sport. We didn’t go sailing ourselves but every evening after dinner we used to stroll out to the light house to watch the yachts, their light winking in the darkness as they turned the headland and came under the light house before making for the open sea. The children were thrilled by it all.

We literally spent every day on the beach and what a beach! Over a mile of soft, clean, golden sand set in the curve of the bay and with spectacular cliffs on each side. As you’ll see in the snap there was a ruined castle on the cliffs: everyone said it was very interesting and well worth seeing. We promised ourselves that we’d visit it but, somehow, we never got around to it - we just couldn’t tear ourselves away from the beach. Of course, the children loved the sand, they dug holes, made elaborated

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sand-castles, made sand-pies, buried their father 3 or 4 times a day - they had a lot of fun. Jim and I just lazed about, soaking up the sun. We could really relax because the bathing there was absolutely safe, we could even allow Peter to paddle about in the bay in his dinghy. Although blowing it up for him every day did become a bit of a chore. As they behaved so well we allowed the children to have an ice-cream every day. They felt so grown up because we let them buy their own cornets and wafers and they become great favourities of the ice-cream sellers on the beach.

My one complaint is that the sea was rather cold but I suppose that is only to be expected in late September. Still I managed to get in about an hour swimming every day and as soon as I got out of the water children were ready for a game with the beach ball, so getting warm again was no problem. It was lovely to escape from the routine of washing and ironing and wondering what to put on every morning; we lived in our beachwear and after the first few days made no use of the beach-huts - we wore our swimming things on the street. I can hear you tut-tutting with disapproval! However, we spent a small fortune on sun-tan oil. I put it on twice a day, the others just once and we used up 3 large bottles. But we all came home with the most enviable, smooth, golden brown suntans, no bliskers or red, peeling noses for this family!

The people you see on the right in the snap were staying in the same boarding-house and we got to know them quite well; they baby-sat for us one evening while we went to the movies. The husband was photography-mad - we never saw him without his camera.

We bought you a small present and we’ll be bringing it with us when we come up next month. And there’ll be lots more snaps to show - we used up a whole roll of film in just one morning. I’ll not write any more but there’ll be another less holiday-centered letter in the post very soon. Look after yourself.

Love from all,Elizabeth.

2 Each of the texts below deals with the same topic (and has the same title!) but this is expressed in two different styles. Read these texts and write a paragraph (about 100 words) summarising your observations on what makes these texts different. Think of a better headline to each. Translate the first text in a written form.

2.1 AN IDEAL HOLIDAY

“I want to be alone”, said Tom Smith as he set off on his holiday. The year before, he had been on a disastrous and unforgettable package tour of “Europe in a Fortnight”; he was rushed from place to place, lost his suitcase keys on the second day, found himself thrown together with five hysterical families and their beastly

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children, and ended up being misunderstood by a waitress when he said to her in, his best French, “Je vais à dix heures” and the waitress brought him butter, thinking he said “Je veux du beurre”.

Tom Smith headed for the lonely moors of Yorkshire. It rained incessantly. Even when it stopped for a while the sky remained overcast, so that Tom’s mood gradually became as gloomy as the weather. The accommodation in the dreary hotel was comfortless, the food unexciting, drinking on one’s own was no fun either. Tom decided that this was a waste of much-longed-for holiday, and he was about to pay the bill and quit, when he noticed a familiar face at the reception desk.

• “Now this is a surprise, Tom”, said Harold. “Don’t you remember me?” An old schoolmate, it dawned on Tom.

• “No, Harold! What are you up to in this godforsaken place?”• “I am here with my family. Meet my wife, Karen… Don’t say you’re just

leaving!”• “Well, I was so fed up that I was just about to pack up and go.”• “You can’t do that to me. As soon as I saw you, I had visions of angling,

long walks, chats about old times and canasta in the evenings.”• “Well, if you put it like that, I’ll stay.”And suddenly the bad weather didn’t matter. The bleak hotel felt homely.

“Perhaps a holiday depends on genial company after all,” - Tom admitted in the end.

2.2 Answer the questions:

1. What does a good holiday depend on? 2. What is the best (the cheapest, the ideal, a very expensive, the most useful) way of spending one’s holiday? 3. Why is it necessary to plan one’s holiday well in advance? 4. If it is historical sights that you are looking for, how would you arrange your holiday? And is it value for money you are after? 5. If you want to go abroad, what possibilities are there? 6. Say what people in your country usually do during their annual paid holiday?

2.3 AN IDEAL HOLIDAYWhen I was a boy every holiday I had seemed ideal to me. All day, I seem to

remember, I played on the sands with my friends. We made sandcastles with huge yellow walls, and watched the incoming tide destroy them; we played football, we splashed each other in the water and shrieked with excitement. When the tide went out, we climbed over the slippery rocks and stared down at the fish and the seaweed in the rock-pools.

In those far-off days the sun seemed to shine constantly and the water was always warm. Sometimes we left the beach and walked in the country, exploring ruined houses and dark woods and climbing trees that overhung streams.

Although I am now an adult, my idea of a good holiday is much the same as it was. I still like the sun and the warm sand and the sound of waves breaking on the

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beach. I no longer wish to build sandcastles, but I love sunbathing and the feel of sand running through my fingers, and I look forward to sitting down to a good meal in the evening. I think too, that I prefer travelling. I want to smell different smells; I want to see different kinds of trees, flowers and kinds of domes. Above all, I want to listen to different musical rhythms from those I am used to.

But I still need my companions — not, of course, to play on the sands and eat ices with, but to talk to on warm moonlit nights.

Sometimes I wonder what my ideal holiday will be when I am old. All I shall want to do then, I expect, will be to lie in bed, reading books about children who make sandcastles with huge yellow walls, who watch the incoming tide, who make themselves sick on too many ices...

2.4 Answer the questions 1. When does every holiday seem ideal, when you're a child or when you're an

adult? 2. What did the author of this story like to do with his boy-friends on the sands? 3. What did they make? 4. How long did their sandcastles live? 5. What simple joys: made the boys shriek with excitement? 6. What did they like to watch lying on the slippery rocks? 7. What did they sometimes explore in the country? 8. Has the author's idea of a good holiday changed? 9. What does he still like? 10. Why does he like travelling? 11. Why does he still need his companions? 12, Years change our ideals. What does the author mink his ideal holiday will be like when he grows old?

2.5 Choose the right answer.1. When I was a boy every holiday seemed (too short, too dull, ideal). 2. I

played on the sands with my friends making (sandcastles, much noise, various toys). 3. We liked to stare down from the rocks at the (toy ships, boats, seaweed) in the rock-pools. 4. In those far-off days the sun seemed to shine (too seldom, dimly, constantly). 5. I still like the sound of (waves breaking on the beach, children shrieking with excitement, buses rushing along the streets). 6. I'm now an adult, and I still need my friends to (play with, talk to, quarrel with). 7. I'm hungry, I'm looking forward to (meeting my friends, going for a walk, sitting down to a good meal).

3 Compare the three ways of spending one’s holiday. Agree or disagree with the statements.

CampingCamping is fun.It is cheap.Food cooked out-of-doors tastes better.Sleeping in tent is good for the health.You can get away from other people.

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You are close to nature.You are free to move and stop wherever you like.Everyone is relaxed and hence in a good mood.It is a real change from the daily round.

Going on a package tourYou have no worries.The itinerary is prepared for you.You have a guide.The accommodation is comfortable.Transport is provided.You have good company and meet nice people.Food is served regularly.You don’t have to carry your luggage.

A weekend cottage holidayManual work is a relaxation after mental work.When you have made smth. or painted the window frames you have a sense of

achievements.The family works together as a team.Gardening is an ideal pastime.There is still time for hiking, swimming, etc.

4 Translate into English, using the topic vocabulary.

1. Именно папа научил меня ставить палатку.2. Мы часто проводим выходные за городом; собираем хворост,

разводим костер. Еда, приготовленная на свежем воздухе, гораздо вкуснее.3. Когда, наконец, настал долгожданный выходной, изменилась погода:

всю ночь, не переставая лил дождь, а весь день небо оставалось затянуто тучами.

4. Условия проживания в этом отеле отвратительны, и нам пришлось уехать на следующий день.

5. Физический труд полезен после умственной работы. Да еще если есть хорошая компания!

6. Для меня групповая туристическая поездка имеет прежде всего два преимущества: никаких проблем с транспортом и регулярное питание.

7. Вечерами мы обычно бродили по пляжу, невдалеке мерцал маяк, живописные утесы были полны романтики, разрушенный замок в темноте казался великолепным и таинственным. Все это стоило посмотреть.

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8. Пока родители лениво поджариваются на солнышке, их дети плещутся в воде, роют норы и закапывают друг друга в песке, играют со своими надувными лодками.

9. Ты любишь заниматься спортом и помногу, а он просто жить не может без своего фотоаппарата. Мы ему очень благодарны – мы привезли столько фотографий – документальный отчет о нашем отпуске! Мы не думали, но все оказалось замечательно!

5 Why do people take holidays? The usual reason given is ‘rest and relaxation’. How many other reasons can you think of? How restful and relaxing are holidays really?

6 Read the following text and find out:

a. what recent evidence suggests about the effects of holidays;b. what reasons there might be;c. what the results of further research could be.

GIVE US A BREAK FROM HOLIDAYSby Paul Martin

WARNING: Holidays can damage your health. Psychologists believe that many of millions of Britons returning to work this week would have been better off staying at the office instead of taking their annual break.

Increasing evidence that holidays can cause harmful stress rather than provide welcome rest and reinvigoration is to be scientifically tested later this year. Researchers from the University of Manchester's institute of science and technology plan to attach telemeters, small instruments that measure stress intake, to a selected sample of holidaymakers before, during and after their yearly break.

Kerry Cooper, professor of organisational psychology at the institute, is even more determined to go ahead with the project after taking his two children to Disneyland on a study tour in the United States last week.

“I'm shattered, I'm exhausted,” he told The Sunday Times from Los Angeles. “It’s been very stressful indeed; so much so that I'm looking forward to a business breakfast tomorrow.”

Cooper maintains that even the most smooth-running holiday produces stress simply by being a change in routine. Whether the stress builds up to health-harming levels depends, he says, on your personality, on the relationships within the family, and on the type of holiday you take.

Type A people, the more dynamic, goal-oriented, hard-driving, take far longer to unwind than the more relaxed less ambitious type B group.

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A two-week holiday would often not relax a type A person who would spend the time worrying about work he could have been doing at the office, the cost of the holiday, or whether their home is being broken into. As one holiday-maker put it: “I spent the first part of my holiday worrying if I locked up the house properly, and the rest of the time worrying if it'll still be safe when I come back.”

One reason why the hazards of holidays had until recently escaped the attentions of stress researchers is the bland response most people give when asked how they enjoyed it.

“People have invested so much time and energy into a holiday that if they had a bad time they won't admit it, even to themselves,” said Vanja Orlans, of the stress research and control centre at London University's Birkbeck College.

Professor Cooper pointed out that family tensions, kept at bay during the rest of the year, often erupt when the family is thrust together incessantly.

The vacation itself may cause conflicts through each holiday-maker preferring a different sort of activity, or inactivity, the 'museums versus sandcastles' syndrome, added Vanja Orlans.

Even those who said they had a successful holiday came back worried. “I was depressed at the thought of going back to work,” said Lynn Hartley, a part-time secretary in a garage.

“When I walked in my front door I felt a pain right round my head as all the pressures piled back on me.”

The stress specialists debunk the notion that a good holiday necessarily helps people start work with renewed enthusiasm. “People who come back from a terrific holiday are often disorientated and can't work well,” Orlans said.

She added that the fixed yearly holiday period has big drawbacks: people may postpone dealing with things that are getting them down at work or at home, believing the holiday will be the cure.

Cooper believes new research could help provide guidelines for people to design the right sort of holiday for their personality, family structure and work position. Some may need passive ones, others active, some short, some long. Going on holiday when work stress is affecting you, or taking several short ones during a year, often meets the individual's needs better.

6.1 Without looking back at the text yet, say whether the following statements are True or False. Give reasons for your answers.

a Psychologists have proved scientifically that holidays are stressful experiences.b Professor Kerry Cooper has had personal experience of a stressful holiday.c A change of routine is harmful to the health. d People need longer than two weeks in order to relax properly,e People always tend to say they’ve enjoyed their holiday.f Family holidays are the least stressful.

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g Those who had good holidays are better able to face work again.h Holidays can lead people to ignore problems in their lives.i The purpose of the research is to identity the people who need a holiday, and those who don't.

6.2 Answer the questions.

a How will it be possible to test the stressful effects of holidays?b How does Professor Cooper feel after his holiday with his children?c What is the difference between Type A and Type B people?d Why can’t a Type A person relax during a two-week holiday?e Why are people unwilling to admit that they've had a bad holiday?f What kinds of problems can arise during family holidays?

6.3 Look at the way the following words or phrases are used in the text and suggest another word or words, which could be used instead, to give the same meaning. Match the words or phrases with one of the meanings given in Section B.

A. better off eruptmaintains debunkunwind are … disorientatedbland drawbackskept at bay getting them down

B. relax reveal the truth aboutdisadvantages happier/in a better statemaking them depressed gentle/unemotionalavoided are confused/lose their sense of directionargues break out/explode

7 Work with your partner.You are stranded on a deserted island in the Pacific. All you have is the

swim-suit and sandals you are wearing. There is food and water on the island but nothing else. Here is a list of things you may find useful. Choose the eight most useful items and rank them in order of usefulness. Prove your choice.

A DESERTED ISLAND

A box of matches ointment for cuts and burnsA magnifying glass a saucepanAn axe a knife and fork

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A bottle of whisky 20 metres of nylon ropeAn atlas a blanketSome metal knitting-needles a watchA transistor radio with batteries a towelA nylon tent a pencil and paperA camera and five rolls of film a mirror

Part III HOLIDAYS IN BRITAIN

1 Read the essays about the life in contemporary Britain seen through the eyes of the British people.

At the seaside

Although more and more people are going abroad for their holidays, a third of British holidaymakers still go for a traditional seaside holiday in Britain. It was the British who started the fashion for seaside holidays — not surprisingly, since nobody in Britain lives more than 120 kms from the sea. The trek to the sea began at the end of the eighteenth century, when fashionable London society followed the Prince Regent (later George IV) to Brighton, a small town fifty miles from London. The prince found the climate agreeable and built himself a summer pavilion there. Today Brighton is a popular place for holiday-makers and the pavilion is used as a museum, assembly room and conceit hall. Many Londoners go there for the day during the summer, and Brighton has been called "London by the sea".

Gwyn and Mary Williams have never been abroad. Most of their neighbours have been on package holidays to Spanish resorts and Mary would like to go to Spain next summer. It would cost more than a seaside holiday in Britain but not much more.

Gwyn is not so sure. He likes going to Brighton every year. They sit on the crowded, stony beach, sleep in the sun, listen to their transistor radio and occasionally have a swim in the sea. In the evenings they go to concerts of light music or funny shows, and they often spend an hour or two on the pier. Piers are a speciality of British seaside towns. They stretch out to sea, carrying on their iron legs restaurants, theatres, dance halls and other places of amusement. Gwyn spends hours putting coins in slot machines, hoping to win a prize, whilst Mary visits the fortune-teller or has her photograph taken wearing a hat with "Brighton" painted on it. On their way back to the hotel, they walk under the bright lights of the sea front eating fish and chips out of a newspaper.

Herbert Perkins, being a Northerner, does not like Brighton."It's just a suburb of London," he says. "Now take Blackpool! You've never

seen anything like the lights of Blackpool! Blackpool's tough — and you know it's northern the moment your landlady says 'cum in!'"

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Blackpool is on the Irish Sea, not far from Manchester. Holidaymakers go there from all over Britain, but especially from the north.

"There's plenty of money in Blackpool," says Herbert. "I've known Yorkshire miners spend a fortune in a week there."

Holidays

Last year the Macdonalds decided to spend their summer holiday in Cornwall. They chose to stay in a self-catering flat in a private house near the beach. Self-catering flats, cottages and villas are becoming more and more popular. Many people like the privacy and independence from hotel routine; it is also cheaper for families with children. The Macdonalds had found the flat through an advertisement in the newspaper. Like all sensible people, they had booked the flat 6 months in advance, since they knew that if they delayed, they would find that the whole of Cornwall had been booked up.

They started out early in the morning and were soon on the motorway to the west. But the sun was already setting when they at last reached the little seaside town. They were all exhausted as they got out of the car in front of a four-storeyed house on the sea front.

Peggy: Look at all that sand, children! Tomorrow, Daddy will help you build a sandcastle — two sandcastles, won't you, Daddy?

Ian: We'll see! Just now I want my supper - and a wash. Come on! Let's get inside.

Landlady: Good evening, madam. What can I do for you? Peggy: The name's Macdonald. We've booked your upstairs flat.

Landlady: Macdonald? Ah, yes! I'm afraid there's been a mistake, madam. You booked for next Friday.

Ian: Oh Lord! I told you not to let mother do the booking for us! Peggy: All right lan! Is there anywhere else, do you think?

Landlady: In August, madam? I'm terribly sorry, but the whole town's booked up. I'm afraid you won't find a room anywhere.

lan: Not even a bed and breakfast place?Landlady: You might possibly find a farm if you went inland.Peggy: We want to be by the sea — because of the children.Landlady: Then I don't know what to suggest. There's a caravan park two

miles along the coast, but I'm sure it's full. Or there's a Butlin's Holiday Camp.5

lan: No, thank you! We want some peace and quiet. We've been twelve hours on the road. We're exhausted.

Landlady: Well ... I'm sure we can do something for the children. They can sleep in my lounge. But I'm afraid we can't help you and your wife.

Peggy: Oh, that's all right! We can sleep in the car. Cheer up, lan! The drive home won't be so bad. There won't be nearly so much traffic!

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Hitch-hiking

Gareth and Christine went youth-hostelling4 in the Lake District last summer, and, since they could not afford the bus or train fare, they decided to hitchhike. A lorry driver was the first to stop and give them a lift, but he only took them 50 kms. They travelled the next 112 kms in a second lorry and then an elderly couple in a Rover took them another 48 kms. They had travelled 240 kms in five hours.

But at last their luck ran out. They waited by the roadside for an hour and nobody stopped. It began to rain.

"Go and hide behind that hedge!" Christine told Gareth."Why?""You'll see!"Gareth obeyed and Christine stood at the edge of the road with thumb raised.

Almost at once a sports car drew up."Want a lift, love?""Thanks," said Christine. "Got room for my boyfriend? You see, I never

hitchhike alone. Come on, Carry!"

The weather

"What's the forecast?" asked Ian."Oh, showers and sunny intervals!" said Peggy. "But you don't want to believe

the forecast!""I think we should go camping in France next year," said Ian. "The kids would

love it and the weather would be more reliable."The British love to complain about the weather. Notice how often they mention

it when they greet you. However, there are rarely extremes of cold or heat in Britain and when temperatures drop below 0°C or rise above 32°C nobody is prepared.

There is usually more rain in the west than in the east, and more snow in the north than in the south. But, thanks to the Gulf Stream, the Western Isles of Scotland sometimes have milder winter days than the South of France.

Sir Charles goes on a bird-watching holiday

Sir Charles lay on the sandhill behind a clump of coarse grass. Behind him the waves of the North Sea were crashing on an empty beach. A board stuck in the sand warned "DANGER. NO BATHING". But Sir Charles was looking inland across the salt marshes. He was alone and there was not a building to be seen on the flat skyline, except a windmill and a lighthouse.

Sir Charles was waiting for the birds — not with a gun, but with a pair of powerful glasses. Birds came to feed on the salt marshes and on the mud flats of the nearby estuary. Sir Charles watched them through his glasses. The hours passed.

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When at last he looked up, the salt marshes had disappeared beneath the incoming sea, the line of sandhills had become an island. Far away he could see a small figure standing on the sand beside a motorboat. It was Anne. She had come to fetch him.

More and more people, like Sir Charles, are using their holidays to practise their hobbies and interests or to learn new ones. Last year Charles and Anne went on safari in East Africa. Their daughter, Susan, who enjoys dangerous sports, decided to learn hang-gliding and spent a week jumping off the tops of mountains in Scotland.

2 Where to go in Britain

England

Dartmoor and Exmoor (Devon and Somerset): high, bare hills, rocks and deep wooded valleys with rushing trout and salmon streams. Wild ponies live on Exmoor. The coast is wild and rocky.

The Peak District (Derbyshire): There are deep narrow gorges (rocky valleys with steep sides) down which gentle streams flow.

Yorkshire Dales: a mixture of wild hillsides and farmland. Streams with waterfalls flow down broad valleys. Ancient villages have houses built of stone.

Lake District (Cumbria): crowded during holidays, but numerous paths stretch in every direction. Great variety of mountain, lake and woodland scenery. Wordsworth and other Lake Poets made this region famous.

Yorkshire Moors: wild, treeless country covered with heather; in places stretching as far as the old fishing villages on the North Sea coast.

Northumberland: empty, rolling country with many historic castles; fine, sandy beaches. It is possible to walk for miles along the top of Hadrian's Wall, built by the Romans in 122 A.D. The Cheviots are the loneliest and wildest hills in England; mainly sheep country, but new forests have been planted.

The Cotswolds (Gloucestershire): hills with ancient, carefully preserved villages built in the local, golden stone.

East Anglia: Richest farmland in Britain, very flat in places, rather like Holland. Some houses show Dutch influence; many unspoilt villages and towns; a coastline of salt marshes and sandhills. A group of small lakes, called "The Broads", connected by narrow waterways, is very popular for boating holidays.

The Southern Counties: a network of little roads and clearly marked footpaths; farms, bare hills and thick woodland; attractive villages, most of them with pubs. There are hotels and bed and breakfast places in all small towns.

The River Thames: historic, interesting, and often beautiful river from mouth to source. A river trip from London to Oxford takes two days.

The coast: South coast is spoilt except for a few miles of chalk cliffs in Kent, Sussex and Dorset; parts of Devon, Cornish and Somerset coasts are unspoilt - high

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cliffs, beautiful beaches, old-world villages and towns. Many miles of footpath run along cliff tops.

Wales

Snowdonia (North Wales): very crowded and popular in summer; rocky mountains, lakes, waterfalls, grassy hillsides.

Central Wales: not grand scenery, but pleasant; very lonely, under-populated area; sheep farms and newly planted forests.

South Wales: rounded mountains and river valleys (Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons, The Towy Valley); unspoilt, although near mining towns.

The coast: Pembrokeshire: fine, mauve-coloured cliffs and sandy beaches; the Gower Peninsula: very near Swansea, but preserved; the island of Anglesey is very flat, but has some attractive beaches.

Scotland

The Western Highlands: magnificent scenery throughout; mountains covered with purple heather in August. Sea lochs and freshwater lochs bordered by wild mountains; few towns or villages, many one-track roads; the land of red deer, wild cats, grey seals, gannets, golden eagles and salmon.

The Western Isles (Hebrides): hundreds of islands, large and small; some are very flat with golden beaches; others, like the historic islands of Mull and Skye, are mountainous, most islands reached by regular ferry services; sea birds of all kinds, eagles, grey seals, sea-feeding otters.

The Eastern Highlands (Cairngorms): highest chain of mountains in Britain (1,245 m), but flat-topped; broad salmon rivers, ancient pine forests, and both golden eagles and ospreys breed here. At the base of Cairngorms there is now a skiing resort, Aviemore.

The Southern Uplands and Galloway: beautiful unspoilt hills, with small lochs and streams; little visited but lovely walking country.

Mountain climbing in Britain: Although no mountain in Britain is higher than Ben Nevis (1,343 m), there are high, dangerous rockfaces on many mountains in the British Isles. The first mountaineers to reach the top of Everest in 1953 trained on the rock faces of Snowdonia.

3 Group discussion. Read the following pieces of information decide whether the same is true for our country.

British roads

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Britain is the only country in Europe, except Malta, where driving is on the left. There are 3,000 kms of motorway (mostly six lanes) and over 3,000 kms of dual carriageway (divided highway). But many of the "A" roads tend to be narrow and to turn and twist continuously. Since Britain has the highest density of traffic in the world, traffic jams during rush hours and at holiday times are fairly common. The speed limit on motorways is 112 kph. On all other roads it is 96 kph.

Holidays with pay

Britain is the only country in the EEC whose employers are not forced by law to give their workers paid holidays. However the great majority of employers have written agreements with their workers giving them three or four weeks' holiday a year - not counting the eight days of national holidays.

Youth hostels

There are youth hostels in every part of Britain. It is possible to arrange a walking or cycling tour, moving from hostel to hostel. Membership fees are very small, and so is the charge for board and lodging.

Holiday camps

There are holiday camps all round the coast, the most famous being Butlin's and Pontin's camps. They are ideal places for people who do not want the effort of looking for entertainment. Trained staff look after the children so that the parents can have time off to enjoy themselves. Billy Butlin, the Canadian who started the Butlin's camps, became immensely rich and was knighted.

National Parks

Many of the districts described above are National Parks. The land is in private ownership but building is strictly controlled. Owners are encouraged to let visitors walk on their land.

4 Answer the questions.

a) How far from the sea is it possible to live in Britain?b) What do you find on a pier?c) Why did Gwyn spend hours putting coins in slot machines?d) In what part of Britain is Blackpool?

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e) Why did the Macdonalds book their summer holiday in Cornwall in advance?

5 Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases using an English-English dictionary.

Agreeable, trek to the sea, assembly room, sea front, suburb, landlady, the main holiday period.

6. Because ...Finish the following sentences.

a) The British often complain about the weather because ...b) The winters are not cold in the west of Scotland because…c) Sir Charles was looking at the salt marshes because ...d) The salt marshes had disappeared because ...

7 Do you remember?

a) Why is the Lake District so popular?b) Why is it better not to go there during the holiday season?c) In what part of England are Dartmoor and Exmoor?d) In what part of Britain is the best farmland?e) What is especially interesting about Northumberland?f) Which are the most attractive parts of Wales? Why?

8 Does the short description of Scotland make you want to go there? Make a list of the things that especially attract you.

9 If you have spent a holiday in a youth hostel - either in the UK or anywhere else - describe what you do from the moment you get up to the moment you go to bed.

10 Minitalks for discussion:

1.Say what you do on public holidays.2. How long are workers’ annual holidays in Russia?3. A typical British holiday resort.4. Recreation facilities in Russia.5. My weekend cottage.6. My favourite sport/ game.7. My story/ experience/ joke/ funny story about a walking tour.

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Part IV READING NEWSPAPERS

1 Read and discuss the article.

Prince swaps sympathy for tea at £25-a-night B&B

By Alan Hamilton and Andrew Pierce

The Prince of Wales spent two nights this week enjoying his first stay in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

News of his secret stay with Joe and Hazel Relph at their £25-a-night farmhouse in the like District was released minutes after the Prince and his two detectives had headed back to London.

The Prince enthused over his experience as he checked out yesterday. "It's a marvelously cosy place, very special, and they are doing a wonderful operation here. The food is splendid," he said.

The detectives paid the bill for the Prince, who rarely carries cash. “We made sure they were not out of pocket,” an aide said. “He actually loved it and was a big fan of the food. He is still going on about the rhubarb crumble.”

Unlike most B&B bookings, his was no spur-of-the-moment decision. For the first five months the Prince, who is also a farmer, has been working on a high-profile publicity exercise to remind the world that the foot-and-mouth epidemic is over. The Prince was determined to help farmers to get back on their feet, St James's Palace said last night. "The epidemic is over, we are coming into spring and the start of the tourist season, and he wanted to show that the affected areas are back in business," an aide said.

At the height of epidemic the Prince gave £500,000 from his charity funds to help the worst-hit farmers and rural businesses.

Last night the National Farmers' Union expressed delight at the Prince's gesture. “We are all in the business of getting the countryside back to normal; we wish he would stay in B&Bs all the time,” a spokesman said.

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The Prince first met the Relphs last September when he visited them at Yew Tree Farm in Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, during a tour of farms in Cumbria, one of the areas of the country worst affected by the epidemic.

The Relphs had to close their farm for six months and slaughter 320 of their flock. The Prince was impressed that they had diversified into B&B, a coffee shop and selling produce at the farm gate.

In the farm’s Flock In coffee shop he met other farmers and heard how their livelihoods were being destroyed by the epidemic, which also frightened tourists away from the countryside in droves.

Several weeks after the visit Mrs Relph had a phone call from St James's Palace, asking to make a booking. The Prince arrived on Tuesday with his detectives and spent the day walking the fells with friends in driving rain.

On the first morning of his visit, the Prince had tea in the dining room of the Relphs. He told them: "When I came in September I was so taken by the house and all the things you do to make it special for visitors, I couldn't resist coming back up."

Mrs Relph told him: "You said you would come back, and you have. We really appreciate it."

He replied: "I particularly wanted to show that this part of the world is open for business."

The Prince paid the standard rate for his double room with en suite bathroom and full English breakfast with local Cumberland sausage.

(The Times, February 2002)

1.1 Find the meaning of the following words and phrases in an English-English dictionary and use them in the sentences of your own.

To enthuse (over) to be out of pocketaide to check outon the spur of the moment at the height of the epidemicfoot-and-mouth epidemic worst-hit farmersto get back on one’s feet slaughterto diversify livelihood(s)in droves in driving rain

1.2 Answer the questions.

1. What enthused the Prince at the Relphs’ £25-a-night farmhouse?

2. Why was his staying at the Relphs’ £25-a-night farmhouse not a spur-of-the-moment decision?

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3. Why was the Prince determined to help farmers get back on their feet?

4. What do we find out about the Relphs?5. How did the Prince explain to the Relphs his intention to

come to their particular place?

1.3 Explain the usage of the word would in the sentences in bold style, state its function and make up ten sentences of your own on the same patterns.

1.4 Translate the sentences into English using the words and word combinations from the article.

1. Похоже, ваше моментальное решение привело всех в восторг.2. Не думаю, что, поменяв маршрут, они прогадали в деньгах.3. Братья решили организовать свой туристический бизнес в разгар

эпидемии ящура.4. Семьям, наиболее пострадавшим от эпидемии, была оказана

материальная помощь.5. Отдыхающие толпами шли с праздника на пляже.6. Интересно, помогут ли ему его бывшие партнеры встать на ноги

после такой трагедии?7. Скорей бы закончился этот проливной дождь!

2 Read and discuss the article. Use the words and phrases in bold type while rendering it.

SITTING PRETTY AT HOLIDAY TIME

Graham Norwood looks at a growing demand from vacationing home-owners for paid house-sitters to look after their properties and pets while they are away

Increasing number of homeowners are hiring people to stay in their houses at holiday times – and

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reaping the reward of reduced insurance as well as peace of mind while on vacation.

House-sitting is a growing business destined to get bigger as fear of crime increases.

Housewatch is one of about 15 sitting agencies in the UK, serving some 50 clients a month as far apart as Scotland and Cornwall, although demand is greatest among residents in rural properties in the home counties, who form a significant majority of customers.

Like most agencies House-watch finds appropriate people to live in the property during the owner’s holiday.

“Most of our house-sitters –we call them ‘watchers’ –are retired, aged around 60-65 and normally professionals, like former police officers, service personnel or retired teachers,” says Jane Murphy, one of House-watch’s four full-time staff.

“We insist they have their own car and their own property. We’ve never advertised – all the watchers we have came to us, and we interviewed them and took up references.”

The watchers have to be in the house for at least 21 out of every 24 hours – they can go to the shops or walk pets, but cannot go out for the evening.

“We make sure our watchers have fidelity bond cover – that’s a dishonesty policy in lay person’s terms – and there’s an insurance policy to cover around £100,000 damage on a property,” says Murphy.

One bonus for the house-owner of using a house-sitter – and a possible hazard for the sitter – is that many people leave their pets at home to be looked after.

“We just had someone with 13 tortoises, and there are lizards, the odd rat, and quite a few llamas. Few of our watchers will deal with reptiles or spiders, but a recent client had a lizard which had to be fed live locusts – but the legs had to be broken off first. Luckily, two elderly ladies seemed very happy to be in the house and oblige,” recalls Murphy.

All house-sitting agencies follow similar steps to ensure peace of mind for their customers:

A client specifies what needs looking after – the house, animals, car(s), or even a boat.

The agency matches the homeowner’s requirements with someone living as close as possible to the home.

Client and house-sitter then meet. If all is well, the client confirms the booking.

The client prepares a final briefing for the sitter on how equipment works and the requirements of any pets.

A deal is struck on a “float” of petty cash to cover breakages or minor repairs during the client’s absence.

“We’ve spent an hour with the person who’s stayed in our home every time we’ve used the service,” says Mary Hewett, a client of Housewatch for six years.

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“We’ve always given sitters a clear run-down of how the services work, the insurance stipulations and how to get hold of us in emergencies, and everything has worked well.”

“I wouldn’t dream of going on holiday without using such a service now. It gives me the security of knowing someone is in the home, makes sure our pets get exercised far more than they would at kennels, and isn’t much more expensive than boarding the animals,” she says.

Housewatch is fairly typical in charging £23 a day plus VAT for looking after the house. A cat costs a further £1 a day, a dog up to £2,50 and exotic or demanding animals could cost more.

Some agencies ask for an extra sum – usually about £5 a day to cover food and drink for the sitter. A two-week trip could set you back £500.

Yet order-books have never been busier. “Our business has expanded quite dramatically over the past five years,” says Adele Barclay, managing director of Homesitters.

“People like the idea of their house being looked after by someone mature who has the experience of looking after their own home. Slightly older people have much more appreciation of possessions, too.”

Traditional home-sitting services attract traditional customers – normally the country set. A new service in London is targeting younger professional groups who travel frequently and for long periods, but are reluctant to rent out their property during their absence.

HomeSearch London is a relocation consultancy which is launching a “home alone” packages of services within the area bounded by the M25. The services range from redirection of mail to paying property-related bills, and from routine cleaning to undertaking maintenance work. However, no one stays in the property.

London is a fantastic hub attracting business people from throughout the world.

“Many will buy pied-à-terres which they may have to leave empty for some months –perhaps while they go to their home country for the summer, or abroad on business for some months, “ says HomeSearch London chief James Moss.

The company charges £100 a month plus any costs incurred for the specific service required – for example, Post Office costs for letter redirection or the plumber’s charge for repairing a leak.

“We started offering this service for properties we were managing for our relocation clients, but then we realised just how large a market there was for this kind of service in an international centre like London,” says Moss.

(The Financial Times, June2005)

2.1 Explain the usage of the ing-forms in the sentence in bold style, state their function and make up ten sentences of your own on the same pattern.

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Part V SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS

HOLIDAYS

Let us first look at the public holidays everyone in England has. They are called Bank Holidays, one of the days on which banks are closed by law, and usually known as general holidays, e.g. Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. In addition to these extra days-off everyone in Britain has at least three weeks’ holiday with pay. But whatever the duration, a holiday equals a change from the normal routine. It should be something different and not a busman’s holiday, for a change is as good as a rest, if not better.

Although many British families spend their holidays abroad nowadays, especially in Spain, very many people still go to one of the big seaside resorts such as Brighton and Blackpool. They are noted for their seafront of hotels and boarding houses, while over the road is the beach of pebbles or sand. Here elderly ladies in their fantastic hats sit on deckchairs protected by sunshades to prevent them from getting freckles but more often by windshields to keep off the chilly sea breeze. They have their hampers with elaborate picnic equipment for making the ever-desirable cup of tea. These old dears never dream of going into the water; nevertheless the youngsters paddle on the edge of the shore and a few courageous people swim in the rough waves, surf ride or go windsurfing.

For further entertainment there is a pier with its funfair including swings, dodgems and amusement machines. A band plays light music and you can have refreshments in the café here. Staying in hotels is, of course, rather expensive and so you will find that many people, especially large families hire a room in a bungalow, or possibly a whole bungalow, where cooking facilities and all other amenities are available.

Those who don’t want to idle away their holidays lazing around can always try their hand in camping: pitching tents, sleeping under canvas on inflatable mattresses (airbeds) and in cozy sleeping bags, as in Britain the weather is not ideal for playing at Robinson Crusoe.

The British have no idea of the joys of mushrooming, collecting bilberries, wild raspberries and the like. Untrodden, lonely places are not in much abundance in England. They hardly know what it is to ramble over hills and dales along footpaths where the trees are marked with colored signs to guide you to a beauty spot. And few know the sense of accomplishment people may have when they slave away at their weekend

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cottage throughout their holidays. It is, no doubt, a welcome change, and the one we all need.

HOLIDAYS IN THE USA

Each of the fifty states establishes its own legal holidays. But most of them accept the federal legal holidays. Holidays for all federal offices, most state and local government offices are:

New Year’s Day (January 1st),Washington’s Birthday, sometimes called “Presidents’ Day” (third

Monday in February),Memorial Day (last Monday in May),Independence Day (July 4th),Columbus Day (second Monday in October)Veterans’ Day (November 11th),Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)Christmas Day (December 25th).Most states have holidays which are “observed”, but are not

necessarily “legal”. The name of the holiday does not mean that banks or businesses are always closed or children let out of school. The President or Congress might proclaim a special day or week in order to bring attention to a certain concern, interest group, or problem, for example, National Employ the Handicapped Week – first week in October.

A lot of religious holidays such as Good Friday or Ramadan are observed, of course, by the religions, but they have no national, or official legal status.

There are many traditional holidays, observed by a large number of Americans, which are also neither legal nor official, e.g. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Halloween.

Perhaps the two “most American” of the holidays are – The Fourth of July –Independence Day – and Thanksgiving. The Fourth of July is like a big, nationwide birthday party, which takes place in neighbourhoods, on beaches or in parks, or on suburban lawns throughout the country. Some towns or cities have parades with bands and flags, and most politicians will try to give a patriotic speech or two, should anyone be willing to listen. But what makes the 4th of July is the atmosphere and enjoyment of the family beach party, with hot dogs and hamburgers, volleyball, the fireworks and rockets at night.

Like Christmas, Thanksgiving is a day for families to come together. Traditional foods are prepared for the feast – turkey or ham, cranberry sauce and corn dishes, bread and rolls and pumpkin pie. At the same time,

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Thanksgiving is a solemn occasion, a day to remember the many who are less well off, in America and throughout the world.

YE OLDE BRITAIN

The coach sets you down at the market cross. The people here live in black and white half-timbered houses with pretty window boxes full of flowers. There’s a Norman church with Saxon windows and a Gothic spire. There’s a grand house with priest hotels and a ghost.

You are taken down a cobbled street to see the oldest pub in England, where pilgrims, smugglers and runaway princes all met (though not necessarily at the same time). There, sitting outside at a wooden table with a ploughman’s lunch and a tankard of ale, you’ll find out true Brit. Stroll out of town past the guildhall, and the mediaeval stocks where rogues were punished (unlike today!), then climb the hill to the old castle with its ruined battlements. The weather is always fine, so stop for a picnic in the meadow with scones 9”as mother used to make them”) and strawberries and cream. On the river there are chaps in blazers standing up in flat-bottomed boats, and girls in straw hats waving to them from the bank. They say you shouldn’t live in the past. But the true Brit does, and he’s very happy there.

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ДЛЯ ТЕХ, КТО ИЩЕТ ПРИКЛЮЧЕНИЙ

Если вы попадете в преподавательскую комнату в Плас-у-Бренин (Plas-y-Brenin), в пять часов пополудни, то она покажется вам обычной учительской, с неизменным огромным чайником и липкими булочками, поданными к «файв-о-клоку». Но вы очень скоро обнаружите, что скромного вида люди, собравшиеся здесь, располагают запасом диковинных историй о своих приключениях, которым мог бы позавидовать сам Джеймс Бонд.

Вот этот парень, с дырой в мокром носке, только недавно обогнул на байдарке мыс Горн (Cape Horn); а вон тот, в затрепанной тенниске, одолел пик Эйгер (Eiger) с северной стороны… Обычный же человек может присоединиться к этой утонченной компании всего лишь за сумму, равную 5 тыс. рублям, которую он заплатит за двухдневный (во время уик-энда) курс альпинизма.

Плас-у-Бренин – этот центр спортивного совершенства - приютился у подножия горы Сноудон, в красивейшей долине в северном Уэльсе. Здесь воздух так же прохладен и чист, как горные ручьи, а враждуют с ними и сейчас, и на будущей неделе, и вечно – ветры и клубящийся туман, гранитные скалы, лёд и снег; приветливо звучит лишь журчащий водопад или скорбное блеяние овцы. И вот именно здесь, в Национальном центре горного туризма Совет по спорту собрал замечательную группу инструкторов.

Все они отличаются скромностью. Энтузиазм к своему делу заставляет их работать по 12 часов в день, шесть дней в неделю за весьма умеренную плату. Устроен центр необычайно практично; тут могут разместиться 60 обучающихся, которые спят на удобных двухэтажных койках и едят здоровую, сытную пищу, подаваемую точно по расписанию, как и положено в учебном заведении.

А на свежем воздухе, в окружении воодушевляющего пейзажа, можно научиться всему, начиная с того, как не потеряться при прогулке по холмам, в местах, где без подробной карты не заблудиться только ястреб, - и кончая тайными трюками и приемами, которые доведут вас до вершины Эвереста, если только до этого все ваши мысли не замерзнут. Плас-у-Бренин выявит на что вы способны, будь вы школьницей-горожанкой или пожилым бизнесменом.

Инициатива, независимость, умение до конца использовать собственные ресурсы, воображение: именно эти «предметы» предлагаются студентам в Плас-у-Бренине, и овладевают ими, например, проходя по рекам на самодельных плотах и байдарках.

Альпинизм и горнолыжный спорт также включены в широкую программу центра.

Почти каждый, кто побывал здесь, вероятнее всего, поделится своим опытом с молодёжными организациями, такими как скауты, или курсантами

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военных училищ, а также с частными альпинистскими, горнолыжными, байдарочными и другими клубами. Центр – пример хорошо рассчитанного капиталовложения в профессиональную экспертизу в спорте.

(по материалам журнала «Англия»)ЗАПАХ ПАМЯТИ

Когда мы были подростками, у нас была игра: темным августовским вечером доехать до дома на велосипеде без фонарика по длинной и узкой просёлочной дороге. Не было риска налететь в темноте ни на пешеходов, ни на машину, но зато можно было угодить в дерево – пихту или берёзу. Впрочем, то, что вначале было рискованным делом, со временем стало для нас пустяком. И большая часть нашей компании быстро научилась доезжать по тонкой ленте тёплого гудрона и спрессованного песка (warm tar and packed sand) прямо до дома.

В ясную ночь можно было ориентироваться по звёздам. Но ещё легче было ехать на запах. Сделав глубокий вдох, мы носом чуяли местонахождение пихт по струящемуся аромату хвои и смолы. О том, что впереди поле, мы узнавали по изменению запаха: появлялось благоухание свежескошенной травы и папоротника (ferns).

Мы часто пропускали дорожки, ведущие к дому, но сами дома пропустить было невозможно: здесь, в северных лесах, даже в середине августа из каждой трубы тянулась струйка дыма.

Мы живём в мире, который столь же полон разнообразных запахов, сколь богат на звуки и краски, но, когда вынужден глотать воздух ртом, нет времени, чтобы ощутить их. Темп жизни заставляет нас испытывать хроническую нехватку времени, и нет возможности отдышаться. Это всё равно что, заткнув уши, слушать музыку или любоваться картиной, надев тёмные очки.

Остановитесь на мгновение и приготовьтесь пропустить через себя запахи. Сперва дуновение ветра донесет до вас запах солёных прибрежных топей, потом – печного дыма, поля, леса и снова моря.

Кое-какие запахи шибают в нос, например, тот, который ощущаешь в стоматологическом кабинете; или запах мокрой, после проливного дождя в знойный день, зелени и прибитой пыли; другие почувствуешь не сразу, как, например, запах осенних яблок, сладко пахнущих садом и почему-то детством. Если вас ужалила пчела, вы, принюхавшись к месту укуса, почувствуете аромат бананового масла.

Сперва каждый запах в новинку. Но со временем, когда новые запахи станут напоминать о прежних, вы научитесь их распознавать, находить отличительные черты. Запахи вообще прекрасно оживляют память. Иногда один-единственный едва уловимый запах из прошлого напомнит целый эпизод. Мне, например, достаточно смять в руке несколько пихтовых иголок и

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вдохнуть их северное благоухание – и я снова мальчишка, вокруг меня опять темная августовская ночь, я смеюсь от восторга и, крутя педали и переполняясь собственной смелостью, радостно мчусь к своему дому.

(по рассказу Роджера Б. Суэйна)СПИСОК ИСПОЛЬЗОВАННОЙ ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ

1. Virginia Evans, Lynda Edwards Upstream Advanced Student’s Book, Express Publishing, 2003.

2. Richard Musman, D’Arcy Adrian-Vallance Britain Today, Longman, 1999.

3. Bryn O’Callaghan An Illustrated History of the USA, Longman, 1997.4. Accelerate A Skilled-Based Short Course, Series editor Philip Prowse,

Macmillan Publishers Limited, 1998.5. Martin Ford, Peter Legon The How To Be British Collection, Lee Gone

Publications, 2005.6. Povey J. English in Leisure. – М.: Высшая школа, 1978.7. Oxford Dictionary for Advanced Learners, Oxford University Press,

2004.8. English Dictionary for Advanced Learners, COLLINS COBUILD, 2001.9. Matuyshkina-Guerke T.I., Kuzmichova T.N., Ivanova L.L. A Book for

Aural/Oral Work. – М.: ГИС, 1998.

СПИСОК РЕКОМЕНДОВАННОЙ ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ

1. Sue O’Connell Focus on First Certificate, Longman Ltd, 2001 (с кассетами).

2. Sue O’Connell Focus on Advanced English C.A.E., Longman Ltd, 2001 (с кассетами).

3. Leo Jones Progress to Proficiency, Cambridge University Press, 1994 (с кассетами).

4. Практический курс английского языка. 3 курс / Под ред. В.Д. Аракина. – 4-е изд. - М.: ВЛАДОС, 1999.

5. Головчинская Л.С. Совершенствуйте свой английский. Пособие по развитию навыков устной речи. В 5 кн.: Книга 1. – М.: ООО «изд-во Астрель», ООО «Изд-во АСТ»,2001.

6. Entertainments, Hobbies and Pastimes // Методические указания по практике устной/письменной речи английского языка. Сост. Окс М.В. – Ростов/Д.: Изд-во РГУ, 2005.

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