Washington Irving: (1783-1859)

The first American writer to gain international attention was Washington Irving. He was born to a wealthy New York family and received an excellent education. He began his writing career by creating satires about New York society. He later wrote about the Dutch influences upon the city in its early days. He attempted to give America a sense of a romantic past like that found in Europe, and he recorded some of the important developments in the exploration of the western regions of the country. His most popular work by far was The Sketch Book, which contains two of his most beloved stories, «The Legend of Sleepy Hollow» and «Rip Van Winkle».

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: (1807-1882)

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was one of the most widely read American poets of the 19th century. From 1835 to 1854 he was Smith Professor of Modern Languages at Harvard. In 1884, 2 years after his death, he became the first American to be honored with a bust in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey, London. He is best remembered for poems such as «The Song of Hiawatha» and «Paul Revere's Ride. »

Mark Twain: (1835-1910)

Mark Twain left his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri at the age of eighteen. His real name was Samuel Clemens, but he took his penname from a term used by the men who operated the river boats. They would call, «By the mark, twain!» This meant that the river was two (twain) feet deep. Mark Twain began his career as a newspaper writer. Later in life he used memories from his childhood to create some of his most popular novels, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain used humour to develop many serious themes in his novels and to help society see itself more clearly.

O'Henry: (1862-1910)

O'Henry is a well-known American short-story writer. He had to earn his living from the age of fifteen and he educated himself with the help of friends.

O'Henry knew people very well, especially the ordinary people of New York. In his stories you can feel satirical criticism of the American way of life. Most of his short stories are full of warm sympathy for ordinary American people.

O'Henry was the penname used by author William Sydney Porter. Porter was a great admirer of another American writer, Edgar Allan Рое, and he was influenced by Poe's style. O'Henry wrote many popular stories and earned a reputation as the master of surprise endings. He was especially talented at developing his characters, and at portraying city life accurately. He wrote over 600 stories.

F.Scoott Fitzgerald's: (1896-1940)

In the aftermath of World War I many novelists produced a literature of disillusionment. Some lived abroad and were known as «the Lost Generation». F.Scott Fitzgerald's novels capture the restless, pleasure-hungry, defiant mood of the 1920s.Fitzgerald s great theme, expressed poignantly in The Great Gatsby, was of youth's golden dreams (inning to disappointment. His prose was exquisite, yet his vision was essentially melancholy and nostalgic. John Dos Passos came home from the war to write long novels that attempted to portray all of American society, usually with a critical eye. In three novels combined under the title U.S.A., he interwove many plots, characters and settings, fictional and non-fictional, cutting back and forth between them in a style much like the new popular art-form, motion pictures.

Ernest Hemingway: (1899-1961)

War had also affected Ernest Hemingway. Having seen violence and death close at hand. Hemingway adopted a moral code exalting simple survival and the basic values of strength, courage and honesty. In his own writing, he cut out all unnecessary words and complex sentence structure, concentrating on concrete objects and actions. His main characters were usually tough, silent men, good at sports or war but awkward in their dealings with women. Among his best books were The Sun Also Rises (1926), A Farewell to Arms (1929) and For Whom the Bell lolls (1940). He eventually won the Nobel Prize and is considered one of the greatest American writers.

ESCAPISM AND WAR

Historical fiction became increasingly popular in Depression, for it allowed readers to retreat to the past. The most successful of these books was Gone With the Wind, a 1936 best-seller about the Civil War by southern woman, Margaret Mitchell. Mitchell's characters, especially her heroine, Scarlett O'Hara, and hero, Rhett Butler, were realistically drawn, although the plot at times became melodramatic.

In 1939, war broke out in Europe. The United States joined the war in December 1941. Right after the war, a series of young writers wrote intelligent novels showing how the pressures of war highlight men's characters. These included Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead, Irwin Shaw's The Young Lions, Herman Wouk's Caine Mutiny and James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific. By 1961, Joseph Heller published his satiric war novel Catch-22, in which war is portrayed as an absurd exercise for madmen.

Science fiction had for years existed in cheap popular magazines, offering readers a fantastic escape from their own world. Yet in the 1950s, «sci-fi» became serious literature, as Americans became more and more concerned about the human impact of their advanced technological society. Ray Bradbury (Martian Chronicles, 1950) Isaak Asimov (Foundation, 1951), Kurt Vonnegut (Player Piano, 1952), and Robert Heinlein (Stranger in A Strange Land, 1961) imaginatively portrayed future worlds, often with a moral message for the writer's own era.

11Author Review.

Match

a) Washington Irving 1) The first American writer to earn

b) O'Henry international recognition.

c) Henry Wadsworth 2) This author's real name was Samuel Clemens

Longfellow 3) Surprise endings were this writer's

d) Mark Twain characteristic trademark

e) Ernst Hemingway 4)He bacame the first American to be honoured f) Margaret Mitchell with a bust in the Poets Corner

g) F. Scott Fitzgerald of Westminster Abbey, London

5) His prose was exquisite, get his vision

was melancholy.

6) He won the Nobel Prize and is

considered one of the greatest American.

7) The most successful of these looks

was «Gone with the wind»

12HOLLYWOOD.

1)What do you know about Hollywood?

2)What would you like to know about it? Write a list of questions which you would like to ask about Hollywood.

3)Which of your questions does the text help to answer? (reading for specific information)

The development of cinematography brought to life the world cinema empire called Hollywood.

The world capital of filmed entertainment Los Angeles years has been a lot of things over the past 100 First, it was a little city with orange forest and great weather. But, one day in 1908 a group of people from Chicago came to Los Angeles to shoot (make)a film. Since that day a lot of directors,producers, actors and thousands of other workers have been coming to Los Angeles. In 1911 the first studio appeared in Hollywood (apart of Los Angeles).

In the 1920s Hollywood made 80 % of the world's films. Silent and black-and-white films of those early years starring Mary Pickfordand Charlie Chaplin were forced out by sound films in the middle of the 1920s. Full-length films came up to take place of short films. And thefirst colour film, Gone With the Wind, was shotin 1939. This film brought a great success to Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable who starred in the film. The number of the studios grew very quickly. They combined in large corporations and now the biggest film companies are MGM, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros, and Universal.

The first genres of American films were melodrama, westernand comedy,later appeared adventure and historicalfilms. But now the range of genres is much richer. Hollywood got the name of the factory of dreams. It is associated with wealth and paradise of sun and palm trees. But it is only a facade for a darker truth.

'Oscar' – the award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was instituted on May 16, 1929. Oscars are said to have been named after Oscar Pierse of Texas. When the figurines were first delivered to the executive officers of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the executive secretary exclaimed, «Why, they look just like my Uncle Oscar». And the name stuck.

4) What new information have you learnt about Hollywood and film making?

5) Why is Hollywood called the capital of filmed entertainment?

UNIT 3

Welcome to Australia

Study the words:

Coat of arms – герб prominent – выдающийся

hemisphere – полушарие to grant – даровать

fertile – плодородный, shield – щит

изобильный wildlife – природа

cropland – земля, пригодная to contain – содержать

для выращивания c/х культур badge – герб, эмблема

urban –городской Emu – эму

rural – сельский wattle – австралийская акация

Tasmania – Тасмания preservation – защита

to plant – сажать (растения) seven-pointed – семиконечная

Union Jack – государственный

флаг Соединенного Королевства

Великобритании и Северной Ирландии

1 Read and find out.

AUSTRALIA TODAY

Australia is a continent, a country and an island all at the same time. It is the sixth largest country and the smallest continent in the world. Australia is located in the southern hemisphere. That is why it has summer when we have winter and it has winter when we have summer. It is interesting to know that January is the hottest month in Australia.

Australia is situated south of Asia, between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. Australia is the world's driest continent. Huge areas of land are so dry that they are uninhabited. There are rainforests in the north, snowfields in the south-east, desert in the centre and fertile croplands in the south and south-west. Australia is also the flattest continent after Antarctica.

Australia is a very urban country. About 70 per cent of the population live in the 10 largest cities. Most of the population is in the south-eastern corner of the country and only 15 per cent of the population live in rural areas. Canberra is the capital of Australia. It is not the biggest city. Sydney and Melbourne are much larger. The state of Tasmania is separated from the continent of Australia. It is an island-state.

Australians love their wildlife. The Australian government pays a lot of attention to the preservation of the environment. In the past many trees had been cut down. Now trees are being planted all over Australia.

Australians also love sports. Australia is one of the few countries in the world that has participated in all of the Olympic games since they were organized. The Olympic games were held in Melbourne in 1956 and in Sydney in 2000.

Australia's coat of arms – the official emblem of the Australian Government – was granted by King George V in 1912. The arms consist of a shield containing the badges of the six states. The supporters are native Australian fauna – a kangaroo and an emu. A yellow-flowered native plant, wattle, also appears in the design.

Australia's national day, Australia Day, on 26 January marks the date in 1788 when Captain Arthur Phillip, of the British Royal Navy, commanded a fleet of 11 ships and sailed into Port Jackson (Sydney Cove).

The flag of Australia is the only one to fly over a whole continent. The small Union Jack represents the historical link with Britain, the large seven-pointed star represents the six States and the Territories, and the small stars form the Southern Cross – a prominent feature of the southern hemisphere night sky.

2 Find out more information about Australia, use the maps to answer the following questions.

1) Why is January the hottest month in Australia?

2) Please explain the meaning of the sentence: «Huge areas of land are so dry that they are uninhabited»

3) What is an island-state?

4) Why are trees being planted all over Australia?

5) Please finish and explain the meaning of the sentence: «Australia is one of the few countries in the world that…»

6) Which countries, oceans and seas surround Australia?

7) Australia has three main rivers. Can you name them?

8) Australia has the largest coral reef in the world. What is it called?

9) Do you know any other interesting information about Australia?

3 Fill in the blanks with the verbs using the above text.

1) Australia _______________ in the southern hemisphere.

2) The capital of Australia _________________ Canberra.

3) Tasmania __________________ from the continent of Australia.

4) The Olympic games ________________ in Melbourne in 1956.

5) About a quarter of the population _________________ overseas.

4 Read and find out.

Study the words:

equator – экватор eventually – в конце концов

to land – высаживать to earn – зарабатывать

to claim – предъявлять convict – каторжник, осужденный

права на что-либо settler – поселенец

unemployment – безработица inhabitant – обитатель

crime – преступность estimated – приблизительно

to punish – наказывать bushranger – бродяга, преступник

prison – тюрьма otlaw – человек вне закона, бандит

sentence – приговор Commonwealth – содружество, федерация labourer – чернорабочий foreign affairs – внешняя политика

AUSTRALIA'S UNIQUE HISTORY

Сaptain James Cook discovered Australia in 1770. He was sent to discover the huge land that many people believed was south of the equator. He landed south of present day Sydney in New South Wales. He claimed this part of the land for the King of England.

At this time England was having many social problems. Unemployment was high. Crime was one of the great­est problems. The government punished people by sen­ding them to prison. England's solution to crowded prisons was to send prisoners to the far colonies. They could work off their prison sentences as labourers in the new colonies and eventually earn their freedom. Therefore, in 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip commanded eleven ships to Australia. About 750 of the 1000 people on the ships were convicts. These first settlers were greeted by the Aborigines, the first inhabitants of Australia. There were an estimated 300,000 Aborigines living in Australia at that time.

Great Britain claimed all of Australia in 1827. In 1851 gold was discovered about 300 km west of Sydney. People rushed to the gold fields to find their fortunes. This attracted robbers called bushrangers. Ned Kelly was a famous bushranger. He was a very clever outlaw.

In 1901 Australia became a nation within the British Empire under Queen Victoria's rule. It was called the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia had a very limited constitution. Great Britain continued to make decisions regarding all of Australia's foreign affairs.

In 1931 Australia gained independence from Great Britain.

5 Answer the questions.

1) Do you think Australia's history is so unique? Can you think of another country with a similar history – British settlement, natives already there, a goldrush?

2) What part of Australia's history do you find unique or interesting?

6 Explain (объясните) the meaning of the following sentence: «At this time England was having many social problems».

7 Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Find the topic sentence of each part.

Study the words:

publisher – издатель bush – обширные, малонаселенные

cove – небольшая бухта пространства в Австралии

to borrow – заимствовать to tend – иметь склонность

kangaroo – кенгуру colloquialism – разговорное выражение

koala – коала increasingly – все более и более

wombat – вомбат surprisingly – удивительно

AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH

My name is Susan Butler and I am Publisher for «The Macquarie Dictionary» publishing company. I have been working on the dictionary since it first started in 1970. The Macquarie Dictionary was first published in 1981. It is recognised as the national dictionary of Australian English.

What makes Australian English different from other Englishes of the world? Well – its history for a start. When the British government established a convict settlement at Sydney Cove they did not think about the linguistic consequences. As time went by, the convicts and settlers took English and adapted it to their new home by changing the meaning of words or borrowing new ones to suit.

An easy way for English to expand in Australia to meet the needs of the settlers was to borrow from the Aboriginal languages, particularly in describing the flora and fauna. Some animals were named this way, such as, the kangaroo, koala and wombat. The kookaburra, a popular Australian bird that sounds like a human laughing, was also named this way.

If you visit Australia you might notice that there are differences between the older generation and the younger generation, and between the people who live in the city and those who live in the bush (country). It seems that the younger generation living in the cities tend to take their fashionable colloquialisms from America.

It is noticeable that, despite the size of Australia, everyone sounds the same. Our spelling on the whole reflects our British tradition but we are increasingly influenced by American English. We have ended up somewhere between the two. We spell colour as color or colour, but surprisingly we spell metre as metre, not meter.

8 Read the text find out information.

Study the words:

Embassy – посольство superb – роскошный

Centerpiece – украшение facility – помещение и оборудование

Spectacular – эффектный spire – остроконечная вершина, шпиль

Crisp – бодрящий landmark – бросающийся в глаза

to point out – обращать объект местности

внимание surfing – серфинг

acknowledged — признанный yachting – парусный спорт

to sit back – откидываться на cycling – велоспорт

спинку стула, расслаблять(ся)

CANBERRA – THE CAPITAL OF AUSTRALIA

Canberra is the home of Australia's government and embassies from around the world.

The centrepiece of the city is the new Parliament House, which was opened in 1988. This is where Australia's government meets. Canberra is also the «natural capital» and is within easy reach of some of Australia's most spectacular countryside.

The air here is fresh and crisp. No wonder the people of Canberra love to spend their time outdoors!

There are many fine museums in Canberra. Canberra was designed by an American. Canberra is a «cyclist's paradise».

Australia's national landmarks are located in Canberra. The National Gallery, the National Science and Technology Centre, the High Court and the Old Parliament House are all here.

Welcome to Melbourne. Take a Ride on the City Circle Tram! You will enjoy travelling around Melbourne on the City Circle Tram. It runs every 10 minutes from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. While you are sitting on the tram, the conductor will point out the most interesting sights in Melbourne.

Melbourne is a very multi-cultural city. Over a quarter of the population was born overseas. It is home to many cultural groups, speaking 170 languages and giving Melbourne a unique character. Melbourne has one of the largest Greek and Italian populations in the world.

Melbourne is the acknowledged Culture Capital of Australia, with world-class music, dance, opera, comedy and theatre. So, sit back and enjoy the ride!

The architecture in Melbourne has been carefully planned. When designing buildings, architects in Melbourne think hard about the scenery and the surroundings of the building site.

The National Gallery of Victoria, established in 1861, is the state art gallery. The Gallery presents exhibitions of historical and contemporary art from within Australia and overseas. This place is worth visiting. The magnificent collection, totalling over 70,000 works, range from paintings, sculpture and photography to decorative arts, prints and drawings.

Opened in 1982, the Victorian Arts Centre is known for its superb facilities and its 115 meter webbed steel spire. The Rialto Tower Observation Deck, situated on level 55 of Melbourne's tallest building, provides a panoramic view of Melbourne and the surrounding landmarks.

The Centre houses the Melbourne Concert Hall, Performing Arts Museum and three major theatres collectively seating 5,880 people with a revolving stage especially for opera.

Aboriginal Heritage Tours. Don't miss the opportunity to learn about one of the oldest living cultures in the world. Visit Aboriginal tribal lands, meet the people and gain an understanding of traditional beliefs and lifestyle.

Melbourne has one of the most fanatical sporting public in the world. Playing tennis, golf, baseball and football, surfing, water-skiing, boating. Yachting, cycling and running are very popular in Melbourne.

Don't forget to visit the Melbourne Zoo. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest zoos in the world. It is home to over 3,000 animals.

Make sure to get off the bus to try fresh juice made of watermelons, melons, carrots, oranges, etc. You choose the fruit and vegetables and in a minute you'll drink this delicious mixture. Don't worry, another bus will be by soon!

Temperate. Melbourne enjoys four distinct seasons. Winter with cool nights; Spring and Autumn are delightful. Warm Summer. Rain evenly distributed throughout the year. Water Temperatures: Winter 10,5 °C, Summer 21,5 °C.

January and February are the hottest months in Melbourne, with maximum temperatures reaching about 25 °C.

9 Please fill in the gaps.

1) Canberra _________________ by an American.

2) There ____________ many fine museums in Canberra.

3) Canberra ___________ a «cyclist's paradise».

4) Australia's national landmarks ____________ in Canberra.

5) The National Gallery, the National Science and Technology Centre, the High Court and the Old Parliament House ____________all here.

10 Summarize what you have just read about Melbourne. Please use the infinitive, Gerund and Participle when possible.

11 Read and find out.

Study the words:

mammal – млекопитающее invertebrate – беспозвоночное

insect – насекомое extinct – вымерший

reptile – пресмыкающееся to occur – иметь место

amphibians – земноводные vegetation – растительность

marsupial – сумчатый swamp – болото

monotreme – одноапертурный to prey – охотиться

new Guinea – о. Новая Гвинея lifespan – продолжительность жизни

placental – плацентарный tusk – клык, бивень

enormous diversity – огромное horn – рог

разнообразие

AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE

Australia has nearly half a million species of plants and animals – one of the greatest varieties of any country in the world.

Australia, South America and Africa occupy approximately the same range of latitudes and have a similar variety of habitats. Yet they support quite different types of fauna (animals). The term «animal» includes not only mammals, but also insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, etc.

While many countries have their own unique fauna, Australia is unusual in that. It includes:

• 70 % of the world's marsupials;

• all of the world's monotremes (New Guinea also has monotremes);

• only, a small percentage of the world's placental;

• an enormous diversity of parrots and other birds;

• a fascinating range of reptiles, amphibians and fish;

• many unusual invertebrates.

• Australia has been isolated for long periods of time, so there has been little exchange of animals with the rest of the world. For example, there are no hoofed animals native to Australia, yet monotremes are found in Australia and New Guinea.

• Australia's climate is often unpredictable. There may be long periods of drought, frequent floods, or fires. These sorts of problems require unique adaptations. For example the Red Kangaroo can suspend the development of its embryo until conditions improve.

Generally knowledge of Australian fauna is quite poor. It is believed that between 200,000 and 300,000 species are in Australia, but so far only about 100,000 have been described.

Australian Endangered Species. No one will ever see a paradise parrot fly across the sky again. Paradise parrots are extinct. Extinction is forever.

Since the settlement of Australia by Europeans in 1788, thirty species of mammals and birds and about 100 species of plants have become extinct. A further 57 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and fish, many hundreds of species of invertebrates, and 209 plants are considered endangered and could become extinct within ten to twenty years.

The main cause of extinction is the destruction of habitats. A habitat con­tains all that a living thing needs to survive: space, light, water, food and shelter. Habitat destruction may occur when vegetation is cleared for agriculture, forestry, cities, mines or roads. It can also occur when swamps are drained or rivers are damped to store water. About fifty species of introduced animals live in the wild in Australia. These animals prey on native animals or compete with them for food and shelter.

Today we have a far greater understanding of the threats our wildlife faces than did the early settlers. Yet still we have created added threats such as urban and industrial development, pollution, and pet and fur trade. Parrots, for example, are illegally transported overseas. Often the parrots cannot adapt to the new environment and die.

People are the only animals with the power to save endangered species. But, why save a species? Without a variety of species, the earth may not be inhabitable by humankind. Plants and animals help to maintain the chemical balance of the atmosphere. Forests help to regulate water supplies. Plants and animals help to make soil. They provide food and control pests and diseases. They also provide a constant source of wonder and enjoyment.

12 Please answer the following questions.

1) Approximately how many species of plants and animals live in Australia?

2) Which two continents occupy approximately the same range of latitudes as Australia?

3) What does the term «animal» include?

4) What are the three types of mammals?

5) What type of mammal is the human?

6) What does it mean if a bird is migratory?

7) What does a living thing need to survive?

8) What is the main cause of extinction?

9) What can affect the lifespan of animals and plants?

10) Can extinction be reversed?

11) What is the main cause of extinction?

12) What kinds of threats does our wildlife face?

13) Can you think of any examples where an animal may have become endangered because a particular feature was valued by humans? (e.g. tusks, furs, horns)

14) If people don't protect endangered species, who will?

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