Great Britain. Туризм з метою захисту навколишнього середовища

Туризм з метою захисту навколишнього середовища. Environmental Tourism.

17. Реклама в туризмі. Tourist Promotion.

18. Засоби пересування в туризмі. Tourism and transportation.

19. Україна. Ukraine.

20. Туристичні центри України. Tourist Centers of Ukraine.

21. Київ. Kyiv.

22. Велика Британія. Great Britain.

Лондон. London.

США. The USA.

25. Вашингтон і Нью Йорк. Washington and New York.

TOPICS “TOURISM” 3 COURSE (FOR THE STATE EXAM)

1. People in Tourism (the topic)

I want to tell about different professions in the tourism industry. There are many interesting professions in tourism: a tourism manager, a tour operator, a travel agent, booking agents, travel consultants, a guide-interpreter, an animator and many others. The tour operator works in a tourism company. He develops tour packages. Tour operators organize tours, so they are the main producers in the tourism industry. Also they are wholesalers. The travel agent works in a travel company. The travel agent like a shop-assistant sells goods to the customers. The goods which he offers are tour operator’s packages. The travel agent is a retailer. He sells tour packages retail to consumers. He gets a commission from the tour operator. The commission is from 5 to 10 per cent of the tour cost. The travel agent also sells separate services. They are flights, hotel rooms, sightseeing tours, car rentals, travel insurances and so on. The travel agent works directly with the public. The travel agents sell tours, so hey are the main sellers in the tourist industry. A booking agent makes sales by telephone and a ticket agent also issues tickets and meets customers in person. The tourism manager runs some tourism business. He supervises the staff and all kinds of operation in a tourism company. Sometimes the tourism manager is just a head of some department in a large tourism company. The guide-interpreter or the tour guide handles tour groups. He shows tourists round a city, a sight, or a museum. The tour guide conducts sightseeing tours or tours to museums and exhibitions. The tour guide accompanies tourists during a local tour or during the whole journey. He or she caters to the needs of tourists. During a journey the tour guide deals with all kinds of problems. The tour guide speaks the language of the tourists perfectly well. The tour guide knows a lot on history, geography, art and culture. He or she knows al the sights in a destination. The tour guide answers a lot of questions. The tour guide is a friendly, easy-going and helpful person. Tourists always tip their guides if they like them. The animator organizes and provides entertainment for guests in a hotel or a holiday resort. The animator conducts parties, shows, sports or arts contests, games for children and grown-ups.

2. People in Hospitality (the topic)

There are many interesting professions: a hotel manager, a receptionist, a concierge, a chef, a hotel manager, a restaurant manager, a housekeeper, a cashier and many others. The receptionist is in charge of the check-in. She or he meets and greets guests, registers guests and assigns rooms to them. The receptionist must ensure that the check-in procedure is brief and convenient. The receptionist must help guests do the hotel formalities. She or he takes the guest’s name. If the guest is a foreign visitor, the receptionist must take the guest’s passport number. Then she asks the guest to sign the hotel register. In a large hotel the receptionist asks the guests to fill in a registration card and to sign it. She or he must explain how to do it correctly. The receptionist must send the signed registration card to the cashier’s office. The hotel manager is the head of a hotel. For the hotel guests the hotel manager is the host who must offer hospitality to his guests. For the hotel staff the hotel manager is the person who must establish the policy of the hotel business. He has to check up how different hotel departments carry out their functions. Often he has to deal with the hotel guests in person. He has to handle their problems and complaints. There may be different management positions in a hotel: the assistant manager, the resident manager, the night manager. The concierge works at a hotel’s information desk. The concierge must speak a few languages because she has to help guests from other countries. The concierge must help guests in all ways. She can recommend shops, restaurants, nightclubs. She can reserve tickets, find a babysitter, offer entertainment. The chef works in a restaurant or in the food and beverage department of a hotel. A restaurant may have different chefs. At the head of them is the head chef. He manages the kitchen of a restaurant. He has to select menus and to plan the meals. He has to taste the dishes. He also manages the kitchen staff: the chefs, the cooks and the helpers. In a big restaurant, there may be different specialist chefs: the soup chef, the sauce chef, the vegetable chef, the pastry chef and others. The hotel manager is the head of the hotel. For the hotel guests the hotel manager is the host who must offer hospitality to his guests. For the hotel staff the hotel manager is the person who must establish the policy of the hotel and its operations. The hotelmanager has to plan and control the hotel business. He has to check up how different hotel departments carry out their functions. Often he has to deal with the hotel guests in person. He has to handle their problems and complaints. There may be different management positions in the hotel: the assistant manager, the resident manager, the night manager. The assistant manager helps the manager and manages the hotel when the manager is not present. The resident manager is the manager who permanently lives in the hotel.The night manager is on duty during the night. The restaurant manager runs a restaurant but he doesn’t own it. The restaurant manager is in charge of a restaurant policy and operations. He has to decide the image of a restaurant. He has to plan its business. He has to decide on purchases and sales. He hires the restaurant staff and provides their training. In a large restaurant, there are other management positions: the purchase manager, the sales manager, the production manager, the personnel manager and others.

3. Development of Tourism and Hospitality Industry (the topic)

The hospitality, tourism and leisure industries have become increasingly important in terms of economies and employment throughout the world. Travel and hotels have always been closely related.

Giving people what they want but asking them to pay for it is the pattern for the development of the travel industry. Today’s holidaymakers are very much aware of their rights. They are no longer prepared to put up with substandard service, even when prices are low. Most people would rather pay extra money for the holiday they really want than take a second-rate package deal.

Our country is looking at ways of developing and promoting tourism. The government is improving criteria to rate hotels uniformly, looking at the transport infrastructure, considering the main tourism cultural itineraries.

In many countries tourism and hospitality industry is so important that its interests are represented at the ministerial level of government. Spain, for example, has a Ministry of Tourism and Information.

The newly created National Tourism Administration of Ukraine helped to boom tourism in our country. Abolishing entrance visas for citizens of the European Union countries increased the revenues from tourism considerably. Without doubt that changes in the country’s political and social climate created more open and attractive image of Ukraine. Our tourist industry can provide all kinds of tourism: we have the extensive coast line, scenic mountains and plains, ancient towns and architectural landmarks for cultural tours and for green tourism. In other words we possess so much but we have to work hard to develop and realize this potential.

In the Central European countries tourism is promoted by the joint efforts of their governments and public organizations. More governments now try to regulate the location and density of new developments, thereby spreading the economic benefits more widely. Where government investment in tourism is not direct, there an indirect investment in the form of building or improving the infrastructure can be performed.

The infrastructure consists of those things that are necessary before development can take place – roads, sewers /’sjuəs/, electricity, telephone service, airports and water supply.

The sufficient infrastructure must be created in Ukraine. The market potential, social and environmental impacts must be determined. The general strategy of development of tourism and special state programmes of Ukraine have been already launched, but, unfortunately, these programmes are not properly financed. I do hope that urgent and drastic measures will be taken in order to achieve the progress in the developing of tourism and hospitality industry. The rapid construction of new hotels, skilled employees, improving food and beverage service, providing high-speed forms of transportation will contribute to this success.

4. The Tourist Industry (the topic)

Tourism has been one of the fastest growing industries in recent years. The growth rate of tourism has generally exceeded the growth rate for the worldwide economy.

In spite of its rapid growth, it is not easy to define tourism.

Tourism necessarily involves travel; a tourist is usually defined as a person who is visiting some place other than his usual residence for more than 24 hours.

A tourist is distinguished by the length of his trip from an excursionist, who is away from his usual residence for less than 24 hours, or a weekend.

The purpose of travel must also enter into the definition of tourism.

Many people travel entirely for the purpose of recreation or pleasure; they are people on holiday. Other people travel for reasons of health.

Other people travel to visit friends or relatives, a reason that has become more important because of increased mobility throughout the world. Still others travel in order to educate themselves because travel is broadening.

All of these people are generally considered tourists since the primary reason for their trips is recreation. Most tourist statistics also include people who are travelling on business. Among them are businessmen and government officials on specific missions, as well as people attending meetings or conventions.

Many people among those travelling on business often combine pleasure with their work. They also use the same transportation, accommodations, and catering facilities as the holiday tourists.

Accommodations refer to hotels or other places where a traveller can find rest and shelter; catering facilities refer to places where a traveller or another member of the public can find food and drink.

Tourism is relatively new phenomenon in the world. Since being away from home is a necessary component of tourism, its development as a mass industry depended on modern means of rapid and inexpensive transportation.

6. Hotels: types and classification (the topic)

Travellers usually stay in hotels, inns or campsites. Businessmen who come to a city for a short stay try to find accommodation in the centre of the city. Hikers and motorists stay in campsites. Holidaymakers who travel with their children look for accommodation in old country inns or guesthouses.

There are the following hotel types according to the international standards:

1) Motor Hotel is a hotel with parking facilities and other services for motorists, normally with a first-class restaurant.

2) Motel has parking and other services for motorists. As a rule it is situated on a motorway. There is a restaurant or cooking facilities on its territory.

3) Commercial Hotel is usually situated in the town centre. Clientele mainly consists of travelling businessmen who stay for a couple of nights only.

4) Resort Hotel is situated at a tourist resort whether by the sea or in the mountains. Clientele mainly consists of people on holiday that stay for a longer period than a couple of nights only.

5) Airport Hotel is situated near an airport. Clientele mainly consists of airline stuff and people travelling by air who only stay for one night.

6) Congress Hotel has all necessary meeting and exhibition facilities, audio-visual equipment and banquet rooms for large and small groups.

7) Summer Hotel can be in operation only during the summer months. It is often used as a student dormitory in winter time.

8) Holiday Village consists of a number of small individual cottages or bungalows normally with cooking facilities.

9) Hostel is a kind of a modest, moderately priced hotel, as a rule it has sleeping and breakfast facilities only.

There are also other types of moderately priced accommodation: an inn, a motor lodge, and a youth hostel.

All the countries of tourist attraction have a large network of hotels. Their class depends on their size, furniture, comfort, service, situation and so on.

According to the level of comfort the hotels are classified as one, two, three, four or five star hotels. Nowadays there are some six star hotels abroad. The class of a hotel depends on its size, comfort, furniture and location in the city. Top class hotels offer tourists good food and good service.

Hotel facilities include: accommodation facilities (rooms of different types), dining facilities (restaurants, bars, snack-bars, cafes and so on), entertaining facilities (golf, night clubs, casinos), sporting facilities (swimming pools, saunas, massage rooms, boats for hire, fitness rooms).

7. Types of Rooms (the topic)

A top category has a whole choice of rooms. You can stay either in the top-category or the first-class room. It all depends on your choice, because the rooms are expensive. If you are not short of money you can afford yourself a suite-apartment, a suite, a junior suite or duplex. In any of these rooms you can find all facilities and conveniences. Normally there are three or more chambers in the top-category rooms (a sitting room, a study and bedrooms).

Guests staying in a suite or a suite apartment can have a guide and a car for the whole day.

In case you are short of money you can stay in single rooms, double rooms, twin rooms or studio rooms. Here you can also feel yourself at home. Hotel staff does its best to make your stay pleasant and comfortable.

There are the following main room types in a hotel: single room is a room occupied by one person. Double room has large bed for two people. Twin room is a room with single beds for two people. Studio room has both one bed and a convertible sofa. It can be used a single or a twin one. Suite has a sitting room connected to one or more bedrooms. Junior suite is a large room with partition separating the bedroom furnishing from the sitting area. Parlor is a sitting room not used as a bedroom (Sometimes called a salon). Hospitality room / Display room is a room used for entertaining (cocktail parties, banquets etc.). Connecting rooms are two rooms with private, connecting doors. You can move from one room to another without going to corridor. Adjoining rooms are two or more rooms side by side with a connecting door between them.

It is advisable to book rooms in advance especially in high season. Customs can always get the required information in Accommodation Bureau at railway stations, airports or at hotels about the kind of accommodation available.

Room Service

Room serviceis a catering service in which food and drink brought to a guest’s room in a hotel.

There are the following dining facilities at the hotel: restaurants, cafes, snack bars and a currency night bar. You can also order meals in the room for an extra charge. The extra charge is 15%. At the restaurant, the visitor can have good time and taste national dishes. All these services are additional. You should pay for them extra. Many other hotels have complete restaurant service and also offer room services for guests who want food and beverages served to them in their rooms. Large hotels including the mere luxurious resort hotels usually offer a variety of restaurants and bars for their guests to choose from. The restaurants may have different price ranges and different menus.

Most hotels have got some kind of food and beverage department. It includes a kitchen, a pantry, dining halls, bars and cocktail lounges. If the hotel kitchen has gained a reputation, it may increase the hotels business. The food and beverage department is in charge of room service too. When the hotel guests want to have their food and beverage in their rooms, the hotel provides this service. If guests need room service they should address a reception desk.

12. FOREIGN TOURS (the topic)

Pleasure travelers have a larger choice of places than those needing to conduct business. But it’s necessary to mention that nowadays many businesses decide to locate in areas which are attractive in their own right as places of interest. Holidaymakers get more and more interested in the so called exotic countries of Africa, Asia and former soviet republics. A travel to Ukraine, for example, is becoming a great tourist attraction.

FRANCE: France is the most visited country by tourists as the country is rich in culture and has some of the finest places to see. Villas in France, the French wine and weather make a fantastic reason to see the country.

SPAIN: Spain is the second most visited country in the world with more than 50 million tourists visiting it annually. A tour of Spain would include a visit to its famous cities Barcelona and Madrid. Apart from sampling some ethnic Spanish food and wine one can see some of the most beautiful architectural designs on the buildings of Spain.

ITALY: Italy an important tourist destination in Europe is a favorite with honeymooners and all romantic souls. Vacations to Italy are an invitation to spend ones time indulging in the senses be it eating delicious Italian pasta or drinking some of the best Italian wine, seeing Italian art or simply breathing in the scented air of the country.

USA: The USA is a top destination for tourists. Holidays in USA are an experience in diversity as the country is diverse in its weather conditions, the composition of the population and the topography. This diversity has led to people defining USA in their own terms and one can see the states of USA having a distinct identity of their own.

MEXICO: Mexico is a top world destination for people to visit. Be its ancient pyramids lost in the rainforests, or its flaming hot dishes, or simply the colorful people of the country, to travel to Mexico is to be a part of a larger adventure.

CHINA: China has grown as a top tourist spot as the people of the country and their unique culture attract people from far and wide. The impressive Great Wall of China and the tasty food of the country make every China holiday well worth the time.

13. Business Travel (the topic)

Business tourism is a travel for business purposes. Business travelers are businessmen and government officials. They travel on different missions. They often travel to attend a convention. Convention tourism is a part of business tourism. It involves taking part in a conference or a seminar. Business travelers often travel to attend an international exhibition or a trade fair.

Travelling on business has been one of the growth sectors of the travel industry in the past decade.

Improved travel management is one of the most corporate interests as the benefits of controlling business travel costs become more apparent.

There are tourist companies that provide business services. Those are fax, telex and telephone communications, secretarial services, answering service, business meeting arrangements. There are business facilities for business travellers at hotels, airports, on airplanes.

The new computer systems offer a real prospect of improving the efficiency of business travel booking and the service they provide truly meets the customer’s needs.

Business travel will develop faster than other types of tourism in future. Tourist companies will provide more services. They will collect information on markets and trade partners, provide economic data on monitors, arrange negotiations, offer pre-convention and post-convention tours.

14. TOURISM: PACKAGE HOLIDAY TRADITION (the topic)

The growth of the low-cost airline industry and internet booking has hit tour operators hard by making independent travel easier than ever. The appeal of the package holiday model to a new generation of tourists has seemed ever more attractive.

People are under more and more pressure professionally. This is putting more and more pressure on their personal lives and as a result, they have greater expectations of their holidays than ever before. Because of this, people are becoming more demanding and they are looking for a higher degree of personal attention. There is a growing number of people who appreciate that they are offered a special experience for sports lovers and families in exceptional locations.

Every year most tourist companies and leisure groups open new super-deluxe hotels and all-inclusive resorts, which offer room service, spa treatments, and other luxury services that reflect all requirements of modern holiday-makers. Modern tour packages include such services and facilities as: insurance, transportation and accommodation facilities (rooms of different types), dining or catering facilities (restaurants, bars, snack-bars, cafes, room service and so on), entertaining facilities (golf, night clubs, casinos, sightseeing and shopping tours), sporting facilities (scuba diving, swimming pools, saunas, massage rooms, boats and youths for hire, fitness rooms).

package holiday – організований туризм, який включає різні види обслуговування (проживання, перевезення та ін.).

leisure group – об‘єднання туристичних компаній і фірм, яке спеціалізується на організації комплексного відпочинку.

all-inclusive resort – курорт з комплексним відпочинком.

to appeal – приваблювати.

super-deluxe hotel – готель найвищого ґатунку.

spa treatment – лікування на водах.

to hit – вдарити.

15. Tourist Information Centers. (the topic)

There are Tourist Information Centers at major airports, railway stations, hotels, holiday or leisure centers and many tourist attractions. Tourist Information Centers have got office clerks who give and advice to customers on car hire, sightseeing and other coach tours, accommodations, flights and so on. The clerks also give city orientations to guests. The tourist information office clerks answer a lot of phone calls and give information on passports and visas, the Customs and luggage, weather and climate, city public transport and food service. The office clerks speak foreign languages fluently because they deal with many international travelers. There are usually racks full of city maps and guide books, booklets and folders, travelogues and timetables, billboards and posters in tourist information offices. Travelers get most of them free of charge.

16. ECOTOURISM. (the topic) Environmental Tourism.

Tourist attractions range from winter sports in the mountains to summer seaside activities, with health spas receiving special emphasis. Special features of interest to tourists include the mountain lakes and underground cave systems. Many are interested in churches and monasteries with ancient frescoes, ancient folklore and folk costumes reflecting customs and long-lasting traditions.

Many locations have become popular because of the growing worldwide interest in ecology and conservation. Ecotourism integrates tourism with ecology, offering wide varieties of landscapes and activities, including unspoiled beaches and coral reefs with productive marine systems, for scuba-diving enthusiasts; vast limestone caverns in highlands with trekking, mountain biking, climbing opportunities and cave exploration; rainforest areas with ancient tribal peoples and undeveloped islands with jungle and swamp treks, sailing, rafting and other travel opportunities and miles and miles of empty beaches. All versions focus on environmental protection. So the future demand will boost ecotourism on both national and global levels.

Air travel and hitchhiking are the two extremes of travel. Travel by boat, rail, coach and car are used by most of us.

emphasis – особлива увага;

cave –печера;

conservation –охорона навколишнього середовища;

unspoiled – недоторкані, незіпсовані;

limestone –вапняк;

rainforest – тропічний ліс, вологі джунглі;

tribal – племінний;

swamp – болото;

boost – рекламувати, сприяти зросту.

19. UKRAINE

Ukraine is a sovereign state with its own territory and its bodies of state power and government. It also has national emblem: state flag and anthem. Ukraine proclaimed its inde­pendence on August 24, 1991, and confirmed this status on December 1st of the same year.

The country is situated in the south-eastern part of Cen­tral Europe. It covers the area of 604,000 square kilometres. The territory of Ukraine consists of the Autonomy Republic of Crimea and 24 regions. Ukraine is inhabited by people belonging to more than 110 ethnic groups. The population of Ukraine is nearly 50 million people. It borders on Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the west and on Romania and Mold­ova in the southwest. Its northern neighbour is Byelarus and the eastern one is Russia.

The territory of Ukraine is mostly flat and mountains make up only 5% of its territory (there are the Carpathian mountains in the west and the Crimean mountains in the south). The climate of Ukraine is moderate.

The main rivers of Ukraine are the Dnipro, the Dnister, the Buh and Donets and others. The Dnipro is the main river in the country. It’s one of the longest rivers in the world. Ukraine is washed by the Black Sea and the sea of Azov and has such important ports as Odesa, Mariupol, Mykojaiv, Kherson.

The geographical position of Ukraine is favourable, be­cause the country lies on the crossroad of the ways from Asia to Europe. Like any other country in the world Ukraine has big cities; among them are Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine; Kharkiv, which used to be the capital of Ukraine and now it’s an important industrial and cultural centre; Donetsk is a coal-mining and chemical centre; Odesa is a big sea-port; Lviv is a large scientific and cultural centre and a lot of others. Due to favourable climatic conditions, Ukraine is tra­ditionally an agricultural country. Wheat and corns, all kinds of fruit are grown here.

The country is rich in national resources, such as iron ore, coal, gas. It produces planes and ships, lorries and buses, TV and radio-sets and other goods.

Ukraine is a country with the rich past. It is rich for historical monuments and different places of interest. Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is one of the oldest cities in the Eastern Europe. That’s why it is not surprising that a lot of intere­sting monuments are situated there. For example, the well-known to all Slavonic world St. Sophia’s Cathedral and Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra.

But Ukraine is not only Kyiv. There is also Western Ukraine with the Carpathians with their legends and with their unique nature and culture. One may visit the famous symbol of the Crimea — the castle “Swallow’s nest” or the residence of Russian tsars in Livadia.

It is also possible to visit the last house of Chekhov, now the museum in Jalta. There Chekhov lived and wrote his last works. It is possible to go through Gogol places in Poltava region, see Dickanka, Sorochintsy.

One may also go to Zaporizhzhia, to the island of Khortytsya. There the Ukrainian cossack’s organization was born. One can go to Odesa and walk along the boulevards, where Pushkin walked a long time ago and touch the trees, which Pushkin touched. Near the small town of the Kaniv the mo­nument to the Ukrainian national genius Taras Shevchenko is situated. The museum, where the books, drawing and manu­scripts of Shevchenko are kept, is situated in the village not far from Kaniv. Even the house, where he was born, is pre­served. It is very interesting to look at it.

One may come to Poltava, visit the museum of the famous Poltava battle, the field where Petro the Great defeated the Swedes.

There is a lot to see in Ukraine and to be proud of. And I am glad to live in such a country, with all these beautiful monuments.

20. Tourist Centers of Ukraine (the topic)

This centrally positioned European country has many interesting historical places and rich cultural heritage. It would be no exaggeration to say that nowadays Ukraine is (considered to be) a very interesting tourist destination for people abroad.

The Ukrainian Government pays much attention to the development of tourism in Ukraine. Today we can say that tourism development is one of the priorities of our state social-economic strategy. It may become a valuable factor of economic stabilization. The sphere of tourism is profitable and it doesn’t need (much) state investments. State policy in the sphere of tourism is aimed at working out inter-branch economic and organizational means to promote investments and development of the business. It also pays much attention to combine the state, regional and local interests. The results of this work are reflected in the Code of Ethics for Tourism of Ukraine and The State Tourism Development Programm of Ukraine up to 2010. As the result of this policy many state and privately owned travel agencies have appeared recently.

Foreign visitors to Ukraine have a great choice of various tours.

But the most popular among them are:

1) Recreational tours offering entertainment of different kinds.

2) Medical treatment tours.

3) Motor tours. The itineraries will take tourists to practically any place in Ukraine.

4) Boat tours along the Dnieper River and the Black Sea coast.

These tours can be both group and individual ones. The main travel companies of Ukraine such as “Hamalia”, “Sam”, “Yana”, “Olympic Trading” (Kyiv), “Venega”, “Marin Tours” (Kharkiv), “Tour Agency Noi” (Dnipropetrovsk), “Luspy” (Kriviy Rig), “Meet / Meest Tour” (Lviv) offer their guests a crowded programmes of excursions, take them to museums and exhibitions, theatres and concert halls.

A trip to any tourist centre of Ukraine will give foreign visitors first-hand knowledge about traditions, habits, customs, culture and present life style of the Ukrainian people. We can determine the following recreational areas on the territory of Ukraine: Krymskiy, Black and Azov, Carpathian, Podilskiy, Prydniprovskiy, Donetskiy, Slobozhanskiy and Poliskiy regions.

1) heritage – наследство; 2) it would be no exaggeration – не будет преувеличением;

3) to be considered – считаться; 4) pay (much) attention – уделять внимание;

5) development – развитие; 6) investment – вложение; 7) to be aimed at – быть направленными;

8) work out – разрабатывать; 9) reflect – отражать; 10) privately owned – частный;

11) appear – появляться; 12) recently – недавно; 13) itinerary (ies) – туристические маршруты;

14) crowded program – насыщенная программа; 15) habit – привычка;

16) customs – обычаи; 17) valuable – ценный; 18) полученный из первых рук, to have first-hand knowledge — испытать на себе; знать по собственному опыту.

KYIV

Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The name Kiev is derived from the name of Kiy, one of four legendary founders of the city.

By the ancient legend Kiev was founded by three brothers Kiy, Schek, Khoriv and their sister Lybid. They were surprised by the beauty of Dnieper’s hills, stopped to settle here and called the town in honour of the eldest brother-Kiev. A monument to the founders was erected at the Dnieper embankment in our days. The town’s place was chosen succesfully, the high Dnieper’s slopes were perfect protection against the raids of nomad tribes.

Kiev stretches for the space of more than 20 km along the picturesque banks of the biggest Ukrainian river — Dnieper. Its square consists 827 sq.km. The population of Kiev is about 3 millions people.

Kiev is one of the oldest Slavic centres, “Mother of Russian touns” so it was called in olden times, its age is more than 1500 years. The first settlements on the territory of modern Kiev appeared from 15000 till 20000 year ago.

During the time of Vladimir the Great (980-1015) government our city begins to develop especially rapidly. In order to consolidate Kiev Russ and to increase its international influence the prince Vladimir baptised the Russ in 988. Christianity and became that impulse for further development of written language and culture.

Today Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro.

The capital of Ukraine has got great cultural potential. There are more that 30 museums, about 200 unique architectural monuments, 33 theatres, enormouse quantity of constant active art exhibitions. Kiev is one of the greenest cities of the world, it has more that 60 parks. In spring and summer the city resembles one huge park.

There are many historical places in Kiev. For example, St Sophia Cathedral, which was built in the 11th century, Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra that was founded in the 11th century, St Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, which was ruined and recently completely restored, St. Andrew’s chirch in baroque style?

The monument to Taras Shevchenko, the great Ukrainian poet, is in front of the University, named after him. The monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky, famous hetman of Ukraine, stands in the square opposite to St Sophia Cathedral.

Kiev is the centre of cultural life of Ukraine. Fans of theatre, cinema, music, painting and other arts can find there many interesting for themselves. There are lots of museums in Kiev: the Museum of Ukrainian Arts, the Historic Museum, the Taras Shevchenko Museum, the Lesya Ukrainka Museum, the museum of M. Bulgakov and others.

GREAT BRITAIN

Learning English naturally leads to learning facts about the country it is spoken in, or better to say, it was born in. I am greatly interested in everything connected with Great Britain. So here are some basic facts about this country.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. The total area of the islands is over 224’000 square kilometers.

The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and doesn’t include Northern Ireland. But in everyday speech “Great Britain” is used to mean the UK.

The capital of the UK is London. It stands on the River Thames. The British Isles are separated from the European Continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands; while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and the west of England are mountainous, but all the rest-east, center and southeast - is a vast plain. Mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain (1343 meters over the sea level).

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influenced the climate of the British Isles. It is mild all over the year round.

The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It’s known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding. The main industrial centers and at the same time the largest cities of the country are London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Glasgow.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. The Head of the state is the Queen or the King. In practice, the monarch reigns but doesn’t rule. Elected Government with the Prime Minister at the head rules the country. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Common. There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal Parties.

Two characteristic of the British Constitution confuse most foreigners: there is no written constitution; it is not contained in any single document.

Some of the British national traits are resulting from the British way of life. The British are known as a people self-assured, absolutely confident in their national sense of superiority. Deep down the British still fell pretty satisfied with themselves.

The history of the UK is in its museums. There are about 2000 museums and galleries in Britain, which include the chief national collections, and a great variety of independently or privately, owned institutions. But some of the most comprehensive collections of objects of artistic, archaeological, scientific, historical and general interest are contained in the national museums and galleries in London. Among them are the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery, the Natural History Museum, Madame Tussaud’s, the Tower of London and many other treasure institutions. There are also national museums and art galleries in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Most cities and towns have museums and other treasures devoted to arts, archeology and natural history.

LONDON

London is one of the largest and most interesting cities in the world. Greater London covers an area of about 600 square miles and has the population of nearly 9 million people.

In London today, there still stand numerous landmarks reminding us of the town, as it was five or six centuries ago. The old town that stood until the Great Fire of 1666 was surrounded by a wall. Inside the wall there were streets lined with wooden one-story houses. Almost the whole of the town was contained in what is still known as the City.

Nowadays the City is London's commercial and business centre. The City is only one square mild in area and only a few thousand people live there. During the day it's full of energy and life, but towards the end of the day it grows almost desolate. It contains the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the head offices of numerous companies and corporations. Thanks to them, the City is often referred to as "the money" of London. But the City is also a Mecca for a museum - goes. Here is situated the Tower of London that comes first among the historic buildings of the British capital. Founded by Julius Caesar and rebuilt by William the Conqueror, it was used as a fortress, a royal residence and prison. Now it is a museum of armour and the place where the Crown Jewels are kept. A twenty minutes' walk from the Tower will take you to St. Paul's Cathedral, the greatest of English churches. In one of its towers hangs one of the largest bells of the world, Great Paul.

Another important part of' London, where most of the government buildings are located, is Westminster. Tourists are invariably taken to see Westminster abbey, where many English sovereigns, outstanding statesmen, poets and artists are buried; Westminster, the seat of the British Parliament, with its famous Big Ben that strikes every quarter of an hour.

Visitors with plenty of money to spend come chiefly to the West End of London, its shopping and entertainment centre. The theatre land is stretched around Piccadilly Circus. Not far from it one can see the British Museum and the Covent Garden Opera House. Expensive shopping promenades-Regent Street, Oxford Street and Bond Street - would lead you to Regent Park and Hyde Park.

The last - but not the last - of London's functional zones is the East End. It is the district inhabited by workers and the poor. Industry is chiefly found in that part of the capital, grey with soot and smoke. London is the main centre of Britain's printing and the manufacture of clothing, food and drink, precision instruments and aircrafts, cars and ships. London's port is the third biggest port in the world.

THE USA

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometres. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-boarder with Russia.

The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is more than 270 million.

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

America's largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA.

The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic. The climate of the central part is continental. The south has a subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country. It's the world's leading producer of copper and oil and the world's second producer of iron ore and coal. Among the most important manufacturing industries are aircraft, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, armaments, furniture and paper.

Though mainly European and African in origin, Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, including Chinese and native Americans.

The largest cities are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San-Francisco, Washington and others.

The United States is a federal union of 50 states, each of which has its own government. The seat of the central (federal) government is Washington, DC. According to the US Constitution the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches: the executive, headed by the President, the legislative, exercised by the Congress, and the judicial. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republican and the Democratic, though there's hardly any difference between their political lines

Дата добавления: 2015-10-24