Traffic

Traffic in London and other large cities in Britain differs from that of the Continent. In Britain they keep to the left but not to the right. English people say: "If you go left, you go right. If you go right, you go wrong."

They say that once upon a time people kept to any side of the road they liked. But then they decided to make it a rule to keep to the left. As Napoleon hated the British very much, he decided that in France the people should keep to a different side. And later on in all the coun­tries which he conquered he made the traffic keep to the right.

Text 6

Exercise 1. You will listen to 3 texts. While listening get ready to do the exercises. You will hear the texts twice.

Exercise 2. Define the topic of the texts. Choose one for each text from the suggested below:

1. British society.

2. Inhabitants of Ontario.

3. The English language.

4. The day of the Saint.

5. Spirit of raven.

Exercise 3. Answer the questions using the information from the texts:

1. Where is Gaelic language spoken?

2. Has Ireland great writers famous all over the world?

3. What is the richest province in Canada?

4. What is Canada’s largest city?

5. Why do Canadians believe in Spirit of Raven?

Text 7

Exercise 1. Read the text and get ready to do the test.

WHAT IS ENGLISH NATIONAL COSTUME?

England, unlike Wales and Scotland, has no national dress. Some people think men in England wear suits and bowler hats but I have never seen anyone wearing a bowler hat.

On the other hand, their customs and traditions involve a wide variety of costumes, from the spectacular ceremonies associated with monarchy to the traditional costumes worn by Morris dancers and others at English country fairs.

In London, you can see men dressed in a red costume. These men are called Beefeaters and are very important because they look after the Queen and her jewels. Sometimes they act as a ceremonial guard in the Tower of London. Some people say this is the nearest thing to the national costume.

Britannia wears traditional clothes but she is not a real person. She is a symbol of Britain. Britannia is usually shown sitting down, wearing a helmet and holding a trident.

Lots of ordinary clothes have a long tradition. The very cold winters in the Crimea in the war of 1853-56 gave us the names of the cardigan and the balaclava. Lord Cardigan led the Light Brigade at the Battle of the Balaclava (1854). A "cardigan" is now a warm woolen short coat with sleeves and buttons, and a "balaclava" is a woolen hat. It leaves the face free but covers the head, ears and neck.

Another British soldier, Wellington, gave his name to a pair of boots made of rubber. They have a shorter name today - "Wellies". They are associated with rich upper class people who enjoy life in the country.

Дата добавления: 2015-08-05