Recommendations For Students

Предисловие

Дисциплина «Иностранный язык (английский)» играет довольно значимую роль в подготовке будущих дипломатов. Основной целью данного учебного пособия является познакомить студентов с культурой определенных периодов в английской и американской литературе. Весь курс выстроен таким образом, что темы основываются на общеупотребительной лексике и базовой грамматике, которые являются основными на первом году обучения.

Задания пособия соответствуют требованиям к обучению иностранному языку и способствуют формированию у студентов коммуникативной компетенции. Упражнения в пособии формируют умения и навыки общения, развивают фонетические и лексико-грамматические навыки, умения аудирования, чтения, говорения и письма.

Данное пособие разработано в соответствии с рабочей программой дисциплины «Иностранный язык» и состоит из четырех тематических разделов: «Источники английской культуры», «Эпоха Просвещения. Романтизм», «Реализм», «Современные тренды», рекомендаций для студентов по выполнению заданий и приложения.

Каждый тематический раздел имеет единую структуру и состоит из трех подтем, включающих аутентичный текст, лексико-грамматические упражнения, задания на аудирование и видеозадания, говорение, письмо и трех дополнительных текстов. Весь основной лексико-грамматический материал изучается в первых трех подтемах, а в трех последних дополнительных текстах для самостоятельной работы студенты развивают навыки работы с тестом.

В каждом разделе предлагаются интерактивные задания, обучающие студентов работать в парах и малых группах сотрудничества, развивающие умения структурировано, связно и логично выстраивать устные и письменные высказывания. В целом, в учебном пособии делается акцент на расширение активного и пассивного словаря студентов, на их подготовку к самостоятельной работе с иноязычным текстовым материалом, на умение работать самостоятельно и пользоваться различными Интернет-источниками для нахождения материала для учебного задания.

Авторы надеются, что данное учебное пособие позволит совершенствовать у студентов навыки работы с аутентичными текстами культурной тематики и расширит их словарный запас за счет соответствующей терминологии.

В рекомендациях для студентов кратко изложено содержание всех лексико-грамматических тем и объяснено выполнение разных типов заданий на говорение, чтение, аудирование и письмо. В конце пособия прилагаются приложения с аутентичными текстами, списком произведений английских и американских авторов и фразами для устной речи.

К учебному пособию прилагается диск, включающий в себя аудио и видеозаписи из разных источниковю.

Unit 1. The Sources of English Culture.

Topic 1. Early History of Great Britain

 

READING

Fill in the table using the correct dates from the text or other sources.

1) Stonehenge was built
2) The Celts invaded from Europe
3) Julius Caesar’s invasion
4) The Roman emperor Claudius’ invasion
5) Christianity was established in Britain
6) The Saxons attacked England
7) King Arthur fought against these attacks
8) Vikings invasion
9) The earliest people came to Britain
10) The years of the rules of Alfred the Great

 

Answer the questions about the text.

1. What period in the history f Britain is called the Stone Age and why?

2. What gave the name to the Bronze Age?

3. What tribes invaded the territory of the British Isles in the period of early history?

4. How many Roman invasions are mentioned in the text?

5. What was the purpose of building Hadrian’s Wall?

6. How can the names of the cities or towns prompt the time of their foundation?

7. What period in British history is called the Dark Ages?

8. Who invaded Britain after the Romans?

9. Why King Alfred was called the Great?

10. What were the names of the Saxon kings who came to the throne after the Danish kings?

 

CASE-STUDY

Study the period of early history of Great Britain and complete the tasks. Work in small groups.

Group 1. Make a research of Druids and their culture. Study the main legends of this group and make a presentation for your groupmates.

 

Group 2. Study the legends about King Arthur. How many of them have you heard or read before? What moments were the most surprising for you? Make a short presentation for your groupmates.

 

DISCUSSION

1. Share the results of your researches with your group. Discuss them in a class.

2. Imagine that you are the Knights of the Round Table and you need to decide how to protect your kingdom from enemies. Roleplay and discuss ideas.

 

WRITING

WATCHING AND LISTENING

1. Do you know the difference between London (the city) and the City of London? Listen to the audio and check yourselves. If the words mayor, guild, crest, tax mean nothing to you find their meanings in the dictionary.

2. Listen to the audio [4] again and answer the following questions:

1) How big is the City of London?

2) What was the first (historically) name of the City?

3)  Which is older – the City or London?

4)  Who built the wall around the City? Was it helpful against invaders?

5)  Is the wall still there?

6)  Are there any special laws and traditions that are used in the City but not in London?

7)  Did William the Conqueror conquer the City?

8)  Are there any limitations of the king’s power regarding the City?

9)  What was the initial role of Westminster in relation to the City?

10)  What is the Remembrancer’s job in the Parliament?

3. Insert the missing words in the sentences:

1) London is also known for his historical landmarks, modern skyscrapers, ancient markets, famous bridges, and is home to the _______, royal family and seven million people.

2)  Despite these confusingly _______ names the two Londons have separate city halls and elect separate mayors.

3)  The corporation that _______ the City of London is older than the Unite Kingdom by several hundred years.

4)  It’s this wall which is why the Current City of London _______.

5)  The City, governing itself and _______ with the world, grew rich.

6)  William the Conqueror came to Great Britain to conquer and begin _______ British history.

7)  He agreed to recognize the _______ and privileges (of the City).

8)  William quickly built towers around the City of London which were just as much about _______ William from the locals within as defending against the Vikings from without.

9)  One (monarch) even built a new _______ city nearby, named Winchester.

10)  The city of London also owns and operates land and buildings far outside its _______.

SPEAKING

1. Make a presentation on one of the given topics:

· Significant events of early history of Great Britain

· Great legends of early history of Great Britain

Topic 2. Middle Ages

 

READING

Fill in the table.

Nouns	Verbs
permission
	to protect
	to produce
representatives
	to establish
	to pay
an agreement
a leader
	to know
meeting

 

CASE-STUDY

DISCUSSION

1. Share the results of your researches with your group. Discuss them in a class.

2. Imagine that you are living in the medieval London. What was the typical day like that time? Make a project and roleplay the life of Londoners during the Middle Ages.

 

WRITING

WATCHING AND LISTENING

Does the name of the book “Decameron” by Boccaccio sound familiar to you? In Chaucer’s time the book was famous, and it’s no doubt that Chaucer read it. How do you think the Italian book affected “The Canterbury Tales”?

5. Listen to the audio [11] and answer the questions:

1) Where was Chaucer born, and how many siblings did he have?

2)  Did he serve as a page in the household of a duchess?

3)  What war did Chaucer take part in?

4)  What countries did he visit in his life?

5)  Who was his first poem devoted to?

6)  Why did Chaucer’s place in society change?

7)  Was Chaucer rich in his late years?

8)  How many children did he have?

9)  Where was the poet buried?

10)  Who did Chaucer’s work influence most?

6. Insert the missing words in the sentences:

1) By the age of _______ Chaucer was a member of King Edward III’s army in France.

2)  The king himself _______ to Chaucer’s ransom.

3)  At the age of 25, Chaucer had moved from a household servant, a _______, to that of a trusted diplomat.

4)  He also became competent in _______ and Italian.

5)  With his career prospering, and his first important poem “The Book of the Duchess”, becoming popular, Chaucer continued to _______ himself with persons in high places.

6)  When Richard II ascended to the throne, Chaucer was _______ Clerk of the King’s Work.

7)  He became responsible for _______ at Westminster.

8)  He _______, or was removed, it is not clear.

9)  Chaucer’s original plan for “The Canterbury Tales” called for _______ tales each from over _______ pilgrims making the journey.

10)  Chaucer avoided targeting any specific audience or social class of readers, focusing _______ on the characters of the story.

 

SPEAKING

1. Make a presentation on one of the given topics:

· Significant events of Middle Ages of Great Britain

· Great authors of Middle Ages of Great Britain

Topic 3. The Renaissance

 

READING

Answer the questions.

1) What does Renaissance mean? What kind of period was it?

2) When and where did it start?

3) What was the Middle Ages famous for?

4) What kind of movement was Humanism?

5) What ideas did it promote?

6) What invention allowed for improved communication throughout Europe?

7) What was the result of this invention?

8) What was the stage for the Renaissance?

9) Who were the backers of the Renaissance?

10) Where did this movement first expand?

 

CASE-STUDY

WRITING

WATCHING AND LISTENING

1. The Renaissance is often spoken about as the era of great painters and sculptors. (Name at least five). Yet, the Renaissance was also the period when new philosophy started to evolve. Listen to the audio [15] and find out what ideas were developed by Petrarch, Lorenzo Valla, Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola, and compare your facts with those from the audio.

2. Listen to the audio and answer the questions:

1. What is the meaning of the suffix “ism”?

2. What is the concept of humanism? Give the definition.

3. What did medieval Europeans think about the position of man in the God’s world?

4. Why did the Renaissance humanists study Latin and Greek?

5. What were the cultural consequences of the fall of Constantinople in 1453?

6. What ancient values were spoken about a lot among Italian humanists?

7. What is secularism?

8. What was the general attitude towards religion and Catholic Church at that period?

9. What does the word “vernacular” mean?

10. What other countries was the philosophy of humanism spread in the XV-XVI centuries?

3. Insert the missing words in the sentences:

1. Europe is a _________ of ideas in action.

2. In the XIV century intellectuals began to _________ this purely religious view of life.

3. Suddenly the ideas of ancient writers become _________ to a whole new audience.

4. _________ families began to support the schools.

5. _________ is considered as a father of the Renaissance.

6. (He) wanted to restore Latin to its _________ position over the vernacular.

7. His studies brought to his _________ a thing called “The Donation of Constantine”.

8. (He) promoted the _________ known as Neo-Platonism.

9. Man represented the link between the material realm and _________ realm.

10. (He) believed that God had created _________ potential in people.

4. XVII century is considered the age when theatre had reached its heyday in Western Europe. You may have heard the names of Molière, Corneille, Lope de Vega and Calderon. Could you name any outstanding English playwrights? What were they famous for?

5. Watch to the video [16] and answer the questions:

1. Did the English aristocracy share the love of common people to theatre in XVI-XVII centuries?

2. Name several English theatres that existed in London at that time.

3. Why were the plays performed in the day-time?

4. What did Shakespeare describe in his play as “wooden O”?

5. Where there any traps in the floor of the stage?

6. How was a balcony used?

7. What is known about the scenery and the costumes in Globe the theatre?

8. Who performed women’s parts in Elizabethan theatres? Why?

9. What were the main responsibilities of the shareholders of theatre companies?

10. Who was the patron of Globe?

6. Watch the video again and insert the missing words in the sentences:

1. Theatre for Londoners of the Renaissance was the _______ of our plays, movies, television and YouTube all rolled into one.

2. Shakespeare confined his fights to the _______.

3. (Globe) was located on the _______ bank of the river Thames.

4. (The theatres) were almost entirely _______, clearly open to the elements.

5. Companies flew a flag above the theatre to _______ that there was a performance on that day.

6. The higher up one _______ the more expensive the seat.

7. Audience members talked freely to _______ and to the actors.

8. (The stage) was partially covered by a kind of canopy known as the _______.

9. Musicians were also positioned here to provide music _______ a play.

10. All companies were required by law to be _______ by a member of the aristocracy.

 

SPEAKING

4. Make a presentation on one of the given topics:

· Significant events of The Renaissance in Great Britain

· Great scientists of the Renaissance

· The Renaissance in France

· The Renaissance in Russia

Additional texts

Feudalism [17]

The word “feudalism” comes from the French word “feu”, which the Normans used to refer to land in return to duty or service to a lord. The basis of feudal society was the holding of land, and its main purpose was economic. The central idea was that all land was owned by the king, but it was held by others, called “vassals”, in return for services and goods. The king gave large estates to his main nobles in return for a promise to serve him in war for up to forty days. The nobles also had to give him part of the produce of the land. The greater nobles gave part of their lands to lesser nobles, knights, and other “freemen”. Some freemen paid for the land by doing military service, while others paid rent. The nobles kept “serfs” to work on his land. These were not free to leave the estate, and were often little better than slaves.

There were two basic principles to feudalism: everyman had a lord, and every lord had land. The king was connected through this “chain” of people to the lowest man in the country. At each level a man had to promise loyalty and service to his lord. This promise was usually made with the lord sitting on his chair and his vassal kneeling before him, his hands placed between those of his lord. This was called “homage”, and has remained part of the coronation ceremony of British kings and queens until now. On the other hand, each lord had responsibilities to his vassals. He had to give them land and protection.

When a noble died his son usually took over his estates. But first he had to receive permission from the king and make a special payment. If he was still a child the king often took the produce of the estate until the boy was old enough to look after the estate himself. In this way the king could benefit from the death of a noble. If all the noble’s family died the land went back to the king, who would be expected to give it to another deserving noble. But the king often kept the land for some years, using its wealth, before giving it to another noble.

If the king did not give the nobles land they would not fight for him. Between 1066 and mid-fourteenth century there were only thirty years of complete peace. So feudal duties were extremely important. The king had to make sure he had enough satisfied nobles who would be willing to fight for him.

William gave out land all over England to his nobles. By 1086 he wanted to know exactly who owned which piece of land, and how much it was worth. He needed this information so that he could plan his economy, to find out how much was produced and how much he could ask in tax. He therefore sent a team of people all through England to make a complete economic survey. His people asked all kinds of questions at each settlement: How much land was there? Who owned it? How much was it worth? How many families, ploughs and sheep were there? And so on. This survey was the only one of its kind in Europe. Not surprisingly, it was most unpopular with the people, because they felt they could not escape from its findings. It so reminded them of the paintings of the Day of Judgment, or “doom”, on the walls of their churches that they called it the “Doomsday” Book. The name stuck. The Doomsday Book still exists, and gives an extraordinary amount of information about England at this time.

 

The Sword in the Stone [18]

One Christmas day Merlin reappeared and caused a great stone to appear in a London churchyard. Set in the stone was an anvil, and sticking out of the top of the anvil was a sword. There were letters inscribed in gold upon its hilt, and they read, ’Whoso pulleth out this sword from this stone and anvil is rightwise king born of all England.’

Tongues began to wag at that. But once all the jokers had tried and failed to remove the sword, it was decided to call a tournament for New Year’s Day. Every night in the kingdom would come surely one of them would prove to be the king. But when the day came, not one of the nights could budge the sword an inch.

When all had tried and failed to pull the sword from the stone, the knights moved on to challenge each other on the tournament field. One of these nights was a young man from the north of England, Sir Kay was a hasty and ill-tempered youth, and when he reached the tournament field and realized he’d forgotten his sword, his young squire, a lad of about 13 or 14, got the blame. Kay cuffed him, and shouted at him, and sent him running to fetch it.

But when the lad arrived at the house where they were lodging, he found everything locked and barred. Everyone was at the jousting. So he had no choice but to make his way back to Sir Kay, empty-handed. On the way back he passed a churchyard and in that churchyard he saw the very thing he wanted: a sword. He didn’t pause or think, but just took the sword and carried it to Sir Kay.

Now Sir Kay was not a fool – and he knew at once what it was the squire had brought him. He called his father, Sir Ector, to his side, and said, ‘Here is the sword from the stone. I am the rightful king of England.’

Sir Ector just looked at Kay. And then he led his son back to the churchyard, and into the church. Then he took a bible and gave it to Kay, saying; ‘Son, swear to me on this holy book that you yourself removed the sword.’

‘My squirm, Arthur, brought it to me,; said Sir Kay.

So Sir Ector called the lad Arthur in to the church, and asked him how he came by the sword. Arthur thought he was to be scolded, and seizing the weapon he ran to slide it back through the anvil in to the stone. He said he hadn’t meant to do wrong.

Sir Ector and Sir Kay followed Arthur back into the churchyard, and they both tugged at the sword, but it would not move. ‘Arthur,’ said Sir Ector, ‘remove the sword again,’ and Arthur withdrew it as easily as from a scabbard. Then Sir Ector and Sir Kay knelt down before him, and kissed his hand. And Arthur, who had been raised as a foster brother to Sir Kay, said, ‘Father, brother, why do you kneel t me?’

Sir Ector told him, ’I am not your father, Arthur, nor is Sir Ector your brother. You are a foundling child, brought to me as a baby by the enchanter Merlin. Since then, I have raised you as my own. I never dreamed you were King Uther’s son.’

Then the lad Arthur wept, because Sir Ector was not his father, and Sir Kay was not his brother, and he was king of all England.

You can imagine the nobles and the knights were not well pleased. But not one of them could move the sword, and Arthur cold do so whenever he pleased. It was the common folk that made Arthur king, because they suffered from lawlessness of the times and the caprice of the nobles.

And when Arthur became king, he helped the common people most. With Kay as his steward, and Merlin as his guide, he set about restoring law and justice to the land. And to help him do so, he created the fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table, for those knights who wanted to fight wrong, and help him rule justly and wisely.

 

Topic 1. Enlightenment

 

READING

CASE-STUDY

DISCUSSION

3. Share the results of your researches with your group. Discuss them in a class.

4. Imagine that you suffered shipwreck and now have to survive like Robinson Crusoe. What would you do? Discuss your ideas in pairs or in small groups.

WRITING

WATCHING AND LISTENING

During the American Revolutionary War, the people living in the thirteen American colonies had to decide whether they wanted to break away from British rule and gain independence, or to remain British citizens. These two groups were the Patriots (who wanted to leave) and the Loyalists (who wanted to stay). Brainstorm the ideas and write down as many reasons as you can why they wanted to stay/leave.

The Patriots	The Loyalists

SPEAKING

4. Make a presentation on one of the given topics:

· Significant authors of the Age of Enlightenment

· Great philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment

· The age of Enlightenment in Great Britain.

READING

CASE-STUDY

DISCUSSION

1. Discuss the results of your researches in a class.

2. Make a table and compare periods of British Romanticism. What were the differences? Discuss your ideas in a class.

 

WRITING

WATCHING AND LISTENING

SPEAKING

1. Make a presentation on one of the given topics:

· Significant poets of British Romanticism

· Significant writers of British Romanticism

· British art in the era of Romanticism

READING

CASE-STUDY

DISCUSSION

1. Discuss the results of your researches in a class.

2. What are the common features of all the stories by Ed. Poe? Why do you think he wrote scary stories? How did they influence his life? Discuss your ideas in a class.

 

WRITING

WATCHING AND LISTENING

Think of the books of American romantic period that you have read. Try to find features mentioned in the video in these works. Discuss the characteristics of the period and give examples from the literature you read.

SPEAKING

1. Make a presentation on one of the given topics:

· Life and works of Herman Melville

· Life and works of Nathaniel Hawthorne

· American Romanticism in art

What American women-writers of nineteenth century do you know? What are they famous for? Work in pairs to find necessary information on the Internet. Then exchange your results and discuss them in a class.

Additional texts

Voyage of the Mayflower [32]

The Mayflower was hired in London, and sailed from London to Southampton in July 1620 to begin loading food and supplies for the voyage--much of which was purchased at Southampton. The Pilgrims were mostly still living in the city of Leiden, in the Netherlands. They hired a ship called the Speedwell to take them from Delfshaven, the Netherlands, to Southampton, England, to meet up with the Mayflower. The two ships planned to sail together to Northern Virginia. The Speedwell departed Delfthaven on July 22, and arrived at Southampton, where they found the Mayflower waiting for them. The Speedwell had been leaking on her voyage from the Netherlands to England, though, so they spent the next week patching her up.

On August 5, the two ships finally set sail for America. But the Speedwell began leaking again, so they pulled into the town of Dartmouth for repairs, arriving there about August 12. The Speedwell was patched up again, and the two ships again set sail for America about August 21. After the two ships had sailed about 300 miles out to sea, the Speedwell again began to leak. Frustrated with the enormous amount of time lost, and their inability to fix the Speedwell so that it could be sea-worthy, they returned to Plymouth, England, and made the decision to leave the Speedwell behind. The Mayflower would go to America alone. The cargo on the Speedwell was transferred over to the Mayflower; some of the passengers were so tired and disappointed with all the problems that they quit and went home. Others crammed themselves onto the already very crowded Mayflower.

Finally, on September 6, the Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England, and headed for America. By the time the Pilgrims had left England, they had already been living onboard the ships for nearly a month and a half. The voyage itself across the Atlantic Ocean took 66 days, from their departure on September 6, until Cape Cod was sighted on 9 November 1620. The first half of the voyage went fairly smoothly, the only major problem was sea-sickness. But by October, they began encountering a number of Atlantic storms that made the voyage treacherous. Several times, the wind was so strong they had to just drift where the weather took them, it was not safe to use the ship's sails. The Pilgrims intended to land in Northern Virginia, which at the time included the region as far north as the Hudson River in the modern State of New York. The Hudson River, in fact, was their originally intended destination. They had received good reports on this region while in the Netherlands. All things considered, the Mayflower was almost right on target, missing the Hudson River by just a few degrees.

As the Mayflower approached land, the crew spotted Cape Cod just as the sun rose on November 9. The Pilgrims decided to head south, to the mouth of the Hudson River in New York, where they intended to make their plantation. However, as the Mayflower headed south, it encountered some very rough seas, and nearly shipwrecked. The Pilgrims then decided, rather than risk another attempt to go south, they would just stay and explore Cape Cod. They turned back north, rounded the tip, and anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor. The Pilgrims would spend the next month and a half exploring Cape Cod, trying to decide where they would build their plantation. On December 25, 1620, they had finally decided upon Plymouth, and began construction of their first buildings.

 

The Scientific Revolution [33]

"The origins of the philosophical ideas that would lead to the Enlightenment began during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648)," said Susan Abernethy, a Colorado-based historian and writer. "This was a long and bloody conflict fought mostly over religion and caused a great deal of social disruption. Men started to question and criticize the concepts of nationalism and warfare."

The Age of Exploration, in which Columbus "discovered" the New World, "exposed men to other philosophies and cultures," said Abernethy. "And finally, after centuries of exploitation and abuse by monarchies and the church, regular citizens of Europe were exasperated and began to write and speak up."

"In addition, the ideas of the Renaissance led men to examine the tangible world more closely, which led to greater scientific study," Abernethy said. This movement is known as the Scientific Revolution.

The Scientific Revolution began with the publication of Nicolaus Copernicus' heliocentric (sun-centered) universe theory in 1543. The many discoveries of the Scientific Revolution include Johann Kepler's three laws of planetary motion, Galileo Galilei's theories of motion and inertia and Tycho Brahe's new view of the stars and how they work, according to the history department at Indiana University Northwest. The Scientific Revolution ended with Isaac Newton's discovery of the law of gravitation and understanding of a mechanical universe in the late 1600s.

With each new scientific discovery, the accepted Judeo-Christian understanding of the universe changed. Gradually, thinkers embraced the Copernican-Newtonian paradigm. This paradigm holds that while the God created the universe, science defined it, and it is through science that humans can understand it, according to Indiana University Northwest. Intellectuals began to see the universe as possibly infinite and full of motion. This paradigm set the stage for Enlightenment philosophy and the embrace of mankind's rational thoughts.

UNIT 3. Realism.

READING

Answer the questions.

1. What was the reason of more comfortable life at the end of the 19^th century?

2. How can you describe the education at that time?

3. What did children have to study at school?

4. How can ‘redbrick’ universities and traditional old universities be different?

5. What were local universities responsible for?

6. Can you state that the quality of life improved considerably by the end of the Victorian period?

7. How did people spare their time? What did they do?

8. What was the transport like in London?

9. What kinds of sport were the most favorite among people?

10. How do you understand the expression ‘that is not cricket’?

 

CASE-STUDY

Read the text[36] about “10 Facts You Don’t Know About Queen Victoria”. Choose from the sentences (A-H) below those which fit the gaps (1-8) in the text.

1) Born in Kensington Palace on May 24, 1819, Queen Victoria was originally named Alexandrina Victoria, after her godfather, Tsar Alexander I, but always preferred to go by her second name. (1) _______.

2) She was the first member of the royal family to live at Buckingham Palace. (2) _______. Victoria put in the work, adding an entirely new wing, and years later, the palace continued to serve as a place of royal business and the London residence of Queen Elizabeth II.

3) She became Queen when she was 18, after the death of her uncle, King William IV.

4) Growing up, she was under constant supervision. Victoria’s mother, Duchess Victoria, was prepared to rule alongside her daughter if Victoria’s uncle died and she ascended to the throne before she was officially of age. (3) _______. Known as the “Kensington System”, it involved a strict timetable of lessons to improve Victoria’s morality and intellect. Princess Victoria was under constant adult supervision and was also made to share a bedroom with her mother until she became Queen.

5) She was multilingual. (4) _______. Her mother and governess both had German roots, so Victoria grew up speaking the language. Later she used it speaking to her German husband, Prince Albert. The Queen also studied French, Italian, and Latin. At the end of her reign she learnt many Hindu and Urdu phrases from her servants from India.

6) She survived at multiple assassination attempts. There were several, but all of them unsuccessful.

7) She proposed to her husband. At her 17^th birthday party, then-Princess Victoria met her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. 4 years later, Victoria, now the monarch, proposed to Prince Albert and they were married in 1840. (5) _______.

8) She and her husband had nine children. (6) _______.

9) (7) _______.It’s a blood clotting disorder, which, because of Victoria’s vast lineage, was passed on to the members of royal and noble families across Europe, including the Romanovs, the members of the Russian royal family.

10) She was the first monarch to ride a train. It happened in 1842. The ride from Slough, near Windsor Castle, to Paddington in West London took about 30 minutes to complete. (8) _______.

A. For this reason, Victoria’s mother used a strict code of discipline to shape the Queen-to-be.

B. Their sons and daughters later married into several European monarchies and produced the Queen’s 42 grandchildren.

C. The 23-year-old Queen found the ride delightful and said the “motion was very slight, and much easier than a carriage—also no dust or great heat.”

D. The young queen was an adept linguist, fluent both in English and German.

E. Victoria was deeply in love with Albert and wrote in her diary that she was extremely happy in her marriage.

F. She became the first known carrier of hemophilia, known as the “Royal disease”.

G. The palace at that time was in need of extreme renovations if it was going to be a family home.

H. At birth, Victoria was fifth in the line of succession for the British crown behind four eldest sons of George III, including her three uncles and her father Edward.

   

DISCUSSION

   Discuss in pairs what facts seem to you the most interesting and important. Tell your groupmates about your opinion.

WRITING

LISTENING AND WATCHING

1. Before you listen to a report about Charles Dickens [37] be ready to discuss some questions.

1)  What facts about Charles Dickens do you know?

2) What was Charles Dickens’s earliest published work?

3)  What other professions did Charles Dickens have?

 

SPEAKING

Topic 2. Women Writers

 

READING

Answer the questions.

1. What is the name of one of the most popular pre-Victorian novelists?

2. What are the names of Brontë sisters?

3. What direction did Brontë sisters follow to write their books?

4. What did their father do?

5. What books did Anne and Charlotte Brontë publish in 1847?

6. Can you describe Gaskell according to the text?

7. Whom did Dickens invite to contribute to his magazine “Household Words”?

8. What did Patrick Brontë ask Gaskell to do after Charlotte’s death?

9. What is the name of one of the most leading English novelists of the 19th century?

10. Why was Eliot shunned by friends and family?

 

CASE-STUDY

Read the opening chapter[43] from Austen’s most famous novel “Pride and Prejudice” (1813). Be ready to answer the questions before each extract.

a) This opening of the novel may act as a statement of the theme. Which one? What do you expect to read about?

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighborhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surroundings families, that he is considered as the rightful property of someone or other of their daughters.  

b) Comment on the attitudes of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. How do their words characterize them? Imagine the scene as if on a stage: are the two characters sitting or standing? Where? Are they doing anything else but talking?

“My dear Mr. Bennet,’ said the lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

“But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”

“Do you want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.

“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”

c) What kind of “design” are they talking about? Whose design is it?

This was invitation enough.

“Why, my dear, you must know. Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the North of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”

“What is his name?”

“Bingley.”

“Is he married or single?”

“Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”

“How so? How can it affect them?”

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, ‘”how can you be so tiresome? You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”

“Is that his design in settling here?”

d) Does Mr.Bennet really mean that the girls should go by themselves? Does he flatter Mrs. Bennet?

“Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.”

“I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for, as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.”

“My dear, you flatter me.”

e) In reading the text you will come across a word that is spelt differently or its meaning has changed slightly since the 19^th century. Can you translate them into contemporary English? (e.g. “she was of little information”).

Glossary:

chaise and four– a coach with four horses

Michaelmas– the Feast of St. Michael (29^th September)

 

DISCUSSION

1. Make a dialogue with your groupmate. Imagine that one of you is Mr. Bennet and another one is Mrs. Long; one of you is Mr. Bennet and another one is Mrs. Bennet.

2. Surf the Internet and find out the information about what noted actors and actresses have played in the film “Pride and Prejudice”. Why were they casted for this or that role in the film?

 

WRITING

1. Render the following texts [44] in English and be ready to answer the questions below.

1

Когда речь заходит о сестрах Бронте, люди часто говорят о тайне этой семьи. Действительно, Шарлотта Бронте, старшая изо всех детей, умерла позже всех – в возрасте 39 лет. Кажется, что над семьей довлел какой-то рок. Они жили в мрачном доме, стоящем на кладбище, рядом с церковью, где служил их отец. Из окон дома дети могли видеть могилы матери и маленьких сестер. Но удивительнее другое. Дети жили без матери, с суровым и мрачным отцом, который не смог смириться со смертью любимой жены. Из-за нехватки средств дети не получили хорошего образования. И, тем не менее, все они были блестяще образованы, начитаны и с раннего детства писали стихи, пьесы и даже романы. Прожив очень короткую и трудную жизнь, сестры смогли создать такие романы, которые стали классикой не только английской, но и мировой литературы, которые с удовольствием читают до сих пор. Неслучайно, что все они экранизированы, и не один раз. 

2

Элизабет Гаскелл, по воспоминаниям современников, была очаровательной женщиной. Она была отличной хозяйкой, замечательной матерью и идеальной женой для священника Уильяма Гаскелла. Она переписывала его проповеди, посещала бедных и больных прихожан, создавала условия для его работы.

Первое крупное произведение Гаскелл — это социальный роман «Мэри Бартон. Повесть из манчестерской жизни», в которой показано, как голод и нищета подводят рабочих к мысли о восстании. В романе «Крэнфорд» (1853) изображена жизнь обывателей провинциального городка. В романе «Руфь» писательница с уважением рассказала о работнице, отказавшейся от брака с «джентльменом», соблазнившим её. В романе «Север и Юг» усиливаются религиозные и сентиментальные тенденции. Однако и в этих романах, и в последних романах «Поклонники Сильвии» (1863) и «Жёны и дочери» (1866, неоконченный) она показывает жизнь очень реалистично.

3

Джордж Элиот имела аналитический склад ума. Она была одной из образованнейших женщин эпохи, пристально следила за развитием философской, социологической и естественнонаучной мысли, долгие годы редактировала литературный раздел журнала «Вестминстерское обозрение».

Джордж Элиот написала семь романов, повести, эссе и стихи. Она отличалась смелостью не только в своих новаторских книгах, но и личной жизни. 22 года она прожила с Д. Г. Льюисом, с женатым и имеющим детей человеком, который, правда, давно разошелся с своей неизлечимо умалишенной женой. Это произвело громадный скандал в чопорном английском обществе; даже ближайшие друзья Элиот временно отшатнулись от неё, но писательница и Льюис были связаны слишком неразрывными духовными узами, чтобы считаться с условной моралью.

Авторитет писательницы был огромен. На нее смотрели как на наставницу, учителя жизни. Сама королева Виктория была её почитательницей.

 

Answer the questions.

1. Can you state that Brontë sisters’ novels are still of a great interest among readers in the modern world?

2.  Do you think that Brontë sisters’ living conditions influenced the way they wrote their novels?

3. How would you describe Elizabeth Gaskell as a great woman writer?

4. Do you think that some of Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels contain her prototype?

5. How can one guess that George Eliot had an analytical mind?

6. What was special in Eliot’s novels for the Queen to worship her talent?

 

3. Write an essay on the topic “Why was Emily Brontë 's “Wuthering Heights” recognized as one of the most significant in literature in the Victorian period?” Limit your essay to 250 words.

LISTENINGAND WATCHING

1. Before listening to a report with Kathryn Sutherland, Professor from the Oxford University about Jane Austen [45] discuss some questions.

1. What is Jane Austen famous and known for?

2. How can you describe Jane Austen’s main heroines and heroes?

3. What realities of Jane Austen’s society can one find in her novels?

 

SPEAKING

Topic 3. American Realism

 

READING

Answer the questions.

1. How would you describe American Realism?

2. What are the main representatives of this direction?

3. What else did the writers depict in their novels?

4. Was Uncle Tom's Cabin allowed to be published by slave states?

5. How was naturalism described in the 19^th century?

6. What American writer was the first to embrace naturalism?

7. What novels of Theodore Dreiser are the most popular among readers?

8. Did Henry James share only naturalism?

9. What features does Henry James’s writing show?

10. What novels of Henry James are the most notable?

 

CASE-STUDY

Read “The Story of the Bad Little Boy” and “The Story of the Good Little Boy” by Mark Twain.

These two stories are sharp satire, criticizing typical features of literature for children at that time in America. Find out and write down what the requirements for children’s literature in Mark Twain’s epoch were.

 

DISCUSSION

1. Compare these stories with “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. Find out differences, give examples, discuss them with your groupmates and compare your ideas with them.

2. Surf the Internet and find out the information about Tom Sawyer as a good and obedient boy, his attitude to his aunt and a desire to become better and clear up his act.

 

WRITING

1. Render the following text [50] into English and be ready to answer the questions below.

Американец Сэмюэл Ленгхорн Клеменс, известный всему миру под псевдонимом Марк Твен, родился 30 ноября 1835 года в поселке Флорида штата Миссури. Он был и лоцманом, и старателем на приисках, и золотоискателем, и журналистом. Но весь мир знает Твена как писателя. Ранние рассказы Марка Твена пронизаны сатирой и юмором. Его книги "Приключения Гекльберри Финна", "Приключения Тома Сойера", "Янки из Коннектикута при дворе короля Артура", "Жизнь на Миссисипи" стали классикой американской литературы.

Свой первый рассказ «Знаменитая скачущая лягушка из Калавераса» он отправил в нью-йоркскую газету, и его не только напечатали, но и признали лучшим рассказом года. В короткие часы отдыха он писал, и по возвращении в Америку у него была готова к изданию новая книга – «Янки при дворе короля Артура». Когда его спрашивали, какие свои книги он любит больше всего, он неизменно отвечал: «Тома Сойера» и «Гекльберри Финна». Этим детям, созданным Твеном, в городе Ганнибале, на родине писателя установлен памятник: Том и Гек несут дохлую кошку. Марк Твен был не только очень остроумным человеком, но и любил разные творческие новинки. В год окончания написания повести «Приключения Тома Сойера» американская фирма «Ремингтон» выпустила в продажу первую партию пишущих машинок. Марк Твен сразу же купил машинку, и книга о приключения Тома Сойера явилась первой в мире рукописью, напечатанной для издательства на пишущей машинке. Наверное, нет ни одного писателя, о котором бы ходило столько анекдотов, как о Марке Твене. Этот факт является лучшим показателем того, что этот автор пользуется народной любовью.

 

Answer the questions.

1. Why do you think Mark Twain is famous for his writing talent, but not as a gold digger?

2. What other greatest works of Mark Twain except for “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” do you know?

3. What do you think “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is known for?

4. What city was the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn Monument installed in?

5. What facts were put in the story about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn?

6. Why were these stories the most favorite for Mark Twain?

 

LISTENING AND WATCHING

1. Before you listen to a report [51] with Marc Schuster about the American realism be ready to discuss some questions.

1. What writers of the American realism can you enumerate?

2. What idea does the American realism movement express?

3. What spheres of life could be seen in the American realism movement?

 

SPEAKING

1. Imagine that you are preparing a project about the importance of American words in the American realism movement with your groupmate. You have found some interesting and useful material [53] for the presentation and you want to share it with other groupmates. Work in groups and be ready to discuss the importance of American words given in the text.

Twain, Faulkner, and many other writers, particularly southerners, are indebted to frontier pre-Civil War humorists such as Johnson Hooper, George Washington Harris, Augustus Longstreet, Thomas Bangs Thorpe, and Joseph Baldwin. From them and the American frontier folk came the wild proliferation of comical new American words: "absquatulate" (leave), "flabbergasted" (amazed), "rampagious" (unruly, rampaging). Local boasters, or "ring-tailed roarers," who asserted they were half horse, half alligator, also underscored the boundless energy of the frontier. They drew strength from natural hazards that would terrify lesser men. "I'm a regular tornado," one swelled, "tough as hickory and long-winded as a nor'wester. I can strike a blow like a falling tree, and every lick makes a gap in the crowd that lets in an acre of sunshine."

 

Additional texts

Charles Dickens Biography

Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870) is a Victorian novelist who created some of the most memorable characters in English Literature, while also criticising the worst excesses of Victorian society.

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth on 7 February 1812.As a child, he experienced the fickle hands of fate; he first studied at a private school, which he had to quit because of his family’s financial hardship.

In fact, his father’s debts were so bad, that the whole family (apart from the young Charles) was sent to the debtor’s prison. Although Charles escaped detention in the debtors’ prison, he was made to work long, 10 hour a day, at a local boot-blacking factory. The hard and dangerous work left a lasting impression on Charles Dickens, who would later incorporate in his writings a sense of social injustice that was endemic in Victorian Britain.

Charles managed to escape the grind of factory work, by training to be a shorthand writer and gaining employment as a journalist – reporting on court cases.

In 1833, he became a parliamentary journalist for the Morning Chronicle. Shortly after this, he began writing his first serialised stories, published under a pseudonym – Boz.

In 1836, he married Catherine Hogarth and also in that year, he saw the first publication of ‘ The Pickwick Papers.’ His first book proved to be a great seller, and this enabled him to become a full-time writer.

    Charles Dickens also took great interest in the social issues of the day. He toured both Europe and the United States speaking against slavery and the various social injustices that he saw. He even founded his own paper – The Daily News.

Charles Dickens is one of the most popular writers in English. In particular, his novels are brimming with colourful and eccentric characters which leave a lasting impression. He achieved this through his vivid memory of the various people he had met through his life, but also he added a touch of fantasy and exaggeration with his vivid descriptive style.

He frequently highlighted the worst excesses of Victorian society and made a passionate case for a more caring and moral society.

For his attacks on social injustice, Dickens was considered a “Radical” of his time. Dickens was a noted philanthropist helping to raise funds for charities. He also helped to set up a home for ‘fallen women.’ The emphasis was on providing destitute women with an education and way to redeem themselves in society’s eyes. Redemption was an important aspect of Dickens’ philosophy and he often criticised harsh and punitive punishments, such as solitary confinement.

Dickens died on June 8th, 1870 after a stroke. He was writing a book ‘Edwin Drood’. He had wished to be buried at Rochester Cathedral in a simple and private manner, but contrary to his wishes, he was buried at Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey.

William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray(1811— 1863), English novelist whose reputation rests chiefly on Vanity Fair (1847–48), a novel of the Napoleonic period in England, and The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. (1852), set in the early 18th century.

Thackeray was the only son of Richmond Thackeray, an administrator in the East India Company. His father died in 1815, and in 1816 Thackeray was sent home to England. His mother joined him in 1820, having married (1817) an engineering officer. He got education in several grammar schools and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He considered painting as a profession; his artistic gifts are seen in his letters and many of his early writings, which are amusingly and energetically illustrated. In 1836, while studying art in Paris, he married a penniless Irish girl, and his stepfather bought a newspaper so that he could remain there as its correspondent. After the paper’s failure (1837) he took his wife back to Bloomsbury, London, and became a hardworking and prolific professional journalist.

Of Thackeray’s three daughters, one died in infancy (1839); and in 1840 Mrs. Thackeray became insane. She never recovered and long survived her husband, living with friends in the country. Thackeray was, in effect, a widower, giving more and more attention to his daughters, for whom he established a home in London in 1846. The serial publication in 1847–48 of his novel Vanity Fair brought Thackeray both fame and prosperity, and from then on he was an established author on the English scene.

Thackeray lectured in the United States on The English Humorists of the 18th Century (1852–53; published 1853) and on The Four Georges (1855–56; published 1860). But after 1856 he settled in London. After he died in 1863, a commemorative bust of him was placed in Westminster Abbey.

In his own time Thackeray was regarded as the only possible rival to Dickens. His pictures of contemporary life were obviously real and were accepted as such by the middle classes. A great professional, wrote to be read aloud in the long Victorian family evenings. Throughout his works, Thackeray analyzed and deplored snobbery and frequently gave his opinions on human behaviour and the shortcomings of society.  He examined such subjects as hypocrisy, secret emotions, the sorrows sometimes attendant on love, remembrance of things past, and the vanity of life—such moralizing is, in his opinion, an important function of the novelist. He preferred to be true to life, subtly depicting various moods and