Т. М. Лазарева, О. В. Митякина, Л. Д. Овчерук, И. В. Шерина Английский язык. Страноведение

1. Глава политической партии в Палате Общин становится премьер-министром.

2. Все 10 провинций Канады имеют право самоуправления.

3. Форма правительства в Канаде – конституционная монархия.

4. В центре канадского флага – красный кленовый лист, самый известный канадский символ.

5. Канадская экономика всегда основывалась на природных ресурсах.

6. Большую часть экономики Канады составляет сервис.
Ex. 7. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the origin of the name “Canada”?

2. How many oceans tough Canada?

3. How many countries border on Canada?

4. How many provinces and territories are there in Canada? Could you name them?

5. Who were the first people to live in Canada?

6. What are national symbols of Canada?

7. What is the Canada national anthem called?

8. How many national parks are there in Canada?

9. What is the name of the tallest peak in Canada? Is it located in western Canada near Alaska?

10. What are Canada’s national languages?

11. What is the name of the elected lower House of Canadian Parliament?

12. What is the leader of Canada called?

13. Canada is considered a bilingual country. What does this mean?

14. What do you feel is the best thing about Canada?

Ex. 8. Imagine that you are a guide and your group-mates are tourists visiting Canada for the first time. Get ready to speak about Canada according to the plan.

1. 
   The geographical position.
   
2. 
   The origin to the name Canada.
   
3. 
   Provinces and Territories. The naming of their Capital Cities.
   
4. 
   Symbols of Canada.
   
5. 
   Places to see.
   
6. 
   Hidden charms of Canadian cities: Quebec and Vancouver.
   

1. 
   What’s your first impression of Canada?
   
2. 
   Is there anything in Canada you can’t get used to?
   
3. 
   You visited Niagara Falls in Canada. Do you agree that this place is called “a honeymoon capital of the world”?
   
4. 
   What do you lack in Canada?
   
5. 
   What is the difference between Russian and Canadian people?
   
6. 
   What do you think of Canadian symbols?
   
7. 
   Would you describe the city that you enjoyed most of all?
   

Some people may tell you that there is no racism in Canada. Others may say that racism is a very serious problem. The truth lies somewhere between. Some Canadi­ans may make you feel unwelcome. However, the majority of Canadians are fair-minded. They will accept and re­spect anyone who accepts and respects them.

1. Find in the beginning of the text the term “collective identity”.

What does it mean?

2. The Canadians share many important qualities. What for?

3. Name optimistic features of Canadians.

4. Why Canadians try to ignore small conflicts?

5. Is there racism in Canada?

6. What do Canadians think of effort and discipline?

7. What does the right to participate in Canadian society imply?

B. Symbols of Canada
The Canadian Flag

Canada’s current flag was proclaimed in 1995 after 2000 public design entries were hotly debated in parliament. In the centre of the flag there is a red sugar maple leaf, Canada’s best known symbol. The side bars represent the ocean boundaries and are not blue because an important reason for the entire procedure

"A Mari usque ad Mare" (From sea to sea) is based on biblical scripture: "He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth (Psalm 72:8)". It was proposed as the motto for the new design of the coat of arms, which was approved by Order in Council on April 21, 1921 and by Royal Proclamation on November 21,1921.

Trees have played a meaningful role in the historical development of Canada and continue to be of commercial, en­vironmental and aesthetic impor­tance to all Canadians. Maples con­tribute valuable wood products, sustain the maple sugar industry and help to beautify the landscape. Maple wood, which varies in hardness, toughness and other properties, is in demand for flooring, furniture, in­terior woodwork, veneer, small woodenware, and supports several flourishing industries in eastern Canada. Maple is also highly prized in furniture building and cabinet-mak­ing.

Since 1965, the maple leaf has been the centerpiece of the National Flag of Canada and the maple tree bears the leaves that have become the most prominent Canadian symbol, nationally and inter­nationally. Maple leaf pins and badges are proudly worn by Canadi­ans abroad, and are recognized around the world.

The Maple Leaf

The maple leaf today appears on the penny. However, between 1876 and 1901, it appeared on all Canadian coins. The modern one-cent piece has two maple leaves on a common twig, a design that has gone almost unchanged since 1937.

During the First World War, the maple leaf was included in the badge of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Since 1921, the Royal Arms of Canada have included three maple leafs as a distinctive Canadian emblem. With the proclamation of Canada's new flag in 1965, the maple leaf has become the most-prominent Canadian symbol.

The Beaver

The beaver attained official status as an emblem of Canada when an "act to provide for the recognition of the beaver as a symbol of the sovereignty of Canada" received royal assent on March 24, 1975.

After the early Europeans explorer had realized that Canada was not the spice-rich Orient, the main mercantile attraction was the beaver population numbering in the millions. In the late 1600s and early 1700s, the fashion of the day demanded fur hats, which needed beaver pelts. As these hats became more popular, the de­mand for the pelts grew.

Despite all this recognition, the bea­ver was close to extinction by the mid-19th century. There were an estimated six million beavers in Canada before the start of the fur trade. During its peak, 100,000 pelts were being shipped to Eu­rope each year; the Canadian beaver was in danger of being wiped out. Luck­ily, about that time, Europeans took a lik­ing to silk hats and the demand for bea­ver pelts all but disappeared.

Today, thanks to conservation and silk hats, the beaver – the largest rodent in Canada - is alive and well all over the country.
Ex. 1. Answer the following questions.

1. What leaf is on the Canadian flag?

2. Why are there the three royal lions on the Canadian coat of arms?

3. Canada’s motto is based on biblical scripture. What does this scripture say?

4. What role have the trees played in the historical development of Canada?

5. Speak on the usage of maples.

6. Name the most prominent Canadian symbol.

7. In what year did the beaver attain official status as an emblem of Canada?

8. Why was the beaver valued so highly?

9. Why did the demand for beaver pelts disappear?

The roots of Canadian English can be found in events which followed the American Revolution of 1776. Those who had supported Britain found themselves unable to stay in the new United States, and most went into exile in the Ontario region of Canada. From there they spread to all parts of the country. They were soon followed by many thousands who were attracted by the cheapness of land. Within fifty years, the population of Upper Canada (above Montreal) had reached 100,000 - mainly people from the United States.

In the east, the Atlantic Provinces had been settled with English speakers much earlier (the first contacts were as early as 1497, when the British explorer John Cabot claimed Newfoundland), but even today these areas contain less than 10 per cent of the population, so that they have only a marginal role in the develop­ment of the Canadian 'norm'. In Quebec, the use of French language and culture remains from the first period of exploration, with the majority of people using French as a mother-tongue: here, English and French coexist uneasily.

Because of its origins, Canadian English has a great deal in common with the rest of the English spoken in North America – and is often difficult to distinguish for people who live outside the region. To British people, Canadians may sound American; to Americans, they may sound British. Canadians themselves insist on not being identified with either, and certainly there is great deal of evidence in support of this view.

Thing that happens, incident.

Help; give one’s approval.

Extend, become distributed.

Make one’s permanent house.

Ex. 2. Answer the following questions according to the text.

a. Why did some English people have to escape to Canada after the American Revolution?

b. Why did people go to Canada after the first immigrants?

c. Why is French spoken in Quebec?

d. What kind of English does Canadian English resemble?
Text 2

Canada is a bilingual country with two official languages, English and French. The vast majority (75 percent) of Canada's French-speaking inhabitants live in the province of Quebec, which is located in the eastern part of the country but there are French-speaking communities throughout the country.

According to a 1991 census, French is the mother tongue of 82 per cent of Quebec's population and is spoken at home by 83 per cent of Quebecers.

Internationally, it is estimated that some 800 million people speak English and 250 million speak French. As a bilingual nation, Canada offers English as a Second Language (ESL) and French as a Second Language (FSL) training for students wishing to learn either or both languages.

1. What are the two official languages of Canada?

2. Where in Canada is French predominantly spoken?

3. Which of Canada’s official languages is used more throughout the world?

Public education in Canada is co-educational and free up to and including secondary school. The law requires children to attend school from the age of 6 or 7 until they are 15 or 16 years old. In Quebec, free education is extended to include attendance at the general and vocational colleges which charge only a mini­mal registration fee. The student pays tuition for most other post-secondary education.

The percentage spent on education in Canada is the highest among industrialized countries.

A Provincial Responsibility

There is no federal educational system in Canada: the Constitution vested the exclusive responsibility for education to the provinces. Each provincial system, while similar to the others, reflects its specific regional concerns and historical and cultural heritage. The provincial departments of education - headed by an elected minister - set stan­dards, draw up curriculums and give grants to educational institutions.

Responsibility for the administration of elementary and secondary (or high) schools is delegated to local elected school boards or commissions.

Post-Secondary Education

Until the mid-1960s, post-secondary education in Canada was provided almost exclusively by its universi­ties. These were mainly private institutions, many with a religious *affiliation. How­ever, as the demand for greater variety in post-secondary education rose sharply and enroll­ment *mushroomed, systems of publicly op­erated post-secondary non-university institu­tions began to de­velop.

*to mushroom – быстро распространяться

1. 
   What systems does education in Canada comprise?
   
2. 
   Speak on public education and free education.
   
3. 
   How much does Canada spend on education?
   
4. 
   Is there a federal educational system in Canada?
   
5. 
   What does each provincial system try to reflect in education?
   
6. 
   Speak on post-secondary education in Canada.
   

The first long-distance telephone calls were made by Alexander Graham Bell between the Ontario communities of Mount Pleasant and Brantford, and between Brantford and Paris, in 1876.

The first geostationary domestic tele­communications satellite in the world was the Anik-A1 in 1972.

The world's first commercial fibre op­tics telecommunications network was the 3268 kilometres system created by SaskTel in Saskatchewan in 1982.

The world's first documentary film was "Nanook of the North", which was shot in Canada by Robert Flaherty in 1922.

Kerosene was developed by Abraham Gesner of Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, and its lighting properties were demonstrated in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in 1846.

Henry Woodward of Toronto invented the first electric light bulb in 1874. He later sold a share in his patent to Thomas Edison, who designed a more practical bulb in 1879.

The greatest contribution to nuclear theory at a Canadian uni­versity was Ernest Rutherford's theory of atomic structure, which he developed while at McGill University in 1902. It earned him the Nobel Prize in 1908.

The first frozen food sold to the public was Ice Fillets frozen fish, which went on sale in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1929.

J.J. Wright of Toronto built the first electric railway with over­head wires with an electric pole connected to the car to avoid the rain and snow which frequently short-circuited streetcar rails.

Hockey is known to have been played in Halifax and Kingston in the 1850s. The first public exhibi­tion of the modern game took place at the Victoria Rink in Montreal in 1875.

Basketball was invented by James Naismith of Almonte, Ontario, and first played at Springfield, Massachusetts, where Naismith was a physical education instructor, in 1892.

Five-pin bowling was invented by Т.Е. Ryan of Toronto in 1909.

Doctors Frederick Banting and Charles Best, both of Ontario, discovered insulin in 1921.

1. 
   Canada is said to be the home of surprising number of world – renowned inventors. Can you name Canadian inventors?
   
2. 
   Who contributed to nuclear theory at a Canadian University?
   
3. 
   What is Alexander Graham Bell famous for?
   
4. 
   You do know the word “Kerosene”. Who developed it and its lighting properties?
   
5. 
   What sports games were invented in Canada?
   
6. 
   If you know any less known inventions developed in Canada, name them.
   

Leacock wrote much non-fiction, but he is best known for his humorous fiction. His first collection of humorous stories appeared in 1904, “Literary Lapses”. They were musings, parodies, satires, funny anecdotes and conversations. Since they were collected from vari­ous sources, the stories shared very little in common other than Leacock's sharp sense of humor. His two most important books of humor are “Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town” (1912) and “Arcadian Adventures with the Idol Rich” (1914). In the former, Leacock takes us to small-town Ontario, and while the people and practices of this town are clearly satirized, it is done with a great deal of affection. The latter takes place in a large American city and is much more scathing in its criticism of what Leacock saw as a hypo­critical, self-serving and ultimately destructive eco­nomic upper-class.

Leacock also wrote extensively about humor, which he saw as the ultimate expression of human kindness and progress. He wrote about Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and others, and his thesis is most fully devel­oped in “Humour and Humanity” (1937). While some critiqued his reliance on a "lesser" genre, Leacock remained dedicated to his first love, humor.

by Lee Skallerup
Ex. 1. Answer the following questions.

1. What was Leacock’s literary genre?

2. Say some words about Leacock’s educational career.

3. When did his first collection of humorous stories appear?

4. Name his two most important books of humor.

5. What did Leacock write about humor?

1. 
   Finding a place to live
   

When you first arrive in Canada, you will probably be living in a temporary home. You will soon be looking for a more permanent place to live. Canada has many different types of housing and a wide range of prices. Finding the right place will take some time and effort. Your first decision will be whether to rent a house or an apartment, or to buy a house.

Whether you rent or buy will depend on your per­sonal finances and whether you already have a job in Canada. Most newcomers decide they should first rent a house or apartment. This gives them more time to save money to buy a house and to decide where they want to live.

If you want to buy a house, unless you can pay the full price, you will need to get a long-term loan called a mortgage.

• Furnished or Unfurnished: Furnished housing should include beds, tables, chairs, lamps, curtains, a stove and a refrigerator. Unfurnished housing may include a stove and a refrigerator, but not always.

• Room for Rent: This is usually in a house or an apartment that is owned or rented by other people. Everyone shares the kitchen and bathrooms.

• Bachelor or Studio Apartment: These are small apartments designed mainly for one person. They have one large room with a kitchen and a sleeping area, plus a separate bathroom.

• Duplex: This is a house divided into two separate apartments. It may be bought or rented.

• Townhouse: This is a small house joined to other houses. It may be bought or rented.

• Condominium: This is an apartment or townhouse that is individually owned, while “common areas” are jointly owned. As well as the mortgage pay­ment and property taxes, each owner pays a monthly fee for maintenance.

How much will it cost?

You could expect to pay between $350 a month for a room, and $2,000 a month for a luxury apartment or a large house. Rental costs vary greatly across cities and across Canada. Hous­ing is more reasonable outside the large cities.

Plan on spending 35 to 50 percent of your income on housing. This should include the cost of electricity, heating, telephone service and water.

As people in Canada tend to move in the spring and summer months, these are the best times to look for a home; there will be more choices available.

Many people in Canada find that it takes two incomes to raise a family, even though parents are hav­ing fewer children. Most mothers have a job outside the home, and in many families, both parents share the work of shopping, cooking, cleaning the house and looking after the children. Because divorce has be­come more common, there are many one-parent fami­lies in Canada. Most single parents "who raise their children on a full-time basis are women. There are also same-sex couples with children.

When children arrive in Canada, they usually learn about Canadian life quickly through schools, television, movies and music. If they need to learn English or French, they often learn it quite quickly. Parents find out about Canadian life differently, as they search for housing and work. They too may need to learn English or French, but often need more time than their children to do so.

If you have children, you will know that you see the world somewhat differently than they do, because you are older and have more life experience. After immi­grating to Canada, however, you may find that these differences increase, because you are having differ­ent experiences of Canadian life. These differences affect the behaviour of аll family members and саn lead to tension in the family between parents and their children.

Discussing concerns with teachers, doctors, public health workers, social workers, settlement workers, and friends and relatives who have already settled in Canada will help уоu and your children understand your experi­ences and make good choices about your future.