Тесты для входного и итогового контроля каждого модуля, ключи к тестам, лексический минимум, тексты для дополнительного чтения

• 
  geographical position
  
• 
  nature
  
• 
  climate
  
• 
  population
  
• 
  natural resources
  
• 
  industry/agriculture
  
• 
  educational establishments
  
• 
  state system
  
• 
  the origin of the name
  
• 
  tragic history
  
• 
  some other facts
  

1. 
   _____? – Belarus
   
2. 
   _____? – It’s about 200,000 sq. km.
   
3. 
   _____? – Five countries.
   
4. 
   _____? – Yes, quite a lot of. About 3,000.
   
5. 
   _____? – I’ve no idea. Probably Lake Naroch.
   
6. 
   _____? – Six.
   
7. 
   _____? – No, it’s less than 80 per cent. It’s about 70 per cent.
   
8. 
   _____? – On April 26, 1986.
   
9. 
   _____? – Quite mild in winters and warm in summers.
   
10. 
    _____? – The President.
    
11. 
    _____? – 150.
    
12. 
    _____? – In milk and meat production.
    
13. 
    _____? – Potatoes, flax, grain and vegetables.
    
14. 
    _____? – «A land of Bogs».
    
15. 
    _____? – Legislative, Executive and Judicial.
    
16. 
    _____? – With more than 40 countries in different parts of the world.
    
17. 
    _____? – In the 14 century.
    
18. 
    _____? – East-Slavonic lands.
    
19. 
    _____? – During the Great Patriotic War.
    
20. 
    _____? – In July, 1990.
    

• 
  The Art Festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» – фестиваль искусств «Славянский базар»;
  
• 
  «Literary Sitting-Room» – литературная гостиная;
  
• 
  «Pevcheskoye Pole» (The Field of Singers) – «Певческое Поле»;
  
• 
  the International contest of beauty «Miss Slavyanka» – международный конкурс красоты «Мисс Славянка»;
  
• 
  «The Town of Masters» – «Город мастеров».
  

regional centre, festival, bazaar, national flag, federation, demonstrate, political leader, telegram, concert, ensemble, jazz, disco, photo, national ornament.

to look forward to smth – ждать с нетерпением

to be as good as one’s word - держать своё слово

to put (it) in a nutshell – кратко, в двух словах

live concert – концерт, транслируемый с места действия

in a word – одним словом, коротко говоря

1. 
   (fig.) say, write it in the fewest possible words;
   
2. 
   give prominence or emphasis to;
   
3. 
   think about smth. which will happen in the future (usually with pleasure);
   
4. 
   charm or enchantment; attraction; appeal; beauty;
   
5. 
   greatness; magnificence;
   
6. 
   making great demands; strict;
   
7. 
   keep one’s word;
   
8. 
   likely to succeed;
   
9. 
   move about in a quick, irregular way;
   
10. 
    (statement, report, story) which cannot be verified and is of doubtful accuracy.
    

border, wish, support, promise.

one cannot but mention; dozens of multicoloured national flags fluttering over the main concert ground; its genuine art has no borders; we must admit; he has been as good as his word; the concern of the Belarusian government; richly decorated with fine national ornaments; serves as a fantastic background.

The first musical festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» was opened in Vitebsk on July, 15, 1992. Since that time every year Vitebsk has been meeting singers, composers, dancers, artists from different countries of the world. 46 countries from 4 continents have taken part in this festival in the last 10 years. But in 1992 when it was held for the first time it was difficult to imagine that three years later, in 1995, «Slavyansky Bazaar» would be accepted into UNESCO’s International Festival Organization Federation (FOF) and would get the international status. The idea of the event was to gather the best performers from different countries and to demonstrate again and again that genuine art has no borders. The key words of the festival are brotherhood, mutual understanding, friendship.

Participants, organizers and spectators are looking forward to each new festival. For several days the regional centre with a population of over 600,000 people, turns into a kind of Mecca, greeting 100,000 people from all over the world. You can hear people talking in different languages and see dozens of multicoloured national flags fluttering over the main concert ground of «Slavyansky Bazaar» -amphitheatre.

Promising young performers from the USA, France, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, Turkey, Georgia, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and other countries take part in this festival. In a nutshell, this festival of art in Vitebsk has a world-wide fame.

Political leaders of Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine and some other countries arrive in Vitebsk to be present at the opening ceremony or send greeting telegrams and wish success to the participants of the festival.

In 1995 the first President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko opened «Slavyansky Bazaar - 95». In his speech at the opening ceremony he promised that he would support this festival and we must admit that he has been as good as his word. Since that time «Slavyansky Bazaar» has become the concern of the Belarusian government. And at «Slavyansky Bazaar – 2002» Alexander Lukashenko highlighted that this festival is a real fair of talents. The more we will communicate in the language of arts, the better mutual understanding will be. The President reassured the public and the participants, worried by the rumours spreading about that the festival would be held once in two years or even closed down, that in spite of the financial difficulties «Slavyansky Bazaar» would be held as usual, annually. His words were met with a burst of applause, which proves the wide popularity of the festival.

The programme of «Slavyansky Bazaar» is varied. There are concerts of pop stars, contests of young singers, concerts of children’s ensembles, the International contest of beauty «Miss Slavyanka», folk songs concerts, the days of the national culture, the holiday of fashion, the holiday of ballet, «Pevcheskoye Pole» (The Field of Singers), «Jazz Club», «Disco Bazaar», «Literary Sitting-Room», exhibitions of famous and young artists, photo exhibitions, «The Town of Masters», etc.

The main concert ground – the amphitheatre of Vitebsk – is richly decorated with fine national ornaments and the emblem of the festival (the cornflower) and it serves as a fantastic background for all the performers. The amphitheatre is always overcrowded because the festival evokes great interest. And though people from 28 countries can watch it on TV, they prefer to be present at live concerts. Showmen and participants of «Slavyansky Bazaar» often highlight that the Vitebsk audience is the best in the world: it is the most exacting, but at the same time the most pleasing and well-wishing public.

In hot days of July Vitebsk celebrates its birthday. The inhabitants of this ancient city and its guests have a jolly time and enjoy themselves greatly. And it adds more glamour to the grandeur of «Slavyansky Bazaar».

In a word, «Slavyansky Bazaar» demonstrates friendship of different nations (first of all, the Slavonic peoples), their desire to live in peace and communicate with each other in the language of art.

1. What is Vitebsk famous for?

2. When was the first musical festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» opened?

3. What does Vitebsk turn into for about a week in July?

4. What is the main concert ground of the festival?

5. When was «Slavyansky Bazaar» given the international status?

6. What is the idea of the festival?

7. What countries take part in this festival?

8. Who usually greets the participants and the public at the opening ceremony?

9. Who supports this festival?

10. What is the programme of «Slavyansky Bazaar» like?

11. What adds glamour to the grandeur of the festival?

12. What is the emblem of «Slavyansky Bazaar»?

13. What does this festival demonstrate?

1. Vitebsk is the capital of Belarus.

2. The International Art Festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» is held once in two years in Minsk.

3. The first musical festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» was opened on June, 15, 1991 in Vitebsk.

4. In 1996 it was accepted into UNESCO’s International Festival Organization Federation (FOF) and received the international status.

5. Performers only from the three Slavonic republics – Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine – take part in «Slavyansky Bazaar».

6. People all over the world can watch «Slavyansky Bazaar» on TV.

7. The programme of the festival is quite diverse.

8. The emblem of the festival is a thistle.

9. The Vitebsk audience is the best in the world.

10. «Slavyansky Bazaar» demonstrates that genuine art unites people of different nationalities.
3. Put in the right prepositions where necessary:

1. The first musical festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» was opened ... Vitebsk ... July, 15 , 1992. 2. The idea ... the event was to gather ... the best performers ... different countries and to demostrate again and again that genuine ... art has no borders. 3. Participants,organizers and spectators are looking forward ... each new festival. 4. ... several days the regional centre ... a population ... over 600,000 people, turns ... a kind ... Mecca, greeting 100,000 people ... all ... the world. 5. The main concert ... ground - the amphitheatre ...Vitebsk - is richly decorated ... fine national ornaments and the emblem ... the festival (the cornflower) and it serves as a fantastic background ... all the performers. 6. ... a word, «Slavyansky Bazaar» demonstrates friendship ... different nations (first... all, the Slavonic peoples), their desire to live ... peace and communicate ... each other ... the language ... art.

• 
  if they have ever been present at the opening ceremony of «Slavyansky Bazaar»
  
• 
  what they think about the programme of the festival
  
• 
  what concerts of «Slavyansky Bazaar» they usually visit/watch on TV
  
• 
  what celebrities took part in «Slavyansky Bazaar -2009»
  

- your American friend has come to visit you. You are watching TV and he sees the advertisement about «Slavyansky Bazaar». He asks you to tell him about this festival. Role-play a dialogue with your partner;

- you and your friend are going to visit «Slavyansky Bazaar». You are discussing the places you would like to visit. Role-play a dialogue with your partner;

- you are a journalist and your chief-editor told you to interview some of the celebrities at «Slavyansky Bazaar-2009». Role-play a dialogue with your partners;

- you are in «The Town of Masters». Share your impressions;

- you are the chief producer of «Slavyansky Bazaar-2010». Work out the plan of the festival.

1) Vitebsk is famous for

a) «Komarovsky Bazaar»;

b) «Slavyansky Bazaar»;

c) the beauty contest «Miss Russia».

2) «Slavyansky Bazaar» has been held in Vitebsk since

a) 1995;

b) 2002;

3) The festival is organized

a) every year;

b) every two years;

c) every ten years.

4) It usually lasts for

a) a month;

b) a fortnight;

c) a week.

5) The fourth art festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» was opened by

a) the President of Russia Vladimir Putin;

b) the President of the Ukraine Leonid Kuchma;

c) the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.

6) In 1995 «Slavyansky Bazaar in Vitebsk» got the international status and was accepted into

a) UNESCO’s International Festival Organization Federation;

b) UNISEF’s International Festival Organization Federation;

c) UEFA’s International Festival Organization Federation.

7) The idea of the festival was

a) to demonstrate that authentic art unites people;

b) to support the development of the regional cen­tre;

c) to invite political leaders from different coun­tries to Vitebsk.

8) This festival of art in Vitebsk is

a) known all over the world;

b) the main event of the 21^st century;

c) the only festival held in Belarus.

9) The main concert ground, the amphitheatre of Vitebsk, is

a) richly decorated with mouldings and it serves as a fantastic background for the performers;

b) finely decorated with Belarusian ornaments and it serves as a great background for the performers;

c) richly decorated with national ornaments and it serves as a mysterious background for the performers.

10) In 2002 the President Alexander Lukashenko reaffirmed that«Slavyansky Bazaar»

a) would be closed down;

b) would be held in Minsk;

c) would be held every year.

11) The programme of the festival

a) is dull and monotonous;

b) doesn’t cater to all tastes;

c) is quite diverse.

12) Vitebsk celebrates its birthday in

a) hot days of June;

b) sultry days of July;

c) frosty days of January.

13) It makes the programme of «Slavyansky Bazaar»

a) more interesting;

b) more boring;

c) trivial and dull.

14) The Vitebsk public is

a) delightful and charming;

b) strict but gratifying;

c) the worst in the world.

15) «Slavyansky Bazaar» strengthens friendship of Slavonic nations and manifests their desire to

a) communicate in the Belarusian language;

b) converse in the international language ;

c) converse in the language of art.

16) The emblem of the festival is

a) a red rose;

b) a blue cornflower;

• 
  “The American dream is that any citizen can rise to the highest office in the land. The British dream is that the Queen drops in for tea.” Michael Bywater: in Independent
  
• 
  “A soggy little island huffing and puffing to keep up with Western Europe.” John Updike, London Life
  
• 
  “He [the Briton] is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature.” George Bernard Shaw, Caesar and Cleopatra
  

the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; the British Isles; Great Britain; Ireland; England; Wales; Scotland; Northern Ireland; London; Cardiff; Edinburgh; Belfast; the Irish Republic; the North Sea; the English Channel; the Atlantic Ocean; the Irish Sea; the Highlands; the Lowlands; the Pennines; Ben Nevis; the Severn; the Thames; the Thames; the Mersey; the Trent; the Tyne; the Clyde; the Bristol Avon; Birmingham; Manchester; Leeds; Liverpool; Glasgow; Bristol.

1. 
   the line or zone where the land meets the sea or some other large expanse of water;
   
2. 
   a usual or habitual practice; typical mode of behaviour;
   
3. 
   to come or bring to a later or more advanced or expanded stage; grow or cause to grow gradually;
   
4. 
   the exterior face of an object or one such face;
   
5. 
   wood, esp. when regarded as a construction material;
   
6. 
   a descriptive name, caption, or heading of a section of a book, speech, etc.;
   
7. 
   a long depression in the land surface, usually containing a river, formed by erosion or by movements in the earth’s crust;
   
8. 
   to exercise governing or controlling authority over;
   
9. 
   a level or almost level tract of country, esp. an extensive treeless region;
   
10. 
    to have an effect upon;
    
11. 
    the widening channel of a river where it nears the sea;
    
12. 
    any naturally occurring mineral or aggregate of minerals from which economically important constituents, esp. metals, can be extracted;
    
13. 
    to exercise the power and authority of a sovereign;
    
14. 
    a person from a foreign country; alien;
    
15. 
    any of various herbaceous plants and shrubs cultivated in warm climates for the fibre surrounding the seeds and the oil within the seeds.
    

1) congested; 2) backbone; 3) to receive: 4) tremendous; 5) to inherit; 6) former; 7) tradition; 8) to take the sun; 9) custom; 10) to discover; 11) colossal; 12) crowded; 13) to sunbathe; 14) title; 15) to disclose; 16) prior; 17) spinal column; 18) caption; 19) to imply; 20) exterior; 21) to mean; 22) surface.

1) crowded; 2) tiny; 3) tremendous; 4) vast; 5) deep; 6) few; 7) expensive; 8) to omit; 9) former; 10) deserted; 11) numerous; 12) to include; 13) low-priced; 14) future; 15) limited; 16) shallow.

Large, mountainous, deep, bad, little (few), small, high, beautiful, famous; big, many (much), good, rich.

1. Our houses are situated in the neighbourhood. 2. In only a year in the sports club, the youngest player was elected to the committee. 3. The garage is separated from the house by a path and a flower garden. 4. The bathroom is occupied. 5. Remains of ancient people have been discovered in southern and eastern Africa. 6. A great load has been taken off my mind. 7. He cannot be considered for the job. 8. He is very much influenced by his friends. 9. He is ruled by his passions. 10. A new drug against cancer is being developed in this laboratory. 11. His intelligence and sense of humour have been inherited by his children. 12. Life is made up of little things. 13. I was meant to be a doctor. 14. The cape is washed by two oceans. 15. I wasn’t included in the list.

at the head of sth; raw material; to sunbathe; decade; numerous; place of interest; to influence; free; coast, in practice.

The full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain has several different names. Some people say “Britain”, or “the United Kingdom”, or just “UK”. In everyday speech “Great Britain” is used to mean the United Kingdom.

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 more than five thousand smaller islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometers. It is twice smaller than France and Spain and it is the 75^th place among other countries in the world.

The United Kingdom 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 does not include Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland occupies one third of the island of Ireland. The bigger part of Ireland is the Irish Republic.

The capital of the UK is London. 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 flag of the United Kingdom is known as Union Jack.

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 west of England are mountainous, but all the rest – east, center and south-east – is a vast plain. In the centre of England there is a range of hills called the Pennines, which are also known as the “backbone of England”. The mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain (1343m).

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. Most of the rivers flow into the North Sea. The Severn is the longest river (220 miles), while the Thames (215 miles) is the deepest and the most important one. Some of the British greatest ports are situated in the estuaries of the Thames, Mersey, Trent, Tyne, Clyde and Bristol Avon. There are many beautiful lakes in the mountainous parts of the country.

The UK is one of the world’s smaller countries. Its population is over 58 million. About 80% of the population is urban. The main nationalities are: English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish. In Great Britain there are a lot of immigrants from former British Asian and African colonies.

The mountains, the warm currents of the Atlantic Ocean influence the climate of Great Britain. It is mild the whole year round. Winters are not severely cold and summers are rarely hot. Many people think that the weather is cold and wet in Britain all the year round. But it isn’t! True, it sometimes rains and even snows for days and days, but every year there are weeks of beautiful sunny weather when the British take off their sweaters and go out to sunbathe.

Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources, it has some deposits of coal and iron ore and vast deposits of oil and gas that were discovered in the North Sea. Apart from coal and iron ore Britain has very few natural resources and mostly depends on import.

British agriculture provides only half of the food the country needs. The other half and most of the raw materials for its industries such as oil and various metals have to be imported. Britain also has to import timber, cotton, fruit and farm products.

Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. New industries have been developed in the last three decades. The main industrial centers are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol. Britain is 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 ship-building.

The UK is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen is the Head of State. But in practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. She inherits the title, and so is not elected by people. The country is ruled by the elected government with a Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House Commons. There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties. There’s no written constitution in Great Britain, only precedents and traditions.

Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The famous educational centers are Oxford and Cambridge Universities. They are considered to be the intellectual centers of Europe. The education is not free, it is very expensive.

Nowadays all Welsh, Scottish and Irish people speak English (even if they speak their own languages as well), but all the countries have their own special accents and dialects, and their people are easily recognizable as soon as they speak. A southern English accent is generally accepted to be the most easily understood, and this is the accent usually taught to foreigners.

1. 
   What is the full name of Great Britain?
   
2. 
   Where is the United Kingdom situated?
   
3. 
   What parts does it consist of?
   
4. 
   What is the territory and the population of the United Kingdom?
   
5. 
   What is the capital of the United Kingdom?
   
6. 
   How does the surface of the country look like?
   
7. 
   Are there any big rivers and lakes?
   
8. 
   What are the main nationalities?
   
9. 
   The weather is cold and wet in Britain, isn’t it?
   
10. 
    Is Britain rich in mineral resources?
    
11. 
    What mineral resources does Britain possess?
    
12. 
    The United Kingdom is a highly developed industrial country, isn’t it?
    
13. 
    What industrial cities are there in Great Britain?
    
14. 
    Are there any educational establishments in Great Britain?
    
15. 
    Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy, isn’t it?
    
16. 
    What is the name of the Queen of Great Britain?
    
17. 
    Who limits her power?
    
18. 
    How many houses does the British Parliament consist of? What are they?
    
19. 
    Who is the Prime Minister of Great Britain?
    
20. 
    Which political party does he represent?
    

1. 
   The climate of Great Britain is much milder than that of Belarus.
   
2. 
   The English Channel separates England from France.
   
3. 
   Britain is bigger than France.
   
4. 
   The capital of Wales is Edinburgh.
   
5. 
   The Thames is the longest river.
   
6. 
   The flag of the United Kingdom is known as Union John.
   
7. 
   The north of Scotland is called the Highlands.
   
8. 
   The Apennines are known as the “backbone of England”.
   
9. 
   Snowdon in Scotland is the highest mountain.
   
10. 
    Winters are severe and summers are hot in Britain.
    
11. 
    Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources.
    
12. 
    British agriculture satisfies all the country’s needs for food.
    
13. 
    The highest body of state power in the United Kingdom is the Congress which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
    
14. 
    The Queen rules the country.
    
15. 
    The famous educational centers are Oxford and Harvard Universities.
    
16. 
    Great Britain is an interesting place to visit.
    

full name; everyday speech; to be used to mean; one third; to vary; to be called; vast plain; range of hills; to flow into; the whole year round; severely cold; rarely; all the year round; to go out; vast deposits; apart from; main industrial center; producer; parliamentary monarchy; in practice; the House of Lords and the House Commons; the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties; intellectual center; nowadays; easily recognizable; as soon as; numerous historical and cultural places of interest; tremendous past.

1. 
   The United Kingdom consists of …
   
2. 
   The British Parliament consists of …
   
3. 
   There are the following political parties in Great Britain: …
   
4. 
   There are some famous educational establishments such as ….
   
5. 
   The United Kingdom is situated on …
   
6. 
   The British Isles are washed by …
   
7. 
   The Queen’s rights are limited by …
   
8. 
   The territory of Great Britain is …
   
9. 
   The population is …
   

1. 
   Официальное название Великобритании – Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии.
   
2. 
   Британские острова расположены на континентальном шельфе (shelf).
   
3. 
   Пролив Ла-Манш отделяет Великобританию от континента.
   
4. 
   Соединение Королевство является членом Европейского союза.
   
5. 
   Великобритания – одна из наиболее густонаселенных стран мира.
   
6. 
   Считается, что Шотландия такая же красивая, как и Швейцария.
   
7. 
   Туристы со всего мира приезжают в эти страны, чтобы полюбоваться красотой пейзажа.
   
8. 
   Северная Ирландия была первой колонией Англии
   
9. 
   Северная Ирландия занимает северо-восточную часть острова Ирландия.
   

1. 
   The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated … the British Isles.
   
2. 
   The British Isles consist … two large islands and more than five thousand smaller islands.
   
3. 
   … the centre of England there is a range of hills called the Pennines.
   
4. 
   Ben Nevis … Scotland is the highest mountain.
   
5. 
   Most of the rivers flow … the North Sea.
   
6. 
   There are many beautiful lakes … the mountainous parts of the country.
   
7. 
   … Great Britain there are a lot of immigrants … former British Asian and African colonies.
   
8. 
   Every year there are weeks of beautiful sunny weather when the British take … their sweaters and go … to sunbathe.
   
9. 
   Great Britain is not very rich … mineral resources.
   
10. 
    … practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule.
    
11. 
    The country is ruled … the elected government.
    
12. 
    A southern English accent is usually taught … foreigners.
    

1. 
   It seems to me (that) …
   
2. 
   I would like to say that …
   
3. 
   In my opinion …
   
4. 
   I guess …
   
5. 
   I suppose …
   
6. 
   I (strongly) believe that …
   
7. 
   I am (absolutely) sure that …
   

1) Land; 2) Climate; 3) Population; 4) Ethnic groups; 5) Economy.

5. 
   As I understood from the text …
   
6. 
   According to the text …
   
7. 
   As it is said in the text …
   
8. 
   The author points out (mentions, explains, describes, etc.) (that) …
   

Work in pairs.

1) Do you know any typical meals from the following countries?

France

India

Turkey

America

Mexico

Japan

England

What do you think influences a country’s food? What influences the food in your country?

2) Read these quotations about English food. Do all the people have the same opinion about English food?

“It takes some skill to spoil a breakfast –

even the English can’t do it!”

J К Galbraith, economist

“On the Continent people have good

food; in England people have good

table manners.”

George Mikes, writer and humorist

“If the English can survive their food,

they can survive anything!”

George Bernard Shaw, writer

“Even today, well-brought up English

girls are taught to boil all vegetables

for at least a month and a half, just

in case one of the dinner guests

comes without his teeth!”

Calvin Trillin, American writer

“English cooking? You just put things

into boiling water and then take them

out again after a long while!”

An anonymous French chef

2. Reading

- Read the text quickly.

- Match а paragraph 1-5 with a summary below.

a) Historical and climatic influences on British cocking

b) There’s everything except an English restaurant.

c) The legacy of World War II

d) Where there is hope for the future

e) British love affair with international cooking

IN SEARCH OF GOOD ENGLISH FOOD

by Verona Paul and Jason Winner

1. 
   How come it is so difficult to Find English food in England? In Greece you eat Greek food, in France French food, in Italy Italian food, but in England, in any High Street in the land, it is easier to find Indian and Chinese restaurants than English ones. In London you can eat Thai, Portuguese, Turkish, Lebanese, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Swiss, Swedish, Spanish, and Italian – but where are the English restaurants?
   
2. 
   It is not only in restaurants that foreign dishes are replacing traditional British food. In every supermarket, sales of pasta, pizza and poppadoms are booming. Why has this happened? What is wrong with the cooks of Britain that they prefer cooking pasta to potatoes? Why do the British choose to eat lasagna instead of shepherd’s pie? Why do they now like cooking in wine and olive oil? But perhaps it is a good thing. After all, we are in the 21^st century and we can get ingredients from all over the world in just a few hours. Anyway, wasn’t English food always disgusting and tasteless? Wasn’t it always boiled to death and swimming in fat? The answer to these questions is a resounding “No”, but to understand this, we have to go back to before World War II.
   
3. 
   The British have in fact always imported food from abroad. From the time of the Roman invasion foreign trade was a major influence on British cooking. English kitchens, like the English language, absorbed ingredients from all over the world – chickens, rabbits, apples, and tea. All of these and more were successfully incorporated into British dishes. Another important influence on British cooking was of course the weather. The good old British rain gives us rich soil and green grass, and means that we are able to produce some of the finest varieties of meat, fruit and vegetables, which don’t need fancy sauces or complicated recipes to disguise their taste.
   
4. 
   However, World War II changed everything. Wartime women had to forget 600 years of British cooking, learn to do without foreign imports, and ration their use of home-grown food.
   
5. 
   The Ministry of Food published cheap, boring recipes. The joke of the war was a dish called Woolton Pie (named after the Minister of Food!). This consisted of a mixture of boiled vegetables covered in white sauce with mashed potato on the top. Britain never managed to recover from the wartime attitude to food. We were left with a loss of confidence in our cooking skills and after years Ministry recipes we began to believe that British food was boring, and we searched the world for sophisticated, new dishes which gave hope of a better future. The British people became tourists at their own dining tables and in the restaurants of their land! This is a tragedy! Surely food is as much a part of our culture as our landscape, our language, and our literature. Nowadays, cooking British food is like speaking a dead language. It is almost as bizarre as having conversation in Anglo-Saxon English!
   
6. 
   However, there is still one small ray of hope. British pubs are often the best places to eat well and cheaply in Britain, and they also increasingly try to serve tasty British food. Can we recommend to you our two favourite places to eat in Britain? The Shepherd’s Inn in Melmerby, Cumbria, and the Dolphin Inn in Kingston, Devon. Their steak and mushroom pie, Lancashire hotpot, and bread and butter pudding are three of the gastronomic wonders of the world!
   

3. Comprehension check

Read the article more carefully. Choose the best answer a, b, or c.

1. The writers believe that British cooking ...

1. 
   has always been very bad.
   
2. 
   was good until World War II.
   
3. 
   is good because it is so international.
   

2. They say that the British ...

1. 
   eat only traditional British food in their homes.
   
2. 
   don’t like cooking with foreign ingredients.
   
3. 
   buу lots of foreign ingredients.
   

3. They say that the British weather ...

1. 
   enables the British to produce good quality food.
   
2. 
   often ruins fruit and vegetables.
   
3. 
   is not such an important influence on British food as foreign trade.
   

4. They say that World War II had a great influence on British cooking because ...

1. 
   traditional British cooking was rediscovered and some good cheap recipes were produced.
   
2. 
   people had limitless supplies of home-grown food.
   
3. 
   people started to believe that British food was boring, so after the war they wanted to cook more interesting and international dishes.
   

5. They say that ...

1. 
   British tourists try lots of new dishes when they are abroad.
   
2. 
   nowadays it is very unusual for British people to cook British food
   
3. 
   literature and language are more culturally important than food
   

6. The writer’s final conclusion about British cooking is that …

1. 
   there is no hope.
   
2. 
   you will only be able to get British food in expensive restaurants.
   
3. 
   you will be able to get more traditional British dishes, especially in pubs.
   

4. Discussion

1. 
   Do you agree that food is as much a part of a country’s culture as its landscape, language, and literature?
   
2. 
   Which are your favourite places to eat in your country? Why?
   

5. Language work

Work in pairs. Study the text and find the following.

1. 
   One example of like used as a verb and two examples of like used as a preposition.
   
2. 
   Two examples of the pattern, adjective + infinitive. It’s impossible to learn English.
   
3. 
   Examples of verbs that are followed by an -ing form. I love learning English.
   
4. 
   Examples of verbs that are followed by an infinitive with to. I want to learn Italian.
   

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