Матеріали до уроків "Британські знаменитості"

Exercise 1.  Read and translate the text. Pay attention to the underlined words.

Famous British people

Great Britain made a great contribution to the science, literature, music and arts of the world. It gave mankind a lot of outstanding scientists, writers and poets, musicians and painters.

William Shakespeare

The name of the English national poet William Shakespeare is known all over the world. During his life he wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. He is considered to be one of the greatest writers in the world literature. Shakespeare’s authorship question however still puzzles the greatest minds.

Sir Winston Churchill

Sir Winston is one of the greatest wartime leaders, an officer in the British Army, an artist, a writer, a historian, an orator, a noted statesman and a British Conservative politician. He served twice as a Prime Minister in 1940-1945 and in 1951-1955. He is the only Prime Minister in Britain who received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria has reigned the country for 63 years and 7 months which makes it the longest reign in the British history. This period came down to the history as the Victorian era. It is marked by expansion of the British Empire. This period is characterized by the military, scientific, political, cultural and industrial change in the United Kingdom.

Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana has always been the most iconic celebrity from the moment of her marriage to the Prince of Wales till her death in the car accident. She is known for her charity work as well as for being the president of the Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher was the United Kingdom's first woman prime minister. She got her nickname “Iron Lady” for a reason. She is the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century.

JK Rowling

JK Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. She's sold over 400 million copies of her Harry Potter books. She encourages children from different corners of the world to be creative, to feel inspired and to read books. She is ranked 48 in the list of the most powerful celebrities in the world by Forbes magazine.

John Lennon

John Lennon was a musician and composer, a founding member of the Beatles. In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him the fifth greatest singer of all times. Together with Paul McCartney they formed one of the greatest songwriting partnerships.

David Beckham

Beckham is a leading English footballer and a former star of the legendary Manchester United. Nowadays he plays for Los Angeles, Galaxy. He was the first British football player to play 100 Champions League matches. In the year 2004 he was named the world's highest-paid footballer.

Exercise 2. Match column A with column B.

1. William Shakespeare                         a) is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series
2. Sir Winston Churchill                        b) is a leading English footballer
3. Diana                                                  c) one of the greatest writers in the world literature
4. Margaret Thatcher                             d) makes it the longest reign in the British history
5. JK Rowling                                        e) a British Conservative politician
6. John Lennon                                      f) the most iconic celebrity
7. David Beckham                                 g) the United Kingdom's first woman prime minister
8. Queen Victoria                                  h) the fifth greatest singer of all times

Exercise 3. Answer the questions.

1. What gave Great Britain for mankind?
2. Who is the English national poet?
3. What did he write?
4. Who is one of the greatest wartime leaders and an officer in the British Army?
5. Who received the Nobel Prize in Literature?
6. What period came down to the history as the Victorian era?
7. What this period is characterized by?
8. Who was Diana?
9. Who had got the nickname “Iron Lady”?
10. Who is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series?
11. What did John Lennon and Paul McCartney form?
12. Who is David Beckham?

Exercise 4. True or false.

1. William Shakespeare was a musician and composer, a founding member of the Beatles.
2. Margaret Thatcher is the only Prime Minister in Britain who received the Nobel Prize in Literature.
3. Queen Victoria has reigned the country for 63 years and 7 months which makes it the longest reign in the British history.
4. In the year 2014 Beckham was named the world's highest-paid footballer.
5. Diana got her nickname “Iron Lady” for a reason.
6. JK Rowling is ranked 48 in the list of the most powerful celebrities in the world by Forbes magazine.
7. Shakespeare’s authorship question however still puzzles the greatest minds.
8. Margaret Thatcher was the United Kingdom's second woman prime minister.
9. Princess Diana died in the car accident.
10. John Lennon served twice as a Prime Minister.

Exercise 5. Fill in the space with in, for, at, to, about.

1. What do you usually do … the weekends?
2. I often go … the disco on Saturdays.
3. Let’s go out … a drink tonight.
4. Men like to talk … sport and politics.
5. The film starts … 7 o’clock.
6. A ticket to the stalls costs … $30.
7. What do you do … the summer holidays?
8. We always go mountain skiing … winter.
9. I had to wait … him … two hours.
10. … summer I go in … tennis.

Exercise 6. Practise reading and learn the following proverbs and sayings.

1. Beauty lies in lover’s eyes.
2. He dances well to whom fortune pipes.
3. There is no cure for love.
4. In for a penny, in for a pound.
5. Like father like son.
6. Out of sight, out of mind.
7. As like as two peas.

Exercise 7. Read and translate the text.

The Price of Fame

Have you ever dreamed of being reach and famous? You might change your mind if you considered all the disadvantages there are to being famous.

For one thing, celebrities have to look perfect all the time. There’s always a photographer ready to take an unflattering picture of a famous person.

Celebrities also sacrifice their private lives. They are followed by the paparazzi wherever they go. Their personal problems, divorces, or family tragedies all end up as front-page news.

They worry constantly about their reputation. Actors may lose their popularity, Singers may lose their voices, athletes may be injured…

The rich and famous worry about money too. Sometimes they don’t know what to do with it.

It is difficult for famous people to know who to trust. Ex-lovers may sell their stories to the newspapers. Their accountants or impresarios may be secretly cheating them…

Famous people can never be sure whether people like them for themselves of because they are famous. For this reason, it’s difficult for them to make true friends.

Furthermore, celebrities are in constant danger of the wrong kind of attention. Threatening letters and even physical attacks from crazy fans are not unusual things in their lives. So, many of them suffer nervous breakdowns or drug and alcohol problems.

Many celebrities say that their lives are far from being happy. As Fred Alan once said: “A celebrity is someone who works hard all his life to be known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized”.

Exercise 8. Practice the vocabulary. Match.

Exercise 9. Express your ideas as for the advantages and disadvantages of famous life.

Exercise 10. Write 7 sentences if you want to be a celebrity.