What is your country famous for
What is your country famous for
Юнит 1 » what writers is your country famous for «
Курс повышения квалификации
Актуальные вопросы преподавания английского языка в условиях реализации ФГОС
Курс повышения квалификации
Профилактика синдрома «профессионального выгорания» у педагогов
Курс повышения квалификации
Современные методы развития навыков эффективного и уверенного общения на английском языке у старших школьников
«Учись, играя: эффективное обучение иностранным языкам дошкольников»
Учебные задания в аспекте функциональной грамотности школьников в новом учебном году
Открытая сессия для педагогов и родителей
Описание презентации по отдельным слайдам:
James McCosh
« The book to read is not the
one which thinks for you,
but the one which makes you
think»
Quotations of famous people
without / live / cannot / I / reading
I cannot live without reading
the voice / Words / are /
heart / of the
Words are the voice of the heart
Richard Steel
to the body / Reading /
is / to the mind /
what exercise / is
Reading is to the mind what
exercise is to the body
Logan Pearsall Smith
People / reading / say /
prefer / that / I / life / but /
is / the thing
Logan Pearsall Smith
People say that life is the
thing but I prefer reading
in order to / Read / live
Read in order to live
is / learning / Reading /
the best
Reading is the best learning
to read / Old wood /
old authors / is / and / best /
to trust / to burn / old friend /
old wine / to drink
Old wood is best to burn, old wine
to drink, old friend to trust, old
authors to read
How well do you know words?
Try to choose one word
to the following definitions
It is extremely useful in our work;
it gives information about every branch
of knowledge. The articles in it are
arranged in alphabetical order.
It shows the order in which the topics
in the book are discussed ; it gives the
title of each chapter and the page on
which it begins.
table of contents
A learner of a foreign language use it to
find the meaning of the word he doesn’t
know and find out how to pronounce it,
spell it and also how it is used.
These books contain made-up stories.
OSCAR WILDE
And the wild regrets,
and the bloody sweats,
None knew so well then I:
For he who lives
more lives than one
More deaths than one must die.
Excerpt from: The Ballad of Reading Gaol
Grammar in focus
“ Except a living man,
there is nothing more
wonderful than a book”
SB p.10 read, translate
Finish your task!
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lienhoangphuong
Lien Su’s collossal world
Speaking Part 1 page 31 :IELTS 5
1. Which part of your country do most people live in?
Most people in Viet Nam live in plains like North Vietnamese plain, the Mekong delta. In addition, civilians settle in beach plains. That there are favorable living conditions galore in plains attracts people to live there.
2- 2.Tell me about the main industries there.
Some of the major industries in the plain are farming, forestry, mining, and the oil and gas industries to consume domestic and export. These occupations provide the people with good paying jobs and good lifestyles. So they help to reduce social evils.
3- How easy is it to travel around your country?
It is very convenient to travel around my country, providing that you can afford to pay for expenses. You just need to phone the ticket agency to book a seat in advance and the drivers will pick you up at any time you request. Furthermore, transportation system in my country is getting more and more improved. You can travel by air route, roads, railway, tunnels, waterways and so on.
4- Has your country changed much since you were a child?
Famous people in your country
What kind of people become famous people these days?
In my opinion, there are two kinds of people who become famous people these days. First of all, people are famous because of their real talents. They are scientists, inventors, singers, actors, rich and successful people. The second kind of famous people is people who are known by their scandals. They do anything to be famous. They do not concern about things they do right or not.
Is this different from the kind of achievement that made people famous in the past? In what way?
To be a famous person, I think there are ways galore and nowadays, these ways are usually different from those in the past. As you see, many years ago, a famous person was usually a hero, a heroin, a king and so on but now, you do not have to fight the aggressors or rule a country to become famous. To be famous, I think people nowadays can choose many ways such as inventing new things, or showing their talents by becoming singers or actors and so on.
How do you think people will become famous in the future?
I think that people will become famous or not depends on the way that people want to be famous or not. Some people do not want to be famous; they just want to be a civilian and live a normal life. On the other hand, many people want to achieve fame. They want everyone to know them, so they will try to do things by hook or by crook to become famous.
Being in the public eye
What are the good things about being famous? Are there any disadvantages?
Of course, every thing has two aspects. Being famous can help you have the adherence, everyone will know and praise you and your name can appear on many newspapers. Moreover, because you want to be famous, you have to try yourself to achieve it. It helps you show your ability. However, being famous also brings many disadvantages. You may become a selfish person, you have no time for your family, and especially you do not know friends around you are good friends or they just take advantage of you. You may be under fire.
How does the media in your country treat famous people?
Like everywhere else, I think the media in my country also do things that the media in any country do to treat famous people. When you are famous, they will praise you on their newspaper and they want to know every thing about you. Even they can follow you every time, every where.
Why do you think ordinary people are interested in the lives of famous people?
I think there are many reasons to explain why ordinary people are interested in the lives of famous people. The first reason is they are not famous, so they want to know about lives of the famous people. The second reason is they concern about if famous people commit crimes or harm others’ lives.
credit: multisource
reup by: lienhoangphuong aka SuLi Hoang
********
PART 1:
1. Which part of your country do most people live in?
Well, as far as I know in Viet Nam the Red River Delta is a place where most people live. The Red River Delta belongs to the North region of Viet Nam; it includes ten provinces and cities with the average population of over 19.6 millions in 2009 which accounts for 22.8% of the whole country population.
2. Tell me about the main industry in there?
There are many industries in the Red River Delta such as thermo-electric, metallurgical, mechanical and chemical industry. However among them, the metallurgical industry is the main industry with a lot of factories that appear in most provinces. Also the building materials industry and chemical industry are the main ones in there. Talk about building materials industry, in the Red River Delta, there are many kinds of land such as alluvial soil, Feralit soil, etc which are the sources galore to serve the building materials industry. And finally, let us take a look at the chemical industry, we can see that it has been in the Red River Delta for a long time and nowadays it is strongly developing in various ways. I think in the future it will be the symbol for this area.
3. How easy is it to travel around your country?
I make sure that when you first plan to come to Viet Nam for a visit, you will have to read various Viet Nam travel guides as well as surf the internet to find out the information of any tourist attractions in Viet Nam, and you want to get to know how easy to tour around Viet Nam. I think that is something which you should have done. In reality, you will be amazed just how easy it is to get around by bus, train, private vehicles with a driver and domestic flights. All means of transportation are easily accessible, efficient and extremely good value. In the terms of finance, it is really simple for you to exchange any foreign currency into VND and you can do that anywhere. The transportation and accommodation options are available and appropriate to all budgets.
4. Has your country changed much since you were a child?
In comparison with Viet Nam when I was a child, Viet Nam now is a different kettle of fish. When I was little, Viet Nam is just a newly independent country; there were many troubles in the early stage of the process of innovation. The economy was slowly developing; the government was still launching the close-door policy in economy. Nowadays, we are in the modern age. We took the whole country into the stage of integration with the world economy. Viet Nam extricated from the top of the poor countries and wrote the name into the list of the developing countries. The country is named as one of the “Asian Tigers” with the annual growth rate around 8% per year.
PART 2: Describe a well-known person you like or admire.
Well, I am going to talk about my mathematical idol who has been recently honored at the International Congress of Mathematicians 2010 held in India. The person that I am mentioning is Professor Ngo Bao Chau. He was born in 1972 in the capital city of Ha Noi in a studious family. He had showed a special aptitude for mathematics right from the time he was high school student at the Gifted High School of Ha Noi National University of Natural Sciences. After graduating from high school, he constantly improved his talent with the help of many math professors in Viet Nam as well as all around the world. The result of that occurred on August 19, 2010 with the fact that he won the Fields Metal for his work of proving the basic result called “the fundamental lemma” in the Langland program that was thought as “an ambitious and revolutionary theory” a long time ago. He gained the greatest prize that many countries desire and he is the first Vietnamese to earn the honor prize. It is really easy to say that he is a credit to Viet Nam. For that reason, he earned the respect and admiration of me as well as everyone living in Viet Nam.
PART 3:
Famous people in your country
1. What kind of people become famous people these days?
Personally, I think nowadays every kind of people can all become famous even they are farmers or normal workers in factories. However, in my point of view, people who work as a singer would be the easiest ones to become celebrities because they serve a wide cycle of audience on a regular basis with their emotive voice as well as their good-looking appearance. Thus, it will be easy for them to earn the respect and admiration of everyone.
2. Is this different from the kind of achievement that made people famous in the past? In what way?
As far as I am concerned, the kind of accomplishment that made people well-known in the past is different from the one these days. You know, people in the modern age are much more intelligent than the ones in the past. Therefore, if the modern age people want to become celebrities they have to accomplish much more than what people did in the past. For instance, in the past, Isaac Newton became famous for his three laws of motion; but nowadays most people all know and apply the three laws of motion but they do not become renowned at all.
3. How do you think people will become famous in the future?
In my opinion, whether or not people can become well-known in the future is all dependent upon themselves. If they want to be famous in the future, right now they have to do something that is useful to build and improve their skills. As they are proficient at their skills, it will be really easy for them to become celebrities.
Being in the public eye
1. What are the good things about being famous? Are there any disadvantages?
To my knowledge, there are many advantages for being celebrities. The first thing will be money. When people become well-known, they tend to be much richer than before because they have a wide effect on public that leads to the public’s support for what they do. The second is that being famous people would have a great opportunity to make advance in career and do charity. On the other hand, being famous also has a bad thing. Celebrities have to be careful when being interviewed; they have to live an unpleasant life because something that they show the public can cause the trouble for their promotion in the future.
2. How do the media in your country treat famous people?
You know, the media is a double – edged sword. On one hand, thanks to the media, people can become well – known throughout the country even cross the world. However, media is also a major factor that causes celebrities to forfeit their fans for something such as a sober error in a performance.
3. Why do you think ordinary people are interested in the lives of famous people?
In my point of view, most civilians often have an interest in the celebrities’ lives because they want to know what celebrities’ lifestyle is, how they are living… they start considering that whether these things are useful for being famous people. Yet, sometimes, people are interested in the lives of celebrities with the evil eye. They want to find something wrong in the celebrities’ lives and inform the media in order to topple celebrities.
What kind of people become famous people these days?
In my opinion, people who become famous these days are singers. Firstly, music entartainment in our country is developing very fast. Simultaneously, it is also influenced by other developed countries. Secondly,civilians’ busy lives and pressure in works make them feel tired. Therefore, those singers with their good songs helped people feel comfortable and reduce stress.
Is this different from the kind of achievement that made people famous in the past? In what way?
As I see it, there are many differences between famous people in now and in the past. In the past, people were teachers, writers or poets. They were famous because og their genuine talents. They had to try and face to a lot of challenges to achieve what they want. However, time changes and now people who become famous because of their talents are a rariry. Most are known for good-looking, scandals or something like that.
How do you think people will become famous in the future?
In my opinion, there are two ways to be famous. The first way is that people have to come up with their own abilities. They must prove their talents for everyone to see so everyone will love and support them. The second way is that people use scandals to have civilians’ attentions. However, this way is not permanent because there is a saying: “Easy come, easy go”.
What are the good things about being famous? Are there any disadvantanges?
I think there are many good things about being famous. Firstly, you wiil be well known with your talents and you will have many fans that always love and support you with cordiality. Secondly, you can profits from it and your monthly income is double or triple than the normal. Besides, there are some disadvantages in this. Because you are the person of public, you will lose the personal freedom. When you go somewhere, you must be careful about all of your actions to avoid scandals. Simultaneously, you have to work with a busy schedule from morning to night, even until midnight. This probably will affect your health.
How does the media in your country treat famous people?
In my country, journalists are the ones who are the first to have information about famous people. They always appear at the right time when famous people are in trouble or in the vital events. If the famous people are successful in their fields or they do right things, journalists will right good articles for them. In contrast, they are ready to criticize when famous people have scandals.
Why do you think ordinary people are interested in the lives of famous people?
Personally, I think ordinary people are interested in the lives of famous people because they are curious. They want to know all things related to famous people such as private lives, private secrets and hobbies. Even, they wish they could have a luxury life like famous people.
**************
IELTS 5 – SPEAKING TEST 1: part 2 & 3 – page 31
Part 2: Describe a well-known person you like or admire
Bill Gates was an American business magnate, author and chairman of Microsoft, a software corporation which he founded with Paul Allen. Financial Times puts him at the top of list not just because his Microsoft helped to revolutionize the use of PCs and made Bill Gates the world’s richest man but because he used his wealth to become the world’s greatest philanthropist.
He is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. His products are widespread and user-friendly, such as: Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, Windows, etc which have helped millions of PC users to do office jobs as well as to manage their businesses everyday. His Microsoft has created grandiose and durable empire in the software industry. Ask folks to pick one word to describe Microsoft’s technology roadmap in the 1990s and you will commonly get “CAIRO” in response.
In 2000, he formed Bill & Mellinda Gates Foundation which is dedicated to bringing innovation in health, development and learning to the global community. In 2006, he gradually transferred his duties in Microsoft to his colleagues and has taken full-time work at this foundation. It has an endowment of 33.5 billion from Bill Gates as of December 31, 2009. A huge contribution in charity has taken him to the leader of the world’s greatest philanthropist.
Being famous and rich is a dream of many one of us, however, rarely do we think for the others once we have a fulfillment of our dream. It is very difficult to convince someone to donate the majority of their wealth, but Bill Gate is going on different way. He is using his wealth to help unlucky people, to make a better life for global community. That makes him the greatest man ever!
– What kind of people become famous people these days?
I think that there are two kinds of people who are able to become famous these days. Firstly, they are real talents; they have made great effort in long-term for practicing and cultivating their ability. They have gone a long way to become famous. The second kind is persons who are famous by making effort on scandals. Probably, they have beauty, money or good relationship, etc nevertheless; they are lacking talents, virtuous life, motivation spirit, etc and unfortunately, they desire being famous. Therefore, they have done any ways, any things to be famous.
– How do we think people will become famous in the future?
If you want to be well-known in the future, I thought that you have to spend your time finding out what your abilities are, then learn and improve yourself day by day. Even if you were talent from birth, but you had overlooked practicing and just chased the fame, your reputation will not be long-lasting.
– What are the good things of being famous? Are there any disadvantages?
On one hand, when you are a celebrity, you might get being wealthy, powerful and respectful. Sometimes, these things are extremely outstanding with others. On the other hand, fame can bring big troubles to your life, such as being followed everywhere and every time by paparazzi, loosing freedom, and having prudent word of mouth, etc.When you are famous, you can not live a life of a normal person!
– How does the media in your country treat famous people?
Media is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and Vietnam is not an exception. Nowadays, media companies have poped up like mushroom, therefore, they have to salvage even tiny mistakes, or sensitive information of celebrities to occupy more market share. It does not mean that all media companies gradually become rag, but the majority of them are running after profit by using celebrity’s reputation.
Famous people in your country
What kind of people become famous people these days?
As I see it, the kind of people who become famous these days are mostly in entertainment. They can be singers, actors, actresses or models. They create styles, fashion and trends for our society, first and foremost teenagers, to follow them.
Is this different from the kind of achievement that made people famous in the past? In what way?
There are some differences from the kind of achievement in the past. In the past, teachers and writers were very famous. They were respected for their wide and deep knowledge. Nowadays, however, people are not roof and branch smart to be famous. Some people are just famous because they are good-looking, have a little talent and especially because they are wealthy as they think money opens most doors.
How do you think people will become famous in the future?
I predict that it will have two ways of being famous in the future. In the first one, people will try their utmost abilities to achieve great success in science, education or work. The other way is that they may create scandals to attract civilians’ attention. This way doesn’t require much of their efforts, but the fame will be fragile, as we usually say easy come easy go.
Being in the public eye
What are the good things about being famous? Are there any disadvantages?
It will definitely say that being famous has both boons and drawbacks. Famous people can use their fame to do charity. Besides, they can be very conspicuous when they are in a multitude. However, the other side of the coin is that they don’t have their own privacies. They are monitored everywhere and everytime. That is called “you can’t have your cake and eat it”.
How does the media in your country treat famous people?
Journalists and famous people always have an interdependent relationship. However, media sometimes abuse their power to pick to pieces shortcomings in others’ private lives intolerably. They make up unreal stories to attract readers. Therefore, their articles are usually insipid and shallow. These are things a famous person who has to please everyone faces.
Why do you think ordinary people are interested in the lives of famous people?
As we have seen, the lives of famous people usually cleaves to the definition of perfection and meretriciousness. They always appear in public with the most fashionable and luxurious appearances. It means that they by chance have interesting private lives for ordinary people to stick on.
SuperEnglish with Veronika
What we learn with pleasure, we never forget
Pages
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Exam Topics. English-speaking countries: Australia.
The United Kingdom of great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are English-speaking countries. They are situated in different parts of the world and differ in many ways. The nature of these countries, their weather and climate and way of life of their people differ. Each country has its own history, customs and traditions, its own national holidays. But they all share a common language. English is the language of the people who left England to make their names in new countries.
But I would like to tell you about a pretty unknown English-speaking country, located in the Southern Hemisphere: Australia.
Australia is only a little smaller than the USA and it is bigger than Western Europe. It is the sixth biggest country in the world. It is the flattest continent in the world as well as the driest one. One third of its land is desert. Australia has its own national hopping icon – the kangaroo. There are about 60 kangaroo species in Australia. So, if you imagined that kangaroos are hopping all over Australia then you are right! The number of “roos”, as the Australians call them for short, is estimated to be of about 40 million. Australia has a large diversity of reptiles, with over 860 species. The world’s largest reptile, the Saltwater Crocodile is native to Australia. It can reach 6 metres in its length. These creatures can be dangerous, as each year 2 or 3 people are attacked.
Australia is the only continent with a permanent population that is entirely below the equator, this is where the name ‘Down Under’ comes from. But from an Australian point of view, it seems as if the northern hemisphere continents are ‘down under’. Australia was home to thousands of prisoners in the 19th century. The British began to settle Australia in the late 1700s as a land to send their prisoners to. The prisoners were sent to Australia to work for a period of seven to fourteen years. Now, about 25 percent of Australians have ancestors who were convicts. But it has doubled its population since 1945, as over six million people from 200 countries have come to Australia as new settlers.
Australia used to have about 200 languages spoken by the Aboriginal people. Only about 70 of these languages have survived. Although Australia has no official language, the country is largely monolingual with English being spoken by more than 80% of the population. Australian English, known as ‘Strine’, has a specific accent and vocabulary.
Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and according to its political structure it was established a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch, represented locally by a governor-general. It can be called parliamentary democracy as well, because the monarch is just a ceremonial figure in the country. Australia’s capital is Canberra located in the southeast between the larger and more important economic and cultural centres of Sydney and Melbourne.
Australia is one of the most popular travelling destination for the travelers. There are many things to do and many places to travel in Australia. There are awesome beaches, lovely blue mountains, wild animals, cricket grounds, live concerts, delicious sea food and lots more.
Let’s talk about English-speaking countries
1. What do you know about the USA/Canada/Australia? What are your associations with the word ‘England’?
2. Do you think that people speaking the English language are similar in character?
3. What questions will you ask your foreign friend about his/her country?
4. Give me a piece of advice on what to choose from a tourist guide to do when planning a visit to the USA/Canada/Australia?
5. If you have a chance to travel to any country in the world, which one will you choose to visit? Why?
ЭКЗАМЕНАЦИОННЫЕ ТЕМЫ ПО АНГЛИЙСКОМУ ЯЗЫКУ
9-ый класс
7. Each country takes pride in its own achievements and success. What makes you feel proud of your country?
Our country is great, and I’m very proud of it. Russia is famous for its outstanding people – scientists, writers, poets, travellers and explorers. Russia is a stable and democratic society. Its citizens have many freedoms, among them the freedom of speech, religion and the press. Russia is a member of the United Nations. Russia is one of the largest trading countries. It has a lot of energy resources and exports oil and natural gas. Russia has for centuries encouraged research and innovation and it has a lot of achievements throughout the twentieth century. Nobel prizes for science, literature and peace have been won by Russian citizens. In the fields of art, media and sports, Russia enjoys an international reputation. Russia has nuclear weapons, a strong army and remains a widely-respected country.
For ages mankind was dreaming of travelling in the space. The science itself came later. K. E. Tsiolkovsky, the great Russian scientist, is the father of the theory of interplanetary travels. His words that “mankind will not remain on the Earth forever” came true. On 4 October 1957 the Soviet Union launched the world’s first satellite “Sputnik”. This word, “sputnik”, immediately began to be used in all languages. The first cosmonaut on the Earth to fly into space, Yuri Gagarin, was from Russia, and he made his flight around the Earth on 12 April 1961 that lasted 1 hour 48 minutes. Years will pass, people will conquer the Universe and make landings on other planets, but mankind will always remember Yury Gagarin as the first to pave the way to the stars.
Russia is also famous for its ancient churches, cathedrals, and towns. Moscow, the capital of Russia, is famous for its monuments to outstanding people, churches, galleries, theatres, squares and streets.
The heart of Moscow is Red Square. It’s my favourite place in my native city. I show it to all my guests from different countries. It is our history, and I’d like to tell you some facts about the buildings on it. St Basil’s Cathedral was built in 1551–1561 after the victory over the Kazan Kingdom. It’s a magnificent Cathedral, with eight churches placed around the tallest ninth one. There is a monument to Minin and Pozharsky in front of the Cathedral. It was built in 1818 and it was the first statue put up in Moscow. Minin and Pozharsky were heroes of the people’s struggle in the war against Poland in 1612. You can see Lobnoye Mesto near the Cathedral. It was erected in the 16 century; the tsar’s orders were read from it, also it was used as a place for execution. The tallest tower of the Kremlin is the Spasskaya Tower. It’s also on Red Square. It’s one of the symbols of Moscow, because the Kremlin clock, made in the 16th century, is on it. The clock strikes on the hour, half hour and quarter of an hour. The Lenin Mausoleum is in the centre of the square. It was at first made of wood; and in 1930 it was rebuilt, and made of stone, brick, marble and granite. The State History Museum was opened in 1883. It has a rich collection of documents, drawings, pictures, and materials about the country’s past and Russia’s great people. The State Department Store (GUM) is one of the largest department stores in the country. It is an impressive building with a glass roof.
Of course the most ancient part of Moscow is the Kremlin. Nowadays the Kremlin centre looks truly magnificent, with its many-domed cathedrals in Cathedral Square and with its Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon.
A very interesting place in Moscow is the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The original cathedral was erected by order of Emperor Alexander as a token of the Russian people’s gratitude to God for the deliverance of Russia from Napoleon’s invasion in 1812. In 1931 it was demolished by order of Josef Stalin. In 1995, Moscow’s Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and the world-famous musician Mstislav Rostropovich laid the first stone in the foundation of the new Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Today you can admire this Cathedral in the centre of Moscow.
People in Russia keep their old traditions and are very proud of them. They celebrate religious holidays such as Easter, Christmas, and Maslenitsa. They eat traditional food for Maslenitsa such as pancakes with honey, caviar or sour cream; they colour eggs; bake kulich cakes; make a paskha out of cottage cheese for Easter. Many Russians are religious people. The main church in Russia is the Orthodox Church, but there are other religions too. The Orthodox Church has survived during hard times, and now we speak about a rebirth of religion in our country.
Russian people are open-hearted, hospitable, and friendly. They like to invite guests to their homes and cities; they like to give traditional souvenirs to their foreign friends such as matryoshka dolls, beautifully painted mugs, plate and spoons from the village of Khokhloma, Palekh boxes, art books, badges and etc.
We are proud of our famous and talented poets and writers such as Alexander Pushkin, Michael Lermontov and many others. We are proud of our famous composer Peter Tchaikovsky and one of our famous artists, Isaak Levitan. We can see his paintings and the paintings of other outstanding Russian artists, such as Repin, Vasnetsov, Shishkin, Surikov, Benua, Korovin, etc., in the Tretyakov Gallery. It is one of the most famous and well-known picture galleries in our country and in the world. It is situated in the centre of Moscow and is named after its founder Pavel Tretyakov. He began to collect Russian paintings in 1856. He was a famous patron of arts. In 1892 Tretyakov donated his collection to Moscow.
Russia is proud of its famous sportsmen who win a lot of gold, silver and bronze medals in different international sports competitions.
So, I’m very proud of my country, my native city and the people who brought a lot of fame to my country. And I invite everyone, who has never been to my country, to visit it, and to see its achievements with their own eyes.
Questions:
1. What do you know about K.E. Tsiolkovsky?
2. Who was the first to fly into space?
3. What famous Russian scientists, writers, poets, artists do you know?
4. What is your favourite place in Moscow and why?
5. What do you know about Red Square?
6. What do you know about the Kremlin?
7. Have you ever been to the Tretyakov Gallery? Who are your favourite artists?
8. What religious holidays do people celebrate in Russia?
9. What is the traditional food for Maslenitsa and Easter?
10. Why are you proud of your country?
8. What famous people from Russia would you tell your foreign friends about? Which famous British and American people do you admire? What made/makes them famous?
Each country is proud of its famous people, and Russia is among them. I’d like to tell you about Russian famous writers, poets and musicians, because I’m fond of literature and music. A. Pushkin is the most important Russian writer and poet of all time. He is like Shakespeare in England. He provided the standards for Russian arts and literature in the 19th century. In 1823 Pushkin began writing his masterpiece “Eugene Onegin”. It became his linguistic and literary standard. It is a commentary on the life of early 19th century Russia. Pushkin also wrote a lot of other poems and created masterpieces in drama and prose. All Russian people know Pushkin. Galleries and museums were named after him. In the centre of Moscow there is a monument to Pushkin built by the famous Russian architect Opekunshin in 1880. Pushkin’s memorial museums in different cities attract many visitors.
One of the other famous poets and writers in Russia was M. Lermontov. He won fame as a poet after his poem on Pushkin’s death had been published. Lermontov’s poems “Demon”, “Mtsyri”, his great novel A Hero of Our Time and his play “Masquerade” are masterpieces of Russian literature.
As for me I like reading F. Dostoevsky and L. Tolstoy. They are famous Russian writers. I like M. Bulgakov; Master and Margarita is one of the world’s masterpieces. I often go to Patriarch’s Pond where the book begins. It has a special atmosphere even now. I go there to be inspired. I like reading poetry, and Anna Ahmatova is my favourite.
Russian’s famous musicians and composers such as Sergei Rachmaninov and Peter Tchaikovsky are recognized all over the world. Tchaikovsky composed a lot of symphonies and created beautiful music for operas and ballets. His famous operas “Eugene Onegin”, and “Iolanta” and his famous ballets “The Swan Lake”, “The Sleeping Beauty” are masterpieces. His memorial museum was opened in 1894 in Klin not far from Moscow. And the international Tchaikovsky Music Competition started in 1958 in Moscow. S. Rachmaninov was an outstanding Russian composer and pianist. He became famous with audiences around the world for his piano performances.
Great Britain is also proud of its famous people. And I’d like to tell you about one of its famous writers A. Conan Doyle. He invented Sherlock Holmes, one of the most famous characters and detectives. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Scotland. He was a doctor. In 1882 he moved to England to set up a practice. One of the doctors he worked for, was the model for Dr. Watson. Conan Doyle’s medical knowledge was a great help in his detective stories. He started the fashion of the detective stories. Nowadays I don’t know a person who doesn’t like detective stories. We know a lot about Sherlock Holmes. We even know his address – 221 “B” Baker Street in London. If you go to London, you won’t find 221 “B” Baker Street. But instead, you can go to a pub called “The Sherlock Holmes” in Northumberland Street (near Trafalgar Square). In that pub there is a room like his room at 221 “B” Baker Street, as described in Conan Doyle’s stories. There is also the stuffed head of a hound. It is said to be the original “hound of the Baskervilles”. A lot of tourists visit this pub. When Conan Doyle began to get tired of writing detective stories, he “killed” Holmes in one of his stories. But the public didn’t like it. Conan Doyle had to write another story in which Holmes came back. So we can say that Conan Doyle was a famous British writer. He became popular because of his love for people.
I also admire American famous people. I’d like to tell you about Walt Disney, the pioneer of animated cartoons. He is famous for creating such cartoon characters as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy and others. He was born in 1901 in Chicago. His father was a carpenter, farmer and building contractor. So the family changed homes several times. In 1917 Walt entered a Higher School in Chicago, where he took photographs, made drawings for the school paper and studied cartooning, for he wanted to get a job as a newspaper cartoonist. After World War 1, in which he participated as a truck driver for the American Red Cross in France and Germany, he returned to Kansas City. There he met Ub Iverk who turned into his partner for life. They started a small studio of their own and began making short animated advertising films. In 1927 Mickey Mouse appeared. Disney himself provided the voice for Mickey. Then the other cartoons appeared. Gradually, the Disney studio turned into a big enterprise and began to produce a variety of cartoons for children. And it was he, who initiated plans for a huge amusement park, which is known as Disneyland. A lot of grown-ups and children visit this park and remember the person who founded it, Walt Disney. And, of course, they remember Walt Disney because of his remarkable cartoons.
Questions:
1. What famous writers and poets from Russia do you admire and why?
2. What famous musicians from Russia are recognized all over the world?
3. What other outstanding people from Russia do you know?
4. Why are Russian people proud of their outstanding people?
5. How are famous people honoured in Russia?
6. What famous people in the United Kingdom do you know?
7. How are famous people honoured in the UK?
8. What famous people in the USA do you know?
9. How are they honoured in the USA?
10. Is it important to have outstanding people in countries and why?
By Elena Kisunko, Moscow, School No. 651,
Elena Muzlanova, Moscow, School No. 1537
What is Russia famous for? Our readers answer!
Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Jack Vartoogian/Keystone/Getty Images; Vasily Perov/Tretyakov Gallery; Legion media)
What do you know about Russia, except for its size? We asked our readers to recall the things that they thought made the country famous. Among the hundreds of answers, the greatest examples were of the cuisine, culture and traditions. But nobody (NOBODY!) said that Russians didn’t smile. Thank you!
St. Basil’s cathedral.
1. First human in space
Yury Gagarin on April 12, 1961.
One of the most popular answers was the first manned space flight and space exploration. On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yury Gagarin flew into space and returned safely. That day changed history. Take a look at how Gagarin was greeted after his unbelievable flight!
2. Baikal Lake
There are so many natural wonders in Russia, but the Siberian Lake of Baikal is probably the most famous one. It’s the deepest lake in the world with its unique flora and fauna (you should see the local seals!) and the biggest freshwater reservoir. And it’s full of mystery! The Olkhon Island in the lake is considered a place of power for Siberia shamans. In winter, Lake Baikal is also covered with awesome ice.
3. Hospitality
Traditional Russian greeting with a bread and salt.
The legendary Russian tradition of entertaining guests: offering the best food (even the last) and drinks, making everything for your comfort and only after asking any questions. The roots of such behavior go way back to ancient Rus, when the settlements were very far from each other and guests were often considered as messengers.
“Russians are very special people with kind hearts, warm souls and beautiful minds,” writes@ShirazParacha on Twitter.
4. Literature
A portrait of Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Vasily Perov/ State Tretyakov Gallery
Our readers named many Russian writers, such as Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Vladimir Mayakovsky and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. As for the books, most readers mentioned Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace.’ Yes, it really is an iconic novel.
5. Language
Total dictant in Moscow.
The Russian language is rather hard to learn, but many foreigners find it beautiful. “Russian is a very emotional and descriptive language that lets you express each idea, feeling, or emotion,” writesAlexandru Mercur on Facebook. “Sadly, after the Bolshevik Revolution, the orthography was simplified. I think Russian language must return to its grammar and orthography which it had had before Peter the Great.”
Besides the language, our readers mentioned the Cyrillic alphabet with the letters that look similar to the latin alphabet, but sound completely different.
6. Winning WWII
The Victory Banner over the Reichstag. Berlin, 1945. The legendary photo of Yevgeny Khaldei.
Russian Ministry of Defense
“Russia is the reason the whole world isn’t speaking German. Russia was responsible for stopping Hitler and turning the tide of the war against Germany,” writesRobert Berry on Facebook.
7. Churches with onion domes
St. Basil’s cathedral.
Onion domed churches impressed @raindog1970 on Twitter and Thomas Campolongo on Facebook, some mentioned St.Basil’s cathedral in Moscow. So, why do the domes on Russian Orthodox churches made in the shape of onions? The most obvious reason for that is the weather. Such a shape doesn’t let the snow accumulate on the roof.
8. Winters
The city of Nefteyuhansk, minus 62 C outside.
Can we call subzero temperatures a signature of Russia? Even those who have never been have heard about the cold climate. “Very few other countries can say they have similar winters. So cold, yet Russians manage how to cope with that,” writesJirka Zahora on Facebook.
9. Vodka
Alcohol section at a store.
10. Beef Stroganoff
This dish made with beef in a creamy sauce served with mashed potatoes is famous everywhere. According to the legend, it was invented by the French chef of Russian Count Alexander Stroganov in the 19th century. The count liked guests (Remember? Hospitality is above all!) and this dish was rather easy and quick to cook. By the way, Beef Stroganoff is now part of the Swedish cuisine under the name ‘Korv Stroganoff’. This is how it looks.
11. Soviet Union
The event dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the pioneer organization.
The story of the Soviet Union finished 30 years ago, but its legacy is still alive. Many people remember Soviet education (maybe they took part in exchange studies back then?), famous scientists and, of course, Soviet leaders, such as Joseph Stalin and Mikhail Gorbachev. “Russia as the former USSR gave the world 8 hours duty per day, gender equality, advancement of science even at school level,” wroteImam S Shaik on Facebook.
12. MMA fighters
Fyodor Emelianenko in East Rutherford, New Jersey, 2011.
Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Getty Images
As for modern personalities, besides Russian president Vladimir Putin, many of our readers mentioned Khabib Nurmagomedov aka ‘The Eagle’ and Fedor Emelianenko, the top fighters who’ve already finished their careers. “Fedor has put Russia on the map for being the best fighter in the world,” saysJohn Zog on Facebook.
13. First registered Covid-19 vaccine
“The best scientists in the world, first to launch a successful vaccine for Covid. That really got up the noses of Europe and America. Had they not been so high brow and dismissive and collaborate with Russia, Covid would’ve been better under control much quicker,” writesFrank Murphy on Facebook.
Appearing in summer 2020, Sputnik V became the first registered vaccine against the coronavirus pandemic. Soon after, Russia registered another two vaccines called ‘EpiVacCorona’ and ‘KoviVak’.
14. Architectural treasures
The Moscow Kremlin, St. Petersburg’s Hermitage museum, the wooden churches of the Russian North, as well as the historical architecture of Kazan and Vyborg were among the famous landmarks of Russia that our readers mentioned. And lots of people highlighted the beautiful Moscow Metro stations: “They look like museums!”
15. Dashcams
The trace of the fall of a space object in Chelyabinsk.
Our readers also mentioned those funny road videos from Russia shot with dashcams: it seems that drivers here are not surprised by tanks, helicopters or even meteorites!
Bonus
Swan Lake ballet.
Our readers also noted that Russia is also famous for ballet, composers, the longest railways, beautiful women, the Tetris game, the Matryoshka doll, bears, balalaikas, babushkas, the Stanislavsky system, Russian blue cats and much more. Christian Hainds on Facebook highlighted that Russia is “a truly multinational state with tons of languages spoken”. Tanny Tan wrote that Russia always is the villain in the (Hollywood) movies.
Besides this, some readers focused on the negative associations with Russia. Marcin Małek and Justus Madison both wrote about “poisoning” on Facebook, while @Priya_D8 mentioned “corruption” on Twitter.
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