Федеральное государственное образовательное учреждение
высшего профессионального образования
«ЮЖНЫЙ ФЕДЕРАЛЬНЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ»
И.И. Скнарина, Л.А. Недосека
Методические указания
по развитию навыков чтения и устной речи
на английском языке по страноведческой тематике
для студентов 1 - 4 курсов отделения «Туризм»
геолого-географического факультета
Южного федерального университета
(I часть)
Ростов-на-Дону
2007
Методические указания разработаны старшими преподавателями кафедры английского языка естественных факультетов Скнариной И.И., Недосека Л.А.
Рецензент - ст. преп. Белоусова М.М.
Печатается в соответствии с решением кафедры английского языка естественных факультетов, протокол № 10 от 18 мая 2007г.
Методическая записка
Настоящие «Методические указания» предназначены для аудиторной и внеаудиторной самостоятельной работы студентов 1-4 курсов отделения «Туризм» геолого-географического факультета ЮФУ и для тех, кто интересуется вопросами страноведения. Содержательная направленность материалов отражает образовательные и воспитательные цели: ознакомление студентов с географическими особенностями, культурой и традициями стран мира, развитием индустрии туризма в странах континента Северной Америки, Турции, России и Новой Зеландии. Данные методические указания направлены на развитие навыков ознакомительного и изучающего чтения по страноведческой тематике и говорения на английском языке.
Методические указания состоят из четырех разделов:
1 Туризм в России (и текст о Санкт-Петербурге).
2 Туризм в Северной Америке (Канада, Флорида, Мексика).
3 Туризм в Турции (информация о Турции и Стамбуле).
4 Острова (Новая Зеландия).
В каждый раздел входят основной текст, предтекстовые упражнения, которые помогают студентам сосредоточиться на определенной страноведческой теме. Задание «Say what these geographical names mean» направлено на развитие навыков поиска информации и работы с географической картой. Лексические, тренировочные грамматические и коммуникативные упражнения служат для развития навыка говорения на английском языке, побуждают студентов проявлять инициативу в высказывании своего мнения по обсуждаемым темам, учат, аргументировано отстаивать его. Методические указания так же способствуют накоплению тематического словарного запаса по данным страноведческим темам. Под рубрикой «Discussion » приводятся творческие задания, которые направлены на совершенствование речевых навыков. Это задание следует использовать для коллективного обсуждения и комментирования, так как оно ориентированно на обмен мнениями и высказывание личного отношения к полученной информации.
Каждый раздел включает текст под рубрикой «Supplementary reading», предоставляющий дополнительную информацию по изучаемой теме, и задание, которое направлено на развитие навыков реферирования.
Данные методические указания позволят сэкономить время учащимся, которым не придется искать необходимую информацию по страноведению в Интернете или в библиотеках, и преподавателям, которым предлагается использовать ряд заданий для контроля самостоятельной работы студентов.
SECTION I
Text 1 TOURISM IN RUSSIA
1 Answer the following questions before reading the text:
1) Do you think that Russia is a popular country with tourists? Why? Why not?
2) What kind of country is Russia?
3) What are the most interesting places in this country?
4) What places have you been to?
5) What places would you like to see? Why?
2 Say what these geographical names mean:
Caucasus Siberia
Urals Baltic Sea Swedes Yenisey
Teutons Baikal
3 Read the text to learn more about tourism in Russia
Russia has tremendous potential for both developing interior tourism and inviting foreign tourists. There is everything that provides such opportunities: vast territory, rich history and cultural legacy and in some regions- virginal nature. Russia stretches for 10 thousand kilometers from west to east and 3 thousand kilometers from arctic latitudes to sub-tropical regions in the south. The variety of landscapes provides the development of different types of tourism: sport and extreme tourism, mountain skiing tours, sea and river cruising, health recreation tours, children’s and youth tourism, ecological and business tourism. There are resorts at the Black sea in the south and at the Baltic Sea in the north, which make Russia a good place to enjoy beach recreation and health recreation at the seas. Mineral water springs of mountain resorts are very popular with many tourists. One can take ethnic tours to the areas populated by northern peoples or take part in tundra deer safari.
Any kind of mountain tourism (mountain climbing and hiking, rafting in “turbulent” mountain rivers, mountain skiing and biking) is possible to do in Russia. The full-flowing, wide and long rivers such as the Volga, Yenisei and Lena seem to have been created for cruising, fishing, rafting riding catamarans and boating. Seas located in the northwest of the country offer cruises for tourists. Numerous lakes are picturesque and pure. Water in these lakes is not merely seemingly pure: you can drink it from lakes of Karelia or from Lake Baikal.
Forests of Central Russia and the Caucasus, taiga of Siberia and the Far East are full of birds and animals. The fact attracts many hunting tourists. There are many areas of the untouched and virginal nature. That is the ecological tours are the best. As opposed to many European countries, when traveling across Russia one can see no people at all for a long time. Regularly, one does not meet any cars when driving along a forest highway in Siberia for several hours! However, it is very likely that one will see a bear among the trees several times. An experienced hunter will point out flamingos, pelicans and other rare birds as you enjoy transfer to the fishing resort situated in Astrakhan region in the delta of the Volga river. None of those who are fond of nature will be indifferent to the horse riding in the fabulous region of Altai.
In Russian history numerous peoples had left their traces through the years: Vikings, ancient Slavs, Mongols, Polovtsy, Scythians, Swedes, Greeks, Genoese and others. Our ancestors inherited their exteriors, religions, cultures, languages and traditions. It makes modern Russians interesting to each other, stimulating domestic tourism. Great princes, monarchs and emperors acquired and lost lands and peoples; travelers discovered northern territory, Siberia and the Far East and explored new lands, seas and oceans. Democratic and authoritarian rulers replaced each other, and they were building palaces and country estates, creating museums, demolishing churches and Buddha temples. They established concentration camps, set up cornfields, launched space ships, created new types of weapons and rebuilt churches. All these events and acts made modern Russia look the way it does at present. Anyone can see this modern image of Russia during an excursion or cultural tour.
Apart from natural, historical and cultural factors that contribute to the development of foreign tourism of Russia, there are some social factors as well. They are high exchange rate of foreign currency, freedom of travel across most of the country, including such promising tour regions as the Far East, Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, the Urals, Northern Russia as well as Nizhniy Novgorod and Samara, the later two having been closed for foreign tourists in the recent past.
Foreign and domestic tourism in Russia is characterized by a variety of its types, such as ecological, sport, cognitive, business tourism, cruising, they are developing rapidly. Individual and youth tourism are also popular in Russia.
4 Comprehension check. Answer the questions:
1) What types of tourism are developed in Russia? Why?
2) What part of the country are ethnic tours popular in?
3) Where is cruising, fishing and rafting possible in Russia?
4) What attracts tourists in the forests of Central Russia?
5) Where can experienced hunters admire virginal nature?
6) What makes Russia interesting for foreigners and stimulates domestic tourism?
7) What special factors should be mentioned as well?
8) What new types of tourism are developing rapidly in Russia?
5 Give the words from the text to the definitions:
1) very big, huge-
2) health recreational places on the seacoast-
3) very beautiful, scenic-
4) to ruin-
5) money used in the country-
6) excursions around the city-
7) fast-
8) to promote-
6 Say whether these statements are true or false:
а) Russia is famous among international tourists only for cultural legacy.
b) There is no possibility for cruising in the country.
c) Forests of Central Russia can’t attract tourists.
d) Russian history is worth studying.
e) Tourists can see the modern image of the country during ethnic tours.
f) Some social factors have been the obstacles in the development of foreign tourism in
Russia.
7 Sum up the ideas about tourism in Russia and render due to the plan:
- I’ve read the text under the title “….”
- This text deals with…
- It should be mentioned that…
- In conclusion I’d like to say that…
- I think that the text …
Text 2 SAINT PETERSBURG
1 Answer the following questions before reading the text:
1) What large cities of Russia can you remember?
2) Have you ever been to St. Petersburg? Would you like to go there? Why?
3) Why do we usually call this city “a window to Europe”?
4) Who was the founder of the city?
5) What are the places of interest in St. Petersburg?
2 Say what these geographical names mean:
Hare Island Swiss
Dutch European
Neva
3 Read the text to learn more about St. Petersburg and its sights
St. Petersburg, the city symbolizing Russia’s European aspect, ranks with the great capitals of the world. The very name of the city suggests its international character. It consists of two meaningful words. The Russian version of the name combines elements of different languages: its first part derives from the Latin word “saint”, followed by the Apostle’s name, Peter, which means “rock” in Greek, and “burg”, a city in German or Dutch. It was founded on Hare Island by Peter the Great in 1703 and it was called so in his honour. The city is situated on the Neva River and has become the “window” to Europe. The Neva is a “cradle” of St. Petersburg, which not only predetermined its emergence as a port vital for Russia, but became the focal element in the spatial layout of the city never loosing its significance to the present day. It was along the banks of the Neva, stretching within the city for about 24 miles, that the most impressive architectural landmarks of the 18th and 19th centuries are located. St. Petersburg was built by the prominent European and Russian architects. St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia from 1712 till 1918.
St. Petersburg is an industrial, cultural and scientific center in Russia. There are about 80 museums, 20 theatres, exhibition halls, clubs, universities, many colleges, schools, libraries and parks. The Pushkin Drama Theatre, Gorky Drama Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet are the pearls of Russian arts. In the city there are a lot of parks and gardens where the residents and guests spend their free time.
The Peter and Paul Fortress was built to protect the Neva banks from Swedish invasion. Later D. Trezzini, the famous Swiss architect, reconstructed the fortress. It became a prison, it served as a burial place of the Russian Emperors and members of the royal family (there are 32 tombs), now it’s a museum and one of masterpieces of architecture. Russian tsars were buried in it.
The Summer Garden is the oldest and most fascinating park. Rare trees, bushes and species of flowers grow there. It’s decorated by beautiful marble statues of Italian sculptors and a cast iron grille. There is a bronze monument dedicated to the prominent Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov (by sculptor Klodt) in the Summer Garden. The 89 statues put on display in the garden nowadays reveal the depth of Peter’s concept, who wanted to make his gardens a sort of academy.
In St. Petersburg tourists usually start sightseeing from Palace Square, the largest and most beautiful. One can’t help admiring the ensemble in Palace Square: the Winter Palace (built by Rastrelli) was the residence of Russian tsars till the revolution.
The Hermitage, one of the oldest art museums in Russia, occupies the Winter Palace and four other buildings. There one can see masterpieces of the outstanding artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Velazquez and other unique work of arts. Walking along the suites of state rooms in the Winter Palace and the Hermitage, you can enjoy really superb examples of interior decoration ranking with the world’s best achievements. Worthy of special mention are the Throne Room of Peter the Great designed by Montferrand; the 1812 War Gallery by Rossi; St. George Hall by Quarenghi; the Malachite Drawing Room, the Rotunda and the Alexander Room by Briulov and others. Making the tours of the rooms, you plunge into different ages and familiarize yourselves with cultures of various peoples inhabiting our planet.