Who are the British

1. Most people are English, Scottish or Welsh, but in some British cities you can meet people of many different nationalities. But is Britain a cosmopolitan society? It really depends on where you go. In 1991 5.5 per cent of the 57 million population described themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority. Most members of ethnic minorities live in the South – East. In Greater London, they represent 20 per cent of the population.

2. People have been coming to Britain for centuries: some to get a better life, some to escape natural disasters, some as political or religious refugees. Many Irish people came to England in 1845 to escapefamine ¹, but usually they came to find work. Most of the roads, railways and canals built in the nineteenth century were made by Irish workers.

3. The greatest wave of immigration was in the 1950’s and 1960’s. This happened not only in Britain but also throughout Western Europe. Many companies needed people for unskilled or semi–skilled jobs. Britain advertised ² particularly in the English – speaking islands of the Caribbean, for ² people to come to Britain and work. Other people came from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Hong Kong.

4. The number of people asking to settle in Britain is rising, but Britain, since 1971, has reduced the number of people (coming from outside Europe) which it allows to stay. Many people in Britain, in spite of anti – racist – laws, blame unemployment and poor housing ³ on “immigrants”.

Пояснения к тексту:

1. зд. – не умереть с голода

2. зд. – приглашать через рекламу

3. зд. – плохое жилье

7. Прочитайте 4-й абзац и вопрос к нему. Из приведенных вариантов ответа укажите номер предложения, содержащего правильный ответ на поставленный вопрос:

Why has Britain reduced the number of people coming from outside Europe which it allows to stay?

1) … because of unemployment.

2) … because of unemployment and poor housing.

Вариант 3

1. Перепишите следующие предложения. Определите по грамматическим признакам, какой частью речи являются слова, оформленные окончанием – s, и какую функцию это окончание выполняет, т.е. служит ли оно:

а) показателем 3-го лица единственного числа глагола в Present Simple;

б) признаком множественного числа имени существительного;

в) показателем притяжательного падежа имени существительного (см. образец выполнения 1).

Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1) The rooms upstairs are bedrooms; they are often very small.

2) The front door, which faces the street opens into a hall with two rooms, one on each side of the hall.

3) The British people are the world’s greatest tea drinkers.

2. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их, обращая внимание на особенности перевода на русский язык определений, выраженных именем существительным (см. образец выполнения 2).

1) Motorcar manufactures, for example, advertise the colour of their cars as “Embassy Black” or “Balmoral Stone”.

2) Most people in Britain work a five-day week, from Monday to Friday.

3) England is the land of brick fences and stone walls (often with glass embedded along the top).

3. Перепишите следующие предложения, содержащие разные формы сравнения, и переведите их на русский язык.

1) The traditional opinion about the British, or the English in earlier centuries, was based on the habits of those Britons who could afford to travel, the diplomats and merchants.

2) The British look on foreigners in general with contempt and think that nothing is as well done elsewhere as in their own country.

3) Much leisure time is spent in individualistic pursuits (занятие), of which the most popular is gardening.

4. Перепишите и письменно переведите предложения на русский язык, обращая внимание на перевод неопределенных и отрицательных местоимений.

1) Why do some British people tend to regard their own community as the centre of the world?

2) Many British people give their suburban house a name, such as the Cedars, the Poplars, even though there are no trees in their gardens.

3) Englishmen are hostile, or at least bored, when they hear any suggestion that some modification of their habits might be to their advantage.

5. Перепишите следующие предложения, определите в них видовременные формы глаголов и укажите их инфинитив; переведите предложения на русский язык (см. образец выполнения 3).

1) Snobbery is not so common in England today as it was at the beginning of the century.

2) In 1963 Britain joined the Common Market.

3) To most people the name of Scotland Yard brings to mind the picture of a detectivecool, collected, efficient, ready to track down any criminal with complete confidence that he will bring him to justice.

6. Прочитайте и устно переведите на русский язык 1-5 абзацы текста. Перепишите и письменно переведите их.