Read the text and fill in the gaps with an appropriate word. Some of the words in the box below can be used twice.

MADAME TUSSAUD'S

The museum is 1)… visited tourist attraction, with over two and a half million visitors a year. There are over 400 models 2)… display. Each one is worth £20,000, so security is tight. However, 3)… the monitors and eagle-eyed staff, visitors can't resist picking up souvenirs and someone even went off 4)… Marie Antoinette's head.

Making the wax models is a highly skilled and lengthy process. From start to finish 5)… takes months of work for the artists and craftsmen who combine to produce the final figure. All the waxworks are life-size replicas of the real person, down to the last detail. Even Michael Jackson's inside trouser leg 6)… been measured and recorded.

This is considered highly classified information, of course. Stuart Williamson, a sculptor here for fifteen years, says, "7)… they come to the museum or we go to them. We went to Buckingham Palace to do the Royal Family and the Neverland Ranch for Jackson. They sit on a turntable where they 8)… measured and photographed from every angle possible. I then sculpt the clay, trying to get a feel for their personality, which is 9)… important as what they look like".

The most nerve-racking part of the job can be when the real person meets their wax double. Bob Geldof thought that he wasn't scruffy 10)… and proceeded to ruffle his twin's hair. The Dalai Lama thought the whole thing was hilariously funny. Clothes for the models are often chosen 11)… the famous themselves. Madame Tussaud's has the only exact replica of Princess Diana's wedding dress. Sometimes clothes 12)… given to the museum. John Haigh, the acid bath murderer, donated his suit 13)… day before he was executed. And when comedian, Lenny Henry, revisited Madame Tussaud's, he was horrified to see his wax double wearing his favorite pink suit – he 14)… been looking for it for two years. The public's fascination with fame and fortune means Madame Tussaud's will continue to be a popular venue for many years 15)… come.

Task 2

Complete gaps 1–7 in the article with the correct form of the words in brackets.

ANNUAL TRIP TO LONDON

1. On this year's class trip to London we visited the Museum of the Moving Image. According to the museum guide, MOMI has been collecting and maintaining television programmes and films for over 40 years. Today it has an 1… (impress) archive of more than 275,000 feature films and 200,000 television programmes!

2. The best exhibit was almost certainly the one about small-screen television. It showed popular archive programmes, ranging from serious documentaries to pop programmes and game shows. This gave us a 2… (fascinate) insight into TV twenty or thirty years ago, as well as everyday life.

3. Another popular exhibit showed us what went on behind the scenes of a news programme. It's 3… (amaze) how much work goes into regular news broadcasts every day! We were also impressed by the soap opera exhibit, which demonstrated how storylines from our 4… (favour) soaps are developed.

4. After looking around the exhibitions, we planned to see a film at the MOMI film theatre, but unfortunately it was closed for 5… (renovate). Nevertheless, it was a interesting trip. One student 6… (accurate) summed up MOMI as "one of the best museums I've been to". All in all it was a very 7… (enjoy) day.

Match the topics to each paragraph:

a) What we thought about the trip.

b) Other things we saw.

с) What we saw: the best exhibition.

d) Where we went on the trip.

Text 3

Fill in the gaps with a suitable word.

LONDON'S MILLENNIUM DOME

Good afternoon and welcome 1… London's Millennium Dome. Before we begin the tour, I'd like to tell you a little about 2… history. The Dome was built in 1999 to 3… the new millennium, and is one of London's most 4… buildings. In fact it's one of the biggest buildings ever constructed. If you look 5… you, you'll see the largest roof in the world, which covers an amazing eight hectares. There is 6… space inside the Dome for thirteen Concert Halls, so it's not surprising that it 7… an incredible £758 million!

So what are we going to see today? Well, inside the Dome are twenty different 8… or "zones". These zones 9… different aspects of today's society, and each one has a different approach and style. This tour will take you around four of the most popular zones. We will spend the first hour at the Home Planet Zone where you can go on a virtual 10… of planet Earth. Then we'll go to the Play Zone where you can a 11… goal, play a concerto and explore an electronic playground. Next we will visit the Body Zone to learn about 12… in science and medicine. And for the final part of the tour we'll stop at the Money Zone where you can see what a million pounds looks like, then decide how to spend it! Finally at 2 p. m. we will see the 13… Millennium Show. This tells a dramatic love story in three acts using flying performers, dancers and impressive visual effects.

We will finish the tour at the Central Arena. There are over 30 restaurants, bars and cafes here which 14… food and drinks throughout the day. There are also 15… shops if you want to buy some souvenirs. I hope you all find the tour interesting.

Match these summary headings to the paragraphs.

1. Practical information

2. History of the Dome and surprising facts

3. Things you are going to see and do

PART 4

PRACTICE YOUR RENDERING SKILLS

Task 1

Translate the text from Russian into English with the help of a dictionary.

Лондон был основан римлянами в 43 году н. э. и назывался Лондиниум. В 61 году город сгорел дотла, и когда он был отстроен заново, он был окружен стеной. Территория, окруженная стеной, сейчас называется Сити. Это коммерческий и деловой центр Лондона. Там расположены Английский банк, Лондонская биржа и головные офисы многих компаний и корпораций. Здесь же находится Лондонский Тауэр. Он был построен Вильгельмом Завоевателем, завоевавшим Англию в 1066 году, коронованным в Вестминстерском аббатстве. Сейчас там располагается большинство правительственных зданий.

Во время правления династии Тюдоров (XVI век) Лондон становится важным экономическим и финансовым центром. Во время викторианского периода (XIX век) Лондон был одним из наиболее важных центров промышленной революции и центром Британской империи.

Task 2

Translate the text from Russian into English with the help of a dictionary.

Сейчас Лондон – важный политический центр, большой коммерческий центр, рай для театралов и туристов, но это также и тихое место с прекрасными парками, древними сооружениями, музеями и библиотеками. Лондон – город больших контрастов. Его западная часть – самый богатый район Лондона с уютными дворцами, красивыми проспектами, магазинами, ресторанами, отелями. Ист Энд – район, заселенный бедными. Множество людей едва сводят концы с концами в своих трущобах и жалких домах, стоящих вдоль мрачных узких улиц. В этой части города, серой от сажи и дыма, главным образом, находятся промышленные предприятия.

Task 3

Translate the text from Russian into English with the help of a dictionary.

В Лондоне живет около 8 миллионов человек. Город управляет жизнью Британии. Он является торговым и финансовым центром, основным центром его правовой системы и прессы. Здесь находится самый большой в стране университет, и имеются величайшие возможности для развлечений, занятий спортом. Лондон – одна из самых известных столиц в мире. Каждый год он привлекает множество гостей из Англии и из-за границы. Они приезжают посмотреть на его исторические здания, увидеть его музеи, улицы и парки, его галереи.

Сердце Лондона – Сити – его торговый и деловой центр. Здесь расположен Лондонский Тауэр, который стоит на первом месте среди исторических зданий города. Собор св. Павла, самая большая из английских церквей, расположен недалеко от Тауэра. Неподалеку, в Вестминстере, где находится большинство правительственных зданий, расположено Вестминстерское аббатство.

UNIT 4. MURMANSK AND THE MURMANSK REGION

PART 1

PRACTISE YOUR TRANSLATION SKILLS

Text 1

Translate the text from English into Russian with the help of a dictionary and get ready to answer the questions.

MY NATIVE TOWN

Murmansk is the capital of the Murmansk region. It was founded on the
4th of October, 1916. The city's first name was Romanov-on-Murman. Then it was renamed and became Murmansk.

The city is situated beyond the Polar Circle on the eastern coast of the Kola Inlet which doesn't freeze all the year round due to the warm Gulf Stream. It lies about 2000 thousand kilometers from Moscow. Murmansk stretches from the north to the south for more than 20 km.

The climate in Murmansk is maritime. Summers are short and cool. Winters are long and mild.

The average temperature is about zero. Winter lasts from November till April. The Polar night begins at the end of November and lasts till the middle January. The sun stays below the horizon, and the city is in darkness. The sky is sometimes lit with wonderful northern lights. But the Polar night is a very depressing period because people suffer from the lack of sunshine. The Polar day begins in the middle of May and lasts till the end of July. The sun never sets and people can enjoy the white nights.

Murmansk began to develop rapidly since the birth of the fishing fleet. It has become a large seaport since that time. The city's life is closely connected with fishing industry. There are two ports in Murmansk, the fishing port and the commercial port. The fish products are famous not only in Russia but in many foreign countries. A lot of Russian and foreign ships visit the port every day.

During the Great Patriotic war the city was completely destroyed by the German air attacks. But Murmansk remained unconquerable. The heroic defenders of Murmansk gave their lives in the battles for freedom and independence. Murmansk is a Hero city. After the war it was rebuilt.

Now Murmansk is the largest industrial center and the major Russian seaport beyond the Polar Circle with the population 388000 people. The main industrial enterprises include a shipyard, shiprepairing plants, fish processing plants, a fishing gear factory, food industry enterprises and some gas and oil prospecting enterprises.

Murmansk is a large cultural center. It has three professional theatres, a TV center, a Philarmonic society, a concert hall, some museums, palaces of culture and clubs, libraries and cinemas.

There are also many educational institutions including the Murmansk State Humanitarian University, the Murmansk State Technical University and some commercial institutes.

There are many sport facilities: a winter swimming-pool, some hockey courts and two stadiums. In the southern part of the city, in the Valley of Comfort, sports competitions are held every spring during Polar Olympiads. They include ski race, ski jumping and reindeer race.

There are many monuments in Murmansk: the monument to Bredov, the monument to the victims of intervention and to the heroic sixth battery, the Memorial to the defenders of the Soviet Far North and others.

Murmansk is a tourist center visited by Russian and foreign people.

Questions:

1. Where is Murmansk situated?

2. What is the climate in our city?

3. Why is Murmansk called an industrial center?

4. Why was Murmansk awarded the title of a Hero city?

5. What sport facilities are there in Murmansk?

6. When was our city founded?

7. What places of interest can you visit in Murmansk?

Text 2

Translate the text from English into Russian with the help of a dictionary and get ready to answer the questions.

THE CITY OF THE EVERLASTING WINTER

Murmansk is situated deep inside the Arctic Circle. It's extremely cold: the city authorities have to light fires at bus stops to stop people freezing to death before the bus arrives, and it's almost suicide to go out without a hat. Between October and the end of January, dawn turns into dusk but the sun never rises at all. Yet many people have chosen to live here.

What's so special about Murmansk? People came here in the first place because the Gulf Stream touches the Arctic coastline at this point, warms the sea and makes Murmansk the only ice-free port in the north of Russia, so it has enormous commercial and military importance. More recently it became quite a rich town with a steady income from oil and fishing and in the 1960s people came here to live, attracted by various financial benefits: long holidays, good salaries and relatively comfortable housing. It is impossible to grow anything in this region, so everything has to be brought from central Russia, which means that the shops have traditionally been well-stocked.

But whether the attractions of Murmansk compensate for the disadvantages of living several hundred kilometers inside the Arctic Circle is a matter of opinion. It's very isolated from the rest of Russia. The street light have to stay on all day for three month in winter and children are given ultra-violet sunbaths to provide the vitamin D which they would normally get from natural light. Little grows naturally, and the proportion of oxygen in the air is unhealthily low because of the absence of trees. A bad winter means 50 degrees below zero, 30 below is normal. Even at this more reasonable temperature your breath freezes, your eyelashes stick together, your cheeks grow sore, your feet are constantly cold and you must never go out without a hat.

These days there is little reason for people to stay. What's more, the oil is running out and the shops are almost empty. The economic future of Murmansk, like its long winters, looks very bleak indeed.

Questions:

1. Where is Murmansk situated?

2. Why did the first people come here?

3. Why is the proportion of oxygen in the air low here?

4. Why is Murmansk a rich city?

5. What do people do to stop freezing in winter?

6. What financial benefits do people have here?

7. What are the disadvantages of living in Murmansk?

Text 3

Translate the text from English into Russian with the help of a dictionary and get ready to answer the questions.

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