Text 10. Stradford-on-Avon

Stratford-on-Avon, where Shakespeare was born, is now one of the most popular tourist centres. But it was not so many years ago.

In the 18th century only a few relics of Shakespeare were left: his tomb, New Place (a large house, which Shakespeare built, when he became famous), the mulberry tree, that he had planted, and his birthplace. People from London and other places came to see these relics. Most of them came to New Place where they wanted to see the famous mulberry tree in the garden.

The owner of New Place wasn't much interested in Shakespeare. He didn't like the fact that so many visitors came to his house asking to see the mulberry tree. So, in 1756 he cut down the tree and his life became quiet. But it didn't last long. The people who came to Stratford-on-Avon to see Shakespeare's tree at first were surprised, then they got so angry that the owner of New Place had to leave Stratford.

After Stratford lost one of the famous relics of Shakespeare the city fathers decided to do something to attract people there. They asked the greatest actor of the time David Garrick to organize a festival in Stratford. Garrick planned to do it in the first week of September 1769. He wanted festival to be the greatest outdoor festival in England.

At six o'clock in the morning on Wednesday in September 6, 1769, the festival was opened. Many people came to Stratford. The first day was successful and Garrick was happy. On the second day it rained hard. On the third day alt people left Stratford.

Garrick returned to London very sad. But his festival was the beginning of a tradition. Stratford is now famous for its great Shakespeare festivals. Every year a lot of people come to Stratford for the festival season which lasts from April to September.

Answer the following questions:

1. Where was Shakespeare born? 2. What relics of Shakespeare were left in the 18th century? 3. Why did the owner of the New Place cut down the mulberry tree? 4. Why did the fathers of Stratford decide to organize Shakespeare's festival? 5. When was the first festival opened? 6. Who organized it? 7. Was the festival successful? 8. How long does the festival season last in Stratford now?

Text 11. Thomas Gainsborough

Gainsborough was born in the town of Sudbury in 1727. He was the youngest of nine children in the family. He went to school in his native town. He liked to spend his spare hours walking in the woods and drawing. His school friends did his arithmetic for him while he made drawing in their notebooks.

He was very good at drawings and once he made such a good portrait from memory' of a thief whom he had seen robbing a garden that the thief was caught.

Gainsborough's portraits are painted in clear tones. Gainsborough's colour is always tender and soft. Green, blue, grey and yellow colours are the main colours of his pictures.

Gainsborough often placed his figures against a landscape background1, and there is always harmony between them. Among his famous portraits are the portrait of Mrs. Siddons, a famous actress in a blue dress, and the picture known as "'The Blue Boy" — a boy in a blue costume standing out on a background of brown and grey landscape.

Gainsborough was fond of painting landscapes. He loved the countryside of his childhood and often said that nature is his best teacher. The pictures of Gainsborough are full of poetry and music.

Here are some facts about Thomas Gainsborough. Only one of them is wrong. Which one?

1. Thomas Gainsborough was the youngest child in the family.

2. At his spare time he was fond of walking in the woods and drawing.

3. He was good at Arithmetic at school.

4. The main colours of his portraits are blue, grey, green and yellow.

5. One of his most famous pictures is "The Blue Boy".

Text 12. Walter Scott

Walter Scott is a creator of the historical novel in English literature. He was born in Edinburgh in Scotland. He loved his native land deeply and was greatly interested in its past. In his youth he made a good collection of old Scottish ballads.

Walter Scott first became known as a poet- But in 1814 his first novel "Waverley" appeared. During the next few years Scott published many novels, such as “Guy Mannering", "Rob Roy", 'Ivanhoe" and he became one of the most famous novelists of his days.

Most of his life Walter Scott spent at the farm at Abbotsford. He got up at five, dressed and went to see his horses. At six he sat down at his writing table and wrote till nine or ten, when he had breakfast. Then he went on writing for two hours more and after it went on riding or fishing, spending the rest of the day with his family or visiting friends.

In his novels Scott describes the historical past of the country. Sometimes he idealizes the old times and his historical facts are not always exact, but his great love for Scotland helped him to understand the history of his people. His description of the life, customs and habits of his people are very realistic, as he studied them deeply. Through his stories people all over the world began to know and love Scotland.

Scott showed that the past and the present were connected. That is why his novels are read nowadays with great interest.

Answer the following questions:

1. When was Walter Scott born? 2. What did he collect in his youth? 3. What novels by Walter Scott do you know? 4. Where did he spend most of his life? 5. What does he describe in his novels? 6. His great love for Scotland helped Walter Scott to understand its history, didn't it? 7. Why do people read his novels with great interest?

Text 13. Abraham Lincoln

The life story of the sixteenth president of the United States is famous, because it is the typical story of American success. Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin: to a poor family. But when he grew up he became the President of the United States. He attended school only about a year. With the help of his stepmother he himself learned how to read and write.

Abraham Lincoln is well-known and loved by Americans for his honesty, intelligence and humanity. Lincoln was elected president in 1860. At that time the question of slavery was very important. About six weeks after his inauguration the American Civil War began. In 1863 Lincoln published Emancipation Proclamation which gave political freedom to three million blacks living in the South. Abraham Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth, a popular young actor, during a theatre performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why is Abraham Lincoln so famous in the United States? 2. Where was he born? 3. Did he go to school? 4. What was the most important question in his time? 5. When did Lincoln publish the Emancipation Proclamation? 6. Why was this Proclamation important? 7. Who killed Lincoln?