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?

Text 14. Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston. He was a son of a candle-maker. His family was very poor. But he worked hard and became a printer, writer, philosopher, scientist and diplomat. He believed that only in a democratic country like America a poor boy could become a famous and powerful man.

In his autobiography he said that all men must work hard and be honest. Every morning he asked himself: "What good shall I do this day?" And every night he asked himself: "What good have I done today?"

Benjamin Franklin was always interested in scientific experiments. He invented the Franklin stove, which produced more heat with less fuel. In 1752 he performed an experiment with a kite and proved the theory that lightening is a form of electricity.

Benjamin Franklin also realized that he was American, not an Englishman, and helped to write the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. In 1776 the U.S. declared independence. After it Franklin lived in France. He was the U.S. Ambassador10 in France during the American Revolution.

Say if these statements are true or false:

1. B. Franklin was born in the family of a candle-maker.

2. He worked hard and became a sailor.

3. B. Franklin invented the Franklin stove and performed experiments with a kite.

4. B. Franklin helped to write the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution.

5. B. Franklin spent many years in Spain.

Text 15. Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was one of America's reforming leaders. She worked hard to improve housing, education, health and the status of minority groups. As the wife of the 32nd President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt, she was the country's most active first lady. She traveled all over the world, gave lectures and met the world leaders. She wrote many newspaper and magazine articles and made many radio and television appearances. She advised her husband, wrote many articles, gave lectures all over the world and worked with all levels of government to improve housing, education and health in the United States.

After her husband's death she became a delegate to the United Nations. There she helped to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For years Eleanor Roosevelt was called the most admired woman in the world.

Answer the following questions:

I. Why is Eleanor Roosevelt famous? 2. What did she try to improve? 3. She was the country's active first lady, wasn't she? 4. Did she travel much? 5. What did she do during her trips? 6. What organization was she the delegate to? 7. What did she help to write? 8. How did people call Eleanor Roosevelt?

Text 16. Jack London

Jack London's life is the life of hard work. He began working at the age of eight. By the time he was twenty two he had lived more than most people do in fifty years. He had worked on ships and in factories, he had traveled across the ocean as a sailor, he had tramped16 from San Francisco to New York with an army of unemployed and back through Canada to Vancouver. He had studied the great masters of literature, had read the works of great scientists and philosophers.

In 1896 gold was discovered in Alaska; and together with thousand of other men London went to the new territory. He brought no gold back with him, but he brought wonderful stories which he wrote on his return. They are based on the life he lived and on what he saw and heard in the frozen North. The collections of stories "Children of the Frost", “The Son of the Wolf”, "The White Silence" show us man's struggle with Nature.

Jack London is not pessimistic in his stories. A man may lose his own life in the struggle with nature, but life goes on. In his great works "The Iron Heels" and ''Martin Eden" London treats the problems of the individual and society.

Answer the following questions:

1. At what age did Jack London begin to work? 2. Where did he work? 3. What did he study? 4. Why did he go to Alaska in 1896? 5. What books about the North did he write? 6. Were his books pessimistic? 7. What did he show in his great works? 8. Have you read any books by Jack London?

Text 17. The British Museum

There are many museums in London. One of the most famous is the British museum. Built in the middle of the nineteenth century it is situated in Bloomsbury, a district in central London. It is an immense, light-grey building, like a Greek temple.

It is difficult to answer the question "what is the British Museum?' However we'll try. In the first place it is a great library, one of the largest in the world, with something 6 or 7 million books. By law a copy of every book, pamphlet, periodical including maps and music published in Britain, must be kept at the British Museum. Newspapers are kept in a separate building in another part of London. Many famous people of the past worked there. Among them were Charles Dickens, Karl Marks, and V.I. Lenin.

Secondly, the British Museum is a great scientific institution, generally known as Natural History Museum.

Lastly, the British Museum has a wonderful art gallery. It has unique collections of sculpture, ceramics and drawings of many people.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the most famous museum in London? 2. When was it built? 3. What does it look like? 4. How many books has the library there? 5. Where can we find periodicals? 6. Who worked in the museum? 7. What can you say about its art gallery?

Text 18. Robert Burns

Robert Burns was the greatest poet of the 18th century. He is famous all over Scotland.

R. Burns was born in a picturesque village of Alloway. His father was a poor

farmer, but it was from his father that Robert received his learning and his love for books. His mother had a beautiful voice and taught him old Scottish songs and ballads, which he later turned into his best poems.

At the age of 13 Robert began to work on the farm together with his father. Robert was a handsome young man, but he often suffered from illness because of hard work and bad food.

After his father's death the young poet had to support his large family. His farming was a failure and he thought of leaving for Jamaica, in 1786 a few friends of Robert helped him to publish his first volume of poems. His book was a success and Robert Burns went to Edinburgh. He came into contact with some literary circles. He traveled through Northern England and Scotland collecting bal-lads and folk tales. His countrymen loved their poet for his patriotism.

Robert Burns died at the age of 37 at Dumfries, where he had served as a tax collector for the last six years of his life. Upon his death he was declared the national poet of Scotland and his birthday on January 25 is always celebrated as a national holiday.

Robert Burns is one of the most popular song writers of English Literature. The whole world sings his songs "Auld Lang Syne", "A Red, Red Rose", "My Heart's in the Highlands". His lovely poems are translated into many languages.

Here are some facts about R. Burns. Only one of them is wrong. Which one?

1. R. Burns is famous all over Scotland.

2. He was born in a poor family.

3. He leant a lot of old Scottish songs and ballads from his mother.

4. R. Burns was a good farmer and could help his large family.

5. R. Burns traveled much and collected ballads and folk tales.

6. January 25, R. Burns' birthday, is a national holiday in Scotland.

7. His poems are translated into many languages.