Answer the questions about Russia

1. Where does Russia lie?

2. What are Russia’s neighbours?

3. What proves that Russia has a variety of landscapes?

4. How can the relief of Russia be characterized?

5. What are the main natural resources in Russia?

6. What is the population of Russia?

7. What is the climate of the country like?

8. What are the main rivers and lakes of Russia?

9. What is Russia’s political system?

10. How can you characterize the economy of Russia?

11. What is characteristic of the Russian system of education?

12. What are the main cities of Russia?

13. What part does Moscow play in the life of Russia?

14. What are Russian people like?

15. What can you say about the main sights of Russia?

Answer the questions about Great Britain.

1. Where does the UK lie?

2. What does the UK consist of?

3. What is Great Britain's largest neighbour?

4. What proves that Great Britain has a variety of landscapes?

5. How does the Gulf Stream influence Britain’s climate?

6. What are Britain's chief industries?

7. What is Britain's political system?

8. What are the major political parties in Great Britain?

9. What is the population of London?

10. What part does London play in the life of the United Kingdom?

11. What are the West End and the East End known for?

12. What are the main tourist attractions in London?

13. Where do the majority of Londoners live?

14. What is the population of the United Kingdom?

15. What natural resources are there in Northern England?

Answer the questions about America.

1. Where is the USA situated?

2. What territory does the USA occupy?

3. How can the relief of the USA be characterized?

4. What are the rivers and lakes of the USA?

5. What is the climate of the country like?

6. How can you characterize the economy of the USA?

7. What is the political system of the USA?

8. What does the US national flag represent?

9. What are the two major kinds of daily newspapers in the USA?

10. What are the holidays for federal employees and state government offices?

11. What other kinds of holidays are there in the USA?

12. How are religious holidays marked?

13. What are traditional holidays?

14. How is Independence Day marked?

15. What kind of holiday is Thanksgiving?

Part II

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

Цель - формирование системы знаний историко-культурном наследии России и Великобритании, развитие межкультурной компетенции.

British Customs

What is the Average Briton Like?

The average Briton is a woman (51%). The average Briton lives in a house, not a flat (80%). She (or he) has a bathroom (95%), a refrigerator or a freezer (99%), a car (69%) and a telephone (90%), a TV-set (98%), a central heating system (83%), a video-recorder (73%), a washing machine (92%), a computer (20%). The average Briton is between 16 and 64 years old. The average British man will die at 73 years old, while the average woman will live until she's 78. The average Briton is married (60%) and more Britons than ever before are getting married. Men get married at the age of 28 while British women marry at 26. About 20% of marriages end in divorce, though about half will many again.

The average age for divorce, if you're thinking of marrying a Briton, is 36 for women and 38 for men. The average Briton works 35-40 hours a week, and has a 4-week holiday a year. At present 40% of holidays are spent staying with relatives or friends and a quarter are spent camping. British residents take about 23 million holidays abroad every year. The most popular foreign countries are Spain, France, the USA and Greece. What does the average Briton do in his/her free time? Well, he/she watches television. Every Briton over the age of 5 watches television average of 27 hours a week. Other popular pastimes are listening to the radio or to CDs, gardening, and of course the pub.

From “Britain 1996”

Task 1. What is normal? Something which you think is normal, someone from another country may think is quite extraordinary. Here are some customs from different countries including Britain. Mark what is normal in your country and compare it with Britain.

	Usual in Britain	Usual in your country
Take your shoes off as soon as you enter someone's home.	No
Shake hands the first time you meet someone.	Yes
Shake hands when you meet a friend you last saw yesterday	No
Kiss when you meet a friend you last met six months ago.	No
Kiss people on one cheek.	Yes
Kiss people on both cheeks.	No
Queue in a line if you are waiting for a bus or ticket.	Yes
Hold the door open for a woman if you are a man.	Yes
Touch someone several times during a conversation.	No

Task 2. Are there any other British customs which are different from your own?

	Usual in Britain	Usual in your country
Take a present if you are invited to visit someone for dinner.	Yes
Remove the paper from a bunch of flowers before you give them to someone.	No
Give flowers to a man.	No
Take a present of a bottle of wine for someone.	Yes
Say ‘thank you’ when you leave the table after a friend has given you a meal.	Yes
Arrive early for a party.	No
Arrive at exactly the time you were invited.	Yes
Arrive at a party one hour later than the time you were invited.	Yes

Which British customs would you most like to change?