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1. Sightseeing. Getting around    town

            Nowadays the system of public transportation is very advanced and continues to improve for faster and more comfortable traveling. For example, creation of the underground has resolved to some extent such a serious problem as lasting many hours traffic jam. In some countries people still prefer more simplified kind of vehicle. In China, for example, it is a bicycle. Because many poor people just can’t afford to go by paid-transport. When u arrive in a new city for sightseeing or smth. Else, u may across some difficulties concerning public vehicles, especially abroad.

          In big cities u will find subway systems which are generally extremely noisy and crowded during morning and evening rush hours, but u can get almost everywhere relatively quickly on a subway. Before taking the train at the subway station u should buy a token, then deposit it in a slot so u can push the turnstile to gain entrance to the area where the train stops. In some countries, having bought a token at the subway, u can use it for fare by bus.

           Having arrived in a big city for sightseeing, sometimes it would be very difficult to get your bearings with the map of the city.

              London is a busy            commercial and cultural center. Many important financial organizations, including the Bank of England and the Stock Exchange, are located in the area called the City. Part of the old port in east London has been redeveloped as a business center, called Docklands. In the West End there are theatres/ cinemas, museums and shops.(УД) Many people who work in London commute by train or bus from the suburbs because buying a house or flat near the centre is very expensive. Different parts of the city are linked by the famous red London buses, black taxi cabs and the London Underground, often called the Tube.

        People from all over the world have been attracted to London and it is now a cosmopolitan, multicultural city. People from other parts of Britain sometimes think that it is very noisy and dirty. Many go there only for the bright lights – the theatres round Shaftesbury Avenue or the shops of Oxford Street. Others take their children to see the sights, such as Buckingham Palace, where the Queen lives, and the clock tower from which Big Ben sounds the hours. Young people are attracted to the bars and comedy clubs of Covent Garden, to live music concerts, and to the stalls of Camden market. In the year 2000 many people visited the Millennium Dome.

1. Sightseeing. Getting around town.

New York is the largest city in the United States and one of the largest in the world. It is situated in the natural harbour of the mouth of the Hudson River. Forty years later the English fleet entered the harbour, captured the city and renamed it New York. There five boroughs in New York: Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Richmond. Only one of them, Bronx  is not on an island. All districts of New York are linked together by numerous bridges. Manhattan, the smallest island in New York, is the real center of the city. When people say “New York City” they usually mean Manhattan. The “big Apple”, as New York city is nicknamed, has an energy that few other cities can equal. John Kennedy Airport is one of the busiest in the world. More ships come into New York’s harbour  than into any other port in the world. New York is the national leader in business, finance, manufacturing, fashion and the arts.  New York city has extensive transport network: the subway, buses( city buses, express buses and some other), ferries, suburban trains, taxis. NY subway is the speediest means of transportation. train of different routs may go past one and the same station. The route of every train given in numbers or letters, its didtination and its type(express or local) are indicated on all the cars. Unlike local, express trains stop only at the main station. So befor getting on the train, chack the sign on the car to make sure that this is the route you want. Youe can get a free subway map at any token booth. The fare on NY subway in the same no matter how far you travel. To gain access to the train tokens are required. Buy them at boths in the subway station and insert them in a slot at the turnstiles. NY city buses run frequently stopping about every two blocks. At every stop there are route maps and bus schedules. It's advisable to pay attention to the sing on the side of the bus. Experss buses have the letter X befor the route number. The fare there is higher. Be sure to have exact change for the fare or a busway token, as bills are not accepted. Ask for atransfer ticken, if you need one, when you board the bus. Most bus routs operate 24 hours a day, but some don't run late at night or on Sunday. Free bus maps are also available at main bus station. There are several ferries operating in greater NY. It passes by the famous Atatue of Liberty. The ferry fare is much laver than on any other means of transportation.

11. Climete and weather.

The British Isles which are surrounded by the ocean have an insular climat. The climate is moister and more equable than that of General Europe. The three things that chiefly determine the climate of England are: 1) the position of the island in the temperate best;2) the fact that the prevalling winds blow from the west and south-west;3) the warm curren the gulf stream that flows from the gulf of Mexicoalong the western shores of England. In common, the climat is mild, and strong frost are rare. Due to the moderating influences of thesea and the gulf stream, the sumaty t is higher and the suly t lower than inany other country in the same latitudes, thta is why the British ports are ice-free and its rivers not frosen throughout th4e year. It’s hard to say that England has typical weather because of the sudden changes that occur-shavers from what was only a few hours before a clear blue sky: sun-shine that makes you want to leave off most of your clother followed by winds that set you wishing for two overcoats. There is an abundance of rainfall in the west. As a result, there are thck fogs which last for days and weeks at a time during the autumn and witer. When winter comes,people are obliged to spend more time indoors because out of door it’s cold. Ponds,lakes, rivers and streams sometimes may be frozen, and the roads may be sometimes covered with slippery ice or deep snow. The trees are bare. Bitter north winds have stripped them of all their leaves. The lack of sunshine hinders the cultivation of mny spicies of plants, especially grain crops. Howere, grasses grow all the year round, providing fodder for cattle.

2. Traveling by air

Modern life is impossible without traveling. Thousands of people travel every day either on business or for pleasure. They can travel by railway, by sea and by train.

Traveling by train is slower than by plane, but it has its advantages. U can see much more interesting places of the country u are traveling through. Modern trains have very comfortable seats. There are also sleeping cars and dining cars, which make even the longest journey enjoyable. Speed, comfort and safety are the main advantages of trains and plains. That is why many people prefer them to all other means.

Traveling by air is more comfortable, more convenient and, of course, far quicker than any other method.

Nowadays the airlines of the world offer many varieties of services in many different kinds of aircraft. Transcontinental and transoceanic flights are made in giant jet planes, some of which can carry several hundred passengers on each flight.

Airline passenger service can also be divided into scheduled and nonscheduled flights. A scheduled flights leaves at the same time on the same day to the same destination. Many scheduled flights often carry only a small number of passengers. A nonscheduled one depends on the availability of passengers and aircraft. It is more or less the air version of taxi. It takes passengers where they want to go at a time that is convenient for them.

On the flight itself, there is a difference between first class and economy class or tourist class. The first class passenger has more space and receives more in-flight service.

5.At  the Customs house

The procedure of passing the customs is almost the same in every country. The moment a traveler crosses the border his luggage is taken to the customs house by porters. Every country has its own customs regulations, which stipulate what articles are liable to duty and what are duty-free. Sometimes an article, which falls under customs restrictions and is liable to duty, is allowed in duty-free if the traveler does not exceed a certain fixed quota. These are listed in a duty-free quota list. Customs restrictions also include a prohibited article list. This is a list of interns, which may not be brought into a country or taken out of it. An official paper (from the proper authorities) giving permission to take items, which fall under special customs restrictions, in or out of a country is known as an import or export license.

If the traveler has any item, which comes under customs restrictions, he is asked to declare it. That is, he is asked to name the item, stating its value and other particulars. The declaration is made either orally or in writing on a special form. The practice seems to vary in different countries. Upon payment of duty the traveler is given a receipt. As a rule personal items are duty-free.

It sometimes happens that a passenger's luggage is carefully one through in order to prevent smuggling.

The formalities at file customs house usually take some time. Only after passing through the customs (Only when one's luggage has been cleared by the customs) does one realize that his journey is drawing to an end (or beginning, as the case might be). Though the procedure of passing customs in different countries is almost the same, the customs rules and regulations can differ a lot. 

13.Sports. Fitness

     he British are very fond of sport, but many people prefer to watch rather than take part. Many go to watch football, cricket, etc. at the ground, but many more sit at home and watch sport on television.

Lack of exercise combined with eating too many fatty and sugary foods has meant that many people are becoming too fat). Experts are particularly concerned that children spend a lot of their free time watching television or playing computer games instead of being physically active. In Britain most towns have an amateur football and cricket team, and people also have opportunities to play sports such as tennis and golf. Other people keep themselves fit by walking or cycling. Local sports centers are generally cheaper. Evening classes are also cheap and offer a wide variety of fitness activities ranging from yoga to jazz dancing.

Sports play an important part in American life. There is even a 'dancing through pregnancy' programme. Many richer Americans employ their own personal trainer, either at home or at a fitness centre, to direct their exercise programme.

        The main field sports in Britain are hunting, shooting and fishing. Foxhunting. Staghunting        Shooting game birds, such as pheasant and grouse

Fishing, often called angling, is a very popular sport, mostly among men.

There are three main kinds of angling: fly-fishing, coarse fishing and sea-fishing. Fly-fishing, which is expensive, is fishing for salmon, trout, using specially disguised hooks. On the coast people may fish with a rod and line from a boat or from the shore.

Darts is a popular indoor game, often played in British pubs and working men's clubs. In the US darts is a popular game in bars.

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2.Travelling.

The scientific and technological progress of the 21-th century has allowed people to overcome time and distance, to cover in the twinkle of an eye the vast expanse of our planet.  The whole world is open now. And now modern life is impossible without travelling. To understand how true this is, you only have to go to a railway station, a port or a airport, where you can see hundreds people hurrying to catch a train, a ship, or a plane.

Of course the fastest way of travelling is by plane. The airliners of the world offer many varieties of services in many different kinds of aircrafts. Transcontinental and transoceanic flights are made in giant jet planes, some of which can carry several hundred passengers on each flight. Smaller jets are commonly used on the shorter routs. Airline passenger service can be divided into scheduled and non-scheduled flights. A scheduled flight leaves at the same time on the same day to the same destination. The schedule for the flight is published by the airline in its timetable. The passenger can make a reservation in advance for a scheduled flight with the reasonable expectation that the flight will leave at a certain time and go to a certain place regardless of the number of passengers who have tickets for the flight. A non-scheduled flight on the other hand, depends on the availability of passengers and aircraft. On the flight itself, there is usually a distinction between first class and economy, which are formerly known as tourist class. Today the airlines carry millions of passenger every year. In some areas of the world air service is the only effective means of public transportation.

Some people who are not sea-sick prefer to travel by ship when possible. There are large lines, holiday ships and river boats on board which you can book a cabin and visit different countries or ports of your own country. Ships are not so fast as planes, but a sea voyage is a very pleasant way of spending holiday. In the evening you can seat in arm chairs on the promenade deck and breath the sea air. In the day time you can sunbathe on the sundeck.

Travelling by train is slower than by plain of cause, but it also has his advantages. You can see the country you are travelling through. Modern train have very comfortable seats (the upper and lower berths) in all passenger carriages and there are sleeping-cars and dining-cars which make even the longest journey enjoyable.

12. Clothes and person’s appearance.

When we speak of somebody's appearance, we mean his (her) figure, hands, feet, hair, face. In describing the figure we often mention the build. A man or a woman may be: heavily built, delicately built, well-made. The figure may be: slender or stooping; thin or stout (fat, plump). Plump is mostly used when speaking about a very young person or about a woman. A person may be: tall, short or middle-sized. When speaking of the appearance one should not forget the bearing which may be erect or stooping. The hand, which is at the very end of the arm have five fingers on each hand. This is what we call them: the forefinger (index finger), the middle finger, the ring finger, the little finger and the thumb. The leg - the part of the body from the hip to the ankle. At the  end of the legs we have five toes on each foot. The manner of walking is called the walk (gait). The upper and the lower limbs are attached to the trunk. The head and the neck are poised on the shoulders. The head is covered with hair, which may be: short, long, thin, thick, straight, curly, wavy. According to the fashion women's hair may be: bobbed, shingled, plaited, waved, put up (done in a knot). Women have their hair done in various (hair) styles at the hairdresser's. Men go there to have a shave and have their hair cut and have their beards and moustaches trimmed. Some men lose their hair and go bald. The face may be: square, oval, round, long.The complexion, that is, the color of the skin may be: dark, fair, olive, ruddy. The upper part of the face is the forehead.  The eyes are protected by the eyelids and eyebrows. When we are tired or sleepy, they feel heavy and droop. The eyelids are fringed with eyelashes.The eyes may be different colors and they may be: close-set, wide-set, deep-set, sunken or bulging. The cheeks may be: rosy, pink, red. Old or sick people may have hollow cheeks. Children's cheeks are often chubby. The cheekbones may be: high, prominent, and wide-apart. The nose may be: straight, flat, hooked, and aquiline; a person may be snub-nosed. The parts of the mouth are: the lips — upper and lower, and the teeth.  All the upper and lower teeth together are called a set of teeth.The chin may be: round or protruding, small or large. Stout people often have a double chin. When a woman's face and figure delight us, we say: she's beautiful (handsome, good-looking). We call her a real beauty and about her beauty. The words handsome, good-looking (but not beautiful) are also used of a man. The words attractive and pretty help us to describe a person pleasant to look at. If there is nothing particular in one's appearance, we call it common. To characterize somebody's appearance in a negative way we use the words: plain (Am. homely) or ugly. We say that a person looks his age when he looks neither older nor younger than he is in reality, but if he looks younger or older we say, he looks young (old) for his age. When a person looks younger than he is, we say that he is well preserved. There are a lot of clothes: from the cheap clothes made of artificial materials, up to smart, expensive clothes which not everyone can afford to buy. There are many fashion styles: romantic style, casual style, sport style, classic style, business style, teenage style, exotic style, beach style, city fashion, village fashion, etc. Some people choose their clothes so they can follow the fashion in the music world; the work of others affects the way they dress a great deal. They have. to look good because they deal with business people. The youngsters, who frequently go to night clubs, prefer to wear as little as possible to keep cool. And in the USA some people wear second-hand clothes from jumble sales, partly because they can't afford anything else, but also because it is still quite fashionable. A lot of Americans wear those clothes which they consider to be comfortable, and don't really care what other people think about their clothes.

As for me, it is not very important which style to follow; the main thing is to look tidy, neat and clean.

3.Tourism. Hotel.

     Nowadays people travel on business and as tourists much more than in the past. If u don’t want to be disappointed, it’s advisable to book accommodation beforehand by tel. or cable, particularly if u are visiting the city in summer.

Most hotels offer single room, double rooms or suits. Rooms in most of them are with all modern conveniences :air conditioning, a private bath room, tel., a video player and others. The service is usually quite satisfactory.

In the lobby of a hotel there is a registration, or front desk where guests check and out, pick up and deposit keys, and so on. The check-in procedure takes a few minutes. The guest is given a registration card to fill out: the name and address, the passport number for foreign nationals.  Service is supposed to begin at the door. The doorman is stationed at the entrance to the hotel and assists the guests in and out of taxis and cars, calls for cabs.

When u are through the formalities, u will get the key to your room and a pageboy (bellboy in Am.) will help u with your luggage and take u up to your room in a lift. He can also errands for u. For each service he will expect a tip.

If u want to have your suit pressed or dry-cleaned, your shirt ironed, or your laundry done, you should ring for the maid. In the lobby there are  a lot of offices: a booking office, post and telegraph offices, an information desk.

At the infor. Desk u can get to know about the departures and arrivals of trains and flights. In the booking office they can book for u seats at the theatre  or on the plane, or hotel accommodation in another city.

Bills a usually paid at weekly intervals, as it is more convenient for  the management. Besides cash, credit cards are universally accepted. Many hotels require their guests to produce a credit card when registering. The guests may also pay with traveler’s checks when checking out. The guests intending to leave the hotel should notify the clerk.

When leaving the hotel, it is customary to tip the attendance. The tip is always given with a word of thanks.

Hospitality is of greatest importance for a hotel.

12.Clothes and Person’s Appearance

Fashion begins in the international world of haute couture (= high fashion), led by top fashion designers and fashion houses. There is great public interest in fashion shows, when the latest styles are worn on the catwalk by highly-paid supermodels, even though few ordinary people expect to wear such clothes. Fashion magazines such as Vogue and television programmes such as The Clothes Show show the latest styles.

        Only a few people can afford to buy designer label clothing even though here are now more young designers and less expensive labels. The most popular designers include Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren and Yves Saint-Laurent. Famous British designers include John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood.

        Design ideas from fashion shows are quickly copied at more affordable prices. New ranges of clothing reach shops in time for each new season. As well as department stores and fashion stores, people buy clothes in markets and from mail-order catalogues. Many people, men as well as women, spend a lot of time shopping for clothes.

        High-street fashion is aimed mainly at young women because they are most fashion-conscious. New colours, designs and fabrics create the latest look or style. Recently, shiny fabrics and clingy, Lycra-based materials in black, grey and dark red have been used for strappy party dresses and close-fitting tops. Black is a fashion colour, and many young women wear black most of the time. Long plain black dresses are especially popular.

        Hemlines  vary from year to year. Skirts below the knee were fashionable in the 1990s, though miniskirts, popular in the 1960s, also reappeared. Smart shoes have high heels and wedges, but many people wear more practical shoes such as trainers or Doc Marten's if they have to walk far.

        Grunge, a style of the early 1990s, was based on loose-fitting layers of clothes, often torn or with holes in, and heavy shoes. Jeans remain popular with both men and women.

Fashion is not just about clothes. A person's figure is important, as well as their hairstyle, make-up and accessories. Fashion models are usually thin, and it is often difficult for overweight people to buy fashionable clothes, so many people try to diet to improve their figure.

Some men wear a single earring. Younger people may wear several earrings in one ear, or try body piercing and wear rings in the nose or navel

3. Traveling and tourism. Hotel: amenities and facilities.

Travel & tourism today has become a larger giant in terms of employment, investment, output & value. The great tourism phenomenon as we witness today is a result of great waves of technology which have changed the social geography of the world since the late 19^th century. Today millions of people seem to enjoy the prospect of moving from one continent to another in a matter of hours. Traditionally considered a luxury, travel and tourism are now held to be normal, virtually indispensable part of lifestyle and consumption pattern of all but the lowest income groups of the population. The present day traveler comes from a wider social background and his tastes and desires are much more varied. A large number of people are now going abroad to participate in more exiting and exotic activities like mountaineering, water siding, trekking, underwater swimming and the like. There are a lot of good hotels in big cities. If you don't want to get disappointed, it is advisable to book accommodation beforehand by phone or Internet. Plenty of hotels advertise at airports. If you arrive by train or car, the best thing to do is look in the Yellow pages under Hotel, Motel or Lodging. Accommodation as well as rates vary from hotel to hotel. There are deluxe hotels, the most luxurious are more expensive. There are resort hotels used for entertainment or recreation. There are also a lot of motels which grew up with the development of highways in America. There are hotel chains, consisting of several hotels controlled by one company. In the lobby of a hotel there is a registration desk where guests check in and out, pick up & deposit keys. The guest is given a registration card to fill out: the name and address, the passport number for foreign nationals. The desk clerk enters the guest's room number, the room rate and the arrival and departure dates into the computer. When all formalities are over, the bellman shows the guests to their rooms and assists them with their baggage. Rooms in most of hotels are with all modem conveniences. You can take a single room, a double room or a suite, charges varying accordingly. If you want to have your suit pressed or dry-cleaned, your shirt ironed, or your laundry done, you should ring for the maid. In the lobby of hotel there are a lot of offices: a booking -office, post and telegraph offices, an information desk. At the information desk you can enquire about the departures and arrivals of flights, about phone numbers of private individuals. In the same building there are also restaurants, bars, cafeterias, beauty parlours, gyms and swimming-pools.  When leaving the hotel, it is customary to tip the attendants. The tip is always given with a word of thanks

13. Sports & Fitness

The fitness boom of the past decades led to a big rise in the numbers of people participating in sports and activities. Those who pursue the latest fitness fashion are convinced that staying in good physical shape requires much more than regular exercise and balanced meals. For anyone who really wants to be healthy, fitness has become an integral part of their lives. A lot of health and fitness club, and public leisure centers indicate the popularity of sports during the past thirty years. There are many opportunities for keeping fit. First of all it's necessary to do exercises-Running, jumping, swimming, bending and stretching are among the most popular exercises. Many people prefer jogging, which is the cheapest and the most accessible sport. Popular running competitions are now held everywhere. A healthy body becomes a fashion, an ideal of the modem life. The most popular outdoor winter sports are shooting, hunting, hockey and in the countries where the weather is frosty and there is much snow-skating, skiing and tobogganing. Some people greatly enjoy figure-skating and ski-jumping. Summer affords excellent opportunities for swimming, boating, yachting, cycling, gliding and many other sport. Badminton is also very popular. A lot of girls and women go in for calisthenics. Among indoor games the most popular are billiards, table tennis, draughts and some others. The best way to avoid depression caused by the city life is doing exercises. Taking exercise is only one part of keeping fit. It's important to get slim. Some people eat nothing but fruit for several days. But it won't be of any use without proper exercises. Besides to avoid serious disease one should give up smoking. Smoking should be banned in all public places.

The English are great lovers of competitive sports. At the top of the list is Association Football. Rugby football is also very popular. Although the British are so fond of watching horses and dog racing, they are not particularly interested in being spectators at occasions when human beings compete. The more social games of golf and tennis are played by great numbers of people. As for me, I'm interested in different kinds of sport. I do aerobics 3 times a week. In summer I like to swim & also do some cycling. I also like to watch Olympic games on TV. They took place every 4 years for nearly 1200 years in Olympia. The Olympic symbol is 5 interlocking circles representing 5 continents on a white background. The blue ring is for Europe, the yellow one is for Asia , the black one is for Africa, the green one is for Australia, and the red one is for America.People all over the world are very fond of sports and games. That is one thing in which people of every nationality and class are united.

4. Restaurant. Meals. Table   manners

       Americans and British people generally eat three meals a day though the names vary according to people's lifestyles and where they live.

        The first meal of the day is breakfast. The traditional full English breakfast served in many British hotels may include fruit juice, cereal, bacon and eggs, often with sausages and tomatoes, toast and marmalade, and tea or coffee. Few people have time to prepare a cooked breakfast at home and most have only cereal or muesli (AmE granola) and/or toast with tea or coffee. Others buy coffee and a pastry on their way to work.

The traditional American breakfast includes eggs, some kind of meat and toast. Eggs may be fried, 'over easy', 'over hard' or 'sunny side up', or boiled, poached or in an omelette. The meat may be bacon or sausage. People who do not have time for a large meal have toast or cereal and coffee. It is common for Americans to eat breakfast in a restaurant. On Saturday and Sunday many people eat brunch late in the morning. This consists of both breakfast and lunch dishes, including pancakes and waffles that are eaten with butter and maple syrup.

     Lunch, which is eaten any time after midday, is the main meal of the day for some British people, though people out at work may have only sandwiches. The main meal of the day for most people is the evening meal, called supper, tea or dinner. It is usually a cooked meal with meat or fish or a salad, followed by a sweet course. In the US the evening meal is called dinner. It is usually eaten around 6 or 6.30 p.m

   Many people also eat snacks between meals. Most have tea or coffee at mid-morning, often called coffee time or the coffee break. In Britain this is sometimes also called elevenses. In the afternoon most British people have a tea break.

   When eating at a table with other people, it is considered polite to keep your napkin  below the table on your lap, to chew with your mouth closed and not talk with food in your mouth, to keep your elbows off the table, and to eat fairly slowly. Many people do not smoke and visitors should ask permission before they smoke in somebody's house. Close friends are much less formal in each other's houses and may get their own drinks and help to clear away the meal.

It is also better to ask somebody to pass the salt, etc. rather than to reach across the table for it. When invited to a meal at somebody else's house people often take a bottle of wine or chocolates or flowers, as a gift.

14. Education.

    Children are required to be in full-time education between the ages of 5 and 16.        Most children go to state schools. These schools receive money direct from central government are run by a board of governors consisting of parents and members of the public. Some children go to independent schools run by private organizations, for which their parents have to pay fees. The British education system aims to educate the whole person, so that each child develops his or her personality as well as gaining academic knowledge.

Many students go to university and study for a bachelor's degree. Others study for a certificate or diploma at a college of further education.

        Public schools are, in most of Britain, independent schools and, despite their name, are not part of the state education system. Schools run by the state are called state schools. A small number of children from less wealthy families win scholarships, in which case their fees are paid for them.

Most pupils go to public school at the age of 13, after attending private prep schools. The majority of public schools are boarding schools where students live during term-time.

In the US a public school is a school run by the government. Schools that students have to pay to attend are called private schools. There are many private schools in the US, some of which are boarding schools. They are very expensive, have a high reputation, and many of their students come from rich and well-known families. Children often go to the same school as their parents. Private schools in the US are often single-sex and their students usually wear a uniform. This is unusual in public schools. Parents choose a private school for their children for a number of reasons, but in general they believe that the quality of education is higher in private schools, and there is some evidence to support this. Most private schools offer scholarships to students from poorer families, and in some parts of the US the government may under certain circumstances pay for children to attend a private school.

   Although many Americans attend nursery school, day care or pre-school from an early age, formal education is usually considered to begin at the age of 5 when children go to kindergarten, the first step in the K12 education. Kindergarten and the next five or six years of education, first grade, second grade, etc., are together usually called elementary school (the term primary school is less common in the US than in Britain). Grades 7 to 12 are part of secondary school, and may be divided in different ways. In some places grades 7 and 8 are called junior high school. Other school systems have middle school, which lasts for 3 years. High school usually covers four years, from the 9th to the 12th grades.

        Post-secondary education, after 12th grade, is not free though state governments which run most of the educational institutions subsidize the cost for people who live in the state.

Most colleges offer classes only for undergraduate students studying for a bachelor's degree. Community colleges offer two-year courses leading to an associate's degree, and afterwards students transfer to a different college or university to continue their studies. Universities are larger than colleges and also offer courses for graduate students who study in graduate school. Many universities also have separate professional schools, e.g. a medical school or a law school.

3.Traveling and tourism. Hotels: Amenities and facilities.

According to figures complied by the World Travel & Tourism Council, the travel and tourism sector, with around 500 million customers each year, generates an annual gross output of about US$ 3,400 billion - about 10% of the world's total Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In fact, travel & tourism today has become a larger giant in terms of employment, investment, output & value. The great tourism phenomenon as we witness today is a result of great waves of technology which have changed the social geography of the world since the late 19^th century. The rapid development of means of transport and communications has made the whole world practically on neighborhood and has made travel an easy affair. Today millions of people seem to enjoy the prospect of moving from one continent to another in a matter of hours.

Traditionally considered a luxury, travel and tourism are now held to be normal, virtually indispensable part of lifestyle and consumption pattern of all but the lowest income groups of the population. The present day traveler comes from a wider social background and his tastes and desires are much more varied. A large number of people are now going abroad to participate in more exiting and exotic activities like mountaineering, water siding, trekking, underwater swimming and the like.

There are a lot of good hotels in big cities. If you don't want to get disappointed, it is advisable to book accommodation beforehand by phone or Internet. Plenty of hotels advertise at airports. If you arrive by train or car, the best thing to do is look in the Yellow pages under Hotel, Motel or Lodging. Accommodation as well as rates vary from hotel to hotel. There are deluxe hotels, the most luxurious are more expensive. There are resort hotels used for entertainment or recreation. There are also a lot of motels which grew up with the development of highways in America. There are hotel chains, consisting of several hotels controlled by one company having its own trademark or logo.

In the lobby of a hotel there is a registration desk where guests check in and out, pick up & deposit keys. The check in procedure takes a few minutes. The guest is given a registration card to fill out: the name and address, the passport number for foreign nationals. The desk clerk enters the guest's room number, the room rate and the arrival and departure dates into the computer. When all formalities are over, the bellman shows the guests to their rooms and assists them with their baggage. You can also ask the hotel receptionist to give you a wake up call in the morning.

Rooms in most of hotels are with all modem conveniences: air conditioning, a private bathroom, a telephone, a TV set & video player. You can take a single room, a double room or a suite, charges varying accordingly. At the hotel you can get various services. If you want to have your suit pressed or dry-cleaned, your shirt ironed, or your laundry done, you should ring for the maid. You will always find soap, towels and linen in hotel and motel rooms.

In the lobby of hotel there are a lot of offices: a booking -office, post and telegraph offices, an information desk. At the information desk you can enquire about the departures and arrivals of flights, about phone numbers of private individuals. In the same building there are also restaurants, bars, cafeterias, beauty parlours, gyms and swimming-pools. Lots of hotels have special facilities for conventions - large and small meeting rooms, banquet rooms, PA (public address) systems.

When leaving the hotel, it is customary to tip the attendants. The safe rule to follow is from 10 to 15 % of the bill. The tip is always given with a word of thanks.

I like hotels which belong to Sofitel Hotel chain. I admire Sofitel Metropol Hanoi. This French colonial-style building has stood proudly in the heart of Hanoi since 1901. The hotel has a rich history and a century-long tradition of welcoming ambassadors, writers, heads of state and businessmen. There are 232 rooms and suites in this hotel. Guests can enjoy excellent French cuisine at the "Le Beaulieu" and refined Hanoi specialties at the "Spices Garden". There arc 3 bars & 5 function rooms, business center, swimming pool and fitness center.

Hospitality is of great importance for a hotel. Hospitality is not an abstraction - it is a clean room, a comfortable bed, a hot shower, a good meal, a courteous doorman and last but not least - a good profit.

13. Sports & Fitness

The fitness boom of the past decades led to a big rise in the numbers of people participating in sports and activities. Those who pursue the latest fitness fashion are convinced that staying in good physical shape requires much more than regular exercise and balanced meals. For anyone who really wants to be healthy, fitness has become an integral part of their lives. A lot of health and fitness club, and public leisure centers indicate the popularity of sports during the past thirty years.

There are many opportunities for keeping fit. First of all it's necessary to do exercises-Running, jumping, swimming, bending and stretching are among the most popular exercises. Many people prefer jogging, which is the cheapest and the most accessible sport. Popular running competitions are now held everywhere. The big city marathons have become sporting events. A healthy body becomes a fashion, an ideal of the modem life. Many sports activities have become part of daily Russian life.

Football has always been the most popular sport among boys. Playing football is healthy, football also brings people close because in order to win people have to work as a team. This game is played in all the countries of the world .The most popular outdoor winter sports are shooting, hunting, hockey and in the countries where the weather is frosty and there is much snow-skating, skiing and tobogganing. Some people greatly enjoy figure-skating and ski-jumping.

Summer affords excellent opportunities for swimming, boating, yachting, cycling, gliding and many other sport. The other favorite games in different countries are golf, tennis, cricket, volleyball, basketball and so on. Badminton is also very popular. AIl the year round many people indulge in boxing, wrestling, athletics, gymnastics and track and field events. A lot of girls and women go in for calisthenics.

Among indoor games the most popular are billiards, table tennis, draughts and some others, but the great international game is chess of course. The results of chess tournaments are studied and discussed by thousands of enthusiasts in different countries.

The best way to avoid depression caused by the city life is doing exercises. Taking exercise is only one part of keeping fit. It's important to get slim. Some people eat nothing but fruit for several days. But it won't be of any use without proper exercises. Besides to avoid serious disease one should give up smoking. Smoking should be banned in all public places.

The English are great lovers of competitive sports. At the top of the list is Association Football or "soccer". Rugby football is also very popular. It is played with an oval ball, which is carried rather than kicked, and the player try to stop the man with the ball by throwing him bodily to the ground. Although the British are so fond of watching horses and dog racing, they are not particularly interested in being spectators at occasions when human beings compete. The more social games of golf and tennis are played by great numbers of people. Golf, which comes from Scotland, is played by striking a ball with a special golf club round a golf course with 18 holes, the object being to get the ball into the holes with as few strokes as possible. For the elderly bowls is an attractive game. It is a peaceful game yet one demanding considerable judgment, since the heavy wooden bowls are weighted so as to roll in a slight curve.

As for me, I'm interested in different kinds of sport. I do aerobics 3 times a week. In summer I like to swim & also do some cycling. I'm very fond of soccer. I also like to watch Olympic games on TV. They began in 776 BC and took place every 4 years for nearly 1200 years in Olympia. The Olympic motto is "Faster, higher, stronger". The Olympic symbol is 5 interlocking circles representing 5 continents on a white background. The blue ring is for Europe, the yellow one is for Asia , the black one is for Africa, the green one is for Australia, and the red one is for America.

People all over the world are very fond of sports and games. That is one thing in which people of every nationality and class are united. Baron Pierre de Coubertin emphasized the importance of sports in uniting peoples of the world and serving the cause of peace as in ancient times. In 2000, in Sydney, the two Koreas made history by marching into the Olympic stadium together.

5. The customs house. Passport control

The moment a traveller crosses the border his luggage is taken to the customs-house by porters. Every country has its own customs regulations, which stipulate what articles are liable to duty and what are duty-free. Sometimes an article which falls under customs restrictions and is liable to duty is allowed in duty-free if the traveller doesn´t exceed a certain fixed quota. These are listed in a duty free quota list. Customs restrictions also include a prohibited articles list. This is a list of items which may not be brought into a country or taken out of it. An official paper giving permission to take items, which fall under special customs restrictions, in or out of a country is known as an import or export licence. If the traveller has any item which comes under customs restrictions he is asked to declare it. That is, he is asked to name the item, stating its value and other particulars. The declaration is made in writing on a special form. As a rule personal items are duty-free. It sometimes happens that a passenger´s luggage is carefully gone through in order to prevent smuggling. The formalities at the customs-house usually take some time. Only after passing through the customs does one realize that his journey is drawing to an end (or beginning). The next formality is filling in the immigration form and going through passport control.

6.Post-office. Telecommunications

The post office runs some services. U can buy stamps, postcards, envelopes, send a telegram or post a letter from it, and cash a money order.

If u want to buy, to send or to receive smth. U must go to the right counter (Poste Restante, Parcel Post, Post Cards, Registered Letters, Book Post, etc). If u want to send a letter, u have to put it into an envelope, write the address and then go to the window “Registered Letter”, hand the letter to the clerk, who weighs on the scales and give u necessary stamps. The amount that u have to pay depends on the weight of the letter and distance. U can post an ordinary stamped letter or registered letter. If u post an ordinary letter u can drop it into the nearest pillar-box. (send parcels insured and otherwise). When sending a letter of particular value, u should have it registered (it will be delivered personally).  The sender is given a receipt, so he calls always trace the letter. The Poste Restante window keeps mail until called for (who prefer to pick up their mail in person).

The important thing when making out a money order is to write legibly. U may subscribe to magazines.

There are 3 types of telegram service: ordinary, urgent, express. U can send reply-paid tel. In the USA u will find Night (when the wires are least busy – there is a reduced charge for this form of service) and Day  Letter(is sent off immediately)  telegraph message. As u pay for the word it is advisable to use a special telegraph language which is known as “telegraphese”: prepositions and articles are omitted.

18. At a meeting.

Meetings are necessary. No organization of any size can proceed for long with each member acting independently. Meetings are held to discuss business, to explore ideas and to convey information.

Meetings are usually seen as a waste of time but they are in fact one of the manager's most useful means of communication, whether with subordinates or colleagues - provided they are conducted effectively.

We should begin the meeting by stating its purpose. We should try to keep the discussion relevant. We should watch out for speakers going off on tangents and for people talking at cross-purposes. Begin the meeting on time. Don't wait for the newcomers. When they arrive briefly tell them what conclusions have been reached. This will bring them up to date and may encourage them to be more punctual in future.

As the meeting progresses, we must make sure that everyone understands what is being talked about. After each item we should summarize the conclusions that have been reached. We should encourage the silent and control the over-talkative. Respond positively to suggestions. These are easier to dismiss than facts or opinions but they are essential if new ideas are to be generated. Those who dismiss them should be invited to put forward new suggestions.

The chairperson must avoid answering questions. It's better to pass them on to others. If disagreement becomes heated and it becomes a clash of personalities rather than ideas then we refuse it or draw a neutral participant into the discussion. We also should finish the meeting on time.

An agenda informs people attending a meeting of the meeting's purpose and the business to be covered. An agenda is designed to make sure the topics that need to be discussed are discussed and any extraneous business is left for another time. By following the agenda closely, the chairperson of a meeting can ensure that the meeting is purposeful and productive. Any agenda must include the date of the meeting. The agenda for sales conference or stockholder's meeting may be broken down into days and hours and include sites for individual sessions.

The minutes of the meeting are a written record of the business discussed and transacted at the meeting. Some companies tape record their meetings, and the tapes are subscribed and summarized. The person who records all events and decisions (secretary) must follow next rules:

1) to read the agenda before the meeting and keep it as a guide

2) to know the names of all people who might speak

3) to use outline form of number of headings, mark up notes with arrows and underlines

4) to record major decisions or resolutions made by the attendees. Formal resolutions must be recorded word for word

Soon after the meeting adjourns, secretary transcribes notes into a first draft. We organize the draft by topic or time sequence, whichever seems more logical. A final draft must be given to a chairperson or supervisor for signing. We keep a copy of the minutes on file, clipped to the agenda and handouts for the meeting.

e.g. company may gather to discuss a number of issues concerning the well being and the health or safety of employees. Here is an example of such meeting. There were representatives of the various departments in the company at that meeting. Chairman declared the meeting open, proposed an agenda and asked for additions or amendments. The attendees adopted the agenda as it stood. One of the clerks offered to fix the time limit for the report at 10 minutes and allowed each speaker 5 minutes for discussion in debate. The majority seconded this motion. The first reporter took the floor. After she had finished, some of those present had a number of questions to ask. Another reporter proposed that the meeting adopt a resolution which outlined a number of measures to improve the situation with the canteen as there were some complaints. The resolution met with stiff opposition and many amendments were proposed. Then the chairman proposed that the committee work out a resolution later and adjourned the meeting due to the official opening of the new factory extension. But the Committee met later and drew up a new resolution that incorporated all the questions discussed and all the motions made.

At the meetings attendees may vote, take the floor, second smb's motion or reject motions, to nominate or to take a ballot.

11. Climate & weather

Weather provides an ever popular topic of conversation with much guessing as to what the weather will be the next day or next week There is always something to say about it.

Weather is the specific condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and time. It is measured in terms of such things as wind, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, cloudiness, and precipitation. In most places, weather can change from hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season. Climate is the average weather (usually taken over a 30-year time period) for a particular region and time period. Climate is not the same as weather, but rather, it is the average pattern of weather for a particular region. Weather describes the short-term state of the atmosphere. Climatic elements include precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine, wind velocity, phenomena such as fog, frost, and hail storms, and other measures of the weather.

The earliest evidence of scientific activity in the field of meteorology, the study of the earth's atmosphere, especially as it relates to weather forecasting, is from the 4th cent. B.C.; Aristotle wrote what is probably the first treatise on the subject. The first attempt to chart weather from reports over a considerable area was made in 1820 in Europe by H. W. Brandes.

The central forecast office in the US is the National Meteorological Center (NMC), in Suitland; first-order stations are located chiefly in the larger cities, and numerous substations for special purposes (e.g., observing river stages, measuring depth of snow, and maintaining records of climate) are distributed throughout the country.

Devices used for meteorological observations include rockets, weather satellites, radiosondes, barometers, anemometers, thermometers, and radar. By means of high-speed telecommunications, information from all over the world is sent to the NMC, where the data is decoded and plotted. These data are used to create weather maps based on simultaneous weather observations at different atmospheric levels over any desired geographic region. On a typical map the various weather elements are shown by figures and symbols; isobars are drawn to show areas of low pressure (cyclones) and high pressure (anticyclones); fronts (boundaries between air masses) and areas of precipitation are indicated.

The major influence governing the climate of a region is its latitude. A broad latitudinal division of the earth's surface into climatic zones based on global winds includes the equatorial zone, or doldrums, characterized by high temperatures with small seasonal and diurnal change and heavy rainfall; the subtropical, including the trade-wind belts and the horse latitudes, a dry region with uniformly mild temperatures and little wind; the intermediate, the region of the prevailing westerlies that, because of several secondary influences, displays wide temperature ranges and marked change ability of weather; and the polar, a region of short summers and long winters, where the ground is generally perpetually frozen. The transitional climate between those of the subtropical and intermediate zones, known as the Mediterranean type, is found in areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea and on the west coasts of continents. It is characterized by mild temperatures with moderate winter rainfall under the influence of the moisture-laden prevailing westerlies and dry summers under the influence of the horse latitudes or the trade winds.

The climate of our region is very specific. Particular geographical position at the border of Eurasian continent and the Pacific Ocean grants unique nature and climate to this region-Prymorye is the farthest south-eastern region of Russia, situated in the East of Asia, between 42° and 48° North, 130° and 139° East, washed by waters of the Sea of Japan. Distance from the farthest northern point to the farthest southern point is about 900 km. The territory is about 1,659,000 sq km. The most part of the territory is occupied by the Sikhote-Alin mountains, covered with virgin taiga. This is a great natural arboretum, which contains one the richest and most unusual temperate forests of the world. In this mixed zone between taiga and subtropics southern species such as Amur tiger and Himalayan bear cohabit with northern species such as brown bear and lynx. The sea coast attracts with beautiful exotic sceneries of bays and uninhabited isles,, very reach of underwater life.

Monsoon climate is the evident characteristic of our region. Winters are short but frosty. Summers are cloudy, rains and cyclones are usual. Summer's maritime winds bring sudden storms that swell the rivers and streams. Winter temperatures are moderate and there is relatively little snow, but cold winds from the North often fill the air with icy chill. The most beautiful time of year is 'Golden Autumn', which begins in August and stretches into late October. Rain is rare, and the sea is warm at this time of year, when the beaches are swept by mild Asian breezes. Annual precipitation falling mainly in summer, especially during typhoons, is about 600-900 mm. Due to a cold current along the coastline, thick fogs are usually quite long. Vegetation period lasts from 120-130 days in the North to 160-200 days in the South.

The British often say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather". The weather in GB is very changeable. The climate in GB is mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The best time of the year in Britain is spring. January and February are cold and damp. It tends to rain a lot even in summer. The wind can make it quite cold. The most unpleasant aspect of British weather is fog and smog.

The weather is a favorite conversational topic in England. Forecasts are disseminated by television, radio, telephone, newspapers, and the Internet. Detailed forecasts can usually be made only for a short future period (generally 48 hr or less). Forecasts for up to five days can usually predict departures from normal temperature and precipitation fairly well; longer-range predictions are more general and less accurate, being based on the known normal weather of the area. Mathematical models, particularly those run on supercomputers, have helped to understand weather changes, including general global circulation patterns, and how perturbations in the atmosphere and oceans effect the weather.

16.Public and private health service

The United States today has evolved a mixed system of private and government responsibility for health care. Workers with their families, are covered by group health insurance plans, paid jointly by the employer and the employee or by the employee alone. Under the most common type of health plan, the individual pays monthly premium or fee. In return, the insurance company covers most major medical costs, except for a minimum amount, called the deductible, which the employee pays each year before insurance coverage begins. 

Although most families have some form of private health insurance, some citizens cannot afford such insurance. These people receive medical coverage through two major social programs. Medicaid is a joint federal-state program, which funds medical care for the poor people. The requirements for receiving Medicaid and the scope of the medical care available vary widely from state to state. Medicaid has greatly increased the use of health care services by the poor. Medicare is a federal program, which pays a substantial part of the medical bills of Americans who are over 65 years or disabled. Medicare is not a poverty program, but is rather a form of federally administered and supported health insurance. Medicare now pays according to the patient’s diagnosis. This provides an incentive for the hospitals to keep costs down.

In addition to controlling costs, the U.S. confronts the problem of those who cannot afford private health insurance and yet are not eligible for either Medicaid or Medicare. These may be individuals who are unemployed for a time, families close to the poverty line or those living in remote rural areas. Such individuals can go to public hospitals, where they can always receive treatment in an emergency, bur they often fail to obtain routine medical care that could prevent later chronic or serious illness.

Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the U.S. most physicians have a contractual relationship with one or more hospitals in the community and send their patients to this hospital. Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members or residents, who often are still in training. Physicians often prefer to practice in urban areas or comfortable suburbs. As a result, many city areas and rural communities still lack sufficient physicians and adequate medical facilities.

    The Acts setting up the National Health Service in Britain came into force in 1948. Originally it was free but certain charges were introduced later and show a definite tendency to grow.

1) The general practitioners services. This includes the family doctor service, the dental service, the eye service and some other services. The practitioner services consist of the family doctor service, the dental service, and the pharmaceutical service. The doctor has the same freedom to accept or refuse patients as he wishes.

2) The local health and welfare authority services (comprising a range of home and clinical services for prevention, treatment or care).

        The cost of health and welfare services in Britain is met from general taxation, local rates and from charges paid by patients. There are charges for prescriptions, for dental treatment, for some other health services. The public is free to use the service, or any independent part of it as it please.

  The problem of drug abuse, the use of drugs for pleasure, is common in many countries, especially among young people, but using drugs is illegal in overwhelming majority of them. Most teenagers try drugs before they leave school, and many of them use drugs regularly, may be easily obtained from pushers on the streets, in schools, at nightclubs and elsewhere.

        The government could put a tax on drugs, as is the case with tobacco and alcohol, and the money could be used to help pay for medical treatment for people who become addicted. But many people are scared by the increasing use of drugs and do not believe that legalizing them is a solution

15.Art and Museums

London is one of the biggest world centres of culture and art. There are quite a number of different museums and art galleries there. The British Museum is one of the greatest and best known museums in the world, which was founded in 1753. There are eleven major departments in the museum, that contain many different antiquities.  There is also a notable collection of items from all the countries of Europe. The British Museum is also known for its library which is the greatest and most famous in Britain. Among other museums of London that attract visitors are the Natural History Museum, The Museum of British Transport, the Museum of London (opened in 1979) and Madame Tussaud's Museum of Waxworks.

The Natural History Museum is the home of the national collections of animals and plants, and of the minerals and rocks from which the earth is built up. It has a twofold function: to increase man's knowledge of the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms as an institution for scientific research, and, to read knowledge of natural history as widely as possible.

The best known art galleries of London are the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate.

The National Gallery which is in Trafalgar Square, contains Britain's famous collection of pictures. It is also rich in paintings by such Italian masters as Raphael and Veronese, and contains pictures representing all European schools of art. Everyone can find some kind of picture to enjoy.

The idea of a national gallery lingered on and by the beginning of the nineteenth century was being seriously discussed. At last talk resulted in the foundation of the National Gallery. Sir George Beaumont, a collector and painter himself, was one of the most eager to see a national collection. He offered to bequeath the pictures from own collection, and by 1825 this offer was being publicly mentioned. That year the death of a rich merchant collector, John Angerstein, was the event which precipitated the talk on all sides into action. His death was followed by the news that his pictures were for sale, and offers from abroad had already been received. Representations were made to the Prime Minister. Lawrence wrote to Angerstein's son, begging him not to sell abroad. After some debate about price, the thirty- eight Angerstein pictures were obtained for the considerable sum. In Aprel, 1824, Parliament voted the money. On the 10^th of May the Gallery was opened to the public.

The National Portrait Gallery stands just behind the National Gallery. It contains portraits of British monarchs and authentic portraits of men and women who have contributed to its making.

The idea of the Tate Gallery took shape in 1890. In that year Henry Tate's gift of 65 paintings and 2 sculptures, almost all of them the work of Victorian contemporaries, was offered to the nation, but a gallery had still to be built to house them. When opened seven years later the Tate Gallery consisted of 8 rooms and was intended as a collection of contemporary British painting only. In the intervening years the scope of the collection has been transformed as well as enlarged. Instead of being a collection of nineteenth ~ century British painting it has become the national collection of British painting of all periods, in addition to this the national collection of modem foreign painting and of modem sculpture, both British and foreign. In scale the collection has grown beyond recognition. Instead of 70 works the collection has contains nearly four thousand British paintings and drawings, over three hundred modern foreign paintings, and over three hundred and sixty pieces of modem sculpture. The growth of the building has also been impressive: the eight original galleries built by Tate have now become 34, including the more than 300 foot long Sculpture Gallery, and The Tate is now the largest picture gallery in the British Commonwealth.

Although it is the finest and most representative collection there is of the British school, it has serious gaps. It contains, for instance, no first-class example of the work of  Stubbs. On the other hand there are certain masters which the Tate represents supremely well. The chief of these is Turner. By the greatest of all British painters the Gallery possesses more than 300 paintings and sketches. William Blake and G.F. Watts are particularly well represented.

Here are some other interesting museums and galleries of London: the Victoria and Albert Museum, which covers most, if not all, of the artistic activities of man, such as architecture and sculpture, ceramics, engraving, illustrations and design, metal work, painting, textiles and wood work. The Wallace Collection, a magnificent collection of pictures, furniture, armour and objects of art. The Science Museum, which exhibits machinery, scientific instruments and apparatus for scientific research and for educational purposes.

One of the places of interest most visitors to St. Petersburg want to see is the Hermitage State Museum. It's one of the most outstanding museums of the world culture and art. The Hermitage was founded in 1764. Originally the first paintings were housed in the Winter Palace. Later the other buildings: the Small Hermitage, the Old Hermitage and the New Hermitage were built. The Museum now occupies five buildings. The Hermitage contains art collections of all ages. There is the richest collection in the world of Oriental art and culture. There are wonderful collections from China, India, ancient Greece and Rome. West-European paintings are widely represented in the Hermitage too. The total number of paintings of the West-European masters is 7.5 thousand. They include world-famous works by Leonardo da Vincy, Raphael, Rembrand, Rubens and others. Special department of the museum are devoted to the history of culture and art of Russia. The Hermitage is also famous for its outstanding collections of applied art: tapestries, furniture, metal work, silver and jewelry.

5. The customs house. Passport control

Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting customs duties (tax on the import or export of goods) and for controlling the flow of people, animals and goods (including personal effects and hazardous items) in and out of the country. Depending on local legislation and regulations, the import or export of some goods may be restricted or forbidden, and the customs agency enforces these rules. The customs agency may be different from the immigration authority, which monitors persons who leave or enter the country, checking for appropriate documentation, apprehending people wanted by international search warrants, and impeding the entry of others deemed dangerous to the country.

Border controls are measures used by a country to monitor or regulate its borders. Border controls exist to:

• regulate immigration (both legal and illegal)
• control the movement of citizens
• collect excise tax
• prevent smuggling of drugs, weapons, endangered species and other illegal or hazardous material
• control the spread of human or animal diseases (see also quarantine)

At the moment a traveler crosses the border his luggage is taken to the customs-house by porters. Every country has its own customs regulations, which stipulate what articles are liable to duty and what are duty-free. Sometimes an article which falls under customs restrictions and is liable to duty is allowed in duty-free if the traveler doesn’t exceed a certain fixed quota. These are listed in a duty free quota list. Customs restrictions also include a prohibited articles list. This is a list of items which may not be brought into a country or taken out of it. An official paper giving permission to take items, which fall under special customs restrictions, in or out of a country is known as an import or export license. If the traveler has any item which comes under customs restrictions he is asked to declare it. That is, he is asked to name the item, stating its value and other particulars. The declaration is made in writing on a special form. As a rule personal items are duty-free. It sometimes happens that a passenger’s luggage is carefully gone through in order to prevent smuggling. The formalities at the customs-house usually take some time. Only after passing through the customs does one realize that his journey is drawing to an end (or beginning).  The next formality is filling in the immigration form and going through passport control. Passport control is an area, for example in an airport or a railway station, where your passport is checked when you go from one country to another.

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17.PREJUDICES. TOTALITARIAN RELIGIOUS CULTS.

There are a lot of prejudices, such as: sexual, racial or religious prejudices.

Probably, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the brightest representative of struggle against racial prejudices. The 1950s and 60s were years of great struggle for black Americans against segregation. Thanks to Dr. King and the civil rights movement, black Americans and other minorities have won many rights.

As for a sexual prejudice, it is a big problem too. Man's chauvinism is frequently shown on roads. A lot of men behave roughly if they see woman driving the car.

And as for religious prejudices, there are many religions in the world, and every representative of his religion thinks that exactly his religion is true.

There are also many different conflicts between religion's representatives in the world, for example discrimination between Catholics and Protestants.

If you are Protestant you live in a Protestant area and you go to a Protestant school, and if you are Catholic you live in a Catholic area and you go to a Catholic school. There is such prejudice because children are just brought up in that way, they have no contact with each other. When you first meet people, they have to establish very quickly whether you are Catholic or Protestant and there are quite a lot of ways of doing it without directly asking. There are so many little clues, names and surnames. If you've got an Irish surname the chances are that you are Catholic, if you've got a Scottish name than you are probably Protestant. Protestants associate Catholics with some sort of malevolent, despicable characteristic: their eyes are too close together, they don't work hard enough, and they are untrustworthy. There are a lot of cases when parents even don't attend the wedding of their child who marries person of other religion. But it's not only a religious matter; it's political, economical, historical and colonial matters. Protestants are in the majority in Northern Ireland, they are the ruling class. There is a lot of unemployment in Northern Ireland, but most of the good jobs belong to Protestant.

Nowadays there are also such extremist religious cults, as the Moonies or the Unification Church. The Sun Myung Moon is the founder of this cult.

There is a well-detailed system of recruiting of new adepts in the Unification Church. They seldom collect the staff among streetwise people, preferring them to respectable, diffident youngsters. The Moonies subject recruits to consecutive training. They don't leave youngsters even for a moment; they induce them to work, listen to lectures, pray and sing the hymns every day. There are certain rules for the adepts, such as: low-calorie meals, constant lack of the sleep, a collective chanting; strictness in appearance and behavior; the Moonies also discourage newcomers from talking to other newcomer. They convert recruits into cultists by programming every minute of their waking hours until they are brought under complete mind control and fall into a trance.

Technique of deprogrammer needs a lot of time and efforts, and it is important to keep a good relationship with programmed person and not antagonize him about his Unification Church affiliation. You should induce this person to think for himself again.

10.Ecology and Environmental problems.

     Ecology is a science which studies the relationship between all forms of life on our planet and the environment. This word came from “oikos” which means home.  The idea of home includes our home planet, its population, nature,,animals,birds,fish,

insets and all other living creatures and even the atmosphere around our planet. Since ancient times nature has served man giving everything he needs: air to breath, food to eat, water to drink, wood to building and fuel for heating his home. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with the environment and it seemed to them the recourses of nature had no end or limit. With the industrial revolution our negative influence on nature began to increase. Large cities with thousands of steaming, polluting plants and factories, can be found nowadays all over the world. The by-products of their activity pollute the air we breathe, the fields where our crops are grown.

     Now millions of chimneys,cars,buses,trucks all over the world exhaust fumes and harmful substances get into the at the atmosphere. Everything there is covered with soot and dirt.

Big cities suffer from smog. Cars with their engine have become the main source of pollution in industries countries. The loss of the forests upsets the oxygen balance of the new wastelands. As the results some species  of animals,birds,fish and plants have disappeared and keep disappearing.   Water pollution is very serious, too. Ugly rivers of dirty water polluted with factory waste, poisoned fish are all-round us. And polluted air and poisoned water lead to the end of the civilization. So, nowadays a lot of lands and lifeless areas have appeared. Because our actions and dealing can turn the land to a dessert.

The groups of people (Greenpeace) with a common interest in trying to draw the public attention to environment problems, to influence the government decisions. They started functioning in 1971(at Amsterdam), they operates in 25 countries worldwide. The aim of Greenpeace is to protect wildlife of toxic wastes, nuclear tests.

16. Medicine. Health service. Drug problems.

The Akts setting ut the National Health Service in Britain came into force in 1948. The obeject of the NHS Act  was the establishment of a comprehensive health servise disigned to secure improvment in the phisical and mental health of the people and the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness. The introduction of the new health service didn’t mean a complite break with the past. All that was good of the existing service was absorded into a new scheme. The NHS made it possible that the benefit once available only to insured person ot those who could afford to pay for them, or as a form of charity, became available to everyone. Originally it was free. The service provided by the NHS fall into 3 main groups: !. the geberal practitioners service;2. the hospital a’specialists service; 3. the local health and welfare authority service. The cost of health and welfare service in Britain is met general taxation, local rates and from charges paid by the patients. There are charges from prescriptions, for dental treatment, for some other service. The cost of prescriptions has risen so sharply of late that people who need them most often can’t afoord to by medicines. The public is free to use the service. Unlike the UK, where people don’t have to pay for medical treatment, the USA doesn’t have a NHS. Most people have health insurance to pay for their medical care, which is either paid for by themselves or by their employer. People can get insurence frrom regular insurence company, or they can pay to become members of a HMO (Health Maintenance Org.). The government does help to pay for some medical care for prople who are on low incomes through the MediCaid system, and for old people through the MediCare sustem. But some people can’t afford insurance but are not poor enough to get government help, such individuals can go to public hospitals, where they always receive treatment an emergency. On the US a phisian is among the bestpaid professions and physicians and hospitals also must buy malpractice insurance to protect themselves in case they be sued for neghgence by pationts.

6. Post-office. Telecommunications

The General Post Office and local post offices have many duties. They not only deliver letters, telegrams, newspapers, but among other things, they pay out old-age pensions, subscribe for periodicals and take and deliver parcels. Inside the post office is a long counter divided into departments for parcels, stamps, registered and air-mail letters, telegrams, money-orders. There is a post-box in all post offices. If you want to send a telegram you’ll just ask for a telegram form at the post office counter and fill it in. You can send your telegram, letter or a document by fax. They will be reproduced and sent to and received by the addressee instantly. Perhaps you want to buy a stamp or a stamped envelope to send a letter, then go to the counter where they sell postcards, envelopes, blocks of stamps of different denomination or get them from a slot machine. When we have written a letter we sign it, fold it up and put it in an envelope. Don’t forget to write the mailing code. If your letter contains anything valuable, it is a good idea to register it. When you register a letter the clerk gives you a receipt and you pay the registration fee. If you go to the post office to send off a parcel you will have the parcel weighed at the parcels-counter. You may also have your parcel insured if you want to declare its value. If you want to send money by post you should fill in a money-order form stating the name of the payee, his address, as well as sender’s address, and the sum of money you are sending. The clerk takes your money together with the money-order and gives you a receipt. At the municipal service counter we pay the rent, electricity and gas bills, and the telephone rental. Suppose the postman arrived during breakfast and insisted that you leave the table and read your mail immediately. This is what most people allow the telephone to do. It has become a horrid instrument, always clamoring for attention with its whiny bell. Most people give it what it wants just to shut it up. On the other hand, people complain that they are often treated rudely by persons whom they telephone. Here are some  of the most common telephone problems and the methods to handle them. Some people can ask you what the proper number of rings is a caller should wait before hanging up. The answers may be six rings or perhaps eight and if you still suspect the person of lurking there, hang up and dial again. This gives you two chances to get the number right - and the person time to get out of the bath. Another problem may conclude in people’s social errors. For example, your friend call you at home and eat something during the entire conversation. In this way you should ask her by using perhaps oblique line of accusation to call back. If you made a telephone call in someone else’s house the question would be able to appear if you would pay for it. For local calls you can just ask if you can use the telephone without paying for the service. For long distance calls, ask the operator to charge it to your home number. Also you must remember that you should be polite when you speak on the telephone and you will have no problems with people.

4. At a restaurant. Meals. Table manners.

The usual meals in England are breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner. Breakfast is generally a bigger meal than they have on the Continent, though some English people like a continental breakfast of rolls and butter and coffee. But the usual English breakfast is porridge or corn flakes with milk or cream and sugar, bacon, eggs and tea or coffee. For a change you can have a boiled egg, cold ham, or perhaps fish. They generally have lunch about one o’clock. At lunch time in a London cafe or restaurant one usually finds a mutton chop, or steak and chips, or cold meat, or perhaps fish with potatoes, salad and pickles, then a pudding or fruit to follow. Afternoon tea you can hardly call a meal, but for the leisured classes it’s a sociable sort of thing when people often come in for a chat with their cup of tea. But some people like to have the so-called “high tea” which is quite a substantial meal. They have it between 5 and 6 o’clock. It consists of ham or tongue and tomatoes and salad with strong tea, bread and butter, pineapple with cream or cake. In some houses dinner is the biggest meal of the day. Dinner time is around 7 o’clock in the evening. But in a great many English homes the midday meal is the chief one of the day while in the evening they have a much simple supper – an omelette, or sausage, sometimes bacon and eggs. When we speak about table manners we usually mean a list of do’s and don’t. Never stretch over the table for something you want, ask your neighbour to pass it. Take a slice of bread from the bread plate by hand, don’t harpoon your bread with a fork. Don’t bite it into the whole slice, break it off piece by piece. Never spoil your neighbour’s appetite by criticizing what he just happens to be eating.

When a dish is placed before you don’t eye it suspiciously as though it were the first time you had seen it, and don’t give the impression that you are about to sniff it. No matter how surprised you are take it all in your stride. The customary way to refuse a dish is by saying “No, thank you”. Don’t say “I don’t eat this stuff”, don’t make faces or noises to show that you don’t like it. In between courses don’t make bread-balls to while the time away and don’t play with the silver. Don’t lick your spoon. Sit facing the table, don’t sit sideways. Don’t use a spoon for what can be eaten with a fork. Cut your meat into small pieces and cut one piece at a time. Don’t put your elbows on the table. Don’t talk with your mouth full. And finally don’t forget to say “thank you”. And some words about restaurant. It's often necessary to make a reservation. Otherwise the restaurant you chose may be filled up. By the way don't expect to share a table with other parties. If you want to ask for a bill, which is usually called the check, signal the waiter with a raised hand. As the charge for service isn't included in restaurant check, everyone from waiters to porters anticipate tips. The amount the client give should take into account the quality of service he receive. Now, many restaurant pass menues in the window so you can see the prices before you enter . If they don't, it's acceptable to enter the restaurant and ask for a menu before you sit dawn. If it's too expensive to you, it's OK to leave. If you don't eat all your food, you may ask for a "doggie bag". The waiter will put your uneaten food and you can take it home. You shouldn't do it at an expensive first class restaurant, of cause.

19.Family relations. Generation         Gap

A family may include parents and their children, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as more distant relatives. But when British and American people use the word family they often mean only a mother, father and their children.

The problem of the relationship between generations is the problem of the relationship in a family, between the old and young generation mostly.

The main problem of the most families is the problem when the young and the adult don’t understand each other, the so-called “gen.gap” that is a gap in views between parents and teenagers. The root of the problem is the difference in years. Children want to be independent, prefer to make their own mistakes especially they become older. But their parents still think they are children and continue to treat them if they were small. Sometimes teenagers run away from their parents because they need freedom in choosing clothes, friends and music.

The problem of money is important well. Parents buy all things their children need. Very often kids treat their parents as money-bags for receiving pocket money. In result some young people try to find part-time job or to work in holidays.

Yong people want to look older and more independent. They do silly things. Both boys and girls begin to smoke and drink alcoholic drinks. Some of them start using drugs and become drug addicts.

The bridge over the generation gap is the way of confidence and compromise. So called post-adolescence is one of the compromises examples.

Many families are disturbed each year as a result of divorce. In the US about half of all married couples get divorced.

Many children are brought up in single-parent families (= families in which children are looked after by their mother or father, not both) and only see the other parent occasionally. Other children have two homes and divide their time between them. If their parents remarry  the children may have to fit into a stepfamily. They may later have half-brothers or half-sisters from the new marriage. Families in which some children are adopted or fostered) because their own parents cannot take care of them are not uncommon.

20. Mass media.

Mass Media include newspapers, magazines, radio and TV/

     Many British families buy a national or local newspaper every day. Some have it delivered to their home by a paper boy or paper girl; others buy it from a newsagent or a bookstall. National dailies are published each morning except Sunday. Local daily papers, which are written for people in a particular city or region, are sometimes published in the morning but more often in the early evening.

      The US has only one national newspaper, USA Today. The rest are local. A few newspapers from large cities, such as the New York Times and The Washington Post, are read all over the country. . Large cities have news stands, small covered areas on the street, and smaller towns have vending machines from which people take a paper after putting in money.

Britain has two kinds of national newspaper: the quality papers and the tabloids. The qualities, often called broadsheets because they are printed on large pages, report national and international news and are serious in tone.

The main quality dailies are the Times and the Daily Telegraph The tabloids have a smaller page size and report news in less depth. They concentrate on human-interest stories (= stories about people), and often discuss the personal lives of famous people. Some have page-three girls, photographs of half-naked young women. The most popular are the Sun, the Mirror, the Express and the Daily Mail.

Many magazines are of general interest. Some of these are aimed specifically at women, men, or young people, while others cover a hobby or leisure interest, e.g. sailing. Other magazines are for specialists in a particular field. In Britain there are nearly 7 000 weekly and monthly magazines. General-interest magazines, also called consumer magazines, concentrate on subjects of interest to many people. In Britain these include Ideal Home, Garden News, BBC Good Food Magazine, Mother and Baby.

     In Britain, the newspaper industry, often called Fleet Street, has a major influence on public opinion and is a strong force in political life. The freedom of the press to publish whatever it wants, without the government interfering, is considered important. Newspapers get material from several sources. Staff reporters write about national or local news. Major newspapers also have their own foreign correspondents throughout the world.

     There are state, public and commercial TV stations in the world. Radio is widespread for its portability. It can be easily around. There are 2 kinds of radio stations: informative and musical.

   The youngest kind of MM is global computer net called Int. At present time people can find any infor. About everyth. It gives people the freedom of speech and self-expression. In/ is the most advanced and fast-growing kind of digital media.

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8. Entertainment

    Nowadays, theatre, cinema and discotheque are the most popular ways of relaxation and entertainment. Of course, among this ways of entertainment, theatre has the longest history, beginning from ancient Greece and Rome. In my opinion, Moscow and London are the world’s great stages, which offer an extraordinary range of theatrical entertainment.  

     London can offer theatre performances for everyone’s taste and possibilities.

    Of course our city Vladivostok doesn’t stand aside from theatrical life. We have several popular theatres: Gorky drama theatre, Chamber theatre, Pushkin theatre and others. The tickets here are much less expensive than in Moscow: from 50 to 200 rubles. Guest performances are not a rare thing in Vladivostok, though the price for them is higher: from 200 to 600 rubles. 

  I myself am not a great theatre-goer, I most likely a cinema-goer. From the invention of Lumiere brother’s cinema is one of the most favorite ways of entertainment. But with invention of video-tapes and videotape recorders less and less people went to cinema. And it very pleasant to me that after a short period of “home cinema”, when people preferred to stay at home and watch video films, today people more and more frequently go to cinemas. The reason for this maybe that a lot of big cities have modern, comfortable cinemas, where you can watch new Hollywood movies at the same time as America and Europe.

        You can go to large, multi-screen complexes with more than 12 cinema halls and ticket prices starting from 200 rubles. Such complexes are of modern American style with bar with high chairs, pop-corn and cola machines, Dolby surround system.

               In London you’ll be able to hear the best music, ranging from classical jazz and rock to rhythm and blues, while dedicated movie buffs can choose from hundreds of different films each night, both in large, multi-screen complexes and excellent small independent cinemas. Sports fans can watch a game of cricket at Lords, cheer on oarsmen on the Thames or eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon.

17.Prejudies. Totalitarian Religious Cults.

   Superstitions are beliefs that certain things or events will bring good or bad luck. Many people believe that luck plays an important part in their lives, and they wish somebody luck (=good luck) in many situations, e.g. before an exam or when they get married.

   There are many well-known omens (=signs) of bad luck, some of which have a religious origin. The number 13 is considered unlucky because there were 13 people at the Last Supper. Tall buildings often do not have a 13th floor;

     All of us have some across prejudices. But there are some groups of people who often suffer from prejudices. For example, colored people, old people whose behavior and habits are not like ours, couples where a woman is older than a man or couples with big difference in age (when husband is 50 and a wife is 20).

There are a lot of people in world who have racial prejudies. They don’t like people of other nations, and always think that their nations are more clever, more intelligent, and more important than others. So they treat people of the other race like dogs. They can even use them like slaves.

Smth. Like that happens to Chinese when they come to America to work. Sometimes people think that America is a free country with equal rights. But it is a mistake. China is a rather small country for so many people who live and work there. So they always have problems with places for living and work places. In America the Chinatown has always been a heaven for illegals and sweatshops but things have taken a very bad turn. The Chinese can’t earn a living because it’s common for sweatshops to withhold salaries from workers who have no government agency to turn to for help and anyone who complains about wages and conditions will be deported. They break they lives, because they can’t earn a living, can’t demand other work and living conditions and they can’t earn enough to come back to China. They can’t change anything.

There were statues and busts of Mao  in every Chinese town. Mao’s face was in every institution, Mao’s red books of citations on sale in every hotel and museum. This was the extreme of his socialism, of his total central control of all life by party and state, of the cult of personality he founded.

8. Entertainment. Going out theatre, cinema, disco.

Tgear number of varios films are released in the US every year. Hollywood released films differ in genre. There are newsteel, cartoon, documentary and a full-length film.Hollywood;s early films aere westerns (with their fast action, uncomplicated herous, and clear-cut conflict between good and evil), horror films (with their mysters ous and supernatural happenings, ghosts and monsters), comedies (very often not in good taste and even vulgar), romance films (which shaved life as it could be lived in ours imagination and made the viewer escape from reality into a dream world), and musicals. There are films based on novels and films which deal with historical events. Hol. Was justly accused of creating a dream world, but american films of today are realistic and up-to-date. Many of the films raise urgent problems facing contemporary society of criminal behaviour and suggests that bad characters areoften the result of the circumstances and the environment. And so dangster films are often inspired by the gloomy front page stories. Most american films are made the great professional skill. Camera work, setting and acting are usually excellent. But there are also cheap second-rate films, which critics call stupid, badly written and badly directed. But the theatre in America is especially healthy in the hundreds of regional and university groups around the country. But it’s Broadway with its some 40 major professional stages and the numerous off – Broudway experimental theatres that bring to mind American playwrights such as O’Niell. There are over 15000 professional actors in NY alone. Theater in the US is seldom state-supported. American feel that each person would  be willing to support and help pay for his or her own favourite cultural activity, whatever it may be. The Matropolitan Opera Association is a good example of its annual budget only 5% comes from governmental sources, whther city, state or federal. The other 95% is made up by individual contributions, ticket sales, and so on. NY is the major, but not only cultural centre in the US.

18.At a meeting

    Meetings are necessary. Meetings are held to discuss business, to explore ideas and to convey information. Preparation is essential. Identify the specific items that u want the meeting to consider. Arrange them in sequence in the agenda, allocating a certain amount of time to each, and giving priority to those that are important.

   Begin the meeting by standing its purpose. Everyone should have a clear understanding of why its being held.

As u approach each item on the agenda briefly introduce it. Keep the discussion relevant. Don’t allow people to jump ahead to the next item or go to back to points that have already been dealt with. After each item has been discussed, briefly summarize the conclusions that have been reached. At the end of meeting give an overall summary.

Begin the meeting on time. Don’t wait for latecomers. Avoid answering questions. Try not to get involved in arguments.

Finally, finish the meeting on time. Remind participants that there is a limited amount of time left, to keep their final contributions as brief as possible.

An agenda informs people attending the meeting of the meeting’s purpose. Any agenda must include the date of the meeting. The agenda for a short-in house meeting may simply list numbered topics to be discussed. The agenda for a longer meeting may be broken down into days and hours and include sites of individual sessions.

The minutes of a meeting are a written record of the business discussed and transacted at the meeting. Some companies tape record their meetings, and the tapes are transcribed and summarized.

Read the agenda before the meeting and keep it with u to serve as a guide. Make sure u know the names of all people who might speak. Sit close to the chairperson so that u are near the center of business.

Soon after the meeting adjourns, transcribe your notes into a first draft.. Organize the draft by topic or time sequence.

6.Post-office. Telecommunications

The post office runs some services. U can buy stamps, postcards, envelopes, send a telegram or post a letter from it, and cash a money order.

If u want to buy, to send or to receive smth. U must go to the right counter (Poste Restante, Parcel Post, Post Cards, Registered Letters, Book Post, etc). If u want to send a letter, u have to put it into an envelope, write the address and then go to the window “Registered Letter”, hand the letter to the clerk, who weighs on the scales and give u necessary stamps. The amount that u have to pay depends on the weight of the letter and distance. U can post an ordinary stamped letter or registered letter. If u post an ordinary letter u can drop it into the nearest pillar-box. (send parcels insured and otherwise). When sending a letter of particular value, u should have it registered (it will be delivered personally).  The sender is given a receipt, so he calls always trace the letter. The Poste Restante window keeps mail until called for (who prefer to pick up their mail in person).

The important thing when making out a money order is to write legibly. U may subscribe to magazines.

There are 3 types of telegram service: ordinary, urgent, express. U can send reply-paid tel. In the USA u will find Night (when the wires are least busy – there is a reduced charge for this form of service) and Day  Letter(is sent off immediately)  telegraph message. As u pay for the word it is advisable to use a special telegraph language which is known as “telegraphese”: prepositions and articles are omitted.

9. Crime and Law Enforcement

     Burglary (= stealing from a house, Theft (= stealing goods or property), Car theft, Criminal damage or vandalism is an increasing problem. Murders and different types of assault (=violent attack) are usually widely reported by the media. Robbery (= taking property from a person by force) and mugging (= attacking someone in the street and stealing their property)

          US.Larceny (= theft) is also common. carjacking: criminals with guns enter cars that have stopped at traffic lights and make the driver leave the car, or drive to a place where there are not many people around. They take the car, and any money or jewellery, but usually leave the driver unharmed.

Britain has 52 regional police forces, which are responsible for maintaining law and order in their own area. London has two police forces. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is based at New Scotland Yard Each regional police force is led by a Chief Constable. Police officers wear dark blue uniforms, and constables wear tall hard helmets.

At national level, the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) has about 10,000 special agents who investigate crimes across the US. The members of the US police force who have most contact with the public are uniformed officers, who patrol in cars and are the first to arrive when a crime is reported. More serious crimes are investigated by detectives, who usually wear plain clothes instead of a uniform. In spite of the fact that police officers in the US wear guns, they are seen by many Americans as being honest, helpful people who work hard at a dangerous job.

7.Shopping. At the Supermarket.

I know a woman who likes to do grocery shopping but I also know a whole lot of people who hate it. People who hate shopping are likely to like supermarkets, those huge stores with a lot of arranged goods where you can buy practically all you need in the way of foods – groceries, meat, vegetables, fruit, dairy products, bread and cakes, baby foods and many other things. The goods are ready packed and have clearly-marked prices on them; they are displayed on shelves, in reach-in refrigerator units or in trolleys and are always within easy reach for the customers. Many factors can explain the popularity of such shops: first of all they have an excellent assortment of goods; secondly, you have an opportunity to choose the goods you like – they are displayed openly for you to choose from; then, the service is swift there; and, which is also of great importance, you save a lot of your time if you buy everything in one shop, under one roof.

So,  when I enter a supermarket I take a big, wheeled basket and roll it around from aisle to aisle. I buy milk, a packet of butter and a packet of margarine for cooking, then some meat, for example bacon or sausages or smth else. There is also shelves of sweet biscuits and cakes and I put some of them in my basket. I also buy many non-food items such as paper napkins, plastic wraps, laundry detergent, light bulbs. And fresh and frozen foods, canned goods, boxes, bags and bottles soon fill up my cart.  Some foods that have already prepared are also available in the supermarket. But there is one big danger in supermarket shopping: there are thousands of items within hand’s reach on the shelves, all attractively packaged. The temptation to buy things you don’t really need or want is very strong. Don’t be fooled by the pictures on the boxes, read labels. When I’ve loaded up my basket and checked my shopping list again to make sure I have everything I need, I go to a check-out counter. I unload everything on to the long counter near the cashier. The cashier will look at the price marked on every item I buy, ring it up on the cash register, and then total up the bill. The register will show me the amount I must pay and I hand my money to the cashier. While the groceries are being bagged, I count my change and then go home.

15.Art and museums

Many people have a hobby that involves collecting things, e.g. stamps, postcards or antiques. In the 18th and 19th centuries wealthy people travelled and collected plants, animal skins, historical objects and works of art. They kept their collection at home until it got too big or until they died, and then it was given to a museum.

        The parts of a museum open to the public are called galleries or rooms. Often, only a small proportion of a museum's collection is on display. Most of it is stored away or used for research. A person in charge of a department of a museum is called a keeper. Museum staff involved in the care and conservation of items are sometimes called curators.

In Britain, the largest museums are the British Museum, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. National museums receive money from the government but not enough to cover their costs, and visitors to museums usually have to pay to go in. Some people believe that this is wrong, because a museum's exhibits belong to the nation.

The National Gallery is London’s leading art museum with over 2,200 paintings, most kept on permanent display. The collection includes everything from early works by Giotto, in the 13^th century, to 20^th-century Picassos, but its particular strengths are in Dutch, early Renaissance Italian and 17^th-century Spanish painting.

        The National Gallery has flourished since its inception in the early 19^th century. In 1824 George IV persuaded a reluctant government to buy 38 major paintings, including works by Raphael and Rembrandt, and these became the start of a national collection. The collection grew over the years as rich benefactors contributed works and money. The main gallery building was designed in Neo-Classical style by William Wilkins and built in 1834-8. To its left lies the new Sainsbury Wing, financed by the grocery family and completed in 1991. It houses some spectacular early Renaissance art.

     Louvre. The palace stands on the site of a fortress built for Philip II Augustus in 1214. In 1546 Francis I had the old castle demolished and gave orders for the construction of a new palace. Over the course of the centuries this has gone through enlargements, periods of neglect, and restorations, the most recent of which has led to the creation of the Grand Louvre with an exhibition area of 70,000 square meters. Opened to the public in 1793, its collection was the result of centuries of a passion for art on the part of French sovereigns. It was Francis I (1515-47) who created the nucleus of the collection, summoning artists like Leonardo, Rosso Fiorentino, and Cellini to his residence at Fonainebleau and commencing the construction of the Louvre.

Manet, Degas, Renoir the The Impressionists; neoimpressionists; renaissance

18. At a meeting

Meetings are necessary. No organization of any size can proceed for long with each member acting independently. There are many different types of meetings. If the meeting is held to discuss business it is called a discussion meeting, the meeting held to explore ideas is called a brainstorming meeting. And if you want to convey information you call an information meeting. The meeting may also be public, that means anyone can attend it or closed, which is held behind closed doors. Meetings are often seen as a waste of time, but they are in fact one of a manager´s most useful means of communication, whether with subordinates or colleagues – provided they are conducted effectively. This means having a clear idea of the purpose of the meeting and ensuring that the meeting addresses itself to this purpose. It is necessary to conduct a meeting in a certain way. First of all, the chairperson declares the meeting open. He proposes to take the minutes of the last meeting as read. Then he reads the items on the agenda, and if there are no additions or amendments to the proposed agenda, the chairperson announces that the agenda stands. After that the regulations as to procedure are adopted. Next, the chairperson gives the floor to the speakers for the reports on items of the agenda. In the end of each speech there is time for discussion, and those present ask speaker the questions. When the agenda is concluded the meeting adopts a resolution that incorporates all the questions discussed and all the motions made. It is unable to hold a meeting without a chairperson. A chairperson is concerned with two things: one is the subject that is being discussed; the other is the people who are discussing it. The first requires giving attention to appropriate procedures, the second using the leadership skills. The chairperson begins the meeting by stating it´s purpose. Everyone should have a clear understanding of why it is being held. The chairperson should keep the discussion relevant and prevent jumping ahead to the next item or going back to points that have already been discussed. As the meeting progresses, the chairperson makes sure that everyone understands what is being talked about and what is being said about it, he also provides occasional summaries. In dealing with people the chairperson´s main concern is that everyone with a contribution to make makes it. This means encouraging the silent and controlling the over-talkative.

14. Education.

Education is very important for every person. It gives information and opportunities for further life. Every country has its own, unique system of education. We can note example of many different system, but i think the most developed and popular are: education system in the USA, the education system in Great Britain, as the oldest. Education in Great Britain. The education system of GB is extremely complex and bewildering. The department of education and science  is responsible for national education policy, but it doesn’t employee teacher or prescribe curricular or text books. Each school has its own board of governors consisting of teachers, parents, and local politicians. There are three main system in Britain: the Comprehensive system, the selective and the private system. The state school system is usually divided into 2 stages (secondary and primary). The majority of primary schools are subdivided into infant school (ages 5 to 7), and the junior schools (ages 7 to 11). There are some types of schools in GB. Grammar schools provided an academicals cause for selected pupils from the age of 11 to 18. They give pupils a high level of academic education which can lead to the university. Technical schools offer a general education with a technical bias and serve those pupils who are more mechanically minded. The curricular includes more science and mathematics. Secondary modern school were formed to provided a non-academic education for children of less attainment. The curricular includes more practical subjects. The comprehensive school brings about a general improvement in the system of secondary education. At the age of 13 children take an exam. If they are successful they go on to public schools where they usually remain until the age 18. The public exams taken by British schoolchildren are called GCSEs (The General Certificate of Secondary Education). Any student who wants to go to the university needs to pass two or three A level exams. There are 46 Universities in GB. But not all Universities are equal. They differ from one to another in history, tradition, academic organization. A university usually consists of colleges. The departments of the colleges are organized into faculties. The academic year is split into three terms. Formal teaching takes place in the first two terms which last for twenty four weeks in total. The third term is reserved for classes and exams and last for six weeks. The universities teach all major subject areas. After three years of study a University graduate will leave with the Degree of Bachelor of Arts or Science. He can continue to take his Master’s Degree and then the Doctor’s Degree. Education in the US. Americans place a high value on education. There is no uniform school organization. But certain common features exist. Most school in the US start at the kinder garden level. Preschool education is part of the elementary school. After graduating from secondary school a growing numbers of Americans go on to higher education. American institution of higher education include: technical training school, community colleges, colleges offering four-year bachelor degree programmers; and university which contain one or more colleges and graduate school offering master’s or doctoral degree programmers. There is no National University in the US. Each state controls and support one University. The students don’t go to University free of charge. Everyone must pay a tuition fee. During the first year they follow a basic programmer. After the first 2 years every students majors in one subject and minors in another. After completing four years of study they receive a Bachelor Degree. An additional year of study they may receive a Mister’s Degree and after two or three years of graduate work and writing of the dissertation they receive a Doctoral degree. Over four years at the end of each year students have a final write exam.

19. Generation gap.

Generation gap is a division between young people and their elders. Parents complain that children do not show them proper respect and obedience, while children complain that their parents do not understand them at all. Old people are always saying that me young are not what they were. The same comment is made from generation to generation and it is always true. Every new generation is different from the one that preceded it. This is as it should be. In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry - or live with - people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents. The young are better educated. They have a lot more money to spend and enjoy more freedom. They grow up more quickly and are not so dependent on their parents. They think more for themselves and do not blindly accept the ideals of their elders.

The old always assume that they know best for the simple reason that they have been around a bit longer. They don't like to feel that their values are being questioned or threatened. And this is precisely what the young are doing. They are questioning me assumptions of their elders and disturbing their complacency. They take leave to doubt that the older generation had created the best of all possible worlds. Traditionally, the young have turned to their elders for guidance. Today, the situation might be reversed. The old - if they are prepared to admit it - could learn a thing or two from their children. One of the biggest lessons they could learn is that enjoyment is not "sinful". Enjoyment is a principle one could apply to all aspects of life. But all the young are grateful to the older generation, because it bequeathed peace and freedom which the young enjoy. The young have had everything easy. And one day young anyway will tell their parents thank you for bugging them about where they were going and with whom. Some day the young will thank parents for letting them stumble, fall and fail so that they could learn to stand alone. Parents love us enough to accept us for what we are, not for they wanted us to be. No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature of our life, its causes are rooted in the freedoms and opportunities of our society, and in the rapid pace at which society changes.

7.Shopping centers and supermarkets have become very popular all over the world. They have various departments or shops under one roof in one huge building. The shopping centers are very convenient for the customers. These spacious stores and supermarkets are well-stocked with a lot of beautifully-arranged goods. There you can buy practically all you need in the way of foods – groceries, meat, vegetables, fruit, dairy products,  bread and cakes, baby foods and many other things. The goods are ready packed and have clearly-marked prices on them; they are displayed on shelves, in reach-in refrigerator units or in trolleys and are always within easy reach for the customers. Many factors can explain the popularity of such shops: first of all they have an excellent assortment of goods; secondly, you have an opportunity to choose the goods you like – they are displayed openly for you to choose them; then, the service is swift there; you save a lot of your precious time if you buy everything in one shop, under one roof; and, which is also of great importance, you save your money, because large supermarket buy a lot of products on cheap, wholesale prices, and they sell them cheaper. Supermarkets are the self-serviced shops. People take special basket, go alone the aisles and put into the basket everything they want. When the shoppers choose the food, they need to come to the cashier. He scanners the prices with special device and gives the bill.

      At the confectionery counter you can buy all sorts of sweets, chocolates, cakes, fancy cakes etc. The bakery counter is well stocked with fresh white and brown bread, rings, rolls, buns, rusts etc. After that we come to the grocery department where you buy flour, cereal, tea, spices, sugar. Everything is sold ready-packed. Vegetable oils are sold ready-bottled. There is also a big dairy counter with a good variety of dairy products: sweet or salted, fresh butter, margarine, eggs, cheese, soft (cottage) cheese, bottled and loose milk, cream, sour cream.

At the greengrocery department you can buy potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, green peas, beetroot etc. If you want some fruits you can go to the fruit counter The household department sells things for your home from nails to gardening-tools, and labor-saving devices for the home.

         Nowadays we can buy a lot of things either for cash or on hire-purchase, that is the customer pays the deposit on the goods and pays off the balance in installments. Payment may be spread over the period of two years. This hire-purchase system helps people to buy such expensive things

9. Crime and law enforcement

When someone is arrested for committing an offence, he is taken to the police station for interrogation. If the police decide there is a case against him, he is charged with the offence, that is to say the police formally accuse him of committing it. After this, the accused appears before a magistrate who is empowered to decide what to do about minor cases. If the magistrate finds the accused guilty, he will sentence him to pay a fine, or some other minor punishment.

More serious cases are passed up to the Crown Court, where the accused is tried for the offence by a judge, and usually a jury. Very serious cases are heard in the high courts in London. The accused mayhave to wait a long time to stand trial. At the trial, the accused pleads guilty or not guilty. If he pleads not guilty, the jury, composed of 12 ordinary citizens, has to decide if he is guilty or not. This decision is called their verdict. The lawyers who try to persuade the jury are called barristers. In court, the one on the side of the accused is known as the Counsel for the Defense and the one against him is called the Counsel for the Prosecution. Each barrister calls witnesses to give evidence in support of his case. The witnesses can be cross-examined by the other counsel, who tries to persuade the jury that the evidence is untrue or not important. When all the evidence has been heard, the judge sums up the case and explain legal points for the jury’s benefit. The jury retires to another room, where they try to reach a verdict. If they find the accused guilty as charged, we say hi has been convicted of the offence. The judge then passes sentence. He may sentence the guilty person to pay a fine, to a number of years imprisonment, or to some other punishment. If the verdict is not guilty, we say the accused has been acquitted of the offence, and he goes free. If the accused feels there was something unfair about the trial, he may appeal to the Appeal Courts, where three judge’s decide the case. So why do people commit crime or violence?

The first point that has to be clarified here is the meaning of the world violence. There are, after all, many types of violence in our cities, ranging from baby battering to the suppression of political demonstrations by police. What measures can be taken to combat this kind of violence? Well, to begin with, it is often argued that violent crime should be punished more severely. That is to say, more offenders sent to prison, longer prison sentences, and even the reintroduction of the death penalty. The first two ideas seem reasonable, but ignore the problem that our prisons are already full, and also that ex-prisoners are more likely to commit crime than other people. In addition, it is very expensive to keep people in prison. As for the death penalty, there is no hard evidence that it has any effect on the commission of the crimes. Punishing crime more severely, then, does not seem to work. A more effective measure would be to improve the service provided by the police. More people would say that British policemen should carry guns, but I do not agree, since this would lead to more guns being used by thieves, and consequently more violence, probably involving innocent by-standers. Also, we must remember that not every policeman is psychologically fit to carry a gun. Nevertheless, certain changes can be made. Firstly, the size of the police force could be increased, by improving salaries and conditions. Equally importantly, the police should receive better training, so that they can deal effectively with trouble without becoming unduly violent themselves. The government must ensure that jobs are provided for young people. Until young people have work, money and hope, it will be impossible to walk safely in the streets.

20. Mass media

The information revolution which made its humble start in the middle of the 15^th century. The first step in information exchange and mass communication was made through the print media. Newspapers & periodicals, as the major forms of the print media, not only publish information about current events, but also help people to develop their own thoughts and opinions.

Mass media play an important role in the life of society. They inform, educate and entertain people. They also influence the way people look at the world and make them change their views. Mass media mould public opinion. Millions of people in their spare time watch TV and read newspapers. On the radio one can hear music, plays, news and various discussions or commentaries of current events. Today television with its system of numerous channels has developed into a practically indispensable amenity of everyday life.

These days, 50% of homes have a VCR (video-cassette recorder) and millions more are being sold every year. Thanks to DBS (direst broadcast satellites), dozens of new channels are now available to anyone who buys a receiving "dish". Many of this new channels specialize in one kind of program - news, sport, cartoons, music and movies. The third development is cable - a system of hi-tech wires, which provides even more channels at a price. Fourthly, there is HDTV (high definition television), which now offers a much clearer and more realistic picture than was possible even a few years ago.

There is a lot of advertisement on mass media. Some of the TV and radio stations and newspapers are owned by different corporations. The owners can advertise whatever they choose. But it is hardly fair to say that mass media do not try to raise cultural level of the people or to develop their artistic taste. Mass media brings to millions of homes not only entertainment and news but also cultural and educational programs. There are state and private TV channels in Russia. There are also many local TV channels & radio stations.

Practically there is no family that does not read newspapers. Famous American said: "the careful reader of a few good newspapers can learn more in a year than most scientists do in their great libraries". There are a lot of different kinds of newspapers in our country. It is impossible to read all the newspapers and magazines but you can always find a paper which suits your interests. Favorite newspapers of Russian people are "Komsomolskaya Pravda", "Moskovsky Komsomolets", "Argumenty i Facty". In Primorye we read "Vladivostok". It gives a detailed and well-balanced analysis of current events and trends in economy.

The Internet has recently become another important source of information. Its main advantage is that news appears on the screen as soon as things happen in real life and you don't have to wait for news time on TV.

Today many people blame the media for the disturbing increase of violence. The media coverage is filled with depressing stories. Nobody is implying that the media should distort reality but they should include some positive stories to counterbalance the negative ones. Misinformation is one of the worst banes of the media, which can be effectively used by vested interests to serve their ends and to harm the society. All media are at once advantageous and dangerous. Nevertheless, the role of media in the society cannot be ignored. Judicious use of their potential can work wonders in the society.

10. Environmental problems.

The poisoning of the world's land, air, and water is the fastest-spreading disease of civilization. It's not easy to ignore the depressing pictures that are shown on TV. Every day natural disasters and accidents are shown to the public. Overpopulation, pollution and energy consumption have created such planet-wide problems as massive deforestation, ozone depletion, acid rains and the global warming that is believed to be caused by the greenhouse effect. More and more opinion polls are administered to find out how people feel about their future. The general public really see nuclear waste as the major problem. One of the problems with radioactive waste is that it's effect doesn't just last our generation, we'll pass on this legacy to our children We are still in a situation where the government is still fishing around for radioactive waste sites. Chernobyl shows there is another problem, the danger of meltdowns. We can observe a tremendous outcry over an increase in leukemia risks around nuclear installations. In Europe and the US deforestation was the inevitable consequence of economic progress. Harvesting beyond sustainable limits has brought some of the tropical forests best hardwoods near extinction. Destroying tropical forests can destabilize the world's climate. Air pollution is a very serious problem. Vehicles produce most of toxic micro-particles which do most harm. Toxic gazes appear in the atmosphere in critical concentration of carbon dioxide which is expected to increase at rates that could change the world's climate. The seas are in danger. They are filled with poison: industrial and nuclear waste, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The Mediterranean is already nearly dead; the North Sea is following. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. If nothing is done about it, one day nothing will be able to live in the seas. Every ten minutes one kind of animal, plant or insect dies out forever. If nothing is done about it, one million species that are alive today will become extinct twenty years from now. Today, fewer that 5000 black rhinos have escaped the onslaught. In many parts of Africa the survivors are being herded behind electrified fences for their own protection. Many people endorse the harsh penalties for poaching but it's difficult to collect money for anti-poaching operation. Industrial enterprises emit tons of harmful substances. These emissions have disastrous consequences for our planet. They are the main reason for the greenhouse effect and acid rains. To avoid green-house effect we should use renewable energy sources - wind power, wave and tide power. We really need to reduce our energy demand. We need to introduce a lot more conscious efforts to conserve energy, and we also need to introduce cleaner fossil fuel burning.  People are beginning to realize that environmental problems are not somebody else's. Many ecological problems can generally be solved only on the world community level. As nations we all share single ecological space. If we want to climb out of ecological pit we should do our best to protect our environment.

6. Post-office. Telecommunications

The General Post Office and local post offices have many duties. They not only deliver letters, telegrams, newspapers, but among other things, they pay out old-age pensions, subscribe for periodicals and take and deliver parcels. Inside the post office is a long counter divided into departments for parcels, stamps, registered and air-mail letters, telegrams, money-orders. There is a post-box in all post offices. If you want to send a telegram you’ll just ask for a telegram form at the post office counter and fill it in. You can send your telegram, letter or a document by fax. They will be reproduced and sent to and received by the addressee instantly. Perhaps you want to buy a stamp or a stamped envelope to send a letter, then go to the counter where they sell postcards, envelopes, blocks of stamps of different denomination or get them from a slot machine. When we have written a letter we sign it, fold it up and put it in an envelope. Don’t forget to write the mailing code. If your letter contains anything valuable, it is a good idea to register it. When you register a letter the clerk gives you a receipt and you pay the registration fee. If you go to the post office to send off a parcel you will have the parcel weighed at the parcels-counter. You may also have your parcel insured if you want to declare its value. If you want to send money by post you should fill in a money-order form stating the name of the payee, his address, as well as sender’s address, and the sum of money you are sending. The clerk takes your money together with the money-order and gives you a receipt. At the municipal service counter we pay the rent, electricity and gas bills, and the telephone rental. Suppose the postman arrived during breakfast and insisted that you leave the table and read your mail immediately. This is what most people allow the telephone to do. It has become a horrid instrument, always clamoring for attention with its whiny bell. Most people give it what it wants just to shut it up. On the other hand, people complain that they are often treated rudely by persons whom they telephone. Here are some  of the most common telephone problems and the methods to handle them. Some people can ask you what the proper number of rings is a caller should wait before hanging up. The answers may be six rings or perhaps eight and if you still suspect the person of lurking there, hang up and dial again. This gives you two chances to get the number right - and the person time to get out of the bath. Another problem may conclude in people’s social errors. For example, your friend call you at home and eat something during the entire conversation. In this way you should ask her by using perhaps oblique line of accusation to call back. If you made a telephone call in someone else’s house the question would be able to appear if you would pay for it. For local calls you can just ask if you can use the telephone without paying for the service. For long distance calls, ask the operator to charge it to your home number. Also you must remember that you should be polite when you speak on the telephone and you will have no problems with people.

In both Britain and the USA only the Post Office or Postal Service can deliver mail, though private couriers are allowed to offer express services. This competition has hurt the postal services. They have lost further business as electronic communication, such as e-mail, has become more common. Most homes in Britain and the USA have a telephone, and many people also have a mobile phone (AmE cellular phone) that they carry round with them. As well as being useful to business people, mobiles are now a fashion accessory, especially among younger people. Many people, however, get annoyed with those who use mobile phones in public places, such as on trains or in restaurants. Many families now also have a computer and use it to search the Internet and send e-mails.

Telecommunications system have gone through a technological revolution since the development of the telegraph by Samuel Morse in1844. the telegraph was used by the Western Union Company to deliver brief messages, and the company still offers telegraphic services using satellites and other modern technology, though computers and e-mail have largely removed their need. In the last 30 years or so developments in satellites, fibre optics (the use of thin transparent fibres to transmit light signals), broadband (the use of signals over a broad range of frequencies) and microwave (the use of  short electromagnetic waves) technologies have led to many new products. Videophones allow people to see each other while they talk. Voice mail can be used to leave a telephone message which is saved on a “mailbox computer” to be heard later. Teletext  services are available via the television screen. Many cable television companies provide telephone services as well as television and are developing broadband networks which will provide a range of integrated entertainment and telecommunications services