Сочинение: Топики по Английскому языку для англ.шк. (10 класс)
Beowulf an epic in Old English tells us of the times long before the Anglo-Saxons came to Britain. The poem was compiled in the 10th century by an unknown author. The manuscript is in the British Museum in London. The main events are the staying of the monster Grendel and Grendel’s mother by the hero Beowulf of a brave and noble knight who is ready to sacrifice his life for his country and his people.
The Canterbury Tales is another masterpiece of the English literature. Geoffrey Chaucer who is acclaimed today as «the father of English poetry» wrote it in 1384. His most important contribution was the development of the resources of the English language for literary purposes. By using English instead of the more fashionable French spoken in court circles and by the aristocracy he added tremendously to its prestige. “The Canterbury Tales” are a series of stories written in verse. The framework that serves to connect them is a pilgrimage to Canterbury is 60miles. To make the tiresome four-day trip more interesting the pilgrims decide to tell stories. Beside their intriguing and exciting plot they contain a moral which is valid for all times. The value of the work lies also in the brilliance of style.
Another work which exercised enormous influence on the development of the English language is The King James Bible. It was appointed to be read in churches throughout the Kingdom and in this way had a far-reaching influence on the population. The King James Bible remains the most widely accepted version of the Bible and a classic of the English language. There are many phrases in the King James Bible which have entered the English idiomatic language some of them are: eye for eye, a wolf in sheep’s clothing and many others. An exceptional role in the English literature was played by William Shakespeare. He is the author of 37plays and some tragedies and sonnets. Shakespeare’s genius lay not only in masterful narration but rather in his capacity for revealing the greatness and imperfections of human life in its full richness and movement. In his masterpieces Shakespeare possesses some special merit for every generation. Shakespeare enriched the English language with plenty of phrases such as: what is done can’t be undone, to play fast and loose, to much of a good thing.
Topic 14
WILLIAM SAROYAN.
William Saroyan is an American writer of American origin. He gained his popularity in the thirties as a short-story writer. The long list of Saroyan’s collections of short stories opens with “The Young man on a Flying Trapeze”. He is also known as a talented dramatist, the best of his plays being “The Time of Your Life”. He is the author of a number of novels. His first novel, “The Human Comedy”, combined his talent of the storyteller with that of a dramatist.
Saroyan’s works are highly democratic, they are marked by deep belief in human kindness and the power of humor. To him the kind heart and humor are instruments of helping people in overcoming hardships and in resisting evil.
Saroyan’s characters are mostly common people, poor, noble, and full of humor. His is at his best, however with characters of children and such grown-ups who remain children, preserving their sincerity and sensitivity. No wonder that his manner of writing is characterized by the sincerity of intonation and. His language is both lucid and colorful. Saroyan makes the reader see the world through the eyes of his characters, keeping himself in the background, His humor is mostly mild, sometimes bitter, and more often than no eccentric.
Realistic and democratic at bottom, Saroyan’s works are not devoid of drawbacks and certain limitations. His firm belief in human kindness makes him resist the seamy side of life, its violence and cruelty. Though being a realist, he can’t help exposing it from time to time. But that is always accompanied by the soothing tone and reassuring smile suggesting that in spite of the hardships life will change for the better . Thus his kindness borders on sentimentality.
“The Human Comedy” came out in 1943. It’s a rare case of the adaptation of a move scenario into a novel. Both the movie and the novel were a great success. It reminds us of Saroyan’s short story collections, each chapter forming an episode which can be arranged into a story. The novel is set in California in a small provincial town of Ithaca during World War Second. The plot is centered round the Macauley family, whose eldest son is at war, the youngest, Ulysses, is only four, Homer is 14. Their mother is a widow of two years. The novel is to some extent autobiographical; Saroyan, as well as Homer Macauley, had to earn his living from an early age and had a lot of after school jobs, one of them that of a telegraph messenger. The job was not a casual choice of the writer. It linked Homer with a lot of people and with their fates, and constantly reminded was a war going on.
The title of the novel is suggestive . It implies that in spite of war and evil, life is going on and will finally win, for the world is full of clever, noble, stoical people, possessing the sense of humor, too.
Topic 17
The problems of environment include a wide range of burning issues: nature distraction, pollution, extermination of wildlife on global scale, endangering human health with industrial and nuclear wastes, shortage of natural resources and others. The problem of pollution has become one of the most serious ones during the last thirty years. That is why man’s interest in environmental protection has been stimulated by a great number of problems mankind ever faced. A lot of rainforests are disappearing fast on the planet. But we shouldn’t forget that the “green belts” not only provide restful relaxation but they are regarded as important allies in the battle against air pollution.
Many factories and plants pour their wastes into seas, rivers and lakes. That is why among the simple but far disappearing blessings is the small of clean fresh air and the good taste of pure water. Acid rains, holes in the ozone layer, global warming are caused by pollution.
Now the problem of pollution is being tackled depends greatly on the Government and social initiative. All states ought to join their efforts to save the Earth from an ecological catestrophe. It’s urgent to build such purifying systems which anable to avoid the pollution of rivers and reduce the amount of harmful wastes in the air. Natural and energy resources should be used economically. As protecting forests is the key to our survival on the Earth that’s why the greenary must be increased. Ecological education should be introduced in all schools since an early age because the should realise the importance of environmental protection. We must save energy because production of electricity causes air pollution, acid rains, global warming. People should use ecologically harmless-salar power, wind power and water power. Recycling saves energy and raw materials and also reduces damage to the countryside.
English meals.
There are four meals a day in English home: breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day. It is at about 8 o’clock in the morning, and consists of porridge with milk and salt or sugar, eggs – boiled or fried, bread and butter with marmalade or jam. Some people like o drink tea, but ether prefer coffee. Instead of porridge they may have fruit juice, or they may prefer biscuits.
The usual time for lunch is 1 o’clock. This meal starts with soup or fruit juice. Then follows some meat or poultry with potatoes – boiled or fried, carrots and beans. Then a pudding comes. Instead of the pudding they may prefer cheese and biscuits. Last of all coffee – black or white. Englishmen often drink something at lunch. Water is usually on the table. Some prefer juice or lemonade.
Tea is the third meal of the day. It is between 4 or 5 o’clock, the so -called 5 o’clock tea. On the table there is tea, milk or cream, sugar, bread and butter, cakes and jam. Friends and visitors are often present at tea.
Dinner is the fourth meal a day. The usual time is about 7 o’clock, and all the members of the family sit down together.
Dinner usually consists of soup, fish or meat with vegetables – potatoes, green beans, carrot and cabbage, sweet pudding, fruit salad, ice-cream or cheese and biscuits. Then after a talk they have black or white coffee.
This is the order of meals among English families, but the greater part of the people in the towns, and nearly all country-people, have dinner in the middle of the day instead of lunch. They have tea a little later – between 5 or 6 o’clock, and then in the evening, before going to bed, they have supper.
So the four meals of the day are either breakfast, dinner, tea, supper; or breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner.
Topic 19
The choice of accommodation available in Britain is vast. It includes hotels, inns, “Bed and Breakfast”, farmhouses and self-catering establishments. You may stay at a castle that has been converted into a hotel or at a historic country inn with low wood-beamed ceilings.
Britain’s large towns and city hotels offer every comfort you would expect-central heating, bedside radio, TV, coffee-making facilities and privet bathroom. There will be a restaurant and bar on the premises. An increasing number of hotels have leisure facilities for their guests-swimming pools, tennis courts, small golf courses. Other have local arrangements for pony-trakking golf, fishing and sailing.
For real value of money accommodation, a friendly welcome and the best chance to meet the British, try a B&B. You will find B&B in towns resorts and villages throughout Britain. Some are private houses, other are country pubs or farmhouses. The main advantage about B&B is that you don’t need to book, just look for the sing saying B&B and walk up and knock at the front door.
Guesthouses found mainly in seaside towns and other tourist centers are slightly more expensive but have more bedrooms and bathrooms.
Wherever you stay you’ll be pleased with the quality, friendly service and value for money.