Топик: Examination Topics

The Saint Patrick’s cross is the former flag of Ireland. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He was born about AD 390. He converted the Irish to Christianity. Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on 17 March. The symbol of Northern Ireland is a shamrock and a red hand.

The Saint George’s cross is the English flag. Saint George is the patron saint of England. He was a soldier famous for saving the Princess Cleolinda from being eaten by a dragon. Saint George’s Day is celebrated on 23 April. The symbol of England is a red rose.

The Saint Andrew’s cross is the Scottish flag. Saint Andrew, a fisherman, was one of the 12 apostles who followed Jesus Christ. Paintings of Saint Andrew often show him being crucified on an X-shaped cross. Saint Andrew’s Day is celebrated on 30 November. He is the patron saint of both Scotland and Russia. The symbol of Scotland is a thistle.

The Welsh flag shows a dragon. Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, converted Wales to Christianity and established the Welsh church. Paintings of Saint David show him with a dove on his shoulder. Saint David’s Day is celebrated on 1 March. The symbol of Wales is a daffodil or leek.

London is the capital city of England and the UK. It is a place where the invading Romans first crossed the River Thames. They built a city and called it Londinium. This original site of London is now called the City of London. London manages in a unique way to reflect the past and, at the same time, to live a life of a modern city. The saying “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life” means that you can’t be bored in London. There are hundreds of historic buildings, galleries and museums in London.

As for me, I’m fond of history and I’ve read a lot about English kings and queens. I’d like to visit all places in London which are connected with Royal London, such as Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall and Trafalgar Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London. And I’d like to visit places which are not in London, such as Windsor Castle, the Queen’s house in Greenwich, the Palace of Holyrood house in Edinburgh and other places in the UK which are connected with the Crown. The UK is famous for its castles such as Edinburgh Castle and Leeds Castle and others, and I’d like to see them with my own eyes. Another place which is worth seeing is Madam Tussaud’s Museum of Waxworks. This museum consists of several halls with wax images of outstanding political characters, poets and writers, world-famous film stars and musicians. Then I’d like to see one of the wonders of the world – the famous Stonehenge. Every year thousands of young people go to Stonehenge to take part in the midsummer Druid festival. I wish I were there.

Palace of Holyrrodhouse in Edinburgh

In the House of Lords, the Chancellor sits on a sack of wool. This tradition comes from old times when sheep wool made England rich and powerful. In the House of Commons there are two rows of benches: one row is for the government and the other one is for opposition. There is a red line in the carpet in front of each “front bench”. The person who is speaking is not allowed to step across it. It is also a tradition from old days, when that division prevented the two parties from fighting during the debates. Even the Legislation of the country is traditional. It includes many laws that haven’t been changed for centuries. Other traditional features of Great Britain are the numerous clubs that unite people of various interests; and the pubs, the local beer halls, where Englishmen like to spend their time talking, discussing traditional matters: politics, sports, and weather, over a glass of beer. The British have a reputation of being conservative, for having established values without questioning their validity. They drive on the left side of the road and use double-decker buses. They stick to their own measurement system and continue to measure distances in miles and yards (not in kilometres and metres). They buy cheese in pounds and ounces, milk in pints, petrol in gallons.

Fire-place

English people are famous for their habit of politeness. It is considered polite to give up one’s seat to a woman who is standing, to open a door for her, carry things for her, and so on. Most British people expect the person in front of them to hold the door open for them. People think you are rude, if you don’t do this. English people are very reserved. This means that they don’t talk much to strangers, and don’t show much emotion. A reserved person never tells you anything about himself. But the people of the North and West of Britain are much less reserved than those of the South and East. Most British people queue when they are waiting for a bus or waiting to be served in a shop. But during the rush hour, when a bus or train arrives, people often push forward to make sure they get on. This is called jumping the queue. British people keep their old traditions and are very proud of them. They are famous for their sense of humour. English people show great love for animals. And, of course, English people are fond of sports. Many continentals think life is a game; the English think cricket is a game. To many Englishmen cricket is both a game and a standard of behaviour. When they consider something unfair, they say “That isn’t cricket”.

Cricket

The traditional love of English people for tea is well known. They like to drink tea with milk. They have their five-o’clock tea not only at home or in offices, but also in tea-rooms and tea-shops, which can be found in every town.

A nation is born from its land, its history, its art, its traditions and its institutions. These things work together to make people what they are. But above all, a nation is made up of people, and although there are things they all share, all of those people are different. We can say there is still a “British nation,” and one of the most characteristic features of Englishmen is their traditions, which they respect, and which they have kept for centuries. The traditions don’t only accumulate the experience and wisdom of many generations, but they bring some stability into the rapidly changing world.

7. Each country takes pride in its own achievements and success. What makes you feel proud of your country?

Our country is great, and I’m very proud of it. Russia is famous for its outstanding people – scientists, writers, poets, travellers and explorers. Russia is a stable and democratic society. Its citizens have many freedoms, among them the freedom of speech, religion and the press. Russia is a member of the United Nations. Russia is one of the largest trading countries. It has a lot of energy resources and exports oil and natural gas. Russia has for centuries encouraged research and innovation and it has a lot of achievements throughout the twentieth century. Nobel prizes for science, literature and peace have been won by Russian citizens. In the fields of art, media and sports, Russia enjoys an international reputation. Russia has nuclear weapons, a strong army and remains a widely-respected country.

For ages mankind was dreaming of travelling in the space. The science itself came later. K. E. Tsiolkovsky, the great Russian scientist, is the father of the theory of interplanetary travels. His words that “mankind will not remain on the Earth forever” came true. On 4 October 1957 the Soviet Union launched the world’s first satellite “Sputnik”. This word, “sputnik”, immediately began to be used in all languages. The first cosmonaut on the Earth to fly into space, Yuri Gagarin, was from Russia, and he made his flight around the Earth on 12 April 1961 that lasted 1 hour 48 minutes. Years will pass, people will conquer the Universe and make landings on other planets, but mankind will always remember Yury Gagarin as the first to pave the way to the stars.

Russia is also famous for its ancient churches, cathedrals, and towns. Moscow, the capital of Russia, is famous for its monuments to outstanding people, churches, galleries, theatres, squares and streets.

The heart of Moscow is Red Square. It’s my favourite place in my native city. I show it to all my guests from different countries. It is our history, and I’d like to tell you some facts about the buildings on it. St Basil’s Cathedral was built in 1551–1561 after the victory over the Kazan Kingdom. It’s a magnificent Cathedral, with eight churches placed around the tallest ninth one. There is a monument to Minin and Pozharsky in front of the Cathedral. It was built in 1818 and it was the first statue put up in Moscow. Minin and Pozharsky were heroes of the people’s struggle in the war against Poland in 1612. You can see Lobnoye Mesto near the Cathedral. It was erected in the 16 century; the tsar’s orders were read from it, also it was used as a place for execution. The tallest tower of the Kremlin is the Spasskaya Tower. It’s also on Red Square. It’s one of the symbols of Moscow, because the Kremlin clock, made in the 16th century, is on it. The clock strikes on the hour, half hour and quarter of an hour. The Lenin Mausoleum is in the centre of the square. It was at first made of wood; and in 1930 it was rebuilt, and made of stone, brick, marble and granite. The State History Museum was opened in 1883. It has a rich collection of documents, drawings, pictures, and materials about the country’s past and Russia’s great people. The State Department Store (GUM) is one of the largest department stores in the country. It is an impressive building with a glass roof.

Of course the most ancient part of Moscow is the Kremlin. Nowadays the Kremlin centre looks truly magnificent, with its many-domed cathedrals in Cathedral Square and with its Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon.

A very interesting place in Moscow is the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The original cathedral was erected by order of Emperor Alexander as a token of the Russian people’s gratitude to God for the deliverance of Russia from Napoleon’s invasion in 1812. In 1931 it was demolished by order of Josef Stalin. In 1995, Moscow’s Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and the world-famous musician Mstislav Rostropovich laid the first stone in the foundation of the new Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Today you can admire this Cathedral in the centre of Moscow.

People in Russia keep their old traditions and are very proud of them. They celebrate religious holidays such as Easter, Christmas, and Maslenitsa. They eat traditional food for Maslenitsa such as pancakes with honey, caviar or sour cream; they colour eggs; bake kulich cakes; make a paskha out of cottage cheese for Easter. Many Russians are religious people. The main church in Russia is the Orthodox Church, but there are other religions too. The Orthodox Church has survived during hard times, and now we speak about a rebirth of religion in our country.

Russian people are open-hearted, hospitable, and friendly. They like to invite guests to their homes and cities; they like to give traditional souvenirs to their foreign friends such as matryoshka dolls, beautifully painted mugs, plate and spoons from the village of Khokhloma, Palekh boxes, art books, badges and etc.

We are proud of our famous and talented poets and writers such as Alexander Pushkin, Michael Lermontov and many others. We are proud of our famous composer Peter Tchaikovsky and one of our famous artists, Isaak Levitan. We can see his paintings and the paintings of other outstanding Russian artists, such as Repin, Vasnetsov, Shishkin, Surikov, Benua, Korovin, etc., in the Tretyakov Gallery. It is one of the most famous and well-known picture galleries in our country and in the world. It is situated in the centre of Moscow and is named after its founder Pavel Tretyakov. He began to collect Russian paintings in 1856. He was a famous patron of arts. In 1892 Tretyakov donated his collection to Moscow.

Russia is proud of its famous sportsmen who win a lot of gold, silver and bronze medals in different international sports competitions.

So, I’m very proud of my country, my native city and the people who brought a lot of fame to my country. And I invite everyone, who has never been to my country, to visit it, and to see its achievements with their own eyes.

8. What famous people from Russia would you tell your foreign friends about? Which famous British and American people do you admire? What made/makes them famous? Each country is proud of its famous people, and Russia is among them. I’d like to tell you about Russian famous writers, poets and musicians, because I’m fond of literature and music. A. Pushkin is the most important Russian writer and poet of all time. He is like Shakespeare in England. He provided the standards for Russian arts and literature in the 19th century. In 1823 Pushkin began writing his masterpiece “Eugene Onegin”. It became his linguistic and literary standard. It is a commentary on the life of early 19th century Russia. Pushkin also wrote a lot of other poems and created masterpieces in drama and prose. All Russian people know Pushkin. Galleries and museums were named after him. In the centre of Moscow there is a monument to Pushkin built by the famous Russian architect Opekunshin in 1880. Pushkin’s memorial museums in different cities attract many visitors. One of the other famous poets and writers in Russia was M. Lermontov. He won fame as a poet after his poem on Pushkin’s death had been published. Lermontov’s poems “Demon”, “Mtsyri”, his great novel A Hero of Our Time and his play “Masquerade” are masterpieces of Russian literature.As for me I like reading F. Dostoevsky and L. Tolstoy. They are famous Russian writers. I like M. Bulgakov; Master and Margarita is one of the world’s masterpieces. I often go to Patriarch’s Pond where the book begins. It has a special atmosphere even now. I go there to be inspired. I like reading poetry, and Anna Ahmatova is my favourite. Russian’s famous musicians and composers such as Sergei Rachmaninov and Peter Tchaikovsky are recognized all over the world. Tchaikovsky composed a lot of symphonies and created beautiful music for operas and ballets. His famous operas “Eugene Onegin”, and “Iolanta” and his famous ballets “The Swan Lake”, “The Sleeping Beauty” are masterpieces. His memorial museum was opened in 1894 in Klin not far from Moscow. And the international Tchaikovsky Music Competition started in 1958 in Moscow. S. Rachmaninov was an outstanding Russian composer and pianist. He became famous with audiences around the world for his piano performances.Great Britain is also proud of its famous people. And I’d like to tell you about one of its famous writers A. Conan Doyle. He invented Sherlock Holmes, one of the most famous characters and detectives. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Scotland. He was a doctor. In 1882 he moved to England to set up a practice. One of the doctors he worked for, was the model for Dr. Watson. Conan Doyle’s medical knowledge was a great help in his detective stories. He started the fashion of the detective stories. Nowadays I don’t know a person who doesn’t like detective stories. We know a lot about Sherlock Holmes. We even know his address – 221 “B” Baker Street in London. If you go to London, you won’t find 221 “B” Baker Street. But instead, you can go to a pub called “The Sherlock Holmes” in Northumberland Street (near Trafalgar Square). In that pub there is a room like his room at 221 “B” Baker Street, as described in Conan Doyle’s stories. There is also the stuffed head of a hound. It is said to be the original “hound of the Baskervilles”. A lot of tourists visit this pub. When Conan Doyle began to get tired of writing detective stories, he “killed” Holmes in one of his stories. But the public didn’t like it. Conan Doyle had to write another story in which Holmes came back. So we can say that Conan Doyle was a famous British writer. He became popular because of his love for people.I also admire American famous people. I’d like to tell you about Walt Disney, the pioneer of animated cartoons. He is famous for creating such cartoon characters as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy and others. He was born in 1901 in Chicago. His father was a carpenter, farmer and building contractor. So the family changed homes several times. In 1917 Walt entered a Higher School in Chicago, where he took photographs, made drawings for the school paper and studied cartooning, for he wanted to get a job as a newspaper cartoonist. After World War 1, in which he participated as a truck driver for the American Red Cross in France and Germany, he returned to Kansas City. There he met Ub Iverk who turned into his partner for life. They started a small studio of their own and began making short animated advertising films. In 1927 Mickey Mouse appeared. Disney himself provided the voice for Mickey. Then the other cartoons appeared. Gradually, the Disney studio turned into a big enterprise and began to produce a variety of cartoons for children. And it was he, who initiated plans for a huge amusement park, which is known as Disneyland. A lot of grown-ups and children visit this park and remember the person who founded it, Walt Disney. And, of course, they remember Walt Disney because of his remarkable cartoons.

9. What would you tell your foreign friends about traditional Russian holidays and celebrations? What do you think your British friends will tell you about their traditional holidays and celebrations?

Every country has its own national holidays, but there are holidays that are common for many countries. People all over the world know New Year’s Day, Christmas and Easter. In Russia, New Year’s Day is the most popular holiday; but in the West people pay more attention to Christmas.

Christmas