JUST HOW MUCH DO THEY LOVE THEIR PETS?

Do you have a pet? It is not a secret that British people love their pets to bits and would do anything to make their life enjoyable. But just how far does this love go? The answer is quite far.

As you walk anywhere in Britain, you are greeted by hundreds of literally smiling cat faces, which makes you think that the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland might not have been a mere product of Lewis Carroll’s imagination. Well, British cats have every reason to smile. British pet owners spend around 3.5 billion pounds a year on pet care and products.

There are some pet owners who spend thousands of pounds on medical care to keep their sick pets alive. Pets can even have their teeth cleaned and special pet contact lenses prescribed. Recently, it has become legal to use organ transplants to treat serious pet illnesses, such as kidney failure. However, it has not yet been decided on the source of donor organs. In America, organ transplants for pets have been allowed for a long time. Normally, owners of sick pets receiving the organs are expected to adopt the donor animal, usually a stray animal, and care for both.

There are a number of pet accessories available to pets and their owners. Special flashing collars for walking at night, water-resistant dog jackets, car ramps for old and overweight dogs – you name it, they have got it! There are also special accessories designed to keep your pet fit, such as treadmills for dogs to exercise indoors or orthopaedic beds for dogs that suffer from a bad back. There is even a special pet hotel in Newcastle-upon-Tyne that offers cats and dogs an opportunity to exercise in the indoor gym, relax in the jacuzzi or watch videos of their owners on personal TV and video sets.

Unfortunately, in spite of Britain’s reputation as pet lovers, animal abuse and cruelty still happen. There are a number of organisations that protect animals in Britain, but the most important is the RSPCA – the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The word ‘Royal’ indicates that the Society is under special patronage of the Queen. Compare this to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and you will get a quick taste of how serious the British are about animal welfare.

Although all pets are entitled to love and devotion from their owners, there are some pets that deserve good treatment and care more than others. These are assistance dogs. Endal, an assistance dog owned by a Gulf-war veteran Allen Parton, who is confined to a wheel-chair after suffering a serious head injury, has even won a number of awards recognizing the dog’s achievements in helping people. Endal can use cashpoint machines, buy bus tickets and do the shopping.

Endal is not the only dog that deserves a reward. For example, Rosie, a search and rescue dog from Scotland, once helped find a three-year –old boy who had gone missing. The list can be easily continued.

Well, the British may be crazy about animals, but isn’t it nice to know that the animals themselves play an increasingly important role in British life?

Cheshire [‘t e iə] cat – Чеширскийкот

mere [miə] – всеголишь

lens [lenz] - линза

to prescribe [pri’skraib] – прописывать

legal [‘li:gəl] – законный

toadopt [ə’dpt] – принимать как члена семьи, усыновлять

available [ə’veiləbl] – доступный

overweight [əuvə’weit] – грузный, страдающий ожирением

orthopaedic [ : ə’pi:dik] – ортопедический

patronage [‘pætrənid ] – покровительство, патронаж

togetaquicktaste – получит краткое представление

Ex .8. Translate the sentences into English:

1. Некоторые ученые утверждают, что домашние собаки появились примерно 12000 лет назад, и что они произошли (toderive) непосредственно от волков.

2. Трудно поверить, что крошечный терьер или пудель – близкие родственники волку, не правда ли?

3. Люди быстро поняли, что собак можно использовать, чтобы охранять, пасти и охотиться.

4. Велш-корги (Welshcorgi) – любимые собаки королевы Елизаветы II. Их у нее сейчас 4, они спят в своей собственной спальне рядом со спальней королевы. Елизавета предпочитает сама выгуливать своих любимчиков.

5. Охота – это популярный спорт во многих странах, а хорошая охота невозможна без натренированной борзой, сеттера, ретривера или таксы.

Примечания:

Greyhound [‘greihaund] – борзая       dachshund [‘dækshund] – такса 

setter – сеттер                                      Newfoundland [‘nju:fəndlənd] – ньюфаундленд

retriever [ri’tri:və] – ретриверSt. Bernard [sənt’bə:nəd] – сенбернар

6. Собаки могут работать во многих областях. Например, ньюфаундленд – отличный пловец и его используют в спасательных работах на море.

7. Огромные сенбернары находят людей, потерявшихся в горах под снежными завалами.

8. В 1928 году была впервые обучена (totrain) собака как поводырь (aguide) для слепых людей. В наши дни есть много таких собак. Они не должны бояться интенсивного движения (heavytraffic), людных (crowded) улиц и присутствия других животных, включая кошек.

9. Всем известно о собаках-полицейских. Английские полицейские в 15 век брали собак с собой, когда патрулировали (topatrol) город, но в основном для того, чтобы собаки составляли им компанию (to keep them company).

10. Некоторые полицейские собаки обучены искать наркотики или взрывчатые вещества (explosives). Таможенники (customofficers) утверждают, что собаки могут обнаружить (todetect) взрывчатку даже в закрытых герметичных контейнерах.

Ex. 9. Almost everyone has a hobby. The British are fond of collecting different things. Read the text and explain:

A) What people can collect these days;

B) who can afford to collect valuable things buying them at an auction;

C) why some people pay extraordinary prices for some collector’s pieces;

D) how collectors keep their collections;

E) if you have any hobby. If yes, what is it?

COLLECTOR’S PIECES

What’s so special about biscuit tins, soldiers’ hats, postcards, buttons, old toys, stamps, matchboxes, bottles, spoons, coins, shells, china dogs and old clocks? Nothing, you might think. But you would be wrong. Someone, somewhere, is sure to be collecting them.

Collecting things is very popular these days. Paintings, works of art and valuable books have, of course, always been collected. But only the rich could make collections of that kind. Less wealthy people collected only stamps, or birds’ eggs, or shells.

But now, collecting is open to everyone, and the smallest, most ordinary objects are suddenly found to be valuable “collector’s pieces”. Every week, there are reports of extraordinary prices being paid for the simplest things. Quite recently, for example, an old photograph of Westminster Abbey sold for about £ 10.000.

You can understand a collector who pays £ 46.000 for a Chinese Ming vase of the fourteenth century. But why did someone pay £ 36.000 for a small model of a ship? And why did someone else pay £ 1.500 for an old cigarette lighter?

Collecting things is such an important nation interest that quite a big industry has grown up around it. You can buy beautiful wooden cases to keep your coin collection in, and special lock-up cupboards for your precious old buttons. For your stamps and postcards, of course, you’ll need albums, and your nineteenth-century toy soldiers will need a special glass case.

How will you build up your collection of African jewelry, or old jugs? That’s easy. In London, you’ll go to the famous markets in the Portobello Road* or in Covent Garden*. There you will find hundreds of “dealers” with shops full of old things who will be happy to help you find that special object to complete your collection.

All this collecting fever is making people more careful. They are beginning to wonder if the pile of old rubbish up in the roof is really quite valuable. Perhaps Grandfather’s pipe and Grandmother’s umbrella are collector’s pieces. Who knows? After all, quite recently an old golf ball sold for £ 1.760.

shell – раковина (морская)

valuable [‘væljuəbl] – ценный, дорогой

precious [‘pre əs] – очень ценный, дорогостоящий

jewelry [‘duəlri] – ювелирные изделия, драгоценности

jug [dg] – кувшин

*PortobelloRoad [‘p :təbelu] – ПортобеллоРоуд, улица в западном Лондоне, известная своим ежедневным рынком, особенно тем, что проводится по субботам. Рынок славится разнообразием товаров, но его основной достопримечательностью является антиквариат, изделия Викторианской эпохи и различные старые вещи, среди которых попадаются и весьма ценные.

*CoventGarden [‘kvənt ‘ga:dn] – КовентГарден, известный в Лондоне рынок, где можно купить фрукты, овощи и цветы. В 1980 году отреставрированные здания старого рынка были открыты в виде целого комплекса магазинов, кафе и променад (мест для прогулок).

fever [‘fi:və] – лихорадка

pipe [‘paip] – трубка (курительная)

Ex. 10. The British are famous all over the world for their conservatism. They hardly ever change their habits and lifestyle. Pubs and clubs are the brightest examples of this. Read the following text and:

- find the equivalents of the words and phrases:

уникальный, отличительный (другой) по характеру), дружелюбный (общительный), среднестатистический человек, вне класса, примечательный аспект, сходить и принести, клиент, штат (обслуживающий персонал), обращение к традициям, вывеска, старомодный (вышедший из моды), вид занятий, полная противоположность, пивоваренная компания;

- make up a short report on the topic;

- make up dialogues to share your impressions. Are Russian cafes and coffee bars similar to English pubs?

PUBS IN BRITAIN

The British pub is unique. It’s not only different in character from bars or cafes in other countries, but also from any other public place in Britain itself. Without pubs, Britain would be a less sociable country. The pub is the only indoor place where an average person can comfortably meet others, even strangers, and talk. In cafes and fast food restaurants people are expected to drink their coffee and get out. The atmosphere in other eating places is often rather formal. But pubs, like fast food restaurants, are classless.

Pubs have changed distinctively in the last few decades. They used to serve almost nothing but beer and spirits. These days, you can get wine, coffee and some hot food at most of them. At one time, it was unusual for women to go to pubs. These days, only a few pubs exist where it is surprisingly for a woman to walk in.

Nevertheless, pubs have retained their special character. One of their notable aspects is that there is no waiter service. To be served at the table is discomforting for many people. It makes them feel they have to be on their best behaviour. But because in pubs you have to go and fetch your drinks yourself, it is more informal. You can get up and walk around whenever you want – it is like being in your own house. This “home to home” atmosphere is enhanced by the relationship between customers and those who work in pubs. Unlike in any other eating or drinking place in Britain, the staff are expected to know the regular customers personally, to know what their usual drink is and to chat with them when they are not serving someone.

Another notable aspect of pubs is their appeal to the idea of tradition. For example, each has its own name, proclaimed on a sign hanging outside, always with old-fashioned associations. Many are called by the name of an aristocrat (for example, “The Duke of Cambridge”) or after a monarch, others take their names from some traditional occupations (“The Bricklayer’s Arms”), they often have rural associations, for example, “The Bull”.

The person who runs a pub is referred to as the landlord, though in reality he is the exact opposite. He is a tenant. Nearly all pubs are owned by a brewery. The landlord is simply employed by the brewery as its manager. But the word is used because it evokes earlier times when all pubs were privately owned “inns” where travellers could find a bed for the night.

Ex. 11. Read the text and answer the questions:

1. What kinds of clubs are there in Britain?

2. Are vintage cars old or new?

3. How old should they be to take part in a rally?

4. What distance must they cover?

5. When and where does a rally for vintage cars start?

6. What club occupies a special place among other London clubs?

7. Who was it founded by? What was Winston Churchill’s occupation?

8.  When do members of The Other Club usually gather?

9. Are their meetings private?

10. Why was Kaspar placed near Winston Churchill?

11. What kind of people can you see in the list of The Other Club?

12. What is the aim of this club?

CLUBS IN BRITAIN

The club is a British institution. There exist school clubs and college clubs, political clubs and cultural clubs, sports clubs of all sorts, including yacht clubs and driving clubs. One of the most popular driving clubs in England unites the owners of “vintage” cars. These cars have to be in a very good condition. Lots of British people keep or collect vintage cars. And on the first Sunday in November there is a special rally for them. It starts in London and finishes in Brighton, a town on the south coast of England. That’s a distance of 70 kilometres. Before 1896 a man with a red flag had to walk in front of cars. In 1896 that changed. A lot of people in the rally wear “vintage” clothes, too.

Among the most famous clubs of London The Other Club occupies a special place. It was founded in 1911 by Winston Churchill. Members of the club gather for dinner once a month when Parliament is in session. They meet in the Savoy Hotel and these meetings are strictly private.

The Other Club is rich in traditions. Many of them are connected with Winston Churchill. At his behest a large wooden black cat was placed near him at dinner with a napkin around its neck. The name of the black cat was Kaspar. It was placed near Winston Churchill whenever there were only 13 at table. Limited to 50, the list of membership includes members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and other prominent people. It was given the name The Other Club because it aims always to hear the other man’s point of view.

yacht [j t] – яхта

vintage [‘vintid ] cars – автомобилистарыхмарок

tooccupy [‘ kjupai] – занимать (место)

strictly [‘striktli] – строго

private [‘praivit] – частный

behest [bi’hest] – заповедь, завет

napkin [‘næpkin] – салфетка

toaim [eim] – ставить своей целью

point of view [vju:] – точказрения

Ex.12. Translate into English:

1. Британцы, особенно англичане, более сдержанны (reserved), чем люди в других странах. Они не любят показывать свои эмоции, им не нравятся вопросы об их частной жизни и им требуется больше времени, чтобы подружиться с вами.

2. Не расстраивайтесь, если ваши английские друзья не приглашают вас к себе домой сразу же после знакомства. Просто им хотелось бы узнать вас получше, прежде чем сделать это.

3. Еда в пабах дешевле, чем в большинстве ресторанов. Кроме того, в пабах не нужно оставлять чаевые, потому что там нет официантов.

4. В каждой стране существуют свои «неписанные правила» о хороших и плохих манерах. Британцы любят говорить: «Когда вы в Риме, делайте то, что делают римляне (поступайте так, как они поступают).

5. Даже вновь построенный паб часто по дизайну похож на старое здание и внутри, и снаружи. Окна маленькие, они помогают создать в пабе уютную домашнюю обстановку.

6. Очень немногие пабы имеют столы снаружи. Британцы считают, что их частная жизнь – это их право на приватность. Они не хотят, чтобы кто-либо видел, как они выпивают, болтают с друзьями и отдыхают.

7. Детям до 14 лет не разрешают входить в те пабы, у которых нет детского сертификата. Вот почему маленький сад на заднем дворе – это преимущество для тех посетителей, которые приходят в паб вместе с детьми.

8. В большинстве пабов есть пианино, и в субботу вечером посетители собираются вокруг инструмента, пьют свое пиво и поют свои любимые песни.