A Magical City

Reading

NOUN-FORMING SUFFIXES

Language Study

1. -er, -or, -ist, -(i)an, -ent, -ant, -ate mean “a peron who”, “a thing which” as worker doctor, specialist,librarian, student, applicant, mecenate.

These words are derived from verbs, adjectives, nouns: work – worker; special –specialist; library – librarian.

2. -ion, -tion, -ation, -sion, -ance, -ence, -ment mean “state”, “action”, “the act of”

as in reconstruction, information, excursion, existance, development. These words are derived from verbs: develop – development.

3. -ness, -ism, -dom, -ship all mean “condition” or “state” as in darkness, enthusiasm,

kingdom, partership. These words are derived from nouns, adjectives: dark – dark- ness; king – kingdom.

4. -ence means “quality of” as in independence. These words are derived from

adjectives: independent – independence

5. - ity, -y mean “quality” or “state” as in possibility, mystery. These words are derived

from adjectives: possible – possibility.

6. – ture, - sure mean “a thing which” or“state” as in picture, pressure. These words are derived from verbs: press – pressure; create - creature.

Table 3. Noun Suffixes

-er foreigner	-or visitors	-ist florist	-(i)an bohemian	-ent deterrent	-ant restaurant
-ate mecenate	-ion fashion	-tion collection	-ation destination	-sion expansion	-ance existance
-ence ambience	-ment monument	-ness business	-ism tourism	-dom kingdom	-shipfriendship
-ence experience	-hood neighbourhood	-y discovery	-ity rarity	-ture furniture	-sure leisure

Ex. 22. Read the word combinations and underline suffixes in the nouns then translate them.

Treasure house, transportation system, complete collections, light-heartedness, place's obsession with modernism, must-see destinations, reconstructions and the uncountable escavations,supremacy of the territory, overseas visitors, department stores, glittering embankment, tsarist government, to attract spectators, significant contributions, compete for supremacy, outstanding feature, neighbourhood regions; relentless decadence, systems of fortification, mecenates, nordic Barbarians, the Marquisate of Tuscany, culture imperialism, citizenship, early childhood, nation’s prosperity, luxury accomodation.

Ex. 23. Read the text and try to comprehend it.

The city of Parisconjures up (= содержать) magic in its very name. Jennifer Sharpies takes you around the world's most fabled capital, of the historic palaces, the glittering fashion houses and the teemeng pavement cafes.

One of the world's most fabled capitals, Paris is an intriguing city that presents many faces to visitors who cannot fail to be enchanted by its whimsical (= завораживающий) charms. It is the epitome (= олицетворение) of modern sophistication, yet still a treasure house of ancient history and art bearing monument to a colourful past. Playground of the international jet-set for centuries, it has attracted artists and writers such as Picasso, Stravinsky and Hemingway in search of inspiration.

Boasting world famous restaurants such as Maxims and l'Espadon, there are countless pavement cafes and hidden bistros providing sumptuous cuisine from every region of France. Famed as the Capital of the Night, there are lots of sophisticated shows such as the Moulin Rouge, night clubs and theatres in addition to the opera. Alternatively, a stroll through Montmatre or along the banks of the River Seine can be equally romantic and entertaining.

Proud of being a futuristic city, Paris has an excellent transportation system in its very efficient metro and bus network. Exercise and exploration can be pleasantly combined by strolling along the wide tree-lined boulevards with irresistible refueling stops for coffee and sumptuous pastries at many pavement cafes.

WHAT TO SEE

The heart of Paris beats around the legendary River Seine with its ancient bridges. The conventional Right Bank is the home of commerce, glittering haute couture fashion houses and embassies while the bohemian Left Bank is home to the Sorbonne University and a myriad of bookshops.

On the Right Bank in the city centre lies l'Arch de Triomphe, one of the largest monuments of its kind which was commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon to honour the French army. Beneath the central arch, rests the body of an unknown soldier, commemorating the heroic dead of the 1914-1918 War and it is here that the Eternal Flame burns. The strangely ordered chaos of driving around the arch is possibly one of the world's greatest driving challenges, since radiating from the arch are 12 of Paris's main avenues. These include the exclusive Avenue Foch and the elegant tree-lined expanse of the Champs Elysees which leads to the centre of the city's cultural area and the Place de la Concorde, one of Paris's finest squares where more than one thousand people were beheaded during the Revolution. Along the Right Bank of the River Seine lies the Louvre, which built in the 13th century as a fort, became one of the world's largest royal palaces. Through the centuries it was inhabited, deserted and rebuilt by Kings, Emperors and finally a Republic before becoming the Louvre Museum that is a testimony to both history and fine arts: not only does it house superb art collections and astounding treasures, it is architecturally fascinating with a 17th century French classical Baroque facade and wonderful examples of Renaissance styles. Covering an area of 40 acres, to really do justice to the Louvre, you need to plan several visits or spend a full day roaming through the collections because it is so vast and inspiring. In the gardens to the west of the Louvre, the antique style Arc de Triomphe du Carousel grandly embraces the spacious cool grounds of the Tuileries that are a perfect example of a French formal garden, where there was once a famous palace that was destroyed in 1871. For anyone wanting to visit a palace, the nearby Palais-Royal dating back to 1639 has a colourful history. Besides witnessing the extravagant activities of royalty, it was the backdrop (= фон) for Camille Desmoulins when he made the call for arms that ignited the French Revolution.

A HOME FOR BOHEMIANS

Perched high over Paris on the Right Bank, Montmatre or la Butte' as it is locally known, still bears some resemblance to the country village that it was 400 years ago. It is also a "village" of contrasts: picturesque winding streets end up in crowded boulevards. The sacred Basilica of the Sacre-Coeur is not far from the chorus lines of the Moulin Rouge. Crowded with talented artists of all nationalities who will offer to paint your portrait, the area is renowned as the home of artists, writers and bohemians. It was here that Van Gogh, Gaugin and Renoir worked. The Sacre-Coeur church which can best be described as Romano-Byzantine with its ornate mosaic floors and elaborate white exterior is topped by a tall dome that on a clear day provides outstanding views of the surrounding area.

A contrast to Montmatre but still astride the Right Bank sits the indomitable Notre Dame Cathedral, a masterpiece of medieval Gothic art and incomparable beauty that is a national shrine. Built on the remains of a Roman temple between 1163-1250 and restored in the mid-19th century, it is the country's spiritual centre and can hold around 9,000 people. On the main grandiose facade, three great sculptured portals depict the Last Judgement and the lives of the Virgin Mary and St. Anne. The Gallery of the Kings of Judah has 28 lovely statues above which is a magnificent rose window which is 31 feet in diameter. In one of the side towers hangs the Bourdon, a famous bell weighing 13 tonnes and dating to 1400. Its purity of tone is much admired and was achieved in the 1680-s when the bronze bell was melted down and mixed with gold and silver jewelry donated by the nobility. The spire rises 321 feet above the ground and at night, subtle lighting lends mysterious life to the ancient stones revealing hidden details.

Opposite Notre Dame on the Left Bank, lies the famous Latin Quarter which in the 13th century was where the first university was sited. The area derives its name from the fact that until the 18th century, Latin was the language of the university. It is an area of famous colleges, old churches, jazz clubs and busy pavement cafes. Around the Sorbonne University, the streets are teeming with little bookshops and favoured intellectual cafes where throngs of students pass the time setting the world to rights. Close by are the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens, adorned with acres of flower beds, horse chestnuts, beeches, beautiful statues and ornamental ponds. West of the Latin Quarter near Quai d'Orsay is the Invalides, made famous by Napoleon. Nearby you will find the highly acclaimed Musee d'Orsay home to one of the world's most complete collections of impressionist art.

MAGICAL CITY

Montparnasse is famed as the home of the Can Can dance which originated here in 1845. In the 1920s many of the avant garde flocked over from Montmatre to enjoy its free living ambience, many bars and restaurants being frequented by Henry Miller and his friends. The trappings of real literature are to be found in Saint Germaine des Pres which abounds with publishing houses, book shops and literary cafes that are perfect for the Parisians' favourite sport of people watching. However, the area is not entirely a seat of learning as there are many excellent discos and jazz clubs. Amidst ancient churches, art galleries and seats of learning, fire-eaters and musicians can be found providing impromptu [im´prɔmptju:] (= спонтанный) performances outside cafes, collecting their rewards in a hat. A visit to Paris would hardly be complete without a trip up the Eiffel Tower. Overlooking the Champ de Mars parade ground, the tower is not merely a monument but a symbol of Paris. When it was constructed for the World Fair of 1889 it was an astounding feat of engineering and the tallest building in the world – 15,000 pieces of metal joined together by 2,500,000 rivets – towering almost 1,000 feet up in the air. The gallery at the top platform provides the best observatory from which to view Paris. On a clear day, a 60 mile view along the winding Seine can be obtained. However, a word of warning for the wary (= опасность) as the sway (= раскачивание) of the tower can be felt even a few feet from the ground.

The city of Paris, considered to be one of the most romantic in the world, is very much a city of people that conjures up magic in its very name. The best way to become part of that magic is to roam around this cosmopolitan city absorbing the atmosphere and ambience created by the glittering fashion houses, historic palaces and teeming pavement cafes.

(World of Travel)

Ex. 24. Find in the text and tell about:

1) names of famous people whose life was connected with Paris,

2) names of the most famous sightseeings enumerated in the text,

3) the most significant landmarks in the history of the city.

Ex. 25. Find in the text:

a) the synonims to the words below among the highlighted words of the text:

well-known deposition holds decorated

brilliant feeling shows place

unavoidable achievement fashionable numerous

miraculous groups produce to stroll

alive serpentine ordered often visited

unique cosmopolitan celebrated bright

b) the words in bold and explain them,

c) the article “the” before the Proper Names in the text and try to explain its position there.

Ex.26. Answer the questions according to the text.

1. Can you sum up the whole impression of Paris in a phrase which is given in the text?
2. Why did artists, writers and actors go to Paris in search of inspiration?
3. Why is Paris often called as The Capital of Night?
4. Can you prove, according to the text, that Paris is not definitely a museum but a modern futuristic city?
5. What can be traditionally considered as the centre of the city?
6. What is the name of the best known street of the city and where is it situated?
7. When was the Louvre built and what is its area?
8. What is Left Bank famous for?
9. What was Montmatre 400 years ago?
10. How is the Sacre-Coeur church different from Notre Dame Cathedral?
11. Where is the world’s most celebrated collection of impressionst art displayed?
12. How do the Parisians like to spend their leisure time?
13. Why did the Eiffel Tower use to be the astounding feat of engineering and is the best observatory to view Paris now?
14. What entertainment establishments are located in Montparnasse?

Ex.27. Read the text below and choose a suitable heading for it from two below.

Two cities: Madrid and Barcelona. Inter-city rivalry

A tale of two cities.

Not as different as they look.

A VISITOR from Barcelona arrives at a Madrid government office in mid-afternoon, and is surprised to find only the cleaning lady there. "Don't they work in the afternoons?" he asks. "No," she replies, "they don't work in the mornings. In the afternoons they don't come."

Lazy Madrid, busy Barcelona: it is just one of many stereotypes about Spain's great rivals. Mostly, the stereotypes are born of Barcelona's bitterness at its second-class status. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a proudly autonomous region, but Madrid is the capital of Spain. This causes resentment (= недовольство). It makes Barcelona the largest city in Western Europe not to be a national capital. Worse, Barcelona (Catalonia's capital since the ninth century) regards Madrid (a creation of Philip II in the 16th century) as an upstart. Catalans rarely miss a chance to have a dig at the folks from Castille.

And, after being bossed about for so long, who can blame them? Over the years governments in Madrid did their best to strip Barcelona of political power. They tried to squash the Catalan language. They even decided what the modern city should look like: in 1860 an order from Madrid overruled Barcelona's choice of plan for its big expansion, and opted for (= избрать) a grid layout.

"We are more liberal, and that explains almost everything," says Miquel Roes who, as a parliamentary leader of the Catalan Nationalists, spends much of his time shuttling between the two cities. Barcelona has the liberalism that often characterizes port cities. As Catalans see it, while Madrid bathes in bureaucracy, Barcelona gets on with business. An old-fashioned seriousness in Madrid, isolated high up on Spain's central plateau, contrasts with the light-heartedness of Barcelona, open to Europe and aggressively avantgarde. Up to a point, these old caricatures still hold true. No visitor to government buildings in the two cities can fail to be struck by the contrast between them. In Madrid, there are creaky ancient wooden floors, antique furniture and walls covered with paintings by Spanish old masters. In Barcelona, the city of Gaudi and Miro, designer chairs and tables are evidence of the place's obsession with modernism. Meetings of the Catalan cabinet are held in a room with a large, modern painting by Antoni Tapies.

And yet, these days, the similarities between the two cities are at least as striking as the contrasts. Madrid is hardly lazy any more. Visitors find it hard to keep up with the pace of the place. Nor is it old-fashioned. Indeed, it has become almost outrageously modern. To judge by the local cuisine, you would think the place was a port: although far from the sea, seafood is a miraculous Madrid specialty. In recent years once isolationist Madrid has become every bit as fanatical about "Europe" as Barcelona.

As banks and businesses have been drawn to Madrid, it has become as much a commercial and industrial centre as an administrative one. Barcelona, meanwhile, in Spain's traditional industrial heartland, has been experiencing a rise in bureaucracy.

The rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona is bound to remain fierce, not least on the soccer field, where Real Madrid and Barcelona compete for Spanish supremacy. Barcelona will continue to press for yet more power to be devolved to it from Madrid: it is calling for the Senate, Spain's upper house of parliament, to be moved to the Catalan capital. But with a lot of local autonomy restored, and with the success of the 1992 Olympics behind it, the chip on Barcelona's shoulder is becoming ever harder to detect.

Ex. 28. Read the text and check the comprehension of it. True or false? Listen and check.

1. Historically Barcelonans regard Madrid as a newcomer.

2. In the past Madrid made decisions that took power from Barcelona.

3. Busy Madrid, lazy Barcelona is just one of many stereotypes about two cities.

4. Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is the largest city in Western Europe and the traditional capital of the country.

5. Catalans rarely miss a chance to praise the folk from Castile.

6. Barcelona is liberal like most port cities and quite good at business.

7. The similarities between two cities now are not so striking as the contrasts between them.

8. Madrid is not only a commercial center of Spain, but also an administrative one.

9. On the soccer field Real Madrid and Barcelona continue to press each other.

10. The 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona were not so successful as everybody thinks.

Ex. 29. Choose the best alternative according to the text. Listen and check.

1. The stereotypes are born on Barcelona’s bitterness as its ______ status.

a) first-class b) upgrade c) lower d) second-hand

2. Over the years Madrid ______ to strip Barcelona from political power.

a) tried b) made efforts c) wanted d) failed

3. An old fashioned Madrid contrasts with ______ of Barcelona, open to Europe and avant garde.

a) laziness b) efficiency c) carelessness d) cheerfulness

4. Madrid is ______ lazy any more.

a) rather b) absolutely c) not d) hardly

5. In recent years Madrid has become every bit as ______ about “Europe” as Barcelona.

a) crazy b) dreaming c) enthusiastic d) irrational

6. Banks and business have been ______ Madrid.

a) located b) moved to c) forced d) brought

7. Historically, Barcelona regards Madrid as ______.

a) superior b) a new comer c) interior d) less efficient

Ex.30. Explain in the text: a) the changes from Past Simple to Present Perfect in the third, fourth and fifth paragraphs,

b) examples of conversion in the words given in bold.

Ex.31. Look through the text from stylistic point of view. What makes it sound alive?

Compare this text with the text about Paris. Is there any difference? Is it expressed in word choice, ideas, grammar structures, author’s attitude to the subject? Give the examples.

Дата добавления: 2015-03-31