Учебное пособие по развитию коммуникативной

Учебное пособие по развитию коммуникативной

Научный редактор: Л. К. Гребенкина, доктор пед. наук, профессор, академик-секретарь Международной академии наук пед. образования (МАНПО)

Рецензенты: С.А.Ламзин, докт., пед наук, проф., (РГУ им. С.А. Есенина)

Е.Е.Сухова, канд.пед.наук, доц., зав. каф. ин.яз. (РГУ им. С.А.Есенина)

Countries. Учебное пособие по развитию коммуникативной компетентности – Рязань: Издатель, 2012. – с.

В пособии представлен материал по страноведению на английском языке: информация о 17 странах в виде исторического обзора, политической, экономической и культурной стороны государств, данные об уровне жизни, экспорте, импорте и т.д. Также по каждой стране предлагается обсудить факты о политических лидерах, ознакомится со средствами массовой информации, тем самым студенты в полной мере могут получить представление о современном состоянии дел в странах Европы, Азии и Америки.

Ключевые слова: английский язык, коммуникативная компетентность, социо-лингвистическая компетентность, реферирование, аннотирование.

Предисловие……………………………………………………………………

1. Канада………………………………………………………………………..

2. США………………………………………………………………………….

3. Австралия…………………………………………………………………….

4. Новая Зеландия……………………………………………………………….

5. Таиланд………………………………………………………………………..

6. Германия………………………………………………………………………

7. Италия…………………………………………………………………………

8. Великобритания………………………………………………………………

9. Египет…………………………………………………………………………

10. Франция………………………………………………………………………

11. Индия………………………………………………………………………….

12. Ирландия………………………………………………………………………

13. Израиль и Палестина…………………………………………………………

14. Мальта…………………………………………………………………………

15. Россия…………………………………………………………………………

16. Турция…………………………………………………………………………

17. Голландия……………………………………………………………………..

Формирование коммуникативной компетентности

Прочтите следующий краткий обзор о Канаде.

Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia. Its population is only about one-fifth of Russia's however.

Nearly 90% of Canadians live within 200 km of the border with the United States, which means that Canada contains vast expanses of wilderness to the north.

The relationship to its powerful neighbor is a defining factor for Canada. The US and Canada have the world's largest trading relationship.

The North American Free Trade Agreement, involving Canada, the US and Mexico, has brought a trade boom for Canada. But thorny issues abound. American moves which impact on Canadian exports, in the form of tariffs on Canadian timber and increased subsidies for US farmers, have created particular tension.

Canada is also worried about pollution from US factories near the border, and about the possible impact on the environment of the exploitation of oil deposits in Alaska.

2. Ответьте на вопросы: где находится Канада, каково население Канады, какого размера страна, с какими странами граничит, в каких организациях состоит, с какими странами торгует, какие экологические проблемы волнуют?

Прочтите следующую историческую справку о стране.

Canada pursues a foreign policy that is distinct from that of the US. The country has committed troops to the American-led war on terror, but does not back the US trade embargo on Cuba. Canada did not send troops to join the US-led war in Iraq.

After the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US, the challenge of securing the 9,000-km Canada-US border from possible terrorist infiltration prompted both countries to look at ways of sharing information.

Immigration has helped to make Canada one of the world's richest nations, and the country is largely free of racial tension. Many recent newcomers hail from Asia. Canada's indigenous peoples make up less than two per cent of the population. The way in which provincial governments share land and natural resources with native groups is an ongoing issue.

Separatist aspirations in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec are a major domestic issue. A referendum in 1995 saw advocates of an independent Quebec only narrowly defeated. Subsequent opinion polls indicated a fall in support for independence and the pro-independence Parti Quebecois was defeated in 2003's provincial election.

The concept of nationhood for Quebec resurfaced in late 2006 when parliament agreed that the Quebecois should be considered a "nation" within Canada. The move was largely symbolic, having no constitutional or legal grounding.

Canada has been asserting its sovereignty in the Arctic with growing vigor and has become embroiled in territorial spats with the US and Denmark. At stake is the possible bounty from previously-untapped reserves of oil and gas.

Найдите в данной справке следующую информацию: какова внешняя политика Канады, участвуют ли канадские войска в войнах, развязанных США, поддерживает ли эмбарго Кубе, участвовали ли войска страны в войне против Ирака, что способствовало сближению отношений с США, что сделало страну одной из богатейших в мире, каковы основные политические проблемы страны, какие страны на ряду с Канадой, претендуют на Северно-Ледовитый Океан, из-за чего?

5. Составьте краткий текст, на основе плана данного выше.

Twelve years of Liberal government ended when incumbent prime minister Paul Martin was defeated by Stephen Harper's opposition Conservatives in elections on 23 January 2006.

Mr Harper failed to win an overall majority and has to work with opposition parties in order to govern. The Conservatives promised to cut taxes, fight crime, boost military spending and to repair relations with the US. Mr Harper denied harbouring a radical right-wing agenda, a charge levelled by some opponents.

Observers say he has steered the Conservatives towards the political centre, switching the party's focus from social to economic matters. The January 2006 poll was precipitated by a vote of no confidence which brought down Paul Martin's scandal-hit Liberal government in the previous November. Mr Martin had tried in vain to distance himself from allegations of corruption in the French-speaking province of Quebec in the late 1990s when he was federal finance minister.

He was cleared by a judicial inquiry, but the fallout from the scandal cost the Liberals a fourth consecutive majority government in 2004. Born in Toronto, Ontario in 1959, Stephen Harper studied economics at the University of Calgary in Alberta. He became an MP in 1993 and headed the newly-merged Conservative party in 2004.

He is married and has two children. Aside from politics and intellectual pursuits, he is passionate about ice hockey.

Canada has a long history of public broadcasting. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was set up in the 1930s in response to the growing influence of American radio.

Broadcasting in French and English, the CBC runs four radio networks featuring speech-based and cultural programmes. It also operates two national TV channels, TV and radio services for indigenous peoples in the north and the international broadcaster Radio Canada International.

There are just under 2,000 licensed radio stations in Canada, many of them commercial. There is extensive take-up of multichannel TV.

The Canadian media are free to present a wide range of views and opinions. The broadcasting regulator rules that quotas of Canadian material - usually 30-35% - must be carried by TV and radio stations.

The US is one of the world's foremost economic and military powers. It is also a major source of entertainment: American TV, Hollywood films, jazz, blues, rock and rap music are primary ingredients in global popular culture.

Ethnic and racial diversity - the "melting pot" - is celebrated as a core element of the American ideology. The 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed racial and other discrimination, but race continues to be a live issue with affirmative-action programmes - intended to remedy past discrimination - and housing segregation sparking debate.

2.Ответьте на вопросы: где находится страна, почему ее считают одной из могущественной, почему называют родиной мировой поп-культуры, что обозначает выражение «плавящийся котел», какие вопросы дискриминации остаются не решенными?

The US originated in a revolution which separated it from the British Crown. The constitution, drafted in 1787, established a federal system with a division of powers even at the central level which, uniquely among modern nation-states, has remained unchanged in form since its inception.

The early settlers came predominantly from the British Isles. Slaves from Africa joined them involuntarily in a second wave. Millions of Europeans constituted a third stage of immigration.

Today, Asians from the Pacific rim and Hispanics from the Americas are seeking what their predecessors wanted - political freedom and prosperity. This shift is reflected in America's interests abroad, which are now less European in focus than ever before.

American foreign policy has often mixed the idealism of its "mission" with elements of self-interest. The latter is exemplified in its international record on the environment, which has attracted criticism, and the need to maintain energy supplies, in which the US is not self-sufficient.

In September 2001 the US was shaken after three hijacked aircraft were deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and the Defence Department - the Pentagon - near Washington DC, killing thousands of people. A fourth hijacked aircraft crashed in Pennsylvania, killing all on board.

The attacks had a momentous impact as the country continued to re-define its role as the world's only superpower. In October 2001 the US led a military campaign in Afghanistan which unseated the Taleban regime. In March 2003 Washington initiated military action in Iraq which led to the toppling of the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Despite relative prosperity in recent years, the gap between rich and poor is a major challenge. More than 30 million Americans live below the official poverty line, with a disproportionate percentage of these being African-Americans and Hispanics.

Найдите в данной справке следующую информацию: как образовалась страна, чем известна конституция США, кто были первые переселенцы, из каких стран и континентов люди составили население страны, почему внешняя политика США сфокусирована сейчас не на Европе, почему это затрагивает экологические проблемы, как повлияли события 11 сентября на военные действия США в мире, как живут большинство афро-американцев, эмигрантов из Латинской Америки?

5.Составьте краткий текст, на основе плана данного выше.

6.Прочтите следующую официальную информацию и ответьте на следующие вопросы: А) какова продолжительность жизни у женщин и у мужчин Б) какие основные города В) каково население Г) где расположена страна Д) кто является главой Е) какой язык является официальным Ж) какая религия З) какой город является столицей И) что страна вывозит как экспорт К) какая денежная единица Л) какова площадь М) какое официальное название страны Н) какой домен в интернете О) какой код страны.

Main exports: Computers and electrical machinery, vehicles, chemical products, food and live animals, military equipment and aircraft

Democratic Senator Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States in an historic election win in November 2008. (Congress, government's law-making branch, consists of: The Senate - 100 members, two from each state, serving six-year terms House of Representatives - 435 members, serving two-year terms). His emphatic victory over his opponent John McCain, who struggled in vain to distance himself from the unpopular presidency of George W. Bush, ended eight years of Republican rule in the White House.

Mr Obama clinched the Democratic Party's nomination in June 2008, following a long and bruising primary race with former first lady and fellow Democratic senator, Hillary Clinton. He ran for president on a ticket promising change, and came to office riding a wave of high expectations from his supporters, both at home and abroad.

President Obama inherited a formidable in-tray of problems from Mr Bush. The US was facing its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, and his administration the task of determining the next steps in the lingering conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. He made reform of the healthcare system to extend coverage and reduce ballooning costs one of his top domestic priorities.

Despite a tortuous drafting process and vociferous Republican opposition, Mr Obama and Democrats in Congress finally succeeded in passing a health care bill in March 2010.

However, the health reform, along with the $787bn stimulus package passed in February 2010 to shore up an ailing economy, galvanised opposition among some Americans to Mr Obama's agenda. Particularly conservatives worry about what they see as moves to extend the role of the state in the economy, and the threat of excessive public debt.

Barack Obama is widely acknowledged as a charismatic figure and is noted for his stirring oratory. He was born in 1961 in Hawaii, the son of a black Kenyan father and a white American mother. After attending an elite Hawaii academy and Columbia University in New York, he went on to Harvard Law School, where he graduated in 1991. After graduating, Mr Obama practiced law and did community work in Chicago, where he also became active in the Democratic Party. He won a seat in the Illinois state senate in 1996, and followed this up by winning a US Senate seat in 2004.

The US has the most highly-developed mass media in the world. American-made dramas, comedies, soap operas, animations, music videos and films have a global audience and are part of the staple fare of broadcasters worldwide.

Television is America's most popular medium. Three networks - ABC, CBS and NBC - dominated the scene for decades until the mass take-up of cable and satellite and the arrival of the Fox network. Mainstream American TV is slick, fast-moving and awash with advertising. Audience ratings and advertising revenues spell life or death for shows; networks may axe lame ducks after just one season.

There are around 10,000 commercial radio stations in the US. In urban areas there are stations to satisfy almost every musical taste, language preference and world-view. News, sports and talk stations predominate on the mediumwave (AM) dial, with music on the FM band. Satellite-delivered subscription radio services offer hundreds of channels and have attracted millions of customers. Freedom of expression in the US is guaranteed by the constitution, and some stations give airtime to extreme hues of political - often right-wing - and religious thinking. Elsewhere, outspoken radio "shock jocks" push at the boundaries of taste. American public broadcasting is partly government-funded, but also supported by private grants. Many universities and colleges operate broadcasting outlets. National Public Radio - with more than 600 member stations - offers a more highbrow mix of news, debate and music without advertising. Public TV services operated by PBS have a mission to provide "quality" and educational programming.

The government sponsors TV and radio stations aimed at audiences outside the US. Lately, radio services for audiences in the former Soviet bloc have been cut back, while stations targeting audiences in the Middle East and Asia have been launched.

There are more than 1,500 daily newspapers in the US, most of them with a local or regional readership.

The US is the home of the internet. By early 2007 nearly 70% of Americans were estimated to be online.

Australia's original inhabitants, the Aborigines, numbered a few hundred thousand before the European influx. But two centuries of discrimination and expropriation followed, and at one point the number of Aborigines fell as low as 60,000.

Today 99% of the population are of European or Asian descent, but calls for a formal apology for past injustices towards the Aborigines are still made. Indigenous Australians suffer high rates of unemployment, imprisonment and drug abuse.

The gradual dismantling of the "White Australia" immigration policy in the decades after World War II heralded an increase in the number of non-European arrivals.

Australia's foreign policy has shifted in the past 20 years or so from Europe and the US to its near neighbours. It mediated between warring groups in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and deployed thousands of peacekeepers in newly-independent East Timor.

Australia's economy is also geared to Asia. It is a foremost member of Apec, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and aims to forge free trade deals with China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

The country has considered cutting its ties with the British monarchy. In 1999 Australians narrowly voted against plans for the country to become a republic.

Politics: Liberal Party PM John Howard leads a conservative coalition; he has been in office since 1996.

Economy: The strong, services-based economy has seen sustained growth; mining and agriculture provide the lion's share of exports.

Найдите в данной справке следующую информацию: каково коренное население Австралии, сколько аборигенов было до наплыва европейцев, сколько сейчас осталось, в чем причина такого уменьшения, кто сейчас составляет основную часть жителей, как живет большинство туземцев сейчас, что повлияло на увеличение эмигрантов не европейского происхождения, какова внешняя политика современной Австралии, на какой континент ориентирована в основном экономика страны, в какие международные организации входит держава, с какими странами торгует, какие взаимоотношения с Великобританией, какая партия стоит у руля, кто ее возглавляет, на чем основана экономика страны, что производят на экспорт?

5. Составьте краткий текст, на основе плана данного выше.

6. Прочтите следующую официальную информацию и ответьте на следующие вопросы: А) какова продолжительность жизни у женщин и у мужчин Б) какие основные города В) каково население Г) где расположена страна Д) кто является главой Е) какой язык является официальным Ж) какая религия З) какой город является столицей И) что экспортирует К) какая денежная единица Л) какова площадь М) какое официальное название страны Н) какой домен в интернете О) какой код страны П) какой валовой доход на душу населения.

Main exports: Ores and metals; wool, food and live animals; fuels, transport machinery and equipment

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Michael Jeffery

The Liberal Party's John Howard won a fourth term in October 2004. The economy, national security and Australia's involvement in the US-led coalition in Iraq were the big campaign issues.

Mr. Howard's conservative coalition also won control of the Senate, enabling the smoother passage of legislation through the upper house. Having won approval for the sale of the government's stake in the telecom giant Telstra, the prime minister has in his sights labour reform and new laws on media ownership.

Mr. Howard, who reached retirement age in July 2004, has said he will lead the Liberal Party for as long as its members want him to. He first took office in 1996, winning a landslide victory over his Labor Party rival, and was re-elected in 1998 and in 2001, when his conservative coalition won 43.1% of the vote.

He has highlighted Australia's robust economy, and the approval of a free trade agreement with the US in 2004, as being among his government's key achievements.

He has also overseen Australia's growing role on the world stage, with the country's active military role in the US-led war on terror and in regional conflicts. Mr Howard, described by US President George W Bush as a "man of steel", has promised to keep Australian troops in Iraq for as long as they are needed.

The Howard government has taken a tough stance on asylum seekers, and the prime minister backs proposed rules which would require new immigrants to pass an English language test and show knowledge of Australian history before becoming citizens.

The government has sought to redefine its relationship with Australia's Aborigines, proposing a system of "mutual obligation" regarding welfare payments.

The Liberal Party governs in a centre-right coalition with the conservative National Party. Born in Sydney in 1939, John Howard is married and has three children. He worked as a solicitor before entering parliament in 1974.

Australia's parliament has a lower chamber, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. Individual states have their own parliaments.

Australia's media scene is creatively, technologically and economically advanced. There is a tradition of public broadcasting, but privately-owned TV and radio enjoy the lion's share of listening and viewing.

Ownership of print and broadcast media is highly-concentrated. For example, four major media groups own 80% of Australia's newspaper titles.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) operates national and local public radio and TV stations as well as a TV service for the Asia-Pacific region. The other main public broadcaster is the multicultural Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), whose radio and TV networks broadcast in many languages.

National commercial TV is dominated by three large networks. Commercial broadcasters are required to transmit a minimum percentage of Australian-made programming. Pay-TV services have gained a substantial foothold. Digital transmission - via satellite, cable and terrestrially - promises to extend viewer choice.

Sport, news, game shows, imported and home-made dramas top the TV ratings in Australia. The industry has successfully exported some of its productions to English-speaking markets overseas.

The John Howard government is changing the regulations governing media ownership. The new rules allow for greater cross-ownership of press and TV outlets as well as higher levels of foreign ownership.

New Zealand, a wealthy Pacific nation, is dominated by two cultural groups: New Zealanders of European descent, and the minority Maori, whose Polynesian ancestors arrived on the islands around 1,000 years ago.

British sovereignty was established under the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi - a pact between Maori chiefs and the British government over land rights.

2. Ответьте на вопросы: где находится страна, потомки каких культур составляют современное население Новой Зеландии, какие отношения установились с Великобританией?

The treaty gave rise to land claims which culminated in the "New Zealand Wars", a series of skirmishes (перестрелка) between colonial forces and Maori on the north island. The government awarded money and land in settlements during the 1990s, but the land issue remains controversial.

Politics: Helen Clark's Labour Party is serving a third term after its election win in 2005.

Economy: Tourism has overtaken agriculture as the main source of foreign exchange; New Zealand seeks free trade deals with China and the US.

International: New Zealand troops have taken part in regional peacekeeping efforts and are deployed in Afghanistan.

Agriculture is the economic mainstay, but manufacturing and tourism are important and there is a fledgling(начинающий) film industry. In 1984 the government embarked on a dramatic and controversial economic reform programme, which lifted controls on wages, prices and interest rates and removed agricultural subsidies.

New Zealand has diversified its export markets and has developed strong trade links with Australia, the US, China and Japan. It is pursuing a free trade deal with China.

The landscape is diverse, and sometimes spectacular. This has fuelled tourism; visitors are drawn to the glacier-carved mountains, lakes, beaches and thermal springs. Because of the islands' geographical isolation, much of the flora and fauna is unique to the country.

A significant amount of New Zealand's electricity is generated by hydropower sources and the country has a range of renewable energy sources at its disposal.

New Zealand plays an active role in Pacific affairs. It has constitutional ties with the Pacific territories of Niue, the Cook Islands and Tokelau.

Its troops served in East Timor when violence broke out in the territory in 1999 and were part of a multinational force intended to restore order to the Solomon Islands in 2003. Further afield, New Zealand forces have backed peacekeeping and development efforts in Afghanistan.

But its anti-nuclear stance - including a ban on nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed vessels from its waters - put it at odds with the US in the 1980s.

Migration patterns have changed, with most incomers coming from Asia and Pacific island states, rather than from the UK and Australia. Officials estimate that Asians will make up 13% of the population by 2021.

4. Найдите в данной справке следующую информацию: что явилось причиной так называемых «Новозеландских войн», какие вопросы до сих пор остаются нерешенными, какая партия находится у руля, какой раз вновь побеждает на выборах, какие отрасли являются ведущими в экономики страны, с какими странами Новая Зеландия пытается наладить свободную торговлю, в какой стране Новая Зеландия развертывает свои войска в качестве миротворцев, какая индустрия набирает обороты, наряду с основными, в чем заключалась экономическая реформа правительства 1984 года?

5. Составьте краткий текст, на основе плана данного выше.

6. Прочтите следующую официальную информацию и ответьте на следующие вопросы: А) какова продолжительность жизни у женщин и у мужчин Б) какие основные города В) каково население Г) где расположена страна Д) кто является главой Е) какой язык является официальным Ж) какая религия З) какой город является столицей И) что экспортирует К) какая денежная единица Л) какова площадь М) какое официальное название страны Н) какой домен в интернете О) какой код страны.

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-general Anand Satyanand

The broadcasting sector was deregulated in 1988, when the government allowed competition to the state broadcaster, Television New Zealand.

Ruia Mai became the country's first Maori-owned, Maori language radio station when it launched in 1996.

The bubble burst in 1997 with the south-east Asian financial crisis. Stock and property prices plummeted, dragging down the currency and leading to bankruptcies, recession and unemployment.

The government of the time - under Chuan Leekpai - worked with the IMF to reform the battered economy.

But the 1997 experience caused many Thais to regard international finance with deep distrust. Mr Chuan lost the 2001 elections to an opponent who promised to help people with their daily difficulties.

Bangkok expanded rapidly with the influx of workers during the boom years. It is one of Asia's most vibrant, and heavily-congested, cities.

The large-scale sex industry which flourishes in Bangkok contributed to the incidence of HIV infection - a major concern for the Thai government. Thailand has taken the lead in the region in distributing cheaper generic drugs for Aids sufferers and awareness campaigns are credited with reducing the number of new infections.

Thailand has a minority Muslim population, concentrated in its southern provinces. A decades-old separatist struggle in the region - which abated in the 1980s - flared again in 2004. The violence, mostly targeting members of Thailand's majority Buddhist population, has claimed more than 1,500 lives.

Though its most-recent governments have been civilian and democratically-elected, Thailand has seen turbulent times. The military governed, on and off, between 1947 and 1992 - a period characterized by coups, coup attempts and popular protests.

Thai cuisine is known throughout the world for its use of hot, sweet and sour spices. Sculptures of the Buddha in sitting or reclining positions are also characteristic of Thailand, as is classical dance.

Найдите в данной справке следующую информацию: с какими последствиями финансового кризиса столкнулась страна после 1997 года? Что такое IMF? Почему Чуан Ликпей проиграл выборы в 2001 году? Куда направлялись люди в поисках работы? Почему? Какая индустрия процветает в Бангкоке? Опасностью какой инфекции обеспокоено государство, какие пути борьбы предпринимаются? Какое меньшинство населения выступает сепаратистским движением в регионе? Чем характеризуется военное правительство после военного времени? Как можно охарактеризовать нынешнее правление в стране? Чем славится тайская кухня? Помимо тайской кухни, что является характерным для страны?

5.Составьте краткий текст, на основе плана данного выше.

6.Прочтите следующую официальную информацию и ответьте на следующие вопросы: А) какова продолжительность жизни у женщин и у мужчин Б) какие основные города В) каково население Г) где расположена страна Д) кто является главой Е) какой язык является официальным Ж) какая религия З) какой город является столицей И) что экспортирует К) какая денежная единица Л) какова площадь М) какое официальное название страны Н) какой домен в интернете О) какой код страны П) какой валовой доход на душу населения.

Main exports: Food and live animals, office equipment, textiles and clothing, rubber

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. Its king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, assumed the throne in June 1946 and is the world's longest-reigning monarch. The royal family is revered by many Thais.

The military, led by the army commander-in-chief, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, seized power in a bloodless coup while Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister, was attending the UN General Assembly on 19 September 2006.

The coup was condemned abroad but the new leadership was endorsed by the king. It was Thailand's first coup in 15 years but its 18th since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

The coup leaders, who call themselves the Council for National Security, said they seized power to unite the nation after months of political turmoil and promised to return the country to civilian rule.

They introduced an interim constitution which gives them the power to hire and fire the government as well as the acting parliament. It also allows them to select the people who will draw up a new constitution and to vet the draft before it is subjected to a referendum.

Retired General Surayud Chulanont was appointed as interim prime minister. He will govern until elections which are expected in October 2007. Mr Surayud gained a reputation for incorruptibility during his four-decade military career. He became army chief in 1998 and resigned in 2003. As a member of the Privy Council, he is a senior royal advisor.

The government and military control nearly all the national terrestrial television networks and operate many of Thailand's radio networks. The radio market, particularly in Bangkok, is fiercely competitive. There are more than 60 stations in and around the capital.

The media are free to criticise government policies, and cover instances of corruption and human rights abuses, but journalists tend to exercise self-censorship regarding the military, the monarchy, the judiciary and other sensitive issues.

The print media are largely privately-run, with a handful of Thai-language dailies accounting for most newspaper sales.

A series of media reforms are under way, aimed at reducing military interest and influence in the media and opening up more opportunities to the private sector.

The trauma of post-war division is now firmly in the past but over a decade and a half on from the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Germany has yet to come up with the economic key to coping with its aftermath.

Regarded in the 1980s as the economic giant of Europe, the country faced enormous challenges with reunification.

2. Ответьте на вопросы: где находится страна? какую травму от исторических событий подразумевают, говоря о проблемах экономики Германии в наши дни? какое экономическое положение было у страны в 80-е годы? какие события ставят новые задачи для Германии?

Найдите в данной справке следующую информацию: какую цену заплатили западные немцы в результате объединения? Под чьим патронажем находилась Восточная Германия? Почему уменьшилось население страны? Как все это повлияло на экономику страны? Как отразилось нацистское прошлое на общем духе нации? Как повлияло на сознание всех европейцев? Какую роль и влияние играет Германия в Евросоюзе? Помимо Германии, какая страна явилась центральной в экономической интеграции стран Европы? Какова роль страны в решении международных проблем? Как страна участвовала в событиях на Балканах, в Афганистане? Как относился бывший канцлер Германии Герхард Шредер к действиям США в Ираке? Какой напиток самый популярный в Германии, почему? Какой закон существует в Германии с 1516 года по производству этого напитка? Какими именами одарила Германия европейцев и весь мир, в каких областях эти гении прославили свою страну?

5. Составьте краткий текст, на основе плана данного выше.

6. Прочтите следующую официальную информацию и ответьте на следующие вопросы: А) какова продолжительность жизни у женщин и у мужчин Б) какие основные города В) каково население Г) где расположена страна Д) кто является главой Е) какой язык является официальным Ж) какая религия З) какой город является столицей И) что экспортирует К) какая денежная единица Л) какова площадь М) какое официальное название страны Н) какой домейн в интернете О) какой код страны П) какую дополнительную информацию о стране вы узнали?

The president has a mainly ceremonial role. Horst Koehler, a former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was elected in May 2004.

Angela Merkel, leader of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), was sworn in as Germany's first female chancellor in late November 2005, taking over from Gerhard Schroeder who had held the post since 1998.

Angela Merkel, Germany's first female chancellor. General elections two months earlier produced a very close result. After lengthy talks, agreement was reached that Ms Merkel would be chancellor in a "grand coalition" involving the CDU, its CSU allies and the SPD.

Ms Merkel's key task is to revive the economy. Her plans to cut taxes for high earners and to liberalise employment law were shelved during coalition talks.

The policy deal agreed included some tax increases, a rise in the retirement age, spending cuts to reduce the budget deficit and an investment programme to tackle unemployment.

She was born in Hamburg in 1954 but grew up in East Germany where her father was a Protestant clergyman. She holds a doctorate in physics.

She became leader of the CDU in 2000 after Helmut Kohl was brought down by a party funding scandal.

Germany's competitive television market is the largest in Europe, with some 34 million TV households.

The many regional and national public broadcasters - organised in line with the federal political structure - vie for audiences with powerful commercial operators. Each of the country's 16 regions regulates its own private and public broadcasting.

Around 90% of German households have cable or satellite TV, and viewers enjoy a comprehensive mix of free-to-view public and commercial channels. This has acted as a brake on the development of pay-TV services.

Germany is home to some of the world's largest media conglomerates, including Bertelsmann and the publisher Axel Springer. Some of Germany's top free-to-air commercial TV networks are owned by ProSiebenSat1, a consortium led by a US billionnaire.

Germany is rolling out digital radio and TV and aims to switch off its analogue TV transmitters by 2010. Public TV broadcasters ZDF and ARD offer a range of digital-only channels.

While the press and broadcasters are free and independent, the display of swastikas and statements endorsing Nazism are illegal.

There are several national newspapers, but the press market is strongest at a regional level, with more than 300 titles.

Take the art works of Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Tintoretto and Caravaggio, the operas of Verdi and Puccini, the cinema of Federico Fellini, add the architecture of Venice, Florence and Rome and you have just a fraction of Italy's treasures from over the centuries.

While the country is renowned for these and other delights, it is also notorious for its precarious political life and has had several dozen governments since the end of World War II.

2. Ответьте на вопросы: где находится страна? работы каких мастеров искусств являются лишь частичкой сокровищницы Италии? шедевры каких видов искусств? помимо великих достижений какой дурной славой пользуется страна? почему? хорошо это или плохо, что в стране сменилось несколько десятков правительств после Второй Мировой Войны?

The Italian political landscape underwent a seismic shift in the 1990s when the "Clean Hands" operation exposed corruption at the highest levels of politics and big business. Several former prime ministers were implicated and thousands of businessmen and politicians were investigated.

Italy was one of the six countries which signed the 1951 Paris Treaty setting Europe off on the path to integration. It has been staunchly at the heart (прямо в сердце) of Europe ever since, although watchful eyes fell on the influence of right-wing eurosceptics in the former government of Silvio Berlusconi.

Mr Berlusconi voiced support for Washington and London in the build-up to the US-led campaign in Iraq. There was public controversy over Italy's military deployment there. In September 2006 the mission in Iraq was wound up.

The Italian economy has been facing increasing difficulties. It has proved difficult to keep the budget deficit down, growth is low, inflation is rising and plans for pension reform and public spending cuts have given rise to protest.

There is concern over the country's birth rate - the lowest in Europe. With the population forecast to fall by nearly a third over the next 50 years, the late Pope, John Paul II, instructed Italians to "rediscover the culture of life and love and... their mission as parents".

Найдите в данной справке следующую информацию: Какой сейсмический разлом был нанесен по политическому ландшафту страны? Какая операция вскрыла коррупцию в высших эшелонах власти? Какое количество чиновников и бизнесменов было привлечено к ответственности? Какую роль сыграла Италия в интеграции Европейских стран? Кто сомневался в решении этого вопроса? Как правительство Берлускони выступило относительно войны США в Ираке? Какие трудности испытывает экономика страны? Как это отражается на жизни граждан? Какой уровень рождаемости в стране? Какой совет по возрождению культуры дал итальянцам бывший Папа Римский Иоан Павел II?

5. Составьте краткий текст, на основе плана данного выше.

6. Прочтите следующую официальную информацию и ответьте на следующие вопросы: А) какова продолжительность жизни у женщин и у мужчин Б) какие основные города В) каково население Г) где расположена страна Д) кто является главой Е) какой язык является официальным Ж) какая религия З) какой город является столицей И) что экспортирует К) какая денежная единица Л) какова площадь М) какое официальное название страны Н) какой домен в интернете О) какой код страны П) какую дополнительную информацию о стране вы узнали.

Giorgio Napolitano, a former Communist Party member, was sworn in as Italy's 11th post-war president in May 2006.

The Italian president heads the armed forces and has powers to veto legislation, disband parliament and call elections.

Silvio Berlusconi began his third term as prime minister of Italy in May 2008, heading a centre-right coalition including his own Forza Italia party.

The dominant figure on the right since 1994, when he first moved directly into politics, Mr Berlusconi built a business empire out of construction and media interests in his native Milan.

He is one of Italy's wealthiest men, and owns three of the country's seven television channels and several leading newspapers. He also has interests in banking and insurance, and owns the AC Milan football team.

Mr Berlusconi launched his political career during the corruption inquiries of 1994, which paralysed the established parties.

His brand of populism and can-do image, heavily promoted through his media empire, made his new Forza Italia ("Let's go, Italy!") party the largest in the new parliament, and he headed a fractious right-wing coalition that fell after a few months.

He used the period in opposition to reorganise Forza Italia along more traditional party lines, and won the 2001 elections at the head of a broader centre-right coalition with a commitment to simplify the tax system and halve unemployment.

The government was not able to meet its economic targets, and narrowly lost power in 2006.

His business contacts and media role have led to accusations of conflict of interest, especially over legislation seen as protecting his commercial interests. Mr Berlusconi has been put on trial at least six times over financial matters. Although found guilty on three occasions, he was later acquitted or benefited from the expiry of the statute of limitations.

His legal troubles took a surprise turn in October 2009 when the constitutional court overturned a law granting him immunity while in office. The ruling meant he could face trial in at least two court cases, including one accusing him of corruption. The law was pushed through by Berlusconi's coalition in 2008 when he faced separate trials in Milan for corruption and tax fraud tied to his Mediaset broadcasting empire.

The proceedings against Mr Berlusconi, who denies all charges, were suspended as a result of the law, drawing accusations that it was tailor-made for him.

The financial crisis of 2008 led to a boost in Mr Berlusconi's popularity ratings. He took steps to inject money into troubled banks and high-profile businesses and his ability to rule by decree when necessary seems to have reassured at least some voters.

In 2009, Mr Berlusconi came under pressure from the centre-left opposition over a series of allegations about his sex life, including allegedly spending a night with an escort and the publication of pictures of topless women at his residence.

His coalition lost its majority in the lower house of parliament in August 2010, when more than 30 deputies led by his long-time ally, Gianfranco Fini broke away from his Party of Freedom. Mr Fini had repeatedly voiced concern about the rule of law in Italy.

In March, his wife of 19 years, Veronica Laro, said she would file for divorce, accusing him of "consorting with minors" after he attended a female friend's 18th birthday party. He says all the allegations are wrong or exaggerated.

An assault at a political rally in Milan in December 2009 capped a difficult year for Mr Berlusconi. A man with a history of mental illness threw a model of Milan cathedral at the premier's face, breaking his nose and two teeth. Mr Berlusconi was hospitalised and returned to official duties a month after the attack.

Italy's heady blend of politics and media has made headlines inside and outside the country, with watchdogs and some politicians pointing to former Prime Minister Berlusconi's influence over both public and private broadcasting.

The public broadcaster, Rai, has traditionally been subject to political influence, and Mr Berlusconi's Mediaset empire operates Italy's top private TV stations.

Between them, Rai and Mediaset effectively control Italy's TV market and are a potentially powerful political tool.

A media law, passed in 2004, heralded the creation of new digital TV channels and the partial privatisation of Rai. Critics said the bill reinforced Mr Berlusconi's hold on the media. Romano Prodi's government wants to replace the legislation.

The Italian press is highly-regionalised. Milan in particular is home to a large number of dailies and news magazines. Most newspapers are privately-owned, often linked to a political party or run by a large media group.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp secured a virtual monopoly of the pay-TV sector when it launched Sky Italia in July 2003. The service was created through the merger of two existing pay-TV services - Stream and Telepiu.

Around 2,500 commercial radio stations broadcast in Italy. A few of them have national coverage; most are music-based. They share the airwaves with public broadcaster Rai's radio stations.

In recent years the UK has taken steps to devolve powers (передавать полномочия) to Scotland and Wales. The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff opened in 1999, and the possibility of devolution for the English regions has also been discussed. In Northern Ireland, after decades of violent conflict, the Good Friday agreement of 1998 led to a new assembly with devolved powers. London says a power-sharing administration must be in place by 26 March 2007, following assembly elections.

The UK is ethnically diverse, partly as a legacy of empire. Lately, the country has been struggling with issues revolving around multiculturalism, immigration and national identity.

This is against a background of concerns about terrorism and political and religious radicalism, heightened after the suicide bomb attacks on London's transport network in 2005.

Some politicians and commentators say a stronger sense of shared British values is needed to foster integration within a mixed society. And while some advocate tough policies on limiting immigration, others attempt to put the case for it as a positive force.

One of the latest trends in migration has been the arrival of workers from the new EU member states in Eastern Europe.

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