At the Post Office

At the Post Office

At the post office we buy stamps, envelopes and postcards, and send letters, telegrams and parcels.

When we want to send a letter we must write the address on the envelope and put a stamp in the right-hand corner. For a registered letter, an air-mail letter or a letter to another country we must put more stamps on the envelope.

At the post-office there are windows with the words in big letters: “Stamps”, “Air-Mail”, “Registered Letters”, “Postcards”, “Money Orders”, “Parcels”,  “Telegrams”.

People usually post ordinary letters in a letter-box in the street. But if they want to send a registered letter they must take it to the post office.

The postmen collect the letters from the letter-boxes three times a day in big cities and once a day in the country.

In England the letter-boxes are usually red. This is how people in English-speaking countries address their letters. They write:

– the name of the person who must get the letter;

– the number of the house and the name of the street;

– the name of the town (city, village);

– the name of the country.

We can also send a telegram at the post-office. There are three types of telegram service in our country: ordinary, urgent and express.

So we can say that the post-office plays a very important part in our life. It is a good means of communication between people. Post-offices use computer technology now and offer more and better services to their customers. 

My future profession

There are many interesting and useful professions and it’s not an easy task to choose the right one.

Choosing a career is probably one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Most people spend a greater part of their lives at work. For that reason you should do a lot of thinking about who you are, about the things you like to do and the things you can do well.

Every profession is honourable. Society needs doctors, drivers, teachers, scientists, shop-assistants, engineers, etc.—people to work in different spheres of life.

It goes without saying that when choosing a job many factors should be taken into consideration: future employment, good and steady wages and salaries, good working conditions, job-satisfaction, opportunities to travel and to see much, etc.

Most people share opinion that a profession is good if it brings in money. A person who has enough money has few worries because he can solve all life’s problems, he can travel a lot, enjoy better life, etc. To my mind, it is good to have enough money for your work but if you can’t find dignity and satisfaction in work, money is nothing. So I think that the most important criterion is job-satisfaction.

I made my choice long ago. I want to become a specialist in marketing. There are some reasons why this career sounds interesting to me.

First of all this career combines several professions: economist, psychologist, lawyer, banker and accountant, director. It’s a very perspective, interesting and well-paid job.

Second, nowadays there is a great demand for highly-educated economists in Belarus because our republic is transferring to a market economy.

To become a good specialist in economic matters and business one must know many sciences: economy, law, geography, management, marketing, psychology. It’s very important for a specialist in business matters to be a skilful user of computers and to speak at least one foreign language. It should be better English as it is the most popular language of international business communication. You’ll be able to follow business developments in the world by listening to radio and TV news, by reading newspapers and magazines, or by getting in contact with your business partners abroad.

A good economist should be sociable, flexible, friendly, strict, just. He should be professional, well-educated and talented. I hope that I’ll never regret my choice and get a well-paid and interesting job afterwards.

A WORKING DAY OF A BUSINESSMAN

I want to tell you about a working day of Mr. Wallace. He is a manager of a firm. He works for Belarus-export. The company is very large. They sell many different goods to many countries. The firm does business with Belarusian and British companies. Many customers come to Belarus-export to discuss business matters with the representatives of the company.

Mr. Wallace often goes to different cities and countries to do business with their customers. He is usually very busy. He has got much work to do every day. His office hours begin at 9 o’clock. Mr. Wallace looks through newspapers and journals in the morning. He is interested in the latest political and business events. He usually receives much mail: letters, cables, and telexes.

Mr. Wallace has got many offers and enquiries on his desk. He reads orders for the equipment of his company. They sell new models of chemical equipment to foreign companies. Mr. Wallace often speaks on the phone with their customers. He makes appointments on the phone with Belarusian and British businessmen for the following day. They are interested in the catalogues and quotations for different goods. Mr. Wallace usually has dinner at 2 o’clock. After dinner, together with the inspectors, he often goes to plants in and outside the city. But sometimes he stays in the office and discusses business matters with the engineers or the director.

During the day Mr. Wallace meets Belarusian and British businessmen and makes contracts with them. They discuss prices for different goods, terms of payment, shipment and delivery. Sometimes he discusses business matters on the phone.

Mr. Wallace finishes his work at 6 o’clock in the evening. He usually comes home at 7 o’clock. He has supper together with his family and then after supper they go to their comfortable sitting-room. Mr. Wallace likes to be at home together with his family. They usually watch TV, read newspapers, journals, magazines and discuss their future plans. 

MY OFFICE

I am a businessman. I have got my own office and I invite you to go in.

My office is situated in a new building. The building is of modern design. In front of it there is a small park.

My office is on the third floor. It consists of three rooms: the secretary’s office, the accountant’s office and the manager’s office that may serve as a conference room.

All the rooms are large and light. The walls are papered with wallpaper of various design. There are some pictures on the walls. The high ceilings are painted. The floors are parquet with nice carpets in every room. The windows are large, they face the park, so it’s very light there. The pots with flowers stand on the windowsills. There are jalousies over the windows. A modern lighting makes the rooms cosy.

All the rooms are nicely furnished with office furniture. There are writing-tables, bookcases, shelves, desks, chairs, safes, etc. All the necessary office equipment helps us to organize a productive work in my office. There are telephones and faxes, personal computers and printers.

For a coffee break we have a cosy corner with a sofa, three armchairs, a small table with a nice china coffee-set on it.

I like my office very much and I hope one day I’ll enter it as a boss. 

FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS

Every year a lot of international, national and specialized exhibitions and fairs are held in different countries of the world. The number of countries and companies, who take part in them, is growing from year to year and the scope of fairs and exhibitions is becoming larger. As international trade is quickly growing and there is always a demand to expand the exhibition areas to provide all the participants with suitable display facilities. The display during these exhibitions includes a wide range of exhibits, which show the latest achievements in different fields of industry, science and agriculture of many countries.

Every exhibition is an eye opening experience and also a method to advertise products. Fairs and exhibitions are usually held under various mottoes: people and progress, peace and progress through economic cooperation and so on. International fairs and exhibitions pave the way for the consolidation of friendship among countries and nations. At international and national exhibitions, commercial centres are established where participants can negotiate the sale and the purchase of different goods. So fairs and exhibitions provide an opportunity to establish profitable contacts and promote mutual understanding among different nations.

Usually fairs and exhibitions are crowded with visitors, who show much interest in the exhibits on display.

Even in ancient times the Fair was a highly festive occasion with colourful crowds filling the streets and much merry-making. On such days the streets were packed with traders, many of whom arrived from far-away places.

The first world industrial exhibition was held in London in 1851. It was a great success. It displayed exhibits of 40 participating nations and the number of visitors reached over six million.

Since then world industrial expositions have had a colourful history. Many such events have been held, some of them on a large scale. They have changed not only in size and scope, but also in character and overall purpose. Such events provided opportunities for exchanging scientific, technological and other achievements of the people of Europe, America, Australia, Asia and Africa.

Beginning with the early 60s, international expositions began to take new forms, trying to emphasize not only technological progress, but also other aspects of life. They became festivals of industry and culture. 

Note: Every exhibition is an eye opening experience. — Каждая выставка помогает посетителям воочию убедиться в достижениях той или иной страны. 

CONTRACT

In foreign trade transactions a contract is drawn up to give legal expression to the intentions of the partners and to guarantee that the obligations contained in the contract will be fulfilled.

According to the purpose and contents, contracts can cover: goods, services, licences, patents, technology and know-how.

A contract forms the basis of a transaction between the Buyers and the Sellers. A great care is exercised when the contract is being prepared that all the legal obligations have been stated.

As a rule the contract contains a number of clauses, such as: subject of the contract, price, terms of payment, delivery, inspection and test, guarantee, packing and marking, arbitration, transport, insurance and other conditions.

1. Subject of the contract

The Seller undertakes to sell and the Buyer to buy on the basis of delivery (for example FOB, the port at the Buyer’s option) the equipment, or items, goods, etc. (it is necessary to point the name of goods).

1. Price

The total value of the contract includes the cost of the equipment as well as technical documentation, knowledge and experience (know-how), engineering, after-guarantee spares and services.

1. Terms of Payment

The name of the banks, the name of the currency and the terms of payment are stated in this clause.

Within five days after the receipt of the Seller’s notification by cable that the goods are ready for shipment, the Buyer shall open by cable the Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs, Minsk, an irrevocable, confirmed and divisible Letter of Credit in favour of the Seller for the full value of the goods plus 5% (per cent) to cover the option. The Letter of Credit is to be valid for 90 days, with the right of extension if required by the Seller. The payment for the goods is to be made in US dollars for 100% (hundred per cent) of the invoice value of the goods on presentation to the Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs, Minsk, of the following documents:

Invoice in 3 copies

Seller’s Certificate of Weight

Set of Bills of Lading

In the event of the change of the exchange rate of the US dollar on or before the date of payment under the present Contract both parties have the right to renegotiate the price of the goods. 

The Republic of Belarus

The Republic of Belarus (the short name is Belarus) was founded on January 1, 1919. It was included in the body of the USSI1 beginning with December 30 1922. On July 27 199U the Supreme Soviet of the republic adopted the Declaration of stale sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus.

Belarus is a presidential Republic. State power is divided into legislative, executive and judicial.

The President of the Republic of Belarus is the head of the State. According to the Constitution, the legislative organ of state power of the Republic of Belarus is Parliament. It consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Soviet of the Republic.

The executive power of the Republic of Belarus belongs to the Government, in other words, the Soviet (Council) of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus. And it is responsible before the Parliament of our State.

The judicial Power in the Republic of Belarus is vested in courts. Local government and self-government are put into practice by local Soviets of Deputies, executive and administrative organs, referenda, meetings and others.

Minsk is the capital of the Republic of Belarus, its political, economic, scientific and cultural centre. It is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in our republic. Its name was first mentioned in chronicles in 1067.

Minsk is situated on the river Svisloch and occupies an area of 200 square kilometres. Its population is about 1.8 million. Minsk is situated among picturesque hills on the south-eastern slopes of the Minsk Hills.

There are a lot of cities and towns in Belarus. Information has come down to us from ancient times not only about Minsk, but also about Grodno, Gomel, Brest, Vitebsk, Mogilev. Belarus has 6 regions with centres in these cities.

The Republic of Belarus is one of the most highly industrialized countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Highly developed branches are up-to-date power engineering and machine-building, textiles and chemicals, food products and consumer goods radio-electronics and precision instruments, mineral fertilizer and synthetic fibre manufacturing, construction and public utilities as well as many other advanced branches of economy.

The industry of Belarus is characterized by truck-and-tractor building, oil-extracting and oil-refining industries, as well as by production of tractors, big lorries, machine-tools, automatic lines, electronics devices, computers, motor-cycles, bicycles, TV-sets, watches, refrigerators and other articles. The biggest enterprises are the automobile plants in Minsk and Mogilev, the Belarusian Automobile Plant in Zhodino, the Minsk Tractor Plant, the Oil Refinery and Chemical Plant in Novopolotsk and a number of others.

Belarus has also a well-developed transport infrastructure which includes rail and motor roads, oil and gas pipelines. Manufacturing of consumer goods and food products is also (steadily) growing.

Agriculture specializes in milk and meat production. The main crops cultivated here are grain, potatoes, flax, herbs and vegetables.

There are few power stations in Belarus today. With the discovery and exploration of oil from Polessiee, the republic has not become self-sufficient energy. 80 % of energy the Republic of Belarus buys from Russia.

The foreign trade of the Republic of Belarus is traditionally practiced in two basic directions: eastern – with the CIS countries and western – with the non-CIS countries. More than 400 types of goods of Belarusian industry are exported to 86 countries of the world. Goods manufactured in the Republic of Belarus have won 40 gold medals at international exhibitions and fairs. This fact shows a very high level of product quality. 

HOLIDAYS IN BELARUS

There are many national holidays in Belarus, when people all over the country do not work and have special celebrations.

The major holidays are: New Year’s Day, Christmas, Women’s Day, Easter, May Day, Victory Day and Independence Day.

These days are days off, when all the state bodies and institutions, as well as most of the shops are closed.

The first holiday of the year is New Year’s Day. People see the New Year in at midnight on the 31^st of December. They greet the New Year with champagne and listen to the chimes beating 12 o’clock.

There are lots of New Year traditions in Belarus. In every home there is a New Year tree glittering with coloured lights and decorations. Children always wait for Father Frost to come and give them a present. Many people consider New Year’s Day to be a family holiday. But the young prefer to have New Year parties of their own.

A renewed holiday in our country is Christmas. It’s a religious holiday and a lot of people go to church services on that day. Besides, Christmas is traditionally celebrated according to Orthodox and Catholic calendars, the same is about Radunitsa (the 9^th day after the Orthodox Easter) and Dzyady (November 2^nd, working day) – the day of commemorating the perished.

On the 8^th of March we celebrate Women’s Day when men congratulate their women: wives, mothers, daughters, colleagues. They give them flowers and presents. Men are supposed to do everything about the house and cook all the meals.

The greatest national holiday in our country is Victory Day. On the 9^th of May, 1945, the Soviet Army and its allies completely defeated the German fascists and the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War ended.

Independence Day is a new holiday in our country. It is celebrated on the 3^rd of July.

Among the other holidays there are two peculiar ones: February 23^rd – Day of the Defender of Motherland and the Armed Forces of Belarus, which since long has been considered simply “the Men’s Day”, and April 1^st – the day of laughter, jokes and funny tricks. These days business goes as usual.

We also celebrate Day of Knowledge and lots of professional holidays, which are not public holidays and banks, offices and schools do not close.

January 13^th – the old New Year day. Traditionally people celebrate again the New Year on that day, yet this time according to the Old Style (calendar) – on the night from 13^th to 14^th of January. People call that holiday Shchedrets, the Generous night or Kolyada. They get dressed as animals, give themselves out to be fantastic creatures, carry the sun and a goat’s head in their hands and visit all the houses one after another, singing Kolyada songs, and the hosts treat them with food.

In late February – early March there comes Maslenitsa – a ritual of parting with winter. On that day people traditionally bake pancakes, reminding of the sun by their shape, and carry on open–air festivals.

On July 7^th there is Kupalie, which is traditionally celebrated on the night from the 6 to the 7 of July. It’s considered one of the most beautiful holidays filled with pagan traditions. According to popular legends, a flower of a fern unfolds on Kupala midnight and the person who finds it will be eternally young, happy and capable to predict the future. On that night young men set off for the forest hoping to find this miraculous flower. In the mean-time girls pick field flowers, bind wreaths and let them drift down the river trying to find out about their destiny in such a way. On the Kupala night people usually move on a round dance and jump over the fire competing in their deftness. Nowadays this pagan festival is celebrated as the Christian holiday of the John the Baptist birthday.

Annual musical festivals in Belarus are also of great interest. Annually at the end of January there is awarding ceremony “Rock-coronation”. Crystal crowns in various nominations go to those “kings”, who played a great role in the musical world of the Belarusian show business. The prizes are presented by famous Belarusian musicians, artists and journalists.

In July – early August Vitebsk becomes the site of the traditional International Arts festival “Slavonic Bazaar”. The programe of the festival is extremely intense, it includes the contest of young performers, contests of children’s creative work, imposing concerts with the participation of variety stars not only from Belarus, but also from the Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia and other European countries.  

Great Britain

There are four countries in the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is more than 57 million people. It is mostly urban: nine tenth of it lives in towns and cities.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. This means that it has a monarch a king or a queen) as its Head of State whose power is limited by Parliament. Laws of Great Britain are made by Parliament. It consists of two chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons is more important as it governs the country. The members of the House of Commons are elected by secret ballot. They belong to different political countries. The main parties are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. The chief executive is the Prime Minister. He heads the Government but is not the Head of State. The Prime Minister takes policy decisions with the agreement of his ministers. He often holds Cabinet Meetings at his official residence at No 10 Downing Street, which is very near the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. The Power of the Cabinet is controlled by Parliament

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial power. The factors contributing to the country’s industrial development are the advantageous position of the British Isles on the crossways of sea-routes and the development of trade. Great Britain is one of the largest trading nations in the world. In 1973 the country joined the European Economic Community, which is known today as the European Union. Trade with the countries of the European Union is now more than one-half of all Britain’s trade with other countries. The manufacturing and service industries, together with construction account for about 93 per cent of Britain’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product); the rest is shared by energy production and agriculture.

Rising living standards have led to a growth of the role of services. The service industries include business service, trade, travel and tourism. The service sectors also include education, public health administration.

In recent years new industries such as aerospace, chemicals, oil, gas, electronics, biotechnology have made serious progress. Major manufactures include motor vehicles, aerospace equipment, electronic data-processing and telecommunication equipment, metal goods, precision instruments, petrochemicals and other chemicals. High-technology industries are being developed. Nuclear power plays an important role in helping to meet the country’s needs.

At the same time the traditional old industries such as steel, coal production, shipbuilding, production of textiles have met serious difficulties and declined. As the development of the new industries does not compensate the decline of the traditional old industries unemployment remains a serious problem. In recent years unemployment has been reduced but it still remains high.

The British economy is mainly based on private enterprise. A little over 2 per cent of Britain’s working population is engaged in agriculture, which is a lower proportion than in any other major industrialized country. Due to large-scale mechanization, productivity in agriculture is very high.

The transactions connected with the activities of banks, insurance companies, brokers and other financial institutions of the City of London provide world-wide financial services, and the City is a most important financial centre of the world. London is one of the biggest financial, commercial and industrial cities, as well as one of the largest port-towns in the world.

London, the largest city in Europe, dominates Britain. The financial and business centre of London is the City. The most important English banks and commercial companies are to be found here, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange, the Old Bailey. Two masterpieces are situated within the city: St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. The finest part of London (the West End) lies to the west of the City. This is a district of luxurious mansions and parks which belong to the aristocracy.

The eastern part of London (the East End) is inhabited mainly by workers and clerks; there is little greenery here and the streets are narrow.

Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. It includes Buckingham Palace, The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. The British Museum, famous for its huge library and collections of ancient manuscripts, is also situated in London.

The reputation of London University’s institutions in business education, engineering, medicine or political science draws students from all over the world.

London is connected by railways, automobile roads, sea routes with numerous towns of the country and the rest of the world. Trains run from Victoria termini (station) in the centre of London across the country and to the continent through the Channel Tunnel. London has five airports: Heathrow in the west, Gatwick in the south, Stansted in the north, Luton in the north and the city airport in the City of London. Public transport of London is provided by the underground (the Tube), opened in 1863 buses, taxes and the Docklands. Light Railway.

London, a city of contrasts, combines a mixture of the old and the new, the best and the worst, the outdated and the most modern. London is full of life and continues to grow and develop. The country's largest cities are Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh. 

Holidays in Great Britain

There are eight public holidays, or bank holidays a year in Great Britain, that is days on which people need not go in to work. They are: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday and Late Summer Bank Holiday. The term «bank holiday» dates back to the 19^th century when in 1871 and 1875 most of these days were constituted bank holidays, that is, days on which banks were to be closed. The observance of these days is no longer limited to banks.

All the public holidays, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day observed on the 25^th and 26^th of December respectively, do not fall on the same date each year. Good Friday and Easter Monday depend on Easter Sunday which falls on the first Monday in May. The Spring Bank Holiday is on the last Monday of May, while Late Summer Bank Holiday comes on the last Monday in August.

Most of these holidays are of religious origin, though for the greater part of the population they have long lost their religious significance and are simply days on which people relax, eat, drink and make merry.

Christmas Day is the most popular of bank holidays. It is celebrated on December, 25. On this day many people go to churches, open their Christmas presents, eat a Christmas dinner of roast turkey and Christmas pudding. Many people watch the Queen's Christmas broadcast on TV. This day is a traditional family reunion day and a special day for children.

Boxing Day is on December, 26. People usually gave «Christmas boxes», or gifts of money, to servants on this day. Today many people still give a Christmas gift to paperboys and girls.

New Year's Day is on January, 1. It is not marked with any custom in Great Britain. Traditional New Year parties and dances are held on New Year's Eve. People see the old year out and the New Year in.

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter when the church marks the death of Christ. On this day people eat hot-cross buns —  buns marked on top with a cross.

On Easter Day people always eat boiled eggs for breakfast which have been painted all different colours and which sometimes have faces drawn on them. Also there is a famous tradition that at Easter hares appear and hide eggs made of chocolate in the garden for children to find. These eggs sometimes are large and hollow and have little presents inside or else other chocolates. Easter Monday is the day after Easter Day. It is a traditional day for the start of the summer tourist season.

Besides public holidays, there are other festivals, anniversaries and simply days, on which certain traditions are observed, but unless they fall on a Sunday, they are ordinary working days. Here are some examples.

February 14 is St. Valentine's Day; it is a day for choosing sweethearts and exchanging love-tokens. Generations of young people have considered St. Valentine to be the friend and patron of lovers and have sent gifts and hand-made valentines to their sweethearts: husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. Valentine is a colourful card with a short love verse composed by the sender.

Pancake Day is a popular name for Shrove Tuesday —  the last day of enjoyment before the fasting of Lent. On Shrove Tuesday Christians confessed their sins to a priest. Many people still traditionally eat pancakes on that day. One of the main events of Shrove Tuesday is the pancake race at Olney in Buckinghamshire. The competitors in the race are housewives from Olney; they have to make their pancakes and run from the village square to the church.

The fourth Sunday in Lent is Mothering Sunday —  a day of small family reunions. On this day absent sons and daughters return to their homes and gifts are made to mothers by their children of all ages.

April, 1 is known in Britain as April Fool's Day —  the day when practical jokes are played. Any person, young or old, important or not, may be made an April Fool between the hours of midnight and noon. Children are, of course, very keen supporters of the traditions. Most of their tricks have now become traditional.

Another popular British tradition is Hallowee'n, celebrated on October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day. Hallowee'n customs date back to a time when people believed in devils, witches and ghosts. They thought that they could do all kinds of damage to property. Some people tried to ward off witches by painting magic signs or nailing a horseshoe. Now most people do not believe in evil spirits. Today the day is usually marked by costume balls or fancy-dress parties and is a popular tradition with young people and children. On the night of Hallowee'n children or grown-ups visit houses and ask the residents if they want «trick» or «treat». Another Hallowee'n custom is to scrape out a pumpkin, cutting eyes, nose and mouth in its side and lighting a candle inside, this is made to scare their friends.

November, 5 is Guy Fawkes's Day. All over the country people build wood fires, or «bonfires», in their gardens. On top of each bonfire is a guy, this is a figure of Guy Fawkes. On November, 5, 1665, Guy Fawkes tried to kill King James I. He and a group of his friends put a bomb under the Houses of Parliament in London. But the king's men found the bomb and Guy Fawkes. They took him to the Tower of London, where his head was cut off. Before November 5, children use guys to make money. They stand in the street and shout: «Penny for the guy».

Our Institute 

I am a first-year student of the Correspondence Faculty at the Manager’s Training Institute. 

Our Institute is one of the youngest institutions of higher education in Belarus. It was founded in 1992. At present there are only two faculties at our Institute: the Foreign Economic Activity and Enterprise Faculty and the Correspondence Faculty, but I think it will turn into one of the largest institutions of our country. Our Institute prepares specialists of such specialities as: management in commerce, construction, marketing, services, tourism, interpreters-readers. Our students acquire/get deep knowledge in different fields of national economy: internal trade, foreign trade, services, tourism, etc (et cetera).  

Our Institute course lasts 6 years. The academic year begins on the first of September and ends in June. It is divided into two terms: winter term and summer term. The term is divided between theoretical and practical work: we have a few weeks of lectures followed by seminars. Twice a year (in January and June) we have end-of-term credits and exams. 

Students should work hard during the academic year. They must attend lectures and tutorials, mustn’t miss seminars and practice. They must take and pass examinations and credit tests in time.  

It is interesting to study at our Institute. We study such subjects as: foreign languages, history, economic theory, philosophy, mathematics, marketing, management and others. We have well-equipped laboratories: computer classes, a special laboratory for foreign languages with video- and tape-recorders. 

At English lessons we learn English words, conversational phrases and dialogues by heart, read and translate easy texts, do exercises, write dictations. We sometimes work in the language laboratory listening to the recorded tapes, doing laboratory works, watching films on TV in foreign languages. 

From lesson to lesson we improve our knowledge, learn more and more new words, grammatical structures and put them into practice of speaking. We enjoy our English classes and prepare carefully for them. 

Highly qualified teachers, professors, assistant-professors work at our Institute. As to me I do well because I want to become a good specialist, to get a well-paid and interesting job afterwards. 

Travelling by Air 

It’s true that travelling is necessary for all of us, because it keeps us from growing stale, old and fat; it develops our imagination and enriches our outlook; it gives us that movement and change which are necessary to our life. Travelling gives us a chance to learn new things.

One of the aims of the travelling is to go in search of beauty, adventures. The beauty spots of the world are magnets, which attract millions of tourists year after year.

Frequent travelling to other countries is also very valuable, because, first of all, it’s the best insurance against war. If you have stayed in the homes of other people you will have the greatest antipathy for fighting against them.

Travelling gives you a chance of getting acquainted with other people, of making friends with them, of learning their customs and traditions, their character and their way of living. By communication we find out different views and opinions and it gives us new habits and new ideas.

If a person travels a lot, he has the greatest joy of coming home again. If you don’t travel and stay at home all the time you see its imperfections, but if you travel a lot you turn your thoughts home with longing and affection, where everything is familiar. So, the traveller, besides the delight of travel, has the warmest feeling of returning home. “East or West home is best”. 

There are a lot of means of travelling. People travel by plane, by train, by ship, by car or on foot. All means of travel have their advantages and disadvantages. And people choose one according to their plans and destinations.

You can travel by air and save your time but not money. You can travel by train and combine work with pleasure. You can travel by sea and have a wonderful time and relax.

Statistics show that air travel is as safe as travelling by train. An air crash on our airlines is as rare nowadays as an accident on the railways. There are even more road casualties per day than air deaths per year. It’s much more dangerous to travel by car or walk across a street. The progress that has been made towards safe all weather flying is really great. At the airport of today nothing is left to chance. Before the plane takes off the weatherman briefs the pilot on the weather. Long distances can now be covered by modern passenger airplanes non-stop without landing to refuel. Besides, air travel does save the time.

In fact, it is the quickest method of travelling which will take you in no time at all to any place you wish. You should not trouble of changing. There is none of the dust and dirt of a railway or car journey. Your luggage is taken care of.

Flying is a thrilling thing. Flying over you can enjoy wonderful scenery beneath you. The airhostess offers you some drink, chewing gum, a cup of coffee or tea, remedy for airsickness.

However, flying is very expensive and not everyone can afford it, especially old-aged people, students, people with small salaries. Sometimes flights are put off or cancelled. The only thing is to wait tolerantly and ask Heavens. A lot of people hate travelling by air. They have to go through airport formalities. Passengers are requested to arrive at the airport in two hours. They must register their tickets and their luggage. Their luggage mustn’t be overweight, not more than 20 kilogrammes, if they travel economy class. There is also a danger of hijacking. The plane may hit an air pocket and start to rock, some of the passengers may feel uncomfortable or airsick and ask the stewardess for some remedy.

Anyway, people travelled, travel and will travel by air. On the whole, they have a favourable impression on their flying on board by plane.

Travelling by Train 

Travel is extremely important nowadays. Two hundred years ago most people never traveled further than a few kilometres. Whenever they traveled they walked, or went by carriage, or on horseback. But in the last quarter of the twentieth century people traveled a lot. Many people travel 50 or 100 kilometres daily by public transport, or private car. Millions of people travel long distances abroad on business trips or for holidays every year. Even a housewife who is going shopping may travel twenty kilometres.

For most people speed is a very important factor when they are traveling. They want to reach their destination as quickly as possible. There are now planes that can cross the Atlantic in just over three hours.

Other people prefer comfort to speed. They like to relax during the journey and enjoy themselves as much as possible.

For almost everyone safety is the most important factor. For example, a lot of people never fly because they believe it is dangerous. In fact, it is probably much more dangerous to travel by car or to walk across a street.

Modern life is impossible without traveling. Thousands of people travel every day either on business or for pleasure. They can travel by air, by rail, by sea, or by road.

Of course, traveling by air is the fastest and the most convenient way, but it is the most expensive too. Traveling by train is slower than by plane, but it has its advantages. You can see much more interesting places of the country you are traveling through. Modern trains have very comfortable seats in all passenger carriages. There are also sleeping cars and dining cars, which make even the longest journey enjoyable. Speed, comfort and safety are the main advantages of trains and planes. That is why many people prefer them to all other means. With a train you have speed, comfort and safety combined.

From the comfortable corner seat of a railway carriage you have a splendid view of the whole countryside. If you are hungry, you can have a meal in the dining-car; and if the journey is a long one you can have a wonderful bed in a sleeper. Besides, do you know any place that is more interesting than a big railway-station? There is the movement, the excitement, the gaiety of people going away or waiting to meet friends. You can see a lot of notices: Entrance and Exit, or perhaps Way In and Way Out, Arrivals and Departures, Refreshment Room and Waiting Room, Left-Luggage Office and so on. There are the shouts of the porters as they pull luggage along the platforms to the waiting trains, the crowds at the booking-office getting tickets, the hungry and thirsty ones hurrying to the refreshment rooms, before the train starts. At bookstalls the passengers choose books, magazines or newspapers to while away the time during the journey.

But sometimes service leaves much to be desired. You have to queue up for your tickets. Travelling for long distances is very tiresome even boring, especially if your fellow-passengers are unsociable or boring people.

So, people choose means of travel according to their plans and destinations.

Suppose you travel by train. On arriving to the station you manage your way through the crowd and get out on to the platform. There are many tracks and trains there. But if you are helped by the porter there is no need for you to look round and read all the signs which tell you what train you must take. You follow your porter and here you are – Car № 6, train 52.

You show your ticket to the guard, standing at the carriage entrance. You find your compartment and arrange the luggage on the rack. Soon the train slowly pulls out. You stand at the window waving a farewell to our friends who came to see you off.

You are on your way. You start up a conversation with your fellow-passengers (people take to each other quickly when traveling), and soon you get to know who and what. Now when the excitement of the day is over you begin to feel hungry and go to the dining-car or order meal when the attendant comes along.

After a hearty meal you feel tired. You get into your upper berth and begin to absorb the beauty of the changing scenes that fly past you.

TRAVELLING. At the Customs 

Nowadays people travel a lot either on business or for pleasure. At the airport when crossing the border you must go through the customs and passport control.

First you go to the check-in desk where they weigh your luggage. Usually you are permitted twenty kilos, but if your bags weigh more, you may have to pay excess baggage (= you pay extra). The airline representative checks your ticket and gives you a boarding card for the plane with your seat number on it. Then you go through passport control where an official checks your passport, the customs where you are asked to make a declaration and into the departure lounge. Here, you can also buy things in the duty-free, e.g. perfume, alcohol and cigarettes. About half an hour or forty minutes before take-off, you are told to go to a gate number, e.g. gate fourteen, where you wait before you get on the plane. When you board (= get on) the plane, you find your seat. If you have hand luggage, you can put it under your seat or in the overhead locker above your seat.

The plane then taxis (= moves slowly) towards the runway, and when it has permission to take off, it accelerates along the runway and takes off.

When the plane lands (= arrives on the ground), you have to wait for it to stop (= come to a halt). When the doors are open, you get off the plane and walk through the terminal building and go to the baggage reclaim where you collect your luggage. You then pass through customs (green = nothing to declare; red = goods to declare; blue = European Union citizens).

The immigration officer asks you about the purpose of your visit and checks your passport and viza. If your documents are in order you go through the customs.

Every country has its own customs regulations, which stipulate what articles are liable to duty and what are duty-free. Sometimes an article which falls under customs restrictions and which is liable to duty is allowed to be brought duty-free if you do not exceed a certain fixed quota. These quotas are listed in a duty-free quota list.

Customs restrictions also include a prohibited articles list. This is a list of items which may not be brought into a country or taken out of it. An official paper from the authorities giving permission to take items out of a country is known as an import or export license.

If you have any item, which comes under customs restrictions, you are asked to declare it. The declaration is made either orally or in writing on a special form. As a rule, personal things are duty-free. If you have only your personal things in your suitcase, it is not necessary to open it.

The customs officer marks your luggage and wishes you a good trip.

The formalities at the customs-house usually take some time. Only after passing through the customs you may realize the journey.

If you are lucky, you can then get a bus, taxi or train to the centre of town without waiting too long. You can also hire a car (= rent a car) at most airports.

TRAVELLING. At the Hotel 

Hotel is a place where a traveller may find food and shelter. The ideal hotel has big rooms, with comfortable beds and good facilities, including a business centre. It should be as near the centre of the town as possible but within easy reach of the airport. There are several types of hotels: luxury, resort, commercial, congress, airport hotels, guest houses, country house hotels, B&B and motels.

Hotels are usually graded with stars from one-star to five-star. A 5-star hotel is a luxury hotel offering the highest international standards. A 4-star hotel offers a high standard of comfort and service with all bedrooms providing a private bathroom or shower with lavatory. A 3-star hotel offers a higher standard of accommodation 20 per cent of bedrooms containing a private bathroom or shower with lavatory. A 2-star hotel is a hotel with more spacious accommodation, with two thirds of the bedrooms containing a private bathroom or shower with lavatory, fuller meal facilities are provided. A 1-star hotel is a hotel and inn generally of small scale with good facilities and furnishings, adequate bath and lavatory arrangements.

Hotels may have different room types: single, double, twin, triple, family rooms, demi-suites and suites.

Hotels may have different room rates: full board or en-pension, half board or demi-pension, bed and breakfast or continental plan and European plan.

There are plenty of good hotels in London and you're nearly sure of finding a room in one of them. Still if you don't want to be disappointed, especially during the holiday season it's better to reserve a room beforehand. You'll find London hotels just the same as in all large cities. You enter a large entrance hall or lounge and go to the reception desk. The reception clerk will tell you which room is yours, what floor it is on and will give you the key. You will sign the register and give your luggage to the porter who will take it up in the lift to your room. If you need some help you can call the chambermaid by the room telephone. There is usually a laundry and a dry cleaning service at the hotel. You can have your clothes cleaned, washed, ironed, and delivered within 24 hours.

The people in the office will always help you if you don't know your way about the town. They'll tell you where to go and what to see. They'll book seats for you at the theatre and do all they can to make your stay a pleasant one. If you want a guide to show you round, or an interpreter for a business interview, they'll get you one. If you have to write business letters and can type, they'll provide you with the typewriter. If, on the other hand, you prefer to dictate your letter, they will get you a short-hand typist. If your wife is going to be with you she'll find plenty to amuse herself. She'll be able to spend her time looking at the shops while you are busy.

Many hotels have special weekly and monthly rates, so that it is cheaper to pay by the week, or by the month (residential rates) than by the day (transient rates). You will find rooms with and without a bath, single rooms, double rooms and complete suites consisting of two and more rooms. Guests are required to warn the clerk in advance when leaving (checking out) so that he can have the bill ready for them in time.

In the United States they also have motels. This is a roadside hotel providing both lodging for travellers and garage or parking space for their motor vehicles. In Britain there are caravan sites for travellers who come with trailers. No lodging is provided. The traveller lives in his trailer which is a house on wheels.

SHOPPING

At the Department Store

When we want to buy something, we go to a shop. There are many kinds of shops in every town or city, but most of them have a department store, men's and women's clothing stores and other.

I like to do my shopping at big department stores. They sell various goods under one roof and this is very convenient.

A department store, for example, true to its name, is composed of many departments: ready-made clothes, fabrics, shoes, sports goods, toys, china and glass, electric appliances, cosmetics, linen, curtains, cameras, records, etc. You can buy everything you like there.

Nowadays some larger department stores contain a supermarket and a coffee shop where customers like to have a cap of coffee and a sandwich. There are also escalators in big stores, which take customers to different floors.

The things for sale are on the counters so that they can be easily seen. In the women's clothing department you can find dresses, costumes, blouses, skirts, coats, beautiful underwear and many other things.

In the men's clothing department you can choose suits, trousers, overcoats, ties, etc. In the knitwear department one can buy sweaters, cardigans, short-sleeved and long-sleeved pullovers, woolen jackets. In the perfumery they sell face cream and powder, lipstick, lotions and shampoos.

At the Food Supermarket

When we want to buy something, we go to a shop. There are many kinds of shops in every town or city, but most of them have a food supermarket, a grocery, a bakery and a butchery.

I like to do my shopping at big supermarkets. They sell various goods under one roof and this is very convenient.

In a food supermarket we can also buy many different things at once: sausages, fish, sugar, macaroni, flour, cereals, tea. At the butcher's there is a wide choice of meat and poultry. At the bakery you buy brown and white bread, rolls, biscuits.

Another shop we frequently go to is the greengrocery which is stocked with cabbage, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, beetroots, green peas and what not. Everything is sold here ready-weighed and packed. If you call round at a dairy you can buy milk, cream, cheese, butter and many other products.

The method of shopping may vary. It may be a self-service shop where the customer goes from counter to counter selecting and putting into a basket what he wishes to buy. Then he takes the basket to the check-out counter, where the prices of the purchases are added up. If it is not a self-service shop, and most small shops are not, the shop-assistant helps the customer in finding what he wants. You pay money to the cashier and he gives you back the change.

British Food and Eating Habits 

The English usually have four meals a day: breakfast, dinner (lunch), tea (five o’clock) and supper (dinner). Some people have dinner at one o’clock and some have dinner in the evening (instead of supper) and the midday meal is the called lunch. The traditional English breakfast is a meal of bacon and eggs, hot buttered toast or bread or rolls, marmalade or jam, tea or coffee. In Scotland and northern parts of England people sometimes have a plate of porridge or cornflakes for breakfast.

The second meal (lunch or dinner) is served at one o’clock. It consists of two courses if it is lunch and three courses if it is dinner. First comes soup (sometimes juice or a piece of melon). The second course is a meat or fish course. Beefsteak is the most popular meat dish. It is usually accompanied by roast potatoes or potatoes done in their jackets, a second vegetable (probably cabbage or carrots) and Yorkshire pudding.

Then comes a sweet. Apple pie (with hot custard) is a favourite sweet. There are various types of pudding. Lunch is very similar to dinner but it is a lighter meal and a rule people do not have soup lunch.

The next meal is five o’clock tea. In families it is served at half past four or five o’clock. Sometimes people may have some sandwiches or biscuits with five o’clock tea but generally very little food. Tea is taken with milk. Tea with lemon is called Russian tae and is served only in some cafes and restaurants. Guests are often invited to fives o’clock tea. The hostess welcomes them at the door and invites them to the drawing-room where tea is served. Then she brings in the tea-service (cups, saucers, plates, a tea-pot, a sugar bowl) on a tea wagon (tea-trolley) or on a tray. The tea-party usually lasts not more than a hour.

The most known and popular food in Britain is fish and chips which anyone can get in cafes and restaurants or in special Fish and Chips shops open at certain times of day (from 12 till 3 p. m. and from 7. 30 till 11 p. m.).

When you come in and ask for fish and chips, the shop-assistant puts chips into a paper bag, puts a piece of fish on the top, sprinkles everything with salt and vinegar and then wraps everything in an old newspaper to keep them warm.

Although the English people do not eat out as much as other Europeans do, there are many kinds of restaurants in England. Some of them are traditional restaurants where a waiter serves customers, and others are self-service restaurants.

There are small restaurants and cafes, which are very popular and crowded, especially during the lunch-hour, but it is getting more and more expensive to have meals there.

At self-service cafeterias a customer serves himself, and he can get a meal more quickly and less expensively there than in other types of restaurants. But the most popular place “for a drink and a chat” has been and still is the famous English pub with its cozy and friendly atmosphere. People go to pubs not only for some beer or whisky, but to meet their friends and they often spend the whole evening there till closing time.

Health Service 

In many countries people have to pay to see the doctor, pay to go to hospital and pay for all medicines.

In Britain, anyone who is ill can receive treatment free or at a small fraction of the real cost. Treatment is given by the National Health Service. The National Health Service was introduced in Great Britain in 1948. It provides free medical treatment. Both employee and their employer have to pay a sum which goes to pay for the services provided by the National Health Service.

However it is still possible to get private medical treatment which is chargeable. A large number of people have some sort of private medical insurance. This means that they, or their employers, pay some money to one of the big insurance companies. Then, if those people are ill, the insurance company gives them money to pay for private treatment, or to live on, if they can no longer work.

The damp English climate can lead to catching a cold or a sore throat.

People consult doctors if they have a cough, a temperature, a headache or insomnia. The doctor usually examines the patient and prescribes some treatment, pills, tablets or some other medicine, which they can buy at the chemist’s.

In emergencies, for example, if they have heart attacks, people in GB call ambulance on 999.

Sports in Great Britain 

People all over the world are fond of sports and games. Sport makes people healthy, keeps them fit, more organized and better disciplined. It unites people of different classes and nationalities. England is a sports loving nation. Sports in England take many forms: organized competitive sports, which attract huge crowds to encourage their favourite team to victory, athletic games played for recreation, and others.

Some sports are called spectator sports, when the number of spectators is greater than the number of people playing in the game. Other sports are called participant, sports attracting crowds only on special occasions such as tournaments.

The game peculiarly associated with England is cricket. Many other games too are English in origin, but have been accepted with enthusiasm in other countries; cricket has been seriously and extensively accepted only in the Commonwealth, particularly in Australia, India, Pakistan.

Cricket is a slow game, and a spectator, sitting in the afternoon sun after his lunch, may be excused for having a little sleep for half an hour. Cricket is making no progress in popularity.

Association football or soccer is very popular. Nearly 40 million spectators each year attend matches between the great professional teams organized by the Football League. The biggest event in England is the Cup Final, played at the Empire Stadium, Wembley, in a London suburb.

Rugby football (or rugger) has existed in Britain since the beginning of the 19th century, when a teacher at Rugby school, while playing football, decided that it would be better to pick up the ball and run with it.

Rugby football is played with an egg-shaped ball which may be carried and thrown (but not forward).

The games of golf and tennis are played by great numbers of people. Golf is played in the countryside. It consists in driving a small ball towards and into holes separated by considerable distances, by means of special golf clubs. The aim is to ”go round” using as few strokes as possible.

There are many tennis clubs, but every town provides tennis courts in public parks. The world championship tennis matches are held at Wimbledon in London, during June and July.

Theatres in Great Britain.

The British theatre is among the best in the world. About three hundred theatres all over the country open their doors every night. There are more working actors in Britain than in any other country of its size in the world. Why is the British theatre so full of life? One reason for that is its long tradition. Another reason is that British theatre has an unusually large audience. It is not only for intellectual people. Everyone goes, especially to the musicals.

Perhaps another reason for the success of British theatre is the great freedom it enjoys. New ideas are quickly put into action. Of course, many British theatres are not really successful. Money is always a difficulty. Only 50 of the 300 theatres get money from the government. Actors have problems too. A lot of them spend most of their time out of work, “resting”, as they call it. But somehow, the theatres stay open and the actors do their best.

Most British cities have a theatre, but London has the greatest number. There are over 50 theatres in London, most of them not far from Trafalgar Square. Some theatres put on modern plays and at others you can sometimes enjoy good musicals, folk songs concerts or concerts of “pop” music.

The most popular theatres are the Covent Garden Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Aldwych Theatre. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre began to perform in 1960. The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, in central London, is famous for opera and ballet performances with the best English singers, ballerinas and ballet dancers. Opera and ballet of the highest quality are performed there. At the Aldwych Theatre they put on both classical and new plays. Britain has a long tradition of drama. The National Theatre shows the best in the world drama.

A great modern theatre in the small town of Stratford-on-Avon honours Shakespeare. The Royal Shakespeare Company performs in Stratford-on-Avon and at the Barbican in London. In Stratford-on-Avon they present Shakespearean plays and in London they put on both classical and new plays. These theatres receive money from the government so that they can perform several different plays a year. A successful play can run for many months or even years.

Of the large number of London theatres only three or four are at present performing Shakespearean plays and even then not every night. The reason for that is the London theatre is very commercialised. Everything is done for the sake of entertainment and profit. All the commercial theatres in London are in the West End. Before a new play is put on, it may have a short trial run at a provincial theatre, because a lot of money is at risk.

In recent years musicals have been very successful. About 5 million people, many of them tourists, go to see a musical every year in London.

Going to the theatre in Britain is not only popular, but also expensive. Not many young people can afford to go. It is possible to get cheaper tickets by going to afternoon performances called matinees.

The best seats at theatres are those in the stalls and dress circle. Then comes the pit, and last of all the gallery, where the seats are the cheapest. Boxes, of course, are the most expensive.