Дополнительный материал для устной речи

DATES. ДАТЫ

READING

NEWS

The royal research ship Shackleton, with 21 scientists and technicians aboard (на борту), has left for the Antarctic.

54 KILLED AS PLANE CRASHES INTO SEA

Cartagena, Colombia, January 16. 54 people died when a DC-4 aircraft fell into the Caribbean (Карибское море) on Friday after taking off from here. Seven passengers and a member of the crew of five survived (остались в живых).

A MOON FOR PLUTO

observations of Pluto, the remotest planet of the solar system, has led astrophysicist Rolan Kiladze to postulate (предположить) the existence of a moon not yet seen because of the difficulty of observation at so great a distance. Pluto is different from Mercury and Venus, the two moonless planets of the system.

OLD AQUEDUCT IN SAMARKAND

Workers on the foundations (фундамент) for a new theatre in Samarkand, Central Asia, have found the remains (остатки) of an aqueduct (акведук) 2500 years old.

Sand ten feet below the surface contained broken potter (глиняные изделия), the bones of animals, articles of copper, bronze and iron and ornaments (украшения) of turquoise (бирюза) and metal.

The pottery is similar to that found in other ancient Central Asian cities, like Merve and Kobadiane.

HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY
Fortress of the Heavens

Tycho Brahe (1), a young Danish astronomer, in 1572 discovered a new star, and the discovery brought him fame at home and abroad. Frederick II, king of Denmark, built an observatory for Tycho Brahe on a little island. Brahe called the place the "fortress of the heavens".

Here for years he worked, watching the heavens at night and recording his observations by day till star after star had been set down (нанесены) upon his chart. When Christian IV became king of Denmark, he did not want to spend money upon science. He asked Tycho to show him what he had achieved by all his observations of the heavens. Tycho Brahe answered that he had charted seven hundred stars, and hoped to chart a thousand. King Christian still saw no value in the work, but the astronomer said, "The next man will start where I leave off (2), and some time in the future men will know the universe because we ha-ve pieced it together". (3)

QUOTATIONS

The winds and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.
Edward Gibbon (England, 1737-1794)

The true way to be deceived is to think oneself more knowing than others.
Francois de la Rochefoucauld (France, 1613-1680)

OUR CHILDREN

(Jokes)

TEACHER (looking at a pupil's notebook): I don't understand how one person can make so many mistakes.

BOY (proudly): It wasn't one person. Father helped me.

***

A six-year old girl showed her mother an empty spot for her new tooth and asked:

"Mommy (4), will it come in a different colour?"

"Why?" asked the mother.

"Will it come in gold like daddy's?" (4)

***

MOTHER (to her little girl, at table): Eat your soup, dear. Then you'll grow up big and strong.

DAUGHTER: I don't want to grow up big and strong. I want to be pale (бледный) and interesting.

Примечания

(1) Tycho Brahe - Тихо Браге, датский астроном (1546-1601)

(2) leave off-зд. остановиться, прекратить (деятельность)

(3) piece together - сложить воедино

(4) Mommy - мамочка; daddy - папочка