2020-04-20
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In the midst of industrialization following the Civil War, many Americans experienced profound hardship in the changing economic landscape. They found solace in the tales of Horatio Alger, whose characters overcame adversity through industry, perseverance, self-reliance, and self-discipline. The ubiquitous “rags to riches” legend became a cornerstone of American society; anyone could succeed and achieve wealth if they worked hard. These ideas were further solidified in the American mind by the addition of religiously based, Protestant “work ethic.” Many believed that hard work allowed one to not only achieve financial success, but, through that success, revealed God’s grace.
However, the industrialization of the 19t and 20th centuries began to erode the dream, replacing it with a philosophy of “get rich quick.” Today the dream has become more of an entitlement than something to work towards. Many Americans no longer entertain a vision for the future that includes time, sweat, and ultimate success.
(M. Warshauer, Professor of History at Central Connecticut State University)
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Золотой Алтай
Алтай лежит в самом сердце Азии, почти на равном расстоянии от трех океанов Земли – Северного Ледовитого, Тихого и Индийского. В переводе с древних тюркских языков "Алтай" означает "золотой"; это название отражает легенды о несметных сокровищах кочевых племен и реальные месторождения золота в щедрой земле, богатство духа и неповторимую, завораживающую красоту горной страны.
На территории более 260 тысяч квадратных километров расположены Алтайский край и Республика Алтай. Расстояние до Москвы - 2500 км, разница во времени со столицей России составляет 3 часа. Центр Алтайского края – город Барнаул, Республики Алтай – город Горно-Алтайск. Несмотря на административные границы, территория представляет неделимый природный комплекс, который часто называют гордым именем Большой Алтай.
Card38. Translate the following text into Russian.
“You’re History”
We dwell in a present-tense culture that somehow, significantly, decided to employ the telling expression “You’re History” as a choice reprobation or insult, and thus elected to speak forgotten volumes about itself.
According to the last “National Assessment of Educational Progress In US History”, which was undertaken in 1994, we can no longer call upon the traditional schoolmarm concept of history as a gage ant, or even as one damn thing after another. In order to argue against this caricature, you would need to know at least the official reason why Pilgrims and Puritans first voyaged to America, which 59 percent of fourth graders were unable to do. You would certainly need to be able to name one of the original thirteen colonies, which was beyond the capacity of 68 percent of that grade. By the eighth grade, matters have gotten worse, as they are bound to do. Ninety percent of eighth graders could recount nothing of the debates at the Constitutional Convention.
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Не солоно хлебавши
На Руси когда-то соль была очень дорогой. Возить ее приходилось издалека. В старину пищу солили сидя за столом. Часто хозяин солил гостям еду рукой. Гостю познатнее сыпал больше (иногда и лишнее – вот откуда пересолил). А гостю незнатному, сидевшему где-нибудь в дальнем конце стола, соли совсем не доставалось. Поэтому про плохой прием, оказанный кому-нибудь, про чью-либо неудачу говорим: Ушел не солоно хлебавши.
Card39.
An amazing 54 percent of eleventh graders “knew”, at least by dint of multiple choice, that Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union during World War II, according to the determinedly pessimistic 1987 work of Diane Ravitch and Chester E. Finn Jr.(What Do Our 17-Year-Olds Know?). Yet a poll published by the New York Times in 1995 discovered that only 49 percent of American adults could say with confidence that the Soviet Union had been on the same side as the United States for that period, with the rest either having no opinion or identifying “Russia” as an enemy or, most remarkably of all, as a noncombatant. And even this is salutary, by comparison with a New York Times survey of fifty-five years ago, which found that a quarter of entering college freshmen in 1943 could not name the man who had been president of the United States during the Civil War. In the contemporary “debate” on the inculcation of history, the United States has even managed to forget its own amnesia.
(by Cristopher Hitchens)
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Грудь, спина
Слова грудь и спина входят в противоположно окрашенные фразеологизмы.
Смелый человек всегда встречает опасность грудью. Встать грудью – значит, мужественно биться, защищая что-то дорогое. Грудью можно прокладывать себе дорогу в жизни – так происходит, когда человек добивается всего упорным трудом, преодолевает все выпавшие ему трудности.
Если же повернуться к кому-нибудь спиной, то это означает, что кого-то покидают, оставляют на произвол судьбы. Не является доблестью также прятание во время опасности за чужую спину. Нож в спину всаживает трус, предатель, боящийся биться с противником в честном бою. Гнут спину обычно перед тем, кто сильнее и могущественнее, но так поступают лишь слабые, трусливые люди.
Впрочем, есть со словом спина и положительно окрашенный фразеологизм – не разгибая спины. Он означает прилежно, усердно. Им можно похвалить примерно работающего человека.
Card40.
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There is nothing new about reality TV. Confessional shows, where ordinary people make their private life public, have been around for a long time. However, over the last five years TV reality shows such as Big Brother and Survivor have become more and more popular. Obviously some of these programs have been the most successful shows in television history. After all, it's unfair to say they are third-rate entertainment.
In order to evaluate reality TV, we need to define exactly what a TV reality show is. Reality shows have several things in common with soap operas. Generally speaking, they both involve a group of people who have to live together and get on with each other whilst solving various problems. The difference is that reality shows aren't scripted, so the dialogues are often quite tedious. In addition, the problems contestants deal with are artificial and don't arise naturally from a 'story'. Apparently, in this sense, they could be seen as third-rate entertainment.
