Упр.62 Unit 2 ГДЗ English Михеева 11 класс
Приведем выдержку из задания из учебника Михеева, Афанасьева 11 класс, Просвещение: 62 Read the text and answer the questions after it. Views of the City One hundred and fifty years ago, the founder of evolutionary theory Charles Darwin, predicted that the unpleasantness of life in crowded cities would not change, but humans would learn to love it. As far as the British are concerned, he was almost right. Many city dwellers today have cut all ties with the land and live in happy ignorance of what goes on in the country. For them the circuit of school or office, supermarket and nightlife have become a natural habitat. This state of affairs is, however, comparatively new. In Britain there is a much longer tradition of hostility to the city. English literature is full of anti-urban sentiment which is based on the idea that God made the country and man made the town. Britain’s favourite poets are the Romantics, who came from the country and loved it. The most quoted poem in the English language is Wordsworth’s Daffodils, which evokes an idyllic rural scene. Charles Dickens, in a sense, broke the spell of the rural myth. His novels are generally celebrations of city life, and the background of London streets is as important as the characters themselves. But even he sees the negative side. His London is often foggy, muddy, cold, wet and unfriendly. The most famous exception to this negative view of the city is the great wit, literary critic and dictionary writer Dr. Johnson. He loved life in London in the 18th century, hated going out of the city and said: «When a man is tired of London he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford.» 1. What are the two principal views on city life typical of the British? Which of them would you support? Is the traditional view of cities in Russia positive or negative? 2. Why, in your opinion, in the 17th—18th centuries English writers and poets didn’t think much of the English capital city writing, «Nobody is healthy in London, nobody can be» (Jane Austen) or «Hell is a city much like London — a populous and smoky city» (P. Shelley)? 3. Would you agree with Charles Darwin’s prediction about the unpleasantness of city life and the change of people’s attitude to it? 4. How can you explain the anti-urban attitude that English literature is full of? Comment on the idea expressed in the text «God made the country and man made the town.» 5. What can you say about Dr. Johnson’s description of London? Do you think these words can be referred to Moscow or any other big city? 6. Why, do you think, city dwellers get adapted to rural life with a lot of difficulty? Do you think people from the country have problems when they move to cities? What problems could they be? *Цитирирование части задания со ссылкой на учебник производится исключительно в учебных целях для лучшего понимания разбора решения задания.
Ответ
The two principal views are: a negative one, when the city is seen as noisy, dirty and unhealthy, and a positive one, when it is seen as a place of opportunities, comfort and active life. I would support the positive view, because cities give people education, work and cultural life. In Russia, the traditional view of cities is mostly positive, especially in modern times.
In the 17th–18th centuries English writers and poets often saw London as overcrowded, smoky, dirty and unhealthy. Life in the city was connected with poverty, disease and moral danger, so they preferred the countryside and idealized it.
Yes, I partly agree with Darwin. City life is still unpleasant in many ways: it is noisy, stressful and crowded. At the same time, people have become used to it and often do not want to leave cities because of their advantages.
The anti-urban attitude in English literature can be explained by the contrast between the natural, peaceful countryside and the artificial, busy town. The idea “God made the country and man made the town” means that the countryside is natural and harmonious, while the town is a human creation and therefore less perfect.
Dr. Johnson described London as a city full of life, variety and opportunities. I think these words can also be applied to Moscow and other big cities, because they also offer many things to do, see and experience.
City dwellers often find rural life difficult because they are used to comfort, transport, shops, entertainment and a fast pace of life. People from the country may also have problems in cities: they can feel lost in the crowd, miss nature and quiet, and find the rhythm of city life too stressful.
