Obsah / Contents

Unit 1 Family ..................................................................................................................  8
Unit 2 Culture and Art ...............................................................................................  17
Unit 3 Sports and Games ........................................................................................... 26
Unit 4 Housing .............................................................................................................  35
Unit 5 Shopping and Services ................................................................................... 44
Unit 6 Health Care ......................................................................................................  61
Unit 7 Travelling ..........................................................................................................  70
Unit 8 Education ..........................................................................................................  82
Unit 9 Jobs .....................................................................................................................  91
Unit 10 Human Relationships ................................................................................... 100
Unit 11 People and Nature ........................................................................................  110
Unit 12 Science and Technology ..............................................................................  118
Unit 13 People and Society ........................................................................................ 128
Unit 14 Communication and Languages ................................................................ 137
Unit 15 Mass Media ....................................................................................................  148
Unit 16 The Young and Their World ....................................................................... 158
Unit 17 Food ................................................................................................................. 168
Unit 18 Hobbies, Leisure and Lifestyle ...................................................................  178
Unit 19 Multicultural Society ...................................................................................  187
Unit 20 Towns and Places .......................................................................................... 198
Unit 21 Fashion ............................................................................................................ 208
Unit 22 The Book – the Friend of People ................................................................  218
Unit 23 Idols and Celebrities ..................................................................................... 227
Unit 24 English-Speaking Countries ........................................................................237
Unit 25 Slovakia – My Homeland ............................................................................ 248
WRITING ........................................................................................................................... 256
TESTS – written exam ..................................................................................................... 267
Score Chart ........................................................................................................................ 324
TESTS – oral exam............................................................................................................ 325
Additional Texts . .............................................................................................................. 337
Key to Units (separable) ................................................................................................... 354
Key to Tests – written exam (separable) ...................................................................... 366
Tapescripts (separable) ..................................................................................................... 370
Sources ................................................................................................................................  376
 Unit 20
TOWNS AND
PLACES
My home is not a place, it is people.
y Lois McMaster Bujold

i  Before reading the text, discuss the following questions in class.

1. What places in Slovakia would you show to foreign tourists?
2. Where would you like to spend your summer holidays? Why?
3. Why do people move from place to place?

T he place where we are born is called a place of birth. It is written on our birth
  certificate, our ID card and passport. The place where we grow up, strongly
influences our character and behaviour. Many important relationships are created
there. The place of our studies is often not identical with our place of birth. Nowa-
days, most young people choose to study in a different town (or even country). It
allows them to be more independent, to learn to take care of themselves and meet
new people. However, some students prefer to study in their hometown for financial
reasons.
There are many beautiful places in the world where people would like to live or at
least spend their holidays. Some people like pure nature and peaceful countryside.
Others prefer the hectic life in crowded towns and cities.
A town is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to
several thousand. It is larger than a village but smaller than a city. A city usually
consists of residential, industrial and business areas together with administrative
functions. The majority of a city area is primarily taken up by housing. Skyscrap-
ers, housing estates, business and shopping centres are built in all major cities.
Infrastructure, such as roads, streets and public transport routes (metro rail sys-
tem), are usually well-developed too.
A global city, also known as a world city, is the main centre of trade, banking,
finance, innovations and markets. Whereas megacity refers to any city of enormous
size, a global city is one of enormous power or influence. The four traditional global
or world cities are London, New York, Paris and Tokyo.
A suburb is the place with houses and other buildings (e.g. church, school, pub,
a few shops), usually smaller than a town. It is usually situated on the outskirts of
the city.
 Unit 20 : TOWNS AND PLACES 199

A village is normally found in rural areas out of a town or a city where people
live. It is usually larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town or city. A hamlet is a
small settlement, too small or unimportant to be considered a village.
Nowadays, it is quite normal for people to live in different places during their
life. They move from place to place from various reasons. The most frequent ones
are jobs, studies or marriage. Moving is often connected with personal and social
life. Adaptation to a new place and assimilation among new people may take some
time. On the other hand, there are people who spend all their life in one place. They
do not have any social, personal or financial needs to change their home.
From time to time, we all leave our homes when we travel away for holidays.
There are many beautiful places in the world. Some of them are surprising, inspir-
ing and exciting. The most beautiful cities of the world are Prague, Barcelona, Hong
Kong, Istanbul, Jerusalem, London, New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco,
Venice and many others. They offer a lot of excitement, possibilities for sightseeing,
shopping in the most luxurious shops, going to restaurants, casinos, night clubs. The
Hawaiian Islands, the Seychelles and the Pacific Islands are called ”paradise” places.
They are preferred by those who look for the exotic and relaxation. The unbounded
country of the Alps, New Zealand, Coastal Norway and Tuscany offers a lot of ad-
venture. The Antarctica, Amazon, Canadian Rockies, Galápagos, Grand Canyon
and Sahara belong to the most beautiful wild places. They are favourite especially
among nature lovers. The wonders of the world, such as The Acropolis, The Giza
Pyramids, The Great Wall, Angkor, Machu Picchu and The Taj Mahal, are perhaps
the most mysterious places in the world.
Slovaks spend their holidays either in Slovakia or abroad. When they choose to
go abroad for holidays, they usually contact a travel agency. They choose a seaside
resort from a catalogue and the travel agent gives them all the necessary informa-
tion about the stay. During their holidays they communicate with a guide who rep-
resents the travel agency.
Slovakia also offers many interesting places for relaxation. Beautiful scener-
ies, caves, roaring waterfalls and vast plains attract many domestic and foreign
tourists. The High and Low Tatras are great for spending active holidays during
the whole year. Hiking, skiing, cross country skiing, cycling and horse riding are
very popular among the tourists there. Podbanské is one of the best known tourist
centres with hotels, shops, skiing centres, restaurants and cultural sites. Tatranská
Lomnica offers a variety of accommodation, ski slopes, casinos, fitness centres, a
horse-racing track and many other activities for tourists. Veľká and Malá Studená
Dolina, with its waterfalls, is one of the most beautiful places for hiking. Jánska
Dolina with thermal swimming pools, Chopok (the second highest peak), The Na-
tional Park of Low Tatras, Kráľova Hoľa, Demänovská Dolina and Demänovská Ice
Cave are the most visited places. Slovakia is also famous for its many mineral and
thermal springs. In 2004, storms devastated almost one third of the forests in the
High Tatras National Park. To repair the damage it is possible to replant the for-
ests or let nature itself regenerate it.
200 ANGLIČTINA – NOVÁ MATURITA

Trenčianske Teplice, Bardejov, Sliač, Dudince, Smrdáky and open air spas in the
mountains of Štrbské Pleso and Nový Smokovec are annually visited by thousands
of patients and visitors. The most famous spa is in Piešťany, with mud bath proce-
dures. Besides nature, Slovakia offers many interesting places for sightseeing. The
most beautiful castles are in Orava, Spiš, Trenčín, Zvolen and Bojnice. Levoča, an
old town, is very famous for beautiful wooden creations made by the woodcarver
Master Paul. “The gold town” Kremnica and the “silver town” Banská Štiavnica are
famous for their mining history. Slovakia also offers many cultural events to tour-
ists. The folklore festivals in Východná, Detva, Myjava and elsewhere reflect cul-
tural traditions preserved through folk songs and dances.

  See also  Unit 4 Housing, Unit 24 English-Speaking Countries, Unit 25 Slovakia

– My Homeland
For more information about LONDON, NEW YORK, WASHINGTON, SYDNEY
and BRATISLAVA see page 348 (Additional texts).

?  Questions
1. What is the difference between a town and a city?
2. Name three examples of world cities.
3. What are the advantages of life in towns and cities?
4. What are the disadvantages of life in towns and cities?
5. How does life in countryside differ from town life?
6. What are the reasons for some people to move to a new place?
7. Which cities of the world would you like to visit?
8. Which world places would you recommend nature lovers to see?
9. What does Slovakia offer to tourists?
10. If you could choose a new place to live, where would it be?

  Websites
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/intro.html
 Unit 20 : TOWNS AND PLACES 201

A Add the words in column A to the words in column B to make logical word pairs.

A B
Example: job  g  a) possibilities
1. schooling b) traffic
2. social c) station
3. football d) malls
4. cultural e) life
5. theatre f) performance
6. shopping g) opportunities
7. railway h) events
8. heavy i) stadium

B Read the definitions below and decide which places for living they best describe.

city   town   village   global city   hamlet   megacity   suburb

1. A is a residential community of people ranging from a

few hundred to several thousand. It is larger than a village but smaller than a
city.
2. A usually consists of residential, industrial and business
areas together with administrative functions. It is usually larger and more im-
portant than a town.
3. A , also known as a world city, is the main centre of trade,
banking, finance, innovations and markets. It is one of enormous power and in-
fluence.
4. A refers to any city of enormous size, with a total popula-
tion in excess of 10 million people. It is also known as a megapolis or megalopo-
lis.
5. A is the place with houses and other buildings (e.g. church,
school, pub, few shops), usually smaller than a town.
6. A is normally found in rural areas outside of a town or a
city. It is usually larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town or city.
7. A is a small settlement, too small or unimportant to be
considered a village.
202 ANGLIČTINA – NOVÁ MATURITA

Which expressions would you possibly find in the text about New York City? Put them in
C the circle. Then read the text below and put a tick () to those which you found in the
text in exercise D.

CHURCHES    GOVERNMENT    SHOPPING MALLS    SEAPORT

AGRICULTURE    FASHION    CAREER    SPAS
HIKING    MEDIEVAL    ADRENALINE    SCYSCRAPERS
MULTICULTURAL    FREEDOM    GARDENS    QUEEN
TERRORIST ATTACK    ARMY    IMMIGRANTS    AVENUE
GREEN    MAYOR    CRIMINALITY

Read the text about New York City. Seven sentences have been removed from the text.
D Choose from the sentences A-J the ones which fits the gaps. There are three extra sen-
tences which you do not need to use.

A The Statue of Liberty stands with its torch in New York City Harbour, on Liberty Island.
B There are different ethnic neighbourhoods, like lower Manhattan’s Chinatown.
C Central Park is the largest and most important park in New York City.
D New York is the largest city in the USA and one of the largest and most fascinating cities of the
world.
E You need to spend a few days in New York as there is so much to see.
F There are many famous attractions in New York City.
G New York, originally called New Amsterdam, was a little Dutch town built on a small part of
Manhattan Island.
H New York remains a unique and fascinating city – and one you’ll want to return to again and
again.
I Another place of interest is the Brooklyn Bridge which connects Brooklyn to Manhattan Is-
land.
J Fifth Avenue is famous for its luxurious shops, jewellers and office buildings.

NEW YORK CITY

1.

Its present population is more than 8 million people. It is an important seaport, with
good connections inland and the largest business, industrial and cultural centre of
the USA. It is also the centre of the art world, the media world, the theatre world and
the fashion world.
2.

In 1626, the Dutch colonizers bought the island from the Native Americans for 24
dollars in goods. The Dutch protected the town against the natives with a wooden
wall. The site of that wall is now occupied by Wall Street, which is known as the
 Unit 20 : TOWNS AND PLACES 203

world’s most important financial centre. After the War of Independence, New York
was the capital of the USA for four years and its first President was inaugurated
there in 1789. One of the most impressive views of New York City is the typical
Manhattan skyline, seen from Liberty Island, which is dominated by a number of
skyscrapers. In 2001, the tallest of them, the 110-storey Trade Centre Towers, were
destroyed in a terrorist attack.
3.

One of them, the Empire State Building, built in 1931, was also called “the eighth
wonder of the world”. It has 102 storeys and a TV tower at the top. It was the highest
building in the world until 1954. Another famous place is the Rockefeller Centre, a
large business and entertainment complex of 21 buildings, mostly skyscrapers.
4.

It is a masterpiece of the 19th century engineering. It was the first bridge to use steel
for cable wire.
5.

It is 92 metres high including its pedestal. The statue itself weighs 225 tons. It was
donated to the American people by France in 1886 to commemorate the alliance
between the USA and France during the American Revolution. The Statue, symbol-
ising freedom and democracy, was the first sight for immigrants coming to the USA
by ship in the 19th and 20th centuries.
6.

It runs for six miles through the city. St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the largest Roman
Catholic church, is also there. Equally famous is Broadway, an old Indian road. Most
theatres, including the well-known Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall, as well
as many cinemas and bars are on Broadway. People coming to New York City like
to visit Chinatown with its restaurants serving typical Chinese food. A unique at-
mosphere is characteristic of Greenwich village, the home of artists, writers, actors
and musicians.
7.

It was officially opened to the public in 1876. It offers both summer and winter at-
tractions, such as a zoo, an ice-skating rink, an open-air theatre, tennis courts, cycle
paths, children’s playgrounds, concerts and dances. The Metropolitan Museum of
Art is located in the park.
204 ANGLIČTINA – NOVÁ MATURITA

Read the text about New York City and circle whether the statements are true or false
E
according to the text.

1. New York is one of the largest cities in the USA. TRUE / FALSE
2. The Dutch were the original inhabitants of New York. TRUE / FALSE
3. Wall Street is situated in the area where the wooden wall was TRUE / FALSE
built by the Dutch to protect against the natives.
4. The first American president was inaugurated in New York. TRUE / FALSE
5. The Trade Centre Towers were damaged by a hurricane. TRUE / FALSE
6. The Empire State Building, with its 102 storeys, is the highest TRUE / FALSE
building in the world.
7. The Statue of Liberty was bought by the Americans for 24 dol- TRUE / FALSE
lars in goods.
8. The best place for doing shopping is Fifth Avenue. TRUE / FALSE
9. Carnegie Hall is situated on Broadway. TRUE / FALSE
10. Central Park was officially opened to the public in the second TRUE / FALSE
half of the 19th century.

Read Melinda’s report of her visit of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Fill in the sen-
F
tences below, using information from the text.
We visited the Statue of Liberty with two children, aged one and five. The kids
were very well-behaved considering the long time we spent in lines. To start with,
there are no clear signs indicating where the ticket sales office is. I waited ten min-
utes in the regular line only to be directed to a little window in the corner of the fort.
Once you have your tickets, you have to go through security before you get on the
boat. Everything needs to come off: phones, belts, coats. Even the stroller needs to
go through the X-ray machine. Ours would not fit so it was necessary to do a hand
search, which took about fifteen extra minutes. Then, you wait in line for the ferry.
Once at the Statue of Liberty, you need to go through more security, which takes
even longer. It is disappointing that I could not find any info on the statue‘s website
that indicated strollers would not be allowed through security on the island. You
cannot bring anything in with you that is larger than a small purse. All strollers
(and large umbrellas) must be checked, so if you have any small children, expect to
carry them all the way through the statue. They do provide lockers for a small fee,
so you can store items that you cannot bring in with you. The lines were ridiculous
and we went on a cold rainy day. It took us sixty minutes to get through security at
the statue. Once you finally get in the statue, it is almost boring. Younger kids will
definitely not be impressed. You walk through a museum and then head up to the
 Unit 20 : TOWNS AND PLACES 205

elevator which takes you to the base of the pedestal and then you need to walk up
several more flights of steps.
Once up there, you only look through ple­xiglass into the statue and then you
can walk outside along the base. All in all, I am not sure it is worth waiting to get
into the Statue. The ferry ride and views from the island are nice, but the wait is just
ridiculous.
Example:
Melinda complained about (signs)
Melinda complains about unclear signs indicating where the ticket sales office is.
1. Melinda did not like (lines)

2. Melinda hated (security checks)

3. Melinda was disappointed that (strollers)

4. Melinda found the (interior of the statue)

5. Melinda thinks (waiting)

 Working in pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.

1. Would you ever like to live in a megacity, such as New York, London, Paris or
Tokyo?
2. How would your personal and professional life be different if you lived in a “mega­
city?”
3. Describe the favourite place you have been to.
4. Which town or place in the world would you like to visit once? Why?
206 ANGLIČTINA – NOVÁ MATURITA

Vocabulary – text

accommodation – ubytovanie preserved – zachovaný

adventure – dobrodružstvo public transport – verejná doprava
to allow – dovoliť pure – čistý, pravý
assimilation – asimilácia, prispôsobenie rail – železničný, železnica
at least – aspoň to range from… to – v rozsahu od…
behaviour (AmE behavior) – správanie do
birth certificate – rodný list reason – dôvod
cave – jaskyňa to regenerate – zregenerovať
to consist of – pozostávať z to replant – znova zasadiť
cross-country skiing – bežkovanie residential – obytný, bytový
crowded – preplnený roaring waterfall – hučiaci vodopád
to devastate – zdevastovať, zničiť route – trasa
elsewhere – inde rural – vidiecky
enormous – obrovský scenery – scenéria
excitement – nadšenie, vzrušenie seaside resort – prímorské stredisko
guide – sprievodca settlement – osídlenie, sídlo
hamlet – malá dedina site – miesto
hectic – hektický ski slope – lyžiarsky svah
hiking – pešia turistika skyscraper – mrakodrap
horse-racing track – dostihová dráha spa – termálne kúpele
housing estate – sídlisko suburb – predmestie
however – avšak to take up – zaberať (miesto)
ID card (identification) – občiansky thermal spring – termálny prameň
preukaz tourist centre – turistické centrum
identical – identický trade – obchodovanie
influence – vplyv unbounded – bezhraničný
infrastructure – infraštruktúra vast plain – rozľahlá rovina
inspiring – inšpirujúci wild – divý, divoký
mining – baníctvo wonder – div, zázrak
mud bath – bahenný kúpeľ woodcarver – drevorezbár
mysterious – záhadný
need – potreba from time to time – z času na čas
nowadays – teraz, v dnešných časoch on the outskirts of the city – na pred­
paradise – raj mestí veľkomesta
peaceful – pokojný to be considered – byť považovaný za
peak – vrchol to repair the damage – napraviť škodu

Vocabulary – exercises

aged – vo veku alliance – aliancia, spojenectvo

agriculture – poľnohospodárstvo avenue – bulvár (široká ulica)

base – spodná časť
belt – opasok
cable wire – oceľové lano
to carry – nosiť
to check – kontrolovať
community – spoločenstvo
to complain – sťažovať sa
considering – berúc do úvahy
cultural event – kultúrna udalosť
cycle path – cyklistický chodník
to damage – poškodiť
to destroy – zničiť
to donate – darovať
elevator (AmE) – výťah
engineering – strojníctvo
ferry – trajekt
to fit – vojsť sa, zmestiť sa
fort – pevnosť
goods – tovar
harbour (AmE harbor) – prístav
to head up (to) – smerovať k
heavy traffic – hustá premávka
jeweller (AmE jeweler) – klenotník
ice-skating rink – klzisko
impressive view –pôsobivý výhľad
to indicate – ukazovať, označiť
inhabitant – obyvateľ
locker – uzamykateľná skrinka
luxurious – luxusný
masterpiece – majstrovské dielo
mayor – starosta
medieval – stredoveký
native – rodený
neighbourhood (AmE neighborhood)
– susedstvo
open-air theatre (AmE theater) –
divad­lo vonku, pod holým nebom
pedestal – podstavec
plexiglass – plexisklo
purse – BrE peňaženka, AmE malá
kabelka
terrorist attack – teroristický útok
theatre performance (AmE theater) –
divadelné predstavenie
ticket sales office – pokladňa
Unit 20 : TOWNS AND PLACES 207
torch – (vrecková) baterka
railway station – železničná stanica
regular – pravidelný
to remove – odstrániť
ridiculous – absurdný
seaport – námorný prístav
to serve – podávať, servírovať
shopping mall – nákupné centrum
sight – turistická atrakcia
sign – nápis
skyline – silueta, obrys
social life – spoločenský život
Statue of Liberty – Socha slobody
steel – oceľ
to store – uskladniť
storey (AmE story) – poschodie
stroller – skladací kočík, bugina
unclear – nejasný
War of Independence – Vojna za
nezávislosť
to weigh – vážiť
wooden – drevený
in excess of – prevyšujúci
It is disappointing.  Spôsobuje to
sklamanie.
It is worth waiting.  Stojí za to čakať.
It took 15 extra minutes.  Trvalo to
o 15 minút dlhšie.
to be directed (to) – byť nasmerovaný
niekam
to be equally famous – byť rovnako
slávny
to be impressed (by) – byť nadšený
niečím
to be located – nachádzať sa
to be well-behaved – slušne sa správať
to do a hand search – prehľadávať nie­
koho rukami
to find something boring – považo­
vať niečo za nudné
to go through security – prejsť bez­
pečnostnou prehliadkou
to go through the X-ray (machine) –
prejsť röntgenom
to wait in a line – čakať v rade