British author sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote various types of books, from historical novels to adventure stories, but his Sherlock Holmes mysteries brought him fame. The Sherlock Holmes stories have been translated into more than fifty languages and have been produced in plays, films, radio and television series, musical comedies, ballet, cartoons, comics, and advertisements.
Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. Doyle's mother, Mary, was interested in literature, and encouraged her son to explore the world of books. She was a very good storyteller. In his autobiography Conan Doyle wrote: "The stories my mother told me when I was a child stand out more than the actual facts of my life."
Doyle attended boarding school and the University of Edinburgh. Doyle received his medical degree in 1885. After graduating, Doyle practiced medicine as an oculist until 1891, when he became a professional writer.
Doyle's first novel about Holmes, a Study in scarlet, was published in 1887. The story was written in three weeks in 1886. She introduced the detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Dr. Watson, the narrator. Holmes ' abilities border on the fantastic: he is famous for his logical reasoning, his ability to accept almost any disguise, and his skills to solve complex cases.
Watson plays two roles in Holmes ' life. First, he practically helps with the running of his cases; he is the detective's right-hand man. Second, he is the chronicler of Holmes. Most of the Holmes stories are written from Watson's point of view as summaries of the detective's most interesting cases.
As early as the end of 1891, Doyle planned to stop writing about Holmes and end the series. But the public demanded Holmes's return. Doyle's readers expressed disappointment by wearing mourning ribbons, and the magazine that published the series lost 20,000 subscribers. Doyle again revived the famous character in "the Empty house" (1903). The character of Holmes inspired many later writers to continue his adventures.
State schools are infant, junior or secondary. British boys and girls begin to go to school at the age of 5. They draw pictures, sing songs, listen to the stories and tales. British children begin to read and write when they enter the infant schools. Young children are divided into two groups, according to their mental abilities. Children leave infant schools when they are 7. Then they go to study at junior schools where they learn to write, read and do mathematics. Their school subjects are History, English, Geography, Arithmetic, Arts, Music, Swimming and some others. When the pupils enter the junior schools they pass abilities test. According to the results of the test and thus their intellectual potential they are divided into three groups. Boys and girls spend four years studying at junior schools.
Then they pass examinations again and enter the secondary schools. There different types of secondary schools in Britain. They are: grammar schools, modern schools and comprehensive schools. English boys and girls attend secondary schools from 11 till 16. They don't go to schools on Saturdays and Sundays. In the modern schools pupils do not learn foreign languages. In grammar schools pupils receive better theoretical education. And the other school type is comprehensive schools. Almost all secondary pupils ( around 90 per cent ) go there.
There are also private schools in England. Boys and girls do not study together there. It is common that aristocracy sons go to these schools and parents pay a lot of money for their education. These schools are called public. Independent and preparatory schools are private ones too. They prepare children for public schools and take money for the training. The teachers of the private schools can pay more attention to each of the pupils personally. It is possible to enter the best English universities after leaving public schools. After finishing grammar schools pupils have good knowledge and may continue studying in colleges and universities.
English pupils wear school uniform. It is one of the oldest country's traditions. A boy's uniform includes a school cap, a tie and a blazer. A girl's uniform consists of a hat, a coat, a skirt and a blouse. The uniforms vary from school to school. Usually, they are dark.
Упражнение 1.
1) .. I was copying... my friends were describing a...
2) ... the children were cleaning..
3) She was waiting for...
4) Some of the children were skiing while other children were skating. Everybosy was having a...
5) ... the family was getting everything... Bob and Helen were decorating the... 6) The girls were feeding the... the boys were making a...
Упражнение 2
Матч начался по телевизору в 7 часов, поэтому папа еще смотрел телевизор в 07.30. Мама сидела на кухне. Она спокойно читала женский журнал. Рози примеряла мамину одежду в своей комнате. Двоюродные братья Ника слушали рок - музыку. Она играла очень громко, поэтому они не слышали грохота. В 07.30 собаки лежали возле камина (огня) и спали. Ник с другом пошел в сад играть в футбол. Поэтому в 07.30 он еще был там.
So Dad was still watching TV at 07.30. Mum was sitting in the kitchen. She was reading a magazine. Rosie was trying on her Mum's clothes in her room. Nick's cousins were listening to rock music. The dogs were lying in front of the fire and they were sleeping.
Упражнение 3.
1. ...Dad was still watching TV.
2)... was reading a magazine.
3) they were listening to rock music.
4) The dogs were sleeping in front of the fire when the noise woke them up.
5) Nick was playing football with his friend.
Упражнение 4.
1) Where were the white bears swimming?
2) Was it raining?
3) What was the elephant eating?
What was the monkey playing with?
5) How many lions were sleeping in the cage?
Объяснение:
Past Continuous - время, действие которого происходило в определенный момент в .
I/he/she/it +was+ глаголing
We/you/they +were+глаголing