«СЛАБОЕ ЗВЕНО»
ВИКТОРИНА ПО СТРАНОВЕДЕНИЮ ДЛЯ УЧАЩИХСЯ 9-10 КЛАССОВ
INTRODUCTION. Good afternoon, pupils! I am glad to see you. Welcome to our game “The Weakest Link”. I am sure you like to watch this game on TV and know its rules. After each round the weakest link — a pupil who doesn’t answer the questions — will leave our game. The theme of our today’s game is “English–speaking countries”. So let us begin. Introduce yourselves, please, tell us your name, age and hobby.
I. THE FIRST ROUND. GREAT BRITAIN.
1. Where is Great Britain situated? — On the British Isles, to the northwest of Europe.
2. How many parts are there in the UK? — 4.
3. How many countries are situated on the island of Great Britain? — 3.
4. What is the capital of the UK? — London.
5. What is the capital of Scotland? — Edinburgh.
6. What is the capital of Wales? — Cardiff.
7. What is the capital of Northern Ireland? — Belfast.
8. What is the nickname of the flag of the UK? — The Union Jack.
9. What river is London situated on? — The Thames.
10. Who is officially the head of the UK? — Queen Elizabeth II.
11. What is a double-decker? — A bus.
12. What is the national emblem of England? — A rose.
13. Who is the Prime Minister of the country at present? — Anthony Blair.
14. What is the official residence of the Prime Minister of the UK? — No 10, Downing Street.
15. What kind of state is the UK? — A parliamentary monarchy.
16. What is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II?- Buckingham Palace.
17. Who is the architect of the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral? — Sir Christopher Wren.
18. What is the seat of the British Government? — The Houses of Parliament.
19. Where can you see wax figures of many famous people? — In Madame Tussaud’s.
20. What is the largest museum in London? — The British Museum.
21. Who was the first woman Prime Minister in the UK? — Margaret Thatcher.
22. What is the name of the first Queen of the UK? — Victoria.
23. How many bronze lions can you see at the foot of the monument to Admiral Nelson? — 4.
24. What is the oldest university in Great Britain? — Oxford.
25. When do British people celebrate Halloween? — On the 31st of October.
26. What is the biggest tower clock in the world? — Big Ben.
27. When do British people celebrate Guy Fawkes Day? — On the 5th of November.
28. What separates Great Britain from the European continent? — The English Channel.
29. What is the population of Great Britain? — 56 million people.
30. When did the Great Fire of London break out? — In 1666.
II. THE SECOND ROUND. THE USA
1. Who discovered America? — Christopher Columbus.
2. When did Christopher Columbus discover America? — In 1492.
3. What is the official name of the country that is usually called America? — The United States of America.
4. What is the capital of the USA? — Washington, D. C.
5. What do the letters D. C. stand for? — The District of Columbia.
6. Who was the first president of the USA? — George Washington.
7. Where is the Statue of Liberty situated? — New York.
8. Where is Hollywood situated? — In Los Angeles, California.
9. What is the largest city in the USA? - New York.
10. How many states are there in the USA? — 50.
11. The national flag of the USA is called “Stars and Stripes”. How many stars and stripes does it have? — 50 and 13.
12. What is the national sport in America? — Baseball.
13. What is the oldest and most famous university in the USA? — The Harvard University.
14. When do Americans celebrate Independence Day? — July 4.
15. In which month is Thanksgiving Day celebrated (in October or November)? — November.
16. On which ship did the Pilgrim Fathers sail to America? — The Mayflower.
17. What is the biggest state of the USA? — Alaska.
18. What is the longest river in the USA? — The Mississippi.
19. What unites the American presidents G. Washington, Lincoln, Jackson, Grant and Franklin? — The US dollar.
20. What is the official national symbol of the USA? — The eagle.
III. THE THIRD ROUND. AUSTRALIA
1. Who discovered Australia? — Captain James Cook.
2. In what half of the earth is Australia situated? — In the Southern Hemisphere.
3. What is the capital of Australia? — Canberra.
4. What was the first capital of Australia? — Melbourne.
5. What is the largest city in Australia? — Sydney.
6. What is the official language of Australia? — English.
7. What animals can be seen on Australia’s coat of arms? — The kangaroo and the emu.
8. What is the best-loved animal in Australia? — The koala.
9. Is Australia an island or a continent? — It is the largest island and the smallest continent.
10. How many countries are situated in Australia? — 1.
11. What are Australia’s national colours? — Green and gold.
12. When do Australians celebrate the New Year? — In the middle of summer.
13. How big is the territory of Australia? — About 8 mln square kilometres.
14. How large is the population of Australia? — About 18 mln people.
15. What is the longest river in Australia? — The Darling.
IV. THE FOURTH ROUND. SIGHTS OF LONDON
Look at the photographs and say what places of interest are depicted in them.
1. St. Paul’s Cathedral.
2. Tower Bridge.
3. Westminster Abbey.
4. The British Museum.
5. Tower of London.
6. Westminster Palace.
7. Buckingham Palace.
8. Kensington Palace.
V. THE FIFTH ROUND. FAMOUS PEOPLE
Let us see how well you know English and American literature.
1. The literary father of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn? — Mark Twain.
2. The author of “Robinson Crusoe”? — Daniel Defoe.
3. The author of stories about Sherlock Holmes? - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
4. The creator of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Snowhite and 7 dwarfs? — Walt Disney.
5. A famous English playwright and poet, the author of “Romeo and Juliet”, “Hamlet”, “Othello”? — W. Shakespeare.
6. How many lines are there in Shakespeare’s sonnets? — 14.
7. How many plays did Shakespeare write? — 37.
8. What happens at the end of “Romeo and Juliet”? –They die.
VI. THE SIXTH ROUND. HOLIDAYS
1. On this holiday people send presents, flowers and greeting cards to their sweethearts, lovers, husbands and wives. — St. Valentine’s Day.
2. This religious holiday marks the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead. It is celebrated in March or in April. — Easter.
3. On this national American holiday (in November) people thank God for good harvest and eat roast turkey, pumpkin and plum pudding. — Thanksgiving Day.
4. On this holiday children put on strange masks, dress up as ghosts and witches and cry “Trick or Treat”. — Halloween.
5. On this day in April people play tricks and jokes on their friends and relatives. — April Fool’s Day.
6. What is the most popular holiday in Great Britain and the USA? — Christmas.
VII. THE SEVENTH ROUND. THE STATES OF AMERICA
Your task is to name as many American states as you know.
