Read the descriptions of some different social and business customs.Can you identify which nationality group they refer to? Match eachdescription with one of these nationalities: the Japanese, the French, the Germans, the Italians, the British, the Spanish. A. They are happy to borrow manners and style from anywhereas long as it is useful and, above all, elegant. They love new thingsand their homes and offices are full of gardgets. Interactive videotelephones, high speed trains, and modern architecture cause excitementnot shock. B. They leave work as punctually as they arrive and rarely takework home. They work hard, but statistically they put in fewer hoursthan fellow Europens. C. Lunches and dinners are an important part of business life.They are used to create a personal relationship, and to make sure thatpeople can trust each other. Until the coffee is served, they must notdiscuss business. D. It is impolite to be exactly on time. For social occasions thismeans arriving between ten and twenty minutes after the arrangedtime. Sometimes invitations specify, for example, ‘Come at 7.30 for8.00’, which means you must not arrive later than 7.50. E. They regularly word on Saturdays, don’t often take more thanweek’s vacation, and count sick days as holiday. F. The backbone of the economy is the thousands of small andmedium sized private firs in the north. Their owners prefer independence, and it is more profitable to keep things in the family,pay workers in cash, and employ people who are officially self-employed, in order to make bigger profits and avoid strikes.
Звёздная ночь
The canvas is dominated by shades of blue. Van Gogh masterfully depicted the night sky, but did not make it depressingly dark.
The sky turned out to be surprisingly alive for the artist. It seems that the yellow stars and the moon are not frozen, but moving. This is how van Gogh reminds us of the changeability of life.
In the foreground of the painting, you can see a large cypress tree pointing to the sky. Van Gogh filigreed the tree, so it also turned out to be extremely alive, moving, and not frozen in severe immobility.
The background shows a city with a valley. If you look closely, you can see how accurately each house is made. For the image of the valley and the city, the artist used blue colors, so the picture does not look gloomy.