Toronto, Ontario

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║ Московский Институт Приборостроения ║

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║ Кафедра иностранных языков ║

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║ TORONTO, ONTARIO ║

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║ группа ИЭ-5-92.01 ║

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║ Афанасьева М. ║

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║ Москв 1994 г. ║

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Toronto

Toronto, Ontario, hasа become Canada's best-knownа city. Once

saddledа withа aа reputationа stodginess, it has been reborn and

revitalized and now stands asа one of North America's leadersа at

the arts, entertainment, and business.

Toronto boats a vast multicultural mix, with large groupsа of

Italians, Germans, Portuguese, Ukrainians, Asians, andа West

Indians, each contributing toа the city's mosaic. Theа cosmopoli-

tian blend offers visitorsа fine dining from aа seemingly endless

rangeа ofа theа cultures. Shoppersа canа browseа through funky

boutiquesа onа Queenа Streetа West, admireа the best of designer

fashions in the renovatedа district of Yorkville, orа visit Eaton

Centre, aа four-levelа $25-millionа retailа complex. For people-

watchingа andа plentyа ofа culinaryа delights, there's Kensington

Market, whichа featuresа freshа produce, fish, andа plentyа of

friendlyа conversation. Theа city wasа designedа and, since,

renovated to make the most ofа its settings on the store ofа Lake

Ontario. The bestа view is fromа the CN Tower, a 553-metre spire

that is consideredа the world's tallestа free-standing structure.

Nearbyа is Harbourfron, a lakesideа shopping, dinningа and

entertainment area whose restored warehouse is a centre forа flea

markets, artа studios, andа crafts shops. Much ofа the appeal of

Toronto lies inа its sence ofа history, which datesа back to 1749

when Frenchа fur tradersа from Quebecа established aа ford on the

site. Theа residentsа haveа workedа toа ensureа the survival and

revitalization of such areas as St. Lawrence Market (the place to

be on aа Saturday when theа farmers bring inа their wares) andа a

booming Chinatown, chock-full of restaurants and grocery stores.

Toronto is a cultural bastion, with the ultra-modernа O'Keefe

Centre, whichа isа homeа toа theа Canadian Opera Company and the

National Ballet of Canada; theа Art Gallry of Ontario, withа more

than 15, works -а from Oldа Masters toа contemporary art - in

its permanent collection; andа the Royal Ontario Museumа with its

ast arrayа of artа and artifactsа from culturesа the world over.

business and finance from another important element of theа city,

and Toronto'sа skyline isа dominated byа the high-riseа towers of

financial institutions. Among the most notable is the Royalа Bank

Tower, with its distinctive gold-embedded windowpanels.

CN Tower

Atа 553.33а metersа theа CNа Towerа is considered the world's

tallest free-standingа structure. Construction tookа 40 months,

cost $57 million, employed 1,573 workers, and was completedа in

Juneа 1976. Aа slenderа columnа resemblingа aа giant needle, it

weight 132,080а metric tonsа - theа equivalent ofа roughly 23,214

large elephants.

Visitors canа step insideа one ofа four glass-faced elevators

andа beа whiskedа toа theа Skypodа Observationа levelа in under a

minute. In all, thereа are three observation decks, atа 342,

346, and 447а meters aboveground, the world's highest

public observationа galery. Eachа of аthese offers panoramic

iews of greaterа Toronto, Toroto Islands, and, on aа clearа day,

Niagara Falls and Buffalo, New york. Spectacular views are

alsoа toа beа hadа fromа Top Of Toronto, aа restaurantа atа the

350-metreа levelа that makes a full revolutionа once every 72

minutes, and Sparkles, aа nightclub at theа 346-metreа level.

Those whoа prefer to dine onа the groundа levelа canа enjoy a

snack in the family-styleа restaurant. Theа tower is a stroll

away from the lakefront аand aа walking tour ofа Harbourfront

parks and marinas.

Asа anyа famousа structureа might, the CN Tower has inspired

legions ofа would-be recordа setters. It hasа the longest metal

staircase in the world (2,570 steps), which is made availableа to

the publicа each yearа for aа charity stairа climb. Stuntmanа Dar

Robinson has jumped from the topа of the tower twice - onceа with

a parachuteа for theа filming ofа the movieа HIGHPOINT (1979) and

once using a wire cableа for the TV show "That'sа Incredible." On

theа tower'sа tenthа anniversary, "Spider Man" Goodwin completed

two free-style climbs outside the glass elevator-shaft window.

SkyDome

SkyDome isа the world'sа greatest entertainmentа center. It's

a home to the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Argonauts as wellа as

host toа wide varietyа of otherа sporting spectaculars, concerts,

family shows and consumeers shows.

Just how big is Toronto,s SkyDome? Well, you could put

eightа Boeingа 747sа onа the playingа field. Orа allа of Eaton

Centre. Orа a 32-homeа subdivision. Orа theа Roman Colosseum.

Evenа withа the retractable roofа closed, a 31-stoereyа buildings

could fitа inside the structure.

The $500-millionа buildings openedа on Juneа 3, 1989, after

32 monthsа of construction. On that day, inclementа weather

forced the developers to prove that the multi-panelled roof

could be closed in justа 20 minutes. Theа roof runs onа aа series

of steelа track andа bogies, weighs 11, tonsа - the

equivalent, roughly, of 3,734 automobiles - and isа made upа of

steel tresses covered by corrugated steel cladding.

Theа eight-acreа stadiumа offersа sportsа fansа five levels

of seating andа theа world'sа largest video replay screen. More

than 50, people at a timeа can watch a football or aа baseball

game, and there,sа also aа 350-room hotelа built intoа theа north

end ofа facilty, withа 70 roomsа offering aа view ofа the playing

field.

But the building is muchа more than a place toа wach sporting

events underа an openа roof. Thereа are 23а fast-food stands, 48

beverageа outlets, a 430-seatа restaurantа for quick-service

dining, aа 300-foot-long barа overlooking theа field, the largest

McDonald's in North America, theа Hard Rock Cafe, and aа 120-seat

movie theatre where tours of the building begin. The CN Towerа is

a stroll away from the stadium.

Royal Ontario Museum

Toronto's Royal Ontarioа Museum, knows affectionatelyа as the

ROM, isа Canada's Lagestа Public Museum, made evenа grander by a

recentа $55а millionа renovationа and expansion project, covering

the permanentа galleries. Foundedа in 1912а and openedа two years

later, theа ROM todayа attracts moreа than oneа million visitos a

year. Amoung its impressive holdings, which number more thanа six

million objects and speciments, are a Roman galery, housing the

country's mostа extensive collectionа of antiquities;а the famous

Dinosaurа galery, withа a mastadon, stegosaurus, and other

prehistoricа creaturesа "atа home"а inа jungle settings; a world-

classа textileа collection, withа colorfolа walhangings, peiod

costumes, and richly patternedа fabrics on display thoughoutа the

museum;а andа theа renownedа Chineseа colection, with 800 pieces

displayedа inа traditionalа roomа settingsа andа specialа gallery

areas. Ofа particularа noteа areа theа giantа stoneа camelsа and

guardian figures of the Mingа Tomb, the only Chinese tombа in the

Western world. There areа also galleries devoted toа artifacts of

Ontario and Canadiana.

Next door is the McLaughlin Planetarium where the Theatreа of

the Stars usesа 85 slideand videoа projectors to createа planets,

explodingа stars, andа otherа galacticа phenomena. Theа Sigmund

Samuel Building, aа fiew blocks southа of the mainа ROM building,

focusesа onа Canada'sа richа culturalа heritageа with displays of

antiqueа toys, coockingа utensils, oilа paintings, pottery and

sculpture. The George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramc Art, directly

across fromа the mainа ROM building, is theа only museum specia-

lizing in ceramic in North America.

Niagara Falls

Every year moreа than 12 millionа people flock toа Ontario to

see the breathtacking natural phenomenon knows as Niagaraа Falls.

Many areа honeymooners, althoughа no oneа is quiteа sure how that

tradition got started. They come toа see the combinedа cascading

power of the 54-metre Canadianа Falls - knows as Horseshoeа Falls

- andа the Americanа Falls, whichа soars toа 56 metres. Together,

these thunderingа cataracts rushа over theа brink atа the rate of

39.1 million Imperial gallons of water per minute.

Statistic don'tа do justiceа to theа majesty, theа danger, or

the romance ofа the Falls. Theyа have to beа seen in person, аand

there are a variety of waysа to view the spectacle once yourа get

there:а fourа Maid-of-Mistа boatsа enterа the Horseshoe Basin and

pass directly in front of cataracts; the Niagara

the Greatа Gorge Adventureа provides aа close viewа of the waters

from half a continent plungingа through the gorge at theа river's

narrowestа point;а andа threeа Tableа Rockа Scenicа Tunnels allow

isitorsа toа walkа behindа theа Falls. Toа view the sights from

above, opt forа a 10-minute helicopterа ride, rise toа the top of

the Skylon Tower observation deck via the externalа glass-fronted

elevators, orа visit theа viewing platformа at theа Minolta Tower

and Marine Aquarium.

Ifа theа realа thing isn'tа enough, there'sа always IMAX

Theatre's Niagara:а Miracles, Mythsа and Magic, shown onа a six-

storey screen inа the village ofа Niagara Falls. Whileа you're in

town, youа mightа considerа stoppingа inа atа any of a number of

places designedа to entertain, including theа Ripley's Belive It

Or Not Museum, theа Elvis Presley Museum, Louisа Tusaud's Museum,

or the Daredevils Exhibit.

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Toronto, Ontario