Dialogue 2

• What is the climate like in the Altai Territory?

• The climate is sharply continental with long and cold winter, which lasts as long as six months, and hot summer due to which Altai is called "a Corner of Paradise".

• What can you say about the landscape of Altai?

• The landscape of Altai is varied. It's hilly and mountainous in the east; the smooth plane surface turns into steppe in the west. The unique pine forests stretch for hundreds of kilometers.

• Are there many lakes? What are they famous for?

• Altai is famous for thousands of blue lakes. Some of them have fresh water, the others are salinas. The largest is Kulundinskoye lake. One can see water chestnuts in the lake, this plant is a relict one and is put in the Red Book.

• Have you ever been to the lake?

• No, but I’ve been to Malinovoye Lake.

• Is it really raspberry pink?

• It’s true. The water in the lake has a pink-crimson shade. Such a colour is due to a special kind of small planktonic crustaceans living in the lake. The water is very saline and consistent; you can lie on the surface of the water and not sink. At the bottom of the reservoir there is a salt crust, possessing curative properties.

• It’s very interesting!

• Yeah, and last year I rested near Utkul Lake. It is situated on the border of the Troitsky and Zonalny districts. The name of the lake from the Tatar language means «meat lake» which is the lake with a lot of fish. And it is really so. It has very many different kinds of fish. The lake is warm, the water is fresh, and has sandy beaches.

• Oh, I’d like to visit this lake one day.

• I think it’s worth it.

• Why is the Ob treated to be the most important water route?

• There are few such rivers on the globe. Its length is five thousand kilometers. It begins at the foothills of the Altai Mountains and flows up to the Arctic Ocean. It washes the area of about 3 million square kilometers and links Altai with the Northern territories of Western Siberia.

III. Ask your friend:

• где расположен Алтайский край;

• какая общая площадь Алтайского края;

• какова численность населения;

• какой город является столицей края;

• с какими регионами граничит Алтайский край;

• какой реки протекают по территории края;

• какой ландшафт преобладает в крае;

• почему Алтайский край называют житницей;

• родиной каких знаменитостей является Алтайский край.

Part II The Engineering Faculty Engineer

I. Learn the words you need by heart. Read, translate and retell the text:

Engineering profession to be defined as application science branch to be based empirical information to depend on observation experience mechanical engineer ability to calculate mechanical advantage interaction strong material sources of power analytical frame of mind imagination design equipment the like to require creative working knowledge various available area manufacture research development to keep up successfully to compete table to apply to prepare educational establishment direction equipment engineers car serviceman product processing to be responsible machinery fluent operation preventive maintenance repair resistance sowing and harvesting seasons

инженерное искусство, инженерия профессия определять как применение наука отрасль быть основанным эмпирическая информация зависеть наблюдение опыт инженер-механик способность подсчитывать, рассчитывать механическое преимущество взаимодействие прочный материал источники энергии аналитический склад ума воображение проектирование оборудование тому подобное требовать творческий практическое знание различный доступный область производство исследование развитие следить за успешно конкурировать таблица применять подготавливать образовательное учреждение направление инженер по оборудованию инженер по сервисному обслуживанию переработка продуктов быть ответственным плавная работа оборудования превентивное техобслуживание ремонт сопротивление сезоны посадки и сбора урожая