Kostanay Region. Kostanay Region is situated in the northern part of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The area of the region is about 200,000 square km.

The surface of the region is flat. There is a vast steppe with small forests. Some rivers cross the region. They are the Tobol, the Aksy, the Ubagan. One of the tourists’ attractions of the region is the Naursum nature reserve. It includes pine forests, some beautiful lakes and a piece of steppe. The climate of Kostanay region is sharp continental where winters are very cold and summers are extremely hot. Besides, winter in the region lasts for almost five months beginning from November and finishing in March.

Kostanay region is an important grain-growing and cattle-breeding area. 18% of the Republic’s grain and 13% of its meat and milk come from this area. The region is rich in iron-ore and coal.

The population of Kostanay Region is about 2 million people. Most of them live in a country area. But there are five cities in the region: Kostanay, Rudny, Lisakovsk, Arkalik and Dzhetygara. Kostanay is and administrative and cultural center of the region.

b) Ask each other questions about the text.

Exercise 8. Speak about the region you come from answering the questions:

• How is your region called?

• Where is it situated?

• What is its nature like?

• What is the capital of the region?

• What are the economic centers of the region?

• What is produced there?

• What is the population of the region?

Exercise 9. a) Read and translate the text.

State Organization of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which was adopted on August 30, 1995, is the main law of the country. According to the Constitution, the Republic of Kazakhstan is a unitary state with a presidential form of government. The head of the state is the President. The President has wide powers. He forms government, appoints a Prime Minister with a Parliament’s consent and releases him from office. The president is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces of the Republic. The first President of the country, N.A.Nazarbayev was elected in 1991 and then reelected twice, in 1998 and 2005. The President in accordance with the Constitution is elected for a seven-year term.

The highest representative body performing legislative functions is parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Parliament consists of two structures: upper chamber – the Senate and lower chamber – the Majlis. The Senate is composed of deputies elected in twos from each oblast, major city and the capital of the Republic.

The Majlis consists of deputies elected in constituencies having one mandate. Parliament’s term of powers is four years.

The Government is the highest body implementing the executive power. The head of the government is the Prime Minister. The Government develops the main directions of the social-economic policy of the state, its defense capability, security, guaranty of public orders.

Judicial power is exercised by the Supreme Court and local courts. The Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the highest judicial body for civil and criminal cases.

Local representative bodies – maslikhats – express the will of the population of corresponding administrative-territorial units. Local executive power is exercised by oblast administration – akimats with akims of the oblast at the hand. Akims of the oblasts are appointed by the president of the country on the recommendation of the Prime-Minister.

b) Find in the text the English for:

• Негізгі заң / Основной закон

• Президенттік басқару түрі / Президентская форма правления

• Қарулы күштердің бас қолбасшысы / Главнокомандующий вооруженных сил

• Конституцияға сәйкес / В соответствии с Конституцией

• Заң шығарушы міндеттер / Законодательные функции

• Жоғарғы / төменгі палата / Верхняя/ нижняя палата

• Атқарушы билік / Исполнительная власть

• Қорғаныс қабілеттілік / Обороноспособность

• Сот билігі / Судебная власть

• Жоғарғы сот органы / Высший судебный орган

• Азаматтық және қылмыстық істер / Гражданские и уголовные дела

• Жергілікті атқару органдары / Местные исполнительные орган

c) Draw a scheme “State Organization of the Republic of Kazakhstan”.

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Table. ADVERBS’ DEGREES OF COMPARISON

	positive	comparative	superlative
1-syllable adverbs	fast late hard	faster later harder	fastest latest hardest
2 and more syllable adverbs	slowly often beautifully	more slowly more often more beautifully	most slowly most often most beautifully
le, - y endings	simple early	simpler earlier	simplest earliest
Exceptions	well badly little many much far	better worse less more more farther(further)	best worst least most most farthest (furthest)

Exercise 1. Give the degrees of comparison of these adverbs:

happily, little, easily, fast, much, quickly, badly, hard, late, brightly, well, seldom, highly, near, far.

Exercise 2. Read and translate the sentences.

“Come nearer”, the teacher said.

1. Dick came an hour later.

2. I got up earlier that day.

3. Think more, say less.

4. Jane has more English books.

5. They lived happily ever since.

6. Can you run faster?

7. This work is done worse.

8. Now I feel ill more seldom than last year.

9. What bank is situated nearer?

10. He speaks German best of all.

Exercise 3.Fill in the gaps with one of the following adverbs: better, fewer, less, more, worse.

1. Have you got many books? – No, I have ___ than you have.

2. My new TV set is good, but your TV set is ___.

3. This year farmers have grown ____ vegetables than last year.

4. Have you got much water? – No, I have ___ than you have.

5. I have got some money. I have got ___ than you have.

6. This tomato is bad, but that one is even ___.

7. Have you got any cigarettes? – Yes, I have got some. I have got ___ than you have.

8. This year there is much snow, ____ than it was last year.

9. This singer sings well, but that one sings ____.

10. He is a bad student, he studies ___ than others.