Learning english

English is a world language. It is the language of progressive science and technology, trade and cultural relations, commerce and business. It is the universal language of international aviation, shipping and sports. It is also the major language of diplomacy.

Hundreds and hundreds of books, magazines and newspapers are printed in English and read all over the world. 75% of the world’s mail and 60% of the world’s telephone calls are in English. Half of the world’s scientific literature is written in English.

English is spoken by more than 350 million people. Geographically, it is the most widespread language on earth, second only to Chinese in the number of people who speak it.

It is the official language of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the United States of America, of Australia and New Zealand. English is used as one of the official languages in Canada, the Republic of South Africa and the Irish Republic. It is also spoken as a second language in many parts of India and Africa. The number of second-language speakers may soon exceed the number of native speakers.

Besides, millions of people study and use English as a foreign language. In our country English is very popular: it is studied at schools (sometimes even at nursery schools), colleges and universities.

Learning a foreign language is not an easy thing. It is long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But to know English today is absolutely necessary for every educated person, for every good specialist.

I want to know foreign-languages because I have always been interested in foreign countries, their cultures and peoples.

RUSSIA

The Russian Federation or Russia is a country that stretches over a vast area of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.

The Russian Federation is a federative democratic republic with a President, directly elected for a four-year term, who holds considerable executive power. The President nominates the highest state officials, including the Prime Minister, who must be approved by the Parliament.

Russia’s bicameral Parliament, the Federal Assembly of Russia consists of the upper house known as the Federal Council of Russia composed of 178 delegates serving a four-year term (two are appointed from each of the 89 federal subjects), and the lower house (known as the State Duma), comprising 450 deputies also serving a four-year term, of which 225 are elected by direct vote from single member constituencies and 225 are elected by proportional representation from nation-wide party lists.

The Russian Federation consists of a great number of different Federal subjects of Russia. There are 21 republics within the federation that have a high degree of autonomy on most issues and these correspond to some of Russia’s ethnic minorities. The remaining territory consists of 49 oblasts (provinces) and 6 krai’s (territories), in which are found 10 autonomous okrugs (autonomous districts) and one autonomous oblast. Beyond these there are two federal cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg).

Russia is sparsely populated and has extremely low average population density due to its enormous size; population is the densest in the European part of Russia, in the Ural Mountains area, and in the South-Eastern part of Siberia. The Russian Federation is home to as many as 160 different ethnic groups and indigenous peoples.

The Russian language is the only official state language, but some Republics of Russia have often made their native language co-official next to Russian.

Religions on the territory of Russian Federation include Russian Orthodox Church, Islam, and various Protestant faiths, Roman Catholic Church, Buddhism and Judaism.

MOSCOW

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded 8 centuries ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. Historians have accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow’s history.

Now Moscow is one of the largest cities in Europe. Its total area is about nine hundred square kilometers (ancient Moscow occupied the territory of the present-day Kremlin). The population of the city is over 8 million.

Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The heart of Moscow is Red Square. The Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral (Vasily Blazheny) are masterpieces of ancient Russian architecture. The main Kremlin tower, the Spasskaya Tower, has become the symbol of the country. On the territory of the Kremlin you can see old cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Palace of Congresses, the Tzar-Cannon and the Tzar-Bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world.

There are a lot of beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow. Now Moscow is being reconstructed and we all hope that in a few years the city will become even more beautiful.

There are more than 80 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. Other unique museums in Moscow include the All-Russia Museum of Folk Arts, the Andrei Rublev Museum of Early Russian Art, Mikhail Glinka Museum of Musical Culture and many others.

Moscow is famous for its theatres. The best-known of them is the Bolshoi Opera House. Drama theatres and studios are also very popular.

Moscow is a city of students. There are over 80 higher educational institutions in it, including several universities.

Moscow is the seat of the Russian Parliament (the Duma) and the centre of political life of the country.