III. Complete the sentences using the words from the text:

1. … … is considered the birthday of our town.

2. Now the town … … by more than three hundred thousand people.

3. Volzhsky is a … … centre of Russia.

4. World famous are … … and … .

5. The town is proud of its … … .

6. Many foreign enterprises and companies have invested and … … in our town.

7. The river and the canal are used for … .

8. Volzhsky is an important … … .

9. A suburb of Volgograd … … an industrial, cultural and educational centre.

10. One can see a beautiful park with fountains and statues which are … … .

IV. Answer the questions:

1. What began the history of Volzhsky?

2. What date is considered the birthday of our town?

3. The town is inhabited by more than five hundred thousand people of different nationalities, isn’t it?

4. People of what nationalities can we meet in our town?

5. What industrial enterprises of Volzhsky are considered to be world famous?

6. What is the town proud of?

7. What kind of climate is there in our region? Is it favorable?

8. What educational institutions are there in our town?

9. What sports can you do in our town?

10. Where is it possible to spend our free time in Volzhsky?

V. Find English equivalents in the text:

Гидроэлектростанция, основатель, город населен, стоит сфотографировать, город-спутник Волгограда, несколько филиалов, тысячи жителей, быстро развивающийся город, абразивный инструмент, постоянные покупатели, зарубежные предприятия, экономический рост.

VI. Discuss the following statements:

1. There had been a settlement called Bezrodnoye long before Volzhsky appeared.

2. It’s far better to live in a small town than in a big city.

TOPIC № 3 GREAT BRITAIN

I. Vocabulary:

1. aircraft – авиационный

2. comprise – включать

3. highland – возвышенность

4. the House of Commons – Палата общин

5. lowland – низменность

6. might – могущество

7. mild – мягкий

8. possess – обладать

9. power – держава

10. respectively – соответственно

11. the United Kingdom – Соединенное королевство

12. Weave – переплетение

II. Read the text:

Great Britain has the official name - The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (or the UK – for short).The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometers. Administratively the UK is divided into 55 counties.

The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and doesn't include Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The English Channel between France and England is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world. Its size is 50 km (130 m under the sea). The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The highest mountain of the UK is Ben Nevis in Scotland.

There are a lot of rivers in GB, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence on the climate of the British Isles. It is mild. The weather in GB is very changeable. The English people say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." The English also say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long.

The most unpleasant aspect of English weather is fog and smog. This is extremely bad in big cities especially in London. The fog spreads everywhere so cars move along slowly and people can't see each other. They try not to be run over by a car but still accidents are frequent in the fog.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial power. It possesses some mineral resources: coal, iron ores, oil, gas and some metals. The country is known as one of the world largest producers and exporters of electronics and machinery, chemicals and textile, various aircraft and navigation equipment. Among the main industrial branches are also coal-mining, automobile, ship-building and metallurgical. The capital of the country is London. It is the largest political, cultural and industrial centre of the country and one of the largest ports of the world. Its population is over 11,000,000 people.

Among the largest cities of the UK are Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff.

Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The official language of the state is English. The national symbol of the UK is "Union Jack" – the British state flag having 3 white and red crosses on the dark blue field. The weave of crosses symbolizes power and might.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Officially the head of the state is the Queen. But her power is not absolute; it is limited by the Parliament. The British Parliament is the oldest parliament in the world. It consists of 2 chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The British Government is headed by the Prime Minister – the leader of the party having the majority in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister appoints the ministers to compose the government.

There are several political parties in the UK. The largest and most influential of them are the Conservative (the Tory), the Liberal (the Whigs) and the Labor Party.