Text 3 Did You Know?
• Russia is on two continents – Europe and Asia. But only 20% of Russia is in Europe.
• Russia has a population of 147 million people.
•Almost four times as many people live in cities as in villages. The 12 biggest cities have a population of over 1 million people each.
• Russian people are not always a Slavic type. They do not all have blue eyes and fair hair. Russian people may look like Spaniards, Greeks, Jews, Turks, Koreans or Mongolians.
• Russian people are part of a big community of more than 100 nations and ethnic groups. There are Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians, Chuvash, Bashkir, Belarusians and Mordovins, and others.
• Everyone in Russia speaks Russian as the official language. Local languages are very important too. Children study them at school.
• There are five main religions in Russia. Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists live side by side all over the country.
Ex. 15 Say whether the statements are true or false. If they are false, correct the sentence:
1. The population of Russia is 140 million people.
2. There are 90 nations and ethnic groups in Russia.
3. Russian is the official language of the Russian Federation.
4. There are more than five main religions in Russia.
5. Children do not study local languages at school.
Ex. 16 Prove that:
1. The Russian federation is the largest country of the world.
2. Russia is connected with the Atlantic Ocean.
3. Our country is washed by three oceans.
4. There is a natural border between Europe and Asia.
5. There are various types of climate.
Ex. 17 Find additional information in Internet and make short reports about Russia and its people.
Ex. 18 Answer the questions to make up a story about any English-speaking country (the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand).
1. What other names are given to the country?
2. Where is the country situated?
3. What languages are spoken in the country?
4. How many states or territories or provinces are included into the country?
5. What seas and oceans is the country washed by?
6. What natural resources can be found in the country?
7. What industries are developed in the country?
8. What agrarian products are produced in the country?
Section III writing a letter Sample Informal Letter
|
3) Dear Susan,
4)
7) P.S. John Austin says hi.
|
It
feels like such a long time since the last time I saw you. I know
it's only been several weeks since I saw you. So far my summer
has been great! 
I
spend my all my weekends at the beach. I am getting a nice tan
and you can no longer say I am paler than you. I have been
playing lots of volleyball, surfing and building a nice
collection of sea shells. Just this past weekend I took second
place in a sandcastle building contest! 
On
the weekdays I work. I drive an ice cream truck around and sell
ice cream to the kids. It is so cool. It is a combination of the
two things I love most, ice cream and kids. The pay isn't too
great but I love the job so much. 
I
hope the summer's been going well for you too. There's only a
month and a half left in summer vacation and after that it's back
to school. Would you like to meet up some time to before school
starts?
In the friendly letter format, your address, date, the closing, signature, and printed name are all indented to the right half of the page. Also the first line of each paragraph is indented.
1. Your Address: (Not needed if the letter is printed on paper with a letterhead already on it.): All that is needed is your street address on the first line and the city, state and zip on the second line.
2. Date: Put the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year i.e. August 30, 2003. Skip a line between the date and the salutation.
3. Salutation: Usually starts out with Dear so and so, or Hi so and so. Note: There is a comma after the end of the salutation (you can use an exclamation point also if there is a need for some emphasis).
4. Body: The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs should be single spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip 2 lines between the end of the body and the closing.
5. Closing: Let the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends with Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma after the end of the closing and only the first word in the closing is capitalized.
6. Signature: Your signature will go in this section, usually signed in black or blue ink with a pen. Skip a line after your signature and the P.S.
7. P.S.: If you want to add anything additional to the letter you write a P.S. (post script) and the message after that. You can also add a P.P.S after that and a P.P.P.S. after that and so on.
Ex. 19 Writing. Write a letter to your friend. Describe the city you live in. Ask your friend to write you about his native city or town. Exchange your letters with your group mates.
UNIT 4
DESCRIBING A COUNTRY: THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
Section I
THE POLITICAL SYSTEM OF GREAT BRITAIN
Ex. 1 Pronunciation practice. Practice the pronunciation of the following words and word - combinations:
monarchy, sovereign, legislative, executive, judiciary,
to pass laws, to introduce a bill, to approve, to sign, to be in charge,
the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the Commonwealth, Home Office.
Text 1
The State Structure of the UK
Pre-reading task:
Answer the following questions:
1. Who is the head of state in the UK?
2. Who may be the Prime Minister of the country?
b) Scan the texts and find information to answer the questions on the state structure of the UK.
1. What is the highest lawmaking body of Great Britain?
2. When was the British Parliament founded?
3. How many and what chambers does it consist of?
4. How are new bills introduced?
5. How long and how does every Parliament work?
6. What are the main functions of Parliament?
The UK is a parliamentary monarchy. This means that it has a monarch (a king or a queen) as its Head of State. The UK is a monarchy in form, but a parliamentary democracy in substance. The Sovereign is head of state, and as such is head of the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and temporal head of the established Church of England. The Queen of the UK is also the Head of the Commonwealth, and so the Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries.