3.14. Russian federation (russia)

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. It occupies about one-seventh part of dry land. It is situated in Europe and Asia. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometers.

The country is washed by seas and oceans.

There are different types of climate on the territory of the country. It is very cold in the North even in summer. The central part of the country has mild climate: winters are cold, springs and autumns are warm or cool, summers are hot and warm. In the South the tempera­ture is usually above zero all year round, even in winter. Summer is really hot, the climate is very favorable. The climate of Siberia is continental: summers are hot and dry, winters are very cold.

Some parts of our country are covered with mountains and hills.

There are many rivers in Russia, the longest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Yenisei and the Ob in Asia. The deepest lakes are the Baikal and the Ladoga.

The Russian Federation is very rich in mineral resources, such as oil, natural gas, coal, iron, gold and others.

Russia borders on many countries. Among them are Estonia, Latvia, Fin­land, Poland, China, Mongolia, Korea.

Moscow is the capital of our country. It was founded in 1147. It is a wonderful city. There are many sights in Moscow. You can see many museums, art galleries, theatres, churches and monuments in our capital. People of our country are proud of the Moscow Kremlin. There are also many big beautiful cities in Russia.

The population of Russia is about 150 million people. 83 per cent of the population are Russians. 70 per cent of the population live in cities.

3Rd course – 2nd term

3.15. Seasons

It is very nice in spring. The sky is often blue. The sun shines brightly in the sky. It is warm. It sometimes rains, but the rain is warm and pleasant.

Spring is a hard time for those who live in the country. There is a lot of work to do in the fields. Sometimes people are busy from morning till night. Tractors work in the fields day and night.

Children do not work in the fields. They go to school. They should work hard at the end of the school year.

Summer is as nice as spring. The sun shines brightly. It is warm and sometimes hot. It is warmer and hotter than in spring. The days are longer than in spring. The longest day of the year is the 22nd of June.

In summer children do not go to school. They have summer holidays. They often help fathers and mothers on a farm. There is always a lot of work there in this season.

Summer is a pleasant season. There is a lot of fruit and vegetables at that time. Some people like summer best of all.

After summer autumn comes. The days are shorter than in summer. The weather is not so pleasant as in spring and in summer. It often rains. The rain is cold and not pleasant at all. In September, the first autumn month, the school year begins in our country.

Autumn is the season of fruit and vegetables. It is the hardest time for country people. They should work hard in the fields. Children always help them with fruit and vegetables in autumn. November is the coldest month in autumn. It sometimes rains and it often snows.

Winter is the coldest season in the year. Sometimes the weather is pleasant. It often snows. Some people like when it snows. There is a lot of snow on the ground. The snow is clean and white. The ground is all white with snow. It is pleasant to walk when it is not very cold and it snows. The best holiday in winter is the New Year.

3.16. TEENAGERS AND THEIR PROBLEMS

Today it is fashionable to speak about teenage problems. A few years ago alcohol, fights, killings and other kinds of violence were more problems for adults than for young people.

But now, as official report admits, violence, AIDS, drugs and alcohol are more and more associated with youngest. For many children from poor families violence, drinking problems and all that is associated with powerty becomes more real than reality.

The Government surveys show that every fifth teenager who was arrested for criminal actions, was younger that 14 and couldn't be sent to prison. Almost half of teenagers have an experience with drugs, alcohol and sex under age of 16. A lot of teenagers who have drug or alcohol addiction almost never believe that they are dependent. These things are often combined with family and school problems.

What has gone wrong? Some specialists explain that the changes of our society, the system of our life force young people to choose their own lifestyle. On the one hand, our society agrees that 15-17-yearold people are old enough to be responsible for what they do and give them quite a lot of freedom and rights. On the other hand, most adults think that teenagers are too young to be taken seriously. This misunderstanding produced many problems. Actually, a lot of teenagers say that their parents let them do anything they want and are quite indifferent to their problems. Many teenagers get upset or depressed when they can't solve their problems. As a result, it makes them believe that there is only one way out - to stop living and commit suicide.