my country
.pdfmake treaty – заключать договор enforce law – проводить в жизнь закон appoint – назначать
legislative – законодательный executive – исполнительный judicial – судебный
Upper Chamber – Верхняя Палата Lower Chamber – Нижняя Палата bill – законопроект
stripe – полоса
two-headed eagle – двуглавый орел
Ex. 9. Read and translate the text.
Russian Federation State System
The Russian Federation was set up by the Constitution of 1993 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to the Constitution Russia is a Presidential Republic. The President is elected for four years and is the head of the State.
The President is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, he makes treaties, enforces laws and appoints ministers.
The Federal Government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The President checks all of them.
The legislative power is represented by the Federal Assembly. It consists of two chambers. The Upper Chamber is the Council of Federation, the Lower Chamber is the State Duma.
To become a law a bill must be approved by both chambers and signed by the President. The president may veto the bill.
The executive power belongs to the Government which is headed by the prime Minister. The Prime Minister forms his Cabinet.
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The judicial branch is represented by the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and regional courts.
The State symbol of Russia is a three-coloured banner with three horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. The white stripe symbolizes the earth, the blue one – the sky, and the red one symbolizes liberty.
A new National Emblem is a two-headed eagle which is the most ancient symbol of Russia. All these symbols have been approved by the Federal Assembly. Russian is the state language of Russia. It is spoken throughout the whole territory of the Russian Federation. Meanwhile each Republic within Russia has its own national language.
Ex. 10. Answer the questions.
1.What is the Russian Federation State system according to the Constitution?
2.For how long is the President elected?
3.What is the structure of the Federal Government?
4.What chambers does the Federal Assembly consist of?
5.Whom does the executive power belong to?
6.Who is the head of the Government?
7.What is the judicial branch of power represented by?
8.What is the National Emblem of Russia?
Ex. 11. Translate:
крупнейшие озера, граничить с, 1/7 суши, уникальная страна, коренные россияне, около 9 миллионов, согласно конституции, заключать договор, законодательная власть представлена, чтобы стать законом законопроект должен быть одобрен, исполнительная власть принадлежит правительству.
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Ex. 12. Words to the text. to attend – посещать
kindergarten – детский сад compulsory – обязательный primary school – начальная школа schooling – обучение
Drawing classes – уроки рисования Physical Training – физкультура Natural Science – естествознание
school-leaving exams – выпускные экзамены vocational school – профессиональное училище technical secondary school – техникум
general regular school – обычная общеобразовательная школа gifted – талантливый, одаренный
handicapped children – дети с физическими недостатками fee-paying – платный
free – бесплатный
to charge fees – взимать плату
Ex. 13. Read and translate the text.
Education in Russia
Before children start going to school, many of them attend kindergartens until they are six or seven. Compulsory education in our country begins at the age of 7, when children go to primary school. This is the first stage of their schooling and it lasts three or four years. The children learn to read, to write and to count. They also have Drawing, Music and Physical Training classes. Secondary stage begins from the 5th form where chil-
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dren have a lot of new subjects, such as Literature, History, Natural Science, Physics, Algebra, and Geometry, a foreign language and others, Examinations are taken at the end of the 9th and the 11th year. After passing their schoolleaving exams at the age of 16 or 17, young people receive a Certificate of Secondary Education. Some children may have school after the 9th form and continue their education at vocational or technical secondary schools or colleges.
Besides general regular schools there are other types of secondary schools in Russia. There are specialized secondary schools with an intensive study of certain subjects, such as foreign languages, Literature, Physics or others. In specialized language schools, a foreign language is taught from the second year. There are also specialized Art, Music, Ballet and Sport schools for gifted children and special schools for handicapped children. Among the new types of secondary schools there are gymnasiums and lyceums, some of which are fee-paying.
Among higher educational institutions there are universities, institutes, academies and schools of higher education, where the course of studies is normally five years. To enter a higher educational institution young people have to take entrance examination.
Ex. 14. Read and translate the text.
Moscow is one of the oldest Russian cities. It was founded in 1147 by Russian Prince Juri Dolgoruky. The monument to the founder of the city you can see in Tverskaya Street.
The heart of Moscow is the Kremlin. It was built as an island fortress as it was surrounded by water: by the Moskva River and the Neglinnaya River, which is now under the ground.
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The first walls were made of wood, but later they were replaced by thick oak logs. A new white-stone Kremlin was built in the 14th century in the reign of Dmitry Donskoy. In hundred years tsar Ivan III built new walls and towers of red brick, as we see them now. At the beginning Moscow's territory was limited by the Kremlin. Later the Kremlin became the residence of Moscow princes and tsars.
Beyond the Kremlin a so-called 'posad' (settlement) spread out in all directions.
Kitai-gorod appeared in the middle of the 16th century and hid behind its walls and towers the entire big posad of Moscow to protect it. It was surrounded with a wide and deep moat. Later on, Beliy gorod (White town) was raised.
But Moscow still grew bigger and bigger. And at the end of the 16th century a new town – Zemlyanoy gorod (Ground town)
– appeared. It was surrounded by high ground rampart (zemlyanoy val) with wooden walls on the top and deep moat, which gave the name to the town. In the old days it was possible to enter Moscow through special gates. Some street names can remind us of the gates.
In the 18th century zemlyanoy val was replaced by the streets and boulevards. It is now called the Boulevard Ring. The third ring – Sadovoye Koltso (Garden Ring) runs for nearly 16 km round the centre of the city.
Ex. 15. Find the English equivalents to the following words and expressions from the text.
Основать, появиться, деревянные стены, быть замененным, дубовые бревна, глубокий ров, за стенами, князь, в конце века, поселение, так называемый посад, территория
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была ограничена, резиденция московский царей, построен из красного кирпича, во время правления.
Ex. 16. Answer the questions.
1.When was Moscow founded?
2.Who was the founder of Moscow?
3.Where is the monument to the Moscow founder?
4.What were the limits of the first Moscow town?
5.Why were Kitai-gorod, Beliy gorod and Zemlyanoy gorod
built?
6.How is Zemlyanoy val called now?
7.When were the first wooden walls replaced by the stone
ones?
Ex. 17. Read and translate the text.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital of Russia. It is one of the biggest and the most beautiful cities in the world. Moscow is important political, cultural educational, scientific and industrial centre of Russia. It is Moscow where the Russian Government seats. The population of Moscow is about 9.5 million people. Moscow was founded in 1147 by Juri Dolgoruky. The total area of Moscow is about nine hundred square kilometres.
We say that Moscow is a port of five seas, as the Moscow Volga Canal links Moscow with the Baltic, White, Caspian and Black seas and the Sea of Azov.
Moscow is an industrial centre too. There are many factories and plants in it. One of the best-known plants produces many lorries, and the other one produces motor cars.
Moscow is a cultural centre. There are a lot of theatres, museums, institutes, libraries and cinemas in Moscow.
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The Bolshoi Theatre is one of the famous theatres all over the world. If you are fond of painting you can go to the Tratyakov Art Gallery or to the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum and see a lot of interesting portraits and landscapes there. We say the Tretyakov Art Gallery is a treasure-house of Russian art.
Young people like to visit the Central Military Museum. There are many tanks, guns, and war documents there.
One can see the Kremlin and Red Square in the city. There are many fine buildings, wide streets, green parks, large squares, churches and monuments in Moscow.
It is necessary to mention such famous monuments as those to the great Russian writer Alexander Pushkin and to the first Russian printer Ivan Fedorov.
One of the highest buildings in Moscow is the State Moscow University. It was founded in 1755 by the great scientist Mikhail Lomonosov.
Moscow is a very big city and its transport must be comfortable and fast.
One can see a lot of cars, buses, trolley buses, trams in the streets of our city. The Moscow Metro began its work on the 15th of May, 1935. There were 13 stations at that time. Now it has 190 stations. Our metro is a beautiful and convenient one.
There are nine railway stations in Moscow and some airports around the city. There are many stadiums in Moscow. The Central Stadium is in Lushniki. Many competitions and football matches are held there.
The Olympic village was built for the 22nd Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980. It is a big complex for sport games.
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Ex. 18. Find the English equivalents to the following words and expressions from the text.
Научный центр, культурный центр, промышленный центр, самый большой и красивый город, Москва была основана, порт пяти морей, пейзажи, резиденция Правительства, удобный.
Ex. 19. Answer the questions.
1.What is Moscow famous for?
2.Moscow is a port of five seas, isn't it?
3.What kind of city is Moscow?
4.When was Moscow founded?
5.What is the total area of Moscow?
6.What do you know about the State Moscow University?
Ex. 20. Words to the text.
mountain chain – горная цепь
spreaded over meridionally – вытянутую в меридиональном направлении
arid steppes – сухие степи
latitude 62о North – 62о северной широты conventionally marked – условно проводится exert influence – оказывать влияние particularity – особенность
vicinity – соседство
on one side – с одной стороны
interregional exchange of products – межрайонный обмен продукцией
structurally diverse national-economic complex – разнообраз-
ный по своей структуре народнохозяйственный комплекс share – доля
in terms of economy – в экономическом смысле.
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Ex. 21. Read and translate the text.
What is the Urals?
Since long ago the geographical name of the Urals has become a sound word for the region which is well-known all over the world as a mountain chain rich in mineral resources and a landmark of boundary between Europe and Asia. Both the scientists and the businessmen are familiar with this word.
In terms of geography the Urals is a territory spreaded over meridionally for more than 2 thousand kilometres from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the arid steppes of Kazakhstan. In terms of economy the Urals is a territory stretched southward from latitude 62° North which is rich in mineral resources, densely populated and economically developed. The southern border line of the Urals is conventionally marked by the river Ural. This territory is recognized as the historical ground of the Urals economic area including the regions of Sverdlovsk, Perm, Cheliabinsk, Orenburg, Kurgan and the Republics of Udmurtia and Bashkortostan.
The Urals economic area is situated at the heart of Eurasian Continent at a considerable distance from the Atlantic Ocean and at a relatively short distance from the Arctic Ocean which in combination with the full extent of 1200 km from the north to the south exerts influence on the nature of climate, soil and vegetation.
The particularity of the economic and geographical situation of the Urals is the vicinity of the economically developed regions of the European part of Russia on one side and of the insufficiently developed eastern regions on the other side. That is why, for many years the Urals has served as a basis for industri-
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alization of Siberia and Kazakhstan which in its turn has become a stimulus of the development of industry of the Urals region proper.
As regards transport facilities the Urals lies on the main transit railway lines passing from the European regions of Russia to Siberia as well as to Kazakhstan and Middle Asia. This fact makes it possible to orientate the economic development of the Urals not only to the use of fuel and raw materials resources of its own but also to the use of the resources supplied, as' well as contributes to interregional exchange of products.
The Urals Economic Area of today is a complicated and structurally diverse national-economic complex. The Urals is remarkable, first of all, for its developed industry, mainly a heavy one. The share of the Urals in production of engineering, chemical, and wood industries and agriculture is y great indeed.
Ex. 22. Words to the text.
mountain ridges – горные хребты lowland – низменность
valley – долина development – освоение meadows – луга
economic minerals – полезные ископаемые entail – связывать (с событиями) foothills zone – предгорная полоса
Trans-Ural – Зауралье
Pre-Ural – Предуралье mountain range – горный вал
West-Siberian Plain – Западно-Сибирская равнина wealth – богатство
yield – уступать
forest density – лесистость coniferous – хвойный
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