1. Translate the underlined expressions and word combinations into Russian.

2. Find synonyms for the following words.

to imply

resilient

recent

a percpective

to pivot, a pivot, pivotal

to induce

to apply

3. Learn the following collocations and add some more.

Evidence

• Abundant, considerable, overwhelming, convincing, conclusive, decisive, powerful, striking evidence

• To search for, accumulate, come up with obtain produce evidence

• To present, offer, provide, consider, review, cite, admit evidence

• Evidence about, concerning, regarding, relating to

Determination

• Absolute, great determination

• To be full of determination, to reveal, show determination

• To determine smth. exactly, precisely

4. Translate the italized paragraph into Russian. Exchange your translations with a partner and render the contents into English using the most appropriate vocabulary.

RESTRUCTURING A RURAL TOWN

This paper traces the recent history (1948-1998) of economic restructuring in a rural community in central New York State. It's argued that several similarities exist between the experience of the village of Hartwick and many metropolitan areas. Chief among these is the role of the restructuring of production, the increased importance of the automobile, and the discourse, around the concept of "progress" found during this time period. Due to the difference in population, however, Hartwick has also experienced a marked decline in community autonomy and identity.

The literature focusing on restructuring of the American economy often explored such trends at the national and international levels or in urban settings. Studies of economic restructuring in rural areas have typically examined specific industries (coal extraction and agriculture). This study deviates from such approaches by examining the restructuring of an individual rural village as an urban area. Although most people would refer to Hartwick, as a "rural town," it's worth noting that the village is in fact an urban one. 600 residents live in close proximity to one another and there's a central business district. Though there're several miles of open land in any direction, the village exhibits an urban settlement pattern and thus warrants analysis as an urban community. So, it'd be expected that the experience of the village has been similar to that of larger communities. These similarities fall into four broad categories: 1) the production restructuring; 2) the automobile impact; 3) the prevailing discourses of progress; 4) residents' defence of community in response to perceived threat. We'll deal with the two first ones.

In most urban settlements, the capacities of production have been altered. This is often called de-industrialization, but the concept is also applicable to agricultural production. This has often occurred due to competition from more efficient productive regions, and/or technological innovations that led to a reduction in the necessary workforce.

Advances in transportation technology have translated into consumers being able to drive farther than in the past for goods and services. This has been accompanied by a need for commercial structures that have adequate parking facilities. In suburban areas this necessity has resulted in the construction of new structures that feature readily available parking. Such shopping areas often compete for customers – leading in many cases to a decline in commercial activity in such areas. In some small towns, the business district has declined significantly due to competition with businesses in other communities.

This economic and spatial restructuring has been accompanied by a de-concentration of residents in metropolitan areas and rural areas. In metropolitan areas, great residential developments sprawled across the landscape just beyond the city limits, bringing middle class residents to the suburbs. In rural areas, small villages have often ceased to grow.

The Car Culture: Like neighborhoods in older cities, Hartwick developed to meet the demands of pedestrians. So, it's not surprising that the downtown resembled small towns all over the nation. Buildings were close to one another and most were multi-leveled due to the needs of the central business district. This structure was appropriate for a pedestrian-oriented business district, but the automobile would place new requirements on downtown Hartwick.

The impact of the car in urban communities, large and small, was a mixed blessing. In rural areas, the car gave people the freedom to travel to and from town more frequently, but brought with it a need for adequate parking, improved road surfaces, etc. After WW II, new highways were constructed around historic business districts, diverting traffic away from established businesses. The automobile made it easier for residents of small towns to travel to urban centers. After the end of WW II, Hartwick experienced the dominance of the automobile.

In 1948, Hartwick was typical of many rural villages throughout central N.Y. The local economy was dominated by agricultural production, and Hartwick, by and large, existed to service the needs of local farmers. The automobile had already begun to make an impact on the village. For instance, there were 7 different establishments in and around the village that sold gasoline. Also, local residents began to drive to the nearby communities (eight miles distant and fifteen miles distant) for items bought less regularly, such as clothing and furniture. It was during this period that the automobile became the dominant form of transportation. In the '20s, state and federal programs improved local highways. The 1950s witnessed a great expansion of such efforts, the most obvious national program being the Interstate Highway System. Many local residents were able to buy cars during this period and take advantage of the newly paved highways, and weekend excursions became more common throughout the region.

The increasing dominance of the automobile set the stage for more frequent commutes to other villages, and so contributed to the economic and social changes Hartwick would face during the next 4 decades. Both the dominance of the automobile and the restructuring of urban space are related to the discourses defining progress. Much of the restructuring of urban space was meant to accommodate the automobile: expressways, parking lots, the growth of the suburbs, etc. But this wouldn't have been possible without a public discourse that promoted such accommodations as necessary and desirable. Hartwick, too, has been influenced by the prevailing discourse, and the business district was dramatically restructured even without the federal funds that were made available to larger communities.

Tasks