Pre – reading activity

1. Practise the pronunciation of the following words.

deposit [dI'p2zIt], potassium [pq't1sIqm], fertilizer ['f3:tIlaIzq(r)], dairy ['deqrI], entrepreneur ["2ntrqprq'n3:(r)]

2. Memorize the words.

1. advance v – продвигаться, идти вперед

2. deposit n – залежь, месторождение

3. potassium n – калий

4. amount n – количество

5. peat n – торф

6. balneological a – бальнеологический (balneary n – лечебный минеральный источник)

7. raw materials – сырье

8. ferrous ore – железная руда

9. fertilizer n – удобрение

10. slate n – сланец

11. dairy products – молочные продукты

12. joint–stock company – совместное предприятие

13. engineering n – машиностроение

14. consumer n – потребитель

15. rubber n – резина

16. property n – собственность

17. entrepreneurship n – предпринимательство

3. Answer the following questions before you read Text A.

1. What natural resources does Belarus possess?

2. What are the main industries of the Belarusian economy?

3. What countries are the main trading partners of Belarus?

Read Text a and fulfill the tasks which follow.

Text A

Belarusian Economy

The Republic of Belarus is one of the most economically advanced regions among the CIS countries. More than four thousand deposits of 30 different minerals have been found in Belarus. A special place among them belongs to potassium and rock salts.

The country is rich in construction materials. It has great reserves of peat and sapropel. It also possesses unique reserves of mineral waters for drinking and balneological purposes. Petroleum and gas reserves are not very large, deposits of brown coal and slates have also been explored in Belarus.

There are deposits of ferrous ore, rare metals, aluminium and soda raw materials, phosphorites and gypsum. The country has large forest reserves. One-third of the territory is covered with woods.

Industry is the basis for the country’s production potential. The structure of industry is represented by mechanical engineering and metal-processing, chemical and petrochemical industry, electric power industry, light industry and food-processing industry. Belarusian agriculture is moving in the direction of creating ‘agrotowns’.

A great amount of goods produced by Belarusian industries and agriculture is oriented towards the CIS countries’ markets. The main trading partners of Belarus are Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, Italy and China.

Belarus exports transport equipment, machinery, refrigerators, TV-sets, chemicals, fertilizers, wood and paper products, meat and dairy products.

It imports petroleum, natural gas, industrial raw materials, textiles, rubber, sugar, fruits and some consumer goods.

In 1990 market oriented reforms were initiated in Belarus. The tendency of transition to the positive model of structural reorganization has taken shape. But still Belarusian economy faces certain problems connected with the transition to market economy.

At present there are two forms of property in Belarus: state and private. Various forms of business exist in the Republic of Belarus: state enterprises, open joint-stock companies, limited companies, private firms and entrepreneurship.

Post-reading activities

1. Match the words on the left to those on the right. Make 10 word partnerships and translate them into Russian.

1. unique a. ore

2. ferrous b. salt

3. raw c. partners

4. dairy d. products

5. rock e. reserves

6. trading f. coal

7. brown g. goods

8. consumer h. property

9. private i. company

10. limited j. materials

2. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following Russian collocations.

1. благоприятные условия; 2. большие запасы торфа; 3. обладает уникальными запасами; 4. в лечебных целях; 5. производственный потенциал страны; 6. представлена машиностроением; 7. нефтехимическая промышленность; 8. ориентировано на рынки СНГ; 9. главные торговые партнеры; 10. потребительские товары; 11. рыночные реформы были введены; 12. переход к рыночной экономике; 13. сталкивается с рядом проблем.

3. Choose the best alternative to complete the sentence.

1. Belarus possesses great … of peat.

a) values b) settlements c) qualities d) deposits

2. Different forms of…exist in Belarus.

a) population b) property c) company d) construction

3. Economic problems in Belarus are connected with the … to the market economy.

a) undergoing b) undertaking c) transition d) construction

4. One of the problems in Belarus is … of energy provision.

a) little b)fen c) lot d) lack

5. … is someone who organizes, manages and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.

a) Distributor b) Entrepreneur c) Dealer d) Seller

4. Complete the sentences.

1. Belarus has large deposits of …

2. The country possesses unique reserves of …

3. …reserves are not very large.

4. Russia still remains …

5. Belarusian economy still faces …

6. Belarus exports …

5. Say whether the following statements are true or false.

1. Belarus is rich in natural resources.

2. Belarus has great reserves of rare metals.

3. The country has large deposits of petroleum and natural gas.

4. Heavy industry is the most highly developed sector of the economy.

5. Belarus proper consumes the greater part of the goods produced.

6. Belarusian export is mainly oriented towards Western Europe.

6. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the main minerals found in Belarus?

2. Does Belarus meet internal requirements in construction materials?

3. What part of the territory is covered with woods?

4. What forms of business exist in Belarus?

5. There are different forms of property in Belarus, aren’t there?

6. Belarus has large reserves of natural gas and petroleum, hasn’t it?

7. Get ready to discuss the following.

At present Belarusian economy faces certain problems. What are these problems and how can they be solved?

Read Text B using the dictionary and do the following tasks.

1. Think of the title to the text.

2. Make up 5-6 questions of different types.

3. Give a short summary of the text.

Text B

Today the structure of the cultivated area in the Republic of Belarus is changing in view of the developing market supply and demand for appropriate types of foodstuffs. Grain crops are developing in the first place. The grain sector is represented by rye, wheat, barley and oats. Other principal crops are potatoes, sugar beets, flax, fruits and vegetables. Livestock (cattle, sheep, hogs and goats) accounts for more than half the value of agricultural output in Belarus.

The food-processing industry is one of the major branches of the national economy. The poultry industry, due to the introduction of industrial technologies, is not inferior to that in advanced countries.

As a result of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, 20% of farmlands were subjected to radioactive contamination and were excluded from agricultural use.

Increase in soil fertility and the perfection of land relations, increase in the products’ competitiveness and the augmentation of export are the priorities in the development of agriculture.