Tekhanova_V_Topics_for_discussion_Uch-met_pos

4. The climate of Belarus is ... for agriculture.

a) favourable b) favourite c) honourable d) variable

5. The Republic of Belarus ... beautiful national parks and natural complexes.

a) faces b) possesses c) provides d) covers

4.Completethesentences.

1.Belarus borders in the northwest ... .

2.The damp moderate continental climate creates ... .

3.... flow in the territory of the country.

4.The Republic of Belarus became a member of the UNO for ....

5.The country has great potential to ... .

6.Our republic is undergoing ... .

5.Say whetherthe following statements are true orfalse.

1.Belarus is located in western part of Europe.

2.The climate of Belarus is favourable for farming.

3.The population of Belarus is about 9 mln people.

4.Belarus became a member of the UNO in 1986.

5.There are about 11,000 rivers and more than 20,000 lakes in the country.

6.Answerthefollowingquestions.

1.Where is the Republic of Belarus located?

2.What countries does it border on?

3.What is the population of the Republic of Belarus?

4.The climate of Belarus is damp moderate continental, isn't it?

5.What can you say about the main health resort in the country? Have you ever had a rest there?

6.What are the reasons of economic difficulties faced by our country?

7. Getreadyto discuss the following.

The Republic of Belarus possesses great potential for developing tourism in the country. What do you think should be done to attract more foreign tourists?

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Text В

ReadTextВusingthedictionaryanddothefollowingtasks.

1.Thinkofthetitletothetext.

2.Make up 5-6questions ofdifferenttypes.

3.Giveashortsummaryofthetext.

Improving the environmental system is the main priority of the state policy of the Republic of Belarus. The basic purpose of this policy is the maintenance of ecologically safe conditions for habitation of population, protection and rational use of natural resources. The basic ecological problems of Belarus are:

•high level of radioactive pollution of a significant part of the territory as a result of the Chernobyl disaster;

•slow reduction of wastes and dumps of polluting substances in the environment;

•irrational use of natural resources;

•reduction in some species of animals like elks, wild boars, muskrats, beavers.

A complex republican program of environmental protection "Ecology" includes measures, directed at improving ecological conditions. Many devices and methods of complex environment control and protection, means and methods of diagnostics, prevention and treatment of human and animal diseases are being created. The Republic of Belarus is a member of many conventions and international agreements in the area of environmental protection.

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UNIT 5

BELARUSIAN ECONOMY

PRE-READING ACTIVITY

1.Practisethepronunciationofthefollowingwords.

deposit [di'pDzit], potassium [pa'tassism], fertilizer ['f3:tilaiza(r)], dairy ['dean], entrepreneur [,Dntrapra'n3:].

2.Memorizethewords.

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 а — бальнеологический (balneary n — лечебный минеральный источник)

7.raw material — сырье

8.fertilizer n — удобрение

9.slate n — сланец

10.dairy products — молочные продукты

11.joint-stock company — совместное предприятие

12.engineering n — машиностроение

13.consumer n — потребитель

14.rubber n — резина

15.property n — собственность

16.entrepreneurship n — предпринимательство

3.AnswerthefollowingquestionsbeforeyoureadTextA.

1.What natural resources does Belarus possess?

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

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

Text A

Read TextA andfulfill the tasks which follow.

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 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-pro- cessing industry. Belarusian agriculture is moving in the direction of creating 'agritowns'.

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

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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.Matchthewordsonthelefttothoseontheright.Make10wordpartnershipsandtranslatethemintoRussian.

2.FindinthetexttheEnglishequivalentsforthefollowingRussiancollocations.

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.

•.

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3. Choose the bestalternativeto complete thesentence,

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

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

4.Completethesentences.

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 followingstatements are true orfalse.

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.Answerthefollowingquestions.

1.What are the main minerals found in Belarus?

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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.What industries are developed in Belarus?

7.Getreadytodiscussthefollowing.

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

Text В

ReadTextВusingthedictionaryanddothefollowingtasks.

1.Thinkofthetitletothetext.

2. Make up 5-6questionsofdifferenttypes. 3.Giveashortsummaryofthetext.

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 food-stuffs. 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 per cent 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.

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UNIT 6

GREAT BRITAIN

PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

1.Practisethepronunciationofthefollowingwords.

monarchy ['monski], govern ['gAvan], urban [*з:Ьэп], rural f'ruaral], access ['aekses], deposit [di'pozit], valuable ['vaeljusbl], rare [гзэ].

2.Memorizethewords.

1.mere а — простой

2.govern v — править, управлять

3.elect v — выбирать, избирать

4.urban а — городской

5.rural а — сельский

6.accessible а — доступный

7.valuable а — ценный

8.grade n — сорт

9.гаге а — редкий

10.significant а — значительный

11.iron ore n — железная руда

12.manganese n — марганец

13.copper n — медь

14.lead n — свинец

15.tin n — олово

16.limestone n — известняк

17.self-sufficient а — экономически самостоятельный

18.lack n — нехватка, отсутствие

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3./Answerthe following questions before you read TextA.

1.What is the official name of Great Britain?

2.What are the four political divisions of Great Britain? Name their capitals.

3.What is the ruling political party in Great Britain at present and who is the Prime Minister?

Text A

Read TextA andfulfillthe tasks which follow.

Great Britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles and consists of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The capital of England and the UK is London, the capital of Wales is Cardiff, the capital of Scotland is Edinburgh and the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast.

The English Channel and the Straits of Dover separate Great Britain from the continent. The territory of the UK is about 244,000 sq. km. The population is about 60 mln. About 80 per cent of the population is urban.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy and the Queen is the head of the state. But the monarchy is a mere formality. In practice the country is governed by the elected government with a Prime Minister at the head.

There are three main political parties in the UK: Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats.

Great Britain is not rich in natural resources. Many of Britain's most valuable and accessible deposits have been worked out. The absence of high-grade iron ore, manganese, chrome, nickel and many other rare metals has always made the British economy greatly dependent on imported raw materials. There are significant amounts of coal, zinc, copper, lead and tin. Many non-metallic minerals are found in Britain: clay, chalk, sand and gravel, limestone, slate, dolomite, gypsum, common salt, rock salt and others.

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With the discovery of oil and natural gas in the North Sea the country has become self-sufficient in energy.

In spite of the lack of some important raw materials and problems connected with the balance-of-trade deficit, the UK is one of the most highly industrialized countries in the world.

POST-READING ACTIVITIES

1.Matchthewordsonthelefttothoseontheright.Make10wordpartnershipsandtranslatethemintoRussian.

2.FindinthetexttheEnglishequivalentsforthefollowingRussiancollocations.

1) расположено на Британских островах; 2) конституционная монархия; 3) простая формальность; 4) страной управляет; 5) самые ценные и доступные залежи уже выработаны; 6) имеются значительные запасы; 7) страна стала обеспечивать себя энергией; 8) несмотря на недостаток сырья; 9) дефицит торгового баланса; 10) делали экономику зависимой от ввозимого сырья.

3.Choosethebestalternativetocompletethesentence.

1.Many ... deposits in Britain have been worked out. a) rural b) industrial c) valuable d) expensive

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