II. Read, translate and retell the text: The Altai Region

The Altai Region is situated in the South East of Western Siberia at an equal distance from the four oceans. Its territory covers 1691 thousand sq. km., the population numbers 2,7 mln.people including urban –1,4 mln. and rural - 1,3 mln. people. The region has 12 towns (Aleisk, Barnaul, Belokurikha, Bijsk, Gorniak, Zarinsk, Zmeinogorsk, Kamen'–na–Obe, Novoaltaisk, Rubtsovsk, Slavgorod, Yarovoye), 7 urban and 60 rural districts. The capital of the Altai Region is Barnaul. Its population runs to 700 thousand people. Altai borders on Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions in the North; Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and the Republic of Altai in the South.

In the XVIII century the territory of Altai was «the Silver Treasury of Russia». It had been the personal property of the Cabinet and Russian tzars.

You can’t but admire the nature of the territory we live in. One of the greatest rivers of the world– the Ob formed by the junction of the two rivers the Katun and the Beya flows through the Altai Territory.

There are 3 thousand lakes in our Altai. The largest one is Kulundinskoye Lake (728 sq.km.). Two types of landscape prevail in the region: mountainous in the East and steppen in the West. Considerable areas are covered with virgin taiga forests. True hunters and fishermen highly appreciate the wealth of the taiga and the lakes. "The Belokurikha" health resort with its famous radon baths is situated in a picturesque corner of the Altai foothills. Visitors of Yarovoye Lake use its curing mud. Herbs are prepared in Altai in large quantities. A great number of tourist paths lead to the mountainous Altai.

During the Soviet period such important industries as agricultural machine building, petrochemestry, textile industry and others have been founded in the Altai and they are constantly developing. Today Altai produces engines, tractors, power-station boilers, tractor ploughs, freight railway cars, tyres, electric pumps, radio-apparatuses, cotton and synthetic fibres. The production of consumer goods has been organized here lately: washing machines, TV-sets, chemical goods, furniture, sports goods and tourist equipment.

The largest plants are joint-stock companies «Altai Tractor», «Barnaultransmash», «Sibenergomash», «Altaiselmash-Holding», «Altaivagon», «Chemical Fibre plant» etc.

They call Altai «the Breadwinner» and the people are right. Altai is a major agricultural producer in Russia. It produces millions of tons of grain, meat, milk, vegetables and potatoes. Altai has become the foremost producer of sugar beet, oil-giving sunflowers and soy. A number of other crops are grown here: buckwheat, pears, oats and flax. It also produces berries and fruits.

Altai ranks first in Russia in the output of cheese and second in the output of butter. Breeding animals for furs is highly developed in Altai. Principle brunches of agriculture are crop production, livestock farming, fodder production, maral breeding and bee keeping. Livestock farming specializes in meat, milk, wool and eggs. Food processing industry is the second in the industrial structure of the region. There are dairy, meat processing, confectionery, baking, liquor, wine-making, sugar and cheese making enterprises in the Altai Region.

Altai has 10 higher educational institutions, 1620 secondary schools, private schools, lyceums, gymnasium and a number of schools where pupils are taught in German, Kazakh and Kumandin. The number of books and magazines in public libraries runs to 18 mln. volumes. Representatives of more than 110 nationalities peacefully co-exist in Altai.

World famous is the Altai stone-cutting art. Artistic articles made by Kolyvan masters decorate many palaces and museums. The unique «Queen of Vases» is kept in the State Hermitage.

Altai gave birth to many talented people: Valerii Zolotukhin – an actor, Alexander Zalygin – a writer and editor, Ivan Pyryev – a film producer, Michael Evdokimov – an actor, Margarita Terekhova – an actress, Vassily Shukshin – a writer, actor and film producer. The name of the academician Michael Lisavenko who headed scientific research institute of Siberian gardening is well known all over the country too. Altai is the Motherland of Cosmonaut II German Titov.

Nikolai Rerikh viewed Altai as the most important geo-cosmic center of our planet.