III. Read, translate and reproduce the dialogues:

Dialogue 1.

- Could you tell me a few words about Altai and its peculiarities?

- One of the peculiar features of Altai is that it is situated at an equal distance from the four oceans, at the crossing of ancient trade routes. Besides it was the place where people came in search for land and freedom. In the XVIII century the territory of Altai was «the Silver Treasury of Russia»

- How many towns are there in Altai?

- The region has 12 towns but the capital city is Barnaul.

- When was the Altai territory founded?

- As far as I remember, Barnaul became the center of the Altai territory in 1937. But in former times Altai was included in Tomsk province.

Dialogue 2.

- What is the climate like in the Altai Region?

- The climate is sharply continental with long and cold winter, which lasts as long as six months and hot summer due to which Altai is called «a Corner of Paradise»

- What can you say about the landscape of Altai?

- The landscape of Altai is varied. It’s hilly and mountainous in the east; the smooth plane surface turns into steppe in the west. The unique belt pine forests stretch for hundreds kilometers.

- Are there many lakes? What are they famous for?

- Altai is famous for a thousand of blue lakes. The largest is Kulundinskoye lake and the most attractive is lake Teletskoye. More than one hundred rivers flow into it and only one the Beya outflows.

- Why is the Ob treated to be the most important water route?

- There are few such rivers on the globe. Its length is five thousand kilometers. Only the Nile, then the Mississippi with its inflow the Missouri and the Amur, the Yenisei and the Lena are longer than the Ob. It begins in glaciers of the Altai Mountains, carries in itself the waters of two rivers – the Katun and the Beya, and flows up to the Arctic Ocean. It washes the area of about 3 mln. square kilometers and links Altai with the Northern regions of Western Siberia.

- Have you ever been to the Mountainous Altai?

- Naturally. Why?

- How did it impress you?

- Oh, I’ve been to the Belokurikha health resort with its famous radon springs and I was greatly impressed by a picturesque corner of the Altai foothills with a mountain river and rich vegetation.

Dialogue 3.

- What are the main industries in Altai?

- During the Soviet period such important industries as electropower engineering, agricultural machine-building, chemistry, oil-industry, timber-industry, production of building materials and others have been founded and are constantly developing here.

- What does Altai produce?

- Today Altai produces engines for machinery, diesels and metal-cutting lathes, forge presses and tyres, electric pumps and steam-boilers, chemical and textile goods, furniture and sophisticated home appliances, faceted diamonds and tourist equipment and what not.

- Why is Altai named the"Breadwinner of Siberia"?

- To tell you the truth, Altai is a major agricultural producer in Russia. It produces millions of tons of grain, meat, milk, vegetables and potatoes, sugar beet, oil-giving sunflowers, soy, berries and fruits, etc.

- What are the main branches of agriculture?

- They include grain-production, stock-breeding, fodder producing, maral-breeding and bee-keeping.

- Thank you. I appreciate your willingness to answer my numerous questions.

Dialogue 4.

- What places in Altai are connected with the development of the

stone-cutting art ?

- Kolyvan and Lokot are the two places connected with the stone-cutting art. Vases made of Altai precious stones came into history of Russian decorative applied art.

- We know, Russia is a multinational country. Can we mean the same speaking of Altai?

- Yes, of course. Represantatives of more than 110 nationalities peacefully co-exist in Altai.

- What famous people did the Altai give birth to?

- Fortunately, Altai is the Motherland of many talented people such as German Titiov, Vassily Shukshin, Ivan Pyryev, Michael Evdokimov, Margarita Terekhova, Michael Kalashnikov, Robert Rozhdestvensky and others.

- Thank you, N. It was very kind of you to tell me about your region.