Английский

4)… cozying … the United States to oppose the Soviet Union, China quickly realized the downside … this alliance — that it had a negative impact … China’s reputation … the Third World.

5)Washington must come … another way to preserve its dominant position … global a airs.

II. Match the words in column a) with their synonyms in column b):

a)to accelerate; obvious; to look for; alliance; pressing; flatly; fierce; rivalry; thorns; hegemony; cornerstone; to cozy up; downside; to be intent on; to decrease; to counter; primary; to perish

b)to collapse; to quicken; evident; fundamental; to be eager; to make friends with; axis; urgent; supremacy; obstacles; competition; disadvantage; to diminish; decisively; wild; to resist; to search for; center

III.Match the word combinations with their English equivalents from the text:

Глобальное господство; безуспешная военная кампания; несбыточная мечта; искать новые союзы; разделять бремя ответственности; прямо отвергнуть предложение; геополитическое соперничество; преодолеть барьеры; несостоявшиеся союзы; краеугольный камень политики; негативная сторона альянса; разделять отрицательное отношение; выступить с идеей; противостоять угрозе; внешние враги.

IV. Translate the sentences from Russian into English:

1)Отрезвление США произошло тем быстрее, что оно сопровождалось безуспешными дорогостоящими военными кампаниями в Афганистане и Ираке и глубоким экономическим кризисом.

2)В феврале 2009 года Государственный Секретарь США Хилари Клинтон выступила с предложением создать союз двух супердержав — США и Китая, чтобы вместе решать важнейшие глобальные проблемы в области экономики и политики.

3)Даже если бы этих проблем не существовало, долгосрочный союз США и Китая или Китая и России вряд ли был бы возможен.

4)Китай всегда настаивал на том, что не стремится стать господствующей державой и в принципе против того, чтобы какая-либо сверхдержава претендовала на мировое господство.

5)США не понимают, что Россия совсем не заинтересована в отчуждении Китая. Москва гораздо более заинтересована в том, чтобы сотрудничать с Китаем, нежели в противостоянии ему — особенно сейчас, когда главной целью России является модернизация экономики.

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Контрольная работа № 5

Var. I

Customs Union Agreed with Belarus, Kazakhstan

Moscow — President Dmitry Medvedev met with his counterparts Alexander Lukashenko and Nursultan Nazarbayev in Minsk on Friday, where they agreed to the creation of a unified customs tari , which will start Jan.1, as well as a unified customs code, which will go into e ect on July 1.

About 92 percent of the new tari regime is based on current Russian duties, First Deputy Prime minister Igor Shuvalov said.

And, as Russia has, on average, the highest tari s of the group, that means that Kazakhstan and Belarus will be raising duties on a wide swathe of items.

“We had to agree with our partners on lowering certain customs tari s on certain groups of goods, and our partners had to raise certain tari s”, Shuvalov said, adding that Kazakhstan had to raise tar- i s on more than 5,000 items.

“This is a di cult process… It was necessary to make compromises in order to ensure all the decisions could go into e ect starting Jan.1”, he said.

But with Russia as the largest external market for both Belarus and Kazakhstan, raising tari s remains a lucrative bet for both countries.

“The creation of the customs union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan will allow the three countries to raise their gross domestic product 15 percent by 2015”, Nazarbayev said. “A common market with GDP of $2 trillion will be attractive for investors.”

Nevertheless, there are still several sore points remaining in the formation of a unified customs tari , said Alexander Portansky, head of the information o ce for Russia’s WTO bid.

“These sore points will a ect the economies of each of the three countries — for example, the customs duties on cars in Belarus, which are lower than those in Russia”, Portansky said.

The countries still haven’t agreed to a set of automobile tari s, but the Russian side is concerned that the tentative plan for duties would lead to a flood of used cars from Belarus and Kazakhstan and crush the domestic auto market.

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While tari s for Belorussian dealers would jump to the same level as the Russian tari s, duties for individuals would remain several times lower, which could result in caravans of Belorussian auto runners streaming into Russia.

A number of decisions regarding the customs union don’t correspond to the interests of Belarus in full, Lukashenko said, adding that he hoped that the decisions would nevertheless bring a balance of interests and “common results for all sides.”

Medvedev repeated his assertion that entering the customs union would not a ect Russia’s plans to join the WTO.

“There are two options: either enter the WTO with the customs union, which no longer exists only on paper, or each country can enter with the agreed-upon positions, but separately”, he said, adding that both options were acceptable.

But experts say the new customs union could create an entirely new set of hurdles for Russia’s accession to the WTO.

Tasks:

I.Insert the prepositions where it is necessary:

1)President Dmitry Medvedev met … his counterparts Alexander Lukashenko and Nursultan Nazarbayev … Minsk … Friday, where they agreed … the creation … a unified customs tari .

2)Russia has, … average, the highest tari s … the group, that means that Kazakhstan and Belarus will be raising duties … a wide swathe … items.

3)It was necessary to make compromises … order … ensure all the decisions could go … e ect.

4)The Russian side is concerned that the tentative plan …. duties would lead …. a flood … used cars … Belarus and Kazakhstan.

5)A number … decisions regarding the customs union don’t correspond … the interests … Belarus … full, Lukashenko said.

II. Match the words in column a) with their synonyms in column b):

a)counterpart; to be based on; to raise; swathe; in order to; to ensure; lucrative; sore; concerned with; dealers; assertion; option; acceptable; hurdle; accession

b)admission; profitable; to be grounded on; barrier; di cult to solve; range; with the purpose of; pleasing; businessmen; to guarantee; worried about; claim; alternative; colleague; to increase

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III.Match the word combinations with their English equivalents from the text:

Единый таможенный тариф; ныне существующий тарифный режим; повышать пошлины; ряд товаров; добиться компромисса; вступать в силу; выгодная сделка; внутренний валовый продукт; общий рынок; точки разногласия; предполагаемый план; внутренний рынок; в отношении чего-то; отвечать интересам; существовать на бумаге; совершенно новый ряд барьеров; вступление в ВТО.

IV. Translate the sentences from Russian into English:

1)Мы вынуждены были уступить нашим партнерам и снизить некоторые таможенные тарифы на определенные группы товаров; в свою очередь наши партнеры повысят некоторые тарифы.

2)Так как Россия является самым крупным внешним рынком как для Белоруссии, так и для Казахстана, повышение тарифов является прибыльным для обеих стран.

3)Тем не менее, в создании единого таможенного тарифа есть ряд пунктов, вызывающих разногласия.

4)В то время как тарифы для бизнесменов Белоруссии достигнут того же уровня, что и в России, пошлины для физических лиц будут в несколько раз ниже — что может привести к тому, что потоки белорусских машин устремятся в Россию и обрушат внутренний рынок.

5)Существуют две возможности для выбора: либо вступить в ВТО всем таможенным союзом, который теперь существует де факто, либо каждая страна будет вступать в него отдельно, согласовав позицию с остальными членами таможенного союза.

Var. II

Putin Says Customs Union Delayed

Moscow — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday conceded that a Russian-led customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan would not come into force by the planned July 1 deadline, casting serious doubts on Moscow’s commitment to the plan.

Several key disagreements were not resolved on Friday when Putin met with the Belorussian and Kazakhstan prime ministers in St. Petersburg, including Moscow’s desire to keep protectionist measures for its auto and aerospace industries.

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The union “cannot come into full force”, Putin told Mir, a television channel for the Commonwealth of Independent States, in an interview posted on the government’s web site.

“If we allow this or that product into our customs zone, de facto without import duties, this will have long-term e ects… In essence, it would jeopardize whole industries in Russia”, Putin said.

Analysts had been skeptical about the union’s chances for success, often citing Russia’s intermittent enthusiasm for joining the World Trade Organization. Moscow submitted its application to join the WTO in June 1993 — nearly 17 years ago — and remains the largest economy outside the bloc.

Regular trade disputes with Belarus have also hampered negotiations on the customs union.

On Friday, Putin said 18 more agreements would need to be signed before the July 1 deadline. The three states previously agreed to introduce a common external tari and set up rules and customs duties by that time.

Now, Moscow will seek to establish the common economic zone by July 1, 2012, six months later than previously planned, Putin said in the interview.

The remarks indicate that his suggestion a day earlier to enlarge the customs union, potentially to include six new states, may have been premature.

“I don’t know of a single Eurasian Economic Community member who would not want to join the work of the customs union”, Putin said at a meeting of the group in St. Petersburg on Friday.

Besides Belarus and Kazakhstan, the EEC’s members are Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine have observer status.

In comments at the meeting, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov did not express any eagerness to join the customs union, saying only that he hoped bilateral trade with its members “would not change for the worse”, Interfax reported.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych indicated last week during a meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev that Ukraine, a WTO member, would pursue further economic integration with the European Union rather than with Russia.

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Still, Putin praised the union’s progress, saying it “has grown out of its purely economic format and is becoming a new geopolitical reality”. He also called it the main driving force of integration between EEC countries.

Russia will gradually remove barriers to free migration of labor within the zone and “measures to protect the domestic market that were introduced during the crisis”, he said.

Tasks:

I.Insert the prepositions where it is necessary:

1)A Russian-led customs union … Belarus and Kazakhstan will not come

…force … the planned July 1 deadline, which casts serious doubts … Moscow’s commitment … the plan.

2)Analysts are skeptical …. the union’s chances … success, often citing Russia’s intermittent enthusiasm … joining the World Trade Organization.

3)… comments … the meeting, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov did not express any eagerness to join the customs union.

4)Putin praised the union’s progress, saying it “has grown … … its purely economic format and is becoming a new geopolitical reality.”

5)Russia will gradually remove barriers … free migration … labor … the zone and measures to protect the domestic market that were introduced

…the crisis.

II. Match the words in column a) with their synonyms in column b):

a)to concede; key; disagreements; to jeopardize; to cite; intermittent; to hamper; to seek; to set up; previously; to indicate; premature; eagerness; to pursue; to remove

b)to establish; to admit; to withdraw; willingness; before; interest in; uneven; hasty; to follow; chief; to refer to; to hinder; to mean; to strive for; to threaten; disputes

III.Match the word combinations with their English equivalents from the text:

Поставить под сомнение; основные разногласия; защитные меры; размещенный на сайте; иметь долгие последствия; подать заявление; препятствовать переговорам; крайний срок; поспешное предложение; статус наблюдателя; двусторонняя торговля; измениться к худшему; стремиться к дальнейшему экономическому объединению; снять барьеры; по сути.

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