22. Match the beginnings of the sentences with their endings.

1. Since the turn of the century, rising oil prices, increased foreign investment, higher domestic consumption and …

2. Growth was primarily driven by non-traded services and goods for the ...

3. Oil, natural gas, metals, and timber account for …

4. Russia has also improved its international financial position since …

5. A principal factor in Russia's growth has been the combination of …

6. Arms sales have increased to the point where …

7. However, most such resources are located in remote and climatically unfavorable areas that are …

8. The new land code passed by the Duma in 2002 should speed restructuring and …

1. more than 80% of Russian exports abroad.

2. greater political stability have bolstered economic growth in Russia.

3. strong growth in productivity, real wages, and consumption.

4. difficult to develop and far from Russian ports.

5. domestic market, as opposed to oil or mineral extraction and exports.

6. the 1998 financial crisis.

7. Russia is first in the world in sale of weapons.

8. attract new domestic investment to Russian agriculture.

23. Read the text again and draw up the plan.

24. Tell about the development of Russia’s economy using your own plan.

25. Make the correct word boundaries and make a text. Give the main idea of the text you have got after correction.

It is interesting to know that …

EXPECTINGTHEAREATOBECOMEMOREACCESSIBLEASCLIMATECHANGEMELTSARCTICICEANDBELIEVINGTHEAREACONTAINSLARGERESERVS OFUNTAPPEDOILANDNATURALGASONAUGUST22007RUSSIANEXPLORERSINSUBMERSIBLESPLANTEDTHERUSSIANFLAGONTHEARCTICSEABEDSTAKINGACLAIMTOENERGYSOURCESRIGHTUPTOTHENORTHPOLEREACTIONTOTHEEVENTWASMIXEDPRESIDENVLADIMIRPUTINCONGRATULATEDTHEEXPLORERSFORTHEOUTSTANDINGSCIENTIFICPROJECTWHILECANADIANOFFICIALSSTATEDTHEEXPEDITIONWASJUS APUBLI SHOW

To your opinion was it only a show?

What advantages will Russia have from this event? Give the examples.

26. Read the supplementary information about foreign relations and military of our country. Before reading the text study some new words and expressions:

albeit, союз; сокр. от "all though it be (that)"- хотя (и)

assets – фонды, активы

assume – принимать, брать на себя (ответственность)

conscription term – срок воинской службы

defense industry – оборонная промышленность

draft – призывать в армию

embassy – посольство

equal partners – равноправные партнеры

fleet – военно-морской флот

foreign policy – внешняя политика

implement – приводить в исполнение

international treaty – международный договор

joint collaboration – совместное сотрудничество

maintain relations – поддерживать отношения

procurement - приобретение

production facilities – производственное оборудование

proliferation – распространение

stockpile – запас, резерв

volatile – неустойчивый, непостоянный, изменчивый

Foreign relations and military

The Russian Federation has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, membership in other international organizations, the rights and obligations under international treaties and property and debts. Russia has a multifaceted foreign policy. It maintains diplomatic relations with 178 countries and has 140 embassies. Russia's foreign policy is determined by the President and implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russia plays a major role in maintaining international peace and security, and plays a major role in resolving international conflicts by participating in the Quartet on the Middle East, the Six-party talks with North Korea, promoting the resolution of the Kosovo conflict and resolving nuclear proliferation issues. Russia is a member of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations, the Council of Europe, OSCE and APEC. Russia usually takes a leading role in regional organizations such as the CIS, EurAsEC, CSTO, and the SCO. Former President Vladimir Putin had advocated a strategic partnership with close integration in various dimensions including establishment of four common spaces between Russia and the EU. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has developed a friendlier, albeit volatile relationship with NATO. The NATO-Russia Council was established in 2002 to work together as equal partners to pursue opportunities for joint collaboration.

Pic. 46. Russian paratroopers at an exercise in Kazakhstan

Russia assumed control of Soviet assets abroad and most of the Soviet Union's production facilities and defense industries. The Russian military is divided into the Ground Forces, Navy, and Air Force. There are also three independent arms of service: Strategic Rocket Forces, Military Space Forces, and the Airborne Troops. In 2006, the military had 1.037 million personnel on active duty.

Pic. 47. The RT-2UTTH Topol M, an ICBM designed to attempt to avoid missile defenses

Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world. It has the second largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines and is the only country apart from the U.S. with a modern strategic bomber force. The country has a large and fully indigenous arms industry, producing all of its own military equipment. Russia is the world's top supplier of weapons accounting for around 30% of worldwide weapons sales and exporting weapons to about 80 countries. Following the Soviet practice, it is mandatory for all male citizens aged 18–27 to be drafted for two years' Armed Forces service. But there are still various problems associated with this, such as dedovschina (institutionalised hazing). This explains why the armed forces have reduced the conscription term from 18 months to 12 since 2008, and are planning to increase the proportion of contract servicemen to 70% of the armed forces by 2010. Defense expenditure has quadrupled over the past six years. Official government military spends $40 billion for 2008 and makes Russia the eighth largest country in the world. But it is important to note that various sources, including US intelligence, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, have estimated Russia’s military expenditures to be considerably higher. Currently, the military is undergoing a major equipment upgrade with about $200 billion on procurement of military equipment between 2006 and 2015.

27. Look at the following abbreviations from the text. What do they stand for?

OSCE; APEC; CIS; UN; EU; NATO; ICBM; U.S.

28. Consult the dictionary and find their definitions. Write down them into your copybooks.

29. What is the English for:

• ОБСЕ, Организация по безопасности и сотрудничеству в Европе

• АТЭС, Азиатско-тихоокеанское экономическое сотрудничество

• СНГ, Содружество Независимых Государств

• ООН, Организация Объединённых Наций

• ЕС, Европейский союз

• НАТО, Североатлантический союз

• МБР, межконтинентальная баллистическая ракета

• США, Соединенные штаты Америки

30. Match the facts from the text “Foreign relations and military” with the following figures.

1.037; 30; 26; 2008; 70; 2010; 200; 2015.

31. In pairs. Ask and answer your own questions using information from the text.

32. Group work. Discuss the perspectives of Russian economic development. Use all information you have learnt from the previous texts and exercises.

33. Write an essay on the topic above.

34. What do you know about our region economy? What industries do you consider to be the most important?

35. Find the information about one of the Omsk industrial enterprises. Make up a dialogue. Imagine you are talking to a foreigner. You may use the following words:

to be situated; products; to produce; industry; to belong to; to develop; environment restrictions; to satisfy; to work; enterprise; to want; the future plans etc.

36. Read the text about the development of Omsk Metro. Give its summary. Compare with your partner’s.

Omsk Metro (Omsky metropoliten) is currently under construction in Omsk, Russia. After long delays, the first section is scheduled to open in 2010, which will make it Siberia's second metropolitan underground railway system after the Novosibirsk Metro system that was opened in the mid 1980s.

Central planners in Moscow first identified Omsk as a metro-eligible city during the 1960s, due to its length along the Irtysh River and its relatively narrow streets. But after the plan was approved and financed, the planners decided to build an express tram instead, and the money allocated to Omsk was given to Chelyabinsk. In 1979, a Gosplan commission rejected a plan to build an express tram system since it was predicted to be unable to handle projected passenger flows without severely discomforting riders. In 1986, metro plans were revisited and financing began, along with the demolition of residential buildings to make way for tracks and a yard.

Construction began in 1992 between the stations Tupolevskaya (Russian: Туполевская) and Rabochaya (Russian: Рабочая ~ Workers' Station). The initial plans involved opening the section between the stations Marshala Zhukova and Rabochaya on the right bank of the Irtysh River to connect downtown to the manufacturing district, and then later to connect the line to the opposite bank of the Irtysh. Due to poor financial circumstances, by 2003 just the section between Tupolevskaya and Rabochaya was completed (with no intermediate stations). At this time the plans changed and the authorities decided to connect the two banks of the Irtsh with a metro bridge, going between one station on the right bank and three on the left bank. The combined metro (lower level) and motor-vehicle (upper level) bridge was built and opened to vehicular traffic in 2005.

The current phase of construction involves four stations:

• Biblioteka Imeni Pushkina (Библиотека имени Пушкина ~ Pushkin Library)

• Zarechnaya (Заречная ~ Over the River)

• Kristall (Кристалл)

• Sobornaya (Соборная ~ Cathedral Station)

This section is 6.1 km in length. The average speed is expected to be 36 km/h and travel time along the entire route is expected to be 10 minutes 12 seconds. Daily ridership is projected at 190,000 passengers and yearly ridership at 69 million.