- •The russian federation
- •Exercises:
- •I. Read the following words:
- •II. Find the sentences in the text proving that:
- •III. Complete the following sentences:
- •IV. Pronounce the following words in English and make up sentences with them:
- •V. Paraphrase the sentences:
- •VI. Make up questions to the underlined words:
- •VII. Fill in the crossword:
- •VIII. Answer the questions:
- •IX. Read the text about the climate in Russia and answer the questions after it:
- •X. Tell what you learned about the Russian Federation. Moscow
- •Exercises:
- •I. Read the following words:
- •II. Define whether the sentences below are true or false. Begin your answers with the following expressions:
- •III. Complete the sentences:
- •IV. Find English equivalents of the following words and make up sentences with them:
- •V. Use the Passive Voice constructions in the following sentences:
- •VI. Put questions to the underlined words:
- •VII. Answer the questions:
- •VIII. Read the following texts:
- •Notes to the text:
- •Notes to the text
- •IX. Answer the questions. Use exercise VIII.
- •X. Tell everything you learned from the text about the capital of Russia.
- •XI. Read the text about one of the largest and most beautiful Russian cities and answer the questions after the text. St. Petersburg
- •Vocabulary
- •Reviewing the material on the topics: "English-speaking countries” "Cities" (London, Washington, Moscow) "The Russian Federation"
- •I. Answer the following question:
- •II. Fill in the missing words:
X. Tell everything you learned from the text about the capital of Russia.
XI. Read the text about one of the largest and most beautiful Russian cities and answer the questions after the text. St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the “Window on the West”. Thousands of workmen were brought from all parts of Russia to build a new city on the swampy land at the mouth of the Neva River. Peter the Great was in a hurry. The work was fast and hard, and workmen dropped dead by the hundreds. But the work went on.
In 1712 St. Petersburg, a city of great beauty, with palaces, cathedrals, churches, government buildings became the capital. Under later rulers the new capital of the Russian Empire grew rapidly in wealth and beauty. Architects were brought from western Europe to lay out the city in harmonious squares. Buildings were constructed of grey and rose-coloured granite. The Hermitage Palace and the Winter Palace, the homes of the tsars, were equal to any in Europe.
When the First World War began in 1914, the German-sounding name, St. Petersburg, was changed to Petrograd. After the October Revolution the city was renamed after Lenin.
During the Great Patriotic War the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to it in 1941, and for the next year and a half it was cut off from the rest of the country. No food could be brought in, and people died of starvation. Daily shelling and air raids destroyed parts of the city. Thousands of people were killed. Rebuilding took years.
Now St. Petersburg is an important industrial and educational centre. The population of the city is over 5 million.
St. Petersburg is indeed a wonderful city: at every turn there is something to catch your eye. The Winter Palace, the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Peter-and-Paul Fortress, the Admiralty building attract thousands of tourists from every corner of the world.
Petersburg's many museums house some of the world's most famous art collections. The Hermitage, for example, contains the richest collection of pictures in the world.
The city is called the Northern Venice because there are 65 rivers, arms and canals there with artistically decorated bridges. It’s also famous for its beautiful white nights.
NAMES
St. Petersburg [sqnt'pJtqzbWg] Санкт-Петербург
Peter the Great [greIt] Петр Великий (Петр I)
the Neva River ['neIvq] река Нева
the Hermitage ['hWmItIG] Эрмитаж
the Winter Palace [wIntq'pxlIs] Зимний дворец
Petrograd ['petrqgrxd] Петроград
the Russian Museum Русский музей
St. Isaac's Cathedral [sqnt'aIzqkskq'TJdrql] Исаакиевский собор
the Peter-and-Paul Fortress ['pJtqrqn'pLl'fLtrIs] Петропавловская крепость
the Admiralty ['xdmqrqltI] Адмиралтейство
Vocabulary
swampy ['swOmpI] болотистый
mouth [mauT] устье реки
to drop dead ['drOp 'dFd] упасть замертво
ruler ['rHlq'] правитель
empire ['FmpaIq'] империя
rapidly ['rxpIdlI] быстро
to lay out [leI aut] планировать
harmonious [hR'mqunIqs] гармоничный
granite ['grxnIt] гранит
equal ['Jkwl] равный, не уступающий
to rename [rJ'neIm] переименовывать
to suffer [sAfq'] страдать
to lay siege to [leI 'sJG] осадить
starvation [stR'veISqn] голод
shelling ['SFliN] бомбежки
air raid ['FqreId] воздушный налет
to destroy [dIs'trOI] разрушать
to attract [q'trxkt] привлекать, притягивать
arm [Rm] рукав реки
canal [kq'nxl] канал
artistically [R'tIstIkqlI] мастерски
to decorate ['dFkqreIt] украшать
bridge [brIdZ] мост
1) When was St. Petersburg founded?
2) Who founded the city and why?
3) Where is it situated?
4) When did St. Petersburg become the capital of Russia?
5) When did the especially rapid development of the city take place?
6) How did the name of the second Russian capital change and why?
7) How did the Great Patriotic War influence the city and its population?
8) What is the population of St. Petersburg nowadays?
9) What sights of the city do you know? What are they famous for?
10) What places of interest have you visited in St. Petersburg?