Vocabulary

to mention — упоминать, ссылаться на

record — памятник прошлого, исторический документ

frontier post — пограничный форт

a decisive victory over — окончательная победа над

to turn into — превращать в

lead the troops — возглавить войска

the Time of Troubles — Смутное время

to route — разбить (противника)

popular levy — народное ополчение

to head — возглавить

to set ablaze — поджечь

to retreat — отступать

substitute — замена

Moscow places of interest

There are many places of interest in Moscow. The city is famous for its historical monuments, museums, art galleries and theatres. The Historical Museum, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the Tretyakov State Picture Gallery are world famous. Moscow is proud of the Bolshoy, Maly and Art theatres. The Kremlin is the oldest historical and architectural centre is the heart of Moscow. At first it was a wooden fort. Under Dmitry Donskoy the Kremlin was built of white stone. During the reign of Ivan III the walls of white stone were replaced by redbrick walls and towers. The Tsar invited Italian architects to construct the cathedrals. The Russian Tsars and Emperors were crowned in the Assumption Cathedral. The Archangel Cathedral was the burial place of the Russian Princes and Tsars. The Annunciation Cathedral is famous for the icons painted by Andrew Rublev and his apprentices.

Ivan the Great Bell Tower is one of the most remarkable structures of the 16-th century. It rises in the centre of the Kremlin. On the stone pedestal at the foot of the Bell Tower stands the Tsar-Bell — the largest bell in the world. Not far from it one can see the Tsar-Cannon.

One of the well-known Kremlin museums is the Armoury Chamber. The famous golden cap of Monomach, the first Russian imperial crown of Catherine II, and many other precious historical items are exhibited there.

Vocabulary

Assumption Cathedral — Успенский Собор Annunciation Cathedral — Благовещенский собор

Faceted Palace — Грановитая Палата Armoury Chamber — Оружейная палата Bell Tower — Колокольня Tsar-Bell — царь-колокол Tsar-Cannon — царь-пушка apprentice — подмастерье, ученик

Telephone etiquette

When we haven’t got a chance to speak face to face we deal with a telephone. The techniques of telephoning are very much the same in all countries. And there are good telephone manners which should be taken into consideration.

When talking on the phone – always speak clearly, not too fast but not too slowly either. Never shout and have cigarette in your mouth. No matter whether it is casual or business talk you need to sound friendly and polite.

Make sure that your conversation with a busy person is as brief as possible. For that make notes of key points to be discussed before placing the call.

Always identify yourself when making a call, especially if it is a business one, e.g “This is Mr. Smith from the Wonderland Travel Agency. Could I speak to Mr Jones?” When calling a friend or a person who knows you but doesn’t recognize your voice – announce your name promptly, don’t play a guessing game – it is not polite.

Getting wrong number don’t ask “What number is it?” It is a good manner to spell the number you need. Always apologise if you have dialed wrong number. Never bang the receiver and loose your temper if a wrong number call comes through. Simply say: “Sorry, wrong number”- and hang up.

If you have a visitor, don’t carry on a long chat. The best thing is to say that you are busy at the moment and make a back call later.

It could happen that a person we need is out at the moment but it is necessary to provide urgent information we can leave a message on the answer phone. Message is a short summery of the whole conversation containing the most essential information.

When the receptionist takes a message it’s best to her to make notes and read all the important details back to the caller not to mix anything up.

Leaving the message we should be very careful about numbers, dates, times and names. Always speak slowly, clearly and politely.