Vocabulary

vast territory — обширная территория to service — обслуживать to vary — изменяться

inland - внутренняя часть страны, территория удаленная от моря или границы

cradle – колыбель

natural resources - природные богатства

deposits of coal - месторождения угля

oil – нефть

natural gas - природный газ

iron ore - железная руда

to border on - граничить

former - бывший

independent states — независимые государства

leading Power — ведущая держава

Russia

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. The vast territory of Russia lies in the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia.

Russia is washed by twelve seas and three oceans. The oceans are: the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Pacific. The seas are: the White Sea, the Barents Sea, the Okhotsk Sea, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and others.

Russia borders on many countries, such as Mongolia and China in the south-east, Finland and Norway in the north­west, and so on.

The land of Russia varies very much from forests to deserts, from high mountains to deep valleys. The main mountain chains are the Urals, the Caucasus and the Altai. There are a lot of great rivers and deep lakes on its territory. The longest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena in Asia. The largest lakes are Ladoga and Baikal. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and its water is the purest on earth.

The Russian Federation is rich in natural and mineral resources. It has deposits of oil, gas, coal, iron, gold and many others.

The current population of Russia is more than 140 million people. The European part of the country is densely peopled, and most population live in cities and towns and their outskirts.

The capital of the Russian Federation is Moscow, with the population of about 10 million people.

Russia is a presidential republic. It is one of the leading powers in the world.

Topical Vocabulary

vast territory - обширная, огромная территория

to lie - лежать, находиться

to be washed by - омываться чем-либо

to border on - граничить с чем либо

to vary from smth. to smth. - варьировать, изменяться от чего-л. к чему-л.

a desert - пустыня

a valley - долина

a mountain chain - горная цепь

pure - чистый

to be rich in smth. - быть богатым чем-либо

natural and mineral resources - природные ресурсы и полезные ископаемые

a deposit of smth - месторождение чего-либо

oil - нефть

gas - газ

coal - уголь

iron - железо

gold - золото

the current population - население в настоящий момент

to be densely peopled - быть густонаселенным

outskirts - пригороды

a presidential republic - президентская республика

a power - держава

Russia. History, culture, sightseeing

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one seventh of the earth's surface. There are 1030 towns and cities in Russia. Russia has always attracted visitors from different countries and is proud of its architecture, painting and music. As a rule people want to visit Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and the towns of "Golden Ring".

The Russian Federation was founded in 1991. The Constitution was adopted in 1993. Russia is presidential republic, it is headed by the President. The national flag is three colored: blue, white and red. The symbol of the country is two-headed eagle. The history of Russia began in 862. That year Rurik became the first Russian prince having connected Novgorod and Kiev. Then from 10-th to the 12-th centuries Russia was a progressive Christian state, developing very fast.

Moscow is the capital and the biggest city. In 1147, when Moscow began to figure in Russian history, it formed part of the principality of Suzdal'; the date of its settlement is unknown. The development of the little village into a sprawling city dates from 1295, when it became the capital of the newly established principality of Moscow. In 1325 the metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church transferred his seat to Moscow, making the city the national religious capital. It became the national political capital during the reign (1462-1505) of Ivan III Vasilyevich. The seat of the Russian government was removed from Moscow to Saint Petersburg in 1712. In September 1812, during the Napoleonic Wars, the city was occupied by the armies of Napoleon. Russian patriots set fire to the city soon after his entry; the resultant French withdrawal from Russia led to Napoleon's downfall. The Moscow populace figured significantly in the Revolution of 1905 and the Revolution of 1917. In 1918 the new government of Russia moved to Moscow, and in 1922 the city was officially made the Soviet capital. And now Moscow is the main city of our country.

Now there are many places of interest in Moscow: The Historical Museum, the State Pushkin Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery and others. The main part of Moscow is Kremlin - the oldest historical centre of the city. Red Square is also very famous.

St Petersburg is the second capital of the country. It is one of the most beautiful cities all in the world.

Central St. Petersburg is divided by the Neva River into 4 parts: Admiralty Side, Vasilyevsky Island, the Petrograd Side and the Vyborg Side. There are many interesting places in the city: Peter-Paul Fortress, Palace Square, Winter Palace, Summer Garden, Kazan and St. Isaac Cathedrals.

The "Golden Ring" is a very popular tourist route. It includes old towns and villages. "Golden Ring" consists of Uglich, Vladimir, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Suzdal and other cities.

Our country is reach and beautiful, and I think, that in future it will attract more and more tourists every year.

London

London is the capital of Great Britain and one of the oldest British cities.

When Julius Caesar came to Britain in the year 55 В. C, he found a small settlement on the bank of the Thames. As years passed by, this small settlement grew into a large town and in 1066 became the capital of the country.

Modern London is a very large city. It is one of the largest cities in the world and a large industrial, cultural, scientific, educational and art centre.

The historical centre of the capital is the City of London. It is the business centre of London. The Royal Exchange, the Bank of England, most of London's other banks and offices are situated there, and in the daytime it is a very busy part of the capital. In the evening and night hours, however, the City is almost empty, because the offices and banks are closed, and very few people live in the City.

The West End is the richest and the most beautiful part of London. It is a district of rich shops, fine houses and palaces, gardens and parks, theatres, concert halls and restaurants.

The East End is the industrial part of London, the district of factories and docks.

London is famous for its architecture. St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge over the Thames have a worldwide fame.

There are many other places of interest in London, such as the British Museum, Trafalgar Square with the Nelson Column, the National Gallery, Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and many others.

St. Paul's Cathedral - Собор Святого Павла

Westminster Abbey - Вестминстерское аббатство

the Houses of Parliament - Парламент

Big Ben - Большой Бен /часы на башне Парламента/

the Tower of London - Лондонский Тауэр

the Tower Bridge - Тауэрский мост

the British Museum - Британский музей

Trafalgar Square - Трафальгарская площадь

the Nelson Column - Колонна Нельсона

the National Gallery - Национальная галерея

Piccadilly Circus - Площадь Пикадилли

Hyde Park - Гайд парк

Buckingham Palace - Букингем-ский дворец

the Royal Exchange -Королевская биржа

the Bank of England - английский банк

Julius Caesar - Юлий Цезарь

В. С. (Before Christ) - До нашей эры /до рождества Христова/

Settlement - поселок

the Thames - Темза

a business centre - деловой центр

however - однако же, как бы то ни было

almost -почти

a district - район

London

London is the capital of the United Kingdom, its economic, political and cultural centre. It is one of the world's most important ports and one of the largest cities in the world. London with its suburbs has a population of about 11 million people.

London has been a capital for nearly a thousand years. Many of its ancient buildings still stand. The most famous of them are the Tower of London, where the crown jewels are kept, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral. Most visitors also want to see the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace (the Queen's home with its Changing of the Guards) and many other magnificent museums.

Once London was a small Roman town on the north bank of the Thames. Slowly it grew into one of the world's major cities.

Different areas of London seem like different cities. The West End is a rich man's world of shops, offices and theatres. The City of London is the district where most offices and banks are concentrated; the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England are here, too. The East End is the district where mostly working people live. The old port area is now called "Docklands". There are now new office buildings in Docklands, and thousands of new flats and houses.

By the day the whole of London is busy. At night, offices are quiet and empty, but the West End stays alive, because this is where Londoners come to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses here, several concert halls and many theatres, as well as cinemas. In nearby Soho the pubs, restaurants and night clubs are busy half the night.

Like all big cities, London has streets and concrete buildings, but it also has many big parks, full of trees, flowers and grass. In the middle of Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens you will think that you are in the country, miles away.

Many people live outside the centre of London in the suburbs, and they travel to work in shops and offices by tram, bus or underground ("The Tube").