II. Match the following words with the words in bold from the text and use them in the sentences of your own:

1. приблизительно

2. начальный; исходный, первоначальный

3. борьба

4. возрастать, увеличиваться; расти

5. необходимость, настоятельная потребность

6. постепенный; последовательный

7. основание (города, компании, семьи)

8. освобождение

9. спасение, освобождение

10. междоусобная борьба

11. перевес, превосходство, преимущество, преобладание

III. Find the words in the text which describe or mean the following:

1) the act of combining or adding parts to make a unified whole –

2) advantageous, encouraging, or promising –

3) the act of making secret plots or employing underhand methods –

4) flourishing; rich; wealthy –

5) the state or quality of being free from control in action, judgment, etc –

6) the quality of being better, more skillful, more powerful etc than other things –

7) an intense or overpowering longing, desire, or need –

IV.

a) Suggest English equivalents for the words given in brackets.

In the second half of the 13th century, in the middle of the thick forests which offered a dependable (защита) from the Mongols, there appeared on the Moskva River the Moscow (княжество). Originally, it was a (крепость) for the protection of the borders from the east and the Lithuanians from the northwest. For the first time in history, Moscow’s Prince Dmitry Donskoi united the Russians (the towns of Novgorod, Tver, Vladimir, etc.). The Mongol Khan Mamai made an (союз) with Lithuania and again attacked the Russians. But nevertheless the Mongols were (разбиты) on Kulikovo Field in a huge, frightful (битва) in 1380. Two years later, the Mongols (собрали) their forces together again and attacked Moscow. Moscow was (разграблена) and put to the torch.

This quick change of events – defeats and victories – eloquently illustrates the continuous efforts by the Moscow princedom to (сбросить) the cruel and stifling (татаро-монгольское иго).

b) Ask ten wh-questions (who, what, when) on the contents of the story.

IV. Mark the following statements as True or False according to the text:

1. In the middle of the 13^th century the Moscow Princedom had a great power in political life of divided Russia.

2. The influence of Moscow in the 13^th century was very important because of its large territory.

3. Moscow political power helped in the foundation of a united Russian state.

4. The Moscow princedom also had strong economy as it was in some Western European states.

5. Economic, military and political forces played a very important role in the unifying process.

6. The unification of Russian lands occurred under the influence of foreign factors.

7. In 1380 the Grand Duke Dmitry defeated Mamai and his Army and stopped to render tribute to the khans.

8. The unifying process was a gradual, stage-by-stage liberation from the Golden Horde.