III. Work with a partner. Make up five questions about Russian culture in the 16th century. Pass these questions over to another group, let your group mates answer these questions.

IV. Write six or seven summary statements about what you have just read. Then in groups share what has been written. Grammar focus

I. Go to App. 1 p. 88 and read the information about Adjectives.

a) Look at the texts above and find examples of adjectives.

b) Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the adjective.

1. Kiev became the unifying center because it was situated on the crossroads of the trade routes between various territories.

2. But the greatest threat came from the East – the Mongols continued to assail Kiev.

3. The most important thing had taken place – the scattered lands of the Russians were united.

4. He knew that his state and his personal safety were getting less secure every day.

5. Vast territories came to Russians easily, but it was hard to organize those lands and keep order in them, while Russia was in the process of becoming the largest country in the world.

6. The position of the peasants was growing more difficult, and many fled south and formed their own communities there.

7. He was the most influential and significant figure of his time.

8. His reforms were the sharpest possible break from the old Russia.

9. The Tsar Bell, standing on a stone pedestal nearby is the biggest bell in the world.

10. The Russian population annually paid a huge tribute to the khan.

II. Put the adjectives in brackets into the comparative or superlative form.

1. The Oprichnina contained much of Russia’s (good) land, including parts of Moscow and many of the large central cities.

2. What had once been Russia’s best and (fertile) areas had been devastated and had fallen well below the rest of the country.

3. The central Moscow government also became (professional) through a division of labor responsibilities.

4. The very character of the culture underwent considerable changes – it became (secular).

5. The period of the Livonian War and Oprichnina was (favourable) for the Russian culture.

6. The Mongols held Russia and Volga Bulgaria in sway from their western capital at Sarai, one of (large) cities of the medieval world.

7. Becoming (strong) from the economic point of view, the Church began playing a great part in the political life.

8. The “Moscow” period was (bad) in Russian history, (stifling), the most Asian and Tatar in its essence.

III. Put the adjectives given in brackets in the following passage into the correct form, adding “the” or “a” where necessary.

(1) The best (good) place I have ever stayed in is also one of (2) … (strange) villages in England. Its (3) … (interesting) feature is that the buildings there are (4) … (small) than average. As a result the doors are (5) … (low) and the windows (6) … (small) than most, making the rooms very dark. (7) … (big) and (8) … (impressive) one was there one hundred years before most of the others. Its garden is (9) … (pretty) I have ever seen and I have never come across (10) … (wide) variety of flowers. When I am there, the sky seems (11) … (blue), the grass (12) … (green) and the air (13) … (fresh) than anywhere else. (14) … (bad) aspect is that being one of (15) … (peaceful) spots in the country, it is becoming (16) … (popular) as time passes. As the pace of life becomes (17) … (fast), it seems that (18) … (large) numbers of people visit it as it is one of (19) … (good) places to go to, to escape from (20) … (hectic) pace of life in the city.