Reading Text a. Government of Ukraine

1.Read and translate the text.

National Government

Ukraine is an independent state since adoption of the Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine on July 16, 1990.

According to the Constitution of Ukraine adopted on June 28, 1996 Ukraine has a democratic political system. The powers of the government are divided into the legislative (consisting of the Verkhovna Rada), the executive (headed by the President) and the judicial (led by the Supreme Court).

The Verkhovna Rada is the only body of the legislative power in Ukraine. It includes 450 deputies who are elected for a term of four years. The Verkhovna Rada adopts the State Budget and controls the execution of it.

The President is the head of the state. The people of Ukraine elect the President to a five-year term. Ukrainians 18 years old may vote.

The President is assisted by a Cabinet, which the President appoints. A Prime Minister heads the Cabinet. The Cabinet carry out domestic and foreign policy of the state, the implementation of the Constitution, etc.

The Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court represent the judicial power. They watch over the executive and legislative powers. They are nominated by the Verkhovna Rada. The Constitutional Court has the right to declare laws and actions of the national and local governments unconstitutional.

Local Governments

Ukraine is divided into 24 regions called oblasts and the Crimean Autonomous republic. Each region has its local authorities.

2. Use the words from the box to complete the sentences

Legislative

executive

Cabinet

judicial

State Budget

1.An_______ branch is headed by the President.

2.The national parliament is a _______ branch of power.

3.The Supreme Court heads ________ power.

4.The president appoints a _______ .

5.The Verkhovna Rada discusses and adopts the ________ .

3. Answer the questions.

1.When was the Declaration of the State Sovereignty adopted?

2.What branches is the state power of Ukraine divided to?

3.How many deputies are there in the Verkhovna Rada?

4.Who appoints the Cabinet?

5.Who represents the judicial power?

6.How many administrative regions are there in Ukraine?

Text b. Agriculture of Ukraine

1.Learn the following words and word combinations:

topsoil орний шар ґрунту

treasure скарб

treasury скарбниця

rye жито

barley ячмінь

oats овес

maize кукурудза

buckwheat гречка

grain production виробництво зерна

profits прибутки

animal husbandry тваринництво

meat-dairy cattle м’ясо-молочна худоба

poultry свійська птиця

2.Read and translate the following text.

Ukraine is famous for its agricultural production and is known as the breadbasket of Europe. Steppes and plains compose the most part of the territory of Ukraine. The topsoils are mainly black. They are the biggest treasure of the Ukrainian land. 25% of the world’s black rich soils are in Ukraine. Ukraine’s climate is mainly moderatly continental and the precipitations are 500-600 mm. It enables agriculture to grow different kinds of plants.

Ukraine’s crop production is highly developed. Its grain and potato output almost rivals that of France, and our country is the world’s largest producer of sugar beets. The black soils are exceptionally good for wheat. Besides wheat, Ukraine produces such grains as barley (mostly for animal feed), buckwheat and rye. Other crops include potatoes,vegetables, melons, berries, fruit, nuts and grapes. Ukraine’s most important industrial crop, sugar beet, is concentrated in the forest-steppe zone. Sugar can be called ‘white gold’. This product can bring great profits to Ukraine’s state treasury. Much of it is exported. Truck farming or market gardening is particularly developed on the outskirts of large cities.

Another important branch of farm production is animal husbandry. Animal farms specialize in meat-dairy cattle raising, poultry farming, fishing. Cattle and pigs are raised throughout Ukraine, while chicken, geese and turkey are kept for meat and egg production. Bees are kept in all parts of Ukraine for honey and wax.

The main fishing grounds are the Black Sea estuaries and the Sea of Azov, though the latter is heavily polluted by chemical fertilizers and pesticides. All the main rivers are full of fish but they suffer from pollution, too.

3.Speak about the agriculture of Ukraine.