4.2. Answer the following questions:

1. What genus do sheep belong to?

2. Are mountain sheep hornless?

3. What are sheep kept for?

4. Why do sheep and goats graze very close to the ground?

5. How many weeks does a period of gestation in sheep last?

6. When may losses among the strong lambs occur?

7. Under what conditions can healthy lambs withstand bad weather?

4.3. Find the meaning of the following words and word combinations used in the text: овцематка, окот, суягная овца, противостоять, ягненок, рассеченная верхняя губа, приплод, щипать траву, баран, шерсть, короткошерстные породы, длинношерстные породы, баранина (мясо).

4.4. Fill in the blanks with the proper words from the text:

1. Mountain sheep have … . 2. The sheep and goats have a cleft … … . 3. A male sheep is called a … . 4. The period of gestation in sheep lasts … … . 5. Ewes should have … . 6. Because of the covering of … sheep can withstand cold temperatures better than cattle.

4.5. Translate the following sentences into Russian:

1. The fact that sheep are generally out - doors and exposed to sunlight much of the time, even in winter, protects them against any deficiency of vitamin D. Also, hay and other dry forage supplies this vitamin. 2. Even in the South sheep should be protected from winter rains. 3. Plenty of fresh water should always be furnished sheep under all ordinary circumstances. 4. A mineral which is frequently available in insufficient quantity to sheep is common salt, of which sheep are very fond. 5. The milk supplied to the lamb during the first few days of life is very rich in vitamin A and those anti-bodies which provide immunity against infection to disease.

4.6. Read the text and say how the sheep are classified:

There are more breeds of sheep than breeds of any other livestock species. Worldwide, there are more than a thousand distinct sheep breeds and more than 40 in the United States alone.

Sheep can be differentiated by their primary purpose (meat, wool, or milk), the type of fibers they grow (fine, medium, long, or carpet wool; or hair), the color of their faces (black, white, red, or mottled), and/or various production or physical characteristics.

Fine wool sheep are bred for their fine wool and account for more than 50 percent of the world's sheep population. They are known for their strong flocking instinct. Long wool breeds produce long stapled wool with a large fiber diameter and are best adapted to cool, high rainfall areas. In the U.S., their fleeces are popular among hand spinners.

Meat or "mutton-type" sheep produce wool, mostly medium and long, but are raised more for their meat qualities. Medium wool sheep account for about 15 percent of the world's sheep population.

Some hair sheep have pure hair coats, whereas others have coats containing a mixture of hair and wool fibers that shed naturally. Hair sheep comprise about 10 percent of the world sheep population and are the fastest growing segment of the American sheep industry.

Primitive breeds have developed with minimal human selection pressure. They typically possess lots of genetic variation between members, but share certain characteristics indicative of a breed. Many primitive breeds live in isolated mountain regions or on islands.

Increasingly, sheep are being kept as pets and companions. They make good pets because they are such gentle animals and respond well to human contact.