Assignment

1. Pronounce the following words and word combinations:

Europe, Russia, South, North, East, West, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, mild, deep, mountain, belong, represent, legislative, executive, court, judicial, Prisidential republic, citizen, branch.

2. Give Russian equivalents to the following words and word combinations, use them in the sentence of your own:

The largest country, mild, mountain chain, various types of climate, the deepest lake, natural resources, deposits, to consist of, was created by, branches, chambers, two headed eagle, to improve, to be proud of.

3. Find in the text English equivalents to the following Russian words and word combinations:

Восточная Европа, общая площадь, горная цепь, различные типы климата, преобладает, довольно, состоит из, мягкие зимы, самое глубокое озеро, залежи угля, государственная власть, три горизонтальные полосы, символизирующий землю, небо и свободу, гражданин России, Верховный суд, улучшать жизнь.

4. Fill in the gaps with the words and word combinations:

1. Russia …. …. by twelve seas and three …. .

2. The Urals, the longest … chain, … Europe from Asia.

3. The …. is the deepest lake in the world.

4. Our parliament …. …. two chambers.

5. Our country is very rich in …. resources.

6. The …… is a legislative organ of the state ….. .

7. The flag has three horizontal …. : white, blue, red.

8. The symbol of the country is a ….. ….. .

9. I’ll do my best to ….. life here.

10. The ….. was adopted in 1993.

5. Answer the questions:

1. Is Russia one of the largest countries in the world?

2. Where is the Russian Federation situated?

3. What kind of climate is here in the country?

4. What do you know about the climate in Volgograd?

5. How many rivers are there in Russia?

6. What kind of mineral resources has Russia?

7. When was the Constitution adopted?

8. Who is the head of our country?

9. How many branches does our Government consist of?

10. Whom was the hymn created by?

11. Is Russia a Presidential Republic?

12. What is the symbol of our country?

6. Retell the text.

7. What is the role of the Russian language in the world today?

Fill in the right word or word combination given below.

1. Russian is the third ….. language in the world.

2. Russian is used in the United Nations as one of the …. languages.

3. The Russian language is the …. tongue for about 140 million people.

4. Russian is also used as …. among the different nationalities of Russia.

5. The official view abroad is that Russian is the ….. language of Russia.

6. In fact, people of different nationalities use their ….. languages in political, governmental and public affairs as the scientific and cultural spheres.

7. Russian is taught as a …… language in 100 countries.

(a means of communication, wide spread, mother, most frequently spoken, foreign, official, native).

Text Moscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded 8 centuries ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. Historians have accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow’s history. Gradually the city became more and more powerful. In the 16^th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the new united state. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1712, Moscow remained the heart of Russia. That is why it became the main target of Napoleon’s attack. Three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the fire during Napoleon’s occupation, but by the mid-19^th century Moscow had been completely restored. After the October revolution Moscow became the capital again.

Now Moscow is one of the largest cities in Europe. Its total area is about nine hundred square kilometers. The population of the city is over 9.5 million.

Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The heart of Moscow is Red Square. The Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral (Vasily Blazheny) are masterpieces of ancient Russian architecture. The main Kremlin tower, the Spasskaya Tower, has become the symbol of the country.

There are a lot of beautiful palaces, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow. Now Moscow is being reconstructed and we all hope that in a few years the city will become even more beautiful.

There are more than 80 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Art and the State Tretyakov Gallery. We say the Tretyakov Gallery is a treasure-house of Russian art.

Several skyscrapers decorate Moscow, including Moscow University and the ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Moscow is famous for its theatres. The best known of them is the Bolshoi Theatre. Drama theatres and studious are also very popular.

Moscow is a city of students. There are over 80 higher educational institutions in it, including several universities. One of the highest building in Moscow is the State Moscow University. It was founded in 1775 by the great scientist Mikhail Lomonosov.

There are a lot of big plants and factories in Moscow that produce cars, lorries, home electrical appliances and so on.

A lot of tourists from different countries come to Moscow to see its beauty and to admire its cultural traditions.

Words and word combinations:

to move – переезжать, переселять;

to accept – допускать, признавать;

prince – князь;

target – цель, план;

to destroy – разрушать;

ancient – древний;

masterpiece – шедевр;

heart – сердце;

treasure-house – сокровищница;

to admire – восхищаться;

the ministry of foreign Affairs – Министерство иностранных дел;

skyscraper – небоскреб;

achievements – достижения;

to be famous for smth. – славиться чем-либо;

lorry – грузовик;

electrical appliances – электрические приборы.