- •I. Our motherland
- •1. Geographical outline
- •2. State system of the russian federation
- •3. The economy
- •4. The capital of russia
- •5. Russia’s wonders
- •6. The russian character
- •7. Education in russia
- •8. From the history of russia
- •II. Getting about the town
- •1. Problems of city and country life
- •2. City and town
- •3. Driving on the left
- •4. The problem of transport
- •III. Travelling
- •1. How it all began – then and now
- •2. Speed and comfort
- •3. What is tourism? pros and cons
- •4. Why do people travel?
- •5. Ecotourism
- •6. How to avoid travelling
- •7. Getting through the customs
- •8. Staying at a hotel
- •IV. Entertainment
- •1. This captivating world of cinema
- •2. The cinema in new york
- •3. Theatre world
- •4. Drama, music, opera and ballet in britain
- •4. From the history of theatre
I. Our motherland
1. Geographical outline
By its total area, Russia is the largest country in the world. It occupies some 17,000 million square kilometers. The immensity of the Russian Federation is hard to imagine. It covers almost twice the territory of either the United States or China.
The country is situated in the Northern Hemisphere on the continent of Eurasia and washed by three oceans and twelve seas.
Russia has both sea and land borders. It borders on 14 countries including the former USSR republics, which are now independent states. Eleven of them formed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The territory of Russia is so large that it is situated in 11 time zones. There is hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. The land of Russia varies from thick forests to barren deserts, from high peak mountains to deep valleys. Most of Russia’s territory is in temperate zone, covered with forests and plains. The North of Russia is situated in the arctic and subarctic zones with tundra and taiga, the South is situated in the subtropical zone with steppes and deserts.
The most important rivers in the European part of Russia are the Volga and the Don. The Volga river is of great historic, economic, and cultural importance to Russia. It has become the cradle of such ancient cities as Vladimir, Tver, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod. In Siberia the greatest rivers are the Ob, the Yenisey and the Lena. Russia has about 3,000,000 rivers and numerous beautiful lakes. The world’s deepest lake (1600 metres) is the Baikal.
The Russian Federation is located on two plains, the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland. The longest mountain chains are the Urals, separating Europe from Asia, the Caucasus, and the Altai.
About three-fifths of Russian farmland is used to grow crops. The rest of it is given to pasture and meadow. Grain has always been the chief product – mainly wheat, rye, barley, and oats. Russia’s industrial crops are sunflower seeds, sugar beets, and flax.
The development of Russian economy is determined by its natural resources. Russia’s heavy industries are well-developed. Russian chemical industry is well developed too. Light industry centers on the production of textiles.
Russia has the richest deposits of mineral resources in the world. It is one of the world’s biggest producers of coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as iron ore, zinc, copper, lead, nickel, aluminum, tin, and gold. Three-quarters of the republic’s mineral wealth is concentrated in Siberia and the Far East.
Russia ranks sixth in the world in the size of its population. There are about 100 nations and nationalities in it. The great majority of the population is Russians. The population of Russia is unequally distributed. The bulk of the people live in the European part of the republic. Siberia is insufficiently populated. The northern part of Russia is practically uninhabitable because of the length and severity of its winters. About three-quarters of Russia’s population is classified as urban.
Task I. Answer the questions.
1. What territory does Russia occupy?
2. Prove that Russia is really a large country.
3. What are the major plains, mountain chains and rivers of Russia?
4. How can you characterize Russia’s climate?
5. What mineral resources does Russia possess?
6. What are Russia’s farmlands used for?
7. What industries are developed in Russia?
8. What is the population in the country?
Task II. Translate into English.
Россия – самая большая страна в мире с общей площадью около 17 миллионов кв. км, расположена в Восточной Европе и северной части Азии. Россия протянулась от Балтийского моря до Тихого океана и от Северного Ледовитого Океана до Черного моря. Среди крупнейших горных цепей России – Урал, отделяющий Европу от Азии.
Территория России делится на 11 временных зон с востока на запад и несколько климатических зон от тундры на севере до субтропиков на юге. В средней полосе климат умеренный.
Россия - промышленная и сельскохозяйственная страна. В ней развиты угольная промышленность, тяжелое машиностроение, автомобилестроение, пищевая, текстильная и химическая промышленности. В ней также развито животноводство, овощеводство и зерноводство.
Россия – это страна высоко развитой культуры, науки, с развитой системой образования и с большим историческим прошлым.