F

2.27. A) Read this article and fill in the gaps with the most suitable word

or phrase. In some cases, more than one answer may be possible.

b) Underline all the adjectives used to describe the city and its facilities.

or seven years I lived in Singapore, a (1)_______of almost three million people. Like London, Paris and New York, Singapore is a (2) __________city, with people from different parts of the world living and working together. I enjoyed the (3) ______ lifestyle I led there, and made the most of the superb (4) __________, ranging from the excellent shops to some of the best restaurants in the world. In the evenings and at weekends there were always (5) _______; with such diverse attractions as classical western music, an exhibition of Malay art or a Chinese opera in the street; it was difficult to get bored. Perhaps most impressive, however, was the remarkable transport (6) ________, with excellent roads, a swift and efficient bus service and a state-of-the-art underground system which could whisk (7) _______ from the suburbs straight into the heart of the city (this was particularly important, as the government banned private cars from entering the (8)__________ during the morning and afternoon (9) ________ in order to reduce (10) __________ on the roads and (11) __________ from theexhausts).

Of course, living in a city like this has its disadvantages as well. For a start, the (12) ________ can be very high - renting an apartment, for example, is very expensive. And as the city is expanding, there are a lot of (13) _______ where new apartments are continually being built to deal with the (14) ________ which is a direct result of the government encouraging people to have more children.

Fortunately, Singapore doesn't suffer from problems that are common in many cities such as (15) _________, which is partly the result of the government imposing very severe penalties on anyone bringing narcotics into the country, so it is safe to walk the streets at night. In fact, the inner-city housing estates there are probably the safest and most orderly in the world.

Singapore wouldn't be ideal for everyone, however, especially if you come from the countryside and are used to a (16) _________ lifestyle. The traditional villages that were once common have disappeared as the residents there realised there were no prospects for their future and moved into new government housing in the city. Nowadays, there is very little (17) _________ around the city, which means that Singapore imports almost all of its food. And despite a 'green' approach to city planning, the (18) _______ which has eaten into the countryside has had a detrimental effect on the (19) ________.

B

2.28. A) Read the text about Belgorod. Pick up the key words to describe each

Aspect covered in the passage below, e.G. Climate, name, etc.

b) Summarize the text in 7-9 sentences and present them to class.

c) Are you happy living in your city/ village? Explain why.

elgorod

Belgorod is the capital of Belgorod Province. It is situated in the southern part of Central Russia, on the right bank of the Seversky Donets River. It’s about 695 km by road of Moscow. The population of the city is about 350 thousand. The climate is moderate continental, with the average temperatures in January – 8.5° C, and in July + 20° C. Annual total rainfall in the region is about 450 mm. It’s less than in such cities as Glasgow, Manchester, Milan and Rome but more than in Madrid and Athens.

The name of the city is believed to be associated with chalk cliffs, which are in abundance in the region: in Russian “bel” means “white” and “gorod” – “city”. The precise date of the foundation of the city of Belgorod is still unknown, though scientists are sure that its history goes back as far as antiquity. Some years ago local historians proved that Belgorod had first come into existence in about 993 AD. It was ruined a short time afterwards, and re-built in the 16^th century. One thing is certain and that is that Belgorod was first mentioned in the chronicles in 1237. A well known Russian historian, N.M. Karamsin, said that Belgorod had begun as a fortress stronghold in the 1590s, for protecting Russia’s southern frontier from the Crimean Tatars. So Belgorod played a very important role in the life of the Russian Empire for almost two centuries. Once it became even the center of the “gubernia” (province), where such cities as Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol and Kharkov belonged to. All in all the gubernia comprised 30 towns.

Positioned on the river and at the junction of several roads, Belgorod eventually became the area’s prime economic and cultural center. Throughout the 17-19 centuries it rapidly grew and developed. Lots of stone buildings appeared in its streets – the first schools, monasteries and convents, stone mansions of the rich. At that time Belgorod sold cattle, corn, lard, leather, honey, fruit, wax, and various manufactured goods.

But in 1941-1945 Belgorod as all the Soviet regions suffered greatly from fascist invasion. In July-August 1943 there was one of the most severe battles of the war – the tank battle on the Prochorovskoe Field, which turned out to be the breaking point of the World War II. About 1,200 tanks from the both sides took part in the bloody fight. When it was over, the fertile Russian chernozem ground (=black earth) was soaked with blood and covered all over with dead bodies and warped materiel [mә,tiәri'el]. The Prochorovskaya battle effected in the liberation of Belgorod and Oryol on August 5, 1943. In honour of it Moscow saluted for the first time during the World War II. After that victory, the Soviet Army got “the second breath” and started pushing the enemy out of the country. Since that time each year the day of the 5^th August is celebrated as the Day of the City, the Day of Liberation. There are usually different festive activities on that day, ending with a traditional fireworks display.

Today Belgorod is a busy and beautiful city. Unfortunately there are not many notable buildings, because the city was almost totally destroyed during the war. It has a wide range of industries there: building materials, engineering, telecommunication equipment, machinery, iron-ore extraction, food-processing, textile and other light industries. As for agriculture, the region produces grain and sugar beet, different vegetables and fruit, there’s also dairy farming. Pig production occurs in most areas. Besides Belgorod province is broadly self-sufficient in poultry meat and eggs. And don’t forget that our region is situated on the famous

black earth, which the Germans tried to transport to

Germany during the War.

As for educational centers there’re four main of them: State University, Technological University, Consumer Cooperative University and Agricultural Academy. So Belgorod supports one of the finest scientific research communities in Russia.

Belgorod has many twin cities in different countries: Opole in Poland, Herne in Germany and Wakefield in the UK.

In spite of tough times the Belgorodians believe in the future and hope that their city will survive all the difficulties.

In 2007, Belgorod was awarded a title of the City of Military Glory (equivalent of the Soviet Hero City) in commemoration of the victorious tank battle in 1943.