Exercises:

I. Read the following words:

occupy mountain chamber variety temperate

surface territory council supreme continental

cover count law vegetation scientific

Europe various approve steppes iron ore

area climate signature economy resources

south arctic judicial tundra decrease

border subtropical court highland parliamentary

bankrupt desert executive opportunity legislative

II. Find the sentences in the text proving that:

1) Russia is extremely rich in forests. 2) It is the largest country in the world. 3) The nature in Russia is very rich. 4) Russia is a beautiful country. 5) Russia is a very diverse country. 6) Russia is an unstable state at present.

III. Complete the following sentences:

l) The Russian Federation occupies… 2) It covers… 3) The Russian Federation has a sea-border… 4) In the east we have… 5) In the midland… 6) We have such mountain chains as… 7) The Volga… 8) In the Far East… 9) There are many…in Russia. 10) … is the largest mountain chain which… 11) …is the world's deepest lake famous for… l2) The climate of the Russian Federation… 13) The government consists of… 14) … consists of two chambers. 15) …is represented by the Presi­dent and… 16) The Judicial Branch… 17) The head of the state is… 18) Moscow is… 19) At present…

IV. Pronounce the following words in English and make up sentences with them:

a) 1) пустыня, нагорье; 2) Урал, Кавказ; 3) Каспийское море; 4) Балтийское море; 5) умеренный; 6) полезные ископаемые; 7) налагать вето; 8) обанкротиться.

b) 1) едва ли найдется; 2) не смотря на; 3) в этом случае; 4) сталкиваться, смотреть в лицо; 5) я уверен; 6) как бывало.

V. Paraphrase the sentences:

l) Russia covers the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. 2) In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. 3) There are many beautiful lakes in Russia. 4) There isn’t any other country in the world with such diverse vegetation. 5) The Judicial Branch comprises Federal District Courts, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court. 6) The Executive Branch is headed by the President.

VI. Make up questions to the underlined words:

1) The main Siberian rivers the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena flow from the south to the north.

2) Russia occupies about one seventh of the earth's surface.

3) The Russian Federation has a sea-border with the USA.

4) Each branch of the federal government can check and balance other branches.

5) In Siberia there are areas where winters are colder than at the North Pole.

6) In the Central Asian plains summers are sometimes hotter than on the equator [I'kweItq].

7) Large diamond deposits were discovered in Yakutia.

8) The lowest winter temperature in our country -70˚С is registered in Yakutia.

VII. Fill in the crossword:

1

) The river that flows into the Pacific Ocean. 2) The mountain chain that lies on the territory of Russia, Mongolia and China. 3) The river in the eastern Siberia on which Yakutsk stands. 4) The neighbouring country which capital is Ulan Bator [u'lRn'bRtL]. 5) The country that borders on Russia and is a constitutional Monarchy. 6) A former socialist republic. 7) The sea into which the Neva river flows. 8) A former large health-resort area. 9) The coniferous [kq'nIfqrqs] forest in the north of Russia. 10) The branch of the federal government responsible for making laws.