Part II

R E A D E R

Тексты для чтения (I, II семестр).

TEXT 1

Russia.

Once the preeminent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) has been an independent country since the dissolution of the union in December 1991. The official name of the country is the Russian Federation now. With an area of 17 075 400 square kilometres, Russia is the world’s largest country, covering almost twice the territory of either the United States or China. It ranks sixth in the world in population, following China, India, the United States, Indonesia and Brazil. The great majority of the people are Russians but there also are some 70 smaller national groups living within its borders.

On its northern and eastern sides Russia is bounded by the Arctic and Pacific oceans, and it has small frontages in the northwest on the Baltic Sea at St. Petersburg and at the detached Russian oblast (province) of Kaliningrad. On the south it borders on North Korea, China, Mongolia and the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia. On the southwest and west it borders on the former Soviet republics of Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia and Estonia, as well as Finland and Norway. Kaliningrad (formerly a part of what was once East Prussia annexed in 1945) abuts Poland and Lithuania.

The capital of the Russian Federation is Moscow, which was also the capital of the Soviet Union.

Historically, the territory of European Russia was the core of the expanding Russian state suffered from attacks ranging from that of the Mongol hordes in the 13^thcentury to the Nazi invasion of World War II.

This historical heritage together with its vast area and natural wealth, which permitted the development of a large-scale industrial economy, gave Russia a unique place of leadership among the former Soviet republics. Its brooding landscapes and the complexities of the prerevolutionary society inspired the prose and music of such giants of world culture as A.Chekhov, A.Pushkin, L.Tolstoy and P.I.Tchaikovsky, while the October Revolution (of 1917) and the vast changes it brought were reflected in the works of such noted figures as V.Mayakovsky, M.Gorky, M.Sholokhov and A.Solzhenitsyn.

1. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. What is the official name of the country?

2. What oceans is the country washed by?

3. What countries does Russia border on?

4. What is the territory of the country?

5. What is the capital of the Russian Federation?

II. Верно или неверно?

1. The official name of the country is the Russian Federation now.

2. On its northern and eastern sides Russia is bounded by the Arctic and Pacific oceans, and it has small frontages in the northwest on the Baltic Sea at St. Petersburg and at the detached Russian oblast (province) of Kaliningrad.

3. It ranks forth in the world in population, following China, India and the United States.

4. On the south it borders on South Korea, China, Mongolia, Afganistan and the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

5. The capital of the Russian Federation is St. Petersburg, which was also the capital of the Soviet Union.

6. Its brooding landscapes and the complexities of the prerevolutionary society inspired the prose and music of such giants of world culture as A.Chekhov, A.Pushkin, L.Tolstoy and P.I.Tchaikovsky.

TEXT 2

Moscow - the capital of Russia.

Moscow, one of the beautiful and ancient cities of Russia, became our capital in March 1918. It is the centre of the political, economic and cultural life of the Russian Federation. The whole world knows Moscow as the seat of the RF Government, and as a city of great historical interest which contains many rare treasures.

Coming to the capital for the first time everybody goes at once to see Moscow’s Red Square and the Kremlin.

In the Kremlin the visitors see wonderful illustrations to the history of Russia between the 15^th and 19^th centuries. The most famous of the Kremlin’s 19 towers is the Spassky Tower over the Spassky Gate, with its great clock. The radio transmits its chimes to the whole world.

The appearance of the Moscow streets is like that of any other large modern city. The Moscow Underground is the most convenient transport system with a network of lines to every part of the city. There are numerous museums, cinemas, theatres and art exhibitions in Moscow.

Besides the famous Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, there are dozens of smaller stadiums in the capital where thousands of people strengthen their health, perfect their sportive skill. There are many sports societies in the capital such as Spartak, Dynamo, Torpedo, Burevestnik, Lokomotiv and many others whose members defend the sporting honour of this country here and abroad.

Wonderful sports palaces and clubs have appeared in our capital recently. There are hundreds of stadiums, ski bases, watersport stations, gymnasia, tennis, volleyball, basketball courts and fitness centres.

1. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. When did Moscow become our capital?

2. Where does everybody coming to the capital for the first time go to?

3. What do the visitors see in the Kremlin?

4. What is the most famous of the Kremlin’s 19 towers?

5. What does the world fairly well know?

6. Are there numerous museums, cinemas, theatres and art exhibitions in Moscow?

7. What sport societies are there in Moscow?

2. Вставьте слова и словосочетания.

chimes, strengthen, most convenient, at once, art exhibitions

1. The Moscow Underground is the … transport system with a network of lines to every part of the city.

2. There are dozens of smaller stadiums in the capital where thousands of people … their health, perfect their sportive skill.

3. Coming to the capital for the first time everybody goes … to see Moscow’s Red Square and the Kremlin.

4. There are numerous museums, cinemas, theatres and … in Moscow.

5. The radio transmits its … to the whole world.