My laboratory

Chemistry as a science began to develop only than man began to experiment and record his findings. The first step in his scientific work was the accumulation of experimental data. All his experiments he had to carry on in a special room that he called laboratory. To cany out experiments one needs some glassware. On every laboratory bench in labs of inorganic, organic and analytical chemistry we can see test-tubes, beakers, flasks, funnels, evaporating dishes, weighing bottles and pipettes.

Every laboratory is to be provided with gas, running-water and ventilating hood for the escape of harmful and unpleasant vapours and odours. Every lab has to be lit up very well.

In laboratories one can see various apparatus such as the apparatus for fractional distillation, the apparatus for the determination of molecular weight by the freezing-point depression method and a lot of others.

Various burners, like Bunsen burner, serve for heating and producing flames.

On the laboratory benches one can see a great number of crucibles used when heating or igniting of materials are to be carried out. Crucibles are usually made of quartz, iron and porcelain.

There are different kinds of balances in the labs. The electronic balances are the most sensitive.

A part of the modern laboratory is a computer, which could be used for calculation and processing of experimentation results. Some of labs in our University are equipped with chromatograph devices and spectrometers. The specialized labs, like mine, include scaled-down industrial processing units.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands.

The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. The island of Great Britain comprises England, Wales and Scotland. London is the capital of the UK.

The British Isles are separated from the Continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

The surface of GB varies very much. The north Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and west of England has several mountains but they are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain. There are a lot of rivers in GB, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one. Britain has a mild and temperate climate.

The South West of England is famous for its beautiful countryside. The countryside in the South East is more gentle, and there is a lot of fruit-growing. East Anglia is famous for its vast fields of wheat and potatoes. The Midlands used to have a lot of heavy industry. North West of England is the beautiful Lake District, and the cities of Liverpool and Manchester.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment.

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen is Head of State.

The legislative power is exercised by the Parliament. It consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The executive power is exercised by Prime Minister and his Cabinet. The government is usually formed by the political party which is supported by the majority in the House of Commons. The prime Minister is the party leader. The Prime Minister chooses a team of ministers; twenty ministers are in the Cabinet.

The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and the Shadow Cabinet There are two main political parties in Great Britain: the Conservative Party and the Labour Parry.

There is no written constitution in Great Britain, only precedents and traditions.

London is the political, economic and cultural centre of the U.K. It is one of the world's important ports and one of the major cities in the world. London is an ancient city. London has a great number of interesting places: the National Gallery; the British Museum, the Tower, and many others. The most offices and banks are situated in the City of London.

Birmingham is Britain's second largest city and its engineering centre. Leeds, the third largest city in the United Kingdom, produces woollen goods. Sheffield is a centre of steel manufacturing.

Glasgow is famous for heavy industry. Besides, its an important cultural centre with architecture and art galleries. Edinburgh is the city of science.

USA

The United States of America is one of the largest countries in the world. It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska and Hawaii. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It has a sea-border with Russia.

The USA is a federal republic. It consists of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where Washington, the capital of the country, is situated.

The land of USA varies from forests to deserts, from mountains to valleys. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordilleras and the Sierra Nevada.

The country's greatest river is the Mississippi. The Great Lakes are the largest and the deepest in the USA. In the region of five Great Lakes there is the Niagara River and the famous Niagara Falls.

The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic, in the central part it is continental, and in the south subtropical.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country. America's industrial and commercial centres are concentrated in the North-East. The skyscrapers of New York City, the steel mills of Pittsburgh and many other symbols of the American wealth belong to this region.

The largest cities are New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco and others. Washington is the centre of federal government, but each state has its own capital and its own government. State governments have a large amount of power and independence: they make their own laws.

The President is elected together with the Vice-President every four years. The President chooses people who will form the Cabinet. The President, the Vice-President and the Cabinet represent the executive branch of the government

The legislative power is exercised by Congress. It consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The judicial branch of the government is headed by the Supreme Court. It may veto any bill passed by the Congress if it contradicts the Constitution of the USA.

There are two main political parties in the US: the Democrats and the Republicans. The Democrats are somewhat more to the left than the republicans, but the differences between their policies are not usually very great

The independent District of Columbia is situated on both banks of the Potomac River, between two states, Maryland and Virginia. The place was called in honour of Columbus, the discoverer of America. The first American President George Washington chose this place for the capital; and it got its name after its founder.. Its smaller in size than the largest cities of the USA, but in the political sense its the most important city of the USA.

New York is one of the largest cities in the world. It was founded three hundred years ago at the mouth of the Hudson River. The centre of New York is Manhattan Island. Today Manhattan is the centre of busittess'and finance.