- •I. Practise the pronunciation of the following words:
- •II. Read the proper names:
- •Text 2 getting about a town
- •Asking the way
- •Vocabulary exercises
- •I. Read and translate Text 1.
- •II. Learn the dialogues of Text 2 by heart and dramatize them.
- •III. Give Russian equivalents to:
- •IV. Choose the right word:
- •V. Translate into Russian:
- •VI. Give English equivalents to:
- •VII. Arrange a) and b) as synonyms:
- •VIII. Answer these questions (work in pairs):
- •IX. Ask 10 questions about Text 1 (work in pairs).
- •XI. Read the words and guess their meanings, then look them up in the dictionary:
- •XII. Fill in the blanks with prepositions if necessary, then read and translate the text:
- •XIII. Combine the following words into sentences:
- •XIV. Make up situations using the following words and phrases:
- •XV. Here are the impressions of Moscow, written by an English student. Read and say what you think about them:
- •XVI. Write a letter to your friend about your stay in Moscow, Leningrad, any other city or town, give your impressions. Do not forget to mention what you have been doing recently.
- •XVII. Translate into English:
- •Grammar exercises
- •I. A) Form nouns using the suffix “-ment”:
- •II. Use the Past Indefinite or the Present Perfect:
- •III. Use the Present Indefinite or the Present Perfect:
- •IV. Use the correct tense-forms:
- •V. Translate into English:
- •I. Read the text attentively so as to get a general idea of its contents.
- •II. Go through the text again and underline with a pencil what you think is most important in each paragraph.
- •III. Form a question on each paragraph to check your fellow-students’ understanding of the text:
- •65 Years out of 1,500
- •Киеву - 1500 лет
- •Speech exercises
UNIT 5
Разговорные темы: Город. Москва – столица СССР.
Грамматика: Present Perfect Tense.
PHONETIC EXERCISES
I. Practise the pronunciation of the following words:
annals, government, Muscovy, suburbs, Cathedral, transfer, ancient, tour, mausoleum, museum, reign, architect, masterpiece, symbol, tower, Saviour, melodious, administrative
II. Read the proper names:
Moscow, the Moskva River, St. Petersburg, St. Basil, Europe, Ivan the Terrible
TEXT 1
LET’S WALK AND TALK ABOUT MOSCOW
Moscow is first mentioned in the annals of history of the year 1147. Since then its name has not left the pages of history. Moscow rendered a great service to the nation by uniting the country and giving it a single government. During the first centuries of Russia’s development as a state, it was Moscow that gave its name to the land, which was called Muscovy. Such was the historical fate of the little settlement atop a hill overlooking the Moskva River, a settlement founded by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky.
The Soviet people cherish the history of their nation and capital. Under tsar Fyodor Moscow was already considered to be one of the largest cities of Europe. An English traveller wrote: “I should say that the city as a whole is larger than London and its suburbs.” Another Englishman John Belias, the author of Little Guide Book of Moscow wrote: “Who would not wish to visit the old capital — Moscow, with its Kremlin and golden domes? I am sure that everyone’s heart will beat faster at the view of the golden dome of the Cathedral of the St. Saviour, with the hope of visiting the Kremlin.”
In 1712 Peter I transferred the capital to the newly built St. Petersburg, but Moscow remained the cultural and economic centre of the country.
In 1918 the Soviet Government decided to make Moscow the capital again. On March 10, 1918, a special train left Petrograd for Moscow; the Government had moved back to the ancient Russian city. Since that time all the major acts and documents of the Soviet Government are signed: “The Kremlin, Moscow”.
It is better to begin making the acquaintance of Moscow with the Kremlin.
Let us start our tour of Moscow with Red Square, which is right in the centre of things. The Square was laid out in the 15th century. Moscow is built on seven hills, one of which is encircled by a red wall. The Kremlin stands on this hill. First look at the Moscow Kremlin with its beautiful red walls and towers crowned with ruby stars, the Lenin Mausoleum and History Museum.
In front of you is an ancient monument of Red Square – Pokrovsky Cathedral, which is known as the St. Basil’s. It was built during the reign of Ivan the Terrible by architects Posnik and Barma, to commemorate Russia's conquest of the Kazan kingdom in 1552. It is a masterpiece of Russian architecture.
If we walk back to the middle of Red Square we are in front of the Mausoleum and have a good view of the Kremlin, the heart of Moscow and of the Soviet Union. Big parades and demonstrations take place in front of the Mausoleum. The Victory Parade to celebrate the defeat of Hitler Germany was held on here, on June 24, 1945. To the roll of drums, Soviet soldiers threw down 2 hundred enemy standards in front of the Mausoleum where the leaders of the Communist Party and members of the Government were standing.
If the Kremlin is a symbol of Russia then the Saviour’s Tower (Spasskaya Bashnya) is the symbol of the Kremlin. It was built in 1491 and got its name from the icon of the Saviour (Spas) that formerly stood above the tower gate. The star-topped tower is 71 metres high. It is notable for its clock, whose melodious chimes are well-known to all those who listen to Moscow radio.
The Gates of the Kremlin are opened to visitors. Enter them and you will see the Kremlin cathedrals, churches, and administrative buildings. There is so much to see in the Kremlin that we need plenty of time: time to look, and time to dream a little about the past.
Moscow is so full of interesting places that it would take a very long time to see everything. Perhaps the best place to end a visit to Moscow is the Kalinin Avenue, especially at night, when the lights are blazing. This is one of the best loved spots in Moscow with its skyscrapers, cafés, varieties and the whirling globe at “Arbat” restaurant.
Or perhaps you would like to stay for a while on Lenin Hills and look at the view of Moscow from the observation platform. In various parts of the panorama in front you will see the silhouettes of tall buildings. Straight ahead in the distance the golden domes of the Kremlin Cathedrals and Ivan Bell-Tower are seen. To the right is the Metro Bridge and Lenin Hills Station. To the left on the horizon are the tower-blocks of Kalinin Avenue, the CMEA building and Ukraina Hotel. On a clear day, you can see the TV tower of Ostankino.