An Excursion around Moscow

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our Moscow sightseeing tour. There are a lot of places to see and to visit here: Red Square – the heart of the city; beautiful monuments to outstanding people; the magnificent Bolshoi Theatre; Moscow University, and many others.

Moscow is the capital of Russia. It dates back to the year 1147. Nowadays it is the largest city of Russia. It is a political, administrative, economic, educational and cultural centre of the country.

There are many places of interest in Moscow. The city is noted for the historical and architectural relics: museums, art galleries which are a great attraction of the city, and theatres where you can enjoy a great variety of plays and ballets.

The Kremlin is the heart of Moscow. It is the oldest historical and architectural centre of Moscow, where you can admire a great diversity of magnificent temples, churches and cathedrals.

One more place of interest in Moscow is the State Tretyakov Picture Gallery, which has a rich variety of works. The Tretyakov Gallery is one of the most famous and well-known picture galleries in our country and all over the world. The gallery is named after its founder Peter Tretyakov, who began to collect Russian paintings in 1856 and wanted these paintings to be seen by his fellow citizens. Nowadays the Tretyakov Gallery possesses a magnificent collection of arts.

Still another attraction of the city is Moscow State Lomonosov University, the largest university of Russia. When it was founded in 1755, it was the University of Moscow, with three departments. Today with its more than 20 departments, Moscow Lomonosov University ranks among the top universities of the world. It teaches almost in all subject areas: Arts, Science, Law, Engineering, etc.

Task 42. Find the English equivalents for the following word combinations; memorize them.

1. есть что посмотреть и посетить

2. памятники выдающимся людям

3. сердце города

4. вести исчисление от такой-то даты

5. быть знаменитым чем-либо

6. достопримечательность города

7. исторические и архитектурные реликвии

8. обладать коллекцией предметов искусства

9. находиться в числе лучших (университетов и т.п.)

10. быть основанным в таком-то году

Task 43. Fill the gaps with prepositions where necessary.

1. St. Petersburg is known … its magnificent monuments … famous Russian people.

2. St. Petersburg dates … … the year 1703, when it was founded … Peter the Great.

3. St. Petersburg’s art gallery, the Hermitage, is one … the greatest attractions.

4. Moscow University is named … Michael Lomonosov, one of the first Russian scholars.

5. Cambridge and Oxford rank … the best universities of the world.

6. If you go … the top … the Post Office Tower … London you can get a bird’s eye view … the whole city.

7. The atmosphere of St. Petersburg has something to do … its historical places, palaces and fortresses.

8. You don’t need to stay … London … a long time to understand that it is different … other cities.

9. Moscow is home …the President, the State Duma and government departments.

10. Like many large cities Moscow has problems … traffic and pollution.

Task 44. Here are some of the things you will find in most big cities. Read the information then answer the questions.

Educational institutions: schools, colleges, universities, libraries, evening classes, museums

Cultural institutions: theatres, opera houses, concert halls, art galleries, cinemas

Sports facilities: swimming pools, sport centres, tennis courts, skating rinks, football grounds

Entertainment places: discos, dance halls, nightclubs

Other places: a railway station, law courts, militia departments, supermarkets, shopping centres, health centres, restaurants, cafes, etc.