УМР 12, Бушмакина В.А.

My motherland

1. What do you know about present day Russia, functions of its Parliament, Government and President? Answer, then compare with the facts from the text below.

2. Match English to Russian word combinations.

1. to undergo changes a назначить министров

2. to enforce a law b одобрить законопроект

3. to improve the situation c претерпеть изменения

4. to become a law d улучшить ситуацию

5. to appoint ministers e проводить закон в жизнь

6. to approve a bill f стать законом

3. Read the text about the Russian Federation and answer the questions again.

The Russian Federation

The State System.

The Russian Federation was set up by the Constitution of 1993 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to the Constitution, Russia is a Presidential Republic. The President is elected for four years and is the head of the State. The President is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, he makes treaties, enforces laws and appoints ministers.

The Federal Government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. All of them are checked by the President. The legislative power is represented by the Federal Assembly. It consists of two chambers. The Upper Chamber is the Council of Federation. The Lower Chamber is the State Duma.

To become a law, a bill must be approved by both chambers and signed by the President. The President may veto the bill.

The executive power belongs to the Government which is headed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister forms his Cabinet.

The judicial branch is represented by the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and regional courts.

The state symbol of Russia is a three-coloured banner with three horizontal stripes.

The National Emblem is a two-headed eagle which is the most ancient symbol of Russia. It was borrowed by the Russian Tsar Ivan III from Bysanthy. In 1917 after the October Revolution the Russian Coat-of-Arms was abandoned. When Russia restored its independence and sovereignty, the State Duma approved in 1994 the Russian Coat of Arms (the golden two-headed Eagle) as the official symbol of our country.

Notes:

Coat of Arms – герб

Supreme Commander-in-Chief – Верховный главнокомандующий

Federal Assembly – Федеральное Собрание

Constitutional Court – Конституционный Суд

make a treaty – заключать договор

enforce a law – проводить закон в жизнь

4. Read the text and answer the question: what is the economic situation in Russia like?

Russia’s Economy

Russia has undergone significant changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union, moving from a globally-isolated, centrally-planned economy to a more market-based and globally-integrated economy.

Russian economic policy is increasingly based on exploitation of natural resources.. Now Russia is facing rather a difficult economic situation. It concerns the industrial production, the prices, the rate of inflation, the problems of unemployment and bankruptcy. Much is being done to improve the situation. But despite this complicated situation, Russia remains one of the leading countries in the world.

Note:

face rather a difficult economic situation – сталкиваться с довольно трудной экономической ситуацией

5. Speaking. Reproduce the following dialogue. Find the answers a-c to the questions 1-3.

1. What is the state symbol of Russia? 2. Can you describe it? 3. What do these stripes symbolize?

a. Certainly. It has three horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. b. The white stripe symbolizes the Earth, the blue one – the sky, the red one symbolizes liberty. c. The state symbol of Russia is a three-coloured banner.

6. Rearrange the words to make a proverb. or, home, West, is, best, East.

What does it mean?

7. Look at the title of the text. Why is Novgorod called the Father of Russian cities?