5. Speak on the following items.

1. Prove that

• the geographical position of the Murmansk region is really favorable;

• our region is the treasury of minerals;

• Murmansk deserves the status of hero-city;

• modern Murmansk is a developed industrial city;

• Murmansk is a large cultural center;

• Murmansk is a scientific center;

• the city leads a varied life;

• the Festival of the North attracts many tourists and sportsmen;

• the people of the Kola Peninsula wish to establish beneficial relations with all the world’s peoples.

2. Tell about merits and demerits of the region climate and main peculiarities of the region landscape. Explain why Murmansk winters are not so cold in comparison with winters in other northern areas.

3. Do you consider Murmansk to be a large cultural and scientific city? Give your reasons.

4. Do you believe that there are a lot of places of interest in Murmansk which are worth seeing? Why? Give your reasons.

When speaking use the following linking words and word combinations:

I think/suppose/consider/believe; as (far) as I know (understand, remember); on the contrary; if I’m not mistaken; frankly speaking; from my point of view; in my opinion; it goes without saying; it seems to me; as for (to) me.

5. Tell about Murmansk and the Murmansk region according to the following plan:

1. Geographical position of the Murmansk region.

2. Climate and landscape.

3. Mineral resources of our region.

4. History of the Murmansk region.

5. Main industries of the Kola Peninsula.

6. Cultural and scientific life of the region.

7. Sights of the city and the region.

7. Do you often use the Internet? Is it your hobby? Write a composition on the topic “The Kola Peninsula is a friendly and very rich region”. Try to use as many sources of information as you can.

Unit 2 text b

1. A).Skim the following text, trying to understand what it is about. Time your reading. It is good if you can read it for five minutes (70 words per minute).

b).Find sentences in the text describing the beauty of our nature in winter.

NATURE

The nature of the Murmansk region is unique for northwest of Russia and is unusual to Scandinavia. Winds of the Polar seas and Northern Asia fight for possession of it. The shrill sunrises, sunsets turbulent with incredible colors and heavens shining with a beauty in days of a victory of one of them are the traces of their severe battles.

You cannot find such pure colors above your head, such great variety of clouds as here anywhere else.

When the ice winds cease torturing our beautiful land, it gets warm and is filled with aromas of its own forests, flowers, lakes and bogs. The animals, birds and people go out from their shelters and warm up under the sparkling Arctic sun.

Majestic mountains, crystal rivers and lakes, primeval forests and rough seas – all is filled with life. The flora reminds of a lace. The rocks, stones, branches of trees, surface of bogs and tundra, walls of old houses are covered with a finest pattern of epiphytic lichens and mosses.

The pattern of ice and hoarfrost on trees, windows and coastal rocks, telegraphic wires, rigging of ships in port competes with plants in the Art of Pattern.

Mighty Golfstream, carrying its waters from Caribbean Sea, from the shores of Mexico, tries to warm up our cold seas with all its might. There are no hard frosts on the Kola Peninsula, which is a result of its warm influence.

The stable blanket of snow covers the Kola land from October till May, but it happens that the snow falls down from heavens both in June and in August.

But nevertheless – in the summer time one can quite often bathe in the lakes both day and night, as the sun shines round the clock during a polar day.

It is very beautiful in the North at the time, but nevertheless, the favourite time of all northerners, both people and animals is August – September, when the woods and tundra are covered with a carpet of berries and mushrooms.

In one word, our land is beautiful and filled with miracles – as well as the rough seas washing it, and it is simply impossible not to love it!

NOTES:

1.possession – обладание;

2.the shrill sunrises, sunsets turbulent with incredible colors and heavens shining with beauty –

пронзительные восходы, бушующие невероятными красками закаты и сияющие красотой небеса;

3.the ice winds cease torturing – ледяные ветры перестают терзать;

4.majestic mountains – величественные горы;

5.primeval forests – дремучие леса;

6.a finest pattern of epiphytic lichens and mosses – мельчайший узор эпифитных лишайников и мхов;

7.rigging of ships – оснастка кораблей;

8.the Art of Pattern – искусство узорочья;

9.mighty Golfstream – могучий Гольфстрим;

10.with all its might – всеми силами;

11.the stable blanket of snow – снежное полотно.