Th E r U S SIA N f EDE r A t I o N

The Russian Federation (Russia) is the worldʼs largest country in area. It extends from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea, and from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. It is located in Europe and Asia. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometres. Russia borders many countries, such as Finland, Ukraine, the Baltic States, China, Mongolia and others.

The surface of Russia is various. you can see lowlands and highlands, forests and wide grasslands on its territory. The Russian Federation is situated on two plains. The longest mountain chains are the Urals, which separate Europe and Asia, the Caucasus, the Altai. There are many rivers and lakes in our country. Major rivers include the Volga in Europe, the

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yenisei, the Ob, the Lena in Asia. Lake Baikal in Siberia is the worldʼs deepest lake.

There are different climatic zones on the vast area of our country. In the North, it is very cold, even in summer. The central part of the country has a mild climate. In the South, it is warm, even in winter. The climate of Siberia is continental: summers are hot and dry, winters are very cold. Russia has abundant natural resources, which, besides large areas of forests, vast fertile soils and a great water supply, include large deposits of gas, coal, iron ore etc. Three quarters of the mineral wealth are concen-

trated in Siberia and the Far East.

The population of Russia is over 150 million people. Most of Russiaʼs people (over 80 per cent) are ethnic Russians, but more than 100 minority nationalities also live in our country. The European part of the country is densely populated. Most of the people (about 70 per cent) prefer to live in cities, towns and on their outskirts. The official language of the country is Russian.

The head of the state is the President, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The President appoints the ministers, but they must be approved by the Federal Assembly. The head of the government is the Prime Minister.

The Russian flag was adopted in 1991. It has three horizontal stripes which symbolize: white — the earth, blue — the sky, red — the freedom. Besides the Russian flag, there is another national symbol of Russia —    a two-headed eagle.

EXErCISE 16. read and give a summary of the text.

MoSCoW

Moscow is the capital of Russia, our Motherland. It was founded in 1147 as a fortress on the Moskva River. The city was ruined during the Tartar invasion in the 13th century. The city was gradually restored and became stronger. The Napoleon army in 1812 destroyed Moscow by fire, but Moscow was soon rebuilt and developed again. Moscow is more than 850 years old. A lot of water has flowed under its bridges, and many his- toric events have left their traces on the cityʼs face.

Modern Moscow is one of the biggest and most beautiful cities of the world. It is one of Russiaʼs major industrial cities with the population of

9.5 million people. Its total area is about 900 thousand square kilometres. Moscow is a political centre where the government of our country works. Moscow is a cultural centre. It attracts tourists from all over the world. Moscow is known for its beautiful cathedrals, monuments, theatres, mu-

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seums etc. The Bolshoi Theatre, the Tretyakov Art Gallery, the Push- kin Fine Arts Museum, the Kremlin are well-known even abroad. Red Square with its multi-domed St Basilʼs Cathedral is the heart of Moscow. Moscow is the city of higher educational institutions. Moscow State University, which is named after the greatest Russian scientist M. Lo-

monosov, is famous all over the world.

All people of Russia are proud of their magnificent and beautiful capi-

tal.

EXErCISE 17. Quote the sentences in which these words and word combi- nations are used in the texts:

it extends, is over, such as, is situated on, major rivers, in the North, in the South, abundant, deposits, three quarters, ethnic, more than, densely, most of, must be approved by, was adopted, as a fortress, by fire, is about, all over the world, multi-domed, is named after, are proud of.

 

EXErCISE 18. find in the texts English equivalents for these words and word combinations:

самая большая страна, простирается, общая площадь, свыше, около, граничит с, такие как, низменности, нагорье, расположена на, самые длинные горные цепи, которые отделяют, на севере, на юге, даже летом, большие залежи, железная руда, три четверти, по происхождению, густо заселена, окраина, глава государства, глав- нокомандующий вооруженными силами, должны быть одобрены, глава правительства, был принят, которые символизируют, двугла- вый орел, постепенно восстанавливался, развивалась снова, утек- ло, оставили следы, со всего мира, соборы, музей изобразительных искусств, за границей, многокупольный, высшие учебные заведе- ния, назван в честь, гордятся, величественный.

 

EXErCISE 19. a) find in the texts the words which have the similar mean- ings as the following words:

the biggest, territory, whole, different, a lot of, plentiful, to contain, towns, liberty, to ruin, nice, famous, centre.

b) find in the texts the words which have the opposite meanings to the fol- lowing words:

lowlands, narrow, in the South, hot, small, majority, vertical, black, to restore, weaker, above, agricultural.

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c) read, translate the sentences, change the words in italics into the words with similar or opposite meanings.

1. Many rivers are flowing through the country. 2. The city was de- stroyed by the Tartar invasion. 3. Moscow is known for its beautiful ca- thedrals. 4. That summer was cold. 5. This country has abundant natural resources.

 

EXErCISE 20. fill in the missing words in the following sentences. the first letter of each word has been given to help you.

1. Russia b... many different countries. 2. On the vast Russian area, you can see wide g.... 3. The Ural mountain c... separate Europe and Asia. 4. Some parts of Russia have a m... climate. 5. There are large d... of natural resources on the territory of Russia. 6. Most of m... wealth is in Siberia and the Far East. 7. They live on the o... of the city. 8. Moscow was founded in 1147 as a f.... 9. Moscow is one of the m... industrial cit- ies. 10. The g... of the country works in Moscow.

 

EXErCISE 21. fill in the blanks with the articles a, an, the where neces- sary.

1. Russia is... largest country in... area. 2. It extends from... Arctic Ocean to... Black Sea. 3.... President is... head of... state. 4................................................................................... Sibe-

ria has... continental climate. 5.... Russia has...... worldʼs largest oil and

natural gas resources. 6.... two-headed eagle is...... most ancient symbol of

... Russia. 7.... symbols of... country should be approved by...... Federal

Assembly. 8.... government of... country is headed by...... Prime Minister.

9.... Lake Baikal is... deepest in... world. 10.... thousands of...... tourists

try to visit.... lake.

 

EXErCISE 22. a) read and state the function of the verbs to be, to ha v e.

1. The Russian Federation is situated in Europe and in Asia. 2. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometres. 3. There are different cli- matic zones in our country. 4. Russia has abundant natural resources.

5. A lot of water has flowed under its bridges.

b) fill in the blanks with the proper auxiliary verbs.

1. Moscow... founded in 1147. 2. Many historic events....... left their

traces on the cityʼs face. 3. He... never been to Moscow. 4. Moscow...

attracting tourists from all over the world. 5. The city....... been ruined, and

then it.... restored.

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EXErCISE 23. find in the texts, translate, analyse:

a) grammar forms with the ending -ed:

is situated                    was adopted

is located                     was founded

is concentrated             was ruined

is populated                 was restored

must be approved         destroyed

developed                   is named

b) grammar forms with the ending -s:

the worldʼs largest country         square kilometres Russia borders many countries the President appoints the forests and grasslands           ministers

rivers and lakes                        stripes

the worldʼs deepest lake            its bridges

climatic zones                          events

summers and winters                traces

natural resources                      on the cityʼs face

large deposits                          Russiaʼs major cities

three quarters                          the government works

most of Russiaʼs people             it attracts tourists

ethnic Russians                        its cathedrals, monuments

nationalities                             St Basilʼs Cathedral

cities, towns                            all peoples it extends

EXErCISE 24. a) translate the sentences, pay attention to the use of dif- ferent conjunctions.

1. After the city had been ruined, it was rebuilt again. 2. It is known that Moscow was founded in 1147. 3. Moscow was rebuilt, because it was destroyed by fire. 4. If you come to Moscow, you will see many beautiful cathedrals, monuments, theatres, museums there. 5. When Catherine the Great reigned, it was a period of great cultural growth.

b) fill in the blanks with the proper conjunctions.

1. It is known... Russia is the worldʼs largest country in area. 2....

you look at the geographical map of Russia, you will find many rivers and lakes there. 3. Moscow is a political centre,......................................................................... the government works

there. 4. Moscow attracts tourists from all over the world,...... it is a cultural

centre. 5...... you want to know any country well, you should know the

peopleʼs customs and traditions.

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EXErCISE 25. Mind the word order. a) Extend the following sentences with the words given in brackets.

1. It is very cold (in the North, in summer, even) 2. The country has a mild climate (of, the part, central). 3. One hundred nationalities live there (minority, than, more, also). 4. Moscow was founded in 1147 (a fortress, as, the Moskva River, on). 5. The government works (our country, of, Moscow, in).

b) Put the words in the following sentences in order. the first word in each sentence is in italics.

1. all, of, parts, our, country, in, There, many, rivers, are.

2. three quarters, has, wealth, mineral, the, Russia, of, Siberia, Far East, in, the, and.

3. has, stripes, three, The Russian, horizontal, flag.

4. Moscow, The heart, Red Square, of, is.

5. all, the, world, well-known, The Moscow Kremlin, is, over.

c) give possible beginning of the sentences.

1.... on the cityʼs face. 2.... all over the world. 3..... 850 years old.

4.... in the 13th century. 5..... became stronger.

d) Complete the followings sentences in a logical way.

1. The Russian Federation is... 2. It extends... 3. Russia borders...

4. Its total area is... 5. The  Urals mountain chains separate...... 6. There

are... 7. It is... 8. The central part has... 9. Russia has..... 10. The popula-

tion of Russia is... 11. The capital of the country is...... 12. The head  of

the state is... 13. The Russian flag was adopted... 14. It has...... 15. We are

proud of...

EXErCISE 26. Make up general and disjunctive questions and answer them according to the models.

a) Model: Moscow is the capital of Russia.

Is Moscow the capital of Russia? — Yes, it is. Moscow is the capital of Russia, isnʼt it? — Yes, it is.

1. Russia is the worldʼs largest country in area. 2. The climate in Sibe- ria is continental. 3. It is warm in the South. 4. The head of the state is the President. 5. The head of the government is the Prime Minister.

b) Model: There are many rivers in Russia.

Are there many rivers in Russia? — Yes, there are.

There are many rivers in Russia, arenʼt there? — Yes, there are.

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1. There are different climatic zones in Russia. 2. There are abundant natural resources in our country. 3. There are various minority nationali- ties in Russia. 4. There are three horizontal stripes on the Russian flag.

5. There are many beautiful cathedrals in Moscow.

c) Model: Russia borders many countries.

Does Russia border many countries? — Yes, it does. Russia borders many countries, doesnʼt it?— Yes, it does.

1. The Russian Federation extends from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea. 2. The President appoints the ministers. 3. The government works in Moscow. 4. Moscow attracts tourists from all over the world.

5. The federal government consists of three branches.

EXErCISE 27. Make up special questions according to the models and answer them.

a) Model: Its total area is over 17 million square kilometres. How many square kilometres is its total area?

1. The population of Russia is over 150 million people. 2. Eighty per sent are ethnic Russians in our country. 3. The total area of Moscow is about 900 thousand square kilometres. 4. The population of Moscow is

9.5 million people. 5. Three horizontal stripes are on the Russian flag.

b) Model: Over 150 million people live in Russia. How many million people live in Russia?

1. Over 9 million people live in Moscow. 2. More than 100 minority nationalities live in Russia. 3. About 70 per cent of the people prefer to live in cities, towns and on their outskirts. 4. Over 80 per cent of ethnic Russians live in our country. 5. More than two hundred people visit this museum every day.

EXErCISE 28. Make up questions the answers to which will be the words in italics. the words in brackets will help you.

1. Russia is located in Europe and Asia (what). 2. Natural resources include large deposits of gas, coal and iron ore (what). 3. The President ap- points the ministers (who). 4. you can see lowlands on its territory (what).

5. The red colour on the Russian flag symbolizes the liberty (what).

EXErCISE 29. Agree or disagree with the following statements. Add some more information.

1. Russia borders many countries. 2. The area of the Russian Federa- tion is not large. 3. The surface is the same on the vast territory of Russia.

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4. Russia has abundant natural resources. 5. More than 150 million peo- ple live in Russia.

 

EXErCISE 30. translate the following sentences from russian into Eng- lish. You will have a story on the topic as a pattern.

1. российская Федерация — самая большая страна в мире по площади. 2. Ее общая площадь — свыше 17 миллионов квадрат- ных километров. 3. россия граничит со многими странами. 4. ре- льеф на территории российской Федерации разнообразный: низ- менности и нагорья, леса и широкие пастбища, много рек и озер.

5. В россии есть разные климатические зоны. 6. Многочисленные природные ресурсы включают большие залежи газа, угля, желез- ной руды. 7. население россии — свыше 150 миллионов человек.

8. Европейская часть страны густо заселена. 9. Большинство людей (около 70 процентов) предпочитают жить в больших и маленьких городах. 10. официальный язык в стране — русский. 11. столица россии — древний и очень красивый город. 12. Москва — поли- тический центр страны. 13. Глава государства — президент, глава правительства — премьер-министр. 14. российский флаг был при- нят в 1991 году. 15. Кроме российского флага есть и другой нацио- нальный символ россии — двуглавый орел.

 

EXErCISE 31. Make up your own story on the topic. Speak on the follow- ing points of the plan. the words and phrases will help you make your story to be logical and interesting.

1. The Territory of the Russian Federation

Russia extends It is located Its total area is Russia borders

2. The Surface of the Country

The surface is you can see

3. The Climate

There are

It is very cold It is warm

The climate of Siberia is

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4. The National Resources

The national resources include

Three quarters of mineral wealth is concentrated

5. The Population of Russia Over 150 million people live Over 80 per cent are

More than 100 minority nationalities live

6. The Capital of Russia

Moscow is

It was founded Moscow is more than

7. The Head of the State The Head of the state is The President appoints

8. The Russian Flag

The Russian flag was adopted It has

Three stripes symbolize

EXErCISE 32. Answer the questions about russia.

1. What territory does the country occupy? 2. What is its total area?

3. What countries does Russia border? 4. What are the specific features of the surface of Russia? 5. What are the longest mountain chains? 6. What are the major rivers of Russia? 7. Where is the worldʼs deepest lake situated?

8. What climatic zones are there in Russia? 9. Where are winters very cold in Russia? 10. What natural resources is Russia rich in? 11. Where is most of the mineral wealth? 12. How many million people is the population of Russia? 13. What part of the country is densely populated? 14. How many minority nationalities live in the Russian Federation? 15. Who is the head of the state? 16. Who is the head of the government? 17. When was the Russian flag adopted? 18. What do three stripes on the Russian flag sym- bolize? 19. What is the capital of our Motherland? 20. Why does Moscow attract tourists from all over the world?

 

EXErCISE 33.

a) r e ad and tr ansla t e t he follo wing d ia logue.

b) Memorize and dramatize the dialogue.

c) Act out a similar dialogue.

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