Make up the dialogues discussing the following.

The geographical position of Russia; the area; its population; the rivers and lakes; the mountains; the climate; mineral resources; Russia as a Presidential Republic; its state symbol and national emblem.

 

Text 2

The Russian Federation

In area, the Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometers. It occupies most of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Russia stretches from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the East and from the Arctic Ocean in the North to the Black Sea and the Caucasus, the Altai, and the Sayan Mountains, and the Amur and the Ussuri rivers in the South. It is borderedby Norway and Finland in the north-west, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus and the Ukraine in the West, Georgia and Azerbaidzhan in the south-west, and Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China along the southern border.

The land of Russia varies from thick forests to barren deserts, from high peaked mountains to deep valleys. The Russian Federation is locatedon two plains,Great Russian Plain and West Siberian Lowland. The longest mountain chains are the Urals,separating Europe from Asia,the Caucasus, and the Altai. Russia’s most important rivers are the Volga, Europe’s biggest river, flowing intothe Caspian Sea, the main Siberian rivers (the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena), and the Amur in the Far East, flowing into the Pacific Ocean. The total number of rivers in Russia is over two million. The world’s deepest lake – Lake Baikal, with the depth of 1,600 metres, is situated in Russia, too.

The climatein Russia varies from arctic in the north to continentalin the central part of the country and subtropicalin the south.

The current population of Russia is 145 million people; 82 %of the population are Russians.

Russia is a highly-industrialized-agrarian republic. Its vast mineral resourcesinclude oil and natural gas, coal, iron, zinc, lead, nickel, aluminium, gold and other non-ferrous metals. Russia has the world’s largest oil and natural gas resources. Three-quarters of the republic’s mineral wealth is concentrated in Siberia and the Far East.

Approximately 10 million people are engaged in agriculture and they producehalf of the region’s grain, meat, milk and other dairy products. The largest granaries are located in the North Caucasus and the Volga and the Amur regions.

The Russian Federation is set up by the Constitution of 1993.

Under the Constitution Russia is a presidential republic. The federal government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. Each of them is checked and balanced by the President.

The legislative power is vested in the Federal Assembly. It consists of two chambers. The Upper Chamber is the Council of Federation; the Lower Chamber is the State Duma.

Each chamber is headed by the Speaker. Legislature may be initiated in either of the two Chambers. But to become a law a bill must be approved by both Chambers and signed by the President. The President may veto the bill.

The President is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He makes treaties, enforces laws, appoints ministers to be approved by the Federal Assembly.

The executive power belongs to the Government which is headed by the Prime Minister. The first action of the Prime Minister on appointment is to form the Cabinet.

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

The members of the Federal Assembly are elected by popular vote for a four-year period.

Today the state symbol of Russia is a three-coloured banner. It has three horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. The white stripe symbolizes the earth, the blue one stands for the sky, and the red one symbolizes liberty. It was the first sate symbol that replaced the former symbols in 1991. A new national emblem is a two-headed eagle. It is the most ancient symbol of Russia. It originates from the Ruricovitches. All these symbols are official. They have been approved by the Federal Assembly.

Exercises

1. Practise in reading:

1. The Russian Federation, Eastern Europe, Northern Asia, the Baltic Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the East, the Arctic Ocean, the North, the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Altai, the Sayan Mountains, the Amur, the Ussuri rivers, the South, Norway, Finland, the north-west, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, the Ukraine, the West, Georgia, Azerbaidzhan, the south-west, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, southern, Great Russian Plain, West Siberian Lowland, the Urals, Europe, Asia, the Volga, the Caspian Sea, Siberian, the Ob, the Yenisei, the Lena, the Amur, the Far East, Lake Baikal, Russians, 82 %.

2. The Constitution, a presidential republic, the Federal Assembly, the Upper Chamber, the Council of Federation, the Lower Chamber, the State Duma, the Speaker, the President, commander-in-chief, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the regional courts, represented, horizontal stripes, the Ruricovitches.

2. Prepare the reading of the words:

· with the first syllable stressed:

1. Total, kilometers, bordered, varies, deserts, valleys, separating, flowing, situated, arctic, current, natural, ferrous, metals, quarters, concentrated, agriculture, products, granaries.

2. The government, branches, legislative, balanced, chambers, legislature, treaties, popular, symbol, coloured, symbolizes, ancient, emblem.

· with the second syllable stressed:

1. Located, subtropical, industrialized, agrarian, resources, include, approximately, engaged, produce.

2. Consists of, executive, judicial, initiated, approved, enforces, appoints, appointment, elected, replaced, originates, official.

3. Give Russian equivalents for:

1. In area, the Russian Federation is the largest country in the world; along the southern border; the land of Russia varies from thick forests to barren deserts, from high peaked mountains to deep valleys; approximately 10 million people are engaged in agriculture and they produce half of the region’s grain, meat, milk and other dairy products.

2. The Russian Federation is set up by the Constitution of 1993; each of them is checked and balanced by the President; the legislative power is vested in the Federal Assembly; legislature may be initiated in either of the two Chambers; he appoints ministers to be approved by the Federal Assembly; the first action of the Prime Minister on appointment is to form the Cabinet; the blue one stands for the sky; they have been approved by the Federal Assembly.

4. Give English equivalents for:

1. Общая площадь, занимать, простираться, граничить, граница, варьировать(ся), пустыни, горы, долины, располагаться, равнины, самое глубокое, арктический, континентальный, субтропический, население, русские (россияне), полезные ископаемые, приблизительно, молочные продукты, амбары (житницы), производить, регионы.

2. В соответствии с конституцией, президентская республика, федеральное правительство, законодательство, законопроект, состоять из, возглавлять, одобрять, наложить вето, вооруженные силы, главнокомандующий, Федеральное собрание, Государственная дума, Совет Федерации, избирать, на четыре года, государственный символ, символизировать, трехцветный флаг.

5. Complete the following sentences:

1. 1. Its total area is… 2. It occupies… 3. It is bordered by… 4. The land of Russia varies from… 5. The Russian Federation is located on… 6. The longest mountain chains are… 7. Russia’s most important rivers are… 8. The climate in Russia varies from… 9. The current population of Russia is… 10. Its vast mineral resources include… 11. Approximately 10 million people are engaged in… 12. The largest granaries are located…

2. 1. The Russian Federation is set up by… 2. Under the Constitution Russia is… 3. The federal government consists of… 4. The legislative power is vested in… 5. The Federal Assembly consists of… 6. Each chamber is headed by… 7. But to become a law a bill must be approved by… 8. The President may… 9. The President is… 10. The executive power belongs to… 11. The first action of the Prime Minister on appointment is to… 12. The judicial branch is represented by… 13. Today the state symbol of Russia is…

6. Answer the questions:

1. 1. What territory does Russia occupy? 2. What countries is it bordered by? 3. What are the major plains, mountain chains and rivers of Russia? 4. How can you characterize Russia’s climate? 5. What mineral resources does Russia possess? 6. What industries are developed in Russia? What is the political system of Russia?

2. 1. What does the federal government consist of? 2. What part does the President play in the government? 3. What is the legislative power vested in? 4. How does a bill become a law? 5. What are the functions of the President? 6. What are the executive and the judicial branches represented by? 7. What are the official symbols of Russia?

7. Translate into English:

1. 1.Российская Федерация – самая большая страна в мире. 2.Ее общая площадь составляет 17 мл. кв. километров. 3.Наша страна расположена в Восточной Европе и северной части Азии. 4.Россия простирается от Балтийского моря до Тихого океана и от Северного Ледовитого океана до Черного моря. 5.С ней граничат: Норвегия, Финляндия, Монголия, Китай и бывшие республики (former) СССР. 6.Российская Федерация расположена на Средне-русской возвышенности и Западно-сибирской равнине. 7.Самые крупные реки России – это: Волга, Обь, Енисей, Лена и Амур. 8.В России расположено самое глубокое в мире озеро Байкал. 9.Среди крупнейших горных цепей России – Урал, отделяющий Европу от Азии. 10.Сегодняшнее население России – 145 млн. человек. 11.Россия – страна с высокоразвитой промышленностью и сельским хозяйством. 12.Россия обладает богатейшими запасами полезных ископаемых, в том числе нефти, природного газа, угля, золота и цветных металлов. 13.Население, занятое в сельском хозяйстве, производит зерно, мясо и молочные продукты.

2. 1.Российская Федерация учреждена конституцией в 1993 г. 2.В соответствии с конституцией Россия является президентской республикой. 3.Федеральное правительство состоит из законодательной, исполнительной и судебной власти. 4.Законодательная власть осуществляется Федеральным собранием. 5.Оно состоит из двух палат: Совета Федерации и Государственной Думы. 6.Во главе каждой из палат стоит спикер. 7.Законопроект представляется на рассмотрение в одной из палат, потом одобряется обеими палатами и подписывается президентом. 8.Президент заключает договоры, «проводит законы в жизнь», назначает министров. 9.Исполнительная власть принадлежит правительству. 10.Правительство возглавляется премьер-министром. 11.Он формирует Кабинет министров. 12.Судебная власть представлена Конституционным судом, Верховным судом и региональными судами. 13.Государственным символом России является трехцветный флаг. 14.Национальной эмблемой (гербом) является двуглавый орел.

Грамматика

Причастие

Причастие – неличная форма глагола, которая называет действие как признак предмета или другого действия. Причастие наряду со свойствами глагола имеет свойства прилагательного или наречия. В английском языке существуют следующие формы причастия:

Таблица 1

	Active	Passive
Participle I (Indefinite Participle)	painting	being painted
Participle II (Past Participle)	—	painted
Perfect Participle	having painted	having been painted

Participle I (Active and Passive) выражает действие, одновременное с действием, выраженным глаголом-сказуемым. E. g. Can you see the girl painting the picture? – Ты видишь девочку, которая рисует картину? The large building being built over there is our new art gallery. – Большое здание, которое строится вон там, это наша новая картинная галерея.

Participle II употребляется для выражения действия, совершающегося вообще обычно, а так же предшествующего действию глагола-сказуемого. E. g. He was looking at the masterpiece loved and admired by many generations. – Он смотрел на шедевр, который любят и которым восхищаются многие поколения. She took a long forgotten letter out of her small bag. – Она вытащила из своей маленькой сумочки длинное забытое письмо.

Perfect Participle (Active and Passive) выражает действие, предшествующее действию, выраженному глаголом-сказуемым.

E. g. Having finished the film he started making the new one. – Закончив фильм, он начал снимать новый. Having settled the problem with the exhibition they will start for New-York. – Они решат проблему с выставкой и поедут в Нью-Йорк. Having been written long ago the manuscript was impossible to read. – Рукопись была написана давно, поэтому ее трудно было прочитать.

В предложении причастие может употребляться в функции определения и обстоятельства. E. g. The house being built over there is our new cinema. – Здание, которое строится вон там, это наш новый кинотеатр. The boy invited by the painter was a friend of mine. – Мальчик, приглашенный художником, был моим другом. If invited he will come of course. – Если его пригласят, он, конечно, придет. Having read the book he went for a walk. – Прочитав книгу, он пошел на прогулку.

Exercises