Translate the following text into English.

Українці випередили програмістів зі 100 країн.

Українські програмісти є одними з лідерів у всесвітньому студентському конкурсі програмних проектів Microsoft Imagine Cup-2008, який завершився цього тижня в Парижі. Перше місце в номінації “Алгоритми” посів аспірант університету ім. Шевченко Роман Кошляк. Перемога принесла йому вісім тисяч доларів. Комп’ютерний геній зміг покращити свій минулорічний результат – тоді він став срібним призером.

Також українці змогли завоювати і третє місце у командному заліку. Харківська команда Dream Team у битві програмістів “Проект Хошимі” отримала бронзу та приз у три тисячі доларів. Основною темою змагання цього року було програмування віртуальних роботів. Загалом, у конкурсі взяли участь понад 210 000 студентів зі 100 країн світу.

147. Read the text, translate it into Ukrainian. Be ready to discuss it.

Mass Media in Ukraine

Among the invariable prerequisites of a modern democratic community are freedom of the press, guarantees of undeterred activities of journalists and publishers and free public access to printed matter, radio and television programmes. Ukraine's mass media include television, information agencies, press centres, press services, government departments and agencies for contacts with the press. There are newspapers and magazines for readers of all ages, professions and levels of training. There are various periodicals based on particular interests. For instance, the newspaper Silske Zhyttya (Rural Life) is addressed mainly to rural residents, The Medical Newspaper – to medical workers, and a lot of newspapers and magazines are published especially for teachers of schools, colleges and universities, for businessmen, etc. Today’s Ukrainian periodicals are independent and the state guarantees their economic independence. Nowadays Ukraine numbers over 4,000 editions varying in forms of ownership, genre, type and periodicity.

Over the period of its independence Ukraine has achieved numerous accomplishments in democratizing mass media by adjusting to the free market rule, introducing electronic press, and educating critically thoughtful journalists. The country adopted the constitution and several laws that guarantee freedom of speech, information, and press, and protection from censorship.

The Verkhovna Rada passed several laws, which determined the governing structure of the mass media and created legal foundations for their work. The laws on “TV and Radio Broadcasting”, “On Information”, “On Means of Printed Information (Press)”, “On State Support of Media and Social Security of Journalists”, “On Copyright and Related Rights”.

The press is generally known as the "fourth estate". In various periods of its existence and depending on the political system, the mass media has always maintained certain relations with those public and political structures which were actually in control of most spheres in the life of society.

Nobody can doubt the role of the press in present-day life. It is extremely important. People in our country are active readers of newspapers and magazines. A lot of them subscribe to various papers and journals which are delivered to their homes. Vechirniy Kyiv is a local independent paper and its circulation is very big because this newspaper informs the readers of local and national events.There are also such magazines as Vitchyzna, Vsesvit, nespapers The News from Ukraine, The Kyiv Post,and The Digest which are published in English. Their contents deal with very burning problems of our present-day life and history, sometimes they are amusing and entertaining and touch upon cultural and sport events.

There is a wide network of TV and radio broadcasting in our country. Television is now increasingly being used to analize the socio-economic progress taking place in Ukraine. It focuses more on reports, discussions, commentaries and dialogues with viewers. They discuss ways of improving the Ukrainian economy and solving social problems.

The national radio-television network of Ukraine is made up of government-run and non-government-run companies. Ukraine is a member of the International Telecommunication Union and an active participant in the Intervision network, created under ITU auspices. The state TV and Radio Company operates two channels and includes editorial services specializing in political analysis, public-political programmes, current information, youth and sport programmes and several creative unions and their channels. The increasingly popular non-government TV companies are Inter TV, Studio 1+1, STB, Novy Kanal, ICTV, 5 Kanal, etc.

Ukrainian journalists use their professional skills and experience to raise the national media's analytical, informative, aesthetic standard to the international level. Professional journalists are associated in the National Press club, a public politically non-affiliated organization.

The Press Centre of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is involved in a variety of activities aimed at facilitating the implementation of international documents in the sphere of information and data exchanges.

148. Answer the questions.

1. What is the period of Ukraine’s independence characterized by?

2. What are the invariable prerequisites of a modern democratic community?

3. What do Ukraine’s mass media include?

4. What laws determine the governing structure of the mass media?

5. Why is the press known as the “fourth estate”?

6. Are Ukrainians avid readers of newspapers and magazines?

7. What is the main role of television?

8. What do Ukrainian journalists do to raise the national media’s analytical informative, aesthetic standard to the international level?

9. How are television and radio companies run in Ukraine?

10. What is your favorite newspaper, magazine, radio and TV programme?

11. What TV and radio programmes are the most popular in Ukraine?