THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
3.1 What is the work’s setting in space and time? 3.2 How does the author go about establishing setting? Does the author want the reader to see or feel the setting, or does the author want the reader both see and feel? What details of the setting does the author isolate and describe? 3.3 Is the setting important? If so, what is its function? Is it used to reveal, reinforce, or influence character, plot or theme? 3.4 Is the setting an appropriate one?
4.1 What is the conflict on which the plot turns? Is it external, internal, or some combination of the two? 4.2 What are the chief episodes or incidents that make up the plot? Is its development strictly chronological, or is the chronology rearranged in some way? 4.3 Compare the plot’s beginning and end. What essential changes have taken place? 4.4 Describe the plot in terms of its exposition, complication, crisis, falling action, resolution. 4.5 Is the plot unified? Do the individual episodes logically relate to one another? 4.6 Is the ending appropriate to and consistent with the rest of the plot? 4.7 Is the plot plausible? What role, if any, do chance and coincidence play?
5.1 Who is the protagonist of the work and who (or what) is the antagonist? Describe the major traits and qualities of each. 5.2 What is the function of the minor characters? 5.3 Identify the characters in terms of whether they are flat or round, dynamic or static. 5.4 What methods does the author employ to establish and reveal the character? Is the method of characterization direct or indirect? 5.5 Are the actions of the characters properly motivated and consistent? 5.6 Are the characters of the work finally credible and interesting?
THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
There is hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. We have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east. There are two great plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland. There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. The largest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia. There are over two million rivers in Russia. Europe's biggest river, the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea. The main Siberian rivers (the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena) flow from the south to the north. The Amur in the Far East flows into the Pacific Ocean. Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world’s deepest lake (1,600 metres) is Lake Baikal. It is much smaller than the Baltic Sea, but there is much more water in it than in the Baltic Sea. The water in the lake is so clear that if you look down you can count the stones on the bottom. Russia has one sixth of the world’s forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East. On the vast territory of the country there are various types of climate. It varies from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is temperate and continental. Russia is very rich in oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel and other mineral resources. Russia is a parliamentary republic. Under the Constitution, the federal government is divided into three branches, each chosen in a different manner, each able to chock and balance the others. The Executive Branch is headed by the President who is chosen in nation-wide elections every four years. Besides, the Executive Branch is represented by the Cabinet of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. The Legislative Branch is made up of two chambers: the Duma and the Council of Federation. Both chambers must approve a bill for it to become law, but the President may veto it. If so, the bill is reconsidered by the two Chambers and if two-thirds of their members approve it, the bill becomes law even without the President's signature. The Judicial Branch comprises Federal District Courts, the Constitutional Court and, at the top, the Supreme Court. The capital of Russia is Moscow. It is its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It is one of the oldest Russian cities. At present, the political and economic situation in the country is rather complicated. There are a lot of problems in the national economy of the Russian Federation. The industrial production is decreasing. The prices are constantly rising, the rate of inflation is very high. People are losing their jobs because many factories and plants are going bankrupt. But in spite of the problems Russia is facing at present, there are a lot of opportunities for this country to become one of the leading countries in the world. I'm sure that we, the younger generation, can do very much to make Russia as strong and powerful as it used to be. NAMES the Russian Federation [fFdq'reISqn] Российская Федерация Europe ['juqrqp] Европа Asia ['eISq] Азия the Pacific Ocean [pq'sIfIk 'quSqn] Тихий океан the Arctic Ocean ['RktIk 'quSqn] Северный Ледовитый океан the Atlantic Ocean [qt'lxntIk 'quSqn] Атлантический океан China ['CaInq] Китай Mongolia [mON'gqulIq] Монголия Korea [kq'rIq] Корея Kazakhstan [kRzqk'stRn] Казахстан Georgia ['GLGIq] Грузия Azerbaijan [RzqbaI'GRn] Азербайджан Norway ['nLweI] Норвегия Finland ['fInlqnd] Финляндия the Baltic States ['bLltIk] Прибалтийские государства Belarus [belq'rus] Беларусь the Ukraine [jH'kreIn] Украина the Great Russian Plain Русская (Восточно-Европейская) равнина the West Siberian lowland [saI'bIqrIqn] Западно-Сибирская низменность the Urals ['juqrqlz] Уральские горы the Caucasus ['kLkqsqs] Кавказ the Altai [Al'taI] Алтай the Volga ['vOlgq] Волга the Caspian Sea ['kxspIqn] Каспийское Море the Ob [Lpj] Обь the Yenisei [jenI'seI] Енисей the Amur [R'muq] Амур Lake Baikal [baI'kRl] озеро Байкал the Baltic sea ['bLltIk] Балтийское море Siberia [saI'bI(q)rIq] Сибирь the Far East ['fRr'Jst] Дальний Восток EXERCISES: I. Read the following words: occupy mountain chamber variety temperate surface territory council supreme continental cover count law vegetation scientific Europe various approve steppes iron ore area climate signature economy resources south arctic judicial tundra decrease border subtropical court highland parliamentary bankrupt desert executive opportunity legislative II. Find the sentences in the text proving that: 1) Russia is extremely rich in forests. 2) It is the largest country in the world. 3) The nature in Russia is very rich. 4) Russia is a beautiful country. 5) Russia is a very diverse country. 6) Russia is an unstable state at present. III. Complete the following sentences: l) The Russian Federation occupies… 2) It covers… 3) The Russian Federation has a sea-border… 4) In the east we have… 5) In the midland… 6) We have such mountain chains as… 7) The Volga… 8) In the Far East… 9) There are many…in Russia. 10) … is the largest mountain chain which… 11) …is the world's deepest lake famous for… l2) The climate of the Russian Federation… 13) The government consists of… 14) … consists of two chambers. 15) …is represented by the President and… 16) The Judicial Branch… 17) The head of the state is… 18) Moscow is… 19) At present… IV. Pronounce the following words in English and make up sentences with them: a) 1) пустыня, нагорье; 2) Урал, Кавказ; 3) Каспийское море; 4) Балтийское море; 5) умеренный; 6) полезные ископаемые; 7) налагать вето; 8) обанкротиться. b) 1) едва ли найдется; 2) не смотря на; 3) в этом случае; 4) сталкиваться, смотреть в лицо; 5) я уверен; 6) как бывало. V. Paraphrase the sentences: l) Russia covers the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. 2) In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. 3) There are many beautiful lakes in Russia. 4) There isn’t any other country in the world with such diverse vegetation. 5) The Judicial Branch comprises Federal District Courts, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court. 6) The Executive Branch is headed by the President. VI. Make up questions to the underlined words: 1) The main Siberian rivers the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena flow from the south to the north. 2) Russia occupies about one seventh of the earth's surface. 3) The Russian Federation has a sea-border with the USA. 4) Each branch of the federal government can check and balance other branches. 5) In Siberia there are areas where winters are colder than at the North Pole. 6) In the Central Asian plains summers are sometimes hotter than on the equator [I'kweItq]. 7) Large diamond deposits were discovered in Yakutia. 8) The lowest winter temperature in our country -70˚С is registered in Yakutia. VII. Fill in the crossword:
VIII. Answer the questions: 1) Where is the Russian Federation situated? 2) What oceans is our country washed by? 3) Can you name any seas, which Russia is washed by? 4) What is the total area of the country? 5) What countries does the Russian Federation border on in the west (in the east)? 6) What countries does our region border on? 7) What can you say about the relief in Russia? 8) How many great plains are there in Russia? What are they? 9) What plain is our region situated on? 10) What mountain chains are there on the territory of our country? 11) What sea does the Europe's biggest river flow into? 12) What is the world's deepest lake famous for? 13) What types of climate are there in Russia? 14) What climate is in your region? 15) What mineral resources is Russia rich in? 16) What minerals are there in your region? 17) What branches does the federal government comprise? 18) What do these branches consist of? 19) Why is it said that the political and economic situation in our country is rather complicated? 20) Do you personally believe that there are a lot of opportunities for Russia to become one of the leading countries in the world? IX. Read the text about the climate in Russia and answer the questions after it: About 80 per cent of Russia are in the temperate zone, 18 per cent in the Arctic and 2 per cent in subtropical. The greater part of the country is not influenced by the warm winds of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There are no mountains in the north to protect the country from the cold north winds. Vast masses of cold air from the Arctic flow over the land and lower the temperature in the northern and central regions of the European and Asian parts of the country. In most regions the climate is continental with hot, short summers and cold, long winters. The tundra is a cold bare region; it occupies the extreme north of the country. The lowest average winter temperature in the tundra is around 30˚C below zero (around 30˚C – thirty degrees centigrade). In the European part of the country the coldest months are January and February and the hottest months are July and August. There is often a lot of rain in autumn. In St. Petersburg the climate is less continental, summers are colder and winters are warmer than in the central regions of the European part of the country. Siberia has a more continental climate than the European part of Russia, winters are colder and longer, and summers are hotter and shorter. The Black Sea coast has a subtropical climate. Winters are mild and summers are hot there.
1) What climatic zones are there in Russia? 2) Why do northern winds that blow from the Arctic Ocean influence the climate of Russia? 3) What is the climate like in most regions? 4) What part of the country does the tundra occupy? 5) What is the lowest average winter temperature in the tundra? 6) What are the coldest and the hottest months in the European part of the country? 7) Are summers in the European part of the country as hot as they are in Siberia? 8) What part of Russia has a subtropical climate? X. Tell what you learned about the Russian Federation. MOSCOW Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded 8 centuries ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. Historians have accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow's history. Gradually the city became more and more powerful. In the 13th century Moscow was the centre of the struggle of Russian lands for the liberation from the tartar yoke. In the 16th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the new united state. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1712, Moscow remained the heart of Russia. That is why it became the main target of Napoleon's attack. Three-quarters of the city were destroyed by fire during Napoleon's occupation, but by the mid-19th century Moscow had been completely restored. After the October revolution Moscow became the capital again. Now Moscow is one of the largest cities in Europe. Its total area is about nine hundred square kilometres (ancient Moscow occupied the territory of the present-day Kremlin). The population of the city is over 8 million. Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The heart of Moscow is Red Square. It has more historic associations than any other place in Moscow. The Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral (Vasily Blazheny) are masterpieces of ancient Russian architecture. The main Kremlin tower, the Spasskaya Tower, has become the symbol of the country. On the territory of the Kremlin you can see old cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Palace of Congresses, the Tsar-Cannon and the Tsar-Bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world. St. Basil’s Cathedral was built in the mid-16th century in memory of the victory over Kazan. There is a legend that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects Barma and Postnik, because he didn't want them to create another masterpiece. There are a lot of beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow. Now Moscow is being reconstructed and we all hope that in a few years the city will become even more beautiful. There are more than 80 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. Other unique museums in Moscow include the All-Russian Museum of Folk Arts, the Andrei Rublev Museum of Early Russian Art, Alexei Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, Mikhail Glinka Museum of Musical Culture and many others. Moscow is famous for its theatres. The best-known of them is the Bolshoi Opera House. Drama theatres and studios are also very popular. Moscow is a city of students. There are over 80 higher educational institutions in it, including several universities. Moscow is the seat of the Russian Parliament (the Duma) and the centre of political life of the country. NAMES Ivan the Terrible [aIvn Dq'terIbl] Иван Грозный Peter the Great [greIt] Петр Великий (Петр I) St. Petersburg [sqnt 'pJtqzbWg] Санкт-Петербург Napoleon [nq'pqulIqn] Наполеон St. Basil's Cathedral [sqnt 'bxzIlz kqTJdrql] Собор Василия Блаженного the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great Колокольня Ивана Великого the Tsar-Cannon ['zR (tsR) 'kxnqn] Царь-пушка the Tsar-Bell ['zR (tsR) 'bel] Царь-колокол Barma [bq'mR] and Postnik ['pqustnIk] Барма и Постник the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts Музей изобразительных искусств имени С.А.Пушкина Kazan [kq'zxn] Казань the State Tretyakov ['tretjqkOf] Gallery Третьяковская галерея The All-Russia Museum of Folk [fquk] Arts Всероссийский музей декоративного, прикладного и народного искусства the Andrei Rublev Museum of Early Russian Art Музей древнего русского искусства имени Андрея Рублева Alexei Bakhrushin Theatre Museum Театральный музей имени Бахрушина Mikhail Glinka [glINkq] Museum of Musical Culture Музей музыкальной культуры имени Глинки the Bolshoi [bOl'SOI] Opera House Большой театр оперы и балета EXERCISES: I. Read the following words: commercial association restore unique target cultural masterpiece reconstruct united mansion historian ancient tartar yoke blind accept gradually architecture legend II. Define whether the sentences below are true or false. Begin your answers with the following expressions: That's right. Exactly so. Precisely so. I agree with it. I'm afraid that's not correct. Nothing of the kind. No, that's not right. 1) Moscow was founded in the 11th century. 2) In the 13th century Moscow was under the dominion of the tartar yoke. 3) Under Peter the Great Moscow became the capital of the new united state. 4) In the 16th century the capital was moved to St. Petersburg. 5) Moscow was completely restored after the fire during the October revolution. 6) Ancient Moscow occupied the territory of the Kremlin. 7) The Spasskaya Tower is the symbol of Russia nowadays. 8) St. Basil's Cathedral was built in memory of the victory over Napoleon. 9) The largest museums of Moscow are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the Andrei Rublev Museum of Early Russian Art. III. Complete the sentences: 1) Moscow was founded by… …ago. 2) … is the start of Moscow's history. 3) In the 13th century… 4) … Moscow became the capital of the new state. 5) Peter the Great… in 1712. 6) Three-quarters of Moscow was destroyed by… in… 7) …Moscow became the capital again. 8) The total area of the city is… 9) The heart of Moscow is … 10) On the territory of the Kremlin you can see… 11) St. Basil's Cathedral was built… 12) The largest museums are… 13) The best-known theatre is… IV. Find English equivalents of the following words and make up sentences with them: быть полностью восстановленным, стать целью, занимать территорию, исторические ассоциации, шедевр древней архитектуры, быть популярным, особняк, перестраиваться, в память о, символ страны V. Use the Passive Voice constructions in the following sentences: 1) Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1712. 2) Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects of St. Basil's Cathedral, because he didn't want them to create another masterpiece. 3) Prince Yuri Dolgoruky founded Moscow 8 centuries ago. 4) Historians accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow's history. VI. Put questions to the underlined words: 1) In ancient times the country was called Muscovia and the people - Muscovites (they are called so up till now). 2) Prince Yury Dolgoruky strengthened Moscow with wooden walls and ditch. 3) In the 10-11th centuries there was a small Slav village in the place of the present Kremlin, where craftsmen lived and worked. 4) The Maly Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in Russia. 5) The State Tretyakov Gallery is named after great Russian connoisseur [kOnI'sW] Pavel Tretyakov who left his collection as a gift to the nation. 6) The Moscow Metro marked its 60th anniversary in 1995. 7) The Bolshoi Theatre was opened in 1825. 8) Moscow University is situated on the picturesque hills and from there one can enjoy the most beautiful view of the whole city. VII. Answer the questions: t) When and by whom was Moscow founded? 2) What can you say about Moscow of the 13th century? 3) When did it become the capital? 4) Why did Moscow become the main target of Napoleon's attack? 5) What was Moscow like in ancient times? 6) When was Moscow greatly destroyed? 7) Define the period of Russian history when Moscow was not the capital of the country. 8) What is the population of the present capital? 9) What is considered to be the heart of Moscow? 10) What sights of Moscow do you know? What are they famous for? 11) What sights have you personally seen? What do you know about them? VIII. Read the following texts: 1. The Kremlin is now both a piece of living history and an ensemble of masterpieces of Russian architecture. The first thing that meets the eye is the red-brick wall of the Kremlin, reinforced by 20 towers, five of which are also gates. The total length of the walls of the Moscow Kremlin equals to 2.25 kilometres with a thickness varying between 3.5 and 6.5 metres. The Kremlin's towers are unique in appearance. Built in 1485, the Tainitsky Tower is the oldest. The highest of them is the Trinity Tower, which is 80 metres tall. Notes to the text: red-brick [red'brIk] из красного кирпича length [lFNT] длина thickness ['TIknIs] толщина unique [jH'nJk] уникальный Trinity ['trInItI] троица Tainitsky Tower ['tauq] Тайницкая башня 2. Moscow University is the oldest University in Russia. It was founded more then 230 years ago by the great Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. The University produced a great number of brilliant scholars such as Zhukovsky, Stoletov, Sechenov, Timiryasev, Pavlov and Vernadsky. Classics of Russian literature: Lermontov, Griboyedov, Turgenev and Chekhov also studied at the University. The list of such great names is endless. There are 16 departments, 275 chairs, 360 laboratories, several research Institutes, a computer centre, some observatories, a botanical garden and its branches and three museums. There are about 2000 foreign students end post-graduates from more than one hundred countries in the University. The teaching standards in Moscow University are very high and internationally recognized.
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The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one seventh of the earth’s surface. It covers the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometres. The country is washed by 12 seas of 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Belarus and the Ukraine. It also has a sea-border with the USA.
1) The river that flows into the Pacific Ocean. 2) The mountain chain that lies on the territory of Russia, Mongolia and China. 3) The river in the eastern Siberia on which Yakutsk stands. 4) The neighbouring country which capital is Ulan Bator [u'lRn'bRtL]. 5) The country that borders on Russia and is a constitutional Monarchy. 6) A former socialist republic. 7) The sea into which the Neva river flows. 8) A former large health-resort area. 9) The coniferous [kq'nIfqrqs] forest in the north of Russia. 10) The branch of the federal government responsible for making laws.
