Прочтите и выучите следующий диалог. Russia is one of the largest countries in the world

RUSSIA

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. The vast territory of Russia lies in the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. Russia is washed by twelve seas and three oceans: the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Pacific. Russia borders on many countries, such as Mongolia and China in the south-east, Finland and Norway in the north-west and so on.

The current population of Russia is more than 150 million people. Russia is densely populated, but its population is unequally distributed.

As Russia occupies vast territories there are various climatic zones in the country. Continental climate, with cold winters and warm summers prevails on the territory of Russia.

The longest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena in Asia. The largest lakes are Ladoga and Baikal. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and its water is the purest on earth.

The Russian Federation is rich in natural and mineral resources.

The Russian Federation was founded in 1991. The Constitution was adopted in 1993. Russia is a Presidential Republic. It is headed by the President. The President forms the Government and appoints the Prime Minister.

The State symbol of Russia is a three-coloured flag. It has three horisontal stripes: white, blue and red. White colour represents “peace”, blue colour represents “loyalty” and red colour stands for “valour”.

The state emblem of Russia is a double-headed eagle, the most ancient symbol going back to the dynasty of the Riuricovichies. Russia's hymn was created by Alexandrov and Mikhalkov.

According to the Chronicle the history of Early Russia began in the year 862. That year Rurik became the first Russian prince having merged Novgorod and Kiev. Rurik's successor Prince Oleg did his best to strengthen and expand the nascent state. In 988 Prince Vladimir, the Red Sun, baptised Russia. For the first time Moscow was mentioned by the chroniclers in 1147. At that time Russian lands began to unite round Moscow, which led to the establishment of a strong centralised state.

Russia is proud of its architecture, painting and music. A lot of tourists come to our country to see its beauty and to admire its cultural achievements. As a rule they want to visit Moscow, St. Petersburg and the towns of the "Golden Ring".

New words and expressions:

to border on …	граничить с чем-либо
densely populated	плотно заселена
distribute	распределять
to occupy	занять; оккупировать
to prevail	преобладать
loyalty	верность
valour	мужество
successor	преемник, наследник
baptize	крестить
to be proud of …	гордиться чем-либо
to merge	объединять
the nascent state	зарождающееся государство
to admire	восхищаться
achievement	достижение

Дайте ответы на следующие вопросы:

1. Is Russia a large country?

2. Where is Russia situated?

3. What countries does Russia border on?

4. What is the current population of Russia?

5. What can you say about the climate of Russia?

6. What are the longest rivers in Europe and in Asia?

7. When was the Russian Federation founded?

8. What is the State symbol of Russia? Describe it.

9. What is the state emblem of Russia?

10. When did the history of Early Russia begin?

11. Do a lot of tourists come to our country?

12. What can tourists see in Russia?

Dialogue: Asking the way.

A: Excuse me, can you tell me the way to Red Square?

B: Sure. Go down this street two blocks straight ahead and you’ll see the Kremlin Stars.

A: Thank you very much. Is there a bus?

B: No, there isn’t. There is a trolley-bus. The stop is over there.

A: Well, I see a crowd of people there...

B: At rush hours the trolley-buses are overcrowded. I advise you to walk. It’ll take you a quarter of an hour.

A: Thank you very much. I’ll follow your advice. And how can I get to the railway station, please? Is it far from here?

B: You must take the underground. You can see it from here.

A: You have been most helpful. Thank you.

B: Don’t mention. Have a good time!

Дата добавления: 2014-12-10