The Russian Federation

Кафедра ИЯГЕНО

Методическая разработка разговорной темы:” Российская Федерация” для студентов I- курса всех специальностей.

Астрахань 2005

Составитель ассистент кафедры ИЯГЕНО: Ремизова И.В

Рецензент: к.п.н. доц. кафедры «ИЯГЕНО» Фёдорова О.В

Методическая разработка утверждена и одобрена на заседании кафедры: ИЯГЕНО.

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Пояснительная записка:

Настоящее пособие представляет собой страноведческий текст, являющийся также полно изложенной устной темой.

Также здесь даны дополнительные тексты для чтения: Москва, Санкт-Петербург.

Тексты снабжены словарём, географическими названиями с транскрипцией и переводом.

Автором были разработаны упражнения, предназначенные для формирования навыков устной речи.

Цель данного пособия – усовершенствовать навыки чтения, перевода и пересказа иностранных текстов.

Методическое пособие предназначено для студентов 1-го курса всех специальностей.

The Russian Federation.

Read the words and master the active vocabulary:

Names

the Ukraine - Украина

the Great Russian Plain - Русская (Восточно-Европейская равнина)

the West Siberian Lowland - Западно-Сибирская низменность

the Urals - Уральские горы

the Caucasus - Кавказ

the Altai - Алтай

the Volga - Волга

the Caspian Sea - Каспийское море

the Ob - Обь

the Yenisei - Енисей

Amur - Амур

lake Baikal - озеро Байкал

the Far East - Дальний Восток

Vocabulary.

to occupy - занимать

surface - поверхность

eastern - восточный

to wash - омывать

to border on - граничить с

sea- border - морская граница

variety - разнообразие, множество

scenery - пейзаж, ландшафт

vegetation - растительность

steppe -степь

plain - равнина

midland - средняя полоса

highland - высокогорная местность

desert - пустыня

chain - цепь

to flow into - впадать

to count - считать

bottom - дно

to concentrate - сосредотачиваться, концентрироваться

vast - обширный

various - различный

climate - климат

subtropical - субтропический

copper - медь

mineral resources - полезные ископаемые

parliamentary - парламентский

legislative - законодательный

to exercise - осуществлять

scientific - научный

Federal Assembly - федеральное собрание

the Council of Federation - Совет Федерации

chamber - Палата

Supreme Court - Верховный суд

executive - исполнительный

commander-in-chief - главнокомандующий

to be engaged in - быть занятым где-то

a dairy product - молочный продукт

abundant - обильный, изобилующий

Read and translate the text:

The Russian Federation.

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 northern part of Asia. It' s total area is about 17 million square kilometres. The country is washed by 12 seas of 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic. In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Belorussia, the Ukraine. It also has a sea-border with the USA.

There is hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. We have steppers 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-sixty 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, 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. Three -quarters of the republic’s mineral wealth is concentrated in Siberia and the Far East. Russia s a highly industrialised – agrarian republic. Approximately 10 million people are engaged in agriculture and the produce half of the region’s grain, meat, milk and other dairy products.

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 President is also the commander- in- chief of the armed forces.

The legislative power belongs to the Federal Assembly comprising two chambers: the Council of Federation (upper Chamber) and the State Duma (lower Chamber). Each chamber is headed by the Speaker. The members of the Federal Assembly are elected by popular vote for a four- year period. The executive power belongs to the government (the Cabinet of Ministers) headed by the Prime Minister. The judicial power belongs to the system of Courts comprising the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and federal courts.

Our country is a multinational state. It comprises many national districts, several autonomous republics and regions. The population of the country is over 140 million people.

The European part of the country is densely populated.

Moscow is the capital of our homeland. It is largest political scientific, cultural and industrial centre of the country and one of the most beautiful cities. Russian is the official language of the state. The national symbols of the Russian Federation: a double headed eagle and a white-blue-red banner. The white stripe of the banner symbolizes the Earth, the blue one stands for the sky, and the red one symbolizes liberty.

The largest cities of Russia are St.Petersburg, Volgograd, Vladivostok, Krasnodar, Irkutsk and so on.

I. Answer the following questions:

1. Where is the Russian Federation situated?

2. What is the total area of the country?

3. What countries does Russia border on?

4. How many seas and oceans are the country washed by?

5. What scenery and vegetation can be found in Russia?

6. What mountain chain separates Europe from Asia?

7. How many rivers are there in Russia?

8. Which is the longest river in Europe?

9. What do you know about Lake Baikal?

10. What is the climate like in Russia?

11. What mineral resources is the Russian Federation rich in?

12. What is the political system of Russia?

13. Whom does the legislative power belong to?

14. How many chambers are there in the Federal Assembly?

15. Who heads the Russian Federation?

16. What is the judicial system of Russia?

17. What is the population of Russia?

18. What is the official language of the state?

19. What are the national symbols of the Russian Federation?

20. What are the largest cities of the Russian Federation?

II. Give Russian equivalents for these words and word combinations:

To Occupy, surface, total area, to be washed by, in the south, to border on, scenery, vegetation, plains, midland, desert, mountain chains, to separate, to flow into (from), to be rich in, types of climate, temperate, copper, oil, mineral resources, state, to comprise, population, to be headed by, to consist of, branch, legislative power, to belong to, chamber, court.

III. Find in the text the English equivalents for these words and word combinations:

Иметь морскую границу, едва ли, Прибалтийские государства, разнообразие, высокогорная местность, считать, сосредотачиваться, обширная территория, субтропический, железная руда, осуществлять, исполнительная, Государственная Дума, судебный, главнокомандующий, быть густонаселённым, двуглавый орёл, с высокоразвитой промышленностью и сельским хозяйством, быть занятым в….

IV. Fill in the blanks with the articles a, an, the where necessary.

1. Russia is … largest country in … area.

2. It extends from … Arctic Ocean to … Black Sea.

3. … President is … head of … state.

4. … Siberia has … continental climate.

5. … Russia has … world's largest oil and natural gas resources.

6. … two-headed eagle is … most ancient symbol of … Russia.

7. … symbol 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.

V. Analyse grammar forms with the ending “ –s ”

The world’s largest country, square kilometres, Russian borders many countries, the President appoints, the forests and grasslands, ministers, stripes, rivers and lakes, the world’s deepest lake, its bridges, climatic zones, events, traces, summers and winters, natural resources, large deposits, Russia’s major cities, three-quarters, the government works, most of Russia’s people, it attracts tourists, ethnic Russians, its cathedrals, monuments, St Basil’s Cathedral, cities, towns, all peoples, it extends.

VI. Insert the prepositions:

1. The country is washed … 12 seas.

2. … the south Russia borders … China and Mongolia.

3. It also has a sea – border … the USA.

4. The Urals separates Europe … Asia.

5. The Volga flows … the Caspian sea.

6. The Yenisei and the Lena flow … the south … the north.

7. Russia is rich … beautiful lakes.

8. If you look down you can count the stones … the bottom.

9. There are various types … climate, … arctic … subtropical.

10. The Russian Federation is headed … the President.

11. The country government consists … three branches.

12. The legislative power belongs … the Federal Assembly.

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