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Vocabulary Exercises

Ex. 1. Translate the following word-combinations.

Present-day Belarus, in the early Stone Age, the Eastern Slavic tribes, a single early-Russian nationality, there was need, was synonymous with poverty and backwardness, East-European plain, industrial enterprises, to rebuild and restore, higher educational establishments.

Ex. 2. Find in the text the equivalents of the following words and word-combinations.

Была сначала населена, с развитием классового общества, начала объединяться, была необходимость создания единого государства, Киевская Русь, была присоединена, была тесно связана, граница, площадь, население, минеральные удобрения, разрушать, промышленные предприятия, каждый четвертый, восстановить, занимать ведущее положение, высшие учебные заведения, является одной из стран-основателей ООН.

Ex. 3. Find the synonyms: .

1. to like, state, poverty, to perish, to rebuild, territory, large.

2. poor, to die, to unite, country, area, big, to restore.

Ex. 4. Find the antonyms:

Early, to destroy, backwardness, to appear, late, to rebuild, large, to perish, small, to disappear, advanced, to be born.

Ex. 5. Complete the sentences with the words from the second column. Retell the text.

Ex. 6. Answer the following questions:

1. Where is Belarus situated? 2. What is the population of Belarus? 3. Who populated the territory of present-day Belarus in the early Stone Age? 4. Why did the Eastern Slavic tribes begin to unite? 5. When did Kievan Rus appear? 6. What peoples did Kievan Rus unite? 7. Who annexed Belarus in the 14^th and 18^th centuries? 8. What can you say about Belarus before the Revolution? 9. When was the Soviet Belarus established? 10. What did Hitlerites destroy in Belarus during two years of German occupation? 11. What holds the leading position in the economy of Belarus?

Ex. 7. Translate into English.

В 9-м столетии появилось государство Киевская Русь. Оно объединяло три братских народа – русских, украинцев и белорусов.

В 18 веке Белоруссия была присоединена к России, но белорусский народ не имел ни социальных, ни политических прав. В ноябре 1917 года в Белоруссии была установлена советская власть. Во время Великой Отечественной войны в Белоруссии более 209 городов и 9000 деревень было разрушено. Во время немецкой оккупации погиб каждый четвертый из населения Белоруссии.

Сейчас Беларусь – это республика с высоко развитой промышленностью, наукой и культурой. Республика Беларусь является членом Организации Объединенных Наций.

Ex. 8. Speak about the Republic of Belarus according to the plan:

1. The history of Belarus;

2. Belarus during the Great Patriotic War;

3. The Republic of Belarus today.

Ex. 9.Read the text. Retell it in Russian.

Belorussian National Culture

Belorussian national art has deep roots in the past. During the first Russian Revolution (1905–1907) the voices of the young poets Yanka Kupala (1882–1942), Yakub Kolas (1882-1956), the revolutionary poets Tyotka (Elaisa Pashkevich (1876-1916) and other talented writers could be heard throughout the country.

Elaisa Pashkevich (Tyotka) was a teacher, socialist, the author of poems written in defence of ordinary people. The whole of her life was given to the cause of struggle against great injustice in the form of song and propaganda.

Kupala represents one of the peaks of Belorussian poetry.

For his people the poet writes his songs.

Kupala infused fresh blood into the veins of popular poetry. His own blood. Kupala’s comrade and associate was another fighter-poet, Yakub Kolas. He created many remarkable poems about the destiny of Belorussia, and later two larger epics – “The New Land” and “Simon the Musician”.

The poet was not a fighter in a poetic field alone. As a teacher he participated in the peasants’ disturbances against the landowners, organized an illegal teachers’ congress, wrote a textbook in the mother tongue “Advanced Reader for Belorussian Children”. He was put into prison for his activities. Verses appeared even in gaol.

One of the wonderful Belorussian lyricists was Maxim Bogdanovich (1891-1917). He lived only 25 years but raised Belorussian literature to world level. His poems, preserving their profoundly national spirit expressed real pain for the people. His poems and songs are of interest to all people everywhere in the world.

In the past few decades our literature has made new strides forward. M. Tank, P. Panchenko and others are as prolific as ever.

The novel by I. Melezh “The People of the Marshes” is profound chronicles. The poems by A. Kulyashov will remain in our memory for ever.

There are the remarkable stories by the outstanding writer, Ya. Bryl, and his novel “Birds and Nests”, about the hard lot of a Belorussian lad.

There are the stories and novels by Ivan Shamyakin, a writer who lives with the people, giving them all his abilities, the author of “Springs”, “Anxious Happiness”, “The Heart in Hand” and other well-known works.

V. Bykov’s works have been translated into many languages of the world. He is a truthful author, who writes about the war, and himself served as an artillery man throughout the war. His books such as “The Cranes Are Crying”, “The Obelisk”, “Sotnikov” are well known.

M. Lynkov’s novel “The Never-to-Be-Forgotten Days” is a great epic of the partisan warfare.

Comedies and tragicomedies by A. Makajonok “Pardon Us, If You Please”, “The Tribunal”, “The Downtrodden Apostle” are well known in our country. He was a very interesting humorous playwright, possessing a creative manner of his own.

After these came a new generation of talented poets and prose writers, enriching our writing.

They are R. Baradulin, a fine master of verse, V. Adamchik, Ya. Sipakov, B. Sachanka and others.

We have plenty of artists who portray the natural beauty of Belorussia, its heroic past, and its no less heroic present. The names of E. Zaitsev, V, Tsvirka, V.Volkov, K. Krasovsky, M. Savitsky and many, many others are known far beyond the borders of the Republic.

We have new film-studios which are capable of producing many films annually.

Many films produced by the Belarussian Studio: “Konstantin Zaslonov”, “Red Leaves”, “The Clock Stopped at Midnight”, “The Girl Wants to Find Father”, “Moscow-Genoa” and others have been awarded prizes at national and international festivals.

Belorussian music is on the upswing. A great many popular songs, operas and symphonies have been created by such well-known composers as. A. Bogatiryov, author of “In the Polesye Pusheha”, Ul. Alovnikov, M. Turankov, D. Smolsky, S. Kortes and E. Glebov. I. Luchenok’s songs are known all over the country.

The Belorussian vocal groups Pesnyary, Verasy, Charavnitsa and dance group Choroshki have been a great success in Europe, the USA, Latin America and Africa.

Belarus

Belarus is my homeland. It is the place where I was born. Officially it is called the Republic of Belarus, a sovereign independent state with its own government, constitution, state emblem, flag and anthem. Belarus is a member-state of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and one of the UN (United Nations) founder-members.

Belarus is situated nearly in the centre of Europe in the extreme western part of the East-European Plain within the basins of the Dnieper, the Western Dvina and the Upper Neman. It borders on Poland in the west, the Baltic States – Lithuania and Latvia – in the north-west, on Russia in the north and east, on the Ukraine in the south.

Belarus stretches for 560 kilometres from south to north and for 650 kilometres from east to west. It occupies the territory of 207.6 thousand square kilometres. It is much larger than such countries as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Czechia and Slovakia. Its present-day population is about 10.3 mln people: 78% of Belarusians, 12% of Russians, 4% of Poles and 2% of Ukrainians. 68% of the population live in towns and cities. The largest of which are Minsk, Gomel, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Grodno and Brest.

Belarus is situated on a rolling plain rising to hills, the highest of which is Mt. Dzerzhinskaya reaching 350 metres above sea level.

There are more than 3,000 rivers in Belarus. Seven of them are more than 500 kilometres long each. They are the Dnieper, the Neman, the Western Dvina, the Prypiat, the Berezina, the Sozh and the Vilia.

Belarus is a lake-country. There are about 10,800 lakes here. The lakes are particularly numerous in the north. The largest is Lake Naroch – 80 square kilometres. The lakes are noted for their great depth, transparent water and beautiful scenery.

A third of Belarus is under forest. The largest forests are called pushchas. The Byelovezhskaya Pushcha is famous for its aurochs (European bisons). Fauna is rich and diverse there: one can see elks and deer, wild boars and wolves, bears and foxes, beavers and lynxes, not mentioning myriads of birds.

Forests, pinewoods, mighty oak groves, birch groves and all sorts of other mixed forest formations are the charm, wealth and pride of our homeland.

Belarus is situated in the Temperate Zone of 200-500 kilometres away from the Baltic Sea. The climate of Belarus varies from maritime to continental due to a strong influence of the maritime air of the Atlantic. This results in temperate and mild climate.

The territory of Belarus is divided into 6 regions: Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk and Mogilev. The capital of Belarus is Minsk with a population of over 1.5 mln people.

By the way, Belarus is the country with unique history and rich cultural heritage. It is an interesting region form the tourist point of view.

Vocabulary