Файл: тексты 1 курс.docx

Part 4. My favourite kind of sport.

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS:

My favourite kind of sport.

I began going in for sport at an early age, because my father was a sports fan and he wanted me to be healthy and strong. I enjoy doing several sports depending on the season. Every morning I do my morning exercises with an open window in winter and in autumn or out-of-doors in spring and summer. It helps to shake off sleep and makes me feel fresh.

In winter I like skiing. It’s a good chance to go out into the open air, to enjoy beautiful winter nature and to train my body and muscles. You only need a pair of skis to ski. When it’s cold I prefer to ski very fast. When the temperature is about 5 degrees below zero I go to the waterfall, a local sight near our town. I don’t hurry. I go enjoying snow glistening in the sun, trees covered with snow.

In summer I’m fond of swimming. I go swimming to the lake twice a day when it’s very hot. In the morning the water is cool, so I jog for some minutes, then I dive into the cool lake and swim for 15 minutes. I can swim different styles: crawl, breast-stroke and back-stroke. Swimming does me a lot of good. It helps to temper my body and I rarely catch cold in winter.

All the year round I play basketball because I love ball and team games. To be a good basketball player you must run fast, jump high, have a quick eye and good team spirit. I attend trainings of my basketball section twice a week and twice a year our team takes part in different competitions. We usually take one of the first places.

Exercise 1. Translate into Russian: to be a sports fan; to be healthy and strong; depending on the season; with an open window; to swim different styles: crawl, breast-stroke and back-stroke; a local sight near our town; to run fast, jump high, have a quick eye and good team spirit; twice a year; to take one of the first places; to feel fresh; to go out into the open air; about 5 degrees below zero; to shake off sleep; to be fond of swimming; to catch cold in winter.

Exercise 2. Translate into English:тренировать тело и мышцы; в раннем возрасте; быть метким; иметь дух коллективизма; дважды в день; нырять в прохладное озеро; закалять тело; играть в баскетбол; ходить на тренировки дважды в неделю; делать утреннюю зарядку; весной и летом; прекрасная зимняя природа; предпочитать кататься на лыжах очень быстро; деревья, покрытые снегом; наслаждаться снегом, сверкающим на солнце.

Exercise 3. Make up the questions covering the content of one of the texts for your fellow-students to answer them.

Unit X. Our country. Part 1. The russian federation.

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS:

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 the northern part of Asia. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometers. 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, 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 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, 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. The Head of State is the President. The legislative powers are exercised by the Duma.

The capital of Russia is Moscow. It is its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It is one of the oldest Russian cities.

Exercise 1. Translate into Russian: one-seventh of the earth’s surface; political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre; legislative powers; much more water; to flow from the south to the north; the northern part of Asia; a sea-border with the USA; several mountain chains; a variety of scenery and vegetation; to separate Europe from Asia; to be rich in beautiful lakes; count the stones on the bottom; one-sixth of the world’s forests; temperate and continental climate; from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south.

Exercise 2. Translate into English:едва ли найдётся страна; уровень инфляции; граничить с Китаем на юге; столица России; на обширной территории страны; восточная часть Европы; общая площадь; степи на юге; самая большая горная цепь; впадать в Тихий Океан; самая большая река Европы; в средней части страны; глава государства; один из самых старых городов России.

Exercise 3. Write all the possible questions to which the following sentence is the answer: The largest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia.

Exercise 4. Answer the 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. What mountain chain separates Europe from Asia?

5. How many rivers are there in Russia?

6. Which is the longest river in Europe?

7. What do you know about Lake Baikal?

8. Do you know what strait separates Russia from America?

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

10. What is the climate like in Russia?

11. What can you say about the Russian economy?

12. What great Russians do you know?

Exercise 5. Complete the sentences in a logical way.

1. The Russian Federation occupies …

2. The country is washed …

3. Russia borders …

4. There are two great plains in Russia …

5. There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: …

6. The largest mountain chain …

7. The world’s deepest lake …

8. The main Siberian rivers …

9. The Amur …

10. The Volga …

11. In the middle of the country the climate is …

12. Russia is very rich in …

13. The capital of Russia …

Part 2. Moscow.

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS:

Moscow.

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded by Prince Yury Dolgoruky in 1147. In the 14^th century Moscow was the centre of the struggle of the Russian lands for the liberation from the Tartar yoke. In the 16^th century during the reign of Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the new united state. In 1712 Peter the Great moved the capital from Moscow to Saint-Petersburg but Moscow remained the heart of the country. In 1812 Moscow suffered greatly from Napoleon’s invasion. Only the heroism of the Muscovites saved the city and the Kremlin from complete destruction. In March 1918 Moscow became the capital of the country again.