Файл: Anglysky_yazyk.pdf

(science). 4. Applied research and … are mainly conducted within the framework of 32 state scientific and technical programs designed to solve

(engineer). 6. All types of … in the … , social and administrative spheres are scientifically supported to greater or lesser extent (active, to produce).

Ex. 7. Match the words to their definitions:

denominations equal. More than 30 religious societies are registered and receive tax-exempt status. The Belarusian Orthodox Church is by far the largest … the country, followed … the Roman Catholi c Church. Various Protestant denominations (including Evangelical Baptist, Seventh-day

Missionary groups, such as Campus Crusades, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the International Christian Fellowship have a growing number … followers. The Jewish community has not fu lly recovered … the

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devastation of WWII. It remains small, but there are active Synagogues. Services are … Russian, Belarusian, or Polish.

Ex. 9. Substitute the words in italics by their synonyms:

On the 1st of January 1919, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialistic Republic (the BSSR) was formed, in which political and economic life was under control of the central authority. Non-communist parties and organizations were banned, and the administrative functions were performed by the party machinery. At the same time, the Constitution of the BSSR declared that all the power was vested in the Soviets of Workers’, Peasants’ and Soldiers’ deputies.

On the 27th of July 1990, the “Declaration of State Sovereignt y” was adopted. According to the Constitution, the Republic of Belarus is a presidential republic. The President is the head of the state. The National Assembly is the country’s supreme legislative authority, and the Constitutional Court is the country’s supreme judicial authority.

Ex. 10. Read the information below and think of the word, which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space:

Today, … Belarusian and Russian are considered … la nguages of the country. Street names and many signs … in Belarusia n, as are some broadcast and print media, official documents, and many official meetings. In … of efforts to revive Belarusian, Russian is spoken … t he primary language of communication, except perhaps in the very rural countryside. Belarusian is … related to Russian and Polish, all with Slavic origins. It is written using the Cyrillic … , with two letters different from the Ru ssian alphabet.

The national referendum … on 14 th May 1995 resulted in … the Russian language was given the … status alongside B elarusian. The Law on National Minorities in the Republic of Belarus guarantees the right of each of the ethnic minority living in the Republic to learn and … its native language.

Ex. 11. Prove whether the following statements are true or false using the information from the text:

1. The Republic of Belarus has no Constitution. 2. Belarus is a constitutional monarchy. 3. The President of the Republic exercises the judicial branch of power. 4. The Parliament, i.d. the National Assembly comprises two houses. 5. The National Emblem of the Republic of Belarus represents a purple-colored contour of the Republic of Belarus in golden rays radiated by the sun over the sea. 6. The National Flag of the Republic of Belarus is a triangular cloth. 7. The red color of the flag signifies the past history of Belarus. 8. There is a decorative pattern displayed on the hoist of the flag. 9. Rushniks are traditional bedsheets decorated with the ornamental pattern that are used for ceremonial events.

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Ex. 12. Complete the statements below. Give extended answers:

Ex. 13. Work in groups. Find out from your partners:

–if they have studied the main law of our country – the Constitution and what they think about it;

–what changes they would like to introduce into th e constitution.

Ex. 14. Imagine that:

–you and your English friend are discussing the Co nstitutions of your native countries. Role-play a dialogue with your partner;

–you are a governmental official. You want to intr oduce some amendments to the Constitution. Give your arguments.

Ex. 15. Write a short essay on the advantages and disadvantages of the political system of Belarus.

Part 3. National Economy: Present and Future

Ex. 1. Make sure you know the meaning of the following words and expressions:

heavy machinery, heavy-duty truck, hog n., in short supply, incentive n., instrument-making, joint-stock company, large-capacity dump truck, limitedliability company, livestock breeding, livestock farming, marsh, merchandise, metal-cutting tool, oil refining, peat n., petrochemicals n., plywood n., potassium n., rolled a., securities n., stock exchange, synthetic resin, timber processing.

Ex. 2. Practice the pronunciation of the following words and proper names:

miscellaneous, pursuit, textile, yield, moderate, swampy, lowlands, livestock, emphasis, meadows, flourish, supermarket, kiosk, merchandise, booth, sidewalk, company, stock, cease, eventual, monetary, dairy, metal, expenditure, extensive, route, canal, crowd, satellite, restaurant.

Ex. 3. Answer these questions before you read the text below:

1. Where is Belarus situated? 2. How does Belarus rank among the countries of the world in population and area? 3. In what part of Belarus does the vast majority of the population live? 4. What are the two official

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languages of Belarus? 5. When did Belarus proclaim its independence? 6. What is the official name of the Belarusian Parliament? 7. Who is the country's president at the moment? 8. Who is the head of the government in Belarus nowadays? 9. What is the most highly developed sector of the

Ex. 4. Read and translate the following text:

Belarus has a well-developed economy. Approximately 5.3 million people contribute to the economy of Belarus. Of this total, 42% are employed in industry; 21% in agriculture and forestry; 17% in culture, education, and health services; 17% in trade; 7% in transportation, and 6% in miscellaneous pursuits.

Natural Resources. Belarus is relatively poor in terms of natural resources. It does not have vast amounts of most of the minerals used in modern industrial production. The country has small reserves of petroleum and natural gas.

In the south-west there are small reserves of hard coal, brown coal, and petroleum, but they are not easily accessible and remain undeveloped. The country has large forest reserves. About one-third of the republic is covered in forest.

Belarus does possess, however, one of the world’s largest reserves of potassium salts. The country also is a world leader in the production of peat, which is especially abundant in the Pripyat Marshes. Peat is used as a mulching material in agriculture.

Among the other minerals recovered are salt, building materials chiefly limestone, quartz sands and small deposits of gold and diamonds.

Belarus is heavily reliant on oil and gas supplies from Russia. The government is attempting to accelerate the development of its raw-material base, but Belarus remains dependent on Russia for most of its energy and fossil-fuel requirements.

Energy. Belarus generated only about 12% of its own energy needs. Nearly all electricity is generated at thermal power stations, using piped oil and natural gas; however, there is some local use of peat, and there are a number of low-capacity hydroelectric power plants.

Industry. Belarus is a highly developed industrial country. The main industries include machine building, instrument making, chemicals, timber processing, textile and clothing manufacture, and food processing.

The country is known for its heavy-duty trucks, transport vehicles, and tractors. Belarus also manufactures computers, engineering equipment,

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metal-cutting tools, and such consumer goods as clocks and watches, motorcycles, bicycles, refrigerators, radios, television sets and others. Forests yield many wood products, including furniture, matches, plywood, and paper goods.

Heavy industry is the most highly developed sector of the economy. Machine-building industry makes various types of tractors, heavy-duty trucks, other heavy machinery and electrical equipment.

Chemical industry produces chemical fibers, mineral fertilizers, petrochemicals, plastics, soda ash, and synthetic resins. The chief chemical product is potassium fertilizer.

Agriculture. Belarus has a large amount of farmland. But a short growing season and a lack of fertile soil make farming difficult. Most of Belarus has soils of only moderate fertility.

Most of the country has mixed crop and livestock farming, with a strong emphasis on flax growing. The country’s principal crops are potatoes, grains (especially wheat, barley, oats and rye), flax, fruits, sunflowers, vegetables, and sugar beets. Nearly 60% of the country’s total land area is cultivated.

Services. Service industries are industries that produce services, not goods. In the recent past, these industries were underdeveloped in Belarus. Most service-industry workers were poorly trained and underpaid. They had little incentive to satisfy their customers, who competed for services that were in short supply. Today, private economic activity in the service sector is flourishing. Many individuals and families are starting small businesses such as restaurants, barbershops, dry cleaners, and taxi services.

Finance. Independent Belarus restructured its banking system into a system consisting of the National Bank of Belarus and a number of commercial banks, most of which are either joint-stock or limitedliability companies. A securities market and stock exchange were also established. The republic introduced its own currency, the Belarusian ruble, in 1994. It has been the official national currency since January 1995, when circulation of Russian rubles ceased. In 1994 Belarus and Russia agreed to the eventual merger of their monetary systems, but Russia has delayed the merger because of the high inflation and other economic problems in Belarus. The central bank is the National Bank of Belarus in Minsk.

Foreign Trade. Belarus proper consumes only 13% of the goods produced. A great amount of goods produced by Belarusian industries and agriculture is oriented towards the CIS countries’ markets. Russia, Poland, and Ukraine remain the republic’s main trading partners, with trade

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increasing with Germany and Italy. Belarus also conducts trade with Austria, China, Great Britain, Lithuania, Switzerland, the United States and other countries.

Belarus exports transport equipment (mainly tractors and trucks), machinery, refrigerators, television sets, chemicals, potassium fertilizers, energy products, wood and paper products, and meat and dairy products. About 60% of Belarus’ exports go to former Soviet republics. The major exports include tractors to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and many other countries.

The nation’s major imports include petroleum, natural gas, industrial raw materials, textiles, rolled metal, rubber, paint, sugar, and some consumer goods. Fuel is Belarus’ largest import expenditure. Russia, which supplies most of the country’s fuel imports, is the most important trading partner.

In 1992 Belarus became a member of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Ex. 5. Complete each sentence using a word derivationally related to the word given in brackets:

private activity in the service sector is flourishing (economy). 7. Belarus has an extensive … system, including railroad and highw ay networks (transport). 8. The government is attempting to accelerate the … of its rawmaterial base (to develop).

Ex. 6. Insert prepositions where necessary:

The social orientation … an economic system is dete rmined … the predominant ownership type, which affects the nature of production and the interests … the owners. All digressions from a classical economic development model require additional involvement, especially … the sphere

… management and the role of the state. A socially oriented market economy should combine the socio-economic development of a society with an adequate development of the legal and political system. It should allow … a combination of private and government own ership, the sectors that are regulated … the market and those that are not.

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Ex. 7. Match the words to their definitions:

Ex. 8. Substitute the words in italics by their synonyms:

1.Approximately 5.3 million people contribute to the economy of Belarus.

2.Belarus does not have vast amounts of most of the minerals. 3. The country has small reserves of petroleum and natural gas. 4. The main industries include machine building, instrument making. 5. Belarus also manufactures computers

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