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9.
Great attention is devoted to technical re-equipping of
light
and
food
industry
.
10.
Timber processing, furniture making, paper making, light and food
industries
are the main branches of industry for local
consumption
.
IV. Read and translate the words with the same root.
1) To border, borderland, boundary; 2) to cover, covering, covered; 3)
to average, average; 4) to exercise, exercising; 5) to belong, belonging;
6) humid, humidity; 7) moderate, moderately; 8) located, location,
locality, local; 9) to consume, consumption; 10) territory, territorially;
11) administration, administrative; 12) to vary, varied, variety; 13) to
protect, protection.
V. Insert the missing preposition.
1.
The Republic of Belarus borders … Poland, the Baltic States, Russia
and Ukraine.
2.
All rivers of the Republic belong … the sea-basins of the Black and
Baltic seas.
3.
The Republic of Belarus is situated … the eastern part of Europe.
4.
The country is famous … its national reservations.
5.
The auroch is the pride … the the Belavezhskaya Pushcha.
6.
More than one third of the republic’s area is covered … forest and
bushes.
7.
What non-ore minerals is the Republic rich … ?
8.
Natural conditions of Belarus are favorable … agriculture.
57
TEXT 1
VI. Read and translate the text.
REPUBLIC OF BELARUS
1.
Geographical position
Belarus is located in the eastern part of
Europe. The total area of Belarus is
207,600 square kilometers.
It borders on
Lithuania and Latvia in the north-west,
Ukraine in the south, Russia in the east,
and Poland in the west. The location has
made Belarus an important trade and
transport route between Europe and the
CIS.
2.
Population, religions and languages
The population of Belarus is 9.46 million
people (on 1 January 2013). Over 70
percent are urban population. More than
80% of the population are ethnic
Belarusians. Most of the rest are Russians,
Poles and Ukrainians. The country has
two official languages: Belarusian and Russian. The main religion in the
country is Russian Orthodox Christianity. The second most popular
religion is Roman Catholicism.
3.
Administrative division
The Republic of Belarus is divided territorially into six Oblasts
(regions) with their administrative centres in Minsk, Brest, Vitebsk,
Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev. The country includes 118 administrative
districts (rayons). The Republic of Belarus includes 110 towns, of
which 15 towns have population over 100,000 and 103 urbanized
populated localities.
4.
Capital
Minsk city is the capital of Belarus, its political, economic, scientific
and cultural centre. It is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in the
republic. The first recorded mention of the city goes back to 1067.
Minsk today is a modern international city. More than 1.9 million
58
people live there. It also has excellent transport links including Minsk
airport, several major train stations, the Minsk metro underground
network, and a well-developed road system.
5.
Climate and landscape
Belarus has a moderate continental climate, with cool humid winters
and warm summers. The average temperature of January is -6°C. In
July the temperature averages +18°C.
Belarus is known as the country of blue
lakes, rivers, green meadows and
swamp with varied animal and plant
life. There are over 20 thousand rivers
and streams flowing over the territory
of Belarus, all of them belong to the
sea-basins of the Black and Baltic seas.
The longest rivers are the Dnieper, the
Nieman, the Zapadny Bug and the
Zapadnaya Dvina. The Republic has about 11,000 lakes. The largest of
them are the Naroch, the Osveyskoye, and the Chervonoye.
About 40 per cent of the Republic’s area is covered with forest and
bushes. There are five National Parks in Belarus, protected by the State.
The most famous national reservation is the Belavezhskaya Pushcha
which is home to many ancient oak trees dating back more than 500
years, as well as venerable ash, pine and fir trees. There are also
significant animal and bird populations here, including the world’s
largest population of the rare European bison – the auroch.
6.
Natural resources
In Belarus, about 30 types of mineral resources have been found (over
4,000 mineral fields and deposits). Of special significance among them
are potassium salts: by their industrial reserves the country is among the
leading countries in Europe. The Republic is rich in non-ore minerals
like granite, dolomite, chalk, clay, loams, sand and gravel materials.
Peat reserves are widely spread in Belarus as well.
7.
Economy of Belarus
The economic potential of Belarus is largely dependent on
industry
.
Belarusian industry produces heavy-duty trucks and tractors, large-
capacity dump trucks, refrigerators, TV sets, fertilizers, meat and dairy
products. They make its chief exports mainly to Russia, Ukraine and
EU countries. Timber processing, furniture making, paper making, light
59
and food industries are the main branches of industry for local
consumption.
Natural conditions of Belarus are favorable for
agriculture
which
mainly specializes in animal husbandry production. Belarus's main
agricultural products are potatoes, flax, sugar beets, rye, oats and wheat,
as well as beef and dairy products.
8.
State system
Belarus is a presidential republic, governed by the President and the
National Assembly.
The Parliament – the National Assembly – is a
representative and legislative body of the Republic of Belarus. The
Parliament consists of two chambers – the House of Representatives
(110 deputies) and the Council of the Republic (64 members).
Executive power in the Republic of Belarus is exercised by the Council
of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus headed by the Prime Minister.
Text vocabulary
auroch
зубр
ancient oak trees
многовековые
дубы
CIS (Commonwealth of
Independent States)
СНГ (Содружество независимых
государств)
EU (European Union)
Европейский Союз
fertilizer
удобрение
flax
лен
heavy-duty truck
грузовой автомобиль большой
грузоподъемности
large-capacity dump truck
большегрузный самосвал
mention
упоминание
oat
овес
refrigerator
холодильник
rye
рожь
sugar beets
сахарная свекла
trade and transport route
торговый
и
транспортный
коридор
transport links
транспортное сообщение
urban
городской
urbanized populated localities
населенные пункты городского
типа
60
venerable ash, pine and fir trees
древние ясени, сосны и ели
wheat
пшеница
CONVERSATION PRACTICE
VII. Answer the following questions.
1.
Where is the Republic of Belarus situated?
2.
What area does it cover?
3.
What countries does it border on?
4.
What is the population of Belarus?
5.
What nationalities does the population include?
6.
What is the main religion in the country?
7.
How many official languages does the country have?
8.
How many regions is the Republic of Belarus divided territorially
into?
9.
How many administrative districts does the country include?
10.
What is the largest city in the country?
11.
The climate in Belarus is moderate continental, isn’t it?
12.
What is the average January (July) temperature?
13.
Do forests occupy about 40 per cent of the country’s area?
14.
How many rivers and lakes does Belarus have?
15.
What are the longest rivers in the country?
16.
What are the largest lakes in Belarus?
17.
How many types of mineral resources have been found in Belarus?
18.
What mineral is of special significance?
19.
What non-ore minerals is the Republic rich in?
20.
Are peat reserves widely spread in Belarus?
21.
What are Belarus's main agricultural products?
22.
What does Belarusian industry produce?
23.
What are the main industries for local consumption?
24.
Is Belarus governed by the President and the National Assembly?
25.
What is the National Assembly?
26.
How many chambers does the Parliament consist of?
27.
What state body does the executive power in the Republic of
Belarus belong to?
28.
Who heads the Council of Ministers?