a) Russia controls about 20 percent of the world’s total forested area and has about three times the amount of harvestable forest as the current forest-product leader, Canada. Yet Russia is utilizing only about 25 percent of this potential. The timber industry in Russia is also currently inefficient. An estimated 25 percent of the annual Russian timber harvest is lost to the black market. Most Russian exports are of raw timber, rather than the more valuable paper, pulp, and manufactured goods.
b) The most significant allocations of government funds to innovative sectors in 2010 are: capital injection in Rosatom (53 billion roubles), support of nanotechnology (solar panel project) industry (7 billion roubles) and further development of the Glonass (satellite navigation) system (22 billion roubles0.
c) The “cash for clunkers” car trade-in scheme which had attracted more than 50,000 people boosted demand for the struggling AvtoVAZ plant in Tolyatti and created more work.
d) Russia languishes in 120th place in terms of ease of doing business and the 106th easiest country to start a new company in according to research group Doing Business. Setting up a business in the US is virtually free and can be done in a day while in Russia entrepreneurs have to wade through a sea of bureaucracy just to get their firm off the ground.
e) The government is now taking measures to cut unnecessary regulations imposed on business, and runs a number of schemes which provide direct assistance or advice to small and medium sized businesses.
f) Most major agribusiness companies in Russia are run by foreigners. Most are also looking to aggressively expand.
Black Earth Farming is a Swedish company that recently made considerable noise when it raised more than 115 million dollars from investors for an ambitious expansion. The company now controls about 244,000 hectares (over 1100 square miles) in southern Russia.
Russian Farms is a Russian group of companies chaired by a dual Russian-American citizen and which is attempting to bring modern machinery, processing, and distribution to Russian agriculture. The firm has recently received media coverage inside Russia when President Putin visited one of its dairy production units.
Heartland Farms Penza is a British-run business controlling 27,000 hectares in the Volga Region. They are currently seeking additional funds to expand (by perhaps as much as 150,000 hectares) and is currently working on contracts from Pepsi and Heinz.
g) The targeted financing of nano-technologies out of state budget started back in 2005, when the direction “Industry of Nano-systems and Materials” came up as a priority. However, the dimensions of financing extended to Russian’s nano-developments up till today, constituted only a small percentage in comparison with the leading countries of the world, which led to the country’s largely lagging behind in the market of nano-products.
Task 2.
Discuss with your partner pros and cons of running a business in Russia (one of you thinks that it’s very profitable to start a business in Russia and the other disagrees). Use the following patterns:
To introduce your personal opinion
As I see/view it…
To my mind …
From my point of view …
… if you ask me
Personally I think that …
In my opinion …
To agree
I agree completely.
I suppose you’re right.
You are correct.
Sure.
To disagree
I’m sorry but I have to disagree.
I’m not sure I can agree.
I may be wrong but…
Really? But I thought…
Unit 3
RUSSIAN CULTURE
Topical vocabulary
achievement - достижение
artist – художник Syn. painter
astheism - атеизм
composer - композитор
contribution - вклад
cordiality – радушие, сердечность
endurance - терпимость
humility - смирение
inhabitant - житель
initiative - инициатива
minority – меньшинство Ant. majority - большинство
network - сеть
opportunity - возможность
responsibility - ответственность
etnnic (group) – этническая группа
notable – выдающийся (человек)
numerous - многочисленный
respected - уважаемый
urban (area) – городской (район) Ant. rural – сельская (местность)
well-known – хорошо известный
to appreciate – высоко ценить
to belong to - принадлежать
to conform to – согласовывать, приводить к соответствию
to consider oneself – считать себя
to dominate - доминировать
to inherit - унаследовать
Lexical work
Task 1.
Decide which expressions from your topical vocabulary you might need to speak on the following topics. Cluster the expressions around the topic bubbles and then make you own sentences with them.
Task 2