I курс
Russia
Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. The vast territory of the Russian Federation stretches from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, from the Arctic Ocean in the North to the Sea of Azov in the south. It occupies the northern part of Asia and the eastern part of Europe.
Russia borders on many countries, such as Mongolia and China in the south-east, Finland and Norway in the north-west, Georgia in the south, to name only a few.
Due to the large territory, the climate and nature are of various types in Russia. In Siberia, for example, the climate is continental, it is very cold in winter, but summers may be very hot and dry. In the central part of Russia the climate is rather mild: winters are seldom too cold, and summers are more often warm than hot. The climate in the south is tropical, with hot summers and warm winters; the temperature is usually above zero all year round.
Russia is a country of thick forests and wide valleys, of high mountains and bare deserts. There are a lot of great rivers and deep lakes on its territory. The longest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Ob, the Yenisey and the Lena in Asia. The largest lakes are Ladoga and Baikal. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and its water is the purest on earth.
The Russian Federation is rich in natural and mineral resources. It has deposits of oil, gas, coal, iron, gold and many others.
The current population of Russia is about 150 million people. The European part of Russia is densely peopled, and most people live in cities, towns and their outskirts.
The capital of the Russian Federation is Moscow, with the population of about 10 million people,
1. Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих слов и словосочетаний:
Одна из самых больших стран мира; простирается от Балтийского моря на западе до Тихого океана на востоке; от Северного Ледовитого океана на севере до Азовского моря на юге; граничит со многими странами; на юго-востоке; на северо-западе; если назвать лишь некоторые; климат является континентальным; в центральной части России; зимы редко бывают слишком холодными; температура обычно выше нуля; на ее территории много великих рек и глубоких озер; самое глубокое озеро в мире; Российская Федерация богата полезными ископаемыми; Европейская часть России густо населена; с населением более 10 миллионов человек.
2.Найдите в тексте антонимы к следующим словам:
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low, thin, shallow, cool, narrow, poor, wet, monotonous, shortest, smallest, muddiest.
3. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:
1. What oceans is Russia washed by? 2. What countries does the Russian Federation border on? 3. What is the climate like in Russia? 4. What Russian rivers are the longest rivers in Europe and Asia? 5. What is lake Baikal famous for? 6. What mineral resources is the Russian Federation rich in? 7. How large is the current population of Russia?
a. Historical Sights of St. Petersburg
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St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia after its capital - Moscow, with the population of about 6 million people. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Our guests who left for Paris right after having visited St. Petersburg, and spent several days there on the banks of the Seine, witnessed that they found the city on the Neva river more amazing, more beautiful, and more impressive than Paris. Our city was founded by Tsar Peter the Great (ruled 1682-1725) in 1703 and from 1712 became the new capital of Russia. It had this status up until 1918 when the capital was brought back to Moscow.
This city witnessed many important historical events. In fact, the whole history of the Russian Empire lies here on the banks of the Neva River. Russia became a European empire at the beginning of the 18th century; in fact, Peter the Great was the first Russian emperor. It was the era of vast changes in our country, and Peter was the greatest reformer ever. Almost all the emperors starting with Peter himself are buried in St. Peter and Paul's Cathedral that is situated on the territory of Peter and Paul's Fortress which is the birthplace of our city. The gilded spire of the cathedral with a three meter high angel on top is one of the symbols of our city. St. Petersburg thus started as a fortress to protect the lands along the banks of the Neva River and the Gulf of Finland from Sweden. In fact these lands had always been an apple of discord between Russia and its "northern neighbor" Sweden. Separate fights were held throughout centuries up until 1700 when a war was started that was one of the most important happenings in the history of St. Petersburg and Russia and that came down into history as the Northern War. It was started by the Swedish king Karl XII. For Peter I who was the ruler of our country then the main purpose of the war was to regain the lands along the Neva and the Gulf of Finland that were lost to Sweden in 1617 as a result of a peace treaty.
The beginning of the 17th century was a hard time for Russia when Lithuania and Poland were trying to capture Moscow. Russia was weak and without a tsar then and it asked Sweden for help. As a result of this "help" Russia lost the access to the Baltic Sea. The country could not develop without it that is why in 1700 Peter entered this war that lasted for 21 years and was ended in 1721 with a total victory of Russia. To protect the newly regained lands Peter and Paul's Fortress was founded on a little Hare's Island.
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The fortress developed into a city under the rule of the Romanovs - the ruling dynasty in Russia from Peter's grandfather Mikhail until the last Russian emperor Nicholas II.
It was at the time of Elizabeth, Peter's daughter (ruled 1741-1761), that the city obtained its magnificence in architecture. One style was ruling in the middle of the 18th century - baroque, and there was an architect who could not be surpassed in creating baroque masterpieces - Francesco Rastrelli (1700-1771). This Italian architect, who was the favorite court architect of Elizabeth I, built a lot of richly decorated baroque buildings in St. Petersburg and its suburbs, which are now a distinguishing feature of our city. Among them are the Winter Palace - former main imperial residence, the Smolny Convent (former residence of the first women's school in Russia), and summer imperial palaces in Tsarskoe Selo (now Pushkin) and Peterhof (now Petrodvorets). The Winter Palace is one of the most splendid buildings in St. Petersburg. Almost all the Romanovs starting from Catherine the Great resided there. The palace had hundreds of rooms; many of them were State Halls the interiors of which are preserved till the present days and open to visitors. When you are inside of these miraculous halls you'll have a strong sensation of having got back to the times of the emperors. When you take the magnificent State Gala Staircase covered with a red velvet carpet and decorated with sculptures, huge mirrors, ceiling paintings, marble, gilded wood carvings - all to the baroque style - you are going to feel yourself one of the astonished guests invited to the pompous balls and receptions held in the Winter Palace. They had never before imagined such richness and splendor. Candles were lit in the vast Great Throne Room where the Emperor and Empress as well as Grand Dukes received their guests. Nobody was forgotten. The provincial nobility was received in the Emblem Hall covered all over with gilded bronze and sparkling in the candlelight.
Now the Winter Palace does not only display beautiful interiors but also houses our greatest pride - the Hermitage Museum. It ranks among the best museums of West European art in the world such as the Louver in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery and the British Museum in London and Prado in Madrid. The Hermitage possesses the masterpieces of such great painters as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Giorgione, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck, Hals, Velasquez, Goya, El Greco, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Kandinsky, and many others. The Hermitage has more than 3 million exhibits, among them not only paintings but also antique sculptures, medieval applied art, cameos, ancient and 18-19th century
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B.OUR UNIVERSITY
The Bratsk State University (BrSU) is one of the largest institutions of higher education in the North of Siberia. In 2007 the Bratsk State University celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was established in 1957 as a branch of Russian Correspondence Building-Engineering Institute. The University is situated in Bratsk on the left bank of the Angara. Four educational buildings, sports building, workshops, hostels, canteens, cafeterias and a block of flats for teachers make up a whole township.
The Bratsk State University offers excellent education to everyone having general secondary education. Its courses are challenging and rigorous, guided by university's highly qualified academic staff. The quality of teaching is very high in our University It gives education in many areas – economy, mechanics, wood engineering, power engineering, computer programming and so on. The University bases its work on state standard and offers the students very wide and complex education. The academic year at the BrSU starts in September and ends in June.
The BrSU is administrated by Rector and nine Pro-Rectors. It consists of 12 faculties: Mechanical, Wood Engineering, Economic, Power Engineering, Correspondence and others. All the faculties provide full-time and part-time education.
More than 12500 students are educated here in 39 specializations. The applicants are enrolled according to the results of entrance examinations.
Our teachers deliver lectures and hold seminars on different subjects such as: physics, chemistry, higher mathematics, strength of materials, applied electrical engineering, heat and power engineering, motor transport, social sciences, foreign languages and many others.
During the third-fifth years the students specialize in their main areas of interest. In the fifth year they are required to write a diploma work. The aim of it is to train the students in individual research, in planning investigations and in presenting their results in a written report. The diploma work could thus be the beginning of a research career or lead to employment in industry.
After graduating from the University the students get the Diploma in Higher Education.
Our University has good training facilities: lecture-rooms, laboratories, libraries, gymnasiums, computer classes with the latest equipment.
The Bratsk State University keeps in touch with foreign universities and schools.
C.BRATSK
I’d like to tell you about Bratsk. Bratsk is a Siberian town on the river Angara. The history of developing the Angara goes back to the 17th century, when in 1631 the Cossacks with Maxim Perfilyev at the head built a small fortress on the right bank of the Angara. The Russian Cossacks called the local Buryat inhabitants “brotherly people” and hence the fortress became known as Bratsk.
Bratsk’s new life began in the middle of 1950s. In December 1954 first builders came here to build a new town and Hydro-Power Plant. In 1961 the first generating units of the Plant were put on line and in 1967 the entire Station went into regular commercial service.
Now Bratsk is a modern town. More than 280000 people live here. The pride of inhabitants is the 50th Anniversary of October Hydro-Power Plant. It is the principal place of interest in Bratsk.
Bratsk is one of the industrial centres in Siberia. There are a lot of industrial enterprises here. The largest of them are Bratsk Aluminum Plant and Timber Industry Complex. The output of these enterprises is well known in the world.
Bratsk is also a cultural centre. There are two theatres in Bratsk: professional puppet theatre and drama theatre. There are a lot of cinemas and three big Palaces of Culture. If you are interested in history of Siberia and Bratsk you can visit museums. There is the Bratsk Museum of Regional Studies, Angara Village and the Museum of Labour Achievements.
Inhabitants of Bratsk have all opportunities to have a good rest. There is a great number of libraries, stadiums, swimming pools here. The Angara is also a favorite resting place. There are rest-homes, camps and boarding houses on its shores. Excellent bob-sleigh track in Bratsk is well up to the international standards.
The only trouble of Bratsk people is that Bratsk is among 10 the most polluted towns of Russia. Bratsk people hope that struggle for clean environment is the most important thing in our time.
So it is the short information about Siberian town Bratsk.
2.The British Isles
The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand smaller ones.
Great Britain, the largest island in Europe, includes England, Scotland and Wales. It is separated from Ireland by the Irish Sea, from the European Continent by the North Sea, the English Channel and the Strait of Dover. Great Britain and Northern Ireland form the United Kingdom.
The greater part of the surface of England and Ireland is flat. The surface of Scotland and Wales is mountainous. The highest mountain in the United Kingdom is Ben Nevis in Scotland. The chief rivers can be used by ships. They have slow currents and broad mouths. So the rivers are suitable for commerce. The coastline has excellent harbours. The sea enters deeply into the land and has a great influence on the climate. The winter is not very cold, and the summer is not very hot.
About 60 million people now live in the British Isles. Nearly all of them speak English, but some speak Celtic languages. Great Britain is one of most highly industrialized countries in the world. It lives by industry and trade. There are some great seaports in Britain, such as London, Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow and others.
The capital of Great Britain is London. It is the seat of the government of the whole country. London is ancient, many centuries old. It is also the centre of British cultural life and famous for its places of interest.Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen or the King is at the head of the state. The country is ruled by the government in the name of the Queen (Monarch).The British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Prime Minister is at the head of the government.
1. Ответьте на вопросы:
1. How many islands do the British Isles consist of?
2. By what seas is Great Britain separated from Ireland?
3. Are the rivers suitable for commerce?
4. What influences the climate of Great Britain?
5. How many people live in the British Isles?
6. What kind of country is Great Britain?
7. Great Britain is the parliamentary monarchy, isn’t it?
8. Is London the capital of Great Britain?
9. By whom is the country ruled?
10. What chambers does the British Parliament consist of?
11. Who is at the head of the Government?
Найдите в тексте соответствия следующим русским эквивалентам:
Почти, Ла-Манш, пригодный, входит, главный, отделяется, торговля, плоский, палата, достопримечательность.
3.The USA
The United States of America is situated in the central part of the North American continent. It is washed by the Pacific Ocean and by the Atlantic Ocean.
As to population, it is the fourth largest country in the world. Nearly 240 million people live there.
There are great climatic variations between different regions of the country. The eastern continental region is well watered with rainfalls. It includes all the Atlantic seaboard and southeastern states and extends to the west to cover Indiana. The climate of the prairie lands lying to the west is drought.
The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of fifty states; every state has its own governor, its own police, and its own laws. The present Constitution was proclaimed in 1787 in Philadelphia. The president is the head of the whole country and the government, and is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The president term is 4 years.
The United States’ flag is called the “Stars and Stripes”. It has thirteen stripes and fifty white stars on a blue field.
The USA is one of the most highly developed capitalist states. The country is rich in a variety of mineral resources. The USA has a highly developed railway system. American agriculture produces more food products than any other capitalist country.
The educational system of the USA differs from the system in some countries. The elementary school is followed by four or six years of the secondary school or high school as it is called. Many Americans go on to institutions of higher education when they leave school. If they want to go on to college or university, they often take college admission tests. The capital of the United States of America is Washington.
New York is the largest city and port in the United States. It is the industrial and cultural center of the country. It is the financial and business center of the capitalist world.
It is also the center of the political life, the center of the mass media and the world’s biggest bank center. N.Y. is the economic capital of the USA with a population of nearly eight million.
1. Ответьте на следующие вопросы, опираясь на содержание прочитанного вами текста:
1) Where is the USA situated?
2) What is the population of the USA?
3) What is called American prairie?
4) What does the USA owe its high level of economic development to?
5) What are the main mineral resources of the country?
6) How can you characterize the USA industry?
7) When do American children begin to go to school?
8) What is the first school called?
9) For how many years do children learn in the elementary school?
10) Where can they study after finishing secondary school? 11) What is the capital of the USA? 12) What kind of city is New York? 13) What is typical for N.Y.?
Harvard. Libraries and Museums.
Library, and the French Bibliotheque Nationale; it is the largest university library system in the world. Cabot Science Library, Lamont Library, and Widener Library are three of the most popular libraries for undergraduates to use, with easy access and central locations. Houghton Library is the primary repository for Harvard's rare books and manuscripts. America's oldest collection of maps, gazetteers, and atlases both old and new is stored in Pusey Library and open to the public. The largest collection of East- Asian language material outside of East Asia is held in the Harvard- Yenching Library.
Harvard operates several art museums, including the Fogg Museum of Art (with galleries featuring history of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present, with particular strengths in Italian early Renaissance, British pre-Raphaelite, and 19th-century French art); the Busch-Reisinger Museum (formerly Germanic Museum, and formerly housed in Adolphus Busch Hall) (central and northern European art; and a Flentrop pipe organ, familiar from recordings by E. Power Biggs); the Sackler Museum (ancient, Asian, Islamic and later Indian art); the Museum of Natural History, which contains the famous Blaschka Glass Flowers exhibit; the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, specializing in the cultural history and civilizations of the Western Hemisphere; and the Semitic Museum.
Курс
ROAD-BUILDING MACHINERY