Moscow is a modern cit. The number of streets constantly increases. The largest one is Leninsky Prospect, which is 15 kilometres long, and the widest one is Leningradsky Prospect. Moscow underground is one of the most beautiful in the world, it has about 2 hundred stations and is almost three hundred and forty kilometres long.

There are 9 railway stations in Moscow and 5 airports around the city. International Sheremetievo Airport is among them.

In the city there are many stadiums. One of them was built for the 22^nd Olympic Games in 1980, when Moscow was the host of the Games.

At the end of the University Prospect on the Lenin Hills there is a high building, the 32-storey Moscow University.

The city is famous for its parks, for its botany garden where hundreds of trees and plants from all over the world are gathered.

In the Alexandrovsky Garden there is the tomb of the Unknown Warrior. It is a simple memorial to the soldiers who died for the country in World War II.

There are many exhibitions and concert halls. The Tretyakov Art Gallery was named after the Moscow merchant and great lover of art Pavel Tretyakov, who spent most of his life and his sizable fortune on his collection. Not long before his death Tretyakov gave his collection to the city of Moscow. The Gallery reflects the history of Russia, the life and ideals of its people.

Topic 8

THE REPUBLIC OF BURYATIA

Exercise 1. Study the following words and word expressions.

1. boundless steppes - 2. gentle - 3. to slope - 4. to be covered - 5. evergreen - 6. coniferous - 7. mountain ranges - 8. to flow into (out) - 9. navigable - 10. fresh water reserves - 11. to inhabit - 12. environment - 13. sharply continental - 14. ore - 15. mine - 16. timber - 17. stock-breeding - 18. output - 19. livestock - 20. poultry -	бескрайние степи мягкий клониться быть покрытым вечнозеленые хвойный горные цепи впадать (вытекать) судоходный запасы пресной воды населять окружающая среда резко-континентальный руда шахта, добывать лесной животноводство выпуск продукции скот, живой инвентарь домашняя птица
21. boast of - 22. mountaineering - 23. rafting - 24. treatment -	хвастаться альпинизм спуск по рекам лечение

Exercise 2. Read and translate the text.

THE REPUBLIC OF BURYATIA

Buryatia is a part of the Russian Federation and is situated in the southern part of the Eastern Siberia, to the south-east of Lake Baikal. It borders on Tyva Republic, Chita and Irkutsk regions and Mongolia. The territory of Buryatia is 351,000 square kilometers.

Nature of Buryatia is unique. One can find here high mountains, boundless steppes and gentle slopping hills. Over 75% of the territory is covered by evergreen coniferous forest. The highest mountains are the Barguzin and Khamar-Daban mountain ranges. But the most famous are the Sayans with its highest peak Munku-Sardyk (3491metres).

Buryatia is famous for Lake Baikal. It is the deepest lake in the world and contains more than 22% of the world's fresh water reserves. Its flora and fauna are unique. Over 2500 different kinds of animals and fish inhabit Baikal and its environment, 250 of which are endemic. Baikal boasts of its purest water: the visibility in it is 40 meters. About 300 rivers flow into the lake and only few of them are navigable in summer and early autumn. The largest rivers are: the Selenga, the Uda and the Barguzin. The Angara is the only river that flows out of the lake.

The climate of Buryatia is sharply continental, mostly dry with short, hot summers and long cold winters. Climate of Buryatia is considered to be healthy owing to plenty of sunlight, air dryness and low cloudiness.

Buryatia is a multinational republic and its population is over one million people. The largest ethnic groups are the Buryats, the Russians and the Evenks.

The republic is rich in mineral resources, such as ore, coal, gold and non-ferrous metals. A large coal-mining center of Buryatia is Gusinoozersk, which is also an important center of energetics. Timber industry is an important part of the national economy of Buryatia and its total export.

The leading branch of agriculture is stock-breeding. The output of livestock industry makes up 70% of total agricultural output. The main products of the republican livestock are: cattle and poultry, milk, meat, wool, eggs. Buryatia has one of the country's largest meat preserving factories. The farmers and state enterprises grow wheat, oats, barley, rye, potatoes and industrial crops.

The main republican enterprises are: Aviation Factory, Shipbuilding Factory, Locomotive-Carriage Repairing Plant, Electronic Devices and Instrument Making Plant, Confectionary Factory “Amta” and Fine-Cloths Manufactory.

The Head of the Republic is the President. The executive power is represented by the Cabinet of Ministers and the legislative power - by Narodny Khural. The state flag is represented by three colors - blue, white and yellow ones symbolizing sky, purity and eternity.

The Capital of Buryatia is Ulan-Ude. It is the administrative, economic and cultural centre of the Republic. There are five theaters in the capital of Buryatia: the Buryat State Academic Opera and Ballet House, Buryat State Academic Theatre, Russian State Academic Theatre, Youth Theater Studio, and the Buryat State Republican Puppet Theatre "Uliger."

Buryatia attracts thousands of tourists due to its magnificent nature and peculiar culture of the native people. As for the recreations, provided for tourists in Buryatia, there are mountaineering, rafting on the numerous rivers, ethnographic tours, treatment with mineral waters.

Exercise 3. Answer the following comprehension questions.

1. Where is Buryatia situated?

2. What does it border on?

3. What are the highest mountains in Buryatia?

4. What is Baikal famous for?

5. Why is the nature of Buryatia considered to be unique?

6. What does sharp continental climate mean?

7. What are the largest ethnic groups of Buryatia?

8. What mineral resources is Buryatia rich in?

9. What is the leading branch of agriculture?

10. What are the main agricultural products?

11. What are the biggest industrial enterprises of the Republic?

12. What is the political system of Buryatia?

13. What are the main theatres of Ulan-Ude?

14. Why does Buryatia attract a lot of tourists?

Exercise 4. Agree or disagree with the statements.

1. Buryatia is a part of Russian Federation.

2. Buryatia borders on China.

3. The republic of Buryatia is mostly a plain.

4. All rivers in Siberia flow out of Baikal.

5. Baikal contains 22% of the world's fresh water reserves.

6. The climate of Buryatia is mild.

7. The republic is rich in mineral resources, such as ore, coal, gold and non-ferrous metals.

8. The leading branch of agriculture is farming.

9. Buryatia has one of the country's largest meat preserving factories.

10. The executive power is represented by Narodny Khural.

11. Buryatia attracts thousands of tourists.

Exercise 5. Prove that:

1. The nature of Buryatia is unique.

2. The republic is rich in mineral resources.

3. The agriculture of Buryatia is highly developed.

4. Buryatia attracts thousands of tourists.

Exercise 6. Divide the text into logical parts and entitle each of them.

Exercise 7. Imagine, that you met a foreign tourist. He has just come to our republic and does not know anything about it. Tell him everything you know about Buryatia and its places of interest. Use your plan.

Exercise 8. Think over the following situation.

A group of foreign businessmen has come to Russia. They are going to invest money in our economy. They haven't yet made up their minds what Russian region to choose. Delegates of different parts of Russia represent their regions. How would you represent our Republic? Make use of the additional information given below.

I.1.Trees growing on the territory of the Republic: pine, fir, cedar, larch, spruce, birch, aspen tree, etc.

2.Animals inhabiting on the territory of the Republic: wolves, bears, foxes, sables, minks, deer, squirrels, martens, roebucks, hares, lynxes, elk, etc.

3.Baikal's fish: the omul (resembles the herring), the sig (resembles the sturgeon but much smaller), the pike, the carp, the salmon, the burbot, the grayling, the perch, the freshwater seal (the nerpa), the golomyanka (unique, transparent and endemic fish), the crayfish (the Baikal epishura).

II.Buddhism and Datsans

Buddhism is the oldest of the world religions. When Christianity was just taking its first timid steps, Buddhism was already five hundred years old. It had received universal recognition in India and begun to spread rapidly beyond its borders.

In Russia Buddhism is represented by the Gelungpa School (“the School of Virtue”) which is a branch of Tibetan Buddhism of the Mahayana orientation, that is, “the broad path” of salvation from endless rebirth in the world of suffering. It is known as Lamaism.

The traditional Buddhism areas in Russia are Buryatia, Tyva, Chita and Irkutsk regions in Siberia, and Kalmykia in the Caspian Depression. Mongolian and Tibetan lamas appeared in the area east to Lake Baikal for the first time during the mid-17 century. Within a short time most of the Buryats living east of Lake Baikal was converted to Buddhism.

Buddhism firmly established itself towards the end of the 17^th century, having ousted shamanism, a set of traditional folk beliefs.

Before the revolution 46 Datsans were functioning in the area and 44 of them were destroyed in the thirties. After the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been the religion's renaissance and now many people follow the teachings of Buddha. Several Datsans have been restored and reopened recently. Among them - the Atsagat, the Gegetui temples and others.

The Ivolginsky Datsan, situated 40 kilometers from Ulan-Ude, is the Central Buddhist Religious Board of Russia. Up till recent time it has been the only functioning Buddhist temple in Buryatia.

III.Holidays and Festivals

The Republic of Buryatia celebrates several holidays throughout the year. The Buddhist Lunar New Year, or Tsagaalgan, is celebrated in accordance with Mongolian moon calendar and begins on the eve of the Lunar New Year, usually in late January to early February. This traditional Buddhist holiday has only recently been revived after the years of Soviet rule. Ceremonies associated with Tsagaalgan last for sixteen days.

Other festivities include Maidari, a midsummer Buddhist festival honoring the Buddha of the Future, and Surkharban, a sports competition featuring wrestling, horse races and archery. Surkharban is held at the Hippodrome the first Sunday in June.

Religious holidays of the Russian Orthodox church are also celebrated.

Topic 9

ULAN-UDE

Exercise 1. Study the following words and word expressions.

1. be founded - 2. to contribute - 3. trade center - 4. to transfer - 5. fair - 6. military - 7. to divide into - 8. architectural ensemble - 9. Merchants' Rows - 10. residential - 11. enterprise - 12. vessel - 13. foundry - 14. abroad - 15. fine-cloth - 16. wholesale firms - 17. supply - 18. sale of various goods - 19. Orthodoxy - 20. religious board - 21. heroic epic literature - 22. citizen - 23. research institute - 24. esteem - 25. amateur - 26. singer - 27. ballet-dancer - 28. participant - 29. stage - 30. hospitable - 31. brother-town - 32. cultural and business relations -	быть основанным; содействовать, способствовать торговый центр переносить, перемещать ярмарка военный делить на архитектурный ансамбль Гостиные ряды жилой предприятие судно, корабль литейный цех за рубежом тонкосуконный оптовые фирмы поставка продажа различных товаров православие религиозный совет, сангха героическая эпическая литература гражданин; горожанин исследовательский институт уважать, почитать любитель певец танцовщик, балерина участник стадия, этап гостеприимный город-побратим культурные и деловые отношения

Exercise 2. Read and translate the text.

ULAN-UDE

Ulan-Ude was founded in 1666 as Cossack winter quarters at the Uda river with the aim of collecting taxes from native people, Buryats and Tungus. At first it was a small settlement named Verkhneudinsk. In 1690 it was given the status of city. Favourable economical and geographical position of Verkhneudinsk contributed to transformation of the city to the large trade center of Transbaikalia. Military and administrative center of Transbaikalia was transferred here. From that time trade started developing rapidly. Since 1780 the fairs have been held in the town.

It became the capital of Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Republic in 1923, and later in 1934 Verkhneudinsk was given a new name - Ulan-Ude.

Nearly 400 000 people live here. Ulan-Ude is situated on the banks of the Selenga and the Uda rivers. The city is divided into three districts: Sovietsky, Oktyabrsky and Zheleznodorozhny.

The Sovietsky district is the administrative part of the capital. The central part is a historical, cultural and business center of the capital. Here one can see an architectural ensemble - Merchants' Rows - built in 1803.

The Oktyabrsky district is mainly a residential part of Ulan-Ude.

The Zheleznodorozhny district is known as an industrial part of the city.

Ulan-Ude is the largest industrial center of Buryatia and one of the largest in the Eastern Siberia. There are the following enterprises in the city: the Ulan-Ude aviation factory, producing up-to-date airplanes and helicopters; the shipbuilding factory, producing vessels for the rivers of Siberia; the largest in Siberia Locomotive-Carriage Repairing Factory, which has its own foundry. The Ulan-Ude Steel Bridge Association receives orders from the Russian federation and abroad. The greatest in Siberia wool cloth production - Fine-Cloth Manufactory is in Ulan-Ude. “Amta” produces confectionary products. Meat-cannery factory is well known in Russia. Today our town lives in a new business rhythm: we have big wholesale firms working in wide sphere of supply and sale of various goods.

East and West are harmoniously linked both in architecture and philosophy. In the city peacefully Orthodoxy and Buddhism are met. The Ivolginky Datsan situated 40 kilometres from Ulan-Ude is the Central Buddhist Religious Board of Russia. There are many churches in our city, the Cathedral of St. Odigitry built in the 17^th century, is now being restored.

Mutual understanding of religions has been reflected in traditions and culture of the citizens who esteem both Russian and Buryat traditions. So, our people celebrate both “Christmas” and the Buddhist Lunar New Year, or “Tsagaalgan”.

The Buryat Center of Science (Siberian Department) unites several research institutes. The scientists published hundreds of scientific and academic papers and works such as the heroic epic literature of the Buryat people “Abai Geser”, volumes of Russian folklore, the Atlas of Tibetan Medicine and many others.

Ulan-Ude is famous for its theatres. In our city we have the Puppet Theater for the young theater-goers. Senior children and students like to visit the Youth Theater. And the drama amateurs visit the Bestuzhev Russian Drama Theater, the Khotsa Namsarayev State Academic Theater. The Buryat Opera and Ballet Academic House enjoys national popularity. Our singers and ballet-dancers are known not only in Russia but abroad. They are L. Linkhovoin, L. Sakhyanova, G. Shoidagbayeva, V. Tsidipova, V. Balzhinimayev and many others. It is worth while saying that there are a lot of modern professional ensembles of song and dance such as “Baikal”, “Lotus”, “Badma Seseg”, “Zabava” and others. They are participants of numerous international folklore festivals.

The memory of the people's past is kept in the city museums. They are: the M.N. Khangalov History of Buryatia Museum, the Sampilov Art Museum of Buryatia. Ulan-Ude citizens' favorite place of rest is the Ethnographic museum that is situated near the city. This museum shows material and spiritual culture of the people at various stages of historical development.

Ulan-Ude can be called the students' city. There are many institutions, colleges and schools. About 20,000 students are trained at schools of higher learning. The biggest institutions are the Buryat State University, the East-Siberian University of Technology, the Buryat State Academy of Agriculture and the East-Siberian State Academy of Culture and Arts.

Nowadays Ulan-Ude is a modern city where there are a lot of new beautiful buildings with original architecture.

The citizens of Ulan-Ude are friendly and hospitable. Ulan-Ude has brother-towns: Yamagata, Manzhuria, Darkhan, Taipei and others. We are connected with them by cultural and business relations.

The citizens traditionally go in for sport: archery, wrestling, football, light athletics and horse racing. Ulan-Ude is famous for its national sports holiday “Surkharban”. Also the citizens like to celebrate its traditional holiday “The City Day” held in summer. Ulan-Ude is a beautiful city. The townspeople love their native city very much.

Exercise 3. Answer the following comprehension questions.

1. What do you know about the history of Ulan-Ude?

2. What is the population of Ulan-Ude?

3. What rivers does Ulan-Ude stand on?

4. What parts does the city consist of?

5. Why is Ulan-Ude a large industrial city?

6. How are East and West linked in Ulan-Ude?

7. Why is Ulan-Ude a well-known scientific center of Siberia?

8. Are there any theaters in Ulan-Ude? What are they?

9. What museums of Ulan-Ude do you know?

10. Why is Ulan-Ude called the students' city?

11. What brother-towns has Ulan-Ude got?

12. What can you say about the citizens living in Ulan-Ude?

Exercise 4. Agree or disagree with the statements using the following expressions.

- It's correct.	- You are wrong, I'm afraid.
- Right you are.	- I can't agree.

1. Ulan-Ude was founded in 1661.

2. Ulan-Ude is situated on the shore of Lake Baikal.

3. The city is divided into three parts.

4. Ulan-Ude is the capital of Irkutsk region.

5. Ulan-Ude is not one of the largest center in East Siberia.

6. In the city peacefully Orthodoxy and Buddhism are met.

7. There are no theatres in Ulan-Ude.

8. The city museums kept the memory of the people's past.

9. Ulan-Ude can't be called the student's city.

10. The citizens of Ulan-Ude aren't hospitable.

Exercise 5. Translate the following sentences.

1. Улан-Удэ был основан в 1666 году.

2. Наш город расположен на берегах двух рек.

3. Центральная часть города - это исторический, культурный и деловой центр.

4. Улан-Удэ - один из самых крупных промышленных городов Восточной Сибири.

5. Сегодня город живет в новом деловом ритме.

6. В городе есть православные церкви и буддийские дацаны.

7. Ученые бурятского научного центра опубликовали множество научных работ, среди них выделяются такие работы как “Абай Гэсэр”, книги о русском фольклоре, атлас тибеткой медицины и др.

8. В нашем городе есть театры для любого зрителя: юных и взрослых театралов.

9. В городских музеях хранится память прошлого жителей республики.

10. Улан-Удэ часто называют городом студентов.

11. Улан-Удэ имеет города-побратимы.

12. Горожане приветливы и гостеприимны.

Exercise 6. Make up a summary of the text “Ulan-Ude”.

Exercise 7. Retell the text minding the exercises given above.

Exercise 8. Prove that Ulan-Ude:

1. is an industrial center of Buryatia.

2. is an educational center of Buryatia.

3. is a cultural center of Buryatia.

Exercise 9. Compare Ulan-Ude with another city. Make use the following expressions:

· … larger than …

· … less than …

· … as…as …

· … not as…as … (not so … as …)

· I think …

· I guess …

Exercise 10. Imagine the following situation.

· Your pen friend from London is going to visit you. What places of interests would you like to show him?

· You are in the USA and the students of an American college ask you to tell them about Ulan-Ude. What will you tell them?

Exercise 11. Read the text and make up a brief summary. Make use of the information given below in the topic “Ulan-Ude”.

The Open-Air Ethnography Museum of Transbaikalia peoples

In 1973 the Ethnography Museum opened its doors to the first visitors. It has been established with the aim to acquaint residents and guests of our capital with the traditions and customs of the peoples inhabiting Buryatia. It is situated in the picturesque place Verkhnaya Berezovka to the north-east of Ulan-Ude. The museum occupies the territory of 100 hectares. It is composed of several complexes such as Archeological, Evenk, Buryat, Old Believers and others.

The archeological complex exhibits tomb-stones, rock drawings - monuments of ancient times.

The Evenk complex is a typical nomadic encampment of taiga hunters, fishermen and reindeer breeders.

The East and West Buryat complexes give a vivid picture of the past life of Buryats.

The Old Believers' complex shows the life of old believers who moved to Siberia from Central Russia in the middle of the 18 century.

The uniqueness of the Ethnography museum of the Transbaikalia peoples is that the existing ethnic situation of the territory has allowed to show material and spiritual culture of the peoples, friendship of these people, their economic and cultural contacts.

Notes:

1. picturesque place - 2. old believers - 3. tomb-stones - 4. rock-drawings - 5. nomadic camp - 6. in the middle of the 18 century -	живописное место старообрядцы (староверы) могильные плиты наскальные рисунки кочевой лагерь, кочевье в середине 18 века

Topic 10

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Exercise 1. Read the list of geographical names.

1. Canada

2. Mexico

3. Alaska

4. the Appalachian Mountains

5. the Cordillera

6. the Rocky Mountains

7. Lake Superior

8. Lake Michigan

9. Lake Huron

10. Lake Erie

11. Lake Ontario

12. the Mississippi

13. the Colorado

14. the Columbia

Exercise 2. Study the following words and word combinations.

1. to stretch - 2. to separate - 3. the rest of the country - 4. in honor - 5. prairie - 6. to mean -	простираться разъединять остальная часть страны в честь прерия, степь значить, означать

Exercise 3. Read and translate the text.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The USA is one of the largest countries in the world. It is situated in the central part of the North American continent. The area of the USA is over nine million square kilometers. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, from Canada in the north, to Mexico in the south. The most northern part of the USA is Alaska, the largest state, separated from the rest of the country by Canada.

The population of the United States is about 300 million people, most of the people live in cities. People of different nationalities live in the USA. The official language of the country is English.

The continental part of the USA consists of four physical geographical parts: two highlands and two lowland regions. The highland regions are the Appalachian Mountains in the east, and the Cordillera and the Rocky Mountains in the west. Between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains there are the central lowlands, called the prairie, and the eastern lowlands, called the Mississippi valley. The five Great Lakes, between the USA and Canada include Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

As the USA is a large country, the climate is different in different regions. For example, the Pacific coast is a region of mild winters and warm, dry summers, but the eastern continental region is watered with rainfall. The region around the Great Lakes has changeable weather.

There are many mountains in the USA. For example, the highest peaks of the Cordillera in the USA are 6,193 and 4,418 meters. The main river of the country is the Mississippi. But there are many other great rivers in the USA: the Colorado in the south and the Columbia in the northwest.

There are many big cities in the country. They are Washington (the capital of the country), New York (the city of contrasts, financial and business centre of the USA), Boston (there are many colleges and universities in it), Chicago (one of the biggest industrial cities in the USA), San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit (one of the biggest centers of the automobile industry) and others.

The USA has an Academy of Sciences. There are many scientific institutions, museums, libraries, theatres and other interesting places in the country.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country. The USA is rich in natural and mineral resources such as aluminum, salt, zinc, copper, coal, natural gas, gold, silver and others. Such industries as machine-building, shipbuilding are highly developed in the country.

American agriculture produces a lot of food products: grain, fruit, vegetables and others. The USA produces more than 50 per cent of the world's corn, wheat, cotton and tobacco.

The USA has a federalist system. This means that there are individual fifty states, each of these states has its own government, and there is a federal, or national, government. Within the national government, power is divided among three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The legislative branch is exercised by Congress, which has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The president of the country is the head of the executive branch. He is elected for four years.

The capital of the country is Washington. It was named in honor of the first President, George Washington.

Exercise 4. Answer the following comprehension questions.

1. Where is the USA situated?

2. What territory does the USA occupy?

3. What is the population of the USA?

4. What is the capital of the USA?

5. What does the continental part of the USA consist of?

6. Where do the five Great Lakes lie?

7. What climate does the USA have?

8. What are the mountains of the USA?

9. What are the main rivers in the USA?

10. What are the biggest cities of the USA?

11. What are the natural and mineral resources of the country?

12. What branches of industry are mostly developed in the USA?

13. What do the farmers produce in the USA?

14. What is the political system of the USA?

Exercise 5. Read the following statements and say if they are true or false. Use the following expressions:

-You are quite right… - I am afraid, you are wrong…

-I think so too… - Sorry, but you are mistaken…

-I fully agree with…. - I can't agree…

-Exactly… - On the contrary…

-That's right… - I think you are not right…

1. The USA is not a large country.

2. The USA occupies the whole continent of North America.

3. The continental part of the USA is divided into two parts.

4. The Five Great Lakes lie in the north of the country.

5. The climate of the USA is diverse.

6. The mountains are not so high in the USA.

7. There are many rivers in the USA.

8. There are few big cities in the USA.

9. The USA is not so rich in natural and mineral resources.

10. Industry of the USA is highly developed, it has many branches.

11. Farmers of the USA produce not so many products.

12. The USA has a federalist system.

Exercise 6. Make up the plan of the text, dividing it into logical parts and entitling each of them.

Exercise 7. Retell the text according to your plan.

Exercise 8. Read the text and answer the questions:

How many stripes are there on the American flag?

What do you think the stars stand for?

“The Stars and the Stripes”

The “Stars and the Stripes” is the popular name for the flag of the United States. Every country has its own flag. In 1776, the 13 colonies declared their independence. The USA was born. George Washington was the general of the American Army.

There is a story that he asked Betsy Ross to make the flag. She used 3 colors: red, white, blue. The color red was for courage, white was for liberty, blue was for justice. She sewed 13 red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a circle on a blue square. The 13 stars and stripes stood for the number of states at the beginning of the United States. On June 14, 1777, Congress voted this flag to be the national one.

Later, new states joined the United States. This was the problem for the flag. In 1818, Congress made another law about the flag. The 13 stripes stayed the same, but for each new state there was a new star. Today, there are fifty stars on the flag. Hawaii was the last star in 1959.

Topic 11

CANADA

Exercise 1. Study the list of the following geographical names.

1. the Rocky Mountains - 2. Superior - 3. Huron - 4. Erie - 5. Ontario - 6. the Mackenzie - 7. the Yukon - 8. the St. Lawrence River - 9. the Niagara Falls - 10. Toronto - 11. Montreal - 12. Ottawa - 13. Halifax - 14. Quebec -	Скалистые горы о. Верхнее о. Гурон о. Эри о. Онтарио р. Макензи р. Юкон река св. Лаврентия Ниагарский водопад г. Торонто г. Монреаль г. Оттава г. Галифакс г. Квебек

Exercise 2. Study the following words and word combinations.

1. frontier - 2. picturesque - 3. thinly populated - 4. Eskimo - 5. creative - 6. raw materials - 7. dog sleds - 8. tools - 9. tie - 10. dominion - 11. to gain - 12. maple -	граница живописный слабо населенный эскимос творческий сырье собачьи упряжки инструменты связь владение добиться клен

Exercise 3. Read and translate the text.

CANADA

Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia. It has an area of nearly 10 million square kilometers. Canada is situated in North America. Its western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean and its eastern coast - by the Atlantic Ocean. Canada's land frontier is only the USA.

The landscape of Canada is very picturesque and reminds that of Russia. There are mountains, high plains, low plains and great forests in the country. The main mountain chain is the Rocky Mountains that run parallel to the Pacific coast.

Canada is also a country of lakes. Besides the Great Lakes - Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario, there are many other large lakes. The largest rivers are the Mackenzie, the Yukon and the St. Lawrence River. The Niagara Falls is one of the most splendid sights in the world and attracts lots of tourists. The Niagara Falls is growing into the wedding capital of Canada. Each year thousands of couples make the journey to Niagara to mark the beginning of a new life.

The climate of Canada varies from Arctic in the north to moderate in the east and west. Winter in Canada lasts from four to five months with heavy snowfalls. In fact, most of Canada's territory is thinly populated, because of severe natural conditions.

About 28 million people live in the country. More than 40% of the population came originally from Britain, about 30% from France and 20% from other countries. Both English and French are the state official languages.

There are also about 300,000 Indians and 25,000 Eskimos, who live mostly in the North. It's interesting to know, that the Eskimos are very creative men. Having few raw materials, they have invented a great number of things: tents, dog sleds, snowshoes and different tools.

Most of the people live in cities. Toronto and Montreal are the largest urban areas and industrial centers as well. The capital of the country is Ottawa.

Canada has a highly developed agriculture. The main agricultural products are wheat, meat, some kinds of fruit and dairy products. Canada is the world's largest exporter of these products. Canada's agriculture and fisheries provide material for the food industry. Its largest seaports like Montreal, Halifax and Quebec are the centers of export of canned meat and fish, furs, timber, metals, machines.

The country is rich in metal, ore, oil and gas. Machine building, motorcar and shipbuilding are highly developed. Being rich in forests, Canada is a great producer of wood for building, furniture and the production of paper.

Canada is a federal state and a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Formally the head of the state is the Queen of England, represented by the Governor-General, who is named by the Canadian cabinet. This symbolizes the country's strong ties to Britain. The point is, that Canada was a British dominion. It was ruled by Britain until 1931, when Canada gained full independence. The leading figure in the political life is the Prime Minister. Canada consists of provinces.

Canada's national flag is the Maple Leaf.

Exercise 4. Answer the following comprehension questions.

1. Where is Canada situated?

2. What's the territory of the country?

3. What is the main mountain chain in Canada?

4. What lakes and rivers are there in Canada?

5. Why is the most of Canada's territory thinly populated?

6. What are the official languages?

7. What is the country rich in?

8. Who is the head of the state? Why?

9. Why does the landscape of Canada remind that of Russia?

10. What is the flag of the country?

Exercise 5. Agree or disagree with the statements.

1. Canada is the largest country in the world.

2. Canada borders only on the USA.

3. The climate of Canada is rather severe.

4. About 40 million people live in the country.

5. Toronto and Montreal are the largest urban areas.

6. Canada is the world's largest exporter of wheat, meat, some kinds of fruit and dairy products.

7. The head of the state is the President.

8. Canada's national flag is the Maple Leaf.

Task 6. Prove the following statements:

1. The landscape of Canada is very picturesque.

2. The climate of Canada is rather severe.

3. Canada is a multinational country.

4. Canada is a highly developed industrial country.

5. Canada has strong ties to Britain.

Task 7. Make up a plan of the text. Retell the text according to it.

Task 8. (Work in pairs). Imagine that you work at a travel agency. Your client wants to go to Canada. Explain him why Canada is worth visiting. Tell him everything you know about Canada. Use the following sentences and word combinations:

· You`ve made the right choice.

· It's worth visiting Canada, because…

· As for the landscape, it …

· You will never forget …

· It's interesting to know, that…

· Fancy that!

· By the way…

· I'd like to underline that…

Topic 12

AUSTRALIA

Exercise 1. Study the following words.

1. Australia - 2. kangaroo - 3. koala - 4. Sydney - 5. Melbourne - 6. Canberra - 7. Tasmania - 8. Kosciusko - 9. hemisphere - 10. aborigines - 11. savannah -	Австралия кенгуру сумчатый медведь, коала Сидней Мельбурн Канберра Тасмания Косцюшко полушарие аборигены саванна

Exercise 2. Read and translate the text.

AUSTRALIA

Australia is an island continent situated south-east of Asia between the Pacific and Indian oceans. The Australian Commonwealth occupies the whole of the continent and the island of Tasmania. It has an area of 8 million square kilometers, nearly as large as the United States.

Australia is mostly a plain. Its highest point, Mount Kosciusko, is 32 feet high.

The climate of Australia varies from warm to subtropical. Being in the southern hemisphere, Australia has summer, when we in the northern hemisphere have winter, and winter when we have summer.

The animals of Australia are very numerous and some of them, including the kangaroo, the dingo and the koala, are not found in any other country.

For the first time this continent was mentioned in the 15th century and only in 1770 Captain Cook's visit opened the continent for the English. At the beginning of 18th century there were only 10000 people. After 1851, when gold was found in Australia, the population greatly increased.

Today, there are about 16 million people in Australia; most of them are of the British origin. Now there are only 40000 aborigines. They live mostly in the deserts and savannah, and their number is decreasing.

The biggest cities of Australia are: Sydney, Melbourne, and the capital Canberra. Australia has a highly developed industry but agriculture is the main occupation of it. It is especially known for its sheep breeding. Wool and mutton are the main items of Australia's export. Australia is self-sufficient concerning agricultural products. It exports wool, wheat, meat, fresh and dry fruits, gold, some minerals.

The Commonwealth of Australia is a self-governing federal state and a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Formally the Head of the state is the Queen of England. Australia has a parliament in each state (6 states - 2 territories) for local affairs and the Federal Parliament of the Commonwealth, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The government of the country is headed by the Prime Minister, the leader of the Party, which has the majority in the House of Representatives.

Exercise 3. Answer the following comprehension questions.

Where is Australia situated?

What is its territory?

What is unusual for you about its climate?

What animals can be found only in Australia?

Who opened the continent for the English?

What is the population of Australia? (aborigines)

Can you name the main occupation of the country?

What does Australia export?

Who is the Head of the state? (formal and real)

What does the Federal Parliament consist of?

Exercise 4. Agree or disagree with the statements, using clichйs for expressing agreement / disagreement.

Australia is situated in Southern America.

The Australian Commonwealth occupies the whole of the continent and the island of Tasmania.

Australia is a mountainous country.

There are 3 climatic zones in Australia: arctic, temperate and tropical.

The Kangaroo, the dingo and the koala are not found in any other country.

Australia was opened by Captain Cook in the 15^th century.

The population of the country is 13 million people, most of them are aborigines.

Agriculture is the main occupation of Australia.

Australia exports airplanes, cars and imports wool, wheat, leather, vegetables and fruit.

Australia is a self - governing federal state.

Exercise 5. Make up a plan of the text.

Exercise 6. Retell the text according to your plan.

Exercise 7. Explain:

Why does Australia have summer, when we have winter.

Why did the population of Australia begin increasing after 1851.

Why is the Queen of Great Britain considered to be the formal Head of the State.

Topic 13

NEW ZEALAND

Exercise 1. Study the following words and expressions.

1. glacier - 2. fiord - 3. volcano - 4. hot spring - 5. geyser - 6. mud bath - 7. kiwi - 8. emblem - 9. Maori - 10. a native - 11. to resemble -	ледник, глетчер фиорд вулкан горячий источник гейзер грязевая ванна киви символ, эмблема Маори (племя) уроженец, туземец быть похожим

Exercise 2. Read and translate the text.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand is situated in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, about 2000 kilometres south-east of Australia. It consists of three large islands separated from each other with the Cook Strait, the Steward Island in the south and a number of small islands. The territory of the country is 269 thousand square kilometres. The population is about 3 million people. The capital is Wellington.

New Zealand was opened by Tasman, a Dutch navigator, in 1642. From 1760 British ships began trading with Maoris, the natives of the island. Broad colonization of New Zealand by the British began by buying lands for nothing and driving the Maoris from good lands to reservation. In 1840 New Zealand became a British colony, in 1907 - a British dominion.

New Zealand is a mountainous country. Glaciers, fiords, pristine mountain lakes, hot springs, geysers, mud baths make the beauty of the country. Thanks to it thousands of tourists come to New Zealand all year round and tourism has become one of main sources of income. The climate of New Zealand is warm. The North of the country is subtropical, but it is not very hot. On the whole, climate is favourable for farming. New Zealand is rich in forests of evergreen trees. There are very few native animals. The kiwi, a bird which does not fly, is found nowhere but in New Zealand and it has become the national emblem of the country.

Due to its favourable climate, the leading branch of New Zealand's economy is agriculture. Both farming and cattle breeding are well developed. New Zealand produces meat, butter, wheat, fruit, vegetables, much of which is exported to different countries of the world, but mainly to Great Britain. One of the main exports is timber. New Zealand has close trade contacts with Great Britain. About 40% of the country's exports and imports come or go to England. The cities and towns of the country resemble very much those of England and people very often call the country «The Britain of the Pacific».

Like Canada and Australia, New Zealand is a self-governing state and a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. According to its Constitution, it is headed by the Queen of England. But in practice the governor only represents the Queen of England and the country is ruled by the Cabinet with the Prime Minister at the head.

Exercise 3. Answer the following comprehension questions.

Where is New Zealand situated?

What makes the beauty of the country?

What is the climate favourable for?

What is the national emblem and when?

Who opened New Zealand?

What is the native population of New Zealand?

When did New Zealand become a British dominion?

What is the leading branch of the country's economy?

What is the population?

What is the capital of New Zealand?

Exercise 4. Agree or disagree with the following statements, using clichйs for expressing agreement / disagreement.

New Zealand occupies south-eastern part of Australian continent.

New Zealand is mostly a plain.

The country is rich in hot springs, geysers, mud baths.

The climate of New Zealand is extremely hot and that is why it is not favourable for agriculture.

New Zealand became a Dutch dominion, after it was opened by a Dutch navigator in 1642.

When broad colonization began in 1840, the natives (Maoris) were driven from good lands to reservations.

The leading branch of New Zealand's economy is tourism.

New Zealand is a small country with population of only 3 million people.

Like Canada and Australia, New Zealand is a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Exercise 5. Retell the text, using as a plan questions from exercise 3.

Exercise 6. Explain:

Why people call New Zealand “Britain of the Pacific”.

Why the climate of New Zealand is considered to be favourable for farming.

Why the largest percent of the country's exports and imports come from or go to Britain.

Why tourism is one of the sources of state's income.

Exercise 7. Compare:

the territory	of New Zealand	and	Canada
climate			Australia
economy			the USA
population			Great Britain
political system			Russia

Exercise 8. Put 5 questions to each of the texts beginning with:

-Can I ask you…

-Do you know (remember)…

-Could you explain…

-I wonder if…

-I'd like to…

-Would you tell me…(remind)

-It is interesting to know…

Exercise 9. Make up dialogues according to the following situations:

You both have a chance to live and to work for a while in one of the countries of the British Commonwealth. One of you prefers to go to New Zealand, another one - to Canada. The task is to convince the opponent to go with you.

Two students are trying to find out what is common and what is different in the history, geography, economy, political system of Canada and Australia.

One of you is a producer, making a film about the beauties of nature for TV programme «Around the world». So, he has to choose only two countries out of the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. He has not yet made up his mind, he goes to his friend, an experienced traveller to ask for advice. What will they speak about?

Topic 14

ECOLOGY

What kind of planet will our children inherit?

Will they have room to room, air to breathe and food to eat? Will they ever see an eagle flying free or enjoy the solitude of a pristine mountain lake?

Exercise 1. Study the new words and word-combinations.

1.	pollution - to pollute -	загрязнение загрязнять
2.	environment -	окружающая среда
3.	to poison -	отравлять
4.	chemicals -	химикаты
5.	to damage -	повреждать
6.	fertilizers -	удобрения
7.	pesticides -	пестициды
8.	surrounding -	окружение
9.	stinky -	вонючий
10.	bad breath -	выхлопные газы
11.	furnishings -	мебель
12.	tough -	строгий
13.	law -	закон
14	to install filter -	установить фильтр
15.	renewable -	возобновляемый
16.	industrial wastes -	промышленные отходы
17.	wasters -	отходы
18.	to dump -	выбрасывать
19.	to discharge -	выбрасывать
20.	thermal pollution -	термическое загрязнение
21.	drinking water supplies -	запасы питьевой воды
22.	recreation -	отдых
23.	cleansing equipment -	очистительное оборудование
24.	litter - to litter -	мусор мусорить
25.	trash, garbage -	мусор, отходы
26.	to recycle -	перерабатывать
27.	ozone depletion -	озоновая дыра
28.	green house effect -	парниковый эффект
29.	deforestation -	вырубка лесов
30.	sulphate -	сульфат
31.	to puff -	дуть порывами
32.	acid rain -	кислотный дождь
33.	to harm -	причинять вред

Exercise 2.

Do you happen to know that St. Paul's Cathedral in London had a crust about 3 centimeters because during more than 300 years London had been producing very much smoke and dirt. It is a good historical example of how air pollution can damage property or building, isn't it? Can you imagine what buildings will look like in short time if we don't stop pollution?

a) Read the first paragraph of the text and say what it is about.

b) Read the rest part of the text attentively, learn about the main sources of pollution and find out how people are solving this problem.

POLLUTION SOLUTIONS

Environmental pollution is one of the most serious problems today. People dirty the air with gases and smoke, poison the water with chemicals and other substances, damage the soil with too many fertilizers and pesticides. Nearly everybody causes environmental pollution. People pollute their surroundings in different ways.

Worldwide, air pollution problem has grown immensely. More and more factories, plants, motor vehicles add their bad breath to the air. Harmful gases also come from the materials the buildings are made of as well as the furnishing. Meanwhile, when we burn coal and oil for energy we also cause air pollution.

Air pollution has already led to great atmosphere changes, such as ozone depletion, greenhouse effect. If it is not stopped, all the smoke, fumes and exhaust will eventually change the earth's climate. Moreover air pollution can cause health problems and even death. But the battle against it is also growing. Governments are making tougher laws against air pollution, requiring business and individuals to stop, or cut down, certain polluting activities, to install extra filters in enterprises. Scientists are trying to invent cars that pollute less. Little by little we are getting more and more energy from the sun and the wind, which is clean and renewable.

People try to reduce water pollution too. There are three main sources of water pollution: industrial wastes, sewage, agricultural chemicals and wastes.

The real threats to rivers, lakes and the oceans are factories and plants. Often companies dump chemical wastes into water and pollute it. Chemicals called sulphates puff out of coal-burning factories around the world. When the sulphates mix with clouds, acid rain falls and harms lakes, rivers and plants. Some industries discharge hot water, used to cool equipment, into a river or a lake and cause thermal pollution.

Water is also pollutes by sewage, which consists of animal and human wastes and garbage when it goes untreated directly into waterways or the ocean.

Farmers spray a lot of chemicals on crops to protect them again pests. Water from rain or melted snow flows from farm land into streams and carries chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Animal wastes also may cause water pollution, particularly from feed lots with large numbers of animals. Much of their wastes runs off into nearby steams. Water used for irrigation also may be polluted by salt, agricultural pesticides, and toxic chemicals on the soil surface before it flows back into the ground.

As a result of water pollution, lakes, rivers and even whole seas have been turned into sewers. The seashores look like a mess, littered with garbage. Water pollution is threatening drinking water supplies and can spread many diseases. It prevents people from using water for many of the world's fish species are already starting to die.

People are trying to solve the problem in various ways. Companies install cleansing equipment to remove harmful chemicals before dumping the wastes into water. People are building sewage treatment plants to clean water. Governments are helping farmers find ways to protect crops without using many pesticides.

Soil pollution is the most pressing environmental problem. People ruin the beauty of the land by littering on the land. In the USA each person throws away about four pounds (1,8 kg) of trash daily. About 1/3 of this waste comes from packaging. As a result of deforestation the world has lost 200 million hectares of trees since 1972.

Pollution of soil reduces the amount of land that is available for growing food. Farmers have lost nearly 500 tons of topsoil. In addition pollution brings ugliness to our beautiful land.

But lots of cities have begun recycling project. People are trying to ease the problem by returning garbage to the market as part of new products. Recycled newspapers, metal containers, and many other recycled products are widely used today. Some companies have begun to use less packaging. But the most effective way to stop soil pollution is to throw away less trash.

Exercise 3. Answer the following comprehension questions.

1. Why is environmental pollution considered to be a serious problem?

2. What are the main sources of air pollution?

3. What is the effect of air pollution on climate?

4. What measures do governments take to reduce air pollution?

5. How can we get clean and renewable energy?

6. What are three main sources of water pollution?

7. In what way do companies and enterprises pollute water?

8. What is acid rain?

9. What causes thermal pollution?

10. What is the effect of farmers' activities on environment?

11. What do seashores look like?

12. What changes can water pollution lead to?

13. How do people try to solve the problem of water pollution?

14. What is soil pollution?

15. How much trash daily do people throw in the USA?

...