New Election Guessing Games as Putin Names PM

President Vladimir Putin accepted Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov's resignation on Wednesday, immediately naming the obscure Viktor Zubkov to take his place in a surprise move that set off a new round of guessing games on who would succeed President Putin in 2008.

In a televised meeting with the President Wednesday, Fradkov submitted his resignation in order to facilitate the process of forming a new government for the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. Putin commended him for an outstanding job in office and went on to agree with his decision to resign. According to the Russian constitution, Putin had two weeks to choose a new prime minister who would then be approved by parliament. But Putin's choice was made just hours after the resignation.

"It's better to make certain cadre decisions now, to take certain steps in modernizing the government system to avoid faults connected to major changes," RIA Novosti quoted Putin as saying on Thursday, "but also to show the development vector, the structure of administrational and executive power in the period after the elections." Although his candidacy has yet to be approved at a Duma session Friday, Zubkov has already announced plans. "The government structure is not very effective," he told journalists Thursday. "That is why structural changes are inevitable."

In initial reports, politicians and experts agreed that whoever headed the new cabinet was the likeliest figure to succeed the President. In this context, Putin was expected to name first vice Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, who has long stood out as one of the likely successors, to the post of Prime Minister.

 

КОНТРОЛЬНАЯ РАБОТА

ВАРИАНТ 3

Задание 1.

 

LONDON

Choose the right variant.

London, the capital city of England and the 1._______, is situated upon both banks of 2. _____River Thames. It is the 3.________ city in Britain and one of the largest in the world. Its population is about 4. _______ people.

London is a cosmopolitan, multicultural city. Every 5. _________ Londoner was born outside Britain. London is a big 6. ________ and the most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre.

London is divided 7. _______ three main parts: the City, the West End and the East End.

The City extends over an area of about 2.6 square kilometres in the 8. ________ of London. About half a million people 9. _______ in the City but only less than 6000 10. ______ here. It is the 11. _____________ centre of the UK with many banks, offices and the Stock Exchange. But the City is also a market for goods of almost every kind, from all parts of the world.

12. _________ can be called the centre of London. Here are the historical palaces as well as the famous parks. 13. _________ with its Speaker's Corner is also here. Among other parks are Kensington Gardens, St. James's Park. In the West End there is Buckingham Palace, the Queen's 14. ________, and the Palace of Westminster, the seat of 15. ___________.

The best-known streets here are Whitehall with important Government offices, 16. _________ Street, the London residence of the Prime Minister and the place where the Cabinet 17. __________, Fleet Street where most 18._________ had their offices until 1980ies, Harley Street where the highest- 19.________ doctors live, and some others.

The name 20. __________ came to be associated with wealth, luxury, and goods of high quality. It is the area of the largest department stores, cinemas and hotels. There are over 40 theatres, several concert halls, many museums including 21. the___________, and the best art galleries. It is in the West End that the University of London is centred with Bloomsbury as London's student 22. ___________.

The port of London is to the 23. ________ of the City. This is the East End of London, the district for the 24. _________ people; it contains some of the 25. __________ areas in the United Kingdom. There are many factories and workshops there. It abounds 26. ______ legend, sentimentality and cockneys.

 

1.	a. Wales	b. United Kingdom	c. Scotland	d. Britain
2.	a. the	b. a	c. an	d. -
3.	a. smallest	b. smaller	c. larger	d. largest
4.	a. 10 million	b. 27 million	c. 17 million	d. 7 million
5.	a. forth	b. fifth	c. sixth	d. seventh
6.	a. harbour	b. docks	c. port	d. coast
7.	a. into	b. on	c. by	d. with
8.	a. hand	b. foot	c. heart	d. head
9.	a. work	b. live	c. walk	d. visit
10.	a. work	b. live	c. walk	d. visit
11.	a. cultural	b. educational	c. entertaining	d. financial
12.	a. The City	b. The West End	c. The East End	d. Westminster
13.	a. Kew Gardens	b. Kensington Gardens	c. Hyde Park	d. St. James's Park
14.	a. residence	b. palace	c. church	d. museum
15.	a. Ministry	b. government	c. Senate	d. Parliament
16.	a. Ministry	b. Governing	c. Downing	d. Priming
17.	a. meets	b. meet	c. met	d. is meeting
18.	a. radio	b. newspapers	c. television	d. magazines
19.	a. paid	b. esteemed	c. educated	d. qualified
20.	a. 'East End'	b. 'West End'	c. 'City'	d. 'Westminster'
21.	a. Tate Gallery	b. British Museum	c. Tower of London	d. Royal Albert Hall
22.	a. hostel	b. institution	c. place	d. quarter
23.	a. west	b. north	c. south	d. east
24.	a. working	b. prosperous	c. operating	d. employees
25.	a. richest	b. busiest	c. poorest	d. idlest
26.	a. of	b. by	c. with	d. on