Russia has one-sixth of the world's forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.

On the vast territory of the country there arc various types of climate, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is temper­ate and continental.

Russia is very rich in oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel and other mineral resources.

Russia is a parliamentary republic. The Head of State is the President. The legislative powers are exercised by the Duma.

The capital of Russia is Moscow. It is its largest political, scientific, cultural and in­dustrial centre. It is one of the oldest Russian cities.

At present, the political and economic situation in the country is rather complicated. There are a lot of problems in the national economy of the Russian Federation. The in­dustrial production is decreasing. The prices are constantly rising, the rate of inflation is very high. People are losing their jobs because many factories and plants are going bank­rupt.

 

But in spite of the problems Russia is facing at present, there are a lot of opportunities for this country to become one of the leading countries in the world. I'm sure that we, the younger generation, can do very much to make Russia as strong and powerful as it used to be.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The poisoning of the world's land, air, and water is the fastest-spreading disease of civilisation. It probably produces fewer headlines than wars, earthquakes and floods, but it is potentially one of history's greatest dangers to human life on earth. If present trends continue for the next several decades, our planet will become uninhabitable.

Overpopulation, pollution and energy consumption have creatcd such planet-wide problems as massive deforestation, ozone depletion, acid rains and the global wanning that is believed to be caused by the greenhouse effect.

The seas are in danger. They are filled wilh poison: industrial and nuclear waste, chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The Mediterranean is already nearly dead; the North Sea is following. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. If nothing is done about it, one day nothing will be able to live in the seas.

Every ten minutes one kind of animal, plant or insect dies out foc-ever. If nothing is done about it, one million species that are alive today will have become extinct twenty years from now.

Air pollution is a very serious problem. In Cairo just breathing the air is life threaten­ing — equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. The same holds true for Mexico City and 600 cities of the former Soviet Union.

Industrial enterprises emit tons of harmful substances. These emissions have disas­trous consequences for our planet. They are the main reason for the greenhouse effect and acid rains.

An even greater environmental threat are nuclear power stations. We all know how tragic the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are.

People are beginning to realise that environmental problems are not somebody else's. They join and support various international organisations and green parties. If govern­ments wake up to what is happening — perhaps we'll be able to avoid the disaster that threatens the natural world and all of us with it.

 

HOLIDAYS IN GREAT BRITAIN

There are fewer public holidays in Great Britain than in other European countries.

They are: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday and Summer Bank Holiday. Public holidays in Britain are called bank holidays, because the banks as well as most of the offices and shops are closed.

The most popular holiday is Christmas. Every year the people of Norway give the city of London a present. It's a big Christmas tree and it stands in Trafalgar Square. Central streets are beautifully decorated.

Before Christmas, groups of singers go from house to house. They collect money for charity and sing carols, traditional Christmas songs. Many churches hold a carol service on the Sunday before Christmas.

The fun starts the night before, on the 24th of December. Traditionally this is the day when people decorate their trees. Children hang stockings at the end of their beds, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and fill them with toys and sweets.

Christmas is a family holiday. Relatives usually meet for the big Christmas dinner of turkey and Christmas pudding. And everyone gives and receives presents. The 26th of December, Boxing Day, is an extra holiday after Christmas Day. This is the time to visit friends and relatives or perhaps sit at home and watch football.

New Year's Day is less popular in Britain than Christmas. But in Scotland, Hog­manay is the biggest festival of the year.

Besides public holidays there are some special festivals in Great Britain. One of than takes place on the 5th of November. On that day, in 1605, Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I. He didn't succeed. The King's men found the bomb, took Guy Fawkes to the Tower and cut off his head.

Since that day the British celebrate the 5th of November. They bum a dummy, made of straw and old clothes, on a bonfire and lot off fireworks. This dummy is called a "guy" (like Guy Fawkes) and children can often be seen in the streets before the 5th of Novem­ber saying, "Penny for the guy." If they collect enough money they can buy some fire­works.

There are also smaller, local festivals in Britain.

 

 

HOLIDAYS IN RUSSIA

There are many national holidays in Russia, when people all over (he country do not work and have special celebrations.

The major holidays arc: New Year's Day, Women's Day, May Day, Victory Day, and Independence Day.

The first holiday of the year is New Year's Day. People see the new year in at mid­night on the 31st of December. They greet the new year with champagne and listen to the Kremlin chimes beating 12 o'clock.

There are lots of New Year traditions in Russia. In every home there is a New Year tree glittering with coloured lights and decorations. Children always wait for Father Frost to comc and give them a present. Many people consider New Year's Day to be a family holiday. But the young prefer to have New Year parties of their own.

A renewed holiday in our country is Christmas. It is celebrated on the 7th of January. It's a religious holiday and a lot of people go to church services on that day.

On the 8th of March we celebrate Women's Day when men are supposed to do every­thing about the house and cook all the meals.

The greatest national holiday in our country is Victory Day. On the 9th of May, 1945, the Soviet Army and its allies completely defeated the German fascists and the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War ended. This year we celebrated the 50th anniver­sary of this great event. A magnificent memorial on Poklonnaya Gora has been built to commemorate the Victory. Many veterans look part in the military parade and laid wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. All stood in silence for a minute. Radio and television broadcast popular war songs all day long. A lot of guests from different countries of the world came to Moscow to participate in the celebrations.

Independence Day is a new holiday in our country. On the 12th of June, 1992, the first President of Russia was elected.

We also celebrate Day of the Defender of Motherland on the 23d of February^ Easter, Day of Knowledge and lots of professional holidays which are not public holi­days and banks, offices and schools do not clos

 

HO LID A YS IN THE USA

American holidays are strikingly different in origin and show surprising similarities in the manner of their celebration. No matter what the holiday's origin is, they all seem to be the same tiling. A holiday has simply become, for most Americans, a day off from work, though some (for example, Thanksgiving and Christmas) retain some individuality.

The major holidays in the USA are:

New Year's Day, January, 1st:

People stay awake until after midnight on December 31st to "watch the Old Year out and the New Year in." Many parties are given on this night. Theatres, night clubs, res­taurants are crowded.

When midnight comes, they greet the New Year: people gather in the streets of big cities, they ring bells, blow whistles and automobile homs, some shoot off guns and Fire­crackers.

Valentine's Day, February, 14:

It is not a national holiday. Banks and offices do not close, but it is a happy little fes­tival in honour of St Valentine, patron of sweethearts and lovers. It is widely celebrated among people of all ages by the exchange of "valentines." A "valentine" may mean a special greeting card or a little present. The greeting cards are often coloured red, have red trimmings and pictures of hearts.

Washington's Birthday, February, 22:

In addition to commemorating the birth of the United States' first President, it's a great day for shoppers. The department stores of Washington, D.C., stated a national tradition of sales marked by unusual bargains.