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RUSSIA

Russia (the official name – the Russian Federation) is the largest country in the world. The country is situated both in Europe and Asia. Its total area is over 17 mln. sq. km.

Our land is washed by 12 seas, most of which are the seas of 3 oceans: the Arctic, the Atlantic and the Pacific. In the south and in the west the country borders on 14 states. It also has a sea-border with the USA.

The country has a great variety of flora and fauna. There are numerous forests, plains and steppes, taiga and tundra, highlands and deserts in our land. The highest mountains are the Altai, the Urals, and the Caucasus. There are over 2 mln. rivers in the Russian Federation. The longest of them are the Volga, the Ob, the Yenisei, the Lena and the Amur. Our land is also rich in various lakes. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world.

On the Russian territory there are 11 time zones. The climate conditions are rather different: from arctic and mild – to Continental and subtropical. Our country is one of the richest in natural resources countries in the world: oil, natural gas, coal, different ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and other minerals. It is one of the highly developed agro-industrial powers in the world. The main industrial branches are machine-building, aircraft, aerospace, automobile, textile, chemical and others.

The Russian Federation is a multinational state. It comprises many national districts, several autonomous republics and regions. The population of the country is about 150 mln. More than 100 different nations and nationalities live in the Russian Federation.

Moscow is the capital of our Motherland. Its population is over 10 mln. people. It is the largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial center of the country and one of the most beautiful cities. Russian is the official language of the state. The national symbols of the Russian Federation are the state white-blue-red flag and 2- headed Eagle.

The Russian Federation is a constitutional state headed by the President. The country government consists of 3 branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The legislative power belongs to the Council of Federation (upper chamber) and the State Duma (lower chamber). Each chamber is headed by the Speaker.

The executive power belongs to the Government (the Cabinet of Ministers) headed by the Prime Minister. The judicial power belongs to the system of Courts comprising the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and federal courts.

Our country has a multiparty system. The foreign policy of the Russian Federation is that of international cooperation, peace and friendship with all nations of the Globe irrespective of their political and social systems.

 

2. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. Where is Russia situated? 2. What oceans is our land washed by? 3. What country does it have a sea-border with? 4. Does the country have a great variety of flora and fauna? 5. What are the highest mountains of Russia? 6. How many rivers are there in Russia? 7. Which is the longest river in it? 8. What do you know about Lake Baikal? 9. Is our country rich in natural resources? 10. What is the climate like in Russia? 11. What is the population of Russia? 12. What is the official language of the state? 13. Whom is the Russian Federation headed by? 14. What three branches does the country government consist? 15. What powers does each of them have?

 

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MOSCOW

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded 8 centuries ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky.

Now Moscow is one of the largest cities in Europe. Its total area is about nine hundred square kilometres (ancient Moscow occupied the territory of the present-day Kremlin). The population of the city is over 10 million.

Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The heart of Moscow is Red Square. It has more historic associations than any other place in Moscow. The Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral (Vasily Blazheny) are masterpieces of ancient Russian architecture. The main Kremlin tower, the Spasskaya Tower, has become the symbol of the country. On the territory of the Kremlin you can see old cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Tzar-Cannon and the Tzar-Bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world.

There are a lot of beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow.

There are more than 100 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. Other unique museums in Moscow include the All-Russia Museum of Folk Arts, the Andrei Rublev Museum of Early Russian Art, Alexei Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, Mikhail Glinka Museum of Musical Culture and many others.

Moscow is famous for its theatres. The best-known of them is the Bolshoi Opera House. Drama theatres and studios are also very popular.

Moscow is a city of students. There are over 100 higher educational institutions in it.

 

4. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. When was Moscow founded? 2. What is the total area of modern Moscow? 3. What's the population of the capital? 5. What places of interest in the centre of Moscow do you know? 6. What can you see on the territory of the Kremlin? 7. What are the most famous Moscow museums? (art galleries?) 8. What theatres in Moscow do you know?

 

5. Узнайте новые факты о Москве:

1.... Tverskaya Street is the longest street in Moscow.

2. … New Arbat Avenue is the widest avenue in Moscow.

3.... The new building of Moscow University is the highest in Moscow.

4.... The State Department Store is the most modern department store in Moscow.

5. … The Pushkin Theatre is the best theatre in the capital

 

6. Вы действительно хорошо знаете Москву? Можете ответить на эти вопросы?

1. What's the longest/widest/shortest street in Moscow?

2. What's the smallest/largest/oldest square in Moscow?

Если не можете ответить на эти вопросы, прочитайте текст и найдите ответы. Перескажите текст:

The longest street in Moscow is Leninsky Prospect (15 km long), the widest-Leningradsky Prospect (120 m wide) and the largest square, Red Square, has an area of 75,000 square metres. The short­est street in Moscow, Venetzianov St., is 48 metres long, and the smallest square, Birzhevaya Square (2,500 sq.m.) is next to Red Square. The Kremlin's Sobornaya Square is the oldest one in Moscow.