pyramids", brought the country to an overwhelming financial crisis in August 1998. That crisis has set our country back five years. Only now is Russia's economy regaining the level it reached previously.
Russia's Foreign Policy ( Внеш
няя политика
России )
As is well known, in recent years substantial changes have taken place in Russia's Foreign policy. Compared to Soviet times, its recent policy reflects a very positive evolution. It is now characterised by a more balanced perception of "West" and "East
” indeed, the tenor of Russia's Foreign policy now corresponds better to what is in national interests.
In the wake of the collapse of the USSR, Russia's government prioritised democratic reforms and the creating of a market-orie
nted economy. The shaping of its foreign policy followed thereafter. Most significant among changes in its foreign policy, both then and now, has been the development of cooperation within the framework of "the CIS".
When the Soviet Union disintegrated,
Russia attempted to re-establish links between the former "Republics". An Agreement was signed on 8 December 1991 in the Belovezhsky Forest, Viskuli (seat of the Belorussian Government) Ч
by the leaders of Belarus, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation Ч instituting a "Commonwealth of Independent States". That Commonwealth now includes Ч all on an equal footing Ч
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Moldova, Russia, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. The CIS Interparli
amentary Assembly is based in St. Petersburg. The States jointly resolve economic issues, as well as questions relating to security, counter-terrorism and measures against extremists.
Equally important Is Russia's foreign policy in regard to Western Eu
rope. The Soviet Union remained in a state of "cold war" with Western Europe and the United States for a considerable time. Over the past ten years our country has endeavoured to reciprocate the respect accorded us by Western countries and to conduct a di
a
logue with them. For example, the Russia-European Union "Paris Summit" adopted a Joint Declaration for increasing dialogue and cooperation in Europe on political issues and questions of security in Europe, The European Union is undoubtedly a promising par
tner for Russia Ч
partnership is indeed now the characteristic of our relations with principal European countries. An Agreement on partnership and cooperation between Russia and the European Union has been set in motion. Preparation of major projects for ec
onomic cooperation is under way, including the field of safety in the power-generating industry.
Relations with the United States are attuned to long-term interests in particular. Russo-American "summit" meetings aim to promote constructive and mutually
-beneficial bilateral relations and the strengthening of Russo-American coopera-tion on international questions. These include disarmament, non-proliferation, joint action to combat terrorism, as well as the extension of bilateral cooperation in various s
ectors Ч for example Russia joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The "Shanghai Forum" was set up in 1996 Ч otherwise known as the "Shanghai Five". The leaders of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia and Tadjikistan signed a joint declaration, iden
tifying spheres of cooperation under the aegis of this organisation. Not many years later Uzbekistan joined this grouping.
Leaders of the "Shanghai forum" hold meetings at regular intervals to settle topical matters relating to mutual trust in the milit
ary field in frontier regions, mutual arms and force reductions in frontier regions also, and the extention of cooperation in regional security and also of commercial and economic interaction.
The guiding principle of Russia's foreign policy at the pres
ent time has been enunciated by President Vladimir Putin as follows: "Clear delineation of our national priorities, pragmatism, and economic efficiency."
Saint Petersburg
St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautifu
l cities in the world. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the "Window on Europe St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia from 1712 till 1918.
The city was built on the swampy land at the mouth of the River Neva. Prominent European and Russian architects worked here. The new capital grew rapidly in wealth and beauty.
When World War I began in 1914, the German-sounding name St. Petersburg was changed to Petrograd. After the October Revolution the city was renamed in honour of Lenin. In 1991 th
e old name of St. Petersburg was returned to the city.
During the Great Patriotic War the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to it in 1941, and for the next two years and a half the city was cut off from the rest of the country. No
food could be brought in, and people died of starvation. Daily shelling and air raids destroyed parts of the city. Thousands of people were killed. Rebuilding took years.
Now St. Petersburg is an industrial, cultural and scientific centre. There are ov
er 80 museums, more than 20 theatres, a lot of exhibitions, clubs, universities, colleges, schools and parks. The Alexandrinski Drama Theatre, the Bolshoi Drama Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet are pearls of the Russian art.
In St. Pet
ersburg there are a lot of parks and gardens where citizens spend their free time. The Summer Garden is the oldest and most fascinating park. Rare trees, bushes and flowers grow there. Beautiful marble statues made by Italian sculptors and a famous cast i
ron grille decorate the Summer Garden. There is a bronze monument to the prominent Russian writer of fables Ivan Krylov (by sculptor Klodt) in the Summer Garden.
St. Petersburg is famous for its magnificent architectural ensembles of the 18th and 19th ce
nturies. The city began with the Peter and Paul Portress built to protect the Neva banks from Swedish invasion. Later Domeniko Trezzini, the famous Swiss architect, reconstructed the fortress. It became a prison. Now it is a museum. Trezzini erected the P
eter and Paul Cathedral here, and Russian tsars were buried in it.
The most famous square in the city is the Palace Square with its magnificent ensemble. Here one can see the Winter Palace built by Rastrelli. Till the revolution it was the residence of t
he Russian csars. Now the Winter Palace and four other buildings are occupied by the Hermitage, one of the oldest art museums in Russia. There one can see masterpieces of outstanding artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Velazquez and other uniq
ue works of art.
The Russian Museum is located in the Mikhailovsky Palace, designed by Rossi. Marvellous paintings by the famous Russian artists: Tropinin, Repin, Bryullov, Fedotov, Surikov, Serov; the works of sculptors: Rastrelli, Shubin, Antokolsky are exhibited here.
The streets and squares in St. Petersburg are very beautiful. Nevsky Prospect is the main street of the city, where there are amazing buildings, shops, hotels and the remarkable Kazan Cathedral (by Voronikhin) with a colonnade and monu
ments to M. Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly. Here in the prospect one can see the magnificent building of the Admiralty (by Zakharov) and the ensemble of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Famous Russian writers, painters, composers and actors were buried in the La
vra.
Majestic palaces, cathedrals, churches and other buildings, built by famous architects, such as: palaces of Stroganov, Menshikov, Anichkov, and St. Isaac's Cathedral, erected by Montferrand, decorate St. Petersburg.
The city is often called the Venice of the North because there are 65 rivers and canals with artistically decorated cast iron bridges. One of the most beautiful is the Anichkov Bridge.
Citizens and tourists enjoy visiting the suburbs of St Petersburg: Petergof, Pushkin, Pavlovsk with their wonderful palaces, parks and fountains.
St. Petersburg inspired many of our great poets, writers, painters, sculptors, composers and actors. Much of the life and work of Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky, Repin and Kramskoi was connected with the city.
3. Выдающиеся люди России
Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765) (1) Михаил Ломоносов
Mikhail Lomonosov is the father of the Russian science and one of the most famous universities in the world.
Lomonosov was born in 1711 in Arkhangelsk province. He be
gan to read when he was a little boy. He always wanted to study and when he was nineteen he went to Moscow. He entered the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy and six years later, in 1736, he was sent abroad to complete his studies in Chemistry and mining. Lomonos
ov worked hard and became a great scientist. He was the first Russian academician; Lomonosov
opened the first Russian chemistry lab. He was a physicist, a painter, an astronomer, a geographer, a historian and a statesman. In 1755 Mikhail Lomonosov
founded Moscow University which is now Moscow State University named after him. Mikhail made research in electricity, gravity and the character of colour.
Lomonosov was also the author of many odes and poems. He also published a lot of scientific works, including the first book on Russian grammar.
Lomonosov died in 1765 but people still remember him.
================================
Mikhail Lomonosov (2)
Mikhail Lomonosov was born in 1711 in the family of a fisherman in the northern coastal village of Denisovka
not far from Archangelsk. When he was ten years of age his father began to take him sea fishing. The dangerous life of a fisherman forced him to observe the natural phenomena more closely. During the long winter nights young Lomonosov studied his letters
,
grammar and arithmetic diligently. Being the son of a peasant, he was refused admission to the local school. After some years, through concealing his peasant origin, he gained admission to the Slavonic-Greek-Latin Academy and for five years lived a hand-
t
o-mouth existence on three kopecks a day. The noblemen's sons studying with him made fun of the twenty-year-old giant who, in spite of the jeers and his own poverty, made rapid progress. After five years came the chance of entering the Academy of Sciences
,
as there were not enough noble-born students to fill the quota. His ability and diligence attracted the attention of the professors and as one of three best students he was sent abroad. He spent all the time there studying the works of leading European s
c
ientists in chemistry, metallurgy, mining and mathematics. On his return to Russia in 1745 he was made a professor and was the first Russian scientist to become a member of the Academy of Sciences. For versatility Lomonosov has no equal in Russian science
.
Many of his ideas and discoveries only won recognition in the nineteenth century. He was the first to discover the vegetable origin of coal, for instance, and as a poet and scientist he played a great role in the formation of Russian literary language, e
liminating distortions and unnecessary foreign words. He died in 1765. His living memorial is the Moscow University, which he founded in 1755.
Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) Александр
Пушкин
Alexander Pushkin is one of the most outstanding Russians. He was the greatest Russian poet and writer.
Pushkin
devoted his life to writing poems. The young Alexander's first poems appeared when he was fifteen, and by the time he left school he was regarded as a rival by the literary leaders of that time.
Pushkin was the first poet who touched problems that were important for Russia and its people. Because of that he was sent to exile a few times.
Pushkin wrote a lot of poems and novels. Among his famous ones are: Eugenij Onegin, Ruslan and Lyudmila and others. Children
like to read his fairy tales and watch wonderful cartoons based on them. When I was a child I read all the fairy tales by this talented poet. First my grandmother read them for me, but then when 1 learnt to read, I read his tales myself. Most of
Pushkin's best works are studied at school. There is a statue to Pushkin
in Moscow at Pushkin
Square Young and old people gather by the statue, read poems and just meet friends.
Pushkin is respected not only in Russia, but all over the world. His novels and poe
ms have been translated into many languages and arc enjoyed by foreigners.
Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) Юрий Гагарин
Yuri Gagarin was the first spaceman in the world. Born in 1934, young Gagarin
was a very curious and clever boy. Since childhood Yuri was interested in planes and made toy planes himself.
After the War the Gagarins
moved to another city and Yuri entered a vocational school in a small town near Moscow. He attended an aero club and started flying. After finishing a school for pilots Gagarin
joined the first group of spacemen. On the 12-th of April, 1961, Yuri Gagarin
flew into space and spend more than one hour there. He was the first man in the world who flew into space on board a spaceship. After the successful landing Yuri Gagarin
became a national hero. He died in 1968, but people all over the world still remember the first Russian spaceman.
Evgenij Pluschenko Евгений Плю
щенко
Pluschenko was sent to the ice-rink by his mother at the age of four. His mother liked figure skating and ha
d some friends at the rink. When Evgenij was 11, his ice-rink in Volgograd closed, and the boy left his home and moved alone to St. Petersburg to train. His mother came to Petersburg later, while his father and elder sister stayed in Volgograd.
Pluschenko
is one of the few male skaters to perform great spins and jumps. At the age of 16, Evgenij was the youngest male skater to receive the perfect score of 6.0. Pluschenko's
parents never watch him compete live, even when competitions took place at home. Pluschenko
withdrew from the 2005 World Championship after the short program because of injury. He underwent surgery in Munich, Germany in spring 2005.
On June 18, 2005, Pluschenko
married Maria Yermak. His wife studies sociology at the University of St. Petersburg. They met in 2004 when Pluschenko
, driving in St. Petersburg, noticed her in a convertible and decided to follow her.
At the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, Pluschenko
skated two brilliant programs, and became the Olympic champion. Looking to the future Pluschenko
will be doing some skating tours, including Champions on Ice.
4. Англоговорящие с
траны
Great Britain
(1)
I would like to tell you about Great Britain .
The official name of the country is The United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland. The country H situated in the north-west of Europe and consists of two large islands, Great Britain
and the Isle of Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. There are four regions in the U К : England, Wales, Scotland an
d Northern Ireland. The country is washed by the North Sea in the north, the Irish Sea in the west and the English Channel in the south. The English Channel separates Great Britain from France.
The climate of the country is humid and oceanic because of
the small size, of the country and the surrounding water. The English weather changes very often. It is not very cold in winters and not very hot in summers.
Great Britain has a lot of rivers and lakes. The most important river is the Thames which flows
into the North Sea. The longest river is the Severn. The Lake District in the west is the most beautiful region on the British Isles. Famous British poets wrote their poems about the Lake District because of its beauty. The most famous lake is the Loch N
ess. There is a legend that Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, lives in it.
The United Kingdom has a lot of industrial cities like Manchester and Birmingham and educational cities like Cambridge and Oxford. The two world famous universities, Cambridge Unive
rsity and Oxford University, are situated there.
Every region of Great Britain has its own administrative centre and the symbol.
England is the biggest region in the country. The symbol of England is the Red Rose. London is the capital of England and Great Britain
. London is one of the biggest and most expensive cities in the world situated on the river Thames.
The symbol of Scotland is the thistle. Edinburgh is the administrative centre of the region. Scotland is a mountainous area. Ben Nevis, the highest peak of
Great Britain
, is situated there. The administrative centre of Wales is Cardiff and the symbol of the region is the daffodil. Belfast it the capital of Northern Ireland and the shamrock is its symbol.
The flag of Great Britain is called
the Union Jack, ft has three crosses on the dark blue background. The currency of the country is the pound which consists of a hundred pence.
Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen as the Head of the state.
The legislative body of
the country is British Parliament consisting of two houses: The House of Lords and the House of Commons. The head of the government is Prime Minister. The two main political parties of English Parliament are: the Labour Party (which is the leading democr
atic party) and the Tory (the conservative party).
Great Britain
is famous for its great poets and writes such as William Shakespeare, Walter Scott, Arthur Conan Doyle and others. The Beatles rock group was born in England.
English people are famous for their love for gardening. Many of them live in small houses surrounded by beautiful green gardens.
English food does not vary much. The only dish that can be called traditional is fish and chips (fried fish with French fries). English people like goi
ng to pubs where they can have a snack and drink a pint of beer.
Great Britain is wonderful country. I would love to go there one day.
===================================
Great Britain (2)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland wi
th an area of some 244,000 square miles is situated on the British Isles, which are separated from the European continent by the North Sea, the Strait of Dover and the English Channel. Britain's population is over 57 million. Four out of every five people
live in towns. The UK is a constitutional monarchy: the head of the state is a king or a queen. In practice, the Sovereign reins, but doesn't rule: the UK is governed by the Government Ч
a board of Ministers who are the leading members of the political party in power and who are responsible to Parliament. The territory of Great Britain
is small. At the same time the coun-try has a wide variety of scenery. England is the heart of Britain. It is the richest, the most fertile and most populated in the country.
The north and the west of the England are mountainous, but all the rest territory is a vast plain. In Northwest England there are many beautiful lakes with wooded or grassy shores and grey mountains all around. It is called Lake District. The national sy
m
bol of England is the red rose. Wales is the smallest land of the UK, but has a considerable variety, from the picturesque mountains of the north to the mining and industrial areas of the south. The capital of Wales is Cardiff, an important industrial cen
t
re and port. Most people in Wales live in the coastal plains. The national symbol of Wales is a leek. Scotland is a land of mountains, narrow valleys and plains, famous lakes and no end of large and small islands off the coast. The Highlands of Scotland a
re among oldest mountains in the world. The highest of them is Ben Nevis. The lakes in Scotland are called «lochs»
. The beautiful Loch Lomond with its thirty islands is the largest. One-third of the people in Scotland live in or near its capital, Edinburgh,
and its great industrial centre, Glasgow. The national symbol of Scotland is a thistle. Northern Ireland was a part of Ireland as a whole before the early 20-th century and developed in the middle ages as the Kingdom of Ulster, later the Province of Ulst
er. The territory is small. It is a land of lakes, rivers and a varied seacoast. Some places are known for their wild beauty, the Glen of Antrim among of them. The capital city is Belfast. The capital of
Great Britain , London, stands on the Thames, which flows into the North Sea. The Thames is the busiest and the most important river in
Great Britain , but it is not very long. The Severn, which flows into the Irish Sea, is the longest British river. The climate of
Great Britain is mild. The Atlantic Ocean and
the warm waters of the Gulf Stream affect the weather of the British Isles. The summer is usually cool and rainy. There is much rain and fog in autumn and in winter. Great Britain
is a very damp country.
===================================
Great Britain (3)
The official name of the country the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is situated on British Isles off the northwest coast of Europe. The British Isles consist of two large islands: Great Britain and Ireland and about five
thousand small islands. Their total area over 244.000 square kilometres. They are separated from continent by the English Channel and the Straits of Dover. The west coast of the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea; the east coast is
washed by the North Sea.
The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are Lon¬
don, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. The population of the country is over 57 million people; about 80 per cent of them live in cities and towns.
Many centuries ago the islands were inhabited by Celts. Their tribes were developing into kingdoms when Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C. The Roman invasion began in AD 43. The Romans withdrew in 4
07. The tribes of Angles and Saxons crossed the Channel and overran all England except Cornwall and Wales. Christianity was introduced in the 6th century by missiona¬ries from Rome.
The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotlan
d is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and the west of England are mountainous, but all the rest Ч east, centre and south-east Ч
is a vast plain. The mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain (1343 m).
There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.
The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round.
But the climate is not the same in all parts of England. The western part of England is warmer than the east and i
t also has more rain. There is much humidity in the air of England. It is well known as a foggy country. The United Kingdom is a monarchy. The Queen is the official head of state. In practice the country is ruled by an elected parliament. The British Parl
i
ament has two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. There are three main political parties: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal. In 2001 a general election was held. The Labour party achieved a majority in the House of Commons, a
nd the leader of the party Tony Blair was appointed Prime Minister by the Queen.
The United Kingdom is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world's largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft
and navigation equipment.
Oxford
No one knows Oxford's
age. The city was first mentioned in 912. The city is famous for the university. Oxford
University is over 800 years old. Today it consists of 35 independent colleges and 5 halls. It also has central libraries and laboratories.
There are some museums and art galleries in Oxford
, too. For example, the Ashmolean Museum which is the oldest museum in Britain. It has a good collection of antiques, European paintings, sculptures and silver. In the Chri
st Picture Gallery you can see works of Italian painters from the 14-th to the 18-th century.
The Museum of the History of Science is the home to many scientific instruments of the 16-th century, collections of ancient chemical machines, watches and clocks and medical instruments.
Oxford
is a very beautiful town with narrow streets, small shops and markets. Every year it attracts tourists from all over the world. They visit the famous university and get to know about studentsТ life in
Oxford . I would love to go there one day to feel the atmosphere of this old educational centre of England.
Stratford-upon-Avon ( Стратфорд на
Эйвон )
The town is called Stratford-upon-Avon
because it stands on the river Avon. This town is very much popular with tourists
. This is because William Shakespeare, the greatest English dramatist and writer, was born and brought up there. Stratford is small, but it has a lot of places of interest. Among them is the house where Shakespeare was born. Nowadays this is a museum whic
h has a big exhibition illustrating Shakespeare's life and work.
New Place is the house where William Shakespeare spent his last years and died. Ann Hathaway's Cottage attracts tourists too, because this is the house of Shakespeare's wife. The Holy Trini
ty Church is the place where the Shakespeares are buried.
The Butterfly Farm is a wonderful place with ponds, streams and waterfalls. Different exotic flowers grow up there. The Insect City has a large collection of spiders and other insects that are ke
pt in glass cages.
The Teddy Bear Museum houses a great collection of bears from all over the world.
British Holidays and Traditions
(Праздники и
традиции Великобритании)
Great Britain is an old country and it has a lot of holidays and interesting traditions. Holidays in the country are historic and public. Most public holidays are called bank holidays because banks, companies and mo
st shops do not work on these days. Such holidays include New Year's Day, Easter Monday and others.
At Easter, the British give each other chocolate eggs, which they eat on Easter Sunday.
Christmas is on the 25-th of December. Families spend this da
y together. For many people this is the most important holiday of the year. Family members wrap up their presents and put them under the Christmas tree. Children hang colourful socks at the end of their beds for presents. They believe that Father Frost pu
ts presents inside the socks.
New Year's Day is not as important in Britain as it is in Russia. People usually make promises to themselves such as to give up smoking, to change their lifestyle and others.
St. Valentine's Day is celebrated on the 14-
th of February. This is the traditional day for those who are in love. Young people give flowers and greeting cards to their Valentines and celebrate this day together.
Halloween is a holiday loved by all children. It takes place on the 31-th of October
. There are a lot of parties and people dress up in costumes of witches and ghosts and make lanterns of pumpkins with a candle inside. People also play different games and have fun. Children usually go from one house to another with empty baskets or bags,
knock on doors and say: Trick or treat. People should give them something, or they will play a trick on them.
Among historic holidays, Guy Fawkes Night can be mentioned. In the 15-th century, a group of people with Guy Fawkes as their leader decided to
blow up the Houses of Parliament. They did not manage to do this and Guy Fawkes was caught and hanged. Since then the British celebrate this day burning a doll made of straw and dressed in old clothes on a bonfire. Children dress in old clothes and beg in
the street saying: A penny for the Guy.
There are a lot of customs in Great Britain. One of the most famous is gardening. Most of the English keep small gardens full of flowers behind their houses or around them. In spring, there are a lot of flower-sho
ws and vegetable-shows with prizes for the best exhibitions.
In Northern Ireland there is a holiday called St. Patrick's Day. It is celebrated on the 17-th of March.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Russia's Foreign Policy ( Внеш
няя политика
России )
As is well known, in recent years substantial changes have taken place in Russia's Foreign policy. Compared to Soviet times, its recent policy reflects a very positive evolution. It is now characterised by a more balanced perception of "West" and "East
” indeed, the tenor of Russia's Foreign policy now corresponds better to what is in national interests.
In the wake of the collapse of the USSR, Russia's government prioritised democratic reforms and the creating of a market-orie
nted economy. The shaping of its foreign policy followed thereafter. Most significant among changes in its foreign policy, both then and now, has been the development of cooperation within the framework of "the CIS".
When the Soviet Union disintegrated,
Russia attempted to re-establish links between the former "Republics". An Agreement was signed on 8 December 1991 in the Belovezhsky Forest, Viskuli (seat of the Belorussian Government) Ч
by the leaders of Belarus, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation Ч instituting a "Commonwealth of Independent States". That Commonwealth now includes Ч all on an equal footing Ч
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Moldova, Russia, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. The CIS Interparli
amentary Assembly is based in St. Petersburg. The States jointly resolve economic issues, as well as questions relating to security, counter-terrorism and measures against extremists.
Equally important Is Russia's foreign policy in regard to Western Eu
rope. The Soviet Union remained in a state of "cold war" with Western Europe and the United States for a considerable time. Over the past ten years our country has endeavoured to reciprocate the respect accorded us by Western countries and to conduct a di
a
logue with them. For example, the Russia-European Union "Paris Summit" adopted a Joint Declaration for increasing dialogue and cooperation in Europe on political issues and questions of security in Europe, The European Union is undoubtedly a promising par
tner for Russia Ч
partnership is indeed now the characteristic of our relations with principal European countries. An Agreement on partnership and cooperation between Russia and the European Union has been set in motion. Preparation of major projects for ec
onomic cooperation is under way, including the field of safety in the power-generating industry.
Relations with the United States are attuned to long-term interests in particular. Russo-American "summit" meetings aim to promote constructive and mutually
-beneficial bilateral relations and the strengthening of Russo-American coopera-tion on international questions. These include disarmament, non-proliferation, joint action to combat terrorism, as well as the extension of bilateral cooperation in various s
ectors Ч for example Russia joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The "Shanghai Forum" was set up in 1996 Ч otherwise known as the "Shanghai Five". The leaders of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia and Tadjikistan signed a joint declaration, iden
tifying spheres of cooperation under the aegis of this organisation. Not many years later Uzbekistan joined this grouping.
Leaders of the "Shanghai forum" hold meetings at regular intervals to settle topical matters relating to mutual trust in the milit
ary field in frontier regions, mutual arms and force reductions in frontier regions also, and the extention of cooperation in regional security and also of commercial and economic interaction.
The guiding principle of Russia's foreign policy at the pres
ent time has been enunciated by President Vladimir Putin as follows: "Clear delineation of our national priorities, pragmatism, and economic efficiency."
Saint Petersburg
St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautifu
l cities in the world. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the "Window on Europe St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia from 1712 till 1918.
The city was built on the swampy land at the mouth of the River Neva. Prominent European and Russian architects worked here. The new capital grew rapidly in wealth and beauty.
When World War I began in 1914, the German-sounding name St. Petersburg was changed to Petrograd. After the October Revolution the city was renamed in honour of Lenin. In 1991 th
e old name of St. Petersburg was returned to the city.
During the Great Patriotic War the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to it in 1941, and for the next two years and a half the city was cut off from the rest of the country. No
food could be brought in, and people died of starvation. Daily shelling and air raids destroyed parts of the city. Thousands of people were killed. Rebuilding took years.
Now St. Petersburg is an industrial, cultural and scientific centre. There are ov
er 80 museums, more than 20 theatres, a lot of exhibitions, clubs, universities, colleges, schools and parks. The Alexandrinski Drama Theatre, the Bolshoi Drama Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet are pearls of the Russian art.
In St. Pet
ersburg there are a lot of parks and gardens where citizens spend their free time. The Summer Garden is the oldest and most fascinating park. Rare trees, bushes and flowers grow there. Beautiful marble statues made by Italian sculptors and a famous cast i
ron grille decorate the Summer Garden. There is a bronze monument to the prominent Russian writer of fables Ivan Krylov (by sculptor Klodt) in the Summer Garden.
St. Petersburg is famous for its magnificent architectural ensembles of the 18th and 19th ce
nturies. The city began with the Peter and Paul Portress built to protect the Neva banks from Swedish invasion. Later Domeniko Trezzini, the famous Swiss architect, reconstructed the fortress. It became a prison. Now it is a museum. Trezzini erected the P
eter and Paul Cathedral here, and Russian tsars were buried in it.
The most famous square in the city is the Palace Square with its magnificent ensemble. Here one can see the Winter Palace built by Rastrelli. Till the revolution it was the residence of t
he Russian csars. Now the Winter Palace and four other buildings are occupied by the Hermitage, one of the oldest art museums in Russia. There one can see masterpieces of outstanding artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Velazquez and other uniq
ue works of art.
The Russian Museum is located in the Mikhailovsky Palace, designed by Rossi. Marvellous paintings by the famous Russian artists: Tropinin, Repin, Bryullov, Fedotov, Surikov, Serov; the works of sculptors: Rastrelli, Shubin, Antokolsky are exhibited here.
The streets and squares in St. Petersburg are very beautiful. Nevsky Prospect is the main street of the city, where there are amazing buildings, shops, hotels and the remarkable Kazan Cathedral (by Voronikhin) with a colonnade and monu
ments to M. Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly. Here in the prospect one can see the magnificent building of the Admiralty (by Zakharov) and the ensemble of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Famous Russian writers, painters, composers and actors were buried in the La
vra.
Majestic palaces, cathedrals, churches and other buildings, built by famous architects, such as: palaces of Stroganov, Menshikov, Anichkov, and St. Isaac's Cathedral, erected by Montferrand, decorate St. Petersburg.
The city is often called the Venice of the North because there are 65 rivers and canals with artistically decorated cast iron bridges. One of the most beautiful is the Anichkov Bridge.
Citizens and tourists enjoy visiting the suburbs of St Petersburg: Petergof, Pushkin, Pavlovsk with their wonderful palaces, parks and fountains.
St. Petersburg inspired many of our great poets, writers, painters, sculptors, composers and actors. Much of the life and work of Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky, Repin and Kramskoi was connected with the city.
3. Выдающиеся люди России
Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765) (1) Михаил Ломоносов
Mikhail Lomonosov is the father of the Russian science and one of the most famous universities in the world.
Lomonosov was born in 1711 in Arkhangelsk province. He be
gan to read when he was a little boy. He always wanted to study and when he was nineteen he went to Moscow. He entered the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy and six years later, in 1736, he was sent abroad to complete his studies in Chemistry and mining. Lomonos
ov worked hard and became a great scientist. He was the first Russian academician; Lomonosov
opened the first Russian chemistry lab. He was a physicist, a painter, an astronomer, a geographer, a historian and a statesman. In 1755 Mikhail Lomonosov
founded Moscow University which is now Moscow State University named after him. Mikhail made research in electricity, gravity and the character of colour.
Lomonosov was also the author of many odes and poems. He also published a lot of scientific works, including the first book on Russian grammar.
Lomonosov died in 1765 but people still remember him.
================================
Mikhail Lomonosov (2)
Mikhail Lomonosov was born in 1711 in the family of a fisherman in the northern coastal village of Denisovka
not far from Archangelsk. When he was ten years of age his father began to take him sea fishing. The dangerous life of a fisherman forced him to observe the natural phenomena more closely. During the long winter nights young Lomonosov studied his letters
,
grammar and arithmetic diligently. Being the son of a peasant, he was refused admission to the local school. After some years, through concealing his peasant origin, he gained admission to the Slavonic-Greek-Latin Academy and for five years lived a hand-
t
o-mouth existence on three kopecks a day. The noblemen's sons studying with him made fun of the twenty-year-old giant who, in spite of the jeers and his own poverty, made rapid progress. After five years came the chance of entering the Academy of Sciences
,
as there were not enough noble-born students to fill the quota. His ability and diligence attracted the attention of the professors and as one of three best students he was sent abroad. He spent all the time there studying the works of leading European s
c
ientists in chemistry, metallurgy, mining and mathematics. On his return to Russia in 1745 he was made a professor and was the first Russian scientist to become a member of the Academy of Sciences. For versatility Lomonosov has no equal in Russian science
.
Many of his ideas and discoveries only won recognition in the nineteenth century. He was the first to discover the vegetable origin of coal, for instance, and as a poet and scientist he played a great role in the formation of Russian literary language, e
liminating distortions and unnecessary foreign words. He died in 1765. His living memorial is the Moscow University, which he founded in 1755.
Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) Александр
Пушкин
Alexander Pushkin is one of the most outstanding Russians. He was the greatest Russian poet and writer.
Pushkin
devoted his life to writing poems. The young Alexander's first poems appeared when he was fifteen, and by the time he left school he was regarded as a rival by the literary leaders of that time.
Pushkin was the first poet who touched problems that were important for Russia and its people. Because of that he was sent to exile a few times.
Pushkin wrote a lot of poems and novels. Among his famous ones are: Eugenij Onegin, Ruslan and Lyudmila and others. Children
like to read his fairy tales and watch wonderful cartoons based on them. When I was a child I read all the fairy tales by this talented poet. First my grandmother read them for me, but then when 1 learnt to read, I read his tales myself. Most of
Pushkin's best works are studied at school. There is a statue to Pushkin
in Moscow at Pushkin
Square Young and old people gather by the statue, read poems and just meet friends.
Pushkin is respected not only in Russia, but all over the world. His novels and poe
ms have been translated into many languages and arc enjoyed by foreigners.
Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) Юрий Гагарин
Yuri Gagarin was the first spaceman in the world. Born in 1934, young Gagarin
was a very curious and clever boy. Since childhood Yuri was interested in planes and made toy planes himself.
After the War the Gagarins
moved to another city and Yuri entered a vocational school in a small town near Moscow. He attended an aero club and started flying. After finishing a school for pilots Gagarin
joined the first group of spacemen. On the 12-th of April, 1961, Yuri Gagarin
flew into space and spend more than one hour there. He was the first man in the world who flew into space on board a spaceship. After the successful landing Yuri Gagarin
became a national hero. He died in 1968, but people all over the world still remember the first Russian spaceman.
Evgenij Pluschenko Евгений Плю
щенко
Pluschenko was sent to the ice-rink by his mother at the age of four. His mother liked figure skating and ha
d some friends at the rink. When Evgenij was 11, his ice-rink in Volgograd closed, and the boy left his home and moved alone to St. Petersburg to train. His mother came to Petersburg later, while his father and elder sister stayed in Volgograd.
Pluschenko
is one of the few male skaters to perform great spins and jumps. At the age of 16, Evgenij was the youngest male skater to receive the perfect score of 6.0. Pluschenko's
parents never watch him compete live, even when competitions took place at home. Pluschenko
withdrew from the 2005 World Championship after the short program because of injury. He underwent surgery in Munich, Germany in spring 2005.
On June 18, 2005, Pluschenko
married Maria Yermak. His wife studies sociology at the University of St. Petersburg. They met in 2004 when Pluschenko
, driving in St. Petersburg, noticed her in a convertible and decided to follow her.
At the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, Pluschenko
skated two brilliant programs, and became the Olympic champion. Looking to the future Pluschenko
will be doing some skating tours, including Champions on Ice.
4. Англоговорящие с
траны
Great Britain
(1)
I would like to tell you about Great Britain .
The official name of the country is The United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland. The country H situated in the north-west of Europe and consists of two large islands, Great Britain
and the Isle of Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. There are four regions in the U К : England, Wales, Scotland an
d Northern Ireland. The country is washed by the North Sea in the north, the Irish Sea in the west and the English Channel in the south. The English Channel separates Great Britain from France.
The climate of the country is humid and oceanic because of
the small size, of the country and the surrounding water. The English weather changes very often. It is not very cold in winters and not very hot in summers.
Great Britain has a lot of rivers and lakes. The most important river is the Thames which flows
into the North Sea. The longest river is the Severn. The Lake District in the west is the most beautiful region on the British Isles. Famous British poets wrote their poems about the Lake District because of its beauty. The most famous lake is the Loch N
ess. There is a legend that Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, lives in it.
The United Kingdom has a lot of industrial cities like Manchester and Birmingham and educational cities like Cambridge and Oxford. The two world famous universities, Cambridge Unive
rsity and Oxford University, are situated there.
Every region of Great Britain has its own administrative centre and the symbol.
England is the biggest region in the country. The symbol of England is the Red Rose. London is the capital of England and Great Britain
. London is one of the biggest and most expensive cities in the world situated on the river Thames.
The symbol of Scotland is the thistle. Edinburgh is the administrative centre of the region. Scotland is a mountainous area. Ben Nevis, the highest peak of
Great Britain
, is situated there. The administrative centre of Wales is Cardiff and the symbol of the region is the daffodil. Belfast it the capital of Northern Ireland and the shamrock is its symbol.
The flag of Great Britain is called
the Union Jack, ft has three crosses on the dark blue background. The currency of the country is the pound which consists of a hundred pence.
Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen as the Head of the state.
The legislative body of
the country is British Parliament consisting of two houses: The House of Lords and the House of Commons. The head of the government is Prime Minister. The two main political parties of English Parliament are: the Labour Party (which is the leading democr
atic party) and the Tory (the conservative party).
Great Britain
is famous for its great poets and writes such as William Shakespeare, Walter Scott, Arthur Conan Doyle and others. The Beatles rock group was born in England.
English people are famous for their love for gardening. Many of them live in small houses surrounded by beautiful green gardens.
English food does not vary much. The only dish that can be called traditional is fish and chips (fried fish with French fries). English people like goi
ng to pubs where they can have a snack and drink a pint of beer.
Great Britain is wonderful country. I would love to go there one day.
===================================
Great Britain (2)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland wi
th an area of some 244,000 square miles is situated on the British Isles, which are separated from the European continent by the North Sea, the Strait of Dover and the English Channel. Britain's population is over 57 million. Four out of every five people
live in towns. The UK is a constitutional monarchy: the head of the state is a king or a queen. In practice, the Sovereign reins, but doesn't rule: the UK is governed by the Government Ч
a board of Ministers who are the leading members of the political party in power and who are responsible to Parliament. The territory of Great Britain
is small. At the same time the coun-try has a wide variety of scenery. England is the heart of Britain. It is the richest, the most fertile and most populated in the country.
The north and the west of the England are mountainous, but all the rest territory is a vast plain. In Northwest England there are many beautiful lakes with wooded or grassy shores and grey mountains all around. It is called Lake District. The national sy
m
bol of England is the red rose. Wales is the smallest land of the UK, but has a considerable variety, from the picturesque mountains of the north to the mining and industrial areas of the south. The capital of Wales is Cardiff, an important industrial cen
t
re and port. Most people in Wales live in the coastal plains. The national symbol of Wales is a leek. Scotland is a land of mountains, narrow valleys and plains, famous lakes and no end of large and small islands off the coast. The Highlands of Scotland a
re among oldest mountains in the world. The highest of them is Ben Nevis. The lakes in Scotland are called «lochs»
. The beautiful Loch Lomond with its thirty islands is the largest. One-third of the people in Scotland live in or near its capital, Edinburgh,
and its great industrial centre, Glasgow. The national symbol of Scotland is a thistle. Northern Ireland was a part of Ireland as a whole before the early 20-th century and developed in the middle ages as the Kingdom of Ulster, later the Province of Ulst
er. The territory is small. It is a land of lakes, rivers and a varied seacoast. Some places are known for their wild beauty, the Glen of Antrim among of them. The capital city is Belfast. The capital of
Great Britain , London, stands on the Thames, which flows into the North Sea. The Thames is the busiest and the most important river in
Great Britain , but it is not very long. The Severn, which flows into the Irish Sea, is the longest British river. The climate of
Great Britain is mild. The Atlantic Ocean and
the warm waters of the Gulf Stream affect the weather of the British Isles. The summer is usually cool and rainy. There is much rain and fog in autumn and in winter. Great Britain
is a very damp country.
===================================
Great Britain (3)
The official name of the country the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is situated on British Isles off the northwest coast of Europe. The British Isles consist of two large islands: Great Britain and Ireland and about five
thousand small islands. Their total area over 244.000 square kilometres. They are separated from continent by the English Channel and the Straits of Dover. The west coast of the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea; the east coast is
washed by the North Sea.
The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are Lon¬
don, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. The population of the country is over 57 million people; about 80 per cent of them live in cities and towns.
Many centuries ago the islands were inhabited by Celts. Their tribes were developing into kingdoms when Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C. The Roman invasion began in AD 43. The Romans withdrew in 4
07. The tribes of Angles and Saxons crossed the Channel and overran all England except Cornwall and Wales. Christianity was introduced in the 6th century by missiona¬ries from Rome.
The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotlan
d is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and the west of England are mountainous, but all the rest Ч east, centre and south-east Ч
is a vast plain. The mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain (1343 m).
There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.
The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round.
But the climate is not the same in all parts of England. The western part of England is warmer than the east and i
t also has more rain. There is much humidity in the air of England. It is well known as a foggy country. The United Kingdom is a monarchy. The Queen is the official head of state. In practice the country is ruled by an elected parliament. The British Parl
i
ament has two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. There are three main political parties: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal. In 2001 a general election was held. The Labour party achieved a majority in the House of Commons, a
nd the leader of the party Tony Blair was appointed Prime Minister by the Queen.
The United Kingdom is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world's largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft
and navigation equipment.
Oxford
No one knows Oxford's
age. The city was first mentioned in 912. The city is famous for the university. Oxford
University is over 800 years old. Today it consists of 35 independent colleges and 5 halls. It also has central libraries and laboratories.
There are some museums and art galleries in Oxford
, too. For example, the Ashmolean Museum which is the oldest museum in Britain. It has a good collection of antiques, European paintings, sculptures and silver. In the Chri
st Picture Gallery you can see works of Italian painters from the 14-th to the 18-th century.
The Museum of the History of Science is the home to many scientific instruments of the 16-th century, collections of ancient chemical machines, watches and clocks and medical instruments.
Oxford
is a very beautiful town with narrow streets, small shops and markets. Every year it attracts tourists from all over the world. They visit the famous university and get to know about studentsТ life in
Oxford . I would love to go there one day to feel the atmosphere of this old educational centre of England.
Stratford-upon-Avon ( Стратфорд на
Эйвон )
The town is called Stratford-upon-Avon
because it stands on the river Avon. This town is very much popular with tourists
. This is because William Shakespeare, the greatest English dramatist and writer, was born and brought up there. Stratford is small, but it has a lot of places of interest. Among them is the house where Shakespeare was born. Nowadays this is a museum whic
h has a big exhibition illustrating Shakespeare's life and work.
New Place is the house where William Shakespeare spent his last years and died. Ann Hathaway's Cottage attracts tourists too, because this is the house of Shakespeare's wife. The Holy Trini
ty Church is the place where the Shakespeares are buried.
The Butterfly Farm is a wonderful place with ponds, streams and waterfalls. Different exotic flowers grow up there. The Insect City has a large collection of spiders and other insects that are ke
pt in glass cages.
The Teddy Bear Museum houses a great collection of bears from all over the world.
British Holidays and Traditions
(Праздники и
традиции Великобритании)
Great Britain is an old country and it has a lot of holidays and interesting traditions. Holidays in the country are historic and public. Most public holidays are called bank holidays because banks, companies and mo
st shops do not work on these days. Such holidays include New Year's Day, Easter Monday and others.
At Easter, the British give each other chocolate eggs, which they eat on Easter Sunday.
Christmas is on the 25-th of December. Families spend this da
y together. For many people this is the most important holiday of the year. Family members wrap up their presents and put them under the Christmas tree. Children hang colourful socks at the end of their beds for presents. They believe that Father Frost pu
ts presents inside the socks.
New Year's Day is not as important in Britain as it is in Russia. People usually make promises to themselves such as to give up smoking, to change their lifestyle and others.
St. Valentine's Day is celebrated on the 14-
th of February. This is the traditional day for those who are in love. Young people give flowers and greeting cards to their Valentines and celebrate this day together.
Halloween is a holiday loved by all children. It takes place on the 31-th of October
. There are a lot of parties and people dress up in costumes of witches and ghosts and make lanterns of pumpkins with a candle inside. People also play different games and have fun. Children usually go from one house to another with empty baskets or bags,
knock on doors and say: Trick or treat. People should give them something, or they will play a trick on them.
Among historic holidays, Guy Fawkes Night can be mentioned. In the 15-th century, a group of people with Guy Fawkes as their leader decided to
blow up the Houses of Parliament. They did not manage to do this and Guy Fawkes was caught and hanged. Since then the British celebrate this day burning a doll made of straw and dressed in old clothes on a bonfire. Children dress in old clothes and beg in
the street saying: A penny for the Guy.
There are a lot of customs in Great Britain. One of the most famous is gardening. Most of the English keep small gardens full of flowers behind their houses or around them. In spring, there are a lot of flower-sho
ws and vegetable-shows with prizes for the best exhibitions.
In Northern Ireland there is a holiday called St. Patrick's Day. It is celebrated on the 17-th of March.
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