| The geography. The climate. | The industries. The wildlife. | The people. |
Task 3. Act out the following conversation in pairs. One student will be Tom and the other will be you.
Tom: Hi, how are you. I am very glad to meet you. You live in Russia, dont you?
You: ______________
Tom: I have heard about your country, but I have never been there. Is it large?
You: ______________
Tom: What countries does Russia border on?
You: ______________
Tom: The climate is very severe in Russia, isnt it?
You: ______________
Tom: What places can you recommend me to visit in your country?
You: ______________
Tom: What are Russian people like?
You: ______________
Tom: Do Russian people have anything in common with us?
You: ______________
Moscow, the Capital of Russia
Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded eight centuries ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. Historians have accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow's history. Gradually the city became more and more powerful. In the 13th century Moscow was the centre of the struggle of Russian lands for the liberation from the tartar yoke. In the 16th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the new united state. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1712 Moscow remained the heart of Russia. After the October revolution Moscow became the capital again.
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 about 9 millions.
The heart of Moscow is Red Square, the central and the most beautiful square in Moscow. Here one can see the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, or St. Basil's cathedral, erected by architects Postnik and Barma to commemorate Russias conquest of the Kazan kingdom in 1552. It is a masterpiece of Russian architecture. In front of St. Basils cathedral tourists can see the monument to Minin and Pozharsky. It was designed by Ivan Martos in 1818 in memory of the Russian victory over the Polish invaders in 1612. The History Museum in Red Square is a magnificent building, besides, it is one of the major scientific and educational institutions where we can follow the life of Russian people since ancient times.
But first of all everybody knows Red Square because the Kremlin is situated there. The Kremlin is the oldest historical and architectural centre f Moscow. Its three magnificent cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, palaces and Spassky Tower with the clock attract the tourists attention. The Tzar-cannon and the Tzar-bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world, are also in the Kremlin.
There are other beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow.
Moscow is also famous for its museums. At the State Tretyakov Gallery paintings by great Russian artists are collected, and at the Pushkin State Museum f Fine Arts there are masterpieces by European painters.
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There are a lot of theatres in Moscow. The best-known of them is the Bolshoi Opera House, but drama theatres and studios are popular too.
Moscow was the host of the 22nd Summer Olympic Games in 1980. It has a number of sports grounds and stadiums.
Moscow has the oldest Russian university founded in 1755 by Lomonosov. Its new building was opened in 1953. It is 32 stories high.
An underground railway opened in 1935 is being constantly extended. Now it has 171 stations and is almost 340 kilometres long. It is one of the tourist attractions of the Russian capital.
The number of new streets increases every month. The longest of them is Leningradsky Prospect, it runs for 15 kilometres.
Moscow is the seat of the Russian Parliament (the Duma) and the centre of political life of the country.
Task 1. Plot the events of Moscows history on a timeline.
1147____1712____1552____1818_____1980____....___
London
London is situated upon both banks of the river Thames; it is the largest city in Britain and one of the largest in the world. Its population is about 7 million people.
London dominates the life of Britain. It is a big port and the most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre. There is little heavy industry in London, but there is a wide range of light industry in Greater London. The City extends over an area of about 2.6 square kilometres in the heart of London. About half a million people work in the City but only less than 6000 live here. It is the financial 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.
The West End can be called the cultural center of London. There are historical palaces as well as the famous parks. Hyde Park with its Speaker's Corner is also there. Among other parks are Kensington Gardens, St. James's Park. In the West End there is Buckingham Palace which is the Queen's residence, and the Palace of Westminster which is the seat of the Parliament.
The best-known streets there are Whitehall with important Government offices, Downing Street, the London residence of the Prime Minister and the place where the Cabinet meets, Fleet Street where most newspapers have their offices, Harley Street where the highest-paid doctors live, and some others.
The name 'West End' 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 about 40 theatres, several concert halls, many museums including the British Museum and the best art galleries.
It is in the West End that the University of London is centered with Bloomsbury as London students quarter.
Visitors with plenty of money to spend and who come chiefly for enjoyment are likely to pass most of their time in the West End.
The port of London is to the east of the City. There were kilometres and kilometres of docks, and the great industrial areas that depended upon shipping. This is the East End of London, formerly unattractive in appearance, but now changing because of the introduction of new industries and very expensive housing.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the USA. It stands on the River Potomac. George Washington chose it to be the nation's capital on December 1, 1800. The district is named after Columbus who discovered America in 1492.
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Washington, D.C. is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the USA. No building in the city may be more than 40 meters tall.
Washington, D.C. is the seat of federal government and there is the White House, the official residence of the President. President John Adams and his wife were the first to live there. The White House is the oldest building in Washington, D.C. It has the most famous address in the United States - 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There are 3 floors and 132 rooms in the White House. The rooms for public functions are on the first floor. The President and his family use the second and the third floor.
The United States Capitol is the tallest building in Washington, D.C. and the most famous building in the USA because this is where the laws are made.
Washington, D.C. doesn't belong to any state. It is a city and a district - the District of Columbia (D.C.). The state of Washington is in the north-west of the USA. Washington, D.C. is on the East Coast.
Task 1. Answer these questions:
1. What is Moscow known for?
2. What are the most popular art museums in Moscow?
3. What is the main tourist attraction in Moscow?
4. What are the masterpieces inside the Kremlin wall?
5. What part does London play in the life of the United Kingdom?
6. What are the West End and the East End known for?
7. What is the main tourist attraction in London?
8. What proves that London is a cosmopolitan city?
9. You have the opportunity to visit Great Britain for two weeks. Which places would you like to visit? Explain your choice.
10. Where is Washington, D.C. situated?
11. What is the District of Columbia?
12. In what sense is Washington the most important city in the USA?
13. What is the tallest building in Washington, D.C.?
14. What can you say about the places of interest in Washington, D.C.?
15. What do these capitals, London, Moscow and Washington, have in common and what do they differ in?
Task 2. Imagine that you were the reporter who collected the information about the capital of the USA. What questions would you like to ask?
Task 3. Compare the following countries: Russia, Great Britain and the USA using this table.
| Country | Capital | Cities | Rivers, Lakes | Mountains |
Task 4. What is your home town like? Choose the word combinations given below to describe your town/village under the following headings: position, environment, population, special features.
In the north /south of, green countryside, clean fresh air, much to do, in the way of entertainment, traffic noise, amusement park, pollution, on the coast, wonderful vegetation, spend time in /out of doors, beautiful landscape, good /bad climate, on the river, dirty streets, less /more populated than, a lot of places to go to, green areas, open and friendly people, crowded, to worry about, crime /violence, town hall.
