Dmitry Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev is the third and current President of Russia. He took office in May 2008 after winning the presidential election with 70% of the vote. He was formerly Deputy Prime Minister and Vladimir Putin’s chief of staff and right-hand man. Medvedev has a business background, serving as chairman of Russia’s energy giant Gazprom. Many believe his youthfulness will energize Russia’s role in the world.

Medvedev was born in 1965 to university professor parents. He was brought up in Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) in the former Soviet Union. He was a grade-A student throughout school and went on to study law at Leningrad State University. In 1990, he received his Ph.D. in private law. His first job was in Leningrad’s government. His supervisor was Vladimir Putin.

Between 1991 and 1996 Medvedev was a lawyer for the Saint Petersburg mayor. He specialized in international relations and once again, his boss was Vladimir Putin. While working for the mayor, Medvedev was also the legal affairs director of a timber company. He was a shrewd businessman and ended up owning fifty per cent of the company’s shares.

In 1999, Medvedev’s connection with Vladimir Putin continued. Putin invited Medvedev to take up a top government position in Moscow as deputy head of the presidential staff. Medvedev became one of President Putin’s closest advisors. In November 2005, he was appointed as First Deputy Prime Minister. After becoming President, he promised the Russian people he would “protect civil and economic freedoms”.

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.	right-hand	a.	owning fifty per cent
	Russia’s energy	b.	university professor parents
3.	his youthfulness will	c.	closest advisors
4.	born in 1965 to	d.	man
5.	went on	e.	freedoms
6.	He specialized in	f.	energize Russia’s role
7.	ended up	g.	international relations
8.	take up a	h.	to study law
9.	became one of President Putin’s	i.	giant Gazprom
10.	protect civil and economic	j.	top government position

1.What do you know about Dmitry Medvedev?2.Would you like to meet Dmitry Medvedev?3.What would you like to know about Dmitry Medvedev and why?

Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro is a Cuban revolutionary leader who became one of the highest profile figures of the twentieth century. He was Cuba's leader from 1959 until his retirement in 2008. For most of his life he has fought the political and commercial influence of the United States in Cuba. He governed his country throughout decades of a US trade embargo.

Castro was born on a sugar plantation in 1926. He had a very poor upbringing. He was an extremely bright student at school and decided to study law. In 1945, Castro entered law school at the University of Havana. He became politically active and wanted to bring social justice to his country. He thought the poverty in Cuba was wholly unnecessary.

Castro graduated from law school in 1950 and began practicing as a lawyer. He became well known for despising American influence in Cuban affairs. He decided revolution was the only way to advance Cuban nationalism. He went to Mexico to plan a guerilla invasion of Cuba. There he met Che Guevara, who helped shape his political beliefs and military plans.

Castro’s rebel forces started the revolution in December 1958. They quickly seized power of the whole of Cuba and sent President Batista fleeing. The 32-year-old Castro became prime minister in February 1959. He went to the USA but was denied a meeting with President Eisenhower. He then went to the Soviet Union and became a Soviet ally. He stood firm against the USA for four decades.

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.	a Cuban revolutionary	a.	active
	the political and commercial influence	b.	power
3.	a US trade	c.	to his country
4.	He became politically	d.	against the USA
5.	bring social justice	e.	of the United States
6.	practicing	f.	the only way
7.	revolution was	g.	embargo
8.	shape his	h.	leader
9.	They quickly seized	i.	as a lawyer
10.	He stood firm	j.	political beliefs

1.What do you know about Fidel Castro?2.Would you like to meet Fidel Castro?

3.What would you like to know about Fidel Castro and why?

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan is a true action movie great. He has appeared in dozens of movies and is a screen legend. He had a simple beginning as a Chinese refugee in Hong Kong. His early years were, perhaps, a sign of things to come. His parents nicknamed him ‘Pao-Pao’, which means cannonball, because he had so much energy.

Chan enrolled in the China Drama Academy to study opera while still in his teens. He spent ten years there and worked part-time as a stuntman in the kung fu movie industry. He soon earned the reputation as Hong Kong’s most fearless stuntman. He moved into acting, but his first two films were both flops. He quit the movie business and moved to Australia.

Several years later, director Ng Than Chan asked Jackie to appear in the movies ‘Snake in Eagle's Shadow’ and ‘Drunken Master’. Both were smash hits at the box office and Jackie Chan was now a star in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, a former director tried to tie Chan to an old contract. He sent the Hong Kong mafia to Chan’s movie sets to frighten him. Chan moved to Hollywood.

He was not successful in Hollywood, so he returned to Hong Kong. He learnt a lot about movie-making while in America and used this knowledge to make many successful movies for the Chinese market. He also became a pop star. He returned to Hollywood and made the movie ‘Rush Hour’ in 1998. It made him a worldwide star.

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.	a true action	a.	the kung fu movie industry
	a sign of	b.	the Chinese market
3.	Chan enrolled in the	c.	while in America
4.	worked part-time as a stuntman in	d.	things to come
5.	the reputation as Hong Kong’s most	e.	to an old contract
6.	Both were smash hits at	f.	movie great
7.	a former director tried to tie Chan	g.	fearless stuntman
8.	He learnt a lot about movie-making	h.	China Drama Academy
9.	make many successful movies for	i.	a worldwide star
10.	It made him	j.	the box office

1.What do you know about Jackie Chan?2.Would you like to meet Jackie Chan?3.What would you like to know about Jackie Chan and why?

Дата добавления: 2015-10-28