LISTENING. 23. Listen to the Text “Foreign Students at the Belgorod State Technological University”.

23. Listen to the Text “Foreign Students at the Belgorod State Technological University”.

a) Answer the questions that follow.

1. What degree courses do foreign students choose?

2. Why does a course of study for foreign students last six years?

3. Why do foreign students have to take a preparatory course?

4. How long does a preparatory course last?

5. What are the entrance requirements for foreign students?

6. What privileges of the Russian system of education do foreign students enjoy?

b) Read Tapescript 2A of the Text. Look up the words you do not know in your dictionary.

c) Retell the Text about foreign students studying at the Belgorod State Technological University.

d) If you know personally a foreign student studying at the Academy, tell your groupmates about his/her student’s life.

24. Listen to the Text “Moscow University.”

a) You will hear some numbers in the Text. Write them down and say what these numbers refer to.

b) Check your answers with your groupmates and Tapescript 2B of the Text.

c) Retell the Text.

UNIT 3

The Russian Federation

READING AND DISCUSSION

TEXT 3A

Russia

1. The vast territory of the Russian Federation lies in the eastern part of Europe and in the Northern part of Asia. It is one of the largest countries in the world. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometers.

2. Russia is washed by twelve seas and three oceans. The oceans are: the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Pacific. The northern and eastern coasts of Russia are washed by the White Sea, the Barents Sea and the Okhotsk Sea.

3. There are various types of climate on the territory of Russia. It is very cold in the North even in summer. The central part of the country has mild climate. In the South the temperature is usually above zero all year round even in winter, the climate is very favourable.

4. The land of Russia varies a lot from thick forests to barren deserts, from high peaked mountains to deep valleys. Russia is located on two plains: the Great Russian plain and the West Siberian plain. The Urals, the longest mountain chain, separates Europe from Asia.

5. Russia is a land of long rivers and deep lakes. The broad Volga river system is of great historic, economic and cultural importance to Russia. Numerous canals join all the rivers in the European part of Russia, making it the 1argest inland water transportation route in Europe. The Volga River runs into the Caspian Sea, which is in reality, the largest lake in the world. The Baikal is the deepest lake in the world.

6. Russia is rich in natural resources. It has deposits of coal, oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, nickel, etc.

7. Russia borders on fourteen countries, including the former republics of the USSR, which are now independent states.

8. Russia has all modern branches of industry. It is a foremost producer of cement, metal-cutting machines, timber, woollen cloth, sugar and butter. It takes one of the leading places in Europe in industrial output and electric energy production.

9. The population of Russia is about 150 million people. 83 per cent of the population is Russians. 70 per cent of the population lives in cities.

10. Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation. It was founded in 1147. It is a nice city. There are a lot of places of interest in Moscow. You can see a lot of museums, art galleries, theatres and monuments in our capital. There are also other big beautiful cities in Russia, such as St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and others.

11. The history of Russia dates back to the year 862. Now Russia is a Presidential Republic. The Russian Federative Republic is set up by the Constitution of 1993. The Federal Government consists of three branches: the legislative, executive and judicial. Each of them is checked and balanced by the President.

12. The legislative power is vested in the Federal Assembly. It consists of two chambers. The Upper Chamber is the Council of Federation. The Lower Chamber is the State Duma. Each chamber is headed by the Speaker. Legislature may be initiated in either of the two chambers. However, to become a law a bill must be approved by both chambers and signed by the President. The President may veto the bill.

13. The President is Commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he makes treaties, enforces laws, and appoints ministers to be approved by the Federal Assembly.

14. The executive power belongs to the Government, which is headed by the Prime Minister. The first action by the Prime Minister on appointment is to form the Cabinet. The judicial branch is represented by the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and regional courts. The members of the Federal Assembly are elected by the popular vote for a four-year period.

15. Today the state symbol of Russia is a three-coloured banner. It has three horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. The white stripe symbolises the earth, the blue one stands for the sky, and the red one symbolises liberty. A new national emblem is a two-headed eagle. It is the most ancient symbol of Russia. It originates from the heraldic emblem of the Ruricovitchies.

16. Russia has always played an important role in the word. It is one of its leading powers.

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