My native city

I live in Voronezh. Voronezh is an old Russian city. It was founded more than 400 years ago in 1586 as a fortress to defend the Russian southern borders. It began to develop quickly. Here Peter the Great built a large shipbuilding yard and many battle ships equipped with guns were launched on the river Voronezh to capture Azov from the Turks. So Voronezh became the cradle of the first Russian flotillas. There is a monument to Peter the Great in one of the parks in the center of the city. In Voronezh you can find many historical places connected with the names of many outstanding people of Russia. Griboedov, Pushkin, Kramskoy, Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Bunin and many other famous people either lived in or visited our city. Two great Russian poets A. Koltsov and I. Nikitin were born in Voronezh, they worked and died here.

Before the Second World War Voronezh was one of the largest industrial and cultural centers of the country. An aircraft factory and a large synthetic rubber producing plant were built. A lot of administrative and residential buidings appeared on the right bank of the Voronezh river. Many students studied at Voronezh higher educational establishments.

During the war our city was completely ruined. Voronezh was an important strategic point as it opened the way to the Volga and the Caucasus. In 1942 the German fascists captured the greater part of the right bank area of Voronezh. They destroyed many buildings, took away the monument to Peter I, turned to ashes everything around and killed many people. Voronezh remembers those who gave their lives for it during the war. Many streets of the city are named after its defenders.

After the war Voronezh was born anew. Voronezh has become more beautiful than it was before the war.

Today Voronezh is a large modern city of the Russian Federation. Its population is about a million people. There are several theatres, a circus, cinemas, concert halls, museums and libraries here. Voronezh is a large educational center of the country with many Universities, academies and colleges. We are proud of our picturesque city. It is ancient and at the same time modern one. It is especially beautiful in summer with its green streets, parks and squares. I like my city very much.

Answer the following questions to the text:

1. Is Voronezh your native city?

2. When was Voronezh founded?

3. What is the role of Peter the Great in the development of Voronezh?

4. What outstanding personalities lived or visited the city?

5. What do you know about Voronezh before the Second World War?

6. What role did Voronezh play during the war?

7. What can you say about the modern city?

Translate into English.

1. Воронеж был основан в 1586 году как крепость для защиты южных границ России.

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2. Воронеж упоминается в русских летописях 12 века.

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3. Много боевых кораблей, оснащенных пушками, было спущено на воду реки Воронеж.

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4. Во время Второй Мировой войны Воронеж был важным стратегическим пунктом, открывавшим путь к Волге и Кавказу.

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5. Много административных и жилых зданий появилось на правом берегу реки Воронеж.

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6. Воронеж – крупный центр науки и образования страны со множеством университетов и академий.

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7. Мир сценического искусства и музыки представлен несколькими театрами, филармонией и государ­ственным русским народным хором.

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8. Вузы Воронежа готовят специалистов для многочиленных отраслей промышленности, сельского хозяйства, науки, культуры и искусства.

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9. Многие улицы города названы именами его защитников в годы ВОВ.

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10. Мы гордимся нашим живописным городом.

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Topic 2

COUNTRIES

RUSSIA

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. The territory of Russia lies in the eastern part of Europe and northern part of Asia.

Russia is washed by twelve seas and three oceans. The oceans are: the Arctic, the Atlantic and the Pacific. The seas are: the White Sea, the Barents Sea, the Okhotsk Sea, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and others.

Russia borders on many countries, such as Mongolia and China in the southeast, Finland and Norway in the northwest, and so on.

The land of Russia varies very much from forests to deserts, from high mountains to deep valleys. The main mountain chains are the Urals, the Caucasus and the Altai. There are a lot of great rivers and deep lakes on its territory. The longest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena in Asia. The largest lakes are Ladoga and the Baikal. The Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and its water is the purest on the earth.

The Russian Federation is rich in natural and mineral resources. It has deposits of oil, gas, coal, iron, gold and many others.

The current population of Russia is more than 140 million people. The European part of the country is densely peopled and most population live in cities and towns and their outskirts

The capital of the Russian Federation is Moscow, with population of about 10 million people.

Russia is a presidential republic. It is one of the leading powers in the world.

Answer the following questions to the text:

1. Where does the vast territory of Russia lie?

2. What oceans and seas is Russia washed by?

3. What countries does Russia border on?

4. What main mountain chains, rivers and lakes are there in Russia?

5. What mineral resources are there in Russia?

6. What is the population of Russia?

7. What is the form of government in Russia?

Translate into English:

1. Россия расположена в восточной части Европы и северной части Азии.

2. Обширная территория России омывается Северно-Ледовитым, Атлантическим и Тихим океанами.

3. Россия граничит с Монголией, Китаем, Финляндией и другими странами.

4.Россия располагает большим количеством месторождений полезных ископаемых.

5. Полезные ископаемые России включают (include) газ, уголь, железо, золото и др.

6. Форма правления (form of government) в России, одной из ведущих мировых держав, — президентская республика.