• 2) Say whether the statements below are true or false and justify your answer:

a) The overall objective of the long-term development of Karelia is to invest in education because it produces the intellectual capital that drives economic development.

b) The system of government in Karelia is based on the constitutional system of the Russian Federation.

c) Karelia is the country of lakes and forests.

d) The surface of Karelia reflects geological history of the last 1.5 million years.

e) The economy is based on mining of minerals and logging of timber.

3.31 Petrozavodsk

• 1) Is Petrozavodsk your native city? What do you like most of all in Petrozavodsk? What places of interest would you show to a newcomer?

Petrozavodsk is located on the shore of Lake Onego. The unique beauty of the landscape and Lake Onego make the panorama of the city beautiful. There is a nice view of the city from the bay side.

The population of Petrozavodsk today is more than 275,000 persons.

As European cities go, Petrozavodsk is a young city. It was founded a bit more than 300 years ago in 1703 and for most of its history was known as Petrozavodsk. In 1703, Peter the Great had deliberately turned his back on the old traditions of Russia and built his own capital on the Baltic Coast – St. Petersburg, as “a window into Europe.” But the new capital was in isolation, which was emphasised by its location in an inhospitable, thinly populated wilderness. Peter the Great was the first to realise that he would need not only a new capital and a naval base on the Gulf of Finland, but also some “satellite towns”. And, like many Peter’s ideas, this one was soon transformed into reality. Petrozavodsk came into being.

The first two decades of the I8^th century were terrible times for Russia – it was the time of the Great Northern War with Sweden. That’s why in 1703 Peter the First ordered a cannon foundry to be built here, which gave the city its life and name. The cannon foundry produced cannons, bombs, cannon balls, and weapon. In addition to armoury, the foundry manufactured surgical instruments. Soon a settlement called “Petrovskaya Sloboda” appeared near the foundry, and now it has turned into town.

• 2) Point out the sentences corresponding to the text’s content:

a) the cannon foundry was built in 1703,

b) it was built on the shore of Lake Onego,

c) St. Petersburg was built as “a window to Europe”,

d) the first “satellite town” not far from St. Petersburg was Petrozavodsk,

e) the population in Petrozavodsk today is over 300,000.

f) Petrozavodsk is the oldest city in the European part of Russia.

3.32 We are different

• 1) Have you ever been to a foreign country? Did you experience a culture gap? Share your experience.

• 2) Answer the given questions and check yourself:

(1) Question: You are going along a street in Seoul, South Korea. Suddenly a passer-by pushes you. You turn around and see that he is laughing quietly. How would you behave?

Answer: It’s better not to take offence on a passer-by. The fact is that in Korea a quiet laugh means embarrassment.

(2) Question: You are sitting at the cafe in Sofia (Bulgaria). A waiter comes up to you and asks: “Would you like some ice-cream?” You are nodding happily and waiting for your ice-cream. Unfortunately no ice-cream… Being sad you are going to get to know what the matter is. An astonishing waiter explains to you: “Dear Sir! You have given ice-cream up.” What has happened?

Answer: The waiter is right. In Bulgaria up-and-down nodding means negation.

(3) Question: In Europe when meeting each other people shake right hands. What is your idea about the way of shaking hands in Ancient China?

Answer: When ancient Chinese people met each other they shook their own hands (their right hand shook their left hand).

(4) Question: You visit your father’s friend in China. At lunch time you are served salads, meat with vegetables at first, at the end of lunch – soup. What will you think? How will you feel?

Answer: Don’t consider Chinese people to be ignorant. They know about dinner etiquette a lot. In China such dish order is traditional and correct.

(5) Question: One European traveller was invited to an Indian family. There was a very cute baby in that family and the traveller kissed him on the forehead. What was parents’ attitude to that?

Answer: Parents took serious offence on a traveller and were frightened of his behavior. It was a traveller’s mistake to kiss their baby on the head. In Asia people are sure that there is a soul of the man in the head and a kiss may insult it. After that the soul will fly away from the baby at once.

(6) Question: During a business meeting in Japan one European was lost in thought and scratched his head. After that a Japanese man switched the topic of the conversation imperceptibly and stopped the conversation gradually. Why did a Japanese man behave in such a way?

Answer: Scratching the head with the middle finger in Japan means deception and cheating.

(7) Question: The people in Iran are never interested in private life of each other. Why?

Answer: In Islamic countries personal life is a strictly guarded territory. Questions concerning family life are inadmissible.

(8) Question: If a man killed another man in Japan in the Middle Ages the Duke who was a judge ordered to banish a killer out of his lands and set his house on fire. However he ordered to set the house of the victim on fire too. Why so?

Answer: In Japan a man who was a killer was banished away and his house and the victim’s house were set on fire because these houses profaned all around.