Passport to Belarus
Active vocabulary: aurochs/European bison, heritage, independent, to border (on), to stretch (for), diverse, sovereign
Answer the following questions:
1. Where is Belarus situated?
2. What countries does it border on?
3. What is the territory/area of the republic?
4. What is the population of the republic?
5. The representatives of what nationalities live in our Republic?
6. What language is official in Belarus?
7. How can you describe the climate of Belarus?
8. Is it possible to call Belarus an agrarian country?
9. What main cities of Belarus do you know?
2. What countries does it border on?
3. What is the territory/area of the republic?
4. What is the population of the republic?
5. The representatives of what nationalities live in our Republic?
6. What language is official in Belarus?
7. How can you describe the climate of Belarus?
8. Is it possible to call Belarus an agrarian country?
9. What main cities of Belarus do you know?
Belarus is a small beautiful country with the heroic past and difficult present. Officially it is called the Republic of Belarus, a sovereign independent state with its own government, constitution, state emblem, flag and anthem.
Belarus is situated nearly in the centre of Europe in the extreme western part of the East-European Plain within the basins of the Dnieper, the Western Dvina and the Upper Neman. It borders on Poland in the west, the Baltic States — Lithuania and Latvia — in the north-west, on Russia in the north and east, on the Ukraine in the south.
Belarus stretches for 560 kilometres from south to north and for 650 kilometres from east to west. It occupies the territory of 207.6 thousand square kilometres. It is much larger than such countries as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Czechia and Slovakia. Its present-day population is about 10.3 mln people: 78% of Belarusians, 12% of Russians, 4% of Poles and 2% of Ukrainians. 68% of the population lives in towns and cities. The largest of which are Minsk, Gomel, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Grodno and Brest.
The Belarusian language is the state language of the Republic of Belarus, Russian has also very wide diffusion. The majority of the believers are Orthodox, but also there are representatives of Catholic religion. The chief of the state is the president, the legislative body is the Parliament.
Belarus is situated on a rolling plain rising to hills, the highest of which is Mt.Dzerzhinskaya reaching 350 metres above sea level.
There are more than 3,000 rivers in Belarus. Seven of them are more than 500 kilometres long each. They are the Dnieper, Neman, Western Dvina, Prypiat, Berezina, Sozh and Vilia.
Belarus is a lake-country. There are about 10,800 lakes here. The lakes are particularly numerous in the north. The largest is Lake Naroch — 80 square kilometres.
A third of Belarus is under forest. The largest forests are called pushchas. The Byelovezhskaya Pushcha is famous for its aurochs (European bisons). Fauna is rich and diverse there: one can see elks and deer, wild boars and wolves, bears and foxes, beavers and lynxes, not mentioning myriads of birds.
The climate of Belarus varies from maritime to continental due to a strong influence of the maritime air of the Atlantic. This results in temperate and mild climate.
The territory of Belarus is divided into 6 regions: Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk, and Mogilev. The capital of Belarus is Minsk with a population of over 1.5 mln people.
Belarus is an industrial-agrarian country. Today Belarusian industry produces tractors, big lorries, automatic lines, computers, refrigerators, television sets, bicycles, watches, fertilizers and textiles.
Agriculture specializes in milk and meat production. The main crops cultivated here are grain, potatoes, flax, herbs and vegetables.
By the way, Belarus is the country with unique history and rich cultural heritage. It is an interesting region from the tourist point of view.
Belarus is situated nearly in the centre of Europe in the extreme western part of the East-European Plain within the basins of the Dnieper, the Western Dvina and the Upper Neman. It borders on Poland in the west, the Baltic States — Lithuania and Latvia — in the north-west, on Russia in the north and east, on the Ukraine in the south.
Belarus stretches for 560 kilometres from south to north and for 650 kilometres from east to west. It occupies the territory of 207.6 thousand square kilometres. It is much larger than such countries as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Czechia and Slovakia. Its present-day population is about 10.3 mln people: 78% of Belarusians, 12% of Russians, 4% of Poles and 2% of Ukrainians. 68% of the population lives in towns and cities. The largest of which are Minsk, Gomel, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Grodno and Brest.
The Belarusian language is the state language of the Republic of Belarus, Russian has also very wide diffusion. The majority of the believers are Orthodox, but also there are representatives of Catholic religion. The chief of the state is the president, the legislative body is the Parliament.
Belarus is situated on a rolling plain rising to hills, the highest of which is Mt.Dzerzhinskaya reaching 350 metres above sea level.
There are more than 3,000 rivers in Belarus. Seven of them are more than 500 kilometres long each. They are the Dnieper, Neman, Western Dvina, Prypiat, Berezina, Sozh and Vilia.
Belarus is a lake-country. There are about 10,800 lakes here. The lakes are particularly numerous in the north. The largest is Lake Naroch — 80 square kilometres.
A third of Belarus is under forest. The largest forests are called pushchas. The Byelovezhskaya Pushcha is famous for its aurochs (European bisons). Fauna is rich and diverse there: one can see elks and deer, wild boars and wolves, bears and foxes, beavers and lynxes, not mentioning myriads of birds.
The climate of Belarus varies from maritime to continental due to a strong influence of the maritime air of the Atlantic. This results in temperate and mild climate.
The territory of Belarus is divided into 6 regions: Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk, and Mogilev. The capital of Belarus is Minsk with a population of over 1.5 mln people.
Belarus is an industrial-agrarian country. Today Belarusian industry produces tractors, big lorries, automatic lines, computers, refrigerators, television sets, bicycles, watches, fertilizers and textiles.
Agriculture specializes in milk and meat production. The main crops cultivated here are grain, potatoes, flax, herbs and vegetables.
By the way, Belarus is the country with unique history and rich cultural heritage. It is an interesting region from the tourist point of view.
Pre-reading
1. Work with the words (translate, give synonyms).
sovereign diffusion
independent numerous
anthem to vary
to border on influence
to stretch for unique
to occupy heritage
2. Make up your own sentences with the words.
Reading
3. Give English equivalents to the following English word combinations.
суверенное независимое государство; государственный герб, флаг и гимн; находиться почти в центре Европы; уникальная история; богатое культурное наследие; туристическая точка зрения.
4. Make up your own sentences with these expressions.
5. Agree or disagree with the following statements.
1. Belarus is a sovereign independent state with its own government, constitution, emblem, flag and anthem.
2. The territory of Belarus is divided into 4 regions.
3. Its present-day population is about 260 million people.
4. Belarus is a lake-country.
5. The highest mountain is Mt. Dzerzhinskaya reaching 530 metres above sea level.
6. Belarus isn’t an industrial-agrarian country.
7. Belarus is the country with unique history and rich cultural heritage.
6. Without looking back at the text, try to supply the missing words that complete the following sentences. 1. Belarus is ... .
2. It borders on … .
3. Belarus ... for 560 kilometres from ... to ... and for 650 kilometres from ... to ... .
4. The lakes are in the North.
5. The largest forests are called ... . The Byelovezhskaya Pushcha is famous for its ....
6. The climate of Belarus varies from ... to ... due to a strong ... of the maritime air from the Atlantic.
7. Today Belarusian industry produces … .
7. Divide the text into logical parts. Find the topic sentences of each part.
Follow up
8. Retell the text
a) as from a scientific magazine;
b) as your impressions after visiting it;
c) as for small children;
d) as an adventure story;
e) as you are a guide (for foreigners).
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