Ask him/her if this view on our country is typical
EYEBALLING BELARUS
Tim Bryan is a journalist working with the Guardian. He regularly travels worldwide to assess popular and lesser known tourist destinations, informing his readers of his findings. Recently he decided to pay Belarus a visit – a country almost undiscovered by British tourists. In his view, Belarus has some definite attractions. He was particularly enchanted by our forests and log cabins; deep in the woods, it’s easy to relax – undisturbed by anything or anybody. Escapist tourism is becoming quite popular among ecology-minded Westerners.
Mr. Bryan also praises Minsk’s modern architecture. He asserts that Western tourists are fed up with ‘noble ruins’ since castles can be found in abundance throughout Europe. Rather than looking at ‘glorious has-beens’, people want to experience modern lifestyles. Since Minsk is a living relic of the sunken Soviet Atlantis, having been destroyed in WWII and rebuilt purely by Soviet canons, it’s a unique destination. Minsk is relatively crime free – unlike many other post-Soviet capitals. If British tourists can be persuaded to travel to Belarus for their holidays, they’ll bring in very welcome amounts of revenue.
State system of the Republic of Belarus
Study the information about the state system of the Republic of Belarus. Open the brackets, using English words from the box below the text instead of Russian ones.
The Republic of Belarus is a unitary democratic law-governed state.
In conformity with the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus the only source of the state power is the people who exercise it directly and through (представительный ) bodies.
The Constitution (утвердила) the principle of division of power into legislative, executive and judicial powers. The supreme and representative body is the Parliament, the National Assembly of the Republic. The Parliament consists of two (палата): the Chamber of Representatives and the Council of the Republic of Belarus. The Chamber of Representatives is formed on the basis of universal, free and direct (голосование) by secret ballot. The Council of the Republic is the chamber of territorial representation.
Belarus is a presidential republic. The President of the Republic of Belarus is the (глава) of state and of (исполнительный) power. Executive power is exercised by the Government (возглавляемый) by the Prime Minister.
The (юридический) power in the Republic of Belarus belongs to courts. The control over the constitutionality of regulatory acts in the state is exercised by the Constitutional Court. (Надзор) over precise and uniform execution of laws by all bodies of state government is executed by the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus.
| verb | noun | adjective | participle I |
| represent approve chamber ----- head execute judge supervise | representation approvement chamber suffrage head executer judge supervision | representative approving chamber ------ heading executive judicial supervisory | represented approved ---- ---- headed executed ---- supervised |
Made in Belarus
The Republic of Belarus is one of the most economically developed states of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Its major industries are machine-tool construction, electrotechnical equipment production, motor-car production, tractor building, agricultural machine building, synthetic fiber production, mineral fertilizers production, pharmaceutics, construction materials production, and light and heavy industries. Belarus has a large and sophisticated food processing industry and processed foods have accounted for a growing proportion of total domestic demand for food in recent decades. The structure of Belarus exports is dominated by mineral products, vehicles, mechanical and electrical equipment and machinery, chemical products, ferrous metals and textiles.
15. Work in groups. Belarus has quite a few companies with very high name-brand recognition abroad. The creation of a brand demands great intellectual and material input and therefore it should be protected. Examine the following table and speak about the Belarusian products characteristic features.
| GEFEST Brest | For almost 50 years now the company has been playing on the market of kitchen appliances. Over the years the company has drawn up its own strategy for success, which comprises, first of all, superior production quality, stylish design and effective marketing. The company produces gas, electric and gas-electric cookers and building-in kitchen appliances – total of 14 models and 90 modifications. |
| AMKODOR Minsk | The current range of products includes almost 40 types of machines – road building and construction machines and airfield sweepers, forestry and farming machinery, etc. The company got the right to CE mark its 4-ton loaders which means they are sold in the EU market without any restrictions. Belarusian road machinery and utility vehicles are exported to 32 countries. One more distinctive feature of the plant’s relationship with customers is timely implementation of orders. |
| RATON Gomel | Raton focuses on making electrotechnical equipment: factory-assembled switcher, chamber assembly of one-sided service, high voltage linear cells, pole-and mast-mounted transformer substations, controllers and many other things. Raton electrotechnical products exclude human related malfunctions. |
| Elema Minsk | Elema is one of the biggest producers of outer clothing. Its product range includes warm light and short coats, jackets, suits, trousers, skirts, dresses. Modern materials, excellent quality and reasonable prices individualize our products allowing the company to satisfy most captious demands.The company has gained rich experience in working on a give and take basis. |
| Orsha Flax Mill | It is fortuitous that flowers of flax are an element of the National Emblem of Belarus since flax has been traditionally cultivated throughout the centuries in the country and has remained one of its most important agricultural plants. It possesses unique hygienic and exploitation qualities.The enterprise manufactures table and bed linen, fabrics for suits and shirts, decorative fabrics, ready-made garments, technical fabrics, bags and yarn. |
16. Work in pairs. MAZes, tractors Belarus, Horizont and Vityaz TV sets, Milavitsa, lingerie are among the Belarusian products recognized on the foreign markets far beyond the CIS countries. What characteristic features make our products so popular?
17. Work in groups. Today about three million people live in the rural areas-almost one third of the population of Belarus. Social aspects give agriculture greater importance though its share in GDP makes only 9 per cent. For example, one man working in agriculture secures employment for eight people in other branches of economy. Moreover, village is a spring of ethnic traditions and folk art. To preserve and hone this source is also one of the fundamental tasks of the Belarusians.
Speak about the strategy to achieve the target using the following table.
| To make a product desirable it All necessary living conditions The republic’s enterprises Settlements adjacent to the agro-town Deepening of specialization in the production sphere The agricultural production The economically insolvent organizations All agro-towns The system of farming and feedstock zones Agro-industrial institutions, trade and credit-financial establishments | are must be will be | connected to gas supply systems; able to get consumer services; keen to exploit innovative technology; ensured; located in most favorable geographical-economic zones; optimized; reequipped technically and technologically; turned around; continued; produced at the lowest possible cost, with the best quality possible; integrated. |
18. Work in pairs.The Belarusian energy branch is being rebuilt to accommodate the local environment and untap its potential to ensure energy security of our republic. Discuss the problems of our republic energy balance. To reach the goals use phrases in the box and the statements that follow.
| According to scientists, …; Some people believe…; On one hand…; On the other hand…;…because…; Besides…; But in my opinion…; |
1. Some generally used indicators of energy security remain critical.
2. The country needs to retool the majority of its energy equipment and to develop a system of new mini combined heat and power plants running on local fuels.
3. Belarus seeks to reduce the share of natural gas in the energy balance from 90% to 47% by 2010.
4. A nuclear power plant, provided it is built and operates in compliance with all safety standards, does emit thousands of tons of CO2, water vapor and attributable harmful substances.
5. Phytomass is of a bigger interest as a source of energy.
6. Therefore, while being promising energy sources, the biomass, solar and wind energy, municipal waste and biodiesel fuels require big investment while their share in the total energy balances remains insignificant.
7. Today Belarus is intensifying consumption of natural gas both nation-wide and in the energy industry in particular. This strategy is justified by the fact that natural gas is the most economically efficient and ecologically friendly fuel.
8. The more intense we use fire-wood, the sooner we will be left with no forests as such.
9. It makes no economic sense to use hydrogen to generate energy today.
10. Therewith of natural gas prices will outpace that of oil. Thus, in the long run the prices for these fuels against a ton oil equivalent will equalize.
11. A radical solution for the Belarusian energy balance issue would be to construct a nuclear power plant.
12. Scientists are putting effort into modernization of traditional fuel-fired installations (boilers, furnaces, dryers, etc).
13. Another fuel to challenge the dominance of natural gas is coal which will catch up with the natural gas in price and heating value already by 2010.
14. We are set to launch construction of power generating plants running on coal in the near future.
15. The republic should reckon on its own finances first of all.