I. Complete the sentences. 1. London is the capital of

1. London is the capital of…

2. The City is…

3. ...& it was used as a fortress, a palace & a prison.

4. … the place where nearly all kings & queens were crowned.

5. …is the geographical center of London.

6. …the largest of London parks.

7. Old residents of the East End are proud…

II. Answer the questions.

1. How is London divided traditionally?

2. What is the oldest part of London? What places of interest are there?

3. What is Westminster?

4. What do you know about Trafalgar Square, British Museum & Hyde Park?

5. What district of London is the center of industry?

III. Retell the text.

Russia

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. Russia lies both in Europe & Asia. Our country is washed by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean & the Arctic Ocean.

Russia can be divided roughly into two main regions – the highlands & the lowlands. The lowlands cover the greater part of the country with a long mountain range, cutting it into two unequal parts. It is the Urals, which form the natural border between Europe & Asia.

There are some peaks four & a half miles high. There are also lowlands several hundred feet below sea level, steppes & deserts in the south, plains & forests in the midlands, tundra & taiga in the north. Steppe is a treeless plain covered with grass, tundra is a kind of frozen desert in the Arctic region, taiga is a thick coniferous forest stretching to the south of tundra, which is rich in rare specimens of fur-bearing animals: sable, fox, squirrel.

There are many rivers & lakes in Russia. The longest rivers are the Volga, the Yenisey, the Ob; the deepest lakes are the Baikal, & the Ladoga.

Climate in Russia is very varied. In the south-west the weather is usually mild & wet, northern Asia is one of the coldest spot on earth, & in the deserts of the south heat renders life scarcely bearable, but in the middle of the country the climate is moderate & continental.

Russia is rich in mineral resources such as oil, natural gas, coal, gold, etc. The capital of the country is Moscow. It was founded in 1147. Today Moscow is a large & beautiful city. Moscow’s places of interest attract million of people from our & other countries.

I. Complete the sentences.

1. Our country is washed…

2. The lowlands cover…

3. There are some peaks…

4. There are also lowlands…

5. … the Volga, the Yenisey, the Ob;… the Baikal, & the Ladoga.

6. Russia is rich…

II. Answer the questions.

1. Where is Russia situated?

2. What two main regions can Russia be divided by the Urals?

3. What rivers & lakes are there in Russia?

4. What is the climate of Russia?

5. What is a capital of Russia? When was it founded?

III. Retell the text.

Ryazan

Ryazan is one of Russia’s most ancient towns. It was founded in 1095. As early as 1096 it was mentioned in the annals. The Oka -“the great river of the Slavs & the Rus”, as the Arabs called it – linked the trade centres of the Baltic lands with the countries of the Orient up to China. Ryazan was one of the most important towns along that trade route. It was the first in Early Russia to bear the full brunt of the invasion of Khan Batu’s Golden Horde. Ryazan was plundered & burnt down & the population was almost completely wiped out.

Now Ryazan is a modern industrial town & cultural centre. Ryazan lies on the right bank of the Oka River where the Trubezh River falls into it. On a high bank of the Trubezh you can see the wonderful ancient Kremlin & a church of the 17-th century. Cathedral of the Assumption is the oldest among the Kremlin buildings. Today the Kremlin houses the Museum of Local lore & an Art Museum. Ryazan Kremlin is a masterpiece of architecture.

There are many places of interest in Ryazan such as Pavlov House-Museum, the wonderful building of the Drama Theatre, the modern building of Puppet Theatre, the Esenin Concert Hall, a Circus. One can find here a large number of modern cinemas & clubs. There are a lot of monuments in Ryazan, which architecture graces the town. But Ryazan is famous not only for its historical places & monuments. A lot of great people lived & worked here. We are rightfully proud of the great physiologist Pavlov, the founder of rocket theory Tsiolkovsky, the naturalist Michurin, the geographer Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, the great poet Esenin & many others.