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Geographical position of Belarus
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Geographical position of Belarus
Vocabulary
varied (adj) разнообразный, различный
plentiful (adj) обильный
total (adj) общий
reservation (n) заповедник
alternate (v) чередовать(ся)
survive (v) выживать
vast (adj) обширный, громадный
poison (v) отравлять
contaminate (v) загрязнять
charitable (adj) щедрый, благотворительный
swamp (n) болото, топь
dense (adj) плотный, частый, густой
pine (n) сосна
birch (n) берёза
oak (n) дуб
grove (n) роща, лесок
meadow (n) луг
velvety (adj) бархатистый
aurochs (n) зубр
enclosure (n) ограда; огороженное место
range (v) бродить, странствовать
suffer (v) страдать
spoil (v) испортить
affect(v) влиять
decrease (v) уменьшать(ся)
degeneration (n) вымирание, истребление нации
the combined size вместе взятые
to be edged with smth быть обрамлённым чем-либо
since the glacial times со времён ледникового периода
I. Match the English words and their Russian equivalents:
1. plentiful а. зубр
2. vast b. фауна
3. fauna с. благотворительный
4. to survive d. отравлять
5. dense e. страдать
6. auroch f. роща
7. to suffer g. обширный
8. to poison h. обильный
9. charitable i. выживать
10. grove j. частый, густой
II. Match the words with their definitions:
| velvety, reservation, contaminate, varied, charitable, alternate, grove, swamp, range, decrease |
Ø cause to become less;
Ø go, move, wander;
Ø area of soft wet land;
Ø sanctuary; area where by law it is forbidden to kill, birds and animals;
Ø make dirty, impure or diseased;
Ø of different sorts; diverse;
Ø come one after the other, by turns;
Ø benevolent, philanthropic, generous;
Ø smooth and soft like velvet;
Ø group of trees; small wood.
III. Combine the words with the help of the preposition of:
1. the eastern part, a. Greece, Belgium and Denmark
2. the combined size b. the republic.
3. the ribbons c. the reservation
4. the territory d. Europe
5. all rivers e. lakes
6. two sea-basins f. pines
7. a great number g. rivers
8. a quarter h. Belarus
9. dense forests i. many people
10. the pride j. the republic area
11. the health k. the Black and Baltic seas
IV. Give the Russian equivalents to the following words and phrases:
the combined size of Greece, Belgium and Denmark; edged with thick forests; endless expanses of fields, meadows and swamps; varied and plentiful animal and plant kingdom; national reservations; dense forests of pines; birch and«oak groves; velvety meadows; since the glacial times; a comparatively mild winter; nuclear catastrophe; flora and fauna; to decrease the level of radiation; the numerous charitable funds and associations; the contaminated areas; the proper medical treatment; to prevent the Belarusian nation from degeneration.
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GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF BELARUS
Belarus is situated in the eastern part of Europe. It covers 207 600 sq km and it stretches for 650 km from east, to west and for 560 km from north to south. Its area is more than the combined size of Greece, Belgium and Denmark. It borders on. Latvia and Lithuania in the north-west, on Russia in the north and east, on the Ukraine in the south and south-east and on Poland in the west. The population is over 10 million inhabitants.
Our native land is remarkably beautiful with its blue lakes and ribbons of rivers edged with thick forests, with its endless expanses of fields, meadows and swamp, with its varied and plentiful animal and plant kingdom. There are some 3 000 rivers flowing over the territory of Belarus. The total length of all the rivers comes up to 50 000 km. All rivers of the republic belong to two sea-basins of the Black and Baltic seas. The longest rivers are the Dnieper, the Nieman, the Zapadny Bug and the Zapadnaya Dvina.
The republic has over 10 000 lakes. The largest of them are the Naroeh, the Osweyskoye and the Drisvyaty. There is a great number of lakes in the north-west of the republic, in the so-called Belarusian Polesye. More than a quarter of the republic area is covered with forest and bushes. The country is famous for its national reservation -- Belavezhskaya Puscha. Dense forests of pines towering to over 50 metres alternate with birch arid oak groves. Velvety meadows border on many rivers and streams. The pride of the reservation is the aurochs -- a rare animal that has survived since the glacial times. With the exception of a few, kept in open-air-enclosures, these animals range freely within the reservation.
The climate of Belarus is continental with a comparatively mild winter and warm summer.
The nature of Belarus has suffered much from the nuclear catastrophe that took place in Chernobyl in 1986. The radiation has spoiled our soil and air, rivers and lakes, it has poisoned our flora and fauna. Besides it has badly affected the health of people and the climate.
Those who lived not far from Chernobyl had to leave their places for ever. It's important to do our best to decrease the level of radiation. Nowadays a lot is being done by the numerous charitable funds and associations to provide the people living in the contaminated areas with the proper medical treatment and recreation in summer in our country and abroad. But still more is to be done to prevent the Belarusian nation from degeneration.
Answer the questions:
1. Where is Belarus situated? 2. What countries does Belarus border on? 3. Our republic is rich in forests, rivers and lakes, isn't it? 4. How many rivers are there in Belarus? 4. What are the longest rivers of our country? 6. How many lakes are there in Belarus? 7. Which are the largest of them? 8. What is the Belarusian Polesye famous for? 9. Where do the aurochs live? 10. What climate do we have in Belarus? 11. What catastrophe has badly affected the life of many people? 12. What are the consequences of that catastrophe?
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Put in the right prepositions where necessary:
1. Belarus is situated … the eastern part …Europe. 2. It borders … Latvia and Lithuania … the north-west, on Russia … the north and east, … the Ukraine … the south and south-east and … Poland … the West. 3.Our native land is remarkably beautiful … its blue lakes and ribbons … rivers edged … thick forests, … its endless … expanses … fields, meadows and swamp, … its varied and plentiful animal and plant kingdom. 4. There is a great number … lakes … the north-west … the republic … the Belarusian Polesye. 5. …, the exception … a few, kept … open-air enclosures, the aurochs range freely … the reservation. 6. Those who lived not far … Chernobyl had to leave their places … ever.
Choose a word from the box to pet into each gap:
| to decrease, has affected, is covered, borders on, climate, radiation, has poisoned |
1. Belarus … Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Poland. 2. More then a quarter of the republic … with forests and bushes. 3. The … of Belarus is continental. 4. The … has spoiled our soil and air, rivers and lakes, it has … our flora and fauna; and besides it … the health of people. 6. It is important to … the level of radiation.
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