THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS (Level 1)

THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

VOCABULARY LIST

Socio- geographical features:

1) to occupy the area of …

2) to be situated / located

3) to border on

4) moderately continental climate

5) picturesque landscape

6) rich flora and fauna

7) population

8) administrative division

9) to be divided into regions / districts / towns / villages / agritownships

State system:

10) a sovereign independent state

11) state symbols

12) the head of the state

13) President of the Republic

14) three branches of power:

a. executive branch

b. legislative power

c. judicial power

15) the Government

a. the Council of Ministers

16) the Prime Minister

17) a two-chamber Parliament

a. the National Assembly

i. the House of Representatives

ii. the Council of the Republic

Economic development:

18) a highly developed industrial country

a. textile industry

b. light industry

c. food industry

d. automobile industry

e. engineering industry

f. metal processing

19) agriculture

20) to specialize in milk and meat production

21) the main crops cultivated

a. vegetables

b. flax

c. grain

d. potatoes

Join the parts of the word combinations.

1. to specialize in           a. a territory

2. to be situated in         b. by thick forests

3. to border on               c. deposits

4. to be divided into      d. milk and meat production

5. to occupy                  e. for bisons

6. to be famous              f. five countries

7. to possess                  g. regions

8. to be covered             h. the centre

 

Use the eight word combinations from 1.1 in the following sentences. Put the verbs in the proper form.

1) The Republic of Belarus ________ of the European continent.

2) Belarus ________ of 207,600 square kilometers.

3) The Republic of Belarus _________ Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

4) The country ___________ (Minsk, Brest, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Gomel, and Grodno regions).

5) More than one third of the country _____________.

6) The Belovezhskaya Pushcha ____________.

7) Besides forests, rivers and lakes, Belarus also __________ of peat, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, limestone, chalk, sand, gravel, clay.

8) Agriculture of Belarus ____________, and growing of crops and flax.

 

Join the parts of the sentences.

1) Nowadays Belarus is	a) Belarusian and Russian.
2) The State Emblem of Belarus is	b) potatoes, herbs, flax, grain and vegetables.
3) The State Flag of the Republic is	c) the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic.
4) There are three branches of power in Belarus:	d) including all its leading branches: power, machine-building and chemical industries
5) The Belarusian Parliament (the National Assembly) consists of	e) a sovereign independent state.
6) The state languages are	f) from the nuclear catastrophe that took place in Chernobyl in 1986.
7) Most part of Belarus is	g) a rectangular cloth made of 2 horizontally placed stripes (red and green ones).
8) The main crops cultivated here are	h) a portrayal of the republic's geographic outline in golden sunrays over the globe framed with the garland.
9) The nature has suffered much	i) legislative, executive and judicial.
10) Belarus has a developed heavy industry,	j) a flat land.

 

4.1. Join the parts of the word combinations.

 

1) a two-chamber Parliament	a) основной закон
2) the House of Representatives	b) Совет Республики
3) the Council of the Republic	c) осуществляться Советом Министров
4) The Fundamental Law	d) двухпалатный парламент
5) to administer justice	e) избираться на пост
6) to be performed by the Council of Ministers	f) избираться всенародным голосованием
7) to be elected by the nation-wide vote	g) Палата Представителей
8) to be elected to the post	h) осуществлять правосудие

 

Use the word combinations from 4.1 in the following sentences; change the verb form if necessary.

1) _____ of the State is the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus.

2) The President of the Republic of Belarus _________ every five years.

3) The current President of Belarus is Alexander Lukashenko.He ______ in 1994.

4) _______ exercisesthe legislativepower in the country.

5) ______ is the upper house of the Parliament, while ______ is the lower one.

6) The main function of the judicial branch is _________.

7) The executive power _______ headed by the Prime Minister.

 

THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS (Level 1)

Belarus is my homeland. Officially it is called the Republic of Belarus. Since 1991 it has been an independent state with its own government, constitution, state emblem, flag and anthem.

The headof the state is the President of the Republic; the state powers are divided into legislative, executive and judicial. The executive power is performed by the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. The Belarusian Parliament (the National Assembly) consists of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic. The judicial power belongs to the system of courts, headed by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus.

Belarus is situated in the eastern part of Europe. It borders on Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine and has the territory of 207,600 square kilometres. The population of Belarus is about 9.5 million people. Belarusian and Russian are the state languages in the Republic.

Belarus is a land of vast plains and picturesque hills, thick forests, deep blue lakes and flowing rivers. There are thousands of rivers and lakes in Belarus. The largest rivers are the Dnieper, the Nieman, the Sozh, the Vilia, the West Dvina, the Pripyat. The largest lake is Lake Naroch.

More than one third of the country is covered by forests (the largest are called “pushchas”). Belovezhskaya Pushcha is famous for its rich flora and fauna, and especially – for its bisons.

The climate of Belarus is moderately continental. Winters are usually mild and humid, and sum­mers are gently warm.

The territory of Belarus is divided into 6 regions (Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk, and Mogilev) and Minsk city. The capital of Belarus is Minsk; its population is about 1.9 million people.

Today Belarus is a highly developed industrial state. The main industries are engineering, chemical, wood-working industry, light and food industries. Belarusian agriculture specializes in milk and meat production, as well as grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beet, flax, and herbs growing.

Belarus is a country of a well-developed science and education. The Academy of Sciences and research institutions conduct studies on different important problems.

Belarus is an interesting region from the tourist point of view. Such places as St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk, St. Nicholas Monastery Complex in Mogilev, Mir Castle, Nesvizh Castle, Brest Fortress, and Khatyn Memorial and many more are definitely worth visiting.