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UNIT II.

YOUTH IS A DIFFICULT TIME.

Vocabulary:

great uncertainty – сильная неуверенность to have a goal in life – иметь цель в жизни drug addiction – наркотическая зависимость

a sign of an intelligent and broad-minded person – признак умной и разносторонней личности

in order – чтобы

to alarm smb – тревожить кого-либо

to plan the future career – планировать будущую карьеру to be well-educated – быть хорошо образованным

to be a sore point – быть больным вопросом problems with adults – проблемы со взрослыми early pregnancy – ранняя беременность

violence and crime among youth – насилие и преступность среди молодежи to face a drugs crisis – столкнуться с наркотическим кризисом

to loose the connections with parents – терять связь с родителями to evoke – вызывать

to take the first step in doing smth. – cделать первый шаг в чем-либо to prevent the selling of drugs – предотвратить продажу наркотиков to dedicate to – посвящать чему-либо

if they are given drugs – если им предложат наркотики

number one problem among smb.- проблема номер один среди кого-либо conscription – воинская повинность

to be like a prison – быть как в тюрьме military service – военная служба

to be society’s future – быть будущим общества to be “lost” – быть «потерянным»

to be full of self-criticism – быть полным самокритики frequent changes of mood – быстрая, частая смена настроения

dissatisfaction with the appearance – неудовлетворенность внешностью to be easily influenced by – легко попадать под влияние

to fulfill one’s duties in time – выполнять свои обязанности вовремя to be illiterate – быть безграмотным

ignorance – невежество

to make your dreams come true – претворять мечту в жизнь

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Now we are to speak about teenagers’ problems, in spite of the fact that youth is considered to be the happiest time of a man’s life. We have got several letters from students living in Belarus. They seem to be a part of great discussion on your problems. We invite you to join this discussion.

Ex. 1. Read these letters and say if you agree or disagree with these students. Which of these problems are close to you?

Youth is a special time for any person: he or she is no longer a child and not yet an adult. And young people have some problems special to this period of life. One of them is the problem of finding oneself. Some teenagers still remain in a condition of Great Uncertainty: they don’t have particular interests or hobbies; there are no particular aims in their lives. That’s why they are in a constant search, which sometimes makes them choose the wrong way, for example drug addiction. I think if a person has a goal in life, or there is something in the world that interests him or her very much, that person is lucky. A wide range of interest is a sign of an intelligent and broad-minded person.

That’s why almost all young people try different sides of life in order to find something which attracts them most of all.

By Girnik

Everybody thinks that youth is the best period of life. But young people have as many problems as grown-ups.

The problem that alarms me most of all is the problem of planning my future career. It is essential to have a good job. And to get a good job you have to be well-educated. So, after leaving a secondary school I should choose university and see what entrance exams I have to pass. I can’t enter any university without good knowledge, for example of English, so it is necessary to pay for special lessons which mean heavy expenses.

After graduating from the university you have another problem. How to find a good job? Unemployment is a sore point in our country. Even qualified professionals often cannot find a good job. So, planning my future I have to think a lot about the possibility of finding a good job after finishing my education.

By Tanya Savanchuk

Nowadays teenagers have rather difficult lives. They have so many problems. The main ones are: hard drags, diseases, such as AIDS, problems with adults, early pregnancy and of course violence and crime among youth.

Our world is facing a drugs crisis. The greater part of teenagers are using, or have used drugs. This is the main problem in the world, I think.

Because of drugs, boys and girls become angry. They loose their connections with their parents, and misunderstand them. They have a lot of communicative problems. Teenagers don’t have enough money to buy drugs, so

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they must steal. And using drugs evokes such a dangerous illness as AIDS. Drug addicts aware of their illness and with this their lives end.

To my mind our government should take the first step in stopping this problem and prevent the selling of drugs. Besides our government should lead different educative programs, such as “Stop AIDS”, or something like that. Even in schools we should have lessons dedicated to these problems. So, in my point of view, we should stop drugs. Teenagers should think about their future life. They should have dreams about their future career. And even if they are given drugs, they should just say “NO”.

By Olga

As for me, the number one problem among young men is conscription. In our country all boys must go to the army. (Of course, if they haven’t got serious disease.) It doesn’t mean that I don’t want to carry out the duty of a male citizen of our republic. But our army is like a prison today, with violence, bad food, poor clothes. I think that military service should be a job; a professional army would be more organized. Of course, this problem can be solved only by government and even they cannot solve it now. But adults must remember that the young are society’s future. If the present generation of youths grows up to be “lost”, we have no future.

By Sergey Manko

Every day we have to make important decisions. It is very hard to make them in youth, because we are not children, for whom the world is so simple, and not yet adults, who have life experience.

In this transition period teenagers are very changeable: full of self-criticism, frequent changes of mood, dissatisfaction with their appearance.

Teenagers are also easily influenced by others. And just in this period great number of people begins to smoke, communicate with different groups. But I think, you should love yourself in order to find the right way in life and place in society. I guess, you should not only follow your wishes, but also fulfil your duties in time; control yourself. I would like to say that we shouldn’t be illiterate. Ignorance makes unemployment a sore point.

So we are responsible persons and we should respect ourselves and other people, too. And to respect yourself means to wish yourself happiness and try to make your dreams come true.

By Olga Evkuta

Ex. 2. Find in the text the English for:

уже не ребёнок, но ещё не взрослый; состояние сильной неуверенности; находиться в постоянном поиске; большой круг интересов; большие затраты; безработица; квалифицированные специалисты; поступить в университет; возможность найти хорошую работу;

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Ex. 5. You have read and discussed five letters (see ex. 1). Write a letter to one of these students. Tell him (or her) about your problems; say if you understand him (or her) and explain why you agree or disagree with him (or her). Begin it in such a way:

UNIT III.

KHABAROVSK IS THE CAPITAL OF THE FAR EAST

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Ex. 1. Read the proper names, paying attention to the definite article.

The Russian Far East, the Far-Eastern Economic region; the Urals, Western Siberia; Assumption Cathedral, the Civil War, the Far Eastern State Scientific library, the Russian Tsar Nikolay II, the Great October Socialist Revolution, the War Memorial, Nazi Germany, the State Museum of the Far East, the Russian Geographical Society, the Far Eastern Art Museum, Governor-General of the Eastern Siberia count Muravyov-Amurskiy, the Transsiberian Railway.

Ex. 2. Read and translate the text.

Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk is one of the biggest administrative, industrial, scientific and cultural centres of the Far East, the capital of the Far Eastern Federal Okrug. It stretches along the right bank of the mighty Amur river and Amurskaya tributary for 45 kms (28 miles) and covers the area of almost 154 square miles (40 hectares). Khabarovsk is a centre of a vast and rich territory where the first Russian settlements appeared a very long time ago. These lands attracted people from Central Russia, the Urals and Western Siberia with their fertile soil, rivers swarming with fish, large forests and fur animals.

In 1858 a military post to guard Russian-Chinese frontier was founded . It was named Khabarovka after the Russian explorer of the 17th century Yerofei Khabarov. In 1880 it was promoted to a city rank and in 1893 was renamed Khabarovsk. During the 20th century Khabarovsk has grown into a big modern city with the population of about 600 thousand people.

The central part of Khabarovsk is built on the summits of 3 hills named Muravyov-Amurskiy street, Lenin street, Seryshev street, which in their turn are crossed by a number of parallel streets going up and down the hills.

Komsomolskaya Square is the beginning of the main street of the city- Muravyov-Amurskiy street, which ends by Lenin square. Previously it was called Sobornaya after a beautiful Assumption Cathedral which stood here. It was the place were all city's religious ceremonies were held. Later the square and the Cathedral were destroyed. At the end of the 30-s the Komsomol members rebuilt the square, that was how the square got its name. But a beautiful Cathedral appeared there again only in 2002. In the Square there is also a monument devoted to the participants of the Civil war.

There are some buildings adjoining the square. One of them the old red-brick building dates back to 1902. It belonged to the family of the rich merchants Plusnins, one of them was the mayor of the city just before 1917. Today it is the Far Eastern State Scientific-Research Library with the modest modern information support facilities and unique editions. Its repository now has 2 mln 700 thousand books and the annual input exceeds 80 thousand.

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The main street leads to the main square of the city-Lenin Square. It was built as Nikolaevskaya Square in honour of the last Russian Tsar Nikolay II. After the Great October Socialist Revolution it was renamed the Square of Freedom and later the Square of Stalin. The monument to Lenin was unveiled on November 7th, 1925. It has been called Lenin Square since 1957. The main square of the city was opened after reconstruction in October, 1988.

Another place of interest of Khabarovsk is the War Memorial Complex. It consists of two parts: the War Memorial itself and Glory Square. Glory Square was built in 1975. There is an obelisk here with the names of the Far-Easterners rewarded by the Star of the USSR Hero. The second part, the War Memorial, was built in 1985 in honour of the 40th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. On the granite wall there are the names of the Far Easterners fell in the battles of the World War II. There is the eternal flame to remember the heroes of the WWII for ever.

There are several museums in Khabarovsk. The State Museum of the Far East, named after N.I. Grodekov, is one of the largest and oldest of them. It was founded in 1894 on the initiative of the Russian Geographical Society. Different displays of the Museum tell visitors about flora and fauna of the Far East, its history, life and customs of the indigenous people.

Another leading museum is the Far Eastern Art Museum. It was opened in 1931. The Museum has a big collection of paintings, sculptures, icons, many of which arrived from Russia's largest state museums like the Hermitage, the Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum. The museum also has works representing the traditional art of the indigenous people of the Far East.

There are some places of interest just along the bank of the Amur. One of them is the monument to Muravyov-Amurskiy. The monument is situated just near the famous Amur cliff, which is also considered to be the sight of Khabarovsk. Originally, a monument to the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia count Muravyov-Amurskiy was erected in 1891. In 1925 it was dismantled. On the initiative of the citizens of Khabarovsk it was re-erected in May 1992.

Khabarovsk is situated in the centre of the Far-Eastern economic region and it is the point of intersection of the most important transport ways. The Transsiberian Railway (the longest in the world – over 10.000 km) goes through the city. Every day about 30 passenger trains go through Khabarovsk and all guests who come to the city by trains are met by the impressive statue of Yerofei Pavlovich Khabarov. Though, it was Vasiliy Poyarkov, who was the first Russian to come to Amur, but actually Y. Khabarov was the first to found the Russian settlements here. The monument to Y. Khabarov (designed by Milchin) was erected in the Railway Station Square in 1958.

Khabarovsk is often called an air gate of the Far East as many airlines of national, local and international importance cross here. Khabarovsk airport is the largest and the most important in the Russian Far East and Siberia.

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Khabarovsk is a recognized centre of cultural, artistic and sports life both for the Khabarovskiy Kray and the entire region. Here come touring the leading theatres of the Russian Far East and here take place theatre and musical festivals, Kray and zonal art exhibition, sports competitions. The following theatres work in Khabarovsk: Drama Theatre, the only in the Far East Operetta Theatre (Musical Comedy Theatre), Young Spectators Theatre, Puppet Theatre and Triad Pantomime Theatre. The reconstruction of the Concert Hall of the Kray philharmonic society was a nice present for musicians and the audience. In its technological and design solutions the Hall is unrivalled for all Russia.

No less great contribution to cultural life meant the construction of the Khabarovsk Circus for 1.300 viewers. It has no architectural analogues.

The success of local sportsmen is a special pride of Khabarovsk citizens. The citizens can attend good level sports facilities (sports palace in Lenin stadium, tennis courts in Lenin and Dynamo stadiums, swimming pool "Neptun").

The largest super– modern sports and entertainment centre "Platinum Arena" with an artificial ice rink and a field for training was built in 2003.

Khabarovsk is growing and improving all the time. Old houses are knocked down to give place to high modern buildings. It attracts many tourists from various parts of Russia and from foreign countries by its modern housing developments, its light-filled streets and wonderful squares, its theatres, museums and recreation centers.

Ex. 2. Find English equivalents in the text:

плодородная почва, пушные звери, Успенский собор, переименовать, участники Гражданской войны, хранилище, называть в честь, торжественно открыть, по инициативе, народное творчество коренного населения, генерал-губернатор Восточной Сибири граф МуравьевАмурский, приезжать на гастроли, спортивно-зрелищный комплекс.

Ex. 3. Make up word combinations:

centre, intersection, to guard, library, museum, representing, statue, summit, anniversary, to reward, indigenous, to found, capital, theatre, reconstruction

Ex. 4. Complete the sentences:

1.Khabarovsk is …

2.In 1858 a military post …

3.Khabarovsk is built …

4.Komsomolskaya Square is the beginning …

5.Previously Komsomolskaya Square was called …

6.The old red-brick building …

7.The main street leads …

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8.Another place of interest of Khabarovsk …

9.There is an obelisk here …

10.On the granite wall there are …

11.The State Museum of the Far East …

12.Another leading Museum is …

13.The monument to Muravyov-Amurskiy …

14.Khabarovsk is situated in the centre …

Ex. 5. Insert prepositions were necessary:

1.Khabarovsk stretches along the right bank of the mighty Amur river and

Amurskaya tributary … 45 kms (28 miles).

2.The military post was named Khabarovka … the Russian explorer … the

17th century Y. Khabarov.

3.During the 20th century Khabarovsk has grown … a big modern city.

4.The central streets are crossed … a number of streets going … and … the hills.

5.There are some buildings adjoining … the square.

6.Lening Square was built as Nikolaevskaya Square … honour … the last Russian Tsar Nikolai II.

7.Originally, a Monument … the Covernor-General … Eastern Siberia count

Muravyov-Amurskiy was erected in 1893.

8.The Transsiberian Railway goes … the city.

9.All guests who come … the city … trains are met … the impressive statue of Y.P. Khabarov.

Ex. 6. Explain the dates:

1858, 1880, 1902, 1925, 1931, 1956, 1957, 1894, 1891, 1958, 1988, 1992, 2002

Ex. 7. Expand the Statements:

1.Khabarovsk is the centre of the Far Eastern region.

2.In 1858 a military post was founded.

3.Komsomolskaya Square has a long history.

4.Lenin Square is the central square of the city.

5.The War Memorial Complex is another place of interest of Khabarovsk.

6.The State Museum of the Far East is one of the largest and oldest museums.

7.The Far Eastern Art museum was opened in 1931.

8.The city is the point of intersection of the most important transport ways.

9.The city was named after Y. Khabarov.

10.Khabarovsk is a recognized centre of cultural, artistic and sports life both for the Khabarovskiy Kray and the entire region.

11.The citizens of Khabarovsk can attend good level sports facilities.

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Ex. 9. Answer the questions

1.Where is Khabarovsk situated?

2.Does Khabarovsk have favourable location? Can you prove it?

3.When and why was Khabarovsk founded?

4.Why was Komsomolskaya Square called Sobornaya?

5.What is the history of Lenin Square?

6.What is the War Memotial Complex?

7.What are the oldest and largest Museums in Khabarovsk?

8.Is Khabarovsk a recognized centre of cultural, artistic and sports life?

9.Where is the statue of Y. Khabarov situated?

10.Why do you think the city was named after Y. Khabarov?

PART 2. FROM THE HISTORY OF KHABAROVSK

to sign a treaty – подписать договор commander in chief – главнокомандующий

Ex. 1. Read and translate the text.

From the history of Khabarovsk foundation and development.

Success of Russia at Amur was predetermined by joining of efforts of two distinguished state figures – Nikolay Nikolaevich Muravyov and Gennadiy Ivanovich Nevelskoy. The explorer admiral Nevelskoy made a lot for foundation and development of the Russian settlements in the Far East. He had a

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talent in choosing the geographical point for a settlement (Nikolaevsk is one of them). Nevelskoy understood the importance of the Priamurskiy and Priussuriyskiy regions for Russia and really felt the state strategic value of the place between the rivers Ussury and Amur for the foundation of a town. In

February 1854 Nevelskoy wrote to Muravyov: ”I beg your excellency to order to set up a post of 30 people at the Ussury estuary…it is the place, where we should concentrate our activities and management of the region. Nowadays this post should become the starting point for communication with the harbor, chosen in the south, as well as for the research of Ussury and Low Amur basins.” The foundation of the range of settlements became necessary and urgent after signing Aigun treaty on the Russian-Chinese border by the generalgovernor of the Eastern Siberia count Muravyov and the Chinese amur Commander in Chief in May, 1858. The military post named after Khabarov was founded on May 31, 1858 by order of Muravyov-Amurskiy (awarded the additional name after signing the treaty). It was the military post of the 13-th linear battalion commanded by the captain Yakov Vassilievich Dyachenko. Muravyov-Amurskiy said on June 12, 1858 in Khabarovsk: “Let the memory of our ancestors live in the names of the Cossack villages. Their labor and heroic deeds made this land Russian.”

The Eastern-Siberian battalions had to become the first builders of most of the settlements, appeared along the Amur river and the coast of the Sea of Japan. The battalions of this type were to defend the border. The soldiers commanded by Dyachenko set up the part of the town which is still its historic center. The military post spread along the river from mountain Artilleriyskaya (now Radio building there) to mountain Kazachya (near river cargo port). The first street was about two kilometers. The first builders also made the first park.

In administrative connection Khabarovka submitted to Sofiysk (founded in November 1858), then it became the center of Sofiysk district. 15 years later it could compete with the capital of the region, Nikolaevsk. Its advantageous geographic position was seen better year after year. From 1858 new settlement became the center of the post communication for the whole Far East. In 1860 the percentage of civil citizens was only 8%, three years later it was 38%. Khabarovka became the fur and fish fair and the trade center. They sold up to 20 thousand sable skins during one season. Foreign capital prevailed here, in 1868 its share was 73%.

In summer 1873 the first distinguished visitor, Grand Prince Alexey Alexandrovich visited Khabarovka. He was traveling round the world and was going to Petersburg through Siberia. Due to his visit the first and main street in Khabarovka was named Alexeevskaya (now Shevchenko street), the first educational institution founded in 1875 was Alexeevskaya preliminary school. In 1891 Cesarevitch Nikolay followed the way of the Grand Prince. His visit was more pompous, with triumphal arch, church service and opening of the monument to Muravyov-Amursky. The new square was named Nikolaevskaya.

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The trade school named after Nikolay was built there in 1900-1903 (now Nechepayev Hospital).

The imperial decision on the transfer of the regional center was made on April 28 (May 10) 1880. It granted Khabarovka the status of a town. It caused a construction boom. More and more stone houses were built, some of them can be still seen in the central part of the city. In 1884 the Priamursskoe generalgovernorship was separated from the Vostochno-Sibirskoe generalgovernorship. Khabarovka became the residence of general-governors (the first Andrey Nikolaevich Korf, buried in the Usspenskiy Cathedral in 1893). In 1893 Khabarovka was renamed into Khabarovsk. Business and construction in the town was also caused by construction of Ussuriyskaya railroad (1891-1897, from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk) and later due to the Transsiberian railroad finished by the construction of the bridge (1916) – the real engineering masterpiece of that time. In 1900 a telephone station was built in Khabarovsk. The number of users was up to 900 (number of citizens – 17 thousand in 1903). In 1902 the artillery workshops, commanded by colonel Simeon Nikolaevich Vankov, assembled a small electric generator. He established join-stock society and built a power station. Street lightning was introduced in 1907. About 100 lanterns appeared in Alexeevskaya and Muravyov-Amurskiy streets. Not every regional center of Russian empire had such a luxury.

According to the architectural plan of 1907, the town territory was divided into three administrative parts, three “hills”: Artilleriyskaya (Lenin street),

Srednyaya (Muravyov-Amurskiy street) and Voennaya (Seryshev street). A distinguished feature of Khabarovsk was that many streets were named after famous writers and poets: Pushkin street (1899), Gogol street (1902), Tolstoy street (1908), Turgenev street (1917). Another feature of the town was small number of churches for the town of its status. They built 14 orthodox churches, one synagogue, Roman Catholic church and a Chinese church. G. Grigorovich wrote in her memories: ”The inhabitants of the Far East were not very pious. Maybe it was the influence of the political exiles.”

In 1913 all Russia celebrated the 300 anniversary of the Romanov’s house.

In Khabarovsk there was a large exhibition displaying all the achievements of the Far East. Special area was constructed for the exhibition (‘Dynamo” park) with more than 60 pavilions and some attractions. In 1914 the town population was 54 000, not included the army.

Ex. 2. Find Russian equivalents to the words from to the text:

Distinguished state figure, strategic value, point for communication, necessary and urgent, by order, awarded the additional name, in administrative connection, centre of the post communication, the imperial decision, engineering masterpiece, displaying all the achievements, joining of the efforts.

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Ex. 3. Find English equivalents in the text:

географическая точка под поселение; Ваше превосходительство; должны были охранять границу; под командованием; Николаевское реальное училище; генерал-губернаторство; артиллерийские мастерские; "Пусть в названиях страниц будет жить память о наших предках, радением своим и подвигом своим сделавших эту землю русской".

Ex. 4. Insert the words from the text.

1.Nevelskoy understood … of the Priamurskiy and Priussuriyskiy regions for

Russia.

2.It is the place, where we should concentrate our activities and … of the region.

3.The foundation of the range of settlements became necessary and urgent after … Aigun treaty.

4.The battalions of this type were … the Russian-Chinese border.

5.In administrative connection Khabarovka … Sofiysk.

6.Its … geographical position was seen better year after year.

7.From the very beginning Khabarovka became the centre of the post … for the whole Far East.

8.… of foreign capital was 73% in 1868.

9.Success of Russia at Amur was predetermined by joining efforts of two … state figures.

10.The emperial decision on … of the regional centre was made in 1880.

11.Vankov established … society.

12.Not every regional centre of the Russian empire such a … .

Ex. 5. Explain the dates:

February 1854, May 16, 1858, May 31, 1858, June 12, 1858, November 1858, 1860, 1868, 1873, 1875, 1891, 1880, 1884, 1893, 1907, 1903, 1902, 1916, 1899, 1908, 1917, 1913, 1914.

Ex. 6. Make up the sentences using these proper name:

N.N. Muravyov-Amurskiy, G.I. Nevelskoy, Y.V. Dyachenko, A.N. Korf, Y.P. Khabarov, Sofiysk, Nikolaevsk, Nikolay, S.N. Vankov, the Far East

Ex. 7. Expand the statements.

1.Nevelskoy had a talent in choosing the geographical point for a settlement.

2.Many Far Eastern settlements were founded in and after 1858.