TOPIC 3
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF SIBERIA
The territory of Siberia is about ten million square kilometres. You can find here taiga, swamps [swomps], tundra and permafrost [‘pə:məfrost].
The name Siberia comes from “sibir”, a Mongolian word for "a sleeping land." There are more than thirty nationalities in Siberia. Nevertheless, Siberia is a vastly under populated region. Only 23 percent of the Russian population lives in Siberia.
Siberia is located between the Urals in the West and the Russian Far East in the East. It borders on Kazakhstan and Mongolia in the South. It is washed by the Arctic Ocean in the North.
Siberia consists of two parts: Western Siberia and Eastern Siberia. The Yenisei separates Western Siberia from Eastern Siberia.
The main rivers of Siberia are the Ob, the Irtysh, the Yenisei, the Angara and the Lena. Most of the rivers flow into the Arctic Ocean.
The most famous mountains are the Altai and Sayan mountains.
The climate of Siberia is very severe [si'viə]. It means sharp change from heat to cold. Permafrost is 1 km 600 m deep in some places.
Siberia is famous for its natural resources: oil, gas, salt, iron-ore, mica, gold, silver, copper, diamond. It is rich in timber. Siberia has vast deposits of coal.
Siberia is the main supplier of valuable furs: sable, ermine ['ə:min], fox, squirrel, mink, muskrat, and polar-fox.
Siberia is a very big fuel and energy complex. The Angara-Yenisei cascade of hydroelectric power stations produces electric power the cheapest in the world.
There are many industrial centers in Siberia. Angarsk and Usolye are famous for chemical industry. Bratsk and Irkutsk are famous for hydroelectric power stations; Bodaibo is famous for gold mining. Irkutsk, Novosibirsk and Tomsk are well-known educational and scientific centers.
Let us remember the words of Mikhail Lomonosov: “Russian strength will grow greater with Siberia” («»). This land is considered to be the continent of the future.
Exercise 1. Read and translate these sentences. Pay attention to active words and word combinations.
1. The USA consists of fifty states. 2. The territory of Finland is over 337,000 sq. km. 3. The Urals separate Europe from Asia. 4. Canada is washed by the seas of the Arctic Ocean in the north. 5. Mongolia borders on China. 7. Most of the Siberian Rivers flow into the Arctic Ocean. 8. The USA is rich in mineral resources. 9. The population of the USA is over 237 million people. 10. Japan is the main supplier of electronic equipment.
Exercise 2. True or false? – I think it is true. / I suppose it’s false. – Я думаю (полагаю) это верно/неверно.
Use the following expression:
As far as I know …– насколькоязнаю Еслиянеошибаюсь.
1. Siberia consists of three parts.
2. The climate of Siberia is very warm.
3. Most rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean.
4. The land is not rich in mineral resources.
5. There are no mountains in Siberia.
6. Siberia is famous for shipbuilding and textile.
7. Siberia is situated in the western part of Russia.
8. It borders on France and Italy.
9. The Yenisei separates Western Siberia from Mongolia.
10. Siberia is rich in cotton.
Exercise 3. Make these sentences completely English.
1. Siberia (состоитиз) two parts.
2. Siberia (находится) between the Urals (назападе) and Far East mountains (навостоке).
3. Siberia (омывается) by the Arctic Ocean in the North.
4. (Главныереки) of Siberia are the Ob, the Irtysh, the Yenisei, the Angara and the (?).
5. The climate of Siberia is very (суровый).
6. Siberia is famous for its natural resources - (уголь, нефть, газ, соль, железнаяруда, слюда, золото, серебро, алмазы).
7. Siberia is the main supplier of valuable furs - (соболь, горностай, лиса, белка, норка).
8. Siberia is a very big (топливно-энергетический комплекс).
9. The Angara-Yenisei cascade is producing electric power (самуюдешевуювмире).
Exercise 4. Arrange these sentences in a logical order:
1. Siberia is a very big fuel and energy complex.
2. The main rivers of Siberia are the Ob, the Irtysh, the Angara and the Lena.
3. Let’s remember the words of Mikhail Lomonosov: «Russian strength will grow greater with Siberia».
4. The climate of Siberia is very severe.
5. The territory of Siberia is about ten million square kilometres.
6. It is washed by the Arctic Ocean in the North.
7. Siberia is the main supplier of valuable furs: sable, ermine, fox, squirrel, mink and polar-fox.
8. You can find here taiga, swamps, tundra and permafrost.
9. Siberia is famous for its natural resources.
10. Siberia is located between the Urals in the West and Far East mountain range in the East.
11. Siberia consists of two parts: Western Siberia and Eastern Siberia.
