C. 2. Read the text MAGNITOGORSK and render it in Russian

Magnitogorsk, a city in the Chelyabinsk Region, was founded near very rich iron ore deposits in 1929. The Ural River divides the city into two parts. One part of the city is in Asia, and the other is in Europe. In 1931 Magnitogorsk got city status. This was the time when people were creating a coal and metallurgical centre in the east of our country. Nowadays, the population of the city is constantly growing.

The Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Works is one of the largest and best equipped enterprises of this kind in our country. The works' first blast - furnace was put into operation on January 31, 1932. It was the biggest of its kind. In the years of operation the works supplied hundreds of million tons of pig iron, steel and rolled stock.

Magnitogorsk is not only a well - known industrial giant, but a well -planned modern city, an important cultural centre in the Southern Urals. The city has dozens of secondary specialized and vocational schools and some schools of higher learning.

C. 3. Read the text MOSCOW and discuss it with your partner

1. Where is Moscow located?

2. Is Moscow a port city?

3. What is world-known about Moscow Underground sys­tem?

4. What are the places of interest in Moscow?

5. Why is the Kremlin the most important place of interest for tourists?

Moscow is the capital of our Motherland. It was founded more than 800 years ago. Its popu­lation is over 10 million people. It is the largest political, economic, scientific, cultural and industrial center of the coun­try and one of the most beautiful cities on the globe.

Moscow covers an area of about 880 square kilometres. It is situated in the centre of the European part of the country on the Moskva River.

Railways, numerous airlines and a system of canals link the city with all parts of Russia, with major cities of Europe and with all the countries of the world. The city has an up-to-date transport system. The quickest and the most convenient form of transport is the Metro famous for its marble-walled stations, which connects all districts, carrying more than 5 million passengers daily.

One of the oldest monuments of the past is the Kremlin built many centuries ago. A stone wall, up to 21 m in height and 19 towers, surrounds this triangular complex of former palaces, cathedrals, and other monuments of tsarist times, some of them dating from the Middle Ages. The Great Kremlin Palace, completed in 1849, is the most imposing structure within the Kremlin. Other notable Kremlin palaces are the Granovitaya Palace (1491) and the Terem (1636). Among the many cathedrals, now used mainly as museums, are the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Archangel Cathedral, each with five gilded domes. Another landmark of the Kremlin is the Tower of Ivan the Great, a bell tower 98 m. high. On a nearby pedestal is the Tsar's Bell (nearly 200 tons), one of the largest in the world.

There are more than 150 museum and exhibitions – Kremlin Cathedrals, the Academy of Arts and many others – are filled with historical and artistic treasures. The Tretyakov Art Gallery and Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts are highly popular with visitors from other cities. The Tretyakov Art Gallery founded in the 18^th century has a wonderful collection of Russian Art. The Museum of Fine Arts contains works of prominent European artists and those of ancient East, Greece and Rome.

Moscow has over 3,200 libraries. The State Lenin library is the largest in the world. Its collection contains over 25 million volumes. Moscow is famous for its drama, opera and ballet. The Moscow Art and Vakhtangov theatres, the Bolshoy and Maly theatres have won universal recognition. The Moscow Chaikovsky Conservatoire is the country’s leading school of music.

Red square is one of the most beautiful squares in the world. On the southern side of Red Square is St Basil's Cathedral, a masterpiece of ancient Russian Architecture, famous for its unique architecture and coloured domes. Other points of interest in Moscow include the Central Lenin Stadium, comprising about 130 buildings for various sports; and the tall Ostankino TV tower, which contains a revolving restaurant and an observation platform.