B. 4. Translate the words in brackets and the sentences

1. This element has (несколько) important properties. 2. He says (ничего) about his tests. 3. There is (что-то) in the tube. 4. There is (нет) difference between these two figures. 5. (Кто-нибудь) works in the laboratory every morning. 6. My friends always go (куда-нибудь) in summer. 7. (Ни один) student uses these instruments. 8. She never says (ничего) about her studies.

B. 5. Translate the sentences paying attention to Emphatic Construction.

1. It was Tsiolkovsky who designed the first spaceships. 2. It was not until recently that computers have become widely used. 3. It is the knowledge of general engineering subjects that is the basis of engineering training. 4. It was these advantages of the method that made it possible to achieve such outstanding results. 5. It was not until recently that lasers have found a wide application. 6. It was Mendeleyev who formulated the Periodic Law of Chemical Elements. 7. It is the growth of industrialization that is changing the climate of the planet.

C. 1. Read the text A FEW FACTS FROM THE HISTORY OF BIG CITIES and answer the questions using: As is known, besides, in fact, as far as I know, as a matter of fact

1. Why did Peter the Great want a new capital for Russia?

2. Why did the construction of St. Petersburg require enormous efforts?

3. What is St. Petersburg famous for?

4. What was the name of New York? In whose honour was it renamed?

Unlike old cities, such as London and Moscow that grew by themselves, without any preliminary architectural plans, cities built later were planned by architects before construction started.

The best example of a Russian city built according to a plan is, without any doubt, St. Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great. Peter wanted to found a new capital for new Russia, and for this purpose chose a piece of territory on the Baltic Sea that had been taken over by Russia¹ after a war with Sweden. It was swampy land on which it was extremely difficult to build anything, but a convenient place for a port that could give Russia an outlet to the seas and other countries. The city was built in record time, but it required enormous efforts² and cost a large number of human lives. The city is famous for its wonderful planning, its magnificent palaces, monuments, cathedrals and other places of interest.

Most towns and cities in North America were built according to a plan. The first permanent white settlers came to New York from Holland in 1626. It was these Dutch settlers who bought all of Manhattan Island from the Indians for the equivalent of twenty five dollars, while today some of this land costs a million dollars an acre. Here the Dutch founded their colony and called their new town New Amsterdam, but when the territory was taken over by the British in 1664, they renamed it New York in honour of the Duke of York.

The city grew very quickly. Today's New York is the greatest contrast possible to the island settled by the Dutch. In 1811 a "city plan" was adopted under which straight lines were cut through the woods and fields of the island, flattening its hills, burying under the surface its countless little rivers. Practically nothing has remained of Dutch New Amsterdam. Now New York is considered the financial and business capital³ of the United States.

New York is a city where all the languages of the world are spoken and where people live on the ground, travel under the ground and work in the sky. New York makes a great impression on all visitors because of its high buildings, its theatres, museums and hotels, its beautiful bridges and its expensive shops.

This island is the heart of the city. It is on Manhattan Island that most of the skyscrapers are located. This island is connected by six long bridges, as well as tunnels and ferries with the other four districts that constitute New York City. New York is the largest city in the United States. Today there are more people living in New York City than in Australia or Sweden. New York moves vertically as well as horizontally, taking its people by elevator to their offices on the fortieth, sixtieth or eightieth floor.

1. был отвоеван Россией 2. это потребовало огромных усилий

3. считается финансовой столицей