RUSSIAN CITIES DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR.

Exercise 1.Pronounce the following words paying attention to the way of pronunciation of the stressed vowels.

/a:/ advance, starve

/i:/ siege, besiege

/i/ persistence

/ou/ loads

/u:/ troops

/e/ enemy, surrender, shell, terrible

/æ/ battle, attack

/۸/ crush, plunge, suffer, bloody

/כ/ occupy /ai/

/ei/ invasion, liberation, save

Exercise 2.Translate the words into Russian using the dictionary.

a) siege, loads, persistence, troops, invasion, enemy, advance;

b) to surrender, to besiege, to starve, to shell, to crush, to plunge, to suffer, to be driven to, to save;

c) terrible, bloody.

Exercise 3.Define the ways of the construction of the following words and group them according to the parts of speech. Guess their meaning.

Persistence, freedom, besiege, heroism, defensive, unusual, icy, endless, heroic, fully, agreement, military, militant, rename, starvation, tankman, artillerist, seaman, famous, fortress.

Exercise 4.Do you know when the Second World War began? What country was invaded first?

Text 1

Exercise 1.Look through the text and say a) why some cities bear the title of the City-Hero;

b) what Cities-Hero you know

On the 22^nd of June 1941 the Soviet Union was attacked by fascist Germany and the invasion of the fascist troops began. The war brought to people a lot of grief. Our people did their best to stop fascists. They gave their lives for the freedom of our Motherland. There are a lot of cities in our country which bear the title of the City-Hero. They are called so, because the citizens and soldiers didn’t allow the enemies to enter the city or they showed wonders of heroism during the defense and liberation of these cities. Among them there are Moscow, St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Tula, Kursk, Novorossiysk and others. We mustn’t forget that former Soviet republics also made great contribution into the victory over fascist Germany. On the territory of the former USSR we must mention such cities as Kiev, Minsk, Brest and some others.

Text 2

Exercise 1.Read the text and say why the ice-road was called “The Road of Life”

St. Petersburg (Leningrad) – a City Hero.

Now let’s speak about St. Petersburg. This city was besieged by the enemies and all inhabitants of the city starved. People died one after another. At the height of the siege the whole country came to the help of the inhabitants. Columns of transport with provision came from all parts of our country. But it was due to the famous ice-road of Lake Ladoga – later referred to as “The Road of Life” – that the inhabitants of the besieged city kept on working and fighting. The story of the road is truly unusual.

The fascists hoped that the ice would close the ring of the blockade and the city would be starved into surrender. In spite of hard weather conditions a motor road was laid along the ice. Of course, people had to face a lot of difficulties. Every day the enemy shelled the ice road and new ice was crushed. And very often the drivers plunged into the icy water to save the loads. But nothing could crush persistence of our people. In December 1941 the bread ration was increased. In any weather night and day the trucks moved in an endless stream along the icy road. Never will our country and this city forget those who worked on the Road of Life during the heroic defense of the city.

Text 3

Exercise 1.Read the text.

Kaliningrad (Königsberg) was the first city of the Russian Federation which suffered from fascism. In 1933 here the period of fascism began. In 1938 they burnt down the synagogue and the city was fully administered by the leaders of Nazi party.

But already in July 1941 the Soviet aviation made its first bombarding of this city. The most terrible time for the city was April of 1945. As a result of the fights for the liberation of the city only approximately 7-9% of buildings were not destroyed. German general Lyash signed the agreement on surrender on the 9^th of April. After the war a special military area was formed on the territory of Eastern Prussia. In 1946 this region was included into Russia and in the same year it was renamed Kaliningrad.

Exercise 2.Agree or disagree with the following statements according to the contents of the text. If necessary use your own knowledge of some facts. Begin your sentence with some phrase showing agreement/disagreement.

1. Königsberg was situated in Poland.

2. The period of fascism in this city began on the first day of the Second World War.

3. Since the first day of occupation the city was administered by Nazi.

4. The first bombarding of the city by the Soviet aviation in order to make damage to fascists was in 1942.

5. A lot of buildings survived after the battle for the liberation of the city.

6. The city was completely liberated by the Soviet army on the day which is celebrated now as the Victory Day.

7. The city was renamed soon after the end of the Second World War.

Text 4

Exercise 1.Read the text and get ready to answer the questions.

Fascists occupied Kursk region in autumn of 1941. The occupation lasted for 15 months. 10 000 people died from starvation and illnesses, 3 000 were killed, 10 000, mainly young people, were driven to Germany.

As a result of the advance of Soviet troops nearly all territory of Kursk region was liberated. The front line resembled the curve and was called Kurskaya Duga. The northern end of it was in the south-western part of Kaluga region. The battle lasted here 50 days during the summer of 1943. The battle on Prokhorovskoye Pole is called the Great Tank Battle. In Oryol, Belgorod and Kursk regions there are a lot of monuments and memorials devoted to heroic deeds of soldiers, tankmen, pilots, artillerists, partisans.

Exercise 2.Answer the following questions.

1) How did the population of Kursk suffer during the occupation?

2) Why was the front line called Kurskaya Duga?

3) Why can one see monuments and memorials to soldiers of different kinds of armed forces in Oryol, Kursk and Belgorod regions?

Text 5

Exercise.Look through the short text and explain the origin of the name Malaya Zemlya.

Novorossiysk is a city-hero in Krasnodarsky area on the Black Sea coast. In the city we can see memorials to seamen, who heroically defended Novorossiysk. Near the city there is famous Malaya Zemlya, a small strip of land which was strategically important for the defense. Here we can also visit the memorial to soldiers who liberated Novorossiysk.

Text 6

Exercise.Look through the text and prove that Pskov region is the land of heroic traditions.

Pskov land is one of the ancient Russian lands which often defended our Motherland from enemy invasions. The names of the fortresses of Pskov, Pechory, Izborsk, Porkhov, Ostrov, Opochka, Sebezha and Velikiye Luki remind us of the heroic traditions of this land. The village of Chernushki is the place of the heroic dead of Alexander Matrosov. During the fascist occupation Matvei Kuzmin repeated the heroic deed of Ivan Susanin. The village of Krasnukha had the same fate as Khatyn in Byelorussia. Pskov land is a well-known partisan area. In every city and village of this land we can find a lot of monuments and memorials.

LEXICAL AND FACT EXERCISES

Exercise 1.Insert necessary prepositions.

1) A lot __ people __ different countries fought __ the war because they want to live __ peace.

2) __ 1943 my grandfather was __ front. He took part __ many terrible battles.

3) People were fighting __ the freedom and independence __ the country, defending it __ the German fascists.

4) __ the 25^th __ August people __ our country celebrate the Day __ the end __ Kursk battle.

5) When our town was liberated __ the enemy, my grandmother, who was 18 __ that time, joined __ the Soviet army.

6) German General signed the agreement __ surrender __ April.

7) 10 000 people were driven __ Germany.

8) The names __ these places remind us __ the heroic traditions __ this land.

Exercise 2.Read the sentences aloud translating Russian parts into English.

1) In June 1941 the Soviet Union (был атакован) by (фашистской Германией) and the (вторжение) of (фашистских войск) began.

2) People (отдавали свои жизни) for the (свободу нашей Родины).

3) Citizens and soldiers didn’t allow (врагам) to enter the city or showed (чудеса героизма) during the (обороны) and (освобождения) of the city.

4) We must mention some (города-герои) on the territory of the (бывшего Советского Союза).

5) But (именно благодаря известной дороге по льду) of Lake Ladoga that the (жители) of the (осажденного города) kept on working and fighting.

6) Very often drivers (бросались) into the icy water (чтобы спасти грузы)

7) In December of 1941 the (рацион хлеба был увеличен).

8) In 1938 fascists (сожгли дотла) the synagogue in Kaliningrad.

9) In July the (Советская авиация) made its first (бомбардировку) of this city.

10) (Фашисты оккупировали) Kaluga region in 1941.

11) People of Russia and Ukraine will never forget the (героическую оборону) of Sebastopol, Kerch and Odessa.

12) Many villages in Russia, Byelorussia and Ukraine had (одинаковую судьбу) during the occupation and (были сожжены дотла вместе со всеми жителями).

Exercise 3. Choose the correct answer;

There are four variants of the list of Cities-Heroes. Choose the correct variant.

A. Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Odessa, Sebastopol, Volgograd, Tula, Kursk, Novorossiysk, Minsk, Brest;

B.Moscow, Leningrad, Saratov, Kiev, Odessa, Sebastopol, Volgograd, Tula, Kursk, Rostov;

C. Sebastopol, Volgograd, Tula, Kursk, Novorossiysk, Moscow, Bryansk, Brest;

D. Moscow, Leningrad, Sebastopol, Yaroslavl, Volgograd, Tula, Kursk, Novorossiysk;

Exercise 4.Choose the correct answer;

1.. The battle at … lasted 50 days during the summer of 1943.

2. During the fascist occupation … repeated the heroic deed of Ivan Susanin.

3. The village of Chernushki is the place of the heroic dead of.

4. Near the city on the Black Sea coast there is famous … , a small strip of land which was strategically important for the defense.

A. Matvei Kuzmin; B. AlexanderMatrosov; C. Kurskaya Duga; D. Malaya Zemlya;

SPEECH EXERCISE

Make up a story about the Cities-Hero.

WRITTEN TASK

Write a composition: Nowadays some Russian and foreign historians try to decrease the role of the former Soviet Union (and particularly Russia) in the defeat of fascist Germany. What do you think?

Follow the plan: 1. Make the general statement of the problem

2. Give your opinion and reasons for it.

3. Give other people’s opinion and say why they are not right.

4. Make a conclusion