2020-04-20
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MY UNKNOWN RUSSIA: ENIGMATIC KAMCHATKA
Discovered by Cossack explorer Vladimir Atlasov in 1697 [2], Kamchatka is undoubtedly Russia’s most enigmatic and surely its most compelling region. This eastern frontier of our Motherland always played a key strategic role but now it is also a place actively proclaimed as one of the most fascinating natural pearls of Far East causing the highest interest for tourists.
The local nature is wildest and untamed as nowhere else. Hidden deep inside the canyons of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve [3], there is a Valley of Geysers [4] with twenty active geysers. It is the second in size in the world after the Yellowston e National Park [5] in the USA. This enchanting spectacle is worth for making the effort to visit [6]. If you make up your mind to come into this wonderful place you will be richly rewarded with panoramas decorated with gushing fountains of superheated water and billowing clouds of steam.
And that’s not all, though even that might be enough [7]. Kamchatka can boast a high concentration of active volcanoes, 29 in fact, plus a further 160 that are considered dormant [8]. The 1830m high Gorely [9]volcano is perhaps the most impressive. It’s seems that nature, like a crazy but talented artist, had started to draw an endless picture and just didn’t know when to stop. It’s a rare visitor who wouldn’t feel mute with astonishment [10].
Glowing fiery red magma continues to be ejected [11], shaping and reshaping this incredible landscape. This heat reminds us of the powerful forces that were responsible for creating the planet on which we live, showing a powerful image of how life begins. Glaciers, waterfalls and flower-strewn meadows soften the picture and captivate those who are privileged enough to lay eyes on it [12]. Its wild coastline is a sight to behold [13], Avacha Bay [14] one of the world’s most picturesque harbors guarded by the Three Brothers [15] rocks.
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Its flora and fauna are also unique. The world’s largest population of brown bears call Kamchatka home. Rivers in Kamchatka spawn more salmon than you can count; more than half the Steller’s Sea Eagles on the planet swoop above this wonderful ground. By the sea, a hundred thousand seabirds look down upon waters teeming with seals, dolphins and white whales [16]. The rich volcanic soil supports abundant vegetation, from grasses towering to over three metres high to vast stands of larch, spruce and birch [17]. There are not one but five national parks, evidence of Kamchatka’s exceptional beauty.
Some of Russia’s most ancient peoples – Itelmen [18] – also live in these wild and rugged territories. Only around 1450 Itelmen remained nowadays [19], largely confined to the west of the peninsula. They fiercely protect their distinctive language and traditional way of life, hunting and fishing as their ancestors would have done and relying on dog sleds during the harsh Kamchatka winter. Elsewhere in scattered villages, far from the capital Petropavlovsk, you’ll find the Even, the Koryaks, the Chukchis and the Aleutians, all indigenous to this remote region.
КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТНО-ОРИЕНТИРОВАННЫЕ ЗАДАНИЯ
Задание 19.3. Проект «Незнакомая Россия»
Выполнив поиск в Интернете, выберите одно из интереснейших, но малоизвестных мест в нашей стране. На листе А4 подготовьте иллюстрацию выбранной достопримечательности. На оборотной стороне составьте её описание на русском и английском языках. Из собранных в классе иллюстраций составьте фотоальбом «Моя Россия». На главной обложке составьте тематический коллаж, в центре которого будет изображена эмблема чемпионата мира ФИФА по футболу в России в 2018 году.
ЗАНЯТИЕ 12
Практическая работа №7: Письмо другу «Традиции моей семьи»
Цель работы: научиться писать короткие дружеские письма согласно общим стандартам.
Оснащение занятия: электронные (или печатные) англо-русские словари, бланк задания.
Алгоритм выполнения работы
1. Изучите теоретический материал.
2. Пользуясь шаблоном и теоретическим материалом, напишите письмо другу.
