Words and Expressions. to contain содержать link звено

to contain содержать link звено

approximately приблизительно trade торговый

fresh water пресная вода route путь

shore берег, побережье to connect соединять

crescent полумесяц frontier граница

width ширина via через, посредством

be fedby питаться ч.-л. tributary приток

stream поток, река to be affected подвергаться воздействию, страдать

the only единственный refuse отходы

Exercises

Ex. 1 Translate into Russian:

1. Lake Baikal is the deepest freshwater lake in the world and the third largest lake in Asia. 2. A large variety of plant and animal life is found in its clear waters. 3. Many rivers, as well as more than 300 mountain streams, feed into the lake.

Ex. 2 Translate into English:

1. Группа студентов только что (just) побывала (visit) на озере Байкал. 2. Байкал – самое глубокое (deep) озеро в мире. 3. Его глубина (depth) составляет более полутора (one and a half) километров. 4. Озеро известно (be known for) своей прозрачной (clear) водой. 5. Рядом с Байкалом находится лимнологический (limnological) музей, который посетили студенты. 6. Их интересовала (be interested in) фауна (fauna) и флора Байкала. 7. Там им также (also) рассказали (be told) знаменитую (famous) легенду о Байкале, о его 333 сыновьях и единственной (the only) дочери Ангаре.

Baikal

Baikal is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. It is situated almost in the middle of the Asian continent. Baikal is 636km long, from 25 to 31km wide and 1620 deep. It contains one fifth of all the fresh water on our planet. Its hollow could contain all the water of the Baltic Sea or the five Great Lakes of America.

The lake receives over 330 fast running streams, but gives rise to only one, the famous Angara. The water of Lake Baikal is fresh and there are more days of sunshine than at 6 of the most famous Black Sea health resorts. Its waters are rich in valuable fish such as omul, sig and others.

The flora and fauna of Lake Baikal are specific. There are about 600 species of plants and more than 1200 species of animals, among them the seal and the famous bargusinsky sable. There one can find some very strange organisms found nowhere else n the world.

The taiga surrounding the lake is rich in mineral wealth. Mica, marble, gold and other minerals have been prospected there. The temperature in winter is between -5 and -7⁰C and in summer 4-5⁰C. Lake Baikal is frozen in January and by May the ice has completely melted. Baikal is especially beautiful in summer when it is sunny and all the plants are in bloom.

The Angara begins at Chersky peak, beside Listvyanka. The river carries a tremendous volume of water, it is powerful and deep and also has a very strong current, much stronger than that of the Volga. That is why the Angara freezes later than Lake Baikal. The Angara has great potential for hydroelectric energy, more than any other Siberian river. Our people used this swift river and built great hydroelectric stations on it. Baikal is a unique natural scientific laboratory. The area is especially famous for its limnological institute. It has a gigantic laboratory, the only in the world, where different studies are being carried out.

The beauty of Baikal attracts everybody, so a lot of tourists from different parts of our country and abroad come to see the ‘pearl of Siberia’. The lake has had various names, such as “Sacred Sea”, “Sacred Lake” and “Sacred water” since time immemorial. These names were given by indigenous people, by Russians who came to these shores in 17^th century, and by foreign travellers who admired the lake’s majestic unearthly beauty.