Svetlana Flemming - Colloquial Russian - The Next Step in Language Learning

isto´k

source

nedovoĺ;stvo

dissatisfaction

peregovoŕy

negotiations

po po´vodu

on the subject of

povs[

´ du

everywhere

podpiśyvat; / podpisa´t;

soglaweńie

to sign an agreement

predlo'eńie

proposal

primeneńie siĺy

use of force

prinosi´t; / prinestiúspe´x

to bring success

sluhi´t;sq

to happen

sozdańie

creation

Sodru´'estvo Nezaviśimyx

Commonwealth of

Gosudaŕstv

Independent States

Exercise 14

Answer the questions in English.

1 Where did the first conflict break out in the Soviet Union?

2 What did Armenia and Azerbaidjan fall out about?

3 Where did conflicts break out in 1989?

4 How did the leadership try to subdue the Baltic States in 1991?

5 What was it about the proposals for a new Union treaty which upset the conservative faction in government?

6 Who signed the agreement to abolish the Soviet Union?

7 What was its substance?

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2 TRANSPORT

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2

In this unit you will learn:

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◗ about the transport system in Russia

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◗ to use the imperative

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◗ how to form the comparative

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◗ more about the preposition na

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Because of Russia’s immense size, rail and air are the most important 5

modes of transport. Travel by rail is still reliable and cheap, as it was 6

in Soviet times. Although more investment is needed for construction 7

and track maintenance, especially in the remote regions where 8

climatic conditions are very difficult, there have been considerable 9

recent improvements. Compared with Soviet times domestic air travel 30

is expensive and the number of internal flights has been reduced.

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Although dozens of private airlines were set up after the break-up of 2

the Soviet state airline, Aeroflot, they do not offer the same compre-3

hensive service to provincial towns. Road transport is slow as there 4

is no motorway system and roads are not well-maintained outside 5

major cities.

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Transport

Dialogue 1

A conversation between a passenger and a booking clerk at Moscow’s International Airport Sheremet'evo 2

PASSA@IŔ

Ska'i´te, po'aĺujsta, zdes; proda[

´ tsq bile´ty na

samole¨t? Q toĺ;ko hto prileteĺ iz Lońdona. Mne nu´'no

lete´t; v Irku´tsk.

KASSIŔ

Da, kone´hno. A kako´j kompańiej Vy xoti´te lete´t;? U

nas sejhaś mno´go aviakompańij.

PASSA@IŔ

A kaka´q kompańiq dewe´vle?

KASSIŔ

Dewe´vle lete´t; Transa\ŕo, A\roflo´tom nemno´go doro´'e.

No vam udo´bnee lete´t; A\roflo´tom. Samole¨ty

A\roflo´ta otpravlq´[tsq s terminaĺa Wereme´t;evo odiń,

|to nedalekoóts[

´ da.

PASSA@IŔ

Xorowo´, polehuÁ\roflo´tom. Kogda´ vyletaét samole¨t?

KASSIŔ

Est; dva re´jsa. Odiń – heŕez 2 hasa´, a drugo´j – nohno´j rejs.

PASSA@IŔ

Po'aĺuj, polehu´ peŕvym re´jsom. A skoĺ;ko stoít bile´t?

KASSIŔ

Stoímost; bile´ta tudaí obra´tno vmeste s nalo´gom – 250

doĺlarov. |to eśli Vy leti´te \konomi´heskim klaśsom.

Kak Vy bu´dete plati´t;? Nali´hnymi iĺi kredi´tnoj

kaŕtoj?

PASSA@IŔ

Kredi´tnoj kaŕtoj. A kak dobra´t;sq do Wereme´t;evo

odiń?

KASSIŔ

Mo´'no dobra´t;sq re´jsovym avto´busom iĺi marwru´tnym

taksi´. Lu´hwe poez'a´jte marwru´tnym taksi´. Tak bystreé.

PASSA@IŔ

A gde ostana´vlivaetsq taksi´?

KASSIŔ

Stoqńka tut rq´dom. Idi´te prq´mo po koridoŕu, poverni´te napra´vo, i prq´mo u vy´xoda iz a\ropoŕta Vy uvi´dite

marwru´tnye taksi´.

PASSA@IŔ

A q ne opozda´[ na registraći[?

KASSIŔ

Kone´hno, ne opozdaéte. Heŕez 10 minu´t Vy bu´dete v

Wereme´t;evo odiń. Toĺ;ko prigoto´v;te zarańee bile´t,

paśport, vse Va´wi dokumeńty. Ne zabu´d;te baga´'! I vse¨

bu´det v porq´dke!

Vocabulary ♦