Вставьте артикль THE в пропуски, где необходимо:
1. The Hague is a city in the Netherlands near ___ North Sea.
2. ___ Cordilleras are in ___ North America.
3. ___ South of England is warmer than ___ north.
4. ___ United Kingdom consists of ___ Great Britain and ___Northern Ireland.
5. ___ Nile is the longest river in ___Africa.
6. ___ Gobi Desert covers parts of ___ Northern China and ___Southern Mongolia.
7. ___ Panama Canal joins ___ Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
8. Last year we went to ___Sicily, and this year we are going to ___ Bahamas.
9. They sold their flat in ___Omsk and moved to ___ Slovenia.
10. Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world.

Moscow is the capital of Russian Federation. Its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded 8 centuries ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky.

Historians have accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow's history.Gradually the city became more and more powerful. In the 13th century Moscow was the centre of the straggle of Russian lands for the liberation from the tartar yoke. In the 16th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the new united state. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to St Petersburg in 1712, Moscow remained the heart of Russia.

 That is why it became the main target of Napoleon's attack. Three-quarters of the city was destroyed by fire during Napoleon's occupation, but by the mid-19th century Moscow had been completely restored. After the October revolution Moscow became the capital again.Now Moscow is one of the largest cities in Europe. Its total area is about nine hundred square kilometres (ancient Moscow occupied the territory of the present-day Kremlin). The population of the city is over 9 million.Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The heart of Moscow is Red Square. It has more historic associations than any other place in Moscow. The Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral (Vasily Blazheny) are masterpieces of ancient Russian architecture.The main Kremlin tower, the Spasskaya Tower, has become the symbol of the country. On the territory of the Kremlin you can see old cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Tzar-Cannon and the Tzar-Bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world. St Basil's Cathedral was built in the mid-16th century in memory of the victory over Kazan. There's a legend that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects Barma and Postnik, because he didn't want them to create another masterpiece.There are a lot of beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow. Now Moscow is being reconstructed and we all hope that in a few years the city will become even more beautiful.There are more than 100 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. Other unique museums in Moscow include the All-Russia Museum of Folk Arts, the Andrei Rublev Museum of Early Russian Art, Alexei Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, Mikhail Glinka Museum of Musical Culture and many others.Moscow is famous for its theatres. The best-known of them is the Bolshoi Opera House. Drama theatres and studios are also very popular.Moscow is a city of students. There are over 100 higher educational institutions in it. Moscow is the seat of the Russian Parliament (the Duma) and the centre of political life of the country.

1. Russian educational system includes pre-school education, secondary education and higher education. 2. Pre-school education isn’t compulsory – children can get it at home. 3. Children learn to read, write and count, they also paint, sing and dance. 4. Secondary education in Russia lasts 11 years and is free of charge. 5. It consists of primary, middle and upper stages.   6. The first level may start at the age of 6 or 7 and continues for 4 years. 7. The second level is 5 years with a wide choice of subjects. 8. The third level is 2 years of instruction. 9. The aim of the secondary school is to provide pupils with a solid scientific foundation in the main subjects. 10. Every pupil can choose a subject, which he or she wants to study. 11. 17. 18. 19. After the 11th form, pupils must take exams to have the right to enter a higher educational establishment. 20. At present, there are some private secondary schools. 21. Parents must pay money for education of their children at these schools. 22. There are also lyceums and gymnasiums in Russia. 23. There are specialized schools, which specialize in arts or sciences too. 24. Schools in Russia are generally controlled by the government. 25. Pupils go to school 6 days a week. 26. Classes last 40 minutes. 27. After finishing the secondary school, pupils can continue their education in professional and higher educational establishments. 28. Nowadays, pupils generally try to enter a higher educational establishment. 29. Students even get their scholarship, but one must take exams, which are very difficult, and get a certain number of points.