second challenge is expressing emotions. Most people are familiar with the stereotype that “Russians don’t smile”. From my observation, Russians tend to show little emotion outside of home. Surrounded by strangers, often in harsh or unpleasant weather, there is no reason to emote freely. Of course, you see friends laughing and couples kissing and people arguing, but for the most part (excluding driving), emotions stay on the inside. Until you get home, when Russians are comfortable and around people they trust, passions run strong.
In the United States, the expression of our emotions tends to vary little in different circumstances, but when expressed, Russian emotions can be even stronger and perhaps even more genuine and heartfelt than Americans are used to.
In addition, if you are a foreign student in Russia, the biggest challenge is a different education system. Russian higher education is very different from that in the United States. For the most part, universities are buildings scattered throughout a city, not the centralized micro-cities that many US students are used to. Russians generally take 9–11 classes per semester that meet less frequently than American courses would, and it is not uncommon to skip a class almost entirely and just cram for the final from other students’ notes or a study guide. Professors are also less available –no office hours, they don’t always give out a school e-mail address, and in general they treat students more like colleagues.
It can be a shock going from a campus plastered with student event flyers to a cluster of half-empty academic buildings, but don’t worry – Russians make up for it by hosting a plethora of clubs and organizations for the city in general. Especially in St. Petersburg and Moscow there are hundreds of clubs to join from language (be a star in the English conversation club; meet other foreigners in the Russian club), sports, acting, dancing, singing, board games, movie-watching, and more! Try making some searches on the Russian social network V Kontakte to start out.
Going abroad for a long period of time has its difficulties no matter where you choose to go, but the better prepared you are for the challenges you’ll face in Russia, the faster you will adjust and be able to call this northern empire your second home.
12 What are people sure to experience when coming to stay in a different country, according to the author?
1) Both good and bad emotions.
2) Language barrier.
3) Confusion.
4) Loneliness.
Ответ:
13 The author believes that going to a foreign country without knowing its language is …
1) hard.
2) useful.
3) stupid.
4) common.
Ответ:
14 It is implied that your communication skills are … when you live abroad.
1) improved naturally
2) challenged
3) more effective
4) often ignored
Ответ:
15 According to the author, expressing emotions in the Russian culture …
1) is untypical of many people.
2) differs depending on circumstances.
3) is forbidden in public places.
4) is similar to the American culture.
Ответ:
16 The author thinks that compared to the USA, in Russian universities …
1) final exams are more difficult.
2) education process is more centralized.
3) teachers are more professional.
4) students could disregard some classes.
Ответ:
17 “It” in “… Russians make up for it by hosting …” (paragraph 7) refers to the …
1) variety of student clubs.
2) social networking.
3) student activities.
4) quality of academic buildings.
Ответ:
18 What is the main idea expressed in the last paragraph?
1) The adaptation period to a foreign culture depends on an individual.
2) Living in Russia for a long time is rather challenging for foreigners.
3) The longer you stay abroad, the better prepared you become.
4) Preparation can smooth your adaptation period in Russia.
Ответ:
По окончании выполнения заданий 10–18 не забудьте перенести свои ответы в БЛАНК ОТВЕТОВ № 1! Запишите ответ справа от номера соответствующего задания, начиная с первой клеточки. При переносе ответов на задания 10 и 11 цифры записываются без пробелов, запятых и других дополнительных символов. Каждую цифру пишите в отдельной клеточке в соответствии с приведёнными в бланке образцами.
Раздел 3. Грамматика и лексика
Прочитайте приведённые ниже тексты. Преобразуйте, если необходимо, слова, напечатанные заглавными буквами в конце строк, обозначенных номерами 19–24, так, чтобы они грамматически соответствовали содержанию текстов. Заполните пропуски полученными словами. Каждый пропуск соответствует отдельному заданию из группы 19–24.
A cleaning wand
19 A cleaning wand is a totally new invention. It features the advanced UV-C technology that helps to kill bacteria and germs. It’s the __________________ ever cleaning device you can literally take anywhere.
ONE
20 The __________________ thing about it is that it can clean anything.
GOOD
21 There’s no doubt that __________________ are going to like this invention very much.
WOMAN
Robert Heinlein
22 Robert A. Heinlein was a US science fiction author. He was among those writers who emphasized scientific accuracy in their fiction. He also __________________ it was necessary to challenge the readers.
THINK
23 He pointed out it was necessary to develop