B1 Dialog #32 Talking about Russia

Today we are going to talk about Russia. As always you can read the text in PDF, which you can find in the description. Follow our podcasts on iTunes and Yandex Music. For more new dialogs please subscribe to our channel.

How to work with the dialog?

  1. Listen to the dialogue and read the PDF transcript. Turn on subtitles if necessary.
  2. Listen to the dialogue again, repeating the questions and answers aloud (!!!).
  3. Come up with your own answers to the questions. Use PDF vocabulary if needed.
  4. Listen to the questions and answer them aloud (!!!), with a correct intonation, pronunciation and rhythm.
  5. Go back to the video from time to time and repeat the exercise.

Talking about Russia

1) What images spring to mind when you hear the country Russia?

This is my homeland. Many different images spring to mind. Some of them are good, some of them are bad or sad.

2) What are the good things and bad things about Russia?

Russia is a beautiful country with friendly and good people. There are a lot of good things about our country. At the same time, there are a lot of problems such as a hard climate and low economy which is getting better of course, but very slowly. But anyway I believe in the best and love almost everything in Russia.   

3) What is Russia most famous for?

I think everybody knows about the USSR, which was unfortunately broken in 1991, but people still remember about this period of russian history. Russia has many famous sights and cities, which are becoming more and more popular among tourists from all over the world. 

4) What do you know about Russian history?

Russia is a very old country. Our history is hard and tragic, especially the 20th century. So it’s quite difficult to talk about. 

5) How different is Russia today than Russia during the time of the Soviet

Union?

I haven’t lived in the Soviet Union. So I can only tell what my parents told me about it. That was a different social country with pretty much equal living standards for everybody, which is not bad. Russia today is a capitalist country with all advantages and disadvantages of capitalism. Something is better, something is worse. So it’s different.

6) What do you think about Russians?

Russians are the most intelligent and kind people!?

7) What has Russia given to Europe and the world?

Russian literature is incredibly good. Lev Tolstoy, Alexandr Pushkin, Nikolay Gogol and many others wrote wonderful books, which are well known worldwide. Russia is a country of great scientists such as Mikhail Lomonosov, Dmitry Mendeleev, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and so on. They did a lot for science. 

8) Would you like to visit Russia, or live there?

Yeah, I would! Get the tickets!? Guys write us a comment please. Would you like to visit our country or not? You are very welcome here!

9) What do you know about the geography of Russia?

Russia is the biggest and the coldest country in the world. Our nature is very different and absolutely beautiful. It’s a wonderful experience to travel around Russia.

10) Who are the most famous Russian people you know?

Stalin! 

Rinat —-> Anya

1) How different is Russia from other European countries?

Big cities are pretty much the same now. They have developed dramatically in the past 20 years. Some small ones are not so cute of course. 

2) Will Russia become the world’s number one superpower?

I don’t know. I’m not interested in all these political competitions between countries. Hope there will be no wars anymore.

3) What do you think Russia’s neighbours think about Russia?

Most of them like Russian people I think. As for some political questions, I don’t know.  

4) What do you think Russia will be like 50 years from now?

I think it will be more and more like Europe with some russian features. 

5) What do you think about Russia’s leaders?

I think they are better than they could be. But I hope that the next leaders will be better and we finally will have a strong economy.

6) What things about Russia do you think Russians are proud of?

I’m proud of our history. I think that we have nothing to say sorry about.

9) What do you know about Russia politics?

I know enough in order to say that it’s a dirty thing. But I think politics is dirty everywhere in the World.

10) What would you like to ask a Russian about Russia?

Guys, write us a comment and ask what you would like to know about Russia! It’d be awesome talking to you!