Reading. Kamenets

Уважаемые читатели!
Своей разработкой к разделу 6 учебника для 7 класса авторов Юхнель, Наумовой, Демченко по теме «Жизнь в городе и деревне» делится наша коллега из Бреста Елена Теребовец.

I. Look at the picture and say what famous Belarusian place the text may be about.

II. Read the text and answer the question Is Kamenets worth visiting?
There are many towns in Belarus and not only big of them are worth visiting. Small towns of Belarus also have their places of interest.
Kamenets is a small town but it’s attractive for tourists.
Kamenets is the town of “Belaya Vezha” or the White Tower. In fact the White Vezha is red, it’s made of red brick. The Tower is more than 700 years old, but it was white for only 40 years. It was mentioned in one book, by mistake, that it stood on the White river (the river was called the Lesnaya). The Tower was whitened in 1957, in 1998 it got its native red colour back. But people liked the name “Belaya Vezha” and it became the brand and the symbol of Belarus.
The history of the town and the Tower begins in 1276 when Prince Vladimir Vasilkovich decided to build a town near Berestye. The Tower was built and it surprised everybody who saw it. The Tower was surrounded by a wooden fortress. The town was named Kamenets, because “the earth was stony”.
There are many legends about the Tower of Kamenets. There is a legend that the Tower was built by giants. They built it on their knees, because it was easier to lift bricks. People say that the leader of the Giants was buried under the Tower.
People also say that the ghost of the White Lady named Galya lives in the Tower. The ghost is friendly to the people of Kamenets but it scares tourists.

III. True or false?
1. Only big towns in Belarus are worth visiting.
2. The Tower of Kamenets was never white.
3. “Belaya Vezha” is the symbol of Belarus.
4. The Tower was built near the capital of Belarus.
5. The ghost of the White Lady is scary.
6. Kamenets attracts many visitors.

IV. Answer the questions.
1. Why is the town named Kamenets?
2. When was the Tower of Kamenets built?
3. Who built the Tower of Kamenets?
4. Is the White Tower white?
5. Why is the Tower called “Belaya Vezha”?
6. Does anyone live in the Tower?

V. Invite you friend from a foreign country to visit Kamenets.

VI. What other small towns and villages in Belarus are worth visiting? (Work in groups and get ready to speak.)