Words and Grammar. aWrite out the English equivalents from the text:

a Write out the English equivalents from the text:

местный поимущественный налог......................................................................................

налог с резидентов (данного района/..................................................................................

города/поселения и т.д.)........................................................................................................

более высокие ставки налога................................................................................................

налоговый инспектор...........................................................................................................

выделять определённую часть из своих поступлений от налогов....................................

увеличить налогообложение владельцев собственности на 35% по сравнению с..........

..................................................................................................................................................

передать дело на рассмотрение Верховного суда штата....................................................

признать такой порядок противоречащим Конституции;..................................................

b Translate the following phrases into English and make short sentences with them:

to implement the law..........................................................................

to adjust the law..................................................................................

to have trouble (in) understanding smth.............................................

to transform education finance..........................................................

to determine local property taxes.......................................................

to rely on higher rates........................................................................

с Write down the following adjectives in the Comparative and Superlative Degrees and make short sentences with them:

rich......................................... difficult.........................................

meagre................................... slim...............................................

complicated........................... unpopular.....................................

high........................................ placid...........................................

d Underline the ing-forms, write down what parts of sentences they are, translate the sentences into Russian and write down a few similar sentences of your own:

1 This law transforms education finance by taking from rich towns and giving to poor ones.

2 It is an example of unfairness in spending on schools.

3 Management of school spending was taken out of local control.

4 Many farmers, living near the richer towns, are up in arms too.

e Form nouns with negative meaning using various prefixes and make a few short sentences with those nouns:

1...........................................................................................................

2...........................................................................................................

3...........................................................................................................

f Translate the following word combinations into Russian and write down a few sentences with them:

designer discount stores.....................................................................

meagre state contribution...................................................................

extra-splendid schools........................................................................

tax revenues........................................................................................

relatively low taxes.............................................................................

nigher property-tax rates....................................................................

g Explain the meaning of the following words and word combinations in English:

• public school

• tax revenue of the state

• class warfare

• academic year

• «gold» towns

• «receiving» towns

Translating and Speaking

h Translate the following sentences into Russian:

1 Act 60 is a law which transforms education finance by taking from rich towns and giving to poor ones.

2 There was not much property to tax.

3 The figures tell the tale.

4 The reform has hit some people harder than others.

5 The law has already been larded with more than 70 pages of amendments.

i Sum up what you learned from the text about:

• rich and poor towns of Vermont

• Vermont education finance system in the recent past

• the new education law

• the reaction of the residents of Vermont