Задача по теме: "Понимание основного содержания прочитанного текста"

A. The popularity of the festival is growing. A lot of people want to enjoy the live concert, lights and fireworks show. However, the place cannot hold all of them and only school graduates are invited to enjoy the concert. They receive special invitations. After the concert, anyone can watch the river show if they manage to find a place on the bank of the Neva River. Of course, the festival is broadcast on TV.

B. The festival is a wonderful summer event that takes place annually in St. Petersburg. It is one of the highlights of the White Nights season. The event is held in June as a greeting to school graduates at the beginning of their adult life. The festival was inspired by the romantic story ‘Scarlet Sails’ by Alexander Green. In the story, a young girl waits for her ship of happiness, and finally it appears. The ship with scarlet sails has become a symbol of love, hope and a bright future.  

C. From 2019, the ship under scarlet sails is the ship Russia. The ship was built in 1958 and was reconstructed specially for the festival. The ship is quite large — it has 18 sails and it is 50 meters long. The captain and the crew are very professional. They do a really difficult job as the Neva River has got many narrow and shallow spots, the wind is changeable, and the time limits are strict.

D. The festival has always been a great attraction to locals and tourists. The idea of the festival was realized in June 1968. Several Leningrad schools got together to celebrate the end of the school year. During the first celebration, a ship with scarlet sails moved along the Neva River. However, in 1979, the festival stopped to exist and returned only in 2005.

E. The festival starts with a big concert on Palace Square in the centre of St. Petersburg. Then, after midnight, the viewers enjoy a great lights and fireworks show. The music makes the performance on the Neva River even more impressive. The fireworks go off to classical music by famous Russian composers. The main point of the festival is the appearance of the magical ship with scarlet sails. The former school students, as well as the other people on the Embankment, cheerfully greet it.        

F. The celebration is incredibly popular in Russia, it attracts more than three million people every year — of course, it should be staged very carefully. It takes nearly a year to work out the scenario. Then the direct event preparations start and it takes several weeks to get everything ready. A team of more than 300 specialists are in charge of the preparation for the festival. They work hard to make the festival unforgettable.