You won't be able to write a letter to your Russian friends in Russian, but you will be able to: 1) use current everyday expressions, such as the Russian equivalents of "Hello", "How do you do", "Goodbye" and "Thank you"; 2) make out the various signs, notices and advertisements you may come across in the streets of Soviet cities; 3) find your way around fairly easily and without a guide in railway stations, air terminals and shops; 4) buy, without anybody's help, a newspaper, a sandwich,a souvenir, and so on; 5) order your meals, buy cinema or theatre tickets, make a telephone call, send a telegram and do many other important everyday things.