The United States of America

1. The USA is one of the most powerful and highly developed countries in the world. It is situated in the central part of the North American continent. The country covers the territory of 9,4mln square km. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west. It borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south.

2. The country is divided into 3 areas. The eastern area is highland, the central area is plain and the western area is mountainous. The 5 Great Lakes are the largest and the deepest in the USA. The longest rivers are the Mississippi and the Missouri. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada.

3. The climate of the USA differs greatly from one part to another. The coldest climate is in the northern part, where there is heavy snow in winter and the temperature may go down to 40 degrees below zero. The south has a subtropical climate, with temperature as high as 49 degrees in summer.

4. The population of the USA is 250 million people. The biggest cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Philadelphia. The capital of the USA is Washington. It is situated in the District of Columbia. Washington is a beautiful administrative city with practically no industry. The actual center of industrial, cultural and financial activity is New York.

5. The USA is a highly developed industrial state. Its agriculture is also highly mechanized. The country is rich in coal, oil and other minerals. The USA has highly developed mining, metallurgical, engineering, car-building and chemical industries. The main coal - mines are in the Cordillera Mountains and Kansas City region. Iron is mined near the Great Lakes. The rich oil - fields are in California, Texas and Alaska. The USA occupies one of the first places for production of coal, iron and oil. Such companies as Ford, the General Motors, Microsoft are known all over the world. Agriculture of the USA is also highly mechanized.

6. The USA is a federative republic headed by the President. He is elected every four years. According to the Constitution the legislative power is vested in the Congress of the USA, the executive power belongs to the President and the judicial power belongs to the Supreme Court. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The main political parties are the Republican and the Democratic.

7. The USA is the Union of 50 states including Alaska and the Hawaii and the District of Columbia. The national flag is the starred-striped red, white and blue flag. Thirteen stripes represent the original 13 states of the US; the fifty stars represent the current number of states.

ACTIVE VOCABULARY:

The United States of America powerful highly developed country to cover to border on area mountainous plain heavy snow to be rich in coal iron ore oil go down to to differ agriculture coal mine to mine to occupy to belong to to elect to be vested in the Senate the House of Representatives to represent to stretch from…to…

Соединенные Штаты Америки сильный, мощный высокоразвитая страна занимать, охватывать граничить территория гористая равнина сильный снегопад быть богатым чем-либо уголь железная руда нефть опускаться до … различаться сельское хозяйство угольная шахта добывать в шахте занимать принадлежать избирать осуществляться кем - либо Палата представителей представлять протянуться от…до…

Learn the geographic names of the USA:

The Appalachian Mountains		- горы Аппалачи
Atlanta	торговый и финансовый центр на юго-востоке страны
Birmingham	город в штате Алабама, индустриальный центр юга
Boston	город в штате Массачусетс, важный промышленный центр
California	штат на Тихоокеанском побережье
Chicago	второй по величине город в США
The Colorado	река в северо-восточной части Северной Америки
The Cordillera	Кордильеры
Detroit	портовый город, центр автомобильной промышленности
District of Columbia	федеральный округ, в котором находится столица США
The Great Lakes	пять озер вдоль границы США и Канады
The Hudson River	Гудзон
Los Angeles	город в США, индустриальный центр и порт
The Mississippi	самая большая река в США; штат в США
The Missouri	река в США; штат США
New York	один из самых больших городов и портов США на реке Гудзон, штат США
The Potomac River	река Потомак, на которой расположена столица США - город Вашингтон
The Rocky Mountains	Скалистые горы
San Francisco	порт, торговый и финансовый центр
Texas	южный штат США, расположенный на Мексиканском заливе
Washington	Вашингтон – столица США, резиденция президента и конгресса США.

Ex.1 Practice reading the words and word combinations:

a powerful and highly developed country, the central part, to cover the territory, to be divided into, to be washed by, western area, mountainous, the largest and the deepest lakes, the coldest climate, the highest mountain, temperature, mining, metallurgical, chemical industry, to be highly mechanized, legislative, executive, judicial powers.

Ex2 Find the English equivalents:

Самая мощная и высокоразвитая страна, расположена в центральной части, омывается Тихим и Атлантическим океанами, протянулась от Тихого океана до Атлантического, граничит с…, климат сильно отличается, население составляет 250млн человек, высокоразвитая индустриальная страна, богата полезными ископаемыми, такие компании как, известны во всем мире, федеральное государство, палата представителей и сенат.

Ex.3 Study the following patterns and then use them in your speech:

1. The USA is the most powerful and highly developed country in the world.

2. It lies in the central part of North American continent.

3. The country is washed by the Pacific, the Atlantic oceans and the Gulf of Mexico.

4. The total area of the United States of America is over 9mln square kilometres.

5. There are fifty states and the district of Columbia.

6. The capital of the USA is Washington. It was named in honor of the first president.

7. The USA is a federal republic.

8. The Government consists of three branches: legislative (the US Congress), executive (the President and his Administration) and judicial (the US Supreme Court).

9. The biggest cities of the USA are New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and others.

Ex.4 Say if the following statements are true or false. Correct the sentences avoiding a simple negation. Use the following phrases: I think so …; I suppose so …; Sure…; It's quite right …; or I don't think that's correct (exact, logical) …

1. The USA is one of the largest countries in the world.

2. It stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.

3. The USA borders on Canada, Italy, and Brazil and also it has sea-boarder with Russia.

4. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada.

5. The Great Lakes are on the boarder with Mexico.

6. America's largest rivers are the Potomac, the Columbia and the Hudson.

7. The climate of the country is subtropical.

8. The USA is a highly developed industrial country.

9. The USA is made up of 60 states and the District of Columbia.

10. The USA is a constitutional monarchy.

11. The capital of the USA is New York.

Ex.5 Complete the sentences

1. The country is situated in … .

2. The USA stretches from … to … .

3. The territory of the state is about ... .

4. The USA borders on … .

5. The Rocky Mountains are … .

6. The biggest lakes are … .

7. The longest rivers are … .

8. The country is rich in … .

9. The climate of the country differs … .

10. The country is a … consisting of 50 … and district of Columbia.

11. The head of the country is … .

12. The supreme legislative power belong to … .

13. The Congress consists of … .

14. Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the USA struggled against the fascists during … together.

15. The flag of the USA has … and … .

Ex.6 In pairs, give answers to the following questions:

1. Where are the USA situated?

2. How many states does the country include?

3. What oceans is it washed by?

4. What highest mountains are there in the USA?

5. What rivers and lakes in the USA do you know?

6. What mineral resources is the country rich in?

7. What is the population of the country?

8. What is the capital of the country?

9. What big cities in the country do you know?

10. Who is the head of the state and the government?

11. What can you say about the American Congress?

12. What do you know about the American flag?

Ex.7 Imagine that you are a journalist and you are interviewing a man from the USA. Ask him:

• what the USA geographical position is

• what the relief of the country is like

• what the political system of the country is like

• if he is proud of his state and why

• what he hopes for the future.

Ex.8 Memorize these dialogues. Practice them in pairs.

1

1. Have you ever been to the USA?

2. No, I haven't. But I am going to visit it next summer.

3. What cities of the country would you like to see?

2. I think, first of all, New York. It is one of the largest cities in the world.

3. I've heard the centre of New York is Manhattan Island.

2. You are right. The island was bought from the Indians for a handful of trinkets (безделушки) that cost 24 dollars.

1. Manhattan is the business centre of the city. You can find a lot of banks, offices and skyscrapers in this part of the city.

2. Besides, I'd like to visit the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art and Modern Arts Museum.

3. That would be fine. I wish your dream come true.

2

1. I have missed the last English lesson. What was the topic of the lesson?

2. We spoke on the USA.

1. A. I know the topic rather well. But I don't remember its political system.

2. Well, the USA is the presidential Republic and a federal Union of 50 states. The capital…

1. Well, well, everybody knows it is Washington, D.C. And what about the branches of the government? I suppose it's one of the most important questions.

2. Accoding to the US Constitution, the government is divided into three branches: the executive, the legislative and the judicial. The legislative power is vested in the Congress, the executive is headed by the President, the judicial belongs to the Supreme Court.

A. Thanks for your help. To know the material I have to read the text.

Ex.8 a) Imagine that you are invited to a famous TV-show “Who knows more about the USA?” The announcer is asking questions and the participants give answers. At the end somebody makes a brief review on the topic.

b) You know the USA rather well. You have visited the country and read a lot about it. Your friends study English and they want to know as much as possible about the USA. Speak on the topic.

c) Act as an interpreter:

Где находятся США? Сколько штатов входят в состав страны? Какими океанами омывается страна? Какие озера и реки CША вы знаете? Что вы можете сказать о городах страны? Кто является главой страны и правительства? Что вы знаете об американском конгрессе?

- The USA is situated in the North American continent. - The country includes fifty states with Alaska and the Hawaii. - The country is washed by the Atlantic ocean in the east, by the Pacific ocean in the west and by the Caribbean Sea in the south. - There are Five Great Lakes in the North-East of the country. The longest rivers are the Mississippi with Missouri. - Washington is the capital but the biggest city is New-York, a cultural, business and financial center. - The head of the state is the President elected every leap year. The head of the government is the State Secretary. - The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Translate into English the following dialogue:

TEXTS FOR Additional Reading