IV. Читання

Read the text Polymers in Use again and choose the right variant of the answers.

37. It may be said that we are living in a “plastic age ” because…

(A) the use of plastics is the cheapest technology

(B) many articles have been replaced by plastics

(C) it is good for our health

(D) it doesn’t harm the environment

38. The class of compounds called polymers includes:

(A) metal, wood, rubber or leather

(B) plastics, synthetic rubbers, man-made fibres and films

(C) organic matters

(D) harmful radioactive atoms

39. New polymers have brought new look to

(A) clothes, shoes, food stuffs,

(B) furniture, technical devices, cars.

(C) floor, walls, furniture

(D) doors, windows, celling.

40. The light weight and the ability of protecting from burning make the polymers useful in

(A)the filed of domestic appliances

(B) building of space vehicles

(C) making clothes and shoes

(D) boats construction

Практичне заняття № 3

Тема: Сполучені Штати Америки. Політична система та економічний розвиток США.

I. Робота над текстом за темою заняття.

1. Read the text and translate it into Ukrainian.

The United States of America

History. The USA is one of the largest countries in the world. It is a considerably young country. The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The largest settlements were by the English on the East Coast, starting in 1607. By the 1770s the Thirteen Colonies contained two and half million people, were prosperous, and had developed their own political and legal systems. The British government's threat to American self-government led to war in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence in 1776. With major military and financial support from France, the patriots won the American Revolution. In 1789 the Constitution became the basis for the United States federal government, with war hero George Washington as the first president.

Slavery of Africans was abolished in the North, but heavy world demand for cotton let it flourish in the South. The bloody American Civil War (1861–65) redefined the nation and remains the central iconic event. The South was defeated and, in the Reconstruction era, the U.S. ended slavery and extended rights to African Americans. Initially neutral in World War I, the U.S. declared war on Germany in 1917. The Soviet Union and the U.S. emerged as opposing superpowers after World Ear II and began the Cold War. The Cold War ended when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, leaving the U.S. to prosper in the booming Information Age economy. As you can see, the USA has a rich and remarkable history.

Geographical position, population and economy of the country. The USA is situated in the central part of the North American continent. The area of the USA is over nine million square kilometres. It is washed by the Pacific Ocean and by the Atlantic Ocean. The most northern part of the USA is Alaska, the largest state, separated from the rest of the country by Canada.

The population of the United States is nearly 250 million people, most of the people live in towns. English is the official language of the USA. American English is different from British English. Americans say “last name”, British say “surname”; Americans say “fall”, British say “autumn”, etc. To say the truth, 30 mln Americans speak a language other than English at home. They speak Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, etc. It happens because people of different nationalities live in the USA.

The capital of the country is Washington. It was named in honour of the first President, George Washington.

As the USA is a large country, the climate is different in different regions. For example, the Pacific coast is a region of mild winters and warm, dry summers, but the eastern continental region is watered with rainfall. The region around the Great Lakes has changeable weather.

There are many mountains in the USA. For example, the highest peaks of the Cordillera in the USA are 6,193 and 4,418 metres.

The main river of the country is the Mississippi. But there are many other great rivers in the USA: the Colorado in the South and the Columbia in the North West. There are five Great Lakes between the USA and Canada.

There are many big cities in the country. They are Washington (the capital of the country), New York (the city of contrasts, financial and business centre of the USA), Boston (there are many colleges and universities in it), Chicago (one of the biggest industrial cities in the USA), San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit (one of the biggest centres of the automobile industry).

The USA has an Academy of Sciences. There are many scientific institutions, museums, libraries, theatres and other interesting places in the country.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country. It produces more than 52 per cent of the world's corn, wheat, cotton tobacco. The USA is rich in mineral resources, such as aluminium, salt, zinc, coppers, and others. The country is rich in coal, natural gas, gold and silver, too. It holds one of the first places in the world for the production of coal, iron, oil, natural gas. Such industries as machine-building, ship-building are highly developed in the country. American agriculture produces a lot of food products: grain, fruit, vegetables.

The flag of the USA is called “the Stars and Stripes”. The 50 stars in the US flag stand for the 50 states; the 13 stripes (7 red and 6 white) stand for the 13 original states. The red in the flag means courage, the blue justice, the white innocence.

The government of the United States represents, serves, and protects the American people at home and in foreign countries. The USA is a federal republic, consisting of fifty states. Each of these states has its own government. The three branches of the United States government - executive, legislative, and judicial - are usually represented by the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court. Generally speaking, the President enforces the laws that Congress passes and the Supreme Court interprets these laws if any question arises. Congress is the American Parliament which consists of two Chambers. The President is the head of the state and the government. He is elected for four years.