Vocabulary Bank

to occupy	занимать
to stretch	простираться
to include	включать в себя
total area	общая площадь
to have a border	иметь границу
to border	граничить
to be made up of	состоять из
to be located	располагаться
to be situated	быть расположенным
to blow	дуть
government	правительство
branches of power	отрасли власти
the executive power	исполнительная власть
the legislative power	законодательная власть
the judicial power	судебная власть
to consist of	состоять из

Exercises

1. Write down the Russian equivalents:

The United States of America; the southern part; the total area; it borders on Canada; made up of; a special federal area; the population; lowlands and mountains; bring typhoons; a federal union; the executive power; the legislative power; the judicial power.

2. Form comparative and superlative degrees of these adjectives:

Deep, developed, heavy, famous, recent, sweet, old, short, important, natural, cold, long, large, difficult, good, bad, late.

3. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the shorter names for the United States of America?

2. What two countries does it border on?

3. What is the total area of the country?

4. How many states does it consist of?

5. What can you say about the surface and the climate of the USA?

6. What are the longest rivers in America?

7. What is the capital of the country?

8. What states are familiar to you?

9. Who is the head of the executive power of the country?

10. What are the main political parties in the country?

2. Insert the correct preposition:

The United States … America;

It consists … 50 states;

The District … Columbia is governed … Congress;

It is located … the north … the States;

The USA borders … Mexico.

2. Using some additional information complete the table and write down the names of the states and their capitals:

   state	capital	capital	state
   New York		Boston
   Alaska		Helena
   California		Albany
   Hawaii		Bismarck
   Texas		Columbus
   Washington		Salem

3. Sum up what the text says about:

1. The geographic position of the USA;

2. the administrative structure of the USA

Economy of the usa

The United States of America is a highly developed industrialized country. Shipbuilding, electronics, automobile industry, aircraft industry, space research are highly developed in the States.

Each region of the United States has characteristics of its own due to the differences in climate, landscape and geographical position.

Great Lakes, Atlantic Coast, Pennsylvania, New Jersy are the biggest industrial regions of the country.

The United States has a lot of mineral deposits or resources such as coal, gold, silver, copper, lead and zink. The south, especially Texas is rich in oil. The coalfields of Pennsylvania are rich in coal. There are plenty of coal mines.

Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska is the richest farming region of America and it is known as the Corn Belt. The land is fertile and well watered. They grow most corn and wheat there. Many livestock are also raised here.

There is a lot fruit raising area. For example, California oranges, grapefruit, lemons, as well as other fruits, wines and vegetables are shipped all over the States and to other parts of the world. The most important crops grown in the States are also tobacco, soy-beans, peanuts, grapes and many others.

There are a lot of large and modern cities, but a great proportion of the country consists of open land dotted with farm-houses and small towns. The usual average town, in any part of the United States, has its Main Street with the same types of stores selling the same products. Many American residential areas tend to have a similar look. As to big cities their centres or downtowns look very much alike. Downtown is the cluster of skyscrapers imitations of New York giants.

New York City is the first biggest city of the States. Its population is more than twelve million people, suburbs included. It is a financial and advertising business centre. It is also a biggest seaport of the Hudson River. Industry of consumer goods is also developed here.

Chicago with a population of more than three and a half million is the second largest city in the USA. It deals in wheat and other grains, cattle meat processing and manufacturing.

The big cities are New Orleans, a cotton industry centre, Los Angeles with Hollywood, Philadelphia, a shipping commercial centre, Detroit, a world's leading motor car producer and many others.