5. Part II. America today
At present the USA is a highly developed industrial and agricultural country. It is rich in coal, oil, iron and natural gas. It exports a lot of raw materials, industrial and agricultural products.
P
eople
enjoy the wonders of nature practically in every state. The
Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains, forests, plains,
prairies and even deserts, wonderful lakes, waterfalls and rivers
cover the American territory that
equals about 9.4 million square kilometers. Among the most
famous sites of interest are the Great Lakes, Niagara falls, the
Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco and others. There are many
beautiful National parks and protected areas of wilderness in
America.
The population of the USA is about 250 million people of many nationalities. Some of the biggest cities are New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and others. There are many very tall buildings in them that really scrape the sky, that's why they are called skyscrapers.
The
capital of the country is Washington D. C. (the District of
Columbia). The USA is a federal republic. The American parliament
(called Congress) has two c
hambers:
the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The flag of the USA has 13 red and white stripes representing the original 13 states and 50 stars —for each of the 50 states of the country. Each state has its national motto, bird and flower as its symbol. For instance, California's motto is "I've found it! (Eureka)." Its state bird is Valley Quail and flower —Golden Poppy.
America as any other country has its own customs, traditions, and holidays. For instance, on the 4th of July they celebrate Independence Day that gave birth to the American nation. At the end of November America has Thanksgiving Day which was celebrated for the first time in 1621 when first colonists from England got their first good harvest.
Young people enjoy two other holidays — Halloween (on October 31) and St. Valentine's Day (on February 14). No doubt, a great amount of information about the USA is awaiting the future learners of this country. They will learn of the activity and life of American Presidents, the USA's great writers, poets, artists, scientists, musicians, film stars and other outstanding people.
Let it be only the first line of a long essay on the USA. But as an English proverb says "A good beginning is half the battle."
Go on studying America!
Goodbye, for the present.
6. Please write down and then say what historical events are associated with the following dates:
12 October 1492 1861 1499 1865 1620 1863 1775-1783 1992 4th of July 1776
7. On the inside back cover of the "Happy English-2" textbook there is a map of the American states with their mottos. Choose three which you like.
8. Create a motto for the place where you live.
9. Listen and read more about the USA.
If you want to go from San Francisco to New York in a car, you must ride more than three thousand miles. It takes over three days and nights.
In California, where you begin your trip, the climate is usually mild all year. "California" is a Spanish word meaning "heat of the ovens". Slightly south of the route that your car follows is the famous fruitful area. Californian oranges, grapefruit and lemons, as well as many other fruits and vegetables are shipped all over the United States and to other parts of the world.
Soon, however, you leave these fertile plains and go up into the Sierra Nevada mountains, with their snow-capped peaks and clear mountain lakes.
As your car goes further east, you cross the Salt Lake desert. For miles and miles you will see nothing but salt and salt. Your car crosses the flat plains of Wyoming, which stretch out for miles and miles, covered with short grass and sagebrush. This is mainly sheep and cattle country, the land of the cowboys. As you cross it, you may wonder where the people of America are. From me to time you may see a few cattle scattered over the plain, or the wagon of a sheep herder, but most of the country is empty. As your car crosses Nebraska, you gradually leave this empty country and enter the rich farming region of America. The land becomes fertile and well watered, and more trees appear. Nebraska has many golden wheat fields. In Iowa and Illinois, wheat and corn are important products, and much livestock is raised.
After two days, your streamlined, air-conditioned car arrives in Chicago. Chicago, with a population of more than three and a half million, is the second largest city in the United States. It is a centre of industry for the middle part of the country.
In Pennsylvania and New Jersey you can find factories of nearly every type —textile and pottery, steel and chemical. This is the richest industrial region of the country, with-more city dwellers and a larger foreign-born population than anywhere else in the United States. Finally you arrive in the city of New York, which is one of the largest in the world.
10 Please trace on the map the route from San Francisco to New York in a car.
11 Take a journey from New York to San Francisco. Choose a kind of transport, a route. Tell about your impressions from the journey.
12 Imagine you are the owner of a travel agency. What route could you suggest for travelers who visit your region? Make a route from your city to Vladivostok.
13. What would you say about your agency if you had an opportunity to speak about it on TV or over the radio? Advertise your agency in a newspaper.
THE LIFE OF YOUTH IN GREAT BRITAIN
Test yourself
Activity 1. Match the following English words and expressions with their Ukrainian equivalents.
Part I
social security
heritage
well-being
challenge
community
contribution
volunteer
survey
influence
disabled people
social environment
discount
membership
соціальне
оточення
непрацездатні люди
внесок
вплив
членство
соціальне страхування
знижки у ціні
добробут
спадщина
спілка, товариство, група людей
випробування, виклик
доброволець, волонтер
опитування громадської думки
criminal situation
unemployment rate
working experience
vocation
friendly
ties
under the guidance
self-consciousness
to encourage
to prosper
to appreciate
to respect
to support
to take measures
Part II
Під керівництвом
цінити
підтримувати
самосвідомість
кримінальна ситуація
рівень безробіття
процвітати
поважати, шанувати
досвід npaцi, роботи
вживати заходів
заохочувати
покликання
дружні зв'язки
Reading activities
Activity 2
Read the following text and do the activity that follow it.