Comprehension check

1. Give English equivalents to the following Russian expressions:

Оживать, простое совпадение, кружевные открытки, красочный, выбирать на удачу, угождать любому вкусу, избавиться от денег, злейший враг, распространять счастье.

2. Use the expressions from the text in the sentences of your own:

to help in distress, a part of the trill, to have a strong belief, to be left to wonder, to undergo a sort of revival, to come to life.

3. Render the text:

Американцы всех возрастов любят посылать и получать "валентинки ". "Валентинки ", изготовленные вручную, делают, вырезая сердца из цветной бумаги. В начальной школе дети делают "валентинки " для своих одноклассников и кладут их в большой украшенный ящик, похожий на почтовый. 14-го февраля учителя открывают ящик и раздают "валентинки'ка-ждому ученику. После того, как ученики прочитывают открытки, они устраивают небольшой вечер с закусками и напитками.

4. Your friends want to know what is the origin of St. Valentine's Day and how is it celebrated. Tell them about it.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Political System of the USA

1. Pre-reading activity: look up the words in the dictionary and memorize their pronunciation:

sovereignty judicial

purchase concur

legislatures amendment

license prohibit

trustees denial

II. Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Find the topical sentence of each part.

The nation's capital, Washington, D.C., with more than 3, 4 million people is the largest metropolitan area in the country. Laid out by the French architect Pierre L'Enfant in the late 18^th century, it was the world's first city especially planned as a centre of government.

The city of Washington, in the District of Columbia along the Potomac River, is the capital of a federal union of 50 states. When the United States declared its independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776 (now celebrated as a national holiday), there were 13 original states - each one sovereign, each wanting to control its own affairs. The states tried to keep their sovereignty and independence within a loose confederation, but their attempt proved ineffectual. Therefore, in 1789. They adopted a new Constitution establishing a federal union under a strong central government.

The original 13 states were grouped along the Atlantic Coast. As the frontier moved westward, large areas of what is now the continental United States were added by purchase, treaty and annexation. As each state was settled, governments were first organised as territories and later entered the Union as states when their territorial legislatures petitioned the Congress for admission. There are now 50 states. Alaska and Hawaii, the last states to enter the Union, did so in 1959.

Under the Constitution, the states delegated many of their sovereign powers to the central government in Washington. But they kept many important powers for themselves. Each of the 50 states, for example, retains the right to run its own public school system, to decide on the qualifications of its voters to license its doctors and other professionals, to provide police protection for its citizens and to maintain its roads. In actual practice, and in line with the American tradition of keeping government as close to the people as possible, the states delegate many of these powers to their political subdivisions - counties, cities, towns and villages. Thus, at the lowest political level, residents of small American communities elect village trustees to run their police and fire departments, and elect a board of education to run their schools. On the county level, voters elect executives who are responsible for roads, parks, libraries, sewage and other services and elect or appoint judges for the courts. The citizens of each state also elect a governor and members of the state legislature.

In addition to the 50 states and the District of Columbia, citizens of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa vote in federal elections. United States possessions include the Pacific Islands of Wake, Midway, Jarvis, Kingman Reef. The United States administers the republic of the Marshall Islands, have become sovereign self-governing states in free association with the United States.

Under the Constitution, the federal government is divided into free branches, each chosen in a different manner, each able to check and balance the others.

The Executive Branch is headed by the President, who, together with the Vice President, is chosen in nationwide elections every four years (in every year divisible by four). The elective process for a U. S. President is unique. Americans vote for slates of presidential electors equal to the number of Senators and Representatives each state has in Congress (a total of 535 persons). The candidate with the highest number of votes in each state wins all the electoral votes of that state. The presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to be elected; if no candidate has a majority, the House of Representatives makes the decision (in all other state and local elections, voters cast their votes directly for the candidate or referendum on that particular ballot). Any natural born American who is 35 years old or older may be elected to this office. The President proposes bills to Congress, enforces federal laws, serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and with the approval of the Senate, makes treaties and appoints federal judges, ambassadors and other members of the Executive Departments (the Departments of State. Defense, Commerce. Justice, etc.). Each cabinet head holds the title of Secretary and together they form a council called the Cabinet.

The Vice President, elected from the same political party as the President acts as chairman of the Senate, and in the event of the death or disability of the President, assumes the Presidency for the balance of his term.

The Legislative Branch is made up of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The 435 seats in the House of Representatives are allocated on the basis of population, although every state has at least one representative. Each state elects two members of the 100-member Senate; a Senator's term of office is six years.

Both houses must approve a bill for it to become law, but the president may veto or refuse to sign it. If so, Congress reconsiders the bill. If two-thirds of the members of both houses then approve it the bill becomes law even without the President's signature.

The Judicial Branch is made up of Federal Courts (at least one in every state), 11 Federal courts of appeals and local district courts. Judges are appointed by the President with the approval of the Senate; to minimize political influences, their appointments are for life. Federal courts decide cases involving federal law, conflicts between citizens of different states. An American who feels he has been convicted under an unjust law may appeal his case all the way to the Supreme Court, which may rule that the law is unconstitutional. The law then becomes void.

In order to amend the Constitution, Congress must pass the proposed amendment by a two-thirds majority vote in each house, and three-fourths of the states must concur. In more than 195 years, the Constitution has been amended 26 times. The first 10 Amendments - the Bill of Rights - guarantee individual liberties: freedom of speech, religion and assembly, the right to a fair trail, the security of one's home. Later amendments chronicle America's struggle for equality and justice for all of these people. These amendments abolish slavery, prohibit any denial of rights because of race, grant the vote to women and to the citizens of the District of Columbia, and allow to vote at age 18.

2. Give Russian equivalents to the following English expressions.

under the Constitution natural-born American

Central government to make treaties

to run a public school system to approve a bill

in actual practice The Judicial Branch

on the county level Federal District Courts

to elect executives Federal Courts of Appeal

to become sovereign Supreme Court

The Executive Branch to amend the Constitution

nationwide election to abolish slavery

to cast a vote denial of rights

to grant the vote to women

2. Look through the text and answer the questions.

1. What is Washington?

2. What was the essence of the Constitution adopted in 1789?

3. How were the sovereign powers distributed according to the Constitution?

4. How do these functions work at different political levels?

5. What are the branches of federal government?

6. In what case does the Vice President perform the duties of the President?

7. What are the stages for the bill to become a law?

8. What are the functions of the Judicial Branch?

9. What is understood under the expression "the Bill of Rights"?

2. Make up the report in which give a short description of political system of the United States of America, tell about its most important features and peculiarities.

New York

I. Pre-reading activities:

1. What states and what cities in the USA do you know?

2. What places of interest would you like to visit throughout the USA?

II. Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Find the topical sentence of each part.

Visitors to the USA come to New York City first and this is where they get acquainted with America. Situated at the deep Hudson River, New York has always been the Gateway to the USA. New York is the financial centre of the country.

In 1609 Captain Henry Hudson discovered Manhattan Island and a river which later was called in his honour - the Hudson River. In 1626 two shiploads of Dutch colonists arrived and under the leadership of Peter Minuit set up their first settlement, named New Amsterdam. It is said that Peter Minuit bought Manhattan for 24 dollars. In 1664 the colony was captured by the British fleet under Duke of York and it was renamed New York. New York includes five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Richmond, and Queens. The largest of them is Brooklyn settled nearly in the 17^th century by the Dutch. It is mostly a borough of quiet, middle-class homes.

The Bronx is residential rather than industrial part of the city. The well-known Zoo and Botanical Gardens are in the Bronx. Queens is both the residential and industrial area. New York's biggest airports are both in Queens. The heart of the city is Manhattan, a rocky island, 13 miles long and 2 miles wide. It is the smallest of the five boroughs in size and not the largest in population. For the visitors New York means skyscrapers, the Empire State Building, the World Trade Centre, Rockefeller Centre, tremendous traffic, dazzling neon advertisements. Central Park, Times Square, Harlem, the avenues and famous streets - and all those are to be found in Manhattan.

Manhattan is full of paralleled rows of buildings: those running from north to south are called avenues, while those running from east to west are called streets. The avenues and streets have only numbers instead of names. One of the most famous streets in New York is Wall Street - the money capital of the country. The southern tip of Manhattan is called the Battery. Rather out in the bay stands the bronze statue of Liberty given to the USA by France in 1886.

Being the richest country in the world the USA collected in its museums and art galleries works of art of all countries and of all times. Many of them are exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

III. Look through the text again and answer the questions.

1. Where do the visitors to the USA get acquainted with America?

2. Where is New York situated?

3. What is the story of foundation of New York?

4. How many districts are there in New York? Do they differ from each other?

5. Why do we call Manhattan "the heart of New York"?

IV. Tell whether these statements are true or false. Explain your choice.

1. New York was discovered by Duke of York.

2. The original name of the city was New Amsterdam.

3. New York consists of four boroughs.

4. The largest airport of New York is in Bronx.

5. The streets running from east to west are called avenues.

6. New York's streets have numbers instead of names.

V. Render the text into English:

Нью-Йорк был основан около 300 лет тому назад. Он является самым большим городом США, финансовым и деловым центром. Нью-Йорк расположен в устье реки Гудзон. Наиболее важными отраслями промышленности Нью-Йорка являются: автомобильная, бумажная, химическая. Улицы Нью-Йорка переполнены машинами, уличное движение очень оживленное. Центральной частью города является остров Манхэтан. Там находятся самые высокие небоскребы, имеющие до ста и более этажей. В них размещаются банки и многочисленные конторы.

2. Imagine you are a guide. You are to make a tour across New York City.

New Orleans: The Big Easy

I. Pre-reading activities:

1. Think of two things, which you know about New Orleans?

2. What other famous cities in the USA do you know?

II.Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Find the topical sentence of each part.

The City That Never Sleeps... What is so extraordinary that it makes those who have visited it once want to return there? Why is it so fascinating and controversial at the same time? New Orleans keeps many secrets, but it reveals them to the curious - wrapped in its magic.

This place is famous for various reasons. The city was founded by the French, by Bienville, in 1718. It was a cornerstone in territorial arguments and witnessed many decisive battles: from 1764 to 1800 it was under the rule of Spain and then, in 1800, it was taken by France again and sold by Napoleon Bonaparte to the USA as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The emperor needed money for his wars and lost quite a vast territory almost for nothing. But the influence of France is still strongly felt there: French is spoken by most of the natives as a second language; French holidays are eagerly celebrated; the French Quarters is, probably, the best known part of the city (one may see buildings dated from the 18^th century there).

An interesting feature of New Orleans is that it is situated below sea level. So, when steamboats Moat along the Mississippi River, they seem to fly. There is an historic steamboat. Nutchez, there - one of six authentic steamboats left on the River. Some of these boats give special concerts of steam pipe music: a man plays them as an instrument, the effect produced is very unusual and interesting.

New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz (that's why one of its symbols is a saxophone) which is played by a number of people both at night clubs, steamboats and on the streets, mainly in the French Quarter. A lot of people associate this place with Bourbon Street - a real paradise of nightlife, with numerous restaurants, cafes, strip clubs, small shops with all kinds of goods, discos and much more. Of course, there are crowds of people strolling along every night, smiling and happy, tourists and citizens, - they may do whatever they want, but no crimes are committed: they just relax, rather peacefully. Maybe that's why New Orleans is called «The City That Never Sleeps», or «The Big Easy». It looks as if nobody has any work or other problems to think about, as if all their life is a holiday - how can they be unhappy in such a case? By the way, this is the only city in the USA where drinking outside is not punished by the law. Most cafes serve the typical drink of the place - a tall cocktail called a Hurricane, a cold red icy slush with a fine sweet taste. The only difficulty might be caused by age: being 21 and older opens to you all doors, but younger - only some of them.

In the French Quarter (or "The Quarter") a number of shops specialize in Voodoo stuff; there is even New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. This cult was brought from Haiti and has planted itself deeply.

There are many museums, places of interest and tours there. Thus, the Museum of Art, the Memorial Hall, the African - American Museum, the Mardi Gras Museum are worth visiting. You may go to Audubon Park and Zoological Gardens to get acquainted with more than 1800 animals (this is one of the finest Zoos in the U.S.); walk in the City Park; have a cup of coffee in Cafe du Monde, a famous coffee shop right near Jackson Square; go to Entergy Imax Theatre to see films projected on a huge screen; visit St. Louis Cathedral founded in 1849; make a Swamp or Cemeteries Tour; wander in the Aquarium of the Americas (which includes the largest and the most diverse collection of sharks and jellyfish in the USA); take a ride in a cart with several horses; or just walk along cozy streets. Anyway, you will never be bored in this wonderful city!

But one at a time. First - cemeteries. There are several of them in New Orleans. According to tradition, burying is done in above-ground tombs. The reason for this is in the floods, which occur from time to time: before, underground graves were washed by the water, and one could see coffins floating... In general, lots of legends are connected with the dead in this fairy city - sometimes you are even lost between the imaginary and the real... So, any house that looks quite innocent from the outside may turn out to be haunted; they even give special "haunted" tours, mainly in the Quarter. Maybe that's why a famous New Orleans writer Ann Rice (whose house is in the Garden District) speaks so much about the world of the unknown as if it were real.

A very interesting museum is the Aquarium. There you may see not only fish but also birds, parrots, plants, ocean flora and fauna... An original board counts every new birth and death in the world every second - the statistics are frightening: death prevails over birth...

If you have enough time you would enjoy a swamp tour (swamps are plentiful in Louisiana; this is something between a lake and a marsh, with beautiful trees in it - its view is just marvellous!). These tours are taken in special boats with a guide -safety is observed: alligators live there too. A quite walk in the park will bring a good conclusion to the day. There are also small, miniature swamps and the trees of the South are very unusual: not only in that they are big, with thick trunks, but also they are covered with Spanish moss - a plant hanging down from their branches as a green-grey sponge, sometimes almost touching the ground.

But if you prefer "stone jungles" to cosy narrow streets with small fantastic houses and splendid architecture, you will be able to find modern buildings - the business centre with offices and like, but still it will be unique.

In any case, no matter what one's tastes are, one has to feel Cajun culture, as Louisiana is in the heart of it. It comprises music (including such strange instruments as a washboard), dances, costumes, cuisine, traditions, customs, holidays... Most of the restaurants serve crawfish, a "national" dish; seafood is very popular - shrimp, catfish, etc. There are Cajun restaurants with Cajun music (which reminds one, in a way of merry Celtic or River dance tunes) played by pleasant people in Cajun dress.

The main festival of New Orleans is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) which is widely celebrated. The symbols of the festival are coloured beads (purple, green and golden) and feathers that are sold almost in every shop. As to other symbols of New Orleans (one more name - "The City That Care Forgot"), they are a saxophone, a crawfish, an alligator and a torch on Bourbon Street.

This wonderful city, definitely one of the most fascinating in the United States, could only be described in many books and discovered in many months -and every moment you find something new. Besides, it is really a pleasure to meet people there, with their open-heartedness, hospitality and friendliness. They do not seem to care about profit at all, they may even send you to their business rivals so that things are better for you. And, minute after minute, you yourself forget that there is another, mercantile world, while merging in the fairy tale of this wonderful city - with many names, but one warm atmosphere and one great lively soul...

III. Look through the text again and answer the following questions.

1. What is the topic of the text?

2. Which part of the text looks most interesting to you?

3. How can you comment on the title of the text?

3. Give English equivalents to the following word combinations.

краеугольный камень

разнообразный

смертность преобладает над рождаемостью

противоречивый

находиться ниже уровня моря

гостеприимность

рай ночной жизни

заботиться о выгоде

быть населенным привидениями

конкуренты по бизнесу

3. Match the words and the definitions given below.

hurricane, mercantile, jellyfish, fascinating, beads, swamp

• extremely interesting;

• a violent storm;

• land that is always very wet or slightly covered with water;

• one of a set of small, usually round pieces of glass, wood or plastic that you

can put on a string and wear as jewellery;

• a round transparent sea animal that sometimes strings people;

• concerned with trade.

3. You are invited to the Governor of New Orleans. You should tell him if you liked the city or not and explain why.

The Rich of Philadelphia

1. Pre-reading activity:

Look up the words in the dictionary and memorize their pronunciation:

unique almanac

immense appliances

residences pseudonym

assembly nonveriflable

hereditary

II. Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Find the topical sentence of each part.

Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, and the fifth largest city in the US, is perhaps, the most cultured and historic city in the country. It has been called the "Birthplace of Liberty", the "Quaker City", a "Green Countrie Towne", and the "Keystone State". In the 18^th century it was the second largest city in the British Empire, behind only London. Nowadays it is a unique blend of old and new, of city and country, of high technology, education and American folklore.

But how did it start? William Penn received a grant for what he called Pennsylvania (Penn's Woods) in 1681 from Charles II. When he arrived in the New World the following year on the ship Welcom, he found Swedes, Dutch, and the Delaware Indians. Pennsylvania was destined to become one of the most important of the English colonies. In 1682, Penn also obtained a grant for the lands that would become the colony of Delaware in 1704.

Although Penn himself spent less than one year in his colony, he made certain that in Pennsylvania there would be no restrictions placed on Quaker or on any of the other religious groups that were to come from France, Holland, Germany and Denmark. Penn developed a Frame of Government for the new colony that put control into the hands of a council and governor.

Elfreth's Alley is the largest street in the US consisting of its original residences and occupied continuously. Some houses date from the 1690's. Jeremiah Elfreth and members of his family bought most of the property in the early 1700's. Elfreth Alley strikes every visitors by its peace and purity. Looking at the old-fashioned houses, one can imagine oneself a participant of distant historical events.

One of Philadelphia's nicknames is the "City of Benjamin Franklin". He arrived in Philadelphia in 1723 as a young man and went on to become the city's leading citizen. Benjamin Franklin was perhaps the most brilliant of colonial American thinkers; certainly he was one of the best known. He made a good deal of money in printing trade. His annual Poor Richard's Almanac was very popular in those times. First printed in 1732, this almanac contained such practical information as calendars, planting guides, and recipes, as well as joke, poems and proverbs. "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise" is one example. Benjamin Franklin sold his almanac under the pseudonym of "Poor Richard".

Saunders" and about 10,000 copies a year were bought. Nowadays you can also buy one of the pieces of his almanac in his printing-house. Franklin's role in Philadelphia was immense. He found the first public library, city hospital and city fire department. He also played a role in founding the University in Pennsylvania.

Opposite the Liberty Bell Pavilion is Independence Hall which is considered the birthplace of the United States of America, as it was here that the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1774. The building was designed by Andrew Hamilton to house the Assembly of the Commonwealth (colony) of Pennsylvania. Finished in 1753, it is the most brick structure with the steeple that was intended to hold a 2,080 pound bell. The bell, however, has cracked twice and stands silently on the ground in a special shelter (a reproduction now hangs in the steeple. Independence Hall is important not for its architectural design but for the documents drafted and debated here that formed the democracy of the United State. A lot of Americans and tourists from overseas visit Philadelphia to see tow greatest historic sports, located in the Old City, American's "most historic square mile".

Another historic sport which is worth visiting, is Betsy Ross House situated on Arch Street. She was born (1752-1836) in a family of hereditary flagmakers. Her husband died when she was 24 years old and she married a second time. Elizabeth had five children and she was busy from morning till the night sewing clothes and curtains. Betsy Ross House is very unusual; in each room there is a short story - description told by Betsy herself. On the ground floor there is a kitchen with household appliances and a fireplace.

Then she invites you to visit rooms in the other house. Upstairs there is her fashion house and other rooms. Downstairs there is a small room with a tea- table and armchairs and there George Washington asked Betsy to sew the first American flag with thirteen stripes. On her deathbed in 1836, she told the story to her grandson. Though historians find it nonverifiable, the legend is rooted in American folklore.

While passing through the portals of history, visitors cannot fail to see the magnificent City Hall, built on the centre of Penn's original squares (an unwritten rule until 1985 was that no building would be built taller than the top of William Penn, the bronze statue perched on top), or the stately Philadelphia Museum of Art at the end of Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the entrance to Fairmont Park. And Fairmont Park itself, the largest city park in the world, home to the 1876 Centennial, is filled with historical mansions and priceless sculpture. From music to sports, higher education to industry, the rich past to an exiting future, Philadelphia has it all.

III. Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. What nicknames does Philadelphia have?

2. Who was William Penn?

3. What street is the oldest in Philadelphia?

4. What role did Benjamin Franklin play in the life of Philadelphia?

5. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?

6. Who was Betsy Ross? What did she contribute to the new nation?

7. Why is Philadelphia worth visiting?

IV. Complete the sentences using the information from the text.

1. Nowadays Philadelphia is a unique blend of _________.

2. Pennsylvania was destined to become _________.

3. Looking at the old-fashioned houses _________.

4. Franklin's role in Philadelphia was immense because ________.

5. Independence Hall is important for _______.

4. Give Russian equivalents to the following word combinations:

a unique blend of old and new to strike by its peace and purity

to destined to to contain practical information

to put control into the hands of to draft and debate documents

to be rooted in American folklore

4. Make up a summary of 10 sentences, the content of which covers the plot of the text.