Exercises

1. Say what information is the text about:

1. The capital of the United States; 2. The Executive Branch of the US Government;

3. The Legislative Branch of the US Government; 4. The Judicial Branch of the US Government; 5. choosing the President of the USA; 6. The State government

II. Answer thefollowing questions:

1. How many candidates run for President in the last presidential election in the USA?

2. Representatives of what political parties run for presidency in the USA?

3. What politicians are running for presidency inthe USA?

Ill Translate into English:

l .rocy.n,apcTseHHhlH ceKperap1> CIIIA oTBeqaer 3a BHeIIIHenoJIHTlfqecmii: icypc IIpaBHTeJThCTBa.

2. B Haqane H36HpaTeJihHOii: KaMIIaHHH no Bhl6opaM npe3H.n,eHTa CIIIA si,1-

.n,sHraioTcx KaH,D;H.n,aThl OT o6eHx se.zzym;HX napTH:H - Pecny6nHKaHCKOH H .lJ:eMOKpa­ TlfqeCKo:H. KIDK,ZJ;hlH KaH.,ZJ;H)J,aT napnm Be.n,eT KaMIIaHHIO IIpOTHB CBoero COIIepHHKa (Rival).

2. Pe3yJIDTaThl Hox6p1>CKHX npe3H,D;eHTCKHX B1>16opos B CIIIA .n,omKHhl 6hlTh IIO)J,TBep)l{)l;eHbl Bhl60pmHKaMH B .n,eKa6pe.

IV. Read the text:

Some interesting examples of the differences between British and American English arefound among the words referring to government and politics. For exam­ ple, in Great Britain a candidate stands for office, in the United States he runs. In Britain the Cabinet is composed of ministers; the US Cabinet is made up of secreta­ ries. The British Legislature is Parliament; the US legislative body is Congress. In Britain the party out of power is the opposition; in the USA it is the minority party. WhatAmericans call a vote in Congress is called a division in the British legislature.

Notes

1. to be made up - to consist

2. campaign - a planned set of activities that people deliberately carry out in

order to produce a particular result

3. term of office - a period of time between two elections during which a par­ ticular party, prime minister, president etc. is inpower

4. nomination - an official suggestion of someone as a candidate inan election

5. regardless - inspite of

Part 2.

EDUCATION IN THE USA

Reading

1. Whilereading the text try to guess the meaning of the words marked with an asterisk (*).

2. Read thefollowing "before-questions". Get ready to answer them after read­ ing the text.(Lookfor the "before-questions" after the text)

School Education

Education is one of the biggest and most important jobs of government in the United States. However it is a task that is carried out by local government rather than by thefederal government. Help from Washington usually comes in theform of money. There are no national educational *standards or *regulation, as there are in

many other countries. Local areas - states or cities or countries - have kept control over their own school systems. In spite of local control, school systems throughout the country are very similar.

The normal school system in the United States consists of six years of elemen­ tary school and six years of secondary school (or high school as they call it in the USA). The courses in elementary school are required as a part of a curriculum, sec­ ondary school students have some *latitude in choosing theirprogram.

Admission to the American high school is automatic on completion of the ele­ mentary school. In many areas high school is divided into three years ofjunior high school and three years of senior high school.Each year is called a grade. Attendance at school is *compulsory (that is, it is required by law) until the age of 16 or until the student has finished the eighth grade. The ninth grade, although it is physically lo­ cated in thejunior high school, is considered the first year of secondary school. So thejunior high school is a sort of *halfway point between elementary and secondary school, some sort of *intermediate education.

Although there are some technical, vocational and specialized high schools in the USA, the typical high school is comprehensive in nature. The objectives of the comprehensive high school are to provide: 1) general education for all students; 2) subjects useful for those who will leave high schoolfor employment or marriage; and

3) necessary preparatory educationfor thoseplanning to enter college or university.

No one high school is exactly like another. Both public and private schools possess high degree of autonomy in organizing and developing their educational programs. Different books may be required or different courses may be offered; still, a child can transferfrom a school in one state to a school in another without encoun­ tering any serious difficulty, because the same basic subjects are taught throughout the country.

Notes

1. task - 3a,n;a"tJa,3a,n;am1e

2. job - 3a,n;aqa,u;eJTh

3. elementary school -HaqaJThHaJI mKo­ Jia c 1 rro 6 KJiacc

4. secondary high school - cpe.wuui illKOJia c 7 IIO 12 KJiacC

5. junior high school - HerroJIHaJI cpe,i::i;IDlll mKoJia

6. senior high school - cTapm1rn KJiacchl cpe,wie:H: mKOJihl

7. comprehensive school - e,WIH3JI o6- meo6pa3oBaTeJibHaJI mKorra

8. objective - u;err1>, 3a,n;a"tJa

9. curriculum - yqe6HhlH KJJacc

10. courses - Kypchl o6ycrnHIUI,rrpe.ny­ CMa'I'p1rnarom11e KOJIH"tleCTBO rrpeeTOB 11 o6oeM

3HaHHH