Exercises

1. Complete the sentences.

1. The largest population is in …………… .

2. The third largest continent by area is …………. .

3. …….. is bordered  to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the ………….., to the west and south by the ……….. .

4. The …………….., commonly known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range in western North America.

5. The  ………………….. is the chief river of the largest drainage system in North America. 

6. ……………. is the world's second-largest country by total area and the fourth-largest country by land area.

7. ………………. is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations.

8. …………………. is the largest country in the world.

9. …………….forms the western backbone of North America and South America.

10. …………………….are a series of interconnected freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada–United States border.

2. Use synonyms(from the topical vocabulary) for the words in bold.

1. The USA is placed between Canada and Mexico.

2. The USA is comprised of 50 states.

3. The climate differs greatly.

4. The degrees may grow up in summer.

5. The main manufacturing fields in Russia are oil and gas mining.

6. The president is chosen for a specific term.

7. In a democratic state there are three main powers: legislative, executive and judicial.

8. The Russian Parliament comprises two houses Duma and the Council of Federation.

Texts

1. Read and translate the text.

USA

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada and China. It is situated in North America and borders on Canada and Mexico.

The USA is a federal republic which consists of 50 states and a federal district, the District of Columbia which is home to the capital of the country – Washington D.C. It stands on the Potomac river in the eastern part of the country. The total area of the USA is around 9 mln square kilometers. More than 300 million people live in this country. Their national language is English, although a large part of current American residents are immigrants who speak their native languages.

The climate of the country varies greatly. It depends on the geographical position. Winter temperatures in northern states may reach 40 degrees below zero. At the same time summer temperatures in southern states may increase up to 49 degrees above zero.

The territory of the USA is crossed by the Mississippi river which is the longest in the world. 5 Great lakes in the north of the country on the border with Canada are a popular tourist attraction. Western part of the country is bound by the Rocky Mountains or the Rockies. Central states are situated on the Great Plains.

The United States of America is a democratic country with two ruling parties – the Democrats and the Republicans. The national government consists of executive, legislative and judicial branches. A president is elected once in four years and can serve no more than two terms. The highest legislative body of the country is the Congress which consists of two chambers – the House of Representatives and the Senate. The judicial power is represented by the Supreme Court.

The USA is a country of highly developed industry and agriculture. In the USA farming is devoted to raising such plants as corn, sunflowers, tomatoes and many others. The major industrial fields are automobiles, oil and gas extraction and sustainable energy.

The main cities are located on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. New-York is the largest city of the country. Other large cities are San-Francisco, Los-Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Phoenix and Dallas. These cities present a wide range of attractions and entertainment, such as Hollywood, the Wall Street, the Statue of Liberty, the Library of Congress, the White House and many others.

The United States of America can be of great interest both to tourists and to people studying its life and territory.

Questions

The USA is a federation of states, isn’t it?

How many states are there?

Where does the country lie?

What countries does the USA border on?

What is the area and the population of the United States?

What city is the capital?

Are there any big rivers, lakes and mountains?

Does the climate differ in each part of the country?

The United States economy is the largest national economy in the world, isn’t it?

What resources is the country rich on?

What major cities are there in the country?

What ethnicity is the USA home to?

What places of interest can you name in the country?