It’s interesting to know …
America was originally peopled by Indians and was opened to European colonization by the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. Columbus died believing that he had found a new way to the Indies and never understood that he had discovered a new continent. However, the new world was given the name of Amerigo Vespucci who made several voyages to the West and gave spirited accounts of his discoveries. As for Columbus, who is generally recognized as the discoverer of America, he is honoured on Columbus Day celebrated on the second Monday of October in commemoration of his voyage.
The USA is about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; slightly larger than Brazil; slightly smaller than China; about two and a half times the size of Western Europe.
The USA is one of the few countries in the world that has no ‘official’ national language. English is the common language by use, but it is not the national language by law.
The ration of females and males is 51.4 to 48.6%. The average life expectancy for a white man is 71.3 and for an Afro-American man 65.4 years, for a white woman 78.3 and for an Afro-American woman 73.6 years.
The American flag is often called the ‘Stars and Stripes’ or ‘Old Glory’. It has 13 red and white stripes which stand for the original 13 colonies. In the top left corner there are 50 white stars on a blue background: one star for each state. There is no official meaning for the colours of the flag, but it is thought that white represents purity and liberty, red proclaims courage and valour and blue symbolizes perseverance, justice and loyalty. The flag was adopted in 1777.
The coat of arms of the US represents a bald eagle with wings outspread, holding a bundle of arrows (the symbol of strength) in the left claw and an olive twig (the emblem of peace) in the right claw. The eagle became the national emblem of the country in 1782. The motto of the coat of arms is ‘one out of many’.
The national anthem of the United States is ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’.
The Statue of Liberty is the symbol of American democracy. It stands on Liberty Island in New York. It is one of the first things people see when they arrive in New York by sea. France presented the statue to America in 1884 as a symbol of friendship. Liberty carries the torch of freedom in her right hand. In her left hand she is holding a tablet with the inscription ‘July 4, 1776’ – American Independence Day.
The US Constitution of 1787 embodied the political theories of the Founding Fathers, who represented the interests of a privileged class, as the great majority of those who formulated the Constitution were men of property. “Private property is the backbone of liberty” is the main principle that forms the basis of the Constitution.
The presidential election is in fact an election of presidential electors, not of a President directly. Candidates for the Presidency are chosen by political parties several months before the presidential election. Every leap year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November Americans choose as many electors as this state has Senators and Representatives in the Congress. The candidate with the highest number of votes wins all the electoral votes of the state. On the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December the electors (538 persons) vote for the candidate with the highest number of popular votes in their respective states and elect the President. To be elected President, a candidate for the Presidency must receive 270 votes.
It was during the war of 1812 when the nickname of the US Government ‘Uncle Sam’ appeared. ‘Uncle’ Samuel Wilson was an inspector of provisions the American Army and provided large quantities of meat stamping his barrels with the letters ‘U.S.’. The soldiers knew this meat as ‘Uncle Sam’s’ and thought that the abbreviation meant his name. Later on this familiar name became associated with the US Government.
The Republican and Democratic parties chose their own names, but not their party emblems. The cartoonist Thomas Nast invented the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey in the early 1870s and they soon became fixed types.
Task III. Find the derivatives of the following words and fill in the table:
Noun |
Verb |
Adjective |
access |
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succeed |
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population |
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economic |
stability |
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elective |
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distinguish |
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residence |
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responsible |
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negotiate |
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Task IV. Look at the puzzle below. Complete it by guessing the words which correspond to the definitions. Find the name of an important person in American history in the centre boxes:
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a rule or a body of rules made by the legislature
a person who comes to a country in order to settle there
to lay down as a rule or directive
the evidence of the past (historical sites, buildings, the unspoiled natural environment) considered collectively as the inheritance of present-day society
dealing or concerned with another country, area, people, etc.
to continue or retain, to keep in existence
the executive policy-making body of a political unit, community, etc.
a formal agreement or contract between two or more states, such as an alliance or trade arrangement
to put forward (a plan, motion, etc.) for consideration or action
involving a nation’s domestic affairs as opposed to foreign ones
Task V. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements relating to the text?
Alaska and the island state of Hawaii are separated from the main mid-continental group of 50 states.
It’s impossible to generalize about the weather, the landscape and the way of living as the USA occupies most of the South American continent.
As a result of massive immigration the United States today has one of the world’s most varied populations.
American Indians and Afro-Americans have long been subjected to racial discrimination and this process still continues.
The seat of the Federal Government is Washington, D.C., one of the largest cities in the USA.
The White House is the seat of the American Congress, while the Capitol is the President’s residence.
Together with the Secretary of State, the President manages all official contacts with foreign governments, concludes treaties with other countries.
Under the Constitution the power is divided among legislative (the President), executive (the Congress) and judicial (the Supreme Court) branches of the national government.
Both the Republican and the Democratic parties emerged to reflect the interests of the same social groups.
Independence Day is a national holiday in the USA. It commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1778.
Task VI. Check your comprehension of the text by completing the suggested sentences:
The United States of America is …
The US population combines people of different races and nationalities including …
The climate of the country …
The name of the US capital always goes with …
The American Constitution, drawn up in Philadelphia in 1787, is …
According to the Constitution, the President of the United States …
Executive power in the USA is vested in …
The Congress is the only branch of the US Government that …
The Republican and the Democratic parties become most active …
The USA is often called ‘a melting pot’ …
Task VII. Look for specific detail to answer the questions below:
How does the United States rank among the countries of the world in area and population?
Why are the physical features (surface, climate, etc.) of the United States considered to be diverse?
Can you explain what a federal system is?
Why does the Constitution divide power into three branches?
Whose interests did the US Constitution reflect from the very beginning?
To whom are all legislative powers of the Federal Government granted by the Constitution of the US?
Do the chief American political parties have clear political platforms?
In what way are the presidential elections held?
Who is in line of succession to the Presidency, if a President dies or is unable to carry on his duties?
Why is the US flag called the ‘Stars and Stripes’? Explain the symbolism of the stars and the stripes on it. What other names of the American flag do you know?
Task VIII. Check how well you know the United States of America. Complete the statements choosing the right variant:
The United states of America is …
a constitutional republic c. a federal republic
a monarchy d. a commonwealth
How many time zones is the continental part of the USA divided into?
four b. five c. six d. three
What is the most widely known natural wonder in America?
the Colorado River c. Niagara Falls
the Rocky Mountains d. sequoias
What is America’s largest state?
Texas b. Alaska c. Montana d. New York
What is the longest river in the USA?
Rio Grande b. Mississippi c. Colorado d. Missouri
What is the largest lake in the USA?
Lake Ontario b. Lake Superior c. Lake Michigan d. Lake Huron
Native Americans are …
the Spaniards c. the Indians
the English d. the Afro-Americans
The largest city in the USA is …
Boston b. New York c. Washington d. Miami
The ‘Big Apple’ is a popular nickname for …
Los Angeles b. Washington c. Chicago d. New York
Washington, the federal capital, is located in …
the State of Washington c. the State of New York
the District of Columbia d. the District of California
Washington, D.C. stands on the river …
Mississippi b. Missouri c. Potomac d. Ohio
Which of these cannot be found in Washington, D.C.?
the Pentagon c. the Department of Justice
the National Archives d. the Statue of Liberty
The first President to live in the White House was …
John Adams c. Thomas Jefferson
George Washington d. Abraham Lincoln
Who is called ‘The Father of the American Constitution’?
James Madison c. Thomas Jefferson
George Washington d. Andrew Jackson
The Bill of Rights is …
the Constitution c. the amendments to the Constitution
the articles of the Constitution d. the Preamble to the Constitution
How many amendments have been made to the original text of the Constitution?
25 b. 27 c. 28 d. 26
The 22nd amendment to the Constitution, adopted in 1951, limited the Presidency to no more than …
one term b. two terms c. three terms d. four terms
How often do American people choose a new President?
every four years b. every five years c. every three years d. every six years
Barack H. Obama II is … President of the USA.
the 42nd b. the 43rd c. the 44th d. the 45th
“White House Office” is …
the house where the President lives
the office where the President works
the President’s assistants and advisors
the Cabinet secretaries
What chambers does the American Congress consist of?
the House of Lords and the House of Commons
the Senate and the House of Commons
the House of Lords and the House of Representatives
the Senate and the House of Representatives
The nickname for the American Government is …
Uncle Sam b. Uncle George c. Uncle Ben d. Uncle James
To provide continuity one third of the Senate is renewed every …
2 years b. 4 years c. 3 years d. 5 years
The Constitution provides, that if no candidate has a majority, the decision should be made by …
the Senate c. the President
the House of Representatives c. both Houses
What are the two leading American parties?
the Labour Party and the Republican Party
the Conservative Party and the Democratic Party
the Democratic Party and the Labour Party
the Republican Party and the Democratic Party
At every level of political life the two main political parties struggle for …
dominating position c. people’s loyalty
popular support d. public office
What animal represents the Democratic Party?
a monkey b. a donkey c. a tiger d. an elephant
The motto of the United States which is written on a dollar bill is …
“America the Beautiful”
“God save the USA”
“In God we trust”
“Liberty Enlightening the World”
The national emblem of the United States of America is …
the turkey c. the bald eagle
the Statue of Liberty d. the Flag
Which famous event happened in California in 1849?
The Gold Rush c. The War of Independence
The Great Plague d. The Civil War
Task IX. Try to give an adequate translation of the sentences that follow:
США – государство в Северной Америке, раскинувшееся от берегов Тихого океана до побережья Атлантики. На юге граничит с Мексикой, на севере – с Канадой, на северо-западе – с Россией, на юго-востоке – с Кубой.
США – сильное современное государство, становление которого проходило под влиянием культурных, моральных и национальных устоев сотен тысяч переселенцев из многих стран мира, приехавших в Новый Свет в поисках лучшей жизни.
В США есть немало уникальных природных творений, к которым можно отнести Большой Каньон, Великие Озера, Ниагарский водопад, многочисленные национальные парки. Одним из самых известных парков является Йеллоустонский с долиной гейзеров и большим количеством редких животных.
США – ведущая экономическая и военная держава, занимающая третье место в мире по численности населения и четвертое по площади.
Включенные в Конституцию поправки направлены, главным образом, на защиту прав человека, расширение избирательных прав, развитие полномочий федерального правительства.
Конституция распределила полномочия между центральной властью и властями штатов, создав федеральную систему государственного управления.
В соответствии с принципом разделения властей, каждая из трех ветвей (исполнительная, законодательная и судебная) функционирует относительно независимо от остальных. Вместе с тем, система сдержек и противовесов наделяет каждую ветвь способностью контролировать действия других.
Исполнительную власть осуществляет президент, являющийся главой государства и главнокомандующим вооруженными силами, а также министры, назначаемые президентом и подотчетные только ему.
Законодательный орган власти – Конгресс, состоит из двух палат – Сената и Палаты представителей. Сенат формируется из 100 сенаторов, представляющих штаты. Палата представителей формируется пропорционально количеству жителей штата.
Соединенные Штаты являются членом ООН, ЮНЕСКО, ВОЗ, МВФ, НАТО, Организации экономического сотрудничества и развития и др.
C. Follow-up Activities
Task X. Share your opinions on the following:
In what way do the geographical position and physical features of the USA influence the development of the country?
Explain how the federal and state governments divide powers.
Can a country be governed without political parties, in your opinion? Why? Why not?
What was the basis for the formation of the American variant of the English language?
Perform a comparative analysis of the state structure of the USA, Britain and Belarus.
D. Optional Reading