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Файл:Соединенные Штаты Америки. Учебное пособие
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Martin Luther King Day
Mississippi
New Jersey
New York
nickname
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Revolutionary War
Vermont
Wyoming
COMPREHENTION CHECK
Answer the following questions:
1. Which of his father’s qualities did the author make good-natured
fun of in one of his books?
2. In what way did he come to resemble his father?
3. What is written on American license plates?
4. Are all the states’ slogans full of sense? Give examples of
meaningful slogans and comment on them.
5. Why does the author say that the Unites States “isn’t so much a
country as a collection of fifty small independent nations”?
6. What matters does each state control in its own way nowadays?
Give examples from the text.
7. What information about New Hampshire’s laws is presented in
the last two paragraphs? What is the author’s attitude towards it?
8. What impression of the author do you get from the text? Is the
sense of humor one of his main characteristics? Prove your point of
view.
ACTIVE VOCABULARY
to elaborate v — to add more detail or information: Your plan sounds
most interesting. Would you like to elaborate on it?
elaborate adj — very complicated and detailed; carefully prepared
and organized: an elaborate computer system; an elaborate pattern
of flowers. She made elaborate preparations for the party.
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to speculate v about/on — 1. to think or talk about a matter without
having the necessary facts, make guesses: We don’t know the truth,
so it is pointless to speculate (on what happened). 2. To buy or
deal in goods, shares, etc. in the hope of large profits.
speculation n — 1. the act of speculating: speculation about/over
the possibility of tax cuts. There was widespread speculation that
she was going to resign. He dismissed the rumors as pure
speculation. 2. (a case of) buying and selling in the hope of profit
from price rises rather than actual business earnings: property
speculation.
wheel n — 1. a circular object with an outer frame used for turning
machinery, making cars move, etc.: Most cars have four wheels.
2. the steering wheel of a car or ship: My sister was at the
wheel/behind the wheel (= was driving).
to amuse v — to excite the sense of humor of, cause to laugh or smile:
His silly jokes amused the children.
amusing adj — funny: an amusing book/joke/person.
amusement n — 1. the state of being amused, enjoyment: To
everyone’s amusement the actor fell off the stage. 2. something that
makes one’s time pass pleasantly: amusement park. Big cities have
movie theaters, football matches, and many other amusements.
legal adj — allowed or made by law. Antonym: illegal.
slogan n — a word or phrase that is easy to remember, used for
example by a political party or in advertising to attract people’s
attention or to suggest an idea quickly: an advertising slogan; a
campaign slogan.
controversial adj — causing much argument and disagreement: a
highly controversial topic; a controversial plan to build a new
road; controversial issues.
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fossil n — 1. the remains of an animal or a plant which have become
hard and turned into rock: fossils over two million years old.
2. [humorous or disapproving] an (old) person who is unable to
accept new ideas or adapt to changes.
deposit n — 1. a layer of a substance that has formed naturally
underground: mineral / gold / coal deposits. 2. a layer of a
substance that has been left somewhere, esp. by a river, etc. or is
found at the bottom of a liquid: fatty deposits in the arteries of the
heart; deposits in a bottle of wine. 3. [usu. singular] the first part of
a larger payment: We’ve put down a 5 percent deposit on the
house. The hotel requires a deposit for all advance bookings.
4. [usu. singular] a sum of money that is paid by somebody when
they rent something and that is returned to them if they do not lose
or damage the thing they are renting: When you return the car we’ll
give you back the deposit.
dinosaur n — 1. an animal that lived millions of years ago but is now
extinct (= no longer exists). 2. [disapproving] a person or thing that
is old-fashioned and cannot change in the conditions of modern life
[cf. fossil].
equivocal adj — [formal] 1. [of words or statements] having a double
or doubtful meaning or intention; able to be understood in more
than one way: She gave an equivocal answer, typical of a
politician. Synonym: ambiguous. 2. [of actions or behavior]
difficult to understand or explain, questionable, mysterious: The
experiments produced equivocal results. Antonym: unequivocal.
curriculum n — [pl. curricula or curriculums] the subjects that are
included in a course of study or taught in a school, college, etc.: the
school curriculum. AmE: Spanish is in the curriculum cf. BrE:
Spanish is on the curriculum.
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ASSIGNMENTS
I. Translate into Russian:
1. Why are you laughing? I don’t think this is amusing.
2. I am rather tired, will you take the wheel?
3. The crowd began chanting anti-government slogans.
4. Winston Churchill and Richard Nixon were both controversial
figures.
5. The new toys kept Laura amused for hours.
6. His private life is the subject of much speculation.
7. Do you want to take the wheel now?
8. It’s a controversial issue — I need to think of it.
9. When you rent an apartment they normally ask you to pay
$100 (as a) deposit.
10. The best known amusement parks in the U.S. are Disneyland
and Disneyworld.
11. Deposits can be made at any branch of the bank.
12. Music is an integral part of the school curriculum.
13. This car is a three-wheeler.
14. There were many types of dinosaur, some of which were very
large.
15. He took an elaborate escape route from South Africa to Britain.
16. If you cancel your flight, you will lose your deposit.
17. She prepared a very elaborate meal.
18. The rain left a deposit of mud on the windows.
19. Today’s announcement ends months of speculation about the
company’s future.
20. The government worked in close collaboration with teachers
on the new curriculum.
21. She dismissed the newspaper reports as pure speculation.
22. They teamed up to work on an elaborate scheme to avoid
taxes.
23. At what age can you legally drink in the U.S.?
24. Speculations about their divorce proved totally unfounded.
25. It’s illegal for people under 17 to drive a car in the UK.
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II. Paraphrase using the active vocabulary:
1. We won the first prize for a very detailed project.
2. He is good at creating phrases expressing political and
advertising messages.
3. This statement can be understood in different ways. I would
recommend you to make it more unambiguous.
4. The course of study doesn’t include Painting.
5. I won’t put this sum of money on my credit card as I’m going
to spend it on our trip to Spain.
6. I don’t trust my wife when she is driving a car. She is too
careless and unpredictable.
7. Drunk driving is not allowed by law.
8. We have $500. Will it be enough for the first payment?
9. We are constantly fed gossip by the media.
10. Politicians prefer giving ambiguous answers.
11. In the U.S. it is allowed by law for people over 21 to buy
alcohol.
12. The children entertained themselves by playing games.
13. The word got around that his suspension was carefully
organized.
14. I don’t like her driving a car. It’s dangerous for us both.
15. The question concerning a course of study in state schools is
very contradictory.
16. The expression of her face showed enjoyment.
17. You’re such a bore. You’re always behaving like an old-
fashioned stupid imbecile.
18. In
many countries it’s a crime to be an immigrant without an
official permission.
III. Below are words from the active, each followed by a group
of synonyms and antonyms. Decide which is a synonym and which
is an antonym referring to the context the word is used in.
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controversial: questionable, disputable, unambiguous
elaborate: easy, careful, painstaking, simple
legal: lawful, illegitimate
to amuse: to annoy, to entertain, to disappoint, to please
IV. Translate into English:
1. Мне жаль ее — она так тщательно готовилась к приему
гостей, но никто не смог приехать из-за сильного
снегопада.
2. Результаты эксперимента не вполне однозначны.
3. Мне нравятся эти занавески — какой изысканный
цветочный узор!
4. Билл считает, что его дедушка — настоящее ископаемое.
Он старомоден, и его трудно в чем-ли
5. Незаконно водить автомобиль, если у вас нет
водительских прав.
6. В нашу программу обучения был введен второй
иностранный язык.
7. Нет ничего смешного в том, что Мэри упала. Ведь она
могла сломать руку.
8. Можно сказать, что я живу за рулем, так как провожу
много времени в пу
9. Когда вы съедете с квартиры, мы вернем вам залог.
10. Политические лозунги должны быть короткими и легко
запоминающимися.
11. Ходили слухи о том, что будет подписан договор.
12. Нам пришлось оставить залог за прокат видеофильмов.
13. У нашего начальника очень противоречивый характер.
Никогда не знаешь, чего он потребу
следующий раз.
14. К всеобщему веселью, клоун свалился со сцены.
15. Программы обучения в школе и вузе сильно различаются.
16. Первый взнос за покупку квартиры составил третью часть
от всей суммы.
ти.
бо убедить.
ет от персонала в
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17. Предвыборная речь кандидата в президенты была
слишком неоднозначна.
18. Я внесла на свой банковский счет $500.
19. Правительство не разрешает нелегальным иммигрантам
находиться на территории США.
V. Respond in 2 or 3 sentences to the imaginary situations
below using the active vocabulary:
1. I hear your boss is going to replace you by a highly qualified
specialist.
2. I want to buy an apartment of my own in a suburb.
3. My cousin works for an advertising company and considers
this job to be extremely challenging and elaborate.
4. You’ve been dreaming of your own car for three years. At last
your dream has come true.
5. It’s just like him to speculate and make every situation
obscure.
VI. Answer the following questions demonstrating your
knowledge of American culture:
1. Do all the American states have one or more nicknames? Give
examples of some of the nicknames and explain their origins.
2. Which state would you like to visit most of all? Which of its
places of interest do you think are the most attractive?
3. If you’re going to enjoy the beauty of nature, which state
would you go to?
4. Which states are known for cattle and crop farming?
5. What is New York City famous for?
6. What are your associations with California?
7. Which states are well known for their universities?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you think it is convenient to live in a country which is “a
collection of fifty small independent nations” with
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2. Why
3. How do you feel about schools in which teachers are not
can the differences between states be dramatic or even
alarming according to the author? Do you share this point of
view?
allowed to use textbooks that do not suit particular religious
views?
CULTURE QUEST
1. Learn the names of all the fifty states of the U.S.A. Pay special
attention to their spelling and pronunciation. Get ready to fill in the
names of the states on a blank map of the U.S.
2. Study the table of states in the Dictionary of U. S. Life and
Culture (Жизнь и культура США: Лингвострановедческий
словарь, Приложение 2). Discuss the values expressed in the
nicknames and slogans of the states.
3. Make a list of your cultural associations with the following parts
of the U.S.A.: East Coast, Midwest, New England, the South,
California.
TEXT 2
FALL IN NEW ENGLAND
Ah, autumn!
Every year about this time, for a tantalizingly short while — a
week or two at most — an amazing thing happens here. The whole of
New England explodes in color. All those trees that for months have
formed a somber green backdrop suddenly burst into a million
glowing tints and the countryside, as Frances Trollope put it, ‘goes to
glory.’
Yesterday, under the pretence of doing vital research, I drove over
to Vermont and treated my startled feet to a hike up Killington Peak,
4,235 feet of sturdy splendor in the heart of the Green Mountains. It
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was one of those sumptuous days when the world is full of autumn
muskiness and tangy, crisp perfection, and the air so clean and clear
that you feel as if you could reach out and ping it with a finger, as you
would a polished wine glass. Even the colors were crisp: vivid blue
sky, deep green fields, leaves in a thousand luminous hues. It is a truly
astounding sight when every tree in a landscape becomes individual,
when each winding back highway and plump hillside is suddenly and
infinitely splashed with every sharp shade that nature can bestow —
flaming scarlet, lustrous gold, throbbing vermilion, fiery orange.
The New England landscape provides a setting that no other area
of North America can rival. Its sunny white churches, covered
bridges, tidy farms and clustered villages are an ideal complement to
the rich earthy colors of nature. Moreover, there is a variety in its trees
that few other areas achieve: oaks, beeches, aspens, sumacs, four
varieties of maples, and others almost beyond counting provide a
contrast that dazzles the senses. Finally, and above all, there is the
brief, perfect balance of its climate in fall, with crisp, chilly nights and
warm, sunny days, which help to bring all the deciduous trees to a
coordinated climax. So make no mistake. For a few glorious days each
October, New England is unquestionably the loveliest place on earth.
What is all the more remarkable about this is that no one knows
quite why it happens.
But here is the greatest mystery of all. Every year literally millions
of people, genially and collectively known to locals as ‘leaf peepers,’
get in their cars, drive great distances to New England and spend a
succession of weekends shuffling round craft shops and places with
names like ‘Norm’s Antiques and Collectibles.’
I would estimate that no more than 0.05 per cent of them stray
more than 150 feet from their cars. What a strange, inexplicable
misfortune that is, to come to the edge of perfection and then turn your
back on it.
They miss not only the bosky joys of the out of doors — the fresh
air, the rich, organic smells, the ineffable delight of strolling through
drifts of dry leaves — but the singular pleasure of hearing the hills
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ringing with ‘Take Me Home, Country Road’ sung in a loud voice in a
pleasingly distinctive Anglo-Iowa twang. And that, if I say so myself,
is definitely worth getting out of your car for.
NOTE
Pay attention to the difference in the following British and
American terms:
AmE fall cf. BrE autumn
CULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS
1. Look up the following entries in the Dictionary of U. S. Life
and Culture (Жизнь и культура США: Лингвострановедческий
словарь) or other dictionaries and encyclopedias:
foot
Green Mountains
Iowa
Vermont
2. Look up the following names of plants in the Dictionary of
U.S. Life and Culture and other dictionaries and encyclopedias.
Learn the words.
aspen
beeche
birch
blue spruce
buckeye
cottonwood
elm
fur tree
hickory
holly
oak
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