The National Emblem of the usa

The Great Seal of the United States is the official seal printed on important documents to prove that a document is from the US government. The seal has two sides. On one side there is a picture of a white-headed bald eagle, the national bird of the USA. The eagle became the national emblem of the country in 1782. It has an olive branch – a symbol of peace – in one claw and 13 arrows, according to the number of the original 13 states, in the other. Above the eagle’s head there is a motto in Latin “E Plurilous Unum” which means “Many United”. On the other side there is a picture of a Pyramid with an eye above. Both designs are printed on the back of a one-dollar bill.

The National Anthem of the usa

The words of the National Anthem of the USA “The Star-Spangled Banner” were taken from a poem by Francis Scott Key about a battle between Britain and the USA in 1812. The Anthem is usually sung at the beginning of large public events and especially at professional sports events such as a baseball or a football game. People are expected to stand up and put their right hand over their hearts while the song is being sung in order to show respect and support for their country.

Exercise 13 Complete the sentences and translate them.

1. The popular names of the American flag are .

2. The stars and the stripes on the flag mean .

3. When a new state joins the USA another is added to the flag.

4. The national emblem of the USA is a eagle.

5. The national anthem of the USA is .

Exercise 14 Answer the questions:

1. What is the origin of the American flag?

2. What are the colors of the American flag?

3. How many stripes has the flag got?

4. What is the national emblem of the USA?

5. Where is the Statue of Liberty placed?

6. What country presented the Statue to the USA?

7. What is the origin of the national anthem of the USA?

8. How do Americans show their respect and support for their country?

Final speaking task: speak on the following:

1 Why do you think each independent state should have its national symbols?

2 Have you ever seen or heard the national anthem of your country being sung by its citizens? On what occasions?

3 What feeling do you think people have when they sing their national anthem?

4 On what occasions are national flags hung in the streets?

5 Where can you see the national emblem of the country?

6 Do you agree that the design of the national flag should be used anywhere and everywhere?

7 Can people, in your opinion, become more patriotic if they know more about the history of the state symbols of their country?

8 What do you think should be done to make people feel really patriotic?

Final writing task: now that you have almost completed this part of unit 1 look through it once again to find “noun + noun” combinations. Write them down with the translation.

Suggested activity in conclusion: decide what you think these quotations mean. Think of examples to illustrate some of them:

1. The true Republic: men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. (1872, Susan Brownell Anthony).

2. The U.S. Presidency is a Tudor monarchy plus telephones. (John Anthony Burgess (Wilson)).

3. The State is made for man, not man for the State. (Albert Einstein).

4. No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. (1854, Abraham Lincoln).

5. As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. (1858, Abraham Lincoln).

6. The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded. (Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu).

7. Democracy … is a charming form of government full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a kind of quality to equals, and unequal’s alike. (Plato)