Добавил:
Upload Опубликованный материал нарушает ваши авторские права? Сообщите нам.
Вуз: Предмет: Файл:
Скачиваний:
14
Добавлен:
27.04.2015
Размер:
28.16 Кб
Скачать

Раздел V

Тексты дополнительного чтения

World Domination

If the British over the centuries spread English across the world by colonization, America has spread it even more effectively and quickly by different means. Who in the world has not heard of Coca Cola, McDonald's, IBM, General Motors, Microsoft and Boeing? It is clear that American industries have made their own forms of conquest. The slate of the American dollar influences all the money markets of the world. United States foreign policy affects many other countries, both near and far.

Along with all this economic and political power, there is also unequalled power in all the fields of communication, information and entertainment. No other country has played a greater part in the development of the computer. America leads the world in the design and manufacture of hardware and in the development and production of software. UNESCO figures show that 94 per cent of Internet communications are in English.

Early in the twentieth century, America established itself as the world leader in the new medium of the cinema. In 1906, the first full-length movie was made there and in the following year film-making began in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles. In many countries of the world today, most people's familiarity with English comes from films, TV and other types of American entertainment.

Ответьте на вопросы.

  1. What is Great Britain known for ?

  2. What is the United States of America famous for ?

The Wheels of Commerce

Cartier's discovery has not been as disappointing as King Francis I of France had thought. Today, Canada is the largest producer of nickel and supplies the world with iron and copper as well as wood, paper, oil, asbestos, gold and silver.

In the past these raw materials were shipped to other countries to be processed. After World War II, Canada began to develop its own industries, such as manufacturing cars and aeroplanes. Canada now has the world's seventh largest economy. This has given it a strong position in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which aims to create a single market with the USA and Mexico.

Canada has moved swiftly into the future with research and development in fibre optics and communications. This is not surprising considering the great geographical distances and the fact that it was the home of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone.

The wealthier provinces of Canada, such as Ontario and British Columbia, enjoy some of the highest living standards in the world. There is still poverty, however, especially in the Maritimes and the north.

Ответьте на вопросы:

  1. What is Canada rich in ?

  2. What was Alexander Graham Bell ?

  3. What are the living standards in Canada ?

114

115

Соседние файлы в папке Лариса Анато