Comprehension check

Ex. 1. Search the texts for the English equivalents of the word combinations.

Западное полушарие; достичь какой-то земли; обычаи и традиции; изначально употребляться во множественном числе; географические особенности; на противоположных сторонах; международные договоры; наложить вето; проводить законы в жизнь; пересматривать законы; богатые природные ресурсы; основные торговые партнеры; в возрасте пяти лет и старше; количество штатов в настоящее время; складывать особенным образом; называть в честь кого-нибудь; меньше по размеру; большой белый купол; всё, что понравится.

Ex. 2. Work in pairs. Read the statements and say if they are true or false.

A)

1. The United States is situated almost entirely in the western hemisphere.

2. The total area of the USA is about eight and a half million square kilometers.

3. The people of the United States are only from America.

4. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA.

5. The United States is a monarchy.

6. The leading export commodity of the USA is mine equipment.

7. The US national flag – Stars and Stripes – is red, white and blue.

B)

1. Washington is located on the north bank of the Thames River.

2. The city was named after the first American president.

3. There are not many monuments in Washington.

4. Washington is the largest city of the USA.

5. The streets are always empty in the city.

Ex. 3. Complete the following sentences using information from the texts.

A)

1. The United States is situated almost entirely ….

2. The country also has a sea-boarder with …. .

3. Christopher Columbus discovered America in …

4. Because of the United States' large size and wide range of geographic features, nearly every type of .… .

5. The federal government is composed of three branches: legislative, executive and …. .

6. About 215 million, or 82% of the population aged five years and older, speak only …. .

B)

1. When people speak about the capital of the USA they always say Washington DC, not to mix up with the state Washington in ..…

2. The population of the capital is about …

3. The buildings in Washington are not tall because no buildings must be taller …

4. Washington has growing industry unrelated to government, especially in the areas of education, finance and …

5. Washington, D.C. is a national center for …

Ex. 4. Rearrange the words below into grammatically accurate sentences.

1. the people, of, a mixture, different, are, nationalities, of the United States, many.

2. derive, of America, the recipes, dishes, of, immigrants, various, characteristic, from.

3. a park, a square, it, open, in Washington, or, is, area, to find, any, a monument, without, difficult.

4. in size, the United States, Washington, than, is, the largest, smaller, cities, of.

Ex. 5. Make questions to which the underlined words are the answers.

1. The United States is situated almost entirely in the western hemisphere.

2. Americans are proud of their flag and display it in many places.

3. The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River.

4. George Washington, the first American president, chose the place where the city now stands to build the capital.

5. Washington has many famous buildings – the Library of Congress, the Capitol, the National Gallery of Art and others.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

A)

1. США включают южную часть Северной Америки, Аляску и Гавайи.

2. Страна почти полностью расположена в западном полушарии.

3. Изначально словосочетание «Соединённые Штаты» употребляли во множественном числе.

4. Из-за большого размера Соединённых Штатов и разнообразия географических особенностей в стране представлены почти все типы климата.

5. Хотя в стране нет официального языка на федеральном уровне, некоторые законы считают стандартным английский язык.

6. Кулинарное искусство Америки напоминает кулинарию других западных стран.

7. Американцы должны знать многое о своём флаге, например то, что его следует складывать особым образом.

B)

1. Место для Вашингтона было выбрано первым американским президентом Джорджем Вашингтоном.

2. В Вашингтоне много интересных мест, и трудно найти парк, площадь или вообще какое-нибудь место, где нет памятника или мемориала.

3. Вашингтон—деловой город. Его улицы почти никогда не пустуют.

4. Вашингтон—экономический и политический центр США.

5. Образование, финансовый сектор и исследования в области науки не подчиняются правительству страны.

Ex. 7. Answer the following questions.

1. What territory does the USA occupy?

2. Does it border on Russia?

3. Did Columbus know what land he had reached in 1492?

4. Why is climate different in the United States?

5. What is the leading import commodity in the country?

6. What is the political system of the USA?

7. When was Washington founded?

8. Who designed the capital of the USA?

9. Why are there no skyscrapers in Washington?

10. How can you prove that the weather is changeable in Washington?

11. How can you characterize the city as a cultural centre?

Ex. 8. Work in pairs or in groups. Think of the situation when you are the visitors of some type of restaurant in the USA. Make up your own dialogue using word expressions of the text and the dialogues given below.

Ex. 9. Read and translate the following text.