The us Economy

The USA has one of the strongest economies in the world. Its national market accounts for about 265 million people. The United States is the world leader in aeronautics, space technology, electronics, and computer hardware and software. The country is the world's largest producer of aluminum, copper, synthetic rubber, man-made fibers, corn, soybeans, tomatoes. It is the second largest producer of coal, gold, natural gas, oil, cotton, tobacco, apples, and oranges. One-fifth of the world's cars are made in the USA. Two-thirds of the world's passenger airplanes are produced in the country.

There are many important industrial cities in the USA. Chicago is on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is a center of metallurgical industry. A third of US cars is produced in Detroit, Michigan. The first American automobile factory was started in the city by Henry Ford.

California is the largest centre of industry in the West. Aerospace and electronic industries are developed in the state. Silicon Valley is south of San Francisco. Computer chips are made of silicon. There are many computer companies in the valley. They produce hardware and software.

A lot of Americans work in the service sector. For every person with a job in manufacturing three others provide services ranging from banking to transportation to tourism. Only about a quarter of jobs are in construction and manufacturing industries like chemicals, clothing and textiles, and machinery. Less, than 4 percent of the working population work in primary-sector industries such as mining, agriculture, fishing, and forestry.

Financial services are very important for the USA economy. Shares are bought and sold at the New York Stock Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. Traders also buy and sell commodities such as wheat, sugar, cocoa, cattle, and lumber.

The American dollar is one of the most important currencies in the word. It is used in trade between different countries

Wall Street in New York is the financial centre of the country. It is the symbol of wealth of the United States. Wall Street is a short street in lower Manhatten. It takes its name from the town wall built in 1653 across Manhatten Island to protect the Dutch colonists from both the Native American Indians and the English. There are stock-brokerage companies, banks, insurance corporations and commodity exchanges in Wall Street. The New York Sock Exchange is located there too. It was founded in 1792. Sometimes it is called «the nation’s market place» where stocks are sold and bought.

2. Выпишите из текста английские эквиваленты следующих слов и выражений:

Составляет около 265 млн. людей, аппаратные средства и программное обеспечение компьютера, синтетический каучук, искусственные волокна, одна пятая, две третьих, сфера услуг, предоставлять услуги от... до..., четверть рабочих мест, строительная и обрабатывающая отрасли промышленности, горное дело, акции, Нью-Йоркская фондовая биржа, Чикагская товарная биржа, Чикагская срочная товарная биржа, товары.

2. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What kind of economy does the United States have?

2. What are the leading branches of the US industry?

3. Do many people work in the service sector?

4. What do traders buy and sell at the Stock Exchange?

5. What do they buy and sell at the Mercantile Exchange and the Board of Trade?

2. Напишите рассказ об одном из промышленных городов США.