The United States of America (a Little Bit of History)

Who discovered America? The answer is: nobody knows. However, Columbus' voyages are the best known. His first voyage was in 1492, when he sailed in August with three ships — the "Santa Maria", the "Pinta" and the "Nina". Columbus thought that the mainland of America was India. That was why he called the natives of the countries "Indians".

Today we often use the word "America" when we mean the United States. The United States is part of North America.

Before 1620 when the English and other Europeans arrived in America, there were already millions of native Americans there.

In 1620 the first people from England arrived in America. They left England because of religious problems. In 1776 after a war with Britain, America became an independent country. Americans wrote the Declaration of Independence and designed a new flag — the Stars and Stripes. In 1861 —1865 years there was a Civil War in the USA between the northern and the southern states. The South lost the war, and the government stopped slavery.

The native American tribes lived in America before Europeans arrived. There were many battles between the European settlers and the native Americans.

In 1909 an American, Henry Ford, produced the first car: the model T. Ford.

In 1963 Martin Lutter King, the leader of the Black civil rights movement in the USA, gave his famous speech: "I have a dream...". He wanted black and white people to be equal at school and at work in the USA.

In 1965—1975 America fought in Vietnam for ten years. The Americans lost the war.

1969. The first people on the Moon were three American astronauts: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Ed Collins.

Exercises

I. Answer the questions, please

1. Who lived in America before Columbus came?

3. Why were Americans called Indians

4. When did Europeans first arrive in America?

5. When did America become independent?

6. After what event did America become independent?

7. What did America design when became independent?

8. What was on the new flag?

9. Who fought for equal rights for black people?

10.When did first Americans arrived at the Moon?

II. Questions for Discussion

1 What do you know about the history of the USA?

2 What famous people in history were from the USA?

Задание 21

Студент должен:

• Ознакомиться и овладеть новой лексикой

• Прочитать текст «США в наши дни» («The United States of America in Our Days»), выполнить задание после текста (ответить на вопросы и перевести вопросительные предложения с русского на английский язык).

Words to know

United States of America = the USA — Соединенные Штаты Америки

D. С (District of Columbia) —штат Колумбия

million — миллион state — штат

Washington — Вашингтон motto — девиз

Symbol — символ a border — граница

to border on — граничить с Canada — Канада

Atlantic Ocean — Атлантический океан Pacific Ocean — Тихий океан

be situated — быть расположенным Alaska — Аляска

to separate — отделять, разделять a strait — пролив

New York — Нью-Йорк Chicago — Чикаго

San Francisco — Сан-Франциско official — официальный

be founded — быть основанным mouth — устье реки

manufacture —производство population — население

highly developed — высокоразвитый represent — представлять

nationality — национальность industry — промышленность

law — закон locate — находиться

bank — берег (реки) mix — смешивать, соединять

society — общество melt — таять

pot — горшок salad bowl — миска с салатом

call — называть lake — озеро

island — остров mountain — гора

whole — целый blood — кровь

to name in honour of smb. — называть в честь кого-л.

melting pot — плавильный котел; горшок, в котором все перемешивается