UNIT II THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

LESSON ONE. Focus on the USA History

Introductory Text 1

Ex. I. Read and translate the text using a dictionary.

Welcome to the USA

The United States of America, popularly called "The States", "U.S.A.", "The Land of Liberty" and "The Land of the Free" is the fourth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada and China. It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.

This country, once inhabited by Red Indians, is now the home of a "nation of nations", as people from every part of the world come to live in this land of wealth and promise. As a result of their efforts, the United States has become one of the most important countries in the world.

America's land is vari-facial, rich and vast. Its natural colours are bright and majestic. When characterizing Russia's landscape we are likely to use the word "lyrical", and to describe America we find the word "great" the most suitable.

The word "great" is in wide-spread use in the geographical dictionary of America. The Great Lakes. The Great Plains. The Great Canyon.

America's fertility will tip the scales of that of Russia's lands. And there are plenty of natural reasons for that. The major one is that America is a southern country. Moscow and Washington are at different latitudes.

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Washington is 400 km further south than Tashkent. And half of the country is located exactly southward of Washington.

The main impression one gets when visiting the country is its boundlessness. There is no other state on the Earth, excluding Russia, where the boundaries of the north and south, east and west would be so distant from one another.

Introductory Text 2.

Ex. 1. Read the text using a dictionary.

How the Country Started

Mystery surrounds the early history of the North American continent. The original settlers, the Indians, are believed to have migrated from northern Asia to Alaska and from there down into warmer climates. The physical appearance of the American Indians, with their black hair, copper tint and high cheekbones, suggests their Oriental origin. Some scientists think that some 20,000 years ago, during the most recent glacial period, North America and Asia were linked at the Bering Strait.

Probably the first white men to see American shores were Scandinavians who in their round trading ships travelled in Arctic seas to make their way to Greenland in about the year 985 AD. From this vast island their ships went still farther westward and there is some evidence that about the year 1,000 Leif Ericson and his crew landed in what is now the United States.

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Ex. 2. Answer the questions.

1. When was the North American continent settled?

2. Who were the original settlers?

3. What proofs are there of the Oriental origin of the American Indians?

4. Who were the first white >men to see America?

Ex. 3. Explain why, according to the author, "mystery surrounds the early history of the North American continent". Pick out the words and constructions used by the author in making his point.