III. Say if the sentences are true/false:

1. The USA is the largest English speaking country.

2. It occupies the whole North American continent.

3. The country borders on Russia, Canada and Mexico.

4. The US territory is over 9 million square kilometers.

5. There are many lakes and rivers on the territory of the country.

6. There are 2 official languages in the country – English and French.

7. The first people on the American continent came from England.

8. The head of the state is the President.

9. The capital of the country is New York.

10. The legislative branch of the US Government is the Congress consisting of

2 chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

IV. Answer the questions:

1. Where is the USA situated?

2. How large is its territory? What is its population?

3. What oceans is the USA washed by?

4. What countries does the USA border on?

5. What are the highest mountains of the USA?

6. What rivers of the USA can you name? Which is the longest?

7. How many stripes and stars are there on the USA flag?

8. Who discovered America?

9. Who were the Native Americans?

10. What happened to the Indians?

11. Where do they live now?

12. How many states do the USA consist of today?

13. What is the capital of the USA?

14. What are the big cities of the USA?

15. Who is the US President now?

16. How many political parties are there in the USA?

V. Find the English equivalents in the text:

крупнейшая страна в мире, имеет морскую границу, американский континент, индейские племена, занимались рыболовством, живут в резервации, высокоразвитая промышленная держава, официальный язык государства, звездно-полосатый флаг, исполнительная власть, система федеральных судов, вице-президент.

VII. Speaking:

1. Do you agree that the USA is one of the leading powers of the world?

2. What do you think of the modern America's foreign policy?

3. How do you think the advanced power can influence a policy of less developed countries?

4. If you were elected to be leader of a foreign country tomorrow, what country would you want it to be and what would be your first official act?

TOPIC № 6 GREAT BRITAIN

I. Study the vocabulary:

1. The United Kingdom – Соединенное королевство

2. To comprise – включать

3. Respectively – соответственно

4. Highland – возвышенность

5. Lowland – низменность

6. Mild – мягкий

7. Power – держава

8. To possess – обладать

9. Aircraft – авиационный

10. Weave – переплетение

11. Might – могущество

12. The House of Commons – Палата общин

II. Read the text:

Great Britain has the official name - The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (or the UK – for short).The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometers. Administratively the UK is divided into 55 counties.

The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and doesn't include Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The English Channel between France and England is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world. Its size is 50 km (130 m under the sea). The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The highest mountain of the UK is Ben Nevis in Scotland.

There are a lot of rivers in GB, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence on the climate of the British Isles. It is mild. The weather in GB is very changeable. The English people say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." The English also say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long.

The most unpleasant aspect of English weather is fog and smog. This is extremely bad in big cities especially in London. The fog spreads everywhere so cars move along slowly and people can't see each other. They try not to be run over by a car but still accidents are frequent in the fog.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial power. It possesses some mineral resources: coal, iron ores, oil, gas and some metals. The country is known as one of the world largest producers and exporters of electronics and machinery, chemicals and textile, various aircraft and navigation equipment. Among the main industrial branches are also coal-mining, automobile, ship-building and metallurgical. The capital of the country is London. It is the largest political, cultural and industrial centre of the country and one of the largest ports of the world. Its population is over 11,000,000 people.

Among the largest cities of the UK are Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff.

Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The official language of the state is English. The national symbol of the UK is "Union Jack" – the British state flag having 3 white and red crosses on the dark blue field. The weave of crosses symbolizes power and might.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Officially the head of the state is the Queen. But her power is not absolute; it is limited by the Parliament. The British Parliament is the oldest parliament in the world. It consists of 2 chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The British Government is headed by the Prime Minister – the leader of the party having the majority in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister appoints the ministers to compose the government.

There are several political parties in the UK. The largest and most influential of them are the Conservative (the Tory), the Liberal (the Whigs) and the Labor Party.