UNIT9. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The United States of America 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 to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometers. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-boarder with Russia.

The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is more than 270 million.

If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska.

America's largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA.

The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic. The climate of the central part is continental. The south has a subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country. It's the world's leading producer of copper and oil and the world's second producer of iron ore and coal. Among the most important manufacturing industries are aircraft, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, armaments, furniture and paper.

Though mainly European and African in origin, Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, including Chinese and native Americans.

The largest cities are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San-Francisco, Washington and others.

The United States is a federal union of 50 states, each of which has its own government. The seat of the central (federal) government is Washington, DC. According to the US Constitution the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches: the executive, headed by the President, the legislative, exercised by the Congress, and the judicial. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

ADD TO YOUR ACTIVE VOCABULARY:

to stretch – простираться

to include – включать

to border on – граничить с …

sea-boarder – морская граница

to be made up – состоять

District of Columbia – округ Колумбия

the Rocky Mountains – Скалистые горы

the Cordillera – Кордильеры

to be located – быть расположенным

copper – медь

manufacturing – производство

armaments – вооружение

furniture – мебель

executive – исполнительный

legislative – законодательный

judicial – судебный

House of Representatives – Палата Представителей

Ex.1. Answer the questions to the text:

1. The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world, isn’t it?

2. What part of North America does it occupy?

3. Where is the capital of the country, Washington, situated?

4. What is the total area of the country?

5. Will you name the highest mountains of the USA?

6. What are America's largest rivers?

7. Do you know the most important manufacturing industries of the country?

8. Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, aren’t they?

9. Will you describe the political system of the USA?

Ex.2. Translate from Russian into English:

1. США – четвертая по размеру страна после России, Канады и Китая.

2. США граничат на севере с Канадой, а на юге – с Мексикой.

3. США имеют морскую границу с Россией.

4. Великие озера, расположенные на границе с Канадой – самые глубокие озера в стране.

5. Горячие массы воздуха из Мексиканского залива часто являются причинами тайфунов.

6. США – высокоразвитое промышленное государство с множеством отраслей.

7. США находится на втором месте в мире по добыче железной руды и угля.

8. Каждый штат имеет свою столицу.

9. Федеральное правительство расположено в Вашингтоне.

10. Конгресс состоит из Сената и Палаты Представителей.

Ex.3.Find the odd word out:

1. Central, total, memorial, additional.

2. Manufacturing, leading, reading, producing.

3. Legislative, informative, locomotive, executive.

4. Copper, border, order, water.

5. Coldest, deepest, chest, widest.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

BRITISH AND AMERICAN FAMILIES

British and American families are small. In fact the populations of both Britain and the USA have stopped growing. The typical family has a father, mother and two children. Grandparents come to visit, but do not usually live with their children.

Most people get married between the ages of 20 and 23 but many marriages end in divorce. This means that both countries have a large number of "single parent families", one father or mother looking after their children alone.

The typical British family has a car, a colour TV set, a washing machine, and a cat or dog as well. They start the day at about 7 o'clock, have breakfast at 8. and are off to work by 8.30 . More and more women now go out to work as well as men. The children have lunch at school at about 12.30, and come home at 4 in the afternoon. Their parents are usually home by 6 o'clock, and the family eats together at 6.30 or 7. In the evenings, father may go to the pub for a drink, or stay at home and watch TV with the others. Children go to bed early, at about 8 o'clock, two or three hours before their parents.

The typical American family has more money than a British family. Many have two or three cars, large modern kitchens and more electrical goods. They eat more meat and spend more on clothes. But their daily programme is nearly the same. Like British children, American children eat lunch at school, come home mid-afternoon, and go to bed earlier than their parents.

UNIT10. CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES

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