Unit 1. The United States of America (The USA)
8.1.1 Read and translate the text
The United States of America
The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). The USA lies in the central part of North America. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometers. Its western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean. Its eastern coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It has a sea-border with Russia.
The climate of the country varies greatly from arctic in Alaska through continental in the central part to subtropical in the south.
The USA is a federal republic. It consists of fifty states and the District of Columbia. The capital of the country is Washington D. C. The population of the USA is about 250 million people. Each state has its own government. The seat of the federal government is Washington D. C. According to the US Constitution the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches. They are the executive, the legislative and the judicial. The executive is headed by the President and his Administration. The legislative is exercised by the US Congress. The judicial is headed by the US Supreme Court.
The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are two main political parties in the USA, the Republican and the Democratic.
The flag of the USA is called "Stars and Stripes." There are three colours on the flag of the USA.
They are red, white and blue. As there are fifty states in the USA, there are fifty stars on the American flag: one star for each state. The American flag has thirteen stripes. The stripes are red and white. The flag has seven red stripes and six white stripes. There is one stripe for each of the first thirteen colonies which in 1776 became independent of England.
The eagle became the official national symbol of the country in 1782. It holds an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and arrows (symbols of strength) in its paws.
The USA has an official song. It is called The Star Spangled Banner.
The USA is one of the greatest industrial and leading agricultural nations in the world. The USA produces around 25% of the world's industrial products, agricultural goods and services.
The USA is rich in coal, iron and oil. Many rivers cross the country. The most important are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Colorado, the Sacramento. The main lakes are the Great Lakes in the north.
The largest cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington and others. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada.
The USA is one of the most powerful and highly developed countries in the world. It is the leader of the western world.
8.1.2 Post-Text Exercises
8.1.2.1 Pronounce the following words and geographic names
the United States of America (the USA) - Соединенные Штаты Америки
China - Китай
the Pacific Ocean - Тихий океан
the Atlantic Ocean - Атлантический океан
the Gulf of Mexico - Мексиканский залив
Washington D. C. - г. Вашингтон
the US Congress - Конгресс Соединенных Штатов Америки
the US Supreme Court - Верховный Суд
the Senate - Сенат
the House of Representatives -Палата представителей
the Republican party - Республиканская партия
the Democratic party - Демократическая партия
the Star Spangled Banner - официальный гимн США
the Mississippi - Миссисипи
the Missouri - Миссури
the Colorado - Колорадо
the Sacramento - Сакраменто
New York - Нью-Йорк
Los Angeles - Лос-Анджелес
Chicago - Чикаго
Philadelphia - Филадельфия
Detroit - Детройт
San Francisco – Сан- Франциско
the Rocky Mountains - Скалистые горы
the Cordillera - Кордильеры
the Sierra Nevada - Сьерра Невада
total - весь, целый
to wash - омывать
coast - морской берег
to border on — граничить с
government - правительство
to divide - разделять
branch - отрасль, ветвь
executive - исполнительный
legislative - законодательный
judicial - судебный
to head - возглавлять
to exercise - осуществлять
to consist of - состоять из
stripe - полоса
independent - независимый
eagle - орел
symbol - символ
olive - оливковый
arrow - стрела
strength - сила
powerful - сильный, могучий
to develop - развивать(ся)
leader - лидер
to vary - изменять(ся)
to produce - выпускать
agricultural - сельскохозяйственный
goods - товары
service - обслуживание, сервис
coal - каменный уголь
iron - железо
oil - масло, нефть
to cross - пересекать
8.1.2.2 Answer the questions upon the text
1 What countries are larger than the USA?
2 Where does the USA lie?
3 What is the total area of the USA?
4 What oceans wash the western and eastern coasts of the USA?
5 What countries border on the USA?
6 How does the climate of the USA vary?
7 How many states are there in the USA?
8 What is the capital of the USA?
9 What is the population of the USA?
10 Where is the seat of the federal government?
11 How many branches are the powers of the government divided into?
12 What are they?
13 Who is the executive branch of the USA headed by?
14 The legislative branch is exercised by the US Congress, isn't it?
15 What does the US Congress consist of?
16 Who is the judicial branch headed by?
17 What are the main parties in the USA?
18 What is the flag of the USA called?
19 How many colours are there on the flag of the USA? What are they?
20 Why are there fifty stars on the flag of the USA?
21 How many stripes are there on the flag of the USA? Why?
22 What colour are they?
23 What is the official national symbol of the USA?
24 What do the arrows mean?
25 What does the olive branch mean?
26 What is the official song of the USA called?
27 Why is the USA one of the most developed countries in the world?
28 What does the USA produce?
29 What is the USA rich in?
30 What are the main rivers and lakes of the USA?
31 What are the largest cities in the USA?
32 What are the highest mountains in the USA?
8.1.2.3 Match the two parts of the sentences
| 1 The USA borders ... 2 There are fifty states in the USA ... 3 It holds an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and ... 4 Many rives cross the country. The most important are ... 5 The USA is one of the greatest ... 6 The climate of the country varies greatly ... 7 The population of the USA is ... 8 The total area of the country is ... 9 There is one stripe for ... 10 The capital of the country is ... | ... about nine and a half million square kilometers. ... Washington D.C. ... on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. ... from arctic in Alaska through continental in the central part to subtropical in the south. ... each of the first thirteen colonies which in 1776 became independent of England. ... arrows (symbols of strength) in its paws. ... about 250 million people. ... there are fifty stars on the American flag: one star for each state. ... industrial and leading agricultural nations in the world. ... the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Colorado, the Sacramento. |
8.1.2.4 Choose the correct verb for each blank: varies, is headed, consists, lies, cross, are divided, is washed, is exercised
1 The judicial ... by the US Supreme Court.
2 Its western coast ... by the Pacific Ocean.
3 The Congress ... of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
4 According to the US Constitution the powers of the government... into three branches.
5 The climate of the country ... greatly from arctic in Alaska through continental in the central part to subtropical in the south.
6 Many rivers ... the country.
7 The legislative ... by the US Congress.
8 The USA ... in the central part of North America.
8.1.2.5 Read the beginning of the sentence and find its end in the text
1 The USA has an official song. It is called ... .
2 The Congress consists of ... .
3 The USA lies in the ... .
4 Its eastern coast is washed by ... .
5 According to the US Constitution ... .
6 The largest cities are ... .
7 The USA produces around ... .
8 There are two main political ... .
8.1.2.6 Put in the missing words according to the text
1 The USA has ... with Russia.
2 The American flag has thirteen ... .
3 The USA is one of the most ... and highly ... countries in the world.
4 The USA is rich in ..., and ... .
5 Each state has its own ... .
6 The USA produces around 25 per cent of the world's industrial ... goods and...
7 The flag of the USA is called ... .
8 ... became the official national symbol of the country in 1782.
9 The USA is the leader of the ... world.
8.1.2.7 Read and learn the dialogues by heart. Then act them out
Dialogue 1.
- 
I say, Fred, you promised to tell me everything about the American Administration. Remember?
- Yes, I do remember I promised to tell you something about the American Administration.
- I am all ears.
- To begin with the highest governmental office of the USA is the presidency.
- If I get you right, the President, Vice-President and the President's Cabinet are responsible for administering and executing the laws.
- That's right. They are called the executive branch.
- I wonder whether any American can become President.
- The President must be a natural-born citizen, at least thirty-five years old and for at least fourteen years a resident of the United States.
- I wonder when the President is sworn to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
- It takes place on January 20.
- Is the time fixed?
- Yes, it is. It takes place at noon.
- Is it called "Inauguration Day"?
- Exactly. You should know that the President is limited to two terms only.
- Does it mean that the term of office of the President is not more than eight years?
- Sure. The U.S. President is assisted in Administration by a Cabinet.
- How many persons does the Cabinet consist of?
- It consists of 10-12 members. They are appointed by the President and serve during his office.
Dialogue 2.
Mike : Hello! Is that you, Andrew?
Andrew: Hello! Me and no other! How are you getting on, Mike?
Mike: Everything is all right. How are you?
Andrew: Thank you. Well, more or less good!
Mike: What are you doing now?
Andrew: I'm watching a football match on television. Why do you ask?
Mike: You see, I'm writing a report about the USA. I know for sure that you are very good at Geography. Can you help me?
Andrew: OK. It's a piece of cake.
Mike: Can you tell me what countries border on the USA?
Andrew: As far as I know, the USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. And it has a sea-border with Russia.
Mike: What is the USA rich in?
Andrew: I'm not sure, but as far as I remember it is rich in coal, iron and oil. Come to my place right now. I have a very good book about the USA. I think you'll find all answers to your questions there.
Mike: OK. It sounds good to me. Thank you.