"США: краткая информация"

Тема занятия «Соединенные Штаты Америки. Географическое положение, обычаи и традиции»

Task 1. Read the text.

The USA

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 kilometres. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a seaboarder with Russia.

The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is about 250 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 of the country is continental. The south has 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 is the leading producer of copper and oil and the worlds second producer of iron ore and coal. On the industrial enterprises of the country they produce aircrafts, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, weapon, furniture, and paper.

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

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

The United States is a federal republic consisting of 50 states, each of which has its own government. The seat of the central (federal) government is Washington, D. C.

The government of the USA acts according to the Constitution which was signed by the first thirteen representatives of thirteen original American states in 1787. The document was written in 1787 and since that time twenty-six Amendments have been added. The first ten Amendments were simply rights or the Bill of rights. According to the Constitution the USA is a republic. So, the officials of any rank are elected by US citizens. Every citizen has rights which cannot be violated.

According to the Constitution of the USA, the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches: the executive, headed by the President, the legislative, exercised by the Congress, and the juridical. 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.

Задание 2. Find English equivalents.

США, в мире, занимать, протянуться, общая территория, граничить с , морская граница с, состоять из, штат, население, субтропический климат, тайфун, побережье, промышленно развитый, ведущий производитель, промышленное предприятие, по происхождению, коренные американцы, правительство, быть подписанным, представитель, поправка, Билль о правах, избираться, нарушать, власть, исполнительная, законодательная, судебная, под руководством, Сенат, Палата Представителей, политическая партия.

Задание 3. Complete the sentences..

• The official name of the country is …

• The capital is …

• There are ….. states in the country.

• The largest cities are … .

• The USA is a highly developed…

• Industrial enterprises produce …

• The USA is ….

• The US Constitution was adopted in …

• There are three branches of power :

• The President is Mr …

• The main political parties are…

Задание 4. Read the text .

Brief History of the USA

   The history of the USA dates back only to the 15th century. In the 15th century there was no USA at all. The present territory of the USA was divided among some countries. In the 15^th – 16th centuries some territory of the USA belonged to Great Britain (northern and western lands); southern parts (California, Florida, New Mexico, Texas) belonged to Spain, then – to Mexico; the central part, the territory was called Louisiana – to France; Alaska was possessed by Russia; some territories remained to be under Indians control.

   In 18th century there were only thirteen Britain's American colonies and they broke with Great Britain in 1776 and later were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America, following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19^th and 20^thcenturies, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded their frontiers across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions.   There were three most dramatic experiences in the nation's history: the Civil War (1861-1865), the Great Depression of the 1930s and Vietnam War of the 1960s - 70s.

After its victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the USA remains the world's most powerful state. A decade ago the economy of the USA was marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and great advances in technology. Today the situation in economy has changed for worse.  Nowadays USA is world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India). It is about half the size of Russia or lightly larger than China or Brazil.

Vocabulary:

to possess - иметь, владеть

to remain - оставаться

to recognize - зд. признавать

treaty - договор, конвенция

to acquire - получать, приобретать

to expand - увеличивать, расширять

frontier - граница

powerful - мощный

steady - стабильный, устойчивый

unemployment - безработица

advance - продвижение вперед, прогресс, улучшение

Задание 5. Answer the questions.

1. When did the history of the USA begin?

2. How was the present territory of the USA divided in the 15^th – 16th centuries?

3. How many Britain's American colonies were there in North America in the 18^th century?

4. What were three most dramatic experiences in the USA history?

5. How was the economy of the USA characterized at the end of the 20^th century?

Задание 6.Read the text..

The American state symbols

  The American flag is often called "The Stars and Stripes", it is also called "Old Glory". It represents the growth of the nation. It has 13 horizontal stripes,7 red and 6 white which stand for the original 13 states. In the top left-hand corner, there are 50 white stars on a blue background: one star for each state.

The national anthem of the United States is "The Star-Spangled Banner".   The words written during the Anglo-American war of 1812-1814 and set to the music of an old song. Every state has its own flag, its own emblem and its own anthem too. 

The eagle became the national emblem of the country in 1782. It has an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and arrows (a symbol of strength). You can see the eagle on the back of a dollar bill.   

The Statue of Liberty is the symbol of American democracy. It stands on Liberty Island in New York. It is one of the first things people see when they arrive in New York by sea. This National Monument was a present from France to the USA. France gave the statue to America in 1884 as a symbol of friendship. Liberty carries the torch of freedom - in her right hand. In her left hand she is holding a tablet with the inscription "July 4, 1776" - American Independence Day.

Vocabulary:

to represent – представлять

background – фон

anthem – гимн

eagle – орел

olive branch – оливковая веточка

to arrive – прибывать

torch – факел

Задание 7. Answer the questions.

1. How do people often call the American flag?

2. What are the colours of the American flag?

3. How many stripes has the flag got?

4. What do stars symbolize?

4. What is the national American emblem?

5. Where is the statue of Liberty placed?

6. What country did gift to the USA?

Homework

Task 1. Read the text.

Democrats and Republicans

Who are the Democrats?

The Democratic Party is the largest political party in the United States and dates back to the early nineteenth century.

Since the 1930s, the Democrats have been associated with progressive policies. It was a Democratic president, Franklin D Roosevelt, who launched the New Deal in the 1930s, spending government money on public works projects to boost the economy and create employment.

In the 1960s, social programmes and more public works projects were introduced under J F Kennedy.

His successor, Lyndon B Johnson, introduced the historic Civil Rights Act in 1964, ending racial segregation and outlawing racial discrimination.

More recently, a Democratic president, Barrack Obama, has sought to make health care more affordable through stricter regulation of private health care providers and by expanding subsidised health care.

Today’s Democratic Party promotes social and economic equality, and is in favour of social welfare. Democrats believe in progressive taxation – the rich should pay more – and a minimum wage for those on low incomes.

Democrats are also generally more supportive of progressive social policies, such as same-sex (gay) marriage, and take a more relaxed view on immigration and defence.

The Democrats draw much of their support from the more economically developed east and west coasts, as well as from the black and Hispanic communities, and from women.

The mascot of the Democratic Party is the donkey.

Who are the Republicans?

The Republican Party, like the Democratic Party, dates back to the nineteenth century. The origins of the party lie in the struggle against slavery.

The first Republican president was the Civil War leader Abraham Lincoln.

Over the years, the party has become identified as the more conservative of the two main parties.

In the 1960s, when the Democrats introduced the Civil Rights Act, outlawing racial discrimination, many whites in the South joined the Republicans, who had opposed the Act.

The modern Republican Party (often referred to as the Grand Old Party or the GOP) is defined by social conservatism and a belief in free-market economics. The party favours low taxation for all, including the wealthy, and believes wages should be set by the market rather than controlled by law.

Republicans believe health care should remain private and have opposed President Obama's moves to make the system more affordable.

The party is strong in the religious southern states and is opposed to abortion and the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Tough on immigration and supportive of defence spending, Republicans also oppose increased gun control and moves to abolish the death penalty.

The Republicans draw much of their support from the less economically advanced areas, such as the rural south and centre of the country, and enjoy less support from women.

The Republican Party mascot is the elephant.

Task 2. Find synonyms from the text.

1. against change -

2. animal or object that represents an organization -

3. building projects that the government pays for -

4. keeping different races of people apart -

5. legal punishment where a criminal is killed -

6. modern and encouraging change -

7. partly paid for by the government in order to reduce the cost to the consumer - 8. strong and determined -

9. system where people are owned by others as property -

10. treating a person or group of people differently from the others -

Task 3. Fill in gaps using the synonyms from Task 3.

1. __________ is appropriate for murderers.

2. The government should __________ public transport to keep fares low.

3. We need to get ___________ on immigration.

4. ___________ still exists in some parts of the world.

5. There is no racial __________ in my country.

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