The History of Rostov- on-Don

Rostov- on-Don was founded on December 15, 1749, when the Temernitskaya Customs house was set up to control the trade with Turkey. The Customs house was built according to the edict of the Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great. Not far from the Customs house grew the fortress that got the name of the Russian Metropolitan Dmitri Rostovsky. Later the name was changed to Rostov (in 1806) and then to Rostov-on-Don.

Text 2

The Sights of Rostov-on-Don

Rostov-on-Don, the centre of Rostov Region, is a comparatively young city. It is situated on the right bank of the river Don. Rostov-on-Don is the largest city not only in the North-Caucasus area, but the entyre Southern Russia.

Trade has been growing on over the centuries in Rostov. You can trace it by the architecture of the city: the most impressive architectural ensembles are those of financial and commercial companies built at the end of the 19^th century. Merchants from Italy, Persia, Greece, Turkey and other countries used to come here and found this city a proper place to stay for permanent residence. There were nearly 20 foreign consulates situated in the centre of the city.

Bolshaya Sadovaya Street is the compositional axis of the city centre. Academician of architecture Pomerantsev (the author of Moscow GUM buildings) created here a whole ensemble of buildings in the Russian Barocco style.

There are many other architectural monuments in the city. Among them are the magnificent buildings of the State Bank and the Higher School of Economics (also in Bolshaya Sadovaya Street), the Buildings of the Central Post Office, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Cathedral built in the Russian – Byzantine style. The best construction of 1930s is the Drama Theatre.

The names of many Russian writers are connected with the history of Rostov: Pushkin, Korolenko, Gorky, Fadeev, Pogodin, Shaginyan. Many other outstanding people used to come or stay here: composer Rakhmaninov, artist Saroyan, poet Mayakovski, theatre producer Zavadsky.

Such is a town on the high bank of the Don, centre of the Don Cossacks area.

Task 4. Read Text 3 to answer the questions.

1. What do you know about another famous city founded by Peter the Great?

2. What do you know about life and activities of Chekhov?

3. Have you ever been to Taganrog?

4. What are your famous places in this city?

 

Text 3

Taganrog

The emergence of this city (Tagan Rog) is connected with the first steps of the Russian Navy with the struggle of Russia for security of its southern borders. In 1696 Peter the Great visited this place to choose a place for navy harbour.

Taganrog is the second biggest city in the region. It is a large industrial and commercial centre as well as a sea port, popular resort and the birthplace of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.

Now Taganrog is an important research, cultural and industrial centre in the south of Russia. It has a vast network of higher educational establishments, technical and vocational lyceums. Taganrog is situated on the shore of the Azov Sea about 35 km from Rostov-on-Don.

History can be found almost everywhere in Taganrog. Chekhov Library, Chekhov House, Literary Museum, Durov Museum, Taganrog Museum of Art and other sights stand as hallmarks of the Russian culture.

Text 4

Azov

Azov is a port on the Don River delta near the Sea of Azov. It is a rail junction, a light industrial and fishing centre. Founded as the Greek colony of Tanais (3d cent. B.C.), it was a trading centre and fortress.

The Don Cossacks held the city (1637-1642), but were driven out by the Turks. Peter the Great won the city in 1696 and thus opened southern routes for Russia; he was forced to cede it back to Turkey in 1711.

Task 5. Speak on the new things you learned about Azov.

Task 6. Read Text 5 to answer the questions.

1. How do the houses look in winter?

2. What are houses like? How does the author describe them?

3. Houses look different, don’t they?

4. What kinds of houses does the author describe?

5. How does the author describe houses that he calls dark; proud; whispering?

6. What kind of secrets is hidden behind the walls of houses?

7. Do you like to walk in the streets alone?

8. Do you like to walk in the centre where the houses are old?

9. Do you also think that houses have faces?

10. Do the houses look the same in new districts?

11. Do you think that every town and city has its own character?

12. Are there houses past which you want to hurry?

13. Do you think that in small towns houses are like people?

Text 5

Winter Day in Town

Architecture is not only steel and bricks. Houses are like people. The houses have faces. The windows are eyes. Some houses smile at you, others frown.

There are some houses that are always dark. People in them go early to bed. You hear no laughter from such houses, no one sings.

Other houses are proud. They are well kept. As you pass they seem to look at you with a sort of “keep off the grass” expression. You hurry past such houses.

I know houses that always seem to be whispering to me. There are secrets hidden in such houses. They ask you not to disturb them. Odd things happen to people behind the walls of houses. Many people are one thing inside their houses and another on the street. Sometimes the secrets, hidden away behind the walls of houses, are simply sad but sometimes they are exciting too.

There are evenings when I walk thus and see houses that all seem to be whispering to me. They are trying to tell me what I cannot understand.

I go past a dozen houses, two dozen. They are the glad houses, the gay ones, the ones where all the doors seem ready to burst open. Some houses shout at me. “Come in,” they cry.

(After Sherwood Anderson)

 

Part 3

The Russian Federation

Text 1

Geography and Climate

The Russian Federation, or Russia, is the largest country in the world. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometres. It occupies most of Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia. Russia stretches from the Baltic Sea in the West to the Pacific Ocean in the East and from the Arctic Ocean in the North to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the South.

It is borders on Norway and Finland in the north-west, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus and the Ukraine in the West, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the south-west, and Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China along the southern border.

The land of Russia varies from thick forests to barren deserts, from high peaked mountains to deep valleys. The Russian Federation is located on two plains, Great Russian Plain and West Siberian Lowland. The longest mountain chains are the Urals, separating Europe from Asia, the Caucasus, and the Altai. Russia’s most important rivers are the Volga, Europe’s biggest river, flowing into the Caspian Sea; the main Siberian rivers (the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena), and the Amur in the Far East, flowing into the Pacific Ocean. The total number of rivers in Russia is over two thousand. The world’s deepest lake – Lake Baikal, with the depth of 1600 metres, is situated in Russia, too.

The climate in Russia varies from arctic in the north to continental in the central part of the country and subtropical in the south.

The current population of Russia is about 142 million people. It is a multinational state and comprises many national districts, several autonomous republics and regions.

Russia’s vast mineral resources include oil and natural gas, coal, iron, zinc, lead, nickel aluminum, gold and other non-ferrous metals. Russia has the world’s largest oil and natural gas resources. Three-quarters of the republic’s mineral wealth is concentrated in Siberia and the Far East.

The capital of the Russian Federation is Moscow, with the population of about 11 million people. It’s the largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre of the country. Russian is the official language of the state.

Russia is a presidential republic. It is headed by the President. The country government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial.

 

Topical Vocabulary

total area общая площадь

to occupy занимать

to stretch from…to… протянуться от…до…

to be bordered by граничить с

to comprise smth. включать что-либо

to vary from…to… варьировать от…до…

a barren desert бесплодная пустыня

a high peaked mountain горная вершина

a deep valley глубокая долина

to be located быть расположенным

a plain равнина

a mountain chain горная цепь

to separate Europe from Asia отделять Европу от Азии

to flow into впадать в

arctic арктический

continental континентальный

subtropical субтропический

the current population население на данный период

vast mineral resources

богатые запасы полезных ископаемых

to include oil and natural gas включать нефть и природный газ

coal уголь

iron железо

zinc цинк

lead свинец

nickel никель

aluminum алюминий

a non-ferrous metal цветной металл

mineral wealth запасы полезных ископаемых

a constitutional republic конституционная республика

a branch власть (как часть правительства)

legislative законодательный

executive исполнительный

judicial судебный

 

Task 1. Answer the following questions:

1. What territory does Russia occupy?

2. What countries is it bordered by?

3. What are the major plains, mountain chains and rivers of Russia?

4. How can you characterize Russia’s climate?

5. What mineral resources does Russia possess?

6. What industries are developed in Russia?

7. What is the political system of Russia?

Task 2. Translate into English:

1. Россия – самая большая страна в мире с общей площадью около 17 млн. кв. км, расположена в Восточной Европе и северной части Азии.

2. Обширная территория России омывается Северным Ледовитым, Атлантическим и Тихим океанами.

3. Россия граничит с Норвегией, Финляндией, Монголией, Китаем и бывшими (former) республиками СССР.

4. Волга, самая главная река России, впадает в Каспийское море.

5. Среди крупнейших горных цепей России – Урал, отделяющий Европу от Азии.

6. Озеро Байкал – самое глубокое озеро на земном шаре, находится в Российской федерации.

7. Россия располагает большим количеством месторождений полезных ископаемых.

8. Полезные ископаемые России включают (include) нефть, природный газ, уголь, железо, золото и цветные металлы.

9. Форма правления (form of government) в России, одной из ведущих мировых держав, - президентская республика.

 

Task 3. Do you know?

What is/are:

- old historical cities?

- the biggest Russian lake?

- the longest Russian river (in European and Asian parts of the RF)?

- a city with subtropical climate?

- cities with arctic climate?

- agricultural regions?

- places of recreation and tourism?

Text 2

State System of Russia

Russia is a parliamentary republic. Head of State in this country is the President. The government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The President controls only the executive branch – the government, but not the Supreme Court and Federal Assembly.

The legislative power is exercised by the Federal Assembly. It consists of two chambers. The Upper Chamber is the Council of Federation; the Lower Chamber is the State Duma. Each chamber is headed by the Speaker. A bill may be introduced in any chamber. A bill becomes a law if it is approved by both chambers and signed by the President. The President may veto the bill. He can make international treaties. The President may also appoint ministers; the Federal Assembly approves them.

The President is elected for four years on the basis of universal, equal and direct right to vote by secret ballot for all eligible citizens. One and the same person cannot serve as President for more than two terms in succession. The members of the Federal Assembly are elected by the people for four years.

The executive power belongs to the Government, or the Cabinet of Ministers. The government is headed by the Prime Minister.

The judicial power belongs to the system of courts. It consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the federal courts.

The national symbol of Russia is a three-coloured banner. It has three horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. The white stripe symbolizes the earth, the blue one stands for the sky, and the red one symbolizes liberty. It was the first state symbol that replaced the former symbols in 1991. The hymn of Russia is “The Patriotic Song” by M.Glinka. A new national emblem is a two-headed eagle. It is the most ancient symbol of Russia. It originates from the heraldic emblem of Ruricovitches. All these symbols are official. They have been approved by the Federal Assembly.

Topical Vocabulary

a parliamentary republic парламентская республика

Head of State глава государства

the President президент

to consist of smth. состоять из кого/чего-либо

a branch власть (как часть правительства)

legislative законодательный

executive исполнительный

judicial судебный

to be exercised by осуществляться (кем-либо, чем-либо)

the Federal Assembly Федеральное собрание

a chamber палата

the Council of Federation Совет Федерации

the State Duma Государственная дума

to be headed by smb. возглавляться кем-либо

the Speaker спикер

to introduce a bill внести законопроект

to become a law стать законом

to be approved by smb. быть одобренным кем-либо

to be signed by smb. быть подписанным кем-либо

to veto a bill наложить вето на законопроект

to make an international treaty заключить международный договор

to appoint a minister назначить министра

to be elected by the people избираться народом

to belong to smth., smb. принадлежать кому / чему-либо

the Cabinet of Ministers кабинет министров

the Prime Minister премьер-министр

a system of courts система судов

the Constitutional Court Конституционный суд

the Supreme Court Верховный суд

the state symbol государственный символ

a banner знамя

a hymn гимн

a national emblem национальный герб

to originate from smth. происходить от чего-либо

the heraldic emblem of the родовой герб Рюриковичей (Ruricovitches)

Task 1. Answer the questions:

1. What branches does the government consist of?

2. What part does the President play in the government?

3. What is the legislative power exercised by?

4. How does a bill become a law?

5. What are the functions of the President?

6. What body does the executive power belong to?

7. What does the system of courts consist of?

8. What are the official symbols of Russia?

9. What is the most ancient symbol of Russia?

10. What does it originate from?

Task 2. Translate into English:

1.Правительство Российской Федерации представлено законодательной, исполнительной и судебной ветвями власти.

2. Глава парламентскойреспублики России – президент.

3. Законопроект становится законом, если президент не наложит на него вето.

4. Исполнительную власть представляет кабинет министров, возглав­ляемый премьер-министром (председателем правительства).

5. Судебная власть осуществляется Конституционным судом, Вер­ховным судом и федеральными судами.

6. Законопроект должен быть представлен на рассмотрение в одной из палат, потом одобрен обеими палатами и подписан президентом.

7. К государственным символам России относятся флаг, гимн и герб.

Test yourself

Task 3. Summarize the information about the Russian Federation to choose the correct answer.

1. The total area of the Russian Federation is about ______ million square kilometres.

a) 25

b) 17

c) 30

2. The Russian Federation occupies most of ________.

a) Western Europe and South Eastern Asia

b) Southern Europe and Central Asia

c) Eastern Europe and Northern Asia

3. Russia stretches from ________ in the West to the Pacific Ocean in the East and from the Arctic Ocean in the North to the Black Sea and the Caucasus.

a) the Baltic Sea

b) the Caspian Sea

c) the Black Sea

4. The land of Russia varies from thick forests to _______, from high peaked mountains to ________.

a) flat plains; lowlands

b) low ranges of hills; bleak moors

c) barren deserts; deep valleys

5. The longest mountain chains are _______ which separate Europe from Asia and the Caucasus.

a) the Sayan Mountains

b) the Urals

c) the Altai

6. The total number of rivers in Russia is over two ______.

a) million

b) thousand

c) hundred

7. The climate in Russia varies from arctic in the north to _______ in the central part of the country and subtropical in the south.

a) moderate

b) continental

c) dry

8. The current population of Russia is about ______ million people.

a) 135

b) 142

c) 110

9. Russia has the world’s largest _______ resources.

a) copper and oil

b) iron ore and coal

c) oil and natural gas

10. Three-quarters of the republic’s mineral wealth is concentrated in _______.

a) Siberia and the Far East

b) the North and the Urals

c) the West and the Altai

11. The Russian Federation is ________.

a) a constitutional monarchy

b) a parliamentary republic

c) a semi presidential republic

12. A bill becomes a law if it is approved by ________ and signed by the President.

a) the President

b) the Prime Minister

c) both chambers

13. The _______ power belongs to the Government, or the Cabinet of Ministers.

a) legislative

b) executive

c) judicial

Part 4

Science and Technology

Text

X-Rays

In 1895, a German professor Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen discovered a new kind of invisible rays. These rays could pass through clothes, skin and flesh – and cast the shadow of the bones themselves on a photographic plate. You can imagine the impression this announcement produced at that time!

Let us see how Roentgen came to discover these all-penetrating rays. One day Roentgen was working in his laboratory with a Crookes tube. Crookes had discovered that if he put two electric wires in a glass tube, pumped air out of it and connected the wires to opposite electric poles; a stream of electric particles would emerge out of the cathode (that is, the negative electric pole).

Roentgen was interested in the fact that these cathode rays made certain chemicals glow in the dark. On this particular day Roentgen was working in his darkened laboratory. He put his Crookes tube in a box made of thin black cardboard and switched on the current to the tube. The black box was lightproof, but Roentgen noticed a strange glow at the far corner of his laboratory bench. He drew back the curtains of his laboratory window and found that the glow had come from a small screen which was lying at the far end of the bench.

Roentgen knew that the cathode rays could make the screen glow. But he also knew that cathode rays could not penetrate the box. If the effect was not due to the cathode rays, what mysterious new rays were causing it? He did not know, so he called them X-rays.

Roentgen placed all sorts of opaque materials between the source of his X-rays and the screen. He found that these rays passed through wood, thin sheets of aluminium, the flesh of his own hand; but they were completely stopped by thin lead plates and partially stopped by the bones of his hand. Testing their effect on photographic plate he found that they were darkened on exposure to X-rays.

Roentgen was sure that this discovery would contribute much for the benefit of science. Indeed, medicine was quick to realize the importance of Roentgen’s discovery. Now the X-rays are increasingly used in industry and by the law enforcement bodies, especially by the Customs Services as well.

Topical Vocabulary

X-rays	рентгеновские лучи
to pass through clothes, skin and flesh	проникать сквозь одежду, кожу и тело
to cast the shadow	отбрасывать тень
to produce an impression	произвести впечатление
to discover all-penetrating rays	открыть всепроникающие лучи
a Crookes tube	трубка Крукса
an electric wire	электрический провод
to connect the wires to opposite electric poles	подсоединить провода к противоположным электрическим полюсам
a stream of electric particles	поток электрических частиц
the cathode	катод
to make certain chemicals glow	вызывать свечение некоторых материалов
black cardboard	черный картон
to switch on the current to smth	подключить ток к чему-либо
lightproof	светонепроницаемый
to penetrate the box	проникать сквозь коробку
opaque materials	непрозрачные материалы
lead plates	свинцовые пластины
to be darkened on exposure to X-rays	темнеть при попадании рентгеновских лучей
to contribute much for the benefit of science	внести большой вклад в развитие науки
to be quick to realize smth	быстро обнаружить что-либо

 

Task 1. Answer the following questions:

1. When did Roentgen discover a new type of rays?

2. How did he discover the rays?

3. What qualities do the X-rays possess?

4. In what ways are the X-rays used at present?

Task 2. Translate into English.

1. В 1855 году Вильгельм Рентген открыл новый тип невидимых лучей, которые проникали через различные материалы.

2. Поместив во время опыта трубку Крукса в светонепроницаемый ящик, Рентген увидел странное свечение в углу лаборатории.

3. Рентген открыл неизвестные ранее всепроникающие лучи, которые он назвал «икс-лучи».

4. Он обнаружил, что «икс-лучи» проходят сквозь многие непрозрачные материалы – дерево, алюминий и т.д., но лишь частично проникают сквозь кости человеческого тела и задерживаются свинцовыми пластинами.

5. Открытие Рентгена внесло большой вклад в развитие науки, например, медицины.

6. Современные технические средства досмотра багажа пассажиров основаны на действии рентгеновских лучей.

 

Part 5

Great Britain

Text 1

Who are the British

Why British not English?Many foreigners say ‘England’ and ‘English’ when they mean ‘Britain’, or the ‘UK’, and ‘British’. This is very annoying for the 5 million people who live in Scotland, the 2.8 million in Wales and 2 million in Northern Ireland who are certainly not English. (51 million people live in England.) However, the people from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England are all British. So what is the difference between the names ‘Great Britain’ and ‘the United Kingdom’ – and what about ‘the British Isles’?

The United Kingdom This is an abbreviation of ‘the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’. It is often further abbreviated to ‘UK’, and is the political name of the country which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster). Several islands off the British coast are also part of the United Kingdom (for example, the Isle of Wight, the Orkneys, Hebrides and Shetlands, and the Isles of Scilly), although the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not. However, all these islands do recognize the Queen.

Great Britain

This is the name of the island which is made up of England, Scotland and Wales and so, strictly speaking, it does not include Northern Ireland. The origin of the word 'Great' is a reference to size, because in many European languages the words for Britain and Brittany in France are the same. In fact, it was the French who first talked about Grande Bretagne. In everyday speech ‘Britain’ is used to mean the United Kingdom.

The British Isles

This is the geographical name that refers to all the islands off the north western coast of the European continent: Great Britain, the whole of Ireland (Northern and Southern), the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

How was the United Kingdom formed? This took centuries, and a lot of armed struggle was involved. In the 15th century, a Welsh prince, Henry Tudor, became King Henry VII of England. Then his son, King Henry VIII, united England and Wales under one Parliament in 1536. In Scotland a similar thing happened. The King of Scotland inherited the crown of England and Wales in 1603, so he became King James I of England and Wales, and King James VI of Scotland. The Parliaments of England, Wales and Scotland were united a century later in 1707.

The Scottish and Welsh are proud and independent people. In recent years there have been attempts at devolution in the two countries, particularly in Scotland where the Scottish Nationalist Party was very strong for a while. But it seems that most Welsh and Scottish people are happy to form part of the UK even though they sometimes complain that they are dominated by England, and particularly by London.

The whole of Ireland was united with Great Britain from 1801 up until 1922. In that year the independent Republic of Ireland was formed in the South, while Northern Ireland became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Task 1. Answer the questions.

1. What is Great Britain made of?

2. What is the origin of the country’s name?

3. Where are the British Isles situated?

4. Does South Ireland belong to Great Britain?

5. How long did it take to form the United Kingdom?

6. When was the independent Republic of Ireland formed?

 

Text 2

London

London was not built as a city in the same way as Paris or New York. It began life as a Roman fortification at a place where it was possible to cross the River Thames. A wall was built around the town for defence, but during the long period of peace which followed the Norman Conquest, people built outside the walls. This building continued over the years, especially to the west of the city. In 1665 there was a terrible plague in London, so many people left the city and escaped to the villages in the surrounding countryside.

In 1666 the Great Fire of London ended the plague, but it also destroyed much of the city. Although people returned to live in the rebuilt city after the plague and the Great Fire, there were never again so many Londoners living in the city centre.

These days not many people live in the city centre, but London has spread further outwards into the country, including surrounding villages. Today the metropolis of Greater London covers some 610 square miles (1580 sq. km.) and the suburbs of London continue even beyond this area. Some people even commute over 100 miles (over 150 km.) every day to work in London, while living far away from the city in the country or in other towns.

The gradual growth of the city helps to explain the fact that London does not have just one centre, it has a number of centres, each with a distinct character: the financial and business centre called the City (spelt with a capital ‘C’), the shopping and entertainment centre in the West End, the government centre in Westminster. Places like Highgate and Hampstead have kept their village-like character - they have their own newspapers and the famous Hampstead Heath is a reminder of country origins.

Task 2. Answer the questions.

1. Why was a wall built around London?

2. What destroyed London in the 17^th century?

3. Do many people live in the city centre?

4. What parts does Greater London consist of?

Task 3. Match left and right.

 

1. Where is the Tower of London? 2. What are ravens? 3. How old is the Tower of London? 4. Why is the Tower of London so famous? 5. What are beef-eaters? 6. What are the Crowns Jewels? 7. How many jewels are there on Queen’s Crown? 8. Does the Queen live in the Tower of London?

a) There are 2,868 jewels on the crown. b) They are special guards. There are 40 Beefeaters in the Tower. They live in the Tower. They wear blue and red clothes every day but on special days they wear red and gold clothes. c) Ravens are big black birds. They eat meat. Every day they eat 150 grams of meat, eggs, and biscuits with blood. There are six ravens at the Tower. The Beefeaters give meat to the ravens every day. d) No, she lives in Buckingham Palace. e) It’s 900 years old. It’s very strong. The walls are 4 metres thick! It’s called ‘The Tower of London’ but there are 21 towers. f) The Tower of London is on the River Thames, near Tower Bridge. g) It’s got Beefeaters, ravens, the Crown Jewels and ghosts. h) They are the Queen’s special jewels. She wears them once a year.

Task 4. Read the text and tell your friends about everything they need to know about Scotland.

Text 3

Scotland

 

PLACES

The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. It’s a historic city with a castle. There’s a popular cultural festival in Edinburgh every summer.

Thousands of people travel to Loch Ness every year. It’s a big lake and people believe that a monster lives in the loch (Scottish word for ‘lake’)

CLOTHES

Scots often wear kilts. A kilt is a woolen skirt with a checked pattern called ‘tartan’. Men and women wear kilts. Each clan (Scottish word for ‘a family or tribe’) has its own special tartan. Men wear a leather money bag called ‘a sporran’ with the kilt.

FAMOUS SCOTS

Robert Burns was a famous Scottish poet born on the 25th of January 1759. Every year on Burns’ birthday people have parties, eat haggis, drink whisky, dance to bagpipe music and read his poems.

MUSIC

The bagpipes are the traditional musical instrument of Scotland.

FOOD

On special occasions Scottish people eat haggis. It’s lamb, heart, liver and animal fat boiled inside a sheep’s stomach.

TRADITIONS

Hogmanay is the name for the Scottish celebration of New Year’s Eve. People go ‘first footing’ - they visit a neighbour’s house after midnight and give the neighbour a piece of coal, some bread, some salt, and a coin for good luck.

Test yourself

Task 4. How well do you know the United States of America?

1. What is the population of the United States?

a) 100 million people

b) 250 million people

2. Where is the United States?

a) Northern hemisphere

b) Southern hemisphere

c) Eastern hemisphere

d) Just east of Hawaii

3. The United States is a ______________.

a) continent

b) country

c) territory

d) big island

4. Name two countries that border on the United States.

a) Canada and New Mexico

b) Cuba and Puerto Rica

c) Mexico and Canada

d) Mexico and Yukon

5. The United States was founded in ____________.

a) 1987

b) 1483

c) 1650

d) 1787

6. On which continent is the United States?

a) South America

b) Paelantic Plate

c) North America

d) America

7. Which ocean is on the west coast of the United States?

a) The Atlantic Ocean

b) The Pacific Ocean

c) The Gulf Ocean

d) The Indian Ocean

8. How many states are there in the United States?

a) 51

b) 48

c) 50

d) 52

9. Where does the President of the United States live and work?

a) In Congress

b) In the White House

c) In the Pentagon

d) In Downing Street

10. Which is the biggest state in the USA?

a) Texas

b) California

c) Alaska

d) Iowa

Part 6

Customs of the World

Task 1. Read the following texts and write a short report on the topic “Customs around the world”.

Text 1