Climate and weather in Great Britain

The climate in Great Britain is mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream.

The British often say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." The weather in Britain is very changeable. A fine morning can change into a wet afternoon and evening. And a nasty morning can change to a fine afternoon. That's why it is natural for the British to use the comparison "as changeable as the weather" of a person who often changes his mood or opinion about something.

The British 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 weather is the favorite conversational topic in England. When two Englishmen meet, their first words will be "How do you do?" or "How are you?" And after the reply "Very well, thank you; how are you?" the next remark is almost certain to be about the weather. When they go abroad the

British often surprise people of other nationalities by this tendency to talk about the weather, a topic of conversation that other people do not find so interesting.

The best time of the year in Britain is spring (of course, it rains in spring too).

The two worst months in Britain are January and February. They are cold, damp and unpleasant. The best place in the world then is at home by the big fire.

Summer months are rather cold and there can be a lot of rainy days. So most people who look forward to summer holidays, plan to go abroad for the summer — to France, Spain or some other place on the Continent.

The most unpleasant aspect of British weather is fog and smog. This is extremely bad in big cities and especially in London.

The fog spreads everywhere, it is in the streets and it creeps into the houses. Cars move along slowly, but still street accidents are frequent in the fog. People cannot see each other. They creep along the houses touching them with their hands not to lose their way or not to be run over by a car.

 

Vocabulary

due to - благодаря, вследствие

changeable - изменчивый, неустойчивый

nasty - мерзкий, противный

comparison - сравнение

mood - настроение

remark - замечание

to go abroad - поехать за границу

tendency - тенденция

damp - влажный, сырой

fire - камин

to look forward to - с нетерпением ждать

aspect - аспект, сторона

fog - туман

smog (smoke + fog) - смог

extremely - чрезвычайно

to spread - распространять(ся), расстилать(ся)

to creep - ползти, красться

accident - несчастный случай

frequent - частый

to lose way - заблудиться

to be run over by a car - попасть под машину

Exercise 9. Answer the following questions:

1. Why is the climate in Britain mild?

2. The weather in Britain is very changeable, isn't it?

3. What comparison do the British use when they want to describe a person whose mood and opinion changes very often?

4. How often does it rain in Britain?

5. The weather is the favorite conversational topic in England, isn't it? Do you find this topic of conversation interesting?

6. What is the best time of the year in Britain?

7. When do the British prefer to stay at home by the big fire?

8. How do the British spend their short British summer?

9. What do you know about London fogs?

10. What kind of weather do you like best of all?

11. Where do you get the weather forecast (прогноз погоды) from? Do you always believe it?

12. Which do you like better: when it's cold or hot?

13. What is the weather like today?

14. Do you know the weather forecast for tomorrow?

15. What is the weather like in Russia in winter (summer, autumn, spring)?

Lesson 6.The USA / США.

Exercise 1: Read and translate the text, learn the active vocabulary:

The USA

The USA is the third largest country in the world in population and it is the fourth largest country in area.

The USA, commonly called the US or simply America, lies in the central part of the North American continent with the Atlantic Ocean to the East, the Pacific to the West, Canada to the North and Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico to the South. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The USA covers an area of 3,618,780 square miles and has a population of more than 349,6 mln. Some parts of the country are crowded with people, while other areas are deserted.

The USA is so big that parts of it are in different time zones. The clocks go back one hour for each zone you cross going west. So when it is 9 a.m. in New York, it is only 6 a.m. in Los Angeles.

The USA has several different climatic regions. The coldest regions are in the north and north-east. The south has a subtropical climate. The climate of Alaska is arctic; the climate of the central part is continental. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico often brings typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast. Humidity is higher in the East than in the West. West coast winters are mild and rainy except in southern California, where they are mild but drier. In central and eastern regions the weather is very changeable in winter. It may rain in the morning and snow in the evening when the north wind begins blowing. Summer temperatures also vary from region to region. In many places in southern Arizona and California the average daily temperature is above 40 degrees Centigrade. Summers are very hot and humid on the eastern coast; they are dry and hot in most continental areas and cool along the western coast.

There are many valleys, hills and mountains in the country. The highest and the most important mountains are the Rockies in the west and the Appalachian Mountains in the east, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska.

The United States is a land of rivers and lakes. The northern state of Minnesota is the land of 1000 lakes. The longest rivers in the USA are the Mississippi with its tributories the Missouri and the Ohio, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and the deepest in the USA. They are the Ontario, the Superior, the Erie, the Huron and the Michigan.

Grassland and scrub dominate the western part of the country, forest covers the eastern part.

The United States is rich in natural and mineral resources: coal, oil, iron ore, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, salt, gas, etc. It is a highly-developed industrial and agricultural coun­try. Farmers grow wheat, oats, cotton, tobacco, all kinds of ve­getables and fruit. The USA holds the leading position in the production of aircraft, ships, automobiles, machine-tools, farm and household machinery, electronic devices, textiles, armaments, furniture, paper industries and other goods.

The largest cities of the USA are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, and others. The national capital is Washington, D.C.

The USA is divided into 50 states and the District of Colum­bia, (the territory under the capital Washington), the seat of the national government.

It is important to recognize that political power in the United States can be viewed as consisting of three levels, each of them having executive, legislative and judicial branches.

First of all there is the Federal government which is located in Washington D.C. and consists of the President and the Congress and the Federal Court. These bodies create Federal legislation. Federal government is structured by the U.S.A. constitution ado­pted in 1787. According to this Constitution the legislative power belongs to the Congress which consists of the Senate and the Ho­use of Representatives. The Senate is composed of 100 members, two from each state who are elected for a term of six years. One thi­rd of the Senate is elected every two years.

The House of Representatives comprises 435 members elected for a two year term. The number of Representatives from each sta­te is determined by population, but every state must have at le­ast one Representative in the House. Both the Senators and Repre­sentatives must be residents of the state from which they are cho­sen. The presiding officer of the Senate is the Vice President. The House of Representatives is headed by the Speaker.

The work of preparing and considering legislation is done by Committees of both Houses of the Congress. There are 15 standing Committees in the Senate and 19 in the House of Representatives. The Congress assembles at least once a year.

The President may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses or either of them. The executive power belongs to the President of' the USA, he holds his office during the term of four years, together with the Vice President nominated with the President. The President is also the head of Cabinet - the executive body of the Government. The Cabinet is composed of the heads of the ten executive departments - the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Treasury, the Secretary of Defence and others.

The judicial branch of the Government is headed by the Suprene Court which settles disputes between states. The Supreme Court may veto any law passed by the Congress if it contradicts the Constitution of the USA.

The second level of government in the USA lies within the 50 states. Each state differs in terms of their legislature and the executive power which is held by the Governor of the state. Each state also has its own judicial system and has its own con­stitution. In addition each state has its own law enforcement agency such as the police.

The third level consists of the government of cities and towns and also the government of counties.

As the example of this tripartite division there are federal taxes, state taxes and local taxes in the USA. Also reflecting the three divisions there are elections in the US at the Federal level (for President and members of Congress), at the state level (for state officers) and at the local level there are elections for local officials (town, city and county) and sometimes voting for or against issues that affect the community.

Elections in the US are based primarily on a two-party system: Democrats and Republicans. From time to time other parties have appeared but rarely have they had a permanent influence in the political system.

The US national flag - Stars and Stripes - is red, white and blue. Thirteen stripes represent the original 13 states of the USA the 50 stars represent the current number of states.

Vocabulary

valley – долина

tributory – приток реки

grassland – пастбище, сенокосное угодье

scrub – кустарник

oats – овёс

the legislative power – законодательная власть

the executive power – исполнительная власть

the judicial power – судебная власть

the Senate – Сенат

the House of Representatives – Палата Представителей

the presiding officer – председатель

standing committees – постоянные комитеты

to convene – созывать, собирать

to nominate – выставлять, предлагать кандидата на должность

to vote for (against) smth. (smb.) – голосовать за или против

to assemble – собираться

to vest – облекать властью, наделять правом

to veto a law – наложить вето на закон

to impeach the President – подвергнуть Президента импичменту

to settle a dispute between the states – решать спор между штатами

to contradict – противоречить

bill – законопроект, билль

a Justice – Судья

tripartite division – тройственное деление

Secretary of State – Государственный Секретарь

Secretary of Treasury – Министр Финансов

Secretary of Defence – Министр Обороны

 

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions:

1. Where is the United States of America situated?

2. What is the territory and population of the country?

3. What climatic zones are there in the USA?

4. What mountains in the USA do you know?

5. Why is the USA called a land of rivers and lakes?

6. What natural and mineral resources is the USA rich in?

7. How can you characterize the economy of the USA?

8. What are the largest cities of the USA?

9. How many states does the USA include?

10. How many branches are there in the government of the USA? Name them.

11. What does the Federal Government consist of? Where is it situated?

12. When was the USA Constitution adopted?

13. What is the legislative branch of the US government?

14. What do you know about the Senate and the House of Representatives?

15. Whom does the executive power belong to in the USA?

16. For how long is the President elected?

17. What is the “Cabinet”?

18. Does each state have its own legislative, executive power and judicial system?

19. What is the judicial branch and what is its job?

20. What does the US national flag represent?

 

Exercise 3. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases:

The fourth largest country in area; are crowded with people; in different time zones; hot winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico; the climate along the Pacific coast; west coast winters; mild and rainy except in southern California; very changeable in winter; to vary from region to region; the average daily temperature; cool along the western coast; on the border with Canada; the largest and the deepest in the USA; grassland and scrub; covers the eastern part; rich in natural and mineral resources; a highly-developed industrial and agricultural coun­try; to grow wheat, oats, cotton, tobacco, all kinds of ve­getables and fruit; to hold the leading position in the production of aircraft; household machinery; the armaments, furniture, paper industries and other goods; the seat of the national government; it is important to recognize; consisting of three levels; executive, legislative and judicial branches; to consist of the President and the Congress and the Federal Court; to create Federal legislation; to belong to the Congress which consists of the Senate and the Ho­use of Representatives; to comprise 435 members elected for a two year term; to have at le­ast one Representative in the House; the presiding officer of the Senate; the work of preparing and considering legislation; to assemble at least once a year; on extraordinary occasions; to convene both Houses or either of them; the executive body of the Government; the heads of the ten executive departments; to settle disputes between states; to veto any law passed by the Congress; law enforcement agency such as the police; the government of counties; as the example of the tripartite division; based primarily on a two-party system; from time to time; a permanent influence in the political system; to represent the current number of states.

 

Exercise 4. Read and translate the sentences into Russian. Comment on the use of Tenses and Voices:

1. Washington was built in the late eighteenth century especially as the center of the Government.

2. The USA became the world leading country at the beginning of the twentieth century.

3. Across the middle of the USA lies the prairie – a vast, flat, dry and windy area known as the Great Plains.

4. If you want to go from San Francisco to New York by train, you will ride more than three thousand miles.

5. Since 1872 the system of national parks has grown steadily.

6. Where Americans live and where they are moving also reveals how America has changed and is changing.

7. From its very beginning as a nation, the “population center of gravity” has been moving westwards.

8. The USA borders on Canada in the North and on Mexico in the South and has a sea-border with Russia.

9. By the beginning of the 18^th century most of the lands on the Potomac had been taken up and peopled by some of the most aristocratic families of the South.

10. The President is elected every four years and cannot serve more than two terms.

11. The legislative power of the US is vested in the Congress of the USA.

12. The Congress was created by Article I of the Constitution, adopted in 1787.

13. A Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.

14. The Justices are appointed for life.

15. A senator must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the United States for nine years and live in the state she or he will represent.

16. A Representative must be at least 25 years old, a citizen for seven years and live in the state.

17. The President can veto a bill.

18. The House of Representatives can impeach the President.

19. The President must live in the USA for at least 14 years and be a civilian.

20. The Supreme Court may veto any law passed by the Congress if it contradicts the Constitution of the USA.

21. A Declaration of Independence said that Americans should be free from Britain.

22. The President must do his job according to the Constitution, or he may be impeached.

23. When the President receives a bill from the Congress, he must sign it and then bill becomes a law.

24. In Philadelphia, you can touch Liberty Bell, which was rung after the Declaration of Independence was read.

 

 

Exercise 5. Insert the missing words from the text:

1. The USA lies in the … part of the North American continent with the Atlantic Ocean to the East.

2. Some parts of the country are crowded … people, while … areas are deserted.

3. … is higher in the East than in the West.

4. In central and eastern regions the weather is very … in winter.

5. Summers are very hot and humid on the … coast.

6. The political power in the United States can be viewed as consisting of three …, each of them having executive, … and judicial branches.

7. One thi­rd of the Senate is elected every … years.

8. The Senators and Repre­sentatives must be …of the state from which they are cho­sen.

9. The President holds his office during the term of …years, together with the Vice President.

10. The Suprene Court which settles disputes between ….

11. Each state differs in terms of their legislature and the executive power which is held by the … of the state.

12. … … each state has its own law enforcement agency such as the police.

 

Exercise 6. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. США расположены в центральной части Северной Америки и омываются Тихим и Атлантическим океанами.

2. Самые высокие горы в Америке: Скалистые Горы, Кордильеры и Сьера-Невада, крупнейшие реки: Миссисипи, Миссури, Рио-Гранде.

3. США – высокоразвитая промышленная и аграрная страна с богатыми природными ресурсами.

4. США богаты полезными ископаемыми: углём, медью, железной рудой и нефтью.

5. США состоит из 50 штатов и независимого округа Колумбия.

6. Самые крупные города США: Нью-Йорк, Чикаго, Лос-Анджелес, Филадельфия, Детройт, Хьюстон.

7. Чикаго – один из крупнейших промышленных центров США. В нём находятся штаб-квартиры многих американских промышленных корпораций.

8. Законодательная власть США, или Конгресс, состоит из Палаты Представителей и Сената.

9. Исполнительная власть состоит из президента, вице-президента и кабинета министров.

10. Исполнительная власть претворяет в жизнь законы.

11. Президент, глава высшей исполнительной власти, избирается на 4 года и назначает членов кабинета.

12. Президент подписывает закон и может наложить на него вето.

13. Вице-президент является президентом Сената, а выборный Спикер – председатель Палаты Представителей.

14. Верховный суд решает спорные вопросы между штатами и может наложить вето на закон, если он противоречит Конституции.

15. Правительство штата во главе с губернатором занимается местными вопросами.

 

Exercise 7. Read and translate the text about Washington:

Washington

Washington is the capital of the United States of America. It's situated in the District of Columbia and is like no other city in the USA. It's the world's largest one-industry city. And that industry is government. The White House, where the US President lives and works, the Capitol, the home of the US Congress, and the Supreme Court, are all in Washington.

Washington was named after the first US President George Washington.

He selected the place for the capital and Pierre L'Enfant, a French engineer, designed the city.

Washington was first settled in 1790 and since 1800 it has been the federal capital.

Washington is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the United States. In the very centre of it rises the huge dome of the Capitol — a big white dome standing on a circle of pillars. The 535 members of the Congress meet here to discuss the nation's affairs. It's easy to get lost in this huge building, full of paintings and statues.

Not far from the Capitol is the Library of Congress, the largest library in the States. It contains more than 13 million books, more than 19 million manuscripts, including the personal papers of the US presidents.

The White House is the official residence of the US President. He works in the Oval Office.

One can hardly find a park, a square or an open area in Washington without a monument or a memorial. The most impressive and the best-known ones are the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

There are some important museums in Washington where you can see all kinds of things: famous paintings and sculptures, the dresses of Presidents's wives, the original of the Declaration of Independence, the largest blue diamond in the world, etc.

There are 5 universities in Washington.

There are no skyscrapers in Washington, because they would hide the city's many monuments from view. No building in the city may be more than 40 metres tall.

Thousands of tourists visit Washington every day. People from all parts of the United States come to see their capital.

 

Vocabulary

the White House – Белый Дом (резиденция президента США)

the Capitol – Капитолий (здание конгресса США)

the Supreme Court – Верховный суд

Pierree L'Enfant - Пьер Ланфан

the Library of Congress – Библиотека конгресса

Oval Office – Овальный кабинет (рабочий кабинет президента США)

the Lincoln Memorial – памятник Линкольну

the Washington Monument – обелиск в честь Джорджа Вашингтона

the Declaration of Independence – Декларация независимости (принята

4 июля 1776 года вторым континентальным конгрессом в период войны за независимость Северной Америки (1775—1783); провозглашала Отделение колоний от метрополии и образование самостоятельного государства — США)

to design – проектировать

to settle – поселять, заселять

huge – огромный, колоссальный

dome – купол

circle – круг

pillar – столб, колонна

to get lost – заблудиться

to contain – содержать

manuscript – рукопись

personal papers – личные бумаги

official residence – официальная резиденция

diamond – алмаз, бриллиант

skyscraper – небоскреб

 

Exercise 7. Answer the following questions:

1. Where is Washington situated?

2. Is Washington a typical American city?

3. It's the world's largest one-industry city, isn't it? What kind of industry is it?

4. What important government buildings are situated in Washington?

5. Where does the US president live and work?

6. Who selected the place for the capital of the USA?

7. Is there a monument to George Washington in the city?

8. When was Washington first settled?

9. Who designed the capital of the USA?

10. What places of interest in Washington do you know?

11. How many universities are there in Washington?

12. Why aren't there any skyscrapers in Washington?

 

Lesson 7 Canada / Канада

I. Pronounce the following words correctly:

1. diversity [dai′v{:siti] – разнообразие, многообразие

2. encompass [in′k[mp{s] – окружать, обносить

3. terrain [′terein] – территория, район, местность

4. pristine [′pristain] – первобытный

5. vista [′vist{ ] – просека

6. archipelago [a:ki′peligou] – архипелаг, группа островов

7. scorching [′skO:t∫ig] – палящий, сжигающий, уничтожающий

8. giant ['dZai{nt] – громадный, гигантский

9. roster [′roust{] – список, реестр

10. bountiful [′bauntiful] – обильный

11. asbestos [æz′bestOs] – асбест, горный лен

12. molybdenum [mO′libdin{m] – молибден

13. potash [′pOtæ∫] – поташ, углекислый калий

 

II. Read the text

Welcome to Canada

Canada is a magnificent land. The second largest country in the world after Russia it has an area of nearly 10 000 000 square kilometers (3 860 000 square miles). It takes 4 days to travel across Canada by car or train. Canada is so large that there are 6 time zones. Within its borders lies a diversity of life, landscape and climate that few countries can rival.

Canada encompasses territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the high Arctic to the northern border of the continental USA. Although very much a “northern” country, the terrain and geography of Canada is very diverse. As well as the popular image of Canada as a country of pristine forests and showy vistas, there are also deserts and badlands, temperate rain forests and long wide beaches. Canada has huge inland lakes, seemingly eternal prairies and evergreen forests, woodlands and meadows.

The country may be divided into a number of physiographic regions. A large interior basin centered on the Hudson Bay and covering nearly four fifths of the country is composed of the Canadian (Laurentian) Shield, the interior plains and the Great lakes – St. lawrance Lowlands. Rimming the basin are several mostly highland regions, notably the Arctic Archipelago, including the Innuitian Mountains, the Appalachians in the southeast and the Western or Canadian Cordillera in the west.

Canada is a northern country, but its climate varies dramatically. Winters can be long and cold? Summers often scorching. Ocean currents to east and west moderate these extremes; the southwest coast of British Columbia is labeled Canada’s “banana belt” for its year-round temperate climate. The country is divided into 10 provinces and 2 national territories each with its own capital city (in brackets).

In the east the four Maritime (Atlantic) provinces are Newfoundland (St. John’s); Nova Scotia (Halifax); New Brunswick (Fredericton) and Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown). Two of these provinces are islands. Quebec (Quebec City) and Ontario (Toronto) are Canada’s two largest provinces. They are in central Canada. Most of Canada’s French speaking people live in Quebec. More then one third of all the people in Canada live in Ontario. The three prairie provinces of western Canada are Manitoba (Winnipeg), Saskatchewan (Regina) and Alberta (Edmonton). The prairie land rises in three prairie levels. The land of prairies is lower in the east and higher in the west near the Rocky Mountains. Canada’s Pacific province is British Columbia (Victoria). It begins in the Rocky Mountains and continues west to the Pacific Ocean.

From the land comes a variety of riches. Forests – from the giants of the British Columbia coast to the extensive pine and fir forests that blanket the north – are the basis of thriving pulp and paper and lumber industries. The prairie provinces provide wheat and a growing roster of other crops. A bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables is reaped from fertile farming districts across the country.

Under the earth’s surface is a storehouse of petroleum, natural gas, and minerals, its riches still uncounted. Canada is one of the world’s leading producers of nickel and zinc as well as silver, asbestos, uranium, molybdenum, potash and platinum.

Canada’s water resources are remarkable. Its lakes account for one half of the world’s fresh water, and oceans, lakes and rivers abound with a variety of life. Five of Canada’s rivers are among the world’s 40 largest. The St. Laurence River accounts for about two fifths of the country’s Atlantic runoff. The Mackenzie River provides about half of the Arctic runoff, while the Yukon and Fraser rivers together contribute almost 40 percent of the country’s discharge to the Pacific. The Nelson River is one of the several rivers supplying a sizable freshwater flow to the Hudson Bay. In additional to Lake Superior and lake Huron both of which are shared with the US, Canada’s Great Bear and Great Slave lakes are among the world’s 11 largest lakes. Highways of exploration for early settlement, complex river systems today transport the products of processing and manufacturing industries as well as provide hydroelectric power for domestic use and export.

Not least, the astonishing natural beauty of Canada – its mountains, lakes, plains, and the lure of its vast wilderness areas – attracts visitors from around the world.

III. Give Russian equivalents of the following expressions:

Diversity of life; to rival; seemingly eternal prairies; to be composed of; to moderate; extremes; to label; variety of riches; to blanket; a storehouse; to account for; sizable; domestic use; astonishing beauty.

IV. Find in the text synonyms of words:

Splendid; variety; large; to split up; significantly; moderate; wealth; to cover; considerable; surprising; deposits; manufactures; to be marked.