Прочитайте диалог и дайте название:

Ann: Hi, Susie, haven't seen you for a long time! What have you been doing? Where have you been hiding?  

Susie: I've been working on my talk about Wales for the last week and spent many hours in the library.

Ann: Wales? What can be interesting about that part of Britain? No big cities, no interesting facts on the history of the country.

Susie: You are wrong. Wales has its own geography, culture, traditions and language.  

Ann: Is Welsh different from English?

Susie: Very much so. Even if your English is fluent you won't be able to understand Welsh.

Ann: Interesting. And what about cities? Let's look through the book.

Cardiff is a capital and an industrial city and has a castle, a cathedral, a university. There are other big towns in Wales too, Swansea and Newport among them.

Susie: The west coast, mid Wales and North Wales are wild and beautiful. 

Wales has high mountains, including Mount Snowdon, the second highest mountain in Britain.

Ann: I have always thought that Wales is a land of green fields, forests and farms. 

Susie: But it is also a land of mountains and valleys, streams and waterfalls. Sorry, Ann. I've got to run. See you later.

Ann: Bye.

 

Познакомьтесь еще с одной англо-говорящей страной:

 

Vocabulary:

to occupy – занимать                 origin – происхождение

to stretch – простираться                          according to – согласно

to border on – граничить с        powers – полномочия

coast – побережье                       branch – ветвь

copper – медь                                executive – исполнительный

oil – нефть                                      legislative – законодательный

iron ore – железная руда           the judicial – судебная власть

coal – каменный уголь               sea-border – морская граница

armament – вооружение           manufacturing – промышленный

the House of Representatives – Палата представителей

           

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 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 me 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, armaments, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, 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.

There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republican and the Democratic, though there's hardly any difference between their political lines.

 

10. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. Where is the USA situated? 2. What's the total area of the country? 3. What countries does the USA border on? 4. How many states does the USA consist of? 5. What is the capital of the country? 6. Can you name any other cities in the USA? 7. What is the population of the United States? 8. What mountains in the USA do you know? 9. What are the largest rivers? 10. What can you say about the climate of the country? 11. What does the USA produce? 12. According to the US Constitution the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches. What are they? 13. How many chambers does the Congress of the USA consist? 14. What are the main political parties in the USA? 15. Who is the US President now?

 

11. Прочитайте и переведите текст о Вашингтоне, столице США. Перечислите его достопримечательности:

 

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' 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.

 

12. Переведите диалоги на русский язык. Инсценируйте их в парах:

1. Elizabeth: Hi, Edward! I know you're going to England for your vacation.

Edward: Yes, I am, I've always wanted to go there. We shall visit England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Elizabeth: You think you will be able to see all these within a month?

Edward: I hope so.

Elizabeth: Only Americans would ever think of leaving a holiday like that. Now, we English like to take our time.

Edward: Since when? Remember that aunt of yours who came over and saw everything from the Empire State Building to Disneyland, and from the Grand Canyon to Niagara Falls in about ten days?

Elizabeth: She's an exception.

 

2. Betty: How long are you going to stay in London?

Bob: Three days. But I'd like to see the sights of London. What should I see first?

Betty: What are you interested in?

Bob: I'm interested in historical places.

Betty: Then you should see Parliament Square, Trafalgar Square, The Tower and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Bob: Do you think it is possible to see everything in such a short time?

Betty: Well, you might, if you don't stay long in one place.

Bob: No, I just want to take a glimpse and I hope I'll have a general idea of what London is.

 

3. John: Could you tell me what you think of New York?

Diana: Oh, yes, certainly. I love the atmosphere, the music in the streets, the noise, colours. But the architecture is worst I have ever seen.

John: You are from London, aren't you?

Diana: Yes, I am.

John: Is it your first visit to the US?

Diana: Oh, no, not at all.

John: Oh, I see. Can you tell me where you have been?

Diana: Well, I've been to Washington, New York, Boston and San Francisco.

John: How do you like it here?

Diana: Well, Washington is a great city. It's so different from New York. It is quieter, the air is fresh and I love the architecture. And it isn't so big as New York, though it's the capital.

 

UNIT 13. OUR COUNTRY

 

Vocabulary: