THE USA. Geographical position

Упражнение 1. Read the text.

New words: border on, gulf, consist of, separate.

The United States of America is also called the USA, US, United States or sometimes America. The USA is in the central part of North America. It borders on Canada and Mexico. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, by the Pacific Ocean and by the Gulf of Mexico. The capital of the USA is Washington.

The territory of the USA consists of three separate parts

1. the USA proper

2. Alaska

3. The Hawaii.

The area of the country is about 9,400,000 km2. Its population is about 324 million people. The US is the 4th largest country in the world by land area and 3rd by population.

The USA is a country of mountains, valleys and deserts. The highest mountains are the Appalachian Mountains, the Cordilleras, the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. The tallest mountain the US is Mt McKinley, located in the state of Alaska

The Great Lakes are in the north-east of the country. They are Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan. The largest rivers of the USA are the Mississippi and the Missouri.

The most populated city in the US is New York City, followed by Los Angeles and Chicago.

Упражнение 2. Do a crossword.

                                                              DOWN

1. The longest river in the USA.

2. One of the largest city in the USA.

3. The USA borders on it in the South.

4.The USA borders on it in the North.

ACROSS

3. The highest mountain in the USA.

5. The ___________ of the country is about 324 million people.

6. The ___________ of the country is about 9,400,000 km2.

7. The most northern state of the USA.

Упражнение 3. Answer the questions.

1. What is the capital of the USA?

2. Which are the highest mountain ranges?

3. Where are the Great Lakes situated?

4. Which are the largest rivers?

5. The most populated city in the US is NYC, isn’t it?

THE USA. States and symbols

Упражнение 4. Read the text. Find the 5 largest states on MAP 1. What are their capital cities?

The USA is a federal republic. It consists of 50 states. The five biggest states are: Alaska, Texas, California, Montana and New Mexico. The capital city – Washington – is situated in a special district — the District of Columbia.

One of the national symbols of the country is the flag. It is also called STARS AND STRIPES. There are 50 stars on the flag – one for each state. There are also 13 stripes. The 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies of the US.

The national bird of the USA is the Bald Eagle. The National mammal is the bison – just like in Belarus. The national flower is the rose like in England, and the national tree is an oak.

Упражнение 5. Study the infographics. Answer the questions:

1. How is the national US flag called?

2. What do the 50 stars on the flag stand for?

3. What do the 13 stripes stand for?

4. What does the USA have in common with Belarus and with England?

5. What is the national tree of the USA?

6. What is the national bird of the USA?

Раздел 1. Страноведение. Англоязычные страны.

Тема 8. Столица США

Washington

Washington, the capital of the United States of America, is situated on the Potomac River in the District of Columbia. The district is a piece of land ten miles square and it does not belong to any separate state but to all the states. The district is named in honour of Columbus, the discoverer of America. The capital owes much to the first President of the USA -George Washington. It was G. Washington, who chose the place for the District and laid in 1790 the corner-stone of the Capitol, where Congress sits.

Washington is not the largest city in the USA. It has a population of 900 000 people. Washington is a one-industry town. That industry is government. It does not produce anything except very much scrap paper. Every day 25 railway cars leave Washington loaded with scrap paper.

Washington has many historical places. The largest and tallest among the buildings is the Capitol with its great House of Representatives and the Senate chamber. There are no skyscrapers in Washington because no other building must be taller than the Capitol. The White House is the President's residence. All American presidents except George Washington (the White House was not yet built in his time), have lived in the White House. It was built in 1799. It is a two-storied, white building.

Not far from the Capitol is the Washington Monument, which looks like a very big pencil. It rises 160 metres and is hollow inside. A special lift brings visitors to the top in 70 seconds from where they can enjoy a wonderful view of the whole city.

The Jefferson Memorial was built in memory of the third President of the USA, Thomas Jefferson, who was also the author of the Declaration of Independence. The memorial is surrounded by cherry-trees. The Lincoln Memorial devoted to the memory of the 16th President of the US, the author of the Emancipation Proclamation, which gave freedom to Negro slaves in America.

On the other bank of the Potomac lies the Arlington National Cemetery where President Kennedy was buried. American soldiers and officers, who died in World Wars I and II are buried there too.

Вашингтон

Вашингтон, столица Соединенных Штатов Америки, рас­положен на реке Потомак в округе Колумбия. Округ Ко­лумбия - это кусочек земли площадью десять квадратных миль, который не принадлежит отдельному штату, но всем одновременно. Округ назван в честь Колумба, перво­открывателя Америки. Столица многим обязана первому президенту США -Джорджу Вашингтону. Именно Дж. Вашингтон выбрал место для округа и заложил в 1790 г. краеугольный камень Капитолия, места заседания конгресса США.

Вашингтон не самый большой город в США. Он имеет население в 900 тысяч жителей. Вашингтон - город одного вида промышленности. Эта промышленность - правительство. Оно не производит ни­чего, кроме большого количества макулатуры. Каждый день из Вашингтона отбывают 25 железнодорожных вагонов, наполненных макулатурой.

В Вашингтоне много исторических мест. Капитолий с его большой палатой представителей и сенатом - самое большое и высокое из всех зданий. В Вашингтоне нет небоскребов, потому что здесь ни одно здание не должно быть выше, чем Капитолий. Белый дом - резиденция президента. В Белом доме жили все американские президенты, кроме Джорджа Вашингтона (в его время Белый дом еще не был построен). Он был построен в 1799 г. Это двухэтажное здание белого цвета.

Недалеко от Капитолия расположен памятник Вашингтону, который похож на большой карандаш. Это полый изнутри памятник, возвышающийся на 160 м. За 70 секунд на специальном лифте посетители поднимаются на верхушку монумента, откуда они могут полюбоваться красивым видом города.

Мемориал Джефферсона был воздвигнут в память тре­тьего президента США - Томаса Джефферсона, который был также автором Декларации независимости. Вокруг мемориала растут вишневые деревья. Мемориал Линкольна посвящен памяти шестнадцатого президента Соединенных Штатов, автора Провозглашения освобождения, которое дало свободу неграм-рабам Америки.

На другом берегу реки Потомак находится Арлингтонское национальное кладбище, где похоронен президент Кеннеди. Здесь также похоронены американские солдаты и офицеры, погибшие в I и II мировых войнах.

Questions:

1. What city is the capital of the USA?
2. Where is Washington situated?
3. To which state does the city of Washington belong?
4. In whose honour is the district of Columbia named?
5. Who was the first President of the USA?
6. Who chose the place for the District?
7. Is Washington the largest city in the USA?
8. What is the population of Washington?
9. What industries are situated in the city?
10. What do 25 railway cars leave Washington loaded with?
11. Why are there no sky-scrapers in Washington?
12. Where is the President's residence?
13. When was the White House built?
14. In whose memory was the Jefferson Memorial built?
15. Who is the author of the Declaration of Independence?
16. Which document gave freedom to Negro slaves in America?

17. Who was buried at the Arlington National Cemetery?
                                                           

Vocabulary:

-separate - отдельный
-to be named in honour - быть названным в честь
-except - кроме, за исключением
-scrap paper - макулатура
-hollow - полый, пустой
-to enjoy a wonderful view of - любоваться прекрасным видом
-cherry-trees - вишневые деревья
-on the other bank - на другом берегу