Part II

I. Words and word combinations to be remembered:

a highland – плоскогорье, нагорье

a plain – равнина

а rapid – речной порог

a typhoon – тайфун

the highest peak – высшая точка

Declaration of independence – Декларация независимости

the gold rush – золотая лихорадка

the most densily populated city – самый густонаселенный город

the latest trend – последнее достижение

scientific investigations – научные исследования

location – нахождение, размещение

a centre of outdoor recreation – центр развлечений на открытом воздухе

countless tourists – многочисленные туристы

rubber trees – каучуковые деревья

to beautify the city throughout the year – украшать город каждый год

the most famous city for gambling – самый известный азартными играми город

neon lights – неоновые огни

to cost half the price – стоить половину цены

to have meals for very little money – недорого пообедать

to make money from gambling casinos – зарабатывать деньги за счет азартных игр в казино

a famous gangster –известный гангстер, бандит

to murder – убивать, совершать убийство

to be murdered – быть убитым

to make somebody and something famous – сделать кого-либо и что-либо знаменитым

to gamble – играть в азартные игры

to watch atomic bomb tests – наблюдать за испытаниями атомной бомбы

dangerous – опасный

to be famous for- быть известным

many famous movie stars were married in Las Vegas – много известных звезд поженились в Лас Вегасе

a church – церковь

to have a chance of having a heart attack – иметь возможность получить сердечный приступ

II. Read and translate the text Glimpses of Geography

The United States of America occupy a large territory. The USA is situated in the central and southern part of Northern America. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east and by the Pacific Ocean in the west. It stretches from Canada in the north to Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Gulf of California in the South.

In size, the USA (the area is over nine million square kilometers) is the fourth among the nations after Russia, Canada and China. It has military bases all over the world.

The USA is divided into three areas:

Eastern area – a highland, where the Appalachian Mountains are situated, Central area – a plain, and Western area which is mountainous and includes the Cordilleras and the Rocky Mountains. The highest peak of the Cordilleras in the USA is 4,418 metres high. The Appalachian Mountains are very old. The Rocky Mountains are considered to be young.

The north – eastern part of the USA is the region of the Five Great lakes (Lake Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario) which are connected by channels cut by rapids. The greatest of these rapids is the Niagara Falls. The St. Lawrence River joins the water of the five lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. In the west of the USA there is another lake called the Great Salt Lake.

The main rivers of the USA are Mississippi (it is the second largest river in the world after the Nile); the Missouri, the Yukon, the Colorado, the Columbia, the St. Lawrence, and the Hudson.

The population of the USA is 291.049.000 people .

Climate. The USA is a very large country, so it has several different climate zones. The coldest regions are in the north and north-east, where much snow falls in winter. 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 region around the Great Lakes is known for its changeable weather. In general, the climate in the North America is much colder than in Europe.

The American Flag. The thirteen-star, thirteen-stripe national flag of the United States of America was adopted on June 14, 1771. There was one star and one stripe for every State in the new country. Gradually, as new states were added to the Union, a new star was added to the national flag. There are now fifty stars on the American flag, one for each state.

The thirteen stripes represent the original thirteen states. June 14 is Flag Day in the USA.

The official language of the country is English.

The capital of the country is Washington. The population is 4.923.153 people. It was named in honour of the first President, George Washington. US Capitol is the tallest building in Washington, DC., and the most famous building in the USA, because this is where the laws are made.

Cities and their sightseeings. New York is the largest city in the United States its population is 18.300.000 people. It is situated at the mouth of the Hudson River. Today, New York is a major world capital, and the world leader in finance, the arts, and communications. The city is also the center of advertising, fashion, publishing, and radio broadcasting in the United States. It is famous for its sky-scrapers.

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the country, its population is 12.000.000 people. “Hollywood” is the name of a Los Angeles district which appeared in 1910. One of the greatest events in Hollywood is the annual presentation of Oscar. Soviet films “War and Peace” and “Moscow does not believe in tears” have been awarded Oscars by the American Cinema Academy.

Disneyland, the huge amusement park Disney created in 1955 in California, has been a major tourist attraction since it first opened.

Wherever American movies are shown, the name “Disney” still draws the crowds.

Los Angeles is an important centre of modern industries.

Chicago is the centre of the Midwest, it is situated on the Lake Michigan. The population of the city is 8.272.768 people. It is the country’s greatest railway centre, where thirty eight railroads meet. The city has been named the nations bread basket, it is the nation’s leading market place for the assembling, processing and distribution of the products of American farms. Chicago is famous for its beaches.

Philadelphia (6.188.463 people) is situated in the east of the USA. It was the first capital of the USA from 1790 till 1800.

Many people consider that Philadelphia is an important political centre of the USA. The U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1787 in Philadelphia. It was the first written constitution in the world. Philadelphia is a seaport and a shipping centre of the country, it is an important manufacturing centre.

Liberty Bell is a symbol of freedom. The sound of this Bell told the people about the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in July, 1776. Philadelphia Museum of Art, College of Art, Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Fine Arts are cultural sights of the city. Philadelphia is very beautiful, there are many sky-scrapers in it.

San Francisco was founded in 1776 and its rapid development is closely connected with the gold rush of 1848 in California. 7.039.362 people live in San Francisco now. It is one of the largest industrial and cultural cities in America, the major international airport and seaport on the westen coast of the country. San Francisco is famous for its bridges. The symbol of the city is the Golden Gate Bridge.

The inhabitants of the city and its guests can visit boating and swimming clubs, wonderful golf courses, a yacht harbor.

Boston is full of historical events, it is one of the oldest cities of the colonists struggle for independence in the United States.

The population of the city is 3.406.829 people. Several departments of the famous Harvard University are located in the suburbs of Boston. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the largest purely scientific and technical school in the country.

The New England Conservatory of Music is the largest in the U.S. As a musical centre Boston rivals New York.