1.1. Read and translate the text:

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). The USA (Fig. 1) is situated in the central part of the North American continent and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the North and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea border with Russia. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometres. The population of the USA is 286 million. Most of the population lives in towns and cities.

Fig. 1. The map of the USA

The United States of America was founded in 1776. The Constitution was adopted in 1787. The first President of the USA was George Washington¹. The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where Washington, D.C., the capital of the country, is situated.

The climate of the USA varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the North. The climate of Alaska is arctic; the climate of the central part is continental, and the South has subtropical climate. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast.

The United States is a land of rivers and lakes. The northern state of Minnesota is a land of 10,000 lakes. The longest rivers in the USA are the Mississippi, the Missouri and the Rio Grande. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and Sierra Nevada.

The USA is rich in natural and mineral resources. It produces copper, oil, iron ore and coal. It is a highly developed industrial and agricultural country. Among the most important industries are aircraft, cars, textile, radio and television sets, armaments, furniture and paper industries.

American farmers plant spring wheat on the cold western plains; raise corn, wheat and fine beef cattle in the Midwest. Florida and California are famous for their vegetables and fruits, and the northwestern states are known for apples, pears, berries and vegetables.

There are many large cities in the USA such as New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and others.

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

1.2. Topical Vocabulary

the United States of America = the United States = the USA = U.S. to be situated in to stretch from … to the Pacific Ocean to border on sea border total area to be founded to be adopted to be made up of the District of Columbia to vary greatly the Pacific coast the Rocky Mountains to be rich in something natural and mineral resources to produce smth. copper oil iron ore highly developed industrial and agricultural country manufacturing industries aircraft industry car industry textile industry armaments a farmer to plant spring wheat to raise corn plain beef cattle to be famous for smth. vegetables and fruits pears berries the world leading country 38) to be washed by

Соединенные Штаты Америки = Соединенные Штаты = США быть расположенным в протянуться от … до … Тихий океан граничить с морская граница общая площадь (территория) быть основанным быть принятым (о конституции, законе) состоять из округ Колумбия быть разнообразным побережье Тихого океана Cкалистые горы быть богатым чем-либо природные ресурсы и полезные ископаемые производить что-либо медь нефть железная руда страна с высокоразвитой промышленностью и сельским хозяйством отрасли обрабатывающей промышленности самолетостроение автомобильная промышленность текстильная промышленность вооружение фермер сеять яровая пшеница выращивать кукурузу равнина крупный рогатый скот мясной породы славиться чем-либо овощи и фрукты груши ягоды ведущая мировая держава омываться