The united states of america

The United States of America is the 4^th largest country in the world after Russia, Canada and China. The country consists of 3 parts: the continental part is in the center of the North American continent. The outlying territories are Hawaii and Alaska. The total area of the United States is over 9 mln sq. km. The country borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-border with Russia.

The country is washed by 3 oceans: The Arctic, the Atlantic and the Pacific. The country has many lakes, including the Great Lakes and many rivers, the longest of which are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Columbia and others. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak, Mount McKinley, is in Alaska.

The climate conditions are rather various. The country is rich in natural and mineral resources: oil, gas, iron ore, coal and various metals.

The USA is a highly developed industrial and agricultural country. The main industrial branches are aircraft, rocket, automobile, electronics, radio engineering and others.

Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations. The country population is over 250 mln. The official language of the state is English. The national symbol of the USA is the national flag «Stars and Stripes*, having 50 white stars and 13 white and red stripes on its field, symbolizing the number of the original and present day states.

Officially the country comprises 50 states and 1 District of Columbia. The states differ in size, population and economic development. Each state has its own capital. The capital of the USA is Washington. It is situated in the District of Columbia on the banks of the Potomac River and is named after the 1^st US President - George Washington. There are many large cities in the country: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, Boston and some others.

The United States of America is a federal state, headed by the President. According to the US Constitution the powers of the Government are divided into 3 branches: legislative, executive and judicial.

The legislative power belongs to the Congress consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate represents the states while the House of Representatives — population. The executive power belongs to the President and his Administration (Vice-President and Cabinet of Ministers). The judicial power belongs to the Supreme Court and the system of federal courts.

There are several political parties in the USA. The largest of them are the Republican (symbolized by a donkey) and the Democratic (symbolized by an elephant).

Nowadays the USA is one of the leading powers of the world due to its economic, political and military influence.

Дополнительный словарь:

outlying areas внешние тер­ритории aircraft воздушное судно Appalachian Аппалачи Great Lakes Великие озера Rocky Mountains Скалис­тые горы Sierra Nevada Сьерра-Невада Cordillera Кордильеры climate conditions климати­ческие условия District of Columbia округ

Колумбия donkey осел elephant [elifsnt] слон frontier граница government правительство House of Representatives

палата представителей influence влияние leading ведущий legislative power законода­тельная власть

lowlands низины military военный named after названный в честь

original первоначальный peak возвышенность rich богатый Senate Сенат

stars and stripes звезды и

полосы Supreme Court Верховный

суд

to be located располагаться to be made up from быть со­ставленным, состоять из to belong принадлежать to border граничить to divide делить to head возглавлять to pass проходить через to represent представлять to symbolize символизиро­вать

4.8. Read and translate the following sentences and say whether they are right or wrong:

1. The USA is the largest English speaking country. (Yes, it's right.)

2. It occupies the whole North American continent. (No, it's wrong.)

3. The country borders on Russia, Canada and Mexico.

4. The US territory is over 9 mln. sq. km.

5. There are many lakes and rivers on the territory of the country.

6. The country climate is rather different.

7. The US is one of the highly developed industrial pow­ers of the world.

8. There are 2 official languages in the country - En­glish and French.

9. The national symbol of the USA is the donkey.

10. The capital of the USA is New York.

11. The head of the state is the President.

12. The legislative branch of the US Government is the Congress consisting of 2 chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

13. The President controls all the government branches.

(T*^ 4.9. Translate into English:

1. крупнейшая англоязычная страна

2. иметь морские границы

3. занимать центральную часть континента

4. омываться тремя океанами

5. страна рек и озер

6. различные климатические условия

7. богата различными минеральными ресурсами

8. высокоразвитая промышленная держава

9. разные расы и нации

10. официальный язык государства

11. звездно-полосатый флаг

12. назвать в честь первого президента страны

13. исполнительная / законодательная / судебная власть

14. Сенат / палата представителей

15. система федеральных судов,

16. вице-президент / кабинет министров

17. ведущая держава

Gj^ 4.10. Translate the following questions into English and answer them:

1. США — одна из крупнейших стран мира, не так ли?

2. Где расположена эта страна?

3. С кем граничат США?

4. Какова территория США?

5. Какими океанами омывается США?

6. Назовите столицу США. Где она расположена? В честь кого она названа?

7. В США много рек и озер? Какие из них вы знаете?

8. Являются ли США высокоразвитой промышленной державой?

9. Какие отрасли промышленности США основные?

10. Население США больше, чем население России?

11. Какие крупные города есть в США?

12. Сколько штатов в США?

13. Кому принадлежит законодательная / исполнитель­ная / судебная власть в США?

14. Кто является главой государства?

ФТЕХТ 4