THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The United States of America is another important English-speaking country. It consists of fifty different states and the District of Columbia joined together under one government.
The USA covers an area of almost 9400000 square kilometres and is twice as large as all the countries of Europe combined. It is placed in the middle of the North American continent and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west. Placed between two oceans, the USA has a free access to the trade routes of the world.
The USA is divided into three areas: Eastern area — a highland. Central area — a plain, and the Western area which is mountainous. The north-western part of the USA includes five lakes. The whole central plain constitutes the basin of the Mississippi River. The Mississippi is one of the longest rivers in the world.
On the whole the USA has a continental climate. It is at the same time one of the coldest and one of the hottest countries, one of the wettest and one on the driest.
The flag of the United States is called “Stars and Stripes”. The 50 stars represent the 50 states and the 13 stripes represent 13 original English colonies, which in 1776 became free and independent of England.
The USA is governed by Congress and by the President. Congress consists of the Senate (100 senators — 2 from each state) and the House of Representatives (435 Congressmen). The President, who is also the head of the government and the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces, is elected every four years.
The capital of the United States is Washington. It is situated on the Potomac River not far from the Atlantic coast. Washington is not a very large city. Such cities as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Detroit, New Orleans and some others are more larger.
The USA is one of the most developed country in the world. It is a country of great contrasts. There are a lot of unsolved problems in the country such as unemployment and inflation, but nevertheless it is one of the greatest countries in the world.
Words and expressions
1. area — РМПЭБДШ
2. free access — УЧПВПДОЩК ДПУФХР
3. trade routes — ФПТЗПЧЩЕ РХФЙ
4. highland — ЧЩУПЛПЗПТШЕ
5. plain — ТБЧОЙОБ
6. basin — ВБУУЕКО
7. stripe — РПМПУБ
8. commander-in-chief — ЗМБЧОПЛПНБОДХАЭЙК
9. armed forces — ЧППТХЦЕООЩЕ УЙМЩ
10. to elect — ЙЪВЙТБФШ
WASHINGTON
The capital of the United States of America was founded in 1791 in the District of Columbia. The capital received the name of Washington — after the name of the commander-in-chief of the American army in the War for Independence who became the first President of the United States. President Washington himself took an active part in choosing the place for the capital. He invited a famous French engineer, Pierre Charles L'Enfant. With a help and advice of Washington, he drew a plan of a city with straight streets running far into a great distance. It was something new in those days.
There is a law in Washington against building structures higher than the Capitol; therefore it represents a different appearance from New York with its sky-scrapers. The Capitol, where the Congress meets is a very high and beautiful building with white marble columns. It is in the very centre of the city. Four avenues radiate from the Capitol dividing the city into four parts. Not far from the Capitol is the Library of Congress. It holds five million books. Today Washington is a city which attracts a lot of tourists by its fashionable hotels, restaurants and sightseeing attractions as “Mount Vernon” the house of the first president George Washington, the Lincoln Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the White House and others. The White House, the residence of the president, is the oldest public structure in the capital and one of the most beautiful. Among the newer buildings one of the most imposing is the National Gallery of Art.
The city of Washington, with its long wide avenues, with shady trees on both sides, its low buildings and its crowds of government officials is very interesting and beautiful.
Words and expressions
1. independence — ОЕЪБЧЙУЙНПУФШ
2. to receive — РПМХЮБФШ
3. structure — ЪДБОЙЕ
4. sky-scraper — ОЕВПУЛТЕВ
5. marble — НТБНПТОЩК
6. to attract — РТЙЧМЕЛБФШ
7. tomb — НПЗЙМБ
8. imposing — ЧОХЫЙФЕМШОЩК
NEW YORK
New York is one of the largest cities in the world. Its population is over 11 million people. New York is an industrial and cultural centre of the country. Most business is centred in Manhattan Island. The whole area is very small, that's why the sky-scrapers were invented in New York and, especially, in Wall Street. Wall Street is a narrow street with big houses, but it is well known all over the world as the busiest street in the USA. People do business there. There are two more world-famous streets — Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Broadway is the centre of the theatres and night life. It is known as “The Great White Way” because of the electric signs which turn night into day.
It is the city that never goes to sleep. Buses and sub-way run all night. There are many drugstores and restaurants which never close their doors. There are cinemas with films that start at midnight. Fifth Avenue is the great shopping, hotel, and club avenue.
New York is the largest port in America. More than half the trade of the United States goes through this city.
There are many places of interest in New York. They are: the Statue of Liberty, the United Nations Building, Empire State Building, Columbia University, City Hall, New York Public Library and others. When you come to New York you see lots of cars, big and small, black and yellow, old and modem; you do not see any trees or flowers in the streets, but only cars. You'll see and hear advertisements everywhere. There is no getting away from them. Advertisements fill the newspapers and cover the walls, they are on menu-cards and match-boxes, they are shouted through loud speakers and shown in the cinemas.