Vocabulary Notes:

1. the English Channel пролив Ла-Манш

2. the Hebrides Гебридские острова

3. the Orkneys Оркнейские острова

4. the Shetlands Шетлендские острова

Ex. 20. Read the text.

1. Say what you have learned from the text about the geographical position and the climate of the USA.

United States of America

The United States of America is situated in the central part of the North American continent. Its western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean and its eastern coast by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. In the north it borders on Canada and in the southwest on Mexico.

The total area of the USA is over 9 mln. square kilometers.

The continental part of the USA consists of two highland regions and two lowland regions. The highland regions are the Appalachian Mountains in the east, and the Cordillera in the west. The Appalachian Mountains run parallel to the Atlantic coast almost from the Gulf of Mexico into Canada. Their highest peak is 2,000 meters high. The Cordillera stretches along the Pacific coast with the Sierra Nevada in the south and the Rocky Mountains continuing into Canada and Alaska in the north. Their highest point in the USA is 4,540 meters in the Sierra Nevada.

Between the Cordillera and the Appalachian Mountains are the central lowlands, which are called the prairie, and the eastern lowlands called the Mississippi Valley.

To the north of the Mississippi Valley, on the border of Canada are the Great Lakes (Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario). The St. Lawrence River and the Erie Canal connect the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.

The principal rivers of the USA are the Mississippi, the longest river in the world (7,330 kilometers), which flows into the Gulf of Mexico, the Colorado and the Columbia, which flow into the Pacific Ocean, and the Hudson River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

The climate in the USA differs greatly from one part of the country to another. The coldest climate is in the north, where there is heavy snow in winter and the temperature may go down to 40 degrees below zero. The south has a subtropical climate with temperatures as high as 49 degrees in summer. Hot winds flowing from the Gulf of Mexico often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast. The heaviest rains in the country are in the Washington region and the climate in the Gulf of Mexico area is also very damp. The region around the Great Lakes is known for its changeable climate.

2. Retell the text.

Unit 3. Khabarovsk

Ex. 1. Read the following words and word-combinations:

1. settlement поселение

2. remote отдалённый

3. CIS (Commonwealth of СНГ (Содружество независимых Independent States) государств)

4. to sign подписывать

5. to obtain приобретать, получать

6. cargo груз

7. sister-city город-побратим

8. enterprise предприятие

9. joint venture совместное предприятие

10. joint stock company акционерное общество

11. advanced передовой

12. experience опыт (жизненный)

13. achievement достижение

14. considerable значительный, важный

15. to be engaged in быть занятым чем-либо

16. comprehensive всесторонний

17. treasury сокровищница

18. canvas холст, картина

19. outstanding выдающийся, знаменитый

20. display показ, выставка

21. picturesque живописный

Ex. 2. Read the word-combinations:

28 miles, 154 square miles, 2 million, 650 thousand, 6000 miles, 40 routes,

50 countries, 250 joint ventures, 80 schools and 15 universities;

the 19th century, the 13th battalion;

in 1858, in 1893, in 1916, in 1894, in 2010.

Ex. 3. Open the brackets. Use the Passive Voice if necessary.

1. The town (to found) by the soldiers of the 13th Siberian Battalion.

2. In 1893 the military post Khabarovka (to turn) into Khabarovsk.

3. The Transsiberian Railroad (to build) in 1916.

4. The Amur Shipping Company (to carry) cargo to many sea ports.

5. Russian businessmen (to interest) in foreign capital.

6. Unique nature (to attract) foreign investors.

7. The Museum of Regional Studies (to found) in 1894.

8. Khabarovsk (to situate) on the right bank of the Amur.

9. Specialists in different field of engineering and science (to train) in universities and academies.

10. Universities and academies (to train) specialists in the field of engineering, transport and education.

Ex. 4. Read the text.