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UNIT 1. GEOGRAPHY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Text 1. This Is Britain

Great Britain is the country on the British Isles - two large and many smaller islands which lie to the north - west of the continent of Europe between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. The English Channel, or La Manche, separates Great Britain from France.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the full official name of the country, but it also has some other names – people often say “Britain” , “the United Kingdom”, or just “UK” or “GB”.

The United Kingdom consists of four different parts: England (the largest part), Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Everyone from Britain is British, but only people from England are English. People from Scotland are Scottish, or Scots, people from Wales are Welsh, and people from Northern Ireland are Irish. The Celts, forefathers of today’s Scots, Welsh, and Irish, lived on the British Isles long before Anglo-Saxons (forefathers of the English) came in the 5th - 6th centuries. So don’t call a Scottish or Welsh person “English” if you want to become his (or her) friend!

Altogether over 57 million people live in Britain, and all of them speak English. But those who live in different parts of the country do not speak this language in the same way. Even a person from the north of England does not always understand a Londoner. And when a Welsh man speaks, everyone knows at once where he has come from! Besides, in Scotland and Wales and in some parts of Northern Ireland people still speak their older languages as well. Scottish, Welsh, and Irish (or Gaelic) are those ancient Celtic languages which have survived. The Welsh are especially proud of their language, and you will see road signs in Welsh all over Wales.

аncient - древний

Anglo-Saxon – (ист.) - англосакс

the British IslesБританские острова

Celtкельт; Celtic - кельтский

the English Channel, La Manche – Английский канал (пролив Ла-Манш)

forefather - предок

Gaelic[`geilik] – гэльский (язык)

to separate from – oтделять от

to surviveвыживать, сохраняться

Answer these questions:

1.Where do the British Isles lie?

2.What separates Great Britain from France?

3.What is the official name of Great Britain and what other names of the country do you know?

4.What parts does Great Britain consist of?

5.Is there any difference between the words “British” and “English”?

6.Who were the forefathers of today’s British people?

7.Do all British people speak English the same way?

8.What do Scottish, Welsh and Irish (Gaelic) languages represent (представляют собой)?

Text 2. North, South, East, West

Britain is only a small country, but every part is different. Scotland is a land of mountains, lakes and romantic castles. The winters are cold, with plenty of snow, but the summers are often warm and sunny. Most farmers keep sheep, and there are many small factories which make fine sweaters from their wool. In some parts of Scotland there are very few people. Deer live in the hills, and the rivers are full of salmon. But Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and Glasgow, its most important port, are both large and busy, with all that is good and bad in modern cities.

There have been many political and religious conflicts in Northern Ireland, and the country still has some problems, but it has beauty too. In the warm wet climate the grass grows brilliant green, and much of the land is farming country. Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is a large industrial city with many fine buildings and a big port from which ships go to Scotland and England. But the city has had many difficult years and now it is not as busy as it was in the old days.

In the north of England there are many old industrial towns. In the1980s – 1990s a lot of factories closed there, and thousands of people lost their jobs. For example, there is no shipbuilding in Newcastle now. Some people have moved to the new towns which appeared in the 1960s and 1970s, where the industries are more modern. Outside the towns, much of this part of England is beautiful countryside, with green hills, lakes and sandy beaches. Fishing is an important industry in the North East, and every night, except Sunday, fishing boats go out to sea.

The centre of England (the Midlands) is also an important industrial area, especially near the huge cities of Coventry and Birmingham, the centre of the car industry. But everywhere, even in the heart of a modern city, there are buildings from an older Britain – cathedrals, castles, and ancient houses.

Wales is a special place, a country of high mountains and pretty valleys. But Wales has plenty of industry too, with many factories and coal mines. The people of Wales are very musical. Every year they have a festival of Welsh music and poetry – an “Eisteddfod” [ais`teðvəd]. Cardiff is the capital of Wales.

The west of England is rich farming country. It produces milk, cream, butter, cheese (especially Cheddar cheese, Britain’s favourite) and apples which go to make cider, a popular drink. In the villages, country people often grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers.

Some areas of Britain are very crowded. Around Manchester, in north west England, and Glasgow in Scotland, are large city areas of houses and factories. The south east of England, too, has many towns and cities, including London, the giant capital of England and all Great Britain.

But quite near London there are still some quiet villages and peaceful farms.

Britain is on islands, and that is why you are never far from the sea. Some of the coast, especially in the west, is wild and rocky, with small sandy beaches, and romantic old harbours. Other parts are industrial: the east coast of Scotland, for example, is busy with oil rigs and fishing boats. The most popular beaches are near the many holiday towns on the south coast , where the weather is usually warmer, and in the Isle of Wight – a popular summer resort where there are also yacht clubs and places for rock and pop concerts. It is here that Londoners come to relax.

_____________________________________________________________________________

castle - замок

cathedral [kə`θi:drəl]- собор

cider [`saidə]сидр

coal mine – угольная шахта

coast - побережье

crowded - переполненный, густонаселенный

deerолень, олени (мн. ч. без изменения)

harbourбухта, гавань, залив

includingвключая, в том числе

Isle of Wight [`ailəv`wait]- остров Уайт (у южного побережья Англии)

political and religious conflictsполитические и религиозные конфликты

rigздесь: буровая вышка

rocky - скалистый (rockcкала)

salmonлосось

summer resort – летний курорт

Answer these questions:

1.What kind of land is Scotland?

2.What does the Scottish climate look like?

3.What do Scottish farmers and small factories do?

4.Which cities are the largest and most important in Scotland?

5.Why does Northern Ireland have some problems?

6.Describe Northern Ireland’s countryside.

7.What city is the capital of Northern Ireland and what does it represent?

8.What economic problems did the north of England have in the 1980s – 1990s?

9.Where is fishing an important industry?

10.What is the Midlands famous for?

11.What are the two most important cities in the Midlands?

12.Is Wales an industrial part of Britain?

13.What city is the capital of Wales?

14.What is “Eisteddfod” ?

15.What foodstuffs does the west of England produce?

16.Which areas of Britain are extremely crowded?

17.What is the east coast of Scotland busy with?

18.What do you know about the Isle of Wight?

UNIT 2. LONDON

Text 1. London.

London is the capital of the UK, its economic, political and cultural centre. It is also one of the world’s largest cities: London with its suburbs has a population of about 11 million people.

London has been a capital city for nearly a thousand years. Many of its ancient buildings still stand. The most famous of them are the Tower of London, the former prison (now it’s a popular museum where the Crown jewels are kept ), Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral . But most visitors also want to see the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace (the Queen’s home with its ceremony of Changing of the guards ) and many magnificent museums.

The ancient Romans founded Londinium, a small fortress, on the north bank of the river Thames, when they were conquering Britain and fighting British Celts (Britons). Slowly that town grew into one of the world’s major cities. Places now in the heart of London , like Westminster, once stood in the middle of green fields. Many small villages, like Hampstead, Chelsea, and Mayfair, became parts of London, but they still keep some of their old atmosphere.

Different areas of London seem like different cities. The West End is a rich man’s world of shops, offices and theatres. The East End is the old working people’s district. This part of London, especially the old port area (Docklands) has now changed greatly: there are new office buildings there, and thousands of new flats and houses.

At the end of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th century, when the British Empire was flourishing, the Thames was full of ships which sailed to and from Java, Japan, New Zealand and New York. Now the port is nearly empty because people prefer to travel by air. London’s main airport, Heathrow, is one of the busiest in the world.

The City (the area where Londinium stood many centuries before) is now the business centre of London. It is the district of banks and offices; the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England are here, too.

By the day, the whole of London is busy. At night, offices are quiet and empty, but the West End stays alive, because this is where Londoners come to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses there, several concert halls, many cinemas and theatres. In nearby Soho (“the district of entertainment”, so to say) the pubs, restaurants and night cubs are busy half the night.

Like all big cities, London has noisy streets and concrete buildings, but it also has many big parks, full of trees, flowers and grass. In the middle of Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens you will think that you are in the country, miles away. Many people live outside the centre of London in the suburbs, and they travel to work (to their shops, offices etc.) by train, bus or underground (“The Tube”). _____________________________________________________________________________

British Empire – Британская (колониальная) империя

Britons – бритты, древние британцы

Buckingham Palace – Букингемский дворец

Changing of the guards – смена караула

to conquer [`kפּŋkә] - завоевывать

to flourish [`flΛri∫] - процветать

former – бывший, прежний; former prisonбывшая тюрьма

Hyde ParkГайд-парк; Kensington GardensКенсингтонские сады (два самых больших парка в Лондоне)

Javaостров Ява

Royal ExchangeКоролевская биржа

St. Paul’s Cathedral – собор святого Павла

Tower of London – Тауэр

Westminster Abbey - Вестминстерское аббатство

where the Crown jewels are keptгде хранятся драгоценности (британской) короны

Answer these questions:

1.How many people live in London and its suburbs?

2.What are the most famous historical buildings of London?

3.Who lives in the Buckingham Palace? What ceremony can people see in front of it?

4.Who founded London and how did they call it?

5.What did places like Hampstead and Chelsea represent before they became parts of London?

6.What kind of district is the West End?

7.How has the East End changed?

8.What did the Thames look like at the end of the 19th century?

9.Why is the port of London nearly empty now?

10.What is Heathrow?

11.What district is the business centre of London? Which of its banks and offices are the most important?

12.Why does the West End stay alive at night?

13.What is Soho famous for?

14.Are there any places in the centre of London which look like countryside?

15.How do people who live in the suburbs get to their working places in the centre of London?

Text 2. Life in London.

Since the 1960s London has changed greatly. New buildings have grown up in different districts, and the old ones have come down. Poor areas like the East End have become fashionable and people with more money have moved into them.

Working hours in London are from 9 am to 5 pm. From 8 until 10 every morning, and from 4.30 to 6.30 every evening, the trains are crowded. Some people come far out of London, even from the coast, and spend up to 4 hours every day on their way to and from work. Many people do not go to work by car because there is too much traffic everywhere. After the morning “rush hour” the shoppers come.

Many people think that London is all grey, but it’s wrong. In fact, red is London’s favourite colour. The buses are red, the letter boxes are red, and the mail vans are bright, bright red.

London is at its best when people are celebrating. Then the flags, the soldiers’ uniforms, the cheering crowds of people and the carriages and horses all sparkle in the sunshine – if it isn’t raining, of course!

carriageздесь: экипаж (для парадных выездов)

cheering - веселящийся

fashionable – модный (fashion - мода)

mail van – почтовый фургон

rush hour” - «час пик»

Answer these questions:

1.How has London changed since the 1960s?

2.When are working hours in London?

3.When are the morning and the evening “rush hours”?

4.What colour is London’s favourite?

5.What can you see in the streets of London when people are celebrating?

Supplementary Texts

1.Meals in London.

British restaurants are not, unfortunately, famous for any very delicious food. Too often, they offer only fish and chips, sausages and chips – chips with everything, in fact! But there are some wonderful surprises in British cooking, especially many delicious cakes and desserts (for example, different sorts of ice-cream), and the British certainly enjoy their food.

There is a fantastic variety of restaurants of all nationalities in London. Most British families

Only go to restaurants on special occasions like birthdays or wedding anniversaries. The restaurants’ best customers are businessmen, who meet in them to talk business in a relaxed atmosphere away from the telephone. They can eat what they like because the company pays the bill! A young man and a girl often go out to a restaurant if they want to know each other better. After all, it is easy to talk in a quiet atmosphere, with soft music, wine and good food.

Visitors to London may go to a restaurant just for fun. If you want to have a traditional English meal, try Rules, in the West End. The décor and menu are just as they were in Queen Victoria’s days, a hundred years ago. Or take a walk down the King’s Road to Chelsea where there are dozens of small restaurants.

But if you want that special London feeling, go to the Ritz in Piccadilly for tea any afternoon at about half past 4. Too expensive? Then try England’s favourite food – fish and chips. Take it away and eat it where you like – in the park, on the bus, or just in the street. That’s what Londoners do!

Rules, Ritzназвания лондонских ресторанов

varietyздесь: разнообразие

special occasions - особые случаи

2.Shopping in London.

London has many large department stores which sell everything: shoes and shirts, paper and perfume, fur coats and frying pans. The most expensive department store is Harrods in Knightsbridge. You can buy almost everything there, and you know that you are getting the best. Twice a year, in January and July, Harrods has a sale. Some things are almost half price, and there are thousands of bargains. On the first day of the sale some people stand in the queue and wait all night so that they can be the first in the shop when it opens.

But the shops in Knightsbridge are too expensive, and the majority of people come to Oxford Street, London’s most popular shopping centre. Most of the hundreds of shops there sell clothes or footwear. The street is more than a mile long. There are several big department stores in Oxford Street, for example, Selfridges, John Lewis, D.H. Evans.

King’s Road in Chelsea is the place where young Londoners buy their clothes in the many small “boutiques” where things are not very expensive, but fashionable.

You can buy what you like in big shops, but small markets offer many different things too.

There are a few big and many small street markets in London. Some markets open only one day a week. Go to the Portobello Road on Saturday, or to Petticoat Lane on Sunday. Covent Garden market is open every day. Come here for antiques, hand-made jewellery, old clothes and many other special things.

аntiques [æn`ti:ks] - антикварные вещи, антиквариат

bargain – [`bα:gin] – торговая сделка

boutique [bu: `tik] – «бутик», маленький магазинчик

Covent GardenКовент-Гарден (площадь в Лондоне, где находится Королевский оперный театр, а раньше также располагался большой цветочный рынок)

fashionable – модный (fashion - мода)

hand-made jewellery [`dзu(:)əlri] – ювелирные изделия ручной работы

D.H. Evans, Harrods, John Lewis, Selfridges – названия универмагов

Kings Road, Knightsbridge (дословно – «Рыцарский мост»), Petticoat Lane (шутливое название, дословно – «Переулок нижних юбок»),Portobello Roadназвания лондонских улиц.

sale – распродажа

UNIT 3. EDINBURGH

Text. Edinburgh

Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital, and one of the most beautiful cities in Britain. The heart of Edinburgh is the thousand-year-old castle, where the kings of Scotland lived for centuries.

From the walls of Edinburgh castle you can see for miles, north over the beautiful old streets and squares to the “Firth” – a bay which looks like an arm of the sea that pushes inland. Far away are the mountains of Central Scotland, often with snow “caps”.

Edinburgh has a busy cultural life. Every year, in September, the international festival takes place. Musicians, actors and singers come from all over the world and thousand of visitors fill the city. In the evening, the opera house, the theatres and the concert halls are full. Even in cafes and pubs small music groups or travelling troupes of actors (“fringe theatres”) sing, act and read poetry.

The castle is at its best in Festival time. Every night there is a magnificent military “Tattoo” (parade). Highland soldiers wear kilts (special skirts for men), play bagpipes, and march to the music.

Tartans, the patterns of the kilts, have an interesting history. Since the 15th century, each Scottish family, or сlan, has worn its own tartan as a kind of badge. It was a useful way of recognizing people, especially in times of war. Many tartans date only from the 19th century, but some of the old patterns still exist. “Dress” tartans, which people wear only on special occasions, have light, bright colours. “Hunting” tartans are usually green, blue or brown. Royal Stewart, the personal tartan of the Queen, is red with white and green stripes.

Some world-famous British writers ( for example, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson) were really born in Scotland and wrote many books on Scottish life and history. Thanks to those books, the family names of some Scottish clans (Hamilton, Gordon, McGregor, Campbell and others) became well-known in other countries.

_____________________________________________________________________________

an arm of the sea that pushes inland – (метафор.) рука моря, которая проникает внутрь суши

badgeзначок, эмблема

bagpipeволынка

fringe theatrecтранствующая труппа актеров

Highlandсобирательное название горных районов Шотландии (на севере и северо-западе)

tartanклетчатый узор, клетчатая шерстяная ткань

thanks to – здесь: благодаря

way of recognizing – способ узнавать

Answer these questions:

1.What is the heart of Edinburgh?

2.What is the “Firth”?

3.When does an international festival take place in Edinburgh?

4.What happens in the city during the festival days?

5.What do Scottish soldiers do when a “Tattoo” takes place?

6.What do you know about tartans and their history?

7.Whose tartan is Royal Stewart and what does it look like?

8.What famous British writers were born in Scotland ?

UNIT 4. THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

Text 1. Parliament and the Prime Minister

The British method of government has developed very slowly over hundreds of years. This is perhaps why it can be rather difficult to understand. For example, the Queen is the Head of State, but in fact she has no real power.

Parliament is the real government of Britain. It has two “Houses”, or chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Lords are aristocrats, bishops, lawyers and retired politicians. The British people do not elect (choose) the members of the House of Lords. The majority of the Lords are members of the old aristocracy who have inherited their places in Parliament from their parents or other relatives. But there are also some persons whom the Queen has appointed because of their merits. They are “life peers”; that is their children cannot inherit their places in the House of Lords. The 1203 Lords have very little power now, but they can suggest new laws and change or delay the laws that the House of Commons wants to pass.

The House of Commons make laws, agrees on policy, and decides what taxes people must pay.

The British people elect the 651 members of the House of Commons (whom they call MPs, that is Members of Parliament) every 5 years. There are 524 MPs from England, 72 MPs from Scotland, 38 MPs from Wales and 17 MPs from Northern Ireland in the House of Commons.

In each area there are usually 2 or 3 main political parties to choose from. The party who gets most members into the House of Commons makes the new government.

The Prime Minister is the leader of the winning party. Only party members (not all British people) choose their leader. The Prime Minister chooses the members of the Cabinet – ministers. Each minister has a special job to do, for example, education, or health, or transport.

Now there are two most important political parties in Britain: the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. Traditionally the Conservative Party was a party of “big business” and aristocracy, and the Labour Party defended the interests of working class people and trade unions (for example, made education and medical service free and raised taxes for the rich), but now there is very little difference between the two parties.

to appoint – назначать

bishop - епископ

chamberздесь: палата (в парламенте)

Conservative Party – Консервативная партия

to defend the interests – защищать интересы

to delay - задерживать

House of Commons – палата общин

House of Lords – палата лордов

to inherit [in`herit] – наследовать, унаследовать

Labour Party – Лейбористская партия

life peer«пожизненный пэр» (член палаты лордов, место которого не наследуется)

merit – заслуга

Prime Minister – премьер-министр

retired [ri`taiəd] – отставной, в отставке

to suggest [sə`dзеst] - предлагать

trade union – профсоюз

Answer these questions:

1.What is the real government of Britain?

2.How many chambers are there in the British Parliament?

3.How do people get their places in the House of Lords?

4.What can the Lords do?

5.What do the members of the House of Commons do?

6.How many members are there in the House of Commons and what parts of Britain are they from?

7.How often do British people elect their MPs?

8.What does a political party have to do to be able to make the new government?

9.Who becomes Prime Minister and who chooses him?

10.Who chooses ministers and what do they do?

11.What are the most important political parties in Britain?

12.What is the difference between the two most important political parties?

Text 2. The Queen and the Royal Family

In Britain, the Queen is the Head of State. She is also the formal head of all the judges and of the Church of England, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the army and the navy. Her face is on all British bank notes, coins and postage stamps.

The Queen formally opens Parliament every autumn with a speech that politicians write for her. Any bill becomes a law only after the Queen signs it. But this procedure is also formal: she never refuses to sign the bill which Parliament has passed.

All these Queen’s roles are rather symbolic; her real function is ceremonial. She represents Britain and the Commonwealth (the union of former British colonies - Canada, Australia, New Zealand and some other countries) in visits to different parts of the world. Since Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952 she and her husband, and other members of her family (especially Prince Charles, Princes Anne and Princess Margaret) have travelled abroad many times as rather special ambassadors to other countries. And of course, they often travel about the UK, meet people, visit schools and hospitals, and go to important local events.

The British enjoy reading about the Royal Family in newspapers and seeing its members on TV. To some people they are like film or pop stars, interesting just because they are rich and famous. Other people feel that the Queen is a symbol of British long history and national traditions which are above politics and Prime Ministers.

аmbassador [æm`bæsədə] - посол

billздесь: билль, законопроект

Commander-in-Chiefглавнокомандующий

CommonwealthСодружество (политическое объединение бывших британских колоний)

Church of Englandанглийская (англиканская) протестантская церковь

Answer these questions:

1.What are the Queen’s symbolic roles?

2.How does the Queen formally open the Parliament?

3.What is the real function of the Queen?

4.What countries - members of the Commonwealth do you know?

5.Has Elizabeth II travelled abroad by herself or with any other members of her family?

6.What do the members of the Royal Family do when they travel about Great Britain?

7.Why are British people interested in the life of the Royal Family?

UNIT 5. GEOGRAPHY OF THE U.S.A.

Text 1. This Is The U.S.A.

The United States of America – the richest and the fourth biggest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China) – has several names. People say “the United States”, “the States”, “America’, or just “the USA” or “the US”.

There are 50 states in the USA (with Hawaii) and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where Washington, the capital of the country, is situated. About 270 million people live in the USA.

There is no “American climate” or “American countryside” because every part of the country is different, from Alaska in the north, which is covered with ice and snow, to tropical Florida in the south.

The American Indians were the first people to live in that land. They had a fascinating ancient culture, and a rich tradition of languages and customs. When Christopher Columbus discovered that part of the world in 1492, there were probably about 1 500 000 Indians in North America. But then the colonization of the New World (as America was called then) began, and the immigrants came. By the beginning of the 19th century, the population of the States was more than 17 million. Most arrived from Europe, but there were also many from the Middle East and the Far East, as well as millions of black Africans, whom slave traders had brought and sold to American planters.

Immigration went on growing. By 1914, the population was already 92 million. At the beginning of 1990s there were more than 25 million British Americans (nearly half the population of Britain), about 23 million African Americans, 25 million German Americans and more Irish Americans than the whole population of Ireland.

_____________________________________________________________________

Far East – Дальний Восток

fascinating [`fæsineitiŋ] – очаровательный, завораживающий, (очень) интересный

to go on growingпродолжать расти (возрастать)

Middle EastБлижний и Средний Восток

planterздесь: плантатор

slave trader – работорговец; slave trade – работорговля.

Answer these questions:

1.Is the USA the biggest country in the world?

2.How many names has the United States of America? What are they?

3.How many states are there in the USA?

4.What does the District of Columbia represent?

5.How many people live in the USA?

6.Why can’t we characterize “American climate” and “American countryside”?

7.Who were the first people to live in America?

8.Who discovered America and when did it happen?

9.What parts of the world did immigrants come to North America from?

10.How did black Africans get to America?

11.How many people of different nationalities were there in the USA at the beginning of 1990s?

Text 2. North, South, East, West

You can find almost anything in America. There are mountains and deserts, old churches and spaceships, homes with three or more cars and homes with no electric lights at all. There are people who speak Italian, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese – in fact, every language under the sun.

Do you like wild empty lands? Then go and see the great deserts of Nevada and Arizona, the high Rocky Mountains, and the miles of snow and ice in arctic Alaska, the former Russian territory.

Are you more interested in city life? Then you’ll prefer the North East Coast, where 75% of Americans live on 1,5% of the land. You can drive from Boston through New York to Washington and you will be in a town all the time. The three great cities of the East Coast, Boston in the north, New York in the middle and Washington in the south, are the most important centres of American culture, education and government. Boston is a city full of history and old world charm. Near it is Harvard, America’s oldest university. New York, full of life and colours, also has wonderful museums, art galleries and concert halls. Washington, of course, is the capital city, where the President of the USA lives in the famous White House.

Perhaps you prefer a more peaceful, agricultural landscape? Then go to the Mid-West, to Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin. There the huge farmlands are covered with wheat. The fields go on and on as far as the eye can see. Out in the country, small towns are meeting places for the farmers – each town has a church, a few shops, and a hotel for visitors. But there are huge cities in the Mid-West as well. Chicago and Detroit, near the Great Lakes, are the industrial centres of America. Millions of people live and work here. They make steel, cars, TV sets and everything Americans love to buy.

Everyone knows about the great cattle ranches of Texas, but not all American cattle farmers are big landowners. Some live on small farms, which a family can manage with no extra help.

If you like warm, sunny weather and an exciting atmosphere where new ideas are always welcome, California on the West Coast is the place for you. In this perfect climate oranges, peaches and grapes grow easily, and on the wonderful beaches giant waves roll in from the Pacific Ocean (that is why it is a perfect place for surfing). Near Los Angeles (L.A.), California’s largest city, is Hollywood, where film stars, past and present, have their homes. A visit to the film studios here is something you will always remember. San Francisco (or “Frisco”) is the city where many of the legendary American rock stars of the 1960es began their musical career.

Is California not hot enough for you? Go to the deep South, to Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, where old paddle boats still go down the great wide river. Life is different here, quieter, slower, more old-fashioned. But at the beginning of the 20th century here, in New Orleans, traditional music of black Americans (jazz and blues) first filled the streets and cafes and became popular and then travelled to Europe and all over the world. In the cotton fields of the South it is difficult to believe that the cities of the North East and the mountains of the North West are all parts of the same huge country.

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Alabama – Алабама (штат США)

Arizona [,æri`zounə] – Apизона (штат США)

cattle ranchскотоводческое ранчо; cattle - скот

desert [`dezət] – пустыня

Great LakesВеликие озера (5 озер на северо-востоке США, на границе с Канадой)

IndianaИндиана (штат США)

landownerземлевладелец

landscapeпейзаж

Louisiana [,luizi`ænə] – Луизиана (штат США)

Mid-WestМид-Уэст (Средний Запад – сельскохозяйственные районы в центральной части США)

NevadaНевада (штат США)

Ohio [ou`haiou] – Oгайо (штат США)

Pacific Ocean – Тихий океан

paddle boat – колесный пароход

peach – персик

Rocky Mountains – Скалистые горы

surfingсерфинг (вид спорта: от surf - прибой, буруны)

where new ideas are always welcomeгде новые идеи всегда приветствуются

Wisconsin [wis`kפּnsin]- Bисконсин (штат США)

Answer these questions:

1.Why do people say that you can find almost anything in America?

2.What languages are spoken in the USA?

3.In what part of the country can you find wild empty lands?

4.Where are the greatest urban (городские) areas of the USA situated?

5.What are the most important cities of the East Coast?

6.What is Boston famous for?

7.What does New York look like?

8.What kind of city is Washington?

9.What are the best known agricultural states? Where are they situated?

10.What kind of landscape can you find there?

11.What cities are the biggest in this part of the USA? Where are they situated?

12.Where can you find the greatest cattle ranches?

13.What advantage (преимущество) has a small farm?

14.Why do many people want to visit California?

15.What kind of sport are Californian beaches good for? Why?

15.What city is the largest in California?

16.What do you know about Hollywood?

17.What is San Francisco known for?

18.Do you know the names of any states of the deep South?

19.Is life in the deep South the same as in California?

20.What kind of music first appeared in the deep South and when did it become popular?

UNIT 6. WASHINGTON.

Text. Washington.

Washington has been the capital of the USA since 1800. The city was named after George Washington, the first President of the country, but not by him personally. George Washington called it simply “the Federal City”, and his name was given to the capital only after his death.

The city of Washington is wonderful for tourists because there are so many famous and historical places to see.

The best known building is the White House, home of American Presidents since 1800. The President works here, in the “Oval Office”, but the White House is also a family home. The wife of John Adams, the first President to live here, used to dry her wet clothes in the East Room. The notorious President Truman, with whose name the “cold war” and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are associated, had a piano next to his desk. President Kennedy’s children used to play under his office windows.

Next on the tourist’s list is the Capitol, the palace of US Congress (parliament). It is the highest building in the city: no building must be higher than the Capitol. The 535 members of Congress meet here to discuss the nation’s business. It is easy to get lost in this huge palace, full of paintings and statues.

From the Capitol there is a magnificent view down the grassy Mall, and across a pool of water to the Lincoln Memorial. It looks like a beautiful walk, but in fact you need a good pair of shoes because it is a long, long way.

The Lincoln Memorial is something like an ancient Greek temple with Doric columns and a huge statue of Abraham Lincoln in the middle.

Most people know about the government buildings of Washington, but there are also some important museums. You can see many interesting things there: the dresses of Presidents’ wives, the original Declaration of Independence, the largest blue diamond in the world, and the biggest elephant on record (stuffed, of course!).

Washington is smaller in size than many other American cities (such as New York, Chicago or Los Angeles), and it is not so ancient as capital cities of many European and Asian countries (such as London, Paris, Madrid, Moscow, Baghdad оr Tokyo), but Americans have every reason to be proud of their beautiful capital.

bombingбомбардировка

Declaration of IndependenceДекларация независимости (документ, провозгласивший независимость американских колоний от британской короны)

Doric column [`dפּrik `kפּləm] – (архитект.) дорическая колонна

to have every reason – иметь все основания

Hiroshima [hi`rפּ:∫mα:], [hirә`∫imα:] – Хиросима (город в Японии)

Mallаллея, усаженная деревьями (в Вашингтоне – название аллеи, ведущей от Капитолия к мемориалу Линкольна)

NagasakiНагасаки (город в Японии)

notorious [no(u)`tפּ:riәs] – пользующийся дурной славой, печально известный

on recordофициально зарегистрированный

stuffed elephant – чучело слона

temple – храм

Answer these questions:

1.When did Washington become the capital of the USA?

2.How did George Washington call the city?

3.What is the best known building in Washington? Is it only a President’s office?

4.Who was the first President to live in this house?

5.What was President Truman notorious for?

6.Where did President Kennedy’s children use to play?

7.What is the highest building in Washington?

8.What happens inside this building?

9.What do you know about Abraham Lincoln?

10.What does the Lincoln Memorial represent?

11.What can you see in the city’s museums?

12.Is Washington the largest city in the USA?

UNIT 7. NEW YORK CITY.

Text. New York.

Everyone knows something about New York – the Statue of Liberty, the skyscrapers, the beautiful shops on Fifth Avenue, and the many theatres on Broadway. This is America’s cultural capital, and its biggest city, with a population of nearly eight million. In the summer it is hot here, and in the winter it can be very cold, but there are hundreds of things to do and see all the year round.

There are 5 boroughs in New York: Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Richmond. Only one of them, the Bronx, is not on an island.

Manhattan, the smallest island in New York, is the real centre of the city. When people say “New York City” they usually mean Manhattan. Most of the interesting shops, buildings and museums are here, and Manhattan is the scene of New York’s busy night life.

In 1609 Henry Hudson, an English captain, discovered Manhattan. In 1626 Peter Minuit, the leader of the Dutch colonists who had built their houses there, bought the island from the American Indians for a few glass necklaces which cost about $26 today.

Only 1 500 000 people live in Manhattan, but more than 5 million people work here every day. Many of them live in the suburbs and come to work by subway.

Wall Street in Manhattan is the financial heart of the USA and the most important banking centre in the world. It is a street of “skyscrapers”, those incredibly high buildings which Americans invented, and built faster and higher than anyone else. They are very spectacular, especially when the sun sets and all the floors of these towers shine like pure gold. The two buildings of the New York World Trade Center were destroyed by terrorists on the 11th of September, 2001.

Like every big city, New York has its own traffic system. Traffic jams can be terrible and it’s usually quicker to go by subway. The New York subway is easy to use and it is rather cheap. The subway goes to almost every corner of Manhattan. But be careful: New York is full of criminals and it’s better not to go by subway late at night.

You see more, of course, if you go by bus. New York buses are also easy to use. There are special buses for tourists which stop at some best known shops (“Shoppers’ Shuttle”, from Monday to Friday) and tourist places (“Culture Loops”, on Saturdays and Sundays). You can get on and off as many times as you like in one day with only one ticket.

There are more than 30 000 taxis in New York. They are easy to see, because they are bright yellow and carry large TAXI signs. Taxis do not go outside the city, but they will go to the airports. People give a taxi driver a “tip” of 15% extra.

If you really have to drive in New York, remember that nearly all the east-west streets and most of the north-south streets are one-way only. Try to get a map that shows the direction of the traffic, and – good luck!

borough [`bΛrə] – paйон города (в Нью-Йорке)

the BronxБронкс (район Нью-Йорка)

Brooklyn [`bru:klin] – Бруклин (самый большой и густонаселенный район Нью-Йорка)

«Culture Loops» (буквально: «Культурные петли»), «ShoppersShuttle» (буквально: «Поезд для покупателей») – названия туристических автобусных маршрутов

QueensКвинс (район Нью-Йорка)

RichmondРичмонд (район Нью-Йорка)

spectacular [spek`tækjulə] – эффектный, импозантный

tip«чаевые» (доплата к основной сумме платежа за услугу)

Answer these questions:

1.What are the best known tourist places in New York?

2.What is the weather in New York like in the summer and winter?

3.How many boroughs are there in New York? What are they?

4.What borough is not on an island?

5.What is the real centre of the city?

6.How many people live and work in Manhattan?

7.What is Manhattan famous for?

8.Who discovered Manhattan and when did it happen?

9.When did the Europeans buy Manhattan? Where did they come from?

10.How do those people who live in the suburbs usually come to work?

11.What street is the financial heart of the USA?

12.Who invented skyscrapers?

13.Is the New York World Trade Center an important tourist place now? Why/Why not?

14.Why is it usually quicker to go around the city by subway than by car?

15.Is it a good idea to go by subway late at night? Why/ Why not?

15.Why are the taxis in New York very easy to see?

16.Do the taxis go outside the city?

17.How much money do people usually give a taxi driver as a “tip”?

18.What must a visitor remember if he or she wants to drive in New York?

Supplementary Texts