Vocabulary

powerful – мощный

highland region – возвышенность

lowland region – низменность

prairie – прерия

Valley – долина Answer the questions

1. Where is the USA situated?

2. How is the USA washed?

3. What is the total area of the USA?

4. What does the continental part of the USA consist of?

5. Where is the Mississippi valley situated?

6. What are the principle Rivers in the USA?

7. What is the climate in the USA?

8. Where is Washington situated?

II. Association game. Speak about what associations come to your mind when you hear:

• The USA

• American people

• American way of life

III. Read and translate the text “American symbols”

The American flag is often called “The Stars and Stripes”, it is also called “Old Glory”. It represents the growth of the nation. It has 13 horizontal stripes, 7 red and 6 white which stand for the original 13 states. In the top left hand corner there are 50 white stars on a blue background: one star for each state. The national anthem of the USA is “the Star Spangled Banner”. The words written during the Anglo- American war in 1812-1814 and set to the music of an old star. Every state has its own flag, its own emblem and has its own anthem too.

The eagle became the national emblem of the country in 1782. It has an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and arrows (a symbol of strength). You can see the eagle on the back of a dollar bill.

The Stature of Liberty is the symbol of American democracy. It stands on Liberty Island in New York. It is one of the first things people see when they arrive in New York by sea. This National Monument was a present from France to America in 1884 as a symbol of friendship. Liberty carries the torch of freedom in her right arm. In her left hand she is holding a tablet with the inscription “July, 4, 1776” – American Independence Day.

Vocabulary

to represent - представлять

background - фон

anthem - гимн

eagle - орел

olive branch – оливковая веточка

to arrive - прибывать

torch - факел

Answer the questions

1. How do people often call American flag?

2. What are the colors of the American flag?

3. How many stripes does the flag have?

4. What is the national emblem?

5. Where is the statue of Liberty placed?

6. What country did gift to the USA?

IV. Read the article about the Values Americans Live By

Most Americans would have а difficult time telling you, specifically, values which Americans live by. A foreign anthropologist could observe Americans and produce а list of common values, which would fit most Americans. The list of typically American values would stand in sharp contrast to the values of people in many other countries.

1. Personal Control over the Environment

Americans nо longer believe in the power of Fate. In the United States people consider that Man should control Nature, rather than the other way around. More specifically, people believe every single individual should have control over whatever in the environment might potentially affect him or her.