The united states of america.
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Motto: "In God We Trust" (since1956) |
Common abbreviations of the United States of America include the United States, the U.S., and the U.S.A. Colloquial names for the country include America and the States. The term Americas, for the lands of the western hemisphere, was coined in the early sixteenth century after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer and cartographer. The United States of America lies in the central North America between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The USA is bordered by only two other countries, Canada to the north, and Mexico to the south.
The total area of the USA is over nine million square kilometers (9 631 420 km2). It is the fourth largest country in the world. As its name indicates, the USA is made up of 50 states, one federal district and 14 territories. Forty eight of these states are joined to one another. The other two states are Alaska in the northwest of the continent with Canada to its east, and the islands of Hawaii, occupying an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. U.S. territories, or insular areas, are scattered around the Caribbean and Pacific.
Most visitors to the USA are struck by four things about the country. These are its huge size, its great wealth, its contrasting landscapes and climates, and its variety of people. The individual states themselves are as big as many other countries. There is a five-hour time difference between New York City on the east cost and Los Angeles on the west coast.
300 million people live in the USA and it’s the 3rd largest country by population. The people of the USA are normally called Americans. The United States is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The Native Americans were mainly nomadic peoples. Since the Europeans started colonizing the country in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, many other immigrants have arrived. Nowadays, in New York about 60 different foreign-language newspapers are sold.
The nation was founded by thirteen colonies of Great Britain located along the Atlantic seaboard. Proclaiming themselves "states," they issued the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The seceding states defeated Britain in the American Revolutionary War. A federal convention adopted the current United States Constitution on September 17, 1787; its ratification the following year made the states part of a single republic. The Bill of Rights, comprising ten constitutional amendments, was ratified in 1791. In the nineteenth century, the United States acquired land from France, Spain, Mexico, and Russia, and annexed the Republic of Texas and the Republic of Hawaii. The American Civil War ended slavery in the United States and prevented a permanent split of the country. The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed its status as a military power. In 1945, the United States emerged from World War II as the first country with nuclear weapons and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The sole remaining superpower in the post–Cold War era, it is the dominant economic, political, cultural, and military force in the world.
The USA is the world's wealthiest country. The value of the goods its factories produce, the crops its farms grow and the services it provides are larger than those from Russia, Japan and West Germany combined. The United States has a capitalist mixed economy, which is fueled by abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity.
With its powerful armed forces, it is the world's only real military "superpower".
The USA is a federal constitutional republic. In the American federalist system, citizens are usually subject to three levels of government, federal, state, and local.
Task 4. Find in the text the Russian equivalents of the following words and word combinations:
was coined after, explorer, the USA is made up of 50 states, huge size, ethnically diverse nations, foreign-language newspapers, seaboard, seceding states, federal convention, single republic, to comprise amendments, nuclear weapons, the world’s wealthiest country, abundant natural resources, citizens are subject to.
Task 5. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following words and word combinations:
распространенные сокращения, земли западного полушария, как свидетельствует название, островные районы, контрастные ландшафты, кочующие народы, современная конституция, приобретать земли, присоединить, прекратить рабство, единственная оставшаяся сверхдержава, вооруженные силы.
Task 6. Find in the text synonyms to the following words:
more than, different, to consist of, island, guest, enormous, diversity, present, to begin, a lot of, situated, the richest, to manufacture, single.
Task 7. Find in the text antonyms to the following words:
similarity, east, late, rare, round, the smallest, the same, few, joining, settled, foreign, freedom, temporary, south, poor.
Task 8. Match the words from the right to their definitions from the left.
1. someone whose activity is making maps. 2. someone who travels through an unknown area to find out about it. 3. one of the areas with limited law-making powers that together make up a country controlled by a central government. 4. the process of entering another country in order to live there permanently. 5. a country or area that is under the political control of a more powerful country, usually one that is far away. 6. making a written agreement official by signing it. 7. a nation that has very great military and political power. |
colony superpower ratification immigration state explorer cartographer |
Task 9. Open the brackets and use the verbs in Passive.
Mind the following construction: TO BE + ADVERB + V3
1. The term Americas, for the lands of the western hemisphere, (coin) in the early 16th century after Amerigo Vespucci.
2. Many people think that America (discover) by Christopher Columbus in 1492 by accident when he was trying to find a new way to Asia by sailing west from Spain.
3. Most people now think that America first (visit) by Europeans about 500 years earlier, by the Norwegian Leif Ericsson in the late 10th century.
4. The USA (make up) of 50 states, one federal district and 14 territories.
5. US insular areas (scatter) around the Caribbean and Pacific.
6. The country (colonize) by the Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries.
7. The nation (found) by 13 colonies of Great Britain.
8. The current US Constitution (to adopt) in 1787.
9. Slavery (to end) by the American Civil War.
10. The US capitalist mixed economy (to fuel) by abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity.
Task 10. Agree or disagree to the following sentences explaining why:
1. The United States of America is the sole name of the country.
2. The USA is bordered by many countries.
3. It’s one of the largest countries in the world.
4. There is only one time zone on the territory of the USA.
5. Very few ethnically related nations populate the lands of the USA.
6. The nation was founded by Scandinavian invaders.
7. The current US Constitution is more than 200 years old.
8. US economy is weak.
9. The USA is a monarchy.
Task 11. Choose the right variant:
1. Common abbreviations of the United States of America include the following except:
a) U.S. b) U.S.A. c) USSR
2. The USA is washed by … and … Oceans.
a) Arctic b) Pacific c) Indian d) Atlantic
3. The national language is … .
a) German b) Spanish c) English
4. The population of the USA consists mostly of … .
a) Native Americans b) Britons c) immigrants
5. US natural resources are … .
a) poor b) abundant c) the wealthiest in the world
6. America acquired Alaska from … .
a) Canada b) Japan c) Russia
7. The USA is a … .
a) developing country b) superpower c) backward country
Task 12. Say what you have learnt about.
1. The name of the country.
2. It’s geographical position.
3. Four things that strike visitors to the USA.
4. The history of the nation’s foundation and declaration of independence.
5. The history of the US Constitution.
6. The way America extended it’s territories.
7. Why America is called superpower.
Task 13. Here are the answers. What are the questions? Work in pairs to ask them.
1. In the central North America between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
2. Canada and Mexico.
3. It’s more than 9 million km2.
4. Because of large-scale migration from many countries.
5. In 1791 with ten constitutional amendments.
6. Slavery.
7. By abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity.
Task 14. Translate into English:
1. Соединенные Штаты — относительно (comparatively) молодое государство, которое лишь несколько десятилетий назад отметило свой 200-летний юбилей (anniversary).
2. Америка — богатейшая страна мира. Американцы первыми создали (be the first to build) атомную бомбу, и первыми и единственными высадились (land) на Луне.
3. Спортсмены США постоянно добиваются высочайших результатов. На Олимпийских играх в Сиднее они заняли первое место по количеству завоеванных наград.
4. США граничат всего с двумя странами: с Канадой на севере и Мексикой на юге и в то же время не имеют единой территории на континенте, так как Канада отделяет основную часть страны от Аляски на северо-западе материка, а Гавайские острова лежат далеко к западу от тихоокеанского побережья Калифорнии.
5. Крупнейшим американским поселением английских пуритан (Puritan) стал Плимут (Plymouth). Ее основателями стали так называемые отцы-пилигримы (Pilgrim Fathers) — группа английских пуритан, которые не признавали (accept) англиканскую церковь (Church of England).
6. Биография первого президента США Джорджа Вашингтона в первые десятилетия существования страны имела легендарными подробностями. Первый президент стал символом нации, и поэтому Вашингтон из просто достойного согражданина (compatriot) был превращен в идеализированного национального героя.
7. Гражданская война способствовала (contribute to) развитию тяжелой промышленности США, кораблестроения, железнодорожного транспорта и телеграфной связи (telegraphic communication).
8. Каменистая почва штата Мэн неблагоприятна для развития сельского хозяйства. Зато в штате много лесов, населенных медведями и оленями, а в лесных чистых реках живут бобры (beavers).
9. Президент США не имеет абсолютной власти, но является главой исполнительной (executive) власти. Законодательная (legislative) власть представлена Конгрессом, состоящий из двух палат (house) - палаты представителей и Сената. Судебная власть - это система судов (court), включая Верховный Суд .
Task 15. Speak about the USA using a plan of the text or key words.