Посмотрите видеоролик по ссылке
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRJFLKm7-Nk
2. Прочитайте текст, найдите английские эквиваленты и задайте 5 вопросов к тексту:
The United States of America
The United States of America is situated in North America. It is the fourth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada and China. The area of the USA is about nine million square kilometers. The population is nearly 332 million people. After 350 years of development the USA still holds the leading position in the western world. It is the most powerful and highly developed country of the world.
The USA is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east and by the Pacific Ocean in the west. In the north the USA borders Canada and in the south – Mexico. The highest mountains are the Cordillera. The main rivers are the Mississippi in the central part, the Colorado in the south-west and the Columbia in the north-west. The five Great Lakes are between the USA and Canada.
The climate of the USA varies from place to place. On the Pacific coast winter is mild and warm, summer is dry. The eastern part of the USA is characterized by the continental climate with rainfall. The weather in the region of the Great Lakes is changeable. It is often windy.
The USA is a federal republic. It consists of three separate parts. They are the Hawaiian Islands, Alaska and fifty states and District of Columbia. The states differ very much in size, population and economic development. Each state has its own government. The American flag is called “Stars and Stripes”. The 50 stars (white on the blue field) represent the 50 states, 13 red and white stripes represent 13 original English colonies which became independent of England in 1776. The eagle became the official national symbol of the country in 1782. It holds an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and arrows (symbols of strength) in its paws. The head of the state is the president. He is elected for four years. The American Parliament is called Congress. It consists of two Chambers. There are two main political parties in the United States. The Democratic Party was organized in the 1820s. The Republican Party was founded in the 1850s.
The USA is a multinational country, but there is no official language. Most of the population speaks English. The capital of the USA is Washington. It is situated in the District of Columbia (Washington D. C.).
The largest city of the country is New York. It is financial and business center of the USA. Boston is known for its universities. Philadelphia is the first capital of the USA. Now it is one of the industrial and cultural centers of the country. Philadelphia orchestra is famous in the whole world. There are also several universities there. Chicago is one of the industrial cities. Detroit is one of the biggest centers of the automobile industry. Hollywood is known as the center of the USA film business. San Francisco and Los Angeles are the largest cities on the western coast.
The USA is a well-developed industrial country. It is rich in such mineral resources as coal, natural gas, oil, aluminum, zinc, salt, copper, silver and gold. Machine-building, shipbuilding, automobile industry, mining, aircraft, heavy and chemical industry are the main spheres of the USA economy.
The United States has a highly developed agriculture. It produces more than 50 per cent of the world’s wheat, corn, tobacco and cotton. They produce grain, fruit, vegetables and other food products.
The USA is a young country but it has a lot of great old and new holidays. The most important American holidays are Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Memorial Day and Christmas. Independence Day is celebrated on the fourth of July. On this day in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. There are picnics, parades and fireworks all over the country on this day. Thanksgiving Day is one of the most popular holidays too. It’s celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. This holiday dates back to the time when the first settlers, the Pilgrims, came to America. Their first winter was very hard, they had little food. In spring the Indians taught them to plant and grow new crops, hunt and fish. The following autumn the colonists made a great feast for the Indians. At Thanksgiving American families gather and spend this day together. The traditional Thanksgiving food is roast turkey, pumpkin pies, cranberry jelly, ham, sweet potatoes and other delicious food. Memorial Day is on the last Monday of May. On this day Americans honour the memories of their dead relatives. This day Americans go to relax at the beach or go to the mountains.
1. официальное название –
2. влиятельная –
3. омывается –
4. побережье Тихого океана –
5. переменчивая –
6. звездно-полосатый –
7. оливковая ветвь –
8. избирается –
9. многонациональная –
10. медь –
11. сельское хозяйство –
12. праздники –
13. День независимости –
14. День благодарения –