THE USA. 1 Read and translate the text given below:

1 Read and translate the text given below:

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometers. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-boarder with Russia.

The USA has 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is more than 270 million.

If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska.

America's largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA.

The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic. The climate of the central part is continental. The south has a subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than of the Atlantic coast.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country. It's the world's leading producer of copper and oil and the world's second producer of iron ore and coal. Among the most important manufacturing industries are aircraft, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, arms, furniture and paper.

Though mainly European and African in origin, Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, including Chinese and native Americans.

The largest cities are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San-Francisco, Washington, DC and others.

The United States is a federal union of 50 states, each of which has its own government. The seat of the central (federal) government is Washington, DC. According to the US Constitution the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches: the executive, headed by the President, the legislative, exercised by the Congress, and the judicial. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republican and the Democratic, though there's hardly any difference between their political lines.

2 Give Russian equivalents:

Occupies, stretches, total area, borders on, varies greatly, subtropical climate, bring typhoons, world’s second producer, branch, political parties

3 Translate into English:

Квадратные километры, морская граница, население, низменности, умеренный климат, развитая страна, побережье Тихого океана, мировой лидер по добыче нефти, вооружения, коренные американцы, Вашингтон, округ Колумбия.

4 Answer the questions:

1) Is the USA the largest country in the world?

2) How many states does the country have?

3) What are the farthest states?

4) What are the Great Lakes famous for?

5) Say some words about the climate of the country.

6) What are the reasons of typhoons?

7) What does American industry produce?

8) Name the largest cities of the States.

9) What is the difference between Washington and Washington, DC?

10) Where is the seat of the government situated?

11) How many branches are there in the government? Name them.

5 Complete the dialogue:

A: Hi! Is it your first visit to the USA?

B: Hello! Yes, I have never been to America before. It’s huge!

A: Да, конечно, ведь Соединенные штаты – четвертая по величине страна после Канады, России и Китая. Наше население более 270 миллионов человек.

B: You know, in Russia we have so to say regions. How is the USA divided?

А: У нас штаты, всего 50. Гавайи и Аляска самые удаленные штаты. Также у нас есть один округ – округ Колумбия, где расположена столица Штатов – Вашингтон.

B: What are the geographical sights in your country?

А: О, у нас много всего интересного. Здесь есть Великие Озера – цепь самых глубоких озер, самая высокая вершина – гора Мак-Кинли, длинные реки Амазонка, Миссисипи, Рио-Гранде.

B: And what about the climate?

А: Климат такой же разнообразный, как и в России - континентальный, арктический, субтропический. Климат на побережье Тихого океана теплее, чем климат на побережье Атлантического.

B: What does the USA produce?

А: Америка является мировым производителем меди, железной руды, вооружения, автомобилей.

B: Tell me some words about the population.

А: Население страны крайне разнообразно, есть люди со всех частей света, но также есть и небольшое количество коренных жителей.

B: Is the political structure as complicated as in my country?

А: Политическая система такая же сложная, как и в Российской Федерации, в США 3 ответвления власти – исполнительная, законодательная и юридическая.

B: Well, it’s so interesting. Now I can see that though our countries have much in common, still there are so many differences. Thank you for your narration.

A: You’re always welcome.