Устная тема "The USA"
материал по английскому языку (9 класс) на тему

The USA

        The United States of America is the 4th 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 9,5 million square kilometers. The USA borders on Canada in the north and Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-boarder with Russia along the Bering Strait.

        The USA is made up of 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 about 250 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. The mountains in the east are the Appalachian Mountains. They stretch along the Atlantic coast. The Appalachian Mountains are very old and not so high as the Rocky Mountains.
        American’s largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri and the Ohio River. They make the longest river in the world together with its tributaries (about 7300 km). The Rio Grande, the Columbia and the Colorado rivers are the most important rivers in the west. The Columbia and the Colorado rivers flow though deep canyons and they are insatiable for navigation. Being cut by rapids these rivers serve as an immense source of cheap electric power. The deepest canyon of the USA is the Colorado Plato. It is called the Grand Canyon. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and the deepest in the USA. They are Lake Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario. The northern part of the USA embraces the region of the 5 Great Lakes and it shares them with Canada. The lakes are connected by natural Channels cut by rapids. The greatest of these rapids is the Niagara Falls. The waters of the 5 lakes have their outlet into the Atlantic Ocean by the St. Lawrence River. The Niagara Falls is between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

        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 subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast. Being cut by mountain ranges from north to south the country is unprotected from blasts of cold air which blow from the north and of warm air which blow from the south. This is the cause of great temperature fluctuations. Besides, the mountain rangers protect the Pacific coast line from hot desert winds and help to make climate of the Pacific coast mild and pleasant.

        The USA is a highly developed industrial country. It is 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, armaments, furniture and paper, computers and electronics, space craft.

        Though many 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 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.

The Flag of the USA

        The 50-star flag of the USA was raised for the 1st time officially on July the 4th 1960 at front McHenry, national monument in Baltimore. The 50th star had been added for Hawaii in 1959 and the 49th star for Alaska a year earlier. The flag of the USA consists of 13 alternate stripes, 7 red and 6 white. It is called “The Stars and Stripes”. The 13 stripes represent 13 original English colonies, which in 1776 declared themselves free and independent of England. The 50 star represent the present number of states in the Union and they are placed in 9 horizontal rows alternately of 6 and 5 against a blue field and in the upper left corner of the flag. The legend says that Mrs. Betsy Ross, a seamstress, made the first “The Stars and Stripes” on her design, which was approved by George Washington. She is said to make it on June 1776 to celebrate Independence Day. And on June 14th 1777 the Congress proposed that the USA should have its own national flag instead of the British Union Jack. In August 1949 President Henry Truman proclaimed June 14th as Flag Day. On this day all Americans in the country displayed “The Stars and Stripes” outside their houses and businesses.

Vocabulary

the Pacific Ocean – Тихий Океан

the Atlantic Ocean – Атлантический Океан

Alaska – Аляска

Hawaii – Гавайи

a sea-boarder – водная граница

the Bering Strait – Берингов Пролив

the District of Columbia – округ Колумбия

the Rocky Mountains – Скалистые Горы

the Cordillera – Кордильеры (горы)

the Sierra Nevada - Сьерра-Невада (горы)

Mount McKinley - Мак-Кинли (гора)

the Appalachian Mountains - Горы Аппалачи

the Mississippi – река Миссисипи

the Missouri – река Миссури

the Ohio River – река Огайо

tributary – приток реки

The Rio Grande - река Рио-Гранде

the Columbia – река Колумбия

the Colorado – река Колорадо

insatiable -         ненасытный; жадный; неутолимый

navigation -         навигация; судоходство

rapid - перекат реки

to serve – служить

cheap electric power – дешевая электрическая мощность

the Colorado Plato - Плато Колорадо

the Grand Canyon - Большой Каньон

the Great Lakes - Великие озёра

Lake Superior – озеро Верхнее

Huron – озеро Гурон

Michigan – озеро Мичиган

Erie – озеро Эри

Ontario – озеро Онтарио

to embrace - включать; заключать в себе; охватывать

the Niagara Falls – Ниагарский Водопад

the St. Lawrence River - Река Святого Лаврентия

the Gulf of Mexico - Мексиканский залив

typhoon – тайфун

fluctuation -         колебание

leading producer – лидирующий производитель

copper – медь

iron ore - железняк

coal -         уголь

manufacturing industries - отрасли обрабатывающей промышленности

aircraft – авиация

textiles - текстильная промышленность

armaments - вооружённые силы

space craft -         космический корабль; космический летательный аппарат

Native Americans - коренные американцы (самоназвание североамериканских индейцев)

Government – правительство

the executive branch - исполнительная ветвь власти

the legislative branch - законодательная власть

the judicial branch - судебная власть

the Congress - конгресс США

the Senate - сенат

the House of Representatives -         палата представителей (Конгресса США)

Republican Party - республиканская партия

Democratic Party -         Демократическая партия

alternate – чередование

“The Stars and Stripes” -         звёздно-полосатый флаг

a seamstress – швея

George Washington – Джордж Вашингтон (первый президент)

Independence Day – День Независимости

Harry Truman – Гарри Трумэн (33-й президент США)

Places of Interest in Washington

1. The Capitol

        The Capitol is the seat of the Government of the USA. The Senate meets in the north wing of the Capitol and the House of Representatives meets in the south wing. A flag flies over each wing of the Capitol when that part of Congress is in session.

        The Capitol is in the very center of Washington. It is situated on Capitol Hill, the highest point in the city. There is a law in Washington not to build houses higher than the Capitol.

        The Capitol building is very impressive. It is easy to recognize because of its large dome, which is the fourth largest dome in the world. Beneath the dome is a monumental hall called the Rotunda decorated with works of art related to American history.  Around the dome there are 36 marble columns each representing the 36 states in the Union when the dome was built. Above these 36 columns there is another set of 13 columns that represent the 13 original colonies.

        At the top of the dome is the Statue of Armed Freedom, the work of Thomas Crawford. The 19 foot high statue represents a woman with her shield of the United States in her left hand, with her right resting on the hilt of a sword. The message of it is ‘America Ever Ready to Defend Her Freedom’.

        The flag flying over the entrance to the Capitol is one of several flags authorized by an act of Congress to remain raised after sunset. The flag flies 24 hours a day because the sun never sets on American possessions.

2. The White House

The White House is a pleasant, white-painted house in which the President of the USA lives and works.

The White House was originally grey in colour and was called President’s House. During the British-American war the building was burnt by the British in 1814. Some years later the President’s House was rebuilt and the walls were painted white.

The White House is the oldest public building in the District of Columbia and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is the most famous address in the USA. While the Capitol represents the freedom and ideals of the Nation, the White House stands for the power of the President.

President George Washington decided that the president of the USA must have an official residence. It was he who selected the site – an orchard to the west of the Capitol Building – and laid the cornerstone in 1793. Washington died in 1799, before the house was completed, so the 1st President to live there was John Adams. Thus, every President except George Washington has conducted the Government of the Nation in the White House.

The White House has 132 rooms. It is open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The visitors can see the beautiful Blue Room, the Green Room and some other rooms on the ground floor. The 1st and the 2nd floors are used only by the President Family and guests.

There was a time when any citizen who cared to make the effort could visit the White House and shake hands with the President. But times have changed and security is much tighter.

3. The Lincoln Memorial

It is built in the style of a classic Greek temple. 36 columns representing the states of the Union at that time of Lincoln’s death support the roof of the building and along the frieze the names of those same states are carved.

Seen in the twilight the Memorial emits a glowing light that seems to fill the quiet landscape in this hour of solitude.

The dominant feature of the memorial is the magnificent, realistic figure of Lincoln seated in the centre of the open temple, facing the Capitol. The statue embodies the qualities that are forever associated with the great man, who believed all men should be free – compassion, warmth, strength of character and great sadness.

The Memorial reminds people of the drama of the Civil War and the horror of the shooting in Ford’s theatre, where Abraham Lincoln was mortally wounded.

4. The Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is one of the city’s most impressive sights. The monument was erected to honour the memory of the 1st President of the USA. It is also called “the Pencil” because of its shape.

One of the tallest stone constructions in the world, standing just over 555 feet high, the monument was modeled after the obelisk of ancient Egypt. It is faced with white marble. Around the base flutter fifty “star-spangled” banners representing the states of America.

Some years ago anyone was allowed to walk up the 898 stairs to viewing level – but too many people could not make the climb and had to be rescued, so now you can ride up in the elevator though one can walk down if one prefers.

The National Gallery of Art houses one of the great art collections of the world.

The Pentagon is a building where the headquarters of the Department of Defense, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force are located.

Vocabulary

The Capitol - Капитолий (здание конгресса США в Вашингтоне)

Capitol Hill - Капитолийский холм

the Statue of Armed Freedom - Статуя Свободы на куполе Капитолия

The White House -         Белый дом (резиденция президентов США в г. Вашингтоне)

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue - Пенсильвания-авеню, 1600 (адрес Белого Дома)

cornerstone - основание        

John Adams – Джон Адамс (второй президент США)

The Lincoln Memorial - мемориал Линкольна

the frieze – бордюр

to emit – излучать

glowing - ярко светящийся

solitude – одиночество

to embody -  олицетворять

compassion – страдания

strength – сила, мощь

the Civil War – Гражданская война

Ford’s theatre - Театр Форда в Вашингтоне

Abraham Lincoln – Авраам Линкольн (16-й президент США)

The Washington Monument - памятник Вашингтону

“the Pencil” – прозвище памятника Вашингтону «Карандаш»

to flutter - колыхаться; развеваться (на ветру)

“star-spangled” - усеянный звёздами; усыпанный звёздами; звёздно-полосатый (аналог, а не переводной эквивалент, используется в отношении нац. флага США)

The National Gallery of Art - Национальная художественная галерея

The Pentagon - Пентагон; здание министерства обороны США

Headquarter - штаб-квартира

the Department of Defense - Министерство обороны США

the Army - Армия

the Navy - военно-морской флот

the Air Force - военно-воздушные силы

Список штатов США