SOME FACTS ABOUT USA

LESSON 6

THE UNITED STATES

OF AMERICA

TEXT 1

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The United States of America is the 4 largest country in the

world after Russia, Canada and China It lies in the central part

of the North American Continent between the two oceans: the

Atlantic Ocean the East and the Pacific Ocean in the West

Canada in the North and Mexico in the South are the only

countries that have borders with the USA. The total area of the

USA is about 9 million square kilometres. The current USA

population is over 310 million people (310300000 was in 2010)

so the United States has the world's third largest population (after

China and India)

As the world's population is approximately 68 billion, the

current United States population represents 45% of the world's

population. So, about one in every twenty people on the planet is

a resident of United States of America

The country is washed by 3 oceans: The Arctic, the Atlantic and

the Pacific. The country has many lakes, including the Great Lakes

and many rivers the longest of which are the Mississippi, the

Missouri, the Columbia and others. The highest mountains are

the Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian, the Cordillera and the

Sierra Nevada. The highest peak, Mount Mckinley, is in Alaska.

The climate conditions are rather various. The country is rich

in natural and mineral resource: oil, gas, iron ore, coal and various

metals.

The USA is a highly developed industrial and agricultural

country. The main industrial branches are aircraft, rocket,

automobile electronics radio englleenng and others Nowadays

the USA is one ofthe leading power the world due to its economic

political and military influence

The United States, of America is a federal state and a

parliapentary republic, headed by the President According to the

US Constitution the powers ofthe Government are divided into 3

branches: legislative (the Congress) executive (the President) and

judicial (the Supreme Court) The Congress has two houses

Senate and the House of Representatives. The Supreme Court is

the highest court in the country

There are two main political parties in the United States: the

Democratic Party (their symbol a donkey) and the Republican

Party (their symbol is an elephant) The president is elected for a

4- year term and not more than two times.

6.1

1. What is the geographical position of United States?

2 What countries have borders with the United States?

3 What are the highest mountains in US?

4 What are the biggest rivers in US?

5. What are the main industrial branches of US economy?

6. What are the biggest cities the Unites States?

7 What is the political system of United States?

8 What аге the three branches of US government?

WASHINGTON

The capital of the United States of America is Washington. It

was named after the first President of the United States George

Washington. It is situated on the Potomac River in the District of Columbia.

The district is a piece of land, which does not belong to any one state but to all the states. The district is named in honour

of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America

Washington was founded in 1791 as the capital. Its quite anew

city. The population of the city is nearly one million people

Washington is not a very large city, but it is very important as the

capital of the USA.

Washington has many historical places The largest and tallest is

the Capitol, where the Congress meets. It isa very beautiful building

with white marble columns. There is a law in Washington against

building structures higher than the Capitol. Not far from the Capitol

there is the Library of Congress. It holds five million books

The White House, the residence of the president is the oldest

public structure in the capital and one of the most beautiful. It was

built in 1799 It is a two storey white building. Not far from the

Capitol is the Washington monument, which looks like i avery big

pencil It is 160 metres high and it is empty inside. A special lit

brings visitors to the top in 70 seconds, from where they can enjoy

the view the city

The Jefferson Memorial was built in memory ofthe third President of

the USA Thomas Jefferson, who was also the author ofthe Declaration

Independence. The Memorial is surrounded by chery trees

The Lincoln Memorial is devoted to the memory of the sixteenth

President of the USA, the author of the Emancipation

Proclamation, which gave freedom to Negro slaves in America.

6.2

1.When was Washington DC. founded?

2.Where is Washington situated?

3. What state does District of Columbia belong to?

4 What are the most important places of interest in Washington?

5 What is the nickname the Washington memorial?

6. What is the design of Lincoln memorial?

7. What is the population of Washington?

Are there any specific laws about the height of buildings

in Washington, D?

TEXT 3

NEW YORK

New York is one of largest cities in the world. It was founded

three hundred years ago in the mouth of Hudson River

The centre of New York is Manhattan Island. In 1626 it was

bought from the Indians for twenty four dollars. Today Manhattan

is the centre of business and commercial life of the country. There

are many skyscrapers, banks and offices of American businessmen

in Manhattan. Broadway begins here: the Stock Exchange is located

here. Not many people live in Manhattan, although the majority

work here. Numerous bridges link Manhattan Island with the other

parts of New York.

People from almost all parts of the world live New York. It is

even called (modern Babylon. A lot of immigrants came to the

USA from different countries at the beginning of 20-th century

They entered the USA through New York the Gateway of America

New York is one ofthe leading manufacturing cities in the world

The most important branches of industry are those producing paper

products, vehicles, glass chemicals, and machinery. The city

traffic is very busy.

6.3.

1. When was New York founded?

What was the price of the Manhattan Island in 1626?

3. What is Manhattan today?

4 Do many people live in Manhattan?

5 What is Broadway famous for?

6. Why is New York called Modern Babylon?

7. What аге the most important branches of industry in

New York?

TEXT 4

SOME FACTS ABOUT USA

Tipping

Restaurants do not include а service charge in the bill, so you

should tip the waiter 15% of total bill. If service was slow some

Americans will tip only 10% Likewise, if service was good, it is appropriate to tip 20. If service was so bad that you would never

never

eat in the restaurant again, leave two cents. This is a deliberate

insult, because it tells the waiter that you didn't forget to leave a

tip. Ti pping is only appropriate in restaurants that offer table

service. You do not tip the cashier in a fast food restaurant

Taxi drivers expect to get a tip equal to 15% of the total fare. If

the driver was especially helpful or got you to your destination

more quickly than you expected, give a 20% tip

Hotel bellhops bellboys expect a SI tip for helping you

with your bags. If you order room service, the gratuity is included

in the bill. Coat checkroom attendants expect $1 per coat.

Hairdressers and barbers expect a tip of 15% of the bill. Valet

parking attendants expect a $1 tip.

Smoking

Smoking has become socially unacceptable in the US, in part

due to the health risks. Smoking is prohibited in government and

public buildings, and many businesses, especially restaurants, will

not permit smoking. Those restaurants that permit smoking will

usually have a separate section for customers who smoke. Tobacco

products may not be sold to anyone under 18 years old

Smoking on airplane flights within the US is prohibited

Smoking is also prohibited on interstate trains and buses

Smoking is prohibited on public transportation, including buses

and trolleys.

Gestures

To wave goodbye or hello to someone, raise your hand and

wave it from side to side. Wave the whole hand, not just the fingers

If you want to point at an object, extend the index finger and use

it to point at the object. It is not polite to point at people

If you want the waiter to bring the check, make a writing gesture

with one hand as the pen and the other hand as the paper. If you

just want the waiter to come, make eye contact and raise your

hand.

Toilets

The most important phrase you should learn is Where can I

find a toilet? You can use the following words: men's room

(women's room) restroom, lavatory, toilet, bathroom, and water

closet. There are no public toilets on the streets in the US. Public

toilets can be found in hotels, bars, restaurants museums

department stores, gas stations airports, train stations, and bus

stations. In many airports, toilets do not have a flush handle, but

instead flush automatically when an infrared sensor determines that

you have left. If you don't see anything that looks like a flush

handle, step away from the toilet and see if it flushes after a few

seconds.

Numbers

In the United States, the number 13 is symbolic of bad luck.

Tall office buildings sometimes skip the number 13when numbering

the floors

The number 7 is symbolic of good luck

The word trillion means a i followed by 12 zeros, a British

billion. The word billion means a followed by 9 zeros, a British

milliard

A period is used to indicate a decimal point, not a comma

A comma is used to separate groups of three digits in large numbers

thus "$1,232.52".

Calendar Dates

In the United States, dates are written as month/day/year This

is the opposite of the British method, in which dates are written

day /month/ year. So while 4367 would be March 4, 1967 in

Europe, it is April 3, 1967 in the United States. It is best to write

out dates using the month name in order to avoid confusion.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 3318