Text 3. The United States of America

The United States stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and from Canada to Mexico. Alaska is the largest state. Separated by Canada, it is washed by the Pacific and the Arctic Oceans. Hawaii occupies an archipelago in the Pacific. The area of the United States is 9.83 ml km². The Mississippi River is the longest river system. Alaska's Mount McKinley is the country's tallest peak. The capital of the country is Washington, D.C. The official language of the USA is English. The US population is over 300 ml people. The flag of the USA is called “Stars and Stripes”. Fifty stars represent the current states, 13 stripes stand for the original states. The national emblem is a bald eagle. The national anthem is “the Star Spangled Banner”. The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal district for the capital of the country. The largest state is Alaska, while the Rhode Island is the smallest one. Hawaii became the fiftieth and last state in 1959. On July 4 1777, thirteen North American colonies declared their independence and finally became free from Britain in 1783, forming the United States of America. In 1789 the American democratic government was established and George Washington was elected the first president of the USA. A special district, named after Christopher Columbus, was created for the American capital. The city was named so in the memory of George Washington, the first president of the USA. Washington is also called as ‘one-industry city’, because it is the home of the federal government. The White House, where the US President lives and works, the Capitol, the home of the US Congress, and the Supreme Court, are all situated in Washington. The largest library of the USA, the Library of Congress, is also there. International organisations such as the Organisation of American States and the World Bank are in Washington too. There are several universities in Washington; the oldest one is Georgetown University. Washington has a subway and public buses but private cars are the most important means of transport. There is no state church in the USA, and there is a strict separation of church and state. But the freedom of religion became a basic right in America, according to the First Amendment to the Constitution (1791). The United States has a capitalist mixed economy. It is based on natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and a high productivity. The United States GDP makes up 20% of the gross world product. The private sector is the most important part of the economy. The economy is postindustrial; the service sector contributes over 75% of GDP. The main business fields are wholesale and retail trade, finance and insurance. The United States remains an industrial power. Chemical products are the leading manufacturing field. The USA is the third largest producer of oil in the world. Agriculture accounts for 60% of the world's agricultural production. The USA is a federal constitutional republic. The federal government has three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The part of the US government which makes and passes laws is known as the Congress of the USA. It is the main legislative body of the federal government. It was created in 1789 by Article I of the Constitution of the United States. Congress is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Senate represents the states and consists of two Senators from each state. They are chosen by people's vote. The House of Representatives has 435 members. Representatives are elected from congressional districts and serve two-year terms. The Constitution grants numerous powers to Congress. For example, it must provide for common defence and general welfare of the US and make laws necessary for that. In fact the USA has a two-party system. The two leading political parties are the Democrats and the Republicans. The executive branch consists of the President and his delegates. The President is both the Head of State and the Government. He is the military commander-in-chief of armed forces. He manages national affairs and the work of the federal government. When a president is elected he serves in government for the period of four years. In fact, a president can serve only for two terms. The Vice President is the second-highest executive official of the Government. The members of the President's Cabinet are responsible for administering various departments of state and executing federal laws and regulations. The structure of the judicial system includes the Supreme Court, 13 courts of appeals, 94 district courts, and two courts of special jurisdiction. The USA is a member of NATO, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation (OECD) and the Organisation of American States. It also supports the United Nations, the IMF and the IBRD and the G7.

Задание 1. Выделите основную идею текста и запишите ее на английском языке.

Задание 2. Скажите, какие предложения не соответствуют содержанию текста.

1. The USA is the largest English speaking country.

2. It occupies the whole North America.

3. The USA is one of the highly developed industrial powers of the world.

4. The executive branch consists of the Prime-Minister and his delegates.

5. The President is both the Head of state and Parliament

6. He is the military commander-in-chief of 20 states.

7. The Vice President is the second-highest legislative official of the Government.

8. The members of the President's Cabinet are responsible for the court system of state and executing federal laws and regulations.

Задание 3. Образуйте однокоренные слова от исходных слов и заполните таблицу

verb	noun (concrete)	noun (abstract)	participle / adjective
		declaration
	former
			elective
separate

Задание 4. Переведите следующие выражения на английский язык.

- крупнейшая англоговорящая страна -

- омываться тремя океанами -

- звездно- полосатый флаг -

- принадлежать Конгрессу -

- исполнительная власть -

- палата представителей -

- система федеральных судов -

- нести ответственность за управление различными департаментами -

- поддерживать Международный Валютный Фонд и другие организации -

Задание 5. Переведите следующие предложения на английский язык.

1. Частный сектор играет важную роль в экономике США? 2. Что является государственным символом США? – Белоголовый орлан. 3. Конгресс США – законодательная ветвь федерального правительства. 4. Пятьдесят звезд на флаге США обозначают количество штатов на сегодняшний день. 5. Кто является главой правительства в США? – Президент. 6. Сколько штатов в США?

Задание 6. Допишите предложения, выбрав правильный вариант ответа.

1. My phone isn't working very well. The battery (needs charging / needs to be charged ). 2. In my country, all young men ( have to/must) spend two years in the armed forces. 3. You ( mustn't/needn't ) look up all words you don't know. You can guess some of them from the context.

Задание 7. Дайте развернутые ответы на следующие вопросы:

1. Where is the USA situated?

2. What is the population of the USA?

3. What is the tallest peak of the USA?

4. What is the capital of the USA?

5. What type of economy does the USA have?

6. What industries are most developed in the USA?

7. What does the executive branch of power include?

8. Who represents the legislative power in the USA?

9. What does the judicial system of the USA include?

10. What international organisations is the USA a member of?

Задание 8. Опираясь на информацию текста, сделайте краткое сообщение по теме Соединенные Штаты Америки.

Задание 9. Составьте аннотацию к тексту.

ЗАДАНИЯ ПО ФОРМИРОВАНИЮ КОМПЕТЕНЦИЙ

Задание 1. Найдите (в электронных или печатных СМИ) материал о роли России в международных отношениях и процессах. Подготовьте краткое выступление, продолжительностью не более пяти минут, цель которого – политико-культурная оценка найденного Вами материала.

Задание 2. Прочитайте " Методические указания к составлению презентаций". Подготовьте презентацию, продолжительностью не более пяти минут, целью которой является описать сущность такого политического явления как " конституционная монархия" с точки зрения демократической политической культуры.

 

Задание 3. Проанализируйте политическую символику флагов трех разных стран, охарактеризуйте значение цвета (или цветов), выделите главные элементы, основные положения занесите в таблицу:

The Russian Federation	The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	The United States of America

Задание 4. Прочитайте отрывок из текста и выполните следующие задания:

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