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where the sun never sets
one of the leading powers
tribute to the past
only a geographic name
the third largest
American
Mexican
German
French
Russian
Great
Britain
Russia
to occupy
to consist of
to border on
to be washed by
to be covered with
to have
to be surrounded by
many forests mild
climate seas and
oceans a vast
territory four main
parts different
countries four
climatic zones
16.
Make up the outline of the text. Choose one point of the outline and get
ready to speak on it.
17.
Say what these words refer to in the text (without looking into the text).
the country of fogs
located on the crossroads
the correct common name
this is due to the warm currents
won the majority
18.
Find in the text all the verbs used in the Passive Voice. Render the
sentences into the Active Voice, if possible.
19.
Make up sentences according to the model using the words given below.
Model:
English live in England. They speak English.
Welsh
Scottish
Irish
Portuguese
Italian
20.
Retell the text.
T e x t 3
The United States of America
The United States of America covers the central part of North America.
Besides, Alaska and Hawaii belong to the USA. Its territory is about
9,328,000 square kilometers. The population of
the United States is about
265 million people. The climate is different from state to state due to the
large size of the country. It is mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and
Florida, and arctic in Alaska.
The USA is washed by the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic
Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico in the east. It borders on Canada in the north
and on Mexico in the south. The most important rivers in the USA are the
Mississippi, the Colorado, the Ohio, and the Hudson River.
The main
mountain chains are the Cordillera in the west and the Appalachian
Mountains in the east. Between these two mountain chains lie the central
lowlands, called the prairie. To the north of the country, on the border with
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Canada, the Great Lakes are situated. They include the Lake Superior, the
Lake Ontario, the Lake Eire, the Lake Huron and the Lake Michigan.
Natural
resources include nickel, lead, silver, petroleum, natural gas, iron
and others.
Present-day American history began in 1607, when colonizers estab-
lished the first permanent English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia. Further
on during the 17th century the settlers from Europe came to the new lands.
They struggled Native Americans and drove
them away from rich land to
reservations. At first thirteen British colonies were established on the eastern
coast. In 1775 the colonies began their struggle for independence and
succeeded in 1783. This was how the United States came into being.
In 1861 the Civil War broke out. It is usually referred to as the war
between the South and the North. Its aim was to give freedom to black
slaves who previously could be bought or sold. Slavery was abolished in
1865, but the discrimination of the black population remained until the
1960s. The influence of the USA was growing during the 19th—20th
centuries until by the beginning of the 21st century it became the leading
power. It dominates the economy and political life of the world.
The United States is a democratic federal republic.
It comprises fifty
states, including Alaska and Hawaii, and the District of Columbia, where the
capital of the country is situated. The largest state is Alaska, and the smallest
is Rhode Island. Each state has its own legislature. Head of State is the
President. Washington, DC (District of Columbia) is the capital of the
country, the seat of the government. The President is elected every four
years.
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