The United States of America

The United States of America is the 4^th largest country in the world after Russia, Canada and China. It occupies the central part of the North American continent.

The United States of America is a federal republic, consisting of 50 states including the states of Alaska and Hawaii.Outlying areas include Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands.

The northern boundary is partly formed by the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence River; the southern boundary is partly formed by the Rio Grande. United States also has a sea-border with Russia.

The total area of the United States (including the District of Columbia) is about 9,809,000 sq km.

The country is washed by 3 oceans: the Arctic, the Atlantic and the Pacific. The country has many lakes, with the Great Lakesincluded. There are also many rivers on the US territory. The longest of them are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Columbia, the Rio Grande and some others. On the US territory there are mountains and lowlands. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak, Mount McKinley, islocated in Alaska.

The climate conditions are rather different. The country is rich in natural and mineral resources: oil, gas, iron ore, coal and various metals.

The USA is a highly developed industrial and agricultural country. The main industrial branches areaircraft,rocket, automobile, electronics, radio-engineering and others.

Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations. The country population is over 250 min. The na­tional symbol of the USA is its national flag «Stars and Stripes», having 50 white stars and 13 white and red stripes on its field, symbolising the number of the original and present day states.

Officially the country comprises 50 states and one District of Columbia. The states differ in size, population and economic development. Each state has its own capital. The capital of the USA is Washington. It is situated in the District of Columbia on the banks of the Potomac river and is named after the 1^st US President - George Washington. There are many large cities in the country: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San-Francisco, Cleveland and some others.

The United States of America is a federal state, headed by the President. According to the US Constitution the powers of the Government are divided into 3 branches: legislative, executive and judicial.

Thelegislative power belongs to the Congress consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate represents the states while the House of Representatives — the population. The executive power belongs to the President and his Administration (Vice-President and Cabinet of Ministers). The judicial power belongs to the Supreme Court and the system of Federal, state and district courts.

There are several political parties in the USA, the largest of them are the Republican (symbolised by adonkey)and the Democratic (symbolised by an elephant).

Дополнительный словарь:

Outlying areas — внешние территории

District of Columbia — округ Колумбия

To pass — проходить через

frontier — граница

to include — включать

lowlands — низины

peak — вершина, пик

to be located — располагаться

aircraft — воздушное судно

to be made up from — быть составленным, состоять из

stripe — полоса

to symbolize — символизировать

legislative power — законодательная власть

to represent — представлять

to belong — принадлежать

donkey — осел

Контрольная работа

Вариант 1 (технические специальности)

James Watt

1).James Watt, a famous inventor and mechanical engineer, was born on January 19, 1736, in Scotland. He worked as a mathematical-instrument maker from the age of 19 and soon became interested in improving the steam engine, which was used at that time to pump out water from mines.

2). Watt is known for his improvements of the steam engine. He determined the properties of steam, especially the relation of its density to its temperature and pressure, and designed a separate condensing chamber for the steam engine that prevented large losses of steam in the cylinder. For this device and other improvements on steam engine Watt received his first patent in 1769.

3). Watt continued his research and patented rotary engine for driving various types of machinery; the double-action engine, in which steam is admitted alternately into both ends of the cylinder; and the steam indicator, which records the steam pressure in the engine. He retired from the firm manufacturing steam engines in 1800 and devoted himself entirely to research work.

4). In 1788 Watt invented the centrifugal or flyball governor, which automatically regulated the speed of an engine. It uses the feedback principle of a servomechanism, linking output to input, which is the basic concept of automation. The watt, the union of power, was named in his honour.

Дополнительный словарь:

James Watt[ ΄dzeims΄wət]

double-action – двойного действия;

entirely [ in΄taiəli] – полностью

feedback principle – принцип обратной связи

condensing chamber – конденсационная камера

alternately – поочередно, попеременно

Прочтите и устно переведите текст, затем перепишите и письменно переведите 2) и 4) абзацы текста.

2. Ответьте на вопросы по тексту.

1). What was James Watt?

2). What were the inventions made by him for which he received patents?

Составьте пять типов вопросов к следующему предложению.

Watt worked as a mathematical- instrument maker from the age of 19.

II. 1. Перепишите предложения и переведите их, принимая во внимание различные функции слов, it, that, one.

Перепишите предложения, подчеркните в каждом из них модальный глагол или его эквивалент. Переведите предложения.

1). This instrument can be used to measure a number of different electrical quantities, such as voltage, current and resistance.

2). He had to study the theory of interplanetary travel.

3). We can determine the pressure of our atmosphere with the help of a barometer.

4. Перепишите и переведите следующие предложения, учитывая различные функции глагола to be.