READING 1: THE USA

A. Make a list of all geographical names mentioned in the text. Be sure that you can read them correctly. Use dictionary if necessary.

B. Read and translate the text.

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of 3,615,123 sq. mi. (9,375,720 sq. km.). The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea border with Russia.

The USA is divided into 50 states and the District Columbia, a special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is 307,212,123 (July 2009 est.).

The United States of America 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 juridical. 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 national emblem of the country is the eagle. It has an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and arrows (a symbol of strength). There the eagle on the back of a dollar bill. The Statue of Liberty is the symbol of American democracy. The American flag is called “The Stars and Stripes” or “Old Glory”. It has 13 horizontal stripes, 7 red and 6 white which stand for the original 18 states. In the top left corner there are 50 white stars on a blue background: one star for each state. The national anthem of the US is “The Star Spangled Banner”.

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