The United States of America

The United States of America occupy a large territory. The USA is situated in the central and southern part of Northern America. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east and by the Pacific Ocean in the west. It stretches from Canada in the north to Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Gulf of California in the south.

In size, the USA is the fourth among the nations after Russia, Canada and China. It has many islands in the Pacific Ocean and Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in the Atlantic. It has military bases all over the world.

The USA is divided into three areas: Eastern area – a highland, where the Appalachian Mountains are situated, Central area – a plain, and Western area that is mountainous and includes the Cordilleras and the Rocky Mountains. The highest peak in the Appalachian Mountains is 2,037 metres high. The highest peak of the Cordilleras in the USA is 4,418 metres high. The Appalachian Mountains are very old. The Rocky Mountains are considered young.

The northeastern part of the USA is the region of the five Great Lakes (Lake Superior, Huron, and Michigan. Erie and Ontario) which are connected by channels cut by rapids. The greatest of these rapids is the Niagara Falls. The St. Lawrence River joins the water of the five lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. In the west of the USA there is another lake called the Great Salt Lake.

The main rivers of the USA are the Mississippi (it is the second largest river in the world after the Nile); the Missouri, the Yukon, the Colorado, the Columbia, the St. Lawrence, and the Hudson.

ACTIVE VOCABULARY:

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the USA. It stands on the River Potomac. George Washington chose it to be the nation’s capital on December 1, 1800. The district is named after Columbus who discovered America in 1492.

Washington, D.C. is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the USA. No building in the city may be more than 40 meters tall.

Washington, D.C. is the seat of federal government and there is the White House, the official residence of the President. President John Adams and his wife were the first to live there. It was in November 1800. The White House is the oldest building in Washington, D.C. It has the most famous address in the United States –1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There are 3 floors and 132 rooms in the White House. The rooms for public functions are on the first floor. The President and the First Family use the second and the third floor.

The United States Capitol is the tallest building in Washington, D.C. and the most famous building in the USA because this is where the laws are made.

Washington, D.C. doesn’t belong to any state. It is a city and a district – the District of Columbia (D.C.). The state of Washington is in the north-west of the USA. Washington, D.C. is on the East Coast.

Tasks to the text:

I. Answer the questions:

1. What is the capital of the USA?
2. Where is it?
3. When did it become the nation’s capital?
4. Who is it named after?
5. Why is it the most unusual city?
6. Who was the first President to live in the White House?
7. Describe the White House.
8. Where are laws made? What else do you know about the US Capitol?
9. What is the difference between Washington, D.C. and the state of Washington?

2. Make up 5 – 6 true or false statements to the text above.

The Make-up of the Congress