Major Cities in the USA

The five major cities in the USA are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia.

New York City. New York was the entry port for immigrants to the USA. In the 1800s and early 1900s, they came to Ellis Island in New York harbour. New York is a multicultural city and a center for culture and finance. Fifth Avenue and Wall Street are famous streets in New York.

Los Angeles (California). Los Angeles was founded in 1781 and grew during the Gold Rush of 1849. It has a warm, sunny and relatively dry climate. Important industries include electronics (Silicon Valley) and tourism. It is the center for the film industry, best known as Hollywood. It has urban problems like pollution, slums and overcrowded schools.

Chicago (Illinois). Chicago is situated on the shore of Lake Michigan. The summers are hot, the winters are cold and windy, which has given Chicago the nickname – the Windy City. Chicago produces steel and metal products, and is a center for printing and publishing. It is home to the world’s first skyscraper.

Houston (Texas). Houston is a port city linked to the Gulf of Mexico by a long channel. Today, it is a center for the oil industry and for aerospace research and development (NASA).

Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). The City of Philadelphia was founded in 1681. Both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed here. It is situated on the Delaware River with one of the largest freshwater ports in the world. Some of the industries are clothing, printing and publishing, food production and production of electrical machinery.

Answer the questions.

1. What was the name of the port of entry in New York?

2. Name some negative aspects of Los Angeles.

3. What is Chicago's nickname?

4. Where and when was the first skyscraper built?

5. Which city is associated with the oil industry and NASA?

6. What two important documents were signed in the city of Philadelphia?

V. Speaking.

Which American city would you most like to visit and why? Make a mini-presentation of the chosen city.

Canada

I. First thoughts. Do you know why Canada is often called “the Land of the Maple Leaf”?

II. Study the words. Make sure you know them. Practice the pronunciation.

To be located, Governor General, province, authority, majority, Upper House, Lower House, representative, maple, term, direction, to flank.

III. Read the text and do the tasks following it.

Canada is located in North America. It is the second largest country in the world, but the population of the country is only about 30 million people. Most of the population is concentrated along the southern border, in the cities such as Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.

Canada is an independent federal parliamentary state. Formally Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, is recognized as Head of State, but the Governor General acts as her representative. The country consists of two territories and ten provinces. Each province has its own government and parliament.

Parliament of Canada consists of two houses, the Upper House called the Senate, and the Lower House called the House of Commons. The Senate has 104 members. Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The Senate has less power than the House of Commons. Members of the House of Commons are elected for a term of five years. The cabinet system of Canada unites the legislative and the executive branches. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are usually members of the House of Commons, which is the highest authority in the government. The Cabinet consists of 20 or more ministers, chosen by the Prime Minister from leaders of the majority party in the House of Commons.

Today most of the Governor General’s powers have disappeared and he follows the directions of the Cabinet.

The Constitution of the country was only adopted in 1982.

Canada is often called “the Land of the Maple Leaf”. The maple leaf is the national emblem of Canada. The national flag adopted in 1965 consists of a white field, flanked by a red vertical field on either end with a red maple leaf on the white field.

There are two official languages in Canada — English, which is the language of about 60% of the population, and French. The majority of French-speaking population is concentrated in the province of Quebec.

The country is mainly agricultural. It is well known as an exporter of wheat and oats. It is also rich in natural resources. It is one of the main producers of electric power.

IV. Comprehension Check.

Match the words with their meanings.