Учебный материал
РОССИЙСКОЙ КОЛЛЕКЦИИ РЕФЕРАТОВ (с) 1996
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Реферат
З англ?йсько? мови
на тему:
' The United States of America '
учениц? 10-ЕЛ класу
школи-л?цею ?7
Подлубно? Тетяни
В?нниця 2001
PLAN
1. THE USA
2. AMERICAN SYMBOLS
3. THE US GOVERNMENT
4. WHAT ARE AMERICANS FOND OF?
5. THE CAPITAL OF THE USA
6. PLACES OF SIGHTSEEING
7. HOLIDAYS IN THE USA
8. FAMOUS PEOPLE OF AMERICA
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
The United States of America is the fourth largest
country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It
occupies the southern part of North America and stretches
from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes
Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The
total area of the country is about nine and a half million
square kilometres. The USA borders on Canada in the north
and on Mexico in the south. It also has a seaboarder with
Russia.
The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of
Columbia, a special federal area where the capital of the
country, Washington, is situated. The population of the
country is about 250 million.
If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands
and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky
Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest
peak is Mount McKinley, which is located in Alaska.
America's largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Mis
souri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on
the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the
USA.
The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest
regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic.
The climate of the central part is continental. The south
has subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of
Mexico often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific
coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast.
The USA is a highly developed industrial country. It is
the world's leading producer of copper and oil and the
world's second producer of iron ore and coal. Among the most
important manufacturing industries are aircraft, cars,
textiles, radio and television sets, armaments, furniture
and paper.
Though mainly European and African in origin, Americans
are made up from nearly all races and nations, including
Chinese and native Americans.
The largest cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago,
Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco and others.
The United States 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.
AMERICAN SYMBOLS
The American flag is often called 'The Stars and
Stripes', it is also called "Old Glory". It represents the
growth of the nation. It has 13 horizontal stripes, 7 red
and 6 white which stand for the original 18 states. In the
top left hand corner there are 50 white stars on a blue
background: one star for each state. The national anthem of
the United States is 'The Star Spangled Banner". The words
written during the Anglo-American war of 1812-1814 and set
to the music of an old song. Every state has its own flag,
its own emblem and its own anthem too.
The eagle became the national emblem of the country in
1782. It has an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and arrows
(a symbol of strength). You can see the eagle on the back of
a dollar bill.
The Statue of Liberty is the symbol of American
democracy. It stands on Liberty Island in New York. It one
of the first things people see when they arrive in New York
by sea. This National Monument was a present form France to
the USA. France gave the statue to America in 1884 as a
symbol of friendship. Liberty carries the torch of freedom -
in her right hand. In her left hand she is holding a tablet
with the inscription "July 4,1776" - American Independence
Day.
THE US CONGRESS
The Congress of the United States is composed of two
houses: Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate
presents the states and the House represents the population
according to its distribution among the states. Each state
is guaranted at least one representative in the House. The
remainder are apportioned among the states according to
their population. The Senate of US is composed one of the
hundred members - two being elected from each state.
Senators are chosen for six years, one-third retiring or
seeking is re-elected every two years. Two senators from the
same state never finish their terms at the same time, one of
them is called "Senior Senator" and the other - "Junior
Senator".
The presiding officer of the senate is the Vice-
President of the United States,