Английский язык. Страноведение. США (текст и задания по вариантам)

Variant 1 – “History of America”.

Task: Choose the right variant.

1. Who discovered America?
   a) Christopher Columbus
   b) George Washington
   c) The pilgrims

2. Who was the first president of the USA?
   a) Abraham Lincoln
   b) George Washington
   c) Franklin D. Roosevelt

3. What is the national symbol of America?
   a) The rose
   b) The bald eagle
   c) The shamrock

4. The American flag has … .
   a) thirteen stripes
   b) thirty stripes
   c) fifty stripes

5. Christopher Columbus landed in America in … .
   a) 1620
   b) 1942
   c) 1492

6. Who built the first car?
   a) Benjamin Franklin
   b) Alexander Graham Bell
   c) Henry Ford

7. The USA consists of … .
   a) 52 states and the state of the Hawaii Islands
   b) 50 states and the District of Columbia
   c) 49 states and the District of Columbia

8. In America English is … language.
   a) the official and predominant
   b) the official and preferred
   c) the first minority and preferred

9. Who arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620?
   a) the Indians
   b) the pilgrims
   c) the French

10. Who fought against racial discrimination in the 1960’s?
    a) Martin Luther King, Jr.
    b) Frank Lloyd Wright
    c) Emily Dickinson

(10 points)

Variant 2 - “Geography of America: physical features, the states of the USA”.

Task: Choose the necessary.

1. What is the capital of the United States of America?
   a) New York City
   b) Los Angeles
   c) Washington, D. C.

2. The areas in the middle of the country are called … .
   a) the prairies
   b) the Mississippi Valley
   c) the Great Lakes

3. In the north-eastern part, there is the region of … .
   a) the prairies
   b) the Mississippi Valley
   c) the Great Lakes

4. What is the capital of Georgia?
   a) Atlanta
   b) San Francisco
   c) Los Angeles

5. The heart of the city of New York is … .
   a) the Bronx
   b) Manhattan
   c) Brooklyn
   d) Queens

6. What is the capital of Massachusetts?
   a) St. Louis
   b) Memphis
   c) Boston

7. The largest rivers in the USA are .. .
   a) the Mississippi River, the Missouri and the Ohio
   b) the Mississippi River, the Missouri and the Grand
   c) the Mississippi River, the Potomac and the Colorado

8. … is the largest river in Alaska.
   a) The Yukon c) The Wailuku
   b) The Snake d) The Savannah

9. The nickname of … are: the Last Frontier and Land of the Midnight Sun.
   a) Alabama c) Texas
   b) Alaska d) Arizona

10. Washington, D. C., is a … .
    a) state
    b) country
    c) district
    (10 points)

Variant 3 – “Sights of America”.

Task: Choose the necessary.

1. Where is the tallest building (skyscraper) in the world?
   a) New York City
   b) Chicago
   c) San Francisco

2. Where is the Statue of Liberty?
   a) New York
   b) Massachusetts
   c) California

3. What is the tallest building in the world?
   a) the Empire State Building
   b) the Sears Tower
   c) the Washington Monument

4. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from … .
   a) Italy
   b) England
   c) France

5. The first university in America was … .
   a) Boston University
   b) Harvard
   c) MIT

6. Wright Brothers’ original 1903 Flyer, Apollo Lunar modul, and Skylab Orbital Workshop are in … .
   a) the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
   b) the Natural History Museum
   c) the Museum of American History
   d) Arts and Industries Building

7. A flag flies over … wing of the Capitol when that part of the Congress is in session.
   a) one c) the south
   b) the north d) each

8. The White House has 132 rooms and 20 bathrooms. The public … visit the White House and see several of the famous rooms such as the State Dining Room, the Blue Room and the Red Room.
   a) can’t c) can twice a week
   b) can once a week d) can

9. The Lincoln Memorial dedicated to the U. S. sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln, is designed … .
   a) as a figure c) as a building
   b) as a figure group d) similar to the Greek Parthenon

10. In a city filled with monuments and memorials, the Washington Monument is the most visible. Dedicated to the …, the monument stands 555 feet tall and is not only the tallest structure in Washington, D. C., but is the tallest stone monuments in the world.
    a) state
    b) city
    c) U. S. first president

(10 points)

Variant 4 -“Arts, Music, Sports of America”.

Task: Choose the necessary.

1. In New York most musical shows were … . These shows became very big and expensive.
   a) on Broadway
   b) in Manhattan
   c) in Metropolitan Opera

2. A famous American artist is … .
   a) Norman Rockwell
   b) Jack London
   c) Michael Jackson

3. Some people say that America’s greatest contribution to the theater is … . This kind of performance is a play in which music, lyrics and dance help to tell a story.
   a) cartoon
   b) musical comedy
   c) western

4. In the 1920s America fell in love with dancing and popular jazz music. One of the most famous musicians of this time was … . He became famous for his trumpet playing and his low rough voice.
   a) Louis Armstrong c) Ray Charles
   b) Tom Jones d) Frank Sinatra

5. The king of rock’n’roll was … .
   a) Prince c) Michael Jackson
   b) Elvis Presley d) Whitney Houston

6. What is the national sport in America?
   a) football
   b) soccer
   c) baseball

7. What makes … in the USA so different from its European cousins, … is not just the size, speed and strength of its players. Rather, it is the most “scientific” of all outdoor team sports
   a) rugby; squash and tennis c) squash; football and rugby
   b) football; rugby and soccer d) tennis; football and soccer

8. Who are Walt Disney’s most famous characters?
   a) Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny c) Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck
   b) Donald Duck and Daffy Duck d) Pluto and Wile E. Coyote

9. What was Mark Twain’s real name?
   a) Samuel Langhorn Clemens
   b) Hemingway
   c) Tom Sawyer

10. By the late 1800s America was a rich country and for many people these were happy times.
    A … was one sign of success.
    a) flute c) piano
    b) violin d) guitar

(10 points)

Variant 5 – “Culture: Traditions and Customs. American Holidays”.

Task: Choose the necessary.

1. When do Americans celebrate Independence Day?
   a) July 4
   b) December 25
   c) February 14

2. In which month is Halloween celebrated?
   a) December
   b) October
   c) November

3. In 1971, the dates of many federal holidays were officially moved to the nearest … .
   a) Monday c) weekend
   b) Sunday d) week

4. … is a happy holiday on the fourth Thursday of each November.
   a) Labour Day c) Thanksgiving Day
   b) Christmas d) Halloween

5. There are four holidays which are not necessarily celebrated on Mondays: … .
   a) Memorial Day, New Year’s Day, Christmas, President’s Day
   b) Christmas, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Labour Day
   c) Columbus Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas
   d) Christmas, New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day

6. A popular American food is … .
   a) barbecue ribs
   b) pelmeni
   c) fish and chips

7. The colonists had arrived too late to grow many crops, and without fresh food half the colony died from disease. The following spring, the Indians taught them how to grow …, a new food for the colonists.
   a) rice c) potatoes
   b) tomatoes d) corn

8. … is one of the symbols which represent the first Thanksgiving.
   a) Lamb c) Turkey
   b) Veal d) Pork

9. Going home for … is a most cherished tradition of the holiday season. No matter where you may be the rest of the year, being “at home” with your family and friends for … is a “a must”.
   a) Veteran’s Day c) Independence Day
   b) Christmas d) Labour Day

10. … are the symbols drawn on holiday decorations and greeting cards.
    a) Pork, corn, pumpkin and cranberry sauce
    b) Corn, hot dog, pumpkin and cranberry sauce
    c) Porridge, hot dog, cabbage and pop-corn
    d) Turkey, corn, pumpkin and cranberry sauce

(10 points)

Text «The USA» in English. Political system of the USA

The U.S. A. is a federal republic of 50 states. Besides the 48 contiguous states that occupy the middle latitudes of the continent, the United States includes the state of Alaska at the north-western extreme of North America and the island state of Hawaii in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The conterminous states are bounded on the north by Canada, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The national capital is Washington, which is coextensive with the District of Columbia, the federal capital region created in 1790. New York is the most important economic and cultural center.

Geographic characteristic of the USA

The total area of the United States is 3,679,192 square miles (9,529,063 square kilometres), making it the fourth largest country in the world in area (after Russia, Canada and China). Outlying territories and other politically associated areas in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea add approximately 4,000 square miles to this figure.

Гора Сент-Хеленс. Штат Вашингтон

The major characteristic of the United States is probably its great variety. Its physical environment ranges from the Arctic to the subtropical, from the moist rain forest to the arid desert, from the rugged mountain peak to the flat prairie. Although the total population of the United States is large by world standards, its overall population density is relatively low; the country embraces some of the world’s largest urban concentrations as well as some of the most extensive areas that are almost devoid of habitation.

Population of the USA

The population of the US is 330 millions. The United States contains a highly diverse population; but, unlike a country such as China that largely incorporated indigenous peoples, its diversity has to a great degree come from an immense and sustained global immigration. Probably no other country has a wider range of racial, ethnic and cultural types than does the United States. In addition to the presence of surviving native Americans (including American Indians, Aleuts and Eskimo) and the descendants of Africans taken as slaves to America, the national character has been enriched, tested, and constantly redefined by the tens of millions of immigrants who by and large have gone to America hoping for greater social, political and economic opportunities than they had in the places they left.

Здания Нью-Йорка

Economy of the USA

The United States is the second world’s greatest economic power, measured in terms of gross national product (GNP). The nation’s wealth is partly a reflection of its rich natural resources and its enormous agricultural output, but it owes more to the country’s highly developed industry. Despite its relative economic self-sufficiency in many areas, the United States is the most important single factor in world trade by virtue of the sheer size of its economy. Its exports and imports represent major proportions of the world total. The United States also impinges on the global economy as a source of and as a destination for investment capital. The country continues to sustain an economic life that is more diversified than any other on Earth, providing the majority of its people with one of the world’s highest standards of living.

History of the USA

The United States is relatively young by world standards, being barely more than 200 years old; it achieved its current size only in the mid-20th century. America was the first of the European colonies to separate successfully from its motherland, and it was the first nation to be established on the premise that sovereignty rests with its citizens and not with the government.

In its first century and a half, the country was mainly preoccupied with its own territorial expansion and economic growth and with social debates that ultimately led to civil war and a healing period that is still not complete.

In the 20th century the United States emerged as a world power, and since World War II it has been one of the pre-eminent powers. It has not accepted this mantle easily nor always carried it willingly; the principles and ideals of its founders have been tested by the pressures and exigencies of its dominant status.

Although the United States still offers its residents opportunities for unparalleled personal advancement and wealth, the depletion of its resources, contamination of its environment, and continuing social and economic inequality that perpetuates areas of poverty and blight all threaten the fabric of the country.

Map of the USA. Карта США

Текст «США» на английском языке с переводом на русский

США — федеративная республика, состоящая из 50 штатов. Помимо 48 смежных штатов, которые занимают средние широты континента, Соединенные Штаты включают штат Аляска на северо-западе Северной Америки и островной штат Гавайи в центре Тихого океана. Смежные государства ограничены на севере Канадой, на востоке — Атлантическим океаном, на юге — Мексиканским заливом и Мексикой, а на западе — Тихим океаном. Столица страны — Вашингтон, который совпадает с округом Колумбия, федеральным столичным регионом, созданным в 1790 году. Важнейшим экономическим и культурным центром является город Нью-Йорк.

Географическая характеристика США на английском

Общая площадь Соединенных Штатов составляет 3 679 192 квадратных миль (9 529 063 квадратных километра), что делает их четвертой по величине страной в мире по площади (после России, Канады и Китая). Отдаленные территории и другие политически связанные районы в Тихом океане и Карибском море добавляют к этой цифре примерно 4 000 квадратных миль.

Основная характеристика Соединенных Штатов, вероятно, заключается в их большом разнообразии. Его физическая среда варьируется от арктической до субтропической, от влажных тропических лесов до засушливой пустыни, от крутых горных вершин до плоских прерий. Хотя общая численность населения США велика по мировым стандартам, общая плотность населения относительно невысока; Страна включает в себя одни из крупнейших в мире городских концентраций, а также некоторые из самых обширных районов, которые почти лишены населения.

Население США на английском

Население США составляет 330 миллионов человек. В Соединенных Штатах проживает очень разнообразное население; но, в отличие от такой страны, как Китай, в которой в основном проживают коренные народы, ее разнообразие в значительной степени обусловлено огромной и устойчивой глобальной иммиграцией. Наверное, ни в одной другой стране нет более широкого диапазона расовых, этнических и культурных типов, чем в Соединенных Штатах. В дополнение к коренным американцам (включая американских индейцев, алеутов и эскимосов) и потомкам африканцев, взятых в рабство Америки, национальный характер был обогащен, испытан и постоянно пересматривался десятками миллионов иммигрантов, которые приехали в Америку в надежде на большие социальные, политические и экономические возможности, чем они имели в местах, откуда они уехали.

Экономика США на английском

Соединенные Штаты — вторая по величине экономическая держава в мире с точки зрения валового национального продукта (ВНП). Богатство страны частично является отражением ее богатых природных ресурсов и огромному производству сельскохозяйственной продукции, но больше оно обязано высокоразвитой промышленности страны. Несмотря на свою относительную экономическую самодостаточность во многих областях, Соединенные Штаты являются наиболее важным фактором мировой торговли в силу огромных размеров своей экономики. Его экспорт и импорт составляют основную долю от общемирового объема. Соединенные Штаты также вторгаются в мировую экономику как источник и место назначения инвестиционного капитала. Страна продолжает поддерживать более разнообразную экономическую жизнь, чем любая другая на Земле, обеспечивая большинству своего населения один из самых высоких в мире стандартов жизни.

История США на английском

Соединенные Штаты относительно молоды по мировым стандартам, им едва больше 200 лет; своего нынешнего размера он достиг только в середине 20 века. Америка была первой из европейских колоний, успешно отделившихся от своей родины, и первой нацией, основанной на предпосылке, что суверенитет принадлежит ее гражданам, а не правительству.

В течение первых полутора веков страна была в основном озабочена своей территориальной экспансией и экономическим ростом, а также социальными дебатами, которые в конечном итоге привели к гражданской войне и периоду исцеления, который все еще не завершен.

В 20 веке Соединенные Штаты превратились в мировую державу, а после Второй мировой войны они были одной из ведущих держав. Он не принимал эту мантию легко и не всегда носил ее охотно; принципы и идеалы его основателей были проверены давлением и требованиями его доминирующего статуса.

Хотя Соединенные Штаты по-прежнему предлагают своим жителям возможности для беспрецедентного личного роста и богатства, истощение их ресурсов, загрязнение окружающей среды и продолжающееся социальное и экономическое неравенство, которое увековечивает районы бедности и упадка, угрожают ткани страны.