The USA

The United States of America is situated in the central part of the North American continent. It is washed by the Pacific Ocean and by the Atlantic Ocean.

As to population, it is the fourth largest country in the world. Nearly 240 million people live there.

There are great climatic variations between different regions of the country. The eastern continental region is well watered with rainfalls. It includes all the Atlantic seaboard and southeastern states and extends to the west to cover Indiana. The climate of the prairie lands lying to the west is drought.

The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of fifty states; every state has its own governor, its own police, and its own laws. The present Constitution was proclaimed in 1787 in Philadelphia. The president is the head of the whole country and the government, and is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The president term is 4 years.

The United States’ flag is called the “Stars and Stripes”. It has thirteen stripes and fifty white stars on a blue field.

The USA is one of the most highly developed capitalist states. The country is rich in a variety of mineral resources. The USA has a highly developed railway system. American agriculture produces more food products than any other capitalist country.

The educational system of the USA differs from the system in some countries. The elementary school is followed by four or six years of the secondary school or high school as it is called. Many Americans go on to institutions of higher education when they leave school. If they want to go on to college or university, they often take college admission tests. The capital of the United States of America is Washington.

New York is the largest city and port in the United States. It is the industrial and cultural center of the country. It is the financial and business center of the capitalist world.

It is also the center of the political life, the center of the mass media and the world’s biggest bank center. N.Y. is the economic capital of the USA with a population of nearly eight million.

 

3. Ответьте на следующие вопросы, опираясь на содержание прочитанного вами текста:

1. Where is the USA situated?

2. What is the population of the USA?

3. What is called American prairie?

4. What does the USA owe its high level of economic development to?

5. What are the main mineral resources of the country?

6. How can you characterize the USA industry?

7. When do American children begin to go to school?

8. What is the first school called?

9. For how many years do children learn in the elementary school?

10. Where can they study after finishing secondary school?

11. What is the capital of the USA?

12. What kind of city is New York?

13. What is typical for N.Y.?