The United States of America  (топик на английском)

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The United States of America is situated in North America and is washed by the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. The country borders on Canada in the north and Mexico in the south. It sea-borders on Russia as well.
The landscape of the country varies much. The country has a lot of mountain chains, plains, canyons and even deserts. The Rocky Mountains are the highest mountains in the USA; the Appalachian Mountains go along the eastern coast.
The USA is rich in lakes and rivers. The Great Lakes are the five biggest lakes in the country: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The longest river in the USA is the Mississippi which joins the Missouri. The famous Niagara Falls are situated in New York State and are the biggest falls in the world.
The climate of the country is varied. The winter temperature in Alaska is twenty-five degrees below zero while in Florida it is twenty degrees above zero. In Southern states it is warm all year round while in northern states the weather is changeable and mostly cold.
The USA is rich in mineral resources such as coal, gas, oil and different metals. It exports computers and electronics, transportation equipment and machinery.
The flag of the USA has thirteen white and red stripes and 50 white stars on the dark blue background (one star is for one state). The currency of the country is the dollar which consists of one hundred cents. The United States is a federative republic which includes fifty states and one independent district — District of Columbia with the city of Washington, the capital of the USA. The President is the head of the country. Every state has its own constitution and laws, but the main law of the country is the Constitution. The main political parties in the country are the Republicans and the Democrats.
The population of the USA is mixed. There are white people, Afro-Americans, South Americans, the Chinese and the Japanese. There are also American Indians that are called natives. The country has numerous big cities and small towns. New York City is the largest city in the USA and the fourth largest city in the world with the population more than 14 million people.
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. This is a political centre of the country. The Capitol and the White House (the residence of the president) are situated there. This city is also famous for its numerous monuments, museums and art galleries.
Los Angeles on the western coast is one of the most popular cities in the world. San Francisco is famous for its Golden Gate Bridge and small trams going in the city.
The United States is a fascinating country and I will definitely visit it one day.


Vocabulary:
above zero [a'bAv'ziarau] выше нуля
rich in ['ntfin] богатый чем-то
below zero [bi'bu'ziarau] ниже нуля
border [Ъо:ёэ] граничить
changeable ['tjernd33bl] непостоянный
constitution [kttnsti'tuf^n] конституция
currency ['kvransi] валюта
definitely ['defimtli] определенно, точно
desert ['dezat] пустыня
fascinating ['fcesmeitirj] очаровательный
federative ['fedaratrv федеративная
republic п'рлЫгк] республика
independent [indi'pendant независимый
district 'distrikt] округ
join [d30in] сливаться
machinery [тэ'Д:пэп] машинное оборудование
mixed [mikst] смешанный
numerous ['nju:m(3)r3s] бесчисленный
plain [plein] равнина
residence ['rezidans] резиденция
sea-border ['si:bo:da] иметь морскую границу
stripe [straip] полоса
tram [teem] трамвай
transportation [ltr£enspo:'teiJ(3)n транспортное
equipment I'kwrpmant] оборудование
vary [Vean] разниться


Questions:
1. Where is the USA situated?
2. Is the landscape of the country varied?
3. What major lakes and rivers are there in the USA?
4. What can you say about the climate of the country?
5. What can you say about the flag of the USA and the political system of the country?
6. What famous American cities can you name?
7. Would you like to go to the USA? Why (not)?

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