I. Name all the symbols belonging to the United States of America

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II. Guess the United States symbols:

1) this symbol represents the size and strength of the nation;

2) this symbol is placed in all US paper money;

3) this is the symbol of the American Revolution, it can be seen in every American house;

4) this symbol is on permanent display in a glass-enclosed building in Philadelphia;

5) the most popular patriotic song in America;

6) this symbol includes the words in Latin;

7) this symbol originated from an abbreviation.

III. Prepare a crossword with the American symbols and suggest your fellow-students doing it.

IV. Look for the pictures of various American symbols on the Internet and make your fellow-students comment on them.

V. Fill in the following table and put it into your portfolio.

American Symbol	The Information
The Stars and Stripes	The modern US flag consist of ____ stars representing the _______ and ____ alternate red and white _______ representing the ___________________. It originated in _______.
The Star-Spangled Banner	It was the title of the song that __________________ wrote when he watched the bombardment of __________ in _______. It became the national anthem in ______.
American Symbol	The Information
Uncle Sam	The symbol originated from the name of the man - ________________, who sent meat to the US army during the war in ________. He marked his barrels with the abbreviation ______, and one of his workers said it stood for _____________, the meatpacker. Nowadays, Uncle Sam also stands for the US Government.
The Liberty Bell	It is the symbol of American _____________. On ________________, it rang out to announce the reading of the _______________________________. It was ringing till _______,when it cracked. The Liberty Bell is on display in _______________, the old capital of the country.
The Bald Eagle	This bird lives only in __________________. In ________it was chosen as a national bird because it is a symbol of great __________ and __________ of the nation.
The Great Seal	It was adopted in ________. It shows an American ______________ with a ____________ in its mouth bearing the words _____________. It holds the ____________ of war and an ________________ of peace.
The National Motto	In God We Trust became a national motto in _________. It is placed on all the __________ money and _________.
The Statue of Liberty	It is the symbol of ______________ for the millions of people coming to America. It was presented by the _________ and placed in New York Harbor in _______. The figure of a young woman holding a __________ in her right hand, and in her left hand there is a tablet with the date ______________, which symbolizes the ____________________________.
The Pledge of Allegiance	It was adopted by the Congress in _______. While repeating the pledge, the Americans place their ______________ over the __________.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Donkey and the Elephant first appeared in political cartoons as symbols of the two main political parties in the US - the Democrats and the Republicans.

Rose is the national flower of the United States of America.
George Washington, the first president of the USA, carried a portable sundial to tell him the time.
The 20^th president of the USA, James A. Garfield, could write in Latin with one hand and simultaneously write in Greek with the other.
The Turks call the turkey ‘an American bird’.

TOPIC 4: ACROSS THE STATES

The USA is divided into 50 states and the District of Columbia (the territory under capital Washington), the seat of the national government.

The 50 American States

State	Russian equivalent	Abbreviation	Capital city	Popular name
1.Alabama [ ]	Алабама	Ala.	Montgomery [ ]	The Heart of Dixie; Camellia State
2.Alaska [ ]	Аляска	Al. or AK.	Juneau [ ]	The Last Frontier; Land of the Midnight Sun
3.Arizona [ ]	Аризона	Ariz.	Phoenix [ ]	Grand Canyon State
4.Arkansas [ ]	Арканзас	Ark.	Little Rock [ ]	Land of Opportunity
5.California [ ]	Калифорния	Calif.	Sacramento [ ]	Golden State
6.Colorado [ ]	Колорадо	Colo.	Denver [ ]	Centennial State
7.Connecticut [ ]	Коннектикут	Conn.	Hartford [ ]	Nutmeg State; Constitution State
8.Delaware [ ]	Делавэр	Del.	Dover [ ]	Diamond State; First State
9.Florida [ ]	Флорида	Fla.	Tallahassee [ ]	Sunshine State
10.Georgia [ ]	Джорджия	Ga.	Atlanta [ ]	Peach State; Empire State of the South
11.Hawaii [ ]	Гавайи	HI.	Honolulu [ ]	Aloha State
12.Idaho [ ]	Айдахо	Id. or Ida.	Boise [ ]	Gem State; Spud State; Panhandle State
13.Illinois [ ]	Иллинойс	Ill.	Springfield [ ]	Prairie State
14.Indiana [ ]	Индиана	Ind.	Idianapolis [ ]	Hoosier State
15.Iowa	Айова	Ia.	Des Moines [ ]	Hawkeye State
16.Kansas [ ]	Канзас	Kan. or Kans.	Topeka [ ]	Sunflower State; Sayhawk State
17.Kentucky [ ]	Кентукки	Ky. or Ken.	Frankfort [ ]	Bluegrass State
18.Louisiana [ ]	Луизиана	La.	Baton Rouge [ ]	Pelican State; Sportsman’s Para-dise; Creole State; Sugar State
19.Maine [ ]	Мэн	Me.	Augusta [ ]	Pine Tree State
20.Maryland [ ]	Мэриленд	Md.	Annapolis [ ]	Free State; Old Line State
21.Massachusetts [ ]	Массачусетс	Mass.	Boston [ ]	Bay State; Old Colony State
22.Michigan [ ]	Мичиган	Mich.	Lansing [ ]	Wolverine State
23.Minnesota [ ]	Миннесота	Minn.	St.Paul [ ]	North Star State; Gopher State; Land of 10,000 Lakes
24.Mississippi [ ]	Миссисипи	Miss.	Jackson [ ]	Magnolia State
25.Missouri [ ]	Миссури	Mo.	Jefferson City [ ]	Show Me State
26.Montana [ ]	Монтана	Mont.	Helena [ ]	Treasure State
27.Nebraska [ ]	Небраска	Nebr. or Neb.	Lincoln [ ]	Cornhusker State; Beef State; Tree Planters State
28.Nevada [ ]	Невада	Nev.	Carson City [ ]	Sagebrush State; Silver State; Battleborn State
29.New Hampshire [ ]	Нью-Гемпшир	N. H.	Concord [ ]	Granite State
30.New Jersey [ ]	Нью-Джерси	N. J.	Trenton [ ]	Garden State
31.New Mexico [ ]	Нью-Мексико	N. Mex. or N. M.	Santa Fe [ ]	Land of Enchantment; Sunshine State
32.New York [ ]	Нью-Йорк	N. Y.	Albany [ ]	Empire State
33.North Carolina [ ]	Северная Каролина	N. C.	Raleigh [ ]	Tar Tree State
34.North Dakota [ ]	Северная Дакота	N. Dak.	Bismark [ ]	Peace Garden State
35.Ohio [ ]	Огайо	O.	Columbus [ ]	Buckeye State
36.Oklahoma [ ]	Оклахома	Okla.	Oklahoma City [ ]	Sooner State
37.Oregon [ ]	Орегон	Oreg. or Ore.	Salem [ ]	Beaver State
38.Pennsylvania [ ]	Пенсильвания	Pa., Penn. or Penna.	Harrisburgh [ ]	Keystone State
39.Rhode Island [ ]	Род-Айленд	R. I.	Providence [ ]	Ocean State
40.South Carolina [ ]	Южная Каролина	S. C.	Columbia [ ]	Palmetto State
41.South Dakota [ ]	Южная Дакота	S. Dak.	Pierre [ ]	Sunshine State; Coyote State
42.Tennessee [ ]	Теннесси	Tenn.	Nashville [ ]	Volunteer State
43.Texas [ ]	Техас	Tex.	Austin [ ]	Lone Star State
44.Utah [ ]	Юта	Ut.	Salt Lake City [ ]	Vermont State
45.Vermont [ ]	Вермонт	Vt.	Montpelier [ ]	Green Mountain State
46.Virginia [ ]	Вергиния	Va.	Richmond [ ]	The Old Dominion
47.Washington [ ]	Вашингтон	Wash.	Olympia [ ]	Evergreen State
48.West Virginia [ ]	Западная Вергиния	W. Va.	Charleston [ ]	Mountain State
49.Wisconsin [ ]	Висконсин	Wis. or Wisc.	Madison [ ]	Badger State
50.Wyoming [ ]	Вайоминг	Wyo. or Wy.	Cheyenne [ ]	Equality State

The Names of the States

Г.Д. Томахин в книге «Америка через американизмы» разделил по этимологическому признаку названия штатов на 4 группы:

А) Названия, возникшие на основе существовавших уже ранее географических названий, перенесенных из стран Старого Света на Североамериканский Континент:

Maine – по имени французской провинции, принадлежавшей королеве Генриетте-Марии, жене Карла I, короля Англии)

New Hampshire – от названия графства в Англии

New York – от названия города в Англии

New Jersey – от названия острова у берегов Англии

New Mexico – от названия страны

Б) Названия, образованные на основе европейских языков:

California – исп. «жаркая, как печь»

Colorado – исп. «цветная страна»

Montana – исп. «горная страна»

Nevada – исп. «покрытая снегом»

Rhode Island – голл. «красный остров»

Vermont – фр. «зеленые горы

Indiana – «страна индейцев»

Florida – исп. «цветущая»

В) Названия-посвящения – в честь исторических личностей:

Columbia – в честь Колумба

Delaware – от имени лорда De La Warr – губернатора Виргинии в начале 17века

Georgia – в честь английского короля Георга II

Louisiana – в честь короля Франции Людовига XIV

Carolina – по имени короля Англии Карла I

Maryland – в честь королевы Генриетты-Марии, жены Карла I, короля Англии

Pennsylvania – «лесная страна Пена»

Virginia – в честь королевы Англии Елизаветы I

Washington – в честь Джорджа Вашингтона

Г) Названия, заимствованные из индейских языков:

Alabama – по названию индейского племени «расчищаю заросли»

Alaska – «большая земля»

Arizona – «маленький ручей»

Arkansas – название индейского племени квопо

Connecticut – «река сосен»

Idaho – «свет на горе»

Illinois – «река людей»

Iowa – по названию индейского племени «спящие, сонливые»

Kansas – по названию индейского племени «люди южного ветра»

Kentucky – «земля завтрашнего дня»

Massachusetts – «маленькое место на большом холме»

Michigan – по названию индейского племени «большая вода»

Minnesota – «небесно-голубая вода»

Mississippi – «рыбная река»

Missouri – по названию индейского племени группы сиу

Nebraska – «широкая река»

Dakota – «союз»

Oklahoma – «красные люди»

Oregon – «шалфей»

Tennessee – название реки

Texas – «союзники», употреблялось как приветствие

Utah – по названию индейского племени

Wisconsin – «слияние рек»

Wyoming – «горы и долины»

The Nicknames of the States

Каждый штат имеет одно официальное название, которое приводится в справочниках, вместе с официальным девизом штата, его флагом, птицей, животным и растением. Наряду с официальными, каждый штат имеет еще несколько названий, отражающих его своеобразие. Г.Д. Томахин в книге «Америка через американизмы» приводит классификацию прозвищ штатов:

1) Прозвища штатов, отражающие особенности природно-географической среды (местоположение штата, конфигурация, размеры, рельеф, гидронимы, климатические условия, растения, животные), например:

The Border State – «пограничный штат». Штат Мэн, расположенный на крайнем северо-востоке Новой Англии, граничит с Канадой.

The Crossroads of America – «перекресток Америки». Официальное прозвище штата Индиана.

The Heart of Dixie – «сердце Дикси», «сердце старого юга» - штат Алабама. Словом Dixie в США называют южные (бывшие рабовладельческие) штаты, оно вошло в обиход во время Гражданской войны как название военной песни южан, затем стало употребляться для обозначения всего относящегося к южным штатам.

The Panhandle State – «штат – ручка сковороды». Штат Западная Виргиния напоминает по форме сковороду с ручкой. Прозвище, однако, несколько пренебрежительно, т.к. прозвище жителей штата – Panhandleites может ассоциироваться с to panhandle – разг. амер. «просить милостыню, попрошайничать».

The Jumbo State – «огромный штат», «огромный, как слон Джамбо» (Техас). До принятия Аляски в состав США Техас был самым большим по площади. Слово Jumbo используется в разговорном языке в значении «крупный, очень большой».

The Empire State – «имперский штат» (Нью-Йорк). Хотя в последнее время штат Нью-Йорк уступил первое место по количеству населения Калифорнии, он в течение долгого времени был самым крупным штатом по численности населения и по стоимости производимой продукции, а город Нью-Йорк всегда был и остается крупнейшим городом США, морскими и воздушными воротами страны. The Empire State – прозвище штата – перешло на название крупнейшего до недавнего времени небоскреба в Нью-Йорке – the Empire State Building.

The Diamond State – «штат-бриллиант». Делавэр получил это прозвище потому, что, будучи маленьким по размерам, играет очень большую роль в экономике страны.

Uncle Sam ’ s Handkerchief – «носовой платок дяди Сэма». Пренебрежительное прозвище штата Делавэр. Его маленькие размеры послужили основой для такого шутливо-иронического прозвища.

Uncle Sam ’ s Attic – «чердак дяди Сэма». Пренебрежительное прозвище штата Аляска, который рассматривается как задворки США.

The Gateway to the West – «ворота Запада». Рекламное прозвище штата Миссури. В городе Индепенденс берут свое начало две основные дороги на Запад.

The Grand Canyon State – «штат Большого Каньона». Прозвище штата Аризона, где на реке Колорадо находится крупнейший в мире каньон (глубиной около 1 мили и длиной около 200 миль.

The Prairie State – «штат прерий». Большую часть штата Иллинойс занимают прерии.

The Gulf State – «штат у Мексиканского залива». Западная часть полуострова Флорида омывается Мексиканским заливом.

The Lake State – «озерный штат». Штат Мичиган почти полностью окружен четырьмя из пяти Великих Озер.

The Sunshine State – «солнечный штат» (Флорида). Это прозвище появилось на номерных знаках автомашин, зарегистрированных в штате Флорида, вытеснив все другие, оно стало официальным прозвищем штата.

The Cyclone State – «штат циклонов» .Канзас находится в центре зоны циклонов США.

The Palmetto State – «штат пальметты». Низкорослая пальма (palmetto) произрастает по всей территории штата Южная Каролина, и это дерево изображено на гербе штата.

The Bluegrass State – «штат голубой травы». Кентукки является центром так называемого bluegrass region – «голуботравья», покрывающие богатые известняком почвы этого штата.

The Evergreen State – «вечнозеленый штат». Это прозвище штата Вашингтон основывается на том, что хвойные леса, занимающие большую часть штата, и зеленая трава, не вянущая даже зимой (из-за мягкого влажного климата), создают впечатление вечнозеленого покрова.

The Coyote State – «штат койотов». Официальное название штата южная Дакота. Койоты (степные волки) встречались довольно часто в прериях Южной Дакоты.

The Gopher State – «штат сусликов». Это презрительное прозвище штат Миннесота получил из-за того, что в степных сельскохозяйственных районах штата суслик был настолько распространен, что был подлинным бедствием для фермеров.

2) Прозвища штатов, отражающие некоторые особенности их хозяйственно-экономического развития (особенности промышленности, сельского хозяйства, рыболовства, туризма), например:

The Golden State – «золотой штат». Официальное прозвище штата Калифорния. Жителей штата называют Gold Diggers, Gold Hunters в память о так называемых Forty-niners – участниках «золотой лихорадки» 1849 г. Это прозвище ассоциируется и с Golden Gate Bridge (мост «Золотые ворота» в г. Сан-Франциско) – самым высоким мостом в США (64 м) и с солнечными долинами Калифорнии, а главное – с ее ролью в жизни страны как крупнейшего по численности населения, ведущего штата в отношении новейших отраслей промышленности.

The Silver State – «серебряный штат». Официальное прозвище штата Невада, в котором открытие Комстокского месторождения серебра и золота породило «золотую лихорадку» 1859 года.

The Gem State – «штат-самоцвет». Официальное прозвище штата Айдахо. Idaho в переводе с языка индейцев означает Gem of the Mountains – горный самоцвет, драгоценный камень.

The Breadbasket of the Nation – «житница страны». Рекламное название штата Канзас, который занимает ведущее место в производстве пшеницы.

America ’ s Dairyland – «край молочного животноводства», «молочная ферма Америки». Молочное животноводство является ведущей отраслью сельского хозяйства штата.

The Cornhusker State – «штат кукурузников». Неофициальное название штата Небраска. Во время уборки урожая кукурузы раньше широко были распространены так называемые huskings (husking-bees) – сборы соседей и друзей у фермера, чтобы помочь ему в очистке кукурузы.

The Sugar State – «сахарный штат» (Луизиана). Многочисленные плантации сахарного тростника и заводы по его переработке послужили основой для такого прозвища штата.

The Vacation State – «штат отдыха». Рекламное прозвище штата Невада, значительное место в экономике которого занимает обслуживание богатых туристов (игорные дома в Лас-Вегасе и Рино).

The Sportsman ’ s Paradise – «рай для спортсменов» - рекламное прозвище штата Луизиана, вынесенное на номерные знаки машин.

The Land of Enchantment – «страна очарования». Официальное прозвище штата Нью-Мексико, которое дано ему в целях рекламы для привлечения туристов в этот штат, славящийся своими пустынными ландшафтами.

3) Названия штатов, отражающие особенности их истории (политика, исторические личности, нравы и обычаи, этнический состав населения, связанные с девизами, гербами и флагами), например:

The Old Dominion – «старый доминион». Официальное название штата Виргиния, на территории которого возникла первая английская колония на Североамериканском континенте – Джеймстаун.

The Puritan State – «пуританский штат». Штат Массачусетс находится на месте колоний, основанных в 1620 г. пуританами, выходцами из Англии.

The Centennial State – «штат столетия». Официальное прозвище штата Колорадо, который был принят в состав США в 1876 г., когда отмечалось столетие США.

The Sooner State – «штат землезахватчиков», букв. «штат досрочников» (людей, захвативших земельные участки до официального открытия территории Оклахомы). Утратив негативные оттенки, это название превратилось в официальное прозвище штата.

The Constitution State – «штат конституции2 (Коннектикут), где в 1639 г., впервые среди североамериканских колоний, были приняты так называемые «Fundamental Orders», послужившие в дальнейшем основой для конституции США.

The Nutmeg State – «штат мускатного ореха». Шутливое прозвище Коннектикута и его жителей (Nutmeggers, Nutmeg Yankees), которые настолько поднаторели в изготовлении и продаже на сторону всяких нужных в хозяйстве вещей, что изготовляли из дерева мускатные орехи и сбывали их как настоящие.

The Tarheel State – «штат чернопяточников», «штат мажущих пятки смолой». Шутливое прозвище штата Северное Каролина и его жителей – Tarheels. Возникло как презрительное прозвище во время гражданской войны, когда бригада северокаролинцев не смогла удержать позицию и обратилась в бегство. Занимавшие оборону рядом с ними миссисипцы высмеяли горе-вояк, объясняя их бегство тем, что северокаролинцы забыли в этот день смазать, как обычно, пятки смолой.

Show - me State – «недоверчивый штат», «штат скептиков» (букв. «докажи мне»). Официальное прозвище штата Миссури. Выражение show me в атрибутивном употреблении, в значении «требующий подтверждений», ассоциируется со штатом Миссури.

The Lone Star State – «штат одинокой звезды». Официальное прозвище штата Техас, на флаге которого изображена одна звезда.

The Beehive State – «штат пчелиного улья». На гербе штата Юта изображен пчелиный улей, символизирующий трудолюбие жителей штата, основанного мормонами в пустыне на берегу Соленого озера.

The NORTHEAST

The Northeast Corridor

The Northeast Corridor is the most densely populated region of the United States. It stretches from Washington, D.C., up to the Canadian border and includes the states of Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhide Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Although there is heavy industry in some areas of the Northeast Corridor, the natural beauty of the northern part attracts many tourists. The interior of New England is mountanous and covered with forests. In the fall, thousands of people visit New England to see the spectacular colors of the changing leaves. Tourists also come to ski, especially in Vermont, the Green Mountain State, which has over thirty different skiing areas.

Whale-watching has become an attraction along the coast. Specially designed boats take people to areas where humpback and fin whales gather to feed. The Atlantic Ocean off Cape Cod in Massachusetts is a popular place for whale-watching. New England is famous for seafood, especially lobster.

Landmarks for Independence

Boston, the state capital of Massachusetts, was the center of the struggle for independence during American Revolutionary War.

The Boston Tea Party in 1773 was a protest by some colonists. They protested against the high taxes the British were charging for tea for taking the tea from three British ships and throwing it into Boston Harbor. In April 1775, Paul Revere, a silversmith who had taken part in the protest, made a famous midnight horseback ride to warn everyone of a British attack. Two months later, the colonists fought against the British in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

There are many colleges and universities in the Boston area. Harvard, in the nearby city of Cambridge, is the most famous of several elite universities in the Northeast known as Ivy League schools. The name comes from the ivy that grows on some of the their old buildings. Other Ivy League schools are: Yale (Connecticut), Princeton (New Jersey), and Columbia (New York City).

State of freedom

The state of Pennsylvania was originally a Quaker colony founded in the 1680s by William Penn, a wealthy English Quaker. The Quaker settlers believed in religious tolerance, so Pennsylvania became a refuge for people escaping from religious persecution. Quakers were also against slavery, so many blacks settled in Pennsylvania during the late 1600s and later on.

The state capital is Harrisburg, but the largest city in Pennsylvania is Philadelphia. This city is associated with the Declaration of Independence, which was signed and approved there on July 4, 1776. Today, visitors can see the Liberty Bell, which was rung for the first time on July 8, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was read out in public. Later, the first Constitution of the United States was written in Philadelphia.

A world apart

In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, there is a community of people who arrived more than two hundred years ago to escape religious persecution. They are Amish, also known as the Pennsylvania Dutch – from the Americanized version of the word Deutsch, which means «German».

The Amish still live as they did two centuries ago. The people ride in horse-drawn buggies instead of cars and build their houses using traditional methods.

They prefer to live in their own communities. The children go to Amish schools in the villages. After eight years of studying reading, writing, arithmetic, and the Bible, children go to work on their family farms.

The MIDWEST

The Industrial Midwest

The area around the Great Lakes of Lake Erie and Lake Michigan is well-known for producing steel, cars, and other industrial products. In the 1970s and 1980s demand for these products fell, and many plants downsized. The name «Rust Belt» began to be used to describe the area. Hundreds of thousands of people moved away in search of new jobs.

A quarter of American steel is produced in Chicago , Illinois, and Gary, Indiana. A third of US automobiles is assembled in factories in and around Detroit, Michigan. One out of five workers in Michigan is employed in the automobile industry.

Today, the so-called Rust Belt is making effort to develop new industries. More people work in the service sector, for example, in computer and technology companies. The unemployment rate is now the lowest in the country. The downtown areas of big cities are being renewed. In places like Cleveland , Ohio, there are now new restaurants and stores downtown.

The Dairy Belt

Millions of cows graze in the pastures of the Great Lakes region, and this area is called the nation's Dairy Belt. The state of Wisconsin is the leader in dairy farming and is famous for its production of cheese. Milk from 25,000 farms goes to Wisconsin's 142 cheese-making plants to produce one-third of all the cheese made in the United States.

More than 300 kinds of cheese is made in Wisconsin. Many were brought by immigrants from different countries. Two local cheeses are Brick, which is shaped like a brick, and Colby, originally made in the town of Colby. The most popular cheeses are Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Swiss cheese. Butter, yogurt, sour cream, and ice cream are other dairy products produced in this region.

Across the Plains

Huge farms on the Great Plains – from the Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains – and the central states down through Texas produce wheat, corn, and soybeans for the nation and for export abroad.

The farmers in this area have often had to struggle very hard in the past. In the 1930s, part of the Great Plains and the Midwest became known as the Dust Bowl. The rains stopped and crops failed, then the soil blew away in great dust storms. Thousands of farmers lost their farms and moved west to California to start a new life. These farmers were often called the Okies (from Oklahoma), although they also came from Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas.

Since 1930s, different farming methods have been used to prevent the erosion of soil. Farmers grow wheat for three years, then alternate with grass for another three years.

The SOUTHEAST

The New South

The original states that formed the South were Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Texas.

The financial and transportation center of the modern South is Atlanta, the state capital of Georgia. Its airport is one of the busiest in the world, and many multinational companies have their headquarters there.

For many years cotton was the most important agricultural product in the South; it grew well in the region’s hot climate. Now major cotton-growing areas, such as Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, produce peanuts, soybeans, and tobacco. The large cotton plantations that were worked by slaves before the Civil War are gone.

The Big Muddy

The Mississippi is the longest river in the United States. It flows from Minnesota down to the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans, passing through the river ports of St.Louis, Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee, on the way. The Mississippi carries so much soil and rocks along with it that its nickname is the Big Muddy.

As a river, the Mississippi also has more romantic associations. 19^th century novelist Mark Twain made the river famous when he wrote “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. The book tells the adventures of a boy, Huckleberry Finn, and a runaway slave, Jim, as they travel down the river.

The Sunshine State

Florida, the Sunshine State, was bought from the Spanish in 1819. It is the southernmost state on the mainland and has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Oranges grow all year round even in winter, when the weather is very cold further north.

The warm climate has made Florida an important vacation resort. More than 8 million visitors come to Miami Beach every year. There are also many theme parks. The state capital is Tallahassee, but the biggest city is Miami, which has a large Hispanic community. Over half of the people who live there speak Spanish as their first language.

At the southern tip of Florida are the Everglades, where a shallow fresh water river moves slowly toward the sea. It is the home of alligators, crocodiles, many different kinds of birds, and the manatee or sea cow.

The WEST

National parks

The United States has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The most spectacular places are reserved in America's 38 national parks.

Yellowstone Park became America's first national park in 1872. It covers over 3,472 square miles, mostly in the northwestern corner of Wyoming but also extending into Idaho and Montana. The park is in the Rocky Mountains and has an incredible diversity of natural features – waterfalls, plateaus, canyons, and more than 3,000 hot springs and geyses.

There is also a wide variety of wildlife. Bears, antilope, elk, and even wolves wander throughout the park, and eagles build their nests in the forests. Camping and backpacking are encouraged at Yellowstone, but visitors must be careful. A few careless or unlucky people have been killed by angry bears.

The Southwest is full of dramatic landscapes with deep canyons and high plateaus. Both New Mexico and Arizona have very dry climates. Every year, four million visitors come to marvek at the Grand Canyon. The canoyn began to form nearly two million years ago.

In the north of Arizona are the Painted Desert and Monument Valley. The valley is full of sandstone buttes that rise high above the ground.

Bucking broncos

When people think of the West today, the first thing that often comes to mind is cowboys riding bucking broncos at the rodeo. Bronco is a nickname for a wild horse. When a bronco bucks, it kicks its back legs in the air to try and throw the rider off.

The first rodeos started in mid-1800s, when cowboys showed all the skills they used for working cattle. Today, the rodeo is a professional sport where cowboys compete to stay on bucking broncos and bulls, and lasso or rope cattle as quickly as possible.

The rodeos in Wyoming and Colorado are considered the most exciting, because there are so many contests and events. While the rodeo is going on, there are square dances, fairs, and country and western music concerts.

The Lone Star State

Texas is known as the Lone Star State because of its history as an independent country. Mexican-Americans, also known as Chicanos, make up a large portion of the inhabitants of the Southwest – more than 25 per cent of the population of Texas and 37 per cent of the residents of New Mexico.

The influence of Mexican culture is present everywhere in this region. Tex-Mex food includes chili con carne, a spicy meat dish, and tamales, made with cornmeal and ground beef. Spanish style influences architecture and music. Spanish is also the second language of the region. Signs in Spanish and English can be found everywhere, and you can hear Spanish spoken in the street.

Black gold

Oil was first discovered in Texas in 1901. It has been very important to the Texan economy ever since, and the state is the largest producer of oil in the US.

Houston and Dallas are the centers of the state's oil industry. The headquarters of the leading oil companies in America are located in these cities, creating thousands of jobs and attracting people from all over the country.

Inland, there are oil wells throughout the state, especially along the southern coast. Offshore, platforms extract oil from under the sea in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil tankers travel inland along the Houston Ship Channel to the port of Houston to fill up with oil, which they transport to other parts of the country.

Besides, Houston is America's fourth largest city and the third largest port. The Mission Control Center at Houston monitors all NASA space flights.

The PACIFIC

Unspoilt landscapes

The states of Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest have many unspoilt landscapes. The backbone of the Northwest is the Cascade Mountain Range, which is 100 miles long and has several volcanoes. Puget Sound, an inland waterway in Washington, is dotted with islands. The coastline is wild and beautiful.

Seattle (Washington) and Potrtland (Oregon) have become two of the most popular cities in America. Many people have moved to the area, especially from the congested cities of California. They are attracted by the natural beauty and more relaxed lifestyle. There are plenty of activities for those who live the outdoor life: hiking, skiing, mountain climbing, sailing, and fishing.

Both cities are cultural centers, with museums, ballet companies, and symphony orchestras. The region has also been called the New Silicon Valley, because of the recent growth of the computer industry. Seattle is a major center for manufacturing airplanes.

The great land

Alaska is the largest of the American states. Its name comes from the Aleut for “great land”. Life in Alaska has always been difficult, but the people learned to adapt to harsh climate. There are many places that cannot be reached by road, so people go by air. Planes are used to fly for food and other supplies. During the winter, there are only a few hours of sunlight, and children go to school in the dark.

For some Americans Alaska is the final frontier, because much of the state is still wild and unspoiled. The discovery of gold in 1896 in the Yukon Territory started a huge gold rush that brought thousands of settlers. They all hoped to strike it rich, but many died of cold and hunger on their way to the gold-fields. Later, people came to work in the logging and fishing industries. In the 1960s, oil was discovered in northern Alaska. It is now a major industry.

Tropical islands

Hawaii is made up of 132 tropical islands, but people only live on seven of them. In 1959, Hawaii became the fiftieth state of the United States. The largest island is called Hawaii, while the well-known tourist resort of Honolulu is on Oahu. Tourism is Hawaii’s biggest industry. People are attracted by its beautiful scenery and beaches. Surfers come to experience the high waves.

The people who originally inhabited Hawaii were Polynesians. They came form other islands far away in the Pacific before AD 1000. Later, many other Europeans and Americans came to grow pineapples and sugarcane on large plantations, and the plantation owners brought Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Filipino workers to work for them.

Today, only 1 percent of Hawaii’s population is Polynesian. The rest of Hawaii’s citizens are from a variety of origins: about 40 percent are Japanese and Filipino, and about 30 percent are from mainland America.

TASKS

Дата: 2019-03-05, просмотров: 234.

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