N. Kryazheva - The United States and the United Kingdom. Past and Present (pdf), страница 4

Study the text and make up a plan for retelling.2. Ask your group-mate:a. about foundation of Washington, D.C; с about the seat of the US Congress;b. about peculiarities of this Great City; d. about the Capitol.3. Speak about the White House.4. Imagine that you are in Washington, D.C. What places of interest would you visit first of all?5. Agree or disagree with the following statements:a. Abraham Lincoln was the first American President of the US;b. the White House has been the home of every President since 1800;c. the Library of Congress is the biggest existing in the world;d. John F. Kennedy Center opened its doors to three perfect theatres in 1975.PHILADELPHIAPhiladelphia, which is informaly called Philly, was the first capital of the US from 1790 till 1800.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of the oldest cities in the country.

It is the 5th largest city with apopulation of more than 5 ml people. It is the administrative center of Pennsylvania. The port ofPhiladelphia is the second largest one after New York. It is also one of the largest oil centers in the North.In comparison with other American towns it looks rather old and its sky-line is not so high; many housesand buildings date back to the 20's and 30's.

In the Penn Center, the city hub, there stand manymansions of the aristocracy, the oldest colonist families. Not far from the center one can see a small 6cornered house with a tall lantern on the top, which is the watch-tower erected in the colonial period. Andthis is not the only building reminiscent of those days.

Independence Hall where the Declaration ofIndependence was signed on the 4th July, 1776 and where the Liberty Bell is kept, the first CongressHall, the 2-storied house of the first Treasury, the first Stock-Exchange are all buildings whichPhiladelphia is proud of.aThe city center is crowned by the City Hall, the tallest building of the town, with huge statue of WilliamPenn, resembling Jonathan Swift's Gulliver, on the very top ofThe Metropolitan Museum of Art Is the most important one in the US andhas rich collections, which reflect the history of world art from ancient civilization to the present day andinclude hundreds of world-famous masterpieces.NYC famous Empire State Building is 448 meters.

Visibility on clear day is more than 80 miles, 73elevators operate in speeds ranging from 200 meter* to 400 meters a minute.The twin 110 story towers of New York's World Trade Center were ruined b\ terrorists' attack on the 11thof September in 2001.Harlem is a poor area in NYC, where many African-American and Hispank people live. There is not oneHarlem, but three crowded into the area above Centra Park and this is the roosting place of violence.People are congregated together ir neigh-bourhoods that are old, in houses that symbolize thedeprivation.Many Italians wedged their way into East Harlem, located just east of B\ac\ Harlem.

The area's name wasderived from the Dutch town of Harlem. Many oi the boys here say: "Other kids are brought up nice andsent to Yale and Harvard, We are brought up like a mushroom". They learn their lessons the hard way.From the streets they learn a great deal, absorbing and assimilating like a sponge. Pride and anger swirlinside them, sometimes erupting, but mostly simmering, boiling and festering. They soon learned a newword. It was called Mafia.

There are many legends about Mafia.The Mafia, they believe, began in the middle of the 19th century as an underground political resistancemovement. Bourbon rulers then dominated the land and the people of Sicily were taxed, tortured,imprisoned and executed. In defence and defiance, the Sicilian landowners organized into a Society. Thesociety they formed had to be strong and its rules binding.

The code of the first Mafiosi was forged.The Lower East Side of Manhattan was and is a breeding ground for crime. The criminals grow andflourish there springing from the seeds of these slums, the slums born in the heart of the MonopolyEmpire. And many young people here strip the freight yards. Burglary, robbery and murder are thesubjects they study during their formative years, earning their diplomas in reformatories. The place thatattracts the attention of all in Manhattan is Central Park, recreation grounds with a lot of greenery andbeautiful ponds.

It is a popular place during the day, but it is considered to be dangerous to go there atnight.Some people recommend: "If you should happen after dark to find yourself in Central Park, ignore thepaths, hurry to the zoo and creep into the tiger's cage. Frankly, you'll be safer there".Words and Phrases:boroughto festerluxutyexceptionstraightto curveimaginationрайоннагнаиватьсяроскошьисключениепрямойискривлятьсявоображениеpicturesquerushhours tocongregate toeruptto imagineto simmerglamourexhibitto flourishgatewayвыставкапроцветатьворотаto bendизгибатьсяmasterpieceшедеврживописныйчасы пиксобирать, сходитьсяпрерыватьяспредставляться"кипеть" от негодованияобаяние, очарованиеdeprivation лишениеburglary кража со взломомrobberyграбежисправительноеreformatoryзаведениеdefiance неповиновениеto forgeroosting place ofviolenceковатьрассадникнасилияspongeгубкаdowntown деловая часть городаTasks:1.

Make up short dialogues about New York asking and answering questions.a. Has New York always been the gateway to the USA?b. What is the main law of life in New York?c. Could you name any boroughs in New York?d.What can you say about the Statue of Liberty?e. What do you know about the highest buildings in New York ?f. What do you know about the Lower Side of Manhattan?2. Speak about:a.

the architecture of New York;b. the United Nations Headquarters;c. Rockefeller Center;d. Wall Street.LOS ANGELES (LA)Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US, in California on the Pacific coast after Chicago. It wasfounded in 1781 by the Spaniards and for over 60 years belonged to Mexico. Then the Americans took itover.

Its rapid development was closely connected with the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad- The Central Pacific. Another reason for its quick development was the discovery of oil.Los Angeles was a typical representative of one-storied America. 1 or 2-storied houses of brick, stone orwooden were painted in different colors but looking so much alike that it was difficult for a stranger to findhis way there. But all this was in the past. Now there are many sky-scrapers in downtown of LASeveral highways lead to LA with 8 lines for cars rushing along them endlessly.

But the city transport isnot adequate to the needs. There is a sea of private cars in LA Los Angeles is not only an industrialcenter, but also a large cultural center. There one can see a lot of theaters, concert halls, museum, parkswand gardens. It can boast of such ell-known educational establishments as Department of the Universityof California, the South California University, the Institute of Technology and the Observatory.

„ Thestudents of two big universities usually support the Afro-Americans and Coloured" people movements fordefence of rights and all progressive movements.A lot of people of different professions and specialities go on strike against low salaries and wages,against bad labour conditions. Los Angeles consists of 40suburbs. One of them is Hollywood.

It is world-known for its film-making industry. The Hollywood scene ischanging. However, some of big studios have closed their doors, but there are many firms in Los Angelesarea directly involved in movie-making. Hollywood Boulevard is the main street of the city of stars. Itsrestaurants and night-clubs are top flight tourist attraction.Many rich and famous people, especially actors and entertainers, live in or near Hollywood,especially inBeverly Hills which is an expensive part of LA.Words and Phrases:to boastto foundfounderfoundationsuburbharborхвастатьсяосновыватьосновательоснованиепригородгаваньto go on strikesupportto supporthighwaydiscoveryto discoverTasks:1.

False or True?a. Los Angeles harbor is the busiest on the East coast;b. Los Angeles is a big industrial center;c. Hollywood Boulevard is the main street in Los Angeles.бастоватьподдержкаподдерживатьшоссеоткрытиеоткрывать2. Practice with your partner asking and answering questions.a. Imagine that you are in Los Angeles. What places of interest would you like to visit and why?SAN FRANCISCOSan Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in America. It lies on the hills next to a Bay.

It is thelargest and most important port and chief Naval base on the Pacific coast It has several "sputnik" townsacross the Bay - Richmond, Berkeley and Oakland It was founded by Spanish settlers in 1776. The goldfever raging in California affected its economic development. When there was no more gold, thedevelopment of Pacific trade stimulated its further growth. Now it is a large industrial and financial centerwith the largest bank in the country, the Bank of America. The American Academy of Science andBerkeley University add greatly to the prestige of the city. The town when seen from above produces asilvery impression because for many years the Municipal Authorities made the people paint their houseswhite or silvery shades.The population in San Francisco is mixed; in China town we find the Chinese, the Japanese.

In the Latindistrict there live the Italians and the French in large numbers. There are also 50,000 Russians, the first ofthem settled on Russian Hills. There are several towns in California bearing such names as Sevastopol,Odessa, Kiev, Volga, Kremlin and others. Several towns and settlements are named Moscow. Thebridges in San Francisco over the Bay are known everywhere. The Oakland Bay Bridge - the largest inthe world - is 8 km long and two-storied, the lower part for heavy transport and the upper part - for cars.The other one is called The Golden Gate Bridge and painted an orange color; it looks like a giantsunbeam over the blue ocean.California is the birthplace of many outstanding American writers: Mark Twain, Sinclair, Steinbeck, Saxtonand Jack London lived there for the greater part of their lives.Words and Phrases:coasthillto paintpainterto growgrowthoutstandingsettlerпобережьехолмкраситьхудожникрастироствыдающийсяпоселенецto addimpressiongold feverto affectto bear the nameto look likesunbeamto settleдобавлятьвпечатлениезолотая лихорадкаоказать воздействиенести название,называтьсявыглядетьлуч солнцапринимать решениеTasks:1.

Answer the following questions:a. Is San Francisco one of the most beautiful cities in the US?b.Is it the largest and most important port on the Pacific coast?с.By whom was it founded and when?d.What is the population of San Francisco?e. What Russian names do some settlements and towns have?f. What outstanding American writers lived and live in California?THE US MASS MEDIAThe US Press caters for all political views, different levels of education and wide range of interests.