N. Kryazheva - The United States and the United Kingdom. Past and Present (pdf), страница 7

Each of the large cities the US is represented by a team carrying its name. There is greatcompetition between these teams. Football is the second favourite sport in the US. Football games areparticularly interesting to watch and excitement often runs very high.

American football is a very differentgame. The players can run with the ball, touch and push each other. The field looks different and eventhe ball has a different shape. Like international football teams, American teams have eleven players.The third most popular sport is basketball. In fact, the basketball season begins when the football seasonis over. Only five people play in each team.

Basketball nets can be seen in the driveways of manyAmerican homes. "Shooting baskets" with friends is favourite pastime for young and old.Horse-racing leads every other sport with attendance estimated at about 70 ml.Golf and tennis are increasingly popular, though for great many years bothsnorts were the province of the rich.Years ago hunting and fishing were prime sources of food for the table. Now thev are considered assports.And there is no doubt at all that each year watching different games on TV, is America's favouritepastime.

Americans love winter sports, and ice hockey is a great favourite. This does not mean, however,that Americans take all their sports sitting down. So, ice hockey, baseball, football and basketball arethe four major sports' in the US. Golf, swimming, tennis, marathons, track-and-field, skiing skating,weight-lifting, boxing and wrestling are other sports and sports activities which attract millions of activeparticipants. But statistics says that bicycling, fishing, swimming, jogging and gymnastics are American'sfavourite participatory sports.They like to travel. They go to the mountains, sea-shore, national and state parks and recreation areas,to camping expeditions, boating trips.

Ninety per cent of families on holiday use a car creating traffic jamsof monumental proportions. Millions of Americans now travel abroad.pastime- время отдыхаteam- командаmajor- главныйhunter- охотникhunting- охотаwrestling - борьбаparticularly - особенноjogging - бег трусцойcompetition - соревнованиеprovince of the rich - сфера деятельности богатых людейTasks:1. True or False?a. football remains the most popular game in the USA;b. not all high school and universities have their own baseball team;с basketball is the most popular game in the US;d. golf and tennis are not so popular nowadays.2. Answer the following questions:a. Which game do you prefer to play?b.

Do you like to travel? с What kind of transport do you preferfor travelling?3. Describe the most popular kinds of sport in Russia (in the Ural inParticular).MEALSAmerican eating and drinking habits differ somewhat from eating and drink habits in other countries ofthe world.As in most modern countries, people in the US eat three meals a day: breakft lunch and dinner.The average American has breakfast each morning at about 7.30 or 8 a Breakfast is not a heavy meal.In most cases, it consists of orange juice, some dr\ prepared cereal, toasts and coffee or tea.Lunch is also a light meal.

The standard lunch at 1 p.m. is an hour period.The average American probably has a sandwich for lunch and he may drink с fee, tea, milk or a softdrink such as Coca-Cola or Ginger Age. He may also eat sor light dessert for lunch.It is at night therefore that the American has his heavy meal or "dinner". He ge erally eats dinner atabout 6 p.m. It is the result of traditions. But the traditional [ breakfast and dinner at 6 p.m. are losing theirpopularity. Dinner with family or frien is becoming a very special way of enjoying outdoors.Americans are heavy wheat and meat eaters.

The average American also es a lot of potatoes anddrinks a lot of water with his meals. The US is famous for its so and unchanging diet of meat andpotatoes.Foreign visitors to the US are always surprised to find that each time they ent restaurants, lunch rooms,the first thing to be placed in front of them is a glass water. Water is available everywhere in the US. Fastfood now prevails but a lot Americans began to think seriously about their physical state. Healthy foodbecome more popular among them.

Healthy food is fresh and natural, and it does not conta chemicalpreservatives.Such is food and drinks in the US.Words and Phrases:habit- привычкаsomewhat- отчастиmeal- трапеза, едаaverage - среднийto prevail - преобладатьheavy eater - тот; кто любил- хорошо поесть, "обжор;to surprise - удивлятьсяto be available - иметься в наличииin most cases - в большинстве случаевchemical preservatives - консервантыTasks:1. Speak about American and Russian meals.2.

Answer the following questions:a. Do Americans have any dietary restrictions?b. Do Americans observe any definite rules of etiquette to avoid tension an< chaos at the table?c. Is there any difference between American and Russian dinner?d.

When do usually Americans have their dinner?e. When do usually Russians have their dinner?f. what are American favourite dishes?g. What dishes are popular with Russian people?h. What dinner is called "Typical Russian dinner"?i. What surprises foreign visitors in the US?j. What affects eating habits in the United States?EDUCATIONThe US does not have a national system of education. It is considered to be a matter for the people ineach state. Since the Constitution does not state that education is a responsibility of the federalgovernment, all educational matters are left to the individual states.SchoolsThere are three basic levels in the educational system of schools: elementary school, which usually isfrom the kindergarten to sixth grade; junior high school, from seventh through eighth or ninth grade; andhigh school, from ninth or tenth through twelfth grade.

Children are required to be in school from the agesof 6,7 through 16 (18). The care of most elementary school is 3 R's (reading, writing, arithmetic).The school year usually runs from September to June. Today there are some 43 million pupils andstudents in public school at elementary and secondary levels and another 6 ml in private schoolsthroughout the country. In other words, 88% of American children attend public schools and 12% go toprivate schools. Four out of five of the private schools are run by churches, synagogues or other religiousgroups.

But only 50% of all high school graduates enter colleges and universities. The range of coursesavailable in high schools throughout the US is enormous, including everything from computers inelementary schools to car design and construction in the vocational programs. As often as possiblehandicapped children attend the same schools that anyone else does.High school students are often involved in non-academic activities that their school offers - for example,in drama clubs, sports teams, or school newspapers. Parents must view schools as a place where theirchildren can gain skills and experience.Education in America has also traditionally served and serves the goal of bringing people together that isof "americanization". Schools in the US served and serve to bring together the hundreds of variouscultural and linguistic groups, religious and social and political backgrounds represented by the millions ofim-m,9rants.

80 languages are used for instructions in American schools.The first step up - whether the ultimate goal was money status, power or sim-Р'У knowledge - usuallystarted at school door.But needless to say, those children who come from families with better-educated parents often haveadvantage over those who don't. This remains a prob-em in the US where equality of opportunities isproclaimed. Not surprisingly, the ernbers of racial minorities are the most deprived in this respect.Many schoolboys and schoolgirls, upon finishing high school, choose to с0* tinue their education.Although the number of years of schooling is going u there are signs that the quality of education may begoing down.

This is of gre concern, especially since education is considered crucial to the American ideathat each person should achieve all that she or he can.Words and Phrases:adult - взрослыйa lot more - зд.: намного большеto go down - снижатьсяresponsibility - ответственностьadvantage - преимуществоresponsible - ответственныйto proclaim - провозглашатьcrucial- решающий, критическийto attend - посещатьgrade- класс, ступень, оценкаattendance - посещаемостьin many cases - во многих случаяхrather than - а неto emphasize - подчеркивать, обращать вниманto achieve - достигатьto consider - считать, полагать, рассматривалachievement - достижениеconsiderably - значительноpowerless - беспомощныйamount- количество, величинаconcerned - озабоченныйto deprive - лишать чего-либоtuition- обучениеopportunity - возможностьcost- ценаto run - бежать, идти, зд.: длитьсяneedless to say - не говоря уже, не приходится говоритьhandicapped - страдающий физическим недостаткомTasks:1.