Методическая разработка: The United States of America

Тема 5 The United States of America

5.1. Грамматическая тема: Основные типы вопросов в английском языке.

5.2. Лексическая тема: The United States of America.

5.1. Грамматическая тема:

По характеру вопроса и предполагаемого ответа на него в английском языке выделяются четыре типа вопросительных предложений: общие вопросы, специальные вопросы, альтернативные вопросы и расчлененные вопросы.

Общими называются вопросы, которые задают ко всему предложению и на которые можно ответить словами “да” или “нет”:

Do you clean the flat every weekend? – Ты моешь квартиру каждый выходной?

Вопросы к отдельным членам предложения называются специальными. Порядок слов специального вопроса такой же, как и общего, но они начинаются вопросительными словами what – что, какой, where – где, куда, when – когда, why – почему, who – кто, how many – сколько и пр.

В специальных вопросах, которые относятся к подлежащему или его определению, соблюдается прямой порядок слов, т. е. такой же, как и в повествовательном предложении. Вопросительное слово является подлежащим, и после него сразу же стоит сказуемое. Вспомогательные глаголы в вопросах к подлежащему не употребляются:

Who loves Sara? – Кто любит Сару?

Альтернативный вопрос – это вопрос выбора. Он состоит из двух частей, соединенных союзом “or”. Альтернативный вопрос имеет структуру общего вопроса. Чаще всего альтернативный вопрос требует полного ответа:

Are they English or American? They are American. – Они англичане или американцы? Они – американцы.

Если альтернативный вопрос относится к подлежащему, то вспомогательный или модальный глагол употребляется также и перед вторым подлежащим:

Did he or did she play football yesterday? He played football. – Он или она играли в футбол вчера? Он играл в футбол.

Расчлененный вопрос состоит из двух частей. Первая – повествовательное предложение, вторая – краткий общий вопрос, состоящий из вспомогательного глагола и подлежащего, выраженного личным местоимением.

Если первая часть расчлененного вопроса имеет утвердительную форму, то во второй части употребляется отрицательная структура, а если первая часть – отрицательная, вторая часть – утвердительная.

It’s cold today, isn’t it? – Сегодня холодно, не правда ли?

I’m right, aren’t I? – Я прав, не так ли?

But she loves you, doesn’t she? – Но ведь она любит вас, правда?

I didn’t say that, did I? – Я не говорил этого, не так ли?

He can swim, can’t he? – Он ведь умеет плавать, не правда ли?

Switch on the light, will you? – Включи свет, ладно?

5.2. Лексическая тема: The United States of America.

Read, translate and retell the text

“The USA”

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, and China). It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometres. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a seaboarder with Russia.

The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is about 250 million.

If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera, and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley, which is located in Alaska.

America's largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande, and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA.

The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic. The climate of the central part of the country is continental. The south has subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country. It is the leading producer of copper and oil and the worlds second producer of iron ore and coal. On the industrial enterprises of the country they produce aircrafts, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, weapon, furniture, and paper.

Though mainly European and African in origin, the Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, including the Chinese and the native Americans — Indians.

The largest cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, and others.

The United States is a federal republic consisting of 50 states, each of which has its own government. The seat of the central (federal) government is Washington, D. C. According to the Constitution of the USA, the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches: the executive, headed by the President, the legislative, exercised by the Congress, and the juridical. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republican and the Democratic.

Read the text.What is the central and the oldest part of New York? How and when did the Statue of Liberty appear in New York? What are the main tourist attractions in New York?

 “New York”

New York is the largest city in the USA and the biggest seaport. It is the business centre of the United States. New York is situated in the mouth of the Hudson river. In comparison with such ancient historical cities as, say, Rome, London, Moscow or Paris, New York is quite young. It was founded in 1613 by Dutch settlers.

There are five districts in the city: Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Richmond. Manhattan is the central and the oldest part of the city. It is the district of business and finance. It is here in Wall Street that many business offices, banks and the world famous New York stock exchange are situated. The New York stock exchange dominates business life of many countries.

The total area of New York is 365 square miles or 900 square kilometres. Its population together with the population of its suburbs amounts to 16 million people. Among the inhabitants of New York one can meet people of almost all nationalities. They settled here during the immigration in the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century.

A traveller who visits New York for the first time wonders at the modern architecture. The Statue of Liberty, which is on Liberty Island, was a present from France in 1876 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of American independence. This statue and a few 18th and 19th century churches, hospitals, newspaper offices and other buildings are the only examples of "old" architecture in New York. Wherever your eyes travel, everywhere you can see sky-scrapers.

New York, one of the USA leading manufacturing cities, is the home of great firms and banks. The most important branches of industry are those producing vehicles, glass, chemicals and all kinds of machinery. The city has very busy traffic. Its streets and highways are full of cars and buses. The mouth of the Hudson river makes an excellent harbour for numerous passengers and cargo ships from all over the world. Speaking about New York one can't but mention the outstanding role, the city plays, in the cultural life of the country.

New York has many museums and art galleries which have collected works of art of many peoples and of all times. Many of them are on constant display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of Art. Most of the theatres and cinemas are in or near Broadway, the longest street and the biggest shopping district in New York. The Metropolitan and Modern Arts Museums attract many visitors.

Read the text. What city is the capital of the USA? Why are there no sky-scrapers in Washington? Where is the President's residence?

“Washington”

Washington, the capital of the United States of America, is situated on the Potomac River in the District of Columbia. The district is a piece of land ten miles square and it does not belong to any separate state but to all the states. The district is named in honour of Columbus, the discoverer of America. The capital owes much to the first President of the USA -George Washington. It was G. Washington, who chose the place for the District and laid in 1790 the corner-stone of the Capitol, where Congress sits.

Washington is not the largest city in the USA. It has a population of 900 000 people. Washington is a one-industry town. That industry is government. It does not produce anything except very much scrap paper. Every day 25 railway cars leave Washington loaded with scrap paper.

Washington has many historical places. The largest and tallest among the buildings is the Capitol with its great House of Representatives and the Senate chamber. There are no skyscrapers in Washington because no other building must be taller than the Capitol. The White House is the President's residence. All American presidents except George Washington (the White House was not yet built in his time), have lived in the White House. It was built in 1799. It is a two-storied, white building.

Not far from the Capitol is the Washington Monument, which looks like a very big pencil. It rises 160 metres and is hollow inside. A special lift brings visitors to the top in 70 seconds from where they can enjoy a wonderful view of the whole city.

The Jefferson Memorial was built in memory of the third President of the USA, Thomas Jefferson, who was also the author of the Declaration of Independence. The memorial is surrounded by cherry-trees. The Lincoln Memorial devoted to the memory of the 16th President of the US, the author of the Emancipation Proclamation, which gave freedom to Negro slaves in America.

On the other bank of the Potomac lies the Arlington National Cemetery where President Kennedy was buried. American soldiers and officers, who died in World Wars I and II are buried there too.

Список литературы, рекомендуемой по теме.

1. Грамматический справочник по английскому языку с упражнениями: Учебное пособие / О.В. Полякова. - М.: Флинта: Наука, 2017. - 160 с.

2. Revision Tables Student's Grammar Guide. Грамматика английского языка в таблицах: Учебное пособие / М.Г. Кожаева, О.С. Кожаева. - М.: Флинта: Наука, 2016. - 120 с.

3. Грамматика английского языка: Учебно-методическое пособие / В.А. Вельчинская. - М.: Флинта: Наука, 2019. - 232 с.