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 is continental. The south has a 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 history of this land is long. In prehistoric times hunters crossed from Siberia to Alaska by land.
Gradually they moved southwards and settled all over North and South America. Each tribe developed its own language and customs.
In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean. Instead of reaching India as he had expected he landed on an island off a continent unknown to Europeans. Thinking that he was in India, Columbus called the people he met there Indians.
Other explorers arrived from Europe. Spanish troops con¬quered vast parts of Central and South America which are now called Latin America. The French founded settlements in the north. In 1620 the first English party left England for America. They were Puritans, religious people, driven out of the official Church. The newcomers settled at Plymouth Bay. Some of them died of cold and hunger during the first winter in America. The Indians showed the white settlers how to fish and plant crops. Some settlers traded with the local population and some regarded them as enemies.
In 1783 independence from Britain was gained by 13 North American colonies. They formed the United States of America. In 1789 George Washington was elected the first president of the USA. New states joined the Union and the country grew westwards. Gold and silver were discovered on the Pacific coast and thousands of people rushed there across the continent. New towns sprang up and quickly grew.
In the southern states white farmers used black slaves to work on their huge plantations. When slavery was abolished in the North the southern states left the Union and formed the Confederacy. Civil war between the North and South broke out. In 1865 the Union won and slavery was abolished all over the USA.
Nowadays, the USA is a highly developed industrial coun¬try. It is the world's leading producer of copper and oil and the world's second producer of iron ore and coal. Among the most important manufacturing industries are aircraft, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, armaments, furniture and paper.
American farmers plant spring wheat in the western plains. They raise corn, wheat and beef cattle in the Midwest. Florida and California are famous for their vegetables and fruit production, and the northwestern states are known for apples, pears, berries and vegetables.
There are many important cities in the USA, for example New York, one of the largest cities in the world, a great seaport and financial centre, Chicago near the Great Lakes, one of the biggest industrial cities in the USA, and the second largest after New York. Boston is one of the first cities which were built on the Atlantic coast of America. Now it is a big cultural centre with three universities. Los Angeles in Califor¬nia is a centre of modern industries and show business. Other big cities in the USA are Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington, Detroit etc.
The USA as an independent state was set up by the Constitution in 1787. Under the Constitution the federal govern¬ment is divided into three branches. The legislative branch is exercised by the Congress. The Congress consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are 100 senators and 435 members in the House of Representatives. The executive branch is headed by the President chosen in nation-wide elections every four years together with the Vice-President. The judicial branch is made up of Federal District Courts, 11 Federal Courts and the Supreme Court. Federal judges are appointed by the President for life. There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republicans and the Democratics.
From the beginning of the twentieth century the USA became the world's leading country.
Washington. D. С. (Вашингтон)
Washington is the capital of the United States of America. It is situated in the District of Columbia and is like no other city of the USA. It's the world's largest one-industry city. And that industry is government. The White House, where the US President lives and works, the Capital, the home of the US Congress, and the Supreme Court, are all in Washington. The population of the city is over 3.4 million. Most of the permanent population consist of government employees.
The city was so named in memory of George Washington, the first president of the USA. George Washington was born in 1732. He distinguished himself as a soldier in campaigns against the French and the Indians. He strongly opposed the policy of the British government and when the war with Britain began he was chosen Commander-in-Chief of the American army. After the war he entered politics and was elected President in 1789.
There are 50 states in the United States, but the city of Washington is not in any of them. A special district was created for the American capital - the District of Columbia (D. C). The city was laid out according to a uniform plan made by a French officer in the Engineer Pierre L'Enfant. Founded in 1790, it became the federal capital in 1800. In 1814 it was burnt by the British.
Washington is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the United States. In the very centre of it rises the huge dome of the Capitol - a big white dome standing in a circle of pillars. The 535 members of the Congress meet here to discuss the nation's affairs. It's easy to get lost in this huge building, full of paintings and statues.
Not far from the Capitol is the Library of Congress, the largest library in the States. It contains more than 13 million books, more than 19 million manuscripts, including the personal papers of the US presidents.
The official residence of the president of the USA is the White House. It was constructed between 1792 and 1829. The White House has 132 rooms, among them the Oval Office where the President works. White House is open for tours.
One can hardly find a park a square or an open area in Washington without a monument or a memorial. The Jefferson Memorial was built in honour of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the USA. Inside his statue and his writings are inscribed on the walls.
The Lincoln Memorial reminds everybody of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the USA, who wrote the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the blacks in the South from slavery. There is a huge statue of Abraham Lincoln inside the Memorial.
At the National Air and Space Museum visitors can see the history of flight from the first airplane flown by the Wright brothers to the Apollo spaceship.
The National Gallery of Art, a large museum of painting, sculpture and other arts is also situated in the capital. It is supported by the US government.
There are 5 universities in Washington. There are no skyscrapers in Washington, because they would hide the city's many monuments from view. No building in the city may be more than 40 metres tall.
In Washington buses and trams run along numbered streets - First Street, Second Street, Third Street… The streets running east and west from the centre are lettered - A Street, В Street and so on.
Thousands of tourists visit Washington every day. People from all parts of the United States come to see their capital.
5. Выдающиеся люди Великобритании
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) Уильям Шекспир
William Shakespeare, the greatest dramatist and writer, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. His father was a glover and his mother was the daughter of a famous farmer. Shakespeare went to grammar school, but he never entered any university. He is famous for his great tragedies including Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and the best known love story in the world Romeo and Juliet.
Many well-known sayings come from his works, and Shakespeare also had a great influence on English literature and the language. His plays are studied by British schoolchildren as part of their school programme.
Shakespeare's works are known for their beautiful language and for the understanding of how people think and feel. William Shakespeare also wrote poetry, including the sonnets. He worked as an actor and a playwright at the Globe Theatre in London, which has recently been rebuilt as a copy of the original theatre.
Shakespeare married once and had three children. After his death in 1616 his house in Stratford became a museum and now it is a popular place with tourists. Shakespeare's plays were staged in many theatres and translated into numerous languages. They are still read and loved by many people.
Alexander Bell (1847-1922) Александр Бэлл
Alexander Graham Bell was the inventor of the telephone. He was born in Scotland in 1874. Bell entered the University of Edinburgh and became a teacher. Later he decided to become a doctor and he entered the medical department at the University of London.
Then Bell left for the USA and studied sounds there. An idea of inventing a special machine for deaf people occurred to him. Working on this machine he invented the telephone in 1876. At first the telephone was not popular with the public, but after a big campaign it became famous in America. Bell started the Bell Telephone Company to produce telephones.
Alexander Bell also improved the telegraph which could send more than one message at a time. Later he gave up his business and spent his money on other scientific research. He also founded the National Geographic Society in 1888.
Bell died in 1922 in Canada respected both in Britain and the USA.
Robert Burns (1759-1796) Роберт Бернс
Robert Burns, a well-known Scottish poet, was born in 1759 into a poor family of a farmer. He was the eldest child of the seven in the family. Robert's mother knew a lot of folk tales and she used to tell them to the children. At the age of six Burns went to school because his father wanted him to be an educated person. The boy liked reading and read a lot. William Shakespeare was his favourite writer. When Robert was fifteen he started writing poems about common people and things around him.
Later he organized a society for young people where they could discuss different problems. After his father's death, Robert had to work a small farm, but then he sold it and became an officer. At the age of twenty-seven Burns published his book of poems called Poems.
He also wrote the words of the song Auld Lang Syne, the song which the Scots sing on New Year's Day. Robert Bums died in 1796 in poverty, but people all over the world know and love his poetry. Scottish people all over the world celebrate his birthday on January 25, called Burns Night.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) Чарльз Диккенс
Charles Dickens, a famous English writer, was born in 1812 into a poor family in London. When Charles was ten his father was taken to prison and the boy stopped going to school. Dickens had to work hard to earn money for his family. Later he described this period of life in his book David Copperfield. This novel is a biographical one. At the age of 12 he started going to school again.
In 1829 Dickens became a reporter, and in 1830 he met and fell in love with Maria Beadnell, the daughter of a banker. In 1833 their relationship ended because Maria's parents did not think Dickens a suitable man for their daughter.
When Dickens was twenty-five he became one of the best newspaper reporters in London. He liked the ob a lot.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
The history of this land is long. In prehistoric times hunters crossed from Siberia to Alaska by land.
Gradually they moved southwards and settled all over North and South America. Each tribe developed its own language and customs.
In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean. Instead of reaching India as he had expected he landed on an island off a continent unknown to Europeans. Thinking that he was in India, Columbus called the people he met there Indians.
Other explorers arrived from Europe. Spanish troops con¬quered vast parts of Central and South America which are now called Latin America. The French founded settlements in the north. In 1620 the first English party left England for America. They were Puritans, religious people, driven out of the official Church. The newcomers settled at Plymouth Bay. Some of them died of cold and hunger during the first winter in America. The Indians showed the white settlers how to fish and plant crops. Some settlers traded with the local population and some regarded them as enemies.
In 1783 independence from Britain was gained by 13 North American colonies. They formed the United States of America. In 1789 George Washington was elected the first president of the USA. New states joined the Union and the country grew westwards. Gold and silver were discovered on the Pacific coast and thousands of people rushed there across the continent. New towns sprang up and quickly grew.
In the southern states white farmers used black slaves to work on their huge plantations. When slavery was abolished in the North the southern states left the Union and formed the Confederacy. Civil war between the North and South broke out. In 1865 the Union won and slavery was abolished all over the USA.
Nowadays, the USA is a highly developed industrial coun¬try. It is the world's leading producer of copper and oil and the world's second producer of iron ore and coal. Among the most important manufacturing industries are aircraft, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, armaments, furniture and paper.
American farmers plant spring wheat in the western plains. They raise corn, wheat and beef cattle in the Midwest. Florida and California are famous for their vegetables and fruit production, and the northwestern states are known for apples, pears, berries and vegetables.
There are many important cities in the USA, for example New York, one of the largest cities in the world, a great seaport and financial centre, Chicago near the Great Lakes, one of the biggest industrial cities in the USA, and the second largest after New York. Boston is one of the first cities which were built on the Atlantic coast of America. Now it is a big cultural centre with three universities. Los Angeles in Califor¬nia is a centre of modern industries and show business. Other big cities in the USA are Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington, Detroit etc.
The USA as an independent state was set up by the Constitution in 1787. Under the Constitution the federal govern¬ment is divided into three branches. The legislative branch is exercised by the Congress. The Congress consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are 100 senators and 435 members in the House of Representatives. The executive branch is headed by the President chosen in nation-wide elections every four years together with the Vice-President. The judicial branch is made up of Federal District Courts, 11 Federal Courts and the Supreme Court. Federal judges are appointed by the President for life. There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republicans and the Democratics.
From the beginning of the twentieth century the USA became the world's leading country.
Washington. D. С. (Вашингтон)
Washington is the capital of the United States of America. It is situated in the District of Columbia and is like no other city of the USA. It's the world's largest one-industry city. And that industry is government. The White House, where the US President lives and works, the Capital, the home of the US Congress, and the Supreme Court, are all in Washington. The population of the city is over 3.4 million. Most of the permanent population consist of government employees.
The city was so named in memory of George Washington, the first president of the USA. George Washington was born in 1732. He distinguished himself as a soldier in campaigns against the French and the Indians. He strongly opposed the policy of the British government and when the war with Britain began he was chosen Commander-in-Chief of the American army. After the war he entered politics and was elected President in 1789.
There are 50 states in the United States, but the city of Washington is not in any of them. A special district was created for the American capital - the District of Columbia (D. C). The city was laid out according to a uniform plan made by a French officer in the Engineer Pierre L'Enfant. Founded in 1790, it became the federal capital in 1800. In 1814 it was burnt by the British.
Washington is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the United States. In the very centre of it rises the huge dome of the Capitol - a big white dome standing in a circle of pillars. The 535 members of the Congress meet here to discuss the nation's affairs. It's easy to get lost in this huge building, full of paintings and statues.
Not far from the Capitol is the Library of Congress, the largest library in the States. It contains more than 13 million books, more than 19 million manuscripts, including the personal papers of the US presidents.
The official residence of the president of the USA is the White House. It was constructed between 1792 and 1829. The White House has 132 rooms, among them the Oval Office where the President works. White House is open for tours.
One can hardly find a park a square or an open area in Washington without a monument or a memorial. The Jefferson Memorial was built in honour of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the USA. Inside his statue and his writings are inscribed on the walls.
The Lincoln Memorial reminds everybody of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the USA, who wrote the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the blacks in the South from slavery. There is a huge statue of Abraham Lincoln inside the Memorial.
At the National Air and Space Museum visitors can see the history of flight from the first airplane flown by the Wright brothers to the Apollo spaceship.
The National Gallery of Art, a large museum of painting, sculpture and other arts is also situated in the capital. It is supported by the US government.
There are 5 universities in Washington. There are no skyscrapers in Washington, because they would hide the city's many monuments from view. No building in the city may be more than 40 metres tall.
In Washington buses and trams run along numbered streets - First Street, Second Street, Third Street… The streets running east and west from the centre are lettered - A Street, В Street and so on.
Thousands of tourists visit Washington every day. People from all parts of the United States come to see their capital.
5. Выдающиеся люди Великобритании
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) Уильям Шекспир
William Shakespeare, the greatest dramatist and writer, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. His father was a glover and his mother was the daughter of a famous farmer. Shakespeare went to grammar school, but he never entered any university. He is famous for his great tragedies including Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and the best known love story in the world Romeo and Juliet.
Many well-known sayings come from his works, and Shakespeare also had a great influence on English literature and the language. His plays are studied by British schoolchildren as part of their school programme.
Shakespeare's works are known for their beautiful language and for the understanding of how people think and feel. William Shakespeare also wrote poetry, including the sonnets. He worked as an actor and a playwright at the Globe Theatre in London, which has recently been rebuilt as a copy of the original theatre.
Shakespeare married once and had three children. After his death in 1616 his house in Stratford became a museum and now it is a popular place with tourists. Shakespeare's plays were staged in many theatres and translated into numerous languages. They are still read and loved by many people.
Alexander Bell (1847-1922) Александр Бэлл
Alexander Graham Bell was the inventor of the telephone. He was born in Scotland in 1874. Bell entered the University of Edinburgh and became a teacher. Later he decided to become a doctor and he entered the medical department at the University of London.
Then Bell left for the USA and studied sounds there. An idea of inventing a special machine for deaf people occurred to him. Working on this machine he invented the telephone in 1876. At first the telephone was not popular with the public, but after a big campaign it became famous in America. Bell started the Bell Telephone Company to produce telephones.
Alexander Bell also improved the telegraph which could send more than one message at a time. Later he gave up his business and spent his money on other scientific research. He also founded the National Geographic Society in 1888.
Bell died in 1922 in Canada respected both in Britain and the USA.
Robert Burns (1759-1796) Роберт Бернс
Robert Burns, a well-known Scottish poet, was born in 1759 into a poor family of a farmer. He was the eldest child of the seven in the family. Robert's mother knew a lot of folk tales and she used to tell them to the children. At the age of six Burns went to school because his father wanted him to be an educated person. The boy liked reading and read a lot. William Shakespeare was his favourite writer. When Robert was fifteen he started writing poems about common people and things around him.
Later he organized a society for young people where they could discuss different problems. After his father's death, Robert had to work a small farm, but then he sold it and became an officer. At the age of twenty-seven Burns published his book of poems called Poems.
He also wrote the words of the song Auld Lang Syne, the song which the Scots sing on New Year's Day. Robert Bums died in 1796 in poverty, but people all over the world know and love his poetry. Scottish people all over the world celebrate his birthday on January 25, called Burns Night.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) Чарльз Диккенс
Charles Dickens, a famous English writer, was born in 1812 into a poor family in London. When Charles was ten his father was taken to prison and the boy stopped going to school. Dickens had to work hard to earn money for his family. Later he described this period of life in his book David Copperfield. This novel is a biographical one. At the age of 12 he started going to school again.
In 1829 Dickens became a reporter, and in 1830 he met and fell in love with Maria Beadnell, the daughter of a banker. In 1833 their relationship ended because Maria's parents did not think Dickens a suitable man for their daughter.
When Dickens was twenty-five he became one of the best newspaper reporters in London. He liked the ob a lot.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40