Проектна робота "English-speaking Countries"

     Great Britain lies to the north-west of Europe. It is not a large country.         It is smaller than France or Norway        or Finland. The official name of            the country is the United Kingdom        of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.     It consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The capital of      the country is London. The longest river in Britain is the Severn but the Thames    is the most important one.

     Great Britain is separated from         the continent by the narrow strait            of water which is called the English Channel. From the west the country       is washed by the Atlantic Ocean,          from the east by the stormy North Sea. The Irish Sea lies between England       and  Ireland.

     The nature of the British Isles             is picturesque. There are many rivers  and very beautiful lakes in the country. The mountains in Britain are not very high, but they are very beautiful.          The most mountainous region is Scotland with the highest peak Ben Nevis, which is also the highest one in Britain.            In Wales there are also many beautiful mountains and valleys. The highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon. Wales is also a country of lakes. It has the most famous lake in the world  –  Loch-Ness.

     The capital of Great Britain is            an ancient city. London is at least two thousand years old. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. London          is famous for its historical places all over the world. From Tower Bridge you can see the Tower of London. It is like           a mirror of many important events in    the English history. Many centuries ago it was a fortress, a royal palace and then a prison. Nowadays it is a museum of arms. There are hundreds of interesting collections in it.  There is a famous clock tower in London called Big Ben.              It is the largest clock in England and     the  symbol  of  London.                                                          

     You can see magnificent churches in the city. Westminster Abbey is one of the oldest royal churches. Another famous church is St. Paul’s Cathedral. It is the most wonderful classical church in Britain and the second biggest cathedral in the world. One more interesting place in London is Buckingham Palace. It is the official London residence        of the Queen and her family. London has many fine squares. Trafalgar Square is the central square of the city. It is famous for its Nelson’s Column. Not far from it there is                the National Gallery, which has got the fine collection of European paintings.                   The British Museum, which is also in London, has the largest library in the world.    London is also famous for its beautiful parks, such as Hyde Park, Regent’s Park,               St. James’s Park, Green Park, Kensington Gardens and some others. London is a great historical  and  cultural  centre  of  the  country.

                Regent’s Park                                                  Kensington Gardens

St. James’s Park

                                                    Hyde Park                                                       Green Park

The United States of America

lies in the central part of the North American continent. The territory of the country is about nine million square kilometers. Its population is more than 250 million people. It is one of the largest countries in the world. In 1607 some English people landed in North America to live there. And they brought the English language to that continent. Nowadays people speak  the  so-called  American  English.

     The USA consists of 50 states and             the District of Columbia. The capital of        the country is Washington. The biggest cities are New York, Chicago, San Francisco,       Los Angeles, Boston and others. The longest river is the Mississippi. There are many places of interest in the USA. They are the Grand Canyon, the Great Lakes on the border with Canada, Yellowstone National Park, but        the most famous and beautiful place is          the Niagara Falls, which attracts people from all over the world.

                         New York

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

Canada is situated to the north of          the USA. It is an independent federative state. Canada is a very large country, larger than   the USA. Its territory is about ten million square kilometers. Canada is the second largest country in the world. Its population    is over 25 million people. This country has two official languages – English and French. Canada consists of ten provinces and two territories. It is one of the most developed countries. The capital of Canada is Ottawa.    It is famous for its beautiful parks and bridges. Other big cities are Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Quebec. Canada is a country of lakes.   The most famous of them are the Great Lakes.

     Besides the Great Lakes  –  Lake Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario (the fifth Great Lake, Michigan, lies in the USA), there many other very large lakes, for example, Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake and Lake Winnipeg. Canada also has large rivers: the Mackenzie, the St. Lawrence River.

     The Niagara Falls is one of the most splendid sights in the world. It attracts people from all over the world by its unusual beauty.

     Canada has several climatic regions. Winter in Canada lasts from four to five months with heavy snowfalls. There is much rain in the east and west, but less            in the centre. The north of the country near the Arctic is tundra with great forests        to the south. The central plains form the prairies. 

                                                                                                                                               The Parliament building, Ottawa                                                        Toronto

Australia is the smallest continent in the world. It is also an English-speaking country. The country’s official name is Commonwealth of Australia. Its territory is the continent of Australia, the island of Tasmania and some islands round the coast of the continent. It has the area of about eight million square kilometers. Australia has six states.  The capital of the country   is Canberra. Other big cities are Sidney, Melbourne  and  Adelaide.

     Australia is a constitutional monarchy like Great Britain. Formally the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is also queen of Australia and the head of the state.      But the queen has little power in             the Australian government. She is mainly as a symbol of long historical tie between Great  Britain  and  Australia.

     Australia is one of the most unusual   and exotic countries in the world. Here you can see such unusual animals as kangaroo and  koala-bear.

The Opera House in Sydney

     Australia is situated on the island continent. It also occupies the Island of Tasmania and some minor islands round the coast of the continent. It is a highly developed industrial-agrarian country. Its area is about 8 million km2. It is the only state in the world that occupies the territory of a whole continent.

The capital of Australia is Canberra, which became the capital only in 1927.       From 1787 to 1867 Australia was a place where criminals were sent from Britain. That is why the official language of Australia is English. Almost one half of Australian territory is occupied by deserts and semi deserts. It is the droughtiest continent in the earth. It is an extremely hot country. As Australia lies in                 the southern hemisphere it is cold in the south of Australia and hot in the north.                                            

     As for the nature, the commonest trees of Australia are the eucalyptus and          the Australian acacia or mimosa, which is the national emblem of the country.      Such  unusual  animals  as a  kangaroo  or  a  koala - bear  originate  from  Australia.

    Australia is one of the most unusual and exotic countries of the world.

New Zealand is situated south-east       of Australia. The country consists of three large islands, called North Island, South Island and Stewart Island, and also many small islands. The population of New Zealand is about three million people. The main cities of New Zealand are Auckland – the largest city and chief port; and Wellington –           the capital of the country. English – is          the official language but many native people speak their own language  –  Maori.

     Maoris were the first people who settled     in New Zealand. It was about 1000 years ago. Maoris is a Polynesian people. The British came here at the end of the 19^th century.     “The Aurora” was the first British ship            to  come  to  New  Zealand.

     New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is also queen of Australia. The country once belonged to the British Empire. Today it is an independent member of  the  Commonwealth.

    Auckland

  Kiwi, New Zealand’s National Symbol

     New Zealand is a mountainous country. The central part of North Island is a high volcanic plateau. There are many lakes in this part of the island. New Zealand’s rivers are short. Smoke and steam are characteristic features of New Zealand. They come from volcanoes and geysers. That’s why the Maoris called New Zealand the country of long white clouds.

     The climate in New Zealand is warm and the greater part of the country is well watered. Most of North Island and the south-west of South Island have good forests      of evergreen trees and large areas are rich grasslands. New Zealand has very few   native animals. The kiwi, a bird which lives in the forest and cannot fly, is found nowhere in the world. The kiwi is the national emblem of New Zealand.     

     New Zealand has very few native animals. The kiwi – is a bird which lives               in the forest and cannot fly, it is found nowhere else in the world. It is the national emblem  of  New  Zealand.

              Lake Matheson                       New Zealand. National Parks            New Zealand is known as

                                                                                                                                              Middle Earth                                                                                  

 Political  Structure  of  the  USA

     The United States has a federal system of government. The foundation of        the government of the USA is the Constitution, written almost two hundred years   ago. The head of the executive power is President. The head of the legislative power is the Congress. The president is elected for a four-year period.                   He may be re-elected and serve eight years, but not longer. His powers are considerable: he appoints the cabinet, signs treaties with other governments         and can suggest laws to the government.

     Congress, the parliament of the United States, is divided into two houses:        the Senate, or upper house and House of Representatives or lower house.         Each state sends two senators to Congress. According to the Constitution of         the United States, a senator must be at least thirty years old and must be a citizen of the United States for nine years at the time of election.                                     The House of Representatives has 435 members (congressmen) and elected           for 2 years. Both Houses can introduce new laws, and the Senate must also approve or reject all appointments or treaties suggested by the president.

     Each of the 50 states has its own government headed by a governor, whose position  is  similar  to  that  of  the  president  in  the  Federal  Government.

Climate

     The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world   (after Russia, Canada and China). The total area of the country is about         nine and a half million square kilometers. The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia. 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. America’s largest rivers are the Mississippi,                 the Missouri and the Rio Grande. The climate of the country is different            in different parts of the USA. Most of the country has a continental climate     with hot summers and cold winters. The coldest regions are in the north.         The climate of Alaska is arctic. 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.

   Sightseeing

     There are many places of interest in the USA, among them: the Grand Canyon, which belongs to seven Nature’s greatest wonders; the Great Lakes on the border with Canada, which are the largest and deepest in the USA; Yellowstone National Park – the largest and the most famous park in the USA; but the most beautiful place is the Niagara Falls, which attracts people from all over the world. 

     There are many large and beautiful cities in the USA, among them Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia and others. The country’s most important city and its capital is Washington, but the biggest city is New York.

                                 The Mount Rushmore

                                                                                                                                 The Niagara Falls

                                                                             Manhattan Island

  Entertainment

    The United States is an international centre of culture. Some of the world’s greatest museums, orchestras, theatres and concert halls are located in the United States. Performances and exhibitions are usually very well attended. Tickets can be hard to get, despite their high prices! The modern American theatre has perfected an unusual art form: the musical play, which combines songs and dances in both traditional and modern styles.

  America is a country of wide musical taste. In any large city you may find performances of jazz, pop and rock bands, symphony orchestras, opera, country and western music.

             Hawaii

The centre of the movie industry is Los  Angeles. Not far from Los Angeles                   is Hollywood, the centre of the US film business. Most visitors also come to see Beverly Hills, where the homes of the movie stars  are  located.

                The Empire State Building, New York

The Statue of Liberty

Manhattan Island 

WHY WAS WASHINGTON MADE

 THE CAPITAL OF THE USA

     After the war of Independence the United States needed a capital city.     Choosing the place for the capital was a difficult task because different cities            in different parts of the country wanted to be the nation’s capital.

     At last it was decided to build a new city. In 1791 George Washington,              the first president, chose the place where the city now stands. He thought it was         a good place because the Potomac River was large enough for the ships to come        as far as the site of the city. The land round the city was called the District of Columbia, after Christopher Columbus, and the city on it was named Washing­ton,   in  honour  of  the  country's  first  president.

     The architect of the city planned straight streets with trees in sides, beau­tiful buildings  and  monuments  to  honour  great  men.

     By 1800 the president's house was almost finished. The building for the Congress of the United States and some other build­ings were built on a hill. These buildings were called the Capitol. Then the hill was renamed Capitol Hill.

     In 1800 President John Adams, the second president, and other members of       the government moved to the new city of Washington,  D. C. (District of Columbia).

               Vocabulary:

   site [sait] – місце розташування

   to honour [ ono] – ушановувати

   as far as  –  до

                Questions:

1. Who was the first President of the USA?
2. When was the capital of the USA founded?
3. What river does it stand on?
4. How was the land round the city called?
5. What is the name of the building where the US government sits?
6. When did the members of the government move to the new city of Washington?

Mount Rushmore, USA 

Mount Rushmore – South Dakota, USA

Mount Rushmore is one of those timeless national landmarks that every American should see. At any rate, it'll give you a reason to explore South Dakota!

     History

A South Dakota State Historian by the name of Doane Robinson dreamt up      the idea to attract more people to the Black Hills of South Dakota by making massive carvings of his favorite American Heroes in 1923.  He received support from important State congressmen and a US Senator, leading to congressional approval of the mountain carving in Black Hills National Forest.

They found a sculptor by the name of Gutzon Borglum who helped them find       a suitable location. The group finally decided on Mount Rushmore since it was the tallest peak and happened to have the strongest stone. Robinson decided       to use the figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.  By 1927, the first carving work had begun                    with rough dynamite excavations.  Work took place in several stages, and was     finally  completed  in  1941.

     Description

From right to left, the faces carved in Mount Rushmore are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Each was chosen  to  represent  a  specific  period  of  American  history.

The entire Mount Rushmore Memorial Park covers about 1,300 acres of lush forest and mid-sized mountains.  The site of the memorial itself  recently received upgraded tourist facilities including a new visitor's center, museum, and               a  spectacular  mountain  walking-trail  for  a  close-up  view.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Near Keystone, South Dakota, there is a monumental granite sculpture by Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941), located within the United States Presidential Memorial    that represents the first 150 years of the history of the United States of America with 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents   (left to right): George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865).                The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres (5.17 km²) and is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level. It is managed by the National Park Service, a bureau of               the United States Department of the Interior. The memorial attracts     approximately  two  million  people  annually.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore is most famous for the faces of the four presidents

                                                 carved on the mountain.

(left to right) Sculptures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,

Theodore  Roosevelt,  and  Abraham  Lincoln  represent  the  first

150  years  of  the  history  of  the  United  States.

                                                     Mt. Rushmore, showing the full size of the mountain

                                                        and the screen of debris from construction. 

                               Air Force One flying over Mt. Rushmore