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A27 – The USA

Vlastnosti
predmetAnglický jazyk
typmaturitná téma
okruhanglický jazyk
číslo27
stavvypracované
Zadanie

Talk about the general information on the USA, its geography, climate, industry and political system, the history of the country, the places of interest, and Washington D.C. as the capital city.

1. Osnova témy​

  • General information — size, population, states, currency, language.
  • Geography — neighbours, mountains, rivers, the Great Lakes.
  • Climate and its extremes.
  • Industry and agriculture.
  • The political system — a federal presidential republic.
  • The history of the country in outline.
  • Places of interest and Washington D.C.
  • People, customs and traditions.

2. Kľúčová slovná zásoba​

  • the country: the United States of America, the USA, the States, fifty states, federal republic, the Stars and Stripes, the dollar, Washington D.C., the District of Columbia
  • geography: to border on, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, the Appalachian Mountains, the Rocky Mountains, the Cordilleras, the Sierra Nevada, the Great Plains, the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Colorado, the Rio Grande, the Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario), the Niagara Falls, Death Valley, Denali
  • climate: great variations, arctic in Alaska, subtropical in Florida and Hawaii, desert in the south-west, hurricane, tornado, Tornado Alley, wildfire
  • politics: the President, the head of state and government, the White House, Congress, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, a two-party system, the Democrats, the Republicans, presidential election
  • industry: the largest economy in the world, raw materials, oil, natural gas, coal, the car industry (Detroit), the aircraft industry, the film industry (Hollywood), Silicon Valley, information technology, agriculture: wheat, maize / corn, cotton, cattle
  • history: Native Americans, Christopher Columbus (1492), the Pilgrim Fathers and the Mayflower (1620), the thirteen colonies, the Declaration of Independence (1776), George Washington, the Civil War (1861–1865), Abraham Lincoln, the abolition of slavery, the Great Depression, the two World Wars, the Cold War, the Moon landing (1969), the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King
  • places of interest: New York (the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, Central Park, Times Square, Broadway), Washington D.C. (the White House, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument), the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Las Vegas, San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood, Mount Rushmore, Florida
  • people and customs: melting pot, the American Dream, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Halloween, baseball, American football, fast food, tipping (prepitné)

3. Užitočné frázy a väzby​

  • The USA is one of the largest countries in the world and by far the largest economy.
  • It is made up of fifty states, two of which — Alaska and Hawaii — are separate from the rest.
  • It borders on Canada in the north and Mexico in the south.
  • Because the country is so big, the climate varies enormously.
  • The head of state and of the government is the President.
  • The country was founded when the thirteen colonies declared independence in 1776.
  • The Civil War in the eighteen-sixties led to the abolition of slavery.
  • The best-known symbol of the country is probably the Statue of Liberty.
  • The idea of the American Dream is that anybody can succeed through hard work.
  • If I ever went there, the place I would most like to see is…
  • To sum up, the USA is a country of extremes in almost every sense.

4. Modelová odpoveď​

The United States of America is one of the largest countries in the world — depending on how the area is measured, it is either the third or the fourth largest, alongside Russia, Canada and China. It consists of fifty states and has a population of over three hundred million. The capital is Washington D.C., the currency is the dollar, and although English is the language everybody uses, Spanish is spoken by tens of millions of people, because the USA is an extremely multicultural country.

Geographically the country borders on Canada in the north and Mexico in the south, with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific to the west. Alaska in the far north-west and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific are also part of the USA. In the east there are the Appalachian Mountains, in the middle the vast Great Plains and the Mississippi basin, and in the west the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak, Denali, is in Alaska. The longest rivers are the Mississippi and the Missouri, and on the border with Canada lie the Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario — the largest reservoir of fresh water in the world. Lakes Erie and Ontario are connected by the Niagara River, which forms the famous Niagara Falls.

Because the country is so large, the climate varies enormously, from arctic cold in northern Alaska to subtropical warmth in Florida and Hawaii, with deserts in the south-west. Florida is regularly hit by hurricanes, and the central states form the so-called Tornado Alley.

The American economy is the biggest in the world. The country is rich in raw materials such as oil, natural gas and coal. Detroit was traditionally the centre of the car industry, Hollywood is the centre of film, and Silicon Valley in California is the centre of the world's information technology. Agriculture is highly mechanised and produces wheat, maize, cotton and beef.

Politically the USA is a federal presidential republic. The President is both head of state and head of the government and lives in the White House. Congress, which sits in the Capitol, has two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are effectively two parties, the Democrats and the Republicans.

The history is short but eventful. The land was originally inhabited by Native Americans. Columbus reached America in 1492, and in 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers arrived on the Mayflower. The thirteen British colonies declared their independence on the fourth of July 1776, and George Washington became the first president. In the eighteen-sixties the Civil War between the North and the South ended with the abolition of slavery under Abraham Lincoln. In the twentieth century the USA became a superpower, landed men on the Moon in 1969, and went through the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King.

There is an enormous amount to see. New York has the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, Central Park and Broadway. Washington D.C. has the White House, the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. There are the great national parks — the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone — as well as Las Vegas, San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood and Mount Rushmore.

Americans are usually described as friendly, open and informal; they use first names quickly and ask „How are you?" as a greeting rather than a real question. They believe in the American Dream — that anyone can succeed through hard work. Their typical holidays are Thanksgiving, Independence Day and Halloween, their sports are baseball, basketball and American football, and tipping in restaurants is not optional but expected.

5. Otázky na diskusiu​

  1. Where is the USA situated and which countries does it border on?
  2. How is the American political system organised?
  3. What are the main geographical features of the country?
  4. Why does the USA have such a varied climate?
  5. What do you know about the history of the United States?
  6. Which places in the USA would you most like to visit?
  7. What is the American Dream, and do you think it still exists?
  8. How does life in the USA differ from life in Slovakia?
  9. Why is the USA called a melting pot?
  10. What influence does American culture have on the rest of the world?

6. Zhrnutie na ústnu odpoveď​

  • Základ: fifty states, over 300 million people, the dollar, Washington D.C., English plus a lot of Spanish.
  • Geografia: Canada in the north, Mexico in the south, two oceans; Appalachians, Great Plains, Rockies; Mississippi and Missouri; the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls; Denali in Alaska.
  • Podnebie: arctic Alaska → subtropical Florida and Hawaii; deserts, hurricanes, Tornado Alley.
  • Hospodárstvo: the largest economy; oil and gas; Detroit, Hollywood, Silicon Valley; wheat, maize, cotton.
  • Politika: federal presidential republic; President in the White House; Congress = Senate + House of Representatives; Democrats and Republicans.
  • História: Native Americans → Columbus 1492 → Mayflower 1620 → Independence 1776 → Civil War 1861–65 and the end of slavery → superpower, Moon 1969, Martin Luther King.
  • Pamiatky: New York, Washington D.C., the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, San Francisco, Hollywood.
  • Ľudia: melting pot, the American Dream, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July, baseball, tipping.
Overené

Učiteľkin materiál uvádza 250 miliónov obyvateľov — taký počet mali USA okolo roku 1990. Dnes je to vyše 330 miliónov, tak povedz „over three hundred million". Materiál tiež volá najvyšší vrch Mt. McKinley; hora sa roku 2015 oficiálne premenovala na Denali, čo je jej pôvodný indiánsky názov. Poradie „štvrtá najväčšia krajina" je sporné — podľa spôsobu merania sú USA tretie alebo štvrté, tak to radšej podaj ako „one of the largest countries in the world".

Čo povedať na skúške

Zapamätaj si rozdiel medzi Washington D.C. (hlavné mesto na východnom pobreží) a Washington State (štát na západnom pobreží so Seattlom). Skratka D.C. znamená District of Columbia a existuje práve preto, aby sa hlavné mesto nepliedlo so štátom. Toto je veľmi vďačná poznámka — ukazuje, že téme naozaj rozumieš.

Súvisiace poznámky​

Kontrolné otázky​

Where is the USA situated and which countries does it border on?

In North America, between the Atlantic and the Pacific. It borders on Canada in the north and Mexico in the south.

How is the American political system organised?

It is a federal republic of 50 states. The President is head of state and government, Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) makes laws and the Supreme Court is the highest court.

What are the main geographical features of the country?

The Rocky Mountains in the west, the Appalachians in the east, the Great Plains in the middle, the Mississippi river, the Great Lakes and deserts in the south-west.

Why does the USA have such a varied climate?

The country is huge and stretches from Alaska to Florida and Hawaii, so it has arctic, mild, desert and tropical climates.

What do you know about the history of the United States?

Native Americans lived there first. Europeans colonised it, the colonies declared independence in 1776, then came the Civil War (1861–1865) and the USA became a world power in the 20th century.

Which places in the USA would you most like to visit?

New York, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park.

What is the American Dream, and do you think it still exists?

The idea that anybody can become successful through hard work. It still inspires people, but it is harder today because of inequality.

How does life in the USA differ from life in Slovakia?

Distances are bigger, people depend on cars, health care and universities are expensive, salaries are higher and the culture is more individualistic.

Why is the USA called a melting pot?

Immigrants from all over the world came there and their cultures mixed into one American identity.

What influence does American culture have on the rest of the world?

Huge – Hollywood films, music, fast food, technology companies and the English language spread everywhere.

🔗 Spätné odkazy (5)