the approval of the Senate. The courts have the power to determine whether all acts passed by the Congress are constitutional and analyze all Presidential actions and refuse them if they can be against Constitution.
Thesystemofchecksandbalancesworksasthesystemofcompromise and consensus. This system protects against abusing of power. It means, that new Presidents cannot radically change governmental policies just as they wish themselves.
Exercise 3. Jumbled sentences.
1.The branches USA for three main of government Constitution provides.
2.The balances compromise system of checks and consensus
makes.
3.The can appoint President important of his administration officials.
4.Congress President makes Act but the may veto any passed by laws, Congress.
5.This against abusing protects of power system.
Exercise 4. Choose the correct answer for the following questions.
1.What is the main principle of the U.S. Constitution? a) the democratic system;
b) equal rights for everyone;
c) the system of checks and balances.
2.How can the executive branch check the legislative one? a) It can veto the bill;
b) It can changed the passed act; c) It can improve the suggested law.
3.How can the legislative branch check the executive one? a) It can impeach the President;
b) It can give advices to the president; c) It can make decisions itself.
Exercise 5. Translate from Russian into English.
Администрация, Сенат, наложить вето на законопроект, объявить импичмент президенту, закон, демократическая система, права граждан, политика, советовать, обеспечивать.
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Exercise 6. Explain the meaning of the words and word combinations.
President – Bill – Constitution – Civil right – Veto the Bill –
Unit 9. National symbols of the USA
Exercise 1. Read and translate the following words and word combinations.
Flag, liberty, to represent, national, seal, colony, banner, general, to stand for, emblem, story, stripe.
Exercise 2. Read the text.
The American Flag
The «Stars and Stripes» it is how Americans called their red, white and blue flag of the United States. Another widely-spread name is the «Star-Spangled Banner». This is also the name for the National Anthem of the United States.
The thirteen colonies declared their independence from Great Britain in 1776 and the United States was born. George Washington was a general of the American Army. He decided that the Americans should have their own flag. That’s why General George Washington asked Betsy Ross to make the flag. She decided to make it using three colours: red, white and blue. The red colour symbolizes bravery, white symbolizes freedom, and blue was the symbol of justice. She sewed thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen white stars in a circle on a blue square. The thirteen stars and stripes were the symbols of states at the beginning of the United States. On June, 14, 1777, the Congress decided to use this flag as the National one.
Later new states joined the United States. This was problematic to make changes to the flag. In 1818 the Congress passed another law about the flag. The thirteen stripes must stay the same, but for each new state there should be placed a new star. Today there are fifty stars on the flag. Hawaiian Islands were the last star appeared in 1959.
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Americans like their flag. They sometimes use the stars and stripes as popular design on clothes, but there are some laws prohibit using the flag in inappropriate ways. The Stars and Stripes are placed on government offices and public schools; they stand by the President’s desk. The flag hang in every classroom in America, and every day at school children salute it before the school day begins. On the 4th of July, Independence Day, the Stars and Stripes can be seen everywhere – in the streets, on the houses, and in the big parades.
The Great Seal of the United States
The Great Seal of the USA is the official seal (special circle-shaped design) can be met on important documents and is a mark that a document is from the US government. The seal has two sides. On one side there is a picture of a White-Headed Bald Eagle, the national bird of the USA that has an olive branch – a symbol of peace – in one claw and 13 arrows, symbolizing the number of the original 13 states, in the other. Above the eagle’s everyone can read a motto in Latin «E Plurilous Unum» which means «Many United» or «One Out Of Many». On the other side there is picture of a Pyramid with an eye above. Both designs can be seen of a one-dollar bill.
Exercise 3. Make a project «National symbols of my native country», be ready to discuss it with your groupmates.
Exercise 4. Jumbled sentences.
1.The popular «Stars and Stripes» is a name for the red, white and blue of the United flag States.
2.Later United States new states joined the.
3.Today stars thereon the flag are fifty.
4.Both on the back are of a one-dollar designs bill printed.
5.In 1776 the their independence colonies declared from Great thirteen Britain.
Exercise 5. Match English words with their Russian equivalents.
1) |
widely spread name |
a) купюра, счет |
2) |
olive branch |
b) национальный гимн |
3) |
to be printed |
c) документ |
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4) document |
d) мир |
|
5) |
National Anthem |
e) быть напечатанным |
6) |
peace |
f) оливковая ветвь |
7) |
bill |
g) популярное название |
|
|
|
Exercise 6. Answer the following questions.
1.What is the name of the American flag?
2.Do Americans like their flag?
3.What day the Stars and Stripes can be seen everywhere?
4.What do you know about the Great Seal of the USA?
5.Can you explain the meaning of the motto in Latin «E Plurilous Unum»?
Unit 10. Washington, D.C. – the capital of the USA
Exercise 1. Study the words. Learn them by heart.
1)artificial [,a:ti’fi∫l] – искусственный; 2) to construct – строить;
3)to contain – содержать в себе, вмещать; 4) entire [in’taiэ] – полный, целый; 5) to create [kri’eit] – творить, создавать; 6) а law [lо:] – закон; 7) to serve – служить; 8) to display – показывать, демонстрировать; 9) to locate [lэu’keit] – определять место, располагать; 10) to occupy [‘оkjupai] – занимать (пространство, время); 11) to represent [,repri’zent] – представлять, изображать; 12) a site – участок, место, местоположение; 13) a skyscraper – небоскреб; 14) to support [sэ‘pо:t] – поддерживать, помогать, содержать; 15) a temple – храм
Exercise 2. Read the text.
The capital of the United States of America
Washington, D.C., is the city on the East coast. It begins his story in 1791. The name of the city is given in honour of the first American President George Washington (1732–1799). Washington, D.C., became the capital of the USA. In 1800. Washington was specially built as the site where government of the USA would be situated. The flag of the USA is also known as the Stars and Stripes. You can see fifty stars on a blue background. Every star represents one of the American states. However, the City of Washington does not belong to any of them. One can find it
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in the District of Columbia, usually abbreviated into D.C. To avoid the confusion with the state Washington situated on the Pacific Coast the name of the capital is accompanied with this abbreviation D.C. If you look at the map you can see the District of Columbia between the states of Virginia and Maryland. It occupies the territory on the Potomac River not far from the Atlantic Ocean.
Nowadays about 3.4 million people live in Washington, D.C. All institutions of power are located in the capital. As it is a political, cultural, administrative and educational center of the country that’s why there is no any industry there. Nobody can find a factory or a plant in Washington, D.C.
The White House, the Capitol and the Supreme Court are located in Washington, D.C., as well. The White House is the official residence of the US President, his home. This building was constructed in 1792–
1829. The US Congress occupies The Capitol which got its name from the temple in Rome.
In Washington, D.C. a law against building constructions higher than 90 feet exists. That’s why its appearance differs a lot from New York’s landscape with its skyscrapers. Washington is a very pleasant and nicelooking city thanks to low buildings and a lot of green trees.
Also it is a city of students because there are several universities in the capital. The Congress library is there too. It has a very rich fund containing more than 13 million books in different languages, over 19 million manuscripts and a great number of other items, such as prints, maps, musical scores and recordings. The Library serves the Congress, the entire governmental establishment and the public at large.
The nice impression of the national capital is a lot due to its beautiful streets with trees lines on sides. Also in this city take place famous museums, monuments and art galleries. For example, one of them is the new National Historical Wax Museum. In it you can see reproductions of outstanding people and even of famous events in American history. Another large museum is a museum of painting, sculpture and other arts named the National Gallery of Art. It is also here in the capital. The US government supports it.
At the end of the Mall on an artificial plateau the Lincoln Memorial can be seen. It is a big temple in Greek Style with 36 marble columns to display the states in the union at Lincoln's death. The Arlington National
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