Match English words with their Russian equivalents

1 to elect 2 executive power 3 Commander-in-Chief 4 amendment 5judicial branch 6 legislative branch 7 monitory unit 8 currency 9 to forbid 10 to adopt a constitution

a) главнокомандующий b) судебная власть c) избирать d) денежная единица e) запрещать f) принять конституцию g) валюта h) поправки, изменения i) законодатльная власть j) исполнительная власть

Read the sentences using English equivalents.

1) The USA is a (федеральная президентская демократическая республика). 2) (срок правления) оf the President begins at noon on January 20. 3) The legislative branch of the government is (конгресс), which has 2 houses: (сенат) and (палата представителей) (that represents the population according to its distribution among states). 3) (Верховный суд) is the highest court in the country and the head of the judicial branch of the US government. 4) Today the USA has 2 major political parties: (демократическая партия) (its emblem is the Democratic donkey) and (республиканская партия) (its emblem is the Republican elephant). 5) The American dollar is an important (валюта) that is used for trade between countries all over the world.

Find Russian equivalents to the following.

a natural-born citizen, a resident of the country, to appoint, ambassador, to win, worship, enterprise, to levy taxes, borrow money, to regulate, state budget, government, duty, free-enterprise capitalist system, to make payment, transaction, to make a purchase, primary reserve currency

Answer the questions to the text.

1) Is the USA a republic or a monarchy according to the Constitution? 2) Are there any

requirements for being elected for the post of the president? 3) What are the main functions of the president? 4) When and where was the Constitution of the USA adopted? 5) What are the main principles of the American constitution? 6) Who is the father of the constitution? What did he proclaimed? 7) How many branches of power in the USA? 8) What are the main functions of the legislative, executive and judicial branches? 9) What is the main religion? 10) What is the official language? 11) What is an official monitory unit in the USA? 12) What can you say about the importance of the dollar in the world economy?

National Symbols

The National Flag of the USA is red, white and blue. The red stripes proclaim courage, the white – liberty, the field of blue stands for loyalty. The 50 stars represent the 50 states. The 13 red and white stripes represent the first 13 colonies. The Flag symbolizes American people, American land, and American way of life. The first American flag was approved by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia on June 14, 1777. The US flag is known as “Old Glory”, “The Stars and Stripes”, “Star-Spangled Banner” («Звездное знамя»). Americans enjoy their flag. They sometimes use the stars and stripes as popular designs on shirts, shoes, hats, jeans, but there are laws that prohibit using the flag in appropriate ways. The Stars and Stripes are flown on government offices and public schools, they stand by the president’s desk. The flags hang in every classroom in America, and every day children salute it before the school day begins. On the 4^th of July, Independence Day, the Stars and Stripes can be seen everywhere – on the streets, on the houses and big parades.

The official emblem of the USA is the American eagle. It appears on the Presidential flag and on some coins. The coat of arms of the US represents an eagle with wings outspread, holding a bundle of rods (symbol of administering) in the left claw and an olive twig (the emblem of love and peace) in the right claw. The motto on the coat of arms is “E Pluribus Unum” // Едины в многообразии.

The National Anthem of the USA was written by Francis Scott Key during the war of 1812 between the USA and Great Britain.

The symbol of freedom is the Statue of Liberty. It is a 225-ton steel female figure, 150 ft in height, facing the ocean from Liberty Island in New York Harbor. The right hand holds a torch and the left hand carries a tablet upon which is written: ”July 4, 1776”. The Statue symbolizes the alliance of France and the USA in the American Revolution and their friendship.