1. We often ... letters to our parents.

2. What ... you ... now?

3. Yesterday they ... ... tests from 10 till 12 o'clock.

4. Who ... ... this letter tomorrow?

5. I ... ... some letters last week.

6. What ... you ... tomorrow at 10?

7. When I came in she ... ... a letter.

8. Do you often ... letters to your parents?

9. I ... not ... this article now. I ... ... it in some days.

10. ... he ... his report at the moment?

11. What ... she ... in the evening yesterday?

12. As a rule he ... tests well.

Ex. 2. Match the phrases in the left column with those in the right column:

Ex. 3. Put the verbs in brackets in the right form:

1. Peter and Ann (go) away five minutes ago. 2. I (write) the letter but I (not send) it. 3. He just (go) away. 4. She already (answer) the letter. 5. She (answer) it on Tuesday. 6. I just (tell) you the answer. 7. I (read) that book in my summer holidays. 8. The greengrocer (sell) now all his vegetables. 9. He (sell) all of them half an hour ago. 10. I (not see) him for three years. I (be) glad to see him again some time. 11. What you (do)? I (copy) the text from the text-book now. 12. He (go) to Moscow next week? 13. He (not smoke) for a month. He is trying to give it up. 14. When he (arrive)? – He (arrive) at 2:00. 15. You (switch off) the light before you left the house? 16. I (read) these books when I was at school. I (like) them very much. 17. I can't go out because I (not finish) my work. 18. I already (tell) you the answer yesterday. 19. What you (do) tomorrow in the morning? 20. I (not meet) him last week. 21. I usually (leave) home at seven and (get) here at twelve. 22. Here is your watch. I just (find) it. 23. You (not have) your breakfast yet?

Ex. 4. Comment on the formation and meaning of the tenses in the following sentences:

1. The sun rises in the East, now it is setting and night is falling.

2. I haven’t seen your brother lately. Has he gone away?

3. She suddenly realized that she had left her umbrella in the bus.

4. When shall we see you again? – I’ll call on you as soon as I come back from Canada.

5. Sometimes we read the same book again and again.

6. We’ve bought a new carpet but I don’t think it goes with the sofa.

7. He was rescued after he had been in the water for three hours.

Read, translate and retell the text:

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometers. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-boarder with Russia.

The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is more than 270 million.

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. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska.

America's largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA.

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 USA is a highly developed industrial country. It's 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.

Though mainly European and African in origin, Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, including Chinese and native Americans.

The largest cities are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San-Francisco, Washington and others.

The United States is a federal union of 50 states, each of which has its own government. The seat of the central (federal) government is Washington, DC. According to the US Constitution the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches: the executive, headed by the President, the legislative, exercised by the Congress, and the judicial. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

ADD TO YOUR ACTIVE VOCABULARY:

to stretch – простираться

to include – включать

to border on – граничить с …

sea-boarder – морская граница

to be made up – состоять

District of Columbia – округ Колумбия

the Rocky Mountains – Скалистые горы

the Cordillera – Кордильеры

to be located – быть расположенным

copper – медь

manufacturing – производство

armaments – вооружение

furniture – мебель

executive – исполнительный

legislative – законодательный

judicial – судебный

House of Representatives – Палата Представителей

Ex.1. Answer the questions to the text:

1. The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world, isn’t it?

2. What part of North America does it occupy?

3. Where is the capital of the country, Washington, situated?

4. What is the total area of the country?

5. Will you name the highest mountains of the USA?

6. What are America's largest rivers?

7. Do you know the most important manufacturing industries of the country?

8. Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, aren’t they?

9. Will you describe the political system of the USA?

Ex.2. Translate from Russian into English:

1. США – четвертая по размеру страна после России, Канады и Китая.

2. США граничат на севере с Канадой, а на юге – с Мексикой.

3. США имеют морскую границу с Россией.

4. Великие озера, расположенные на границе с Канадой – самые глубокие озера в стране.

5. Горячие массы воздуха из Мексиканского залива часто являются причинами тайфунов.

6. США – высокоразвитое промышленное государство с множеством отраслей.

7. США находится на втором месте в мире по добыче железной руды и угля.

8. Каждый штат имеет свою столицу.

9. Федеральное правительство расположено в Вашингтоне.

10. Конгресс состоит из Сената и Палаты Представителей.

Ex.3.Find the odd word out:

1. Central, total, memorial, additional.

2. Manufacturing, leading, reading, producing.

3. Legislative, informative, locomotive, executive.

4. Copper, border, order, water.

5. Coldest, deepest, chest, widest.