Teacher: The USA is not an old country but it has a very interesting history. There are some dates on the blackboard. What do they mean to the Americans? Let's ask our experts.
Team 2:
In 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered the American continent.
In 1620 the first Englishmen came to America on the “Mayflower”.
If I am not mistaken, in 1773 an incident named the Boston Tea Party took place.
From 1775 to 1783 the war for independence of American colonies from British rule lasted.
In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and some other people and adopted in Philadelphia.
As far as I remember, the US Constitution was adopted in 1788.
Team 1:
In 1801 Washington, the capital of the United States was built in District of Columbia.
As far as I know, in 1848 the gold rush in California took place.
President Lincoln freed the Negro staves in 1863.
From 1861 to 1865 the Civil War between the states lasted in America.
In 1867 the United States bought Alaska from Russia, if I am not mistaken, for a little more than seven million dollars.
In 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon.
Guide: You know that the United States of America is a very large country. So let's take a plane to get to the Pacific coast.
Teacher: Let our guide tell us the nicknames of the states we are flying over now. I think we can guess their real names. Will you show us the route on the map?
Guide (показывает на карте место после того, как туристы правильно назовут штат.):
the Keystone State (Pennsylvania),
the Lake State (Michigan),
the Land of Lincoln (Illinois),
the Central State (Kansas),
the Blackwater State (Nebraska),
the Equality State (Wyoming),
the Salt Lake State (Utah),
the Golden State (California).
Guide: There are two great places of interest here, near Los Angeles. What are they?
(They are Hollywood and Disneyland.)
Teacher: California is the land of everlasting holiday. But there are of course a number of national holidays in the country. What can our experts tell us about them?
Даты праздников написаны на доске.
On the first of January, New Year's Day, all banks, stores, factories and schools are closed. People do not go to bed until after midnight on December 31. They like to see “the old year out and the new year in”. Many people give parties on New Year's Eve.
The fourteenth of February is St. Valentine's Day. It is a day of love and friendship. It is widely celebrated among persons of all ages by the exchange of special greeting-cards, valentines. Flowers and candy are favourite presents which friends and family give each other.
On the second Sunday of May, Mother's Day, Americans honour their mothers. They send their mothers a card or a gift, present flowers, prepare dinner for them.
The last Monday in May is Memorial Day, or Decoration Day. It is dedicated to those who fell in the War of Independence, in World War I or as anti-fascist fighters in World War II. On this day, patriotic songs are also sung on the radio and TV.
The Fourth of July is Independence Day. It is the biggest national holiday of the USA. The Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, when the American colonies were fighting for independence against England.
On October 12, 1492, Columbus discovered the first island in America. The first celebration of the discovery, Columbus Day, was held in New York City in 1792.
Halloween is celebrated on October 31. It is a holiday for young people and children. They make lanterns out of pumpkins. Some people make parties and dress up like ghosts and witches.
Another holiday is Veterans' Day on November 11. During the Day there are usually parades and ceremonies held in honour of those who fell in the two World Wars.
Thanksgiving Day comes on the fourth Thursday in November. In the autumn of 1621, the Pilgrim Fathers celebrated their first harvest festival in America and called it Thanksgiving Day. Since that time Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated every year.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25. It is a religious holiday. Just before Christmas day people send Christmas and New Year greetings to their friends and relatives. Stores, post-offices, banks and business places close for this day, schools and colleges close between Christmas and New Year's Day. People usually stay at home at Christmas-time, and spend the day with their families.
Teacher: But the Americans don't just have holidays. They also work, and they work a lot. New inventions are appearing every day. Many of them are made in the USA. Here are some things which were invented in America. What can you tell us about them?
Выносят поднос с предметами, изобретенными в США. Представители команд по очереди берут предметы, показывают и говорят о них.
The telephone was invented in 1876 by Alexander Bell.
The electric light bulb was invented in 1879 by Thomas Edison.
The steamboat was invented in 1807 by Robert Fulton.
The nylon was invented in 1927.
The transistor was invented in 1947.
The structure of the DNA was invented by Watson in 1962.
Guide: Now we are going to visit the largest city of the USA. It is the industrial and cultural centre of the country. What city is it?
(It is New York.)
For many people New York is the symbol of the USA. First it was inhabited by the Dutch, then by the English but people from all over the world live here now.
Teacher: Yes, that's true. Descendants of people from all over the world live iv the USA. Now they have a common history, culture and language. What language do the Americans speak?
Yes, English. But it is not the same language as the English people speak. There is a difference in the spelling of some words. Here are the words written the American way. Please, can two tourists come up to the blackboard and give the British spellings of the words. American British
catalog catalogue
program programme
color colour
labor labour
honor honour
traveler traveller
center centre
meter metre
theater theatre
Some things have different names in America to Great Britain. Please, take the cards with the British words and give their American equivalents. British American
sweet candy
flat apartment
form grade
maize corn
football soccer
cinema movie
lift elevator
post mail
minister secretary
autumn fall
biscuits cookies
Guide: Next we'll visit the capital of the USA, Washington. It is not a large city. There is no industry in it, just administrative buildings and places of interest. What are they?
(The Capitol Building, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, Fort Washington, the Smithsonian Institution and others)
Teacher: Now let's talk about some other places of interest in America. Maybe our experts can tell us about them.
Представители команд описывают фотографии достопримечательностей США.
The Statue of Liberty on the Manhattan Island meets people coming to America.
A bridge over the Niagara River connects the two states - Canada to the Left and the USA to the right.
Here you can see Disneyland built by Walt Disney Los Angeles.
This is San Francisco, the capital of the state of California.
The Rocky Mountains are in the west of the USA. In the Rockies there are several peaks about five thousand meters high.
This is Columbia University in New York.
In this picture you can see the Pentagon.
And this is the Capitol, the seat of the Congress.
The Washington Monument is also called the Pencil. It is 5 hundred and fifty five feet high.
This is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It is situated on the Pacific coast.
This is the Grand Canyon.
Manhattan is an island, which forms the heart of New York.
Boston is known for its universities. Here is one of them.
Here you can see the United Nations building in New York.
The White House is the President's residence.
The National Gallery of Art is also situated in Washington.
Teacher: And what about the crossword? Have you worked out all the answers? Our judges will check it.
Заполненный кроссворд передается жюри.
I think that our journey is coming to an end. Let the experts ask their final questions to the opposing team. Two questions each, please.
What is the former name of New York? (New Amsterdam)
What is the real name of O. Henry? (William Porter)
Who was the first president of the USA? (George Washington)
How many states signed the Declaration of Independence? (13)
Who wrote the first detective stories? (Edgar Poe)
What river joins the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean? (the St. Lawrence River)
Which is the largest state? (Alaska)
What is the region where wheat and maize are grown? (Corn Belt)
What river flows through Washington, D.C.? (Potomac)
What is the flag of the USA called? (Stars and Stripes)
What is the highest building in Washington? (the Capitol)
What is the name of the parliament? (Congress)
How many senators are there in the Congress?
What are the most popular team sports in the USA? (baseball, basketball, football)
What is the first state of the USA?
What is the oldest college of the USA? (Harvard)
What is the longest river? (the Mississippi)
In what country was the Statue of Liberty made? (France)
What is the real name of Mark Twain? (Samuel Clemens)
What is the former capital of the USA? (Philadelphia)
Guide: At the end of our journey we are going to visit one more city. It is situated in the Mississippi valley. It is a cultural centre and the birthplace of jazz. Which city is it?
(It is New Orleans.)
Teacher: Now we are in a cultural centre and our tourists are going to show us an amateur performance. It is an act from one of the most famous American musicals "My Fair Lady" by Alan Lerner. The action takes place at Ascot, in Mrs Higgins's box. Professor Higgins is going to introduce Eliza Doolittle to his mother and her guests. [2]
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