Role Play

In groups of three, write a role play and then perform it in the class. Choose one of these topics:

1. A group of American colonists consider moving to the West;

2. A group of western settlers discuss what they need from the East for the forthcoming winter season;

3.
A group of presidential advisers discussing benefits and difficulties arising from moving westward.

Exercise № 17. Look at the map and decide what the Lewis and Clark expedition brought to the newly created American nation. Put your words into a short written paragraph of 30 words.

Text B: Reading for meaning.

Mexican – American Wars

Largest parts of new territories such as Louisiana, Alaska and Florida were bought; however, the United States used not only dollars, but swords.

The United States annexed a Mexican province of Texas in 1845. Two months of forceful combats and hopeless battles allowed the US to seize Texas. Easiness of capturing new lands of the Mexican territories provoked another lame excuse and the American troops invaded another Mexican province of California and occupied the largest towns of San Diego and Los Angeles. Occupation of California provided the United States with an outlet to the coasts of the Pacific Ocean.

Three years of the Mexican-American wars led to further expansion of the United States which gained 2.3 million square kilometers of land, and Mexicans lost half of its lands. Since that time Mexicans like saying “Poor Mexicans, you’re so far from the God, but so close to the United States”.

Exercise № 18. Translate these sentences in English.

1. К началу 19 века Мексика входила в состав вице-королевства Новая Испания. 2. Испанцы использовали Мексику в качестве поставщика драгоценных металлов, какао и сахара. 3. Независимость Мексики была провозглашена в 1821 году. 4. США имеют огромное влияние на Мексику. 5. В 1835 году США установили контроль над Техасом, а 1845 году Конгресс США одобрил аннексию Техаса. 6. В результате войны 1846-1848 годов США получили контроль над Верхней и Нижней Калифорнией.