Lesson 79

The United States

Plan

1. warm-up

2. revision: The Past Tense

3. writing: making up questions to the given answers

4. dictation “The origin of the word “America”

5. retelling an abstract about America

6. writing a text based on the given information

7. making up a topic

8. H.T.

Warm Up: The Statue of Liberty

In 1903 the sonnet “The New Colossus” by American poet Emma Lazarus was written in bronze at the base of the statue.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame

With conquering limbs astride from land to land:

Here at our sea – washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows worldwide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp! ” Cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest - tots, to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door! ”

Emma Lazarus

Task 1 Read the following text once with your teacher and then with a partner fill in the blanks of the text with the verbs in the past tense.

Last summer I _________(to visit) New York and it was wonderful! I ________(to go) with my mother, father and brother. We __________(to stay) at my uncle’s house because he lives and works in New York City. The first day I __________(to arrive) I was amazed at how big the city is. Did you know that 16 million people live in New York City? That is almost the same as the population in Kazakhstan! I _______(to be) a little nervous and it was difficult to understand what people were saying. I was happy that I _________(to study) English in school though, because it helped me communicate. The people all _________(to look) so different, and my father _______(to say) it was because the U.S. has so many immigrants and people from all over the world living here. Some people don’t even know their nationality.

We ________(to go) to a baseball game because my father really wanted to see the American national sport, and I ________(to eat) some national food like a hot dog and a hamburger at the game. Not as good as bishbarmakh, but I liked them. After the game we __________(to watch) fireworks go off because it was America’s national holiday, the Fourth of July. The fireworks __________(to be) beautiful.

One day we __________(to drive) to Washington D.C.and ________(to walk) around the city looking at different monuments. My favorite was the Lincoln Memorial, it was just so big and beautiful! Did you know the city is named after George Washington, the first president of the U.S.? I even ___________(to see) the White House, but I ________(to do not) see the president.

Back in New York City, we took a day to visit the Statue of Liberty. Did you know that it was a gift from the French? I was amazed at how big it was. I ________(to ask) my parents when we would visit Los Angeles, but they said it was too far away. Oh well, maybe next time.

Task 2 Decide what questions would have to be asked to get the following answers?

Example: baseball What is the U.S. national sport?

1. hamburgers 2. Fourth of July 3. Statue of Liberty

4. Washington D.C. 5. 16 million 6. Lincoln Memorial

7. New York City 8. George Washington

Answers may vary but here are some options:

1. What is a popular food in the U.S.?

2. When is the U.S.’s national holiday?

3. What is a popular monument in the U.S.?

4. What is the capital of the U.S.?

5. How many people live in New York City?

6. What is a monument in Washington D.C.?

7. What is a famous city in the U.S.?

8. Who was the first president of the U.S.?

Task 3 Read and to memorize the text.