семинар 1, контрольные вопросы, US territory

Question 1

How is the USA ranked in terms of its territory?

Answer 1

In total area (including inland water), Russia and Canada are larger than the United States. Ranking for third-largest status is disputed. With Taiwan, China is larger than the US. Thus, the US takes forth place.

Question 2

How are the forty eight US states enclosed into one boundary known?

Answer 2

contiguous/conterminous united states

Question 3

Name at least one of the US territories in the Pacific and the Caribbean basin.

Answer 3

Pacific: American Samoa.
Caribbean: Puerto Rico.

Question 4

What mountains can be found in the east of the USA?

Answer 4

The Appalachian [ˌæpəˈleɪʃ(i)ən] Mountains. They are ancient and strongly eroded mountains. The highest peak is 2,037m (Mount Mitchell in North Carolina). The Appalachian Mountains are generally heavily forested.

Question 5

What mountains are located in the west of the USA?

Answer 5

The Rocky Mountains extend from Canada to New Mexico and Texas. The territory of the area is 1,600 km by 200-600 km. The Rocky Mountains form the eastern chain of the Cordillera [ˌkɔːdɪˈljeərə] Mountains. The Rockies are over 4,000 m high. They are younger and higher compared with the Appalachians. There are peaks capped with snow.

Pacific coast mountain ranges extend from Canada to the border with Mexico (like the Rockies). The mountain ranges form two parallel mountain systems running along the Pacific coast. The first range includes the Cascade [kæsˈkeɪd] Mountains (in the states of Washington and Oregon), and the Sierra Nevada Mountains (in California) with Mount Whitney at 4,418 m being the highest point in the conterminous United States.

Question 6

Name at least one desert in the USA.

Answer 6

The Mojave Desert. (мохавей)

Question 7

What is the highest mountain in the USA?

Answer 7

Mount McKinley (or Denali, 6.2 km) in Alaska. In the conterminous United States Mount Whitney at 4,418 m.

Question 8

How large is Alaska compared with other US states?

Answer 8

Alaska is by far the largest state in the United States, nearly two and a half times as large as Texas. It is large enough to fit in as many as 19 other states including New York, Florida, Oklahoma, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

Question 9

What are the Great Plains famous for agriculturally?

Answer 9

The Great Plains is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located just to the east of the Rocky Mountains. The area there is a dry treeless land covered with steppe and grassland.

Barley (ячмень), canola (разновидность рапса), corn, cotton and soybeans grown in the Great Plains reach markets around the world. The region is about 500 mi east to west and 2,000 mi north to south.

Question 10

What is the largest body of water among the Great Lakes?

Answer 10

Lake Superior.

Question 11

What is the Mississippi River called taking into account the territory it drains?

Answer 11

The Mississippi and its tributary ─ the Missouri ─ is one of the longest world’s rivers. It drains large area of the central US (2/3s of the US territory), and is known as the “father of waters”. Why it is called that: the river held a revered position among the first peoples of North America. The Mississippi River, was called “great river” or “gathering of waters”, which can be translated as “Father of Waters”.

Question 12

What do you know about the Rio Grande River?

Answer 12

Rio Grande, the 5th longest river of North America, and the 20th longest in the world. It forms the border between the U.S. state of Texas and Mexico. In the 16th c. the Rio Grande appears on a map made by Spanish explorers for the first time. In 1884 The Rio Grande river officially becomes the border between Mexico and the US.

Question 13

What is the lowest point in the USA?

Answer 13

Death Valley in California is the lowest spot in the U.S, at 86 meters below the sea level. It is thought to be the hottest place on Earth during summer.

Question 14

What is the largest and smallest US states in territory?

Answer 14

Alaska is the largest state in the United States. Capital city: Juneau [ˈdʒuːnəʊ].

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the United States. Capital city: Providence. Borders: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York.

Question 15

What are the largest coal fields in the USA?

Answer 15

The two largest coal mines in the United States are the North Antelope Rochelle and Black Thunder mines in Wyoming [waɪˈəʊmɪŋ]. Together, the two mines produced 21% of total U.S. coal production in 2021.

Question 16

Name at least three oil rich US states.

Answer 16

Texas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Alaska, Colorado, Oklahoma.

Question 17

Where are non-ferrous metals predominantly located in the USA?

Answer 17

Non-ferrous (цветные) metals are produced in the Rocky Mountains area and to the west of the Mississippi.

Question 18

What US topographic region enjoys Mediterranean climate?

Answer 18

Pacific coast

Question 19

Where does the 50 cm rainfall line run in the USA?

Answer 19

It runs north and south almost through the middle of the country.

Question 20

What mineral is mined in huge quantities in the state of Arizona?

Answer 20

Arizona leads in copper production and is a major producer of crude perlite [ˈpɜːlaɪt], molybdenum (молибден), silver, & zeolites [ˈziːəlaɪt] (циолит).

Question 21

Name at least three topographic areas in the USA.

Answer 21

Atlantic Coastal Plains, The Appalachian Highlands, The Interior Plains, The Rocky Mountains, The Pacific Coastal Ranges.

Question 22

What is muskeg? [ˈmʌskeɡ]

Answer 22

South of the Alaska Range are areas called muskeg lands that is swampy and infested with insects in summer, frozen hard in winter.

Question 23

What do you know about the Yukon River?

Answer 23

Major watercourse in North America. North of the Alaska Range flows the Yukon River. One of the longest river in North America.

Question 24

What is fracking? What minerals are produced in the USA using this method?

Answer 24

Shale oil is crude oil contained in shale rock formations. It is extracted by drilling wells and pumping a sand, water, and chemical mixture into the rock. The pressure under which the mixture is pushed into fissures cracks the rock open, allowing for the gas and oil to be removed So the method is known as cracking or fracking. Sand, oil and natural gas, chemicals, clays and minerals are extracted from the shale formation.

Question 25

The Colorado River

Answer 25

It flows through the topographic region of the Rocky Mountains.

Question 26

The Sacramento River

Answer 26

It is a river in California that drains the territory west of the Rockies.

Question 27

The most famous lakes in the west of the Rockies are…

Answer 27

Great Salt Lake (Utah) and the Salton Sea.

Question 28

a natural border between the U.S. and Canada (lakes)

Answer 28

Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario

Question 29

The chief tributary of the Columbia River is

Answer 29

the Snake River

Question 30

The Niagara Falls is actually made up of

Answer 30

three separate waterfalls: the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls (named for its resemblance to a bride’s veil) and the largest, the Horseshoe Falls.

Question 31

Mount Mitchell is

Answer 31

the highest peak in the Appalachian Highlands.

Question 32

The region of Mount Rushmore includes

Answer 32

the Superior Highlands and the Ozark Plateau.
ˈplætəʊ

Question 33

The Ozark Plateau lies

Answer 33

between the Missouri and Arkansas rivers west of the Mississippi River.

Question 34

St. Lawrence starts at

Answer 34

the outflow of Lake Ontario and leads into the Atlantic Ocean in the extreme east of Canada.

Question 35

The Great Salt Lake is located

Answer 35

in the state of Utah.

Question 36

Lake Michigan is

Answer 36

the only one of the five Great Lakes that lies entirely inside the USA.

Question 37

The Niagara is

Answer 37

a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.

Question 38

The Cascade Mountains extend from

Answer 38

southern British Columbia in Canada through Washington and Oregon to Northern California.

Question 39

Mount Rushmore

Answer 39

features 18 meter sculptures of the heads of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Question 40

In the Sierra Nevada Mountains there is

Answer 40

Mount Whitney at 4,418 m, which is the highest point in the conterminous United States.

Question 41

The Alaska Range is located

Answer 41

in the south of the state of Alaska.

Question 42

Atlantic Coastal Plains

Answer 42

It’s a lowland region that stretches from Massachusetts to Texas. Its total length is over 3000 km. The region is characterized by an irregular coastline with many natural harbors. Sandy beaches are located along the Atlantic Coast. Marshes and slow-moving rivers are typical features of the area’s landscape. Mixed forests are typical in the north of the Atlantic Plain. In the south mostly coniferous (хвойные) forests are part of the scenery. The climate is temperate wet to subtropical.

Question 43

The Appalachian Highlands

Answer 43

The Highlands lie to the west of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The area stretches for about 2,000 km from the state of Maine to the state of Alabama. The Appalachian Mountains lie in the area. The highlands, including The Appalachian Mountains, are generally heavily forested. The climate is temperate, with distinct summer and winter, and all areas are subject to frost.

Question 44

The Interior Plains

Answer 44

The region covers the middle section of the country. It’s located between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains. The region lists 2 areas – the Central Plains and the Great Plains. The Great Plains is an area of dry treeless land. The soil is very fertile, known as black soil. Due to this the Great Plains area is known as the breadbasket of the US. The fertile lands in combination with flat terrain (местность) and perfect weather provide the ideal conditions for growing maize and wheat. The central southern area of the interior plains has a typical continental climate—very cold winters, hot summers.

Question 45

The Intermontane Plateaus

Answer 45

The region consists mostly of plateaus and mountain ranges lying between the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains on the west. The Intermediate plateaus are elevated flat or gently rolling areas. Two rivers flow in the area – the Colorado and the Columbia. The Great Salt Lake is also in the area. The Intermontane region has arid (сухой, пустынный) dry and desert climate.

Question 46

The Interior Highlands

Answer 46

The region includes the Superior Highlands and the Ozark Plateau. The Superior Highlands are part of the Canadian Shield. The Ozark Plateau lies between the Missouri and Arkansas rivers west of the Mississippi River. The relief of the Interior Highlands is characterized by a mix of hills, plateaus, and rugged terrain. The Arkansas River, the White River, and others drain the highlands. No dry season. The temperature oscillates between 10 °C and 20 °C.

Question 47

The Pacific Coastal Ranges

Answer 47

The region is made up of the Pacific coast mountain ranges that extend from Canada to the border with Mexico. The first range includes the Cascade Mountains (in the states of Washington and Oregon), and the Sierra Nevada Mountains (in California) with Mount Whitney at 4,418 m being the highest point in the conterminous United States. A second range of mountains stretches from Washington to California. The region borders the Pacific Ocean and is known for its dense forests, rugged mountains, and beautiful ocean shore. The valleys of the region have rich soil and are important farm areas producing fruits and crops exported worldwide.

Question 48

Alaska

Answer 48

The Pacific mountains stretch into Alaska and create the Alaska Range in the southern part of the state. Mount McKinley (or Denali, 6.2 km) is the highest peak in the U.S. in all of North America The mountain is part of the Range. North of the Alaska Range, in the broad lowland, flows the Yukon River. The valley located in the lowland, is covered with needle coniferous forest. Northern and western Alaska has tundra vegetation. North of the Yukon Valley is another mountain range, the Brooks Range, an extension of the Rocky Mountains. South of the Range are areas called muskeg lands that are swampy and infested with insects in summer, frozen hard in winter. In the late 1960s large deposits of oil were discovered in Alaska. The state is also rich in copper, uranium, nickel and tungsten. Alaska is the largest state in the United States, over twice the size of Texas.

Question 49

Hawaii

Answer 49

the 50th state, and the ninth region, consists of hundreds of volcanic islands. They lie in the North Pacific Ocean. The main Hawaiian islands consist of eight islands, seven of which have permanent inhabitants.Most of the island is covered with a tropical forest. Only 8% of the land is cultivated. Sugarcane and pineapples are grown.Rhode Island is the smallest state of the U.S. in terms of the territory.

Question 50

The Rocky Mountains

Answer 50

The Rocky Mountains lie west of the Great Plains. The mountains extend from Canada to New Mexico and Texas. The territory of the area is 1,600 km by 200-600 km. The Rocky Mountains form the eastern chain of the Cordillera Mountains. The Rockies are over 4,000 m high. They are younger and higher compared with the Appalachians. There are peaks capped with snow. Vegetation of the region is greatly affected by the altitude. For instance, broadleaf deciduous trees are found at lower elevations, needle conifers are higher up. Mountain tops are covered by snow or by tundra grasses and mosses. The magnificent Grand Canyon in Arizona is located in the region. The Colorado River and the Rio Grande flow through the area. Their water is used for irrigation.