American Symbols
The American flag is often called "The Stars and Stripes" or "Old Glory". It has 13 horizontal stripes (7 red and 6 white) which stand for the original
13 states. In the top left hand corner there are 50 white stars on a blue background: one star for each state.
The national anthem of the United States is "The Star Spangled Banner". The words for it were written during the Anglo-American war of 1812 – 1814 and set to the music of an old song. Every state has its own flag, its own emblem and its own anthem.
The eagle became the national emblem of the country in 1782. It has an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and arrows (a symbol of strength). The Statue of Liberty is the symbol of American democracy. It is one of the first things that people see when they arrive in New York by sea. This national monument was a present from France to the USA in 1884 as a symbol of friendship. Liberty carries the torch of freedom in her right hand. In the left hand of the monument there is a tablet with the inscription "July 4, 1776" – the American Independence Day.
Names:
the American Independence [,indi`pendəns] Day – День независимости Америки
the Statue of Liberty [ðə `steit∫ə əv `libəti] – Статуя Свободы
"The Stars and Stripes", "Old Glory" – названия государственного флага США
Vocabulary:
anthem [`ænθəm] – гимн
arrow – стрела
background – фон, задний план
eagle [i:gl] – орёл
friendship – дружба
freedom [`fri:dəm] – независимость, свобода
in the top left hand corner – в верхнем левом углу
inscription – надпись
national monument – национальный памятник
olive branch – оливковая веточка
tablet – зд.: табличка, дощечка
torch [to:t∫] – факел
to arrive – прибывать
to represent – представлять
to stand for smth. – зд.: символизировать, означать
Questions for self-examination:
1. How do people often call American flag?
2. What are the colours of the American flag?
3. How many stripes has the flag got?
4. What is the national emblem of the USA?
5. When is the American Independence Day celebrated?
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