CLМАТЕ AND NATURAL RESOURCES

         The United States of America is a very diverse country.

         Its nature, climate, population varies from the East Coast to the west, from the northern border to the southern.

         Climate is mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the Great Plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the southwest.

         Natural resources include coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, and timber.

         Natural hazards are a great deal of problems for the USA. Every year, they loose hundred millions of dollars, because of natural hazards. The USA is famous for hurricanes along the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico coasts and tornadoes in the Midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding. Sometimes there are tsunamis, volca­noes and earthquakes happen. Earthquakes are very often in California.

          Talking about environment, one should add that air pollu­tion results in acid rains in both the US and Canada. The US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. Water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers takes place here.

QUESTIONS:

1. What is the climate in the USA?
2. What are the natural resources of the USA?
3. What country is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels?
4. What natural hazards are common in the USA?

VOCABULARY:

diverse — разнообразный

semiarid — полупустынный (о климате)

coal — уголь

copper — медь

lead — свинец

timber — древесина

hazard — риск, опасность

mud — грязь

slide — оползень

earthquake — землетрясение

environment — окружающая среда

pollution — загрязнение

acid rains — кислотные дожди

carbon dioxide — двуокись углерода

fuel— топливо