GEORGE BUSH

         George Bush, the present President of the USA came to power on January 20, 2001.

         He is the son of the former president George Bush. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on July 6, 1946, and grew up in Midland, Texas. He attended the Academy in Massachusetts, and graduated from Yale University in 1968 and Har­vard University in 1975. During the Vietnam War Bush served (1968-1973) as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. He married Laura Welsh in 1977.

        Bush was first elected to public office relatively late in life. In 1994, at age 48, he won election as governor of Texas. Prior to winning elective office, Bush had a varied career. He spent much of the 1970s and 1980s working in the oil and gas busi­ness in Texas. He did make one attempt at elective office, run­ning as the Republican nominee for Congress in 1978. He lost the race badly and turned his attention back to oil prospec­ting, where his business ran into difficulties.

        During his first term as a governor, Bush enjoyed growing popularity in Texas. The state enjoyed prosperity. He held firm on antidrug and anticrime measures and on the death penalty. He also gratified his voters with large tax cuts and a far-reaching welfare reform program. He substantially increased state funding for public schools.

         Bush clearly benefited in the election from the public’s desire for change after eight years of the Clinton-Gore admi­nistration. And in 2001, he became the 44th President of the USA.

        Moreover, after dramatic events of 11th September 2001, he was completely maintained by American society in his strug­gle against terrorism all over the World.

QUESTIONS:

1. When did the present President of the USA come to po­wer?
2. What kind of education did George Bush get?
3. What can you tell about the president’s career?
4. Why did Bush become so popular during his first term as a governor?

VOCABULARY:

to come (past came. p.p. come) to power — прийти к власти

to attend — посещать

to graduate from — окончить высшее учебное заведение

to elect — выбирать

governor — губернатор

prior to — раньше, прежде

attempt  — попытка

nominee — кандидат( на должность)

to run ( past ran, p.p. run ) into difficulties — испытать трудности

prosperity — процветание

measure — мера

death penalty — смертная казнь

to gratify — доставлять радость, удовольствие

voter — избиратель

substantially — значительно

struggle — борьба