Задания для 1-го заочного тура.
Points: questions marked A – 1 point
questions marked B – 2 points
questions marked C – 3 points
1) A. This popular soft drink was invented by a pharmacist in his a drugstore in New Bern, North Carolina in 1890th. Nowadays it is a world popular brand. Name it.
2) A. Where and when was the first Disneyland Park opened?
3) A. In the USA athletes while playing football wear helmets. Why don’t European football players do it?
4) A. According to the opinion of some people, this American city is a mispronunciation of “lost wages”. Can you guess what city it is?
5) A. In the distant 1860s Americans called this popular snack food “dachshund sausages”. How do they call it now? Although this snack is always associated with the US, it was originally made in another country. Can you guess the home country for it?
6) A. Name several famous American sitcoms.
7) A. The United States is one of very few countries where Fahrenheit is still used to measure the temperature. How many degrees will it be in the USA - 0 °C, – 30°C, + 20°C?
8) A. Which American President was called “Great Emancipator” and why?
9) A. Why was the Academy Award presented to the best directors, producers, actors and so on of the year named Oscar?
10) A. What is the real name of the American writer Mark Twain? How did his pseudonym originate?
11) A. For celebration of which holiday the river in Chicago is dyed green each year?
12) B. What was the oldest town founded by white people on the territory of the modern USA?
13) B. When were the official diplomatic relations between Russia and America established? Who were the heads of Russia and America in that period?
14) B. How long does it take to lower the famous Ball from the top of the flagpole to the bottom where it's lit at the New Year's Eve to mark the coming of New Year? Where does this event happen every year?
a). 10 seconds
b). 30 seconds
c). 60 seconds
d). 2 minutes
15) B. How many Apollo project spaceflights resulted in landing on Moon surface during the years 1961 – 1975?
16) B. How is the popular stuff toy Teddy Bear connected with the twenty-sixth President of the USA?
How did he helped Russia during his Presidency?
17) B. During World War II the USA was our country’s allay. What amount of American aid was sent to Russia through Lend-Lease program?
18) B. At what age can young Americans get driver’s license?
19) B. Such a person as cowboy appeared with his specific looks. Tell us about
practical necessity of the typical cowboy’s clothing (hat, bandanna, leather chaps and high-heeled boots)?
20)B. What is the name of the island the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor that used to be the main entry facility for immigrants entering the United States from January 1, 1892, until November 12, 1954?
21)B. What were the two periods of witch-hunting that took place in the American history?
22) B. Which American state is the least populous in the United State? Which American state can boast of the largest density of population in the USA - its density surpasses India and Japan?
23) B. What was the Underground Railroad? What can you tell about it?
24) B. In the famous movie adaptation of Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the main character, Dorothy, wears the ruby shoes whereas in the book her shoes are silver. Why the color of the shoes was changed by movie-makers?
25) B. Which American companies do the following logos belong to?
A.
B. 
C. 
D. 
E. 
26) B. What is Johnny Appleseed famous for? How is his contribution to the development of America commemorated nowadays?
27) B. In what field does the Gallup Organization work?
28) B. What is the Watergate Hotel in Washington D. C. famous for?
29) B. What is Ivy League?
30) B. What is the contribution of Noah Webster in the American culture?
31) B. What do you know about the first colony founded by the Englishmen in the New World?
32) B. Who is Uncle Sam, how and when did he appear?
33) B. Her name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. She was born on March 9, 1959. Her mother is Ruth Handler. All Barbara’s careers were designed to show that women can take on a variety of roles in life: she achieved success in many fields as a doctor, a rock star, a candidate for US President, an astronaut and so on. Barbara loves pets very much: she owns about forty pets including cats and dogs, horses, a panda, a lion, and a zebra. Barbara never looks old, she is always young and pretty. Probably, that is why she is liked and admired by millions of people all over the world.
What is the name most people know her by?
34) B. Which month was proclaimed as National Ice Cream Month by US President Ronald Reagan in 1984?
35) B. How are the supreme bodies of legislative (the Congress) and judicial (the Supreme Court) branches of the USA formed?
36) B. You may know that if you want to send the documents to American Embassy, you should do it via Pony Express mail service. How did this company originated? What is the history of its name?
37) B. Who is called a) ‘preppy’ b) nerd c) goth in American universities and colleges?
38) B. Name ten the most populated American cities according to the range.
39) B. Primaries – what is this?
40) B. When did the first ‘handshake in space’ between American and Soviet astronauts take place?
41) C. O Captain my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
Who is the author of these wonderful verses and to which gloomy event in the American history are they dedicated?
42) С. What famous American song writer was born in Russian (probably in Siberia) in 1888? He wrote 1500 songs, and had more than 200 hits on the Top 40 charts. He even wrote God Bless America," which, though not the official national anthem, is just as popular--or more so.
43) C. What a very important document passed by Congress in 1862 encouraged farmers to move West?
44) C. (каждый)Who told the following famous quotes?:
a) THESE ARE THE TIMES that try men's souls. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered;
yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
b) IT IS NOT BEST to swap horses while crossing the river.
c) I HAVE A DREAM that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream today!
d) AND SO, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country
e) THE ONLY THING we have to fear is fear itself.
45) C. Name the people of Russian origin who contributed much to the development of American culture, science, economy, etc.
46) C. The colors of American flag are blue, red, and white. Name the idioms based on blue, red, or white colors.
47) C. Which states do the following nicknames belong to; give their explanation:
· First state
· Last Frontier
· Golden State
· Ocean State
· Sunshine State
· Sunflower State
· Evergreen State
· Sooner State?
How did these nicknames originate?
48) C. Who headed the first American overland expedition to the Pacific coast and back? What was the significance of this expedition in the US history?
49) C. This picture considered to be America’s first political cartoon and appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754. Titled ‘Join, or Die’, it was a call for unity of the colonies. Who created it?
50) C. How is this monumental granite sculpture called? Where is it situated and which American presidents does it depict?
Part 2. (Max. - 15 points)
Write an essay dedicated to a person that made great contribution to the development of the United States of America (no matter in which field).
Length: Maximum of 250-300words
Evaluation Criteria:
· Your essay should demonstrate a clear central idea supported by evidence or examples
· The content of your essay should correspond to the topic offered in the contest
· All sentences of the essay should have proper grammatical construction and syntax
· All the facts, details and examples cited in your essay should be real
· Your creativity is welcomed!!!
