Active Vocabulary
to discover - открывать
to discover a land
a discoverer - исследователь
a discovery - открытие
a sail - парус
to sail (sailed) - плыть на корабле
to sail out of the port - выйти на корабле из порта
to sail for America - плыть в Америку
a sailor - моряк
to reach (reached) - достигать, добираться
to reach the port - прибыть в порт
first of all - во-первых
to appear (appeared) - появляться, возникать
to be interested in smth. / doing smth. - интересоваться чем-либо
an island - остров
a settlement - поселение
round - круглый
Nowadays everybody knows that the word "America" means the name of the country and the name of the two continents - North America and South America. These two continents form the part of the world called America.
We used to think, that in 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered America. But we don't know much about it. Those days Columbus wanted to find the new way to India. So the Queen and the King of Spain gave him money for the voyage and Christopher Columbus decided to sail west as he was sure that our planet was round. After sailing 4000 miles he reached some land, but it was not India. People started to call it "The New World".
Columbus made four voyages in all to the New World and discovered some isles in Central America. But he never landed on the mainland of North America. That's why we can say that Christopher Columbus opened the way to America for European people.
Thereafter Spain became very interested in this territory and set up some settlements in South and Central America.
At the beginning of the XVII century England became interested in new world and the first English settlements appeared in America too. On the 21st of September in 1620 a group of people left England for the New World. They sailed from the port of Plymouth on board the ship the "Mayflower". They wanted to start the new life and to have no problems with the church.
After two months' voyage, on the 21st of November, these people landed in the North of America and set up a colony. They called that part of the country "New England".
The Native Americans met English people very friendly and helped them a lot. They were very peaceful and wanted to live happily with nature and each other. Their traditions (songs, the pipe /трубка/ of peace, poems, dances) helped to keep their history and culture alive.
Many years ago Native American tribes /племена/ lived in all parts of the USA , hunted and fished wherever they choose. Now most of them live in poor lands to the west of Mississippi River. Many live on "reservations" /резервации/.
