Washington, d.C.

The United States is a federal union which is made up of fifty states and one independent district — the District of Columbia. It is the seat of the federal gov­ernment. The District of Columbia lies along the Poto­mac River between Virginia and Maryland. The 179-square-kilometre area is the territory of the national capital of the USA, Washington, with its own laws and regulations.

"D.C." is an abbreviation for the District of Columbia, the federal district coextensive with the city of Washington. The place was called the District of Columbia in honour of Columbus, the discoverer of America. The cap­ital got the name of Washington after the name of its founder, George Washington, a military leader of the American Revolution and the first President of the United States.

In 1790 George Washington laid the corner-stone of the Capitol where the Congress sits. It is situated prominently east of the National Mall. Washington has been the federal capital since 1800.

The centers of all three branches of the U.S. federal government are in the District. It also serves as the headquarters for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other national and international institutions including labor unions and professional association. Washington is the frequent location of political demonstrations and protests, large and small, particularly on the National Mall. Furthermore, Washington is a popular destination for tourists, the site of numerous national landmarks and monuments. It is a major American cultural center, with a number of important and free museums including the world's largest museum complex Smithsonian Institution, galleries, universities, cathedrals, performing arts centers and institutions, and native music scenes.

Washington is sometimes called the heart of Amer­ica. It is the place where the federal government works and where each President of the United States lives. Washington is smaller in size than the largest cities of the USA, such as New York, Chicago, Detroit or Los Angeles. The population of the District of Columbia is about 581,530 people.

The buildings in Washington are not very tall because no building must be taller than the Capitol. But in political sense Washington is the centre of the country and the most important city of the Unit­ed States.

Task 4. Find in the text the Russian equivalents of the following words and word combinations:

independent district; own laws and regulations; after the name of its founder; it also serves as headquarters; labor unions and professional associations; performing arts centers; furthermore; galleries and cathedrals; a popular destination for tourists.

Task 5. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following words and word combinations:

федерация; округ, занимающий одну и ту же территорию с городом; в честь; полководец; Международный валютный фонд; политические демонстрации и протесты; достопримечательности; в политическом смысле; заложить угловой камень.

Task 6. Find in the text synonyms to the following words:

place, territory, personal, was named, acronym, metropolis, moreover, sight, memorial.

Task 7. Find in the text antonyms to the following words:

national, civil, the last, minor, unimportant, paid, the smallest, foreign, west, inexpert.

Task 8. Find in the text the definitions to the following:

a) an organization whose members include the US and Canada and most of the countries of Central and South America. Its aims are to preserve peace and to help the economic development of the area.

b) an international organization that lends money to countries with economic problems

c) an organization that is part of the UN (United Nations), which lends money to poorer countries so that they can develop their farming, industry, and health and education systems. Its official name is the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

d) the special area in the eastern US, next to Maryland and Virginia, which includes Washington, the capital of the US.

Task 9. Match the words from the right to their definitions from the left.

1. A tall obelisk (stone structure) on the Mall, which was built to show respect and admiration for the first president of the US. 2. It’s the official presidential residence in Pennsylvania Avenue. The site was chosen by G. Washington. The first President to live there was John Adams in 1800. In 1814 the building was burnt by Englishmen during the War of 1812 (англо-американская война). In 1815-1817 it was restored. Its first name was President's House, now it is often called Executive Mansion (Особняк главы исполнительной власти). When Theodore Roosevelt became President, the mansion was painted white. It has 54 rooms, the 2nd and 3rd floors are living rooms of the President and his family, and the main working offices are in the western wing where there is the Oval Office. There is a lawn in front of the building for formal ceremonies. 3. The building in Washington, D.C., where the US Congress meets. 4. A park in Washington, D.C., which is surrounded by the Washington Monument and several famous museums, including the Smithsonian Institution. It is used for picnics, games, and concerts. 5. A national museum and institution in Washington, D.C., founded in 1846 from a bequest by James Smithson, primarily concerned with ethnology, zoology, and astrophysics. 6. A marble memorial in the park on the Potomac River. Its front faces the Washington Monument and the Capitol. 36 Dorian columns symbolize the number of states which were a Union in 1865 when the USA President died. In a large niche-hall there is a 6-meter-high statue of the sitting President. On the inner southern wall there is a text of Gettysburg Address, on the northern there is the Second Inaugural Address.

a) The Capitol b) The National Mall c) Smithsonian Institution d) The Lincoln Memorial e) The White House f) The Washington Monument

Task 10. Open the brackets and use the verbs in Passive.

Mind the following construction: TO BE + ADVERB + V₃

1. The District of Columbia (situate) along the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland.

2. The 179-square-kilometre territory (occupy) by the national capital of the USA, Washington, with its own laws and regulations.

3. The place (call) the District of Columbia in honour of Columbus, the discoverer of America.

4. The corner-stone of the Capitol (lay) in 1790 by George Washington.

5. For a long time political demonstrations traditionally (hold) and protests (express) on the National Mall.

6. Maryland and Washington, D.C. (separate) from Virginia and West Virginia by the Potomac River in the east of the US.

7. The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island, in New York Harbour, (give) to the US by France in 1884 to celebrate the American and French revolutions. The woman is holding up a torch in her right hand and represents freedom.

Task 10. Agree or disagree to the following sentences explaining why:

1. Washington and the District of Columbia occupy different territories.

2. The capital of the USA was named after Columbus, the discoverer of America.

3. The Capitol is a popular tourist landmark offering a lot of entertainment.

4. Washington is not worth visiting.

5. The capital is the largest city in the USA.

Task 11. Complete the sentences choosing the right variant:

1. The District of Columbia was named in honour of … .

a) Republic of Colombia b) a famous film studio c) after Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America.

2. The first President of the USA was … .

a) Theodore Roosevelt b) Abraham Lincoln c) George Washington

3. The Smithsonian Institution is a large … .

a) sports complex b) educational institution c) group of different museums and scientific institutions.

4. The Organization of American States is … .

a) a labor union b) a large research centre c) a peace keeping organization

5. All buildings in Washington are not very tall because … .

a) of climatic conditions b) of Washington’s will (завещание) c) no building must be taller than the Capitol.

6. The Congress sits in … .

a) the White House b) the Capitol c) the Smithsonian Institution

7. The Oval Office is situated in … .

a) the Capitol b) the Smithsonian Institution c) the White House

Task 12. Say what you have learnt about:

1. The geographical position of Washington.

2. The Capitol.

3. Companies which have their headquarters in the capital of the USA.

4. The National Mall.

5. Washington places of interest.

Task 13. Act out a dialogue. You want to visit Washington, and a friend of yours has just returned from the capital of the USA. Ask him, what impressed him most of all and what places he can recommend to visit.

Task 14. Speak about the capital of the USA using a plan of the text or key words.

Task 15. Translate into English:

1. В мире много прекрасных городов, и каж­дый из них красив по-своему. У каждого – своя исто­рия, свои достопримечательности.

2. Нью-Йорк – своего рода визитная карточка Аме­рики. Небоскребы Манхэттена и статуя Свободы стали символами США.

3. В городах проживает более трети населения зем­ного шара. При этом городское население по­стоянно растёт.

4. Крупнейшим городом мира является столица Мексики город Мехико. В городе живет около 13 мил­лионов человек, а вместе с жителями ближайших пригородов его население составляет почти 19 мил­лионов.

5. Наиболее быстро города растут в развивающихся странах, в то время как в Европе и Северной Аме­рике население некоторых городов сокращается.

6. Многие большие города сталкиваются с остры­ми проблемами организации городского транспорта. В городах с многомиллионным населением проблему облегчает метро, которое позволяет миллионам горо­жан ежедневно пересекать город в любом направле­нии. Метро — самый быстрый и удобный вид городс­кого транспорта. Единственный недостаток это то, что в часы «пик» по­езда метро переполнены.

7. Токио, столица Японии, располагается на ост­рове Хонсю, самом крупном из островов Японского архипелага. Город имеет многовеко­вую историю, однако выглядит очень молодо. Дело в том, что половина старого города погибла в 1923 году из-за землетрясения и последовавших за ним пожа­ров, а другие старинные здания были уничтожены или повреждены во время бомбардировок, которым Токио подвергался во время II Мировой войны.

8. Метро — вид транспорта, характерный для боль­ших городов. Далеко не все многомиллионные города могут похвастаться тем, что у них есть метро. Однако среди метрополитенов есть свои рекордсмены. Самым старым метро в мире является лондонская подземка (London Underground). Лондонское метро лидирует и по протяженности линий: длина путей (track) в нем составляет более 400 км.

9. В городах жить более удобно, чем в сельской местности, однако горожане сталкиваются с серьез­ными экологическими проблемами. В последние го­ды все большее число городских жителей стремит­ся переселиться в ближайшие пригороды, чтобы жить в здоровой экологической обстановке, но иметь возможность ездить в город на работу и за покуп­ками.

10. Не являясь столичным городом и занимая лишь шестое место в мире по численности населения, Нью-Йорк можно назвать столицей мира как самый космополитичный город на свете. Служа главными морскими воротами Америки и ежедневно принимая десятки самолетов с других континентов, Нью-Йорк был и остается местом, где оседают на временное или постоянное место жительства эмигранты.

11. Бостон — крупный центр американской музы­кальной культуры. Здесь находится крупнейшая в США консерватория, а Бостонский симфонический оркестр считается одним из лучших в мире, и любой музыкант считает за честь быть приглашенным играть в оркестре и тем более выступать с ним в качестве солиста.