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. The District of Columbia is the territory of the rational capital of the USA, Washington, with its own laws and regulations. Washington, D.C. is situated on both banks of the Potomac river, between the two states, Maryland and Virginia. This place was chosen by the first American President George Washington. The plot of land of a hundred square miles was bought from private owners by the state. In 1790 George Washington laid the corner-stone of the Capitol where the Congress sits. 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. Washington has been the federal capital since 1800.
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 Washington is about 11 million 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 center of the country and the most important city of the United States.
Answer the questions:
1.How many parts is the USA made up of?
2.What is the District of Columbia?
3.How was Washington, D.C. founded?
4.What is Washington famous for?
5.In what sense is Washington the most important city in the USA?
Translate into English:
США состоят из 50 штатов и независимого округа Колумбия. Округ Колумбия имеет собственные законы и установления.
Место для Вашингтона, расположенного по обоим берегам реки Потомак, было выбрано Джорджем Вашингтоном.
Город получил свое название в честь Джорджа Вашингтона.
В Вашингтоне работает правительство США, и живут американские президенты.
С 1800 года Вашингтон является федеральной столицей.
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6.Вашингтон — политический центр сша.
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Moscow
Moscow is the capital of Russia, its administrative, economic, political and educational center. It is one of Russia's major cities with the population of about 9 million people. Its total area is about 900 thousand square kilometers.
The city was founded by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky and was first mentioned in the chronicles in 1147. At that time it was a small frontier settlement. By the 15th century Moscow had grown into a wealthy city.
In the 16th century, under Ivan the Terrible, Moscow became the capital of the state of Muscovy. In the 18th century Peter the Great transferred the capital to St. Petersburg, but Moscow remained the heart of Russia. That is why it became the main target of Napoleon's attack in 1812. During the war of 1812 three quarters of the city were destroyed by fire, but by the middle of the 19th century Moscow was completely rebuilt.
The present-day Moscow is the seat of the government of the Russian Federation. President of Russia lives and works here; government offices are located here, too.
Moscow is a major industrial city. Its leading industries are engineering, chemical and light industries.
Moscow is known for its historical buildings, museums and art galleries, as well as for the famous Bolshoi, Maly and Art theatres. There are more than 80 museums in Moscow, among them the unique Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Andrey Rublyov Museum of Early Russian Art and many others.
Moscow is a city of science and learning. There are over 80 higher education institutions in the city, including a number of universities.
Answer the questions:
1. What is the role of Moscow in Russia?
2. When was Moscow founded?
3. When did it become the capital?
4. What pan does the present-day Moscow play in the life of Russia?
Translate into English:
1. Москва— административный, экономический, политический центр России и один из крупнейших городов страны.
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2. Население Москвы — около 9 миллионов человек, общая площадь — 900 000 кв. километров.
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3. Москва была основана Юрием Долгоруким и впервые упоминалась в летописях в 1147 году.
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4. Из пограничного поселка Москва превратилась в процветающий город, столицу Московии.
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5. Москва осталась центром России и стала основной целью Наполеона при нападении на Россию.
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Москва — крупный промышленный город, город науки, и образования.
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Rome was not built in a day.