Washington

Washington is the capital of the United States of America. It's situated in the District of Columbia and is like no other city in the USA. It's the world's largest one-industry city. And that industry is government. The White House, where the US President lives and works, the Capitol, the home of the US Congress, and the Supreme Court, are all in Washington.

Washington was named after the first US President George Washington.

He selected the place for the capital and Pierre L'Enfant, a French engineer, designed the city.

Washington was first settled in 1790 and since 1800 it has been the federal capital.

Washington is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the United States. In the very centre of it rises the huge dome of the Capitol — a big white dome standing on a circle of pillars. The 535 members of the Congress meet here to discuss the nation's affairs. It's easy to get lost in this huge building, full of paintings and statues.

Not far from the Capitol is the Library of Congress, the largest library in the States. It contains more than 13 million books, more than 19 million manuscripts, including the personal papers of the US presidents.

The White House is the official residence of the US President. He works in the Oval Office.

One can hardly find a park, a square or an open area in Washington without a monument or a memorial. The most impressive and the best-known ones are the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

There are some important museums in Washington where you can see all kinds of things: famous paintings and sculptures, the dresses of Presidents's wives, the original of the Declaration of Independence, the largest blue diamond in the world, etc.

There are 5 universities in Washington.

There are no skyscrapers in Washington, because they would hide the city's many monuments from view. No building in the city may be more than 40 metres tall.

Thousands of tourists visit Washington every day. People from all parts of the United States come to see their capital.

Vocabulary

the White House – Белый Дом (резиденция президента США)

the Capitol – Капитолий (здание конгресса США)

the Supreme Court – Верховный суд

Pierree L'Enfant - Пьер Ланфан

the Library of Congress – Библиотека конгресса

Oval Office – Овальный кабинет (рабочий кабинет президента США)

the Lincoln Memorial – памятник Линкольну

the Washington Monument – обелиск в честь Джорджа Вашингтона

the Declaration of Independence – Декларация независимости (принята

4 июля 1776 года вторым континентальным конгрессом в период войны за независимость Северной Америки (1775—1783); провозглашала Отделение колоний от метрополии и образование самостоятельного государства — США)

to design – проектировать

to settle – поселять, заселять

huge – огромный, колоссальный

dome – купол

circle – круг

pillar – столб, колонна

to get lost – заблудиться

to contain – содержать

manuscript – рукопись

personal papers – личные бумаги

official residence – официальная резиденция

diamond – алмаз, бриллиант

skyscraper – небоскреб

Exercise 7. Answer the following questions:

1. Where is Washington situated?

2. Is Washington a typical American city?

3. It's the world's largest one-industry city, isn't it? What kind of industry is it?

4. What important government buildings are situated in Washington?

5. Where does the US president live and work?

6. Who selected the place for the capital of the USA?

7. Is there a monument to George Washington in the city?

8. When was Washington first settled?

9. Who designed the capital of the USA?

10. What places of interest in Washington do you know?

11. How many universities are there in Washington?

12. Why aren't there any skyscrapers in Washington?