12.12. Answer the questions:

1. Who made the first voyages along the coasts of America?

2. When did the first colonists land at Plymouth Rock?

3. What was the name of the ship?

4. When was the beginning of the war between the South and the North?

5. What do you know about the 1930-s in the USA?

Unit 13. Washington — the capital of the usa

13.1. Read and translate the text.

Washington, the capital of the USA, was founded in 1791.

The city was named after the first president George Washington.

The population of the city is nearly three million people.

The Capitol is the centre of the city. It was built according to the plans of William Thornton, who was an amateur architect. It is situated on Capitol Hill.

The White House is the place where the president of the USA lives and works. This house was first occupied in 1800 by John Adams, who was the first president to live in that house. The White House has 132 rooms.

Washington has many sights, for example, the Library of Congress, the Lincoln memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and others. The National Gallery of Arts contains art collections by the great masters of the 14th to 18th centuries. The Library of Congress contains millions of books and manuscripts. Outside the city the Arlington National Cemetery is situated. John Kennedy was buried there. The famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also situated there.

The industry of the city is not well developed. But Washington is a large scientific and cultural centre. Many research and designing institutes are concentrated here. There are five universities in the city and the National Academy of Sciences.

In Washington it is also difficult to find a park or a square without a monument.

13.2. Answer the questions:

1. What is the population of Washington?

2. Whose name was the city named after?

3. When was the capital founded?

4. What can you tell about the Capitol?

5. Do you know any places of interest in Washington?

Places of Interest in Washington

13.3. Read and translate the text.

Washington is the capital of the USA. The city is named after George Washington, the first president of the USA. Washington stands on the river Potomac.

Washington is a beautiful administrative city. In the centre of the city there is the Capitol, where the US Congress is situated. There is the White House, the residence of the President, in Washington.

Washington has many sights, for example, the Library of Congress, the monument to George Washington, the Lincoln Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and others. The monument to Washington, which is called “Pencil”, is 555 feet high. It is situated three blocks south from the White House. The Library of Congress contains millions of books and manuscripts. Outside the city the Arlington National Cemetery is situated. John Kennedy was buried there. The famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also situated there. The largest and highest among the buildings of Washington is the Capitol.

There are no sky­scrapers in Washington because no other building must be higher than the Capitol.