Washington

The United States of America comprises 51 states and District of Columbia.

Washington, the capital of the USA, occupies the whole of the area of District of Columbia. Therefore the capital of the USA is called Washington D.C.

It would be appropriate to note that the state of Washington is located on the opposite coast of the country. It borders on the Pacific Ocean. The capital of the state of Washington is Olympia and one of its largest cities is Seattle.

The city of Washington was laid out by a French architect in the late eighteenth century. It was built in 1790-1800 and it took its name after the nation’s first president George Washington.

The famous buildings of Washington D.C. are the White House, the residence of the President; the Capitol, where Congress meets; Pentagon, the seat of the military administration and many other buildings of political, historical, and cultural value.

It is a very green city situated on the Potomac River which runs to Chesapeake Bay.

Washington is not the largest city in the United States, as it cannot compare in size with cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit. The population of Washington is 723 thousand people. The main part of the population is busy with the administrative activity and in the field of service, trade and commerce.

4. Check if you remember:

8. How many states are there in the USA?

9. What is the official name of the USA?

10. Whom was the city named after?

11. What famous buildings are there in the capital?

12. How big is the city?

13. What much larger cities are there in the States?

14. Where is the state of Washington located?

5. Translate the words into English, using the text:

Администрация резиденция

Административный торговля

Политический население

Исторический основная часть

Культурный область

Военный государство

Известный штат

Противоположный ценность

6. Sum up what the text says about:

∙ Washington D.C.

∙ the state of Washington

∙ the occupation of its citizens

General information about the usa

The territory of the United States of America stretches from the Atlantic coast, across the central plains, over the Rocky Mountains to the densely populated west coast and then to the island of Hawaii.

At present the population of the USA is about two hundred and thirty-nine million people. The USA is called the nation of immigrants. The country was settled, built and developed by generations of immigrants and their children. Many different social and cultural traditions, ethic sympathies, racial groups and religious affiliations make up the people of the USA.

The United States of America was founded in 1776. The Constitution was adopted in 1787. Since then more than 25 amendments to the Constitution have been made. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. The Constitution defines a federal system of government. Certain powers are given to the national or federal government and all other powers belong to the states.

At present the USA is a federal republic, consisting of fifty states each of which has its own state government, its own police and its own laws.

The president is the head of the country; he chooses the ministers and the members of his Cabinet forming the executive power. The legislative power is vested in Congress – the federal government consisting of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Exercise 1. Read and translate these words:

the Atlantic Ocean Congress

the Senate the House of Representatives

central social

the Cabinet immigrant

cultural executive

amendment religious

Exercise 2. Read the following:

239 million people 1776

25 amendments 1787

3,615,211 square miles 2020

Exercise 3. Insert the correct prepositions and translate the sentences:

1. The USA stretches……….. the Atlantic coast…………the island of Hawaii.

2. …… present the population of the USA is about 24000 million people.

3. The USA was founded ……1776 and the Constitution was adopted……….1787.

4. Since then more than 25 amendments …….. the Constitution have been made.

5. Some powers have been given …….. the federal government, others ………..the state government.

6. The country consists of 55 states and the District of Columbia.

7. The President is the head …….the executive power.

8. The legislative power is vested……Congress.

Exercise 4. Answer the questions.

1. What two chambers does the Federal government consist of?

2. When was the country as such founded?

3. When was the Constitution adopted?

4. Who heads the executive power in the States?

5. How many states make the USA?

6. What is the Bill of Rights?

Exercise 5. Read these words and underline the suffixes:

1. To govern ……. governor………. government.

2. to administer ……..administrator ……….. administration…………administrative.

3. to organize………organizer…………organization .

4. To finance…….. finance………… financial.

5. To operate……….. operator………. operation.

6. To execute…………… executor……….. execution……..executive.

Exercise 6. Translate the following into Russian paying attention to the word state.