- •About myself.
- •My day off
- •My working day.
- •1. Discuss the following.
- •2. Read the text.
- •3. What do you think these words and expressions from the text mean?
- •4. Match up the similar words.
- •5. Match the beginning of the sentences with their ending.
- •6. Arrange the words to make up a sentence.
- •7. Answer the following questions.
- •1. Discuss the following.
- •2. Read the text.
- •3. Explain the meaning of the words or give the synonyms.
- •4. Is it right or wrong statement? Correct if it is wrong.
- •5. Using the words from the box fill in the numbered gaps in the abstract from the text.
- •6. Give the antonyms or the words with the opposite meaning to the following words.
- •7. Answer the following questions.
- •The united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland
- •1. Определите, являются ли предложения истинными или ложными.
- •2. Соедините пары.
- •3. Дополните предложения, используя данные слова и словосочетания:
- •Washington
1. Discuss the following.
Have you ever been to Moscow? What were you doing there? Do you like Moscow as a city? Why? What are the main functions of Moscow?
2. Read the text.
MOSCOW
Moscow is the capital of Russia and the largest industrial and cultural center of the country. It is one of the oldest Russian cities. It was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruky. It stands on the banks of the Moskva River. More than 11 million people live in the city. It covers the area of about 1080 square kilometers.
Moscow is famous for its beautiful old churches, cathedrals and monasteries, some of which date back to the 15th – 17th centuries.
The historical center of Moscow is the Kremlin. It is the oldest part of Moscow. It was built as a fortress on the bank of the Moskva River. A high red brick wall with twenty towers surrounds it. The highest are the Troitskaya, Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Borovitskaya Towers. Five-pointed ruby stars crown them. The main tower is called Spasskaya. It is a symbol of Moscow. Its cathedrals and museums are open to the public. Thousands of tourists come here every day.
Many buildings inside the Kremlin were erected between the 15th and 17th centuries. They are unique monuments of the old Russian architecture. The most famous of them are the Uspensky Cathedral (The Assumption Cathedral), the Archangel Cathedral, the Blagoveshchensky Cathedral (the Cathedral of the Annunciation, built in 13th -14th century) and Granovitaya Palata. On the territory of the Kremlin tourists can see the Tsar Bell, which weighs 200 tons and the Tsar Cannon, which weighs 40 tons.
In Moscow there are a lot of beautiful squares. But the largest and most beautiful is Red Square. It is the site of mass demonstrations, festivals, parades. Here one can see a monument to Minin and Pozharsky, two national heroes who drove the Polish armies from Moscow in 1612. It was the first statue put up in Moscow. St. Basil’s Cathedral, a masterpiece of Russian architecture with coloured domes, is situated at the end of Red Square.
The Moscow Metro is the most beautiful in the world. Its every station is like a museum.
There are many other places of interest in Moscow, such as the Tretyakov Art Gallery, the A.S. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, the State Historical Museum, the Building of Moscow University named after Lomonosov, the Luzhniky Stadium, the Ostankino TV Tower and others. Some of them have a worldwide fame.
The city leads a vast cultural life. It has a lot of cinemas, clubs, concert halls, drama and musical theatres, including the Bolshoi Theatre, the Moscow Art Theatre, the Vakhtangov Theatre.
Moscow is one of the world’s scientific and education centers. It is the seat of the Academy of Sciences of Russia. There are 264 institutions offering higher education in Moscow, including 109 state universities and more than 1700 schools and 2200 kindergartens (2004).
Moscow is one of the cities in the world that is worth to be seen.
3. Explain the meaning of the words or give the synonyms.
capital
found
stand
church
center
museum
monument
square
dome
metro
place of interest
fame
4. Is it right or wrong statement? Correct if it is wrong.
1. Moscow is a town.
2. Moscow is not very old town.
3. Moscow was founded in 1149 by Igor Dolgoruky.
4. Moscow stands on the banks of the Volga.
5. 11 mln people live in Moscow.
5. Using the words from the box fill in the numbered gaps in the abstract from the text.
part, fortress, cathedrals, wall, historical center, day, stars, tower, towers, public, museums, tourists, symbol
The _______ of Moscow is the Kremlin. It is the oldest _______ of Moscow. It was built as a _______ on the bank of the Moskva River. A high red brick _______ with twenty _______ surrounds it. Five-pointed ruby _______ crown them. The main _______ is called Spasskaya. It is a _______of Moscow. Its _______ and _______ are opened to the _______ . Thousands of _______ come here every _______ .
6. Give the antonyms or the words with the opposite meaning to the following words.
city
old
high
beautiful
erect
large
coloured
university
7. Answer the following questions.
a) When was Moscow founded?
b) Who founded Moscow?
c) What is the population of Moscow?
d) Is it large or small city?
e) What river flows through the city?
f) What can you say about Moscow Metro?
g) What is the oldest part of Moscow?
h) What are the highest towers of the Kremlin?
i) What are the places of interest inside the Kremlin?
j) When were the most buildings inside the Kremlin erected?
k) What are the other places of interest in Moscow?
l) What is the largest square in Moscow?
m) Who are Minin and Pozarsky?
n) What is the famous university in Moscow?
o) What Moscow theatres do you know?
p) How many state universities are in Moscow?
q) How many schools are in Moscow?
r) Do you like Moscow? Why?
1. What do you think these words and expressions from the text mean?
time zones, population, region, flora and fauna, climate conditions, natural resources, official language, national anthem, President, multiparty system
2. Read the text.
RUSSIA
The official name of our country is the Russian Federation. It is the largest country in the world. It is almost the size of the USA and Canada combined. It is about 8,000 km from east to west and crosses eleven time zones. Its territory covers 17 million square kilometers. The population of Russia is about 150 million people. There are 21 republics and 62 other regions in the Russian Federation.
Russia is washed by 12 seas, most of which are the seas of 3 oceans: the Arctic, the Pacific and the Atlantic. Russia borders on 16 countries. They are: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Byelorussia, the Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Korea, Japan and the United States.
Russia is situated both in Europe and Asia. The country has a great variety of flora and fauna. Our country has numerous forests, plains and steppes, taiga and tundra, highlands and deserts. The highest mountains in our land are the Altai, the Urals and the Caucasus.
There are over two mln rivers in the Russian Federation. The longest of them are the Volga, the Ob, the Yenisei, the Lena and the Amur. Our land is also rich in various lakes. Lake Baikal is the oldest and the deepest one in the world.
The climate conditions are rather different: from arctic and mild to continental and subtropical. Our country is one of the richest in natural resources countries in the world. Russia has deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, gold, diamonds and others. Russia is an industrial and agricultural country.
Russians make up the large majority of the population, and Russian is the official language, but there are more than a hundred other nationalities and languages includ¬ing the Tatars. Religion is important to some groups. Christians mostly belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. Russian Orthodoxy is the dominant religion in the country. There are also many Muslims in Russia.
The national symbols of the Russian Federation are a double headed eagle and a white-blue-red banner. The national anthem was created by Alexander Alexandrov and Sergey Mikhalkov.
The Russian Federation is a constitutional republic headed by the President. The country government consists of 3 branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The President controls only the executive branch – the government, but not the Supreme Court and Federal Assembly.
The legislative power belongs to the Federal Assembly comprising 2 chambers: the Council of Federation (upper chamber) and the State Duma (lower chamber). The members of the Federal Assembly are elected by general vote every four years. Each chamber is headed by the Speaker. The executive power belongs to the Government (the Cabinet of Ministers) headed by the Prime Minister. The judicial power belongs to the system of Courts comprising the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and federal courts.
Our country has a multiparty system.
I am proud of being the citizen of Russia.
3. Match up the words to make up a word-combination. Explain their meaning.
time
great
climate
natural
agricultural
official
judicial
constitutional conditions
language
resources
power
republic
variety
country
zone
4. Complete the sentences below with the most appropriate word.
1. Russia borders on 16 _____.
a) regions
b) countries
c) republics
d) seas
2. Russia is situated _____.
a) in Europe
b) in Asia
c) both in Europe and Asia
d) in Antarctica
3. Our country is one of the richest in _____ countries in the world.
a) forests
b) natural resources
c) time zones
d) flora and fauna
5. Find the following adjectives in the text. What nouns do they describe?
a. the largest _____ (country)
b. numerous _____ (forests, plains and steppes)
c. various _____ (lakes)
d. white-blue-red _____ (banner)
e. national _____ (symbols, anthem)
6. Ask the appropriate questions to produce these answers.
1. It is almost the size of the USA and Canada combined.
2. The Arctic, the Pacific and the Atlantic.
3. Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Byelorussia, the Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Korea, Japan and the United States.
4. The Altai, the Urals and the Caucasus.
5. Legislative, executive and judicial.
7. Answer the following questions.
a) Is Russia the largest country in the world?
b) What oceans and seas wash the borders of Russia?
c) How many countries have borders with Russia?
d) Are Russian flora and fauna various?
e) What are the highest mountains in Russia?
f) What are the national symbols of Russia?
g) What is the population of Russia?
h) What is the territory of Russia?
i) What can you say about Russian climate?
j) How many rivers are in Russia?
k) What are the longest Russian rivers?
l) What natural resources has Russia?
m) Who is the head of the Russian Federation?
n) What is the dominant religion in Russia?
o) What does the Federal Assembly consist of?
p) Who is the head of the Cabinet of Ministers?
q) Who created the national anthem?
The united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland
Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, covers the greater part of the British Isles a group of islands lying off the north-west coast of mainland Europe. The largest islands are Great Britain and Ireland (comprising Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic)
The area of the United Kingdom is 94,251 square miles. The population is 57,2 mln. The capital of Great Britain is London.
The United Kingdom consists of four geographic and historical parts: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The West coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea, the East coast by the North Sea and the South coast by the English Channel.
Britain has a generally mild and temperate climate. The prevailing winds blow from the South-West. The outstanding features of the climate of Britain are its humidity, its mildness, and its variability.
Great Britain, as a whole, is a densely populated country. The density of population varies, but in general it is rather high. The most thickly peopled part of Great Britain is England. Great Britain is inhabited by the English, the Scots, the Irish, and the Welshmen. Among other nationalities there are Jews, Poles, Germans, French people and Italians as well as emigrants from India, Pakistan and African countries.
The Church of England is the Anglican Church and the British king or queen is still head of the Church.
Britain is one of the most highly industrialized countries in the world: for every person employed in agriculture, 12 are employed in industry. Most of the Gross National Product comes from manufacturing, mining and quarrying, constructing and public utilities.
The chief agricultural products of Britain are wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, sugar-beet, milk, beef, mutton and lamb. Britain provides about half of the food it needs from its own soil, the other half is imported. Britain usually imports meat, tea, butter, wheat, fruit, tobacco and wool.
Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. Officially the head of the state is the king or the queen. The power of the Queen of Britain is not absolute but constitutional. A two-party system has existed in the United Kingdom since the late 17th century. The dominant parties are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.
Some words about leisure of British people. Typical popular pastimes in the UK include listening to music, going to pubs, playing and watching sport, going on holidays, doing outdoor activities, reading, and watching TV. Pubs are an important part of British social life and more money is spent on drinking than on any other form of leisure activity. England is famous for its gardens, and most people like gardening.
1. Explain the words or give their synonyms:
Isle, group, coast, mainland, to comprise, area, mile, population, part, climate, humidity, variability, to inhabit, emigrant, head, agriculture, product, soil, monarchy, absolute, to exist, dominant, leisure, activity, gardening.
2. Continue these sentences:
1) Britain covers the greater part of …
2) The British Isles lye off the …
3) The largest islands (The British Isles) are …
4) The area of the United Kingdom is…
5) The population of the United Kingdom is…
6) The capital of Great Britain is …
7) The United Kingdom consists of four …
8) The West coast of Great Britain is washed by …
9) The East coast of Great Britain is washed by …
10) The South coast of Great Britain is washed by …
3. Describe:
- the climate of Britain
- the population of Britain
- British agriculture and industry
- the political system of the country
- leisure of British people
4. Ask questions about Britain.
LONDON
London is the capital of Great Britain and England. It is one of the greatest cities in the world. The population of London is more than 9 million inhabitants. The river Thames divides London into two parts known as the north bank and the south bank. Actually there are several Londons. First there is the City of London. It is about 1 square mile in area and only a few thousand people live there. It is the heart of the business and financial life of the country. All business firms are concentrated here. The most striking building in the City today is St .Paul's Cathedral designed by Wren, a famous English architect of the 17th century. People say that the Cathedral is the finest Renaissance Church in Europe. The Bank of England, the Stock Exchange are in the City.
About 2 miles westward is another part of London called the West End. Here you will see Westminster Abbey, at which all British Kings and Queens are crowned. It dates back to 1049. Many famous people are buried in the Abbey, among them Newton, Darwin, Dickens and Kipling.
Across the road from Westminster Abbey there are the Houses of Parliament with its famous Big Ben, a huge clock built just over a century ago. In this part of London and further west, there are the finest theatres, cinemas and concert halls, large museums, hotels, restaurants, the most famous shops and beautiful parks. This is the West End where the rich live. Mayfair, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Bond Street - are famous for their splendid shops. You can see here very elegant people, men and women, grand hotels and club-houses and modern cars. The name "West End" is associated with wealth, luxury and goods of high quality.
To the East of the City there is the Port of London. Here are miles and miles of docks and the great industrial areas that depend upon shipping. This is the East End of London, unattractive in appearance, but very important to the country's commerce. Workers, dockers and small craftsmen live there. There are few large parks in the East End of London, very few squares and practically none of small traditional gardens in front of the houses. The East End has a lot of old houses built in Dickens's time, houses which the Londoners themselves have called "slums". In the main streets of the East End there are shops where you can buy good clothes and tasty food, but the majority of shops trade in cheap goods that are of course poor in quality. The majority of those who live in the East End are the hereditary inhabitants of the area. They love the East End and are proud that they have the right to call themselves "Cockneys". The word "cockney" means a true Londoner.
London gardens and parks are wonderful. They are called the lungs of the city. There are Kensington Garden, Hyde Park, Green Park, Saint James’s Park, Regent Park and Victoria park in London. Walking in London parks you have the feeling that you are far away in the country, not in the centre of one of the largest cities of the world. There are lawns and flowerbeds, fountains and avenues in the parks, but mostly the parks consist of trees and grass and water. They are planned to look as natural as nature itself.
Hyde Park is situated in the centre of London. It is really national London park. Here is the place for all sort of national parades and mass meetings, and in the alley over there - in Rotten Row - you can see the riders - At the Speakers Corner in Hyde Park you can see all sorts of orators who talk to the people about all sorts of things. In the park you can listen to the band. Hyde Park is the greatest people's park in Europe. It is some 300 acres in extent.
The most famous picture galleries in London are the National Gallery and the Tate Gallery. The National Gallery houses a priceless collection of the various schools of painting. One can admire a great number of pictures by great British painters Hogarth, Constable, Turner, the portraits by Gains borough, Reynolds, as well as the world's greatest masters - Michelangelo, Raphael, Rembrandt and many others. At present the collection of the Tate Gallery contains over four thousand British paintings and drawings by Turner, Moore and many others; over three hundred and fifty modern foreign paintings.
The British museum is one of the largest in the world. In the first place it is a great library with 5 or 6 mln. books; secondly, the British museum is a great scientific institution generally known as national History Museum, lastly, the British museum is a national museum of antiquities and ethnography. It is built in a classical style.
I. Using the words from the text fill in the gaps:
1. The most famous picture galleries in London are … .
2. Westminster Abbey is situated in … .
3. … is the heart of the business and … of the country.
4. London is the … of Great … and England.
5. Mostly the parks consist of … and … and … .
6. … has a lot of old houses built in Dickens's time.
7. The population of London is more than … .
8. The name "West End" is associated with …, … and … .
9. London gardens and parks are called … .
10. Wren is a famous English … of the 17th century.
11. … is unattractive in appearance, but very important to the country's commerce.
12. Many … are buried in the Abbey.
13. … is a huge clock built just over a century ago.
14. The most striking building in the City today is … .
15. … are miles and miles of docks.
16. …, … and … live in the East End of London.
17 The rich live in … .
18. "Cockneys" are … .
19. Hyde Park is situated … .
20. The river … divides London into … .
II. Match up the words to make up a word-combination. Explain their meaning:
Great
building
the north
Parliament
the City of
shop
financial
London
striking
gallery
the Stock
inhabitant
Westminster
bank
the Houses of
Britain
concert
institution
Regent
Londoner
splendid
Exchange
grand
painting
good of high
Street
traditional
parade
poor in
life
hereditary
style
true
quality
national
hotel
picture
hall
school of
garden
scientific
Abbey
classical
quality
III. Ask questions about London.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The United States of America is bigger in area (9,4 mln. square km) than the whole of Europe. From Boston to Los Angeles is [as far as from France to Central Asia and from East to West there are [five time zones. The population of the USA is 250 mln. people. Women comprise 52% of the population; men -48%.
In the vast area of the US exist most of the physical conditions known to man: heat and cold, forest and desert, tropical swamp and Arctic waste, mountains (McKinley, Alaska, being the highest mountain in the US - 6193 m) and endless plains, empty spaces and megapolis, and the world's largest river system, with Mississippi [being the longest river, 3950 km long.
The diversity of the people themselves is immense. People [have many different ethnic backgrounds. After its first discovery by Columbus in 1492, the first Europeans to settle were Spaniards in the 16th century followed by the English, French, Italian, German, Irish, Dutch, Polish, etc.
Although the US covers so much land, its people are by now almost entirely an urban society. Less than one tenth of the people are engaged in agriculture and forestry and most of the rest live in or 'around towns, small and large. Half the populations now live in some; thirty metropolitan areas (large cities with their suburbs) of more than a million people each.
The USA is rich in natural resources: oil, coal, iron and a variety of minerals, great forests. Today, with less than 10% of the world's population the USA accounts for nearly half the world’s output of goods.
According to the administrative structure the USA is a federal republic divided into 50 states and the Federal District of Columbia. The capital of the USA is Washington, DC.
There are two main political parties in the USA: the Democrats and the Republicans. Generally, the Republican Party has favored business, low taxes, less economic intervention and government spending. The Democratic Party, on the other hand, has tended to favor government-financed programs for the poor and people with low-income levels. At present the Republican Party is in power, with the president Jorge Bush the Junior. There is also a significant portion of the electorate that does not affiliate with any party -independent voters who will change the party they vote for from election to election.
1. Определите, являются ли предложения истинными или ложными.
a) The USA is a federal union of 50 independent states.
b) The highest mountain in the USA is Mount Blackburn.
c) Two major parties in the US are the Conservationists and the Democrats.
d) The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
e) The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America.
2. Соедините пары.
to border
долина
valley
глава государства
government
исполнительная власть
legislative branch
гора
executive branch
национальное наследие
head of state
пустыня
mountain
законодательная власть
desert
граничить
national heritage
правительство
3. Дополните предложения, используя данные слова и словосочетания:
Executive Branch, capital, river, Legislative Branch, republic, head
a) The United States of America is a constitutional_____.
b) The_____of the country is Washington, DC.
c) The_____ of the state is the President.
d) The Missouri River is the longest_____.
e) The _____consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress.
f) The power of the _____is vested in the President of the United States.
Test
1. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: … is regarded as the birthday of the United States as a free and independent nation. It is a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks.
Independence Day
Memorial Day
Christmas Day
Thanksgiving Day
2. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: … is a federal holiday observed the last Monday of May. It originally honored the people killed in the American Civil War.
Columbus Day
Memorial Day
Christmas Day
Thanksgiving Day
3. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: The federal holiday honoring the civil rights leader observed on the third Monday in January is called…
Thanksgiving Day
Memorial Day
Christmas Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
4. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: … is a federal holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.
Thanksgiving Day
Memorial Day
Christmas Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
5. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: The United States of America is…
bigger than Canada
bigger than Brazil
bigger than Russia
smaller than Australia
6. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: The President of the USA lives in...
White House Road
Pennsylvania Avenue
Texas Street
Washington Square
7. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: The flag of the USA is called…
Maple Leaf
Stars and Stripes
Tricolour
Stars and Stripes
8. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: …was the first President of the USA.
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
John Kennedy
Walt Disney
9. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: At the time of the American Civil War, … was president.
Robert E Lee
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Nelson Rockefeller
10. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: President John F Kennedy was assassinated in ...
New York, New York
Washington DC
Los Angeles, California
Dallas, Texas
11. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: …was the first person to set foot on the Moon.
Neil Armstrong
John Glenn
Jim Lowell
Thomas Jefferson
12. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to commemorate…
the discovery of America by Columbus
the victory of the first colonists over the Indians in 1602
the first harvest of Plymouth colony in 1621
the marriage of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas
13. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: America has often been called…
a melting-pot
non-English speaking immigrants
Ulster
the Emerald Isle
14. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: The capital of the country is …
New York
Los Angeles
Washington, DC.
London
15. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: The Niagara Falls are …
the most powerful waterfalls in North America
the deepest lakes in the USA
the highest mountains in the USA
volcanoes in North America
16. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием: The tallest peak in the USA is…
Mount Blackburn
Mount Elbert
Mount McKinley
Mount Whitney
17. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием:
The independence from England was declared in …
1776
1876
1676
1778
18. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием:
Two major parties in the US are …
The Republics and the Socialists
The Democrats and the Socialists
The Conservationists and the Democrats
The Republicans and the Democrats
19. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием:
… was the president who freed the slaves.
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
Abrahan Lincoln
Henry Ford
20. Заполните пропуск подходящим по смыслу словом или словосочетанием:
The flag of the United States has …
12 stripes and 49 stars
13 stripes and 50 stars
12 stripes and 51 stars
13 stripes and 51 stars
Washington
Washington is the capital of the United States of America. The city was called after the first President of the United States, General George Washington. Washington is situated on the Potomac River in the District of Columbia (DC). The District of Columbia is outside the jurisdiction of any state and subject only to the control of the Federal Congress.
Now it is a city of two million inhabitants. The federal district is a place of land ten miles square and it does not belong to any other state, but to all the states. The district is named in honor of Columbus, the discoverer of America.
While the capital is named after George Washington, it was not named by him. The first president called it simply "The Federal City", and the name Washington did not come into general use until after his death.
If you are interested in the law-making centre of the US, go to the Capitol, with its great Hall of Representatives and Senate Chamber. There are many places of interest near the Capitol. You can walk around the back of the Capitol and look across Union Square all the way down to the Washington Monument and beyond to the Lincoln Memorial. From the Capitol Pennsylvania Avenue leads off right to the White House. The tourists usually make a tour of the White House to see its rooms and grounds.
The White House, the President's residence, is located in Pennsylvania Avenue. The site was selected by president Washington and the architect was James Hoban.
The cornerstone of the Executive Mansion, as it was originally known, dates from October 1792. The British troops which arrived in Washington in 1814 were indirectly responsible for the name "White House." The building burnt down during the fighting. Later it was painted white to conceal the marks of the fire. But it remained the "Executive Mansion" until the administration of Theodore Roosevelt when "White House" appeared and the term became official.
The largest complex of museums in Washington DC is the Smithsonian Institution, comprising 15 museums with 6,000 employees. It contains more than 134 million items. The most popular museum in numbers of visitors is the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, which opened in July 1976. The total attendance at the Smithsonian is about 24 million per year. The largest library in the world is the Library of Congress (founded 1800) on Capitol Hill. By 1988, it contained 86 million items, including 22 million books and pamphlets.
As America's capital city, Washington represents the governmental and political centre of the country. But it is also a major cultural, historical and economic centre, a city of great natural and monumental beauty.
1. Соедините синонимы
to be called after
memorial
the District of Columbia
Washington
inhabitant
James Hoban
The Federal City
place
law-making centre
to be named in honor of/after
monument
complex of museums
the White House
man
to be located
the Capitol
site
DC
architect
the Executive Mansion
the Smithsonian Institution
to be situated