Учебное пособие Для студентов вузов Кемерово 2010
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Washington
Washington, D.C. (/ˈwɒʃɪŋtən diːsiː/) (formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C.) is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790. When people speak about the capital of the USA they always say Washington DC, not to mix up with the state Washington in the north-west of the country. The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River and is bordered by the states of Virginia to the southwest and Maryland to the other sides.
Washington, D.C. has a total area of 68.3 square miles (177 km2). The District has three major natural flowing streams: the Potomac River, the Anacostia River, and Rock Creek. Both the Anacostia River and Rock Creek are tributaries of the Potomac River.
George Washington, the first American president, chose the place where the city now stands to build the capital, and the city was named after George Washington.
Washington, D.C. is a planned city. The design for the City of Washington was largely the work of Pierre Charles L’Enfant, a French-born architect, engineer, and city planner who first arrived in the American colonies as a military engineer.
Washington has a lot of interesting things to see and it is difficult to find a park, a square or any open area there without a monument or a memorial. The best-known ones are the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Washington has many other famous buildings – the Library of Congress, the Capitol, the National Gallery of Art and others.
Washington is smaller in size than the largest cities of the United States such as New York, Chicago, Detroit or Los Angeles. The population of the capital is about 11 million people. The buildings in Washington are not tall because no buildings must be taller than the Capitol – a big white dome standing on a circle of pillars. The 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.
Washington is a busy city. The streets are practically never empty. Wherever you go you’ll see either big or small shops in which you can buy whatever you like.
Washington, D.C. has a diversified economy. The city has growing industry unrelated to government, especially in the areas of education, finance and scientific research.
Washington, D.C. is a national center for the arts. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is home to the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera, and the Washington Ballet.
The weather in Washington is changeable. Mark Twain described it as follows: «When you arrived (at the station at night) it was snowing. When you reached the hotel it was sleeting. When you went to bed it was raining. During the night it froze hard and the wind blew some chimneys down. When you got up in the morning, it was foggy. When you finished your breakfast at ten o’clock and went out, the sunshine was brilliant, the weather balmy and delicious, and the mud and slush deep and all-pervading. You will like the climate – when you get used to it. »
Thousands of tourists visit Washington every day. People from all parts of the United States come to see their capital.
Ex. 12. Answer the following questions.
1. Where is the USA situated?
2. What countries does the USA border on?
3. Who discovered America?
4. What is the climate of the country?
5. What can you say about the Constitution of the USA?
6. What American dishes can you name?
7. What three branches is the government of the United States composed of?
8. What is the capital of the USA?
9. Where is the city located?
10. Why are the buildings in Washington not tall?
11. What places of interest in Washington do you know?
12. Where do the members of the Congress discuss the nation’s affairs?
Comprehension check
Ex. 1. Search the texts for the English equivalents of the word combinations.
Западное полушарие; достичь какой-то земли; обычаи и традиции; изначально употребляться во множественном числе; географические особенности; на противоположных сторонах; международные договоры; наложить вето; проводить законы в жизнь; пересматривать законы; богатые природные ресурсы; основные торговые партнеры; в возрасте пяти лет и старше; количество штатов в настоящее время; складывать особенным образом; называть в честь кого-нибудь; меньше по размеру; большой белый купол; всё, что понравится.
Ex. 2. Work in pairs. Read the statements and say if they are true or false.
A)
1. The United States is situated almost entirely in the western hemisphere.
2. The total area of the USA is about eight and a half million square kilometers.
3. The people of the United States are only from America.
4. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA.
5. The United States is a monarchy.
6. The leading export commodity of the USA is mine equipment.
7. The US national flag – Stars and Stripes – is red, white and blue.
B)
1. Washington is located on the north bank of the Thames River.
2. The city was named after the first American president.
3. There are not many monuments in Washington.
4. Washington is the largest city of the USA.
5. The streets are always empty in the city.
Ex. 3. Complete the following sentences using information from the texts.
A)
1. The United States is situated almost entirely ….
2. The country also has a sea-boarder with …. .
3. Christopher Columbus discovered America in …
4. Because of the United States' large size and wide range of geographic features, nearly every type of .… .
5. The federal government is composed of three branches: legislative, executive and …. .
6. About 215 million, or 82% of the population aged five years and older, speak only …. .
B)
1. When people speak about the capital of the USA they always say Washington DC, not to mix up with the state Washington in ..…
2. The population of the capital is about …
3. The buildings in Washington are not tall because no buildings must be taller …
4. Washington has growing industry unrelated to government, especially in the areas of education, finance and …
5. Washington, D.C. is a national center for …
Ex. 4. Rearrange the words below into grammatically accurate sentences.
1. the people, of, a mixture, different, are, nationalities, of the United States, many.
2. derive, of America, the recipes, dishes, of, immigrants, various, characteristic, from.
3. a park, a square, it, open, in Washington, or, is, area, to find, any, a monument, without, difficult.
4. in size, the United States, Washington, than, is, the largest, smaller, cities, of.
Ex. 5. Make questions to which the underlined words are the answers.
1. The United States is situated almost entirely in the western hemisphere.
2. Americans are proud of their flag and display it in many places.
3. The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River.
4. George Washington, the first American president, chose the place where the city now stands to build the capital.
5. Washington has many famous buildings – the Library of Congress, the Capitol, the National Gallery of Art and others.
Ex. 6. Translate into English.
A)
1. США включают южную часть Северной Америки, Аляску и Гавайи.
2. Страна почти полностью расположена в западном полушарии.
3. Изначально словосочетание «Соединённые Штаты» употребляли во множественном числе.
4. Из-за большого размера Соединённых Штатов и разнообразия географических особенностей в стране представлены почти все типы климата.
5. Хотя в стране нет официального языка на федеральном уровне, некоторые законы считают стандартным английский язык.
6. Кулинарное искусство Америки напоминает кулинарию других западных стран.
7. Американцы должны знать многое о своём флаге, например то, что его следует складывать особым образом.
B)
1. Место для Вашингтона было выбрано первым американским президентом Джорджем Вашингтоном.
2. В Вашингтоне много интересных мест, и трудно найти парк, площадь или вообще какое-нибудь место, где нет памятника или мемориала.
3. Вашингтон—деловой город. Его улицы почти никогда не пустуют.
4. Вашингтон—экономический и политический центр США.
5. Образование, финансовый сектор и исследования в области науки не подчиняются правительству страны.
Ex. 7. Answer the following questions.
1. What territory does the USA occupy?
2. Does it border on Russia?
3. Did Columbus know what land he had reached in 1492?
4. Why is climate different in the United States?
5. What is the leading import commodity in the country?
6. What is the political system of the USA?
7. When was Washington founded?
8. Who designed the capital of the USA?
9. Why are there no skyscrapers in Washington?
10. How can you prove that the weather is changeable in Washington?
11. How can you characterize the city as a cultural centre?
Ex. 8. Work in pairs or in groups. Think of the situation when you are the visitors of some type of restaurant in the USA. Make up your own dialogue using word expressions of the text and the dialogues given below.
Ex. 9. Read and translate the following text.
Restaurants
There are two main types of restaurants in the USA: fast-food and full-service restaurants. You’ll find restaurants for every situation. If you are in a hurry you may just have some “junk food” at a grocery store or a candy counter, or you can get a bite to eat at one of the many fast-food chains like Mcdonald’s, Burger King or Kentucky Fried Chicken. Some of these places have tables but many don’t. People eat in their cars or take their food home, to their offices or to parks.
Many restaurants don’t serve alcoholic beverages. This is often because they want people to feel comfortable bringing their children.
Ex. 10. Practise the dialogues.
| 1. | - Would you like some more soup? - No, thank you. It’s delicious but I’ve had enough. - Would you like some dessert? -Well, maybe. I’ll have just a small piece of pie. |
| 2. | - Are you ready to order? - Yes, I’ll have the fresh fruit cocktail. - And what would you like after that? - I’d like the roast chicken, please. |
| 3. | - There is not much on the menu here. Rice pudding sounds good, though. - Yes, it does, but I think I’m just going to have a sandwich today. Maybe even half of one. - Are you ready to order? - Yes, I think so. - Do you want that on separate checks? - Oh, no, one’ll be fine. It’s on me today. |
Texts for extra reading
A. The Biggest and the Oldest Living Things
The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived—bigger than an elephant, bigger than the biggest dinosaur. But even the blue whale is not the largest living thing on earth. Trees are. And the largest of all trees are the redwoods and giant sequoias that grow in California.
Most of the Californian redwoods are more than 30 feet (90 metres) high – about as tall as 30-storey building.
If trees had birthday parties, there is one tree in the United States that would need more than 4000 candles on its birthday cake.
Trees live much longer than people or animals do. A big oak tree, with a trunk so thick that you can’t get your arms around it, may be hundreds of years old. The big redwood trees in California are thousands of years old.
The oldest known tree in the United States lives in a forest in California. It is a pine tree that is more than 4600 years old. It is one of the oldest living things in the world.
Notes:
whale кит
redwoods калифорнийские мамонтовые деревья
trunk ствол
B. American Symbols
The American flag is often called "The Stars and Stripes", it is also called "Old Glory". It represents the growth of the nation. It has 13 horizontal stripes, 7 red and 6 white which stand for the original 13 states. In the top left corner there are 50 white stars on a blue background: one star for each state.
The national anthem of the United States is "The Star Spangled Banner". The words written during the Anglo- American war of 1812 – 1814 and set to the music of an old song. Every state has its own flag, its own emblem and its own anthem too.
The eagle became the national emblem of the country in 1782. It has an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and arrows (a symbol of strength). You can see the eagle on the back of a dollar bill.
The Statue of Liberty is the symbol of American democracy. It stands on Liberty Island in New York. It is one of the first things people see when they arrive in New York by sea. This National Monument was a present from France to the USA. France gave the statue to America in 1884 as a symbol of friendship. Liberty carries the torch of freedom – in her right hand. In her left hand she is holding a tablet with the inscription "July 4, 1776» – American Independence Day.
Notes:
to represent представлять
background фон
anthem гимн
eagle орел
olive branch оливковая веточка
to arrive прибывать
torch факел
Ex. 1. Answer the following questions.
1. What do people often call American flag?
2. What are the colours of the American flag?
3. How many stripes has the flag got?
4. What is the national emblem?
5. Where is the statue of Liberty placed?
6. What country was the gift to the USA from?
Ex. 2. Find the additional information and make report about the symbols of the USA (see Fact File).
- George Washington (1732 – 1799)
On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, took his oath as the first President of the United States.
George Washington was born in a very rich family in what is now the State of Virginia.
During the French and Indian wars (1755) Washington was colonel and commander-in-chief of the Virginia forces and defended the colony’s frontier. During the War of Independence (1775-1783) George Washington was elected to command the American forces to oppose the British troops. He led the army in many battles in which he suffered defeats and won victories. It was a long and cruel war ended with the victory of the American forces.
In 1797 he retired to Mount Vernon. He devoted much time to farming. On December 12, 1799, Washington spent several hours inspecting his farms on horseback, in snow and freezing rain. He sat down to dine that evening without changing his wet clothes. The next morning, he awoke with a bad cold, fever, and a throat infection that turned into acute laryngitis and pneumonia. Washington died on the evening of December 14, 1799, at his home aged 67.
Today, Washington's face and image are often used as national symbols of the United States. Many things have been named in honor of Washington.
Because of his significant role in the revolution and in the formation of the United States, he is often revered by Americans as the "Father of the Nation".
Notes:
oath клятва
colonel полковник
to suffer defeats терпеть поражения
Ex. 1. Find in the text the English equivalents for:
защищал границу колонии; противостоять Британским войскам; долгая и жестокая война; ушёл в отставку; провёл несколько часов, проверяя свои фермы; проснулся с простудой; названы в честь Вашингтона; из-за существенной роли в революции и формировании Соединённых Штатов.
D. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
This powerful advocate of liberty was born in 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia, inheriting from his father some 5,000 acres of land and from his mother-- a high social standing.
Jefferson studied literature and languages. He also studied to be a lawyer, and later he wrote many of the Virginia laws. One of the laws was a law to allow every child to go to school free. Schools in America were only for children whose parents were rich.
His most outstanding achievement was as chief author of the Declaration of Independence (a statement of human rights and liberties). It was read to the happy people on the 4th of July, 1776.
Jefferson also drew up the constitution for his state, Virginia, and served as its governor. He was sent to France as the foreign minister of the USA, and then was President Washington’s Secretary of State. A few years later he became the third president of the country, serving in this position for two terms.
Jefferson did another important thing for the American people. He worked out a plan for a university where the students and teachers could live and work together in a village built for them. It was one of the first schools to teach science. Today it is the University of Virginia.
Thomas Jefferson was also a self-taught architect. He introduced the simple classical design of the Virginia State Capitol building. He also designed his own home. He remained the most influential architect of his time.
Jefferson did many useful things during his lifetime. He always thought about helping ordinary people. He was a practical and theoretical scientist.
Notes:
to inherit (у)наследовать
a lawyer юрист, адвокат
achievement достижение
to draw up составлять (о документе)
to remain оставаться
Ex. 1. Find in the text the English equivalents for:
закон, позволяющий каждому ребёнку учиться в школе бесплатно; его самое выдающееся достижение; служил в качестве губернатора; государственный секретарь президента Вашингтона; разработал проект для университета; утверждение человеческих прав и свобод; сделал много полезного; как помочь простым людям.
E. American writers of the past.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910) well known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. Twain is noted for his novels «Adventures of Huckleberry Finn» (1884), which has been called "the Great American Novel", and «The Adventures of Tom Sawyer» (1876). Twain was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty. Upon his death he was considered the "greatest American humorist of his age".
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American author of novels and short stories. He is widely regarded as one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost Generation" of the 1920s. He finished four novels: «This Side of Paradise», «The Beautiful and Damned», «Tender Is the Night» and his most famous, the celebrated classic, «The Great Gatsby». A fifth, unfinished novel, «The Love of the Last Tycoon» was published posthumously.
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American writer and journalist. His distinctive writing style influenced 20th-century fiction. His career peaked in 1954 when he won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Many of his works are classics of American literature. Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois. After leaving high school he worked for a few months as a reporter, before leaving for the Italian front to become an ambulance driver during World War I, which became the basis for his novel «A Farewell to Arms». His first novel «The Sun Also Rises», was written in 1924.
Shortly after the publication of The Old Man and the Sea in 1952 Hemingway went on safari to Africa, where he was almost killed in a plane crash that left him in pain or ill-health for much of the rest of his life. In 1959 he moved from Cuba to Idaho, where he committed suicide in the summer of 1961.
Margaret Mitchell (November 8, 1900 – August 16, 1949) was an American author, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for her novel «Gone with the Wind» (1936), which is about the Civil war. The novel is one of the most popular books of all time, selling more than 30 million copies. An American film adaptation, released in 1939, became the highest-grossing film in the history of Hollywood, and received a record-breaking ten Academy Awards.