Переведите текст на русский язык. 1. Washington, D.C., the capital of the USA, is situated on the Potomac River

Washington D. C.

1. Washington, D.C., the capital of the USA, is situated on the Potomac River. Washington does not belong to a state. It is a city and district – the District of Colombia (D.C.). The district is a piece of land ten miles square. The city is named in honour of the first President George Washington. The district is named in honour of Columbus, the discoverer of America.

2. There are many green parks and gardens along the banks of the Potomac River. In 1912 the famous cherry trees were a gift from Japan. The most beautiful park in Washington is Great Falls Park.

3. Washington has many libraries, museums, art galleries and beautiful buildings. The Library of Congress is located here. It is the largest national library in the world. It takes 340 miles of shelves to hold all of the books.

4. The National Gallery of Art houses one of the greatest art collections of the world. Paintings, sculptures, tapestries and many other objects by the great masters are exhibited here.

5. The Capitol is in the very centre of Washington. It is located on Capitol Hill, the highest point in the city. The Capitol is the highest building in Washington. There is a law in Washington not to build houses higher than the Capitol.

6. The Capitol is the seat of Congress. Congress first met in the north wing, the Senate Chamber, which was first completed in 1800. In August, 1814 the unfinished Capitol Building was partially destroyed by fire set by invading British troops. Finally, in 1827, the Capitol was completed.

7. In 1814, during the war with England, the White House was burnt down. After the war the charred remains of the building were whitewashed, so as not to spoil the view. Since that time the residence of the American presidents has been always painted white.

8. There is the famous Pentagon in Washington. It is a huge five-side building and five stories high. It is the largest office building in the world. The Pentagon is a building where the headquarters of the Department of Defense, the Army, the Navy, and Air Force are located. It is the military center of the United States.

Ответьте на вопросы.

а) Where is the capital of the USA situated?

б) What does “D. C.” stand for?

в) Why was the city named Washington?

г) Why is the Capitol the highest building in Washington up to now?

7. Переведите предложения, обращая внимание на подчеркнутые сказуемые:

а) George Washington chose the place for the capital.

б) Washington was named in honour of the first President.

в) The White House consists of 132 rooms.

г) In 1814 the White House was burnt down.

Составьте два общих вопроса по тексту.