White House

The South Portico of the White House in May 2006.

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia Creek sandstone in the Neoclassical style. It has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams. When Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he (with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe) expanded the building outward, creating two colonnades that were meant to conceal stables and storage.

In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by the British Army in the Burning of Washington, destroying the interior and charring much of the exterior. Reconstruction began almost immediately, and President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1817. Construction continued with the addition of the South Portico in 1824 and the North in 1829. Because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901. Eight years later, President William Howard Taft expanded the West Wing and created the first Oval Office which was eventually moved as the section was expanded. The third-floor atticwas converted to living quarters in 1927 by augmenting the existing hip roof with long shed dormers. A newly constructed East Wing was used as a reception area for social events; Jefferson's colonnades connected the new wings. East Wing alterations were completed in 1946, creating additional office space. By 1948, the house's load-bearing exterior walls and internal wood beams were found to be close to failure. Under Harry S. Truman, the interior rooms were completely dismantled and a new internal load-bearing steel frame constructed inside the walls. Once this work was completed, the interior rooms were rebuilt.

Today, the White House Complex includes the Executive Residence, West Wing, East Wing, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building -- the former State Department, which now houses offices for the President's staff and the Vice President -- and Blair House, a guest residence.

The Executive Residence is made up of six stories—the Ground Floor, State Floor, Second Floor, and Third Floor, as well as a two-story basement. The term White House is regularly used as a metonymy for the Executive Office of the President of the United States and for the president's administration and advisers in general. The property is a National Heritage Site owned by the National Park Service and is part of the President's Park. In 2007, it was ranked second on the American Institute of Architects list of " America's Favorite Architecture".

TASKS

I. Practice the pronunciation of the following proper names:

George Washington, Potomac, Lincoln Memorial, Abraham, Martin Luther King, Capitol, Andrew, Art Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian, Enid A. Haupt Garden, Heirloom Garden, Jefferson Pier, the National Archives, the Albert Einstein Memorial, Ford Trimotor, the Eiffel Tower, The South Portico, Aquia Creek, President Theodore Roosevelt, Eisenhower, National Heritage Site.

II. Answer the following questions:

1. How is Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia commonly referred to?

2. Where is the capital district located?

3. What is the population of Washington?

4. What branches of the federal government of the United States are there in the District?

5. Does the Congress maintain supreme authority over the city or over the USA?

6. What does the twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, grant the District?

7. Where is the Lincoln Memorial located?

8. What body is the memorial administered by?

9. Who is most of the direct management of the NPS delegated by?

10. What park was the first national park in the United States?

11. Who was successful with the ratification of the National Park Service Organic Act in 1916?

12. What do you know about the National Mall?

13. What are the purposes of the National Mall?

14. What landmarks and museums does the National Mall contain?

15. When and why was the Smithsonian Institution established?

16. How many museums and galleries dothe Smithsonian museums comprise?

17. Does the Smithsonian also have a large number of travelling exhibitions?

18. What building is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States?

19. What monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first American president, General George Washington?

20. What building is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States?

II. Complete the following questions:

1. On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act approved the creation of a capital district…….

2. The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated …….

3. Named in honor of George Washington, the City of Washington was …….

4. Washington is home to many national monuments and museums, which …….

5. The Lincoln Memorial is an American national monument built …….

6. The building is in the form of a Greek Doric temple and …….

7. The National Park Service (NPS) is the U.S. federal agency that manages …….

8. Due to the irregularities in managing these national treasures, Stephen Tyng Mather …….

9. The term National Mall commonly includes …….

10. With the exception of the National Gallery of Art, all of the museums on the National Mall (proper) are …….

11. As popularly understood, the Mall also contains landmarks and features that are …….

12. The population of American elm trees planted on the Mall and its surrounding areas in accordance with the McMillan Plan …….

13. Other attractions within walking distance of the National Mall include …….

14. Termed " the nation's attic" for its eclectic holdings of 137 million items, the Institution'…….

15. The Institutions's funding comes from…….

16. The Smithsonian has close ties with …….

17. Collections of artifacts are given to these museums …….

18. Officially, both the east and west sides of the Capitol …….

19. The monument was damaged during …….

20. Today, the White House Complex includes …….

III. Explain the meaning of the following words and word combinations and use them in the sentences of your own:

Exclusive jurisdiction, preexisting settlements, municipal government, federal agency, national treasure, eclectic holdings, long-term loans, existing hip roof, shed dormers, arrival of visitors and dignitaries, private and corporate contributions, membership dues, government support, concession and licensing revenues, architectural landmarks.