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Washington is the capital of the United States of America. It is situated in the District of Columbia and is like no other city in the USA. It is the worlds largest one-industry city. And that industry is government. The White House, where the US President lives and works, the Capitol, the home of the US Congress, and the Supreme Court, are all in Washington.
Washington was named after the first US President George Washington. He selected the place for the capital and Pierre L'Enfant, a French engineer, designed the city.
Washington was first settled in 1790 and since 1800 it has been the Federal capital.
Washington is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the United States. In the very centre of it rises the huge dome of the Capitol a big white dome standing on a circle of pillars. The 535 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.
Not far from the Capitol is the Library of Congress, the largest library in the States. It contains more than 13 million books, more than 19 million manuscripts, including the personal papers of the US presidents.
The White House is the official residence of the US President. He works in the Oval Office.
One can hardly find a park, a square or an open area in Washington without a monument or a memorial. The most impressive and the best-known ones are the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
There are some important museums in Washington where you can see all kinds of things: famous paintings and sculptures, the dresses of Presidents wives, the original of the Declaration of Independence, the largest blue diamond in the world, etc.
There are 5 universities in Washington.
There are no skyscrapers in Washington, because they would hide the city's monuments from view. No building in the city may be more than 40 meters tall.
Thousands of tourists visit Washington every day. People from all parts of the United States come to see their capital.
| the District of Columbia ok the White House ( ) the Capitol ( ) the Congress the Supreme Court B to settle , huge , to get lost | manuscript personal papers impressive , the Lincoln Memorial the Washington Monument original the Declaration of Independence |
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1. Where is Washington situated?
2. Is Washington a typical American city?
3. Its the worlds largest one-industry city, isnt it? What kind of industry is it?
4. What important government buildings are situated in Washington?
5. Where does the US president live and work?
6. Who selected the place for the capital of the USA?
7. When was Washington first settled?
8. Who designed the capital of the USA?
9. What places of interest in Washington do you know?
10. Why arent there any skyscrapers in Washington?
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Columbia; Capitol; elected; center; smaller; capital.
The city of Washington was designed in the late eighteenth century. When George Washington was 1___ President of the United States, there was no permanent capital to house the government. Since members of Congress could not agree as to where the 2___ should be located, it was decided to choose a special place for the new capital. The State of Maryland agreed to allot a wild area on the Potomac River. The region was called the District of 3___, after Christopher Columbus, and the capital was called Washington, after George Washington.
Washington is 4___ in size than the largest cities of the USA, such as New York, Chicago, Detroit or Los Angeles. The population of Washington is about 11 million people. The buildings in Washington are not very high because no building must be higher than the 5___. But in political sense Washington is the 6___ of the country and the most important city of the United States.
