Текст 1 (d). Sightseeing in Washington D. C. (Places of Interest in Washington)

Almost every public building, art gallery or government office you want to see is in the North West quadrant.

The Capitol. Seat of the US Congress. Its building was begun in 1793. The Capital consists of a central building crowned by a great dome and connected at each end by galleries with a large wing, one of which contains the Senate Chamber, and the other – the Hall of Representatives. Beneath the dome is a monumental hall called the Rotunda, adorned with works of art relating to American history.

The White House. Official residence of the presidents of the USA located at 1600, Pennsylvania Avenue. Every President except Washington has lived there.

The Library of Congress (the biggest existing library). You are told – contains more than 13 million books in various languages, more than 19 million manuscripts and many other items, such as maps, prints, recordings and musical scores.

The Washington Monument. From miles around can be seen this tall structure on the hill behind the White House. The Monument is 500 feet (about 152 rr) high.

The Lincoln Memorial is a big temple in Greek style with 36 marble columns to represent the states in the union at Lincoln’s death.

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial. This is a memorial to the third President of the United States (1743-1826). He is considered the founder of the Democratic Party, and Jefferson’s birthday, April 13, is a legal holiday in Alabama, Missouri and Virginia and is celebrated by Democratic Party groups.

The Smithsonian Institute. It is almost everything: scientific institutes, art galleries, zoos – all the result of a capricious gift from an Englishman who never saw America in his life – man named James Smithson who died in 1829 and left all his fortune (half a million dollars – a very large sum in those days) to the United States to found “an institution for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men”.

The Pentagon. Headquarters of the Department of Defense (the world’s largest office building). Its shape is five-sided (hence the name Pentagon). The Pentagon is of ten as a symbolic reference for the armed forces high command. It is the heart of the US military – industrial complex.

Downtown. Residents of Washington shop in a downtown area, much like that of any other American city.

Georgetown. A residential section of the City of Washington D. C. It contains the homes of many government officials. In Georgetown is located Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic college in the US, known for its Foreign Service school.

The Arlington National Cemetery. It is the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In it are also buried the bodies of American Soldiers from every war since the Civil War. President John F. Kennedy was also buried there.

John F. Kennedy Center for Performing arts is the sole official memorial to President Kennedy in the Capital, opened in 1971on the Potomac. Financed by both government and private funds, the marble building houses a 2.200 seat opera hall, a 2.700 seat concert hall, a 1.100 seat theater and other facilities.

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