Read Text 11B and answer the following questions.

1. What buildings is the word “Capitol” applied to?

2. What does the Capitol consist of?

3. What does the Capitol Buildings look down?

4. What tourist attractions are located in the Major monument area of Washington?

5. Where is the Washington Monument situated?

6. What is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial famous for?

7. What were the principles held by Thomas Jefferson based on?

8. Why is the Smithsonian Institute named after James Smithson?

9. Why is the Pentagon used as a symbolic reference for the armed forces high command?

10. What does Georgetown contain?

11. Why is a visit to Washington incomplete without an excursion to Mount Vernon?

12. Where is Mount Vernon located?

8. Explain the meaning of the following words and expressions and reproduce the context in which they are used.

A guardant, a temple, to apply, to adorn, relating to something, a long expanse, to stretch, beyond, a tourist attraction, a northern (southern) point, a broad thoroughfare, to undergo renovations, to be considered something (somebody), a legal holiday, to hold principles, private enterprise, local self-government, a capricious gift, to found an institution, the air of a bygone day, an estate.

Say whether you agree or disagree with these statements. Give your reasoning. Use the introductory phrases given in the previous Units.

1. The building of the Capitol assumed its name from the temple of Athens.

2. Construction of the Capitol started in 1893.

3. The Rotunda, a monumental hall, is decorated with some works of Roman art.

4. The eastern point of the Major monument area is the Jefferson Memorial.

5. Pennsylvania Avenue is nicknamed the “Processional Street of America”.

6. Maryland and Virginia can hardly be seen from the top of the Washington Monument.

7. Thomas Jefferson was the founder of the Republican Party.

8. The Smithsonian Institute is a higher educational institution.

9. The Pentagon shape is six-sided.

10. The oldest Catholic college is situated in Georgetown.

Put the following headings in a logical order according to the Text.

1. The tall structure located behind the White House.

2. The building containing the main offices of the US Department of Defense.

3. The seat of the US Congress.

4. A legal holiday in Alabama, Missouri and Virginia.

5. The area comprising federal government buildings and tourist attractions.

6. The place where George Washington is buried.

7. A large group of different museums and scientific institutions.

8. The route of the President’s inauguration procession.

9. The area known for its university.

10. The memorial to the third President of the United States of America.

Read Text 11B again. Give a brief outline of the information each paragraph contains.

TEXT 11C

The White House

1. When the capital was moved to the city of Washington, Congress decided to build a special home for all future presidents. This house would belong to the nation, and it would serve as the home and the office for each President.

2. When you enter the White House, history comes alive to you. Throughout the big, public rooms, there are paintings, furniture, and other items that belonged to some of the famous Presidents of early years. One room, for example, is called the Lincoln Room. President Abraham Lincoln worked in this room and used the furniture that is still there.

3. But the White House is not a museum. It is a hard-working building; it is still the home of American Presidents and the place where they do most of their work.

4. Today it is much larger than it was when President John Adams moved in. It has more than 150 rooms! It has offices and a health clinic, a post office, a swimming pool, a barbershop, a kitchen and all other rooms needed by the President and the staff.

5. Every day the White House hums with activity. Heads of other nations, members of Congress come to the White House to talk to the President. From there the President speaks to the whole nation on radio and television. There is a special line to Russia that provides direct communication between the two most powerful nations in the world.

6. Part of the White House is open to the public. Visitors may tour the library and some of the dining rooms and reception rooms on the ground floor and the first floor. Private rooms on the second and third floors include family rooms, guest rooms, and recreation rooms.

7. The White House is more than the President’s home and workshop. Like the Capitol, it is a national symbol. Its white walls and setting remind people of the strength and beauty of the American nation.