Learning more words from the text

4.1 Match the following words from the text to their definitions. Suggest the Russian.

1 carriage (US = car) 2 compartment 3 countryside 4 destination 5conductor 6 Capitol 7 bellman 8 tip 9 snack 10 to confirm

a) rural area (contrasted with urban area) b) gift of money to a porter, bellman, taxi driver, etc. for personal services c) wheeled vehicle for passengers on a railway train d) light, usu. hurriedly eaten meal e) one of several separate divisions of a railway carriage f) man employed in a hotel to carry luggage, messages, etc. g) building in Washington where the United States Congress meets h) to make sth firmer or stronger; to repeat i) place to which sb is going j) person in charge of passengers on a train

4.2 Match the following word-combinations from the text to their Russian equivalents.

1to book tickets 2 to manage sth 3a splendid view 4 to feel worn-out 5 they get cramped and stuffy 6 to take one’s mind off sth 7 a partial solution 8 sleep comes in snatches 9 It took us just about three hours 10 literally 11 within sight 12 within walking distance

a) замечательный вид b) отвлечься от чего-либо c) Нам потребовалось три часа d) заказать билеты e) буквально f) в пределах видимости g) они становятся тесными и душными h) справиться с чем-либо i) в пределах шаговой досягаемости j) сон приходит урывками k) частичное решение (проблемы) l) чувствовать себя измотанным, изможденным

4.3 Fill in the synonyms from the list.

car; seldom; to eat; single; railroad (US); to fill in (Br.); to get on the train; to reserve; exhausted;

to book (a ticket) to have a meal to board the train

one-way (ticket) worn-out railway

carriage rarely to fill out (US)

3.2 Match the parts to make up the word-combinations from the text.

1 passenger 2sleeping (dining)- 3 comfort and pleasure 4 a splendid 5cramped and 6 sleep comes in 7 within 8 within walking 9 hotel 10 we checked 11 we filled out

a) snatches b) sight of the Capitol c) carriages d) reservation e) registration forms f) view g) in h) cars i) stuffy j) distance k) combined

5. READING FOR DETAIL. Read the text carefully to answer the following questions.

1. Why did Alex want to go to Washington by train?

2. Why did he insist on making all the necessary arrangements himself?

3. Were there any problems with tickets?

4. How much was the fare?

5. What are the advantages (disadvantages) of traveling by train?

6. What is the name of the American passenger railroad?

7. What is the difference between First and Economy Class seats?

8. What did the conductor do when the passengers were seated?

9. What was written on the seat markers?

10. How long did it take to get to Washington?

11. What did the guys eat on the train?

12. Why did Tom always travel by plane to Washington?

13. What is the name of the railroad station in Washington?

14. Is it far from the centre of the city?

15. Did the train arrive on time?

16. Was the hotel far from the station?

17. Did the guys make hotel reservation in advance?

18. What were the procedures at the hotel?

6. SPEAKING. Complete the following sentences with the words and word combinations from the text and the exercises.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Traveling by Train

1. Traveling by train is slower than that by plane, but it has its …

2. Modern trains have comfortable …

3. From the comfortable corner seat of a railway carriage you have a …

4. There are sleeping and dining-…

5. If you are hungry, …

6. If the journey is a long one you can have a …

7. On most trains you have a choice between …

8. First Class seats are more …

9. Well, one cannot eat one’s cake and …

10. However, hardly anyone can enjoy …

11. Train compartments soon get …

12. Reading is only a …

13. During the day, sleep comes in …

14. At night, when you really want to go to sleep, you rarely …

15. So you arrive at your …

16. Anyway, I prefer traveling by … because …

17. With trains you have …, … and … combined.

7. PRESENTATION. Speak on the topic ‘Traveling by Train – Advantages and Disadvantages’.

UNIT 4

WASHINGTON D.C.

1. WARMING UP. Read and practice the following conversations.

Asking the Way

1 A Excuse me. Can you tell me where South Street is, please? B Take the second turn on the left and then ask again. A Is it far? B No, it’s only a five minutes’ walk. A Many thanks. B Not at all.	2 A Excuse me. Could you tell me the way to the station, please? B Turn round and turn left at the traffic lights. A Will it take me long to get there? B No, it’s no distance at all. A Thank you. B That’s OK.
3 A Excuse me, but I’m trying to find the City Hall. B Take the third on the right and go straight on. A Should I take a bus? B No, it’s within walking distance. A Thank you very much indeed. B (You’re) welcome.	4 A Excuse me, please. Could you tell me how to get to downtown? B First right, second left. You can’t miss it. A Is it too far to walk? B No, it’s only a couple of hundred yards. A Thanks very much. B My pleasure.

2. WORD STUDY. Study the following verbs from the text before reading.

1 avoid 2 stand for 3 belong (to) 4 prohibit 5 stretch 6 assassinate 7 adopt 8 dedicate

1 keep or get away from You can hardly avoid meeting her if you both work in the same office. 2 mean PR stands for Public Relations. 3 be sb’s property These books belong to me (they are mine). 4 forbid; to say that sth must not be done, that sb must not do sth The law prohibits selling cigarettes to children. 5 extend Forests stretched for hundreds of miles. 6 kill sb for political reasons or a reward People of my generation remember the assassination of John Kennedy. 7 accept formally Parliament adopted the new law yesterday. 8 devote (one’s time, energy, etc.) to a noble purpose He dedicated his life to the service of the country.

3. FIRST READING. Read the text to decide what it is about in general.

A Few Facts

After a light snack we went out for a walk. Tom told me a few facts about Washington D.C. These letters are always added to avoid confusion with the state of Washington. ‘D.C.’ stands for District of Columbia. This special federal district doesn’t belong to any of the fifty states. It is very small.

Tom said that Washington was unlike many other cities in its treatment of tourists. Most of its sights are free.

Quite naturally I tried to compare this city to New York. I noticed that there were no skyscrapers. The law prohibits building structures taller than the Capitol. There were very few people in the street and many more black people there than in New York. He also said that people went to bed very early in Washington. No, it was not like New York at all.

Washingtonians are proud of their subway system, which they call Metrorail or just metro. It is much more modern than New York’s. This is quite natural as it was opened only in 1976. Buses connect all Metro stations. They also reach areas not served by the Metro.

Washington is important as the seat of the US Federal Government. All major governmental buildings are situated there. The centre of the city is the Capitol Building – home of American law-makers. The building dominates the city. It stands on Capitol Hill, highest point in Washington. Home of both the Senate and the House of Representatives of American Congress, the structure itself is 751 feet long, 350 feet wide, with its dome rising to 285 feet. At the top of the dome is the 19-foot bronze Statue of Freedom.

The Mall (a broad lawn two miles long) stretches from the foot of the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial with the magnificent and realistic seated figure of Lincoln. The 16^th American President (1861-1865), assassinated and called “the Great Emancipator” is considered the best loved and most respected of the American Presidents. It was during his presidency that the Emancipation Proclamation that gave freedom to Negro slaves was adopted in 1863.

In the center of the Mall you can see the Washington Monument, a marble and granite obelisk dedicated to the 1^st American President. It is the tallest stone structure in the USA.

From the Capitol to the White House (home and office of the President) runs broad Pennsylvania Avenue, about a mile and a half long and flanked with trees. This is the avenue used for all those processions and parades that make Washington so familiar a sight on TV.

Today, Washington has a population of over 750,000 about two thirds of which work for the Federal Government. While it is important as the center of the US Federal Government, it is also a great cultural center containing numerous museums, art galleries, libraries, churches, parks, memorials and monuments to the distinguished men of America.

No wonder that each year, millions of visitors from all parts of the world come to see this magnificent city, richly endowed with beauty and American history.

3.1 C hoose the right variant to complete the sentences below.

1. The United States capital is …

a) Washington

b) Washington C.D.

c) Washington D.C.

2. The highest building in Washington is the …

a) Empire State Building

b) Capitol

3. The Capitol is the building where the United States …

a) law-makers meet

b) Presidents live

4. The Mall is a(n) …