Otázka: Places of interest in the USA
Jazyk: Angličtina
Přidal(a): Vladislav Procházka
WASHINGTON, D.C. (District of Columbia)
- is the capital of the USA.
- it is situated on the Potomac River.
- it was named by George Washington, the first US president.
- Thomas Jefferson (the third US president) helped the main architect Pierre L’Enfant (1754-1825) to design the city
The White House has been the seat and the home of American Presidents and their families for more than 2 centuries. In 1800 the second president, John Adams became the first President to occupy the building. Today its official rooms are on the first floor while the second and third floors are reserved for the Presidential family. It stands on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Capitol – it is situated on the Capitol Hill. It is the seat of US Congress which is bicameral. The Congress is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Lincoln Memorial – it is a memorial of Abraham Lincoln who was the US president during the American Civil War. He cancelled slavery as well. The memorial was inspired by Greek architecture.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial – is a black granite wall where are the names of 58,000 soldiers killed or missing in the Vietnam War.
Arlington National Cemetery – is a US military cemetery. It is the final resting place for war heroes, veterans, and freed slaves as well as luminaries in science, engineering, medicine, and government. The burial ground was established on May 13, 1864. The adopted grandson of President George Washington originally owned Arlington Estate. There are buried the US presidents W. H. Taft and John F. Kennedy whose simple grave is marked by an eternal flame.
NEW YORK
- it is called Big Apple
- it is the biggest city in the USA
- it has 5 parts: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island
- it is located on the Hudson River
Statue of Liberty – it was erected on Liberty island in New York Harbour in 1886. It has become a symbol of both freedom and the United States itself. The statue also commemorates French American friendship. It is 91.5 m high from its pedestal to the torch, the hight of the statue itself is 45.3 m and weighs 225 tons. The lady holds a book with inscription “4th July 1776”, the date of the beginning of the independent United States.
Ellis Island – was a gateway to America for more than 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954.
Central Park – it is the biggest park in NY. There is a memorial of John Lennon. It is a place for relaxation.
Lincoln’s Centre – is a cultural centre. There is the New York Philharmonic and New York City Ballet
Broadway – is famous because of musicals and plays. There are currently 41 Broadway theatres.
The Rockefeller Centre – is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 m) between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Times Square – the intersection of Broadway and the 7th Avenue. It received its name after the New York Times which in 1904 moved into the Times Tower, at the south end of the square. People usually come there to welcome the New Year.
Carnegie Hall – there are concerts there.
Wall Street – it is the economical centre and seat of NY stock market
The Brooklyn Bridge – it joins Brooklyn and Manhattan together.
WTC = World Trading Centre – was a large complex of seven buildings in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. It opened on April 4, 1973 and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The destroyed World Trade Centre site soon became known as „ground zero”.
OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST IN THE USA
BOSTON, MA – a port, it is often called the “Cradle of Liberty” and remembered for the Boston Tea Party which began the American Revolution in 1775. Many buildings which date from revolutionary and colonial times have been preserved there.
CAMBRIDGE, MA – separated from Boston by the Charles River, is the seat of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – (settled 1636) the first seat of the Congress, the national capital in 1790 – 1800 and the place where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed.
SAN FRANCISCOI, CA – sited by the Spanish in 1542, became the major city during the California Gold Rush (1849). It is also known for the Golden Gate Bridge (built 1957) spanning between the Pacific and San Francisco Bay.
THE GRAND CANYON of Colorado River, AZ, a multicoloured-rock valley 350km long, 6 to 29 km wide, up to 1.7 km deep.
YOSEMITE VALLEY NATIONAL PARK – (1890) it includes the highest waterfall in the USA (739 m), Yosemite Gorge and groves of giant sequoias.
MONUMENT VALLEY, AZ – red stones spires, columns and chimneys on a plateau which is often called “Desert Gothic”.
DISNEY WORLD, ORLANDO, FL – the second theme park
