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В П Кузовлев 10 класс Цикл 2. Western Democracies. Are They Democratic? Lesson 2. How Much Power Does the US President Have?. White House.
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В П Кузовлев10 классЦикл 2 Western Democracies. Are They Democratic? Lesson 2. How Much Power Does the US President Have?
White House • White House, official residence of the president of the United States, built in its original form between 1792 and 1800, and situated at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. It has been known variously as the President's Palace, the President's House, and the Executive Mansion, but has always been most popularly known as the White House. This designation became official in 1901, when Theodore Roosevelt had the name imprinted on his stationery The White House has been the home of every president in American history with the exception of George Washington, who approved the act that led to its construction. Although it has been subject to numerous renovations and additions, it has retained its classical simplicity. • The White House was designed by the Irish-American architect James Hoban. Constructed of Virginia sandstone, the main building is a stately white edifice built in the classical style associated with the 16th-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio. On the ground floor are cloakrooms, a china room, the kitchen, and the library. On the first floor are the formal state rooms, which are open to the public. The private apartments of the president occupy the second floor of the main building, and the third floor consists chiefly of guest rooms and staff quarters. • During the War of 1812, British troops set fire to the structure on August 4, 1814, destroying the interior. Hoban supervised its reconstruction, which was completed in 1817, and also added the south portico. The White House was substantially renovated between 1948 and 1952, during the administration of Harry S. Truman, and refurnished a decade later, during the administration, of John F. Kennedy. A permanent art collection was assembled for the Executive Mansion, and in 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson issued an executive order establishing the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.
The White House I n C H R I S T M A s
New York. The Statue of Liberty. • The Statue of Liberty is a splendid statue, which stands on a small Bedloe's Island at the entrance to New York harbour. Its top reaches 305 feet (nearly 100 metres) above the water level. • The Statue of Liberty is the work of the well-known 19th-century French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi. The statue is made from copper sheets and it is hollow inside. 225 tons of metal were used for its construction. Inside there is a circular stairway from the base to the crown. There is also a lift in it. • The figure shows a young woman freeing herself from shackles. She holds a torch in her right hand above her head, and in her left hand is a tablet, with the date "July 4th, 1776" on it, which symbolizes the Declaration of Independence. The torch lights up at night, the statue stands on the east side of Manhattan Island. • The Statue of Liberty was built on funds collected in France and symbolizes the friendship of the United States and France of those days. The statue, presented to the United States of America in 1884, became national monument in 1924.
T H e S T A T U E O f LIBERTY
Capitol of the United States, Washington, D.C. • Capitol of the United States,seat of the US Congress in Washington, D.C. Built on a hill popularly called Capitol Hill, the Capitol contains floor space equivalent to 1.6 ha (4 acres); its grounds cover 62.7 ha (155 acres). The Capitol, built in Neo-Classical style, is constructed of white marble, except for the centre part of the west front, which is in Virginia sandstone painted white. The iron dome, also white, is surmounted by a statue of a woman representing Freedom (5.943 m/19.5 ft), by the American scuiptor Thomas Crawford. The height of the Capitol from the baseline on the east front to the top of the statue is 87.6 m (287.5 ft). Important parts of the Capitol include the Rotunda, directly under the dome, the Senate Chamber in the north wing, the House Chamber in the south wing, the National Statuary Hall (housing statues of famous Americans from every state), and the President's Room. Until 1935, the US Supreme Court met in the Old Senate Chamber, which was located in the original north wing. • The original design of the Capitol, by William Thornton, a doctor, was made in 1792, and the cornerstone was laid by George Washington on September 18, 1793; Congress occupied the original north wing in 1800. Seven years later the main building was completed. During the War of 1812, invading British troops set fire to the structure, gutting the interior, but it was reconstructed after the war. Charles Bulfinch, who became Capitol architect in 1818, built the Rotunda and the west central portico. The Capitol was completed and given its present appearance by Thomas U. Waiter, who finished the new north and south wings in the 1850s and the cast-iron dome in 1863. • J. George Stewart renovated the east front in 1962, and George M. White restored the west front during 1983-1987.
