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4. Read and translate the texts:

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Washington, D.C., is the capital of the United States. It is also
one of the country's most beautiful and historic cities and the site
of many of its most popular tourist attractions.
Washington serves as the headquarters of the federal
government. The President of the United States, the members of
Congress, the Supreme Court justices, and about 370,000 other
federal government employees work in the Washington area.
Decisions made by government leaders in the city affect the lives
of people throughout the United States and, increasingly, through-
out the world. For example, the President suggests laws to
Congress and directs U.S. relations with other countries. The
members of Congress pass laws that every American citizen must
obey. The Supreme Court justices decide whether the
government's laws and practices are constitutional.
Washington is important to the American people in another
way. The city is a symbol of their country’s unity, history, and
democratic tradition.
Every year, millions of people from all parts of the United
States and from other countries visit Washington. They go there to
see such important government buildings as the United States
Capitol, where Congress meets, and the White House, where the
President lives and works. They visit the Washington Monument,
Lincoln Memorial, and other famous structures dedicated to
American heroes of the past. They also tour the city’s many
museums, which together house the world’s largest collection of
items from America's past.
Most of Washington's main government buildings,
monuments, and museums stand in the west-central part of the
city. This area ranks among the nation's most beautiful places.
Many of its buildings and monuments are magnificent white
marble structures. Scenic parks and gardens, and - in springtime -
gorgeous blossoms of Japanese cherry trees, add natural beauty to
the manmade splendor of the area.
Outside the west-central area, Washington is much like other
big cities. It has large residential areas, including wealthy, middle-