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Сакович Анастасия Викторовна учитель английского языка ГАОУ СОШ № 577 г. Санкт-Петербург

SEATTLE – THE RAINY CITY

THE RAINY CITY

Seattle is located in the state of Washington in the northwest corner of the United States. It is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region and a magnet for business and tourists from all over the world. But unlike eastern cities where the sky clears after the rain, Seattle remains cloudy and misty and drizzly an average of 200 days a year.

THE HISTORY

The first permanent settlers didn’t arrive until 1851. In November of that year, Denny Party from Illinois landed at Alki Point, where is now west Seattle. After enduring a stormy winter at Alki, most of the settlers moved to a more protected site and named their new village Duwamps after the nearby river and the tribes of native Americans.

Fortunately, in 1852. the town’s first merchant and one of the Seattle’s primary founders, “Doc” Maynard, persuaded the inhabitants to change the unmelodious name to Seattle in honor of Chief Sealth (also known as chief Seattle), a native American leader who had befriended the newcomers. “Doc” Maynord is known as a friend to the Indians. During the Seattle Indian war he protected the natives and ensured that they didn’t starve.

Chief Sealth David Swinson “Doc” Maynard

A great fire of 1889 destroyed almost all the wooden structures in the downtown area, and Seattle was forced to start anew. The day after the fire there was a citizen’s meeting and it was agreed that streets should be widened and ‘fireproof’ bricks be required. Within a year Seattle’s population jumped from 25,000 to 43,000. A city was born.

Luckily, another economic boom was on the horizon. When gold was discovered along the Klondike river in Canada, Seattle became the gateway and supply point. Ironically, Seattle merchants probably got richer from the gold rush than the fortune-seekers.

At the turn of the century, local entrepreneurs established businesses that still rank among America’s leading companies, such as Weyerhaeuser forest products company, Eddie Bauer clothing stores. Perhaps the most fortuitous development of all, in 1916 a man named William Boeing launched a small airplane manufacturing company that would grow into the giant airspace and defense corporation

JET CITY

The city is most famously associated with the Boeing Company aircraft manufacturer. Boeing has driven the local economy for so long that Seattle is sometimes called “Jet City”. Boeing grew to become the primary producer of the B-17 and B-29 bombers flown by the U.S. military during World War Second. After the war, the company introduced the first passenger jet and by the 1960s was the leader maker of commercial jets and the Saturn 5 booster for the Apollo moon mission. It is still the city’s largest private employer.

MICROSOFT COMPANY

Seattle soared into the information technology age when local school pals Bill Gates and Paul Allen established their computer software company, Microsoft in Seattle suburb in 1979. Although the city was hard hit when many of the smaller high tech companies failed in the late 1990s, Seattle is still home to Microsoft. Now the world’s dominant software company.

COFFEE TOWN

All those computer whizzes, aircraft workers and other Seattle residents love coffee. It is no surprise that the city is famous for spawning several gourmet coffee companies, most notable is Starbucks, which now has more than 14,000 stores in 42 countries.

College Degrees

Despite such companies as Boeing, Microsoft, and Starbucks, the largest employer in Seattle is none of these. That honor belongs to 40,000-student University of Washington (UW), the oldest public university of the West Coast. It is regarded as one of the finest institutions of higher learning in the world.

LANDSCAPE

The city is hilly and like Rome is said to be built on seven hills. It also sits on an earthquake zone and has experienced several large quakes. The most infamous mountain in the region is Mount St. Helens. The major volcanic eruption took place in 1980 that killed 57 people, destroyed 200 square miles of forest, and flowed out a cloud of ash that travelled completely round the earth.

The nearby water, hills, forests and mountains create spectacular scenery and offer a numerous opportunities for outdoor activities. The dominant landscape feature is 14,410-foot-high Mount Rainier, which lies 50 miles out of the city.

MUST-SEE PLACES

Pioneer square is the historic district, where Seattle began, features 26 square blocks of Victorian buildings and warehouses now occupied by museums, art galleries, restaurants and cafes. A victim of the Great Fire of 1889 and the earthquake of 2001, the still flourishing neighborhood is a testament to the city’s toughness.

Pike Place Market dates back to 1907. It is the oldest farmer’s market in the USA. The nine-block area includes fresh fish and produce stands, flower stalls, art and crafts, ethnic foods, antique shops, street musicians, international restaurants and cafes – and the original Starbucks coffee store, which opened in 1971.

The most recognizable landmark on the Seattle skyline is the 605-foot-tall Space Needle, constructed as the symbol of the 1962 World’s fair, which theme was Century 21. Built to withstand winds of 200 miles per hour, it has weathered several earthquakes. Over the years it has hosted numerous weddings, 6 parachute jumps, and, tragically, a couple of suicides.

MUTS-SEE PLACES

The museum of glass, the newest Northwest landmark opens its doors as an international center of contemporary art. Even the museums approach is impressive. The glass bridge that leads to the museum is 500 feet long and was completed in 2002 as a gift to the city.

Seattle Central Library was opened in 2004. The building features an unorthodox design of five glass and steel platforms that gives it almost transparent look and allows passerby to look in and see activity on every floor. The innovative “book spiral” represent flat levels, connected by gentle ramps and winds through four floors in one continuous run.

One of the unusual attractions is the Experience Music Project, a museum dedicated to American popular music housed in a building said to resemble a smashed guitar. It contains the world’s largest collection relating to the late rock star and Seattle native Jimi Hendrix, who liked to end his shows by smashing his guitar.

FINAL FAMOUS FIRSTS

Seattle residents buy more sunglasses than people in other states (perhaps because they are so appreciative when the sun does appear). Seattle is one of the 10 best American cities for cycling. Seattle’s shores are lined with more houseboats that people live aboard year-round than any other American city. Seattle’s medical emergency response system boasts the best life-saving rate in the nation.

With all of Seattle’s numerous claims to fame, who cares about the rain?

Источники иллюстраций:

1. www.visitseattle.org 2. www.america.voyage4life.ru 3. www.ru.wikipedia.org 4. www.historylink.org 5. www.spaceneedle.com 6. www.planetware.com 7. www.museumofflight.org 8. www.tiry.ru 9. www.10best.com 10. www.architravel.com 11. www.pioneersquare.org 12. www.seattle-fun.com

Источники текстовой информации:

1. Phyllis McIntosh, ”Seattle, Washington. The Rainy City” \\English Teaching Forum, volume 46, number 2, 2008\\ 2. www.historylink.org 3. www.wikipedia.org 4. www.architravel.com 5. www.seattle.gov