Maturita Card 33: Cities in the USA

z Which US cities doyou know? Famous American cities include / There are many well-known cities in America like / TheUS has many cities, some of themajor ones include NewYork City, Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, SanFrancisco and Miami. z Why is New York such apopular city? New York has thelargest population of all American cities, and is known for its high-rise buildings / skyscrapers, museums, theatres and shops. TheNew York skyline can be admired from thetallest building in thecity, theEmpire State Building. Many tourists also like to visit Central Park, thetheatre district on Broadway, theStatue of Liberty and Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants entered theNew World. Art lovers shouldnt miss theMuseum of Modern Art (MoMA) or thespiral-shaped Guggenheim. z What are some important things to see in theUS capital, Washington DC? You should first head to theWhite House and theCapitol. TheWhite House is theseat of theAmerican president and theCapitol building is where theAmerican Congress resides and all thecountrys laws are made. TheNational Mall is abeautiful area filled with monuments, for example theWashington Monument, theLincoln Memorial, theThomas Jefferson Memorial, theVietnam War Memorial, and thenewest monument, theMartin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Another place of interest in Washington is theSmithsonian, an institution made up of 19 different museums such as theAir and SpaceMuseum. z What should visitors see in Chicago? Chicago is home to Willis Tower, formerly known as theSears Tower. This 442-metre skyscraper was theworlds tallest building until 1998. TheNavy Pier is another popular place to go in Chicago; they have museums, theatres, abig Ferris wheel and boat cruises. Sports fans also might like to visit Wrigley Field, home of theChicago Cubs baseball team. Chicago is also acity of jazz and blues clubs. z California has many popular cities. What doyou know about them? Los Angeles and San Francisco are themost visited cities in California, but other interesting ones include/ are San Diego, San Jos and thestate capital, Sacramento. Los Angeles is in thesouth and is known for Hollywood, thecentre of theAmerican film industry, beaches and shopping. Many visitors to LA like to see Universal Studios, Disneyland, theHollywood Walk of Fame and other movie-related sites. Up north, San Francisco draws tourists to landmarks such as theGolden Gate Bridge, historic cable cars, Fishermans Wharf, awaterfront area with many tourist attractions, and thenotorious Alcatraz Island with its former prison. San Jos is best known as theheart of Silicon Valley, where lots of tech companies like Google and Apple have their headquarters. z What is there to doin one of themost visited American cities, Las Vegas? Las Vegas in Nevada is thefastest growing city in theUSA. Its famous for its huge casinos, which often look like top tourist attractions. For example, theLuxor is in theshape of ahuge pyramid. Las Vegas is also well known for its wedding chapels and quick marriage ceremonies; there are even drive-through chapels. z Iwould like to visit theNorthwest. Are there any interesting cities? Thenorthwestern part of theUS is known for its beautiful mountains, rivers and parks. Two of thebest-known cities are Seattle, in Washington state, and Portland, in Oregon. Seattle is located on Puget Sound, anarrow passage of the Pacific Ocean, so you can take aboat tour or visit abeach. Interesting architecture includes theSeattle Public Library and theSeattle Art Museum, and of course theSpace Needle, afamous observation tower built in the1960s. Seattle is also home to many bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Portland is south of Seattle and is known for its environmental friendliness. z Texas has lots of cities; doyou know anything about them? Houston is home to NASAs Space Center and thelargest fine arts museum in theSouthwest. Dallas was known for its real-life cowboys, or ranchers, but now is famous for the Dallas Cowboys who play American football. When visiting thecity, dont miss theSixth Floor Museum, dedicated to theassassination of President John F. Kennedy. San Antonio is probably one of Texas prettiest cities; it has abeautiful River Walk filled with restaurants and shops. z Can you tell me about some interesting cities in thesouthern part of theUS? Miami, Atlanta and New Orleans are probably thethree most well-known cities in theAmerican South. New Orleans is synonymous with jazz music, Cajun food and aliberal attitude. Miami is famous for its parties, beaches, and Cuban food because there are many immigrants from Cuba. Atlanta is thelargest city in theSouth and has unique attractions, such as amuseum dedicated to Coca Cola. Thestate of Tennessee is known for its country music, particularly in cities like Nashville and Memphis, where Elvis grew up.

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