Seattle — the rainy city

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

SEATTLE – THE RAINY CITY

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

about the rain?

www.10best.com
10. www.architravel.com
11. www.pioneersquare.org
12. www.seattle-fun.com

\\English Teaching Forum, volume 46, number 2,

2008\\
2. www.historylink.org
3. www.wikipedia.org
4. www.architravel.com
5. www.seattle.gov