Text 10 Modern Babylon
Some
people call New York a poem in steel and stone, others a monster. It
doesn’t look like any other city in the world.
At the beginning of the seventeenth century only
the wigwams of the Iroquois stood where the sky-scrapers of New York
now touch the clouds. In 1626 the Dutch Governor, Peter Minuit,
bought a large island from Indians. Later the Indians named this
island Manhatta (today Manhattan, one of the famous parts of New
York).
Beginning
from the end of the 18th century the city’s real growth began. As
it is situated at the mouth of the Hudson River, which is open to
ocean-going ships all the year round, New York quickly became one of
the largest ports in the world.
After
the war of Independence in 1776, New York City became the first
capital of the new country. After only one year, however, the capital
was moved to Philadelphia, where they built a new city as the capital
of the U.S.A., Washington D.C.
At the beginning of the 19th century millions of
poor people came to the United States from different countries of
Europe. Hundreds of thousands of them settled down in New York. That
is why people call it the “Modern Babylon”. At present more Irish
live in New York than in Dublin, more Italians than in Rome.
Emigrants from 70 countries and all the continents of the world, all
speaking their own languages, make up this “Modern Babylon”.
1
like a city – похож на город.
2
used to do – обычно
делали.
