Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. It is an unusual city. It is a city that has no state. It is a district--the District of Columbia or D.C. That is why we say Washington, D.C.
George Washington became the first president of the United States in 1790. At that time the new United States had no capital city. It was necessary to have a capital city that was not a part of a state. Washington picked a place for the capital near his home, Mount Vernon. The state of Maryland gave some land and Virginia gave some land. This made the District of Columbia. The name of the capital is after George Washington.
The city of Washington, D.C. has wide streets, parks, and beautiful buildings. These buildings tell the history of the United States. The most famous building is the White House. This is the home of the president. Another important building is the Capitol. This is where Congress meets to make the laws of the country.
Washington, D.C. is very special in the spring. It is cherry blossom time. Japan sent more than 3,000 cherry trees to the United States in 1912. The trees have beautiful flowers in March or April. It is a very pretty time to see Washington, D.C.
Millions of people visit Washington, D.C. Tourism is an important business. The other business is government. Every year the president sees the leaders of many countries in Washington, D.C.
a. It doesn’t have any district.
b. It doesn’t belong to any state.
c. It’s very small.
2. What does D.C. mean?
a. The name of the region.
b. The name of the President.
c. The name of the state.
3. Where did George Washington find the place for the capital?
a. Near his house
b. Near the most beautiful streets, parks and gardens
c. In the center of America
4. Which building is the most famous in America?
a. The Capitol
b. All buildings in Washington D.C.
c. The White House
5. What is the most beautiful spring decoration of Washington D.C.?
a. Chestnut trees
b. Roses
c. Cherry trees
6. Why is the Capitol so important for the USA?
a. It’s the place where the President meets the leaders of other countries.
b. It’s the place where the President lives.
c. It’s the place where Congress makes laws.
7. What is the synonym for the word ‘blossom’ (paragraph 4?
a. Wilt
b. Bloom
c. Opening
d. Beginning
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