Benjamin Bannered was born a few months before another great American-George Washington. Benjamin
was black, but he was not a slave. He and his mother and his grandmother were free.
     Benjamin's grandmother came from England. In America she got a job and worked for many years to pay
for her boat trip across the ocean. After working many more years, she saved enough money to buy a farm.
Benjamin lived with her for a while. She taught him to read and write and do arithmetic.
     Benjamin's neighbors knew that he was clever. They were not surprised when he built a large wooden
clock. He made each piece after studying a small pocket watch. The clock made him famous, for it was one
of the first clocks built in America. People from other places began to send hard problems of all kinds to
Benjamin to settle.
     Thomas Jefferson learned of Benjamin Bannered's ability to settle hard problems. He asked Bannered to help
build the city that was to be the capital of the United States-Washington, D. C.
     Bannered worked hard on the plans for the city. He marked where the streets and buildings-the Capital ( 国
会大厦 ), the White House, and many others-should be built.
     Later, L' Enfant, the Frenchman who designed the new city, had a quarrel, and went back to France in
anger. He took all of the plans with him. The workmen couldn't build without any plans to follow.
     For a while it seemed that the plans for the capital might have to be changed. But Benjamin Bannered
remembered the plans he had helped draw. He drew each again just as he once had built each piece of his
clock.
     If it weren't for Benjamin Bannered, Washington, D. C. might look very different from the way it does
today.

1. Benjamin Bannered is remembered today mainly because _____.

A. he made the first clock in America
B. he used to be an assistant to L' Enfant, who had designed the city Washington
C. he designed the city Washington when L' Enfant left
D. he was able to build the city Washington as L' Enfant left with his plans

2. When Bannered built a large wooden clock, _____.

A. people in America showed no surprise
B. his name spread all over America
C. he became the first man in America to build a clock
D. people came from other places to congratulate him

3. Why did Thomas Jefferson ask Bannered to help build the City Washington?

A. Bannered was famous for building.
B. He was told Bannered was clever.
C. Bannered was hard-working.
D. He believed in Bannered.

4. In building the city Washington, Bannered showed _____.

A. he had a good memory
B. he was never tired of working
C. he feared no difficulties
D. he was good at drawing

5. What can we know from the passage?

A. Benjamin Bannered was born on a farm.
B. Benjamin Bannered's mother taught him to write and read.
C. L' Enfant designed and built the City Washington, D. C.
D. Washington, D. C. is exactly the same as it was planned.