There are fifty states in the United States. The largest in population is California, the largest in area is
Alaska. Alaska is the smallest in population and Rhode Island is the smallest in size. The oldest states are
the ones along the Atlantic coast. The newest states are Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska is also the coldest state.
California and Florida are the warmer. Henry and his family live in Seattle, a big city, on the Pacific coast.
But Los Angeles and San Francisco, also on the Pacific coast, are larger than Seattle. Henry's cousin,
Susan, lives in New York. It is the largest city in the United States. Thousands of people visit New York
each year. The most important city in the United States is Washington, D. C. It is the capital, but it is
much smaller than New York.

1. How many states are there in the U. S. A.?

A. Five
B. Forty-five.
C. Fifty.
D. Fifteen.

2. Which state is the largest in population?

A. California.
B. Rhode-Island.
C. Alaska
D. Los Angeles.

3. Which state is the oldest, the newest and the smallest in population?

A. Rhode Island.
B. Seattle.
C. San Francisco.
D. Alaska.

4. Which of the following is true?

A. The oldest states are the ones along the Pacific coast.
B. Washington is the most important and the largest city.
C. New York is the largest city in the Untied States.
D. Henry's cousin lives in the Seattle.

5. Why is Washington, D. C. the most important American city? Because           .

A. it is the largest city
B. it is the largest in population
C. it is the most beautiful city
D. it is the capital of the United States

     Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States. It's the center of national government. It's a busy, working city with a large population. But what is more, Washington is also a city of history and culture.
     Washington was created in 1790, when Congress(the highest law-making body of the USA)decided
to place the nation's new capital in the east of the country. It was built half-way between the northern and
southern states of America. And of course it was named after George Washington, the first President of
the United States.
     There are many tourist sights in Washington. Perhaps the most important tourist sight is the Capital
Building. This house is the Congress.
     Another world-famous building in Washington is the White House. This is the home and office of the
President of the United States. Most visitors are, however, surprised by how small the White House
actually is.
     Washington is also a great culture city. The Library of Congress contains one of the largest library
collections in the world. The Smithsonian Museum holds the nation's largest collection of cultural
materials. And the John F. Kennedy Center is a famous center of art and culture. There are many great
musical and theatre performances throughout the year.
1. The writer mainly talks about ________.
A. Washington
B. the history of Washington
C. buildings and sights in Washington
D. the history and culture of Washington
2. From the passage we know Washington is situated (坐落) in ________.
A. the east of the U. S. A.
B. the center of the U. S. A.
C. the east, on the middle point from north to south, of the country
D. the east and half-way away from the north
3. The White House impresses (给……印象) the people most for ________.
A. its white color
B. its size
C. it is the home and office of the president
D. its history
4. The passage mentions ________ buildings.
A. six
B. five
C. four
D. three
5. The writer introduces Washington in the order of ________.
A. population, history and culture
B. history and culture
C. history, sights and culture
D. history, sights, buildings and culture