Read this text very carefully and do the Written Comprehension exercice. 

You can check how to read in English.

Written Comprehension

America was first made of thirteen colonies ruled by England. After the Revolutionary War against the British in 1776, these colonies governed themselves. They didn’t want a strong central government like in Britain. The Constitution was written, and a federal government was established. In other words, power is divided between the national and state governments. 

In this system, things like money are decided by the national government. Could you imagine having 50 different types of coins, each with a different value? You would need to take a calculator to go shopping in another state! On the other hand, the death penalty or the driving age have been left up to the states.       

When the United States of America became independent from the British, New York City was the capital. The Constitution was ratified there, and George Washington became the first President of the United States. Then, he had to find a permanent location for the country’s government. It was decided that the capital would move to Philadelphia in 1791 for ten years and then to a permanent location on the Potomac River. Washington chose an area that included land from the states of Maryland and Virginia. At this time the area was only farm and lands. The capital of the United States permanently settled in Washington, D.C. 

The capital city was named Washington after George Washington who had died in December 1799. D.C. stands for District of Columbia, after Christopher Columbus, the famous explorer.

                                                                        Adapted from Ben’s guide to US government for kids

WRITTEN COMPREHENSION

1. General comprehension: Read the text and answer the following questions

1. What sort of document is it? What is it about?  Be precise.
2. Here are 4 titles for the 4 paragraphs of the text. Write for each title what paragraph it corresponds to.

Deciding where to settle - Who decides what? - Honoring the leader - From colonies to states

2. Vocabulary: Find the English words for

“constitué de”, “dirigé”, “pièces”, “d’autre part”, “s’installer”, “signé”, “déménager”, “veut dire”

3. Detailed comprehension 

Say if the following sentences are right or wrong. Justify your answers.                             

1. After the Revolutionary War, the colonies were independent from Britain.
2. Today in the US, the states have no power at all and are not allowed to decide anything.
3. You pay with the same coins everywhere in the US.
4. You can drive when you’re 16 everywhere in the US.
5. The capital was built on 2 states.
6. They destroyed many cities to build Washington DC.
7. George Washington was very happy to participate in the inauguration of his capital.

Answer the following questions.                                                                           

1. What was the situation in the United States before 1776?
2. Explain what a federal government is.
3. Thanks to what you know about politics in France, is the political system similar in France and in the USA?
4. What were the successive capitals of the United States? Give the places and the dates.

Ask someone to correct your exercise.