Supplementary reading

Ex.1. Read the description of the monuments honoring American Presidents. Use the information from Texts A-C to identify which president or memorial is being referred to in the statements.

Jigsaw reading quiz

1. His statute conveys sadness and strength. _____________

2. He was proud to be a leader in education. _____________

3. His memorial does not reflect Greek architecture. _____________

4. He was a man of many different talents. _____________

5. He was a soldier-statesman. _____________

6. It took nearly forty years to complete his monument. _____________

7. He is called the greatest President of the United States. _____________

Text a the washington monument

There are many statues of George Washington in Washington, D.C. However, the principal monument honoring the nation’s first president is a simple obelisk, 170 meters high, built in the center of the city’s federal area. It was begun in 1848 and completed in 1885. It took so long to build it because of the funding problems and the Civil War. Visitors can see a distinct break in the color of the stone of the monument one quarter of the way up, marking the pause in its construction.

The national landmark stand in everlasting memory of the gentleman/farmer who was pressed into service as general of the revolutionary armies and served two four-year terms as the first president of the republic. He was “first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Washington provided outstanding leadership for the new republic and then returned to private life to oversee the operation of his farm in Virginia. Father of the country, Washington gave good advice to those who would follow him in leading the country: “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all…”

Text b the jefferson memorial

The lightness and openness of the Jefferson Memorial, the beauty and grace of its circular design, are enhanced by it setting at the edge of a lagoon surrounded by a wider circle of cherry trees. The building reflects Jefferson’s respect for ancient architecture which he introduced in his design for the University of Virginia and his own home at Monticello. The Memorial was completed in 1943 to commemorate the bicentennial of Jefferson’s birth. It is a fitting tribute to this multi-talented man – architect, inventor, diplomat, author of the nation’s Declaration of Independence, and it third president.

The interior walls of the white marble building are inscribed with ringing words of freedom from Jefferson’s writings, reflecting the hopes and aspirations of the nation’s founders. “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal…” Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Among his many accomplishments, he wished to be remembered most of all as the author of this document and as a founding father of the University of Virginia.