Problems with the Lincoln Memorial Pool Project

May 12, 2026, 19:33
ChinaPolitics

Introduction

The Trump government is fixing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This project costs a lot of money and has legal problems.

Main Body

Workers are making the pool waterproof. They are adding a new water system. They are also painting the pool blue. The government gave the work to a new company. The project first cost $2 million, but now it costs $13.1 million. A group called The Cultural Landscape Foundation is angry. They are taking the government to court. They say the blue paint is wrong. They say the pool should be a natural color. They believe the blue paint makes the pool look like a hotel. The President wrote about this on social media. He posted fake AI pictures of other leaders in dirty water. He says his project saves money. He says other leaders did a bad job in the past.

Conclusion

A judge will decide if the project is legal. The work should finish on May 22.

Learning

πŸ’‘ The "Right Now" Pattern

In this story, we see many things happening right now. In English, we do this by using am/is/are + a word ending in -ing.

Look at these examples from the text:

  • Workers are making the pool waterproof.
  • They are adding a new system.
  • They are painting the pool blue.
  • They are taking the government to court.

πŸ›  How to build it:

Person β†’\rightarrow Helping Verb β†’\rightarrow Action + ing

  1. I β†’\rightarrow am β†’\rightarrow working
  2. He/She/It β†’\rightarrow is β†’\rightarrow painting
  3. They/We/You β†’\rightarrow are β†’\rightarrow fixing

⚠️ Key Word Shift

Notice how the text changes from "doing" something to "believing" something:

  • Action: They are taking the government to court. (Physical movement/lawsuit)
  • Opinion: They say the blue paint is wrong. (Simple fact/statement)

A2 Tip: Use -ing when the action is like a movie playing in your head. Use simple verbs for facts.

Vocabulary Learning

pool (n.)
A large container of water for swimming.
Example:The children played in the pool after school.
water (n.)
Liquid that people drink and use for washing.
Example:Please pour water into the glass.
cost (v.)
To require a certain amount of money.
Example:The new shoes cost fifty dollars.
money (n.)
Currency used to buy goods and services.
Example:She saved money for a vacation.
workers (n.)
People who do manual or skilled jobs.
Example:The workers built the new bridge.
paint (v.)
To cover a surface with color.
Example:They paint the walls blue.
blue (adj.)
The color of the sky on a clear day.
Example:She wore a blue shirt.
new (adj.)
Not old; recently made or discovered.
Example:I bought a new book.
company (n.)
An organization that sells goods or services.
Example:The company hired more staff.
court (n.)
A place where legal cases are heard.
Example:The case went to court.
color (n.)
The appearance of something due to light.
Example:The color of the paint is bright.
hotel (n.)
A place where people stay when traveling.
Example:They stayed at a hotel in Paris.
President (n.)
The leader of a country.
Example:The President gave a speech.
social (adj.)
Related to people and society.
Example:Social media connects friends.
media (n.)
The means of communication like TV, radio, internet.
Example:The media reported the news.