Changes to Buildings in Washington, D.C.

華盛頓特區建築物的變動

Jun 4, 2026, 22:50
USPolitics

Introduction

President Donald Trump wants to change how the capital city looks. He is building new things and fixing old buildings.

川普總統想要改變首都的面貌。他正在興建新設施並修繕舊建築。

Main Body

The President is building a very big room for parties at the White House. He also changed the Rose Garden into a stone patio. He wants to build a giant arch over the river.

總統正在白宮興建一座巨大的宴會廳。他還將玫瑰園改造成了石砌露台。他想在河上興建一座巨大的拱門。

He fixed the water pool at the Lincoln Memorial. He used blue paint. The President said this cost a small amount of money, but government papers say it cost much more.

他修繕了林肯紀念館的水池，並使用了藍色油漆。總統表示這僅花費了少量資金，但政府文件顯示實際成本高出許多。

A judge stopped some of these plans. The judge said the President cannot change the name of the Kennedy Center. The center must take the President's name off the signs by June 12.

一名法官制止了其中部分計劃。法官表示總統不能更改肯尼迪中心的名稱。該中心必須在6月12日之前將總統的名字從招牌上移除。

Conclusion

The President wants big buildings, but the law and judges sometimes stop him.

總統想要興建宏偉的建築，但法律和法官有時會阻止他。

Vocabulary Learning

🏗️ Action Words: Now vs. Then

In this story, we see two ways to talk about things happening.

1. Right Now (The "ing" way) When something is happening today or currently, we add -ing.

  • Building → is building
  • Fixing → is fixing

2. Finished (The "-ed" way) When the job is done, we usually add -ed.

  • Change → changed
  • Fix → fixed

🔍 Simple Word Swaps Look at how we describe size and cost in the text:

  • Big →\rightarrow Giant (Very, very big)
  • Small amount →\rightarrow Much more (Opposite of small)

⚠️ Quick Rule When you see "cannot", it means the person is not allowed to do the action. Example: The President cannot change the name.

Vocabulary Learning

president (n.)
the leader of a country
Example:The president signed the new law.
building (n.)
a structure with walls and a roof
Example:They are constructing a new building downtown.
new (adj.)
not old or previous
Example:She bought a new book.
old (adj.)
having lived for many years
Example:The old house needs repairs.
big (adj.)
large in size
Example:He has a big smile.
room (n.)
an enclosed space
Example:There is a small room in the house.
parties (n.)
social gatherings
Example:They hosted parties for the holidays.
white (adj.)
color of milk
Example:The white walls look bright.
house (n.)
a building for people to live in
Example:They moved into a new house.
garden (n.)
a plot of land with plants
Example:She tends to her garden every week.
stone (n.)
a hard mineral
Example:The stone path was smooth.
patio (n.)
an outdoor area next to a house
Example:They sat on the patio in the evening.
arch (n.)
a curved structure
Example:The arch over the bridge is impressive.
river (n.)
a large natural watercourse
Example:The river flows through the city.
water (n.)
a clear liquid
Example:Drink water to stay healthy.
pool (n.)
a small body of water
Example:Children played in the pool.
memorial (n.)
a structure to remember someone
Example:The memorial honors veterans.
blue (adj.)
color of the sky
Example:She wore a blue dress.
paint (n.)
a liquid used to color surfaces
Example:He bought paint for the walls.
cost (n.)
the amount of money needed
Example:The cost of the trip was high.
small (adj.)
not large
Example:She has a small cat.
amount (n.)
a quantity
Example:The amount of sugar was enough.
money (n.)
currency used for buying
Example:He saved money for a car.
judge (n.)
a person who decides legal cases
Example:The judge ruled in favor.
plans (n.)
ideas for future actions
Example:They made plans for the weekend.
name (n.)
a word to identify
Example:Her name is Maria.
center (n.)
a place in the middle
Example:The center of the city is busy.
signs (n.)
written messages
Example:The signs told us where to go.
law (n.)
a rule made by government
Example:The law requires safety.
stop (v.)
to cease action
Example:Please stop talking.
Practice A2 words in a crossword→