托福阅读考试相关知识二十

　　Washington, DC （Washington, District of Columbia）

　　The capital city of the US, whose area covers the *District of Columbia. The place was chosen by George *Washington in 1790, and since 1800 the main departments of the US government have been there. It is known for its historical monuments and important buildings, including the *Capitol, the *White House（1）, the *Supreme Court, the *National Archives, the *Library of Congress, the *Smithsonian Institution, the *National Gallery of Art and the *Kennedy Center. About 66% of Washington's population are *African Americans.

　　Washington Monument

　　a tall, thin monument on The *Mall（2） in *Washington, DC, built to honour the memory of George *Washington. It is 555 feet/169 metres high and made of white marble. Tourists can climb the 898 steps to the top, from which there are fine views of the city. The Monument took 40 years to build and was completed in 1888.