VOA · U.S. History
Intermediate · B1–B2learner speed3:002018-11-14public domain
The U.S. History series (The Making of a Nation) tells American history from the colonial era onward in VOA Special English: slow speed, limited vocabulary, long-form storytelling. Generations of learners have used this exact series to break through intermediate listening.
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01In 1863, the American poet Walt Whitman wrote approvingly about the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
02Whitman described the building as calm and confident, and he said the Capitol's dome made it easily recognized and seen throughout the Washington area.
03Whitman called the dome a vast eggshell built of iron and glass.
04He also likened it to a bubble, a tiara, and a towering bulge of pure white.
05Today, the Capitol Building is still a well-known symbol of the U.S.
06government, although some people confuse it with the White House, where the President lives.
07It is the home of the U.S.
08Congress.
09In other words, the Capitol is the place where the country's lawmakers meet to discuss, make, and approve legislation.
10The House of Representatives meets in the building's south wing.
11The Senate meets in its north wing.
12The two large meeting rooms for lawmakers are called chambers.
13Usually, House members and senators meet in their own chambers, but from time to time, they gather together in the House chamber, which is larger.
14These gatherings are called joint sessions of Congress.
15They happen at least once a year when the President gives a speech that is called the State of the Union Address.
16Sometimes, joint sessions of Congress happen after an election or when a foreign leader speaks.
17U.S.
18lawmakers also gather at the Capitol when a President is sworn in.
19Years ago, those swearing-in ceremonies, called inaugurations, sometimes took place inside the building.
20But today, they usually are held outside.
21Many people who have never visited Washington, D.C.
22may still recognize the Capitol Building because they have seen pictures of it during a presidential inauguration.
23And those who come to Washington can visit the Capitol Building in person.
24The U.S.
25Capitol Visitor Center can hold up to 4,000 people at one time.
26Visitors can see the building up close, learn its history, and even listen to lawmakers debate the issues of the day.
27I'm Kelli Jean Kelley.
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