VOA · Arts & Culture
Intermediate · B1–B2learner speed3:302025-03-12public domain
The Arts & Culture beat covers music, film, museums, food, and traditions from the United States and around the world. The reports are short, vivid, and full of everyday descriptive language — great for learners who want vocabulary beyond textbooks.
Hit "Start dictation practice" — all 4 minutes are already sliced into sentences, so practice starts immediately. No wait.
Learner-speed news English: clear delivery, everyday vocabulary, natural sentence rhythm.
Switch to Dictation mode, type each sentence, and get a word-by-word diff with your accuracy score.
01The most famous home in the United States sits at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest in Washington, D.C.
02You probably already know that we are talking about the White House.
03It serves as the home and headquarters of the American president.
04The country's first president, George Washington, chose the site where the White House would be built.
05He also supervised the building project, which began in 1792.
06However, Washington never lived in it.
07He was gone from office before the building was completed.
08John Adams, the second president, was the first occupant of the White House.
09He and his wife, Abigail, moved in in 1800, even though the building was still being worked on.
10The White House was the largest home in the U.S.
11until after the Civil War in the 1860s.
12The building has 132 rooms, including 16 family and guest rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 3 kitchens.
13There are six levels.
14The first level has many famous rooms, including the Oval Office.
15That is where the president works, meets with people, and signs important documents.
16The president receives guests in the Blue Room.
17And the state dining room can hold 140 people for official dinners in honor of foreign leaders.
18The second and third floor of the building's west wing are private living spaces for the presidential family.
19When it is cold outside, family members can warm up near one of 28 fireplaces.
20And when it is hot, they can swim in the outdoor pool.
21They can also practice their golf swing on the ground's putting green.
22The White House offers lots of other things to do for fun as well.
23The first family can watch a movie in the theater, play in the game room, or bowl in the small bowling alley.
24The White House has been home to 44 presidents in all.
25Each one has made changes, some big, others small, to suit the individual needs and wants of their family.
26I'm Katie Weaver.
// transcribed with Whisper AI — reading it is easy; catching it by ear is the skill
Practice it by ear
