阅读理解

     The best known building in Washington D.C. is the White House, home of American presidents since 1800. The U.S. president works here, in the “Oval Office”, but the White House is also a family home.

      The wife of John Adams, the second U. S. president, used to dry her wet clothes in the East Room. President Truman had a piano next to his desk and President Kennedy's children used to play under his office windows.

Next well-known building is the Capitol. The 535 members of Congress meet here to discuss the nation's business. It is easy to get lost in this huge building, full of paintings and statues.

        From the Capitol there is a great view down the grassy Mall, and across a pool of water to the Lincoln Memorial (in memory of the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln). It looks like a beautiful garden, but you need a good pair of shoes because it is, in fact, a long long way.

Most people know about the government buildings of Washington D. C. However, there are also some important museums. You can see all kinds of things. These include spaceships, the dresses of presidents' wives, the largest blue diamond in the world, and the biggest elephant on record (filled with enough materials, of course).