Joy English · Level B2 · Pemerintahan dan sejarahjoy-english.com
Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat AS dan anggotanya
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Baca kutipan laporan VOA Learning English tentang siapa yang boleh menjadi anggota Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat AS dan alasan lembaga itu dirancang demikian.
What Is the US House of Representatives?
The House of Representatives is called “the House” for short. And sometimes it is called “the People’s House.”
That term was chosen as a nickname because the men who wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787 set few restrictions on who could serve there. They wanted the House to be as close as possible to everyday Americans.
One of the writers of the Constitution, James Madison, wrote about the House years later. He noted, “The door of this part of the federal government is open to merit of every description, whether native or adoptive, whether young or old, and without regard to poverty or wealth, or to any particular profession of religious faith.”
In other words, House members can be born in the United States or in any other country. They can be as young as 25 years old, or -- as some members have been -- into their 90s. They do not have to be rich. And they do not have to belong to any religion.
However, in reality, for many years only free white men were permitted to serve as lawmakers. Women and other groups had limited legal rights, to say the least. However, as laws changed over time, members of the House also changed.
The website of the U.S. House of Representatives notes, “The House’s first African-American member was elected in 1870. The first Hispanic member took office in 1877, the first woman member in 1917, the first Asian-American member in 1957, and the first African-American woman member in 1969.”
The country’s Constitution-writers also made the terms for House members short, compared to the president and senators – only two years. One reason is so House members would have to stay in close contact with the people who live in the area they represent. Otherwise, voters would soon have a chance to push them out of office.
Pahami teksnya
Baca teksnya. Pilih jawaban yang benar.
- Why was the House given the nickname "the People's House"?
- The writers of the Constitution set many restrictions on who could serve in the House.
- According to Madison's words, the door of the House is open to people ...
- What is the youngest age at which a person can be a House member?
- What was the situation in reality for many years?
- In which year did the first woman member join the House?
- How long is a term for a member of the House?
- Why did the Constitution writers make House terms short?
Kata dan makna
Pilih jawaban terbaik, atau ketik satu angka dari teks.
- "That term was chosen as a nickname." A nickname is ...
- Madison wrote "whether native or adoptive". In this context, he means people who ...
- "Women and other groups had limited legal rights, to say the least." The writer uses this phrase to show that ...
- The first Asian-American member of the House took office in ___.
- "Voters would soon have a chance to push them out of office." This means voters could ...
- In the last paragraph, "the terms for House members" means ...
Kunci jawaban
Pahami teksnya
- b) Because its creators wanted it to be close to everyday AmericansPara penyusun Konstitusi ingin House sedekat mungkin dengan rakyat Amerika sehari-hari.
- b) FalseTeks menyebutkan bahwa mereka menetapkan sedikit pembatasan tentang siapa yang boleh menjadi anggotanya.
- a) whatever their age, wealth or religionMadison menulis bahwa House terbuka bagi siapa saja, muda atau tua, miskin atau kaya, tanpa memandang keyakinan agama.
- b) 25Teks menyebutkan bahwa anggota House boleh berusia semuda 25 tahun.
- b) Only free white men were permitted to serve.Pada kenyataannya, selama bertahun-tahun hanya laki-laki kulit putih yang merdeka yang boleh menjadi pembuat undang-undang.
- c) 1917Situs web House menyebutkan bahwa anggota perempuan pertama muncul pada 1917.
- a) Two yearsMasa jabatan anggota House itu singkat: hanya dua tahun.
- c) So that members would stay in close contact with the people they representSalah satu alasannya adalah agar anggota House harus tetap dekat dengan orang-orang di daerah yang mereka wakili.
Kata dan makna
- b) an informal nameNickname adalah nama tidak resmi, seperti the People's House untuk menyebut House of Representatives.
- a) were born in the country or became citizens laterNative berarti lahir di negara itu. Adoptive di sini menggambarkan orang yang menjadikan negara itu tempat tinggal mereka di kemudian hari.
- b) the reality was even worse than these words suggestTo say the least berarti keadaan sebenarnya lebih serius daripada yang digambarkan kata-kata itu.
- 1957Situs web House mencatat anggota keturunan Asia-Amerika pertama pada 1957.
- c) make them lose their positionKalau pemilih push someone out of office, orang itu kalah dalam pemilihan berikutnya dan kehilangan jabatannya.
- a) the periods of time they serveDi sini, term adalah masa tertentu dalam suatu jabatan resmi. Di bagian awal teks, term berarti kata atau ungkapan.