Joy English
Joy English
← Back to the lesson

Joy English · Level B1 · Historyjoy-english.com

John Quincy Adams: big plans for the nation

Name:Date:

Read an excerpt from a VOA Learning English report about the ideas of President John Quincy Adams and the opposition he faced.

John Quincy Adams: Independent

Yet Quincy Adams talked about unity in his presidential inaugural speech. Adams said the Constitution and the representative democracy of the United States had proved a success. The nation was free and strong and stretched across the continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.

He noted that political divisions had eased. So now, he said, it was time for the people to settle their differences and make a truly national government.

In his first message to Congress, President Adams described his ideas.

The chief purpose of the government, he said, was to improve the lives of the people it governed. To do this, he offered a national program of building roads and canals. He also proposed a national university and a national scientific center.

Adams said Congress should not be limited to making laws only to improve the nation's economic life. He said it should make laws to improve the arts and sciences, too.

But many people of the West and South did not believe that the Constitution gave the federal government the power to do all these things. They believed these powers belonged to the states.

Their representatives in Congress rejected the president’s proposals.

In addition, a new opposition party was trying to weaken support for Quincy Adams. They supported a general from Tennessee named Andrew Jackson.

Historian Harlow Giles Unger says John Quincy Adams was never able to meet the high expectations many people had for him.

Understand the text

Read the text. Choose the correct answer.

  1. What did Adams talk about in his inaugural speech?
    • a) War with other countries
    • b) Unity
    • c) Lower taxes
  2. Adams said that the American system of government had been a success.
    • a) True
    • b) False
  3. According to Adams, what was the chief purpose of the government?
    • a) To make the army stronger
    • b) To protect the powers of the states
    • c) To improve the lives of the people it governed
  4. Which of these was NOT part of Adams's plans?
    • a) Roads and canals
    • b) A national university
    • c) A national scientific center
    • d) A national bank
  5. Adams thought Congress should make laws only to improve the economy.
    • a) True
    • b) False
  6. Why did many people in the West and South disagree with Adams's plans?
    • a) They believed these powers belonged to the states.
    • b) They thought the plans were too small.
    • c) They wanted the national university in their region.
  7. What happened to Adams's proposals in Congress?
    • a) They were approved quickly.
    • b) They were rejected.
    • c) They were changed and then approved.
  8. Who did the new opposition party support?
    • a) Harlow Giles Unger
    • b) A governor from the West
    • c) Andrew Jackson

Words and details

Choose the best answer, or type one word from the text.

  1. The nation stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the ___.
  2. "Political divisions had eased." This means the divisions had ...
    • a) become less serious
    • b) become worse
    • c) just started
  3. It was time for the people to "settle their differences". This means to ...
    • a) move to a new place
    • b) pay their debts
    • c) end their disagreements
  4. In his first message to ___, President Adams described his ideas.
  5. "The chief purpose of the government, he said, was to improve the lives of the people." Chief means ...
    • a) secret
    • b) main
    • c) oldest
  6. Adams was never able to meet the high expectations many people had for him. Expectations are ...
    • a) the rules people wanted him to follow
    • b) the things people believed he would achieve
    • c) the questions people asked him

Answer key

Understand the text

  1. b) UnityThe text says: Quincy Adams talked about unity in his presidential inaugural speech.
  2. a) TrueHe said the Constitution and the representative democracy of the United States had proved a success.
  3. c) To improve the lives of the people it governedHe said the chief purpose of the government was to improve the lives of the people it governed.
  4. d) A national bankHe offered roads and canals, a national university and a national scientific center. The text does not mention a bank.
  5. b) FalseHe said Congress should also make laws to improve the arts and sciences.
  6. a) They believed these powers belonged to the states.They did not believe the Constitution gave the federal government these powers. They believed the powers belonged to the states.
  7. b) They were rejected.The text says: Their representatives in Congress rejected the president's proposals.
  8. c) Andrew JacksonThey supported a general from Tennessee named Andrew Jackson.

Words and details

  1. Pacific / Pacific OceanThe text says the nation stretched across the continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.
  2. a) become less seriousWhen a problem eases, it becomes less serious.
  3. c) end their disagreementsTo settle differences means to stop disagreeing and find a solution.
  4. CongressThe text says: In his first message to Congress, President Adams described his ideas.
  5. b) mainChief means main or most important.
  6. b) the things people believed he would achieveExpectations are what people believe will happen or what someone will achieve.

Joy English · free English practice · https://joy-english.com/reading/john-quincy-adams