People Vocabulary: Practice Questions & Explanations

The USCIS English Reading Test includes proper nouns from the PEOPLE vocabulary list: ABRAHAM LINCOLN, GEORGE WASHINGTON. These names appear frequently in test sentences. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th President of the United States, serving 1861-1865. He is best known for: leading the country through the Civil War; issuing the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) freeing slaves in Confederate territory; delivering the Gettysburg Address; signing the 13th Amendment (which abolished slavery throughout the U.S.); being assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865, just days after the Civil War ended. Sample test sentences may include: 'Abraham Lincoln was a President.' 'Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves.' 'George Washington was the first President.' On the reading test, the applicant reads aloud ONE OF THREE sentences correctly. Pronunciation and intonation are evaluated for clarity; minor errors that don't impede meaning are typically acceptable. Studying the vocabulary list is more useful than memorizing specific sentences since exact sentences vary.

GEORGE WASHINGTON (1732-1799) was the first President of the United States and is honored with the title 'Father of Our Country' (also 'Father of His Country'). The phrase 'Father of Our Country' appears in the USCIS reading vocabulary CIVICS list. Washington's accomplishments include: commanding the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783); leading the army to victory against Great Britain; presiding over the Constitutional Convention (1787); serving as the first President under the new Constitution (1789-1797); establishing the precedent of voluntarily leaving office after two terms. Sample reading test sentences: 'George Washington was the first President.' 'Washington is the Father of Our Country.' 'The capital is named for George Washington.' Note that 'Washington' may refer to: the person George Washington; Washington, D.C. (the capital); Washington state (Pacific Northwest). Context usually makes clear which meaning is intended. On test sentences, capital letters and grammatical context help distinguish.

SENATORS is on the USCIS CIVICS VOCABULARY list. There are 100 U.S. SENATORS — 2 from each of the 50 states. Senators are part of CONGRESS (the legislative branch); they make up the SENATE (the upper chamber). They serve 6-year terms (longest term of any elected federal office except Supreme Court justices, who serve for life). Senators must be at least 30 years old, U.S. citizens for at least 9 years, and residents of the state they represent. Senate powers (in addition to passing laws with the House): RATIFY TREATIES with foreign nations (2/3 vote required); CONFIRM presidential appointments (Cabinet, federal judges including Supreme Court, ambassadors); TRY IMPEACHMENT cases (after the House impeaches an official, the Senate tries them; 2/3 vote needed for conviction and removal). The Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate, but only votes to break ties. Sample reading test sentences: 'Senators meet in the Senate.' 'The President meets with Senators.' 'States have two Senators each.' 'Senators are elected by the people.' Senators may be addressed as 'Senator [Last Name].' Famous past Senators include John F. Kennedy (later President), Barack Obama (later President), Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Ted Kennedy, and many others. The Senate has been called 'the world's greatest deliberative body.'

ELECTS is on the USCIS VERBS VOCABULARY list. The verb 'elect' means to choose someone by voting. READING TEST SENTENCES using 'elects' or 'elected': 'The people elect the President.' 'Congress elects its leaders.' 'Citizens can vote in elections.' American democracy is based on FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS — citizens vote to choose their leaders at all levels: local, state, and federal. ELECTED vs APPOINTED: Not all government officials are elected; federal judges including Supreme Court Justices are APPOINTED by the President and confirmed by the Senate; they are not elected; Cabinet members are appointed; Senators and Representatives are ELECTED by voters in their states. THE ELECTORAL PROCESS for President: Citizens vote in their state; Electoral College votes are allocated based on state results; a candidate needs 270 of 538 electoral votes to win.

The USCIS English Reading Test includes proper nouns from the PEOPLE vocabulary list, and GEORGE WASHINGTON is one of the most common. In a reading sentence such as 'George Washington was the first President,' the name refers to the founding leader who commanded the Continental Army and became the first President. On the reading test, an officer asks the applicant to read one sentence aloud correctly out of up to three. Recognizing the PEOPLE vocabulary words — Washington, Lincoln — in context is exactly what this part of the test measures.

The USCIS reading vocabulary list under PEOPLE contains just two names: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. These appear in reading sentences such as 'George Washington was the first President' or 'Lincoln was the President during the Civil War.' Because the list is short, applicants can focus on recognizing these two historical figures. The test does not use current senators, celebrities, or foreign leaders in the reading sentences. Knowing that the PEOPLE vocabulary is limited to Washington and Lincoln makes preparing for the reading test more manageable.