单选题 {{B}}Directions:{{/B}} Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for
each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.
The federal entity created by the
Constitution is by far the dominant feature of the American governmental
system.{{U}} (1) {{/U}}the system itself is in reality a mosaic,{{U}}
(2) {{/U}}of thousands of smaller units--building blocks which
together{{U}} (3) {{/U}}the whole. There are 50 state governments{{U}}
(4) {{/U}}the government of the District of Columbia, and further down
the ladder are still smaller units,{{U}} (5) {{/U}}counties, cities,
towns and villages. This{{U}} (6) {{/U}}of governmental units is best
understood{{U}} (7) {{/U}}the evolution of the United States. The
federal system, it has been seen, was the last step in the{{U}} (8)
{{/U}}process. Prior to its creation, there were the governments of the{{U}}
(9) {{/U}}colonies (later states) and prior to{{U}} (10)
{{/U}}, the governments of counties and smaller units. One of the first
tasks (11) by the early English settlers was the creation of
governmental units for the tiny{{U}} (12) {{/U}}they established
along the Atlantic coast. Even before the Pilgrims disembarked {{U}}
(13) {{/U}} their ship in 1620, they{{U}} (14) {{/U}}the
Mayflower Compact, the first written American constitution. And as the new
nation pushed{{U}} (15) {{/U}}each frontier outpost created its own
government to manage its affairs. The drafters of the U. S. Constitution left
this multilayered governmental system{{U}} (16) {{/U}}. While they made
the national structure supreme, they wisely{{U}} (17) {{/U}}the need for
a series of governments more directly in{{U}} (18) {{/U}}with the people
and more keenly attuned(合拍) to their needs. Thus, certain{{U}} (19)
{{/U}}such as defense, currency regulation and foreign relations--could only
be managed by a strong centralized government. But{{U}} (20) {{/U}}such
as sanitation, education and local transportation--belong mainly to local
jurisdictions(管辖权).