高中英语语法填空:短文题型培优练习 Test 17

One cannot truly understand the United States without understanding its Constitution. The document describes America's system of government and guarantees the rights of its citizens. The power of the Constitution is 　61　 (great) than any president, court or legislature.

　62　 you ask Americans about their Constitution, probably the first thing they will talk about is the Bill of Rights. These are the first ten changes to the Constitution. These ten amendments have the most direct effect on people's lives.

The Bill of Rightsguarantees freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the press. In fact, all of those and more, 　63　 (include) the right to peaceful assembly, 　64　 (contain)　just in the first amendment. The second one states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The fourth amendment protects against 　65　 (reason) searches and seizures. Other amendments say that people in criminal cases cannot be forced to make statements against themselves, and have a right to a speedy and public trial by a jury.

The Bill of Rights also deals with the separation of powers between the federal government and the states. In the words of the tenth amendment: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor 　66　 (prohibit) by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” In other words, powers belong to the states 　67　 the Constitution gives them to the federal government or prevents the states from having them.

The Bill of Rights was not part of the document 　68　 (sign) at the convention in Philadelphia in 1787. The delegates believed that political freedoms were basic human rights. Some of the delegates thought it was 　69　 to express these rights in a Constitution.

Most Americans, 　70　 , wanted their rights guaranteed in writing. This is why most states approved the new Constitution only on the condition that a Bill of Rights would be added. This was done, and the amendments became law in 1791.