My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the
task before us, grateful for the trust you’ve bestowed,
mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank
President Bush for his service to our nation — as well
as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout
this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the
presidential oath. The words have been spoken during
rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace.
Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering
clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has
carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of
those in high office, but because we, the people, have
remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true
to our founding documents. So it has been; so it must be
with this generation of Americans. That we are in the
midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at
war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.
Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our
collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the
nation for a new age.

Dale-Chall Readability Formula for This Passage =
(0.0496 * 16.66 Avg. Number of Words Per Sentence) +
(0.1579 * 19.5 Percent of Words in Sample Not Found on Dale Familiar Word List) +
3.6365 = 9-10th Grade Level