VOA原文c014 探访美国国会大厦

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高中英语 VOA常速听力11月合辑(文本)AfricanAmericanVotersExpressO

高中英语 VOA常速听力11月合辑（文本）AfricanAmericanVotersExpressOpinionsAboutUSPresidentialElection素材Chris SimkinsOctober 31, 2012Barack Obama won 95 percent of the African-American vote in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. Four years later, Republican Part y challenger Mitt Romney is trying to take away Afr ican-American support from Obama.A solid turnout among African-American voters could lift Barack Obama to a second presidential-election victory, says political-science professor Lorenzo Morris."They will have an impact unless they do not show up [at the polls], meaning their distribution across the [key] states and their influence in 2008 means their role will be critical, he said.Public-opinion surveys suggest the president can again expect strong support among African-American voters like Angela Jenkins."As a person that wa s unemployed I was able to get heal th insurance for myself and my son because of his [Pre sident Obama's] initiative," Jenkins said.Other voters are less enthusiastic about President Obama because of the economic downturn. Andrew Marshall was out of work for two years."I just recently got back to work about e ight months ago, so the progress is very slow at this point and with people its more of a frustration factor where people like figur e it should have been done maybe two years ago," Marshall said.Despite tough economic times, many black voters we spoke with approve of President Obama's job performance."I think he said he was not going to change everything overnight. I think a second term he [President Obama] will fulfill more of what he said he was going to do," Fra nklin said."If you want a president that will make things better in the African-American community you are looking at him," Romney said.Republican Party presidential candidate Mitt Romney has appealed to black voters to join his side. It is proving to be a tough sell."Like me I am on my mother's health insurance, and I feel as though once Romney gets in office it will all be taken away," said one female voter."If Mitt Romney wins the White House, he is going to have to giv e these young black men and old black men jobs. I have a [college] degree and it is hard for me to get a job," Smith said.Some voters were critical of the Obama administration and disappointed the president ha s not done more to address concerns in the black community."We have had an emphasis on the Latino population, we have had an emphasis on the gay population, but when it comes to African Americans I do not see an initiative that was put in place to propel our issues," Wright said."All the times that an incumbent [c andidate] will run you usually have to run on your record and his [President Obama's] record is not good in my eyes but you know I am just one person," Allen said.Despite a few reservations, political analyst David Bositis of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies predicts a vast majority of African Americans will end up supporting Obama over Romney."In addition to support for President Obama among blacks there is a definite fear of what the alternative Republican Party agenda represents," Bositis said.Other political analysts say if President Obama is to recapture the White House his campaign will again need a strong showing at the polls in African-American comm unities, especially in battleground states that could determine the outcome of the election.。

高中英语 VOA常速听力09月合辑(文本)RomneyAttemptsCampaignReset素材

VOA常速英语听力09月合辑（文本）：Romney-Attempts-Campaign-ResetIn the U.S. presidential race, the latest polls show that President Barack Obama has pulled into a modest lead over his Republican challenger, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Romney is trying to get his campaign back on track after a difficult two-week period.Mitt Romney was in damage control mode as he tried to appeal to Hispanic voters on the Spanish language network Univision.“So my campaign is about the 100 percent in America, and I am concerned about them. I’m concerned about the fact that over the past four years life has become harder for Americans," said Romney.Romney has been on the defensive after the release of a secretly-recorded video from a fundraiser in May showed him with a dismissive attitude toward Obama supporters.Romney said 47 percent of voters will support the president no matter what because they depend on government handouts and see themselves as victims.“So my job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives," he said.President Obama responded on the David Letterman show.“When I meet Republicans as I am traveling around the country, they are hard-working, family people who care deeply about this country and my expectation is that if you want to be president you have to work for everybody, not just for some," said President Obama.Analysts say the Romney comments are damaging, at least in the short term.“And then he makes the colossal mistake of presuming you can say things in secret," said presidential historian Allan Lichtman. "We know in this day and age that everything is photographed and recorded and that you can’t just write off half of the American people as dependents and people who don’t pay taxes.The comments could also hurt because voters already find the president more likeable than Romney, says Quinnipiac pollster Peter Brown.“His favorable to unfavorable ratios have not gotten better and voters say Obama much more understands their needs and their lives than Romney, and that is a problem for the challenger," said Brown.Obama has built a slight lead in the polls since the party conventions and may be benefiting from an improving public perception of the economy, says Allan Lichtman. “That [the economy] was his one big area of advantage over Obama. That’s gone and on almost every other issue - you know, likeability, national security, foreign policy, health - Obama is ahead," he said.Romney’s best and perhaps last opportunity to give himself a boost will come in next month’s debates, says Peter Brown.“We are in the final stretch drive and the president is ahead. Now there are events that afford Romney perhaps the opportunity to change that status quo," he said.In addition to the presidential debates there will be one vice presidential debate between the incumbent, Joe Biden, and Republican candidate Paul Ryan.- 1 - / 1。

美国国会大厦

美国国会大厦The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. Though it has never been the geographic center of the Federal District, the Capitol is the origin by which the quadrants of the District are divided and the city was planned.The Capitol is built in the distinctive neoclassical style and has a white exterior. It is the largest unreinforced masonry dome in the world and has housed the meeting chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives for almost two centuries. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and its interior and exterior are designated as a National Historic Landmark.The Capitol houses a number of attractions, including National Statuary Hall, the Rotunda, and the old Senate and House chambers. The Crypt, the basement beneath the Capitol, is also open to the public. Visitor services at the Capitol include guided tours and self-guided visits.。

美国国会大厦

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THIS IS AMERICA - Election of 2004

THIS IS AMERICA - Election of 2004 By Jerilyn Watson, Caty Weaver and Jill MossBroadcast: November 8, 2004(MUSIC) VOICE ONE:Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I ’m Faith Lapidus.VOICE TWO:And I ’m Steve Ember. Coming up ... results from the state and national elections of two thousand four. (MUSIC)(SOUND)VOICE ONE:That was Senator John Kerry last Wednesday, telling his supporters that he had lost the presidential election. (SOUND)President George W. Bush begins his second and final term January twentieth. But first there is the Electoral College tradition. Electors in each state have to meet next month to make the vote official.VOICE TWO:More than fifty-nine million people voted for President Bush and Vice PresidentDick Cheney. That was fifty-one percent. And that was three and one-half millionmore than voted for John Kerry and his vice presidential candidate, Senator JohnEdwards. The Democrats had forty-eight percent.George Walker Bush is America's forty-third president. But he is the first in sixteenyears to win a majority of the popular vote. The last one was his father, in nineteeneighty-eight.VOICE ONE:On colored maps on election-night television, red states meant Republican victories.Blue states meant Democratic victories. In the end, the map looked very much likethe map in the two thousand election. Mister Kerry won all three states on the West Coast -- California, Oregon andWashington state -- as well as Hawaii. He also won the Northeast including NewHampshire, which last time voted for Mister Bush. And Mister Kerry won states inthe upper Midwest including Minnesota and Wisconsin. But most of the countrywas red.The election was decided when a victory for Mister Bush became clear in Ohio, alarge state in the Midwest. There was a long night of waiting. But this election wasnot as close as many people had expected. AP President Bush and his wife, Laura, at a victory celebration in Washington.Senator Kerry and his wife,Teresa, at his concessionFour years ago, when Mister Bush faced Al Gore, Americans had to wait more thana month to know their president. (MUSIC)VOICE TWO:Republicans also increased their strength in Congress in the general elections last Tuesday. Most notably, former Congressman John Thune defeated Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota. Mister Daschle is the Democratic minority leader in the Senate. Fifty years have passed since a Senate leader of either party was voted out of office.Republicans gained a majority in both houses ten years ago. In the next Congress, they will control fifty-five of the one hundred seats in the Senate. They will control more than two hundred thirty of the four hundred thirty-five seats in the House of Representatives.VOICE ONE:Democrats did score a few victories. A new star in the party, Illinois state Senator Barack Obama, was easily elected to the United States Senate. Mister Obama gave a major speech this summer at the Democratic NationalConvention in Boston. He is the son of a black father from Kenya and a whitemother from the United States.Only two other African Americans have been elected to the Senate since the rebuilding after the Civil War in the eighteen-sixties.VOICE TWO:In Colorado, Democrat Ken Salazar, the state attorney general, defeated Republicanbusinessman Pete Coors in a race for the United States Senate. But in Florida,Republican Mel Martinez defeated Democrat Betty Castor, a former state education chief, to replace retiring Senator Bob Graham. Mister Martinez was born in Cuba. He served President Bush as housing secretary. Eleven states had to elect governors last week. Here, voters were about as likely to choose Democrats as Republicans.(MUSIC)VOICE ONE:On the morning of Election Day, long lines formed at schools, community centersand other voting places. And this was not just in the so-called battleground states.Democrats and Republicans had both signed up millions of new voters, many ofthem young.Curtis Gans is director of the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, aresearch group. He says about one hundred twenty million Americans voted. By hisestimate, the turnout was the highest since nineteen sixty-eight, at almost sixtypercent of possible voters. Most political experts had suggested that higher numbers of voters would be better for John Kerry. This was not the case.VOICE TWO:We get some sense of who voted from the questioning of voters for exit polls. Fifty-four percent were women. Women have outnumbered men in voting for presidentfor the past twenty years. More women chose Senator Kerry. But women were morespeech in BostonBarack Obama APVoters in Ohio line up to cast their ballotslikely to choose President Bush as four years ago.Thirty-seven percent of voters said they were Democrats. Thirty-seven percent saidthey were Republicans. Independents were divided almost evenly between SenatorKerry and President Bush.Election-day reports said that young people represented the same share of voters asfour years ago. But University of Maryland researchers disputed the idea that youngvoters stayed away. They noted that all age groups increased their voting.APThe researchers say the percentage of young people who voted reached about half for the first time in years. In fact, they were the only age group strongly for the Democrats.VOICE ONE:Even if not as many young voters showed up as some people had hoped, conservative white Christians did show up. The Republican Party targeted this base of support throughout the campaign. Exit polls found that they made up about one-fourth of all voters. Many experts believe they were the deciding voice.Terrorism and the economy were major issues to voters. But a national exit poll found that even more people said they cared most about "moral values." These include issues like same-sex marriage and the ending of unwanted pregnancies.VOICE TWO:Elections in the United States are organized by local officials. They choose the voting equipment and ballot designs. Four years ago people had many problems voting, especially in Florida.This year the major parties sent thousands of lawyers to voting places to prepare for anything. By the end of Election Day, however, most of the problems seemed minor.VOICE ONE:Spending for federal campaigns this year reached an estimated four thousand million dollars. The Center for Responsive Politics says this is a thirty percent increase from four years ago. The research group says more than one thousand million dollars was spent in the presidential race.The elections were the first under a new political finance law, known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. This law bans unlimited money, usually from businesses or unions, in federal campaigns. Instead, the law increases the limit on how much individuals can give in direct support of candidates.(MUSIC)VOICE TWO:Americans also had many state issues to decide. Eleven states asked voters if marriage should be defined as being between a man and a woman. Voters in all eleven states agreed. They approved amendments to their state constitutions to ban same-sex marriages. Thirteen of the fifty states now have such bans.In California, a ballot measure to pay for stem cell research passed by fifty-nine percent. The state is to spend three thousand million dollars over ten years. Scientists will investigate possible uses for stem cells from embryos for medical treatments.Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, supported the measure. President Bush has restricted federal financing of studies on embryonic stem cells. Opponents say such research destroys life.VOICE ONE:In Arizona, voters agreed to require people to prove their American citizenship before they can sign up to vote.The initiative also requires state employees to report illegal immigrants who request public aid. Initiatives are a way for citizens to bypass a state legislature and put a measure to a popular vote.The Democratic and Republican parties both opposed the measure. But many people in the state say more needs to be done about illegal immigration. Arizona borders Mexico.In Colorado, voters rejected a proposal to change the way that state awards its nine electoral votes. Almost all states, including Colorado, have a winner-takes-all system.VOICE TWO:Voters, however, did agree to require Colorado to get at least ten percent of its electricity from the wind and sun by two thousand fifteen.(MUSIC)Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson, Jill Moss and Caty Weaver, who was also our producer. This is Steve Ember.VOICE ONE:And this is Faith Lapidus. To send us e-mail, write to special@. And join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA, in VOA Special English.Email this article to a friendPrinter Friendly Version。

voa英语听力中英对照原文

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更多阅读请查看本站频道。

Hello, I'm Jerry Smit with the BBC News.杰⾥·斯密特为您播报BBC新闻The Greek government has submitted new proposals to secure a third bailout from its international creditors. The Head of the Eurozone's Group of Finance Ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, said the plans would now be assessed in detail. The proposals include tax rises, pension reforms, spending cuts and promises of privatisation. Tim Willcox in Athens says this may cause problems for the Greek government希腊政府提交了⼀份新的改⾰⽅案以确保能从其债权国得到第三次财政援助，欧元区⾦融主席杰洛恩称该项⽅案将会详细讨论。

这项⽅案包括提⾼税收，退休⾦改⾰，减少⽀出和私有化。

下⾯是威克斯在雅典发回的报道：.“They think, the source I've been speaking to, that the E.U. will take this, but it's going to be very difficult for Alexis Tsipras, the Greek Prime Minister, internally here in Greece, following that referendum last weekend with that massive vote, a NO vote against any more austerity measures.”威克斯称这项⽅案有可能对希腊政府造成问题。

VOA英语听力原文1

ninety-five percent.
Finally, leave space between the food containers and the walls of the storage area so air can flow. Keep the space clean. And try not to open the doors too often.
Some fruits and vegetables must be stored at zero to four degrees Celsius. Any colder, and they might be damaged. Others need four to eight degrees. And still others must be stored above eight degrees.
Containers of water are placed at the top and bottom of the cooler. The ends of each piece of cloth lie in the water so the cloth stays wet.
Put the cooler in the open air but not in the sun. Air will pass through the wet cloth. The inside of the box will stay several degrees cooler than the outside air temperature. And this may be cool enough to keep foods fresh at least for a short time.

VOA特别英语文化聚焦(二十)

VOA特别英语文化聚焦（二十）周一将迎来美国宪法日AMERICAN MOSAIC - September 14, 2001HOST:Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.(THEME)This is Doug Johnson. On our program today:We play songs by Jessica Simpson ...answer a question about the wine-making industry ...and tell about the home of one of America’s first presidents.Rediscovering James MadisonHOST:Monday is (1)Constitution Day. It is the (2)anniversary of the day when the American Constitutional (3)Convention ended. (4)Delegates to the talks signed the proposed Constitution of the United States on September Seventeenth,Seventeen-Eighty-Seven.This year, special(5)observances in honor of Constitution Day are being held at the former home of delegate James Madison. Shep O’neal has more about the man called the Father of the Constitution.ANNCR:James Madison wrote the first planfor union of the new American nation. He also was mainly (6)responsible for the first ten (7)amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights. Later, Mister Madison was the country’s fourth President.The Madison family lived at Montpelier (mont-PEEL-yer), a huge property about one-hundred-thirty kilometers south of Washington, D-C. The (8)property extends over more than one-thousand-one-hundred hectares of land. Today, a private group operates (9)Montpelier.In recent years, crews at Montpelier have been searching for (10)evidence of past human activities. The project depends mainly on the work of (11)volunteers. Students from nearby James Madison University work at Montpelier in May and June for no pay.Matthew Reaves is directing the project. He and his (12)crew are studying objects believed to come from Mount Pleasant, the first Madison home at Montpelier. Mount Pleasant was destroyed in a fire around Seventeen-Sixty-Five. After that, the area was used as farmland.Recently, work crews at Mount Pleasant found the remains of a building. The(13)discovery is exciting because crews have been looking for the (14)remains of the main house for thepast four years.Matthew Reaves believes the project at Mount Pleasant will continue for two to three more years. After that, he wants to (15)explore some of the areas at Montpelier where slaves lived.加州西部葡萄酒工业的起源与发展HOST:(Start at 3’57”)Our VOA listener question this week comes from Brazil. Silvio Unzer asks about the history of the wine industry, especially in the western state of California.Wine is an (16)alcoholic drink made from grapes. Experts do not know when the first wine was made. They say, however, that people who lived eight-thousand years ago enjoyed drinking wine. Wine was also a popular drink among the ancient Greeks. They were the first to grow (17)grapes as a business and to sell their (18)wines to other nations.Wine was also important to the ancient Romans. Grapes were grown throughout the Roman (19)Empire. Later, the Catholic Church continued to produce wines in European countries. Experts say the wine industry appeared in almost every new country settled by Europeans.That is what happened in the American state of California. Franciscan (20)religious workers from Spain who settled the areamade wine to use in religious services. Father Junipero Serra established Mission San Diego inSeventeen-Sixty-Nine. It was the first of twenty-one such religious centers. Almost all of the (21)missions grew grapes and produced wine.The discovery of gold in California in Eighteen-Forty-Eight helped establish the wine industry. Thousands of people traveled to California in hopes of finding gold. But most did not find any. So many people decided to grow grapes instead. These included people from other countries who loved wine. They grew European grapes in California for the first time.California has a lot of sunshine all year. This helps grapes to (22)ripen anywhere in the state. Growing grapes for wine became very (23)profitable. The number of vines planted increased quickly. For example, in Eighteen-Fifty-Six, more than one-million(24)grapevines were planted in California. Two years later, there were almost four-million. ByEighteen-Fifty-Nine, California was producing almost two-million liters of wine.That same year, California lawmakers helped the wine industry (25)expand. A new law permitted grape growers to produce a crop beforehaving to pay taxes. By Eighteen-Sixty-Two, the number of grapevines in California had reachedeight-million.Today, the California Wine Institute says the United States has aboutone-thousand-six-hundred companies that make wine. More than half of these wineries are in California. The group says the state produces ninety percent of the wines made in the United States.美国流行歌星杰西卡·辛普森Jessica SimpsonHOST:(Start at 7’59”)Popular American singer Jessica Simpson had great success with her first record album in Nineteen-Ninety-Nine. Sweet Kisses sold more than two-million copies. Here is the title song:((CUT 1: SWEET KISSES))Now Jessica Simpson has a new record, Irresistible. Bob Doughty tells us abouther.ANNCR:Jessica Simpson was seventeen years old when she recorded her first album. She is twenty-one now. She says her growth shows in the new songs.Jessica Simpson says the (26)message of the songs on Irresistible is that nothing is impossible if you have an (27)inner strength. Here is the title song from her new (28)album.((CUT 2: IRRESISTIBLE))Jessica Simpsonlearned to sing in church in her hometown of Dallas, Texas. She first recorded religious songs. Critics say one song on her new album shows her true spirit. It is one she has been singing since she was a young girl in church. We leave you now with Jessica Simpson singing that song, His Eye Is On The (29)Sparrow.?((CUT 3: HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW))HOST:This is Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. And I hope you will join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.This AMERICAN MOSAIC program was written by George Grow and Nancy Steinbach. Our studio engineer was Greg Burns. And our producer was Paul Thompson.(1) constitution[ 7kCnsti5tju:FEn ]n.宪法, 构造, 体质, 体格, 国体, 章程, 惯例(2)anniversary[ 7Ani5vE:sEri ]n.周年纪念(3)convention[ kEn5venFEn ]n.大会, 协定, 习俗, 惯例(4) delegate[ 5deli…t ]n.代表vt.委派...为代表(5) observance[ Eb5zE:vEns ]n.遵守, 惯例, 仪式, 庆祝(6) responsible[ ris5pCnsEbl ]adj.有责任的, 可靠的, 可依赖的, 负责的(7) amendment[ E5mendmEnt ]n.改善, 改正(8) property[ 5prCpEti ]n.财产, 所有物, 所有权, 性质,特性, (小)道具(9) Montpelier[mCnt`pi:ljE(r)]蒙彼利埃[美国佛蒙特州首府](10) evidence[ 5evidEns ]n.明显, 显著, 明白, 迹象, 根据, [物]证据(11)volunteer[vRlEn5tIE(r)]n.志愿者, 志愿兵adj.志愿的, 义务的, 无偿的v.自愿(12) crew[ kru: ]n.全体人员, (工作)队vbl.crow的过去式(13) discovery[ dis5kQvEri ]n.发现, 发明的东西(14) remain[ ri5mein ]vi.保持, 逗留, 剩余, 残存(15) explore[ iks5plC: ]v.探险, 探测, 探究(16) alcoholic[ 7AlkE5hClik ]adj.含酒精的n.酗酒者, 酒鬼(17) grape[ e ip ]n.葡萄, 葡萄树(18) wine[ wain ]n.葡萄酒, 酒(19) empire[ 5empaiE ]n.帝国, 帝权(20) religious[ ri5lidVEs ]adj.信奉宗教的, 虔诚的, 宗教上的, 修道的, 严谨的n.(21) mission[ 5miFEn ]n.使命, 任务, 使团, 代表团(22) ripen[ 5raipEn ]vt.使成熟vi.成熟(23) profitable [5prCfitEbl] adj.有利可图的(24) grapevine[ 5e ipvain ]n.葡萄藤, 葡萄树, (秘密情报或)谣言不胫而走(25) expand[ iks5pAnd ]vt.使膨胀, 详述, 扩张vi.张开, 发展(26) message[ 5mesidV ]n.消息, 通讯, 讯息, 音讯, 差使, 广告词, 预言, 教训vt.通知(27) inner[ 5inE ]adj.内部的, 里面的, 内心的n.内部(28) album[ 5AlbEm ]n.集邮本, 照相簿, 签名纪念册(29) sparrow[ 5spArEu ]n.[鸟]麻雀。

VOA 慢速阅读1

VOA 慢速阅读加州枪击案致14人遇难，凶手仍然在逃Police say at least 14 people have been killed in a mass shooting in Southern California. And another 14 are wounded. The attack happened in San Bernardino at a training center for disabled people. San Bernardino police chief Jarrod Burguan spoke to reporters after the incident. He said it is believed that three gunmen were involved. He said the shooters apparently fled the area. The numbers of casualties may change and it is not known if the shooting was a terrorist attack. Burguan said there was a massive response to the shooting. He said several local and state security forces took part. Earlier reports said the shooters may have been dressed in military clothing. A police spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times that the attackers were heavily armed and possibly wore body armor. A bomb squad reportedly was deployed to try to disarm a possible explosive device. This latest shooting comes less than a week after a gunman killed three people and wounded nine in an attack at a family planning and health clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In October, a gunman killed nine people at a college in Oregon. In June, a gunman killed nine people at a church in South Carolina.Police say at least 14 people have been killed in a mass shooting in Southern California.MASS词根：massadj. massive 大量的；巨大的，厚重的；魁伟的adv. massively 大量地；沉重地；庄严地n. massif 山丘；断层块；大厦massiveness 沉重；巨大，大块；大量vt. massify 使成整体；使一体化例句：in order to be able to distribute it on a mass scale. You needed a company of, with a lot of capital,为了能够大规模发行。

美国国会和人民代表大会的区别英语作文

美国国会和人民代表大会的区别英语作文The United States and China are Two Very Big CountriesThe United States of America and the People's Republic of China are two of the biggest and most important countries in the world. They have lots of people, land, and power. But even though they are both very big and mighty nations, they have some key differences in how their governments work.In the U.S., we have something called Congress that helps run the country. In China, they have something similar called the National People's Congress. Both of them are groups of people who make laws and important decisions. But there are some big distinctions between the two!The U.S. CongressLet me start by telling you about the United States Congress. Congress has two parts - the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has 100 members, with 2 Senators from each of the 50 states. The House of Representatives has 435 members, with the number from each state depending on how many people live there.People vote directly for who will represent them in Congress during elections. Senators serve 6 year terms, whileRepresentatives serve 2 year terms. The candidate who gets the most votes in their state or district wins that seat.Congress has important powers like making laws, approving treaties with other nations, declaring war, impeaching the president, and controlling taxes and spending. They debate issues, propose bills, and vote on whether to pass them into laws or not.The two parties that currently have the most members of Congress are the Republicans and the Democrats. Laws need a majority of both the Senate and House to pass. So oftentimes, the two parties have to compromise and make deals to get things done. It can be messy but that's how democracy works!China's National People's CongressNow let me explain how China's National People's Congress is different. The NPC has around 3,000 deputies who gather once per year for a couple weeks. However, only a small group of them called the Standing Committee actually drafts laws and makes decisions the rest of the year.The deputies of the NPC are not directly elected by regular voters like in America. Instead, they are chosen by provinciallegislatures and other smaller electoral bodies. Most of them are members of the Chinese Communist Party.While the NPC does technically have the power to make laws and approve leadership, in reality it just approves policies and leaders that have already been decided on by the Chinese Communist Party. The party controls the process behind the scenes.So whereas the U.S. Congress is a back-and-forth between different political parties trying to get their way, the NPC is mainly a ceremonial body that rubber stamps decisions already made by China's one ruling party.Two Very Different SystemsAs you can see, the U.S. Congress and China's National People's Congress operate quite differently. One is a properly elected legislature where multiple parties debate and compromise to make laws. The other is controlled by a single ruling party and exists more as a formality than an actual governing body.The U.S. has a democratic system of government where the people vote for their Congressional representatives to make decisions on their behalf. China has a one-party authoritariansystem where the Communist Party makes key decisions without direct input from voters.Both the U.S. Congress and Chinese NPC are very powerful institutions that govern their respective nations. But the way they are structured, how their members are chosen, and the actual authority they wield are quite distinct. The United States and China may be two of the world's most powerful countries, but their governing systems operate in fundamentally different ways.I hope this comparison of the U.S. Congress and China's National People's Congress has helped you understand a bit more about how the governments of these two nations work. Even as a kid, it's good to learn about these kinds of important differences between countries. Let me know if you have any other questions!。

美国国会大厦英语作文初一

The United States Capitol,often referred to simply as the Capitol,is a historic landmark and the home of the United States Congress.Located in Washington,D.C.,it sits atop Capitol Hill,which is at the eastern end of the National Mall.The Capitol was designed by Dr.William Thornton,a neoclassical architect,and its construction began in1793.The building was completed in1800and has since been the center of the legislative branch of the ernment.The Capitol is a symbol of American democracy and has witnessed many pivotal moments in the nations history.The buildings exterior is made of white marble and sandstone,giving it a grand and majestic appearance.The Capitols dome,which is its most recognizable feature,is288 feet high and96feet in diameter.The dome is adorned with a bronze statue called the Statue of Freedom,which stands19feet6inches tall and is made of bronze.Inside the Capitol,there are several important rooms and spaces.The House of Representatives and the Senate each have their own chamber where they conduct their legislative sessions.The Capitol Rotunda serves as the buildings central hub and is a large,circular room with a skylight at the top.The Rotunda is often used for official events and ceremonies.The Capitol also houses the National Statuary Hall,where each state is represented by two statues donated by the state.Additionally,there are numerous art galleries and historical exhibits throughout the building,showcasing American history and the development of the nations government.Visitors to the Capitol can take guided tours to learn more about its history and architecture.The Capitol Visitor Center,located underground,provides information, exhibits,and a convenient starting point for tours of the building.In conclusion,the United States Capitol is not only an architectural marvel but also a significant symbol of American democracy.Its rich history and role in the nations legislative process make it a mustvisit destination for anyone interested in the workings of the ernment.。

著名景区英文介绍美国国会大厦

著名景区英文介绍：美国国会大厦The United States Capitol is among the most symbolically important and architecturally impressive buildings in the nation. It has housed the meeting chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate for two centuries. The Capitol, which was started in 1793, has been through many construction phases. It stands today as a monument to the American people and their government.An example of 19th-century neoclassical architecture, the Capitol evokes the ideals that guided the Founding Fathers as they developed the new republic. Pierre Charles L'Enfant was expected to design the Capitol, but his dismissal in 1792 due to his refusal to cooperate with the Commissioners of the Federal Buildings, resulted in other plans.A competition was suggested by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and President George Washington that would award $500 and a city lot to whomever produced the winning plan by mid-July. None of the 17 plans submitted were satisfactory. In October, a letter arrived from Dr. William Thornton, a Scottish-trained physician living in the British West Indies, requesting an opportunity to submit his plan after the competition was closed. The Commissioners granted his request and President Washington commended the plan that was soon accepted by the Commissioners.The cornerstone was laid by President Washington on September 18, 1793. Because of Thornton's inexperience, the initial work progressed under the direction of three architects in succession. Stephen H. Hallet and George Hadfield were dismissed because of inappropriate design changes they tried to impose; James Hoban, winner of the competition for the President's House, was placed in charge and saw to the completion of the north wing for the first session of Congress on November 17, 1800. In 1803, construction resumed under Benjamin Henry Latrobe who completed the south and north wings. By 1813, Latrobe, with his job done, departed with the wings connected by a temporary wooden passageway.On August 24, 1814, British troops set fire to the building during the War of 1812. A rainstorm prevented its complete destruction and Latrobe returned to Washington in 1815 to make repairs. He took this opportunity to make changes to the building's interior design and to introduce new materials, such as marble. Latrobe, however, resigned his post in November of 1817 because of construction delays and increasing costs. Charles Bulfinch, a Boston architect, was appointed Latrobe's successor in January of 1818. Continuing the restoration, he was able to make the chambers of the Senate andHouse, as well as the Supreme Court, ready for use by 1819. Bulfinch redesigned the central section, making the dome that topped the section higher. Bulfinch spent his last couple of years on the Capitol's landscaping and decoration until his position was terminated in 1829.By 1850, the Capitol could no longer accommodate the increasing numbers of senators and representatives. Another competition was held offering $500 for the best plan to extend the Capitol. Unable to decide between the plans, Congress divided the money between five architects and Thomas U. Walter was chosen to complete the task. Walter supervised the construction of the extensions, making sure they were compatible with the existing style of the building, but using marble for the exterior instead of sandstone, which deteriorates quickly. As the wings progressed, they more than doubled the length of the Capitol making the dome too small for the new proportions. In 1856, the old dome was removed and work began on a replacement with a new, fireproof cast-iron dome. Construction was suspended in 1861 so that the Capitol could be used as a military barracks, hospital and bakery for the Civil War. However, in 1862, construction resumed, because Lincoln believed that the Capitol must go on, just as the Union must go on.The work on the dome and extensions was completed in 1868 under Edward Clark, who had served as Walter's assistant until his resignation in 1865. Clark held the post of Architect of the Capitol until his death in 1902. Considerable modernization occurred during his tenure,as well as the construction of the marble terraces on the north, west, and south sides of the Capitol. The terraces were constructed as part of the grounds plan devised by landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. After a fire in November 1898, the need for fireproofing became evident. Elliot Woods, Clark's successor, saw to the reconstruction and fireproofing of the damaged wing.The 20th century has seen even further changes for the Capitol.Under the direction of J. George Stewart, the appointed Architect of the Capitol, the East front extension added 102 more rooms from 1959 to 1960. The stonework was also changed from sandstone to Georgia marble during the process. After a public protest at further plans to expand in the 1970s, the plans were dismissed and the vote went to restore, rather than enlarge, the West Front. Since then, primary emphasis has been on strengthening, renovating and preserving the building.Today, the Capitol covers a ground area of 175,170 square feet and has a floor area of about 16.5 acres. In addition to its use by Congress, the Capitol is a museum of American art and history. It stands as a focal point of the government's legislative branch and as a centerpiece of Capitol Hill and the National Mall.The Capitol is located on Capitol Hill at the east end of the National Mall. Visitors must obtain free tickets on a first-come, first-served basis, at the Capitol Guide Service kiosk located along the curving sidewalk southwest of the Capitol, near the intersection of First St., S.W., and Independence Ave. Ticket distribution begins at 9:00 a.m; the capitol is open from 9:00am to 4:30pm, Monday-Saturday, closed Sundays, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. For furtherinformation, please call 202/225-6827 or visit the Capitol's website. Metro stop: Capitol SouthThe White House, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Capitol, and related buildings and grounds are legally exempted from listing in the National Register of Historic Places, according to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.。

初中英语双语阅读②AVisittotheCityCentre素材

A Visit to the City CentreOn their first day in the capital, Diana and Peter visited the Old Tower which stood on a hill near the city centre. There were stairs leading to the top, but Diana and Peter decided1 to take the lift. At the top there was a cafe?and a balcony where visitors could stand and enjoy the view. It was magnificent — you could see the whole city, the river and the hills beyond.On their way back from the Tower, Diana and Peter went past the main square in the city centre. They stopped at a stall to have some orange juice, and sat and watched the traffic for a while. The square was very busy, with cars, buses, bicycles and pedestrians2 going in all directions. In the centre of the square there was a policeman controlling the traffic.stair 楼梯take the lift 乘电梯balcony 阳台magnificent 壮观的stall 摊点pedestrian 行人control 控制游览市中心戴安娜和彼特第一天游览了首都市容，去了市中心附近小山上的古塔。

voa-the-statue-of-liberty

Wednesday, July Fourth, is America's Independence Day holiday. A huge statue honoring freedom and liberty rises ninety-three meters at the entrance to New York Harbor. I'm Sarah Long.VOICE TWO:And I'm Shirley Griffith. The story of the Statue of Liberty is our report today on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.((MUSIC BRIDGE: LIBERTY FANFARE))VOICE ONE:Americans like to say the Statue of Liberty is in good condition for a woman of her age. She is more than one-hundred-years old. France gave the statue to the United States in Eighteen-Eighty-Four.For more than thirty years the statue welcomed millions of foreign people arriving by ship to live in the United States. Today more than two-million people visit the statue every year. The Statue of Liberty has become a representation of freedom for people everywhere.The full name of the statue is "Liberty Enlightening the World." It stands on Liberty Island in Upper New York Bay, about two-and-one-half kilometers from Manhattan Island. It was built in the nineteenth century. But it still remains the tallest metal statue in the world.VOICE TWO:The Statue of Liberty is mostly made of copper. Once it was a reddish-brown color. But time and weather have turned it green. The statue wears a loose robe. She raises her right arm high in the air. Her right hand holds a torch -- a golden light. Her left hand holds a tablet. It shows the date of the American Declaration of Independence – July Fourth, Seventeen-Seventy-Six. The statue wears a crown on her head. The crown has seven points. Each of these rays represents the light of freedom. This light shines on seven seas and seven continents. A chain representing oppression lies broken at her feet.VOICE ONE:Twelve-million immigrants from other countries passed the statue by ship between Eighteen-Ninety-Two and Nineteen Twenty-Four. Then they were taken to the immigration center on nearby Ellis Island. There they went through the processes necessary to live in the United States.Many immigrants thought of the statue as a welcoming mother for refugees. Emma Lazarus expressed this idea in a poem in Eighteen-Eighty-Three. She called her poem "The New Colossus." She wrote:"Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall standA mighty woman with a torch, whose flameIs the imprisoned lightning, and her nameMother of Exiles. "((MUSIC BRIDGE))VOICE TWO:The people of France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States inEighteen-Eighty-Four. Their gift honored freedom. It also marked the friendship betweenthe two nations. This friendship had developed during America's revolution against Britain. France helped the revolutionary armies defeat the soldiers of King George the Third. The war officially ended in Seventeen-Eighty-Three. A few years later, the French rebelled against their own king.VOICE ONE:A French historian and politician named Edouard-Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye started the idea for a statue. Mister Laboulaye was giving a party in his home near Versailles in Eighteen-Sixty-Five. This was the year the American Civil War ended. Slavery also ended in the United States. It was a time when Mister Laboulaye and others were struggling to make their own country democratic. France was suffering under the rule of Napoleon the Third.Mister Laboulaye suggested that the French and Americans build a monument together to celebrate freedom.VOICE TWO:One of the guests at the party was a young sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. For years Mister Bartholdi had dreamed of creating a very large statue. By the end of the party he had been invited to create a statue of freedom for the United States.Mister Bartholdi had never designed anything taller than four meters. But he planned this statue as the largest since ancient times. Its face would be the face of his mother, Auguste-Charlotte Bartholdi.In Eighteen-Seventy-Five the French established an organization to raise money for Mister Bartholdi's creation.VOICE ONE:Two years later the Americans established a group to help pay for the pedestal. This structure would support the statue. American architect Richard Morris Hunt was chosen to design the pedestal. It would stand forty-seven meters high inside the walls of a fort. The fort had been built in the early Eighteen-Hundreds. It was designed in the shape of a star.In France, Mister Bartholdi designed a small version of his statue. Then he built a series of larger copies.Workers created wood forms covered with plaster for each main part. Then they placed three-hundred pieces of copper on the forms. The copper "skin" was less than three centimeters thick.VOICE TWO:Now the Statue of Liberty needed a structure that could hold its great weight. Engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel created this new technology. Later he would gain fame for building the Eiffel Tower in Paris.Mister Eiffel designed a support system for the Statue of Liberty. The system had an iron tower in its center. He decided that iron bars would connect the copper "skin" of the statue to this central tower. Mister Eiffel and his helpers worked on the design in Paris. It provided a strong support for the statue. It also permitted the statue to move a little in strong winds.VOICE ONE:France had hoped to give the statue to the United States on July Fourth,Eighteen-Seventy-Six. That was the one-hundredth anniversary of the signing of America's Declaration of Independence. But technical problems and lack of money delayed the project by eight years.At last France presented the statue to the United States. The celebration took place in Paris on July Fourth, Eighteen-Eighty-Four. Americans started building the pedestal that same year. But they had to stop. People had not given enough money to finish the structure.A New York newspaper urged Americans to give more money for the pedestal. People reacted by giving one-hundred-thousand dollars.VOICE TWO:Now the huge statue had a pedestal to stand on. In France, the statue was taken apart for shipping to the United States. It was shipped in two-hundred-fourteen wooden boxes.On October Twenty-Eighth, Eighteen-Eighty-Six, President Grover Cleveland officially accepted Liberty Enlightening the World. He said: "We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home." Mister Bartholdi and representatives of the French government attended the ceremony. People paraded through the streets of New York. Boats filled the harbor.((MUSIC BRIDGE))VOICE ONE:Over the years Americans shortened the name of the statue. They called it the Statue of Liberty, or Miss Liberty. The statue continued to welcome many immigrants arriving by ship until Nineteen-Twenty-Four. That is when Ellis Island stopped much of its operation. The great wave of immigration to the United States was mostly over.But millions of visitors kept coming to see the Statue of Liberty. By the Nineteen-Eighties, the statue badly needed repairs. Again people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean cooperated to raise money. Automobile manufacturer Lee Iacocca led the campaign in the United States. Big companies gave money for the repairs. So did school children. Fireworks lit the sky at the celebration for the restored Statue of Liberty on July Fourth, Nineteen-Eighty-Six.VOICE TWO:Thousands of people still visit the Statue of Liberty every day. They reach the statue by boat. Many people climb the three-hundred-fifty-four steps to the crown. Or they ride up to observation areas in an elevator. Or they study the story of the statue in a museum in the monument.The famous poem by Emma Lazarus appears in the museum. The last part of the poem expresses the history of the Statue of Liberty. It says:"Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me."I lift my lamp beside the golden door."((LIBERTY FANFARE INSTEAD OF THEME))VOICE ONE:This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced by George Grow. Our studio engineer was Keith Holmes. I'm Sarah Long.VOICE TWO:And I'm Shirley Griffith. Join us again next week for another report about life in the United States on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.[文档可能无法思考全面，请浏览后下载，另外祝您生活愉快，工作顺利，万事如意!]。

公共英语四级的阅读文章《摩天大楼》

公共英语四级的阅读文章《摩天大楼》公共英语四级的阅读文章《摩天大楼》摩天大楼又称为超高层大楼，非常高的多层建筑物。

现代摩登大楼遍布全球。

但是，美丽豪华的摩登大楼其实对环境却有着一些的影响。

下面，一起看一篇公共英语的阅读文章。

Skyscrapers and EnvironmentIn the late 1960's, many people in North America turned their attention to environmental problems, and new steel-and-glass skyscrapers were widely criticized. Ecologists pointed out that a cluster of tall buildings in a city often overburdens public transportation and parking lot capacities.Skyscrapers are also lavish consumers, and wasters, of electric power. In one recent year, the addition of 17 million square feet of skyscraper office space in New York City raised the peak daily demand for electricity by 120, 000 kilowatts ——enough to supply the entire city of Albany, New York, for a day.Glass-walled skyscrapers can be especially wasteful. The heat loss (or gain) through a wall of half-inch plate glass is more than ten times that through a typical masonry wall filled with insulation board. To lessen the strain on heating and air-conditioning equipment, builders of skyscrapers have begun to use double-glazed panels of glass, and reflective glasses coated with silver or gold mirror films that reduce glare as well as heat gain. However, mirror-walled skyscrapers raise the temperature of the surrounding air and affect neighboring buildings.Skyscrapers put a severe strain on a city's sanitation facilities, too. If fully occupied, the two World Trade Center towers in New York City would alone generate 2.25 million gallons of raw sewage each year ——as much as a city the size of Stanford,Connecticut, which has a population of more than 109, 000.摩天大楼与环境60 年代后期，许多北美人把注意力转向了环境问题，那些崭新的玻璃钢摩天大楼受到了广泛的批评。