VOA中级美国英语

一.本课要点及示例

在这一课里, 我们要学习几个由动词和介词构成的常用语, 比方 "竞选" run for,
r-u-n f-o-r, run for, "依赖" depend on, d-e-p-e-n-d o-n, depend on, "参预" take part
in, t-a-k-e p-a-r-t i-n, take part in 等等. 我们也要学习许多跟选举有关系的词汇.
现在我们先来听今天这一课的对话, 内容是说亨利跟同事南希谈起竞选话动
的事情. 请你注意听两位英文老师的发音和语调.
F: Are you going to vote today, Henry?
M: I don't think so. There aren't any candidates I'm interested in.
F: Haven't you kept up on the issues?
M: I've seen the ads on TV, but I'm not up on what's going on.
F: You should be, you know. This is an important election. And a friend of mine is
running for office.
M: That's why you've been bringing in all the campaign buttons.
F: Yes, Joe Brown is a really good candidate. He has taken part in a lot of community
activities and he knows what needs to be done.
M: And you would vote for him even if you weren't friends, right?
F: Right!
现在我们来听老师用慢速度把整段对话念一遍.
F: Are you going to vote today, Henry?
M: I don't think so. There aren't any candidates I'm interested in.
F: Haven't you kept up on the issues?
M: I've seen the ads on TV, but I'm not up on what's going on.
F: You should be, you know. This is an important election. And a friend of mine is
running for office.
M: That's why you've been bringing in all the campaign buttons.
F: Yes, Joe Brown is a really good candidate. He has taken part in a lot of community
activities and he knows what needs to be done.
M: And you would vote for him even if you weren't friends, right?
F: Right!
现在老师把对话里包含了我们今天要学的常用语的句子挑出来, 再念一遍给
你听.
M: There aren't any candidates I'm interested in.
F: Haven't you kept up on the issues?
M: I'm not up on what's going on.
F: A friend of mine is running for office.
M: You've been bringing in all the campaign buttons.
F: He has taken part in a lot of community activities.

二.RUN FOR

听完了对话, 现在我们来练习对话里包含的常用语. 首先我们学习怎么用 run
for 作句子. 比方有一句话: "有些律师在竞选总统." 这句话英文可以这样说:
Some lawyers are running for the presidency.
下面我们作一组代换练习,学学这种说法. 在这一组练习里你可以学习到其他
公职的名称, 比方市政会, 郡委会等等.现在我们开始作练习. 请你在学生作练
习的时候也一起作.
M: Some lawyers are running for the presidency.
M: congressional office
F: Some lawyers are running for the congressional office
M: governor's office
F: Some lawyers are running for the governor's office.
M: mayor's office
F: Some lawyers are running for the mayor's office.
M: city council
F: Some lawyers are running for the city council.
M: county board
F: Some lawyers are running for the county board.

三.DEPEND ON

刚才我们作的几组练习都是有关竞选的事情. 下面我们作一组代换练习, 看看
在美国参加竞选的人必须依赖谁的帮助才能够当选. 练习的作法是老师念一
个句子, 比方: "候选人依赖竞选委员会主管人员来赢得选举." The candidates
depend on their campaign managers to win the election. 你跟着重复一遍, 接着
老师念出一些助选人员的名称, 比方 "竞选顾问" campaign advisors, "演讲稿
撰写人" speech writers, "竞选工作人员" campaign staff. "支持者" supporters
等等, 请你把你听到的代换到原来的句子里. 每作完一句就请你听老师念正确
答案.
M: The candidates depend on their campaign managers to win the election.
M: campaign advisors
F: The candidates depend on their campaign advisors to win the election.
M: speech writers
F: The candidates depend on their speech writers to win the election.
M: campaign staff
F: The candidates depend on their campaign staff to win the election.
M: supporters
F: The candidates depend on their supporters to win the election.

四.BE INTERESTED IN

在上面那组练习里我们学习了怎么用 "依赖" depend on 作句子,下面我们要学
习用interested in, i-n-t-e-r-e-s-t-e-d i-n, interested in,再加上动名词词组来表示对
什么什么感兴趣. 比方有一句话: "有些候选人对制造就业机会有兴趣." 这句
话英文应该这样说:Some candidates are interested in creating job opportunities.
下面我们作一组代换练习, 一方面学习 to be interested in 的用法, 一方面学一
学候选人所感兴趣的政治问题,比方 "争取女权" getting equal rights for women.
"对抗贪污" fighting corruption. "平衡政府预算" balancing government budget,
"削减联邦政府规模"cutting the size of the federal government, "改善教育计划"
improving educational programs 等等. 现在我们开始练习.
M: Some candidates are interested in creating job opportunities.
M: getting equal rights for women
F: Some candidates are interested in getting equal rights for women.
M: fighting corruption
F: Some candidates are interested in fighting corruption.
M: balancing government budget
F: Some candidates are interested in balancing government budget.
M: cutting the size of the federal government
F: Some candidates are interested in cutting the size of the federal government.
M: improving educational programs
F: Some candidates are interested in improving educational programs.

五.TAKE PART IN

下面我们作一组练习, 学一学 "参与" take part in 的用法.
首先由老师提出问题, 然后学生作肯定的答覆. 练习的内容还是跟政治活动有
关系. 在学生作练习的时候请你也一起作.
M: Did he take part in creating job opportunities?
F: Yes, he took part in creating job opportunities.
M: Did he take part in getting equal rights for women?
F: Yes, he took part in getting equal rights for women.
M: Did he take part in fighting corruption?
F: Yes, he took part in fighting corruption.
M: Did he take part in balancing government budget?
F: Yes, he took part in balancing government budget.
M: Did he take part in cutting the size of the federal government?
F: Yes, he took part in cutting the size of the federal government.
M: Did he take part in improving educational programs?
F: Yes, he took part in improving educational programs.

六.TAKE SIDES ON

在下面一组练习里我们要学习用 take sides on, t-a-k-e s-i-d-e-s o-n, take sides
on 来表达在各种不同政治军事等问题上表明立场.比方 "候选人应该在男女平
权问题上表明立场吗?" 这句话英文应该这样说: Should the candidates take
sides on the issue of equal rights?
在下面这组练习里除了可以练习 take sides on 的用法, 还可以学到许多有用
的词汇, 比方: "民权" civil rights, "保护环境" environmental protection, "国防预
算" defense budget, "核子能源" nuclear energy, "核武器" nuclear weapons 等等.
请你注意听老师问问题, 并且跟学生一起作肯定的答覆.
M: Should the candidates take sides on the issue of equal rights?
F: Yes, they should take sides on the issue of equal rights.
M: Should the candidates take sides on the issue of civil rights?
F: Yes, they should take sides on the issue of civil rights.
M: Should the candidates take sides on the issue of environmental protection?
F: Yes, they should take sides on the issue of environmental protection.
M: Should the candidates take sides on the issue of defense budget?
F: Yes, they should take sides on the issue of defense budget.
M: Should the candidates take sides on the issue of nuclear energy?
F: Yes, they should take sides on the issue of nuclear energy.
M: Should the candidates take sides on the issue of nuclear weapons?
F: Yes, they should take sides on the issue of nuclear weapons.

七.KEEP UP ON

刚才那组练习里的许多词汇如果你还不太熟, 现在我们再作一组代换练习, 复
习一下, 不过这次我们换一个动词词组,这次我们用 keep up on, k-e-e-p u-p o-n,
keep up on 来表示选民应该对各种与选举有关的问题随时注意.
M: Voters should keep up on the issue of civil rights.
M: defense budget
F: Voters should keep up on the issue of defense budget.
M: nuclear energy
F: Voters should keep up on the issue of nuclear energy.
M: nuclear weapons
F: Voters should keep up on the issue of nuclear weapons.
M: environmental protection
F: Voters should keep up on the issue of environmental protection.

八.APPEAL TO

下面我们作最后一组练习, 学学怎么用 appeal to, a-p-p-e-a-l t-o, appeal to 表达
立场不同的政治家受不同选民的欢迎. 比方 "有些政治家受劳工的欢迎." 这
句话英文应该这样说: Some politicians appeal to laborers, 在这组练习里你还
可以学到其他有用的词汇, 比方 "女权运动者" feminists,"退伍军人" veterans,
"少数民族" minority groups, "犹太后裔美国人" Jewish Americans, "西班牙后
裔美国人" Hispanic Americans.
现在我们开始作代换练习.
M: Some politicians appeal to businessmen.
M: laborers
F: Some politicians appeal to laborers.
M: feminists
F: Some politicians appeal to feminists.
M: veterans
F: Some politicians appeal to veterans.
M: minority groups
F: Some politicians appeal to minority groups.
M: Jewish Americans
F: Some politicians appeal to Jewish Americans.
M: Hispanic Americans
F: Some politicians appeal to Hispanic Americans.

九.听短文回答问题

今天我们要听的文章内容是说美国的选举制度, 说到怎么样从事竞选活动.文
章里的词汇都是我们已经练习过的.
现在请你注意听.
Top officials in city, state and federal governments are elected to office by the people.
They run for office every two or four years and elections are held the first week of
November. People who run for elections are called politicians. Many of them are lawyers.
Successful politicians are often famous and important people in their communities.
Young lawyers who are interested in politics often join political clubs when they graduate
from law school. As club members, they help older politicians get elected. When they
have had enough experience and support, they run for office themselves. Before
elections, political candidates are very busy. They have frequent meetings with their
supporters. But most of their time is spent campaigning, shaking hands and making
speeches to the public.
There are different groups of voters that politicians try to win support from. Most large
cities have black and Spanish speaking communities who elect powerful politicians.
Some politicians appeal to businessmen while others appeal to laborers. Many
politicians run for office by taking sides on important issues such as balancing government
budget, getting equal rights for women, fighting corruption and creating job opportunities.
Once politicians win elections, their futures depend on how well they do their jobs, and how
well the people hear of the work they are doing.
现在老师把今天测验的三个问题先念一遍给你听.
第一个问题是:
M: How often are elections held in the United States?
第二个问题是:
M: What do political candidates do to get elected?
第三个问题是:
M: What are some of the important political issues?
现在我们听老师用慢速度再把文章念一遍.
Top officials in city, state and federal governments are elected to office by the people.
They run for office every two or four years and elections are held the first week of
November. People who run for elections are called politicians. Many of them are lawyers.
Successful politicians are often famous and important people in their communities.
Young lawyers who are interested in politics often join political clubs when they graduate
from law school. As club members, they help older politicians get elected. When they
have had enough experience and support, they run for office themselves. Before
elections, political candidates are very busy. They have frequent meetings with their
supporters. But most of their time is spent campaigning, shaking hands and making
speeches to the public.
There are different groups of voters that politicians try to win support from. Most large
cities have black and Spanish speaking communities who elect powerful politicians.
Some politicians appeal to businessmen while others appeal to laborers. Many
politicians run for office by taking sides on important issues such as balancing government
budget, getting equal rights for women, fighting corruption and creating job opportunities.
Once politicians win elections, their futures depend on how well they do their jobs, and how
well the people hear of the work they are doing.
现在请你回答下面三个问题. 每回答一个问题老师会念出正确答案让你作个
比较, 看你答对了没有.
第一个问题是:
M: How often are elections held in the United States?
F: They are held every two or four years.
第二个问题是:
M: What do political candidates do to get elected?
F: They campaign, shake hands and make speeches to the public.
第三个问题是:
M: What are some of the important political issues?
F: They are balancing government budget, getting equal rights for women, fighting
corruption and creating job opportunities.