胡敏读故事记单词托福词汇048

Lesson 48 The Speech 演讲

Words:

 

conservation n. 保存，保持

 

conservative adj. 保守的，谨慎的；守旧的

 

conservatism n. 保守主义，守旧性

 

conservatory¹ n. 音乐学院

 

conserve² vt. 保存，保藏

 

considerable adj. 相当大（或多的）；值得考虑的；相当可观的

 

considerate adj. 考虑周到的，体贴的

 

consideration n. 体谅，考虑

 

consistent adj. 一致的，稳定的

 

console vt. 安慰，慰藉

 

consolidate³ v. 巩固；合并

 

consonant⁴ adj. 协调一致的，符合的

 

consort⁵ vi. 陪伴，结交

 

consortium n. 协会，联盟，（国际）财团

 

conspicuous⁶ adj. 显著的，显眼的，引人瞩目的

 

conspiracy⁷ n. 阴谋

 

conspire⁸ v. 共谋，阴谋

 

constant adj. （恒久）不变的，持续的；一再重复的

 

constellation⁹ n. 星座；灿烂的一群

 

consternation¹⁰ n. 惊愕，惊惶，失措

 

It was the morning of my speech and I was a bit nervous. I took my daughter to the conservatory for her music lessons before going to the meeting. She wore a conspicuous red dress with stars in the form of a constellation. Her style was consonant with her personality. I looked her in the eye and said, “I don’t want you to consort with those students who were suspended from school last week, okay?”

 

“Okay dad,” she replied. “Don’t worry about your speech,” she added. “You’ve already spent considerable time on it. I know you’ll do well.”

 

“That’s very considerate of you to be thinking about my speech,” I replied. “You may need to console me later with a Big Mac from McDonalds.”

 

When I arrived at the meeting, the room was already full of conservative people. I wasted no time and walked up to the podium to start my speech. “We need to consolidate our efforts to conserve our natural resources,” I said, maintaining a constant forceful tone. “But conservation alone will not solve the problems facing our country. The oil companies conspire every year to increase the price of oil. They create consternation by claiming that our supply is running short. It is a conspiracy to keep the prices higher than they should be. We need to form a consortium to give thorough consideration to this serious problem. Big changes may be needed and we should not let our conservatism hold us back. We should also be prepared to maintain a consistent and unified¹¹ position on the issue.”

 

My speech continued for another 15 minutes and ended to the sound of loud applause. “Whem, I’m glad it’s over,” I mumbled¹² to myself. “Forget the Big Mac, I need a beer.”

 

这天早上我要去演讲，还有点紧张。我先送女儿去音乐学院上音乐课，然后再去开会。她穿着一条星星点点的鲜红裙子，那些星星形如星座。她的衣着风格很符合她的性格。我正视着女儿，说道：“你不要跟那些上周被勒令停学的学生交往，明白吗？”

 

“好的，爸爸，”她回答道，“别担心你的演讲，”她补充了一句，“你在演讲上花了不少时间，我知道你肯定做的好。”

 

“你真体贴，还想着我的演讲，”我回答道，“也许过会儿你就得用麦当劳的巨无霸汉堡来慰劳我了。”

我来到会场时，屋子里已经坐满了保守派人士。我立刻走上讲坛，开始演讲。“我们需要努力加强对自然资源的保护，”我说道，始终如一地保持着一种铿锵有力的声调。“但光是保护还不能解决我们国家面临的诸多问题。原油公司每年都图谋着要提高油价。他们声称原油供应量不足，造成大家惊恐万分。这是个阴谋，意在将油价维持在正常售价之上。我们需要结成联盟，全面考虑这一严重问题。我们有必要进行大变革，不能因为保守主义而裹足不前，在这一问题上，我们一定要坚持一贯联合的立场。”

 

我又继续说了15分钟，便在一片掌声中结束了演讲。“嘿，我真高兴，终于讲完了，”我嘟囔着，“不吃巨无霸了，我需要一杯啤酒。”

1 conservatory   

n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的

参考例句：

• At the conservatory,he learned how to score a musical composition.在音乐学校里，他学会了怎样谱曲。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants.这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

2 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

3 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

4 consonant   

n.辅音；adj.[音]符合的

参考例句：

• The quality of this suit isn't quite consonant with its price.这套衣服的质量和价钱不相称。
• These are common consonant clusters at the beginning of words.这些单词的开头有相同辅音组合。

5 consort   

v.相伴；结交

参考例句：

• They went in consort two or three together.他们三三两两结伴前往。
• The nurses are instructed not to consort with their patients.护士得到指示不得与病人交往。

6 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

7 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

8 conspire   

v.密谋，（事件等）巧合，共同导致

参考例句：

• They'd conspired to overthrow the government.他们曾经密谋推翻政府。
• History and geography have conspired to bring Greece to a moment of decision.历史和地理因素共同将希腊推至作出抉择的紧要关头。

9 constellation   

n.星座n.灿烂的一群

参考例句：

• A constellation is a pattern of stars as seen from the earth. 一个星座只是从地球上看到的某些恒星的一种样子。
• The Big Dipper is not by itself a constellation. 北斗七星本身不是一个星座。

10 consternation   

n.大为吃惊，惊骇

参考例句：

• He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
• Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。

11 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

12 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。