【美国精神】第13期

Explanation:  

    The United States government is divided into three branches (or parts), and all three share equal (or the same) amounts of power. The easiest way to understand the divisions (or parts) of American government is to think of the government as a tree, with three branches of the same size growing from the trunk (or the base, which is the biggest part of the tree). The government was set up this way in the Constitution by the Founding Fathers so that no one branch of government would be able to have absolute power (or total control) over another. 

 

    The first of the three branches of government is Congress, which is also known as the legislative¹ branch. Legislative is another word for lawmaking, so Congress is the branch that makes and passes (or approves) laws. Congress also has the power to control how the government spends its money, known as appropriations². The legislative branch is located in the U.S. Capitol building, a famous building with a dome³ roof (or round top) in Washington, D.C.  

 

    The second branch is the executive branch, which is the president of the United States. Executive means “leader,” so it is the president’s job to lead the country and its military (or the people and organizations who fight for a country, usually to protect it). The vice⁴ president, the president’s top advisor⁵ (or most trusted guide), is also an important part of the executive branch. The president lives and works in the White House, which is also located in Washington, D.C.  The executive branch also includes all of the departments, agencies, and government organizations that help carry out or put into practice the laws of the United States. 

 

    The third branch of government is the judicial⁶ (or legal) branch, also known as the courts. The Supreme⁷ Court in Washington, D.C. is the highest or most powerful court in the judicial branch, but there are also many smaller federal (or national) courts.  All of these courts interpret (or decide how to understand) and explain the laws passed by Congress. 

 

    Each division of the government holds separate and different powers, but the three branches are all part of the same tree and are all necessary for making sure that the United States’ system of government continues to work. 

 

问题：

Name one branch or part of the government. 

Answer:   

•  Congress/legislative 

•  President/executive 

•  The courts/judicial 

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

3 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

7 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。