【美国精神】第36期

Explanation:   

  The U.S. Cabinet (or the group of people who advise the president, giving him or her ideas, advice, and information) has grown a lot over time. Under our first president, George Washington, the Cabinet had only four members: the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury¹, Secretary of War, and Attorney General. Today, the Cabinet has 15 members. However, not all 15 are equally important. Some have much more power than others. 

 

  The four most important Cabinet members are the same ones that George Washington had, although their titles (or the names of their jobs) have changed a little bit. These four most important members are known as the “Big Four” and are the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense², and the Attorney General. 

 

  The Secretary of State is responsible for foreign affairs (or relationships between the United States and other countries). The Secretary of State negotiates (or discusses) international agreements and gives instructions to U.S. ambassadors (or official representatives of the United States in other countries). 

 

  The Secretary of the Treasury mostly works with finance, economics, and money. He or she recommends what the president should do to keep the U.S. economy strong. The Secretary’s signature is on all of the United States’ monetary³ bills (or paper money). 

 

  The Secretary of Defense, who used to be known as the Secretary of War, works with the military (or the people and organizations who fight to protect the United States). 

 

  Finally, the last member of the Big Four, the Attorney General, serves as the United States’ most important lawyer, making sure that laws are enforced (or applied). When the United States needs to be represented in-person in court, the Attorney General is responsible for stating the government’s position. The Attorney General is the only member of the U.S. Cabinet who does not have the title of “secretary.” 

 

问题：

What are two Cabinet-level positions?  

Answer:   

•  Secretary of Agriculture  

•  Secretary of Commerce  

•  Secretary of Defense  

•  Secretary of Education  

•  Secretary of Energy  

•  Secretary of Health and Human Services  

•  Secretary of Homeland Security  

•  Secretary of Housing and Urban Development  

•  Secretary of Interior  

•  Secretary of State  

•  Secretary of Transportation  

•  Secretary of Treasury  

•  Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs  

•  Secretary of Labor  

•  Attorney General 

1 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。