一、泛听建议：

　　1、完整听一遍，掌握大意。

　　2、继续听，特别注意关键信息。遇到相似的词，写下来。

　　3、复述新闻。

　　French politicians and business leaders _1_ angrily to British weekly magazine The Economist for its cover story this week. It describes the French economy as the biggest danger to Europe's currency. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports The Economist called France a _2_ time bomb in the heart of Europe.

　　法国政治家和商界领袖对英国周刊《经济学人》本周的封面报道感到十分愤怒，因为它将法国经济形容为欧洲货币最大的威胁。据NPR记者埃莉诺?比尔兹利报道，《经济学人》把法国称为欧洲心脏的一颗定时炸弹。

　　Showing a bundle of baguette loaves with the dynamite fuse burning down, The Economist warned that France was a bigger danger to the euro currency than debt-stricken countries Italy, Spain and Portugal. The respected right-leaning British weekly said high taxes on businesses were eroding the country's competitiveness, and that both French leaders and voters _3_ behind on much needed economic reforms. Far-left French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg said the Economist was known for exaggerations and French bashing. And even capitalist-minded business groups said the magazine's claims were completely exaggerated. Socialist President Francois Hollande has now may reducing the French deficit and making French companies _4_ his top priority, to the point where left-leaning voters and unions have called him a traitor. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

　　法国就像一捆系着导火索的面包一样，随时都可能爆炸。《经济学人》警告，与意大利、西班牙和葡萄牙这些陷入债务危机的国家相比，法国对欧元的威胁更大。《经济学人》十分受人敬重，且思想右倾。该杂志认为，对企业征收高额的税费在不断削弱法国的竞争力，法国领导人和选民的处境堪忧，急需经济改革。法国极左派人士工业部长阿尔诺?蒙特布尔表示，《经济学人》以夸大事实和抨击法国而闻名。甚至一些资本主义集团也认为该杂志的观点完全夸大了事实。社会党总统弗朗索瓦?奥朗德已把减少法国的赤字和增强企业的竞争力作为首要任务。因此，左倾选民和工会称奥朗德为叛国贼。NPR记者埃莉诺?比尔兹利法国报道。

　　President Obama urged Congress to pass legislation to make sure _5_ Americans don't see tax increases at the New Year. Mr. Obama used his weekly media address to talk about the "fiscal cliff." This raises taxes on everybody and imposes spending cuts. In the Republicans' weekly response, New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte says the "fiscal cliff" cannot be averted unless lawmakers seriously address entitlement programs, such as Social Security.

　　奥巴马总统催促国会通过立法，确保在新年之际更多美国富人的税收会增加。奥巴马在总统每周广播演讲中谈到“财政悬崖”。若美国跌入“财政悬崖”，所有人的税收将会增加，削减开支计划也会强制执行。在共和党人每周演讲中，新罕布什尔参议员凯利?阿约特表示，只有国会认真改革像社会保险这样的福利计划，美国才能避免“财政悬崖”。

　　词汇解析：

　　1、currency n. 货币；通货

　　Tourism is the country's top earner of foreign currency.

　　旅游业是该国外汇收入最高的行业。

　　2、dynamite fuse:导火线

　　3、erode. 腐蚀，侵蚀

　　Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.

　　金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

　　4、bashing n. 猛击，抨击；用废矸石充填采空区v. 怒殴（bash的ing形式）

　　I bashed him on the head and dumped him in the water.

　　我猛揍他的头，然后把他扔到了水里。

　　5、traitor n. 叛徒；卖国贼；背信弃义的人

　　Some say he's a traitor to the peace movement.

　　一些人说他是和平运动的背叛者。

　　1、have reacted 2、ticking 3、were dangerously 4、more competitive 5、less affluent